CHAPTER ELEVEN
Road Trip

On route to Sunnydale
December 11, 2002 — 2042 PST

Willow nervously glanced over at Faith sitting in the passenger seat. The air of tension filled the car ever since Willow picked up Faith from Angel's place in Los Angeles. The history and bad blood between them (and what seemed like everyone else in Sunnydale) was the cause of this tension.

Willow glanced at her passenger again. They'd exchanged only a few words since leaving LA. The silence was driving Willow crazy it finally overcame her nervousness, "So, must be nice to be out of prison," she said without thinking.

"Well, yeah," Faith replied, sarcastically rolling her eyes.

There was another moment of silence. Faith suddenly got an evil glint in her eyes, "Well, I do miss the three squares a day. I don't really miss the group showers, but from what I hear that might be more to your tastes," she said, smirking.

Faith enjoyed seeing Willow get rattled as her face flushed red, her eyes went wide, and she tried to sputter out a reply, "Don't worry about it Red. I'm just having some fun with you. Gotta have a sense of humor to survive doing hard time," Faith said still smirking.

"Okay…" was all Willow said, staring straight ahead. She suddenly found the silence more bearable.

oOoOo

They continued to drive in silence for several more miles. Faith found she was getting bored and decided she'd had enough quiet time, "So, what's the situation in good old Sunnydale? I'm surprised that you even need me… let alone remembered me."

Willow snorted at the comment. For all the things that Faith did, being forgettable was not an issue for her, "Things are pretty serious. A big bad called The First is stirring trouble in the Hellmouth and there is a new vampire… an übervamp called a Turok-Han. It's not like any vampire you've faced before. These things are stronger, deadlier, and they're harder to kill."

Faith didn't think there could be a worse vampire after going up against Angelus, but hearing about these übervamps made her listen more closely to what Willow was saying. She may have been paying attention, but she still had a style and reputation to maintain, "The First? What's his deal?" she asked, feigning her disinterest, turning to stare out the passenger window.

"Buffy has faced it before. From the little we know, it is the source of all evil… the first evil. It can assume the form of anyone who has died. It does this to control and manipulate others. Other than that it doesn't appear to have a corporeal form," Willow replied.

She glanced over at Faith, noting the puzzled expression on the Slayer's face. It took her a moment to remember that Faith hadn't been fond of school or academics, "What I mean is that it has no form. It can't physically interact with anything on this side of the Hellmouth… as far as we know."

Faith grimaced because she hated how Willow had to dumb-down her explanations. That still didn't stop her from acknowledging she understood as Willow continued on, "There are also the followers of The First… its foot soldiers. They're called 'Harbringers of Death' or Bringers for short. These guys have been hunting down all the girls that could become the Slayer after Buffy or you… well, you know."

Faith snorted, flashing a grim smirk, "Yeah, I know… If one of us dies another girl gets 'chosen' to take our place. So, these Slayer-wannabes are being knocked off by these Bringer guys?" she asked, getting a nod from Willow in return.

For Faith, this information clicked together a number events for her, "That would explain why someone tried to shank me in prison. It would've been nice to have gotten some warning that this was going down… or don't I even rate that much consideration?" she said. She tried pushing down the growing wave of anger and frustration as old wounds and slights reopened.

Willow picked up on the bitterness in Faith's voice. The last thing she needed was to alienate Faith before they even got to Sunnydale, "To be honest, we didn't think you would be at risk in prison. We thought they would leave you alone and behind bars you would be safer."

"Whatever… Thanks for nothing," Faith said angrily, dismissing Willow's explanation as an uncomfortable silence descended on the car. She turned to stare out the passenger door window again, losing herself in her thoughts and memories.

"Is that it?" Faith asked, still looking out the window.

"That's pretty much it… though we refer to the girls as 'Potentials' rather than 'Slayer-wannabes'. Giles has been finding and bringing the girls to Sunnydale for protection. The plan is train them… prepare them, so they can fight."

Faith snorted, taking a deep breath and exhaling the bad air, "So, the good old G-Man is still around. We have any other Watchers helping us?"

