Chapter Thirteen
To say that Faith was unhappy with the plan did not quite do justice to her feelings. She was extremely unhappy, violently discontent, blazingly dissatisfied, and majorly pissed off. She didn't approve of the plan, she didn't like her role in the plan, and she most definitely didn't like Buffy's role in the plan. The plan sucked, Faith hated it, and yet here she found herself right smack dab in the middle of it.
It wasn't that she didn't want Buffy involved, far from it. Buffy was the Slayer after all, and she was better at it than Faith could ever hope to be. And even though Buffy wasn't quite at a hundred percent yet, she was still more than capable of doing what needed doing.
The problem was that what needed doing was risky and dangerous. It was also scary as hell, and it was calling up a lot of flashbacks. Faith would have been happier if they could have just switched roles, but oh no, none of that. Buffy was determined to do it just the way they were doing it, and that was that.
So here they were, and there was no turning back now. They'd made their plan and all that was left to do was to make it a success. They were locked in. No stopping or changing allowed, that time was past. Great. Fine. Just freaking fantastic, but Faith was still unhappy and she still hated the plan.
She sat hidden in the same strip of trees she'd hidden in before, only this time it wasn't about a rescue, it was all about providing some backup. That little switch in goals didn't really make it seem that different. In some ways, it just made it worse.
She was still staring at the building where Buffy had been tortured nearly to death, and her main weapon was still a bow and arrow. She was still sitting still and watching, and it seemed like déjà vu all over again. Really crappy déjà vu.
The meeting yesterday had led them here, and no matter how hard Faith tried, she could not understand how something that had seemed so good and so fucking about time, had suddenly turned into a nightmare. It was all just a blur now, and how the hell Point A connected to Point All Fucked Up was completely lost to her. She did know it didn't seem right that something that had initially made her so happy, now had her guts churning like she was going to puke.
It was Giles who had come up with the plan. It was Giles who'd done all the research and knew how to make what they needed. It was Giles who had gotten them all fired up.
"So when you say ‘blow up the building', you do mean in a totally total destruction kind of way?"
"Yes Buffy, I do. There's a very good chance we can damage the focal point or maybe cause them to miss their window of opportunity. Perhaps we can even sever..."
"Can sever their fucking heads from their fucking bodies, is what we can fucking do."
"Yes, that's of course another delightful possibility. It would be nothing short of wonderful to even up the odds a bit."
Buffy's excitement was plain to see:
"I am loving this plan. In fact, I am marrying this plan!"
"I'm digging it too. Definitely owe these bastards some pain, and we're way overdue for the payback."
So there it was. All of the good, no bad anywhere in sight. Yeah, right. She knew better, but somehow she'd forgotten. She was blaming it on Buffy and her "Buffyness", maybe not fair, but she was sticking with it.
There'd been about an hour, one short hour to savor all the good feelings before the bad came calling to kick her ass. And now they were right in the thick of it, and Faith was just scared and unhappy. Plus her ass was really starting to hurt.
She just sat there in relative safety, laying down silent and so far effective cover fire, while Buffy went about placing the charges in all the right spots. It was all going as smooth as silk, and it was that very smoothness that had her anxiety shooting skyward.
She'd already passed the acceptable level for a seasoned Slayer long ago, and the problem was that her peak seemed to be nowhere in sight. It was crazy and embarrassing for sure, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it. All she could do was sit and watch Buffy sneaking all around Hell Central, and it was not an easy thing for her to manage.
The other shoe had to be getting ready to drop, most likely it was getting ready to kick them right upside their stupid heads. It had to be, there was no way apparent to Faith that things would run so perfectly in their favor. She might never do things according to the odds, but that didn't mean she didn't know what they were, and this time the odds were freaking her right the fuck out.
She nailed another vampire as he exited the building and began strolling casually around the corner. It was the corner that Buffy was currently crouched behind, her hands confidently handling explosives as if she'd done it all her life. Faith had to admire her, Buffy could do anything she had to, and she always did it well.
Faith knew Buffy'd heard the vampire approaching, but she had never even looked up. The only indication she gave that she knew she was in danger was the smile that crossed her face as she heard him explode into dust. Everything about her revealed the complete confidence she had in Faith and that plus the smile, had Faith feeling all warm inside.
