Author's Note: I am so sorry that it's been so long between chapters but I've had a ton of work to do in the past week and haven't been able to just sit down and write. I should have some more free time coming up, so more chapters should be popping up soon! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and to everyone who is reading this right now :)
Chapter 9: Training Day
While glancing around at the students that surround her, Faith solemnly makes her way towards the detention room. She's been in detention before, usually for missing homework assignments or not completing a project, but never for anything like this. She spots the door with a sign reading 'Detention' in ugly black letters. They should really just change it to 'Hell'…
Her hand is on the doorknob, ready to open the door, when an unpleasant voice reaches her ears.
"You're even more pathetic than I thought you were." Ivy, followed by an entendre of conceited blondes, is walking towards Faith. Does she ever go away?
"What is that supposed to mean?" Turning around to face her, Faith crosses her arms in a defensive position.
"You're actually going to detention for something that you didn't even do! I thought it would take at least a week before you gave in, but I guess I overestimated you." Taking a step closer, Ivy leans in and whispers in Faith's ear, "How long are you going to last in this school before you fail and drop out? I hear McDonald's is looking for employees."
Pushing her away, Faith doesn't reply because she is focused on the tingly feeling in her stomach again.
"I see I've given you something to think about." A few of Ivy's followers snicker, obviously amused at the scene before them.
"Ivy…" Faith says sweetly, "Bite me."
A collective gasp comes from the faction stationed behind Ivy. Giving her one last, and hopefully menacing look in the eye, Faith turns on her heel and storms out of the building. Once out of sight, she begins to run towards Ms. Nelson's apartment. Ten minutes later she rings the bell on the brick wall outside the building. Ms. Nelson's voice comes over the intercom.
"Who is it?" the crackly voice asks.
"It's me, Faith." She says into the speaker.
"I'll let you in, Faith." A buzzer rings and she pushes open the spotless glass door. It closes behind her, and her footsteps echo off the marble floor. Pressing the button for the elevator, Faith watches an old man shuffle down the stairs holding a gift-wrapped box. As he reaches the bottom stop, his foot slips and he begins to fall. Reacting in a split second, Faith steadies the man and catches the present before it hits the floor.
"Oh, thank you miss." He smiles at her as she hands him the box, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here."
"It's no big deal." She insists.
"No, it is. You're a very special young lady." He adjusts the glasses on his face and tips his hat. "Thanks again, and have a nice day."
"You too." She watches him as he hobbles down the front steps of the building and out of sight. The elevator doors open and she steps inside, feeling altruistic.
The elevator takes her up to the fifth floor where she walks down a corridor of doors until she reaches Ms. Nelson's apartment. She doesn't even have to knock because Ms. Nelson is standing in the doorway, holding an old book in her hand, motioning for her to enter.
"Good afternoon, Faith." She says as she closes the door behind her.
Faith drops her messenger bag on the couch and looks around. "Hey." She greets her Watcher.
"I suggest that we start immediately with your training. The key word for any Slayer is preparation, you know."
"What, is that in the handbook?" Faith jokes.
Ms. Nelson looks down at the dusty book in her hands. "Actually, yes it is." She holds up the book so that Faith can see the title on the cover.
"'Slayer's Handbook'? Do I get a pin, too?" she laughs, "It could say 'I'm a Slayer, ask me how."
Ms. Nelson chuckles and places the book down on the coffee table. "As amusing as that idea is, it would go against the very first rule of the Slayer Handbook." Faith looks at her questioningly. "You must keep your identity a secret. No one must know that you are the Slayer." Ms. Nelson walks about the apartment, picking up books and stacking them into neat piles.
"Uh, that could be a problem…" Faith begins to say.
"Nonsense. You will continue with your life as best as you can. Teenager by day, demon hunter by night. Only your enemies will know of your calling. Unless of course you tell someone."
"Yea, I kind of told someone." Ms. Nelson looks up. "My friend Nick was there the day we talked in the shop by the bay. He heard about me being the Slayer and I filled him in on the rest."
"Well, that could cause a problem." Ms. Nelson says, a worried expression on her face.
