Re: [buffywantswillow] Digest Number 109

["Soren Nyrond" <soren_nyrond@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Okay -- that one was *total* ROTFLOL -- and it works :: Spike a Red Dwarf
fan -- how does he feel about other English nuttiness ? 

And with that, plus Spike quoting Bard, and Giles citing Clarke, you *have*
to be English yourself or an unredeemable Anglophile.

Nice story anyway. Odd thing is, I keep getting flashes of Cordelia. If
she is the closest untransformed to Sunnydale, and the world is
Slauer-bereft once Alt-Buffy Goes Back, doesn't there "In every generation"
bit imply *she* could suddenly find herself the Slayer ?
After all, she knows the rubric, she has cheerleader-enhanced athleticisim
and she's obviously got Anti-Vampire Streetwise to about level 13 ?
What do you think ?

Soren the Lurker

----------
> From: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [buffywantswillow] Digest Number 109
> Date: 31 March 2000 09:46
> 
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> 
> There is 1 message in this issue.
> 
> Topics in this digest:
> 
> 1. FIC: The Dying Of The Light 
> From: Jim_D_Means@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> 
> 
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: 30 Mar 2000 23:44:05 -0800
> From: Jim_D_Means@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> Subject: FIC: The Dying Of The Light 
> 
> Heads up, True Believers(forgive me, I grew up on a steady stream of
classic Marvel 
> Comics. Back when they were actually fun!) :-p
> 
> Kirayoshi here, your humble scribe, with the next chapter of my first
major story. Hope you 
> like it. And if you haven't caught the rest of it, I just gave Kimber
permission to archive it at 
> her site. I checked it out, it's a cool site. The link is;
http://www.Kimbers-Corner.net 
> 
> Incidentally, I'm not sure about Riley's military rank, I just guessed. 
Same goes with Snyder's 
> first name, which I gave in the last chapter. I read 'The Sunnydale
Yearbook', and the 
> principal's note was signed R. Snyder. So I guessed Roland. He looks
like a Roland.
> 
> Keep that feedback coming.
> Peace, Unity, Love and Havin' Fun,
> Kirayoshi
> 
> Disclaimers; 
> It's Joss Whedon's world, I'm just playing with it. If we all play nice
together and put the toys 
> back where we found them, everything will be lovely. 
> 
> This story's rated between a PG and PG-13. No explicit sex, some
sensuality, some 
> language, normal levels of slayer-ish violence. Nastiness attack, Slayers
slay, wackiness 
> ensues. And if the thought of two women(Buffy and Willow in this case)
being in love with 
> each other wigs you out, then what are you doing on this web site anyway?
Spoilers up to 
> and including "Hush". 
> 
> Tonight's episode features music from Rob Mullins. 
> 
> Archives; Let me know, and I'm liable to say yes. 
> 
> Feedback; give me a happy, and I-mail me at Kirayoshi@xxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Synopsis; One year into the future, the Hellmouth is wide open and the
vampires have taken 
> over the Earth. A maimed Buffy travels back through time to stop the
unholy bargain which 
> was responsible for her world's destruction, and help her younger self
face the truth about her 
> feelings for Willow. 
> 
> 
> The Dying of The Light
> Written by Kirayoshi 
> 
> Chapter 5
> Taking the Initiative
> 
> Giles pulled up to the curb in front of his house, and he and his
passengers filed out quickly. 
> Giles immediately rallied the troops; "Xander, take Anya to the basement,
you know where I 
> keep my armory. Grab as many weapons as you can. Stakes, crossbows,
swords, a good 
> armful each! We're hunting for bear!"
> 
> "You want me to grab some too?" Willow asked eagerly. She was more
motivated than the 
> others to rescue Buffy, although she was certain that they didn't know
why.
> 
> "No, Willow, I need to speak with you once we get inside," Giles
answered.
> 
> The second that Giles opened the front door, his ears were assailed by
his television speaker 
> blasting out; "FUN, FUN, FUN, IN THE SUN, SUN, SUN!"
> 
> "What the bloody hell is going on?" Giles had to shout to be heard over
the din.
> 
> The razor-haired head of the defanged vampire Spike appeared over the top
of Giles sofa. 
