The Good, The Bad and The Fangy
by dawnm
Brutal Encounters
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Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Feedback will be appreciated...so when you finish reading, please take a minute to review and let me know what you think.
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Chapter 7 - Brutal Encounters
"I've called you all here because we have...a situation, quite a serious problem actually." Giles started, pacing in front of the table as he addressed Xander, Cordelia, Oz, and Angel who had assembled in the library at the watcher's request. "Buffy and Willow seem to be...missing. Wesley is currently in England on council business. Neither he nor the council are aware of this...and it's imperative that we keep it that way."
"Missing?" Angel looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I last heard from them on Tuesday. Yesterday, Xander and I went to Willow's house and found the remnants of a spell of some sort. At this point, we can only assume that something went wrong when they cast the spell. Do any of you know what they might have been up to?" The watcher paused, surveying the group. They all shook their heads, shocked at the news.
"I haven't talked to Buffy since Monday." Angel recalled their conversation that night in the cemetery, still saddened by their breakup.
"I haven't seen either of them this week." Cordy snorted. "No wonder it's been so peaceful around here."
"Peaceful is not a word I would use to describe their absence." Giles said bluntly, tossing the newspapers from the past two days onto the table in front of the group. "Without the slayer, this town is wholly unprotected and it seems the vampires are delighting in their freedom." The group peered down at the headlines on the front pages of the papers. Story after story told of unexplained attacks that the authorities were blaming on wild dogs - a typical Sunnydale police cover story for vampire activities. For once, Cordelia looked contrite and the group quietly pondered what it meant to live in a Sunnydale without a slayer.
"You haven't said anything, Oz." Giles addressed the werewolf. "Do you know anything about this spell Willow was working on?"
"I haven't talked to Will since Sunday. We broke up." He met the watcher's questioning gaze. Several pairs of eyes looked at him curiously. "She said something about a project that she was working on with Buffy. It could have been a spell. She didn't say."
"Yes, well," Giles paced again, "I'm sure you can all imagine how much worse things will get if Buffy doesn't return soon."
"What about Faith and the mayor?" Xander blurted. "If they knew..."
"Precisely why we need to keep this quiet until we can figure out a way to bring Buffy back." Giles pointed out.
"Afraid it's a little too late for that, G." Faith said, jumping down from the upper level where she had been hiding in the stacks, landing between the watcher and Angel. Angel scrambled to his feet, rushing the dark slayer and tackling her to the floor. Faith received the vampire with a wicked laugh. "Now that B's outta town, you're suddenly interested in a roll in the hay?" She asked, fighting Angel for control as they rolled around on the floor. "But I like to be on top." She said, flipping the vampire. Angel landed on his back with Faith straddling his waist.
Nobody saw the stake in her hand until it was too late. In the flurry of activity, the slayer had slipped the stake from her waistband and plunged it into the vampire's chest. "Was it good for you?" She asked, wearing a dementedly sultry smile as she thrust her hips against the vampire's lap one last time before he turned to dust beneath her. Hopping to her feet, Faith casually dusted herself off and turned to the rest of the group.
Standing behind the counter, Giles attempted to talk her down. "Faith, I can help you. We can work things out." He grasped at straws, stalling for time while looking for a weapon. The rogue slayer chuckled maniacally, lunging toward the counter. Xander and Oz looked at each other and sprang into action in mutual agreement. Reaching over the counter, Faith grabbed the watcher by his shirt, jerking him forward.
"I don't think the boss would like it if you brought B back." The slayer advised through clenched teeth. Xander and Oz jumped her from behind and she temporarily released Giles' shirtfront, turning toward the two boys and sending them both reeling backward in the process. "Hey boys...not very smart." Faith rushed them then, landing a roundhouse kick in Oz's face that sent him crashing into the wall. Focusing on Xander then, the dark slayer held onto his shirt collar with one hand while pummeling his face with her other. "I can't believe I slept with a loser like you."
Cordelia remained curled up in the corner in shock, while Giles fumbled around behind the counter until his hands fell upon the tranquilizer rifle that he kept on hand in case of an emergency on Oz's wolf days. Giles took aim with the rifle, trying to get a clean shot at Faith. At the same time that he pulled the trigger, Oz scrambled to his feet, jumping into the fray again and inadvertently blocked the watcher's target. Oz fell to the floor in a heap when the dart pierced his back. "Nice shot, G." Faith sneered as she continued to kick and punch a thoroughly bloodied Xander.
Giles rushed to reload the weapon as the dark slayer casually tossed Xander aside and turned toward the watcher. Faith jumped the counter with ease bringing her face to face with the watcher. As she lunged toward him, Giles jumped back against the wall and squeezed the trigger, breathing a sigh of relief when the dart imbedded itself in the slayer's chest and she fell at his feet, unconscious.
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"Almost there." Xena assured them as they crested the hill just outside of Athens. In the distance, she could make out the buildings that marked the edge of town as they rounded a curve in the winding dirt road.
"We've got company." The warrior ground out a minute later, coming to an abrupt halt. Assuming a defensive stance, she whipped her head around and did a rough count of the men approaching them on all sides.
