Part 1: Monday
Second period had only just ended, and Cordelia was already practically beside herself with irritation. That moron Harmony just wouldn't quit with the Xander Harris's castoff jokes. She'd always thought of Harmony as a sheep, but it was obvious to her that the bimbo had upgraded. She was the head sheep now, and her cronies laughed at whatever she said. Cordelia was getting through it day by day. She was Cordelia fucking Chase after all. The world had been her oyster. And it would be again. But just for today, she'd duck away for a while. She had to research that paper on Bosnia anyway. She ditched her third period and headed through the library doors. The place looked unusually deserted, and she stepped into the stacks where the history books were kept, nose wrinkling at the book smell. A casual scan of the shelf revealed a few books related to Bosnia and she dropped her bag with a sigh. Maybe it wasn't worth it to avoid Harmony for a while. As she was pulling the first book out, Giles's office door swung open and voices flooded into the main library room. Rolling her eyes, Cordelia stepped further back into the stacks. She was not in the mood for greetings.
"Are we straight on the plan then?" An unfamiliar voice asked.
"Yes," Giles sighed.
"It's very important that you not deviate from the course we've outlined." The other man reminded him. "The girl can never know the council had any role in this."
"I understand." Giles replied, impatiently. "Now please, Faith will be here any moment."
"Right." The man agreed. "If all goes well, I won't be seeing you again."
"Pity." The librarian deadpanned.
The man chuckled, and his moving back entered the space she could see from the stacks. He disappeared through the doors and she heard Giles moving back into his office. Cordelia stared vacantly at the text in her hands. What the hell was going on here?
"Yo, Giles, you here?" Faith sailed through the library's swinging doors, quickly moving from Cordelia's sight towards Giles's office.
"Yes," He replied. "How are you feeling, Faith?"
The slayer sighed. "About the same."
"Yes, well," He sighed. "Shall we try the exercise again?"
"You're the boss, G." Chairs scraped the floor. Cordelia was feeling quite curious now, and she inched forward, peeking out from behind the shelves.
Giles and Faith sat across from one another at the library table, with a huge blue crystal placed in front of Faith.
"Just concentrate." Giles instructed. "Look for the flaw… Do you see it?"
"I think so…" Faith trailed off, and Cordelia waited expectantly. The slayer did not resume speaking, and appeared to be staring at the crystal in awe.
"Faith?" Asked Giles gently, already rummaging through a small bag he'd placed on the table. He drew out a needle and quickly prepped it for injection. Cordelia's eyes widened. "Faith?" Giles called again, and then he pressed the yellow filled syringe into her arm.
When the syringe was empty, he replaced the empty instrument in his carrying case and brushed his hands together. Clearing his throat, he waved his hand between Faith and the crystal.
"Huh?" Faith sat back, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I fall asleep on you?"
The librarian smiled indulgently. "That's quite alright. I know you've got a lot on your plate at the moment." He picked up the crystal and slipped it into the bag he'd placed the needle into. "Buffy tells me you had a difficult time on patrol last night?"
"I'm fine." She replied shortly.
Giles nodded as if he'd expected as much. "Well listen, I have good news for you. I've been in contact with someone from the council about your, err, predicament. They've sent over someone to work with us. I've arranged for us to meet him this evening after school."
"Okay," Faith quickly agreed. "Do they have any idea what's going on?"
"He said he had a few thoughts on the subject." Giles responded evasively.
"Okay," Faith sounded relieved. "That's great."
"Indeed." Giles smiled pleasantly. "Shall I pick you up around 4:30 then?"
Faith nodded. "How about B, is she coming too?"
Giles didn't falter. "Of course, I'll speak to her about it this afternoon."
The slayer climbed to her feet, pushing her hands in her pockets. "See ya tonight then."
"Alright." Giles got up too, tucking his bag under his arm and moving toward his office.
"Giles?" Faith called. He turned back to face her. "Thanks." She mumbled.
