REBELLION

“…Cry Havoc and Let Slip The Dogs Of War.”

Second in the Rebellion series

A Few Months Later

"Faith!" Came the scream from Dawn as she ran up to her friend. The slayer looked up slowly, she looked like hell. Her face was so cut-up and covered in blood that she was scarcely recognisable, her hair was matted with encrusted blood and dirt and her clothes were torn into .

"Hey Kiddo," Faith croaked weakly before falling into the teens arms.

Dawn quickly dragged the brunette further into the small cave before starting to tend to the more serious of the slayers wounds.

---------------------

Sunrise - The next day

"B, I'm sorry, so sorry. It's not enough I know but I'm sorry…B don't….."

Dawn had lain next to the almost comatose slayer for hours, listening to her say her sisters name…in fear, in anger, in regret, loathing …and…love.

"She nearly died." She said as she addressed the man behind her.

It's because she's still trying to prove something to Buffy - to prove she's as good and can save the whole world single-handed!"

"Dawn…." Faith groaned in obvious pain, cutting the younger brunette off in mid-sentence. 

"No Faith, listen, Buffy NEVER did this single handed - she always had the Scoobs to help her, which made her stronger…"

"Dawn's right Faith." Wesley cut in quietly but with a serious note in his voice, "You insist that you are the slayer, that it is your duty to fight the darkness - until recently that would have been true. Things have changed Faith! The whole world is shrouded in darkness and it will take more the the power of the slayer to defeat that darkness!"

Faith pulled herself to her feet and staggered against one rough wall, "Wesley you're disabled at the mo. You can't fight. Dawn I can't let you fight! B would kill me if she found out that I'd put you in danger!"

"Faith, I'm in danger all of the time now. Besides Buffy is dead! And even if she isn't she is as good as, she isn't coming back!" There was a bitter note in what Dawn was saying that made Faith pay attention, it did more than that - it scared her.

Dawn had said what every one of them had been thinking and the shock showed on Faiths face.  Taking a deep breath she tried to convey to them how hopeless this was, how hopeless it all was. "It's been three months, in that time I've killed numerous kinds of demons, master vamps and all that.

Face it! This is the end of the world boys and girls! For every creature I kill there's a thousand to take its place - for every human I save millions will be killed!

Don’t you get it - There's nothing I can do about it! NOTHING!

THIS IS THE END OF THE HUMAN RACE!!!

And if I hadn't fucked everything up, maybe I could have done something to stop it!

It's hopeless…

A lostcause…

Don't you see it, they've taken over the world…

This is going to end!

Can't you see it????!!!!!

We've already lost!"

Faith collapsed on the floor, her tears as much from the agony of her wounds, as from the feeling of uselessness that had been her constant companion for much of her life.

Dawn tried to pull the slayer into her arms only to find Wesley restraining her. He knew that Faith had to deal with this on her own, that Faith wouldn't welcome the contact, yet.

But it was his only chance – maybe this was what he had been waiting for.

“That girl in the corner is responsive, I don’t know what use she will be though.”

“Ok, we gotta get out of here now!”

Unbeknown to either of them hidden in the main tunnel a man stood watching them. He was hidden in the darkness, not even breathing.

He had been prepared for the slayer to seek allies; she would always try to do the impossible. It would have been a hard road but he was prepared to use the psychological tactics that had worked so well in the past. But then the moonlight caught of raven-dark tresses – not blonde. And suddenly he was eager for the games to begin.

In the cell the girl pushed two humans into the air vent and did a flashy backflip into it herself. When she was gone the vampire threw back his head and roared with inhuman laughter – he was going to enjoy this. “Your desire to be like her, was your undoing once Faith. It will be again.”

“She could be useful to us.” Came a female voice from the darkness and a stunning brunette stepped into the moonlight. She alone of the vampires followers knew who Faith was and how easily she could be turned. He caught her arm and they sauntered into the room of humans.

With his fangs bared Angelus bathed in blood and moonlight.

To Be Continued…