CHAPTER 6
Faith breathed shallowly to minimize the pain from her ribs. The adrenaline high from the fight was wearing off, and it was becoming harder to ignore the pain . Just a couple more blocks, and she’d be home. Digging a hand into the front pocket of her jeans, the brunette fished for the keys to her apartment. The small motion was enough to send her reeling against the nearest building, panting for air. Fuck, this is bad. Shoulda gone to the hospital, she thought. But the Slayer was too close to her own bed to turn around now.
The brunette teen pushed herself mostly upright and continued her slow and pain-filled journey. Finally, she reached the doors to her building and carefully opened them. The elevator took forever to arrive, and Faith limped inside the carpeted car, propping her body against the mirrored wall for the ride. Despite her attempts to shake off the pain, the young girl was near tears as she unlocked the door to her apartment. Stepping into the small foyer, the Slayer dumped her keys and jacket on the chaise and headed straight for the bathroom.
“Faithy?”
Barely stifling a scream, the brunette spun to face the Mayor, who sat at the kitchen table in the dark. “Fuck, Boss. What are you doing here?”
Standing and flicking on the light over the table, he walked toward her. “Why, I was just concerned. After all, my Slayer didn’t report back with the status of the job I gave her.”
The shivers running over the brunette’s body had nothing to do with her damaged ribs. The Mayor’s voice, under its usual humorous delivery, held a note of warning the girl had never noticed before. “Uh, yeah. About that job, Boss. I had the heart, but…”
“You had the heart?” His voice was cold.
“Well, I was cutting it outta the demon when Angel showed up,” Faith hurried to explain. “I guess the Super Friends figured everything out, too. He caught me in the ribs after they’d been cracked by the demon, and I couldn’t hold him off.”
“This isn’t a free ride, young lady.” The slight man shook a finger at her. “You know, I’m beginning to think that someone’s getting a little spoiled. Maybe I should take all this away. Send you back to that little motel.”
The Slayer recoiled from the menace in the quiet tone. “I’m sorry.” She hesitated. He didn’t seem to be in a forgiving mood. “Sir,” she added. If Faith hadn’t been looking at him so intently, she might have missed the immediate change in his expression.
Suddenly, the Mayor smiled. “That’s my girl.” He made a stopping motion with his hand. “Now, I left cookies for you in the kitchen. Let’s get you cleaned up and we’ll have some cookies and milk before you go to bed.”
Cookies? What the hell? I’m not five. “Um, sure, Boss. Let me just clean up and take some pain meds. I’ll be right back.” Faith finished the trek to the spacious bathroom. Gritting her teeth, she reached into the mirrored cabinet and fished out a couple of pills. The label said to take two every four hours. Mentally shrugging, the Slayer grabbed two more. Her Slayer healing should be able to handle the double dose.
The brunette rejoined the Mayor in the kitchen. The older man flashed a quirky grin when she walked slowly in. “There you are! I was starting to think you’d climbed out the window.”
“Nah, Boss. I wouldn’t do that.” She lowered herself into a chair. “So, what kind of cookies ya got?” Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to play nice, she reached for the foil covered plate. “Hey, chocolate chip. Nice” She munched on a brick hard treat and watched the man seated across from her.
The Mayor twitched with restless energy. Fingers drumming on the table, he scanned the room continuously. “Everything OK, Boss? You seem kinda wired tonight.”
“What? Oh, no, Faithy, I’m just fine.” He glanced over at the Slayer, still crunching the cookie. “I forgot the milk! How could I do that?” He jumped out of the chair and rushed into kitchen. He returned with a large glass of milk, sitting it gently in front of the teen. “Here, it’ll help your teeth and bones stay strong.”
Resisting the impulse to roll her eyes, Faith dunked the last of the cookie in to the beverage before finishing it off. “So, uh, is it OK if I go on to bed? Think some sleep might help with the healing, you know?”
“Of course, Faith, of course.” The Mayor helped her to stand and kept his arm around her waist as she made her way to the bed. Once there, the Slayer dropped onto the bed fully clothed, eyes closing almost immediately in exhaustion. “Call me in the morning, Faith. We need to discuss your performance this last week. I’ve got another job for you – but I’m going to need some assurances it will get done. No more chances for you, young lady.”
Faith kept her eyes tightly closed, but sleep wasn’t so important anymore. “Gotcha, Boss. You want me to call or drop by the office? ‘Cause I’d be happy to come to City Hall if ya need me to.”
The older man lay a gentle hand on her head. “Why don’t you come to my office, then? Whenever you get up. Good night, Faith.” The Mayor stood and walked toward the door.
“Night, Boss,” Faith answered. As soon as the apartment door closed behind the departing Mayor, the Slayer’s eyes shot open. What the hell am I gonna do now? She thought.
***
Buffy woke and lay still for a moment, checking to make sure
the only thoughts in her head belonged there. Deciding no one else was invading
right now, she smiled and rolled out of bed. A quick
shower and a change of clothes saw the Slayer at the dining room table, trying
to study. Flicking in confusion through the assigned biology reading, the
blonde hoped she could catch
“Buffy?” The Slayer turned her head as her mother walked into the room. The older Summers looked stunned. “When were you going to tell me?”
The teen paused, trying to find an answer that wouldn’t land her in more trouble. Of course, it would help if I knew exactly what she was talking about. Deciding she’d stalled enough, she answered hesitantly, watching for a response to lead her in the right direction. “Alright, busted. I didn’t think you’d mind, Mom.” She looked back at the textbook, waiting.
Joyce laughed a little. “You were accepted to
“Mom?” Buffy really didn’t want to have this conversation. She hadn’t seen her mother this happy with her since before the move to Sunnydale. “I can’t go; you know that.”