"You're welcome, Faith." He turned with a smile and walked into his office. Faith left the library as well.
Cordelia stood in the stacks, still clutching the text on Bosnia in her hand. What she'd just witnessed didn't make any sense. Giles was so… Giles. He wouldn't be doing anything to hurt Faith, right? Still, she'd seen Giles putting Faith in some type of weird trance and then sticking her with a needle full of something. At the very least she could mention it to Buffy. As much as she wanted to avoid that freak show. Cordelia shelved her books quietly. It was so hard being so concerned for others all the time. Carefully peering around the edge of the row, she could see that Giles's office door was closed. Cordelia picked up her bag and crept down the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief as she made it through the library doors without confrontation. Now, to find Buffy…
"Well," Cordelia looked down several inches to see Principal Snyder smiling cruelly at her. "Do you have a pass to be out of class, Chase?"
"Uh," Cordelia smiled brightly. "I just had to stop for a moment-"
He held up a small hand. "I don't care. No pass, no excuses. Detention."
"What?" She cried. "But I-"
"Detention!" He barked again. "Now get to your class."
Fuming, she slung her backpack onto her shoulder and started down the hall. This is what happens when you try to be nice!
----
The last period of the day seemed to go on forever. Buffy was anxious for it to end so she could get to the library. Faith usually dropped by after school was over, and Buffy wanted to see Giles and find out if he had any new information about what was going on with Faith's powers. The clock seemed to move in reverse as she waited for the last five minutes to wind down. Finally the bell rang and she practically leapt out of her seat, almost knocking down someone who had stepped in front of her.
"Sorry!" Buffy said sheepishly, grabbing his arm to steady them both.
Oz shrugged her apology off, smiling slightly at her. "How's it going, Buffy?"
"Good!" She said automatically. "I mean, Faith's lost her powers and we don't know why, but other than that, things are good."
"Research party?" He asked, moving up the aisle so the two of them could file out of the room.
"Not really." She admitted with a frown. "Giles said not to worry and that he'd check on it with the council."
"Hmm," Oz hummed.
"Yeah, I guess it's kind of weird." Buffy noticed they were now in the hall, being jostled by kids rushing around to make their buses and escape from the school. "So," She said gently. "How've you been?"
Oz shrugged and offered her a gentle smile. "I've been alright." He looked around the hall for a moment then turned to meet Buffy's eyes. "How's Will?"
"She misses you." Buffy responded, eyeing him sympathetically.
Oz nodded as they fell into step among the throngs of students.
"I'm heading to the library now. She'll probably stop by, if you want to come with me?"
He considered for a moment. "Soon. I gotta do a thing right now."
"Okay." Buffy said and bumped his arm gently with hers. "See you soon then."
----
Buffy paced the empty library, wondering where the hell Giles was. He practically lived in the library. Why wouldn't he be here? Willow and Xander had headed for home on her urging. The slayer had elected to stick around a while longer, using training as her excuse, but really just hoping Giles or Faith would appear. It was actually kind of worrying that neither of them were around. She'd tried calling the motel, but Faith wasn't picking up the phone in her room. Buffy had waited still longer, hoping that meant the other slayer was en route, but the sun was starting to go down and she was still the only occupant of the library. Frustrated, she slipped on her coat and picked up her bookbag. She'd try calling Faith again when she got home, or she could always ask her Mom to swing her by there. There was no reason to panic. Yet.
Outside the air was cool, and she pulled her coat closed, nimbly buttoning up while starting toward her house. A van pulled over ahead of her, and as she walked by, a voice called out to her. "Buffy?"
It was Oz again, gazing curiously out at her. "You want a ride home?"
"Thanks," She accepted, hopping into his passenger seat.
"No problem," He said genially, pulling away from the curb again. "I was just on my way back from practice."
Buffy nodded and the two fell into silence for the rest of the drive. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but for a talker like Buffy, it didn't exactly put her at ease either. She smiled as Oz pulled up in front of her house. "Thanks for the ride."
