FIC: Faith The Series S4 Ep 7

"Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The gentlemen are coming by." Giles looked up from his book. "Um, it sounds vaguely familiar. Have you heard of a group called the gentlemen?"

Wesley shrugged. "Other than the Watcher's Academy theatrical group I don't recall. I can't believe I'm protesting about reading but do you really think all this research is necessary?"

Giles shook his head. "I don't know. But we're not going to be caught unprepared."

"Very well," Wesley sighed before picking up a well-thumbed copy of 'Apocalyptic Prophecy'.


"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Willow skipped hand in hand with Amy through the campus, ignoring those who stopped and stared at her. She didn't care, the buzz from the night's experimentation was running through her.

"W..Willow," she turned to see a concerned-looking Tara stood in the science block's entrance. "You and Amy missed Mrs. Walsh's class today, she was handing out assignments-."

"We'll catch up," she said airily before walking off, hand still gripped by Amy. After all, she was smarter than everyone else, so what if she took a few short cuts?


Tara stared after her two fellow witches, a hollow pit forming in her stomach. All her life she'd wanted other witches to share her powers with. And now she'd met two, but they weren't interested in being with her. Her pop was right, she was worthless. "Hey Tara," Tara turned to see her hero stood behind her. "What's the sitch?"

"I..it's Willow and Amy, they're cutting class."

"And that's a capital crime all of a sudden?" Faith winked at her. "Ya worry too much." She shivered inwardly when the leather-clad bombshell looped an unfortunately just comradely arm over her shoulder. "Ya need to chill. And I was thinking that I've seen too little of my new friend recently. How about we get something to eat and you tell me how ya settlin' in with Lady Fuzz?" Faith shuddered. "Living with a cop, must be hell on earth."

"I…I've got a class-," Tara began a weak protest.

Faith arched an eyebrow. "What was I just sayin'?"

Tara gave in gratefully. "Okay," she nodded.

Her acceptance was rewarded with a dazzling smile. "Wicked cool!" Faith looked down at her flat stomach when it made a protesting growl. "Let's eat, girl!"


"Um," Faith pressed her lips to Xander's, her boyfriend's hands fixed around her waist.

"Oh good lord," Wesley muttered. "She's eating him alive."

"Faith, there's a stampede of vampires charging at that school bus."

Faith ignored her Watcher's obvious diversionary tactic. "It's twelve at night, G. There won't be any kids on it. I'll be there in a minute." She yelped when her Watcher looped an arm around her waist and dragged her away from X.

"Duty, Faith, duty."

"Sometimes," she glared up at her Watcher as he placed her back on the ground, "I think Watchers shouldn't be allowed to talk." She grinned. "Even if Lady Fuzz thinks your accent's sexy."

"And I frequently think Slayers should lose the capacity to speak once chosen," her reddening Watcher replied.


The Clock tower chimed as it hit one. Inside, an ornate box was opened by greyish, skeletal hands.


Faith yawned as she heard the sound of the toilet flushing. Rolling out of bed, she turned her radio on only to be met by silence. Shrugging slightly, she turned it off, and dragged her sweats on, a concession to her stuttering Watcher's demands for modesty.

Rising she walked out onto the landing. Seeing her Watcher, she grinned and spoke. "Yo G." She stopped as she realised no sound had come out of her mouth.

Giles stared at her, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. Her Watcher's mouth moved, but no sound came out. Faith knocked on the wall and heard the resulting sound. She tried to speak, no sound.

Cordelia's door flew open and the curvaceous brunette strode out, mouth moving at Cordelesque speeds, but no sound came out. Faith glanced at her Watcher, noting his faintly amused expression. She just knew what he was thinking.

Whatever had caused their condition, it seemed there was at least one upside.


Wesley looked up as Xander and Gunn entered the boarding-house's dining room and kitchen, surprised that the boys hadn't already left for work. He opened his mouth to greet them. No sound came out. Alarmed, he stared at the youths. They nodded dejectedly.


Heart thumping, Riley walked down the stairs, Forrest and Graham following behind. Entering their frat house elevator, Riley leaned into the retina scan. A message came up confirming his scan had been accepted, and the doors closed behind them. Riley looked down at a crumpled note Graham passed him stating the problem appeared town-wide.

