FF Hunting Tigers Chapter 5
Title: Hunting Tigers
Author: Dark Wyldchilde (wyldchilde37@yahoo.com)
Rating: I don't think I'll ever be anything other then NC-17.
Pairing:Faith/Tara, Abby/Ziva, Buffy/Angel
Setting: The Lock, if you don't know you need to start back at "Life on the Farm" otherwise you may wonder how all these familiar characters got into such unfamiliar situations.
Summary: An old enemy returns.
Spoilers: Buffy, Angel, NCIS, The Executioner all are fair game in this AU. As is Supernatural.
Disclaimers: This is a nonprofit work of fanfiction and is in no way a challenge to anyone's copyrights,intellectual properties, or similar.
Wyld's Notes: Seven stories in and eight is plotted out...
Chapter 5.
While Gibbs eyes were raging, and his face was reddened his voice was calm as he turned to his niece upon her arrival. "While things aren't always what they seem I'm working from the idea that this IS Haswari. That makes the first question did he manage to climb out of Hell himself? Or did he have help?"
Tara was actually proud of her Uncle. While it had been nearly a year since they had first watched her dust a vampire in the NCIS autopsy bay he had made the adjustment better then she thought the skeptic he was renown as would have. Still, if you strip way the mystic elements there was a definite comparison to a jailbreak, it was how he seemed to be approaching it, and that was where she started.
"Even if he would have gotten himself out of Hell he would have still have had some sort of assistance. When emerging from Hell he would have just been a disembodied spirit. The fact that he not only has flesh, but flesh that is from all signs identical to his original body not only points to help, but powerful help. Powerful help that likely wanted him to be recognizable to us."
As everyone mulled over that point Buffy spoke up in a small voice. "We'll want to check his grave. See if it IS his old body, and they restored it like mine."
Ziva's voice was almost as muted as Buffy's. "I can confirm personally delivering his body was to Israel and seeing it interred."
While Buffy and Ziva were understandably pale, as the conversation continued anyone who looked at Oracle as she typed away at her keyboard would see a similar pallor quickly consuming the redhead's features.
Angel however was understandably focused on Buffy when he put his hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing?"
Buffy forced a smile for her boyfriend. "Not well, but we're all rattled at the moment."
Seeing the conversation starting to stall out Lex stepped up and took the floor. "Resurrection 101!" Her words had the desired effect as everyone regained their focus and turned it on her. "One of the earliest lessons in magick is that nothing is ever free. All magick does is give you a wider range of options."
"Now when bringing back the dead to full life, rather then simple animation of dead tissue like with zombies, you are essentially performing a one-two punch of spells. You're just do it so close together it seems like one. It depends on which res formula you are using which is done first, but it's really academic since they are both essential."
While everyone was obviously interested Buffy had taken a deep enough interest that Giles shared a look with Angel, and as Angel nodded he moved even closer to Buffy. Lex on the other hand noticed that while Willow had been recoiling a change occurred and while Willow's spine stiffened in resignation Lex would have sworn Willow's expression showed genuine regret.
She however let none of it impact her continuing presentation. "The first is bringing back the spirit, because without an animating force the best you can hope is that autonomic functions catch on, but then all you've got is a body in a persistent vegetative state."
"Now this can be done several ways. If you have something linked to the one you are resurrecting, like say their mortal remains, you can pull their spirit back fairly easy. If you don't have anything linking to your subject you can still bring them back, but you are going to be talking several degrees more powerful of a casting. A cribbed version of that, is that in cases like Haswari you can summon a demon and order it to drag the desired soul out of Hell and bring it to you."
Tony was still obviously stunned at the return of his team's old enemy, but still had his sense of humor. "What so Hell has a work release program?"
While his attempt at humor didn't break the tension in the room it lightened it, and Lex actually managed a small grin as she replied. "More to say it's like arranging a jailbreak with a the help of a friendly guard."
Lex paused, licking her lips and taking a breath. She looked over at Willow again, and the women's eyes met. To her growing shock Lex saw Willow nod, giving her permission to air what was probably the red head's deepest and darkest. Feeling released she resumed speaking.
