Corruption of Power
by scriptseeker2000
Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of its charcters. Honestly if I did I wouldn't be writiing this fiction.

Mayor Wilkens grabbed his stomach with one hand while trying to hold on to his speech in the other. He was bent over and breathing hard. The crowd looked on in a mixture of confusion and anticipation. Wilkens straighten himself back up and looked out in the crowd.

"I'm fine folks, nothing to worry about. As I was saying, you young people are entering a new stage in your life. The road won't be easy, but through hard work -" Wilkens stopped in his speech and grabbed his stomach once again. At the same time the skies were starting to become darker. The murmers in the crowd started to get louder. "Work anything" he contiunued only to have to stop again. This time he doubled over and grabbed his stomach with both hands. His cards fell on the stage beside him. He tried to continue but found the pain was too much for him to do so. Wilkens then looked to the sky and saw an eclipse about to occur.

"It seems I'm out of time. Which is a pity, I had this whole bit about public safety. Oh well, I guess we'll just move on to the grand finally," he finished.

With that there was a full eclipse and all of Sunnydale was bathed in darkness. Wilkens body began to shake and expand. Soon his human body was ripped to shreds and a huge snake rose from it. Immediately following the transformation vampires, polgara, sloth, fong, as well as other demons came out from under the huge stadium. Further down other various demons appeared at the bottom of the high school's staircase effectively blocking the only exit. Wilkens also had another surprise waiting in the school itself.

There was panic as the students, parents, and teachers rose from their seats. The parents and teachers were unsure what to do being surrounding on all sides by demons. However the students were not quite so confused on what they should do next.

Buffy turned to the graduates "NOW!!" she yelled and took off her robe showing the weapons underneath. The graduates followed her lead and removed their robes as well also having various weapons as well as crosses. Two flame throwers and propane tanks were also removed from their hiding places behind some bushes. The group stood tall and ready.

The mayor turned snake looked on in interest. "So slayer, you came prepared" he growled.

"Damn straight" responed Buffy "and as you can see we are not going to stand around and become your dinner. You have a real fight on your hands Wilkens."

"How rude, interrupting me before I was finished talking. Going into battle or not, that's just unexcusable. If you had let me finish before I would have explained you aren't prepared enough. I don't just have demons in my employ, humans are also on my payroll. Assasins, more specifically snipers planted at various windows around the school. So you see, I have you trapped by land and by air. Once I give the order for them to make themselves seen they will kill anyone who moves a muscle. I perfer to digest live meat, but dead will do just as well," said Wilkens.

"Your bluffing" said a slightly nervous sounding Buffy.

"I assure you I'm not." Wilkens then looked down at the demons under him. "Jared, please inform the snipers to take their aim."

A vampire looked up at Wilkens and nodded. He took a walkie talkie from his pocket and turned it on. "This is Jared to all sniper teams. Make yourself visible to the public boys," he finished with an evil smile on his face.

All the students, teachers, and graduates looked up into the school windows all around them. The only exception was Buffy who continued to look straight at Wilkens.

Seconds ticked by and no guns appeared out of any windows. The humans continued to look for them while the demons stared to look confused.

Jared pressed the button again "I repeat, all sniper units make yourself known." More seconds ticked by with no action in the windows. "Sniper team leaders report, what's the problem up there?" still nothing "Sniper team leader one come in." Silence "team leader two report" more silence "three?" asked Jared somewhat timidly. When he still got no response he looked up to the Mayor. "No one's responding boss, I don't know what's going on."

"What do you mean?!!" yelled Wilkens "They were at their positions 15 minutes ago when I call" said Wilkens in building fury.

While Jared muttered his confusion back inside the school a figure was looking out a window down at the entire scene. The figure was also standing over one of the dead sniper captains Jared had tried to contact. Ther figure had heard it all but did not respond as they now had the radio in their hand. In the other hand was a unique knife with blood running down it. The figure decided thay had seen and heard enough and walked over the body and out the door.

