CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
I never thought it was possible
"I never considered myself a romantic-type of person. I read those stories and watched the movies as a kid where the female character got so bent out of shape by the big manly hero. As I got older, I hated how those women became weepy and weak-kneed. Relationships were for suckers because I could never understand how someone could become so attached to another person. Then I met Paul…"
— Faith Lehane
oOoOo
Another long moment of nervous, awkward silence filled the cabin as Faith and Paul glanced at each other. Each of them found themselves in a situation outside their comfort zone as they struggled with their thoughts and feelings.
"You feeling better?" Faith said, pushing through her awkwardness.
"Yeah, I wasn't ready. That woman looked like someone I used to know," Paul said, shaking his head.
"Sonia… she was the spitting image of Sonia."
Paul blinked in shock and surprise, "H-How did… Chief Larson told you, didn't she?"
Faith nodded as Paul let out a deep sigh, running a hand over his head.
"You going to be okay?" she said, studying him with genuine concern.
Paul gazed at Faith as he considered the question for a moment. A small smile came to his face, catching her by surprise, "Yeah, I think I'll be okay. It was a shock, but yeah, I'll be fine."
Faith let out a quiet sigh of relief as she added her own smile, "Been quite the day hasn't it?"
Paul snorted, "Yes, it has."
Another uncomfortable moment of silence descended before Faith broke it, "I-I want you to know if you want to talk or whatever. I'm not that great at this, but you know… if you need to… I can."
She felt awkward and clumsy as the words left her mouth, Smooth move Slayer! Talk much! Maybe Buffy can help me remove my foot from my mouth…
Faith's offer caught Paul off-guard. He could tell she was struggling with this situation because she looked as uncomfortable as he felt. These types of situations had never been his strong suit. His usual response was to bail when things got emotional… except with Sonia. The strange thing was despite the awkwardness, he didn't want to run away or Faith to leave. With her here, he wanted to take care of something bothering him.
"Thanks, I mean it," he paused, taking a deep breath, "Ummm… about earlier, in the corridor before, I said some things…"
He took another deep breath, "I shouldn't have dumped on you like that. I had no right to do that."
A puzzled look filled Faith's face, "What're you talking about?"
"I want to say I'm sorry for ripping into you. You didn't deserve that."
Faith's eyes widen in surprise. She was the one always apologizing for something she said or did, and here Paul was apologizing for the second time. This put her off-balance, but she went with her gut feeling, "It's okay… I guess we could have all handled the Dawn situation better."
Faith took a breath, studying Paul's face, "So what happens now? What're you going to do about Dawn?"
Paul shrugged, "I guess if she and Buffy agree, we could run some tests and maybe take a blood sample to study. We can see if there is something there we can use, but only if they agree to it. I won't force them or her into anything they don't want to do."
A silent sigh of relief escaped Faith, "Thanks, I'm sure they'll want to help as much as they can."
She paused not sure if she should ask, but she needed to, "What are you going to do about…?"
"You mean the woman that looks like Sonia?" Paul replied, reading where Faith was going.
Faith nodded, and Paul sighed, "I don't know. I'll guess I'll wait until our two new guests are awake and have a talk with them. We could use them to help contact the authorities on your planet. It's probably time to talk to the people down there."
Another moment of awkward silence filled the cabin as they each tried to figure what to do or say next as there was still one more issue hovering over them. Paul plunged forward, deciding he needed to deal with the elephant in the room, "There was one question you didn't ask?" he said.
His question caught Faith by surprise. She wasn't sure what he was asking, but a part of her tensed up in fear about where he was going, "W-What question are you talking about?"
"What about us?" he said.
The room spun while Faith's heart pounded as his question sank in. The small voice in her head screamed at her to turn and run from the room as flashbacks of what Rachel had told her ran through her head.
"W-What about us?" she spit out, catching her breath, trying not to sound panicked.
