Title: A Light In The Dark
Author: LostMarbles
Rating: M for suggestive themes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters connected with BtVS are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Characters from Riddick are owned by Universal.
A.N: This story is set directly after Bad Girls in the Buffyverse & before any of the movies or the game in the Riddickverse. Some things have been changed around, certain demons are still alive. Oh and there will be character death in the future and a warning - the main characters may be OOC but I hope to write the changes in a believable and way.
Responses: A big thank you to all who reviewed.
obsidian midnighte - well still not much of the plot is told, but I hope your intuition-thingy still tells ya good things about the story.
Jay - I personally, have always liked Faith (though Buffy's still my fav) I just didn't like how she acted after Bad Girls. But don't worry an ass kicking is definitely in Faith's future.
Janetria - I'm glad you love the story so far, hopefully these next chapters don't disappoint. And thanks for your offer but I've already found a Beta for this story.
Slays - Like I told Jay I do generally like the Faith/Buffy sister Slayer relationship too. I just needed to purge my demons over season 3 after the ep Bad Girls. As for Travers, I have a vague idea of what'll happen to him but his fate won't be settled for a looong while.
boom - glad you liked it. Here's more.
SkyeDeploro - As for how Buffy's getting into Riddick's world you'll have to wait and find out. Though it's vaguely laid out in this update.
FaithUnbreakable - Sorry about sending out the teaser only, but I needed to entice a Beta. Hope you enjoy the update though.
fan - Not too found of Travers myself. Glad I got your attention though.
NoLifeKing - Even though this update is kinda - okay really slow - I am getting into a kinda groove with this story. So hopefully it'll go faster now. No promises though.
On with the story!
BtVStCoR
Chapter 2
The next night
Buffy awoke with a stifled scream. The remnants of her nightmare still lingering in her minds eye. Allan Finch clutching at her ankle, pulling her deep underwater, Faith pushing her under and just before she awoke, a pair of silver eyes.
A sudden, sharp ringing from the hallway causes her to jump slightly. Getting up from the couch she moves to pick up the phone.
"Hello?" pause. "Hey Faith. What's up?" pause. "A nest, where?" pause. "Restfield Cemetery? Okay I'll meet you there." Hanging up the phone she runs her hands through her hair, swearing softly as the tangles in it pull at her scalp.
Sighing she brushes the wrinkles out of her clothes, caused by her after slaying nap. She moves towards the front door, grabbing her jean jacket and a few extra stakes along the way. Shouting bye to her mom she leaves the house and heads towards Restfield.
BtVStCoR
Buffy opens her eyes groggily as she hears voices as if coming through a tunnel and her head lolls in their direction. Blinking her eyes repeatedly she's able to make out five vaguely humanoid shapes. Trying desperately, she finally manages to focus in on their conversation:
"Look, I just wanna know what's gonna happen to B." A familiar, female voice says.
"That is no longer your concern Miss Evans. Just be assured that you did the right thing in informing your Watcher of Miss Summers' activities." Another familiar voice answers. A decidedly English, male voice.
Buffy hears the female sigh, before. "Can I at least say goodbye?"
"I see no harm. But after that I must ask you to vacate the premises."
Buffy is able to make out the females approach, by the squeak of sneakers on cement? floor. She looks up as the female leans over her prone form. Dark eyes, filled with anger and. . . triumph, peer into her own and her hazy mind is finally able to put a name with the familiar voice. Faith. Her sister Slayer. She could rest, heal. Her sister would never allow anyone to harm her. Her eyes close in premature relief as Faith leans closer to whisper in her ear.
"I just wanted you to know, that I'll take good care of your friends B. In fact I'll make it my personal mission to. . . comfort Angelso well, he won't remember your name by the end of the year." Buffy's eyes snap open. "Love ya Sis." Faith sneers, smirking at the confusion in the blonde's hazel eyes. Kissing Buffy's forehead as a final insult she spins on her heel and leaves the abandoned building without a second glance.
Travers watches impassively as the brunette Slayer leaves their temporary hideaway. Once he's certain that she won't be back he calls out to the shadows. "You can come out now, Mister Toombs."
A rough looking man with short, curly dark hair and three day stubble steps out from the darkness, dark clothing allowing him to blend into the shadows easily. He looks towards the door Faith exited through. "Bout time she left. What was with letting her do all that yammering? I thought you Watcher's kept the Slayers on a tight leash. You getting soft Travers?" Toombs asks with a grin.
Travers looks down his nose at Toombs as he replies frostily. "You needn't concern yourself with Council affairs Mister Toombs. Your services were acquired to do a job, not to offer your unwanted opinion. If you find yourself unable to accomplish this, we'll find someone who can."
"Easy Travers, don't get you tweed in a twist. I can do the job. The question is, can you pay the fee?"
Travers looks at him distastefully as if the subject matter were below contempt, or perhaps it was the man he was talking to that he found below contempt. "Two-hundred and fifty thousand UD's now, and another two-hundred and fifty thousand upon delivery." He tells Toombs handing him a manilla envelope. He also hands Toombs a small, sliver, square container. "Be sure to give her the injections every six hours, otherwise you'll have a very unhappy Slayer on your hands."
