Thirteen Steps -5- Weak & Powerless
by Valyssia
Illusions
[reviews]
Up, dressed and ready to face their day Willow sat next to Buffy on the loveseat in their cabin.
"Give me a moment to do something before we leave," Willow said trying to calm the anxious Slayer. She felt Buffy relax and started to focus on herself, say the words that would bring about the change and concentrate on the face she would wear when they left. As the spell did its work she felt her cheekbones and jaw shift. The bit that really sucks is the nose...nasal tissue is so sensitive, she thought to herself, trying to hide a grimace.
Buffy looked at the witch in mild disbelief. "That's wicked cool, Will," she said in an awed voice. "Can you do anyone?"
"Sure within reason..." Willow offered with a smile.
Buffy smiled brightly, "Take requests?" Wow, her voice is still the same old Willow. This is a bit unsettling, the Slayer reflected.
Yeah...I'll do one for you provided I can. That's it though... We need to see Miss Hartness," the witch said in a vaguely firm voice.
"How 'bout Angelina Jolie? Can you do her?" Buffy smiled subtly as she spoke.
"Think so, but the girl's sort of a chameleon. You'll have to tell me which look." Willow raised an eyebrow as she concluded the query.
"How 'bout Gia... Right after she's accepted at the modeling agency...before the drug use? She's just scary after she starts using," the Slayer said, still a bit thrown off by Willow's voice issuing from a different face.
"Alright..." the witch said beginning to concentrate again and feeling the shift in her appearance.
Buffy stared for a moment, trying to shrug off the shock. "Your face needs to be a little bit longer and thinner."
Willow gave Buffy a significant glance. "It can't be... I can't alter anything other than my facial structure without risking head injury. This will just have to do." Smiling, she pulled the Slayer into an embrace, and kissed her.
Buffy pulled back a little too quickly and stuttered, "Jee-sus! Will! I thought that was a glamour! You're actually changing your face? That has to hurt!"
"Well...it isn't...yeah...not so much...but it's more effective than a glamour. Though the hair and eyes are definitely a subtle glamour... Even magickal people don't see the facial stuff 'cause it's physical. Works really well at a glance, but I can't change my aura so much... Anyone that knows me wouldn't be fooled for long," Willow said with a smile, as she started to focus on the face she'd worn first. "Put your hands gently to my face."
Buffy did as instructed and she felt the bone structure shift slightly. She pulled back carefully, trying to hide her alarm and said, "Okay...that's just too weird."
"Yeah... This'll attract a lot less attention. I mean I can't really change my body, but... The face you requested is just too recognizable, even if it's not perfect. The goal is to blend, so I made up a face from a few different people. You'll see if you look that I have your mouth and jaw line. Thought it would make us appear like sisters... Ever been curious what it might be like to kiss your self?" the witch said with a supple smile.
Buffy considered Willow for a moment taking in the details. She had Maggie's eyes, looked a bit like Dawn through the nose and cheekbones...but then nose is not quite right...hers is a bit softer, yeah...the lower part of the face is definitely me... Sort of a pretty blend, but the whole look was subtle and almost common. Hummm...Willow as a blond... Done with taking in the details, she leaned in to kiss the witch. In truth she was a bit curious.
Willow withdrew from the embrace and said, "Okay... Enough playing let's go face the music. I can change my voice too. If I need to, but I have to shift my vocal cords and the shape of my pallet. It sucks! And my voice ends up all icky and strained for days after so..."
The Slayer just shook her head and smiled as she started for the door.
The couple made their way over to Miss Hartness' office without incident, and was welcomed in by the smiling woman.
"Willow dear, Amy is in a closed session all morning. I appreciate your effort but you may remove the pretense," Miss Hartness gave the young witch a warm grin.
Willow returned her face to its usual state with an offhanded wave. "I was just trying to be thoughtful."
"Certainly dear, your caution is appreciated," the older woman said in a comforting voice. "Please, come in and have a seat. There's some breakfast for you on the table."
