Faith's House, Basement
Faith pummelled the speed bag in rapid succession. Voirrey placed on protective gear nearby. After three consecutive hours of working out, a mass of beady sweat trickled over Faith's body. Her white tank top stuck to her skin, and her lips tasted of salt.
She unclenched her hands and stopped on the speed bag to wipe off perspiration, beginning light stretches in preparation for the next exercise.
"You know, I was thinking..."
"Of what?" Voirrey held up two hand pads. Faith whirled into a crouch, hands extended like claws. She shifted from one bare foot to the other on the blue training mat. Her tongue poked at a chipped molar.
"Buffy. Who fights better."
"That's down to skill. You both utilise the same strength." Voirrey braced herself for Faith's blows.
"Uh, actually, not so sure about that. You measure Slayers in the past? Like get them to bench press or whatever, compare results?"
"Not really." Voirrey considered the idea. "I don't believe the Council ever needed to. You are capable of dead lifting eight hundred pounds, give or take, though."
"Yeah…" Faith sucked in a deep breath, launching herself onto the pads. Voirrey smoothly moved backward to lessen the impact of the strikes. "Well, yesterday, she came over. We were bored. Did some sparring. She's pretty good. Maybe not as trained or as fast as me. But…" Faith lashed out at the pads in an array of different punches and kicks. All the while, Voirrey retreated in a circular motion, blocking with expert precision.
"Again with the suspense," Voirrey curled her lips, dodging a kick. Faith slipped on a right cross. Voirrey patted the intruding limb aside with her left pad before it crunched into her chin. Faith slowed her attacks, suddenly paranoid.
"I noticed when we sparred she hit pretty hard." Faith traded slow, predictable blows, mixing a few kicks and knee strikes in. "So I got her to bench press." Faith halted the barrage, indicating the weight in the corner. It had six two hundred kilo rings on either side.
"She lifted that?" Voirrey wiped her face with the pad, going over to inspect the weight.
"One thou and two. I can't do that, V. Eight-fifty's my limit. Dunno if she could lift more, since that's the max I'm able to put on that thing."
Faith still felt shaken from when she witnessed it. She suspected for over a week that Buffy was stronger, but seeing the actual physical evidence left her speechless. Buffy appeared equally astonished at the gap in power, especially since their sparring sessions came out about even in wins and losses.
"Fascinating," Voirrey murmured. "I suppose we've never had need for a comparison before. But with two Slayers alive…" She walked back to Faith, continuing the practise session. "Perhaps it's to do with the Potential's physical type. I can't be certain, though. What other differences are there? Assuming you checked."
"Yeah, we did." Fail smiled, wry. She twisted in the air, hitting the Watcher with a roundhouse and following through with an elbow strike. Voirrey fell a few paces back from the impact. "We figured we had the same constitution. Slayers can endure pretty nasty hits. Didn't push that too far, though. Did wall to wall running and turns out I'm way faster. Last…" Faith laughed when Voirrey tripped her up. The Watcher stepped out of range of her protégé's flip upright. "Last, my fight technique's better."
"Anyone is capable with the right training and knowledge to take on opponents stronger than themselves," Voirrey nodded approval, blocking a soaring uppercut. "You turn their strength against them."
Faith nodded as well, brow furrowing in concentration. They stretched out the session for a few more minutes in relative silence before Faith called an end. Voirrey sagged in relief, groaning as she peeled off the pads. They towelled off excess sweat and drank water from a bottle to hydrate.
"Would you say you were on amiable terms with Buffy, then? I mean, since you are sparring together on occasion. Should I consider inviting her around for dinner?" The female Watcher flung the towel over her shoulder, a smile playing about her mouth. Faith spotted a bruise on Voirrey's forearm and frowned.
"I do that? Let me get something for it."
"It's alright," Voirrey dismissed the offer, pulling a long sleeved top over her sports wear. "But let me ask again. Do you get along with Buffy Summers?"
