A scream echoed in the distance and Faith was off, ducking under low hanging branches, eyes constantly scanning the darkness and ears pricked for the slightest noise. Her feet tread lightly, skimming, barely touching the ground as she ran towards the scream.
The trees gave way to a clearing and there it was. Vampires and their prey. Five girls. Four of them tied to a huge wooden stake. The last being held by who was obviously the leader. Circle of fire surrounding them. A lot of stinky incense. Oh and some reciting of Latin.
Never a great sign.
"Just not cool," Faith said, stepping into the clearing, her hands resting on her hips. "I mean, here I thought I was going to have an easy night. Didn't figure you guys would be cliche and do a whole Black Friday thing. Thought you'd realise you'd have a whole shitload of Slayers out in full force tonight. I'm disappointed. Really."
The head vampire looked up from his feed, blood staining the edges of his mouth and teeth. He snarled in impatience. "You are not a Slayer."
Faith gave a little smile and a wave, walking around the circle.
"Actually, I am. One of the originals before the spell. Name's Faith. Look me up sometime, think you'll find a whole lot of stuff about me, bunny."
"Boss..." a fledging spoke up. "It's the rogue."
"See, I knew someone would have heard of me." Faith nodded. "And now... well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill ya."
She took a running leap over the fire to end up in the centre of the circle, then sprung into action. She whipped a stake from the back of her pants and threw it square into a vampire's chest, then instantly ducked and rolled away from the knife she knew had been thrown. A backflip from the ground and she was up, arms at the ready, poised to fight.
"Continue the ceremony! I'll deal with the bitch," the leader commanded, dropping the body to the ground and taking one step closer to Faith.
Faith grinned and made a come and get me gesture. "Bring it, bumpy."
With a growl, the vampire leader came charging at Faith. She folded into it, letting him tackle her to the ground, then raised her legs up and kicked him off her. She scrambled to her feet, pulling the knife from her jacket as she got up, bringing it out with a fluid motion and decapitating the vampire who had been chanting from the spell book.
"No really, don't get up," she grinned.
Two down, five to go. Piece of cake.
The vampire who had been cutting into one of the human sacrifices stopped and advanced on Faith.
"I said continue the ceremony!" the leader ordered again.
"Yeah, do as you're told," Faith said, before picking up one of the torches of fire and throwing it square at the vampires chest.
Success. Four to go.
The leader took a run at Faith again, this time she was unprepared and they tumbled out of the circle. Without waiting for the Slayer to regain her balance and control, the lead vampire punched her with a powerful left hook, then immediately kicked out, sending Faith flying back into a tree.
Faith hit the branch with an 'oof' and then looked up briefly. Perfect, a branch. Just as the vampire came running at her, she jumped out and pistoned her legs out, wrapping them around his neck and twisting. She let go of the branch and they fell to the ground. With no hesitation, she picked up a stick from the ground and rammed it home into the vampire's chest.
Three left.
Faith flipped her knife in her hand, then ran back towards the fire, leaping at the last second to avoid the flames.
"Party time."
She set to, kicking, punching and decapitating the remaining vampires.
"You ok?" she asked the girls, cutting through the ropes.
"... Yeah," one replied, her voice shaking.
"Probably a bad idea to party with pale guys," Faith advised.
"How... um... thanks," another said, looking at Faith uncertainly.
"No sweat... well a little bit, but that was from the fire." Faith waved them off, then heaved the stake out of the ground and used it to push dirt over a small section of the fire circle in order to extinguish it. "Now get gone."
The girls didn't have to be told twice, as soon as there was an exit, they'd taken it.
Faith wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. The fire was starting to die down, and with the help of the wind, it would soon be all out. Just to make sure, Faith pushed more dirt over the parts that needed extra help.
Sweaty and a little dirty, Faith headed back into the woods, back towards where her car was parked.
So she was running about a month late for her date with the school. With all the stuff that had happened with Airlia, Serafina and Tru, Angel had opted to take them back to LA. Now that they weren't in any danger, Angel felt it wise to continue at his post as head of Wolfram and Hart.
Faith had been there for awhile, training with Gunn and Angel and more or less annoying Wesley while he researched, but in the end, she needed to be on the move again, and thought she may as well show up at Giles's new school thing. She had made the pitstop at Xavier's to tie up her loose ends with Logan.
A month late, but still willing and able, Faith was finally in Cleveland. She wondered if she'd run into any of the students. She kind of hoped she would. They should be patrolling, especially on this night.
As she walked back through the woods, she dusted her hands off on the back of her pants.
Friday and Gwyn
Friday, Gwyn, Carlee and Suzie were on their own way back to the school.
"I still think we should have hunted this Dylan down while she was in the area," Suzie muttered.
"Suzie-baby," Friday said with unusual patience, "Dylanna does not need to be three feet away for her telepathy to work. I don't know much about telepaths, but I know that much. Trust me. Dylan was not anywhere we could reach her."
Faith
Suddenly Faith came flying out of nowhere in front of the other Slayers. She hit the ground with a thud and rolled for a few metres before a huge demon came running after her.
