[All characters are the creative and intellectual property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8
Episode 1: All's Quiet on the Eastern Front, Part 1
High in the sky, the full moon lends its face to the narrow gravel road. But the light can only give so much. Either side of this well-worn trail is engulfed by dark forest. No kind greenery or soft bird calls here; there is only silent, black night. The wind tussles the thin branches of the spindly pine trees. They trill the moon's light on the faces of two girls sitting cross legged and side-by-side on the body of the road. And they are not the only travelers. A yellow school bus stands still and dead in front of them, which is surrounded by a couple of onlookers who stare worriedly at it with agonized and tired eyes. Someone has crawled underneath its belly to have a look at ts insides. One girl speaks to the other in a quiet, resigned voice.
"We should have left. We should have just gone with Shannon." The other girl, takes a deep breath and looks up at the sky. Girl number one continues. "I mean, what the hell are we still doing this for? This damn cross-country road trip from hell. Traipsing all 'round looking for other girls. Other slayers." She pauses and looks at girl number two. "Well, where are they?"
"No one said this was going to be easy."
"Yeah well, I thought after- literally- battling at the gates of hell, risking our lives, becoming something I never necessarily had to become-and don't look at me like I actually had some sort of actual choice when that day came- I thought that after all of that, we would, I don't know, earn some respect from the world. But, look around? Nobody knows what happened, to me, to you. All's quiet over here man. And everybody thinks it was a sink-hole that swallowed up that town. And that shit they made up about L.A..."
"What, you sad now cause the president didn't wanna shake your hand?"
"I could have scooted out of that whole mess. I could have left with my family. Hell, I coulda been at Disney World waving from the top of Space Mountain down at your asses while you died one by one. Instead, I chose to fight. And for what? A whole lotta help these turned-potential bitches have been. Politely telling us to shove our righteousness where it don't shine and then turning off their porch lights until we pass. Instead of being heralded as we damn well should be, we are God's worst plague to them."
"We are an omen of burden, Rona. Some of the girls so far have been, what 15? 14? One of them was 12." Rona steadies her voice. "All I'm saying Vi, is that we can't have a crusade without crusaders. And this shit, this shit right here with these folks and this bus; this shit is getting tired. Real tired. I don't even know where we are on the map anymore and I don't care."
Violet gazes back up at that fat white moon and the forest-top swaying with its light. "We're in North Carolina. Just above Georgia." Rona lets a peaceful swell of silent night fall between them. A moment of repose. Then there comes the brash clanging of tools ringing out of the inside of the yellow school bus.
"So," Violet sighs, "are you leaving?"
"Soon," Rona pushes herself off the ground and stands up into the shadows of the trees. "Real soon."
With a gargled rumble the engine turns over, opening its head lights to the road that flows out like a river in front of them. "Got it!" Xander crawls out from underneath the engine. "I knew it. With just a little bit of elbow grease, and well, actual grease we would get this mean machine going!" As he slaps the hood down the driver side mirror hits the ground with a loud clank.
"And don't forget about all the little people who helped," Dawn says holding up a red tool box, "you know, those who held the tools and allowed you to exert your usually repressed masculinity." Xander stands a little taller. "Repressed? how about beaten into bloody submission by the presence of a multitude of female-lady friends who could have lifted this bus and walked with it to a mechanic shop."
"Except for me," Dawn says with a grin.
"Except for you Dawny," Xander gives her a weary smile and takes the tool box from her.
Wood hops from the steps of the school bus door, part of the door swinging off of a broken hinge. "Yeah, never thought there would be a time when I wouldn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous young women." Xander hand's Wood the tool box.
"Well life is crazy that way. One minute you're excited about your chances of sharing a bed with a barely legal slayer, the next your wading in Tampax boxes and listening to that one Pink song on repeat."
"We about done here?" Rona, her arms folded across her chest.
"Yep, all ready princess Rona. But what's the rush? It's a beautiful night. Vi seems to be enjoying herself. We could always just camp out again under that big beautiful moon, toast s'mores..."
