Chapter 7
« So let me get this straight ? Me and Giles can just walk into a maximum security prison and walk out with a convicted murderer ? »
Willow smiled nervously. « That's the plan. It shouldn't be a problem as long as the spell holds, but you'll have to hurry. These mind control thingies drain a lot of my energy. »
« Okay then, » I said as I made to open the car door, but first I turned back to Gunn. « Are you sure you want to stay in the car ? » I said, glancing at Spike who was just lighting a cigarette. Charles smiled.
« I'll be fine. My back's still killing me, so a little resting before the battle would be great, » he said.
« If you're sure. It shouldn't take long anyway, » I said softly, my hand resting on the door handle. I leaned in and kissed him gently, before opening the car door and closing it quickly to avoid the sunlight getting in. Willow and Giles were already standing in front of the large gates.
« We have to be quick, » Giles said anxiously, and I looked at Willow, who was concentrating hard. The two of us walked up to the large gate, and before we had even got there, a smaller door in the corner of the gates opened and two guards stepped out. I swallowed hard and followed Giles as he stepped confidently towards the guys with the machine guns.
« Hello. We're here to... »
« Oh, we know, » a guard with a buzzcut interrupted him. « Just go into the main building. Second floor, last cell on the left, » he said, pointing at the large building with barred windows.
Five minutes later, we'd found the right ward and were walking along the row of cells. Ignoring the yelling and whistling of the inmates, I spoke softly to Giles. « We haven't met a single warden. It seems too simple... »
« All the best plans are. Willow's a skilled witch. If she can keep the wardens away and keep the guards under her spell, we can be out of here in five minutes. »
« You do realize you've just jinxed the entire plan, don't you ? » I said nervously. « It's common knowledge that... »
« Well, look who it is... » a voice suddenly interrupted me. We'd arrived at the end of the corridor, and a young brunette was looking at us from her cell, a mocking smile on her face, her elbows leaning on the bars.
« Hello Faith, » Giles said, with a nervous undertone in his voice, and took his glasses off to polish them. I bit my lip and tried not to be noticed. Putting on his glasses again, Giles continued.
« We need your help, » he said.
« Well... » Faith said when Giles had finished explaining the situation. « Then you're screwed, aren't you ? »
« But... We've come to get you out of here, because you're the Slayer. You can help us, can't you ? » I spoke up.
Faith looked at me and lit up a smoke. « Look, Audrey Hepburn, » she said, breathing smoke as she spoke, « if I wanted out, that's not an issue. Super- strength and all that. Thing is, if I sit here and act nice, they'll let me out in a couple of years and everyone will be off my back. I have to remind myself everyday not to smash the wardens to a bloody pulp, but I don't feel like having to hide from the cops for the rest of my life. So, sorry, I'm gonna have to pass. »
I glanced at Giles in despair, but to my surprise he was dead calm. Not even trying to hide a slight smile, he stared at Faith without blinking.
« Then I'm sure we don't have a problem, as long you're willing to help us. Willow's having your release papers signed right now. Congratulations Faith, you're on probation. » And without letting Faith take in the surprise, he was signalling to one of the wardens at the end of the hall to open the cell.
Five minutes later, I blinked into the blinding desert sun with Giles and Faith five feet behind me, and stepped right up to Willow, who was looking exhausted but stood her ground.
« Willow ? It's okay, it worked. I think we better leave quickly though, thay might start asking questions as soon as it wears off. »
Willow relaxed visibly, blinked and then looked at Faith with something of suspicion.
« Faith, » she said coolly. Faith just showed her a massive grin.
« Hi Willow. How've ya been ? »
God, do these people have issues, I thought.
« Okay, you guys can work through your personal history later. Right now we have to save Wesley ! » I said persistantly, issueing them to the car and quickly getting into the back seat, followed by Willow. Charles looked utterly relieved to see me, but I had a feeling he would've been relieved to see a bullterrier if it meant that he didn't have to be alone in a car with Spike.