It was just that kind of reaction that had made her agree to the stupid plan in the first place. Buffy had her wrapped right around her finger, and Faith knew it. Be that as it may, she could not stop the answering smile that flooded her own face, nor could she feel anything but an intense happiness:
"Fuckin' right I got your back, B."
It was about an hour before sunrise, the exact time they wanted it to be. The plan was to get all of the charges in place, then detonate them with as many vampires inside as possible. Hopefully the ones not obliterated in the blast would find themselves exposed to the burning rays of the sun. The hour leeway meant not as many were hanging around, too busy roaming their little corner of Sunnydale before the dawn forced them inside.
Spiran had not changed his base of operations, and that could only mean one of two things. Either he was overconfident and didn't consider the Slayers to be much of a threat, or he had to stay right where he was. If it was the first reason, he'd made a big mistake. If the second reason took the prize, it meant the focal point was somewhere inside the building.
Whatever the reason, it was a huge weak spot, one they were doing their utmost to exploit. Their objectives were to disrupt whatever they could and destroy as many vampires as was Slayerly possible. Personally, Faith was shooting for killing every last fucking one of them. She knew that was a little on the unrealistic side, so she was willing to settle for the pleasure of spotting Spiran's head as it went flying by on its way to Dustville.
The bombs they'd assembled were definitely going to do the trick. Giles had given them extremely detailed instructions, he was Giles after all. The thing was, they were so detailed it made it clear to all involved that he was much more than just a youthful offender. He'd obviously gone way past that at some point.
Faith didn't know the whole "Ripper" story, but damn. She would have loved to just kick back and listen to all his crazy criminal stories, but there was no time for that kind of fun. Besides, it was pretty unlikely that Giles would be willing to share them anyway, short of some sort of earth shattering occurrence making him spill the beans. Well, maybe one day.
The main thing was that he knew several ways to make bombs using all kinds of common everyday items. That in itself was crazy enough, but when he started explaining the "necessary sequence of explosive concussions required to bring down a building of this size", well he looked like Giles...if Giles had suddenly morphed into a straight up killer. He was scary and intimidating, and Faith was nothing but impressed.
So after getting all the technical stuff squared away, the Slayers took off to gather the supplies they needed. The store they hit was heavily guarded, but it didn't pose too much of a problem. With some creative teamwork they made it in and out without getting spotted, then hightailed it back to a relatively secure location.
As they began assembling what needed assembling, they began discussing their plan.
"Okay, so I'm thinking one covers while the other places the charges."
"Thinkin' the same. Need something silent, figure on a bow and arrow to get the job done."
"That sounds right, plus you're an expert with it."
"Yep. Show ya the ins and outs, then we'll..."
"What?"
"Don't worry, won't take much to teach ya the..."
"I was thinking you'd play ‘Robin Hood' and I'd handle the explosives."
"Good one, B. Really crack me up sometimes. ‘Kay, we're gonna need to..."
Buffy carefully laid down the bomb she was working on:
"I'm serious Faith."
"...You're what?"
"I'll plant the explosives and you'll cover me."
"The hell I will!"
Faith placed her bomb down a lot less gently as she shot to her feet.
"Faith..."
"Have you lost your mind?! No fucking way you're..."
"Just calm down."
"...going anywhere near that building!"
"Will you stop yelling and just listen to..."
"Shit, you're barely at half-speed! No way am I letting you..."
"Hey I'm at least eighty percent, and with you watching my back I'll..."
"Already seen plenty of your back. Not letting you..."
Buffy decided to stand now as well.
"That's the second time you've said that."
"Said what?"
"'Letting me'. You don't ‘let' me do anything, and I don't recall asking you for permission to do my job."
"Yeah? Well do you recall me being in this up to my fucking neck? I'm half of this attack force Blondie, so save the big shot Slayer shit for somebody who gives a fuck."
"I'm not saying..."
"So what is it now? Can't trust the crazy bitch with the delicate explosives? Scared I'm gonna fuck it all up and blow us sky-high ‘fore we even..."
"How about shutting up and..."
