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And now we are back onto the Buffy side of things, with Faith back, and Matt comes too, have fun.
Chapter 14- Misogynist meets true believer
Willow was driving with Tara next to her on the front seat as Matt and Faith sat behind them and Matt asked. "So, this thing is not corporeal, right?"
"Right, it mainly takes the form of dead people, usually loved ones, to taunt you", Tara explained to him. "Tries to get underneath your skin."
"Sometimes, that's just the right weapon", Matt sighed. "And since its nor corporeal, can't fight it either."
"Yeah, but what is corporeal are those Bringers, which you did fight last time you were here", Faith reminded him. "And B said there's an army of Turok-Han."
"Doubt they would be able to stand against you", Willow told Matt with a smirk.
"That's the hope", Matt said before frowning as he titled his head, his ears catching the conversation in another car a good distance to their front.
"What happened, Matt?" Faith inquired as now Tara turned to look at his expression too.
"The car in front of us", Matt pointed in the front. "There's a man in it, threatening a young girl, and I think the girl is a Potential." Matt was alarmed. "He stabbed her!"
Willow drove the car faster as Matt continued. "He is giving her a message to give to Buffy- "I have something of yours.""
And then a girl was thrown out of the car in the front which drove away as Willow slammed her brakes and ran to the girl's side, Tara soon running after her.
Matt and Faith then stepped out and sauntered behind them as Willow called out to the girl. "Are you OK? Can you hear me?"
She rolled the girl called Shannon over. "Can you talk?"
Tara noticed the bleeding and told Mat and Faith. "This girl's bleeding badly. We have to get her to the hospital."
"Come on, let's get her in the back", Matt said as he and Faith lifted her up together.
"Yeah, don't you worry girl, you'll be saved", Faith assured the unconscious girl as they carried her to the car.
A while later, Matt and Faith were with Willow and Tara in the hospital as the girl was operated upon.
"So, what do you think that guy has?" Willow asked Matt.
"I don't know, but I don't think it was a lie, since his heart beat quite normally when he said it", Matt told Willow. "I just don't know what it is."
"You can tell us something else about him based on what you heard?" Tara inquired.
"Well, I think he was a preacher", Matt said, sounding disgusted.
"A preacher?" Faith asked. "Why'd a preacher do this?"
"Well, he clearly distorts what the Bible says, he sounded pretty misogynistic, and he twisted the Bible's quotes to justify it", Matt scoffed in anger. "Guess we should tell Buffy."
"Yeah, we tried calling her but Dawn said she was out patrolling with Spike and Peter", Tara told Matt and Faith.
"All right, the two of us will look for her, cemeteries are more fun anyway", Faith quipped. "Me and hospitals don't have a good history."
Matt knew why that was, and unconsciously grasped her hand as Willow said. "Good luck in that case."
Matt and Faith nodded and walked out, holding hands.
A blonde woman ran through the cemetery, then stopped and looked for a place to hide when Spike knocked her down, and kneeling to her, took out a stake and dusted her.
She was a Vamp!
Three more arrived when Faith appeared and cartwheeling to one, kicked his face, sending him back, and flipping up, elbowed his face in a spin motion while Matt, wearing a mask to cover his face, flip kicked the other away from behind, and as it got up, Matt ducked a punch and grabbing his waist, threw him down.
Faith and Matt then dusted both Vamps at the same time as a webline hit the third and she was pulled into a stake held by Peter and dusted too.
"Oh, hey guys", Peter greeted happily as Matt took his mask off. "We'd started missing you."
"Huh? Nice to be missed", Faith smirked as she patted Peter's covered head.
"I'm guessing business in Los Angeles is done then", Spike commented.
"Yeah, that's finished", Matt assured him.
"In that case", Buffy said as she walked up to them. "Nice to have you two back."
Later, the five of them returned home where Giles, Dawn, Bucky, Natasha, Bobbi, Hunter, Fitz, Simmons, Felicia and Curt were sitting.
"Oh, hey Faith", Felicia got up and greeted her with a hug.
"Nice to be welcomed back", Faith commented as she returned the hug.
"So you guys are back now huh?" Dawn noted.
