Faith walked quickly along the street, well aware that someone had been following her for several blocks. She hurried into the next alley, so that when the man stepped in after her, he was shocked to find her waiting for him, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"Why are you following me?" She asked. He smirked.
"You're good."
"See, I already knew that. Answer my question." He took a step closer to her, and she dropped into a fighting stance. He laughed,
"I know what you're thinking, but I won't bite." He assured her. She frowned.
"I'm not stupid. You're a vamp."
"You are good."
"We've been over that already. What do you want?"
"Same as you: to kill them all." Faith was taken aback. She swallowed.
"Kill…"
"The vampires."
"But you…"
"I'm different. The harvest is
coming, Slayer. You're standing on the mouth of hell, careful you don't get
swallowed." Faith, for once, was speechless. "Don't turn your back on this
kid." He said, passing her a small box.
"Who are you?" she called as he turned away.
"A friend."
"What if I don't want a friend?"
He laughed.
"I didn't say I was yours." And he melted into the night. Faith starred at the place he had stood for a moment. Then, shaking her head clear, she opened the box, to reveal a silver cross necklace. She raised her eyebrows, and pocketed it, before resuming her course to the Bronze.
"Faith!" Xander called across the crowded club.
"Hey." She replied, smiling. They moved to the bar, where Willow sat, and got drinks. Faith was itching for a dance. She looked from Xander, to Willow, and made her decision. "Will, come on, we're gonna dance." Willow looked terrified.
"Ooh, no. Me? Dance? No." she spluttered. Xander laughed, and Faith raised her eyebrows,
"All the more reason." She grinned, grabbing the other girl's wrist. "I'm gonna loosen you up, girl." She flashed Xander a wicked grin, and dragged the redhead onto the dance floor. Willow swayed to the music, and Faith rolled her eyes. She took the other girls hands, and began to dance, Faith style. Wild. She just let the music take over, and after a while, even Willow couldn't help but fall into it, if awkwardly. Xander's jaw was on the floor, along with that of many of the guys in the club. A couple of them approached the girls, each tapping one on the shoulder. Faith grinned at Will, encouragingly, and broke away with her guy. He couldn't believe his luck. Faith barely even looked at him, but in a sideways glance at Willow, she noticed the guy she was with. They was something about him… she swung round, and yelled,
"Swap!" Through the music. She grabbed Will's partner, who didn't complain, and her's took Will instead. As she'd expected, Faith's new dance partner soon suggested they took a walk. She agreed over-excitedly, and headed to the door, her arm around him. Willow saw her new friend leaving. She frowned, wondering if Faith knew about the crime rate in this town. She apologised to the guy, and followed quickly. Outside, she saw the couple disappearing round a corner.
"Faith!" she yelled out. Faith groaned as she heard the shout, and the guy didn't look too happy either.
"Don't call back." He said forcefully.
"Why not?" she said, knowing it would annoy him, and wanting to get this over with quick.
"Cos I said so." He slammed her against the wall, meaning to knock her out, but she pushed back. He vamped out in fury, just as Willow came around the corner.
"Willow, go back inside!" Faith yelled. The vampire smiled, grabbing the small redhead, and backing down the alley with his hand about her throat. Willow screamed.
"Shut up!" the vampire said, tightening his grip. Willow obeyed. Faith took one stepped forward. "Don't move!" the vamp yelled. Faith stopped, and watched as the vampire approached the Bronze again. The moment he dragged Will through the door, Faith set off running. Inside they were nowhere to be seen. She curse and headed for the other door, only to be intercepted by Xander.
"Hey, Faith, where'd you guys go?"
"Have you seen Will?" She asked.
"Not since she left with you."
"Shit!" Faith exclaimed, pushing past him to the door. Xander ran after her.
"What?"
"We have to find her. There was a v- a guy, he grabbed her and ran."
"He kidnapped Will?"
"Kinda… just… I'm gonna look for
her. You..."
"Are coming with you." Xander
finished. Faith rolled her eyes, and not in the mood to argue, as well as
knowing there was no time, she started down the alley towards the graveyard.
"Please!" Willow sobbed, "Please let me go!"
"Na." The vamp said, throwing her down the steps into a crypt. She collapsed on the ground. Soon after, a boy stumbled through the door with a hand to his throat.
"I think you gave me a hickey." He mumbled, as a vamp girl followed him.
"Jesse!" Willow shrieked.
"Hey Will…" he said vaguely, folding onto the floor.
"They're supposed to be for the master, the male vamp scolded. The girl shrugged,
"I got hungry." She cried out as something hit her from behind. As she fell, it was revealed to be Faith's foot. Without pause, she staked the male vamp, ready for the girl when she recovered. Faith punched her, causing her to stumble back away from the door.
"Run!" Faith yelled to the three teenagers. They didn't hesitate to comply, and were gone. Faith hit the girl again, and was about to stake her when she was hit from behind. She rolled with the fall, coming up quick.
"She's strong!" The girl was gasping, "She killed…"
"Go!" The other vamp growled. The girl skirted round the other side of the crypt, and ran.
"Great, the big guns." Faith purred.
"You have no idea, child." He replied. At that moment, Faith heard a scream outside. She snapped kicked the guy's face while he too was distracted, and yelled,
"To be continued." Over her shoulder, before legging it outside. She caught a glimpse of a vamp chasing the others a little way off. Faith ran after them, tackling the vamp to the ground. She staked her quick and turned to her new friends. "You guys ok?"
Willow was shaking her head, gasping for breath.
"Jesse!" she sobbed, shaking the boys limp body. Faith felt the colour drain form her face. She didn't know the boy, but that made no difference. She moved to him, feeling for a pulse. Instead, she felt jaggedly displaced bones. His neck was broken.
"He's gone." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"You…" Willow gasped, "This is because of you…" She was starring wide eyed and terrified at Faith. "None of this happened until you came!" Faith got paler, a sick knot forming in her stomach,
"Willow…" she began, But Xander interrupted.
"Will, no." He said, causing Faith to frown. "It's not her fault and you know it. She just saved our lives… and… much as I hate to say it… people die weirdly all the time here." He was terribly calm, the sort of calm that only comes once you've gone way past terror and denial, and you're faced with the bare, hard, cold truth. Faith looked up at the boy, and he met her eyes easily. He nodded slightly, and she swallowed.
"We gotta get outta here." She said quietly. Xander helped Willow to her feet, and they looked down at Jesse.
"I can't just leave him." Xander breathed. Faith nodded, and hefted the teenager's form over her shoulder.
"Let's go." She said, "Head for the school library."
"What?" Xander exclaimed.
"Just do it!" Faith snapped, and he obeyed, half carrying the redhead with him.
The small group burst into the library, startling Giles.
"G, we got a big problem." Faith called out. The watcher saw the dead boy, and gasped,
"Oh god."
"Yeah." Faith agreed, laying him on the table, and helping Willow into a chair. "They were at the Bronze- I think they were, I dunno… gathering people. I played along with one, but Will followed me- he grabbed her… another had already gotten him." She gestured to Jesse. "I staked one of 'em, and these guys ran… but…" She trailed off.
"They saw…?" Giles asked his slayer.
"In a major way." Xander replied. "How come no one told us that our town was infested with vampires?"
"Most town have their fair share." Faith said quietly. She looked to the watcher, telling him this was no time for cover-ups.
"And its not just vampires." Giles sighed. They proceeded to tell the two shocked teens the basics, including what it meant for Faith to be the slayer.