Chapter 17
Lineage
As soon as their ship docked in Zion Faith and Oz left to talk to the council. Roin and Twitch began unloading stuff.
"Eww, man, I forgot how hot it is here."
They looked up to see Morpheus following two men off his ship. The younger one was the speaker.
Twitch and Roin smiled at each other.
"So, mister Morph, can we get a ride back to our crew once we load up on supplies?" Rat asked.
"I don't know when we are going back out."
"Well, we could always get a ride in with the slayer." Scratch suggested as they passed by Twitch and Roin. Rat gave them a wink.
As Twitch and Roin put down a box full of empty shells Twitch whispered. "I heard they lost their operator."
"Damn that man just can't get any luck."
They looked up to see Neo looking at them. "Have you seen Faith?"
Roin nodded his head, "yeah, she and Oz are talking to the council."
Roin and Twitch didn't wait for an answer, both walked back into the ship for another box. Roin shook his head, "he's like puppy that just won't go away."
El was tugging the other box of empty shells. "Do you know where Frost is?"
"Said something about a nap," Twitch replied.
El let go of the box she as she stomped out of the ship, "Damn him!"
"We need to go to the Outlanders." Oz stated.
"Why?"
Faith stood next to Oz, "the Oracle told me to get what they have."
The doors opened and Morpheus entered, "why you?"
"Because she is the chosen one."
All eyes turned to meet golden ones. Ra stood.
"Neo is the one!"
Ra sighed annoyed, "yes, we know that, but Faith is the chosen one." He stepped down from his seat in the back.
"So it is true it is meant for her?" A council member asked Ra.
"It is."
"What are you talking about?" Morpheus asked.
"I am the messenger, Hermes with the golden slippers", as he said that he pointed to his eyes. "The messenger of the Oracle or gods, it's no coincidence that she's on the Apollo's Chariot. It's all fate."
Before Morpheus could object Ra began to chant in ancient Sumerian.
"Stand before me ancient
Sit next to me future
Alternate light
Untimely dark
Illuminate the mother
Before the son"
The space between the council and everyone else began to waiver. Neo entered the room just as women began appearing in the space. The first slayer stood at one end and at the other was a girl with blue and purple hair dressed in a ripped tank and orange pants. Between them were several girls each uniquely from a certain time period.
"B", Faith whispered.
Ra stepped up to Faith and touched her forehead. After a moment he removed his hand, placed it over the first slayer and she began to speak.
"We are Faith's lineage, after man's fall powers bestowed a son, a one. From slayers womb to machines mind, man was born. She has choice, he has battle. Weapon not a weapon, but tool. Man not have ability to wield tool, man have mind."
The last slayer turned to Neo.
"Go fight, leave Faith behind, the voice is her battle not yours. You have to fight for man. She has to fight for us; she will fight the dark and bargain for the light." She looked at Ra, "the truth lies in his eyes, but you will all remember soon."
The representation of Buffy smiled, "the messenger remembers us, just as the guide remembers me."
"Guide?" Faith asked.
"He is your link to the willowing spell."
"So it worked?"
Buffy smiled, "five by five, Little Miss Muffet counting down."
With that all the slayers vanished.
"Little Miss Muffet, what the hell does that mean?" Ra asked.
"Old joke, something only B would know. That doesn't mean that Buffy's dead does it?" Faith started to panic.
Ra shook his head, "only the voice does that. These representations come directly from the slayers chain; all the souls are linked. So they can be called upon, but it doesn't affect the living person."
The council members all seemed confused, but they masked it well. It was not their place to question Ra. "Well, then Oz permission granted, but you will need to take two more crew members. I understand Trans is already on your ship so you will need one other. You will also take the Scavengers that arrived with Morpheus. Only the Scavengers know exactly where you need to go."
The council man saw Morpheus about to open his mouth. "Captain Morpheus will leave to recruit ship captains who have not been to Zion lately. Dismissed."
As Faith and Oz left the chamber Morpheus brushed past them.
"Hey, I heard you need another crew member."