Faith lifted a shoulder up and down. "Guess we're cool. Wouldn't say great. Reckon the other Faith did a real number on her."
Voirrey shook her head. "I like how you say that with a straight face. I imagine it's bizarre for Buffy to interact with you, then. Fascinating to consider." The Watcher pondered the train of thought as they headed upstairs into the hallway. "To be honest, I thought she would actively avoid you, given her initial reaction to your name. She did however, omit things when mentioning their tumultuous past. It wasn't hard to notice. They don't just call us Watchers for nothing." Voirrey entered the kitchen and started filling up a glass with scotch. "I wonder what she didn't tell us."
"Who knows." Faith swiped some of the scotch. The Watcher glared at her. "What? I'm eighteen."
Voirrey sighed and took another small glass out of the cabinet. "You need more lessons in manners, young lady." She gave Faith a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing the bottle and heading into the lounge.
Faith gulped down the scotch, feeling it burn her throat. She thought about the interactions and altercations in the past week. Dealing with Buffy Summers had been a trial unto itself. She never quite knew where she stood with the blonde. They fought well together. Patrols became easier due to the double Slayer combo roaming out after dark. Four days ago, they'd even risked a patrol without Tara or Willow tagging along. Usually, Faith never went without at least one Wiccan. More than once their shielding abilities had saved her ass. However it also meant missing nights patrolling when both witches needed time recovering their mojo. If Faith tried going out alone, Giles and Voirrey would ride up her ass and threaten to chain her to something.
She got more syllables out of Buffy every day. She enjoyed the patrols more than normal, because of the competitive vibe between them. The training session yesterday was a fantastic workout, even if it left her spooked with the revelation of the petite blonde's strength.
She knew Buffy would be gone soon once they sorted out the dimensional issues. The smaller Slayer didn't belong here.
But the Slayer connection, Faith would miss.
Are you sure that's all you'll be missing? The Inner Slayer whispered.
Yeah. Why? Faith headed upstairs, intending to plunge into a shower.
Was thinking you might miss the actual Slayer, too.
Dunno if I know her enough for that. Might do. Faith grabbed a towel from the airing cupboard. We'll have to see. She headed into the bathroom, tearing off her clothes one by one. The Inner Slayer's snide comments gave her food for thought.
Later, when she was towelling herself dry in her room, Voirrey knocked on the door.
"Yeah, V?"
The door cracked open. The Watcher snaked her hand through and waved Faith's cellphone. "You left this on the table. Tara's calling."
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"Right."
"So, do you want the phone or shall it wait until you're appropriate?"
"Lob it."
Voirrey tossed the phone. Faith caught the device out of reflex, tightening the towel better around her body with one hand as she held the phone to her ear. "Thanks, V. Nice throw."
"Thank you, dear." The door shut.
"Hey, Tara."
"Hey, Faith. Just wanted to call, see how you're doing."
"Five by five. 'Sup, girlfriend?"
"Just finished dinner. Will and Buffy came over, and they're talking about the good old days which their c-carbon copies shared. It's sort of head bendy."
"I hear ya." Buffy at Willow and Tara's house? An irrational surge of jealously shot through Faith. Suppressing the feeling, she kept her voice level. "You guys all coming out to pat tonight?"
"Ah…" Guilt dripped in Tara's voice. "Not me. I'm all out. So is Will. I'm sorry. Our b-batteries need a little recharging. We would come otherwise, you know we would."
Faith shook her head, picking a piece of dead skin off her forearm. "No need to be sorry. Not gonna whale on you or anything."
"Want to come over? You could take a break. Y-You deserve one."
"Nah. Got me an itch to scratch. All play and no slay makes Faith a... well, you know what it makes me." She grinned, seeking out clothes.
Tara bypassed the lecherous connotations. "Seriously. You do this every single night without fail, unless you have no choice. It worries me."
