Three Slayers 8B - Consequences
Xander stared first at his girl-friend and then at a pale-faced Faith. After a second he shook aside his shock and hurried over to the convulsing man. He knelt down beside the man and watched as he pulled his blood- soaked hands away, Xander hid a grimace at the severity of the wound - from his experience, and that of the army veteran within him, the man had only minutes to live. "Don't move," he instructed softly.
"I didn't... I didn't know. I didn't know," Kendra began to cry, he glanced over his shoulder. At his look, Faith hurried over to his girlfriend and began to comfort her, holding her as she sobbed.
The man's convulsions intensified. His eyes widened as blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth. He tried to say something, but can't get the words out. Xander could only watch in despair, unable to help. The man looked down at his chest one last time, then reached up to Xander, but his arm never made it, falling to his side as his body relaxed against the dumpster, finally dead. His eyes remained wide open, staring up into nothing. Xander stared back at him in open-mouthed horror.
After a second he stood, his legs shaky. "Xand," he looked at a shaking Faith, clutching onto a still crying Kendra. "What do we do?"
"I..I don't know."
After a second Faith nodded her head. "I do," her voice still steadied. "Xand, you take Kendra home. I'll go and help G."
Xander nodded. "Okay Kendra," he whispered, "let's get you home."
His girl-friend's glassy eyes cleared a little. "No, no," she shook her head, "Giles needs -."
"Ken," Faith's voice was soft but firm, "you're in shock. If you go in there you'll be off your game. Might get hurt or cause one of us get hurt."
"Okay."
"Good girl," Xander lifted Kendra into his arms, cradling her sobbing face against his chest. "Let's get you home baby." He nodded towards Faith. "Stay safe." He stepped away then turned back. "When you tell Giles, make sure Wes isn't about."
"Five by five."
* * *
"Fuck." Faith stared at the body crumpled on the ground. Her heart had only now started to slow back to its normal rhythm. Kendra had just killed someone. If she'd moved faster maybe..
After a second she shook her head, maybe wouldn't bring the poor bastard back. If it wasn't for the guys she'd grab Kendra and run, but they couldn't leave Jonathan and Xander behind, and she could trust G to know what to do, to protect them. 'Course she couldn't say anything in front of the Wuss, she couldn't trust him, if she had a Watcher who treated her like a tool like that prick, she didn't know what she'd do, probably grab Ken and run. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed. "What's that?" After a nervous lick of the lips she stalked over to the body and, resisting the urge to shudder, she reached into the dead man's jacket pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. Her eyes widened at the paper's contents. "What the fuck?" Shaking her head she shoved the piece of paper into her jeans pocket, G would know what to do. "Oh shit!" she'd forgotten about him, turning she hurried to the warehouse.
"Faith! Where have you been? Giles is in there, don't you care?"
Faith's already frayed nerves snapped at the sneer she heard in Buffy's tone. Springing forward she grabbed the blonde around the front of her shirt and threw her into the wall. "I care, I fucking care alright," she hissed angrily, "you know B, yesterday I thought I might have been wrong about you, that you were five by five but I was right all along. I care a hell of a lot about G, I didn't let my lover-boy kill his girlfriend!"
"You bitch!"
Buffy's open handed slap rang out across the alleyway as it collided with her face. Eyes flaming she started forward only for Angel to get in her way. "Faith," the vampire hissed, "priorities! Giles, remember?"
For a second she glared at the vampire before nodding. "Five by five," she muttered. "Just keep her on her leash."
The blonde started forward at her comment only to stop at a look from Angel. "Where's Kendra?"
"Got hurt. Xander had to carry her home."
"Badly?" There was concern on the vampire's face.
"Not life-threatening," she evaded. Anxious to avoid raising the vampire's suspicions she looked towards the building. "What's the plan?"
* * *
Giles stared with disgust at Balthazar. The demon was enormously obese with very pale, pasty, slimy skin and layers of fat rolling off him. He sat suspended in a tank of filthy water, while one of the Eliminati poured ladle after ladle of it over him in an effort to keep his skin moist.
