Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are copyright Joss Whedon. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters, such as Naoikientan (Nah-Kean-Tune), Edvackia (Eid-veak-key-ah) and Woadecos (Woo-day-kiss) are the property of Celgress.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Four AU - Corruption: Episode Seven

By

Celgress

"It is better to die on one's feet than live on one's knees."

Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919)

The Mansion of Llewellyn Drake 11:00 pm

After Buffy arrived at the front door of Llewellyn Drake's mansion the butler showed her in without uttering a word. Buffy was escorted by the Butler through a long tunnel into an arena like area. With an odd look at Buffy's bag full of weapons the Butler gave her a curt nod then left, locking the heavy wooden door behind him.

Buffy suddenly found herself standing under a spotlight. Squinting her eyes against the intense light Buffy looked up to see Llewellyn Drake fully dressed in his Naoikientan robe, only this time the heavy hood was pulled back revealing the old monster's twisted visage in all it's demonic glory. Slowly clapping Naoikientan rose from his stone throne, which was positioned on a ledge about twenty feet above the ground. Seated to his right was the bounded and gaged Joyce Summers, her frantic eyes pleading with her eldest daughter to run. To Naoikientan's left sat Dawn Summers who was likewise restrained.

"I did not think you had it in you my dear" Naoikientan chuckled, finishing his clapping. "I truly suspected you would abandon your family in a vain attempt at saving your own worthless life."

"I'm just full of surprises Drake" Buffy retorted. "It was clever of you inserting yourself into my family like you did. I've got to admit I never would have guessed you and the Master Vampire who was terrorizing me this summer were one and the same."

"Thank you for the compliment, though flattery will get you nowhere my dear. Faith it is time to prove your worth, destroy this annoyance or suffer my wrath!"

A door opened on the opposite side of the arena. Faith walked out carrying her own bag of tricks which, after selecting a Japanese katana sword, she dropped to the floor. Pulling out a double bladed pole axe from her own inventory of destruction Buffy approached her foe. The two Slayers circled each other like the apex predators they were.

"It is the end of the line for you B" Faith said twirling the katana in hands. "Pity really, if only you had joined me on the dark side like I offered months ago than this wouldn't be necessary."

"You're right about one thing Faith" Buffy said, her expression determined. "It is the end only for you and your new playmate, not for me."

Buffy slashed forward with her pole axe Faith parried the blow with her katana. The two warriors lashed out again and again countering each other move for move. After one particularly violent exchange Faith managed to chop the staff of Buffy's pole axe in half. Pressing home her advantage Faith swung wildly with the katana managing to gaze Buffy torso with the tip of the blade.

"Looks like I scored first blood B" Faith smirked pointing at the few drops of the red stuff which oozed out through the cut in Buffy's shirt. "Want to give up now, make it easy for yourself?"

"Never" Buffy said removing a European style broad sword from her arsenal.

The dance began anew. The swords of the West and the East clashed multiple times in quick succession. The arena was filled by the echoing clang of steel against steel. Following many minutes of stalemate Faith grew tired of the duel. The next time their blades locked Faith delivered a powerful thrust kick to the already injured torso of her unsuspecting opponent. The speed and force of the blow staggered Buffy. Faith followed through with two more kicks to the torso followed by three punches to the left temple of Buffy, who fell to the floor landing flat on her back while still tightly gripping the hilt of her broad sword.

What happened next was almost beyond belief. Both in terms of speed and sheer complexity it was extraordinary. It all occurred so fast even Naoikientan required a few moments after the fact to fully register what had happened.

A screeching Faith jumped over ahead bending her legs at the knees while thrusting her katana downwards with both heads. Faith intended to deliver a death blow to her rival, and at long last become the sole Slayer if one corrupted by evil. Grasping the broad sword tightly with both hands Buffy used all her strength to swing the blade upward in a long arch. The swing of the broad sword connected with Faith's body just above her tucked in knees. Thanks in large part to Buffy's superhuman strength the blade sliced clean through Faith's legs cleanly amputating them both just above the knees. Faith screamed in utter agony before falling to the floor and rolling off to one side dropping her katana in the process. While most of Faith's body fell in one direction her severed legs fell in the opposite, landing in a grizzly heap not far from where Buffy still laid.

