Starring:
Felicia Day as Vi
Indigo as Rona
Vibeke Stene as Katrine
Dania Ramirez as Caridad
Simone Simons as Anna
Shakira Meberak as Isabella
And Anthony Stewart Head as Giles
*
“I don’t like this,” Kennedy
grumbled, looking out at the warm night from the apartment window she currently
shared with Willow Rosenberg and two other slayers. There was some kind of
festival going on outside, either that or the neighbours were just big on
street parties. But in the crowd, Kennedy knew there were vampires. At least a
dozen of them, she could sense them, though she couldn’t pinpoint exact
locations. They’d been baiting her all night, they’d been waging a war against
her and Willow for two months.
“We have to wait it out,”
“But they have the last one,”
Kennedy argued. “They’re using her to get to us.”
“And we need to make sure they
don’t get to us,”
“I just don’t like sitting
around doing nothing,” Kennedy said.
“We’re not
doing nothing, we’re strategizing,”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?”
Maribel asked before Kennedy could.
“Well,”
“They know where we’re
staying,” Kennedy sighed. “We’re not safe here.”
“Maybe we just need a lure of
our own,”
“Then one of us is bait,”
Kennedy said.
“Yeah, me…”
“Uh, no, Willow,” Kennedy
argued. “It has to be one of us. No offence or anything, but they want slayers.
I’ll do it.”
“And we will lie in wait,”
Maribel said. “To attack?”
“We don’t know how many there
are,”
“We need to leave a few alive
too,” Kennedy added. “So we can find out where they’re keeping Veronica.”
“Sounds like a plan,”
*
Vi yawned loudly as she crawled out of bed on Tuesday morning and yelped in pain as she stubbed her toe on something on the floor. The room was pitch black because Katrine had closed all the curtains again, making it impossible for Vi to find her way to the door. Katrine herself was still fast asleep, breathing lightly in the darkness.
“Screw this,” Vi whispered to herself, and found the light switch, turning it on to see where she was. Katrine continued to sleep, despite the brightness of the room. Vi sighed and grabbed her toiletry bag, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Unfortunately, the dorm rooms didn’t have their own bathroom, so ten rooms had to share one bathroom.
Vi entered the bathroom, hoping to be able to have a shower before anyone else in the building was awake, but unluckily, the sound of singing was coming from the shower and hot steam was billowing from behind the glass doors. While she waited for the occupant of the shower to finish, Vi washed her face and brushed her teeth, vaguely wandering who would be sent on the mission that day. Finally, the shower door opened, and Caridad stepped out, wrapped in a towel.
“Hey,” Caridad smiled, and headed for the sink.
“Hey,” Vi replied. “That’s a nice voice you got there.”
“Thanks,” Caridad said. “My momma used to like my singing.”
“Does she know about you being a slayer?”
“No
way,” Caridad grinned. “She’d freak out on me. She knows I’m going to an
academy here in
“At least she knows where you are,” Vi smiled. “My mom…well, my mom died a long time ago. My dad ran off when I was six. I lived with my watcher until last year.”
“Your watcher was killed too?”
“I don’t know,” Vi replied sadly. “I was sent to Sunnydale, and I never heard from him again. Mr. Giles hasn’t been able to find him, so we think he was killed by bringers.”
“They still might find him, you never know,” Caridad said reassuringly.
“Maybe,” Vi shrugged. “He was smart, I’m sure he didn’t stick around to get killed.”
“I never had a watcher,” Caridad said thoughtfully. “Well, not before. I just had some crazy guy grab me and tell me I was in danger.”
“World’s full of crazy people,” Vi grinned. “Anyways, I’d better have a shower before this meeting we’re meant to have. See ya.”
“Bye,” Caridad replied and left to go back to her room.
*
An hour later, Vi stood once more in front of Giles’ desk in his office, along with Shannon, Shihao, Rona, Katrine, Anna, Ashlee and Caridad. With them stood Reggie, Scott, and for some reason, Andrew. Giles and Michelle were once again stood behind his desk, looking at the assembled group of slayers, watchers and…Andrew.
“Right, I imagine you all know what happened last night,” Giles said to the room. “While I can’t allow Anton to go along with you this morning, because of his injuries, Andrew is going to accompany you because of his knowledge of magick and demons. I don’t have to tell you all how vital this objective is. And I don’t have to tell you to take the utmost care when entering that warehouse. The group last night were surprised, we don’t know what surprises you may be facing this time round.”