With her senses on high alert, Xena effortlessly caught the arrow that whizzed toward her from the tree line. The warrior laughed wickedly, snapping the arrow like a twig and dropping it at her feet. The half dozen men charged them then, drawing swords as they closed in on the group. Xena, Buffy and Gabrielle formed a circle around Willow with their backs to each other.
The warrior took down the first two men with a split kick and clashed swords with a third. Buffy disarmed another with a lightning-fast roundhouse kick that sent his sword into the brush at the edge of the road, followed by a high kick to the face that propelled her attacker back several feet clutching his bleeding, broken nose.
The slayer turned, instinctively rushing to Gabrielle's aid as two of the men approached the bard. With her staff in hand, Gabrielle landed a forceful shot to one man's head, following it up with a crippling blow to the other man's knees while Buffy watched in awe. The men scattered in all directions, trying to escape further injury.
Xena caught the nearest attacker by the scruff of the neck, kicking out his knee from behind. He crumpled to the ground and the warrior squatted over him. Jabbing two fingers of each hand into the sides of his throat, she put the pinch on him. Fear filled his eyes as he clutched his throat, unable to breathe. Xena casually stood up, resting one foot lightly on his chest as she explained.
"I've just blocked off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in thirty seconds unless I release you. Who sent you?"
"No one." The man struggled to speak as blood trickled from his nose. "We...just...wanted...your gold." He managed to say. Buffy and Willow watched dazedly as Xena squatted down and released the pinch. "Go on. Get out of here." Xena warned and the man scrambled away wide-eyed, trying to catch his breath.
"What was that?!" Buffy asked incredulously when the warrior turned to face them.
"What?"
"That thing...with his neck." The slayer asked impatiently, imitating the warrior's hand motions.
"Oh, that." Xena smirked. "Pressure points." Buffy and Willow stared at her, fascinated.
"We call it 'the pinch'" The bard explained. "Xena does it all the time. It's very useful for getting information." She added thoughtfully.
"So I noticed." Buffy chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the warrior.
"That's...amazing." Willow chimed in, finally finding her voice. "W-what about that arrow? You caught it."
"Just a matter of focus." Xena waved it off as nothing.
"And you! Where did you learn to fight like that?" Buffy turned to the bard.
"I trained with the Amazons." Gabrielle explained as they continued walking toward town. The slayer's jaw dropped and Willow's eyes bulged in shock.
"You know the Amazons?" The redhead muttered in disbelief. Gabrielle nodded.
"Last year, Xena and I were traveling through Amazon lands. They were at war with the Centaurs. During the fighting, Terreis, one of the Amazons, was hit by an arrow. I tried to help her and she gave me her rite of caste before she died."
"What does that mean?" Willow asked.
"Terreis was an Amazon princess and by giving me her rite of caste that means that I take on her rank in the tribe."
"So, let me get this straight..." Buffy chuckled. "You're an Amazon princess?"
"Uh huh." Gabrielle nodded. Xena smirked at the slayer and hacker who stared at the bard as if they were seeing her for the first time.
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"Cordelia? Cordelia!" The watcher called, trying to get the stunned brunette's attention. The disheveled queen looked up to see Giles dragging an unconscious Faith from behind the counter. "Open the cage, will you." He said, struggling to pull the dark slayer's dead weight across the floor. Cordelia struggled to her feet and did ask he asked. Giles laid Faith out in the cage and quickly closed and locked the door.
"Angel?" The girl questioned, shock etched on her face as she stared at the pile of dust on the library floor.
"I'm afraid so." The watcher said gravely before tearing his gaze away and rushing to Xander's side.
"Xander?" Cordelia dropped at his side, paling at the sight of his swollen, bloody face.
"Is your car here?" Giles barked. The brunette nodded, confused at the question. "Bring it to the front. I'll bring Xander and meet you there. We've got to get him to the hospital." The watcher explained. Cordelia rushed through the library doors toward the parking lot, while Giles tried to wake Xander. Xander didn't budge and the watcher's brow furrowed in concern. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he strained, pulling Xander toward the exit. He mumbled curses all the way to the parking lot, trying to dismiss the nagging fear that the boy might have suffered a fatal head wound at the hands of the former slayer.
Driving frantically toward the hospital, Cordelia ran a red light, narrowly escaping the crushing impact of a cement truck that swerved to miss them. Giles looked in the rearview mirror at the resulting pile-up in the intersection and berated himself for not suggesting that he drive. The brunette pulled the car to a screeching halt at the emergency entrance and Giles breathed a sigh of relief.
"We need some help out here." The watcher called frantically as he opened the emergency doors. Two orderlies ran to his aid, helping him pull Xander from the backseat of the car.
"Is he going to be okay?" Cordy asked, rushing to Giles' side as she returned from parking the car. The watcher attempted a reassuring smile.
"The doctors are examining him right now. I'm sure we'll know more soon."
"We should call someone. His parents...we should call his parents." The queen said shakily.
"Why don't we sit down?" Giles led the unsteady brunette to a chair in the corner of the waiting room. "I called Xander's house while you were parking the car. No one was home. We can try again later."
