Three Slayers 3 - Slayerfest '98
"Three Slayers, that is most worrying. I can't have a trio of feisty young ladies ruining my plans." Mayor Wilkins beamed at his new assistant, an African-American vampire by the name of Mr. Trick. Smart fellow, he'd come to work for him after the newest Slayer had slain his sire. He did so like employing from minorities - made him feel socially responsible. After all, weren't vampires people like everybody else, live and let undead he always said. "I assume you have a solution to this problem?"
The vampire nodded at him. "As a matter of fact I do. I call it Slayerfest '98."
"Oh do tell?" The Mayor beamed, he was sure this was going to be fun - at least for him.
* * *
"Xander, can I talk to you?"
Xander slid the demonology book he'd been reading under his science textbook before looking up. "Shoot Johnno."
The short youth shuffled from foot to foot. "You're friends with Faith right?" Xander bit back a groan as he nodded, he knew what was coming. "You know if anybody's asked her to Homecoming?"
Yep, there it was. Just like Kendra two weeks before her and Buffy two years ago, Faith's arrival at Sunnydale High had hit the school's male population like an atom bomb. Although strangely enough she hadn't had many offers - although that might have had something to do with him repeatedly introducing Percy West's face to a locker door when he'd overheard the jock boasting about how he was going to be the first to screw the new hot brunette. Strange how things like that influenced people.
Still John was a good guy, shy but well-mannered enough. After all the abusers in her past Faith could do with a nice guy her own age. Xander came to a decision. "No, I don't think anyone has asked her."
"Oh," Jonathan stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Do you think I'd have a chance?"
Xander thought for a second. "I don't know Johnno, you can but ask." The youth nodded and turned to leave. "John wait." The teen turned back to him, his face questioning at his serious tone. "You know if Faith says yes and you hurt or humiliate her in any way she can snap you like a twig?" Jonathan swallowed and nodded, the girls' powers were pretty much an open secret by now. "And that if you hurt Faith, Kendra will do the same?" Xander lowered his voice. "But what you don't know is I've read a ton of military history books and I'm not even close to as strong as Kendra or Faith, but I'm way more inventive."
"O..okay," the youth bolted out of the library.
* * *
"XANDER! You're dead meat!"
"Oh crap," Xander muttered, standing he put his desk between him and the raging brunette who'd just stormed through the library doors, knowing full well the desk would offer scant protection. He looked towards the office for assistance only to see that Giles had discreetly closed the door. Coward. "What's up?"
"What's up!" Faith screamed. "You got Jonathan to ask me out!"
He looked at his girlfriend behind Faith only to see her giggling hysterically. No help from her either. "Uh, I didn't actually," he corrected weakly. "He just asked me if you were dating anybody."
"Why didn't you lie?" the girl demanded hotly.
Xander shrugged. "Well John's a good guy -."
"You were setting me up!" Xander swallowed at the girl's anger. "He's shorter than me and a geek!"
"So you said no?" Xander kept his tone neutral but he was disappointed. Sure Johnno was no Brad Pitt, but he was the sort to treat a girl decently and from what he'd managed to piece together that hadn't happened to his new friend too often if ever in the past.
The brunette dropped down into the chair opposite him, a frustrated look on her beautiful face. "How could I? The dumbass asked me in the middle of the corridor; if I'd have said no he'd have been humiliated." Faith glared at him. "You're so going to pay for this."
Xander considered asking what he'd done wrong but decided that keeping his mouth shut was probably the best option.
* * *
"You hoped Jonathan would ask Faith out didn't you?"
Xander grinned down at his girlfriend. "Is this conversation strictly confidential?"
"I don't know," Kendra fluttered her long eyelashes, "will you buy my silence with kisses?" "Ah my favourite currency," moving his arm from around his girlfriend's shoulders to her tiny waist, he kissed her lightly on the lips before pulling away. "I know Johnno's too quiet for Faith," he admitted, "but even if it only lasts for one date it'll help boost Johnno's status. More importantly it'll give Faith an idea of how she really deserves to be treated, that she's worth more than being an easy lay."
Kendra giggled. "If only we could clone you."
"Ah," Xander sighed dramatically. "So little Xander, so many women."
"Only one woman."
He grunted as Kendra elbowed him in the ribs. "My mistake."
* * *
"G, can I ask you something?"
"You can if you call me by my bloody given name," Giles muttered under his breath before looking up from his book with a smile. His smile waved wavered as he noticed the pensive look on Faith's face. "Faith, why don't you sit down?"
"Thanks G."
As he waited for the young woman to begin the librarian mentally reviewed the events of the past two weeks since the third Slayer's arrival. At first the teen had been not exactly scared but wary of him, he guessed she'd been abused quite badly in her pre-Slayer days leading her to distrust men, but gradually begun to relax, let him in. In turn her presence had caused Kendra to relax, making the translating Haitian more assured.
However Faith's appearance had its drawbacks. While idolising Xander and becoming firm friends with Kendra, Faith was less than friendly with the others. She'd been openly scornful of Buffy, sneering at the blonde for sleeping with a vampire, 'B, here's a tip for ya, you're meant to stake him, not him you', and for allowing Angelus' resulting murder spree. That had sent off a shouting match between Xander and Willow when Willow had attempted to defend Buffy. As a result things were now fractured to such an extent that Xander, Kendra, and Faith patrolled separately from him, Buffy, and the others except when there was a major crisis. Realising that the Slayer wasn't about to break her silence he spoke. "Faith, I believe you wished to ask me something?"
"Yeah, there's going to be formal dancing at this Homecoming thing right?" he nodded. "You know how to dance that way, right?" Again he nodded. "Can you teach me?"
The Watcher smiled. "Faith, it would be an honour."
"Really?" "Really, after all it's not often an old stick such as I gets an opportunity to dance with a beautiful young woman."
Faith blushed. "You're not that old G."
