Chapter 1: Welcome to the Hellmouth Part 1
Rei was lost, wandering through a place she didn't know.
A subterranean chamber, perhaps, or the hidden lair of some horrible beast—this dark, forgotten place of dampness and decay. She moved on through the gloom, wary her bow at the ready, trying to figure out where she was, why she was there.
Images jumped out at her, then faded again almost instantly, leaving only the vaguest of memories in their wake. She saw candles flickering over a deep red pool . . . clawing fingers through a glow of fire . . . drawings of beasts and the silvery glint of a cross. Demonic laughter echoed among crumbling headstones—faceless figures stalked her—and then suddenly, startlingly clear, she saw a book, a book she recognized, a book she had not laid eyes on since Jyoti had died, the book Vampyr.
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Rei's eyes snapped open with the ringing of the phone on her nightstand. She reached over and picked it up. "Rei," she said simply.
"It's Duncan," came a voice from the phone. A voice she instantly recognized as Duncan Macleod, the first immortal she had ever met after her first death and had taken her under his wing and taught her about the Game.
Rei sat up, suddenly wide awake. She had called Duncan when the dreams had started. He had a contact within the Watcher's Council by the name of Joe Dawes, who had been assigned to chronicle Duncan's life. She had been sure the dreams were in reality the prophetic dreams that all Slayers had gotten. "What did Joe say?" she asked.
"Not much," Duncan replied. "The current slayer is or was in Los Angeles. Apparently she is in the process of being moved. He couldn't find out where though, I'm sorry. He said when he inquired they asked why he needed the information. Since you are not an active slayer he couldn't of course tell them you wanted the information."
Rei let out a sigh. "Thanks, Duncan. And let Joe know I'm very appreciative of him trying. Tell him a bottle of sake is on its way as my thanks."
"Alright," Duncan replied. "Stay safe, Rei."
"You too, Duncan," Rei said as she hung up the phone.
"You know there are other ways to find her," came a voice from behind her.
Rei was off the bed in an instant as she spun to face the voice. She frowned as she instantly recognized the half demon that worked for the Power that Be. "Whistler," she growled. "What do the Powers want?"
"They know you have been searching for the current Slayer," Whistler said, "because of the dreams. They know where to find her."
"Where?" Rei asked as she reached for her sword that she kept by her nightstand, ready to chop off the demon's head if his information was not to her liking.
"The Hellmouth."
"The one in California?" Rei asked as Whistler nodded. "That explains the dreams. Something is about to happen there."
"There is something you should know," Whistler said before Rei could dismiss him. "The slayer line has split."
"What do you mean?" Rei wondered. "How could it split?"
"The Slayer, well actually slayers plural, fraternal twin sisters. In a fluke, both were called at the exact same instance," Whistler said. "The Powers believe there is an apocalypse coming, one that will end the world for humanity, allow the First Evil to come forth and bring back the Old Ones."
"How long do I have?" Rei asked.
"Seven years, according to the Powers," Whistler replied. "But that doesn't mean its going to be an easy ride. There is going to be bumps along the way, as you well know."
Rei let out a sigh and nodded. She did know as she thought back on Nakamura. He was still out there, somewhere. They had met up a hundred years after her first death. When he found out she was immortal, he had escaped and she assumed to plan his next move. "I know," she said. "When are they going to be in Sunnydale?"
"A few days," Whistler replied.
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"Buffy, Faith?"
"I'm up, Dawn," Buffy and Faith called back from their respective rooms across the hall from each other. Their mother, Joyce Summers, had managed to find a house so that each of her girls had a room to themselves.
"We don't want to be late for your first day!" Dawn called back.
"No," Buffy mumbled to herself. "Wouldn't want that." She sat up and stared around the room, at the half-decorated walls, the unpacked boxes stacked in one corner.
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"Now, you two have a good time," Joyce said, watching Buffy and Faith get out of the car. "I know you two will make friends right away. Think positive. And, girls . . ." she paused, sounding hopeful. "Try not to get kicked out."
"We promise," Buffy and Faith replied.
As their mother drove off heading for Dawn's school, Buffy and Faith stood for a moment, sizing up their new situation, unaware they were being watched.