Willow paused, figuring out how to break the news, "The Watchers and Watchers Council are gone... They blew up the Watcher's headquarters. The First and his helpers have been hunting down and killing the remaining ones, like the Potentials. There might be a few still alive, but they're scattered and on the run. They won't be able to help us," she said grimly.

Faith massaged her temples, shaking her head slowly at what they faced, "Okay, so what you're telling me is that to face this First Evil, Bringers and these übervamps. We have a couple of Slayers, a single Watcher, you and the rest of the Scoobies, and a bunch of slayer-wannabes! Great! I think I would like to go back to prison now!" she replied sarcastically, still shaking her head at the odds they were up against.

Willow's smile caught Faith off-guard, "It's not as all bad as you would think. We have a really powerful ally we didn't even know existed until a few days ago. This ally goes a long way to balancing out the odds against us," she explained about the events at Buffy's house and their encounter with the robot — Spartan-113.

Faith stared at Willow for a long time after she finished telling her about the robot. For a moment, she thought the Wiccan had gone off the deep-end, but the look on her face told Faith that she was being serious.

"You're kidding? Right?" was the only thing she could think of to say.

oOoOo

They arrived back in Sunnydale several hours later. Faith noticed they weren't headed to Buffy's house, "So big red, what's the story? Where are we headed? Where is everybody?" she asked.

"Like I said, it looks like this Spartan robot has been preparing for this confrontation for the last couple of years. He… it established a base in an abandoned warehouse."

Faith rolled her eyes, sighing as the mental image of a rat-infested, dingy, rotting building immediately came to mind. Willow picked up on what Faith was thinking, "It's not what you think. It's been fixed up really nice. Room enough for everyone… bedrooms, training areas, and a huge kitchen area. It's really nice, and it has an awesome security setup that keeps the baddies away 24/7 rain or shine."

Being back in Sunnydale brought a lot of old memories to the surface for Faith. With those old memories were a lot of the old pains and feelings of inadequacy. She had never fit in with Buffy's crew and now she was back here and being asked to join with the people she'd alienated and hurt. That Buffy and the others hadn't even bothered to warn her she was in danger made her feeling left out… just like she'd been her whole life.

"With this robot around it sounds like you have everything you need. Why do you need me?" she asked in a tight voice.

Willow didn't catch the tone in Faith's voice and missed the change in mood since they entered town, "Buffy said we need everyone for this battle. Whether you like it or not, you're still a Slayer."

They entered the industrial part of town and the grim, dark looking buildings didn't help with Faith's mood. Despite Willow's lavish descriptions, mental images of everyone huddling in a dark, cold warehouse returned to haunt her. She found herself thinking longingly for her warm prison bunk.

"There it is!" Willow said, interrupting Faith's dark thoughts.

Faith's attention was now on the brightly lit, imposing looking building, surrounded by huge security fences. One word immediately came to mind… prison. Faith kept her comments to herself as they drove up to the gate. Willow rolled down the window and typed in a code on the speaker/keypad unit. A female voice coming through the speaker, startled Faith, as it asked Willow to provide voice access confirmation.

"Uh... Hello, Adriana... This is Willow."

"Welcome back, Willow. Voice access confirmed. Access granted," Adriana replied. Immediately, the security gates opened.

While the gates were opening, Faith got a closer view of the building and the security fences. It only confirmed her first impressions of the place.

Looks just like a prison, she thought gloomily as they drove towards the building, the gates closing behind them.

oOoOo

A brief sensation of claustrophobia hit Faith as they drove into the loading dock area. It wore off as she looked around the parking area. The bright lights and the color scheme used on the walls surprised her. Her gloominess faded as she felt a little more at ease.

Not bad… colors are brighter than prison, she thought.

As she got out of the car, Faith noted the different vehicles parked around the bay. A huge tarp in the corner of the vehicle bay drew her eyes. From this distance it looked to like some kind of vehicle under the tarp with tools and equipment stacked around it. She found her curiosity piqued arousing the temptation to go and take a peak under the tarp. Willow inadvertently stopped her as she came around the car, "Well, we're here! Home Sweet Home, kind of. Let's show you around and get you settled in," she said excitedly.