They looked up to see a tall muscular man with short spiky hair and a scruffy beard approach them. Ra stepped up next to Faith.
"Faith, this is Hannibal King, he was pulled out about a month before you were."
"Why you?" Oz asked.
"The oracle told me I was the slayers guide."
"Just as the guide remembers me."
"You know Buffy." Faith blurted out.
Hannibal paused and appeared to be thinking, "petite blonde, loved two vampires, killed the master, stopped Acathla…"
"How do you know all that?" Faith asked suspiciously.
"Long story, short version it was forced upon me, some moron was trying to gain control of the slayer line I tried to stop him and now I'm your guide. I know more about the slayer line than most slayers."
"Why you?" Oz asked.
"No idea other than the Oracle told me the slayer would need human strength for the cold ahead. So?"
"Let's go," Oz replied.
"Fuck yeah!" Hannibal hooted, "I'm finally getting some action!"
"So why do we need more crew members?" Faith asked Oz once they were back in their room.
"The trip to the Outlanders is long and perilous. It's like taking a trip from Maine to China."
"Not so bad."
"By subway, several stops and interchanges."
"Yeah, that could be bad."
"We'll need to refuel when we reach the Scavengers, who are also the only people who know the exact location."
"And no one knows what it is I'm even after?" Faith asked.
"Exactly."
Faith turned to go to the bathroom, when she heard shuffling in her bedroom. She glanced in to see El lying on top of Frost kissing his neck.
"El, this may not, awh…" he gasped.
"Frost, shut up." El glanced up to see Faith smirking at her. El smiled back.
Faith went back to the other room and dragged Oz out. "We don't want to interrupt."
"What?"
With Oz and Faith off attending a meeting and the rest of the crew working Frost decided to sleep in. El entered the room to find Frost laid out on the bed on his back without a shirt. She quietly slipped onto the bed and startled him. She began to kiss his neck and chest. After about 20 kisses (yes, she was counting) he began to wake up. He mumbled something she didn't understand and slipped his hands onto her back and butt. She moved up from his chest to his jaw and lips. His eyes were still closed, but as he parted his lips his eyes fluttered and opened. His eyes opened wider, but she continued. Realizing she wasn't giving up he slipped his tongue out and licked her lips. As she pulled back both his hands started to pull away, but she put them back.
"I love you," she whispered.
He stared at her.
She continued, "and we're at war, so I don't want anything to happen without you knowing. We're about to leave on this dangerous journey and I need you to know."
"Thank you," he replied.
She leaned forward and began kissing his chest again.
Once they were ready, Oz collected Rat and Scratch from Neo and Trinity's room. El and Frost disappeared into the ship as Faith went up to the gun deck with Hannibal. Twitch ands Rat went to the engine room as Trans and Kale retreated to their rooms. Scratch helped Roin restock and Oz and Ivy started the ship.
"So what's it like out there?" Twitch asked.
"Freedom, sure we have a leader, but our whole goal in life is to destroy machines, there really isn't any down side. You like living on a ship?"
"Yeah, in there I was a naval engineer. I designed and fixed engines for the government. I spent my own life on ships. My father worked for the Japanese coast guard. After my mother left I stowed on board one of my dad's ships and lived there. One day Icon appeared on our ship he was trying to steal something, I stopped him and he offered me this. You?"
"My brother harpooned an agent, we're a package deal."
"Is that what he plans on installing on the ship?"
"Yeah, his newest design; half the guns put on newer ships are his designs. I know what you want to ask, but honestly I have no idea what the Out Landers do or where? Only our leader knows."
"I wasn't going to, if this will help then good, but I'm just along for the ride. It's all up to her."
"So how do you know Buffy?" Faith asked as she sat leaning against a wall.
Hannibal sat across from her. "I don't know her, I know of her."
"How?"
Hannibal sighed and began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Whoa, what are y…" She broke off when she saw a very clear vampire bite on the right side of his neck.
"H-h-how?" She stuttered horrified.
"Odd thing is it happened in the matrix, but I still woke up with them out here. It's how I'm connected to you, you and all the slayers."