Buffy stumbled in the darkness. It took her a while to realise where she was. Her eyes adjusted fast. She was on the edge of the woods, staring at a wide street, with a cemetery on either side. Creatures roamed the roads and pavements, weaved through gravestones. There really was rather a lot of them. Too many, really. At least, with her normal power state.
Strength coursed through her veins, demonic energy begging to be used. So much power. Buffy's mind worked in union with the Inner Slayer. She no longer heard its thoughts, or felt its pressure on her brain. She was it. It was her. She was the Slayer.
She permitted herself a laugh. When she examined her arms, the laugh turned into a pang of dismay at the ugly black veins bumping her skin. Whatever this power amounted to, it was clear it did nothing for her looks. Out of abstract interest, she ran fingers along her face, detecting ridges, vein tracks. If she turned tail and sought out the others, how would they react to this? The last thing she remembered here was their horror as pain stabbed every inch of every atom inside, before she ended up in that weird floating place. With Faith. With new knowledge.
Were these veins a permanent thing? She hoped not. She stared down at Sunnydale, forming a vague plan. She had to - what - seal the Hellmouth, right? In this form, she sensed herself capable of it. It knew magic, ancient magic in dead languages. It contained strength, an obscene amount for such a small human frame. More than she ever believed possible. More than the last time, when her friends pumped her up to take on the Initiative and Adam.
Deep in thought, she almost didn't notice the vampires sneaking up on her. These will be a good test. She spun on them, and cracked out a cheerful smile. "I'm impressed you got this far."
Witnessing her features, one vampire hesitated, doubtful. "Are you a human?"
"Sometimes," Buffy assured him. "Having a bit of an identity crisis at the moment. Know a good shrink?"
All three vampires encircled her. Buffy moved - instantly on one vampire and kicking at his instep, before dusting him in the same movement and vaulting backwards. She flung a stake at another, then chased after the last one when they decided it was a better idea to flee. Buffy caught up with embarrassing ease.
"It's not personal," she quipped, dusting them. It all took a matter of seconds. The power surged, eager for more. I can do this.
She hadn't needed to think during the fight at all. Everything came as natural as breathing. As far as unnaturally bestowed demonic powers counted, anyway.
She resisted the urge to skip all the way into town.
Faith P.O.V, California
Getting out the car, Faith went to help Voirrey out the passenger seat before handing the keys back. Giles pulled up his car nearby, engine rattling, exhausts spilling out a trail of fumes. Both Watchers favoured their small, retro English cars. Faith wished she could have taken the bike, but the noise it rumbled out meant it not an option.
Tara and Willow came out as well. Xander and Anya exited Giles' vehicle, and they all grouped up, looking down upon Sunnydale.
"I wonder how far this has spread." Voirrey placed a hand over her banaged stomach. "We know it's likely claimed most of California. I'm unsure about the other states, or even the other Hellmouths."
Giles wrinkled his mouth and brow as he buttoned up his tweed jacket. "I believe the fringe states are having trouble, but it's spreading slowly. The other Hellmouths are all problems. Wherever there is one, it is most certain the country it's placed in is compromised. So that's about ... at least ten states or countries. Not counting how far the problem has travelled."
"The east end of Europe is doing significantly better. According to Vllk, the problem is contained in Prague due to their failsafe mechanism." Voirrey reached in her pocket for her cellphone, holding it as a comfort gesture.
"So. Big question." Xander raised an arm. "Since we're planning to be crazy and run into a demon infested town and attempt to seal the Hellmouth even though we haven't been able to seal it for the past two years but apparently that was because of misinformation and stuff ..." He took a breathing pause. "Say we somehow actually do it. What happens then?"
"What do you mean?" Willow chewed on a strand of her hair.
"Like with the world. They can't repress this incident like everyone in Sunnydale does 24/7."
"They can't?" Giles and Voirrey both looked amused.
"They could?"
Anya let out a laugh, throwing her head back. "This is something I know. There's a lot of demons who help with the repressing. There'll be a cleanup crew and before you know it, humanity has already forgotten. Then they'll make a movie out of it."
"Movie," Xander said, suspicious.
"Movie." Giles smiled. "You'll be amazed at how the subconscious manifests itself."
"Movie," Xander repeated. "Movies. All the movies. They're secretly real?"
