Faith: The Series S1 Ep6 (6/???)
The beautiful brunette looked around as the five bikers surrounded her. “Woah! We got ourselves a real hottie here!” crowed one of the thugs.
“No you haven’t!” Suddenly Xander rappelled down the wall of the building, grabbed the lithe beauty around her tiny waist and, after kicking away the nearest biker, flew back up the wall to the top of the building. The girl looked at him, wonder in her soft eyes. “Are you alright miss?”
“I’m five by five,” she grinned at him. “Thanks to you hero.” He opened his mouth to say it was nothing when the girl suddenly plunged her tongue into his mouth and pressed her lips to his……
“XANDER! Get out of bed!”
Xander jumped at his mother’s screech. He looked stupidly around, his senses slowly returning. It had all been a dream. “Of course it was,” he muttered bitterly. Faith had made it clear he was nothing more than a friend to her.
* * *
“Miss Giles?” Faith stopped dead at the biology teacher’s call. “Could I have a word please?”
“Sure Doc.” Faith nodded reluctantly. “Tell G I’ll be at the library in a few,” she whispered to C before turning back to the tutor. “Yo Doc, what’s the sitch?”
The teacher stared at her, the intensity in his eyes almost enough to make her squirm. Finally the bespectacled scientist spoke. “I’ve read your profile, it’s common consensus you’re quite the trouble-maker.”
“Oh yeah?” Faith hid her anger at being written off again behind a nonchalant look.
“Yes,” the doctor grinned. “Of course I’ve always been one to buck the system. You have a first-rate mind and you can think on your feet. Imagine what you could accomplish if you actually did...”
“Homework?”
“Homework,” the doctor confirmed. “Now I think you have it in you to make the new principal eat that permanent record. What do you think?”
“Yes sir,” Faith grinned at the thought of force-feeding the record to their new dictator.
“Good, now chapters 6 – 8 tonight?”
“Yes sir, thank you sir,” Faith hurried out of the class.
* * *
Dr. Gregory chuckled as the young woman rushed out of the classroom. He loved teaching, but what he especially treasured were the potentially troublesome students like Miss. Giles, pupils who might not have had the best start in life but had a spark within them that meant all they needed was someone to believe in them to help turn themselves around. That was even better than watching a genius child reach their potential.
Turning back to his projector he began to pack up. Hearing the sound of the door opening behind him he turned to speak to the newcomer. And screamed as a monster loomed up over him, its claws ripping through his neck.
* * *
The Master smiled as one of his childes strode into his cavern. “Colin,” he turned to the boy by his side. “Say hello to Stavros.”
“Hello Stavros.”
The one-handed vampire nodded respectfully to the youngster before dropping to one knee. “You summonsed me Master.”
The Master beamed at his three hundred year old child. “Stavros, we have a Slayer in town.” The demon looked up. “I’ve killed six in my time, but this one is different. Darla,” he glanced at the fuming blonde. She hadn’t liked him sending for Stavros. “Darla was defeated in battle by her, and Luke slain. But you,” he glanced meaningfully at the fork, taken in penance for the last time the younger vampire had failed him, “won’t fail me again will you?”
”No sire,” Stavros shook his head.
* * *
Faith whistled cheerfully as she made her way towards class. For the first time ever she was looking to class. She’d done her homework and was anticipating showing Doc how much she’d learnt. She stopped as she entered the classroom, noting the teacher’s broken glasses on the ground. Crouching, she carefully picked the glasses up and placed them on the teacher’s desk. Weird, she was pretty sure the scientist was a blind as a bat without them. “Guess what I heard!” she turned to see a beaming Xander stood behind her. “No Dr. Gregory today. Ergo, those of us who blew off our science homework aren't as dumb as we look.”
“Why’s he not coming in?” she was beaten to the question by a concerned-looking Willow.
”Who cares?” Xander shrugged, his grin widening. “No homework!”
“But-,” her voice trailed off when she realised that for once Xander wasn’t listening to her. Rather, he, and every other male in the class including Jesse, were staring at the exotic beauty standing at the front of the desk. Slightly miffed at being usurped as centre of Xander’s world, Faith sat back in her chair.
“Hello class, I’m Natalie French, and I will be substituting for Dr. Gregory.”
“Yo, where’s the Doc at?” Faith demanded, ignoring Xander’s muttered comment of ‘who cares’.
The replacement teacher glanced down at her class list before looking up at her. “I don’t know, Faith is it?” she nodded. “I just go where they want me.”
“I know where I want you,” Jesse muttered only to get a slap to the back of the head from Cordelia.
Miss French appeared not to have heard Jesse’s comment.
“Now, instead of doing what Dr. Gregory had planned,” Faith’s heart sank, the
one time she does her homework and what happens? It’s cancelled. Fucking
marvellous. “Today,” the new science teacher reached into her bad and pulled
out a plastic box, “we’re going to study the praying mantis. This insect lives
alone. Does anyone know why?”
“Cause it’s so butt-ugly not even a Boston biker would touch it?”
“Hardly,” Faith was surprised by the rage in the teacher’s eyes. She took the subject waaay too seriously. “There is nothing ugly about these unique creatures. The reason
they live alone is because they're cannibals!” The tutor continued to talk but Faith closed her ears off, already bored.
* * *
“I wonder what she sees in me? It's probably the quiet good looks coupled with a certain smoky magnetism.” Xander smiled indulgently at her and Willow. “You two are probably a little young to understand what an older woman would see in a younger man.”
Faith rolled her eyes, for the last half-hour Xander had been going on about French wanting him to do an out-of-school assignment with her, making it out to be the love affair of the century. Deciding it was long past time to puncture her companion’s ego, she spoke. “No I get it. Younger guy, too desperate and blind to notice the older woman’s surgical improvements.”
“S..surgical improvements?”
”Ah,” Faith winked at Willow. “So young and innocent.”
“I don’t find it funny,” Faith groaned at Cordy’s snap. Oh shit, she’d forgotten about Jesse also going with Xander tonight. “If that man-eater thinks she can tempt my Jesse away from me, well I’ll scratch her eyes out!”
“Excuse me!” their conversation was interrupted by Harmony Kendall barging through their group with her usual disregard for others and making her way towards the back of the canteen. “I have to check this place for hygiene, otherwise daddy dearest will never let me eat here!”
“Watching Harmony in full flow, always a joy,” Faith muttered.
The blonde opened a refrigerator and screamed. “ARGGH!” In an instance, Faith had vaulted over the counter, the others hurrying after her. “His head?” Where’s his head?”
Faith stared in disbelief at the decapitated body in the fridge, her eyes drawn to the name tag. “Dr. Gregory.”
* * *
“Who would want to hurt Dr. Gregory?” Willow demanded, her voice shaking.
“Someone who didn’t like his clothes?” Cordelia guessed.
Faith looked at her Watcher for guidance, Giles looked wicked pissed, it was times like this the veneer of civility slipped giving her hint to the true bad ass G could be. “He didn't have any enemies on the staff that I'm aware of. He was a civilized man. I liked him.”
“So did I. He said I had potential,” she glared at the Englishman, daring him to question her. “We're gonna find out who did this. We'll find them and we'll stop them.”
“Doubtless.” Her Watcher squeezed her shoulder. “What do we know?”
