FIC: Cleveland Calling (5?)
May '04
Xander looked up at the knock on his door. Grateful for an excuse to junk the household accounts, he shoved the paperwork to one side and shouted. "Come in!" He nodded as Faith and Connor walked in. "Hey," he said uncertainly. It was a week since Connor had joined them, but Deadboy's son still gave him the creeps in a major way. And then there was the issue of Faith's reaction when they'd found Angel was dead. It had scared the hell out of him, he'd forgiven her, but forgotten was another thing entirely.
"Hey X," Faith smiled nervously at him. Connor, given his weedy build it was hard to believe the kid was strong enough to spar with the Slayers, but he was, kept his customary impassive face. Him, break into a smile? More chance of stone smiling. "Mind if we sit?"
He turned his attention back to the Bostonian. A much more attractive proposition, especially dressed in leather pants and black cotton crop-top as she was right now. He nodded. Once the Slayer and the son of the vampire had sat, he spoke. "Any reason for this visit?"
"Yeah," Faith looked apprehensive, which probably meant he should be terrified. The Slayer opened her mouth to speak, but Connor beat her to it.
"We want to go to LA."
Xander groaned. He guessed it wasn't to visit Disneyland or Hollywood. "I assume this is to look for De-," he caught himself, "Angel?"
"Connor figures that if Angel is alive," Faith glanced at the human-demon hybrid. "He could smell him out."
Xander sat back in his seat, deep in contemplation. His first impulse was to say no, actually hell no. After all, Faith had had a vision of Angel being incinerated into ash. But if he did so, Faith, he looked up at the expectant Slayer, she might grow resentful of him for refusing her the chance to look for her hero. And Giles did want a report on LA. "Yes," he continued before either of his guests could speak, "but I'm coming with you."
"X," Faith shook her head. "It could be dangerous."
"I'm your Watcher," Xander said firmly. "It's my duty." If nothing else he could be there for her if worst came to worst. "No arguments."
"Who'll run this place?" Faith countered.
"Kate, Amy, and Andrew. Five Slayers, one Hellmouth, hardly seems fair. I think they can handle it. Are we agreed?"
"Agreed," Connor put in. Faith glared at the youth for speaking before nodding reluctantly.
"Right," Xander reached for the phone. "I'll make a few calls, get everything sorted out. Then we'll tell the others, okay?"
"I wanna go with you," Dana said sulkily. "Keep you safe."
Faith chuckled as she looked at the scowling supernatural warrior sat on the edge of her bed. "I've been managing okay on my own, kid," she replied. "'Sides, Connor and Xan, they won't let anything happen to me. Pair of Sir. Galahads."
Scorn entered Dana's eyes. "He can't fight."
Faith's eyes narrowed. "How about you try looking through my memories? See the shit X has done?" she challenged. "I trust him, Dana. And I don't want you disrespecting him, you're only here because he believed we could help you," only a slight stretching of the truth, "give him a chance, he's a good man, okay?" Dana nodded grumpily. "Good girl," she ruffled the other Slayer's silky-black hair. "Now, while I'm gone, I want you to behave for Amy and the others, understand?" Dana nodded again. Faith decided to throw in a carrot. "If you're a good girl while we're away, I'll talk to Xander about letting ya patrol when we get back."
Dana's eyes filled with excitement. "Really?" she nodded. The other girl lunged at her, enveloping her in a hug. "I promise I'll be good," the other Slayer half-sobbed.
"I know ya will," Faith resisted her natural instinct to pull away, knowing Dana needed the intimate contact as reassurance that she was cared for. Instead, she gingerly patted the other girl on the shoulder. "I believe in ya," she whispered.
Xander stared left and right, for several blocks in each direction, all buildings had been destroyed, leaving only debris, the demonic corpses having faded to mush, and the stench of death clogging his lungs. On the way to the battle site, they'd heard rumours of the animals of a private zoo getting loose, a government experiment getting loose, a hazardous waste accident, and even aliens. But strangely no demons.
"Shit."
Faith's whisper floated eerily across the battleground. He turned to the Slayer, seeing her pale, taut face, he stepped towards you. "Faith, are you-."
The Bostonian turned away from him and towards Connor, raven tresses swinging in the harsh wind. "Ya getting anything, Con?" The demon-hybrid shook his head, his face pale. "Fuck."
