Animatus II: The Descent

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Previously:

"Go where?" Rachel asked, glancing back and forth between them.

"I volunteered to go back into Sunnydale," Faith answered.

"Back into Sunnydale?" Rachel asked, shaking her head. "That's suicide."

"Maybe," Faith nodded. "But I always did like living dangerously."

"Well, good luck," Rachel said as Faith and Jay walked past her. "You're going to need it."

Chapter Three: Converging Paths:

Despite the General's advice, Faith did not sleep the night before she was to reenter Sunnydale in search of the cure for the virus that had caused the zombie invasion. She and Jay had walked back to the barracks where the survivors of the attack were staying until they all were cleared to leave. Faith had been the last person tested for the virus. She did not know what the future would bring for the rest of the group, but she knew what laid ahead in her future. Jay had fallen to sleep within minutes of his head hitting his pillow, but Faith had lain awake for hours, staring at the roof of the makeshift building. She had allowed her eyes to wander, falling onto each person about which she cared. Willow and Tara had been curled up in their bed, embracing each other tightly. Faith had smiled, though her smile had been tinged with pain. She had hoped that she and Buffy would have been so entwined, resting after their long struggle to escape.

However, that future had faded and abandoned Faith to a different course. After struggling with sleep through most of the night, Faith had wandered out into the compound, pacing the dirt streets restlessly until the sun began to rise over the horizon. She sat the hood of a car and watched the sky change before her eyes. The blackness of night faded into a dark blue that lightened until a spread of orange and red grew on the horizon. Though she was alone, comforted only by the cool breeze caressing her face, she felt as though another presence was with her – Buffy. She shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around her body. The sun broke free from its confines and barreled over the edge of the world, shooting up into the sky. For a moment, it was dazzling.

Faith felt as though Buffy was sitting next to her, watching the sunrise with her on the hood of the car. But when she turned her gaze to the side, all she saw was empty space. Yet, she had felt so sure that someone was there. Shaking the feeling away, she smiled when she heard footsteps approaching her. "I wondered when you would come find me," she said huskily, her voice rough and strained from lack of sleep.

Giles smiled and sat down next to her, gazing ponderously into the sky for several moments before replying. "Willow told me of your intentions."

"They're not my intentions, G-man," Faith corrected. "I am going back."

"Can I persuade you out of it?" Giles asked, glancing over at her.

Faith smiled and looked down at the ground. "They say there's a cure."

"Will it help anyone in Sunnydale?" Giles asked.

Faith sighed. "No," she replied after several long moments.

"Why do you have to go back?" Giles pressed. "They're sending a team of soldiers – highly trained and qualified soldiers. They can handle it."

"Jay's going," Faith stated. "I can't let him go alone."

"He can handle himself," Giles argued.

"That's not the only reason," Faith said softly.

"What else?" Giles asked. The orange and red in the sky was starting to fade into blue. The sun, fully revealed, rode higher in the sky. People were starting to awaken and Giles could hear the booted footsteps of soldiers reporting for duty.

"I have to go back," Faith reasoned. "I don't know why. I just feel it. I'm not done there yet."

Giles sighed heavily. "The world needs you, Faith."

"Sunnydale needs me," Faith countered.

"Sunnydale is dead," Giles said firmly. "And so is Buffy," he added in a softer voice.

"I remember," Faith muttered angrily.

"You can't go back there and save her. It's too late for her now," Giles replied.

"I know that!" Faith yelled, rising to her feet. Pacing away from the Watcher, she folded her arms across her chest. "I know that."

"Then why are you going back?" Giles inquired desperately.

"I don't know," Faith shrugged. "I told you. I just have to."

"Buffy would want you to be safe. She died so that all of us could be safe," Giles argued. "How do you think she would feel if she knew that you were going back there?"

"Like you said, Giles," Faith said numbly, "Buffy is dead. It doesn't matter what she would think anymore."

Giles chuckled mirthlessly. "So that's it, then, is it? You want to go back because you don't care about anything anymore. You want to test the limits. Rebel against the Powers that Be. Spit in the face of death and laugh. Maybe you even want to die."

