By the Emerald Light by redwulf and Spikeskat

Chapter #1 - Ch. 1

A/N: A crazy joint collaboration between Redwulf and SpikesKat via IM one day… This is a crossover fic with Justice League Unlimited. Don’t ask…neither of us could even begin to explain. (Well, Redwulf might be able to.) Thanks to Spikedeb for her love of the insane and for the readthrough! Spoilers: Set Season 5 AtS, “Destiny” and going beyond A/U from there. ^_^ John Stewart had fought his last battle, he knew this; the yellow knife sticking from his stomach was testament to his soon-to-be demise. The only thing left was to pick his successor. He looked down at the ring that had made him a hero and gave it perhaps his final order. Find the "One” the man without fear, the hero without corruption. The ring, responding to its owner’s final unspoken command, sent out green tendrils to search for the "One." ~*~ Harmony opened the box, and a rush of bright white light erupted from it, swirling around Spike before quickly disappearing. "Well, that was a slap and a tickle," Spike snarked. Things in the office started going a tad wonky and the blonde vampire shrugged his shoulders and walked away from the small gathering, leaving the others to deal with the mess. "Anymore fireworks for me, I'll be in here telling your miserable—" Spike stood staring at the closed door he’d just slammed into for a moment, not comprehending why it was that he'd not passed through its barrier so easily. When he did, he started touching things: himself, Gunn, the weird-looking mail boy. Behind him, Angel’s office door opened, and the dark-haired vampire stepped out into the reception area to complain about his phone acting crazy, only to witness... "Get off me, man," Gunn griped. Spike ignored him, gripping the man’s upper arms as if to prove to himself that he held something tangible. "I'm back… it's me! I'm…I'm..." "You're green, man,” the lawyer announced. “You…your eyes…they’re green." "Wha? Huh? Green??" Spike glanced down at himself, noticing the green outline. "Bugger." Then, Spike suddenly faded from view. The LA Fang Gang decided the blonde’s latest condition had something to do with the box Harmony had opened, so despite Angel's protests to the contrary, they began to research. "It's just Spike. What's the big deal?" Angel muttered to their retreating backs. When none of his gang - his gang - acknowledged his comment, he slipped into brood-mode and stalked back into his office, the force of his slam rattling the smoky glass that cordoned off his executive suite from the lobby. He marched over to the window overlooking the city (his usual spot for a good broodfest) and caught a glimpse of Spike as he sailed through the air, the blonde vampire somehow protected from spontaneously combusting by a green force field. ~*~ Spike found himself floating through the air in the bright sunlight and was panicky at first. But as time passed, he began to enjoy it, and when he finally reached his destination, the vampire was downright giddy. Spike knew who the man was even before he was close enough to actually see him, even if he didn’t actually believe it, the green from his costume and the fading green glow surrounding him was more than enough to piece everything together. It was a Green Lantern. Like a kid, he caught himself going over all of his recent actions, anything that would rate an appearance of one of the World's Finest. A member of the Bloody Justice League. "You're no' supposed to be real," he muttered almost to himself as his body came to rest on the ground a few feet in front of the dark-skinned man. John Stewart - Green Lantern - coughed around a fractured laugh, and just barely managed to suppress an eye roll. "Right," he gasped out. "And there's no such thing as vampires either." "Uh...yeah, guess you got me there. You wanna tell me what I'm bloody doin' here?" The man before him appeared not long for this world; the vampire could see his powers dwindling and suddenly yelped as the green shield that covered his body slipped a little, allowing the sun's rays to singe his backside. "The ring chose you." John was coughing up blood now, and he knew without the ring's support he would have been dead already. You are the man without fear. You are the next Green Lantern." He held his right hand up and the ring slid off his finger to float between the two and slip perfectly onto Spike's. William the Bloody nearly shook with the desire to cry like a bloody poofter. He had never met this man, but in death he had done what no one else ever had. He had chosen Spike – over everyone else. Not because he happened to be there, not because he was convenient. Today, William the Bloody had been judged by one of the greatest heroes to ever live, and had been found more than worthy. The infusion of power was like nothing he'd ever felt before. More powerful than the Gem of Amara. Stronger that Sire's blood. Even stronger than that of a slayer’s - and he should know, having had both. It was power in its rawest form. It fed off of him, guided him, secretly showed him how to use it. For good. When the moment was over, he glanced down at himself. Gone was the retro 80's look he'd been sporting since he'd bagged his second slayer. In it's place....spandex. Black spandex that molded his frame and showed off every single muscle in his compact form. Spike reached down with a smirk and adjusted his body’s reaction to having such power infused into his being, and having accomplished that, his fingers came up to slowly trace the outline of the Green Lantern on his chest; rather large it was, but tastefully understated because the green of the lantern was nearly as dark as the black on the rest of his costume. Only one more thing was needed to perfect the package. He concentrated for a second and his duster reappeared over his new uniform. Looking at the dead hero that lay at his feet, he murmured, "Right, mate, we need to get you somewhere your friends can see to you." Spike looked skyward. This wasn't something he was going to bloody enjoy. Pointing his ring at the former "Lantern" he concentrated until green shot out and enveloped the body of John Stewart, as at the same time it wrapped around his own. Then, they were sky bound, flying higher and higher until they'd cleared the earth's atmosphere on an intercept course with the space station that had been built. Spike wasn't sure what kind of greeting he'd be getting as he pretty much just invaded their territory while carrying the dead body of one of their friends. One of the original members of the Justice League. They must have seen his approach because as he neared their headquarters, a bay door opened, and he guided himself and John towards it. A few "bloody hell’s" managed to escape his lips as he was confronted by no less then ten pissed off superheroes the moment the doors closed and the cabin re-pressurized. "I didn't bloody do it," issued forth from his lips before he could think to say otherwise, and despite his efforts it sounded rather “Dawn-ish” in its whine. "We know," said a man in a black mask with pointy ears. "He was fighting just outside the Watchtower when it happened,” said a man in a Blue suit with a red “S” emblazoned on the front. ‘He wasn’t supposed to exist,’ Spike thought. ‘Bloody buggerin’ hell! That's Superman!’ "We had hoped to find him in time." Superman walked forward to relieve Spike of his precious burden. "How did you get his ring?" a blonde man with a hook for a hand questioned as he moved towards Spike, but whose progress was halted by the guy called The Martian Manhunter. "Arthur, the ring chose him. John chose him. We shall respect his wishes." Spike backed away as a woman, garbed in a US flag-like bustier and blue knickers with white stars advanced on him. Personally, the outfit kinda scared him and he wondered if she ever got cold. (Although, if she was sporting the union jack, he could see how it might work.) "The ring may have chosen him, but we haven't. You've brought us his body...you can leave now." Spike didn't know whether to be pissed or hurt. But, before he could escape her harsh stare, a blur of red ground his departure to a halt. Then, there was this angel... only... Shayera. Hawkgirl. Some lingering aura of the ring's former owner disclosed her identity to him. She flew towards him, the wind as her wings allowed her to land before him sending a gentle caress across his face. "That's rather harsh, don't you think, Diana? That should be a choice for the whole League to decide. Not just one member." Shayera wasn't intimidated by the woman, that was obvious. Before either could say more the man in the red bodysuit with a lightning bolt across his chest – “Wally” the ring echoed in his mind with equal parts annoyance and affection - spoke. "Diana, the guy can't help what happened. It could have been anyone." Spike understood the feeling; the kid was obviously nervous, and rather young, to be among such august heroes. Diana seemed to tilt her head back till she was glaring down her nose at Spike. "He is a vampire." She dropped the word like a lead weight on the room. "With a bloody soul, you silly cow." As usual, Spike's undecided emotions gave way to anger at the signs of Diana's greater-than-thou attitude. A chuckle from behind him surprised the vampire. The voice of the one called Arthur spoke up. "I like him already." Shayera bit her lip to keep from laughing, but between his attitude and the cow remark, she was hard pressed to hold it in. Ended up turning to the side and coughing heavily. When she got control of her emotions, Hawkgirl turned back to see Wonder Woman glaring at her now. "Look, 'm sorry. But, you touched on a sore spot, ye ken? So, I'll just be leaving and gettin' out of your soddin’ way," Spike announced. He turned and headed towards the door and away from yet another group that didn't seem to want any part of him. A hand on his shoulder stopped him just as the green from his ring enveloped