Buffy was the first one seated, "Starved... Thank you!" the Slayer said pouring a cup and considering which pastry looked the yummiest.
Miss Hartness motioned for Willow to make herself comfortable too, and began to speak, "Rupert Giles and I discussed your current project last night and I believe he's managed to locate a suitable place for you to work."
"That was thoughtful, thank you," Willow said, taking a pastry.
"You're most welcomed, dear. Might I suggest something? Not to be rude, but it seems to me that what you are attempting, might generate a great deal of heat and gases. Perhaps, loosening the primer first could be helpful?" Miss Hartness offered with a cheery smile.
Finishing a bite of her pastry, Willow took a quick sip of coffee and pondered what the older witch suggested for a moment. "You're probably right. I hadn't considered that."
"Very good. Glad I could be of help. What you two girls are trying to do is very remarkable and quite noble. Anything I can do to assist, will gladly be offered." Miss Hartness said smiling at Buffy and Willow.
"I think we'll be fine. It's just a very subtle thing and it has to happen on a very large scale...so it's tricky. I know you have to believe that it would be easier if I picked a more skilled partner to work the mojo with," Willow cut what she was saying short, because Miss Hartness raised her hand to speak. She took a bite of the pastry and gave the older witch an attentive stare.
"I don't think anything of the sort, dear. Who you work magick with is your business. It's not my place to pry. ...And from what I've observed you and Buffy work very well together. I don't believe I've heard of another slayer that's been so involved with magick, but just because it hasn't happened before, doesn't mean it isn't a valid choice for you two," Miss Hartness concluded offering a genial smile to Buffy.
"Thanks, Miss Hartness," Buffy said, returning the smile, then taking the last bite of her pastry.
Willow gave her old teacher a pensive look and spoke in a very frank voice; "It just seemed to me that it might be wiser to leave the coven at full strength. That and well... I'm really comfortable with Buffy."
"Both very valid reasons. Now if you girls are finished, I will show you out. Dawn and Magdalena are waiting for you, to help you move your things to the castle. Mr. Giles will meet you there and escort you to the location. Best wishes to you both. Blessed be," Miss Hartness said as she rose up and moved to the door.
Buffy snagged another pastry as she got up to leave and grinned at Miss Hartness.
Making their way across the lawn Buffy stole a moment between bites of pastry to whisper, "I still like her," to Willow.
"I'm glad, dear. She's a remarkable person. She certainly went out on a limb for me when I needed...well...you know," Willow said in a small distant voice.
"I do know...and that's a huge part of the like. Feel I owe her lots," Buffy replied as they arrived back at their cabin.
They met Dawn and Maggie out front and proceeded to load the bag of supplies and the test-firing rig. Buffy and Willow followed the van over on Bernadine, so they would have a way to return without bothering anyone.
Arriving at the castle, they found Giles, who led them to a pond located near the woods behind the structure. They setup the equipment and waved the others away with the standard kindnesses. Giles was even thoughtful enough to provide them with a tarp and a camouflage net so they could just leave the test-fire rig at the end of the day. The two made their way up onto the ridge behind the pond and found another deep, narrow valley to work in.
"Yeah this is pretty much perfect. We can even see the pond and the castle from this vantage so we will know if any of the girls get curious," Willow said opening the pack to get out the materials they would need.
Buffy picked up a round, the tuning fork and the bulletproof box. Items in hand she made her way down the sharp incline. At the bottom she put the round of ammunition into the bulletproof box. Setting the tuning fork into a small hole she noticed on the top of its case, and returning to Willow.
"Alright... Let's start, come to me and get comfortable. I want to work the first one the same way we worked the others yesterday. I need you to stay with me regardless what you see or feel. Okay?" the witch said in a soft yet firm voice.
Buffy nodded looking into Willow's eyes, "I won't leave you."