"Well thank you Faith, will you help me move the sofa?"
* * *
Mayor Wilkins looked down at the files Mr. Trick had just dropped on his desk. "And what are these?"
"The entrants for Slayerfest '98."
"Well shucks this is just like Christmas Day. I don't know which file to open first. I know, why don't you summarise?"
"Sure sir, contestant number one is Marza, a Shawda demon." Wilkins nodded approvingly, Shawdas were notoriously persistent predators, feared even amongst their fellow demons. "Contestant number two is Ole Thor, a former U.S. Marine who's been working as a big game hunter for the past ten years. Contestant number three are a trio of Ninjas. And finally we have Vegas' vampire king Lucky Jim and his two young ladies Isabella and Tiffany."
The Mayor beamed. He'd heard of Lucky Jim, he was a 1950s accomplice of the gangster Bugsy Siegel and Jim had been turned in '58. Only forty years old but he had already gained quite a reputation for brutality and cunning. "Well golly gosh, that's quite a collection Mr. Trick. And have there been any problems with organising the prey?" The vampire hesitated. "Come Mr. Trick, I'm sure we can overcome any difficulties together. After all two heads are better than one."
The vampire nodded. "The three Slayers are rarely together all at once unless on patrol. While Kendra and Faith are close to one another and Xander Harris, they tend to ignore Summers. Getting all three of them into a situation where they would be unprepared and unharmed would be difficult."
"Um." The Mayor thought for a minute. That was a blow. While Miss. Summers was the more experienced of the three she was also unfocussed after the death of her demon lover and therefore less of a threat. "I think we'll eliminate Kendra and Faith first. If Miss. Summers continues to be a pest then we'll have to take steps against her too."
* * *
"I'm scared Xander."
Xander's eyes rolled; he'd already guessed that from his companion's continual shaking and ashen-grey complexion. "About what John?"
"Me, on a date with Faith. I mean I was so happy and amazed when she said yes but now. I can't cope with the pressure, maybe I should cancel."
"Not attached to your kneecaps then?" Xander raised an eyebrow.
"Well what should I do? You're the expert."
"Me?" Xander blinked; him the dating expert?
"You're with one of the hottest babes in school."
"True. Okay, here's the advice. First, polite and respectful, in that case not only is it the right thing to do but it'll help you keep breathing too. Two, just relax, whatever happens happens, three, don't talk scfi, listen to what she has to say, and finally, don't forget to compliment her."
"That's it?" Jonathan's eyes had grown to the size of soccer balls. "That's the great advice?"
Xander shrugged. "Don't put on an act. Be yourself. And remember, she said yes, she must like something about you."
* * *
Xander wolf-whistled as the two girls hurried down the drive. "Whatever happened to Kendra and Faith?" he called out. "Who switched them for these two supermodels?" he turned to Jonathan. "Remember compliments."
The shorter youth nodded nervously. As Faith neared Jonathan spoke. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world; an angel has just fallen out of heaven to land at my feet."
Xander rolled his eyes. "For god's sake, don't get your chat-up lines from the internet," he muttered before stepping forward and kissing Kendra on the cheek, beside him he could hear Faith snarling at Jonathan not to try and follow suit. "Your hair, your earrings, your dress - you look like you just came off a catwalk."
Kendra beamed at him before turning serious. "You're late."
"Traffic was busy," Xander lied. It wouldn't help for Faith to find out that he'd had to practically carry her terrified date into the car. "Ladies, your carriage awaits."
"Nice wheels," Faith commented approvingly.
"It should be," Xander muttered. Giles had got him a job as a part-time library assistant. It looked good on his resume, gave him an excuse to study the Slayer Diaries and not to go home, and most importantly earned him some much needed money. With what he got and Jonathan's contribution they'd managed to hire a limo from the town's classiest limo service.
* * *
"This car journey is taking too long!" Faith snapped impatiently. The first dance she hadn't been paid to attend and she was stuck with Jonathan Levinson. She supposed he was nice enough but hardly dream date material. She'd been hoping one of the football team would ask her out but they seemed almost scared of her for some reason.
"Have you heard patience is a virtue?"
Faith glared at her counterpart. It had taken her a while to get used to Kendra's occasional, and therefore unexpected, outbursts of dry humour. "Whoever said that hadn't been on this damn journey!" Even as she spoke the car grinded to a halt. "About fucking time!" Shoving the door open she stepped out of the car. And stopped dead at the sprawling wood that surrounded them. "What the fuck?"
"Well school's really changed."
"You think?" Faith glanced at Xander, her eyes narrowing as she noticed a TV and video just past her friend. "What the hell's that doing here?"
Xander followed her gaze. "Only one way to find out." The group walked over to the TV. After shrugging his shoulders, Xander pressed the video play button and turned the TV on.
Faith's heart dropped as she recognised the vampire. "Mr. Trick," she muttered.
"Hi Faith, good to see you again, I wish I could I be there with you. Miss Kendra, I wish I could have met you." Mr Trick turned serious. "Unfortunately that's not possible. You two young ladies are a threat to my new employers and as such as designated as the prey in SlayerFest '98. Bye now."
Faith hit the ground as the TV exploded, dragging Jonathan down with her. "Aw crap!" she cursed as she climbed back to her feet and noticed the $300 sleeveless crimson cocktail dress that G had bought her was torn and dirty.
"What's going on?" Jonathan asked as she pulled him to his feet.
"Xand! Explain!"
After nodding Xander grabbed her date and started talking. Satisfied that the others were preoccupied she grabbed Kendra and dragged her away from the two men. "We're in a hell of a spot Ken," she hissed urgently. "Unknown hostiles and terrain, practically no weaponry, and two civilians, one who's useless. What the hell are we going to do?"
Kendra was silent for a second before smiling slightly. "Xander."
Faith nodded in understanding. "Soldier boy."
