Chapter 6: Faith of the Wolves

Previously: Mercury attacks the Council, against orders. But just as they appear to have gained the upper hand, Tierre arrives and saves Buffy’s life. He then takes on the Vashkans himself. Buffy sees Tierre for the first time and almost has a heart attack upon realizing that Tierre looks exactly like Spike…

***

Faith didn’t stop, her duffel banging against her thigh, as she raced towards the Council. The sight of the huge, black sentinel standing in front of the gates filled the back of her throat with bile. Oh, no. Please don’t let me be too late, she pleaded.

But her pleas went unanswered. She knew that as soon as she sailed past the walls like the Council’s dark visitors did before her that night, and the silent guard just watched her go, making no move to stop her.

It was all she could do to keep her wits about her when she saw the motionless bodies of the Slayers on the quadrangle. In the foyer. The living room. The hallways.

“Willow! Giles!” the dark Slayer screamed, scrambling for the elevator.

It stopped with her inside, somewhere between floors.

The Slayer slipped her fingers between the line of the elevator doors and fought to pull them apart.

A spear darted inside the elevator as soon as the doors slid apart. Faith instinctively dodged it, but it still cut a bleeding line across her belly. Without thinking, she grabbed the spear’s wooden shaft and pulled hard. The holder smacked against the roof of the elevator. It fazed him only a little, enough so he let go of the weapon and Faith had enough time to jump and slither out of the elevator and into the floor that she had half-way reached. She pulled the spear along with her, moving as fast as only a Slayer can. She swung the weapon―which she now recognized as something that decorated one of the rec rooms―and nearly shish-kibobed the idiot who’d tried to skewer her.

But he wasn’t as stupid as she thought he was, because he turned and ran away, deciding to flee instead of fight. Naturally, the Slayer gave chase.

~*~*~*~

The Slayer Faith, Edwin groaned, dodging away as she threw the spear at him. He had been hoping to kill someone. He was getting bored fidgeting with the controls in the three different control rooms. Any Slayer would’ve done.

But not Faith.

He had seen Master Tierre enter the building through one of the control room monitors. He almost crapped in his pants. Shit, they were so screwed.

But maybe he can still appease the Wolf of Hell. By choosing to simply lead Faith to where the fight was happening, instead of just killing her, he might just buy himself another day.

Legend has it that Tierre knew Faith long before he joined Scarlet. Master Tierre was peculiar when it came to the people he knew B.S.: Before Scarlet. He tended to let them live. Like that fool, Angel, for example.

This better work he thought. Man, he knew it was suicide, sneaking around the Wolf’s back!

~*~*~*~

Spike … Oh. My. God …

Buffy’s legs couldn’t hold her up anymore and she crumpled to a sitting position on the floor, glassy eyes fixed on the man of both dream and nightmare in front of her.

The strong chin, the chiseled jaw, the exquisitely sculpted cheekbones, and … oh, oh, she couldn’t breath … his eyes―no. She couldn’t see them, hidden as they were behind a pair of dark blue, wraparound sunglasses. Relief warred with a disappointment so keen inside of her that she whimpered.

He was fighting, his moves so familiar―that mesmerizing blend of combat and dance, grace and death, beautiful kung-fu and lethal ballet, that was so distinctly his.

It was Spike. She knew it deep from within her. There was no one else even remotely like him.

Everything that wasn’t him blurred into one, indistinguishable halo of light. Even Seyhan who was now currently engaged as Spike’s puppet failed to register in her brain. She didn’t even see the short man slip inside the room, unnoticed even by Scarlet. Nor did she see Willow shake her head slowly from side to side.

~*~*~*~

Gino pursed his lips at the sight of Tierre Wolfson. Damn, why did he have to be involved? Of course, this was his mission. But now that he was here, the festivities would surely be cut short. All those pretty Slayers, allowed to live another day … what a waste.

But it was also good that he was here. The Vashkans didn’t stand a chance against him. Gino saw the lovely, petite Slayer at the far side of the room. Not even Buffy Summers herself could hold a candle to Tierre. Gino almost laughed out loud at the look on her face. She must think she was seeing Spike’s ghost, come to rescue her again. What a moron. The only Slayer who actually had a clue as to who the Wolf really was was also incidentally the only Slayer that Tierre respected.

And she wasn’t here. Hah!

“Gangway!” All of Scarlet M. looked up as Edwin sailed past the threshold, followed closely by a very pissed-off brunette. Gino gritted his teeth.

Faith.

