Three Slayers 13
The youth shoved a tape into his video before moving his television a few inches for his pet to see it. Satisfied that the TV was angled right he pressed the play on the remote control. Instantly the beast began to howl and slaver, its eyes bulging as is strained to escape its restraining cage. "Soon," he muttered a slight smile on his face. "Soon."
* * *
Xander's eyes narrowed as he entered the Bronze. The place was jumping, filled with wildly writhing and gyrating bodies packed onto the dance floor. Seeing his friend sat in a booth at the back, his head bowed in contemplation, he hurried over. "What's up Johnny?"
His friend turned towards him. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Xander raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You sure look miserable for nothing."
"Just leave it."
The youth made to walk past him but he blocked his path and shook his head. "No," he replied. "I won't leave it."
Jonathan looked up at his set face and sighed. "Fine, you want to know what's up? It's the prom in a few days and my girl-friend's-."
Xander felt a surge of rage. "You're worried about the prom when Faith's risking her fucking life? Jesus, John!"
"No," his friend shook his head vigorously. "That's not it at all. Well that's part of it I suppose. I mean I spent my entire life as a dateless dork and then bang, I end up with the best-looking babe in the school-."
"Second."
"Whatever," Jonathan tried for a half-smile. "But the point is she's not going to be there for the prom." Jonathan's face fell. "What other things isn't she going to be there for? Even if she gets through this secret agent deal... God, I'm so scared for her."
Ah, Xander nodded in understanding. That was it, dating a Slayer was hell on a guy's nerves. Xander motioned towards the booth. "Sit down." After a second his companion obeyed, Xander sat in the seat opposite. "The Prom," he shrugged. "The Prom's one night, an important night sure, but you're gonna have plenty of others together. We've got this sewn up tight, only people we can trust are in the loop, Faith won't slip up, her cover's fine. Everything gonna be," Xander grinned. "Five by five, right?"
After a second Jonathan nodded. "Right."
* * *
Xander whistled to himself as he hurried through Sunnydale's major shopping mall, his gaze darting left and right as he looked for the surprise he wanted to get Kendra for being his prom date. He chuckled as he remembered Giles' pained expression when the Englishman had realised that his part in Xander's plan meant that he'd have to act as a decoy by informing Kendra that her technique was looking sloppy and she'd have to have an extra training session. Oh, the bruises.
His brow furrowed as he noted somebody examining a dress in April Fools. "Well even on the weekend I need my fix of Cordy-abuse. Guess I'm just kinky that way." A grin on his face he pushed the shop door open. "Cordy, always a pleasure.
The cheerleader looked up, an almost frightened look on her face. "Xander, cross-dressing now?" she snapped.
Stranger and stranger, Xander mused, that insult definitely lacked her usual venom. "That your prom dress Cordy?" he shot back with a grin. "Because you should carry it off no problem, definitely screams upper-class slut."
"Is this a customer or a friend?"
Xander turned to see an imperious looking salesgirl looking at him. Xander hid a smirk, he wondered if Cordy had taught her that look. "Neither. Just stopped by for my daily helping of bile. It's sort of a Harris-Chase tradition."
The salesgirl glared at him before turning her attention to an unusually quiet Cordelia. "You better get back to work and quit goofing. Mrs. Finkel so has it in for you." Her warning delivered, the salesgirl stalked off, nose held firmly in the air.
Xander looked from the middle-aged woman by the counter to a downcast Cordelia. This didn't make any sense. "You work here?"
"Yes. Yes, I work here."
"But, uh, why?"
"I'm trying to buy a dress," Cordelia muttered.
"But don't you already have all the dresses?" Xander was growing increasingly bemused.
"I have nothing, okay? No dresses. No cell phone. No car. Everything's been taken away because Daddy made a little mistake on his taxes. For the last twelve years. Satisfied? Are you a happy Xander now? I'm broke. I can't go to any of the colleges that accepted me. And I can't stay home because we no longer have one."