* * *
"Okay, so what have we got?" Xander asked in a whisper. A few seconds later he sighed - no mobile phone and just three stakes. "Just great," he turned to Jonathan. "Anything in the car Jonno?"
"Just this," the youth held up a tire-iron. "There's no battery in the car phone."
"Right," Xander took a second to think. "There's a cabin about ¾ of a mile up there. Let's head there, maybe there's something we can use."
* * *
Ole Thor glided through the woods with the practiced moves of a jungle veteran, his eyes flickering from side to side. A grin spread across his coarse-featured face as he saw the coffee-skinned girl he recognised as the Haitian Slayer lying on the ground. His traps had brought at least one of the Slayers down. Her companion had obviously fled or got separated from her, leaving her helpless. The former marine lifted his gun. "Easiest two mil I've ever earned."
"Hey asshole." He started to turn towards the male voice, his rifle swinging towards the youth before his gun was snatched off him from behind and he was grabbed around his neck, his air supply instantly cut off.
* * *
"That went well Xand," Faith praised.
Xander nodded in relief. The bear-traps would have been well-hidden for anyone who didn't have the memories of an army veteran who'd served in both Korea and Nam. Once he'd seen them he'd decided that it was time for the hunted to become the hunters and had used the 'goat in the snare' ploy to lure the hunter. He glanced towards his girlfriend. "You okay Ken?" his girlfriend nodded, Johnno's engineering knowledge had enabled him to fix the trap so although it looked like the trap had caught a victim while in fact doing no damage whatsoever.
He turned back to Faith. "Go through his clothing and see if he's got anything useful."
"Been a while since I've been through a guy's clothes." Faith winked at him.
Xander rolled his eyes at the comment. "Just get on with it."
After a few seconds the Slayer had finished. "Some rope, ammo, a lighter, car keys, and a walkie talkie."
"That it?" the Slayer nodded. "Damn it." Xander thought for a second. "Use the rope to tie him up. Give the stuff to Jonathan, we all need our hands free to fight with. Wake him," Xander nodded towards the hunter, "up. We need to find out what he knows."
Ten minutes later they'd finished their interrogation and knocked the hunter back out. "What now Xander?" Kendra asked.
"There might be a phone at the cabin, we'll head there."
* * *
"The damn thing doesn't work!"
"Can I have a look?" Jonathan asked timidly. All this talk of Slayers, demons, and vampires gave him palpitations but engineering and telecommunications he knew. He wilted under Faith's laser-gun glare; he couldn't believe how scary she was. "I.I might be able to fix it."
"Fine!" the beautiful brunette snapped before shoving the phone into his hand. "What do you want me to do Xand?"
"Help us search the place for anything we can use."
As his three companions rummaged through the cabin Jonathan opened up the phone and began examining it. After five minutes he triumphantly beamed. "I've -."
His pronouncement was interrupted by the sound of the cabin door being ripped off its hinges and flung into Kendra, flattening the slight girl beneath it. The intruder was eight feet tall, his huge warty bulk and thick shoulders filling the torn open doorway. The creature's hideous visage was dominated by its single staring blood-red eye and gaping mouth filled with glinting yellow teeth.
Upon the creature's entrance Xander began to swing his rifle towards the beast only for his weapon to be snatched from him and for the youth to be back-handed across the cabin and into the wall. Next into the attack was Faith, who's attempted leaping drop-kick allowed her to be plucked out of the air and flung to the ground beside Xander.
Jonathan swallowed. Seeing the creature begin to advance on a still dazed Kendra, he lunged for an aerosol can lying on the floor between the girl and the demon. Reaching up he sprayed the can's contents at the beast's face, using the hunter's lighter to turn the spray into a jet of flame that hit its target, filling the cabin with the demon's anguished screams and the stench of its burning flesh. Kendra flung the door from on top of her to hit the screeching demon in the face. As the demon staggered backwards, Faith leapt to her feet and clipped the beast's legs from beneath it. As soon as the demon hit the floor, the two Slayers were on it, ripping it to pieces with a terrifying ferocity. In less than a couple of minutes the demon was dead. Faith leapt up and grinned at him. "That was pretty smart Johnny, ballsy too."
Jonathan blushed and stared down at the floor. Faith thought he was brave, suddenly he remembered the phone. Cheeks still flaming, he looked up. "I've fixed the phone."
His date's grin broadened. "Wicked! You hear that Xand!"
"Faith don't shout. We haven't all got Slayer healing. My head's still aching," Xander groaned as he pulled himself upright.
"Huh, it's got nothing to do with being a Slayer, it's do with you being a wuss."
"Faith!" Kendra sounded unhappy. "Xander could be seriously hurt." The girl hurried over to her boyfriend.
His date rolled her eyes. "Ignore them Johnny, they're in lurve," the girl turned serious. "Who should I ring Xand?"
"Try yours' first, and then the library. Warn them we're on the way and they might have trouble coming at them."
* * *
Xander stopped as Kendra grabbed his arm, they'd been unable to get through to Giles or anyone so they'd decided to head for where the hunter had said his jeep was hidden and head back to town. "What's up Ken?" he whispered.
"Those ninjas, they're in the woods ahead of us."
Xande stared casually forward. He couldn't see anything but then again he didn't have Slayer eyes. "Will they be able to see us yet?" After a second his girlfriend shook her head. "Good, in that case, this is what we'll do."
* * *
Kendra stole through the shadowy forest, years of training allowing her to silently move through the woods without disturbing the local wildlife or alerting her prey to her presence. She knew that she had only a limited time before the ninjas realised that she and Faith had left the boys and worked out what was happening. A predatory smile crept across her beautiful face as she neared the black cat-suited figure to her right. She loved her new life but this; this was what she was born to do.