Giles glanced at his shaking companion and sighed. He and Wesley had been busy bickering in the library about the buffoon's treatment of the Slayers when the Eliminati had kidnapped them. On balance he thought he'd rather be held hostage with Snyder than this weasel.
"The front! Moisten the front!" Giles shuddered as a ladle full of water was poured across the whining demon's chest. Not even watching Xander eat was as hideous as this.
"Oh God!" Suddenly Wesley began whispering. "Oh, God!"
"It doesn't seem too promising, does it?"
"Stay calm, Mr. Giles. We have to stay calm."
"Well, thank God you're here. If I didn't have you to hold my hand I'd be a quivering wreck," he shot back dryly.
"What is that thing?" his counterpart whispered.
"That would be your demon," Giles raised an eyebrow. "Looks awfully lively for a century dead demon doesn't he?"
"There's no need to get snippy."
Snippy? Once again he had to fight the urge to hit the bloody plonker. Balthazar finally turned his attention towards them. "Bring them closer."
"Dear god," Giles muttered, "looks like we're starters." He bit back a malicious smile at the stricken look on his fellow Watcher's face, might as well go down having fun. Two of the Eliminati grabbed them and shoved them closer.
"You know what I want," the demon wheezed.
"If it's for me to scrub those hard-to-reach areas, I'd like to request you kill me now." Giles fell to his knees as one of the vampires punched him in the back for his insolence. "Of course I'm more than willing to contribute to your gym membership fund."
"Mr. Giles, are you out of your mind?" Wesley babbled. "This is hardly the time for games!"
"Oh do shut up, you wimp," he snarled. "They're going to torture us to death anyway." Balthazar snickered. "You're not wrong about that."
Wesley paled even further. "Now, there's no need to be so hasty. We-we-we can deal with this rationally. We have something you want. You have something we want."
Balthazar smiled. "Hmm... A trade. Intriguing. No. Wait. Boring. Pull off his kneecaps!"
Two of the vampires grabbed Wesley. "NOOO! No, no, no! The Slayer g-gave it to someone. A tall man, a friend... a friend of hers. I can tell you everything."
Giles shook his head before muttering. "Quiet, you twerp! They'll kill us both anyway."
"But I'd like to have my kneecaps."
"You will tell us everything!" Balthazar demanded. "What is this friend's name?"
"Ah," Wesley hesitated, "I didn't actually catch it."
Giles rolled his eyes, he'd have to play for time. "Look, um, tell you what, let Brigadier Brave here go, and I'll tell you what you need to know. How's that for a deal?"
"THERE IS ONE DEAL! YOU WILL DIE QUICKLY, OR YOU WILL DIE SLOWLY! THE MAN WHO HAS MY AMULET! WHAT IS HIS NAAAME?!"
Giles winced at the vampire's tirade. "That's a no then?"
"His name could be Bo Peep," Giles groaned at Angel's voice, saved by the vampire, soddin' marvellous, the perfect end to a perfect day, "but it's not, it's Angel."
Angel charged towards him and Wesley, pulling the two vampires guarding them away and slamming one of them into a wall, the other into some metal shelves. Another one moved to intercept Angel, but Giles headbutted him, knocking him to the ground.
Suddenly the skylight above them shattered, and Buffy and Faith dropped down onto the warehouse floor. Giles' brow furrowed, but no Kendra? Giles' heart rose into his throat. She hadn't been hurt had she?
Faith raced towards him only for a vampire to charge her. The brunette blocked his attack and grabbed his arm. bringing it down before slamming a knee into his gut, making him drop his sword. Seeing Faith catch the blade, he turned his tied hands toward her allowing her to swing the sword down through the ropes, slicing them cleanly. The pieces fell to the floor as he grabbed Wesley and pushed him out of harm's way.
Out of the way of the fight, Giles quickly untied Wesley's hands. Hearing a vampire roar behind him, Giles looked behind in time to see and duck the attack. The sword caught on a shelf, and Giles grabbed the blade and back elbowed the vamp in the face, taking the sword from him. Swinging around Giles jammed the hilt of the sword into his rival's face as well, before spinning around to take on another one.