"I don't want to die," Faith countered.

"But you don't want to live, either. Not without Buffy," Giles interrupted. "I can see that in your eyes."

"So what?" Faith shot back. "Is that so wrong? I loved her more than you could ever understand. She's the only person who knew what it was like to be me. She knew everything that I did….all of those horrible things and she still loved me."

"You can find acceptance with us, too, Faith," Giles sighed. "We've all forgiven you."

"It's not enough," Faith said simply. Looking over Giles' shoulder, she saw Jay walk out of the barracks, and determinedly move over to them. "I think that it's time for me to go," she said absently.

"Faith," Giles started, but Jay interrupted.

"It's time," he said. "We have to report for the mission briefing."

Faith nodded. "And then we're back to Sunnydale?" She asked.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. "Oh, we'll have to get you a uniform," he added as an afterthought.

Faith smirked. "I'm in the army now, huh?" She joked.

"If you're determined to go, I can't stop you," Giles interjected, rising to his feet. "I just hope that you know what you're doing."

Faith smiled at his words. She rarely knew what she was doing. "Of course I do," she lied.

"Be careful," Giles stated, hesitating a moment before pulling her into a quick embrace. Faith stiffly returned it, smiling awkwardly when Giles pulled away. "You as well," he said, shaking Jay's hand. "Take care of her."

"I will," Jay promised.

"I know you don't understand this, Giles," Faith said. "Neither do I. It's just something that I have to do."

Giles smiled softly and nodded. "I suppose I have to respect that."

"I'll see you guys in Los Angeles. Take care of the witches," Faith said as she and Jay walked away.

Giles watched them for several long moments until they turned down another road and disappeared from view. "Good luck," he whispered into the wind.

………………………………..

After changing into her uniform and receiving her army issued assault rifle, Faith and Jay reported to the tent where the other two mission volunteers were waiting. Faith eyed them warily. Jay introduced himself, while Faith lingered back. The first volunteer, Diego, was a man who looked to be about thirty. He had black hair that was shaved close to his head. His blue eyes glittered in the sunlight and a shadow of dark stubble graced his cheeks and chin. The other volunteer, Marc, was a muscularly built man, shorter than the first, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. Both were dressed identically to Faith and Jay, wearing black boots, black pants, black long sleeved shirts, and black bullet proof vests.

Faith smiled and shook their hands, though she wondered if they truly were prepared for what lay ahead of them in Sunnydale. The General entered the tent a short time later and the dark haired Slayer took a seat in one of the folding chairs arranged neatly before a podium. "Hello all," the General greeted them. "You four have been assigned the duty of entering the Initiative compound underneath of U.C. Sunnydale, where we believe that a cure to the virus known as Animatus exists," he explained gruffly. "Faith," he said, pointing to her, "will lead you through Sunnydale to the main entrance of the Initiative. Once you're inside, Jay will lead you to Sub Level Three. We believe that the anti-virus is located in one of the laboratories on this level. Any questions so far?" He asked, looking around.

When no one spoke up, he continued, "You will be taken into Sunnydale by Jeep. Once you're clear of the fences, you'll be one your own."

"Why aren't we being dropped off by helicopter?" Diego asked.

"Noise attracts the zombies," the General answered. "We want you four in and out without any incidents. It would be faster to use a helicopter," he admitted, "but you would needlessly be drawing attention to yourselves. If you're on foot, however, no one will even know that you're there," he explained. "The power is down in town, but the quickest way to the first floor of the Initiative is by the main elevator. Thus, with your gear, you'll find equipment for rappelling down the elevator shaft. You're being equipped with enough food, water, ammunition, and supplies for five days. If, after five days, you have not returned to the rendezvous site where you were dropped off, we will assume that you have failed in the mission and are not returning."

"Five days?" Faith whispered over to Jay.

The soldier shrugged. "We're liabilities. They've already written us off. I think they'd be more surprised if we actually succeeded than anything else," he replied softly.

