Adult-FanFiction.org : Buffy

Wishing Changes Everything	By : Declan Category: -Buffy the Vampire Slayer > FemmeSlash - Female/Female > Buffy/Faith Views: 9748 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy The Vampire Slayer Television Series. Joss Whedon does. This is done for simple fun, I'm not making any money from this.

Chapter List
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Bad Girls: Part 5 (The Way It Is)

Oz pulled the van to a stop across the street from the town hall; the building looked deceptively quiet at this time of night, only a few dim lights in the foyer giving any indication that there might be people inside.
Wesley turned and looked into the back of the van at the others. “Now, if we can all synchronise watches.” He hissed dramatically, “I have just after...”
Buffy raised her eyebrows and Faith smirked as they both lifted up empty wrists. Willow looked sheepish as she did the same.
Wesley sighed. “Yes, Typical.”
“Well, we’ll all just have to count, huh guys?” Xander spoke up from the back, “One-Mississippi-one, One-Mississippi -two...”
Impatiently Faith opened the side-door and stepped out onto the street. Cordelia, eager to be free of the cramp confines, quickly followed. “I still don’t see why we couldn’t have stopped off for some throw-pillows along the way. Damn lumpy amp.”
“Let’s all try to be a little more cautious and circumspect shall we.” Giles warned as he got out of the passenger side, “Now, Oz, do stay with the van and keep an ear out for any...” He gestured to the walkie-talkie on the dashboard.
“Got it.” Oz nodded simply, appearing the soul of calm next to Wesley’s fussy nervousness, though Buffy noticed he did give an uneasy glance back at Willow as she followed Xander out of the van.
So did Faith. She leaned over and patted his arm through the open window. “Hey, relax, man. B, Angel and me are gonna be in the danger zone. There not even gonna know Will’s doin’ her little spell.”
Out on the street Xander and Cordelia, both dressed in more commando-y outfits, which for Cordelia only meant slightly less designer clothes, stepped to either side of Willow, holding a couple of bags of ingredients for her approval. Giles held onto the backpack containing the book the disruption spell was in; his mind still seemed to be somewhere else though.
Buffy took him to one side. “Giles, is everything okay? You’re kind of...spacey tonight.”
“Oh, ah, well. It just feels that we’re rather being overtaken by events, that’s all. No matter.” Giles frowned before looking at her, “But afterwards, everything being well, if you could come back to the library...I-I have some things I’d like to share with you.”
Buffy looked at him, her concern obvious. “What’s with the cryptic, you’re starting to worry me.”
Giles made a placating gesture. “Please Buffy, don’t take it amiss. It’s just some, ah, information I acquired this afternoon, specific knowledge with which we’ll finally be able to act.”
Buffy nodded in understanding. “Act? Well that’s good, with the acting. To act is to do things... and means it can be made better, right?”
Giles gave a tight smile. “Quite. Anyway...”
Buffy turned to the group to see Xander leaning in close to Faith. “Thanks for the courage.”
Faith smirked at him. “No prob, Xand. Anythin’ to help ya keep that bounce in your step.”
Xander gave a smile that was half pleased and half embarrassed, before an annoyed Cordelia pulled him away.
Buffy turned to them. “Okay gang, just so we’re clear, when we bring the noise, get up onto the roof. Angel will cut the power to take out the alarms, but any mystical ones you’ll have to deal with yourselves when you see them.” Buffy held up her walkie-talkie, “When I give the signal cast your disruption spell and then we’ll go in after the Mayor.”She paused and remembered, “Oh, and if you see a cute little backpack up there, it’s mine. It’s a present from Faith so if you could bring it back with, I’d appreciate it.”
“Break and Enter. Magic, magic. Steal. Get out. For the last time, we got it.” Xander said, “Now stop mooching around and go and kill something.”
Buffy and Faith left them to skirt around the town hall. As they moved to the left side of the building Buffy watched as her friends disappeared into the thick shadows opposite with a slight sense of unease. Hopefully her friends wouldn’t see too much action tonight. But all this was a chance they couldn’t pass up, taking it to the Mayor, getting at him before his Ascension had even begun.
Then, big relaxing for the rest of the year, except for those creepy telepathic demons and the devil dogs at Prom.
