Il Maestro
by Vincent
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: So, this is my first fic. It is set during season 6 (according to the few things I learned on the net) and it will take a little time before Buffy and Faith become a couple as I think that past issues and the resurrection thing must be settled first. So enjoy.
San Francisco, January 2002
In the ruins of the motel, Il Maestro waited, feeling the fear coming from his pray…he could clearly see him, running in the woods that surrounded the place, trying to escape…Il Maestro was enjoying every moment of it…he had enjoyed every moment of this mission.
In a month, he had transformed the poor lawyer into a complete wreck, killing his wife’s parents in a 'accidental' car crash that had forced his wife to kill herself; he had ruined his reputation thanks to very well-made documents that proved he had connection with the Organised Crime…his boss did not hesitate when he fired him. As the poor man had lots of debts, he had no more reason to hope anymore…but Il Maestro wanted to end it by himself, not allowing him the luxury of suicide…
The lawyer was near …Il Maestro’s amazon leading him to the hall of the motel where he was standing. Time to move.
5…Il Maestro took the knife he was carrying in his pocket
4…the prey ran to the door of the motel, feeling his opponent right behind him.
3…Il Maestro extended his arm, throwing the knife.
2…the prey entered the motel, finding Il Maestro in front of him.
1…the knife reached the prey right in the heart.
0…the prey fell on the ground; lifeless.
Il Maestro did not watch the end of the fall, his attention entirely focused on the young woman kneeling in front of the body, taking the knife from the body. His amazon… after a month of intense formation, she was ready for the next mission, the most important of his life, failure was not tolerated … you can’t disappoint these guys…His thoughts were cut off by a sharp remark from the brunette.
"Sorry to disturb you, boss…but I think it is fucking time we move our asses out of here."
Il Maestro sighed… "One day, we will have to focus ourself on your good manners, my dear."
"And this day, I will slay you to death…"
Il Maestro laughed, having the girl around was pure pleasure.
"OK, let us go to Sunnydale…meet your sister in arms, Faith."
A hysterical laugh followed the smile of pure cruelty that had appeared in the young girl lips…oh, yeah, he liked this girl…
Sunnydale, two days later
Xander was driving while Anya and Willow were discussing about the upcoming wedding in the backseats. The two young women had spent a lot of time together lately, his girlfriend and his best friend are finally getting along with each other. In fact, Willow was totally involved in the preparations for the ceremony. Anya was delighted not to be bored by it and was even happier when Willow had said that she would be able to decrease the estimated rates by 8% thanks to a friend of her father that owned the local catering. Now the two girls were finishing the list of the “welcomed guests” as Anya called them…curious, he let his ear catch the conversation:
Anya: No, not Franck…he always follow me like a dog that wants to sniff my ass…Eeecckkk, I do not want sniffing ass dogs attending my wedding…but, if he comes, the Salomon sisters will not, he irritates them …and if they do not come, they won’t eat…have you seen how disgustingly fat they are…if I invited the sisters, I would have to buy more foods and beverages and would have less money for myself…but if they do not come, Perry won’t either…Perry, you know the owner of…
Xander caught the pleading look of Willow in the mirror and gave her his “I told you not to speak about it today” look before returning his attention to the road. He was glad Willow felt better now…a complete month without magic…he was kinda proud of her. Of course, it had not been easy in the beginning but she was better now, she had seen her friends supporting her, she had never be left alone (except for sleeping) and, lately, she and Tara have spent a lot of times talking with each other so, maybe…
Xander was more worried about Buffy, even if he saw her trying not to be in auto pilot, even if she hanged with the gang more often than during the first months, she was not the Buffster yet and he was beginning to wonder if she ever will be…
Xander stopped the car in front of the Summers house. Willow got out of the car and saluted them before looking for her keys in her pockets. She found it, entered the house and could only see the fist that leaded her to darkness…before being completely unconscious, she had the time to hear:
- Told you, Miss Muffet…if you don’t let the witch reacts, everything is five by five….
Sunnydale, 1 hour later
Buffy entered her house after her last patrol. Thinking Dawn and Willow asleep, she tried to be as quiet as possible. The night had been very calm and as Spike had not showed up, she felt relieved for once. She went to the dark living room and...
CLICK.
Buffy froze...CLICK; it was not normal...she touched something with her right leg but, in the dark, it was impossible to tell what...and suddenly, someone switched the light on...and Buffy almost screamed...
Dawn was attached on a chair in the other side of the room, she could not move. On her right, on the sofa, was a crossbow pointed on her, on her left, on the table, another crossbow that was also directed to Buffy's sister. Both crossbows were connected to each other thanks to a wire...the same wire that Buffy was feeling on her leg...she immediately understood that if she moved, Dawn was doomed...
"Hey, girlfriend!"
Buffy sensed Faith more than anything. The rogue slayer was behind her, coming from upstairs but she did not dare to move...the cost was too high. She had to speak to her, to gain time.
"Faith! What the hell..."
"No curse, B! I will do the speech for once."
"What do you want? Where is Willow?"
"Upstairs, you know, she can be wicked cool when she is asleep." She heard the tiny laugh that was so Faithy... "...there will be some bruises, of course, but she is fine...for now."
Rage began to rise inside Buffy...Faith had hit her best friend and was threatening her sister...oh, beware the payback...
"You seem a little upset, B? Something wrong?" The last words were just a whisper...Faith was now right behind Buffy, almost touching her...Buffy could feel her warm breath near her right ear and her body tensed...Faith noticed it.
"Afraid of me, B? or is it something else?"
Buffy tried to punch Faith but missed her...
"Easy, B...don't forget Miss Muffet...she is counting on you."
"Bitch"...Buffy was unable to say something else ...rage was burning her...but it was not only a rage directed to Faith, part of it was for herself...she had always been weak when Faith was around even when they fought...she had feelings for the girl and could not erase it, whatever Faith had done...but this time, she was going too far.
"I might be a bitch..." she was speaking to Buffy's ear again. "...but you seem to like this kind of behaviour."
"Wh...what?"
She licked her ear, Buffy tensed again. "Oh, come on...I know you like bad boys...and I am pretty sure you like bad girls too...at least one of them."
"Am not."
Faith does not move, on the contrary, she passed a hand around Buffy's waist and continued. "Oh, yes you are...so, after Angel, you are boinking Spike...don't deny it, B...I know everything...Dead Boys must have something more...you think you can borrow me Spike...for a scientific experiment..." The hand of Faith was moving to her nipples..."I can feel it, B...you want me bad...but you won't have me...not now, never..."
Another wave of rage...no, it was more than rage...was it hatred???
Faith made a step back, gave a soft kiss on Buffy's neck and said: "You know what...I think I will go see Spike now...this experiment thing ...I think it is kinda cool...so, do not move, B...Red will be awake soon and will free both of you."
Before Faith went out, Buffy regained her composure and asked again : "What do you want, Faith?"
"Be the only slayer on Earth, B...revenge...the usual...it means your death...and the Scoobie's too for old time sakes...this was just a warning." And she was gone.