The vampire swung at him, forcing to parry it with his own. The vampire swung again, and again he blocked it. The demon swung down from above, but again Giles managed a block before forcing the vampire's sword to the floor, making his rival bend down to keep hold, and kneed him in the face. The vampire crumpled to the floor, his sword falling from his hands.
"Giles!"
Turning Giles saw Wesley had been grabbed by the other vampire from behind. "Bloody ponce." Raising his sword he swung it. "DOWN!" Wesley bent over fast, and the blade caught the vampire on the neck slicing through it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Giles saw Balthazar hold out his arms. The air between the demon and Angel began to shimmer, and Angel was lifted into the air and carried to the edge of the pool. Balthazar reached out, seizing the vampire's head in both hands. Angel struggled to get away but to no avail. Suddenly Faith threw her blade into the air, slicing through an electrical cable hanging over the pool, the cable fell from the roof and into the pool. Balthazar let out a shriek of agony before releasing Angel and writhing in agony as he was electrocuted.
Instantly Buffy rushed over to help Angel who appeared shaken but otherwise fine. Even as the blonde checked Angel over Balthazar's eyes whipped open. "You think you've won. When he rises... you'll wish I'd killed you all." Buffy raised her sword but the demon slumped forward, his eyes closing in defeat.
Giles let out a breath. "Well that was fun."
"You five by five G?"
Giles turned towards the brunette, his reassuring smile dying when he took in her pale face and wide eyes, there was something badly wrong. "I'm fine Faith, thanks to you and the others," he glanced around. "Where's Kendra?"
"She dived under a vamp's sword swing on the way here. Tore her knee out, she couldn't walk. X-Man's taken her home."
"Very sensible." The girl was lying about something but he could wait until they got back home.
* * *
Mayor Wilkins glanced around his office as he knelt in an inverted pentagram with his hands out to his sides. Where was Allan? That assistant of his was proving most unreliable, these days. Perhaps he needed replacing, he tutted to himself, replacing employees as senior as Allan was always a messy business, especially getting the blood out of the carpet. Gathering his thoughts he began reciting his spell.
Within seconds the building began to shake. Despite the building's rocking he stayed still, concentrating on the spell. In a couple of minutes he'd finished and the building settled to an uneasy rest.
"Did it work?" Trick asked.
"Let's find out." Taking a second to calm himself, he turned to the cage holding the vampire who'd attacked him earlier. "Let him out."
Trick's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Oh! Hold on." Taking the vampire's sword he threw it through the cage to the assassin before taking several steps back. "Give it the good old college try," he beamed encouragingly at the bemused, caged vampire. "If you'll do the honours Mr. Trick."
Trick shrugged. "Sure boss."
His associate stepped around to the front of the cage, unlocked the padlock and removed the chains as he watched and waited. As soon as Trick opened the door, the caged vampire rushed out towards him, his sword held over his head. The vampire brought the sword down on his head, splitting it in two. To his surprise he felt no pain. "That tickles." A shocked expression on his face, the vampire pulled back his sword as his head knitted back together. "Well that was an experience." He smiled as Mr. Trick stepped up behind the vampire as thrust a stake into the vampire's back causing him to explode into ashes. Most efficient.
Wilkins beamed, the spell had worked. "Well! This officially commences the Hundred Days. Nothing can harm me until the Ascension. Gosh, I'm feeling chipper! Who's for a root beer?!"
* * *
"Oh bloody hell." Giles stared aghast from Slayer to Slayer. Faith had just finished a babbling and tearful recounting of tonight's events. Faith and Xander were glassy-eyed but coherent, but Kendra seemed to be in a trance. Probably a combination of shock and Samuel Zabuto's programming.
"What are we going to do G?"
Waving Faith to silence he crouched in front of Kendra. "Kendra," the girl continued to stare obliviously, "Kendra," he raised his voice slightly but it was enough for some intelligence to return to the girl's eyes.
"I murdered someone," the pain and misery in the girl's voice was heart- breaking.
"No you didn't Kendra," Giles comforted, "what happened today was an accident. And far from the first Slayer to accidentally kill someone."