"Son of a bitch!" Faith flipped to her feet and charged at the oncoming demon, knocking them both down to the ground. After a slight struggle, Faith reached around for her knife and swept it clean through the demon's neck, killing it.
"Gross," she said, standing up, wiping goo from her pants. She looked up and saw Friday and co.
"Oh, hey Friday."
Friday
Friday looked over Faith and the now dead demon.
"Hi Faith," she replied cheerfully. "How's it going?"
"You know her?" asked Carlee.
"Yeah. This is Faith. She's a slayer as well."
"I haven't seen her at the school," Suzie frowned.
"That's because she doesn't go to the school. Duh."
Faith
Faith saluted.
"Giles asked me to come and teach you guys a class or something."
She walked along with them.
"Busy night for you guys?"
Friday
"Yeah. Mostly stragglers but we did take down a nest of the suckers," Friday replied.
"Are you making a bad joke?" Carlee asked.
"Yes. I'm so glad you noticed."
Carlee shook her head.
Faith
"I'm almost disappointed that I interrupted a ritual tonight," Faith said, shaking her head. "It's so cliche."
She ran a hand through her hair.
"But I take comfort in that we have Halloween off. Vampires don't think much of it, so don't go out."
Gwyn and Friday
"Other demons do though," Gwyn observed quietly.
"Well, they suck," Friday replied.
"No, that's what the vampires do," Carlee responded with a small smile.
"Are you using my own bad joke against me?"
"Yep."
"So, what ritual?" asked Suzie.
Faith
"Hmm, not sure, I'll have to ring Wesley later and get him on it. Nothing pressing, because I stopped it for now."
Faith gave a little shrug.
"Other demons aren't usually as bold as vampires though."
Friday and Gwyn
"True," Gwyn conceeded.
"Oh!" Friday exclaimed suddenly. "You wouldn't know my friends. This is Suzie."
"Hey," Suzie nodded.
"Farm girl over here is Carlee."
"Farm girl?" Carlee repeated.
"Well, you do come from a farm," and Friday looked her up and down, "and dress like you still live on one."
Carlee pulled a face.
"And this is Gwyn. She's our resident mutant cleric/slayer. Not only is she hyrdokinetic, but she can also bless stuff," Friday grinned. "Ahh, 'tis a sight to see her create water, bless it and spray it all over vampires."
Gwyn blushed at the attention.
Faith
"Nifty," Faith said, waving by way of introduction.
"How are you finding the whole Slayer gig?"
Friday and Gwyn
"Good," Suzie replied
"I'd rather be back on the farm."
"We can tell, Carlee," Friday teased.
"It is certainly a learning experience," Gwyn said.
Faith
"I love it," Faith said, adjusting the knife in her pocket.
"Just the total freedom of giving your whole self up in a fight. Wouldn't trade it for anything."
Friday
Friday nodded in agreement.
"There's the school," Carlee said.
"Ahh," Friday nodded again. "And the usual set of questions await: how'd it go, how many did you take down, see anything unusual, blah blah blah."
"I keep waiting for the night where I get to say no to all three," Suzie smiled. "I'm sure the looks on their faces will be precious."
Faith
Faith shrugged.
"It happens. Even on the Hellmouth, sometimes you can have a quiet night. Not very often, but it happens. Did once or twice in Sunnydale while I was there. Although..."
She paused thoughtfully.
"Half the time I went looking for trouble. So I don't know if that counts or not."
Friday
"Does looking for trouble really matter when the hellmouth is concerned?" asked Carlee. "I mean, in one way, by patrolling we're looking for trouble."
"Although, we do also attract trouble, just by being slayers," Friday pointed out.
"Well, true... But see, before I found out about slayers, and that I was one, I didn't deal with vampires or any other demons very much until I started patrolling. Occasionally a vampire would seek me out at the farm. But seriously, had to be going to a lot of effort to hunt me down in the middle of nowhere."
Faith
"Well, I sought out vampires to fight if I hadn't found any that night. I'd gatecrash a nest or something."
Faith scratched the back of her head.
Friday
"You took down nests by yourself?" Friday asked admiringly. "I've done it, like once, and that was before I came here where they make us go out in at least pairs."
"There was fifteen of them in the one we did tonight, and you're just not ever happy, are you?" Suzie mused.
"Nope."
"Sometimes, I think you have a death wish."
Friday glared at Suzie.
"I do not. Just because -"
"Ahem," Gwyn cut in. "Suzie, Day just likes a decent challenge, this is all. And... I think you should have found another way to put that."
Suzie winced, mentally berating herself for forgetting Lilly.
Faith
"Yeah sure. Taken nests by myself and took a few down with Buffy."
Faith gave a little shrug, as if it were nothing.
Friday
"Right now I'm just not sure who's cooler. Faith or Elektra," Friday grinned.
Carlee stopped walking and stared at her.
"Wait... you're actually putting someone on the same level as Elektra? Elektra is your hero!"
