Title: Man of War

Author: Kate R.

abelard950@aol.com

Disclaimer: All belong to Joss and Ren Pics. I wish they were mine but they aren't.

Rating: PG-13 to R.

Pairings: Giles/Ethan so far

Summary: The Scoobies want a weapon to stand against all evil on the Hellmouth. They get it but it is not what they wanted.

Man of War
by Kate R.

Prologue: The War God Comes

"Giles! Dammit, wake up!" Buffy yelled as she stomped into his bedroom. He was curled up into a ball under his blanket like he was hiding and it did nothing to sooth her temper down. He had responsibilities he had to handle. He didn't have time for things like beauty sleep.

"GILES!" She screamed in his ear as she slapped him.

He jerked slightly but still didn't wake up.

By now, Buffy was getting angry. She walked to the bathroom and came back up with a big pitcher of water, which she threw on him, and then, she grabbed the blanket and yanked sending him tumbling to the floor.

That woke him up.

"Wha? He mumbled. Then seeing her he scrambled to his feet.

"It's a bout time," she snapped. "Get dressed, you have to go to work. Willow needs stuff from the shop."

"Buffy, please," he said softly. "I need to rest. I..."

She slapped him across the face and he shut up.

He walked to his closet and pulled out some clothes, which Buffy vetoed.

She pulled out his heavier clothes and he looked at her mournfully. It was so hot today. Why did
he have to wear this outfit?

Still, he pulled it on and slowly trailed her downstairs where she had his bottle of water waiting for him. He took a swallow and then trailed her out the door and to the Magic Box where Willow and now Xander was waiting. He groaned and unlocked to door allowing them to precede him into the
store followed them.

Thankfully he had some relief from the heat here as they allowed air conditioning. He sat down at the table looking at the books he had to research in and sighed as he got to work. He worked all day, not asking for any of the food they got because he knew he would not be allowed to have any.

He would be allowed to eat after patrol. Ethan always had something for him.

That was good.

"Giles," Buffy said. "Sunset. Go patrol. Weapon."

He got to his feet slowly and left the store, summoning to his hand the Sword of War that had been his since the children had demanded his help in summoning a weapon that no evil could stand against. Unfortunately, He was the only one who could use it. Of course, they had researched it with Willow's mind and knew what it could do if in the hands of someone who could use it.

Now, he went from little rest to No rest and it was beginning to wear on him.

He was walking through Sunnydale and into one of the cemeteries when he heard the shouting and he approached the blond woman tearing it up. It was an ugly dye job she had and she wasn't much better.

"I beg your pardon, Madame," he said ever the mannered one, "Can I help you?"

"My Key," she said turning to face him. "Where is my Key?"

"I'm sorry but I do not know what you re talking about," Giles began.

The woman moved forward then and grabbed Giles' shoulder.

Before he could get the sword up in a defensive way, she punched him n the stomach. He felt bones crack, likely his ribs, and he flew through the air slamming into a tomb stone and his hand slid down the blade of the sword. Not deep enough to sever but enough to draw blood.

Something amazing began to happen then but he was too winded to really notice: the sword began to float. It hummed and then seemed to go parallel to the ground. The humming got louder and was accompanied by a whooshing noise as the sword began to spin faster and faster in a circle drawing air up into a column as it suddenly went perpendicular and continued it's spinning and twirling. Now, there was dark blue lightening coming from it that crackled and a sound like War Drums filled the air. Giles was waiting for the next blow from the blond woman though, the blow that would likely kill him, when there was aloud thunderclap of power and flash of light so bright he was momentarily blinded.

When he could see again, he just stared.

There, standing between him and the blond woman, was one of the biggest men he'd ever met.

The woman was running at Giles, or had been before the man appeared but now she was dangling from the big man's hand, which held her by the throat. She was gasping and struggling in his grasp and it was obvious he would have killed her had Giles not moaned at that moment.

The man turned and looked down at him, his eyes widening, and then tossed the woman away from him.

Giles saw the sword in a sheath by the man's side and he smiled weakly feeling nothing more than pain until the man touched him. In the touch he was given knowledge. This was no man. This was a god. This was Ares.

"Father?" he croaked out weakly.

Ares nodded and lifted Giles into his arms. He scanned his son's thoughts, and Giles thought it weird to have his father's energy touch his, and nodded to himself.

Then, he transported them to the Magic Box where Ethan was waiting for Giles to get back so he could take him home and feed him.

When Ares appeared, Ethan stared and then moved forward.

"Ripper!" he cried.