"Good because I'll need you. I want to alter our perceptions of time. I can't really alter the natural cycle of time, but I can change how we see it. It takes a lot of energy to do this so I need you," Willow took the Slayer's hands and began to relax, mentally easing herself into Buffy. She pulled them both out of body and they moved down the hill.
They worked the same process of stripping the phosphorus molecules gentle from their neon partners and predictably the round exploded. Buffy pulled back, with Willow just slightly, when it happened, and watched in awe as time froze. It was like watching a DVD of the event, moving through it frame by frame. She saw the crack form along the casing of the round, and then the rest of the explosive material flashed... Willow released her hold and time returned to normal, as she withdrew them back to their bodies.
"Miss Hartness was right. The rounds are exploding because we're causing the pressure and heat in the casing to go up. I feel a bit stupid actually. I should have seen it myself. I'm not sure I like the idea of pulling the primers out though. If one were to not slide because the firing plate held it we'd be in tragedy camp again. I think I want to see if we can dent the casing in enough for it to crack. It'll be quicker and dirtier...but it'll produce the same effect," Willow concluded with a pensive gaze.
"I don't think you should feel stupid, Wills. Now that I think about it...seems pretty obvious...but working yesterday? Clueless... It's hard to think creatively when you're being...well...it wasn't fun so...pain...not exactly inspiring stuff," Buffy said,standing up to go place another round of ammunition in the box.
Seeing the Buffy had returned, Willow spoke in a tranquil, even tone, "I want to hold the round in place and apply more force to a line along the side of the casing. It'll be like pressing a knife's edge into it. You'll see just move with me. We should be able to crack the brass pretty easily together. Then we can start working on it just the same way as before. Any luck this'll do it...then we can start with the multiple objects part of the plan."
"Lead on..." Buffy said in a relaxed voice, taking Willow's hands.
They traveled down the hill together. Buffy followed her partner's lead, adding her own force of will behind the witch's they cracked the casing. In concert they worked to remove all of the phosphorus molecules from the round, watching as they escaped in a fine mist, through the crack. It went without a hitch and they were settling back into their bodies in short order.
"That was cool," Buffy said opening her eyes as a smile settled over her face.
"Yes...yes...it actually was pretty nifty. Having you with me makes stuff like this so simple. It's almost like not working at all," Willow said with a grin. "We should just leave that to settle and go see Mr. Giles. He'll be happy to know we can work this. Then we'll come back. Play with the test fire and work two rounds at once...we should be able to do a whole box together by supper. I'll be pretty satisfied once we get there."
"Works for me." Buffy stood up and offered Willow a hand. They made their way down the hill and back up to the castle. Entering it they caught the first girl they saw.
"We're looking for Rupert Giles," Buffy said with a supple smile.
"Sure...follow me," the young woman said with dawning recognition.
"I'm Willow and this is Buffy," said the witch in a conversational voice.
The young slayer smiled as well, saying, "Aye... I know who ye are. My name is Anne. Pleased to meet..."
"Nice to meet you too," Buffy said in a friendly voice as they walked together down the hall.
They made their way into another large room with multiple view screens and computer equipment all over.
Just like Scotland, Buffy mused. Well at least we're consistent.
Anne shot out in a loud voice from the doorway, "Oy! Giles! You have guests." She smiled wolfishly and said in a quiet voice," Saves a lot of trouble to just be direct with these leader types."
"I'll keep that in mind," Buffy said with a soft snigger. Think I like this one too, she thought to herself. Kid's got a bit of fire.
"Right so... That all you needed? Hi Giles..." Anne twiddled a wave at them and headed back out of the room.
"Giles... I think we got it. Have time to come see?" Willow said in a soft excited voice.
"Certainly... This is good news," he said with a smile as he started to follow the girls. Turning he placed the Bluetooth earpiece on a table by the door and said, "I'll return shortly. I trust you have this," to the room at large. Catching an affirmative nod he walked next to Buffy and Willow as they made their way out of the citadel.
As they left the building Giles began, "I need you two to know something."
