Giles looked around the hushed room. "It’ll be nightfall soon," Groo rather unnecessarily commented.

"Yes," Giles commented. Twenty-four hours had passed since Faith’s run-in with the mystery preacher, while her wounds had healed; her team-mates looked somewhat battered. "The question has to be what do we do next?"

Faith’s face had a mulish look to it. "I try and find the sword. There’s twenty-three churches left to search."

"I hardly think it’s wise," Giles shook his head. "Not until we find out more about this priest."

"Jesus, G!" Faith snorted. "All I need to know is that no-one’s ever hit me harder than that sexist pig, ‘cept maybe Glory." Faith’s smile turned to a lost expression. "And we all know how well that turned out."

"Bloody hell, girl!" Giles snapped, eyes turning to flint. "We’re not going to let you die again!"

Faith’s half-smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared, the brunette rising gracefully. "Might not have a choice ‘bout it-."

The Slayer’s voice trailed off as she glanced towards the door to see a tubby, middle-aged man wearing an eye-bleedingly bright Hawaiian shirt and a tatty Panama hat entering the offices. "Ah, Watcher Securities!" The man threw his hands open. "And if I had known there were so many babes here I’d have been here before!" The man leered at Faith. "Hey sugar-lips, can I interest you in," the man pulled out a handful of crumpled five dollar bills, "a lap-dance?"

"Can I interest you in a kick to the balls?" Faith snarled

The grubby man seemed unperturbed by the buxom Slayer’s hostility. "What about you?" the man leered at Cordelia. "I’ve got the money for a full-body massage if you’ve got the time-."

"I’d thank you to leave," Wesley stepped in front of the man just as Giles began planning just how to dispose of the insufferable letch’s corpse. "We don’t -."

"Oh Peter, Paul, and Mary," Lorne gulped down his Sea-Breeze in a gulp. The demon drank like a fish but never seemed to have a hang-over, god he was jealous. The green-skinned singer pointed at the interloper in their midst. "It’s Manjet, you’re him aren’t you?"

The stranger nodded. "I prefer Manny," the man grinned at Faith, "I need a body-guard, wanna guard this body, babe?"

"Who’s goin’ to guard you from me?" Faith growled.

"Manjet?" Xander was switching between glares at the lecherous man and puzzled looks at him and Wesley. "Who?"

Wesley sighed and shook his head. "Manny represents noon and the potential of every human soul, he’s the keeper of the Shen. He is the only totem with no special powers or abilities-."

Manny grinned. "Except a really big-."

"And you’ve come here for protection?" Giles hurriedly interrupted before Faith inadvertently caused eternal night by ripping the man apart.

"I was figuring on spending my last moments with Trixi and Fifi at the Pink Pony Lounge," Manny shrugged. "But I hear good things ‘bout your operation, figured I might as well give it a chance. ‘Sides," Manny leered at Faith again, "I heard she was a babe. And boy I am not disappointed!"

Faith glared at the self-proclaimed totem. "I’m outta here, you guard this ass-."

"I can tell you ‘bout the priest who’s been doin’ the killin." Everyone’s eyes snapped towards the suddenly grinning Manny. "Got your attention now have I?"

"You have," Giles replied, tone stony, "if you want to keep it and our protection, I’d suggest you talk?"

"No need to get pushy, English," Manny shook his head reprovingly. "Heard of ‘The Sent To Heaven Killer’?" Both he and Wesley shook their heads. "Yeah, figures, probably not a subject you’d be interested in-."

"Wait," this came from Cordelia, "wasn’t he a serial-killer in the Southern States?"

"That he was babe," Manny leered at Cordy before continuing. "From ’92 – 00, he killed nineteen girls throughout Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Carolinas, all the time masquerading as a travelling preacher, his calling card a bible left with each corpse. Police got his name, Caleb Dale, but they never managed to catch him. Man had a real hatred for the fairer sex, never got it myself."

Giles grimaced. "And what turned this Caleb from a run-of-the-mill sociopath to the super-strong creature he is now?" Manny’s only answer was a shrug.

"And not to doubt your word, since you seem an absolutely reliable source," how Wesley managed to say that without sounding sarcastic Giles would never know, "but just how did you come about this information?"

"When some cat starts killing their family, it’s natural to try and find out about the nut-job," Manny replied before glancing at Faith. "Now, ‘bout that lap-dance?"

Faith shook her head. "I’m outta here, I’ll find the sword and slice this Caleb into bits."

"Babes with weapons, nice fetish." Manny said as Faith stormed out. The totem turned to him. "So, where do you keep the skin mags? Just between us guys?"

* * *

Faith grimaced as she strode through the dark night. Manny was a pig, but it wasn’t really because of him she’d left, she had to find Caleb, face him, and beat him. She couldn’t live with his presence lingering over her, she had to eliminate him so she could get on with livin-.

"So the harlot has spirit if no sense of decency."

Faith’s heart skipped a beat when the priest stepped out of the darkness ahead of her, stepping out from behind a statue winged cherub that had seen better days. Suddenly her plan seemed like a really crappy idea.

Mind you, at least she was consistent.

Faith rolled her head from side to side as she kept her eyes on the smiling preacher. "Seems like we were never introduced," she forced an unconcerned smile as she drew her knives, "I’m Faith, and you’re Caleb, right?"

The preacher missed a step then smiled. "Names are unimportant, I’m just my lord’s instrument, his vessel. And you’re a dirty girl, tempting a man from the righteous path with her sluttiness."

The holy man leapt forward, leading with a looping right that Faith glided under before thrusting one blade at the man’s gut while slashing at his face with the other. "Ahh!" Faith gasped when he grabbed her wrist in his hand twisting so that the blade fell away. Her other blade slashed across his face, blood flowing out, but the wound began sealing the moment her blade exited. "Oh fuck!"

Faith grunted as she caught a kick to the gut, the blow lifting her from her feet and throwing her onto a crypt, Faith rolling through the impact and onto the crypt’s roof, the moment she reached her feet she kicked out, her foot catching the on-rushing whack-job full in the face. Bone cracked as the preacher fell on his ass. "Finally!" Faith murmured as she leapt off the crypt, intending to land feet-first on the priest’s broad chest.

The preacher rolled away from her attack, sweeping her legs away as she landed. Faith grunted as she hit the ground, rolling through her shoulders and back to her feet, swaying away from a kick to the face, grabbing her attacker’s ankle and twisting it so her rival was forced to twist with it to avoid having their ankle broken. At the same time she swept Caleb’s grounded leg from under him.

Faith was on him before he could rise, grabbing him in a triangle chokehold from behind. Caleb leapt to his feet despite her on his back and dropped backwards, forcing her to release her hold and fling herself away from the man to avoid being trapped under him. The two of them hit the ground at roughly the same time, Faith and Caleb rolling up to their feet together. "Havin’ fun, Rev?"

"I’m not here for fun, Slayer," Caleb stonily replied. "I’m here to do my master’s work and smite anyone who’ll get in his way."

Faith leapt into the air, meaning to drop-kick her adversary, but Caleb side-stepped her attack and brought an elbow down into her gut, doubling her up, and knocking her to the ground. She was only half way up to her feet when Caleb’s knee crashed into her head, knocking into the side of a gravestone.

"Harlot!" Faith grunted as the preacher drove his knee into her gut. "Whore!" Another blow sent blood spewing from her mouth as she crashed to her hands and knees. "Tramp!" Her body lifted off the ground when he kicked her in the ribs, gasping desperately for breath that wouldn’t come. "Slut." Another fist came down, crashing into the back of her head, knocking her flat on the cold, wet grass.

"I never held with man on woman violence." Faith gasped as she looked up to see a towering figure with a blue metallic exoskeleton and curving-upwards spurs coming out of the side of its head loom out of the darkness, grab Caleb by his collar and casually rip his head off his shoulders. "Hey," the demon beamed down at her as he dropped the decapitated corpse on the ground, "I’m Skip, the Powers That Be sent me, can I help you up?"

* * *

"Xander, please sit down, this pacing isn’t helping anyone."

"We should have gone with her," he grunted as he paced the floor, the sound of Manny’s version of the dating game going on in the back-ground. God he needed a drink, he was so worried about Faith. Except it was because of that worry, the way his hand itched for the feel of a cold can, he knew he couldn’t have a drink. Couldn’t disappoint her and the rest of his family. "Or stopped her!"

"And how," god sometimes he hated Giles’ maddeningly patient tone, "do you propose we do that? I don’t believe any of us own handcuffs-."

"Well actually," everyone looked towards a suddenly reddening Wesley, "uh, never mind."

Xander stared at the Watcher and then shuddered. He really didn’t want to know what Wes and Kate got up to, no siree bob! Hearing the sound of the door opening behind him, and seeing Giles and the others rise out of their seats, Xander spun around to see his battered-looking girl-friend staggering into the lobby, a mammoth demon by her side. "Relax guys," Faith raised a hand, "Skip here saved my ass from Caleb, he’s working for the Powers That Be."

"You really don’t mind if we ask for some proof," Giles was eying the blue-tin demon like he was a rattler about to strike, "such as you singing for Lorne?"

"Ah," Skip smiled at the flamboyantly dressed night-club singer, "the empath demon. ‘Take Me Out To The Ball-Game’, alright?"

"Whatever you want Metallica," Lorne replied. The demon raised his hand a minute or so later. "He’s on the level, nice baritone by the way."

"Thanks," Skip smirked before looking around, "now that’s settled, what do you people do for food in this town. I fancy some buffalo wings!"

"There’s a Doublemeat Palace in town," Xander volunteered.

"Oh," Skip’s nose wrinkled, "trust me when I say you don’t want to eat Doublemeat Palace, kid."

