She’s Gone 11 – Old Friends
Faith glanced up at the sound of The Magic Box door opening, a practiced smile on her face. “Hello. Welcome to The -,” her smile faded as she belatedly recognised the man stood in the doorway. “Oh shit!”
“You!”
Seeing Riley’s hand dip inside his jacket, Faith leapt over the shop counter and ran towards the soldier. Realising she couldn’t reach the man before he shot off the huge cannon he was now waving in her direction she dived behind a near-by shelf. “Chill Cornfed!”
“Where’s Buffy?” the soldier demanded, his voice strident.
“She’s dead.” Faith winced, oh real subtle.
“You killed her!”
Realising that words were not her ally, like they’d ever been, Faith decided on action. Leaping up, she landed cat-like on the top of the shelves and laid down. Seconds later the Special Ops officer entered the aisle. Faith dropped off the shelf and onto the Iowan, her right fist snapping into his jaw, her left snatching and twisting his gun wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon. As soon as the soldier hit the floor, Faith straddled his chest and glared down at him, her hands pinning his arms to the floor. “Now chill out-.”
“Making friends again?”
Faith looked up to see a red-eyed Xander, the poor guy alternated between drinking and crying since Anya had left two weeks ago, and a tall brunette woman. “He tried to shoot me!”
Xander half-grinned. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Bit me Harris.” Faith flipped her friend the bird although she was secretly pleased he was attempting jokes. Even if they were at her expense. “You wanna tell him I’m a white hat now?”
“Riley she’s a white hat now.”
“Such sincerity,” she commented with a grin. “Who’s the babe?”
“Sam Finn, Riley’s wife. Do you want to get off my husband?”
Faith arched an eyebrow, her husband? There was an expression of bad taste if she’d ever heard one. “Five by five.” Rising silkily she offered to help Riley up but he ignored her proffered hand to rise on his own. “What brings you to town Cor-,” seeing Xander’s warning glare she changed what she was about to say. “Riley?”
* * *
Her life officially sucked, Faith mused as she rappelled down the side of Sunnydale dam. It turned out the Finns were in town to hunt down a Suvolte demon and its eggs. So while Xander and Sam tried to hunt down leads on where the eggs might be. she and Cornfed where following the mother demon’s trail. “Sunnydale, the town where the fun never ends.” Faith muttered before glancing towards the square-jawed jackass beside her. She’d been considering apologising to him but couldn’t be bothered, it wasn’t like she gave a shit about him – hell, she’d probably given him the best time of his life.
Small-talk that was definitely the way
to go. “You and Sam uh?” she tried for a casual tone. “How did you end up with
such a babe?”
“Charm and personality,” the soldier grunted.
Faith raised an eyebrow. She’d noticed the soldier had a kick-ass body, but charm and personality. Damn, that Sam was perceptive, she hadn’t realised that Cornfed had a personality much less a decent one. “How long ya been hitched?”
“Why?” the look the farm-boy shot her was malicious to say the least. “You figuring to ruin this relationship too?”
Faith’s eyes narrowed. “Who the hell -.”
Her angry retort was interrupted by a shape slamming into her companion, knocking him into the wall. Faith toyed briefly with the idea of letting the demon rip the ass into pieces. Then sighing, being a good girl was a pain sometimes, she reached over, hooked an arm around the monster’s neck and threw it off the struggling man. As the monster struggled to its feet, she grinned at a dazed-looking Riley. “I just saved your life. Man, it must suck to be you.”
Without waiting for a reply she unsheathed her axe and turned her attention back to the demon charging her. At the last instant she slashed sideways at the beast’s throat but it ducked beneath her attack, its claw knocking her weapon from her hand. “Oh fucking great!”
She reached up to catch the descending claw only to only to be thumped in the jaw. Dazed, she scrambled backwards, just out of range of the monster’s slashing talons.
Grabbing hold of the monster’s wrist she pulled it towards her, shooting up a knee but the monster deflected her attack with a thigh-block before grabbing hold of her by the jaw and throwing her to the hard ground. At the last second she managed to tuck her head into her chest, cushioning her head, but the shuddering impact of her collision jarred the air from her body.
Riley leapt at the demon but it back-handed the young man to the ground, the force of the blow sending blood spraying onto the dam wall. Finn’s intervention gave her the chance she needed to leap to her feet and surge back into action, her blistering flurry of kicks and punches knocking the demon on its ass.
Taking advantage of the monster’s distress, Faith smoothly scooped up the axe and drove it through the monster’s neck, tearing its head from its shoulders. “Thanks for the save G.I. Joe,” she pulled the battered-looking soldier to his feet. “That,” she nodded towards the decapitated corpse. “Momma bear?”
Riley nodded. “All we need now is the eggs.” Suddenly his cell-phone rang.
“Ask and you will receive.” Faith grinned.
* * *
“CLEM!”
Clem winced both at the Slayer’s bellow and her enraged face as she stormed into his apartment. “Um, hello Faith,” he tried for a sunny tone.
“Don’t you hello me Clem!” the repulsively tight-skinned girl waggled a finger in his face. Oh boy, she was really angry. “What were you thinking of?”
“He promised me kittens,” Clem replied weakly.
“Pussy?” the tall stranger who’d followed his friend into his home snorted. “No wonder you’re friends.”
“Kittens not pussy,” Faith glared at the sandy-haired man before sighing and turning back to him. “Who’s your supplier?”
“There must be some mistake, my friend said they were bird’s eggs.”
“That’s it,” the tall man started forward, a pair of handcuffs dangling from his left hand and a huge gun in his right. “I’m taking you into custody for questioning.”
“Back off farm-boy,” Faith stepped in front of the man, blocking his path to him. “Clem’s made a mistake that’s all.” Her warning delivered, the brunette turned back to him. “Clem,” he was relieved to see that the anger had left the young woman’s eyes, leaving the softness he saw there on the two times a week she dropped in after patrol to watch a couple of videos with him. “Listen bud,” the Slayer put her hands on his shoulder. “Whoever asked you for help sold you a line. You’re in big trouble so talk.”
After a second Clem nodded. “His name is Doc-.”
“What!” this time the shout came from his other friend. Xander’s eyes had chilled to brown ice chips. Suddenly Clem wasn’t sure if he should be more scared of Xander than Faith. “I’m gonna kill that bastard!”
* * *
“Xman this is loco!” Faith glared at her friend. After destroying the eggs the Finns had left with a promise that they’d deal with Doc. But this was definitely not what she had in mind. “I should be going in, he knows you!”
“He won’t once I’ve used this.” Xander indicated the things he’d brought with him and thrown down onto the table.
Faith hated to admit it but Xander had a point. The black turtleneck and jeans, and sunglasses certainly weren’t usual Xander wear. And put them together with the 24 hour blond dye he was busy applying to his hair and he’s soon be pretty much a new person. “Damn it Xander, I’m the fated demon hunter.”
Xander ignored her to turn to her Watcher. “You’ve got the ring?” Giles wordlessly passed the younger man a brass ring.
“What’s that?” she demanded, her brow furrowed in puzzlement.
“A Terakan ring,” the Englishman replied. “Xander intends to go in under the identity of an Order assassin.”
Faith’s eyes widened in horror. “G, this is fucking crazy -,” her voice trailed off as Xander strode out of the shop. Faith glared at the magic shop owner. “Oh that’s just great G, thanks for the help, no really.”