Ares allowed Ethan to approach but when the others made a move to, he shoved them backward with his power.

"You may come with us," Ares said.

He tuned then a glacially cold look on the Scoobies and they all felt fear as they stared into his cold, enraged eyes.

"Be very glad he is my primary concern right now, children," Ares said. "If he was not, you would be facing me now when I am angry enough to incinerate you all where you stand."

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded.

And he laughed as he stood before them and they finally saw where the sword was.

"I am Ares, God of War," he said and his name caused them all to pale. "And you little children, have pissed me off something awful!"

He transported them then, leaving the children staring as a good deal of the things in the shop vanished. The Scoobies stared at each other in shock as they realized their weapon was gone.

"What just happened?" Buff asked the now adultless room.

Chapter 1: Olympus

"CUPID!" Ares called as soon as they arrived. "Get Apollo. Those stupid brats thought He was the weapon."

"Shit!" The blond with wings exclaimed flashing out. He was back a moment later with a blond man who healed Giles with a touch and then watched Ares tenderly tuck him into bed.

"Rest, my son," Ares sai after getting Giles settled into bed.

He then looked at the other man who had come with them and they walked out to a sitting room.

"What happened?" another new person asked. There was an entire room of them and Ethan swallowed as he realized he was going to have to be the one to tell them.

"The children wanted a weapon no evil could stand against. They were fighting something created by the military but it was so evil it was dangerous and bent on world domination. No weapon they had could touch it so the girl Willow, one who fancies herself a witch, researched a way to summon a weapon. It turned out they needed Ripper....Giles....to do it but did not know why until they did the summoning. No one else could lay hand to the sword. They all tried, the boy who fancies himself a warrior, the Slayer, the Witch. None of them could grasp the sword. Spike almost could but Buffy did not want a vampire using her weapon."

"It was never their weapon," Ares growled. "I sent it for you all to summon me. I was pretty sure I sent instructions on how to use it."

"Oh, I have no doubt you did but you see, Willow, the girl who fancies herself a powerful witch, decided Giles should be their slave so she took the parchment and lost it before anyone could see it. Giles summoned you tonight by accident I'd guess."

"No," Ares said. "I would have gone anyway now that I know what the evil is. Father, Glory is back. She wants the Key that for some reason is in a human body...God Dammit! It's always in non living things because those things do not bleed!"

"So, is Dawn a real person?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," Ares said. "But she isn't Buffy's sister. She belongs to Giles. Dammit, the Way has screwed this to Tartarus as well as everything else!"

Ares waved his hand and brought Dawn, Joyce and Spike to them.

Spike looked confused until he saw the sword by Ares' side and then his face took on a frightened expression.

"He's fine," Ares assured them. "My son is resting. His blood touched the sword, which sped up my preplanned arrival in that cemetery. You have to stay here, all of you, until Glory is dealt with."

"Is Giles the man of War?" Dawn asked softly. "Willow said he was."

"Willow lied," Ares said. "Giles was not the weapon and nor was the sword. -I- am the weapon that was supposed to be summoned in time of great need. Unfortunately, Willow never showed anyone the instructions I sent on how to sue the sword. Especially Not Giles."

"They wanted Giles to be their slave," Joyce whispered. "Dawn, I think you belong to Giles which is why you fought so hard against listening to Buffy. Everything feels wrong about how you came to be with us except one thing, you relate to Giles as your father."

"He is," Ares said. "The Way decided they wanted the Watcher who knows the truth dead so they stripped everything away from him with the monks' spell and gave his daughter to you."

"Can I still call you mommy?" Dawn asked Joyce. Joyce nodded so Dawn hugged her and then looked at Ares. "What about the key energy? Its in me isn't it?"

"Yes," Ares said. "As soon as I get a new container for it, I will remove it. You are safe here though. Glory cannot enter this place."

"Good," Joyce said. "Lord Ares, there are others, Angel and Wesley at least, that should be protected from my daughter. Buffy has gotten unstable and I'm afraid for them."

"As am I," Ares said snapping his fingers to bring them to them.

The two men looked confused until Joyce said it would b explained later.

"Can I go see my daddy?" Dawn asked.

Ares nodded and told Cupid to take her to him. Cupid nodded knowing it was time she saw him anyway.

"He's sleeping," the love god said. "Just curl up right next to him okay?"

Cupid left dawn lying next to her father and then returned to the place where the other gods were planning what to do. This was the last straw. Direct intervention was called for. And by the gods, was it going to happen.

ALIGN="CENTER">END PART 1