The rage did not fade, on the contrary, it consumed her...but a big part of it was directed to herself...she had been too weak to handle Faith's case three years before...and she was paying the price of this weakness...for the first time since her resurrection, Buffy abandoned herself to a feeling...rage...Despair and denial times were over...the rage will guide her to her dark counterpart...will help her fight whatever kind of weaknesses she will face...she was a slayer...she will react like a slayer.
45 minutes after Faith's departure, Willow freed the Summers sisters. Stangely, Buffy seemed most affected by the events than Dawn...Willow had never seen her like that...she had seen her upset more than once but, this time, it was different...the look in Buffy's eyes was not a good ...well...look...she called Tara to come take care of Dawn and followed Buffy to Spike's crypt.
"Buffy, wait."
"Let me handle this alone, Willow...it is none of your business." The reply was delivered on a cold, even harsh tone, it was the kind of reply you know you are not allowed to answer. Willow did the only thing that crossed her mind, she kept her mouth shut and followed her friend.
Once in front of the crypt, Buffy quicked the door and they rushed into Spike's lair...just in time to see Faith dust a blond vampire. The following second, a stuned Willow saw her best friend laughed at this sight...the laugh of an insane...
Buffy jumped on Faith who grabbed her arm and pulled. Both Slayer fell on the ground. Buffy was up first and threw Faith to the wall, face first. She ran to her opponent but did not see the spray Faith had now in her right hand...probably coming from her pocket. Faith blinded her before running out.
The events have been so quick that Willow had not moved...she looked at her friend regaining composure...Buffy was watching her with the same look that she gave Faith a minute before and Willow understood...Buffy had gone too far...it was not the same situation as the previous nervous breakdown, when Glory had kidnapped Dawn...no, this time Buffy's mind seemed to have chosen crazyness not to suffer anymore...and for the first time in her life, Buffy scared her...So, she did the only thing reasonable and ran outside Spike's crypt. She could hear Buffy beginning a countdown from 20...for Buffy, hunting was a game now...And Willow was her first prey. But surprises seemed to burst from everywhere this night.
Once outside, Willow found a girl standing on a motorbike...She seemed waiting for her. Still hearing Buffy's countdown, she saw the girl (a native american for sure) smiling before saying:
"You wanna live?" and she ignitated the motor...a few seconds later, Buffy saw the two girls driving away.
The witch was gone, Buffy cursed but smelt something...vampires...Willow will wait...she had other things to do..and she followed the smell.
Il Maestro smiled...from the building in front of the cemetery, he had seen Faith and the witch running and Buffy acting as planned...he did not know who the motor girl was but he doesn't care...no one would stand against the slayer anymore...
Darkness, since that bitch put him in this alley, hiding him in a car wreck, he had only darkness as companion AND IT WAS KILLING HIM...
Suddenly, he heard a footsteps, two hands took him and threw him against the wall...she was back and he could not fight her, the handcuffs were too strong.
"Hey, Chip Boy...told you you'd see me again..."
"What did I answered when you told me that...oh yeah, it was - Sorry, miss eviler than thou but I already have the real slayer in charge and..." Faith's knee on his groin cut Spike's reply...whoaa...that was painful...
"Like it? the fun has just began though and don't count on your...'charge' to rescue you...she is so absent minded these days..."
Spike saw Faith putting her hand to her nose...her bleeding nose... "Seems that she kicked your syphilitic ass once again, whore." A punch...the normal kind, he thought...he will survive.
"Yeah, she almost break my nose, you know."
Spike saw a shadow right behind Faith. He could not see who it was but hope was there again. Faith sensed the newcomer too, she turned her head and stay speechless, without reaction...the newcomer took advantage of her hesitation to knocked her out with a baseball bat.
"Now, it is broken" was the only thing the newcomer had to say and when Spike saw who it was...his eyes went wide of surprise.
Eona, the girl who had just saved her life stopped the motorbike in front of the factory that was once Spike's nest when he first came to Sunnydale. Without looking to Willow, she went to the entrance.
"Follow me" was all she said. Too curious to care, Willow did so. She entered and, once in the platform saw the whole scooby gang downstairs.
Xander was arguing with a women who could probably defeat any WWF wrestler, Anya followed his lead. Dawn and Tara were sitting quietly in a corner. Two other not so good looking women were guarding them. Seeing Willow, Xander let Miss Steroïds and went to her.
"Xander, what happened? What are you doing here? Who are these..."
"The word is kidnappers, Will and, yes we are all right." They hugged before Xander continued. "They don't want to say anything...I tried to oppose them...but (whispering in Wilow's ear) have you noticed their muscles??"
"Didn't think it will stop you."
"Well, you know me, Will...I am a gentleman and.."
Willow put her hand on Xander's mouth and showed him Eona who was hugging Miss steroids who then made a gesture toward her pals before leaving the factory with them...the scoobies were alone with Eona now. Then, Dawn asked the american native... "So, it is done? She...she..." tears were falling on her cheeks.
Eona just nodded.
Willow could not believe her eyes...Dawn knew...Dawn seemed to have let her sister becoming...becoming...IT...
"Dawnie...you knew...How come...why..."
Xander who didn't understand anything wanted to say something but his eye caught something falling from the upper platform...
...not, it was someone...it was
"Faith."
Faith crashed on the ruins of a table. The whole Scooby Gang eyed her carefully...noticing that their nemesis had her hands attached with handcuffs and was also unconscious, they all sighed.
Xander heard then Willow say Faith's name again. In order to light the pressure, he could not resist and said: "Newsflash, Will...We all know her."
Willow was shaking her head and showed the platform right above them, "No...no...upstairs...Faith..er..er...bis."
Everyone looked upstairs and the whole Scooby Gang saw another Faith supporting an injured Spike looking at them.
"Hey, guys...missed me???"
5 minutes. There were no sounds for the last 5 minutes. Carefully, Willie managed to put all its courage together and walked out of the closet. The bar was a mess…all her fault, it was all her fault… Thinking of the slayer reminded him the events…a quick glance to his watch revealed him that all began less than 20 minutes ago.
Willie was washing some glasses. The night had been good so far, very productive…He knew there would be no problem this night cause he knew all the customers very well…these demons and vamps were not trouble makers…and then, she entered the bar…and Willie’s perfect night ended.
"Oh…always a pleasure to see you, SLAYER…what can I do to please you, SLAYER…"
Some customers did not move, other began retreating to the exits…Willie thought about the rumours he had heard about so he could give some of them to Buffy…cause it was the goal of her visit…as always…a difficult case, no clue…let’s go beat Willie, it would calm the nerves and could bring some interesting news. A glance at the slayer…she was smiling…a cruel smile…not the usual kind and then, everything collapsed.
