slayers_desire | its a tourist trap

"Mine's already quite strong," he says, in apparent agreement. And in a bit of subtle support for April, that he's still believing in her.

"We would need to be released."

He won't attack. You have his respect.

Clark steps forward, and breaks the bond between the melted metal and the floor, freeing Adam effortlessly with his bare hands. "Release the woman," he says to April. Here we go. Keep a close eye on their thoughts if you can. This might get ugly.

Concentrating on releasing her psychic hold, the woman drops to the ground at Clarks control. Adam stands effortlessly, and looks away as the woman struggles to get up.

"We travel to the Castel Sant'Angelo. There is an underground tunnel that leads to it in this facility." He moves aside the table where he had worked on the woman to reveal a sewer grate, that is coded with a computer lock. It doesn't take Adam long to open it.

The woman is soon at his side. He glances at her. "Soon, you won't even have to struggle to earn your place beside me."

((bed time))

"Convenient," is all Clark has to say about that. Finally, they're getting to where they need to be. The only question is when to reveal what they're really here for. He doesn't want to put anyone else at risk by showing their hand too early.

As they move into the underground tunnel, April remembers something. When I went to the future, and future me came to the past, we both had to deal with the Seven chosen by the Third Evil. Adam was the Sin of Pride. It is no wonder that he seeks perfection so passionately.

How do we defeat Pride?

Humility? Clark guesses.

We will have to look for opportunities to use humility and defeat him. It will be difficult, until they reach their destination. Having to follow Adam through the underground tunnel system.

I don't even know what that might mean. Most of the time when Clark faces a threat like this, it's combat practicality that wins the day. But he's willing to be adaptable, and is going to rely on April's judgment to know what's best.

While they walk, Clark keeps a close eye on Adam and his companion.

The woman does display affaction towards Adam, which he either ignores or brushes off. He embodies the true sense of pride. Prideful of himself.

He glances back at Clark, to check on their new allie.

Clark keeps his expression level, as emotionless as possible, not giving away anything. This is going to be tough.

Their journey comes to a finish when Adam reaches the sewer entranced into the historic Medieval fortress. They enter into darkness, and it is difficult to see around the basement of the castle.

They are in the dungeons. April gets an uncomfortable feeling about the whole situation. She fights back memories of being in a torture room of a different castle.

"Our captives are right over here." Adam brings them to a private area. An unconscious Buffy lays on a rack, bond and gagged. And bruised and bleeding. There is no sign of Spike however, but a muffled groan from a nearby Iron Maiden reveals where he is kept.

Clark scans Buffy, and then the iron maiden containing Spike to assess their injuries, using his x-ray vision. To someone who doesn't know he can see through things, it looks like he's just looking around. "Kind of antiquated, don't you think?"

"Some designs still work quite adequately." Adam smiles at Clark's comment. Approving the seeking of perfection again.

Buffy's Slayer abilities means her body is healing, though some damage has been repeated because of those abilities. It appears the same is true to Spike, who is constantly being injured by the Iron Maiden, and healing again.

"And here I thought 'adequate' wasn't perfect." Clark's turning it around on him now, not openly hostile, but angling towards using his hubris against him. Adam isn't just pride, he's arrogance.

There is a notation of frustration. And despite her obvious uncomfort in this situation, April senses something. That is perfect Clark. Prove him fallible to defeat him

I will deal with his partner in crime.

Emboldened by knowing he's on the right track, Clark continues. "You claim to be striving for perfection, but you're still rooted in the past. Ignoring new innovations to dwell in the past."

"And what sort of innovations would you used?" Adam challenges Clark. April meanwhile moves so she is placed closer to the female.

The darkness in this place is almost overwhelming. The dead spirits, smelling the blood from Buffy and Spike, her own memories of torture. She has to keep strong in the face of danger.

"I wouldn't. I would accept that there's no such thing as real perfection. That people are perfect the way they are, with all their flaws. And you will never be perfect."

The enraged Adam and he comes in close. "Those who claim perfection can't be completed are denying themselves. I have no flaws."

The female fidgets, and April smiles. "That is not what your female thinks."

Adam turns to face her and the woman. His anger is directed at April. "Shut up!"

Clark doesn't flinch when Adam approaches, knowing that he can't hurt him. "Anger's a pretty big flaw, you know. If you really were perfect and you knew that, why would you get so defensive?"

He's even more assured when April relays his companion's thoughts. "We're not the only ones who see it."

Perfect no more, Adam gives a strangled scream, and the woman quickly kneels to the floor and covers her ears. Adam decides to charge April, thinking it would be the one thing they would not expect of him.

April however sensed the attack, and quickly erected a psychic shield that Adam bounced off of in anger.

Clark makes a reflexive movement to grab Adam before he can hurt April, but relaxes when he sees she's got it covered. "We overpowered you. Outsmarted you. And we're not perfect either. What does that mean for you?"

There is a flicker of light that surrounds Adam for a moment, but then it is gone as he charges Clark. "You won't win this time."

"Wrong again." Clark blurs out of the way rather than attack, letting Adam's rage get the better of him.

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