Work Text:
True Demons
Disclaimer: I own nothing featured in this story and get no money from this. If you attempt to sue me over this you will pay your attorneys more than I have or will ever have.
Summery: The destruction of Sunnydale piques the interest of the Planetary Origination.
This is a cross with the Planetary comic book series set after The Four were defeated.
In a darkened office a man dressed in a white suit sat in silence, his dark eyes drilling into space itself, demanding that the universe answer his question. When the universe didn't bend to his will, he picked up the phone. Dialing a number from memory, he waited until someone picked up on the other end and said, "Jakita, this is Snow. Grab the Drummer and get ready to leave within the hour; we're going to Sunnydale."
Jakita Wagner gave an unseen nod as she replied, "Any reason why we are investigating a natural disaster, Elijah?"
"Because there is nothing natural about Sunnydale," Elijah replied. "The town was built on top of the most active Hellmouth in the world; the only way it would collapse is if someone destroyed the Hellmouth."
Two hours later at the Sunnydale crater
As the Planetary-owned helicopter landed at the edge of the crater, Elijah began to quickly give the field team their orders. "Drummer, gather every scrap of information you can no matter how small it is. If there is so much as a pocket calculator still functioning, I want you to get all the information on Sunnydale and the people who lived here that you can, especially what happened within the last year."
"Jakita I need you keep sharp. The Hellmouth may have been destroyed but this area could still have high demonic activity."
"Um, boss? I'm getting a lot of info off the old Hellmouth energy, but it's faint and fading by the second. Anything specific you want before it completely fades?" asked the Drummer.
"Anything you can find on the last demon hunting team and their last fight here. I want to know who the members were and how many made it out, then I want you to tell me where they are now."
"Elijah can I talk to you a moment?" asked Jakita.
Once they were alone, Jakita quickly turned on Snow and spoke to him in a low harsh whisper. "What aren't you telling us about this dig? My God Elijah, I haven't seen you this wound up since The Four were destroyed!"
"This is different. The Four was about vengeance, this is about hope."
"Mind explaining that?"
"You know that I got the Merlin diaries away from the Nazis back in '45. What you don't know was that for about ten minutes, the magic seals preventing them from being read opened, and I was able to read part of it."
"Why didn't you mention it in a Planetary Guide?"
"The Nazis were trying to find a way to control demons; this could have given them the edge they needed to do it. And before you ask why I didn't publish it after the war, other governments have tried and I didn't want to help any of them."
"So what did it say?" asked Jakita, a gleam of curiosity twinkling in her eye.
"It described the origin of demons, and how they were thrown out of this dimension."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Only when the Drummer is close by. I don't want to take any chances with this."
Two days later at the California Planetary office
"Here is everything I could get on the people who were there boss, now will you explain all of this?" asked the Drummer as he put a stack of files on to Elijah's desk.
"You have all had some experience with magic, how much with demons?"
"Aside from the personal demons that everyone has, none," said Jakita.
"According to Merlin's diaries, there isn't much difference. Merlin found out that humans were much more powerful than they are now, about ten times more powerful than the average cape is today, but they didn't have control."
"Within ten generations, people began to manifest their darker aspects in physical form and the normals began to call them demons. Imagine it: the darkest, most perverse parts of the human race, forced into twisted pained flesh and hating us for creating them."
"They ruled us for ages, pushing the human race to the brink of extinction until one person drove them out. One person tamed his or her own demons and fought the others."
"You don't really expect us to believe this do you Elijah?" asked Jakita. "You have to admit that even for us, this is out there."
"You read the '76 Planetary Guide that dealt with vampires right?" asked Elijah. When she nodded, he continued, "Why do you think the demon's personality is biased on the darkest aspects of the victim, instead of possessing its own personality traits? Merlin believed that true humans like the one that banished the demons would appear when they are needed most. I believe there was one in Sunnydale."
"Got a lot to pick from boss. We got Spike, a vampire that somehow retained his soul, Willow Rosenberg, one of the most powerful magic users in the world, and Buffy Summers, the longest lived Slayer in history, any of them has enough power to be your true human."
"What about this one?" asked Elijah as he picked up the smallest file.
"That is one Alexander Harris. No powers or anything special, I just put him in there because you wanted everyone I got off the Hellmouth info vibe," said The Drummer.
"What you are saying is that he is perfectly human."
The light dawned in the Drummer's mind, and he said, "I'll get you everything on him by this time tomorrow."
Elijah Snow didn't hear him, he was too busy asking a silent question of the file in his hand: a question that he may not find the answer to even if he lived for another hundred and three years.