The smile dimming somewhat, the older blonde looked at her daughter in confusion. “Why not? I mean, I know it’s not cheap, but if your father pitches in, we can afford it.”
Avoiding meeting the hazel eyes staring at her, Buffy stood up and walked into the kitchen. The short walk gave her a little time to come up with a way to explain the situation. On cue, Mrs. Summers entered the room seconds after the Slayer. “Buffy? Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong that wasn’t wrong last night, Mom.” She forced herself to look directly at the older woman. “I can’t go to Northwestern. I can’t go anywhere that isn’t here. I’m the Slayer. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t sign up for the job. I am the Slayer and I can’t just leave the Mouth of Hell unprotected.”
Silence fell over the Summers kitchen. “Honey,” Joyce began, but she stopped, frustration clear on her face. “Surely there’s a way for the Council to find someone else.” She brightened a bit. “What about Faith?”
“I don’t think she’s an option, Mom. I mean, even though I think she’s thinking about helping out again, the Council would never let her stay here.” Buffy shrugged. “If they don’t kill her, they’ll lock her up and try to rehabilitate her.” Seeing the disappointment staring back at her, the younger blonde sighed. “I’ll talk to Giles; maybe he can come up with a plan, alright?” Her mother nodded, and Buffy said, “I should go, then. I need to have Will’s help with the homework I didn’t get to last night and I’ll get with Giles about the college thing.”
“OK, honey. Try to have a nice day.” Joyce hugged her daughter before the girl left for the day.
***
Buffy wondered just how long one day could be. She had met
with
“Sounds like your mom’s in a state of denial,”
“More like a continent. She just has to realize I can’t go away.”
Working hard to cheer up the depressed blonde, the young
witch tried, “Well, maybe not now, but soon, maybe?” Receiving a fond but
reproving look,
“It’s OK, Will. I always knew college wasn’t really for me. I thought, just for a minute, that maybe I could, when Faith showed up. With her on the Dark Side, I’d say my chances just went from slim to none.” The Slayer shrugged and stood up from the bench. “I need to go check in with Giles. See you two at lunch?”
“You bet, Buffy,”
“How about you, Xan?” she called to the other Scooby.
“Oh, yeah. I’ll be there,” the brunette boy replied. “I’ll share some knowledge from my new manual on life.” He brandished a worn copy of Kerouac’s On the Road.
Trying to contain her laughter, Buffy shared a smile with
As soon as he saw her, he attached himself to her hip and began rattling off a stream of suggestions about finding information on the Mayor. Finally, in self defense, Buffy jumped into the conversation, “Wes, I want to leave.”
The stiffly pressed Englishman faltered. “Well, I, um, of course, Buffy. If you have class, then…”
“No, Wes, I mean college. I got accepted to Northwestern.”
Looking confused, the Watcher mumbled, “You’re a Slayer,” as if that were explanation enough.
“Yeah, but I’m also a person,” Buffy responded angrily. She tossed her backpack onto a table. “You can’t just define me by my Slayerness. That’s,” she searched for the right word, settling for, “that’s something-ism.”
“Buffy,” Giles interrupted quietly from his office door, “I know we’ve talked about you going away.”
The Slayer turned to him. “Giles, I got into Northwestern.” She watched him shift from slightly irritating Watcher to father figure. He had the same look on his face her mother had when she’d discovered the news.
“That’s wonderful news. Good for you.” He smiled and walked toward her.
“OK, people. Monsters? Demons? World in peril?” Wesley’s nasal voice shattered the moment. “You cannot leave Sunnydale.” He crossed his arms and laced his fingers over his heart, looking for all the world like a little kid about to lie. “By the power invested in my by the Council, I forbid it.”
The Slayer looked at Giles before rolling her eyes at the pompous Watcher. “Look, I know this is complicated. But what if I beat the Mayor?” She looked directly at her former Watcher. “What if I,” she emphasized her next words, hoping Giles would understand, “capture Faith? Then all you guys would have to do is keep the run of the mill demons at bay until I came home for vacation.”
Giles nodded slightly to show he caught Buffy’s real purpose. “Indeed. That might be a workable option. However, at the moment, we don’t know how to defeat the Mayor”
“I’ll find a way.” Both men looked up at her vehemence. “I’ll find a way,” she repeated. “I’m tired of waiting for Mayor McSleaze to make his move while we sit on our hands counting down to Ascension Day. Let’s take the fight to him.”
CHAPTER 7
“No,” Wesley immediately said. “Too reckless. We’re at a distinct disadvantage. We know absolutely nothing about the Ascension.”
Sounding thoughtful, but still supportive, Giles chimed in. “No, I think she may be right.”
“Really?” Buffy couldn’t believe he’d backed her up. He was usually so conservative.
Giles gave a little half smile before continuing. “I believe we need to go on the offensive. Perhaps,” he glanced at Buffy, “we should try a more direct approach in gathering information.”
The Slayer frowned. What is he trying to tell me? The blonde stared hard at her ex-Watcher.
The older man noticed her confusion. “I’m sure, if you were to keep a watch on City Hall, you might feel a little more proactive, my dear.”
“OK,” Buffy said, still not getting the point. Then, eyes widening, “Oh! Yeah, Giles. I get it. Good plan. I’ll grab Angel, and we’ll head over there tonight. We’ll find out what they’re up to.”
***
“So, Will, I never got to tell you about how the spell worked,” Buffy said.
