Three Slayers 6 – Back In Town

“Xander, we need to talk.  What you said to Buffy was out of line, you’re being totally unreasonable. You should apol-.”

“Apologise?”  Xander slammed his locker shut and glared at the red-head stood beside him.  “Listen very carefully Willow as far as I’m concerned Buffy has chosen her side – and it isn’t the humans!”

“But she loves him!”

“This isn’t ‘Gone With The Wind’ or ‘Casablanca’, this is real life and in real life Slayers aren’t supposed to let vampires get away with their crimes, they stake them.  If you could stop your hero worship for thirty seconds then maybe you’d see how wrong Buffy was.  Well now we’ve got two real Slayers in town, two who like humans more than demons, you might want to remind Buffy of that next time she thinks about getting physical with that bastard.” 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“How could she!”  Spike flung his bottle of whiskey into the wall, shattering it.  He stared around the deserted factory that had once served as his base.  “If only bloody the bloody poofter hadn’t lost his sodding soul, Dru would still love me,” he muttered brokenly, “instead the bitch starts crushing on him.”  His voice grew high-pitched.  “Uh my daddy, he’s so handsome.”  He kicked a stone across the dusty floor.  “Bloody Peaches, if he wasn’t in hell I’d put him there myself.  I mean how could she?  A slime demon, I’m witty charming, all the time she was ill I looked after her.  Well no more!” he felt his features shift into his demonic face.  “I’m going to get her back, and when I do I’ll torture her until she loves me again.  Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.”

“Don’t like it in ‘ere anymore.  Too many memories.  Where can I go?  I know eat first.”  His gait unsteady from the four bottles of whiskey he’d drunk, he stumbled out into the night.  He smiled slightly at the sight of an attractive Oriental teen climbing out of her car.  “Oh nice and juicy, maybe I’ll play with my food before eating.”

Spike grinned as he dropped the drained body.  He’d raped the girl first, getting off on her screams and whimpers before revealing his demonic face.  And then his fun had really begun.  “It feels good to be undead!”  Picking up his pace he hurried to Angel’s old place. 

“Bloody hell!” Spike pulled away from the window, his mind whirling with a dozen different thoughts.  How the bloody hell was Peaches here?  The world hadn’t been sent to Hell, so that bint had stopped but not slain him.  The fact he was reading poetry and not out creating havoc was out of character, unless… “That bloody Wicca gave him his soddin’ soul back,” he muttered before smiling slowly.  That took power, power he could use to get his Dru back.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Mayor Wilkins squinted in concentration, this was important, he couldn’t mess it up.  Finally he took his shot and watched as the golf ball missed the hole.  “Oh, look at that! Every time, cuts to the left.” Groaning, he got down on his hands and knees and checked the lie of the floor.  “And it's not the carpet. It's me.” He got up and looked up at his deputy.  “I swear, I would sell my soul for a decent short game.  Of course,” he chuckled, “mine’s spoken for. “  He smiled at his deputy.  “What about yours Allan?   I don't suppose I could offer your soul, huh? Really help me on the green.”  His deputy paled, he waved his hand.  “I'm just funning. So, we have a Spike problem, do we? “

Allan nodded. “He's been spotted back in town.” 

This time his shot was on target but came up short. He let out a frustrated sigh before retrieving his ball.  “Well, yes, y'know, he was up to all sorts of shenanigans last year,” he shook his head.  “We had a world of fun trying to guess what he'd do next.”

His deputy leaned against his desk.  “I remember.”  Irritated, he glanced at Allan, immediately his deputy stood back up.

He shook his head, he couldn’t put up with William The Bloody’s schemes this year.   “This year is too important to let a loose cannon rock the boat.”

His deputy nodded.  “Should I have Mr. Trick send a... committee to deal with this?”

He began to nod only to stop when a troubling thought hit him.  “Loose cannon. Rock the boat. Is that a mixed metaphor?”

“Uh...”

“In the old days boats did have cannons. And a loose one would cause it to rock. Oh, honestly. I don't know where my mind goes these days,” he chuckled before turning serious.  “Why don't you take care of that Spike problem? A committee, like you said.”

Allan nodded.  “As good as done.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Xander made his way down the darkened school corridor.  He looked up at the lab ahead and sighed.  After this morning he’d decided he’d have to make up with Willow, not apologise he had nothing to apologise for, but smooth the waters over, he had too many years of friendship to throw it all away.  Pushing the door open he saw his friend crouched over a lamp-lit table, so engrossed in what she was doing that she failed to notice his entrance.  Xander walked over to the desk and glanced idly at the two books open on the table only for his eyes to widen in shock at what he saw.  “Mind control spells, you’re going to cast a spell on me?”

Willow’s head snapped up, the guilty look on her face confirming his suspicions.  “Xander-.”

“How dare you?  What gives you the right to mess with my mind?”

“If we got things back to the way before those two bitches -.”

He cut off the red-head’s words with an angry sweep of his arm, knocking the desk’s contents off the table, breaking several expensive scientific instruments and scattering the books and ingredients across the floor.  “Never ever refer to Kendra and Faith like that!” he roared, angrier than he’d ever been, even more furious when he’d discovered Buffy was hiding Angel.  “Those two bitches as you called them have always treated me with respect and listened to my opinions, have always treated me as an equal.  Not like you two, I’m just donut boy to you!  What happens if this spell works?  Do you cast one where I’m in love with you?” he slammed a fist onto the desk, the blaze in his eyes  making the Wicca back off.  “Because you better have some pretty powerful mojo if you think I could ever fall for you!  Well you can go to hell -.”

Suddenly he was cut off by a hand grabbing him around the throat.  “Well what do we ‘ave ‘ere now?”

Xander’s blood chilled at the familiar cockney voice, kicking out with his legs against the wall, he shoved Spike and himself across the room and into a metal shelf. The vampire let out a gleeful laugh before throwing him to the floor. Even as he tried to get up Spike slammed a first into his head causing lights to explode into his head.  He dimly heard Willow let out a scream and Spike laugh, rolling up he lunged at the vampire only for the vampire to swing a microscope into his head. 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Spike grinned down at the boy, so now he’d taken out the boy that had backed Angelus down, if that didn’t impress Dru he didn’t know what would, might even turn the boy once he’d finished with him, yeah he had definite vampire potential.  Grabbing the boy he lifted his limp body off the ground and grinned at the sobbing Wicca lying on the floor.  “Get up Red if you want the boy to live,” after a second the girl obeyed.  “Good girl, now pick up your books you’re casting a spell for me. Now let’s be going.”

“Leave him.”

He grinned into the wicca’s reddening eyes.  “Oh no, he’s my insurance,” he morphed into his demonic face.  “Now get moving, otherwise I feed.”

                                    *                                  *                      *

Kendra grabbed her bottle of water and drank, her eyes sparkling.  There was nothing in the world to compare with training with a Slayer, Xander and Giles were good, but sparring with Faith was a whole different level, like fighting a vampire but with the safety net of being able to trust her opponent.  Hearing the sound of the library double doors crashing open she turned, her eyes filling with worry at the panicked look on the newcomer’s face.  “Johnno!” Faith ran to meet her boyfriend, “what’s up?”

 

The boy’s answer came in wheezing gasps.  “Some vampire, snatched Xander, and Willow.”

Kendra felt her heart miss a beat, she started forward grabbing the pale-faced teen around the shoulders.  “What happened?  What did the vampire look like!”  Nothing could happen to her Xander.

“I was coming into the school when I heard the sound of glass shattering,” the teen babbled, his face paling at the look in her eyes, “so I hurried to the back and saw this bleached blonde vampire carrying Xander’s  body and dragging Willow behind.”

Xander’s body?  Kendra felt her legs give way beneath her.  She would have fallen except for her sister Slayer grabbing her.  “Relax Ken,” Faith whispered, “Xand will be five by five.”  The brunette turned her head towards the Watcher behind them.  “What’s the plan G?”  She turned to see the worried look on her Watcher’s face.

“Buffy,” the Watcher glanced towards the other Slayer who’d been training with her pet demon, “take him and hit the demon hang-outs for information about where Spike might be staying.  Kendra, you and Faith hit the cemeteries, Jonathan, you and Cordelia stay with me, we’ll wait for contact from you, you all have your mobiles.”

“Five by five G,” after giving Jonathan a quick kiss on his forehead, Faith dragged her outside.

                                    *                                              *                                  *

“Well get in!  We’ve got to get to Will and Xander before the others, then Xander will realise how wrong he was to doubt me!”

Angel paused doubtfully not only at Buffy’s absurd logic but also at the thought of being in a car driven by her.  He’d heard too many stories of Buffy’s driving from Willow to willingly get into a car with her.  “Are you sure we couldn’t get there quicker on foot?”

“Just get in!”

Visions of his undead life ending in an inferno engulfing him, he climbed into the car and did something he hadn’t done in centuries.  He prayed.

                                                *                                  *                                  *

Willow looked around her surroundings, her entire body shaking.  The vampire had dragged them to the basement of a deserted factory that if she remembered what Buffy had told her had served as Spike’s base.  “W..what do you want from me?”

“A spell. For me. You're gonna do a spell for me,” Spike growled.

“Uh, what kind of spell?” she looked with concern at Xander, he hadn’t awoken since Spike had hit him over the head.

“A love spell! Are you brain dead?” the vampire walked over to the dresser  “I'm

gonna get what's mine.”  Spike opened a bottle of whiskey and began drinking greedily. “Teach her to walk out on me.”  The vampire took several good swallows, before looking over at her.  “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing,” she looked away.

“You can do it, right? You can make Dru love me again? Make her beg and crawl!”

“I-I can try,” she stuttered, she gasped as Spike grabbed her around the throat.

“What are you talking about, trying? You'll do it!”

“Yes, I'll do it!”

She shuddered as the vampire released his hold  and broke his bottle against a bedpost before grabbing her again and pulling her head back.  “Lie to me, and I'll shove this through your face! You want that?”

“No...” tears burnt her eyes.

“Right through to your BRAIN!”

“No, please, no...”

The vampire shoved her aside and leant against the bedpost, his voice calming.  “She wouldn't even kill me.”  Spike dropped the broken bottle, and sat down next to her.  “She just left. She didn't even care enough to cut off my head or set me on fire. I mean, is that too much to ask? You know? Some little sign that she cared?”  The vampire paused for a moment to inhale and exhale deeply.  “It was that truce with Buffy that did it. Dru said I'd gone soft. Wasn't demon enough for the likes of her. And I told her it didn't mean anything, I was thinking of her the whole time, but she didn't care. So, we got to Brazil, and she was... she was just different. I gave her everything: beautiful jewels, beautiful dresses with beautiful girls in them, but nothing made her happy. And she would fliiirt!”  The witch blinked as the vampire began to sniffle.  “I caught her on a park bench, making out with a *chaos* demon! Have you ever seen a chaos demon? They're all slime and antlers. They're disgusting.”   She resisted the urge to shudder as the vampire began to stroke her hair.  “She only did it to hurt me. So I said, 'I'm not putting up with this anymore.' And she said, 'Fine!' And I said, 'Yeah, I've got an unlife, you know!' And then she said... she said we could still be friends.”  She swallowed as the vampire leant over and began to sob on her shoulder.  “God, I'm so unhappy!”

Willow patted the vampire’s knee.  “There, there.”

“I mean, friends! How could she be so cruel?”  The vampire raised his head, her blood chilled as he started to look at her neck.  “Mmm. That smell... Your neck...”  He leant in to take a better whiff and then leant back, now in his game face.  “I bet you taste good.”

Willow jumped up.  “Whoa! No! Hold it!  Now, now, hold on! I-I'll do your spell for you, and, and, and I'll get you Drusilla back, but, but there will be no bottle-in-face, and there will be no 'having' of any kind with me. Alright?”  She sobbed as the vampire grabbed her by the neck and bent her over, but made no move to bite her. Instead he reverted to his human guise.

