Fanfiction: A Tale Of Slayers : Part 1-5
Before…
Rupert Giles dropped the phone and slammed his hand on the cradle, disconnecting the line, as he grabbed up the receiver again. Frantically, he dialed in the number he knew better than his own home number and was whispering a single word over and over as he listened to the line ringing on the other end.
“Please, please, please, please…..”
He stopped abruptly as the line was picked up. “Hello! Joyce! It’s Giles…. Yes, I’m terribly sorry to call at such, uh, an inappropriate time, but there is some what of an emergency and I really need to speak to Buffy. What? She isn’t home? No, no! I knew she would be patrolling late tonight, I apologize. I, uh, should have remembered. Oh, no! Nothing to worry about, I’m meeting her here in the morning. What? No, no, I’m at the library. Yes, I’m afraid I had to pull an all niter but there really is no cause for alarm. No, it can wait a few hours. Sorry to wake you, goodnight.”
As soon as he replaced the receiver it was back against his ear again and he was practically pounding the numbers now. He just stood there, in his office, eyes darting around but he was seeing nothing as he was totally focused on the ringing on the other end.
“Please, be there, Faith….”
Then he froze when a recording cut in: “We’re sorry, the number you have reached is no longer in—”
He dropped the receiver but missed the cradle and it fell to the floor allowing the emotionless recording to continue, but Giles was already out of his office having grabbed his coat and was walking determinedly out of the library when the double doors opened.
He froze once more.
“Hey, Giles,” Buffy Summers said as she walked to him. “I was finishing my patrol when I saw the light in your office still on so decided to check in. I’m afraid there was no sign of Tangerine—”
“Oranstine,” Giles corrected automatically, staring at her with wide eyes.
“Listerine, whatever. Anyway he was a no show, but there was a stray vampire that I took care of. I think I may have broken my previous time on fastest vampire kill, so be sure to put that in your journal so you can shove it in the faces of all the other Watchers in the Watchers old folks home— and why are you staring? Do I still have ash on my face?”
Giles let out his breath and embraced her in a huge hug, much to Buffy’s surprise. “Oh, thank God.” But before the Slayer could overcome her confusion, Giles drew away from her, a hand covering his face. “Oh, God!”
“Giles, what is it?” Buffy demanded, unnerved at seeing the tears in his eyes he was trying to hide. He suddenly seemed very weak and Buffy actually held on to his arm and guided him to the table. Somehow she was able to get him to a chair before he collapsed.
“Giles, you just succeeded in scaring me more in ten seconds then even the Master was able to,” she commented.
He now had both hands covering his face and Buffy could tell he was trying to collect himself, not wanting to fall completely apart in front of his Slayer. His glasses were askew over his fingers and she slipped them off, folding them carefully, holding them for him. She felt like pleading, or yelling at him, to tell her what was causing him so much pain. She hadn’t seen him this way since Ms. Calendar…..
“What happened?” she whispered.
“The, uh, Council…” he began, looking up at her.
“Watcher old guys,” she nodded her understanding, urging him to go on.
“They just informed me that, uh,” he cleared his throat. “That the next….. Slayer has just been called.”
Silence settled between them as his words sank in. It was broken by a small shattering noise that sounded loud in the quiet library, but neither of them noticed the twisted wire frame and bits of glass Buffy was holding in her clenched fist.
“But, if the next Slayer has been called,” she said numbly.
“And then when I saw you….” he trailed off. He steeled himself as he said, “Faith is dead.”
With a great gasp, Faith took in a harsh lungful of air. She was unable to release it for a moment and when she finally did it came out as a ravaged cough. Her insides were burning as she labored for another breath and continued to cough. Her eyes were open but the racking heaves kept darkness dancing in front of her vision. Then she became aware of someone stroking a hand over her hair.
“There, there, now,” she heard a voice say. “You’re okay. Everything is fine. Shhhhhh……”
For a while Faith just didn’t move. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to clear them, but the darkness would not go away. This frightened her. She did not understand why but she suddenly needed to be in the light, the sun, some place where she could feel warmth on her skin. She realized she was shivering and curled up on whatever surface she was laying on. It was smooth and hard and cold beneath her. So very cold.
She opened her mouth to say something, anything to confirm to herself that she was alive. Why was that suddenly so important to her? She heard a low guttural moan and a second later realized it was coming from her.
Squeezing her eyes shut, releasing tears, she whimpered; something she had swore to herself long ago she would never do, and could not stop. But she managed to but anger into her sobs, the rage she always kept simmering under the surface, where it shielded and protected her. It was gone when she had awakened.
Awaken? Somehow she didn’t think she had just been pulled from a deep sleep. No. Something had happened to her. Something bad, she just knew. But now that she had found her fire again she held onto it, tightly, desperately, as if her life depended on it. Which, for some reason, she knew it did.
She felt the hand still stroking her hair gently. She flinched, but there was no strength in her movements. She felt completely drained, she felt— she felt dead.
“Shhhhh,” the soft voice was saying. “You are safe, little one. There is nothing to fear now.”
The voice, that of a stranger, calmed her. Faith stopped moving and just laid there, curled tight, but could not stop shivering.
“….cold….” she said, weakly in a voice she hardly recognized as her own.
The hand stopped stoking her hair, which she instantly missed, and a moment later something thick and warm was spread over her body. The hand returned to stroking her hair and she was glad.
Faith struggled to compose herself; Giles would laugh if he knew that, she thought. She needed to take in her surroundings, find out where she was, what had happened to her, and what to do once she accomplished the first three.
Her Slayer senses were slowly coming back to her, if not her strength; nor the warmth to her body, but she sensed something very close. Something very dark. Was in fact Darkness, not the absence of light, the Darkness the Slayer Handbook spoke so often about. And it frightened her, frightened her in a way she had not felt since Kakistos had been after her. A darkness she had just been pulled from. Thankfully, she had no recollection of being in the Darkness but that did little to comfort her.
Faith opened her eyes again and found she could see. Her vision was blurry but quickly began to clear and her keen sight kicked in. She was in some sort of chamber. It had no real walls, its sides were made out of rock, like inside a cave. There were even torches ablazed on each side, but the chamber remained in a deathly gloom with deep shadows.
She turned her gaze up at the person who continued to stroke her hair. The person was wearing a dark robe with a wide hood, which, thanks to the shadows, hid the face completely from Faith.
“Where…..” she began, her voice still very weak.
The person’s other hand came to Faith’s mouth and pressed a delicate finger to her lips. “Shhhh. Child. No questions. All will be as it was when you wake up.”
“I…” the young Slayer struggled. “…don’t want….sleep…”
“Yes, you must, child. You need your rest.”
“No….” Faith desperately needed to get up. She knew that she must not remain here. But her strength was gone. She could hardly raise her head and the robed figure easily, but gently, kept her from moving.
She stopped her struggles when a piercing scream shattered through the chamber. The robed figure quickly moved away from Faith, turning its back to her and the Slayer saw it approach another table several feet away from the one she was on. There was someone lying on it. She tried to raise herself again, but only managed to lift her head a few inches from the hard surface.