> "Hey, gov'ner!" he greeted loudly. "Just in time for 'Red Dwarf'! It's
the one where Lister 
> meets his female counterpart..."
> 
> "What happened to your movie, Deadboy?" Xander asked Spike, suppressing a
desire to 
> grab the nearest object that resembled a wooden stake and plunging the
business end into his 
> heart.
> 
> "Ooh, 'Deadboy'!" Spike chided. "More of the legendary Xander wit. Or
half of it!" Anya 
> had to nearly pull a flying tackle on her boyfriend to stop him from
trying to gouge out the 
> vampire's eyes. "Wouldn't you know, they replaced 'Sixth Sense' with
'Stuart Little'! So I 
> thought I'd kick back here."
> 
> "Thank you, Spike," Giles shouted angrily, snatching the remote control
from Spike's hand 
> and turning the television off, "for reminding me why I chose to remain
in America!"
> 
> " 'Ere, now," Spike protested. "I'm a guest in this shack, you know!"
> 
> "And as such," Giles answered, his rage held in check by the most tenuous
of leashes, "it is 
> long past time that you earn your keep! You can join Xander and Anya
gathering weapons, 
> and then meet us by the car. We're attacking a concentration of vampires
at the old 
> Sunnydale High School site." Giles turned his back on the vampire, and
approached Willow.
> 
> "You're kidding, right?" Xander asked. "Man you picked a screwy time to
develop a sense 
> of humor."
> 
> "Believe me, Xander," Giles said, the irritation in his voice becoming a
palpable force. "In a 
> way it's all a sick joke. But at this point we need any warm body who
can help us. Or in 
> Spike's case, a room-temperature body."
> 
> "Whoa, Steady on, mate!" Spike shouted at Giles. "Nobody tells William
the Bloody what to 
> do, you hear me? I don't take orders from any effin' mortal ponces like
yourselves! Got it?"
> 
> Spike didn't see the hand that grabbed the collar of his jacket, until he
found himself pinned 
> like a chloroformed butterfly against the nearest wall. The look on
Giles' face would have 
> intimidated a legion of demons. "Now you listen to me, 'mate'!" he spat
out his venom at the 
> vampiric houseguest. "You are only tolerated here as long as you are
useful to us. And if you 
> ever, EVER, use that tone of voice with me again, I shall chain you to
the front porch, and let 
> you watch the sunrise! Do we have a meeting of the minds?" William
Blood, aka William the 
> Bloody, aka Spike, tried to look away from Giles' eyes as they flashed
fire at him. "DO 
> WE?"
> 
> "There was a time when I would have torn into your jugular for that
little display, mate," 
> Spike growled. His shoulders then sagged in defeat. "All right. What do
you want from your 
> toybox?"
> 
> "Xander will show you what we require," Giles' voice returned to its
normal quiet tone, but 
> the steel that edged his outburst was still there. Spike meekly followed
Xander and Anya as 
> they quietly made their way toward the basement. Only Willow stayed
behind, in part 
> because after watching Giles attack Spike, she was to scared to move.
> 
> "Uh, Giles," Willow started timidly, but Giles cut her off with a curt
movement of his hand.
> 
> "I wish to apologize for that display, Willow," he said gently. "I guess
that this situation with 
> Buffy and her future counterpart has got all of us on edge."
> 
> "Hey," Willow answered. "You hear that sound? That's the sound of no one
disagreeing with 
> what you did. Spike had it coming for a long time. But you said that
you wanted to speak 
> with me about something?"
> 
> "Yes," he muttered as he headed toward a small shelf. He reached behind
an antique tome, 
> and produced a small metal box. "You remember our last confrontation
with Quentin 
> Travers, don't you?"
> 
> "Yes, he made you use that muscle relaxant of Buffy, for that damned
eighteenth birthday rite 
> of passage thingy."
> 
> "If you mean that exercise in barbarity they called a 'rite of passage',
yes," Giles said bitterly. 
> "Possibly the lowest point of my life was when I had to betray Buffy. 
She was right to turn 
> her back on the Council. I only wish I had seen it before then." He
shook his head, clearing 
> his mind of self-recrimination, and continued; "Since that fiasco, I had
taken the liberty of 
> taking the compound that they had me give Buffy to a friend of mine,
Lucas Small, a 
> pharmacist." He opened the box, revealing a large metal hypodermic
needle. "He supplied 
> me with this antidote. If Quentin's after Buffy for deserting the
Council, he'll no doubt use the 
> muscle relaxant on her. Perhaps even a stronger concentration." 