"There’s a KFC in town," Gunn put in, "it’s finger-lickin’ good!"

"Hey," Skip pulled out a wallet, "and I just got paid."

"Save my life and buys food, what a guy," Faith winked at Xander.

"Hey, how about me and you make a sandwich-."

"Shut it, Manny."

* * *

"Oh man," Xander blinked as his eyes fluttered open, his head feeling like the aftermath of a Jack Daniels blow-out. He hadn’t been drinking though, he looked down at the spilt chicken bowl in his lap. No he’d just been eatin-. His voice trailed off as he registered everyone-else was either sleeping or wakening.

Or like Manny, lying dead on the table with the top of his head cut off and his brains scooped -.

"Shit!" Vomit rose in Xander’s mouth and spewed out, into his chicken bucket. "Guys!" he gasped through his arid throat. "Guys!"

Everyone began stirring at his shout. "Oh bloody hell," Giles crouched down at the former totem’s scalped head. "His orb, it’s gone."

"And I thought they took his head off because they wanted his scalp as a paperweight," Xander snarked.

Giles shot him a glare. "Thank you for that, Xander," the Englishman sniped. "Most helpful." Giles looked around and shook his head. "How did this happen?"

"Bah," Skip threw his half-eaten bucket onto the floor, "sorry folks. I just realised the damn poultry is drugged."

"Most unmanly tactics," Groo swallowed as he realised all the women were staring hard at him, "that is to say, most effective."

"How convenient," Wesley murmured, his expression unreadable.

"’Kay," Faith rose, brow furrowed, "but if someone walked in here, why not kill us while we slept?"

"Perhaps they don’t see us as important enough to kill," mused Giles.

"You’re just a big bowl of optimism aren’t you?" Xander snarked before hurrying into the downstairs bathroom and washing the vomit out of his mouth. He looked at himself in the mirror and forced a smile, he was still carrying a few pounds of his booze weight, but he was looking better, stronger.

And he had to be strong, not only for him, but for her.

He was humming under his breath as he walked out to find a discussion bordering on a full-argument going on. Lorne’s head snapped to him. "What?" Xander came to a halt at the demon’s burning gaze. "Are my flies undone?"

Lorne shook his head and swallowed. "People, we need to get to The Sunset Club and fast. Oh, and we need to be armed."

"The Sunset Club?" Faith glanced from him to the night-club singer. "Ain’t that the rooftop place that opened after W&H came here?"

"Yep," Lorne nodded, "quite the hot-spot for its young lawyers and hippest clients."

"What did you-."

"The words won’t come out Watcher Guy," Lorne waved Giles’ query away, "just know we have to be there, now."

"Very well," Giles looked towards Faith, "Faith, you and Skip will take the lead. Xander, Groo, and Gunn, I want you in flanking positions. Cordelia, Lorne, grab your crossbows, Wesley," the Watcher nodded as Wesley picked up his automatic and threw one to him, "Tara, Willow, grab your offensive spell components."

"Actually girls," Xander heard Wesley stop the two witches as they made for their magical supplies, "I’d appreciate it if you stayed here and researched a ritual for me, Sand Of The Red Palm, thank you."

* * *

"Ooh, uh, I'm gonna need a bigger arrow," Lorne whispered.

"Yeah," Faith swallowed as she stared at the massive demon. He stood about eight feet tall, made entirely of what looked to be orange rock, with hulking shoulders and a vault-sized chest, red eyes, and ram’s horns coming out of the side of his head.

"Ah," the club’s corpse-strewn floor seemed to shake at the monster’s growl, "the Slayer. Let’s see if you’re the warrior that legend says you are."

"Do we have to?" Faith muttered before gathering herself. "Let’s do this, Skip!"

Faith lunged forward, the slightly slower demon a half-step behind. Her eyes widened as her sword pinged against the creature’s rock-hide. "Oh fuck!" She ducked a backhanded left then kicked at her adversary’s leg, her foot bouncing off the demon’s trunk-thick limb to literally no effect. And then the demon grabbed her around the throat and flung her into the nearest pillar. "Shit!" Faith’s back arched as she crashed into the stone support, cracking its golden plaster as she slid to the ground.

Even as she fell, Skip took an uppercut from the giant monster, the punch lifting the demon off his feet, propelling him from the roof. "So much for him," Faith muttered as she struggled to her feet, Lorne and Cordelia’s arrows bouncing off their monstrous rival.

Then Gunn’s massive battle-axe flew through the air, the demon’s hand slapping up to parry the axe away and back at the demon hunter, the shaft crashing into his chest and bringing him to his knees.

Faith pulled her tomahawks out from inside her jacket and leapt back up, charging the enormous demon even as it slapped Groo across the face, blood arching out of his mouth and nose as he flew off his feet and into Xander, the pair of them collapsing in a heap.

"We are gettin’ our asses kicked!" Faith leapt forward, sparks flying from her axes as they lashed at the demon’s hide, Faith ducking and bobbing under its left and right punches.

But not under a knee to the jaw that sent her back-flipping to the ground. Another pair of arrows slapped into the demon, but it ignored them in favour of stalking after her. "Is this all you are?" the demon taunted. Faith stared up at the demon, spitting out blood as she struggled to her feet. This really had been a crappy couple of days. "A small girl, not a warrior to feared?"

"A girl that is not alone!" Giles roared.

Suddenly Giles and Wesley were there, Faith’s ears vibrated with the sound of the pair’s guns, bullet after bullet sparking blue on the demon’s hide, rocking him. "Armour piercing old chap," Wesley gloated as the demon fell to one knee.

"Oh bugger," Giles groaned as his spent clip fell out.

The demon’s jagged smile stretched across its face as it lunged up. Wesley managed to duck under its backhanded slap, but Giles was not so fortunate, falling to his knees as blood sprayed from his head. Wesley gasped as the demon’s other hand grabbed him by the back of his collar and sent him flying into a busily re-loading Lorne and Cordelia.

"Might wanna hold the gloat, chuckles." Faith spat out blood and rolled her neck from side to side. "This girl’s not even warmed up."

Faith lunged forward, ducking a left hook to smash a trio of rights into the demon’s rock hide, grunting slightly with each impact, noticing how her knuckles skinned with each punch. The wind from a left that almost took her head off parted her hair as she ducked under it only to catch a right to the chest that sent her into a back-flip that only ended when she crashed into the bar. Grabbing a bottle she threw at it at the demon who contemptuously slapped it away.

The moment the demon made to slap her flung bottle away, Faith leapt into the air, attempting a dropkick that the demon deflected by grabbing and flinging a table at her. The table crashed into her at the chest, the impact sending her cartwheeling back the way she’d come, Faith grunted as she hit the ground with a thud, weary body barely functioning. She made it up to her hands and knees in time to see Gunn and Xander attack again, only to be knocked away.

Then the demon pulled out a totem. "Oh good lord," she heard Giles’ alarmed croak.

Faith charged the demon, kicking him in the hamstring, the demon stumbled down to one knee. Faith smirked as she thrust her hastily drawn knife down at the creature’s red eye. "There’s always a weak-," she gasped as the demon grabbed her knife-arm and twisted it back as easily as she could to a child, her wrist dislocating with a pop, the knife clattering uselessly to the ground. And then the demon’s other fist rammed into her belly, doubling her up as she struggled for her wind, the demon casually flinging her away.

The monster looked over his shoulder and grinned at her. "And so it begins." The demon squashed the totem in his hand, broken pieces falling through his thick fingers. "Eternal night."

Tara’s breath caught as the lobby’s doors swung open, and their friends limped in, each of them carrying some sort of injury or other, even the previously indomitable looking Skip. "What happened!" Willow gasped.

"Eternal night, that’s what happened, Jeez," the beaten Slayer groaned as she was lowered into a chair by her solicitous father, the Englishman looking slightly less battered than most of the others. "What was that thing, G?"

"I don’t know," Giles strode over to the book-shelves, nodded at them and started shifting through his texts.

"Can we help?" Willow asked.

"No," Wesley answered before Giles did, a dangerous glint in the younger Watcher’s eyes, "have you girls found the spell I asked you to research?"

"Yes," Willow nodded as she pointed at the text, "but-."

"Just learn it, find any supplies you need to do it, and be conversant, alright girls?" Tara joined Willow in meekly nodding. There was something in the Watcher’s hard tone that discouraged further questioning. "Good, just make sure you’re ready, I have a feeling we might need it soon." Wesley glanced across to Giles. "Have you found anything as of yet?"

Giles shot them a curious look. When Wesley wasn’t forthcoming, the older Englishman shrugged. "’’Bart’s Shelled Creatures Of Legend’, ‘Drummond’s Armoured Demons Of This World And Alien Dimensions’, ‘Of Rock-Gods And Larva-Beasts’, ‘Chaing’s Exoskeleton Monsters’, ‘Dusara’s A-Z Of Obscure Demons’, and ‘Helmut’s Tales Of Armoured Demons’." Giles chuckled. "Good lord, these titles. We demonologists are a long-winded lot."

"Yes," Wesley joined him in chuckling. "But please don’t make such an injudicious remark in front of Xander."

"Quite," Giles and Wesley exchanged a momentary smile, "but only if you don’t foolishly give him ammunition by saying such things as injudicious."

"Done," Wesley smiled before taking several of the heavy-looking hardbacks and walking back to the others.

* * *

"Faith," Giles shot his adopted child a concerned look. "You took the brunt of that creature’s beating. Why don’t you take a nap while we try and find what it is."

"Oh great," Xander groaned. "I knew I should have let it hit me more."

"Believe me, I was thinking much the same thing about letting it hit you," Giles retorted.

"Thank-, hey!" Xander glared at him before turning to Faith. "Do you want some help getting into the main office?"

