"Revelations"
Based on the Episode Written by Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
It was especially crowded tonight at the Bronze. Buffy and the Slayerettes were on the stage, just finishing the last song of their set. Harmony was sitting at a table with Cordelia. It was so crowded that they had to share it with some other people. The song ended. The crowd began to applaud and cheer as the band members took their bows.
Buffy smiled and waved. "Thank you for coming out. Good night."
The band packed up their gear.
"Hey, you notice Buffy acting sort of different?" Harmony asked Cordelia.
Cordelia looked at her. "No, not really. Why?"
"Well, I just mean, you know, she's off by herself a lot more, and she's kind of...distracted."
Cordelia smiled. "Think maybe she has a new honey?"
"A girlfriend? Why wouldn't she tell us?" Harmony asked her.
"Excuse me? If you were cheating, would you let anyone know?"
"But we're Buffy's buds. She'd tell us."
The band headed down the stairs at the side of the stage to join the girls at their table.
"Tell you what?" Buffy asked them.
"About your new girlfriend, who we made up. Unless we didn't?" Harmony gave her an inquiring look.
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "This was a topic of discussion?"
"So...are you dating somebody or not?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy angled her eyes up and swayed around a bit, considering what she should say. "I wouldn't use the word 'dating', but I am going out with somebody." She looked at them. "Tonight, as a matter of fact."
Tara stifled a giggle.
"Really? Who?" Harmony asked.
Faith put her hand on Cordelia's shoulder and pulled her aside a little, so she could squeeze in. "Yo, what's up?" She nudged Buffy's shoulder. "Hey, time to motorvate."
Harmony made a disgusted face. "Ew, do that in private."
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Buffy put her arm around Faith. "Really, we're just good friends." She looked at Tara and offered her guitar to her.
Tara took it. "Be careful, sweetie."
"I will." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "See you at home."
The two Slayers headed out of the club together.
In the cemetery, Buffy and Faith both rolled onto their backs, side by side, each with a vampire on top of them. Buffy backhand-punched her attacker while Faith struggled to get control over hers. Buffy's vampire tried to punch her, but she redirected his arm to hit the ground next to her. Giles watched calmly while sitting behind them on a nearby bench. Buffy was still on her back while her assailant was now standing over her, throwing punches down at her. Faith log-rolled away from them, taking her attacker with her. Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them.
Faith managed to roll on top of her vampire. She yanked him by the lapels of his jacket to a standing position, spun half-way around, and threw him into a log roll over a stone bench. He hit the ground and kept on rolling. Buffy was up now and ducked a half-spinning jumping hook kick from her vampire, and then sidestepped to avoid a punch. Faith jumped up onto the bench and then back down to the ground. Her attacker aimed a punch at her face but rethought his maneuver and decided to snap-kick her in the gut. Thinking quickly, Faith grabbed his foot and threw it over his head, forcing him to flip over in a back layout. He landed hard on his stomach. Buffy threw a punch at her assailant's face, but he ducked it. She tried for another one, but he blocked it. She then aimed for his stomach with another punch but was blocked yet again. The vampire tried to punch her, but she latched onto his arm and yanked him backwards, then forwards, and twisted his arm, sending him flipping onto his back. Giles calmly watched and took notes.
Faith had a firm grip on her attacker and threw his head backward, sending him flying backwards onto a bench. His momentum carried him sliding over it. Faith jumped up onto the bench, following him over, ready to attack. Buffy sent her vampire spinning back to the ground with a two-kick combination of a roundhouse followed by a hook kick. She paused for a moment to let him get back up, and then roundhouse-kicked him in the gut, followed immediately by a punch to his face as the momentum of her kick carried her around. Giles picked up his cup of coffee and continued his calm vigilance.
Faith jumped down from the bench and roundhouse-kicked her vampire in the face. Buffy roundhouse-kicked hers again in the stomach. Faith punched her vampire in the stomach and took aim with her stake. Buffy shoved hers against Faith's, and they ended up back to back. The Slayers both plunged their stakes into their respective demons simultaneously, causing them both to fall over, dead. After a moment, they gave each other a high five and headed over to Giles.
"Synchronized slaying."
"New Olympic category?" Faith asked.
"Whadaya think?" Buffy asked Giles.
Giles lowered his coffee cup but kept it held at mouth level.
"Sloppy."
They all turned to look at the woman who'd just walked into view. Her hair was pulled up in a severe hairstyle, and she had a very serious look on her face.
"You telegraph punches, leave blind sides open, and, uh, for a school-night slaying, take entirely too much time. Which one of you is Faith?"
Giles looked back at the girls.
"Depends. Who the hell are you?" Faith asked.
Giles turned back to the woman.
"Gwendolyn Post, Mrs. Your new Watcher."
The two Slayers exchanged a look, then looked over at Giles. He was still holding his cup and staring at Mrs. Post, too dumbfounded to speak.
In the library, Giles was leaning against the stair railing, cleaning his glasses. Buffy was sitting near the middle of the large central table. There were several books lying open on it. Faith was standing by a corner of the table, addressing Mrs. Post, who was looking through some of Giles' collection.
"I'm telling you, I don't need a new Watcher. No offense, lady."
Gwendolyn looked at her.
"I just have this problem with authority figures. They end up kind of dead." Faith nodded sarcastically and took a seat next to Buffy.
Gwendolyn walked past the table. "Duly noted, and, fortunately, it's not up to you."
Buffy and Faith exchanged a look. Gwendolyn walked around the table below the railing of the upper level, looking around at the few stacks there were in the study area of the library, apparently unaware that the main stacks were up the stairs and through a set of French doors, well out of view.
"Mr. Giles, where do you keep the rest of your books?"
"I-I'm sorry." Giles slipped on his glasses. "The rest?"
"Yes, the actual library."
Giles gave her a confused look.
"Oh." Gwendolyn smiled thinly. "I see."
"I can assure you, Mrs. Post, this is the finest occult reference collection-"
"This side of the Atlantic, I'm sure. Do you have Hume's Paranormal Encyclopedia?"
Giles looked away, knowing, while his collection was superior, it was still not complete.
"The Labyrinth Maps of Malta?"
