Three Slayers 4 - Band Candy
Jonathan smiled contentedly as he took his files out of his locker. Two weeks had passed since his world had tilted on its axis, changing beyond recognition. For the first time in his life he had friends - Xander, Kendra, and Mr. Giles, although the Englishman scared him a little, and even better he had a girlfriend - Faith.
His smile faded as he turned away from his locker to find he was surrounded by four of the school's most notorious bullies. "She put out yet?"
Jonathan forced himself to look up into Percy West's eyes. "Excuse me?" he failed to control the tremble in his voice.
"I said that girl of yours to put out yet geek?" West sneered at him. "I mean two weeks with a cheap slut like that even you should be getting laid by now."
"That's none of your business!" Jonathan tried to step away from the group surrounding him only for West to grab him by the shoulders and slam him back against the lockers.
"Listen Levinson," all pretence at jocularity had left the gang leader's voice. "It's my business if I say it is. After all," the footballer grinned at his friends, "when you dump her tonight like I'm telling you to she's going to need comforting, so me and the boys are going to make her guest of honour at one of our parties."
"Not going to happen." Jonathan's heart leapt at Xander's familiar voice. His friend grabbed hold of West's shoulders from behind, spun him round, drove a head butt into the bully's nose, shattering it, even as his accompanying right fist collided with the footballer's jaw, knocking him to the floor. "Second and last warning, what you do with those bimbos who want to hang with you is between you and the STD clinic but Kendra and Faith are off-limits."
"Get him!" the sprawled footballer screamed.
Even as his three companions stepped towards his friend another person stepped into the fray. "Joe, Ian, Tom." The three jocks stopped after hearing the voice of the school football captain. "Not a good idea boys, I'm with Harris on this." After a second the trio sloped off.
Xander nodded. "Thanks Larry."
The footballer nodded. "Not a problem Xander," Larry glanced at the rising footballer, "take that as a warning West, next time it could be an angry father with a baseball bat." Larry turned back to them. "See you around guys."
"Thanks for the help, where did you learn to fight like that? Special Forces guy right?" Jonathan asked in awe, he'd been amazed to hear about Xander being possessed by a 20 year veteran of the Green Berets.
"No, barroom brawling 101," seeing his confused expression Xander explained. "Giles taught it me from his days fighting in the pubs in England, it's what he calls a Glasgow kiss. Hospitable people the Scottish apparently."
"Mr Harris, did you just assault one of our football stars!" Jonathan swallowed, oh boy, Mr. Snyder, trouble.
To his surprise his companion seemed unperturbed. "No sir, his face just fell onto my head and fist. These things happen."
"Always the clown Harris. Well laugh this off! You've got a week's lunchtime detentions!" the principal snarled before storming off.
"Always a pleasure sir!" Xander called out after the teacher.
Jonathan looked up at Xander in disbelief. "How can you talk to teachers like that?"
"Trust me on this Jonno, maturity's over-rated."
* * *
Ethan Rayne shuffled nervously from foot to foot as he stood before the African-American vampire before him. He loathed working for vampires, they were so unpredictable, but when you were offered the amount of money he was you didn't say no. And it did give him an opportunity for some much needed revenge on that uptight prig Ripper. At least this vampire dressed well; maybe he was more intelligent than the average blood-sucker. Finally the vampire spoke. "Is the product ready?"
He nodded dutifully before pointing to the crates behind him. "We're starting shipping tonight; they'll be at the distribution centres by the morning."
The vampire beamed. "Excellent, oh and Mr. Rayne?"
"Yes?"
"If there are any problems I will come looking for you to discuss the penalty clauses in your contract."
He swallowed; maybe coming back to Sunnydale hadn't been such a good idea after all.
* * * Faith screamed angrily. "Get off me you prick!" She slammed a fist into her assailant's jaw. Fury powering her left hook, the subject of her attack was lifted off his feet and thrown over the sofa to land at the other side of the room. Still snarling the brunette started forward, intent on further hurting her attacker, "teach you to put a hand on me."
