FIC: Cleveland Calling (10?)
Faith couldn't help but grin as she dressed, dragging on her black spandex shorts and matching cotton crop top. Angel was ali-, well here anyway. Her mentor was still in one piece. Grabbing her MP3 player, she hurried down to the basement, careful to keep quiet as it was still the early hours of the morning, but she was so hyped, she had to work out to burn off some of the energy.
Opening the gym door, she stopped dead in surprise at the sight that greeted her. "Andy, what the hell are ya doing?" Realising the youth's face was purpling; she ran over and one-hand grabbed the wobbling barbell from the boy laid on the bench, placing it back in the stand. "Damn, Andy," she exclaimed, "I ain't never seen you in the gym before!"
After a few seconds gulping in air, the teen answered. "Yesterday, Xander talked to me," Faith hid a wince, knowing X's temper that wouldn't have been pretty. "And I decided I have to walk down the path of redemption rather than be a dreamer."
Faith took a second to translate that. And failed miserably. "Uh?"
"I've decided," the youth stood, puffing out his pigeon chest, "that I need to be an active Watcher, assisting the defenceless against the evils of the night."
"Whoa!" Faith exclaimed. She comes down for a training session and what does she end up doing? Career counselling? "Why you decide that?" Andrew looked shame-faced and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Andy?"
"He made me realise that I've been hiding behind Warren and Spike, pretending everything I did when I as Buffy's nemesis didn't matter."
Faith sighed. She could see this was gonna take some time. "Andy, sit down." After a moment the housekeeper obeyed. "Evil can be wicked seductive. When I was in England I read the file on you," Andy winced. "About you looking up to Warren and Spike. Being accepted when you've never had anything to belong to is wicked cool. When I was with the Mayor, I didn't give a shit about anything, just as long as he wanted me. I'd do anything to keep him happy, kill, steal, whatever. But someday," she took a breath, "you've gotta realise that it doesn't matter how many friends you have saying you're cool, you gotta be able to look yourself in the mirror, know that you're a good person." Faith smirked as inspiration hit. "You need someone to act like your role-model. Angel, he's looking for redemption like you. Or Xander, I mean he's been fighting demons for years, but he's just a normal dude like you."
"You," Andrew looked down at the ground.
"Uh?" Faith blinked.
"You, you went bad for the same reason I did, looking for someone to belong to. Besides," the young man reddened, "Angel and Xander scare me."
And she didn't? Faith blinked, where was she going wrong? First Dana, now this kid, she was turning into freakin' St Jude! Ah shit, she groaned inwardly at Andrew's hopeful gaze before comforting herself with the thought at least this was one guy she didn't have to worry about perving on her. "Okay," she stood. "But before you go out in the field, you'll have to be fit. Let's start with some crunches."
"Okay," Andrew's beaming smile dropped, "uh, what are they?"
Faith groaned. This was definitely gonna take time.
"Mi'Lord!" Geir rushed into the cavernous "Our sources tell us the traitor Angel has been working with the Slayer team for the last few days."
"Um," Gellert gnawed down on his bottom lip in thought at this development. "He is of no consequence," he shook his head at Gier's opening mouth. "No, Geir, you, Sophos, and of course I, are all more than twice Angel's age, he is no match for any of us, and that is without taking into account the Croc Dal's many minions. He is just an inconvenience, nothing more, nothing less. We go on as planned."
Gier stared at his master, the sight of his creator as always filling him with awe. His sire was a hulking six and a half feet tall, towering over even him with massively broad shoulders, thick chest, and tree trunk limbs. Many centuries had turned his Sire's feet into claws and his hands into paws. His face had also been changed by the demonic presence within him, just a few wisps of hair remained on top of his head while his face now resembled a pig's with his ruddy complex and snout-like nose, and his ears hung down, resembling a bat's.
Realising his master was waiting impatiently for an answer, Gier dropped to one knee. "It will be as you wish, sire."
His sire's face stretched into a warped smile. "But of course."
Faith busied herself making a sandwich, mind filled with planning schedules for the kiddie Slayers. She sighed as she also realised she'd have to put up with Andrew following her around asking for tips. She shuddered as a horrifying thought occurred. "Fuck," she muttered, "I hope he doesn't ask me to feel his biceps. Not even I can lie that good."