He nodded back and then gripped the wheel loosely. "I was thinking I might stop and see Willow before I head home."
Buffy couldn't restrain the grin overtaking her face. "Oz, that's great!"
He smiled a little too. "Yeah."
Buffy started to say something else but was interrupted by insistent honking originating from behind the van. Oz furrowed his brow and checked his rearview. "Cordelia's back there." He informed Buffy. "She looks mad."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, that's new." Hopping out of the van, she walked back to where Cordelia was climbing from her car. "Cordelia." She greeted cautiously.
"Finally!" The taller girl spat. "I've only been following you since Main. Didn't you see me?"
There was a soft slam and then Oz joined them behind the van, holding out Buffy's bag to her. "I didn't notice." He replied to Cordelia.
"So what's up?" Buffy redirected, accepting her bag from Oz.
"Well," Said Cordelia, feeling both pleased to have knowledge Buffy didn't and anxious about what she'd seen. "I don't even know why I'm trying to help you really. My life has been one humiliation after another since you got here."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Cordelia. Point?"
The brunette sighed. "The point is that I was in the library today and-"
"Willingly?" Buffy perked an eyebrow at Oz, who dutifully shrugged.
Shooting them a death glare, Cordy continued. "As I was saying, I was in the library today and I saw Faith come by. I was back in stacks so she didn't notice me and neither did Giles." She frowned, remembering the scene she'd witnessed. "He asked her to look into some crystal thing and then it was like she went into a trance or something. And then Giles took out a needle and injected her with something."
"What?" Buffy shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. What would Giles be injecting Faith with?"
Exasperated, the brunette shook her head. "How should I know? I'm just telling you what I saw."
"Was that it?"
"Actually, no. When I first came in, some guy was in Giles's office. He was English, stuffy. He asked if Giles knew the plan and said the girl couldn't know the council had been involved."
Pieces were clicking together in Buffy's head and she definitely did not like the picture they were forming. Giles? Giles was doing something to Faith?
"You said Faith was having problems with her powers?" Oz asked, concerned.
"It's like they're totally gone." Buffy admitted.
"So you think whatever Giles is giving her screwed them up?" Cordelia frowned. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't know." Buffy admitted, feeling sick. "But he wasn't at the library after school. And I haven't been able to get Faith on the phone." She turned worried eyes to Oz. "Do you think you could take me to her place?"
He nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure."
They turned to get back in his van, Cordelia behind them. "I'm coming." She said defensively when Buffy looked back. "You wouldn't even know about this if it weren't for me."
"Whatever. Get in then."
"Ew. You want me to sit in the back?"
"Cordelia. Get. In. The van."
"Okay, okay." The three climbed in, and Oz pulled off, driving quickly toward the motel.
----
Faith felt tense as she glanced at the silent watcher in the driver's seat. Giles had been right on time to pick her up. He'd said Buffy had promised her mom she'd be home for dinner, and Giles had offered to drop Faith off there after their meeting with the council representatives. It seemed weird that Buffy wouldn't have come with them. Since when did she care about being home for dinner anyway? Giles cleared his throat and Faith subtly rolled her eyes. Her skin was crawling. Rolling her shoulders back, she tried to force herself to relax. They were going to meet with the council. They'd fix this problem and she'd grab Buffy and be kicking vamp ass by tonight.
"So, Faith," Giles said conversationally. "Any change since I saw you earlier?"
The slayer shook her head impatiently. "Same as it's been."
Giles pressed his lips together for a moment. "Well, I'm sure the council will be able to assist us. In fact," He glanced at her, smiling quietly. "I think they may be assigning you a new watcher." Finally. He finished internally.
"Yeah?" She sat up straighter, more engaged now. If they were giving her another watcher, then it must not be something going wrong with the calling. There was another explanation and the council could figure out a way to fix it. She smiled broadly back. "It's about time."
