CHAPTER FOUR ♔ does it run in your blood to betray the ones you love

[coldheritage]

♬ The Truth - Nonpoint

WHO || Failboat, Rafael, Isabella, Nadia  [Closed]
WHAT || After an exciting Grammy night, the Knights meet up with Nadia to hear what she has to say
WHERE || Staples Center, LA -->  Warehouse
WHEN || Feb 8th, 2015  [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam

[  The Knights' mission to stop the signal and prevent Draken's cult from spreading whatever subliminal message  was lurking beneath Keijen Blade's performance was a success.  It didn't come without its bumps in the road, however:  Alexander Anderson showed up, and the Knights ran afoul of the Mind Master.    Buffy nearly died fighting Anderson, but in the end, he was defeated, beheaded, and hopefully put to death forever.   Finnick, though, found himself thrust into a mental illusion that convinced him he might still be in the Hunger Games, and left him uncertain about whether any of his life here was real.  

Another surprise came in the form of an announcement by Nadia Reichenov, an artist working with Crombe and company, that she was changing her band name and taking things in a 'new direction'.   This direction was perhaps revealed when after her performance, she approached the Knights in Rafael's dressing room - and handed them the necklace that connects her to the Nightmare God Malaak'a, saying she was willing to tell them everything.  ]

Comments

[slay]

[ In the most tragic of close calls, Buffy looks for a moment like she's ready to spill everything, come apart, but she doesn't. Tension ripples through her jaw and she shakes her head, pacing away and throwing up exasperated hands (will 19). ]

I am telling you what's going on. She's mind controlled you before. She's one of the bad guys. She gives me the heebie jeebies. [ She looks back to him, voice lilting up with a slight whine as she asks, ] Can't you just trust me?

[bigbad]

I do trust you. But right now it looks like you don't trust me. [He drops his hand, scowling a little.]

You know, there're people from my world at the castle now?

[slay]

[ She softens at that, and a guilty look settles in a moment later. It starts as unease, then shifts into a cringe of forgetfulness. ] … Our world. [ With everything that was going on, it had never even occurred to her to tell him. ]

[bigbad]

[....]

Our world?

[...he can actually really believe it. He's always felt a weird connection to her. It does seem like the sort of thing she could have told him if she knew, though.]

[slay]

Faith, and Willow, and Robin. They all ... [ She drops her head, sighing. ] Spike, I'm sorry, I should have said something.

[bigbad]

It probably would've been nice. [He's not... really sure how to feel about this. How long has she known? What have they told her about him? Does she know things about Spike that he doesn't know himself?

And what were they to each other in the world before? If what Willow and Faith had told him was true, they couldn't have gotten along well. And where does his bloody soul come into play?

He doesn't ask these questions, settling for a simple one. He's met Faith and Willow. The other one, though....]

Who the bloody hell is Robin?

[slay]

He's —

Please. Spike, I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. [ She feels like she's doing damage control now, somehow the one on the defensive when it should be Nadia who needs to justify herself. Raising her hands, she doubles back to explain herself. ] I didn't take it well, any of it. And the things Willow was saying about you …

[ The twinge in her forehead says she isn't sure still how to reconcile that with the man before her now. She shakes her head. ]

You're happy here. [ She fixes him with an intent look. ] We're happy here. Whatever lives we left behind in Sunnydale, they don't matter.

[bigbad]

I'm not mad. [A little annoyed, perhaps, as he's had little enough knowledge of his past without having Buffy hide that they knew each other, but... it's not important. And if Willow said any of the things she said to him to Buffy... he supposes he even understands.]

But Willow talked to me too. Told me things... murder, kidnapping... sounds like I could've given Nadia a run for her money as far as evil is concerned. [No mind control, sure, though he's not sure if getting his girlfriend back magically counts.] Faith told me that I'm older than I thought and that I've killed... [Wis 17 has him making some connections with what Sehanine had called Buffy, the word he hadn't thought was particularly relevant to him, and what Faith had said he'd killed. A Slayer. If Buffy's from the same world as him.....

