FIC: Faith The Series S4 Ep 6
"I'm sorry," Willow apologised as she spoke to Tara over the phone. "Only Amy and I have made plans tonight. Tomorrow, I promise." Hanging up, she looked towards her girl-friend, stomach knotting. "You're sure about this?"
Amy nodded. "Rack will show you avenues to power you can't imagine."
"And I get a reward for going?" Willow pressed coyly, a blush rising in her cheeks.
"Oh yes," Amy leaned in to kiss her and then pulled away. "But afterwards. Come on!"
Captain Rogers led his four men patrol through the darkened cemetery, infra-red goggles cutting through the night like a knife through butter. With so much ground to cover, Walsh had instructed their unit split patrolling into three groups.
Suddenly a shape loomed out of the darkness in front of him, moving at an inhuman speed. Rogers attempted to raise his gun. Before he had time to squeeze the trigger, the blur passed him. Even as he turned to follow the apparition, he heard a crack, and saw one of his men falling, his neck snapped. The demon glided on, snatching the falling man's assault rifle and turning it on the other two members of his patrol. Blood pounding, Rogers fired off his silenced weapon. Even though it was facing the other way, the vampire seemed to have supernatural pre-knowledge of his attack, swaying out of the way of most but not all of the bullets. Those that connected were enough to send the demon crashing to the ground. "Ye-," Rogers' exultant cry died when the vampire bounded back upright.
"Now laddie," the vampire morphed out as it leapt towards him, hands outstretched and fangs ready, "that hurt. And so will this."
"Soldiers playing at vampire hunters?" Angelus chuckled as he let the bleeding corpse join its companions on the ground. Not his blood of choice, he preferred the blood of a screaming teen, but any port in the storm. "What will these Yankees think of next?"
His hunger sated, he turned towards the crypt ahead of him. It was a grey-slabbed monstrosity standing a good two storeys high with a statute of a cherub on its flat roof. He supposed that Liam would have found the cherub skilfully sculpted, he just felt repulsed.
Turning his attention to the door, he looked up at the engraved writing above the wooden double-doors. "Exsto Contra Malum," he muttered, taking a second to translate the Latin into 'Stand Out Against Evil'.
Whoever had built this thing had a sense of the ironic that was for sure.
Grabbing a hold of the door's padlock, he twisted and pulled simultaneously, muscles straining. The chain around the door's silver handles cracked and split, dropping the chains on the ground, Angelus grabbed hold of the handle.
"Ahh!" Pain seared through his palm. Releasing his grip, he jumped back, eyes narrowed in anger. "Sanctified metal, bastards." Pulling his sleeve down over his burnt palm, he pulled the door open and hurried inside. "Owww!" he jumped up and down as he realised the ground was blessed, smoke smouldering from his feet.
Biting his lip against the pain, he looked around. He was in a small cavern, its walls covered in crosses and centre to the shadowy chamber was a tomb. He gingerly skipped across to the tomb, practically dancing on the spot in a largely futile attempt to prevent further pain. The marble tomb's surface was dominated by a golden cross set in it, its left and right horizontal parts having indentions where someone was clearly expected to place their knuckles. Steeling himself, Angelus did just that.
"Owww!" he roared again as agony blazed through his knuckles.
Grrrrnd. He gasped in relief when the lid slid away, revealing a somehow torch-lit and dust-free staircase beneath. Leaping into the tomb and onto the staircase, he hurried down the six steps and into the underground chamber.
The moment his feet touched terra-firma, he felt the ground begin to shift beneath him. Moving with the instinctive quickness that only one of his kind could match, he flung himself forward. Hitting the ground in a crouch, he looked over his shoulder and down to see four foot of ground had disappeared, revealing a pit filled with upwardly-pointing stakes. "Nasty," he muttered. Seeing what he'd come for stuck in the wall, he rose and walked over.
The silver ring shone even in the semi-darkness, but its brilliance paled in comparison to its gleaming gem. After a second marvelling its beauty, he reached out and plucked it from the wall. Hearing a slight click, Angel dived to the ground just as a stake flew out of the wall, its point cutting through the air where his heart had been a split-second earlier.
Angelus smiled. According to the pictures he'd seen it looked to be just what he'd been searching for, but there was one test remaining. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a grey rag and gingerly dropped it on the ground. Kicking it open, he stared down balefully at the book lying in the centre of the rag before daring to pick it up. He smiled slowly as he stared at the bible, no pain, nothing. It seemed that W&H's information had been correct, he had the Gem of Amara. Now he was invulnerable to most of the weaknesses that affected his type, only the problem of having to be invited into a residence remained. "I feel a wind of change, one that's going to tear that Slayer and her friends rip to bits." He made towards the exit then shook his head. "No, I think I'll wait 'til morn. More impact," his smile widened, yes he had a sense of the dramatic.