"Thanks," Faith shot her boy-friend a worn grin, "but I’ll be cool."

Giles watched for a second as his daughter limped into the inner office before turning back to the desk and grabbing the top book. "If you read a description or in Xander’s case see a picture that matches the demon, please shout."

"Eureka!"

Everyone turned to Wesley. "After all these years, I still can’t believe you say that," Giles rubbed at his eyes before putting his book down. "What have you found?"

"Apparently our mystery assailant was called ‘Das Tier’-."

"I’m sorry chaps," it was Lorne who interrupted, "but I’m not up on the fatherland tongue, German beer songs are not part of the routine. Lederhosen, not with these legs."

"The Beast," Giles translated.

Xander shuddered. "Does that image make anyone else shudder?"

"Yes," Giles nodded, "it is a rather fitting name."

Xander shook his head. "No, Lorne in Lederhosen."

Giles groaned before looking pleadingly at Wesley. "What does the book say?"

Wesley looked at nauseated as he felt. "That the demon is impregnable to attack and awesomely strong," the room groaned, "however there is one glimmer of hope. Apparently Das Tier was banished by Svea Priestesses in 1789."

"Well baby he’s back," Xander muttered.

"Yes, but still, if he was banished once," Giles looked towards Cordelia to see the office’s receptionist rushing over to her computer. "Could you do a search for Svea Priestesses?"

"On it!" trilled the former cheerleader. After a couple of minutes, she sat back from her computer, a puzzled look on her face. "That’s just weird, there’s a family with the surname Svea in town. They claim to run a new age shop offering portions, charms, that sorta thing."

"Doesn’t this seem awfully like coincidence?" Gunn queried.

"Perhaps," Xander shrugged. "Or perhaps the Powers That Sit On Their Behind are finally getting into the game-."

"Aaaaaah! Hellll! What the!"

"What is that unholy banshee screaming!" Wesley demanded.

Giles glared at his compatriot. "Faith from the inner office."

"Jeeeeeeeeeeeeez!"

"Ah," Wesley wilted, "forget I spoke, perhaps you should go and check what’s wrong with her?"

* * *

Strobe lighting flashed as techno blared out of the club’s speakers. The girl’s fluorescent mane swung as she ran, breath coming in tortured gasps, blood leaking from her side as she struggled down the fire escape, eyes fixed on her two pursuers. "Ahhh!" she screamed as her foot missed a rung.

The wind whistled around her as she fell, back arching as she hit the unyielding ground. The girl rolled onto her side, struggling up to her hands and knees.

And then the two men dropped off the fire escape to land beside her. The girl’s mouth opened in a plea that was cut off as their knives descended.

"Jesus!" Faith shot upright, heart hammering as she quickly checked she wasn’t cut, Giles bursting through the door. Damn, those knives had felt so real.

"Faith!" Giles exclaimed, his hands on her forearms as he knelt before her. "Are you alright?"

"Fuck, I had like a Slayer dream," Faith blinked. "And this wasn’t just sights and sound like usual, I felt it too."

"Please," Giles sat on the couch beside her, "go on."

"Yeah, there was this girl outside this club-."

"Describe her," Giles demanded.

Faith didn’t even have to think about it, the dream had been so vivid. "Yeah, she had like pink hair, a nose ring, she was my age, maybe a couple years younger, she was wearing PVC pants, a leather bra-top, oh yeah, and she had a belly ring too."

"Sounds just like the girl you bring home to mother," Giles sniffed.

"Yeah, well you don’t have to worry ‘bout that," Faith flatly replied. "’Cause there were these two guys with knives chasing her-," Faith broke off as she remembered something, "yeah and this club was in Spain, I remember a neon-sign outside a shop."

"The two men?" Giles patiently prompted.

"Yeah," Faith shivered. "They were a right pair of weird fuckers. They wore these black robes, carried these real fancy-looking knives, but that wasn’t the strange thing." Faith shook her head. "The crazy bastards had their eyes stitched shut-."

"Good lord," Giles shook his head when she glanced at him, "please, continue."

"Yeah, and they had these runes carved into the eye-lids, thing was tho’," Faith shook her head again, "they could still see well enough to chase this girl down and cut her to pieces. There was blood all over the alley." Faith looked towards her surrogate father. "You know who the demons were don’t you?"

"Yes," Giles nodded, "yes I do." The Englishman paused momentarily before continuing. "However, strictly speaking they’re humans rather than demons." Faith snorted, Giles smiled softly. "Yes, their appearance does suggest otherwise however it’s true. They’re a cult of demon-worshipping humans called The Harbingers Of Doom. They’ll happily work for any demon who wants to end the world. They cut out their own eyes both as a sign of their dedication and in an effort to better see the faces of those they worship."

"So they cut out their eyes so they can see their demon masters betters?" Faith’s brow furrowed. "Isn’t that like a man cutting off his prick to make himself a better lover?"

Giles shuddered. "Dear, could you be anymore earthy?"

Faith winked at her father. "Don’t know, but I could try if you want?"

"That won’t be necessary," Giles shuddered again. "However disturbing your dream is, we have more pressing matters I’m afraid." Her father’s face brightened. "We have found out just who our foe is, and a possible way of defeating him."

"Yeah," Faith grinned slowly. "Do spill."

* * *

"Okay people," Xander grinned as his girl-friend strode into the lobby, relieved to see that spark returning to her dark eyes, "here’s what we’re gonna do. Me and G are gonna hunt down these priestesses. Xan," his girl shot him a wink, "I want you to take Groo, Gunn, and Skip out, fan around, try and keep the vamps down." Faith looked towards Wesley. "Wes, you stay here with Cordy, Kate, Lorne, Tara, and Willow. Work on the back-up plan."

"I hate to point out but we don’t have a back-up plan," Kate pointed out.

"I know," Faith nodded, "work on finding one." The Slayer beauty looked around. "Come on people, get tooled up, time to go to work."

* * *

The moment the door closed behind Faith and the other groups, Willow spun to face Wesley. "Okay mister," the red-headed witch demanded, "why do you have us researching containment spells on the hush-hush?"

"Because," Wes’ stare was only slightly warmer than the Antarctic, "that drugged food was awfully convenient."

"W….what do you mean?" Tara queried.

"Who was it who wanted to go out and get something to eat?"

"Skip," Kate quietly replied.

"But he sang for Lorne," Tara commented.

"Yes!" Lorne nodded. "And he came across fine."

"Yes, I thought of that," Wesley nodded. "But I also thought that perhaps certain drugs and magical charms could perhaps give a false reading."

"Well," Lorne slumped in his seat, "I’d never thought of that."

"I have," Wesley nodded. "and it is best to be prepared."

"Heh," Cordy laughed as Wesley strode into the inner office, "be prepared? Wesley as a boy scout? Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

"Okay boss," Skip beamed at him, "how do you want to play this?"

Xander stared dazedly at the demon as they strode through the eerily dark town, many of the shops that would have normally been open at this time now wisely shut. Skip was as formidable as they came, a comforting presence in any battle, and yet he hadn’t been able to do anything more against ‘Rock-Bad’ than any of them.

"Yeah," he pulled himself together, "seeing as main-street seems to be empty, we’ll head to the normal vampire hang-outs, do a clear out there."

"You’re the man with the plan," Skip cheerfully agreed.

Ten minutes later and they were walking through the back streets. "Hey," Xander came to a halt, pointing up at a dusty shop-sign, "’Cool For Comics’, me, Jess, and Jon used to come -." His voice trailed off as he recalled his friends’ deaths.

"Hey," Gunn’s hand slapped his shoulder, "they’d want you to live you know, enjoy life."

Xander took a heaving, rattling sigh. "I know," he nodded.

"Guys," Skip spoke up, "sorry to interrupt the Hallmark moment, but we got trouble."

Xander groaned as he looked around to see four vampires at either end of the alley and another three coming out of an abandoned warehouse to their left. Xander lifted his axe. "Oh look it’s the Slayer’s pals," drawled the biggest of the demons, a red-haired black who looked like he’d been turned when Mr. T. was all the rage, "but she ain’t here now. How ‘bout we send you back to her, body-part by body-part."

"What am I?" Skip lunged at the muscle-bound black, his blade slicing through the chain strewn neck. "Invisible?" Another vampire lunged at Skip, only to be backhanded across the alley and into a wall.

The moment a tall, curly-haired blonde lunged at him, Xander sidestepped to the left, his axe backhanding into her throat. "You bastard!" he twisted away from a burly vamp’s right cross. "Shelley was my girl!"

Xander slammed his forehead into the vamp’s face, staggering. "I did you a favour pal!" Xander caught a right on his shoulder, grimacing as pain shot down his arm, and drove a knee into the demon’s gut. "Serious," he gasped as he caught a right to the chest that knocked him into the dirty shop front, "case of uglies!" He ducked under a right, the vampire’s punch shattering the toughened glass. Xander’s axe swung up and through the demon’s throat. "’Course you’re no oil painting yourself."

"Look boss," Skip flung a vampire into a wall, then before it could do anything more than start to straighten ran his blade across its neck, separating head from body, "I’m not one to tell you your job, these blood-suckers aren’t gonna hurt me, but you guys are way too breakable for this situation."

"Okay," Xander nodded bitterly, hating the idea of failing, he’d done too much of that recently, "fall back to the boarding-house."

"Let us hope Faith and Giles have been successful in their mission," Groo mused.

* * *

"Door’s unlocked," Faith muttered as she peered up at the white-washed, plantation-style house shrouded in the night’s darkness.

"So it is," Giles licked his lips as he edged up the paving-stoned driveway, "let me do the talking."

"If there’s a bunch of howling demons, you’re front and central," Faith promised.