"Really?" he glanced towards Xander. "And what does the Council do?"
Ah, he had hoped that question wouldn't be asked. "The Council re-educates the Slayer involved before allowing her -."
"No fucking way!" a fiery light entered Faith's eyes. "I'm not -."
"Do you think I'd let them take her!" he demanded, his fury silencing the brunette, his voice calmed. "We'll keep the Council out of this and deal with it between us, but now," he turned to Xander, "Xander could take Kendra up to her room please?"
After a second Xander nodded, rose, and gently lifted Kendra into his arms, carrying her out of the room. "G, will everything be alright?"
Forcing a smile he pulled the girl into a hug. "Listen Faith," he soothed, "I'm not going to let anybody hurt you or Kendra I promise. Okay?"
Suddenly the brunette burst into tears. "G," the girl's voice was filled with pain, "if I hadn't thrown him to Ken, Ken would never -."
"Hush," he began to rock the child from side to side, "what happened today was nothing more than a tragic accident. What that man was doing running towards two Slayers I have no idea."
"Oh," the brunette nodded and pulled, her forehead furrowed in thought, she reached into her pocket. "G, Finch had this in his jacket pocket. I think he was looking for us."
"Oh bloody hell." Giles cursed as he read the contents of the note. Things had suddenly got a lot worse.
* * * Wesley threw aside the headphones he'd been using to listen to the bugs the Council had placed in Giles' house when they'd learnt two of the Slayers were living with their Watcher. He reached a shaking hand to pick up his cup of tea, his mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, the Slayers had saved his life earlier in the day, on the other, the third Slayer had killed a human, the greatest crime a Slayer could commit. Wesley sighed, he owed his first loyalty to the Council. Grabbing the phone he started dialling. "Hello, this is Field Watcher Wesley Wnydham- Pryce, could you put me through to Mr Travers please? I don't care if he's in a meeting this is a matter of the greatest urgency."
SPOILER: Redemption, Retribution, & Reconcillation. (Mama always said I should do the three Rs - although she always said life was like a box of chocolate, so you know).
Xander stared first at his girl-friend and then at a pale-faced Faith. After a second he shook aside his shock and hurried over to the convulsing man. He knelt down beside the man and watched as he pulled his blood- soaked hands away, Xander hid a grimace at the severity of the wound - from his experience, and that of the army veteran within him, the man had only minutes to live. "Don't move," he instructed softly.
"I didn't... I didn't know. I didn't know," Kendra began to cry, he glanced over his shoulder. At his look, Faith hurried over to his girlfriend and began to comfort her, holding her as she sobbed.
The man's convulsions intensified. His eyes widened as blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth. He tried to say something, but can't get the words out. Xander could only watch in despair, unable to help. The man looked down at his chest one last time, then reached up to Xander, but his arm never made it, falling to his side as his body relaxed against the dumpster, finally dead. His eyes remained wide open, staring up into nothing. Xander stared back at him in open-mouthed horror.
After a second he stood, his legs shaky. "Xand," he looked at a shaking Faith, clutching onto a still crying Kendra. "What do we do?"
"I..I don't know."
After a second Faith nodded her head. "I do," her voice still steadied. "Xand, you take Kendra home. I'll go and help G."
Xander nodded. "Okay Kendra," he whispered, "let's get you home."
His girl-friend's glassy eyes cleared a little. "No, no," she shook her head, "Giles needs -."
"Ken," Faith's voice was soft but firm, "you're in shock. If you go in there you'll be off your game. Might get hurt or cause one of us get hurt."
"Okay."
"Good girl," Xander lifted Kendra into his arms, cradling her sobbing face against his chest. "Let's get you home baby." He nodded towards Faith. "Stay safe." He stepped away then turned back. "When you tell Giles, make sure Wes isn't about."
"Five by five."
* * *
"Fuck." Faith stared at the body crumpled on the ground. Her heart had only now started to slow back to its normal rhythm. Kendra had just killed someone. If she'd moved faster maybe..