Oh, god.

He blanches a little and presses on. Buffy said it didn't matter. He just hopes that if he did finish that sentence, she'd still feel that way.]

But that's not who I am now. I'm fortunate enough to not even remember being that person. Nadia didn't get that chance. She can't, since she's on this side of the veil. But what makes her less deserving of it than I was? Why shouldn't she get the same chance, even if she's got to do it the hard way, with her memories weighing her down? I was lucky. I can't... I have to give her the same chance. If I can become a new person, so can she.

[slay]

[ She's too brain damaged to remember her dream in this moment, which is probably for the best for everyone actually (wis 10). ]

The difference is that when Nadia did those things, she had a soul. You didn't!

[bigbad]

Ah, yeah, that soul. Don't suppose any of your new friends mentioned anything about how that happened, did they?

[Because it's still a big mystery to him. How do you go from being a monster to being a hero overnight? How do you even get a soul? And did that stop him right away? It didn't seem to stop a lot of people from doing terrible things.]

[slay]

No. Faith and Willow were both surprised you even had one, and I never asked Robin about you.

[ She sounds disappointed not to be able to answer it for him, lowering her head with some reluctance to her reply. A moment later, her eyes thoughtfully widen, searching out a possible solution. ]

But you weren't the first to go through it. [ She looks up at him, gaining ground. ] Willow and Faith told me about this guy, Angel. He was a vampire too, and he had a soul. I mean, if they came through, and we came through, there's a chance he did too. Maybe if we find him, or figure out how it happened to him, we could— I don't know.

They told me about something called a Watcher's Council: they trained the Slayers. If anyone had records, it'd be them. It's a long shot, but at least it's something.

[bigbad]

...that's a bloody stupid name for a vampire. [It's automatic, the first thing he thinks of on hearing the name. What sort of vampire calls themselves Angel? Also, why is he a man called Angel? Makes him sound like a bad stripper.

But it could be good to talk to him. Him and this Watcher's Council.] Don't suppose this Robin bloke left a phone number or anything, did he? Seems like I should talk to him. [What's the worst that can happen? It's not like Spike killed his mother or anything ha ha h a....]

But I'm still going with Nadia. If you can't trust me enough to tell me why you're so adamant that I shouldn't go, at least trust me to make my own choices, bugger the consequences.

[slay]

I can't do that. If you're waiting for me to be okay with you going, it's not gonna happen. This is a mistake.

[ She shakes her head, leaving Robin to the wayside for now. ]

But if you're set on it … I'll take you to see Robin when you're back.

[bigbad]

[He nods, not exactly looking happy about her continued disapproval, but her being okay with it had never been something that was going to make his decision for him. Not when he knows it's what's right.]

I'll take you up on that, then. And I will be in touch. I'm not undercover or anything. We can still chat.

[If she's not too mad at him for doing this despite her warnings.]

[slay]

Good.

[ She nods. ]

Keep me updated. If something happens, or she tries anything, or you just— ... Don't be a stranger, okay?

[bigbad]

You'll be the first one I'll call. [It probably shouldn't be her. He'll be reporting back to Wynn regularly, so it probably should be him, or Jack or someone, but the fact is? Buffy's the first person he'd want for back-up. If he could only get one call out... well, she can always fill everyone in while she's already started moving.]

[slay]

Good.

[ She doesn't smile, not fully, but it's there in her eyes. Steady warmth and gratitude. Another time, she might have hugged him as she told him goodbye, but now, with everything that's been drudged up between them, she holds herself back. ]

Be safe.

[bigbad]

Same to you. [He doesn't know what the rest of the team will be doing while he's off with Nadia. But he's doubting safe will describe it. It really never does. He gives her a smile and finishes off his blood with a gulp.]

I should... pack. [And say goodbye to everyone else.]

[slay]

Yeah, of course. Don't let me keep ... [ The coffeemaker dings, ready with a fresh pot. She gives Spike one last smile, then turns away to fix herself a cup. ]