Rei watched the girls that had just gotten out of the car and nodded. From what her Slayer enhanced hearing had picked up, she was sure these were the girls that had been called. Now that she knew what they looked like she would come back tomorrow and enroll as a student. Utilizing a glamour spell a witch taught her over a hundred years before, she would make herself look younger. Till then she was going to scout out the town.
She noticed a boy on the skateboard as her hearing picked up what he was saying while he weaved his way recklessly through the crowds. "Coming through . . . not certain how to stop . . ."
Rei shook her head as she watched the boy's head pivot toward the darker haired twin. She smirked as she watched him run right into the railing in front of him.
A redheaded girl ran up to help him, he looked at her with a grin that was all charm.
"Willow!" Xander exclaimed, picking himself up again, not at all bothered by his dramatic entrance. "You're so very much the person I wanted to see."
"Really?" Willow asked hopefully.
"Yeah," he said. "You know, I kind of had a problem with the math."
Willow quickly hid her disappointment. "Which part?"
"The math. Can you help me tonight? Please? Be my study buddy?"
"Well," Willow considered cheerfully, "what's in it for me?"
"A shiny nickel . . ."
"Okay. Do you have Theories in Trig? You should check it out."
Xander looked baffled. "Check it out?"
"From the library. Where the books live."
Rei nodded at the mention of books. It would be the perfect cover for Buffy and Faith's watcher. She would have to check it out tomorrow when she enrolled. She turned and headed back for her car and got in. Time to check out the local demon bars.
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Faith and Buffy sat in the principal's office, across the desk from Mr. Flutie. As they watched him, he pulled their transcripts from a folder, glanced through them, and then turned a direct gaze on the sisters.
"Buffy Summers," he recited. "Sophomore, late of Hemery High in Los Angeles. Faith Summers also a sophomore, also late of Hemery High in Los Angeles. You both have an interesting record. Quite a career."
Before either Faith or Buffy could answer, he smiled and carefully tore their transcripts into four pieces each.
"Welcome to Sunnydale," he announced. "A clean slate, that's what you get here. What's past is past. We're not interested in what it says on a piece of paper. Even if it says—" He broke off and looked down again at the ripped pages. His eyes went wide. "Whoa." He check the other transcript and noticed similar remarks on it as well. "At Sunnydale we nurture the whole student. The inner student."
Having recovered himself, Mr. Flutie continued to talk while picking up the pieces of their transcripts and arranging them back into their original shapes. Just then a knock came at the door.
"Yes?" Mr. Flutie asked as the door opened and a two women walked in, one of whom could have been about Buffy and Faith's age.
"Yes, Ms. …?" Mr. Flutie said.
"Marie Danvers," the woman said. "The new history teacher. And this is my niece Savannah Summers, who's transferring in."
Buffy and Faith glanced at each other and then at girl named, Savannah. They wondered if Savannah was somehow related to them or whether it was just a coincidence that they had the same last names and enrolling on the exact same day.
Mr. Flutie nodded and motioned for Marie and Savannah to have a seat. "Welcome. Why don't you two just have a seat while I finish with our other new student here?"
Marie nodded as she and Savannah sat down in the that lined the back of the office. Savannah nudged Marie and motioned toward Mr. Flutie's desk where they saw that Faith and Buffy's transcripts had been torn up.
"Where was I? Oh yes, other schools might look at the incredible decline in grade point average," he said. "We look at the struggling young women with the incredible decline in grade point averages. Other schools might look at the reports of gang fights—"
"Mr. Flutie—" Faith interrupted.
"All the kids here are free to call me Bob—"
"Bob—"
"But they don't."
He pulled out a piece of tape and began taping the transcripts together again.
"Mr. Flutie," Faith said. "We know our transcripts are a little . . . colorful—"
"Hey, we're not caring about that! Do you think 'colorful' is the word? Not 'dismal'? Just offhand, I'd go with 'dismal.'"
"It wasn't that bad," Buffy argued.
Mr. Flutie stared at the sisters. "You two burned down the gym."