Suddenly the lounge door crashed open. She spun round to see Ken, Xand, and Johnny all stood in the doorway. "Faith!" Kendra yelled excitedly. "There's some sort of spell on all the adults in town. You should have seen them in The Bronze they were all acting like teenagers, " the ebony- skinned Slayer's eyes widened and she pointed towards the groaning body on the floor. "What happened to him?"
"Ah, he stuck his tongue down my ear and felt my ass. So I gave him a smack," Faith muttered in embarrassment. Maybe she shouldn't have hit G quite that hard.
* * *
"She's bloody barking I tell you. You put a few moves on a girl and she smacks you in the gob!"
Xander rolled his eyes. He'd seen Ripper the night Jenny Calendar had been murdered, at the time he'd been scared of the raging homicidal but this incarnation was just irritating. Fighting back the urge to hit the man he spoke calmly. "You touched her up, what did you expect?"
"I was just warming 'er up," the Englishman protested weakly, pressing the ice compress Xander had passed him against his jaw. "Way she dresses you know she's got to be up for it. If she doesn't want the attention then maybe she shouldn't -."
"I'm going to hit him!"
"Come on your pint-sized wanker!" Giles sneered at Jonathan. "You haven't got the soddin' stones!"
"Jonathan!" Xander let out a frustrated bellow. "Go and sit with the girls in the lounge. No, don't argue."
Once the youth had disappeared Xander turned to the Watcher. "Listen, you're under some sort of spell, all the adults in town are acting Xanderlike so we're going to need your help to solve this."
"Why would I want to do anything? I feel bloody great!"
"Because if you don't co-operate Faith will have to persuade you." The Englishman paled and nodded. "Good, now let's get this show on the road."
* * * Kendra stared at the pages of the book searching for any mention of age regression, keeping half an eye on Faith and Mr. Giles to make sure her Watcher didn't get himself in trouble again. She couldn't believe that Mr. Giles had been so unseemly in his youth, he'd always acted like the perfect English gentleman. Realising she wasn't able to concentrate she put her book down and turned to Xander, he'd know what to do he always did.
Her eyes caught the over-flowing bin. "Xander, weren't all those adults in the Bronze eating band candy?"
Her boyfriend didn't look up from his reading. "Yeah, so?"
"So what's an entire empty packet of bars doing in the bin?"
Xander looked up at her and smiled slowly. "Giles, how many of those bars have you eaten?"
"Whole bloody packet, they're sodding marvellous, really loosen a guy up. Hey luv," the Watcher turned to Faith, "maybe you should try a couple. Get you in the mood."
The brunette Slayer snarled. "No Faith," at Xander's voice, the Slayer relaxed slightly, after a second Xander continued. "We better head for the candy factory."
"The candy factory, isn't that a bit weak Xman?"
Kendra spoke up. "Maybe Faith, but it's the only lead we've got."
After a second her counterpart nodded before glaring at the Watcher. "Five by five but he's sitting up front with you. There's no way I'm getting in the back seat of a car with Wandering Palms."
* * *
"We want candy! We want candy!"
Kendra stared in disbelief at the chanting mob outside of the factory. "I think that's pretty conclusive."
"Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back Ken," her counterpart said dryly. "If you're the brains of the outfit how the fuck are we going to get in with rent a mob outside?" Suddenly Faith chuckled. "Hey I just thought of something, thank fuck Buff's gone off to the city with Mrs S. I mean Mrs S. is five by five but can you imagine what she was like in her teens? God, it would be like having two Buffys running around. Talk about -."
"Faith, not helping," Xander cut in wearily. "I'll take the car round the back, maybe there's a loose plank in the wall one of you can snap off."
"I'm the bloody Watcher I should be the one giving the -."
"SHUT UP!" The Watcher fell silent at their chorus of disapproval.
* * *
Xander slid through the hole that Kendra and Faith had made in the walls, grimacing at the effort - he'd have to cut down on the junk food although Kendra did like him cuddly. Standing he stared around the inside of the factory and whistled. The place was a maze of boxes. If they were full of candy. "The crates, empty or full?"
