Chapter 2
Choices
In the end Frost found himself at the meeting place. He stood on a corner with Faith and realized he hadn't eaten yet that night. That feeling disappeared when a black Buick pulled up in front of them. The back door opened and the teen from the club was looking up at them. Faith and Frost got in and the car continued on its way.
"Pull up your shirt!" El ordered.
"What?" Faith asked.
The car stopped and the passenger turned around and aimed a pistol at Frost and Faith. He was tan and had short black hair. He looked Asian to Faith.
"Look it's our way or no way. Make a choice."

"Fuck this!" Frost said and opened the door.
"Deacon!" El spoke. "In all your life have you ever wondered why the good guys always come out on top? They want you to believe that silver and sunlight are deadly, but what if they're wrong. You can be stronger than that, more powerful, you just need to be freed."

"And how can I do that?"

"Be unjacked. Join us."

Frost closed the door and the car continued again. Faith lifted her shirt as El picked up what looked like one of those soap bubble guns, except a little bit larger.
"This going to feel a bit weird."  El said as she flipped open a little compact. She turned it toward her to reveal a screen where the mirror should be. She pushed a button on the side of the gun. Electricity pulsed out and shocked Faith. The screen lit up and revealed the metallic worm. Faith gasped as Frost leaned in to look at the screen.
"One, two-" El pulled the trigger and the worm was sucked into the gun. El hit the nozzle against her palm and the worm fell into her hand dead.
"Look familiar?"  The passenger asked in a think Japanese accent.
El climbed over Faith and opened Frost's window and threw it out. "You're next."

Frost suddenly remembered last night.  "You won't find it in my stomach."  He pointed to his nose.
"Twitch, a little help?"  El asked.

Ten minutes later they pulled up in front of a dilapidated movie theater. The driver and passenger left them at the front and went in through the side. El led them through the concession area and into the theater. Alice in Wonderland was playing on the screen. El led them to the front row where a small card table was set up with a glass of water. Sitting behind the table was a man in his mid-50s, large build, short thinning blonde hair, and a pale face. He spoke without his eyes leaving the screen.
"Deacon Frost, Faith Wilkins, welcome."  El quietly left.  "I am Eyecon, you both have been asked to join us, because your help is greatly needed. We are fighting in a war, the war to end all wars, but we can't force you. So here's your choice."  He opened his hands and held them out, palms up. In each hand were two pills, in his right red, in his left blue. "Take the blue pill and wake up in your bed and believe whatever you what. Take the red pill and join the rebellion, fight."

Faith reached out to take the red pill.
"Remember once you choose there is no turning back."

Faith took the red pill and swallowed it dry.
Frost didn't understand any of this. The weird gadget had gotten the worm out, but that didn't explain anything. The strange man before him and the people in the car all smelled weird. Sort of like that new car smell, which wasn't right.
"Frost, for what it is worth, doing this will make you more powerful than anyone's blood can offer you."

Frost picked up the glass of water and took the red pill from Eyecon. He popped the pill and swallowed it with a gulp of water.
Eyecon stood up. "Follow me."  He led them to a room behind the screen. It was filled with old film canisters. Faith and Frost saw the two men from the car working with computer equipment and El placing a mirror between two dentist-like chairs. 典hose pills are part of a trace program, please take a seat."

"Trace what?"  Faith asked as she and Frost sat in the chairs.
"You."  El said as she placed electrodes on Faith's forehead, neck, and arm.
Eyecon flipped open a cell phone, pushed a button, and spoke. "Kale, do we have a signal?"

Faith looked at the mirror to her right, which seemed to be moving. Frost on the other side has already touched it. He pulled his fingers away. The liquid mirror was like honey as he massaged it between his fingers. He watched as it seeped up his arm.
"Kale?"

"I don't see anything."  Twitch said.
Faith gasped as the liquid mirror stuck to her fingers. It began to run up her arm.
"Kale?"

"Still nothing."

The liquid mirror traveled up their shoulders. Faith squealed as it climbed up her chin. Frost gurgled as it oozed into his mouth.
"I have a lock on both!"  Twitch yelled.

Frost opened his eyes. Everything was pink and liquid. He pushed at the jelly surface above him until it broke. There were wires everywhere and they were attached to his body. He couldn't breathe, which that in itself was weird, but he still felt suffocated. He touched his mouth; there was a tube or something there. He grabbed it and pulled it out. He gasped, coughed, and choked. He looked down at his pale, naked body. He looked around, but before he could form a thought he heard a popping noise. He turned to see a naked woman sitting in a pod to his right. She pulled the wire out and gagged. He tried to figure out why she looked so familiar, when he noticed the large cable extending from the back of her hairless head. He reached back to find he had one too. Suddenly a machine with red lights dropped down in front of him. Its claw of an arm reached out and grabbed him around the neck. He weakly struggled as it gripped his neck when the searing pain in the back of his head started. Just as it started the pain stopped and the machine let him go. A moment later all the wires began to pop off of him. The machine turned to the woman as Frost felt his body being sucked from behind. He tried to hold on, but the force was too strong. He slid down through a tube at the back of the pod and fell out the end into a pool of water. A few minutes later the woman fell out same tube. She saw him and weakly swam to him. She reached out and held on to him. He blinked as he felt her arm around his neck. Then there was a bright light and he was hoisted upward.

Faith blinked trying to clear the haze. The faces seemed familiar. A cloth was draped over her as someone lifted her and cradled her in their arms.
"Frost, Faith, welcome to the real world."  Faith blinked and then passed out.

Eyecon cradled Faith as Twitch picked up Frost and carried them to the medical room.
"Ivy, get us out of here."  Eyecon ordered as he left the room. He spotted El following. "El, wake up Oz and get him up to date. We're going to need some sleeping quarters for them."

El wrinkled her nose and walked back the way she had come.
Twitch smiled. "She's gonna get a big head from being the one to spot these two."

"Well, I'm not making her captain, no mater how much she pouts."  Eyecon joked.
"I don't mean to pry, but have you decided yet?"

"Maybe."  He replied as he stepped into the medical room and placed Faith on one of the tables.
A large, muscular, black man stepped into the room and got to work.
"Roin, are you sure you can handle them both?"  Twitch asked as he laid Frost on the other table.
"No sweat, go get some rest."  Twitch smiled and left.  "You too, captain."  Roin said as he placed a hand on Eyecon's right shoulder. "You can't go in again, just training programs from now on."

"I still can't believe I've gotten too old for this. I'm old enough for the council."  Eyecon said running his left hand through his hair. "Well, you have work to do."  He left as Roin set to work.

El didn't find Oz in his room, but in the mess hall.
"Oz, did you see them?"
The red head did not look up. "Yeah, I saw"

"What's wrong? We picked up two changelings like you. I thought you would have been happy."
"A vampire and a slayer, El, and the reason I'm not jumping is because I know her."

"Faith? How?"

He looked up. "I fought by her side and against her. El, she's not a savior like the one. She's a murderer."

"She helped me out."  El said defensively. "Is this a Willow thing?"

Oz glared at her and bolted out the door.
"Sorry I asked."  El yelled after him.