Buffy gave him a hopeful look.
"It's on order."
"Well, I suppose that you have Sir Robert Kane's Twilight Compendium?"
"Oh! Uh..." Giles looked around. "Yes, I..." He spotted the book. "Yes!" He pulled it out. "Yes, I do." He held it up.
Gwendolyn was unimpressed. "Of course, you do." She paced past him. "I have been sent by the Council for a very important reason. Faith needs a Watcher. I am to act in that capacity and report back."
Faith leaned forward in her chair. "Excuse me, Mary Poppins, you don't seem to be listening."
"Faith, if the Council feels that you need closer observation, then...we will all, of course, cooperate."
Faith leaned back again, not at all happy with the situation.
"The Council wishes me to report on the entire situation here-" Gwendolyn looked at Giles. "-including you."
That took Giles by surprise.
"Mm! Academic probation's not so funny today, huh, Giles?" Buffy rolled her eyes innocently.
Giles glared at her. She just gave it right back to him.
"The fact is...there is talk in the Council that you have become a bit too...American."
Giles was taken aback. "Me?"
"Him?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"A demon named Lagos is coming here to the Hellmouth. Mr. Giles, an illustration of Lagos, if you please."
Giles was a bit flustered. "Oh, uh..." He looked at the books on the table. "Yes. Uh..." He sat at the table and began to look through one of the books.
"Perhaps later."
Giles stopped looking, very taken aback. He began to seethe.
"Lagos seeks the Glove of Myhnegon. No record of this glove's full power exists, but we do know it is highly dangerous and must not fall into the hands of a demon. Lagos must be stopped."
Giles folded his hands over his books and looked up at her. "What do you propose?"
"Well, if it's not too radical a suggestion, I thought we might kill him."
Giles turned his head away from her and took off his glasses.
"I suggest two Slayers at full strength for a coordinated hunt."
Buffy gave Faith a look. Faith just gave Gwendolyn an even stare.
"We believe the glove to be buried in a tomb somewhere, so Lagos will be headed for the cemetery."
Giles put his glasses back on and started to look through his books again.
"Anything in your books that might pinpoint the exact location of the tomb would be useful, but then...we cannot ask for miracles."
Giles let his book drop to the table and made a point of looking directly away from her, rubbing his fingers, keeping his cool.
"We will begin tomorrow at sunset. Faith..."
Faith almost started.
"With me, please." Gwendolyn gave Faith a thin smile and walked from the library.
Faith gave Buffy a glance, then followed her out.
Giles visibly relaxed when they'd gone. "That was bracing." He slapped his glasses onto the table and leaned his lips into his fist.
"Interesting lady. Can we kill her?" Buffy asked him.
Giles lowered his fist. "I think the Council might frown upon that." His expression indicated he'd considered it, anyway, but soon discarded the notion. "Well..." He stood up. "How do you feel about a spot of training?"
Buffy considered it. "Sure, why not? I'll humor you."
The next evening, in Angel's mansion, he and Cordelia were practicing T'ai Chi in front of the great fireplace. Angel concentrated on the exercises, but Cordelia watched his moves and did her best to mirror them. They each began with their arms stretched high above and ahead of them, hands together. They lowered their arms to waist level with a graceful bend at the elbows. Cordelia glanced over at Angel, watching his elegant movements. She turned her attention back to the exercise and crossed her right wrist over her left. They both swept their crossed arms in a wide arc from left to right and then drew their hands in to their waists and made a quarter-turn to their left, so Cordelia had her back to Angel. They both extended their arms and slowly raised them, never stopping their fluid movements, until their hands were again held high. Angel took the two steps over to Cordelia and put his hands over hers. Cordelia looked up at his hands on hers as he pulled her arms down and around her. She slowly turned to face him. Their lips almost met when Cordelia suddenly pulled away and walked over to one of the two couches set at right angles to each other to get her things.
"Uhh...I gotta go." Cordelia pulled on her backpack and started to leave. "Better hurry before somebody figures out what we're doing."
Angel pulled on his shirt. "What are we doing?"
Cordelia stopped. "Training. And almost kissing."
Angel looked at her and stepped toward her as he buttoned his shirt.
Cordelia turned to face him. "Sorry. It's just...old habit." She smiled weakly but then lost the smile. "Bad, bad habit to be broken."
"It's hard."
"Oh, yes, it is." Cordelia suddenly pulled her eyes away from Angel's pants. "It's not hard. Cold turkey. That's the key to quitting."
They both looked at each other for a long moment, knowing it was just not that easy.
"You think they make a patch for this?" Cordelia asked weakly and desperately.
"You have to go."
"I really do."
Angel looked away.
Cordelia turned again to go. She got only a couple of steps when she sighed and turned to face Angel again. "I think I'm gonna try and vent a little hormonal angst by going out there and helping Buffy and Faith kill a Lagos, whatever that is."
Angel faced her again upon hearing that demon's name. "Lagos?"
"Some demon looking for some all-powerful thingamabob-"
Angel sat, suddenly worried.
"-and we gotta stop him before he unleashes unholy havoc-" Cordelia saw his worried look. "-and it's another Tuesday night in Sunnydale."
Angel couldn't bring himself to look at her again and so just stared off into space. "Be careful."
Cordelia turned and headed out of the mansion.
In the library, Giles was sitting at the large table, reading through a book with a dozen other volumes open and spread out in front of him. Tara was standing behind the railing of the stack level behind him. Amy and Katrina were standing at the end of the table.
Giles looked up from his book. "Oh, this is intolerable." He slammed the book shut. "There's not a word here about Lagos or the glove." He stood up. "We don't have time for this near-missing." He dropped the book in frustration and turned to Tara, Amy, and Katrina. "Just find out all you can about the demon, its - its - its strengths, its - its weaknesses, its places of origin-" He began to pace but then stopped and yanked off his glasses. "-and most importantly...what it plans to do with this blasted glove." He made frustrated tracks into his office.
Katrina stared after him for a moment, then started up the stairs to the stack level for more research.
Amy stepped over to meet her. "Ugh...it's late. I'm tired. What does he want from us, anyway?"
They headed into the stacks.