“Faith,” her Watcher’s face was drawn
with weariness. “Xander has always felt responsible for not saving Buffy.
Completely unjustified of course. But if dealing with Doc can help ease it,”
the Englishman smiled grimly. “However that doesn’t mean,” Giles threw her his
car keys. “You shouldn’t follow him.”
* * *
Doc looked warily at the young man stood in his front room. There was something familiar about him but he’d never met any Order assassins before so the young man must just remind him of somebody he’d met. Still, it didn’t hurt to be sure. “You’re awfully young to be a member of the Order.”
His visitor laughed bitterly. “You’ve no idea. I was born in 1949, want to Nam in ’68 to save my great country and earned the name ‘Shadow-Killer’. But in ’72 I was paralysed in a fall from a ‘copter. The government I’d served so loyally weren’t interested in helping, but the Order made an offer. They’d heal me and give me an anti-aging drug in exchange for my service. I agreed,” the contractor shrugged. “And here I am.”
Embittered war hero turns against an uncaring government. Doc nodded, the man’s tale had a familiar sound. “And what brings you to my humble abode?”
The assassin smiled thinly. “You had a run-in with the Slayer and her group last year?” Doc grimaced before nodding. Hardly his finest moment. “Excellent. I’ve been contracted by the Watcher’s Council to rub out Mr. Rupert Giles, apparently he’s an embarrassment. Now I’ve got a full file on him but what about his associates?”
“Ah yes,” Doc smiled. He was more than pleased with this turn of events. Since Glory’s demise he’d been hiding out, scurrying from hiding place to hiding place. But once the Watcher was dealt with, the so-called Scooby Gang would be directionless, and a power vacuum created. His smile widening, he sprang to his feet, and turned his back on his guest as he reached onto his book shelves. “I have a file -, argh!”
He screamed as his back exploded in pain and his legs crumpled, sending him plummeting sideways to the floor. His mouth dropped open when the assassin took off his glasses. “Recognise me you bastard?” the man chuckled. “Oh yeah, you do. Remember cutting Dawn so Buff had to do a swan-dive? Well, it’s time to pay the pipe.” The man reached down, grabbed hold of him by the scruff of his neck and the seat of his pants, and, ignoring, his anguished screams, threw him into his open fire. His flesh burning he immediately attempted to roll out of the fireplace but was driven back in by the bullets slamming into his body. “Naughty, naughty demon. Stay where you’re put. I know how tough you are to kill.”
* * *
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Xander let out a rattling sigh before heading out of the door.
Once outside he took a few short breaths, cleansing himself of the foul deed he’d just done. He’d killed demons before, but this… He started as a figure stepped out of the shadows. “Feel good Xan?”
“Faith,” he let out a relieved gasp that turned to a croak when he registered the rage burning in the beautiful brunette’s eyes.
“That feel good Xman?” the Slayer demanded. “That get you going, feeding on your anger like that? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya the first few times it’s a wicked buzz, higher than the most wicked coke, but in the end it consumes you becomes you. Take it from me. If you let it it’ll become ya. And if that happens,” he took a step back at the coldness in the raven-haired beauty’s eyes. “I’ll take ya down. I won’t like it, but I’ll do it to protect Pip and the others.”
She’s Gone 12a – Lightness & Darkness
The blonde pouted as she flung aside the bloodless corpse they’d hitched into town with. “I hate this town,” she whined. “All the time I was alive I wanted to get out. And now you say we have to come back. Why?”
“Because,” Drusilla’s eyes danced with merriment. “They killed our William. Raven’s got to pay the price, and I want my kitten.” Oh, her second Slayer. Just like her dear departed William.
* * *
“And how,” Giles grunted as the ravishing brunette slammed a sidekick into the heavy bag he was holding. “Is Xander these days?”
To his profound relief the sultry Bostonian stopped her assault on the bag and, by proxy, himself instantly and looked up. His glee at his respite died at the tortured look in the girl’s chocolate-brown eyes. “I..I think you should maybe talk to him G,” she confessed, her tone troubled.
“Is he still drinking?” he remembered the night two weeks ago, when he and a practically hysterical Faith had had to call off patrol when Xander hadn’t returned home from work. Eventually they’d found him in a dive that not even Ripper would have been found dead in, and Faith had to knock him out to drag him out of the bar. The idiocy of the bloody boy, getting drunk in Sunnydale was dangerous enough, but when you were the friend of not one, but two, Slayers, it was like painting a soddin’ bull's eye on your back.
“No, he stopped after that night you bawled him out. Now all he does is go to work, come home, eat, and sit in front of the TV. Fuck G, we can go two, three days without speaking and we live in the same goddamn house. Seeing Cornfed pulled him out of his pit, but once he disappeared…. And what he did to the Doc, that wasn’t the Xman.”
“Perhaps you should talk to him,” Giles suggested.
A look of almost comical fear flickered across the raven-haired beauty’s face. “Me?” the former jailbird shook her head vehemently. “Uh, no way Jose. Me and comforting words are like two things that most definitely do not go together. Besides what do I say? There’s plenty of other ex-vengeance demons out there looking for a well-hung stud. Or maybe I should go with -.”
”Please stop,” Giles said hurriedly before the conversation got steadily more
pornographic. “Faith, you’re the person his behaviour is affecting the most,
you should be the one. You’re the one who spends the most time with him.”
Normally he’d suggest Willow, but given their strained relationship….
“G, what the fuck would I say? Get over Anya, ‘cause there’s a super-hot Slayer wanting to back-track? Or how about I go with if your bed’s feeling kinda cold, I wouldn’t mind warming it up for ya? I’m not exactly coming from a place of neutrality here G, besides you’re like his pa, the guy he looks up to.” The brunette fluttered her long eye-lashes and pouted. “Oh please, Mr. English Watcher Guy, please help little ole me,” she said breathlessly.
“Oh bloody hell, first Buffy with the doe eyes and now you,” Giles caved in. He didn’t know why he bothered resisting, they always got what they wanted. Even if Faith was far less convincing at the innocent act than Buffy. “I’ll go round after we close up, okay?”
“Thanks G.” The Slayer beamed at him, he had to admit he did enjoy seeing that smile. Not only was it dazzling in its beauty but it was also a million miles away from the smirk she’d used during her first chaotic run through Sunnydale, further evidence of how much she’d changed. However seeing it also brought with it a stab of bittersweet pain, reminding him of what might have been if this girl had been treated better in her formative years or if he’d been a better mentor to her during her first tour in Sunnydale. A young life almost destroyed by abuse and neglect, neglect that he’d been part of.
Suddenly the Bostonian frowned and glanced at her watch. “Fuck, Ancient Mythology starts in twenty. Gotta motor. You’ll talk to Xman tonight?”
“I’ll talk to Xander,” Giles nodded as the brunette hurried towards the gym door. “Faith, I’m sorry.”
“Uhm?” the brunette looked confused. “About the extra shifts I’m working since Anya shot through?” the Slayer shrugged. “I’m saving for a Harley, I like the job, and I’ve got the ener-.”
“No Faith,” Giles interrupted. “While
your efforts are appreciated here, I’d like to apologise for,” he took a breath,
god this was so hard. “I’m sorry for the way I ignored you the first time you
were in Sunnydale.”
”Hey,” there was a glint of the all-too familiar bitterness in the raven-haired
Slayer’s eyes. “You had B, the golden child. My face didn’t fit,” Faith
shrugged, hurt in her face and her body tense. “Not the first time, won’t be
the last.”
