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Everything Is Different Now	By : Declan Category: -Buffy the Vampire Slayer > FemmeSlash - Female/Female > Buffy/Faith Views: 7516 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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
- 7
- 8
- 9
The I In Psychopath: Part 2 (All That Remains)

Riley eased himself out of the shadows next to the overflow pipe and waited in tense silence. About sixty yards up ahead, Lawson stopped where the sewers had split off in several tangled directions. The man was taking his time, moving his flashlight back and forth with his left hand, scanning the various passages, while he carefully examined the electronic device in his right, the electric blue of its display screen illuminating his face.
Riley paused, held his breath, then released it slowly when Lawson moved to his right and disappeared from view.
As he started forward, Riley kept on hearing the Professor’s firm words of reassurance cut through the ashes of his thoughts as she consoled him for his loss: ‘Send a squad...Use all available manpower’.
But that had been a lie.
In the hours after his conversation with the Professor, Riley had turned the news over and over in his mind. Hope and doubt plagued him in equal measure; gnawing away at him was the idea that maybe there had been a mistake. Maybe Buffy was just badly hurt, or unconscious. Maybe she was trapped and weak and alone and waiting for him to come and find her.
So, for only the second time in his career, he’d disobeyed a direct order from an immediate superior. He’d waited patiently before asking the on-duty security chief who had checked out any tracking equipment from the armoury so he could tag along with whichever squad was assigned. But what he discovered was that only Lt. Lawson, a Marine, had checked out a tracking device and had gone into the sewer tunnels solo.
One man, not a squad, had gone out. And not even a trained Initiative Agent, but one of the marines who were attached to the base.
They never went out hunting for HSTs.
‘So what the hell was going on?’
So Riley had followed into the tunnels, found Lawson and now stalked him.
Maintaining a discreet distance, Riley paced after Lawson; if Lawson’s job was to find Buffy then Riley would tail him until he made contact.
Then he would get some answers.