"The number of a qualified surgeon to remove the British flag from his ass?" Katrina guessed.
They stopped at a spot where a few books were lying open on the floor and sat down. Katrina took one of them and started to look through it.
"My eyes are all blurry." Amy leaned forward and rested her head in her hands for a moment, then started rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Ohh..." She moaned as she rubbed.
Katrina looked over at her, concerned. She set down her book, nudged a bit closer, and reached over to do the rubbing for her. When she felt her fingers at her temples, Amy dropped her own hands into her lap and let her minister to her, letting out a few more moans.
Katrina finally stopped rubbing. She leaned back, away from her. Amy sat up a bit. Katrina took her book again to continue her research. Suddenly, Amy reached for her, grabbed her face, and planted a hard kiss on her lips. Katrina responded and put her hands around her to pull her closer. They kissed passionately for a few seconds, when Giles suddenly came walking by, his attention focused on a book in his hands as he read. Amy and Katrina didn't notice him at all.
"Amy, Katrina..."
They stopped kissing and quickly scrambled to their feet.
"...you can stop your, uh, studying."
They weren't yet sure if they'd been caught, since Giles was looking at a bookcase.
"I've got what I need."
Amy and Katrina breathed sighs of relief.
"What have you got?" Katrina asked, trying to be cool.
"Uh, the probable location of the Glove of Myhnegon." Giles faced them. "It's, uh, housed in the Von Hauptman family crypt."
"Yeah, well, that's great, Giles. Um, how'd you find it?" Amy asked him.
"I looked." Giles continued his reading but then looked up from his book. "I'd say we're done."
The three of them left the stacks and walked down the stairs.
"Are the girls still at the cemetery?" Katrina asked him.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
"Well, someone should let them know."
"I'll do it!" Tara gathered her things and left the library.
Cordelia, Faith, and Buffy walked along a path in the cemetery.
"Ronnie, deadbeat. Steve, klepto. Kenny...drummer. Eventually, I just had to face up to my destiny as a loser magnet. Now, it's strictly get some, get gone. You can't trust guys."
Cordelia shrugged. "You can trust some guys."
Faith gave her a doubtful look.
"Really, I've read about them."
Faith laughed. "Yeah. So...what about you?"
"You mean, like, me and guys me?" Cordelia asked her.
"Mm-hm."
"Not much to tell these days."
"Yeah, but you gotta have stories. I mean...I've had my share of losers, but you...you fucked the undead. What was that like?" Faith asked her.
"Life with Angel's...was complicated. It's still a little hard for me to talk about."
"Well, try."
They stopped walking.
"Look, Faith, all the Angel issues are still kind of with me, so, if you don't mind, I'd rather not."
Faith shrugged. "Yeah." She shrugged again. "Yeah, whatever."
Buffy looked away.
"You know what? We haven't found shit tonight. Why don't we just blow this off?" Faith suggested.
Buffy stretched. "Yeah. I am kinda beat. But - But there's just the far end."
"I'll swing through it. It's on my way, anyway."
"Alone?" Buffy asked. "I-I don't know if I'd-"
"I got Miss Priss on my back now. I don't need another babysitter. I'll holler if I'm having any fun."
Buffy smiled thinly. "Okay."
Faith nodded. "Later." She left.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, thanks."
Faith waved at Buffy and Cordelia without looking back at them. They watched her go for a moment before turning and heading back to their vehicles.
Faith walked around a hedge, scanning the graveyard as she went. Suddenly, the lid of a stone coffin slammed into the ground in front of her. She jerked back, startled but unhurt. In front of her, she saw Lagos, a warrior demon, grabbing things out of the coffin and throwing them aside as he quickly rummaged through it.
"Son of a bitch. It's my lucky day." Faith started to run toward him and jumped into a flying side kick to Lagos' back.
He hardly budged and turned his head to see who was disturbing him. Faith grabbed his arm and whipped him around to face her. She backhand-punched him in the face and instantly followed up with another swing to his face, then punched him in the gut and again in the face. She pushed him away slightly to get some distance between them, and then roundhouse-kicked him in the side. Unfazed and tired of the interruption, Lagos grabbed her by the neck and threw her high and far. She slammed into the side of a mausoleum and fell to the ground. Lagos turned his attention back to the open coffin. Faith scrambled to her feet and started to run at him again. Lagos heard her coming this time and turned to face her. She tried to grab his neck, but he blocked her arm and did an uppercut to Faith's diaphragm, which made her airborne once again. She hit the ground hard and started to struggle for breath.
Soon, he wasted no time getting out of there, stomping right past Faith, not giving her even so much as another glance. With her breath knocked out of her, Faith was unable to get up to pursue him.
Eventually, Faith was able to get to her feet. She resumed her patrol.
Tara arrived and ran over to Faith. "Hey! Faith! Where are Buffy and Cordy?"
"I gave them the rest of the night off. Why? What's up?"
"Mr. Giles says the glove is housed in the Von Hauptman family crypt."
"Okay, thanks."
"Do you need any help?" Tara offered.
"Nah, I got it. Thanks."
Faith found her way through the gravestones to the Von Hauptman family crypt. She found the crypt and peeked at it from behind a bush, making sure no one and nothing else was around. She stepped out from behind the bush, looking around while she made her way toward the crypt.
She stopped in her tracks when she thought she heard a noise. Sure enough, a second later, she could hear the sound of stone grinding against stone coming from inside the crypt. She swiftly ducked behind a group of bushes, crouched down, and waited to see who would come out. A figure soon came out of the crypt and pulled the door closed. In its arms, it held something wrapped in a bunch of rags. The figure turned its back to Faith as it grabbed the outer iron gate and swung it closed as well. Faith rose up just a bit, so she could better see who it was. The figure turned around again and began to cautiously make its way out of the graveyard. As it neared Faith, she saw it was a man, though she didn't know it was Angel. She didn't take her eyes off him as he walked past. When Angel was far enough ahead of her, she walked out from behind the bushes.
Faith pulled out her stake and started to follow.
In the atrium at Angel's mansion, Faith sneaked down the stairs to the main gallery and tiptoed over to a window where she could see inside. There, to her shock, she saw Cordelia with Angel, kissing passionately.