him. "Stay." A simple word really. Made more so by the man that uttered it. Superman knew what it was like to be considered a freak, the outsider. He didn't want this man - this vampire - to be made to feel like that. Spike looked back at Superman and saw kindness and understanding in his eyes and again he felt as if he had been chosen. "Bloody hell…” His shoulders slumped, unable to say no to the man. “Has the killer been caught?” he asked after a moment. "No, William," a voice said from the shadows, which soon revealed the one called Batman. "The killer escaped and seemed to be heading toward the Mediterranean." "He's a vampire—" Wonder Woman began. "Diana!" The name wasn't spoken loud, but The Bat's voice seemed to carry an authority that even Spike respected. "Six months ago you informed us that the Hellmouth in Sunnydale had closed for good?" At the woman's nod, he added, "You may thank William the Bloody, this vampire, for that. He gave his life to save us all." "So," she argued, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "We do it every day too. Those out of control robots ring any bells? Not to mention me having to carry The Atom inside my brassiere to do it." "Well, 'f I promise not to climb in your brassiere, will you cut me some slack... no 'ffense, Batman," Spike snarked. He'd had about enough already…maybe once they’d settled down he’d think about returning. Right now, he had a murderer to track down. "Look... would y'all min' clearin' out... I need to be goin' and I can' rightly do that with you standin' here." "You'll need this," Batman said as he handed Spike a rather large folder. "And if you need help, use the ring." The group of heroes moved back out of the area, but he could still hear the Wonder Bint muttering about him taking John’s ring. Spike never had been much for research, but he knew who was. The thought produced his trademark smirk. Peaches was gonna bloody hate this. "I'm going with you." The angel...no. Hawkgirl. He looked into her eyes and nodded. He understood. Pain gazed back at him. Pain barely masked by her need for revenge. "Alright, luv. Hang on." He pointed his ring and a green beam shot out and enveloped both him and her, then the cargo bay doors were open and they were flying out through space back towards Earth. And Wolfram and Hart. "You know, if you let it, you don't have to use the doors." Shayera said to him quietly as they flew through space. "John never did." The hurt in her voice shook Spike to the core. He nodded, then couldn't help the grin that came over his face. "Ya don't mind if we scare the poofter, do you, luv?" he asked, trying to cheer the woman up. "Poofter…" Shayera went through the earth slang she knew, her eyes dawning with understanding. "You want to surprise your lover?" Spike actually accidentally dropped them both, and Shayera was lucky they were in the Earth’s atmosphere. A second later, Spike recovered even as he sputtered out, "Bloody hell! No, he's my bloody grandsire and thinks he’s the reason the bloody earth turns." Neither spoke after that as they flew rather quickly towards California, both caught up in their own thoughts, their own memories. Before long, they were landing in front of the law offices of Wolfram & Hart. Spike eyed the heavy spiked mace she carried. "Ummmm, luv, don't rightly think they're gonna let you in the buildin' with tha’ thing." "I'd like to see them try and stop me," she growled, palming the mace suggestively. "Yeah, wouldn't mind watching that m'self." Alright, stay behind me, and we'll see if my being with you has any pull. Would hate to have to mess with any of Angel's mindless minions...hell, what am I saying??! Of course I wouldn’t." Just before they walked through the revolving doors, Spike realized that it would probably be easier for the two of them to slide through the atoms of the roof and float through the air till they landed in Angel's office. ~*~ "Well, Peaches, me an’ a real Angel here need your help catching a murderer." The look on Angel's face was priceless. ~*~*~*~*~ "Spike!" Angel growled struggling to gain control of the situation. "Is he always like this?" Shayera asked. "What with the big forehead and the brood?” At her quirked brow, he answered, “Yeah, he's always like that." "Spike." Harsher, more of a warning. Spike just grinned. Not like the poofter had a chance of beating him now. He was the Green Lantern...or, one of. He wasn't quite sure what title he wore now. But, he'd been chosen. Spike threw the folder on Angel's desk. "This guy killed the former owner of this ring." Spike held up his hand to show off the ring. "And that file contains everything the Justice League have on him." Spike plopped down in a chair and propped his feet on Angel's desk. "He was also the lady here's former honey. So get to redeemin’ yourself and help us find him." Before Angel could ground out a nasty retort, his office door opened and Fred walked in, followed closely by Wesley. The two were talking and failed to notice Hawkgirl as she stood in the corner. "Fred!" Spike called out. "Just the bird I was lookin' for!" Fred glanced up and noticed Spike reclined in one of the chairs in front of Angel's desk. "Oh, hey, Spike. Gunn told us the good news. Congratulations!" She turned to Angel and spoke. "Uh, Angel, I think the sensors in the lab are going wonky. I've been getting some strange readings that aren't making any kind of sense." "You can thank Spike here for that...and his new friend too." The word friend was voiced in such a way that Shayera bristled and moved forward...mace at the ready. "Beheadings kill a vampire, correct?" the Thangarian warrior woman asked. "Yeah, luv." Spike said as he watched the two. "But Peaches isn't worth it." “Uhmmm, guys?" Fred asked as she thumbed through Spike's file. "Who is Marcus Aurelius Immortalis?" At that both vamps froze and looked at each other for a minute. "Why Fred?" Angel asked. "Is he perhaps in Rome?" His grin was scary. "Ummmm... I'm not sure. This file had him in the States not long ago, but he's since moved on towards..." She read a bit, turning the page. "Says here, England, but he's apparently headed in a southerly track. Why? Is there something special about Rome?" "Nothing, Fred." Spike couldn't keep the grin from his voice. "Is the killer this Immortalis gent?" "No, he is a known contact and possibly a co-conspirator." Fred was devouring the file quickly. "The guy we are looking for is a metahuman, but he is Italian." She looked up hoping the two vampires would like her findings. "Ya think me and this bloody ring could—" Spike asked looking at his Grandsire. "Oh yeah, but I wanna watch," Angel answered. "You know of this Immortalis?" Shayera interrupted the two male vampires. "Oh yeah, luv... we go way back. Jus' di'nt think he'd stoop to murder though. And, the Lantern...takes a lot to bring somethin' like that down." "Well, what are we waiting for?" she demanded. Killer or not, co-conspirator or not, they had an appointment to keep with one Marcus Aurelius Immortalis! She was ready to hit something, and this looked like a perfect opportunity for her... A lantern appeared near Spike, and without thinking, he placed his ring hand near it to recharge. "In the darkest day, in the brightest night. No evil will escape Spike's right." Angel snickered. "Wot?" he asked sheepishly. "Escape Spike's right?" Angel's mirth was annoying. "Bloody Awful Poet still." "Why do you put up with his ridiculing?" Shayera asked conversationally. "You're ten times the person he'll ever be." Hawkgirl had taken an instant dislike to the broody vampire, something about his persona just didn't sit well with her. Whereas when she looked at Spike - now the Green Lantern - she could see the goodness emanating from him. "Well, luv, this ring here…it chose me. And knowing the Poof like I do, that will eat him up more than anything I could ever do to him." Spike smiled as Angel lost every bit of his humor. "How do we know it chose you, Spike? You could have just stolen it." Angel walked forward as if to take the ring. “Let him have it," Shayera announced. "If he is unworthy it will burn him alive." Her smile towards Angel was truly evil. Angel halted in his tracks, hesitating. "The ring cannot come off of his hand unwillingly," she told the dark-haired vampire. “Only the ring can choose where it will go, and only upon the bearer’s death will it decide." "Sorry, Peaches, guess you lose...but don't worry...you don't want to be a superhero...you want to work towards that Shanshu thing you've got goin’." "Of course..." Spike scratched his chin and pretended to ponder a bit. "…being a superhero might help a bit with the Shanshu thing. Oh well." Angel seemed ready to choke on his own tongue, and he turned whiter than usual. "Fred, you got us a location yet?" The dark-haired vampire barked out the question rather harshly, taking his anger at his grandchilde out on the Texan girl. “Yeah, Hawkgirl needs to work off a bit of tension,” Spike added to soften Angel’s question, giving a glare in Angel’s direction. "I don't know what you're asking me for,” she told them both. “This stuff is hours old. Don't you have any contacts from whom you can get more up-to-date information? I mean... we've only got Wolfram & Hart at our disposal...You've got the Justice League." "She's got a point," Spike told Shayera. "Why don't we head in that general direction and you can put in a call to your buddies and see if they've got anything new for us." "They're not just my buddies. You're one of us now, whether you like it or not." "Doubt that, luv. But, it's nice of you to say so." "I'm not just saying so. Look, we may bicker amongst ourselves... and who wouldn't when your only companions are those just as freaky as you. But, try to come between us and you feel the weight of the Justice League descend." "Then why...." "Because they knew it was personal,” she answered softly. “That you wouldn't... that I wouldn't...want any help."