"You don't know -."
The Slayer's head snapped towards him. It was all he could do to take a step back at the dangerous light in the east coast native's eyes. "Two fucking weeks, X," Faith snarled. "We haven't heard shit for two weeks, he's dead."
"Faith -."
"Freeze!" Xander looked around to see them surrounded by a dozen troops. "You're in a restricted area, people."
"I'm sorry."
Faith glanced across the darkened cell, to the one-eyed man sat on the bunk opposite, surprised by the break in the silence. "Not your fault. Even if you weren't there, I wouldn't have done anything," Faith shrugged. "Slayer vs. assault rifles, not even I'm that dumb."
"No," Xander shook his head. The one-eyed man paused, clearly hesitant. "I'm sorry about Angel-."
"No you're not," Faith was unable to prevent her bitterness from entering her voice. "You never liked him."
"True," Xander agreed. "But I'm sorry because he meant a lot to you. And because you're hurting because of this."
Her Watcher fell into an uneasy silence. Faith stared at him for a long second before opening her mouth. "Xa-."
She was interrupted by the cell door screeching open, and two thick-set African-Americans, she started for a second, for a moment thinking that one of them was Gunn, in military fatigues entered the cell. She was disappointed when she realised she was wrong. "You," the shaven headed of the two pointed his rifle at her Watcher. "Come with us, our commander wants to speak to you."
"Like hell!"
Faith started to rise only to stop at a look from her Watcher. "No, Faith." After a second, Harris stood and smiled sarcastically. "Take me to your leader!"
Faith shook her head as the cell door slammed shut behind the one-eyed man. She glanced at Connor and shrugged. "He's a fucking idiot," she said by way of explanation. A stupid, noble fool, she silently added as she slumped down on her bunk.
Xander's heart started thumping the moment the cell door slammed shut behind him. Swallowing the thick ball of fear that was almost choking him, he turned to his guards. "Gentlemen," he tried for a snooty Giles voice. "I understand I have an appointment. Please, lead -," he stumbled as one of the men shoved him in the back. "Hey! No need to push!" he protested.
"Move it." One of the two growled in a voice pitched somewhere between Shaft and Barry White.
The two soldiers herded him into a sparse office only furnished with a desk and a grey filing cabinet. His eye widened as he recognised the officer sat behind the desk. "Riley!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I might ask you that," the former Initiative soldier commented before shooting his escort a look. "Dismissed, gentlemen." Once the soldiers had saluted and left, Riley turned his attention to him. "Sit down." After a second he obeyed. "I asked you a question?"
Xander shifted uncomfortably under the older man's inquisitive stare. There was little of the genial soldier he remembered, instead there was a hardened veteran. "Looking for any sign of Angel."
"With the company you're travelling with?" Riley shook his head. "Not smart. You know how Faith is."
"She's changed," Xander defended.
"You sure about that?" Riley pressed.
Xander shrugged. "Pretty much."
Riley shook his head. "This is a restricted area, you could get in big -."
"Is there any sign of him?" Xander broke in.
Riley stared at him, irritation at his interruption clear on the Iowan's face. "No, it seems they were all wiped out. Took most of the Circle with them," Xander nodded. It was as he'd expected. The soldier tapped a pen on the desk. "I want to make you an offer-."
"Sorry Riley," Xander interrupted with a flutter of his eyelashes. "I'm tempted but you're not my type."
Riley raised an eyebrow. "I'd like you to sign on with our unit-."
"Whoa!" Xander stared at the soldier. "One-eyed guy remember! I doubt I'd pass your medical!"
Riley chuckled and shook his head. "Our unit isn't exactly regulation, heck we have some people who defy classification. What's important is your record, and no-one, not even I can match yours. "
Xander looked down, embarrassed by the praise and tempted by the offer. After a second he looked up and shook his head. "I'm flattered, I really am, but I promised Giles I'd run Cleveland for him." He waited for the soldier to explode.
Instead he nodded. "I thought you'd say that, but I had to make the offer. We'll give you a copter ride out of the area." Riley stood. "Are you sure about Faith?"
"I'm sure." Well, 95-, no 90, well 80 sure.
Riley shrugged. "Your funeral."
Xander shot the soldier a pained look. "Did you have to say that?"
