Fanfiction: A Tale Of Slayers : Finale
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Buffy brought the jeep to a stop in front of the docks and the Slayers got out. Buffy was holding a battle ax and Faith brought out a bat with a large fisherman’s hook at the head. They stepped out in front of the jeep as the Citroen pulled up beside it. Giles, Angel, Willow, and Xander piled out and joined them. Beyond the large stacks of crates they saw a frigate docked with its gangplank leading up to the old ship.
“Is that it?” Faith asked.
“Yes,” Giles nodded.
“Okay. You guys stay behind us,” Buffy said.
She and Faith walked side by side as they crossed to the concrete surface of the docks. The large crates were forming an artificial canyon around them and the back of Buffy’s neck started to tingle.
“This would be a good place for an ambush,” Faith voiced her thought.
The ship was still in sight and about a hundred yards away, but they were in the middle of the gorge now.
Still watchful of the shadows around them, Buffy said, “Do you feel—”
“Like we’re being watched?” Faith finished.
“Yeah.”
“Buffy,” Angel said. “We’re being followed.”
“We know,” she said, without looking back. “How many?”
“I make out three, but they’re pretty far back still.”
“Now we have three in front,” Faith said.
Three shadowy figures had stepped into view at the mouth of the passage. They were broad and built, two of them were holding clubs that Buffy found familiar, and the third was holding what looked like a machete.
“I was wondering where our girl was keeping these guys,” Faith said. Buffy glanced at Faith. “I ran into some of them while I was in the cave. They try to disguise themselves as human but they do a lousy job.”
Buffy stopped as the three got closer and she was starting to make out their inhuman features. “It looks like they got over their shyness.” Then she got a clearer look at them and her eyes widened. “I know these guys.”
“You do?” Faith asked.
“From where?” Giles asked from behind.
“During my time when I was … `away’. Remember, I told you about that dimension I was sucked into where those guys were kidnapping homeless kids to make them slaves?”
“These are they?”
“I doubt they’re the same guys but they’re definitely from the same demonic family tree.”
“Who cares?” Faith put in. “We can kill them, that’s all that matters.”
“And their buddies behind us are getting closer,” Xander informed them.
“Keep moving forward,” Buffy said, and the group started walking again.
Giles was right behind Faith and Angel was behind Buffy, both had their hands behind their backs, with Willow and Xander bringing up the rear. The three creatures behind them had started to jog after them to close the distant, but the three in front were still closer and they started to charge the group. Buffy and Faith didn’t stop but they brought their weapons up, ready to meet the attack.
“Now!” Faith shouted.
She and Buffy smoothly separated from each other allowing Giles and Angel to step out between them, and the Watcher and vampire brought out crossbows from behind their backs and released at the same time. Two of the goons were suddenly lying on the concrete with crossbow bolts protruding from their chests. The third inhuman only had two seconds to look upon its fallen comrades before he looked down at his own chest to see the hilt of the small dagger Faith had thrown. Then it, too, collapsed to the ground.
“You two get going!” Giles told his Slayers, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. “We’ll handle the rest.”
“Right.” Buffy tossed her battle ax and Giles caught it and turned with Angel to face the other three demons. “Faith.”
“Heads up, Xand,” the brunette tossed him the hooked bat and the teenager caught it. Angel had handed his crossbow to Willow and she was pulling out another bolt, from Giles’ weapon bag on her shoulder, to reload it.
The Slayers hurried off toward the ship again, picking up the dead demons’ weapons. Buffy had a club with studded metal spikes, and Faith had the machete. They were out in the open now and the others were lost in the shadows between the crate walls. Buffy hated leaving them behind like this but Oranstine and the Slayer Vampire were even more dangerous and she definitely did not want them facing either of them.
They did not run into any more thugs, so hopefully Oran had finally run out of them. They reached the gangplank and Faith charged up first, but she paused on the top deck to wait for Buffy, weapon held ready, scanning for danger. The ship looked deserted.
“This is the part I hate,” Buffy whispered.
“C’mon, B. This is the most exciting part. The anticipation,” Faith said. “Should we split up?”
“No. The only way we’re gonna beat these two is if we stay together.”
“She’s really that good?” Faith asked.
“I hate to admit it.”
“Only the fact that this chick is invulnerable is what makes her so tough. We get rid of Oran and we should be able to take her down.”
They started moving toward the back, looking in through the port holes of the closed doors as they passed. “I just hope we don’t have to fight them both at the same time,” Buffy said.
“If we do, you just keep fang-girl busy and I’ll handle Oran. She’s all mine.”
They came to the access hatch leading to the lower decks. Buffy reached for the handle and met Faith’s eyes. She nodded that she was ready and Buffy jerked the hatch up. They gazed down the steep stairs leading into a narrow corridor filled with shadows. It looked empty.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Faith said.
“On the count of—”
Faith stepped out over the hatchway and dropped inside.
“—three,” Buffy said, to no one.
She quickly dropped down to the corridor behind the brunette. Faith was already opening cabin doors on both sides of the hall.
“Faith, slow down!” Buffy hissed.
