No Future for You, Part I

Plot

Well, the very first sentence reveals that this and the following comics will be about Faith.

Faith is currently in Cleveland. All alone – and she remembers that a Dr. Seuss once prophesied exactly that, only there was no mention of Cleveland. Faith is sitting on top of a tower block, smoking, when her phone rings. The display already tells her that it is Robin. Faith is surprised; she says most exes have too much pride to call late at night. Robin tells her it is business, not personal – they have a problem and need her help. They cleared out a vampire nest, but one of the women they found there was a single mother, and Robin and the others do not want to put any of the young Slayers through that. Faith has the address sent to her. Robin asks how she is, but Faith simply switches off the phone. Then she sets off for the vampire victim’s house.

Faith enters the dark house. In the hallway she hears crying and finds a little girl sitting on the floor. Faith says everything is cool and asks the little one where her brothers and sisters are. The girl growls at her, and Faith sees her vampire eyes. She just says “damn” – and then she is surrounded by the five vampire children. On the mantelpiece stands a photo from the family’s happy days, while in the background Faith destroys the children.

Faith comes back to her “apartment” – a glorified flophouse. She angrily rams a stake into the wall again and again (it already has plenty of such holes). “Long night?” someone asks. Faith turns round. Giles is standing in her kitchen with a teacup in his hand, amazed that Faith has so many tea bags – which, by the way, she uses for the bags under her eyes, which Giles comments on by putting the cup down. Faith asks what Giles is doing here; she has not seen him since the end of Sunnydale. As usual Giles does not understand Faith’s colourful language but is glad to see her again. Faith tells him he can skip the friendly act and asks whom she is supposed to kill – after all, she is the one for the dirty jobs, right? Giles polishes his glasses and explains that this is no ordinary mission. Then he mentions that his sources tell him Faith has twice tried to get hold of a forged passport. Faith wants to know whether it is a crime to want to travel a little. In her case, actually yes, says Giles, but that is not the point. The point is that Faith wants to get away from this second-rate Hellmouth and out of her life. If she helps him, he guarantees her a trip to the country of her choice, an annual “stipend” and the freedom to live however she wants. Faith reminds him that she is an escaped murderer – so why would the Council allow that? Giles says that, in this matter, he is the Council: he authorises her “early retirement” and this mission as well. Faith asks what the target is and guesses at a few demons. Giles turns away from the window, looks at her and says: “A Slayer.” He explains that there used to be only one Slayer, but now there are almost 2,000 women with Slayer abilities, and not all of them use them conscientiously. This one is not just the way Faith used to be – that would be redeemable. But all the prophecies (and the great bearded wizard of Northampton too) say that if this lady is not eliminated… “the world ends,” Faith finishes, since Giles once again has that apocalypse look about him. Giles reminds Faith that this is no game: he is asking her to end a human life. Faith got that the first time, she says, and asks who the “evil bitch” is.

England: the Slayer is called Lady Genevieve, and she is out riding. She is thinking of getting a dog, but her companion, Roden, thinks they should get back to their task: her unique position in life demands a special education, and the most important chapter of it is the fox hunt. Genevieve has no desire for that at all, especially since she cannot sleep at night because of constant nightmares. She is about to blackmail Roden into leaving her alone, or she will tell the Duke what her “studies” really look like – when she senses something. She can feel it, she says, and jumps off her horse. “She” is hiding over there. Roden finds that excellent and advises Genevieve to finish it before she gets away. Behind a tree a girl is hiding; she wants to know what is going on here and who the hell Genevieve is. Then she says that she does not know how many others they have kidnapped, but with her they have definitely picked the wrong one. She kicks Genevieve. Annoyed about her now dirty blouse, Genevieve easily lands a blow that throws the girl to the ground and kills her. She is shocked and tells Roden that she thought this girl would be stronger, since she was a Slayer too. She was, says Roden as he dismounts – and that makes it all the more impressive. Gigi, as Roden calls her, considers that they have to get rid of the body, that she must get her dad to bring in the lawyers in case… She need not worry about that, says Roden, and conjures up two demons to deal with the dead girl. Gigi snaps at Roden, whom she calls an Irish witch: she has done everything he said, and now she wants what she is owed! Roden corrects her: first, witches are newt-eating old crones, whereas he is a reasonably attractive warlock. Second, she has to be patient. Under his arm Roden carries a folder with the symbol of the star and the sun (twilight – remember?)…