"Why? It's not like I do anything else, is it? I don't go to school. I'm no brain. What I am is a hot chick with superpowers. Seen you checking out the muscles."
"Faith." Tara could almost be heard rolling her eyes. "Taken, remember, sweetie? And we still don't know whether you plan to join the gay parade a-anytime soon. My advice - don't, please. I want to keep my girlfriend. For a long time."
"You're too harsh on yourself," Faith said, laughing. "Anyway, down to business. See, I wanna patrol, but without you witch-fu freaks, it's gonna be sitting on my ass, tearing my own hair out, or pulling some Cro-Mag at the Bronze. Think Buffy'll come?"
"I can ask. But I still think you should take it easy."
"I'll be fine."
Tara yelled Willow's name. A faint reply was heard.
"A-Ask if Buffy wants to go patrolling with Faith tonight, okay?"
More murmuring. Faith waited as patiently as possible, phone glued to her ear as she rummaged through a chest of drawers. Her hearing picked up raised vibrations, and Tara's steady breathing on the other side. Faith yanked out a black, long-sleeved top. She tossed it aside and found a tight fitting leather bolero. A tank-top. Jeans...
"What are you doing?"
"Clothes-finding. I'm in my birthday suit at the moment," Faith grunted, scrabbling through the drawers for something. She didn't want to dump everything out onto the floor, because it wasn't fun to try and fit it all back in again. The weather forecast mentioned a bad bout of frost as well. She'd probably have to wrap up like a water bottle for the next few months.
"You're...what?"
"Is that steam coming out the mouthpiece?" Faith teased. She pulled out a dark brown shirt and a sports bra.
"Give me a little more credit than that. I'm not steamed. N-Not even the slightest little bit steamy."
"Remember what I said about you being harsh on yourself, blondie?" Faith eyed thongs piled up at the right of the drawer. She decided discreetly she wouldn't be wearing those tonight. "You're totally steamy. A little sweet and innocent maybe, but steamy as pie."
"Hey. I'm not like t-that. I'm... sour. And not innocent. I bet I've seen way more things than you. What's the word Willow uses...? You hussy."
"Yeah, I bet you've seen way more things too. Red naked, for starters."
Tara groaned. "I walked r-right into that one."
Faith turned the phone onto loudspeaker, placed it on the bed and sat down, unravelling the towel. "Shouldn't make it so easy for me, then."
A moment later, Tara spoke again. "Yeah. Buffy will come."
"Cool." Faith struggled into the dark brown top. "Gotta motorvate, then. Thanks for that. Meet usual place, tell her that."
Tara confirmed yes. Faith ended the call, finishing sliding into a set of clothes. Now presentable, she tucked the phone in her jean pocket and headed downstairs. Voirrey was seated at the dining table, flicking idly through a book. Voirrey glanced up and gave a warm smile.
"What's the agenda for tonight then?"
"Patrol with Buffy. Others need a recharge."
"Okay." Voirrey placed a bookmark and closed the novel. She rummaged in her bag which was strewn out on the table by the vase of flowers, and pulled out three things. One and two were a pair of fingerless gloves. The other was a silver chained necklace with a onyx coloured cross as the decoration. "Here. Gifts for you."
"Thanks?" Faith twitched her nose. The gloves smelled peculiar: dried leather, fresh material and a tang of rust. She tugged them on and grinned.
"I thought you'd like them." Voirrey started to fix the necklace about Faith, taking care not to catch any loose strands of hair. "No one will think twice about you wearing gloves."
"Gloves weighted with lead. Nice!" Faith crowed. She flexed her hands a few times, testing the weight and feel. The steel inside them was double lined, so her skin remained warm and untouched. "Okay, I admit, these are wicked cool."
"And hopefully, what little police force that does exist in this Godforsaken town won't arrest you for wearing them." Voirrey clasped the necklace, examining her handiwork. "The necklace is a charm. I procured it a week or so ago, mail order made sure it arrived yesterday...ridiculously expensive."
