Fear shot like icy darts through her body as she stood alone in that cold, dark cell. The unbreakable shadow that coated the room seemed to hold her bound in a standing position as her head darted nervously from side to side. Suddenly, a thin ray of light penetrated the darkness. She was now able to see a lone female figure emerging from the shadows.

"You screwed up again, didn't you, Faith?" the woman questioned venomously. "We both knew you would, didn't we? Well, here you are, girl. A loser. A fuck-up. But then, you were always such a fuck-up." Faith turned her gaze upward to meet her antagonist as she timidly brushed a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear. Her voice was broken and hoarse. "Mom? I..."

The older woman cackled at her daughter cruelly. "But mom, I tried to saaaave you," she mocked. "Well, I've got news for you. You failed! You..."

"...aren't worthy to bear the title of 'slayer'," continued another woman who was now emerging from the darkness, this one with a British accent. "You being called was a mistake. YOU were a mistake. I'm ashamed to have been your watcher." Faith's legs gave out underneath her as she caught a glimpse of her old mentor. She clamped her trembling hands over her ears, trying desperately to block the verbal onslaught from her mind. "You were pathetic. Of course, you could never hope to be as good as..."

"...me," chimed yet another newcomer to the room. Faith released a terrified gasp as she glimpsed that all-too-familiar blond hair, those sparkling green eyes.

"Buffy?" the brunette choked as she began to weep.

"The one and only, F," Buffy replied with an arrogant smirk. "You tried, didn't you? You tried to be like me, but you fell flat on your face. Then you tried to switch sides, steal Angel, even help the mayor destroy Sunnydale. Taking you down was too easy." The stylishly thin blonde crouched down and began to run her hand through the thick, brown hair of the other slayer. "You tried to steal my body, you silly bitch. When I was done with you, you ran like a scared little girl." Her hand shook loose Faith's hair to deliver a swift, stinging backhand that laid the brunette on the ground. "Listen up, kid: I AM THE SLAYER. You were just a wanna-be. And now, you're just another notch on my belt." Buffy stood triumphantly over the violently sobbing Faith and laughed menacingly.

Faith's eyes shot open as she flew into sitting position, covered in salty beads of sweat. Her panic-stricken eyes darted rapidly around the tiny compartment. The second part of the chosen two tried desperately to remember where she was. Her memory slowly came back to her as she began to shake off the nightmare- she was in the same filthy, smelly boxcar that she had been on since she left Sunnydale...after her latest defeat. The breathless brunette leaned against the gently vibrating wall of the boxcar as she simultaneously wiped the sweat from her brow and brushed her stringy, neglected hair from her face. This was not the first time that she experienced that nightmare, but it never got easier to get over. She was still trembling. It was a recap of all the failures in her life: the mother she failed to save from suicide, the watcher she failed to save from Kakistos, the partner she failed to stay faithful to, the opponent she failed to overcome. The stench of failure perfumed her life like a steamy pile of crap. It made her sick.

Without even realizing it, she had made her way to the open door of the boxcar. Awakening from her daze, she looked out at the rapidly passing scenery: at the trees, the grass, and the very large rocks that sped by. Maybe, if she jumped at just the right time, she might fall and hit one of those massive rocks. Maybe, just maybe, her head would split open like a rotten melon. Maybe, if she was lucky, that merciful rock would end her pathetic existence. She quietly laughed at her own cowardice. She didn't have the guts to blow her brains out like her mom did, so she was going to cross her fingers and hope that a trick of fate would kill her. Her pulse quickened as she noticed that the train was passing over a deep canyon. If there was ever a perfect time to go through with this, it was now. Quickly and quietly, she closed her eyes and leapt. Maybe Lady Luck would be on her side just this once.

As the aching jumper slowly opened her eyes, she cursed Lady Luck for being such a cold, heartless bitch. She was still alive. Angrily shaking the cobwebs out of her head, she groggily rose to her feet to survey her new surroundings. Immediately, the foul stench of brimstone assaulted her nose. Her blurry eyes cleared to reveal a circle of fiery abysmal pits filled with the screaming, tortured souls of evil doers. The vampire killer decided to rethink the whole "still alive" assumption she'd made only a moment ago.

"Faith, my beloved child..." called a deep, booming voice from behind her. Startled, she rapidly whirled around and assumed a defensive fighting position. Her eyes grew wide as saucers as she beheld the being that had said her name.

"oh...my...god..." she whispered almost inaudibly, her throat choked off with a mix of pure awe and purer, unadulterated terror.

"God, my dear? I'm afraid you're quite mistaken." The massively muscular man- if you could call him a man- sat atop a throne of human bones. He sat as though he was the master of all he surveyed, resting his massive red hands on a pair of blood-stained skulls. Under a pair of twisted, tainted black horns gleamed a set of glowing, green eyes. Make no mistake, these were not the sparkling, green irises that Buffy possessed. These were a duo of mucus-green windows into the soul of a demon. They glowed with an eerie energy that signaled unearthly power. The cloth of his tunic was composed of human skin that had been burned to an ash-like black. Every detail about his appearance exuded intelligence, power, and undiluted evil in its purest form. "I am very much the opposite of God. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucifer, Shepherd of the Damned."