*~~*

Buffy raised her eyebrows. “Huh?” ‘Where the hell was this coming from?’
Spike looked at them expectantly. “You know. The big spinney green thing we all sit on? Buggered up all to hell, that’s what I’m saying.” Spike glanced around them as they slowly digested this, “And he watched in awe as they sprung into action!’” He shook his head, “Tossers.”
Xander half-smiled and shrugged. “Sorry. It’s just...we’re all still considering the source here Spike.”
“Yeah, you’re not exactly Mr. Reliable ‘Deep Throat’ informer... person...” Willow frowned as she trailed off.
Buffy decided to speak up again. “What, exactly, are you talking about? We’ve already had one apocalypse this year. There were earthquakes and demons and Hellmouth-y... things.” She looked to Giles for confirmation.
Giles seemed grateful for anything that might derail his being banished to Xander’s basement. “Well, quite. T-this seems like something that should be investigated right now. And right here.”
Spike looked pointedly at Giles. “It looked like there was a Kurenos demon popping up not three miles from here.”
“Kurenos?” Giles repeated softly, a trace of worried recognition in his voice.
“So, what, first it’s all ‘the end of the world’ and now its ‘maybe I saw a demon.” Buffy sighed in exasperation, then she saw a grave looking Giles walk over to his book shelf. “I mean, c’mon, it’s Sunnydale. Who hasn’t idled away a Tuesday night by raising up something?” She noticed Giles anxiously flicking through one of his books. “Giles?”
Anya commented absently. “Kurenos was pretty big news in demon circles back in the day. Mostly sighted in Scandinavia, or at least it was until a few centuries ago, no one’s seen one since.” She then started tugging on Xander’s arm impatiently, “I guess you’ll all have to stay here and look into this and not come back to the basement with Xander and me. Oh well.”
Willow made a face and turned her attention back to Spike. “Why are you, I mean, why aren’t you taking a whack at this thing yourself, Spike? Isn’t that how you get your kicks these days?”
“Because I’d like to hang on to all my bits a little longer than say, immediately.” Spike snorted, “And I saw one of these sods up close during the war. Wasn’t exactly a tea party.”
Willow was curious. “Which war was that?”
“The Second World War, no doubt.” Giles answered absently as he stood up from a crouch, examining the open book in his hands. “That, I believe, was the last reported sighting of a Kurenos summoning, or as the Nazi’s named it; ‘Schnitter der Toten’.”
“’Reaper of Death’”, Willow nodded thoughtfully. “Though it sounds kinda dirtier in German, but then most things do.”
“You were working for Nazi’s?” Xander feigned shock and wagged a finger at the vampire, “I’m disappointed in you, Spike. Not surprised, just disappointed.”
“Piss off.” Spike made a dismissive gesture with his hand, “Bloody captured me they did, and then stuck me in a bleedin’ submarine, but I managed to escape. Come to think of it, your ex-squeeze Angel was there.”
Buffy perked up a little. “Angel?”
Spike smirked at her. “Thought that might get yer attention.”
“So Angel was a good ol’ Nazi smasher back in the day? Did he wear a spangle-y outfit?” Xander frowned, “Ah, I’m sorry, but that’s too much of a disturbing image.”
Willow raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Submarines, Nazis and vampires? That all sounds pretty cool.”
Giles sighed impatiently as he interrupted. “Fascinating though this all is, shall we return our attention to the sighting that took place earlier this evening –“
“Alleged sighting”, Buffy interrupted. She was still anxious to get moving. Slaying could wait until later. “Is this really that important Giles? I mean, we need to move, like, right now.”
Spike acted put out. “Oi, I came to you with this out of –“
“Heartfelt self-interest?” Buffy finished brightly.
He shrugged. “Well, yeah, but still...”
Giles ignored them as he read from the book. “Kurenos. Singular. Powerful warrior demon of the underworld. It can only be summoned onto this plane of existence through the darkest of dark magics. Lacking physical form, the demon manifests through the body of a desecrated corpse, usually human, after being anointed with oils and stuffed with–”
“Please stop.” Willow whined at his vivid description.
Buffy ran a worried hand through her hair. “Okay, fine. I think I get the picture. Really bad, rare demon has been raised and is now on the loose. When it rains it pours...monsters.” She picked up an axe and turned to Giles, “Anything else I should know about before I go and kill this thing? Motivations, Achilles’ heel, star sign, anything?”