> 
> Giles knew this to be true. He had not said anything before, because he
didn't want to be 
> seen as fishing for undue sympathy, but when Quentin Travers gave him the
formula to 
> administer to Buffy, he looked at the substance. It was of such a high
concentration that it 
> would have probably stopped Buffy's heart permanently had Giles given her
the dosage that 
> Quentin ordered. Unable(or simply too scared, he still wasn't sure) to
go against the Council 
> openly, he chose to defy them covertly; he diluted the muscle relaxant
with simple blood 
> plasma, reducing its potency. His first act of rebellion against his
masters. Still, he couldn't 
> deny that he had betrayed the young woman who had become a foster
daughter to him. He 
> could say that he was just following orders, but that excuse didn't fly
with Nazi war criminals, 
> Why should it fly with him?
> 
> Willow, for her part, stood thunderstruck at what Giles was saying to
her. The head of the 
> Council, whose stated purpose was to aid the Slayer in her fight against
the forces of Hell, 
> sabotaging her efforts, poisoning her? She remembered how devastated
Buffy was to learn 
> of Giles' involvement in her losing her Slayer strength. She silently
swore to the Goddess that 
> if Quentin so much as breathed on Buffy, she would exact a terrible
revenge.
> 
> "When we get to Sunnydale High," Giles continued, "you must find Buffy. 
That is your top 
> priority. Once you find her, give her the entire contents of this
hypodermic. The syringe 
> contains a compound designed to stimulate the adrenal glands, and boost
the metabolism to 
> burn out any and all toxins. Once it's administered, according to Lucas,
the poisons will be 
> purged from Buffy's body within fifteen minutes. The only side effect is
that she'll become 
> ravenously hungry about an hour after the chemical takes effect, as a
result of her heightened 
> metabolism."
> 
> "So we'll have the traditional celebratory pizza party after we save the
world," Willow 
> suggested.
> 
> Giles smiled. "My treat. One more thing; before she recovers fully,
she'll be vulnerable. 
> You'll need to stand guard over her, and take on anything or anyone who
would attack her."
> 
> "No worries, Giles," Willow answered, "I've got a defensive herbal spell
I've been dying to 
> try out." She rolled up her right sleeve, revealing a small sachet
strapped to her wrist. "Twice 
> blest herbs, simple ingredients, and a simple spell to activate it."
> 
> "You came prepared, Willow. I commend you." He turned his head toward
her, and said 
> simply, "I think I'm beginning to understand how important Buffy is to
you. I know that you 
> are in love with her. I want you to know that I will move Heaven and
Hell to bring her back 
> safely.
> 
> "Geez, does everybody know about me and Buffy?" Willow lamented. "I
didn't know I was 
> even in a closet, when suddenly I'm outed!"
> 
> Giles suppressed a chuckle at Willow's observations. He knew that Buffy
was in good 
> hands. Now, and should she and Willow choose to pledge their love for
each other. "She's 
> lucky to have you in her life, Willow. I used to fret that she shouldn't
involve you in her fights, 
> but it seems I was wrong."
> 
> "It was my choice," Willow answered solemnly. She remembered last spring
when Willow 
> amazed Buffy with her announcement that she was joining her at UC
Sunnydale. Willow 
> would have been right at home in Harvard or Princeton, any ivy league
school, but she chose 
> to fight along side Buffy. "It's a good fight," she had said to her
friend, "I want in."
> 
> All Buffy could say after her vow was simply, "I kinda love you."
> 
> Believe me, Willow thought now as she remembered, for me, it's more than
'kinda'.
> 
> "We'd better get going," Giles said, breaking the moment of nostalgia. 
Giles called for 
> Xander and Anya, who, along with an obstinate Spike, had emerged from the
basement, 
> each bearing a small arsenal of medieval weapons; spikes, crossbows,
silver-tipped swords. 
> "We've got the party favors," Xander announced, "let's crash the party!"
> 
> "Don't worry, Willow," Anya said in surprisingly sympathetic tones. 