Paul found himself as unsure as he read Faith's face, "That's what I want to know. Was last night a onetime thing or…" he paused as she held up her hand.
A whirlwind of emotions engulfed and confused Faith as she looked at Paul and tried to understand what was happening between them. A part of her had been only looking for a one-night stand, but now she didn't know what she wanted. This was uncharted territory for her, and it scared her because she didn't know what to do or how to react let alone what to say. Time slowed down as a confusing array of thoughts and emotions filled her.
She realized Paul was still waiting for an answer. She needed to tell him something, "I-I want to—," she stammered, trying to find the words to tell him what she was experiencing.
The universe took this moment to intervene as the ship's alarms blared, cutting her off. Out of habit, Paul rushed to activate his comm panel, "Bridge, this is the Captain. What's going on?"
"Sir, there's been a security incident in Medical. The male survivor from the shuttle attacked our people."
Paul dreaded the answer, but he had to ask, "How bad? Casualties?"
"Three dead… four injured, sir."
Paul winced, hearing Faith gasp behind him, "Status of the intruder?"
"He's still somewhere on Deck-Seven, sir. We've sealed the deck off, and security teams are moving into position to block all access points from that deck."
"Evacuate that deck as best you can and seal off all sensitive and restricted areas. Get reinforcements to secure Medical and have Lieutenant Hanson oversee and co-ordinate operations from the bridge."
There was a long pause, and for a second Paul wasn't sure the bridge heard him.
"Sir, Lieutenant Hanson was one of the injured. The intruder shot him."
Paul closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them, "What's his status?"
"Unknown, sir. One more thing, sir. The reports coming from Medical say the intruder doesn't appear human…"
Paul knew he had to contain the situation before it got any worse and more people got hurt, "I want all security teams in full armor and loaded up. They aren't to take any chances with the intruder. I want a security team to meet me in the access way to Section 7-3C, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Paul cut the channel, turning towards his desk. Faith's eyes widen in surprise as he pulled a strange looking gun from a desk drawer and checked the weapon's magazine.
The Owens energy machine pistol was an older weapon supplanted when the REF switched over to the Gallant. Despite its age, it was still effective in taking down any person or alien. Paul had a fondness for the older weapon and kept one as a souvenir.
He noted the strange look on Faith's face as he reseated the energy magazine into the weapon, "I've got to go," he said.
There was no hesitation on Faith's part as she grasped the situation, "I'm coming with you," she said.
There was a moment of hesitation as Paul's first instinct was to tell her no. Several things stayed his response. The stubborn expression filling her face told him she wouldn't take no for an answer, and he didn't have time to argue with her. She was a Slayer, and more than capable of defending herself. Then there was the fact they were short-handed and could use the help. Yet, despite the rationale for her to come with him, it didn't ease his mind or lessen his worry. The thought she would be in harm's way brought back old memories and fears.
Faith read Paul's face as he sighed, "You know better than to stop me, don't you," she said, grinning.
"I don't need or want to be fighting on two fronts at the same time. You can come, but you stick like glue to me, and you listen, understood?" he said, shaking his head, already questioning his decision.
"I promise to behave," Faith said, rolling her eyes, but then a twinkle filled them, "If I misbehave, you can spank me."
Paul stepped closer, catching her by surprise. The serious look on his face caused her grin to fade, "Please do this one thing for me. We don't know what we're dealing with. I c-ca—," he paused, "I don't want you to get hurt," he whispered as his hand caressed her hair and face.
His light touch sent a jolt of electricity flowing through Faith causing urges and feelings to surge inside her. She wanted to say something as she met his gaze, but she couldn't trust her voice, so she only nodded.
"Okay, let's go then," he said, taking the lead towards the cabin door.
As she followed him out of his cabin, Faith wished she'd said something to him.
oOoOo
Harper wandered silent empty corridors, moving between cover as he tried to figure out where he was. The wailing alarms had ended, leaving him with just his thoughts echoing in his head. He was thankful no soldiers had pursued him after the firefight outside the hospital, figuring they were too busy cleaning up the mess he'd left there.
