Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 14

[madimpossibledreamer]

The Stand picture might be more relevant now.  ;)

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: A search-and-rescue mission for Xander doesn't quite go as planned.
Word Count: 1542
Rating: K
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS.  READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

            In the end, a number of Slayers, particularly the African ones that Xander had found, also volunteered to help, so they ended up having several search parties.

           "It would probably be best if we divided our parties in such a way..." Giles continued, but Buffy wasn't really listening. 

            She looked over at Josephine, who was running her fingers through her long hair and practically growling.  "It's going to be fine.  Xander may not look it, but he knows how to take care of himself."

            Josephine beamed with satisfaction for a whole of three seconds.  "That's a Joestar trait," she proclaimed proudly.  Then she returned to her scowling, frustrated expression of before.  "I'm just..." she sighed.  "Okay, I may not exactly be a Slayer, whatever that is.  I don't know for sure, because I'm not sure what that entails, but...  What I mean to say is, I have another power.  And I'm pretty sure Xander will have it too, now, and I'm worried about him because he doesn't know how to control it and what if it ends up hurting him?  I mean, he doesn't mind fighting, right?"

            Buffy stared at her friend's mom, eyebrow raised.  So she really hadn't been telling them everything.  Was it just a matter of trust?  They hadn't known each other very long, after all, even if Jessica had counted.  They'd hardly seen either of Xander's parents, ever.  Or was it something else...no, she didn't want to think that.  "No.  Usually he just throws himself into danger whether he can make a difference or not."

            "That's good."  The redhead genuinely looked relieved, before she realized what she'd just said.  "I mean, not necessarily that it's good, but...if you have no fighting spirit, then a power that's basically just meant for fighting's not going to be good for you, right?  I'm...going to give him a stern talking to about rushing into things recklessly."

            The Slayer started laughing uncontrollably, having, eventually, to bend over, clutching at her stomach.  "Y-you...you do that...." she managed somehow, breathlessly.  The thought of Josephine of all people lecturing anyone on not rushing into things....well, if nothing else, it was ironic.  She got a pouty look in return.

            She became aware of a disapproving stare that has become very familiar over the years.  "Were you listening at all, Buffy?"

            "Sorry, what?"  She can't help the snort, again, but breathes deeply to try to stop.

            Giles sighed, and, as per their routine, condensed what he'd been saying into something short and understandable.  "I was saying that we should have a Watcher or older member of the 'Scooby Gang'..."  Buffy noticed the slightest hesitation, probably because Giles found it a silly name, "...on each group of searchers."

            "I agree."  Her easy agreement made her mentor sigh again at the effort needed to get such a simple response, but given what'd happened with Miss Witness, they couldn't be that careful.

            "I'll help if you think it's a good idea.  Otherwise, I can just hold down the fort," Robin Wood offered.

            "Well, I dunno about you, Mr. Ex-Principal, but I'm gonna go look for X."  Faith?  When did she get here...?  No, probably not the most important thing right now.

            "Actually...I don't know, I get this feeling that we can't trust all the Slayers here.  I'd feel better if we had some people we can trust back here in HQ."  There.  Finally, someone had said it, and...yeah, okay, so it didn't make her feel any better to have said it out loud, but...at least it had been said.

            The dark-haired slayer smirked. "I'm glad you trust me, B.  Maybe I'm doing something right."  She turned to go back inside, but then paused.  "You probably know this already, but if a Slayer's gone wicked bad, it ain't gonna be pretty.  Watch your backs."

            "You too."  Faith had really come a long way.

            "Five by five, B."  The other Slayer waved without turning around and went back inside.

            "What about me?"  Watcher Wood was waiting expectantly.

            "Er...probably best for you to stay as well.  If there is a problem, we'll need more than one person we can trust here.  Now that I think about it, this would be a perfect time to try any number of nefarious schemes, but it's not as if we can abandon Xander, either..."  Giles was beginning to sound downright angry.  He might need that fire before the night was through, if things kept going the same way.