Giles nodded absently as he read. “This particular passage is still going over how terrible he is, although there’s a reference to the ritual burning of corpses–”
“Thing’s your basic necromancer,” Spike interrupted impatiently, “uses some demon-from-beyond mojo to raise armies of corpses in formation and leads them into a scrap, all under his control. Then you end up with still more corpses for the bugger to raise up... Getting the big picture now Slayer?”
“Heh, Formation.” Xander couldn’t resist a smile. “Sorry, I just keep getting ‘Thriller’ playing in my head.”
Buffy was more serious. “So somebody’s ordering up a zombie apocalypse. But the way Giles tells it, this thing isn’t naturally occurring, so who’s doing the summoning?” Buffy looked expectantly at Spike.
Spike made a face. “Big, mysterious, robey thing, didn’t exactly stick around to take down his particulars now did I?”
Buffy sighed in disappointment. “Great. Somebody new joins Team Evil.”
Giles interrupted them. “Ah. Ah, here’s something. The demon uses... necrotic energy, energy that it brings forth with it from the nether world. It uses this energy to animate corpses and hold them under its sway. Something akin to a hive-mind. Plus... oh, it seems able to enslave vampires to its will.”
Xander made an expansive hand gesture. “I guess that explains your motivation, huh Spike? Don’t want to be drafted into the Army of Darkness.”
“You wanna laugh it up Harris, go ahead. I’ve seen this thing march into a death camp and come out with a battalion of stiffs. Not for the faint hearted. Only escaped the last time ‘cause Dru had a bloody premonition, next thing I know half the crew I recruited had gone all pod people on us. So I beat a hasty for the hills,” Spike smiled at the memory, “a nice chalet in Switzerland as I recall. Lovely warm-blooded people there.”
“Could you wipe the drool from your chin and reminisce later, you’re coming with me.” Buffy turned to the others, “Plan hasn’t changed, you all head to Xander’s and be low profile, Spike and I’ll investigate the site and I’ll see if I can get a lead on this thing. I’ll see you guys later tonight.”
Giles nodded. “The sooner the better. By the depictions in these paragraphs the longer this demon remains on our plane of existence, the stronger it becomes. And it has a Hellmouth to draw off of.”
“Plus a dozen graveyards full of corpses.” Buffy nodded in grim understanding. “Right, so...kick it off our plane. I can do that.”
Giles continued his warning. “Also, whoever has summoned this demon is almost certainly very powerful in their own right; the magics used to accomplish this are hard to come by. I would advise that you be careful in approaching this individual, at least until we know more.”
Buffy thought about it as she grabbed Spike by the jacket and moved towards the front door. “I’ll try, but I’m not really good with restraint against people who dig up corpses to get their jollies. I see an opening I’m taking it.”
Spike pulled himself out of her grip. “Sod that bloody lark. I’m not joining you on your merry jaunt to find anything. I came to warn you, end of.” Spike thought about it, “And now I’ve done that, I should get paid. Pay me.”
Buffy nodded. “Tell you what Spike; you can have whatever I’ve got in my pockets.” Patting her hips she made a faux sympathy face, “Oh darn, maybe next time we should both plan ahead better.”
Spike just sneered in response.
Buffy pointed at him. “You’re coming with me so I don’t spend half the night wondering what I’m looking for.” Then Buffy paused and stared down at her outfit, cringing in realisation. “Uh, Will, how bad do I look?”
Willow smiled nervously. “Well, uh, g-good. I mean, considering, y’know, sewer fighting and demons and body-parts hacking...You look good, doesn’t she look good?” Willow looked at Xander.
Xander blew out a breath as he added. “Yeah, there’s really not much to... Sorry, Buffy. You’ve been slimed. You have demon gunk all over you.”
Buffy shuddered and hurriedly moved closer to the exit. “Fine. I’m going to shower and then change, then kill this thing, which I know doesn’t make any sense, but I’d like to save the world from unspeakable demons without goo down my... everyplace.” Buffy glared at the recalcitrant Spike as she opened the door, “Move it, or the next chip I violently dig out of you will be the one in your head.”
Spike stalked out into the night and Buffy glanced back at her friends. “Hurry guys, and remember to be careful.”