"Yeah, LA is done", Matt said with a shrug.
"Well, it is good to have you two back here", Giles said with a smile and nod.
"We need all we can get here", Bucky shrugged. "You two came at the right time."
"Yeah, heard the enemy has a powerful army", Natasha said with a sigh.
"And you have him", Spike said while gesturing to Matt with his head, and he just smirked.
"Buffy, Willow and Tara have been calling here-"
"I know", Buffy nodded. "Matt and Faith told me. Now I'm thinking what this guy has on him."
Next day
Matt and Faith sat with Spike as he asked. "So, what happened in LA?"
"Some higher power had taken over Cordy, was using her to take over the world, but we, Angel, Willow and Tara took it out", Faith said with a shrug. "Strange showed up to help too."
"How's Cordelia?" Spike then asked them.
Their faces turned grim as Matt said. "In a coma."
"Oh", Spike sounded sincere. He knew Angel loved her, and while he wouldn't say it, he felt sympathy for his grandsire on hearing that. If it was Buffy, he had no idea what he'd do. "I'm sorry."
The door then opened as Buffy walked in with Wood and Faith asked. "You're back. Wasn't this work time?"
"Figured I'd do best to focus here", Buffy shrugged as she walked in.
"Well, not the worst idea I must say", Fitz spoke up from where he was.
"Yes, as long as we know what we are to do next", Simmons added.
"I notice you're back", Wood noted as Faith got up. "Hi."
"Hi", Faith greeted him back with a smirk, and then noticed he glared at Spike, who simply raised his hands and walked off with a scoff.
"What's the matter?" Faith asked, looking between them.
"He is the Vampire who killed my mother", Wood said in anger.
"Oh, I'm sorry", Faith said in sympathy.
"Buffy says we need him, what about you?" Wood asked Faith.
"What?"
"What do you think?"
"He has changed, and we do need him", Faith said with a shrug.
"I thought you Slayers were supposed to take Vampires out", Wood said as he walked closer to Faith, and now the distance made her a bit uncomfortable.
"Well, he has a soul now-"
"But you do work that I admire", Robin said, and the way he said it, Faith was creeped out a bit as he held up his hand. "I mean, he still has his urges, right? You are a Slayer, like my mom. I admired her, I admire you too….."
Faith was cringing at this point as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we should do-"
"Get off, creep!" Faith shoved his hand away, pushing him back.
"Hey!" Wood said in anger. "I was just trying to-"
"Hitting on me 'cause I'm a Slayer, like your mama, huh?" Faith asked with a scoff. "You got mommy issues, pal, you should get help for them."
"Coming from a former inmate."
And then Wood screamed as a strong punch hit his face, sending him crashing to the ground. It wasn't Faith who had punched him.
Matt now stood between Faith and Wood, his glasses off as he tilted his neck. "Say that again."
Wood staggered up in rage. "I thought you were bli-"
"What you said before", Matt snarled. "Say it again."
"Coming from a for-"
Another punch to the face and Robin was sent off to the ground. "First you want her to kill someone over your vendetta, then you creepily hit on her because she occupies the same profession as your mom, and then you take a dig at her past because she doesn't take it."
"You shouldn't have hit me, I'm a Demon Hunter", Wood boasted as he got up and threw off his coat.
"Oooh, this is gonna be fun", Spike said with a smirk.
Curt saw it too and narrowed his eyes. "Maybe I should stop it."
"I like our Principal, but I didn't like how he behaved with Faith, that was creepy, please don't stop it Professor", Felicia begged him and he sighed.
"Fine."
Wood then charged Matt with a roar but Matt flipped up in the air and kicked his back, sending him staggering away.
Matt landed as Wood charged but Matt side-stepped and grabbing his hand, twisted, making him scream in pain, and flipped him over his shoulder to the ground.
Wood staggered back and tried to punch but Matt elbowed him really fast in a spin motion, sending him down, dazed badly.
Matt straightened himself and put his glasses back on. "Faith is off-limits."
"You better listen to the man", Faith added with a smirk. "Or next time I'll be the one hitting you."
She smiled and Matt and they kissed. "Thanks honey."