"I guess it's true what they say" said Buffy bringing Wilkens and the demons attention back to her. "Good help really is hard to find," she finished with a smile.

Wilkens looked at her with fire in his eyes. "You did this, I don't how how but some way you are responsible. First my Faithy and now this. Even without my snipers you still don't have a chance of defeating me."

"You're wrong Wilkens, and not only about us defeating you," said Buffy.

Wilkens was confused by that statement. Shaking himself he prepared to order the attack. Before he could Jared interuppted him.

"Sir, someone is finally responding from the sniper units. It's low but someone is definitely there."

Both demon and human stopped all action to hear Jared's next words.

"It's hard to hear. But is sounds like they're telling us to look at the school roof on the North Wing."

All turned their eyes to that direction but saw nothing. That was until a figure stepped onto the edge of the roof with something big over their shoulder. The figure was a good distance away and only two people could see the figure clearly. One was Buffy, and the other was Wilkens. Buffy's reaction to seeing this person was one of relief. While Wilkens was a mixture of disbelive, confusion, and happiness. He whispered the person's name under his breath. "Faith?" He managed to take his eyes off of her and saw what was over her shoulder. He recognized it as a rocket launcher and noticed it was aimed directly at him. This time he yelled her name in horror "FAITH!!"

Just as he yelled her name she pulled the trigger and the rocket went flying. The demons saw the rocket heading their way and attempted to run, but they were too late. The rocket crashed right below Wilkens right in the middle of the mass of demons. Dozens were engulfed in the flames and killed instantly while others were thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion itself. Wilkens himself roared in pain as well as in anger at this betrayal.

Buffy didn't waste a moment seeing that the demons were distracted. "Attack" she yelled and led the charge with a broadsword held high over her head. The others followed her lead and converged on the wounded and dazed demons.

Back on the roof Faith dropped the rocket launcher and jumped off the roof. She landed in a tree and proceeded to jump from there to the ground. She then took back out her blood soaked knife that Buffy had given back to her and ran to join in the fight.

Back at the bottem of the hill the demons had heard the explsion and were confused on what happen. They were brought out of their thoughts as flamming arrows began to descend on them. 7 vampire were dusted in five seconds. The demons looked upward and saw archers with Xander directing them. The demons charged up the staircase to stop them from firing again. At that moment Giles reveald himself behind the bleachers and pointed a remote deternator at the staircase. He pressed the button on the remote and the staircase as well as a good chuck on the hill exploded. As earlier demons were killed by the flames and some went flying in all directions from the force. The students rushed the downed demons led by a perfectly healthy Angel.

Wilkens couldn't believe what was happening. All his patience and careful planning was for nothing. From his height he was able to see the humans overcoming his army. He himself was trapped in the flames the rocket laucher had produced while at same time prevented from escaping by more flames being shot at him from a flamethrower on the ground. Therefore he could not aid his army in any way. The demons in front of him were being slaughtered by the humans by being so severly wounded and outnumbered. They were either decapitated or driven back into the flames he himself was trapped in. Further down the hill he had witnessed the explosions and saw the demons therr meeting a similar death. He of course knew who was to blame, Faith. She had tricked him. He suspected her to from the start and had placed a spell on her to make her his. Somehow she had over come the spell. Not only that her stabbing by the other slayer had obviously been staged. He had given her everything and she betrayed him. Both had set him up perfectly. Faith knew his plan and where his group would be positioned. The knowledge angered him beyond his breaking point and roared to the heavens no longer caring about the flames.

Wilkens dived through the flames surrounding him and the flames from the flame thrower that hit him right in the face. The pain was immense but Wilkens paid it no attention. If he died he wasn't going alone. The slayers would go to hell with them.

Wilkens looked to the ground searching for them even as streaks of fire raged all across his skin. He found them quickly fighting back to back. The fire in his eyes burned more brightly than the ones covering his body at the sight. His roar of outrage shook the ground itself as dived at the slayers his mouth wide open to swallow them whole.

