Gear of Corruption

[ryuan]

"So if I mess up this part, my head won't explode?"

"For the last time Xander, no, your head won't explode."

"But there are ways for my head to explore if I mess things up, right?"

"It really depends on what you are trying to do. For example if you try to control fire like me and your spell matrix is wrong you can make the fire spiral out of control, or explode early, or explode in the wrong direction, things like that. That's why you start out with simple things and work your way up first."

"Alright, alright. You convinced me, even if I have to learn math."

I just stared flatly at him. "Please be a dear and cut the bullshit. I have the memories of an incredibly smart yet painfully lazy person in my mind and I can see when someone is trying to be a smartass. If you applied yourself just a little you could be on par with Willow, if you consider your reputation of avoiding work like the plague and still hitting average grades on the advanced classes." I held a hand to forestall any protests. "I know not everyone likes school, and with the night life it all seen small on the grand scheme of things to worry about going to college or finding a nine to five job. I on the other hand am offering you the means to fight on the front lines against the darkness with a power that will be entirely your own, without risk of having your soul contaminated by external influences. I think that's worth at least some studying."

Xander stayed still for a moment, before scratching his cheek. "Well, no need to put on your salesman pants. I know this opportunity is too good to pass, it's just", he hesitated for a moment with a pained expression on his face that faded away as quickly as it came, before shaking his head. "Well, forget about it. And yes, you're right, it's worth studying. How long it takes for me to master this?"

"It varies, but it shouldn't take long. After all on Sol's world people use magical cellphones made entirely from spell matrices instead of using physical objects. If they couldn't do this simple thing easily they could have hardly phased out conventional technologies after all."

He looked at my note once more, before sighing and starting to read.

"By the way, what a salesman pants looks like?"

"Black social, very posh."

"Sounds more like a Jehovah Witness to me."

"Same thing really, one tries to sell you tupperware and the other the salvation of your soul. The tricky part is to figure out which is which."

~~O~~

In the end Xander spent so much time practicing and memorizing the procedure he had to stay the night since I didn't felt safe for him to go back home alone. It was a good thing that I had a spare mattress for some reason.

As for his progress, he was talented. Not nearly as much as Ky but then again few have his raw talent. He managed to learn enough the mana gathering process to use it right four times out of ten. Hmm, I wonder how he will feel when he realizes it's possible to set 'macros' of those spells and prcedures later. Well, better for him to learn the basics the hard way now since it will help him in the future.

Since he was on my house I accompanied him to the school to his computer lessons. "Cheer up. Finish things quickly and you can surf the internet or something."

"Not much of a fan of the internet."

"Heh, well, at this point internet is kind of boring but in ten years or so it will become much more exciting, I just know it."

"Hah, in ten years I won't have time to use the internet since I will be working by then."

"Still, knowing how to use computers is quickly becoming a vital skill, much like knowing how to drive. Better to always keep up to date with those things."

"What are you two nerds talking about?" Came Cordelia from... somewhere. Before I could answer though Buffy came with news of Giles.

"He's acting strange", she said, "I mean, yesterday he didn't came to the blood delivery and when I went to ask him what happened he was an ass."

"Suspicious", said Xander, "G-man have that british air of apologizing if he breaths too loud."

"I think those are the japanese you're talking about."

"Sush you, don't ruin my metaphor."

"Guys", said Buffy not the least amused by our byplay, though she sounded more worried than annoyed, "I think this requires a tiny bit of seriousness here. What do I do?"

"Confront him again? He slept on the problem already, he will probably be able to tell you more of what happened now. Besides, he have the Slayer on speed dial if the problem is demonic in nature." I shrugged, "or it could be something personal, like a relative dying or something? You won't know until you ask him again."

She sighed. "Guess I need to talk with him anyway. I will call him in the library."

"We will go", said Xander, "to give you moral support."

I stared at Xander before shrugging. If he doesn't like computers, then that's his problem I guess.

~~O~~

"Did you need to kick me that hard?" Asked the interloper to Buffy, and she answered by cracking her knuckles.