Suddenly, Cordelia broke it off and took a couple of steps backward and looked away from his face. "Oh, God...Angel..."
Angel was confused. "Cordy..."
"What am I doing?" Cordelia looked at him. "What are you doing?"
Angel was still confused. "I don't know."
"Shame on you!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel didn't know how to respond to that. He put his hand to his forehead.
Cordelia headed over to her things on the couch. "Oh, God, I...I don't even know why I came back here." She started to pull on her jacket.
Angel stepped over and took it from her hands. "It's good you did."
Cordelia looked at him, waiting for an explanation.
"I think I have what you're looking for."
He led her by the hand over to a pedestal where the thing that he got from the crypt lay, still wrapped up in rags.
"Great..." Cordelia stared at it. "Just, wherever this was gift-wrapped, remind me not to shop there."
He unwrapped the rags to reveal their contents. It was an ancient-looking glove made of leather, chain mail, and plate mail. There were small spikes along the plates that covered the back of the hand and the forearm. Ringed around the opening were ten hinged claws that looked something like crab legs but made of steel and very sharp.
"Glove of Myhnegon."
"The world's ugliest fashion accessory." Cordelia reached out to touch it.
Angel quickly stayed her hand with his. "No, don't. Once you put it on, the glove can never be removed."
"So...no touching." Cordelia nodded and looked at their hands. "Kinda like us."
Angel got the hint and released her hand. He wrapped the glove back up in the rags.
"You hold on to it. I'll...I'll tell Giles in the morning. At least, he'll be happy."
In Giles' apartment, he was researching through a book at his desk. Gwendolyn walked around to Giles' side.
Giles found something. "Ah! Yes. There we are."
In the book was a sketch of a battle scene with an inset of the glove. It resembled the real thing only vaguely.
Giles set the book down for her to see. "There's a wood engraving. See? The Glove of Myhnegon."
Gwendolyn looked at it, unimpressed. "Yes, engraved by Father Theodore of Wolsham."
"Yes."
"Based, I believe, on very sketchy and unreliable folk legends. The pictures are fun to look at, Mr. Giles, but one really ought to read the nice words as well."
Giles looked up from the books but stared ahead, not wanting Gwendolyn to see the look of raw annoyance in his eyes. In the kitchen, the tea kettle began to whistle.
"Ah." Giles stood up. "Yes." He put his hands in his pockets. "Some tea, perhaps?"
He strode into the kitchen. Gwendolyn took the few steps over to the bar where he had two cups already set out for the tea and sat on one of the stools. Giles grabbed the kettle from the stove.
"I know that you must find me tiresome, but it's insidious, really."
Giles poured the hot water into one of the cups.
Gwendolyn looked down at the teabag in her still empty cup, took it out, and set it aside. "A person slips up on the little things, and soon everything has gone to Hell in a handbasket."
Giles didn't say anything to her rejection of his teabag. She opened her purse and pulled out a small box with her own supply of tea.
"For example...Buffy, your Slayer..."
Giles struggled to control his voice. "Mrs. Post..." He poured her hot water. "I can assure you that Buffy is both dedicated and industrious, and I am in complete control of my Slayer."
Suddenly, his apartment door whipped open, and Faith ran into the room.
"Giles! We have a big problem." Faith noticed Gwendolyn. "It's, uh, Cordy."
Gwendolyn gave Giles a snooty look.
"Will you excuse us?" Giles walked very stiffly from the kitchen and nodded to Faith to follow.
They went to the far side of the room and whispered between themselves.
"Angel's still alive."
Giles looked at her in wide-eyed surprise. "The vampire."
"Back in town. Saw him myself. Toting the popular and famous glove."
"Angel."
"Guy like that, with that kind of glove, could kill a whole mess of people."
"W-Was he alone?" Giles asked her.
"No. Cordy was with him."
"Cordelia knew he was alive. I can't believe her."
"She seems to think he's clean, but I say we can't afford to find out. I say I deal with this problem right now. I say I slay."
Gwendolyn took her own teabag and put it in her cup to steep. "Would you like some assistance?"
Giles and Faith stopped their whispering and looked at her.
Giles smiled thinly. "Thank you. That won't be necessary."
They went back to their private discussion.
"Hold off on that for the moment, Faith. I'll confront Cordelia about this directly tomorrow."
Faith relented and sighed. "Yeah, okay."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Cordelia walked into the library. Giles paced slowly in the main area. He slowly turned to see them.
Cordelia smiled. "Lagos is out of luck. I got the magic mitten thingy."
They stopped to see Giles looking glum.
"What's with the tragedy mask?" Cordelia asked.
Giles indicated a chair. "Better take a seat, Cordelia."
Cordelia crossed her arms, refusing to budge. "What's going on?"
"I know Angel is alive."
Cordelia was shocked. Buffy looked away.
"Faith saw you with him. It would appear that you've been hiding him and that you lied to us."
"It's not what you think. He's better now."
"Better for how long, Cordelia? Did you even think about that?" Giles asked her.
"What is this, Demons Anonymous?" Cordelia started to leave. "I don't need an intervention."
"Oh, don't you?"
Cordelia stopped and faced him.
"You must've known it was wrong seeing Angel, or you wouldn't have hidden it from all of us."
"I was going to tell you; I was. I-It was just that I...I didn't know why he came back. I just wanted to wait."
"For what? For Angel to go psycho again?"
"We're not together like that."
"But you were kissing him."
Cordelia stepped toward him. "You're not the Watcher of me. What gives you the right?"
Giles flinched.
"He's better now. I swear. Look, he's the one that found the Glove of Myhnegon. H-He's keeping it safe for us in the mansion."
Giles sighed.
"Back off, Giles!" Buffy told him. "I trusted Cordy, and, so far, nothing bad's happened!"
Giles looked at Buffy in shock. "You knew?"
"Yeah."
Giles sighed again. "Our...priority right now is to retrieve the Glove of Myhnegon and try to destroy it."
Giles went into his office, his hands firmly stuffed into his pockets. Once there, he took off his jacket and hung it around the back of his chair. Buffy and Cordelia followed him and stopped by the office door. Giles didn't face them and instead unbuttoned his vest.
