CHAPTER FOUR:

Opposing sides…

"So you have no idea what it was that you were fighting last night?" the voice asked in a proper and composed British accent.

"That's right Giles… It looked like a robot, but whatever it was it was big and strong." replied Buffy.

"Don't forget fast… Did you see how fast it ran away from us?" Faith said in an obnoxious tone adding her two cents.

Buffy just shook her head at Faith's comments. Buffy looked at her fellow Slayer, she was getting worried about Faith, she seemed to be running out of control these days. That was bad enough for being a teenager, but for a Slayer that could be disastrous. Buffy had at one time been envious of Faith's wild side and spirit. She had tried to emulate her, but that hadn't ended well. The mission and work was too important.

"He may have outrun us, but he picked me up like a rag doll and there was nothing I could do. He was carrying a gun, but he didn't shoot at us. He just ran away like he was trying to avoid a fight." Buffy replied with a sigh.

"Well maybe he knew that his ass was toast facing off against two Slayers." Faith retorted in her cocky tone not giving any deep thought to the battle.

"Whatever this creature was… We have other problems to worry about. The Mayor is getting stronger each day and we have to find some way to stop him before his ascension." Giles said trying to regain control of the discussion.

Another voice interrupted Giles, "Ahemmm…."

Giles rolled his eyes as he heard the voice, "What is it Wesley?"

The slender man wearing glasses stepped forward to assert his control, "I still think that we should record the details from last night's 'encounter' and forward the report to the Watcher's Council. They might be able to provide some direction on this creature. If it is either a robot or demon and how we can combat it."

Giles sighed as Wesley had become a huge pain in his backside, but he had no choice in the matter in working with Wesley as he was the Watcher in charge ever since Giles had been fired by the council after the Tento di Cruciamentum. The only reason he was still around was because of Buffy's insistence and refusal to let go of Giles.

"Of course… Maybe you should see to that?" Giles said hoping that the task would keep Wesley out of his way for some time.

Xander, Willow, Cordelia and Oz sat around the library table watching the exchange take place.

"Cool… So we got some sort of cyborg like the Terminator running around Sunnydale. Just when you thought things weren't bad enough with the vampires and demons, here comes modern technology." Xander added his own observation on the situation.

"I think it will be disappointed that Sarah Connor isn't here…" Oz added dryly.

Buffy watched everyone talk and add their own opinion. There was something troubling Buffy about the whole situation and she couldn't put her finger on it. The robot was stronger and better armed and yet it chose to run away rather than fight. Normally she might have not been so confrontational but these were dangerous times—they had just barely managed to stop the Sisterhood of Jhe from opening the Hellmouth. Now the Mayor was making his move and going to ascend and they didn't have any information about it. She'd missed some of what the robot had said, but she did hear it say her and Faith's names. The way it spoke both their names and the tone it used implied it had heard of them by more than their reputations.

oOoOo

Later that evening after her patrol, Buffy was with Angel at his place. They had snuggled up on the couch. She was enjoying the brief moment of quiet while Angel was his always stoic self, ever worried about having a relapse and becoming Angelus.

As she relaxed, her thoughts kept drifting back to the previous evening's encounter and she was still trying to figure out what was going on, "Angel… What do you know about evil robots?"

The question caught him off-guard as it wasn't a normal question even from someone like Buffy, "Only what I've seen in the movies or read in books… Why?"

Buffy told him about the encounter that Faith and her had with the robot.

"So does it bother you that you couldn't beat the robot or that it ran away from you?" Angel asked somewhat relieved that Buffy hadn't been hurt in the encounter.

"I'm not sure… The strange thing is that the way the robot talked, it was almost like it knew me and Faith. What was even weirder was for a brief second I could have sworn that I knew the robot."

oOoOo

The lights were on late in city hall and as usual Mayor Richard Wilkins III, was in his office working late as he often tended to do. Running a town like Sunnydale was sometimes a 24/7 job, but tonight he wasn't dealing with civic matters, tonight was something more important and personal. The Mayor had to take care of matters related to his ascension. The time was almost upon him and he had many tasks to complete and rituals to perform in order to be ready for that day.

The Mayor was reading over some paperwork, humming to himself, while across the desk from him sat a vampire. Normally the vampire hated humming and would have enjoyed slowly killing any human that was humming, but this was no ordinary human sitting across the desk and the vampire was respectful and fearful towards Wilkins.

"So you think you can uphold your end of the deal?" the Mayor asked without looking up from the paperwork he was reading.

"I can get the 'goods' you need for your offering… If you don't mind the cost?" the vampire replied.

"Cost is no object…" the Mayor said as he looked up and gave his customary smile, "But failure will not be tolerated." the Mayor finished leaving the threat unsaid.

The vampire looked nervously at the Mayor, "There will be no problems as long as those Slayers don't get wind and interfere."

The Mayor continued smiling, "You just worry about your end of the deal. I'll worry about keeping the Slayers out of the way."

With that the Mayor stood up to signal that the meeting was at an end. He escorted the vampire out his office door wishing him a good evening. As Wilkins closed the door behind the vampire, he heard his side office door open. He turned and his smile got bigger.

"There's my firecracker! Now tell me what is going on in the world of the Slayers and what plans are being made against me?"

Faith smiled and sat down in the chair vacated by the vampire and made herself comfortable.

oOoOo

Wilkins took on a more somber contemplative look as Faith related the events of the previous night's encounter and the meeting from earlier in the day.

"So nobody has any idea who or what this 'robot' thing was or what it was doing or wanted?" the Mayor asked.

"Nada… They got theories, but as far as I'm concerned it was a coward as it ran away." Faith replied with a smirk.

"Tsk… Tsk… It's such a shame to see how our education system has failed our young. Have you never heard of the saying 'That discretion is the better part of valor'?" the Mayor said questioningly shaking his head.

Faith had a blank look on her face and shrugged.

"My dear… You just encountered a creature that appears to be stronger than a Slayer and refused combat when it was attacked by both you and Buffy. That could imply cowardice, but that it is more likely that this 'robot' knew it could defeat both of you and didn't want to hurt either of you." Wilkins said using the age and experience he had accumulated over several lifetimes to identify and deal with threats.

"…This could be a problem. Any creature or being that could defeat a Slayer and not do so could be a potential ally for Buffy and her group. That we cannot allow." the Mayor said as he considered the situation as any good politician would and plan for contingencies.

Wilkins saw Faith nod in agreement and then he added, "Stay close and keep me informed of any further information you learn about this 'robot'. We have to stay on top of this as it could complicate matters… we wouldn't want that."

Faith nodded her understanding, "I'll take care of it… You won't be disappointed."

"I know… You'll never disappoint me." Wilkins said smiling.