“Not a lot, um...” Collecting herself she continued. “He was killed here on campus. I'm guessing yesterday.”
“How do you work that out?” Giles queried.
“He didn't change his clothing,” Faith replied.
Xander raised a hand. “This is a question that no one particularly wants to hear, but... where did they put his head?”
“Ugh gross,” Cordelia wrinkled her nose. “Trust you to bring that up.”
“W..was it a vampire?” queried Willow.
Giles shrugged. “Some vampires take trophies,” Faith shuddered. “But Dr. Gregory's blood wasn't drained, which leads me to believe it was something else entirely.”
“Oh, this is fun, we're on Monster Island,” Xander commented.
“Well, unpleasant things do gravitate here, it's true, but, we don't know anything concrete,” her Watcher turned to her, his gaze stern. “I know you're upset, but, uh, this is no time to go hunting, not until we know more. Please promise me you won't do anything rash?”
“Cross my heart,” Faith replied.
“Anyway,” Jesse glanced at Xander and grinned. “We’ve got to go, extra lessons.”
Giles glanced at her as the two youths hurried out. “Xander and Jesse eager about extra lessons? Is this a portent of the apocalypse?”
”They’re with Miss. French,” she explained.
”Ah,” she groaned when her Watcher smirked, him too? “That explains it.”
* * *
“Hi! Come in!” Xander stared at his teacher’s cleavage as he and Jesse walked into Ms. French’s house. They’d both been unable to believe it when she’d said she wanted to study somewhere ‘quieter’ – her place. “Should I change? Is this too much?”
“No, no, it's, the most beautiful chest... dress I've ever seen,” Xander replied dazedly.
The teacher smiled and went into the living room. “Smooth, Xander, real smooth,” Jesse whispered in a snigger.
“Shut up,” he muttered as they followed the woman through.
“There you go boys,” Natalie smiled as she passed them both a drink with a sexy laugh. “I just need to relax a little, I'm nervous around you two big strong boys. You're probably cool as a cucumbers!”
“That’s me,” Jesse chirped up. “He’s as limp as lettuce, I’m as cool as a cucumber.”
“Oh, handsome and funny!” Natalie beamed as they sat down. “Now drink up.” Once they’d obeyed, the science teacher dropped onto the couch between them, her hands resting on their knees. “Can I ask you boys a personal question?”
Xander and Jesse exchanged glances. “ Sure.”
“Have either of you boys ever been with a woman before?”
“Ah,” Xander crimsoned. “What do you mean?”
“Only,” he was shocked when the beauty’s hand began to
travel up his thigh. “I’m an experienced woman and I like to teach young men
about the pleasures of the flesh.”
“We’re virgins!” they both shouted in unison. Man, this woman got him so hot he was turning feverish.
“I know.” Natalie smiled at them both in turn. “I can tell.”
“You can?” Jesse put in.
“Oh, I like it. You might say, I... *need* it.”
“R..really,” Xander hiccupped. The drink was making him woozy. He leant back on the couch, his vision blurring as he slumped into unconsciousness..
* * *
“Hey little lady, it’s dangerous out here!”
Faith stared with distaste at the bum, the stench of alcohol rolling off his well-proportioned frame. Dangerous? The biggest danger was from this jackass’ breath. “Yeah thanks for the tip, I’ll be going home now.”
“Good,” the down-and-out burped, “girl.”
Once the drunk had stumbled away, she continued on her way, casting cautious glances left and right as she swaggered through the moonlit park. She had to admit she loved the peace, how quiet things were in the breezy California night, a million miles away from the drizzly hell she’d left behind in Boston.
Suddenly a vampire leapt out of the bushes and swung a fist at her head. Faith ducked under the blow. “Shit!” her eyes widened when she realised it wasn’t a hand but a three-pronged claw. “Now they come with attachments?”
Gathering herself she drove her head into the vampire’s belly knocking him back a step. Eager to take advantage of her rival’s distress, Faith stepped behind her rival and drove an elbow between his shoulder blades. She spun to face the vampire only to get a backhand to the mouth from his remaining hand. Shaking her pain away, she dropkicked the demon in the chest knocking him head over heel across the road. In an instant the one-handed monster was on his feet and running away. “Hey come back,” Faith shouted. “I wanna play!” She hated it when they ran.
She followed the vampire through several streets until the beast leapt over a fence. Faith’s eyes widened as she saw the vampire charge towards a figure. “Miss French,” she whispered.
Somehow the teacher sensed the vampire. Faith’s mouth dropped open as the teacher’s head rotated 180 degrees round to face her would-be attacker. The demon hissed and ran away. Natalie watched the demon fled to a near-by manhole, pulled the cover off, and jumped down, while Faith slumped to her knees, hiding behind the fence. Just what was Ms. French?
* * *
“Listen G,” Faith pressed, pushing G like she had been doing all day. “There is something seriously icky about Frenchie. How many things is an undead monster with a fetish for shaving with his hand afraid of?”
“Not many. And not substitute teachers, as a rule.”
“And then there’s her whole Exorcist deal-.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Her head rotates all the way round.”
Her Watcher stared at her. “You didn’t mention that before,” the Englishman accused.
“So I forgot,” she shrugged. “Sue me.”
“Faith,” her guardian gave her his firmest look, “a Watcher must be appraised of every detail of his Slayer’s patrols.”
”Focus, G.”
“Yes,” after a final hard stare at her, her Watcher pinched his nose for a second. “The Praying-Mantis can rotate its head 180 degrees, but that is ridiculous, Miss French is rather too woman sized and shaped to be a bug.”
“G, don’t start drooling again,” Faith sighed. “You’ve just said yourself that only a praying mantis can rotate its head like that. And a vampire freaked at her.”
Giles thought for a second before nodding. “If you're right, then she'd have to be a shape shifter or a perception distorter. On a helpful note, I had a chum at Oxford,
Carlyle, advanced degrees in entomology mythology.”
“Say what?”
Giles sighed. “Bugs and fairy tales.”
“Ah,” Faith nodded sagely. “I knew that.”
“If I recall correctly, poor old Carlyle, just before he went mad, claimed there was some beast...”
“Before he went mad?” Faith raised an eyebrow. “High-quality witness G?”
The school librarian bristled. “Carlyle-.”
“Guys!” Both Faith and her Watcher turned to see a pale-faced Cordelia and Willow rushing into the library. “Jesse and Xander are both missing!”
* * *
“Oh my head,” Xander groaned as he pulled himself upright. He looked around his darkened, cramped cell, his head thumping. His heart stopped as he saw a giant mantis sat on a nest. “Miss French?” he gasped
“Please,” he could have sworn the giant insect smiled. “Call me Natalie.”
“Sure,” he muttered as he stumbled backwards, falling over Jesse’s slumbering body. “Whatever you want.”
* * *
It took them a good half-hour to calm the two girls down. Once they were, Faith turned to Willow. “Red, can you hack into the coroner’s office?”
“What for?”
Faith winced. This wasn’t going to pretty. “Autopsy for Dr. Gregory. I've been trying to figures out these marks that I saw on his corpse... I'm thinking they were teeth.”
“Y..you mean Xander and Jesse.”
”Just type Red, we won’t be able to do nothing ‘til we know more,” Faith glanced
at her Watcher. “And you were saying something about a beast?”
