Three hours later...
He heard the sound of a door being opened then he was marched through and forced to sit in a steel-backed chair. The hood was pulled from his head and he blinked at the harsh light beaming down from above.
Xander looked back and forth as he set his handcuffed hands on the scratched metal table-top. He was in a stark grey chamber with one mirrored wall, sitting across the table from an older man with a greying crewcut. He wore horn-rimmed glasses and a black military uniform. There were no rank or assignment insignias of any kind on it, but he had the clear bearing of an Officer. He opened a manila file-folder and scanned it critically, then looked to the prisoner, "Name?"
"Homer J. Simpson."
The man scowled and snapped the folder shut, "This isn't the place for bad humor-"
"I beg to differ."
"Do you realize how much trouble you're in, son?"
"No. But that's fine, I'm always in some kind of trouble."
"Not like this, son, this is way beyond illegally hunting vampires." he dropped Xander's duffel on the table between them and began pulling items out.
Xander raised an eyebrow, "What, you need a license now? Jeez, you Government types will find a way to tax anything."
"Holy water, stakes, garlic-a...uh, what is this?" he held up what looked like a small streamlined silver vacuum cleaner.
"Hey, careful with that, I paid like eight hundred bucks on eBay! An authentic phaser-II, actually used on-screen in First Contact." said Xander proudly, "It has working stun and disintegrate settings, and blinky green lights. Since I was visiting New York and all, I was going to have it appraised-"
"How old are you exactly?"
"Didn't you know? We Simpsons never age."
The soldier returned the items to his bag, then leaned forward, "I'm going to only ask this once, and you better give me a straight answer, understood?"
"Sure, why not. But first, is my friend okay? The one you SHOT for no good reason?" his eyes flashed and the man smiled grimly.
"She lives but you won't be seeing her ever again, that I can promise."
Xander leaned forward and his eye narrowed dangerously, "I wouldn't be putting any money on that wager, buddy."
The soldier ignored his threat, "Where is the other Slayer you were traveling with? And don't try to tell me you don't know what a Slayer is."
"I don't know what a Slayer is."
Wham! the soldier behind Xander punched him in the back of the skull. His head slammed downwards into the table with a meaty thump.
He grunted and sat back up slowly, the Officer glaring across at him.
"I warned you not to say that."
"What can I say, I have a problem with the authority figures. I think it dates back to when my first Principal was eaten by hyena-people."
"Look, son, this can go either bad or very bad for you. You need to make a decision."
"Hmmm, I think I'll take very bad for two hundred, Alex."
"Again, it's your choice to make." he nodded to the guard and he opened the door and leaned out, called for somebody. A moment later a redhaired woman entered, dressed as they were in a non-descript black uniform. Xander looked her up and down appreciatively, "You know, I like how you've got the whole 'SPECTRE-slash-Area 51' thing going for you. All you need now is some truth serum to make me talk and I'll totally buy your atmosphere."
"Nurse, administer the sodium pentethol."
She opened the black case she was carrying and withdrew a syringe, pulled off it's cap. Xander stared at it wide-eyed, "Hey, on second thought, the whole dark conspiracy motif is working perfectly, no need for props."
She lowered it and tugged up his sleeve. He made to pull away, but the guard pressed a pistol to his temple. He slumped back into his seat and gave in, "Well, I guess I'm about to get real chatty."
The Officer smiled, "You would be correct in that guess."
"Maybe not." said the nurse, and she jammed the needle into the side of the Officer's neck, thumbed the plunger.
He yelped and slapped at his throat, fell out of his chair gagging. The soldier with the gun gaped at her in surprise, then swung the weapon up to aim at her. She grinned warmly and cocked her head, "Now, you don't want to shoot me, do you?"
Xander could swear her eyes seemed to glow soft pink, just for in instant.
"I-I-I-" stammered the guard as she crossed the room to press up against him.
"That's right, you'd never hurt me. Because you love me, don't you?"
"I, uh..." and he smiled dully, his eyes hazy with lust and adorement, "Of COURSE I love you. What's you name again?"
She traced a finger down his nose and kissed his lips gently, "What would you like my name to be?"
"Um...Mommy?"
"Ugh," she grimaced, "one of those." then she swung back a fist and smashed him in the mouth, sending him stumbling backwards.
