Chapter 72

I kept driving through the night, the desert around Sunnydale giving way to plains, then mountains, before turning back into desert as I passed into the Sonoran and then the Chihuahuan Deserts. I drove for fifteen hours, hitting traffic near LA and again near Phoenix. At the end of that stretch of time, I pulled into Albuquerque in New Mexico for the night. I stayed in a Motel that was remarkably free of Vampiric presence, likely a consequence of the job Wesley did with Jack Crow and his team for the Vatican. That had been recent enough for Crow's Team to have wiped out most of the serious Vampiric threats in Albuquerque and whoever was left was clearly sticking to the shadows. I didn't run into any Vampires trying to snatch people into alleyways to feed the entire time I was there.

It wasn't until I went outside my motel room for a smoke that I noticed something odd. As I lit up a Red Apple Cigarette, I noticed that one of the people that were hanging out across the street in the Parking Lot of a Bar. Some blonde in a leather pants and leather jacket combo wearing sunglasses a night. I could sense the Chi within her, she was clearly well-trained. The problem was, I didn't recognize her.

Oh sure, Chi-trained Blondes were a thing, especially at the level she was showing, but the issue was that without fighting her, I wouldn't be able to tell which precise Chi-trained Blonde she was. My downloaded information gave me a number of names to pick from, Blue Mary, Tina Armstrong, both Nina and Anna Williams, and more. All of them noted fighters who displayed Chi abilities in various tournaments.

I finished my cigarette and stubbed it out in time for her to start making her way over to me. I frowned at that and made my way down to the motel's parking lot. If we were going to do this, better it be in a mostly empty parking lot than anywhere that people were. I reached the parking lot just as she crossed the street and broke into a rush. The Blonde wreathed her hands in reddish Chi and moved with Chi-enhanced speed to try a knife-hand chop at my throat.

I wasn't having that and I rippled my Chi into my body, performing the Kongoshin of the Ansatsuken style. The Blonde's Chi-wreathed knife hand struck my neck with the force of a small explosion, but my Kongoshin technique allowed me to weather the attack unharmed. Undeterred, the Blonde reached behind her back to pull a knife from a hidden sheath at the small of her back and attempted to stab me. In response, I channeled Chi into a stomp that cracked the asphalt and sent the Blonde tumbling to the ground. The Fudoshin Technique of the Ansatsuken didn't phase her much, however as she turned her fall into a shoulder roll, popping up to my right and tossing the knife at me. In response, I snatched the blade out of the air with Chi-enhanced speed and tossed it back, forcing her to dodge away from it.

"Those moves, Koppojutsu-based Assassination Arts. Nina Williams, I presume?" I questioned.

"Huh, you know of me. That's interesting. And the briefing didn't mention you knew the Ansatsuken. I'm going to have words with my employers when this is all over with." Grinned the Assassin in a slight Irish Accent.

"You know, I should probably be flattered that they sent an assassin of your caliber after me, but I honestly am just too pissed off to care right now. To be honest, I didn't think my bounty was high enough for you to care. You know Kano isn't going to pay you if you manage to cash in, right?" I grumbled.

"Oh no, I didn't do this for the Black Dragon. They can keep their pocket change. Wolfram and Hart hired me." Smirked Nina.

"So the Lawyers have stopped posting bounties to random Vampires and have contracted someone directly? That's good to know. It means they're taking this seriously, at least. I have to wonder though, why not hit me earlier? I've been on the road for a while, and they clearly must have had someone watching the Highways if you were already in place?" I queried.

"This was more of a happy accident. I just got this job earlier today and was already in Albuquerque for some business involving the Cartels." Answered Nina.

"You know, for an Elite Assassin, you're awfully eager to answer my questions." I frowned.

"Oh, you're worried about that? The reason for that is simple. You won't live long enough to make any use of the information." Responded Nina before she went back on the attack.

I parried a pair of Chi-wreathed back hook kicks aimed at crushing my skull in at the temple and lashed out with a Chi-enhanced punch that Nina grabbed onto before pulling me around and in a circle to build momentum before tossing me at a concrete wall. She was hoping to corner me against the wall with that move, but I wasn't having it. With a mystic word and a magical gesture, I flipped around in mid-air and cast a spell to allow me to Fly on myself, then I arrested my momentum with that power.

As I hovered there in mid-air, looking down on my would-be assassin, I could tell that Nina hadn't had much experience with higher-level non-Chi-based supernatural abilities. She gawked at my hovering before the look of shock turned into a deep frown.

"You know, I'd been told you were a sorcerer, but I figured you'd be just another guy with an enchanted gun or who could shoot some flame blasts. Flying like that's just downright cheating." Groused Nina.