Faith's mind may have been completely overwhelmed, but her mouth was working at peak efficiency. "'Shepherd of the Damned' huh? Sounds to me like you couldn't hack it flippin' patties at McDonalds', Lucy. You don't mind if I call you 'Lucy', do ya? You look like a 'Lucy'."

The Lord of Darkness shook his head in puzzlement. "Lucy?" he repeated absently, as if the gall of the mere mortal that stood before him had rendered him completely speechless. In a wide, sweeping movement, he threw his head back and roared with laughter. His beastly cackle grew louder and louder until the sheer volume deafened the intimidated slayer. "A very, VERY small number of men have dared speak to me like that, young one. Kings and conquerors alike have trembled before me and begged for mercy, yet you, a mere child, face me fearlessly." The dark one's unsettling smile broadened. "I like that." Faith's stomach crawled slowly up her throat. Not even the mighty Kakistos made her feel so...uneasy.

"Your situation is intriguing, my sweet," the lord of the underworld continued. "You were called as the Slayer after enduring a troubled childhood. The Watcher that was deemed you guide in this task was brutally murdered. Since the original slayer had returned to the Hellmouth, you had every right to refuse the responsibility that was accidentally given to you. However, you chose to continue the good fight, to assist the other vampire slayer in protecting the world against the undead. Let me ask you a simple question, Faith: what did you get from it?" Satan rose forcefully from his throne and approached the auburn-haired mortal who stood before him, her head bowed in contemplation.

"You loved slaying, didn't you? Why wouldn't you? Killing vampires gave you a purpose, a calling, something to be proud of. Did you ever wonder what would have transpired if she had stayed away? YOU would have been the alpha slayer. YOU would have had the caring, fatherly watcher. You might have even found a little 'Scooby Gang' of your own to be your companions." Faith released a small chuckle. Imagine, the King of All that is Unholy making a reference to Scooby Doo. The dark prince could see that Faith was becoming more at ease.

"Don't you see?" he continued, easing closer to his young companion. "Don't you see who robbed you of this opportunity? Don't you see who it is that cursed you with the life you lead? The subtle smile that had eased its way across the troubled child's face melted away.

"Buffy?" she more asked than stated, her voice taking on a childlike innocence. Lucifer cupped her cheek gently, focusing her gaze directly into his fiery eyes.

"Buffy Summers. She took it all from you: friends, watcher, position...LIFE." He enunciated carefully, giving the impressionable listener in front of him the full force of the statement. "None of them ever cared about you."

"I always said you hung around with the wrong crowd," chirped a cheerful voice from behind her. Faith would have recognized his voice from anywhere. It was absolutely dripping with cheerful optimism.

"Boss!!!" she yelled gleefully as she ran to him and jumped into his awaiting arms. Every bit of self-control that she had retained during this journey to Hell crumbled at the sight of Mayor Wilkins. Tears streamed down the mayor's neatly-pressed coat as she wept bitterly on his chest. The one person in Sunnydale who provided for her, who complimented her, who made her feel needed, had finally come back to her after being stolen away...by Buffy Summers. "I'm so sorry," she gasped between sobs. " I totally screwed up your whole Ascension thingy. If I had just croaked B when I had the chance, you wouldn't be stuck here in Hell. I really fucked things up for you."

"Young lady," the demonic civil servant scolded as he released her from his embrace, "I won't tolerate that kind of impolite language. Awww...I can't stay mad at my favorite girl. I know what'll turn that frown upside down!" The evil city official held out his hand. Suddenly, a tall, frosty glass of dairy goodness appeared in his palm. "Milk...it does a body good!" the mayor recited with a wide grin. Faith couldn't help but laugh through her tears. Even in the pit of Hell itself, Wilkins was bugging her about getting enough calcium. "Now listen to me, Faith," he said, his face suddenly becoming serious. "Lucifer has something very important to give you. With it, you'll be able to melt the slayer and her little buddies into piles of steamy goo. You can win one for me."

Faith slowly backed away from her former employer and approached the master of Hell. His eyes ran over her form, surveying and observing, as if he were formulating a mental picture that involved her as the model. Without warning, he seized her waist and forced her mouth open with his own. His tongue slithered in her mouth like a greedy serpent. Wave after wave of sinful pleasure washed over her. It was like cheap sex and expensive heroin rolled together with the adrenaline rush that comes from ending a coven of fledgling vamps. She felt dirty, and it both thrilled and repulsed her to the core of her being. Every cell of her body was pulsating with energy. The devil released her slowly, stepping back to admire his handiwork.

Faith looked herself over as well and noticed that her clothes had changed. She was now dressed from head to toe in black: a slick new pair of black leather pants, a black tanktop, a shiny new black leather jacket that looked like it was worth more than her life, and a glistening pair of black steel-toed combat boots. As she was marveling at her new threads, the decked-out slayer noticed a tingling sensation on her arm. She removed her jacket to find that the black ink of her tattoo was now blood red and emanating crimson- colored light. "Ooooh, that is SO cool!" she grinned devilishly.