« Wow, cozy, » he said dryly as Willow sat downon the backseat, which meant I had to sit Charles's lap. Giles glanced into the rearview mirror at us as we sped off, back to the city.
« It's only a short trip. We'll be dropping you off near their lair rightaway, » he said, looking uncomfortable.
« What do you mean, you'll drop us off ? You're coming with us, aren't you ? » I said, looking wide-eyed from Giles to Willow, who was shifting awkwardly.
« Uhm, well, not really. That's why we got Faith out of jail. With Buffy gone, there's no-one guarding the Hellmouth, and we're sort of needed over there. »
« Right now, you're needed here... Wesley needs your help ! And you two know Angelus, you know what his weaknesses are ! » I said furiously.
« Well, that's sort of an overstatement, really, » Giles said nervously from behind the steering wheel, and I just knew he was dying to clean his glasses. « Angelus doesn't really have any weaknesses. » I gasped, and he quickly went on. « But Spike here knows them better than anyone else, and you'll have a Slayer on your side. »
« Yeah, that's just great, » I said sarcastically, « going into battle with three of the world's deadliest vampires, with number four and Psycho- Wonderwoman to watch our backs ! »
Faith smirked. « The girl's got a point there. I can think of better things to do with my time than teaming up with a vampire and two torture victims who can barely stand on their feet. I've been missing out on a lot, » she said, smiling at Charles in the rearview mirror. « Plus, I haven't even said I'll help yet. » she said casually, leaning back smugly.
In the blink of an eye, I shot forward, ignoring Charles's gasp of pain as I leaned on his hurt leg. « Oh yes you will, » I hissed into her ear. « I may not have any superpowers or know a lot about magic, but I do know my science and demonology. So if I were you, I'd help us save Wesley, unless you want to wake up in Hell ! »
Faith didn't look very intimidated, but she did shut up. I leaned back again, ignoring Charles's worried look. I continued glaring at her, eyes blazing, until Giles parked the car, two blocks from the lair...
« So let me get this straight ? Me and Giles can just walk into a maximum security prison and walk out with a convicted murderer ? »
Willow smiled nervously. « That's the plan. It shouldn't be a problem as long as the spell holds, but you'll have to hurry. These mind control thingies drain a lot of my energy. »
« Okay then, » I said as I made to open the car door, but first I turned back to Gunn. « Are you sure you want to stay in the car ? » I said, glancing at Spike who was just lighting a cigarette. Charles smiled.
« I'll be fine. My back's still killing me, so a little resting before the battle would be great, » he said.
« If you're sure. It shouldn't take long anyway, » I said softly, my hand resting on the door handle. I leaned in and kissed him gently, before opening the car door and closing it quickly to avoid the sunlight getting in. Willow and Giles were already standing in front of the large gates.
« We have to be quick, » Giles said anxiously, and I looked at Willow, who was concentrating hard. The two of us walked up to the large gate, and before we had even got there, a smaller door in the corner of the gates opened and two guards stepped out. I swallowed hard and followed Giles as he stepped confidently towards the guys with the machine guns.
« Hello. We're here to... »
« Oh, we know, » a guard with a buzzcut interrupted him. « Just go into the main building. Second floor, last cell on the left, » he said, pointing at the large building with barred windows.
Five minutes later, we'd found the right ward and were walking along the row of cells. Ignoring the yelling and whistling of the inmates, I spoke softly to Giles. « We haven't met a single warden. It seems too simple... »
« All the best plans are. Willow's a skilled witch. If she can keep the wardens away and keep the guards under her spell, we can be out of here in five minutes. »
« You do realize you've just jinxed the entire plan, don't you ? » I said nervously. « It's common knowledge that... »
« Well, look who it is... » a voice suddenly interrupted me. We'd arrived at the end of the corridor, and a young brunette was looking at us from her cell, a mocking smile on her face, her elbows leaning on the bars.
