Separate Paths
The night was dark and cold, as it usually is on a winter night in Des Moines, Iowa. Xander found himself walking down the ally between Herold and Porter Streets. He did not even truly know why he was here; just somewhere, he had stopped along the way, seemingly making his way across the country. Since Sunnydale, nothing seemed the same, he was without the other Scoobies, and had worked at several other construction jobs since then, but it just was not the same. You did not find out that the World of Darkness actually exists, and then quit fighting the good fight.
As he slowly walked down the alley, he began to think of the big bad's that they had faced during the seven years since Buffy had found her way to Sunnydale. It truly was not something he wanted to give up. He knew he would find something to compare to what he had once been a part of, he just did not know when or where. Looking to the sides of the ally, he found that he was not to far from the end; he would have himself in some streetlights soon. Being in the dark was not something that he preferred these days.
As he was walking, he had been hearing some strange noises in the bushes, but had thought nothing of it. There was nothing he had seen here that would make him think anything in this town would be worth fighting. Perhaps the random vampire making their way through, but that was probably a very rare thing here. Once again, looking to both sides, he was satisfied there was nothing to be worried about. This was about the time he found himself trapped on the ground. Staring up at his attacker, he noticed it had fangs and the scrunched up face of a vampire. "Wonderful" he thought to himself "I allow a little leeway and this is what I get, Vamp food in a small city ally!" He struggled, putting his hand on the vamps face and pushing back as hard as he could, while punching wildly with his other fist.
As soon as it had began it was over, Xander stood and looked around, seeing a woman with a steak in her hand and a familiar face. She had a very fit and athletic body, a little bit on the short side, and the face of an angel in a devils body. "Well, Faith, good to see you could drop by, I mean, right in the middle of a vamp fight and everything!" he gave her a quick smile and looked her up and down once more. He remembered quickly a time when they had been more then friends, at least, in his eyes, they had had a connection. "How have you been?" he asked her obviously glad to see her.
"Five by Five Xander, now his buddies are about a block over, if you want to stick around and tangle with them, or we can just get outta here!" She said to him rather quickly, she was the type that would stick around for the fight, had she not been outrageously outnumbered.
"Alright, well I say we don't become vampire food and we head this way, I have a room." he said to her rather calmly, he was quite used to this by now and he knew she would not put up a fight since there was somewhere they could go. Without a word, they both took off up the street; heading to the hotel Xander had rented in a full sprint.
It was only ten minutes before they had made their way to the Hotel 6 on Fleur and McKinley Avenue. Finding their way quickly to Xander's room, Faith moved quickly to the window, staring out at the airport in which she had just arrived shortly before catching up with Xander. She knew that their meeting up here was not just a coincidence, in fact, it was fate. Buffy was many miles away, and they were the only two with any knowledge of the existence of the nastiness that was the world of vampires in several states. At least that she was aware of. She looked back over to Xander with the casual sexy look she always held and began to speak what was on her mind. "Xander, I met up with Giles in Ohio, I don't know how you found out about what was going on here, but I am going to need your help."
"I am afraid I don't know what your talking about Faith, things are getting all freaky on me here, feeling kinda like I'm here for a reason." Xander looked at her with a quizzical look, knowing she knew a little about what was going on in this seemingly normal city.
"Xander, there's a cult working on some stuff around here, nasty stuff, and we have to stop it." Faith told him, uncharacteristically calm, and seemingly in focus.
"Yeah, so, that seems par for the course in Noramalville, USA." Xander gave a quick chuckle, knowing she knew what he said was true, but she did not seem amused.
"Demon cult Xander, and they are opening another Hellmouth!"
The night was dark and cold, as it usually is on a winter night in Des Moines, Iowa. Xander found himself walking down the ally between Herold and Porter Streets. He did not even truly know why he was here; just somewhere, he had stopped along the way, seemingly making his way across the country. Since Sunnydale, nothing seemed the same, he was without the other Scoobies, and had worked at several other construction jobs since then, but it just was not the same. You did not find out that the World of Darkness actually exists, and then quit fighting the good fight.
As he slowly walked down the alley, he began to think of the big bad's that they had faced during the seven years since Buffy had found her way to Sunnydale. It truly was not something he wanted to give up. He knew he would find something to compare to what he had once been a part of, he just did not know when or where. Looking to the sides of the ally, he found that he was not to far from the end; he would have himself in some streetlights soon. Being in the dark was not something that he preferred these days.
As he was walking, he had been hearing some strange noises in the bushes, but had thought nothing of it. There was nothing he had seen here that would make him think anything in this town would be worth fighting. Perhaps the random vampire making their way through, but that was probably a very rare thing here. Once again, looking to both sides, he was satisfied there was nothing to be worried about. This was about the time he found himself trapped on the ground. Staring up at his attacker, he noticed it had fangs and the scrunched up face of a vampire. "Wonderful" he thought to himself "I allow a little leeway and this is what I get, Vamp food in a small city ally!" He struggled, putting his hand on the vamps face and pushing back as hard as he could, while punching wildly with his other fist.
As soon as it had began it was over, Xander stood and looked around, seeing a woman with a steak in her hand and a familiar face. She had a very fit and athletic body, a little bit on the short side, and the face of an angel in a devils body. "Well, Faith, good to see you could drop by, I mean, right in the middle of a vamp fight and everything!" he gave her a quick smile and looked her up and down once more. He remembered quickly a time when they had been more then friends, at least, in his eyes, they had had a connection. "How have you been?" he asked her obviously glad to see her.
"Five by Five Xander, now his buddies are about a block over, if you want to stick around and tangle with them, or we can just get outta here!" She said to him rather quickly, she was the type that would stick around for the fight, had she not been outrageously outnumbered.
"Alright, well I say we don't become vampire food and we head this way, I have a room." he said to her rather calmly, he was quite used to this by now and he knew she would not put up a fight since there was somewhere they could go. Without a word, they both took off up the street; heading to the hotel Xander had rented in a full sprint.
It was only ten minutes before they had made their way to the Hotel 6 on Fleur and McKinley Avenue. Finding their way quickly to Xander's room, Faith moved quickly to the window, staring out at the airport in which she had just arrived shortly before catching up with Xander. She knew that their meeting up here was not just a coincidence, in fact, it was fate. Buffy was many miles away, and they were the only two with any knowledge of the existence of the nastiness that was the world of vampires in several states. At least that she was aware of. She looked back over to Xander with the casual sexy look she always held and began to speak what was on her mind. "Xander, I met up with Giles in Ohio, I don't know how you found out about what was going on here, but I am going to need your help."
"I am afraid I don't know what your talking about Faith, things are getting all freaky on me here, feeling kinda like I'm here for a reason." Xander looked at her with a quizzical look, knowing she knew a little about what was going on in this seemingly normal city.
"Xander, there's a cult working on some stuff around here, nasty stuff, and we have to stop it." Faith told him, uncharacteristically calm, and seemingly in focus.
"Yeah, so, that seems par for the course in Noramalville, USA." Xander gave a quick chuckle, knowing she knew what he said was true, but she did not seem amused.
"Demon cult Xander, and they are opening another Hellmouth!"