The redhead looked up from her lunch, and grinned. “Did it work? I wanted to ask but then the whole Ascension research thing and the Aspect… So, how does Angel feel? You seem OK, so that must mean…”
Laughing at the babble, the Slayer cut in, “Breathe, Will.” When her friend had calmed a bit, she continued, “It worked. It really worked. When we were in the mansion, and I was all tied up and everything; I touched the charm and did the chant.”
“Didn’t they notice?” the young witch wanted to know.
“They might have, but they were too busy making out,” Buffy mumbled.
It was obvious
The Slayer shrugged. “I was freaking out. Faith was going all out, and Angel wasn’t fighting her off.”
“So you used the spell to see if he really wanted Faith,” the redhead stated.
“Yeah.” The Slayer drifted off into private thoughts for a moment. After a long silence, she looked up to see Resolve Face staring back at her. “Oops! Sorry, Will. Can you back off on the command presence just a little?” She relaxed slightly as the young witch smiled a bit. “Anyway, watching the floor show made me think it was time to do the spell. I really needed to know it was just a show and not Angel responding to Faith.
“After I incanted the spell, it was weird. I felt like I was in two different places at the same time. You told me I would sense his emotions like an echo, really faint and far away. But it was like we were in the same body.”
Tilting her head, Buffy asked, “But it’s OK, right? It wasn’t like the Aspect. I only felt his emotions. Come to think of it, I think I felt Faith’s emotions, too, when I was in her apartment.”
“Whoa! Buffy, that shouldn’t have happened.”
“Will, I’d feel a lot better if you’d stop saying that.” The blonde was more than a little freaked by the young witch’s response. “Can we check to see if the spell worked right?”
Nodding slowly,
“Will! You didn’t tell me that.”
“I know. I know.” The redhead bounced in her chair, obviously upset. “I had to help. The spell isn’t dangerous or anything. It’s just some of the other stuff in the book that Giles is afraid I’ll see.”
Taking a deep breath, Buffy commented, “Alright. Can you check to see if there’s some kind of side effect of something? ‘Cause feeling Angel’s emotions is OK, but Faith’s? Not so good.”
“Sure, Buffy. I’ll look, I promise.” The redhead met the Slayer’s eyes. “So, since I can’t do anything about this until later, you wanna tell me what you felt from your boyfriend?”
Laughing, the blonde pelted her best friend with French
fries. “
“Maybe, but I still want to know. So, spill, besty friend. I want all the juicy details.”
Sitting back in her chair, Buffy thought back to the night
in the Manor. “Well, after I whispered the spell, I got really hot. Not ‘I’m
touching Angel’ hot.” The blonde smiled at
“So, not even a tiny hint of desire for her? I mean, she is
kinda sexy in a slutty sorta
way,”
“No,” the Slayer replied. “They came back over to me a few minutes later. And I could tell he was nervous. I mean, I was strapped down and there was a table full of sharp and pointy things waiting to be used. I was nervous, too. But,” the blonde smiled through a bright blush, “he definitely liked what he saw.”
“Wow. So are you going to tell him about the spell tonight?”
Buffy hesitated. “I probably should.”
Looking thoughtful, the witch said, “You know, Angel’s been around a long time. If you tell him about sensing Faith’s emotions, too, he might know what happened.”
***
Faith lay in bed considering all her options until exhaustion dragged her into sleep. Thanks to Slayer healing, the turmoil in her mind didn’t affect her slumber. Waking hours later, the brunette pulled herself into a sitting position. The Mayor’s disappointment in her performance cut deeply. Whatever else he might be, Richard Wilkins III cared for her. He was her family. The Slayer knew she had to stop questioning her loyalties. It was time to choose a side and hold to that choice.
Getting out of bed wasn’t as painful as she’d expected. The ribs ached, but the sharp stabbing pain had gone. Purple bruising now just looked yellowed. She rushed through a shower, grabbed some clothes, and headed for City Hall.
The Slayer burst into Sunnydale’s administrative hub, sparing only a glance for the woman behind the security desk. Human, this one. The Mayor still maintained the façade of normalcy during daylight hours. Striding quickly down the twisting hallways, Faith kept her mind focused on what she had to do. It was time to prove her commitment to the cause. A quick knock prefaced her entrance into the Mayor’s office.
“Afternoon, Boss,” she greeted the man behind the large desk.
His entire face lit up as he smiled. “Faith!” He stood and came around the desk. Stopping short of hugging her, he examined her closely. “You look much better than last night. Are your ribs better? I could always get a doctor down here to make sure.”
The Slayer smiled, a real smile, not her usual smirk. “No, I’m good.” She let the slight man lead her to the chair sitting opposite his own.
“Now, I think it’s time we had a little talk about your future with the City.” He sat down and placed his elbows on the desk. Watching her reacting intently, he continued, “I’m sure you’re aware that your performance has been, shall we say, less than expected.”
Faith started to interrupt, but the Mayor leveled a cold glare in her direction. “Now, Faith, I think it’s time to prove you’re worth the salary and benefits you’ve been receiving. Your continued employment depends on how well these little errands are carried out.”
The Slayer knew, with absolute certainty, the older man didn’t mean the tasks would keep her on the city payroll. Failure this time meant her death. “Whatever you need, Boss, I’m your girl.”
That quirky smile returned to the older man’s face. “I just knew you’d see it my way. Now, first, I need you to run out to the airport and take care of some business for me.”
Surprised at the simplicity of the request, Faith smiled, “No problem. What kinda business we talkin’ about?”
“There’s a package arriving tonight from
“You know it, Boss.” The Slayer stood up.