Chapter #2 - Ch. 2

"Hawkgirl to the Justice League...J’onn, are you there?" Shayera spoke into the microscopic transmitter hidden in her ear. "We read you, Hawkgirl." "J’onn, Spi...Green Lantern and I are headed towards the last known activity of this Marcus Immortalis, but his friends at Wolfram & Hart don't have the necessary resources to track him like we do. Tell me you've got something current." "There were some minor disturbances near Calais and we sent Wonder Woman and Batman to check it out, but when they arrived...nothing." "Well, keep me posted. Oh... and we need to see about getting William fitted for a headpiece." "So, he's staying?" "Was there any doubt?" ~*~ Angel shook his head; it was official. Spike was a member of the Justice League, and he was the President of Evil, Inc. He was digging himself in deeper. He understood something Spike didn't though; the ring hadn't chosen him because at heart he was still Angelus, his demon was too powerful and having a weapon like a power ring would be more than his soul could handle. The demon would overpower him and Angelus would reemerge. He wouldn't ever admit it, but he was proud of his grandchilde. ~*~*~*~*~ Buffy was tired of being in Rome, even if the locale kept her distanced from her former watcher...her friends. Everyone but her sister, Dawnie, who having started the local school in the city had made lots of friends and was rarely home. Giles had pressed her to act as a mentor of sorts to all the young, new slayers as they were identified, but she was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of living. Especially without her vampire. The one that had gone out in a blaze of glory and saved the world. Giles was trying to understand, or so she thought, which was better than Willow and Xander. They thought she was insane mourning Spike; they had no compassion. Dawn was the only one that truly tried to understand; she’d often caught her younger sister crying sometimes, talking to herself. Buffy knew the feeling, but so far they were both grieving alone, and now Giles wanted her to meet and get to know some guy called the Immortal who was visiting Rome on business. 'I mean really,' she silently fumed. 'Spike has barely been gone six months, and they're trying to shove some blind date down my throat. What part of 'I'm in love with Spike' did they not understand?' Oh, sure, Giles had gushed about the Immortal, claiming the man was like a kindred spirit. More like, he had some untold fortune and they were using her as the sacrificial lamb to top off the coffers of the new council. "It's just dinner," Giles had complained. "I really don't see the harm in getting together with the man. You do have to eat, naturally." "Yeah, and I can do it just fine in my apartment. I'll have you know I can now cook a mean hardboiled egg." His longsuffering sigh had been easily heard through the long-distance connection and caused her to relent. "Just dinner," she had finally grumbled. "And, you soooo owe me!" Buffy was even pissed at the clothes the council had sent her; seven years of never helping her and now suddenly, BOOM, send Buffy clothes to help her wow the creep. She swore that she was going to eat everything in sight, belch at the table, and try to gross the guy out. Screw the council! ~*~ "Where are we going?" Shayera asked when Spike veered in a more northerly route as they flew across the Atlantic. "The last known vector of this Immortalis was France." "Just gonna stop in and visit an old friend... see if they might have any information on the Immortal. Bloody wankers were always a nosey lot." "Wankers? I'm afraid I'm not following...and we're wasting time." "Don't get your knickers in a twist. And, a few minutes out of our way might prove invaluable. Council's always managed to stay up on the latest 'Big Bads' makin' their way around the world." Shayera flew a bit closer to him, "Why is your friend staring at me?" she asked Spike as she pointedly avoided looking at the dark-haired vampire. "I think he likes you, Angel. Might think you’re a bit on the cute side." The look on the Thangarian warrior’s face was priceless. "But he is the president of Wolfram & Hart." "Not just the President, love. He's also a client," he joked, but it was obvious she didn't get it. ~*~*~*~*~ The sun had set as the trio traveled halfway around the world, so when they finally touched down in front of the new and improved Council headquarters, it was dark. "I don't see why we didn't just go inside," Hawkgirl grumbled, settling her feathers as Spike rang the elaborate doorknocker. "'M a vampire, luv. Li'l matter of an invite. Plus, 'm sure the watcher's got all sorts of magical wards up to keep out the less desirables." "He sounds charming," Shayera commented, her tone leaving no doubt that she was less than impressed. A moment later, the door opened and Spike forced himself not to cringe at the blond-headed kid that stood gaping in the doorway. "I-it's...it’s…" His eyes pingponged back and forth between the vampire and the winged girl as he struggled to grasp what his eyes were seeing. "Right, mate,” Spike supplied for him. "It’s the Justice League, plus one." He thumbed a finger back at Angel. "Now are you gonna invite us in or what, whelp." "Please, Spike…uh, Green Lantern, come in." Andrew almost stumbled over his own feet moving out of the way. "And you too, Angel." "We need to see Rupert," Spike said, trying to prevent any more useless babble from the boy. "Of course! I am sure he will be happy to see you." Andrew seemed to sense Spike’s mood as he turned and led the threesome through the seemingly endless corridors. He finally reached a large oak door with a brass engraved plate that simply said "Giles, Rupert." "Giles! You're not going to believe it! It's...it's the Justice League! Green Lantern... and Hawkgirl!" Andrew shouted, bursting into Giles' office unannounced. The watcher looked up from the stockpile of papers that buried the surface of his desk to glare at the watcher-in-training's interruption. "I beg your pardon," Giles ground out in his best imitation of a stodgy British professor. "Hawkgirl...and Green Lantern! They're here...only... you'll never guess who Green Lantern is!" "I rather doubt I would..." His patience running out, Giles shouted, "What the bloody hell are you rambling on about, Andrew?" "I think what the boy is trying to say, Rupert, is that I've come to pay a visit," Spike announced as he sauntered into the office, Hawkgirl right behind him. Giles snorted. "You expect me to believe that YOU are a member of some justice league?" he said to Spike, antagonism deep in his voice. The answering growl came from the redheaded woman next to him. "And YOU presume to doubt the word of the League? William has done much to prove himself worthy." Hawkgirl bounced her mace off her free hand. "What have YOU done?" "I am the head of the Watcher's Council, young lady. I’ll have you know…" he blustered, finding himself slightly intimidated by the winged woman carrying the sparkling axe. But it was obvious that the woman was listening to someone else. What wasn't obvious to anyone but the two vamps was that she was listening to the gruff voice of a very pissed Batman. Both Spike and Angel were grinning tightly at the Bat’s thoughts on the Council. "So?" Hawkgirl began with a grin. "You great warriors train adolescent women to go out and fight your battles. You are cowards by the very definition." A smile showed on her face, but her eyes were deadly. "Is everyone you know an idiot?" she asked Spike. "Pretty much, luv." "Now see here—" Giles sputtered but was cut off by the blond-headed vampire. Spike took great delight in pointing his ring at the watcher, a green ray bursting out encircling Rupert's mouth and effectively cutting off his tirade. Spike noticed his widening eyes, how they seemed to finally take notice of his attire and, no doubt, green eyes. "Look...I don't have a lot of time. We're looking for Marcus Immortalis. You—" Spike broke off abruptly at the recognition that flitted behind the watcher's eyes. "You've heard of him." It was not a question. "Look, mate. If you know where the Immortal is, you better tell me now. He's..." "Involved," Hawkgirl hedged, not trusting the Englishman one bit. "What do you mean ‘involved’? I have it on good authority that Marcus is an upstanding citizen. Patron of the arts and such. Why... he funded the building of our new Council Headquarters and has help set up a school for the Slayers in Rome. In fact--" Spike cut him off. "Rome?" "Yes, Rome, you git," Giles answered him. "Let me guess… you heard that Buffy was now dating him and you three decided to once again ruin her life. The Immortal, or Mr. Savage as his closer acquaintances refer to him, is a man of breeding and good taste,” Giles finished in a huff. "Dating him? Buffy's dating him?" "Well, maybe dating is a bit of a stretch. But, she's moved on. And so should you. Both of you,” he added, pinning a look on the heretofore quiet Angel. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of something very important." "You're a real piece of work, Rupert,” Spike sneered. “You think you bloody well know everything. The Immortal, or Vandal Savage has been around for eons. And, let me tell you... he doesn't play for the good guys either. Ghengis Khan, Vlad the Impaler, Stalin... ringing any bells? And now the Slayer's mixed up in this?" "Can I hit him now?" Shayera asked in a quiet deadly voice. "By all means," Angel answered her. "Bash his brains in." Spike cut the two off, trying to ram his point home to Giles. "Vandal Savage is one of the Justice League's top ten most wanted villains." "Hmmm…yes," Giles replied dryly. "The imaginary league of heroes… forgive me if I don’t believe your cockamamie story…" Spike wanted nothing more than to show the watcher the power he'd inherited, but they didn't have time. "No. Leave him,” he told both Angel and Hawkgirl when they took a step forward. “We've got more important things to do. Come on." He held his arm out and his and Angel's body were enveloped in a green shield, and as Giles watched with bug-eyed amazement, they sailed out his open window, followed quickly by the female with wings on her back. "You should have let her hit him," Angel told his grandchilde as they flew through the air towards Rome. "Then Buffy couldn't have even blamed us for it." Spike smirked at his grandsire. "You think she wouldn't have?" Hawkgirl suddenly flew closer to the pair. "Oracle has found one Miss Buffy Summers living in Rome. Should we have someone try and contact her?" "No, we don't want to tip our hand. We'll just observe for now. Something isn't right about Savage's involvement with this Slayer school." "You may be right," Hawkgirl replied. "I'll tell Batman to meet us at the Fountain of the Rivers." "Batman? I thought we were doing this alone." "He'll have your communicator with him," she offered as an excuse. "Yeah, alright then. The Fountain it is. Hang on, Peaches, this is gonna be fun." Spike poured on a burst of speed, laughing uproariously at Angel's pastier than usual complexion. The trio landed in an alleyway, just out of sight of the Fountain. They weren’t there long when Spike sensed the presence of another. A man in a very sleazy suit approached them. "Hi. M' name’s