Faithbot - 3 of 5
Due to unpopular demand, more FAITHBOT! Still in the PG range, set in the alternate universe of THE WISH. Previous chapters linked under the cut. Maybe cross-posted elsewhere, if I get all ambitious and stuff.
PART ONE
PART TWO
Faithbot
-Origin-
Part 3 of 5
It was hard, but Faith finally managed to stand. She was still in the same room, cold, dark..underground, she could feel it. One chair, like a doctor’s chair, and light from underneath a door, about six feet away.
She stared at it, only really seeing with one eye. The other, it...she didn’t understand. She was getting images from it, but they were...different. She held her hand up before that eye, the hand she couldn’t feel, and nearly screamed. Fingers that weren’t her own, metal fingers, all exposed joints and wires, flexed to her will as if they were really hers. A strange red glow illuminated the monstrous appendages with an eerie glow...Faith realized it was coming from herself. From her eye, her left eye.
It had to have been him, she swore, curling her metal hand into a fist. The one she couldn’t recall, like so much else. She needed to know. She prodded the junk again, not giving a damn if it tried to fry her brain right back. Let it.
“Adam,” she shouted, tyring to ignore the awful metal echo in her words, sounding even worse in this tomb she had awoken in, “...tell me about ADAM..!”
101/101=ACCESSING FILES//SUN/SLAY/005
BEGINNING FULL REPLAY NOW...
About damn time, Faith cursed, twitching as the memory sparked to life inside of her head.
********
“Is this her? The Slayer?”
Giles led Faith into the house, after remaining annoyingly silent on the walk up from the car. A mystery Faith did NOT love. As soon as they were inside, the dark-haired woman with the long skirt and tight sweater (and a fair amount of antique-looking bling) tossed the question out like an accusation. Faith bristled.
“That’s me,” she said, firmly enough to hopefully et across the message that she didn’t really care for being talked around, “...you Yanna?”
“Janna,” Giles corrected, stepping awkwardly between both women, “...this is Faith...the Vampire Slayer.”
Janna took a tentative step forward. Looking distrustful...but, Faith noted, more of the Watcher than her. She smirked. Interesting twist...
“Call me Jenny, if it’s easier,” she said at last, extending a hand. Faith took it, catching a few voices from down a hall.
“Cool. Got company, Jen?”
Faith nodded towards the hallway, and before Jenny could answer, two younger men emerged and made their way into the main room. One thick and stocky, the other short and cute.
“That her?” the big one asked, pointing towards Faith. She forced a smile.
“That’s her,” she answered, folding her arms, “...and what’re you two? Didn’t know I’d have this big an entourage waiting.”
The big one gave the little one a friendly swat. “I’m Oz,” the shorter one said, “...this is Larry. Resident Whitehats...you’re Faith, right?”
Faith nodded. “So...’whitehats’. You’ve got a little anti-Vamp gang going here Giles?”
“We do what we can, yes, “ he said, lowering his head and polishing his glasses, and drawing a chuckle from Jenny, “...which has been distressingly little of late. Ever since...”
“Adam,” Faith finished, “...been waiting for the skinny on him. He’s the guy who snuffed the last Slayer?”
“I’d say ‘guy’ is way too harmless a word to describe Adam,” Oz grumbled, a long scar down his face making him grimace as he spoke, “...Frankenstein is a little closer.”
“Adam is a hybrid,” Jenny clarified, “...a man-made cross between human and demon, with a little machine thrown in for good measure.”
Faith was momentarily speechless. “...this town really is more fun than it looks, isn’t it?”
“Your tax dollars hard at work,” Oz said in a flat tone, “...looks like the government’s been trying their hand at the demon-fighting game. Kinda predictable results, really.”
“Some kinda underground op, we think they call it ‘The Initiative’,” Larry concurred, “...got some commandos lurking around town, popping vamps all over. Wouldn’t mind the help except for, you know...”
“...Frankenstein?”
“Adam seems to be an experiment gone quite terribly wrong,” Giles explained, “...He’s frightfully strong, and intelligent. He killed Kendra in our first encounter with him...the others barely survived.”
Faith regarded Larry and Oz with new eyes. “Rough,” she offered, “...guess that’s how you got the wicked scar, huh?”
Oz ran a finger along the gash, grinning mildly. “Frankenstein met Wolfman,” he shrugged, “...lucky me it was a full moon that night. I hear I gave as good as I got...”
Faith almost laughed. “Back me up here, little man...are you saying..”
“Oz is a werewolf,” Giles told her, “...it’s a long story...”
“My cousin’s a werewolf. He bit me.”
“...It’s not a RELEVANT story,” Giles offered, irritated, “...and Adam is still out there. We don’t know his plans, but we DO know the Initiative has been experimenting. On demons, and other creatures.”
“They have a way of...altering their behaviour, somehow,” Jenny told her, “...some type of cerebral implant. Like one of those electric dog collars, but...inside.”
“Sounds kinda cool,” Faith admitted, “..NOT so crazy about Slayer-killing monsterbots lurkin’ about, though. Where do we start?”