As the two slayers made there way to the low wall near the sidewalk Faith shook her head in mock disappointment. “Can’t believe you lost my present like that, B. Little careless if ya ask me.”
Buffy pouted. “For your information I was battling the forces of darkness...and had to leave it behind when I, uh, strategically withdrew...out a window.”
“Shoulda taken me along with.” Faith commented but held up her hand before Buffy could reply. “Here comes our boy.”Faith gestured to Angel as he moved over quietly to them.
“I spotted maybe four of the Mayor’s men in the lobby; a couple more are looking out of the windows on the top floor, not exactly alert.” Angel looked between the two girls, “I just saw Giles and the others, what’s the plan?”
Buffy thought about it. “Frontal assault. Confusion. Sudden violence. Draw most of the security down to the ground floor. Then you cut the power and I let the others know its time to infiltrate from above. Giles says that the spell they’re gonna cast is a specific disruption spell to mess up the...” She tried to remember the words he used.
“Ritual of Laudation. “Faith finished, “It’s a whole big brown-nosing deal, means this dude gets to become unkillable for a long stretch.”
Angel took this all in before nodding. “Right. Let’s go to work.”
With that the three of them made their way towards the building. Faith, bow strapped across her back, kept to the shadows on the right, while Angel purposefully moved up on the left. Buffy pulled a stake from her jacket, her eyes watched for signs of movement or alarm, while in her mind the words speed and surprise kept repeating themselves over and over like a mantra.
All three of them mounted the step a few feet from the door when the area was flooded with light from bright overhead halogen lamps. The front foyer doors opened and a mass of smartly dressed vampires made their way out onto the front of the building. There were move than ten, maybe half a dozen more again, that fanned out into a loosely organised mob. At their rear stood Trick, dressed in stylish but muted dark blue suit and casually carrying a sword in one hand.
He grinned. “Good evening Slayers. I’m guessing you don’t have an appointment?”
Buffy tried not to look worried as she surveyed the grinning mob of vampires; she gripped her stake tighter in her fist. “So much for the welcome committee.”
Trick shrugged easily. “Well, this is what you wanted, right? Make a lot of noise, draw everybody outside.”
Buffy felt her heart sink. “Finch.”
“Slimy little bastard.” Faith muttered.
Trick chuckled. “Knew he was hidin’ something the moment he came back. For what its worth he held out for as long as he could, hell, I was almost impressed. The Mayor...wasn’t.”
“So where is he now?” Buffy asked as she reached behind her and started to untuck the walkie-talkie from her belt; she had to warn her friends before it was too late.
Trick picked his teeth with his tongue as he gloated. “Late night snack in the end. That’s the price for not being loyal.” Trick waved a dismissive hand, “But it don’t matter what files he stole, your friends ain’t gonna be able t’bring the cops here cops. Not till its too late anyhow. Mayor will be all set by then, and you won’t be around t’tell your side of things.”
Buffy felt a sudden surge of relief and pulled her hands back. ‘Finch didn’t tell them everything, this could still work.’
Angel glowered at Trick. “One chance, step aside.”
“Well, check out the pair on Angelus over here. Sorry buddy, I don’t care how old y’are. Your three.” He gestured to the three of them, “Don’t beat my full house. ‘Specially without your ace.”
He then turned to his men. “Take ‘em down. And don’t go sampling until I’ve got a taste, y’hear.”
Buffy and the other two took wary half-steps back and turned so that they covered each others backs as the vampires moved forward. “So, five each?”
“I’m just gonna stake whatever’s not breathing.” Faith growled as she tossed her bow into the bushes, the weapon being no good for an up-close brawl.
“I’m standing right here.”Angel protested mildly.
And then the vamps charged, crashing into the three of them as they twisted and feinted, twirled around each other, parried and redirected, punched, kicked and staked. Buffy saw Faith stake one vampire she threw against another, she saw Angel punch his stake into one guy he knocked to the ground before he was overwhelmed. Buffy herself managed to stab and dust two vamps before her stake was knocked from her grasp and she was grabbed from behind. There were just too many of them and before long two vampires were holding her roughly, her arms pulled tightly behind her back.
She snapped a look to see that Angel and Faith were being grappled in the same way. Buffy squirmed against her captors as she managed to get one hand pressing down on the button of her walkie-talkie. “Let us go!” She said.