Faith saw it was a young girl, her age, probably a year younger. She watched as the robed figure did the same hair stroking comforting to the girl, whispering softly to her. Faith wondered what had happened to her? Why were they both in this dingy place? They must be underground or in one of the many networks of caves surrounding the outskirts of Sunnydale. The girl looked to be in pain and she continued to scream. Fortunately, for the girl, it seemed that the pain lessened, for her screams began to fade. She settled back flat on the table but kept making a hissing sound through her teeth, as if fighting against something, something only she could see under her closed eyes.
Faith’s heart caught in her throat as the girl suddenly growled, a nocturnal sound she was all too familiar with, that she heard quite often during her patrols and in her dreams at night. And her Slayer sense confirmed it as well.
The girl was a vampire.
But she didn’t feel like any vampire Faith had ever sensed before. Maybe it was because she was so weak, but there was something about this vampire that was extremely…..not right.
But whatever she was, she was a vampire and Faith needed to get out of there now!
Adrenaline moving like molasses through her veins, it still gave her the strength to push herself up from the table — and fall to a heap on the ground. The robed figure whirled around as Faith untangled herself from the thick blanket, but she was not moving fast enough! The robed figure called out across the chamber and two more figures hurried into the room from an entrance Faith could not see. They were tall and built, like any good goon squad, but she could sense they were not vampire. She wasn’t about to call them human, but she was sure they were not vampires.
Kicking the blanket away, just as the first one reached her, she used the same kick to connect with his kneecap. But, despite her Slayer strength, the kick was too weak to elicit more than a grunt from him and they reached down and effortlessly pulled her up.
“Lemme go….” she tried to shout, but her voice was still weak as well. “Bastards! What did you do to me?”
Securely restrained, the guards were just as much keeping her on her feet since they felt like jelly and could hardly hold her weight. The robed figure turned to face the Slayer pulling the hood back to reveal itself. Faith tried to contain the gasp that sprang from her lungs.
“Why,” the figure began, “we just completed an experiment, my young Slayer.”
Struggling, more for show than anything else, Faith seethed, “Why do all you evil types gotta talk like the Emperor from Star Wars?”
The figure laughed. “All you Slayers. You are so much alike. So young, so head-strong, so fragile.” The last it said with a sneer. “But now things will be different.” It stepped aside, waving an open hand toward the young vampire on the table. “The experiment was a success.”
Faith looked at the young vampire. She knew the vamp was newly raised but she was still receiving funky vibes from it. She just didn’t know what to make of it all. The vampire sat up and its eyes focused on Faith and there was a — power; Faith could call it nothing else, behind those eyes. Vampires all had the same animal tinted gleam that glistened from their hunger, even the soul-ridden Angel had that gleam. But there was something added to that gaze in this vampire’s eyes, something that made Faith even more afraid. Somehow she knew she had the answer, but she refused to let herself see it. Instead she turned to the robed figure.
“What have you done?” she demanded.
It smiled at her and said, “My dear Vampire Slayer, meet our Vampire Slayer.”
CHAPTER ONE
Next……………..
“Faith!” Buffy called, as she rushed into Faith’s motel room. The door was unlocked, as it usually was, considering Faith thought of herself as her own security system. Or maybe she just lost the key, Buffy thought.
Giles was right behind her and they made a quick sweep of the small room, Buffy the obvious choice to check the bathroom. She joined Giles once more to see him standing by the bed holding up the ripped cord of the phone line. Their eyes met for a contemplating moment before he let the cord drop and they surveyed the room again, more thoroughly.
The bed was a shambles, but Buffy did not know if that was normal of Faith, and the rest of the room did not say much as if a struggle took place here recently. But the dead phone spoke volumes.
“Some one was in here.” Giles finally said.
“But who?” Buffy asked. She knew they were both thinking the same things, after two years they had developed a certain level of understanding; at least in situations like this, anyway. But voicing those thoughts often let them see things from different angles.
“Vampires?” Giles offered.
“No ashes,” she answered, even though that was obvious to Giles as well. “Even if they surprised her, Faith would have managed to take out of few of them before they could overpower her. Slayers die hard, Giles. Kendra took a few with her when—” she stopped herself.
“And I doubt she would have invited them in, in the first place,” Giles said quickly.
“That didn’t stop Kakistos from smashing his way into her room when he found her.”
“But, remember, Faith was on her way out, planning to leave town at the time. In a sense, I doubt she really thought of her room as her home. She’s been in ‘this’ room for months now and it has become her home.”
“So, no vampires,” Buffy affirmed. “Who does that leave?”
“Demons?”
“Poor devils, they’re always blamed for everything. Intolerance is worst than ever.
“They didn’t bleed her,” she said. “There’s not a drop of blood anywhere, so she didn’t bleed them either.”
“She may not have had the chance.” Giles allowed himself to sit on his younger Slayer’s bed, where she must have been sleeping hours earlier before—
Buffy was still worried about him. Back at the library, he had managed to pull himself together quickly, so they could rush over here in his hunk of metal on tires he tried to convince everyone was a car. But she could see him wearing around the edges. She realized she was playing his role, right now. The one who held everything and everyone together. She was the center where you could turn to for strength. Giles was here, with her, functioning, at the moment, but he was wounded. Hurting.
Nearly two years ago, when everyone in close proximity of the Hellmouth had been living out their nightmares; the high school and the surrounding neighborhood, Xander and Willow had later revealed to her what had been Giles’ worst nightmare. And that was to lose his Slayer. Shame filled her as she realized she had not been there for him after Kendra had died. Even though they only had the chance to know the stoic young Slayer for a few months she and Giles seemed to click right from the beginning. He had not been her Watcher, but Buffy knew he felt responsible for Kendra, since she had been in his territory, probably blamed himself more than Buffy did herself for her death. When it came to responsibility Giles was fearless.
“But who would’ve known she was here?” Buffy said, trying to keep Giles with her.
Her Watcher did not disappoint. “I could not imagine. That new chap, Mr. Trick, certainly knows who you both are and, I’m afraid, your address is not exactly top secret, Buffy. But Faith is a little harder to find. Slayers usually can sense whenever any paranormal presence is close by, so following you would be a chore for—”
He raised his head, meeting her gaze, and a second later understanding swept through her.
“Demons and monsters did not do this,” she said with soft rage. “Whether they were behind this are not, humans stormed in here and grabbed her.”
“Humans are not as difficult to handle as monsters and demons,” Giles said, “even many of them. Not for a Slayer.”
They both knew the truth, but they still needed to reason it all together, to make it real.
Buffy said, “But humans are more cunning; lacking the strength of vampires and monsters, they have to be. They would have come in with weapons.”
“And with no blood,” Giles said.
“Tranquilizers, or stun guns,” Buffy finished.
“So they knew what Faith was.”
Buffy felt her rage building inside and her fist was trembling, hidden under the long sleeve of her oversize leather jacket. She really needed to hit something hard.
She jumped, startled, when Giles suddenly slammed his closed fist down on the night stand knocking the lamp off. It was so loud that Buffy knew he just injured it, even though the fury in his expression gave no hint of the pain.
“Giles!” She rushed over to him and reached for his hand. He pulled away but she caught his wrist. “Let me see!” She looked at his hand. “My God, what did you do!” At least her Watcher had the courtesy to look embarrassed.
“Well, now you did it, young man,” Buffy even wagged a finger at him for good measure. “Now we need to get some ice on this fast.” Giles was about to say something, but she quickly said, “And not another word from you. Do you hear?”