Lucifer wore a smug expression across his leathery face as he reached out to hand her one last gift. "You might need these if you plan to walk among the human cattle...the slayer will see you coming from a mile away if you don't. Not that it would matter, obviously..." he advised, holding out a pair extremely expensive-looking sunglasses. Looking at her reflection in the lenses, she observed that her eyes were now solid red from top to bottom and glowing with the same unearthly light as her tattoo. She couldn't remember what color her lipstick or her eye makeup was before, but they were now as black as the rest of her ensemble. The altered brunette felt her long, wide grin grow to engulf her face as she put the glasses on. She was now a supernatural killing machine borne of fire and baptized in brimstone. "It's time for payback," she declared with sinister glee as a flower of fire roar from under her, transporting her soul out of Gahanna.

The instant Faith departed, Wilkins turned to his new master with a smile. "So, I guess I'm free now, right? I can return to earth."

"Shut your filthy mouth," Lucifer replied without even looking at his associate.

The mayor fell at Lucifer's feet. "I did just what you said, she's definitely going after Buffy now. Pleeeaaaasse let me out !"

"Get out of my sight, you sniveling worm," was Satan's icy response.

"What? B-b-but we had a deal!" The once proud villain was becoming frantic. "I kept my up end of the bargain, now you have to keep yours."

"SILENCE!!!" roared the now enraged fallen angel. "How dare you make demands of me, you disgusting puddle of slug vomit?!? You will pay for your insolence with pain and agony! OUT OF MY SIGHT!" As Satan ranted furiously, a dozen winged hellspawn rose from the ground, ripping at the mayor's flesh as they cast him into a fiery abyss. Satisfied that Wilkens was learning his lesson, Beezlebub reclaimed his seat with a triumphant sigh. If all went as well as he thought it would, he would soon own two slayers as well as a score of freshly slaughtered souls.

As Wesley poured through the endless mountain of text, he began to resent Angel and his constant need for demon-related information. In his quest to help the helpless, the vampire with a soul had run across yet another creature of the supernatural and appointed Wesley with the task of gathering research. The Brit sighed lightly. Research was what he was born to do, being a watcher and all. Leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes, he began to retrace the events that had led him from his post as Faith's watcher to a job as a vampire's sidekick. Faith...she was his responsibility. He had failed to help her, which is why his services as a watcher were no longer required.

"You always were a little bookworm, Wes," he could almost hear her saying. The watcher chuckled to himself, until he choked on the realization that Faith's voice did not come from his head. His eyes shot open to reveal his former charge standing before him, clad in black from top to bottom with a pair of dark sunglasses assisting her long brown hair in hiding her face.

"F..F...Faith?" he stuttered, not able to believe his own eyes.

"In the flesh, m'boy" she answered in a mock British accent."So..you're not a watcher anymore, huh? What's the matter, you ran out of slayers to screw over?"

"Now Faith," Wesley began nervously, "that was not my fault. You killed a man. I had to take you in."

"You didn't give me anything but SHIT from the day you dropped by until I got taken out!" Faith yelled. Wesley was startled at the sudden ferocity in the young woman's voice. "At least Ms. Post gave me a little help. When you came along, the only time you ever said anything to me was to tell me how ineffective I was as a slayer." Her face now burning with rage, she walked slowly to his chair and crouched so that their eyes met. "You were supposed to be some kind of mentor for me, right? I mean, isn't that what a watcher does? Isn't he supposed to guide his slayer through the rough spots and give her a little fatherly advice every once and awhile? Do you know who ended up helping me out when no one else would?" She leaned in even closer, causing their noses to almost touch. "The mayor. A fucking DEMON!!!" She rose abruptly, turning away from the stunned watcher and brushing the hair from her face. When she turned back to face him, pain had broken the mask of fury that covered her features. "Why is it that someone has to be totally demented or have no soul to care about me?" she whispered, her voice wavering.

"Faith, I..."

"SHUT UP!!!" she screamed, pointing a trembling finger in his direction. Tongues of fire rose from her fingertips, and Wesley felt a white heat rising in his temples. Screaming in agony, he clutched the sides of head as it combusted into flames and burst, caking the wall behind him with chunks of charred flesh and bone fragments. Faith simply stood, her finger still outstretched, staring blankly at the bloody mess in front of her. Snapping herself out of her daze, she tracked down a piece of paper and a pen and left a little note for Angel.

"...and while we're on the subject, I think we need to take on different kinds of cases," Cordelia continued as she and Angel strolled back to his apartment. The leggy brunette was trying to open her undead compatriot to methods of increasing their profits from his small P.I. business. She wasn't succeeding. "If we did a couple of 'cheating wife' cases, we would have more money to fund the saving of souls. Don't roll your eyes at me! I'm serious!"

"Cordelia, it's not about the money. I'm doing this to help people, not make a quick buck." Angel was getting tired of having this conversation. As he opened the door to his abode, whatever argument he had prepared to retort Cordelia vanished. In his desk sat a headless corpse with a note stapled to its chest:

Dear Angel,

If you haven't already noticed, I've killed Wesley. If you want to find me, I'll be in Sunnydale. See ya there, sweetheart. I think you know what I'm going to do.

PS. Wesley squealed liked a pig before he died.

XOXO
Faith

Cordelia screamed at the sight of the grisly scene before her and fell to the floor, unconscious. As Angel hefted his companion to bring her to her apartment, his mind bristled with confusion.Wasn't Faith in a coma? Why did she feel the sudden need to kill Wesley? Why was she waiting for Angel in Sunnydale, instead of killing him here? How in God's name did she blow up Wesley's head? As these questions rocked Angel's mind when he darted out the door, he only knew one thing for certain: Buffy was in deep trouble.