She ducked, bent double, and high-kicked him in the throat, then whipped back up, spun in a circle and rammed an elbow into his solar plexus. He squealed thinly and fell to his knees, she yanked the gun from his loose fingers and whipped it across the back of his head. He went down the rest of the way and she scrambled the keys off his belt, turned back to the astonished Xander.
"Who-what-where-"
She smiled and her head rippled like it was liquid, then it reformed into the woman he'd met back at the Plaza, complete with her curly blonde hair and hazel eyes. She unlocked the cuffs and pulled him to his feet. She handed him his duffel, "Surprised?"
"In ways you cannot comprehend. You aren't a Slayer, are you?"
"I don't know. What's a Slayer?"
"You fight like one, but that shape-shifting trick-"
She frowned, "I don't like to use it, but I had no choice. When they took you prisoner back at the Plaza I...uh..." she hesitated for a moment, as if reluctant to say something, then continued, "Um, all I could think to do was borrow a uniform and make myself look like one of them. Look, we'd better get going if we're going to find your friend before the alarm goes off."
"I couldn't agree more." and they headed for the door. But he stopped for a moment and looked back at the Officer quaking on the floor beside the table. He grinned darkly, "But before we go, maybe I can get some inside information on her location."
"I...will...I will...tell...you nothing..." slurred the man as Xander kicked him over onto his back.
"Oh, I think you're way wrong there. Remember, you're all pentetholy."
"No...I won't tell...tell you...anything..."
"Where's my friend?"
"Two floors d-down...second door...door on the right..." the older man was smiling now, his eyes hooded thanks to the lowering of his brain functions.
"And what's the quickest, least secured way out of this place?" asked Xander.
"There's a...a...sewer access in the...basement, behind the...power plant..."
And Xander leaned close, so close their noses touched, "Last question: Who the hell ARE you guys?"
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Faith woke up as the door to her cell crashed open. She looked up groggily from her bunk as a soldier flew backwards into the narrow chamber and hit the wall. The girl from the hotel stood framed there, and when the guard shook his head and tried to rise, she stepped forward and kneed him in the forehead. There was a crack and he flipped over backwards, went down hard. Faith grinned weakly and tried to stand, "I like your style."
"Faith!" Xander entered quickly, Glock pistol gripped in one hand, and he slid an arm around her waist, helped her up.
"Makin with the rescue, I like it." together they trooped out of the cell and the girl followed, looked back-and-forth then gestured toward a door at the other end of the hallway.
"Come on! We've got to get to the basement."
They headed forward and were almost there when a pair of soldiers stepped through the stairs exit, saw them and did a double-take. The girl charged with a yell, caught their rising rifles by the barrels and yanked them away. She tossed the weapons, swung back with both fists, then punched them both in the stomach. They exhaled painfully and fell over, she delivered a pair of elbows to the tops of their heads as they plummeted, sealing the deal.
"She's quite the Slayer." Faith stated in reluctant respect, as Xander helped her past the fallen men.
"Actually, she's not a Slayer." he reached down as they went by and snagged the chromed black scanning device from one of the soldier's belts, stuck it in his jacket for later examination. Then they were on the stairs and started down them, "Sure, Ariel can to the fighty thing, but she can also morph her appearance and make men love her with just a look." he beamed down the flight at their retreating savior.
Faith scowled, "I see she's used the power on you."
"Not that I know of, no, I don't think she did. But isn't she hot?"
"Oh jeez, somebody shoot me. Oh, wait, too late..."
They reached the basement and found Ariel pulling at a door behind a massive glowing round machine that disappeared into the ceiling. They reached her and she looked round with a frown, "I'm strong, but not THAT strong."
Faith shrugged off Xander and caught hold of the wheel set into the iron hatch, "Let me try." and with a grunt she tore it free, dropped it heavily to the ground.
"Wow!" it was Ariel's turn to be impressed.
Xander nodded, "See, THAT'S what a Slayer is."
"Very cool. And she's bullet-proof too?"
"Nope, but that would have been nice." Faith rubbed painfully at her stomach, blood seeping from the bandage around her shoulder, "But I can take a beating and heal quickly."
"Sorry, I don't have that ability." Ariel looked to Xander, "And what powers do you have?"
"I can pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. Also, I have lousy depth-perception."
"Oh. I see."
