I have no idea who came up with the name Linda Pryce as the name of Faith's watcher, but it seems to have become a common enough usage. So, thanks and credit for that are yours.
Faith didn't know what she was supposed to do. It had been three days since she had found herself sitting across from a high school. She'd watched for a couple of hours, trying to figure out differences, and whoever sent her here had managed to hook her up; she had around two hundred in tens in her pocket, and had some new alright clothes, tight black jeans and white silk form-fitting blouse, some kick-ass if girly boots, her switchblade, and a new version of her backpack with equally new versions of her stuff inside. Considering the way the guys had started to look at her lately at the shelter, and after that run in back in the alley, these Voice Guys were alright in her book.
The previous nights had been something of a mind trip; she could see why the Voices said things were getting out of hand. From what she watched, the people in a lot of the costumes were turning into them, kids into mini-monsters, unimaginative teens and adults into vampires and more traditional, and lame, variations. The number of Rambos, pirates, soldiers, gangster molls, succubi, horny devils and such amongst the older crowd was funny the first time, but kinda pathetic when it happened in alleys every night. And the number of 'Pretty Woman' hookers was still quite amazing.
No, the worst part as she could tell, was the fact that there were a lot of real monsters and vampires running around the place; around South Boston she'd thought she'd seen a few vampires but had never mentioned it to any one. Here, they came out in the open. Faith had managed to dodge the real bad ones by hiding out in the school; there was an attic space up in the band area that looked liked some one had lived there a while back. Going out the next day, she was amazed to here about 'gangs on pcp' and other stories as the explanation for happenings the previous night. 'The people here are clueless, stupid or just lying' the young teen thought to herself, 'And I still don't have any answers for the Voice Guys in case they show up.' That, and the fact that at different times she felt as though some one was watching her.
It was the third day she caught the difference, as a young man pleasing to her eye suddenly had two gals accompany him in one of the crappiest cars she'd seen in some time. Later, when they'd returned in costumes mostly different than the other times, she decided to follow them.
She watched as they changed into their costumes, and repulsed the attack on the demons, as she'd heard somebody call them. The four black-clad Dune types were kick-ass, even better than the ones at the old Bijou dollar theater back in the 'hood that showed rerun movies all day for the price of a new one. That'd been one cold rainy day. The gal in the old clothes who she'd seen whimpering one of the previous nights wielded a mean sword, but ran of into the night after some more of those monsters, so Faith just stuck with the group but from a distance.
Two cemeteries and thirty vampires later were amazing. That guy with the tooth-swords, the older guy and the brunette with their tooth-knives whirled and just swept through their attackers after the redheaded woman did a voice thing that caused the blood-guys to just freeze in place. Whatever it was that changed them stopped at some point, and she could tell a difference in the way all but the younger man acted. And after they'd talked about something, the two girls had looked at each other and then kissed the younger man, deeply. 'Seriously hot,' Faith thought, 'And I'm straight…but for some of him maybe I'd share too.'
Carefully following them back to the school, she listened at the door, then moved to the skylight when others approached. She heard the various explanations, some slight complaints about not sharing information that could be important to the group, but generally it seemed as if everybody, including a prissy English guy, were trying to get along well. Backing away from the skylight a while later, she slowly came down off the building to see a black girl listening in at the door quickly leaving before the blonde girl stuck her head outside, looked around, and went back in.
Faith had learned the hard way on how to avoid people and the vampires she'd seen in Boston. She quietly tracked the other girl a couple of blocks, watching as she tracked and then jumped on a trio of leather-coated guys swaggering down the street. The girl stabbed one in the back, causing it to turn to dust as the others parted and swung around. Faith moved into the bushes and ran as quietly as she could around behind the two vampires. The other girl was holding her own, just, as the two monsters smiled and seemed to play with their new toy.
"Jackson, this Slayer is yours if you can handle her alone," one said to another, "I've got some things I need to do." He laughed as the vampire he addressed grimaced, but wouldn't give in.
"Fine Demuerte," the one addressed as Jackson agreed, jumping a crescent toward his legs while successfully achieving a glancing backhand against the Slayer. Demuerte turned to leave, laughing as Jackson landed a stunning blow to the dark girl's head, when he felt his right eye pierced with a sharp knife. Demuerte screamed in pain, causing Jackson to turn away from the Slayer to see a slight dark-haired girl kicking the other master vampire hard in the groin with a lot of force behind the boot, then tackle him to the ground. He started toward the new fighter when he was struck a hard blow in the back of the head.
Faith fell atop the screaming vampire, tree branch in hand. She stabbed him in the chest three times, the vampire rolling away until she reached out and twisted the knife wedged in his eye socket again. A side-glance showed her that the other girl was back in the fight and bludgeoning her opponent as Faith plunged the branch hard again into one the chest wounds, this time hard enough to finish the job. She dropped a foot or so to the ground, catching her knee on a rock with great pain. A moment later, a poofing noise signaled the other girl's success. Faith looked up to find a hand being offered to her.