"You're here to kill me and you're complaining about cheating? You're an Assassin for the Gods' Sake. Didn't they teach you to use guns or something in Assassin School?" I retorted.

"Always been more fond of knives." Shrugged Nina.

"Too bad." I grunted, before charging a Denjin Hadouken. Doing so would take me sixteen seconds and I'd already wasted twenty-five on posturing and banter with Nina. With the third circle spell of Flight, I had a maximum of ninety-six seconds of flight meaning that if the Denjin Hadouken didn't take out Nina, I would have just under a minute of flight remaining before the spell ended.

Drawing on the Chikara no Hadou to help charge the attack, the blue ball of Chi formed in my hands as I hovered in mid-air above Nina, crackling arcs of yellow lightning coalescing around it as I charged it. Then, with a shoving motion from both hands, the Denjin Hadouken was loosed on my opponent. Nina didn't waste any time trying to block, she moved to dodge, backflipping away in a display of Chi-enhanced Acrobatics. My Denjin Hadouken smashed into the parking lot where she'd been standing, putting a crater into it the size of a small car and shattering the windows of a nearby parked car from overpressure and setting its alarm off.

I pressed my assault, firing an Ahaooh Castiga at Nina, who was forced to roll away from it behind a nearby dumpster before summoning a ball of mystical lightning to attack the dumpster she was using as cover. The chain lightning spell struck the dumpster, melting a hole through the Dumpster lengthwise and setting the trash inside on fire before arcing through it to hit Nina. I heard Nina cry out as she was pierced by the discharging bolt of the spell but managed to tough out the hit in time to dodge the follow-on lightning bolt spell I sent her way, tumbling away from the bolt in a shoulder roll. She didn't dodge the magic missiles I sent at her next, the quintet of projectiles smashed into her like a series of Chi-enhanced punches and blasted her out of her shoulder roll. I was just about out of flight time now, so I zoomed in to attack Nina with an atrial version of the Sen Shippou of Master Tung Fu Rue even as she stood up. My diving, Chi-enhanced, punch and kick combo smashed into her and sent her crashing to the asphalt ten meters away to land in a heap.

Nina stood shakily, likely realizing how out of her depth she was. Sure, she'd tussled with various minor talents and Journeyman Chi Adepts, but most of her reputation as an assassin was based on things like Corporate Targets who at most would have a Journeyman Chi Adept guarding them, or a petty sorcerer who could pull out a few spells. Maybe she'd faced a Master Vampire of the Gorch Brother's age and capabilities. I was beyond what she'd had to face as an Elite Assassin simply because the sort of people who get hired to kill people of my level didn't tend to be Human and if they were, they tended to be a lot older than the twenty-something years Nina had under her belt.

"You know, for an Elite Assassin, I thought you'd be harder to deal with." I taunted.

"Fuck you!" Spat Nina as she charged in at me with a Chi-wreathed flipping kick. I dodged away from that even as she regained her feet and lunged for me with Chi-wrathed spear hand strikes aimed at my throat. I parried the first two, only to get hammered by a surprise knee strike to the ribs that struck with the force of a grenade. Fortunately, I was able to weather the hit with just a cracked rib and hammer Nina with a Chi-Enhanced punch to her right side. She had already been favoring it after being struck there with multiple magic missiles and my punch finally smashed through her Chi-based defenses and broke two of her ribs and bruised a third. An elbow strike to her temple smashed her to the ground and she lay there in a heap, breathing, but not able to get up.

As I straightened up, my natural Regeneration already working to heal my cracked rib, I nodded at Nina's groaning, prone, form. She shifted on the asphalt to glare up at me and I couldn't help but shake my head.

"Your reputation seems overblown. I doubt you faced many opponents of my Caliber before now. Now I have to figure out what to do with you. I could call the Special Forces and have them come pick you up. Captain Blade owes me a favor after I helped her deal with a number of issues." I mused.

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Came a Cheerful voice from nearby.

I turned to see a smiling, older Man in a suit walking up to me. My mystic senses were practically screaming that he was full of dark energy, though he didn't appear to be a Sorcerer of any kind. He flicked his wrist and I tensed for a potential weapon, only to see a business card appear in his hand.

"Holland Manners, Wolfram and Hart. My card." Grinned the Man.

"Right, the Demonic Lawyers who hired Nina. Why should I not do to you what I just did to her?" I demanded.

"Oh, I've got no doubts you could. Chain Lightning's pretty nasty. Beyond most spellcasters these days, to say nothing of the display of Chi Talents you just showed. Ansatsuken and I believe Tung Fu Rue's Hakkyokusiken Style as well, with secret techniques from both of those. No, you're well beyond my capability to defend myself from. My employers, on the other hand, well let's just say they don't take too kindly to folks messing with their employees. They have enough power to deal with you. At the very least, you'd never catch a wink of sleep again." Smiled the Lawyer.

