-
The thrill of the hunt is what drove Faith. It wasn’t just the sudden burst of joy when she made the kill, it was the whole part of the hunt, from simple patrolling around to looking for any potential vampire or demon to when she stalked after, to the adrenalin rush when she ran after and fought against it all the way to when she made the kill. She did enjoy making the kill, but sometimes it was not quite enough. Sometimes it had only merely whet her appetite, made her hungry for more. There were times when she felt the simple kill would not be enough for her and worried that it might lead her down a dark path again.
No. She refused to allow her sink into her dark past and become the rogue Slayer again. She had several reasons to not go down that path and many of them had names. She had friends now, and there were times when those friends felt more like a family to her. Giles even tried to be like a father to her when they were working together before she flew to Orlando. Lyra felt like a little sister. The rest of the Avengers were like cousins. Spike felt like the goofy and crazy uncle and even Drusilla was starting to feel like a daughter to her.
Xander was a bit different. At times he felt like a brother, both older and twin and other times he was more like a boyfriend or husband. Okay she needed to stop thinking now before she grossed her self out at allusion of incest.
“Your head looks heavy,” Xander complimented as he walked next to Faith while they patrolled together. The vampires were feeding from cows again and the kids were dealing with what Ace phrased as back-to-school-post-holiday-vacation blahs.
“I’m not tired,” Faith said. She had been sleeping well, getting in at least eight hours, or course that was usually sometime between four in the morning and noon. At least she wasn’t sleeping until three in the afternoon anymore.
“No I meant you have a lot of thoughts. Your head looks so full of them they might start dribbling out of your ears.
“First that’s kind of gross,” Faith said and shuddered. “And second, yeah I am. I’m throwing myself in the game, becoming the hunter after her prey and loving every second of it and it kind of scares me.”
“You’re afraid of turning bad again?”
“Yeah.”
“There was a time when letting the darkness overtake you didn’t bother you. The fact that it worries you has shown how much you grown.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“I know another reason why you will stay the course. The Avengers, not because you are part of the team but you are protective of those kids and you wouldn’t want to disappoint them.
“Not as much as I want to disappoint you,” Faith said softly, but not as soft as she had hoped because Xander was giving her a surprised yet appreciative look. “Hey I hear something.” She ran up ahead.
Faith was not telling a complete lie when she had said that she had heard something. It was a tiny crunch that was a bit of distance away. She thought it might have been nothing but she had to get out of that awkward situation. She continued to run until she came near the bank of a large pond or small lake. It was hard to tell in this state.
There were several vampires leaning over something at the edge. One of them had a knife and they were all wearing robes. This was not a good sign.
Xander caught up with her and saw the small crowd. “About to carve out a snack for later?”
“Looks more like a sacrifice,” Faith said. “Or something to do with a ritual. Can’t really tell with all the night.” She did not have a knife or a crossbow on her. She just had a couple of stakes and that should be enough. She ran down and slammed her stake through the back of one of the robed vampires before any of them could react.
“A private party and we weren’t invited?” Xander asked as he staked another. “I’m insulted. What about you, Faith?”
“You know me,” Faith said before grunts from punching, kicking and blocking various blows. “I live for a party.”
“Hey where are you going?” Xander asked as one of the vampires ran away. “The fun just started.” He ran after that vampire only to have his path blocked by two more.
Faith knocked another vampire back and spun around to stake another. The one she knocked back advanced on her and she struck it in the face a few times before she staked it.
Xander was not having better luck. He was not attacking the vampires but instead he was just blocking there attacks.
“No fair hogging the fun,” Faith said as she pulled one of the vamps off. She kicked it back before she threw herself and tackled it. Once they had hit the ground she plunged her stake into its chest.
Xander had already dusted the other vampire. There was tiny and musical clang sound once the dust had settled. Xander leaned over the ground and picked something up.
“One still got away,” Faith grumbled and sought what they were doing. Her heart fell when she saw the dead body of an alligator on the grass. “Poor gator.” She wondered why they had a gator when vamps didn’t care for reptile blood. When she got close enough she saw the hole in its chest.
“Faith, I found something.” Xander said. He was holding up a ring.
“So have I.” She pointed out the gator.
“Normally I would be freaking out if I was this close to an alligator,” Xander said. “Actually check that I am freaking out. They took its heart?”