Recovering from her shock that she had actually survived Buffy tentatively got up. Still holding the board sword, which was now smeared with Faith's blood, Buffy gingerly made her way towards her sobbing sister Slayer. Rolling onto her back Faith shot Buffy a venomous glare through inflamed, tear soaked eyes. If looks could kill the older Slayer would be six feet under.

"How dare you!" Faith spat out. "How dare you destroy by body, crippling me like this! You know my abilities as a Slayer are all I have, all I've ever had! Yet you do this! How could you!"

"I'm sorry" Buffy said softly, forgetting about Naoikientan and her family for the moment. "You left me no choice Faith, you know I'm telling the truth. It was either kill, or be killed."

"Exactly" Faith said her face contorted by both pain and hate. "Kill or be kill, not cripple!"

"I'm sorry" Buffy mumbled, turning her back on Faith. Buffy started to walk away from the fallen Slayer.

"What you aren't even going to finish me!? Faith shouted at the departing Buffy. "Ha ha ha, people say I'm cold I got nothing on you B!"

Buffy turned around to confront Faith again only to have her path blocked by Naoikientan. He had jumped off the platform while she had been walking away from Faith. Now he loomed before Buffy like something out of a nightmare, which he was.

"Faith may have failed in destroying you, losing her usefulness as a warrior in the fray, however I will not. Tonight you die my dear!" Naoikientan roared Buffy once again found her neck in his by now sickeningly familiar iron grip.

Soon Buffy's feet were dangling in mid-air, darkness threatening to overwhelm her senses. Buffy feebly swung the broad sword at her new assailant, to no avail. The blade then slipped from her hands as awareness drained from her body.

The broad sword fell by Faith. The hobbled Slayer looked at the weapon then a Naoikientan and the helpless Buffy. Again she looked at the weapon then at the pair, the weapon the pair, the weapon the pair. Reaching a fateful decision Faith flipping over onto her stomach and using her arms she slowly, agonisingly, inched toward the discarded blade.

Naoikientan had been enjoying his impending victory over the hated Slayer. He hadn't noticed, nor did he care, what his former fallen chief minion was doing, until the broad sword punctured his belly. The demon howled in pain and surprise before tossing the semi-conscious Buffy away. Reaching around back Naoikientan withdrew the offending object from his person.

"You" Naoikientan growled whirling around so that he was looking down at the Dark Slayer.

"Me" Faith now laying on her back winching in pain while looking up at her former master and benefactor.

Naoikientan griped first one of her arms then the other. Holding both at the wrists with a single hand the ages old vampire swung the broad sword forcefully with his free hand cutting off Faith's remaining limbs below the elbows. Throwing the arms into the same pile that contained Faith's lost legs the old monster grinned down at the quadriplegic Slayer before disintegrating the appendages completely with several blasts of yellow light.

"Now the rest of your punishment" Naoikientan smirked zapping the helpless Dark Slayer with a ball of sickly, pale, green light which methodically consumed the hapless Faith in flames of the same color. Faith's clothing followed by her hair & skin, burned away. By the time the fire extinguished itself all that remain was a living, charbroiled, skeleton covered in green pustules. "Enjoy living death Faith, as long as I live your suffering will be eternal! Now where were we Buffy my dear?"

Turning around Naoikientan was caught full in the face by a splash of holy water! While he had been torturing the traitorous Faith Buffy had used the reprieve to gather several weapons; a jar of holy water, an extra-large stake along with a mallet. Naoikientan's hands reflectively covered his burning, smoking, face. Buffy drove the big stake home with several quick, yet powerful, beats of the mallet feeling the cracking of his sturdy ribs, and knowing the end was likely near unless he acted at once, Naoikientan swatted Buffy away with a violent backhand.

