Hellmouth Heroes

FIC: Hellmouth Heroes (17/?)

Parker chuckled as he looked around his darkened home, the walls plastered with photographs of Sunnydale’s most popular beauties – Ms. Calendar, although soon she’d beg him to call her ‘Jenny’ and him ‘sir’, Faith Lehane, Willow Rosenberg, Cordelia Chase, Alonna Gunn, and many others.

All women who’d shown themselves oblivious to his towering intellect and power, but they’d learn to worship at his feet. Now that he had the Allure-Tron to make it so. He was very lucky that his possession as Doctor Doom had added over a hundred IQ points to his intelligence.

Still chuckling, he bent over the machine and started working, carefully placing photographs of those he’d selected to serve in his harem in a circle around the glowing helmet and then reverently placed it on his head.

It wouldn’t be long now.

* * *

“Faith!” Giles looked up as the curvy brunette strolled into his shop. “I thought they weren’t letting you out until later?”

The Slayer beauty’s bruises still hadn’t completely healed from her attack three days earlier, evidence just how severe her battering had been. Despite that, the Bostonian still managed a cocksure smirk. “They weren’t, I got tired of them re-testing and re-examining me, talkin’ about writin’ papers about my healing, so I skipped out.” Faith paused. “I tried Wes on his cell, but he weren’t answerin’, so all I want from you is your key to the gym, mine’s at home.”

“Faith, I applaud your enthusiasm, but I hardly-.”

“Enthusiasm? I don’t train, I die,” Faith retorted, her hand held out. “Keys?”

Giles shook his head at the Slayer’s pig-headedness. “Young lady,” he reproved. “You forget there’s others now with powers more than equal to yours before Halloween-.”

”And that’s great,” Faith replied, “but it’s still my responsibility and I ain’t shirking it-.”

“Dear, no-one would ever accuse you of-,” he sighed at Faith’s impatient look and foot tapping on the floor, “very well.” He reached into the register and dropped the key into the waiting Slayer’s out-stretched palm. “Don’t over do it.”

“’Won’t,” the Slayer stalked out of the room.


* * *

Parker smiled as he finished his coding. There was only one group of people capable of stopping his scheme, and now they’d be taken care of before they even got a chance.

* * *

”Ah Tara,” Giles looked up as the shy witch he’d hired as his part-time shop assistant exited the store-room to the shop’s rear. “I’ve got some-,” his gaze returned to Faith coming back through the front door. “Ah, you’ve thought better of-.” His voice trailed as he noticed something very odd about the Slayer’s ‘aura’ for want of a better word. “Faith-, uggggh!”

He gasped as the Slayer grabbed him by the throat, lifted and flung him into the nearest bookstand sending it and him crashing to the ground. “Faith,” he gasped as he struggled up, “listen to-.” He grunted as he hit the book-littered ground again, the Slayer having swept his legs from under him. “Faith,” the Boston beauty reached for him, her normally bright eyes as dead as a robot’s, “you’ve got to-,” Giles’ own eyes widened as he rolled out of the way of a stomp. “Oh bollocks!” Pain erupted when a kick from Tara caught him full in the ribs. He barely had chance to look up before the witch smashed a hard-backed book into his forehead, slumping him down in the books, blood leaking from his forehead.

* * *

“No, no, no.” Wesley shook his head in dismay, the two lycra-dressed teens who had been sparring coming to a halt. “Goodness gracious, it’s like watching drunken party-goers try to dance.” He raised a hand when Amy’s eyes hardened. “I’m sorry, Miss Madison, but you did ask me to supervise-.”

”I think we’re finished here.”

Wes’ world erupted in pain when Alonna fired a lightning bolt at him. Twisting, he managed to avoid getting hit full-on by it, but what he got was still enough to lift him from his feet and fling him into the stationery bikes. Wesley tried to reach a hand up to pull himself up the wall, only for his strength to fail him. The last thing he heard was Amy speaking to Alonna. “Time to see Master.”

* * *

Wood watched half-asleep as Ms. Calendar tutored Willow in the ways of magic. He was loathe to admit, but Mr. Giles’ idea of building a team around the Slayer was an effective one. One could argue that the team wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective without the Halloween changes but still, even before then he had to admit they had helped with the research and minor demons.

