"If I were a minion of the First Evil where would I be hiding?" Buffy said to herself as she walked along the outskirts of town. She was concentrating on the Slayer connection she had with Faith that was throbbing deep in her stomach letting her know that her brunette counterpart was still alive. As she got further and further from the house the desire to simply run back and stay by Faith's side got harder to resist and she almost did just that. The fact that she wanted; that Faith needed answers was probably the only thing that kept her feet walking away from Slayer Central.
"How come I've lived in Sunnydale for seven years and I never noticed a vineyard before," she thought aloud stopping to scrutinise the winery she had just found. Keeping to the shadows because this definitely wasn't on the up and up, she watched as several black robed figures seemed to float towards the building, looking as if their feet didn't even touch the floor.
"Creepy robed guys and suddenly appearing buildings, Buffy I think you've found something," she said, "Plus it's got you talking to yourself which is a clear sign that there is evil afoot."
Sneaking behind the last of the robed figures she slipped in behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck squeezing until she felt him go limp in her arms. Glad that he hadn't tried to make a sound she drove a shoulder into his abdomen and slung him over her shoulder quickly retreating back into the shadows where she had come from, backing away to make sure they hadn't been spotted. Dropping him to the ground she rolled him over with the toe of her shoe her eyes widening when she saw his face. The man was completely bald and his eyes were removed, instead where they should have been were carved rune like symbols that surrounded the socket almost like a sun. She had seen these guys in her dreams, had faced them when the First had tortured Angel but never really taken the time to study their features. Apart from the carved out eyes the man looked human but she bet that they were anything but ordinary. Confident that she had got the right guy she bent down and slung him over her shoulder once more before heading back to the house, back to Faith.
The scene she entered into wasn't much different from the one she had left, except for the absence of a once former rogue Slayer and a former Key. She hefted the guy, who she had remembered on the way back Giles had called a Bringer when the First had came around last time, higher onto her shoulder and motioned for Giles to open the door to the basement. The former Watcher did as she asked and quickly told the Potentials who had been enjoying a movie night with Andrew back up the stairs.
"Mr. Giles you can't end the movie marathon now, this is the part where Captain Kirk helps the enemy's pregnant wife escape, that William Shatner sure is masterful," Andrew sighed wistfully.
"Andrew we do not have time for your frivolous television shows, Faith has been poisoned and we need this space to interrogate a Bringer, so kindly stop your whining and move those cushions so Buffy can set him down," Giles said sternly.
"I'm going to forgive you for the frivolous comment because the Dark One needs my help and who am I to deny the helpless?" Andrew said with a dramatic sigh.
"Oh for god's sake Andrew he asked you to move the cushions not stop the apocalypse," Xander said shoving the blonde haired man out of the way so he could get the chains prepared.
The carpenter hurried the nerd along and helped the blonde haired Slayer secure the Bringer to the wall giving him a not so gentle nudge for hurting Faith. Sure he and the dark Slayer had a ways to go before they would be back to the best of buds, but he was definitely on her side and would be more than happy to go back to how they had been before the Mayor. He and Faith were more alike than he cared to admit and he had always felt a strange protectiveness of the younger Slayer, still feels he corrects himself standing back excited to see Buffy get scary.
"How can we tell if he's awake if he's missing his eyes?" Buffy said making a face.
Xander snorted to himself, "Truly terrifying," he chuckled.
"Say something horribly insulting about the First and see if he sticks up for his boss?" Willow chimed in.
"I like this plan better," Buffy said delivering a bone crunching punch to the Bringer's face making his head snap back.
"Well if he was awake I don't think he would be after that," Xander said, "That was brutal Buff."
"Yeah well he deserved it for napping on the job," Buffy grumbled, "Oh hey look who's awake," she said as the Bringer raised his head.
"Score one for violence," Xander mused moving back to stand behind his blonde haired friend.
"Okay bud here's the deal, your boss sent some weirdo vampire after my friend. Now usually I wouldn't be one to pull out the chains and get with the bondage but this friend we're finally getting along because hey, I wouldn't usually talk about bondage, but even if I'm picking up some of her bad habits I'd still like for her to stick around. So I'm thinking you tell me what I want to know and I'll see about making your death one of the quick and painless kinds," Buffy said bending down so she was at eye level with the Bringer.
"Prepare to die you unholy fiend," Andrew piped in with a re-enactment of over exaggerated kung fu moves.
"And if you don't I'll lock you in a room with Andrew and let him slowly and painfully annoy to death," Buffy said glaring at the blonde haired man, "What did the First send after Faith?" she asked turning back to face the Bringer.
The Bringer stared straight ahead, his scarred eye sockets never blinking. Buffy growled at him, her hands balling into fists at her sides.
"Listen, I don't have all day so either you talk or you find out what a Slayer really is," she said leaning down and pulling on his collar so their faces were nearly touching.
"Buffy he's dumb," Giles said from where he was sitting at the table with his nose in a book.
"Obviously, no one would risk being locked in a room with Andrew," Buffy said whirling around to face the former Watcher.
"No, dumb as in he can't speak, his tongue has been removed," Giles reiterated.
"Oh, gross. So how do we get him to speak, no, sorry, how do we get him to speak fast because the more time we waste on Charlie Chaplin over here the less...let's make him speak," Buffy said not wanting to think about what would happen if they didn't find out what had poisoned Faith.
"I may have a way," Willow said.
"I'm up for anything even if it involves fashioning him a new tongue out of salami or something, which ew, I really hope that's not it," Buffy shuddered.
"No, no salami tongues. I remembered reading this spell that people used to communicate with the dying, sort of let them say goodbye or get really mad because no one turned up to say goodbye, but, uh, that could work," Willow said looking to Giles for confirmation.
"Willow that's brilliant, that should work. We'll need to gather the ingredients and then you and I can perform the spell together," Giles said giving the witch an encouraging smile.
"While you guys do that I might go and check on Faith," Buffy said softly, "Is she."
"She's in your room," Xander said placing a comforting hand on her arm, "I'll keep an eye on things down here."
Buffy nearly ran out of the basement but forced herself to slow her pace when she realised the Potentials would all be waiting in the living room. She was confronted with a barrage of questions as soon as she entered the room and she brushed them all off promising to fill them in as soon as she knew anything. She gave Anya a thankful smile who was trying to keep the girls busy and informed Buffy that she had been telling them stories, she didn't even want to know what about.
Pausing outside her bedroom door she looked in to see Dawn sitting on the bed next to Faith. The teen was gently wiping the sweat from the dark Slayer's forehead and speaking to her softly, every so often brushing her hands through the former rogue's sweat soaked hair.
"How is she?" Buffy asked softly coming to sit next to Dawn and taking one of Faith's hands in her own. The dark Slayer's brow was furrowed but it smoothed out when Buffy ran her fingertips gently over the creases.
"She hasn't woken up and her fever is pretty much the same, the wound looks pretty ugly. Major black veinage which is probably not of the good right?" Dawn asked.
"No, not of the good," Buffy sighed running and hand through her hair, "We got a guy downstairs and the guys are going to make him talk. As soon as we find out what did this to her we'll fix it Dawn I promise. We won't fail her this time," she finished quietly.
"Guess you probably want some time alone," Dawn said going to stand.
"No stay," Buffy said reaching for Dawn's arm, "She'd want you to be here."