The Mayor was unperturbed by the odd behavior of the demons. In deference to the lack of seating for everyone present, he sat on the edge of his desk, between his nameplate and a display of expensive-looking pens.

“I hope all of you are planning to rock the vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election. I want to bring the sense of community and citizenship we’ve seen here under the sunshade to all of California,” he said, punching the air with an avuncular wink. “Now, what can I do you for? My man up front said you all had some less-than-stellar news for me.”

He seemed to be asking Jonathan directly, his ageless stare affixing Jonathan to the chair he had so grudgingly taken. Jonathan broke out into a cold sweat, feeling like he’d been called on without raising his hand. Had the secretary in the vest communicated to the Mayor that it was Jonathan who had shown Warren’s badge to get them in?

“Mayor Wilkins,” Jonathan said. Movement in the corner of his eye distracted him and he turned in time to see Drusilla creeping behind him. She planted her nose firmly on the top of his head. Her deep inhale ruffled his hair. Jonathan swatted wildly at her, wriggling in his chair but unable to escape. “Stop that! Mister Mayor, it’s about your intern, Warren Mears—”

“He’s dead. And it gets worse,” Anya said, hijacking the Mayor’s focus. “There’s a slayer on the loose, and we’re pretty sure she wants to end existence.”

The group launched into the story of the slayer and the description of the superpowered weapon she’d crafted for herself. No matter how many details of impending doom they added and underlined, the Mayor’s face remained set in an implacable smile.

“With the Marnoxon gem, she can erase any reality with a Black Flame flag just by tapping the gem against the flame,” Anya said.

“And her magical dowsing rod will lead her directly to the flag,” Spike added.

“Tinker, tailor, soldier, slayer,” Drusilla sang in what might have been agreement, running her nails through Andrew’s hair. “Lady, baby, eat her spleen.”

“She could end reality!” Andrew said, cringing away from the vampire woman’s hand. “Like smashing all the servers in the Matrix, but worse, because there’s no real world to wake up to!”

“And we could all die at any moment!” Jonathan concluded. “Unless we find the Black Flame flag and stop her.”

“Now, this is what I love about this town.” The Mayor beamed, opening his arms to gesture at the assembled party. “Vampires and humans and”—his smile strained a bit as he examined Anya—“miscellaneous demons coming together for the common good. You all got concerned enough about one little slayer to band together? Gosh, that just makes my day. I’d love for you to share your story with our media team. It could sway a lot of the undecideds on this whole hell-expansion plan.”

“All due respect, sir,” Angelus said, somehow not managing to sound very respectful at all. “I think that the impending end of existence should take precedence over speaking to your media team.”