“Looks like.” She looked over at him. “What’s with the Cracker Jack surprise?”
“One left a ring behind,” Xander said. “Usually everything they wear also turns to dust, including the stake if you are not holding it.”
“That special decoder ring has it heavy on the special?”
“Looks like our Research Girl has a job.”
-
Abigail stirred the logs around in the fireplace. She was entertained by the crackling sounds of the embers and the way the flames danced. Of course it made her want to smoke. She removed a cigarette from the pack and placed it in her mouth. She did not have to worry about her father ordering here to take it outside. Not since their new master had given her permission to light up wherever she wanted. As soon as she had lit the cigarette she turned to the direction she had last seen her father.
“I’m going to be enjoying a smoke now,” Abigail shouted. “Just letting you know since you don’t want to be smelling this.”
“Not everyone enjoys the smell,” a warm voice greeted her. “Most find them to reek actually.” Jerry approached her, dressed in a bathrobe and pajamas and carrying a bottle of brandy and two glasses.
“Why did you give me permission to smoke if you don’t like the smell?” Abigail asked.
“You brought me back.” He smiled. “Both you and your father brought me back. I should allow you both to have some creature comforts.”
“My father hates it,” Abigail said before he took a drag. “You are denying my father his comfort.”
“I allow him his vices.” He sat down next to her. “I’m not certain if I care for that black magic he’s into but I shall allow it in my house.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Our house.” He held up the bottle. “Care for some?”
“Sure.” She wished she was wearing something else besides a sweater and a pair of jeans, especially a dark blue sweater with pink and white snowflakes. She could not believe how gorgeous he was and that voice was so sensual and soothing.
“It is going to take getting used to,” he said as he poured the brandy into the glasses.
“The worlds merging together?”
“Not quite that. I am talking about the gap in time. Everything is different now. Everyone can carry their phone in a pocket and they have their own special ways to ring, and some you can play games on or take pictures or access the Internet. This whole Internet itself with electronic mail and programs where you can send quick messages. I am surprised and a bit disappointed with the lack of flying cars, but I should give it time.”
“Cause your immortal and all.” She took a sip of her brandy. The liquid was soothing and warm as it went down her throat.
“Precisely. There are a few differences in your original word that I believe I can get used to. These other kind of vampires do make good servants. I can arm myself against any demon that would give me trouble.”
“There are also Vampire Slayers.”
He chuckled. Even his laugh was sexy. “I have dealt with so called Vampire Slayers before and I end up being done by one who was an actor.”
“No not your average vampire hunter. I’m talking about Slayers. She who is the only one who has the strength the speed and skill to take on the vampires, demons and other creatures of the night. They are girls and young women with powers and there was this one whole Slayer line where when one Slayer dies then another is called, but then Buffy did something and now there are hundreds of them.”
“Buffy?” Jerry repeated the name.
“Yeah that’s her name. She and her witch friend used something to make all of the potential Slayers active. My father was a little pleased with that since it did throw off the balance of the world, kinda of like when we merged the two worlds together but now they are practically everywhere. I came across two in Orlando.”
“Orlando.” Jerry’s smile turned into a scowl. “Where Brewster now lives.”
“You just say the time and we will be down there like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“All in good time. Revenge is best served when it is well plotted.” He paused to take a sip from his glass. “Your father showed me some of his photos. Including ones of his enemies.” He pulled out a picture from his pocket. “He never told me the name of this one. Just said he was Ripper’s little friend.” He held the picture so Abigail could take a good look at it. It was a picture of Buffy and it looked like it was cut out from a yearbook.
“That’s Buffy.”
“The queen of the Slayers,” Jerry said as he looked at the picture. There was a glimmer of interest in his eyes.
-
Faith shouted out in a feral cry when she struck the dummy with her fist. She spun around and gave it a kick to the top and to the bottom before she pulled herself behind it and pulled out a knife and brought it to the throat of the figure.
“Am I learning how to be a better Slayer or a mugger?” Lyra asked. They were in the backroom training while Ronnie was researching the ring and Xander and the boys were looking up the ring in the books. Rissa had left to get snacks.
“This is when you are fighting a demon,” Faith instructed. “Not everything dies with a wooden stake to the chest.”
“Okay let me try.” Lyra said and selected a knife. She kicked and struck at the monster in the same manner as Faith and at the last second she dodged behind the dummy and brought her knife up against his throat.