"What kind of charm?" Faith took a closer look at the onyx stone, lifting it up in front of her eye. It flashed in the light of the chandelier. The stone was carefully crafted into a small cross.
"Protective charm. I searched high and low for it - for several copies of it, actually. You can charge it up. It's full at the moment with sunlight. You just leave it in the sun for a few hours and it soaks it right up. You let a vampire touch it when it's full and it'll die."
Faith stared at the necklace with a lot more interest. "Really?"
"Cross my heart."
"Neat…" Faith ran the pad of her thumb over the material.
"You'll have to replenish it again after one use. It even says so in the manual. The magicks used on it are old and obscure. And I could only find one…"
"How much did this thing cost?" Faith breathed, watching a tiny yellow flash, like a flame dance in the depths of the stone.
"Arm and a leg." Voirrey smiled, pleased. Faith admired the gifts. Then she frowned.
"You should have the necklace." Faith reached for the clasp at the back of her neck. "It'll be better for people who aren't defended against vamps. Like you, Giles, Anya, or Xander…"
"You're the soldier on the frontline, so you get it." Voirrey stopped Faith from taking it off. "And I'll try and find some more. Don't fret about that. No, don't."
Faith pulled a face, but relented. "Thanks for the goods. Dunno what I'd do without you and your gimmicks."
Patrol
Faith walked briskly, chill seeping into her bones despite the numerous layers she had on. Faint slivers of frost coated grass, stone and asphalt. It poked out of drainage and froze onto pipes. Sunnydale lay in the midst of a cold snap. Last time the snap lasted for a month. Radiators with their brass became too frostbitten to turn on properly.
The two Slayers met at the usual place, a couple of blocks around from Giles' abode, and approached the first cemetery like clockwork. Buffy was cool and distant. They exchanged minimal conversation, and although Faith outwardly accepted it, she wondered after a bit what stick had wedged itself up the smaller Slayer's ass.
The first cemetery had little to no activity. They caught another newbie vamp struggling out of his grave, staked him, and moved on to the next.
Time trickled in the curt silence between them, and the lack of opponents. Faith started mentally comparing Buffy to herself in terms of looks. Faith went for a sultry, steamy style. She was the dark wild girl you saw dancing in the middle of the floor at a club, unafraid and liberal of her sexuality. She knew she generated a lot of attention from her looks, so manipulated the knowledge to her advantage.
Buffy was more of the cheerleader type. She had a snug sort of cuteness about her. Blond hair, expressive hazel eyes, with the kind of lip you knew could twist itself into a pout worthy of a criminal act. She also yielded a button nose that would have looked awful on anyone else's face, but somehow worked with hers.
And the muscles.
For a short-ass, the girl packed some very prominent muscles. Faith discreetly eyed her as they crunched across the gravel of the second cemetery. Black iron railings curled around like grasping limbs.
She could see the slight bulge of Buffy's triceps, and the strong neck muscle lying snug next to her jugular. Her thighs and calves if anything were more pronounced than Faith's. Could it explain why their differences in Slayer strength was so vast? Whatever body type you sported before being zapped with Slayer mojo determined the distribution of your power?
Good theory, the Inner Slayer approved. Even if it is rehashed from your Watcher.
Faith wondered if she could best the blonde in a fight. A proper fight, no inhibitors in place. She suspected the blonde held back in their sparring. Of course Faith did as well, but not to the same extent as her sister Slayer. Faith reflected on the mood of the patrol tonight. Buffy's attention seemed erratic, her movements twitchy. Impatient energy radiated from their connection. Faith needed to break the silence.
"Buffy."
Buffy responded with a curt tilt in her general direction. "Yeah?"
"You're kinda tense. Something up?"
"Patrol. Vamps. Makes for the tense-y moments." The blonde readjusted her scarf, wrapping it tighter. Faith watched her stride ahead and step over some weathered gravestones.
