Gone with the man in the long black coat
Just another fucking day. Another fucking day in the Cali State Penn and another fucking Bertha who wanted to throw down. What was it with these chicks? Didn't matter how many times I broke someone's wrist they always wanted to screw with me. One of these days my ass was gonna get jumped by about fifty of 'em and they were gonna get one up on me. But that day wasn't today, only about five of 'em surrounding me where I sat out in the yard. Guards were all busy sleepin' with their eyes open or whatever the hell it was they did. They never noticed the fights until it was too late. Until there were broken bones and bloody noses, then the guards would come runnin' and swingin' with their clubs. So damn predictable 'round here.
"Give up your smokes, Hanley." Deb said, and it looked like it was her day to play tough broad cause she stepped ahead of all the rest. That was what this was all about? She wanted cigarettes? Damn. All she had to do was ask for one, but I wasn't about to be respondin' to threats. So I just ambled up off the picnic table and gave her a long hard look.
"You want a smoke, Deb?" I shrugged as I pressed my lit cigarette into her arm and heard the sizzle of her flesh frying. "How's that?" I asked with a laugh as I put the smoke to my lips and took another drag off of it.
Well that was all it took before they all jumped on me, fists flying. Couldn't say I didn't sorta provoke it, but this was my bread and butter in the joint. Never forgot what I was, not for one second. If I couldn't fight demons and vamps, fightin' bitches on the inside was just gonna have to do. Besides, they started it...mostly. Really think they'd learn their lesson by now, cause I'm came up swingin' all piss and vinegar. Knocking two of them off of me in one powerful swing, I lashed out with a leg, knocking Deb away with a kick to the chest. Oh yeah, this was exactly what I needed to get me through the day. Bring it on, anyone wanna throw down? I was your girl. Nobody could figure it out, how I was all wicked strong. But the rumors grew and festered in a place like this, and everyone got a little curious. Which pretty much meant that everyone was gonna want a turn up at bat. Their funeral.
I went to take another swing at Deb when suddenly...I dunno, something happened. My arm swung out but there was no power behind it and my fist barely tapped off of her jaw. What the fuck? Shaking my head I took another swing and Deb just caught my fist in her hand.
"Whatsa matter, Hanley? Not feelin' so good today?" She asked as her fist pounded on my face.
I fell back in surprise with the force of the blow and then they were all on top of me again, raining down angry fists on me. What was goin' on? Finally I managed to squirm away from a few of them and almost kissed the guard's fucking feet when he came over swinging his baton. Course I didn't get a chance to kiss anything but dirt as the club cracked over my skull, sending me sprawling into the darkness.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
When I finally woke up, I realized I was laying on the floor. Bastards hadn't even bothered to haul me up into the bunk like they usually did. With a groan I rolled over on the pavement and stared up at the dark ceiling. Had to blink a few times before I realized where I was. Solitary.
"Shit." I muttered as I sat up painfully, and stretched my neck to the side workin' out all the kinks. Everything was wicked sore and I didn't understand it. What had happened to me out there? Why wasn't I handin' out ass wuppins like I usually was? Why did Deb's fist across my face still smart something fierce? Curiously I pressed the palm of my hand to my jaw feeling the tender bruise that was still there. Was I sick or something? Didn't feel sick, just felt...weak. Normal. Something was up, and besides...slayers didn't get sick. Least I never did, and I didn't think B ever did either. Something was up, something bad. Makin' my skin tingle as a little shiver of fear ran up and down my spine. I'd lost it. What I was, what I was supposed to be. Where did it go? I needed it back. I wasn't....anything without my slayer powers. I was just Faith, and Faith was always the last thing I wanted to be. Always runnin' so far in the opposite direction.
The prison walls seemed to close in on me with the realization that it wasn't me keepin' me here. It was them. My perception had shifted and now so did everything else. Before I had been proud, cause I was forcin' myself to stay here even though I knew I didn't have to. Now the guards were gonna come in at nightfall and instead of just lettin' 'em have their way like I usually did, I wasn't even gonna be able to fight 'em off. What did they do? What did they do to me? How could they do this? My hands tangled in my hair as I looked down at my lap. I couldn't live like this. Maybe it was just temporary. I'd just be patient and it would come back to me. Except it wasn't just the super strength, it was everything. The connection had been severed and I couldn't even feel Buffy anymore. She was gone, and now I was really all alone.