“Alright.” Spike pushed her down on the bed.  “Get started.”

“Now, I'm not a real witch, you know. I-I don't know if this is gonna work right away.”

Spike shrugged before grinning.  “Well, if at first you don't succeed, I'll kill him,” her heart missed a beat as the vampire nodded towards Xander, “and you try again.”

“This isn't enough.”  She glanced at her supplies, she had to buy some time for the others to find them.

“What?”

“Well, there are other ingredients I need.”

“You've got them, though, at home?”

“Not at home.”

Spike shoved his face in her’s.  “Where?”

“The magic shop.”

“I’ll have to go and get them then,” the vampire grinned, “make your list luv.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“You five by five?” Faith glanced with concern at her fellow Slayer.  Ken looked devastated, she couldn’t imagine how crappy her friend felt, well maybe she could if she thought about anything happening to Ken or G, Faith shuddered.  Suddenly her eyes narrowed.  “Ken, is that someone breaking into the magic shop?”

Kendra looked up and shrugged.  “So?” even her friend’s voice was lifeless.

“So, Will’s a witch right?” Kendra nodded.  “Well what would a vampire need a live Wicca for?” when her friend didn’t reply she pressed on.  “To cast a spell maybe?  And what does a Wicca need?”  Kendra’s eyes widened, suddenly her sister began to run towards the shop, cursing Faith followed.

As she neared the shop, Kendra let out an angry scream.  “Spike!”  The figure started to turn only for her sister Slayer to leap into the air, and crash feet-first into the figure’s chest, knocking him to the ground.  Before the vampire, at least that was what she hoped the figure was, could get back to his feet, Kendra was knelt on its chest, her fists a blur as she repeatedly punched the figure in the face.

“Shit, that has gotta hurt,” Faith muttered as she hurried after Kendra.  “Chill Ken,” she urged, “we need it alive remember.”

After a second her still glaring friend climbed to her feet, a few seconds later the vampire followed suit, his face battered but his expression cocksure.  “Right Kendra, I thought Dru killed you?” the lean vampire turned to her.  “Who the bloody hell’s the babe?”

 

“The babe,” she darted forward grabbing the vampire around the throat and slamming him into the wall, “is called Faith, and she’s the third Slayer.  Now what have you done with Xand and Red?”

 

She was surprised when the vampire’s smirk didn’t move.  “Third Slayer uh?  It’s getting so a vamp can’t move without bumping into one of you.  As for your friends,” the vampire grinned, “they’re safe but unless you let me alone they’re dead.”

“And if we do, you’ll kill ‘em anyway!” she snapped.

“You can come along with me if you want,” Spike shrugged.  “All I want is for the Wicca to cast a spell for me.”

“A spell?” a spell for a vamp, that couldn’t be a good spell.  “What sort of spell?” she demanded.

“Doesn’t matter what the spell is,” Faith glanced behind her and groaned, great about 15 vampires surrounding them, “you aren’t going to cast it.”

“Right there Lenny,” Spike beamed, “good to see you pissant.  You ever meet the Slayers before?”

Faith was pleased when the group’s leader paled, good to see their reputations had an effect of the vampire population.  “Y..you two can leave,” Lenny said, “our business is with him.”

“Leave me and your friends die,” Spike cheerfully broke in.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Kendra said.

“Get them!”

Faith moved off to her left. Kendra reacted instantly and moved to her right. Faith threw a front snap kick to the gut of the nearest vampire knocking him down. Another vampire rushed her, but she leapt into the air and connected with full spinning wheel kick to his face.  Another vampire tried to slam her into a low wall, but she used her momentum and his leverage to jump sideways over the wall into the outdoor table area of the Espresso Pump. She lands on a table on her back, rolled off and came up in a standing position. A vampire inside the cafe' rushed her from behind but she executed a full spinning hook kick, connecting with his stomach before side kicking a vampire in the neck, sending him flying backwards into some chairs.

Out of the corner of her eye, Faith saw another vampire coming at her from the side, spinning round she grabbed a round metal table and smacked him hard in the face, knocking him to the floor. Faith glanced desperately around for a weapon, spying a mop by the wall. Rushing over, she stomped on its base, breaking the mop head off and leaving her with a wooden pole. “Works for me.”  As the vampire attacked again, she swung the stick into the vamp’s gut, knocking him to the floor. As the other one tried to get up again, she slammed the pole down onto his face, sending him back to the floor also.  Before either vampire had a chance to recover she thrust her makeshift stake through both their hearts, causing them to explode into dust.

All three of  them re-grouped outside in front of the magic shop, but in seconds they were surrounded by the remaining vampires. “Through here!”  with a quick twist of her wrist she forced the door while her companions slowly backed in towards her. At the last instant they ran into the shop before slamming the door closed in front of the chasing gang of vampires.

Once inside, Faith headed behind the counter to see if she could find a weapon. Shouting orders as she went.  “Ken!  You and Bleach-Job grab one of the bookcases and slide it over against the front window!”  Behind the counter Faith found a chair.  “Shit!  Is that it?”  Muttering curses under her breath, she smashed the chair’s legs to use as stakes and threw a chair leg to each of her companions..

Suddenly the back door flew open.  Kendra sprang to meet the intruder, sliding beneath his attack before lifting him into the air and flinging him onto a table arrayed with books and candles. Two more vampires rushed in, making their way toward Faith. Kendra slammed the back door closed and leant against it, holding it shut.  Faith grabbed hold of  the rolling ladder used to reach the upper shelves, and pushed it into the two vampires coming at her, knocking them to the floor.  Even as she staked the two vampires she saw Spike stake the vampire lying on the table and the door Kendra had been blocking crash open, the door falling to the ground, trapping her friend beneath it.

The first vampire to enter the room was Lenny.  After quickly scanning the room he

headed straight for Spike. Behind the gang leader another vampire ran in, Faith rushed to engage him, roundhouse kicking him in the face and followed up with a backhand punch. Her adversary blocked the hit and wrapped his arm around hers and yanked her arm downward. Bracing against the vampire’s power she yanked back up and pulled her

arm free, before quickly punching him twice in the face, following it up with a knee to the gut and a high punch to the face.   Taking advantage of the vampire’s stunned condition, she grabbed hold of his hair and yanked the vampire over onto his back before staking him and rushing over to help Kendra to her feet.  “You five by five Ken?”

Her friend smiled weakly only to point at the shaking bookcase at the front window.  “That window's about to go!”  Suddenly Ken grinned and pointed.  “Faith look!”

She smirked as she saw what her friend was pointing at.  “Wicked idea Ken!”  Grabbing the suggested weapons, the two of them turned to see Spike staking Lenny and the window crash open.  “Bleach!  Get down!”

The vampire dropped to the floor as the remaining horde of vampires stormed the shop. Faith began to giggle as she began to throw the bottles of holy water that Ken had noticed at the vampires, this was wicked fun.  The bottles broke as they hit their targets, spraying the vampires and burning them like battery acid. Soon the attacking vampires were making a hasty, screaming retreat. Spike stood back up before letting out a breath of satisfaction.  Faith glanced across at Ken, seeing her friend’s almost imperceptible nod she flung a bottle of holy water square into the vampire’s face.  Even as the vampire let out a bellow of agony, they both darted forward, Kendra sweeping the vampire’s legs from beneath the vamp while she tipped a bookcase over on the vamp, pinning the demon’s legs and stomach beneath the case.  Before the vampire had a chance to throw the bookcase off, Faith had his right arm pinned down under her feet and Kendra his left similarly restrained. 

“We had a deal!” Spike screamed.

“Guess what?” Kendra crouched over the vampire.  “You kidnapped my boyfriend.  And you picked the wrong two Slayers to make a deal with.  Where are they?”

“Piss off, agg!” 

The vampire began shrieking as Faith poured her vial onto the vamp’s face and watched with horrified fascination as the vamp’s skin began to bubble and smoulder.  “How many bottles we got left Ken?”

 

“Maybe thirty.”

“Damn,” she opened another bottle and poured it onto the vampire’s palm.  “With all that we could burn every inch of skin off your body, Billy Boy.”

“They’re in the old abandoned factory.” 

Faith supposed she should have felt sorry for the sobbing vampire, but then she wasn’t blond.  “You want to do the honours, Ken?”  Her sister Slayer grinned eagerly before slamming her chair leg into the vampire’s chest.  Once the vampire had exploded into dust, Ken looked up at her.  “Shall we go get our bud, Ken?”

“Let’s...”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Do you know what this is?”

Willow stared at the list that a very angry looking Giles had passed to her.  “It’s the list of books I’ve borrowed off you,” she replied uncertainly.  Three days had passed since Kendra and Faith had rescued her and Xander from the factory.  He’d hardly spoken to her since but that was okay, in a couple of weeks she’d have enough money saved to replace the spell ingredients he’d destroyed in his tantrum and then everything would be alright.

“Precisely,” the Watcher took the list from her.  “I want every one of those books returned to me by tomorrow morning at the latest.”

All the books, but they were her entire collection – the best bits anyhow.  “B..but-.”

She jumped as the man slammed a fist into the desk, his eyes glittering dangerously, he leaned forward until his face was mere inches from her’s.  “Let me make this very clear, Xander informed me of what your plan was,” she swallowed, oh boy she was in trouble now.  “He wanted to have your powers bound.  And well,” the Watcher smiled a most unGilesish smile, “let’s just say it’s fortunate for you he had the good sense to tell me when Kendra and Faith were pre-occupied otherwise I somehow think this talk would be unnecessary.  Those books will be returned, and you won’t so as much look at a magic book in the future without my permission unless you want your powers binding understand?”  She nodded fearfully, the Watcher sighed.  “Willow, you have tremendous potential, but you are treading a path that led me to become Ripper, caused Ethan Rayne, the zookeeper who caused Xander to be possessed, all sorts of evil.  I would rather not be forced to face you as an enemy.  Understand?”  She nodded fearfully.  “Good girl, now go.  And don’t forget those books.”

Three Slayers 7A – Sisterhood

Faith grinned at Kendra as they made their way through the packed shopping mall, her hand darting constantly in her pocket to feel the thick wad of notes there even as she stared with wonder at the decorations adorning the shops around them and revelled in the sound of carollers.  She’d never had a Christmas before, to her mom it had just been another day to get drunk and tell her what a worthless bitch she was.   Kendra was in the same boat, her Watcher hadn’t beaten her but treated Christmas as just another training day, but this year was going to be different.  There was going to be a tree, a turkey, presents, decorations – everything, she even had gifts planned for G, Ken, Johnny, and Xander, saved for from her Council stipend. 

She stopped.  “Ken?” she turned back to see her friend staring at the window of a camping store.  Cursing, she hurried back to her friend.  “Ken, what’s the sitch?  I gotta get to the record store before they sell that Cream box-set I want for G!  It’s too damn cold to be thinking about camping.”

“I know,” Kendra looked troubled, “so why is Xander buying a sleeping bag?”

Faith’s eyes widened as she glanced across at the store.  “Let’s find out.”

 

Kendra nodded.  “Let’s.”

“Hey Xand!  What you doing buying a sleeping bag in the middle of winter?”

 

The youth stiffened and turned to face them before smiling weakly.  “Uh, I noticed my old one needed replacing.“

“Why would you be looking at your sleeping bag in the middle of winter?” Kendra demanded, “and why do you replace it the middle of winter?”

Xander shuffled from foot to foot.  “Ken-.”

”Answer me!”  

Both Faith and Xander flinched at the coldness in Kendra’s voice.  After a second, Xander spoke, his voice hushed and his eyes fixed on the ground.  “My parents get rowdy on Christmas Eve, I sleep outside to avoid the trouble.”