Excitement filled him as he glanced again at the real-life energy weapon he'd taken from a guard in the hospital. He did not understand the principals of how the weapon operated, but he was lucky the weapon seemed simple to operate and use.
Even with no understanding, he'd figured out he only had a limited number of shots because small round objects ejected from the weapon after every three shots. Even with that limited amount of knowledge he still didn't know how many shots he had left in the weapon or even how to reload it.
Yet, despite his situation and limited understanding, the mission his master had tasked him with still hung over him. To fulfill his mission, and protect his family, Harper realized he would need something heavier. He also needed to find critical and sensitive areas of the ship if he was going to do any serious damage.
As he skulked down the corridors, he noted signs providing directions around the ship. That the signs were in English surprised him, but he didn't have time to consider the implications. A sign with an arrow saying "ENGINEERING SECTION" brought a grin to Harper's face as he contemplated his stroke of luck. He wasted no time using the helpful sign to make his way towards his destination.
oOoOo
A voice calling out caught Paul and Faith's attention as they made their way down one of the ship's access ways to Deck-Seven. They both turned to see Buffy rushing to catch up with them, "What's going on? What's with the alarms?" she said.
"There's been an incident in the hospital," Paul replied, forgetting about Buffy's sister.
"What! Did something happen to Dawn?" Buffy said, shock and fear grabbing her.
Paul realized his mistake. He wanted to ease her mind, but would not lie to her, "I don't know. One of the shuttle survivors attacked my people and is loose on the deck."
"I need to check on her, now!" Buffy demanded as her fear and worry grew.
The last thing Paul needed was for Buffy to go rushing into an unknown situation. They needed to proceed cautiously, "We're going to meet a security team, and then we'll head to the hospital. We'll—"
"I need to see my sister… NOW!"
Faith read and understood Buffy's agitation, but she also understood Paul's position, "Buffy…" she said, trying to calm the situation.
Paul met Buffy's hard stare. He wasn't going to rush into making any hasty decisions or moves, "We've got someone or something armed, running around on the deck. Three of my crew are already dead with another four injured! We're heading to Medical to help secure the area, but my priority is the ship and this crew! Do you understand me?"
The mention of dead and injured sank in as Buffy grasped the situation, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know," she said, taking a deep breath.
More footsteps announced Giles and Willow as they belatedly joined the group. They were both breathing hard from trying to keep pace with Buffy.
"W-What h-happened?" Giles gasped, trying to catch his breath.
"There's been an attack in the hospital," Faith said.
"Dawnie! Is she…?" Willow said, alarm and worry filling her face as she glanced towards Buffy.
"We're going to find out, if everyone will follow me," Paul urged, taking the lead, continuing down the access stairwell.
A security detail of ten armed soldiers in body armor was waiting for them at the bulkhead door on Deck-Seven. What was even more surprising was finding an anxiously pacing Spike there with the security team.
"About bloody time!" he said, shaking his head in frustration.
Paul ignored the gibe, brushing past the vampire to confer with the Sergeant in charge of the security team, "Leave two men here to secure and guard this hatchway. You and the rest of your team will go with us. We'll secure Medical first before we search the deck," he said.
The Sergeant nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Do you have a spare communicator?"
"Yes, sir," the Sergeant replied, passing over a hand communicator. Paul activated the handset, opening a communication channel, "Bridge, this is the Captain."
"Bridge here, sir."
"We're in position. What's the status of the other security team?"
"Sir, they report they're in position to access the deck in Section 7-2B."
"Understood. Have there been any further sightings or reports of the intruder?"
"No, sir."
"Have the other team enter the deck and proceed to Medical. We'll meet up there. After securing the area, we can then sweep the deck for the intruder. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Paul cut the link and faced everyone. He noted the mix expressions of confusion, worry and fear on their collected faces, "Okay, we go in. The security team will split into four-man teams… front and rear with the rest of us between them."