“No Faith,” Giles felt his heart clench, oh bloody hell, did she really think that? “It wasn’t that at all. You scared me,” the supernatural warrior’s eyes widened. He hurried on, anxious to get the words out before he lost his nerve. “You reminded myself of me when I was in my early twenties-.”
“You ever wear a push-up G?”
He decided to ignore the interruption. “In my youth, I was reckless, rebellious, and irresponsible, caring only about having myself and having a good time. I know how such wildness can be addictive and was afraid that you’d bring out that side of me, so I pulled away, not even considering the effect my doing so would have on you. I’m so sorry.”
The raven-haired beauty shrugged again.
“Five by five G, past is -.”
“No it isn’t five by five,” he interrupted, his tone firm. “I failed you most terribly and I can do nothing to repair the damage only to promise be there for you if should ever need me, and to say how proud you should be of the changes you’ve made. The way you interact with the others, the pride you take in your job, and your concern for Xander are all examples of how much you’ve changed.”
The Slayer’s full lips parted in a smirk. “Don’t make me out to be Mother Theresa G. Me worrying about Xan isn’t completely unselfish. I’ve got my reasons.”
“Getting some booty-time perhaps?” Giles suggested with a grin, using one of the terms he’d overhead on one of Dawn’s infernally invasive MTV programs.
Faith snorted in amusement. “Whoa! Getting with the new millennium lingo G?” the sultry Bostonian shook her head. “Nah, it’s when he’s in the dumps, he plays country music all through the house. I’m thinking of staging a break-in, burning his record collection and breaking his cd-player. It’s either that and I kill him and try for justifiable homicide at my trial.”
Giles shuddered. “Country music. You have my profound sympathy.”
* * *
Xander sighed dispiritedly as he shoved his desk drawer apart and stood. He realised the noise from the building site had stopped and glanced at his watch. “Damn it,” he muttered when he realised he should have been home nearly a hour ago, not that it was his home anymore, not really, not without Anya.
When he got home, he knew Faith would be waiting, together with the falsest smile he’d ever seen. Her concern was touching but stifling, not to mention confusing. Half of him wanted to be alone, to wallow in his pain over Anya’s leaving. The other half though wanted to take the opportunity offered by the former demon’s departure to grab Faith and repeat their kiss of a few weeks ago before pulling her into his bedroom, which also made him as guilty as hell. Faith had been used so much in the past, he knew how much the kiss they’d shared had hurt her and he was dammed if he was going to add to a lifetime of pain.
Conscious that night had fallen, Xander slid a pair of stakes into his jacket and slid a plastic bottle of holy water into his outside pocket. Satisfied that he was fully equipped, he hurried out of the cabin and onto the working site, and into hell.
His mouth dried and bile rose in his throat at the carnage that greeted him. All around the site there lay the bodies, scratch that, – all around the site lay the body-parts of his team, eight men who’d worked for him, several that he’d hired himself. Splashes of claret covered the once grey stone ground and the cloying taste of death clung to the previously gritty air. Heart pounding, Xander started to back to his cavern, maybe if he locked his door and called Faith up on his mobile she could get here before whatever -. “Oh shit.”
If his heart had been thundering before, now it threatened to explode out of his chest. Not that, given the beautiful sight approaching him right about now, it was likely to stay there for much longer anyway. “D…Drusilla.”
The vampiress beamed at his croak. “You recognised me.”
Oh yeah, he mused as he edged towards the cabin, he was hardly likely to forget the loon who’d tried to love him to death during the love spell mess. “It’s always a pleasure Dru,” he babbled. He’d managed to charm a 1,100 year old vengeance demon, how hard could one slightly unhinged member of the undead be? “In town for long? A convention maybe, or to meet up with some old friends.” If he could just make it to the cabin, maybe he could hold her off.
Suddenly the vampiress began to waggle a finger, her expression distinctly unamused. “Now kitten,” she scolded. Xander resisted the urge to shake his head, unbelievable he was being told off by a homicidal undead nut-job. Only in Sunnydale. “You hurt my feelings, helping the naughty-girl Slayer kill my William like that. Was most upset I was.”
Xander felt his limbs go weak. She knew, oh boy he was so dead. Xander swallowed, not even Angelus scared him as much as Drusilla, she was so unpredictable. He opened his mouth to speak only to stop when a blonde vampire stepped out of the shadows, an all too familiar sneer in place. “Yeah Xander, you’re so toast.”
Despite his predicament, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Drusilla,” his earlier fear was washed away by a tide of an amusement. “How the mighty have fallen,” he taunted. “From hanging with Angelus and the Scourge of Europe to,” a chortle escaped. “Harmony Kendall?”
“Uhh,” the blonde shook her head, her expression furious. “You’re so going to pay for all those smart-ass remarks in school!”
The former Cordette started forward only to be pulled back by Drusilla. “We don’t dirty our hands,” the raven-haired vampiress scolded her younger counterpart. “We leave all the fighting to our big, strong men. We save ourselves for other types of wrestling.”
Xander swallowed as a trio of vampires stepped out from behind the cabin he’d been edging towards. “Oh shit.” Pulling out the first of his stakes, he stepped sideways to the nearest of the newcomers, and slammed a left into his jaw. Knocked off-balance by his attack, the vampire was helpless to prevent his stake from plunging into his chest.
Hearing a footfall to his left, Xander pulled his bottle of holy water out of his pocket and flung its contents into where he guessed the second vampire was. Grinning slightly at the resulting scream, he turned to face the third vampire and then his world exploded in pain.
* * *
Drusilla beamed down at the body at her feet. Pretty Alex with his ready smile, brave heart, and pained soul, all hers. Suddenly her fellow female vampire pushed past her, her fangs showing. “I told you you’d pay dweeb. I’m going to enjoy eating you, that’ll pay you back for putting those tacks on my chair.”
Eyes rolling back, Drusilla snapped out her hand snapped out to grab Harmony by the scruff of her neck and fling her to the ground. “No touching of kitten,” she remonstrated before crouching down and stroking her new toy’s face. Her cruel minion had bashed his face most nastily, he’d have to pay for that. “Pretty Raven bird is going to watch her bestest friend become one of us,” Drusilla trilled. “And then I’m going to kill her.” Oh what sweet revenge. Standing she glanced towards a pouting Harmony and sighed, kitten had been right. Things weren’t the same without grand-mummy, daddy, and her William.
But maybe with her kitten a new era of terror would dawn.
She’s Gone 12b _ Lightness & Darkness
“Fuck, where is he?” Faith glanced at her watch, precisely thirty seconds after she had last looked at it. “He should have been home by now!” The brunette continued to pace the lounge floor as she had for the last hour, wearing a well-trodden path across the carpet.
“Quite,” Giles agreed with a nod. Shoving away his own feelings of trepidation, he attempted to calm his companion. “Faith, there’s no need to panic. Perhaps he’s working late?”
“Yeah,” the Slayer nodded. “That’ll be it, should have rang, the inconsiderate bastard.” Picking up the phone, the supernatural warrior dialled a number. After a few seconds she threw the phone back down with a curse. “No answer! I swear if he’s gone out drinking, why so help me I’ll-.”
“Faith,” Giles decided it was best to cut off the young woman’s tirade before it got going and she incriminated herself by describing some eye-watering acts of violence she’d like to perpetrate on Xander’s body. He really didn’t want to have to testify against her in open court. “Perhaps you could try his mobile.”