"There's a difference between camping Anawanna style and living like caricature traveling hobos. All we're missing are the fingerless gloves and stick bundles."
"Which are traditionally called bindles," says Wood, "but I do agree with Rona. It's about time we got settled somewhere a little bit more civilized- as in, with civilization."
"Yeah, and we're out of marshmallows," Dawn says with a full mouth of them, holding up an empty bag.
"Gotcha. Alright, let's move butts. Hey Vi! The slayer mobile misses you. Let's get going."
Vi pats the dirt off her pants and walks to the surprisingly animate bus sputtering all kinds of other worldly noises. "Where are the others?," she says climbing aboard.
Wood grabs a small walkie-talkie clipped to the driver side visor. "He slayers? You about slayed out?" The walkie crackles and spits. "Hello? This is the magic school bus, do you copy?"
Running at break neck speed, Faith presses the receiver button on her walkie. "A little busy over here, Wood!"
Woods distant voices rings out again. "We got the bus working, where should we pick you guys up?"
"Hold on man!"
Faith comes to an immediate halt. Though the forest is silent, her deep breaths make it hard to hear who or what is surrounding her. And they are surrounding her. The red eyes of what seem to be a large wolf pack. Engulfed in darkness, but for their jagged teeth protruding from their foaming mouths, and those eyes. They have formed a circular perimeter around her. They are closing in. Their low growls grow more voluminous as they creep towards her.
"See? This is what happens when you go for a stroll in the woods," Faith mutters.
"What?," Buffy says as she drops from a tall tree branch, landing at Faith's side. "Were you expecting a Chevy Chase family vacation comedy spectacular? Should I make bad jokes?"
"No, cause, god knows, that would be more hellish then this."
"Back to back?"
"Let's kick alotta ass."
Before one of the larger wolfish dogs can snap its gnarly teeth around Buffy's ankle, Faith sends it flying into a tree with a hard thud and a high pitched whine. All of the dogs come rushing at them now, with powerful hind legs and claws. They battle the pack, but they can't beat them back enough to high tail it to the road.
Then little fireflies begin to appear. The pop up around the mutts' heads, darting around them with quick jolts. The tiny orbs of light dance about confusing the dog's peripheries, causing them to swat at themselves and each other. The lights being to gather, concentrating into a bright sphere. The pack's eyes are transfixed on the ball as it bobs softly in the air. Then, in an instant, the ball is thrown by an invisible hand about a mile away and still flying. And, with perked ears, the dogs zip off after it.
Willow speaks as she walks into the clearing followed by a flustered Kennedy. "See baby? I told you it would work. You don't have to go all trigger happy with the cross bow every time a puppy chases after you."
"Puppies?!" Kennedy yells, "Those were demons! Clearly!"
"I'm just saying, they could have been innocent pooches possessed by an evil master."
Buffy cuts in,"Or Kujo went and got himself a large family. Either way, thanks for making with the wiccy, Will"
"Aw shucks it was nothing. Just mashed up a conjuring spell with a sound spectrum charm, and, viola! A roaming dog whistle." Will's smile just makes Kennedy's scowl seem that much more harsh.
"Yeah well now all the fun for my evening has vanished into the night. I didn't even get a chance to lay down some hurtin."
"Whoa beast, down." Faith says smacking Kennedy's shoulder. "Keep cool kid. their will be more of that I'm sure. Especially if were going back into these godforsaken woods."
"And think of it this way Kennedy," Buffy picks up the pace towards the road, "Now their all riled up. Ten times the fun and I won't let Willow ruin your ass-kickin time.
"By all means, their yours." Faith says catching up to Buffy. Willow puts her arm around Kennedy's waist and pulls her close as they follow the elder slayers.
Their feet fall soft on the damp earth, wet from a heavy thunderstorm earlier in the day. The scent of moist pine wood and ozone linger as mud clings to their shoes. Their jeans are caked and torn, their faces smudged with dirt. Ahead of their compatriots, Faith and Buffy speak in hushed voices.