Buffy thought for a moment. "I know this is a lot to absorb, but Angel did find the glove, and that was a good-"
"Be quiet." Giles slowly turned to face her. "I won't remind you that the fate of the world often lies with the Slayer. What would be the point? Nor shall I remind you that you've jeopardized the lives of all that you hold dear by harboring a known murderer. But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me...for hours...for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me or the job I perform."
Buffy and Cordelia looked at each other. Giles turned back to his desk, sat down, and leaned back in thought. Buffy and Cordelia just stood in the doorway for a long moment before leaving quietly.
They left the library and walked down the hall.
"So...are you going to the Bronze tonight?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
"Actually, I'm gonna head for a not-so-secret rendezvous with Angel. Why?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, I'm gonna try and kill this Lagos guy. Peace offering to Giles."
Cordelia was confused. "But Angel has the glove now."
"Yep. But Lagos doesn't know that. I figure, sooner or later, he's bound to show up at that crypt, looking for it."
"Ah, but instead he finds a Buffy in a not-so-good mood."
"That's my brilliant plan."
There was a knock at the door of Jenny's apartment. Faith opened it, stake raised and ready. She was surprised to see Gwendolyn standing there. She lowered the stake as Mrs. Post entered.
"A word of advice? Vampires rarely knock. Especially in daylight." Gwendolyn closed the door.
"Oh, right."
Gwendolyn looked around. "So...this is your home."
"Yeah." Faith sat on the couch.
"I'm going to be very hard on you, Faith. I will not brook insolence or laziness. And I will not allow blunders like last night's attack. You will probably hate me a great deal of the time."
Faith smiled sardonically. "You think?"
Gwendolyn stepped over to the couch. "But I will make you a better Slayer, and that will keep you alive." She sat next to Faith. "You have to trust that I am right. God only knows what Mr. Giles has been filling your head with."
"Giles is okay."
Gwendolyn stood. "His methods are unfathomable to me. I find him entirely confounding. And why does he let Buffy socialize so much? It hardly seems..." She paused. "No matter. Would you like to do some training?"
"Training?" Faith stood up. "As in kicking and punching and stabbing?"
Gwendolyn smiled. "Yes, that's the idea."
"I'm your girl."
In Giles' office at the library, he was researching at his desk. He heard footsteps and turned around to stand up and see who it was.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Giles?" Gwendolyn asked.
Giles grabbed his coat. "Yes. I do apologize for bringing you in at this late hour." He pulled it on.
"Please. A good Watcher must be awake and alert at all hours."
"Would you like some tea?" Giles tossed his glasses onto his desk and stepped over to his tea-making implements to prepare his teapot and two cups.
"God, yes, please. I'm completely knackered." Gwendolyn went to Giles' chair. "I spent the afternoon training with Faith." She sat down. "She doesn't lack for energy."
Giles chuckled. "She's your first Slayer, I take it?"
"If you're questioning my qualifications-"
"No, I'm not." Giles poured water from the kettle into his teapot. "I, uh, have the utmost respect for your methods..." He faced her, holding the teapot. "...in my own American way." He leaned against his desk. "I also have the glove."
Gwendolyn looked at him expectantly.
"Oh, not actually on me, but, uh, I believe it's safe. It's in a mansion on Crawford Street. A-A-A friend of Cordelia's is keeping it there."
Gwendolyn stood up. "Well. We must get to it. Immediately. Hide it before someone else finds it."
"Or better still, destroy it."
Gwendolyn was surprised. "Destroy it?"
Giles stood up and set down the teapot. "Yes, I-I...I didn't think it could be done either, but..." He went to his desk for a book and showed her. "It involves transforming fire into Living Flame and immolating the glove."
Gwendolyn read the pages where Giles indicated.
"I-I-It's complex, but, uh, I believe I have all the necessary materials." Giles went back to his desk and checked his gathered inventory.
"Well, I must say, Mr. Giles...good show."
Giles suddenly felt a sharp pain across the back of his neck. His knees gave, and he stumbled but didn't fall. He turned to face Gwendolyn, giving her a stunned look.
"Good show indeed."
She swung his wooden tribal statue again at his temple. It hit him hard, and he fell, unconscious, to the floor.
In front of the Von Hauptman family crypt, Cordelia paced, and Buffy sat on a stone bench, while they waited for Lagos to show up.
Cordelia stopped pacing. "Um, not to downplay my own slaying abilities, which in some circles are considered formidable, but shouldn't Faith be here?"
"I tried calling, but Ms. Calendar said she wasn't home. Look, if you're feeling any demon-o-phobia, please, splitting is totally an option. You're not the one in trouble with Giles. You don't have to deal with him."
"That's true." Cordelia continued pacing.
"I can't really blame him, considering what Angel did to him."
"You mean Angelus, right?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "Who the fuck knows? I'm the one that started questioning the traditional Watcher line about the difference between humans and vampires. Y'know, I remember reading recently that, until 1869, the Catholic Church taught abortion wasn't homicide as long as it occurred before the ensoulment of the fetus, which no one could agree when that happened. Guesses ranged from 40 days to 166 days. Even when the new teaching took effect, it wasn't because of a belief that ensoulment happened at conception, only that the potential for ensoulment that came with conception must be protected."
Cordelia was a bit surprised. "So?"
"So...if the fetus doesn't yet have a soul upon conception...are the two even the same being?" Buffy asked. "When we die, our bodies decay - including our brains. That leaves only our souls with the potential to experience any kind of afterlife...if one exists. But are they really us or supernatural beings of divine origin that happen to have all of our memories?"
Cordelia shook her head. "It's too late for this shit, Buffy. I'm getting a fucking headache." She stopped pacing. "It's weird, though. Now that my secret...Angel, it's all out in the open...I feel better."
"Well, sure you do. This big burden's been lifted."
Cordelia saw Lagos. "There's a demon behind you."