Giles snorted in agreement.
Her grin was sharp and quick. "Not that I wanna get rid of you, G-man."
"Of course not." He replied dryly.
"Just that you're B's watcher."
"I understand, Faith." He guided them carefully out of the business district, turning toward the long stretch of road headed toward the university. "But I do want you to know if you should ever need my assistance," He cleared his throat faintly. "Well, I'll still consider you my slayer."
"Thanks." Faith muttered, surprised. The two rode in a not uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. "So where are these council guys anyway?"
"They're at the Sunspot Motel."
"Passed up the chance to stay at the SunnyD Motor Inn?" She shook her head. "Thought you British types had good taste."
The watcher smiled slightly. "I'm surprised they agreed to stay anywhere in Sunnydale. The council spares no expense when making travel arrangements."
Faith frowned. The watchers were living it up while she was staying in some flea bag motel a day away from eviction? Figured.
Suddenly the car jerked and Giles braked sharply. Faith glanced around them in alarm as he began slowly guiding the car to the roadside. "Uh, G? I dunno if this is the best place to stop." The brunette said nervously. Ahead, a boarded over building loomed, the last light of day fading quickly behind its broad frame. Shrubbery surrounded it, with overgrown tendrils creeping over its broken porch rails and snaking up the building's sides. A faded board sign sat out from the place, advertising rooms for let at the Sunnydale Arms.
"We'll be moving again in a moment." Giles replied confidently, putting the engine in park. "I expect it's just a flat tire."
Faith nodded tensely as Giles stepped from the car and pulled his coat tighter to his chest. He walked quickly around the car, checking each tire. Frowning as he reached the front driver's side wheel, he met Faith's eyes through the windshield. "A flat!" He called loudly. "We'll have to put the spare on. Can you pull the trunk release?" He headed for the back of the car as Faith bent over his seat to pop the trunk.
"Great." She muttered darkly. "So much for being out on patrol tonight."
----
At the Sunnydale Motor Inn, Buffy hammered on the flimsy door to Room 3 in frustration. Cordelia and Oz peered from the van's windows, wearing matching expressions of concern. "She's not here." Buffy sighed unnecessarily, slumping back into the passenger seat. She squeezed her fingers together helplessly. Where the hell was Faith? Had Giles taken her? Why? Why would Giles want to hurt the other slayer?
"We should check Giles's apartment." Cordelia suggested. Buffy and Oz both looked back at her in surprise. "What?" She said defensively.
"Nothing." Buffy replied. "You're right." Cordelia sniffed in agreement and Buffy turned toward the guitarist. "Oz?"
He nodded and the van lumbered through the parking lot. He turned left, heading further into town.
Buffy watched the passing scenery blankly. Worry gnawed at her insides. Had it really only been this morning when she'd woken up next to Faith?
The other slayer had already been awake when Buffy slowly blinked her eyes and yawned. "Morning, B." She'd whispered guardedly.
"Hey," Buffy murmured back, taking in Faith's bare shoulders just peeking out from under the thin sheet. "How's your back?"
The brunette shrugged. "Feels okay."
"Let me see?"
When Faith rolled closer, settling on her stomach, the slim expanse of her back was unmarred. Buffy reached out, sliding her hand lightly over the other girl's smooth skin. "Yeah," She agreed. "Looks good."
Faith shifted onto her side, propping her head up on her left palm. "How's my face?" She asked, for something to say. She could tell the cuts and scrapes had knitted themselves back together.
Buffy gazed up at her, laying on her back. The other girl's dark hair escaped over her propped arm haphazardly. The off-white sheet draped low over the tops of her breasts, leaving slightly less to the imagination than some of Faith's less modest shirts. Worn thin from years of washing, the fabric did little to cover the shape of her body. Buffy's eyes found their way back up to Faith's face. Their eyes met. "Beautiful." The blonde murmured back.