Grabbing a rock from the ground she threw it at a tree behind and to the left of the Ninja. As soon as her enemy turned instinctively she burst out of the undergrowth, her movements a blur. As the Ninja began to turn back towards her she leapt into the air. Seeing the man's right hand swing up with a knife, she snapped out a left-footed kick, the heel smashing into the man's wrist, knocking the blade to the ground even as the toe of her other foot crashed into the man's jaw shattering it and knocking him to the ground.
Upon landing beside the body Kendra felt for a pulse letting out a relieved gasp when she found one. She'd killed humans before, a Voodoo priestess back home who'd been trying to enslave the whole island. She didn't like doing it but if a human decided to serve evil then it was her duty to stop them. Her lips parted in a scowl as she remembered Buffy's moralising about not killing humans - fine words from somebody who'd stood by and allowed a vampire to mass-murder.
The thought of Buffy brought to the fore thoughts of her true sister Slayer. Worry flickered across her face. She hoped Faith was alright.
* * *
Faith was pissed. Her first real dance and fancy dress ruined by these bastards. Still, she smiled softly, her date had turned out better than expected - most of the so-called tough guys she'd used to hang with would have turned and run at the sight of that ugly bastard back at the cabin. Not Johnny though, if he hadn't come up with that wicked trick with the aerosol Ken could have been seriously hurt. And when he blushed he was so damn sweet.
The brunette pushed aside thoughts of her date when she spied two ninjas knelt behind a boulder ahead of her. Grinning slightly, she crawled through the undergrowth until she was behind the two men. Rising from the ground she put two fingers into her mouth and whistled.
As the pair began to turn she charged them only to catch her foot in an upraised root and stumble awkwardly to the ground. Cheeks flaming with embarrassment, Faith pulled herself back to her feet, favouring her right side slightly. Seeing a shuriken flying towards her the Slayer swayed backwards, allowing it to flying harmlessly over her left shoulder. The other ninja came in fast, a whirlwind of exploding fists and feet, that Faith struggled to evade while keeping half an eye on the other assassin.
Finally she snatched hold of the assassin's right arm and pulled him into a knifehand to the throat that sent him plummeting to the ground. She spun round to face the other killer only for her ankle to give way beneath her. Hitting the ground in a heap, she glared up impotently at the sword- wielding man above her. Dying like this after all the Master Vampires she'd offed - how fucking humiliating.
Suddenly a rock sailed out of the night air to crash into the man's skull knocking her assailant out. Kendra hurried over to her side. "Faith, are you alright?"
Faith grinned up gratefully at her worried-looking counterpart. "Except for a near-terminal case of embarrassment and a sprained ankle I'm five by five. Let's get back to the others."
* * *
"Are you really okay Faith?"
Faith nodded, secretly touched by Jonathan's concern. "Yeah," she said nonchalantly as the two of them made their way to the library, the others having gone to the hall in case the others hadn't got the message she'd left on the library's answering machine. "Slayers heal quicker." The teen nodded and fell silent. "Johnny I'm sorry things didn't work out. Maybe we'll have time for one dance before the end of the night?" Might as well throw the guy a bone - he hadn't done bad at all.
The youth's answering smile lasted until they reached the library. "What happened here?"
"Don't know." Faith glanced warily around the wrecked library, the desk had been broken in two, Red's computer flung to the floor and books and scattered notes lay strewn across the floor. "Johnny go into the office and get the weapons chest. It's beneath G's desk."
Once the youth had disappeared the brunette made her way into the back of the library, her senses tingling. Her breath caught as she saw a pair of feet in a pair of shoes she recognised. "G!"
Her heart pounding she started forward, and twisted away from the female vampire who lunged out of the shadows at her, allowing her adversary to run onto her stake. Even as the vampire exploded into dust, another charged out of the darkness. Faith slid beneath its attack and slammed a stake into the demon's heart, taking a punch to the jaw in the process.
Normally such a punch would have been easy to shrug off but with her injured leg it sent her stumbling backwards and into a bookcase knocking her to the ground, pinning her arms beneath and the bookcase on top of her.
She let out a fearful gasp when a third vampire, a short chubby man who'd been turned in his mid forties stepped out of the shadows, a sneering expression on his face. "Well Lucky Jim's good fortune strikes again. Tonight I get to make my bones." Faith struggled desperately. Given time she'd get free but time was the one thing she didn't have.
"I don't think so," her eyes snapped towards the office doorway. What was Jonathan doing? He should be hiding, not holding a sword.
"Oh yeah," Lucky Jim sneered. "And who are you?"
"So you've heard of the Slayers? Have you heard of the Protectors? The male warriors with the powers of the Slayers who occur only once a century? Well guess who got really unlucky?"
Faith's eyes blurred with tears. It was just like Lorraine, somebody else was going to die for trying to help her. She didn't want people to die for her, she wasn't worth it. Her mouth dropped open as the vampire sped out of the library. He'd done it.
The youth hurried over her, smiled uncertainly and bent over to lift the bookcase off her. Acting on impulse she leaned up and planted a kiss on the boy's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.
The boy coloured but completed lifting the bookcase off her before speaking. "Are you okay?"
"Twisted my damn ankle again but I'll be five by five tomorrow." She walked over to her Watcher and untied his restraints. After checking the librarian was alright she turned back to Jonathan and winked. "This date's been so much fun I can hardly wait to see where you take me next." Chuckling slightly she walked past the teen and out of the library.
* * *
Giles hid a smile at the youth's glazed eyes. "D..did Faith just say she wanted another date? With me?"
"I believe she did son, I believe she did," the boy's grin faded at his next words. "Mr. Levinson, I happened to over-hear Xander's conversation with you regarding Faith and your behaviour towards her. And, if you hurt her in any way, I too will be most displeased." The youth paled. "Well boy, what are you waiting for? Your date's waiting for you."
Giles shook his head as the boy raced out of the library. He began to wearily clear up the mess made by the trio of vampires, chuckling to himself as he worked. In his day he wouldn't have needed instruction to chase after a girl, especially one as attractive as Faith. "Bloody kids today, they've no sodding idea."