"Yes, yes I did. You have a lot of nerve coming here after the stunt you pulled back at the Halloween."

Sitting on a chair staring at us was Ethan Rayne who had sneaked into the library for some reason. Buffy was quick to subdue him.

"It was all in good fun", he tried to downplay his actions before looking at me, "ah, so you were with the Slayer. I should have know you were baiting me by saying you knew Rupert."

"Do you want me to punch you in the dick? Because I can punch you in the dick."

"No dick punching", said Buffy, "what are you doing here?"

"Well I was just in the neighborhood when I thought oh shite he's here!"

A body had flung itself over the library window and started walking towards us. Slowly.

"So... do you want to do the honors? Or can I burninate him?"

"What? No killing people!"

"Then go and knock it out or something, I don't care."

She proceeded to do just that, easily.

I mean, it was a zombie. Of course she could deal with him. After the man was lying on the ground he soon turned into a pile of goo.

"Huh, doesn't that looks familiar?" Both me and Buffy said at the same time, and I came close enough to see what it was, but not close enough that if someone bumping into me makes me fall hand or face first into it. I mean, I'm not an idiot.

A magic circle later and I realized the thing was full of tainted mana, so I collected it with a spell. "Can you pick up a container for me?" I asked the other room occupants and soon I got a jar from somewhere. Using Magic to lift the thing I sealed the jar, both physically and mystically.

Cleaning a bit of sweat from my brown I nodded from my work. "Alright, so long as nobody breaks the jar this thing should be contained for now until we figure out what exactly happened." I looked at Ms. Calendar who looked rather chill about everything. "You're taking this rather well."

"Oh, I know she's the Slayer and Giles is her Watcher. I'm a technopagan and we introduced ourselves last year. I'm surprised that you can use magic."

"That's magic with capital M by the way, and you can thank both my 'benefactors' and Ethan Rayne there for my Magical proficiency."

"Well", said Xander, "that was rather anti-climatic. I was expecting more kung fu action to be honest."

"Since Buffy have everything in hand, we should get back to our own things, don't you think?" Said Ms. Calendar while dragging Xander away, "you still have your tutorial to finish."

He silent mouthed 'help me' to us, to which I only replied with a whispered 'I'm sorry' to him.

"Well, you guys have it well in hand so I think I will-"

"Move from where you are and I will punch/burn you." Both me and Buffy said at the same time, making Ethan freeze in place before going back to his chair.

"I will be good."

 

[ryuan]

While the drama unfolded in the library I went to the computer room to use the internet a bit, when I saw a strange reflection on the screen.

It was some kind of robed man with a steel gray mask staring over my shoulder. Looking back I saw no one save for Ms. Calendar, Xander, Willow and a couple more students for the tutorial.

"Is something the matter Yu?" Asked Ms. Calendar and I shook my head.

"I thought I saw someone over my shoulder that wasn't supposed to be there."

"Staring and judging you?" Said Xander from his seat. "Then it was probably Cordelia."

Ugh, those guys really should cut this shit out. I would attribute this to them being teenagers, but I know adults can be this childish and petty too. So instead I just roll my eyes and continue browsing.

"Did you at least finish your assignment if you want to be here?" Asked the computer class professor and I showed her my quicksort program. She blinked at it before staring at me. "Did you copy it from the internet?"

"Nah, just found the algorithm and implemented it. The examples I had were in C instead of pascal."

Once more she stared at my assignment before nodding and going back to help the other students.

Now, where was I? Hmm, wonder if newgrounds is already up and running.

~~O~~

"Thanks for the assist Yu", said Buffy while holding the sealed jar in her hands. "Giles found a way to deal with it, he was much more chill when he realized the demon trying to nom him was contained."

"Just make sure the jar won't break. It's just common glass holding that thing aside from the spiritual seal."

"Got it. So what are you going to do the rest of the weekend?"

"Train some magic, cheat exercising using magic, clean up the apartment, you know, stuff like that. Perhaps spar a little if you're up to it."

"Nah, I'm cool. For a normal human you pack a mean punch, your magic must come in handy."

I nodded, "it does, that's the whole point of having it after all. If that's all, I will go home now, see ya."

