Part VIII
Faith strolled quietly down the main street of Sunnydale, her weapons out of sight. She had adjusted somewhat to the weak feeling that the drug had given her, but she still had occasional bouts of dizziness. She managed to shake them off and was scanning the thin crowd walking down both sides of the street. Suddenly, she noticed a young couple walking in front of a store window, with a thin young man behind them. . .who was casting no reflection in the window. She crossed the street and quietly moved up behind the vampire as he closed on the couple as they went down a side street. The vampire assumed his game face and cleared his throat, causing the couple to turn and the young woman to scream.
The vampire smiled and was preparing to feast when he heard another, more feminine, throat being cleared. It turned and only had a moment to register the young woman standing five feet away with a crossbow before the bolt buried itself in the vampire's heart. It burst into dust, and Faith ordered sternly, "You guys better get home. . .that wasn't the only thing that was looking for take-out food wandering around out here tonight." The teenagers paled and hurried off, and Faith grimly reloaded the crossbow and backtracked to the main street.
Buffy and Xander smiled broadly at each other, while Giles and Danielle still looked concerned, and Walter Morris looked rather stunned. After a moment, they fell into line and followed behind Faith, all hoping she would get her third kill quickly and end this dangerous exercise.
* * * * *
The demon appeared in the pentagram, and immediately began snarling and trying to reach its summoner. This proved futile, and after a few minutes it subsided and stared balefully at its tormentor, wondering what it would have to do to escape its captivity.
The summoner stared at the demon with hooded eyes and intoned, "Bal-ran, I have summoned you to perform a service for me, in exchange for which I offer you this amulet-" he held up a necklace which emanated power that the demon could easily sense, "-and your freedom afterwards, subject to your swearing an oath at this time not to harm me at any time in the future for my action in summoning you. . .what say you?"
The demon glared at the summoner, but the offer was not unreasonable, and there might be a loophole in that oath. It snarled softly and replied, "I swear by the Burning Hells that I will perform the task you set for me, and I also swear not to harm you for your outrageous presumption in summoning me." Bal-ran snorted, then concluded, "It is done. . .what would you have me do, human?"
The summoner smiled coldly, and began, "There is a young woman. . ."
* * * * *
Faith was getting tired. She had spotted the third vamp while walking past a video arcade, and trailed him following a teenager out the back door. She had moved up behind it, but an ill placed step had caused her to make a noise, and the vampire turned and took the crossbow bolt in its lower torso instead of its heart. It howled in anger and charged Faith as the teenager it had been stalking fled. Faith blocked punches with her right arm while trying to reach for another vial of holy water with her left; unfortunately, this vampire was putting up a good fight, and she couldn't afford to leave an opening long enough to grab the holy water.
Buffy and the others reached the end of the alley and saw the fight taking place. Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to help Faith. . .she would die if she didn't get help. Only Faith's calm words coming back to her stopped her from interfering, and she turned all of the frustration at being helpless to act into a heartfelt prayer for Faith's safety.
Faith was beginning to feel rather badly bruised, and she wasn't seeing any openings. She sighed and thought * Time for my ace in the hole * . She quickly brought her hands together, pulling an object strapped to her left wrist off with her right hand, then quickly blocked another punch with her left hand as she flicked the wheel on the small device and held down the lever.
A jet of flame came out of the disposable lighter, and the vampire-feeling a burst of primal fear and surprise-backed off a few steps. Angry, it moved forward. . .only to catch a vial of holy water in the face. It howled, and it began flailing around to ward off any stakes. . .but the lighter was brought to bear again, and this time it set the creature ablaze. The vampire howled in agony, then disintegrated.
The five observers were transfixed at Faith's victory, and it was several seconds before Buffy could manage to say: "Wow. . .that was really impressive."
"Yes, it was," commented a deep voice from behind her. Buffy turned and got a brief impression of a large black-skinned demon with warty skin and taloned hands before a huge, scaly foot struck her thigh just about the right knee. There was a loud cracking sound, and Buffy was knocked to the ground, where she writhed in agony. Xander, Giles, Danielle and Walter Morris turned too late and were preparing to attack the demon, when it suddenly bolted, running away at a high rate of speed.