Toombs grabs the container with a snort. Watching Travers he casually opens and glances inside, seeing five needles filled with bright, electric blue liquid. "This stuff'll keep her out?" He asks, just a little suspicious.
Travers hesitates. "It will. . . suppress her natural attack response, numb her mind and slow her physical reactions."
"You have no idea what this stuff actually does. Do you?" Toombs asks, unable to leave without taunting the head of the Council at least once more.
Travers' lips purse in annoyance, but refrains from answering.
Toombs grins. "Well it's been fun. But me and the boys really gotta be going. Mac, Evers grab the girl. We're heading out."
Mac and Evers do as their told and lift Buffy carefully from the table she'd been tossed on after being drugged the first time. Following Toombs out of the building they carry the drugged Slayer to a small ship, hidden within the dense growth behind the abandoned warehouse.
"Where're we stickin' her?" Mac asks.
"Stick her in cryo. Make sure she's strapped in tight. We don't wanna get into the middle of space and have a pissed off Slayer breaking out."
Dutifully they place Buffy in the pod, carefully strapping and chaining her in. Once they have her settled in stasis, Toombs starts the engines and they're passing through the Earth's gravitational pull and hurtling through space in no time.
Back on Earth Travers watches the ship until it resembles nothing more than a distant star. Turning to his men and he makes his way to the waiting cars.
BtVStCoR
Chapter 3
If most of your brain shuts down in cryo, all but the primitive side, the animal side. What would happen to the mind of a warrior, one weakened by drugs and bruised by treachery?
Companion. . .
Ally. . .
Friend. . .
Sister. . .
BETRAYER!
Buffy's eyes snap open, a wild, animal glaze to them. She takes in her surroundings the tiny almost coffin like tube. The bindings across her chest, legs and wrists. And the smell of the men in the ship, tobacco, booze, and sweat. Along with the sharp metallic smell of numerous guns.
A low growl escapes her lips as she arches against the straps. The bindings on her legs snap against the pressure and she begins kicking at the front of the pod.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
After a few good kicks the door hits the floor with a CLANG. An alarm sounds as Buffy thrashes against her remaining bonds.
Toombs jerks out of cryo-sleep at the sound of the alarms. Lookinf around the ship he sees the thrashing Slayer. Swearing he lunges towards her, his four man crew seconds behind him.
Even with all five men holding her down she manages to kick Toombs across the ship. Dazed he lays sprawled near the piolets seat for a moment, before getting up stiffly. As he does he notices his coat out of the corner of his eye, he looks at the clock (less than four hours out) he hesitates. Looking back towards Buffy he sees her kicking the crap outta his men, despite the bindings at her chest and left wrist. Coming to a decision he grabs his coat and rummages through his pockets. Pulling out the sliver container he races back into the fray. Fumbling slightly with the clasp he curses again and slams it against the floor, the container falls open at the abuse and Toombs crows in triumph. Grabbing one of the needles he yells at his crew.
"Hold her arm steady!"
His men struggle against the enraged Slayer, but finally manage to steady her as Toombs injects the bright liquid into her arm. They hold their breath as her struggles dwindle and she becomes still beneath them. Each man slowly moves away from her, ready incase she begins to fight again.
Convinced she's unconscious Toombs sighs deeply and runs his hand through his dark tousled curls. "Hoo man! I need a drink. Travers isn't paying me enough for this shit. Six hours my ass. It's barely been four." He continues to rant until. . .
"Uh, hey boss?" Evers asks hesitantly. Looking at the seemingly sleeping Slayer.
Toombs looks at him impatiently. "Yeah, what?"
"Was that stuff supposed to stop her breathing?"
"WHAT!" Toombs roars. He quickly makes his was to the pod still cradling the Slayers unmoving body. Checking for a pulse in both her neck and her wrist he panics as he doesn't feel one and places his ear against her chest, desperately praying for a heartbeat. He pulls away a minute later.
"Fuck." he swears as he again runs a hand through his dark hair. "We are sooo fucked."
"What's the big deal. You got over two hundred thou for her. I say we dump her on the nearest planet and move on." Mac tells him disinterestedly.
Toombs gives him a scathing look. "That's why you're an idiot Mac." He ignores Mac's outraged look. "If we don't bring this broad where she's meant to go. The Council is gonna hunt us down and eviscerate us. That is of course after the keep us alive for a few weeks to make an example of us."
The crew grows silent at the sobering news. They watch Toombs pace the length of the ship, until Evers disrupts the silence. "What's the plan Toombs?"
"Shut up a minute and I'll tell ya." Toombs contiues to pace, chewing on his thumbnail. After a few more rounds he stops. "Alright, this is what we'll do. We stop off at the nearest planet and dump the body." He cuts Mac off with a glare. "Then we find a girl, who resembles this one. Same age, same hair colour, hell same size rack. We take this new girl where they're waiting for her, collect the rest of our money and move on. They won't know of the switch for about a year. A year we use to make ourselves invisible. Everyone got it?"
The crew reluctantly agrees and Toombs directs the ship towards the nearest planet. Aquila Major.
BtVStCoR
A.N. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm no longer looking for a Beta for this story. Thanks to all who offered.
LostMarbles