Title of Series: Soul Searching

Name: Falling Into Reality

Author: FaItHzAnGeL a.k.a. Fernando Rangel

Email: fivexangel@aol.com

Pairings: None as of yet….

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  All belongs to either Joss Whedon, UPN, all the crew who makes Buffy possible, and Peter David, and DC Comics for Supergirl.

Author's Notes: Buffy's dead.  That's about it.  Um, yeah, also, it's AU, but if you've read it this long, you already know that, :)  Also, the lyrics that appear later in this part is from Natalie Imbruglia's song 'Satellite.'

Summary: When heroes collide, the unlikeliest things happen.  For Faith and Supergirl, they'll learn that lesson the hard way…

Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance, Horror, Drama

Spoilers: Season One through Five of Buffy the Vampire up to and including "The Gift".  Barring Five by Five and Sanctuary of Angel, that's where it goes AU.  This also contains spoilers from Supergirl of DC Comics.  Pretty much issues one through fifty right now.

Rating: PG, for violence

Dedication: To Mandy who came up with the awesomest title for this 'chapter'!  :)  And also to Sadie, whom I might've not been so evil to my characters, and will continue to be in the future, if she hadn't written Furious Angels, and given me such a blush-worthy review from her beta of part 10, thank you!  The torture is just for you sweets.  :)

Feedback: That'd be great!  Thanks.

Falling Into Reality

     Suddenly bright white light surrounded her spreading across her spectrum of vision.

Faith sat on the bed, looking around, "Where's Buffy?"

She sat calmly in Buffy's room, staring at the pictures, "She should be here."  She frowned, standing up and smoothed the sheets looking into the mirror, only instead of seeing the reflection of her raven-haired self, she saw the reflection of her alter-ego, that of the Maid of Might.

     "She's not coming back, is she?"  Faith asked the mirror.  The blonde shrugged, "It's hard to tell these days, everyone keeps coming back..."

Faith nodded, "But she's still gone."

"It's what we're hoping...isn't it?"

–Slosh...slosh...slosh...–

"What the hell," Faith shouted as she spun around, but nothing stood behind her.

"You do know that it's coming for you...right?"  The blonde smirked in the mirror standing back as Faith shook her head, "That part is gone, long gone.  Down the porcelain tube hole if you catch my drift."

Faith turned back around facing the blonde who towered over her smirking, definitely not in the mirror, but in the world of three-dimensions.  Looking at the bed she sighed, "Things are going to get a lot worse, aren't they?  I've made my bed, and we have to lie in it.  Shades of the past and all."

Supergirl nodded, "But my shards of darkness will fall before you soon enough."

"I can handle her."

"You think you can."

"I know we can."

"We are nothing."  Faith stood back as the Supergirl before mutated into a purple being, plasmic, spongy, disgustingly ugly, "W-what's going on?!"

"I must feed...  I am...Matrix..."

Faith jumped back as the once-Supergirl fell to the ground in a loud flop and burst into nothingness, Matrix's body turning into fluid, a sharp knife-like part of it rushed toward the Slayer and stabbed her in the chest and she gasped for dear life.

Her eyes fluttered open as she shuddered in fear feeling grimy, dirty, sweaty, hot, and hopeless...  Where am I?  The clanging of metal, the cheering of demons laughing manically, the shouting and shrieking of the damned and those in pain filled her ears and she took a deep breath, Oh yeah.

"I see our hero has now awoken from her slumber," said a raggedly crude English voice.  Buzz circled around Faith's cage and leered, "I do love seeing you all trapped in a box, it brings a song to my heart."  He smirked, "Ok, so tell me, what do you really think of this place?"  He stood up tall and straight, "Doesn't it all look like so much fun, all the pain, the suffering, the smoldering nothingness that is everything.  It's quite a lovely vacation spot."  He kneeled down, "There was a time when you would've loved to see this Faith; it was everything you'd work your life for..."

"You're crazy."

