Just going by what's triggering his pleasure centres, is all...

In the City
Part Fourteen: Love, Like Ashes…

Oz was running. He knew she was there the moment she appeared. Willow. Something bad was happening. There was fire. Burning flesh. Run. Someone … Amy … was screaming. Run. The door to Amy’s room was shattered.

Amy was inside, smothering a fire with a blanket. Justine. Justine was on fire.

“Oz,” said Amy, looking up. Oz, it was her. It was…”

“Willow.”

“Yeah,” said Amy. “How…”

“I can sense when she’s close,” said Oz, flatly. Justine looked up at that. The pain of her burns was etched across her face, her lips stretched into a grimace.

“Your ex-girlfriend did this?” she said, coldly. Her and Oz locked stares.

“Yeah,” said Oz, crouching down beside her. “looks like she did.”

Amy straightened her posture and folded her arms. Oz felt the hair on the back of his neck stiffen. There was a magical charge in the air.

“Amy…”

“No, Oz. You weren’t there. You weren’t in Sunnydale when she went Wicked Witch of the West.”

Oz said nothing. Amy seemed different all of the sudden. More confident, more detached.

“She nearly destroyed the world, Oz. She went on a rampage and even Buffy couldn’t stop her. She …”

“And what did you do?” asked Oz. Amy marveled at how little condescension Oz was able to pack into such a loaded question.

“The only sensible thing,” said Amy. “I ran and hid.”

“You hiding now?’

Amy pondered the question for a moment.

“No.”

“Good. We’re meeting in ten in the conference room. Justine, I’ll get you to medical.”

“No,” said Justine, rising shakily. “I’m fine.”

Oz could feel the anger in the room. He knew full well that if either of these women had an opportunity, Willow would be dead in a heartbeat.

“Cool,” said Oz, his voice revealing nothing. “Let’s do this.”

I'm going with Caleb, too. Feels like him.

Hmm. I'd say it might be Ethan, if he weren't already in the story. But it feels like him, sort of, too.

Oooooooooooh. It could be the mayor. I mean, sure, exploded. But still. The mayor seems like a Gershwin hummer.

Yay for Victor. I'm glad you write much faster than I do.

Hmm. I'd say it might be Ethan, if he weren't already in the story. But it feels like him, sort of, too.

Heh. Well, let's just hope I have the feel of the character, then--or at least, the feel of the character in their current condition.

Yay for Victor. I'm glad you write much faster than I do.

Thanks. Of course, it's all relative. I started this thing months ago, before deciding it wasn't working. Originally, actually, it was mostly a Gunn story.

Dear me, I'm getting punchy. Cause I read " Gershwin hummer" and giggled, hard. I could probably use the laugh, but it was all unintended.

Gershwin hummer

Summertime ... and the livin' is easy ...

And now we're trying to figure out spoilers for fic.

Cool.

And now we're trying to figure out spoilers for fic. Cool.

Bwa-ha-ha! My evil plan, it is working!

But now, laundry.

I'm gonna guess Doc. After all, we never did see him after Buffy pushed him from the tower. Theoretically, he could have survived, right?

Hmmm. Giles, Ethan, Caleb, Doc. Hmmm.