A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! Still love meh 3 Thank you reviewers!
franky - Heh, you'll find out in this chapter... I hope.
Harry2 - I love your enthusiasm! Lol
Godessa39 - Yay! My favie! Okay so here's a full explanation in short terms... Uh.. from the beginning? Or just for that chapter? Basically the Council doesn't like Angel. They want him gone. They think he's a liability and could cause problems for the Slayer... which, who knows? He might! They know that Buffy won't exactly give Angel over without a fight so they figure they might as well take care of her first. I hope that explains it a little better. It'll be in more detail in this chapter.
And another thanks to kuola, Blondiegrl, Buff, sheilamarie, and general mac.
Disclaimer: If you don't know it by now then I think you have a short term memory. They aren't mine!
Chapter 13: You Lead, I'll Follow
Buffy's head was pounding. She felt like she had been hit in the head with a hammer numerous times. She went to rub her forehead but found it impossible to do so.
'This isn't right...I have hands. At least I remember having hands...'
She slowly opened her eyes to find her vision blurred a bit. She blinked repeatedly until it became more clear. When she glanced around she realized that she was in some sort of a cell. It wasn't like a jail cell though, it was more or less a room, but with bars. She yanked on her arms and found them held back by tarnished chains.
'This sucks. I'm gonna kick the ass of whoever the hell put me in the chains. I DO NOT like chains.'
The room was rather confined, consisting of a small day bed, which Buffy was currently sitting on, her back against the wall, arms above her head. There was a small nightstand next to the bed with a lamp on it and a book that read 'Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson'.
Buffy scrunched up her face. Emily Dickinson oddly reminded her of Owen.
'No.. Don't think of boys at a time like this! Bad, bad Buffy! No boys... Where's Angel?'
There was a click. Buffy's head snapped to the large steel door across from the bed. The knob was clicking over and over again, then turning. It opened to reveal...
Angel rubbed the back of his head where there was a small bump. What had happened again? Oh yeah.. stupid idiots hit him. He swore silently to himself that he would rip their flesh with his teeth some other time. Right now, he needed to find Buffy.
Suddenly, Angel found that very impossible to do. He was in a cage. A large, steel, barred cage. Men were standing at all corners with large guns.
'Tranquilizers.' (sp?) He thought. All of them had their eyes locked fiercley on Angel, ready to fire.
With a groan, Angel stood up. Luckily they took the chains off that they had first put on him at the mansion. "Heya boys. Mind lettin' me in on your little secret?"
Nobody spoke.
"Alrighty then... How about you let me out? We can have a chat over tea and blood?"
Silence.
This was gonna be harder than he thought.
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Faith sped down the road as fast as she could go without causing too much damage. Cordelia often told her to slow down but Faith knew that whatever... whoever took Buffy and Angel needed some serious ass kickin' and she was definatley in the mood. She also knew that they couldn't kill all those guys by themselves. They needed the gang.
"I think I'm gonna throw up."
"Roll down the window."
"Slow down!"
"No."
"But--"
"No. We're almost there. Think you can hold your stomach for a few more minutes?" Faith glanced over at Cordy who was rolling her eyes.
"Whatever."
Faith slowed down the car and turned left. She pulled up to the curb right out behind an alley. Cordelia put her hand over her mouth. "Remind me to never get in a car with you behind the wheel again."
"Not my issue. C'mon. You sure this is the place?"
Cordelia nodded and got out of the vehicle. She followed Faith around the to the front of the old building. It was pretty shabby but she didn't take notice. The two entered and then got inside of the elevator. Cordelia pressed '3'.
"So, what's it like to kill someone?"
Faith turned and glared at Cordelia. "What's it like to have your insides ripped out and shoved down your throat?"
"I don't know."
"Wanna find out?"
The doors opened. They walked out into the dimmed hallway and headed down toward '7D' and walked inside.
"That was seriously rude." Cordelia muttered. Faith didn't even acknowledge her as she walked over the threshold with her hands on her hips.
"I'm lookin' for Spike."
Gunn looked up from where he sat at the round table, looking over a gem they found on a Cratalle Demon. "Fuck!" He stood up and pulled open the weapons cabinet next to him. First thing he grabbed, machete.
Faith rolled her eyes. "Relax, Big Guy. I ain't gonna hurt you. If I was, you'd be dead already."
Gunn didn't relax one bit. He didn't like Faith evil and he didn't like Faith good. Faith was bad. Bad Faith.
"Now I'm gonna say this again. I'm lookin' for Spike. He here?"
Swallowing, Gunn took a step forward. "I ain't tellin' you."
An exasperated sigh could be heard as Cordelia pushed past Faith and rolled her eyes. "Listen, Charles, she isn't going to hurt you. Now where is Spike?!"
He raised an eyebrow. "How do you know my name?! Who are you?! Spike--"
A bleach blonde head poked through the doorway behind the doors. "Somebody say my name? Oh Bloody hell!" He took a step back seeing Faith. He stuck his head up in the air and took a wiff. "She's clean."
Faith smirked. "Happy to see you too, Big Bad."
Spike squinted. "Cordelia? What're you-- oh nevermind. Where's the Slayer and the Great Poof?"
"Oh, well they got kidnapped!" Chirped in Cordelia.
"Kidnapped? By who?"
Faith shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't know. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say The Council."
Spike closed the door behind him and ushered them all into the livingroom. "How do you figure that?"
Faith plopped down on the ratty sofa and put her boot clad feet up on the coffee table. "Willow called. Said Giles called her from England. He needed her to get into contact with Buffy ASAP. To warn her. Well the way I figure it, England Watcher Trouble Council."