"Quite possibly.  Or scarily sane, and I'm the one who's in reality, Faith darling."  He shook his head, "But of course, because I am the bad guy I have to be wrong, God forbid that day that I, Buzz – demon – Aldrin, am right!"  He sighed, "That's the problem with you hero-types, you think just because you're the good guy that you'll always prevail, this little one-sided view."  He gave Faith a disappointed look, "I figure you would be different Faith, after all you have toed the lines of the dark side."

Faith growled, "What do you mean toed!"

Buzz grinned, "Luv, just because you killed a few people and ruined a few lives doesn't make you evil incarnate, nor does it make you at all, in any sense of the word, dark.  It just means you're human."  Faith gave him a glare and he chuckled, "Darling, it's human nature!  You did it because it felt good, because you wanted to rid yourself of the pain you felt."  He rolled his eyes, "I do it because it's my nature, it's entirely fun."  He frowned, "Granted you're the Slayer, and violence is in it, but you wouldn't kill a human as a hero – look at Buffy, but what I am saying is it's psychologically logical that you did kill someone."  He yawned, "So stop killing yourself over crimes past."  He kneeled down staring at her blue eyes, "And you, Supergirl, you lovely angel, just because you and my Faith merged, doesn't mean you're going to redeem her soul, it is tainted you know.  I hope you do enjoy a damned soul because even if it is human nature...it's still a mortal sin, and you will be here..."

Buzz held his arms wide open, "Do you feel at home, luv?"

Faith sat there cold and alone, despite the smoldering heat staring blankly at Buzz.

Buzz smiled, "Good, she's broke."  He stood up and walked away singing a devilish tune, "It ain't no lie, baby bye, bye, bye..." and grinned the whole way to the games, watching the carnage with his brethren with an evil grin.

*        *        *        *        *

Willow sat in her chair at the table in the Magic Box researching what Faith's possible demon from the other night upon Giles' request, and looked up from the books and smiled at Tara, her girlfriend.  The Magic Box was empty now, and everything was still but the little radio that blared in the store.

Tara looked up and gave Willow a sheepish grin and continued to research until a song came on the radio and Willow couldn't help but let her grin grow larger.  She took a quick look around and stood up, "You know what?"

"What's that sweetie," Tara replied softly as she watched Willow rise from the chair toward the radio turning the volume up.  The redheaded woman turned around and smirked, "I'm a bit bored."  The music's rhythmic beat blared and Willow swayed her hips to the song coming toward Tara, "I could think of things I'd much rather be doing..."

Do you lie awake in the morning?

Trying to find a reason to call me

Cause honey all that I've been doing

Is thinking about your smile...

But none of it is necessary

With me baby

You see baby

Cause I like to keep it all simple...

Willow incorporated her shoulders into the groove causing Tara to grin madly and giggle at Willow's erratic behavior, "Nice," she replied coolly as she watched Willow come near her, turning a bit and waving her hips from side to side and letting her hands run down her side....

Cause you are my Satellite

(burning up, burning up, satellite)

So, I'm trying to keep you in sight

(so, you might wanna just sit tight)

But with all this space

Can we keep it alive?

(keep it alive)

So, I'm asking you baby

Are you coming down tonight?

Tara couldn't handle it anymore and started laughing aloud hard, standing up to Willow as she danced her heart off and held Tara quickly dancing around her.  "You have to admit, this a whole lot more fun than the books."  Tara nodded lightly just watching the love of her life dance.  And not just for anyone, for her, and only her.

There's something in the air tonight

That feels right

But you're keeping me guessing

and I'm finding it hard to catch your eye

So, move a little closer

It's alright

I know what you're thinking

You've been circling me for a while

Tara moved closer into Willow as she opened her arms and snuggled into her lover's embrace, taking in all of her, loving the smell of her hair, the beauty of her face, the grace of her dance, the beautiful brown eyes that stared into her, and that's when she knew...

Cause you are my Satellite

(burning up, burning up, satellite)

So, I'm trying to keep you in sight

(so, you might wanna just sit tight)

But with all this space

Can we keep it alive?