"We'll get your potential 
> orgasm-buddy back for you."
> 
> Willow gasped loudly at her turn of phrase. She stood aghast at the
vengeance demon, then 
> shrieked, "Does anyone here not know that I'm in love with Buffy?"
> 
> Xander's face wore an expression of goofy surprise, as he paused for a
second, and 
> answered, "Well, not now." Spike just smirked. Willow wished that she
could turn invisible, 
> or intangible and seep through the floor beneath her.
> 
> "Well, enough of these happy thoughts, mates," Spike quipped in
mock-cheerfulness. " 
> 'Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more', and hopefully," he
finished, staring 
> daggers at Giles, "we'll shut the walls up with our English dead!" He
headed outside, toward 
> Giles' car.
> 
> As the others headed out, Xander was heard to say, "Oh, yeah, I'm feeling
more confident 
> about this mission already!" Fittingly enough, no one answered.
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Buffy awoke slowly, and could not quite shake the veil of lethargy that
seemed to steal the 
> function from her limbs. Unable to move more than her neck, she turned
her head around to 
> gage her surroundings. She was dimly aware of the hard cold ground
beneath her, of the 
> cooling night winds that brushed against her cheek, of the derisive
laughing of unearthly 
> fiends. Her innate preternatural senses, what she sometimes called her
"Spider Sense", was 
> buzzing in her skull like a hive of angry wasps, but she couldn't muster
the strength to arise, to 
> stop whatever was happening.
> 
> "Our sleeping beauty awakens," a condescendingly proper British voice
that she didn't 
> recognize at first, but knew didn't belong to Giles, intoned over her
prone form. "Prop her 
> up, I doubt she has the energy to move herself." She felt rough hands
grab her arms and 
> yank her upright. She tried to keep her head from lolling to the side,
as her body had all the 
> structure of an old doggy chew toy. She managed to raise her head
slightly, and look at the 
> speaker. Her blood ran cold, but she still couldn't fight back against
whatever was sapping 
> her strength.
> 
> "Quen-Quentin..." she started, forcing back the fogginess that had been
engulfing her mind.
> 
> "I'm pleased that you remember me," Quentin Travers nodded to the
weakened Slayer. "Oh, 
> don't bother to get up. I've taken the liberty of dosing you with a
stronger form of the muscle 
> relaxant that I had Giles use on you before. You won't be able to move
your limbs for at 
> least several hours. Long enough for our business to be concluded."
> 
> The Slayer said nothing. She just tried to sit up straighter, but her
body betrayed her and fell 
> forward, like an ancient Raggedy Ann doll. Her nose was gracelessly
flattened against the 
> ground.
> 
> Quentin ignored the suffering Slayer, and turned to the other gentleman
who stood beside 
> him. "I like her this way," the weasel-faced individual commented. "For
once, she's not 
> talking back to me. If it weren't for the school board, I'd have never
let her back in school. 
> She was a bad influence."
> 
> "I assure you, Mr. Snyder," Quentin said to his partner, "that she will
trouble no one again. 
> The Watcher's Council knows how to deal with troublemakers." The two men
turned their 
> backs on the helpless Buffy, who could only remain in the position in
which she fell, since no 
> one had offered to sit her back up, and wonder what Quentin and the demon
who had 
> assumed the form of Mr. Snyder were planning.
> 
> This exchange took place outside of the remains of the school building,
in the school's old 
> football field. As Quentin and Snyder discussed their plans, they failed
to notice a second 
> Slayer, a tired, ragged young woman with only one arm, lurking behind the
bleachers. She 
> managed to tail Quentin's car to the field, and avoid any vampires(and
there were many 
> present) to get to her location. She spied on the proceedings, and when
she felt the coast 
> was clear, she pulled out a cell phone, and dialed.
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> 
> "Thanks, Buffy, we're on our way." Willow hung up the phone and told
Giles, who was 
> concentrating on driving, "Alt-Buffy sneaked into the football field, and
heard Quentin talking 
> to The Amazing Snyder-Man. She also saw Buffy, and from what she told
me, they used the 
> muscle relaxant on her."
> 
> "Damn," Giles muttered under his breath. "Did she see what they were
doing?"
> 
> "No, but she said that the vamps that were gathering around were keeping
quiet. She thinks 
> that something big is happening."