Faith's smile was small and pleased. Tentatively, her free hand slid across the blankets to rest on Buffy's stomach. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." The blonde confirmed, settling her hand on top of Faith's. "What time is it?"
Faith glanced over her shoulder to see the plastic alarm clock resting there. The sheet came perilously close to sliding down her torso completely. "Almost seven."
Buffy sighed. "I gotta get going."
"Okay."
Buffy slid reluctantly out of the bed, finding her jeans and slipping into them. She frowned at the caked streak of blood down the left leg. Faith settled onto her back, watching unabashedly as Buffy yanked the borrowed t-shirt over her head and slid her own messy top back on. The blonde picked up her boots and came to sit on the edge of the bed by Faith. Lacing up, she glanced over her shoulder. "So, I'll see you later?"
"Sure." The brunette nodded.
"Okay." The blonde slayer finished knotting up her boots and tucked her pant legs down over them. Turning around, she leaned toward Faith. "I'll see you then."
Faith started to nod but was interrupted by the other slayer suddenly pressing into her arms. Buffy's mouth was quick but soft against hers and then the blonde was retreating, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door. "Bye!" She called, and was out the door before the surprised Faith could reply.
"Do you think he killed her?" Cordelia asked suddenly, ripping Buffy sharply out of her musings.
Appalled, she wheeled around to stare at Cordelia. "No!"
The brunette shrugged innocently. "Well he was stabbing her with needles a few hours ago, excuse me for thinking Giles is up to something!"
Oz winced but stayed out of the argument.
"Look," Buffy growled. "We don't know what you saw; we can't just jump to conclusions."
"Denial, much?" Cordelia shot back. "I know what I saw. He injected Faith with something."
Buffy wiped her hand down her face tiredly. "Which is why we're looking for them."
"Whatever." The cheerleader settled back into the van's seat, rolling her eyes.
"We're here." Oz piped in, and Buffy turned forward. The lights in Giles's apartments were off. "Doesn't look like he's here."
Buffy agreed, but got out of the van to knock anyway. When Giles didn't come to the door, she started back to the van in despair. They'd have to search the whole town now, and who knew if they'd even find them?
"What should we do now?" Cordelia asked as soon as Buffy got back in.
"I don't know." The slayer admitted, frustrated. "He could have taken her anywhere."
"Well, so we look everywhere." The brunette said firmly.
"Guys, his car isn't here." Oz pointed out. "He must have it wherever he is."
"Right," Buffy rallied. "Then let's go, everybody look out for Giles's car."
"We'll find her." Oz assured her. The van took off down the street with a squeal of tires, and an indignant shriek as Cordelia was displaced from her seat.
----
The spare tire was propped against the car's side, while Giles fumbled through an extremely disorganized trunk. Faith leaned against the driver's side rear door, arms folded angrily across her chest. "I know it's in here somewhere." Giles repeated for the tenth time, rummaging around for a wrench that would allow him to remove the lug nuts.
Faith kicked off from the door with an impatient sigh. If she had her slayer strength, she'd have ripped the lug nuts right off his damned tire. And then his little British head right off his neck. Kicking small rocks from her path, she walked a few paces away from the car. If Buffy were here at least she'd have gotten the tire off and they could have been meeting with the council guys and figuring out what was going on by now. She pursed her lips bitterly. We'll get your powers back, Faith. I promise, Faith. But now when they actually had a chance to do something about it, where was B? At home eating dinner.
A surprised cry sounded behind her, and Faith wheeled around. A vampire was clutching Giles around the throat, dragging him backward toward the old boarding house. "Giles!" She shouted, already forgetting her irritation. The slayer took off after them. The vampire noticed her and increased his pace, lifting Giles from his feet and racing toward the building.