I gave Xander my notes on magic I made for him, and told him if he wanted to train more at my apartment he was welcome at any hour of the day. I just hope I didn't came out too strong or as creepy to him, but the kid needs all the help he can if some of the things I read in fanfiction is any indication. With some luck I'm wrong and he will come just to mooch off on my food and beverages.

As I walk on the street I feel a presence behind me, and I quickly turn around and find nothing. Strange, since it's the middle of the afternoon and I should be fairly sa-

I roll forwards dodging a decapitating sword strike by a hair breath. Instantly I bring in my Body Reinforcement spell, becoming faster and stronger, my Guard spell shielding my body from harm and the always present Burst to get me out in a pinch.

Looking back I see someone in dark robes wearing a steel gray mask, longsword in hand. It had human proportions at least and no obvious signs of demonic ancestry. My attacker stayed still for a single moment, before charging.

I had no weapon in hand and the enemy was fast, but not nearly as fast as Buffy was during our spar, so I managed to avoid his first and second strike, before ducking behind his third swipe and sending him a massive body blow to him. He flew backwards with the force of the impact, and I was already behind him. Two jabs and a high kick later I launched him in the air with an uppercut before following his trajectory. I didn't had a sword in hand so I merely hit him with my fist over and over in the air, grabbing at his robes to make sure he won't fly away from the impacts of my blows.

The enemy tried to squirm out of my grab with his sword, but I kneed him in the gut before spinning and sending my heel crashing on his chest, Bandit Revolver flawlessly applied, before I charged my mana for a more powerful attack later.

We hit the ground almost at the same time, and my would be assassin tried to roll back but I quickly put a stop to that. "Ora!"

A large explosion hit his face, and once I charged the attack I did a sweep on his leg dropping him on the ground before I started charging mana at a faster pace. The creature tried to take that opportunity to attack me once he stood up, but I burst charged some of the mana sending him back on the street.

I followed him not letting him get back to his feet, channeling as much high quality Magic to my strikes, unleashing all the tension I had accumulated.

"Tyrant..." an uppercut to his jaw sent him up a bit, before my left fist was shrouded with fire.

"Rave!"

A truly massive ball of fire formed in my fist before it meet face first with my would be assassin, exploding in a violent fashion forwards sending him away. He bounced on the ground a couple of times before laying still on the ground, dead.

As soon as I acknowledged that he burst into smoke, and I was instantly on my guard since that meant the fight wasn't over. Yet, after a few minutes nothing came after me.

Well, shit. That was intense.

I took a deep breath to calm my heartbeat, and suddenly I was very glad to Sol's experience as a bounty hunter since he have stronger nerves than I do.

"The fuck was that?" I said while cleaning some sweat from my brow. I half expected someone to answer, but silence was the only answer I got.

Looks like someone has a grudge with me, and as awesome I wish I was for soundly beating that assassin, that just meant they would escalate and send in tougher and tougher opponents after my hide.

Nothing like a small assassination for a wake up call. I need more money in order to start making a proper weapon for myself, but for that I need to take greater risks like raiding vampires safe houses. I guess I should get started on stockpiling holy water for myself.

Now, to give the news to the slayer gang. Wonder how they will take it.

 

[ryuan]

"If I knew who sent the assassins to me I wouldn't be asking for your second opinion!" I said exasperated to Buffy and company. "By the way, I'm going to deal with the demon-in-a-jar right now. Just give me a large room and some chalk so I can properly burn off this spiritual parasite. With someone after my life I don't want to take any chances for targets of opportunities to arise."

"Do you actually know what you are doing?" Asked Giles with what I hoped were a diminished amount of suspicion. "To finally deal with Eyghon I mean."

"Yeah", I nodded, "should have done that before but I didn't wanted to show you guys this particular aspect of my knowledge. Two people can keep a secret if one of them are dead and all that."

"What do you plan to do?" Asked Buffy curious at my turn of phrase.

I couldn't help but smirk. "'Waste not, want not' is the unofficial moto of the magical future back in Sol's world."