> 
> "We'll find out soon enough," Giles answered. "There's the school, just
to our left." 
> 
> He passed the parking lot, looking for a space near the football field,
only to find a large 
> number of jeeps, and at least one Humvee, all painted in camouflage
colors. A squad of 
> soldiers was milling outside the schoolgrounds, all carrying large,
rather exotic looking 
> weaponry. One black soldier motioned for Giles to pull over, and marched
toward his car. 
> As Giles rolled down his window, the soldier said to him; "Sorry, folks,
this is a restricted 
> area. I must ask you to vacate the premises."
> 
> "May I ask on whose authority this area is restricted?" an irritated
Giles asked.
> 
> "By the authority of the Initiative," the man answered smartly. "I
repeat, this is a restricted 
> area."
> 
> "Now look, Mr..."
> 
> "Sergeant Carter," he barked out, loudly emphasizing his rank.
> 
> "Fine, sergeant, we have business here. We are here to stave off an
event that will have 
> severe repercussions on this city."
> 
> "The Initiative has this situation under control," Carter said loudly,
"there is no reason for you 
> to remain here. If you do not return to your homes, I will be forced to
bring you into 
> protective custody for your own safety."
> 
> "Excuse me, sergeant, I thought that we were still in America!" Giles
shouted, his patience 
> worn to the nub. Before he and the sergeant could continue their
stand-off, the sergeant 
> found himself in a hammer-lock. Spike, who had surreptitiously slipped
out of the car, had 
> managed to overpower Forrest. "I think the gentleman wants to get
through, gov'ner!"
> 
> "Hostile 17!" Carter shouted. "Shock it!" A lance of electricity rushed
through Spike's body, 
> augmented by the chip that the Initiative had implanted in his nervous
system to control him. 
> Spike convulsed, releasing Carter and dropping nervelessly to the ground.
> 
> "Out of the car, all of you!" a commanding voice shouted. "Hands where I
can see them."
> 
> Giles and the younger passengers slowly filed out of the Citroen, their
hands above their 
> heads. The man giving the orders turned to them, and Willow gasped when
she recognized 
> his face, and his wavy blond hair. "Riley?"
> 
> "Lieutenant Finn to you, Ma'am, he's the commanding officer of this
mission," Carter stated.
> 
> "At ease, Carter," Riley interrupted. "I know her. Willow," he turned
his attention to the 
> young hacker. "What the devil are you doing here? This place isn't
safe. Intelligence 
> confirmed that it's crawling with vampires."
> 
> "That's what we're doing here," Willow answered. "Buffy's in there. 
Someone's holding her 
> hostage."
> 
> "Whoa, Buffy?" Riley shook his head. "What's she doing in there?"
> 
> "It's her job, Riley," Willow raised her voice. "She's the Slayer. You
saw her take out the 
> Gentlemen, your intelligence people should have some idea what a Slayer
is. We're her 
> posse, we help her slay undead stuff."
> 
> "Then what are you doing consorting with a known vampire?" Riley asked,
his voice edged 
> with mistrust.
> 
> "Uh, can we call someone at home on that, Regis?" Xander chimed in, only
to get Anya's 
> elbow hard in the ribcage.
> 
> "Don't worry about Pretentious-Boy here, he's on a tight leash. We're
just making sure he 
> won't cause any more trouble."
> 
> "I don't know, Willow," Riley hedged. "I like you, and I know that Buffy
thinks the world of 
> you, but you've put me in a tight spot. My superiors don't want
civilians involved in--" Riley's 
> statement was cut short by sounds of battle. His troops were firing at a
mob of vampires and 
> demons, holding their own but doing minimal permanent damage. Riley
barked out orders to 
> his men; "Full power on the stun rifles. Fry 'em!"
> 
> "If you'll permit us," Giles offered, "we may be of assistance."
> 
> "Oh yeah?" Carter snapped at the retired librarian. "What can you do?"
> 
> "Well, how about--THIS!" In a single fluid motion, he allowed a small
wooden stake to drop 
> out of his sleeve and into his right hand, and threw it like a dart into
the chest of a vampire 
> that had risen from behind Carter. Carter turned around in time to see
the hapless vampire 
> disintegrate into a small pile of ash.