Xander moved down to where Buffy was squirming and trying not to cry out. Faith had noticed the commotion and sprinted up to the group, ignoring her own pain as she shouted, "B! What happened?"
Giles replied grimly, "A demon attacked her with intent to disable her, then fled." His eyes were cold as he continued, "I recognized the breed. . .they have the ability to focus most of their life force into single devastating blows. . .even a Slayer can be gravely injured, if she is caught unprepared. It would have been weakened greatly by the blow it just delivered. . .it is not a threat for now." His eyes flared angrily, and he concluded, "Unfortunately, it seems to have achieved its purpose." He knelt down next to Buffy and Xander and asked, "How bad?"
Xander looked back at him and replied, "Simple fracture of the right femur. . .it isn't too serious, and I think Willow knows a spell or two to speed up the healing. . .but she still isn't going to be up for any fighting for a few days." He stared angrily at Giles and asked, "Where in the hell did that thing come from?"
"Someone would have had to summon it," replied Giles, who turned and looked back at Faith as he continued, "I think the suspense over what the impending disaster referred to in that dream is over. . .something will probably happen tonight, and both Slayers are disabled."
Danielle's cell phone went off, and she quickly answered it and cursed at what she heard before hanging up. Turning back to the concerned group, she elaborated, "There are vampires all over town. . .and the one that Walter's assistant just dusted was carrying an artist's rendition of Faith. . .with a notation suggesting a reward would be forthcoming if she was killed. . .damn those bastards."
"No. They are not going to get her. . .Xander, help me tie up this leg and get me on my feet." Buffy's voice was a little weak, and quite grim, but completely determined.
Xander looked at Buffy and didn't argue verbally, but gave her a soft shake of the head and a look in his eyes that communicated better than a doctor's report that she wasn't going anywhere. The older Slayer's eyes moistened, and her mouth tightened in frustration.
Faith knelt down next to her and smiled, commenting, "Not many ways to get around a broken leg, B. . .don't worry. We've got a few pretty good people here backing me up. . .and you can always throw a stake if one of them gets too close. . ." She saw Xander take Danielle's cell phone and punch in a number and asked, "What are you doing, Xander?"
Xander smiled grimly at Faith, then replied, "Plan B." He spoke briefly into the phone, and Willow appeared at the end of the alley, moving over to the group quickly. She knelt next to Buffy, sprinkled some herbs onto her leg, then murmured a short incantation. Buffy's pain lessened, and she smiled to convey her thanks. While this was happening, Xander turned to Walter Morris and asked pointedly, "Mr. Morris, at this point, Faith has passed her test, right?"
Morris nodded and replied, "Yes, Xander. . .Faith has completed the conditions of her Cruciamentum." He turned to the younger Slayer and continued, "Under these circumstances, it may seem hollow indeed, Faith. . .but congratulations."
Faith nodded and frowned before replying, "Thanks. . .it might look good on my tombstone." She turned to the others and ordered, "All right. . .Willow, you stay with Buffy. . .the rest of you. . .let's go kick some ass."
Xander smiled in amusement and responded, "Before we go. . .I think we can even up the odds a bit." He turned to his best friend and invited, "Willow?"
The young witch stood up, then removed a small spray bottle from her pocket. She stepped over to Faith and sprayed the contents on her while chanting in Latin. Faith was about to ask what was going on when she felt a sudden burst of energy. Willow concluded the incantation and grabbed Faith's arm, asking, "How do you feel, Faith?"
Faith turned and looked at her, then experimentally flexed her muscles before replying, "I feel like the Slayer, actually." She blinked hard as she realized what she was saying, then demanded, "What in the hell did you do?"
Willow smiled and replied, "After that whole thing with the Hellmouth nearly opening again, it occurred to me that it would be a very bad thing if something big happened here while either one of you was under the influence of that stuff that the Watchers used on Buffy, whether it was the Watchers who did it to you or someone else. So, I 'borrowed' that vial and syringe that Giles had been given and did some tests and research, and I came up with this spell to use just in case a crisis came up and we needed both of you at full power. . .unfortunately, I didn't come up with any great plan for dealing with Buffy's leg being broken. . .sorry."
