Demon Wars: The Magic Unleashed

Chapter 3

The next morning, and Cordelia was seriously considering quitting her job. It was hellish, and they hadn't even arrived at the mission destination.

It started with when they had gotten on the road the previous night. Part of operational security was that she'd only know how long she'd be away for prior to the missions, and only learn their destination once on the road.

They were travelling out of state, one of the Mayors' Arizona-based supply bases for his true-world stuff, as she called it, was going to be under attack from some Warlock.

That was one thing she still didn't really think was possible – predicting the future. Even the way that Nightstalker had told her about that made her think he didn't really think it was possible too, and she had seen a glimpse of his skills with magic on the previous missions.

She had to wonder, what sort of training would get someone those kinds of abilities at that age, with none of the burnout problems that she had seen with Amy Madison before she died.

The Distance was one thing, she figured she could live with that. When she had called Wesley that morning she had told him she had to go find her parents, they had gotten into trouble or something. He had accepted that, even made an offer to help as much as he could, but she had turned him down on account of, 'It's not a hellmouthy thing, English Two.'

No, it was the passengers that annoyed her.

Mystique, not so much. Mostly it was the constant grin the guy had on his face, whichever face he wore when she looked that is. He just seemed to be enjoying something that she just knew would annoy her if she knew what it was, and so the grin itself annoyed her.

Most of the annoyance though, came from Nightstalker. He had started to call her 'Eclipse', and it was a laughing Mystique that had told her that that was her code-name from the Mayor.

When Nightstalker suggested to call her 'Luna Eclipse', she had almost stopped the van there and punched him.

When she had gotten sleep, she thought the name over, and figured it was a bit symbolic. Luna Eclipse, blotting out the sun so that 'Nightstalker' wouldn't be seen in action... It was up to her to help him make stealth infiltration and exfiltration, whatever those words in the job description meant.

In addition to the name that she didn't like, there was the arguments about the various changes she wanted to put in on the van, and other things. Some came from experience with fighting alongside Wesley and Buffy a few times, although none of those things had been used with Giles. Wesley was quite 'up' on using modern technology in the fight. She remembered her old Computer teacher, who had gotten Wesley on that techno trip.

When she had gotten her sleep, after the call to Wesley, she had then hit the road again, guessing the other two were asleep. In the quiet, she contemplated quitting, but knew she needed both the money and to stay in the fight in the only way she knew how – supporting the front-line fighters, like Buffy and Nightstalker. And Between the two, the latter was the better paying prospect. And better fighter, if what she heard and had seen of his fighting and magic skills were at the level they appeared.

As she pulled back onto the interstate highway, she gave thought to one of the changes for the Winnebago. Most of the enhancements were based in magic. The most modern equipment outside of the parts necessary to driving it, was the communications equipment, which even then was just a modernised two-way Radio. A fair bit of range, but nothing special compared to Satellite computer uplinks and the sort that she had seen Wesley use a few weeks ago to receive digital copies of some demon info books.

If only Giles knew about that, he'd have a fit.

What she wanted to add, was a full computer outfit for the van. Combined with some of the technomagic she had already seen from Wesley, and Jenny, and she knew the van would be a mobile HQ for the trio. And since there would be a fair amount of travelling outside of sunnydale, half of it overnight, and most of the other missions lasting for several days if Mystiques various comments were true, well, she wasn't willing to leave her phone as the most advanced computer device there.

But Nightstalker didn't see the point of it, both in research 'because I can kill anything', and communication 'I've got my own methods', whatever those methods were.

It was an hour later when Nightstalker awoke, and felt that the van was moving. As soon as he checked up on her, they were arguing again, which woke Mystique, who after grumbling started to grin and the whole thing again.

As they continued arguing, Cordelia driving while Nightstalker did, something or other, Cordelia had completely missed the irony behind her being Miss 'Technology'.