“Yeah,” the brunette nodded in approval. “Good idea G. I knew there had to be a reason we kept you around. It sure as hell ain’t for your looks.”
“That’s not what you said on the event of our first meeting.”
Faith grinned at him as she dialled the
phone. “Girl had to make an impression. I was lying.”
His chuckle died as the colour drained from the Bostonian’s face as the phone was answered and the phone fell through her nerveless fingers. Instantly he was up. “Faith, what’s wrong!”
“A..a woman answered,” the Slayer replied through heaving breaths. “Said she had her kitten, and that he and the pretty blackbird Slayer had to pay for hurting her William.”
“Oh no,” Giles barely breathed. There was only one vampiress that he knew of that talked like that. “Drusilla.”
* * *
Drusilla trilled happily as she disconnected the phone. “Now big bad Slayer knows the price she has to pay,” grabbing hold of Harmony’s arm she dragged her to the bedroom. “Let’s go see our handsome guest, oh such a pretty smile!”
* * *
Xander’s blood froze as he awoke to find himself laid on a four poster bed, flanked by two naked female bodies – normally a situation to savour he imagined, only not when one of them was the vampire formerly known as Harmony Kendall and the other was the queen of all looney-tunes, Lectar’s slightly less sane older sister, Drusilla. “Oh you’re going pay Harris,” suddenly Kendall vamped out before sticking her claws into his side. “I’m going to, ugh -.”
Drusilla’s hand shot across him to grab Harmony by her throat. “Be nice to Alex,” she scolded. Releasing her hold on the blonde vampire, Kendra’s killer began to run her hands over his torso. “Cute Alex with his nice smile. Funny Alex with his jokes. Poor Alex with his nasty daddy who drank too much and hit him,” Xander flinched at the reminder of his childhood. “Brave Xander who stopped daddy from turning poison dwarf Slayer.” The vampiress’ eyes darkened. “Naughty Alex who helped the bad girl Slayer get away with killing my sweet William. Dirty Alex who has crude thoughts about Blackbird Slayer when he’s betrothed to another.”
From somewhere deep inside Xander managed to find his voice. “Now we’ve been through my personal history I’ll be leaving. Which reminds me Dru, I ever make the big time, you’re my biographer. It’s been fun but-.”
He attempted to rise but the wildly giggling vampiress pushed him down on the bed, grabbed him around the neck, and pulled him into a hug, pressing her icy cold face to his. “Oh my kitten I’ve missed you and the silly things you say. I was so worried about you growing old, but now you’re all grown-up I can turn you and we’ll be a happy family, just like me and my William.”
Xander gulped. “Delightful. However I’d like to take a rain-check.”
Suddenly Drusilla pulled away from him, a look of petulance on her ethereal features. “It’s impolite to refuse kitten,” she scolded. “And rude boys have to be punished.”
* * *
“Faith! Faith! Faith!” At his third bellow of her name the Slayer looked up at him, her eyes teary. “Pull yourself together woman,” he snapped. Firm was definitely the way to go, of course if he annoyed her too much… Well his medical insurance was fully paid up, although how which part of the policy covered beatings from distraught Slayers... “All these hysterics aren’t helping Xander,” he scolded, his resolute tone giving no hint of his own terror. “What we need to is round up the others and find Drusilla.”
After a second the East Coast native nodded slowly. “Five by five,” she wiped at her eyes. “Willy’s?”
“Willy’s,” he confirmed.
* * *
Willy’s heart dropped when his bar’s double-doors crashed open and the raven-haired Slayer strode through into his suddenly hushed drinking-hole. It wasn’t fair, why did all Slayers have to be such babes? If they were ugly it would make hating them so much easier. The supernatural demon hunter looked left and right even as her companions, the two girls with crossbows, the Englishman with a shotgun, and the floppy-eared demon hanging to the back, his expression uncomfortable yet determined, entered. Suddenly the raven-haired beauty moved, her shapely form a blur as she lunged forward, the point of her sword tearing through the nearest demon’s head. A second later her kill hit the ground. For a second there was hushed silence as the babe surveyed the body then looked up. Willy bit back a groan at the intense flicker in her eyes. “Our business is with Willy. Anyone who’s not out of here in thirty seconds is dead meat. G?”
“Thirty,” intoned the Watcher.
By the time the Englishman had counted down to ‘five’, the bar was empty. That dangerous gleam still in her eyes, the brunette started over to him. “Hey Slayer, given any more thought to that centrefold work?” Willy tried for a smile, the effort spoilt by the sweat pouring down his face. It was a crime against humanity, beautiful women shouldn’t be so frightening. Instead of replying the hottie grabbed a chair and flung it into his jukebox. “Hey!” Willy yelled, not even stolen jukeboxes came cheap.
“Here’s the situation,” the Englishman explained, his courteous tone at odds with the bedlam being dealt out by his charge who was now busy snapping his pool cues and driving them through the walls. “We require some information. If we get it, we leave peacefully,” Willy winced as a chair was flung through a window. “If we don’t,” the Watcher shrugged, his expression vaguely regretful. “Then once she’s finished with your bar, we’ll leave, and she’ll start with you.” The limey leaned forward and whispered, his tone conspiratorial. “She has anger management issues.”
“W..What do you want to know?”
Suddenly the Slayer hurdled the counter to land next to him. “Where’s that bitch Drusilla?”
Drusilla? Willy swallowed, he didn’t think it was possible for anybody to scare him more than the woman in front of him but it was a close run thing between her and the mad vampiress. “I don’t-, ugh.”
His words were cut off by the Slayer picking him up by his throat. “Once,” the hottie said, her tone conversational but the look in her eyes anything but. “I nearly strangled a guy to death, and I really liked him. You, you’re a piece of scum, now talk before I get real inventive.”
The brunette dropped him onto the floor. “Y..yeah Drusilla,” he gasped. “She’s running with a gang of maybe ten vampires down at the docks, the old Saeborn’s factory.”
“Thanks, and Will,” he looked up at the Slayer. “Next time I ask a question, just answer it, okay?”
* * *
“You know the plan?” the others nodded at her question. Faith took a breath, he had to be alright, he just had to be. If he was dead or turned…. Faith swallowed. B thought she had it bad when Angel went bad but at least she had a ton of people who cared for her – Joyce, Dawn, G-Man, Xan, and Willow. She’d never had anyone who made her feel like Xman did.
“He’ll be alright.”
Faith smiled weakly at her Watcher’s whisper. “Sure he will.” Raising a foot, she slammed a heel into the front door, the force of her attack splintered the rotting wood and propelling the door open. Forcing a look of confidence on her face, she sauntered in, flanked by Giles and Tara, Dawn bringing up the rear.
Bile rose in her throat at the sight that greeted her, Xander dangling by his arms from the roof, his naked chest criss-crossed with whip-marks, his eyes glassy with pain, and blood dripping from his mouth. But, her heart leapt, he was still alive.
In an instant the two females by her suspended room-mate turned towards the invaders, and another eight moved from the back of the warehouse. “Almost three to one,” Faith muttered. Not good odds, especially as one of her best fighters was hung unconscious from the ceiling. She’d have to stall until her secret weapon was in position. “So you’re Dru uh?” she gestured towards the raven-haired woman, kinda pretty she guessed, scrawny though. “You’re the big bad vampiress who killed the Slayer before me uh,” Faith smiled. “Guess I got you to thank for the kick-ass powers. Thanks, shame you had to come to my burgh, I’m queen of the castle, can’t be two of.”