            "I got it.  You go complete your rescue mission."  Wood tried to make it sound like a piece of cake without using phrases that would really make everything more difficult, which was a nice gesture, because Buffy was getting the feeling that it really wasn't going to be anywhere near that easy.

 

            "I hate it when I'm right," Buffy mutters quietly to herself.  They'd been tromping around for hours, looking for Xander.  He hadn't been back to the mansion—none of his things had been touched.  He hadn't been to the movies, not that he probably would if he was on the run and thought his friends wanted him dead.  He hadn't been to any of his favorite restaurants, or, more realistically, fast food places.  Giles, before they'd split up, confided that he'd been making calls, and no one answering to Xander's description had gotten on boat, train, or plane.  Which meant making the rounds to all the motels, hotels, and anywhere else Xander might be staying.  Boring, frustrating, and every single negative result got Josephine a little more tightly wound, until they had to leave her with Miss Witness and another Slayer outside to avoid frightening the hotel staff.  It took long enough that the sun set, and with that a shadow fell over Buffy's heart.  Which led to them standing in the middle of a moonlit town square, surrounded by female vamps.  It's weird that they're all female, but then, that's not the only weird thing in the picture.

            "Right about what?"  Josephine manages to sound completely normal and unflustered, despite the trail of blood down her arm.

            "Trouble."  They stand back to back, ringed with enemies.  Buffy's lost track of Miss Witness and the other Slayers in the sea of vampires, and hopes that none of the new blood has died on her watch.  Again.

            "Don't be.  It's a hoot and a half."  Oh, good grief, Josephine and Faith do not need to rub off on each other.  "Besides, it's a good sign.  These aren't normal vamps, so we're probably getting close."  That's...really terrible logic, but Buffy doesn't have the heart to correct her, especially as they're in the middle of fighting for their lives.

            Buffy had already stabbed one of the vampires with Mr. Pointy, and the stake + vampire equation for whatever reason wasn't adding to dust, unlike what years of experience suggested.  The Turok-han hadn't returned, one because the hairstyles were trendy, never mind the fact that they had hair, and two, getting the stake through the rib cage wasn't he hard part.

            The problem was that these vamps just didn't seem to care.  "I'm having a few difficulties here."

            "They might be my kind of vampire.  Try destroying the brain—though beheading usually makes things easier.  Also fire."  Buffy can feel the other smoothly move into a jump kick at her back.

            'Your kind of vampire?' she mouths, incredulous.  Josephine had shown nothing but distaste for vampires.  "...Where do you think there's fire around here?  'Cause, you see, I must be blind."

            The Slayer can hear the fierce grin in Josephine's reply.  "We'll see about that.  I'll be back in a tick, okay."

            Buffy opens her mouth to protest or ask Josephine what she means, but a group of three Slayers charges the vampire horde in front of her, knocking her backwards.  Rather than falling on Josephine, as she expects, she topples backward and smacks her head, really hard, against the pavement.

           Her vision greys out slightly for a second, but she watches as Josephine somersaults over a group of female vampires, her long red hair gracefully moving like a cheerleader's twirling baton.  The British accent is unmistakable as she shouts, "Bye Bye Beautiful!"  ...Even if that doesn't make sense.

            She's even more certain she's started hallucinating as she sees a beautiful woman with wings and pointed ears and a lovely long dress appear in midair.  Despite the beauty, there's something untouchable, intimidating even, about the apparition.  She's hard to see, and Buffy has to squint.

            It's much easier to see what appears where Josephine's flip seems to be aiming, at a rusty iron gate that leads to a central green, mini park-like area, complete with fountain.  Buffy will never get used to the amount of green spaces still left in London.

            Two massive trees grow in the span of seconds, intertwining in a way that didn't exactly seem natural, forming intricate knots.  A hedge, imposing, wild, appears, ivy spreading over the whole.  The knotted tree limbs quickly become two massive doors, which swing open as Josephine hits them with her feet.  The ghost lady smiles gracefully and follows.

            Guys, the rescue party needs a rescue party.  The thought drifts across her mind, a cloud on a windy day, and then she's out.