Buffy looked behind her and kicked her legs up to spin herself around on the bench. She used the momentum of the spin to start a running attack. She jumped into a twin pike kick to Lagos' stomach. It had no real effect on Lagos, just making him take a step backward as she fell flat to the ground. Cordelia tried the same attack and got the same result. Lagos reached down for Buffy and grabbed her by the neck. He pulled her up only to flip her back down to the ground in a sloppy front tuck. She landed hard on her back. Cordelia wanted to help but was still struggling to stand back up. Buffy got to her feet and went at Lagos with a combination of a punch to the gut and the face, a half-spin, a backhand punch to the face, another half-spin, and another backhand punch. She tried for an elbow jab, but he blocked it, grabbed her arm, reached for her leg, and lifted her up above his head.
Cordelia was afraid for her friend and waved her hands wildly in protest. "Don't-"
Lagos suddenly dropped Buffy, and she landed hard on her back. Cordelia cringed at the sight. Buffy quickly got to her feet and stepped to her right as Lagos swung a fist at her head. He missed her and smashed his fist into a stone cross. Taking advantage of the opening, Buffy stepped in and front-snap-kicked him in the gut, following up with a roundhouse kick to his face, a full spin, and another roundhouse kick to his balls. Lagos doubled over in pain. Cordelia grinned at how painful that it looked.
Buffy spied the battle-ax on his back. "Now, we're talking."
She grabbed the ax, pulled it from its sheath, and swung it around as Lagos straightened back up. In one stroke, Lagos was suddenly headless. His head rolled along the ground a ways before coming to rest.
Cordelia pumped her fists into the air in front of her. "Yes!" She started doing an impromptu cheer but quickly played down her gesture into crossed arms.
Buffy walked back to her. "Sorry about that." She looked at Lagos' body. "Come on. Let's go bring Giles some happiness."
She shouldered the battle-ax, and the two girls headed for Buffy's van.
Faith barged into the library and head for the cage - and the weapons cabinet within. She opened the cabinet doors, reached in, and gathered an array of weapons. She closed the doors when she had what she wanted. She started to head out, when she heard a moan coming from Giles' office.
Faith hurried into the office. She set down the weapons when she saw Giles on the floor and kneeled down to help him. She held his head. "Giles, can you hear me?" She waited a moment. "Shit." She grabbed the phone and dialed 911.
"911. What's your emergency?"
"Yeah, I have a medical emergency. Sunnydale High. Private office in the library." Faith hung up, picked up the weapons, and strode out.
Later, Buffy and Cordelia opened the doors to the library and walked in.
Buffy smiled. "Giles is gonna be psyched that we showed up stuffy old Mrs. Post."
They saw the paramedics there with Giles on a gurney.
Buffy tossed the battle-ax over the counter. "Oh, my God." She ran to Giles' side.
"Sunnydale Memorial..."
"What happened?" Buffy asked him.
"...Caucasian male, mid-forties..."
"Giles..."
"...Blunt object head trauma. Notify ER, we're bringing him in."
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"No time for this." The paramedic started to wheel him out.
"Wait..."
The paramedics stopped at Giles' voice.
"Buffy, you must...must destroy the glove."
"You want him to live?" a paramedic asked Buffy sternly. "Get out of the way."
She and her partner quickly rolled Giles from the library.
"Use...Living...Flame..."
"Move!" a paramedic yelled.
They slammed the library doors open with the gurney and turned down the hall.
Cordelia looked at Buffy, worried and wanting to know what went down. "What the fuck happened here?!"
Buffy looked around. She noticed a bolt from the crossbow lying on the floor and picked it up. "I don't know, but I think Faith's on the hunt."
"For what?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy looked at her. "If I was Faith, and I came across Giles like this, I'd also come to my own conclusions."
Cordelia stared at Buffy in worry. "Angel. Shit, I'm really starting to not like that bitch!"
Buffy stepped over to the telephone and picked up the receiver. She called home.
"Hello?" Tara answered.
"Tara, it's me. Get to the library and go through Giles' research. Figure out how to destroy the glove."
"Okay."
"Hurry! Get Amy to help, if you need to! Cordy and I are going to the Crawford Street mansion!" Buffy slammed down the receiver and then ran from the library.
Cordelia followed close behind.
Faith barged into Angel's mansion holding a long club with a steel hook embedded in the business end. Gwendolyn was on the floor, nearly unconscious. Angel grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Mrs. Post!" Faith yelled.
Angel let go of Gwendolyn, roared, and faced his new adversary.
Faith was intensely angry. "I can't believe how much I'm gonna kill you."
Angel stood his ground. "You're not getting that glove."
"You wanna bet?" Faith asked.
Before she had a chance to attack with her club, Angel did a low in-to-out crescent kick, knocking it from her hands. Faith body-checked him, but he easily absorbed the blow, taking only a slight step backward. Angel did a backhand swing to Faith's head, making it snap back and to the side. She whirled back around, infuriated, and delivered a backhand punch to his face, followed immediately with another punch. Angel tried to return with a punch, but he swung too wide, and Faith had plenty of time to duck it.
Angel's follow-through left him in an awkward position, and Faith took immediate advantage. She bent over his right side and held onto him for support as she kicked up backwards, hitting him in the head with a reverse snap kick. He was dazed with pain. She stepped away from his side and stomped down on the back of his right knee, causing him to collapse. Faith grabbed Angel by the shirt and launched him into the air. He landed on one side of the couch and backrolled over the coffee table to the other section set at a right angle. He was severely stunned. Faith ran over to him, saw he was defenseless, and raised her stake. She swung down hard with it directly at his chest, when suddenly an arm reached in and stayed her swing. She looked to her side and saw it was Buffy.
Faith was very confused. "What?"
Buffy grabbed her by the waist and threw her away from Angel.
In the library, Tara and Amy were grinding and mixing powders for the spell to invoke Living Flame.
"Think we got it?" Amy asked.
Tara looked at Amy, worried. "We'll have to test this."
"I'll double-check."
Amy read through her book, and Tara noticed her suddenly intent stare while reading.
"What?" Tara asked.
"I know what the glove does." Amy angled the book, so she could read, and pointed to a passage.
Tara quickly absorbed the information. "There's no time to test this."
She quickly grabbed a plastic bag and pulled it open. Amy blew out the candles on the table, grabbed the grinding bowl, and poured the mix into the plastic bag. Tara spun the neck of the bag to seal it, and they both raced out of the library.