Giles paused, looking uncomfortable. “We...have a lead,” he started, “...it’s how we know about the implant...but work has been slow going. Our captive is not exactly co-operative just now.”
“The precise wording would be ‘crazy as a loon’, actually.” Jenny slumped back into an antique chair. Faith stepped forward.
“Captive?”
Giles looked past the Slayer. “Larry, Oz...would you bring our...guest?”
The boys nodded, turning and moving fast back down the hall. They vanished from sight, leaving Faith with entirely too many questions...number one, what had she just been sent into?
Actually, that was her second question, too.
Seconds later they reemerged, with a third person in tow...a woman, shackled, wearing a long, flowing gown, dour eyes framed by long dark hair. Faith could feel something off about her immediately. A familiar something.
Instinctually, Faith’s body tensed. “Okay, now...either you guys are a damn sight kinkier than I had you pegged...which would be TOTALLY cool, by the way...or that’s...”
“She’s a Vampire yes,” Giles admitted, stepping closer, “...her name is Drusilla. We...”
Before he could continue, Drusilla snapped to attention, rattling her chains loudly and pulling against Larry and Oz’s restraint. Her dark eyes flashed straight ahead, into Faith’s own. It gave the Slayer a chill.
“Oohhhh...oh, she has DARKness, this one,” Drusilla cooed, reaching out with her dainty, manacled hands, “...I’ve been waiting for her for a thousand years.”
Oz glanced apologetically towards Faith. “She gets like this,” he explained, “...but generally only when she, you know, speaks.”
Drusilla forced herself another step closer. “Terrible bits stuffed behind my eyes,” she drawled, “...it punishes me when I’m wicked. And now the dark Slayer, locked up tight like a puzzle box...but where’s the key? The key hasn’t arrived yet...”
Faith’s patience was wearing thin. “Right...what the HELL is psycho here talking
********
ERROR//ERROR//101/101<
MEMORY RECALL MALFUNCTION
ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT...
“Hnnh!”
Faith grimaced as another shock jolted her spine. She raced forward, slamming her head hard against the wall, again, again. The concrete chipped, and she felt blood flowing down over her nose, into her mouth. At least she still bled.
The pain subsided, and Faith stood there, leaning against the cold wall, just breathing, just listening. The echoes faded, and still she listened.
There was something moving outside this room.
Good. Something moving was something she could hit, something she could Slay. If the junk in her head would just cooperate, just a LITTLE bit longer...she could end this.
She stood away from the wall, blood drying in the gaps between flesh and metal, and shut yer eyes. She was close, now, she could feel it. She was important.
“Drusilla,” Faith whispered, “...what the Hell did you DO?”
TO BE CONTINUED...
PART ONE
PART TWO
Faithbot
-Origin-
Part 3 of 5
It was hard, but Faith finally managed to stand. She was still in the same room, cold, dark..underground, she could feel it. One chair, like a doctor’s chair, and light from underneath a door, about six feet away.
She stared at it, only really seeing with one eye. The other, it...she didn’t understand. She was getting images from it, but they were...different. She held her hand up before that eye, the hand she couldn’t feel, and nearly screamed. Fingers that weren’t her own, metal fingers, all exposed joints and wires, flexed to her will as if they were really hers. A strange red glow illuminated the monstrous appendages with an eerie glow...Faith realized it was coming from herself. From her eye, her left eye.
It had to have been him, she swore, curling her metal hand into a fist. The one she couldn’t recall, like so much else. She needed to know. She prodded the junk again, not giving a damn if it tried to fry her brain right back. Let it.
“Adam,” she shouted, tyring to ignore the awful metal echo in her words, sounding even worse in this tomb she had awoken in, “...tell me about ADAM..!”
101/101=ACCESSING FILES//SUN/SLAY/005
BEGINNING FULL REPLAY NOW...
About damn time, Faith cursed, twitching as the memory sparked to life inside of her head.
********
“Is this her? The Slayer?”
Giles led Faith into the house, after remaining annoyingly silent on the walk up from the car. A mystery Faith did NOT love. As soon as they were inside, the dark-haired woman with the long skirt and tight sweater (and a fair amount of antique-looking bling) tossed the question out like an accusation. Faith bristled.
“That’s me,” she said, firmly enough to hopefully et across the message that she didn’t really care for being talked around, “...you Yanna?”
“Janna,” Giles corrected, stepping awkwardly between both women, “...this is Faith...the Vampire Slayer.”
Janna took a tentative step forward. Looking distrustful...but, Faith noted, more of the Watcher than her. She smirked. Interesting twist...
“Call me Jenny, if it’s easier,” she said at last, extending a hand. Faith took it, catching a few voices from down a hall.
“Cool. Got company, Jen?”
Faith nodded towards the hallway, and before Jenny could answer, two younger men emerged and made their way into the main room. One thick and stocky, the other short and cute.
“That her?” the big one asked, pointing towards Faith. She forced a smile.
“That’s her,” she answered, folding her arms, “...and what’re you two? Didn’t know I’d have this big an entourage waiting.”
