No Future for You, Part IV

Plot

Faith remembers her time with the Mayor in Sunnydale. He had just given her the pink dress and asked her to call him Richard. She remembers how he thanked her: without her his whole plan might not have been possible… or at least it would have been only half as much fun. The Mayor told Faith that he and his wife were never lucky enough to have a child. But when he looks into Faith’s eyes, he sees a daughter his wife would have been proud of. Faith thanked him, embarrassed. Then he told her to put on her “play clothes”, because the blood of innocents is so hard to get out of cotton… Most people thought he was an evil scumbag, but she did not. Everyone thought he had somehow exploited her, but she never felt that way. It still hurts to remember those days – and to feel anything other than that she was loved.

The present: Roden is standing on the balcony looking down at Faith and Genevieve. He calls to Gigi to kill the treacherous bitch. Genevieve screams at Hope – Faith! – that she let her into her house, into her bathtub! Faith, who has climbed out of the pool, only mocks: oh dear, yes, she gave Gigi a false name, so what? But she did not lie about the really important things. Gigi should put down that medieval thing; then they could talk like… Genevieve smashes the axe handle into Faith’s face and screams at her to be quiet. She is not even English, is she? Then she asks Faith where that disgusting accent comes from and guesses New York. Faith wipes the blood off her face, gets up slowly and says: “Ouch, that hurts.” She lands a kick on Gigi that sends her flying in a high arc across the garden and straight through the pane of a greenhouse. Faith stands in the newly created “entrance” and explains, for the record, that she is a Boston girl – the Tea Party, if that means anything to Gigi. But Gigi does not care in the least which insignificant colony Faith crawled out of; she is on the same level as her servants! Besides, she does not even deserve to be killed by a Slayer… let alone to be one. Genevieve swings the axe at Faith. Faith simply jumps; the weapon is now stuck in a tree and Faith balances on it. Does Genevieve think Faith asked for this? Then Faith kicks Gigi again. Genevieve says Faith is even less worthy of the title Slayer than that so-called, puffed-up Princess of Wales was of hers. She should have listened to Roden, Genevieve says. Faith jumps off, does a somersault and lands next to Gigi. If Genevieve wants to be angry with someone, she should try Roden – he will be the death of her, Faith promises.

Gigi throws herself at Faith again. Roden may push her, but he is also her best friend, she explains – something she doubts Faith has ever had.

Outside the estate: the dwarf wizard Trafalgar is still trying to break through the magical barrier, to no avail. Giles says, “Hell.” Trafalgar explains that it is over – a bloodsucker would sooner get into his home without an invitation than they would get through there. He turns and leaves. Giles says he cannot just give up. Then he should ask his last hundred wives, the dwarf explains. He is sorry, but this needs darker arts than his. Giles’ phone beeps – it is Willow… well, speaking of witches… Giles answers and is glad Willow is calling. He really wanted to keep her out of all this, but he fears he needs her help after all to deactivate a mystical… He should shut up, Buffy snaps at him. Willow, Xander and some Slayers listen with frowns while Buffy wrings the pool water out of her hair. She is furious that Giles is working with *her* and did not even tell her! Giles hesitantly says he will explain later, but right now lives are at stake. Yes, hers for example, says Buffy, because La Femme Nikita has just tried to drown her in a pool! Giles is horrified. Buffy tells him that Faith and her new “friends” teleported her to England and that Willow brought her back. Giles cannot understand that Buffy left Faith behind; Willow is to take care of it. Not until he has told her what is actually going on! No – because Giles does not want to drag her into it. Buffy is shocked and silently hands the phone to Willow, who asks whether everything is okay. Buffy simply says Willow should do what she can. Xander says, a little helplessly, that maybe Giles just needs some time alone. Buffy leaves, asking whether there is anything else (than alone).