”That’s right,” Jenny praised, “you’ve got the force spell down pat.” The beguiling computer teacher looked towards him, eyes suddenly ice. “Now, use it on Robin.”

“What-,” Robin started to rise then gasped as an invisible force crashed into his chest, lifting him from his feet and flinging him into the wall, head cracking against concrete. He gasped and gurgled, hands struggling uselessly as an invisible hand squeezed at his throat, crushing his breath from him. And then he sunk into unconsciousness.

* * *

Xander grinned as they continued the ditch-digging, with their hyped physical capabilities such an usually taxing activity was quite easy. Xander looked up at the sound of wolf-whistling, a teen’s natural curiosity at the possibility of seeing a hottie filling him. “Oh,” he grunted as he climbed out of the hole, disappointment filling him, “it’s only you-, owwwww!”

Xander doubled up, nose caving in under Cordelia’s forearm to the face, blood filling his mouth. Dazed, he fell to his knees, catching a wind-robbing kick to the gut as he did so.

”Hey!” he vaguely heard Gunn shout, then gurgle as the statuesque former cheerleader jammed her fingers into his throat. The black managed to block her karate chop to the neck but completely missed her knee to the gut, doubling up under the impact and then hitting the ground under an elbow between the shoulder-blades.

Ignoring his own aching ribs, Xander launched himself off his knees and at the cheerleader only to be grabbed by the shoulder and effortlessly flung into the ditch.

* * *

“You’ll get it,” Oz soothed as he shook his head and sighed in frustration.

“It’s not you,” Jonathan hastened to reassure his friend as he placed the guitar down on the bed. “I just wanna play a guitar, I mean that’ll increase my cool, right?” Jonathan turned his desperate gaze on his friend and tutor.

“I think Faith thinks you’re cool just being you,” Oz replied.

”Thanks but,” Jonathan shook his head again, “you’ve seen her right? And you’ve seen me? Well yeah, because you’re in our gang and you’ve got eyes so obviously you’ve seen her, and I’ve never had a girl-friend before, much less someone like Faith!”

”Take. A. Breath.”

Jonathan half-grinned. “Yeah, sorr-.” Both of their gazes snapped to the door as they heard footsteps creeping up the stairs. Jonathan grinned as an unique scent reached his enhanced nose. Rising, he stepped towards the door. “Nice try, Faith but we both-.”

“Ahhh!” Jonathan crashed to the carpet when the door flew open, kicked into him by the Slayer. As he lay there, dazedly blinking his way back to something approaching consciousness, Faith leapt at Oz, straight-arming the rocker to the carpet, then leaning down, grabbing him by his pant crotch and shirt collar and swinging him into the wall. Oz attempted a kick to the Slayer’s face, but might has well be using a pea shooter for all the good it did.

Jonathan dragged himself using a chest of drawers, leaned over and picked up the guitar still lying on the bed and swung it into the back of Faith’s head. The musical instrument shattered, Faith falling onto one knee and dropping Oz onto the desk beneath the wall she’d been trying to imbed him in. Snatching his friend’s hand, he pulled the glazed-eyed guitarist to his feet and looked towards the rising Slayer and then towards the window over the bed. “Oh crap!” the normally stoic Oz groaned as they simultaneously leapt through the window.

Glass shattered as they flew out, hitting the slanted adjoining garage roof, rolling down and crashing into the garbage bags stacked neatly against its wall. Oz looked at him as they struggled to their feet, dragging themselves up on the wall. “Tell me you’re not learning the guitar to make up for something?”

“Of course not!” Jonathan hissed as they stumbled off, shooting furtive glances over the shoulder in case of pursuit. “I would never -.”

“I’d really remember this behaviour if you ever have any thoughts towards Lotharioism,” Oz winced. “And if you do, keep your distance.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jonathan ignored Oz to pull out his phone and dial Giles. “Giles isn’t answering.”

Oz pursed his lips. “We’ll head over to the book store, you keep ringing the others.”

* * *

Parker smiled as the last of his girls arrived. His plan was going swimmingly. “Hello darling,” he purred. “The dressing room is through there, and your costumes are in there. Get changed and be quick about it.”

Faith beamed dreamily. ”Yes Master.”

* * *

“Oh god! Giles!”

