FIC: She's Gone (15B/?)
"Now, to complete the Ritual of Deverol, we need to-." A wave of dizziness hit Rack, tilting his world on its axis, dropping him onto one knee.
When he came round he saw Amy lying on her side, her eyes staring out into nothingness and drool running out of her open mouth. Strawberry, well she was on her knees, holding her stomach and whimpering. And, Rack felt a surge of panic, the magic, he couldn't reach the magic. "What's happ-."
Suddenly the front door splintered and swung inwards. Rack looked up as he heard a shout. "Grab the mages!" He opened his mouth to protest only to have it filled by a truncheon and his world turn black.
Clem's saggy jowls tightened at the sight of the three jeering demons kicking the moaning woman. It wasn't right, he hated bullies. He started across the road, he might not be a Slayer or anything, but he knew the difference between right and wrong. His eyes widened as he recognised the female's leather pants. "Faith," he growled deep in his throat. He had to rescue her.
Xander surged forward, catching Giles as he pitched to the ground. He winced as his hands came away sticky from the blood leaking from the Englishman's chest. Scooping the former librarian up in his arms he hurried towards his car. "Keep breathing G-Man," he pleaded, the Watcher's crimson viscera staining his jacket. "I'll get you to a hospital fast."
Dawn's eyes burnt as she forced them to focus. Using the skills Faith had taught her over three years ago, she forced the car door open and quickly hot-wired it. She had to find the others and fast. What had Willow done now?
"Listen to her whimper," one of the demons taunted from above her. "She'll be screaming in a few minutes!"
"You know it!" another one jeered.
"N...no," Faith felt a cold hand grab her insides and twist them. This wasn't going to happen, never again.
"Leave her alone." Her attackers began to turn at a deep voice behind them. Suddenly one of her assailants flew into the wall behind her, his skull hitting the bricks with a deeply satisfying crunch. Another had his sword snatched from him and thrust through his stomach. The third demon threw a punch that was blocked on a bulky shoulder before getting a clumsy but effective overhand right to the forehead that knocked him to his knees. The demon began to stand but Faith's gigantic rescuer, she could only see blurred shapes through her glassy eyes, snatched hold of his head and twisted, his neck snapping with an audible crack. A half-second later and the body joined the others on the ground.
"Now what's wrong with my friend then?" Faith screamed in terror when the big man lifted her into his huge arms, she struck out wildly, but her panicked blows bounced off the mammoth demon. "Hey, hey, Faithie, why you hitting old Clem?"
Clem? She looked up through blood-crusted eyes to see the saggy-faced demon looking down on her. "You're not going to hurt me?"
The demon looked as if she'd just given him a Slayer-powered kick in the balls. "Hurt my movie buddy?" her friend shook his head. "Never happen. What happened?"
"T..th..they took my powers away."
She began to shake with fear only for the demon to pull her even closer. "And we'll get them back. Why, Mr. Giles is the smartest man I've ever met and I'm sure he'll be able to fix you straight up. Is that a good idea?" after a second she nodded. Clem beamed. "Then that's settled. The Magic Box!"
"Oh shit!" Xander peered through the window of his car, heart racing as he noted the demons posted around the hospital. There was no getting in there without being spotted. He glanced over his shoulder to the middle-aged man lying in the back, Giles was fading fast. "Sorry Faith," he whispered as he put his car into gear, at least his girl-friend had her powers to protect her. If he was lucky, some of the side-roads would still be open.
"Oh no," Clem whispered. He stepped back into the shadows as he noticed the sentries posted outside the Magic Box. They'd already passed the Summers house and seen the destruction wrecked there.
"What are we going to do?" Faith's shaking had stopped, but the battered Slayer seemed in shock. "Where are the others? I need Xander!"
"Hush," Clem stepped deeper into the shadows. "Don't alert them," he warned.
"O...okay," Faith whispered. "What are we going to do?"
"I'll take you back to my place." His friend's eyes widened in fear. "Just to dress your wounds that's all," he hastened to reassure his friend even as he wondered at the terror in her eyes. "If that's okay by you?" the de-powered Slayer nodded. "Okey dokey."
"Shit!" Xander glared at makeshift barricades and grey-suited demons blocking the road ahead of them. He glanced at the unconscious Englishman beside him, noting the blood straining the Englishman's tweed and the paleness of his face. "Hold on G-Man!" he growled before nailing the accelerator to the pedal. The car crashed into the barricade with shuddering impact, splintering wood, and scattering demons. "Open road to LA, Giles," he muttered to his father. "Just hang in there."