"The tongue of an unmarred goat? Where am I supposed to find something like that?" Willow groaned as she perused the unsavory list of spell ingredients.

"Simple, Will: it's in the 'animal sacrifice' section of your local supermarket, right next to the pig's blood," Buffy answered playfully from across the room. The red-headed witch poked her tongue out in mock disdain and lazily plopped herself onto her bed. "What kind spell are you -" the blonde began to ask before being interrupted by a loud sneeze.

"It's supposed to get rid of a cold," Willow sniffled.

"Well," said the slayer as she rose to leave, "I'm going to do a little patrolling. Do you want me to pick up something? Maybe I could snag some chicken soup...or the tongue of an unmarred goat."The chosen one grinned cheerfully wrapped her arms around her grumpy best friend and headed out the door.

She had gotten halfway down the hall when she heard her name called by an instantly- recognizable voice. Angel stood before her, looking more anxious than she'd ever seen him. His eyes scanned the hall desperately as he began to speak.

"Buffy, something terrible is going on. S-she's back. She killed Wesley, and now..." The grieved vampire's eyes suddenly grew wide as a look of utter shock overtook his face. His rapidly eroding lips could only release a single word before his body crumbled to dust:"Faith..."

"Well, so much for Soulboy," quipped the aforementioned rogue slayer as she tossed her stake aside and casually stepped over the pile of ash that was Angel. "Why the long face, B? It's not like you needed him anymore. I mean, you've got that juicy piece of meat just waiting for you back at his place, right." Faith's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer. "Personally, I'd take the new guy. You can at least fuck him without turning him into a soulless killer. Well, I'm pretty sure he still had a soul when I was done..."

Buffy cried out in rage and leapt at Faith, unleashing a deployment of attacks. To the slayer's shock and dismay, her corrupt counterpart dodged every single blow. In a fit of frustration, the deceptively petite blonde unloaded a massive punch to the side of Faith's face. The brunette didn't even flinch. In fact, she smiled. The rawforce of the impact shattered her new glasses, revealing her shining crimson eyes.

"Faith, you're...you're a...DEMON ?!" Buffyn gasped in disbelief.

"Close," answered the Hell-powered slayer with a smirk, "I'm a god." Faith's fist shot towards Buffy faster than human eyes could follow, rocketing the undersized do-gooder through the hallway. "You really need to find the motherfucking fun, B," the ex- slayer sneered as she made her way to Buffy's room. Willow hopped from her bed and shrieked in terror as Faith's foot demolished the door. "Heeeeere's Johnny!" the demented slayer announced, doing her best Nicholson impersonation.

"WILLOW! YOU'VE GOT TO GT OUT OF THERE!!" Buffy screamed frantically as she launched herself at her opponent once again. Before Buffy could reach her target, Faith pointed a single finger into room and unleashed a hail of fire. The tiny room exploded into a flaming inferno as Faith vanished, laughing as Willow cried out in agony.

Buffy shoved past the scores of students fleeing their dorms as she tried desperately to get to her friend. Even when the screams ceased, she sallied forth to get to Willow. The redhead was no longer there, however. When Buffy finally got to the doorway, the only thing she could make out was a shriveled, charred corpse that had once been her best friend. The sprinklers came on overhead, chilling the air to match the icy feeling in the pit of her stomach as she fell to her knees. "Willow..."

Rupert Giles was not an especially busy man as of late. There was once a time when his sacred duty as a watcher fulfilled him, giving his life meaning and purpose. Even though he was formally renounced as a watcher, he remained in action because his slayer still needed him. That, however, was no longer the case. Instead of assisting in the hunting and killing of demons, he now spent most of his nights channel surfing and drinking heavily. Usually nights such as these went uninterrupted, but this particular evening was disturbed by the phone ringing. Giles tried to ignore it, but relented as the ringing persisted. He assumed it must be Buffy, bearing news of the latest inevitable apocalypse.

"Giles! Oh, Giles..." stuttered the panicked slayer, "Faith is back, and she's been possessed or something. She...she killed..." Buffy began to weep bitterly, unable to finish her sentence.

"Buffy, please try to calm down," Giles pleaded, trying to soothe his slayer. He had never heard Buffy so panicked and afraid. "Let's take one thing at a time-"

"WILLOW'S DEAD! ANGEL'S DEAD! They're both DEAD! They're dead...dead..." the blonde screamed, breaking down completely. Giles was at a loss for words. He had great respect for Angel and deeply cared for Willow, but the watcher knew that now was not the time for tears. A clear head was what was needed.

"Buffy, you said that Faith was possessed. Please elaborate."

"Her eyes were red, a-and she was really strong. She could-"

"Throw fire?" Giles interrupted.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Buffy asked, clearly confused. Her watcher fumbled clumsily through his small library, trying to find an ancient book that could help to alleviate the situation.