Trick walked over, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Lemme think about that...nope, not gonna happen.”
Buffy grunted as she kept her finger on the transmission button. “You can’t win this.”
“Can, will, have.” Trick stated and cocked his head, “And I don’t hear any sirens so I’m guessing that yours friends didn’t make any impression on the cops. Anyway...”
He stepped closed, his eyes yellow, fangs bared at Buffy.” I hear once you’ve tasted a slayer? You never want to go back.”
Faith was fighting hard against her captors; she managed to wretch one arm loose. “Get off of her!”
Angel snarled as he tried to escape. “Buffy!”
Trick was amused at their struggling as he moved closer to Buffy’s bared neck. “Well, look at you. Aren’t you popular.”
Buffy glared at him. “Oh, yeah. I’ve got a whole bunch of friends.”
That was when headlights suddenly appeared from the street and the light flooded over them, the sound of a gunning engine filled the air and Oz’s van mounted the sidewalk at top speed, the front of his van ploughing into the assembled group and striking full on. Immediately four vampires were sent flying off their feet and through the air, to smash back and through the glass fronted foyer.
Almost instantly the side door slid open and Wesley leaned out, a crossbow held in each hand. He shot once and the bolt buried itself in the back of one of the vampires holding Buffy. With a strangled snarl it was dusted. In an instant Buffy was lashing out a foot at Trick, heel smashing him under the chin so he collapsed and rolled backwards, Buffy then pivoting and punching the vamp to her left, clenched fist impacting against soft throat before jabbing a hard right to the ribs, leaving the vamp gagging down on one knee.
Buffy scooped up a dropped stake and whirled with lightning quickness to bury it in the back of one of Faith’s captors while he just stood there, still confused by the frenetic events around him.
Faith took advantage and viciously head butted the vampire next to her, before grabbing his lapels and throwing him around, dashing him to the ground, his face slamming hard against cracked concrete paving.
Wesley had already adjusted his aim as he again fired into the melee, his second shot sinking into the neck of one of the vampires now grappling with Angel. The creature let out a strangled cry and let go of Angel to clutch at his neck, allowing the souled vampire to twist the arm of the other vamp, breaking his grip, and incidentally, his wrist, before slamming a straightened forearm across his chest that smashed him to the ground. He then twirled with balletic violence to kick the first vamp low in the stomach and yank the bolt from his neck before plunging it home to finish him off.
Faith kicked the vampire that was near her on the ground with such force that he flew back and up to collide with another two running that were running to his aid. Buffy threw the brunette her stake before grabbing another one from her jacket, ducking a clumsy grab from a vampire before catching him in the chest with a solid roundhouse, a quick backhand and then a vicious kidney punch before spinning him to the ground.
One staking later and the vampires were looking distinctly thinner on the ground.
Faith jumped over to the pile of vamps that struggled to right themselves, throwing hard right after left to send them tumbling across the ground as they tried to scramble away. She slammed her stake into the back of one before spinning into a deft roundhouse that sent a second flying in Angel’s direction. Still using the discarded crossbow bolt Angel quickly finished the job, brutally staking the stunned demon in the back.
Buffy watched as the last remaining vampires that were still conscious ran off into the night, their loyalty to the Mayor fading as their numbers dwindled. Surprisingly Trick was staying, standing square and centre with that easy smile still on his face, made slightly less appealing by his demonic yellow eyes and vamp face.
Buffy twirled her stake at him. “Seems like your brilliant plan didn’t really paid off like you wanted, Trick.”
Faith cracked her knuckles as she stood next to her. “Just watch it, B. He’s probably gonna dazzle us with his next one when he tries to high-tail it outta here.”
Trick backed up a little, still smiling. “Well ladies, I’ve always been less ‘dazzle them with brilliance’ and more ‘riddle them with bullets’.” He swiftly put one hand into his jacket before pulling out a dark, compact machine pistol and pointing it at the three of them, “It’s a new age my friends.” With that he opened fire.
Buffy had frozen when she’d seen the gun, mostly from surprise, but partially from the overwhelming sense of unfairness. Since when do vampires use guns? Was that even allowed?
But Angel had never stopped moving, he knocked Faith off to his right so she rolled across the ground and behind some low bushes. Simultaneously he shoved Buffy hard in the shoulder; she tumbled forward into cover behind Oz’s van.