“Yes,” after a last worried glance at Cordelia, Giles hurried into his office. “I just need to make one transatlantic telephone call.”
“Got it!” Willow exclaimed. “Coroner's report, complete with... Yuk! ...colour pictures.”
“They *are* teeth marks.” Faith winced. “Which match perfectly the one insect that nips off its prey's head.”
“Okay, I-I,” Willow stuttered, “I don't like this.”
“Huh!” Faith pointed out, she liked this, she had smarts. “It's the way they feed, head first. It's also the way they mate. The female bites off the male's head while they're...”
“No, no, no!” Willow shook her head. “Not Xander and Jesse.”
“Hey Red,” Faith winced. Fuck, when was she going to learn to keep her mouth shut? “I ain’t gonna let nothing happen to them.”
* * *
“I understand, Carlyle. Yes I'll take every precaution.” Giles swallowed, this was very bad. “Uh, absolutely, it sounds exactly like the creature you described.
You were right all along about everything. Well, no, you weren't right about your mother coming back as a Pekinese, but... uh... Try to rest, old man. Bye now!”
Hanging up the phone he hurried out of the office. After a quick glance at a pale faced Cordelia he hurried over to Faith who was busy calming a newly-hysterical Willow. “Dr. Ferris Carlyle spent years transcribing a lost pre-Germanic language. What he discovered he kept to himself until several teenage boys were murdered in the Cotswolds. Then he went hunting for it.”
“What was it Giles?”
He decided to put the impatience in the cheerleader’s snap down to stress. “He called her a She-Mantis. This type of creature, the Kleptes-Virgo, or, or virgin-thief, appears in, in many cultures. The Greek sirens, the Celtic sea maidens, who, who tore the living flesh from the bones of, um...”
“Giles,” Cordelia snapped. “Before I die of old age.”
Giles swallowed, this was tad delicate for female ears. “Well, basically the, uh, the She-Mantis assumes the form of a beautiful woman and then lures innocent virgins back to her nest.”
“Virgins?” Faith snorted. “They can’t-. ”
“They’re so screwed!” Cordelia stood when they all turned to her. “Do you think I’d let Jesse touch me?”
“Okay, okay,” Faith interrupted, “so this thing is breeding and we need to find and snuff it. Any tips on the snuffing part?”
Giles nodded. “Uh, Carlyle recommends cleaving all body parts with a sharp
blade.”
“Ah, the classics,” Faith nodded. “Slice and Dice.”
“But you had better be quick,” he added. “This beast is extremely dangerous.”
“Hello Slayer? I feed on danger and dine on death,” at her Watcher’s look, Faith shrugged. “So I like the Road Warriors, big deal. Your buddy Carlyle faced it, and he's still around.”
“Yes, in a straitjacket, howling his innards out day and night.”
“Well that’s inspiring.”
“Sorry,” Giles replied.
“What are we going to do about my boyfriend?” Cordelia demanded in a voice so shrill that he wasn’t entirely sure he’d hear properly for quite some time.
Collecting himself, he began to bark out orders. “Willow, see if you can get Miss French’s address off the substitute rolls. Faith, and you need to record bat sonar, and fast!”
“Eh?”
“Bats eat praying Mantises,” he explained as he led the Slayer to the stairs. “The sound of a bat sends their nervous system haywire. I’ll get your short sword ready.”
* * *
“This is the address right?”
Giles nodded at her question. “What now, exactly? We can't just kick the door down.”
“Yeah,” Faith raised an eyebrow, he really didn’t know her at all, “that *would* be wrong.” She brought her leg up to kick the door open only for it to swing open to reveal a white-haired and wizened old lady.
“Hello, dear! I thought I heard...” the woman smiled. “Are you selling something? Because I'd like to help you out, but... You see, I'm on a fixed income.”
Faith exchanged confused glances with her Watcher. “We’re looking for Miss French.”
“I'm Miss French,” the old lady beamed at them.
“Natalie French, the substitute biology teacher?” Giles put in.
“Goodness, that's me! I taught for over thirty years. I retired in 1972.” The teacher peered at G. “Did I teach you sonny?”
“That some make-up you use lady, can I-.”
Faith pushed Cordy back. “I can't believe this! She used Miss French's records
to get into the school. She could be anywhere!”
“No, dear!” the retired educator beamed. “I'm right here!”
Faith scowled. “G, I got an idea.”
* * *
“Jesse!” Xander kept his eyes on the terrifyingly huge insect sat on the nest. “Wake up!”
“W…where are we?” finally his friend’s eyes opened.
“Oh,” Xander swallowed. “Not where we want to be.”
* * *
“You got your cuffs on you G?”
“Wait!” Cordelia grabbed the Watcher’s elbows. “You carry cuffs on you?”
“Oh yeah,” Faith drawled. Even in a crisis she couldn’t resist a chance for a little fun at her Watcher’s expense. “Sometimes when I’m a naughty Slayer, Giles cuffs and spanks me.” She glanced at a dazed looking Jonathan and whispered conspiratorially. “That’s the bit I like best about being a Slayer.”
The response was all she’d dreamed off, Red and Cor were glaring at a rapidly reddening G, while a mouth-agape Jonathan was clearly in a world of his own. “Faith!” her Watcher stumbled over an explanation. “Sometimes it’s necessary to interrogate a vampire before staking them, as a result I carry cuffs on me.”
”Sure that’s the reason,” Faith winked at a still stunned Jonathan. Guy
wouldn’t sleep tonight thinking about it. “Give me the cuffs G.”
“What do you intend to do?” Giles glared at her as he passed the requested restraints over.
“I saw Frenchie walking past this park with her grocery bags. She lives in this neighbourhood. And,” she pointed towards the manhole cover, “that’s where Claw Dude disappeared. I’m gonna hunt him out.”
“Be careful Faith,” Giles warned.
“Why?” she smirked at her Watcher. “If I’m not will you discipline me?”
* * *
“Here nice little bloodsucker!” Faith cooed as she made her way through the sewers, thanking god she hadn’t worn her $100 leather boots tonight because thanks to the crap swilling around her knees, her jeans and trainers were ruined. “Come taste the lovely Slayer bl-.”
“Arghh!” Faith ducked a half-second before the vampire screamed, having sensed him just before, causing the claw to screech against the wall, sending sparks flying. Spinning round, she grabbed the out-stretched arm and leveraged the monster face-first into the wall. The demon grunted and began to turn to face her, but she drove a knee into the small of her adversary’s back, the impact of her attack driving the demon’s head back against the wall. Dazed, the vampire was helpless to prevent her cuffing him.
* * *
“Pooh!” Cordelia’s nose wrinkled up. “You stink!”
“I’ve been in a sewer C, what do you expect Chanel?” Faith demanded before turning to her captive. “Come on! Come on, where is she? Which house is it? I know you're afraid of her, I saw you!” Suddenly the demon reared back, his eyes filled with terror. “What is it? This is her, isn't it, this is her house? Better than radar! Thanks!” She drove her stake into the vampire’s chest, exploding him into dust. “’Ppreciate the help.”