Before he reached them however both Buffy and Faith sensed him and jumped out of the way. Therefore the only thing the mayor got in his mouth was a lot of dirt and grass. He spit it out with even more anger if possible.

"What's wrong boss, grass is good for you. It has no calories and cleans out the body," said a teasing Faith.

Wilkens looked at her with murder in his eyes.

"You didn't really think I would work for you did you? For being over a hundred years old you sure are a dumb piece of shit," she continued.

Wilkens was beyond angry, the world began to blur around him as his rage nearly made him blind.

"Yeah, Faith's on the good side Wilkens. Your plan is a complete faliure, why don't you run home with your tail between you legs and stop embarrassing yourself," said Buffy as she put her arm around Faith's shoulder.

That did it.

Wilkens went completely blind with rage and only saw red. The last traces of humanity he had were shred away and Wilkens dived at the slayers again throwing caution to the wind.

Just like they planned it.

The slayers ran away from Wilkens and into the school. Wilkens immediately followed them chomping down his teeth as he went. The slayers continued to run and dodge around walls with the Wilkens right behind them. Everywhere Wilkens went flames were left in his wake. His body was being burned away by the flames but Wilkens never noticed. All his attention was on the slayers and ending their lives. The slayers ran around corner after corner seeming to have no direct destination in mind. Wilkens continued to follow but failed to notice he was going slower and getting weaker. His body begged him to slow down but he didn't hear it, his rage over rode anything else. For what seemed like hours but was only minutes Wilkens body could take no more. It no longer slowed it just stopped. Wilkens tried to move but his body didn't respond. He tried to roar in anger but found that his lungs were no longer capable of doing so. His mind refused to process this and he contined to try and move. He didn't even notice the slayers had stopped running away and were walking up to him.

"Looks like the plan worked, he's nothing but an animal now. He's so bent on rage againt us his mind can't concentrate enough to regenerate his injuries. As much as I would love to seem him being tortured like this I think it's time to finish this. Would you like the honors?" asked Buffy turning to Faith.

Faith said nothing and walked right in front Wilkens. He was still trying to move and roar without succees. He didn't even seem to see hear. Buffy was right, he was nothing but a mindless animal now. She held no pity for him. Despite the way he treated her, she knew he was only manipulating her. He didn't care about her as a person, just as a weapon. Buffy had proven she cared at the docks. Not to mention the gift she gave Faith a few days later. Faith knew who she was and what side she was on. She was Faith the Vampire slayer, one of the Chosen two, defender of all that is good. Wilkens was evil, and it was her job to kill him. Not wasting any more time she took out the bloody knife the Mayor had first given to her. The knife that she had used to kill more humas, namely the snipers. She knew she had to do it but it still disgusted her. She didn't blame herself though, she blamed him.

With that thought in mind she raised the knife over her head and plunged it right between the snake's eyes. She didn't stop there though. She sliced the knife down right through his mouth. She then took the knife out and stabbed him again and again in the head. Wilkens had long ago stop moving but Faith continued with tears in her eyes.

Buffy looked on but did not approach Faith. She knew Faith had to get all her anger out. It hurt seeing her like this but she knew it had to be done.

Faith eventually dropped the knife and fell to both knees. She tried to stop the tears but couldn't. She was so weak, it made her sick. Suddenly she felt two arms wrap around her and stiffened. When she realized it was Buffy she relaxed and leaned into the embrace. Neither knew how long they stayed that way and neither cared. Wilkens was dead and the last of his army outside were all dead by now.

Faith turned around in Buffy's embrace and looked at her in the eye.

"Thank you, for everything. You believed in me when no else would. You stayed by my side through all the shit I gave you. I don't deserve-"

Buffy cut her off with a finger to her lips "You deserve it and more. We're a team Faith, the chosen two. Never doubt I'll be by your side. I will never leave you, I promise," said Buffy with a sweet smile. She then moved a stray hair from Faith's face.