"Oh, I wouldn't go as far as that," Giles said, sympathising with Xander's clear brain freeze on something he'd never even considered. Faith herself felt a little disconcerted about the idea. Did that mean Godzilla actually happened? The fifty foot woman? Fucking Robbie the Robot?
"Um," Tara said, drawing attention away from the topic.
"What?" Faith saw Tara was fixated on something in the distance. She walked to her position and looked as well.
"Oh," Faith said. Oh about summed it up. There were several entrances into Sunnydale, and one of them, directly south-west of their position, had corpses. Demon corpses. Lots of them. "That might be Buffy's doing."
"I guess we know where she is now." Tara bit her lip.
"Kinda expected. She headed towards the demons." Faith looked at their motley group. None of them were capable of enduring a fight. They had a total of two sun bombs left, and Faith planned on taking both of them. But this close to the danger, and so easily detected, Faith couldn't afford to leave them alone for even a second. They needed to stick together. If the vamps found them at the other side of the woods, the vamps would find them anywhere. But at the same time, if they did stay together, it'd likely attract larger groups of attackers. Faith hated the dilemma. Both had the potential to end nasty.
"Should we go in? I get the feeling this is nothing but a death trap." Xander squared himself, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. We need to clear the way for Faith. The only way to do that is to round up as many vampires as possible and bomb them, or distract the others."
"No. I take the bombs. Y'all stay in your cars. Drive if you need. Keep as safe as possible. Don't go too far."
"Faith ..." Concern and fear came into Voirrey's face. "I can't let you go in alone. You need some sort of backup."
"There's too many. I can't protect you from that many." Faith shook her head stubbornly. "Be too slow with you lot behind. Can't stealth in."
"We are capable of shielding ourselves," Willow said, wounded. "We could help."
"You're exhausted." To demonstrate her point, Faith gave Willow a light shove. The redhead stumbled backwards, and took a moment straightening herself. "Your magic ain't gonna last. You been channelling it non-stop, right?"
Willow reluctantly conceded the point. Faith stiffened when Voirrey grabbed her in a hug, but relaxed into the embrace fast. She liked the Watcher's smell. She liked how Voirrey always looked out for her, constantly made sure she tracked the right path. That love alone made it easy.
If only her real mother had done that. "Don't worry, V. You trained me well." Faith knew the dangers. The Slayer life was short, and hard, full of violence. Most never made it past a few months - she'd made it to two years. And what a life.
Voirrey kissed her on the forehead. "Hopefully you paid attention then, dear."
The others took Voirrey's cue as an excuse to group hug. Faith clenched her jaw, unwilling to admit how moved she was, how close she came to shedding tears. No matter how hard she tried adjusting to her friends and Watcher's easy affection, it still took her by surprise, she still found it hard at moments to deal with. She was once a girl no one loved, with personal demons, and problems with trust. No longer so much of an issue. She still had them, but these people insisted upon trampling over her insecurities.
Giles handed over the sun bombs. They rested in her palms, light and cool. She placed them in her coat pockets, quickly felt in her jeans for the uncharged pendant, and gave it to Voirrey. "Saved my life. Don't need it no more for this."
"I'll recharge it."
Faith briskly walked away, not wanting to get involved in any more conversation, teary goodbyes, or persuasion. She was going in and following Buffy's trail. The blonde's commotion would draw everything, so all Faith needed to do was stick to shadows, stealth her way through the corrupted town. She needed to reserve all strength by not picking unecessary fights. She still hadn't fully recovered from the whaling earlier on.
She glanced back once, seeing all her friends huddled there, attempted a reassuring smile, then broke into a silent run.
Through the main streets, she sensed the demons all around, but fast moving away, attracted by Buffy's noise. Dust piles irregularly littered Faith's way across. Her guts knotted. Every situation she'd ever been in came with the thrill of danger. It never came with the weight of certainty, the notion she may not make it out alive.
Did all Slayers know when their time approached? Faith wanted nothing more than to turn tail and leg it out, away from this overwhelming evil. Her self-preservation screamed at her to do so But she pressed on, always examining her sun bombs, and tracking the grisly trail of dust and corpses. Some wore leather spiked jackets, agents of the biker gang back in Weytown.
A Slayer doesn't know when their time approaches. Seriously, so paranoid.