“Not bad, but a little slow at the end,” Faith critiqued. “And one of your kicks needed a bit more oomph.”
“How do you define oomph?” Lyra asked.
“Like this.” Faith gave the dummy a good kick and knocked the head off. “Uh, maybe not that much oomph.”
“Found it,” Ronnie shouted from her place in front of the laptop. She had recently gotten her hair cut and styled to where it reached an inch above her shoulders.
“What do you have for me?” Xander asked. He looked a little exhausted from going through the books.
“The ring has the emblem of the Tarasquian Knights,” Ronnie explained. “They are a group of vampires who try to raise up a Tarasque and with an enchanted item try to control it.”
“What’s a Tarasque?” Ace asked a question that Faith and few others wanted to ask.
“I know,” Tyler said as he put down the book he was reading and picked up another. “I know I saw the name somewhere around here.” He flipped through the pages. “Here we go. A Tarasque is a type of wingless dragon with six bear like legs, a spiky turtle shell and the head of a lion. The creature was tamed by Saint Martha in France.”
“These vamps want to summon something that looks like Bowser?” Ace asked and when everyone looked at him. “You know, Bowser Koopa from the Mario games?”
“I never did have any good luck with knights,” Xander said as he had closed the book. “Does the website say how they are going to raise it or where or when?”
“Yes it does,” Ronnie said as she read on. “They need four items. The teeth from a rabid bear, the eyes of a well fed wild cat, the stinger of a large scorpion and the heart of a brominating reptile. They shall combine these items of the first full moon of the new year where knights come together for knowledge.”
“Tomorrow knight is the full moon,” Tyler said.
“And Dru’s and Buffy’s birthday,” Xander said. “We’ll celebrate the next night.”
“And they will do it at UCF,” Ronnie added. “The mascot is the golden knight.”
“So we have a time and place,” Xander said. “We are going to need to bring the big guns.”
“Actual guns?” Ace asked in a hopeful tone. It was a little too hopeful and it scared Faith a little.
“Not so fast feather boy,” Xander said. “No guns for you. We will be using other weapons and by we I mean not you.”
“Swords and axes?” Faith asked.
“Exactly.”
“I haven’t trained with an axe yet,” Lyra said in a worried tone. “And I’m not great with a sword.”
“You are good with it,” Faith assured her. “Leave the axe to me.”
-
The waiting and seeking is what got to Faith. She hated the idea of having to wait for something to be summoned or emerge or something. At least they were covering good range. They had divided into teams of two, or three as it were with Faith and they wandered around the almost quiet campus.
“Secret societies and knights,” Charley commented as they walked around the chemistry building. “I know I keep saying that things like this shouldn’t surprise me, but they actually end up surprising me.”
“I’m part of this world and it still surprises me,” Ronnie said. “I guess now knowing all that there is I almost want to do my own boom de yada song.”
“Too late,” Faith said. She remembered how she and a group of twenty Slayers decided to organize a filk of the popular Discovery channel song. It came about after several hours of researching the occult. “Already have one and please don’t ask me to sing it.”
“I wonder why we are in the groups that we have been divided in?” Ronnie asked. “I kinda know that Tyler wont pair of with anyone with fangs and you want to make sure there is at least one capable fighter in each group.”
“Unicorn boy was either going to be with Xander, or me” Faith said. “Cause of what you said about Tyler and we want to make sure there will be some actually slaying and not lip locking.”
“Now that’s not fair,” Charley protested. “I’m a bit too mature for that.”
“You maybe.” Faith pointed. “Can’t say for certain about your jail bait of a girlfriend.”
“We only kiss after we won the fight,” Charley explained. “Extra motivation, not that surviving wasn’t good enough.”
“There is also the fact that I don’t want to be teamed up with count dorkula and I don’t like the idea of Lyra being with him, no offense.”
“None taken,” Charley said as he held up his hands. “I can’t say I blame you.”
“Guys,” the voice belonged to Rissa over the intercom. “The nest has been spotted. At the library and in front of the little pool.”
“We were just there a few minutes ago,” Ronnie said. “Not to mention that is the most obvious place.”
“They are there now,” Faith said before the three of them ran towards the library but kept to the bushes and shadows. They snuck up closer and could see the two cousins hiding in the shadows.