* * *
Faith kicked the window open with one foot. Jumping through to the house, she saw the insect advancing on the cell holding Xander and Jesse. “Shit no wonder she has to wear a disguise to get a date,” Faith shuddered at the hideousness of the massive insect. “Hey bitch!” The insect turned towards her. Faith pulled out two insect repellent cans and began spraying. The monster reared back and wailed. “Hey!” Faith taunted. “I’ve always wanted to do that to a teacher, but then I’ve got authority issues.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jonathan, Cordelia, and Willow getting the boys out of their prison. “Take this you cad!” Giles was by her side, putting on the tape that she’d taped for him. “’It is important to have order in all of one’s life’,” Giles gulped. “Oops, I appear to have caught the fast forward button!”
“You think?” She cursed when French knocked her Watcher across the room. “Oh just great!” She caught a mandible across the face, ripping open a cut. “Shit!” she stumbled backwards, blood dripping down her face. Fortunately she wouldn’t scar but it hurt like a bitch.
Forcing herself to focus she pulled out her machete and leapt towards the monster only to be knocked down onto her side. Winded, she could only watch helplessly as the creature loomed over her.
Suddenly the screech of bat sonar filled the air causing the creature to flail helplessly. “Hurts like a bitch uh?” Faith crowed as she leapt to her feet. “Well so does this!” In an instant she was gleefully ripping through the monster until it was just a pile of dismembered parts on the ground.
“Are you okay Faith?”
“Five by five X,” she turned at Xander’s voice and grinned. “So a virgin uh?” she tilted her head at the boy’s reddening. “Although maybe I shouldn’t be surprised!”
Chuckling to herself, she turned away only to be pulled around by an angry looking Xander. “Go to hell Faith!” A second later Xander stormed past her, leaving her stunned and hurt.
“Yo X!” she yelled. “It was just a fucking joke!”
* * *
Faith’s heart thumped as she waited for her phone call to be answered. Finally the phone was picked up, and she heard a man’s voice. “Yeah Xander it’s-.” She blinked in disbelief as the phone at the other end was hung up.
* * *
After knocking on Faith’s bedroom door, Giles walked into Faith’s bedroom to find his charge sat on the side of her bed. “Are you alright Faith?”
Faith nodded at his gentle question. “Scar will be gone in
a couple of days.”
“That’s not what I meant Faith, I was talking about Xander.”
Faith shrugged. “Asshole doesn’t want to be friends fuck him.” He stared at the girl, she sighed. “I didn’t mean nothing by it. Just my way right?”
“Right,” he sat down beside his young charge. “But you insulted Xander in the area where a young man is most sensitive. And you know how he feels about you. And, with those feelings, and the situation, and then you make a comment that, in that situation, he couldn't help but take it as a hurtful, remark...”
“Yeah but,” Faith rubbed at her forehead. “If a guy was pissed off with what I’d said in the past, he’d crack me in the mouth and that would be it,” Giles hid a wince at the matter-of-fact way Faith described her abuse. “But Xan and the guys are different. I like hanging with them.” Faith’s eyes filled with hurt. “I didn’t mean it.”
“I know Faith,” he squeezed his Slayer’s slender shoulders. “But give it time, Xander was scared and fraught, emotions were bound to be running high. Once he’s calmed down....”
Hope filled his girl’s eyes. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Faith: The Series S1 Ep 7
“Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!”
Faith struggled to hide a smirk as she hurried through the busy mall, her excited eyes flickering from side to side as she soaked in the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas. All around her there were garishly coloured streamers, every store was highlighted with decorations – spray-on snow, Merry Christmas signs and the like, and every half-a-dozen shops or so there was an illuminated artificial Christmas tree. Christmas pop songs and carols blasted out of the crowded mall’s sound system and delicious festive smells wafted our from a number of the shopping centre’s restaurants. And the kids, with all their grinning faces.
Faith’s own smile slipped as she remembered her own childhood, the beatings from one of her mom’s boyfriends for having her TV on too loud, trying to cook the Christmas dinner, listening to some of the other kids talk about what they were getting and wondering why she was so bad that she didn’t get anything. And standing outside the decorated houses and wondering why nobody loved her.
But this year, Faith forced her memories down deep, this year was gonna be different. Last year had been pretty good, G was a wicked cook, and he’d decorated, bought her presents, made a real effort. But she’d been too much of a suspicious bitch to enjoy it, wondering when she’d have to show G her ‘appreciation’.
This time though, she was going to show G how much she lov-, cared about him. She had a ton of presents planned, paid for out of her Council stipend that she split 50/50 with G – she wouldn’t take a free ride, for G and for her friends. G was getting a signed Derek and the Dominoes first edition lp, a new guitar case, and a Sex Pistols’ T-shirt, Faith smirked, her Watcher had wicked cool music taste for such a stuffy guy. She’d got Cordy a purse, Willow was getting this PC game she’d been raving about, and Jonathan and Jesse were getting Playstation games. But Xander, Faith’s smile wavered, she had to get Xan something real special to make up to him.
She hadn’t meant shit by what she’d said to him, but it had really hurt him, embarrassed him. She kinda knew he had feelings for her but he wasn’t her type, but she’d never been much good at letting people down gently. But he was a good guy, and she kinda missed him joking with her. They still hung in the same gang and everything, but he never spoke to her anymore and that hurt. When she came into the room, he usually either shut up or moved away from her. And the shine in his eyes and his smile, they weren't there anymore when she occasionally managed to catch his eyes... All of that, it hurt... Hurt far more than it should have... hurt more than she thought it would.
Shaking off her melancholy, Faith stopped in the centre of the shopping mall’s third floor. Her smile returned as she watched the queue of kids waiting to meet Santa. She’d never done it herself, Ma didn’t have time to waste on her, but just watching the look of excited innocence on all those little kids’ faces reminded her why she fought. She watched avidly as the elf led the kid at the front of the queue to Santa who lifted the little boy onto his knee and the elf took the previous kid to pet the reindeer.
“HO! HO! HO! HO!”
Her eyes widened. “Oh shit,” she muttered as she saw a red-skinned, white-faced horned demon suddenly appear by the grotto, grab Santa Claus and fling him to the ground. Thinking quickly, she hurdled over the landing vault. “Supergirl to the rescue!” Maybe the kids would think it was part of the show and not get scared.
Leaping into the air, she drop kicked the seven foot tall demon in its face, knocking the thickly-muscled gargantuan back a step. Landing on her feet, she screamed as the monster raked her across her right arm, her leather jacket only slightly protecting her from its claws. “Oh sh-,” spying the near-by children she amended what she was about to say. “Supergirl to the rescue!” Leaping forward, she ducked under the beast’s claws and planted a palm-strike into the monster’s distended stomach. The monster grunted again and stumbled backwards, she followed after it but caught a right to her jaw, lifting her off her feet and dumping her into a near-by Christmas tree, knocking her and the tree to the ground.
Instantly she was back on her feet and chasing the monster as he ran away, rotating her jaw gingerly as she pursued it – shit, he could punch. The demon reached the floor railing just feet in front of her and leapt over.
Faith’s eyes widened as the monster barged into a frightened child stood by the railing and knocked him into the air. Faith picked up some extra speed, fear pushing her to even great efforts. Diving into the air, she grabbed the small boy just as he cleared the railing. “Gotcha!” she winked as she hit the ground and rolled to her feet. “Hey,” she was alarmed when the frightened kid burst into tears. “It’s okay, you’re gonna be cool.”
