'What is his game? To torment us until he unleashes his master plan? Whatever the hell it is. If it is, he's doing a good job of it. He's already killed Ms. Calendar, Willow's goldfish, and left Theresa as a message for us. He even tried to kill Buffy while she was not at 100% because of the flu. And, what was the deal at the hospital? He could have easily killed me and everyone there to get to Buffy.'
<Flashback>
Xander: Visiting hours are over. Angelus: Well, I'm pretty much family. Xander: Yeah. Why don't you come back during the day? Oh, gee, no, I guess you can't. Angelus: If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me? Xander: Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either. Or those cops... or the orderlies... But I'm kinda curious to find out. You game? Angelus: Buffy's White Knight. You still love her. It must just eat you up that I got there first. Xander: You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be there.
<End Flashback>
'And why did he leave? I had no protection with me. No crosses, stakes or holy water. Just myself and my willingness to defend Buffy to the death.' He sits down against a tree, very gently rests his head against the tree and sighs. The sound of the earth moving startles him worse than any vampire or demon ever has. For all he knew, he opened a crypt that will let out a demon worse than Angelus. But nothing exits the hole.
Curiosity is getting the better of him, he decided to check it out. This might be important, and Giles might need to know. He walks over to the hole and sees stairs and darkness. He'd go home and get a flashlight, but he was afraid someone might find the hole and investigate before he does. He might not know what he finds, but he knows someone that might.
Taking each step carefully, he descended into the waiting darkness. The sunlight illuminated the pathway 3 to 4 steps where the stairs ended. When he reached the last step, the entrance closed and locked. "OH, SHIT!" The total darkness scared him to no end. Just as Xander was about to soil himself, due to fright, torches were lit magically, they seemed to go on forever. Xander went to the top of the stairs where the entrance was, but the earth wouldn't budge at all.
"Oh, well," he said to no one in particular, "I guess I'll have to see if there's an exit on the other end of this tunnel." As he was walking down the seemingly endless tunnel, he noticed the artwork on the walls. There were grand pictures of battles between people using the elements of nature against giants that were using clubs, axes and hammers. "Wait a minute. These paintings tell the story of when the Roman gods defeated the Titans. And who says you can't learn anything watching Hercules?"
There were more paintings, of battles, great deeds, some that Xander spent too much time looking at, and many of the children of the gods and their deeds. The fact that the paintings weren't faded and that there was very little dust and no insects made Xander wonder who was responsible for the care taking of this place. An hour of walking, with no end in sight was starting to confuse Xander more than he usually was.
"Where is the end? I've been walking for at least an hour. If it weren't for all of the running I've been doing since I've known of vampires, I'd be tired. I just feel hungry and thirsty." Off in the distance, he hears the sound of water falling. "Yes! Water. At least I won't die of thirst." In the wall, Xander sees an elderly man's face, mouth open and water falling out of it into a shimmering pool. Beside the pool, was a wooden cup. There were no markings or symbols on the inside or outside. It was just a cup.
"Man, I really needed this." He takes a big drink, then refilled the cup. "This is the freshest water I've ever had that wasn't bottled. One more drink, then I'll continue. I don't want to defile this place because there's no bathroom. I've been hanging around Giles too much. I'm talking all proper and everything." Half an hour later, he sees doorway with no door.
"Finally! Hopefully there's a way out of here." Xander sprinted to the end. His subconscious noticed he hadn't seen any artwork on the walls about 2 hours ago. There was a wall painting of 2 people, life sized portraits. The one on the left was of a man, 6'4" tall, late fifties; early sixties, gray hair and beard, piercing blue eyes, muscular build wearing a white toga. He had the look of ultimate authority over all he saw. His left hand was resting on the shoulder of a 5'9" tall man. When he looked at the other man's face, he saw... himself.
"What is going on? I saw this in The Omen. I don't want to rule the world. Too much paperwork. Calm down, Xander. To solve this problem requires using my brain. And Willow's not here. The paintings down there were of the Roman gods. So, that would make this Zeus and me a Son of Zeus. If I'm a Son off Zeus, where's my power?" He went into the room looking for answers. What he saw, made him stop in awe and shock.
The room was the size of the library, only there were no other rooms. On the left wall, there were gold and silver coins from the floor to the ceiling. On the right wall, were all manner of weapons, swords, spears, daggers, bow and arrows. On the wall where the doorway was, connected to the weapons, there was armor for 20 people. Fifteen men's full body armor and 5 women's bikini armor. "Man, I'd love to get the girls in that armor." On the other side of the door, were fifteen shelves, each containing ten scrolls. "Giles will be in Watcher heaven translating those."
