Chapter Fifteen- Do Not Attempt to Adjust Your Set

DISCLAIMER I own nothing from Dark Angel or Buffy

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Chapter Fifteen

Tara, Willow, Dawn, Krit, and Syl sat in the living room, brainstorming. They had to find the others. Tara had told them where to find Sari, Jace, and Jondy, but they weren’t the primary concern. Dawn wanted to wait and start all of the Slayers’ training at once and that meant getting Max out of Manticore.

“We could do a conjoining spell again,” Willow suggested. “Send one person in with all of us backing them up.”

Dawn shook her head. “Uh-uh. I was under the impression that the only reason that worked before was because we needed the magic, Slayer strength, and Sumerian. We don’t need any of those things this time, just Max.”

Krit and Syl looked at each other. Dawn caught it. “What? Do you two have any ideas on how to break into Manticore?”

“No, but we may know someone who would.”

“Who?” Willow asked.

“His name is Lydecker,” Krit sighed. “He was our Commander when we were back at Manticore. He’s spent the last 10 years trying to hunt the twelve of us down.”

Tara and Dawn shared a look. “And we’re going to him for help…why?” Dawn asked.

“Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend?’” Syl asked. Dawn, Tara, and Willow nodded. “Well, we and Lydecker share a common enemy. The new head of Manticore is an evil witch of a woman who tried to have the Colonel assassinated and murdered our sister Tinga.”

“The one with the long hair,” Tara said.

Syl nodded sadly. “I guess in some sick way, Lydecker considered us his children. When he found out that she had killed Tinga, he became hellbent on revenge. He turned out to be a powerful ally in the blowing up the DNA lab.”

“Do you know how to contact him?” Willow asked.

“No,” Krit admitted.

“But,” Syl said before anyone could look disappointed. “I think I know someone who does.”

“Who?”

“His name is Logan Cale,” Syl said. “He and Max were…very close friends before Max was taken.”

“Lovers?” Willow asked.

“No, although given enough time, they would have been,” Krit said. “Syl’s right. He’ll know what to do to get inside Manticore.”

Dawn looked at Tara, who nodded. “Where do we find this Logan?” Dawn asked.

“He’s in Seattle. He’s – ”

Just then, the television crackled to life, cutting Syl off. “Do not attempt to adjust your set,” an electronically distorted voice said.

“Oh look, Eyes Only,” Dawn said.

“What’s he got for us today?” Willow asked.

“The cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds,” he went on. “It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped, and it is the only free voice left in this city.”

“You get Eyes Only broadcasts all the way down here?” Krit asked, surprised. “We never got it in Reno or Vancouver.”

Willow grinned. “And if you go down the street, you won’t get it either. Eyes Only reports on a whole lot more than he knows. A lot of the things that he talks about are fronts for demonic activity; he just doesn’t know it. I fixed our antennae so that we would pick up his hacks in Seattle.”

“Well speak of the devil,” Syl said, smiling.

But she was not met with smiles. “We don’t do that here,” Tara said in all seriousness.

“Oh…sorry,” Syl said, blushing. “I just meant that Logan is Eyes Only.”

“What?” Tara asked.

“Max’s friend who can help us get into Manticore to rescue her is Eyes Only?” Dawn said, incredulous.

Krit and Syl nodded. Syl smiled brightly. “Shall we go to Seattle then?”

Krit and Willow groaned together. “But we just got back!” Krit said.

Tara, Syl, and Dawn laughed. “I suppose we need someone to hold down the fort, so to speak,” Tara said. “And I’d like to get off the Hellmouth. It’s been awhile.”

Willow looked sympathetically in her lover’s direction. “I’m sorry baby…have I been leaving you here too much?”

Tara smiled, though Willow couldn’t see it. “Only a little. I’d love to go on this search-and-rescue mission.”

Dawn stood up. “Well it’s settled then. We’ll leave now.”

Syl looked surprised. “Now?” She looked out the window. “It’s dark. You said not to go outside at night here. What about the vampires?”

Dawn thought for a minute. “True. But vampires have shied away from this house for years, even after the Buffybot was destroyed…”

“The what?”

“Oh.” Dawn laughed and waved a hand at Krit. “Long story. Vampires don’t usually bother this house and anyway, we have a Slayer with us!”

Syl looked proud and a little uncomfortable. “Not a trained Slayer or anything.”

“I think we’ll be alright,” Tara said. “After all, we’re only going from the front door to the car.”

Kisses and hugs were exchanged between the five as Tara, Dawn, and Syl piled back into the car and headed north again. “It’s a long drive,” Dawn warned them.

“Maybe we should call him?” Syl suggested. “Just so he isn’t surprised when we all show up at his door and claim the love of his life isn’t dead like he thought.” She sobered. “She did die in his arms after all.”

Tara turned around and put a comforting hand on Syl’s shoulder. “No, she didn’t.” Syl nodded and smiled weakly.

Back on the Summers’ porch, Willow took Krit by the arm and deftly guided him back into the house. 1630 Revello Drive was the only place that Willow felt fully comfortable with her blindness. Years of living in the house had created a near-perfect map in her mind to lead her.

“So you think Logan will help us?” she asked Krit when they’d settled back in the living room.

He shrugged, then remembered that she couldn’t see him. “I’m not sure. It’s going to take a lot of convincing for him to believe Max is alive.”

Willow was quiet for a minute. “You don’t believe it, do you?” Krit was quiet. “You still think that Max is dead.”

“You’re asking an awful lot of my sister and me,” Krit said shortly. “Syl’s been wracked with guilt since the day Max died and Zack was taken. She’s always believed that it was somehow her fault. You and Dawn and Tara are screwing with her mind, making her believe that Max is alive.”

Willow could feel the distrust in Krit’s hard stare. “When they bring her back, maybe then you’ll believe us. If I know Tara and Dawn, they won’t come back to Sunnydale until they have both of your sisters.” She smiled. “In the meantime, don’t worry so much! Try to enjoy yourself here.”

Krit snorted. “Here on the Hellmouth or whatever? Yeah right.”

Willow sighed and stood up. “Alright. I’m tired. We turned the spare room upstairs into a makeshift bedroom for you and then Syl and Max can share Dawn’s old room.” She headed for the stairs.

“What about Dawn when she gets back?”

Willow didn’t turn around. “She sleeps in Buffy’s old room,” she said and continued up the stairs.