23 - video; B is gone, but the &*^%$ is back.

[hungryanhorny]

[A little after Dean's video, Faith appears on screen. She's behind the bar, same as last time, though there's no alcohol in sight. She has a smile on her face, as she twirls a pewter mug on the tip of her finger.] So B left the building, huh? Bet Dean's pretty happy with the little souvenir I ordered up from the Admiral, too. Should have some nice picks of blondie in there. Something for the whole fan club to fawn over.

But hey - guess that's one less nag I've got to worry about for Christmas Not exactly like she would have enjoyed her gifts anyway, right? Nothing's enough for the Slayer

Which is - wait - my title now, huh? I mean, what with miss perfect gone, and I'm the only Slayer left.  Anyone up for a spar? Sunnydale's strongest, right here.

[She tosses the mug up, and catches it. The pewter cracks in her hand, splinters digging.]

Shit.

Comments

[ Spam ]

[surfaceshine]

[Dean doesn't bother replying over the network anymore; he clicks it off and shoves it into his pocket instead, and it's still there when he strides across the deck, up the stairs, and into the pub.

Dean has shut down a bit in the interim, and even seeing Bruce there doesn't faze him in the slightest; instead of running hot he's gone cold, and his voice and eyes are sharp when he starts towards the Slayer, perfectly intent on following up on his promise and completely unconcerned about who knows it.]

The calendar was a pretty bitch move. But this? This takes the cake, bitch.

[ Spam ]

[hungryanhorny]

What - Baby didn't like his Christmas present? [What's funny is, it was meant at least partially as a nice gesture. By now, though, she's already halfway to mentally retconning it.]

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[surfaceshine]

[Dean doesn't answer; he rounds the bar and yeah, he scoops up a bar stool on his way and chucks it full force at Faith.

He's not really concerned about seriously hurting her. He's fought with a Slayer, he knows what she can take. The hunter is right behind the stool, not slowing down, fist raised.]

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[hungryanhorny]

[She bats the stool aside, ducking down and moving into a charge. She's ready for a headbutt. To take him down, to express some pain. To believe that this can make things better, for just a moment.]

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[theonlyresponse]

[Like lightning he's there in between, with a vice-like grip on Dean's wrist, snapping it.]

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[surfaceshine]

[Dean doesn't bother dodging Faith's charge; he came here for this, he's ready to stand and face it. She hits him hard enough to knock the breath out of him and then they're both falling backwards, but he hangs onto her with one hand and brings the opposite elbow down towards her back as hard as he can, scrambling for balance.

It's when he rears his hand back for another punch that something catches it and then his vision goes white for a second, the familiar sound of cracking bone registering around his shout of pain. It staggers him for just a moment, but he's too angry, too focused, hurting too much already to let it put him down.

He lets go of Faith long enough to reach out blindly until his good hand closes around the neck of a bottle on one of the shelves of the bar, and he swings it as hard as he can behind him at Bruce.]

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[hungryanhorny]

[Faith pulls away, feeling the impact to her back but ignoring it. She's had worse.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she's aware of Bruce's presence, of the reason Dean let go, but her attention is still on the man before her.

She shoves at him, wanting a little distance.]

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[theonlyresponse]

[The bottle smashes into his shoulder, drawing blood. He's not throwing the proper weight behind this because of the space but it's instinct to lash out, so he does: he aims a punch at Dean's jaw.]

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[batmanschmatman]

[If Dick has one thing on his side in this fight, it's that he's fast. Faith's basically a meta, and Bruce is definitely physically stronger than he is, but Dick's faster than Bruce, so he grabs Dean by the back of his shirt, pulls him out of the way of Bruce's punch and pushes his friend behind him.]

I'd ask what the hell is going on, but I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna like anyone's answer.

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[surfaceshine]

[Dean is knocked off balance by Faith shoving into him again, jarring his broken wrist with another shout of pain to accompany it, his vision blurring in an all too familiar fashion; but the bottle in his hand has broken in a most satisfying way, and he's about to slam what's left of it down again, staying close and not even thinking of trying to get away, when something else catches hold of him and hauls him out of the way over the bar.

The enraged hunter makes one uncoordinated, powerful lunge to get back around to where he can get at either Bruce or Faith, noting without immediately acknowledging that Dick has arrived on the scene, but someone is holding him where he is; the words register on a five second delay, and Dean is snarling his answer after he goes ahead and chucks the neck of the bottle back at the other two. He never takes his eyes off them, despite the way he steps back and curls his injured hand protectively against his stomach.]