Faith sighed, parking her curiosity for the moment as she nodded to Willow, "Lead the way," she said. Out of ingrained habit, Faith cautiously followed Willow through the loading dock area. A female voice, seeming to come from nowhere, caught Faith by surprise.

"Welcome back, Willow. I see you brought back the other Slayer. I hope your trip was uneventful."

"Thanks, Adriana. It was a quiet drive," Willow replied, smiling.

"What's up with that?" a slightly jumpy Faith asked as she looked around for the other person.

"That is Adriana… She is the computer AI that oversees everything in the warehouse and works with the Spartan," Willow said.

"Don't forget I monitor everything outside as well," Adriana replied with a chuckle.

"Before I forget my manners... Adriana... this is Faith. Faith meet Adriana." Willow said.

Faith wasn't too sure what a 'computer AI' was and what it entailed. The only thing she knew about "AI's" was from the movies and they usually ended up trying to kill all the humans.

"Hey, Adriana," she said hesitantly, waving to the empty room.

"Hello, Faith…" the pleasant sounding said, "I have recorded your facial features and your voice imprint for security access. If you have any questions just call out for me."

Faith noticed the security cameras placed around the vehicle bay, giving coverage of the entire area, "Uh, Thanks," she replied, still a little jumpy and unsure.

She followed Willow up some steps, leading further into the building. As they went through the doorway into the hall, Faith noted that the door wasn't a normal door… it was a heavily reinforced steel security door.

"Some pretty heavy security... huh?" she said studying the door.

"Yup," Willow replied, nodding, "As Adriana explained to me, there are several entrances for vehicles and people. Those are the weak points and there are security doors that can lock down and isolate areas from attack. Did I get that right Adriana?"

"Yes, you did."

Faith looked at Willow strangely. She couldn't believe Willow was talking to a disembodied voice as if they were a real person. It looked like she was just talking to the air. Anywhere else, if you went around talking like that, nobody would answer you. Guys in white uniforms would then come bearing a straight-jacket to take you on a trip to the funny farm.

Only in Sunnydale, Faith thought, smirking.

"Where is everybody?" Willow asked, not noticing the strange looks she was getting from Faith.

"All personnel are in the common area, kitchen area or in their rooms. The Spartan is on security patrol of the perimeter and should be back inside the base within twenty minutes," replied the AI.

Faith noted how this AI tracked where everyone was. It worried her a little that a machine knew where and what she was doing all the time. Someone tracking you 24/7… that sounded a lot like prison.

oOoOo

Faith's grim prison imaginings softened as Willow led her into the common area of the building. The openness and how comfortable the setup looked pleasantly surprised her. Spread around the large room were couches and chairs to allow people to sit together in a group or have some personal space. In separate corners of the room, there were several large screen televisions. It allowed people to watch movies or shows without having to fight for control of the remote. Someone had definitely put some thought into the design and layout to make it an area for everyone to unwind and relax.

Willow noted the impressed look on Faith's face, "We also have full Internet access and a satellite dish. The computer setup is pretty impressive… all the latest equipment."

Faith nodded absently, the pool table in another corner drew her attention more than all the nerd and techno stuff that Willow was going on about.

"What else is there?" she asked as her opinion on this place was rapidly climbing.

Willow laughed, "Well, there is a large and well-stocked kitchen, conference room for meetings, workout and exercise rooms, armory and firing range. This place has everything a small army needs."

"What about sleeping arrangements?" Faith asked as she kept looking around and getting more impressed.

"No problems there, bedrooms are on the second floor. The setup is just like a college dorm… two to a room, but lots of space."

"Great," Faith muttered with a sarcastic sigh. She was tired of "sharing" sleeping accommodations with others. Willow didn't hear her as Buffy and Giles entering the common area distracted her. She waved to catch their attention, and they made their way over. Faith saw the other Slayer approach, and she immediately felt the room get colder as the tension level ratchet up several notches.