(keep it alive)

So, I'm asking you baby

Are you coming down tonight?

Willow smiled and lightly pressed her lips against Tara's and grinned as she pulled away, "I love you."

Tara glowed and nodded, "Ditto."  The two held onto each other giggling at their odd, yet sweet, moment...  At least until the explosion from down the street sounded through the air and into the Magic Box.

"What in the..."  Willow's brow furrowed and headed out the door with Tara following in suit.  She and Tara ran all the way to the park where they found the ground stained in a black circle, and the shape of a body on the ground...and a nameplate left that read, "Officer Danvers."

Willow gasped, No way...

Tara looked around, "This is giving off very b-bad, e-energy."

Willow agreed, "Let's get to the Magic Box and call Giles, maybe he can help us figure this out."

Tara turned back and headed toward Anya's store with Willow following close behind yet slowly looking back, staring at the circle.  The fried clothes on the ground...  I know those are Faith's clothes.

Willow had a bad feeling about this.

*        *        *        *        *

"You fight or you die, the rules are that simple."  The seven-layer-teethed demon smiled, "The Games begin anew within the hour, you have that long to get ready."

The demon was gone and time strung alone like nothingness, everything happened so fast ad yet Faith was still in a daze.  A man waved her hand in front of Faith and received no response, "I don't think this one is going to make it..."

A bigger man shrugged, "It's not like they ever do.  Not sure why they chose this one, she doesn't look like much of a fighter."  The woman from behind nodded lightly; "People surprise you ever now and then."

Burt shrugged, "Whatever."

Bertha sighed, "I think you're wrong, I think she'll go the distance."  There was something about this one that she knew was different, she wasn't like the rest of the riffraff around here.  She quietly whispered, "This isn't hell, this is Chaos."  Bertha shrugged, "I know you ain't listenin', but that's just fine, at least someone will let me speak my mind without interrupting me and pushin' it off like it was nothin'."  She grabbed a knife and started to sharpen it in preparation for later, "Milton had it right; there's a place between Earth and Hell."  She shook her head, "Every demon from that hell has to go through it, unless there's a hole, like the hellmouth."

She sighed, "Chaos looks bad, but this is a picnic compared to the place down below.  The ruler here is named Chaos also; he set up The Games.  Demons travel here for a show, mostly.  Many of them are fine with being where they are.  It's the power hungry ones that want to get out...back into the world of man."

She sighed, "If you know what's best for you girl, you'll snap out of it, and you'll fight because you look like a survivor."  Bertha looked at her, "Maybe you'll be the one to get out," she whispered softly.

"All right maggots, its time!"

He looked around the group and he grabbed Bertha and Faith fiercely, holding on roughly shoving them out of the containing cells for the fighters and thrust them into the corridor toward the battleground.

"You get one weapon."

Faith stared numbly at the weapons and looked away.  Bertha sighed and held up her knife, "Got my trusty blade, don't need nothing better than that."

The demon humphed and he gave Bertha the once over, and walked away, "Stupid human."

Bertha shook her head, "Damn demons."  She turned to Faith who looked straight at the gate, "I tell ya, if I ever had enough power to take on that demon, I'd kill him, gut him for sure."  She swung her arm around at the masses of demons, "The whole lot of 'em."

The gate swung open, the two women headed out on toward the ground, and they stood in the middle of everything.  Bertha readied herself, crouching in a battle position, as Faith stood straight, tall, and numb.  She'll never last two minutes in here.

There was a roar of a demon and suddenly five demons came out from the five sides of the arena, and headed straight for them.  Bertha growled launching herself at the first demon that came at her, slashing left and right, ducking the punches as best she could, and slamming her knife into his chest.

But she was only human.

And slow.

Soon she was overpowered, and Faith watched as she backed away in fear.  The demons stepped away from Faith thinking her nothing but an easy kill; she wouldn't pick a fight.  They crowded the woman and she suddenly shrieked with fear, "I'll kill all of you!  Let me be, back off!"