"We did. We really did." Buffy winced. "But you gotta see the big picture. I mean the gym was full of vamp . . ." Faith quickly elbowed her, "… uh, asbestos."
"Buffy, Faith. Don't worry. Any other school, they might say 'Watch your step,' or 'We'll be watching you,' or 'Get within a hundred yards of the gym with a book of matches and you'll grow up in juvie hall,' but that's just not the way here. We want to service your needs and help you to respect our needs. And if your needs and our needs don't mesh . . ."
Still smiling blandly, he slipped the messily mended transcripts back into the folders and slammed them shut with his hand. As Buffy and Faith left the office he pulled out another folder and then motioned to Marie and Savannah to sit in the chairs Faith and Buffy had.
"Did you happen to bring Savannah's transcripts with you Ms. Danvers?" he asked. "They seemed not to have arrived."
Marie nodded as she pulled a folder out of her bag and handed it to him.
"So," he said as he looked over Savannah's transcripts. "Remarkable. Straight A student."
Savannah smiled. "I try," she said. They hadn't faked her grades on her transcripts. They had just changed the details of the school Savannah had been at. Savannah was just as bright as her aunt.
"I see your entering Sunnydale High as a sophomore. I'm sure you will fit right in." After a brief discussion Savannah was dismissed. "Ms. Danvers. Welcome to Sunnydale High. I'm not going to go through the big hoopla of introducing you to everyone." He produced a map of the campus, much like the one he had given Savannah, and marked on it the location of her classroom. "That will be your classroom for the remainder of the school year and the next two years after that. The school board said you signed a two year contract to start next fall along with the contract to teach the remainder of this school year as well."
"That is correct. If you don't mind I want to get settled in before my first class," Dawn said
Mr. Flutie nodded. "Of course. You will need a teacher's edition of your textbook. You can find it along with the student textbooks in the school library. Rupert Giles is the school librarian, he also is a recent hire. He will get you what you need."
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Savannah stood in the hall and watched as a boy hurrying to class knocked Faith and Buffy down, spilling things from their bags.
Xander rushed over from his locker. "Can I have you," he asked Faith, then corrected himself. "Dyeh—can I help you?"
"Thanks," Faith replied as he started picking up her things and handing them to her.
Savannah looked toward Buffy as she noted Buffy was picking up own stuff, seemingly being ignored by Xander. She walked over to Buffy and knelt down. "Hey."
"Hi," Buffy replied.
"My name's Savannah," Savannah said as started picking up Buffy's things and handing them to her. "Savannah Joyce Summers."
Buffy blinked as she looked at Savannah. That was even more of a coincidence.
"I don't know you, do I?" Xander asked Faith.
"No," Faith replied. "I'm Faith and this is my sister, Buffy."
"Xander. Is me. Hi."
"Thanks," Faith said.
"Maybe I'll see you around," Xander suggested. "Maybe at school, since we both . . . go there."
"Great," Faith smiled slightly, she had to give the boy a gold star for effort. "Nice to meet you. Come on, Buffy."
Buffy nodded as she looked at Savannah. "Thanks for the help," she said as she finished stuffing her bag. She and Faith then turned and hurried down the hall.
"We both go to school," Xander shook his head in disgust. "Very suave. Very not pathetic."
Then he noticed something on the floor. Bending down to retrieve it, he automatically called after Faith, "Oh, hey, you forgot your—"
He broke off. He looked at the thing he was holding.
"Stake," he said.
Faith and Buffy were too far away now to hear him.
Savannah looked up and saw her aunt standing over her. She got up and they walked away from Xander checking Savannah's schedule.
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Rei walked into one of the demon bars of Sunnydale. She had chosen this one because of the bartender who owned it. He was also an immortal. She had found out that for the right incentive he would give out information on what was happening in the town.
"Rei," Willy said as she approached. "The usual?"
Rei smiled. She had been in the bar twice in the last couple days since she had arrived in Sunnydale. She had found that Willy had made a deal to keep his own head; the bar was neutral ground, not holy, just neutral. He offered all immortals free drinks and food if they would not take his head or any other immortal's head while in the bar. Outside of course was another matter, of course Willy rarely set foot outside. "Not today, Willy. I need to know what's going down?"