"The second is the vessel for the returning spirit. This is where you truly run into the nothing is free, not even in magick. I read up on when they brought back Darla, and from what I gather in that case they destroyed several vamps to create a new body for her because her old one was dusted when Angel staked her..."
Willow hit a few keys on her console and then stood up. Her voice was quiet, but steady. "If it's okay Lex I will take it from here and you can just fill in anything I miss?"
The dark witch nodded and stepped back. "Okay Oracle."
Willow took a deep breath, and released it, another, and even a third. With that breath she met Buffy's eyes and seemed to hope her eyes could convey the regret words would fail to. It wasn't certain if she succeeded, but Buffy's expression showed she was effected as what was as much a confession as it was a briefing started.
"When I brought Buffy back I knew I would need a fresh source of life energy to restore the energies that were no longer present in Buffy's remains."
There were several small interruptions as Tara's eyes widened. Not as versed in black magick as Lex it apparently wasn't until now she realized what the resurrection would have required. Though Faith wasn't truly versed in any magick she was well versed in Tara Maclay and moved behind her lover to rest her hands on Tara's shoulders. Something the blond showed her appreciation of as she leaned her head to the rest to rest her cheek to Faith's right hand.
"While the Urn of Osiris allowed each of us to contribute some of our life energies to bring Buffy back it wasn't enough. Nothing is free, not even in magick, and to make a life I had to take a life."
It then clicked for Buffy and her eyes were starting to tear as she met her friends. "Willow?"
Unnoticed to the side Lex seemed to have picked up a new detail as she silently mouthed the word "Osiris" to herself.
"I used a faun, by using a sacrifice as young as I did I was able to capture a full measure of life."
Xander interrupted. "That wine stuff?"
Willow met his eyes in turn. "Was blood Xander, the faun's lifeblood."
Willow then looked down guiltily, before she resigned herself anew and looked up. "Even then it should not have been enough. It was only after Lex confronted me about it that I did more research and learned that the Urn of Osiris gave a significant return on the investment that allowed the energy to be enough."
She then met Buffy's eyes again. "Sorry would be just another insult Buffy. I hope you don't hate me, but I couldn't blame you if you did."
Oracle then looked to the entire room. "But that's about all I know on the topic." She then sat down.
Silence reigned for several moments before Lex stepped forward once more. "Okay. While they could have done some aftermarket stuff to Ari after bringing him back he would have first come back human." She then looked to Buffy. "Did he seem human?"
Buffy seemed happy for something else to think about. "Didn't trip any of my senses."
Lex nodded a couple of times. "When you bring someone back you bring them back as their 'base' self so to speak. It's why Darla came back as a human."
Buffy interrupted. "I was still a slayer when I came back. I mean I was slaying less then an hour after digging my way out."
Tara had found her voice again at that point. "Slaying is your birthright Buffy. It is who you are. Just like you didn't loose your powers when you drowned and Kendra was called. Darla being turned into a vampire was a 'aftermarket' modification. You 'rolled off the line' a slayer."
The blonde slayer nodded while biting her bottom lip.
Faith leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Tara's right ear before stepping forward to address her people. "All right! Everyone listen up! We might not know who these fuckers are at the moment, but they wanted us to know they know who we are. Fine! There is an old expression that says when you go hunting tigers be careful, you just might catch one. We're going to teach them just what that expression means!"
Tara smiled, and so did several others as Faith demonstrated the ability to boost morale and motivate her people that made them HER people more then any ranking chart.
"While they've given us a easily followable lead in this Haswari that also means that traps are inevitable, but all traps cut both ways, and you can't bait them without offering up something your prey wants. You will not just be fierce predators, you will be cunning ones. You will snatch that bait out of the trap and then you will lure your hunters into traps of your own."
"I don't even need to order this. I didn't pick you to be here to follow my orders. I picked you to be here because I knew you would be just as fierce as I am, just as cunning as I am, and just as determined to use those qualities to make those evil bastards regret every decision they ever made the led them to us!"
"NOW! We've been challenged! We've been called out! I'm going out there to answer them!"
She just looked at them expectantly. Gibbs got it and stepped forward. "HOOH RAH!"
His niece was grinning as she echoed him. "HOOH RAH!"