Buffy walked out with the Avengers and SHIELD Agents. "What's going on?"
"He hit on me like a creep, got beaten up by my guy", Faith said with a shrug.
"Hey, you know what?" Spike put an arm around Matt. "You and me are the best pals, Devil boy."
"Thanks", Matt said as both chuckled.
"Huh? Didn't expect that from him", Natasha said, looking at Wood in disappointment.
"He has mommy issues", Faith shrugged.
"His mom was a Slayer, right?" Bobbi asked and got nods. "And you are too-"
She trailed off as Hunter muttered. "All right, this is a bloody mess."
"Tell me about it pal", Spike shrugged.
"Anyway, Willow and Tara say the girl has woken up, I'll go meet her to get anything you missed", Buffy told Matt.
"Sure", Matt nodded as Buffy walked off.
Later, after Buffy had talked to Shannon, she addressed the room full of the Scooby Gang, 2 Avengers, 4 SHIELD Agents, Matt, Faith, Curt and the Potentials.
"We've got a new player in town. Dresses like a preacher. Calls himself Caleb. Looks like he's working for the First. He's taunting us, calling us out. Says he's got something of mine. Could be another girl, could be something else. Don't know, don't care. I'm tired of talking. I'm tired of training. He's got something of mine? Fine. I'm getting it back, and I need you guys to suggest how I can do it."
A while later, all of them were discussing plans as Buffy said. "So, should we take some girls or not?"
"We don't even know where we're going", Tara pointed out.
"Well, recon wouldn't hurt", Buffy shrugged.
"We can help with that", Natasha said as she, Bucky, Bobbi and Hunter stepped forward.
"Yeah, I'm up for it too", Faith said with a shrug.
"But is this the best course of action? We don't even know what he has, if he has anything", Giles pointed out.
"I think you do have a point", Matt agreed with Giles there. "This guy could be enhanced by the First so I may not have been able to detect his heartbeat accurately."
"But I think taking in the girls is a bad idea", Bucky pointed out. "I mean, Felicia can hold her own, but the rest, not so sure about taking them in a war zone yet."
"What then?" Buffy sighed.
"It could be bait-and-switch too", Spike pointed out.
"Yeah, lure us away and kill the girls", Willow agreed with him.
"This has "trap" written all over it", Xander added.
"Maybe we should just do recon first, like you said, see if there's anything, then go in?" Peter asked. "Wouldn't hurt to take a look at least."
"Okay, how about this?" Buffy asked as she looked at them, taking in their suggestions and trying to make up something feasible. "Willow, Tara, Giles, I need you three here with Dawn, Fitz, Simmons and Curt, protect the weaker girls."
"Sure thing", Tara nodded. "We'll do that."
"I'm thinking we find the area, then I, Spike, Bucky, Natasha and Peter go in", Buffy told them all before turning to Matt, Faith, Xander, Bobbi and Hunter. "The five of you, Felicia, Amanda, Vi, Satsu, Renee, Kennedy, Molly, Chao-Ahn and Rona can form a perimeter outside, and Matt, you listen what's going on inside, if anything's needed, we'll call for help."
"And then we come in, and help you out", Matt agreed.
"Not the best plan, but not too bad either", Bucky agreed with the logic there. "Go in with some of the strong ones, if things go bad, call in the big gun", Bucky raised his hands in front of Matt. "No offense."
"None taken", Matt assured him.
"All right then, time for recon", Faith smirked.
Buffy, Faith, Bucky, Natasha, Bobbi, Hunter and Matt were following a Bringer, chatting as they went.
"No eyes, but look at him go", Faith quipped before turning to Matt. "He like you or something?"
"Probably something to do with the First", Matt said with a shrug. "Or maybe they dropped the same chemicals on themselves."
"Pretty good when they attack", Buffy added.
"Yeah, I fought them, they were able to sneak up on me", Natasha confessed. "Well, almost that is."
"I think this guy wants to be found", Bucky told the rest. "He is not making much of an effort."
"Which means it has to be a trap", Bobbi realized with a sigh.
"Yep, looks like it, but we do have you", Hunter gestured to Matt, who nodded.
