Sunglasses
Faith couldn’t remember the last time she had to wear sunglasses.
Granted, most of that was because of the hours the Slayer kept. Working nights, sleeping during the day a lot – in some ways, Faith had a lot in common with the vampires, outside of the part where she was destined to spend her life killing them.
Under normal circumstances, Faith wouldn’t have waited for daylight before leaving the Nevada desert. She would’ve simply packed a bag, hopped on her bike and gotten the hell out of dodge. But these circumstances were anything but normal.
Mandatory curfews at night curtailed both work and play for the Slayer, as did the increased police presence. Faith heard rumblings of military brigades at the borders of other cities, soldiers charged with inspecting everyone who came in or tried to leave. Paranoia was on the rise, and Faith didn’t really blame anyone, considering nearly a month ago some disgruntled government agent popped up on television giving away all the world’s nasty secrets.
Boy, Faith hoped Markowitz was dead by now. Or at least in a shitload of pain.
The Slayer glanced behind her, took one last look at what Searchlight considered a cemetery. Given the state of the grounds, with the lack of grass and the twigs and stones serving as tombs, Faith was surprised there was a crypt. She was glad, for Spike’s sake, but this cemetery didn’t seem fancy enough for a crypt.
Spike would be okay. For all his faults and the fact that he was prone to occasional moments of Angel-ness, the Slayer was sure he’d get back on his feet before long and be back to his sarcastic, heroic self. The mob attack obviously did a number on him, and it was just another thing Faith chalked up to Project Integration – another in a long list of transgressions committed because of what some believed to be the greater good.
Someone forgot to tell Faith who the greater good was supposed to be for, though. That was the part that pissed off the Slayer the most.
It was odd in a way for Faith to have spent the night with a member of the opposite sex without anything sexual happening. The Slayer honestly couldn’t remember the last time that had happened, if it had even happened at all. She and Spike had been that way, but more a myriad of reasons had grown past it. Now they were more kindred spirits than anything, siblings of a sort – sharing common experiences and the reality that no matter what, they would each forever be second fiddle.
Project Integration was supposed to be their way of making their own mark. Faith had especially looked forward to that; she took pride in the fact the United States had recruited her and not the world-famous Buffy for the project, even if the whole thing did go belly-up.
But the Slayer was on her own again, and even with the temptation to call Corbett one last time for guidance, Faith knew she had to soldier forth on her own. Corbett was likely out of the country by this point, back in his native home of England.
Faith would have to go someday, take the time to give her first Watcher a proper goodbye. It was trip Faith had never had to maturity to take, but thanks in part to her bond with Corbett, the Slayer finally felt as if she could – and should – do it.
A cool breeze sprang from nowhere, but within seconds it was gone again. Faith always heard everyone rationalize the temperatures in the southwest over the summer, calling it a “dry heat.” But as the Slayer wiped at her brow, trying to keep sweat beads out of her eyes, she knew those people were full of it.
110 degrees was 110 degrees, no matter how humid it was.
Faith sighed, revving the engine in her bike before taking one last look around. She wondered how far she could make it before the sun set and she would have to find shelter for the night. Curfews were likely in place throughout the country, and Faith didn’t want to get busted on her way to Cleveland.
The Slayer didn’t know if Cleveland would become a permanent place of residence for her, but it seemed as good a place as any to start her life now that the secret was out. The Hellmouth was probably acting up big-time and from the underground rumblings Faith heard, the Slayer presence by the lake left a lot to be desired.
So without so much as a goodbye for the sleeping vampire – she’d taken care of that the night before – Faith took off, her hair blowing as she turned onto what passed for a road in Searchlight. The interstate was a good hour away; Faith had a long drive ahead of her.
And still she pushed on. Doing her part, fighting the good fight.