***
From her vantage point on top of the hangar, Faith watched the small plane taxi up to the limousine on the edge of the runway. She’d had the limo’s driver drop her off before they’d entered the private airstrip. Now, adrenaline surging, she tested the pull of the bow in her hands. A soft whir resulted as the pulley assembly turned on the modern weapon. Satisfied, the Slayer moved forward slightly, leaning against the waist-high concrete wall. She pulled an arrow from the quiver at her side and waited for the right moment.
The plane stopped, and a greasy demon climbed out. He held a large metal box in his hands; Faith caught the glint of a handcuff on one wrist with her Slayer-enhanced eyesight. Moving quickly, the courier approached the vampire leaning against the limousine on the tarmac. Straightening to attention, the brunette knocked the arrow, feathered shaft and bowstring resting lightly on her right cheek. She tracked the demon carefully and listened to the conversation going on below.
The vampire pushed away from the car and picked up a briefcase. “He in there?” the courier asked as the vampire opened the nearest door on the long car.
“No, I’ll take you to him.”
The box-carrying demon reacted badly to the news. Kicking the car door with his left foot to close it, he hissed, “The Mayor was supposed to be here in person to deliver the money.”
This is it, Faith thought from her post above the interaction. Checking her aim, she concentrated on dropping her fingers from the bowstring smoothly.
The demon had paused for effect. “Well, the price just went up. I don’t like surprised.”
Well, how about this surprise, pal? Faith grinned at the look of confusion on the tattooed face of the delivery man. He stared down at the shaft poking from his chest before crumpling to the ground. Loosening the string, the Slayer slung the bow across her body, picked up the quiver, and jumped off the roof to the tarmac.
The vampire hadn’t recovered from his own surprise – the arrow had flown inches from his head on its way to the eventual target. His yellow eyes glared at the cocky brunette strutting his way. “You almost killed me,” he growled.
“Yeah, so? One less vamp in the world,” the Slayer mocked. “Get the keys to the cuffs.”
Roughly searching the dead demon’s pockets, the vampire looked for the requested item. “Nothing,” he said, after several minutes.
Sighing impatiently, Faith reached for the knife sheathed under her jacket. The vampire smirked at the blade. “That won’t cut through steel.”
“No,” the Slayer agreed. She let her lips lift in a cold smile. “But it will cut through bone.”
CHAPTER 8
Faith picked up the box; the demon’s hand was still attached to the cuff dangling from the side. “Let’s go,” she snapped at the stunned vampire. When he just stared at her, unmoving, she asked “What? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen blood before?”
The Slayer stalked to the limousine and shoved her package across the long back seat. Flicking an impatient glance at the driver, she climbed in and shut the door. The driver followed suit and they were soon underway. During the trip back to City Hall, Faith examined the outside of the box next to her. Although it appeared to be made of metal, it had a strange grained texture. Casually leaning back in the seat, the Slayer raised the privacy screen, shutting out the vampire’s view.
Heart pounding, the brunette slowly opened the latch and raised the lid. Frowning, she leaned closer. The box was empty. I come all the way out here, toast a demon, and for what? Some freakin’ empty box! Irritated and confused, Faith almost missed the scratching sounds emanating from the container. Peering in again, her eyes widened and she slammed the lid. Even her enhanced reflexes were barely enough. The material of the lid chopped off the tips of the legs crawling out of the box.
With a shaking hand, the teen latched the box and brushed off the grisly remains of the limbs. What the hell was that thing? She was pretty sure the creature had been a spider. But the Slayer had no idea why the Mayor would need a box full of them for his Ascension. Stuffing her unease deep down inside, she lowered the privacy screen. “We almost there?” she demanded.
“Yeah. Should be there is under ten. Why? You got a hot date?” the vampire sneered.
Meeting its yellow eyes in the rearview mirror, Faith licked her lips. “What if I do? Demon killing always makes me hot.” If the demon had still been alive, the brunette knew he would have flushed and stammered. Instead, the vampire bared its fangs and growled. Closing her eyes and feigning boredom, the Slayer endured the remainder of the ride.
When the car finally stopped at the curb in front of City Hall, Faith waited until the driver opened her door. Climbing out of the vehicle, box held protectively against her chest, she glanced up and down the street. Something tickled…B. B was there, watching. The younger girl almost smiled. So, the Scoobies were still in the hunt. Ignoring her screaming senses, the Dark Slayer kept her face expressionless and walked up the stairs.
Now that it was after hours, vampires provided security at the front desk. Nodding to the pair lounging at the receptionist desk, Faith strode quickly down the hall. Unlike earlier, she didn’t knock. Ramming the closed door with a booted foot, the Slayer stormed into the Mayoral office, box held aloft like the spoils of war.
“Hey ho! There it is!” The Mayor jumped from his seated position on his desk and moved to the box Faith had dropped onto the very end of the gleaming surface. His beaming smile dimmed a little as he fished an envelope out of his coat pocket. “Um, where’s the courier?” he asked. “I was supposed to pay him.”
Faith smirked. Plucking the envelope from the Mayor’s hand, she replied, “I made him an offer he couldn’t survive.” For just a moment, the Slayer feared she had gone too far. Then the older man gave a bark of laughter.
“You are one heck of a girl, you know that?”
The brunette tried to look flattered. His rapidly changing moods threw her off balance and made her nervous. He either didn’t notice her unease, or she’d managed to keep it hidden.
“I mean the initiative, the skill,” he went on. Faith knew she should say something, but her mind was frozen.
Trying to fit back into her usual persona, she waved a hand. “Go on,” she urged. She stood and moved to the chair in front of the desk. Leaning back, she propped her feet on the desk.
The Mayor had continued gushing praise during her change in location, but he stopped the second the shoe leather touch wood surface. “Hey, hey, hey,” he chanted, looking at her expectantly.
