Fanfiction: A Tale Of Slayers : Part 9-15
CHAPTER NINE
As Xander and Angel started back to Giles’ office, Xander noticed the message light blinking on the answering machine. He took a closer look at it.
“Uh, Giles,” he said. “You got, like, about twenty messages here.”
“Oh?” Giles, who had just finished putting everything away, stepped out of the office behind the counter. “It must be the Council.” He saw the question on Xander’s face. “Well, when they told me about the new Slayer being called—”
“The conversation was pretty much over for you, huh?” The Watcher nodded a bit sheepishly. “You hung up on them. You the man, Giles. Not afraid to let the bosses know who’s more important.”
“I appreciate your approval of my rebelliousness, but it does reflect rather poorly in the eyes of the Council.”
“Uh-huh,” the teenager nodded gravely. “But until I see any of the Tweed of the Round Table down here giving us a hand in the battle with the dark side, a Watcher’s gotta do what a Watcher’s gotta do.”
Giles narrowed his eyebrows, not sure whether to be offended or thank the young man. “Yes. Well, we do need to begin our research. I’ll check in with the Council. They must be informed of what happened to the new Slayer. Angel, you should be all right if you stay close to my office and out of the direct light. But in a couple of hours you may want to retreat to the basement.”
“Thanks, I’ll be fine, Giles,” the vampire assured him.
“Very well. Xander go grab the volumes of Dramius, he does have writings about the Order of Taraka. Bring a few for Angel. Maybe this isn’t the first time Faith’s demon has dealt with them.”
Xander crossed the library to retrieve the books and Giles stepped into his office closing the door. He lifted the phone and dialed a very long distant number. It only rang once when a woman’s voice answered.
“Hello, how may I help you?”
“This is Rupert Giles, uh,” he thought for just a second. “The code word is `giraffe.’ G-I-R—”
“Yes, Mr. Giles,” the woman interrupted. “Mr. Travers has been expecting your call.”
“Quentin Travers?”
“One moment, sir, while I transfer your call.”
The line was reconnected before Giles could say anything. It began ringing, but after the third ring was picked up.
“Rupert Giles?” the gruff voice asked.
“Yes, sir. I apologize it took so long in reporting in, but I had to see to the well being of my Slayer.”
“Mr. Giles,” Travers said sternly. “Your Slayer is dead. Or, at least, one of them is. A terrible lost to be sure.”
He was taken aback by the callousness of the older man’s words. Giles wondered, briefly, if he had ever sounded like that when he had first met Buffy. He dearly hoped not. Giles said, “I don’t mean to disappoint you, Mr. Travers, but I assure you both of my Slayers are alive and in reasonably good health.”
“That cannot be possible,” Travers insisted.
“No, there is no mistake. They are both with me now.”
“Mr. Giles, we have confirmed that the next Slayer has been activated.”
“Yes, sir, of course. Actually, it would be most helpful if you can provide me with as much information as you can about this new Slayer?”
“I’m sure you are aware that knowledge of the Slayer is on a need to know basis?”
“Yes, I do indeed.” Giles was starting to feel a little impatient. “However, I think you’ll agree with me when I tell you that this is an extraordinary situation.”
“How so?”
“Because, she is here in Sunnydale, right now. And she has been turned into a vampire.”
“That cannot be possible.”
“I’m afraid it is, Mr. Travers,” Giles continued sternly. “Now, please. The Slayers are going to have to face this creature and she’s a Slayer and vampire combined. She is stronger and faster than either of them, and she withstood a stake to the heart. Tell me what I need to know, sir.”
Willow and Faith had discovered no new injuries as they helped Buffy shower. Now she was sitting on a bench in the girl’s locker room, hovering just between sleep and consciousness, while Willow tended to her. She had helped Buffy get dressed into some gray cargo pants and a dark blue sleeveless top. Willow had the top pulled up over the Slayer’s midriff as she applied a fresh bandage to her stitches. She was back in the same clothes she arrived in, although her hair was still wet.
Not far from them, Faith had finished slipping into a pair of one of Buffy’s baggier sweat pants, which fit her a little snugly. She also put on a pair of tennis shoes she happened to `find’ in one of the lockers. “B’s clothes fit a little tight,” she commented, pulling on a white tank top. “Good thing she has a bigger butt or these wouldn’t even fit.”
Buffy stirred slightly, her eyes opening halfway. “Hey, did she just say something I need to kick her ass for?”
