FIC: She's Gone (14A/?)
"That bitch!" Willow slammed the door behind her as she stormed into the house she shared with Amy and Rack. It had originally been just her and Amy's, but Rack had insisted he move in, to better supervise their training. At first she'd refused, wariness of the mage's motivations making her reluctant. But gradually she'd come to understand that Rack only wanted what was good for her, unlike Giles he didn't try to hinder her learning out of petty-minded jealousy, he encouraged it, revelled in her achievements with her. Now, she and Amy shared everything with their mentor. He didn't want some white-trash Slayer slut, he understood where true power lay, in magic, and, most of all, in her.
"Now dear," Rack entered the hallway from the bedroom they all three shared. "What's wrong?"
"That bitch!" she screamed, her red face testimony to her towering rage. "Xander's too stupid to see her game but he's just a toy to her! I won't let her defile him again!"
Rack took a back step at her rage before swallowing and taking her in his arms. "If you don't calm down I can't help you. Talk to me."
"That bitch," Willow's breath was coming in gasps. "She's doing it again, she's stealing Xander away from me! Without me to guide me, lord knows what trouble he'll get into!" Her eyes widened as a terrifying thought occurred. "They could end up as the 21st Century of Bonnie and Clyde! He's too easily led, first by that Cordelia, then Faith, then Anya, and now back to Faith! That bitch has got to go!"
"I know Strawberry," Rack murmured into her ear, the use of his nickname for her causing her to relax. "But a Slayer is no rival to take on lightly."
"I could take her-."
"I have seen your power and don't doubt that you could, but," Rack kissed her on the forehead. "Then your friends would know your part in her downfall and you don't want that do you?"
Willow nodded reluctantly. "I guess that makes sense. But what do I do?" she whined. "I have to look after Xander, he needs me to protect him from that slut."
"Don't worry about that," her guide kissed her on the forehead, his thumb working its way down her cheek. "I have a plan, but first," she moaned deep in her throat as Rack slid his tongue into her mouth, the intruder swirling round for a minute before withdrawing. "Go into the other room and undress. Amy's waiting."
Willow nodded dutifully. Rack had taught her that sex had an important part to play in relaxing somebody before magic, getting them into the right mood.
Rack hid a grin as he watched the red-head hurry into the other room. Manipulating Strawberry was a risky business but one with great rewards. Unlike Amy she wasn't already addicted to his buzzes and had a stronger mind and willpower so he'd had to work carefully, mindful that her power exceeded his and Amy's combined by some six-fold at least. And her potential, ran much, much higher.
But despite her intelligence, Strawberry had her weaknesses, namely her arrogance and naivety, utilising them and playing on her insecurities he'd slowly been able to addict her to his power. And the side-benefits, he chuckled at the moans coming through the doorway. So, what if a Slayer had to die to drive her further into his grasp? Another could always be called.
"I was helping Dawn with her homew-," Faith stopped at Xander's chuckle. She cast him a suspicious glance. "What's so damn funny?"
"I was just picturing the old you helping anyone with school," her boy friend kissed her on the forehead. "I'm proud of all the changes you've made. But you and homework." He chuckled again.
"Yeah," Faith smiled ruefully. "Well B would do it if she was here."
"Hey," Xander squeezed her around the shoulders. "Stop that. You don't have to compare yourself to Buffy, just be yourself. We all love you for you," the founding Scooby kissed her on the forehead again. "Okay?"
Faith beamed at Xander's declaration. Finally she had it all, all she'd ever wanted but never dreamed she'd get, a loving boyfriend, a safe home, a respected job, and friends who'd have her back in a throw-down. She raised an eyebrow. "You think a peck on the forehead proves you love me?" she challenged. "Have you learnt nothing?"
"I guess not," she moaned deep in her throat as Xander pressed his lips to hers, working his tongue into her mouth with a skill the eager virgin she'd deflowered years ago wouldn't have dreamed of. Anya might have been wicked weird, but she'd sure taught Xman some kick-ass moves.
"Damn it," she pulled away at the sound of a hoarse rumble that gave new meaning to the phrase 'heavy breathing'. She paled at what she saw. "Oh shit."
The monster stood some twenty feet away was over seven feet tall with enough muscle on its grey frame to throw a Buick across town and long, rippling arms that ended in jagged claws. But as terrifying as its massive body was, it was its face that Faith was sure would haunt her nightmares. On top of the creature's barn-door shoulders there sat a heap of writhing maggots. Its horror was completed by a wide mouth filled with painfully sharp teeth and a single glowing yellow eye stared balefully at them.
"I second that." Xander gulped beside her. "What do we do?"
"Nothing," Faith replied as she drew her sword. "I'm the Slayer, X."
"Faith, I don't run away from a battle. And I don't leave you."
Faith ground her teeth together, fear twisting her stomach. Dying herself she could just about handle, but the thought of getting Xan hurt or killed did something to her insides. "Damn it Xan, this isn't just some vamp-."
"Believe it or not," Xander interrupted, his voice tight. "I don't come on moonlight walks through Sunnydale's graveyards because of its romance factor. I come to help-."
All discussion was ended when the beast charged them, or more accurately her. Leaping into the air, Faith flowed into a spin-kick aimed at the monster's head, ignoring the feeling of revulsion at having to touch the creature's hideous head. "Oh fuck!" to her surprise and disgust her foot slid through the mass of maggots to come out the other side, the head instantly reforming afterwards. Of all the things she'd done or seen in her young but event-filled life that had to be the grossest.