Matches. A Little Bat sent me." As the man spoke, Spike inhaled; his body not betraying him in the slightest when he realized that it was Batman standing before him – albeit a weirdly dressed one. And what was with the accent? "Was told to tell you to meet him at Galpelo at 11 tonight, says he can get the Lantern in… yous other two will be back up." "That it? Any word on the Slayer, or Savage?" "That's it, man. I'm outta here." Spike snorted, but let the man disappear back into the shadow. When he saw Batman later would be time enough to let him in on his enhanced sense of smell - he didn't want to alert his grandsire as to the man's true identity, especially since his face was in clear view. And, a glance at Shayera revealed that she didn't know either. Spike gestured to his two companions and they melded into the crowd, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Though, it wasn't likely given the green glow surrounding both him and Angel, and the wings protruding from Shayera's back. But, the Italians seemed to roll with it, aside from a few whispers and furtive pointing in their direction. Spike didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they'd booked themselves into a motel. ~*~*~*~*~ It was strange really, watching Shayera fall face first into bed and go directly to sleep. He envied her that. Right now he doubted he could sleep at all. Spike noticed Angel looking the woman over. "Doubt she'll like that much, Peaches." "Yeah, I know." Angel's voice was resigned almost defeated. He settled his bulky frame in one of the chairs, his gaze moving back and forth between both Spike and the angel sleeping on the bed. The room they'd rented was small, almost too small for the three of them. "So..." he began, eyes returning once more to his grandchilde. "So?" "About this..." Angel lifted his hand and pointed in the general direction of Spike. "M' togs?" He fingered the high-neck spandex collar. "Surprising really... doesn't chafe in the least." "Spike, I'm being serious here." "What?" "How did... you know..." "Don't rightly know. One minute I'm bein' embarrassingly touchy-feely with Charlie, the next, I'm floatin' out the window. Was taken to the former Green Lantern. Said the ring chose me... end of story." "And the others? This Justice League? They just welcomed you with open arms?" "I don't know," Spike answered in a subdued voice. "The girl says yeah, but I don't know." There were almost tears in his eyes when he continued. "Why me, Angel? Why me? You or Buffy, or hell, even the whelp I could understand. But why did the ring choose me?" "Because despite all else, Spike, you never quit trying." Angel answered in a low voice. "Despite the things you've done, William Pratt's heart was always in the right place." Spike turned away, unwilling to let his grandsire see how his words affected him. "I'll be back... keep an eye on the bird." "Where are you going?" "Out... gonna take a look around." Find a Bat, he didn't say. After Spike had left the woman on the bed turned onto her side and looked at Angel. "Maybe you aren't so stupid." ~*~*~*~*~ Buffy looked up suddenly from her dressing table having the strangest thought, 'Green eggs and Spike?' Ok, now she knew that this supposed date with the Immortal was getting to her. Quoting a bastardized version of Dr. Seuss? She sighed heavily and went back to applying her make-up. Though, she still didn't know why she bothered. But, Giles had drilled it into her head that the guy had done so much for the new Council, that the least she could do was go to dinner with the guy - convey the Council’s appreciation. And since when had the Council turned into politicians? She wondered if Giles had any idea how much doing this made her feel like a Council whore instead of a Slayer? If they realized how demeaning this felt to her? What? Had Giles gone from being her watcher to being her pimp? Dinner, she reminded herself not for the first time. She glanced at her watch and saw she had a few minutes before the Immortal was due to arrive. He was taking her to a place called The Galpelo, supposedly some exclusive eatery where it took ages to obtain a reservation. 'Yeah, like the thought of some fancy smancy restaurant is going to impress me.' She slipped into her black dress, a simple sheath - elegant, but yet covering more of her than the guy would probably like. There was a knock at her door, and Buffy pasted on a smile and grabbed her purse. No sense letting him think that she was going to invite him in beforehand. Nope... purse and out the door. ~*~*~*~*~ Spike smelled him before he saw him. "Might want to use something to mask your scent, mate. Doubt you want the Poofter figuring out who you are." Only one word came from the shadowed form of Batman. "Agreed." "How’re we getting’ in?" Spike asked. "Through the roof," was the low voiced answer. It was easy enough gaining access through the roof, surprisingly so. Spike could have used his ring to get them inside, but the Bat seemed to have things well in hand. The utility belt he wore seemed to have every gadget known to man - and some they didn't know about. They were about to go in when Batman stopped. "Before I forget." He handed Spike a tiny device which the vamp just looked at in confusion. "Put it in your ear. It's a comm link. State of the art. Keeps you in touch with the watch tower and the others." Spike muttered something about "Big Brother" but slid the small piece of metal in his ear nonetheless. "This way," Batman whispered, and darted down the stairwell. "Turn down your ring," the Bat informed him. "Go back to civvies if you can." Spike concentrated for a second and was back in black. "Any reason for this, mate?" "Never give an enemy any advantage," the voice drifted back to him. Spike quickly caught up with the human. "Savage knows you,” Batman told him. “This Buffy knows you. You don't have a secret identity. Use the ring as an unknown, if the Immortal doesn't know about it he can't counter it.” Part of Spike wanted to be offended by the lecture-like voice, but he had to admit the Bat had been doing this a lot longer than he. "Alright, mate. I'll play along. Only... " "Only what?" "Could be painted purple and it wouldn't much matter to the Slayer. She thinks I'm dead. Remember? The whole blaze of glory on the Hellmouth? Seeing me may not be the best idea." "Damn." "How 'bout we just have us a listen? See what Savage does." "If we lose him--" "We won't. He wants the Slayer for some reason…the dinner is just a smoke screen. I know him." The two watched almost patiently as the dinner progressed. Spike could feel his heart in his chest, almost as if it were beating, at the sight of his Slayer. She was bored, but seemed to be trying. At her belch in old Van's face Spike couldn't suppress his smile, but he frowned as the meal went on and Buffy seemed more and more interested in the slimy Immortal git. He was just about to rush the slimy bastard when he felt Batman restrain him. “We'll stop him before it gets too far. But, we need to know what he is doing." "What he's doing?" Spike hissed. "He's..." The vampire watched, amazed, as the Slayer leaned over and brushed a stray lock of Savage's hair off his brow. It seemed to be some signal for the man because he caught the eye of his waiter and called for his check. "He's done something to her... drugged her somehow. No way would she be falling all over this git." Especially when she said she loved me, he mentally added. Even as he stewed, his anger growing by proportions, the ring was giving him silent directions - showing him how to do what he wanted. And as he set the ring to work, Spike added his own twist and sent a construct of his new communicator through the shadows to Buffy. The device slipped into her ear unnoticed by either the Slayer or Savage, and Spike took a moment to use the ring’s properties to cleanse her system. Buffy's reaction was immediate, anger rushing through her and causing her blood to boil. Thankfully, Savage's head was turned. Spike could see her rage, how her eyes narrowed, her hands balled into fists. "Not yet, luv,” Spike whispered to her. “We need to know what he's planning." ~*~ ‘Oh god,’ Buffy thought. Even from the other side of death Spike was trying to help her. She stumbled purposely into the Immortal's grasp and smiled up at him, all the while plotting on how his head would look on her wall. "That wasn't part of the plan," Batman muttered. "Hey, this is my girl you're tryin' to use as bait. Just levelin' the playin' field a bit." Batman's eyes narrowed behind his mask as he glared at Spike but held his tongue. ~*~ Hawkgirl stood over the skylight beside her erstwhile admirer, watching and listening to the proceedings. Her smirk at Spike's plan was beautiful. "He could be ruining this," Angel informed her. "You think this Buffy might give everything away?" she asked. "Buffy is just a child. She can't know how to react to this kind of thing." But as Shayera watched, the blonde Slayer seemed to be the perfect actress. Though it helped that Savage was now paying her very little attention. Spike’s ingenuity now enabled them to hear their conversation, a bonus in Shayera’s book. Spike listened as Savage spoke into his cell phone. "It's done. Should be an easy matter of getting the other girls to fall into line." "I'll bloody well kill him," Spike growled. "Wait. I'm trying to hear," Batman told him. "...estro. I'll see you tomorrow." "Did he just say...?" Spike looked up to see Shayera take to the sky. He was after her in a flash, employing a green force field to prevent her from going after the limousine. "Let me go, dammit!" she fought against her bonds. Spike slowly reeled her in until she hovered in front of him. "I want him as bad as you, but, think Shayera... if you go after Savage right now, we'll never get him. Sinestro will disappear without a trace." "And the Slayer you love?" Shayera ground out. "Are you going to let him have his way with her? She has no one but us to help her." At that Spike smirked suddenly, and spoke into his small mike. "Can you guys patch this whole thing through to a Willow Rosenberg?" "Do you think that's wise? Bringing in a civilian?" she asked. "The league has more than enough resources to deal with Savage and Sinestro." "Alright." "The League looks after its own--" "I said alright," Spike growled. Hawkgirl smiled and opened her comm link. "J’onn?" At the Manhunter’s answer, Shayera told him, "We need to get the Slayer a regular link. If she goes inside something yellow, it will kill our listening device. And it might be a good idea to get Wally to give her some kind of vaccine for Savage’s drugs, in case he decides to use more." "I'll bring it myself. I should be there in an hour," J'onn replied. He signed off and went to tell Superman and Wonder Woman of the latest development - and how the new Green Lantern had confirmed his place with the group. The only trouble with Spike's construct was that it worked too well – Buffy could hear every word the JLU spoke. And it was beginning to scare her. Who the hell were these voices? She touched her ear and found the small microphone speaker combination and began adding things together. Two plus two equaled Spike being alive… and he was out there watching her back. Oh yeah! Now she was pissed.