"What do you think B? This a another wild goose chase?"
"I don't know, those looked like dogs to me. The geese were last week."
"Very funny. What do you think? These werewolves? It's a full moon."
"Not like any I've seen before, but definitely crossed with something dark."
"Yeah they weren't exactly the Queen's prize winning Corgies. But, you saw that house right? You think they were guard dogs?"
"Guarding... IT? Can't be sure, but we'll check it out."
Buffy glances back to make sure her next words will fall out of earshot of their companions.
"Do you think this is it? I-I-I mean, Will seems so sure. This time. That it's here."
"She's been sure before, B. And let's be honest, we aren't even sure it this thing even happened. If it's even real."
"I believe Willow. I mean, we've all seen in first hand. With good magic comes bad, magic. You know dark-light, ying and yang, com se-com sa. And Willow, I mean we all, performed some serious feats of magical goodness-what with bringing into being all of these slayers. So if Willow thinks the bad that we've inevitably created is out there, we gotta destroy it."
Faith shakes her head. "But if not, all this tremendous amount of fun we've been having for the past year, will have been for nothing. This is the end of the road. We can't keep goin' on like this."
"This wasn't so much, much to do about nothin'. We've got a rough estimate of how many girls have turned."
"Well I was kinda hopin' we'd be more like kick-ass A Team or Super Friends without the spandex and less like the Slayer Census Bureau ."
Buffy kicks a rock. "And you wouldn't think that we'd be the only crazies willing to bare the heavy load of slayer duties. I mean, not oneof those ungrateful snot nosed free loadin' brats wanted in. They were afraid of us."
"B, this isn't exactly the sweetest gig."
"I mean, I know. Hello? I've died. More than once. That's alot of dying."
"Just saying its easy to shrug off your duty to the world and lock your doors against the big bads when you know you got people already out there taking care of it. And they feel that we've done something to them, against their will, changed them when they didn't have to be changed."
"Can't wait for the Watcher's Council gets ahold of them. They'll be crawling back to us. 'Save us from the piles of demonology homework' they'll say, 'take us away from the tweedy British men with their soft contemporary rock and sometimes Enya'".
Faith turns back to see the Kennedy and Willow holding hands, eyes full of moonlight. And look, Willow's glowing just a little. Love, Faith thinks, must be nice.
"But, that house Faith.. I mean I even felt something... And Vi said she got the wiggins about this place, even before we crossed the state line."
"Well, my stomach is tied in knots, too. We'll have to get a closer look at the house and see what's up."
The bus sputters and kicks as it makes its way down the rocky road. The people inside bounce along as it crawls forward deeper into the forest, down another gravel trail, this one having not been used for decades. Up ahead, in the distance, barely visible in the dwindling sky light, a dilapidated two story house sits on the swell of a hill. The house's white paint faded and chipped, its porch is a gaping mouth, a hole rips right through its center, and the windows is its pitch black eyes only reflecting the moon. The moon, an active player tonight, is about to hide behind the fast moving clouds threatening to swallow up the sky.
"There it is." Willow says under her breath, standing to get closer to the windshield where Xander is driving. Her face shows angst and earnestness. "I-I-I can feel it."
"Me too," Vi stands up, her face drained of blood.
Buffy places a gentle hand on her friends back. "What is it Will? I mean, I feel..."
The bus hits a particularly harsh bump in the road. "I feel like I'm going to hurl", Dawn says cupping her face in her hands. Rona has her head hanging out of the window attempting to suck up the cool night air and alleviate the sickness in her gut. "Can we get out of this god damn bus, Xander?"
"Alright, we're here!" The bus gives a sharp jolt and sits still once more. Smoke and heat billow from its engine. "And just in time" Rona rolls her eyes and plops down into the blue polyester seat.
Wood grabs a sword."I hope there's a shower in this place. We all smell like moldy sweat and campfire smoke. It's disgusting." He looks up to see a few of the girls glaring at him. "Aaannndd some of us smell like spring rain and daffodils."