Faith was speechless, no one had ever promised her something like that and actually meant it. As she looked at Buffy she felt a strange pull to her to get closer. Then when Buffy touched her hair and face she lost control. She grabbed Buffy by the back of the head and pressed her lips against hers.

Buffy was shocked, she didn't know what to do. Part of her demanded she push Faith away. But a bigger part insisted she respond. The decsion was made easier for her as Faith's soft lips drained her resistance. She gave in to temptation and responded in full. She grabbed Faith around the waist and crushed her body against her. She couldn't recall felling such passion before. Not even when she had been with Angel. Surprisingly the thought of him didn't make her stop and she continued with the kiss.

Faith for her part wasn't sure Wilkens hadn't really killed her. Because she had never felt this good while she was living. Buffy's kiss and embrace demanded more passion than Faith thought she was capable of. Her lust amplified by her slayer's instincts were driving her crazy. She began to grind against Buffy to get more contact.

At this movement Buffy's mind exploded. The outside world was lost to her and the only thing that existed was Faith. She knew if she didn't stop they would fuck each other right here and now. How tempting that was it couldn't have been a worse setting. A burning carcass only a few feet away and fires all around. Not to mention the hundreds of people outside the school itself who might wander in. So reluctantly she broke the kiss and opened her eyes. Faith's eyes were still closed and she licked her lips. It took all of Buffy's restraint not to suck that tongue in her mouth.

"We have to leave Faith. We have to help load all the demons into the fire to erase any evidence. Then Giles has to denonate the explosives under the school to destroy Wilkens body. As for this, we'll talk about it later, I promise," said Buffy.

Faith open her eyes and looked at her. "Alright B, but just tell me one thing. That did mean something to you, right," asked a concerned Faith.

Buffy smiled and gave her a kiss on the head. "It did Faith, I'm not completely sure what yet. But it definitely meant something." With that Buffy stood up and offered her hand to Faith.

Faith looked up at Buffy and gave her a small smile. She took the hand and stood up. They both then proceded to walk down the halls toward the exit of the school. All the while still have each others hand.

3 days later

High atop one of the largest buildings in city a secert meeting was taking place. Its participants were a mixture of crime bosses, top assassins, high ranking demons, extremly wealthy business men and so on. For such a select group secruity was massive. Warlocks had made the meeting room invisible to all those not invovled. Men with machine guns roamed every hall with orders to kill any intruders on sight. Explsoives were connected to motion censors in both the elevator and the staircase. The doors and walls of the meeting place were made of the strongest metal known to both human and demon kind. These people took no chances, they were far too important.

"As you can see all evidence and knowledge of Wilkens actions has been erased. Both slayers still live, even the one who betrayed him. Not a single demon involved in that night escaped death. I could give you the total deaths of each demon but for the sake of time I won't. I'll just give you the grand total which is 112, including the snipers and Wilkens himself. Suffice it to say not a small number. At this moment Sunndayle has 14 demons prociding there, all vampires," said the speaker.

The group around the large table took in all the speaker had said. This was a bad blow to their cause. Not only had they lost a long time member in Wilkens, but also many demons had fallen. Even the human members in the group didn't like this. They were allies, they were no good to them dead.

"It makes no sense, how could Wilkens be fooled like that? He's been around too long to be tricked by some slayer that's barely been around a year," said the oil tycoon from Texas. He himself was taking this loss personally. Wilkens had become a friend to him, and now he was gone.

The speaker responed to this "We are still investigating that. As you know Wilkens had both the slayers, the watcher, and their friends houses bugged with listening devices and cameras. So far a review of these recordings shows that the Slayer known as Faith actually did go to the bad side. Even the fight in her apartment where she was stabbed by the other slayer. Obviously that was false and were thinking some kind of magic was used to fool the camera. Either way the point is mute, Wilkens failed. We must now move on in a new direction to achieve our goal of world domination."