After a second she shook her head, maybe wouldn't bring the poor bastard back. If it wasn't for the guys she'd grab Kendra and run, but they couldn't leave Jonathan and Xander behind, and she could trust G to know what to do, to protect them. 'Course she couldn't say anything in front of the Wuss, she couldn't trust him, if she had a Watcher who treated her like a tool like that prick, she didn't know what she'd do, probably grab Ken and run. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed. "What's that?" After a nervous lick of the lips she stalked over to the body and, resisting the urge to shudder, she reached into the dead man's jacket pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. Her eyes widened at the paper's contents. "What the fuck?" Shaking her head she shoved the piece of paper into her jeans pocket, G would know what to do. "Oh shit!" she'd forgotten about him, turning she hurried to the warehouse.
"Faith! Where have you been? Giles is in there, don't you care?"
Faith's already frayed nerves snapped at the sneer she heard in Buffy's tone. Springing forward she grabbed the blonde around the front of her shirt and threw her into the wall. "I care, I fucking care alright," she hissed angrily, "you know B, yesterday I thought I might have been wrong about you, that you were five by five but I was right all along. I care a hell of a lot about G, I didn't let my lover-boy kill his girlfriend!"
"You bitch!"
Buffy's open handed slap rang out across the alleyway as it collided with her face. Eyes flaming she started forward only for Angel to get in her way. "Faith," the vampire hissed, "priorities! Giles, remember?"
For a second she glared at the vampire before nodding. "Five by five," she muttered. "Just keep her on her leash."
The blonde started forward at her comment only to stop at a look from Angel. "Where's Kendra?"
"Got hurt. Xander had to carry her home."
"Badly?" There was concern on the vampire's face.
"Not life-threatening," she evaded. Anxious to avoid raising the vampire's suspicions she looked towards the building. "What's the plan?"
* * *
Giles stared with disgust at Balthazar. The demon was enormously obese with very pale, pasty, slimy skin and layers of fat rolling off him. He sat suspended in a tank of filthy water, while one of the Eliminati poured ladle after ladle of it over him in an effort to keep his skin moist.
Giles glanced at his shaking companion and sighed. He and Wesley had been busy bickering in the library about the buffoon's treatment of the Slayers when the Eliminati had kidnapped them. On balance he thought he'd rather be held hostage with Snyder than this weasel.
"The front! Moisten the front!" Giles shuddered as a ladle full of water was poured across the whining demon's chest. Not even watching Xander eat was as hideous as this.
"Oh God!" Suddenly Wesley began whispering. "Oh, God!"
"It doesn't seem too promising, does it?"
"Stay calm, Mr. Giles. We have to stay calm."
"Well, thank God you're here. If I didn't have you to hold my hand I'd be a quivering wreck," he shot back dryly.
"What is that thing?" his counterpart whispered.
"That would be your demon," Giles raised an eyebrow. "Looks awfully lively for a century dead demon doesn't he?"
"There's no need to get snippy."
Snippy? Once again he had to fight the urge to hit the bloody plonker. Balthazar finally turned his attention towards them. "Bring them closer."
"Dear god," Giles muttered, "looks like we're starters." He bit back a malicious smile at the stricken look on his fellow Watcher's face, might as well go down having fun. Two of the Eliminati grabbed them and shoved them closer.
"You know what I want," the demon wheezed.
"If it's for me to scrub those hard-to-reach areas, I'd like to request you kill me now." Giles fell to his knees as one of the vampires punched him in the back for his insolence. "Of course I'm more than willing to contribute to your gym membership fund."
"Mr. Giles, are you out of your mind?" Wesley babbled. "This is hardly the time for games!"
"Oh do shut up, you wimp," he snarled. "They're going to torture us to death anyway." Balthazar snickered. "You're not wrong about that."
Wesley paled even further. "Now, there's no need to be so hasty. We-we-we can deal with this rationally. We have something you want. You have something we want."
Balthazar smiled. "Hmm... A trade. Intriguing. No. Wait. Boring. Pull off his kneecaps!"
Two of the vampires grabbed Wesley. "NOOO! No, no, no! The Slayer g-gave it to someone. A tall man, a friend... a friend of hers. I can tell you everything."