"Uh, wow." Seeing Cordelia like this, surrounded by an aura of hurt and with tears in her eyes didn't have the appeal it would have had a few years. He wanted to hug her, tell her things would be alright. But he and Cordelia didn't do hugs.
"Yeah, neato. Now you can run along and tell all of your friends how Cordy finally got hers. How she has to work part time just to get a lousy prom dress on layaway. And how she has to wear a name tag. Oh, I'm a name tag person. Don't leave that out. The story just wouldn't have the same punch."
"Cordy, I'm-." He spun round at the sound of the shop front window shattering and a furry beast on four legs barrelling towards them, salvia dripping from its gaping mouth. "Get down!" Xander shoulder-charged the monster out of harm's way before leaping towards the creature. "Slayers are like policemen!" he grunted as he grabbed hold of the monster around its heavily muscled neck, attempting to keep its gnashing teeth from his face and throat, even as its claws ripped at him. "There's never one around when you -." Suddenly his legs gave way knocking him to the floor, the creature on top of him.
Just as the monster was about to savage him Cordy brought a steel yardstick down across its snout. The monster let out a howl before turning its baleful eyes on the cheerleader. "Nice doggy."
Even laid Xander was unable to prevent a giggle from escaping. Nice doggy? Pure Cordy. Suddenly the beast leapt off him and charged not at Cordy but at a tuxedoed youth at the back of the shop. Groaning at the effort, Xander struggled to his feet, helped by the shaking cheerleader. "Thanks Cordy," he muttered.
"No problem Dweeb Boy," his companion whispered, her voice shaking and her usually healthily-tanned skin a sickly grey. "Any idea how we beat this crea-."
The Queen of Sunnydale High's voice trailed off when the beast turned its gaze on them. Suddenly it let out a roar and bounded past them, and out of the window. Xander sighed with relief. "Shopping really can be murder eh?"
"Do you think we need to tell Buffy?"
"Well duh," Xander thought of something and passed the cheerleader his keys. "You go get the car, I'll get the video tape." He waited until the cheerleader had disappeared out of the shop before approaching the store's shocked manager. "How much does Cordelia owe on that dress?"
* * *
"But you're alright?"
Xander rolled his eyes at Kendra's fussing. "I'm great, a few bruises but nothing major. Let's watch the tape." After a second inspecting him, his girlfriend nodded. "See," Xander pointed at the tape. "That's where things went weird."
"Xander, hellmouth remember?"
Xander nodded at Buffy's remark. "Yeah, but still. I've attacked it, Cordy's attacked it but it goes for a guy cowering at the back of the shop."
"If I'm not mistaken, this is a hellhound." Wesley commented.
"Yes." Giles agreed. "It's particularly vicious. It's sort of a demon foot soldier bred during the Machash Wars. Trained solely to kill. They feed off the brains of their foes."
"Lovely," Xander muttered. Why couldn't there be any nice demons, the sort that were built like Pamela Anderson and wanted to make teenage boys their sex slaves?
Wesley turned to Cordy. "And what pray tell were you doing this afternoon?"
"What? Um, I was... "
Xander dived in to the rescue. "You know what's she's like. Burning a hole in daddy's wallet, as usual. I just bumped into her during my tuxedo hunt." He smiled at Cordy's grateful half-glance.
"Right, these things eat brains right?" Buffy asked. At Giles' nod the blonde continued. "How's this for a plan. Giles, you and," Buffy cast the younger of the two Watchers a distrusting glance "Wes come with me to Willy's to see if he's got any information."
"Oh splendid," Giles beamed. "I always enjoy giving that odious little berk a good hiding." Everyone stared at the older Watcher for a second. He shrugged. "I spar with Slayers and fight with demons, it's nice to de dishing out the punishment for a change."
"Okay," Buffy shook her head before turning to him and Kendra. "You two go to the local butchers and meat plants, see if anybody's been buying brains."
"What about us?"
Buffy nodded at Willow's question. "Will, you, Jonathan, and Oz go to the magic shop and see if anyone's been in, buying supplies to raise a hellhound."
