Mercy

Disclaimer: See Part 1

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Faith sat high in the tree watching the slimy black demons scurry about in a controlled maelstrom of wet sounds, and clicking noises.

"Eww" taking a small sharp stick Faith took aim and centered it around one of the smaller slug looking demons. Hurling it strong and quick she speared the demon.

It's death wail frightened the birds from the tree's and caused all it's fellow demons to freeze and desolve into the ground.

"Now ain't that some shit" Faith muttered and slid from the tree. Standing only on the rocks and other natural objects she'd noticed they avoided coming in contact with, she observed the still form on the slug. Upon closer observation she noticed the slime turned into black soil as the body decayed at an alarming rate.

"Heh. I prefer the 'poof' vampires make" Faith rolled her eye's when she realized she was talking to herself "Well Isabelle might wanna know about this"

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Z wandered down the silent corridors humming to herself. She gazed absently around her at the many pictures that graces the walls.

Some were woven tapestry's some canvases. Depicting many things. Warriors in suits of armor, some bare chested Vikings, the occasional native american.

Z ran gentle fingers along the line of the wall, following the foot divider as she amused herself.

At the end of a particularly long corridor she froze. Jace sat staring at her with an entirely too human look in his feline eyes.

"What are you exactly? I mean I know your a cat. But there's something..." Z trailed off as the feline eyed her with interest. Tilting his furry head and mewing.

"I must be losing my mind. I'm talking to a fucking cat" Z shook her head.

"Don't say fuck. It ain't ladylike" Faith's voice came from behind her.

Z jumped slightly but refused to turn "You say it"

"I'm not lady" Faith snorted "Hell I know where 'near' lady 'like' at all"

"Then why should I bother?" Z rolled her eyes heavenward and met the... amused? expression of the cat.

"Cuz your 'way' to beautiful to become trash like me" Faith's voice trailed off as if in thought.

"Your not.." Z turned to face an empty hallway "..trash?" she turned back to the cat "Faith was here right? She was just here"

Jace stretched out his entire body. Stretching the strong front paws apart exposing the multi-hued claws, and extending his hindlegs still he lay on his belly, he yawned showing off gleaming white incisors.

"Are you trying to scare me?" Z smirked.

"Meow?"

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Willow awoke warm. A sensation she hadn't felt in more years than she'd like to admit.

"Weird dream" she muttered as she sat up slowly, not wanting to wake Mercy.

"Was it just a dream?" Mercy, who was already awake, gazed up at the vampire trustingly.

"Wasn't it?" Willow pouted "I mean there's some crazy shit on this HellMouth, but the unseeable evil of... what did he call it again?"

"He said the "Sightless..." Mercy broke off as a knock came to their door.

"Who is it?!" Willow yelled, growling as she left their bed.

"It's me Willow. Erica" the soft feminine voice came tentatively from the other side of the door.

"Oh" Willow recalled her game face which had come to the fore at the annoying interruption "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes. Well actually I'm not sure" Erica made a whimpering sound before both women heard something hit the door.

Mercy trailed nervously behind Willow as the vampire approached the door.

A shuddering lump of smoking clothing rested just outside their door.

Willow and Mercy lunged forward trying to drag the other vampire inside.

"Get your silly ass in here!" Willow growleen ten the came up against the magickal barrier that kept them from rescuing the smaller vamp.

The barrier gave and the three crashed into the room, Mercy and Erica bumping heads before collapsing into a tangle of limbs.

Willow lay back and blew on her arm which had come into the direct sunlight. It was painful, but she didn't mind. Erica was the vamp who had taken her to the Master. Though she was her true Sire, she'd always looked upon the Master as a parent.

Erica came up on top of Mercy staring down at the girl like she were a meal.

"Ooh my dear Willow. Where 'do' you find these tasty morsels?" Erica bent her head preparing herself to drink from the pale white neck.

"She's not a meal Erica" Willow pulled the smaller woman off a non-panicked Mercy.

Mercy sat up and eyed the two Vampires "I'm not food. Actually I don't know what I am"

"Your mine" Willow stated turning back to the little brunette she held in her arms "Okay Erica? Mercy is mine"

Erica nodded her dark head, pushing out of Willow's grasp "The little red one is yours. I understand"

Willow nodded and Mercy smiled.