"Stop!" She screamed uselessly, cursing her slow speed as she pushed her legs as hard as she could to close the distance between them. The vampire cleared the porch several yards ahead of her and disappeared into the dark house. Faith paused in the doorway, a sudden bloom of terror expanding through her chest. If she went in this house, they would probably both be killed. But if she didn't… Shit. She peered forward into the darkness. The hallway was draped in shadow, with looming doorways running into it on both sides. Behind her a car sped by on the main roadway. She could leave. There was nothing she could do after all except get eaten with him. And he wasn't her watcher; he was Buffy's. Buffy. The blonde would be devastated if anything happened to the librarian. Her fingers gripped the doorjamb. "Giles!" She called again, a touch of hysteria coloring her voice. Fuck. She fumbled in the back of her tight pants for the stake she always kept tucked there. Holding it defensively, Faith crept into the darkness.
----
The vampire paused in the front parlor, his hold on Giles loosening. The freed watcher fell to the floor, gasping for air. A rectangle of light fell over him, and Hobson stepped to him, extending a hand. Glaring, and still choking, the watcher grasped it and allowed himself to be hauled to his feet. "Sorry about that." Hobson grinned, not seeming apologetic whatsoever. "Have to make it real for the slayer, you know."
Giles freed his hand and raised it to the fabric burns forming on his neck. "Of course." He muttered angrily.
Hobson perked an eyebrow at the vampire still standing beside them. "Go on, Demitri. Don't you have a slayer to kill?"
The vampire gazed at him coldly for a moment and then turned on his heel and disappeared into the shadowy hall.
"In here," Hobson gestured and Giles followed him into a small dimly lit room. Another councilman closed the door behind the two and locked it firmly. "Blair." Hobson waved his hand in the man's direction and Blair nodded at Giles in greeting.
"What is this?" Giles managed, his voice hoarse.
"The old sewing room." Hobson seated himself behind a wall of television screens. "We've set up the house so that we can monitor her progress through the test, no matter which room she goes into." Blair took another chair and settled in to watch the monitors intently.
"And the vampire? How do you get him to play your little game?"
Shrugging, the councilman gestured for Giles to take a seat. "He has been a prisoner in our London office. We offered him his freedom in exchange for his assistance."
"You mean in exchange for killing Faith."
The two Englishmen exchanged amused glances. "Pull up over here, Rupert. We're about to see what your girl's made of."
On screen, Faith crept down the hallway, holding her stake aloft, not knowing Demitri waited in the nearest doorway. Giles closed his eyes against the sight as the vampire smiled and stepped into the hall.
----
"Damn it!" Buffy muttered as Oz turned and started down yet another street. They'd covered most of Sunnydale over the last hour. Cordelia was hunched forward in her seat so her face was between the two in the front seat, and all three were concentrating on scanning the streets for any sign of Giles, Faith, or Giles's little car. The shops beside them fell away to reveal the wide expanse of Rugg's field. In the darkness it was oddly deserted, devoid of the university students usually lounging or playing sports on its grassy surface. The long field flew by. They'd be at the Sunspot Motel in a minute and still there was no sign of them anywhere. What if he'd taken Faith out of town somewhere? She'd never find them.
"We're running out of town." Oz mentioned gently, as they stopped at the light of the next intersection. He turned on his left turn signal.
"I know." Buffy said tightly.
"That's it!" Cordelia cried, as soon as Oz began the turn.
Parked haphazardly on the road ahead was Giles's little yellow car. It leaned pathetically to the side with its front tire completely flat. The trunk stood open and there was no sign of Giles or Faith. Just ahead of the car loomed a huge abandoned building. Oz pulled quickly onto the shoulder and threw the van in park.
Buffy was out and running before he finished taking the keys out. She bounded up the stairs and slowed at the open doorway. Unearthing a stake from her pocket, she held its slight weight securely in her hand. If Faith was in here, she'd find her. And if Giles had done something to her… Well, she didn't know what to do about that yet. But something would be done!
Cordelia and Oz ran up behind her as she stood in the doorway listening for any noises to indicate where Faith and Giles might be. The slayer held up a palm toward them, slowing their approach. They finished the journey silently, both clutching makeshift weapons. Oz held a tire iron and Cordelia clutched an aluminum baseball bat in both hands. "Stay behind me." Buffy whispered, eyes hard. The two Scoobs nodded and the trio entered the hallway.