”Oooooh,” Giles groaned at the shout, head swimming as he raised it off the ground. “Please Jonathan, don’t shout.” He winced as Oz and Jonathan helped into a seat. “Thank you, lads. Now, who attacked you?”

“Faith.”

”Ah,” Giles winced at the memory of his own beating, “our fiery heroine packs quite a punch doesn’t she? And so does Tara.”

”You got beat up by Tara?” Oz’s snort died at Giles’ glower. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Yes quite, where are the others?” Giles queried.

The two Sunnydalers exchanged worried looks. ”We couldn’t get any question from Wes’ cell, and a paramedic answered Xander’s cell, Xander’s got a couple of cracked ribs and Gunn’s got a concussion, they’re taking them to hospital.”

”I assume they were attacked by Faith too?” Giles queried.

“No, the description sounded more like Cordy,” Oz replied.

“Um, and Wood?” Giles queried.

Oz shook his head. “Nothing too.”

“Have you tried the phones of our team’s lady members?” Giles queried.

Jonathan nodded. “None of them are answering.”

”Stop trying,” Giles raised a hand at Jonathan’s out-raged expression. “Just before Faith attacked me I sensed something wrong with her, quite apart from the fists of fury act.”

”What?” Jonathan queried, a protective fury in the young man’s eyes.

”I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But she appeared under the influence of something. If you’re right and Xander and Gunn were attacked by Cordelia, it suggests a pattern.”

“You figure something’s effected the girls?” Oz queried.

“Yes,” Giles nodded, “and phoning them would tip them off we’re still fit.”

”Fit?” Oz raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure Faith hit you?”

“Oh I’m sure,” Giles replied. “We’ll head over to Wesley’s first, we’ll need some more recruits before we face whatever’s controlling the others.”

”First we need to find out what is controlling the others,” Jonathan pointed out. “Not to mention how to stop it.”

Giles shook his head then winced pain shot through it. “I’ve a few ideas on how to do that, however I’ll wait until my head’s clear before trying it. Speaking of,” Giles pulled out his keys and threw them to Oz, “you’ll have to drive.” He scowled when the youth grimaced. “What now?”

“Drive your car?” Oz sighed long-sufferingly. “I have an image to think about.”

”Ha, bloody ha,” Giles grunted. “Come on.”

* * *

“Wesley!” Giles hurried over to his fellow Watcher and crouched beside him, wincing at the burn in his fellow Watcher’s side. “What happened?”

“Oh bloody hell!” Wesley groaned and winced. “Alonna fried me with a lightning bolt, she and Amy didn’t seem,” Wesley groaned, “uuuuugh, themselves.”

”Yes,” Giles nodded as he pulled out his cell, “that seems to be the consensus. I’m sorry, we can’t stay, I’ll call you an ambulance.”

Oz strode in behind. “Wood woke up, he said Jenny and Willow attacked him. He’s heading to meet us here.”

“Rupert,” Giles turned back to a pale looking Wesley, “Amy said something about a ‘Master’.”

”Yes,” Giles nodded. “I believe someone is controlling them via mind control, the only questions are why and how.”

“You said you had a method to find them?” Oz queried.

Giles grimaced. “It appeared to me, Faith’s brain was on a different frequency for want of a better word to normal people’s.”

”Imagine my surprise,” grunted Wesley.

“Quite,” chuckled Giles, “but a different frequency to what it is normally on, almost as if something was disrupting it.” Giles paused. “I should be able to hone in on it and follow it to its source.”

“You realise you’ll be out-numbered?” Wesley commented as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

“I know,” Giles nodded, “but I’m rather more worried what insidious use whoever’s taken them will be putting them to.”

* * *

Parker smiled as Rhona Kelley walked out of the changing room wearing a sailor’s costume and joined the rest of the lithesome girls knelt before him, looking up at him with blankly adoring eyes. They were all there, all of the fantasy classics – nurse, cheerleader, cop, jailbird, school-girl, French maid, secretary, and others beside. The only question, Parker’s smile broadened, was which one to chose. Ah yes, he reached down and tipped Lehane’s dimpled chin up. “You first,” he decided.

The busty brunette beamed at him. “Thank you, Master.”

Master. That had such a good ring to it.