"Yes, here it is," the middle-aged man mumbled as he pulled a volume entitled Chronicles of Council Confrontations with Unruly Slayers from a dusty bookshelf. "It seems that in the late seventeenth century, a slayer, driven insane when a demon killed her family and watcher, committed several...unsavory acts. The Council had her executed, but she returned within days and began to decimate the Council. It seems she had greatly increased strength and speed as well as red eyes and fire-based powers. The limits of her powers were unknown, as were their origin. She was killed by the newly-called slayer who stabbed her in the chest with a crucifix," Giles finished, flinching slightly at the grisly mental image. Buffy didn't.

"So that's all I have to do to kill her?" Buffy asked coldly.

"Well, I suppose..." the Brit conceded, somewhat surprised at Buffy's chilly response.

"I don't have any crosses on me, so I guess I'll have to stop at a church and pick one up...a big, pointy metal one," stated the blonde flatly. Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his forehead, mulling the situation over in is mind. Buffy was panicked, grieved, and seething with rage. If she were to go into battle with this new-and- improved Faith with a cool head, the odds would still be stacked against her. In her present frame of mind, she would most certainly be killed.

"We really must take care of any other possible targets before we attack our foe. Being Faith's former watcher, Wesley might-"

"Wes is already dead," Buffy chuckled bitterly. "It seems everyone's favorite psycobitch made a pit stop in LA before she showed up here."

"Well," continued the watcher," I suppose if she didn't kill Cordelia in Los Angeles, she isn't a target. That leaves you, Xander, and your mother still in danger. Call your mother and tell her to leave her house, since Faith knows where she lives. I'll call Xander and tell him to come over here. I don't think she's been to my apartment before, so-"

Giles was cut off as Buffy slammed the pay phone back onto its cradle and began rummaging through her pockets for another 35 cents. Even in her current state, she had been clear-headed enough not to go to Giles personally, in case she was being followed. It never even occurred to her that Faith wouldn't even wait for her to react. She had completely forgotten to warn her mother. The frantic daughter hurriedly deposited her spare change into the phone and dialed her mother's number, praying that she wasn't too late.

"Hello. Summers' residence," greeted the voice on the other end of the line.

"Mom! You've got to get out!" screamed a relieved but still frightened Buffy.

"I'll make sure to tell her that, B. Hey, Joyce, Buff says you've got to get out!"

"Faith, tell me you didn't-"

"Not yet, B." Buffy could hear soft whimpering in the background. "I'm just getting around to that."

"Faith, if you hurt her, I'll-" The sizzle of burning flesh erupted from the receiver, followed by a wrenching scream.

"What was that you were saying?" the brunette taunted. "Y'know, you never did call your new boy toy to give him the head's up. I would have thought that you'd give the love of your life a little more consideration."

"You killed Riley?" the blonde asked hesitently.

"Yeah, I stopped at his place and cooked the Beefstick right before I came here. I sure get around, don't I? Not only am I stronger and more powerful than you, I'm also a hell of a lot faster. Anyway, let's see if I can remember how to get to Giles's place..."

Buffy immediately dropped the phone and sprinted to Giles's apartment.

For probably the first time in his life, Xander Harris was speechless. Giles had just told him that Willow, his best friend for God-only-knows how long was dead and that Faith, the unbalanced slayer who had tried to kill him once before, had a set of brand spankin' new superpowers. The young man was disturbed to say the least.

Xander sat absolutely still, his face adorned with a blank and unreadable expression. He felt sick and cold, as if a chill had grabbed hold of him and was clawing at his stomach. Finally, the younger man's face changed as he looked up at the elder. "Do you smell something burning?"

The pair warily turned to face the knob on the front door, which was now steaming and red-hot. The melted handle fell to the ground in a semi-liquefied heap, giving free entry to whomever as on the other side of that door.

"Honey, I'm home!" Faith sang as she threw the door open. "I think we all know the drill by now. Feel free to beg and plead for your lives. It won't help you, of course, but it'll make it that much more fun for me."

Xander stood fearlessly. Common sense told him to run, to plead, to hide, but the lanky young man decided at that moment that there would be none of that. If he was going to die, he sure as hell wasn't going out as a coward. "Faith, why are you doing this? I can understand why you would kill Wesley, but why Angel? Why...why Willow?"

"Since you asked nicely," Faith began to answer with a wide grin, "I killed Angel because he was Buffy's first true love or whatever. Willow was B's best bud, so she had to go. Y'see, any friend of Buffy's is a victim of mine. That's also why I killed Joyce and the Beefstick, and that's why I'm going to kill you." The maniacal slayer turned to address both of her intended victims. "Y'know, the three of us have one thing in common: we all meant something to Buffy at one time, but she cast us aside when we became a burden to her." Faith again turned her attention to Xander, laying her hand lightly on his chest as she moved closer. She could feel him tense underneath her, though he tried his best to hide it.

"You wanted her, didn't you? You wanted her so badly that even I could taste it, but you couldn't have her. I guess that's why you came to me. After all, if you can't have the beautiful, intelligent, moral slayer you can always settle for the skanky, slutty one, right?" Faith tried to speak with anger and hostility, but her broken voice told only of suffering. Xander's eyes went from defensive to shocked as he beheld the wounded girl in front of him.

The young man laid his hands gently on Faith's shoulders, soothing her against her will. For a brief moment, he thought he saw the Faith that he had first met so long ago. He thought he saw the energetic and vivacious young woman that had told him about her naked slaying adventures and alligator wrestling mishaps at the Bronze. He thought he saw those horrific red eyes fade into the dark brown that he was used to. He thought he saw her evil sneer fade.