What's going on is that some two-faced cowards need help learning how and when to shut their fucking claptraps - send a better fucking warden home and suddenly someone's all big and brave and full of sass. It's bullshit.

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[hungryanhorny]

[Faith hangs back. She might not be one for fair fights, but striking a restrained man while her "backup" glowers from behind? Not exactly her style.

She snarls a little, all the same, tilting her head up defiantly and taking half a step forward. No serious threats, just yet, but calling him out all the same, with an angry glare for anyone who sticks their nose in this.]

You wanna run that by me again, hot shot?

'Cause it doesn't seem like the Admiral agrees. What with B suddenly not being here.

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[theonlyresponse]

[His punch misses, but the objective has been achieved: stop Dean attacking Faith. With that done he hangs back, tense, ready to act if something unexpected happened. Bits of glass stick in his shoulder, and they pricked and hurt, but luckily it was nothing serious.

When Faith steps forward, he does too, cutting in front of her so that he's blocking the path to Dean, but enough so that she can see his face, feel the anger radiating from him. His voice may be ice cold, but his eyes are not. She hasn't seen this expression before. Sympathy.] Stop baiting.

[He turns his gaze Dean, expression changing to stony.] I warned you to take it to the gym. But you were stupid enough to come here. [Then, to Faith.] CTS. Now.

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[batmanschmatman]

Dean, shut up. [His voice is quiet and level rather than angry. Dick doesn't move or really respond to Faith or Bruce's physical presence and perceived threats, instead just focusing his energy on keeping Dean back. He's not interested in getting into a fight with either of them, considering everyone involved is apparently proving people don't mature past middle school.

There is, however, a serious flaw in what's being said here, and he'd prefer that get sorted out before this goes any further at all.]

The Admiral doesn't send people home. That's perfectly common knowledge. Get your facts straight before you start digging yourself into a deeper hole. [And again, his tone is level and not argumentative. He's stating a fact that apparently she needs to hear since he's missed the memo up until this point.]

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[surfaceshine]

[Dick's order comes at the same time as Dean's lip curls back in preparation to sneer at Faith about listening to her inmate; if he's aware of the irony of accusing her of needing someone responsible to tell her what to do, well, he's not acknowledging it just now. He bites it back, but only just.

The hunter is no calmer, but the adrenaline has peaked and he's beginning to feel the pain in his arm now, behind and around the pulse of his heart in his ears and the heat of his anger making his skin feel flushed. Fantastic. Just great. Yeah, she'd be real proud right now.

With a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, he deliberately turns his back on the two he'd just been fighting with and moves out of the way against a wall.]

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[hungryanhorny]

[She probably would have gone on. But Dick's words make her tense. Her expression seems to hesitate, before shifting into a deeper scowl. There's something in her eyes, now, something fragile and close to breaking. He should recognize this look - it's like when her inmate left, though now far worse.]

So what? You saying B just left? Just like that? [Her voice sounds like it's breaking.] I know blondie's not fond of goodbyes, but...

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[batmanschmatman]

[Dick does recognize the expression, and he tries to soften his voice a little. He knows she cared about her, and as mad as he is at her, he's really not looking for a fight or to rub salt in a wound.]

I'm saying the Admiral didn't kick her out, she vanished. It happens all the time. People end up going home without wanting to, and the Admiral's not the one sending them there. You can ask him yourself.

[ Spam ] Go ahead and skip Deano, too, for the duration. He's just going to stand by.

[surfaceshine]

[Dean, having no such concerns and caring not even a little just this moment, snorts from where he's moved aside; the reminder that he'd known this was coming, even if she hadn't actually said as much, is enough to renew his irritation but not enough to make him say anything.

Not right now.]

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[hungryanhorny]

So who? [She takes half a step forward - aggressive, with no where to aim it.] 'Cause last I checked, the Admiral was the one flying this thing.

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[batmanschmatman]

[Dick still doesn't react, or budge, or rise to the aggression. He just repeats what he's already said.]

And he says he doesn't know why they disappear. You can ask him yourself.

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[hungryanhorny]

Then somebody else is. [She moves, then - toward the door. She'll go to the CTS if Bruce cares to direct her that way. She could use it.

Mostly, though, she just needs to get out.]