Faith looked up, her face grim. "We've opened eight, all full." Even as Xander opened his mouth to suggest they look for the office to search for records, Faith dropped one of the crates and started running. "Ken! There's someone here, go left!"
Xander glanced at his companions. "Jonno, go with Faith. Ripper, with me!"
Seconds later, he raced around a corner in time to see Faith drive a foot deep into Ethan Rayne's groin. Xander winced, man Ripper had really pissed her off. The Chaos Mage's eyes crossed, he let out a groan, and slumped to the ground in a foetal ball whimpering. A glint of anger in her eyes, Faith raised her foot. "No Faith!"
"Bloody hit him again I'm your soddin' Watcher!"
"Faith, no," he said calmly. After a second the Slayer nodded reluctantly and stepped back. Nodding his approval, Xander strode forward and crouched in front of the wheezing Slayer. "Hiya Ethan."
After a few minutes the Mage managed to gasp out a question. "That other Slayer, Betty die?"
"No, there's three Slayers now. Buffy, Kendra," he pointed towards his girl-friend, "and Faith who you've already met."
The Englishman's eyes widened. "Three, bloody marvellous. I knew I shouldn't have come back here."
"Not arguing," Xander dryly replied. "Now the question is why did you come back?"
A sly look entered the mage's eyes. "I can't tell you that," he replied. "One has one's reputation to consider."
"One's got one's looks to consider if he doesn't start talking." The mage caved in at Faith's growl. "I don't know much, the bloke who hired me wanted me to divert all the adults' attention while his boss paid a tribute to a demon called Lurconis."
"Lurconis!" Giles\Ripper let out a roar. "You bloody wanker!"
Hearing the Watcher behind him start forward, Xander left out a yell. "Stop him!"
Turning his head at the sound of a scuffle, he looked round to see a grinning Faith sat on top of the Watcher. "Well he said he wanted to spend some time with me on top of him." Jonathan and Kendra sniggered. Xander fought back the urge to groan. Great; who's bright idea was it to leave him in charge of four kids?
* * *
"Damn! Damn!" Xander kicked the hospital nursery door. As soon as Giles had told them about the demon feeding on babies they'd hurried over to the hospital only to find they were too late. Four babies had already been taken.
"X..Xander what do we do?"
Xander glanced at his girlfriend's petrified face, guessing she was reliving her own rough childhood he squeezed her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry we'll work something out."
"Damn straight," Faith's face had paled but she still looked determined. Suddenly the Slayer moved, grabbing hold of Ethan by his collar she smashed his head through a near-by window, sending glass flying and blood seeping out of half a dozen cuts. "Talk you bastard! Where is he?"
"Ripper, get her off!"
"Not bloody likely you sodding nancy. Faith, hit him again."
"Don't need to be told twice," the Slayer grabbed hold of the Mage's suede jacket lapels and flung him over the near-by reception desk and onto the floor at the other side. Eyes cold, Faith hurdled over the desk to stand over the weeping mage. "Talk you bastard."
"I'm telling you!" the mage screamed piteously, "I don't know anything."
"In that case it really sucks to be you." The Slayer lifted the Mage up by his hair before driving his face into the desk. "Got any words of wisdom for us Eth?"
Jonathan glanced at him, his face ashen-grey. "Aren't you going to stop her?"
Xander felt slightly queasy himself but shrugged. "There's children's lives at stake, I'm not inclined to be merciful. Ethan wants to play in the big leagues that's his problem."
"See Eth," Faith slammed the tip of her combat boot into the Englishman's ribs, eliciting the sound of a cracking rib, "I had a really lousy childhood so I'm not going to let anybody hurt kids, not on my watch. And if the price of their lives is me beating the shit out of a low-life like you then that's five by five by me."
"The sewers, they're in the sewers."
"See," Faith stood, "that didn't hurt. Us. Still at least you're in the hospital, the ER's that way. Once you're fixed up leave town, next time I see you I might not be gentle."