The staccato sound of gunfire cut through the air and Buffy saw Angel hurled off of his feet as a burst of bullets tore into his chest. Trick fired another volley at the van, sweeping the gun back and forth; Buffy heard the pinging of metal on metal as bullets punched holes in the side, and zinged off of the ground underneath. She saw both Oz and Wesley had taken cover behind the front wheel well.
Buffy turned to Wesley and mouthed. “Crossbow?”
Wesley gestured helplessly to the back of the van, indicating that in the scramble to get to cover he’d left his weapons behind. She guessed that it was too much to hope that his competence would last more than a few minutes.
“Slayer.” Trick called out in a sing-song voice, “Hey, c’mon now and stick your head out. I’ll make it quick. Plus, if you don’t I’m gonna have to dust your boy right here.” Trick’s voice changed as he mused to himself, “Y’know, I’m tryin’ to decide whether to just stake this mother or try somethin’ else. See, back in... hell musta been thirty one, I saw a vamp get dusted with a Tommy gun. That many bullets got shot at him that they just tore his head right off his shoulders. It sure was somethin’ t’see.”
Buffy risked sticking her head out to see Trick standing over Angel, who was groaning with pain and clutching at his chest. Trick held the gun loosely in one hand while the other reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a sharpened stake that he held loosely by his side. Casually he let loose another round directly into Angel’s head and Buffy cried out in shock as Angel jerked and then lay still. Trick’s head snapped up and brought the pistol up towards her.
Then Faith made her move.
She rushed at Trick from the side, she kept low and she was only a couple of feet from him when he spotted her and started to turn. Faith must have lost her stake while she was diving for her life because now her hands went to the gun, grabbing it yanking it up and away from both of them before slamming a fist into Trick’s shoulder and wrenching his wrist backwards so that he lost his grip. The gun clattered to the ground as Faith spun and delivered a perfectly delivered punch to Trick’s face. But the vampire took it well and simply stepped forward and drove his sharpened stake up into her chest.
Buffy saw the sharpened wood punch into Faith’s jacket just above where her heart should be. The vampire did it with such force that Faith was lifted off her feet, Trick’s other hand caught her shoulder, turned and flung her dismissively backwards and to the ground. Faith bounced as she landed in a limp heap, hands clutching at her front, back arching in pain.
Buffy felt a deafening roaring noise in her head as she broke the cover of the van and sprinted straight towards Trick. Her legs pumping hard before they pushed off the ground when she was about six feet away and she drove the heel of her foot hard into his face. She landed, ducked under a wild swinging stake before slamming clenched fist after fist into Trick’s stomach and chest, then hopping forward on one leg to smash a fierce elbow to his face.
Buffy parried a skilful stake thrust and shrugged off a solid right hook before both of her arms seized his left arm, the one holding the stake, and pulled Trick forward and off-balance. With all her strength Buffy twisted Trick’s arm until she felt his elbow grate and snap, then tugged the limp arm up and back on itself, the stake sinking deep into Trick’s chest.
“...Didn’t see that comin’...” He said as turned to dust.
Buffy then wasted no time in running over to Faith, the dark-haired slayer lay prostrate, the occasional cough racked her body as she struggled to breath.
“Faith!” Buffy knelt next to her and put a hand on her t-shirt, which was already soaking wet. Faith groaned and coughed weakly, “Oh, god! Faith, please...just don’t move. You’re gonna be okay.”
“Ow...” Faith hissed, one hand clutching at her jacket, “Damn, think I’m busted.”
Buffy shook her head frantically as she searched her pockets and then Faith’s for a rag, anything to stop the bleeding. She pulled out Faith’s battered wallet and a candy wrapper, nothing else. “No! Faith, you’re not gonna die! You hang on, you hear me...”
Faith wrinkled her face and looked up at Buffy like she was crazy. “I know that B...my flask...its busted.” She carefully reached into her jacket and pulled out her silver flask, which was now steadily leaking strong smelling bourbon from a jagged hole where the stake had punched it. “First thing I ever stole. Dammit.”
Buffy blinked and gasped before grabbing Faith and pulling her close. Squeezing her hard in relief Buffy felt like laughing or crying, she doubted her heart couldn’t take another near-miss like that tonight.