One thing he did share with Liam.
"Ah!" Cordelia clapped her hands together as they pulled into the mall's open parking lot, chosen for the safety offered by the complete lack of cover for vampires and their ilk. "Shopping, my favourite thing," Gunn coughed. Cordelia laughed at the hint. "Second favourite thing in the whole wide world. Let's go."
"Oh happy joy," Gunn muttered. He reached for his pick-up's ignition as Cordy opened the door.
"Oh Cordelia, as choice ever!" A deep voice commented from . "And I see you've changed from vanilla to chocolate. Maybe I can persuade you to change back."
Eyes narrowed Gunn turned towards the racist to be confronted by his paling girl-friend climbing back into the car, eyes wide as she stared at a towering hunk dressed in black. "Me and you need to have words-."
"Get out of here!" Cordy interrupted him with a scream. "Get out! Get Out!"
Compelled by the terror in his girl-friend's voice, Gunn gunned his engine, backing the car out at speed, narrowly avoiding the laughing stranger. "What the heck is going on here?"
"That's Angelus!" Cordy screamed, hysterical tears
"Isn't he in hell?" Gunn queried. Cordelia nodded. "Isn't he a vampire?" Cordelia nodded again. "Who's changed the rules?"
Giles stared into the reception area where the police officer waited for another of their orientation into the demon world, a pleasant diversion that lightened his weekend. "Det. Lockley-."
"Please, Rupert. I've asked you to call me Kate."
"Sorry," Giles stumbled verbally, thrown off balance by the police officer's dazzling smile, as he made his way through, carrying the books they needed for their lesson. "I was wondering what -," he paused and shook his head. Best to break the LA. native in gently. "There's a film-noir festival going on at the cinema, four classics including LA. Confidential and The Maltese Falcon. While neither Hammet or Ellroy are Arthur Conan Doyle, their work is exceptionally well-structured, I was wondering if you'd consider accompanying me to see them. I'd value your opinion," he finished, colour rising in his cheeks as he realised just how 'lame' he sounded. Next time, no matter how humiliating would be, he had to ask Faith's advice. Yes, she'd laugh, but bloody hell, she'd save him from this.
The police officer's mouth opened.
Giles cursed inwardly when the foyer doors crashed open. "Giles! Giles!" Cordelia shrieked. "He's back!"
His irritation dissipating at his house-guest's evident terror, he rose. "Calm down, Cordelia," he soothed. "Who's back?"
"Angelus!" the bulging-eyed former cheerleader screeched. "And he can walk in the light!"
Giles blinked. That was impossible, but how? Giles shook his head, the how was unimportant, warning the others was the priority. "Wesley!" he roared into the office. "Emergency." Grabbing his mobile, he began to call up Faith's number, cursing when as usual during the day his daughter had turned it off. "Gunn, with me," he glanced towards Wesley. "Wes take your car and do the east side of town, I'll do the west. Kate-."
"I'll ring the girls and tell them I need help researching," the police officer finished for him.
"Why do I have to come with you?" Xander loudly bemoaned his fate as his girl-friend dragged him across the park, sun beating down on Dragged out of bed on a Saturday to go shopping. Life sucked.
"Cause," Faith spun around to face him, her hands in his, a seductive smirk playing on her rosebud lips, "I'm buying something for ya."
"Oh yeah?" Xander queried. "How does that work?"
"See," Faith's grin widened. "Me and ya are going to 'Victoria's Secret', and when I've modelled oh maybe ten outfits for ya, you're gonna decide which two you'd like to undress me out of, and I'm gonna buy 'em."
Xander gulped at the x-rated images running through his mind before goofily grinning into his girl-friend's intoxicating brown orbs. "I have the best girl-friend ever!"
"Ach, lassie, you could do the same for me," the eerily familiar voice paused. "Of course you'd have to be dead at the time."
Xander turned towards the intruder, intent on telling him where exactly to go. And stopped, mouth dropping open at the sight that greeted him. "You?" dazed, he looked up at the sun.
"Yeah," Angelus smirked. "I'm back!" Xander grunted as the vampire backhanded him across the face, the force of the blow flinging him across the park and crashing into a trash can. "Gotta kiss for me, Slayer?"
Faith charged the demon, left foot lifting in a thrust kick. The demon slammed an elbow into Faith's head, staggering the girl. Rallying quickly, Faith ducked under a right haymaker, grabbed the demon's out-stretched arm at the wrist and twisted her body at the waist, flinging him over her shoulder.