* * *

“This is the house,” Giles nodded towards a three storey house with a wall around it.

”Parker Abrams,” Oz said, his tone dead yet indicating a world of distaste. Giles glanced towards the youth with an eyebrow raised. “He was in the year above us, a real player with the ladies. Treated them like meat.”

“Did he indeed?” Giles’ hackles rose at the thoughts what the bastard would do to his Jenny and the young girls he thought of his charges. He looked towards his companions. “You three, I’ll need you to keep the girls off my back while I deal with Mr. Abrams.”

* * *

Parker smirked as the east coast transplant’s lapdance reached its climax. “Very good!” he clapped his hands together. “Now I want you to undr-.” He gasped as the door crashed open and a number of the brunette’s gang charged in. “Kill them! Kill them-.”

“Oh,” his blood chilled at the English librarian’s snarl. “I don’t think so.”

Parker’s back arched and legs buckled beneath him as pain flashed through his skull, threatening to blow the top of his head off. And then there was nothing but light and darkness.

* * *

“I’m going to rip his fucking head off!” Faith stepped towards the downed man, enraged by the memory of what she’d been about to do.

”I really wouldn’t bother,” Faith stopped at her Watcher’s grim voice and was rocked when she looked over her shoulder to see an almost dead look in his eyes. “When I broke his control, it also hot-wired the contraption on his head and sent several thousand volts directly into Mr. Ahams’ brains, essentially burning his grey matter. If he ever manages to toilet-train it’ll be a major achievement.”

Faith stepped back from the convulsing man she’d now noticed was drooling and nodded uncertainly. “Cool.”

“Oh and Faith,” she looked over her shoulder to see Giles looking rather less serious. “By all means wear that outfit for training.”

Faith looked down, slightly surprised to find herself wearing a lacy black choker, matching fishnet stockings and a frilly garter on her left thigh, a plunging v-font black and white vinyl corset top that was laced up the back, and a white aproned mini. Her outfit was finished off by a frilly black and white headpiece. “He dressed me as a French Maid! The bastard!”

“Yes,” Giles muttered, “Jonathan looks utterly disgusted.”

”Oh yeah,” Faith looked towards her boy-friend. “You want that I keep it, hon?”

* * *

“I’ve been listening to you two talk all evening,” Anne swallowed as the two men sat at the diner’s table looked up at her, impaling her with their eyes. “You’re not the only ones who changed at Halloween.” She squeezed one of the table’s cups until it shattered under her enhanced grip. “I’ve always wanted to do something special, make a difference in my life. You could give me that chance.”

The two men exchanged glances before looking at her, the smaller of the two was first to speak. “Meet us at City Hall, six o’clock tomorrow night.”

* * *

“Mr. Giles.”

“Hello,” Giles’ eyes narrowed as he failed to recognise the quite striking young woman who’d strolled in through the shop’s entrance, despite being sure he knew her from somewhere. “I’m afraid I don’t -.”

“Know who I am?” the woman stopped by his counter, then quickly retreated to the nearest shelf, picking up a book without looking at it before turning back to him. “I never actually spent much or any time in the library.”

”Ah,” understanding flickered. “You’re a Sunnydale High alumni?”

“Alumni?” The mystery woman half-smiled. “That’s as good a word as any, although perhaps not as accurate as survivor.” The woman licked her lips. “Look, I know what you and the others do, I was one of those damn concubines,” Giles coughed and she blushed, both remembering the revealing costumes. “My name’s Heidi Barrie-.”

”You were one of those possessed by a hyena!” Giles exclaimed before quickly moderating his tone. “I’m sorry, please go on.”

“Yes I was.” The girl looked down, eyes flooding with shame. After a second she raised her head. “I learnt a lot from that, mostly that the sort of person I was didn’t tally with what I wanted to be. I want to help people like your group does.” She paused again. “And I want to learn more about the changes that happened to me on Halloween.”

“Oh really?” Giles picked up his by well now thumbed Marvel encyclopaedia from under the counter. It was really quite an entertaining universe, not Shakespeare or Dickens of course, but creative nonetheless. “And who did you dress as?”

“Um,” the girl’s high cheeks flushed, “I went as X-23.”

“Oh,” Giles’ eyebrows raised as he married the detailed entry with the woman stood before him. “How very interesting.”