Chapter #3 - Ch. 3

It took Buffy long seconds to get her temper under control. She knew Spike was alive now and that was a plus in her book; she could always kill him later for allowing her to be caught up in a situation like this. ‘Spike is alive!’ rang through her head and suddenly the sappy smile she had been forcing for the Immortal wasn't fake anymore. The rest of the ride was accomplished in silence, for which Buffy was grateful - even if the perpetual smile on her face taxed her facial muscles. It gave her time to come to grips with things. Like Spike being alive. And, the fact that Giles’ machinations had gotten them embroiled in yet another problem – this one of epic proportions. When was everyone going to realize that messing with Buffy’s life equaled bad things happening? She sighed heavily, and looked guiltily up at the Immortal, figuring she’d blown her love-smitten cover. When he just smiled fondly down at her, she gifted him with another infatuated smile, and for good measure she fluttered her lashes just a bit. He seemed to buy her performance and went back to looking out the window, no doubt working on his nefarious plot to take over the world, complete with a bunch of expendable women soldiers to guard his back. ~*~*~*~*~ Angel was becoming annoyed. Everyone but him, it seemed, had one of those handy dandy ear comm units. If he hadn’t been standing close to Spike or Shayera he wouldn't have been able to hear anything. He could have tried standing next to that “Bat” guy, but truthfully the guy gave him the willies… and that was saying a lot given his demon status. Another thought occurred to him then. He’d taken over Wolfram and Hart to topple the senior partners. Now with Spike, or Green Lantern as he was referred to now, and the JLU on his side he had a much better chance of succeeding and at the same time would be able to keep his own people alive. Shayera didn't seem to be warming up to him, but there was that Amazon that ran around in star-spangled panties. She was a real looker and might just be his type. Not that he was looking at all… Angel was jarred from his silent musings by an elbow to his gut. “What?” he hissed. “We're tryin’ to plan here. Think you can pull your mind out of the gutter long enough to join us, or do I need to fly you back to LA?” “Sorry,” he muttered. “What did I miss?” “The Immortal has just left Buffy Summers’ residence. We were debating the merits of revealing our presence—” “Oh, there’s no point in debating,” the Slayer practically growled. “Please, feel free to come in and join me. You too, Spike.” “Bloody hell.” Spike preceded the group, figuring that if the Slayer was gonna kill him he might as well get it over with. He entered her home freely since she’d already invited him in and the door was unlocked. As he crossed her foyer he saw her there, her arms folded across her chest, looking like a cross between a pouty two-year-old and an angry avenging angel. He stopped suddenly unaware of what he should do. Buffy took care of his indecision, crossing the room in four quick strides, grabbing him by the ears and kissing him soundly. Just as he was relaxing into the kiss, she broke it suddenly and… *BAM* “Ow ow, ow!” Buffy nearly screamed, holding her fist in her other hand. “What the hell?” “It is the ring,” Shayera said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It protects its wearers from most bodily harm.” “Well then take the damn thing off because I got a lot of bodily harm planned for Spike,” Buffy informed her. “Now, luv...” “Don't you ‘love’ me. Dammit, Spike! I’ve been pining here. Pining! Thinking you were dead. And now I find out you’re alive and part of some freakish—” Hawkgirl made to step forward, objecting to the blonde’s name-calling. “It’s alright, Shayera. Slayer’s just ventin’ is all.” "Dammit, Spike! I thought you'd DIED!" Buffy went on like Hawkgirl hadn’t just threatened her. "Well... I did die, luv. Just managed to come back.” He moved back to her side and carefully pulled her into his arms. “Was a bit ghostly at first, and tied to Wolfram & Hart. Just got my body all solid today, as a matter of fact. Then this whole thing with the Lantern...” He sighed. “It's a long story, pet. How bout we get comfortable and I'll fill ya in, yeah?" "You know yellow would work," Angel said almost as an aside. At Buffy's quick look at him outside her door he finished. "If you still wanna beat on him just use a yellow club." Buffy's eyes narrowed at Angel’s words and her voice smoothed to almost a purr. “Why don't you come in and join us, Angel, and explain how even though you knew Spike's death was killing me and we talk on the phone every few days, you never decided to tell me he was back?" Shayera's grin returned. "I would most definitely like to hear this answer myself." "But you said you were cookies..." Angel began. "And Spike has always hogged the sweets...." Even Batman couldn't help chuckling at the vampire's petulant tone. ~*~*~*~*~ "So, lemme see if I've got this straight,” Buffy told Spike, once more ignoring Angel; his whining tone reminded her of Dawn, though his was much deeper – thankfully. “You've been a ghost for the last few months, until today, when a mysterious box shows up. Then suddenly you're you again. But, before you can do anything about it, a green energy swirls around you and takes you to the dying Green Lantern. You become him, and now you're part of a not-so-secret organization of superheroes..." "Does seem a bit farfetched," Spike allowed. The Slayer went on like he'd not even commented. "Then you try to avenge the death of this other guy, and discover the Immortal is involved. My Immortal... well, not 'mine' mine... oh, you know what I mean." "Small world?" he asked hopefully. “You then went by Council headquarters and Giles implied that I had moved on... so your revenge was to let this Vandal Savage paw all over me?" Buffy asked with a sickly sweet smile. "Rubbish!" Spike ground out. “If the bloody ponce had been pawing all over you I would have ripped his hands off of ‘im." "Soooo now, not only am I an ex you are angry at, I'm a little girl that needs protecting?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow. "And you felt the need to drag Angel along because what??? You seeing the Immortal humiliate me wasn't enough?" Buffy was getting wound up now. “What? Afterwards are you two gonna fly back to LA and sit around and talk about poor, pitiful Buffy?" Buffy wasn't truly angry, not really. But Spike and Angel's faces as she laid into them was just too good to let it alone. "Trust me, pet. I'm far from thinking of you as a little girl." An exaggerated eyebrow wiggle punctuated the point. "Ok, way too much information for me," Hawkgirl announced, eyes bouncing back and forth between the two blondes. "Who asked you?" Buffy growled. Batman interjected again before things got out of hand - well, he tried to anyway. He went to put a reassuring hand on the Slayer's shoulder and was suddenly flying through the air. Only his keen reflexes prevented him from getting hurt. "Enough!" Spike bellowed. He glared at the Slayer. "Sit!" Then, he turned to Shayera. "And, you, back off... or... or I'll sick Angel on you." He turned to the Caped Crusader. "You all right, Batman?" "Fine. Your girlfriend's got quite the grip," he mumbled under his breath as he massaged his wrist. Spike smirked. "Yeah... she does." "Girlfriend?" Buffy asked from her seat upon the couch. "Uhhhhhhmmmmm… well yeah, love." Spike said, instantly losing his street cred with his suddenly bashful look. "I mean I was hoping, ya know." "Hmmmmm…" Buffy seemed to ponder with a sly grin. "There would have to be flowers, and chocolate and poetry, definitely poetry." "Can we get back to the mission?" Batman interjected. "We need to figure out what to do with Savage." "Simple." Shayera said. "We capture him and beat him up until he tells us everything." Spike silently agreed but was sure Batman wasn't impressed with the idea. "Points for the direct approach," the Slayer announced. And for once the two women weren't staring daggers at each other. "Can I get a second? Angel? Er... Batman?" Angel shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just along for the ride. But, I'm not opposed to roughing up the Immortal a bit." He and Spike shared a look; the two had a score to settle. "And why is that Angel?" Buffy asked guilelessly. Angel looked around hoping for an out but everyone including Spike was just staring at him… waiting. "HesleptwithDarlaandDru," he mumbled. "He what?" Shayera asked him. "He slept with Darla and Dru," the Bat clarified for her. “Well, hasn't everyone?" Buffy asked Spike rolled his eyes at his grandsire. "Can you be any MORE of a git?" "What...? She asked!” Angel whined. "So lie..." Angel's lips compressed into a thin line of disapproval. "Anyway... movin' on." Spike stopped suddenly, his nostrils flaring at the unexpected scent of another. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Buffy got up to answer it. "Oh... hello." "Miss Summers. I'm J'onn. I’m... uh... a friend of Spike and the others... from the Justice League." "Well, come in... we're just discussing our plan of attack." Batman and Hawkgirl nodded a greeting as J'onn walked into the room, Buffy behind him. Quick introductions were made with Angel; Spike had already met the man. "Ya know, Gramps?" Spike pointed out suddenly. "He does have a bigger forehead than you! But you still win in the Neanderthal department." Buffy rolled her eyes before semi apologizing for Spike. "Ok, he isn't normally this rude," she told J'onn before thinking about what she’d just said. "Well… he is, actually. But, he’s normally much ruder, so he must like you." J’onn smiled. "Can I get my ear piece and shots now?" Buffy asked, trying to change the subject. J'onn must have had a calming influence on the bunch, because they all took seats around the Slayer's living room. Ideas were thrown out and either accepted or rejected. It was like a Scooby meeting - only better. Super, even. With heroes and such. Buffy couldn't help but grin. She had three superheroes, four counting Spike, sitting in her living room. It was the first time in forever that she didn't feel like a complete freak, that she actually fitted in somewhere. The group planned late into the night before Batman finally stood and told them they should be off, that the sun would be up soon, and along with it, the return of the Immortal. Hawkgirl, J'onn, and Angel all stood and made their way to the door with the Caped Crusader. Spike was the last to rise... wanting a moment alone with the Slayer. "You know it was easier when we just ripped off their heads." "Yeah, I know," Buffy replied with a bit of longing, taking the vampire’s hand in hers. "We could just shuck the plan and I could stay here and you and me kick his arse when he shows up." Something he was all for, since he didn’t want to leave. "But then how would we catch this guy Sinestro?" Buffy asked him gently, knowing that the Immortal was only part of equation. "Bein’ a bloody do gooder, bloody well sucks," he complained. "Yeah, but afterwards we can celebrate… ok?" Buffy replied. "I hate this." "Me too." There was a discreet cough from the hallway and Spike sighed and reluctantly pulled away. "I'll be close, pet, if you need me." "I know." Buffy watched as he turned and slipped out her front door, quietly pulling it closed behind him. She hummed softly as she walked into her bedroom. With the others gone, the adrenaline that had kept her going into the wee hours of the morning seemed to leave her in a rush. She wanted nothing more than to take a shower and collapse into bed for a few hours sleep. A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Uh… Spike... Is this thing waterproof? I want to take a shower." A muffled groan was her only response. That and a strangled, "You're bloody well killin’ me here, luv." Shayera finally answered her question, informing her that, yes, the earpiece was completely waterproof, so that she didn't have to take it out to shower. Buffy's face suddenly broke into a wicked grin and she asked. "Shayera? Does this thing have a one-on-one conferencing mode?" Even as the other woman laughed the Bat broke in with an emphatic, "NO!" "You are so not of the fun," Buffy mumbled. After asking for and receiving an explanation for Batman’s outburst, for once, Angel was glad he didn’t have an earpiece. ~*~*~*~*~ Dawn Summers was nearly home when the weird crimson breeze hit her. After late night study session at a friend’s and an early morning exam and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. One minute she was only a block away from the house she shared with Buffy and the next second she was on the other side of Rome. She came to a rather quick stop and felt like she was going to be sick. "What the hell?" she squeaked, gasping for breath. "Just a bit of super speed, sexy." Flash, the barely twenty-year-old Leaguer answered her, carefully setting her down on her feet in front of him. "Can we do it again?" Dawn begged, her arms still grasping his shoulders. Broad shoulders, she noted with satisfaction. Her eyes traveled south, taking in the skin-tight costume and how it molded to well-defined muscles. Flash started to leer, then faltered. 'Wait... was she flirting with me? Usually get a smack upside my head by now.' "Uh... sure," he replied hesitantly. "Where do you wanna go?" "BIT!" Spike snarled at the twosome, stepping out of the shadows. Dawn spun around at hearing the nickname only one bleach blond vampire graced her with. "Uhhhhmmmm, Spike?" Then louder. “SPIKE?!?!" The youngest Summers closed the distance to her best friend in a rush hugging him so tightly that if he had been human she might have cracked his ribs. "ASSHOLE!" she suddenly yelled, and leaning back, hit him as hard as she could. "Owie, owie, owie! That hurt." "Her I like," Shayera said with a grin. "Bloody hell!" Spike growled. "What the hell was that for?" "Because you... you..." Dawn's eyes widened as they took in his outfit. "What the hell are you wearing?" "Doesn’t bloody matter what I'm wearin’, Bit. Why are you flirtin’ like some trollop?" "Trollop!" Dawn screeched. "Trollop!" "Bloody hell, Bit... the ears! Have a heart!" "You call me a trollop and expect me to have a care for your ears, you spandex wearing... neon... freak!" "Hey!" "Well, you started it." She folded her arms over her chest and glanced around at the others, and how they were all biting their lips to keep from laughing outright. Her own twitched started to twitch in amusement as well. "Are we sure she isn't a metahuman?" Wally interrupted, hiding behind Dawn to avoid being in the direct path of her voice. "Because I think that screech could shatter crystal." Dawn turned slowly to face the guy who only seconds ago she had thought was an uber!hottie and said, "Screeched? Screeched? Let me guess you really don't like girls much?" She turned back and pinned Spike with a look. “Does Buffy know you're alive?" "Was her idea to get you here, and away from Savage." Spike informed her. "Savage? Who's Savage?" "It's a long story. Go with the boy in the red suit, and if he lays one improper finger on you... I wanna know about it, ok?" "Uh, yeah... sure... Where am I going?" "Fancy a trip in space, pet?" Dawn's eyes widened to saucer size. "You guys’ve got a space ship? How about little green men?" She was bouncing now. "Well it’s a space station, I guess you could call it, that’s orbiting Earth, and J'onn our token Martian isn't quite that little," Wally teased. "Oh. My. God!" Dawn squealed enthusiastically. "Willow, Xander, Andrew.... are so gonna hate me for this." Spike rolled his eyes at Dawn's exuberance. He should have known that the girl would be the least of his troubles. "Bloody geek squad," he muttered under his breath, then louder to the boy, "See she doesn't get hurt, or you'll be answerin' to me, Boy." "Boy?" Wally squawked and was about to object when he saw the hard look in the vampire's eyes. "We're supposed to be a team here, Lantern," he grumbled as he led the leggy brunette away to the transporter tube. "Come on... we've got work to do," Spike barked at Hawkgirl and the others once Flash and Dawn were safely away. When Angel would have objected to his grandchilde's abrupt high-handedness, a calming hand on his shoulder stopped him; it was Batman. "He's worried. Leave him be." "Worried? What has Spike to be worried about?" "The Immortal is evil in his own right and I know you guys have a history.... but Sinestro... well... that's Lantern's only weakness now. He’s the only thing that can really hurt him." ~*~*~*~*~ "What do we bloody do now?" Spike asked the gathered heroes. They were tucked away in a building not far from Buffy’s apartment. "Now we wait." Batman said and walked off without a backward glance. “I hate waiting…” Spike grumbled. “Until Savage calls, that all we can do,” Superman, the voice of reason, informed him. Spike nodded reluctantly. It was all part of the plan they’d come up with as a group; it didn’t mean he had to like it. In the next few hours, Spike got to hear the greatest heroes of the world getting their "letters home." For Batman it was Alfred, Dick, and Tim he spoke to in hushed tones that no one except Spike, Angel, and Superman could possibly overhear. For Superman it was Lois somebody or other. The others all had similar talks either with family or loved ones as they waited for Savage to call, but Spike himself couldn't talk to Buffy without possibly giving away the game away, and his nervousness just got worse with every passing second. Spike paced... and paced. When he went to pull out a pack of cigarettes to ease his nerves, he found that he didn't have any. Which irked him even more. Knowing he wasn't fit company, he moved off from the others while the sun rose steadily higher in the sky. ‘Just bloody call already!’ Fuck, he hated waiting. He finally stopped and sat, staring off into space, concentrating on the soft breath of the Slayer as she slept on - barely heard by his comm unit. So caught up, he didn't hear Shayera walk up and place a hand on his shoulder in a show of comfort. "She's a strong warrior. She'll be ok." "You don't know that, luv. We— I should have never agreed to this. You know, the entire time I was a ghost I tried every day to get to her. I made it to the end of the property the law offices sat on, then I was back in my grandsire's office... only to start over again. I can't... I can't lose her now." "She has risked herself her whole life. Do you think she would want this from you?" Shayera said setting down next to him. "I loved John very much, but I am a warrior like your slayer and if he had tried to keep me from the fight I would have left him. I live for the fight, like you... like your lady love." Spike barked a short laugh. "The worst part, luv? The bloody worst part is I love her warrior side. She is bleedin’ beautiful in a fight. And the Immortal? Oh yeah, I almost feel sorry for the bloke." "She will be alright. You’ll see. Batman... Superman... everyone will look out for her, out for each other. It's the way of the Justice League..." Spike nodded. "All for one, huh?" Shayera seemed confused at first, then she suddenly brightened. "Oh... like your Three Musketeers. Yes. We're something like that... only with superpowers." "Heads up, guys... Buffy's phone just rang..." Batman interrupted them. Spike stood, sparked up his ring, and flew back to where Batman and the others stood waiting. It was time to see to Sinestro and Savage once and for all. ~*~*~*~*~ "Van, are you coming over soon?" “Ah, my love, but you must call me Vandal." "But Van and Buffy just sounds better, baby." "Vandal, VanDAL." "Oh... if you insist, Vandal," Buffy replied sweetly, while inside she was ready to heave. Talk about your nauseating! "So... Vandal... is there something special I should wear? You haven't really said where you're taking me." Vandal rolled his eyes and wished, not for the first time, that Sinestro had thought to take the dark-haired slayer instead of this one. Though, in truth, the spell he'd woven was probably causing the girl's excess ditziness - grating, but necessary, in order for his plans to work. "I'm sure anything you put on will be fine, Buffy. Just be ready when I get there." Buffy choked back her nausea and went for broke. "Or, ya know, we could stay here and get to know each other better. I like it rough." Savage could see the ditzy American toying with the phone cord and chewing her bubble gum in his mind's eye. Not his first choice, of course, but perhaps Sinestro would enjoy the nubile young woman. “Of course, my dear. Is it alright if I bring a friend?” "The more the merrier, my love," Buffy said, her grin malicious, though none of that projected over the phone. ‘Game, set, and match, dumb ass.’ Finally, after much bubbly chatter she hung up. "Asshat is on his way, Spike.” Buffy said. “Do you think he will like the way I like to play rough?" ~*~*~*~*~ "She suspects nothing?" "No," Savage replied. He’d taken a detour on his way to the Slayer’s home and now he and Sinestro sat in back of the limo. "In fact, she seemed rather eager for the ménage... Personally, I think we should have left her for that Faith girl. She showed a lot of promise under the Mayor's tutelage." "That's old hat. She switched sides again, and I really would rather not deal with her unpredictability." "And this one isn't? You are aware of her past with the two vampires..." He didn't have to say their names; Sinestro knew they were referring to Angel and Spike. "Angel's busy running Evil, Inc. and Spike is just a ghost. I doubt they're even aware of what we're trying to do. And the watcher... naive as always. Disappointing really, given his Ripper days. I expected a bit more of a challenge." "Yes, but it’s perfect for our plans." "True. Come, let's get this over with. The sooner we have the Slayer under lock and key, the quicker we can put the next phase of our plan in motion." "I am not one to share." Sinestro said finally. "By the elder gods." Savage replied. "Have her… she is but one of thousands that I might enjoy. The two pulled up in front of Buffy's home neither noticing the heroes hidden around it. They walked down the hallway to the Slayer's door. When they reached it, Sinestro gave a brief rap. It opened almost immediately, and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the vision before him. Ethereal came to mind. Garbed in a flimsy white sundress, she looked nothing like the Slayer that had taken on numerous apocalypses and lived to tell the tale. She looked like a princess... a very feminine princess. Helpless. "Hello," Buffy murmured seductively. "You must be Vandal’s friend. Please, come in." Never in his life had Sinestro lost composure like he apparently had now. He nodded and stepped over the threshold, Savage right behind him. He took the seat the Slayer offered and sat, in a daze, thanks to the blinding smile she gifted him. "Something to drink?" she asked the pair. Buffy's smile remained in place having noted the scarlet skin of Vandal’s companion. Her Slayer senses were going haywire, telling her he was a demon of some sort. That they both were – a fact Vandal must have had masked from her somehow last night. It made her mad, how he’d managed to play her, and not stopping to think about the consequences – or the plan – she slipped the dagger she had hidden in the folds of her voluminous skirt and sliced Sinestro’s neck from ear to ear. Too bad she didn’t realize that nothing but the green of Spike’s ring could harm him. His yellow ring erupted with power, forming a huge hand that closed around her throat and held her pinned against the wall, cutting off her means of oxygen. At the same time, the Immortal growled his outrage at having been duped by the slip of a girl. Buffy managed to choke out one name before spots appeared before her eyes and the world started to go dark… “Spike…” After that, all hell broke loose. tbc

Chapter #4 - Ch. 4

A burst of green shattered the slayer’s window and headed straight for Sinestro. He'd heard flesh part beneath the knife Buffy had used and his normally pale skin had gone a ghostly shade of white. Damn the slayer for her impetuousness! She was worse than him when it came to sticking to a plan. Spike had forgotten the ring, but the ring hadn’t forgotten him. He flew towards Sinestro, arm drawn back and ready to strike. The green power ring acted as a boost to his already tremendous strength and speed. Sinestro might be great at a “stand back and shoot holes in his enemies” fight, but getting up close and personal seemed to scare the alien. A giant hand grew out of his ring, almost before he knew what he wanted, and wrapped around the yellow one slowly choking the life out of the slayer. Digit by digit, the yellow hand came lose, until Buffy dropped to the ground coughing and sputtering and trying to suck in some much-needed air. Seeing that she was relatively okay, Spike drew back his free hand and with a ferocious growl, hauled off and hit Sinestro in the face. Sinestro’s body left an awkward hole as he flew through the wall and crashed into the adjacent building. Then Spike was flying too, sailing through the window, intent on finishing the guy off. Forgetting completely that Hawkgirl wanted a piece of him too. And would take it – with or without his consent. ~*~ Superman closed with Savage, the two super strong beings landing blows so ferocious that just the sounds coming from them had normal people covering their ears. Batman however stepped into place behind the ancient villain and reached into his utility belt and pulled out a batarang with a line attached to it. A quick throw, and the line was around Savage’s legs; the caped crusader handed the line off to a recovering Buffy, who, after recovering her breath, had raced out of the apartment to join the mêlée. Even as Vandal knocked Superman through a wall, Buffy flexed her upper body and jerked the line tight, immobilizing him. Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter swooped in together and landed simultaneous punches to his temples knocking the “Immortal” ass over teakettle. When he finally stopped, he was out cold. ~*~ Spike pulled up short and wasn’t sure if he was ticked off or impressed as he spied Hawkgirl battling Sinestro, her battle cries ringing loudly as she rained down blow upon blow on the guy. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his grandsire hidden in the shadows, and seeing things here were well in hand – at least for the time being – flew down towards the other vampire to await his turn. The sun was just starting to set, so it would be a few minutes yet before Angel could participate in the fun being had. "Almost wish they were a figment of our imagination," Angel grumbled, eyeing the proceedings with a bit of longing. "Too right that," Spike agreed. He’d gotten in one good hit and was now reduced to watching the battle like a common spectator. He didn’t even get a chance to see Shayera batted away before he felt then saw a long yellow sword sticking out of his chest. “Ow?” Spike asked Angel. “In two days, I have killed two Green Lanterns,” Sinestro roared out in triumph. Spike and Angel shared bewildered looks. Spike wasn’t even wearing a mask; couldn't the guy see that he was a vampire? “Do I look dead to you, mate?” Spike asked in a conversational aside to his grandsire. “I’ll have to go with a ‘no’ on this one,” Angel smirked, reminiscent of his Angelus days. Spike couldn’t help the reluctant grin that tugged at the corners of his lips. Leave it to Angel to state the obvious in such a droll tone. “But, I... and the yellow,” Sinestro babbled, as he wiggled his yellow sword in Green Latern’s chest for emphasis. Then he remembered that he was an evil super villain and tried to act the part. “You should be dead. I skewered you with my sword!” he practically bellowed. Spike glanced down and sure enough the yellow sword was still there, embedded in his chest. It did hurt, but it was no worse than Angelus had done to him in the past. Finally, he took pity on his arch nemesis. “I’m a vampire, you git. Knife ain’t gonna do nothing but get me in the mood. We like a bit of rough and tumble.” He looked up to see Shayera circling above him, angry scowl on her face, nowhere near finished with her prey. So he yanked the knife out of his chest with a green hand and then backhanded Sinestro back into the air towards Hawkgirl. “Have fun, luv.” “Think Buffy'll make us some popcorn,” Angel asked hopefully as the two settled in to watch the Thangarian throttle the slim male garbed in yellow. Even as they watched, Hawkgirl threw the almost lifeless body of the alien towards the ground. Following him down in a modified stoop, she landed, legs straddling his back. Not close to being finished yet, she grabbed him by the hair of his head and began beating his face against the asphalt. Sinestro fought to regain at least his knees and perhaps throw the woman off, but the Thangarian warrior drove the heel of her boot down onto his hand to hold him in place. Hawkgirl was in a mindless rage, but not to the point that she didn’t remember to pull out the small dagger secreted on her body and slicing off the finger that contained Sinestro’s power source. The metal made a dull thunk as it came loose from the severed digit and fell to the ground. She stretched over the prone body beneath her and snagged the ring. Tucked it in a hidden pocket on her costume before she brushed her fingers across her chest and activated the JLU transporter. “Guess that’s my cue,” Spike remarked to the group. Buffy and the others had come to join both him and Angel while they waited for Hawkgirl to finish. “Spike...” Buffy began, then hesitated. “I know, luv. He’s human now. Not my place to mete out his sentence.” “That’s alright, Spike,” Batman interjected. “We’ve got just the facility necessary to house Sinestro.” He turned away and spoke quietly into his comm link. “Aquaman? Is our temporary cell ready for Sinestro?” “Temporary?” Buffy asked, not liking the sound of letting a killer go free. “Sinestro is a former Green Lantern,” Shayera informed the slayer. “And he’s killed several others. Someone will have to accompany him back to OA, the homeworld of the Green Lanterns, and bring him before their mentors, The Guardians.” “Ooohhh! Road trip!” Buffy practically squealed. Batman hung his head, already imagining the upheaval the slayer was going to cause back at the station. “I want to come