Willy looked towards his demon patrons and Rei understood. She had to make a show of roughing him up if she wanted to know what was happening. She drew her sword from under her coat and readied it for a strike at his head.
"Alright, alright," he said at the threat of losing his head. For an immortal that was the only way they could die after all and he knew if Rei took his head he would die. "Word is the Master has been here for years trapped within the Hellmouth. The Harvest is coming up; it's supposed to free him."
"When?" Rei asked as she held onto the sword.
"Tomorrow night."
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Savannah and Marie noticed that Buffy and Faith were seated at the back of the classroom when they arrived at Marie's classroom.
Looking around Marie remembered she didn't know what her predecessor had been teaching when he had mysteriously disappeared. She quickly borrowed one of the student's books and looked over the chapter that the student said was next. When the bell rang she handed the book back to the student.
"Good morning everyone. My name is Marie Danvers. But you can just call me Marie. No need to stand on formality in my classroom. Now if you will open your textbooks to page 61." Marie said. After she took attendance she started on her lecture.
"It's estimated that about twenty-five million people died during the Black Plaque. But the fun part of the Black Plaque is that it originated in Europe: How? As an early form of germ warfare. The plague was first found in Asia, and a Kipchak army actually catapulted plague-infested corpses into a Genoise trading post. If you look at the map on page sixty-three you can trace the spread of the disease ..."
Marie watched as everyone opened their books. She noted like Savannah, Buffy and Faith didn't have one yet. She smiled as Cordelia Chase leaned over next to Buffy to share her book.
"Here," Cordelia said whispered to Buffy as Faith scooted her own desk over so she could look at the book as well.
"Thanks," Buffy and Faith said.
Marie noted that another kind student did the same with Savannah as she continued the lecture. "And this popular plague led to what social changes?"
An hour later the bell rang and students started to file out of the classroom. Dawn debated introducing herself to Buffy when Cordelia beat her to the punch
"Hi, I'm Cordelia."
"I'm Buffy and this is my sister, Faith."
"If you're looking for textbooks of your very own, there's probably a few in the library."
"Oh, great. Thanks. Where would that be?" Buffy wondered.
"I'll show you."
"Ms. Chase you wouldn't mind terribly much if Savannah and I accompanied you," Marie said as she and Savannah walked up to them. "I need to pick up my teacher's edition of the textbook and my niece needs to pick up the student edition. And we're not familiar with the campus yet."
Cordelia looked too Marie and then nodded. "Sure Ms. Dan … Marie."
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Savannah, Faith, Buffy, Cordelia and Marie walked out into the crowded hall.
Cordelia glanced at Buffy and Faith with unconcealed interest, ignoring both Dawn and Savannah. "You two transferred from Hemery, right? In L.A.?"
"Yeah," Buffy and Faith replied.
"Oh! I would kill to live in L.A. Being that close to that many shoes . . . Why'd you two come here?"
"Because our mom moved, is the reason. I mean, we all moved. But our mom wanted to," Buffy said in response
"Well, you two will be okay here," Cordelia assured the sisters. "If you hang with me and mine, you'll be accepted in no time. Of course, we do have to test your coolness factor. You're from L.A., so you can skip the written, but let's see . . . Vamp nail polish."
Buffy asked tentatively, "Over?"
Marie shook her head as Savannah looked at her.
"So over," Cordelia replied. "James Spader."
"Buffy's gay, so it would likely be Kyra Sedgwick who needs to call her. But me on the other hand he needs to call," Faith said.
"Frappachinos?" Cordelia asked.
"Trendy but tasty," Buffy and Faith agreed simultaneously.
"John Tesh."
"The Devil?" Faith said with a roll of her eyes.
Cordelia nodded. "Well, that was pretty much a gimme, but you both passed."
"Oh, good." Buffy put a hand to her heart in mock relief.
Savannah and Marie bit back the laughter that was trying to bubble out of them. They continued on towards a water fountain, where Willow was taking her turn.
"Willow!" Cordelia raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Nice dress. Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears."
Willow sounded almost apologetic. "Well, my mom picked it out."