Giles shook his head before muttering. "Quiet, you twerp! They'll kill us both anyway."
"But I'd like to have my kneecaps."
"You will tell us everything!" Balthazar demanded. "What is this friend's name?"
"Ah," Wesley hesitated, "I didn't actually catch it."
Giles rolled his eyes, he'd have to play for time. "Look, um, tell you what, let Brigadier Brave here go, and I'll tell you what you need to know. How's that for a deal?"
"THERE IS ONE DEAL! YOU WILL DIE QUICKLY, OR YOU WILL DIE SLOWLY! THE MAN WHO HAS MY AMULET! WHAT IS HIS NAAAME?!"
Giles winced at the vampire's tirade. "That's a no then?"
"His name could be Bo Peep," Giles groaned at Angel's voice, saved by the vampire, soddin' marvellous, the perfect end to a perfect day, "but it's not, it's Angel."
Angel charged towards him and Wesley, pulling the two vampires guarding them away and slamming one of them into a wall, the other into some metal shelves. Another one moved to intercept Angel, but Giles headbutted him, knocking him to the ground.
Suddenly the skylight above them shattered, and Buffy and Faith dropped down onto the warehouse floor. Giles' brow furrowed, but no Kendra? Giles' heart rose into his throat. She hadn't been hurt had she?
Faith raced towards him only for a vampire to charge her. The brunette blocked his attack and grabbed his arm. bringing it down before slamming a knee into his gut, making him drop his sword. Seeing Faith catch the blade, he turned his tied hands toward her allowing her to swing the sword down through the ropes, slicing them cleanly. The pieces fell to the floor as he grabbed Wesley and pushed him out of harm's way.
Out of the way of the fight, Giles quickly untied Wesley's hands. Hearing a vampire roar behind him, Giles looked behind in time to see and duck the attack. The sword caught on a shelf, and Giles grabbed the blade and back elbowed the vamp in the face, taking the sword from him. Swinging around Giles jammed the hilt of the sword into his rival's face as well, before spinning around to take on another one.
The vampire swung at him, forcing to parry it with his own. The vampire swung again, and again he blocked it. The demon swung down from above, but again Giles managed a block before forcing the vampire's sword to the floor, making his rival bend down to keep hold, and kneed him in the face. The vampire crumpled to the floor, his sword falling from his hands.
"Giles!"
Turning Giles saw Wesley had been grabbed by the other vampire from behind. "Bloody ponce." Raising his sword he swung it. "DOWN!" Wesley bent over fast, and the blade caught the vampire on the neck slicing through it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Giles saw Balthazar hold out his arms. The air between the demon and Angel began to shimmer, and Angel was lifted into the air and carried to the edge of the pool. Balthazar reached out, seizing the vampire's head in both hands. Angel struggled to get away but to no avail. Suddenly Faith threw her blade into the air, slicing through an electrical cable hanging over the pool, the cable fell from the roof and into the pool. Balthazar let out a shriek of agony before releasing Angel and writhing in agony as he was electrocuted.
Instantly Buffy rushed over to help Angel who appeared shaken but otherwise fine. Even as the blonde checked Angel over Balthazar's eyes whipped open. "You think you've won. When he rises... you'll wish I'd killed you all." Buffy raised her sword but the demon slumped forward, his eyes closing in defeat.
Giles let out a breath. "Well that was fun."
"You five by five G?"
Giles turned towards the brunette, his reassuring smile dying when he took in her pale face and wide eyes, there was something badly wrong. "I'm fine Faith, thanks to you and the others," he glanced around. "Where's Kendra?"
"She dived under a vamp's sword swing on the way here. Tore her knee out, she couldn't walk. X-Man's taken her home."
"Very sensible." The girl was lying about something but he could wait until they got back home.
* * *
Mayor Wilkins glanced around his office as he knelt in an inverted pentagram with his hands out to his sides. Where was Allan? That assistant of his was proving most unreliable, these days. Perhaps he needed replacing, he tutted to himself, replacing employees as senior as Allan was always a messy business, especially getting the blood out of the carpet. Gathering his thoughts he began reciting his spell.