"Stop," Faith muttered lightly.

One of the demons grabbed Bertha and dug his talons in her and she cried out in agony, "I said stop!"  Faith shouted as she launched herself at the demons throwing them left and right and pulling them away from Bertha who fell to her knees, "Oh damn, and just when I thought I had 'em all figured out."  She looked up at Faith and chuckled, "For a fucking mute, you're a pretty good at giving orders."

Faith grabbed her knife, "Stay down."  The demons growled and chased after Faith, "I don't think so."  Faith sneered slamming her fist into the demon to the left, ducking a swipe of the sword from the demon behind her.

She tripped the remaining two demons flinging a dagger into the largest of the demon.  There were three demons left, and two dead, and she hadn't even broken a sweat.  The crowd went wild.  The three survivors growled at her, "Who are you?"

Faith grinned, "I'm the Slayer, and trust me when I say, you're in for a lot of pain."

*        *        *        *        *

Xander and Anya swept through their home and he smirked, "You know, I think I might just like this whole getting married thing."  Anya rolled her yes, "Well, you'd better, seeing as how you're the one who brought this whole wedding thing to play."

Xander shook his head, "Please, sorry for proposing to the ex-thousand-year-old-demon love of my life."

Anya swooned at that sentence and she was all grins, this feeling she felt inside, the pure rapture of being with Alexander Harris was something that money couldn't fix, that the sight of the green leafy substance could not calm – she was in love.  With a man.  A man whom she probably would've dealt out vengeance to without a second thought.

She took hold of Xander and kissed him, hard, and held him tightly, "I love you."

Xander smiled, "I love you too."

"So, when can we tell the others?"  She pulled away and bounced off into the kitchen, "I think it's time, what with everything being well with the world."

"Except for the part about Buffy..."

She slowed, "That should go without saying."

"You're wrong," he was visibly hurt now, the pain-stricken face was just too much to bear, and for a solid second she was jealous of the hold Buffy had on Xander.  She sighed sitting next to him, "Xander, I loved Buffy too.  She was wonderful.  A sweet, sweet girl."  She bit her lip, because she knew the next part would be harsh, "But she's dead.  Gone.  And she's not coming back."  Xander looked up to her, and his eyes welled again.  In the entire five months that she'd gone, that thought always brought Xander's heart lower than Anya could ever know, lower then anything she'd ever seen.

"You don't think I know that?"  Xander replied bitingly, "I do, I know it more than you'll ever understand, and it hurts Anya.  It hurts that she's gone.  That she didn't beat the odds.  That...that..."

He took a deep breath that turned into a sob, "That she was right.  That the fates were right, she was going to die."  He crumbled into a little nothing, a little ball on the floor and laid his head in Anya's lap, "I never thought it would happen, I thought we defied whatever prophecy there was, that we'd be together always, fighting side by side, never losing her..."

His eyes teared and the drops fell, streaming his face, seeping into Anya's dress, "I was so stupid."

Anya took a deep breath, "You're wrong Xander, and I'm hurt that you think I'd never understand about loss, about hurt, about pain!  I dished it out for a hundred years, and that moment...that one moment when I saw the roof caving in on you, the thought of losing you was, and is, too much to bear, and that's when I pushed you out of the way."

She made Xander sit up, "I know exactly what Buffy was thinking, I know exactly what you're feeling, what she felt."  She looked into Xander's eyes, cupping his face with her hands, "You, Dawn, Giles, everyone, the world, was what she loved, and she knew what she had to do!  She had to save you, just like I saved you.  It wasn't about fate, or about prophecies, or anything else.  It was about love, about doing what was right."  Anya's eyes struck through the core of his soul and he held her close and he started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?  That's highly inappropriate."

Xander shook his head, and wiped his eyes, "I'm laughing because here I am, king of wit and banter, of finding the humor in everything..." he sighed, "And I'm on the floor crying my eyes out."  He looked away, "Could I be any less manlier?"

