RoundRobin - Chapter 3

["AmberBenson Fan" <AmberBensonFan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

All Standard Disclaimers Apply as in chapter 1

Rising From the Wreckage
Part Three
Rainbow Writers

The rain that fell on Buffy as she walked through the relatively
deserted streets seemed a proper penance for her tired soul.
Right now her best friend, the one who she had fundamentally
deserted was on a bus and the only destination Willow wanted was
one far away from her.

Even though she was the slayer, all mighty and all-powerful
right now she was just cold and lost and hungry. It was easy to
realize now with the grumbling in her stomach that she hadn?t
taken the time to eat anything all day and it was starting to
catch up with her.

Reaching out her hand she was about to go into the Expresso Pump
and order at least something to warm her up when her Warren
induced condition struck her again. Even if the money she had in
her pocket wasn?t invisible too, the waitress was unlikely to
serve a mocha and a sandwich to a ghost.

?Okay, that?s it this has to end.? She thought taking cover
under the awning of the store so that the rain at least for the
moment couldn?t penetrate more through her invisible but very
wet coat. ?If Warren did this too me then he better be able to
fix it. The problem is where do I find the wiener??

Stamping her foot into a puddle angrily she was almost flattened
as the door to the Pump sprung open towards her. She looked up
about to bark an insult at whoever it was when her vision came
to rest on a familiar form who hugged a tray of coffees as he
gauged when best to make the dash across the street.

?Xander?? She questioned wondering if he would answer.

?Hey Buffy, where have you?? Xander turned expecting the Slayer
to be behind him but when he saw nothing he kept turning as a
dog would after its own tail. ?Buffy??

?I?m right here, don?t get dizzy looking for me.? Buffy watched
him a little amused as he stopped puzzled facing away from her.

?Buffy, I can hear you but I can?t see you.? He commented to the
raindrops.

?You can?t see me cause I?m invisible.? She stepped closer and
put her hand on his shoulder. ?And I?m here not there.? She let
him jump and turn towards her.

?Whoa, how with the no seeing and?? He looked around not able to
see anything still.

?Warren.? Buffy summed up grabbing the tray of drinks from him
to give him a focal point. ?Come on I need your help.? She
grabbed his hand and urged him across the street to the Magic
Box.

The shop was empty, other than Anya who was hunched over a small
cardboard seating diagram. She moved little coloured flags from
one table to another, sighing over the large pile of flags that
were still left without a seat.

?Xander, did you say your Aunt Rita and your cousin Doug got
along? Or were those the two you said couldn?t be put at the
same table unless I stuck Satan in between them.? Anya didn?t
turn to see the odd sight as Xander followed in a floating tray.

?We have other problems then my relatives killing each other and
I told you the Lord of Darkness is not coming to the wedding, I
don?t care if he?s not really the Satan and just a demon named
Satan it freaks me out.? Xander moved over and pointed to where
the Slayer obviously was. ?Buffy?s invisible.?

?What?? Anya turned distracted to look at the drinks that
floated back and forth for her. ?Oh well then she won?t care
what table she sits at will she?? She found the little flag with
Buffy on it and pulled it out.

?Hey I?m invisible not deaf.? The Slayer?s voice showed her
slight agitation.

?Oh sorry, I guess you want us to stop our planning and make you
visible again.? Anya twirled the small flag in between two
fingers.

?I was hoping for some help.? Buffy nodded though the motion was
lost on them. ?I think one of Warren?s super technogeek
contraptions must have gone haywire.?

?You think Warren built an invisibility ray?? Xander reached out
for the coffees and brought one to Anya.

?I went and got my hair cut and while I was walking out I saw
him on the street for a split second then big flash of light and
I?m invisible.? Buffy tried to explain.

?You cut your hair?? Anya bounced up. ?How short? Did you get
it coloured??

?About to here.? Buffy reached up to her shoulder and sighed.
?Well if you could see me it?s about at my shoulder and no I
didn?t get it coloured.?

?I?ve been thinking about getting my hair cut.? Anya mused
looking at Xander. ?I mean something new for the wedding.?

?An, bigger problems then the length of your hair right now. We
need Buffy visible again.? Xander pointed out looking to try
and figure out where the Slayer was now.

?I need to find Warren and choke out of him how he did this to
me so he can undo it.? The Slayer formulated a vague plan as she
paced by the front counter.

?But where are we going to find him?? He questioned not sure if
knowing who had done this was getting them anywhere.

?Maybe Willow can do the hackety hack thing and get us a
location on him.? Anya offered the easy solution.