"Your English?" Mercy reached out to touch the still sizzling skin on the childlike vampires face.

"I was" Erica jerked back from the touch "Tell her to stay back or I'll bite her" she warned Willow stepping back.

Willow opened her mouth to reprove her friend when Mercy touched her arm. Instantly the burning sensation she's been trying to ignore ceased.

The vampires watched in amazement as the sizzliearsears in her skin disappeared, healing in matter of seconds.

"That's all I was gonna do" Mercy shrugged before leaving the two vamps alone.

"Spirited" Erica said simply wishing she hadn't back away. The tears were starting to itch.

"Yes she is" Willow nodded checking her arm. Mercy hadn't left a scar "What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh" Erica rolled her eyes before remembering what she'd come to tell her powerful friend "There's a new slayer in town. And I hear she's a terror"

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Faith walked into the door just ask Z appeared from a darkened corridor.

Both jumped when they realized the other's presence.

"Don't do that!" they yelled in unison.

"What's going on?" Isabelle came out of her study with Giles in tow "What's all this yelling about?!"

"Faith scared me" Z pouted sending the slayer a look "She snuck up behind me, now she's playing dumb"

"I came in the front door kid. I ain't behind no one" Faith slammed said door and trudged into the house.

"Don't slam the door" Isabelle sighed "And don't sneak around"

"I just got in here I didn't sneak nowhere" Faith waved her hands in effect "I dunno what the kids talking about"

"She's shitting you Mom. She knows exactly what I"m talking about" Z argued crossing her arms and staring Faith down.

"Don't say shit it ain't ladylike" Faith said before Isabelle could admonish her daughter.

"De' jevu" Z muttered looking down at the cat, who had followed her, through her thick lashes "she said that earlier in the corridor didn't she Jace?"

The white cat turned his eerily human eyes to Isabelle and mewed.

"The cat's your witness?" Isabelle stared at her daughter as if the child had lost her mind "Maybe you should lay down"

Faith tried not to chuckle. Giles cleaned his lenses.

"Who's your boytoy Izzy? I didn't know you dated" Faith gave Giles a once over.

"He's a fellow watcher. Not a... boy toy" Isabelle didn't bother to correct the nickname "This is Rupert Giles. Giles my slayer, Faith"

"Um.. hello... Faith" Giles held out a polite hand with the slayer roughly shook "Good grip you have" he whispered shaking the feeling back into his palm.

"I try" Faith turned back to her watcher with a sly smirk "There's these icky black gooey demon things 'bout a mile into the back woods. Got an eery death scream on 'em"

"Icky black gooey demon things" Isabelle said slowly.

"Pulcrits" Giles supplied "They live off the carcasses of most dead things. A demon of which Vampires likeavoiavoid"

"That's a good thing right?" Faith shrugged and sniffed "They stink too"

"You would too if you ate carrion" Z turned on her heal and headed upstairs.

"Where you goin?" Faith called.

"To lay down. My mother thinks I'm crazy" Z called back rolling her eyes and glancing back to find the cat following her. Along with Faith's eyes.

"Wanna see a movie or something? Get out of this tomb for a while?" Faith made a face and inched her eyes at the two watchers "I think the tweed patrol are mulling"

"Faith she was just released from Hospital I don't think..."

"I'd love to" Z interrupted her mother "I think the fresh air will be good for me"

"It's almost dusk and..."

"She's with a slayer" Faith interrupted Isabelle.

"I don't want to take the risk of..."

"Faith ruining her bad girl image?" Z said smartly "I think she's done that with me a few dozen times already.

"Good. So it's settled. Go grab a jacket. I'll have her home by ten" Faith turned quickly her hair flaring out behind her "I'll be out front Z"

"Cool" Z disappeared upstairs moments later.

"They're good' Giles remarked.

"And getting better. Soon I won't be able to get 'little' bloody words in edgewise" Isabelle sighed "Back to my office then?"

"Ah yes" Giles bowed slightly and followed her lead.

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Willow led Mercy out of the crowd of people in Sunnydales downtown night traffic.

"So what did you think?" Willow asked the girl softly running a hand across her back.

"It was nice. But I 'never' want to be 'that' social again" Mercy shook her head vehemently.