"Alright guys," Buffy turns to face her mess mates, "suit up. you know the drill. Grab the night goggles. There were six of those dogs, could be more. They go for the legs, so wear those metal shin guards if you need." "Axes all around kids," Faith says tossing one to Kennedy. "Sweet." "Will, can you get a visual on the interior? Will?...Will you're glowing. You're trembling. And you're...kind of glowing." "Whatever this is, it's strong. It's blocking me," Willow says between deep breaths.
"Blocking you? Good or nasty, Will?"
"Don't know. N-n-not sure. I know I'm not being of much use, it's just.. I'm feelin' kinda..."
"Ill?" Faith says. "Yeah. I think we're all gettin' a bit of that." "Well then," Buffy says, "this is either going to be very hard or incredibly easy." "And either way it's going to be a whirl wind of fun and excitement. Good times, all around" Xander chimes picking up an ax.
"No Xander." Willow steadies her voice. "I don't think any non-slayers and/or other civilians should be on the move."
Faith straps a walkie to her belt "If this things got you wiggin this much Will I vote this to be strictly a reconnaissance mission. In and out, back on the bus as soon as possible and come back when we're better rested. More prepared. Say Aye." "Aye." Kennedy huffs, "Whatever, if there's a lead action role I'm not exactly going to shoot down the part."
"Fine Kennedy," Buffy grabs the handle of the young girl's ax," but don't put anyone else in danger."
"And for the love of baby jesus," Faith scowls, " don't say 'let's lock and load' or 'let's rock this bitch'. My level of acceptance for naive enthusiasm has about reached its up-to-here mark."
"Dawny?" Will stands and points to the back of the bus, piled high with random supplies, "can you grab my magicks lectern back there?"
"Oh sure. What's a lectern?"
"You know, my magicks lectern...""
Dawn stare perplexed.
"... Oh Dawny, it's the fold out poker table that we eat dinner on sometimes. Ok, I'll be keeping lay of the land. Be at the ready to flee at the word go."
The young women jump from the steep bus stairs and onto the soft ground. The cleared area, the front yard of the house made of rotting wood, is covered in trash, broken chairs, tipped oil drums.
"Will?" Buffy speaks into her walkie, "any word on those dogs? Can you give us a heads up when they're moving our way?"
The walkie crackles back, " Yeah, I can see them. They're about two miles away, to the West. I'll keep them in my sights. And you guys walk me through what you are seeing, ok? Maybe I can pick up a clue as to what's going on in that house."
"You betcha Red. B, you guys wanna take the front, Vi and I take the back way?"
"On it."
The backyard is scattered with rusting car parts half-buried in the soil. However, among the trash sit six little houses equally as decrepit as their larger counterpart. Each house is intricately decorated with symbols, painted with dried blood. The symbols stretch out beyond the small houses and lick the gravel of their doorways. Bowls of bones sit in front of each, bones much too large to be human. The houses form a circle around a deep pit, an open eye socket in the earth. With Vi behind her, Faith uses gentle hunter's feet to approach this great, black opening.
"You guys?" Will comes alive in the walkie giving Faith a jump. "You guys, somethings happened. Those mutts are moving your way and fast. They'll be there in 15 minutes max."
Faith clicks the response button, her hand quivering a bit, her eyes staring into the void of darkness just behind those little houses. "Will? I think we've got something here."
Dry lightening dances across the clouds up ahead. A roar of distant thunder echoes around the forest. Buffy lunges forward and smashes through the front door, tumbling in a somersault on the floor. Kennedy leaps in behind her in her proud fighting stance. "Anybody home?"
"Seems not likely Kennedy. Want to check upstairs?" Buffy says getting to her feet.
As the younger girl bounds up the stairs, thunder claps shaking the thin plaster walls of the house. It's floral paper decor mostly shredded by deep claw marks. Other parts are soaked through with blood. Heaps of trash lay about the floor next to dirty bandages and dry bones. She can not see them, but they see her. From inside of the walls they are watching Buffy. Their eyes peep through small holes and they take soft shallow breaths to deceive slayer's ears.