The elevator came to a smooth stop. Red writing appeared in the readout panel. 'Vocal code not accepted. Please state your name for vocal identification.' Riley leaned into the mike area and attempted to speak but to no avail. The writing blinked

'Unauthorized beings will be considered hostile.'

Hands suddenly clammy, Riley opened a panel in the elevator. As he did so the writing changed again. 'Please commence vocal identification in the next

20 seconds to avoid countermeasures.' Riley slid a bar-coded card into an internal slot. The elevator beeped and the writing changed again. 'Enter Override Code.'

Breathing slightly easier, Riley punched a code in on the control panel. The elevator beeped again. 'Override code incorrect. Lethal countermeasures engaged.' Riley's mouth opened in a silent scream as gas began being pumped in through ceiling vents.

Suddenly the elevator door slid open, Riley and the others rushed out to be confronted by Walsh who pointed to a sign behind them. Riley turned to read the sign.

'In case of emergency use stairway.'


Wesley looked up at the sound of the door opening to see Kate, Tara, Giles, Faith, and Cordelia entering. He opened his mouth in an instinctive greeting only to close it as he recalled their situation. Grabbing a notepad, he threw it to Giles. His fellow Watcher gave him an approving thumbs-up before nodding towards the rest of their group, Amy and Willow having arrived moments earlier.

Giles looked towards the open books on the reception counter and the foyer table, then back at him. Wesley shook his head. The older man grimaced.

Everyone turned at a sound of knocking to their right. Xander was stood beside the TV as the news came on. "Big news item from Sunnydale California. Apparently the entire town has been quarantined due to an epidemic of, as strange at this may sound, Laryngitis. It seems the town has been rendered unable to speak there's no word yet what might have caused this or what other effects might be seen from this epidemic local authorities has issued a statement, a written one, blaming recent flu vaccinations. A few sceptics call it a city wide hoax In the meanwhile Sunnydale has effectively shut down all schools and businesses will be closed for the time being and residents are advised to stay home and rest up. Centres for disease control have ordered the entire town quarantined. No one can go in or out until the syndrome is identified or the symptoms disappear. We'll bring you more on that as it develops." The click of Xander turning the TV off was almost deafening in the following silence.

Giles held up his pad. 'Willow, check the computer for any records of this happening before. The rest of you start researching. Faith, you, Xander, and Gunn should be ready to go out and keep order tonight. Things could get rowdy.'


Walsh glared at her computer screen, hating what she was hearing through its speakers. ""Your troops will help keep order. Dress as civilians. A military presence would only increase panic. We are looking into what is causing this. Help maintain order. We will find an answer."

Walsh grimaced before typing a grudging acknowledgment. What did she care about civilians? Her focus were the experiments that would lead to the betterment of mankind, and her lauding as her generation's finest scientific mind, not some idiots too blind to see what was happening around them.


Faith shivered as she walked down Sunnydale's creepily silent streets, flanked by Gunn and her man. She started slightly at a crashing sound to their left. Turning her head, she saw a car had careered into a fire hydrant. She and the others continued on their way. Faith looked up at Gunn's hand on her elbow. She followed the black man's pointing finger to a guy trying to split up a fight, a pipe-wielding man sneaking up behind him.

Shaking her head, Faith sauntered up behind the man, grabbed his wrist and twisted it back. The man jerked backwards, mouth opening in a silent scream, the pipe clanging to the ground even as his wrist cracked. Faith allowed the man to fall.

The guy who'd been separating the fighter spun to face her. Recognising him as an attempted bar pick-up a couple of weeks ago, she pointed at Xander and then the man on his knee before hurrying off.


Kate couldn't help but smile as she rolled out of Giles' bed. Her boyfriend had picked an opportune, some might say cowardly, moment to invite her over to stay for the first time. Faith's eyes had been spitting daggers but thanks for the curse, the teen beauty had been unable to give voice to her protests.

Although, Kate's smile slipped, given the young girl's past, it was hard not to emphasise with Faith's distrust of the badge. Sliding on her robe, she walked downstairs to get a glass of milk, her father having always told her milk would make her sleep. Hearing a sound outside, she stepped fearlessly towards the window.

Her eyes widened at the grey-skulled creature dressed entirely in black formal wear, their feet six inches off the ground, and their lackeys with their pinkish, bandaged heads and loose-hanging straitjackets following dutifully behind, arms swinging apishly. Its head turned towards her, eyes coldly expressionless.