"Three Slayers, that is most worrying. I can't have a trio of feisty young ladies ruining my plans." Mayor Wilkins beamed at his new assistant, an African-American vampire by the name of Mr. Trick. Smart fellow, he'd come to work for him after the newest Slayer had slain his sire. He did so like employing from minorities - made him feel socially responsible. After all, weren't vampires people like everybody else, live and let undead he always said. "I assume you have a solution to this problem?"
The vampire nodded at him. "As a matter of fact I do. I call it Slayerfest '98."
"Oh do tell?" The Mayor beamed, he was sure this was going to be fun - at least for him.
* * *
"Xander, can I talk to you?"
Xander slid the demonology book he'd been reading under his science textbook before looking up. "Shoot Johnno."
The short youth shuffled from foot to foot. "You're friends with Faith right?" Xander bit back a groan as he nodded, he knew what was coming. "You know if anybody's asked her to Homecoming?"
Yep, there it was. Just like Kendra two weeks before her and Buffy two years ago, Faith's arrival at Sunnydale High had hit the school's male population like an atom bomb. Although strangely enough she hadn't had many offers - although that might have had something to do with him repeatedly introducing Percy West's face to a locker door when he'd overheard the jock boasting about how he was going to be the first to screw the new hot brunette. Strange how things like that influenced people.
Still John was a good guy, shy but well-mannered enough. After all the abusers in her past Faith could do with a nice guy her own age. Xander came to a decision. "No, I don't think anyone has asked her."
"Oh," Jonathan stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Do you think I'd have a chance?"
Xander thought for a second. "I don't know Johnno, you can but ask." The youth nodded and turned to leave. "John wait." The teen turned back to him, his face questioning at his serious tone. "You know if Faith says yes and you hurt or humiliate her in any way she can snap you like a twig?" Jonathan swallowed and nodded, the girls' powers were pretty much an open secret by now. "And that if you hurt Faith, Kendra will do the same?" Xander lowered his voice. "But what you don't know is I've read a ton of military history books and I'm not even close to as strong as Kendra or Faith, but I'm way more inventive."
"O..okay," the youth bolted out of the library.
* * *
"XANDER! You're dead meat!"
"Oh crap," Xander muttered, standing he put his desk between him and the raging brunette who'd just stormed through the library doors, knowing full well the desk would offer scant protection. He looked towards the office for assistance only to see that Giles had discreetly closed the door. Coward. "What's up?"
"What's up!" Faith screamed. "You got Jonathan to ask me out!"
He looked at his girlfriend behind Faith only to see her giggling hysterically. No help from her either. "Uh, I didn't actually," he corrected weakly. "He just asked me if you were dating anybody."
"Why didn't you lie?" the girl demanded hotly.
Xander shrugged. "Well John's a good guy -."
"You were setting me up!" Xander swallowed at the girl's anger. "He's shorter than me and a geek!"
"So you said no?" Xander kept his tone neutral but he was disappointed. Sure Johnno was no Brad Pitt, but he was the sort to treat a girl decently and from what he'd managed to piece together that hadn't happened to his new friend too often if ever in the past.
The brunette dropped down into the chair opposite him, a frustrated look on her beautiful face. "How could I? The dumbass asked me in the middle of the corridor; if I'd have said no he'd have been humiliated." Faith glared at him. "You're so going to pay for this."
Xander considered asking what he'd done wrong but decided that keeping his mouth shut was probably the best option.
* * *
"You hoped Jonathan would ask Faith out didn't you?"
Xander grinned down at his girlfriend. "Is this conversation strictly confidential?"
"I don't know," Kendra fluttered her long eyelashes, "will you buy my silence with kisses?" "Ah my favourite currency," moving his arm from around his girlfriend's shoulders to her tiny waist, he kissed her lightly on the lips before pulling away. "I know Johnno's too quiet for Faith," he admitted, "but even if it only lasts for one date it'll help boost Johnno's status. More importantly it'll give Faith an idea of how she really deserves to be treated, that she's worth more than being an easy lay."
Kendra giggled. "If only we could clone you."
"Ah," Xander sighed dramatically. "So little Xander, so many women."
"Only one woman."
He grunted as Kendra elbowed him in the ribs. "My mistake."
* * *
"G, can I ask you something?"
"You can if you call me by my bloody given name," Giles muttered under his breath before looking up from his book with a smile. His smile waved wavered as he noticed the pensive look on Faith's face. "Faith, why don't you sit down?"
"Thanks G."
As he waited for the young woman to begin the librarian mentally reviewed the events of the past two weeks since the third Slayer's arrival. At first the teen had been not exactly scared but wary of him, he guessed she'd been abused quite badly in her pre-Slayer days leading her to distrust men, but gradually begun to relax, let him in. In turn her presence had caused Kendra to relax, making the translating Haitian more assured.
However Faith's appearance had its drawbacks. While idolising Xander and becoming firm friends with Kendra, Faith was less than friendly with the others. She'd been openly scornful of Buffy, sneering at the blonde for sleeping with a vampire, 'B, here's a tip for ya, you're meant to stake him, not him you', and for allowing Angelus' resulting murder spree. That had sent off a shouting match between Xander and Willow when Willow had attempted to defend Buffy. As a result things were now fractured to such an extent that Xander, Kendra, and Faith patrolled separately from him, Buffy, and the others except when there was a major crisis. Realising that the Slayer wasn't about to break her silence he spoke. "Faith, I believe you wished to ask me something?"
"Yeah, there's going to be formal dancing at this Homecoming thing right?" he nodded. "You know how to dance that way, right?" Again he nodded. "Can you teach me?"
The Watcher smiled. "Faith, it would be an honour."
"Really?" "Really, after all it's not often an old stick such as I gets an opportunity to dance with a beautiful young woman."
Faith blushed. "You're not that old G."
"Well thank you Faith, will you help me move the sofa?"