In answer, the vampiress began to trill hysterically, oh yeah definitely a few sandwiches sort of a picnic. “Note to self, thank Fang for this one when you see him,” Faith muttered.
“Ah, it’s sweet like Romeo and Juliet it is.” The brunette commented, her accent distinctly cockney. “Kind Alex, too scared of using pretty lost girl won’t admit his feelings. Beautiful Raven, so scared of all her pain inside won’t open her heart to let another in.”
Faith felt her cheeks flame. “Well this is fucking embarrassing,” she muttered before raising her voice. “Didn’t realise you were the undead version of Dr. Ruth.” God, she hoped Clem got his ass into gear, if this nutjob started detailing what exactly she’d like to Xander, well Dru wouldn’t have to kill her, she’d probably die on the spot.
The vampiress giggled. “Could almost feel sorry for star-crossed lovers,” Drusilla’s face fell and her eyes hardened. “’Cept nasty Slayer killed my William,” Faith’s heart stopped at Dawn's choked sob behind her, she was so in the shit now, “and mean Alex helped her cover it up.”
At that second Clem burst through the rotten wood at the back of the warehouse, about ten seconds too fucking late for Faith, but she’d just have to deal with the sitch afterwards. Bursting forward she grabbed hold of a swinging arm, pulled its owner into a knee to the gut, and, as the vampire doubled up, drove her sword downwards through her opponent’s neck. Another vampire stepped in front of her, blocking her path to her Xander, Faith feinted with a sidekick, then, when the vampire dodged to the side, smoothly decapitated him.
Even as she charged the last few feet separating her from Xander, Drusilla stepped in front of her and slammed a tooth-loosening right into her jaw, knocking her right on her ass. Shaking the cobwebs from her head, she leapt to her feet, and, realising she’d dropped her sword, dipped a lightning fast hand into her jacket and pulled out her stake. Leaping forward, she plunged her stake downwards.
Only to be grabbed by her arm and flung to the ground again. Hitting the floor on her shoulder, Faith rolled up to her feet, ducked a hook, and came up inside her adversary’s defences only to stop dead when she looked into the insane woman’s mesmerising eyes. “Pretty Slayer,” Drusilla murmured, her soft tone hypnotic, from somewhere Faith heard the unimportant sound of her stake rattling to the ground. “So beautiful, even more gorgeous than the first. Will your blood taste nicer I wonder.” Faith leaned her head over to the side to give the vampiress easier access to her artery. “Oh thank you my sweet,” the vampiress whispered. Faith wanted to tell the vampiress it was fine, she wanted to be eaten by her but buddenly the vampire exploded in dust, shaking her head clear Faith saw Dawn stood behind her, a pistol crossbow in hand and a grim unreadable expression on her face.
“Thanks, ow!” Faith rubbed at her jaw when Pip slammed a fist into her chin, those boxing lessons she was giving the kid were obviously paying off, unfortunately for her. “Dawn, I can explain-.”
“You killed him!”
“Dawn,” a stern-faced Giles interrupted. “Our priority is Xander and his injuries. We’ll discuss this back at the Magic Box,” the angry teen opened her mouth only to snap it closed at a look from Giles. Somehow Faith got the idea this wasn’t over.
* * *
“How could you kill him! You say you’ve changed but you’re still the bitch you always were!” Dawn screamed at her, tears streaming down the teen’s face as they sat in the training room of the Magic Box. Why G hadn’t let her take Xander straight home Faith had no idea.
“I was only-.”
“What was it? Jealous that Buffy actually liked him?” Faith felt a stab of hurt. That was so unfair she’d done it to protect them all. Spike was like a mad dog whose leash could fail at any time. “Thought he was worth more than a murdering sl-.”
“THAT IS ENOUGH!”
Dawn jumped at her Watcher’s roar. The look on her face defiant, the pretty brunette spun around to face the Englishman. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” she demanded. “They killed Spike!”
“Yes,” Giles nodded. “Faith killed
Spike. She killed a highly dangerous vampire who had slain two of her
predecessors.”
The teen’s mouth dropped open. “You’re on their side? He’d changed!”
“Had he?” Giles demanded, the Englishman rubbed furiously at his glass lenses before continuing. “When did he get his soul? The memo relating to that must have been misplaced.”
“He cared about us!” the teen protested.
“Oh he cared alright,” Giles sighed. “Wait there,” the Englishman disappeared out of the gym leaving behind a tense atmosphere while Dawn glared whole-heartedly at them. After a few minutes G thankfully returned, clasping a handful of papers. “Read these.”
Dawn’s expression of confusion changed to one of horror as she read the sheets. After she’d read three sheets, Giles gently took the papers out of the girl’s hands. Faith shared a confused look with Xander, what was on those sheets? “T..that’s sick.”
“Yes it is,” Giles tore the sheets up and threw them in the bin. “After Faith killed Spike she came across them when clearing his crypt out. I kept them as evidence should you ever find out , of the sort of creature you were defending. It was quite apparent that should his chip have failed you were to be his first target, if he couldn’t have your sister he would have at least have you. Tara could you take Dawn home?”
Faith waited until the door had shut behind the two women before speaking. “What were they G?”
“B..but we cleaned the place out,” Faith commented. “No poetry about Dawn.”
“Poems written by Spike detailing what he’d like to do to Dawn.”
Giles nodded. “I faked them as insurance in case Dawn ever found out about your actions. I’ve seen enough of the doggerel that Spike called rhyme to forge some.”
Faith raised an eyebrow, but it was Xander who spoke. “Showing them to Dawn was a little harsh G.”
“Was it?” Giles said hoarsely. “I have little doubt that should Spike’s chip have failed he would have returned to his old ways, with us as his first targets. I didn’t like what I did, but I’d rather Dawn read such things than experience them first hand. I always disagreed with Buffy keeping Spike around, especially after the Angel situation,” Faith tensed slightly, she couldn’t blame her Watcher for loathing her mentor, not after what Angelus had done to G’s girl, but she hated the disdain in the Englishman’s tone. “My only regret is that you acted unilaterally rather than consulting with me beforehand. Seven o’clock tomorrow?”
“Five by five G.” Once the Watcher had left, Faith turned to Xander, her heart pounding nervously. “Xman, what Dru said it was true right?” Xander nodded. “I’m interested too, so if you wanna we could go back, break your bed?”
Xander chuckled. “I’m sort of not in the condition for that besides,” her friend hesitated. “We’ve done the wild monkey sex thing before. How about we start off the right way, with a date?”
Faith smiled, her body filling with a warm glow. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
* * *
Willow smiled as she entered the dingy basement, she’d heard that one of her childhood tormenters was back in town and using a simple tracking spell had traced her prey to the basement of a house in Sunnydale's less exclusive neighbourhoods. “Time for some payback bitch.” Sensing a presence in the shadows to her left, she spun round, bringing up her hand. “IMMOBILISE!”
Instantly the blonde vampire came to a halt, held fast by bands of air. “H…hi Willow.”
Willow’s shark-like smile widened. “Why hello my old nemesis.”
Harmony looked insulted. “Nemesis? I’m not your nemesis, I just hated you is all.”
Willow’s rolled eyes back. It seemed being undead hadn’t improved Harmony’s intelligence. Still, Willow smiled cruelly, Harmony still had that body. After muttering a compulsion spell she released the vampire and uttered an order. “Undress.”