The slayer growled and jumped on Willie’s customers..; dusting vamps, behading demons…she was like a tornado, moving faster than you could imagine, seeming to have more than two hands, even killing some humans who were only hanging around. Willie was scared…he had never seen the slayer behaving like that…So, he did the only thing that crosses his mind…he hided…
…and now, safe…he could only watch the results…blood everywhere…heads, bones and bodies laying on the ground…piles of dust in different places…and only two hours to clean this mess up…
Eona was watching the scene in smiling. She knew it was not the best way to react but could not do anything else…it was too funny…Xander’s 'Ghaghagha' sounds, Anya’s jaw almost touching the ground, Willow's incomprehensible babbling with Tara trying to calm her…even Dawn was amazed and she already knew it. The most funny part occurred during the first seconds when the Scoobies turned their heads from the unconscious Faith to the other as they would like to have a visual confirmation of what their minds were telling them.
In the meanwhile, Faith and Spike had gone downstairs, Faith had made Spike sit in a burned sofa.
Xander was the first to react: "Two Faiths…am I in hell?"
Faith turned to him "Nope, Xand-man…," she licked her lips and said: "Wanna taste real life?"
Eona cursed Faith in her mind…she did it again…she would never understand her…
"FAITH!"
Faith looked at Eona and nodded: "Sorry, guys…you know me…cannot change…love teasing you…"
Willow snorted: "And what are you gonna do now…killing us and say Whohoo, it was a joke…was it what your…double was planning to do?…"
Anya who had remained silent until now said to Faith: "Do you have it here?"
Surprised, Faith asked: "What?"
"The stick that split you in two…do you still have it?"
"I don’t know a damn thing about your stick."
"Oh, that's a pity…cause you see, when this stick made two Xanders, I have always wondering…"
"Anya!" said a blushing Xander, cutting his fiancée.
"Enough, it is not the time for silly jokes!"
Everybody looked at Eona. She seemed really upset…
"She is right! Look, guys, I am sorry for all the things I have done in the past…I know it sounds lame but I really am…And I know you have all reasons to hate me…but for Buffy’s sake…we all have to work together."
Willow promptly reacted: "Oh, you really think it is that simple…you show up from nowhere with another you who has a big part of responsibility in Buffy’s state…you say - Hello, I am sorry, may I help you – and you believe we will open our arms and give you a welcome hug? No way, bitch, I am gone."
Before Willow could go, Spike’s hand grab her left arm. "What is wrong with Buffy, Will? Tell me"…then on a softer tone "please, tell me."
Willow nodded: "She is not herself anymore Spike…she seems insane…she looks like….a killing machine, she doesn't seem human anymore" then she cried and Spike surpised her in taking her in his arms hiding his own worried face in the same time. Willow suddenly stepped back, looked Spike in the eyes and said: "How come you are still alive?"
"Oh, psycho slayer came in my crypt with another vampire, it was a two to one fight with a slayer aginst me…they knocked me out."
Faith asked then: "This vampire was blond, am I right."
"Yes, probably working with that ….er, with the other you."
"He probably didn’t know where his role will lead him… OK, Scoobies…Eona and I will explain you everything we know, then, Willow will explain what happened in Spike’s crypt and then…"
Willow spat: "I thought we were clear, Faith…we do not want you and we are leaving."
"No, you didn’t understand me, Willow…Buffy is in great danger, you have no fucking clue about what is going on and I am damn sure I am the only one who can bring Buffy back…so, if you DO care about Buffy…you are gonna sit down, listen and let me in charge…otherwise, Buffy is doomed."
Without even looking to the other Scoobies, Faith went to Dawn, took the girl in her arms and said:
"Don’t worry, Dawn, I’ll bring your sister back as I told you yesterday…I promise."
Tara who had been quiet until this moment asked Faith: "You told her everything."
"As I told you…I had to…she had a big role to play in this shit… I wanna let her know how important it was."
Xander, Anya, Wilow and Spike were speechless…Dawn and Tara knew…
Ashamed, Tara looked at her friends…. "She wanted to have somebody on her side in case she couldn’t convince you…she chose me…please, it is too important..could you at least listen to her?"
And the scoobies reluctantly nodded.
Buffy needed to sleep…the sun would be up soon and her night had been very exciting. She had just dust vampires in their nest and decided to sleep there…tomorrow would bring other things to slay…she was looking forward to it.
Xander and Spike brought a table to the middle of the room. The night was almost over so, they put it on a place that would never be touched by sunlight so Spike would be safe during the briefing as Eona called it. The other Faith was still unconscious. Once everyone was around it, Eona began.
"First of all, I’d like to warn you…we are all alone in it…the girls that… -invited- you here were Faith’s ex-cellmates and they aren’t aware of the situation…they are gone for good now. Understood?…OK. We will discuss the two Faiths thing later…let’s start focus on the most important point: What happened to Buffy?"
An excited Xander began: "Yes, what could have transformed our Buffster to a killing machine…a spell? …actually, it is the only thing that comes to my mind…so it is it, no… a spell?"
Faith was the one to answer: "Instinct!" It was obvious that the Scoobies did not understand what Faith just said, so she continued:
"Remember the first slayer?" All nodded. "So I don’t need to remind you what the first slayers were…Bloody killing machines guided by their slayer instinct. Their only goals were slaying and surviving in doing it. As when a slayer dies, part of it pass to the following ones, this instinct is still there in our guts (she showed it with her finger) only tamed by eductation civilisation brought."
Eona made a whistle "Whoaa…is the last part from you?"
Blushing Faith said: "Read it somewhere, impressed?"
Eona replied: "Yes, and almost no cursing, you have improved…anyway…as Faith said, this instinct is in all slayers…a part of them…an almost living part, a beast only contained by sanity and education…usually the slayers did not notice it as part of them and it is never unleashed."
"So, you are saying that Buffy is only guided by her slayer instincts now. That it has complete control over her personality?" Spike said.
"Almost…her personality is still there…it is as if her instincts have struck it…the only way to bring the real Buffy back would be to wake it up…."
Xander intervened: "OK, now we know what happened to Buffy…the question is why? You said that this beast part is never unleashed by the slayers…so why is it happening with Buffy? And who is this second Faith?"
"Two events weakened Buffy and gave strength to the beast part: The Primeval spell you used to defeat Adam…"
"How do you know that" from Willow.
"Buffy explained it to Angel who said it to me when I was in jail" Faith answered.
"Can I continue? Thanks…the second event was Buffy's death….when she came back, her mind had to adjust and the beast took advantage of it…the only thing that it was missing was a wave of rage that would give control to the beast…it happened tonight…."
A long silence followed…
"And what about the other Faith? MY XANDER (and Anya looked at Faith in saying that) asked about it already, I know but I wanna understand…Are you sure there were no…."
The whole Scooby gang answered by a big "Anya" before Faith spoke.
"The Mayor always said that I was the only person he trusted…and he needed a faithful agent in LA to prepare his Ascension in there…so when one of his contact said he had a larva of Devrash demon…he came with a fucking damn idea."
"Oh, I know those demons. When I was a vengeance demon I tried to find one for myself…you know to double the fun and….Why are you looking at me like that…"
Xander came closer to her: "Anya, it is not the time for anecdotes…what is a Devrash demon?"
"They choose a donor and touch him…the next minute, they become him…body and soul, a perfect copy…you cannot see the difference even with a DNA test…they are all the same."