* * *
Mayor Wilkins looked down at the files Mr. Trick had just dropped on his desk. "And what are these?"
"The entrants for Slayerfest '98."
"Well shucks this is just like Christmas Day. I don't know which file to open first. I know, why don't you summarise?"
"Sure sir, contestant number one is Marza, a Shawda demon." Wilkins nodded approvingly, Shawdas were notoriously persistent predators, feared even amongst their fellow demons. "Contestant number two is Ole Thor, a former U.S. Marine who's been working as a big game hunter for the past ten years. Contestant number three are a trio of Ninjas. And finally we have Vegas' vampire king Lucky Jim and his two young ladies Isabella and Tiffany."
The Mayor beamed. He'd heard of Lucky Jim, he was a 1950s accomplice of the gangster Bugsy Siegel and Jim had been turned in '58. Only forty years old but he had already gained quite a reputation for brutality and cunning. "Well golly gosh, that's quite a collection Mr. Trick. And have there been any problems with organising the prey?" The vampire hesitated. "Come Mr. Trick, I'm sure we can overcome any difficulties together. After all two heads are better than one."
The vampire nodded. "The three Slayers are rarely together all at once unless on patrol. While Kendra and Faith are close to one another and Xander Harris, they tend to ignore Summers. Getting all three of them into a situation where they would be unprepared and unharmed would be difficult."
"Um." The Mayor thought for a minute. That was a blow. While Miss. Summers was the more experienced of the three she was also unfocussed after the death of her demon lover and therefore less of a threat. "I think we'll eliminate Kendra and Faith first. If Miss. Summers continues to be a pest then we'll have to take steps against her too."
* * *
"I'm scared Xander."
Xander's eyes rolled; he'd already guessed that from his companion's continual shaking and ashen-grey complexion. "About what John?"
"Me, on a date with Faith. I mean I was so happy and amazed when she said yes but now. I can't cope with the pressure, maybe I should cancel."
"Not attached to your kneecaps then?" Xander raised an eyebrow.
"Well what should I do? You're the expert."
"Me?" Xander blinked; him the dating expert?
"You're with one of the hottest babes in school."
"True. Okay, here's the advice. First, polite and respectful, in that case not only is it the right thing to do but it'll help you keep breathing too. Two, just relax, whatever happens happens, three, don't talk scfi, listen to what she has to say, and finally, don't forget to compliment her."
"That's it?" Jonathan's eyes had grown to the size of soccer balls. "That's the great advice?"
Xander shrugged. "Don't put on an act. Be yourself. And remember, she said yes, she must like something about you."
* * *
Xander wolf-whistled as the two girls hurried down the drive. "Whatever happened to Kendra and Faith?" he called out. "Who switched them for these two supermodels?" he turned to Jonathan. "Remember compliments."
The shorter youth nodded nervously. As Faith neared Jonathan spoke. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world; an angel has just fallen out of heaven to land at my feet."
Xander rolled his eyes. "For god's sake, don't get your chat-up lines from the internet," he muttered before stepping forward and kissing Kendra on the cheek, beside him he could hear Faith snarling at Jonathan not to try and follow suit. "Your hair, your earrings, your dress - you look like you just came off a catwalk."
Kendra beamed at him before turning serious. "You're late."
"Traffic was busy," Xander lied. It wouldn't help for Faith to find out that he'd had to practically carry her terrified date into the car. "Ladies, your carriage awaits."
"Nice wheels," Faith commented approvingly.
"It should be," Xander muttered. Giles had got him a job as a part-time library assistant. It looked good on his resume, gave him an excuse to study the Slayer Diaries and not to go home, and most importantly earned him some much needed money. With what he got and Jonathan's contribution they'd managed to hire a limo from the town's classiest limo service.
* * *
"This car journey is taking too long!" Faith snapped impatiently. The first dance she hadn't been paid to attend and she was stuck with Jonathan Levinson. She supposed he was nice enough but hardly dream date material. She'd been hoping one of the football team would ask her out but they seemed almost scared of her for some reason.
"Have you heard patience is a virtue?"
Faith glared at her counterpart. It had taken her a while to get used to Kendra's occasional, and therefore unexpected, outbursts of dry humour. "Whoever said that hadn't been on this damn journey!" Even as she spoke the car grinded to a halt. "About fucking time!" Shoving the door open she stepped out of the car. And stopped dead at the sprawling wood that surrounded them. "What the fuck?"
"Well school's really changed."
"You think?" Faith glanced at Xander, her eyes narrowing as she noticed a TV and video just past her friend. "What the hell's that doing here?"
Xander followed her gaze. "Only one way to find out." The group walked over to the TV. After shrugging his shoulders, Xander pressed the video play button and turned the TV on.
Faith's heart dropped as she recognised the vampire. "Mr. Trick," she muttered.
"Hi Faith, good to see you again, I wish I could I be there with you. Miss Kendra, I wish I could have met you." Mr Trick turned serious. "Unfortunately that's not possible. You two young ladies are a threat to my new employers and as such as designated as the prey in SlayerFest '98. Bye now."
Faith hit the ground as the TV exploded, dragging Jonathan down with her. "Aw crap!" she cursed as she climbed back to her feet and noticed the $300 sleeveless crimson cocktail dress that G had bought her was torn and dirty.
"What's going on?" Jonathan asked as she pulled him to his feet.
"Xand! Explain!"
After nodding Xander grabbed her date and started talking. Satisfied that the others were preoccupied she grabbed Kendra and dragged her away from the two men. "We're in a hell of a spot Ken," she hissed urgently. "Unknown hostiles and terrain, practically no weaponry, and two civilians, one who's useless. What the hell are we going to do?"
Kendra was silent for a second before smiling slightly. "Xander."
Faith nodded in understanding. "Soldier boy."
