Title: War Rises/Sky Falls

Author: Kate R.

Fandoms: Hercules/Buffy/Highlander

Rating PG-13 to R

Pairings: Ares/Joxer, Cordy/Spike, Giles/Ethan, Jenny/Methos

Sequel/Series: Sequel to Beast/War

Summary: They Need War's help again. This time, they make him stay

Disclaimer: No one in this story belongs to me.

War Rises/Sky Falls
By Kate R

The Mayor was a bigger threat than Giles thought he'd be. Not even Jenny seemed able to kill him. The mayor was getting worse in his attacks on people and no one would ever suspect him because he was the Mayor. Giles was tired. It had taken awhile to get energy again after the Glory Mess. And they were still tired in some ways. Giles didn't know what they were going to do.

Jenny couldn't kill him, Darius he was leery of but that only made it dangerous for Darius to be out. He was a Target. Giles sighed and rubbed his head tiredly. He felt Ethan's touch on his shoulder. They'd finally talked everything out and realized they were still deeply in love. Giles leaned into his touch feeling Ethan begin to rub his shoulders. He'd been researching for hours.

"Have you seen Dawn?" Ethan asked. Giles looked up at him in alarm.

"She isn't home yet?" Giles asked. Ethan shook his head and Giles looked out the window. The sun had set. This was bad.

"Let's go find her," he said grabbing his leather jacket. He and Ethan took off, knowing the others were following. Dawn, this late, was a bad sign.

Giles and Ethan walked through the town a fast clip. Where was she?

Dammit, this was bad. Giles was beginning to have a terrible feeling about this. Where was she?

"DAWN!" He shouted as they walked through the streets. "Dawn, where are you?!"

Giles began to feel a sense of foreboding as they walked closer and closer to city hall. If he were right, there would be blood on the ground before this confrontation was over.

"Is she in there, Ethan?" Giles asked. Can you tell?"

"She is," Ethan answered. "And she is very frightened. Do we storm the place?"

"No," Giles said. "We wait."

XX

In the Mayor's office, Dawn sat frightened. She was going to die; she just knew it.

"Arry, where are you?" she whispered as she heard the Mayor coming back. He scared her.

"Well, Miss Dawn," he said pleasantly, "Are you ready to die?"

Dawn paled and tried not to cry. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her tears.

"Well, Miss Dawn?" he asked as he held the knife to her neck and laughed. "Are you ready?"

"No, a dark voice said from behind him, "She most certainly is NOT ready to die."

"Ares!"

"Oh, dear," the Mayor said, going white.

END PART 1