In Angel's mansion, Buffy was faced off against Faith, ready to fight.
"I can't let you do it, Faith."
"You're confused, Twinkie." Faith smiled ironically. "Let me clear you up." She pointed at Angel. "Vampire." She pointed at herself. "Slayer." She pointed at Angel again. "Dead vampire."
"There's a lot that you don't understand."
"Faith..."
The two Slayers looked over at Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn was weak from her fight. "She doesn't know. She's blinded by loyalty to a friend who's blinded by love."
"Faith, no."
"Trust me."
Faith looked back and forth between them.
Buffy dropped her guard. "Faith, we can figure this out-"
Faith did a full spinning hook kick to Buffy's face. She took the hit hard, falling to her knees. Faith delivered two roundhouse kicks to Buffy's gut while she was still on the floor. Buffy stood up and did an uppercut punch to Faith's right arm, knocking the stake from her hand. Buffy backhand-punched Faith in the face and punched her in the chest. She shoved Faith backward, and Faith took a few stumbling steps, trying to steady herself. Buffy did a jumping double roundhouse kick, alternating her legs, both of which were blocked by Faith. Buffy tried a backhand punch, but Faith blocked it.
Buffy whirled around and punched Faith in the face with her other hand, catching Faith off guard. Faith leaned in again and tried to punch Buffy, but she middle-blocked it and punched Faith in the gut and again in the face. Faith dropped to the floor but thought fast and tried to sweep-kick Buffy's legs out from under her, but Buffy jumped to avoid it. Faith scrambled back up, and the two girls faced off again. Buffy blocked two roundhouse kicks from Faith. Buffy tried a high out-to-in crescent kick, which Faith easily ducked. Faith rose back up and did a spinning back kick that hit Buffy squarely in the back, sending her to her knees. Faith rushed up behind her and grabbed her in a choke hold around her neck. Buffy grabbed Faith's arm and twisted her body around, trying to throw Faith off - but to no avail. She grabbed Faith's fingers and pulled them backward, cracking her knuckles.
"Auuuugh!" Faith screamed.
Now Buffy was able to throw Faith off with a twist of her body, and both girls ended up on the floor. Faith rolled into a wall, hitting her back against a corner. Buffy scrambled to her feet and ran at Faith, but she snapped out her leg and tripped Buffy, making her fall again. Buffy rolled over her back and to her knees. While she was still crouched, Faith came in for an axe kick, trying to hit her on the way down. Buffy cross-blocked her leg, grabbed her ankle, and raised her arms, throwing Faith off balance and to the floor. Faith quickly got to her feet, and the two Slayers faced off once again.
Buffy rushed Faith and grabbed her by the waist. The two of them went crashing through the French doors out into the atrium. When the glass had fallen, they both rolled away from each other and to their feet, facing off a fourth time. Faith gave Buffy an angry look, spun all of the way around, and backhand-punched Buffy in the face. Faith tried another backhand punch, which Buffy blocked. Faith punched Buffy in the gut and did another backhand punch to her face, this time connecting and forcing Buffy to her hands and knees. Faith advanced on her, but Buffy did a crouching back kick to her stomach, making her stagger backward into a metal garden chair. She quickly got up, grabbed the chair, and threw it at Buffy, who sidestepped it, and it clanged to the stone walk.
Amy and Tara ran into the mansion and found Gwendolyn still dazed by the wall.
"The glove!" Gwendolyn exclaimed. "It's in the trunk."
Amy nodded reassuringly. "We'll get it."
Gwendolyn looked at her. "Help Faith."
In the atrium, Faith did a half-spinning crescent kick, which Buffy ducked but got hit instead with Faith's next roundhouse kick. Faith swung a punch at Buffy, but she ducked it and blocked a backhand from Faith as well. Buffy faked a punch and instead elbowed Faith in the gut. Faith ducked the next punch. Buffy pushed Faith backwards and did a half spinning hook kick to her face, almost making her lose her balance.
Amy looked at the two Slayers fighting it out. She rushed out to intercede. Tara helped Gwendolyn to her feet.
Faith did a jumping roundhouse kick, which Buffy ducked.
Amy rushed out through the broken doors. "What are you...?" She saw them faced off again and got between them. "Stop! Guys, listen!"
Faith grabbed her by the shirt and threw her into a lamppost. She bounced off it and hit the stone walkway hard. Back at the doorway, Buffy did a diving punch, knocking Faith in the head and making her cry out in pain.
Inside, Gwendolyn made a beeline for the trunk with the glove. She threw the lid open and unfolded the rags wrapped around the glove. Reverently, she took the glove out of the trunk and cradled it in her hands. She smiled wickedly. "Finally."
Behind her, Tara was confused by her words and actions. Gwendolyn swung the glove around in a wide arc, hitting her in the face. She fell to the marble floor, unconscious.
In the atrium, Faith punched, but Buffy blocked. Buffy tried to punch but was also blocked. Faith tried again and was blocked again. Buffy grabbed onto Faith's throat, and Faith reached up to try to pry Buffy's hand off her.
Up in the sky, lightning struck, and thunder boomed. Buffy and Faith stopped their fighting to see what was going on. Gwendolyn was wearing the Glove of Myhnegon on her right arm. The metal claws surrounding the glove's opening had closed, puncturing her arm, all ten permanently embedded in her forearm's flesh. She held up her gloved arm and smiled maniacally at the sight, seemingly oblivious to the pain. Her arm was extended above her, up toward the huge skylight. Lightning struck again above the skylight. Buffy and Faith stared at Gwendolyn, still holding onto each other, not yet willing to take the chance on releasing their grip. Gwendolyn stared intently up at the sky, awaiting her reward for being the new wearer of the Glove of Myhnegon. The two Slayers realized their fight was no longer with each other and let go.
"What's going on?" Faith asked.
Gwendolyn allowed herself to be distracted, lowered her gloved arm, and looked over at Faith. She smiled maliciously. "Faith! A word of advice: you're an idiot."
Faith and Buffy both looked at her in disbelief.
Gwendolyn once again raised her arm to the sky. "Tar tríom!"