“C’mon, we don’t want them to get away, do we?” she replied.
Before Buffy could say anything else, she was cut off when a voice came from up ahead of them.
“Oh, would you two knock it off, already!”
They exchanged another look then walked purposefully to the open portal at the end of the hall. It opened into the cargo hold. There were only a few boxes and small crates stacked along the walls, but for the most part, it was empty. That is, except for the table to one side and the weary looking figure of a man tied to a chair. Oh, and the Slayer Vampire standing right behind him.
They stepped through the portal and stood side by side, weapons held ready.
The young vampire who used to be Noriko Amano smiled pleasantly at them. She had changed out of the street clothes she had been wearing when Buffy had fought her, probably because they had been drenched in the creature’s; and some of Buffy’s; blood, and was now uniformed in the trademark jacket and attire of one of Oran’s minions.
“Welcome. It’s a pleasure to see you both again. How’s your side, Buffy?”
“Screw you,” Buffy hissed.
Faith glanced at her partner, surprised at the sudden anger coming from the blonde. But then again, getting your ass kicked can cause a little resentment, she thought. The Slayer Vampire continued to smile. From the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a stake. The sharp tip was stained red. With blood. With Buffy’s blood, Faith realized. The vampire brought the tip under her nose and closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply. With a sigh of pleasure, she opened her eyes again and looked straight at the blonde Slayer.
“You have no idea how hungry you’re making me feel right now, just looking at you.”
“You want to try the diet plan I have for you?” Buffy replied. She took a step to her right and Faith took her cue to step to the left and they started to circle round the vamp’s position.
“Uh-uh, none of that.” The vampire pressed the tip of the stake over the man’s heart, wrapping her free hand around his throat.
The Slayers stopped where they were.
“Who is he?” Faith asked.
“He’s her Watcher,” Buffy answered. To the man, she said, “Wallace?”
“Yes,” he managed to say around the vampire’s grip. “Please, stop her. Don’t let her go on like this.”
The Slayer Vampire faked sorrow. “Wallace, you know you hurt me when you say things like that. I’m still your Slayer.” She released his throat and caressed the top of her hand against his cheek. The Watcher closed his eyes and a tear ran down his other cheek. “And soon you will be my Watcher again. A Slayer cannot be without her Watcher.” She looked at Buffy again. “This one knows exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t you, Slayer?”
Faith saw Buffy swallow hard and she fought to keep her voice steady. “Let him go. This is between us.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Why haven’t you already turned him into a vampire?” Faith asked.
The vampire finally looked at Faith. “The master would not allow it. She feared that I was too emotionally attached to him, and if I sired him it may interfere with the master’s mark.” She nodded toward her left arm where her tattoo was hidden under the jacket. “But I couldn’t let him be killed.”
“But you’re planning on turning him anyway?” this from Buffy.
“Yes. But the only way I can do that is if the master is dead.”
“So why don’t you kill her?” Faith snapped.
“You know as well as I do that we cannot kill the master. Although, now, you can it seems.”
“What do you mean?”
“As soon as your connection with the master was broken, she knew about it.” The vampire smiled at the memory. “Oh, she was pisssssed. The first human Slayer under her control and she thought she had lost you. But then the connection was re-established, for just a couple of minutes, and she realized that she was only being blocked out by an outside source of magic.”
Faith and Buffy looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. Willow’s protection spell. Faith willed herself not to look down at the leather pouch hanging against her chest, partially hidden by her half-zipped sweat shirt.
“Why don’t you just take your Watcher and run?” Buffy said, to change the subject.
“I would if I could. But there is a range to the master’s mark, sort of like a leash. You can only travel so far before something inside you starts screaming at you to return.”
“Really?” Faith said. “I never felt anything like that.”
“That’s because you did not have the mark long enough. That’s why the master had you locked up. It takes about a day for the mark to integrate completely with you. I suppose you already know the mark makes you invulnerable?” At Faith’s expression, her smile grew wider. “That’s one of its first benefits. But if the magic that is blocking the master from you is removed now, you will not be able to refuse her when she calls you. And the closer you are the more control the master will have over you.”
Something finally clicked inside Buffy and her voice was full of dread when she spoke. “Where is Oranstine now?”
“Why, she went out with everyone else to go find you two.” She looked at them with innocent eyes. “Didn’t you see her?”
“Faith, let’s go!” Buffy turned toward the portal.
“What!?” Faith exclaimed. “We’re just going to leave?”
“Oranstine’s our real threat right now. Besides, we can’t kill her while Oran’s still alive.” She looked at the Slayer Vampire once more. “Aren’t you worried that you might die when we kill your master?”
The vampire seemed to consider this for a moment. Then she shrugged, nonchalantly. “I’m a vampire. I’m already dead.”
Buffy glared at her for a moment then looked at the Watcher. “We’ll be back, I promise.” She whirled around and strode out of the cargo hold. Faith followed her. Buffy started to run.
“B, what’s the hurry?” Faith asked.
“Oranstine knows that Willow was the one who cast the protection spell,” she said, as they climbed up the stairs to the top deck. “She was the vampire who got away!”