"...get it going? Gee, thanks so much for the big vote of confidence."
"What in the hell are you talking about?! I didn't say any of that, I wasn't even thinking any of..."
"Case you forgot, I'm a Slayer too. Might be a real fucked up one, but still the real deal. Just too goddamned bad if..."
"Faith!"
"What?"
"What is this? Why are you..."
Faith began pacing back and forth, her anger almost visibly shimmering off her.
"Can tell you for sure right now you don't get to boss me around. Can also tell you I'm up to the fucking job, and I'm gonna be the one doing it!"
"Look I don't have an agenda here, it's simply a matter of you being the better shot. We can't afford a miss and I'm not as good as you are."
"I can show you and you'll be just fine."
"Why should we risk that? How does that make any sense at all?"
"Don't give a shit if it makes sense."
"Faith..."
"I don't! I'll teach ya how to use..."
"Stop being stupid! I can take care of the hand to hand action, and if it gets too intense you'll be right there."
"You're not up to specs yet and..."
"I'm good enough to do this and you know it."
"Says you. I never said anything like..."
Buffy walked over and laid her hand on Faith's cheek:
"Hey, what's this really about?"
Faith tried to turn away, but Buffy grabbed her arm with a firm grip as her other hand forced Faith's head back up. She stood waiting until Faith met her eyes:
"Come on, tell me."
Faith stood there glaring defiantly, but as Buffy softly stroked her cheek, her face finally softened:
"...It's just...Look, let's just do it some other way."
"Why?"
"I don't...Fuck Buffy, I don't want you to have to go back in there."
"I know but..."
"No you fucking don't know!"
"...Explain it to me then."
"Christ B, you almost died! It was a fucking nightmare hellhole, and I don't want you reliving it. I'll put the fucking charges down, and if something goes wrong..."
"Faith..."
"No. If somebody's gotta go in it's gonna be me, not you. It's not up for debate, so just fucking...
Buffy kissed her. Faith tried to pull away, but Buffy wouldn't let her. After several intense moments, Faith stopped fighting and pulled her closer.
When they slowly broke apart Buffy sat down, tugging on Faith's hand until she joined her.
"I wish we didn't have to relive it, but what else can we do? This is our job, right? We can do it, we'll be okay."
"Uh-huh. Trying to say you're not freaked by the thought of..."
"Of course I'm freaked. If the structural thingy's like Giles thinks it is, I'm going to have to go in, and trust me when I say I so do not want to go in."
"And ya don't have to. Just let me do it, that way..."
"That way makes us weaker, less effective. I'm better than you at the hand to hand and you're better with the bow and arrow. I'm sneakier and quicker, you're better with the direct stuff. We need to do what we do best. I'll be okay and if something happens, you'll be there to help me."
"..."
"F?"
"...Don't want you to have to see him again."
"And this time I probably won't. I'm going to have to at some point though, and when I do, I'm planning on dusting him about a million times. But that's not what this mission's about, now's not the right time for that."
"B..."
"Besides, you definitely need to stay away from him. We don't know for sure what kind of effect he'll have on you, so there's no point in taking any unnecessary chances. We're pretty sure I'm all ‘Immuno Girl' now, so it makes even more sense for me to do it."
"Already told ya, I don't give a shit what makes sense. I don't like this, I don't fucking like it at all and..."
Buffy kissed her again, but this time it was more than a kiss. It was a declaration, and it said everything they could and could not say. It was passionate, it was intense, and Faith could feel her head and heart spinning when it ended.
"I'm a Slayer too, remember? I can handle myself and I'm well enough to do this. It's my job and I'd be doing it all alone if you weren't here...well assuming I wasn't still getting flayed alive."
"Buffy..."
"But you are here, and that changes everything. We're going to beat him, I guarantee it. And you can ask anyone, the ‘Buffy Summers Guarantee' is one hundred percent guaranteed. So stop with all the worrying and let's just do what we have to do."
Faith didn't respond.
"Okay?"
"...B..."
Buffy edged even closer.
"Hey, am I gonna have to make it an order?"
The pouting look on Faith's face would have made Buffy laugh if the situation hadn't been so serious.
"...Not taking orders from you. I'm in charge, your choice."