Soon the rest of the room echoed in "HOOH RAH!"s.
Author: Dark Wyldchilde (wyldchilde37@yahoo.com)
Rating: I don't think I'll ever be anything other then NC-17.
Pairing:Faith/Tara, Abby/Ziva, Buffy/Angel
Setting: The Lock, if you don't know you need to start back at "Life on the Farm" otherwise you may wonder how all these familiar characters got into such unfamiliar situations.
Summary: An old enemy returns.
Spoilers: Buffy, Angel, NCIS, The Executioner all are fair game in this AU. As is Supernatural.
Disclaimers: This is a nonprofit work of fanfiction and is in no way a challenge to anyone's copyrights,intellectual properties, or similar.
Wyld's Notes: Seven stories in and eight is plotted out...
Chapter 5.
While Gibbs eyes were raging, and his face was reddened his voice was calm as he turned to his niece upon her arrival. "While things aren't always what they seem I'm working from the idea that this IS Haswari. That makes the first question did he manage to climb out of Hell himself? Or did he have help?"
Tara was actually proud of her Uncle. While it had been nearly a year since they had first watched her dust a vampire in the NCIS autopsy bay he had made the adjustment better then she thought the skeptic he was renown as would have. Still, if you strip way the mystic elements there was a definite comparison to a jailbreak, it was how he seemed to be approaching it, and that was where she started.
"Even if he would have gotten himself out of Hell he would have still have had some sort of assistance. When emerging from Hell he would have just been a disembodied spirit. The fact that he not only has flesh, but flesh that is from all signs identical to his original body not only points to help, but powerful help. Powerful help that likely wanted him to be recognizable to us."
As everyone mulled over that point Buffy spoke up in a small voice. "We'll want to check his grave. See if it IS his old body, and they restored it like mine."
Ziva's voice was almost as muted as Buffy's. "I can confirm personally delivering his body was to Israel and seeing it interred."
While Buffy and Ziva were understandably pale, as the conversation continued anyone who looked at Oracle as she typed away at her keyboard would see a similar pallor quickly consuming the redhead's features.
Angel however was understandably focused on Buffy when he put his hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing?"
Buffy forced a smile for her boyfriend. "Not well, but we're all rattled at the moment."
Seeing the conversation starting to stall out Lex stepped up and took the floor. "Resurrection 101!" Her words had the desired effect as everyone regained their focus and turned it on her. "One of the earliest lessons in magick is that nothing is ever free. All magick does is give you a wider range of options."
"Now when bringing back the dead to full life, rather then simple animation of dead tissue like with zombies, you are essentially performing a one-two punch of spells. You're just do it so close together it seems like one. It depends on which res formula you are using which is done first, but it's really academic since they are both essential."
While everyone was obviously interested Buffy had taken a deep enough interest that Giles shared a look with Angel, and as Angel nodded he moved even closer to Buffy. Lex on the other hand noticed that while Willow had been recoiling a change occurred and while Willow's spine stiffened in resignation Lex would have sworn Willow's expression showed genuine regret.
She however let none of it impact her continuing presentation. "The first is bringing back the spirit, because without an animating force the best you can hope is that autonomic functions catch on, but then all you've got is a body in a persistent vegetative state."
"Now this can be done several ways. If you have something linked to the one you are resurrecting, like say their mortal remains, you can pull their spirit back fairly easy. If you don't have anything linking to your subject you can still bring them back, but you are going to be talking several degrees more powerful of a casting. A cribbed version of that, is that in cases like Haswari you can summon a demon and order it to drag the desired soul out of Hell and bring it to you."
Tony was still obviously stunned at the return of his team's old enemy, but still had his sense of humor. "What so Hell has a work release program?"
While his attempt at humor didn't break the tension in the room it lightened it, and Lex actually managed a small grin as she replied. "More to say it's like arranging a jailbreak with a the help of a friendly guard."
Lex paused, licking her lips and taking a breath. She looked over at Willow again, and the women's eyes met. To her growing shock Lex saw Willow nod, giving her permission to air what was probably the red head's deepest and darkest. Feeling released she resumed speaking.