"Hello, Faith," Buffy said. She'd tried to keep her voice neutral, but Faith picked up the unease and tension in her voice.

Rather than throw gas on the fire, Faith tried to lighten the tense reunion, "Hey, B… Long-time no see."

"Hello, Faith," Giles said politely, but adding his own unease at this reunion.

Faith saw that Giles was at least making an attempt. She gave him a welcoming smile, "Hey, Giles. Red, has been bringing me up to speed on all the happenings and giving me the grand tour of your new digs. Nice place… looks like you have everything you need."

Giles relaxed slightly, but old habits kept him on guard, "Yes, it appears that we're quite lucky our new ally has established quite an elaborate base of operations. It give us an excellent opportunity to train and plan for the upcoming fight."

Faith glanced around the room, she noticed that the others that had been sitting around were now watching her and Buffy. She saw some of the other young women talking amongst themselves. From the way they were looking and talking, she knew that she was being judged and appraised. Suddenly, she was more self-conscious and a little uncomfortable from the attention she was drawing. The desire to escape this room and have some quiet time suddenly became important, "So, where do I bunk and when do I get to meet this robot?"

oOoOo

Michael just finished his nightly perimeter sweep around the warehouse and was heading back in. Tonight's tally was "only" five Bringers. It was apparent that they were on a scouting mission to keep an eye on the building. He didn't bother trying to capture the demons anymore. He tried on several previous occasions interrogating Bringers, and despite his best efforts the demons were unwilling or unable to talk.

Tonight's kills were light compared to the last few nights where he'd been "busy". He knew he wasn't fighting a conventional military force, but he still needed to understand the tactics and strategy they were using to counter them. It looked like that The First was scaling back operations and was sending scouting teams out now. This indicated the enemy might be showing sensitivity to the recent losses they had suffered. On the other hand, The First might be conserving its resources… gathering them to make a bigger move.

Whatever the ultimate reason, Michael found himself glad to have a quiet night compared to the last few previous ones. He opened a channel to check-in, "Adriana, SITREP?"

"All sectors look clear. It looks like it will be a quiet night."

"Roger, I'm just finishing up and will be back inside in ten. Anything going on that I need to know?"

"We have a new house guest. Willow returned from Los Angeles with the other Slayer."

"Yeah, that's right. Giles and Buffy said there was another Slayer in LA. It will be an asset to have another Slayer with us."

"Agreed… this is a positive development."

"I forgot to ask… What's the other Slayer's name?"

"Her name is Faith…"

oOoOo

Michael noted the gathering crowd, on the far side of the common area, as he entered the room. He guessed the other Slayer was generating interest among his new "roommates". He easily picked out Buffy, Willow and Giles in the crowd. Michael noticed the tense looks on Buffy's and Giles's faces as they talked with the new arrival. The woman, with brunette hair and wearing a jean jacket, was standing with her back to him. He figured that woman must be this other Slayer — Faith.

As he got closer to the gathered crowd, he studied the woman's back and hair. He got a strange feeling — almost like Déjà vu. The closer he got, the more intense the sensation grew with time seeming to slow down. The intensity of his emotions surprised him, the only time he experienced this slowing of time was in combat. He was suddenly aware that his heart was beating faster and his pulse was racing. He tried to calm himself down, but it wasn't working for him now.

Adriana's concerned voice filled his helmet, "Michael! Are you all right? Your bio-readings are all over the place!"

Michael found he couldn't speak as he felt himself pulled towards the woman. It took all his concentration to speak, "I-I… I'm fine," he muttered.

"Are you sure? You've got a higher pulse rate… Higher respiration rate… Higher heart—"

"I'm fine!" he said brusquely, cutting the channel. He saw Willow pointing and waving towards him. The other Slayer turned in his direction.

Time froze as Michael stopped in mid-stride when he saw the other woman's face. A dam holding back an ocean of emotion broke as her face grabbed him. It was a face that had once haunted his dreams as thoughts raced through his head.

