A/N: Please welcome Lilly to the beta crew. She's helping keep the muse and me on track.
Buffy clutched her mother for a minute longer before reluctantly pulling away. Feeling almost numb from the constant barrage of blows to her emotions, she mumbled, "Right. A cure for Willow, the Mayor, and Faith." It was the logical choice. Buffy kept repeating that internally as she reentered the lab.
Nothing had changed. Anya and Xander still held each other across the room. Knobs turned under Wesley's hand.
Buffy slunk over and dropped onto a lab stool away from the others. The cold from the hallway had followed. It clung to her, inside, stabbing her with frigid spikes with every breath.
She lost track of time. The maddening electric click of the classroom clock echoed in her head until its monotonous marking of time lost meaning.
"Mrs. Summers, the book, please." Buffy's head shot up at Wesley's request.
"Wes?" All of Buffy's hopes and fears lay in that single word.
He held up a hand, peering intently at the book handed him.
Buffy's muscles tightened until she was sure cramps weren't far behind. Her heart thundered as each beat reverberated in her head. They had to find the poison. Willow was the heart and soul of the group – and her very best friend. Failing to save her was not an option.
Wesley sighed. "I've found it."
Cocking her head, Buffy wondered why he didn't sound happy. The knot in her stomach tightened. "Spill, Wes. What do we have to do to save Will?"
"I'm not sure we can do anything, Buffy." He looked pale, but he met her eyes. "The poison – it destroys souls." Fumbling with the book, Wesley tried to explain. "As the toxin works its way into the body, it wraps around the victim's soul. It combines science with very high-level magic."
"Isn't there an antidote?" Joyce asked into the silence filling the room.
Wesley grimaced. "An anti-toxin can be produced. However, it's extremely difficult and can only be created while the maker incants the spell over the original ingredients."
"What does that mean, exactly?" For once, Xander wasn't making a joke. Buffy saw him frown, arms tight around Anya.
"It means that unless we find an existing vial of the anti-toxin, there is no way to save Willow," Wesley murmured.
Concrete rough under her palms, Faith leaned over the edge of the rooftop and peered down at City Hall. "OK, Big Guy," she said to herself. "Let's hope I know what I'm doing.
Sweat trickled down her back under her too-large shirt. The bag slung over her shoulder bounced as she worked her way to a better vantage point. When she was sure she had the right angle, Faith pulled a lighter from her pocket and removed the first bottle from the bag. A flick of her thumb and flames leapt up the rag wick. With a throw only a Slayer could manage, the bottle shattered one of the large windows bracketing the doors to Sunnydale's political center.
Seconds later, Faith's sensitive hearing caught terrified screams. The Mayor's human day-shift staff rushed from the building.
She was on the move instantly. Needing to keep the police and security guards spread out, Faith sprinted to the escape ladder and hurried down. She ran across the alley and climbed the next ladder to another rooftop.
Faith managed to throw two more cocktails before her pursuers got too close. Abandoning the rest of her arsenal, she concentrated on leading the Mayor's human employees on a long hunt.
Her feet splashed loudly through the water trickling through the dimly lit alley. She could hear the group behind her. Too close. Somehow, Faith had miscalculated. Skidding around a corner, she came to an abrupt halt. Five uniformed security guards waited for her, guns drawn. Damn. She'd forgotten about that. Slayer strength versus bullets. Bad odds.
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Faith raised her hands in the universal sign of surrender. "Guess you wouldn't believe I was just out for a jog?"
Another group of guards came around the corner with more guns. Faith kept her hands up, muscles quivering with the need to run or fight. They were human. Fighting her Slayer instincts, Faith remained in place, praying Angel had had enough time.
"Let's go." One of the guards gestured with his gun. They made a strange cavalcade, Faith leading the pack of armed guards down the alley. Following directions, she wound her way to a service entrance at the rear of City Hall. A wry smile twisted her lips. No one would see them take her inside. Swallowing hard, Faith realized there was a good chance she wasn't making it out of the building alive.
The guards didn't lead her to the Mayor's office or one of the conference rooms. Instead, Faith found herself prodded down a flight of stairs into the building's boiler room. Dark and musty-smelling, the room had no windows. Her Slayer senses lit up. She sensed vampires and something new. A demon - not one she recognized by feel. Faith ground her teeth, cursing internally. Her no-plan plan was really lacking in the plan department.
"That's not good enough." Buffy's mind wouldn't wrap around Wesley's pronouncement. "Of course we're going to find a cure for Willow."
She hated the pity in his eyes. Deep inside, she knew it meant he firmly believed there was no hope. "Buffy," the pity was in his voice, too, "if we could find the anti-toxin and if we administer it in time, there is a chance."
Buffy latched on to the thread of hope. "See. It's not hopeless." She hopped off the stool and started pacing. "The Mayor. He had the poison. That means he's our best option for the antidote. I'll just wait until dark and do a little breaking and entering."
Clearing his throat, Wesley stood and straightened his tie. "That would be too late."
The ringing in her ears was back, louder this time. "Too late?" Buffy grabbed onto one of the lab tables, knees suddenly not working right. "What do you mean, too late?"
"The poison works very swiftly. Within a matter of hours, it starts to devour the soul, the very essence of its victim." He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Willow was infected nearly two hours ago. According to my calculations, the toxin is already working on her soul. By nightfall, there will be nothing left of what we all know as Willow."
This wasn't happening. Buffy stared at Wesley, the world starting to fade at the edges, the ringing in her ears making her head ache. "No," she pleaded. "No. Not Willow. We can't let this happen to Willow."
