TITLE: Episode 10-Spells and Surprises
SERIES: Faith, Rogue Slayer
AUTHOR: elizafan568
EMAIL: elizfaith568@yahoo.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please.
ARCHIVE/DISTRIBUTION: This site. If you want to post
on your site, just ask.
SUMMARY: Willow works her magic while Faith prevents
her from making a mistake; Faith and Connor face
Zen...for the last time.
SPOILERS: Buffy season 7 and Angel season 5
CONTENT/WARNINGS:
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: All character are property of Joss Whedon,
Mutant Enemy, etc. I do not own them. Written for fun
not profit.
NOTE: Set post-"Not Fade Away".
Episode 10: Spells and Surprises
Faith quickly got up from the couch and went over to greet Willow. "Willow. I just wanna say I heard about Kennedy and I'm sorry…really." Faith said with true concern as she looked into Willow's eyes and saw them filled with rage, hurt, and anxiety. She knew that look all to well. She had worn it many times.
"Thank you, Faith, but I would rather not talk about that right now if you don't mind. I just want to get down to work on this spell. Zen must pay for what he's done. I will kill him for this, even if it kills me." Willow said in an almost dead tone as she walked past Faith and into the center of the lobby, not really looking at anyone.
"Willow, are you sure…" Lorne started but was quieted by a glance from Faith. She knew how Willow felt and knew that if they didn't handle things right, Willow could go off the deep end again. If she let her have her way, Willow could lose herself again…maybe forever. No way was Faith going to let that happen. "Do you guys mind clearing this furniture out of the way. I'm going to need most of the lobby to perform this spell." Willow commanded, still not really paying anyone any real attention.
"Sure, Willow." Faith said as she and Connor moved to clear the furniture. Faith shot Connor several knowing looks. He easily caught their meaning and knew just what Faith was thinking in regards to Willow. Connor kept quiet as did everyone else.
Willow set her duffle bag down on the ground and began pulling things from it. A spell book, several candles, some sort of mystical paint, some weird bones, and a stone tablet with some unusual demon language written on it. Willow began painting a huge symbol on the floor of the lobby. It was similar to a pentagram, but different enough to where no one knew what it really was.
Faith decided it was best to ask any questions now before Willow got fully started. "So, when this works, will he know the spell is broken?"
"No. The bastard won't have a clue until he tries to use it in a fight. That's when I'll kill him." Willow said, hate filling her voice. Faith now definitely knew what she had to do. She could let Willow confront Zen. She'd either wind up dead or kill Zen and lose herself completely. Revenge is something that was never satisfied. Faith knew that all too well. Faith motioned for Connor to follow her out of the room.
Once they were out of sight and earshot , Faith let Connor in on her plan. "Willow's got it bad, really bad. We can't let her do this. It will not end well." Faith said as Connor listened intently.
"Yeah, I agree. I don't know her all that well but I know she's really powerful and in a lot of pain, not a good combination." Connor replied. As concerned for Willow as Faith was.
"Once she finishes the spell, we're gonna have to make our move. You and I will have to grab and then have Gwen give her a shock. Just enough to knock her out. I hate myself for doing this to her, but it's for the best. It's for her own good in the long run. Looking back at my past now, I wish someone had knocked me out to keep me from doing all the dumb shit I did." Faith remarked, remembering Angel stopping her from choking Xander to death. A severe look crossed her face at the memory.
Connor put his hand on her shoulder, concerned. "Hey, its okay Faith. All that's not you anymore. The past is the past. It doesn't matter. Remember, I'm always here with you. I love you." he said, looking deep into her eyes, seeing the love he felt for her returned in her eyes,
"I know, Connor. I know. Right now we just need to worry about Willow. I'll be fine. I've got you after all." she giggled, lightening the mood a bit. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed back into the lobby. She hated not return the vocalized love, but she just couldn't. Not yet. It wasn't a step she was ready to take, not while he was awake anyways.
*******************
Zen sat as he had been for the past two days, meditating on the fire in front of him. One of his minions approached him slowly. "My lord, everything is prepared. All the altar needs now is for the Slayers blood to be placed on it and the portal should open."
"Thank you, my servant, now all of you. Leave the lair and never return. I have no more use for you." Zen said, not moving.
"But my lord, we have served you loyally and done everything you have commanded. We wish to continue to serve you once you rule the world. Why banish us now?" the vampire exclaimed. Angered at the fact that his loyalty was being repaid with an offhanded dismissal.
"I said, leave. If you value your miserable lives, you will do as your told." Zen said, his hand going to his sword but his eyes remaining closed.
The vamp's fear of Zen vanished as his anger overtook him and he drew his own sword. "You'll pay for this, Zen!" he exclaimed as he charged Zen, rousing the other vampires to draw their swords and charge him as well.
Before the strike hit, Zen vanished and appeared behind the lead vamp. "Very well, your lives are forfeit." Zen said in his ear as he kicked him in the back, sending him flying across the room into the wall. Three others charged him, swords drawn. Zen turned, drawing his sword. He easily dodged their attacks and as they passed he sliced each of them in half, turning them to dust.
Two others saw this and turned to run, losing their resolve. Zen moved in a flash and was in front of them, his damping spell working to a tee. "Going somewhere?" He remarked in a dead voice as he decapitated the two of them before they could even react.