Faith’s eyes filled with tears, this wasn’t right, her friend shouldn’t have to go through this, not when she was so happy.  She glanced at Kendra and nodded.  Reaching forward, they grabbed hold of their friend’s arms.  “G will know what to do,” seeing Xander’s mouth begin to open she snapped, “don’t argue!”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So you’re telling me for the past six years, three of which you’ve known about vampires, you’ve  been sleeping outside on Christmas Eve?”

“Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve too.  It just seemed easier.”

Giles couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  Sometimes he wondered about Xander, he really did, why the boy hadn’t come to him about this earlier?  “Giles?”

“Yes Kendra?”

“C..can Xander stay here over Christmas?”

“No-.”

“What!”

He turned his gaze on Faith who instantly quietened but continued to return his glare with interest.  “I was about to say not just for Christmas, Xander I have a cot in the study you can move in there to stay for as long as you ne-.”  He was cut off by being buried beneath two squealing girls.  “Oh bloody hell, get off!”  Being hugged by two super-powered young women at once was hard on the old bones.  Although deeply pleasurable

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles slumped against the hallway wall of his house, exhausted beyond measure.  “What a bloody day,” he muttered before taking his glasses off and rubbing the lenses as he walked into the lounge.  It had been Buffy’s Cruciamentum today, the arcane test given to Slayers on their 18^th birthday, robbing them of their powers and forcing them to face a vampire, to test their worthiness.  At the last moment he had refused to go through with it, he might no longer have the regard for Buffy that he once had but he had no intention to partake in the murder of a young girl.  Together they’d just barely managed to kill the vampire sent to test her but he’d been fired by the Council.

“Well they can piss off,” Giles snarled, nobody was taking his charges away from him.  “Let the buggers come -.”  He started as he registered the presence of Xander sat on his lounge couch, an unusually intense expression on the young man’s face.  “Oh hello Xander, not patrolling with the others?”

“No Giles,” the young man skewered him with an intense glare.  “I think what went on today is more important.”

“Oh,” for the first time ever the teen was making him nervous.  “So you’ve heard?”

“I’ve heard,” the youth confirmed with a nod.  “What you did to Buffy was wrong but you already know that and she’s no longer my concern.  But Kendra and Faith are, Ken’s eighteen in six months and Faith in eleven.  What are you going to do then?”

“I won’t test them but,” Giles’ eyes flared, “the Council won’t like that.”

“Then we’ll just have to deal with them when they come,” Xander started to stand.

“Xander,” Giles hesitated, “I’ve been fired by the Council.”

 

“Then we’ll have to deal whoever they send,” Xander finished standing.

Giles’ eyes narrowed as he noticed a bulge in Xander’s jacket.  “What’s that?”  he pointed.

“This,” Giles’ blood chilled as the youth opened his jacket to reveal a shoulder holster containing an automatic, “this is Ken and Faith’s insurance.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Damn it!”  Xander flew into the wall, thrown there by a hideous blue-skinned demon.  Seeing the monster advance, he rolled away only for Kendra to leap out of the alcove she’d been hidden in, her sword slicing through the monster’s heart.  The beast let out a scream, its mouth opening to reveal its pointed teeth.  Its red eyes bulging in pain the demon fell to its knees before slumping face-first to the cave floor. 

Xander glanced up at his smirking girl-friend.  “You know,” he let out a protesting groan as Kendra pulled him to his feet, “I hate being the bait.”

“But you said you liked us working together,” Kendra attempted to look innocent but failed.

“Yeah, but why do I have to be the bait?” Xander winced as a pain shot through his head.  “You fall so much better than me.”

“And yet you’ve had so much more practice.”

Xander glared at his girl-friend.  “Yep, Faith’s definitely a bad influence on you.  What happened to the sweet, shy girl I met in the library all those months ago?”

 

“Like you said she got lucky,” Xander turned to see a grinning Faith coming through the adjoining cavern mouth, “and met me.”

“That’s not exactly what I said,” Xander corrected before glancing at a dazed-looking Jonathan, “you okay Johnny?”

 

“Fine,” the youth’s smile was less than reassuring.

“Okay,” Xander gazed at a suddenly worried looking Faith, “maybe we should get Giles to look him over.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith glanced around the hushed library, the importance of the occasion giving her goose pimples and causing her mouth to dry with fear.  This was the big one, the one for all the marbles.  According to what G had said the demons they’d fought were the Sisterhood of Jhe and were planning to open the hellmouth and if they succeeded the world would be overrun with demons.  She glanced behind her, what sort of fucking idiot built a school directly over a hellmouth anyway?  She turned at the sound of the library doors open, her heart dropping at the figure entering – damn he wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Hi gang what’s happening?” Jonathan asked cheerfully.  “Training, patrolling or research?”

Giles cast her a glance before standing, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his tweed jacket.  “Ah, Mr. Levinson.  We won’t be needing your services for the next few days.”

“Uh, why not?” Jonathan looked perplexed.

“We are facing a considerable crisis in the next few days,” G began, “it’s simply too risky for anything but the super-powered amongst us.”

“Xander isn’t super-powered,” Jonathan pointed out.

“No,” G nodded in agreement, “but Xander has considerable experience fighting demons as well as the memories of a ‘Nam Green Beret.  You on the other hand -.”

“Are useless!” Jonathan interrupted, the hurt written across his face as he spun around to leave.

“Oh well done G!” after shooting her Watcher, fuck what the Council said ‘cause that what he was, an angry glance, she leapt to her feet and hurried after Jonathan.  Grabbing his arm, she spun him round to face her.  “Johnny let me explain!”

“Go on then!”

“You see,” she swallowed, god this was so hard to say.  She reached out to stroke her furious boyfriend’s face, but he pulled away.  Hurt, she let her hand drop to her side, “before I met you, I just fought for the buzz of winning.  But now I fight to keep you safe, you mean the world to me, the way you don’t care about all the bad shit in my life, make me feel special.  If you’re here I won’t be able to concentrate, be on my game.”

“But-.”

“Please.”

“Fine!” his face red, Jonathan turned and stormed out of the library.

“Johnny!” tears blinding her she started after him only to stop at a hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice in her ear.

”Let me try Faith,” she nodded gratefully at Xander. She couldn’t lose her Johnny, he was the best guy she’d ever had.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles came out of his inner office, his face as expressionless as normal but inside he was raging, those bloody idiots in the Council were going to let politics get in the way of saving the world.  Bunch of wankers, he couldn’t believe he used to work for them.  “Any luck Giles?”

“No Kendra,” he smiled at the dusky-skinned beauty.  “I’m afraid not,” his smile died as he saw a devastated looking Faith.  He’d have to do something about this, if nothing else he needed her ‘on her game’ for the fight coming up, and for her own sake. 

The girl started as he put his arm around her shoulder only to relax as she realised it was him.  “Hi G.”

His heart broke at the weakness of the brunette’s smile.  “Don’t worry Faith, Jonathan will come round.”

“You think?  He seemed awful pissed.”

“Of course he will,” he soothed, “after all whatever Jonathan is he isn’t an idiot and he’d have to be a bloody idiot to give up a chance with a marvellous young woman like you.”  His remark was rewarded with a slightly widening smile.  “Besides if he doesn’t come to his senses, I’ll have to introduce him to my horsewhip.”

The girl giggled.  “A horse whip? Didn’t know you were kinky G.”

He winked at the brunette.  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” 

Straightening, he looked at the sparring Kendra and Buffy.  “I’m going to try and contact the spirit guides.”  He paled as he realised something.  “You’ve eaten all the jellied donuts!”

“Training takes a lot of calories Giles.”

He shook his head at Buffy’s comments.  “My bloody jellied donuts, the world’s coming to an end and I don’t even have a bloody jellied donut.”  He turned to leave.  “Bloody marvellous.”

“Wait Giles,” he turned back to see Xander rising out of his seat.  “Want some company?”

“What about the research?”

“There’s nothing in these books, I might as well go with you, watch your back.”

Giles nodded.  “Very well.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Kendra stepped away from her sparring.  “Wait,” she requested before glancing towards her best friend sat slumped by the desk.  Whatever Giles had said to her had temporarily raised Faith’s spirits but now her sister Slayer had fallen back into her depression.  There had to be something she could take her friend’s mind off Jonathan.  “Faith!” her friend raised her head off the desk.  “Want to go to Willy’s, see if we can scare up some information?”  after a second her friend nodded.  She turned back to Buffy.  “Want to come?” she asked, it was only polite to ask.

To her relief Buffy shook her head.  “I’ll wait for Angel to get back from the magic shop with Willow.”

“Okay,” she glanced to Faith.  “Ready?” her friend nodded.  “Let’s go.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Why do all these spirit guides have to hang out in graveyards?”

Giles glanced across at Xander.  “Where do you suggest they should be?  Perhaps frequenting the Doublemeat Palace?”

Xander glared at him.  “Don’t get all uppity British with me.”  The teen’s expression turned serious.  “Do you think Faith and Johnno will be alright?”

 

“I’m sure Mr. Levinson will see sense,” he smirked, “even if we have to sit him down and make him see sense.”

“Oh playing big brother, I love that,” Xander grinned at him.  “Can I be the bad cop?”

“I was rather thinking we could both be bad cop.”

Xander chuckled.  “Works for me.”

“Oh bloody hell,” Giles shoved his equipment back into his holdall as he stared balefully at the mausoleum.  Why couldn’t something go right, just for once?

“No luck G-Man?”

“None,” he confirmed with a grunt.

“See I told you we should rely on brute -,” suddenly the youth’s voice deadened.  “Oh shit, got company.  Got your sword?”

Giles swallowed.  “Ye-.”

“Good.” His eyes widened as the youth pulled a shotgun from beneath his overcoat and began firing, the boom of his shotgun destroying the night’s silence as the buckshot tore through the two demons advancing on them, sending them both crashing to the ground.

“A bloody shotgun!” Giles exploded when he got his breath back.  “What the bloody hell are you doing with your shotgun!”

“After the first incident in the cavern I thought I best get out the big guns so to speak.  Aren’t you going to chop their heads off before they recover?”

“Um yes,” pulling out his sword Giles started towards the injured demons, he was beginning to wonder who was more dangerous the demons or Xander.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Fuck,” Faith let out a breath as she surveyed the devastated ruin that was Willy’s, “I haven’t seen a mess like this since a bike bar back in Boston I used to hang in got trashed in a gang war.  Willy really knows how to throw a party.”  Despite her flippancy she was thrown by the state of the demon bar, unmoving bodies lay crumpled everywhere – not that she was exactly worried about the state of demons, while several colours of blood decorated the walls, floor, and ceiling, and looking around she doubted there wasn’t one piece of furnishing that hadn’t been broken.

“Faith!” she looked up to see her sister Slayer behind the bar counter.  “Over here!”

Rushing over, she hurdled over the bar, careful to avoid the shattered glass lying there.  She let out a gasp at the sight that greeted her.  “Shit Willy, what did they do to you?”  The bar owner was lying on the floor, his head and shoulders propped up against the cabinets. Blood was flowing freely from several cuts in his head, his nose appeared to be broken, his eyes were filled with pain, and his face covered in bruises.

The bartender smiled weakly.  “So girls, come to audition for those lap-dancing jobs.”

Faith chuckled despite the situation.  “You in love with pain Willy?”

The bar owner laughed then winced.  “Oh no tonight’s cured me.  It’s going to happen before sunrise. That's what they said.”

“Why did they do this?” Kendra asked, the two Slayers exchanged worried glances.

“Because they can,” suddenly the man doubled up, “oh man.”

Kendra crouched down beside the man.  “I’ve phoned for an ambulance.”

“Look, kids,” Willy let out a pained gasp, “my clientele ain't exactly nuns and orphans, but I... I never seen anything like these demons.”

Faith bit her bottom lip.  “We’re gonna stop them.”

