Episode 6: The Blood of Set, part 2

Willow watched the god that was standing a few feet in front of her on the pavement of the school parking lot. His red hair and dark skin were just like described in the ancient Egyptian myths but the evil sneer that curved his lips could never be described with human words. The young witch started spreading the ingredients on the pavement; she had to be ready when he attacked. Set looked past the row of slayers and looked at Willow. "Work quickly goddess," he said. "I wait for no one."

Willow ignored him. "A pity really," he continued. "You could have been a powerful goddess but I'm afraid you'll have to die young. Imagine the feeling of the power coursing through your veins, never having to use a chant or an herb again. It's amazing really. But then, you'll never live to find out."

Kennedy tightened her grip on the crossbow in her hand and glared at the god, all fear gone from her face. "If you want her you'll have to go through me."

"Awwww," Set said, his voice thick with sarcasm, "the witch and the slayer, how disgusting."

Fray took a step forward. "Don't forget about me. I don't care how big your ego is, you can't beat all of us."

Set smiled. "Such untapped power and you don't even know it's there. If only you knew who you were, you could be my biggest threat. I can feel your memory," he sneered. "It's floating around in there somewhere, never to be touched, never to be found. It will drive you insane eventually if you live. Luckily for you, I'm here to save you."

"What do you know about me?" Fray growled.

"More then you apparently," Set smiled. "I see great battles, won and lost but you always at the head of a giant army. I see a man at your shoulder and a weapon in your hands. Your power made you great but your skill made you a hero. Too bad you'll never see that."

Fray just growled deeply and lifted her sword off her shoulder. Set raised his arm, the Moot surrounding him began to howl with anticipation of the ensuing battle. The man let his arm drop and the slayers dashed forward to meet the Moot. Rona, Vi, and one of the new slayers named Zee took one group of Moot while Kennedy, Faith, and Fray took the other. Kennedy had to force herself to fight and not stop to watch Fray when she caught the girl out of the corner of her eye. Fray had shown her skill in the ring with her fists and feet but handling a weapon was totally different. Kennedy had expected her to soon abandon the blade in favor of old fashioned kicks and punches but the girl was using the blade as if it had been in her hands for her entire life.

The weapon spun over her head and slashed in front of the oncoming Moot in one fluid motion. The creature let out a scream and fell to the ground in two neatly carved pieces. She then turned and thrust the blade under her left arm, jamming it into a Moot's chest. Kennedy smiled as she kicked a Moot right in the chest, sending it into Faith's field of battle. The other slayer struck the creature in the jaw with her foot and its neck broke with a sickening crunch. Soon the ground was covered with dead bodies. Set just waved his hand and soon they had disappeared, smears of red blood the only evidence that the fight had ever taken place.

Set took a few steps forward and Willow could feel the power radiating off of him. She quickly sat in front of the circle of candles and herbs that she had erected and looked up towards the sky. When she looked back down at him her eyes were pale blue. Set smiled lightly. "The witch has power," he mocked.

Willow looked at him, her eyes shooting daggers at the god. "You haven't seen anything yet," she hissed between clenched teeth.

Set's grin wavered as Willow's hands began glowing bright blue. Set quickly plastered the smile back on his face. "You're light tricks won't work on me little girl."

Willow smiled back, her eyes shining against her face. "I know," she said. "But blades will."

Willow threw the blue light at him and it shot across the parking lot striking Set in the chest before he could move. He inhaled sharply and his eyes opened wide. "No," he yelled.

"Go," Kennedy ordered.

Fray was the closest and the first one to jump ahead. Set hit her with the back of his hand and sent her flying twenty feet into the side of the school. Even without his power he was stronger than any of the slayers. Fray fought to pull herself off the ground but quickly stopped when cracked ribs started to protest.

Kenned reached him next and she pulled her sword high over her head. "Anyone want to give me a hand?" she asked.

Zee and Vi suddenly appeared next to her, their weapons ready. Vi loosed an arrow from her crossbow but Set caught it in midair before it touched him. He threw the bolt back at her and it hit her in the shoulder. Zee attacked with an axe and Faith followed closely behind. Soon all three slayers were battling the god. Arms and weapons were flying. Kicks and punches were fighting to get through the strong defense that Set had put up. His strong arms blocked every punch and kick and normally send the attacker rolling across the pavement. Kennedy feel to the ground as an arm blocked her shin and threw her a few feet across the parking lot.

