Chapter Five

One day Faith was going to think before she ran into an impossible to win situation, though for that to happen she had to survive this first. The vamps were trying to corner her as they advanced in a semi circle around her and forced her back. None of them charged forward to take her; it was a waste of time as in such close quarters there would be no fight merely shoving and pushing. They wanted to see a fight and for that to happen they would trap her and make her fight later on in the ring. It was one of the ways the vampires loved to pass the time. Stick a person in a cage and watch them fight for their life. It was Drusilla that had suggested it during one of her semi sane moments. The ring had been rather empty of late and a Slayer would put on a brilliant performance for them.

She knew that the cages were coming up behind her and that once she felt the cold metal bars it would be over. There was barely enough space to breath let alone fend off the bloody thirsty fanged undead that were looking at her like she was the main meal of the day. Faith chanced a look behind her to see the first cage was only six feet away, she looked left and right and to each side more vampires closed in with a look of triumph already lighting up their eyes. Running straight through them was out of the question; the Blood Bank was full of them. She was all about going against the odds but this was ridiculous.

The Slayer noticed then that the roof of the cages didn't reach very high. The height would not enable any tall inhabitants to stand to their full height; it would be near impossible to stretch or move around very much, effectively stopping any attempted escape. Bad for them but good for her. Any normal person would have difficulty jumping the height good job she wasn't classified as normal. As if sensing what Faith was planning Drusilla's smirking grin quickly fell to one of annoyance. The Master saw it too "take her! Take her now!"

The first three vampires raced forward, which considering the small space was a little difficult, the closest one Faith grabbed by the scruff of his collar and threw him into the hungry fray. He was unable to change his course in mid air and he knocked the closest of his comrades to the floor like a bowling ball and pins. She took two steps and launched herself into the air, and the metal clanged under her boots. Directly above was the balcony and even as her right hand grasped a vertical bar to heave herself over the vampires ran up the winding stairs to reach her. She spun around, her foot connecting with a vampires face when he got too close, Faith grinned in satisfaction when she heard the crack of his busted jaw before he topped to the ground below. She made to run to the right when another vamp landed on the balcony, making it clatter under his weight. He had taken the same quicke to the balcony as her; he leered and sauntered towards her. Another came from the right, trying to block her way should she decide to take that direction instead. He spun the stake she had lost earlier in his short and stubby fingers. He was way too confident for her liking.

He chuckled cockily as he made his way towards her. As if coming to a silent agreement the two vampires rushed her from both sides. She jumped the couple of feet that made up the width of the black balcony and balanced on the thin rail for a second before spinning to the right, her leg connected with the back of the cocky vampire and the force propelled him forward. He fell headlong into the oncoming vamp and they landed in a tangle of arms, legs and coats. The arrogant vampire was unfortunate enough to be the one that caught the business end of Faith's lost stake. She picked it and the vampire up and chucked the latter through the window, he shattered the glass, and left it open for her to jump through.

"Find her!" the Master screamed at them. That was the last she heard of him.

Jagged shards of glass accompanied the vampire as he slammed against the pavement, being thrown out of the window didn't give him time to land in a better position other than flat on his face. He pushed himself up and fell back on his stomach, his nose was bloodied and eyes showed how dazed he was due to the fall. Faith landed awkwardly on her feet but was still stood before her opponent, before he had time to recuperate further she staked him. Looking up at the broken window she saw two other vampires gazing down at her and debating whether or not to take that, quicker route, to reach her. They decided against it though and ducked back inside. It would not take long for them to find her, she surveyed the area and made to take off when she remembered Doyle "damn" this was so much easier when there was no sidekick.

The makeshift team of Buffy, Kendra, Giles, Larry, Oz and the newly found Doyle split up. It would be faster finding out what had become of Faith that way; it was decided that the two Slayers would venture into the building to check if she was still inside while Larry and Oz checked the others exits and Giles and Doyle skirted the perimeter. The Watcher also wanted a chance to explain to the half demon why exactly he should not have allowed Faith to run off. Not that he had a choice in the matter. A member of the Initiative had equipped them with walkie talkies a while ago and never took them back; it was these that the group used now to remain in contact with one another.

They separated, each going about their designated tasks. Buffy and Kendra tiptoed back through the side door they had found Doyle at a few minutes before and peered around the boxes that were stacked high against the wall. "I can't see her" Buffy whispered "I guess she really did disappear" she had half believed the Master had shouted that as a trick to get them to come closer to find out for themselves what had happened.

"We can't get too close, the Master will know..." Kendra pointed to the stage where the ancient vampire was still stood, watching his flock intently. "Your friend isn't here" she observed and moved backwards, not wanting to turn her back on the wide open, enemy filled room.

"Yeah...maybe one of the others had better luck" she turned to follow Kendra when she heard a familiar voice whisper words she never thought she would hear coming from that person. Buffy froze and listened.

"Bored now. I want to find want to find the Slayer and watch her play with the others in the ring" a leather clad vampire climbed the steps at the side of the platform and stood beside her boss, sulking slightly. "I never get to have any fun anymore."

"Now, now Willow, your time will come" the Master soothed and pout his arm around her shoulders and pointed to the busy little vampires below them. "Look how they rush around searching for a mere human, it's obvious she is no longer here yet still they remain here," he sounded disappointed. "They know they could never find her outside so they stay here and look busy."