The vulnerable slayer brought her hands to Xander's cheeks, gently cradling his face. Then, she twisted. A sickening "crack" rang throughout the room as his chin met his shoulder blade. Unable to watch the life drain from his eyes, she let his limp, lifeless body fall to the ground. Giles remained sitting on his couch, sickened but not surprised at Faith's actions.

"I can only assume you got your powers from some supernatural source," Giles stated simply, trying his best to remain calm. "I know that you are not this evil, Faith. Something-"

"Not evil?" Faith scoffed loudly. "I was tapped by Satan himself! When I'm through here, Buffy is going to hate me with all her heart and soul, and when I kill her..."

"...she will go straight to Hell, her soul having been corrupted by hate," Giles whispered in dawning horror.

"That's correct, Mr. Bean," she laughed as she turned to face Giles. "Here's your prize." The malicious brunette reared back and released a massive kick to the former librarian's face, cleanly severing his head from his neck. Faith frowned as she observed the bloody carnage around her. Taking care of Wesley and Willow was loads of fun because they were both little bitches. Riley was easy to kill because she barely knew him. Joyce was a riot just because Buffy was listening in at the time. Killing Xander and Giles wasn't fun for some reason. At one point, she had genuinely liked the both of them.

Faith walked over to Xander's body and shut his open eyes. "You deserved better than a psychotic whore for your first time," she whispered in hoarse tones. She silently continued into Giles' dining room and pulled out a chair to sit in. The only thing she could do now was wait for Buffy to show up.

As Buffy finally came to Giles' apartment, she hoped against her better judgment that the brief pit stop she made didn't cost her too much. When she reached the watcher's open door, however, any hope she had was completely annihilated. Faith sat in Giles' dining room, waiting for her with the eyes of a predator awaiting its prey. The dead bodies of Giles and Xander, the first two people in Sunnydale to know that she was the slayer, lay strewn about the floor. At that moment, Buffy knew only one thing: that murderous bitch was going to pay dearly.

"What's that you're holding, B?" the demonic slayer asked with a smirk.

"A crucifix," the blonde stated with a bitter sneer.

"Where did you get a shiny, ornate one like that?"

"A church."

"And just what were you planning on doing with it?"

"I was planning on jamming it into your forehead."

Faith smiled contentedly at her blonde counterpart's chilly response. The murderer looked as if she had already won, sitting there calmly wearing a grin that could give a person goosebumps. Finally, she stood and cracked her knuckles, preparing for a fight.

"It's time to finish this once and for all, B," she said ominously as she faced her opponent. Buffy gritted her teeth and lunged at Faith with the large, metal cross. The leather-clad killer easily dodged the attack and clamped her hand to the blonde's throat, lifting the smaller slayer off of the ground.

"You thought the Master was bad news? You thought Angelus was tough? You thought Kakistos was evil?" Faith pulled her adversary closer, her iron grip like a vice. "I want you to remember this when you're lying on the floor, dying: of all the demons and vamps you fought, I was the one who finally put you down." With that, Faith crushed Buffy's windpipe and watched as the blonde drifted slowly and painfully into oblivion, gasping desperately for air that no longer came to her.

Faith stood still for a moment, holding the dead body of her beautiful adversary and reveling in her victory. "So this is what it feels like to win," she muttered wistfully, not feeling quite as fulfilled as she thought she would.

"You haven't won yet," growled the supposedly dead body Faith held. Buffy's eyes shot open, the glistening green that was once there replaced with sinister red.

Lucifer sat atop his throne, laughing hysterically. He was enthralled by the carnage that was being unleashed by the super-powered slayers as they battled each other to the death. Massive numbers of civilians were being caught in the crossfire as the Slayers battled ferociously, laying waste to the town of Sunnydale.

Only moments earlier, Buffy the vampire slayer appeared before him, begging to be granted the same powers that Faith had been given. He had granted her wish immediately and eagerly sent her back to earth. After that, all he had to do was sit back and watch the fun begin.

Richard Wilkins could not see the damage that the slayers were causing with their fight, but what he could see was the rising tide of new souls entering Hell courtesy of the war between the slayers. Of course, he didn't give two shakes of a roach's behind about human casualties. The only person he cared about in that chaos was his girl, Faith. He had duped her, convincing the impressionable youth to make a deal with the devil so that he could be freed from Hell. Both he and Faith had been double-crossed, and there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Wilkins!" whispered a familiar voice from the background, trying to get his attention.

"Angelus? Don't you have a soul now, doing good and such? What are you doing here?"

"Keep your voice down. Satan doesn't know I'm here. You have to come with me!"

"And just where are we going?"

"To stop them."

Buffy flew towards Faith, assaulting her with a hail of punches and kicks that moved faster than human eyes could follow. Faith blocked every blow as soon as it was thrown and countered with a fireball to the face that sent the smaller combatant crashing through Big Choice Video, finally skidding to a halt in the rear parking lot.