“That Hellmouth opens,” Willy let out a groan, “ they're gonna be the least of your problems is my train of thought.”  He winced in pain again and coughs, then swallowed again.  “If I were you two, I’d grab your gang and run.  Have one last blow-out to say good-bye to the world.”

“Ken,” Faith couldn’t tear her eyes away from the battered man, “you head back to the school to tell the others, I’ll wait for the ambulance.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“But Oz is tranquilised?”

Willow nodded.  “He’s locked in the basement.”

“Very well,” Giles took a moment to think his strategy through.  “Willow will cast the spell under my supervision, Xander provide cover for her, Kendra, you and Faith will fight the demon that arises, Buffy you and him,” he wouldn’t dignify the vampire’s existence with a name, “will guard the double doors from the sisterhood.  Xander, I would suggest you stick to using your axe rather than your shotgun, given how fraught the situation is likely to get.”

“Xander’s brought his shotgun!”

“Buffy,” Giles replied wearily.  “Now is not the time.”

“But he killed someone with that!”

Oh bloody hell, not this old chestnut again, Giles felt his temper snap under the strain.  “Yes, and considering the man concerned not only attempted to stave my head in, was trying to kill both you and Kendra at the time, and had plans to use a black arts weapon of considerable power for god knows what, I’m not exactly saving up for flowers for his funeral.  And let’s not forget,” he gazed significantly at the vampire stood beside the blonde, “how flexible your morals is this area can be.”

Buffy flinched at his words and the vampire started forward.  “Giles -.”

In a second he was flanked by his two Slayers.  Realising he’d caused a confrontation he sighed.  “Calm down everybody, let’s concentrate on the situation in hand.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Oh boy, how do I get myself into these situations?” Xander stared in horror at the multi-headed beast snapping at his girl-friend and her best friend.  Realising that there was little he could do if the monster managed to get past the two Slayers he turned his attention to Buffy and Angel battling the Jhe demons.

Even as he did, one of the demons got past the battling pair.  Xander cursed as he glanced quickly at Giles and Willow; they were in the throes of spell-casting.  “Looks like I’m up.” Hefting his axe he leapt to meet the charging demon only to veer away to the right at the last second, his axe swinging to tear into the demon’s side. 

The demon let out a high-pitched screech and blood spurted out of the wound but despite its terrible injury the beast shot out a back-hander that he just managed to duck under only to be grabbed around the throat and flung into a near-by bookcase.  The bookcase collapsed under the impact, burying him under an avalanche of books.  “One way or another G-man’s going to get me close to his books.”  Ignoring the pain pulsating through his body, Xander scrabbled desperately for the shaft of his axe, his eyes fixed on the demon advancing on the Watcher and Witch.  Finally his hand found the axe, lifting it he aimed, and threw it.

The axe flew threw the air to hit its target, tearing through the beast’s hamstring, the monster let out an anguished howl before plummeting  to the ground.  “He shoots, he scores!”  After struggling to his feet he hurried over to the still screeching beast, picked up his axe and decapitated the monster.  Xander grinned as he turned to watch Buffy and Angel fight the remaining demons.  “These things are so ugly not even Snyder would date them.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Night everybody.”

Giles smiled at Kendra.  “Kendra you did amazingly well tonight.”

The girl reddened and glanced down at the floor.  “Just doing my job Giles.”

“Yes you were,” he agreed placing a hand on her shoulder.  “And you did it exceptionally well tonight, all of you did.”

“Thanks Giles.”  He smiled as the girl hurried off upstairs and Xander disappeared into the bedroom\study..

“We going to watch that film you said you wanted to?”

He turned to face Faith.  “’Reach for The Sky’ you mean?”

“Yeah,” the brunette nodded, “you said it would be good for history class.”

Noting the weariness in the brunette’s posture and feeling tired himself he opened his mouth to decline only to also notice the eagerness in the young girl’s eyes.  Seeing the enthusiasm on her face only made him wonder what sort of horrors she’d endured as a child to make sitting with him watching a British fifties movie such a joy.  “Certainly Faith, it would be a pleasure.”

The brunette grinned at him. “Wicked, you get the coca and I’ll get the marshmallows, five by five?”

“Oh yes,” he replied dryly, “wicked.”

Thirty minutes later and the girl had fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.  Her defences down, Giles couldn’t help but think how innocent and childlike she looked.  “How anybody could want to hurt you is beyond me my dear,” he muttered.  Standing he turned the television off before lifting the girl into his arms, marvelling at her slightness, and carried her up stairs to the room they’d turned into Faith’s after she’d been living there for a few weeks.  After gently placing her beneath her sheets he turned to leave.

“Thanks pa.”

Giles stopped at the muttered comment, a lump forming in his throat, taking a step back he kissed the girl on her forehead before moving back to the door.  “You’re welcome my dear,” he whispered before turning and exiting the room, wiping furtively at his eyes.

Three Slayers 7B- Rise Of A Hero

His lips pursed in thought, Jonathan hurried across the school grounds, his concentration fixed on the Judo manual that Xander had lent him.  He could understand the theory behind the martial arts, it was the practice that gave him problems – he just wasn’t a natural athlete.  He’d have to ask Xander to practice with him some more. Jonathan hid a smile, not that spending time with Xander was a chore, Faith might be his girl-friend but Giles and Xander were the first men to ever notice him, to treat with respect.  Suddenly he bumped into somebody, knocking his book to the floor.  “Ow sorry!”  His apologetic smile faded as he registered just who he’d bumped into – Jack O’Toole, the local psychopath, and one man crime wave.  “Oh shit.”

The gang leader crouched down to pick up the book he’d dropped.  “’Judo – the Essential Guide’,” O’Toole let out a harsh laugh, “so you think you’re a tough guy do you, know all the moves?  Want to try some on me do you?”

Jonathan swallowed nervously.  “Not really no.”

“But you think you can get away with bumping into me?”

“I think he can.”

Jonathan let out a relieved gasp.  O’ Toole turned away from to face Xander.  “You want some of me Harris?”

Xander raised an eyebrow.  “Not really no O’Toole, getting your blood out of my clothes will be a chore. So tough guy,” Xander stepped towards O’Toole, “why don’t you make like a tree and leave.”

The gang leader stepped back.  “Me and you sometime Harris, when you’re least expecting it.”

Xander smiled.  “Maybe it’ll be you and me when you’re least expecting it,” the thug dropped the book on the ground before walking off.  After watching the thug walk off Xander picked the manual up off the ground and passed it to him.  “You okay Johnny?”

“Fine thanks,” Jonathan’s eyes widened, “you just backed off Jack O’Toole, weren’t you scared?”

Xander shrugged.   “I fight vampires and demons every night; I’d have to be some kind of idiot if I let an asshole like O’Toole worry me.”

Jonathan glanced down at the book.  “I just wish I was better at fighting so I could help.”  And not be scared by bullies like West and O’Toole, he silently added.

“Give it time buddy,” Xander patted him on the shoulder, “you’re there for Faith that’s the important thing.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Johnny!  Wait!”  Ignoring his friend’s voice, Jonathan continued to walk away from the corridor, his heart breaking at what Faith and the others had said.  They hadn’t said it, but he knew what they thought, he was useless.  They needed all the help they could get but he just wasn’t good enough.  Feeling Xander’s hand on his shoulder he tried to pull away but the bigger man was too strong for him and he was spun around to face him.  “Johnny calm down.  It’s not personal-.”

“Well it feels it!”

“Look buddy, you’re a great guy and no-body doubts your nerve but you’re not up to fighting these things yet.  It makes strategic sense for you to leave, armies always fight better without non-combatants about -.”

“Non-combatants - is that another way of saying dead weight?”

“Faith only doesn’t want you here because she cares so much,” Xander sighed.  “Look why don’t you take my car,” Xander dropped a set of keys into his hand, "and go hang in the Bronze.  Just calm down.”

“Fine!”

Two hours later and he was sat bored stiff in the Bronze.  It wasn’t the same without the others – Faith’s arm around him, Xander cracking jokes, and Kendra laughing.  And he was sick of the popular crowd sniggering at him because he was alone; the jocks probably thought Faith had dumped him so they’d have a chance with her.  He decided to call it a night and go home.  After getting up he hurried out into the cold night.  Anxious to escape the possible vampires lurking in the shadows, he jumped in the car and stepped on the gas without looking ahead. The car lurched forward promptly hitting the car parked in front of them. Cursing he slammed on the brakes and put the car into park. “Oh God! Xander’s going to kill me!”  His heart pounding, he jumped out of the car and gingerly approached the front of the other car. “Oh thank god,” he let out a relieved sigh when his quick inspection revealed there was only some slight bumper damage and a broken taillight on the other car.  Smiling apologetically he turned towards the driver of the car.  “I’m sorry it’s just a little fender bender. It's not...”his words trailed off as Jack O'Toole climbed out of the other car, looking angrily back at him. The thug stood and stared at him for a long moment, “...the end of the world.”

Jonathan swallowed as Jack approached him, terrified he began to babble.  “Oh, gosh, Jack man, are, are you okay?” he pointed a shaking hand at the bumpers “I am really sorry about that. But your car came out of nowhere.”

Jack looked down at the damage and back up at him.  “I was parked.”

“Look I can cover the damages. I don't have insurance in the strictest sense of the word, but I have a little money. The important thing is that we're alright and we can work this out like two reasonable...”  Jack pulled out a very long hunting knife and held it up.  Jonathan felt his mouth dry.  “Now I’m sure you don’t do anything rash.”

The thug pointed the knife at him.  “Where do you want it?”

“I'm fairly certain I don't want it at all, but, uh, thank you,” he babbled, “nice offer though.  Do much sword-fighting?”

“She's called 'Katie'.”

“Oh nice to meet you Katie,” he started to edge away, “look I have to be going.”  Suddenly Jack reached around him with the knife and hooked it behind his ear, forcing him to look at O’Toole.

“Are you scared?” Jack jeered as he traced the tip of the blade around his neck and cheek.

“You know what the difference between you and me is?”

“You’ve got the knife?”

“No,” Jack shook his head.  “Fear. Who has the least fear?”

“Oh yeah,” Jonathan replied. “And it has nothing to do with who has the big, sharp...”

Suddenly Jack slapped the knife into his hand and stepped back.  “Come on then show me what you’ve got.”  Confused by the abrupt change in circumstances, he glanced down at the knife.  As he did, Jack lunged forward, grabbed and shoved him back onto the hood of the car before grabbing his hand and twisting it so the knife is pointing at his neck and, despite his best efforts, was slowly bearing down on his throat. Just then a flashlight shone into Jack's face.

“Hey!”

“Shit!” Jack released him, quickly palming the knife. Jonathan let out a relieved gasp as he glanced towards the intruder seeing a police officer.  The officer turned off his flashlight and slowly approached.

“What's goin' on?”

“Nothing.” Jack shuffled his feet.  “Just rasslin'.”

“O'Toole.”  The police officer flashed his torch into the gang leader’s face.  “What a surprise.”  The patrolman turned to him.  “He attack you?”

Jonathan looked at Jack.  If he ratted on O’Toole he’d get away, but if O’Toole got bail or one of his friends caught up with him it would be even worse. “No. Just blowing off steam. Two guys rasslin'.   You know ‘Monday Night Raw’.”

The police officer glanced from him to Jack before nodding.  “Do it somewhere else, huh?”  Shaking his head, the cop left. Jonathan dropped his head in relief.  Remembering about the thug behind him, he glanced over his shoulder only to be confused by Jack’s smirk.

“What?”

Jack nodded.  “That was alright. Could've narc'd on me. Didn't do it. Decent of you. I like you.  Wanna party?”

Jonathan took a second to think over the offer, there was nothing he wanted to do less but if he refused, the thug’s new good mood could quickly disappear.  “What do you have in mind?

“Well, I was on my way to get the boys. Gonna cruise around.”   Jack checked out his wheels.  “We'll take your wheels.”