"I could find her," Willow sounded so certain and it brought a smile to the Masters wrinkled pale face. "And I'd make her pay for running, for making us look so stupid. Let me find her..."

"Yes, lets" Drusilla chimed in from nearby; she stood at the side by the long red velvet curtains. She wrapped it around her and partly hid her face behind the thick and heavy material "she can hide, but we will find her. I see her now, she searches for her friend" she giggled "but she doesn't know where to look."

Willow moved along the stage, her heeled boots clanking on the wood. She took Drusilla by the hand and they jumped off the stage. "We're going now" she beamed.

"Our little friend doesn't like it here but she still wants to stay. I think we should help her make a decision!" the Master watched them go; they would find the missing Slayer he knew.

"What are you waiting for?" Kendra's voice broke through Buffy's thoughts.

"Nothing, I was just coming" a startled Buffy replied. Seeing Willow as a vampire, it made her sick to her stomach. She had to get out of there now. She inwardly cursed whomever the heck it was that had brought her here to this twisted world in the first place.

Seeing the van across the road, parked outside yet another broken up shop, Faith headed over to it. She recognised it, as the Whitehats van, staying there and waiting seemed a better decision that wandering aimlessly. They had to return there eventually, she didn't think whoever had come to aid Doyle would spend a lot of time searching for her. She did not have to wait too long, Giles and Doyle found her sitting cross-legged near the doors to the back of the van, hearing them come to a stop she looked up at them "see, nothing to worry about."

Giles looked extremely relieved to see her alive. He came forward and then back again, a look of doubt coloured his face. "Just a precaution" the Watcher explained before he took the cross he carried out of his pocket and held it close to her. Faith looked merely amused. "Can never be too careful. I'm glad you're alive --."

"We heard the Master inside. We thought he had you" Doyle was stuck between being angry and happy to see she wasn't vamp food. "Everyone's out searching for you." Giles stepped away from them while he contacted the remaining two groups on the radio. "What happened?" the half demon sat on the edge of floor of the van. He wanted news and rolled his eyes when Faith just shrugged. "Not much of a talker, huh?"

"Got nothing to say. I went in, fought a few of the bad guys and got back out" she spread her arms out, a smug smile on her face. "And here I am, still breathing."

"I never said you couldn't take care of yourself. There was just more of them than there were of you" Doyle seemed to be needlessly worried, she wondered if it had become a habit, through seeing so many of his friends or comrades killed. "There was no sign of the old man, either. A few of the Initiative soldiers are out searching though. Shouldn't be too hard, at this time we don't get many regular people wandering around. Could prove hazardous to their health" he gave a wry grin.

Giles turned back to them and pocketed the radio. "The others are on their way back. It appears the Master had vampires looking for you" his forehead creased into a frown. The last thing they needed was for the vampires to actually look for them instead of getting in their way only when they had to.

"Well, been on the vamp hit list before" Faith nonchalantly replied. "It's nothing new for me. I'm gonna get gone anyway, got a few things to do..." she jumped down from the van and started to walk away from them both. Truth was, she didn't want to get close to these people. It bad enough she knew some of them in her world, she didn't want to talk to their replicas. The other guys, she knew how they felt about her. These versions she didn't.

"Well.... wait...you can't just leave" Giles protested. "We need your help. Both you and Buffy can aid our cause – to having three Slayers that are perfectly trained...well it could seriously undermine the power the vampires and the demons have over Sunnyhell --." Giles did not notice that Faith had stopped when he was in mid speech, and he carried on anxiously, trying to persuade her to remain. "I don't know how you came to be here or why but this may, quite possibly be a sign that the tide will change in our favour now. And if not, well, we can seize this opportunity before it disappears again."

Faith spoke in a quite voice. Sensing the change Doyle enquired as to what was the matter. "Not that we're trying to put too much pressure on you both" he joked

"Buffy is here? I thought you said she was dead" she was beginning to get the feeling that this little trip wasn't going to be a bed of roses.

Giles interrupted and stopped beside the two of them. "Our Buffy is. We assumed the one that's here is the same one that you spoke of."

"Judging from your reaction I'm guessing she is. And you two aren't exactly the best of friends?" Doyle assumed.

Faith smirked and shrugged in a 'don't care' attitude. "Nothing like a little friendly rivalry between Slayers." Doyle was not buying it, and neither was Giles. The last thing he wanted was for the two new Slayers to be unable to work with one another. It would make things truly difficult.

"I'm gonna make tracks" Faith announced and started off again. "I'll catch you guys later" Doyle dragged alongside her.

"Before you go, there's something I want you to try and do" he told her ominously. Interest piqued, Faith nodded and followed him as he led her away from the Blood Bank, the van and the incoming Buffy. Giles sat in the vehicle to wait. He just hoped what Doyle was doing would work out fine.

A couple of minutes later the rest of the gang arrived. Buffy looked around, obviously searching for the missing Slayer. She looked worried upon seeing she and Doyle were missing. Buffy did not want to take any chances where Faith was concerned; she did not want her alone with anyone on the side of good. "Faith will be along later," he told her knowingly. "She and Doyle left to pay someone a visit. In your world, you must have had a friend called Xander, yes?"