Buffy did smile then:
"Oh yeah, that's right. Hmm..."
She began placing feather light kisses on Faith's shoulder as she slowly worked her way up.
"Okay tell you what...you let me have my way...on this one...and next time I'll follow...your orders without...question."
"Look, this ain't some..."
"Please...Faith?"
"..."
"Please?"
"...Want it on record I hate this fucking plan."
"Duly noted, but maybe we'll take a lot of them out of the picture while we're messing up the focal point."
"Yeah B, I know the drill. Just don't like it."
"Oh come on! Are you telling me the thought of blowing up a hundred vamps at one time doesn't get you all..."
"'All' what?"
"You know."
"Sorry, not following."
Faith's smirk clearly demonstrated that she was a liar.
"Faith..."
"Guess you're gonna have to explain it to me."
"F..."
"Hey, wanted to be the big shot leader. Start leadin'."
"Okay, fine...You know...all...'unh'."
Faith burst into laughter:
"Was that what I think it was? Man, that's gotta be the lamest..."
"It was not!"
"Unh yeah, definitely was."
"Are you saying I'm lame?"
"Guess I am."
"Really?"
"Unh-huh."
"You little..."
They began struggling and when the dust settled, Buffy was on top. She began nibbling along Faith's neck, following a slow meandering path down to the front of her chest.
"So tell me F, how lame is this?"
"...Can't always...distract me with...sex...B!"
"I can't?"
"No ya can't. Not sure...this...this...uh...conver...sation's..."
"Shhh."
Faith had no choice as Buffy took charge of her. It wasn't long before she had Faith reduced to a quivering mass of need.
"God B..."
"I'm sorry, were you saying something?"
"Huh?"
"That's what I thought you said."
"...Hang on, remember now. I was saying...I was saying what...a bitch...you..."
Her voice was cutoff as Buffy lips claimed hers.
"F?"
"Mmm hmm?"
"Trust me, okay?"
"I got a choice?"
"Not really, but I like to pretend you do."
"Okay, but you get yourself killed..."
"...I won't come bitching to you. Now could we concentrate on more pressing matters?"
"Only thing ‘pressing' is you on my..."
"Well you seem so tense, I'm just trying my best to help you relax."
"Works good for me."
"See? I'm doing wonders already."
"...Doesn't mean..."
"Shhh, trust me."
So she did, but she still didn't like the plan. That part didn't matter at all because Buffy was now making her way over, and the time for wishing things were different was long over.
"Okay so far, so good. All we've got left is the east side. I'll give you a couple of minutes to set-up over there before I head back."
"B, if you gotta go in..."
"I'll go in alone. There's no point in risking both of us, and you don't need to go anywhere him. I'll be okay."
"Yeah, like this ain't the world's biggest foreshadowing."
"Hello, could you stop with all the pessimism already? I like to be perky until I'm actually being killed, okay?"
"...Gimme about three to get squared away."
Buffy leaned in to give her a quick kiss:
"Be careful."
"You too."
"I promise."
"...Fuck."
Buffy watched her go, marveling at how gracefully and quickly she moved and blended into the darkness. She supposed she did the same thing, but it was cool to see someone else doing it.
She ran a hand through her hair and began breathing as deeply as she could. She already knew she was going to have to go inside, she'd picked that fact up from Giles. He hadn't wanted to worry everyone else, but he'd managed to convey the ugly truth to her without words.
The east side of the building was crucial, but it had a few structural differences that made it necessary for her to place the charges in a couple of spots on the inside. Some safety precaution or adjustment because of the land the building stood on, at least that was Giles' explanation. Buffy's was much simpler: somebody somewhere hated her.
She was going in, but she knew it wasn't that easy. She was absolutely terrified, and the thought of voluntarily entering the building where she'd suffered so much pain was almost more than she could stand. Almost.
There was no way she could let Faith go in, they couldn't risk Spiran messing with her mind and besides, the whole bow and arrow thing was true. If a miracle somehow occurred and she didn't need to go in, Faith had her covered. If real life came calling, she was faster than Faith, and that meant she could get in and out in less time. It also meant Faith was going to have to cover her as she hauled ass.
