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tamingthemuseTitle: scene from Giles as the Big Bad, which now has a name: Don't Ask Why You Must Hurt So Much
Fandom: BtVS
Prompt: 418 - Arsenal
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Summary: After Jenny's funeral, Council Enforcers come visiting
Rupert had been distant throughout the whole of that Calendar woman’s funeral. Ethan didn’t particularly care what had happened to her. She’d threatened Rupert. She’d gotten what she’d deserved, but it shouldn’t have been at Rupert’s hands.
Ethan was afraid Rupert would leave him again. When Eyghon had been in that woman, Rupert and the demon had made a deal. Rupert would let the demon rampage through Sunnydale and Eyghon wouldn’t touch Ethan. They’d just buried the Calendar woman. Almost certainly that meant the deal was off. Rupert would push Ethan away to keep him safe, and while Ethan valued his skin at least as much as the next man, he wasn’t safe. Nowhere was safe while Eyghon remained in Rupert’s skull. There had to be a way to get the demon out.
Each element of the Tao held an aspect of its opposite. That might work as a visualization. It would allow Ethan to clearly differentiate between Rupert and Eyghon. If he pulled Rupert into the Sacred Chao – order within chaos and chaos within order – then he himself could stand in as chaos to Rupert’s order. The realignment could drive the demon out of Rupert. The transformation from Tao to Chao would be tricky and Ethan would have only one chance to get it right.
Ethan came out of his reverie to see that Rupert had pulled up to the apartment. “Sorry, lost in thought.”
“You know you’re not safe here.”
“I’m not leaving you, Rupert. Don’t ask again.”
“I’m not … I’m not asking. I don’t think I could ask you to go, but you would be safer if I didn’t know how to find you.”
“Eyghon’s gone, for now. We can worry about the rest later.”
“He’s not gone, you know. He’s here.” Rupert tapped his skull. “He’s not going anywhere.”
We’ll see about that. Ethan didn’t speak his thought. Letting Eyghon know he was working on banishing the demon would be a terribly stupid idea. “Let’s get inside. Eyghon doesn’t have a body. That’s enough for now.”
They were almost to the door when Rupert stopped. “Something’s wrong.”
Ethan opened his magical sight. The door’s wards had been broken, cracked open like an eggshell. “We should go.” He grabbed Rupert by the arm to pull him back to the car. Rupert gasped and fell toward the door. Ethan saw a tranquilizer dart jutting out from Rupert’s back. The door opened under the pressure from Rupert’s body and he stumbled through. Ethan followed after, grabbing him just in time to keep Rupert from dropping to the floor.
There were men in the room five of them. One called Rupert by name and Ethan knew they must belong to the Council. They were between Ethan and the weapons chest, the arsenal Rupert had kept prepared for just such an attack, but Ethan didn’t need puny weapons. As he raised his hand to cast a spell, one of the men raised a gun and pointed it at Rupert. “The lab boys may want him in one piece but from what I hear tell he’s got a demon in his head. I’m just as happy to end him here and now.”
Ethan lowered his arm. “What do you want?”
The gun moved toward Ethan. “We’re taking him away and you’re going to let us because, let’s face it, killing you, nobody’d object to that.”
Ethan forced himself to stillness. He couldn’t’ do anything for Rupert if he were dead. He watched from the doorway as they loaded Rupert into a van. He waited until they’d pulled away from the curb and then ran down to the street, watching the taillights vanish into the darkness.
Fandom: BtVS
Prompt: 418 - Arsenal
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Summary: After Jenny's funeral, Council Enforcers come visiting
Rupert had been distant throughout the whole of that Calendar woman’s funeral. Ethan didn’t particularly care what had happened to her. She’d threatened Rupert. She’d gotten what she’d deserved, but it shouldn’t have been at Rupert’s hands.
Ethan was afraid Rupert would leave him again. When Eyghon had been in that woman, Rupert and the demon had made a deal. Rupert would let the demon rampage through Sunnydale and Eyghon wouldn’t touch Ethan. They’d just buried the Calendar woman. Almost certainly that meant the deal was off. Rupert would push Ethan away to keep him safe, and while Ethan valued his skin at least as much as the next man, he wasn’t safe. Nowhere was safe while Eyghon remained in Rupert’s skull. There had to be a way to get the demon out.
Each element of the Tao held an aspect of its opposite. That might work as a visualization. It would allow Ethan to clearly differentiate between Rupert and Eyghon. If he pulled Rupert into the Sacred Chao – order within chaos and chaos within order – then he himself could stand in as chaos to Rupert’s order. The realignment could drive the demon out of Rupert. The transformation from Tao to Chao would be tricky and Ethan would have only one chance to get it right.
Ethan came out of his reverie to see that Rupert had pulled up to the apartment. “Sorry, lost in thought.”
“You know you’re not safe here.”
“I’m not leaving you, Rupert. Don’t ask again.”
“I’m not … I’m not asking. I don’t think I could ask you to go, but you would be safer if I didn’t know how to find you.”
“Eyghon’s gone, for now. We can worry about the rest later.”
“He’s not gone, you know. He’s here.” Rupert tapped his skull. “He’s not going anywhere.”
We’ll see about that. Ethan didn’t speak his thought. Letting Eyghon know he was working on banishing the demon would be a terribly stupid idea. “Let’s get inside. Eyghon doesn’t have a body. That’s enough for now.”
They were almost to the door when Rupert stopped. “Something’s wrong.”
Ethan opened his magical sight. The door’s wards had been broken, cracked open like an eggshell. “We should go.” He grabbed Rupert by the arm to pull him back to the car. Rupert gasped and fell toward the door. Ethan saw a tranquilizer dart jutting out from Rupert’s back. The door opened under the pressure from Rupert’s body and he stumbled through. Ethan followed after, grabbing him just in time to keep Rupert from dropping to the floor.
There were men in the room five of them. One called Rupert by name and Ethan knew they must belong to the Council. They were between Ethan and the weapons chest, the arsenal Rupert had kept prepared for just such an attack, but Ethan didn’t need puny weapons. As he raised his hand to cast a spell, one of the men raised a gun and pointed it at Rupert. “The lab boys may want him in one piece but from what I hear tell he’s got a demon in his head. I’m just as happy to end him here and now.”
Ethan lowered his arm. “What do you want?”
The gun moved toward Ethan. “We’re taking him away and you’re going to let us because, let’s face it, killing you, nobody’d object to that.”
Ethan forced himself to stillness. He couldn’t’ do anything for Rupert if he were dead. He watched from the doorway as they loaded Rupert into a van. He waited until they’d pulled away from the curb and then ran down to the street, watching the taillights vanish into the darkness.