Suddenly, where there was once only deep shadows in what looks like a kitchen doorway, a black figure stands about eight feet high, wrapped in bandages, its face and body cloaked by night. Lightening strikes just outside of the house. It's flash has shown Buffy a glimpse of the open sores covering the arms and face of this monster. They ooze and small insects drink from their openings. Another flash and Buffy can see its holding a long chain with six inch long rusty nails welded into its winding body.
"Kennedy! Watch out. I think I found the man of the house," Buffy shouts up towards the stairs.
Before Kennedy can turn to exit the small bedroom she has entered, the door closes and where its shadow once was stands a smaller creature of the same breed as the giant downstairs. It holds a pick ax to its chest.
Kennedy swings her blade downward, but the blow is blocked by the creature with surprising speed.
Back downstairs; "Look buddy," Buffy says taking two steps backward toward the entrance, "I don't want any trouble. This was strictly a reconnaissance mission. You know? Data gathering."
Lightening flashes and another creature stands next to the first, just as tall and brandishing a serrated machete with duct tape for a handle.
"Faith? Vi? Do you copy? Buffy and Kennedy are in trouble they need back up!"
Faith presses her walkie closer to her lips. Her breathing is short, each intake of oxygen labored as if her chest was put in a bind. "No.. but..."Faith takes a step closer to the deep, black pit, "there's some weird shit back here...symbols...on and around these... these dog houses..Around this huge...pit. And I can't...I can't breathe... there's this weight..."
"There's no time Faith! Those dogs are closing in. Go get the others and retreat to the bus now!"
The monster swings its spiked chain and launches it at Buffy's head. It misses by a fraction. As the other charges at her, the ceiling caves in with Kennedy landing with a thud on the floor, a creature straddling her body. Sparks fly as ax meets machete.
Heeding Willow's call, Vi leaps through the front door grabbing the neck of the creature wrestling with Kennedy and snapping it. Another monster has slipped out of the walls to take its place and Kennedy has thrown her blade deep into its chest. And still more gather to fight.
Back on the bus;
"Okay, its officially time to not stay on the bus like a bunch of cowards," Wood says picking up his long sword.
"N-n-no wait! We need to get everyone back on the bus. These dogs, these animals they're powerful. I can feel them more distinctly now then before. They were holding back or something. Now...I don't know. It's like...their scared about something. Their powered by some seriously dark magic, borrowed or possessed. I can't get in their heads. I need to get a read on those symbols surrounding their houses so that I.."
Lightening rips through the air and lands 5 feet from the bus. The thunder rattles their bones.
"Well, I'd prefer that we get them back on the bus with all of their parts attached." Wood looks to Xander and Rona."Anyone coming?" Xander grabs a large mechanized weapon. An over sized taser with a wicked bayonet. "Right behind you friend."
Rona shakes her head back and forth. She lets out a long sigh. "This is the last time I'm doing this shit. Where's my shield?" Wood tosses Rona a solid bronze plate. She stands and whips out a small dagger from her ankle sheath.
"Grab the others as fast as you can and get your asses back here. And that's an order platoon! We don't know what these things are!" Willow's body trembles, but her voice does not deceive her. "Dawn, we gotta set up a complex protection spell, I don't think I've shown you this one before, this is old magics. I need you to be my anchor."
"Right." Dawn winds a thin course rope around her and Willow's hands, binding them together tightly. Willow's glow becomes distinctly more bright. She lifts a crystal in the air where it remains, floating.
"Deo praesidium, sis praseto..."
Faith can not move. She is collapsed in front of that deep wound in the earth. Am I falling? It feels like I'm falling? But I'm here. On the ground.Her mind reels as hard rain and bits of hail pound her back. Noises, inarticulate sounds swim in her aching mind, her chest wrapped in an invisible vice, making it impossible to speak, to breathe. Her blood feels dirty. She begins to vomit, her body writhing and shaking with violent spasms.