Wesley nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'll contact the Council. Perhaps they have a vial somewhere or know where we might procure some." He was humoring her. Buffy could hear it in his voice. Wesley didn't believe there was any real hope. For once, though, she was glad of the empty promise.
"Thanks, Wes." Her voice shook, and Buffy cleared her throat. "Thanks. While you do that, we'll go check on Willow." She carefully moved toward the door, not sure her legs would hold her.
The quiet group snuck into the library. Oz huddled over Willow, head bent until it nearly touched Willow's sweat-soaked hair. He didn't move as they approached. There was no sign of Giles.
"Oz?" Xander whispered when Buffy's voice failed.
Dull hazel eyes looked up. "She's slipping away." The words were barely audible, but they echoed in the room.
"Wes is contacting the Council. There's a cure." Buffy offered the hope, feeling almost guilty at the relief that sprang into Oz's eyes. "Where's Giles?" Moving away, Buffy blindly scanned the shelves of books. The room was closing in. She was hot and cold at the same time. The air pressed against her, making it hard to breathe.
"The office. He said something about planning for Graduation." Oz didn't sound very interested in the topic.
Without turning, Buffy commented, "Stay here, guys. I'm going to see what's happening on that front." She wasn't much more interested in the Mayor and his Ascension than Oz. She just had to get away, away from the stifling silence, the unspoken expectation that she'd pull a solution out of thin air, away from Willow and the very visual signs that she wasn't getting better.
She tapped on the doorframe, waiting until Giles looked up and gestured for her to come in. "Oz said you were working on a plan?"
"Well, that was my intent." He took off his glasses and tossed them onto his desk blotter.
"Oookay. Let me guess. You didn't get very far." Buffy dropped into the chair next to his desk. The day continued to get worse. It was so bad now. What else could possibly go wrong?
"Hello, Faith." Faith flinched as the Mayor stepped out of the shadows. The familiar quirky smile crossed his face. "I've missed seeing you."
Bile burned Faith's throat as she watched him walk closer. "Boss." The word came out before she could censor it, "Glad to know you noticed I'd changed sides. You weren't looking good in the poles," she pushed, not wanting him to sense how much this conversation hurt.
"Really?' He laughed. "All my people say I'm a shoe in." Wilkins stopped less than a foot from Faith. In horror, Faith noticed his eyes no longer looked human. They were flat, cold, the pupils slitted. Like a snake.
"You pay them. What else are they going to say?" Faith mocked. Her eyes swept the room, looking for a way out. She reached out, trying to locate the demon on her radar. The vamps she might be able to handle if she got the chance. A demon, though…
Her muscles trembled violently as fear gripped her. The demon…Her senses homed in on Wilkins. Faith shrank back, nearly whimpering. The Mayor wasn't completely human anymore.
"Ah, you've discovered my secret." Wilkins smile changed, the joviality gone. In its place – a greasy satisfaction. He moved even closer, until he almost touched Faith. "The Ascension is close. Soon, I'll be the biggest thing this town has ever seen."
He seemed disappointed when Faith didn't respond. She couldn't. The image of the demon in Giles' book filled her mind.
"Too bad you won't be there to see it." He turned away, snapping his fingers at one of his pet vampires. Faith came back to the here and now to see him face her. In his hands lay her knife. The beautiful curved blade gleamed in the low light.
"That's OK, Dick. I'm not a big fan of ceremonies." Faith devoutly hoped he didn't notice the quiver in her voice.
He did. "Why, Faith, you're not afraid, are you?" Wilkins turned the blade, smirking as Faith's eyes watched the hypnotic movement. "Don't be. I'll make sure it's quick. Nothing's too good for my girl."
Faith's stomach hurt, the words hitting her like a kick. She sucked in a deep breath against the pain.
"Now, your little friend, Buffy? She won't get such gentle treatment." The Mayor smiled coldly. "I'm going to eat her as a gift to myself at my Ascension."
Faith didn't think. Couldn't think through the rage and fear pouring through her mind. Lunging forward, she grabbed the knife and plunged it into the Mayor's chest. Rough hands grabbed her immediately, yanking her back.
They were too late. Faith smiled in grim satisfaction. The knife stuck out of the Mayor's chest. He wasn't going to make it to his Ascension.
Her pleasure disappeared when the Mayor straightened from his slump and pulled the knife out as if her were pulling a stray thread from his jacket. "Such violence. I always admired that in you. Too bad I'm invulnerable."
Legs buckling, Faith dangled from the hands holding her. This couldn't be happening.
Not even bothering to wipe the bloody blade clean, Wilkins paced toward her.
I'm sorry, B, for everything. Faith waited for the killing blow.
It never fell. A plastic bottle rolled across the floor until it stopped, resting against the foot of one of the Mayor's vampire guards. Everyone – including Faith – watched it in confusion. A flame flickered near its mouth.
The explosion threw the vamps nearest the Mayor to the ground and staggered His Honor. Fire spread quickly, thanks to the clothing of the vampire who'd been in contact with the bottle. His screams of pain echoed in the room.
As Faith looked on, the Mayor stepped away from the undead torch, unease twisting his face. He stayed well away from the fire.
The vampires scurried around the room like ants at a picnic, looking for the bomber.
While they searched, two more Molotov cocktails rolled into the room. Each one aimed away from Faith and the Mayor.
A hand grabbed Faith, pulling her away from her guards. "Let's go!" Angel dragged her through the disorganized vampires. A bent metal grating partially covered a hole in the concrete floor.
They dropped into the sewers, running full tilt away from City Hall.