« Hello Faith, » Giles said, with a nervous undertone in his voice, and took his glasses off to polish them. I bit my lip and tried not to be noticed. Putting on his glasses again, Giles continued.
« We need your help, » he said.
« Well... » Faith said when Giles had finished explaining the situation. « Then you're screwed, aren't you ? »
« But... We've come to get you out of here, because you're the Slayer. You can help us, can't you ? » I spoke up.
Faith looked at me and lit up a smoke. « Look, Audrey Hepburn, » she said, breathing smoke as she spoke, « if I wanted out, that's not an issue. Super- strength and all that. Thing is, if I sit here and act nice, they'll let me out in a couple of years and everyone will be off my back. I have to remind myself everyday not to smash the wardens to a bloody pulp, but I don't feel like having to hide from the cops for the rest of my life. So, sorry, I'm gonna have to pass. »
I glanced at Giles in despair, but to my surprise he was dead calm. Not even trying to hide a slight smile, he stared at Faith without blinking.
« Then I'm sure we don't have a problem, as long you're willing to help us. Willow's having your release papers signed right now. Congratulations Faith, you're on probation. » And without letting Faith take in the surprise, he was signalling to one of the wardens at the end of the hall to open the cell.
Five minutes later, I blinked into the blinding desert sun with Giles and Faith five feet behind me, and stepped right up to Willow, who was looking exhausted but stood her ground.
« Willow ? It's okay, it worked. I think we better leave quickly though, thay might start asking questions as soon as it wears off. »
Willow relaxed visibly, blinked and then looked at Faith with something of suspicion.
« Faith, » she said coolly. Faith just showed her a massive grin.
« Hi Willow. How've ya been ? »
God, do these people have issues, I thought.
« Okay, you guys can work through your personal history later. Right now we have to save Wesley ! » I said persistantly, issueing them to the car and quickly getting into the back seat, followed by Willow. Charles looked utterly relieved to see me, but I had a feeling he would've been relieved to see a bullterrier if it meant that he didn't have to be alone in a car with Spike.
« Wow, cozy, » he said dryly as Willow sat downon the backseat, which meant I had to sit Charles's lap. Giles glanced into the rearview mirror at us as we sped off, back to the city.
« It's only a short trip. We'll be dropping you off near their lair rightaway, » he said, looking uncomfortable.
« What do you mean, you'll drop us off ? You're coming with us, aren't you ? » I said, looking wide-eyed from Giles to Willow, who was shifting awkwardly.
« Uhm, well, not really. That's why we got Faith out of jail. With Buffy gone, there's no-one guarding the Hellmouth, and we're sort of needed over there. »
« Right now, you're needed here... Wesley needs your help ! And you two know Angelus, you know what his weaknesses are ! » I said furiously.
« Well, that's sort of an overstatement, really, » Giles said nervously from behind the steering wheel, and I just knew he was dying to clean his glasses. « Angelus doesn't really have any weaknesses. » I gasped, and he quickly went on. « But Spike here knows them better than anyone else, and you'll have a Slayer on your side. »
« Yeah, that's just great, » I said sarcastically, « going into battle with three of the world's deadliest vampires, with number four and Psycho- Wonderwoman to watch our backs ! »
Faith smirked. « The girl's got a point there. I can think of better things to do with my time than teaming up with a vampire and two torture victims who can barely stand on their feet. I've been missing out on a lot, » she said, smiling at Charles in the rearview mirror. « Plus, I haven't even said I'll help yet. » she said casually, leaning back smugly.
In the blink of an eye, I shot forward, ignoring Charles's gasp of pain as I leaned on his hurt leg. « Oh yes you will, » I hissed into her ear. « I may not have any superpowers or know a lot about magic, but I do know my science and demonology. So if I were you, I'd help us save Wesley, unless you want to wake up in Hell ! »
Faith didn't look very intimidated, but she did shut up. I leaned back again, ignoring Charles's worried look. I continued glaring at her, eyes blazing, until Giles parked the car, two blocks from the lair...