The next few hours were an ecstasy for Willow and an agony for her childhood bully. First came the bull-whipping with the whip dipped in holy water, next a crucifix was pressed into the wounds, next the vampire was compelled to eat garlic while being beaten with baseball bat, and finally a blowtorch was applied to her hands and feet.
Willow stepped away from the crumpled vampire, pleased with what she’d achieved. She’d actually made a vampire sob for mercy, Buffy would have been so proud. Next was Faith, next she’d pay for her deeds, then her deceased friend would be really pleased. Reaching down she started to examine the vampiress’ body, a wicked thought occurring as she realised that Harmony’s injuries had already begun to heal. She had to be made to suffer like she had – a simple killing was too easy. Willow smiled as the solution hit her, oh yes eternal torment.
“It occurs to me that you never showed the slightest remorse for what you did to me.”
“I’m sorry,” the blonde sobbed.
“Hush,” Willow lifted a bottle filled with holy water. Instantly her former class-mate fell silent. “I think there’s something lacking in bullies, people like you. So I’m going to be generous, I’m going to give you that something. Now what do you,” she allowed a ball of fire to appear in her left hand. “Say?”
“T..Thank y..you.”
“Good girl.” Willow nodded in appreciation as another thought hit her. “I always admired your hair, so beautiful and golden. Pull it out at the root.” After a second the spell kicked in and the blood-sucker began tearing handfuls of her hair out. “From now on, you’ll have a soul, but only in the hours of day like now, at night you’ll be able to hunt freely, but at dawn, you’ll have to hide. Not to glory in the carnage you’ve created but to wallow the guilt and self-loathing of the lives you’ve ruined.” Willow smiled at the blonde’s look of horror, even as the former cheerleader continued to pull out her hair. “Let’s start right about now.”
Willow walked out of the dingy basement, the blonde’s horror-ridden screams sweet music to her ears.
She’s Gone (13A/?)
Linwood Murrow smiled as the last of the junior partners finished his report. “Excellent Gavin, real initiative. Now, I’m sure you’re all just raring to get back to work, so let’s get to it!” He waited until everyone was filing out of the room before speaking. “Lilah, could you stay behind please?”
“Certainly sir.”
He savoured the look of fear that flickered across the lawyer’s icily beautiful features. He idly treasured the thought of how far the uppity bitch would go to protect her shapely behind. Pushing the temptation away in favour of more immediate and important matters, he motioned for his subordinate to sit down. After a nervous glance at the boardroom door, as if expecting one of the company’s assassins to come through it, his junior obeyed. “Ever since Lindsey’s unfortunate defection, you’ve more than kept Special Projects running smoothly. However,” he sighed theatrically. He did so enjoy dragging these things out, savouring the tension in the air and the fear on his subordinate’s face. Why if he dragged it out for a little longer, Little Miss Superior would be on her knees begging for mercy. “A case from your past continues to worry the senior partners.”
Lilah licked her lips, her eyes nervous. “Which case?”
He relished the slight tremble in Morgan’s voice for a few seconds before replying. “This one,” he pushed a thick manila folder across the desk. “Both your performance and the case outcome are most unsatisfactory.”
After glancing down at the folder, the lawyer swallowed. “Mistakes were made-.”
“Please,” Linwood shook his head. “No excuses. The senior partners were willing to let this failure,” he spat out the word disdainfully. “Pass without mention. But with your unauthorised hiring of an assassin who failed to kill the traitor you lost our firm a lot of face amongst the demon community. A great deal.”
“I was trying to send out a message.”
Linwood chuckled. “Please, Lillah. Don’t bother, I know exactly why you did what you did. You did it because you’re a petty vindictive bitch who can’t bear somebody getting one over you. The Slayer’s continued good-health gives you gas-.”
”Mr. -.”
”That was a compliment,” he interrupted. His smile widened at the woman’s fuming face. “What? You don’t surely think it was merely your law school grades that got you this position do you?” he sniggered. “Dear, your grades were exceptional, but it was your reputation as a cold-hearted, manipulative schemer that got you the job. But,” all semblance of humour left his face as his eyes bored into Morgan’s. “If you leave this issue with Faith unresolved, then the Senior Partners could well order a case by case review. And given your past association with Mr. MacDonald I wouldn’t bet on the verdict being a favourable one.”
Morgan swallowed. “I’ll get right on it.”
Murrow nodded curtly before standing. His message had been received. “See that you do Ms. Morgan, see that you do.”
* * *
“Good night stud?”
Xander’s heart caught as he looked down at his date for the evening, her arm wrapped around his waist, and imprisoned by her beguiling brown eyes and trademark lop-sided smile. She looked amazing as always, dressed in a sequined black silk shirt and matching loose-fitting trousers. “The best Faith,” he smiled, he couldn’t believe how easy he’d found the conversation tonight. Usually with beautiful girls on a first date he was a babbling moron, but somehow Faith had disarmed him, made it seem so natural.
The brunette grinned back at him. “Yeah, my date knows how to treat a girl.” She winked. “Based on what Dawn told me, I was figuring that we would end up at Doublemeat Burger.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Now I’m offended. That’s strictly for second dates.”
Faith snorted. “Take me to Doublemeat buddy, and I’ll rip your prick off.”
Xander chuckled. “You’re really not up on dating etiquette are you?”
Even as he finished speaking he regretted his words, seeing the pain that shadowed his companions. He winced, cursing him for his stupidity at rubbing Faith’s face in her past. Even as he opened his mouth to apologise, the Slayer turned to him, pulled his head down towards her until her could feel her breath on her face. “This is what you want?”
He moaned as Faith slid her hot, moist tongue into his mouth, crushing her lips against his. After a second he pulled away. “No, no.” Seeing the disappointment on the sultry Bostonian’s face, he tried to explain. “Faith, every relationship,” the girl snorted derisively at the word. “Every relationship you’ve ever had has been about the physical stuff. Let’s get to know each other first-.”
The Slayer shrugged, the all-too familiar armour falling back into place. “Hey girl knows her skills – fighting and fucking. Gotta stick at what she’s good at.”
Suddenly Xander felt an almost uncontrollable anger, not at the east coast native, but at those who’d programmed her to think like that. “Bullshit Faith,” he growled, his tone making the Slayer flutter her long eyelashes. “You’re doing pretty good at college. According to Giles you’re damn good in shop. Dawn idolises you and Tara thinks you’re a great friend.” He forced a smile. “As for the sex, yeah as I remember it there’s nothing like a Slayer.” His remark caused a half-smile. “But let’s wait until it’s not about the moment, until it’s about us.” Damn, he wasn’t explaining this well.
Despite his bumbling explanation the Slayer grinned. “Yeah,” Faith nodded. “Waiting to make it special, sounds pretty good to me too. But making out’s cool, right?”
He smiled back at his girlfriend. “It’s practically encouraged.”
“Oh yeah?” Faith winked before flicking her hair behind her head. “In that-.”
The Bostonian bombshell was interrupted by the sound of clapping from the shadows. “Oh stop,” proclaimed a lanky demon with a blue-grey skin and a horn sticking out of his pointed chin. “You’re making me ill.”
Xander glanced at Faith. Oh boy, he swallowed, his date looked pissed. “You guys are actually dumb enough to start looking for me now? What is it a hobby?” she scoffed. “Are you a fucking ‘tard?”