Zee attacked, the young slayer jumping in with a flying sidekick and being batted out of the way like a pesky bug. Soon it was just Faith. She was so involved in the battle that she didn't hear Willow yelling that he was regaining his powers. Set suddenly stopped fighting and Faith threw a punch to his chest. The punch struck something solid but it wasn't the god's chest. Set looked down to where her punch had landed, six inches away from his chest. "Oops," he smiled. "I forgot to tell you. You're dead."

He picked her up off the ground with a single flick of his fingers. He easily stopped Kennedy, Vi, and Zee when they tried to rush him. "Come now slayer," he said glaring at Kennedy. "Do we have to do this again?"

Kennedy smiled from her place behind the shield he had set up. "I was always a slow learner."

Set smiled. "Maybe you'll learn this lesson."

The god pointed to Willow and beckoned her over with a finger. Willow slid a few inches above the ground, her arms and legs bound together as if by unseen ropes. He waved Faith away and she flew through the unseen shield and slammed into the car that was parked a few feet away. The windshield exploded as she slammed into it. Wood, Dawn, Vi and Zee ran over to her but Kennedy stayed outside the unseen wall, tears welling up into her eyes. "Stop it," she yelled. "I'll do anything, just don't hurt her."

"Shut up baby," Willow whispered.

Kennedy pounded against the shield in frustration. She didn't see Fray walking up behind him, the sword held tightly in her hand. Kennedy's eyes were locked on Willow's. Set smiled lightly. "You all just don't know how to stay down. Come on now Shadow," he hissed, turning towards Fray. "Can't you just die?"

He moved his hand slightly and nothing happened. Fray just shook her head like she was trying to fight off a sneeze. Fray looked back up at him, her green eyes shining and her mouth curved into a bow. She took a few steps forward and walked through the shield, the invisible wall shining blue for a few seconds as she walked through. "Don't you know that you can't kill shadows?" she asked.

Set just stared at her, his eyes wide. Fray smiled at him even more, a laugh escaping her lips. "Thank you for helping me."

"With what?" Set asked licking his lips.

"Well, all that talk about untapped potential and everything. I had to test my limits. Thank you so much, I couldn't have done it without you."

Fray pulled her sword back and slammed it into his stomach, the point protruding from his back. He dropped Willow and she landed lightly on the ground. The shield shimmered before disappearing. "You can't kill me like this," Set hissed. "It just feels like a little prick."

Fray smiled. "I guess a little prick knows a little prick."

She ripped the sword back out, now covered in thick red blood, and tossed it to Willow. Set healed quickly but he was still too drained to perform any spells. Kennedy helped Willow over to where the amulet lay on the ground while Fray was left to deal with the god. "Come on," she taunted. "I want to test out my power."

She smiled one more time before jumping off the ground and kicking out with her foot. It connected with the side of his head, a sickening crack echoing through the parking lot. Set fell to the ground, blood running out of his head. Fray landed gracefully and kicked him in the stomach, her foot connecting with the still tender wound. Set flipped over a few timed before landing on the pavement. He stood up as quickly as he could. "I'll kill you," he shrieked.

Fray smiled. "That's what they all say."

Set charged forward and the started trading punches and blocks. Set was finally able to land a good punch and Fray stumbled backwards. A smile crossed Set's face and he spun, cracking her in the jaw with his elbow and slamming her in the chest with a palm. Fray fell to the ground and rolled backwards. When she stood up her shirt was already stained with blood from her nose.

She caught Set's fist right as it came towards her face. "What do you know about me?" she asked, twisting his arm behind his back. "And give me some real answers, not some cryptic riddle shit."

Set hissed. "You're not supposed to be here," he said. "You exist but not here and not now. You're a Fader, that's what you were made to be. If something happens that could destroy the future you come back. Something happened though and you hit a little problem on your way. It made you more powerful then any Fader that was in existence but you also lost your memory. Because of that the future is doomed. You don't remember your mission."

Fray twisted his arm even harder. "When do I come from?"

Set shook his head and cried out. "I don't know. All that I told you I heard from others. Your coming sent a shockwave through the world. Nothing this powerful has shown up since the first. But you don't remember why you're here. Isn't this your lucky day?"

Fray hissed. "Yeah, I must have stepped on a goddamned leprechaun."

"Hey Fray, come here. She's almost done," Zee called from the body of the destroyed car.