"Yeah. But Faith is real," Friday nodded, grinning. "Well, my daughter's name is Elektra, and she's real, but that's not the point. Hey, speaking of Elektra... Faith? Did you know I went through with my promise to turn Zac into a girl and get him pregnant."
Suzie groaned. Here we go again.
Faith
Faith laughed.
"Heard it on the grapevine. Speaking of Zac, I should probably send Tru there for awhile. Although he might get a shock, seeing as she's now 15."
She laughed.
"Alternate dimensions, you have to love them."
Friday
Friday nodded as the closed the last few metres to the school entrance.
"Yeah, Saku looks about that age now," she said. "Alternate dimensions rock."
Faith and Oz
"Wicked cool."
Faith looked up at the school as they walked inside.
Oz was heading out to grab some late night take out for himself and Willow when he saw Faith. He walked over and they nodded at each other.
"Faith."
"Oz."
Then, out of nowhere, Oz smiled and hugged her.
"Did you just make an expression?" Faith asked in disbelief.
"Afraid so."
Friday and Gwyn
Friday grinned.
"How'd it go, girls?" asked John Connor, sitting in his usual spot.
"Few stragglers, and a nest," Friday replied.
"Injuries?"
"Negligable."
John gave her a look. Friday rolled her eyes.
"Nothing that won't wash off."
He grunted.
"How many?"
"15 in the nest, and... how many stragglers?"
"Four," Gwyn offered.
John nodded and wrote that down.
"Anything unusual?"
"Yep," Friday beamed.
"What?"
"We enountered a most unusual creature."
"Yes?" John asked, interest peaking.
"Yes. A slayer who was a slayer before Willow decided to active all us potentials. Faith," Friday grinned.
John gave her a bland look.
"I can see that."
"Well," Friday replied reprovingly. "You did ask if we came across anything unusual..."
Faith and Oz
"Mmmm, an original Slayer, we're a rare find... in fact... there's only me left," Faith grinned.
Oz suppressed a chuckle, then patted her arm. "I'm going to get food, you want?"
"Yes. Anything greasy. Make sure it's a lot too. So hungry and - "
"Faith."
"... So hungry. Catch ya Wolfie."
Oz sketched a salute and was gone.
"So... Giles said he had a room for me?" Faith asked.
Friday
"Umm, yes, I believe I recall Giles mentioning you," John nodded. "Friday? Would you might getting Maura?"
Friday shrugged.
"Yeah sure."
The girls dispursed.
"Maura is the school secretary," John went on by way of explanation. "She'll know what room."
Faith
"Oh awesome."
Faith thought for a moment.
"My bag is in my car. I'll go get that now, I'm parked just out the front."
And with that, she'd disappeared to get her stuff.
Friday
It wasn't long before Friday returned with Maura.
"Where's she gone?" Friday asked.
"To get her things. Why don't you go take a shower?" John asked.
"Is that your way of saying I stink?"
"It's may way of saying go back to your room. We, who have not spent the evening patrolling can get Faith settled in."
Friday shrugged and departed.
Faith
Faith came back in, a bag of clothes over one shoulder and a bag of weapons over the other.
"So, where am I going?" she asked.
Maura
"Please, follow me, Faith," said Maura.
The one foot tall pixie half walked, half flew towards the dormatories.
"We set aside a room for you on the 6th floor," she said. "And you'll have it all to yourself. The room, that is, not the sixth floor."
Faith
"Wicked."
Faith followed along behind her.
"And where's the gym and stuff?"
Maura
Maura pointed down another corridor on the way to the lift.
"Through the doors on the other side. There's another building just outside that has the gym, dance studio, dojo, and sparring rooms. Cafeteria's back the way we came, on the second floor."
They got the the end of the corridor they were on and arrived at a set of doors.
"That building outside," Maura went on, pointing through the glass, "is the infirmary."
She turned to the left and finally made it to the lift.
"There's a map of the campus in your room," she said, flittering inside and hitting the '6' button.
Faith
"Rocking," Faith commented.
She looked around where Maura was indicating.
"So, the gym and stuff... I can use it at all hours?"
Maura
"You can," Maura confirmed. "The students have a curfew."
The lift went 'ding' and the doors opened. Maura then lead down the hallway.
"That's the lounge for this floor," she pointed at the closest door. "TV, etc."
They passed another corridor and Maura stopped in front of a door. She pointed to the next door along.
"That's the washroom," she said, and opened the door that she was floating in front of, "and this is your room."
Faith
"Thanks."
Faith walked inside and gave a little smile.
"Wild guess, bunch of guys from Spart," she whispered to herself.
Maura
"Feel free to decorate to your hearts' content," Maura continued. "I believe that one of the girls' rooms is black on one side, pink on the other - there's a personality clash for you! Oh, the maps' on the table. The cafeteria meal times are on the back. Of course, you can join us in the staff lunch room, if you'd prefer. Or you can go downtown for that matter."
She looked around.
"I think that's about everything. Anything else I can help you with?"
Faith
"Nah, I'm good, thanks."
Faith tossed her bag down on the bed.
Maura
"Okay, great," Maura replied. "I'll see you around."
And on that, Maura left.