Faith lost sight of the blonde when the video store collapsed. Frustrated, she shoved aside the rubble and mangled corpses of customers in search of her prey. They had been at this for what seemed like hours and done nothing but trade ineffective hits. This was getting very old very quickly. Suddenly, she felt a slab of concrete slam against the back of her head. She turned to see Buffy's fist a split second before it connected with the brunette's face. The sheer force of the blow shattered the windows of every building on the block. Bystanders, their bodies pierced by fragments of broken glass, ran for their lives as the chosen two dueled.

"Die, you evil bitch!" Buffy screamed as she grabbed Faith by the hair and hurled her like a discus through the sky. The younger slayer's trip was halted as she flew into the local McDonald's, completely leveling the building.

"I'm gunna croak that little..." Faith grumbled as she crawled out of the wreckage. She suddenly came to the realization that someone was standing over her--someone she knew very well. "Boss! What the hell is this shit? Nobody said anything about her getting powers!"

"Faith, what have I told you about using that language? It seems we've both been double-crossed. Now, as soon as you stop this-"

"Stop? Fuck that! I'm going to get revenge-"

"Revenge for what, Faith?" the mayor laughed. "That girl was the only real friend you had, besides me of course. She opened her home and her life to you and you took advantage of her. If there's anyone you should be mad at, it's me. I certainly offered you plenty incentive to stay on the side of evil."

"NO! She left me in the cold! She turned her back on me!" The confused slayer screamed, trying to retain the rage that had driven her to this point. "It's just like Satan said: if not for her, I would have had it all. I would have had the watcher! I would have had the Scooby Gang! My waste of a life would have finally had a purpose!" The Mayor's face turned somber as he stepped closer to meet the eyes of his adopted daughter.

"You had a purpose, and you forsook it to join me and my misguided crusade. Buffy couldn't understand you like I could. When you killed Allen, she simply couldn't accept that she was a part of murder, even if she was only a small part. None of them could be expected to simply accept something like that, and it's unfair that you expected them to. I, on the other hand, have killed more people than either of you could imagine. I could accept you because I know what it's like to have those dark urges."

Faith's angry expression fell as her former boss spoke. She seemed to contemplate his evaluation, her eyebrows scrunched together in thought. After a few moments, she smiled sadly. "We made a good pair, didn't we, boss?"

"We sure did," he grinned. "Anyway, why don't you stop this rampage so we can go get milkshakes?"

"Well, I kind of trashed the McDonalds," Faith laughed, realizing just how much she missed the Mayor's quirkiness. "Anyway," she continued awkwardly, "I really have to talk to Buffy, so..."

"Sure, you go to it. I hope you two crazy kids can work out some kind of truce."

"So do I."

"You haven't begun to feel pain, you little..."Buffy growled as she started off in the direction she had thrown her foe. She was halted without warning by a hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy, please..."

"Angel!" she yelled, both happy to see him and wondering how it was that he was there, standing in front of her.

"You have to stop this," Angel pleaded. Buffy's expression soured.

"I'll stop when I'm done smearing her ass across the city! She KILLED you, Angel! She killed Willow, Giles, Xander, Riley, and mom, too! When I'm through with her-"

"When you're finally through with her, you'll have killed scores of helpless civilians!" Angel yelled in desperation. He gestured towards a pile of rubble that had once been an apartment complex. As if on cue, a former resident of the building emerged from the rubble, his face bruised and bloody. Seeing the blonde girl that had leveled his home, he yelped in terror and ran for his life. Buffy stood and watched, speechless.

"Innocent people are being caught in the crossfire, Buffy. You are killing defenseless human beings, whether you mean to or not. Who's going to pay for those lives?" He lowered his head slightly and continued, unwilling to let up until the slayer had given thought to the damage she had caused. "Their blood is on your head."

"I'M NOT A MURDERER!" Buffy screamed, unable to bear the implications of what Angel was saying. "SHE KILLED EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT!!"

"And now you're alone," the vampire continued, his voice becoming softer while retaining its edge. "How does it feel, knowing that there is no longer a single living person who cares? Knowing that you have to take full responsibility for what you've done without so much as an understanding shoulder to cry on. It didn't seem this hard for Faith, did it?"

"She wasn't alone," Buffy whispered, realizing that she wasn't telling the truth. Her stomach felt cold and dead as she recounted in her mind the events that had led up to this moment: Allen's death, Faith's attempt to run, the realization that Faith head switched sides. So many mistakes had been made. "I'll stop," the blonde muttered, casting her eyes to the ground in shame. "This ends now."

For the fist time since the death of the Deputy Mayor, the chosen two faced each other without anger, bitterness, or resentment. As they looked into each other's red eyes, they both realized that they had lost something.

"You used to have the prettiest green eyes," Faith said softly, her voice full of remorse.

"We have to stop fighting."

"I know," the younger girl admitted.

Buffy's face was drawn in contemplation, searching for the words to say what needed to be said. "We can't exist like this," she finally stated, looking up immediately to gauge the other slayer's response. She didn't want to restart their conflict by any means, but she didn't know how Faith would take Buffy's decision. The smaller slayer had come to the conclusion that a pair of Hell-powered demons could not be allowed to continue existing, and this might have understandably upset Faith. It didn't.

"I know," was the brunette's quiet response.

"I-I think that crucifix is still in Giles' apartment," Buffy continued, surprised by the other girl's cooperation and trying to find a solution to their mutual problem.