Faith squirmed. “Ow...Buffy, jeez. You tryin’ t’finish me off?”
“Oh! Um...sorry.” Buffy pulled away anxiously as she relaxed her grip, “You really scared me, Faith. You’ve gotta be more careful.”
Faith raised an eyebrow as she slowly sat up. “Hey, saved you from getting your ass shot off...just didn’t see the wood is all. What kinda vamp uses a stake anyhow.”
“One that’s riddled with bullets.” Groaned Angel as he sat upright, one hand clasped protectively over the side of his face, “Haven’t been shot with that many bullets since the war...”
“Angel!” Buffy winced as she turned and looked at him. She wanted to see if he was okay, but at the same time didn’t really want to leave Faith, “Are you, y’know, okay?”
“I’ll live. Did you kill him already?” Angel sounded slightly disappointed that he hadn’t witnessed it.
“Sorry. I know he deserved a long slow death but... he pissed me off.” Buffy stood as Faith got to her feet, her hands supporting the dark-haired slayer’s waist, “Are you going to be alright?”
Angel stood up as Oz and Wesley came out of hiding, both armed with stakes.
“All well?” Wesley piped up in a strained voice.
“Man, Angel. You’re really shot.” Oz remarked dryly.
“I’ll be okay.” Angel grunted, before gesturing at the two slayers, “But you better get going, there isn’t much time and I’ll only slow you down like this.”
Faith gave up attempting to wring out her sodden t-shirt as she walked over and picked up her bow. “Angel’s right. Clock’s ticking, B.”
Buffy nodded. “Right.”Then she quickly stooped and snatched up Faith’s wallet, best if they didn’t leave things like that lying around.
Then there was a squawk of static from her radio as she heard Xander’s voice. “...Guys, are you okay? We heard guns; I mean it sounded like guns. Did Oz do a drive-by? Because if it was I so should’ve been in on that part of the plan.”
Buffy smiled tiredly as she answered. “We’re good. Faith and I are heading up now. Five minutes to cut the power and then you guys get casting, got it.”
She heard Xander mutter. “...dammit, I forgot to say ‘over’. Roger that Buffy, we’ve got you six, Nighthawk out, over.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows at Angel. He just nodded. “I’ve got it, just go, now.”
The two slayers turned towards the building, Buffy with two stakes, Faith with her bow. Stepping over shattered glass and broken vampires they disappeared inside.

*~~*

Buffy and Faith were in the top floor stairwell when the lights went out, flickering for a moment and then blinking off.
The two slayers had been moving cautiously but quickly up through the building, watching their backs for signs of any other vampires, but nothing. Trick’s mob was probably all of the Mayor’s forces but it still paid to be careful.
Buffy pulled out her small flashlight, holding it in her left hand she turned it on and shone it at the floor. Her right still gripped a stake.
“All set?” Faith whispered.
Buffy nodded and cracked open the door, she heard confused murmurs in the corridor beyond. More vampires? How many did the Mayor own?
She gave Faith a cautious look as she quickly peered into the dark to see four figures standing by a set of double door over to the right.
Buffy held up four fingers to the other slayer, before stepping out into the corridor. The four figures turned in confusion towards the two girls.
“Any of you order an electrician slash vampire slayer?” Buffy asked perkily, she shone her flashlight at them. She saw four demonic faces grimace in discomfort in the light, before all four of them raised their arms and pointed handguns at the two of them.
‘Oh, for fu...’
Faith slammed into Buffy’s back and the two collided with the wall opposite as the four vampires opened fire. Muzzle flashes illuminating their silhouettes as boom after boom of gunfire reverberated down the corridor.
The two slayers took cover behind a long mahogany table which they tipped in front of them.
“Shit!” Faith gasped as she jerked her hand back, “Guess these guys have a shoot first bite later deal going on.” She ducked as a bullet tore a hole in the ceiling, showering them both with plaster dust.
Buffy grimaced as she tried to make herself as small a target as possible. “Yeah, I’m really hating that whole second amendment thing right now. Stupid founding fathers.”
“I’m pretty sure dead guys don’t have the right to bear arms, B.” Faith muttered dryly. The gunfire ceased, presumably because the vampires were reloading. “These guys don’t have any rights, that why there’s girls like us.”