too,” Angel whined. “Sorry, Gramps. This here’s a Justice League matter. Only way you can come along is if you were a sidekick. Part of the team, yeah?” “Sidekick? I'll show you sidekick,” Angel growled and shot off after Spike. The sun had set – which was a good thing, because Angel hadn’t hesitated in pursuing Spike and would have been a pile of dust after having only taken a few steps. Buffy rolled her eyes at the vampires’ antics. “Kids! What’re you gonna do?” Spike ran directly towards a wall letting Angel close quickly with him; it served the poofter right not remembering that he had never been able to catch Spike before. At the last possible second Spike allowed the ring to slide him through the wall. Bricks actually fell on the inside as Angel ran full force into it. Spike took to the air and flew back through the wall, hovering about twenty feet above ground. “Sidekick in a pink tutu,” Spike informed his grandsire with a laugh as he flew back to join the league. “Is there any way to separate them?” Batman asked, eyeing with trepidation the two vampires racing back their way. “Probably not,” Buffy sighed. Though she had to admit it was pretty funny seeing Spike flying low to the ground with Angel trying to jump up and snatch him out of the sky every few yards. The look on Angel’s face was priceless; he looked like he was in a ballistic rage. And she realized why when she caught a soundbite of “pink tutu” and how it would “bring out the shape to Angel’s backside.” “Guess I better stop this before it gets out of hand,” Superman commented, ever the diplomat. “Good luck with that,” Buffy remarked. “Well, if nothing else works, I can always put them in a cryogenic state with my breath until we get where we need to go. They should wake up no worse for wear.” Buffy eyed Superman dubiously. “Yeah, uh, right and that won’t piss those two off at all.” This got a low laugh from the newly returned Shayera. “Why don’t you let Buffy and I try?” Hawkgirl stepped a little closer to the mad twosome and asked, “Angel, did you see where I dropped my mace?” She smiled almost kindly as the larger vamp quit what he was doing suddenly and began looking for the weapon. “Did you bring it back from the Watchtower?” Superman asked helpfully. “No, but he doesn’t need to know that,” she whispered quietly over his shoulder as Angel became totally engrossed in finding her weapon. Buffy took the more direct approach. She walked up to Spike as he landed before her and kissed him. ~*~*~*~*~ Dawn sat fiddling with the various controls. She had world wide digital satellite, with literally ten thousand stations – and there was nothing on. “What do you guys do for fun around here?” she asked the scarlet speedster. At his leer she shook her head and grinned. “You do know Spike wasn’t joking... right? If he ever found out that you have kissed me? You die slowly.” “I'm willing to take that chance, sweetheart,” he told her with an over-exaggerated leer, complete with eyebrow wiggle. Dawn couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. When he moved in closer, she held up her hand to his chest, stopping his forward progress. "Uh uh, Slick. I’ve a rule: no kissing men in masks." “I’m cute. Make an exception,” Wally cajoled. He leaned in, lips puckered and ready. And found himself flung away. Dawn shook herself out of her daze as her lips encountered nothing but air. “Spike,” she whined. Only it wasn’t the vampire that had flung aside the person who was to have given her her first kiss. No. It was annoying big sister Buffy that was to blame. “She’s seventeen,” Buffy told the speedster. “And I’m guessing doing time for statutory might get you booted out of the League?” “Uhhhhmmmmm…” Wally stalled, thinking quickly. “Of course, I could just let Spike drain you?” Buffy went on with a saccharin-sweet smile. Again Wally’s mind was in high gear. “Uhhhhmmmm... yeah…” And he was gone in a blink. “Dammit, Buffy! What did you do that for? It was just a kiss! Might I remind you that—” Her words were cut off by Buffy’s hands across her mouth. But Dawn had made her point. “Can I help it if I want you to remain my baby sister for a while yet?” “I’m almost eighteen. A legal adult.” “Well act like one!” “I was trying to,” Dawn sassed back. “Ooohhh! You talk to her, Spike.” Buffy threw up her hands and stalked away. “You know,” Shayera commented as she joined Buffy outside in the hallway, “girls on my home world are married with children of their own at her age.” “La la la la la,” Buffy sing-songed, hands over her ears. “So not listening.” Hawkgirl laughed, the first real laugh since John had died. “Come on. Let me show you around. Introduce you to a few people.” ~*~ “What?” Dawn almost screamed at Spike as he walked up smirking. “You really like the git?” Spike asked as he took a seat next to her on the couch. “Yes!” Dawn was beyond pissed. “He’s… nice. Funny.” She paused for a minute before adding quietly. “And he gets the whole ‘not normal’ thing.” “Hmmm, your birthday is what, three months away?” Spike continued at her nod. “Then how about I bloody invite him to come along with me to your birthday party?” “Right...” Dawn rolled her eyes. “Like I believe you for one second.” “I’m just gonna talk to him, Bit. Set the record straight.” Dawn arched one brow in a good imitation of the vampire and waited. And waited. Spike tried to out glare her, but it was a losing battle. The Summers women were immune to it. “Suppose you can do worse than a bloody Leaguer,” he relented. “Thank you, Spike.” And to prove that she wasn’t a complete bitch, gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Now come on. The Flash has been showing me about. This place is really cool. Xander is gonna be soooo jealous when I tell him about it.” Spike suddenly smirked. “We could take a picture. Me, you, and the slayer. Would make the Whelp’s head explode with envy." Dawn giggled back at him as she stood up. ~*~*~*~*~ Angel was in heaven. Hawkgirl might not like him, but he had found that Wonder Woman greatly admired a man like him. The two had been talking since he had gotten to the space station, and damn – the woman was hot. Little did he realize that she was just listening to him because she was trying to make Batman jealous for siding with Spike earlier. Then there was the fact that he and Spike didn't get along all that well. The enemy of the enemy… He was also given a tour of the facility but most of the gadgets went right over his head; he suspected that Fred would take a shine to the place. He’d have to ask Superman if a visit could be arranged. And speaking of the Man of Steel, he wanted to get his input on the inner workings of Wolfram and Hart, see if there was a way to actually make the law firm work for the side of good. Superman, of course, referred him to Batman, the tactician of the group. Of all of the heroes in the League, the Bat family was the one most known by the demon world. Angel nodded and said he’d talk with the man. In truth, any help would be appreciated at this point. ~*~*~*~*~ After the tours were over, the group reconvened in the prep room. They took seats at the round table and got down to the business of dealing with their Sinestro situation. In the end, it was decided that Dawn would stay in Rome with a few members of the Justice League keeping a low-profile surveillance on the girl while Buffy went with Spike, Angel, and several others to take Sinestro to OA. The only thing the slayer needed to do was place a call to Giles, informing him that she’d be unavailable for some time – though she didn’t tell him why. She was still pissed at him for causing the problem in the first place. He’d always been like a father to her, but with this latest episode, he’d been a true watcher. Or a true Quentin Travers. Ready to sacrifice her for the greater good. Right now, she wasn’t sure quite what to think. Or how to feel. She’d put on a brave front for the others – Spike included – letting them think that this latest episode was nothing more than her life gone “wonky.” Slayer luck, as it were. When the others had dispersed, she’d sought solitude in one of the many “quiet rooms” located on the space station. She sat in one of the over-sized chairs and stared out the huge window at the stars and reflected on what she wanted to do with her life… especially now that Spike was back in it. Buffy wasn’t that surprised when Shayera sat next to her some time later. After a rocky start, the two had formed a friendship of sorts. Hawkgirl was like none of the others she’d met; she was blunt and outspoken. And Shayera had dealt with her share of hardships, just like her. “I am surprised you are going with us,” Shayera commented after a time. “I thought that Earthers were more modest than that?” Buffy looked at her a moment. “Huh? What do you mean?” “I mean the communal showers, all of us sleeping in one large dorm room.” The Thangarian tried to keep her face straight at Buffy’s horrified look. “Our ship is only so big, you know. And we’ll be traveling for quite some time. “But, but...” Buffy babbled. Her eyes narrowed after a minute as Shayera began to laugh. “You're teasing me.” “Yes, I am. But, you have to admit, I almost had you.” “Ha, ha... very funny.” “I thought so.” “Well, you wouldn’t if you had to share a house with twenty girls and four males and only one bathroom for all of us.” Shayera cringed. “What happened?” “It was a Hellmouth thing. Potentials were coming in by the truckload and showing up at my place. Not a fun time, let me tell you.” “Doesn’t sound like it. Was that when—” “Yeah,” Buffy replied quietly. Then she took a deep breath and shook off the unhappy thoughts. Spike was back with her now, and would remain so - darned if he wouldn’t. No Justice League or whatever was going to keep her from her man, er... vamp. And speaking of, there was a little matter of a reunion they’d yet to have. She stood and spoke into her comm. “Spike? You there?” “Yeah, pet.” There were groans and laughs aplenty from the members of the Justice League that heard every word of what Buffy told Spike she planned on doing to him, just as soon as they were alone together. So brings the end of our JLU crossover silly!fic. ^_~