There was little doubt that she was going to get spotted if she went in, and there was also little doubt that Faith could do a much better job of getting her clear than Buffy could ever do for her. Faith was truly a master with a bow and arrow, and they were going to need every bit of her skill if they were going to get the job done and live to tell the tale.
Buffy knew the plan was the right one, she was sure about that. It was just that it was dangerous and scary, and it was not something she wanted to do at all. But what else was new? It was just another normal day for the Slayer...Yippee.
There was no more time to think things through, it was time to get the job done. She knew Faith was in place by now, so she made her way carefully to the east side. So far, so good.
They'd already killed eight vampires, Faith had taken care of seven of them without a sound. Yep, everything was going their way, and Buffy knew from experience that meant now was the time to exercise extreme caution. She wanted no surprises at this point, none at all.
She arrived at the designated spot and began checking it out. She was hoping against hope that Giles was wrong, but it didn't take her long to see that her Watcher was dead on. Of course he was, this was way too important for him to be anything else.
Buffy looked back then, and the look of sheer terror on her face had Faith dropping her bow and rushing to her side. Well that was her plan, but before she could even make a move, things changed. Faith caught the flash of a wistful smile, and then it just happened.
Buffy's shoulders straightened, her eyes turned deadly, and her power practically radiated from her. No longer a scared young woman, she was Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and she just turned around and went inside. Just like that.
Faith's adrenaline was skyrocketing, and she was hyperaware of everything around her. She wanted nothing more than to run in after Buffy and start kicking all the undead ass she could get a hold of, but she was a Slayer too. There was no time to follow her heartfelt desire, there was only time to stay put and wait. There was only time for her to do her duty.
She sat silent and unmoving while she waited for her opportunity to present itself. She was going to be ready for it when it came, and she was going to get it done no matter what. It was truly déjà vu all over again, except this time she knew her moment was coming sooner rather than later.
A few long minutes passed, then a window exploded outward on the second floor as a vampire came sailing out. He was already dust as he cleared the window frame, and The Slayer was falling through his swirling remains. She landed hard on a dumpster and the sound of the impact made Faith wince, but her eyes never strayed from the nearest exit door.
The vampires appeared and Faith's hands became just a blur as she used her bow and arrow to greatest effect. It was a weapon designed for distance and stealth, not speed and multiple targets. Of course, it wasn't designed with a Slayer in mind either.
She launched a seemingly impossible barrage of arrows, all of which found their mark. Her last shot caught one of the vampires grappling with Buffy right in the throat, and she tossed him aside as she staked the other. She then whirled and began running toward the tree line, as at least fifty vampires began swarming out of all the doors Faith could see.
Faith knew the plan had now changed, and Buffy knew it too. She leapt impossibly high, somersaulting as she went, and Faith hit the detonator. They both knew she had to.
The explosion seemed to rock the whole area. The windows shattered and the building swayed and shuddered. Large chunks of debris flew out in front of it, several pieces landing on Buffy as she huddled for protection behind a row of decorative boulders. Only Buffy was no longer there.
She'd gone up into the trees, jumping and swinging at Slayer speed away from the crash point. Faith was also moving back, all too aware that she was way too close for comfort. She could feel the ground shaking as the building began its collapse, and she tried to pick up speed as she ran for her life.
Some concrete caught her hard on the leg making her stumble, but she didn't go down. A strong hand grabbed her outstretched arm, and then she was up and being swung still further away. She used the momentum to catch the next branch, and soon both Slayers were clear and running to safety.
The building was down, taking trees and huge sections of other buildings with it. More than a few vampires had gone along for the ride as well, and their screams of pain and anger sounded out loud behind the escaping Slayers. They never broke stride, never even looked back.
Faith glanced over at Buffy:
"So, havin' fun, Tarzan?"
"Sure doesn't suck, Jane."
Faith grinned at Buffy's response. It was fun, and they were just getting started. Buffy was limping slightly, but she was still moving good, and her smile was nothing but deadly.
Oh yeah, The Slayer was back and she was ready to play. Faith's own smile grew until her lips couldn't stretch anymore.
"Defcon One, B."
Buffy laughed.
"Absolutely, F."
They kept running.