Opening his eyes Naoikientan beheld the obscene piece of wood protruding from his chest. "Touché my dear Slayer, Rupert, Willow, would you please, take care of, this pest… Edvackia,,, I,, was,, bested….. During the next minute the body of the ancient Celtic beast, the accursed Dark Sorcerer of Gaul, the Terror of the Medieval Forest, the Fear of Julius Caesar, He Who feasted upon the bones of the Roman Empire, inch by inch, second by second, crumbled into grayish-black dust.

The vampires who had been Willow Rosenberg and Rupert Giles arrived just in time to witness the demise of their once mighty master. After snarling at Buffy the two fledging demons thought better of engaging their current foe in combat and quickly retreated from the scene. No doubt the warning from Buffy herself, who once again held the gore encrusted broad sword, 'I don't want to slay either of you right now, don't push me or I will' helped make the choice an even easier one. With a sigh of relief Buffy turn her attention towards the mutilated, desiccated, wholly ruined body of her sibling Slayer. Mercifully, after a closer inspection, Buffy discovered Faith was dead.

Next Buffy freed her Mother and Sister. The three Summers women then left the house of horrors. The final bit of fun came when the Butler, in game face, tried to attack them. One decapitating last swing of the much used broad sword later and the Butler was reduced to just another unpleasant, dusty, memory. The next day, with help from Oz and Xander, Buffy burned down Llewelyn Drake's mansion. Watching the structure being reduced to ashes the three friends hoped the worst was finally behind them.

Somewhere Else

Strapped to a vertically slanted operating was a strange creature. More than anything else it resembled an android. It's basic form was vaguely feminine. The skin of the creature appeared to be made of a type of light gray ceramic, with lines of stark white around It's joints. It's fingers and toes were the same stark shade of white and ended in razor sharp points. On It's light gray head were six tapered spikes encircled by rings of white. It's unmoving feminine face was white with black lips, a small human like nose, with intricate black swirling patterns around the empty glass like eyes. Suddenly the empty eyes flickered then lite up with a pale, uniform, blue color. The restraints holding the figure to the table released. The figure staggered forward took several steps, then fell down on her hands and knees.

"Faith, can you hear me?" said an old, gray haired, man in a suit that approached her offering his hand.

"Who are you? Where am I?" looking at one of her strange new hands Faith asked. "What, has happened?"

Helping the new Faith to her feet the Old Man said soothingly. "All in good time my dear. What is important right now is your wellbeing. I apologize for the new, look. In my defense your original body was damaged beyond conventional repair, by either magical or technological means. I am aware you prize power, especially of the physical sort, above all else. Rest assured once you've grown accustomed to your new form and its' capabilities, I'm certain you will be extremely pleased."

"Am I still as powerful as Buffy?" Faith asked, her interest peaking.

"At least, plus with your other new abilities she will have a difficult time overcoming you in the future" The Old Man answered.

"Buffy" Faith's electronic like eyes turned a fiery red. "She wanted me to spend the rest of my life as a useless cripple! I should have let that monster Naoikientan destroy her. I just couldn't, she is mine! I must be the one who brings about her end, not some random, whacked out vampire!"

"I'm glad you feel this way" the Old Man said, a little taken aback by the powerful rage emitting from his creation.

"Tell me stranger who should I thank for my, unique resurrection? Who are you?" Faith asked eyeing the Old Man warily.

"My name is Lord Woadecos. You Faith may call me Woadecos."

"Don't call me that."

"Don't call you what, Faith? It is your name, correct?"

Taking a quick appraisal of her new form Faith replied. "Faith Lehane is dead, call me Duspurei (pronounced Des-par-e-ah) she who brings despair."

"I like it. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Duspurei."

"You remember I'm nobody's slave, and Buffy is mine to kill. Keep these facts in mind and we'll get along just fine Woadecos" Duspurei said, her eyes returning to their original pale blue coloration.

"You need not worry Duspurei. I would not dream of interfering in your little Slayer hunt. I have no interest in doing, how do you say, the heavy lifting. I am a big picture kind of guy. Please have your fun, you have my blessing. Now let us plan your return."

To Be Continued in my Season Five AU, coming soon!