She does not see that they have gathered. Faster then Willow could predict. The heads of the hounds jut out, just crossing the threshold of the forest and into the backyard. When the lightening strikes, their bared jagged teeth show brightly. Their red eyes have locked onto Faith's fallen body, stretched out helplessly in the rain, her hand reaching toward the mouth of the open pit.
But all Faith can hear is herself retching and then...
The faint voice inside her mind. A whisper.
"Help me."
The battle rages on the inside of the slowly collapsing house. Hard rain and hail falls in sheets shattering its front windows. Wood and Rona bound through the entrance followed by Xander. Each taking on their own bandaged and oozing creature.
"Don't kill them all! Leave one for questioning!" Buffy yells above the sounds of metal meeting metal and the loud blast of a taser.
"Help me"
The crystal falls to the ground in front of Willow. "Did you hear that? Dawn, did you hear that?"
"Hear what? N-no? What's going on? Come on Willow, start again or it's going to be too late!"
Willow levitates the crystal and begins the chant once more.
Two more beings, emerge from the walls of the house. As one swings a scythe and Vi's feet she jumps, but gets the butt of a shovel to her face. She tries to block her body, but the monsters are landing blow after blow into her rib cage. The scythe swings down ready to slice through Vi's neck in a quick decapitation when Rona's shield blocks the attempt. She throws the thing off and then slices a smile across its belly. She knocks the other one onto its back and sends her dagger through its heart.
She turns to help Vi from the ground. Vi takes her hand. "Thanks, for making an appearance."
Rona smiles at her friend. "You know, just doing my job and you know I..."
The blade of a long fat machete has punctured through Rona's back and out of her stomach.
Vi screams.
"Help me."
This time the crystal shatters mid air. "Someone's hurt. Oh God..."
Everything in Willow's vision spins. Her heart pounds, but her blood feels thick and incapable of traveling through her weakened body. Her breathing... she can't breath. With one last gasp of air her eyes close and she falls backward onto the seat.
"Willow?! WILLOW!?"
Buffy slices off the head of the creature even as its disgusting hand grips the blade of the machete lodged deep into and through Rona. Blood spills everywhere, coating the floor. The warriors are slipping in it, barely able to keep their strong fighting stances.
"VI! Get her to the bus NOW!" Buffy screams as she holds up her wounded friend. "VI! MOVE! NOW!" Vi lifts Rona and runs with her out the front door and into the rain.
All but one of the creatures has been slaughtered. The body of its brethren laying broken and dismembered on the blood drenched floor. He is backed into a corner, slashing at the air in an attempt to threaten the slayers. Xander knocks him out with a blow from the butt of his gun and its body falls limp.
The hounds form a circle around Faith with careful steps. Their eyes peer through the thick sheets of rain. They are fixated on the body of the fallen slayer, which is in a slow, agonized crawl towards the mouth of the pit. One larger dog steps forward just ahead of the others, seemingly impatient to reach its prey. Some of the other dogs begin barking and yelping at him, but this one, the leader of the pack, shuts them up with a low growl. It once again sets his sights on Faith. Then its mouth opens.
"You don't want to do that slayer."
Half buried in the muddy water that has quickly pooled around her body, Faith does not hear the hounds voice. All she can hear is that faint cry resounding through her, her mind an echo chamber for its sorrowful plea. "Hep me." The pain in its voice calls to her. She is determined to reach the bottom of the pit and find its owner, despite the sickness that wracks her body.
"You must trust me that the voice which beckons you forth belongs to one undeserving of your sympathy. Do not be fooled by its enchanting spectacle."
Faith pulls her body closer to the edge of the hole. The voice has a gravitational pull. It needs her.
"Slayer! This is my final warning! We can not wager this world's redemption against your life! Only evil awaits you below!" The hound snarls and growls deeply, marching closer to the fallen girl.
Faith lifts her head, gasping for breathe, rain water dripping down her face, a furious wind blows the through the wet strands of hair.
"Bite me."
The slayer falls forward into the earth with the faint sounds of yelping and barking fading behind her.
"Where's Faith?!" Wood turns about searching the room.