"As usual, your talents as a comic are lacking," Giles sniped.

"Everyone’s a critic," Faith lamented as she toed the door open, "I’ll go first." Faith crept in, sticking to the shadows.

"I’ll take the downstairs," Giles muttered.

"You sure we should split up?" Faith muttered as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Don’t worry," her father smiled impishly. "If you need help all you need to do is shout."

Faith shook her head as the Englishman started up the stairs. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you." Faith peered into the lounge but found nothing there so she walked through the arched entrance in the wall and into the kitchen, bile suddenly rising in her throat as her stomach curdled. "Shit!" she hissed as she peered over the far side of the dining table to see a mother, father, and three daughters aged between around ten to mid-teens, their throats slit, and blood soaking the yellow lino floor. "G! Found ‘em! And we are fucked!"

In seconds her Watcher was behind her. "Ah," he grimaced as he crouched down by the bodies, "I’d hazard a guess they’re doing even worse than us." Giles shook his head. "They’ve been dead for at least a day."

"Yeah," Faith stared at Giles, fear and uncertainty fluttering in her belly, "what are we gonna do?"

"First," Giles took a heaving sigh, "we’re going to return to base."

"But then?" Faith asked only to receive a helpless silence as her answer.

* * *

The car door slammed shut behind him as he clambered out, savouring the day’s darkness, the bloodless corpses of the two co-eds who’d been foolish enough to pick up a handsome hitchhiker stuck in the trunk. "Eternal night, it’s true," he shook his head as he stared at the town’s familiar silhouette, unable to believe the evidence of his eyes, two in the afternoon and yet as dark as sin. "Ach lass," he lit a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth, a sly grin stretching across his face, "it’s been a long time, Slayer. But I’m back and we’ll be having a grand time soon."

"The priestesses can’t help us."

Xander rose as his girl-friend and her father entered the lobby. "Why not?"

"’Cause they’ve been chopped to pieces," Faith replied to Tara’s softly-asked query, "Das Tier must have gotten there before us."

"No," Giles shook his head, a thoughtful expression on the middle-aged Englishman’s face, "the feeling I got from Das Tier he’s the more wrecking-ball type of killer, the murders while messy were more precise, cuts rather than brutal beatings. Besides, the priestesses would have vanquished him. I’d hazard a guess that the priestesses were dead long before Das Tier arrived in town."

"So he’s got an accomplice," Faith glanced at Giles and then shook her head, "we can’t worry about that, we have to deal with Das Tier first." The buxom Slayer looked towards Willow. "Tell me you have something, Red?"

"Well the priestesses couldn’t beat him in a fight," Willow’s tongue danced over her lip, "they banished him. I couldn’t find any record of the incantation they used, but maybe we could use portal magic to achieve the same effect."

"Portal magic is evil." Tara shook her head.

"If portal magic gets rid of Rock-Guy, I really don’t give a shit," Faith replied. "Where should we send him?"

"I say Pylea." Everyone looked towards Lorne who just shrugged. "I’d just love for him to meet Mommy Dearest."

"And I thought I had mommy issues," Faith muttered.

"Perhaps Quor-Toth," Wesley spoke up. "It is one of the most difficult dimensions to get in and out of, it should hold even him for a significant time. Not to mention the very real possibility something in that dimension could kill him."

"Significant time?" Xander queried.

"Oh, I would suspect we’re talking at least a century," Wesley replied.

"Good," Faith nodded. "Let the Jetsons deal with him, we’ll all be long gone by then."

"So perhaps now isn’t the best time to bring up my dream of living to die in bed at the age of an hundred twenty-five with two eighteen year old Playboy-Playmates? Jeez," Xander blanched at his girl-friend’s hard glare, "now’s not the best time for levity is it?"

"Never knew you wanted to be Hugh Heffner, Harris," snarked Gunn.

"Didn’t you?" Cordy put in. "He’s been collecting his literature for years!"

"Ignoring the childish bickering," Giles shot a glare in their direction before looking towards Willow, "can you do this?"

The witch nodded excitedly. "I’ll just need time to research."

"Then hurry," Giles looked up at the ceiling. "If I’m right the only thing that can break this blasted eternal night is Das Tier’s demise."

* * *

Faith glanced behind her at the sound of the kitchen door opening behind her, a grin slowly forming as her boy-friend walked through. "Hey, come to help me get the coffees?"

"Anything’s better than research," Xander grinned briefly before starting through the cupboards. "Oh cool, Giles’ Jaffa Cakes. Do you think this is a Jaffa Cake level crisis?"

"Can I give you a hell yeah?" Faith joked before sobering. "This is one hell of a mess. Das Tier is one mean mo-fo, and the eternal night thing is just-." Faith shook her head. "His accomplice made one hell of a mess of the priestess and he didn’t spare her family either."

"Yeah," Xander let out a ragged gasp, "I know how you feel." Her boyfriend licked his lips nervously before continuing. "I could really do with a drink right about now."

Faith’s eyes widened, her heart catching. "You haven’t?"

"No," Xander shook his head. "I won’t."

"Good," Faith placed a hand on Xander’s forearm, stood on her tiptoes, and leaned in for a kiss, "I’m proud of you hon."

"Hey guys," Faith glanced towards Cordy stood in the doorway. "Willow thinks she’s ready."

* * *

Das Tier smiled as he knelt. It had been an ordeal, but finally his offering to She Who Was To Come was ready. He reverently placed the stone dagger down on the crate before him and closed his eyes, praying that his offering would placate the one he called Mistress.

"So you’re the big cheese around here are ya, gotta say you look more like the big rock."

Das Tier rose and turned to face the smirking man clad entirely in black. Despite looming over him by a foot, the man seemed unimpressed. "Who are you?" he boomed.

"Bloody hell," the man shook his head, "no need to shout, I’m right in front of you, and vampires, not exactly known for their deafness. Name’s Angelus and I’m your new back-up, big guy."

Das Tier shook his head and sniffed disdainfully. "I have no need of your help, vampire." He waved his hand at the undead male. "Go before I lose your patience."

"Ah," Angelus’ eyes twinkled with mirth. "But it seems we have a pain in the ass in common. That firecracker of a Slayer and her buds."

"She is of no concern of mine," Das Tier rumbled.

"Hey, Rushmore," the vampire was remorseless, "you tell me you wouldn’t want to hear her bones snap and her death-rattle, ‘cause I know you would."

"You want to work with me?"

"I always pick the winning side," Angelus grinned. "How about it?"

Das Tier stared at his tiresome companion. "Very well, follow me."

* * *

"Right behind you," Angelus said as the hulking demon lumbered out of the darkened warehouse before picking up the stone knife the demon had left behind. "That might come in handy later."

* * *

"Okay," Willow licked her lips, the usual excitement running through her at the first casting of a new spell. So what if Tara said that portal magics were evil, she’d be in control. "Every one needs to keep Das Tier occupied and be in front rather than behind him, get in behind and you might get sucked into the portal with him."

"Got that," Faith nodded before looking up at the others. "Skip, Groo, front and centre with me. Xan, you and Gunn to the left, G, you and Wes take the right. Cordy, Kate, and Lorne, you cover the witches. Everybody ready?" Faith nodded a reply to their nods. "Wicked, let’s do this."

Faith stalked towards the lobby entrance. After a second they followed her out. Faith strode purposefully through Sunnydale’s hushed streets as they headed to the districts where they’d last encountered the gigantic demon. "Shit!" Faith almost stumbled backwards as Das Tier dropped from a roof to their left and landed just in front of them, the tarmaced road shaking from the humongous impact.

Before Faith had chance to react, Das Tier hit her with an upward-swinging backhand that sent her flying to crash to the ground by their feet "Jesus!" Faith leapt up, blood leaking from her lip, and her eyes slightly glazed. "That bastard hits like a mother-fucking bastard!" Faith cracked her neck as they watched Xander and Giles’ teams vainly attempt to attack the hulking demon. "Come on Skip!"

Faith was so fast, so commanding a presence that it took Willow a half-second to realise that the demon hadn’t moved with her. And then a steel-covered hand was slamming into her forehead and she didn’t realise anything else for quite some time.

* * *

"Oh bloody hell!" Wesley cursed before yelling to Tara. "Tara! Sand Of The Red Palm now!"

Skip’s eyes widened, the demon turning from attacking Faith to lunging at a paling Tara. Then coming to a stop and laughing with a shake of the head. "Clever, but it won’t hold me for long."

"It was you wasn’t it?" he roared at the now trapped demon. "You destroyed the Council."

"And killed the priestesses and Manny," Skip shrugged. "My mistress has many worshippers serving her, you’ll be part of them very soon."

"Oh I doubt that," Wesley brought up his shotgun.

Skip laughed. "You think your bullets can hurt me?"

"I’ve been carrying armour-piercing loads since you very suspiciously turned up," the demon’s mouth dropped. "Tara!" he barked. "Drop the shield!" The moment the magic began to dissipate, he pulled the trigger. The front of Skip’s face blew off as the demon crashed to the ground.

* * *

Faith charged at the monstrous demon, only realising at the last second Skip wasn’t accompanying her and Groo. Throwing her confusion aside, she ducked a looping left and launched a kick to the midsection that bounced discouragingly off the demon’s toughened hide. Faith twisted at the waist, allowing the demon’s knee to the trunk to pass her by as she thrust her blade up and at its armpit, hoping to find somewhere that wasn’t so rocky.

She grimaced as the blade disappointedly snapped on impact, breaking on her rival’s rocky hide. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Groo lunge in, then cartwheel backwards when Das Tier stuck out a right fist that smashed into the Pylean’s face, lifting him from his feet and turning his face into a crimson mask.