Buffy and Spike protested, but Paul cut them off, "We're doing this by the numbers. We've got an armed intruder running loose, and I don't need anyone else getting shot."
His outburst ended any further protest, for the moment, "Okay, let's go," Paul said, nodding to the Sergeant to take point.
As the bulkhead doors opened, the Sergeant barked orders for the security team to take up positions. Tension and anticipation hung in the air as it seemed to take an eternity for the door to open. The lead team of armored troopers rushed forward through the bulkhead door to secure the corridor. A second team of soldiers quickly followed in to back up the lead team.
Buffy struggled to keep herself in check as she followed with Faith behind Paul into the corridor with Spike closely following with Giles and Willow bringing up the rear. Despite most of her focus worrying about Dawn, she noted the soldiers in firing positions, with weapons ready, covering all directions ready to respond to any threat.
The loud clanking sound of the bulkhead door closing behind them echoed through the deserted corridor. As the echo faded, the background hums and noises of the ship seemed to take on an eerie quality. Buffy swore she could hear everyone's heavy breathing as she took a deep breath to calm herself.
The Sergeant signaled his men, and his team took point, trying to move like ghosts, as they worked their way down the corridor to Medical. Buffy's senses were on high alert, but she also studied the soldiers as they moved, swinging their weapons to cover every potential avenue of attack.
It seemed as if they were moving at a snail's pace down the corridor as Buffy struggled to control her urge to rush to her sister. Her urge was tempered and kept in check knowing people had died and someone was running around with a weapon.
As they approached Medical, evidence of what had happened made the reality of the situation sink in. Scorch marks along with dried blood marked and streaked the corridor walls and deck. The fading smell of burnt flesh, filled the corridor, adding to the whole macabre scene.
The lead soldier froze and knelt down, signaling the group to stop. Buffy's anxiousness and frustration flared with them stopping in sight of the entrance to the hospital. She wondered what was going on when she saw the Sergeant tap the side of his helmet, and then motion everyone to stand up and move forward. As they closed the distance, the doors to the hospital opened, and two armed security personnel came out with weapons ready. Paul turned to Buffy and the others, "You can go in now," he said.
Buffy didn't hesitate as she rushed past Paul and the soldiers into the hospital with Spike, Willow and Giles following in her wake. A moment of panic filled her when she didn't find Dawn in her bed. The med-techs told Buffy where she could find her sister.
Relief filled Buffy hearing her sister was awake and moving around. Her relief abated when she found Dawn sitting a bedside vigil with Lieutenant Hanson. As she approached her sister, her gaze shifting between Dawn and the unconscious Lieutenant, she found herself at a loss for words. Buffy's sisterly concern grew when she saw her sister's face, noting the worry and concern etching it.
"You okay?" Buffy whispered, trying not to disturb the Lieutenant. A strange looking high-tech bandage with connections running to a machine beside the bed encased his left arm.
Dawn sighed, "I'm fine. I had a headache when I woke up, and I've got a lot of questions, but I'll be okay."
"How's Lieutenant Hanson?"
"Aaron got shot… luckily it was a graze. The med-techs said he suffered a second degree plasma burn. They gave him something for the pain, and to put him out while they repair the damage to his arm."
Buffy didn't know what surprised her the most… her sister's use of the Lieutenant's first name or the tone in her voice. She focused on something more immediate and tangible, filing this away for later concern, "Did you see what happened here?"
Dawn shook her head, not taking her eyes off Aaron, "No, I came too as they brought Aaron in. His left arm was a mess and covered in blood. He was in so much pain, but he smiled when he saw me and asked how I w-was d-doing. H-He w-was more concerned about m-me…" her voice catching as she replayed the memory. Dawn took a deep breath, "H-He described the creature that attacked him and the others."