"Are you gonna have to… kill him?"
"Oh, Heavens no!" Faith breathes a sigh of relief while Ms. Nelson clutches at her chest. "You'll just have to inform him that he cannot tell anyone else. Is he trustworthy?" Faith nods her head.
Walking over to the chest of weapons, Ms. Nelson kneels down and unlocks the box with a key that hangs from a chain around her neck. Rummaging through its contents, she pulls out a simple wooden stake.
"This," she holds up the stake, "shall be your most important ally in your fight against the forces of darkness." She tosses the object in Faith's direction and Faith catches it easily. Twirling it in her hand, she gets the feel of her most valuable weapon.
"One way to kill a vampire is a wooden stake through the heart. As you saw in the cemetery, a vampire will explode into dust when the stake reaches its heart. While patrolling, you will carry at least three stakes with you at any given time."
Walking back to the weapons' chest, Ms. Nelson pulls out a sword. "The sword is best for battles with the average demon, or for vampire decapitation. Also, sunlight and Holy Water will harm or kill a vampire. Are you following so far?" Ms. Nelson stops her pacing and places the long sword on the coffee table, next to a pile of Watcher's Diaries.
"Stake through the heart. Decapitation. Holy Water. Sunlight. Got it." She answers without looking up from the stake in her hand, which she is still twirling and playing with. Although she has never held one, the stake feels right in her hand. It feels like it belongs there. It makes Faith feel powerful.
"I also have a crossbow, equipped with wooden arrows, that will allow you to kill vampires from farther distances. You can attach this strap to wear it on your shoulder for easier mobility." Ms. Nelson hands Faith the crossbow, exchanging it for the stake that Faith is reluctant to let go of.
Putting the strap over her shoulder, Faith finds that the crossbow fits perfectly on her. She twists and turns, testing the movement of the weapon, and she finds that it stays in place. "Pretty cool, Ms. Nelson."
"Yes, I presume it is." Reciting lines from the Slayer Handbook, Ms. Nelson fulfills her duties as Watcher and explains the more bizarre weapons Faith will use. Presenting Faith with a large metal ball covered in spikes, she explains the mechanics of the weapon.
"So, why do they call it a mace?" Faith asks, carefully touching a spike and pulling back when she cuts her finger. Okay, that was genius… she curses under her breath and shakes her hand. Ms. Nelson takes her hand to examine it.
"It was just a superficial wound. It's already healed, see?" Faith brings her hand closer to her face and sees that the cut has in fact already healed.
"Dude, that's awesome." She pricks her finger on the mace a second time and watches closely as the flesh heals itself within seconds. "You gotta love these Slayer healing powers."
"Yes, it is rather fascinating. Although, as entertaining as cutting yourself on your own weapons may be, I think we should get back to work. Before you can use these weapons, I want to make sure you know them."
Placing the mace back in the weapons' chest, Faith sprawls out on the couch as Ms. Nelson quizzes her on the many and varied uses of a battle axe.
Hours later, after the sun has set and the moonlight illuminates the streets, Ms. Nelson has made sure that Faith is knowledgeable of her weapons. They both relax on the couch as Faith sips from a bottle of water.
"How was your day at school, Faith?"
Faith is tentative in her answer. "I got detention for tripping this girl, but I didn't really trip her. She was mad at me and tried to trip me while we were running in gym, but she missed and lost her balance. The teacher blamed me."
"I'm sorry to hear that." She sighs, "How was detention? Tiresome, I would expect."
"I didn't go, actually. I came here instead. I figured that my Slayer duties were more important than lame school punishment for something I didn't even do." She looks over at Ms. Nelson, waiting for her reaction.
"You're right. Slayer duties are more important than your school studies. While I am not telling you to quit school to have more training time, if you were to feel that education would be useless in your case, I would not be against you, uh, dropping out." Ms. Nelson grins and Faith laughs.
"So you'd be okay if I just decided not to go to school tomorrow?" Faith asks, unbelieving.
"You could say that." Ms. Nelson tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Cool." Faith says as she leans back, "Very cool."