Anya smirked and kissed him lightly and was about to answer when the phone rang.  Xander reached over to the coffee table, where the cordless lay, next to him, "Hello?"

"Xander, it's me Willow, I need you and Anya to get to the Magic Box, quick."

"Sure will, something happen?  Faith go evil...again?"

Willow sighed, "No, I wish it were that simple, but it looks like we're missing another Slayer, Faith's gone M.I.A., and I don't think she's skipped town."

"We'll be down in five, Will."  Anya had already gone into the bedroom to change.

*        *        *        *        *

"That was so amazing," Bertha gasped as Faith held her up as she took her inside the holding cage, back to where it started, "I've never seen anyone take them out so fast...and you haven't even broken a sweat."

"Are you ok?"

"I mean, man you wailed on those guys!  You took theirs heads clean off their shoulders, used their weapons against them, and…you were a vision!  A warring angel!"

Faith grunted as she lifted Bertha up so that she stood more erect, "I'm hardly an angel, Bertha."

"Yeah, sure, you keep telling yourself that.  I saw the rage, I saw the willingness to help others...you're an Angel trapped in hell."

Faith shook her head, "It's called common decency.  Wasn't going to have you die on my account."  Faith looked around, sizing up her options, finally clear of whatever devastating blow Buzz had given her, she was Faith again.  And she had vengeance in her heart, or no, first it would be to find a way to get home...then it would be tearing Buzz apart limb from limb.

"There's no way out except through the way you came in."  Faith nodded slowly, "Don't worry Faith darling, you're gonna live a long time here, seeing as how there ain't no way out."

"If there's a way in, there's a way out, otherwise how would they be getting new recruits?"

Bertha nodded, pondering the notion for a minute longer before she quietly said, "Are you going to get us out?"

"I'm going to try."

Bertha nodded, "That's enough."

Faith stood tall as the other 'Gladiators' stared at her in awe.  The seven-layer-teethed demon came to her and growled, "You charged up the audience, good job.  We'll see how long you last," he spat at her and wiped his mouth pushing people who got in his way to the ground.

"Well Faith, it's good to see you're back to your survival instincts."  Buzz pouted, "I really hoped that you'd stay broke for a little while longer, it would've been fun to see the old bird here die," she pointed to Bertha who glared at him with fire in her eyes.

Buzz smiled, "You want to get out...don't you?"

She sneered, "What gave it away?"

Buzz chuckled, "You want them out as well."

Faith raised an eyebrow, "What are you getting at Buzz?"

"I'll give you a chance to win your freedom, and theirs."

"What do I have to do?" she watched him carefully.

"Fight.  Win.  Do what you're best at."

"But who?"  Faith asked skeptically.

"That is for me to decide.  Do we have a deal?  Cause darling, the only way out of Chaos is...well, let's just say it has to do with virgins, and baby sacrifices, nothing you could stomach."  He stood up straight and walked away whistling, "But I can."

Bertha looked at Faith, "What's going on?"

Faith sighed, "I don't know."

Bertha looked her up and down, "Hey, what's with the costume by the way?"

*        *        *        *        *

Xander looked up at the table and frowned, "So basically we're researching a demon who…steals people?"

"In a fiery way," Tara offered lightly.

Xander grumbled, "Oh.  Well, that makes all the difference.  It narrows our field of a billion to about…oh, a billion?"  Giles gave Xander a stare down and the Zeppo sighed, quietly retreating back into the book before him.

There was a ring from the door and Anya jumped, she looked back, "What?  Customers!  Customers equal money, money equals pretty things for me."  She turned to Giles and smiled sweetly, "Us."

The group looked away and Anya trotted off, only to frown, "Oh.  It's only you."  She threw her hands in the air, "Where are all the customers?  It's been too slow."

Willow jumped at the site before her, "Riley?"

Everyone stood up and he gave them all a wave, "Hey."  He stared at the books tossed around and he nodded, "Apocalypse?"