"No wonder you're such a guy magnet." Cordelia's tone was withering. "Are you done?"
"Ms. Chase," Dawn said. "You can be polite and wait for her to get done or you can find another fountain."
Cordelia didn't say anything but just nodded.
Buffy looked unhappily at the departing Willow and then Dawn and Savannah and smiled her thanks for standing up for the girl. Once Cordelia was done at the water fountain they followed Cordelia on to the library.
"And if you two are not too swamped with catching up, you should come out to the Bronze tonight," Cordelia suggested.
"The who?" Savannah asked.
"The Bronze. It's the only club worth going to around here. They let anybody in, but it's still the scene. It's in the bad part of town."
"Where's that?" Buffy asked.
"About half a block from the good part of town. We don't have a whole lot of town. You two should show."
They'd reached the library now. The five of them stopped in front of the door.
"Well, we'll try, thanks," Faith promised.
"Good. I'll see you two at gym and you can tell me absolutely everything there is to know about yourselves." She turned to Marie. "Marie." She looked at Savannah. "And … Sorry I don't know your name."
"Savannah, Savannah Summers," Savannah said.
"Thank you, Ms. Chase," Dawn said as Cordelia turned and went off.
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Buffy and Faith entered the Sunnydale High library. They looked around surprised at the elegance of it, the dark wood paneling, the streaming sunlight across the floor, the shelves and shelves of books. A short flight of stairs led up to a second level of still more bookcases, and with its large oak table and cozy study lamps, the room had a curiously warm country-house feeling.
Buffy turned to ask Savannah and Marie what they thought of the library since they were new as well, but found suddenly and mysteriously gone.
Buffy and Faith paused beside the checkout counter, they happened to notice a folded newspaper lying there, an article on its first page circled in red. The headline stated: Local Boys Still Missing, and beside it was a blurry picture of three boys.
The sisters wandered farther in. They peered around a bookcase.
"Hello . . . is anybody here?" Buffy called out.
Without warning someone touched Faith's shoulder. Half expecting an attack, she spun to face him.
"Can I help you?" the man asked politely.
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she touched her sister's shoulder to indicate it was okay. "We were looking for some, well, books. We're new."
"Miss Summers," the man said looking at Buffy and then at Faith, "and Miss Summers."
"Good call," Faith said with a roll of eyes.
"I'm Mr. Giles, the librarian."
The sisters studied him for an instant.
"Great." Buffy smiled. "So you have, uh—"
"I know what you both are after."
He turned and led them to the checkout desk by the door. They watched curiously as he pulled a book out from beneath the counter and slid it toward them. Huge and leather bound, it bore a single word in gilt upon its cover.
VAMPYR
Concern flooded the sisters' faces—and with it, a look of wary understanding. They had both seen this book in a dream. They stepped back from the desk, but their gaze remained on the librarian.
"That's not what we're looking for," Faith told him, her voice going tight.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm way sure."
Mr. Giles hesitated . . . gave an almost imperceptible nod. "My mistake."
He replaced the book under the counter.
"So," he continued softly, "what is it you said—"
As he stood back up he looked at where Buffy and Faith had been standing a second before and saw Savannah and Marie standing there now. "Hello is there something I can help you two with?" he asked.
"My name is Marie Danvers," Marie said. "I am the new history teacher and this is my niece Savannah. We were told you have the teacher's edition of the textbook for my classes. And the student edition for all of Savannah's classes."
"Yes," Giles said as Savannah handed him her schedule and he went into a small cubicle next to his office and pulled out several books. When he returned he handed them to Dawn and Savannah.
Dawn smiled. "There is something else we wanted to talk to you about, Watcher."
What did she just call me? Giles wondered. He stared at Marie for a moment. "What did you say?"
"My aunt called you by your real title, Mr. Giles," Savannah said as Marie gave a small laugh.
"I know you work for the Watcher's Council," Marie said. "I also know Buffy and Faith Summers are the current Slayers, the only fraternal twins to be ever called simultaneously."
"And how do you know all that?" Giles asked.
Marie smiled. "You would know me under a different name. A name that was given to me by a Native American tribe 200 years ago. The Green Witch."