---
Faith was in the basement, crouched underneath the stairs. Doubled over, she panted hard, holding her aching side. The vampire had broken a rib or two with a solid kick to her side. She'd lost her stake somewhere along the way and now she found herself defenseless. She could hear him lurking elsewhere in the basement. Fucker was playing with her. Twice upstairs and once down here, he'd cornered her and she'd fought furiously against him, kicking and punching as hard as she could although she knew it wasn't really hurting him that badly. All three times he'd left a hole she could slip through, or flew backward harder than her kick warranted, allowing her to escape. She'd run all over this damned house, there was hardly anything that could be used as a real weapon. The knives were gone from the kitchen. The furniture could be broken into stakes, but she'd already had one of those.
Footsteps sounded closer to her hiding spot and she slid quietly into a crouch, her hand touching the floor for support. Something cool and metal moved under her fingers and she wrapped her hand around it reflexively to keep it from making noise. The object was cylindrical, and when she pulled upward it came easily. Some kind of pipe probably, about the length of her forearm, and heavy. It would do. A muffled laugh filled the air, very close by. Almost right above her head. She tensed, both hands wrapped around the pipe. Another step closer… She swung out with all her might, the pipe smashing solidly into the vampire's kneecap. His scream was strangely muffled, as though cotton filled his mouth, and then he was falling beside her. Faith raised the pipe and brought it down toward his windpipe.
Demitri caught her wrist with an enraged hiss, and twisted sharply. Gasping as white hot pain shot up her arm, Faith was forced to release the pipe and watch in horror as it clattered uselessly to the floor. The vampire yanked her closer, struggling to his feet again. "Get off me!" She shouted, kicking out at him. Her balance was impaired with the rest of her slayer abilities and a misplaced kick tilted her forward. The grip on her arm didn't move and she heard audible snapping as the bones in her wrist were crushed. She screamed so loudly that Demitri stepped back, dropping her arm. Faith pulled it against her side and swung out with her other arm, catching him across the cheekbone. He took the hit well, instantly snapping back toward her, this time driving a fist into her mouth. Her teeth ached and she clenched her jaw shut as stars swam in her vision.
Forcing herself to focus, Faith bent and darted forward, driving her shoulder into his abdomen. He sprawled backward, his head thudding against the concrete floor. An enraged growl sprang from his lips and he hissed open mouthed at her. To her horror, there was only a dark cavity where his tongue should have been. Faith recoiled momentarily, and the vampire used that to his advantage, leaping forward to pin her against the wall. His cold hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing harder and harder. The slayer struggled, her unbroken arm against his throat, trying to force him away from her. But it was useless. He was too strong. She felt hot. The strength in her limbs was fading.
Suddenly he was yanked forcefully backward, and his fingers dug into her throat as he tried to hold on to Faith. She fell from his grasp, dropping to her knees on the floor. Clutching her neck, she looked up to see what had interrupted her imminent death. Her vision was kind of fuzzy, but she was sure that vaguely blonde blob in front of her was Buffy. I'd recognize that ass anywhere. The other slayer was blocking Demitri's path to Faith, her slim form practically shaking with suppressed aggression. "B-Buffy?" Faith gritted out, her voice mangled.
Buffy didn't turn, her focus solely on Demitri, who had climbed to his feet. The vampire looked puzzled, and grunted at the interloper, starting to shift back and forth as though looking for a hole in her defenses.
The slayer maintained her ground, feet spaced widely apart for maximum balance. She smiled at the surprised vampire condescendingly. "What? Nobody told you there were two slayers in this town?"
Demitri's eyes widened and his face twisted in anger. Without warning he charged at Buffy, tackling her to the ground.