"It would know about me though, maybe it did something to try to stop me from accessing my powers", Matt suggested grimly.
"Could be", Faith nodded.
"But after Tara helped me unlock it in the Beastmaster's Dimension, I think I should be able to get it", Matt shrugged.
"Let's call the cavalry", Buffy then said.
Later
Buffy, Faith, Matt, Peter, Spike, Bucky, Natasha, Xander, Bobbi, Hunter, Xander, Felicia, Amanda, Vi, Satsu, Renee, Kennedy, Rona and Chao-Ahn arrived at the vineyard.
They walked up to the front door, then Buffy paused to address the team. "OK. Set up a perimeter. Guard the door. I don't want anything getting in behind us. My team goes in first, we check the place out. You guys are our safety-net. If this place is a trap, Matt will hear us, and you guys can come in."
"Got it", Xander nodded.
"Good luck", Matt wished.
"Shall we?" Buffy asked.
"After you", Natasha shrugged as Buffy lead a subset of the team inside.
Buffy walked down the steps into the wine cellar, with Peter, Spike, Bucky and Natasha.
"This place is an evil wine cellar", Peter quipped to the rest. "And I never thought we'd have something like that."
Spike quipped. "This is like Falcon Crest."
Buffy looked around. "Stay alert, you guys. Bringers are here somewhere. Just need to find out where."
"I'm sure they're everywhere", Bucky said as Bringers came out of the shadows and from behind the barrels of wine.
And then Bringers attacked. Buffy kicked one, and then another before dodging one's swing and decking him.
Spike dodged one's swings and pushed him back as Peter webbed two up and pulled them off, sending them crashing into three more. "We've done this song and dance before."
Bucky shot one down, then sliding, decked another so hard he was sent flying off, and then struck another's feet with his gun, sending him down and shooting him.
Natasha grasped one's arm as he struck and flipped him to the other side before kicking him out, and then pushed her foot back, kicking another away.
Suddenly, the Bringers stopped fighting and walked back into the shadows. Caleb walked out into the light.
"And here you all are."
Buffy immediately said. "Save the sermon, padre. I heard you have something of mine."
Caleb just chuckled. "Well, I do now. You liked my little message, did you? You know, I ruined a perfectly good knife on that girl. Got her soiled blood all over the place. I may have to get a new truck." Buffy was taken aback. "So, you're the Slayer." Bucky and Spike looked at Caleb with narrowed eyes. "The Slayer. The strongest, the fastest, the most aflame with that most precious invention of all mankind—the notion of goodness. The Slayer must indeed be powerful."
With one powerful punch, Caleb sent Buffy flying across the room.
"So, what else you got?" He looked around smugly.
Spike vamped out and attacked Caleb. Caleb pushed him down with ease. Spike got up and spin-kicked Caleb, then tried to punch but Caleb blocked and head-butted him.
He then decked Spike and threw him across the room into a huge wine storage tank that busted when Spike hit it. Wine poured out of the tank and washed Spike across the floor.
Bucky fired at Caleb but he was unaffected so he threw his gun off. Caleb tried to punch first but Bucky blocked with his metal arm, then decked Caleb's face before spin kicking him, and then punched him with the metal arm, actually dazing him.
He then elbowed Caleb, and then tried to punch again but Caleb blocked and punched his face twice before throwing him off.
"What els-"
He was shut up by webbing as Peter swung to him and kicked him. "Sorry, don't wanna be bored here."
Caleb tried to strike but Peter flipped and got behind him, kicking his back, as Caleb ripped the webbing off and then grabbed Peter by the throat. "You little insect!"
"It's arachnid!"
Caleb hurled Peter away as Bringers returned. Natasha stormed Caleb but a Bringer came in the way so se punched it out, and Caleb then knocked Natasha into a stack of wine barrels.
A Bringer was about to bring his knife down on Natasha when an arrow went through his arm, as Xander lowered his bow from a distance with Matt, Faith, Bobbi, Hunter, Felicia and the other Potentials nearby.
"Oh, good. There's more of you." Caleb announced to the Potentials. "Well, now, you girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? Problem is, you think you're blazing like suns, when really you're burning like matchsticks in the face of the darkness. You having fun? Now, I hope my boys haven't worn you out too much—I need you fit for when I purify you."