Faith felt desperation’s bitter taste lodge in her throat as she swallowed, then dived into the attack, ducking a looping left as she got in close and drove a knee into the creature’s gut while slashing up at his eyes with a hastily drawn knife. "Oh shit!" Faith grunted as Das Tier’s heavy fist collided with the top of her head, momentarily blurring her vision and turning her legs to jelly. And then the massive demon wrapped an arm around her back.

Blood roared in her ears as the demon pulled her close, pain searing through her ribs as the monster attempted to crack them. Faith pulled her head back and jammed it into the demon’s face, grunting slightly as her forehead burst open on impact, crimson water-falling into her eyes.

The demon grunted but refused to release its grip, rather it cinched in even deeper, seemingly trying to squeeze her into two.

Faith’s breath came in painful wheezes as she punched uselessly at the giant monster, realising the behemoth might just have the power to do it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a pale-faced Xander charge in, duck under the demon’s backfist and drive his double-bladed axe into the massive beast’s left shoulder. "GRRRRRRRRRRR!" The beast let out a bellow that seemed to shake the surrounding buildings before swinging wildly, its elbow catching Xander in the side of the head, and flinging him into Gunn.

"Shit!" Faith turned her head to the side when her ears seemed to explode with pain a white hot agony lancing through the air by her face. The demon staggered suddenly, the shot from Wesley’s gun loosening its grip on her aching ribs. Faith groaned as she lifted her legs up, until her knees were nestled against her aching chest, and pushed her legs off with what little remained of her strength.

"Shit!" she cursed again as she fell to the ground, back arching as she landed, back of her head and shoulders smashing brutally onto the floor. Seeing Groo’s outstretched hand, she grabbed it and fought back a groan when her muscles protesting the hybrid pulling her to her feet.

"Let’s withdraw," Giles said, her adopted father shooting her a concerned look.

Faith nodded wearily, her entire body aching. "I’d say that’s a very -," her voice trailed off when she noticed Skip’s corpse. "What the-."

"No time!" Wesley grabbed her other arm, bracing her as they started in a retreat from the rock-like demon.

A low chuckle came out of the shadows behind them. "Ach, you humans. Always rushing from place to place, never stopping to enjoy life’s little pleasures. "The ice-crawlingly distinctive voice paused. "Like rape, torture, and slaughter for instance."

"Oh fuck."

* * *

"Thanks for the offer, darlin’." Angelus smirked at the Slayer’s croak. "But be patient, I’ll get to you." His grin widened as he noted his enemies’ battered condition, the Slayer barely standing and the witch out cold. Das Tier was like a meat mallet, and the famed Scoobies were now nicely tenderised. "First I’ll be killin’ your friends, then me and you will have ourselves a time."

"I don’t think-." A backhand sent a charging Giles flying into Wesley, even as the younger Watcher raised a shotgun.

"Looks like you’re fresh out of protectors Slayer," he continued as he stalked towards the group. "And not looking your usual winsome self either. Though bloody is always a good look on ye."

"Get out of here." A battered stranger stepped between him and his prey, short sword held ready. Something that smelt not quite demon but not quite human either. "I’ll deal with the vampire."

"No way," the Slayer hoarsely commented. "We don’t-." Suddenly the beauty’s eyes seemed to roll and she slumped in her companions’ arms, head lolling limply to one side.

"Get out of here," the mystery man repeated, bright blue eyes staring at him. "I’ll deal with him."

"You’re not lookin’ steady on your legs laddie," Angelus quelled his irritation with an effort. "You best be looking after your own hide."

The ‘man’ flashed him a blood-streaked smile. "Are you a craven as well as a beast?"

"Ach laddie," Angelus shrugged, "ye don’t have to ask me," he tensed his thighs and powered through them, covering the eight feet separating them in a single leap, "twice." His elbow crashed into the side of his adversary’s head before the creature had chance to react, his rival’s head snapping to the side even as he twisted to face him, sword swinging up in an attempted decapitating swing.

Angel crouched under the sword, low laughter bubbling up inside. If his opponent was fit and healthy, then maybe this would be a fight. Now though, with him weakened and woozy, his reflexes impaired, this could only end one way.

He lunged forward, one cold hand grabbed and twisted the warrior’s sword arm at the wrist, weapon clattering uselessly to the ground. The other punched at the man’s face only to miss when the man yanked his head away before stepping into him and attempting a knee to the gut.

"Oh there’s fight still in ye lad?" Angelus laughed as he grabbed the man by the underside of his knee with one hand and by the neck with the other, lifting him into the air and flinging him into the wall opposite. A growl on his lips, Angelus turned in the direction the Slayer and her companions had retreated off into. If he hurried, he could just-.

"Arrrrgh!" Angelus staggered when his adversary drove his clenched fists into his back.

Spinning around he glared at the battered-looking man, blood leaking from a cut on his left cheek and his eyes glassy. "We’re not finished yet," the creature defiantly stated.

"Oh," Angelus sidestepped a clumsy right, looped his arm around the shoulder of his adversary’s out-stretched arm, lifted him off the ground and drove him headfirst into the ground, his skull smashing against the unforgiving pavement and head , "we are." His heel stamped down on the man’s throat, snapping his neck and crushing his larynx in one savage motion before turning to chase after the Slayer only to find Das Tier now stood in his path. "Look if I’ll be needing to be building a rockery I’ll give ye a call, otherwise get your arse out of my way!"

Das Tier appeared unmoved by his insults. "It isn’t the Slayer’s time yet, when my master wants her dead, she’ll die. Not yet."

"Aye?" Angelus shook his head. "Well I won’t be waiting for that firecracker to get healed up, I’m going now."

"No," he started forward only for his ‘ally’ to place a spade-sized hand on his chest, "you’re not."

Angelus stared up at the demon, his mind whirling. He could try and take him on now, but even with his weapon it’d be a struggle to beat the big bastard down to use it. Then fighting the Slayer already banged up? No, he was cannier than that. "Aye," he forced a grin, "we’ll play things your way."

For now.

* * *

"Is she still breathing?" Xander stood behind Giles as he and Wesley laid Faith down on the couch, Tara and Cordy dealing with Willow while Gunn and Lorne watched the office doors.

"Yes!" Giles snapped then calmed himself before apologising with a repenting look at Xander. "I’m sorry, lad." The brunette beauty winced and moaned when he gently pressed on her stomach. "It appears," he winced when he lifted his charge’s shirt up to the bottom of her bra to reveal a purpled midsection, "there’s some damage to the ribs as well as a concussion."

"We should get her to the hospital," Xander commented. "Her and Willow."

"Here is safer." In truth he doubted it’d make much difference at this time, but there was at least an illusion of security here offered by the near-by weapons and locked doors.

"I can’t believe we left Groo," Gunn grumbled.

"I’d suggest our choices were limited," Giles defended as he took the wet flannel that Wesley had given him and gently mopped at his Slayer’s forehead, wiping the drying blood away. His anger rose as he looked down at his battered daughter. What sort of power decided someone so young, so tiny, so beautiful should be fighting monsters? She be out studying, partying, dating, indulging in all those things that those in the first blossom of adulthood did.

"Did you see?" Cordy gasped. "Not just Rock-Guy, but Angelus too. Things could get really messy! Rocky will just splat us, Angelus will take his time doing it!"

Giles shuddered. "Thank you for the visceral nightmares, Cordelia."

"Don’t get sarcastic at me Watcher!" Cordelia hissed. "We’re one Slayer and one Witch down, Tin-Man turned traitor, and Groo," the former cheerleader bit her bottom lip, "Groo is missing." Cordy stared over at her. "What are we supposed to do?"

Giles exchanged worried looks with Wesley before giving a less than reassuring reply. "We’ll think of something."

"Perhaps I can help with that."

Angelus scowled as they re-entered the dingy warehouse that Das Tier had decided was their base, a place that in his opinion completely lacked the necessary class and creature comforts to be his base. Not that he had a choice, at least not until he’d gotten rid of the dumb rock. "If we’re not gonna spend a few fun hours defiling and torturing the Slayer, just what are your plans?"

"We have far greater concerns than one girl," Das Tier idly replied before beginning to talk.

"Oh I like that," Angelus nodded slowly as the towering demon laid out his plans. "No one can accuse you of lacking balls, just a bit of sense mate. But I like your ambition."

The rock-monster stared disdainfully at him. "Your approval or disapproval means less than nothing to me."

"Yeah," Angelus hid his own disdain beneath a nonchalant nod, "figured you’d say that. Are we gonna go or what?"

* * *

"Thank you for coming, as you know-." Holland stopped, eyes narrowing as he looked around the office, finally registering its sole occupant. "Where’s Mr. MacDonald?"

Lillah shrugged, a particularly sly look on the competitive employee’s face. "I’m sure I wouldn’t know," she purred. "I was here bright and early, so I couldn’t have missed him coming in and being called out on an emergency. He just couldn’t be bothered turning up, and us involved in a Level 3 Crisis."

Manners shook his head. Any day other than today Lillah’s politicking would have been amusing in its blatancy, but there were pressing matters at hand. "We need to discuss-." He paled as the never heard before building alarm blared out. Who would dare attack here? He paled further at the only answer he could think of. "Das Tier here?"

* * *

"You!" Giles bounded forward, fist clenched as he recognised the smug W&H lawyer striding out of HIS inner office. "Give me a bloody good reason why I shouldn’t splatter you across the floor!"

Lindsey reared back then smirked. "Because your Slayer’s injured and your best witch is out of action?"

"And of course we can believe anything you say?" Wesley sneered.

"You can believe this apocalypse isn’t happening on our timetable and isn’t of our making," Lindsey’s smirk dissipated. "And that we want Das Tier around even less than you do."

"I’m guessing that monster is going nowhere it doesn’t want," Lorne commented.