"So what? You're here to threaten me with your employers?" I pressed.

"Actually, I'm here to make you an offer. The Senior Partners have been around long enough to recognize formidability. They also have a vested interest in ensuring that the Earth doesn't fall to anyone who isn't on their side. In that regard, you might say that we have mutual enemies." Offered the Lawyer.

"So what? They want me to be a useful buffer against the likes of Outworld and Ba'al?" I asked.

"Not just Ba'al. There are some things coming down the Pike in the next few years that not even your own patrons have cottoned onto yet. I don't blame them for not doing so, even the Gods and Higher Beings aren't constantly predicting the future. Wolfram and Hart, on the other hand, well, we have an entire division of seers whose contracts stipulate they do just that. Essentially though, yes. it's better for the Senior Partners to have you acting as a firebreak, so to speak. Why do you think Wolfram and Hart hasn't moved against the Watcher's Council or the Vatican? Or any of the other organizations dedicated to fighting the good fight?" Summed up the Lawyer.

"Fair point, I guess. So why hire Nina?" I queried.

"Miss Williams was a useful test. We lose track of you for long stretches of time, after all. The last time we had a bead on you, you were at her level. We needed to know if you were strong enough to make the offer." Pointed out the Lawyer.

"But not strong enough to beat your masters, eh?" I asked.

"Oh based on your current capabilities there's no danger of that any time soon. The Senior Partners are on the same level as your Patrons, after all. Unless you figured out the key to ascension recently you've got no way to beat them." Shrugged the Lawyer.

"Fine. So what? You're gonna cancel your bounty on my head and just let me go? I won't work for Demons, you know." I insisted.

"That's exactly what we're offering. I could give you the we're not so different speech, but the Seers put the probability of that working on you as negligible at best. Now, if you don't mind, I'll collect Miss Williams over there and be on my way." Offered the Lawyer.

"Fine." I nodded.

Holland Manners, Lawyer for the Demonic Law Firm Wolfram and Hart helped Nina Williams to her feet before feeding her some sort of blood-red pill that glowed with sacrificial magic to my Third Eye. Nina's ribs healed as she swallowed the pill and soon, both Lawyer and Assassin were making their way out of the parking lot, leaving only the destruction of the lot and Holland's Business Card behind.

I was forced to write two checks to cover damages and find a new motel to stay at, but that was the only thing of note that happened to me in Albuquerque. Ten hours later and I was on the road again after paying my bill with the bored clerk of my new motel. I drove southeast toward Roswell, making a stop at the Crashdown Cafe as my stomach protested not eating for so long.

The brunette waitress was cute, but the hair color and style reminded me of Cordy too much to make much in the way of conversation. She was friendly enough, though, so I made an effort to engage even though it brought up memories of my recently failed relationship.

"What would you recommend?" I questioned.

"Looks like you want breakfast, even though it's afternoon, am I right? Well, for breakfast I'd say the Green Eggs and Moon Rock Hash is probably the best, though if you're not a fan of food coloring in your eggs, I'd say go with the Heavenly Hash with Toast and Potatoes." Smiled the Waitress.

My stomach chose that moment to protest loudly at the fact it remained empty, causing the Waitress' smile to widen. That pretty much made the decision for me, my stomach being the traitor that it was.

"I'll try both." I said.

"Great! My name's Liz so if you need anything just let me know." Grinned the Waitress.

"Will do." I agreed, forcing a smile onto my face.

As I sipped my breakfast tea, however, I noticed a dark-haired guy looking over at me with a glare. There was something off about him, but I couldn't put my finger on what. His Chi didn't register as trained or even particularly large, and my Third Eye was saying he was completely mundane. Something was telling me that wasn't the case, but none of my abilities let me figure out why. I put him out of my mind. If he was going to be a problem then I'd deal with it when he became one.

Soon enough, my food arrived and I began to eat. I hadn't realized how hungry I'd been until my stomach demanded I eat. Apparently, not eating for twenty-seven hours was doable, but not when I spent a bunch of energy in the middle of that. Doing so had cut down the amount of time my genetically altered hybrid physiology could go without food by a good margin before I ran into problems. As I ate, I got the sense that if I waited until I stopped again, it was pretty damn likely I would start getting dizzy spells.

Apparently, forty-one hours was the most I could avoid eating or drinking anything without beginning to suffer adverse effects, at least if I had to fight during that time. I got the feeling that if I didn't have to fight, that time got stretched out considerably. The perks of Goa'uld DNA, I suppose. Right now though, I was just happy that I had food. I'd have to watch out for that in the future.