?Willow?s gone.? Buffy was relieved again for a moment that she
was invisible so that no one could see the pain the words caused
her. ?She left on a bus for L.A.? She filled in to the stunned
faces.

They all stood in relative silence for a few moments before Anya
walked back to her seating chart.

?Typical, I work to get her at the prime table one and she skips
town without even a retraction of her R.S.V.P.? The ex-demon
pulled the Willow flag from its spot.

?Okay, lets think? If I was Warren and I was able to make myself
invisible what would I do?? Xander tried not to think of the
Willow issue right now, if he did he?d probably have to admit
that he?d known she was going. He couldn?t see Buffy right now
but he was damn sure she wouldn?t be happy about that fact.

?He?s not at the bus terminal and he?s not at social services.?
Buffy commented dryly.

?Why would he go to those places?? Anya questioned as a skull
picked up off the counter and gave her a focal point.

?Because I did, I had brain meltdown when the Child Welfare
Officer came by this morning so I went and borrowed Dawn?s file.
At least this way they have to start our case over and I might
not come across as a total waste of space.? The Slayer frowned
hoping she?d done the right thing. Of course stealing
government property and destroying it couldn?t possibly on the
side of good, but she hoped it was more of a misdemeanor on the
side of bad rather than outright evil.

?No, Warren isn?t going to care about any of those things
Buffy.? Xander shook his head. ?He?s invisible, he?s a guy?? He
snapped his fingers. ?He?s probably looting the comic books
from the mall or hanging out in the lingerie store.?

?Wherever he is you?re going to help me find him.? Buffy walked
over and opened the door to the shop. ?Come on I don?t have all
day.?

******

With Xander there to do the necessary visible questioning, the
mall security guard had confirmed some odd occurrences over the
past few hours. The last one having come from the movie theatre
just a few minutes before.

?Buffy they could be anywhere.? Xander tucked his wallet back
into his pants as he walked through the turnstile into the main
hallway of the theatre.

?What?s playing?? She went over to the board listing. ?What
would you see if you were invisible??

?Mmmm?? Xander looked over the list. ?Star Wars for the fifth
time or the new one where that hot model chick gets topless.? He
pointed to the second film.

?Maybe you should check that one?? Buffy was about to divide up
so they could cover more space when she heard a giggle behind
her in the concession stand.

She turned observing as a popcorn container floated off the rack
and over to be filled.

?God could these guys get any stupider.? Buffy poked Xander for
him to catch onto the fact that their search was over.

?Hey don?t put so much butter on it.? Jonathan?s voice whined
and the bucket spilled a little as if the person holding it was
shoved.

?I like lots of butter.? Andrew whined back. ?Now you made me
spill it.?

?Come on boys, we can all have our own popcorn our own way.?
Warren?s voice called over as a pop poured itself out.

?Oh yeah right.? Jonathan acknowledged as another container
floated over to be filled.

?That?s them alright, but where?s the gun?? Xander questioned
looking around.

?There.? Buffy pointed towards a dark duffel bag propped up near
the corner. ?I bet they?re too afraid to go anywhere without
it.?

?I?ll go distract you go for the gun.? Xander nodded as he
moved towards the counter. ?Hey can I get some service?? He
yelled towards the back as if he was ignoring the strange
happenings at the butter dispenser.

?Warren!? Andrew?s voice yelped as they realized it was one of
the Slayer?s friends at the counter.

?Chill out.? Warren moved over towards his cohort. ?He can?t
see us.?

?Hey is that?? Xander looked around as he saw that Buffy was
already to the bag. ?Warren the sad guy who has to make his
girlfriends??

?At least he doesn?t date demons.? Andrew snapped back at
Xander.

?Enough.? Buffy?s voice was easily pinpointed as she hopped up
onto the counter the large silver invisibility gun in her hands.
?Now unless you boys want me to break this and condemn you all
to a lifetime of being as invisible to the rest of the world as
you are to girls, you better tell me how to turn us all back.?

?Not so fast Slayer.? Xander?s body bent back a bit as he was
put into a headlock. ?You might have the gun but we have your
friend.?

?What are you going to do bore him to death?? Buffy hopped back
down laughing a little.

?Even trade.? Warren explained. ?You give us back the gun, you
get your friend and I?ll even turn you visible again.?

?Let?s see first.? Buffy aimed it at a plant in the corner and
within a few moments it was gone. Looking down at the
complicated weapon it was obviously not something she or Xander
could figure out. There was only one Scooby who would know
exactly what to make of the blinking lights and knobs and that
was Willow.