The three Watchers raised eyebrows at Willow's casual description of some rather impressive spell creation research, and Giles finally managed to reply, "We'll talk later about keeping us posted about matters like this, Willow. . .but I think we should leave it for now with 'well done,' and see about ridding this town of some more vampires. . .shall we?"
Faith squeezed Willow's hand in thanks, gave Buffy a look of confidence, then replied, "Damn right, Giles. . .let's show them that it isn't that easy to keep a Slayer-or her friends-down." She swept out of the alley with her old energy, and Xander and the three Watchers were hard pressed to keep up.
* * * * *
The summoner turned to see Bal-ran come into his room, looking somewhat diminished. He raised an eyebrow and asked quietly, "Is it done?"
Bal-ran inclined its head and replied, "Yes, mortal. . .the Slayer is disabled. . .but did I not see the other Slayer in that alley, also?"
The summoner smiled cruelly and responded, "Yes. . .but she is also disabled, in a different way, and she will not survive the night." He handed the amulet to Bal-ran and concluded, "You have performed well. . .I will not summon you again."
The demon accepted its payment and replied, "I foresee that you will not have the opportunity even if you were so inclined. Farewell, mortal." With a flash of flame and light, the demon vanished.
The summoner frowned at the cryptic comment, then shrugged and began gathering his possessions. His cell phone went off, and he answered it grudgingly, still disliking the modern implement: "Yes, what is it?" He listened for a moment, then interjected, "What do you mean, the Slayer is at full strength? Those injections will have her in a weakened state for days!" He listened further, and his blood ran cold as he snapped, "Regroup. . .try to come at her and her allies as a united force. . .the Slayer must die tonight!" He broke the connection, then stared into a nearby mirror to try to regain his composure. The hood had slipped back over his head, and Quentin Travers could see the more mundane signs of his mortality: gray hair and wrinkles. It occurred to him that he would have little to worry about this particular brand of mortality unless his plans succeeded. With that unpleasant thought, he unpacked some materials and began to construct a backup plan.
* * * * *
Willow was getting worried. The sounds of fighting in the distance were clearly carrying to her ears, and occasionally the sounds were not so distant. Buffy was sitting against the alley wall, her face a mask of frustration, and Willow knew that, broken leg or not, Buffy would try to get up if a vampire showed its face in the alley. She prayed to all the gods and goddesses she knew of that it would not come to that. She reached down and squeezed Buffy's hand, and the Slayer's expression softened momentarily before slipping back into frustration.
After a few more minutes, the sounds of fighting faded away, though there were still sounds of distant shouting and the occasional wail of an ambulance. Willow tensed, wondering which side had won and watching the entrance to the alley for someone or something to appear.
Several endless minutes later, Xander stepped into view. His right sleeve was shredded by what appeared to be claws: several light scratches still oozed blood on his arm. The three Watchers, all somewhat bruised and disheveled, followed immediately behind him, and Faith brought up the rear. The younger Slayer looked none the worse for the wear, other than some tears in her clothing and bruises she had picked up earlier. Willow sighed in relief, and Buffy felt her frustration diminish somewhat as she called out, "Is it done?"
Faith grinned at the older Slayer and replied, "Yeah, B. . .we dusted a bunch of them and the rest took off. . .we'll hunt them down once your leg heals up." She turned to Willow, as Danielle and Giles went over to check on Buffy and Morris went over to the other side of the alley to check his vampire fighting equipment, and commented, "That spell really did the trick, Willow. . .thanks."
Willow smiled softly and replied, "I think that keeping us all from becoming an easy lunch for the vampires is thanks enough, Faith. . .good job tonight."
"Yes. . .a pity it will be her last one." All eyes turned to the alley entrance, where Quentin Travers stood, wielding an antique double-barreled twelve-gauge shotgun. . .with both barrels leveled at Faith.