~~O~~

Eyghon was safely disposed, and aside from the demon impotent cries of rage and pain, nothing bad happened. A basic recycling spell was repurposed to break down the mana of the demon, refining it into a pure state while the corruption was being burned out, leaving a small bit of crystallized mana in it's wake.

Normally a spell to recycle magical items, Sol managed to use it to clean up the fallen Gears and get usable materials and some extra cash.

"I'm going to keep this one for myself", I told the group while pocketing the small crystals on the ground. "For payment for dealing with the demon and all that."

"Can I expect you to give some samples for research to the Watchers Council?"

"No", I bluntly stated, "no you can't. I might make items on commission if you want after I get enough mana crystals and other materials, but I'm not going to give the secret to this procedure to anyone."

"That's disappointing, but not unexpected." Said Giles, "as for the assassins after you, we will take a look on the library to try and figure out who's behind it."

"Thanks, now I just want to go home and relax. I'm really not up to more shenanigans today."

~~O~~

"Yes?" I said when I heard the knocking on the door, "who is it?"

"It's me, Xander." Said the familiar voice. Outside it was still bright but considering I was attacked in the middle of the day that's not much of a relief anymore. I charged mana in my fist and opened the door, finding that it was Xander there.

"So, ready for another magic lesson?" I said and the teenager nodded.

"Yeah, both Buffy and Willow are going out and kicked me out of the fun, so it was either going back home or trying some more magic. I know which one I choose."

"Good, good, I will take a shower first so you can get started on your stuff." I said while stepping aside for him.

Except he didn't enter.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

I smiled at his words.

~~O~~

"God that was awful, I wonder if Yu will let me crash at his place for a while."

The front door of the building burst open, and a large half snake half bullman went flying on the street while on fire.

"What the hell!" Yelled Xander as he saw the monster on the ground picking itself up, before he looked at me.

"Careful with that monster, it's stronger than it looks." I said while gathering more magic to myself before using the healing spell to fix the many cuts and bruises I had, leaving only a few of them. The monster on the other hand stood up, some of it's damage visibly healing up until the process stopped after fixing about half of his injuries.

"That thing looks strong enough already!" He said before looking at his things. He had a stake, a cross and a squirt gun. Taking the last he pointed at the monster. "Hope it's vulnerable to holy water."

"Shot it while it's down", I said before charging the monster once more.

The shapeshifting creature changed into a minotaur form, reared back his head before charging and trying to gore me to death.

Just as we were about to meet each other I waited until the last minute before unleashed my fully charged attacks. "Volanic Viper!"

My left fist was coated in fire and my attack sent me upwards, while a veritable storm of fire raged around us eating and drilling into my opponent, it's screams of pain filling my ears despite the raging inferno.

We landed roughly at the same time but the creature was in a worse shape, so with a very quick repositioning I maneuvered him so the next few attacks would land him into a corner, more explicitly the wall of a building. I punched and kicked him both on the ground and in the air, using a low powered Bandit Bringer that still send him skidding on the ground allowing me more time to continue my assault.

As we neared the corner I threw a Gun Flame, though it came out a little awkward without the Fire Seal to smooth the process over, and I had to expend most of my gathered tension on a Roman Cancel maneuver to seamlessly connect my chain of attacks, which ground my movement to a halt and brought me to a neutral position. It was almost like turning back time into a previous state with how smooth the transition was, and I used it to keep the pressure with more attacks going into mid air, lighter strikes to stronger ones chained together until another Volcanic Viper hit the creature, making it wail in pain just as I finished it with a knee drop on it's head.

We landed first, but took longer to recover than he wanted. He still had enough bit in him to hit me by surprise with a tail sweep that grabbed me on the leg, pounding me left and right both on the ground and the building wall before sending me far away. I rolled with the attack, coming back up a bit dizzy from the assault but none worse for the wear since my Guard spell was acting as it should.

The creature morphed into a large dragon, and took off into the skies either to attack me from higher ground or to escape. I didn't let him.

Using another spell I did a 'high jump' coming right into the dragon's face, grabbing it with my right hand and exploding it's face off, making the creature scream in pain and fall back into the ground.