On the far end of the room, was a gold throne, with purple cushions on the seat and backrest. On the right side of the throne, was a sword still in its scabbard. Xander drew the sword easily, but when swinging it, it was a little heavy. "Guess I'll need to work out to be able to use it." On the left side of the throne, was a round end table. On the center of the table, was a gladiator helmet. On the two sides were arm bracers, and a ring in front of each bracer. Deciding to try the helmet and gear later, he sat down on the throne. Just then, a light shined in the middle of the room, and Zeus appeared.
"Hello, Alexander. Welcome to your new life and your vault. Everything here is yours to do with as you choose. The sword and helmet by your throne are the ones I gave Perseus centuries ago in his successful attempt to woo Andromeda. The arm bracers were made by Hephaestus to help you learn how to fight. You have the knowledge on how to fight; you just need to train. As long as you're wearing them, you can use your sword with ease. One of the rings is a protection against magic. Even healing magic. A reflect ring from Final Fantasy 6, just so you understand. The other ring is the Gem of Amara. The one ring that vampires want, if they know about it. Everything you consider a weakness in vampires isn't, except dismemberment and decapitation. The water you drank will give you a slight increase in your intelligence, but you won't be as smart as Willow or Giles. It will also increase the abilities you received by the two possessions you have had and it will also strengthen your control of the abilities as well. The water will heal any injury you or your friends sustain, up to dismemberment. Any other questions?"
"How do I get out of here?" A section of the wall moved to the side revealing a staircase.
"Up those stairs. They lead to your basement. To return here, just think of opening the entrance and it will be there. Bring your friends over tomorrow. I'd like to meet them. Especially Buffy." With that, Zeus faded away.
After putting on the bracers and rings, Xander headed up the stairs. "I have a lot of work to do before I invite the gang over tomorrow."
After a hearty lunch and bathroom break, Xander bought a full-length leather coat to hide his sword, a couple of black long sleeved sweaters to hide his bracers, some white paint and an artist's brush. When he returned from shopping, he went to his vault to practice his sword work. "Angelus will die by the blade of my ancestors." After stating his pledge of honor, he started hacking, slashing and kicking at invisible enemies. For 30 minutes, the only sounds heard were the swishing of Xander's sword and his breathing. When he completed a kick/slash combo, that would've been impossible for him to pull off yesterday, he heard someone clapping behind him.
Xander spun around, with his sword in the defensive position. The man before him is 5'9" tall, early 30s, short curly black hair, full black beard, sleeveless black shirt, black pants and black boots. "What do you want, Ares?" Xander slowly lowered his sword in disdain. "If you're here to get me to go against what I believe in, get lost. I will not abandon those I call my family to help you in your schemes. Now, if you want to pull a practical joke on someone, I'll help."
"You're more fun then my other siblings, kid. How did you know it was me, anyway?"
"Simple, my dear Watson. No one, other than our father and myself knew of this place. You showed up the same way he did, minus the light show. Add to the fact that you look like the guy that plays you on the show. Who should I think you were? A masculine Aphrodite in need of a shave?"
Ares falls over laughing so hard. "That's what I like about you. You have a sense of humor. Unlike my stick in the mud, straight arrow half brother. I'm going to let you in on a secret. Everyone on that show, who plays a god or demigod, is really a god or demigod. We got bored after a few millennia, so we decided to become actors. I love the times I get to hit him. That goody two shoes routine gets old after 2000 years. Now we do those stories on TV. I'm cursed, I tell you."
"Don't drink? Don't smoke? What do you do? Don't drink? Don't smoke? What do you do?" Then Ares joins in, "Subtle innuendoes follow, must be something inside." After chuckling at each other, Xander speaks up, "Honor is a good thing to have in civilization and diplomacy, but in battle, it's a handicap."
"Why?"
"If there is a line you will not cross while fighting, you're going to die. The things my friends and I have been fighting since Buffy showed up don't fight with any rules. Why should we?"
"Wow, I'm really liking you now, Xander. I, Ares, God of War, will not interfere in your life. I'll assist you at times, definitely joke around with you, but I will never attack you or those you care about directly or indirectly."
"Coming from you, Ares, I'll take that statement at face value. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready."
"What are you planning?"
"I think I'm getting a headache. I might need to take a nap." Xander smiled as he headed up the stairs. "Ha! That's a good one. You mind if I join you?"
"Wait here until I get dressed. I shouldn't be more than 45 minutes."
<Sunnydale High School Library>
Ring!
"Hello? Hi, Xander? Are you OK? What? Oh, OK. You do that. We'll come over tomorrow morning to cheer you up. Good night." 'Good, he'll be out of harms way tonight. I've already lost Ms. Calendar. I can't lose him too.'
"What's wrong with Xander, Buffy?"
"He has a headache, he's going to rest for the night." Looks at Giles. "What are we up to tonight?"
"There's a nest by the railroad tracks."