"Good math." Said Gunn sarcastically. "So who's this Council again?"
Faith sighed. He was really starting to annoy her. "The Council of Watchers. They're the head mojo for us Slayers. They assign a Watcher, find the called, train 'em, then send us out to do their dirty work. They don't like Angel. Never have."
Gunn gave her the 'Duh' look. "He's a vampire. If the Council is in support of the Slayer then they ain't gonna like the vamps."
"Thank you, Mr.Obvious."
Wesley suddenly appeared from the den. "What is all this racket about? I'm trying to test Illyria's-- F-Faith..." His eyes grew wide. "Cordelia..." He smiled.
"Hey Wes, what's crackin'?"
"Wesley! Hiya!"
Spike groaned. "Hey Wes, we're in the middle of an important conversation..."
"About what hair products you use?"
Gunn snickered. "That was good for ol' British."
Spike sneered. "No. About Buffy and Angel's kidnapping."
Wesley's face immediatley grew serious. He furrowed his brow. "When did this come about? Do you know who kidnapped them? Are they okay?"
Cordelia thought for a moment. "In order? Last night. The Council. Don't know."
Wesley looked utterly perplexed. "The Council? Why would they--- Oh dear. I'm going to phone Giles. I'll be right back."
Faith stood up. "They can't be in England already. They gotta still be here in the States. I say we hunt 'em down, and kill 'em."
Cordelia followed and shook her head. "No way! No killing! Jail maybe! No killing."
Wesley returned in a matter of minutes with a grim face. "I'm afraid this isn't good. This isn't good atall."
"Well this just keeps gettin' better and better." Buffy said when she spotted Quentin Travers enter the room.
"Buffy." He nodded his greeting and moved to the bed.
She yanked on the chains but they would't budge. "Think you could get these things off of my wrists? Then we can have a little talk over tears and bloodshed."
Quentin chuckled and steepled his fingers anxiously. "I don't think so, Miss Summers. Do not worry, we do not wish to harm you--"
She interrupted him with a bitter voice. "--Right.. cause shooting a dart in my neck, kidnapping me from my home, and chaining me to a wall isn't harming me at all whatsoever." Her voice dripped thick in sarcasm.
"Miss Summers, You misunderstood me. I said 'we do not wish to harm you', I did not say we wouldn't."
"Then what the hell is going on?!"
"He is a threat. He will damage you. We are just disposing of your troubles."
She caught on. They were gonna kill Angel! Those slimy bastards! "You mean your troubles! Angel is good! He has a soul! I'm not gonna have sex with him!"
"You already did."
"Oh.. right.. well.. WAIT! How did you know that?!"
"The Council has it's ways."
"You spied on me! Didn't you?! You self loathing arrogant asshole!"
Quentin sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Do not make me gag you, Miss Summers." He turned towards the door. "There is nothing you can do to stop us, from eliminating him."
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"Well what did he say?" Cordelia asked eagerly.
Wesley's face marred a frown. "Giles told me that The Council wishes to dispose of Angel, thinking he's a threat to human society and that he will endanger Buffy. Giles doesn't believe that's the real reason, but he can do nothing of it. He gave me the address to where they might possibly be keeping our friends."
Faith jumped up from the couch. "I got a plan."
Everyone waited for her to continue.
"I'ma take Gunn and Spike to this place, check it out, If we can handle it, we'll get 'em out, if we can't, we'll call in for back up."
Cordelia scoffed. "Yeah good plan. How do you plan to get in? I doubt they have an 'open for the public' sign out front."
Faith grinned slyly. "I'm a Slayer, babe. Breaking and entering is what I do."
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Buffy was breathing heavily now. These chains would NOT budge and it was seriously pissing her off. They had come loose on the wall, plaster falling down by her sides, but they wouldn't break.
Quentin left her to be alone only minutes before.
'Probably afraid that when I get out of these chains I'm gonna kill him. Which I just might.'
She closed her eyes and pulled together all the strength she could muster. '1...2...3!!' CRASH!
Buffy fell down on the bed, hard, the chains landing in a heap upon her. She groaned and pushed them off, then began fiddling with the lock. Good thing she had that bobby pin...
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Quentin Travers was staring at Angel with hard eyes set as stone.
"You? You work for the Council right?" Angel asked incredulously. The only thing he wanted to do right now was to get out of this damn cage!!! There was only so much a guy could take...
"Do shutup."
"Listen, I got places to be. People to save? Ya know? The job you're neglecting."
"Men, bring the hostage to the cellar."
And with that, Quentin left the room with his mouth set in a grim line, his jaw hard.
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Gunn stepped out of the truck and slammed the door. The moon was bright in the early evening sky and the stars were glowing an orange pink. Faith and Spike got out also and moved to the back of the truck.
In the box were several weapons. Faith grabbed two daggers. She shoved one down her boot and the other in her belt loop carefully so it wouldn't fall out. Then she grabbed a crossbow. "I have good aim."
Spike nodded. "So I remember." He loaded up also and then the trio headed toward a large metal door.
"Cordelia was right. It's locked." Gunn said sighing.
"I can fix that." Faith said as she put her hand on the knob, gave it a sharp twist, and broke the lock.
"Damn..."
Faith looked at the guys behind her with a stern look. "Don't do anything 'til I give the signal. 'Member, we're just checkin' it out. When things get hot be ready to kill. These.. people... they aren't human. Nothing about them is humane. You ready?" Spike gave one nod as his answer.
Gunn took a tight grip on his weapon. "You lead, I'll follow."