“Slay as many of the hellhounds as you can,” Michelle continued. “But our main priority is to find out who set them upon the council, and why.”
“Any questions?” Giles asked. No one asked any. “Okay, then good luck.”
*
“This is so exciting,” Andrew rambled from the back of Reggie’s van. “My first mission as an official watcher in training.”
“It’ll be your last if you don’t shut up,” Rona said under her breath.
“Ooo, I wander who the bad guy is,” Andrew continued excitedly. “I mean, they must be pretty Darth-like to summon that many hellhounds and get them to attack slayers, right in the middle of the council academy cafeteria.”
“Are you gonna say anything useful?” Reggie asked from the behind the wheel. “Or just spout random, useless words?”
“My
guess is random useless words,”
“Let’s talk about something interesting,” Ashlee said suddenly, eyeing Scott in the corner of the van. “Like a rumour I heard this morning, about a certain watcher and a certain head of mystical arts.”
“Ashlee,” Reggie warned, as the girls in the back started to giggle.
“What?” Ashlee asked with a smirk. “Phoebe said she saw you guys kissing in the corridor.”
“And so what if we were?” Scott replied with a mischievous grin.
“Ashlee, leave the poor man alone,” Reggie said, while trying to suppress her own giggle.
“Are we there yet?” Ashlee asked grumpily. “I have loads to do today.”
“Yeah, like smothering your hair in some more peroxide,” Rona said.
“At least my hair doesn’t look like a bunch of dead rat tails,” Ashlee countered.
“Oh no she didn’t,” Rona almost growled, balling her hands into fists.
“Girls, that’s enough,” Scott told them. “Save the aggression for the hellhounds.”
Rona and Ashlee backed down into their seats, but continued to glare daggers at each other from either side of the van. Before long, they reached the warehouse where they had found the hellhounds the night before, and they climbed out of the van with their weapons ready. Just like the night before, Vi ventured down into the warehouse first, while the others followed at a short distance. Once again, the doors at the end of the warehouse sprung open and a gang of the beasts rushed towards them.
Vi
counted as the others hurried forward to attack – there were fifteen hellhounds
in the room. Trusting that the others would be able to fight them off, Vi
sprinted to the end of the warehouse, jumping over hellhounds, and delivering
sharp fists to any who tried to stop her getting past them. Once she reached
the doors at the end of the room, she looked back to check that the others were
okay. She saw Rona snapping the next of a particularly ferocious hellhound, and
Caridad spinning and delivering a series of powerful kicks to another.
Deciding that she wasn’t needed, Vi disappeared into the room that the hellhounds had come out of, peering into the shadows with caution. The room was far too dark to see anything other than outlines, and it smelled horridly or rotten fish and meat. She remembered Michelle telling her that hellhounds ate brains, and screwed up her face in disgust. Breathing deeply through her mouth, to avoid the horrendous smell, Vi steadied her sword and continued forward carefully.
After a few moments of searching for a light switch, Vi decided to give up and go back to find the others, but found that the door had closed behind her, leaving her completely oblivious to her surroundings. Suddenly, with horror, she realized that she wasn’t alone, yet she couldn’t tell who or what was in the room with her.
“Vi?” Her heart pumping, Vi rushed towards the sound of Anna’s voice. Something grabbed at her arm, something that felt like a leather glove, but she pulled with her slayer strength, forcing the invisible figure to let go of her. The room was suddenly filled with a little light as the door to the room crashed to the floor, and Anna stuck her head round the door frame. “Vi! Look out!”
Vi didn’t turn, she kept running towards Anna, and she screamed in agony as something hot engulfed her back, throwing her the rest of the way into Anna. The two slayers grunted in pain and fell to the floor in the warehouse. Vi grumbled and tried to sit up, as she saw the others running towards them, but her arms didn’t want to help her. She heard the sounds of fists hitting flesh, and what sounded like small explosions. She also heard Rona shouting, and Ashlee screaming. Reggie was shouting directions, Caridad was uttering swear words. Then Vi’s vision went black, and the slayer collapsed completely.
*
When Vi opened her eyes next, she was lying on a bed in the council medical centre, with Rona stood over her, wearing a worried expression. Vi blinked at the strong lights of the room, and Rona smiled in relief as Vi’s awakening.