The laughing demon hit the ground on his back, but even as Faith's foot reared back to kick him, he rolled to his feet. Realising how near the vampire was to him, Xander jumped at the demon's back. "Ahhhh!" he groaned as he caught a back-heeled kick to the crotch. Head swimming and legs rubbery, he fell to his knees, air coming in frantic wheezes.
"Sorry about that, Slayer," the vampire leered at his girl-friend. "Lucky you've got a man to take the boy's place."
"Not likely!" Eyes flaming, Faith came in fast, her hands and feet a blur. Angelus managed to block a right on his forearm, sidestep a left thrust kick aimed at his right knee, but Faith's follow-up left hook smashed into his jaw, knocking his head to the side. Before the demon had chance to retaliate or retreat Faith launched herself into a graceful airborne pirouette, both feet smashing into the vampire's face.
The force of the blow sent the vampire crashing down onto his back. Going with the momentum, the demon did a backwards roll over his shoulders and back to his feet. Even as he reached his feet Faith charged in, slipping under a straight right to attempt a knee to the groin that the demon managed to twist away from and block on his hip. The Slayer grunted as the demon grabbed a handful of hair, backhanded her across the face, and shoved her backwards. "Too frisky for me, girl. I'll have to beat some of that life out of you!"
Faith didn't reply, instead terrier-like she lunged back at the demon, palm-striking at his chest even as she glided beneath a left hook and swept at his legs with her left hand. The vampire grunted as he was knocked off-balance but kicked off as he fell, the point of his boot hitting the brunette bombshell in the shoulder. By the time Angelus had regained his feet, Faith had righted herself and drawn her stake. A grin on her face, the Slayer plunged her stake into the demon's unprotected heart.
Angelus grinned back at her, unfazed and unhurt by the attack.
"How?" Faith stared down at her stake. Before she had time to react the vampire had kicked her in her left shin, knocking her to her knees. Laughing wildly, Angelus locked his hands around her head and pulled her head down onto his upcoming knee. "Shitttt!" Faith screeched as her nose exploded, blood gushing down her face. The demon laughed before repeating the move. Faith slammed her palms into the vampire's wrists, knocking the demon's hands from her. Before the Slayer had time to right herself, the vampire smashed a spin kick into the side of her head knocking her to the ground. The shaken beauty rolled up to an upright position, raising her hands to block a feinted right to her face only to catch a foot to the chest that knocked her on her back. The vampire walked over and started to kick the writhing beauty, his relentless barrage giving her no chance of recovery.
Angel shot him a grin before turning back to the crumpled Slayer. "And now it's time for the screaming part of the-."
Suddenly a Citroen crashed into the vampire, lifting him off his feet and flinging him into a near-by tree. "Xander!" The car's door flew open and Gunn leapt out, racing over to help him to his feet even as he looked towards the groaning demon. "Help me with Faith." Xander's stomach hollowed as he followed the African-American's gaze The two of them picked up the battered Bostonian and carried her into the car, Xander all too conscious of the blood smearing her face. Xander leapt into the back with his barely-conscious girl, cradling her head in his lap. Gunn jumped into the front, anxious eyes darting over his shoulder. "He's up Giles! Let's motor!"
Willow shook her head, tired eyes unable to focus on the text before her, weary from the night spent experimenting with Amy and Rack. He was so wise, and so giving, not like Giles and Wesley who insisted that she progress at a snail's pace.
"Can I look at that book?"
Willow's head jerked towards the honey-blonde beside her. "I haven't finished with it!" she snapped.
Tara reared back. "S…sorry."
"Willow," Kate interceded. "Perhaps you could make us some coffee?"
Suddenly the police-officer's cell rang. Face taut, the blonde lifted it up. "Giles," the blonde's jaw dropped. "Right, okay. But she's -," the blonde swallowed. "Okay," she nodded. "Well hurry."
"W…what's wrong?" asked Tara.
The police officer hung up before replying. "Giles and Gunn found Xander and Faith. It seems Cordelia was correct," the detective looked towards the still pale cheerleader, "Angelus has found a way to survive in the sunlight and is also immune from staking."
"He's a vege-," Cordy shook her head. "Sorry, shock. But Faith's-."
"She was badly beaten but Giles and Gunn got there just in time. He and Wesley are heading back here now." The older woman looked at her, Cordelia, Amy, and Tara in turn. "They need answers not bickering. Let's not be having anymore fighting."
Cheeks burning at the rebuke, Willow stared down at the book, forcing herself to concentrate. She looked up when the door crashed open and a pale-faced Wesley entered, holding the door open. "They're coming," the Watcher announced. "Well it doesn't look good."
