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Chapter 40
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 "In Beijing today the famous Temple of Heaven sustained catastrophic damage as a pair of suicidal bombers detonated their explosives during peak tourist hours.  One hundred and twenty-five are believed to have perished in the attack.  Another thirty-two injured and an unreleased number are missing, according to local authorities.
 
Engineers tell us the extensive damage was due to the location of explosives that were clearly intended to weaken major structural supports for the popular and ancient building.
 
The terrorist group DRA is claiming responsibility for this heinous atrocity.
 
For more on this latest attack on humanity, we go to Mike Cinoy, CNN's senior Asian correspondent on the ground..."
 
"Thank you, Aaron.  Casualties are mounting as these sorts of attacks become more commonplace. Our sources at the Global Human Alliance headquarters confirm that two other terrorist plots were thwarted, one in the Paris Metro and another at St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.  Those would-be terrorists are in custody and are being questioned extensively to determine if their attacks were also directed by the DRA or one of their human affiliates. Back to you, Aaron."
 
"I sat down with Secretary General Beldescu just this weekend to discuss the increased threat these terrorist attacks are posing.  Here is what the Secretary General had to say about increased security measures and the efforts being put forth by local authorities with assistance from the GHA and the anti-terror units of the Global Human Initiative...
 
***
 
The explosion rocked Sunnydale, jarring Giles from sleep and a lovely dream involving Jaffa cakes and tea with Jenny Calendar. "What the bloody hell was that?!"
 
Spike chuckled at hearing the Watcher use one of his own favorite expressions for a change.  "Not sure.  Our group didn't have anythin' scheduled."
 
Willow rushed to her laptop and began making inquiries. She looked up after a few minutes, "So far, nada."
 
"What about your buddy T'Mcasla?" Xander asked Spike.  "He plan any fireworks for here in Sunnyhell?"
 
"He doesn't run his operations by me unless it’s somethin' we're doin' jointly," Spike shrugged.
 
"Got it!" Willow yelled.  "It was the D.RA.  They took out a Global Initiative base near Shady Rest cemetery.  Looks like it also blew up some ancient pagan temple thing."  Willow turned a quizzical look at Buffy and Spike.  "I don't remember ever seeing anything like that there.  The local news feed said it was pre-Columbian.  You'd think one of us would have noticed something like that."
 
Buffy and Spike looked at each other with equally puzzled expressions.  "I spent years all over every cemetery in Sunnydale, including Shady Rest, and never saw anything like that."
 
"Sure they aren't pullin' that out of their arse to make it look worse for our local demon terrorist?" Spike wouldn't believe anything from the Global Human groups!  If they told him he had fangs, he'd have to have Buffy check to be certain.
 
"Looks pretty legit.  I've found some local TV video and I don't think they could have faked it this well." Willow's hands flew over her keyboard, looking for more confirmation from sources that might be less iffy.
 
"Whoa, wait a minute, Wills.  One of those news feeds was about Anya.  Back up." Xander pulled up a rickety chair and stared over his friend’s shoulder to get a better look.
 
"Just a recap of today in court.  You know, I thought they had jumped the shark with the O.J. trial, but they've been complete doofuses with Anya's," Willow shook her head, finding it hard to think that their little group of friends was suddenly international news-worthy. 
 
"Yeah, they even do a segment on what Anya's wearing before each day's update.  Weird!"  Buffy giggled.  "Glad Cordy had some of her best stuff shipped for Anya to wear. The six o'clock reporter was gushing about the designers Anya's choosing.  Sometimes even this crazy world makes no sense."
 
"Okay, gotta say I'm more than a little skeeved out to think my current girlfriend is wearing my ex’s hand-me-downs.  Makes me feel a little like something picked up in a thrift store," Xander gave a lopsided grin.
 
"Well, Harris, you're the one who said it," Spike dodged the balled up paper Xander lobbed his way.
 
"Children!" Giles rubbed a weary hand over his face in exasperation.  "If you wouldn't mind putting away the spitballs and snark for a moment while we research just what seems to have happened here in our little corner of chaos?"
 
Willow turned with a Cheshire cat smile, "Well, in local news, it seems somebody took out some of the Global Human Initiative munitions bases that were fairly close to the cemetery. Looks like some pyramid like building that wasn't there before suddenly was and now it isn't.  Also, Anya wears nice clothes and the prosecution tied up their stupid case today."
 
"Thank you, Willow," Giles rolled his eyes.  "Are you certain you never saw any such building, Buffy?"
 
"Positive.  I've been all over that cemetery for years.  Then again, this IS still the hellmouth."
 
"Maybe there was a cloaking device, like on Star Trek?" Xander suggested.
 
"But what or who would do such a thing?"  Buffy wondered aloud.
 
Giles looked thoughtful, "And why?"
 
***
 
The woman could have been any age from her fifties to ancient.  The loose gown she wore was homespun and rough looking, her hair white as snow.
 
"Hey, lady!  Are you alright?"  The city worker had nearly passed out when the woman appeared from among the rubble.
 
Her dazed look unnerved the man, because in spite of her age and obvious disorientation, there was an aura of great power coming off her.  'Maybe she's some human-looking demon,' he reckoned.
 