Genevieve’s house: Faith and Genevieve are still fighting in the greenhouse. Faith has just landed in a rose bed. Gigi is furious – they are her mom’s stupid rose bushes! Now Roden will have to grow them back before Mommy returns – she has a pair of garden shears in her hand. Well, if Roden is so great, where is he right now, Faith asks. He knows she can take care of herself, trusts her and adores her, says Gigi, and throws the shears at Faith. Maybe, maybe not, Faith replies, catching the shears. But a part of Gigi knows something is wrong – she does not deserve to be “adored” by anyone. Gigi says she deserves everything that was wasted instead on unworthy tarts like Faith. Gigi sees the whole Slayer business as her birthright, and she wants to kill every last one of them – then the nightmares will finally end. If the dreams bother her so much, she should damn well wake up, says Faith – she jumps and kicks Gigi with all her strength. Gigi flies through the air towards the tree in which the axe is still half stuck. No, Faith says, but it is too late: the blade drives into Gigi’s back. Faith runs to her – she is so sorry, she never meant… Genevieve wants to say that it is just like in the song… then she dies. Faith kneels in front of her. Roden appears in the doorway – he cannot believe it and then says he must have backed the wrong horse. Faith, tears in her eyes, looks at him: he is a goddamn wizard, so he should heal her! Instead Roden binds Faith with magic. Why should he bother? His job was to train a Slayer in order to defeat all Slayers in the end; Genevieve was just the wrong choice. Faith, on the other hand, could be exactly the right one. Not even if he were the last guy on earth, she replies. Together they could make Buffy disappear for good, he says. Faith becomes attentive. He saw the look in Faith’s eyes when Buffy was there. She will never be happy as long as Buffy is out there somewhere, says Roden. In the coming “cleansing” he has been promised mercy as long as he helps destroy Buffy – and the book will show them exactly how. He holds out the book with the Twilight symbol to Faith. Faith takes it, says thank you – and slams it into Roden’s face; she was never a big reader. Roden’s eyes turn black. She may keep it; he knows how it ends. Roden uses magic and hurls Faith through the glass panes into the garden. There is nothing worse than a washed-up Slayer – they should die young and fresh, not when they start to fade. A giant hand of earth grips Faith, and she wonders what is happening. The hand squeezes, and Roden says goodbye. Then Faith smiles, which irritates Roden. Behind him stands Giles with the garden shears raised. He drives them into Roden’s back, and at the same moment the fist of earth bursts and Faith is free. Roden spins round. Giles is hit by a discharge of energy. Roden pulls the shears out of his back and walks towards Giles. They will all die, every single one of the bitches – Giles knows that, doesn’t he? Faith calls Giles and throws him Roden’s book. He catches it, opens it and speaks the spell the warlock used to create the magical field around the estate. Roden is amused – surely Giles does not really believe he can use one of his own spells against him. He can break out of any magical barrier. Giles knows that – which is why he projected the field inside Roden. Roden’s skin starts to blister. Giles commands “burst”, and Roden’s head explodes. A hand comes to rest on Giles’ shoulder. Faith says they should go; they are done here.

Giles’ apartment: in the morning Faith comes down the stairs. Giles asks how she feels. Pretty good – it was not her first rodeo. She asks how he is (“Conan the Librarian”, Faith calls him!). Well, it is a side of him he does not like to show his charges – but he has killed before. That does not make it easier, says Faith, looking away. No, it does not, Giles admits. Then he changes the subject. He pulls out a passport and congratulates Faith on her honourable discharge – he has got her a flawless identity and a one-way ticket to… Thanks, Faith interrupts, but she is not ready to get out yet. Giles thought she was done with bloodshed. She is. But out there there may be more Gigis. And if she stops killing and starts playing… social worker for the Slayers instead, maybe she can save a few bad girls. Giles thinks about it. Faith thinks he considers it a bad idea. Quite the opposite, he assures her. He was wondering whether he should help her with it. A war is coming, but perhaps the two of them can win a few battles before either of them has to take part in it. Faith appreciates the offer, but she is done taking orders – even from guys she likes. Giles was thinking more of an equal partnership; after all, they can hardly carry out their peace mission in their previous “working relationship”. He could be the Steed to her Peel. Faith does not get the reference – she just hopes it is not as kinky as it sounds. But anyway, wouldn’t “his” girl take offence? Giles adjusts his glasses. He fears he cannot say, because at the moment they are not speaking. Then they are on their own, Faith says. So it seems, Giles replies.

Somewhere: a helicopter flies towards a kind of mesa. A woman in military uniform, Lieutenant Molter, gets out. She asks for “Twilight” – she humbly requests an audience and all that crap, she says. She holds up her palm, on which the red Twilight symbol can be seen. She bears his symbol, so she wants a damned audience. She should calm down, says a voice. Someone or something is floating in front of her. Once he hears the news he will not feel like floating any more, she says. Their informant has reported that Summers is still alive – the fool failed. Roden and Genevieve were not his subordinates – they were his targets, the being makes clear. Their enemies were to be manipulated into fighting the war for them. The age of magic was to be brought closer by playing Watcher against Slayer and Slayer against Slayer – and in the end even the winners would be knocked off the chessboard. Lt. Molter asks who cares about a few rooks while the queen is still in play. How can he count it as a victory when she can keep fighting into the day? The being watches the sun set and answers that they can leave her the day – night will come soon enough.