"And so, the boss had two Faiths to serve him…I stayed in Sunnydale, B sent me in comaland for 8 months, I ended in jail, Eona got me out and I am here now…she was sent in LA before the Ascension …and is screwing everything up as I did three years ago."
At this moment, a scaring laugh burst…Faith two was awake… "You did not say everything, sis…hey, Scooby Dumbs…do you know that neither she or me know who the demon was…"
The verbal fight has begun…the free Faith shout: "Shut the fuck up."
"Oh, no…the ignorance has eaten me during the last three years and I know it is the same for you…a super slayer who might be a demon…OOOOHHHH wicked scary, non?"
The free Faith grinned, went to her double, sit in front of her and said: "You want to be scared? So, I will…"
Everyone remain silent, knowing full well that it was not the time to say a word.
"Think you can scared me…I’d like you to try…"
"OK, then listen…your dear Maestro was the one who doomed us three years ago…and I know you know what I mean…"
And all could the the scary look in the eyes of the handcuffed Faith.
"You...you...liar...liar...LIAR... LIAR." Broken nose Faith was screaming now...her double stood up but never stopped looking at her. The handcuffed Faith turned her head, and remained speechless.
"Hard to believe, hé, ...SIS...painful? Hope so, I almost lost my mind when Eona told me that..."
Xander moved, catching Faith's eye and said: "Am I dumb or is it something we don't know yet???"
The free Faith smiled and answered: "Yes and yes!" Without paying attention to Xander's reply, Faith asked Eona: "Your part," before sitting down next to her copy, listening to Eona's story.
"As you all know, my name is Eona Whitecloud and I am a techno-witch."
Xander asked then: "A What???"
Willow answered: "It is a witch who can only use her powers through technological devices..."
Eona smiled and continued her speech: "As a computer expert, I work for the SFPD. My speciality is to recover deleted files from computers...Almost two months ago, the SFPD brought me a brand new computer who belonged to a murderer called Il Maestro..."
Spike intervened: "I know this guy...he's a vampire, isn't he?"
"We didn't know that, are you sure?"
"Bloody hell, yes, he is a legend in the business...sadistic, cruel, smart..."
"That’s interesting…I mean the fact that he is a vampire…not the groupie part…Anyway, I found three files in the hard disk, the first one was uninteresting but the other two were different, very complete with backgrounds, psychological profiles, etc..."
Willow said then: "Whose profiles and backgrounds?"
"B and I, the bastard knew everything about us."
"Faith, please, let me continue."
Everyone noticed a change in Faith's behaviour...since Spike told them that Il Maestro was a vampire, she was very nervous...
"The files were divided in three sections, the first one gathered data from three years ago, the second section provided updated data from the past few months...and the third contained detailed action plans..."
Willow added: "Are you saying that this Maestro had a contract on Buffy and Faith's heads three years back...but what for...Oh, no, it can be..."
"You got it, Will, this son of a bitch screwed my life up...everything was described in the file, how he was hired to bring a slayer to the dark side, how he chose me because I wasn't fucking stable in my head, how he hypnotized Finch to meet us in the street when I staked him...he even knew how I'd react...even guessed I'd finally work for the Bo...Mayor...it...I...I made the mistakes then and I have no damn excuses but...he destroyed everything I believed in...everything..."
A heavy silence came at this moment quickly broken by Eona: "...and now, the Maestro has been hired by the same persons ...hired to change Buffy."
Xander who had followed the explanations with a growing interest asked then: "But why? Why do they want change Buffy, why using Faith's copy?"
"Think a bit, Xand-Man, who is the mighty bitch that has the gift to upset B the most? Who made her a victim more than once and fucked B's life by pleasure...Me, ME, ME, ME (the thumb pointed to her chest)...so, who do you think has the more chances to bring fury in her???"
Xander didn't answer, just nodded...Tara spoke then: "And what about The reasons???"
Eona, looked at the Scoobies "If a slayer goes completely out of control, the Watcher Council neutralizes her...my theory is that they would like Buffy out of the picture without catching everyone's attention...pushing the Council to solve the problem...it means also that something important will occur in Sunnydale soon."
"Probably something hellmouthy" achieved Xander.
Willow then asked quietly: "And, you knew it was going to happen, knew the Maestro's plan and did nothing?" Willow continued then, still quietly but venom was in every word that passed her lips... "You, bitches, you let them change Buffy, let Faith two threaten Dawn...and did nothing."
Eona cut her: "It wasn't that simple, Willow...we..."
"Simple? Of course it was simple...you should have warned us, should have stopped them, should have..."
"And B would have become wild later...because, that is the truth, Willow...some day, it would have happened, totally unexpected...she could have been alone with Dawn...normal fluffy Buffy and suddenly, the beast would have appeared...Here, we have some control on it…and (looking at Dawn) I knew Dawn wasn’t in danger…she (pointing her finger to her copy) would never hurt her."
"And why are you so sure of it…Oh, yeah…you’re like her…A psycho…I wonder why I am staying here listening to you…the only thing you are capable of is bringing chaos around you…"
Faith exploded "I don’t give a shit of what you think, Will…all that matters now is B..Can’t you see that…What do I have to do to convince you that I am her only chance…begging you?"
And then, suddenly, Faith did something that no one expected from her…she fell to her knees, and said: "See, I am ready to do it…I know I don’t deserve your trust but …I am begging you now…please…trust me just this time…"
Willow was amazed…the old Faith would never have done that and even if her eyes were still up as if Faith was challenging her to say no…Faith was ready to swallow her natural pride for Buffy…and it hit her…and all became clear for Willow…
Everyone was catching their breath, expecting anything, they saw Willow take Faith’s face between her hand, still looking in her eyes. She said then: "I don’t know if I would be capable of forgiving you some day but, you convinced me…I trust you…" and, slowly, she stood up.
Faith couldn’t believe her ears…Willow had just said yes…she barely managed to whisper: "Thanks."
"You’re welcome."
Willow made a step back and heard another thanks coming from Faith…she looked at the brunette, noticing the grateful look in her eyes, she asked: "What for?" then, she caught her answer, another whisper made just for her…
"For bringing her back."
The whole gang knew something special just happened…two enemies made peace…and then, they heard:
"Andy and Fairy on the way to a party found thousands of candy a comic and a barbie… Andy and Fairy on the way to a party found thousands of candy a comic and a barbie…"
Handcuffed Faith was not silent anymore...but Free Faith remained speechless...
Buffy couldn't see anything, she was in this dark place for too long now...
No light...
No sounds but growls coming from everywhere...
Growls that scared her...
All this place screamed violence, hatred and cruelty...this was a wild place...a weird place and she knew too well she was in her head...and she screamed...or she tried to but no sound came out of her mouth...no sound...just growls...and it scared her...
She had tried to find an exit but didn't succeed in it...in every direction there were walls, weird walls...kinda living walls...no lights...just darkness...her darkness...and it scared her even more...