“Uh, no,” Willow said, giving the brunette a stern look. Faith smiled back with a tilt of her head. “She said you both wear the same size.”
Faith rolled her eyes and was about to put on a sweat shirt jacket when Willow noticed something. “Faith, when did you get that tattoo?”
“What do you mean?” She turned to show her right arm displaying her barbed wire tattoo. “I’ve had this one for a long time.”
“I know about that one. I mean that one.”
Faith saw where the redhead was pointing and looked at her left arm. And her blood ran cold. “Son of a bitch!” she shouted. Then she hurled her left fist into the door of the nearest locker and effectively caved it in.
The crash almost made Willow jump out of her skin. Even Buffy jumped, then held a hand to her head. “Oww!” she whined.
“Faith, what’s wrong?” she tried to call out, but the Slayer was already running full steam out of the locker room.
Xander brought a few more books over to the counter, where Angel, on the other side, was still scanning through one of the Dramius volumes. Giles was in his office still on the phone talking to the Watcher’s Council, he supposed. He idly wondered who those guys really were. A secret society of a bunch of British, tweed-wearing men and women who were fated with the training and guiding of the world’s Slayers. Why is it that the good guys are always out-numbered, he thought. He looked at Angel. But, then again, the home team does have its share of unusual players also.
“So, you guys are pretty sure that this new vampire is the next Slayer?” he asked.
“That’s what it sounds like. I haven’t seen it myself, but it is very powerful.” The vampire only glanced up before turning the page. “There’re not many demons that can overmatch Buffy like that.”
Angel sounded worried. But then, Xander could not remember a time when the vampire didn’t sound worried when it concerned a certain blonde Slayer. He opened his book but didn’t look in it. “Faith seems to be a very good Slayer.”
“She definitely knows how to fight,” Angel commented.
“But I doubt we’ll be able to stop this thing without Buffy.”
Angel looked at Giles through the glass door to his office. “I’m sure Giles is getting more information from this `Watcher’s Council’ on this new Slayer. Hopefully there’ll be something useful we can use against her.”
“Yeah. He’s really thrown himself into research mode with a vengeance. He’s become Super Watcher. But he’s not looking too good. He still looks better than Buffy, though.”
“He’s had a rough night. Several hours ago he was told one of his Slayers was dead. He finds her alive but then his other Slayer is nearly killed. And now we’re faced with a demon more powerful than both Slayers. Not to mention its master—”
Xander raised his hands. “Okay! Okay! I get the picture. You don’t have to be so dramatic! Sheesh.”
“Sorry. Must be my honed brooding skills.” The teen gave him an exasperated look, not sure whether it was for the vampire’s off-handishness or the fact he tried to make a joke. “I’m just saying: it’s a lot for one person, even one as reserved as Giles, to deal with in such a short time.”
Genuine concern filled Xander’s voice. “I don’t think he’s ever seen Buffy like this. She’s been roughhoused before, but this one was particularly brutal. I was there when Buffy and Faith went at it that time she tried to kill you.”
“But they weren’t trying to kill each other.”
“So this is what happens when two Slayers go at it in a no-holds-barred-winner-take-the-title fight?”
“It’s going to be even worse, next time.”
“But next time, we’ll be there to help her.”
“That’s right—” Angel trailed off. He was looking at Xander’s book. “What’s that?”
“What?” Angel pointed to the open page. “Whoa. How do vampires say `cha-ching!’ Here’s our demon.”
“We can’t be sure until Faith can confirm this.”
Xander started reading. At least the passages that were in English. “Well look. It says something about a faceless demon or a demon with no distinguishable features.”
Angel turned the book so they could both see it. “`The ability to control its minions.’ Faith did say the demon had some kind of control over the Slayer Vampire. We may have a match. We need to tell Giles.”
“Mr. Giles, when this unfortunate business is settled please give me another call with your full report,” Quentin Travers said.
“Of course,” Giles replied. “This is a rather unprecedented scenario. And I do appreciate all the information, sir.”
“Tell me, Mr. Giles. I understand it will be Miss Summers’ birthday very soon. Her 18th birthday, I believe.”
Surprised by the sudden change of subject, Giles answered, “Uh, yes, sir. It will indeed.”
“Good,” Travers said. “We’ll have much to discuss when you call. Good luck, Mr. Giles.”