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When they had reached Athens, Xena led the group up the large stone steps to a massive door where they entered the Temple of Ares. Gabrielle was glued to the warrior's side, a wave of jealousy hitting her as they entered the temple to face this god who repeatedly attempted to seduce Xena. Buffy and Willow trailed closely behind looking around in wonder at the elaborate interior. The ceiling was covered with intricate, ornate carvings. Weapons of gold adorned the walls, intermingled with luxurious tapestries. Extravagance was the only term to describe this immense room. The slayer and hacker, entranced by their surroundings, crashed into the warrior and bard who had come to a halt in front of them. The collision brought Buffy and Willow's attention back to the warrior who assumed a defensive stance.
"Ares?" Xena called, scanning the room. "I know you can hear me. Show yourself." The slayer and hacker stood spellbound as the God of War materialized before them. To Gabrielle and Xena, the sight of the god was nothing new. Buffy and Willow, however, stared at Ares, taking in the sight of the warrior god for the first time. He wore black leather pants and boots with a thick, black leather vest that was trimmed in silver. His vest stood open midway down his chest and a thick black mat of chest hair protruded through the gap. His hair, also dark, added to the ensemble. It lay around his shoulders in what could only be described as slick curls, a greasy appearance that Buffy reasoned either indicated a serious lack of hygiene or an affinity for copious amounts of hair gel. He wore a beard and mustache with freakish sideburns that added to the ick factor. His eyes were chillingly dark, almost black, and blazed with inherent cockiness. Willow gaped at the god, certain that she could feel evil radiating from his aura. Her logical side argued that she didn't have the power to feel auras, but her instincts trumpeted their warning all the same. Buffy's thought processes kept coming back to one thing 'Eeewww'. The slayer, who normally had a healthy appreciation for a leather-clad body, casually made a mental list of adjectives to describe Ares. Skanky, sleazy, slimy, and shudder-worthy topped her list. As the god swaggered up to Xena and began to speak, Buffy added another item: totally narcissistic.
"Xena..." Ares grinned wickedly at the warrior. His eyes lit up with amusement as he slowly raked them over her body as if he was mentally undressing her. "I heard a rumor that you were no longer with us...something about Kronos. I'm glad to see that it was just a rumor."
"Actually, that's why I'm here." The warrior began. "What you heard was true. Kronos sent Gabrielle and I to the future. Our friends here helped us get back." Xena glanced at Buffy and Willow before continuing. "They don't belong to this time. You can send them back."
Ares approached the slayer and hacker then. He walked past Buffy and stopped in front of Willow, sizing her up. Willow gulped, uncomfortable under his gaze, vaguely wondering why he would pass a beauty like Buffy to stare at her with a lustful gleam in his eye. Not that she wished his evil self on her Buffy; she just found it hard to believe that he was looking at her like that. Perhaps he smelled her fear and liked to watch her squirm or maybe he just had a thing for redheads. Whatever the case, he was taking his time seemingly enjoying the view while Buffy gave him a death-glare and struggled to contain the urge to lash out at him.
"What's your name?" The simple phrase coupled with his leering gaze struck Willow as the most obscene thing that she'd ever heard. When he leaned into her intimate space and reached out to touch her face, something in the slayer snapped. Buffy deflected his approaching hand before it reached Willow and followed up by punching him squarely in the jaw.
"Have to say, I didn't see that coming." He said, finally addressing the blonde with an amused smile. "If you wanted my attention...all you had to do was ask." He reached out, intent on touching her honeyed hair, but met with a barrage of blows from a very pissed off slayer. He blocked and parried, enjoying the dance with this gutsy blonde. The rush he felt reminded him of his encounters with the warrior princess.
When Xena stepped between them, bringing the battle to a halt, Ares looked at Buffy in a whole new light. He saw the fierce gleam in the blonde's eyes, the rippling muscles playing beneath the surface of her skin, the boldness in her stance. He saw a warrior before him where a miniscule girl had stood moments before. "I like her, Xena. She's got spunk." A smile spread across his face as he pondered the future of this newcomer to his world.
"Look, Ares, it's no secret that you and Kronos don't get along. He's responsible for them being here. You can set things right. Will you send them back?" Xena asked. The strain on her face made it clear that the warrior didn't want to be asking him for a favor.
"Now why would I want to do that?" Ares looked from the warrior to the slayer. His eyes carried a gleam that was something akin to that of a lottery winner or a proud father looking at his first-born son.
"Because it's the right thing to do." Xena ground out impatiently. "Or maybe just to get back at Kronos. I know you'd enjoy that."
"Xena, Xena, Xena. What kind of fool do you think I am?" Ares asked. The warrior opened her mouth to answer the irresistible question, but was cut off as the god continued. "I think she's as fine a warrior as you. Two of you? It's like a dream. I would never send her away. Think of the possibilities with the three of us ruling my kingdom..." Buffy laughed out loud at his comment. Xena growled in frustration, turning away from him.
"This is useless. Come on. Let's go." The warrior muttered, leading the bard, slayer and hacker out of the temple, with Ares' depraved laughter echoing behind them.
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Continued in Chapter 8