She felt nothing for the moment but a few hours back she felt it...waves of feelings coming to her like a blowing wind...cruelty, joy when the beast who had taken control of her slayed, hatred for the forces of evil ... but also for her friends it considered as weaknesses...and was planning to terminate...and that was the thing that scared her the most...trapped in her own mind, she knew that one day, the beast'd send her the feeling it will felt when he'd kill one of her friend...and she'd be powerless...
Darkness and growl...she had to focus on these elements, otherwise she'd loose her mind...and she did...and she cried...
Handcuffed Faith sang...and sang...always the same refrain...and nobody moved...especially her double who seemed catatonic... eyes lost somewhere...nobody knew what was happening at that moment and nobody dared to intervene...Handcuffed Faith never stopped looking at her copy, but remained calm, it was impossible to guess what she was thinking about...
"Andy and Fairy...on their way to a party...found thousands of candy...a comic and a Barbie..."
"Andy and Fairy...on their way to a party...found thousands of candy...a comic and a Barbie..."
"Andy and Fairy...on their way to a party...found thousands of candy...a comic and a Barbie..."
An for almost two minutes, nothing happened...no sounds but Faith's voice...
Xander listened to the song, knowing full well that something was happening between the doubles...but he didn't want to interrupt it...it could be dangerous...
Anya wanted to stop this stupid song but knew too well the others wouldn’t be pleased…she usually didn’t care about their meanings but something told her it wasn’t the right time…
Tara and Dawn were also petrified...captivated by the scene...Eona and Willow didn't know what to do either...
So, Spike spoke... "Could someone cut the juke box and put some decent song?...heavy metal would be great..."
The charm was broken, Handcuffed Faith was silent now, her copy stood up, shaking a bit...she grabbed her double by the collar and left...telling everyone: "Eona will explain our plan to all of you...I'll be in another room...I have family talks to do..." The remaining people didn't like the tone of the last words...didn't like it at all...
Asking everyone's attention, Eona took a sheet of paper where a sketch had been made...a man's face...
"This is Il Maestro...I made it yesterday...so be indulgent...I am not a professional...he is tall, has white hairs, shoulder long and is albinos...the last time we saw him, he was wearing a purple sweet, black pants and a white trench coat...OK, now that the presentations have been done, here is our plan...Spike..."
"I know, I know...you need a bait..."
Eona remained speechless...
"There is always a bait when it involved Sunnydale...I don't remember how many times I used this trick, how many times the Scoobies used it...Bloody Hell...even Harmony knows how to use it...anyway, as we don't have time to think of another plan...I'll play the bait for the slayer."
Handcuffed Faith hit the wall off loudly…Free Faith didn’t care, she came closer to her copy, ready for a second launch.
“Didn’t know you liked it that way, Sis…didn’t know I liked it that way…So bondage makes you wet?” and while Free Faith was in front of her, she quickly stood up, bit her double earlobe and whispered: “Whanna play?”
She punched Handcuffed Faith in the jaw…she could feel blood dropping from the bite…her double was now laying on the floor, looking at her…her month moved…she tried to say something.
"Don’t even dare singing it…it’s mine!….HE is mine"
“It isn’t that easy, Siiiiisssss…what’s yours is mine too…we are all the same…(licking her lips)…same body…same desires…same mind…”
“Don’t…you know it won’t work with me…and we are not the same anymore” the last few words were said with a very harsh tone…but it didn’t affect her double who began shouting.
“Oh, you are damn right…I am not the crawling worm I have just seen.. what happened to the proud slayer you used to be? Died in jail while you were screwing your bitches…Oh, no…let me guess, you were the bitch, weren’t you…Oh I have hurt you…Sorry, girlfriend…”
“You…are…disgusting” came the answer, sharp like a blade.
“And you are pathetic…do you think she will ever forgive you…love you…Come on, even if you became what she want you to be…a faithful puppy dog like Willow, she would never accept your love…you… don’t… deserve… her.”
“Because you think make her like you is the best way to have her…if I am pathetic, you are fucking stupid…”
"I…I."
“I am you, remember…I know what your silly plan is, changing her into the wild animal she is now and then join her when she will feel lonely…she will kill you before you even start opening your fucking mouth.”
“…”
“And think about it, listen to big SIS, if your 'magnificent' plan worked, you would be her bitch, for once, you would be the one victim of the 'Get gone, Get gone' trip because she wouldn’t be B anymore…she wouldn’t be the woman we fell in love with, the one we see every time we close our eyes, the one when can smell the perfume every morning after waking up because it’s printed inside our heads…”
“I…I…I don’t know…I…I…”
“Faith”…handcuffed Faith turned her head, looking in her double’s eyes…for the first time since they met, she had called her by her name…she never thought it would ever happen…she didn’t even know if she could do it…and her double’s voice wasn’t harsh as it was a couple of seconds before.
“Faith, I know the feeling…but I don’t have the time to discuss about it with you…all I want to know is if you agree to let us help B…for her sake, Faith, do you agree???”
She sighed but finally gave her answer “Yes, I want…I want her back…But don’t take it wrong…I don’t need your pity nor your friendship, nor you sisterhood…I am a loner, I always will be…”
“As you want, sis” she took something in the pocket of her leather pant, it was the key of the handcuffs…She grabbed her double hands and freed her…Ex-handcuffed Faith asked then:
“You are trusting me?”
“Do you?”
“Nope?”
“I don’t either but I have a job for you…”
“I thought we were clear, I won’t prevent anything you are planning to do but you are counting on me to give you a hand…Forget it, girlfriend.”
“You’ll like it.”
“Really?”
“I want you to find Il Motherfucker and dust him.”
“Slow and painful?”
“No, Slooooooowwwwwww and Very painful.”
“Count me in.”
The ex-handcuffed Faith looked her double turning around…Something hit her then.
“F…sis!”
“Yes?”
“You don’t want to stake him by yourself?”
She remained silent a moment, trying to find the right words to say it: “I’d like to…but…”
“You are not sure you’ll make it?”
She just nodded, knowing too well there was nothing to add. She turned again…And stopped when she heard the other Faith call her.
“Sis.”
“Yes?”
She saw her double’s fist but couldn’t dodge it, the punch hit her in the cheek and she fell backward. She looked at her opponent who was smiling: “Just a little payback…I think now we’re even” and she left the room.
Growls and darkness…
Growls and darkness…
Growls and darkness…
She had to find something to focus her mind on…she needed it…she had it wrong…the growls and darkness won’t help her escape the beast’s feelings…it made it worse…increased her fear…increased her wish to retreat even further inside her mind…but neither could she allow herself to embrace those feelings …she couldn’t let the beast take complete control over her…she was desperate….she had thought that she knew what despair was…she had been taken away from Heaven…but she was wrong…Now, she knew…
She felt a move…a new feeling wave…the rest was over…soon, the beast would go slay again…and Buffy wished it would only be demons….
They were all back…just in time, the sun was almost down…the night would begin soon. After Eona had finished her explanations, they all left but Faith and Spike…every Scooby had gone, looking for the tools they would need tonight. Faith hadn’t tried to speak to the vampire…he had been hurt and needed some rest…his help would be pivotal…so she had slept too and had just woken up…ready for the big night…
Spotting Willow, alone, she came to her and began the talk:
“Found everything?”