Pulling her feet down and gesturing an apology, the Slayer focused back in on the Mayor’s words. “If Buffy Summers walked in here and said she wanted to switch to our side, I’d say, no thanks, sister, I got all the Slayer one man could ever need.”
Faith stiffened. If Buffy ever said that, she’d be lying. No one would believe she’d ever work for you. Me, everybody expected me to be here. The brunette sighed at the painful thought.
The Mayor noticed her changing mood. “What?” he questioned.
Straightening a little and banishing the thoughts about the blonde Slayer, Faith brushed off the question. “Nothing. Just thinking there was no way B’d ever say anything like that.”
“You never know, it might happen,” her Boss tried. Seeing her skeptical glance, he queried, “Are you still upset about that whole Angel-Buffy thing?” He shook his head. “She can have him. You deserve far better than that poor excuse for a creature of the night.”
Wanting to get the Mayor off the subject of Buffy, Faith pushed for a reaction. While the older man talked, she moved to the box and began to undo the latch. Her movements were slow – she had no desire to release the creepy things inside. The Mayor didn’t know that, and his reaction was swift and over the top. Diving across the desk, he laid his upper body across the lid. “Don’t do that,” he ordered.
***
Buffy hesitated outside the Mansion. She hadn’t seen much of Angel since the night they’d tricked Faith. Still, he must be OK with things; he had helped cure her of the Aspect. The blonde squared her shoulders and knocked lightly on the frame of the French doors leading to the courtyard. “Angel?” she called.
Footfalls sounded inside. “Oh, hi, Buffy.” He examined her closely. “Everything alright?”
“Um, yeah.” The Slayer was nervous. “Giles and I came up with this plan. I need your help,” she blurted out.
The centuries old vampire looked confused by her strange behavior. “Sure. Come in for a few minutes. I need to change if we’re going out.” He returned inside, and Buffy trailed along in his wake. “So, what’s the plan?”
The blonde teen shook off her hesitancy. “We’re going to do a little information gathering. Giles thought we might be able to find something at City Hall.” She paused. “Maybe Faith will give us something we can use to defeat the Mayor.”
Her words stunned the demon. “Really? I would have thought you’d given up on that. She wasn’t in a very helpful mood the other night, and, after she discovered we’d tricked her, I wouldn’t expect she’d want to help.”
“Yeah. That’s true.” God, can this conversation get any more stupid? Buffy changed the subject. “Thanks for helping with the demon last night. Thought sensing means much badness.”
Angel reemerged from the sleeping alcove dressed all in black. Poetic, the Slayer thought, but it makes his lack of color all too noticeable. He’d look better in lighter colors. “Sure, Buffy.” The tall vampire smiled. “I couldn’t let you keep reading everyone’s mind. You might have decided to kill Xander for all the thoughts he has about you.”
The blonde laughed. “Yeah. That’s the truth.” An uncomfortable silence stretched between the couple. “So, you ready to rock and roll? Cause I’m thinking information on the Ascension is of the good.”
“I’m ready.” He looked at her intently. “Are you sure everything is OK?” he asked as they walked outside.
The blonde girl forced a tinkling laugh. “I’m fine.”
***
Thirty minutes later, the two crouched behind the shrubs in front of City Hall. Nothing was happening. Buffy concentrated, searching for Faith. She got a faint echo of unease and adrenaline. Wherever her sister Slayer was, she wasn’t inside the city building. “Well, this is a whole lot of boring,” she whined. Sitting down on the damp grass, she rested against the vampire.
“What did you expect, Buffy? A big sign saying ‘Ascension Halting Plans Here?’”
“Hey! That’s not nice.” This was so not going the way she’d imagined. The Slayer concentrated on her boyfriend, trying to find out what he was feeling. Nothing happened.
“Um, Angel?” she said slowly, a sick feeling in her stomach.
“Yes?” The vampire pushed her away a little so he could look in her face.
“I couldn’t sense your thoughts last night. Um, I kinda missed the 411 on that.” She took a deep breath. “Since we have some time to kill, could you bring me up to date?” Please, please don’t let him say he’s immune to empathy, too.
“Sure, Buffy. I’m surprised
“Um, OK,” she replied without thinking.
Laughing, Angel jostled the small blonde. “Buffy, when a person dies, the soul departs. Once the soul is gone, there isn’t anything for a telepath to read.”
“But, you have a soul. And, does that mean no once can read your thoughts or your emotions?” The Slayer was cold, thinking about the implications.
“Well, I do have a soul. But that happened because of a curse. And, even with the soul, I’m still dead.” He shrugged, unable to clearly explain the phenomena. “I guess it’s like the mirror. The thoughts and emotions are there, they just don’t create a reflection to be read.
“Oh,” the blonde mumbled. I so need to talk to Will. If I wasn’t feeling Angel in the Mansion, I had to be feeling Faith. Oh my God, Faith is attracted to me!
As she struggled with that concept, she felt the girl in question. The other Slayer was seriously freaked about something, and the emotions were stronger than before. She must be heading towards them. “Angel,” Buffy said, “Faith’s coming.”
“What? How can you be sure?” He crept to the bushes and peered out. Not seeing anything, he turned back to his blonde companion. “Buffy, what’s going on with you? You’ve been acting really strange all night. Are you sure that the Heart got rid of the Aspect?”
Buffy nodded. “Oh, yeah. It’s gone. No more creepy thoughts of Mom and my Watcher doing the nasty on a police car.” She shuddered. Hearing those thoughts probably left scars in her mind.