Before he could say anything, the line was disconnected. Giles frowned at the phone for just a moment before hanging it up. Whatever it was, he was sure it could wait til later. He slid his glasses back on, which he hadn’t been aware he had removed during the phone call, and stepped out of his office. Angel and Xander were looking at him expectantly.
“Received some rather interesting news from the Council. It appears—”
He was cut off when the swinging doors of the library burst open with a very amissed Slayer charging into the room.
“Giles! We got trouble!” Faith’s expression silenced the three men at the counter and she marched right up to it and slammed her left elbow on top.
“Faith?” Giles said, uncertainly.
“This is how that bastard was able to stop my heart!” They all leaned in to examine the weird tattoo design on her upperarm. “I saw the same tat on the Slayer vamp. When it tried to bite me the demon did something and its tattoo flared up and burned it.”
“The tattoo?” he asked. Faith nodded.
“That would concur with what we found,” Angel said.
Xander slid the book across to Faith. “Does this guy look familiar to you, Faith?”
The brunette looked at the open page and her eyes widened. “Son of a bitch! Who is this guy?” she demanded.
“My Latin is a little rusty—”
“The Faceless One,” Angel supplied.
“The Faceless One?” Giles said. “Let me see that.” He read over the page quickly, then, in a whisper, said, “Oh dear.”
Xander and Faith said, in unison, “I hate when you say that.” They exchanged a knowing look.
“If I’m right, we may be in more trouble than I thought.” The Watcher quickly disappeared back into his office.
Waiting, Xander leaned over the counter and saw Giles picking up books and flipping through pages.
“Well? Giles, what gives?”
“Ah,” Giles said, and emerged with another book. “Here we are.” He set the book on the counter and the other three tried to see what he was looking at. But then he raised his eyes to address them in a somber voice. “The, uh, Faceless One is Oranstine.”
“Oran?” Angel asked.
“The demon you guys let go, last night?” asked Faith.
“Are you sure?” Angel again.
Giles glanced down at the book again. “If this information is accurate, and I believe it is, the Two-Faced Demon is also know as He Without a Face' or theFaceless One.”
Xander spoke up. “Then why is it called the Two-Faced Demon if he doesn’t have a face?”
“Oran is a shapeshifter,” Angel said.
“So he can appear as anyone or anything?” Faith asked.
“But the Watchers were not aware of its shapechanging abilities, at least, not that my research had uncovered,” Giles said.
“So, I take it,” Xander said, “the faceless thing is his true form.”
“It would appear so.” The Watcher looked at Angel. “Angel?”
“I’ve never seen Oran in her true form. But why would Oran send us to her hideout?”
“Her?” Faith asked.
“The Oranstine we met last night was a woman,” Giles told her.
“Oh.” Faith gave the vampire a meaningful look.
“Faith,” Giles chided.
The Slayer looked at him innocently. “What? I didn’t say anything.”
Giles went on. “But that is a valid point. Why would the demon lead us to—” He trailed off as something occurred to him. He removed his glasses. “Unless—”
“To lure us into a trap,” Angel finished.
“That creature did almost kill Buffy,” Xander said. “And Angel got into a rumble with a few of his brethren.”
“But that was a pretty lame-ass ambush, if you ask me,” Faith offered. “True, the Slayer vamp is one tough cookie; and this Oran did mention she wasn’t up to her full strength yet, but still. Why didn’t they gang-bang in force.”
“Maybe they didn’t have the numbers needed for a coordinated attack,” Giles said.
“I doubt that, Giles,” Faith said. “On my way out, I got in two confirmed kills, but there were at least ten more of them. And that’s not counting our fanged girl and Angel’s friend.”
“And I happened upon the three I met while they were hunting. They weren’t expecting me.”
“And the creature did say its master didn’t want her facing Buffy.” Giles was worrying one of the tips of his glasses against his lip as he thought. “I don’t think the objective was to kill us.”
“Then what was the objective?” Xander asked.
“I wish I knew.”
They were all silent, in pondering thought. Giles focused on Angel when the vampire tensed just slightly. When he saw his eyes, Giles knew he had just thought of something he did not like. “Angel?”
Angel looked at him as if debating on whether or not to tell them. He looked at the others one by one, unsure.
“What is it?” Giles prompted.
“We were all separated,” he finally said. “Alone.”
“What does that—” Giles trailed off as understanding swept through him.
Xander got it too. “And Oran is a shapeshifter.” He looked over the people he was with. “Why do I suddenly feel that one of us isn’t really here?”