“Yes!”
The reply was short…hell, what happened to babbling Willow?
“Still mad at me because of this morning?”
“You shouldn’t have done it…God knows what she is doing now…she can wait outside…watching us…waiting for the right time.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can feel it…don’t ask me why…I just feel it…see, she IS me, Will…I can pretty much guess what she is thinking now…she wants him…and will hunt that bastard…beat him to death…believe me, she won’t interfere…”
“You should have asked us first…that’s how a team work.”
“I’m not used to it…don’t even know how to work with myself…so don’t expect miracles…”
“Yes, miracles don’t usually happen twice a day.”
Faith was a bit confused after the last reply…slowly, Willow turned her head and took her hands in hers.
“I’ve been thinking a lot since this morning…you know as I may not do magic anymore…I think a lot…not that I usually don’t think but here…”
“Straight to the point, Will…we don’t have the whole night.”
“OK, OK, even if it first cost me to notice it, you have changed, Faith…in a good way…I had doubts because I didn’t know why you were looking for redemption…you seemed so strong…so happy with your psycho slayer abilities…you lied to yourself, didn’t you?”
“A long while ago, I decided not to let feelings guide my life…it was shitty enough without it…Buffy proved me wrong…I didn’t see it come…when Soulboy came back from hell…I felt …betrayed…and then I realized I was addicted… she was my fucking dose… a smile from her and my day was made…”
“I know the feeling” and Willow looked at the ground for a second.
“The night I…killed Finch…and the previous one…the connection between us was so strong…I thought I had a chance…And then…”
“It happened…”
“And I had no control anymore…”
“But now, you have.”
“I have a goal…no plans for the future…just a purpose…”
The silence that followed wasn’t awkward…both girls needed it…through looks, they exchanged a lot more than any complete sentences could have succeeded in. Finally, Faith stood up.
“I have to go and check with the others.”
She left but Willow says one last thing to her, three words, the same words she had said that she would never tell the slayer the same morning: “I forgive you.”
Faith didn’t stop…there was no need…besides, if she looked at her now, Willow would have seen some tears in her eyes.
Xander had just finished connecting some cables when Faith came to him.
“Done?”
“Almost.”
“Demon Girl is not here?”
“She helps Tara and Eona…she had some magical experience, you know…”
“Look, Xander, I am sorry.”
“What for.”
“You know what I am talking about…think you might want to hear it…I mean it…”
“I know you do…and you know it will take time for us to feel safe with you around…”
Faith just nodded but remained there, looking at Xander as if she wanted to add something.
“Something to say?”
“Er…Xander...”
“Faith unable to say something because she is ashamed to…never thought I would see it…”
“Xander, shut your mouth and listen…this is serious.”
Xander looked at Faith…she was biting her lower lip and obviously nervous.
“Are you ready to do it?”
“Do what?”
“Will you blow this damn building (she made a gesture to the roof) away if Eona gives you the signal?”
“I won’t have to do it…be positive, Faith…”
Faith shouted this time “NO, I have to know Xander…will you do it?” she had her hands on his shoulders now and looked right in his eyes, pleading for an answer but receiving none.
“Xander…if Eona ever gives you the signal, that will mean we failed…that will mean Eona and Willow have reached their safety place…that will mean the beast has taken total control of Buffy…and that will mean I would be fucking dead…now, Xander…will you do it.”
Xander sighed and say: “Yes.”
“Good.”
They both noticed then that everyone was watching them…Faith shrugged and asked; “Everything is ready?”
They all nodded.
“So, let’s the fun begin.”
Before leaving, she grabbed Eona’s arm and whispered to her: “He won’t do it…Can’t blame him…so take care of it.”
And Eona agreed.
Buffy had usually no mercy, nor pity for demons...they were evil creatures and earned the torments of Hell...but she had had pity on those her beast had just killed...actually, the first word that came to her mind to describe it was massacre...they had been sadistically slaughtered...and the growls that resonated around her had become ecstatic, waves of joy assaulted her...and she had nothing to distract her from the disgusting feelings she had ...disgust for herself...for her deeds...even if she knew she wasn't totally herself, she felt responsible for the atrocities her beast committed. She had nothing to focus on but:
Growls and darkness...her two companions
Growls and darkness...her jailers
Growls and darkness...her present universe
Why couldn't she escape this place?...it was her mind...her own mind that had trapped her... How could she behave like that...like an animal...no, even worse...animals she liked...
And then, a flash...Faith?
Faith who had seen her world collapse...who trusted nobody enough to speak about her issues...who had given total control to her darker parts because she couldn't face reality...Faith who had taken more and more joy in killing people...Faith who had sunk into insanity...
It was true that Faith hadn't gone as far as Buffy had...but still there were similarities between their situations...
Buffy had seen her world collapse...she was in Heaven, came back to Earth that she compared to a living hell...Buffy hadn't listen to her friends, facing her issues alone...and presently, Buffy who had abandoned herself to the beast's control...Buffy who felt herself on the verge of insanity...and she understood...
She understood that her destiny was linked with Faith's...even if their backgrounds, their pasts, their behaviours, their ways of living were different; they completed each other, they needed each other to face the rocky path called LIFE...Separate, they'd make the same mistakes...together, they would be strong enough to face it...but wasn't it too late...as Faith has totally given herself to her "beast", was it worth fighting for their friendship...was it really friendship...shouldn't she give up and let her beast in control???
Buffy heard now new growls, she began to recognise them...these growls indicated that a vampire had been spotted...suddenly, the growls changed...a new wave of joy hit her...she figured it out...she knew the prey...
Spike ran as fast as he could...why had he agreed to be the bait...why was he risking his life...unlife to save a slayer...of course he knew the answer...he loved her...even if she was a bitch, even if she'd never love him the way he wanted to, he had to do it...because without passion, you would be hollow...the only statement he had ever agreed with Angelus...
And, in this spirit, Spike entered the factory.
Dawn watched Spike and Buffy enter the building. She was nervous...what if Faith failed? Was she right when she agreed to let Evil Faith unleash Buffy's beast? Was there other options? She regretted her sister even if she was a pain in the ass sometimes, regretted having been such a moron lately...she had just wanted to draw Buffy's attention on her...and now she could loose her again...
She heard a noise right behind her, at first, she believed it was Tara who had to join her so, she turned her head, managing to smile a little and saw...Faith?
"Hey, Miss Muffet...mind if I sit?"
Evil Faith...it was Evil Faith, she only called her Miss Muffet...what was she doing here...Faith, the good one, told them not to worry about her, told them they wouldn't see her...
"Don't be afraid, Miss Muffet...Big sis told you I would never hurt you...and she was right...So relax...you know, breath could be an excellent option now."
Dawn sighed before saying: "What do you want? Don't you think you have made enough damages?"
"Ouch, that hurts...Summers trademark? Must be genetic...I just wanted to know if everything was going well with the plan...oh, by the way...what is the plan?"
"Do you really think I will explain it to you?"
"Oh, come on, Miss Muffet..."