Despite everything, Giles almost smiled, and he was suddenly feeling the pain now.
“You’re not going to be any good if you hurt yourself.” Buffy was searching the room again. “How do you expect to help Faith! We don’t know for sure that she is dead.”
“The Council—”
Buffy cut him off. “No! The Council can say whatever they want. Until I see Faith’s body I’m not about to take their word for it. I have never even met the Council, and we Slayers are supposed to be their whole reason for existing! I’ve only trusted two people I called ‘my Watcher’ and Merrick is dead! And I’m not about to trade you in just yet, Giles!”
She finally found what she was searching for; the ice bucket, half sticking out from under the bed. She headed for the door. “So I need you to hold together.” She chuckled. “Do you really want me to be the rational one during this crisis?”
She closed the door as she went off to find the ice machine, leaving Giles behind speechless.
CHAPTER TWO
Buffy was fuming as she stalked down the sidewalk of the building. Damn it, Giles, she thought. Please don’t make me have to worry about you, too! She was at least convinced that he wasn’t about to pull a vengeance crusade like he did when Ms. Calendar was murdered. But that time, he’d known who the culprit was and he would have died if she hadn’t reached him in time.
They were going to find the bastards, she vowed, and if Faith was dead Buffy was going to send them to join her. It wouldn’t matter if some of them were human; the Slayer rule prohibiting the killing of humans be damned, they would die.
It was just worse when humans were evil. At least vampires and other demons were incarnations of evil itself. Humans couldn’t point at evil and say “the Devil made me do it.” You just do not turn other humans over to the monsters. That rule just had to be in the Slayer Handbook, she thought, but as yet, Giles had not even shown the book to her telling her that it would be of no use in her case.
Buffy suddenly stopped walking. “Where the hell is the ice machine?”
Taking off his long coat, Giles figured he might as well clean himself up. He tossed it across the bed and was turning toward the bathroom when he saw the lamp still lying on the floor. Chiding himself for his outburst he bent to pick it up and replaced it in its original spot on the stand.
That’s when his eye caught something on the floor between the bed and the night stand. Wincing slightly from the pain in his hand, he moved the stand and picked it up.
Even without his glasses his blood ran cold when he examined the familiar object.
“My, God,” he whispered. “Buffy!” he shouted, as he ran for the door.
Buffy finally found the elusive ice machine in the small hallway in the center of the building. She had her second scoop of ice in the bucket when she heard a faint shout. She dropped the scoop and brushed her hair behind her ear. She thought she had heard Giles’ voice. And then she did hear a door slamming. She started back to the room, hoping there was nothing to worry about.
She hadn’t taken two steps when she heard a crackle behind her and a jolt hit her in the shoulder blade. She was spun to the wall by the shock and her cheek hit the concrete as her chest slammed against it. Buffy staggered back, the world swimming, and her knees started to buckle, but her fighting instincts were taking over demanding her body respond to the danger.
As she fell, Buffy twisted, swinging the bucket of ice in the direction from where the shock came and made contact. Ice cubes exploded from the bent plastic bucket and she saw someone in black; looked like fatigues; go down the same time she did. Her assailant had dropped his weapon, and she saw it was a stun baton.
“Hellooo, nurse,” she said, through clenched teeth. “I was just about to come looking for you.”
Feeling weak, she was pushing herself off the ground when she was grabbed by a pair of strong hands, jerked up, and slammed against the wall again, this time with her back. Before she could sink back down, a heavy booted leg kick her across the midsection, making her gasp. Buffy bent forward, hugging her middle, and hands grabbed her jacket and shoved her into the ice machine. Protecting her head, she took the impact on her shoulder and leaned against it, turning to face her second attacker. But a large fist filled her vision and sent her spinning further down the hall. She managed to keep her feet this time, and regained her balance. There was another fist coming at her face. Buffy brought her hand up and it slapped into her open palm, stopping dead.
Buffy stared into the wide eyes looking at her from under a ninja-like ski mask and said, “My turn!”
The man flew several feet above the ground and over his partner; who was starting to get to his feet, and landed very painfully on his back at the mouth of the hall.
Right at Giles’ feet. He stepped over the prone body and entered the hallway as Buffy approached the first attacker.
The goon grabbed up the stun baton and swung at the Slayer. Buffy caught it, snatched it away, and shattered it against the wall in the same movement, never taking her eyes from him as she grabbed the front of his army vest in her fist and slammed him against the wall.
“Where’s Faith?” she demanded.
He replied by swinging at her face. She easily blocked it with her free forearm, then slammed him against the wall again.
“Where is she?”
He tried to kick her, but she raised a knee to block it.
Practically bouncing him off the wall now, she shouted, “Damn it, stop that! And tell me what you’ve done to Faith!” The goon was thoroughly seeing triple images now, and Buffy was the only thing keeping him on his feet.
Giles had reached them. “He won’t tell you, Buffy.” He held something up for her to see. “Recognize this?”
Buffy saw what he was holding. She released her attacker-now-victim, no longer paying him any attention as he fell on his face. She took the ring from her Watcher and ran a finger over the face design.
“The Order of Taraka,” she said.
“It would appear they’ve found a new employer who wants both Slayers.”
“But they weren’t trying to kill me,” she said. “They came at me with stun guns. Last time they tried to kill me as soon as they saw me. And these two are only human.”
“I suspect they were left behind to guard over the area just in case you or I, as Faith’s Watcher, showed up. Considering that they only left two behind would indicate they were expecting me.”
“I guess it was lucky I decided to check in with you then. We caught ‘em off guard.” She smiled, after thinking about it. “I like that. I still haven’t even things up for the hell we went through the last time.”
Giles looked out toward the entrance as they started to hear voices floating their way. “We best take our leave now, Buffy. We don’t want to have to waste time explaining all this to the authorities. Let’s circle ‘round back and return for the car.”
“We still need ice for your hand.” She snatched up the ruined plastic bucket and tried to restore its original shape. She quickly scooped out some ice. She used the scoop to point at the barely conscious goon. “Are you sure he won’t say anything if we torture him?”
Giles started to give her a look that said ‘how could you even consider doing such a thing?’ but then his expression changed and Buffy knew he was actually giving it some thought. With genuine regret, he said, “No, I’m afraid not.”
“Bummer.” She dropped the scoop back in the ice machine and was about to start following him, but then stopped. Setting down the bucket, she snatch up the scoop again, with ice, rushed over to kneel by the goon, and grabbed him behind the collar.
She lifted him so her face was close to his. “Tell your master we’re coming for him!” And with that she dumped the ice down his bare back and let him go.
“Buffy!” Giles hissed, from the end of the hall.
“Coming!” she replied cheerfully, retrieving the bucket of ice dropping several cubes as she ran to catch up.
Just as the first witnesses reached the hallway to discover the masked men. One out cold, the other writhing weakly on the ground, clawing at his back.
CHAPTER THREE
Giles had his hand resting in the battered bucket of ice as his eyes kept darting to the street and back at Buffy, repeatedly in quick succession. Buffy was behind the wheel looking as if she had been doing this for years. Giles saw the excited gleam in her eyes, of someone who was still new to driving, and he was glad she found joy in such a mundane task. So often, he forgot that the seventeen year old was still a teenager under all the battle-hardened experience.
Which is why he did his best to hide his anxiety as she took corners fifteen miles faster than she should have, especially since there was usually a stop sign at them.