* * *
Finding the vampires in the sewers was easy; the two Slayers simply followed their noses and listened for the sound of crying babies. Within a few minutes they'd found their prey, the five vampires who'd stolen the babies and the infants themselves. After a few seconds sizing up the situation, Kendra began whispering orders. "Faith, you come with me. Xander, when they're distracted you take Giles and Jonathan and grab the babies. Okay?" As soon as she received a round of nods Kendra stepped out of from behind the disused oil drums they'd been hiding behind, drew her sword and leapt at the vampires, Faith in close pursuit.
The first vampire practically wet himself at the sight of a Slayer in full furious flow and was little competition. After parrying his desperate slash at her head, Kendra drove her fist into the vampire's side staggering him. Before he had chance to regain his footing, Kendra sent a side-kick into his chest, bundling him into the pool at the far end of the cavern. Immediately a roar erupted from the opening beside the pool and a huge, grey-skinned snake appeared, swallowing the vampire whole before disappearing back into the tunnel.
Distracted by the terrifying monster, Kendra only just managed to avoid a thrust at her chest from another vampire. Ducking under a follow-up thrust at her head she stepped into the vampire's guard and drove her forehead into her adversary's face. Even as the vampire screamed in pain she thrust her sword deep into the vamp's leg. The vampire fell to the ground, helpless to avoid her decapitating follow-up. Kendra's smug grin faded when she saw Mr. Trick grab Mr. Giles and throw him into the pool before charging through the cavern's exit. Kendra watched, frozen in horror, as Lurconis shot out of the hole to hover menacingly above her watcher.
Suddenly Xander darted forward, grabbing the Watcher and dragging him out of the pool and away from the demon's hungrily awaiting mouth. "Faith, throw your axe through that fuel line above Ken! Ken, grab the line and point it at ugly!" Out of the corner of her eye Kendra saw Faith's double- bladed axe sail through the air, just above her head, and through the cable over-hanging her, sending it falling into her grasp. At the same time Xander dived for the flickering rush torches hanging from the sewer walls, lightening the gloomy cave, snatched it from the wall and thrust it into the fuel line's torn end. Her boyfriend's actions turned the fuel leaking from the line into a giant blowtorch. The flame that erupted from the line hit the demon full in its gaping mouth, evaporating the salvia falling from its dripping fangs and filling the dank sewer with the stench of roasted flesh. The demon's head reared up and its mouth issued a ground-shaking screech before pulling back into the hole. "Let's get out of here before he comes back," Xander said shakily.
Kendra glanced round, Jonathan and Giles had already left, and nodded. "Very good idea."
"Well we could stay and kick his ass," Faith replied nervously, "but we've saved the babies so let's give him a pass."
"Sure Faith," Xander shuddered at the pained roars coming from the opening that the huge reptile had disappeared back into, "that's what we're doing. Giving him a pass."
* * *
"Faith, may I come in?"
"Door's open G," the Slayer glanced up nervously at the Englishman, wincing slightly at the fist-sized bruise on his jaw. This was it, this was where she got thrown out for hitting him.
The Englishman smiled uncertainly. "Faith, I can only apologise for my inexcusable behaviour last night and my indecorous advances."
Faith took a second to translate what the Watcher had said, why he couldn't speak English like the rest of the country she'd never know, before smiling in disbelief. "You're not going to throw me out?"
"No Faith," the Englishman said, "I am responsible for my actions and nobody else." The Watcher's face turned serious. "But you might want to consider your own actions, fighting to stop any man from forcing his attentions on you is perfectly acceptable, to be applauded even. But I was aware of you approaching me to continue your attack, when would you have stopped Faith, when I was dead? You should remember that with great power comes great responsibility."
The Slayer nodded, G was right, with all the strength she had she couldn't afford to lose her temper, then blinked. "Wait you're quoting Spiderman at me?" G read Marvel comics?
Giles groaned. "To quote you, busted. How's your homework going?" "I'm having a problem with Othello."
"Ah, the Bard. Let me see if I can help," Faith smiled as the Watcher gazed down at her scribblings. She still had a home.