* * *
"Okay, so what have we got?" Xander asked in a whisper. A few seconds later he sighed - no mobile phone and just three stakes. "Just great," he turned to Jonathan. "Anything in the car Jonno?"
"Just this," the youth held up a tire-iron. "There's no battery in the car phone."
"Right," Xander took a second to think. "There's a cabin about ¾ of a mile up there. Let's head there, maybe there's something we can use."
* * *
Ole Thor glided through the woods with the practiced moves of a jungle veteran, his eyes flickering from side to side. A grin spread across his coarse-featured face as he saw the coffee-skinned girl he recognised as the Haitian Slayer lying on the ground. His traps had brought at least one of the Slayers down. Her companion had obviously fled or got separated from her, leaving her helpless. The former marine lifted his gun. "Easiest two mil I've ever earned."
"Hey asshole." He started to turn towards the male voice, his rifle swinging towards the youth before his gun was snatched off him from behind and he was grabbed around his neck, his air supply instantly cut off.
* * *
"That went well Xand," Faith praised.
Xander nodded in relief. The bear-traps would have been well-hidden for anyone who didn't have the memories of an army veteran who'd served in both Korea and Nam. Once he'd seen them he'd decided that it was time for the hunted to become the hunters and had used the 'goat in the snare' ploy to lure the hunter. He glanced towards his girlfriend. "You okay Ken?" his girlfriend nodded, Johnno's engineering knowledge had enabled him to fix the trap so although it looked like the trap had caught a victim while in fact doing no damage whatsoever.
He turned back to Faith. "Go through his clothing and see if he's got anything useful."
"Been a while since I've been through a guy's clothes." Faith winked at him.
Xander rolled his eyes at the comment. "Just get on with it."
After a few seconds the Slayer had finished. "Some rope, ammo, a lighter, car keys, and a walkie talkie."
"That it?" the Slayer nodded. "Damn it." Xander thought for a second. "Use the rope to tie him up. Give the stuff to Jonathan, we all need our hands free to fight with. Wake him," Xander nodded towards the hunter, "up. We need to find out what he knows."
Ten minutes later they'd finished their interrogation and knocked the hunter back out. "What now Xander?" Kendra asked.
"There might be a phone at the cabin, we'll head there."
* * *
"The damn thing doesn't work!"
"Can I have a look?" Jonathan asked timidly. All this talk of Slayers, demons, and vampires gave him palpitations but engineering and telecommunications he knew. He wilted under Faith's laser-gun glare; he couldn't believe how scary she was. "I.I might be able to fix it."
"Fine!" the beautiful brunette snapped before shoving the phone into his hand. "What do you want me to do Xand?"
"Help us search the place for anything we can use."
As his three companions rummaged through the cabin Jonathan opened up the phone and began examining it. After five minutes he triumphantly beamed. "I've -."
His pronouncement was interrupted by the sound of the cabin door being ripped off its hinges and flung into Kendra, flattening the slight girl beneath it. The intruder was eight feet tall, his huge warty bulk and thick shoulders filling the torn open doorway. The creature's hideous visage was dominated by its single staring blood-red eye and gaping mouth filled with glinting yellow teeth.
Upon the creature's entrance Xander began to swing his rifle towards the beast only for his weapon to be snatched from him and for the youth to be back-handed across the cabin and into the wall. Next into the attack was Faith, who's attempted leaping drop-kick allowed her to be plucked out of the air and flung to the ground beside Xander.
Jonathan swallowed. Seeing the creature begin to advance on a still dazed Kendra, he lunged for an aerosol can lying on the floor between the girl and the demon. Reaching up he sprayed the can's contents at the beast's face, using the hunter's lighter to turn the spray into a jet of flame that hit its target, filling the cabin with the demon's anguished screams and the stench of its burning flesh. Kendra flung the door from on top of her to hit the screeching demon in the face. As the demon staggered backwards, Faith leapt to her feet and clipped the beast's legs from beneath it. As soon as the demon hit the floor, the two Slayers were on it, ripping it to pieces with a terrifying ferocity. In less than a couple of minutes the demon was dead. Faith leapt up and grinned at him. "That was pretty smart Johnny, ballsy too."
Jonathan blushed and stared down at the floor. Faith thought he was brave, suddenly he remembered the phone. Cheeks still flaming, he looked up. "I've fixed the phone."
His date's grin broadened. "Wicked! You hear that Xand!"
"Faith don't shout. We haven't all got Slayer healing. My head's still aching," Xander groaned as he pulled himself upright.
"Huh, it's got nothing to do with being a Slayer, it's do with you being a wuss."
"Faith!" Kendra sounded unhappy. "Xander could be seriously hurt." The girl hurried over to her boyfriend.
His date rolled her eyes. "Ignore them Johnny, they're in lurve," the girl turned serious. "Who should I ring Xand?"
"Try yours' first, and then the library. Warn them we're on the way and they might have trouble coming at them."
* * *
Xander stopped as Kendra grabbed his arm, they'd been unable to get through to Giles or anyone so they'd decided to head for where the hunter had said his jeep was hidden and head back to town. "What's up Ken?" he whispered.
"Those ninjas, they're in the woods ahead of us."
Xande stared casually forward. He couldn't see anything but then again he didn't have Slayer eyes. "Will they be able to see us yet?" After a second his girlfriend shook her head. "Good, in that case, this is what we'll do."
* * *
Kendra stole through the shadowy forest, years of training allowing her to silently move through the woods without disturbing the local wildlife or alerting her prey to her presence. She knew that she had only a limited time before the ninjas realised that she and Faith had left the boys and worked out what was happening. A predatory smile crept across her beautiful face as she neared the black cat-suited figure to her right. She loved her new life but this; this was what she was born to do.
Grabbing a rock from the ground she threw it at a tree behind and to the left of the Ninja. As soon as her enemy turned instinctively she burst out of the undergrowth, her movements a blur. As the Ninja began to turn back towards her she leapt into the air. Seeing the man's right hand swing up with a knife, she snapped out a left-footed kick, the heel smashing into the man's wrist, knocking the blade to the ground even as the toe of her other foot crashed into the man's jaw shattering it and knocking him to the ground.