> 
> "Bogey at one o'clock!" Xander shouted, ducking back into the car long
enough to pull out a 
> crossbow. He quickly loaded a bolt onto the bowstring, cocked the weapon
and fired. The 
> bolt flew into the heart of another undead fiend, dusting it instantly.
> 
> Two more vampires were converging upon Riley and the Scoobs. Willow
raised her right 
> arm, revealing the herb packet she wore on her wrist, and shouted
rapidly, "Henbane and 
> holly to guard my back, Garlic and rue to repel the attack!" An
invisible force hammered into 
> the bodies of the two vampires, and several others behind them, knocking
them flat on their 
> backs, and burning them as effectively as the sun. The remaining
vampires retreated to the 
> field. Spike got back up on his feet, and asked Willow, "Not that I
mind, missy, but why 
> didn't that spell dust me?"
> 
> "I guess that implant protected you, interfered with the spell, Willow
answered nonchalantly. 
> "Consider yourself lucky." Spike pursed his lips, wondering at her
coldness.
> 
> Riley looked around at the evidence of the vampire attack. "Rather
old-fashioned weapons 
> you're packing, Giles."
> 
> "They're effective enough against vampires," Giles answered. "Sometimes
the old ways 
> work."
> 
> "And how did you take the others out, Willow?" Riley scratched his head
over that puzzle.
> 
> "I'm a witch," Willow stated simply. "Wicca, to be exact."
> 
> "So, you just cast a spell and poof, no more vampires?" he countered
skeptically.
> 
> "Pretty much, yeah."
> 
> Riley stood silent, considering his options. "You'll forgive me if I'm a
little suspicious. I'm a 
> scientist by nature; I don't accept magic that readily."
> 
> "Arthur C. Clarke once said," Giles offered calmly, "that any
sufficiently advanced science is 
> indistinguishable from magic."
> 
> "And there are more things in heaven and earth, right Horatio?" Riley
thought further, then 
> said, "You seem to know more about what's going on here than we do. 
Would you care to 
> tell us more about it later?"
> 
> "Perhaps," Giles smiled at Riley. "For now, you have weaponry, we have
information, I say 
> that we put our mutual animosity aside and pool our resources."
> 
> At length, Riley turned to Carter. "I'm going to take a chance and trust
these people." Carter 
> started to protest, but Riley cut him off; "Go gather the troops, we'll
be going in on my mark. 
> Dismissed." Carter saluted his superior officer, and left. Riley then
asked Giles, "Okay, 
> friend, what do you suggest?"
> 
> "The two men behind this concentration of vampires are Quentin Travers
and a demon called 
> Belial. Belial will be assuming the identity of a human named Snyder. 
In all likelihood, they 
> have Buffy with them, drugged and helpless. They have something major
planned. While we 
> take on the vampires inside, I will confront Quentin. We have a history
together, and I feel 
> that I should confront him first. Meanwhile, Willow will find Buffy and
administer the anti-
> toxin. Buffy should recover within fifteen minutes of receiving it."
> 
> "And then what?"
> 
> Xander answered for Giles; "Then she kicks butt, we save the day, then we
all go home, 
> scarf lots of pizza and watch Jet Li movies."
> 
> Riley regarded Xander with a smirk. "You seem to have faith in Buffy."
> 
> "Hey," Willow answered. "She's saved the world three times now. You?"
> 
> Riley half-smiled at Willow. He then turned to his men, and shouted,
"We're moving in, men. 
> Let's do the deed!" The forces of the Initiative marched toward the
wreckage of Sunnydale 
> High to face the monsters within.
> 
> "What about that?" Riley asked, pointing his head to indicate Spike.
> 
> "He gets a sword and some stakes, that's it," Giles said as he passed
weapons around to the 
> others. "I don't trust him with a ranged weapon like a crossbow." To the
Slayerettes, he 
> added, "The first sign of betrayal from our peroxide poster child, you
know what to do."
> 
> "Got it, he's a pincushion," Xander said. Willow and Anya nodded in
silent accord.
> 
> "All right, people," Giles announced, crossbow in hand, a bandoleer of
stakes over his 
> shoulder. "Let's move in!" 
> 
> And the battle was joined.
> 
> To be continued....(don't you hate that?)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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