Faith was leaning against Wood, her face cut and bleeding. Vi was helping clean up the girls paying no attention to her own wound and Kennedy and Dawn were helping support an exhausted Willow as she held the amulet, now covered in Set's blood. Fray let him go and Set just stood there. "You and your friends are the noblest adversaries I've ever met. I don't mind dying by your hands."

Fray smiled and looked back at her friends. "They're pretty great aren't they?"

She started walking away but turned back towards him after a few steps. "Thanks for the information. I'm sorry that it had to end this way."

Set smiled and shrugged; the most human look on his face that she had seen. "Hey, it's in the job description."

Fray nodded and walked away. She saw Willow drop the amulet and heard Set let out a scream as beams of white light shot through his body and finally consumed him but she never looked back. She had other things on her mind. "What did he say?" Kennedy asked as Fray walked over to the group.

"I'll tell you later," Fray said. "Come on, let's go home."

Willow looked at Fray, her forehead creased with worry. She shook it off though and allowed herself to be led to the car that was still in one piece. "Do you need a ride?" Kennedy asked.

Wood shook his head. "We can walk home."

Dawn nodded. "The Coven isn't that far away and Vi's not that badly hurt."

"Just a scratch," the energetic slayer said.

Kennedy nodded. "Alright, we'll see you guys tomorrow. Good job."

Fray took Dawn's place under Willow's arm and helped the witch into the back of the car. Fray climbed into the passenger's seat and didn't even notice when the car started to drive away. Her mind was far from New Sunnydale.

"What in the hell's a Fader?" Kennedy asked from her perch on the end ok Willow's bed. Fray was sitting in the chair next to it and Willow was laying back, her dark eyes looking tired but still interested.

"I'm like a time cop from what Set told me. It's kind of like, if something could happen in the past that could destroy the future, I have to come back and stop it. Something went wrong though and I ended up here with more power than normal and less memory than ever."

"I don't understand," Kennedy said, her head tilted slightly.

Fray stood up and sighed. "I do," she said. "It means that not only do I not have a home, a family, a memory, or a chance in hell to find out who I am. It also means that I don't even have a time."

Fray shook her head as tears clouded her eyes. When she looked back up though here eyes were as clear and as hard as ever. Kennedy stood up and hugged her tightly. "We're your family," she said. "I know that might seem like much but you saved Willow tonight and for that I owe you my life. You are stronger and smarter and faster than anyone here and we could really use your help."

Fray blushed slightly but smiled at Kennedy. "No problem, but I really want to find out more about what a Fader is. Do you think Giles might know, or something else. Maybe if there were others there would be some text on them. If I can find out something like that maybe I can find out what my mission was."

Kennedy nodded. "I'll help in any way that I can. All of us will but I don't think it will be easy."

Fray nodded. "I don't care if it's easy or not but I need it to happen. The fate of the world rests in my hands."

"I want you to go to school," Willow suddenly piped up.

"Say what?" Fray asked.

"I want you to start at New Sunnydale High. Wood would be able to get you in without any problems but you need to do something besides worry about what's going on and fight the bad guys. We make all the slayers under eighteen and Dawn go as well. You need that kind of interaction."

Fray rolled her eyes. "Just what I need, more drama in my life."

Willow laughed. "High school was great for me, what with the demons and the vampires and the magicks and the boys."

Kennedy cleared her throat and looked down at her. Willow smiled. "I had to learn from my mistakes."

Kennedy just nodded and turned back to Fray. Willow flashed the younger girl a smile over Kennedy's shoulder. Fray returned it. "Alright," Fray said. "I could always use a cute guy to pass the time with. But can I still fight on a school night."

Willow smiled. "We'll have to see about that. Now go to bed, you start tomorrow."

Fray smiled as she walked out the door. "Oh goody, I get to go through high school, probably a second time."

Kennedy watched her leave. She turned back to Willow as soon as she was gone. "You didn't do that to keep her mind off us finding out about what a Fader is did you?"

"No," Willow admitted. "I did that because we can't know that she'll ever go back to whatever time she came from. She might have to start a life here forever and we need to help her do that, no matter what."

Author's note: Thanks for the feedback. I won't be able to put up another chapter for a few weeks. I'll be in Europe but please tell me what you think about the story. In the next chapter we get to see Fray in school and everything like that. Please give me some feedback though and I'll have the next chapter up in about three weeks.