Jonathan smiled contentedly as he took his files out of his locker. Two weeks had passed since his world had tilted on its axis, changing beyond recognition. For the first time in his life he had friends - Xander, Kendra, and Mr. Giles, although the Englishman scared him a little, and even better he had a girlfriend - Faith.
His smile faded as he turned away from his locker to find he was surrounded by four of the school's most notorious bullies. "She put out yet?"
Jonathan forced himself to look up into Percy West's eyes. "Excuse me?" he failed to control the tremble in his voice.
"I said that girl of yours to put out yet geek?" West sneered at him. "I mean two weeks with a cheap slut like that even you should be getting laid by now."
"That's none of your business!" Jonathan tried to step away from the group surrounding him only for West to grab him by the shoulders and slam him back against the lockers.
"Listen Levinson," all pretence at jocularity had left the gang leader's voice. "It's my business if I say it is. After all," the footballer grinned at his friends, "when you dump her tonight like I'm telling you to she's going to need comforting, so me and the boys are going to make her guest of honour at one of our parties."
"Not going to happen." Jonathan's heart leapt at Xander's familiar voice. His friend grabbed hold of West's shoulders from behind, spun him round, drove a head butt into the bully's nose, shattering it, even as his accompanying right fist collided with the footballer's jaw, knocking him to the floor. "Second and last warning, what you do with those bimbos who want to hang with you is between you and the STD clinic but Kendra and Faith are off-limits."
"Get him!" the sprawled footballer screamed.
Even as his three companions stepped towards his friend another person stepped into the fray. "Joe, Ian, Tom." The three jocks stopped after hearing the voice of the school football captain. "Not a good idea boys, I'm with Harris on this." After a second the trio sloped off.
Xander nodded. "Thanks Larry."
The footballer nodded. "Not a problem Xander," Larry glanced at the rising footballer, "take that as a warning West, next time it could be an angry father with a baseball bat." Larry turned back to them. "See you around guys."
"Thanks for the help, where did you learn to fight like that? Special Forces guy right?" Jonathan asked in awe, he'd been amazed to hear about Xander being possessed by a 20 year veteran of the Green Berets.
"No, barroom brawling 101," seeing his confused expression Xander explained. "Giles taught it me from his days fighting in the pubs in England, it's what he calls a Glasgow kiss. Hospitable people the Scottish apparently."
"Mr Harris, did you just assault one of our football stars!" Jonathan swallowed, oh boy, Mr. Snyder, trouble.
To his surprise his companion seemed unperturbed. "No sir, his face just fell onto my head and fist. These things happen."
"Always the clown Harris. Well laugh this off! You've got a week's lunchtime detentions!" the principal snarled before storming off.
"Always a pleasure sir!" Xander called out after the teacher.
Jonathan looked up at Xander in disbelief. "How can you talk to teachers like that?"
"Trust me on this Jonno, maturity's over-rated."
* * *
Ethan Rayne shuffled nervously from foot to foot as he stood before the African-American vampire before him. He loathed working for vampires, they were so unpredictable, but when you were offered the amount of money he was you didn't say no. And it did give him an opportunity for some much needed revenge on that uptight prig Ripper. At least this vampire dressed well; maybe he was more intelligent than the average blood-sucker. Finally the vampire spoke. "Is the product ready?"
He nodded dutifully before pointing to the crates behind him. "We're starting shipping tonight; they'll be at the distribution centres by the morning."
The vampire beamed. "Excellent, oh and Mr. Rayne?"
"Yes?"
"If there are any problems I will come looking for you to discuss the penalty clauses in your contract."
He swallowed; maybe coming back to Sunnydale hadn't been such a good idea after all.
* * * Faith screamed angrily. "Get off me you prick!" She slammed a fist into her assailant's jaw. Fury powering her left hook, the subject of her attack was lifted off his feet and thrown over the sofa to land at the other side of the room. Still snarling the brunette started forward, intent on further hurting her attacker, "teach you to put a hand on me."
