NOTE; This story takes place in an alternate Buffyverse, a few years into the future. Faith has remained with the good guys and is Buffy's secret girlfriend. Dawn is now at college and Willow and Tara are still together. Spike is still evil and some of Buffy's past adversaries are not as dead as she thought.
This final chapter in The Corrupter series is dedicated to all Buffy fans. Kindred spirits.
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Spike was still chanting out the binding incantation. Buffy thought that it would never end. It was nearly forty minutes since the Elder demon had first appeared. Now, the albino behemoth just stood there, eyes closed, as Spike's magic worked upon him. With a twist of her head, Buffy looked around the basement in which she was captive. Faith was strapped to the next table, but had now regained consciousness. Behind Buffy, in one corner of the room, Anya was dabbing at a cut on Xander's forehead. He was sitting upright, holding the back of his head where one of Glory's minion's had clubbed him. Nearby, a huge, black werewolf crouched, watching Anya.
That just left the Hell God and her minions. She was slouched in a chair at the back of the room, looking very impatient.
Willow's voice sounded in her head. "Buffy. Faith."
"We're going to release you. Play possum until we have you both free. Buffy, you need to slay Brakkhan quickly, Spike has nearly finished. If he does, you won't be able to hurt the demon. Don't forget about the idol. Faith, if you can handle the werewolf and the minions, Tara and I have a plan for Glory."
Buffy gave a little start when she felt fingers on her wrist, but could see no sign of their owner. A small click signalled that the manacle was released.
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Glory took the glass of wine from Jinx. She was bored with the long ritual and wanted to find out what Brakk'han had done to that damned Watcher. She sipped at the drink and looked at the blonde slayer. Once Spike had finished having his fun with her and Faith, Glory intended to make her suffer. That thought brought a smile to her face. It froze there when she saw the air near Buffy shimmer slightly. Like hot air does in the desert. Instantly, she knew it for what it was. The witches had cast a "Veil of Obscurity" spell. Did they think she was so weak-minded that she wouldn't see through it?
With unearthly speed, Glory moved between the two benches. Grabbing what looked like thin air, she was suddenly holding a witch by the throat. Repeating the move beside Faith, she completed the pair. Willow and Tara became visible as the veil tore asunder. Surprisingly, they didn't try to break free from Glory's grasp. As one, they tossed a gritty powder over her. As it fell, it sparkled with a silver light. Willow clapped her hands together and shouted what sounded to Buffy like, "Desk ay day!"
The Hell God shuddered, then looked smugly at Willow. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Your little teleport spell won't work if I'm ready for it." With a casual backhand, she slapped Tara so hard, that she flew across the room and hit the wall. Then, with one hand, she lifted Willow into the air.
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The moment the witches became visible, the two Slayers sprang from the benches. Faith quickly dealt a spin kick to the nearest minion and vaulted over the bench that had held Buffy, heading towards Anya and Xander. Just in time, she barreled into the werewolf as it leapt at the vengance demon. The slayer and the lycanthrope bounced apart and started to circle one another.
Xander stuck his foot out and tripped a minion that was rushing at Faith. Quickly, he climbed onto the chest of the lacky and started pounding his fist into it's horrid face. Another minion hooked an arm around Xander's throat and tried to prise him off. Anya came to her boyfriend's rescue, launching herself onto the second minion's back and choking him. As the minion spun to try and dislodge her, her legs flew out like a helicopter's blades.
Buffy balled her hand into a fist and slammed it into Spike's belly, causing him to double up. Her knee was coming up as his face descended and the impact made him backflip. Remembering that Ko-lan had said she needed to destroy the idol to weaken Brakkhan's grip on this reality, Buffy snatched the little glass figurine up off the altar. With a quick flick of her wrist, she threw it against the wall and watched it shatter into pieces.
Freed from the binding spell, The Corrupter opened his eyes and shook his head, as if waking from a deep sleep. With a roar that sounded across three dimensions, the Elder Demon attacked the Slayer.
Buffy ducked beneath a claw the size of her chest, feeling the razor sharp talons slice along her back. Ignoring the pain, she struck first one leg, and then the other, of the demon. Landing blows that would shatter the bones of a human, she rolled forward through it's legs and sprang to her feet. With balletic grace, she spun on one foot, her other swinging round like a ball and chain to slam into Brakkhan's spine. The Elder Demon roared and twisted towards her, a long talon striking for her. Stepping forward, into the arc of it's arm, Buffy used her forearm to block the demon's blow at the wrist. Her free hand shot upwards in a hammer blow that struck the creature squarely on the jaw. Six inch fangs clacked painfully into each other. With a hiss, The Corrupter blew his deadly breath over the Slayer.
For just a second, Buffy felt herself swoon under his power. But the idol that anchored him to this plane was gone, and his power was not quite at full strength any more. Still, anyone without the Slayer's abilities would have been lost. Shaking his mental hold loose, and retching at the fetid smell, Buffy looked up into those pale pink eyes.
"Urrrgh! I sure hope you don't kiss your mother with that mouth!"