. . .to be continued
As always, comments are welcomed and desired
Faith strolled quietly down the main street of Sunnydale, her weapons out of sight. She had adjusted somewhat to the weak feeling that the drug had given her, but she still had occasional bouts of dizziness. She managed to shake them off and was scanning the thin crowd walking down both sides of the street. Suddenly, she noticed a young couple walking in front of a store window, with a thin young man behind them. . .who was casting no reflection in the window. She crossed the street and quietly moved up behind the vampire as he closed on the couple as they went down a side street. The vampire assumed his game face and cleared his throat, causing the couple to turn and the young woman to scream.
The vampire smiled and was preparing to feast when he heard another, more feminine, throat being cleared. It turned and only had a moment to register the young woman standing five feet away with a crossbow before the bolt buried itself in the vampire's heart. It burst into dust, and Faith ordered sternly, "You guys better get home. . .that wasn't the only thing that was looking for take-out food wandering around out here tonight." The teenagers paled and hurried off, and Faith grimly reloaded the crossbow and backtracked to the main street.
Buffy and Xander smiled broadly at each other, while Giles and Danielle still looked concerned, and Walter Morris looked rather stunned. After a moment, they fell into line and followed behind Faith, all hoping she would get her third kill quickly and end this dangerous exercise.
* * * * *
The demon appeared in the pentagram, and immediately began snarling and trying to reach its summoner. This proved futile, and after a few minutes it subsided and stared balefully at its tormentor, wondering what it would have to do to escape its captivity.
The summoner stared at the demon with hooded eyes and intoned, "Bal-ran, I have summoned you to perform a service for me, in exchange for which I offer you this amulet-" he held up a necklace which emanated power that the demon could easily sense, "-and your freedom afterwards, subject to your swearing an oath at this time not to harm me at any time in the future for my action in summoning you. . .what say you?"
The demon glared at the summoner, but the offer was not unreasonable, and there might be a loophole in that oath. It snarled softly and replied, "I swear by the Burning Hells that I will perform the task you set for me, and I also swear not to harm you for your outrageous presumption in summoning me." Bal-ran snorted, then concluded, "It is done. . .what would you have me do, human?"
The summoner smiled coldly, and began, "There is a young woman. . ."
* * * * *
Faith was getting tired. She had spotted the third vamp while walking past a video arcade, and trailed him following a teenager out the back door. She had moved up behind it, but an ill placed step had caused her to make a noise, and the vampire turned and took the crossbow bolt in its lower torso instead of its heart. It howled in anger and charged Faith as the teenager it had been stalking fled. Faith blocked punches with her right arm while trying to reach for another vial of holy water with her left; unfortunately, this vampire was putting up a good fight, and she couldn't afford to leave an opening long enough to grab the holy water.
Buffy and the others reached the end of the alley and saw the fight taking place. Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to help Faith. . .she would die if she didn't get help. Only Faith's calm words coming back to her stopped her from interfering, and she turned all of the frustration at being helpless to act into a heartfelt prayer for Faith's safety.
Faith was beginning to feel rather badly bruised, and she wasn't seeing any openings. She sighed and thought * Time for my ace in the hole * . She quickly brought her hands together, pulling an object strapped to her left wrist off with her right hand, then quickly blocked another punch with her left hand as she flicked the wheel on the small device and held down the lever.
A jet of flame came out of the disposable lighter, and the vampire-feeling a burst of primal fear and surprise-backed off a few steps. Angry, it moved forward. . .only to catch a vial of holy water in the face. It howled, and it began flailing around to ward off any stakes. . .but the lighter was brought to bear again, and this time it set the creature ablaze. The vampire howled in agony, then disintegrated.
The five observers were transfixed at Faith's victory, and it was several seconds before Buffy could manage to say: "Wow. . .that was really impressive."
"Yes, it was," commented a deep voice from behind her. Buffy turned and got a brief impression of a large black-skinned demon with warty skin and taloned hands before a huge, scaly foot struck her thigh just about the right knee. There was a loud cracking sound, and Buffy was knocked to the ground, where she writhed in agony. Xander, Giles, Danielle and Walter Morris turned too late and were preparing to attack the demon, when it suddenly bolted, running away at a high rate of speed.