"Don't count him out, he's a super-trooper." Faith gripped his shoulder for a second and they shared a look, then they all piled through the door. A minute later they were hustling through the darkness, Xander in the lead with a flashlight from his bag meagerly lighting their way...
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Ten hours later, at a seedy motel on the outskirts of the city...
The door to the kitchenette swung back and Ariel came though backwards, carrying a tray. She turned around and crossed the thinning carpet, set the bowl of Chunky soup down on the coffee table. Faith shifted under her blanket and smiled thinly, "Thanks, I'm starving."
"Don't sit up. Maybe Xander can feed you when he gets back."
She looked at her curiously, "Why would he-huh?"
Ariel sat down across from her, "Well, if I had a nice boyfriend like that, then I'm sure he'd want to-"
"What? NO! Harris AIN'T my boyfriend." she chuckled then winced as her stomach flared with pain, "Uhh, don't make me laugh, it hurts too much."
The blonde stared guiltily, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just thought he was."
"Well, he's not. We're both free agents and we like it that way." she shifted into a sitting position and picked up the spoon.
Ariel frowned, "Oh, he's not interested in getting involved in a relationship."
"No, not like that, I mean he doesn't want to get involved with me." she gulped down some of the brown stew, then looked up, "Well, of course he WANTS to get with me, I mean, what sane guy wouldn't?"
"Of course, I didn't mean-"
Faith pointed the spoon at her emphatically, "You sayin there's sumthin wrong with me? That I'm not mountalicious or something? 'Cause I am, all the boys want to get with this!"
Ariel waved her surrender, "I didn't mean that! I'm sorry, I'm just not used to talking like this with another girl."
"Damn right you didn't mean it." she swallowed another spoonful, then narrowed her gaze, "What's your deal, anyway? I've seen creatures who can shape-shift, demons and the like, but you don't act demonic, or at least you haven't yet."
Ariel paled, then looked down at her hands, "Actually... I am a demon. Or at least, half a demon."
Faith nodded, "Heh, thought it went like that somehow. But I've never heard of a demon who could make guys go all love-slave."
"A Succubus can."
"A suck your what?"
"It's a long story..." Ariel said quickly, then shifted uncomfortably, "What's yours? You're a Vampire Slayer, I get that, but you and Xander are looking for more Slayers?"
"We-" she was interrupted by the motel room's door opening and Xander stepped back in, folding up his cell phone as he came. His face looked grim and he closed the door again, then slumped down in the other free chair.
"How'd she take it?" asked Faith.
"Not well. And who could blame her?"
"How did who take what?" asked Ariel.
He rubbed his forehead, "Our boss. Well, she's not really our boss, but she calls the shots. Sometimes, I mean. Well, when it gets hairy-"
"Xander!" growled Faith, "What's the 411?"
"I confrenced with her and Giles and we agreed we aren't leaving New York just yet. They want us to try and figure out what's going on."
She frowned, "But how can we do that? We must have gotten lost six times down in the sewers before we found a way out. There's no way we'll ever find our way back to that secret soldier facility."
Xander shrugged, "Then we can just keep doing what we were sent here to do: seek out other Slayers. Our paths are bound to cross with them eventually, seeing how they're doing the same thing we are."
Ariel stared at him fearfully, as Faith nodded and returned to her meal.
"That's it then?" the half-demon girl asked, "Just like that? The two of you against a government conspiracy to kidnap super-powered girls you haven't even met? That's insane!"
He grinned, "Hey, I never said we weren't crazy."
"I know YOU'RE certifiable, Xander, that's for damn sure." slurped Faith, "But hey, color me Cuckoo's Nest, because I aint leaving either until we know what's going down in the Big Apple."
Ariel shrugged and sat back, "Well then, madness must be catching, because I'm with you guys too. This city is my territory and no way is some psycho army squad going to be allowed to stalk the streets."
Faith looked at Xander as if to say, can we trust her? He shrugged, then looked to her, "Ariel, are you sure? These guys mean serious business."
She nodded firmly, "I'm sure. Anyway, you can use me."
"That's for darn sure-"
"Xander..." hissed Faith dangerously.
"-because you know the city so well, heh-heh, yeah." he grinned weakly then leaned back in his chair, "Okay, then it's three against the newly-reformed Initiative..."
They don't even have a friggin chance, he grinned...
End of Chapter I...