"You should not be a-fightin' de vam-pyres," the black girl told her, "That be my job." Faith smiled at her.
"And that's why you needed help, huh?" Faith remarked back with a small smile.
"De was two master vam-pyres," the girl conceded, "Dat I admit I was not expectin' and so…thank you." She smiled with a little embarrassment at Faith as they began walking in a random direction.
"It's five by five, girl," Faith said, "Though I'd like to ask a coupla questions if you don't mind."
"Alright, but I might not answer."
"Fair, enough," Faith answered, "First one is, why were you spyin' on the folks in the library?" The girl looked with widened eyes at Faith as they continued at a solid pace.
"How did you know I was dere?"
"Because when I stopped listening at the skylight and climbed down the wall, I saw you, then followed to make sure you weren't some kind of bad guy."
"I don't tink it is my place to say…"
"Okay for now, but next question? How many times have you repeated Halloween so far?" The girl looked at Faith in amazement, so Faith continued, "And did you get some Voice Guys talking to you out of thin air before they sent you here?" The look on her face showed it to be the case. "And what's your name, I'm Faith."
"I am Kendra, de Vam-pyre Slayer, and what you de-scribe is what happened, though my Watcher, Samuel, is not here with me."
"Cool, the Voice Guys gave you that Slayer stuff? 'Cause all I got is some spending money and clean clothes."
"No, I be de Slayer since about May, I remember, but de voices say you go dere, and here I am. Sometin' about tings happenin' de same over and over."
"That's what they said to me, and I've been here for around three days, you?"
"Dis is my tird night, I tink I saw you last night or maybe before…" Kendra added a little embarrassed.
"Ah, I thought someone was watching me, but I couldn't catch 'em. You're good, girl." Kendra blushed slightly.
"Not used to compliments huh?" Faith asked, "Me neither, but you're good at what you do. Just thought I'd help." She saw a diner, the Sunnydale Café up the street a ways. "How 'bout some grub?" she asked, hearing a grumbling belly not her own. Seeing Kendra look very uncomfortable, she added, "Tell ya what? The Voice Guys gave me the money and you the moves, so you start training me while we figure this mess out, and I'll cover the expenses, 'kay?"
"It is a deal," Kendra smiled, maybe finding a friend for just a little while, "But I should warn you, a Slayer eats like there's no tomorrow."
"That's okay, sis, because if we don't help these guys clean up this mess, there won't be one."
"C-can I help you, s-sir?" the blonde asked the man with the Brooklyn accent. He smiled at her.
"Yes you can, Tara Maclay," he replied without looking at her name badge which only had her first name, "There are a lot of unusual things going on after dark, and the Powers want you to be ready to help out with your magic." He paused to let that sink in. She looked trapped, and a bit terrified. Whistler actually felt something strange happening…true remorse, not just the usual kind he felt.
"Hey Frank!" he called out to the owner of the place, waving a fifty at the man, "One usual and I need to talk to your waitress for a few minutes." The man nodded and didn't look angry at Tara, "Hey, I'm not here to hurt you, so please sit down." She did, nervously.
"As I was about to tell you a few things, please don't interrupt until I'm done," he said, and waited for her to nod agreement, "Okay, first is the women in your family, including you are not demons. Never were." He waited for that to sink in and continued, "The men-folk in your family are complete bastards, some literally, and one of them a couple of generations ago, was a minor demon of some type, but all that is tied to the male chromo-whatevers. Girls, human, boys, part-demon and bastards."
"Second, you gals are natural-born witches, so no bad connotations, got it?" he said, watching her nod again with some tears in her beautiful eyes, "So it's up to you to be good or evil. Though if you decide on some minor pain to the bastards, a lot of the upstairs folks would be lookin' the other way for a few minutes if you know what I mean. Also, don't hate all guys for what those…people…did to you. You should decide your own relationships based on what you feel and think. Don't necessarily let your family experience or what others think choose for you. Now, from now on, you'll be looping through from two-thirty Friday until two-thirty Saturday until this is over. Either several universes will end, or the looping will end."
"W-what can I d-do?" Tara asked confusedly, more than a bit overwhelmed as Whistler's food was placed on the table and a fifty handed to Frank.
"Just make nice with the young man coming in to pick up that huge order Frank took over the phone a while ago," Whistler said, indicating Xander, "He's a good guy and this whole mess is centered on him somehow. And I don't mean nice in the guy-girl way." Angel came in a moment later and noticed Whistler and began moving directly toward them, "Or, the two girls coming in just a couple of minutes, again, not in a girl-girl way. But however you decide, you need an escort home tonight, so something that was foreseen as happening to you won't, kid." Angel nodded at Tara as he reached the table.
"Anything I need to be aware of, Whistler?" Angel asked.