“What about your car?”

“It ain't mine.”

Jack shook his head in disbelief, all this trouble for nothing.  “Great. Where to?”

Jack opens the door and slides in to the far side.  “Gonna get the boys!”

“Yeah.” Jonathan pulled the door shut.  “So, where're the boys?”

                                                *                                  *                                  *

“I had to ask,” Jonathan muttered in disgust.  Ever since he’d started hanging with Faith and the others it seemed he spent half his time in cemeteries.  Normally he didn’t mind but then normally he wasn’t with some nutjob trying to raise three zombies.  Now he was back in the car with Jack’s buddy Bob standing on the back seat with his fists raised into he air.

“LET'S GET SOME BEER! YEAH!”  Bob roared. 

The other dead boys yelled in agreement.   Jonathan shuddered as he looked at Parker, the last one of the group to be raised.  Parker’s  face was decayed beyond recognition, having lost much of its flesh, exposing parts of his skull. Suddenly Parker let out a yell.  “Dude! Let's go pick up some girls, man. We'll hang out at Taco Bell, get some girls, go cruise around...”

“Good luck,” Jonathan muttered.  He figured Parker would have less luck with the girls than him pre-Faith.

“I wanna bake a cake.”

Jonathan glanced nervously back at his unwelcome guests.  “If you guys want me to drop you off somewhere, that's...”

“Nah.” Jack interrupted, patting him on the shoulder.  “You're with us now.”

Parker reached up from behind and patted him on neck and cheek with his grossly rotten hands.  ”Oh yeah, man, you on the team now, baby. Whoo-hoo!”  Jonathan quelled the urge to shudder as the others chuckled.

“What're we going to do?” asked Bob.

“Well, I've heard some interesting suggestions,” Jack replied “but I'm going to have to go with Dickie’s. Let's bake a cake.”

“Yeaaaaah!”  came the cry from the back.

Ten minutes later Jonathan pulled to a stop in front of a hardware store in downtown Sunnydale.  “Alright!” Jack leapt out.  Dickie pushed the front backrest forward before getting out. Bob and Parker just jump over the side of the car.  Jack turned to him.  “You stay here and keep the motor running.”

“Uh, this time of night, I'm pretty sure nothing's open.”  Jonathan pointed out.  He winced as Bob grabbed a newspaper vending machine, yanked it from the sidewalk and flung it into the hardware store window. It shatters loudly. “But they're always open for *crime*.”  The dead boys all climb into the store. Xander holds on tightly to the

steering wheel and fidgets nervously in his seat.  “Okay. Now I'm involved in crime. I'm   the criminal element. “ 

In a few minutes the others hurried out of the hardware store. Dickie holds up two bags full of ingredients for him to see.  Dickie smiled.  “We got the cake mix!” he yelled before throwing the bags in the back.  Jonathan’s brow furrowed as a puzzling thought occurred.  What sort of cake do you get from a hardware store?

“Where you wanna bake it?”

Jack stared at him.  “I’m thinking Johnny needs to be made part of our gang.”

Bob comes around to his left. Parker stands to his right.  “He doesn't feel like part of the group because he hasn't been initiated,” Bob commented.

Jack glanced across at Bob.  “Do you think he's ready?”

He forced himself not to flinch when Parker placed a rotting arm around him. “I think he's earned his stripes. I say we let him in, boys. Huh?”

“Woo-hoo!” Dickie laughed

“Great!” Jonathan thought it best to play along.  “What do I gotta do?”

“Nothing really,” his smile faded when Jack pulled out Katie, “just die.”

Jonathan swallowed.  “Alright, guys, what... Let's just talk about this.”  Jack leered at him, constantly turning his knife.  ”I'm not *dying* to be in the gang, if you get

the, um... the pun there.”

Bob looked insulted.  “What? You're, you're too good to be dead?”  He grabbed Jonathan by the lapels of his jacket and lifts him up.  “You got a problem with dead people?”

“No prejudices here Bob,“ he shook his head to emphasise the point.  “What about Jack? Jack's not dead.”

Jack lowered his knife, reached down and raised his shirt for Jonathan to see the series of bullet holes across his gut. Bob released Jonathan so he can get a better look. Jack dropped his shirt and brought Katie back up level to Jonathan's face.  “Drive-by three weeks ago.  Grandpappy found my body. I wasn't gone but ten minutes before he

raised me. It's a rush, man.”

“Let's kill Jonathan.” Dickie smiled at him.  “It'll be fun!”

“Yeah, man, you could be a full-fledged member.” Parker put in.

Jack stepped closer and sneered.   “Come on, Jonathan. Take it like a man.”

“Alright, enough! You guys have had your fun, but you forgot about *one* thing.” He looked at Bob and Parker, and then rushed across the street and into the outside seating area of the Espresso Pump. The zombies gave chase, Jonathan waited for them to follow him into the cafe', then made another break for it, jumping up onto a table and hopping over the low wall surrounding the area. He raced back across the street and jumped into the car. The motor was still running, so he threw it into drive, floored it and burnt rubber,  leaving the dead guys behind.  He let out a relieved gasp.  “I'd say that's pretty much enough excitement for one evening,” he paled as he turned a corner.  “Oh no, I don’t believe my night.”

He watched as Faith got thrown against a fence, pulled off and thrown against it again by a Jhe demon. The demon pulled her off again, but Faith shook loose and did a backhand swing at the demon's head, making it snap hard to the side. Faith then punched it in the gut and tries for a second hit to the head, but the demon blocked the attempt, grabbed Faith's arm and threw her to the ground. Faith rolled back up in a fighting stance. The demon lunged at her, but she kicked it in the knee and then roundhouse kicked it in the head. Without pausing, Faith launched into a half spinning high wheel kick, which the demon blocked. The demon grabbed hold of Faith’s jacket, swung her around, and back into the fence. The demon rushed Faith, who grabbed the fence behind her and lifted herself up to do a twin push kick to the demon's gut, shoving her back hard. Seizing his chance Jonathan drove right into the demon, knocking it onto its ass. “Get in!”

Faith ran to the car and dived into the back seat. Jonathan gunned it just as the demon got to her feet.  “Take me back to my place, I need to get changed.”

Jonathan pulled the car to a screeching halt outside Giles’ apartment. They both run in, watching for any pursuers. Faith opened the door before rushing inside, Jonathan followed, and checked the window before slamming the door shut.  “You think Demon Mama followed us?”

“Nah, we're cool.” Faith took off her jacket, wincing at the effort.  “The bitch dislocated my shoulder, though, come here.”  After a second Jonathan walked over to her.  He looked at her in confusion, but gets closer and reached out to her. A smirk on her face, Faith took his right hand and put it on her left upper arm. He finally realised what he was supposed to do. Faith reached up with her right hand and grabbed his jacket for leverage. She pulled her left shoulder back before jerking it forward. Her shoulder snapped audibly back into place. Faith gasped before rotating her shoulder around in different positions.

“That's better.” Faith smirked at him.  “She got me really wound up.”  The Slayer looked at him and runs her hand over his chest. She inhales and exhales deeply.  “A fight like that and... no kill... I'm about ready to pop.”  She smiled at him, still rubbing her hand over his chest.

Jonathan stepped away, shaking his head.  “No Faith.”

“You’re turning me down?”  His girlfriend looked hurt and angry.  “Shit you still pissed about before?  Johnny -.”

“No,” he shook his head, he was still angry but that wasn’t the point, “I don’t want it to be like this, I want us to be romantic, not rushed and cheap.”

“Fine!  Then get out!”

Sighing he pulled on his jacket and hurried out to his car. Once there he glanced into the back seat. His mouth dried as he saw the two bags of stolen ingredients and grabbed one to see what's inside. In it he finds a can of kerosene, a short length of galvanized pipe with caps, wire, primer cord and an electronic timer switch. He takes a second look at the can of kerosene, realising what the "cake" really is.  “Gotta find those guys,” he half-considered rushing in to tell Faith but decided that she’d got too much on.  “I can handle this on my own.”

A few minutes later and he pulls up outside the trashed hardware store only to find the place empty.  “Long gone. Probably loaded with supplies. Gotta think.”    He looks into the store and tries to concentrate.  “They can’t have got far.”  Turning a corner and he sees the dead boys walking and laughing.  “Okay, I got a plan.”  Jack and Bob hear him approaching and turn around.

“Hey, our wheels.”  Bob calls out.  The group splits up, allowing Jonathan to drive up between them, slowing down as if to stop. Parker is right up by the car, so Jonathan reaches out and grabbed him.

“Hey!”  Jonathan hits the gas and takes off, dragging Parker alongside, the car screeches around the next corner, the car weaving from side to side, the other zombies in hot pursuit. “Stop! C'mon, man! Stop!” the zombie lets out frightened scream.

“Where's the bomb?!”

“It's in, it's in the high school!”

Oh god were Faith and the others were going to be.  “In the school where?!”

“Oh, God, this really, really hurts!”

“You’re dead don’t worry about it,” Jonathan screeches around the next corner.

“Stop!” Parker let out a panicked scream.  “It's in the, it's in the boiler room.”

“Alright. Now I'm gonna ask you this once, and you better pray you get the answer right.

“Okay, okay.” Parker sobbed.

“How do I defuse...”  Before he has chance to finish, the car drifted too close to a curb side mailbox, the mailbox smashing into Parker’s head decapitating him. Jonathan screamed in horror at the sight, releasing his hold on Parker's now-headless body. Seeing the others gaining on him he guns his engine.  At least he knows where to go.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

His heart pounding, Jonathan barged through a door and runs past the basement access door. He comes back to it, noting the sign stating "Door to remain locked at all times". Jack, Bob and Dickie crash through the hall door and start to chase him.

“There he is!” Jack yelled.

“Three Slayers and I can’t find one when I need one?”  picking up the pace he raced down the corridor followed by the three zombies. Finally he headed into the student lounge. Satisfied he  turned round only to be confronted by an ax-wielding Bob. Seeing the ax swinging towards him, Jonathan jumps backwards out of the way only to lose his balance and fall backwards onto a table. He rolled off of it and onto the floor. After quickly scrambling to his feet he was knocked onto another table by a punch from Bob.

“Now this is what I call fun.”  Bob chortled as he raised the ax  and swung it down at the table. He rolled away just as the head of the ax embedded itself into the table, and he came up standing next to Bob. Thinking quickly he shoulder-charged  Bob knocking him head-first into another table. Knocked off-balance, Bob fell to the floor and led there on his back, dazed by the impact. Seizing his chance he grabbed the axe and sliced the zombie’s head off.  Even as he looked down at his victim, Dickie ran into the lounge only to stop at the sight of him holding his ax.

“Should've learned by now. If you're gonna play with fire, you gotta expect sooner or later...”  Dickie takes off before he can finish delivering his Clint Eastwood line.  “Hey I wasn't finished!”  Dickie disappeared back out the same door he’d just come through.  Signing, Jonathan started after Dickie.

Jonathan chased Dickie around the school corridors only to be confronted by a trio of Jhe demons.  Turning, he ran back the way he came followed by Dickie only for the zombie to be grabbed and torn apart by the Demons. Dickie’s screams echoing in his ears, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself..  “Okay, boiler room.”  He turned back toward the door, only to be stopped by one of the heads of the Hellmouth demon exploding through the wall next to him. “Other way!”  The head roared after him as he retreated.

After wiping the sweat away from his forehead, Jonathan kicked open the basement door, entered cautiously and made his way down the stairs. At the bottom he opened the door to the boiler room and looked in. His heart stilled as he saw the bomb in the centre of the room, its timer ticking away.  After taking a breath he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He gingerly approached the bomb, checking the timer as he set down the ax.  “Less than two minutes.  Science genius. Little bomb.   How hard can it be?”