Buffy held her breath as Faith stepped out into the corridor, in a side on profile and quickly drew her bow, unleashing two arrows in quick succession before ducking back against Buffy, grinning broadly. “Got one.”
The gunfire started again immediately, holes tearing out of the carpet, and chips of wood flying off nearby corner tables. None of the bullets seemed to come close to either girl. Then Buffy remembered something.
“Darla.” She muttered thoughtfully.
“Huh?” Faith struggled to hear her over the gunfire even though they were close together.
“First year I was in Sunnydale. A vampire came at me guns blazing.” Buffy remembered, “I mean she emptied two guns at me and hit pretty much nothing.” She looked at Faith, “These guys have even worse aim. The only reason they’ve got us pinned down, is ‘cause they know where we are.”
“And they’ve got the advantage ‘cause some bright spark decided cutting the power was a good idea.”Faith snarked.
Buffy frowned as the gunfire abated again. “Hey, I like my plan. I didn’t hear you objecting at the time.”
Faith shrugged as she risked a peek out. “I told ya, when you get all bossy I get distracted. Its abuse of power is what it is.”
Buffy shook her head. “The point is vamps aren’t good at hitting slayers if we keep moving, and split up. We won’t get anywhere pinned down like this.”
“Got it.” Faith tucked and rolled out into the corridor, coming up on one knee to fire another arrow at the demons before throwing herself sideways and crashing against a door opposite.
Buffy flipped a stake in her hand so she holding the base of it, before diving forward and rolling across the floor. Coming up on her haunches she flipped her stake end over end until it buried itself in the chest of one of the remaining vampires. He even managed to look slightly impressed as he was dusted.
The two remaining vampires frantically reloaded as Buffy sprinted down towards them, her last stake tightly gripped. One vampire raised his gun and snapped a shot off, Buffy banked sharply left to avoid the bullet, jumped up and to her left, kicked off the wall to rebound right. She landed, tucked and rolled forward, to come up and throw her stake at the vampire as his gun tried to bank towards her. The stake flew true until it was snatched out of the air by the other vampire’s hand.
‘Crap! I so deserved to pull that off.’
The first vampire grinned as his gun levelled with her face...before an arrow sunk into his chest and he fell backwards, dusted. The other vampire threw Buffy’s stake dismissively to one side and pointed his gun at her, cautiously turning side on so Faith couldn’t nail him in the heart with an arrow. He allowed a small grin of triumph, even a bad shot couldn’t miss her from where he was.
Suddenly behind him the conference doors crashed open and Xander barrelling into the vampire from behind, tackling him around the legs like a football player. Surprised, the vamp fell forward and slammed heavily to the ground, his gun slipping from his grip in the process.
Cordelia hurriedly stepped over the two men as they scrambled to get up, and, stake held high, she brought it down and jabbed it firmly into the vampire’s back, before popping back up and grinned. “I did it! I finally got one!” She pointed at Buffy, “And you totally owe me for the save.”She said brightly.
Xander grunted as he still struggled. “Uh, Cordy. Guy kinda didn’t go anywhere!”
Buffy pointed down. “You, uh, missed the heart there, Cor.” Cordelia eeped in surprise as Buffy grabbed the stake from her hand, “Let me.”
She pounded the stake down hard and the last vamp was dusted.
Cordelia huffed. “That still counts as mine though. Or I should at least get an assist.”
“Then what do I get.” Xander complained as he picked himself up and patted vamp dust from his jacket.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I saw you trip over yourself.”
He shrugged awkwardly. “All part of my master plan.”
Buffy tried to get them to focus. “Thanks guys, but did Will and Giles get to complete the spell?”
Cordelia thought about it. “Well, it did get really stinky. So I guess something went right, unless it all went kerplooey.” She shrugged helplessly.
“Okay then, just stand well back.” Buffy stepped back and turned towards what must be the Mayor’s office.
Faith was listening against the door as she readied her bow. She notched her last arrow and frowned at Buffy. “I still hear chanting goin’ on. Somethin’ Latin-y?”
“Let’s knock and find out.” Then Buffy kicked out hard at the double doors, dark wood splintered apart as the lock tore itself free, revealing a large gloomy room beyond, a conference area that had been cleared of furniture.