~*~*~*~

Faith skidded to a halt. Her heart sank to her toes at what she saw, “Tierre?!” she wanted to yell; instead it came out as a pained wail. Especially when she realized that Buffy was right there.

Tierre looked up at her voice, not at the sound of his name, “Faith!”

Something burned his arm, and he grunted.

Rumus grinned triumphantly, Tierre’s blood on his sword. Taking advantage of the situation, Seyhan broke free from Tierre, turned and slashed at the same time.

Tierre moved balletically out of the way.

Gino saw his opportunity, “Hey!” he barked at Faith, “You distracted Master Tierre!” with a flick of his wrist, he sent three tiny triangles, the size and shape of arrowheads, flying towards the Slayer.

All of the room’s occupants saw what Gino did, but only two reacted fast enough.

Tierre abandoned the Vashkans, and practically teleported himself in front of the stunned Faith. He waved his arm violently, catching all three poisoned metals in one hand.

Willow’s reaction was infinitely more dangerous. Still groggy from the blow she received earlier, she lashed out at Faith’s attacker without thinking of the repercussions. A ball of energy materialized in front of her, and shot forth like a bullet meeting its destined propulsion, straight towards the ugly, short man.

It was too late to stop it, even as the short man moved out of the way.

Even as Tierre jumped right in front of Faith.

Tierre crossed his arms in front of his face, just as the force of the energy ball slammed against them. His knees bent as it shoved him and Faith backwards. Tierre stood his ground against it, refusing to give in, but it was like fighting against a gale. He bared his teeth in a silent snarl, summoned all of his strength, and pushed his arms upwards, against the energy ball. His muscles protested … until they were laced with the supernatural anomaly that made Tierre Wolfson very, very different from other men.

And then the balance shifted.

By now, the other Scoobies were awake, but not up for a battle. They stared in absolute disbelief, while Scarlet stared in absolute smugness, as Tierre overpowered Willow’s magickal bowling ball and batted it away with one arm. It flew straight towards Buffy and Solana. Both women ducked and the ball crashed against the wall, breaking through it and out into the night, where it vanished among the stars.

And then there was a minute of silence.

Tierre rotated his left arm, working out the kinks, “Grateful lot you got here, Slayer. No wonder you don’t stay home more often,” he said. He turned finally to face Faith.

She gawked―she couldn’t help it. He’d changed, and not just physically. He was still lean, long-limbed and graceful, but he no longer looked underfed or reed-thin. He’d filled out perfectly―and was she even supposed notice that?

Gone was the boyishness she’d once found so endearing. He seemed to have grown a couple of inches taller since she last saw him, and he was such … a perfect replica of Spike that for a moment there she thought she was actually looking at the vampire.

Until he took off his sunglasses and smiled at her. Then she knew it was Tierre.

Someone shifted. Faith turned. And something sharp pierced her heart.

Buffy.

The blonde Slayer was walking unsteadily towards them. Solana was too busy getting broken-wall-dust out of her hair to bother trying to kill Buffy while her back was turned, “Spike …?” she whispered shakily.
Oh, no, not like this, Faith thought miserably as Tierre’s lips molded into a classic sneer at the name. He probably didn’t know just how much that sneer made him look like William the Bloody.

Solana may be too busy, but her sister, Dysis, was not. When Buffy lifted her hand towards Tierre’s cheek, the redhead released one of her weapons.

Tierre’s hand snatched it out of the air, only six inches from Buffy’s nose.

“That’s enough, Dysis,” he said. He turned his back on Buffy and said, “We leave now.”

“But …” Solana whined.

Tierre gave her a look.

Solana grinned sheepishly, “Sorry,” she muttered. Then she vanished.

Following his master’s orders, Luis went over to the light switch and turned off the lights. It came back only a scant second later, because Xander was standing right next to it.

But Scarlet was gone. And then some.

“Where’s Yesha?” Rumus demanded.

Giles, who was helping Andrew up, looked around him frantically, “Where’s Buffy?”

~*~*~*~

Faith found her in the middle of the quad, surrounded by Slayers who were just starting to come around. The rest of the Scoobies, operatives, and Watchers―the latter two groups having been left to grope blindly in the dark after Edwin had cut off the power and then sealed them off in their building―went about trying to calm everyone. Especially the Vashkans. They were practically trembling with the need to follow Scarlet.

That was until they saw Scarlet’s final guard. Even the Vashkans hadn’t seen him before, and although his huge size alone wasn’t enough to cow them, the fact that he was one of Scarlet made them stop.