"Not here for you this time," the balance demon responded, "Sent in to check some things out and let Tara," he gestured, "know that the men in her family are a lot like your and Xander's fathers were on a very bad day, and that she shouldn't let it ruin her life now that she's gotten away from them." He stood up to leave, turning to Tara, "Just be yourself, kid, and make your own decisions. Oh, and dark and broody here is the only vampire not currently evil, that's why his aura is different from the others, he was cursed with his soul by a bunch of too-angry-to-think-straight-gypsies the demon in him ticked off a hundred years or so ago. Bye."
Whistler walked out of the building, passing by a few dark-clothed figures who were on there way in. Tara stared at Angel for a minute.
"D-do you s-still eat people?" she asked, uncomfortable, but not too frightened. Angel actually smiled at her at the question, feeling her emotions but amazed at her inner strength.
"No, but my food is still usually liquid, but I get it from the meat shops," he grimaced, but lightly. He watched as Xander waved at him and headed out the door as a couple of girls came in.
"G-good, because that large group that c-came in behind you after Mr. Whistler took the cross off the door, are v-vampires," she told him, "like the two coming in after the girls." He turned to look in shock, realizing he was outnumbered by the eight vampires in the place, with only the three girls and whoever was in the back kitchen area with the owner. Xander popped his head in again having put the food in the car.
"Hey, Dead-Boy, come on," Xander shouted, causing the two vampires to turn around in game face, believing he referred to them. Angel raced forward at full speed, having stopped by the butcher's earlier for a holiday treat of a liter of AB Negative. The other vampires already seated, laughed, but as their friends attacked a human, decided to start getting up to join in the mayhem.
"Arsum!" a girl's voice cried out behind Angel as he charged, nearly causing him to stop in amazement as the first vampire getting up from the booth burst into flames, "Arsum!" and one in the middle of the others did the same, causing panic amongst the beasts.
Angel hurled himself into the midst of the undead, two stakes whirling, as Xadner quickly recovered and began slashing his two attackers with a white curved knife that sent Tara's senses off like a flashlight to night goggles, keeping her from trying a third tiring spell as she recovered.
Two vampires dusted in front of Xander, though one had managed a hard glancing blow to his right side, causing him to wince in pain before staggering.
Tara watched as the just-seated girls watched the fight, Angel taking out two vampires quickly as two dusted from the fire spell Tara had cast. Xander staggered forth and yelled out as he fired a revolver into the mid-section of the last undead trying to escape. Four shots resulted in two destroyed kneecaps, a painful groin shot and a left elbow shot, folding up the vampire into a heap.
"Angel, let's find out if he's part of a larger nest!" Xander called out, "Fred! Put the cross back up on the door, will ya?" He noticed the two girls watching them and the blonde girl who seemed to be a witch walk up to him nervously.
"Y-you sh-shouldn't torture it," the blonde girl said, "Just finish it off." Xander gave her a lopsided grin and a wink that actually gave her pause in a pleasant way.
"I'll try, okay?" he said smiling softer as he turned back to where Angel held down the bloodsucker. "Okay, Angel, get his coat and empty his wallet, Fred deserves some recompense for his trouble, and these ladies a free meal after what they've had to witness." Angel did as asked, Xander turning to the vampire in question as it mostly healed. "Because the nice lady asked me to end you instead of torturing you…" Xander remarked, the crysknife dusting the vamp.
The wallet contained an address that seemed current, as well as a couple hundred dollars. He snickered as he handed almost everything over to Fred.
"What's so funny, Xander?" Angel asked as they left the restaurant, Xander temporarily moving the very big cross aside for Angel. The young man handed the business card over to the vampire, resulting in a laugh.
"His Red Cross blood donor card!" Angel choked as he joined in the laughter, "He must be a newbie."
"H-hi, I'm Tara, Can I get you anything?" the nervous waitress asked the two girls who were still amazed. Faith started to laugh, and even Kendra joined a moment later as the return to normality seemed a bit absurd.
"O-kay, I think I'll have the double cheeseburger special with the works, chocolate shake and that'll do me, Kendra?"
"I'll have two of what she had, and maybe a piece o' de apple pie."
"Whoa, girl, you weren't kidding about the food, huh? I'm impressed." Kendra blushed but shrugged.
"Th-that it?" Tara asked, looking at the two of them.
"Yeah, when you get a minute, pull up a chair and tell us about how you went all fire-girl on the vamps?"
"Yeah, us and vamps go waaaaay back," Faith grinned, "For me, about half hour ago and four blocks down the street, huh Ken?" The normally reticent Slayer actually rolled her eyes and nodded for Tara to join them. She turned and handed the order to Fred.
"Sure, Tara," he smiled, "Not a problem, after that performance, you're employee of the month."
"What's that get her?" Faith asked.
"The occasional ability to break for a few minutes without worrying about what the boss thinks for at least a month," he added as his response elicited a laugh.
Meanwhile, a half-block down the street, having watched the outcome of the fight in hopes that it would bring the group together, ran into a problem of his own.
"Hey! I can't teleport out!"