“What’s going on?” Vi asked, looking around the room. Caridad was sat on the next bed over, with a bandage wrapped around her right arm.
“You were hit with some kind of spell,” Rona explained. “Knocked you out.”
“Bastard burned my arm too,” Caridad smiled, as if proud of her battle wound. “But we got him.”
“Operatives are questioning him as we speak,” Rona concluded.
“Was anyone else hurt?” Vi asked.
“Minor injuries all round,” Rona shrugged. “Nothing life threatening.”
“I wanna know who it is,” Vi said, getting to her feet. “Where are they holding him?”
“Basement cells,” Rona replied. “We can all go.”
“Lead the way,” Vi smiled. Together, the three slayers headed out of the medical centre, and into the main academy building. Locating the entrance to the holding cells, they found the cell where Giles, Michelle, Anton and Reggie were questioning the captive. The captive was a vaguely humanoid creature, apart from the leathery dark blue skin it possessed. That skin is what touched Vi in the dark room. Its head was completely bald, but was instead covered in tribal marking of some kind. Whatever magicks it commanded seemed to have been kept under control by Anton.
“Can you tell us why you summoned the hellhounds to attack the academy?” Giles asked the creature, who turned its eyes to glare at the slayers as soon as they arrived.
“Slayer scum,” the creature growled. “Must be destroyed. An abomination to have so many at one time. Must be destroyed.”
“Are you working for anyone in particular?” Michelle asked.
“Must be destroyed,” the creature repeated.
“Yeah, we got that part honey,” Anton replied. “That doesn’t answer the question.”
“I will not tell you the names of my masters,” the creature bared his teeth at Anton. “You will feel their power soon enough. You will all at their feet and be crushed underneath them. Pitiful humans, thinking that even an army of slayers can save you from your fate. Must be destroyed.”
“I think we’ve heard enough,” Giles said. Before Giles could say anything else, the creature broke free from its constraints and gave him a solid backhand, throwing him into Anton and breaking his enchantments. Before Michelle or Reggie could react, the creature ran for the open door, pushing the surprised Caridad and Rona out of his way, and running for the stairs to the main building.
“He’s mine,” Vi declared through gritted teeth, and gave chase to the peculiar blue creature. Once up the stairs and in the main academy building, Vi turned a corner and raced into the main hall, the direction the creature had run. There was no sign of it, but Vi knew it was there somewhere. Drawing a stake from her waistband, the only weapon she had on her, the slayer moved cautiously across the hall, searching for any sign of the creature.
Suddenly it was behind her, throwing its weight into her back and pushing her to the floor. Vi glanced backwards, realizing that it had jumped down on her from the ceiling, and she spun her legs round, kicking the creature hard in the solar plexus, knocking it back away from her. With a fighting cry, the slayer leapt back to her feet and brought her fist round to shatter the creature’s nose, sending a spray of blue blood into the air.
Growling in pain and defiance, the creature seized her retreating arm, and twisted the offending limb behind her back, while wrapping its other arm around her throat. Vi struggled in its grasp, trying to break its grip, and found herself falling forwards out of its embrace. Looking backwards, she saw the creature lying dead on the floor with a dagger protruding from its back, and Caridad stood over it with a triumphant smile.
“Opps,” Caridad said. “D’you think they wanted him alive?”
“Thanks,” Vi grinned. “And I don’t know about you, but I prefer him dead.”
*
The
main academy gym was usually full, even after classes had finished, because
slayers would have individual training sessions and tutorials with their
assigned watchers, if they had one. However, the gym was almost empty late
Tuesday night, occupied only by Scott and Isabella, who were training at one
end of the room, and Michelle and Katrine, who were training at the other end.
Scott was assigned to both Isabella and Shannon, but
Scott held up two large punching pads, while spouting the names of moves he expected Isabella to perform, all of which she easily could. Isabella was probably the most trained slayer currently within the academy because her first watcher had trained her from the age of thirteen, and sent her out on regular patrols by the time she was sixteen. She was already an instructor in gymnastics, and it wouldn’t be long before she would be offered an official staff position within the council. Over the past few weeks, she and Scott had become good friends.
“So tell me about these rumours I’ve been hearing,” Isabella said as she delivered a perfect snap kick. “The ones Ashlee keeps going on about. Fact or fiction?”
“Well, some of it is fact,” Scott smiled. “Ashlee, however, tends to exaggerate a lot.”
