Peace

VII

"What's a kid like you doing in a place like Amsterdam Park in the pitch black of night?" The voice came from in front of her but she only just now saw the shadow of a human body emerging from the bushes.

"What's a full grown adult like you doing playing in the bushes?" Ileana retorted cleverly. She was wary, of course, and slowed her step. She knew it wouldn't be advisable to approach a stranger. And this was one strange stranger.

"I'm looking for my dog…have you seen a German Shepherd running about?"

Bingo…that's a classic. 'Hey kid, come help me find my lost dog…while we're at it I can take you on a tour of my nice black van and I can take you on a vacation if you want, and, you know, maybe rape and kill you.' "No…perhaps you'd have better luck in daylight. And maybe you should put up flyers."

"Very clever girl, you are. I should have thought of that. What's your name?"

"You know what…I need to go. It's way past my bedtime. And my mother, you know, she worries when I'm out late." The young girl turned towards a path on her right, which she knew would lead to the main city streets.

The stranger laughed. "You seem afraid."

"No, I'm just tired."

"And I'm just hungry."

"What?" Ileana froze at the shadow's suddenly serious tone.

"I'm hungry."

With that being said, Ileana found herself on the hard ground underneath a very heavy weight. The stranger was on top of her and was reaching for her neck, oblivious to her clawing fingernails at his neck. She could see part of his face, and she almost fainted when she saw the disfigurement of his forehead and his eyes. He was almost inhuman.

"This would be easier for you and me both if you just stayed still – ow, you little bitch!" Ileana's thumb had found one of his eyes. He forced her arms to the ground, relying on his body to hold down the squirming girl. His teeth found her neck and held her head in place.

He's not bleeding! I shoved my thumb in his face and he's not bleeding! What the fuck is this guy? How is he so strong? UGH, OW! What the –

Suddenly the cold night air was on her skin and her chest could rise and fall with the depths of breath that she could finally take; the warm trickle of blood on her neck stood out harshly against the chill breeze. She didn't even have the time to contemplate the searing pain just below her pulse because a voice was shouting at her.

"Move! Roll out of the way, get up, do something! It's not safe!"

The scene outside The Bronze struck Ileana as a mirror image of her own childhood nightmare with only a few variations; they were in a sketchy alleyway, not a park; Ileana was a bystander, not a victim; Nancy's savior was bantering with the strange man, not urging Nancy to safety as Ileana's savior had urged her. All in all, the situation was different, except that the man shared the same disfigured features as Ileana's assailant had that night when she was still a young child in Toronto.

"So…you got a name?" Buffy held the creature against a dumpster. "No?" Her knee went into his crotch. "No, I guess you wouldn't. The privilege of having a name comes with having a life. You lost yours, right?" She let go of him and backhanded him to the ground.

What the hell is going on? Ileana turned her attention to Faith who was analyzing the situation. The older girl could see the gears in Faith's head turning, trying to figure out how to join the fight.

Buffy noticed Faith, too, and everyone else. "Guys! What are they doing here?" she gestured at Faith and Ileana. "Don't even think about it," she said to her opponent, forcing him to the ground with a firmly placed foot to the chest. "Get them out of here and take Nancy with you…clean her up and help her home."

Riley walked over to Nancy and reached out to the girl to help her up, but recoiled when she shrieked, begging him not to touch her. "I got her…I'll take her back to Stevenson," Faith said, eyes narrowed in thought. Riley made a move to stop her. "Seriously. Nancy obviously doesn't want a man touching her right now after what she's been through. I'll meet you guys out front if you insist on babysitting us back to campus." She waited for the small crowd to leave the alley before crouching down. "Come on Nancy…you're safe now. Let's get you out of here."

As she and her roommate left the alley for the brightly lit street, Faith felt the other girl flinch at the sounds of resumed fighting behind them. It was clear that Buffy had the upper hand and was drawing the fight out. Faith didn't know why, but she assumed that it was either due to a major grudge against the worst of the male kind, or her new friend had a major secret.

"What the hell was that, Faith?" Nancy spoke. Faith noticed blood on the other woman's neck.

"I dunno, Nance. You ever hear of those cults of people that think they're vampires? This guy probably takes it too seriously, ya know? Let Buffy handle it. Once she knocks him out she'll call the cops."

Once out front with the others, Faith began searching her pockets. "Shit, guys, I left my phone inside. Give me a minute to grab it, k?"

The brunette reentered the club through the main entrance, hoping that she wouldn't be followed, and returned to the alleyway.

"Let me guess, you get off on taking out your death on those who are innocently still living? I mean, come on, killers normally have some sort of motive like that. What's yours? Oh wait, that's right, you don't have enough of a mind left to have a motive." A pointed boot broke several ribs. "You aren't smart, cunning, and sly; you don't make plans, you don't plot. You're mindless, worthless, scum. I would have so much fun killing you right now, except…" Buffy lifted the much larger man up, not aware of the newcomer. "You can't die. All you can do is poof into…what the?"

The unexpected cloud of dust that sifted through her fingers obscured her vision for a moment, and then the shadow she saw grew clearer. It was a woman…a curvy athletic woman. A strong woman; Buffy could feel the power from where she stood.

"Let me guess…you get off on the rush you get from being stronger than someone. Well, princess, that's not what this job is about. And drawing a fight out like that is exactly what can get someone killed…if we're going to work together then I need to know I can trust you to get the job done efficiently and swiftly. Think you can handle that?"

"Faith…you…" Buffy's wide eyes spoke the volumes that her voice failed to in that moment.

"Let's talk about this later. I have a very confused roommate and a very confused…friend that need some explanations."

"Bullshit, Faith, you're not telling them anything. We're telling them that it was just some crazy guy who was disfigured in an accident and he takes out his frustration by preying on beautiful young women."

"And how the hell will you explain his face changing right before Nancy's eyes? How will you explain why we didn't call the police? Where will we tell them this guy went after you beat the crap out of him?"

"Fine. Let's go to my house. It's closer than campus."