And she opened her mouth and screamed and screamed. But no sound came out.


Jeff Lankey yawned at the insistent sound of knocking on his door. Dragging himself out of bed, he rose, and stumbled over to the door, still struggling to wakefulness. Grabbing the door handle, he swung it open. He barely had time to open his mouth when the two monsters were on him, bundling him to the floor. And then the third entered, smile stretching his skull-like face and scalpel in hand.

Everyone jumped when he threw the folded morning paper on the foyer desk. After a glare at the headline proclaiming 'Youth slain, hear missing'; Giles glanced towards the drawing that Kate had drawn of what she had seen the previous night. And glanced back as some memory stirred, he turned to Wesley to ask him to pass a book. Remembering that he couldn't speak and realising it was quicker to simply get the book himself, he walked around his fellow Englishman and searched through the pile of books until he had it. He tapped on the desk. Everyone looked up at him. He lifted up a note. 'I have it, every one bar Wesley go get some fresh air and come back in an hour. I'll have some answers then."

It wasn't wholly unexpected when Xander was first out of the door, running like the very hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. A good lad, but one with an allergy to academia. Once the others had followed their friend out, Giles turned to Wesley and passed him a note. '"The Gentlemen'. Wesley's eyes widened.

Giles waited impatiently until the youngsters had sat down, their chairs arranged in a semi-circle around him and Wesley as they flanked their hastily unearthed overhead projector. Giles cracked his knuckles before nodding at Wesley. His assistant turned the overhead on with a flourish. Faith threw her head back in a soundless laugh and, eyes sparkling, pointed at the screen behind him. Giles turned and shook his head before glaring at his fellow Watcher. Eyes wide, Wesley turned the overhead around so it was the right way up. That accomplished, Giles pointed at the projection.

'Question 1 - Who are the gentlemen?'.

'Answer - They are fairy tale monsters'.

Giles moved onto the second question. 'Question 2 – What do they want?'

Willow pointed at her chest.

Giles nodded again. He rolled his eyes when Xander cupped himself and mouthed the word 'boobies'. It was easy to see why the boy was dating his daughter. Both were equally one-track minded. He shook his head as Wesley changed overheads to show a rather artfully drawn picture of three hearts. He sighed with relief when Xander nodded in understanding.

Wesley changed the overhead. 'They come to a town'. 'They steal all the voices so no one can scream'. Giles dug into his extensive theatrical experience to mime speaking. 'Then'. Wesley changed overheads again. 'They take hearts'

The others exchanged disturbed looks. Wesley changed overheads again. 'They need seven. As we lost our voices two nights ago, it's safe to assume they have two.'

Gunn raised a hand and in his pad with a note on it. "How do we kill them!"

Giles reddened as Faith made a fist and began pumping it up and down. Death by masturbation, he was reasonably certain there was no demon who died by that method. Apparently Faith was even worse than Xander. The Slayer stopped when she realised everyone was looking at her, shook her head, and reached into her jacket to pull out a stake.

Face red, Wesley changed the overhead. 'In the tales no sword can kill them. But the princess screamed once... and they all died.'

A smirking Faith held up a note. 'Hate to break it to you, G. This is southern California, 'sides from C there ain't no such thing as a princess."

He was thankfully saved from risking the wrath of Cordelia by replying when Willow held up a cd, then held her hands over her ears, and pantomimed dying. Giles shook his head even as Wesley changed the overhead. 'Only a real human voice'.

Willow threw up her hands. Faith held up a note. 'How do I get my voice back?'

Giles shrugged. Faith held up another note. Giles winced at the unladylike language suggesting that he and Wesley weren't exactly helping. A pout on her face, Faith held up another note suggesting she best read all the references to the Gentlemen.


Faith strode through the cold, silent town, her man and Gunn flanking her. Suddenly lackeys were all around them, one grabbing her by the throat. Faith flipped him over her shoulder. Another grabbed her from behind, she slammed an elbow into its face before backhanding it. She kicked at the first and ducked a roundhouse from the second before kicking it in the knee, bringing it down onto its knees. Grabbing a hold of its head, she twisted and was rewarded with the sound of its snapping neck.

The first lackey bolted. After a glance over her shoulder to check her companions were handling their situation, Faith charged after it. Maybe it would lead her to their base.

Of course what she'd do once she got there was another matter entirely.