“Joyce and Giles?” Angel chuckled. He started to say something more when the sound of a car sent the both scrambling back to their vantage point.
A long black limo pulled up to the curb and a vampire in full 70s regalia hopped out. Glancing around, he walked to the back door and opened it for the passenger. Buffy was unsurprised to see Faith climb out of the car. The other Slayer held a large box against her chest and looked around her intently. Brown eyes paused fractionally as they wandered over the blonde Slayer’s location. Buffy felt the younger girl’s amusement and – happiness? – that she was there.
Faith didn’t say anything to the limo driver. Clutching the box, she went inside. The vampire climbed into the car and Slayer and vampire watched him pull farther up the block and park.
“So, Angel, I wonder what’s in the box?” Buffy asked.
CHAPTER 9
Buffy read from the large book in front of her. “The Box of Gavrok. It houses some great demonic energy or
something which His Honor needs to chow down on come A Day.” She glanced up as
“Perhaps,” Giles answered. He glared at Wesley until the pompous young man cleared the books from the table. “These are maps of City Hall.”
“Yeah,”
Smiling at her friend, Buffy pointed to a small room on the map. “The Box is being kept under guard in a small conference room on the top floor. Unfortunately, that’s all the information I could get out of my informant before his aggressive tendencies forced me to introduce him to Mr. Pointy.”
Straightening his tie and clearing his throat, Wesley said, “Well, now, here’s what I…”
Interrupting the other man, Giles commented, “Perhaps you could enter through the skylight?” When Buffy nodded, he continued, “Take Angel with you, my dear.”
Xander quietly joined in the planning. “There’s a fire ladder over here, on this side of the building.”
“Alright, then,” Buffy declared. “Let’s get the Box and we can all graduate without worrying about an Apocalypse.”
“Well, I’m not sure just gaining possession of the Box will be enough,” Giles cautioned.
“Yeah,”
“Now, hang on,” Wesley interjected. “We don’t know what such a ritual would require.”
Giles smirked, taking a great deal of pleasure in over-ruling his replacement. “I think the Breath of the Entropics is standard for this sort of thing.” He looked up from his book, and handed it to Xander. “Fairly simple recipe.”
“I know,” the young man responded with a sigh. “I’m ingredient getting guy.” He headed for the exit.
“Hold it! Stop!” Wesley raced toward Xander, jumping in front of the boy. “I demand everyone stop this instant. I’m in charge here, and I say this is all moving much too fast. We need time to fully analyze the situation and devise a proper stratagem.”
“Wes,” Buffy commented, “hop on the train or get off the tracks.”
The Englishman stared at her in astonishment. However, he pulled himself together. “The Mayor will most assuredly have supernatural safeguards protecting the Box.”
Xander, path still blocked by the Watcher, said, “You know, Buff, he’s got a point.”
“Wow. OK, Wes. We’ll get it covered.” The Slayer looked over
her shoulder at
The perky redhead smiled. “Hey, I eat danger for breakfast.”
“Yet, oddly enough, she panics in the face of breakfast foods,” Xander taunted before finally leaving the library.
“Let’s get to work, then,” Buffy ordered. The Scoobies filed out, leaving Wesley standing alone, clutching the maps of City Hall.
***
Faith stared at the Mayor in shock. “What the hell, Boss?”
“Now, Faith, I apologize if I startled you.” He stood up and straightened his jacket. “But I really don’t think it’s a good idea to open that just now. It needs to wait until my Ascension.”
“Sure, whatever you say.” The Slayer backed off and sat down. She’d never really been curious about the whole Ascension deal, but those spiders and the Mayor’s weird behavior had her wondering. “Hey, ya’ know how you’re always trying to get me to read and everything?”
“Yes? Found some books you want me to get you?” The Mayor smiled indulgently.
“Nah. Don’t spend any money ‘til I know if I’m gonna like it. I was just thinking you could recommend one of them books you got in here.” Sweat ran down her back, and Faith hoped she could pull this off. “That way, I get to learn more about what’s going on with you and maybe pick up some stuff to help with the Slaying.”
Faith rubbed sweating hands on the legs of her pants, grimacing at the way the moisture slicked the leather. All the intrigue of the past few days was making her edgy. Her right leg bounced up and down and her fingers drummed on the armrest.
“Ah, this one is perfect,” the Mayor announced. “Here, Faith, you’ll love this one.”
Gently taking the old book from the Mayor, the brunette glanced at the cover. In spidery print, she read, Demonology: A Treatise of Magickal Creatures. “Thanks, Boss. Maybe I can learn something about the local demon population. Could come in handy.”
“I’m so proud of you, Faith.” The Slayer froze, an unknown feeling expanding inside her. No one had ever told her that. “It takes guts to try improving yourself.” Closing the paneled wall, he crossed the room, sitting behind his desk. “Now, Faith, let’s talk a little bit more about the next job I’ve got lined up for you.”
***
Buffy glanced across the storage room at her best friend.
At first, the young witch didn’t hear her.
Buffy tried again. “Um, Will? Can we maybe talk about that empathy spell?”
Hands full of tiny bottles, the redhead turned to the blonde. “Sure, but I haven’t been able to do any more research, you know.”
“That’s OK. I kinda did some of my own.”
“Oh! You talked to Angel. What did he say?”
Buffy twitched at that. Gee, Will, nothing good for my nerves. “I didn’t really come out and ask him about the spell. It just sort of came up.”
Something in the Slayer’s voice told the witch this was big news. She stopped fussing with the supplies and dragged the shorter girl over to a couple of boxes. “OK, Buffy. That sounded way serious. So spill.” Sensing some resistance, she frowned. “Better tell me now, Buff. Otherwise I’ll have to use Resolve Face on you.”