She didn't take her eyes off Aaron as she rattled off the creature's description.
Giles, staying discreetly off to the side with Willow and Spike, overheard the description, "From what the Leftenant described it sounds like a Brachen Demon is running around the ship."
"A Brachen Demon? I thought those buggers kept to themselves," Spike said.
Giles nodded, "Yes, they're normally quite peaceful. They tend to keep to their own kind, but it is not unheard of for them to interact with humans, and even develop personal relationships. Though it seems this one isn't one of those."
"I don't care what it is…" Dawn said, her voice taking on a hard edge as she turned to face the others. The hate and anger filling her face took Buffy and the others by surprise, "Buffy, whatever that thing is… I want you to find it and kill it! I want it dead!"
Buffy unsure of how to respond could only nod blankly as she went to go inform the Captain what they were facing. Spike followed, leaning in to whisper as they made their way over to the Captain, "I think you've got bigger problems love than hunting down a demon."
"What're you talking about?" she said, still off-balance from her sister's outburst.
Spike, taking delight in Buffy's confusion, smirked, "It looks like Little Bit has gone and fallen in love with soldier boy there."
The reality of Spike's statement about her sister's love life hit hard as it sank in. A heavy sigh escaped Buffy as she tried pushing worries about her sister to the back of her thoughts. She tried concentrating and focusing on more immediate, and easier problems to solve.
oOoOo
Paul was briefing his security personnel, "Okay, we go in four-man teams and sweep each compartment on the deck. We don't know what we're dealing with, we—"
"It's a Brachen Demon," a voice said from behind him.
Paul gave Buffy, Willow, Giles and Spike a confused look as they joined the group, "A Brachen what?" he said.
"A Brachen Demon. Your Leftenant Hanson described to Dawn what attacked him and the others. From the details, it looks like you have a Brachen Demon aboard your ship," Giles said.
"What can you tell us about this… Brachen Demon?" Paul said, eyeing Giles while trying not to sound dismissive at being told a 'demon' was running loose on his ship.
"Well, it sounds like this demon is a half-breed… half human, half demon, that's why he looked normal when you brought him on the ship. When they're in their human form, they appear as normal as you or myself." Giles said.
"And when they're not human looking?" one soldier said.
"Their facial and skin appearance changes. Their skin becomes green and their eyes turn red with small spines covering their face. Brachen Demons are faster, stronger and can take more damage than a human. They can survive blows that would be fatal to us," Giles said.
"And we've got one of those things running around the ship armed with an energy weapon… great," another soldier responded.
"Okay, enough!" Paul said, "We know what we're dealing with now. Here's the plan… Medical will be our base of operations on this deck. We'll reinforce security here which leaves us with four four-man teams to sweep the deck."
"It doesn't sound like enough," Buffy said.
Paul glanced at her, "Well, we're a little short-handed."
Dawn's 'request' was at the forefront of her thoughts, "Then you don't mind if Spike and I join in this hunt," Buffy said.
"Thanks for the offer," Paul said, giving her a wry smirk which caught her by surprise as she'd expected more resistance to her offer.
"Buffy, I want you to go with Team-One and Spike will go with Team-Two. Team-One will take the starboard side and move towards the stern. Team-Two will take the port side and head towards the stern. Teams three and four will each take a side and go towards the bow…"
"Where will you and Faith be?" Spike said, eyeing the Captain.
"We'll be moving up the center towards the stern. Our intruder was last seen in a corridor towards the starboard side of the ship. We can't discount the possibility our intruder doubled-back, but we're lucky there's not much to access at the bow from this deck. The teams going forward won't have as many corridors and compartments to search, so once they finish their sweeps they'll hook up with Faith and myself. We caught a break though, there are no weapons lockers or armories on this deck, so our intruder shouldn't have anything more than the Gallant. If you encounter the intruder, don't get fancy, contain and call for backup."
"Do we take the intruder alive?" one soldier said.
