nika: Glad you're having fun, I'm hooked on puns so it's no trouble. Here's the update.
Chapter 15: Fangs
We left the Bronze without finishing my drink, and stood together in the alley, beneath the sputtering neon sign. Frost had coated the stones of the alley floor, the walls, and the Bronze's heavy metal doors. Only the sign remained untouched.
Tara shivered. "Is it winter already? It wasn't this cold when I arrived."
I shook my head. "There aren't seasons here, or weather. It's too close to Hell for that. Instead, it sort of has... attitudes. Or moods. If tht makes any sense. So while there aren't any seasons, the Hellmouth is definitely in a wintery mood."
"Why's it in a wintery mood now, of all times?"
It was my turn to shiver. "I don't know."
We began to walk, hoping to keep warm, but the cold grew sharper, cutting even through my coat.
Suddenly, Tara stopped. "W-Willow? I think w-we're..."
"Being followed?" I pulled her to me, trying to warm her. "Yes, I see what you mean. You're right of course. I don't like this, Tara. I don't like this at all."
We turned slowly toward the sudden clicking sound of shoes on stone. Four men were walking towards us. Four men in long, white robes, with heavy white hoods that shadowed their faces. Four men who really weren't men at all.
"The White Fangs." I tried to keep the naked norror out of my voice. "Nobody's eve seen under those hoods... at least, nobody who's lived to tell of it." I put my hand on Tara's shoulder. "Run, Tara. I'll hold them off."
Tara said nothing. Her face was pale and her hands shook. She shook her head and grabbed my hand. We faced the Fangs together, shaking in our clothes as the menacing click-click of the white shoes beneath white robes on the white-frosted flagstones of the alley came nearer and nearer.
I released Tara's hand and sprinted toward the four Fangs, screaming a battle cry much, much older than myself. My hands became fists without my thinking about it and they struck out so quickly they only registered to my eyes as blurs.
The robes billowed as I hit them, but quickly snapped cack to their smooth, unconcerned rippling. I summoned up my magic and lashed out with it. The robes of the Fangs caught fire.
A high-pitched keening sound filled the alley. The Fangs wre crying out in rage, and... pain. I could still hurt them, that was good. But then they reached inside their burning robes and pulled out slender silver sickles and descending on my, the blades gleaming in the light of the fires.
They wouldn't die. They couldn't really die, could they? They weren't even really alive, they were murder personified, given the guise of men. They were the Authorities' special forces, and even the legendary Red Rosenberg was no match for them.
A metallic whistle cut through the air and one of the Fangs collapsed, its robes tearing, splitting and finally coming to rest on the cold ground in a pile of charred fabric and thick black blood. If I hadn't been in immediate danger, I'd have wondered where the blood came from, since they clearly didn't have flesh.
The blood splattered and steamed on the frosty ground, glowing like, well... like something black glows, which means it shouldn't, and this language doesn't have any words to describe it. A small booted foot splashed in the puddle, and the remaining three Fangs went the same way.
Faith stood in front of us, holding an enormous axe dripping with the eerie black blood. "Hi there, Red. How ya doin'?"
"Oh, scared shitless," I said drolly, "but otherwise great. How are you?"
"Been better." Faith wrinkled her nose as she looked at the blood dripping thickly from her axe. "This stuff's a real bitch to clean off, you know."
"Actually, I wouldn't, but it doesn't matter. Clearly you're dealt with the Fangs before. Much as I hate to admit it, Faith, you have yet to cease impressing me."
Faith winked. "I used to be Public Enemy Number Two, Red." She winked. "Right after you."
"Of course."
"I've dealt with the Fangs before, and I know you have too. Hell, I'd even bet money on it, if I had any." She pulled a tattered piece of cloth from her pocket and began to clean the blade. "Don't bother lying to me, I'll be able to tell."
I interlaced my fingers with Tara's and stared at my feet. "Obviously I've lost my touch. They'd have gotten us if you hadn't shown up. I guess I should thank you."
