They just keep coming and coming, thought Faith as she slayed her seventh
vampire in a row. This is some gang. She was not a happy girl, as her plans
for Sunnydale and namely, Buffy, did not include unforseen slayage. But
hey, her life was on the line here and -
Whoompf. A vampire (or three, it felt like three, was it three?) catapulted right on top of her body, and Faith felt herself hit the ground. This is gonna hurt tonight, she thought, but not now. She leaped to her feet and immediately began pummeling the vamp who had pinned her. The silence of the night grew defeaning as she looked around and realized that the other vamps had disappeared. She shrugged it off and turned, realizing that now she was utterly alone. No vamps. She took a cautious few steps toward the end of the alley, but stopped when a patrol car's sweeping headlights almost illuminated her darkened hideaway. Shit, she thought. It would not be a good thing to be caught.
Faith turned around again and faced a wall of vampires. Seven thick, two deep ... this was gonna take some work. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her from behind. Slimy, gross, crackled and dry hands. Ew. Two more appeared, and then four, eight, and ten. She was overpowered and outnumbered. Way outnumbered. One more set of hands brushed aside her hair and she heard a vamp growl, "Slayer blood is so sweet," before she felt the piercing tingle on her neck. Wow, she thought before she slipped into darkness, no wonder so many vamps exist ...
The pain abruptly stopped, and Faith instictively put her hand on her neck. Bleeding profusely. That was OK, she'd knock off some Band-aids from the store down the street. Regaining her senses, and her slayer strength, she realized that the pain had stopped for a reason. Ten feet to her side, there was a battle going on. A vamp dueled with a human in a circle of ashes - man, whoever it was worked quick.
The final vamp met its doomful end, and the mortal turned to face Faith. Slowly, deliberately.
It was Buffy.
"What. are. you. doing. here," she said in painstakingly controlled words.
"Aw, B, can't even meet my eyes?" cooed Faith. Yeah, this wasn't the way she wanted to get reaquainted, and hell, Faith even owed Buffy her life, but what the hell.
"Faith. I don't want you here," Buffy said, searching for words. Faith began to step towards her.
"Tough cookies. Didn't Angel tell you, I'm good. I'm high-quality now, B. I feel so bad about what I've done," Faith said cynically, reaching out to brush her fingers along Buffy's arm.
"Don't touch me, Faith. You repulse me. You disgust me beyond belief. You are the epitome of everything I hate. Sunnydale is my town. I've been here longer than you have and when you went all wicked, I stayed. Get out," Buffy spat.
Faith recoiled slightly, but Buffy saw and realized that her words had an impact.
"Heard you got a little sister. And a crazy witch for a best friend. Doesn't it bug you that you couldn't help either of them?" Faith taunted.
Buffy felt no need for words. She slammed out a punch and a kick and shattered Faith's infallibility. Faith instictively kicked out her leg, but instead of it connecting solidly, a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed her ankle. Faith immediately pivoted her wait in order to remain standing with her one leg. I feel like an ostrich, she thought randomly.
Buffy was staring at the man who had stepped out of the shadows like she knew him. He knew her, at least. "Buffy. Faith. So good to see you again. I'm Christophe Miller. From the Watcher's Council."
Whoompf. A vampire (or three, it felt like three, was it three?) catapulted right on top of her body, and Faith felt herself hit the ground. This is gonna hurt tonight, she thought, but not now. She leaped to her feet and immediately began pummeling the vamp who had pinned her. The silence of the night grew defeaning as she looked around and realized that the other vamps had disappeared. She shrugged it off and turned, realizing that now she was utterly alone. No vamps. She took a cautious few steps toward the end of the alley, but stopped when a patrol car's sweeping headlights almost illuminated her darkened hideaway. Shit, she thought. It would not be a good thing to be caught.
Faith turned around again and faced a wall of vampires. Seven thick, two deep ... this was gonna take some work. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her from behind. Slimy, gross, crackled and dry hands. Ew. Two more appeared, and then four, eight, and ten. She was overpowered and outnumbered. Way outnumbered. One more set of hands brushed aside her hair and she heard a vamp growl, "Slayer blood is so sweet," before she felt the piercing tingle on her neck. Wow, she thought before she slipped into darkness, no wonder so many vamps exist ...
The pain abruptly stopped, and Faith instictively put her hand on her neck. Bleeding profusely. That was OK, she'd knock off some Band-aids from the store down the street. Regaining her senses, and her slayer strength, she realized that the pain had stopped for a reason. Ten feet to her side, there was a battle going on. A vamp dueled with a human in a circle of ashes - man, whoever it was worked quick.
The final vamp met its doomful end, and the mortal turned to face Faith. Slowly, deliberately.
It was Buffy.
"What. are. you. doing. here," she said in painstakingly controlled words.
"Aw, B, can't even meet my eyes?" cooed Faith. Yeah, this wasn't the way she wanted to get reaquainted, and hell, Faith even owed Buffy her life, but what the hell.
"Faith. I don't want you here," Buffy said, searching for words. Faith began to step towards her.
"Tough cookies. Didn't Angel tell you, I'm good. I'm high-quality now, B. I feel so bad about what I've done," Faith said cynically, reaching out to brush her fingers along Buffy's arm.
"Don't touch me, Faith. You repulse me. You disgust me beyond belief. You are the epitome of everything I hate. Sunnydale is my town. I've been here longer than you have and when you went all wicked, I stayed. Get out," Buffy spat.
Faith recoiled slightly, but Buffy saw and realized that her words had an impact.
"Heard you got a little sister. And a crazy witch for a best friend. Doesn't it bug you that you couldn't help either of them?" Faith taunted.
Buffy felt no need for words. She slammed out a punch and a kick and shattered Faith's infallibility. Faith instictively kicked out her leg, but instead of it connecting solidly, a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed her ankle. Faith immediately pivoted her wait in order to remain standing with her one leg. I feel like an ostrich, she thought randomly.
Buffy was staring at the man who had stepped out of the shadows like she knew him. He knew her, at least. "Buffy. Faith. So good to see you again. I'm Christophe Miller. From the Watcher's Council."