The blonde laughed at the threat. Holding her hands up in surrender, Buffy said, “OK, Will, you win. Keep the Resolve Face under control.” Dropping her hands and getting serious, she continued, “I basically asked Angel to explain why I couldn’t sense his thoughts last night. I got way more information than I wanted.”
She looked at
“How, exactly, did it work?” the young witch asked fearfully.
“According to Angel, vampires are immune to telepaths and empaths. Something to do with the soul departing after death.” When her friend started to ask a question, Buffy shrugged and said, “Don’t ask for more. I didn’t really understand everything. There was a mirror and then something about no reflection…Anyway, the spell let me feel emotions; I just wasn’t feeling Angel’s.”
Eyes wide, Willow whispered, “Buffy, the only other person in the room was Faith.”
“Yep.”
“Oh, my God, Buffy! You said…I mean, Faith was…” the witch blushed fiery red.
Her own face flushed pink at the memory of the other Slayer’s desire during their night at the Mansion. “Exactly, Will. I’m feeling Faith’s emotions, and she’s got more than just a crush on me.”
***
“Got another demon for me to kill, Boss? Cause I gotta say, this last one was a breeze,” Faith admitted.
The smile twisting the older man’s face sent chills through the Slayer. “No, Faith. I think it’s time you stopped decimating the ranks of my future servants. I need you to take care of a human hindrance this time.”
If the words hadn’t sucked the energy from her limbs, Faith would have bolted. That wasn’t an option, though. Heart pounding and bile dancing in her stomach, the Slayer put all of her skills to use keeping her face expressionless. “Somebody giving your grief, Boss?” Her voice came out almost normal, just a little quiver betrayed her unease.
Hazel eyes watched her reaction closely. “What’s the matter? Long forgotten morality rearing its head?”
Dragging in a slow, deep breath, the brunette fought to remain calm. “Hey, it’s all good.” Loosening her death grip on the armrests, she leaned forward a little. “Let me know the when and the where. I’ll make sure you got no problems left.”
Slowly, the Mayor’s smile grew more relaxed. “You know, Faith, when you first came to work for me, all the vampires told me it was just a ruse. They said you wanted to spy and you’d take my secrets back to your little friends.” He leaned back in his chair. “I think you just proved them wrong.”
“If you’re questioning my loyalty, Boss,” the brunette bluffed, “tell me who I gotta kill and I’ll take care of it tonight. Can’t stand the thought of you doubting me.”
“Oh, it can wait a day or two. There’s a professor at the University who may just have found a way to defeat me, even after the Ascension.”
CHAPTER 10
“Sure, Boss. Whenever you need the job done, you let me know.” Faith smirked. “So what kinda info can some old guy at the school know? I mean, B told me yesterday Wes and Giles don’t have anything on the Ascension.”
“They don’t?” The Mayor smiled in pleasure. “I bet that’s really getting to them. After all, my Ascension is just around the corner.”
Shrugging, Faith said, “I hate to be giving you bad news, but Wes isn’t the finest example of a Watcher on the planet.” She sat up, “What’s next?”
“I think we need to move my box to a more secure location,” the older man replied. “Why don’t you take it upstairs to that unused conference room?” He reached into his desk and pulled out a sealed bottle. “Once you have it in place, pour this in a circle around the box.”
“Whatever.” The Slayer stood up and grabbed the box. “I’ll take my new book and read while I keep it safe.”
Her words drew a fond laugh from the Mayor. “Faith, there’s no call for you to be up so late. That’s what all those vampires are for. Just have a couple of them guard the door. Why don’t you head home and get some rest? It’s been a busy few days for you.”
“OK, Boss. I’ll be on my way just as soon as this thing’s upstairs.” She left the office and strolled back to the main entrance.
“Hey, the Mayor needs a couple of your boys for guard duty,” she announced to the skinny vampire behind the desk. The Slayer showed him the box. “Super important ingredients for the Ascension.”
Glaring at her with yellow eyes, the demon didn’t answer at first. “Just two?” it finally asked.
“Yeah, that’s what he said. I’m taking this upstairs to the conference room.”
The demon grunted. “I’ll send a couple of the guys up in a few minutes, then. Think you can handle it all by yourself for that long?”
Giving the arrogant vampire her best come hither look. “Oh, I think I’ll be OK. But, make sure I’m not alone too long. You never know what kind of bad things I could get up to.” Laughing at the vamp’s stunned look, she sauntered to the stairs. It was a long climb, and Faith used the time to rework her plan. No way was she killing another human. Once, even if it had been an accident, was too much. The Rogue Slayer knew she couldn’t risk leaving, though, until she had more information on the Ascension.
Exiting the stairwell, she crossed the hallway and opened the conference room. This was the only entrance. She dropped the box on the gleaming table, poured the pale green powder around it, and turned to leave. Fuck, the door ain’t the only way in. Faith looked up. There was a skylight in the ceiling. Remembering Buffy hiding in the bushes outside the building, the Slayer hoped the blonde had called in reinforcements. Short of knocking out the two vampire guards, and giving away her own plans, Faith had only one way to help the other Slayer. On her way out, she locked the door from the inside.
***
Buffy hopped out of Wesley’s SUV and waited impatiently for
Angel and
The Slayer barely held back her snort of laughter. Right, Giles. Like either one of you will notice something’s wrong. You’ll be too busy sipping tea and sharing stories of boarding school.
“Gotcha, Giles. Let’s go, guys.” She trotted toward the
emergency ladder. Angel used his greater height to pull it down to street
level.