"Stop calling Miss Muffet...I am not 12 anymore."
"Yep, definitely genetic...OK, OK, M...Dawn...So, wanna share?"
"No!"
"I won't ask it twice..."
The last statement scared Dawn a bit and Faith noticed it.
"I promised not to hurt you and I will keep my word..." then, whispering to Dawn's ear, she add "...but I didn't say I won't hurt your friends..."
Faith sat down, looked at the horrified face of Dawn and asked: "So, wanna share?"
The growls had changed suddenly, joy and excitement were gone...replaced by frustration. The beast couldn't find Spike in the factory, the smell of burned rooms and objects prevented it to track him...Spike was probably away and safe...
Buffy had been a bit relieved to see Spike alive...and she noticed that even if his 'death' had hurt her...she had never had a thought for him since she was trapped in her mind...no, getting out of here and Faith had been her two only thoughts since then...she had always known that her attraction to Spike wasn't love...she cared about him but didn't love him. She felt lonely, betrayed by her friends...he was there for her when she needed him...she knew it for the beginning but had never succeeded in accepting it until this moment...as if the possibility of being trapped here for her whole life had cleared her mind...
Then, a new wave reached her...a new opponent...THE opponent...Buffy didn't know what to think...Faith had just entered the show...
"It's been a while, B."
As answer, she just heard growls.
"And they say my vocabulary was limited."
Buffy continued to growl but, carefully, she made a move towards the rogue slayer.
"Oh, wanna fight, girlfriend...Think you can take me?"
Buffy jumped, trying to punch Faith in the ribs. Faith easily dodged and pushed Buffy in the back of her neck, throwing her on a wall.
"That was slow and predictable...bitch...what's the matter, B...afraid of Big Sis?"
Buffy tried again to hurt Faith with a kick but Faith grabbed her foot before pulling it up...Buffy hit the ground with a loud noise followed by a very angry growl. Teasingly, Faith walk on Buffy ass before saying:
"You know…I thought we could have some fun together…I am disappointed…Damn, B, what’s up with you…Had a wild day??? Was it good? Or too quick???"
Another punch from Buffy, this time Faith didn’t try to dodge or parry. She was hit on the jaw but stayed calm.
"You think that hurt…come on, girlfriend, is that all…let me show you…THAT…"
Her fist on Buffy’s forehead, pushing her backward.
"…HURTS…"
Following her previous attack, Faith send Buffy to a pile of cases thanks to a powerful kick.
While Buffy stood up, Faith crossed her arms on her chest and said:
"Want some spinach, B? You will need it…you fight like a granny…and what's with the smell…you are stinking like a hundred skunks…" Faith quickly grabbed Buffy by the arm and threw her once more to the other corner of the room. Quietly, she walked to Buffy asking with a very soft voice: "Wanna rest, Barbie?"
Sitting on the platform, just above the slayers, Willow and Eona watched the scene with interest. Willow was amazed by the apparent superiority of Faith.
"She seems so mighty…I’ve never seen Buffy so outclassed before."
"It’s normal, the beast spent a lot of its energy to keep control of Buffy’s mind…she can easily beat a vampire…it’s not that easy with a slayer."
Showing a bottle, Willow asked: "Should we drop it on them the next time they’d be just below us?"
"No, we have to wait a little…you see, if Faith succeeds in increasing the best anger, it will loose its control on Buffy…at this time, we will have to act."
"So, when Buffy will manage to counter-attack and dodge like Faith, we’ll move."
Eona made a face: "No. Willow, what do you know about human strength?"
"What do you mean?"
"You probably know the theory that pretends that a human being only uses 30% of his real strength."
"Yes."
"It is not a theory, It is true, I have some books that prove it…according to some Asian theologists, the access to this strength is limited because of the human mind…in a few words, they believe that because humans think something is too hard, too heavy for them, they can’t use their 'extra-strength' to lift it up…am I clear?"
"Yes…I think."
"It’s not the same with animals, they aren’t bothered by logics, they just move on and act…what I am saying, Willow is this: As Buffy’s beast controls her body, it isn’t influenced by her mind…it has thus complete access to its strength…"
The face of Willow changed, concern had replaced hope: "So, if Faith makes it angry enough, it will release its grip on Buffy but also heavily improve its strength…and if Faith goes too far…"
"…she will die."
Buffy was dubitative. What was Faith doing? She helped the beast take control of her and presently, she fought against her...it...that was nonsense...she could have challenged her without the whole beast thing...and what about Spike? Faith and he were accomplices, there was no doubt about it...but what was their goals...Was everything part of a bigger scheme?? And what about Faith...something was strange with her, she wasn't the same...she noticed it from the beginning of the fight...she moved differently, fought differently...she was focused on the fight, three years ago and even yesterday, Buffy would have described Faith's fighting style in a single sentence: Hit first, quickly and enjoy it...this time, it was different, Faith was patient, quick to react and seemed to analyse every move the beast made...as if 24 hours time had changed the rogue slayer...
...but she was still Faith, it was her way to speak, her way to irritate her...and the beast seemed to share this irritation, the growls were louder now and it began to scare Buffy...she was used to it now but she had never heard these ones...there were fury on them...the beast didn't like to be outclassed...waves of anger and revenge hit her almost every second and she even expected the darkness to become more sombre...she was wrong and for the first time, Buffy thought she had a good chance to escape this nightmare... she had seen a light...oh, it was just a spark but it came back repeatedly, never in the same place...but it came back...after 24 hours in complete darkness, this spark was brighter than the Sun...
Spike walked away from the factory...he didn't want to but had promised to Faith to take care of Lil' Bit and he intended to keep his word. Besides, Faith seemed to keep control of the fight. He was approaching Dawn's hiding place when he heard sobs... worried, he ran to the trees and saw Dawn crying while Tara tried to comfort her.
"Bloody Hell, what happened?"
Between two sobs, Dawn managed to say: "Faith...Evil..."
Looking around, Spike asked: "Where is she?"
Tara continued "She's gone, she wanted to know everything about the plan...she terrorised Dawn...what do you think she's planning to do?"
"I don't know but I don't trust the psycho bitch...if she has something in her mind then it will certainly be something bad..."
Buffy's elbow hit Faith's throat, this hit cut her breath but, instead of backing off, she gave a kick to Buffy's ankles sending her on the ground once more...this simple move gave her time to recover her breath.
Buffy was up too and jumped into Faith without thinking of a break...Faith dodged but was aware that the fight was changing hands...she hadn't the lead anymore, she was more and more on defence mode and would be outclassed very soon...but it wasn't the time...yet...She slowly moved to a burned sofa and sit on it watching amused the look of confusion that crossed Buffy's face.
"Hey B, glad to see you're focus on business now...fair enough for me."
The beast charged but was welcomed by a hit of Faith's bludgeon that was hided behind the sofa. Buffy landed a few meters away but stood up directly, ready for the next round.
"Should have known, B...I don't play fair."
And she hit and hit and hit...every time she reached Buffy, her heart was breaking but it was the right thing to do..."You only hurt those you love"...it was so right and she was a pro...