The big one gave the little one a friendly swat. “I’m Oz,” the shorter one said, “...this is Larry. Resident Whitehats...you’re Faith, right?”
Faith nodded. “So...’whitehats’. You’ve got a little anti-Vamp gang going here Giles?”
“We do what we can, yes, “ he said, lowering his head and polishing his glasses, and drawing a chuckle from Jenny, “...which has been distressingly little of late. Ever since...”
“Adam,” Faith finished, “...been waiting for the skinny on him. He’s the guy who snuffed the last Slayer?”
“I’d say ‘guy’ is way too harmless a word to describe Adam,” Oz grumbled, a long scar down his face making him grimace as he spoke, “...Frankenstein is a little closer.”
“Adam is a hybrid,” Jenny clarified, “...a man-made cross between human and demon, with a little machine thrown in for good measure.”
Faith was momentarily speechless. “...this town really is more fun than it looks, isn’t it?”
“Your tax dollars hard at work,” Oz said in a flat tone, “...looks like the government’s been trying their hand at the demon-fighting game. Kinda predictable results, really.”
“Some kinda underground op, we think they call it ‘The Initiative’,” Larry concurred, “...got some commandos lurking around town, popping vamps all over. Wouldn’t mind the help except for, you know...”
“...Frankenstein?”
“Adam seems to be an experiment gone quite terribly wrong,” Giles explained, “...He’s frightfully strong, and intelligent. He killed Kendra in our first encounter with him...the others barely survived.”
Faith regarded Larry and Oz with new eyes. “Rough,” she offered, “...guess that’s how you got the wicked scar, huh?”
Oz ran a finger along the gash, grinning mildly. “Frankenstein met Wolfman,” he shrugged, “...lucky me it was a full moon that night. I hear I gave as good as I got...”
Faith almost laughed. “Back me up here, little man...are you saying..”
“Oz is a werewolf,” Giles told her, “...it’s a long story...”
“My cousin’s a werewolf. He bit me.”
“...It’s not a RELEVANT story,” Giles offered, irritated, “...and Adam is still out there. We don’t know his plans, but we DO know the Initiative has been experimenting. On demons, and other creatures.”
“They have a way of...altering their behaviour, somehow,” Jenny told her, “...some type of cerebral implant. Like one of those electric dog collars, but...inside.”
“Sounds kinda cool,” Faith admitted, “..NOT so crazy about Slayer-killing monsterbots lurkin’ about, though. Where do we start?”
Giles paused, looking uncomfortable. “We...have a lead,” he started, “...it’s how we know about the implant...but work has been slow going. Our captive is not exactly co-operative just now.”
“The precise wording would be ‘crazy as a loon’, actually.” Jenny slumped back into an antique chair. Faith stepped forward.
“Captive?”
Giles looked past the Slayer. “Larry, Oz...would you bring our...guest?”
The boys nodded, turning and moving fast back down the hall. They vanished from sight, leaving Faith with entirely too many questions...number one, what had she just been sent into?
Actually, that was her second question, too.
Seconds later they reemerged, with a third person in tow...a woman, shackled, wearing a long, flowing gown, dour eyes framed by long dark hair. Faith could feel something off about her immediately. A familiar something.
Instinctually, Faith’s body tensed. “Okay, now...either you guys are a damn sight kinkier than I had you pegged...which would be TOTALLY cool, by the way...or that’s...”
“She’s a Vampire yes,” Giles admitted, stepping closer, “...her name is Drusilla. We...”
Before he could continue, Drusilla snapped to attention, rattling her chains loudly and pulling against Larry and Oz’s restraint. Her dark eyes flashed straight ahead, into Faith’s own. It gave the Slayer a chill.
“Oohhhh...oh, she has DARKness, this one,” Drusilla cooed, reaching out with her dainty, manacled hands, “...I’ve been waiting for her for a thousand years.”
Oz glanced apologetically towards Faith. “She gets like this,” he explained, “...but generally only when she, you know, speaks.”
Drusilla forced herself another step closer. “Terrible bits stuffed behind my eyes,” she drawled, “...it punishes me when I’m wicked. And now the dark Slayer, locked up tight like a puzzle box...but where’s the key? The key hasn’t arrived yet...”
Faith’s patience was wearing thin. “Right...what the HELL is psycho here talking
********
ERROR//ERROR//101/101<
MEMORY RECALL MALFUNCTION
ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT...
“Hnnh!”
Faith grimaced as another shock jolted her spine. She raced forward, slamming her head hard against the wall, again, again. The concrete chipped, and she felt blood flowing down over her nose, into her mouth. At least she still bled.
The pain subsided, and Faith stood there, leaning against the cold wall, just breathing, just listening. The echoes faded, and still she listened.
There was something moving outside this room.
Good. Something moving was something she could hit, something she could Slay. If the junk in her head would just cooperate, just a LITTLE bit longer...she could end this.
She stood away from the wall, blood drying in the gaps between flesh and metal, and shut yer eyes. She was close, now, she could feel it. She was important.
“Drusilla,” Faith whispered, “...what the Hell did you DO?”
TO BE CONTINUED...