Faith looked up at the knock on her bedroom door. "Yo?"
"Hi," Xander shoved the door open and walked in. "How are you feeling?"
Faith shrugged, unwilling to let her mask drop. "Kinda empty," she admitted finally. "I mean, he got me, X. Like no one else. I haven't spoken to him, since I split with Wood, but now he's gone…"
"You could always talk to me." Faith looked at Xander. "I'm not Angel, but I've kinda got a handle on the problems of controlling a temper and lousy families." Faith chuckled. Xander's eye narrowed. "Sorry, did I say something funny?"
Faith winced inwardly when she realised she'd offended her Watcher. "Laughing at me, X," she shook her head. "Not you." The west coast native stared at her. "Back in Sunnydale, I was so busy hating B for having the perfect mom, the great home, the easy life, and not valuing it, I was blind to the fact that you, C, and Red didn't have it easy either, that your families' were the shits too."
Xander smiled tightly. "Seems we have more in common than we thought. If you ever need someone to talk about anything, even about Angel…"
"You're on speed-dial," she promised before grinning. "Even woman shit?"
She chuckled at X's suddenly paling face. "Uh, well," her Watcher edged towards the door. "There's always Amy."
"X," Faith knocked on the door before stalking into the Cleveland Watcher's office. "I got something to ask ya."
"Go on," Xander nodded.
"I want Dana to start patrolling."
"Uh, uh," Xander looked non-committal. "You're sure she's ready?" Faith nodded. Xander stared up at the ceiling, his brow creased with thought. After about a minute, her Watcher nodded reluctantly and turned his gaze back to her. "Okay, but she patrols with you, me, and at least one other Slayer at all times."
Faith beamed. "Sure X, she won't let ya down."
"He said yes! He said yes!" Dana jumped up and down on the spot, her eyes lighting up.
"Calm down, kid." Faith forced back a laugh at her trainee's excitement. "This is important." The younger Slayer quietened and sat down, her eyes intent on Faith. "I'll be going with you, and so will X. Now I've trusted you-."
"I won't let you down," Dana interrupted.
Faith nodded. "I know, kid, I know. Remember don't lose your focus, don't get over enthusiastic in there, ya dig?" She smiled at Dana's nod. "Cool, ya ready?"
"Hey Dana," the Slayer looked up at his greeting. Faith elbowed her in her ribs and nodded towards him.
"Thank you for saying I could patrol Mr. Harris," the girl muttered.
He nodded uncertainly. "Well yeah, Faith believes in you, so I'm sure you'll do a great job." He looked towards their team's other member. "You ready, Breena?" The Irish Slayer nodded excitedly. "Okay," he squared his shoulders. "Amy and Connor have taken the others downtown. We'll head for the stockyards, there's been reports of vagrants disappearing around the Walmorth Run Industrial Park."
Faith stared around her shadowy surroundings, noting the decaying and empty buildings. Plenty of room for a group of vampires. She stopped suddenly, skin prickling. Hearing Dana's growl, she motioned the junior Slayer to silence. Motioning her fellow Slayers to flank X, she stepped into the shadows. "Hey hon," she said casually.
The intruder was a tall, muscular brunette with haunting grey eyes dressed in a black silk blouse and leather pants that had Faith wishing they were hers. The demon smiled, brushing her shoulder-length hair behind her column-like neck. "You're a Slayer," the vampire smiled, displaying her fangs. "I can smell it on you, I used to be one too." Faith swallowed, heart pounding in sudden fear. A Slayer could be turned? No-one had ever told her that that was possible. "And now I'm going to kill my first."
Faith forced her terror under control. Dying was no big to her, but being turned, killing people she knew, she'd swore she'd never do that again. "Oh yeah?" Faith forced the croak from her voice. "Many have tried," she rolled her neck. "Many have failed. Bring it on."
The vampire darted forward, leading with an overhand right, Faith crouched, snatching at the demon's outstretched wrist and yanking. She was shocked when the demon yanked back, flinging her towards her. She ducked under the demon's left hook only to catch a knee to her midsection.
Tens of thousands sit-ups hadn't prepared her for the pain that shot through her. Groaning, she fell to her knees, but rolled up immediately, ducking under a spin kick at her head. Behind her she could hear the sounds of fighting, but didn't dare turn to see how her companions were doing.