Buffy spared a glance at him and he tried to smile a bit, too late. She rolled her eyes. “Giles, if you didn’t want me to drive then you shouldn’t have hurt your hand.”
“And I sit chastised, believe me,” he said the last with a little more emphasis. To his relief, Buffy kept her eyes on the road.
“Besides, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Slayer to have her own car. A vehicle to get her to the demons much faster and not be late to rescue some one on the vampire nightly menu. After all, if Batman can have his ‘mobile why can’t I?
“But it would have to have a cool name. `Slayermobile?” She shook her head. “Nah. Slaymobile?” She grimaced. “Even worse. Sounds like Santa’s car.”
Giles allowed her to go on. Even though she was delighted to be behind the wheel of any car; even one as decrepit and older than she was, he could still see the tension underneath. He knew she, like the others— Slayerettes, as they often called themselves— kept up the light banter as a way of dealing with the severity and danger they faced almost on a nightly basis. But sometimes it was difficult for him to tell if they were actually taking matters seriously.
“Stakecoach,” Buffy exclaimed. “But that’s more suited for the Slayer in the Old West.”
But he had to admit, that the children rarely let him down. Of course, it was more for Buffy’s benefit that they committed themselves to the cause and risked their lives for one another, as her friends, than to help Giles. In fact, he knew the Council frowned upon his unorthodox methods of dealing with his Slayer. Or, as they fondly referred to as, ‘controlling’ the Slayer. As if such a concept were possible, he thought. Allowing the Slayer to have friends, no less letting them find out who she was. The Council never made their disapproval of him apparent but Giles was not fooled. They would congratulate him on the achievements of his Slayer, or Slayers, as the case may be, but then would not hesitate to offer their own opinions to him. He always accepted their words with his usual graciousness, but when he would suggest they offer their advice to the Slayers personally they would find a way to, just as graciously, decline.
Giles hoped he was wrong, but he had a nagging sense that something untoward was just on the horizon in the Council’s regard for him. Or for his Slayers. Maybe they felt he was actually failing in his duty. But then again, he thought, if Faith was dead they may not be far off the mark.
“Giles.”
“Hmmm?” Giles raised his head, not even realizing it had started to droop.
“Welcome back, Giles,” Buffy said, looking at him.
“Sorry.” He straightened in his seat.
“Don’t be. You’ve had a longer night than usual. I’d say you should take a nap, but we’re here.”
Giles saw they had pulled up along the curb of the lonely Crawford Street. It was rimmed with tall trees on both sides but they were able to see the secluded old mansion, which was Angel’s current address. Many conflicting emotions swept through him as he gazed at the mansion. He was still unclear when it came to the soulful vampire. His brain told him that the soul trapped in the vampire body was not the cold-blooded demon who had killed Jenny Calendar last year. But his heart first saw the face of her murderer whenever he thought of, or saw, Angel.
And when Giles had opened his front door to find Angel standing there, a few days before Christmas Eve, Giles hated to reflect how close he really came to putting a crossbow bolt into his heart after inviting him in. Even through his anger, he recognized the young man— relatively speaking— he had known prior to Buffy’s seventeenth birthday. He had considered Angel a friend back then, maybe he still did, for the lad was the same soul before the demon had retaken him, but Giles knew things could never be the same between them. He glanced at Buffy. Just as they would never be the same between Angel and Buffy.
Buffy looked at him for a moment. “Uh, you don’t have to go in, Giles. I’m just gonna go in there and tell Angel what has happened and then you and me can go beat up Willie ‘the Snitch,’ and find out what he knows.” She gave him a smile. “How does that sound?”
“Thank you, Buffy,” he said, with a nod. “But my only concern right now is Faith. And if Angel can help us, then we should both be there to ask for his assistance.”
After a second, she said, “Okay.”
They got out and started their way up to the mansion. It was one of the longest walks Giles had taken.
They circled to the back of the mansion since Angel stayed mostly on that side of the house, and climbed down the stone steps leading to the atrium. The vegetation was a little overgrown but it was still lovely; despite the memories it held for Buffy, but it seemed like Angel did tend to his home. And she was getting better at keeping her own place tidy, but she winced as she recalled the state she had left her room in. She still couldn’t figure out how he had managed to restore some of the electricity to the place.
As they approached the back entrance; where the pair of newly repaired French doors —thanks to a certain Slayer duo— stood open, they noticed Angel had the fireplace going, as he usually did. They were just in reach of the partially opened curtains when they became aware of the voices inside.
Exchanging a look, Buffy and Giles stayed quiet and crept closer. They were both wondering what sort of company somebody like Angel could have and they peeked around the edge.
They saw the vampire in question sitting on the sofa, not exactly looking relaxed; leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His attention was on the tall man standing by the fire. Buffy saw he was handsome in a rugged if-Tom Cruise-ever-lost-his-boyish-looks sorta way. And he seemed to favor Angel’s style in dress. Wearing a long trench coat, black pants, and boots. Angel, himself was just wearing a black tank top and the sweats he probably put on after waking up.
Buffy quickly chased away the image of Angel getting out of bed to focus on the conversation.
“You really picked a bad place to spend a vacation,” Angel was saying. “I know the Hellmouth calls to everyone but you don’t have to listen to it.”
The man; obvious to Buffy and Giles that he was not human; maybe a vampire? she thought, looked over his shoulder and gave Angel a smile.
“I did not come here to see the Hellmouth.” He moved toward the couch. “I came here to see you, mon ami.”
Angel looked at him, no expression. “Why?”
The way the man looked at Angel baffled her. It looked almost like affection. Angel and this guy obviously went back a ways, but how far?
“I had heard Angelus was back,” he said, standing in front of the vampire now. “I needed to see for myself.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Oran.”
She heard Giles draw in a breath. “Oranstine,” he whispered.
Buffy looked at him. “Are you sure?”
“How many Oran’s can there be whom are acquainted with vampires?”
“Point taken like a stake.”
“You are my friend as well, Angel,” Oranstine said.
“Angel was— I— was never your friend,” Angel said, sternly.
Oranstine’s smile grew. “When you start referring to yourself in the third person, I always know you are uncomfortable.” He reached a hand to Angel and Buffy’s jaw dropped as he caressed her former boyfriend’s cheek. “Or perhaps it is this form you are not comfortable with.”
The hand on Angel’s cheek suddenly lost mass and became delicate and smooth, and she and Giles could only gape at the form of the woman who was standing in the spot where Oranstine had been, wearing his clothes, which fitted her a little loosely now.
“Is that better?” she asked the vampire.
“Of course,” Giles said behind her.
“Of course, what?” she asked. “What’s the course?”
“Oranstine is the Two-Faced Demon. I didn’t realize the title was meant literally.”
Buffy said nothing and just watched as the lady Oranstine leaned down, lowering her lips towards Angel’s. Angel stood up, not hurried, and walked the long way around the coffee table away from the demon.
“You used to welcome my company,” Oranstine said, not miffed by the evasion.
Angel had picked up the andiron and was rousing the fire, but did not look back as he replied. “That was almost a century ago, Oran.”
“And now things are different?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“I see.” Oranstine raised the hand she had touched him with to her lips and breathed deeply through her nose. “Ah, I do see. My little Angel has found love! Not even Angelus in all his conquests could find this feeling; while his sired, Drucilla and Spike , found their own twisted love for each other.”