Amy's eyes widened as she started down the dorm corridor to find a Gentleman floating towards her, manic smile in place and knife in hand. Turning, she ran down the corridor, banging on the doors as she ran. As she reached her dorm, the door opened and Willow stepped out.

Amy hit the ground with a thud as she ran into her girl-friend. Gasping slightly, she pulled her girl-friend up and started up the near-by steps. Amy looked over her shoulder to see the Gentleman had been joined by another, this one with a heart already in hand.


Faith crashed onto the clock tower's second floor to find three lackeys and two Gentlemen stood over a crumpled, balaclava-wearing man dressed in khaki. Shaking her head at the strange turn of events, Faith leapt forward, kicking one lackey in the stomach and palm-striking another into a shelf.

Another lackey leapt at her. Faith dropped into a crouch, allowing the demon to fly over her. Rising, she was grabbed by the shoulder by the lackey she threw into the wall. This time, she sent a crunching elbow into its face. The lackey stumbled backwards, Faith flowed into a spin kick, catching the demon on the side of its head and flinging it through the clock tower wall.


Willow jumped at a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Amy pointing towards the laundry room. Nodding, she followed her girl-friend in, slamming and locking the door behind them.

Willow trembled at the sound of banging, the door shuddering under the impact. Amy pointed towards the soda machine stood by the wall. Willow nodded in understanding and joined Amy in attempting to push the machine over to barricade, but for all their puffing and heaving, the vending machine barely shifted an inch.

Willow pulled away and glared at the machine. After a second Amy joined her. The machine began to wobble under their intense concentration. An especially loud bang and Amy jumped. Willow grabbed her girl-friend's shoulder, shook her head, and pointed back at the machine. Amy gritted her teeth and nodded, joining hands with her. After a brief look into her girl-friend's eyes, Willow turned back to the machine.

They dived to the ground as the vending machine took off, flying over their heads and into the door. The door collapsed under the impact and the vending machine dropped on top of the stunned Gentleman, crushing him.

Willow grinned. It seemed that Faith wasn't the only one with power now.


Suddenly the lackeys turned and raced up the stairs leading to the loft. A snarl on her lips, Faith charged after them. As she reached the top of the steps, a foot crashed into her back, knocking her facedown on the ground. Before she had time to react a trio of lackeys have her laid on her front, a Gentleman floating towards her.

Heart pounding, Faith worked a foot loose and kicked out, catching the Gentleman on his knee. Even as the Gentleman stumbled backwards, Faith roundhouse-kicked one of the lackeys in the side of his head, the force of her attack knocking him off her.

Faith smirked at the two lackeys holding her before flipping over, landing beside a fourth lackey, and backfisting him. Another lackey leapt at her, attempting a tackle at the waist, Faith grabbed the back of his strait-jacket and flung him into the two lackeys she'd just thrown off. Another swung at her with a roundhouse that she managed to block on her forearm before butting him in the face. Even as her opponent stared dazedly at her, she snatched up a stool and smashed her makeshift weapon into the side of his head.

Faith gasped as pain jolted through her left shoulder. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a Gentleman hovering there, her blood dripping from its weapon. A lackey grabbed her before she had chance to react, flinging her into a spool of rope. Even as she clambered to her feet, the lackey wrapped the rope around her neck and began choking.

Eyes blurring through lack of oxygen and blood loss, Faith noticed a box on the floor she remembered from one of the books G had shown her. Raising her foot, she stamped on the box. Wood splintered underfoot, the box collapsing under her frantic attack. The lackey reared back in horror, ropes around her neck loosening even as mist streamed out of the box and entered Faith's throat. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Remembering what Giles had said, Faith screamed.

The Gentlemen spun around in a circle, their heads exploding, goo splattering everywhere. Faith looked down in disgust. "Gunk and a tear." She glared at her jacket. "And I paid $250 for this. I need a Council clothing allowance." Climbing down, she found the still unconscious soldier. Noting that dawn was breaking, she hefted the limp body over her shoulder, carried him outside, and dumped him on a park bench that wasn't anywhere near any shade before hurrying off to find out how Xander was.


"Well done-," Giles' praise died off as he registered the worried look on Faith's face. After briefly checking that his daughter was alright, he spoke again. "Are Xander and Gunn alright?"

He was more relieved than he cared to admit by the Slayer's nod. "They're five by five. But we've got a big problem."