Xander moved down to where Buffy was squirming and trying not to cry out. Faith had noticed the commotion and sprinted up to the group, ignoring her own pain as she shouted, "B! What happened?"
Giles replied grimly, "A demon attacked her with intent to disable her, then fled." His eyes were cold as he continued, "I recognized the breed. . .they have the ability to focus most of their life force into single devastating blows. . .even a Slayer can be gravely injured, if she is caught unprepared. It would have been weakened greatly by the blow it just delivered. . .it is not a threat for now." His eyes flared angrily, and he concluded, "Unfortunately, it seems to have achieved its purpose." He knelt down next to Buffy and Xander and asked, "How bad?"
Xander looked back at him and replied, "Simple fracture of the right femur. . .it isn't too serious, and I think Willow knows a spell or two to speed up the healing. . .but she still isn't going to be up for any fighting for a few days." He stared angrily at Giles and asked, "Where in the hell did that thing come from?"
"Someone would have had to summon it," replied Giles, who turned and looked back at Faith as he continued, "I think the suspense over what the impending disaster referred to in that dream is over. . .something will probably happen tonight, and both Slayers are disabled."
Danielle's cell phone went off, and she quickly answered it and cursed at what she heard before hanging up. Turning back to the concerned group, she elaborated, "There are vampires all over town. . .and the one that Walter's assistant just dusted was carrying an artist's rendition of Faith. . .with a notation suggesting a reward would be forthcoming if she was killed. . .damn those bastards."
"No. They are not going to get her. . .Xander, help me tie up this leg and get me on my feet." Buffy's voice was a little weak, and quite grim, but completely determined.
Xander looked at Buffy and didn't argue verbally, but gave her a soft shake of the head and a look in his eyes that communicated better than a doctor's report that she wasn't going anywhere. The older Slayer's eyes moistened, and her mouth tightened in frustration.
Faith knelt down next to her and smiled, commenting, "Not many ways to get around a broken leg, B. . .don't worry. We've got a few pretty good people here backing me up. . .and you can always throw a stake if one of them gets too close. . ." She saw Xander take Danielle's cell phone and punch in a number and asked, "What are you doing, Xander?"
Xander smiled grimly at Faith, then replied, "Plan B." He spoke briefly into the phone, and Willow appeared at the end of the alley, moving over to the group quickly. She knelt next to Buffy, sprinkled some herbs onto her leg, then murmured a short incantation. Buffy's pain lessened, and she smiled to convey her thanks. While this was happening, Xander turned to Walter Morris and asked pointedly, "Mr. Morris, at this point, Faith has passed her test, right?"
Morris nodded and replied, "Yes, Xander. . .Faith has completed the conditions of her Cruciamentum." He turned to the younger Slayer and continued, "Under these circumstances, it may seem hollow indeed, Faith. . .but congratulations."
Faith nodded and frowned before replying, "Thanks. . .it might look good on my tombstone." She turned to the others and ordered, "All right. . .Willow, you stay with Buffy. . .the rest of you. . .let's go kick some ass."
Xander smiled in amusement and responded, "Before we go. . .I think we can even up the odds a bit." He turned to his best friend and invited, "Willow?"
The young witch stood up, then removed a small spray bottle from her pocket. She stepped over to Faith and sprayed the contents on her while chanting in Latin. Faith was about to ask what was going on when she felt a sudden burst of energy. Willow concluded the incantation and grabbed Faith's arm, asking, "How do you feel, Faith?"
Faith turned and looked at her, then experimentally flexed her muscles before replying, "I feel like the Slayer, actually." She blinked hard as she realized what she was saying, then demanded, "What in the hell did you do?"
Willow smiled and replied, "After that whole thing with the Hellmouth nearly opening again, it occurred to me that it would be a very bad thing if something big happened here while either one of you was under the influence of that stuff that the Watchers used on Buffy, whether it was the Watchers who did it to you or someone else. So, I 'borrowed' that vial and syringe that Giles had been given and did some tests and research, and I came up with this spell to use just in case a crisis came up and we needed both of you at full power. . .unfortunately, I didn't come up with any great plan for dealing with Buffy's leg being broken. . .sorry."