Suddenly the lounge door crashed open. She spun round to see Ken, Xand, and Johnny all stood in the doorway. "Faith!" Kendra yelled excitedly. "There's some sort of spell on all the adults in town. You should have seen them in The Bronze they were all acting like teenagers, " the ebony- skinned Slayer's eyes widened and she pointed towards the groaning body on the floor. "What happened to him?"
"Ah, he stuck his tongue down my ear and felt my ass. So I gave him a smack," Faith muttered in embarrassment. Maybe she shouldn't have hit G quite that hard.
* * *
"She's bloody barking I tell you. You put a few moves on a girl and she smacks you in the gob!"
Xander rolled his eyes. He'd seen Ripper the night Jenny Calendar had been murdered, at the time he'd been scared of the raging homicidal but this incarnation was just irritating. Fighting back the urge to hit the man he spoke calmly. "You touched her up, what did you expect?"
"I was just warming 'er up," the Englishman protested weakly, pressing the ice compress Xander had passed him against his jaw. "Way she dresses you know she's got to be up for it. If she doesn't want the attention then maybe she shouldn't -."
"I'm going to hit him!"
"Come on your pint-sized wanker!" Giles sneered at Jonathan. "You haven't got the soddin' stones!"
"Jonathan!" Xander let out a frustrated bellow. "Go and sit with the girls in the lounge. No, don't argue."
Once the youth had disappeared Xander turned to the Watcher. "Listen, you're under some sort of spell, all the adults in town are acting Xanderlike so we're going to need your help to solve this."
"Why would I want to do anything? I feel bloody great!"
"Because if you don't co-operate Faith will have to persuade you." The Englishman paled and nodded. "Good, now let's get this show on the road."
* * * Kendra stared at the pages of the book searching for any mention of age regression, keeping half an eye on Faith and Mr. Giles to make sure her Watcher didn't get himself in trouble again. She couldn't believe that Mr. Giles had been so unseemly in his youth, he'd always acted like the perfect English gentleman. Realising she wasn't able to concentrate she put her book down and turned to Xander, he'd know what to do he always did.
Her eyes caught the over-flowing bin. "Xander, weren't all those adults in the Bronze eating band candy?"
Her boyfriend didn't look up from his reading. "Yeah, so?"
"So what's an entire empty packet of bars doing in the bin?"
Xander looked up at her and smiled slowly. "Giles, how many of those bars have you eaten?"
"Whole bloody packet, they're sodding marvellous, really loosen a guy up. Hey luv," the Watcher turned to Faith, "maybe you should try a couple. Get you in the mood."
The brunette Slayer snarled. "No Faith," at Xander's voice, the Slayer relaxed slightly, after a second Xander continued. "We better head for the candy factory."
"The candy factory, isn't that a bit weak Xman?"
Kendra spoke up. "Maybe Faith, but it's the only lead we've got."
After a second her counterpart nodded before glaring at the Watcher. "Five by five but he's sitting up front with you. There's no way I'm getting in the back seat of a car with Wandering Palms."
* * *
"We want candy! We want candy!"
Kendra stared in disbelief at the chanting mob outside of the factory. "I think that's pretty conclusive."
"Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back Ken," her counterpart said dryly. "If you're the brains of the outfit how the fuck are we going to get in with rent a mob outside?" Suddenly Faith chuckled. "Hey I just thought of something, thank fuck Buff's gone off to the city with Mrs S. I mean Mrs S. is five by five but can you imagine what she was like in her teens? God, it would be like having two Buffys running around. Talk about -."
"Faith, not helping," Xander cut in wearily. "I'll take the car round the back, maybe there's a loose plank in the wall one of you can snap off."
"I'm the bloody Watcher I should be the one giving the -."
"SHUT UP!" The Watcher fell silent at their chorus of disapproval.
* * *
Xander slid through the hole that Kendra and Faith had made in the walls, grimacing at the effort - he'd have to cut down on the junk food although Kendra did like him cuddly. Standing he stared around the inside of the factory and whistled. The place was a maze of boxes. If they were full of candy. "The crates, empty or full?"
