Forgotten Conscience - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

John's POV
"This is the only way we can get help right now to make sure 'Two into one' doesn't come to pass. The boss said he's reserving the troops in case the rest of the prophecy comes to pass."
I hate these caves. Why can't evil villains find a less gloomy place to set up shop?
"I know but... it doesn't sound like he trusts that we can stop 'Two into one'?"
I stop and turn to Dave and grab him by the collar.
"Whether he thinks we will succeed or not changes nothing. You know as well as I do that if the prophecy is to be fulfilled it's not only the boss who'll be destroyed, he'll simply be the first on the chopping block. All demons everywhere will be at risk..."
I let go of Dave and start walking through these damn caves again, he follows close behind.
"Even The First and its non-corporeal ass are at risk..."
"I know but we can't trust this guy any more than we can trust the slayers NOT to slay vampires. He's got his own agenda. You know that."
"Yeah well if all else fails we'll get rid of him so he doesn't get in the way when we finally decide to go ahead and destroy the world."
"True."
"Okay quit it... we can't let him know we're coming, it ruins the whole 'coming out of nowhere' thing."
We start walking into the cavern pocket and he's sitting at the computers, monitoring the initiative from his little hidey hole.
"Adam..."
"I heard you coming a mile away."
I punch Dave in the face and it floors him.
"I told you we should've been quieter."
"Why have you come?"
"We've come to talk about the slayer. We understand she is a problem for you."
"The slayer is not a problem. It is true she has eluded my killing her on several occasions however she is not a problem."
Oh trust me, she IS a problem.
"The slayer is going to find a way to destroy you, it's what she does."
"It is true that the slayer is resourceful but it is only a matter of time before she can't run anymore and I kill her."
They are gonna kill this loser so bad, stupid egomaniac.
"So I suppose you have all the information available on slayers then?"
"I have enough."
"Oh really, so then I guess that information has told you that there are two slayers in this town?"
"Two of them?"
He gets up and turns to face me.
"Yes there are two slayers here."
I start walking in a circle around him.
"That does not compute with my information about slayers. There can only be another slayer when the old slayer dies. There can not be two."
"Then your information is inaccurate because there are two."
"How is this possible?"
"The slayer you know... Buffy Summers, she was in a fight with a very powerful vampire in which she was killed."
"And this caused the creation of a new slayer?"
"Yes but the slayer who was killed did not die. She was revived by some friends of hers."
"Ah, I see, by her civilian counterparts."
"Yes..."
"So this brings up an important question. If you already have all this pertinent information, why are you giving it to me? What do you wish in return?"
"We want the slayers dead. Isn't that enough?"
"No, it is not. Why would you risk your miserable existence to come here and give me this information?"
I stop circling him and look him in the eyes.
"All right... what do you know about prophecies?"
"I tend not to pay attention to such things. They are nothing but literary nonsense."
"So are vampires and demons to most humans but you and I are proof of their existence. Are we literary nonsense?"
He cocks his head to the side slightly.
Gotcha...
"You have my attention."
"There is one that was written of particular interest to me and my associates. It tells of two great forces of good whose power is rooted in darkness, two slayers, becoming as one. It is written that once joined, no force in the universe can stand against them. Not even the forces that created them."
"And you believe that these slayers are the ones in the prophecy?"
"Yes... we do. My boss has charged me and my partner here with stopping this prophecy."
Dave stands up and cleans himself off.
"So you have come to me for help in your little quest?"
"Yes, we have."
He takes a few minutes to think about it but I can tell what his answer is gonna be.
"Very well, at the current time our goals intersect. The death of the slayers is important. We shall work together. What do you wish me to do?"
Perfect...
"Nothing at the moment, simply monitor the initiative in case of any unusual activity. We'll be back when we need you to take a more active role."
I turn around and Dave and I start to walk out of the caves.
"I shall be waiting."
This'll make everything much easier, I know it.
Buffy's POV
"Riley?"