The lead vampire at last recovered and looked up to find his comrades dust and Zen standing only a few feet from him, sword pointed toward him. "You bastard!!!" he yelled as he charged Zen with sword raised. Before his sword landed, Zen stabbed his into the vamp's throat.
"No one can challenge me. Now…Be Gone!!!" Zen exclaimed as he twisted the sword in his throat and slashed it outward, decapitating him. As the dust settled, Zen worked his neck. "That was a nice warm-up. I think now I'm ready for the main event."
******************
The flashes of light, power, and wind finally subsided. Willow's eyes returned to their natural color from the blackness they became when she invoked such dark powers. "So, it's done?" Faith asked, readying herself along with Connor as Willow was still knelling on the floor.
"Yes. Now we need to…" Willow started but stopped as Faith and Connor leapt at her, pinning her to the ground.
"Gwen, shock her! Knock her out, NOW!!!" Faith exclaimed.
"What the hell are you doing? Get off of me. Zen is mine…MINE!!" Willow yelled and then began chanting a spell. Gwen didn't know what was going on but she did as Faith asked and moved over to Willow, placing her hand on her back and delivering a shock. Not enough to really hurt her, but enough to knock her out. Connor and Faith picked the unconscious witch up off the floor and began carrying her upstairs.
"Okay, anyone wanna clue me in to what the hell is going on!?" Lorne exclaimed, completely dumbfounded.
"Look, Lorne. It's for the best. If we let Willow have her way, she'll let her need for vengeance take over, like before, and she'll lose herself again. I can't let her do that to herself. I know how she feels and what she wants to do. I'm have to save her from that. This is all my fault. My existence is the reason for all of this. I have to fix it." Faith said as Lorne and Gwen followed them upstairs and into one of the empty bedrooms.
Faith laid Willow down on the bed as Connor pulled out a syringe filled with tranquilizer. There was still plenty left stored in the hotel from when they had tried to capture Angelus a couple of years ago. He injected it into Willow's right arm.
"Okay, that should be enough to keep her out for several hours. Long enough for this thing to play out one way or another. I'm going to meet Zen, the rest of you stay here and take care of Willow. If she wakes up and I'm…before I get back. Tell her I'm sorry." Faith said as she grabbed her broad sword, the one that had been Angel's favorite, and started for the door.
"No, Faith…I'm coming with you." Connor said as he followed her to the door.
Faith turned to face him. "Connor…you stay here. I can't have anything happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. You mean too much to me to risk losing you now. It's my fight." Faith said as he looked into his eyes and he looked right back.
"Wrong, Faith. It's our fight. I told you, I'm going to stay by your side no matter what. I'm here with you, always. Together, remember?" Connor said in a heartfelt tone.
Faith caressed the side of his face. He was right. As afraid as she was of losing him, she wanted him to be with her, fighting with her, being her other half. That's what he was to her and despite her fear, the need for him, for that feeling he gave her, was even greater. "All right. Let's go." Faith whispered as they headed out.
"Guys…"Lorne said as they turned back to look at him, "Take care." With that, they left and Lorne started to pray. Praying that they would succeed and praying they would come back alive.
**********************
As Faith and Connor entered the warehouse, memories of her battle with the Beast flashed in Faith's mind. She hoped this fight would not go as badly as that one had. "Okay so, where do we go now?" Connor asked.
Faith pulled a flashlight out of her leather jacket and shined it on one of the walls. There was writing in blood on the wall. It said: "To Faith, this is the way to your destiny." and it had an arrow pointing towards a trap door in the floor "Oh, I don't know. Something tells me we got to go down there. Call it, woman's intuition." Faith remarked sarcastically. Connor smiled at her as he walked over to the door and opened it up.
"Ladies first." he said as Faith walked up an jumped into the hole, followed soon by Connor. Below they found more blood arrows on the walls, leading their way. The sight and idea of what Zen had done to get this much blood enraged Faith even more but she kept her cool. This was no time to let the rage take over. Only a cool head and maybe a bit of focused rage would help here. Faith looked over at Connor as he looked ahead intently. At that moment, she promised herself that she'd be with him until the end. If this was the end, the last thing he'd see would be her protecting him. If Zen tried to kill Connor, he'd have to kill her first.
******************
After about an hour of sewer traversal, Faith and Connor came to a huge, ornate steel door. Connor grabbed the handle and could tell that it wasn't bolted or locked in anyway. He looked at Faith and nodded. A nod she returned as he swung the door open and stepped in. The room was huge, almost filled entirely by a huge stone altar that was covered with glowing glyphs. He saw Zen standing on the center of the altar and Andrew, bound and gagged, in the far corner opposite them.
As Faith stepped over the threshold, she felt something go through her. Whatever it was that Zen need her to enter the site willing for her blood to be as he needed, she could tell it had happened. She felt weird and slightly off balance but she shook it off. No time to falter now. She got it together and followed Connor down the few steps to the altar. They stood together, side by side, as those who felt the way they did should. Warriors…lovers…soul mates. Something Faith never thought she'd have, and wasn't about to give up without a fight.
Zen opened his eyes and stared back at them just as hard. "Welcome, Faith. Welcome to your grave…and the birth of a new world…My world!!!"
End of Episode.