Curling up into a ball, I hid in the dark corner of the cell. It would pass, and I would have my powers back. Buffy would be there again like the itch in the back of my mind and everything would be fine. Except nothing ever was, was it?
I heard footsteps coming towards my cell and I immediately pushed myself up from the floor. No. If they wanted me they were gonna have to knock me down again. I wasn't the kind of girl who laid down and took it, superpowers or not.
"Give up your smokes, Hanley." Deb said, and it looked like it was her day to play tough broad cause she stepped ahead of all the rest. That was what this was all about? She wanted cigarettes? Damn. All she had to do was ask for one, but I wasn't about to be respondin' to threats. So I just ambled up off the picnic table and gave her a long hard look.
"You want a smoke, Deb?" I shrugged as I pressed my lit cigarette into her arm and heard the sizzle of her flesh frying. "How's that?" I asked with a laugh as I put the smoke to my lips and took another drag off of it.
Well that was all it took before they all jumped on me, fists flying. Couldn't say I didn't sorta provoke it, but this was my bread and butter in the joint. Never forgot what I was, not for one second. If I couldn't fight demons and vamps, fightin' bitches on the inside was just gonna have to do. Besides, they started it...mostly. Really think they'd learn their lesson by now, cause I'm came up swingin' all piss and vinegar. Knocking two of them off of me in one powerful swing, I lashed out with a leg, knocking Deb away with a kick to the chest. Oh yeah, this was exactly what I needed to get me through the day. Bring it on, anyone wanna throw down? I was your girl. Nobody could figure it out, how I was all wicked strong. But the rumors grew and festered in a place like this, and everyone got a little curious. Which pretty much meant that everyone was gonna want a turn up at bat. Their funeral.
I went to take another swing at Deb when suddenly...I dunno, something happened. My arm swung out but there was no power behind it and my fist barely tapped off of her jaw. What the fuck? Shaking my head I took another swing and Deb just caught my fist in her hand.
"Whatsa matter, Hanley? Not feelin' so good today?" She asked as her fist pounded on my face.
I fell back in surprise with the force of the blow and then they were all on top of me again, raining down angry fists on me. What was goin' on? Finally I managed to squirm away from a few of them and almost kissed the guard's fucking feet when he came over swinging his baton. Course I didn't get a chance to kiss anything but dirt as the club cracked over my skull, sending me sprawling into the darkness.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
When I finally woke up, I realized I was laying on the floor. Bastards hadn't even bothered to haul me up into the bunk like they usually did. With a groan I rolled over on the pavement and stared up at the dark ceiling. Had to blink a few times before I realized where I was. Solitary.
"Shit." I muttered as I sat up painfully, and stretched my neck to the side workin' out all the kinks. Everything was wicked sore and I didn't understand it. What had happened to me out there? Why wasn't I handin' out ass wuppins like I usually was? Why did Deb's fist across my face still smart something fierce? Curiously I pressed the palm of my hand to my jaw feeling the tender bruise that was still there. Was I sick or something? Didn't feel sick, just felt...weak. Normal. Something was up, and besides...slayers didn't get sick. Least I never did, and I didn't think B ever did either. Something was up, something bad. Makin' my skin tingle as a little shiver of fear ran up and down my spine. I'd lost it. What I was, what I was supposed to be. Where did it go? I needed it back. I wasn't....anything without my slayer powers. I was just Faith, and Faith was always the last thing I wanted to be. Always runnin' so far in the opposite direction.
The prison walls seemed to close in on me with the realization that it wasn't me keepin' me here. It was them. My perception had shifted and now so did everything else. Before I had been proud, cause I was forcin' myself to stay here even though I knew I didn't have to. Now the guards were gonna come in at nightfall and instead of just lettin' 'em have their way like I usually did, I wasn't even gonna be able to fight 'em off. What did they do? What did they do to me? How could they do this? My hands tangled in my hair as I looked down at my lap. I couldn't live like this. Maybe it was just temporary. I'd just be patient and it would come back to me. Except it wasn't just the super strength, it was everything. The connection had been severed and I couldn't even feel Buffy anymore. She was gone, and now I was really all alone.
Curling up into a ball, I hid in the dark corner of the cell. It would pass, and I would have my powers back. Buffy would be there again like the itch in the back of my mind and everything would be fine. Except nothing ever was, was it?
I heard footsteps coming towards my cell and I immediately pushed myself up from the floor. No. If they wanted me they were gonna have to knock me down again. I wasn't the kind of girl who laid down and took it, superpowers or not.