In a hotel: Giles and Faith are in the empty restaurant. Faith wonders why they are still in America when this Slayer lives in England (she calls Giles “G”). Giles says her training is not yet complete. Faith does not think he can teach her anything more about fighting. Giles says that if it were a run-of-the-mill mission, he could grab a weapon and do it himself. But this Slayer is not only one of the upper crust and super-rich – Lady Genevieve Savidge has also found a way to protect her estate from conventional attacks. The only way to take her out is to get close enough through cunning and deception. So Faith has to infiltrate her world, and that is why Giles will coach her in etiquette, so that she can attend Lady Genevieve’s 19th birthday costume party. Faith thinks she has slept with enough bankers to know how to handle the upper class. Giles assures her that the English aristocracy is about far more than money – she has to become familiar with titles, manner of speech, etiquette and so on. Faith asks Giles whether he is high, since millions of girls would be better suited for this My Fair Lady routine than she is. Better than him, too, says Giles, but he came to her because… and as he says it, Giles touches Faith’s arm.

In a flashback she remembers how one of the vampire children in the house did the same and called her a worthless whore. Faith whirls round, screams that he is not to touch her and stabs the fork she is holding into Giles’ arm. Then Faith realises it is him and is shocked. She asks whether he… He has survived worse, Giles interrupts. Faith apologises, but she does not like being pawed unless she starts it. Duly noted, says Giles. He takes off his jacket and rolls up his shirt sleeve. Faith discovers a tattoo on Giles’ left arm and asks how long he has had it. Rolling his eyes, Giles asks whether she seriously thinks she is the first young person to rebel like that – whether she thinks she is the first to hurt innocents out of her own stupidity. Faith listens with her head bowed. Giles tells her they are not so different. But in his youth he learned to pay the price for it – and whoever manages that can also endure the unpleasant things as an adult, he tells Faith. She asks whether it was a salad fork. Giles does not understand. The fork she went for him with, says Faith – that was a salad fork, wasn’t it? Actually no, Giles explains, that one is smaller and narrower – but they can start working with that.

The castle in Scotland: Xander, in nothing but tracksuit bottoms, tells the punchbag (the terrible power!) to fear him. He is doing his Kurt Russell in “Escape from New York”. Buffy has heard everything. She tells Xander to be careful, or the poor punchbag will fall off its chain in fear. Xander yelps and hides behind the punchbag. He thought he had the training room to himself all night; then he stammers a little and falls silent. Buffy asks what has suddenly got him training. Renee (one of the Slayers from the first comics who seemed interested in him, remember?) wanted him as a sparring partner tomorrow, so he wanted to get into shape. Sparring partner, Buffy asks with raised eyebrows. They are just friends, Xander protests; it is so going to be just a workout. Buffy sits at the window and draws something on the misted pane. Xander asks whether everything is okay. Buffy has drawn the twilight symbol and is looking at it. She is in full worrying mode, she explains, because they still do not know what it has to do with the military declaring war on them. She asks Xander whether he has heard from Giles. He first puts on a T-shirt (from the Sunnydale High swim team!). Xander has not been in contact with Giles for a few weeks. But he is sure Giles is just too busy shelving new books to research in old tomes. Xander babbles some more nonsense and notices it himself. Buffy says it still makes more sense than what she has been dreaming. Trouble in dreamland, Xander asks. Buffy tells him she has the same dream every night: some thing hunts her and always catches her in the end; but before it kills her, it always looks into her eyes and says: “The queen is dead. Long live the queen.”

England: Giles is leafing through a book downstairs; Faith is somewhere upstairs. Giles asks Faith one more question about ranks of nobility before their car comes to pick them up. Faith says she hasn’t got a bloody clue. Splendid, says Giles – her accent is almost acceptable. Good, because she is struggling with everything else he has taught her. Giles says she will manage. Then he asks whether she is happy with her choice. If the aim was to make her feel like a complete idiot, then yes, says Faith. Faith comes down the stairs in an elegant evening gown and asks how it looks. Couldn’t be better, says Giles – and takes off his glasses.