The group looked at each other and Giles cleared his throat, "Um, no, it's Faith.  She's gone missing."

"Faith?"

Giles nodded, "Yes, Willow says she found Faith's tattered clothes at the park, shredded burned.  Over by the park."

"I heard about that."

Xander stood next to Anya holding her and he quietly said, "What brings you here?"

"I…came to visit, check on you guys, Dawn…"

"Faith," Dawn said lightly.

Riley opened his mouth to speak, but Willow jumped, "Oh!"  She looked a the others, grabbed Tara, and shouted, "We'll be back, keep looking, I think I might have a plan…"

Riley's eyebrows lifted as he watched them leave, and he turned back to the others, "Did I miss something?"

"I think we all did," Anya replied and sat back down grabbing the musty book.  Riley shifted, "Is there anything I can do?"

Giles nodded, "You could patrol while Faith is…missing."

Riley nodded, "I can do that.  Besides, it looks like Willow and Tara are a bit busy."

Dawn shot up, "Can I go with him?  Please?"

Giles shook his head, "Absolutely not."

"Giles, please.  Buffy wouldn't want me staring at these books."

"She wouldn't want you to be patrolling either."

"Ah, see, well, we've already established that I can go with someone who knows what they're doing, and Riley knows what he's doing."

Riley sighed, "It's ok, Mr. Giles, I'll make sure she's safe."

Giles reluctantly agreed and Dawn grabbed her bag and stuffed a few stakes in it, "Let's get out of here."

*        *        *        *        *

Faith saved Bertha once more, sending the monster headlong into the walls of their 'stadium', and she fell on one knee, her back beginning to spasm, "Oh God," she shrieked.  Bertha was by her side in no time shouting, "What's wrong?"  Bertha's eyes widened, "He's up, he's back up, Oh God, come on girl, get it together…"

Her back was on fire, she couldn't…couldn't think, couldn't see straight – everything was so blurry, "Oh, God, I'm so sorry Bertha…"

Faith's eyes closed tightly, "I…I think I'm going to…"

Her eyes opened one last time, only to see the beast raise the axe above his head to bring it down over her skull…

*        *        *        *        *

Buzz stared into the mirror, "The Lower Ones want this, do they?  They want the Blue Angel?"

The voice rumbled, "Of Course they do, having her on our side would be a tremendous boost in the upcoming battle against the Carnivore.  His power is growing, we fear he may be thinking of trying to take over, which is also why we'd like for me to get out, so that I can lead the task forces – the Slayer, the Angel, would never be able to handle him."

Buzz deadpanned, "I am shaking in my boots."  He sighed, "But I'll do as you wish, we need someone…"

"Someone who will be the vessel for our dark magicks, who will be the one to bring her to our side through his death."

"Well, I…" Buzz smiled widely, "I do happen to have this…this one man in particular."  He cleared his throat, "His death would be breaking the two commandments, two very big no-no's."

The beast raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's the obvious, 'thou shalt not kill'."  He moved away from the mirror as he moved toward the end of the room and smiled, "and then there's also, 'though shalt honor thy mother and father'."  He smiled evilly, "What would happen then, if Supergirl, should kill, and not just kill an innocent possessed," he grabbed the man's face lifting it up, "but an innocent man, possessed, whom was her…father."

The demon growled, "So be it."  A dark aura emanated from the mirror, and a stream of dark swirling energy floated through the air as Buzz stood up backing away from Fred.  Within a matter of moments, energy bombarded Fred's body, dark evil energy, slipping in through his mouth and causing him to ram himself into the wall in convulsions, until finally he rose off the ground utterly still, changed – breaking free of the chains and manacles.

His eyes were a deep ocean of blackness, his skin a pale-purple, and his clothes were changed.  He wore nothing but pants, and boots, black, fitted.  And on his chest, he wore an hourglass etched in his skin.  He smiled as his eyes glowed a sinister green as he wielded the scythes in his hands, "When do we begin?"

Buzz smiled.