Faith looked up, her face grim. "We've opened eight, all full." Even as Xander opened his mouth to suggest they look for the office to search for records, Faith dropped one of the crates and started running. "Ken! There's someone here, go left!"
Xander glanced at his companions. "Jonno, go with Faith. Ripper, with me!"
Seconds later, he raced around a corner in time to see Faith drive a foot deep into Ethan Rayne's groin. Xander winced, man Ripper had really pissed her off. The Chaos Mage's eyes crossed, he let out a groan, and slumped to the ground in a foetal ball whimpering. A glint of anger in her eyes, Faith raised her foot. "No Faith!"
"Bloody hit him again I'm your soddin' Watcher!"
"Faith, no," he said calmly. After a second the Slayer nodded reluctantly and stepped back. Nodding his approval, Xander strode forward and crouched in front of the wheezing Slayer. "Hiya Ethan."
After a few minutes the Mage managed to gasp out a question. "That other Slayer, Betty die?"
"No, there's three Slayers now. Buffy, Kendra," he pointed towards his girl-friend, "and Faith who you've already met."
The Englishman's eyes widened. "Three, bloody marvellous. I knew I shouldn't have come back here."
"Not arguing," Xander dryly replied. "Now the question is why did you come back?"
A sly look entered the mage's eyes. "I can't tell you that," he replied. "One has one's reputation to consider."
"One's got one's looks to consider if he doesn't start talking." The mage caved in at Faith's growl. "I don't know much, the bloke who hired me wanted me to divert all the adults' attention while his boss paid a tribute to a demon called Lurconis."
"Lurconis!" Giles\Ripper let out a roar. "You bloody wanker!"
Hearing the Watcher behind him start forward, Xander left out a yell. "Stop him!"
Turning his head at the sound of a scuffle, he looked round to see a grinning Faith sat on top of the Watcher. "Well he said he wanted to spend some time with me on top of him." Jonathan and Kendra sniggered. Xander fought back the urge to groan. Great; who's bright idea was it to leave him in charge of four kids?
* * *
"Damn! Damn!" Xander kicked the hospital nursery door. As soon as Giles had told them about the demon feeding on babies they'd hurried over to the hospital only to find they were too late. Four babies had already been taken.
"X..Xander what do we do?"
Xander glanced at his girlfriend's petrified face, guessing she was reliving her own rough childhood he squeezed her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry we'll work something out."
"Damn straight," Faith's face had paled but she still looked determined. Suddenly the Slayer moved, grabbing hold of Ethan by his collar she smashed his head through a near-by window, sending glass flying and blood seeping out of half a dozen cuts. "Talk you bastard! Where is he?"
"Ripper, get her off!"
"Not bloody likely you sodding nancy. Faith, hit him again."
"Don't need to be told twice," the Slayer grabbed hold of the Mage's suede jacket lapels and flung him over the near-by reception desk and onto the floor at the other side. Eyes cold, Faith hurdled over the desk to stand over the weeping mage. "Talk you bastard."
"I'm telling you!" the mage screamed piteously, "I don't know anything."
"In that case it really sucks to be you." The Slayer lifted the Mage up by his hair before driving his face into the desk. "Got any words of wisdom for us Eth?"
Jonathan glanced at him, his face ashen-grey. "Aren't you going to stop her?"
Xander felt slightly queasy himself but shrugged. "There's children's lives at stake, I'm not inclined to be merciful. Ethan wants to play in the big leagues that's his problem."
"See Eth," Faith slammed the tip of her combat boot into the Englishman's ribs, eliciting the sound of a cracking rib, "I had a really lousy childhood so I'm not going to let anybody hurt kids, not on my watch. And if the price of their lives is me beating the shit out of a low-life like you then that's five by five by me."
"The sewers, they're in the sewers."
"See," Faith stood, "that didn't hurt. Us. Still at least you're in the hospital, the ER's that way. Once you're fixed up leave town, next time I see you I might not be gentle."