"The Green Witch?" Giles asked. He had heard the legends of The Green Witch. But like the Watcher's Council he had dismissed them as nothing but superstition and legend. "You're actually her? But how is that possible. Only a few demons, vampires amongst them, live that long."
Savannah smiled. "Aunt Marie drank from the Fountain of Youth in the year seventeen fifty, when it was destroyed by Spanish soldiers. And yes she is actually the Green Witch," she said.
"What brings you to Sunnydale?" Giles asked.
"Buffy and Faith do," Marie said. "I have seen the path they will tread and I believe they will have need of mine and Savannah's help."
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Rei returned to her newly purchased house. She looked at the unpacked boxes and sighed. She would find time for that later as she moved to the phone and dialed.
"Joe Dawson," came Joe's voice from the phone.
"It's Rei," Rei said. "I have some information for the Council. Heinrich Joseph Nest is still alive."
"Nest … Nest, I've heard that name somewhere."
"He, and his followers, calls himself, The Master," Rei said. "I was tracking him in nineteen thirty-seven when he disappeared. Word has it that he trapped himself in the Hellmouth."
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Willow carefully sorted through her packed lunch. She was so involved that she didn't notice anyone approaching until a voice spoke behind her.
"Uh, hi," the voice said. "Willow, right?"
Willow started and turned around. "Why?" she asked suspiciously, and then, seeing who it was, "I mean, hi. Did you two want me to move?"
"Why don't we start with 'Hi, I'm Buffy and this is my sister, Faith,'" Buffy suggested as she and Faith sat down beside Willow. "And then let's segue directly into us asking you for a favor. It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve you hanging out with us for a while."
Willow's expression was doubtful. "But aren't you two . . . hanging with Cordelia?"
"We can't do both?" asked Faith.
"Not legally."
"Look, Faith and I really want to get by here," Buffy explained. "New school . . . Cordelia's been really nice—to us, anyway—but we have this burning desire not to flunk all our classes, and we heard a rumor that you were the person to talk to if we wanted to get caught up."
Willow brightened. "Oh, I could totally help you two out! If you both have sixth period free, we could meet in the library—"
"Or not," Faith declined at once.
"Or, you know, we could meet somewhere quieter," Buffy quickly added. "Louder. That place kind of gives us both the wiggins."
"It has that effect on most kids. I love it, though. It's a great collection, and the new librarian's really cool."
"He's new?" Faith asked as she and Buffy glanced at each other. She replayed everything they knew about him so far. He was new, had a British accent, and had that Vampyr book. She hoped he was not Merrick's replacement. She and Buffy were both done with that life.
"Yeah, he and the new history teacher, Marie, just started. He was a curator of some British museum. Or the British Museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?"
"Not at all!" Buffy insisted.
The girls looked up as Xander sauntered over with Jesse.
"Hey. Are you guys busy?" Xander greeted them. "Can we interrupt? We're interrupting."
"Hey," Buffy smiled.
"Hey there," Jesse answered.
"Buffy, Faith, this is Jesse." Willow made the introductions. "And that's Xander."
"Oh, me and Faith go way back," Xander said casually. "Old friends, very close. Then there was that period of estrangement, I think we were both changing as people, but here we are, and it's like old times, I'm quite moved."
Faith stared at him amused, amazed and quite flattered.
"Is it me?" Jesse asked him. "Or are you turning into a babbling idiot?"
For a split second Xander looked almost embarrassed. "It's not you."
"It's nice to meet you guys," Buffy said. "I think."
"Well, we wanted to welcome you, make you feel at home," Jesse replied gallantly. "Unless you have a scary home."
"And to return this," Xander added. He produced a stake that had fallen earlier from Faith's bag. "The only thing I can figure is that you're building a really little fence."
"Oh. No." Buffy's mind worked swiftly. "That was for self-defense." Faith rolled her eyes at the lame excuse. "Everyone has them in L.A. Pepper spray is so passé."
Xander nodded, as though not quite convinced. "So. What do you like," he looked at Faith explicitly, "what do you do for fun, what do you look for in a man? . . . Let's hear it."
