jonathanparagon | (no subject)

(no subject)

[Some hours after this.]

The sun's slanting toward the western horizon by the time he reaches midtown. It's the last stop he's got planned; none of the others, aside from the first one or two to collect supplies, have borne any fruit at all -- and even on those, people who should have recognized him showed no sign of it.

A heavy shutter is halfway down the storefront of Alcina's when he gets there. The sign on the door still reads OPEN, though.

He ducks to look in under the shutter, knocks on the door. Offers Alcina a hopeful smile, when she looks up.

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"Good for you," he says sincerely. "We all need to have interests outside the work."

"Yeah?" Marlie grins at him. "What're yours?"

Kelly sighs again. "You have fun gossiping," she tells Marlie, digging in her pocket for her cellphone. "I'm calling in the report."

Jonathan glances at her before turning his attention back to Marlie. Whatever she might say, at least it can't be bad about him. Probably.

"Magic," he tells the girl. "History and practice, since I was in high school."

Kelly's quickened her pace, walking far enough ahead that they can't really hear each other.

"You're a magician?" Marlie brightens even further. "You should meet our wiccans."

"Yeah?" He grins back. "You mentioned Buffy... where's Willow Rosenberg at these days? I know they were always together back at school."

"You know Ms. Rosenberg too?" Marlie sounds a little breathless with excitement. "She's amazing. I've only ever seen her, back at the Academy -- oh, this one time? The castle was under attack by a witch who raised a horde of Scottish zombies, and Ms. Rosenberg made them all start ballroom dancing instead of fighting. It was so awesome."

Jonathan laughs again, genuinely. "I always knew she was powerful, but that's got style."

"Our wiccans report to her -- I could have Julie tell her you said hi?"

Jonathan waves it off and lies cheerfully. "No need for that, she probably won't remember me. I sort of faded into the background a lot in high school."

"I know what that's like," Marlie says ruefully. "Lucky me, though, I got Slayer powers the week I graduated. So these days when I fade into the background, it's on purpose. And a lot more fun." She grins.

"I bet it is." He grins back, and it's real. "Gotta admit, I thought you were a mundane when you went past me. Even warded you."

"Well, being the decoy is what I do best." Cheerful.

Up ahead, Kelly turns her head and catches Marlie's eye, and jerks her head to one side. Marlie nods, and eels sideways through the other pedestrians, gesturing to Jonathan to follow her.

He does so willingly - he's still not sure where they're going, but wherever it is has to be better than an empty warehouse.

The three wind up in a little alcove between buildings, out of the wind and out of the main flow of foot traffic.

"We're being called back to base," Kelly tells him. "You're welcome to come with."

Jonathan hesitates at that, because there's "better than an empty warehouse", but anyone could be at their base who he doesn't want to run into.

"They don't want you to patrol?"

"We'll find out when we get there," Kelly says, her face stony. "The callback is for change of orders."

He eyes her expression a little nervously, then shakes his head.

"You know, I wouldn't want to impose. Better I find a hotel or something."

Kelly shakes her head. "I'm afraid we're gonna have to insist. Ms. Rosenberg says she remembers you."

Marlie's hand touches Jonathan's shoulder, slides to the back of his neck. There's a sharp sting, and a spreading numbness.

All the laughter and cheer are gone from her voice; instead, there's something like apology. "Told you I was good at being the decoy."

He jerks automatically away from the sting, but it's too late.

He's still trying to turn to look at Marlie when everything goes black.

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