By the time I was finished with both entrees, my stomach had quieted substantially. I was just waiting for Liz to return so I could pay when the Dark-Haired Guy who'd been staring at me was suddenly looming over me.

"I know what you are. You should leave." Demanded the Guy.

"Oh? You do, do you?" I shot back, annoyed.

"You might be fooling everyone else, but I know. You're not really a human, you're a parasite. Leave before I stomp you out." Insisted the Guy.

"I don't know what you think you know, but I can assure you that isn't the case." I tried.

"I know of the Goa'uld. Antar may be isolated, but that's only because you worms forced us into it." Hissed the Guy.

He was speaking, oddly enough, in the Goa'uld Language, a language I only knew because Ba'al had insisted it be included in the information download the Black Dragon dumped into my brain. That got my attention, but only seemed to prove whoever this was' suspicions correct about me. He clearly knew about the Go'auld, but I'd never heard of whatever Antar was supposed to be.

"If you know that language, then you also must know the word Apkulu. That is what I am." I responded back in Goa'uld.

"Impossible, your Emperor decreed no Apkulu or Harcesis be created. I see through your lies." Intoned the Guy.

"Yes, Ra did decree that. Ra disappeared a few years ago. Long enough for me to be created artificially. I've never heard of Antar, but if you can scan me, you'll find no symbiote in my body." I pointed out. That gave the guy pause for long enough for Liz to return with my check.

"Everything all right here?" She queried.

"Everything's all right. I was just telling this guy that I was headed to South Town as soon as I paid the check. He was curious." I lied.

"Max, what have I told you about stalking me to work? I told you I'm with Kyle still!" Groused Liz.

That brought the Guy, Max, up short, sputtering. I took that as my cue to leave a generous tip before taking the bill up to the front counter and paying it there. Soon enough I was back on the road. It was interesting to know, though, that I wasn't the only alien hybrid on Earth at the moment. At least, I assumed that Max guy was a Hybrid unless Antarians were shapeshifters or whatever. At any rate, that was a question for later right now, the open road called.

As the Chihuahuan Desert turned into the High Plains of Texas, I put the whole interaction out of my mind. Soon enough, I was traveling east along the Gulf Coast. I traveled through Bayou Country overnight, staying on the highway to avoid any problems. Dark Houngans looking to raise Juju Zombies were one of the tamer things you could find in parts of the Bayou. The Prezgt Affair had happened in the Derceto Mansion in the Bayous of Louisiana, after all, and there were all manner of stories about hauntings in various old, abandoned, antebellum, mansions. By the time I pulled into South Town, however, dawn had already broken and I had no need to fear any ghosts or Dark Houngans.

Martial artists and Chi Adepts, however, were another matter, as I would soon find out. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so I finally got time to finish this. Fortunately, my aunt and cousin are leaving soon so activity should pick up shortly. Here we get two major things happening on the way to South Town from Sunnydale. The first is that Wolfram and Hart are calling off the Price on Ulysses' head. Allies of convenience are proving a lot less friendly than the Senior Partners would like, especially since their Seers are predicting that Shao Khan is going to invade Earthrealm and the Goa'uld are going to try doing something similar as well. They don't have specifics, though.

The second is the realization that he isn't the only Alien Hybrid on Earth at the moment and that his Goa'uld DNA can help him twig to potential aliens hiding on Earth, which will come in handy in the future. After all, even discounting the Ba'al Clone that's on Earth, you've also got guys like Seth running around pretending to be a Normal Human Cult Leader.

Other nineties stuff this chapter includes mentions of Nina and Anna Williams from Tekken, Nina Armstrong from Dead or Alive, Blue Mary and South Town from King of Fighters, the techniques of the Ansatsuken from Street Fighter, Tung Fu Ru and his Hakkyokusiken Techniques are from King of Fighters as well, Sonya Blade, the Black Dragon, and Outworld from Mortal Kombat, Holland Manners and Wolfram and Hart from Buffy, Chain Lightning, Fly, Juju Zombies, and Magic Missile are from Second Edition Dungeons and Dragons, Ba'al and the Goa'uld from Stargate SG-One, Liz Parker, Max, Antar, and the Crashdown Cafe from Roswell, Jack Crow and his Vatican Hunters from John Carpenter's Vampires, the Prezgt Affair and Derceto Mansion from Alone in the Dark, and Red Apple Cigarettes from the works of Quentin Tarantino.

At any rate, the next chapter will cover Ulysses' Arrival in South Town in detail.

Stay tuned. . .