But he didn’t do anything. Just stood there waiting until all of Scarlet had apparently gone. Then he himself went on his own way, moving with speed that would’ve been impressive for a lithe man. Which he most definitely was not.

Faith moved cautiously towards Buffy. The other Slayer had stopped calling for Spike. That was good, because Faith didn’t like hearing her call out. There was something in her voice when she yelled Spike’s name; something Faith didn’t quite understand. But it was still unexpected, especially because Buffy seemed so happy in her life now.

“He knew you,” Buffy murmured.

Faith winced, “Yeah.”

“Did you know him?”

“Yeah.”

“He looked … he was …”

“No!” Faith insisted, coming around to face the other Slayer, “Whoever else you think he is, he’s not Spike.”

Emerald eyes flashed in fury, “I have eyes, Faith. I know who I saw.”

“Buffy …” Faith’s voice cracked, “Spike’s dead! He’s gone. He’s been gone for four years.”

And just like that, all the fight left Buffy. Her shoulders sagged, “Then who was that?” she asked, her voice a painful mixture of hope and the sound of the lost.

“Tierre Wolfson,” Rumus came up behind Buffy, “Didn’t you hear what they said?”

Buffy suddenly whirled around and pushed the Vashkan away with both hands, “You don’t know that!”

Rumus’ eyes widened, then narrowed, “Be careful, Slayer …”

“Or what?”

“Or―”

“That’s enough, both of you!” Selig commanded, “You’ll fight now? After what’s happened? Have you both lost your minds?”

Seyhan, clutching his bandaged shoulder, said, “The cowards took Yesha. We have to get her back,” he glanced at Buffy as he spoke, “You see now the reality of their power, Slayer. And that Tierre Wolfson … he wasn’t like them at all. He was so much more.”

“Attacking now could get you killed. You don’t know anything about them at all. They were just one team in all of Scarlet!”

“We know that,” Seyhan’s voice grew quieter, but firmer, “So we will summon our armies. Combined, and our forces will be formidable enough on their own. But with the Slayers …”

“Slayers?” Xander had bounded out of the building, followed by Giles, and caught the last part, “Did you see what happened here? They put our girls to sleep!”

“Again, because they had the element of surprise. It’s what they do!”

“You saw the way they fought. I hate to say this, but I think that unless we plan our moves, we will be rather outclassed.”

Faith watched Buffy closely, the guilt nearly swallowing her whole, as the blonde Slayer seemed to shrink with exhaustion. Faith remembered her own reaction the first time she saw Tierre. She can only imagine what Buffy was going through now. She and Spike … well, sure there was the whole sexual thing they had goin’, long before Faith came barging back to Sunnydale. But maybe it had been deeper than that.

Oh, fuck. She had messed this one up bad.

Looking up, she realized that the Vashkans and the Scoobies were still at it, “Hey!” she yelled at them. When they all turned to her, she said, “We are not doing anything until we know more, do you understand? We are not going into battle half-cocked, so D’Harkens, Grifinker, you can just put your men on hold for awhile.” She’d only been with them for a few minutes, managing only to find out their names, but Faith knew that they wouldn’t listen to her orders just like that.

“What about Yesha?” Rumus demanded, “The more we delay doing anything, the lesser our chances are of getting her back alive.”

“I know you won’t believe me, but Yesha is safe,” Faith said confidently, “Tierre is with her.”

The Vashkans sneered while Giles and Xander looked at Buffy uncomfortably at the mention of Tierre’s name. Faith crossed her arms and lifted her chin defiantly, “Say what you want, but you all saw what he did tonight. He saved my life,” she gazed at each of the clan in turn, “It’s not the first time he’s done that. He’s also the reason why the Slayers aren’t dead right now. Scarlet Mercury wouldn’t have stopped with just us. He led them away, before they could do anything else,” she sighed, “You’re right, Seyhan. He’s not like them. Tierre Wofson is so much more.”

Seyhan shook his head, “And we’re supposed to just believe you?”

“No. But all I’m asking for is time. With Elsa here, it won’t take long to get the dirt on Scarlet,” the dark Slayer forced some levity into her voice, “And besides, why are you so eager to go out and get killed? What, is that a faery thing?”

They still didn’t look convinced, but Faith had said all that she had to say, and now she turned to Buffy, “Come on, B,” she murmured.

“Where?” Buffy asked dully.

“There’s something I need to tell you. I should’ve told you this a long time ago.”

TBC





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