Suddenly a pair of strong hands grabbed him from behind, throwing into a work bench. The wind driven out of him, he struggled back to his feet only to find himself face-to-face with Jack.  “It just got harder.”

“I'm not leaving till that thing's disarmed.”  Jonathan said shakily.

“Then I guess you're not leaving.”

Jonathan swallowed before hefting his axe and moving to stand in front of the exit door.  “Then neither are you.”  Jack glanced over at the exit sign above a door.  “I know what you're thinkin'. Can I get by him? Get up the stairs, out of the building, seconds ticking away... I don't love your chances.”

“Then you'll die, too.”

Jonathan shrugged.  “Yeah, looks like. Thing is my girl-friend and best-friend are upstairs and I’m not going to let you kill them.   So I guess the question really is... who has less fear?”

“I'm not afraid to die. I'm already dead.”

Jonathan nodded.  “But this is different. Being blown up isn't walking around and drinking with your buddies dead. It's little bits being swept up by a janitor dead, and I don't think you're ready for that.”

With three seconds left Jack caved, reached into the bomb, and pulled a wire. The timer went blank and the ticking stopped.  Jonathan let out a relieved gasp, until that second he didn’t realise he’d been holding his breath.  “Good boy.” He stepped over to Jack and looked up at the zombie.  “I don't think I wanna be seeing you on campus anymore, Jack.”  He moved over to the door he entered from, gave Jack one last look, opened it and left, closing it behind him. Suddenly he heard the sound of the zombie screaming and a roaring, deciding he didn’t want to know he hurried out.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Hi Johnny, sorry about last night,” his girl-friend looked nervous, “we still five by five?”

He placed his arm around her shoulders.  “We’re still five by five.”

“Wicked,” the brunette kissed him lightly on the cheek.  “You were real lucky to be out of that mess last night.”

Jonathan smiled secretly.  “Oh yeah, real lucky.”

Three Slayers 8A – Rebellion

Giles stared suspiciously at the youths sat in his library.  He wondered which one of them had done it, he guessed it would be either Faith or Xander, they were the two most reckless of the group.  “I came in early today to clean up after our battle with the Sisterhood,” he  grimaced at the memories, “and as I walked past the basement entrance I saw two men carrying out what appeared to be a defused homemade bomb.  Do any of you know anything about it?”  His gaze took in first Faith, she shook her head, and then Xander who shrugged his shoulders, Buffy and Kendra simply looked blank.  Sighing, he turned to the less likely suspects. “Willow?”

Jonathan raised a hand, a tentative look on his face, “me.”

Giles stared at Jonathan in disbelief.  “Bloody marvellous,” he muttered, it appeared the only sensible youth who he thought could be relied on not to raise his blood pressure was as bad as if not worst then the rest.  American teens, they were all bloody barking!  After taking a second to calm himself he asked the inevitable question.  “What happened Mr. Levinson?”  He, together with the others, listened to the youth’s stumbling recital. 

Finally Jonathan finished, for a few seconds there was a stunned silence.  “Wicked cool!  Saved my life twice in one night, I think that deserves a reward,” the brunette Slayer leapt onto her boyfriend’s knee, grabbed his head and pulled him into a full-on kiss, her body pressing against his. 

After a minute, Giles realised Faith wasn’t going to let go of her gasping boyfriend anytime soon.  Sighing, he turned to a reddening Buffy and giggling Kendra.  “Separate them.”

Once the girls had pulled a vociferously protesting Faith off a grateful looking Jonathan, he turned his attention to the unrepentant Slayer.  “Faith that is not proper behaviour for a young lady in public,” he scolded.

The brunette looked up at him, an amused glint in his eyes.  “Young lady, fuck G you’re going against seventeen years of breeding.”

“Nevertheless I will endeavour to my best,” he retorted, his smile hiding his sadness at the teen’s apparent lack of self-worth.  If he ever met the men who’d hurt her, Ripper would most certainly make an appearance.  Turning back to Jonathan he fixed the suddenly sweating youth with his strongest glare.  “And why didn’t you tell any of us?”

“Uh, you were busy.”

“Busy!”

“Jeez G take a chill pill.”

Seeing the others pale at his raised tone, he took a breath.  “Jonathan, what you did was exceptionally rash,” well that was a bloody understatement, “however you also showed a great deal and ingenuity.  Well done.  Xander, I want you to intensify Jonathan’s training as much as possible.  As soon as you think he’s ready, he can join us on patrol.”  He glanced at his watch.  “It’s,” the school bell interrupted him, “time for class.”    He watched in exasperation as the kids left, his head shaking.  “Bloody hell, those soddin’ kids will be the death of me long before any vampire.”  Perhaps he should increase his ulcer medication.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Wow!  Could you believe that Johnny!  I knew my guy had a set after that night in the woods, but taking on a gang of zombies!”

“Faith and Jonathan up a tree! Faith and Jonathan up a -” Kendra dissolved into tears of laughter at the glare her younger sister sent her way.

“Ken, here’s a tip.  With that voice never try and start a band.”  Faith sighed.  “It’s so confusing, being with Johnny, I mean sometimes I’ll look at him and think what the fuck am I doing with such a nerd.  Then he’ll just hold my hand or smile or say something sweet, and my heart will feel like it’s going to burst.”

Kendra opened her mouth to reply, tell her sister that she felt much the same about Xander, except the doubting part, she’d wanted him the first time she’d seen him, only to stop when she saw a figure charging at them holding a pair of swords.  “Incoming!”

“I see him!”  Kendra cursed as Faith raced forward leaping into a roundhouse kick that the vamp caught on his arm before grabbing and throwing her into a tall gravestone.  Faith hit the ground hard but rolled back up immediately.

“Why does she always do that!”  Kendra fumed as she ran in to attack the demon before it loped off Faith’s head.  At the last second the demon heard her approach, spun round and sliced off the tip of her stake.  Kendra jumped backwards in alarm “No fair!”

The vampire followed up with a decapitating head-swing that she blocked with her left hand before grabbing his left arm with her right hand, and bringing his arms down hard, forcing the swords to fall out of his hands.  Grinning slightly she threw her foot up for a groin shot only for the vampire to sweep her grounded leg away from beneath her, sending her crashing to the ground.  Before she had chance to rise the vampire was on her, pinning her to the ground with his greater weight and slowing moving his fangs towards her throat.

Suddenly the vampire exploded into dust.  Kendra looked up to see a grinning Faith stood above her, offering her her hand.  After a second she took it and allowed the other Slayer to pull her up.  “Nice diversion sis.”

Diversion?  Finally Kendra got her breath back.  “Faith!” she gasped.  “Teamwork remember what Giles taught us!”

Faith shrugged and grinned sheepishly.  “I knew you’d be five by five.”

“Five by -,” Kendra gave up. 

Faith looked puzzled.  “What was he anyway?  All uniform and swords?”

“I don’t know, we’ll take the swords to Giles see if he recognises the-,” Kendra’s voice trailed off.  “Faith, where are the swords?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *         

“Check these out.”

The Mayor glanced at the swords lying on his desk.  “Well... I haven't seen anything like this in, uh... a good long while. Where's the owner of these fine implements?”

“The common term is 'slain'. But I've been seeing this breed around. Are we expecting any trouble?” Trick replied.

Suddenly Finch broke into the conversation.  “What ab-bout these swords? W-what should we do about the swords?”

Wilkins lifted one up for closer inspection, they really were quite marvellous workmanship.  “Well, let's just keep an eye out. We've got the dedication coming up in a few days. We certainly can't have anything interfering with that.”  The Mayor noticed Finch fidgeting.  “Do you have a comment to make Allan?”

“Well, maybe we should postpone the... the-the dedication.”

The Mayor shot his deputy an incredulous look. Trick shook his head.  “I believe the honourable Mayor *hates* that idea.”

Wilkins stood up.  “The dedication... is the final step before my Ascension. I have waited longer than you can imagine for this.  After the Hundred Days,  I'll be on a higher plane. And I'll have no more need for...  Well, let's just say I won't be concerned... with the little

things. “  He turned to the vampire.  “ Mr. Trick, watch these people. Anything you find out about them, well, let's just see that that information reaches the Slayers,” he took the  

short sword from Trick, and looked it over.  “Who knows? With any luck, they'll

kill each other. Then everyone's a winner. Everyone, of  course, meaning me.”  He laughed after a second his companions followed suit.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles stared in disgust at the prat going through a box of books on the table.  “Of course, training procedures have been updated quite a bit since your day. Much greater emphasis on field work.”

“Really?” it was an effort not to take his chair and use it to stove the pillock’s brains in.  This was the bloody idiot the Council had sent to replace him?  Unbelievable.

“Oh yes,” the young man began rummaging through another box.  “Not all books and theory nowadays. I have, in fact, faced two vampires myself. Under controlled circumstances, of course.”

All right, that was it.  He was going to kick the annoying little wanker’s ass across the library, appearances be dammed.  Even as he pushed his chair back, the library door swung open.  He sat back down.  “Hello Kendra.”

“Ah Kendra,” the young man smiled condescendingly.  “Well... Hello.”

Kendra gave the newcomer a quick look up and down before turning to him.  “ New Watcher?”

“New Watcher,” he nodded.

The man took a step towards Kendra, holding out a hand in greeting.  “Wesley Wnydham-Pryce.”  Kendra just stared at him.  “It's very nice to meet you.”

“Okay,” she turned towards him, never removing her eyes from Wesley.  “Is he evil?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Kendra continued to stare at him.  “The last one was evil.”

“Oh, yes. Gwendolyn Post.”  Wesley tutted.  “We all heard. No. Mr. Giles has checked my credentials rather thoroughly and phoned the Council, but I'm glad to see you're on the ball as well. A good Slayer is a cautious Slayer. “

Kendra’s eyes widened in disbelief.  “That was never in the Handbook.”

“Yes,” Wesley pulled out a pen, “and what happened on last night’s patrol?”

“Vampires.”

“And?”

“Slain.”

“Anything else you can tell me?”

Kendra glanced at him. After a second he nodded.  The Slayer sighed.  “One of them had two swords.”

“Swords?”  Wesley put down his diary down and began rummaging through his boxes of books. “Swords...  Ah here it is!”    The Watcher pulled out a book.  “One long, one short?”

Kendra nodded.  With points and jewels.”

“Sounds familiar,” he commented.

“It should,” Wesley thrust a book in front of him, after a second he took it and began reading.  “El Eliminati. Fifteenth Century...”

“Fifteenth Century duellist cult,” Wesley interrupted, “deadly in their day. Their numbers dwindled in later centuries due to an increase in anti-vampire activity and a lot of pointless duelling.  They eventually became the acolytes of a demon called

Balthazar, who brought them to the New World, specifically here.”

Giles passed the book back to Wesley, maybe he wasn’t completely useless.  Maybe.  “You seem to know a lot about them.”

“I didn't get this job because of my looks. “

“I believe him.”

Wesley glared at Kendra.  “I've researched this town's history extensively.”

Giles decided to draw the conversation back to business before Wesley and Kendra began pulling one another’s hair.  “So why have we not seen them before this?”

“They were driven out a hundred years ago. Happily, Balthazar was killed. I don't know by whom.”

“And they are back because?”

“Um,” Wesley broke in, “Balthazar had an amulet purported to give him strength. When he was killed, it was taken by a wealthy landowner named... Gleaves. It was buried with him, and I believe the few remaining Eliminati are probably looking for it. For sentimental value.”

“A-and you don't think that this, uh, amulet poses any threat?” Giles pressed.  Sentimental value?  Who’d ever heard the vampires with sentiment?

“Oh, no, not at all. Nonetheless, we may as well keep it from them. Kendra, you will go to the Gleaves family crypt tonight and fetch the amulet.”

“Yes mien furher!”

Giles bit back a chuckle.  “Are you not used to being given orders?” Wesley demanded.