Paul didn't hesitate, "If it gives itself up without a fight, then yes. If it puts up any resistance… I'm not going to lose any more people to this creature. You have authorization to use deadly force."
oOoOo
For Faith, this was slow going as Paul and her made their way towards the stern of the ship, searching and resealing compartments. She understood the need to check, but her impatience was growing at how long this was taking. Her Slayer instincts were screaming warnings to her.
"Something's not right…" she mumbled.
"What's not right?" Paul said, eyeing her curiously.
Faith shrugged, "I don't know, but it doesn't feel right. So far we haven't seen or found this demon. Not that I'm in a rush… I was enjoying the break from fighting demons and vampires."
Paul smirked, "Well, I'd hoped Spike would be my only pain in the ass, but to find out that demon was a shuttle pilot… that would explain a lot."
"Explain what?"
"There was no way in hell their missile attack would succeed against us. We even tried warning them off, but they still continued their attack. They continued pushing the attack despite no hope of…" Paul's voice faded as he tried connecting all the pieces.
"What?" she said, noting his expression, and realizing something else was going on.
Paul ignored her question as he pulled out and activated his communicator, "Bridge, Coleiro here."
"Yes, sir."
"When did you last talk to Engineering?"
"They reported in ten minutes ago."
"Shit!"
"Sir?"
"Implement over-ride safety protocols, NOW! Lock out Engineering controls and SCRAM the Reflex furnace! Get all security teams to converge on the Engineering section right now! Contact Engineering and tell them to evacuate the compartment! Do you understand?"
The voice on the other end of the communicator sounded confused, "Yes, sir!"
Paul didn't hesitate, turning to sprint back down the corridor towards the Engineering section. He'd barely gotten underway when alarms once again went off.
"Shit!"
"WHAT'S WRONG?" Faith said, trying to shout over the blaring alarms.
A voice coming over the PA system provided her answer, "INTRUDER ALERT! WE HAVE AN INTRUDER IN ENGINEERING!"
"Shit!" Faith mumbled, matching Paul's pace as they rushed down the corridor towards Engineering.
oOoOo
Paul and Faith reached the closest bulkhead door leading to the Engineering section of the ship. Rather than being sealed and secured, the door was open… forced open by someone–or something–with immense strength. Paul again contacted the bridge, "Bridge, status on Engineering?"
"Sir, it's confirmed! The intruder is in the Engineering section. All crew are evacuating the section. We have reports of three wounded among the engineering crew. The Reflex furnace is in emergency shutdown mode and the section sealed along with the Space Fold System. Commander Schmidt reports we're running on emergency power and engineering controls in the section secured. All security teams report they're converging on the Engineering section."
"Good… It looks like our intruder accessed Engineering by forcing bulkhead door E4. I'm entering the section to investigate. Standby for further orders."
"Sir! I think you should—"
Paul noted the look Faith gave him as he cut the channel, "What?" he said.
"I thought I would never say these words, but don't you think we should wait for backup?"
Paul shook his head, "Despite our security protocols and shutdown there's still a lot of damage somebody can do… damage we may not easily repair."
Faith realized Paul had a point, brushing aside her newly discovered cautious attitude, following him with no hesitation as he entered the Engineering section.
oOoOo
Alarms continued to wail, while Paul, with his Owens at the ready, hunted for the intruder. Hunting for the intruder in Engineering presented unique problems and obstacles. The section was huge and provided many places for someone to hide. That there were many key ship systems in the section provided an attacker with many opportunities while creating nothing but headaches for any defender. Paul tried to put himself into the mind of the intruder to anticipate their moves.