Slightly panicked by the child’s tears, she looked at the child’s older brother and grinned. “Guess who jumped to the front of the queue,” she whispered. “Follow me.” Pushing through the crowd, she hurried over to the Santa. “Father Christmas,” she said, “this is your next kid.”
The store employee snorted. “Screw that girlie, I’m going home.”
Faith stepped into the man’s space. “No you’re not,” she snarled. “You’re not disappointing the kids,” she warned. “If I have to break your kneecaps to make you stay I will.” The man gulped and sat down. She nodded approvingly. “Good choice, now I think you’re gonna give all these kids,” she glanced over her shoulder to all the now crying children, “extra presents today. You dig?” the store employee nodded. “Smart man.”
* * *
Giles watched with a professional eye as his students sparred. To his surprise, the best of his trainees was Cordelia, her dancer’s agility, stamina, flexibility, and co-ordination putting her just ahead of Xander whose capacity to take punishment awed him as well as worrying him as to how he’d developed such a talent. Jesse was third, the boy’s lack of focus preventing him from seriously challenging Xander for second place.
Willow and Jonathan, Giles winced, the two picked up the techniques well enough, but when it came to sparring, a combination of queasiness and a lack of confidence meant they were awful. Still, they were first class minds, and were more than helpful with research, while the others rivalled Faith for their incapacity for academia.
“Yo G!”
Giles glanced over his shoulder, surprised that his daughter was here. He’d called the others in for extra training at her request as cover for her Christmas shopping. His surprise turned to worry when he noticed the blood leaking from the Bostonian’s upper right arm. “What happened!” he started forward, followed closely by Xander only for the youth to stop and the others to overtake the boy who stepped to one side, an uncomfortable and confused expression on his face.
Pushing aside his worries about the duo’s continuing estrangement, he quickly examined his charge’s wound. To his relief, Slayer healing was already kicking in, still… “Willow, could you get me the-,” he smiled as the red-head passed him the first aid box, “thank you.”
“G, don’t fuss.” Faith looked embarrassed, but then his girl always had to be tough, especially in front of a crowd. “Slayer healing.”
”And Slayers generally need two arms to be fully effective,” he pointed out as
he dabbed some antiseptic into the girl’s wound. “So let’s make sure it doesn’t
get infected.”
Faith groaned. “Yes G.”
“And don’t pout, young ladies don’t pout.” He sensed rather than saw Faith’s theatrical roll of the eyes. “What happened?”
”Yeah Faith,” Cordelia broke in. “Isn’t it rather light for vampires?”
“Oh there’s a couple working on their tans C,” Faith chuckled before shaking her head. “No – shit G!” the Bostonian unleashed a barrage of swear words. “That hurt goddamn it!”
“Don’t be such a baby,” Cordelia scolded.
“Tell you what C, have Lectar here operate on you.” Faith shot back.
“You two please be quiet,” he snapped “I’m trying to clean this wound; Dr. Finlay never had to operate under these conditions.”
“Who?” asked a confused sounding Jonathan.
“No Dr. Finlay, Dr. Who was a time lord,” Giles joked.
“You were into Dr. Who?” Jesse asked incredulously.
”I was young once,” he sniffed.
“Can I have written proof?” Faith shot back.
”Very amusing, now,” he looked into his charge’s face. “What happened?” In a
few terse sentences, Faith explained. Giles nodded. “I think it’s time we
researched.”
”Oh joy.”
He chose to ignore Faith’s mutterings. “Now let’s get a search started. Xander, you and -,” he was about to say Faith but decided that forcing the two together was not wise. “Willow and Jesse investigate clawed demons. The others help me look for red demons.”
“Miss Giles, my office now!”
* * *
Snyder glared at the scowling girl sat opposite him. Just half-a-hour ago he’d been home with his feet up. And then he’d got a phone call from the Mayor informing him of Faith’s behaviour. “So Miss. Giles,” he sniffed, what an educated man like Giles was doing associating himself with such a low-life as her he really had no idea. “I knew you were a troublemaker from your permanent record. Well let me tell you missy, Mr. Flutie might have let you run riot, but I,” he jabbed his thumb at his head, “I am a completely different matter.”
The troublesome teen bristled. “I haven’t done nothing.”
“Except wreck a shopping mall, the damage to the school’s reputation is incalculable!”
“Hey! There was a lunatic with a knife, I was helping!”
He snorted. “Don’t lie to me young lady. What about you threatening to assault a mall employee?”
He smugly noted the girl’s squirming. Guilt, he could smell it a mile away. “He was going to leave the kids waiting to see Father Christmas,” the delinquent muttered.
Now if that wasn’t the most pathetic excuse he’d ever heard. “Christmas,” he snorted. “If it was up to me, you little brats wouldn’t get a Christmas!”
“HEY!” the girl was on her feet in an instant. “You’re a miserable -.”
“Faith,” his office door crashed open to reveal his librarian stood in the doorway, a forbidding expression on his face. “Go to the library.”
* * *
By the time Snyder had recovered from his shock, the Boston transplant had disappeared. Recovering, he bristled indignantly and pulled himself up to his less than considerable height. “Now see here -.”
“Let me make myself clear,” the Englishman’s cold tone silenced him instantly. “If I get the slightest hint that you are singling my child out or unfairly disparaging her.” The librarian chuckled. “Well let’s just say you’ll regret it.”
Gathering his courage, Snyder sniffed. “Sorry. I'm not convinced.”
He attempted to push past the taller man only to be grabbed by his lapel and pushed back against his desk. His blood chilled at the man’s vicious grin. “Would you like me to convince you?”
* * *
Giles blood was boiling as he stormed out of Snyder’s office. That little pillock, he’d been so tempted to introduce Snyder to some of the best London pub-fighting techniques. Faith tried so hard to be good and to have people like Snyder sneering at her.
”Thanks G.”
Surprised by the soft voice, he turned to see Faith leant
by the wall. “Quite alright my girl,” he smiled. “We’re a team aren’t we?”
“Yeah, like Batman and Robin,” Faith stepped in beside him.
“I rather thought Holmes and Watson.”
“Who?”
Giles shook his head, sometimes this girl. “I thought I
told you to go back to the library?”
“And research,” Faith shuddered theatrically. “No thanks!”
“It wouldn’t kill you to pick up a book more often,” he scolded.
Faith winked at him. “This girl’s taking no chances.” He chuckled, Faith’s face turned serious. “You think Xan will ever forgive me?”
Giles squeezed his girl’s shoulders. “Mr. Harris is a fine young man, but being hurt by someone you care about like you hurt him is the deepest hurt of all. But just give him time, you can’t force these things.”
“But I miss him being my bud,” Faith looked down at the
floor. “I mean Jess and Jonathan are cool but Xan,” she shrugged, “I ain’t
never had guy friends before and I don’t want to lose one.”
“Faith,” Giles struggled for the words to comfort his Slayer. “The very fact that Xander continues to train with us shows he feels loyalty to our cause at the least.”
“I guess,” Faith nodded slightly as they reached the library doors.
* * *
“We’ve found it!” Willow beamed as she held up a book.
“Correction,” Cordelia said loftily as she looked up with
concern at her best friend’s drawn face. “I found it.” Getting up, she hurried
over to her friend and dragged her away from the others. “What’s wrong Faith?