From the top of the stairs, Oz motioned for Cordelia to follow him, hoping to grab the injured slayer and get her out of the basement while the vampire was distracted. The duo crept cautiously down the stairs before the brunette grabbed Oz's arm, pulling him back up a step as Buffy and the demon crashed into the landing.
Demitri cursed himself for having played with the other slayer for so long. He could have eaten her and been free by now. But instead the blonde one was on his back, her forearm pressed across his throat like lead. He struggled frantically to remove her before coming up with a better solution. The girl was strong, but she was also small, and he would use that to his advantage now. He ran straight at the concrete basement wall, turning as he got close, so that the two of them sailed through the air and impacted hard enough to crack the cement. Buffy was stunned but her grip stayed sharp, and if anything she pulled back tighter against his throat. Enraged, he slammed them both backward into the wall repeatedly, Buffy's body taking the brunt of the impact each time. Finally her arm released and she dropped to the ground behind him with a groan.
Satisfied, he cracked his sore neck and spotted his quarry still under the stairs where he'd left her. Two additional humans crouched on the stairs. He'd eat them later. His prize was moving now, climbing shakily onto her knees. She froze when she saw him free of her friend's hold and Demitri smiled wolfishly. He took one step before Buffy's leg swept into the back of his knees, knocking him soundly onto his ass on the floor. She leapt on him, fists pummeling his face at a frenzied pace. There was no way to dodge the blows raining on his head, but he bucked wildly underneath her, disturbing her balance enough to knock her backward. She landed with her butt between his knees, and he pulled back and kicked her in the chest with both legs before she could escape.
Buffy was winded but she rolled quickly away and jumped back to her feet. The vampire was single minded, again trying to move toward Faith. Darting again in front of Faith, Buffy squared her shoulders. "You're starting to tick me off a bit." She volunteered to the approaching vamp. He stopped inches away, staring hungrily past her at the brunette. His vision was blocked when Buffy moved directly into his line of sight. "I'm going to kill you either way." She promised. "But if you touch her again, I'll make sure it hurts." Abruptly she tilted forward onto her hands, bringing her feet over her head and into his face and sending him flying across the room. She was moving as she landed, retrieving her fallen stake and going in for the kill shot.
But the vampire wasn't as injured as she'd thought and as she jumped astride him to drive it home, he brought his palm up into her chin. Buffy's head snapped back painfully and he followed it with a back hand, then kicked her off of him. Dazed, she couldn't move away before he was up on his feet and gripping her arm. In one swift motion, he'd spun her to the side and flung her face first into the nearest wall. Her hands extended defensively in front of her, but she still connected solidly into the concrete.
Demitri wheeled around, desperate now to finish this job and make his escape. He was met with a face full of burning holy water thrown by Cordelia. The tall girl screamed as Demitri's flailing arms almost clutched her and Oz lifted her off her feet to swing her out of range. He struck the vampire with the tire iron once, twice, and then a third time before the screaming vamp fell to his knees.
Faith had slowly been getting her breath back this whole time. And now she crawled along the floor until she reached Buffy's forgotten stake. She grasped it unsteadily, and pulled herself to her feet. Her legs felt like jello underneath her as she crossed to where Oz and Cordelia were scrambling to keep the vampire on the floor. Oz was smashing the tire iron down into the vamp's back while Cordelia was assaulting his sides with sloppy kicks. Faith practically fell onto Demitri's back, raised the stake above her head and brought it down as hard as she could with a guttural scream.
The three teens panted in the silence as vampire ash swirled in the air around them. The tire iron fell from Oz's exhausted fingers and clattered hollowly against the floor. He crossed the room to where Buffy was slowly coming around, and helped her sit up.
"Faith?" She asked, looking around frantically.
Cordelia helped Faith over and she slumped down next to Buffy. "Right here, B."
"You okay?"
"Yeah." Faith's smile turned into a grimace as she moved her wrist the wrong way. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Buffy smiled tiredly up at Cordelia and Oz. "Let's get out of here."