Introduction-Homecoming
The interstate service silver bus pulled in to its stop in the outer burbs of Boston. The late night service was as usually empty. Tonight's trip was no exception. There was the creepy serial killer type sitting up near the back. He was skinny looking momma's boy and the way looked at her from the time she got on the bus made her skin crawl.
The young woman looked at her face in the window reflection had to admit she understood why he was looking. Her long black hair covered much of her face. She was wearing her fav tight black pants and under her leather jacket a low cut tight white top. Her substantial cleavage evident when she leaned forward. Despite the recent trauma's she'd been through she still looked hot.
The girl decided what the hell, I'll give him something to get his glasses all fogged up over. She leaned forward and putting both hands on the sides of her breasts perked her cleavage up and out even more. Stalker boy blushed and looked away realising he'd been caught. "I've still got it.' She smirked to her self silently
A couple of non-descript nobodies scattered through out the bus kept to themselves. The girl was relieved that no grandma with a need to save the souls of young runaways was on board because she had to admit she would have been the prime candidate on the bus.
'Screw this' she got up. Stretched her legs. Grabbed her bag and made her way from the back of the bus. She slowed as she walked passed her admirer and ran a long black painted fingernail slowly down his cheek. "I hope it was a good for you as it was for me". The shock and embarrassment was evident as he went red then colour went from his face.
"Desired effect." She laughed and continued down the aisle.
"Miss you don't need to get off yet your ticket is paid up until we reach the middle of the city," said the middle-aged driver.
"Its okay, I thought I'd get off here before my new friend back there decides he needs to get off himself. Your cleaners will thank me for the lack of sticky seat," the girl replied.
"I don't know if you've been here before but it isn't safe for a young girl like yourself. A lot of young people go missing around here," said the driver expressing his concern.
Its okay, I was hoping it would be. I'm cramped up after being on this bus for so long. Besides one of those people that went missing has returned," stated the girl matter of factly as she stepped of the bus into the cold night air.
Things were definitely different. It had been a long trip from Sunnydale and her brain was a bit fried from the road house meals she'd been ingesting on the trip but Faith could tell things had changed. The streets were virtually empty despite being a Tuesday night. Usually there would have been kids hanging out at the fast food joints over the road from the bus stop. All trying their best to impress the opposite sex. But there weren't any. What was going on?
Even people like Ronnie the deadbeat she'd met here were absent. Which wasn't such a bad thing after all. Ronnie had been such a loser as were the crowd he hung with.
She'd been gone over a year but things couldn't have changed that much. Maybe some social working Nazi had finally petitioned the local Mayor for a curfew in an attempt to protect the young from the evils of Juvenile delinquency. Faith had seen such groups badgering Mayor Wilkens to save their children from being idle youth hanging out with friends which was bound to lead to a life of crime.
It amused Faith to think of the how shocked those groups would have been when they realised that it wasn't the children that needed protecting from each other but the Mayor. The looks on their faces at his ascension must have been priceless.
Faith was glad he was destroyed after the way he'd set her up and used her. Well that's what she was trying to fathom exactly what had happened, she'd become his puppet. How long he'd been orchestrating it she was still unsure. Faith was surprised that she had been so easily led. Faith knew the way the world was. Everyone has an agenda they'll use you, abuse you then loose you. A lesson she'd learnt many times but she still kept falling forit.
Not again there was only one person to trust and that was Faith. As she'd told Buffy "I'm on my side and that's enough" This time she'd listen to her self. She didn't need anybody and wouldn't let anyone convince her any different.
Faith wandered along the street with her backpack on her shoulder and cut through a park next to the bus station. Walking away from the bright lights off the Fast food joints on the opposite side of the road and the shopping mall that they fronted she went deeper into the park.
As the light faded the silhouettes of the trees blended into the shadows of the night. Faith heard a twig crack. Dropping her bag she spun and faced a ferocious looking vamp who rushed her.
He was about 6ft and very strong, his demonic eyes almost glowing in thedark.
"I needed to loosen up after sitting on my ass for so long, you should be a good warm up," taunted Faith.
The vamp just grunted and attacked, clawing and punching at Faith who blocked and dodged with ease.
"Come on, you'll have to better than that." She said as she kicked the vampire in the chest with a savage front kick, which sent him back reeling.
The vampire advanced again Faith blocked then jabbed her opponent. As his head rocked back Faith spun and dropped low and swept the legs from under her enemy.
Seizing the opportunity she straddled his chest. With her knee's pinning her stunned prey laughing loud saying "I just love being on top". She pulled a stake from behind her back and drove it into the vampire's heart turning him to dust beneath her.
"Well that was easy," thought Faith placing the stake in the front of her belt. The thought was interrupted as a heavy weight drove into her back, pushing her face first into the turf and pinning her down.
"Let's see how much you like it when I take you from behind" snarled a new player as he grabbed her hair pulling it her head back to look at the pained expression on her face.
Faith grimaced "Well I like a man that makes the first move." Faith kicked up hitting the black skinned vampire in the back of the head. Seizing the advantage Faith pushed up and lifted the unbalanced opponent from her back. He rolled away still holding her hair. As she tried standing he pulled her down bending her forward. Faith tried to release his grip twisting his grip away and controlling his arm through pain.
The vampire was on his knees and lashed out in pain with his free arm striking Faith with a vicious uppercut driving it into her stomach.
The pain shot through Faith as the air was taken from lungs, she clutched her stomach and looked at her shirt expecting to see blood from her recently healed wound. The pain was the same as when she was stabbed by Buffy with her own blade given to her by the Mayor.
The Vampire saw his victim at a disadvantage and he struck, grabbing at her neck and driving her onto her back. As they both fell Faith pulled a stake from her belt and held the point over the heart of the unaware vampire who felt it prick into his skin.
Faith braced her arms to account for the weight of the vampire who looked down at the stake as his full weight landed and he turned to dust.
Faith grabbed at her stomach and tenderly stood up "Bitch, I still can't believe B actually stabbed me" She thought to her self that she needed to restrengthen the muscles that had wasted while she was recovering and noted for future reference to cover that weakness until it healed.
Faith picked up her bag and continued walking through the park. As she left from view another person stepped from the shadows with a mobile phone at heear.
Still hidden from full view he silently reported "She's back".