*~~*

Faith slowly drew a knife from its sheath and raised her eyebrows in interest. “Sweet.”
The tour had been several kinds of boring except for the occasional sweaty marine type in a tight t-shirt. But this, the armoury bit, this was pretty insane.
“It’s ceramic,” Walsh commented from behind her as Faith ran a finger along the knife’s edge, “Sharper and more durable than the usual steel ones. But prone to shatter. Some of the HST’s we come across seem to have a particular resistance to metal in all its forms, bullets or blades. Those handily resolved the problem.”
Faith nodded absently, she put down the blade and looking around in wonder at the caged off area. There were so many weapons stored here. She saw a lot of capture equipment; nets, tranq darts, smoke bombs and those taser rifles that had put her down here in the first place.
Faith reached out and picked up what looked like a chunky TV remote with a pistol grip and pushed a button in the side. An arc of electricity shot out between two metal prongs at the end.
“Electro-Muscular Disruption Device.” The older woman continued, “More commonly known as a handheld taser. More powerful than standard police department issue. They’re designed to deliver a charge of over–“
“You’ve got grenades?” Faith spotted an open case of hand grenades and stepped closer to peer inside. She grinned to herself. She could do some real damage with these.
“I wouldn’t touch any of those, they’re live.” Walsh stepped a little closer and closed the case of grenades, “The rifles however are –“
“Not ‘xactly a ‘guns ‘n’ ammo’ kinda girl Doc”, Faith drawled as she looked about some more, still keeping hold of the taser as she gestured, “Coulda done with somethin’ like this back in Boston though. Bet it keeps people from gettin too handsy.”
The older woman was stiff as anything; she was like the Mayor but without his warmth. “All equipment has to be signed for before it can leave the armoury.”
Faith shrugged easily and turned the doctor. “Then we’re gonna have a problem, ‘cause I can be a little ‘light fingered’ when the mood takes, y’know?”
Walsh smiled tightly. Faith got the feeling that it wasn’t something she did that often. “Well, I’m sure we can relax some of the rules until you get used to everything, we’ll get you fully equipped later on, Faith. But for now I think that concludes our tour.”
Faith put the taser to one side and frowned absently, though she was glad this was all over. “What about all those research rooms with the computers in and stuff?”
Walsh gestured for her to exit the cage, so she followed the older woman out. “Part of the research we do here. We find out where these species’ come from as well as how they work and how to combat them.”
Faith smirked as she shook her head slightly. “No mystery there Doc, they’re just like dinosaurs. Real old things that need killin’ before they kill us.”
“I was speaking more in terms of geographical location. But I’m glad to see you have the right attitude. Miss Summers was far softer in her thinking.”
Faith scowled at the mention of Buffy. She hadn’t thought about the other girl going on a full hour, which was a pretty good stretch for her. “So what happens to B, huh? Now you ain’t working with her. You gonna lock her up?”
Professor Walsh paused and seemed to weighing up her next words. “We are considering our options with regards to her and her associates. Ignoring her for the time being. But if she was to become a nuisance, we would consider that option.”
‘Definitely hiding something. Maybe B isn’t as on the outs as they claim. Gotta stay sharp.’
Faith nodded. “Yeah well, if ya want me t’bring her in and slap the cuffs of her myself, just say the word.”
Faith glanced to the side as a small group of soldier types ran past her. She made a show of stretching her arms out behind her back like she was working out the kinks, and smiled coyly as a couple of heads turned her way. “So, what now. Do I get to go out and do some ‘field work’?”
Walsh glanced at her watch in surprise. “I would think you’d want to rest. You’re not tired?”
“I’ve been asleep for seven months, Doc. Had plenty of shuteye even before you people started knockin’ me out all the damn time.”Faith stopped as she thought about it, “Could use some food though, I’m wicked starved. Don’t you military types have a place to get ‘chow’ or somethin’?”
Walsh allowed a small smile. “Very well. First we’ll get you some food. And then, a training exercise, to see what you’re really capable of.”
Faith grinned. ‘Finally some action. This will be a kick.’ “‘Training’ huh? Well, get ready to be amazed Doc, ‘cause I sure am a sight to see.”