The smirk left the demon’s huge mouth. “Actually Slayer, I’m here on assignment from Wolfram & Hart, your continued fighting on the whitehats’ side is a source of considerable embarrassment to them. So,” Xander’s eyes narrowed as the demon pulled out a hand-sized black pentagram. “I’ve been sent to rectify this situation.”
“Oh yeah,” Faith raised a challenging eyebrow. “How’s that?”
”Like this!” Suddenly a crimson light erupted out of the centre of the
pentagram and towards the Slayer. Without thought for his own safety, Xander
slammed into his friend’s side, knocking her away from the attack and himself
into the beam. Suddenly his world erupted in pain.
* * *
“Fuck X!” Faith’s voice tailed off as she looked up to see her boyfriend convulsing desperately in the light, his scream ripping the flesh from her ears. Stunned by the terrible sight she was unable to move until the light suddenly stopped. To her surprise, Xander didn’t fall but just stood staring at the demon. “Xan, you five by five?”
Her friend didn’t answer her, choosing instead to start towards the demon.
* * *
Klec stared down at the pentagram, cursing as he watched it re-load. Wolfram & Hart had said it would be a simple mission, just aim the weapon at the Slayer, fire, and wait for it to take effect. But then that damn fool boy had jumped in the way. “Hey asshole.”
Klec looked up into the face of death.
* * *
Faith blinked as Xander slammed a knifehand into the demon’s throat before following up with a barrage of punches to its scaly face. The demon attempted to retaliate with an overhand right, but Xander dodged beneath the attack before smashing an uppercut into the monster’s unprotected armpit while at the same time sweeping the creature’s legs beneath him.
The monster hit the ground with a thud and a groan. Before it had time to make its feet, Xander was knelt on top of it. Faith fought down the bile that rose in her throat when Xander grabbed out of the creature’s horn, tore it out of its chin, and shoved the tip into its eyes. The monster’s scream was cut off when Xander grabbed its head and twisted, snapping its neck.
“That was major intense, X.” Heart pounding, Faith moved over to her boyfriend. “We needed him alive to see what you were zapped with.”
She took a step when Xander turned his cold gaze on her. “Why bother? I feel great, demon dead. What’s the problem? You not paying attention Slayer?”
“Xan,” it was an effort to keep her tone calm in the face of her companion’s disdain. “We need to get you home.”
“What for?” Xander raised an eyebrow. “I thought I told you earlier, not interested.”
“X, just -.”
“You know,” Xander’s voice overrode her. “If it isn’t one bitch Slayer, its another giving orders. Well I’m sick of it. Now Kendra,” there was nothing friendly in Xander’s wink. “There was a bitch who knew her place. She had potential, nice body, with a little bit of training, man the things…. But no, she had to go and get herself killed. And what do we get in her place? A psycho who’ll open her legs for anyone.”
“X.” Faith felt as if she’d been
punched in the stomach. “You don’t mean that.”
“Ah shut yer yapping,” Xander growled. “I’m gonna have me some fun. Ya know with a slut who might give me an itch but won’t try and strangle me. See ya.”
For the longest time Faith stared at the man’s departing back, her eyes brimming with tears and her world shattering around her.
* * *
Giles whistled to himself as he left the coffee house, his guitar case in his hand. Tonight’s performance, a eclectic set of acoustic Beatles, Dylan, Stones, and the Doors tracks had gone barnstormingly well. And it always did a man’s ego good to be approached by girls maybe two decades his junior asking for his number.
His good mood evaporated as he noted a sobbing figure across the street. Her stumbling gait was a million miles away from her usual loose-limbed stalk and her face was obscured by her raven tresses, but there was something that told him it had to be his Slayer. And without Xander. Which either meant they had an argument or, even more unpalatable, his son was lying dead or injured somewhere, victim of one of Sunnydale’s many demons . “Faith!” the Slayer either didn’t hear or didn’t want to hear his cry. “FAITH!” Realising that the Bostonian wasn’t going to acknowledge him, he started across the road, cursing the cars that dared to block his route.
* * *
Tears streaming down her face, Faith stormed into the Magic Box. “BASTARD!” her pain-filled scream shattered the shop’s silence as she flung the pentagram the length of the room to imbed itself in the wall. The act of violence gave her no satisfaction. One guy, why couldn’t she find just one decent guy? Was it her? Even before she became a Slayer she’d attracted nothing but Hell’s Angels, crims, and lowlifes – Boston’s scum. She had the goods physically, had her ma been right, was there something about her that was wrong? Was it her fault?
Unable to find the answers she sought inside her, Faith strode through into the gym and began hitting the training bag, tears still obscuring her vision.
* * *
“Faith?” the silly girl had forgotten to lock the door behind her, but given the state she’d appeared to be in he could forgive her that. Seeing no sign of his charge and noting the gym light on he started towards the back room only to stop at the object he saw imbedded in the wall beside the dojo door. His entire body suddenly sweating, Giles hurried to make a closer inspection. His heart sank as his first thought was confirmed. “Oh bollocks.” A rogue Slayer, not good at all.
She’s Gone (13B/?)
Xander grinned as he flung the bar door open, man he’d never felt so alive as he did at this moment in time. He looked around the dingy bar, his lip curling with disdain as he saw all the demons, vampires, and assorted human scum. “Well, I did say I’d raise some hell,” he muttered before starting inside.
“Hey blood-bag!” he turned to see a vampire that, judging from his disco style clothing, had been turned in the late seventies glaring at him. “You’re awful ballsy coming in here without the Slayer to watch your back!”
Xander smiled, pushed aside the side of
the duster he’d stolen from a drunk, lifted the shotgun he’d stolen from a
sporting goods store and fired. The incendiary shells hit the surprised vampire
in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground, his chest ablaze. He waited
until the shrieking vampire had died before speaking. “Don’t need the Slayer.”
He turned his gaze to Willy. “Set them up barkeep,” he ordered brusquely before
pushing his duster back to reveal the Desert Eagle under his shoulder to the
suddenly hushed bar crowd. “Anyone thinking of starting trouble don’t.”
“W..what’ll it be Xander?” asked the shaking bartender.
A snarl on his lips, Xander lunged across the counter, his free hand encircling the bar owner’s throat and squeezing until the stupid little prick went blue. “Xander?” he growled. “I don’t answer to Xander to anyone least of all you, you stupid little shit. My name is,” he shoved the muzzle of his shotgun into the bartender’s stomach, smiling slightly at the urine pooling between the man’s legs. “Sir. Get that?” the bartender nodded and wheezed. After a final squeeze, he released his grip, shoving the man backwards into the shelves of drinks behind him, knocking several bottles to the floor. “I’ll have some Daniels, and,” he smiled. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
* * *
“Soddin’ marvellous,” Giles stared down at the coal black pentagram he’d spent the last ten minutes cutting out of the wall. He had hoped he’d been incorrect about the device but a closer inspection of the object, especially the silver emblem in its centre depicting two heads facing away from one another on its base, only confirmed his suspicions. The rogue Slayer was back, and through no fault of her own. “Why,” he growled as he loaded the shotgun he kept behind the counter. “Can’t that girl catch a bloody break?” After a second, he squared his shoulders. No matter who’s fault it was, he knew his duty. He’d failed to protect Xander, he couldn’t, wouldn’t, likewise fail to safeguard Dawn and Tara.
* * *
Clem watched his friend from the shadows, worry growing. Xander wasn’t himself, no not at all, he wasn’t a bully who randomly put pellets through the bar, sending customers scurrying. Gathering his courage, he strode up to the man. “Hello Xander,” he tried for a cheery tone.