* * *
Xander wrinkled at the stench in the meat processing plant, the smell of blood in this place must be enough to drive vampires wild. Shaking his head he continued to walk down a row of hanging carcasses, Kendra standing at the other side of a guy in a white coat and a hard hat. Finally the man nodded and turned to Kendra. "Yeah, yeah. This kid orders cow brains a couple of times a week. Goes to this address," the man passed his girl- friend a grease-stained note. "Good luck. He's a weird kid."
Kendra beamed. "Thanks. Thanks a lot." Her expression turned serious as she looked at him. "Shall we?"
He nodded. "Let's."
* * *
Cordelia sighed in defeat, her chin held determinedly high as she strode towards the dress shop exit. She was Cordelia Chase she reminded herself, she didn't, wouldn't, cry. So what if her father had ruined-. "Hey! Don't forget your dress. Aren't you wearing it tonight?"
Cordelia turned to her fellow shop assistant . "As much as I hate to admit it, I haven't finished paying for it yet."
The other sales girl grinned at her. "Well somebody did. The hero from earlier on."
Cordelia's mouth dropped open. "Harris?"
* * *
"Are you sure this is the right house?" Xander muttered as he watched his girlfriend casually break into the house.
"It better be, otherwise you'll be doing hard time for breaking and entry."
"Why only me?"
Kendra grinned. "At my speed they'll never catch me."
"You'd leave me?"
"I'm young, gorgeous, with Faith's help I'll soon get a new boytoy." Kendra chuckled before kissing him lightly on the lips. Her face turned grim. "Got the weapons?"
"I'm all equipped."
Kendra nodded before looking around. "Basement?"
"That's usual."
Within a couple of minutes they were creeping down the steps to find a male teen, maybe a couple of years their senior, about to release a caged hellhound. "You're ready to go."
"Sorry, new plan." Kendra blurred across the basement floor to grab hold of the youth and throw him away from the cage. "The prom's a go and you're pathetic."
To Xander's surprise, the older teen smirked. "Maybe. Maybe not." Suddenly the young man grabbed a vase and broke it over Kendra's head - she brushed the shards off her jacket as the man brandished a screwdriver at the dark-skinned warrior, Kendra's eyes widened as she noticed something towards the back of the room. "That's how you did it? By getting them to watch teen slasher movies? That's how you brainwashed the hounds to go psycho on prom?"
"Neat, huh?"
Kendra shook her head. "I don't get it. What kind of sicko wants to destroy the happiest night of a senior's life?"
"I have my reasons."
"Whatever." Lunging forward Kendra grabbed the hand brandishing the screwdriver and drove it down on her knee. The man squawked as his weapon clattered to the floor. Instantly Kendra pushed the man face-first against the wall and tied his hands behind his back before opening a door and pushing him through. "Now I'm gonna lock you in here and then I'm gonna party like it's ..."
"Kendra," Xander noticed three empty cages.
"Gotta have a redundancy system," the madman gloated. "Any incompetent knows that. My three fiercest babies are on their way to the dance right now. You think formal wear makes them crazy, wait 'til they see the mirror ball."
Xander swallowed. Kendra looked at him. "Oh no," she croaked.
* * *
Buffy walked over to Giles, lowering her voice so not to be overheard by the chattering party-goers around them. "Any sign of them?" Willy had come up blank even with Giles holding a broken bottle to his eye, a rather disturbing image that would doubtless stay with her for some considerable time.
"No," Giles looked as worried as she felt.
"And we haven't got a clue where they are?" Angel interrupted as the vampire glanced around the filling dancehall.
"We'll just have to trust Kendra and Xander are capable of dealing with whatever's out there." "Yeah," Buffy agreed even as she checked the knife strapped to her thigh. And if they didn't it would be down to her and Angel.
* * *
Xander's car pulled to a halt outside the school. Kendra was out of the car even as the vehicle's screeches were still echoing in her ears. Seeing the trio of hellhounds loping towards the building she drew her crossbow and dropped the one in the lead with a bolt. In an instant, the other two turned towards her, their eyes glowing in the dark. "Xander stay in the car!" she ordered as the remaining beasts charged her .