*~~*

Riley found Lawson crouching next to a demon corpse. The other man looked up in surprise and shined his flashlight at Riley’s chest. “Agent Finn? You’re a little off the beaten path there soldier.”
Riley stepped closer to the corpse as he looked over the dimly lit, dank chamber, noticing signs of a struggle. “Could say the same about you”, he answered evenly.
Lawson glanced back down at the corpse before replying, “Orders. I’ve got a squad searching the sewers for the other one of these creatures. Thought I’d stay here in case it doubled back.”
His lie was pretty good. Casual. Dismissive. Telling Riley to relax.
He didn’t.
Instead he looked more closely around the chamber: blood splatter across the ground, the smell of burnt flesh lingering in the air, but no sign of Buffy or the other demon.
He spoke up. “So, this is where it happened?”
Lawson nodded and stood up. It was then when Riley noticed Lawson was holding a rifle in his other hand that he had picked up off the ground. “Listen, Finn. I have my orders and you’re not a part of them. I’m sorry about your girl and all, but you’ve got to trust us to take care of it. You shouldn’t be here. Clear out before my guys come back and we’ll forget about protocol. No harm, no foul.”
Riley was nodding absently when he saw the com-cam lying on the ground in the corner. He went over and picked it up, turning over the expensive piece of equipment in his hands. He frowned. ‘What the hell was that doing here?’ Buffy wouldn’t just take this, he reasoned, she was given it, which meant somebody had been watching her every move. And that meant somebody was trying to hide something.
Riley walked back over to Lawson, stopping when he reached the corpse, and showed him the com-cam. “You don’t have any other guys here Lawson, so why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
Lawson went still before he shook his head sadly. “Man, why didn’t you just walk away?” With that he casually swung and pointed the rifle at Riley, “This would’ve gone a lot smoother if you’d just gone back to your dorm and listened to some country music.”
Riley’s jaw tensed as he looked warily at the rifle. “Did you do something to Buffy?”
Lawson smirked. “You have no idea what’s going on here do you, kid? I wonder, is it the steroids that make you stupid, or just all those knocks to the head?”
“I’m not gonna ask again”, Riley said evenly, before dropping the com-cam so it clattered to the ground.
Lawson’s smirk turned into a smile as he gestured with the rifle. “You’re right that you’re not gonna ask again. You open you’re mouth again and I’ll shoot you. Now, very slowly squat down and pick that up. Then, just as slowly, pass it to me.” He jabbed with the rifle for emphasis.
Without taking his eyes from Lawson, Riley crouched down and put his hand on the ground and patted it until he put his hand on what he wanted, fingers curling around it. Riley suddenly snapped his head towards the dark aperture at the end of the chamber. “Did you hear something?”
Lawson’s eyes only snapped away from him for a second, on instinct, being that they were both in a possibly monster-infested sewer but Riley took the opening. He tightened his grip on the axe that was half hidden under the demon’s body, pulled it out, bringing it up into an arc to smash Lawson’s gun away from him.
It wasn’t a powerful swing, left handed and awkwardly angled, but it was enough to knock the gun from Lawson’s grasp. As the gun clattered Riley surged forward with his right hand and slammed a fist into the other man’s face, knocking him backwards against the wall.
Riley pinned him there with the shaft of the axe across his throat. “Now, let’s try this again. Who gave you your orders and what are they?”
Lawson grimaced. “Dumb.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“No. You’re dumb.” Then his arm flashed up with a knife in his hand, arcing across Riley’s face. Just as he managed to barely twist away from it, Riley dropped the axe. Lawson came after him and followed up with a solid kick to Riley’s side before lunging in with the knife again. Riley blocked with his forearm before ramming a palm into Lawson’s face and gripping Lawson’s wrist down and back, keeping the glinting blade away from him.
Lawson’s grimaced before spitting, “I eat punk kids like you for breakfast!” He rammed a fist into Riley’s ribs and jabbed his head forward to butt him. Riley ducked back, releasing his grip on the knife and twisted away from Lawson’s counter lunge with the knife.
He scrambled for the gun.
But Lawson, the smaller of the two, was quicker and managed to get between Riley and the rifle. Riley dipped low for the gun but had to duck back as Lawson slashed across him with his blade.
Which is exactly what Riley had wanted.
Riley seized Lawson’s wrist as he stepped into the arc as the blade passed, stomped hard down on the arch of the other man’s right foot even as he twisted, pivoted and threw him over his hip.
Lawson grunted as he slammed hard against the floor, crying out as Riley booted him hard in the ribs. He scurried backwards across the floor, losing his knife in the process.
Riley took two steps forward as Lawson got to his feet and booted the other man in the stomach before upper-cutting him in his face as he doubled over.
Lawson was thrown back and cracked his head hard against the far wall, slumping loosely into a puddle of sewer water.
“Then I guess you just choked”, Riley said coldly, although Lawson was too unconscious to appreciate his attempt at wit.
Riley holstered the knife and went over to pick up the rifle. Who was Lawson working for? Somebody else in the upper ranks maybe? Or maybe he was covering a mistake one of his buddies made? Pretty risky if that’s –
Riley saw the blood trail.
Large droplets and splashes of blood, as if from a deep wound, led from the grotto into the dark passage that went deeper into the sewer system.
If this is where the fight started, then perhaps Buffy ran and took the fight elsewhere, the other demon giving chase.
It was a trail that could be followed, so Riley readied the rifle in his hands and stepped towards the exit. He glanced hesitantly back at Lawson’s prone form, leaving him here was putting him at risk, this sector was still far from secure.
But the guy had a radio; he could call for assistance when he eventually came around. That was good enough for Riley – the man had pulled a gun on him after all.
Leaving Lawson and the question of who he was working for behind, Riley ventured into the dark after Buffy.