"You need to sit down while I call 9-1-1."  The man made a move to assist her, only to stop quickly as she pulled back from him in irritation.  Her expression was no longer confused, but rather like the precise and deadly gaze of a cobra sizing up prey.
 
"Where is the girl?"  Her soft voice was deceptively gentle, but it still did not quell the feeling of nervousness in the man.
 
"Um...what girl?"
 
"THE girl.  The one Chosen to stand against those demons who seek to rule."  The man felt like a pinned insect under her scrutiny.
 
“You mean someone at the GHI?  I don’t know any important women here at the local.  Don’t know any important men either.  I’m just a clean-up guy.”  From the fear he was feeling in this woman’s presence, he really wished he had a name to offer.  She didn’t look like she would be too happy with no answer to her questions.
 
“I know nothing of this Global whatever,” she waved her hands in dismissal.  “I wish to see the Chosen One.  It must be in her assistance that I have been called forth.”
 
“Maybe if you told me her name I’d be able to tell you where she is,” he offered.
 
“They change so often we stopped noting their names.  It was not to have been so,” the woman sounded sad.  She looked around as if actually seeing her surroundings for the first time.  “What year is this?”
 
“Um, 2002, ma’am.”  Clearly this one was on the lam from a nursing home.  ‘Gotta be careful with them!  They can be strong as an ox.’  He reached for his walky-talky to get some much needed backup.
 
“Hey, Mike, mind calling for an ambulance?  Got a sweet old lady here must’ve been hit with some marble when that weird pyramid collapsed.  She’s in her nightgown and looking for a girl she calls the Chosen One.  Figure that must be her nurse or something.”
 
Michael Czajak knew he’d heard that term before.  He thought back till he hit his eureka moment.  High school!  Magic!  Class protector…Buffy!  Yeah, he remembered when the parents all went nuts, even Buffy’s mom and Willow’s too.  Tried to burn them at the stake.  Some big demon that Buffy killed caused it all.
 
Michael started to relay his memory to Jack but thought better of it.  So far no one knew about his past dabbling in magic and he wanted it to stay that way.  Besides he kinda remembered Buffy had escaped from the GHI and was on a wanted list.  Better not let anyone know he had ever met her.
 
“Is she hurt?”  Michael asked after his long pause lost in the past.
 
“Doesn’t look like it, but she came out of all the rubble.  I don’t see how she wouldn’t be.”
 
“I’m on my way.”
 
Michael rushed to the site and stopped abruptly in front of the woman.
 
“Do YOU know where the Chosen is?”
 
Michael looked at his co-worker and offered, “I’ll take care of this, Jack, just get back to clearing up this mess.”
 
“Sure thing, boss,” Jack was relieved not have to deal with the slightly scary woman any longer.  If they had been near water, he would have wondered if she was one of those water witches his buddy Gomez had always gone on about.  Something called La Llorona, he thought Jose had called them. 
 
Michael looked at the woman and felt her power.  He offered his hand to help her over some of the broken marble.  “I think you mean Buffy.  The Slayer?” he suggested after Jack was beyond hearing him.
 
“Buffy?  Is that the name of this one?  Odd.”  The woman smiled for the first time.  “Yes, the Slayer.  Take me to her or call for her to come here at once.”
 
“I don’t know where she is at the moment, ma’am.  She’s pretty much in hiding from the GHI.”
 
“Is that what they are calling the Council of Men now?”
 
Michael remembered seeing Quentin Travers on TV and the newscaster saying he had once been the head of some kind of Council.  He wasn’t sure if that was what this lady meant, but if so, at least he could clue her in on some stuff that had happened.
 
“…so this guy Travers kinda helped start the Global Human Initiative and they set things up to get rid of all the demons and magic and stuff,” Michael concluded his brief but informative explanation.
 
“And the Slayer?”
 
Michael squirmed under her gimlet eye.  “See, the GHI picked up Buffy and some other people from Travers’ old organization and took them to their labs. “
 
The woman seemed to even stop breathing for a moment.  “Where is this…lab?  Where is Travers?”
 
“Well, Mr. Travers is dead, ma’am, and the lab is shut down because some group blew it up.  Most of the demons inside escaped and Buffy is on a wanted list, so she must have survived the blast.  But I don’t know where she is.”
 
“This is what comes from being locked away!”  The woman began to pace.  “They always overstepped their bounds, but this Travers sounds like the worst.  Men like him are why my sisters and I were created in the first place.” She turned to Michael and ordered, “You must help me find where Buffy the Slayer is and take me to her.”
 
Michael wracked his brain trying to think of a way to placate the woman.  It was obvious she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.  He remembered that Buffy and Willow were still friends, at least last he had heard.  He hadn’t seen Willow since right after graduation when he had tried to help to de-rat Amy.  If anyone knew where Buffy was, it would be his old fellow coven member.  Problem was, he had no idea where Willow was either.
 
“Well, boy, don’t just stand there with your mouth open.  Say something useful.”
 
“Jonathan,” Michael sputtered.
 
“Jonathan?  Jonathan who?”
 
“He might know where to find Willow,” Michael explained.  Seeing that his explanation had not cleared up a thing, he added, “Willow is Buffy’s best friend.  She’ll know where to find her.”
 
“Now you are making some sense,” the woman smiled for the first time.