Straightening, she charged forward, shooting out a combination of blurred rights and lefts. The Slayer-vampire laughed as she effortlessly slapped away Faith's attacks before smashing a right into her nose, shattering bone.
"Fuck me!" Faith stumbled backwards, blood pouring down her face. Her eyes fixed on her rival, she wiped the viscera away with the left sleeve of her leather jacket. Five hundred bucks down the drain, fucking A. She spat out a mouthful of blood before looking at her attacker. "What's your handle?"
"I am Yelena!"
"Oh yeah," Faith raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of ya. I'm Faith."
"Ah," maniacal light danced in the bitch's eyes. "I've heard of you. You're the Mayor's pet Slayer, the rogue. A disgrace to your Calling."
"Says you," Faith shot back. "You fucked up so bad, you got turned."
Yelena laughed. "Oh, my dear! You've no idea what a blast it is."
The demon surged forward, claws outstretched and demonic face showing. Faith ducked beneath the vampire's attack, twisted her body and drove her elbow into the demon's face. The vampire just laughed before backhanding her across the face, the force of the blow lifting her off her feet and flinging her into a near-by wall. "Shit," Faith groaned as she slid down to the ground. Fortifying herself with the thought that if she couldn't kill this bitch, none of her companions could, that it was her responsibility, she placed her palms on the cold ground and pushed herself to her feet, moving into a boxer's stance. "How old," she spat some blood onto the ground. "Are you? Only, between us girls, your wrinkle cream sucks ass."
The demon laughed before coming in from her right. Faith blocked a kick on her right forearm, wincing as pain jarred through her body. Shoving the pain aside, she twisted to meet her opponent, brought her left leg back, and shot it upwards, driving her knee into her rival's side.
The bitch's gasp was accompanied with the gratifying sound of a rib cracking. Taking advantage of the demon's distress, Faith drove her head into the vampire's nose, shattering her nose. "How do you like that, bitch?"
"Not much," replied the former Slayer before grabbing her around her collar and flinging her over her shoulder.
Faith grunted when she smashed into the ground, the back of her head and spine jarring with the impact. Cackling insanely, the vampire attempted to stamp on her head, but Faith rolled backwards and to her feet. The demon adjusted and moved into a spin kick. Faith ducked beneath the attack, the blow parting the air above her. Faith retaliated with a hook to the demon's groin, grinning slightly at the sound of cracking bone, she'd broken the bitch's pelvis.
The screeching demon fell on its back. Faith immediately straddled her, grabbing her hair and repeatedly slamming the back of her head into the concrete as she pulled out her stake with her other hand. "The Corc Dal will avenge me!"
"Yeah, great," Faith slammed her stake home.
"Lady need a hand up?"
Faith grinned at Xander's proffered hand. "Ain't no lady, but seeing as I got the crap kicked out of me, I'll say yes." She groaned as the Watcher pulled her to her feet. "You guys did okay?"
"Six demons slain."
"Six?" Faith raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed."
"And you only got one," Xander chided with a grin.
"Yeah, but mine was a Slayer."
Xander's smile disappeared. "Oh shit."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"He was caught with almost a million dollars' worth of meths in his house!" Kate thumped the table separating her from the DA. "How can he walk free?"
"I'm sorry, but his lawyer had the search warrant thrown out," the pale-faced, bespectacled man sat opposite explained.
"Unbelievable!" Kate got up. "Three months of work and what do you do? Screw it up!"
"Detective Lockley!"
"Forget it!" Spinning on her heel, she strode out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Hello Detective Lockley."
Kate stared at the man who'd stepped out of the shadows before her, a towering, bald man whose custom-made suit failed to either hide his gross obesity or used car salesman's oiliness. "Do I know you?" she snapped, her temper raw from her case falling apart.
"I'm afraid not," the man's smile had all the sincerity of a presidential candidate. "I'm Solomon Emory, Marcus Foley's attorney."
Kate's eyes hardened at the name of the drugs dealer whose case had just collapsed. "You might want to get away from me," she warned through gritted teeth.
"Ah," Emory's smile widened. "I was informed you were spirited." The lawyer reached into his inner jacket pocket and passed her a business card. "Please tell Mr. Harris, Wolfram & Hart are in town and waiting for his call."