"No, its not," Faith stated grimly. Buffy's eyes looked toward her former opponent with a perplexed look until the smell of burning flesh met her nose. Faith was holding the blessed cross with her cursed hands, causing it to sear her skin. The brunette gripped it tightly with both hands and thrust it into her stomach. "I'm so sorry for everything, Buffy."

When Buffy realized what was happening, she ran to Faith. The blonde pulled her counterpart into a tight embrace, jamming the top of the cross into her stomach as well. "Wherever you're going, I'm going with you," she whispered into Faith's ear as their bodies crumbled to dust.

Faith basked in the warmth and light of this mysterious new place where she found herself. She couldn't help but feel safe; it was as if she had been wrapped in a blanket of security. A lone figure stepped out of the light to come near her.

"Mom?" Faith gasped. She almost didn't recognize her mother. She inhaled deeply and laughed: not only was her mother clean and radiant looking, she didn't reek of alcohol.

"Faith, I'm so proud of you. You've..."

"...finally chosen good over evil," continued another voice from beside her. It was Faith's watcher. "You've done well. You've..."

"...come back to me," spoke another voice, this one from a certain blonde slayer. "I missed you so much."

"This is what I wanted for you," chirped yet another voice, this one coming from a man, "nice, positive reinforcement."

"Boss? Is this heaven?"

The Mayor beamed with happiness. "It sure is! It seems that you've redeemed me, so, pending a long, painful but very necessary stay in Purgatory to cleanse me of sin, I'll be a permanent resident here. You, on the other hand, won't. The Powers That Be have decided that you're going to return to earth to make up for your mistakes by helping the helpless, saving souls, ect."

Faith' gleeful expression rapidly fell. "You mean I have to leave?"

Wilkens' face morphed into "stern parent" mode. "Faith, you've been given a great opportunity here. Not only do you have the opportunity to make up for your mistakes, you also have a chance to help others. On top of all that, I've been able to convince the PTB to issue you a brand-new Harley Davidson to use in the line of duty."

"A Hog?" Faith asked, her demeanor rising. "Okay, okay, I'm in."

Buffy stood beside the brunette, looking the Mayor in the eyes as she clasped the hand of her sister-in-arms. "I'm going with her," she declared defiantly.

"I'm afraid you can't do that," answered the Mayor, "but it's great to know that you two patched things up so well. Anyway, this is a mission that Faith and The Seer must undertake alone, and Faith is the only soul that has the approval of The Powers to return to the Realm of the Living."

"It's okay, B," Faith said soothingly as she turned to face Buffy, "I can handle it. I'll be back here before you know it. Besides, you only have one day worth of carnage to atone for. I have a lifetime's worth. Relax, I'll be back before you know it." Faith turned to the Mayor abruptly, confusion written all over her face. "Wait a minute-- Who's The Seer ?"

To say that Cordelia Chase wasn't in the mood for visitors would have been the understatement of the year. After seeing Wesley's headless corpse in Angel's office, she had been thoroughly interrogated by the cops. On top of that, she had just found out that almost all of her friends, including her ex-boyfriend, were brutally murdered. So, when Cordelia heard a knock at her door, she had every intention of ignoring it. When the knocking persisted, she intended to tell her visitor to piss off. When she opened the door, however, the only sound that left her mouth was a terrified scream as she slammed it shut again. Faith was standing right outside her door.

This would be a bad thing even under normal circumstances, but this was not the Faith that she was used to seeing. This Faith had a pair of beady red eyes that were surrounded by black eye make-up, not to mention black lipstick, a black leather jacket, black leather pants, a black tanktop, and a black whatever-the-hell she was wearing besides the previously mentioned items. She didn't exactly have time to get a great look. Cordelia thought the old Faith was as intimidating and tacky as could be until she saw this more intimidating and tackier version

"Cordelia? C'mon, let me in. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I-I-I'll bet that's what you said to Wesley before you blew up his head!" Cordelia yelled, her voice trembling with fear. She could hear Faith sigh on the other side of the door.

"Look, I'm really sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better, dying's not so bad. Believe me, I know. I did it twice."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Cordelia screamed.

"I can't leave you alone," Faith tried to explain. "I need your help. Besides, I'm good now. If I was still bad, I'd have broken down the door and torn your throat out or something like that by now."

"What makes you think that I would ever help you?" the leggy secretary asked, not exactly comforted by Faith's rationalization.

"I've been chosen by the Powers that Be to take over Angel's job, so I need you to tell me who to save and stuff."

As she began to warily open the door, a crippling pain erupted in her head. "Two girls..." she groaned, clearly in pain, "...they're both holding stakes...they're both dead..."

Faith's face brightened when she realized what the seer was talking about. "Two girls with stakes...those must be the new slayers! C'mon we've got to move!" Faith lunged and grabbed Cordelia's hand, yanking her out of her apartment and out into the parking lot, where the smaller girl hopped onto a very large and dangerous-looking motorcycle.

"Hurry up, Legs!" she called out, gesturing for the tall brunette to get on behind her.

"Don't call me 'Legs'!" Cordy groaned irritably as she reluctantly climbed onto the hog. As the pair drove off, Cordelia had a feeling that her already odd life was about to be turned upside-down.

End