Angel looked at the demon, trying to keep his expression passive, but Buffy saw the pain in his eyes. It mirrored the pain she held in her own heart. The thought of never being able to hold Angel the way they had held each other the night of her seventeenth birthday; the way they had loved each other, was a double-edge sword that cut them both.
“You saw Spike and Drucilla?” Angel asked, trying to change the focus of attention.
“About fifty years ago, in Spain.” Oran smiled. “Of course, they did not recognized me. They do not know me the way you do, Angel. Me and Spike actually became ‘buds’ for awhile.” She chuckled. “We did have some times, though. But, alas, we had a falling out.”
Angel really didn’t seem to care, but he looked at least curious. “What happened?”
“Oh, I tried to seduce Drucilla.”
“I bet Spike did not take that very well.”
“No. That he did not. He actually came very close to killing me. If he had known that I wasn’t a vampire he may not have bothered to try to eviscerate my heart. Did he really face two Slayers and defeat them both?”
Angel turned away. “I don’t think you should stay here very long, Oran. This town is not exactly a safe place for vampires and demons.”
“You mean the Slayer?”
Angel looked up sharply.
“Don’t act so surprised, Angel. There’s hardly a vamp, or demon, who does not yet know this is the Slayer’s hometown. Unfortunately, most of them cannot resist the power of the Hellmouth. Whether this Slayer realizes it or not, she is the spider in the Hellmouth’s web.”
“I’ve been called worse,” Buffy whispered.
“In fact,” Oranstine went on, “I’ve heard this town has two Slayers.”
“Is that it?” Angel asked sharply. “Is that why you’re here?”
“Not directly.” Oranstine moved closer to Angel. “I was rather curious of the stories I have been hearing about the Slayer having allies to assist her in her battles against evil. But more interesting, was that it was said one of those allies was a vampire.” She used a finger to trace an invisible line from Angel’s chin down his neck and to his chest. “A cursed vampire with a tortured soul. Could it be that the love you have is for this Slayer? This little girl?”
Buffy felt her temperature rise a few degrees, and she was suddenly glad that she already had a reason to kill this demon. She thought that it may be about time to make their presence known. But she stopped herself with Angel’s response.
“Jealous?” he snapped.
Oranstine looked into his eyes and smiled broadly. “Oh, there you are, Angelus!”
Buffy just watched as Angel suddenly cold cocked the demonic bitch right in the face. And she knew he hadn’t been holding back. This was rage, and having been on the receiving end several times she knew precisely how much power was behind that punch. And she knew where the anger was coming from, as well. Just a couple of weeks ago, Angel had decided it would be best to walk out into the sunrise than ever risk letting his demon take over his body again. Buffy’d had a hard time trying to convince him his life still meant something to the world, and Buffy was not only glad she could kill this demon, but was now looking forward to it. But the blow sent Oranstine back just a few steps before she regained her balance and smiled again.
This worried Buffy. Not many inhumans could take a punch like that from Angel and just smile back at him. But the demon made no move to retaliate.
“Such passion,” Oranstine said. “The love you feel pales the love Spike and Drucilla have.”
“You better leave, now.” Angel seemed to have gained control of his fury, but it was still there just under the surface. “Leave town.”
“I’ve never known you to challenge me, Angel.”
The demon sounded amused, which served to further infuriate the Slayer and Buffy decided that enough was enough.
Stepping through the curtains, Giles right behind her, she said, “I believe he just asked you nicely to leave!”
“Ah, the Slayer,” Oranstine said, not at all surprised. Damn, Buffy thought. She sure did hate it when her grand entrances fell flat on stage.
Angel however was surprised. “Buffy.”
“Hello, Angel.”
Despite the demonic presence in the house, Angel suddenly felt awkward having Giles in his home. “Giles,” he greeted.
The Watcher nodded to him, but it was clear the bulk of his attention was on the Two-Faced demon. He addressed the demon. “Oranstine, I presume.” She nodded. “No wonder we have been put to task at documenting your travels throughout history. What with you versatile visage.”
Buffy narrowed her eyebrows. “Now try saying that ten times real fast.”
The demon smiled condescendingly at her. “What an amusing child.”
Buffy suddenly reached fever pitch.
“I wouldn’t get her angry if I were you, Oran,” Angel warned.
“Oh, it’s too late for that.”
“I’ve seen her like this. Now, would be a good time to leave.”
“Uh-uh,” Buffy stood directly in front of the doorway. “I have some questions I need to ask your ‘little’ friend, Angel.”
Oranstine no longer looked amused and she crossed her arms as she regarded Buffy. “And just how may I help you, Slayer?”
Buffy gazed at her with cold eyes. “Did you bring the Order of Taraka to Sunnydale?”
Angel shot a look of surprise at her. She never took her gaze off the demon, but he received a nod from Giles.
“No,” Oranstine said.
“Why don’t I believe you?” Buffy fumed.
“Oh, could it be that I’m a demon and all you Slayers have an automatic grudge against our kind?”
“Yep,” Buffy nodded. “That’ll do it.”
“What’s happened, Buffy?” asked Angel.
She answered, not taking her eyes off Oranstine. “The Order of Taraka abducted Faith. Perhaps, even killed her already.”
Angel stepped closer to the demon. “Oran, do you know anything about this?”
“Why should I know something about this?”
Buffy sneered. “Oh, I don’t know. Could it be that you’re a demon! And your kind seem to hang out together.”
“You must admit that it is an odd coincidence that a group of demonic assassins show up roughly the same time that the Two-Faced Demon arrives into town,” Giles offered.
“So, I’m the prime suspect.”
“And getting primer with each second.” Buffy started to move towards the demon. Giles stayed right behind her. Angel took a step behind the demon’s shoulder. Oranstine took the situation with a stoic expression.
“As I told our Angel,” Oranstine said, “I did not come here for you, Slayer. It was merely a personal visit.”
“Somehow, I doubt that,” snapped Buffy.
Oranstine shrugged. “Suit yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse me….”
The demon started to walk a path to take her around Buffy, but the young Slayer moved directly in front of her. She looked the girl in the eye and Buffy backed down not an inch.
Before Oranstine could speak, Buffy put in, “If you’re about to say something like `you have no idea what you’re dealing with,’ save it! I have heard it all before, and believe me when I say I have some very wild ideas. After the year I’ve just had you’ll have to do something very big to get my attention.” She put her hands on her hips. “So, go ahead. Impress me.”
Oranstine regarded her for several seconds, neither one flinching. Slowly, a small grin appeared on the demon’s face and her voice was dripping with serious.
“And what a glorious battle it would have been.” This made Buffy frown, and before she could respond, Oranstine went on. “You might want to look around some of the caves close to the harbor.” She looked over her shoulder at Angel. “When I arrived, I felt a gathered aura of mystical energies that could have been from your demonic group of assassins.”
Buffy glanced at Angel. The vampire said, “I believe her, Buffy.”
Oranstine smiled and turned her gaze back to the Slayer as if to say, “Satisfied.”
“Why?” Buffy asked. “Why help us at all?”
“I have never had a qualm with any Slayer throughout my existence. Humans just really hold no interest for me.”
“But you are a demon, remember?”