On the floor, Tara woke up and turned around just in time to see a blindingly bright bolt of lightning smash through the skylight and strike the glove. Shards of shattered glass fell everywhere, but Gwendolyn ignored them and rejoiced in her newfound power.
Gwendolyn turned to face the Slayers and extended the glove toward them. "Tar tríom!"
The bolt of energy leaped from the glove at the two girls. They scrambled out of the way, and the bolt hit a tree in the atrium, instantly setting it ablaze. Buffy and Faith looked at it in amazement, then turned their attention to what they could do about Gwendolyn. Angel also came to now and quickly took in the situation. Tara got to her feet and began backing away, stiff with fear, staring at Gwendolyn in shocked horror.
The would-be Watcher spun around and aimed the glove at her. "Tar tríom!"
Thinking fast, Angel jumped to his feet and rushed toward Tara. A lightning bolt shot through the skylight, hit the glove, and was redirected at Tara. Angel reached her just in time and roughly tackled her to the floor, out of harm's way. The bolt hit the fireplace instead and left a deep scorch mark in the marble.
Buffy came up with a plan. She looked at Faith. "Can you draw her fire?"
"You bet I can."
"Go do it."
Faith got to her feet and ran into the mansion. Gwendolyn saw her coming. Faith ducked into a hallway and kept running. Gwendolyn surmised Faith would appear at the other hallway leading from the opposite end of the room and extended her arm in that direction.
"Tar tríom!" Gwendolyn exclaimed.
Another lightning bolt struck the glove and was sent in the direction of the hallway just as Faith ran out of it. She dove behind the couch, avoiding the blast from the glove.
Thrilled with the power that was now hers, Gwendolyn held the glove up before her, staring at it with lustful desire in her eyes. "There's nothing you can do to me now."
Buffy sifted through the broken glass, found a larger shard, got to her feet, and ran into the mansion.
"I have the glove. With the glove comes the power."
"I'm getting that."
Gwendolyn looked over at Buffy in surprise.
"Just keep your Power Glove off my friends!" Buffy threw the shard of glass end over end.
It flew like a spinning blade at Gwendolyn and sliced cleanly through her upper arm, severing it and the glove from her body. With nothing to control it now, the power of the glove became erratic, and small bolts and sparks leaped from it in random directions. Cordelia arrived at just that moment, tired of waiting in Buffy's van. Another bolt of lightning struck through the skylight and, not having a target this time, hit Gwendolyn in the chest - with a few small tendrils going in through her eyes. She screamed at the top of her lungs as her body began to writhe in pain.
Everyone watched helplessly as she kept screaming, and the lightning bolts kept coming. Buffy shut her eyes to the sight. A moment later, with one final bright lightning strike, what was left of a one-armed Gwendolyn vanished in a bright flash of light and energy. A few small arcs of electricity were all that remained as the last of the energy dissipated, and the mansion was again in relative darkness. Buffy opened her eyes. Tara and Angel got to their feet. Cordelia ran over to Angel to check on him. He hugged her. She kissed him passionately on the lips. Outside, Amy got up also and headed inside. Faith stood up from behind the couch. All that was left in the center of the room were bits of glass and framework from the skylight, a cloud of smoke slowly rising upward, and the Glove of Myhnegon with Gwendolyn's severed arm still firmly in its grip. One by one, the ten claws opened up, releasing it.
The next day, in the Sunnydale High student lounge, Tara and Buffy were sitting on one of the couches across the coffee table from Amy and Cordelia, who were sitting on the other.
"So there's no more glove thingy?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy shook her head. "No. Little Living Flame, little mesquite, gone for good."
"What are you and Angel gonna do?" Amy asked Cordelia.
Cordelia shook her head. "I don't know."
"Well, he saved me from a horrible, flamey death. That sort of makes me like him again." Tara smiled thinly.
Behind Buffy, Giles cleared his throat, and she turned to face him. He was leaning against the railing with a large bandage on his left temple.
"Let me guess: Gwendolyn Post: not a Watcher."
"Yes, she was." Giles cautiously took the steps. "She was, uh, kicked out by the Council a couple of years ago for misuses of dark power. They swear there was a memo."
"Well, I better go. Damage control." Buffy got up and looked at Cordelia. "You coming?"
Cordelia shrugged and stood up. The two girls headed out of the lounge.
Tara sighed. "The whole Angel thing is so weird."
Giles slowly sat next to Amy. "Yes, well, we'll have to see how that unfolds, won't we?"
Buffy and Cordelia walked up to Jenny's apartment. Buffy knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Buffy opened the door, peeked in, and then walked into the room. "Hey."
Cordelia followed. Faith was lying on the couch, flipping through a magazine and watching Dragnet in black and white.
"How are you?" Buffy asked Faith.
"Five-by-five."
"I'll interpret that as good."
Faith didn't respond but just continued paging through her magazine.
"Look, Gwendolyn Post, or whoever she may be, had us all fooled. Even Giles."
Faith didn't look up. "Yeah, well, you can't trust people. I should've learned that by now."
"I realize this is gonna sound funny coming from someone that just spent a lot of time kicking your face...but you can trust me."
Cordelia nodded. "And me."
Faith looked up, amused. "Is that right?" She tossed the magazine aside.
Cordelia sighed. "I know I kept secrets, but I didn't have a choice. And I swore Buffy to secrecy, so don't blame her. But please believe us: we're on your side."
"I'm on my side, and that's enough."
Buffy shook her head. "Not always."
Faith shrugged. "Is that it?"
Buffy felt sad. "Yeah, I guess."
"All right. Well, then, I'll see you." Faith averted her eyes and stared at the TV.
Cordelia and Buffy took the hint and turned to go.
Faith shook her head, having a second thought. "Uh, Buffy?"
Buffy faced her expectantly. "Yeah?"
Faith reconsidered again for a long moment and changed her mind again. "Nothing."
Buffy lowered her eyes, disappointed. Slowly, she turned back to the door and followed Cordelia out, closing the door behind her.
Faith looked around the living room and inhaled and exhaled deeply. She sat alone on the couch, staring out of the window for a moment, then back at the TV.
