“Don’t give me any crap about a club either,” Lois said as she sat up on Spike’s couch. Her eyes fell on Buffy. “The way you were fighting, there is no way some vampire could have attacked you and gotten away.”
“Training?” Buffy offered.
Lois shook her head. “Just tell me.”
“I can’t,” Buffy told her simply. “I just can’t.”
“You’re a vampire!” Lois exclaimed, pointing at Spike. “How is it you’re not. . . eating us all?”
“Long story,” Spike said with a roll of his eyes. “Short, abbreviated version?”
Lois shrugged wearily, “Sure, whatever.”
“Right then. How it goes is, I got a chip in my brain from a government agency bent on controlling the demon population—“
“There’s a government agency that knows all about demons?”
“You find that surprising? Bush is President for Christ’s sakes.”
Lois shook her head and Clark chuckled.
“Please, continue,” Lois asked him.
“Right, so got this chip in my noggin that keeps me from attacking humans. Demons on the other hand are fair play.”
“So you fight demons with Buffy?”
Spike sighed, “Yeah. Yeah I do.”
“Why? Isn’t that against everything you stand for?”
Spike didn’t reply.
“You rendered him speechless. I might actually start to like you,” Buffy said, looking from Lois to Spike.
“Well, you see, Lois,” Willow started tentatively, ignoring both Buffy and Spike’s glare, “Spike kind of really likes Buffy.”
“Really likes her? What is this high school? Is he in love with her? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
Willow nodded sheepishly.
“A vampire is in love with a – a – “
“Slayer, okay? I’m the Slayer,” Buffy said, annoyed. “Do you want the short abbreviated version of my story too?”
“I’ve heard of you—“
Buffy threw up her hands. “Why am I not surprised? Who hasn’t heard of me? God! So much for keeping it a flippin’ secret.”
“Well, I haven’t heard of you specifically. But when you do research on vampires, you come across stories – more myths—of the Slayer. You’re the Slayer?”
“Yes, I’m the Slayer. That mythical woman you read about.”
“One girl—“ Lois started.
“In all the world,” everyone, sans Lois and Clark, finished.
“How? I mean – how does it happen?”
“One Slayer dies and the next is called. One day you’re a normal girl living your normal life, and then the next, your job is to save the world and everyone in it.”
Clark gazed up at her in admiration. He felt a pull to her that he hadn’t quite felt before, mainly because he hadn’t let himself get too involved with them. He felt for Buffy now, felt her plight and understood it.
For he felt the exact same way.
The only difference between them was that Superman didn’t have friends; he had no one but his mother. Sure he had a son and on some level, Lois, but they didn’t know who he truly was, and he wasn’t sure if he could ever tell them. He made a mental note to find a time to discuss with her how she told her friends. Maybe it’d help him figure out a way to tell Lois. There were many connections to be made between them and he was reminded that even though he wasn’t one of them, it was partly his own doing that made him that way. Connections could be made – Jason was proof of that, and Buffy with all her friends and the vampire who loved her standing behind her, was also proof of that.
“What exactly kind of powers do you have?” Lois asked quietly.
“This is not an interview Miss Lane. I cannot let the world know who I am. It puts everyone I come in contact with in danger. The Slayer is supposed to be just what you said – myth. My powers aren’t glorified like Superman’s, and I don’t often get glory for what I do.”
“Hell, you don’t even get paid,” Anya added.
“Why do you do it?” Clark asked. It was the first words he’d spoken all night, and it was with no big surprise that they all looked at him in surprise. No doubt they thought him a mute.
“Destiny,” Buffy replied simply. “It’s my calling. I was the next in line, and it’s not like I can take a pass.”
“You’ve. . . saved the world?” Clark asked again.
“A couple apocalypses here and there, yeah, I’ve saved the world. But the ones behind me – they’ve helped too.”
“They don’t have your power. . . “Lois said in awe. “Well, except for maybe Spike. What kind of power is it?”
“I can’t fly like Superman, and well, I can’t do a lot that he can do, but I am strong, very strong, agile, and quick on my feet. I know how to fight and stake a vampire with the greatest of ease, I can run fast – again, not as fast as Superman – and I have sort of ‘super’ hearing, and when a vampire is close, I can feel them.”
“What you did tonight, Buffy,” Lois shook her head, the awe evident. “It was—“
“Amazing,” Clark finished.
Lois looked at Clark and nodded in agreement. “Yes, amazing. Don’t take this the wrong way but you’re so tiny! It’s hard to imagine that much power in one girl.”
Buffy was blushing profusely now. She wasn’t used to the attention and Clark smiled. He had never been used to it either; he just did what he had to do. He was never one to stick around long after helping out. He watched with a wide smile as she turned to Spike for help and probably didn’t even realize she’d done so, so instinctively. Spike smiled and wrapped an arm about her. “It’s okay luv,” he heard the vampire mutter.
Lois stood. “I want to help,” she declared. “I won’t say a word about you, Buffy. I’ll keep it the way we originally planned. A group formed out of an almost tragedy that slays and studies vampires. All I ask is that I help.”
“Lois?” Clark said, clearing his throat. “You sure about this?”
Lois nodded. “Some help the world by fighting evil; I help by writing about it and bringing information to the people. Well, I want a piece of what the other half does – all the superhero’s we know about and don’t know about. You’re an inspiration, Buffy.”
“Thank you,” Buffy murmured, ducking her head.
“So, what have we come up with so far?”
Xander sighed and wrapped an arm about Lois, causing Clark to raise a brow. “Well, Lois,” the young man said, “We have jack in the way of squat right now.”
“Well, Spike picked up on Luthor’s cologne the other night in the warehouse,” Buffy supplied. “We just haven’t found Luthor yet. Though I did a search of every hotel, motel and inn in Sunnydale and came up with nothing.”
“Then maybe he’s staying outside of Sunnydale,” Lois suggested.
“They don’t call you investigative reporter for nothing huh?” Buffy quipped.
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