Fic: Mercy 7/?

["nykademis" <antigone845@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: See Part 1
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Faith sat high in the tree watching the slimy black demons scurry 
about in a controlled maelstrom of wet sounds, and clicking noises.

"Eww" taking a small sharp stick Faith took aim and centered it 
around one of the smaller slug looking demons. Hurling it strong and 
quick she speared the demon. 

It's death wail frightened the birds from the tree's and caused all 
it's fellow demons to freeze and desolve into the ground.

"Now ain't that some shit" Faith muttered and slid from the tree. 
Standing only on the rocks and other natural objects she'd noticed 
they avoided coming in contact with, she observed the still form on 
the slug. Upon closer observation she noticed the slime turned into 
black soil as the body decayed at an alarming rate.

"Heh. I prefer the 'poof' vampires make" Faith rolled her eye's when 
she realized she was talking to herself "Well Isabelle might wanna 
know about this"
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Z wandered down the silent corridors humming to herself. She gazed 
absently around her at the many pictures that graces the walls.

Some were woven tapestry's some canvases. Depicting many things. 
Warriors in suits of armor, some bare chested Vikings, the 
occasional native american.

Z ran gentle fingers along the line of the wall, following the foot 
divider as she amused herself.

At the end of a particularly long corridor she froze. Jace sat 
staring at her with an entirely too human look in his feline eyes.

"What are you exactly? I mean I know your a cat. But there's 
something..." Z trailed off as the feline eyed her with interest. 
Tilting his furry head and mewing.

"I must be losing my mind. I'm talking to a fucking cat" Z shook her 
head.

"Don't say fuck. It ain't ladylike" Faith's voice came from behind 
her.

Z jumped slightly but refused to turn "You say it"

"I'm not lady" Faith snorted "Hell I know where 'near' lady 'like' 
at all"

"Then why should I bother?" Z rolled her eyes heavenward and met 
the... amused? expression of the cat.

"Cuz your 'way' to beautiful to become trash like me" Faith's voice 
trailed off as if in thought.

"Your not.." Z turned to face an empty hallway "..trash?" she turned 
back to the cat "Faith was here right? She was just here"

Jace stretched out his entire body. Stretching the strong front paws 
apart exposing the multi-hued claws, and extending his hindlegs 
still he lay on his belly, he yawned showing off gleaming white 
incisors.

"Are you trying to scare me?" Z smirked.

"Meow?"
___________________

Willow awoke warm. A sensation she hadn't felt in more years than 
she'd like to admit.

"Weird dream" she muttered as she sat up slowly, not wanting to wake 
Mercy.

"Was it just a dream?" Mercy, who was already awake, gazed up at the 
vampire trustingly.

"Wasn't it?" Willow pouted "I mean there's some crazy shit on this 
HellMouth, but the unseeable evil of... what did he call it again?"

"He said the "Sightless..." Mercy broke off as a knock came to their 
door.

"Who is it?!" Willow yelled, growling as she left their bed.

"It's me Willow. Erica" the soft feminine voice came tentatively 
from the other side of the door.

"Oh" Willow recalled her game face which had come to the fore at the 
annoying interruption "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes. Well actually I'm not sure" Erica made a whimpering sound 
before both women heard something hit the door.

Mercy trailed nervously behind Willow as the vampire approached the 
door.

A shuddering lump of smoking clothing rested just outside their door.

Willow and Mercy lunged forward trying to drag the other vampire 
inside.

"Get your silly ass in here!" Willow growled when the came up 
against the magickal barrier that kept them from rescuing the 
smaller vamp.

The barrier gave and the three crashed into the room, Mercy and 
Erica bumping heads before collapsing into a tangle of limbs.

Willow lay back and blew on her arm which had come into the direct 
sunlight. It was painful, but she didn't mind. Erica was the vamp 
who had taken her to the Master. Though he was her true Sire, she'd 
always looked upon the smaller Vampire as a parent.

Erica came up on top of Mercy staring down at the girl like she were 
a meal.

"Ooh my dear Willow. Where 'do' you find these tasty morsels?" Erica 
bent her head preparing herself to drink from the pale white neck.

"She's not a meal Erica" Willow pulled the smaller woman off a non-
panicked Mercy.

Mercy sat up and eyed the two Vampires "I'm not food. Actually I 
don't know what I am"

"Your mine" Willow stated turning back to the little brunette she 
held in her arms "Okay Erica? Mercy is mine"

Erica nodded her dark head, pushing out of Willow's grasp "The 
little red one is yours. I understand"

Willow nodded and Mercy smiled.