The two remaining hellhounds charged her. Kendra readied herself. "That's right come to Kendra," realising she didn't have time to re-load her crossbow she threw it aside and drew a dagger. "Kendra's got a nice surprise for you both."
The first hellhound launched itself into the air at her, her dagger flashed up to meet it in mid-flight, ripping through its right haunch. The hellhound howled in agony, but continued on it s trajectory, knocking her to the ground. Ignoring the pain caused by the impact she grabbed the beast and forced its snapping jaws away from her even as she wrapped her thighs around it and squeezed, snapping ribs, and plunged her dagger repeatedly into the monster.
Finally it was dead. Flinging it aside, she rolled onto her knees as the other monster leapt at her only to be hit in mid-air by Xander's speeding car. The monster hit the ground, bounced, and struggled to its feet. And was hit by the car again, Kendra winced as this time its skull was crushed under the back wheel. After a second, the door opened and Xander looked out . "Let's get into the prom."
Kendra looked down at her muddy clothes. "I'm not dressed."
"So?" Xander winked. "I'll still have the best looking date in the entire hall. You coming?"
Kendra grinned, she was so lucky. "Coming," she agreed. "I thought I told you to stay out of the way," she rebuked softly. She couldn't bear it if he got hurt protecting her.
"No you didn't," her boyfriend corrected. "You told me to stay in the car which technically I did."
"You're an idiot."
"True but," Xander grinned. "You also forgot dashing, ruggedly handsome, and fantastically witty."
"No, no I didn't. It's part of the Slayer Code," she replied.
"What is?" Xander asked, his face puzzled.
"Never to lie."
"Ouch," her boyfriend winced. "No smooches for you tonight."
Kendra snorted. "Like you could ever resist. You're more likely to turn down a Twinkie than me."
Xander laughed. "True. God I'm pathetic."
"Yeah, but that's the way I like you."
The youth shoved a tape into his video before moving his television a few inches for his pet to see it. Satisfied that the TV was angled right he pressed the play on the remote control. Instantly the beast began to howl and slaver, its eyes bulging as is strained to escape its restraining cage. "Soon," he muttered a slight smile on his face. "Soon."
* * *
Xander's eyes narrowed as he entered the Bronze. The place was jumping, filled with wildly writhing and gyrating bodies packed onto the dance floor. Seeing his friend sat in a booth at the back, his head bowed in contemplation, he hurried over. "What's up Johnny?"
His friend turned towards him. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Xander raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You sure look miserable for nothing."
"Just leave it."
The youth made to walk past him but he blocked his path and shook his head. "No," he replied. "I won't leave it."
Jonathan looked up at his set face and sighed. "Fine, you want to know what's up? It's the prom in a few days and my girl-friend's-."
Xander felt a surge of rage. "You're worried about the prom when Faith's risking her fucking life? Jesus, John!"
"No," his friend shook his head vigorously. "That's not it at all. Well that's part of it I suppose. I mean I spent my entire life as a dateless dork and then bang, I end up with the best-looking babe in the school-."
"Second."
"Whatever," Jonathan tried for a half-smile. "But the point is she's not going to be there for the prom." Jonathan's face fell. "What other things isn't she going to be there for? Even if she gets through this secret agent deal... God, I'm so scared for her."
Ah, Xander nodded in understanding. That was it, dating a Slayer was hell on a guy's nerves. Xander motioned towards the booth. "Sit down." After a second his companion obeyed, Xander sat in the seat opposite. "The Prom," he shrugged. "The Prom's one night, an important night sure, but you're gonna have plenty of others together. We've got this sewn up tight, only people we can trust are in the loop, Faith won't slip up, her cover's fine. Everything gonna be," Xander grinned. "Five by five, right?"
After a second Jonathan nodded. "Right."