And, suddenly, Buffy moved faster, dodged more easily, grabbed the bludgeon and broke it on her right knee and then, with a growl of victory, she attacked Faith who couldn't dodge nor parry anymore.
Willow and Eona watched the fight, horrified…they didn’t know what to do to help Faith…Buffy was far better than the rogue slayer…Faith had tried to lead her right below them…without success, the beast was too quick and strong, during the last 2 minutes, Faith only gained 5 feet…they were now 20 feet away, too far for the two witches…And Buffy was beating the hell out of Faith.
There was no spark anymore…it had became bigger…it was a window….Buffy didn’t know how she figured it out but it was a window…it was an exit…the only problem now was to guess where the window would appear the next time…it was never on the same place…but she would guess…and she would be free…
Faith had gone too far…and she knew it but she wasn’t going to give up…even if every bone of her body was broken, she would lead Buffy just below Willow and Eona…but how…that was the question…she tried to push her but she was too fast…she tried to retreat there but each time Buffy bared her the way…Now, the beast played with her, tossing her like a puppet, hitting her like a punching ball but it always gave her a break…it was its sadistic pleasure to make it last…During one of this break, Faith focused her attention to Buffy’s face…a face that only reflected bestiality and then, a foot hit the face…Someone had just jumped from the roof and the same someone had kicked Buffy’s jaw…and she knew this someone.
"Hey, sis…You like my Bat Entrance?"
"What are you doing here? You were supposed to kill Il Mother…"
Her double interrupted her: "Wasn’t there! Got bored! Thought there would be more fun, here! Need a hand?"
"You bet! Look out!"
The beast was up against and charged but, together, the two Faith managed to push the beast to the witches…slowly…step by step. Then, both Faith noticed the table they had used for the briefing the same morning…exchanging a glance…they knew that they had thought about the same thing. So, when they were close enough, they grabbed the table and hit Buffy with it.
Buffy received the table in her thorax and bowed…the rogue slayers took advantage of it and pulled Buffy up, then ran and succeeded in reaching Willow and Eona.
The witches dropped the liquid on Buffy and the beast screamed.
The window was there in front of her…she didn’t disappear…Buffy jumped trough the 'window', she didn’t care if it was another trap…she didn’t want to spend another single minute in this hell…and she wanted to know why the hell there was two Faith…
She was in a kind of corridor…behind her, she could see the dark room where she had been trapped…in front of her, there was a bright light…the exit. Buffy ran to it but was grabbed by black tentacles coming from her prison…tentacles of darkness…the beast didn’t want to loose control…the beast didn’t want to be trapped again…
And the tentacles pulled, and Buffy did the same, fighting…but nor darkness, nor Buffy gained or lost a centimetre…
The beast had stopped screaming and remained still…Willow and Eona hadn’t moved, they were still on the platform…the two Faith circled around Buffy, expecting a move…and she did move.
With a growl, the beast hit one of the Faith, the Faith with a broken nose. Turning around, it tried to hit the other one but was surprised to feel two strong arms lifting it up, its own arms were paralysed because of the grip. Its feet didn’t touch the ground anymore…The beast was trapped in Faith’s grip and it couldn’t use its strength to escape, not in such a position.
Faith was shaking. Even if the beast wasn’t able to free itself, it was bloody powerful. She focused on her grip and said to her companions;
"Get out of here!"
The witches didn’t move, neither did her double.
"Get the hell out of here…I’ll hold."
Willow refused to move and said: "But Buffy?"
"I’ll try once more Will…she needs time…but get out now…it is too dangerous…tell Xand-Man that if we’re not back in 5 minutes, he’ll have to blow this fucking ruin away…" Seeing that Willow was ready to add something, she said: "Don’t argue…if she’s not back in 5 minutes…she’ll be lost…please Will, do it."
Willow sighed and they left.
Faith looked at Buffy now and received a header from the beast…it tried to make her loose her balance…
"Wanna play naughty, B…OK then…not the way I wanted to do it but…here is the hickey." And she bit Buffy’s shoulder.
Three minutes later, Faith was exhausted physically and mentaly…She hadn’t succeed in…the beast was still in control and she felt her forces left her…she was close to faint…so, she lifted her head up and whispered before fainting: "I am sorry, B…love you…"
"Sorry, B…love you…"
Faith’s voice echoed in the corridor…Faith’s voice echoed in Buffy’s head…Faith loved her…There was still hope…she didn’t know if she loved Faith the way she seemeed to love her but she didn’t care…she needed her, that was for sure and there was a chance for both of them…The tentacles weren’t an obstacle anymore…Buffy was capable of breaking them as easily as if they were biscuits…and she ran, ran to the light, ran to freedom, ran to her friend…to her sister…to her Faith…
Xander prevented Eona to move…he just wanted one more minute…he didn’t want to press the button, he didn’t want to kill Buffy, neither did he want to kill Faith…
Eona was in front of him, talking to him? Spike, Dawn, Willow and Tara were watching, unable to move…Faith’s double was gone now, nobody knew where.
"Eona, just one more minute, please."
"Sorry, Xander, she is too dangerous now…we have to do it…and you know that…let me do it…give me the remote control…"
Xander started to cry, wanted to day something more but he knew that she was right…So he gave her the remote control and saw her press the button…and then…
Nothing…no explosion, no big noise…nothing…
Eona cursed and said: "Xander, what’s up…you forgot a connection?"
"No, everyhting was ready…I am sure of it."
Then, what happened…
The voice was just a whisper but everyone heard it: "I cut the wire…" Dawn had just spoken.
Eona was furious "You what?…did you know what you’ve done…did you know what kind of creature will prawl in the night because of you."
"MY SISTER…she is my sister and even if she is a pain in the ass most of the time…I love her…could you understand that Miss 'I’m a cold blood cop who doesn’t care about other feelings'…I lost her once…I don’t want to loose her again."
And before Eona could add something she said: "No matter the costs…"
And then, Xander saw them…Buffy walked towards them…Faith was in her arms, unconscious…she finally reached them…they were speechless…had tears in their eyes..then, Buffy just said: "Let’s go home."
And they were all happy to oblige.
Il Maestro had failed…for the first time of his unlife…his plan failed…it didn’t upset him…failure had always been an option…fortunately for him, he always had a plan B…fortunately for him, he had another week left to accomplish his contract. With a brief sigh, he entered his hotel room and stay amazed.
A man was sitting on his sofa, playing with a little girl…Both of them smiled at him when they saw him. The man stood up and gave him his hand to shake..Still confused, Il Maestro took it..then, a third person entered the room with pizza plates in her hands…a gorgeous woman…probably from the Middle East because of her skin…she was wearing sunglasses…another strange thing. Then the man spoke:
"Sorry, it has been a long journey and we need to eat…it doesn’t bother you, Dmitri…may I call you Dmitri…"
Il Maestro nodded…he had understood.
"You work for them, don’t you?"
"No."
That was not the answer he expected. Neither was he expecting the following statement.
"They work for me."
...continued in Fairy, Lullaby and…Switch...