The only objects within were a few scattered arty looking statues, a cage in the far corner where one of the El Eliminati was being held captive, and Mayor Richard Wilkins the third, kneeling in the centre of a pentagram, the flickering candles at its corners cast weaving shadows across the walls.
Faith scowled and raised her bow as Wilkins finished the last of his invocation. Then followed a rumbling that seemed to grip the entire building, doors banged and clattered, Buffy heard the distant sound of breaking glass and a few of the nearby statues tottered, one falling over with a dull thump.
Smiling in satisfaction Wilkins stood and brushed off his knees before reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief.
He regarded Faith with a mixture of amusement and disapproval. “Now girls, you’re a little late to the party, what with all that property damage and bursting in without even knocking.” He shook his head, “And didn’t you’re elders teach you not to point weapons at people.”
Faith sneered. “What can I say, my elders don’t know jack.”
“Well, that’s a grim outlook for such a young lady like you to be having.” He sighed, “Not that it matters. The incantations done. I’m...impervious, as in can’t be harmed. The magics have done their job and now there’s nothing for you to do but run, missy, because by morning I’ll have the entire police department out looking for the both of you, not to mention all your law-breaking little friends.”
Buffy tilted her head. “Oh yeah? Well, we’ve got magics too, and I’m betting that your little powwow didn’t work as well as you think.”
“Yeah, it’s a nice bluff Dick, but I call.” With that Faith stepped forward and swiped her foot through the pentagram, smearing the dark powdered line and kicking over one of the candles so it spluttered and died.
“Oopy.” Buffy looked at Faith, “Look what you just did. You see, this is why we can’t have nice dark rituals.”
Faith nodded in agreement. “Can’t take me anywhere.”
“You insolent little girls.” The Mayor snapped.
Then they heard something, a murmuring sound that seemed to come from all around them, a distant roar like hearing a stormy ocean from far away, but getting ever closer. Buffy noticed that the shadows on the walls were writhing strangely, dancing and jumping but not like they were reacting to the candle light, their movements were too rhythmic.
Faith took a wary step back and lowered her bow as she glanced at the walls cautiously, Buffy watched as the shadows whirled faster and faster, now bending and twisting along the walls, waving like shadowy branches in the wind, dark tendrils reaching across the ceiling towards each other to merge and coalesce above Wilkins himself.
Wilkins looked up, his expression showing a flicker of fear for the first time. “Well...gosh.”
Then he screamed as the shadows burst out and seemed to pour down over him as if it were pure, liquid darkness, blotting him from sight. All the surrounding flames guttered and snuffed out, plunging the rest of the room into gloom. Buffy didn’t see what happened next; she only made out a wet crunching noise that wasn’t quite drowned out by the roaring cacophony of unintelligible whispers.
Faith cast a wide-eyed look at Buffy before suddenly, with a blast of hot, fetid wind, the shadows dissipated and the electric lights flickering to life, revealing that there was nothing left in the circle but a heap of clothing that the Mayor had been wearing; all other traces of him were gone.
Buffy grimaced. “I really could’ve lived without ever hearing that, on a side note I’m probably never going to eat lobster, like, ever.”
Faith let out a shaky breath. “Guess the guy got what was comin’ to him, B.” Her eyes twinkled a little as she suddenly smirked, “End of the day, just like any other politician. Empty suit.”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “It’s nice to see that you’re still unfreakoutable. Does anything get under your skin?”
“Yeah. Unfinished business.” Faith narrowed her eyes and stepped forward into the room, cautiously treading around the outside of the broken pentagram until she was only a few feet from the cage in the corner. And the vampire that was inside it.
Faith chuckled huskily. “Well, look-y here. Was just thinkin’ about what I was gonna slay next.”
The vampire growled. “Slayer. Release me now.”
Faith tilted her head. “I dunno. Is the rematch ever as good as the original fight?” With that she simply drew back on her bow, arrow quivering with tension.
“You would slay me while I am defenceless?”The vampire glowered as he rattled angry against the cage, “Where is your honour?”
Faith’s voice was cold. “Left it in my other pants. That’s too bad for you, huh?” With that she let the arrow fly and bury itself in the vampire’s chest; all he could do was he grimace as he turned to ash.