Okay… I'm a stranger on the ship, but I'm no slouch because I've figured out this is Engineering. Yet, I'm not familiar with the layout of the section, and I don't know or recognize any of these systems. My goal is to cripple or destroy the ship… I need to find any systems that look or seem familiar…
Paul waved to Faith to get her to follow him as he moved deeper into the Engineering section. She nodded her understanding and followed him.
oOoOo
Even while staying in the shadows and moving between cover, awe and frustration filled Harper as he stalked through the Engineering section. The level of technology he witnessed was both inspiring and humbling. Despite being at the cutting edge of human technology in the Air Force and space program, those were kiddie toys compared to what he was seeing now. Doubts pulled at him as a sign with the words "SPACE FOLD SYSTEM" caught his attention. A part of him yearned to not to have to complete his mission. He wished for the chance to learn from these people, and travel across the stars like he'd dreamt of since he was a child.
What he wanted or desired didn't matter to his master. His 'deal with the devil' made it possible for him to hide his demon-half, so he could follow his dreams of flying and going into space. He'd deluded himself into believing his master would never demand payment, but this was now the price being extracted from him. There was no real choice for him because his master made it clear his family would pay the price for any disobedience or change of heart.
His doubts faded, replaced by growing frustrations as he tried to orient himself and get a sense of the layout of where he was. He needed to locate areas and systems he could damage or destroy to fulfill his part of the deal. Heavy bulkhead doors, immune to his strength and the weapon he carried, barred his access to some areas in Engineering. He even tried accessing several computer panels to get an 'Access Denied' message in return for his attempts.
I feel like a caveman being given a cell phone and told to use it… I don't even know how this weapon I'm carrying really works. All I can do is point-and-shoot. Maybe if I had more time…
His senses picked up on movement, coming towards him, forcing him to drop any further thoughts on the subject. Harper retreated into the deep shadows to wait for what approached…
oOoOo
Faith had fallen behind, but rather than wait, Paul continued on towards the oxygen and water systems to check them out. As he approached those systems, he took a moment to check to see if Faith had caught up yet. In that moment of distraction, someone jumped from the shadows to attack him.
Paul's instincts and training kicked in as he swung his weapon to fire on his attacker. The attacker was faster, countering his move and striking out at his hand. The Owens flew from his hand, clattering as it hit the deck from his reach and out of sight.
Paul's face-to-face introduction with the Brachen Demon repulsed him, which was saying a lot considering his exposure with all the different alien species back in his universe. As he struggled with the demon, his first instinct was to go for the face, but the spines covering the creature's face ended that idea. Instead, he got rewarded with a gasping grunt as he struck at the creature's mid-section. Any satisfaction was short-lived as the demon tried to use the Gallant. Paul grappled with the demon, trying to tie up the creature and prevent it from bringing the weapon to bear on him. It was as their death struggle intensified that Faith caught up to the fray.
Faith's first sense of trouble was when she turned a corner, trying to catch up to Paul, and stumbled upon him struggling with the demon. The scene caused her to hesitate at that crucial moment. Her eyes widen in shock and surprise as they locked on the Gallant in the demon's hand… pointing directly at her.
Paul locked eyes with the demon as they continued their struggle. The demon's burning red eyes shifted towards movement and Paul's eyes followed, to see Faith directly in the demon's line of fire. He poured every ounce of strength to deflect the demon's arm and aim, but he had no positioning or leverage as the demon squeezed the trigger.
"FAITH!" Paul screamed as utter helplessness engulfed him, knowing the weapon was about to fire.
Faith's instincts and reflexes kicked in as Paul's screams shook her out of her hesitation. She dove for cover as the weapon fired twice. Two plasma bursts struck the deck where she'd been standing, scorching the deck plating.
With his attention focused on the demon, Paul didn't know Faith's status. All he knew was that the Gallant fired twice. The heat from the ejecting energy capacitor burnt his arm, but it was a minor pain compared to the fear and dread not knowing if Faith was dead or alive. Their death struggle continued, and the demon bent the energy weapon enough into a position to get a shot off at Paul. He tensed as the demon squeezed the trigger.
This time fate intervened as the weapon didn't fire, "Out of shots, bastard!" Paul grunted.