Suddenly the redhead?s words from the night of the accident came
back to haunt her.

?I?ll go and let you all try to find a way to get through your
problems without me to cry to. Without me to run to when you
need something hacked into or when you need a heads up to tell
you that you?re about to get jumped or worse!?

This time it wasn?t even about the magic, it was just about her
needing Willow to be here and be her brains, be the one she
could trust to help her make all this right again. But Willow
was gone and she was going to have to find a way to deal with
this herself.

?What?s to keep me from just snapping your little gun in half??
She questioned him bluntly trusting Xander?s fighting skills
enough to know he could get away from the timid grip he was held
in.

?If you snap it in half you?ll die.? Jonathon?s slightly scared
voice came from the corner over near Xander now. ?We?ll all
die. If you stay invisible for too long your molecular
structure starts to break down.?

?Shut up Jonathon.? Warren snapped not liking that his upper
hand was gone again.

?I never signed up to kill anyone, including myself.? He snapped
back.

?Then maybe we should all get visible again Jonathon.? Buffy
nodded and held the gun out a little keeping a keen eye on
Xander.

?Just flip the switch back a half turn then Slayer.? Warren?s
voice seethed in defeat. ?Andrew hold up something so she can
test it on you.?

?No!? Jonathon objected instantly as obediently the third member
of the group held up his popcorn. ?That?s the wrong setting you
have to turn it forward a half turn.?

Buffy held the gun stupidly in her hand with her fingers around
the switch. If she turned it back and it turned out Warren was
lying then whoever was the first guinea pig was either back to
visible or dead. If she turned it forward and it turned out
Jonathon wasn?t telling the truth then the same scenario.

?What do you think Xander?? Buffy asked her friend toying the
switch back and forth.

?I?m telling you half turn back.? Warren let go of Xander and
invisibly moved closer. ?Would I really risk one of my friends?
You wouldn?t.?

?Buffy, we didn?t want to hurt anyone just have some fun. Get
some money and maybe be cool so girls would like us.? Jonathon
disagreed with his theory again. ?Warren?s lying to you.?

Buffy knew she was hesitating too long, being too indecisive but
without Willow here to back her up on the ins and outs of this
she didn?t know which way to go with the switch. After all they
both could be lying.

?Should have made your decision.? Warren?s voice warned as he
grabbed the front of the gun trying to surprise her and wrench
it away. The struggle between them mostly made even by the fact
that Buffy didn?t want to break the gun.

Twirling away she kicked into the space where Warren should be
and the gun skidded away only to be picked up by what she could
guess was Andrew.

?Where is she?? He questioned aiming it immediately.

?Coming at you.? Warren?s voice announced as Buffy felt herself
shoved from behind and her body was struck hard by the beam of
light that came out of the gun. She held her breath waiting to
see how much being blown to bits was going to hurt but as she
caught her free fall forward and righted herself she realized
that she wasn?t dead.

?Hey Buffy cute hair.? Xander smiled at his now visible best
friend.

?Warren, you? you were going to let her blow me up.? Andrew
looked down to the gun that he?d put on Jonathon?s suggested
setting foolishly believing Warren had been telling the truth
and this was the way to kill the Slayer.

Buffy was on him in a flash and took the gun out of his hands.
With one shot she had him visible, another shot towards the
moving turnstile made Warren visible as he attempted to run away
and lastly a shot at a floating cup brought Jonathon back to the
real world.

?You think you?ve seen the last of us.? Warren defiantly moved
over to where his partners in crime were standing. ?This is
just the beginning. We?re your arch nemisis? es.? He correctly
lamely.

?What you?ve banned together to be pains in my ass?? Buffy slung
the gun up onto her shoulder and looked them over.

?We?ll be back.? Warren warned and poked Jonathon to set off the
magic disappearing trick they had rigged up for just such an
emergency.

?Disappear yourself, I?m going home.? Jonathon glared at Warren
and walked off towards the exit.

?You can?t go home, you?re one of the evil trio.? Andrew quickly
followed him and stopped the smaller man?s departure.

?Evil trio?? Xander sniggered as they watched the two of them
bickering for a few moments.

?Let them go, I don?t think my arch nemisis-es?? Buffy screwed
up her face. ?Are going to be much of a problem now that they
know Warren?s insane.? She turned back to find that in the
drama the ringleader had ran away. "Typical." She sighed not
feeling any better about her victory.


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Jude
AmberBensonFan
Mega Witches Site:
www.megawitches.net
Fragile Member #308
BHS Member #70
Enlightened #243


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