“So you and Anton are a couple?” She continued, as she blocked an imaginary attack and kneed one of the training pads sharply.
“Not exactly…maybe,” Scott replied. “I’m not sure.”
“But you’ve kissed?”
“Yeah, but we haven’t really talked much since,” Scott shrugged. “We haven’t had much time.”
“You’ll have to find time,” Isabella smiled, as they stopped for a break.
“I know. What about you though? Anyone in mind?”
“No, not really,” Isabella replied, looking over to where Katrine and Michelle were fighting with quarter staffs.
“Liar,” Scott grinned, following her trail of sight. “What’s stopping you?”
“Well, she’s never said anything about being…you know…”
“Gay?” Scott laughed. “Well you don’t talk about it much either.”
“I think we’re too different anyway,” Isabella shrugged. “I guess I just can’t figure her out. And I’m good at figuring people out.”
“Maybe you’re not letting yourself get close enough?” Scott suggested. “Look, we’ve got this Halloween party coming up, right? Perfect opportunity to get to know her, and find out if she might be interested. And for what it’s worth, I think she might.”
“Thanks,” Isabella smiled. “And this party is also a chance for you to sort things out with Anton.”
“Yes, I think it is,” Scott replied happily, packing away the training pads and heading for the door. “Now, get some sleep. See ya tomorrow.”
“Night,” Isabella smiled. “Good night Katrine! ‘Night Michelle!”
“Goodnight!” Katrine called, turning to look at Isabella and smiled brightly. Michelle waved her hand. Isabella and Katrine looked at each other for a short moment, before Isabella smiled and left the gym. Katrine continued to look after her…then Michelle hit her softly in the back with her staff.
“Pay attention,” Michelle said.
“Sorry,” Katrine muttered, and spun her own staff back round.
*
Kennedy kept her calm as she walked through the crowded street outside the apartment, making sure she was clearly seen. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two ‘people’ take particular interest in her, and slowly start following her, but she didn’t let them know that she knew. She just kept walking, as if she were going to the store or simply enjoying the festival. A few people attempted to dance with her, or get her to join the celebrations, but she politely refused them, making her way to an alleyway on the other side of the street.
Once there, she walked a little faster, not to get away from the vampires she knew were following right behind her, but to lead them further away from civilians. It wasn’t long before she turned a corner, and found three figures blocking her path. Two men and a woman, fully vamped out and looking for a fight. Kennedy smirked, and turned her head to see the five who had been following her.
“Slayer,” one of the men in front of her said in a strong Portuguese accent. “How nice to meet you at last.”
“Pleasure’s all mine,” Kennedy replied, drawing the stake from her jacket.
“How delightful,” the vampire laughed. “She prepares to fight us, outnumbered as she is. Put it down slayer.”
“How ‘bout you make me?” Kennedy smirked. The vampire growled and moved
forward to attack, only to find himself flying across
the alleyway and crashing into a pile of trashcans. The other vampires looked
to where the flying one had just been stood, to find
“Hi,” the witch said cheerily, and the vampires attacked.
Finally, when the battle was done, both Aletta and Maribel shoved a vampire each up against the wall of a building, one of which was the vampire who had spoken to Kennedy at the beginning of the fight. All the others were now dust. Kennedy stood beside Maribel, who was easily containing the vampire, and put her face into his.
“Okay, spill it,” Kennedy demanded. “Tell us where the other slayer is, and we’ll make this as painless as possible.”
“You’ll let me go?” The vampire asked with false hope.
“No,” Kennedy replied. “But as I implied, we can make this so incredibly painful, or make it quick and painless. Choose.”
“Why should I tell you if you’re going to kill me anyway?” The vampire growled.
“Step back,”
“Now,”
The
vampire looked at
“Its an old prison,” Maribel replied. “Deserted, abandoned years ago. By humans anyway.”
“Thanks,” Willow said cheerfully to the vampire, and Aletta promptly staked him. “So, off to the big house.”
Guest Starring:
Iyari Limon as Kennedy
Alyson
Hannigan as
Catalina
Jessica Alba as Aletta
Mary Wilcher as
Ziyi Zhang as Shihao
Kaley Cuoco as Ashlee
Angelina Jolie as Reggie
Randy Harrison as Scott
Tarja Turunen as Michelle
Tom Lenk as Andrew
Drew Fuller as Anton