Faith shook her head. "Don't thank me."
Tara let go of my hand and took a step forward. "Y-you did it. You told them. You s-sent them after us."
I gave Faith my best hard look, which is pretty damn hard if I do say so myself. "I should have known better than to think for a second that I could trust you."
"You can trust me. Most of the time, it would be a stupid thing to do, but according to B you've done a lot of stupid stuff in your time. And that was just from before we met.
"I've got my own way to go and my own shit to take care of Red, but if helping you is convenient I'll do it. But I so do hate to be in anyone's debt."
"So if you arranged this to make me cash in my favor, why'd you wait so long to finish them off?"
Tara retreated to my side. "I w-was wondering that m-myself."
Faith shrugged, tossed the bloody rag to the ground and shouldered her axe. "Dunno. Guess I wanted to see if you still had it."
"Well, you have your answer. We need your help now, Faith, so you wouldn't have owed me a favor after this anyway."
"The great legend Red Rosenberg needs help from little old me?" Faith smirked. "That's kind of funny when you think about it."
"Didn't know you thought about anything."
"Funny, Red. Real funny. What do you want?"
"Maybe you can tell me how the fuck I'm supposed to save the world when I have no idea what it needs to be saved from."
Faith's smirk twisted into a fully fledged sneer. "It's your own fault for coming back, Red, so you might as well admit that to yourself. If you'd stayed away none of this would be happening. But at least you've got your girl there. Quite a hottie, don't ya know... fucked her good, I assume? Want me to take her off your hands?"
I felt my powers flare up of their own accord, which is what happens when I'm about to lose my temper--suddenly and violently and all over the place. "No and no."
She didn't seem to notice my rising fury, or if she did, it didn't faze her. "Thought so. She's a virgin, ain't she, from the looks of her. You've always had a thing for experienced women, Red. Want me to break her in for you?"
I would have lashed out, but I found I couldn't reach my power.
Tara stepped toward Faith, her normally gentle eyes, flashing with uncharacteristic anger. "I don't think so, Faith. I really don't." She took another step forward.
Faith fell back a step. "Easy blondie, I was only kidding!"
Tara took another step, and Faith fell back another. "I'm not interested in excuses, and I'm not interested in lies. You'll tell Willow what she needs to do, then you'll leave. Is that clear?"
"Okay, okay."
"I trust you won't be breaking in any other inexperienced girls." Sparks were crackling and flying around Tara's body and flying from her eyes. "I've neer been keen on predators."
Faith was frozen. Her eyes bugged out and her jaw hung slack. It didn't do much for her skanky glamor. "Go to the Maze. You'll learn all I could tell you and a shitload more."
Tara's sparks were gone in an instant, and Faith sprinted off into the night.
Willow: Hey Buff. One more thing. Buffy: Yeah? Willow: I’m gay. Buffy: Okay, Will. Xander owes me ten bucks.
~Remember to Breathe by Yellow Crayon
Edited by: Tempest Duer at: 1/8/04 4:03 pm
!
I'm glad you enjoy my playing around with words, as that's what I like so much about writing.
Oh, well. Update will come relatively soon.
? You are too kind to me!
Very nice update/story! And well *giggles* that scene was
I was strolling through the neighbor hood seeing if there where any updates, heehee. So, you got any stashed around somewhere. Or maybe you can post it as kinda like a Christmas present, 
. I was just checkin'. Hope to see more, =) 
me, please!!
!
)
TD 
,
So 
takes to the drink huh? 
is going to look for Faith to learn how to save the world. 
more. Update soon, please? 
. Still not sure I get her reasoning for sending evil hooded thingies to Willow and Tara (nor how Tara guessed it that fast). Why was Willow in danger from 4 hooded hoodlums anyway ? If Faith could kill them that easily it should have been a piece of cake for Willow, assuming you would have kept her distance of course :-)
. Can't wait to