Gotta be realistic. Pretty insane for doing this.
True. But Buffy could pave the way. It's your minotaur friend you got to watch out for.
Saying I should protect her?
Saying you do what you must.
Faith ducked into an alleyway, zooming down, away from the plaguewalkers she'd detected. The minotaur guy would be here for sure, as well as all his flunkies. Once again, she found herself glad of coming here alone. Easier to move. Easier to live.
She slipped from one alley into the next, every now and then holding her breath. She released that breath when green light flared from some location ahead, in between stacks of buildings, not too far from the remains of Sunnydale High. The cause of that had to be Buffy. Faith edged towards the ruins, discreet, resisting the impulse to track down the demons around her or flee for better ground. She kept treading, all the while wondering how she needed to deal with the demons and Buffy all in one. She didn't want to fight Buffy, for sure. The blonde would kill first, ask questions later in her current state. Faith had already come near death a few too many times for her liking.
Faith reached for one of the sun bombs. In clear view of Sunnydale High, Buffy struggled. Her unsubtle approach ended up hitting a wall in the form of a mass exodus of vampires and demons. Without much thought put into it, Faith pulled out the safety pin, flinging the device straight into the gathering. She closed her eyes and slunk against brick. The explosion of UV light created an cacophony of screams, either from incineration, or scorched pupils from those unfortunate enough not to shut their eyes. She quickly moved after the light dimmed. Buffy was no longer in view, and out of the demons packed in the area, at least twenty of them had charred to a crisp. Others rubbed at their eyes, moaning. She admired her handiwork for a moment, before heading off, leaving the suburban street road and its white picket fenced houses, stepping between cars abandoned on the sidewalks as she went for the back route to Sunnydale High.
She didn't get very far. Something blurred on the edge of her vision, registered too late on her senses. It flattened her front-first against a damp brick wall, one arm twisted behind by a steely grip of bone and muscle.
"What are you doing here alone?" The breathing tickling her ear came hot and fast.
Despite the uncomfortable position, Faith scrunched her brow in cautious surprise, her tone conveying a note of hope. "B?"
"That's me. Answer the question. Where are the others?"
Faith wrenched herself free, turning to face the blonde – and fought the urge to punch her in the face. "What the fuck?"
Buffy, taking a light step back, arms tensed for combat, scowled. "What?"
Faith's mind raced in confusion from the sight of the Slayer before her. Buffy was talking. It sounded like her. But it didn't look like Buffy. But she was talking. But the face. She looked no different from after the transformation – from the monster that attacked her and her friends.
When Buffy took one step forward, Faith lashed out in reflex with both arms. Buffy blocked the attack, incredulous, her veiny face more distorted, black eyes narrowed. "It's me! Stop this! What is wrong with you?"
"Sorry if I don't believe you, princess. Seen what you done to me?" Faith pointed at her injuries, hand shaking, torn between desires. That was, the desire to hit or hug Buffy at the same time.
Buffy's mouth hung open in disbelief. She froze mid-step. Faith could see the blonde's mind working, processing the damage. "I did that?" She covered her lips, seeing Faith's answering expression. "Oh my God. I don't know. I don't remember. I wasn't ..."
"I know." Faith felt heavy, weary, all the fight taken out of her. "I know."
The blonde watched Faith with a kind of anguish in her ruined features. She began to reach with one hand, stopped, looked at the tendons popping up, forming mini craters on the back. She clenched it into a fist, withdrew. She started to say something, also stopped on that, before mumbling: "Sorry."
There was nothing else she could say. Faith rested one hand on her tattooed shoulder, thumb tapping a rhythm.
"What happened?" Buffy said, hesitant, as if unsure if she really wanted to hear. "I didn't … ? Tell me I didn't hurt anyone else."
"No deaths," Faith answered, understanding that was what Buffy wanted to know. "But you hurt us. A lot. V. Xander. And then vamps came. And we … didn't know what to do with you." Faith didn't want to let slip of the fact they'd actually discussed terminating Buffy on the spot. The memory made her writhe with guilt inside.
Buffy got the gist of it. "Oh." She looked smaller, somehow. "It was that bad?"
Faith nodded. "I didn't leave you. Couldn't," she added. "The vamps would have killed you."
Awkward silence. When it became apparent Buffy wasn't planning on responding, Faith broached the silence with a change of topic.