Upon landing, she gathered her wits and surged forward, the point of her sword flashing into the area beneath the beast's left armpit. Or at least it should, the sword simply bounced off its target. Faith blinked. "Oh crap."
Before she had time to react she was flying through the air, propelled by a casual backhand from the demon. She landed on top of a tomb, the impact both winding her and cracking the burial place underneath her. She could only look up helplessly as the gargantuan lumbered towards her. "Back off Godzilla."
Faith's heart stopped at the sight of her boyfriend between her and the demon. "Get the fuck out of here Xander," she ordered in a wheeze. Just a few seconds more and she could – do what? Give X enough time to escape.
"Nope," Xander replied before charging the demon. Her eyes widened when her housemate dived forward, his axe slicing a bloody, downward furrow across the beast's chest. "What the hell?"
The next instance, a gnarled fist caught her boyfriend square on the temple, flinging into the air to land on the ground surrounding the tomb she'd landed on. Seeing their attacker start towards them again, Faith forced herself upright, hefted her sword and flung it javelin-like at the beast's yellow eye. Once again she hit the target and once again the beast remained uninjured.
Forcing aside the cold ball of fear forming in her stomach, she leaned down, grabbed Xander by his collar, and dragged him to his feet. "Xan, let's get the fuck out of Dod-, ah crap!" Registering the dazed look in her lover's eyes, she lifted him over her shoulder with a grunt. "Note to self," she muttered. "Introduce fat-ass to health food, only one of us has a Slayer metabolism."
Turning she sprinted away from the creature, relieved that at least 'Big 'n' Ugly' wasn't that fleet of foot. She cursed as she realised the monster was between them, their car, and their place. "Have to be G's then," she growled. As she ran, muscles straining at the effort, one thought nagged at her.
Just why had Xander been able to hurt it, but not her?
"It failed," Willow fumed. All that effort for nothing!
"There'll be other chances Strawberry," Rack paled at her glare.
"And it nearly killed Xander!" she seethed. "I thought it was meant to be trained to only hunt the Slayer!"
"It is," Rack hurriedly replied. "But he jumped in the way. If not for the way she's brain-washed him.."
"Of course," Willow nodded. This was all Faith's fault, when she'd eliminated that mad bitch the others would realise who their leader should be.
Giles looked up as the front door crashed open to reveal a heavily- breathing Faith carrying a stunned Xander over her shoulder. "Good lord!" he rose quickly, his shout or, more likely, the house-shuddering impact of the door being flung open, bringing a concerned looking Tara and Dawn hurrying down the stairs.
"What's up?" Dawn demanded.
"Big ugly fuc-," Faith darted a look at Dawn, "fellow with a head made of maggots attacked us. I couldn't do anything against him, but Xander could for some reason. 'Least he could until the thing smacked him one on the head."
Oh no, Giles had to resist the urge to take his glasses off and rub them. This was as the kids would put it, most definitely not of the good. Shaking himself he began to issue orders. "Faith, put Xander on the couch, Tara you whip up one of your herbal remedies to ease the swelling," he winced at the nasty bruise forming on the side of Xander's face, "Dawn go and get me," he struggled for the title, "'Pre-Christian Vampire Myths From Across The World' from my study."
"Roger Watcher Boss!" the former Key saluted him before rushing off. He fancied it was a mocking gesture, but he could dream about actually getting some respect. Everybody should have dreams.
"G!" his Slayer spun him round to face her, her coal-black eyes burning through him. "You know what that was don't you?"
"In a moment Faith," he replied, his tone tight with the pressure. "Ah," he smiled at his youngest charge as she hurried back in, book in hand. "Thank you Dawn, most efficient." Two minutes later he cursed. "Oh bloody knackering bollocks! Bastard!"
He heard Faith swallow. "What's the sitch G?"
Ignoring the Bostonian's mangling of both his mother tongue and name, he explained.
"The oldest recorded civilisation is the Assyrians, some 9,000 years in the past," Faith reeled at the figures the Watcher was sprouting. Fuck, growing up in Boston she hadn't expected to live much past the age of twenty, being a Slayer had only shortened that. And G was talking about nine thousand years? "Faith?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"However there is evidence to suggest that the earliest civilisation flourished in what is known as South America some 15,000 years ago. The vampire king of this time, a dark arts sorcerer by the name of Malice grew tired of the continual line of Slayers challenging his reign and created a monster called the Malltac," Giles paused significantly, "standing seven tall with a head of swarming maggots to destroy Slayers. Exceptionally strong and immune to injury by the Slayer, the beast was undefeatable in battle and killed over 300 Slayers," Faith felt her stomach hollow, "in two centuries before he was banished by a mighty coven of sorcerers."
"Well baby," Faith licked her lips, "he's back." This was bad, real bad. "Can we banish him again?"
"I'm afraid the exiling ritual has been lost. But don't worry Faith," Giles' reassurance rang false. "I'm sure we'll think out a way to defeat him."
"Yeah, just like Xander did with the Judge, eh Xander?" Dawn encouraged.
Faith turned to her boyfriend for one of his goofy grins to lift her spirits like they always did. Instead she was confronted by an empty sofa. "What the fuck!"