Somewhere in devon, Willow Rosenberg stalked down a corridor of the large elaborate training facility owned by the coven she was training to be a part of.

Thanks to magic, it was a dizzying maze. Without certain spells, she'd have been able to navigate the place just from two full complete tours, building a mental map of the place. But the spells were designed to induce a little bit of confusion, and to subdue a persons' typical sense of direction. What would take an hour, was now going to take weeks of exploring, and even more because, well, she wasn't exactly free to just wander.

She dodged as a spell was fired at her.

While she had power, she had no idea how to access it beyond simple things. No, the training now for her, was how to utilize what she could do, together with whatever else was at hand.

Like the pistol in a holster. The Wiccans were not behind the times, not one bit.

She drew the pistol and as she dove down, and rolled under several more spells, she managed to duck into cover, and took the safety of the pistol off. With a grin, she ducked out long enough to get eyeball on the sources.

Magic Constructs, basically the magical equivalent of automated security turrets, only they store a set amount of magical power, and a control matrix is designed to make it cast a specific spell. Depending on that spell, they could have anywhere from a single use before needing to be recharged, to hundreds of spells. Because some of the spells' could have varying power for different levels of effects, such as the spell used here...

She ducked out again, intent on firing, but gasped as she pulled back, almost missing one of the spells. By that, she almost 'missed' being hit. As in, she was still hit... but only caught part of the spell. Enough that she felt tingly, in a bad way.

She smiled after a second, when she came up with a plan... she looked at some debris that littered the halls, and realization hit her of just why they would clutter the place like that.

In an observation booth, Rupert Giles and a woman named only Madame Trudy smiled.

"She's a clever girl." Trudy spoke.

"Yes, she is. Her, skill set, just speaks for itself."

"Yes, a hacker, isn't she?"

"Indeed, that has on occasion been a help to us." Giles replied, as he watched Willow use the debris to create various diversions, using her limited telekinesis magic to throw the pieces without having to put down the gun. "Although I have my reservations about teaching her to fight like this."

Trudy looked at him, "All members of the Coven are taught this, Rupert."

"I know, and I am not objecting to this at all, I'm... I just wish she could act her age, go to school and be carefree. She shouldn't have to grow up like she has."

"The world is as it is, Rupert. Every one of us, has at some point, wished we could have put off growing up like we had till we were well into our twenties. But none of us do regret this. The Reward is much greater than the cost, in the long run."

Cordelia slowed the van down some as the highway they were on rose, where it would then continue on a bridge over the city warehouse district.

She shifted a little and looked into the mirror, Nightstalker was waiting, his clothes a little different from before. A sword was strapped to his back, a rather ornate one she had first thought to be merely decorative until the previous mission. It was a broadsword, much like the ones used in those films about Medieval wars. The handle was different from other swords, it that it was bare metal, no leather or cloth or other soft material to make it comfortable to hold and use.

Various other smaller weapons, bladed and otherwise, were dotted about in various holsters on his arms and legs, from throwing stars, to curved daggers that literally bent around his leg, a blade meant to inflict a lot of pain.

It was little things like that, that had started her to wonder about Nightstalker and her boss.

"We're coming up on the bridge. Are you ready for this?"

It was, perhaps, a bit stupid to ask that. He grunted, and moved to the right side door.

She shrugged, and moved as close to the side of the road as she could without being illegal or dangerous, and as they neared the start of the bridge, Nightstalker jumped out of the vehicle, using the slope of the embankment to disperse some of the force unto a roll. Mystique pulled the door shut, and they continued driving.

"Will he be alright? I mean, this is the first evening/night-time mission he's been on."

"Since you started, you mean. Yes, he's called 'Nightstalker' for a reason, Eclipse. Don't forget that."

Authors Note: I have not played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, beyond a few early levels. I finally have it... on XBOX. Le Sigh. Sorry it took sooo long, but basically... this was written, and all I had to do to post it was... remember. Yep. I forgot..