My God it's her! How is this possible?

Michael couldn't believe this woman was the same one. The one from his dreams all those years ago… on a planet on the far-side of the galaxy in another universe.

oOoOo

Faith's growing discomfort matched the increasing crowd and attention around her. She half-listened to Willow talking up a storm as her focus drifted to the idea of escaping this room and crowd. The closeness of the people and the way they stared at her made it feel like she was in prison again… and she hated that. The only consolation was that while Willow was babbling, Buffy and Giles were standing quietly to the side only adding the occasional comment or question. Faith read the way they were studying her. She picked up on them trying to size her up… trying to figure out if she had really changed.

The discomfort was now to where Faith was considering extreme measures to escape and have some time alone. Luckily, events conspired to keep her from doing something rash as Willow pointed and waved to something behind her, "Oh, here it comes! Here comes the Spartan!"

Faith exhaled a sigh of relief at this break as everyone's attention switched to the robot. As she turned to get her first glimpse of this robot, she had to admit her own curiosity to seeing it. Time seemed to stop, and she blinked as she looked at a huge, green-colored, armored robot. It had stopped moving and if she didn't know better, it seemed to be staring at her.

Her eyes moved over the robot, picking out and studying its details. It wasn't like anything she had expected or could have imagined. The robot had to be close to seven feet tall. The number — 113 — on the left side of its armored chest caught her eyes. She saw its arms, and they almost looked… human, if they weren't metal looking with armor on them. As the robot stood there looking at her, she could have sworn she saw its arm muscles tighten and flex.

Whoa… You're no R2D2 big boy! If this is a robot. I'll take a dozen! Faith thought, continuing to look the robot up and down.

The robot's head looked like a fancy motorcycle helmet with a gold visor. She couldn't see through the visor, but again she got the strange sensation the robot was staring directly at her. This growing awareness and unease now replaced her earlier discomfort.

"Hey tinman! Anyone home?" she said, trying to get the robot to stop staring at her.

oOoOo

Michael didn't realize that he was just standing there... staring at Faith. It seemed like an eternity for his mind to click in and realize that she was talking to him. It took an extreme act of will for him to break the spell and focus. A part of him noted that Faith was studying him, causing him to become very self-conscious of himself and his surroundings. From all the thoughts and emotions racing through him... of all the things he could say, what he said was underwhelming.

"Hello." he said in a distant voice.

"Well this robot is brimming over with conversation… or maybe it's me?" Faith said with a nervous laugh.

Michael found it difficult to deal with what he was going through. He'd never been so out of joint or caught this flat-footed in his whole life. Through extreme efforts, he regained some measure of control and composure, but he still found it hard to talk. The urge to leave grew, and he found it hard to believe he needed to leave… and quickly.

Michael pushed through the confusing haze long enough to talk without swallowing or biting his tongue, "I have checked and cleared the perimeter. If you will excuse me, I have some tasks to complete. It was nice to meet you Faith."

As he left the room, it took an act of will not to run in a blind panic or trip over his own feet. Even in his self-conscious state, he overheard Faith say to someone, "It doesn't say much, but at least it's polite."

oOoOo

Michael was barely out of the common area when he opened a channel to Adriana. The AI was immediately filling the channel with her concern for him.

"Are you all right? What's wrong?"

He was feeling somewhat normal again as his pounding heart slowed to normal. As his mind still raced, he ignored Adriana's concerns. He had other priorities, "I want to know everything about Faith, and I mean no stone left unturned! I want this as a priority!"

Adriana found herself surprised and confused by his request. Michael's bio-readings still worried her, but it was lessening as she saw them returning to normal.

"What's wrong Michael? Is there a problem with Faith?" she asked.

"Never mind that, I'll be fine. I want to know everything about her, ASAP. Understood?"

Adriana heard the tone in his voice and knew there would be no further discussion on this matter. She knew how stubborn Michael could be, so she resigned herself to holding her concern for now. She hoped he would talk to her later and tell what had happened to him and what was going on with Faith.

"Understood."