Faith charged at Caleb with 2 knives and kicked him back while slicing him with her knives.
Bobbi twirled her staves and smacked two Bringers out in a spin motion as Hunter blocked one's attack and punched him back before uppercutting another.
Felicia did a cartwheel and kicked one Bringer back as Matt flipped one to the ground and decked another, snatching his knife, and hurled it at another's back, taking him out.
Xander saw Buffy lying unconscious against the wall where she fell when Caleb had thrown her. "Buffy!"
Xander knocked one Bringer away and rushed to Buffy.
Faith tried to attack Caleb but he dodged and looked her up and down. "Well, you're the other one, aren't you. Your Cain to her Abel." Faith swung a knife but Caleb dodged. "No offense meant to Cain, of course."
Faith attacked Caleb but he blocked and she spun and tried to attack with her other knife, but he grabbed her arm, twisting it, and crossed it with her other arm in a fashion such that she couldn't move, but was looking right at him.
He squeezed her hands until she was forced to drop the knife. Faith grunted at him and kneed him in the crotch, causing Caleb to let go of her just enough that she could escape his grasp. She backhanded him across the face. "Never was much for the good book. Still am not, in spite of my boyfriend."
Caleb grabbed Faith's arm and twisted it painfully behind her back, causing her to double over. She fell to her knees as he twisted and pulled her arm and walked around to the front of her. "Oh, it has its moments. Paul had some good stuff, for instance. But overall I find it a tad complicated", he slapped Faith. "I like to keep things simple." He kicked Faith across the room into a stack of wine barrels. "Good folk, bad folk-"
"Like you."
Caleb turned to see Matt and smirked. "Ah! The Devil himself! Well, I shall not sin."
"I remember you said something about the girls earlier", Matt said as they circled each other, and Matt replied to it. "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns."
"Ah, so a Devil who reads the good book, this is so twisted", Caleb said with a smirk. "What have I done oh Lord to deserve this? What kind of Devil are you? "
"I am the punishment of God...If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you."
And then Matt roared as Hellfire erupted from him, horrifying Caleb who was blown away. He had thought the First had done a ritual to prevent Matt's transformation.
It had, but after Tara had helped Matt unlock Adam in the Beastmaster's Dimension, the First's ritual wasn't much in comparison.
Matt still hadn't fully transformed, but he was glowing with Hellfire, and had red eyes, with fangs and claws.
Caleb charged with a roar but Matt, or Adam, blocked, twisting his arm as Caleb screamed in pain while even the Bringers backed off in horror, and the rest watched.
"Damn!" Kennedy let out, terrified.
"What the hell is that?" Rona asked, making a mental note not to mess with Daredevil.
"The Wrath of the Lord", Amanda said honestly.
"Well, good thing its on our side", Vi shrugged.
"Tell me about it", Felicia agreed.
"I'm guessing now he will be extinguished", Satsu said about Caleb.
"No more than he deserves", Renee shrugged.
"Wow! Never thought I'd see it up close!" Peter said with wide eyes as Xander and the now awaken Buffy and Faith watched too.
Adam head-butted Caleb, sending him flying off into a wine barrel, completely shattering it.
"Bloody hell! Good going Devil boy!" Spike smirked.
"Come on Matt, come on Adam", Faith urged him as Adam marched to Caleb.
"Kick his ass!" Xander cheered.
"You can do this", Bucky agreed.
Caleb staggered up and tried to strike but Adam dodged and grabbing his arm, tore it off, making Caleb scream in pure agony as the rest continued watching.
"Well, this is done", Natasha shrugged.
"Yeah, not much he can do with one", Bobbi agreed.
"Good going mate", Hunter said happily.
There was no blood pouring out of Caleb's stump, rather some dark liquid.
Adam then opened his mouth and Hellfire spewed out, incinerating Caleb who continued screaming, and soon, nothing was left of him.
Adam growled and transformed back, with Matt in his place, as he walked to Faith, stroking her face. "You all right?"
"Yeah", Faith nodded as Matt sensed something.
