Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.88: Give him the word that I'm not a rover

  With my tail wrapped around a vampire's throat, I ran up the side of a building before flipping and grabbing his head in a face-lock to do a cutter. While he was squirming and groaning on the ground, I staked him and moved on to the next vampire.

  "Spike!" Buffy shouted, and I looked over quickly to make sure he didn't need help. Thankfully, he didn't, but Robin definitely did, and Spike was the nearest one to assist. Turning back to my opponent, I jumped and tornado kicked him right in the face. Tossing the stake up into the air, I caught it with my tail and drove it into the vampire's chest.

  "Gotta love a good night's work." I sighed, leaning backward with my hands on my lower back to pop my spine.

  "Where'd you learn to fight?" Robin questioned, looking right at me and the piles of dust at my feet. "Pretty sure I saw some wrestling and taekwondo right there."

  "Watchers Council. They trained me in as many fighting styles as they could. They never really intended on letting me loose, but should the need arise-"

  "They wanted to be prepared."

  "Exactly." I nodded.

~

  "Here to report the situation is still normal." I spoke up while swinging into Principal Wood's office. "Well....as normal as a school like this can get."

  "So it appears." Robin turned away from the window he was looking out of and crossed his arms.

  "Well, no fires, no one's exploding, and the swing choir and the marching band are back to their normal, healthy, seething resentment."

  "Yeah, it's been pretty quiet around here since Buffy shut down that seal." He stepped closer while sliding his hands into his pockets.

  "Hopefully things are fine now. At least, here, anyways."

  "Everything's terrible! Total catastrophe!" The man that pretty much swooped into the office looked utterly distraught.

  "Pops, what's wrong?"

  "Have you seen the new library?! The-There-There's nothing but computers. Not a book to be seen. I-I don't know where to begin, Aud. I-I mean- Who do-Who do we speak to?" I smiled and chuckled at the old man while pointing to Robin.

  "Uh, that would....that would be me." The principal turned and held out a hand towards Pops. "Hi, I'm Robin Wood."

  "Oh! Ah, sorry, yes. Uh, Rupert Giles. Sorry." Pops shook the man's hand. "Aud tells me you're somewhat of a-a freelance demon fighter." Robin quickly shut his office door. "Oh, yes, yes. I, um, am relieved. We're running dangerously low on allies."

  "So what's with the sudden drop by?" I questioned as Robin went to take a seat at his desk.

  "The seers at the coven are certain The First is continuing to gather its forces. I'm afraid....war is inevitable." Pops sighed. "So, we should go before the school board."

  "What?" Robin looked utterly confused, but I knew what Pops was talking about.

  "Well, I can have my backup library sent from home in the meantime. It's not much but-"

  "Pops." I chuckled.

  "Knowledge comes from crafted binding and pages, Aud, not ones and zeros. I taught you that."

  "You did. Bring back any potentials?"

  "Um, well, no. Actually, my trip is about something else. It's, um, regarding Spike." Pops took off his glasses to clean the lenses, and I furrowed my brows.