"It seems easy enough to me. Two slayers is obviously one too many. Hell, even one is to tell the truth. They have been a thorn in this organization's side for centuries. It's bad enough that one arises as soon as the other is killed but two is just ridiculous. One of the present slayers must be dealt with. My vote goes to the younger one, as she is directly responsible for the blunder 3 days ago," said Rafe, current leader of the order of Turot, the demon assassins.

The speaker responded to that as well "That too is an option being considered. However we are looking into a way of stopping the slayer bloodline completely. That project is still in the experimental stage and deserves no further conversation for this night. Gentlemen, I fear you are missing the real oppostion."

"How do you figure that Mr. Chairman?" said the Joint Chief of Staff for the United States.

"The slayers are a threat to be sure, but not the primary one," said the speaker.

"You speak madness man, for the hundreds of years this organization has existed the slayer has been our main opposition. Though they don't know of our existance they still stop our plans unwittingly," said Steven Shames. Current leader of the international league of assasins, a human organization.

"That is where you are wrong Mr. Shames. Although the slayers themselves are unaware of us their controllers are not, namely the Council. If we are truly to succeed, the Council must fall," said the speaker.

At this annoucement all were silent. Not a being in the room would have guessed the Chairman would come to a decision like this.

"You can't be serious" Rafe finally responded "the Council is just as strong as us. Although unknown to the slayers they aren't the Council's only agents of defense. They have various warlocks and wizards of incredible power. Not to mention human assasins who are just as deadly as our own, I know from experience. The order of Turot has had many run-ins with them over the years. They also have men of extreme wealth that controls parts of the world. What you suggest is nothing short of a world war. A war where neither side is even sure who their enemies even are. The Council keeps their operatives identities just as secretive as we do our on."

There was silence once again after Rafe's counter argument.

Finally the Chairman responded, and what he said shocked them more than they thought possible. "You are quite correct Rafe. Such a war against an invisible opponent would be ridiculous."

Rafe had a small smile on his face seeing his argument has won.

"However" the Chairman continued "that is no longer the case. The council members and their operatives are no longer nameless faces. We now have their names, faces, addresses, bank accounts, security codes etc. in our grasp," the Chairman finished with a smile.

Rafe lost his smile and his eyes went wide. Other members of the group had similar reactions. It was unbelievable, all the Council secrets were in their position? If it was true it would sway the tide of power hugely in their favor.

"How has such a thing been accomplished?" asked Madame Shikera. Seductress who could enslave both men and women to her will with the sound of her voice.

The Chairman was uneffected by her power "Simple, a traitor in their organization. An indivdual who feels the Council slighted him and largely ignored his contributions. He wishes to make them see the errors of their ways by joining our cause and destroying them."

"It could be a trap, someway to find out our secrets by faking to be on our side" said the Joint Chief always think stratigically.

"That of course was taken to account. To prove his loyalty I had him give us 5 names. Three top council members and two of their top assassins. The names he gave us have been checked and verified by our operatives. Within a week all will die in a series of unfortunate accidents. So you see fellow members from Wilkens demise we have gained new strength. As well as a new member to take his place."

"What do you mean new member. You know we all must vote for someone to take an empty chair when one of us our decease," said Shames.

"I know, that is why I have brought him here for your approval. That was one his terms for joining us," with that the Chairman took a remote from his pocket and pressed the top button. The door opened and a shadow of a man could be seen just outside of it. "Please come in and introduce yourself. You have nothing to fear, you are among friends," said the Chairman.

The figure stepped through the door and could now be clearly seen. He was a thin man and definitely British. He wore a brown trenchcoat and a white and blue stripped tie. He wore glasses and had short black hair.

"Good evening gentlemen, my name is William Price and it is an honor to meet you," said Buffy's ex watcher.

...to be continued...