"I don't need it!" the demon grunted, making a sudden move inward, striking Paul in the stomach with the Gallant.
Paul gasped from the hit, causing his grip on the demon to loosen long enough for the creature to take advantage, shifting position quickly to strike at him again. Another punch caught him again in the stomach, and as Paul lost his grip, the demon landed a blow to his head.
Stars filled Paul's vision as he staggered from the blow. He struggled to stay in a defensive stance and respond, taking a wild swing at the demon's head… forgetting about the creature's facial spines. More pain registered and flared as the spines slashed his hand. The demon lashed out again, landing another punch to Paul's head causing him to lose his balance and fall to his knees.
Paul struggled to shake off the blows, but before he could react he realized he was being lifted off the ground, and then flying backwards through the air. Intense pain filled his body as his body collided with a bulkhead. The pain forced a moment of clarity as he took in the surrounding scene. He didn't see Faith anywhere in sight, but any further thoughts of her were cut-off as he hit the ground, and his head bounced off the armored deck. Another momentary flash of stars filled his vision and this time there was only blackness.
oOoOo
Faith was back on her feet and warily peaking from her cover to witness Paul's struggle with the demon. Before she could intervene, Paul took several solid blows from the demon. She froze as the demon picked up Paul and threw him across the room. Horror filled her as he hit a wall and fell to the deck hard… not moving.
A wellspring of emotions erupted in her as she stared at Paul's motionless body as a torrent of thoughts and emotions flowed and coalesced into one overwhelming rush. What came first was pain… the pain at seeing Paul lying on the ground and not knowing if he was alive or dead. A growing anger followed the pain, flaring into hatred as the Brachen Demon smirked at her, thinking he only had a lowly unarmed female to deal with now.
Faith charged the demon, letting out a scream of utter rage and fury, catching the creature off-guard. There was no thought or concern for her safety, there was only the blinding rage filling her as she attacked with no mercy or remorse.
Bloodcurdling screams reverberated through the Engineering Section, drowning out the wailing alarms…
The screams drew the security teams to the scene. It was more than a few soldiers who had to turn away, with some puking at the scene they found. The level of violence Faith had used to kill the demon even took Buffy aback when she arrived on the scene. It reminded her of Faith's dark times, but she understood what was happening when seeing how Faith hovered around the unconscious Captain, being tended to by a med-tech.
oOoOo
The unenviable task of cleaning up the scene fell to two enlisted personnel. They arrived just as the med-techs finished bagging up and were hauling away the demon's remains. Their timing along with the warnings they received beforehand still didn't prepare them for the scene and carnage they had to clean up. Even though they were both combat veterans, they both struggled to keep their gag reflexes in check as they cleaned.
"I hear the Captain's okay," one crewman said, trying to distract himself from the gruesome scene and smell.
The other crewman nodded, "Yeah, I heard he got thrown into a bulkhead and suffered a concussion."
An awkward moment of silence filled the room as both men continued their struggle and keep their gag reflexes under control.
"God, I wish they could just vent the compartment, it would be easier to get rid of this mess and the smell."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't think I'll eat for a week."
"Ugh, please don't mention food right now."
"Sorry."
A small smirk formed on one crewman as he paused and took in the scene again, "If you think about it, this is pretty funny in a way."
The other crewman stopped his cleaning, giving his partner a strange look, "Are you crazy? I've seen nothing like this before in my life… not even in my worst nightmares!"
"Same here, it's just that I never thought it was possible."
"What're you going on about?"
"It's just that when I was in basic training, my drill instructor used to scream at us whenever we did anything wrong or screwed up."
"Nothing strange about that, it's considered a job requirement."
"No, the yelling wasn't what I was talking about. I remember how my drill instructor used to threaten he would rip off our arms and beats us with them when we screwed up. I just didn't think it was actually possible to rip off someone's arms and beat them to death with them…"