The man didn’t bother to turn to face him. “Clem.” Stone had more emotion in it than his friend’s greeting.
”This isn’t the place for you Xan-.”
“The name ‘s sir,” the voice reminded him.
Clem blinked. “Sorry, sir. Say,” he remembered something. “Didn’t you have a date with Faith tonight?” he remembered how excited his friend had been. She tried to act casual, like it was no big deal, but he knew how she really felt about Xander, he was so happy for her.
Xander snorted. “Done that been there.
Seen what she has to offer,” he shrugged. “Fancy something a little bit
classier than trailer trash.”
”Hey!” Clem was angry now. He shouldn’t say those things about Faith. “Faith’s
a nice girl!”
“Have you been paying attention saggy?” Xander scoffed, now he turned to face him. Clem resisted the urge to shudder at the coldness that had replaced the usual humour in Xander’s eyes. “She’s nothing but a murdering ex-jailbird who’s only decent attribute is her easy access. Unless,” Xander’s lips curled up into a cruel smile. “Has Clemmy got a yen for a bit of Slayer? Hey, if you got twenty dollars to spare she’s all yours bud.”
Clem trembled with fury, if he didn’t know there was something wrong with Xander. “That’s not nice! I’m warning you-.”
“No,” Xander cut him off with a gun muzzle in his face. “I’m warning you. Stay away from me, demon. You’re lucky that you’re such a wuss, otherwise I’d blow your fucking head off. But you’re not worth the ammo.” Suddenly the man laughed. “I’ve got an itch that needs scratching, I need a real woman. One who’ll wriggle a little.” Suddenly the man lurched to his feet. “See ya Will.”
“What about your bill?” The bartender paled at a look from Xander. “Never mind.”
Xander chuckled. “Always said you weren’t completely stupid. Not completely.” The man started towards the door then stopped, turned and fired a round through the jukebox causing it to explode. “I hate your taste in music,” he declared. “Get some death metal in for next time.”
Willy’s adam’s apple bobbled up and down. “Will do sir.”
“Good man,” Xander nodded before sauntering out of the hushed bar.
“Better make sure he doesn’t get in trouble,” Clem swallowed before standing and hurrying after his friend. And better stay back, far back.
* * *
“Faith,” the brunette turned away from destroying the practice dummy, parts of it lay strewn across the dojo floor, and towards him, her eyes red and her cheeks puffy. Giles’ brow furrowed, this wasn’t how he’d expected her to react given what he knew about the Gornash. “What have you done to Xander?”
The Bostonian let out a brittle laugh, apparently oblivious to the shotgun he was pointing at her. “What have I done? Yeah, it’s always me isn’t it G? Always my fucking fault!” the brunette’s voice trembled with pain. The east coast native shook her head. “We were out having a good time, the best night of my life, then suddenly he’s telling me I’m a worthless slut who might be good in the sack but that’s all I’m worth. I thought he was different, I thought I could really fall for him!”
“Oh bollocks,” Giles muttered as the pieces of the jigsaw began to reassemble themselves. Maybe, just maybe things weren’t as he’d assumed. He lifted the Gornash. “What happened with this?”
After a second the Slayer’s bleary eyes focussed on the magical artefact. “That?” the brunette shrugged. “Some demon from Wolfram & Hart turned up, fired it at me, Xander knocked me out of the way, took the blast full on.” Giles winced, he’d nearly come in all guns blazing, killing an innocent. “Killed the demon, tore it to pieces actually, then,” the Slayer’s bottom lip began to tremble. “Told me what a cheap bitch I was before walking off.”
“Oh Faith,” unloading the shotgun and resting it against the dojo wall, he hurried over to the crying girl and took her in his arms, allowing her to sob onto his shoulder. “It wasn’t Xander saying those things, not really.”
“Uh?” the brunette looked up at him, her face confused. “I think I know what Harris looks like by now G.”
“But you also say he was hit by the blast from this?” again he lifted the Gornash.
“Yeah,” Faith confirmed with a nod. “But it must have been set to only hurt me or another Slayer, ‘cause it didn’t do shit to Xander.”
“Actually, I’m rather afraid it did,” he swallowed, Faith wasn’t going to like this at all, he was rather regretting putting the shotgun down right about now. ”You see the Gornash-.”
“What the fuck’s a Gornash?”
“This,” he indicated the device. “The Gornash was created by a civilisation that pre-dates history to punish wrong-doers. It essentially reverses its target’s conscience.”
“You’re losing me G.”
Seeing that the Slayer wasn’t in the best frame of mind for receiving information he decided to simplify matters. “The Gornash changes a person’s perspective. If the target is a good person, then being hit by the beam will turn them utterly evil.”
“S…so it wasn’t Xander’s fault?”
Giles squeezed the east coast native’s shoulders. “It wasn’t his fault,” he reassured her, his heart aching at how lost and little she looked.
“And this spell can be broken right?” she asked.
“Yes,” he nodded. “But,” he hesitated.
“But what G?” the Slayer’s still watery eyes hardened at his continued reticence. “Damn it G!”
“If we don’t perform the reversal ritual
within 24 hours then the change will be permanent, and Xander’s behaviour will
continue to deteriorate.”
Fear flickered across the Slayer’s face but after a second it disappeared, leaving in its place cold determination. “That’s not going to happen.”
Giles smiled, heartened by his Slayer’s resolve. “I concur. I’ll have to get in touch with Tara, I’ll need her help for the spell.”
Faith smiled then looked worried. “G,
how do we find Xan-.”
The gym door burst open, interrupting the Slayer. “Oh yes,” Giles muttered sarcastically as he looked over his shoulder. “Please do come in Clem.”
“Faith! Mr. Giles!” the floppy eared demon had an alarmed look on his face. Not that one could especially tell given the alienness of his features. “Xander’s in big trouble!”
* * *
“The Bronze?” Xander shook his head as
he shouldered his way to the front of the queue of ‘Toyko Jo’s’, Sunnydale’s it
spot, ignoring the angry looks he got. “How childish was I?” He smiled
slightly as the two brawny bouncers stepped in front of him, barring his way.
They might have the brawn but did they have the will to use it.”
“There’s a queue and you’re not following the dre-, ugh.” The balding bouncer fell against the door as Xander slammed a knee into his groin and a fist into his throat. The other bouncer, a short but powerfully-built African-American, started forward, but his speed was no match to a man who’d sent five years fighting vampires. Driving the point of his elbow sideways, he grinned at the sound of bone breaking as his elbow collided with the man’s jaw. Snatching hold of the dazed man’s pony-tail, he drove him face-first into the wall. The man let out a groan before slumping to the ground.
Feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders, he drove his head backwards into his adversary’s mouth and his left heel down onto the man’s face. Chuckling slightly at his rival’s yelp, he spun round and head-butted him again, this time shattering the bridge of his nose. The instant the man hit the floor, Xander kicked him in the ribs, laughing at the resulting crack.
After stepping over the crumpled body of the fight’s late arrival, he made his way over to the first bouncer who was still struggling to make his way to his feet, his breath coming in desperate wheezes. “Hey asshole,” his foot slammed into the man’s jaw, the force of the blow knocking the back of the man’s head into the wall. “Stay down.”
“Pathetic,” smiling proudly he started through the double doors, the crowd behind him hushed. Oh, this was power.