She turned at the sound of the door opening. "I hear someone's taken in Andrew as a special project. What are you," Xander smirked at her as he made his way to the fridge and pulled a soda can out, "the Slayer version of Mother Theresa?"
Faith opened her mouth to snap out a reply, but then realised for the first time she could remember, X had actually teased her like he'd tease one of the other Slayers. Like he wasn't scared that she would react by beating his ass around the kitchen. Faith hid her elation behind a smirk. "But Xander," she licked her lips and purred even as she leered at the suddenly reddening man's muscles, "if you're jealous. I could take you in hand as a special project. Ummm," Faith tilted her head to one side, laughing to herself as the man backed towards the outside door, "what could I give you lessons in?" She laughed throatily as Harris bolted out of the back door. "Yeah," she smirked. "Still got it."
"Captain," Kate knocked on her Captain's office before hurrying in. "Have you seen this report of vagrants turning up dead in the Clement Hills?"
"The coroner's at a loss why they die," the portly police officer shrugged. "But hey, living on the street and in that area? We can only do so much Kate."
Masking her distaste at her boss' casual discarding of human life, Kate nodded. This was definitely something that Xander and the others should look in.
Angel grimaced as Xander finished briefing him. Wolfram & Hart being here was a crushing blow after all he and his friends had gone through. But the Croc Dal? Angelus remembered Darla telling him about Gellert, the only vampire the Master himself feared. And anyone the Master feared was someone you did well to avoid. Very well. Swallowing his trepidation, he spoke. "Sounds like you've got quite a situation here."
"And you're going to offer me your services as leader, fly in and save the day, that's it?" Xander's solitary eye hardened.
"No, no," he raised his hands placatingly. "I'm just here to help," he assured his former love rival. Besides, any coup would be swiftly followed by his beheading by Dana judging from the smouldering looks the previously insane Slayer gave him at any opportunity. "Offer my expertise." Xander stared at him, gaze sceptical. Which was the kid's problem, he might have to work with him, but he wasn't going to bay-sit him. "Look Xander, I've more experience of W&H than you."
"Well, yeah," Xander continued to stare at him. "You did sort of head their LA. branch for a year."
It was an effort but he ignored the boy's baiting. After all, someone had to be the adult here and Harris wasn't qualified. "And I spent five years fighting them too -."
He looked up gratefully at a knock at the door. Xander continued his stare for a second longer before calling out. "Who is it?"
"Kate."
"Door's open."
"Thanks," the door swung open and the blonde cop hurried in, stopping slightly when she sensed the atmosphere between them. "Xander. Angel. I've got a report that you guys might be interested in." The former LA. law officer glanced from him to Xander as if confused which one of them to pass the papers in her arm to.
A fact that Xander also noticed. "I'll take them thanks, Kate," the Watcher said, his voice laden with irritation.
"Sure," the cop quickly passed the folder over to Xander before sitting down in the seat beside Angel.
"Thanks," the youth opened the folder and began reading, forehead furrowing in concentration. "Nine dead in less than a week, that's sloppy."
"Can I have a look?" Angel queried. After a couple more minutes, Harris nodded and slid the folder over the desk to him. "Thanks," he nodded at the Watcher before opening the folder and starting to read. His heart skipped a beat at what he found. "Oh no."
"Deadboy what is it?"
He waved Xander's anxious query away, searching for the coroner's reports. What he found confirmed his worst suspicions. "These people, they have to go down hard and fast."
"What is it Angel?"
He glanced towards the cop. "We need the others here for this." Seeing Xander's mouth open, he shook his head. "Trust me Xander, Faith needs to hear this with everyone else."
Xander stared at him for a second. "Okay."
"What's the sitch?" Faith queried as she strode into the meeting room, noting everyone was there and that Angel had an usually serious expression, even by his standards, on his face.
In answer, the vampire licked his lips. "I think Kate's discovered an Orpheus den."
Faith's stomach hollowed. Sucking her cheeks in, she made her way to the nearest chair, and collapsed in it. "Faith," she looked up to see Xander peering at her, "are you alright?"
After a second, she took a rattling breath and nodded. "Yeah." Fuck, the memories hit like a truck. She turned to Angel. "How sure?"