“Yes, and as such, I do unspeakable and evil things just as all demons do.” Buffy tensed slightly, readying for attack. “But I get no satisfaction with the suffering of humans. No challenge.” At the look Buffy gave her she smiled and added, “Til now, of course.”
“If you don’t target humans, then who — ?” Buffy stopped herself and looked at Angel again. His expression gave away nothing but his eyes told her all she needed to know.
“You’re sick,” she said with venom.
“Is it any different than you humans killing each other?” Oranstine asked in a mild tone.
“And I just bet you’re real popular with the other monsters?”
“Popular enough so that some of them actually hired the Order of Taraka on her head,” Angel informed them.
“So you did bring them here!” Buffy declared.
“No. Not at all. Two hundred years ago, I was their bounty, and for a decade they followed me where ever I went. I’m sure I killed half their ranks before they finally gave up on me. Even to this day, their numbers have not recovered.”
“The Order of Taraka does not give up until they’ve collected their bounty,” Giles spoke up.
Oranstine nodded. “You are correct, Watcher. But they did collect their bounty. They finally took my head.” She smiled as she spied their faces. “Oh, I grew another. It was much more convenient than trying to get it back.”
Buffy was speechless. She looked at Angel and saw that he believed what the demon said. Obviously, this was the first time he’d heard this story. She quickly found her voice.
“All right. We appreciate the information. In return, we’ll leave you alone, provided you jump on the next barge out of the country.”
“I’ll agree to leave Sunnydale. Anything else would require further `negotiation.’”
Buffy didn’t like the sound of that, but her only other choice would be to kill the demon. And she wasn’t sure if she could actually do it. Normally, she wouldn’t be so hesitant, and Angel was here to assist her, odds that were usually in her favor. But Oranstine did succeed in giving her a wiggins, just with the shapechanging alone; and if the Order of Taraka couldn’t kill it—. On top of all that, her primary mission was to find Faith, and she couldn’t do that if she was dead or incapacitated.
Without a word, Buffy stepped aside. Oranstine bowed her head slightly and walked by. When she was halfway outside she turned. “‘The Two-Faced Demon.’ Is that what they’re calling me now?”
“That is the more popular name for you,” Giles answered.
The demon smiled at them. “You have no idea.” She glanced at Buffy. “Sorry. I had to say it. Because…you really don’t.”
With that, she stepped out into the night.
CHAPTER FOUR
Buffy walked up to Angel but stopped herself before her hand started rising to touch his shoulder. Ever since Angel got better, and especially after he regained all his strength, they took extra care whenever they were close to each other. Thankfully, he didn’t need her constant attention anymore and they didn’t see each other as often, which was better for both of them. At least, that’s what Buffy told herself… for comfort? She would have frowned at her own strange take on logic if she were alone.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Gazing down into her eyes, he said, “Yeah.”
“I guess you get to meet a lot of interesting people in two and half centuries.” She smiled. “So you and Oranstine are old friends?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call us `friends.’”
“She seemed pleasant enough to you, from where I stood.”
“Were you spying on me?” There was no accusation in his voice, but the words still hurt.
“I like to think of it as `looking out for a friend.’”
Looking into her eyes, he knew she was telling him the truth. “Thank you. But she wouldn’t have harmed me.”
“Why is that?” Giles asked.
Angel met the Watcher’s gaze. “Because I have my soul back.”
They did not say anything else to each other and the silence began to linger. Buffy spoke up. “She said she was both yours and Angelus’ friend. What did she mean by that?”
“If I were still Angelus she would have attacked me, or tried to hold me captive. There’s no love lost between those two.”
“So what she said about not preying on humans is true?” Giles asked.
“To an extent. When she wants to infiltrate into the vampire ranks; such as with Spike and Drucilla, she would take on a vampire appearance to hunt, and feed on, humans just to keep up the act. She would have no regrets afterward, but she won’t kill humans if she doesn’t have to.”
“But she can’t turn anyone into a vampire, can she?” Giles sounded fascinated.
“No. Only real vampires possess that ability.”
Buffy stared into the fireplace. “I shouldn’t have let her leave.”
“I understand how you feel, Buffy,” Giles said, as he took a step closer. “The idea of allowing a monster —any monster— to go free is not at all appealing to me, either.” He praised himself for not glancing at Angel.
Buffy looked at him. “Do you `really’ understand, Giles? I’m the one who let Spike and Drucilla go. Spike I even let go twice! Lord knows how many they’ve killed since then.”
“And how many people have you saved by doing what you did, Buffy? You always do what is necessary. No matter what the personal cost to yourself. I only hope that if I’m ever in that kind of situation that I’ll have the courage to do what is right.”
She regarded her Watcher. And she was glad to have him back. The tension and concern for Faith was still there, but he was with her completely now. Having no time to worry can help.
Her expression softened. “Sorry, Giles.”
“It’s seems we’re all under a lot of stress right now. But we can concern ourselves with Oranstine at a later time. Right now, we need to find Faith.” He directed his gaze to Angel. “And we could use your assistance, Angel.”
Angel was unable to tell how Giles felt about asking him for anything, his expression was tightly controlled. “Of course. Just let me grab some clothes.”
Buffy watched him disappear then turned to Giles. “We’re not going to tell him about the next Slayer being summoned?”
“Well, it really doesn’t concern him. And it has no relevance to our situation either. Whether Faith is alive or not, we are going to look for her.” He paused for a moment.
“And you’re still not sure about Angel,” she voiced his thoughts. “But then, giving away Watcher secrets to vampires is probably one of the big `don’t do’s in your Watcher’s Handbook.”
“Actually, it is.” A little smile was evident on his lips and he shrugged slightly. “But, ever since I’ve met you, Buffy, it seems as if I’ve broken almost all the Council’s `don’t do’s.”
Buffy lowered her head and looked up at him with her infamous puppy-dog eyes. “They won’t take away your pension for that, will they?”
He almost chuckled.
“Giles?” she said, her voice suddenly serious again. “How does the Council know who’s going to be the next Slayer?”
“I don’t know.”
Buffy’s eyebrows narrowed in a frown. “You don’t?”
“There are a great many secrets the Council must safeguard. Being the Watcher of the current Slayer does grant me access to quite a bit more information than I was privy to before, but that secret is known only to a handful of individuals on the Council itself.”
Buffy was about to say something more when Angel returned. He was in his usually black attire of leather pants, boots, and had on a gray long sleeve shirt under his long black coat. He looked hot —ready— to go.
Faith couldn’t remember when she had lost consciousness, but it must have been right after the demonic Leader introduced her to the Vampire Slayer. Or was that Slayer Vampire? she wondered. But the next thing she knew was that she was waking up in a real dungeon this time, lying on a real stone floor. Her head hurt and her mind was reeling out of control.
How could that be possible? A Slayer who was a vampire. Faith knew that when it came to the studies, she was not the first to ask which page to turn to, nor would she even … care. But her previous Watcher never said anything about Slayers becoming vampires, nor had Giles in the few short months he had been her Watcher. Nothing like this must have ever happened before, she figured. If it had, one of them would have brought the subject up already. Buffy definitely would’ve known also.
Big deal, she told herself. It’s happening, girl, just deal with it and concentrate on getting your ass out of this dump, so you can start killing these creatures.
But there was something else. Something she was trying to keep out of her thoughts. Faith even clutched her hands to her head as they invaded her mind and her brain started to process them.