"In answer to your question. I'm here 'cause wanted to make sure you didn't suicide. Was planning to do it at a distance, though."
"Well. Thanks. I guess."
"Welcome."
More stony silence ensued. More vampires trickled into range now, but they didn't search for the missing Slayers. Faith jerked a thumb in the direction of the mass pile of ashes.
"What's up with that? You battering it down, front door style?"
"Sort of. Make a commotion, get them all coming, and then run off and take another route into the school. I was getting to the running part. Before the explode-y."
"Right."
"You were very useful."
They stared at each other, trying to read intent. Faith had much less indicators than Buffy did. Part of her still wanted to react to the demonic appearance of the blonde – having only been fighting her down less than a day before, suffering asphyxiation by those tainted hands. She swallowed. With the world potentially crumbling to dust around them, the last thing either of them needed was butting heads with one another, especially if they were both now on the straight and narrow.
"We're stronger together. If you don't jump the crazy train."
"Yes," Buffy said. "That's true. But this is different." She held up her palm. "Notice this?"
"Yup."
"I thought I noticed you noticing."
"Not exactly subtle shading, B."
"Something happened. That spell Willow cast … I went away from this body. Stuff happened. And when I came back, I was like this. Stronger. Capable. It also gave me an idea of what to do." She pursed her lips. "It kinda feels like when I was against Adam."
"Huh?"
"Story for another time." Buffy smiled. It looked both sad and sinister on her stained features. "Point is … this is something I have to do alone."
"No." Faith's voice came flat, refusing the statement. "I'm ready for this. Slayer, in case you've forgotten." She didn't understand. Anger flared up inside, along with something else. Fear?
Buffy shook her head, grimacing. "Don't fight me on this. This is your world. These are your people. They need you. What's in there is dangerous. Really dangerous. So let me do this alone."
"Exactly! This is my world. Not yours. You're not supposed to be here." The words hurt Faith more than she realised, even though she was delivering them. Buffy wasn't supposed to be here. Buffy wasn't ever supposed to be here, since the original one in Sunnydale had died. This version of the deceased Slayer had only a temporary place in their world, until she found her way home. I can't like you. You're just a ghost.
"I am the Slayer." Such a simple response; but it weighed volumes.
"So am I. Case you hadn't noticed."
"You're not the one needed in this Prophecy."
Incensed, she grabbed Buffy by the top of her jacket. "Who says? You can't stop me on this. Not unless you kill me."
"Shouldn't you be protecting your family, Faith?"
"They're fine. Fine!"
Buffy raised a palm, placed it tenderly against Faith's cheek, before leaning forward and placing a kiss on her lips. Faith, surprised, flinched and let go.
"Buffy?"
"I'm sorry." Buffy smiled, strangely sad, turning her head away. "I know what I look like. I ... I just wanted to do that. Is all."
Faith shook her head and backed away, pacing back and forth, running hands through her hair. All the while fighting down the frenzy of feelings whirling inside, like her heart was about to contract and burst all at once, like the butterflies they talked about in the stomach were beating feebly, dying out.
When she turned away for a few seconds, air whooshed. "Oh no you don't!" She spat, seeing Buffy dart around the corner, taking advantage of the distraction. Following after as hard as she could, she wiped sweat from her brow, barely keeping up.
Don't do this.
Faith slowed down a beat, slinking past a trio of demons.
It's not your fight.
You as well? Fuck you all.
Let me put this blunt. You follow her, you die.
The words struck Faith like a hammer. She braked, hands thudding into a wall, jarring her muscles.
What?
You will die if you go in there. That was what she wanted to say. Pretty crap communicator in my opinion.
But she can't die! This isn't even her world!
The rage left her, draining out like released poison, revealing the emotions it armoured. Faith knew little of love. She didn't know if she even loved the blonde, their time had been so short together. But she didn't want to lose her, either. Was that love? Or just fear? Or selfishness?
The High School loomed so close. Evil radiated from it. She felt it in her bones. Her heart squeezed. Pain sank in, dull and internal. She stared at the school, strangely devoid of patrols outside. Why had she stopped? She needed to go in. Screw what Buffy wanted. Screw her stupid Inner Slayer. Screw everything.
No one told you that despair smothered like a blanket, stifling everything inside.