*~~*

Buffy finished rising the last of blood, gunk and sewer off of her and stepped out of the shower.
She felt better, more like a normal girl. The shower had allowed her to soothe away the last of the aches and pains from the fight with Walsh’s pets, not to mention washing out the nasty cut on her hand that was starting to heal up.
While she’d been bathing Buffy had pondered her situation. Things got more and more complex. She’s spun into a downward spiral of confusion and badness, not knowing why people did the things they did, or even who to trust anymore. It just all kept coming nonstop; Faith, Riley, the Initiative, Walsh.
Buffy sighed. Walsh. Dealing with Walsh and the Initiative would have to wait until tomorrow, Buffy couldn’t imagine that tracking this demon would be easy with Spike leading the way, or that actually killing it would be a picnic either. Still, Giles had seemed to think it was urgent enough, and a battle against some uncomplicated evil thing might actually cheer her up: no doubts, no over-thinking, and no having to watch her back for betrayals.
‘Except for spending the evening with Spike, don’t forget. Can’t go trusting him either.’
Until Walsh was dealt with, Buffy felt it best to stay clear of campus, so she’d headed for home, much to her Mom’s delight. She’d told Spike to wait outside and had hurried up to shower and change.
But to Buffy, the house was still too familiar to her, too full of memories that seemed to ghost, her leaving nothing but a dull ache in her heart. Midnight kitchen snacks, stolen kisses out in the corridor late at night, warm snuggling in the bedroom…
Buffy went to her room and quickly dressed in appropriate nightly slaying attire, taking comfort in the familiar ritual of preparing for patrol; dark sweatpants, tank top, leather jacket and a studier pair of fashionable boots. An outfit she hadn’t taken to college and therefore hadn’t worn since high school.
Simpler days, or at least it seemed so now.
Without lingering Buffy grabbed her axe that she’d taken from Giles’ place, plus a crossbow from her closet, and packed them into her satchel. This evening the town was still pretty busy and nothing said ‘conspicuous’ like toting medieval weaponry around everywhere.
That done she tied her damp hair back in a scarf before taking a breath and making her way down the stairs. She frowned when she heard her Mom and Spike talking in the kitchen.
“But I could see that she’d altered the invoice after the fact, so she wouldn’t get into trouble. She was clearly trying to play me for a fool”, she heard her Mom complaining.
“Some people”, Spike scoffed in reply.
Buffy came in to see her Mom and Spike chatting away and having tea. ‘What was with her?’
Her Mom turned to her and smiled kindly. “Hi honey, did you get yourself cleaned up okay? Put your dirty clothes in the washer?”
Spike looked her up and down. “Look at you, all quaffed and spiffy.” Spike smirked dryly.
“What are you doing?” Buffy asked her Mom, “You’re giving him tea now?”
Her Mom smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Buffy. But I can’t help it. I’m just a nature hostess.”
Spike smiled and raised his mug. “Thanks for the cuppa, Joyce.”
Buffy glared at him. “Spike, get out.” She turned back to her Mom before adding, “And leave the cup.”
Spike set down the remains of his drink and left via the back door.
Buffy sighed and pushed back a strand of hair. “We’ll have a talk later about who you give hospitality to, Mom.”
Her Mom brightened at that. “So, you’ll be coming back then?”
Buffy paused and shrugged awkwardly. “Uh, sure. I mean... things at college are kind of crazed right about now but... soon. Promise.”
Her Mom nodded patiently in understanding. “Well, sweetie, you go and have fun with Spike.”
Buffy frowned and shot her Mom an annoyed look as she stepped out onto the back porch. She found Spike having a smoke.
She glowered at him as he blew a cloud of smoke. “You really have a nerve, you know that?”
Spike shrugged and gave her a sideways sardonic look. “Least your Mum knows how to treat a guest. Might as well get somethin’ outta this evening.”
Buffy folded her arms. “Just because she doesn’t know you like I do, Spike.”
Spike’s lips curled into a smile. “Then maybe you should spend more time with her, have a long chat about me. She’d like that. Or maybe you’ve got better things to do these days.”
Buffy frowned. “Meaning what?”
Spike stubbed his cigarette out on the porch. “Could be a bit nicer to her is all. Since she’s missing you so terribly.”
Buffy huffed and stalked down the steps. “I’m not going to be lectured by you about how to treat my Mom. You probably ate yours, all vampires do.”
Spike remained silent, just clenched his jaw.
“Ooh, did I hit a nerve?”
“Shut yer gob!” Spike grumbled harshly.
Buffy just smiled sweetly. “Gladly. Now the sooner you lead me to this demon, the sooner we can part ways. Let’s not make this night any longer than it needs to be.”
Spike swaggered angrily and pushed past her as he muttered. “You know what, I hope this demon does kill you, and then it can bring you back so I can smash your soddin’ face in.”
With that he stormed off into the night. Buffy, hefting her weapons bag, quickly followed. Wryly noting that it was nice to know where she still stood with some people.