“Whenever Giles sends us on a mission, he always says 'please',” Kendra fluttered her eyelashes, “and afterwards I get a ‘well done’ and a gold star.”  This time a strangled chuckle escaped, oh yes Faith was definitely a bad influence.

“I don't feel we're getting off on quite the right foot,” Wesley said stuffily.  Giles knew precisely where he’d like to place his foot.

Just then the door swung open and Faith strode in.  “Ah.” Wesley stepped forward.  “This is perhaps Faith.”

Faith stopped and critically looked Wesley up and down.  “New Watcher?”

Kendra and Giles spoke in unison.  “New Watcher.”

Faith shook her head.  “No fucking way!” suddenly the brunette was in Wesley face, her finger jabbing furiously in the man’s chest.  “You gonna give me a place to live, my first real home?  Be like a pa to me and Ken,” Giles realised the teen’s voice was trembling, hoarse, “you,” the brunette stepped back, a look of disdain on her beautiful face.  “You’re not fit to lace G’s boots!”    The Slayer turned and stormed off.

Giles sighed.  Faith’s loyalty was touching but hardly practical under the circumstances.  “Kendra,” he said softly, “go after her.”

                                                *                                  *                                  *

“Faith!  Wait!”  Kendra grabbed her friend’s arm and pulled her round to face her.  “Calm down!”

“Calm down!” She’d never seen her friend so angry.  “They think they can take us away from G for fuck’s sake!”

“Faith I’m not too happy out this either but we have to work with them -.”

Kendra’s attempt at reasoning was interrupted by her friend.  “Why should we?”  Faith demanded hotly.  “We’re the ones with the power.  Me and you!  Hell, B too!  Let the Council come what they going to do anyway?”

 

“They could kill us,” Faith paled at her reply, seeing her friend’s mouth begin to open, she hurried on.  “I’ve read the diaries, heard what they do to rebellious Slayers.  They could kill us, deport Giles,” Faith’s eyes widened, “or even come after Jonathan or Xander.”

“If they hurt them I’d -.”

 

“We pretend to work with Wesley but take our orders from Giles.  We don’t do any anything unless Giles okays it.”

After a second Faith nodded.  “Five by five, so what do we do next?”

                                    *                                  *                      *

“How many vamps in there?” Faith whispered.

“Maybe ten,” Buffy replied tightly.

“Where’s Fang tonight?” she asked.

“Him and Xander are covering the patrolling while we handle this,” Buffy replied in a whisper.

Faith exchanged an amused look with Kendra.  God, those two on their own - that had to be the patrol from hell.  “Let’s get this done.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Oh yeah B,” Faith glanced around the shadowy crypt glaring at the vampires surrounding them, “there’s definitely ten vampires.”

“I hate it when she’s right,” Kendra commented.

“But on the plus side it’s so rare,” Faith shot back. 

“You two should be a double-act,” Buffy shot back.

”Just as long as we don’t have to sing,” Faith replied, “Ken’s voice, ugh.”  Suddenly she erupted into action, backhanding a vampire towards Kendra who quickly staked it.  Moving on she ducked under another vampire's swing before roundhouse kicking him to the back of his knee, making him collapse to the ground before thrusting her own stake through the demon’s back.   Another vampire leapt at her but she grabbed him in mid-air and flung him into the wall, the vampire spun round to attack her but she caught him with a half-spinning hook kick knocking him onto a raised area, off-balance the vampire was helpless to prevent her staking. Another vampire leapt at her knocking her to the ground, but before the vampire could complete his attack he exploded into dust.  Faith grinned up at Ken.  “Diversion right?”

Ken’s grin faded.  “Buffy!”

Faith looked up and cursed.  The blonde Slayer was surrounded by a trio of dust piles, but was being held facedown into a pool of water.  She reached for her stake but Kendra was there first, leaping the length of the cavern to shove her weapon through the back of the vampire.  The vampire let out a scream, half-turned, before exploding into dust.  A second later the blonde exploded spluttering out of the water, her hand tightly grasping the amulet they’d come for.  “Got it!”

Faith grinned at Buffy, for the first time feeling a spark of companionship with the blonde.  “Well that didn’t suck.”

                                    *                                  *                      *

“Here’s the amulet!”

“Ah splendid!” Wesley snatched it out of Faith’s hand and began inspecting it under

a magnifying glass. Faith looked at her suddenly empty hand in disbelief and then the prick who’d just snatched it from her, snarling she started forward only for Buffy and Kendra grab her inches away from the oblivious Watcher.  “Well... Looks authentic enough.  Of course, there are tests to be made before actual verification.”

Buffy  spoke up her tone cold.  “How about verifying that your 'nearly extinct' cult was out in numbers last night? We got into a serious situation.”

“Are you alright?” asked Giles

“Five by five G,”   Faith shot an angry look at Wesley.

“Perhaps there were a few more than we'd anticipated,” Wesley looked up from his inspection of the amulet to look at each of them in turn, “ but I'd expect you to be ready for anything. Remember the three key words for any Slayer: preparation... preparation...

preparation.”

“And what’s the three key words for Wesley – pompous, pansy, prick?” Faith asked acidly.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

The Mayor stared fondly at the troop of Boy Scouts stood beside him in his office, it made his heart fill with pride, gave him hope for the future of the town – if he wasn’t planning to destroy it. The press photographer snapped the picture.  Wilkins beamed.  “There we go.”  After a moment the Scouts began to file out of the office.  “Hey, have fun on that camping trip, now. Don't forget to roast a wiener for me.”

He watched as Allan shooed the last of the Scouts out and closed the door securely.   The Mayor chuckled as he closed the room’s blinds before calling out.  “Here we go. Alright, you can come out now.”  The door to his private bathroom opened, and Mr. Trick walked back into the office.  He nodded at the vampire, his genial mask crumpling away as he became all business.  “So, any news about the Eliminati?”  Ask he spoke he made his way over to his liquor cabinet.  Upon opening a vampire jumped out, grabbed him by the neck, pushed him down over his desk and held up his sword to attack.  “In the name of Lord Balthazar, DIE!”

Before the vampire could do anything else, Mr. Trick came to his rescue, punching his attacker in the forehead.  His assailant fell backwards onto the floor, unconscious. Wilkins coughed as he sat up on the edge of the desk and straightened his tie.  “Thank you Mr. Trick. That was very thoughtful of you.”

“Swords?” Trick shook his head.  “Jeez, this is nearly the twenty-first century and this chump uses a sword.” 

“Quite,”  he stared suspiciously at a suddenly fidgeting Allan.  “You know, it's curious how he could've gotten all the way into my liquor cabinet. Allan, don't we have security working in this building?”

“Sir, I... I had no idea. I-I...” his deputy began to stutter.

“No harm done,” he glanced down at the crumpled vampire, “lock him up.”

Trick shook his head.  “ He wakes up, he's just gonna try and kill you again.”

“Yes. Yes, I expect he will.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So I’m looking at Johnny -,” Faith’s story was interrupted by the ringing of her mobile.  “Oh fuck.  Just a minute guys,” she smiled apologetically at Kendra and Xander as she answered the phone.  Her smile faded at the call, her hand shaking she dropped the phone back into her pocket.  “That was B and Fang.  G and Wussley have been grabbed by   Eliminati. Word on the street puts Balthazar in the packing warehouse on Devereau. He's snatched them in exchange for the amulet..”

“Who has it?”

“B took it off Wuss and gave it to Fang,” she replied dazedly to Xander’s terse question.  Nothing could happen to G.

“Faith!”  she was shaken out of her funk by Kendra.  “What do we do?”

“B says we meet them by the warehouse,” she replied.  Finally she straightened, her eyes flashing.  She’d failed one Watcher, she wouldn’t fail another.  “Let’s go,” she glanced to Xander, “hope you ain’t eaten too many Twinkies Xand, we’re going to be motoring,”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Kendra sidestepped a charging vampire, shoving him into the alley wall behind her before snapping out a side-kick to the knee knocking the vampire to the ground.  Instantly the vampire bounded to his feet and leapt at her, but she smoothly sidestepped his attack slamming a foot into the vampire’s stomach, doubling it up before staking it.  From behind her she heard Faith yell.  “I think we've got more comin'!”

Kendra shot her friend a worried look.  “We're never gonna make it to the warehouse.”

“We have to!”  Suddenly another Eliminati landed in front of them thrusting at Faith

with his short sword. Faith reacted instantly, catching her attacker’s arm and shoving him into a crate, then pulling him off and swinging him backward onto a pile of several chords of wood.  Instantly she stepped right in and staked him. He crumbled to ash.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Faith grab hold of a vampire and fling him towards her. Instantly she grabbed the vampire and threw him against a dumpster before jumping in to stake him. The vampire slumped down to the ground, stunned by the impact against the heavy steel container.   “KENDRA, NO!”

Her stake plunged into the vampire’s heart.  Kendra’s head furrowed in confusion as instead of  exploding into dust the vampire grabbed his chest and blood began pumping out of the wound.  Her blood chilled, oh god, it was a human.

Three Slayers 8B – Consequences

Xander stared first at his girl-friend and then at a pale-faced Faith.  After a second he shook aside his shock and hurried over to the convulsing man.  He knelt down beside the man and watched as he pulled his blood-soaked hands away, Xander hid a grimace at the severity of the wound – from his experience, and that of the army veteran within him, the man had only minutes to live.  “Don't move,” he instructed softly.

“I didn't... I didn't know. I didn't know,” Kendra began to cry, he glanced over his shoulder.  At his look, Faith hurried over to his girlfriend and began to comfort her, holding her as she sobbed.

The man’s convulsions intensified. His eyes widened as blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth. He tried to say something, but can't get the words out. Xander could only watch in despair, unable to help. The man looked down at his chest one last time, then reached up to Xander, but his arm never made it, falling to his side as his body relaxed against the dumpster, finally dead. His eyes remained wide open, staring up into nothing. Xander stared back at him in open-mouthed horror.

After a second he stood, his legs shaky.  “Xand,” he looked at a shaking Faith, clutching onto a still crying Kendra.  “What do we do?”

“I..I don’t know.”

After a second Faith nodded her head. “I do,” her voice still steadied.  “Xand, you take Kendra home.  I’ll go and help G.”

Xander nodded.  “Okay Kendra,” he whispered, “let’s get you home.”

His girl-friend’s glassy eyes cleared a little.  “No, no,” she shook her head, “Giles needs -.”

“Ken,” Faith’s voice was soft but firm, “you’re in shock.  If you go in there you’ll be off your game.  Might get hurt or cause one of us get hurt.”

“Okay.”

“Good girl,” Xander lifted Kendra into his arms, cradling her sobbing face against his chest.  “Let’s get you home baby.”  He nodded towards Faith.  “Stay safe.”  He stepped away then turned back.  “When you tell Giles, make sure Wes isn’t about.”

“Five by five.” 

                                    *                                  *                      *

“Fuck.”  Faith stared at the body crumpled on the ground.  Her heart had only now started to slow back to its normal rhythm.  Kendra had just killed someone.  If she’d moved faster maybe..

After a second she shook her head, maybe wouldn’t bring the poor bastard back.  If it wasn’t for the guys she’d grab Kendra and run, but they couldn’t leave Jonathan and Xander behind, and she could trust G to know what to do, to protect them.  ‘Course she couldn’t say anything in front of the Wuss, she couldn’t trust him, if she had a Watcher who treated her like a tool like that prick, she didn’t know what she'd do, probably grab Ken and run.  Her eyes narrowed as she noticed. “What’s that?”  After a nervous lick of the lips she stalked over to the body and, resisting the urge to shudder, she reached into the dead man’s jacket pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.  Her eyes widened at the paper’s contents.  “What the fuck?”  Shaking her head she shoved the piece of paper into her jeans pocket, G would know what to do.  “Oh shit!” she’d forgotten about him, turning she hurried to the warehouse.