Willow gasped as Faith was carefully carried in by Giles and Gunn, her face a battered crimson mask and her body hanging limply, Xander shuffling in behind, his face etched in shock. The two men laid the barely conscious Slayer on the couch, her boyfriend slumping beside her. "Do we have anything?" Giles asked once he'd torn his eyes away from the broken beauty.
"Nothing yet," Kate replied, tone terse.
"Very well, Charles, Xander," the middle-aged Watcher flung them a pair of crossbows. "Take up positions flanking the doors. You're up to it aren't you?"
Xander nodded. "I'll manage."
"Good lad," Giles looked towards Wesley and then the books. "Shall we?"
Thirty minutes later and Cordelia let out a yell. "Got it! It's something called the Gem Of Amara makes vampires immune to daylight"
"Oh bugger," Giles breathed. "I had thought that it was a myth."
"What is it?" Kate enquired.
"Amara was a childe of the first vampire, Sekhmet, some eight thousand years ago. Before his turning he was reputed to be an alchemist of some talent and a minor magician. After his turning his powers increased exponentially and he made a number of magical artefacts. Most famed of these was the Gem Of Amara, but in 6,000 BC, an army of warriors was despatched to kill Amara and although they lost dozens," the Watcher shuddered, "they succeeded in Slaying him and the Gem was lost forever, considered to be a myth."
"So how do we kill him?" Faith asked, her voice trembling in part from the beating she'd taken and in part from the task
"You don't," she turned her head towards the smirking demon framed in the foyer's portal. "You watch your friends scream their way to death, and then spend weeks being tortured and begging to die." Even as the vampire entered, Xander and Gunn fired their crossbows. The vampire laughed as he plucked the bolts out of the air. "Please, make it a challenge."
"How's this!" Kate spun to her feet, automatic coming up at a blur. Bullet after bullet smashed into the demon, knocking him to one knee before he lunged back up, and back-handed the cop across the hall.
"Now you're talking!" Wesley lunged at the demon, Angelus snatched a hold of the younger Englishman around the scruff of his neck, lifted him over his head, and threw him into Gunn and Xander as they charged him from behind. The moment Wesley left his grip, Angelus spun to face Giles, blocking a right uppercut on his forearm before head butting the Watcher in his face. Dazed, Giles stumbled backwards. "You I'll keep around to watch as I defile your little bitch!" Angelus snatched a hold of the Englishman around the throat and threw him into the wall. Cordelia made to step in front of her. Angelus laughed. "Gotta love that Chase spirit, always fun to break it."
"Ahhh!" Cordy screamed as the vampire grabbed her by the hair and shoved her into the witches.
"And now for the main event." The moment Angelus reached for her, Faith attacked. Lunging forward, she bit down on his ring finger with all her might. "You fucking bitch!" the vampire screamed as he pounded blow after blow into her head even as Faith responded by repeatedly kicking at him.
Finally the demon stumbled backwards, disbelieving eyes fixed on his missing finger. Head ringing from the beating, Faith instinctively spat the ring out. Eyes hardening, the demon leapt forward as it dropped to the ground.
Only for the ring to fly into the air. Grabbing a stake from the weapons chest, Faith lunged at the vampire, Angelus easily sidestepped her attack, kneeing her in the crotch. Dazed, she stumbled backwards. "I'll rip your lungs out, lassie," the demon declared as he stepped forward.
And reared back when a crossbow bolt slammed into his side. Angelus glanced around, a scowl on his face. Seeing the others rising, the vampire leapt through the foyer door, glass shattering, and onto the road. Hitting the tarmac rolling, the vampire instantly began to burn, but still managed to pull off a manhole cover and dive headfirst into the sewers.
Body aching, Faith tottered after the vampire. "Faith, no." She turned to her Watcher, the crossbow he'd fired at Angelus in his hand. "You're too injured to risk a battle with Angelus. Just be glad we won this one."
"That was quite a day wasn't it?"
"Yes," Giles nodded at Kate's question. They were alone now, Gunn, and Cordelia having taken Faith home, an exhausted Xander retired to his room, the witches gone off to study, and Wesley disappearing to do his paperwork. "Even by our standards."
"Before everything started you were going to ask me something," the cop commented. "What was that?"
"Ah," Giles reddened. "I'm sorry. I can't recall," he lied.
"Oh," Kate smiled. "That's a shame. Because I thought you were going to ask me out. And if you were I'd have said yes."
Giles grinned. "Well in that case, would you like to go and see a movie?"
Kate's smile widened. "Just as long as it doesn't involve vampires!"