The three Watchers raised eyebrows at Willow's casual description of some rather impressive spell creation research, and Giles finally managed to reply, "We'll talk later about keeping us posted about matters like this, Willow. . .but I think we should leave it for now with 'well done,' and see about ridding this town of some more vampires. . .shall we?"
Faith squeezed Willow's hand in thanks, gave Buffy a look of confidence, then replied, "Damn right, Giles. . .let's show them that it isn't that easy to keep a Slayer-or her friends-down." She swept out of the alley with her old energy, and Xander and the three Watchers were hard pressed to keep up.
* * * * *
The summoner turned to see Bal-ran come into his room, looking somewhat diminished. He raised an eyebrow and asked quietly, "Is it done?"
Bal-ran inclined its head and replied, "Yes, mortal. . .the Slayer is disabled. . .but did I not see the other Slayer in that alley, also?"
The summoner smiled cruelly and responded, "Yes. . .but she is also disabled, in a different way, and she will not survive the night." He handed the amulet to Bal-ran and concluded, "You have performed well. . .I will not summon you again."
The demon accepted its payment and replied, "I foresee that you will not have the opportunity even if you were so inclined. Farewell, mortal." With a flash of flame and light, the demon vanished.
The summoner frowned at the cryptic comment, then shrugged and began gathering his possessions. His cell phone went off, and he answered it grudgingly, still disliking the modern implement: "Yes, what is it?" He listened for a moment, then interjected, "What do you mean, the Slayer is at full strength? Those injections will have her in a weakened state for days!" He listened further, and his blood ran cold as he snapped, "Regroup. . .try to come at her and her allies as a united force. . .the Slayer must die tonight!" He broke the connection, then stared into a nearby mirror to try to regain his composure. The hood had slipped back over his head, and Quentin Travers could see the more mundane signs of his mortality: gray hair and wrinkles. It occurred to him that he would have little to worry about this particular brand of mortality unless his plans succeeded. With that unpleasant thought, he unpacked some materials and began to construct a backup plan.
* * * * *
Willow was getting worried. The sounds of fighting in the distance were clearly carrying to her ears, and occasionally the sounds were not so distant. Buffy was sitting against the alley wall, her face a mask of frustration, and Willow knew that, broken leg or not, Buffy would try to get up if a vampire showed its face in the alley. She prayed to all the gods and goddesses she knew of that it would not come to that. She reached down and squeezed Buffy's hand, and the Slayer's expression softened momentarily before slipping back into frustration.
After a few more minutes, the sounds of fighting faded away, though there were still sounds of distant shouting and the occasional wail of an ambulance. Willow tensed, wondering which side had won and watching the entrance to the alley for someone or something to appear.
Several endless minutes later, Xander stepped into view. His right sleeve was shredded by what appeared to be claws: several light scratches still oozed blood on his arm. The three Watchers, all somewhat bruised and disheveled, followed immediately behind him, and Faith brought up the rear. The younger Slayer looked none the worse for the wear, other than some tears in her clothing and bruises she had picked up earlier. Willow sighed in relief, and Buffy felt her frustration diminish somewhat as she called out, "Is it done?"
Faith grinned at the older Slayer and replied, "Yeah, B. . .we dusted a bunch of them and the rest took off. . .we'll hunt them down once your leg heals up." She turned to Willow, as Danielle and Giles went over to check on Buffy and Morris went over to the other side of the alley to check his vampire fighting equipment, and commented, "That spell really did the trick, Willow. . .thanks."
Willow smiled softly and replied, "I think that keeping us all from becoming an easy lunch for the vampires is thanks enough, Faith. . .good job tonight."
"Yes. . .a pity it will be her last one." All eyes turned to the alley entrance, where Quentin Travers stood, wielding an antique double-barreled twelve-gauge shotgun. . .with both barrels leveled at Faith.
. . .to be continued
As always, comments are welcomed and desired