* * *
Xander whistled to himself as he hurried through Sunnydale's major shopping mall, his gaze darting left and right as he looked for the surprise he wanted to get Kendra for being his prom date. He chuckled as he remembered Giles' pained expression when the Englishman had realised that his part in Xander's plan meant that he'd have to act as a decoy by informing Kendra that her technique was looking sloppy and she'd have to have an extra training session. Oh, the bruises.
His brow furrowed as he noted somebody examining a dress in April Fools. "Well even on the weekend I need my fix of Cordy-abuse. Guess I'm just kinky that way." A grin on his face he pushed the shop door open. "Cordy, always a pleasure.
The cheerleader looked up, an almost frightened look on her face. "Xander, cross-dressing now?" she snapped.
Stranger and stranger, Xander mused, that insult definitely lacked her usual venom. "That your prom dress Cordy?" he shot back with a grin. "Because you should carry it off no problem, definitely screams upper-class slut."
"Is this a customer or a friend?"
Xander turned to see an imperious looking salesgirl looking at him. Xander hid a smirk, he wondered if Cordy had taught her that look. "Neither. Just stopped by for my daily helping of bile. It's sort of a Harris-Chase tradition."
The salesgirl glared at him before turning her attention to an unusually quiet Cordelia. "You better get back to work and quit goofing. Mrs. Finkel so has it in for you." Her warning delivered, the salesgirl stalked off, nose held firmly in the air.
Xander looked from the middle-aged woman by the counter to a downcast Cordelia. This didn't make any sense. "You work here?"
"Yes. Yes, I work here."
"But, uh, why?"
"I'm trying to buy a dress," Cordelia muttered.
"But don't you already have all the dresses?" Xander was growing increasingly bemused.
"I have nothing, okay? No dresses. No cell phone. No car. Everything's been taken away because Daddy made a little mistake on his taxes. For the last twelve years. Satisfied? Are you a happy Xander now? I'm broke. I can't go to any of the colleges that accepted me. And I can't stay home because we no longer have one."
"Uh, wow." Seeing Cordelia like this, surrounded by an aura of hurt and with tears in her eyes didn't have the appeal it would have had a few years. He wanted to hug her, tell her things would be alright. But he and Cordelia didn't do hugs.
"Yeah, neato. Now you can run along and tell all of your friends how Cordy finally got hers. How she has to work part time just to get a lousy prom dress on layaway. And how she has to wear a name tag. Oh, I'm a name tag person. Don't leave that out. The story just wouldn't have the same punch."
"Cordy, I'm-." He spun round at the sound of the shop front window shattering and a furry beast on four legs barrelling towards them, salvia dripping from its gaping mouth. "Get down!" Xander shoulder-charged the monster out of harm's way before leaping towards the creature. "Slayers are like policemen!" he grunted as he grabbed hold of the monster around its heavily muscled neck, attempting to keep its gnashing teeth from his face and throat, even as its claws ripped at him. "There's never one around when you -." Suddenly his legs gave way knocking him to the floor, the creature on top of him.
Just as the monster was about to savage him Cordy brought a steel yardstick down across its snout. The monster let out a howl before turning its baleful eyes on the cheerleader. "Nice doggy."
Even laid Xander was unable to prevent a giggle from escaping. Nice doggy? Pure Cordy. Suddenly the beast leapt off him and charged not at Cordy but at a tuxedoed youth at the back of the shop. Groaning at the effort, Xander struggled to his feet, helped by the shaking cheerleader. "Thanks Cordy," he muttered.
"No problem Dweeb Boy," his companion whispered, her voice shaking and her usually healthily-tanned skin a sickly grey. "Any idea how we beat this crea-."
The Queen of Sunnydale High's voice trailed off when the beast turned its gaze on them. Suddenly it let out a roar and bounded past them, and out of the window. Xander sighed with relief. "Shopping really can be murder eh?"
"Do you think we need to tell Buffy?"
"Well duh," Xander thought of something and passed the cheerleader his keys. "You go get the car, I'll get the video tape." He waited until the cheerleader had disappeared out of the shop before approaching the store's shocked manager. "How much does Cordelia owe on that dress?"