"There's a trapdoor here", Matt said, ignoring the awed looks of everyone around him, and walked to it, all of them following him. "There's something down there."
"Come on", Bucky said as he and Peter ripped it open, then the two of them, Buffy, Faith, Matt and Spike jumped down.
"Is it that?" Peter asked as they saw a scythe in the front, stuck to a rock. "What is it? Like Excalibur or something?"
"I feel it…" Buffy trailed off.
"Calling to you, right?" Faith asked, and Buffy realized both of them felt it.
"I think it belongs to the Slayer, or Slayers", Matt told them both. "This is what this Caleb guy had."
"Maybe you should try pulling it out, see if you two are its Arthurs or not", Spike suggested.
"Yeah, wouldn't hurt to try", Bucky shrugged.
Buffy and Faith exchanged a look, and walking to it together, grasped a bit of the handle, before pulling it out, and felt the power of it connect to them both.
"I'm gonna say it- Damn!" Faith said.
"Took the words right out of my mouth", Buffy agreed.
Caleb looked around at the Dimension he was in total horror, this was Hell!
He then saw Mephisto in front of him and asked. "Are you the Devil?"
"You can call me that, but I prefer Mephisto", Mephisto smirked. "Now you are mine, my kid really sends me some amusing things."
"My master is above God!" Caleb ranted like the delusional idiot he was. "It will destroy you!"
Mephisto let out a laughter so loud the whole Dimension shook, horrifying Caleb to his core. "And I thought humans couldn't be more delusional! Thank you, I needed amusement for the day."
"What are you talking about?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Caleb snapped. "The First Evil is what created all evil! It is beyond us all!"
What Caleb heard next shattered and humiliated him to his core.
""The First Evil," yeah right. Evil didn't happen because of that poser, it happens, and it was created because of it, manifested due to the mystical essence of Earth and the evil of demon and mankind. Take it from the Hell Lord, this bitch is all bark and no bite. There's no mention of it in history because that's how weak it is, it's made no significant attack or impact, and tries to hog the fame by attracting the lesser minds. Bloody Hell, I hate that brat."
Caleb now fell to his knees. "No…you're…you're lying….." He was in tears.
And then he screamed in pure agony as his eternal torture began too.
Summers House
The door opened as Buffy held up the Scythe with Faith. "Look what we got!"
"What is that?" Giles asked.
"Something for us Slayers", Faith shrugged.
"And looks like we have more people", Matt said with a smile.
"Yes, some visitors are here", Tara said as they turned to see Angel, Wesley, Lorne, Fred, Gunn and Groo sitting in living room with the rest, and in Angel's arms was baby Connor.
"They came to help us out", Willow smiled.
"Angel", Buffy smiled as she and Angel hugged.
"Hey", Angel said as he then hugged Matt. "Hi buddy."
"Hi", Matt greeted as Angel then hugged Faith.
"Good to see ya", she said.
"You too", Angel told her before he shared a respectful look with Spike, Peter, Bucky, Natasha, Bobbi and Hunter.
He then asked Buffy. "So, how can we help?"
And the end.
Buffy's plan in the show was dumb, to be blunt, and when she repeated it in 7x19, or tried to, it became dumber.
Here she is not lost in the cold general Buffy role and is actually listening to advice, and more experienced strategists like Bucky and Natasha, so hope the plan made more sense here.
And with Matt as Adam, Caleb wasn't gonna last. Plus a true Catholic who happens to have the Devil's power verbally destroying the misogynistic priest was so satisfying.
Thank you to Brainstorm Sorcerer for help with that, and Mephisto's lines.
Also, yeah, this is the First's true backstory in this series. In a shared Universe, compared to the likes of Mephisto, Thanos, Magus, Celestials, Mystics, etc. the First is pretty much nothing, the Beljoxa's Eye just happened to buy its hype.
This is the First's real backstory, and hope all enjoyed Mephisto breaking Caleb by telling it to him.
Robin has a creepy obsession with Slayers due to his mom being one, so I see what he did in this chapter as in-character, and hope Matt beating him down was enjoyed.
2 more chapters for this- next one is preparations and sweet interactions, then the final battle.
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.