Fifty more like her get off the bus every minute

[summers_day]

RP to ConnorBuffy couldn't help thinking of the old show business cliche as she stepped into the terminal at LAX. There were way too many pretty people in this town and, considering her desperate need to shower, and burn all her clothes, she didn't feel like one of them

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[abetterlie]

Now she's babbling again. It seems that either one of them is doomed to do that during this conversation. The "kicking butt" part still doesn't clue Connor on to the fact that she's a Slayer. He has seen both Cordelia and Fred fight, and fought with them, and of course has been a fighting team with Justine for months now, so he's quite familiar with non-superpowered females holding their own. However, they usually need weapons. He has some stuff in the convertible, but he doesn't know what she's familiar with. Except that she doesn't like guns, which is fine with him, because he doesn't, either. Who needs guns? He nods, and by the time she's back, is equipped with sandwiches and a bag. It does occur to him that she just made him pay for both, despite being the client, but it's not that much of an expense. T

he waitress who packs the sandwiches for him gives him a lecture on not letting his girlfriend wait in the future, and he doesn't bother to correct her, because recent experience has shown nobody believes his denials anyway. The remark, however, reminds him and he sends an SMS to Justine who does have a cell phone, even though she rarely uses it and definitely hasn't switched it on when she's working, mentioning there was demon trouble he was going to take care of, and the area.

"Are you more a crossbow or an axe type?"

he asks matter-of-factly when she returns, and they walk out of the diner.

And only then does something register. Her friend Willow. Willow isn't a completely exotic name, of course, and there is no reason why her friend should be the witch who showed up to restore Angel's soul (calling Connor "androgynous" in the process, and really, how would she know?). But it's an interesting coincidence.

[summers_day]

Buffy had every intention of paying for the sandwich when she ordered it. But Connor just hands it to her without noting the price, and she accepts. She's gotten used to the casual, communal style of the backpacking culture, and so she smiles and takes a bite.

"Thanks," she says, around the edges of her mouthful. "Is good." Then, in response to his question, she opens up her REI windbreaker and shows him a row of stakes concealed in the mesh lining meant for hiking gear. "I'm an old-fashioned girl." Another bite. "Not that I say no to a good crossbow." One bad thing about the past year's nomadic lifestyle, for all its openness, has been a few too many instances of Can I help you carry that? for her liking.

"OK, now the plan is. . ." Then she stopped, realizing that Connor was moving toward a dark classic-looking convertible. "Whoa." She stops. "Deja vu." Then she recovers. Why would this guy be driving Angel's car? That's total insanity. She puts her hand on the door and says, with forced brightnes, "So is this a perk of the job?"

[abetterlie]

Obviously, someone at his age would not be able to afford such a car unless he had rich parents.

(Or a rich boyfriend, Angelus comments sarcastically in his head, which Connor really doesn't need right now.)

"It was a gift,"

he says hastily.

"From the guy who used to do this job here before me."

True, and it avoids any terms that have to do with family. Her stakes show Buffy is a true professional, so he gets the crossbow and hands it to her. He has some stakes himself, and isn't sure whether or not to take the axe. It depends on whether...

"We don't have to drive, though, if it's not far. Your problem, I mean."

He looks up at the sky. Perhaps twenty more minutes, and the sun will have set. But walking around with an axe in your hand for long could attract undue attention by civilians, that's why he asks.

"Are we talking about a nest here or streetgangs?"

[summers_day]

Buffy nods. Connor is smart. Cars increase speed but they limit mobility; they can turn into traps. That's why Buffy never learned herself. That and the whole "steering in reverse moves your car the opposite way than you think" thing. Stupid cars.

She takes the crossbow and starts to move in the general direction of the shelter. Connor keeps pace with her, which Buffy isn't used to and didn't expect. But then, his legs are longer.

"My friend Anne runs a youth shelter a few blocks from here. She's noticed a few suspicious incidents lately, signs that point to vampires. But so far no bodies, no signs of struggle, no disappearances that she can confirm. Just rumors; some kids aren't seen for a few days, and then maybe they show up at night, only not so nice as they used to be. She thinks the group must be actively seducing --" She corrects hastily "Recruiting from the kids in the area. That is, wherever the kids are going? They're going in voluntarily. These vampires are offering them something better than life on the street. Nest or roving gangs, I don't know, but my gut tells me we should follow some of these kids, and they'll lead us to our vamps."

[abetterlie]

At this point, Connor is starting to suspect Buffy isn't the usual human variation of demon fighter, because the only other people whom he didn't have his walking speed to adjust for have been Angel and Faith. But what she says prevents him from commenting on it. This is a more than serious problem.

"Makes sense to me,"

he says,

"but say we find them - what's preventing them to take the kids who aren't sired yet as hostages once they realize we're there to dust the lot of them?"

If his father - Daniel Holtz - were here, he'd say that it was better to sacrifice a few in the service of rescuing all the children the vampires would take if they were to remain unstopped, and any hostages would have to die. But though the thought makes him feel disloyal, he is no longer sure this was right.

Perhaps speed could save them, depending on how many vampires were in the room, though there was the additional difficulty of not being able to identify them at once if they weren't wearing their game faces. Connor thinks he could take out three, maybe four vampires before one could bite, but if there were more... which brings him back to his earlier observation.

"How fast are you?"

he adds.

[summers_day]

"I didn't think of that," Buffy admits, then nods at him. "Smart. I was in a situation like that before. . .well, several and. . ." The 'hey it's daylight!' trick only works once, unless it actually IS morning; when Spike had Ford and Anne, she was able to distract him by holding Drusilla hostage herself. But you couldn't exactly count on your run of the mill vampires having those kinds of attachments, and even if you could, you would have to know them better to exploit them.

Without a concrete plan of her own, she's willing to listen to Connor's ideas. But first, he has to know she's not just talk. In response to his question, she says, "Race you to the corner" -- and off she goes.