Has Snyder said something, my dad’s on the governor’s-.”
”Nah, it’s nothing,” Faith shrugged.
”No it isn’t,” she insisted. “I know something’s wrong, now talk!”
Faith’s eyes flashed. “Man you’ve got nerve C,” Faith chuckled. “It’s X, it kinda hurts way he is.”
“Does it now!” Cordelia’s eyes flashed. “Well if Jesse thinks he’s getting the use of my lips until he talks to him-.”
“No!” Faith’s eyes widened in panic. “You can’t, it’s my mess, I’ve got to sort it.”
A light bulb came on in her head. “Do you like Xander?” Cordelia asked. This was ridiculous Faith liking the geek. On the other hand, she was dating Jesse. “Because if you want I could set you up with him, we could double-date?”
“No way, me and X,” Faith shook her head. “Xan is so not my type.”
“But-.”
“When you two have finished gossiping?”
After a glare at Giles and an even more ferocious one at Xander, Cordelia sniffed as she and Faith moved back to the table. “We were discussing battle strategies.” Well dating was a type of war.
* * *
“Now,” Giles read the notes from the books. “At one time
in early history there was a Scandinavian demon that in the winter would attack
groups of children at parties,” Faith raised an eyebrow, this sounded like a
fairy tale. In a minute G would be handing out cookies and milk. “A mighty
mage rose and banished it from this plane of dimension. That mage was Nicholas,
who over a period of decades became known as St. Nicholas, and the demon was
Satan Claws,” Faith squinted at Giles’ look at her, this was obviously meant to
mean something but she didn’t have a clue. “Over time folklore built up over
the demon, perhaps by people anxious to banish the memories, parents telling
children that if they were good Santa Claus would leave them presents.”
Then it hit her. “Wait a minute! You’re telling me Santa Claus was a demon?”
“Indeed he was,” Giles nodded, “the only question is why and how he’s back?”
* * *
He chuckled as he locked his hotel room and hurried towards his car. He was glad to get out of this bloody desolate outpost. “Merry Christmas Ripper,” he chuckled. “I hope you and your bloody chit of a Slayer enjoy your present.” Nobody, but nobody turned on him.
* * *
“Sir,” he looked up at his deputy. “Another attack at a carol service.”
Wilkins scowled. “That’s the sixth in the past week?” Finch nodded. “This is just unacceptable, the sort of thing that will be remembered come election day. Increase patrols!”
”Yes sir,” the deputy Mayor hesitated. “Sir, Dr. Walsh is here for her job
interview.”
“Oh really?” Wilkins raised an eyebrow. His agents had told him that the woman represented a government agency dedicated to researching demonology. His first instinct was to put up every obstacle to her getting tenure at the college, but on the other hand, there was the maxim of keeping one’s enemies closer. If her agency was based in Sunnydale, he could kill them as soon as he ascended, before they had chance to formulate a plan to counter him. “Please, invite her in.” He was most eager to meet his soon to be victim.
* * *
“Come on G!” Faith cursed, “there’s too many damn parties and stuff going on, its Christmas, I can’t be everywhere!”
”Yes Faith,” Giles sighed. “I’m well aware of that. However I have come up
with a plan.”
“Really?” Faith beamed. “Spill.” the Slayer’s face fell and she glanced at her companions before looking back at him after his explanation. “Tell me you are joking!”
“Faith,” Giles groaned at the children’s expressions. “Do you seriously think I want to do this?”
“Well I want to go on record, there’s no way I’m sitting on your knee!” Faith snapped.
“And neither’s Cordy!” Jesse added, a protective arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder.
”Thank goodness for that,” Giles muttered. What had he done to deserve being
the surrogate parent to this rabble? Ripper hadn’t been that evil.
* * *
Faith laughed as Giles walked out of his office. “If that ain’t the scrawniest Father Christmas I’ve ever seen!”
Giles glared at the teen for a second before smirking. “Well, Faith you and Cordelia look quite delightful in your elf costumes.” He chuckled when the Bostonian flipped him the bird. “Well really, should one of Santa’s elves be making such a rude gesture?” He looked up to see the others entering, Willow and Jonathan dressed as snowmen, and Jesse and Xander the most sheepish-looking reindeers he’d ever seen.
“G,” Faith whined. “Do we have to, I feel ridiculous.”
“Don’t worry Faith,” Jesse broke in cheerfully. “You still look really hot.”
Faith broke off from her moaning to glare at Jesse. “C, muzzle your boy-toy,” the Slayer turned back to him. “This isn’t fair.”
“Faith, you know I concur.” Giles replied through gritted teeth. “However it is only logical that Satan Claws will strike at the children’s orphanage. All those children getting their presents, decorations, happiness. Like a magnet to Satan Claws.”
“Yeah, but why do we have to go undercover?” Faith whined.
“Because it’s the only way to get in, I volunteered our group to help out as fancy dress atmosphere.”
“Couldn’t you have said something else?”
“I was hardly going to offer you as chef was I?”
“Hey!” Faith sounded offended. “I dial a great pizza!”
* * *
“Come on this way to see Santa Claus!” Faith beckoned the
next beaming child to the grotto, ruffling the five year old’s sandy-brown hair
as he tottered past her, a beaming grin on his cherubic face. Faith had to
admit she was enjoying herself, looking after the kids, making them smile, kinda
made her feel good inside. Course if anyone called her on it, well she’d kick
their asses from here to Bosto-.
“HO! HO! HO! HO!”
Faith tensed instantly at the chilling laugh. Turning, she saw Satan Claws lumber out from behind one of the Christmas trees, a casual backhand swipe sending the eight foot pine tree crashing to the ground. “Showtime,” she muttered before glancing towards her Watcher. “G! My sword!”
“Here my dear.”
Faith plucked the thrown sword out of mid-air. “Thanks!”
She started towards the demon, bustling kids out of her way. Her eyes widened when one of the kids bundled into the path of the advancing demon. At this distance, she’d never get there in time.
Suddenly Xander hurtled into the kid, his leap carrying both Xan and the kid out of the demon’s way. Ballsy, Faith nodded approvingly, real ballsy. She stopped in front of the demon. “Hey asshole,” she cocked her head to one side. “Ready for round two?”
“HO! HO! HO! HO!”
Faith dodged out of the monster’s flashing claws, twisting her body left and right to avoid its attack. “You could,” she grunted as a fist caught her in the mouth, drawing blood, “have just said yes.”
She kicked out, the point of her foot connecting with the monster’s distended belly, staggering it. “HO! HO! HO!”
“You know,” she directed a heel kick at the beast’s knee only to wince when its claws caught her bare lower leg, ripping a trio of bloody furrows across it. “That HO, HO HO crap, kinda getting boring.” Stepping into the monster’s space, she feinted with a left elbow to the face, while bringing her sword up on its other side, and ripping it through its neck. The moment the monster hit the floor it exploded into dust.
“And that,” Faith glanced behind her to a wildly-smiling Cordelia trying to calm the crying kids. “Is the end of the show!”
* * *
Carl Balbo resisted the urge to pick up the small girl by her collar and fling her out of the door. When the doe-eyed beauty had walked into the comic shop where he’d worked, he’d fallen over himself to be the one who got to serve her. But that was almost a hour ago, and every suggestion of a comic for her friend had been met by a shake of the head and the words, ‘nah not X’, or ‘not special enough for Xan’, or the classic, ‘you’re jerking my chain right, how much for a comic?’. Finally he decided a new tact. “Okay what’s your friend into?”