* * *
"But you're alright?"
Xander rolled his eyes at Kendra's fussing. "I'm great, a few bruises but nothing major. Let's watch the tape." After a second inspecting him, his girlfriend nodded. "See," Xander pointed at the tape. "That's where things went weird."
"Xander, hellmouth remember?"
Xander nodded at Buffy's remark. "Yeah, but still. I've attacked it, Cordy's attacked it but it goes for a guy cowering at the back of the shop."
"If I'm not mistaken, this is a hellhound." Wesley commented.
"Yes." Giles agreed. "It's particularly vicious. It's sort of a demon foot soldier bred during the Machash Wars. Trained solely to kill. They feed off the brains of their foes."
"Lovely," Xander muttered. Why couldn't there be any nice demons, the sort that were built like Pamela Anderson and wanted to make teenage boys their sex slaves?
Wesley turned to Cordy. "And what pray tell were you doing this afternoon?"
"What? Um, I was... "
Xander dived in to the rescue. "You know what's she's like. Burning a hole in daddy's wallet, as usual. I just bumped into her during my tuxedo hunt." He smiled at Cordy's grateful half-glance.
"Right, these things eat brains right?" Buffy asked. At Giles' nod the blonde continued. "How's this for a plan. Giles, you and," Buffy cast the younger of the two Watchers a distrusting glance "Wes come with me to Willy's to see if he's got any information."
"Oh splendid," Giles beamed. "I always enjoy giving that odious little berk a good hiding." Everyone stared at the older Watcher for a second. He shrugged. "I spar with Slayers and fight with demons, it's nice to de dishing out the punishment for a change."
"Okay," Buffy shook her head before turning to him and Kendra. "You two go to the local butchers and meat plants, see if anybody's been buying brains."
"What about us?"
Buffy nodded at Willow's question. "Will, you, Jonathan, and Oz go to the magic shop and see if anyone's been in, buying supplies to raise a hellhound."
* * *
Xander wrinkled at the stench in the meat processing plant, the smell of blood in this place must be enough to drive vampires wild. Shaking his head he continued to walk down a row of hanging carcasses, Kendra standing at the other side of a guy in a white coat and a hard hat. Finally the man nodded and turned to Kendra. "Yeah, yeah. This kid orders cow brains a couple of times a week. Goes to this address," the man passed his girl- friend a grease-stained note. "Good luck. He's a weird kid."
Kendra beamed. "Thanks. Thanks a lot." Her expression turned serious as she looked at him. "Shall we?"
He nodded. "Let's."
* * *
Cordelia sighed in defeat, her chin held determinedly high as she strode towards the dress shop exit. She was Cordelia Chase she reminded herself, she didn't, wouldn't, cry. So what if her father had ruined-. "Hey! Don't forget your dress. Aren't you wearing it tonight?"
Cordelia turned to her fellow shop assistant . "As much as I hate to admit it, I haven't finished paying for it yet."
The other sales girl grinned at her. "Well somebody did. The hero from earlier on."
Cordelia's mouth dropped open. "Harris?"
* * *
"Are you sure this is the right house?" Xander muttered as he watched his girlfriend casually break into the house.
"It better be, otherwise you'll be doing hard time for breaking and entry."
"Why only me?"
Kendra grinned. "At my speed they'll never catch me."
"You'd leave me?"
"I'm young, gorgeous, with Faith's help I'll soon get a new boytoy." Kendra chuckled before kissing him lightly on the lips. Her face turned grim. "Got the weapons?"
"I'm all equipped."
Kendra nodded before looking around. "Basement?"
"That's usual."
Within a couple of minutes they were creeping down the steps to find a male teen, maybe a couple of years their senior, about to release a caged hellhound. "You're ready to go."
"Sorry, new plan." Kendra blurred across the basement floor to grab hold of the youth and throw him away from the cage. "The prom's a go and you're pathetic."