"The second is the vessel for the returning spirit. This is where you truly run into the nothing is free, not even in magick. I read up on when they brought back Darla, and from what I gather in that case they destroyed several vamps to create a new body for her because her old one was dusted when Angel staked her..."
Willow hit a few keys on her console and then stood up. Her voice was quiet, but steady. "If it's okay Lex I will take it from here and you can just fill in anything I miss?"
The dark witch nodded and stepped back. "Okay Oracle."
Willow took a deep breath, and released it, another, and even a third. With that breath she met Buffy's eyes and seemed to hope her eyes could convey the regret words would fail to. It wasn't certain if she succeeded, but Buffy's expression showed she was effected as what was as much a confession as it was a briefing started.
"When I brought Buffy back I knew I would need a fresh source of life energy to restore the energies that were no longer present in Buffy's remains."
There were several small interruptions as Tara's eyes widened. Not as versed in black magick as Lex it apparently wasn't until now she realized what the resurrection would have required. Though Faith wasn't truly versed in any magick she was well versed in Tara Maclay and moved behind her lover to rest her hands on Tara's shoulders. Something the blond showed her appreciation of as she leaned her head to the rest to rest her cheek to Faith's right hand.
"While the Urn of Osiris allowed each of us to contribute some of our life energies to bring Buffy back it wasn't enough. Nothing is free, not even in magick, and to make a life I had to take a life."
It then clicked for Buffy and her eyes were starting to tear as she met her friends. "Willow?"
Unnoticed to the side Lex seemed to have picked up a new detail as she silently mouthed the word "Osiris" to herself.
"I used a faun, by using a sacrifice as young as I did I was able to capture a full measure of life."
Xander interrupted. "That wine stuff?"
Willow met his eyes in turn. "Was blood Xander, the faun's lifeblood."
Willow then looked down guiltily, before she resigned herself anew and looked up. "Even then it should not have been enough. It was only after Lex confronted me about it that I did more research and learned that the Urn of Osiris gave a significant return on the investment that allowed the energy to be enough."
She then met Buffy's eyes again. "Sorry would be just another insult Buffy. I hope you don't hate me, but I couldn't blame you if you did."
Oracle then looked to the entire room. "But that's about all I know on the topic." She then sat down.
Silence reigned for several moments before Lex stepped forward once more. "Okay. While they could have done some aftermarket stuff to Ari after bringing him back he would have first come back human." She then looked to Buffy. "Did he seem human?"
Buffy seemed happy for something else to think about. "Didn't trip any of my senses."
Lex nodded a couple of times. "When you bring someone back you bring them back as their 'base' self so to speak. It's why Darla came back as a human."
Buffy interrupted. "I was still a slayer when I came back. I mean I was slaying less then an hour after digging my way out."
Tara had found her voice again at that point. "Slaying is your birthright Buffy. It is who you are. Just like you didn't loose your powers when you drowned and Kendra was called. Darla being turned into a vampire was a 'aftermarket' modification. You 'rolled off the line' a slayer."
The blonde slayer nodded while biting her bottom lip.
Faith leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Tara's right ear before stepping forward to address her people. "All right! Everyone listen up! We might not know who these fuckers are at the moment, but they wanted us to know they know who we are. Fine! There is an old expression that says when you go hunting tigers be careful, you just might catch one. We're going to teach them just what that expression means!"
Tara smiled, and so did several others as Faith demonstrated the ability to boost morale and motivate her people that made them HER people more then any ranking chart.
"While they've given us a easily followable lead in this Haswari that also means that traps are inevitable, but all traps cut both ways, and you can't bait them without offering up something your prey wants. You will not just be fierce predators, you will be cunning ones. You will snatch that bait out of the trap and then you will lure your hunters into traps of your own."
"I don't even need to order this. I didn't pick you to be here to follow my orders. I picked you to be here because I knew you would be just as fierce as I am, just as cunning as I am, and just as determined to use those qualities to make those evil bastards regret every decision they ever made the led them to us!"
"NOW! We've been challenged! We've been called out! I'm going out there to answer them!"
She just looked at them expectantly. Gibbs got it and stepped forward. "HOOH RAH!"
His niece was grinning as she echoed him. "HOOH RAH!"
Soon the rest of the room echoed in "HOOH RAH!"s.