Within seconds the building began to shake. Despite the building's rocking he stayed still, concentrating on the spell. In a couple of minutes he'd finished and the building settled to an uneasy rest.
"Did it work?" Trick asked.
"Let's find out." Taking a second to calm himself, he turned to the cage holding the vampire who'd attacked him earlier. "Let him out."
Trick's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Oh! Hold on." Taking the vampire's sword he threw it through the cage to the assassin before taking several steps back. "Give it the good old college try," he beamed encouragingly at the bemused, caged vampire. "If you'll do the honours Mr. Trick."
Trick shrugged. "Sure boss."
His associate stepped around to the front of the cage, unlocked the padlock and removed the chains as he watched and waited. As soon as Trick opened the door, the caged vampire rushed out towards him, his sword held over his head. The vampire brought the sword down on his head, splitting it in two. To his surprise he felt no pain. "That tickles." A shocked expression on his face, the vampire pulled back his sword as his head knitted back together. "Well that was an experience." He smiled as Mr. Trick stepped up behind the vampire as thrust a stake into the vampire's back causing him to explode into ashes. Most efficient.
Wilkins beamed, the spell had worked. "Well! This officially commences the Hundred Days. Nothing can harm me until the Ascension. Gosh, I'm feeling chipper! Who's for a root beer?!"
* * *
"Oh bloody hell." Giles stared aghast from Slayer to Slayer. Faith had just finished a babbling and tearful recounting of tonight's events. Faith and Xander were glassy-eyed but coherent, but Kendra seemed to be in a trance. Probably a combination of shock and Samuel Zabuto's programming.
"What are we going to do G?"
Waving Faith to silence he crouched in front of Kendra. "Kendra," the girl continued to stare obliviously, "Kendra," he raised his voice slightly but it was enough for some intelligence to return to the girl's eyes.
"I murdered someone," the pain and misery in the girl's voice was heart- breaking.
"No you didn't Kendra," Giles comforted, "what happened today was an accident. And far from the first Slayer to accidentally kill someone."
"Really?" he glanced towards Xander. "And what does the Council do?"
Ah, he had hoped that question wouldn't be asked. "The Council re-educates the Slayer involved before allowing her -."
"No fucking way!" a fiery light entered Faith's eyes. "I'm not -."
"Do you think I'd let them take her!" he demanded, his fury silencing the brunette, his voice calmed. "We'll keep the Council out of this and deal with it between us, but now," he turned to Xander, "Xander could take Kendra up to her room please?"
After a second Xander nodded, rose, and gently lifted Kendra into his arms, carrying her out of the room. "G, will everything be alright?"
Forcing a smile he pulled the girl into a hug. "Listen Faith," he soothed, "I'm not going to let anybody hurt you or Kendra I promise. Okay?"
Suddenly the brunette burst into tears. "G," the girl's voice was filled with pain, "if I hadn't thrown him to Ken, Ken would never -."
"Hush," he began to rock the child from side to side, "what happened today was nothing more than a tragic accident. What that man was doing running towards two Slayers I have no idea."
"Oh," the brunette nodded and pulled, her forehead furrowed in thought, she reached into her pocket. "G, Finch had this in his jacket pocket. I think he was looking for us."
"Oh bloody hell." Giles cursed as he read the contents of the note. Things had suddenly got a lot worse.
* * * Wesley threw aside the headphones he'd been using to listen to the bugs the Council had placed in Giles' house when they'd learnt two of the Slayers were living with their Watcher. He reached a shaking hand to pick up his cup of tea, his mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, the Slayers had saved his life earlier in the day, on the other, the third Slayer had killed a human, the greatest crime a Slayer could commit. Wesley sighed, he owed his first loyalty to the Council. Grabbing the phone he started dialling. "Hello, this is Field Watcher Wesley Wnydham- Pryce, could you put me through to Mr Travers please? I don't care if he's in a meeting this is a matter of the greatest urgency."
SPOILER: Redemption, Retribution, & Reconcillation. (Mama always said I should do the three Rs - although she always said life was like a box of chocolate, so you know).