To Xander's surprise, the older teen smirked. "Maybe. Maybe not." Suddenly the young man grabbed a vase and broke it over Kendra's head - she brushed the shards off her jacket as the man brandished a screwdriver at the dark-skinned warrior, Kendra's eyes widened as she noticed something towards the back of the room. "That's how you did it? By getting them to watch teen slasher movies? That's how you brainwashed the hounds to go psycho on prom?"
"Neat, huh?"
Kendra shook her head. "I don't get it. What kind of sicko wants to destroy the happiest night of a senior's life?"
"I have my reasons."
"Whatever." Lunging forward Kendra grabbed the hand brandishing the screwdriver and drove it down on her knee. The man squawked as his weapon clattered to the floor. Instantly Kendra pushed the man face-first against the wall and tied his hands behind his back before opening a door and pushing him through. "Now I'm gonna lock you in here and then I'm gonna party like it's ..."
"Kendra," Xander noticed three empty cages.
"Gotta have a redundancy system," the madman gloated. "Any incompetent knows that. My three fiercest babies are on their way to the dance right now. You think formal wear makes them crazy, wait 'til they see the mirror ball."
Xander swallowed. Kendra looked at him. "Oh no," she croaked.
* * *
Buffy walked over to Giles, lowering her voice so not to be overheard by the chattering party-goers around them. "Any sign of them?" Willy had come up blank even with Giles holding a broken bottle to his eye, a rather disturbing image that would doubtless stay with her for some considerable time.
"No," Giles looked as worried as she felt.
"And we haven't got a clue where they are?" Angel interrupted as the vampire glanced around the filling dancehall.
"We'll just have to trust Kendra and Xander are capable of dealing with whatever's out there." "Yeah," Buffy agreed even as she checked the knife strapped to her thigh. And if they didn't it would be down to her and Angel.
* * *
Xander's car pulled to a halt outside the school. Kendra was out of the car even as the vehicle's screeches were still echoing in her ears. Seeing the trio of hellhounds loping towards the building she drew her crossbow and dropped the one in the lead with a bolt. In an instant, the other two turned towards her, their eyes glowing in the dark. "Xander stay in the car!" she ordered as the remaining beasts charged her .
The two remaining hellhounds charged her. Kendra readied herself. "That's right come to Kendra," realising she didn't have time to re-load her crossbow she threw it aside and drew a dagger. "Kendra's got a nice surprise for you both."
The first hellhound launched itself into the air at her, her dagger flashed up to meet it in mid-flight, ripping through its right haunch. The hellhound howled in agony, but continued on it s trajectory, knocking her to the ground. Ignoring the pain caused by the impact she grabbed the beast and forced its snapping jaws away from her even as she wrapped her thighs around it and squeezed, snapping ribs, and plunged her dagger repeatedly into the monster.
Finally it was dead. Flinging it aside, she rolled onto her knees as the other monster leapt at her only to be hit in mid-air by Xander's speeding car. The monster hit the ground, bounced, and struggled to its feet. And was hit by the car again, Kendra winced as this time its skull was crushed under the back wheel. After a second, the door opened and Xander looked out . "Let's get into the prom."
Kendra looked down at her muddy clothes. "I'm not dressed."
"So?" Xander winked. "I'll still have the best looking date in the entire hall. You coming?"
Kendra grinned, she was so lucky. "Coming," she agreed. "I thought I told you to stay out of the way," she rebuked softly. She couldn't bear it if he got hurt protecting her.
"No you didn't," her boyfriend corrected. "You told me to stay in the car which technically I did."
"You're an idiot."
"True but," Xander grinned. "You also forgot dashing, ruggedly handsome, and fantastically witty."
"No, no I didn't. It's part of the Slayer Code," she replied.
"What is?" Xander asked, his face puzzled.
"Never to lie."
"Ouch," her boyfriend winced. "No smooches for you tonight."
Kendra snorted. "Like you could ever resist. You're more likely to turn down a Twinkie than me."
Xander laughed. "True. God I'm pathetic."
"Yeah, but that's the way I like you."