If this new vampire was really a Slayer; which she already knew was the truth; then that meant a Slayer must’ve died. A new Slayer was called only when the previous Slayer died. That had been one of the first things that was taught to her even before she herself was called. When Buffy died, briefly, that Slayer, Kendra, was called. But that chick hardly lasted a year when the vamps claimed her ass, thus, activating Faith.
So, she thought. Either Buffy died…again, or she herself must have…..
“No!” she screamed through clenched teeth. Still clutching her head, she pushed off with her legs and slammed her back into the rocky wall she’d been sitting against, and felt the sting of pain in her shoulder blades and spine. But her brain was still working against her, trying to figure everything out logically.
“NO!” she screamed, and swung around fast and took a chunk out of the wall behind her with her fist. The pain in her hand succeeded in distracting her brain from its train of thought and she slid back down to the cold floor.
And for the first time, she noticed she was barefoot. Of course, she was still wearing the same clothes she’d had on when she returned to her motel room from her patrol. The tight black pants and maroon long-sleeve midriff. She had taken off her boots before hopping onto the bed, planning on watching the snowy programs on the TV. But she had barely gotten comfortable when her door had burst opened and these special forces looking creeps attacked her.
That was the last thing she remembered before waking up in these caves.
Breathing heavily, the sudden surge of adrenaline quickly fading, the pain in her hand really flared and she examined it. Her knuckles were badly scraped and bleeding but, flexing her hand, she found nothing was broken. With her strength finally returning to her she could now focus on trying to get the hell out of here.
She rose to her feet and walked to the wooden door with a small barred window. It looked thick and very sturdy. Not stopping when she reached it, she kicked with all her might and the heavy door trembled but did not give. She took a couple of steps back to do it again.
“What are you doing in there?” growled a voice from the window.
“How cool, a visitor,” she said, and kicked the door again. The door continued to hold, but it seemed to weaken.
“Stop that!” commanded the voice.
“I’d very much like to see you make me!” she shouted back.
She was about to kick once more when she saw another head appear in the window and she heard those less than human voices start to converse with each other.
She was about to kick the door again when she decided to change her tactics. She made a show of wavering on her feet, putting a hand to her forehead, as if she were dizzy. As she swayed, she saw the two faces watching her and Faith collapsed to the ground in a sitting position, but made it look as if she was having a hard time staying in that position. Then she heard what she wanted to hear.
Her cell door opened with a groan on its tortured hinges and the two creeps walked in carrying chained manacles. Faith watched them from the corner of her eye, still playing the weak prisoner, and it looked like they were falling for it, too.
“Pick her up,” said the one with the chains.
The other one reached down and grabbed her arm and started to pull her up roughly. Faith let him lift her so that she was on her knees and threw her other arm up between his legs, slamming his privates with a hard uppercut. Not being human, at least they had the same weaknesses, she thought. And as he bent forward around his pain, Faith rose quickly, planting her knee in his face. She didn’t even see him fly off the ground and land on his back, as she used the momentum of the move to spin around and face the second monster.
He was already moving in on her, having pulled a small club from his belt, the chains still hanging from his other hand. The Slayer ducked from side to side as he swung the weapon at her, then captured his wrist as it came at her again in a backhand swing. She smashed the side of his elbow with a forearm, forcing him to release the club, and caught it with her free hand. Faith side-stepped the bastard, spinning on her barefeet, and broke the club off the back of his skull with a resounding crunch.
The goon flopped on his face, never to move again, and a real wave of dizziness swept through Faith.
“Whoa,” she said, trying to steady herself, and waited for the world around her to stop spinning.
Before it faded, Faith was already moving for the door. She needed to find her way out of here as soon as possible. Not knowing where she was, where the exit could be, and not even knowing how many bad guys there were, she decided to look on the bright side. And she would as soon as she found it.
Faith knew it had only been just a few minutes since breaking out of her cell, but wandering around these caves seemed to stretch the time into hours. She would have worried that she was lost if she didn’t already not know where she was going. But every turn she took there were still torches lit on the walls about every twenty feet, so she figured she was still in the enemy’s domain.
The dizziness had completely faded by now, but whatever had been done to her to bring her to this place must have really taken a lot out of her, because she was definitely not one hundred percent yet. Then another sensation swept through her head. But this was a very familiar feeling, one she was born to perceive.
Faith had just reached the next turn and pressed her back against the rough surface, just a few feet away from a torch on the wall. The vampire that rounded the corner had been about Faith’s age when she had been turned, but she had to be several years older than the Slayer. This had possibilities, she thought, as she grabbed the vampire by the lapels of her dark jacket and swung her face-first into the wall. Her head impacted on the stone with a smack that would gross out the stoutest Wes Craven fan and Faith moved in as she dropped to her knees.
She grabbed the vampire by her red hair to continue the head trauma against the wall, and the bitch drove her elbow back into Faith just below her belly button, the force of the blow sending the Slayer to the other wall. The vampire sprung to her feet and faced her, blood coursing down her prominent vampiric brow, and snarled, her jagged teeth and fangs flickering in the torch light.
Faith quickly composed herself. “Does the number 3:16 mean anything to you?”
The passage was less than ten feet wide and the vampire would be on her in an instant. As soon as the creature sprung, Faith used whatever speed she could muster so that she leapt almost at the same time and they met in the middle of the space. The Slayer had aimed her lunge lower, catching the vampire in the middle and slammed her back against the wall. They fell in a tumble to the ground and Faith was under the vampire, but it was dazed from the impact and her fangs were closer to Faith’s neck than she preferred. Before the creature could recoup, Faith head-butted her in the nose and the vamp flopped off her. That last move sending waves of nausea through her, Faith got to her knees as fast as she could and moved up behind the vampire, who was still struggling to rise. She wrapped her arms around her neck and with a strong twist, filled the corridor with a deathly snap.
The vampire flopped limply to the ground next to her, and Faith let herself slump as well.
“Too, bad,” she said, to the vamp but her voice was just a tired whisper, “because I just whipped your ass.”
Faith took just a few seconds to catch her breath, reminiscing how she used to be able to take on three vampires like this without breaking a sweat. But even through her fatigue, she still felt the rush that went through her with each kill. Okay, it was a somewhat tiny sense of accomplishment due to her predicament, but at least it lifted her spirits a little.
She pulled the jacket off the vampire and found it fit her just about right. Wouldn’t want to let such fine accessories get turned to dust along with the vamp, she thought. It would be such a waste. At least it would keep the cold away that even the torches couldn’t seem to lessen. Next, she took the vampire’s high heel boots. But they turned out to be too small for the Slayer.
She threw them away with a curse. “All the vampires in the world I could have killed and I have to snuff one with feet smaller than Buffy’s.”
She got to her feet and looked at the vampire again. “Thanks for the jacket though. But don’t bother getting up, I’ll find my own way out.”
With that, Faith started for the corner again. Not slowing down, she plucked the torch from the wall and tossed it on top of the vamp and was half way down the next corridor when she heard the combustion behind her.
Faith continued to follow the torches and, luckily, she didn’t run into many forks or intersecting corridors; and those she did come across were not lit with torches so she avoided them. She didn’t run into any more monsters, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign. Then she started to get the nagging feeling that she was being followed, but every time she looked behind her there was always nothing there.