*~~*

Faith stepped into the room where six men were waiting for her. It was a large workout room, with all the weights and fitness equipment having been pushed off the one side, leaving a large expanse of exercise mat for Faith’s ‘training’ to begin. Again the far wall was made up of a large, one way mirror set at waist-high for observation, presumably so some of the scientists could perv as people got all sweaty in here.
All six guys were big, wearing the casual green sweats that Faith has seen most of the marines wearing. She recognised one of them from the interrogation room, black, bald, scowling right at her. Nice to know she made a memorable first impression.
“Hey boys,” Faith smiled widely, flirting a little, “You all waiting for me so we can get down to some fun, huh?” Faith remembered Walsh’s words of caution. ‘Try to avoid giving them any permanent injury; the infirmary is already getting crowded.’
The soldier boys all looked at her warily; she guessed that they knew something about what she was and what she could do. So, time to give their minds something else to think about.
Faith wandered towards the group slowly, noting that all of them were armed with those baton things that cops had, although none of them had them to hand. Faith made a show of slowly rolling her shoulders and shucking off her jacket so it fell behind her. She saw a few pairs of eyes momentarily lose their warily look as they eyed her. ‘Guys are so easy.’
“Now, you boys gotta promise to be gentle. Never taken six on at one time before.” She made a show of rolling her lips as she smiled teasingly.
She saw the exact moment when three of the guys un-tense and relaxed a little, they stopped seeing her as much of a threat, more of a chance for a hook-up afterwards. They’d hesitate when things got going, give Faith the opening she needed. She focused on the three others, all grim and unsmiling, ready to draw their batons and throw down.
‘Heh. That was one of those flirty double-meaning things.’
One, the bald guy from earlier, looked like he wanted to go all out and attack her right now, but he also knew how strong she was, so he wouldn’t go first. He’d wait for an opening and try and take her down hard.
Another guy, a huge blonde with a square jaw and a crew cut who was standing to her immediate left, wasn’t so much tense as aggressively confident. Faith reckoned that he would try and take her first; he was itching to knock the little girl on her ass. She’d have to take him down hard, shake the confidence of the others.
The third was lean, with wiry muscles and short red hair. He was taking his cue from the black guy, watching how he reacted and then mirroring it, he was probably his subordinate, and wouldn’t attack before he did.
Right. Faith reasoned that she had enough of a handle on things to begin.
This wouldn’t take long.
She made a show of turning so the blonde giant was behind her and to her left, like he was in a blind spot, as she turned and smiled to the cute Hispanic guy to her right. He was struggling not to smile at her.
She made a show of nibbling her bottom lip like she was nervous. “Before we get started, uh, what’s your name?”
A little more relaxed, he replied “It’s Hernandez–” Faith didn’t let him finish before she kicked him between the legs.
Not hard, not vicious, not like she was trying for a field goal or anything. Just direct enough to drop him gasping and choking to the ground. One down.
Even as she turned, Faith felt movement behind her, she pivoted on her right hip and threw her left elbow back and up at the blonde guy. She figured that he would try and rush and grab her in a bear hug instead of hitting her, a guy that size probably figured he was stronger than damn near anyone. Her elbow was aimed roughly at his chin so he’d run into it, but her aim was a little off so as his arms closed around her the elbow struck him in the throat.
He stopped mid-grapple as he wheezed out a cough, and Faith was already turning under his arms. Her right fist punched him solidly in the nerve cluster below his sternum even as she swept her right leg so it knocked him forward and off balance. Faith ducked under his right arm as he dropped to his hands and knees like he’d been pole-axed. She finished him off by stomping her boot down on the middle of his back, slamming his face against the floor. Two down.
Even as the other four marines were oh-so-slowly coming alive, getting ready to charge her, Faith pushed off the blonde guys prone body and leapt over him at a third guy with an unfortunate buzz cut. He was still reeling from the sight of his three hundred pound buddy getting dropped that he didn’t get his arm up in time to stop Faith’s elbow connecting solidly with the side of his head. He fell groggily to one knee and Faith finished him with a hard kick to the chest that sent him flipping over onto his back. Three.
The bald guy finally came at her. His baton smashing her across the face as she turned towards him, Faith took the blow easily and ducked a fierce backswing meant to deliver more of the same before sweeping his leg out from under him. She grabbed the guy as his was in mid-fall and swung him at his two soldier pals before letting go.
The wiry guy dodged to one side as the other two went down in a scrambling heap. He came at her cautiously, snapping at her with his club. Faith waded into him, first a backhand to send him staggering, then a knee to the stomach. He came back at her with a solid punch of his own, Faith answered by head-butting him hard enough to send him careening back against the wall, where he slumped to the ground. Two to go.
Those remaining two picked themselves up as Hernandez was still trying to get his knees. Faith was impressed.
She grinned at the last two guys and flexed her fingers eagerly, blood rushing through her limbs. She imagined that these guys were the tools that had shot her down the last time, or even had zapped her back at Angel’s place. She’d gone easy on the last four, not with these two.
She launched herself against both men, snapping an elbow against one’s face, and slamming her knuckles into the nose of the bald guy so he backed off. She kicked the knee of one so he stumbled against her before she picked him up by the throat and slammed him down heavily onto the dizzy form of Hernandez. Both of them lay still.
The bald guy was swaying, his nose bleeding from her last punch. He glared at her. “Freak.”
“Aw, you’re just a sore loser.” With that Faith spun and decked him with a fierce roundhouse. He flew back and tumbled to the ground with a choked gasp. She stood over him and smiled. “Instead of just being a loser.”
With that Faith turned to the observation window with a triumphant grin. “So, whaddya think? Did I make the cut?”

