(Untitled)

[milkbonesoldier]

His cousin's bound to be about sooner or later, and then they can make the arrangements to go and get the finished Slayer weapons from Hephaestos. Wells, therefore, is on the lookout for Andrew in Milliways- and trying very hard to ignore the fact that he's got a container of Annie's baklava next to him that's probably large enough to qualify as a

Comments

[precocioustilda]

Oh goodness.

"Seargent Wells," says Tilda, blinking. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

[milkbonesoldier]

"Hm? Oh- hallo, Tilda," says Wells, glancing up (he'd been going over a volume on blacksmithing, just to see what he needed to ask Hephaestos about). "Yeah, I've been a bit busy, I'm afraid. How've you been, eh?"

[precocioustilda]

"Turned seven, started attending university, met some terribly interesting people."

Beam!

"And you? How long's it been?"

[milkbonesoldier]

"Christ, that means you've already got more schooling than I ever did," says Wells. "Tell you the truth, I don't really know how long it's been. Did I tell you about the Slayers and the Scythe yet? That's the biggest thing that happened lately."

[precocioustilda]

"Slayers and the... no, I can't say you have. Go on."

[milkbonesoldier]

"Right," says Wells. "You know what I do with the Slayers, right? Young women with powers to fight the vampires and shit that goes bump in the night?"

[precocioustilda]

"I've picked up the occasional book that touched on the subject of Slayers, yes."

Read: she met Giles once.

"You teach them, right?"

[milkbonesoldier]

Wells nods. "Hand-to-hand, small group tactics, all that sort of thing. Anyway, it happens that there used to be only the one Slayer at a time, ever. And there was a weapon that was supposed to be hers. Big axe-looking thing, only they called it the Scythe. All sorts of powers and shit- a bit like Excalibur, but without the scabbard and the woman in the water givin' it to you."

[precocioustilda]

"All right. And let me guess, something unfortunate happened to this legendary weapon?"

[milkbonesoldier]

"Too fu- too damn right it did," says Wells. "It got stolen."

[precocioustilda]

"Damn," she agrees, blinking. "How long ago? Did everything turn out all right?"

[milkbonesoldier]

"December, my world," says Wells. "Andrew and me used the Bar to stretch out time and get our shit in order. The bastards who stole it were run by demons, see. We didn't dare move against 'em 'til we knew what they were planning. Turned out they had a ritual in mind that'd use the thing's binding to the Slayer line to kill every Slayer on Earth that wasn't under the demons' rule." He scratches his nose briefly. "So you can see why we'd round up all the girls we could and go after them en masse, eh?"

[precocioustilda]

"--Yes, I rather think I can. Oh dear. I hope it worked out all right. If you need any help going after them again, sign me up."

[milkbonesoldier]

"We lost a Slayer, Tilda," says Wells quietly. "Kennedy died in the battle."

He's not taking any seven-year-olds into a fight where death is on the line.

[precocioustilda]

(while the mun repeatedly kicks gmail for losing this notification...)

"I'm sorry," she says.

In place of her first reaction, which was to offer her help for next time again in stronger language. Matilda knows adults aren't going to let her into all the adult battles with all their adult dangers. She even knows it's reasonable for them not to. It's still frustrating to feel as though she can help, and know she won't be allowed.

[milkbonesoldier]

Wells was barely willing to let some of the Slayers into the battle, and they're the bloody Slayers. He's a soldier. He's seen far too much to be willing to drag anyone young into it.

"Anyway," he says eventually, "we'll be keeping an eye on 'em, but for now it's quiet."