Tyler gasped and closed his eyes. “Don’t do that.”
“Did they hear anything?” Ronnie asked.
“Nope,” Rissa answered. “I do see the others.”
Faith leaned out at just enough angle where she could see without being seen. She could see several vampires standing in front of them and wearing robes. They were chanting and throwing items in the pool. She can also see four figures across the pool near the admin building.
“Unicorn Boy, you have the rifle?” Faith asked.
“Just give me the word,” Charley said as he aimed the weapon at one of the vampires.
“Ronnie, let the others know,” Faith commanded.
“Done and done,” Ronnie said as she picked up the radio. “We are about to fire.”
“We are ready at our end,” Xander’s voice came through. “Ready, Aim, and Dust.”
Charley fired the rifle and the stake flew through the air and into the back of one of the vampires at the right angle. It turned to dust as two other vampires have. Charley fired again while the group of vamps were looking around in confusion. Several turned to attack them while the other group ran to take on the others.
“Time to play,” Faith said as she ran out with her axe swinging. She blocked the attack from while she block kicked another. A third was about to attack her when she swung the ax and took its head. She continued to swing, kick, block and chop until she was surrounded by the corpses of headless vampires.
There were no other bodies and Faith was certain she had seen more but figured they were either dusted by the others or they were burned to ash by Ronnie’s water rifle.
“Evil, no,” Xander cried as the idiot vampire dusted the last one. A shiny blue glass sphere fell from where it was being held by the vampire and broke upon impact with the ground. “Great. I bet that was what they used to control it.”
“What’s the problem?” Evil asked as he strut about. He did not see the bubbling action behind him. “We stopped them from summoning the monster right?”
“Ed,” Charley gasped and pointed behind his friend at blueish purple creature that was rising.
Evil turned around as the water settled revealing a large creature. It had a bulky blue shell that was a deep blue color in the center that gradually lightened to the bottom. The edge of the shell plus the legs were more of a blue green that eventual became more of a light teal at the paws. It’s scorpion like tail was also more of an aqua near the base that became bluer from each segment to a blue purple and ending with a violate stinger. The lion head was covered in blue-purple scales. It’s mane was purple near the roots that grew out more of a reddish violate. It stared at Evil with bright yellow eyes before it growled.
“Shit!” Evil cried before his body turned to mist and he drifted away.
“Got you sword Little Star?” Faith asked.
“Yeah,” Lyra said. The poor girl was scared shitless.
The Tarasque roared before it bounded before them. It chased after Tyler and Ronnie.
“Hey come and get me.” Faith called after it. “I’m not running.”
The beast turned and ran towards Faith but changed direction as the last second. Faith swung her axe and the blade got caught in the side of the shell. She did not let go and was pulled along for the ride. The beast was not heading towards anyone and seemed to be mindlessly running down the street away from the campus.
Faith grunted as she grabbed onto the bottom of the shell. She used her feet to get a good grip of the handle of the ax near the base. Using her strength she boosted herself up and grabbed around one of the base of the shell spikes. She hauled her self up higher and put one foot on the edge of the shell and grabbed around another spike. When she had a good grip she reached down for her axe when she saw that it had dislodged itself and fell to the ground. After she had cursed herself for being careless she climbed to the top of the shell using the spikes as a ladder.
“Now what?” Faith asked once she had reached the top. She could hear the panting of the lion along with the sound of a motorcycle. She crawled around the top of the shell until she was able to look over the head. It wasn’t chasing after anyone on a motorcycle.
Gunshot was heard from the side. Was it the police? She looked over and saw the motorcycle was driving alongside the beast and the rider was shooting at it. The rider was also wearing a black leather duster and had almost white hair. Faith did not expect to see Spike that evening. He said he wanted to stay home with Dru.
The Tarasque growled and swiped one of its large paws at Spike, knocking him off of his bike before it looked up and sniffed the air. It veered left and continued onto it’s new path for a few yards before it stopped, lowered its head and ate something from the ground. It plodded ahead a few yards and ate something else.
There was no crunching or chewing sounds. The only thing Faith heard was the faint sound of someone singing.
A woman stepped out from where she was hiding. As the Tarasque made his way to her, Faith could see that it was Drusilla.
“Dru get out of here!” Faith cried out.