"Your English?" Mercy reached out to touch the still sizzling skin 
on the childlike vampires face.

"I was" Erica jerked back from the touch "Tell her to stay back or 
I'll bite her" she warned Willow stepping back.

Willow opened her mouth to reprove her friend when Mercy touched her 
arm. Instantly the burning sensation she's been trying to ignore 
ceased.

The vampires watched in amazement as the sizzling tears in her skin 
disappeared, healing in matter of seconds.

"That's all I was gonna do" Mercy shrugged before leaving the two 
vamps alone.

"Spirited" Erica said simply wishing she hadn't back away. The tears 
were starting to itch.

"Yes she is" Willow nodded checking her arm. Mercy hadn't left a 
scar "What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh" Erica rolled her eyes before remembering what she'd come to 
tell her powerful friend "There's a new slayer in town. And I hear 
she's a terror"
_____________________________

Faith walked into the door just ask Z appeared from a darkened 
corridor.

Both jumped when they realized the other's presence.

"Don't do that!" they yelled in unison.

"What's going on?" Isabelle came out of her study with Giles in 
tow "What's all this yelling about?!"

"Faith scared me" Z pouted sending the slayer a look "She snuck up 
behind me, now she's playing dumb"

"I came in the front door kid. I ain't behind no one" Faith slammed 
said door and trudged into the house.

"Don't slam the door" Isabelle sighed "And don't sneak around"

"I just got in here I didn't sneak nowhere" Faith waved her hands in 
effect "I dunno what the kids talking about"

"She's shitting you Mom. She knows exactly what I"m talking about" Z 
argued crossing her arms and staring Faith down.

"Don't say shit it ain't ladylike" Faith said before Isabelle could 
admonish her daughter.

"De' jevu" Z muttered looking down at the cat, who had followed her, 
through her thick lashes "she said that earlier in the corridor 
didn't she Jace?"

The white cat turned his eerily human eyes to Isabelle and mewed.

"The cat's your witness?" Isabelle stared at her daughter as if the 
child had lost her mind "Maybe you should lay down"

Faith tried not to chuckle. Giles cleaned his lenses.

"Who's your boytoy Izzy? I didn't know you dated" Faith gave Giles a 
once over.

"He's a fellow watcher. Not a... boy toy" Isabelle didn't bother to 
correct the nickname "This is Rupert Giles. Giles my slayer, Faith"

"Um.. hello... Faith" Giles held out a polite hand with the slayer 
roughly shook "Good grip you have" he whispered shaking the feeling 
back into his palm.

"I try" Faith turned back to her watcher with a sly smirk "There's 
these icky black gooey demon things 'bout a mile into the back 
woods. Got an eery death scream on 'em"

"Icky black gooey demon things" Isabelle said slowly.

"Pulcrits" Giles supplied "They live off the carcasses of most dead 
things. A demon of which Vampires like to avoid"

"That's a good thing right?" Faith shrugged and sniffed "They stink 
too"

"You would too if you ate carrion" Z turned on her heal and headed 
upstairs.

"Where you goin?" Faith called.

"To lay down. My mother thinks I'm crazy" Z called back rolling her 
eyes and glancing back to find the cat following her. Along with 
Faith's eyes.

"Wanna see a movie or something? Get out of this tomb for a while?" 
Faith made a face and inched her eyes at the two watchers "I think 
the tweed patrol are mulling"

"Faith she was just released from Hospital I don't think..."

"I'd love to" Z interrupted her mother "I think the fresh air will 
be good for me"

"It's almost dusk and..."

"She's with a slayer" Faith interrupted Isabelle.

"I don't want to take the risk of..."

"Faith ruining her bad girl image?" Z said smartly "I think she's 
done that with me a few dozen times already.

"Good. So it's settled. Go grab a jacket. I'll have her home by ten" 
Faith turned quickly her hair flaring out behind her "I'll be out 
front Z"

"Cool" Z disappeared upstairs moments later.

"They're good' Giles remarked.

"And getting better. Soon I won't be able to get 'little' bloody 
words in edgewise" Isabelle sighed "Back to my office then?"

"Ah yes" Giles bowed slightly and followed her lead.
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Willow led Mercy out of the crowd of people in Sunnydales downtown 
night traffic.

"So what did you think?" Willow asked the girl softly running a hand 
across her back.