After a few more twists and turns, and the sensation not fading, she decided that her escape had finally been discovered. No need for discretion, she started running half speed. When she rounded the next turn she did become aware of something, a lot of somethings, chasing her. She still couldn’t see them and picked up a little more speed, tapping into her Slayer strength for help, which was still at less than nominal levels.
Around the next turn the cave became a cavern the size of a tennis court with a high ceiling. And she saw two large ugly looking creeps who must be the guards to the lobby. Behind them, on the far side, was a smaller passage which Faith guessed led to the outside world. All she needed to do was get past these two. One of them was a vampire, she could tell even without her Slayer sense, but the other … all she knew was that he was no more human then the other two from her cell.
Faith sighed resignedly, as she looked at them. “Okay. I suppose I can make time for you two. But this better not take long, okay?”
She readied herself in a fighting stance as the inhuman and vampire split to surround her, forcing her to only keep one in sight at a time. Faith could not have that and launched herself at the vampire. She came in with a front kick that the vamp blocked but was already following through with a series of punches to its face and chest, which the vampire also managed to block, to the Slayer’s surprise. She found her opening when he retaliated with a kick of his own and Faith stepped in, as she blocked it, kicking his supporting leg out from under him.
She was already turning around, as he dropped, and just barely blocked the punch the inhuman sent at her head. She ducked the swing of his other arm and sent a flurry of punches into his mid-section, topping off with a viscous right hook to the face that sent him spinning off the ground. She used the momentum of the punch to send a spinning back kick into the vampire’s gut, as he came at her, from behind. She grabbed him, as he bent over, and shoved him into the inhuman, just halfway to his feet, sending them both down again.
With the field wide open, Faith booked it triple time, making a dash for the exit. Ten feet from it, two figures stepped through the entrance and her feet skidded on the dirt, as she stopped.
It was the Demon Leader, still wearing the hooded robe; for which Faith was grateful, and the Slayer Vampire. Out of the two, Faith suspected that the vampire was the more powerful, but she knew the Leader could give her one hell of a fight even if she had been at full strength. There was no way she was going to be able to pass them.
But that wasn’t going to keep her from trying. Faith took a step forward, readying herself. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the vampire and inhuman were already on their feet and moving towards her. But what caught her eye, was that the inhuman’s face was hanging off the side of its cheek revealing its true demonic features. It yank the mask off and pulled the short wig off its fleshless head. Then, behind them, she saw another five assorted creeps and vamps pour into the room.
The Demon Leader tilted its head at her. “Now, child, do you really think you can escape us?”
“Actually,” Faith sneered, “I don’t care. Suddenly, I’m just wanting to see just how big a mess I can leave in this room.” She grinned sardonically at it. “Are you gamed?”
“Very interesting,” the leader said. “But no. I do not have time for this.”
The Demon Leader raised a hand toward Faith and the Slayer tensed. Then she staggered as a sharp pain pierced her chest. No longer able to breath, she clutched her chest and sank to her knees. With a fright, she realized that her heart had stopped beating. She opened her mouth to gasp but nothing came out, not even a tiny breath. She fell forward and caught herself with her outstretched arm, her other hand still pressed between her breasts. She looked up to see the Leader, hand still raised, and struggled to get back up. But she wavered and fell on her side. Darkness began to creep around the edges of her vision and she could feel the emptiness start to consume her.
Then something thundered through her head and a gasp exploded from her lungs, and she started to cough. Desperately, her lungs inhaled another labored breath and she expelled that with a ravage cough as well. The thunder in her head continued to pound into her, and Faith realized it was the beat of her heart she was hearing.
She tried to move, but her strength was gone again. She couldn’t even move her head. Then a pair of legs walked across her sight and a booted foot flopped her onto her back, and she found herself looking up at the Slayer Vampire.
When the girl was human, she had been either Chinese or Japanese and had probably been very popular with the boys, Faith thought. And there was still a touch of innocence in the face that Faith new had faded from herself a few years ago. Had Buffy looked that innocent when she was called to be the Slayer? she wondered.
Then the Slayer Vampire’s face changed as she kneeled down next to her, fangs sprouting as her mouth opened slightly. Her brow furrowed but did not turn into the usual demonic features that took over regular vamps when they vamped out. She grabbed Faith by the hair and raised her upper body, exposing her neck.
Faith could do nothing but glare at the creature, filling as much rage into her face as she could. She swore, silently; because she could not speak, that she was going to kill this creature. Even if it turned her into a vampire, she would somehow kill her.
“No, my child,” the Leader said, as the vampire was about to sink her teeth into the Slayer’s neck. The creature looked up at the demon and Faith could tell she wasn’t going to obey its master. The Slayer Vampire looked down, opened its mouth, and bent towards Faith’s neck again.
Before the fangs reached her skin, Faith saw a bright flash flare from the creature’s left arm. She dropped the Slayer and shot to her feet, as if she had just been shot. The vampire clutched the arm and looked at it when the light faded. Faith saw that there was a strange tattoo design just below the shoulder. The Slayer Vampire glared at its master.
“Not this one, my child,” the Demon Leader spoke in that same mild voice it had. “We still have need of her. Go out, now. There are plenty of other mortals to feed your hunger. But you must avoid the other Slayer at all cost. You need time for your strength to grow.”
The creature looked at Faith, then at her master again. Then, with incredible speed; faster than Faith ever could’ve moved, she ran out of the chamber and disappeared through the passage. That strange tattoo must be some way for the Leader to control her, she thought.
The Slayer was starting to move again, and she was able to move her head to watch what was happening around her. The Demon Leader walked passed her and spoke to its minions.
“Take the Slayer back to her cell. And this time, make sure she will not escape again.” The tone of its voice had not changed one octave, but Faith was able to recognize the promise of great punishment in its words.
Its goons obviously believed this too and the inhuman and vampire hurried to lift her from the ground and dragged her away from the chamber, her barefeet scraping uncomfortably against the rough surface. But she hardly noticed, she was too busy trying to force herself to concentrate, find a way to get out of this. When they reached the dungeon, she knew they were going to throw a ton of chains on her and then there would be no chance for her to escape. She could not let that happen.
She raised her head and saw they had already taken several turns through the passage she had come from. Soon, they would reach the spot where she had killed the vampire, which meant she was half way back to her cell. They were coming toward an intersection in the corridor and Faith noticed something she had not when she had first passed this way. There was a steady roar coming from one of the passages. They had just reached it, when she realized the sound was running water, like a waterfall.
Not taking a moment to consider her actions, she planted her feet against the ground and pushed herself into the inhuman who was holding her left arm. This took her captives by surprise and she slammed the inhuman against the corner leading into that intersecting corridor. The vampire had lost its grip on her and he was moving quickly to grab her again. Faith lashed out with a back kick with as much strength as she could summon, which wasn’t much, and when she connected it served to push her and the inhuman away from the vampire who hardly budged from the blow. The inhuman fell back, Faith holding tight to his coat, and they tumbled into the passage, which was an incline, and rolled over each other as they descended into the darkness below.
They reached the bottom, which was even ground again, and Faith rolled away from the goon. Still very weak, and now feeling dizzy, Faith pulled herself unsteadily to her feet. And was punched across the face. She spun around and fell. But instead of hitting the ground again, she continued to fall through open air, and the roar of the running water was suddenly rushing up at her.