"Your escort is waiting for you outside," the General concluded. "Find the anti-virus and bring it back. Dismissed."

The group collectively rose and Faith followed Jay out of the tent. A Jeep was waiting for them, idling absently. Grabbing the pack assigned to her, she slung it over her shoulder and walked over to the Jeep. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked over at the barracks. Willow, Tara, and Giles were standing outside. Tara raised her hand, flashing Faith a farewell wave. Faith smiled slightly in return and tossed her bag into the cargo area of the Jeep. Turning away from her friends, she climbed into the back. Once everyone was aboard, the Jeep rambled forward, kicking up a cloud of dust. Faith was heading back to Sunnydale.

………………………..

The sun was beating down on Buffy as she sat underneath a tree on the side of the road to prepare her mid-afternoon meal. Among the food items they had packed upon leaving the Bronze were some of the remaining prepackaged sandwiches, on which the people who had initially fled to the club had been dining. Buffy pulled one out of her pack and glanced at the wrapping. The ham and cheese sandwich was slightly rumpled from its hasty packing, and as Buffy's stomach grumbled loudly, she decided that it would more than suffice. Ripping off the wrapper, she tossed it to the side and bit into the sandwich. Sighing contently, she mulled the food over in her mouth. She had been walking for most of the day, stopping every once in a while to rest and map her route.

She had made good progress during the day. She was close to the college campus. Once she reached U.C. Sunnydale, she would have to leave the road and enter the woods that surrounded the school. If her memory was correct, a couple of miles into the forest she would find the entrance for which she was looking. Though she had started walking at a good pace, she found that she unconsciously had been slowing down during the last couple of hours. Her body was growing tired. She hoped that the food would provide the energy that she needed to continue, though she knew that a deadly virus was working its way through her system and that virus could account for her exhaustion. A dull pain lingered in the back of her mind and Buffy closed her eyes, leaning back against the tree as she ate her food.

The sun was mercilessly hot. A cool breeze had kicked up in the morning, but by the time the sun had reached its apex in the sky, the breeze had died and, with it, any source of cool air. As she sat, Buffy was again struck by the utter silence that pervaded Sunnydale. Though the day was beautiful, with a clear blue sky, she could not hear any birds chirping, or any sounds of life other than the beating of her own heart resounding in her ears. She never could remember being surrounded by such silence. When the zombies had attacked, she had barricaded herself in her dormitory room with Willow, Tara, and Riley. The silence had not affected her because she had been surrounded by people.

However, now that she was alone, she noted the silence markedly. She wondered if Faith had made the same observation upon leaving the hospital after she had awoken from her coma. Buffy only could imagine how frightened she must have been to awake to an abandoned town full of zombies. The blonde Slayer shivered, realizing how much of Faith's life of which she had not been a part. She wished that her lover was with her to guide her through the challenge that lay before her, but she wanted more than anything for Faith to be safe. She pictured Faith's face in her mind. She could see the younger Slayer's long, dark hair and feel the intensity of her eyes. Buffy had seen so much love in those eyes coupled with so much pain.

She almost could feel the touch of Faith's lips on her neck; the sensation of her warm hands sliding up her stomach; the weight of her body pressing against hers. Opening her eyes, she shook away those thoughts, knowing that they would only distract her from what she had to do. She finished her sandwich and pulled herself to her feet. The world seemed to spin for a moment, but she blinked away the dizziness and shouldered her bag. Moving back out onto the road, she started walking. She tried to forget that she was infected. Whenever she thought about it, she felt as though she could feel the virus crawling underneath of her skin. Sometimes it was almost too much.

Finally, she reached the campus and paused for a moment to congratulate herself. She could hear the moaning of the zombies that wandered throughout the school – the first thing to break the silence that had hovered around her all that day. She had come to a critical juncture in her journey. She had to break from the road, venturing into the forest and relying on her memory to lead her through to the auxiliary entrance of the Initiative. Sighing, she moved forward until her feet left the concrete and hit the grass. "I'm coming, Faith," she murmured. "I'm coming."