"Maybe or maybe not," McDonald replied. "But maybe your girl would have a chance with the sword we have in our vaults."

"Sword?" Giles’ gaze zeroed in on the attorney. "Oh you crafty bastards," his eyes widened in realisation. "You got your greasy paws on Meriones Merus?"

"That’s impossible!" Wesley shook his head in protest. "The texts clearly state-."

"That only the Slayer can see it," Lindsey nodded. "Wolfram & Hart is a huge law firm with substantial resources, including a sizable number of Seers."

Giles shot the lawyer a look of grudging respect, one had to admire the bugger’s resourcefulness if not his lack of morals or honour. "Very well," he grunted. "We’re listening."

He could easily have slugged the lawyer even if he didn’t know him, just for that damnable smirk. "All the texts referred to how the weapon would help the Slayer control the demon with her, honing her skills. We didn’t want her to get it, so we had our seers sense it out, and then had a mage teleport it here. It’s now in our vault."

"No," Giles shook his head, an uneasy feeling itching at his neck, "we’re missing something. The text refers to the weapon being created to deal specifically with a ‘she’, Das Tier didn’t strike me as especially feminine."

"It also empowers the Slayer," Wesley pointed out. "And if there’s anything we need right now, it’s more power."

"Very well," Giles nodded reluctantly. It was a bloody lousy idea to be honest, but there was a wild card chance, and that was more than they’d had previously. "Give me a moment to clean up Faith-."

"Want any help?"

Giles skewered the W&H employee with a glare. "Be very careful McDonald, very careful indeed."

* * *

Conscious of her guardian’s concerned eyes on her, Faith forced back a wince as she pulled a clean and for now unbloodied grey hooded Nike sweatshirt on. "You figure we can trust this shyster?"

Giles pursed his lips disapprovingly. "As Wesley pointed out, our options are limited."

"Right into W&H’s base?" Faith shook her head. "Why do I suddenly feel like that the damn sword’s changed into something cheese-shaped and we’re the damn mice?"

"Yes," Giles scooped up her bloodied clothes and threw them in the washing bin, "I’d had thoughts along those lines myself. However, McDonald did make a very good point, this isn’t a W&H production so to speak, so they’re not happy about it happening."

"He says it’s not one of their schemes," Faith commented. "How do we know that’s the stone cold truth?"

"Oh bloody hell," Giles paused in what he was doing before looking towards her. "You have a point," her guardian admitted as she sat on the edge of the bath and zipped her biker boots up. "However the fact McDonald handed himself over to us would suggest-."

"That he figures he’s getting’ somethin’ out of this worth the risk of being caught with the firm’s enemies," Faith rose, eyes narrowing. "He’s holdin’ out on us."

* * *

"This is great!" Angelus jumped excitedly as he darted in and out from behind Das Tier’s broad back as the massive demon strode through the darkened reception area, the metal shutters down behind them, and bullets zinging uselessly off his companion’s chest. Seeing a winsome secretary running past, he grabbed her by her hair and twisted, laughing as her neck snapped. "Best. Time. Ever!"

* * *

Xander stared to rise as Faith strode out of the office’s bathroom, followed by her guardian only to stop as he noted the bubbling anger in his lover’s eyes. Before he had chance to react Faith had Lindsey McDonald by the throat and bent over the counter, the lawyer trying vainly to pull her hand off. "I thought we were allies."

"Cut with the bullshit," Faith snarled. "We know you’re not tellin’ us everythin’!"

"I don’t know-."

Xander winced when a crack like a pistol shot rang out as his girl-friend slapped the lawyer across the face. "Cut with the crap! I am not known for my patience!"

"I..it’s like this," the bent-over lawyer panted and wheezed as Faith’s fingers dug into his throat, McDonald’s attempts to pull her arm away completely useless, "if I bring you in and we win, I score major points with the senior partners for showing initiative. But," the lawyer hesitated.

"Go on," Faith growled.

"If you lose, die, but weaken Das Tier enough for us to win, I score big too."

Faith shot Giles a disgusted look. "I fucking knew it!"

"Nevertheless," Wesley’s tone was surprisingly calm given the violence before them, "Mr. McDonald’s plan is the only course of action available to us."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Faith shook her head disgustedly as she released her grip, allowing the wheezing lawyer to straighten, his hand rubbing at his aching throat, "get equipped and then we’re moving."

"Ah," Lindsey’s voice sounded hoarse thanks to her enthused strangulation, "weapons, I don’t suppose-."

Faith shot the lawyer a fierce glare. "Don’t even think it."

* * *

"Holy crap," Faith whispered as she followed McDonald out of the secret tunnel and into the lower levels of the Wolfram & Hart building to find blood-splattered walls and corpses littering the floor, the stench of faeces and urine filling the air together with an eerie silence. "What the fuck happened here?"

"I’d guess Das Tier has been here," Xander replied in a mutter as he entered behind her, nervous eyes shooting left and right. "Either that or karma came here and really bit a chunk out of W&H’s ass."

Das Tier. Faith swallowed as a chill ran through her. She really didn’t need to meet that wrecking machine again.

"Well Mr. McDonald," she smiled slightly at G’s unruffled tones, "you’re here as our tour guide, by all means lead the way." It was so like her guardian, so fuckin’ James Bond unfazed by crap.

"Sure," the lawyer looked slightly queasy as he stared around the office. Faith’s nose wrinkled in disdain, it was probably way easier to be involved in the sleazy side of life when you didn’t have to come down from your high-rise office and get personally into the blood, shit, and tears. "With all this going down, security should be considerably easier than normal to -."

"Oh godddddd!" A pained scream tore through the air.

Faith licked her lips as she started towards the scream. "Faith!" she reluctantly turned at Giles’ hushed command. "We can’t, weren’t not here-."

Faith shook her head. "People are-."

"I’d hardly qualify Mr. McDonald and his parasitical fellow-employees as people, Faith," Wesley interrupted. "We have to concentrate on helping innocents. And the best way to do that is by getting that sword."

Faith pursed her lips and nodded. "Five by five." It wasn’t as the people here weren’t reapin’ what they’d sowed. And to be honest, she’d let the whole building go to straight to hell to save just one innocent kid.

* * *

"We’d best use the stairwells, the electricity will be on a fritz," a pale-faced Lindsey commented as he headed towards the rear of the building. "They should be keeping the sword in the basement vault."

"Should?" Giles grabbed the lawyer’s shoulder and spun him around to face him. "What does ‘should’ mean exactly?"

Lindsey’s eyes failed to meet Giles’ glare. "When Manners arranged the theft of the sword, he knew it was unusable by anyone bar the Slayer, but he planned to change that. It could be in one of the labs or magical experiment rooms."

"Well let’s hope we don’t have to search this entire bloody building," Wesley grunted. "Lead the way."

The journey down the shadowy stairwell was completed in near quiet, even Xander’s motor-mouth choked to silence by the tension thick in the air. Eventually though they broke out into a well-lit, but still hushed passage, the lawyer leading them down the pastel-decorated corridor that ended in a gleaming, brass vault with a key-pad, fingerprint reader, and an optical scanner on the wall to the left.

"Just give me a second," Lindsey muttered before crouching by the security measures. A few moments later and the vault door swung open, a gust of stale air rushing out, and a light flickering on, illuminating the tile-floored safe. The shelves to the left and right were filled with books and scrolls, while the far wall was filled with various artefacts, but Faith only had eyes for one piece.

"Holy shit," Faith murmured as she stared at the sabre. To the naked eye it seemed nothing special, just a well-made weapon, but the way her heart pounded, her soul sang for it.

"Dear," Faith started at Giles’ murmur in her ear, "I admit its an admirable piece but you have been staring at it for the past five minutes."

"What?" Faith flushed in embarrassment as she glanced at her guardian, noting the scrolls and books he and Wesley had ‘liberated’ in the time she’d been stood gawping at the vault. "Shit!" she snatched up the sword. "Sorry!"

Faith hurried out of the vault, the sword in her hand, coming to a dead stop at the chaos that had enveloped the corridor. She looked towards Xander as he threw what appeared to be a corpse from him with a curse that was followed by a shotgun blast to the thing’s head, its brains and skull decorating the wall behind it. "What the fuck is goin’ on!"

Xander glanced at her, her boy-friend’s eyes wild. "Das Tier’s touch doesn’t just kill, it seems to," Faith’s casual back-handed slash took out one of the walking dead, "be able people into zombies!"

"And just when I thought this couldn’t get any ickier," Faith shuddered before calming herself and starting off, the others just behind her. "Kay, this is what we’re gonna do, we don’t know if Da Tier’s still here, but we’ve got ‘nough problems just gettin’ out of this place-."

"Oh I am here child." Das Tier stepped around the corner, her sword suddenly seeming very insignificant next to the massive demon. "Ready to end your pain and call upon the one that is to come."

Faith didn’t pause to ponder the demon’s cryptic words. Instead she bounded forward, feinted with a downward cleaving strike that she turned to an over-handed slash that sparked off Das Tier’s rock-like visage. Faith gasped as the impact reverberated down her arm, that impact unimportant next to the desolation crashing over her. It hadn’t worked, Das Tier was still here.

And then its right cross smashed into her forehead, her dazed condition leaving her wide open. Her legs buckled slightly, the blow hitting her like a juggernaut, she barely managed to duck under a follow-up left hook then dart forward and leap into a thrust kick. "Aaaah!" Faith grunted as the creature’s forearm thundered into her midsection, knocking her into the wall with enough force to crack it.