* * *
Finding the vampires in the sewers was easy; the two Slayers simply followed their noses and listened for the sound of crying babies. Within a few minutes they'd found their prey, the five vampires who'd stolen the babies and the infants themselves. After a few seconds sizing up the situation, Kendra began whispering orders. "Faith, you come with me. Xander, when they're distracted you take Giles and Jonathan and grab the babies. Okay?" As soon as she received a round of nods Kendra stepped out of from behind the disused oil drums they'd been hiding behind, drew her sword and leapt at the vampires, Faith in close pursuit.
The first vampire practically wet himself at the sight of a Slayer in full furious flow and was little competition. After parrying his desperate slash at her head, Kendra drove her fist into the vampire's side staggering him. Before he had chance to regain his footing, Kendra sent a side-kick into his chest, bundling him into the pool at the far end of the cavern. Immediately a roar erupted from the opening beside the pool and a huge, grey-skinned snake appeared, swallowing the vampire whole before disappearing back into the tunnel.
Distracted by the terrifying monster, Kendra only just managed to avoid a thrust at her chest from another vampire. Ducking under a follow-up thrust at her head she stepped into the vampire's guard and drove her forehead into her adversary's face. Even as the vampire screamed in pain she thrust her sword deep into the vamp's leg. The vampire fell to the ground, helpless to avoid her decapitating follow-up. Kendra's smug grin faded when she saw Mr. Trick grab Mr. Giles and throw him into the pool before charging through the cavern's exit. Kendra watched, frozen in horror, as Lurconis shot out of the hole to hover menacingly above her watcher.
Suddenly Xander darted forward, grabbing the Watcher and dragging him out of the pool and away from the demon's hungrily awaiting mouth. "Faith, throw your axe through that fuel line above Ken! Ken, grab the line and point it at ugly!" Out of the corner of her eye Kendra saw Faith's double- bladed axe sail through the air, just above her head, and through the cable over-hanging her, sending it falling into her grasp. At the same time Xander dived for the flickering rush torches hanging from the sewer walls, lightening the gloomy cave, snatched it from the wall and thrust it into the fuel line's torn end. Her boyfriend's actions turned the fuel leaking from the line into a giant blowtorch. The flame that erupted from the line hit the demon full in its gaping mouth, evaporating the salvia falling from its dripping fangs and filling the dank sewer with the stench of roasted flesh. The demon's head reared up and its mouth issued a ground-shaking screech before pulling back into the hole. "Let's get out of here before he comes back," Xander said shakily.
Kendra glanced round, Jonathan and Giles had already left, and nodded. "Very good idea."
"Well we could stay and kick his ass," Faith replied nervously, "but we've saved the babies so let's give him a pass."
"Sure Faith," Xander shuddered at the pained roars coming from the opening that the huge reptile had disappeared back into, "that's what we're doing. Giving him a pass."
* * *
"Faith, may I come in?"
"Door's open G," the Slayer glanced up nervously at the Englishman, wincing slightly at the fist-sized bruise on his jaw. This was it, this was where she got thrown out for hitting him.
The Englishman smiled uncertainly. "Faith, I can only apologise for my inexcusable behaviour last night and my indecorous advances."
Faith took a second to translate what the Watcher had said, why he couldn't speak English like the rest of the country she'd never know, before smiling in disbelief. "You're not going to throw me out?"
"No Faith," the Englishman said, "I am responsible for my actions and nobody else." The Watcher's face turned serious. "But you might want to consider your own actions, fighting to stop any man from forcing his attentions on you is perfectly acceptable, to be applauded even. But I was aware of you approaching me to continue your attack, when would you have stopped Faith, when I was dead? You should remember that with great power comes great responsibility."
The Slayer nodded, G was right, with all the strength she had she couldn't afford to lose her temper, then blinked. "Wait you're quoting Spiderman at me?" G read Marvel comics?
Giles groaned. "To quote you, busted. How's your homework going?" "I'm having a problem with Othello."
"Ah, the Bard. Let me see if I can help," Faith smiled as the Watcher gazed down at her scribblings. She still had a home.