On the other side of the mirror, Walsh turned to Angleman. “Time?”
The man blinked once at the display he’d just seen. He dimly wondered if the Summers girl had been that... efficiently ruthless. He glanced at the timer. “12.8 seconds. Fast, if a little sloppy”, he said grudgingly.
Walsh nodded. “Fast and unrestrained. She could be a real asset to us.”
“Perhaps.” Angleman was wary, “But I think I can see another way she can be useful.”
Walsh merely raised an eyebrow.
Angleman put down the timer and picked up a dossier, handing it to Walsh. “Her test results, blood cultures, cell count, everything. I think she could be even more useful in another aspect of our work, not just capturing HSTs.”
Walsh busily looked over the test results. “In what way?”
Angleman took a deep breath. What he was going to suggest wasn’t pretty. “In regards to the project. To 314.”
Walsh looked at him coldly for a long moment, so long that he thought that maybe he’d crossed the line. But then she blinked. “I’m listening.”

*~~*

‘Note to self, kids playgrounds are really spooky at night and should totally be avoided.’
Buffy followed Spike across the grassy clearing to a large circle of brown, dead grass edged by a charred pattern of sigils written across the ground. Buffy shone her flashlight across the blackened earth, making a mental note of the patterns so the brains of the outfit (Giles and Willow) might be able to pin down more about what had been going on here. Maybe a counter-spell or a reversal spell or... something smart like that.
“Creepy.” Buffy muttered to herself as she ran her eyes over the dusty soil, so dry it looked like the very life of the earth had been drained away by something.
Spike smirked as he lit a cigarette. “Most summonings aren’t exactly a picnic slayer.”
Buffy ignored his jibe, instead circling the site cautiously. “Tell me more about what you saw.”
Spike sighed in annoyance. “Big robey fella, chanting in a daft language. Twisting, screaming corpse – “He paused thoughtfully, “Was one of those army blokes.”
Buffy snapped her head towards him. “The guy was Initiative? You’re mentioning this now?” She glanced around warily, “They could be here any second.”
Spike smiled wistfully. “Wouldn’t worry about it. They’ll probably run into this thing long before you do. Keep ‘em nice and occupied it will. Might actually be a laugh.”
Buffy was about to reply when the wind suddenly picked up. One of the swings creaked ominously and then, in an instant, there was a robed figure standing there, equidistant between Buffy and Spike. “Good evening, Slayer.” The voice was cold and harsh, but also held a hint of dry amusement.
‘Great. Another bad guy with a flair for the dramatic.’
“That’s him.” Spike nodded at the figure helpfully.
Buffy unshouldered her weapons bag as she pointed her flashlight at the ground near the figure. “Nice entrance. With the cheesy wind effects and the billowy robes. Really it’s a classic. Not at all camp.”
The figure inclined its head at her. “I heard you were annoyingly talkative for a slayer. But I wanted to see for myself. I’m... not impressed.”
Buffy nodded evenly. “That makes two of us. But I think you should know that we don’t really go in for dark rituals in these here parts.” With a flourish and a smile she pulled out the crossbow, “I’m gonna have to run you out of town. You like that? More to the point, doncha think?”
The figure didn’t react. But its next words stopped Buffy cold. “Faith is none of your concern.” The words were softly spoken yet chilling, “She belongs to another and is beyond your help, Slayer.”
Buffy’s smile was gone. Her eyes were blazing. “What do you want with Faith?”
The figure chuckled darkly. “I want for nothing. But my master hungers for everything. And Faith will deliver it.”
“Your master?” Buffy replied levelly, “Let me guess, does he have an even bigger robe? Diabolical laugh and all that walking against the wind crap?”
“His gaze is upon you.” The figure answered simply, before turning its attention to Spike, who had been watching with dry amusement, “So this is the slayer you failed to kill William?”
Spike shrugged then looked nonplussed. “Just bad luck an... Hang on a mo. You’ve ‘eard of me?” He sounded mildly smug at the thought.
The figure nodded slightly. “The legendary William the Bloody, killer of slayers. I am honoured.” Then it rasped out a dry mocking laugh. “Of course, knowing how you started out has taken the shine off slightly.”The figure stepped closer its voice a lower whisper that Buffy almost didn’t catch what it said next, “’Hark, ‘tis the simpering, clotted idiot of a poet who clings to his mother’s apron strings.”
Spike’s face twisted in fury. “Bugger off, you soddin’–“
But the figure overrode him with a mocking sneer. “Desperately scrambling from one poor deluded doxy to another, a failed broken twisted failure –”
Spike roared and charged forward, lashing out with one furious fist at his tormenter. The figure casually stepped to one side to dodge, but had quit its diatribe, simply tittering derisively instead.
But Spike’s chip didn’t go off, which meant it was non-human. Buffy quickly levelled the crossbow at the figure’s back and fired off a shot. The bolt flew true, straight at the robed... thing. And slid right through right it like a ghost.
Buffy heard Spike curse in pained surprise and stumble back with the bolt lodged in his shoulder.
“Put this sorry creature out of its misery, Slayer. Let his life end as it began; in ignominious failure.”
With that the figure turned and fled on foot towards the tree line. Buffy stooped to grab her axe, although unsure how to hurt a... whatever this thing was. A ghost? A demon? A ghost-demon? Was that even a thing?
Buffy saw Spike flash past her as he ran full tilt after the fleeing figure, but since their foe could teleport out of nowhere and become all phantom-y, Buffy wondered what the hell Spike was going to do if and when he caught up with it.
“Spike. It’s a trick!” she shouted in wasted breath as she watched his retreating form drop into the shadows of the tree line. Gritting her teeth and gripping her axe firmly, Buffy picked up her feet and ran after the two.
The long night was looking even longer.

*~~*

Lawson was woken up by his nose.
A throbbing pain cut through the fog of his head as his eyes flicked open. The dank smell of sewer greeted him. He slowly sat up, dimly realising that he was wallowing in scummy water, and pressed a hand over his nose.
Not broken, just badly busted.
Riley was gone, as was the gun. Dammit.
Lawson slowly turned himself over onto his knees, braced one hand against an overflow pipe and hauled himself upright. He had to get out of the sewers, report Finn’s insubordination.
He noticed that his right hand was heavily smeared with greasy blackish blood, demon blood that had pooled around the corpse over to the other side. So where had this come from?
Lawson looked at the overflow pipe that he’d braced himself against. It lay about a foot off the ground, wide and flattened like an oval, not quite enough for somebody to squeeze through.
But something was in there.
Lawson pushed his hand carefully into the mouth of the pipe, feeling the same greasily slickness against his fingers. Maybe the other demon had escaped this way after all. His fingers brushed against something, he froze, cautious, before gently feeling around the solid mass. It was wet and slippery and had some kind of covering wrapped around it. Like clothing.

Lawson grimaced.
Apparently Miss Summers hadn’t gone far at all, or at least parts of her hadn’t. It couldn’t have been the most pleasant end for her, torn apart and left strew about the sewer.
Lawson vaguely wondered if Riley would find some part of the girl while desperately searching about for her.
Lawson bitterly hoped that Riley found her head.
Getting a better grip on the limb, he pulled the sucking, clogging limb out of the pipe. It resisted at first before popping loose with an obscenely wet plop onto to the ground.
It was a demon foot. Or more accurately, most of a leg. It had been bisected at the knee before being hastily stuffed down the waste pipe.
Lawson glanced back at the demon that lay in the centre of the chamber. It still had two legs.
That meant that the slayer was still alive and killing.
“Shit.”
- 7
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