Still that wasn't enough, with the creature once more making to stand up so I had to gamble on my next attack. I quickly charged as much mana as I could before unlocking all restraints in the Tension I gathered. The creature had became an ogre which I kneed on the stomach sending him a few paces back, before I moved so fast it felt like I had disappeared.

I ended behind the monster crouching and panting from exertion, but I knew I had won. "This is the end."

The multiple small balls of Magic on his body detonated one after another in a conflagration that melted the ground beneath us, the pillar of fire reaching high in the sky before only a charred husk was left on the ground.

I looked back a the creature who was laying inert on the ground. "Xander do you have a knife or something?" I looked at him and he just stared at me, frozen. "Hurry!"

He fumbled a bit and found a Swiss army knife, which he gave me and I cut my palm with it. Quickly I made a circle around the creature, which would be enough. Dispelling my minor spells for what I would do I created an instant magic circle and then a Magic recycling spell took place. In five minutes the corpse disappeared from the ground and a couple of mana crystals was on the ground. I hurried to grab them before motioning for Xander to follow me.

Once we were on my apartment I sagged in relief on my bed. Guess I will need to make wards around my apartment to avoid this kind of thing.

No, make that wards on the building itself and the street I'm in, just to be sure.

We stayed in silence for a moment, with me catching my breath and Xander trying to process what just happened.

Eventually, he broke his silence. "Do you really need to yell the names of your attacks when you do them? The girls were wondering that."

"I just killed a shapeshifting demon dragon, your complaints are invalid."

 

[ryuan]

"You look tired", said Willow when I sat down on the cafeteria, "what happened."

"Oh, you know, just fending off demon assassins all week." I said while trying to eat all of my food. Needs more pepper.

"Don't say that out loud", hissed Willow and I shrugged.

"Yeah, as if they would believe it", I muttered before taking another bite of my food. I wonder when the assassins will start to get craftier and try to poison my food. Sol was immune to ninety nine point eight percent of all poisons know to mankind, natural and magical alike and only specific spells could poison him for some time, like some of Testament's spells. "Anyway did you guys already finished the career week's survey?"

"I'm still trying to figure it out", said Xander, "I mean, here it asks if I'm a people's person or if I like to keep my own company, but what if I'm a people's person that keep to his own company due to external influences?"

"First, it means we need to slap some bitches", I ignored Willows cry, "if they think this kind of bullshit will be tolerated any further. I just spent a literal hellish week and I lost all fucks to give. Second, you should mark the first option because it's asking what you think of yourself and how you wish to be or how you want to act. People being dicks means there's something wrong with them, not with you."

The rest of the slayer gang stared at me for a while, and I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. "Sorry, it just reminded myself of an unpleasant past, of people walking all over others because they aren't nearly as 'cool'" I said with finger quotes, "or willing to sink into violence at first glance, or that are simply clumsier and more awkward than others." I paused for a moment before going back to my food. "Nevermind."

"Hmm, well, that's different I suppose." Said Xander after a moment, "SO, did you filled your survey already?"

"Yeah, took me five minutes or so."

"What!" Exclaimed Willow, "but that's a very important questionary in our school life, how come you answered it that quickly?"

"I think what's important is what I plan to do after I finish high school than what a survey tells me what I'm supposed to be. I mean, what if I want to be a scientist but the survey tells me I should take a job at the service industry? Should I ignore my own hopes and dreams because a slip of paper told me what to do or tell it to screw itself and march?"

"Well, I don't know", said Buffy, "isn't that thing supposed to help you anyway?"

"If you're indecisive, it might help that's true, but I'm not indecisive."

"Then what are you going to do once you graduate?" This time it was Willow who asked.

"I'm going to be a scientist, a physicist to be exact."

"That's really, really nerdy", muttered Xander, "not that there's something wrong with it, but it's difficult to mix the image I have of you with that of a stiff professor."

"Sol had a degree in particle physics and his PhD was on a new field of science if you get what I mean. It served him well at a later date."

"Ugh, I just don't want people to look at my survey results and see something embarrassing!" Said Buffy and I stared at her.