"The backyard." Wood leaps over the carcases and slams through the back door. "Kennedy," Buffy says while tightening the knotted rope around their lone prisoner, "follow him. Xander, cart this thing back to the bus and get it running. We'll be on your heels. Get Willow on a healing spell. And tell her..."
Buffy sighs.
"Tell her not to hold back."
"Buffy I don't..."
"I'm not losing Rona. Go. Now."
What is this place? Landing on her back, her head has hit a rock. Faith can hardly keep her eyes open. Her mind begging her to just slip under, into a deep sleep, into a restful place where her body will not ache, where her blood will not feel so thick. But the faint voice has grown stronger in her mind. It is close to her. "Help me. Please."
The rain has suddenly come to a complete halt, as if by a switch. The clouds are receding and cracks of the white full moon begin to show once more. It's rays, fingers reaching out from the remaining wisps of the storm and pointing downwards into the once pitch black pit. Faith turns to face the voice. Moonlight streaks across her face.
"Please. I beg you. Help me."
Faith's eyes widen. There, in the wavering rays of light, the moon reaches out to touch the body of a small girl. It is crouched on the ground, her naked body contorted covered in mud, splattered with blood. Her hip is dislocated, a bone protrudes from one of her legs. Long claw marks rack down her chest. Her arms wrapped with thick chains, shackling it to the rock walls. "Oh my god." Faith props herself up. "What are you?"
She takes in the full sight of the girl. Her head is wrapped in metal, a solid cage. There are two holes for eyes. There is a grate, a grill where her mouth should be and the rest fits squarely. Pure steel reflects the now vibrant light emanating from the sky.
Sounds of battle come from above. Dogs barking and yelping. People yelling directions back and forth to one another. Faith cranes her head upward as she hears her name being called.
Above the pit Buffy sends what should be fatal blow of her ax into the back of a hound, but it rises once more and lunges for her throat. "Wood! We can't get to that thing! It's.. draining us! It's taking away our strength! You need to get Faith!"
"Please," the naked girl simpers in Faith's mind, "Please take...take this thing off of me. It hurts. I'm sick please."
Fighting the sickness that is rising once again in her gut, Faith forces herself to stand. Each step she takes towards the injured girl is searing pain.
"Take off this mask. Take it off." The voice continues to coarse throughout the slayer's mind. "This mask. It hurts. Please."
Faith has reached the girl. Despite the reluctance of her muscles, she reaches for the grill of the mask.
Wood lands with a thud behind where Faith had landed. His ankle snaps, and the suond resonates through the cave. "Ahh!" He looks up to Faith and sees the girl shackled to the walls. "What the..."
Faith hasn't noticed him. Her hands are wrapped around the chin of the steel mask. There. She fingers a knob and begins to turn it.
"Faith?" Wood calls out, "what... what is going on? What are you doing?"
With another crank of the knob, the mask splits in two halves. The heavy grill falls to the floor and Faith is faced to face with the girl. Her eyes are larger, larger then the should be, and rolling in an ungodly way, unnaturally moving around the inside of her head, which is covered in solid black veins. But it's the light, the way they are shifting between pure black and bright white, that is what makes Faith jump back, landing on her hands, peering up at the girl. Her eyes, rolling, changing their hue. Black to light, black to light.
Faith crawls backwards and looks up at her.
The rock behind her crackles loudly as the chains are ripped from the wall. As the girl rises into the air, floating 5 feet off the ground, the chains that once held her down ripple around her like tendrils. Dashing wildly, hitting the rock walls of the cave. The moon reflects off her pale and thin body as she rises higher. Now, Faith can see. The symbols carved into her stomach.
"Who are you?" Faith gasps.
In mid air, the girl's rolling eyes suddenly focus, solid black, down onto Faith. One of her tendrils lashes out and wraps around Faith's neck. The other around Wood's body.
Faith wretches and gasps as the chain tightens, tightens, until there is no breath left in her body. Until she is still and falls to the floor of the pit.
To Be Continued...