Faith ignored the pain raging through her body and the desperation coursing in her veins to leap back into the attack, swaying away from a spade-sized left to smash a trio of blindingly-fast and skin-scraping jabs in the beast’s chest, accompanied by another futile back-handed slash to Das Tier’s belly. Sweat soaked her as she darted out of the way of another right before lunging back in with a knee to Das Tier’s belly before dashing around the back of her rival and hitting it with two slashes to its v-shaped back, blue sparks once again flying. Das Tier threw another straight right that she darted under and in, shooting up her blade to stab at his armpit, then grunting slightly as she was forced to parry aside an across the body left hook aimed at her head. Maybe, just maybe if she hit it enough times or in the right place she could kill-.

A slap to the face ended all desperate thoughts, as blood burst out of her left eye and cheek. Her head swimming, Faith still managed to duck under a right cross but caught a dazing slap to the other side of her face that sent her staggering back, then leaping into the air, left foot leading in a chest-high thrust-kick and sword slashing defiantly at Das Tier’s face.

"Aaaaa!" Faith screamed as the demon grabbed her ankle and twisted, knee violently popping out, pain shooting up her leg as Das Tier casually released his grip, throwing her into the wall.

"No, no," Faith shook her head as she struggled back to her feet, biting her bottom lip as pain shot through her injured leg, sword still in her sweat-slicked grip. "Oooof," she gasped as Das Tier’s fist thudded into her belly, doubling her up as tears sprang into her eyes and air roared into her ears. She thrust her sword up blindly, felt the impact of it hitting something then hit her knees as the demon crashed a fist into her back between her shoulder blades. "Jesus!"

"Is this all you are?" Das Tier boomed out as she looked up at the looming monster. "How can you hope to serve she who is to come?"

"Oh god, do you know nothing about women?" Faith’s blood froze at Angelus’ distinctive drawl. "A lassie doesn’t want one who’s just talk, talk."

Das Tier shot a contemptuous look over his shoulder. "This is not your battle to do not think to interfere!" Faith tried and failed to rise, her exhausted body feeling like one big bruise.

"My mistake."

Das Tier had barely begun to turn back towards her when his body contorted, arms flying out as he seemed to stand on tiptoe. "Aaaaaaah!" the demon’s roar seemed to shake the building as his mouth opened, a light so bright that Faith had to turn her face away from it erupting out of it, and then the demon exploding into an even brighter light, his entire body disintegrating in an anguished scream.

"You big dumb rock," Angelus stepped out from behind a pillar, a wicked grin on his face and what looked like a stone knife in his hand. "Eternal night’s ended, but then you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and what a delicious omelette you are."

Faith’s fearful panting filled her ears as she tried to crawl on her ass away from the smirking vampire. Angelus was a tough opponent at the best of times, but now she felt like she’d been beaten half to death.

"Oh Faithie, all that red’s a good look on you and the moaning," the demon took an unneeded, sensual breath. "Oh you’ll be moaning later baby." Faith kicked a bin in the demon’s way only for the vampire to laughingly side-step it. "You’ll have to do better-, aaaaah!" Angelus let out a sudden scream as a shotgun’s roar filled the hallway, his legs exploding into shreds and collapsing under him.

"I told you," Faith grinned weakly as Xander stepped out of a room, her boy-friend’s face battered but his hold on the shotgun in his hands steady, "I’d be there when you died. Today’s that day."

Angelus looked up at Xander, the vampire’s face contorted in pain. "You’ll not kill me, Harris."

"No," Gunn stepped out of a room opposite, driving a foot into the vampire’s side as he struggled up onto his hands and knees, "that’ll be my job." The last thing she saw before passing out was Gunn ramming a stake through the back of the bloodsucker. "This is for Groo, mother-fucker," the vampire-hunter pronounced as the Irish undead burst into dust.

LA.

"It appears our Sunnydale office is gone," Archduke Sebassis reported, "but still that troublesome Slayer and most of her cohorts continue to plague us."

"Then," Cyvus Vail hissed, "it is agreed, should she survive the next few challenges, we move onto plan B?"

Izzerial nodded. "If the Slayer can’t be eliminated, then maybe she can be corrupted. When we rebuild Wolfram & Hart in Sunnydale, we offer her team management of it."

"I do not approve of this," Archduke Sebassis shook his head. "This games-playing is uneeded, she should be slain out of hand, her carcass hung by our entrance, and severed head used as a paperweight."

"Power corrupts," Senator Helen Brucker smiled. "I should know. And this street tramp’s head will be turned by all we can offer."

Sebassis sighed. "It seems I am in the minority. We will continue with this plan."

* * *

"Are you ready Faith?"

Faith nodded, her heart beating wildly as she stared at Giles, hands gripping the car seat, Xander and Wes holding her shoulders, bracing her. Giles smiled reassuringly at her before pulling hard on her ankle. Faith threw her head back and screamed as her knee popped back into position. "Ah Jesus! Fuck! Fuck!"

"You know I thought women were meant to have higher pain tolerances, what with childbirth and all that."

Faith shot her boyfriend an unamused glare. "Shut your hole or I’ll test your pain tolerance."

Xander gulped. "Duly noted."

Giles chuckled in amusement, his eyes then narrowing as he looked out of his rear window. "The others are here. Come on."

The four of them climbed out and strode over to approach the others, Faith’s arm hooked over Xander’s shoulder so he supported her. "You," Giles growled at Lindsey as the lawyer climbed out of the car, "thank you for your help. Now piss off and don’t darken our doors again."

Giles looked back towards them. "Shall we go in?"

"Rupert," Giles looked towards Wesley, "a thought. Caleb, Skip, and Das Tier all seemed more like the ‘muscle’ type rather than the ‘mastermind’ type."

"Um, a worrying thought," Giles pursed his lips, "we’ll have to -."

"I bet you ten dollars he says research," Xander whispered in her ear as she hobbled towards the door.

"Research the matter further."

"Told you," Faith giggled at Xander’s smug tone.

Giles shot them a glare as he reached the office door and began opening it. "Yes, very amusing," the Englishman huffed. "But as Disraeli said ‘to be conscious you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge’."

"Heh," Faith chuckled, "Xander’s nearly at his professorship then."

"Hey!"

"I keep on holding out hope for him, but it gets vainer and vainer as the years go by." Giles shot her a warm smile that made her melt inside as he opened the door. Then Giles’ face greyed. "Good lord!"

"What is it?" Faith’s heart skipped a beat as she speeded up her limp to join Giles at the front door to see the black woman sat in the lobby. "She ain’t human," Faith wrinkled her nose as she hefted her sword and started in.

"Now dear," Faith stopped, dazzled by the woman’s sudden smile in her direction. "Don’t you want to put that nasty sword away where it can’t hurt anyone." Mesmerised by the woman’s smile, Faith nodded, but just stood there, basking in the woman’s smile. "Good girl, now put it away." Faith trotted off, slavishly eager to obey her better.

"Beggin’ your pardon?" Behind her, Giles had led the others in kneeling before the black woman. "But who are you?"

The woman smiled sadly. "In the beginning, before the time of man, great beings walked the earth. Untold power emanated from all quarters—the seeds of what would come to be known as good and evil. But the shadows stretched and became darkness, and the malevolent among us grew stronger. The earth became a demon realm. Those of us who had the will to resist left this place, but we remained ever-watchful."

"You’re a power that was?" Xander gasped.

"Yes," the woman’s smile made Faith want to weep, "but then something new emerged from deep inside the earth—neither demon, nor God."

"Man," Wesley commented.

"And it seemed, for a time, that through this new race, a balance might be restored," the woman continued with a nod.

"Guess we really let you down," Faith sniffled.

"No, we were the ones who failed," the stranger stood. "Rather than aiding you as we should have, we became little more than observers. Eons passed and I could no longer bear to just watch all the suffering. I had to find a way back. But, first I needed for you to prove yourselves worthy. So I arranged a champion," Faith beamed proudly as the Power That Be’s eyes fell on her, "a champion honed by the horrors of life, a champion who could defeat the trial of the three horrors I would put before her. The Unholy Priest, the Fallen Knight, and the Impossible Demon. And so I arranged one. I gave my champion an unshakable loyalty, a never-say-die spirit, and a fierce determination." The Power That Be smiled at Faith who smiled back, everything she’d been through was worthwhile now. "I created you, and you won through. With every victory, a little more of my essence was freed, until there was enough of me in this dimension to drag the rest through."

Wesley nodded dreamily. "All the events we've witnesses these past months, all the madness, it was birth pains."

The woman smiled down at them. "But the storm has passed."

"And like Sir. Paul said ‘Here comes the sun.’," Lorne added.

"Now what do we do?" Cordelia demanded. "Surely we must serve you!"

Faith found herself nodding in agreement with her best friend. "We must eradicate evil one evil at a time," the goddess replied. "Much damage has been done in my name and that angers me. There are demons, forces of hate, all over this city."

Faith smiled. "We're going to destroy them."

"More than that Faith," Faith bathed in their saviour’s smile, "we're going to change the world."

* * *

The severed head bounced down the bowling alley. The vampire shook his head. "Go to the hellmouth you said," he glared at his pack leader, "sun’s out. Be the feast of the century you said. But the sun is back, and we’re stuck in this one-horse burg."

The other vampire shook his head. "I'm telling you, something big is coming, I can feel it, and when it gets here, we're gonna be in prime position for—

"An ass whoppin'?" Faith smiled as the vampires turned towards her, her friends fanning out to protect her. "Xan, stay with-." Her brow furrowed as she realised she didn’t know her Mistress’ name.

"Dea," the dark-skinned woman supplied.

"Dea," Faith smiled. It fit so perfectly. "The rest of you, kick ass and take names."

* * *

Dea strode over the bar, Xander lagging faithfully behind. Normally he’d protest like hell about being left out of a fight, but today he didn’t mind, not if it meant he could be with her. "Sit with me."