"Shoot," said Buffy with a soft giggle.
"I spoke with Xander and he said that the leader of this organization that's hunting you is named Voll. He's a US military General. We're still not sure which branch, only that he answers directly to the President." Giles sighed deeply.
"Jesus!" Buffy said in a disgusted voice, "So my own country's trying to kill me? Did I fail to pay my taxes or something? Thought I did...but you know...what with all the horror I mighta forgot."
"No Buffy... They're convinced that you are leading a terrorist organization," Giles said trying to quell the worry from his own voice.
Willow signed so loudly it sounded almost like a hiss. "Knew if that jerk got another term it'd be totally bad... Didn't think we'd run head long into the apocalyptically bad though... I never start with those sorta thoughts, but some how we always manage to find our way there...and it's not like...well..." she finished with a slight snicker.
"So they think I plan to blow stuff up and kill people? They obviously haven't looked at my resume. Funny, since they seem to know so much about me." Buffy looked even more disgusted.
"I'm not sure what they think. What's important is that, if you girls can get this plan of Willow's to work it should go a long way toward demonstrating two points to them. The first being that we will do everything in our power to avoid killing humans...the second simply put... That we are not to be trifled with," Giles concluded in a fervent tone.
They'd reached the pond and skirted around it, making their way up the hill. Buffy went down to retrieve the round. She had to hold it with the split up to avoid spilling the gunpowder out as she brought it back up.
"I'm not sure I even want to put this into a gun," the Slayer said with a smile showing the other two. "We might have gotten just a bit carried away, Will."
"It'll be fine. That's not gonna fire. I'll be amazed if it does," Willow said with an amused look.
"We should go test it anyway. If it does fire the chamber will absorb the energy of the explosion. They're designed to," Gilles said, taking the round from Buffy. "I can handle the test fire if you girls would like to just stand aside and watch."
"Sounds like a plan..." Buffy said as she searched through the pack for the gun. "Will, you still got that key?"
"Yeah right here," the witch said, fishing it out of her pocket.
Buffy pulled the trigger lock off the gun and turned to go back down the hill, handing the weapon to Giles. "I should get the tuning fork just in case."
Releasing the magazine, Giles pulled back the slide of the Berretta, manually loading the gun, and flipping the safety on. Then he picked up the magazine, replacing it into the weapon.
They all walked down the hill together and Giles set up the test-fire rig with an almost mechanical expertise.
Buffy and Willow clasped hands, standing at a distance to watch.
"Get the feeling he's done this before?" Buffy said with a wry grin.
"Never, he looks like a total novice. Glad he has actually...saves you from having to play with something you obviously don't like either," Willow concluded in a delicate, thoughtful voice.
"Yeah... I've just never seen anything good come as the result of a gun. Gun stuff always seems to end in the horror...and the violence. A little too commonly...it ends in me losing someone I love," Buffy said in a gentle tone.
Willow wiped a tear and simply nodded.
"We all loved her, Will. Not like you did, but still love and loss that's impossible to get your head around. Each loss is the same..." Buffy felt a tear fall as she watched Giles tug sharply on the cord he'd attached to the trigger of the gun.
Nothing happened.
"Good show, ladies!" Giles barked in a cheerful voice. "We should leave this here for a short time and let it rest. Removing the round too soon could be dangerous." He walked up and pulled both girls into a tight embrace. "Just wonderful... That's a weight off my mind."
"Yes...very good news." Willow said with a hint of a smile. "Knew it wouldn't fire... We just need to increase the number of objects next and work on speed and distance."
"Indeed... I can give you girls half an hour and then return to test the next. Would that be helpful?" Giles said, considering the two ladies.
"It would," Buffy said gratefully.
"Right then... You two have at it and I'll go check to see that nothing has gone amiss in my absence. Then, I'll return and work with you for the rest of the day," Giles said with a wave.
"Sounds great, Mr. Giles, "Willow said as she and Buffy started to walk to the top of the hill.