Chapter 3: Same Old Scene
"You go up… *puff* …I'll go down"
"Is that… *gasp* …an offer, B?" Another throaty chuckle escapes Faith's lips.
"I'm going to ignore that. On three." Buffy whispers. "One. Two. THREE!"
Bursting out from their recon position, the slayers run toward the old two storey building, now abandoned by anything with a pulse. Buffy rushes to the rusted metal side door and plants her back against the brick wall.
She watches as Faith quickly and skillfully climbs the fire escape, and volleys over the roof. Faith looks back at Buffy's position. A quick thumbs up. Then she's gone from sight.
"That's my cue." Buffy mumbles. And with one swift and powerful kick, the metal door is blown back, and falls loudly onto the concrete floor. "Echo-y".
She walks carefully down the steps leading to the basement. She can hear the hissing of the vamps, can feel them. They're waiting for her. Sniffing the air for the scent of her fear.
Buffy's lip curls as her fingers take hold of the smoothly carved stake. Yeah, she's missed this.
Big time.
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Faith quietly dashes across the rooftop, ever watchful. She reaches the doorway that leads to the stairwell. Slips inside.
OK. I'm in. She carefully checking her slayer senses on each floor as she quickly and quietly descends the staircase. Check out stealth-girl! Guess I learned something from Giles after all.
Confident that the upper floors are vamp free, Faith reaches for the door to the basement. Gotta get to B. She should be in position now.
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Buffy struts into the darkness, stake in hand. Tilts her head. Her pupils adjust. There are eight, no, nine pairs of yellow eyes staring at her.
"Sleayeah!" A voice in the dark. "Prepeare ta meet yer doom."
"Y'know? The accent? Doesn't make you sound less lame."
There's a whoosh of cloth and flashes of teeth. The gang of vamps close in on the slayer, all fists and fangs. But Buffy is a whirlwind. She's got it all under control. Until...
"Oof!" Buffy didn't see that coming. A swift and heavy fist catches her right in the jaw. The vamp is big. Buffy punches him hard, in the face. And again. Breaks his nose, notices the blood trickle. Slow-motion. Another fist to the face should smash him up good. She holds him away from her, one hand on his throat, and thrusts the stake into his heart. Dusted. Only eight more to go.
"Give et up, Sleayeah! Ye canna win!"
"What? You guys all read the same book? A little originality is all I ask!"
They're attacking more carefully now. One or two at a time, while the rest circle around her. She feels one grab her from behind, trapping her arms. She uses all of her slayer strength to flip him over her head, and he topples headfirst into one of his cronies. In a flash she's there standing over them. And they're dust.
She stands, but as she's turning she receives a fierce kick in the back. She stumbles. Into the waiting arms of a hungry vampire. He grabs her, and quickly brings his fangs down to her neck. Buffy struggles to regain her footing. Suddenly, his head jerks up, and…
Poof. Dusted.
"Hey, girlfriend! Bad time?" Faith is holding Buffy's arm with one hand, and retracting her stake with the other. Buffy smiles, gratefully.
With a wink, Faith helps Buffy steady her balance. They turn to face the remaining vampires.
"Synchronized slaying?"
"You bet!"
And with that, the girls hurl themselves into the fray.
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"I can't believe you, B! What you did in there was way reckless!" Faith grabs Buffy's arm, swinging her around.
Buffy crosses her arms, and glares at Faith. She leans into the wall, kicking a trash can. The echo of the crash echoes down the alleyway. So much energy left over.
"Like you've never run in, stakes a'blazin'?" Buffy fumes. She's twitchy, muscles tingling. Hungry? Yep. Horny? Definitely. But it's more than that. She's still blazing with fire. Blood still pumping in her veins. She has to DO something. "I don't remember you being so damned cautious…"
Faith glowers. "Don't be bringin' up back in the day."
"All I know is that we're alive, they're dusted, and you're looking at me THAT way, and it seems all a bit too familiar, - Girlfriend!" Buffy is seething, "We won. Get over it".
"What is up, B? This just ain't you. You fall down and hit your head or somethin'?" Faith stops her pacing and stares at Buffy. She looks at her boots and says quietly, "We coulda died, Buffy."
Buffy snorts in disdain. "As if! We're the Chosen Two, Faith. One little nest of vamps isn't going to take us down. We've saved the world, closed a Hellmouth, changed destiny and stuff!"
"It doesn't make you invincible. First rule – Don't die, remember?"
"I made up that rule. In fact, I think I made all the rules. The new ones anyway. So don't try to tell me how to do my job."
"Fine. But…"
"And what the hell happened to you anyway. Getting soft in your old age? Geez, I thought having you in town would be fun!"
Faith looks at her friend, worried. "It will be. I just think it's… best not to…"
"What? Fight vampires? Maybe you'd rather have some old-school fun? Mayor's Little Girl!"
"God, B…" Where did this come from?
"I know, let's play Screw Buffy's Boyfriend, or hell! Kill Buffy's Friends! How about Body Swap? That comes with batteries included! Sound like a blast from the past?"
"Shut up! You don't mean it. I thought we… I thought we were…"
"Five by five?" Buffy smiles. A sick, wide grin. She's enjoying this. Faith squirming and sad. Angry.
Faith doesn't speak. Not for a long time. Faith exhales, slowly. Her breath hitching, her chin gives her away.