"Look Angel," Xander's tone was verging on pissed, "I've done as you asked, waited until everyone was here. But now I want some answers."
Angel stared at her for a half second longer before looking towards her Watcher. "When I was Angelus in '03, Faith injected herself with Orpheus, a mystical drug that vampires pay for and then feed off the junkies for the high. She let me feed off her and I fell into a coma on account of the fact she'd o'd-."
"You're not serious!" Xander exploded, his face hard, harder than she'd ever seen it. "Who's stupid idea was that?"
Faith groaned at the rage in Harris' eye. Fuck, any excuse to hate Angel. Why couldn't X just let go of the past? "Uh, that would be mine."
Xander glared at her only to sigh at her pleading look. It was Angel, the only man who'd ever done right by her, at the time she hadn't had the cool home, a decent Watcher, and friends like she did right now, all she'd had was him. "Fine." Xander turned his look on Angel. Faith was half-surprised when the Irish Vampire didn't burst into dust on the spot. "And this has relevance how?"
"In my year in charge of W&H, Wes and Gunn took down a group running Orpheus through the demon bars of the west coast. The first clue we got of their activities was a number of deaths in the runaway community, deaths with much the same symptoms and in the same age range of the girls reported here."
"Faith could have died?" Xander looked inches from launching across the desk at Angel.
Angel shifted uneasily in his seat, probably confident in his ability to take X down, but he'd be fucked if the girls swarmed over him. "It's a possibility with Orpheus."
Seeing X's face harden still further and his fists clench, Faith spoke. "My choice X," she said softly. "I rolled the dice."
"Fine," Xander let out a heavy sigh. "So you're figuring a demon bar in this area?" Angel nodded. "We'll hit it tonight."
"Five guards on the front door, two on the back, and there's a skylight on the roof leading into the second floor gambling rooms."
Xander managed not to start when the demon melted out of the shadows to his right, sensing a reaction was just what the demon was angling for. After a second, he nodded at Angel's scouting report. "Lighting?"
"Good."
Xander nodded again. That cut down on the chance of friendly fire in cramped conditions, made things simpler. "Right, Angel, you take Connor and Dana, come in through the skylight, Faith, you take Breen and Penda take the back. The rest of you are with me. We hit in," he glanced at the illuminated dial on his watch, "five minutes. And scorched earth people, if it's demonic and in there," he nodded towards the building across the road, 80s power ballads blaring out of it, "it's evil."
Faith grinned as she felt her heart begin to race, her mouth dry, and palms sweat. She lived for moments like this. Hearing the beep of her watch, she quickly unfastened the top two buttons of her blouse, pulled it out of her jeans and tied the bottom into a knot, revealing several inches of taut stomach. That accomplished, she grinned at her team-mates. "Watch a master at work, but don't forget your parts."
"We won't," Breena promised before darting up the back fire escape, hotly pursued by Penda.
Faith swayed her way down the back of the alley, towards the paint-flaked door and the two hulks flanking it. As expected, the vampires were mesmerised by her attire. Faith hid a grin, demon or human, men were all the same. "Yo!" she slurred her speech before slumping against the wall opposite, using the shadows offered to discreetly draw her stake. "W..where'z Marcuzz?"
The two thugs exchanged amused glances. "We don't know any Marcus, babe," replied the bigger of the two, a chrome-domed black dude with the height of a basketball player and the build of a WWE wrestler. "But we could get you in. You do us a favour, we do you one?"
Faith saw two figures move into position on the landing above the vamps. All she had to do was get the vamps into position. She stepped out of the shadows, leaning slightly forward to give the duo of demons a look at her goods. "A favourz?" she giggled drunkenly. "What do ya wantz?"
The demons exchanged grins before stepping forward. "Well-."
Faith's fellow Slayers leapt off the gantry above the oblivious demons, landing on their backs and knocking them stumbling forward to Faith who smoothly staked them both in quick succession. "Like taking candy from a baby," she smirked before nodding at her companions. "Ya did good kids, bet Harris never showed ya that play before," her smirk widened as she re-fastened her shirt, "for a shit-load of reasons."