Faith turned and smirked at Buffy, her ruthlessness gone. “Like shooting vamps in a cage. Hey, y’think that could be a new saying I just created?”
Buffy wrinkled her nose. “Like the fish in a barrel thing? Could be. Not the sort you could really drop into casual conversation but still...”
“Wow, check out the swinging den of evil this guy has going on.” Xander said as he popped his head round the door, “Very cool...evil, still evil. But also cool.”
“Well, you didn’t speak to the guy. Talk about lame squared. Evil Mr. Rogers.” Faith shook her head in disgust as she walked back towards them.
Buffy took one last look around and nodded, daring to maybe think it was actually over. “Yeah, I think we’re done here. I’ve had all the excitement I can stand for one night.”
“Gotta say B, sorry t’here that.” Faith stepped closer to Buffy, an easy smile on her face as she leaned closer, “’Cause I was planning on giving you another heart attack.”
Buffy smiled a little shyly as she looked at Faith. “Well...I meant bad excitement kind, not, uh, good excitement. My quota is way down on that stuff.”Then she wrinkled her nose, “Although, on the down side, you smell like a drunk.”
Faith looked down at herself and almost pouted. “Guess I should probably change before we get all cosy.”
“Agreed.” Buffy leaned forward and kissed Faith warmly on the cheek, “That’ll have to you satisfied until we finish up.”
With that the two slayers moved back into the corridor, met up with the others and made their way outside into the quiet night. They found Angel, Wesley and Oz standing by the van, saw there collective relief as the two groups met.
Willow pouted at Oz. “Your van! Your beautiful van.”
Oz gave her a gentle hug. “It’ll live again. Summer project. One of the speakers didn’t make it though.”
Willow sighed. “I will remember him always.”
“Her.” Oz corrected gently, “All speakers are female. You didn’t know that?”
Willow simply shook her head.
Giles regarded a rather frazzled Wesley. “Perhaps you’d care for some tea.” He offered up a flask.
Wesley smiled thinly. “Ah, perhaps something a little stronger, Mr. Giles.”
Giles smiled in understanding. “Welcome to the field.”
Xander stared at Angel’s face. “Don’t be the one to wanna tell you this man, but I think your getting a zit.”
Cordelia agreed. “I’m not surprised, with those pores.”
“I was shot, okay.” Angel replied grumpily.
Giles turned to Buffy. “Well fought Buffy, I take it the Mayor is no more?”
“He got taken.”Buffy wrinkled her nose, “Or scrunched, or chewed, or whatever. He’s gone.”
“All those decades of prep work, down the drain.” Xander shook his head, “So much for forward planning. See, this is why, as a man who lives in the now...”
Cordelia interrupted. “Sweetie, nobody wants to hear your slacker philosophy. Now come on and walk me home.”
Buffy smiled as she watched them both walk away into the night. A couple that somehow worked in spite of the two people involved. At least Xander seemed happier this time around.
She turned to see Faith helping a stiffly moving Angel into the back of Oz’s van. Willow was running her fingers over a bullet hole in the side of the van. “You okay Will?”
Willow was a little wide-eyed. “It turns out Oz was in way more danger than I was.”
Buffy offered a comforting smile. “How did it go, with everything?”
Willow found her own smile. “Intense and spooky, but also...everything went really well. For us, I mean. If it went well for the bad guys... that would’ve been bad.”
“You really went all out tonight, Will. With Balthazar and now this. Very slayer-like.”
Willow shrugged bashfully. “Well, you slayers do need some mega-mojo in your corner occasionally. A-And I like to help, with the evil fighting.”
Buffy stepped closer and gave her a hug. “I kind of love you.”
Surprised Willow hugged her back. “Aw, I should have known mass battles get you all gooey.” She pulled back before blushing a little, “I-I mean emotionally gooey n-not...um, oh, look there’s your girlfriend.”
Buffy turned as Faith sauntered over. “Not making moves on my girl are ya, Red.”
Willow blushed and Buffy slapped Faith’s arm. “Quit teasing. So what’s the plan now?”
Faith’s face twisted anxiously. “Well B, that’s the thing. There’s somethin’ I gotta do that your not gonna like.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows. “Oh, what’s that?”
Faith scratched the back of her head. “Well, it kinda involves me takin’ Angel’s shirt off...”
‘Huh?
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