Again, her fist smashed into his jaw.
Claws flew and punches landed. Buffy moved constantly to avoid his deadly grasp. Blow after blow she landed on him. A slayer's life is all about combat, and Buffy was perfectly in tune with the battle. As she blocked one attack from the demon, she slipped forward to land a counter of her own. Her heightened senses took control and she seemed to move with almost precognitive ease. Even focused on her fight with the demon, she felt the attack coming from behind.
When the minion swung his battle axe towards her back, she stepped sideways and caught him by the throat.
"Hey! Careful, Frodo. You could hurt someone with that. I think I better look after it, you can have it back after recess."
Casually, she plucked the axe from his grasp. With a twist of her hips, she spun the startled minion over her back and launched him at The Corrupter. The Elder Demon snatched the lacky from mid air. One large claw closed around his torso, and one around his groin. Snarling, Brakk'han tore the minion in half, throwing the pieces across the room. Blood and entrails splattered him.
"Oh, now that's just gross! Didn't anyone ever teach you how to play with others?"
She ducked a vicious swipe, and his claws raked her back. Straightening, she twirled the axe.
"Okay, lesson one. Never upset a Slayer with a sharp thing in her hand."
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Glory shook Willow. "Now see what you've gone and done."
Willow was choking, her hands pulling at Glory's grip. With a gasp, the wiccan whispered, "Elemental Flamus, I call thee!" Flame burst between the two women. Surprised, Glory let go of the witch.
"Hey! Watch it! This dress is brand new!"
Holding her throat, Willow staggered backwards, away from the Hell God. "Hecate, heed, Hecate hark. Glinting steel and razor sharp. Binding wind and binding air, cast your wrath upon the fair!"
The moment the spell left her lips, the air around Willow changed. Like a small tornado, it swept towards Glory and surrounded her. The wind bit and cut at her with invisible knives. Slashes appeared all over her clothing, but didn't even graze her skin. Angrily, the woman strode forwards, out of the maelstrom. With a slap, she knocked Willow through the air, to skid across the floor on her back.
"Well, you obviously didn't listen to what I just said about the dress."
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Faith leapt into the air and smashed her foot against the werewolf's temple. The blow flung the lupus against the nearby wall. As she landed, two of Glory's minions grabbed an arm each. Grinning, Faith yanked her arms forwards, enjoying the crunch as their heads collided. She shook her arms free as the two brown robed figures slumped to the floor.
"Gotta try harder than that, boys. OOOFFFFF!"
The impact of the returning werewolf carried them both to the floor. Only her Slayer's instinct saved her, because she managed to grab both it's slashing claws. Bestial muscles flexed, and she felt her arms giving way as it's claws slowly descended towards her face. Warm, rank drool dripped from large jaws, as it's lips drew back in hungry anticipation.
Faith struggled, hardly believing that the beast could be so strong. She kicked her legs, trying to get them against it's chest, but in the fall the beast had landed between them. Even as she held those rending claws at bay, it's terrible jaws sought her throat. That was when she saw a shower of rose petals and wolfsbane hit the beast on the snout.
"Latern of the Night, Caller of the Wild. Unbind the soul in your thrall. Through Gaia's will and pale moonlight, LET THE BEAST BE GONE!"
Again the collection of flowers fell about the lycanthrope. As if scalded, the werewolf shot off Faith and collapsed on it's back, writhing in agony. Howls filled the air as it's flesh rippled. Long, lank fur receeded into it's skin. Muscles altered shape and bones crunched, as it's form shrank and changed. Slowly, all that was left was the naked, sweating body of a twenty year old man. He raised his head, looking angry. "How the Fu...?"
Faith's fist plowed into his jaw, knocking him unconscious.
Amazed, she turned to look at Tara. The witch seemed uncomfortable under the gaze and turned her eyes to the floor.
"Well, blondey. Who'd have thought you had so much power. I'm impressed."
The nervous wiccan shrugged. "It's one of W..W..Willow's spells. S..S..She ma..made it to help Oz."
Nodding, Faith stepped past Tara and hit a minion that was trying to disembowel Xander.
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Cuts criss-crossed the pallid flesh of The Corrupter. Black ichor leaked from them. Buffy danced in and out of his reach as she worked the axe. Twice, his claws raked her belly, but didn't bite deep enough to slow her. Bit, by tiny bit, she hacked him down. With a one-handed cartwheel, Buffy slipped past his arms once again, slicing the axe across the back of his leg. The blade severed the muscles, and the Elder Demon dropped to one knee. A talon darted out and closed around her shoulder. Claws punched into her flesh. With a cry of pain, Buffy swept the axe in front of her, and hacked off the arm at the elbow. A fountain of black fluid splashed into her face.
Brakkhan threw back his head and roared. For the first time in a millenium, he felt pain. As he lowered his gaze, he saw the little blonde human step before him. Like a baseball player, she settled two hands on the shaft of the axe.
"Lesson two. The key to winning in combat, is not to loose your head."