Xander stepped forward to instinctively obey only to stop as he looked around at the ensuing violence. "Do you think we should?"

Dea smiled. "These paltry creatures cannot hurt me."

"Okay," Xander nodded dutifully before sinking into the chair beside the fallen Power.

"You take good care of my champion, Xander," Dea praised. Xander mumbled something under his breath. "No, it’s true, you and Giles are the strength that stiffen her resolve." Xander reddened and looked down. Dea smiled. "Oh Xander, sweet Xander, a caring heart is nothing to be embarrassed abo-, owwwww!" Dea threw her head back and screamed as a vampire leapt at her and sliced her forearm with his fingernails, the blood splattering Xander’s face.

"You bastard!" Suddenly Faith was there, her hand grabbing the snarling demon by its collar and throwing it away. "You hurt her you scum!"

"I’m sorry!" I’m sorry!" Xander dropped to his knees. "Please I didn’t-." His words died in his throat as he looked up to Dea’s face only to see her unsurpassed features had been replaced, worms crawling out of her empty eye sockets and her perfect teeth replaced by rotting stumps.

The thing tilted her head to one side. "What is it Xander?"

Xander shuddered as he realised the goddess’ almost musical tone had been replaced by a snake’s sibilant hiss. He looked around to see his friends had dealt with the vampires. "Look at her!"

"Yes," Faith stared dreamily at Dea, "isn’t she glorious?"

"Glori-," Xander felt the blood on his cheek and nodded numbly, "beyond compare." He rose on slightly shaky legs and forced himself to take Dea’s arm. "Here," he grabbed some tissues and wiped the blood off the cut onto them. If he was right, he’d need the blood later. His stomach churned as they marched out of the bowling alley and into an outside café.

"Wha-, what, aw!" A woman patron fell to her knees, followed by the rest of the patrons.

Dea’s ruined mouth twisted in a smile. "Everyone, please, stand up. If you wish to honour me, honour each other. We are all one."

The patrons rose, a middle-aged man’s hypnotised expression flickering with concern. "You're hurt."

"I'll be all right. Everything will be all right," Dea smiled. "That’s why I’m here, to make sure everything’s alright."

"All my life, so empty. That's over now, isn't it?" a middle-aged woman asked.

Dea nodded. "Yes, Margaret, it's over. I know you. I know you all. I've come here for you to bring you the gift of peace. You will be freed from the pains you've suffered. The world will change forever, and you will know the power of my love. The chaos will fade, and harmony will reign. All of you, so loving, so strong. That strength will be rewarded now, we have found each other."

* * *

Xander walked into the lobby, moving as if in a dream, or more correctly a nightmare. A week had passed since Dea had arrived, and in that week they’d fought their way up and down the entire town, slaughtering demons, but in that week he’d not yet figured how to deal with Dea. He knew blood was the key, but how…

"After several weeks of sky-rocketing homicide rates, finally this week a dramatic decrease in southland murders. The Sheriff's Department spokesman attributes the drop to their new "Tough on Crime" policy instituted last month—."

"Ha," Faith turned off the TV. "A little "Credit for the Divinity Behind the Scenes" policy wouldn't suck."

Dea giggled. "It's not important who gets the credit. What matters is that we're winning."

"If we keep going at this rate—," Wesley commented.

"Sunnyd's gonna be one big, fat no-demon zone. Hello, Garden City," Gunn smirked.

Xander’s skin crawled at the way Faith was worshipfully staring at Dea. "You never doubted us. Not for a second."

Dea let out a laugh that sent icy fingers trailing up and down Xander’s spine. "There’s no room for doubt, Faith. Only love."

"All we need is love," Lorne commented. "Sir John said that. Wise man."

Xander stared in barely-concealed dismay as his friends obliviously joked with the monster in their midst. How could he get them to see?

His concern grew as he noticed the people in the detective agency’s courtyard. "What are they doing here?" he realised his voice cracked.

Lorne beamed at him. "It’s like a Hard Day’s Night! Dea went for a walk, everyone followed her back here. Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Oh god, Xander deflated inwardly, it was spreading, getting worse, like a contagion infecting a body. "I need you," Xander grabbed Faith’s forearm as she walked past.

Faith’s beam was Moonie-like in its intensity and creepy as hell. "Of course, Xander," she purred.

Xander swallowed. "If I told you something. Something that maybe you didn't want to know even, you'd trust me, right?

"Of course." Faith nodded. "Dea teaches us that love is about acceptance."

"Yeah," his girl-friend’s near-constant mention of Dea left Xander less than confident as he pulled her back around the counter. He talked about what he’d seen, what he’d been seeing ever since the fight at the bowling alley.

"Rotting flesh? Really?" Faith stared at him, incredulity filling her dark eyes.

Xander wilted inside. If Faith didn’t believe him, what chance did he have with the others. "You don't believe me."

Faith shook her head. "If you say you saw it, I believe you."

"Thanks," Xander smiled as a great weight seemed to lift off his shoulders.

"You did the right thing." Faith glanced to her right as a cheer erupted from the crowd in the lobby as Dea strode out onto the balcony, flanked by Cordelia and Gunn.

"So what we gonna do?"

"Wait here." Xander grinned as Faith stalked over to Giles, of course, the old British guy would Dumbledore the answers. His skin prickled slightly as Giles looked towards him, a deeply creepy look in his eyes.

"Okay," he murmured as Faith strode to Dea, Gunn, and Cordelia. "Now why I don’t like the feel of this." Xander backed over to the weapons cabinet as the four talked amongst themselves. His heart dropped when their eyes turned to him. "Oh hell." His crossbow came up, finger tugging on the trigger.

* * *

Faith’s eyes widened as Xander pulled up the crossbow. "No," she whispered. She’d known he was far-gone but this. Faith leapt forward, snatching the bolt out of the air before it hit the goddess.

By the time she’d leapt back up Xander had his arm around Lorne’s chest and a dagger to his throat. "Don’t come near me!" Xander warned as he backed to the door.

Faith scowled at her highly embarrassing boy-friend. "Put down the knife, Xander."

The crowd scattered before Xander. "I’ll kill him!"

Gunn shook his head. "You don't know what you're doing."

"Easy, honey-buns, huh?" Lorne gasped.

"Just shut up!" Xander roared.

"There's nowhere you can go, Xander," Dea said from behind her. Faith smiled slightly, even now she’d forgive him. "My love will follow you everywhere."

"I’ll pass," Xander shoved Lorne into them and darted out of the front room.

"Hey!" Faith darted past the stumbling demon.

"Stop!" Faith came to a halt at Dea’s shout. The woman continued, her voice softer. "Let him go. Now is not the time. We are all gathered here in peace. Let's not allow Xander’s hate to take that away from us."

Faith stopped and nodded. As usual, Dea was right.

* * *

Faith closed the inner office door, leaving Lorne and Cordy outside to deal with the growing crowd of gawkers. "I can't believe Xander’s evil." Giles looked towards her. "You’re not dating him anymore! I forbid it!"

"As if I would!" Faith protested.

Dea sighed. "What they saw tonight it's not what I would have wanted, but now they all understand the reality of what hatred can do to a person."

Wesley leaned against the cabinet. "The reality is all we’ve been through must have snapped Xander’s mind."

"Huh," Giles tutted as he glared at her, like it was HER fault, "no great achievement there."

"We need to find that dog and put it down like it was rabid," Gunn growled.

Dea smiled and shook her head. "I know you're all in pain. You trusted Xander, and he betrayed you."

Wesley shook his head. "Forget us. He tried to kill you."

Dea’s smile withered. "And the sadness that brings me is immeasurable."

"Why didn't I see it?" Giles paced the floor.

Dea shook her head. "Rupert, none of us did. You can't blame yourself."

Rupert’s shoulders slumped. "He was acting strange earlier, and I just thought it was Xander being his usual eccentric self."

Dea sighed. "I doubt even Xander understands why he's so determined to destroy everything we're trying to create, which makes him even more dangerous."

Faith set her jaw. "We have to kill him. There's no other way."

Wesley scowled. "As long as he's out there, he's a threat."

Dea shook her head. "It may come to that. But first, we have to try to help him. Get to the root of the hatred that's infected his heart. Only through knowledge can we prevent this from happening again."

Giles stared at Dea. "The only way to do that is to bring him home." Her Watcher looked towards her. "Faith, take Wesley and Gu-."

"No," Dea interrupted. "We’ll find him, but not tonight. It will be easier tomorrow as my power grows." Dea paused. "Now let’s mingle with our guests."

* * *

Xander grunted a thanks as the diner’s owner shoved a plate of two eggs, beans, bacon, and sausages in front of him, the coffee cup half-way up to his mouth as the TV up above the counter came back from an ad break.

"Welcome back," the doubtless bo-toxed to the max host tried her best to smile. "Chef Arnold Michske will join us later, but right now, we have the most amazing surprise. Please join me in welcoming a very special visitor: Dea!"

Xander froze, what little appetite he’d forced himself to have disappearing as he stared helplessly at the screen. What had she done now?

"Thank you for inviting me. This is a special day." Dea beamed into the camera.

"Yes please!" the TV host was practically washing Dea’s feet with her tongue. "We want to know everything about you. Start at the beginning."

Xander looked around the previously noisy diner, his jaw dropping as he noted that everyone bar him was knelt. "Trish, in the beginning, before the time of man, great beings walked the Earth. Untold power emanated from all quarters—the seeds of what would come to be known as good and evil. Yet there was a balance. But the shadow stretched..."

While Jasmine continued to speak, Xander hurried out of the diner, his food forgotten. The sidewalk was empty, the streets empty too. No one in the town was outside. Xander swallowed. "Guess who just got dropped in the middle of Stepford-ville."

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