"Girlfriend, you're seriously tense. Are you…?" Faith grinned in realisation. "You are. Non-fat yoghurt my ass."
"Huh?" Buffy whirled on Faith, eyes wide.
"That crap you gave me a couple days ago, 'bout how Slaying makes you crave a yoghurt. It ain't true. You're antsy."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine." Buffy fidgeted, uncomfortable from Faith's attention.
"It's okay. I'm kinda feeling it too." Faith felt certain now. She had the blonde squirming. "Happens when you don't get a good fight in a long while. You just need to let off some steam."
Careful. That's a wild Slayer you're poking there. It might bite.
Hilarious.
"I'm nothing like you. Just because you get your H and H or whatever you call it, doesn't mean I do as well."
"Other me says Hungry and Horny too, huh? Right." Faith tilted her head to the side, smirking at Buffy's indignant reaction. She pinched her thumb and forefinger together. "So not even a little bit?"
Buffy shook her head stubbornly. She didn't keep up the scowl for long, wilting under Faith's stare. "Well… maybe a little."
"Baby steps. You'll get there." Faith chuckled. "We'll get that stick out your ass yet."
At this statement, Buffy froze still. Her mouth twitched, as if about to lash out words.
"That offend you? You got a nice ass if that makes it any better."
Buffy took a few short breaths, raising her head up to the sky. Stars hid behind clouds. "Sorry. Sometimes I forget this isn't my Sunnydale. It's...hard."
"How come?"
"It's you. You being the leader. The one in charge."
Faith scoffed. "Can't handle me being in driver's seat?"
"Not when I'm used to you crashing. You sound exactly like her," Buffy whispered. "Move like her, act like her."
"I'm not her." An irrational surge of jealously shot through Faith. The emotion came unexpected, spinning out of control.
"I'm not so sure about that."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Never mind. I'm sorry I bought it up. Let's just finish this patrol. Okay? Please?"
Faith allowed her eyes to narrow to dangerous slits. She deigned Buffy with a curt nod, but nothing else, prowling on ahead.
The Slayer connection flooded with unease, guilt, and anger from Buffy's end. Feeling the anger added to Faith's own, making her wish the link could be blocked out. The emotions obviously went both ways. Faith was so busy concentrating on ignoring the pervasive feelings that she almost missed it: the hollow thunk of their heavy boots on the grass.
Buffy noticed it straight away. Faith dimly let the sound register in her brain.
Grass did not make that sort of noise. Naturally, anyway.
Both Slayers circled around the patch of grass, testing with their boots how far the hollow sound extended.
The entire width reached an expanse of about eight foot long and four foot wide-a perfect rectangle. Faith scratched away at the ground whilst Buffy watched. Her nails scraped against wood.
Hollow wood. Faith curled her hand and with a mighty punch, broke through the board. She pulled out splinters and widened the hole with a few more punches.
Buffy watched for a moment longer, then joined in. Between the two of them they excavated a decent sized hole in about a minute.
Faith took out a flashlight and flicked the switch. She shone it into the newly excavated gloom.
"Well, damn," she said, forgetting her irritation with the blonde.
"Secret vampire tunnels?" Buffy peered into the hole, over Faith's shoulder.
"I'm thinking we take ourselves for a good little look." Shivers ran up and down Faith's skin from the hot air Buffy breathed on her neck. "Bet there's some real interesting things down here."
"Is it even part of the sewer system?" Buffy said. The walls underneath were solid pinewood. Gaping holes sloped down further into cavernous depths. Rough tunnels with planks strewn along the sides like aged ribs. Four of them in total, with the junction they'd just punched into containing crates, all piled up to one side.
"Wanna find out?" Faith grinned in a predatory way.
"Lead the way, cap'n." Buffy mimicked the grin. Faith dropped straight through the hole, boots and gloves thwacking onto wood.