Turning her attention to the door, she swaggered up to it, raised her right leg up into her chest and kicked out. Her heel smashed into the door, splintering wood, and sending the door crashing open. Faith stepped back when the music blasting from the place hit her with an almost physical force. "Are you alright?"
Forcing down her trepidation at entering an Orpheus den, she nodded at Breena's question. "Sure, just jived. Let's go kick some demon ass!"
Entering the club, she found that the back of the club was a maze of corridors and depressing, fluorescent-light lit rooms, consisting only of a bed and shitload of hopelessness. Behind every door lurked a vampire or two, usually with some doped up girl, but for the grace of god went her, etc, etc. Although it hurt like hell, Faith decided to leave the junkies behind, reasoning that bringing them would only impede their asses in a fight, they could always pick them up afterwards.
Seeing her companions had the sitch well in hand in the room to her right, Faith kicked the door open and started in, noting the two vamps waiting there.
Suddenly a vampire dropped from a hole in the ceiling above and behind her, his feet catching her in the side even as she twisted and stabbed her stake home. The momentum of the blow still threw her forward, stumbling into the room.
Seeing the two vampires charging her, Faith allowed the momentum of the blow to carry her between them and to the far wall. Ignoring the pain that shot through her shoulder as it crashed into the stony wall, she used the extra split-second her strategy had gained her to right herself for the rapidly approaching attack.
Standing side-on to the vampire to her left, she shot out a heel kick at his face that he knocked away while she herself blocked a right from his companion on her forearm. Leaping into a backwards somersault, she pressed her feet on the wall behind her and sprang over the two demons, landing in a crouch behind them.
Even as the demons turned to face her, she leapt into the air again, catching the furthest away in a dropkick, staking the other as she sailed past him. Landing on top of the other, she smirked down at his stunned face before driving her weapon home. "Easy as-," her blood stilled as she sensed something, "what the fuck?" Looking up she saw a swarm of demons charging out of a secret passageway in the wall in front of her, followed by a vampire's whose aura outstripped Kaktosis' by some way. "Gellert."
The demon smiled at her croaked whisper. "Quite so, and you must be Faith." Gellert's eyes hardened. "Take her."
Desperate fear surging through her veins, Faith powered into action. Leaping to her feet, she ignored her first impulse to retreat, realising she'd never get away and might even lead Bre and Pen into trouble, and charged to meet her rivals. The first vampire to reach her was dispatched with a stake to the heart, the second took a side kick to the balls and a staking through his doubled-up back, the third was still holding his nose from her headbutt when she staked him. The fourth managed to grab her around the neck from behind and although a stamp to his right shin, and a quick spin around staking took him out, Faith bit back fear as she looked around at the demons still swarming around her, realising that this wasn't a night she was going to survive. Grunting at an elbow to the left side of her face, she twisted her upper torso to face her attacker, smoothly ducking under his follow-up haymaker even as she thrust her stake into his unbeating heart. "Damn it!" she cursed as a foot smashed into her lower back, knocking her blow off target. Before she had time to right herself, the demon in front of her grabbed her by her throat and threw her into the air.
"Ahh!" Faith grunted as she hit the wall behind her before slumping doubled-up against it. Shooting out a kick, she caught her attacker in the chest, knocking him back a step. Before she could pull her leg back, another vampire had hold of her ankle. Faith screamed when he kicked her full in the groin, pain blazing through her.
Eyes watering and stomach heaving, she slid down the wall to her knees. Seeing her attacker approach through blurred vision, she brought her stake back and flung it into his heart. "Gotcha you bastard," she croaked defiantly as she reached for her reserve stake.
And screamed when her wrist was grabbed and arm yanked, her disadvantageous position ensuring she had no leverage to fight back, her shoulder dislocating with a blood-curdling pop. Forcing herself to straighten, she drew back her uninjured arm to throw a punch only to fall on her face when she was caught by a clubbing punch to the back of her head.
Instantly she tried to rise only to be caught by a barrage of kicks from half a dozen pairs of booted feet. After about thirty seconds, Gellert boomed. "Enough! Bring her!" Faith's tortured body shuddered in terror. She struggled feebly as she was lifted, the hands of her assailants pinching, torturing her already brutalised frame. But the pain was incidental next to the thought plaguing her. What did they have planned for her?