The girl stared at him as if he was stupid. “I’m in a comic store, what do ya think?”
He sighed. “Other than comics.”
“I don’t know,” the young woman’s face brightened. “Sci Fi and vampires.”
Carl grinned. “Vampires, I’ve got just the thing. Wait there.” He hurried off to return with a comic.
The brunette stared doubtfully at the cling-filmed item. “What’s so special about this?” the leather-clad teen’s beaming smile as he explained the comic’s significance made all his trouble worthwhile. “That’s wicked, thanks man!”
* * *
Faith took a breath as she watched Xander’s house, his bedroom light having gone out some twenty minutes ago. She’d told herself that the only reason she hadn’t knocked on the front door yet was because she didn’t want Xander’s pa leering at her when she opened the door, but that was bullshit, she’d gotten used to guys leering at her years ago. No, the fear was X would just slam the door in her face. But if she broke in, left his present behind, then at least he’d know she gave a shit about him.
Leaping up she grabbed hold of a branch of the tree just opposite X’s bedroom window. With cat-like agility she climbed onto the branch. Leaning forward, she used a combination of her Slayer strength and house-breaking skills to force the window lock. Grinning triumphantly, she eased the window open and slid inside. Placing the comic on Xander’s cluttered desk, she moved to the window. “Faith?”
She froze at Xander’s voice and the sound of a bedside light going on. Forcing a casual expression, she turned to face the bleary-eyed youth. “Hey X,” Faith passed the comic over. “’Tomb of Dracula #10’, guy in the shop said it’s the first appearance of Blade. So Merry Christmas from one vamp-hunter to another. Anyway,” she shrugged before turning back to the window. “Be seeing ya.”
“Oh thanks,” the Californian looked up from the comic to her and swallowed nervously. “Faith, do you want to stay, talk for a while?”
Faith grinned. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her mobile, and dialled home. “Yeah G, it’s me. No, I’m five by five, I’ll be home late though, I’m hanging with my bud Xander.”
* * *
“Hello,” the bearded man spoke into the phone. “She’s arrived on the Hellmouth. The time of our prophesied revenge is at hand.” He paused as the voice at the other end spoke for a couple of minutes. “I’m sure, I’ve seen her in action myself, she could almost be of the blood herself. It’s time to send Janna.” He listened to some instructions before hanging up, he walked out of the phone box and back to his hotel room. Soon, the Scourge would pay the price for their crimes against the clans.
FIC: Faith: The Series S1 Ep 8 (8/???)
“HEY GUYS! I just saw two zebras doing it in their enclosure! It was like watching animal porn!”
Xander glanced at his companions before regarding the excitedly jumping Slayer with a combination of amusement and desire. “Calm down Faith,” he grinned. “I mean it’s a day off school but still, no big. Anyone would think you’d never been to the zoo before.”
The Bostonian shrugged. “Haven’t, Boston inner city schools aren’t big on zoo trips. But this is way cool!”
“Oh,” Xander winced. Put his foot in it again. He opened his mouth to apologise only to notice the brunette was looking past them, her eyes hardening. Turning, he saw a bunch of kids hassling one of the school geeks. “Kyle,” he muttered.
“That asshole!” Faith spat. “He needs teaching a lesson!”
The supernatural warrior strode forward, but he grabbed her arm as she passed him. “Hold up Faith,” he muttered in his friend’s ear. “He’s not exactly demony is he?”
“You got a blood test that proves otherwise?” the Slayer snarled.
Xander ignored that. ”Let us handle him, Slaying him probably won’t go down too
well will it?” he glanced at Jesse and Jonathan. “Come on guys!”
* * *
“Hey Lance!” Kyle dragged the wimp to the edge of the enclosure, loving both the sound of his gang egging him on and the geek’s begging. “You think hyenas like raw wuss?”
“I don’t know Kyle.” He stopped at the voice behind him. “Maybe we should throw you in and find out?”
* * *
“I think maybe we should help them out?” Faith muttered as she watched her three buds disappeared into the hyena house. She had to admit her motivation in following her friends wasn’t wholly about protecting them. In her first week in Sunnydale, Kyle had overheard the loud comment ‘who do we thank for letting hookers into the school and how much do they charge?’. She’d pinned the asshole to the wall and warned him to stay out of her face but him and his gang often sniggered or made muttered comments when she walked by. If the prick gave her a reason….
“Oh my Jesse can look after himself,” soothed Cordelia.
“They’re doomed,” was the rather more realistic comment from Willow.
Faith nodded. “Let’s go.”
* * *
“Harris,” Kyle shoved Lance away from him. The geek ran for the doorway. “You think you and Nerds United can take us on?”
Harris smiled at him. There was something unnerving about the changes in Harris and his gang. Before this year they’d been so anonymous his gang had never bothered to hassle it, but now, they had a confidence that meant they needed reminding of their place in the food chain. “Look Harris,” he went to poke the geek in the chest only to scream in pain when the nerd grabbed his wrist and twisted it back.
“I’ve got sick of you and your gang. It’s time you started to behave like a proper human being,” Xander warned. “I see you picking on anyone again and there’ll be trouble, now get out.”
* * *
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Faith turned from the shadowy entrance of the hyena house to the skinny, balding man behind them. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the tell-tale smell coming off the guy. Had to be a zoo-keeper. “See the hyenas,” she explained with a casual thumb over her shoulder and a flick of her hair.
“Tsk,” the zoo-keeper shook his head even as he shooed them away from the hyena house. “Hyenas are dangerous beasts. The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning
their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack devours them. Far too dangerous for three little ladies like you, at least until they passed quarantine.”
* * *
Xander hid a grin as Kyle and his cronies ran out, he’d enjoyed that. People like Kyle were pretty much scum in his eyes and the way they picked on people and got away with it because their parents had money made his blood boil. Hearing the sound of the hyenas growling, he turned towards the enclosure, saw a pair of glowing eyes and grinned as something hit him, engulfing him in a wave of power. He turned to his friends and grinned. “We’re going to have fun.”
* * *
“Sire,” the Master looked up at his oldest childe’s entry. “The Three are here!”
“Excellent,” the Master smiled. The Three were a trio of four hundred year vampires, brothers, who unlike most demons their age had no interest in the accumulation of power but merely in the thrill of the kill. The more challenging the better. “Gentlemen,” he smiled at the three mail-shirted vampires. “I have an especially troublesome Slayer.”
* * *
Faith looked around the bustling, dimly-lit Bronze. Finally she saw the people she was looking for. After a quick sweep to check the place was vamp-free, she bought a coke and croissant, hurried over to her two friends, and dropped into the booth beside them. “Hiya gang.”
“Hi,” Cordelia mimed a staking action. At least she hoped it was, otherwise Cordy and Jess were way too intimate. “All done?”
“Patrolling done,” Faith glanced around. “Say, where are the guys?”
“They haven’t arrived yet-,” Cordy grinned. “Here they are!”
Faith glanced towards the entrance. She raised her hand to wave the trio over only for them to head straight for them. “Sorry we’re late, we just forgot that we were gonna be here.” Faith’s eyes widened when Xander tore a piece off her croissant and ate it. “What is this?”