“Faith!  Where have you been?  Giles is in there, don’t you care?”

 

Faith’s already frayed nerves snapped at the sneer she heard in Buffy’s tone.  Springing forward she grabbed the blonde around the front of her shirt and threw her into the wall.  “I care, I fucking care alright,” she hissed angrily, “you know B, yesterday I thought I might have been wrong about you, that you were five by five but I was right all along.  I care a hell of a lot about G, I didn’t let my lover-boy kill his girlfriend!”

“You bitch!” 

Buffy’s open handed slap rang out across the alleyway as it collided with her face.  Eyes flaming she started forward only for Angel to get in her way.  “Faith,” the vampire hissed, “priorities! Giles, remember?”

For a second she glared at the vampire before nodding.  “Five by five,” she muttered.  “Just keep her on her leash.”

The blonde started forward at her comment only to stop at a look from Angel.  “Where’s Kendra?”

“Got hurt.  Xander had to carry her home.”

“Badly?”  There was concern on the vampire’s face.

“Not life-threatening,” she evaded.  Anxious to avoid raising the vampire’s suspicions she looked towards the building.  “What’s the plan?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles stared with disgust at Balthazar.  The demon was enormously obese with very pale, pasty, slimy skin and layers of fat rolling off him. He sat suspended in a tank of filthy water, while one of the Eliminati poured ladle after ladle of it over him in an effort to keep his skin moist. 

Giles glanced at his shaking companion and sighed.    He and Wesley had been busy bickering in the library about the buffoon’s  treatment of the Slayers when the Eliminati had kidnapped them.  On balance he thought he’d rather be held hostage with Snyder than this weasel.

“The front! Moisten the front!”  Giles shuddered as a ladle full of water was poured across the whining demon’s chest.   Not even watching Xander eat was as hideous as this.

“Oh God!”  Suddenly Wesley began whispering.  “Oh, God!”

“It doesn't seem too promising, does it?”

“Stay calm, Mr. Giles. We have to stay calm.”

“Well, thank God you're here. If I didn’t have you to hold my hand I’d be a quivering wreck,” he shot back dryly.

“What is that thing?” his counterpart whispered.

“That would be your demon,” Giles raised an eyebrow. “Looks awfully lively for a century dead demon doesn’t he?”

“There's no need to get snippy.”

Snippy?  Once again he had to fight the urge to hit the bloody plonker.  Balthazar finally turned his attention towards them.  “Bring them closer.”

“Dear god,” Giles muttered, “looks like we’re starters.”  He bit back a malicious smile at the stricken look on his fellow Watcher’s face, might as well go down having fun.  Two of the Eliminati grabbed them and shoved them closer.

“You know what I want,” the demon wheezed.

“If it's for me to scrub those hard-to-reach areas, I'd like to request you kill me now.”  Giles fell to his knees as one of the vampires punched him in the back for his insolence.  “Of course I’m more than willing to contribute to your gym membership fund.”

“Mr. Giles, are you out of your mind?” Wesley babbled.  “This is hardly the time for games!”

“Oh do shut up, you wimp,” he snarled.  “They're going to torture us to death anyway.”

Balthazar snickered.  “You're not wrong about that.”

Wesley paled even further.  “Now, there’s no need to be so hasty. We-we-we can deal with this rationally. We have something you want. You have something we want.”

Balthazar smiled.  “Hmm... A trade. Intriguing. No. Wait. Boring. Pull off his kneecaps!”

Two of the vampires grabbed Wesley.  “NOOO! No, no, no! The Slayer g-gave it to someone. A tall man, a friend... a friend of hers. I can tell you everything.” 

Giles shook his head before muttering.  “Quiet, you twerp! They'll kill us both anyway.”

“But I'd like to have my kneecaps.”

“You will tell us everything!” Balthazar demanded.  “What is this friend's name?”

“Ah,” Wesley hesitated, “I didn't actually catch it.”

Giles rolled his eyes, he’d have to play for time.  “Look, um, tell you what, let Brigadier Brave here go, and I'll tell you what you need to know. How's that for a deal?”

“THERE IS ONE DEAL! YOU WILL DIE QUICKLY, OR YOU WILL DIE SLOWLY! THE MAN WHO HAS MY AMULET! WHAT IS HIS NAAAME?!”

Giles winced at the vampire’s tirade.  “That’s a no then?”

“His name could be Bo Peep,” Giles groaned at Angel’s voice, saved by the vampire, soddin’ marvellous, the perfect end to a perfect day, “but it’s not, it’s Angel.”

Angel charged towards him and Wesley, pulling the two vampires guarding them away and slamming one of them into a wall, the other into some metal shelves. Another one moved to intercept Angel, but Giles headbutted him, knocking him to the ground.

Suddenly the skylight above them shattered, and Buffy and Faith dropped down onto the warehouse floor.  Giles' brow furrowed, but no Kendra?  Giles’ heart rose into his throat.  She hadn’t been hurt had she?

Faith raced towards him only for a vampire to charge her.  The brunette blocked his attack and grabbed his arm. bringing it down before slamming a knee into his gut, making him drop his sword. Seeing Faith catch the blade, he turned his tied hands toward her allowing her to swing the sword down through the ropes, slicing them cleanly. The pieces fell to the floor as he grabbed Wesley and pushed him out of harm's way.

Out of the way of the fight, Giles quickly untied Wesley's hands. Hearing a vampire roar behind him, Giles looked behind in time to see and duck the attack. The sword caught on a shelf, and Giles grabbed the blade and back elbowed the vamp in the face, taking the sword from him. Swinging around Giles jammed the hilt of the sword into his rival’s face as well, before spinning around to take on another one.

The vampire swung at him, forcing to parry it with his own. The vampire swung again, and again he blocked it. The demon swung down from above, but again Giles managed a block before forcing the vampire’s sword to the floor, making his rival bend down to keep hold, and kneed him in the face. The vampire crumpled to the floor, his sword falling from his hands.

“Giles!”

Turning Giles saw Wesley had been grabbed by the other vampire from behind.  “Bloody ponce.”  Raising his sword he swung it.  “DOWN!”  Wesley bent over fast, and the blade caught the vampire on the neck slicing through it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Giles saw Balthazar hold out his arms. The air between the demon and Angel began to shimmer, and Angel was lifted into the air and carried to the edge of the pool. Balthazar reached out, seizing the vampire’s head in both hands. Angel struggled to get away but to no avail.  Suddenly Faith threw her blade into the air, slicing through an electrical cable hanging over the pool, the cable fell from the roof and into the pool.  Balthazar let out a shriek of agony before releasing Angel and writhing in agony as he was electrocuted.

Instantly Buffy rushed over to help Angel who appeared shaken but otherwise fine.  Even as the blonde checked Angel over Balthazar’s eyes whipped open.  “You think you've won. When he rises... you'll wish I'd killed you all."  Buffy raised her sword but the demon slumped forward, his eyes closing in defeat.

Giles let out a breath.  “Well that was fun.”

 

“You five by five G?” 

Giles turned towards the brunette, his reassuring smile dying when he took in her pale face and wide eyes, there was something badly wrong.  “I’m fine Faith, thanks to you and the others,” he glanced around.  “Where’s Kendra?”

“She dived under a vamp’s sword swing on the way here.  Tore her knee out, she couldn’t walk.  X-Man’s taken her home.”

“Very sensible.”  The girl was lying about something but he could wait until they got back home.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Mayor Wilkins glanced around his office as he knelt in an inverted pentagram with his hands out to his sides. Where was Allan?  That assistant of his was proving most unreliable, these days.   Perhaps he needed replacing, he tutted to himself, replacing employees as senior as Allan was always a messy business, especially getting the blood out of the carpet.  Gathering his thoughts he began reciting his spell.

Within seconds the building began to shake. Despite the building’s rocking he stayed still, concentrating on the spell.  In a couple of minutes he’d finished and the building settled to an uneasy rest.

“Did it work?” Trick asked.

“Let's find out.” Taking a second to calm himself, he turned to the cage holding the vampire who’d attacked him earlier.  “Let him out.”

Trick’s eyes widened.  “Are you sure?”

He nodded.  “Oh! Hold on.”  Taking the vampire’s sword he threw it through the cage to the assassin before taking several steps back.  “Give it the good old college try,” he beamed encouragingly at the bemused, caged vampire.  “If you’ll do the honours Mr.  Trick.”

Trick shrugged.  “Sure boss.”

His associate stepped around to the front of the cage, unlocked the padlock and

removed the chains as he watched and waited.  As soon as Trick opened the door, the caged vampire rushed out towards him, his sword held over his head.  The vampire brought the sword down on his head, splitting it in two.  To his surprise he felt no pain.  “That tickles.”  A shocked expression on his face, the vampire pulled back his sword as his head knitted back together.  “Well that was an experience.”  He smiled as Mr. Trick stepped up behind the vampire as thrust a stake into the vampire’s back causing him to explode into ashes.  Most efficient.

Wilkins beamed, the spell had worked.  “Well!  This officially commences the Hundred Days. Nothing can harm me until the Ascension. Gosh, I'm feeling chipper! Who's for a root beer?!”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Oh bloody hell.”  Giles stared aghast from Slayer to Slayer.  Faith had just finished a babbling and tearful recounting of tonight’s events.  Faith and Xander were glassy-eyed but coherent, but Kendra seemed to be in a trance.  Probably a combination of shock and Samuel Zabuto’s programming.

“What are we going to do G?”

Waving Faith to silence he crouched in front of Kendra.  “Kendra,” the girl continued to stare obliviously, “Kendra,” he raised his voice slightly but it was enough for some intelligence to return to the girl’s eyes.

“I murdered someone,” the pain and misery in the girl’s voice was heart-breaking.

“No you didn’t Kendra,” Giles comforted, “what happened today was an accident.  And far from the first Slayer to accidentally kill someone.”

“Really?” he glanced towards Xander.  “And what does the Council do?”

Ah, he had hoped that question wouldn’t be asked.  “The Council re-educates the Slayer involved before allowing her -.”

“No fucking way!” a fiery light entered Faith’s eyes.  “I’m not -.”

”Do you think I’d let them take her!” he demanded, his fury silencing the brunette, his voice calmed.  “We’ll keep the Council out of this and deal with it between us, but now,” he turned to Xander, “Xander could take Kendra up to her room please?”

After a second Xander nodded, rose, and gently lifted Kendra into his arms, carrying her out of the room.  “G, will everything be alright?”

Forcing a smile he pulled the girl into a hug.  “Listen Faith,” he soothed, “I’m not going to let anybody hurt you or Kendra I promise.  Okay?”

Suddenly the brunette burst into tears.  “G,” the girl’s voice was filled with pain, “if I hadn’t thrown him to Ken, Ken would never -.”

“Hush,” he began to rock the child from side to side, “what happened today was nothing more than a tragic accident.  What that man was doing running towards two Slayers I have no idea.”

“Oh,” the brunette nodded and pulled, her forehead furrowed in thought, she reached into her pocket.  “G, Finch had this in his jacket pocket.  I think he was looking for us.”

“Oh bloody hell.”  Giles cursed as he read the contents of the note.  Things had suddenly got a lot worse.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Wesley threw aside the headphones he’d been using to listen to the bugs the Council had placed in Giles’ house when they’d learnt two of the Slayers were living with their Watcher.  He reached a shaking hand to pick up his cup of tea, his mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts.  On the one hand, the Slayers had saved his life earlier in the day, on the other, the third Slayer had killed a human, the greatest crime a Slayer could commit.  Wesley sighed, he owed his first loyalty to the Council.  Grabbing the phone he started dialling.  “Hello, this is Field Watcher Wesley Wnydham-Pryce, could you put me through to Mr Travers please?  I don’t care if he’s in a meeting this is a matter of the greatest urgency.”

Return to The Three Slayers Series