Faith shook her head and laughed softly. Good looks and funny, a good combination, she thought to herself.
"If you have any dark, painful secrets that we could publish," Jesse suggested.
"Gee," Buffy's tone was mildly sarcastic. "Everybody wants to know about us. How keen."
"Well, not a lot happens in a one-Starbucks town like Sunnydale," Xander confessed, his gaze never leaving Faith. "You two are big news."
"We're not," Faith said. "Really."
"Are these people bothering you two?" Cordelia suddenly appeared behind Jesse, a look of pure disdain on her face.
Buffy glanced around in surprise. "Oh! No."
"They're not hanging out with us," Willow hastened to explain, while Jesse only looked smitten at the sight of Cordelia.
"Hey, Cordelia," Jesse said.
"Oh, please," Cordelia dismissed him in disgust, turning her attention to the sisters. "I don't want to interrupt your downward mobility. I just thought I'd tell you both that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with chest hair, because gym has been canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker."
Buffy stared at her. "What?"
"What are you talking about?" Willow straightened, looking alarmed.
"Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker," Cordelia explained.
"Dead," Buffy repeated as she glanced at Faith.
"Way dead," Cordelia confirmed.
"So not just a little dead, then," Xander added.
Cordelia gave him one of her looks. "Don't you have an elsewhere to be?"
"If you need a shoulder to cry on," Jesse offered, "or just to nibble on—"
"How did he die?" Faith broke in, her gaze still steady upon Cordelia.
"I don't know . . ."
"Well, were there any marks?" Buffy asked.
"Morbid much?" Cordelia was eyeing Buffy and Faith as though the sisters were some kind of aliens. "I didn't ask!"
Abruptly Buffy and Faith stood up. "Uh, look, we gotta book," Faith said. "We'll see you guys later."
Faith and Buffy took off hurriedly toward the gym, leaving the others to stare after them in bewilderment. Unbeknownst to them they were being followed by Marie and Savannah.
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The sisters went straight to the girls' locker room. Unfortunately, Mr. Flutie was just coming out, closing the door behind him.
"Oh! Buffy! Faith!" He regarded them in surprise. "Uh, what do you two want?"
Buffy tried to keep her voice casual. "Um, is there a guy in there who's dead?"
"Where did you hear that?" Mr. Flutie asked quickly. Then, "Okay. Yes. But he's not a student! Not currently."
"Do you know how he died?" Faith wondered.
"What?"
"Faith means," Buffy fumbled trying to cover for her sister, "how could this have happened?"
"Well, that's for the police to determine when they get here," Mr. Flutie replied. "But this structure is safe, we have inspections, and I think there are no grounds for a lawsuit."
"Was there a lot of blood?" Faith asked. "Was there any blood?"
Mr. Flutie gave the sisters a long look. "I would think you two wouldn't want to involve yourself in this kind of thing."
"We don't," Buffy assured him.
"Could I just take a peek?" Faith asked.
"Unless you already are involved . . ." Mr. Flutie insinuated, and Buffy shook her head.
"Never mind," Buffy said as she grabbed Faith's arm and started to pull her away from Flutie.
"Buffy, Faith," the principal went on, relenting a little, "I understand this is confusing. You both are probably feeling a lot right now. You should share those feelings. With someone else."
Buffy and Faith passed where Savannah and Marie were hidden under a cover spell.
"Follow them," Marie whispered. "I will talk to Principal Flutie."
Savannah nodded as she turned and walked down the hall.
Marie dropped her cover spell and walked up to Flutie.
"Ms. Danvers," Flutie said not expecting her to in that particular hall.
"Is it true?" Marie asked. "I heard in the teacher's lounge that a boy was found."
Flutie sighed. "It is true. We're keeping this hush hush. We don't want to alarm the students. Those that have gym class are being redirected to study hall till the police come."
"Can I ask, I'm a big fan of crime dramas, could you tell …?" Marie asked.
"How he died?" Flutie asked as he looked around to make sure they were alone. "No, but it appears his blood has been drained through twin pin pricks in his neck."
"Who would do such a thing?" Marie wondered.
"I don't know, and I hope I never find out," Flutie said.