I think I've been all over this place. I'm surprised no one's tried to stop me, there have been some dirty looks but that's cause most of them still blame me for Maggie's... I mean Professor Walsh's death which had nothing to do with me. It was all Adam's fault. Of course that doesn't stop most of them from blaming me anyway.
I see Forrest escorting, what I'm sure they are still calling H.S.T.s, to a holding cell. The demon's being dragged by two lackeys. I run up to Forrest and get in his way.
If anyone knows where Riley would be it'd be him.
"Forrest..."
"What do you want, Summers?"
"Have you seen Riley?"
"I'm surprised you don't know what with you guys being attached at the hip and all... in more ways than one."
Damn it Forrest.
"Look, do you know where he is or not? It's kinda important."
"Take the hostile to its cell... it's important is it? Well then I better just drop everything I'm doing and help you because the problems of the slayer are more important than ours. Or should I say slayers? I'm still not sure how that works."
"It doesn't matter, what matters is where Riley is."
"Geez, calm down, Riley should be back in a few minutes, he's out tracking an H.S.T. He... he just came in."
Forrest points up the stairs and I look up. Riley's coming down the stairs and starts toward me.
"Buffy, are you okay?"
Am I okay?
"How could you do that to us?"
He stops in front of me as Forrest leaves.
"What do you mean? Did what to whom?"
"Me and Faith, you were actually gonna have her thrown in a holding cell?"
"She's dangerous Buffy. To you most of all and you know that."
"She's not just some demon you can lock up and do experiments on. She's a human being."
"Yeah, she's a human with about as much power as you and a desire to kill you."
"She doesn't actually want to kill me. She's only doing this because of whatever those bastards did to her."
"That doesn't change the fact that she's trying to kill you, and besides, you don't even know how you're gonna get rid of what's in her system without one of you ending up dead, maybe both of you."
Riley, don't do this.
"I do. I've been thinking about it and I'm gonna train her."
"Train her?"
"Yes... whoever did this to her is gonna come after us. Especially when they find out their plan to kill me failed and without her memory Faith isn't prepared."
"So you're gonna teach the woman who's trying to kill you all your moves so it doesn't take her as long to kill you?"
"No that's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to help her."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
It's not like I'm doing this because I wanna jump her bones. I'm trying to help her.
"I just don't understand why you're helping her. She's trying to kill you."
This has nothing to do with how I feel about Faith.
"Riley you just don't understand what Faith has been through. She's been through a lot in her life and she's learned not to trust people. But the higher powers have given her a second chance, a chance to learn how to trust people. She has a chance to learn to be a better person and I have to be there to help her."
"Why you, Buffy? I mean why does it have to be you? What about Mr. Giles? I mean isn't that what he does for a living, train slayers?"
"Not officially, he was fired. Besides, I already thought about that and the truth is Giles doesn't completely trust Faith and I'm not sure Faith totally trusts him either..."
"Can't say I blame them..."
Oh my god, I don't believe he just said that.
"How can you say that?"
I resist the urge to kick his ass in front of the entire initiative.
"How can I not?"
"Look, Riley... right now I'm the only one who Faith can really trust and we may not have time to rebuild any trust Giles and Faith might have had for each other. We have no idea how much time we have before they come after us and Faith has to be ready. Now look, I need you Riley. I need your help. I need to take back this general order of yours while Faith recovers."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
He takes a step toward me and I take one backward.
"Buffy, you aren't listening to me. Faith is dangerous, it's part of my job to keep dangerous things from hurting anyone."
She isn't safe here.
"There are more dangerous things out there than her and in case you didn't know she's supposed to be one of the good guys."
"Except she isn't really all that good is she?"
That... that isn't the point...
"If you won't take back that order then she isn't safe here and I'll have to get her out of here while I still can."
I turn around and start walking back to where Faith should be.
"Buffy, wait..."
I ignore him.
He's just like everyone else. They don't understand. They can't see that we have a chance to help her, a chance to save her soul.