"Yes, because what other people think about you is the most important thing to your future."

"Exactly! Glad that you understand."

I let my head fall to the table. Fucking teenagers.

AN:// Short update, but will probably make another one today.

 

[ryuan]

Two days later Buffy came into the library with worry in her face. "Hey Giles, does the 'Order of Teriyaki' means anything to you?"

Giles blinked for a moment. "Order of what?"

"It's a japanese dish, usually chicken made with a special sweet sauce." I supplied to her making both Slayer and Watcher stare at me.

"I thought it was chinese food." Said Xander from his point in the table.

"Maybe there's a similar chinese dish, but with that name it's clearly japanese in origin."

Buffy palmed her face. "I don't think cooking have anything to do with demon assassins coming after me." She said while showing Giles a ring, making him gasp in surprise.

"That's the emblem for the Order of Taraka-"

"THAT'S what it's called! Thanks Giles."

"-an order of assassins having both demons and humans alike." He continued ignoring his interruption. "Once they accept a contract they finish it no matter what, sending assassin after assassin no matter how many failures they suffer until the target is silenced."

I turned to Buffy with a flat stare. "Really Buffy? Just because I had my own demonic assassins after me doesn't mean you had to be jealous and get some of your own."

"This is no laughing matter!" Said Giles while glaring at me, "the Order of Taraka is made of ruthless monsters who will do anything to fulfill their contract, even going as far as attacking Buffy in plain daylight!"

I just stared at him with my best 'O'Rly' expression waiting for him to caught on.

The stare off continued for a while before Xander coughed on the side. "Hmm, that's exactly what happened to Yu recently if you don't remember. In fact, that happened just yesterday too."

"I'm not doing a 'who gets the worst assassins' dick measuring contest with you Yu." Buffy said flatly at me. "I just want to figure out how to eliminate assassins from my daily diet."

"Well, we could find out where they live, bust out their compound, kill everyone there, hear the lamentations of their women while we burn down the place to the ground and eliminate the Order once and for all."

"I will try to book 'cultural purge' on my planner, somewhere before 'mass genocide' and 'creating an utopia'."

"Stay out of my notes!" I told her while standing up and pointing an accusing finger to her, which she and Giles looked at me like I had grown a second head before I calmly sat back on my chair.

"Bloody teenagers who don't take things seriously", muttered Giles under his breath before I snorted.

"Oh, I take attempts of my life very seriously, that's why every single assassin sent after me was dealt with swiftly and decisively before being converted into mana crystals. It's just that after a whole week being targeted, either on the streets or on my own house I kind of lost all fucks to give at this point. Speaking of which, how do I figure out someone is from this Order? Do they have some identifying marks or something? If so the idea to go overseas and smash some skulls become much more attractive."

"Well, they had this ring", Buffy said while showing me a signet ring, "apparently all assassins have it."

I looked at the intricate pattern, but otherwise I didn't recognize it or saw any of the demon assassins after me wearing something similar. "Well, if you see one of your assassins try to ask them if they have a contract on me, would you?"

"Why I need to ask that?"

"They're your assassins, aren't they?"

"They're not friendly!"

As the discussion went on, I saw Giles banging his head on the nearby wall softly with a look of utter despair.

~~O~~

Because of the discussion of who had the best, or worst, demon assassins after each other I had missed the fact that Buffy saw some vampire running off with some kind of book from a cript. Supposedly the book is important and I was accompanying both Xander and Cordelia to Buffy's home to tell her the news and see how she's holding up.

Just of course, for a couple of shadow ninjas to burst out from the shadows of the nearby objects and try to gut me like a fish. It says wonderful things about my life that I thought those ninjas were probably genins sent as canon fodder to test my defenses since I was attacked on the middle of the day.

It also say something that by now I got much more used to the magic flowing through my body that I could actually perform some of the spells without requiring build up time for the charge. Still not a proper knight, but with the assassins providing with free training and my healing spell making sure I'm back at peak efficiency after a fight means I'm integrating Sol fighting techniques much more quickly than expected.