"Buffy, I… can't… I'm sor...."
"Whatever." Buffy cuts her off. "I'm tired of memory lane anyway. I'm wicked hungry."
Buffy turns to walk away, shrugging her shoulders. Faith reacts instinctively. She puts her hand out and grabs Buffy by the shoulder.
"What the fu-…" Faith's back slams down hard on the cobblestone. Buffy looks down on her, her green eyes flash briefly with the hatred Faith always tries hard to forget.
"Don't. Touch. Me."
Faith flips up, back onto her feet. "Why does it always have to be this way with us, B?" she asks softly. Her body's instinct draws her up into fighting stance.
"Oh, I dunno. Maybe because you keep PISSING ME OFF!" Buffy's throwing a series of wild but hardcore punches. Faith blocks all but the last, which lands squarely on her cheek. She blinks, shaking off the pain.
"I'm not gonna fight you, B. I just wanna talk." But she keeps her defensive pose.
"God, did I sound like that? Whiny and sad, and pathetic? No wonder you hated me then. I hate me then." Buffy fakes a high kick, and then crouches for a leg sweep. Faith leaps over the attack. But Buffy pulls Faith past her and elbows her in the back.
"Goddamnit, Buffy! What the hell? Why are you doing this?" Faith can't help the crack in her voice, can't help but let the hurt out.
"Um, lessee… You show up…" Buffy slams Faith up against the wall.
"We have a great time…" Buffy slams her knee into Faith's stomach.
"Then, as usual, you screw..." Faith recoils as the fist hits her face.
"…everything…" Again.
"…up!" As the fist comes for her face again, Faith is prepared. She grabs Buffy's wrist, slips around her, and pushes her back up against the wall, using her body to hold Buffy still. Looking into her eyes, Faith searches for… I don't know. Something.
But now is not the time for stargazing.
Faith sighs.
"I'm sorry, Buffy"
And knocks her out cold.
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"Giles, I'm wiggin'! You were right! She's off her rocker. Stone cold psycho. She kinda reminded me of…" Faith runs her fingers through her long dark hair, pacing back and forth in her hotel room.
Giles stays quiet. He knows this girl. He waits, listening to her breathing on the line.
Faith sits on the edge of her bed, playing with the hem of her tank top.
"Of… me. Like me before." Faith holds her breath.
"How so?"
"The way she fought the vamps. Not careful. It was all balls and fists, Giles. Instinct. And the way she tried to beat my head in. Just said one little thing…"
"Are you alright, Faith?"
"I think so. She dinged me up pretty good. But I'll be OK in a couple days." Faith hesitates, trying to explain. "But Giles, it wasn't the hitting me that freaked me out. That's normal, a thing we just do. It was the way she looked, the way she said things. She was gettin' off on hurting me. She was doing it for FUN, Giles."
Silence on the line.
"Good Lord." Giles rubs his forehead, glasses in hand. "Change of plans. Lay low for a few days. I don't want you getting hurt. If her condition escalates…"
"I can't just leave her to patrol alone… She'll get herself killed." Faith touches the bruise on her face. "No. I'll go play along with B. Try to keep her out of trouble. You bookish types try to figure out what kinda mojo she's under."
"I'm not comfortable with…"
"No choice, boss. This is the plan." Faith flips the phone off and tosses it on the chair.
She walks to the kitchenette, chilly in her undies and tank top. Grabs the bottle of scotch from the cupboard. Turns back and flops face down on the bed.
"Scotland sucks."
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Buffy sits at her desk, reading a fashion magazine, boots up on the polished mahogany. Every now and then she cracks her gum, blows a bubble. She thinks to herself, Yeah, it's good to be me. Commander of a slayer army. Head of the new Council. And an expense account, all for my very own. You are mine, shiny new Prada! She giggles, the old Buffy giggle. There's a knock at her office door.
"Ms. Summers?"
"Send her in." Buffy sits up properly, putting away her magazine and swinging her boots back under her desk. Trying to look… important? Remorseful?
"Heyyy, B. Just wanted to make sure you're OK, about yesterday." Faith looks at her briefly, then down at the wood floor.
"Oh god Faith, I am so sorry about the Wacky-Buffy thing yesterday. Look what I did to your poor face!" Buffy rises from her seat, like she's about to go to her. But she settles back into her chair. "Come here, lemme see." She pats the desk corner expectantly.
Faith dutifully sits on the desk, and lets Buffy trace around the red and purple marks her hands had put there. "It's not so bad… You're OK, right?"
Faith swallows, and fakes a smile. "Five by five!"
"Goody! Cos I gotta say, I'm itching for some more action. This desk gig is sooo not me." Buffy kicks her legs up and spins in her chair. "So restrictive, know what I mean?"
"Hello?" Faith waves her hand, "Ex-jailbird over here!"
"Oh yeah!" Buffy giggles, but not the same. "So tomorrow night? It's a slay-date?"
"Absolutely!" Faith lights up with a grin.
Buffy takes her magazine out of the drawer and quickly becomes engrossed, sticking her feet back up on the desk. Cracking her gum, she says "Cool."
Faith waits for a sign. A word. A dismissal?
"Uhm… later, B." Faith slowly turns and leaves Buffy's office.
And then Buffy knows she'd achieved what she'd been aiming for before… Powerful.