“Well,” Faith didn’t bother to hide her disdain. “It *was* my buttery croissant.”
“Man,” Xander shook his head in disgust. “I need some food! Birds live on this! Let’s go guys.”
Seconds later, and Xander and the other two boys returned, each carrying a plate filled with cholesterol heavy bacon sandwiches. “What’s the sitch Xand?”
Xander shook his head. “Nothing up with me babe.”
“Babe?” Faith bristled. Nobody called her babe and kept their teeth. “X, what’s wrong with you?”
“Jonathan!” cried an outraged Willow. “Stop smelling my hair!”
Xander grinned at her. “Nothing,” Xander looked around. “This place is dead. Let’s go boys.”
“Jesse! We made arrangements!” C squawked.
“Later honey,” Jesse replied before turning and following Xander and Jonathan out of the Bronze. Faith shook her head. This was wicked strange. If Cordy said jump, Jesse was normally checking how high.
* * *
Xander grinned as he led his pack through the graveyard, its bleak darkness no obstacle to his newly improved vision. They’d eaten, marked their territory, the only thing that remained was a fight. He stopped as he heard a metallic clink and turned to his partners and grinned. “How many?”
“Three vampires,” Jonathan intoned.
Xander nodded. “Flank me.” Instruction given he set off to face the vampires, blood racing. The only way to prove his worthiness to a warrior woman like Faith was the quality of his kills. Realising that thanks to their armour staking wouldn’t work, he glanced at his companions. “Decapitation.” His two friends nodded and drew the hunting knives they’d stolen from the town’s sporting goods shop on the way to the Bronze.
The vampires stopped, a look of shared confusion on their faces. “What are you?” the centre one demanded.
Xander smiled. “Your death.” Covering the twelve feet separating him from his target in a single leap, his feet crashed into the demon’s stomach, knocking him to the ground, Xander on top. The demon threw a gauntleted fist that he blocked on his forearm even as he thrust his knife down into his rival’s left eye. The vampire screamed and writhed in pain, Xander pulled out his bloody blade and swiftly decapitated the demon. He brayed triumphantly as the vampire exploded into dust and glanced to his left and right to see his friends similarly victorious. They’d proved their worth, their chosen mates would be theirs.
* * *
“Damn it!” Faith scowled at her watch. She’d been so into training, she hadn’t realised she was late for class. She turned a corner to see a small pig running at her, several students in hot pursuit. Reacting instantly, she dived down and caught it.
“And that children is Herbert, our new mascot for the Sunnydale High Razorbacks!” Snyder glared at her as if suspecting her of allowing the animal to escape, despite her having gone in the opposite direction. ”And somebody,” the principal glared at her suspiciously. “Thought it would be funny to release Herbert from his cage.”
“Well,” she glared back at the midget dictator. “It wasn’t me!”
“Uh, uh,” the principal snatched the mascot off her and strode off without so much of a thank you. Faith shook her head before heading to class.
* * *
“Hey Harris,” Xander looked up to see it was just him, Kyle and his two buddies in the locker room. “You got lucky yesterday. I think you need a lesson in respect.”
Xander growled deeply in his throat as he dropped his bag and stepped away from his locker. “I don’t think so. Why don’t you just leave?”
“You see,” Kyle continued to approach. “I think hanging with some hotties like Faith and the others has given you some idea that you’re somebody, well it’s time you learnt about your place.”
Bored, Xander slammed a palm strike into Kyle’s chest, dropping the bully to his knees. Before Kyle’s companions had chance to react, Xander was at them, grabbing one of the boys by the scruff of his neck, he flung him over the top of the lockers. A grin on his face, he spun around to face the third youth.
And caught a clumsy right in his left hand. Still grinning, he squeezed his attacker’s knuckles until they cracked, while backhanding him repeatedly across the face. Dropping the screaming youth, he swaggered over to a now-standing Kyle and swept his legs from beneath him, his adversary’s head snapping against the locker on the way down. “Now, tell me,” he put his foot on the school bully’s chest. “My place.”
“Please,” the boy sobbed.
Xander smiled, his nose picking up the scent of his fear, and ears picking up the pounding of his rival’s heart. Crouching down, he moved his foot off Kyle’s neck. The moment the kid got up to his hands and knees, Xander swept his hands from beneath him. “This is fun!”
“Xander,” he looked up to see a grinning Jesse and Jonathan stood in the locker room doorway. “Fresh meat.”
Xander crouched down over Kyle. “Come at me again,” he whispered. “And I’ll kill you.” Standing he smiled at his pack-mates. “Lead the way.”
* * *
“Yo G!” Faith hollered as she entered the library, Cordelia and Willow in hot pursuit.
“I believe the usual greeting is, hello Giles, how are you?” the librarian walked out of the inner office. “Do you want to try again?”
“Haven’t got that time for that G!” Faith exclaimed. “Have you heard about Herbert?”
“Yes, I have. And this concerns you how?”
Faith hesitated, what Red had suggested was dumb. “X, Jess, and Jonathan have been acting weird, bullying people, and acting like assholes. We think they’ve been possessed.”
Giles snorted. “And on what do you base that?”
“Listen Tweedy!” Cordelia began jabbing the Englishman in the chest. “I know my boyfriend, and I know when there’s something up with him!”
“Do you think there will be anything left of Giles when Cordelia’s finished with him?” Willow muttered.
“Yeah,” Faith nodded. “I better step in, save things from getting messy. Yo C,” Faith pulled the cheerleader back before turning to the Watcher. “We think Xander and the others have been possessed by hyenas, they’ve been acting whack ever since they left the hyena house.”
“Uh,” Giles stared at the high school queen for a second before turning to her. “It’s unlikely, but,” the Englishman’s face brightened, “at the very least we can research.”
Faith groaned. “Oh joy.”
* * *
“Wow!” Faith’s eyes widened. “Says here Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats.”
“Hyenas aren't well liked,” Willow commented.
“Understatement much?” Cordelia commented. “They’re the louses of the animal kingdom.”
“Why couldn't they be possessed by a puppy or some ducks?” Willow whined.
“That's assuming 'possession' is the right word,” Cordelia put in.
Giles strode over from the cage. “Oh, I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I should have remembered that.”
“Yeah you should,” Faith nodded wisely. She grinned briefly at Giles’ glare before turning serious. “How does it work?”
Giles rubbed at his glasses lens, a sure sign he was perplexed. “Apparently there's a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity is
a perversion, a dilution of spirit. To them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves.
“Like hyenas?” Cordy queried.
Giles shrugged. “Only the most predatory of animals are of interest to the Primals so that would fit, yes.”
Faith scowled, this was not of the good. “Get to the point G,” she urged. “What happens to the person once the spirit's in them?”
“If it goes unchecked...” Giles showed them a picture of a man with blood dripping from his mouth, mutilated and savaged bodies surrounding him.
Faith swallowed. “I best go and find Xan and the others,” she turned to Will and Cordy, “you two best head home and don’t answer the door to any of them. G,” she turned to the librarian. “Any ideas how to get X and the others back?”
“I’ll have to -.”
“Research,” Faith winked. “I get the easy part.”
“Faith, be careful.”
“Relax G.”
&