At least some good thing from the demon assassins. Aside form the loot, of course.

From my bag I took out a small dagger I made with the mana crystals I had beforehand. It's no jinki, but as a proper magic weapon it should hold to this skirmish.

Six ninjas, all of them focused on me. It's almost like the world had slowed to a crawl, both me and my opponents moving in sync. The first ninja falls to a superheated blade on the neck, while the second one I break his face with a well placed Fafnir. The next two I take both at the same time with a Gunflame using my pre-charged magic. The second to last takes a Bandit Bringer on the face, caving in his skull, while the last one takes a Volcanic Viper to the guts.

As the last of them dissolves into shadow, meaning I can't quite loot their bodies, both Xander and Cordelia came out from their hiding spot, the later far more shaken than she would ever admit.

"So, you do this often?" Asked Cordelia in what she hoped was a casual tone.

"There will be more. These six didn't even count for a work out, though the fact more than one assassin started to come after my hide is worrying."

Cordelia look was grim before she sighed in annoyance. "Let's just get to Buffy's house."

As we continued walking, Xander couldn't help himself. "I wish I was important enough to have assassins after me."

"I could try and kill you in your sleep?"

He sighed. "It just wouldn't be the same."

"By God there's two of them."

 

[ryuan]

"She's not here then?" I asked Cordelia after she looked around the house.

"Does she looks like she's here?"

"I don't know, I don't live here to know where she could have hidden herself."

"And I do?"

"The way you simply entered the house like you owned it could have fooled me."

"Guys", said Xander from his place behind the kitchen counter, "let's not fight between ourselves, but if you're going to fight anyway I bet fifty on Yu."

Cordelia sent a death glare to Xander and was ready to argue when the bell rang. "I will get the door."

I followed her, making her stop midway through the path. "I can get the door on my own."

"I know", I nodded to her.

"That means I don't need you to come and babysit me."

"I might trust you to get the door", I said with a whisper, "but I don't trust however is outside. Do remember that Buffy isn't the only one that have demon assassins after her hide."

She grimaces, before turning around and we resume our walk. I made sure to raise my magic levels to the highest point possible for my next attack, just to be sure. Once Cordelia opened the door we saw a man in a suit and a bag in hands, displaying some kind of cosmetics on it.

"Good day miss and mister. Would you be interested in sampling a couple of our product line? Compared with other companies our samples are nearly as much as a full product!"

"I'd love to!" Cordelia said before I could say anything, and just like that the salesman practically forced his way inside.

In a sense, it made things simple for me, as I unleashed the Blockhead Buster on his face just as he had entered the house proper, three blasts of fire consuming him and sending him back outside. Normally not a power that sends people tumbling down, but then again they had the handy barrier spell set up beforehand.

As he collapsed on the ground Cordelia screamed at the sight and smell of charred flesh, but just as she was about to demand to know why I did that the man in front of us started to wiggle and slowly break off into smaller chunks of worms.

"Gunflame! Gunflame! Gunflame! Gunflame! Gunflame! Gunflame!"

After a few moments the worms were nothing but charcoal on the ground, and once more I did my magic recycling thing and got a couple of magic crystals for my trouble. I admit I was a bit desperate to kill it as fast as possible, but then again that thing looked nasty.

"How, how did you know it was a demon?" Finally said Cordelia after she recomposed herself a bit.

"I saw the ring on his finger, which was the same one Buffy brought earlier for us. I guess you didn't notice that."

"I... no, I didn't." She admitted and was ready to say something when she realizes that Xander was standing there and turn away embarrassed. "So what now?"

"G-Man should know where Buffy is, or at least he should know how to find her." Said Xander while taking a peek on the spot where the demon was. "If anything we can always see her tomorrow at classes."

I would quip at how she still goes to classes with demon assassins on her tail, but then again pot meets kettle.

"What other places she could go?" I asked, "if not her house, not Giles apartment, not Willow's house, then where a teenage girl could go to hide for a while?"

Cordelia shrugged. "Her boyfriend's apartment?"

Both me and Xander made a face.

"Angel/Dead Boy."