Upon landing beside the body Kendra felt for a pulse letting out a relieved gasp when she found one. She'd killed humans before, a Voodoo priestess back home who'd been trying to enslave the whole island. She didn't like doing it but if a human decided to serve evil then it was her duty to stop them. Her lips parted in a scowl as she remembered Buffy's moralising about not killing humans - fine words from somebody who'd stood by and allowed a vampire to mass-murder.
The thought of Buffy brought to the fore thoughts of her true sister Slayer. Worry flickered across her face. She hoped Faith was alright.
* * *
Faith was pissed. Her first real dance and fancy dress ruined by these bastards. Still, she smiled softly, her date had turned out better than expected - most of the so-called tough guys she'd used to hang with would have turned and run at the sight of that ugly bastard back at the cabin. Not Johnny though, if he hadn't come up with that wicked trick with the aerosol Ken could have been seriously hurt. And when he blushed he was so damn sweet.
The brunette pushed aside thoughts of her date when she spied two ninjas knelt behind a boulder ahead of her. Grinning slightly, she crawled through the undergrowth until she was behind the two men. Rising from the ground she put two fingers into her mouth and whistled.
As the pair began to turn she charged them only to catch her foot in an upraised root and stumble awkwardly to the ground. Cheeks flaming with embarrassment, Faith pulled herself back to her feet, favouring her right side slightly. Seeing a shuriken flying towards her the Slayer swayed backwards, allowing it to flying harmlessly over her left shoulder. The other ninja came in fast, a whirlwind of exploding fists and feet, that Faith struggled to evade while keeping half an eye on the other assassin.
Finally she snatched hold of the assassin's right arm and pulled him into a knifehand to the throat that sent him plummeting to the ground. She spun round to face the other killer only for her ankle to give way beneath her. Hitting the ground in a heap, she glared up impotently at the sword- wielding man above her. Dying like this after all the Master Vampires she'd offed - how fucking humiliating.
Suddenly a rock sailed out of the night air to crash into the man's skull knocking her assailant out. Kendra hurried over to her side. "Faith, are you alright?"
Faith grinned up gratefully at her worried-looking counterpart. "Except for a near-terminal case of embarrassment and a sprained ankle I'm five by five. Let's get back to the others."
* * *
"Are you really okay Faith?"
Faith nodded, secretly touched by Jonathan's concern. "Yeah," she said nonchalantly as the two of them made their way to the library, the others having gone to the hall in case the others hadn't got the message she'd left on the library's answering machine. "Slayers heal quicker." The teen nodded and fell silent. "Johnny I'm sorry things didn't work out. Maybe we'll have time for one dance before the end of the night?" Might as well throw the guy a bone - he hadn't done bad at all.
The youth's answering smile lasted until they reached the library. "What happened here?"
"Don't know." Faith glanced warily around the wrecked library, the desk had been broken in two, Red's computer flung to the floor and books and scattered notes lay strewn across the floor. "Johnny go into the office and get the weapons chest. It's beneath G's desk."
Once the youth had disappeared the brunette made her way into the back of the library, her senses tingling. Her breath caught as she saw a pair of feet in a pair of shoes she recognised. "G!"
Her heart pounding she started forward, and twisted away from the female vampire who lunged out of the shadows at her, allowing her adversary to run onto her stake. Even as the vampire exploded into dust, another charged out of the darkness. Faith slid beneath its attack and slammed a stake into the demon's heart, taking a punch to the jaw in the process.
Normally such a punch would have been easy to shrug off but with her injured leg it sent her stumbling backwards and into a bookcase knocking her to the ground, pinning her arms beneath and the bookcase on top of her.
She let out a fearful gasp when a third vampire, a short chubby man who'd been turned in his mid forties stepped out of the shadows, a sneering expression on his face. "Well Lucky Jim's good fortune strikes again. Tonight I get to make my bones." Faith struggled desperately. Given time she'd get free but time was the one thing she didn't have.
"I don't think so," her eyes snapped towards the office doorway. What was Jonathan doing? He should be hiding, not holding a sword.
"Oh yeah," Lucky Jim sneered. "And who are you?"
"So you've heard of the Slayers? Have you heard of the Protectors? The male warriors with the powers of the Slayers who occur only once a century? Well guess who got really unlucky?"
Faith's eyes blurred with tears. It was just like Lorraine, somebody else was going to die for trying to help her. She didn't want people to die for her, she wasn't worth it. Her mouth dropped open as the vampire sped out of the library. He'd done it.
The youth hurried over her, smiled uncertainly and bent over to lift the bookcase off her. Acting on impulse she leaned up and planted a kiss on the boy's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.
The boy coloured but completed lifting the bookcase off her before speaking. "Are you okay?"
"Twisted my damn ankle again but I'll be five by five tomorrow." She walked over to her Watcher and untied his restraints. After checking the librarian was alright she turned back to Jonathan and winked. "This date's been so much fun I can hardly wait to see where you take me next." Chuckling slightly she walked past the teen and out of the library.
* * *
Giles hid a smile at the youth's glazed eyes. "D..did Faith just say she wanted another date? With me?"
"I believe she did son, I believe she did," the boy's grin faded at his next words. "Mr. Levinson, I happened to over-hear Xander's conversation with you regarding Faith and your behaviour towards her. And, if you hurt her in any way, I too will be most displeased." The youth paled. "Well boy, what are you waiting for? Your date's waiting for you."
Giles shook his head as the boy raced out of the library. He began to wearily clear up the mess made by the trio of vampires, chuckling to himself as he worked. In his day he wouldn't have needed instruction to chase after a girl, especially one as attractive as Faith. "Bloody kids today, they've no sodding idea."