"It was just a little meeting of minds you know" Willow chuckled.

"A little? I'd hate to see what you consider a 'bit' or a 'lot' " Mercy shook her red-blonde head "That was too many people"

"Don't like much human traffic? Remind me 'never' to take you to the Bronze" Willow tossed her hair.

"Now the Bronze I can handle. No one really cares there" Mercy smiled at her vampire "Just a bunch of people drinking, dancing and planning fuck dates. Not a bunch of people who wanna know about 'me'"

Willow laughed outright. Mercy had a point. All the vampires and humans alike wanted to get the know the 'newcomer' in their t. \t. "Okay sweetie. No more Willie's then"

"Thank you" Mercy said dramatically.

"My pleasure" Willow leaned in and pecked Mercy's cheek.

The witch blushed and ducked her head, un-used to such displays of affection.

Willow made a note to do so more often.

"Willow!"

Both turned to the sound of her name being called.

"Willow! Your not gonna believe this.."

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"Two vamps and a human girl, one street up" Z stopped dead in her tracks as the new sense overwhelmed her.

"What?" Faith shut out the sights and sounds around her, zeroing in on the 'slayer' sense that foretold danger or dead things "Your right. But how did you..."

"Save girl now. Question Z later" she pushed the slayer forward, breaking into a run behind her.

Faith came upon the well lit side street and saw three women standing together.

One didn't seem more than 13, or 14 years of age, while the other two appeared to be not much older than Faith herself.

To the slayers eyes, one was completely shrouded in darkness, one was completely pure white and glowing, and the third an odd wavering mix of shadow and light, undulating and growing brighter.

"Slayer..."

Both girls heard this hissed before the smallest one attacked.

"STAY BACK" Faith commanded Z as she rushed forward to meet the childlike vampire in battle.

Z moved back and circled around until she was cloto tto the other two women.

"She doesn't have to do this"

Z heard the human girl say.

"This is pointless. I don't know why she's bothering. She can't win"

The tall redheaded shushed the girl "I'm not gonna let her kill Erica"

"Well you can't kill her. She's the slayer!" the human girl argued.

"She's gonna kill Erica!" the redhead stomped her foot "I'm kinda 'fond' of Erica"

"So make them stop" the human crossed her arms.

"How do you know about the slayer?" Z demanded of the two.

"I know she's about to kill Erica!" Willow rushed over to the two wrestling women.

Erica had the upper hand momentarily. She had Faith on her back and was futilely attempted to pin her arms.

Willow pulled Erica from the well trained slayer and tossed her into the deep darkness of a side alley "Go. This is 'not' the time" she ordered the vampire.

Erica gave her an incredulous look but vanished as she'd been told.

"What the fuck?"Faith jumped to her feet "Do 'you' wanna kill me or something? Cuz the whole vampire helping the slayer thing, isn't some shit I'm gonna fall for"

Willow rolled her eyes and moved to answer when Faith kicked her squarely in the stomach causing her to fly backwards and land hard on the concrete "Ok, that hurt like a..."

"Willow!" Mercy cried drowning out the vampires last word.

"I'm okay. She just kicks hard" Willow got to her feet shakily. The blow making her legs weak.

Faith came at her again. Swing depthly going for her face and general weak spots.

Willow blocked most of her blows while landing a few of her own.

Faith leapt at her dragging the vamps arm hoping to dislocate it.

Willow followed through, spinning with the slayer, giving her no momentum.

Instead Willow turned the opposite way lifting Faith from her feet and tossing her head over heels into a dumpster.

"You fucking bitch! This was a brand fucking new jacket!" Faith screamed from her dirty landing in the trash.

"Ugh" Willow turned to Mercy and Z "Bored now. Come on baby I'm taking you home" she held a hand out to Mercy who moved to take it but Z stopped her.

"Let me go" Mercy commanded the girl.

"I dunno what kitrantrance she's got you in. But she's dead. Your food. I'm not letting you go" Z statedly flatly "Besides Faith's about to stake her.

Willow turned deflecting the jagged piece of wood in the slayer's hand.

Faith was taking no chances. Bringing her weaker arm in front of her she brandish a second piece of wood.

Mercy screamed helplessly as the slayer slammed it into Willow's non-beating heart.

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