"It was nice. But I 'never' want to be 'that' social again" Mercy 
shook her head vehemently.

"It was just a little meeting of minds you know" Willow chuckled.

"A little? I'd hate to see what you consider a 'bit' of a 'lot' " 
Mercy shook her red-blonde head "That was too many people"

"Don't like much human traffic? Remind me 'never' to take you to the 
Bronze" Willow tossed her hair.

"Now the Bronze I can handle. No one really cares there" Mercy 
smiled at her vampire "Just a bunch of people drinking, dancing and 
planning fuck dates. Not a bunch of people who wanna know about 'me'"

Willow laughed outright. Mercy had a point. All the vampires and 
humans alike wanted to get the know the 'newcomer' in their 
midst. "Okay sweetie. No more Willie's then"

"Thank you" Mercy said dramatically.

"My pleasure" Willow leaned in and pecked Mercy's cheek.

The witch blushed and ducked her head, un-used to such displays of 
affection.

Willow made a note to do so more often.

"Willow!"

Both turned to the sound of her name being called.

"Willow! Your not gonna believe this.."
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"Two vamps and a human girl, one street up" Z stopped dead in her 
tracks as the new sense overwhelmed her.

"What?" Faith shut out the sights and sounds around her, zeroing in 
on the 'slayer' sense that foretold danger or dead things "Your 
right. But how did you..."

"Save girl now. Question Z later" she pushed the slayer forward, 
breaking into a run behind her.

Faith came upon the well lit side street and saw three women 
standing together.

One didn't seem more than 13, or 14 years of age, while the other 
two appeared to be not much older than Faith herself.

To the slayers eyes, one was completely shrouded in darkness, one 
was completely pure white and glowing, and the third an odd wavering 
mix of shadow and light, undulating and growing brighter.

"Slayer..."

Both girls heard this hissed before the smallest one attacked.

"STAY BACK" Faith commanded Z as she rushed forward to meet the 
childlike vampire in battle.

Z moved back and circled around until she was closer to the other 
two women.

"She doesn't have to do this"

Z heard the human girl say.

"This is pointless. I don't know why she's bothering. She can't win"

The tall redheaded shushed the girl "I'm not gonna let her kill 
Erica"

"Well you can't kill her. She's the slayer!" the human girl argued.

"She's gonna kill Erica!" the redhead stomped her foot "I'm 
kinda 'fond' of Erica"

"So make them stop" the human crossed her arms.

"How do you know about the slayer?" Z demanded of the two.

"I know she's about to kill Erica!" Willow rushed over to the two 
wrestling women.

Erica had the upper hand momentarily. She had Faith on her back and 
was futilely attempted to pin her arms.

Willow pulled Erica from the well trained slayer and tossed her into 
the deep darkness of a side alley "Go. This is 'not' the time" she 
ordered the vampire.

Erica gave her an incredulous look but vanished as she'd been told.

"What the fuck?"Faith jumped to her feet "Do 'you' wanna kill me or 
something? Cuz the whole vampire helping the slayer thing, isn't 
some shit I'm gonna fall for"

Willow rolled her eyes and moved to answer when Faith kicked her 
squarely in the stomach causing her to fly backwards and land hard 
on the concrete "Ok, that hurt like a..."

"Willow!" Mercy cried drowning out the vampires last word.

"I'm okay. She just kicks hard" Willow got to her feet shakily. The 
blow making her legs weak.

Faith came at her again. Swing depthly going for her face and 
general weak spots.

Willow blocked most of her blows while landing a few of her own.

Faith leapt at her dragging the vamps arm hoping to dislocate it.

Willow followed through, spinning with the slayer, giving her no 
momentum.

Instead Willow turned the opposite way lifting Faith from her feet 
and tossing her head over heels into a dumpster.

"You fucking bitch! This was a brand fucking new jacket!" Faith 
screamed from her dirty landing in the trash.

"Ugh" Willow turned to Mercy and Z "Bored now. Come on baby I'm 
taking you home" she held a hand out to Mercy who moved to take it 
but Z stopped her.

"Let me go" Mercy commanded the girl.

"I dunno what kinda trance she's got you in. But she's dead. Your 
food. I'm not letting you go" Z statedly flatly "Besides Faith's 
about to stake her.

Willow turned deflecting the jagged piece of wood in the slayer's 
hand.

Faith was taking no chances. Bringing her weaker arm in front of her 
she brandish a second piece of wood.

Mercy screamed helplessly as the slayer slammed it into Willow's non-
beating heart.
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