"Where is everyone?" Dawn wiped her eyes as she drove Giles' car through Sunnydale's darkened streets, Faith having taught her how to hot-wire a car way back in her first run through Sunnydale. She'd been to Xander's place, nothing, and The Magic Box was being patrolled the demons like those who'd kidnapped Tara, who according to what she'd seen had probably been taken to the Bronze. "What should I do?" Dawn smiled tremulously as an idea hit her. "I know where to go."
Angel stepped back when Cordy's eyes flashed white. He was glad his best friend no longer suffered with her visions but he'd never get used to that. "What do you see?"
Cordelia glanced over his shoulder and towards the door. "Them."
Angel turned to the hotel doorway, eyes widening at the sight of a blood-splattered Xander cradling an unconscious, grey-skinned Giles in his arms. "Groo! Gunn!"
"Strawberry, are you awake?"
Willow heard the voice from a distance. Her eyes slowly fluttered. The first thing she noticed was her thumping headache, the second thing was her lack of magic. She looked around; they were in the Bronze, the nightclub filled with people she recognised as local witches, sorcerers, and occultists, the upper-walk patrolled by grey-suited demons with a glowing yellow machine behind the counter.
Her jaw dropped as a sickening realisation hit her, oh god what she had done these last few months? Blinded by her lust for power and corrupted by black magics she'd bullied and hurt the people closest to her. "Stay away from me!" she snarled, pushing Rack away from her. "You come near me again and I'll carve your heart out!" Seeing Tara lying crumpled in a corner, her right eye swollen, she hurried over to her former girl-friend. At least she could protect her.
"There, there," Clem clumsily comforted Faith as he dabbed gingerly at the last of his best friend's wounds, his normally saggy grey flesh a neon blushing blue. He'd seen most of the Bostonian's body tonight while dressing her wounds and, judging from the human porn, nothing compared to kitty porn in his opinion, of Spike's he'd seen and the way human males reacted around her at the video library, she was exceptionally attractive. But that wasn't the only reason he was uncomfortable, it was the way she flinched when he was about to touch her, as if scared he'd....
His mind shied from the thought. "That's the last of them," he soothed as he helped the pained girl back into her shirt and fastened the buttons back up. "Now why don't you take a nap?"
"N..no," Faith struggled to a seating position. "I have to make sure everyone's okay," the Slayer's swollen eyes widened in panic. "Fuck! Xander! I have to-."
"You have to rest missy," he pushed the girl down on the bed. Seeing the brunette's mouth open, he shook his head. "No young lady, rest. Xander is a smart boy he'll be okay," Clem said with a confidence he didn't feel. He hadn't recognised the uniforms at the time but he did now. And he was scared. You didn't cross them and live.
"I've got to," now panic entered the Bostonian's voice. "I was real shitty to him, he might think I don't care about him."
"I'm sure Xander knows exactly how you feel, he'd be a fool not to. And," Clem tried for a firm note. "You aren't going anywhere young lady, not in this condition."
"But-."
"Open up in the name of General Harnes!"
Clem swallowed at the voice, his blood freezing. "Stay there." He walked to the door, drew himself up to his full height, and flung it open. "Hello," he smiled at the four demons, sure to show his pointed teeth. "How can I help you gentleman?"
"We're rounding up powered humans," the demon leader looked at Faith's body. "Who's she?"
"She's mine! Tried to escape, that's why she's got the bruises. You know these humans; always have to be taught who's in charge." Clem babbled. "I won her in a card game. She's not much use for anything other than cleaning and cooking, but she's mine."
One of the demons shook his head before turning to his leader and speaking. "I recognise her from the wanted posters, she's the Slayer, and," Clem's heart dropped as the demon turned to him. "You're a stinking traitor."
"I can't get in touch with them."
Cordy guided her former boy-friend to a seat outside Giles' hospital room. "Get in touch with who Dweeb boy?"
Xander didn't give her the hoped for smile at his old nickname. "Faith, Tara, Dawn, I've even tried Willow. I've tried them all." He shook his head, a look of bewilderment on his face. "Nothing."
"Giles will be alright," Cordy looked up to see the ensoulled vampire. "Xander, what happened?" Xander's explanation was dazed and rambling but by the end of it, Angel and her were exchanging shocked and fearful looks. "The Scourge," muttered the Irish demon. "They're back."