Angel opened one of the glass panels and Buffy dragged a heavy magic book from Will’s bag and handed it to the witch. She opened, and then held onto, a large decanter of powder.
“Thanks,” the redhead mumbled, focused on the task at hand. Flipping
through the book, the witch frowned in concentration. Holding the book in front
of her, she took the glass container and began pouring the powder through the
skylight onto the box. As the crystals fell, she chanted in Latin. Where the
powder touched the box, blue and green lights flashed. The box appeared to be surrounded
by a bubble. Finally,
“Four stars, Will,” Buffy agreed. “Now,” she handed the bag back to her friend, “get gone.” The redhead nodded and ran back to the ladder. Angel strapped the harness around the Slayer’s waist and she clambered over the window ledge. The slow trip down was harrowing. The pulley apparatus squeaked every time she dropped lower, and Angel’s grunts of effort weren’t exactly good for her nerves. A few feet from the box, the blonde inverted herself and reached for her prize. As soon she lifted it from the table, an alarm sounded.
“Damn. Angel, it’s time to go!” she shouted.
“The pulley’s jammed,” he called back, yanking impotently on the cable.
Seconds passed as Slayer and box dangled in mid-air. Buffy could hear guards trying to get into the room, but for some reason the door had been locked from the inside. They pounded and kicked at the heavy wooden door, but hadn’t yet gotten in.
The blonde glanced up at Angel. Things didn’t look too promising on the roof. The vampire must have had the same realization. He gave up on the equipment and leaped through the skylight, landing beside the Slayer just as the conference room door burst open. Two vampires in game face charged in. Since Buffy was still trapped in the harness, Angel grabbed the box and swung it at the guards. The Slayer used the extra time to unwrap the waist belt. Jumping from the table, she joined the fight. The two vampires were good, not the run of the mill kind the Slayer usually faced.
The fight destroyed a good portion of the furniture in the
room before they were able to pin the guards to the floor with the heavy
conference table. Sprinting from the room with the box clutched tightly to her
chest, Buffy smiled. Things might not have gone according to plan, but they had
the box. Once
***
Faith hadn’t left for her apartment after securing the box. Instead, she’d found an empty office and sat down to read. It wasn’t a normal occupation for the self-styled Action Girl, but she desperately wanted to know more about the Ascension. Paging through the old, yellowed pages, the Slayer found little to help her. While it was interesting to learn that Polgara demons discharged wooden spikes from their hands, there was nothing that screamed “read me” to the bored teen. Deciding to call it a night, she stood. Leaving the office, she trudged wearily to a seldom used emergency exit. Stepping outside, she paused to take a breath of fresh air.
Behind her, an alarm sounded. The box! B must have found a
way in. She glanced around. None of the Mayor’s vampire guards were in the
area. Smiling, Faith started to simply walk away. A noise from above, though,
caught her attention. Closing her eyes in disbelief, the Rogue Slayer watched
Stepping into the shadows, she waited until the older girl was back on the ground before saying hoarsely, “Hey, Red. Nice night for stargazing. How was the view up there?”
She expected a shriek or the trademark babble. She wasn’t
expecting
“Fuck,
She grabbed the witch roughly, pressing the knife against her throat just as the vampire ran around the corner. “I’ve got this one. Take a look for the others. They were on the roof,” the Slayer called out. In a softer voice, she explained to her captive. “I’ve got to take you to the Boss. Too many eyes here. Stay cool.”
Dragging a reluctant
“Hey, Boss,” she said huskily from the door. “The Scoobies
may have your box, but looky what we got.” She swung
***
Buffy faced Giles and the gang. “How did you…how did this happen?” she demanded.
“We thought she stayed with you,” Giles answered. He looked old, worn. The box sat unexamined on the library table. No one even glanced at it. They were too focused on their missing friend.
“They must have found her when she hit the ground,” Angel said quietly. “I’m sorry, Buffy.”
“Sorry won’t get Will back.” She started pacing. “We have to go back for her.”
“Buffy, I don’t think that’s prudent. The Mayor will surely expect us to come for her,” Giles pointed out.
“I don’t care,” the Slayer exclaimed. “Giles, it’s
“You’re all missing the point.” Wesley straightened his tie. “There is far more at stake than one girl’s life.” He held up a narrow hand to stop the protest. “We must destroy the box.”
“No.” Buffy was adamant. “The box is our bargaining chip. They won’t kill Will as long as we have it.”
Wesley’s nasal voice rang through the room. “You’re assuming they haven’t already.”
A shocked silence descended on the room. “I need a volunteer to hit Wesley,” Xander said.
“Giles, you know I’m right about this,” the young Watcher stated.
Angrily, Buffy took a step forward. “Wes, you want to duck and cover?”
The impeccably dressed man spun to face the Slayer. “Damn it. This box is the key to the Mayor’s Ascension. Thousands of lives depend on our destroying it.”
It was a point Buffy badly wanted to argue. But her conscience nagged at her. No matter how much she disliked the other man, he was right. Dropping her head, she turned away. Oz sat quietly in a chair, face expressionless. “Oz, I swear, no one’s going to hurt her.”
The young werewolf merely nodded.
In a voice barely above a whisper, the Slayer instructed. “Destroy the damned box. I’m going back to City Hall.” She looked at Giles. “If I don’t make it back, Faith is the new Slayer. You know what to do.”
Lips pressed tightly together, the ex-Watcher nodded. “Indeed, my dear. Be careful.”
No one noticed Oz get up during the tense exchange, but everyone looked at him in horror when the urn for the spell shattered against the wall.
“OK. New game plan,” Buffy said into the silence. “We make a
trade; the box for