Drusilla did not pay any attention. She continued to sing Amazing Grace and throw handfuls of something from a box at the creature.
“Leave her alone.” Faith shouted as she grabbed the ends of the mane and pulled back.
The beast growled and lashed its tail forward. Faith turned around at the last second and grabbed onto the bulb like bulge of the stinger. She held onto it as the tail waggled back and forth until she could not hold on any longer and was flung from the creature.
‘So this is how I’m going to die,’ Faith thought as she flew through the air. Her ride ended with her impacting something soft and felt arms around her. She opened her eyes and saw that she that she was still several feet above the ground.
“Don’t worry,” Ace said as they slowly lowered to the ground. “I got you.”
“I’m gonna save the Superman quote for another time,” Faith said and looked up. She saw the flapping of the large black wings. “Holy shit, you really can fly with those.”
“Took some practice and I still occasionally crash into trees,” Ace explained once they reached the ground.
“Never mind me,” Faith said. “That thing is about to snack on Drusilla.”
The only thing that separated Dru from the monster was a couple of wolves. Both of them were biting at the beast’s paws.
“No. bad boys,” Dru scolded while she shook her finger at them. “Bad Charley, Bad Ed.”
The beast cried and swiped at the wolves and knocked them aside before he returned his focus to Drusilla. It continued to snap at the snacks as it neared her.
“Is it me or is it getting smaller?” Ace asked. The creature seemed to the size of a one story house when it first was summoned and now it seemed somewhere in between the size of a house and an elephant.
“It does look smaller,” Faith said. “But it’s still dangerous.”
The beast was only inches in front of Drusilla and it was making a low rumbling sound from its throat. It took only Faith a few seconds before she realized it was purring.
“All gone,” Drusilla said as she dropped the empty box. “If you be a good boy you can have a nice big fish instead of a bunch of little kippers.”
The Tarasque lowered it’s head and licked Dru with a long and forked tongue, almost knocking the poor girl over.
“What the hell is going on?” Xander asked as he finally caught up. “And is that thing smaller?”
The beast was now the size of an elephant and continued to lick Dru. It flopped down on the street and rolled over onto it’s back. Dru stood on her toes to reach up and pet its belly.
“I’m still confused.”
“Bloody hell.” Spike limped up them. He glared at the beast. “Is that thing getting smaller?”
Ronnie’s car drove up and stopped. The doors opened and Tyler, Ronnie and Lyra got out and approached them. Lyra was holding Faith’s axe.
“We found it on the side of the road,” the younger slayer said as she handed it back to Faith.
“Thanks Little Star.” Faith grabbed her ax and turned around to see the beast had shrunk again to rhino size. “Why is it doing that?”
“Rissa,” Tyler explained. “She’s shrinking it down to a more manageable size, figure it would be easier to kill, but we didn’t expect to see this.”
“Tyler, you remember what you read about the dragon?” Ronnie asked. “How it was defeated?”
“It was tamed by a Saint,” Tyler said. “I know Drusilla is religious but she’s no saint.”
“Actually you are a bit wrong,” Spike said. “If Angelus hadn’t sired her she would have become a saint. Her purity and the visions was what made her a target to him.”
They continued to watch the creature as it shrank to the size of a Clydesdale then to a Polo Pony.
“Charley,” Lyra gasped as the other two vampires limped into view. They both were leaning against each other. Charley was dragging his leg and Ed was holding his arm. Both were as bruised as Spike.
“Where is that thing?” Ed demanded.
“That thing is still with Dru,” Xander said and pointed to the beast now the size of a Saint Bernard. “Rissa is shrinking it.”
“Good,” Ed said. “It will make it easier for me to kick, or punch with my one good arm.”
“I don’t thin she’s going to let you,” Faith said. The beast was now the size of a Cocker Spaniel and was rubbing up against Drusilla.
Rissa opened the back door of Ronnie’s car and fell out. The girl looked exhausted.
“Nerissa,” Tyler called out as he and Ace ran to her side.
“I think it’s small enough,” Rissa said before she fell asleep.
“No more magic for a while,” Ace said in a concerned tone.
“Agreed,” Tyler said.
“The kids should go home,” Faith said as she placed a hand on Xander’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do with the little guy. As long as it doesn’t hump my leg or claw up my clothes I’ll be five by five with it.”
Xander nodded. “I just hope its house broken.”
-