Xander exited his basement; his stepfather was there. He was drunk, as usual; having just returned from the bar that he was at since Xander went for his walk this morning. "Where have you been all day, you piece of shit?" 'Sorry, Ares. I might be a few minutes late.'
"I've been out, Jack."
"I am your father. You will show me some God damned respect, or I'll beat it into you, you little shit."
"I met my real father this morning, Jack. You're NOT HIM. He has helped me more in one day then you ever have, or will. Try to hurt me, you drunken loser." At that moment, Jack Harris threw a drunken haymaker that Xander saw coming a mile away. Xander ducked it easily, hit him in the stomach three times, and then drove Jack's face into his knee. By now, Jack is face down on the ground, trying to get up. Seeing this, Xander drove his knee into Jack's back, grabbed his arms, and bent them back almost to the breaking point. "Listen to me very carefully, Jack. I'm calling my friends, then taking a shower. By the time I hang up from my call, I want to hear you driving away. If I see you in town ever again, I'll make sure you're a victim of the "gangs on PCP." Jack left so fast; he bumped into the front door three times until he remembered to turn the doorknob.
"Mom, you're going to be OK now. That bastard will never bother us again. He knows what will happen if he does."
"You mean you'll feed him to vampires, don't you?"
Xander looks shocked, "How do you know about vampires, mom?"
"Please, Alexander, I'm not as blind as the rest of this town. Or as naive as Ms. Summers. I have lunch with her a lot. She doesn't know a thing about the nightlife here. I know it all started for you when Buffy showed up. You started staying out later than usual. Your clothes were bloodied and you were bandaged on nights your stepfather was too drunk to hit you. Plus, you mistakenly left a wooden stake in your pants one night with the clothes you put in the laundry. Everything just added up."
"OK, mom. I never could get anything by you. Could I? I'm going to call my friends, get cleaned up, suited up then I'm going out for awhile. Just to be on the safe side, do NOT invite anyone into the house after dark. Even if they say they know me, don't invite them. Buffy's mom got attacked that way last year." Xander hugged his mom, called the library, lied to Buffy and felt bad about it. Xander was just about to go upstairs when the phone rang.
"Xander! It's for you! A Mr. Arthur is on the phone. He says he's your history teacher."
"Thanks, mom. Hello, MISTER Arthur. How may I help you?"
"Hey, Xander. I won't be in your vault when you get ready. I had to do some close up shots for an episode we were filming. After you get ready, when you go outside, go left. I'll meet you at the end of your street. There are things you need to know. And I'd rather tell you in person."
"OK. See you later."
After Xander showers, he goes to his bedroom to get changed. 'Now that I know who my father is, I think it is time I change my wardrobe. Goodbye multi-colored shirts, hello dark colored shirts. Goodbye boxers, hello briefs and speedoes. I just thought of something that will leave Buffy and Willow speechless and Buffy will hopefully think of me as more than her Xander-shaped friend.'
Putting the paint and paintbrush in he duffel bag he appropriated when he stole the rocket launcher, Xander grabs his jacket and heads down to his vault to get his sword and helmet. "OK, time to do an inventory check. Sword attached to belt? Check. Arms bracers and rings on? Check and check. Leather jacket secured? Check. Helmet, paint and paintbrush? Check, check and check. That's everything. I'm out of here."
Xander kissed his mother and left to find Ares. When he got to the end of his street, Ares was waiting for him. "Hey, Ares. What's wrong? You look upset."
"I had to do a close up of me saying a bad guy cliché"
"You mean the Scooby Doo, 'I would've gotten away with it too' line?"
"Something like that. On to business, shall we?" Xander nodded, signaling Ares to continue. "First off, there's a nest of vampires in an abandoned building near the railroad tracks. Now for the important matters. Zeus may be your father and Hercules and I are your brothers, but like Perseus, you're mortal. If you knew you were immortal, would you fight with everything you have to save yourself?" Xander thought about it then shook his head no. "Zeus figured you'd say that, that's why you're just an upgraded mortal. Zeus wanted a mortal child to defend the Hellmouth with a Slayer. There is an upside though. When you die, hopefully in 60-70 years, you and your family will live on Mount Olympus. Everything in your vault is for you to use in your battles. Now, let's see if you can kill some vampires. By the way, what's the paint for?" Xander just grinned at him.
A mile from the nest, Xander decided to try his helmet in the men's room of a gas station. It was good when he entered that there was no one there. He stood in front of a mirror, took his helmet out, and put it on. He disappeared. He could see himself, but he had to look down or put his hands in front of his face. Grinning, Xander picked up his duffel, and not to his suprise, it looked like it floated. He put the bag down then drew his sword. It was invisible. He put his sword back, took his helmet off, laying it on the sink, took his sword out, lying it beside his helmet, and put his helmet back on. His sword floated like his duffel. When he holstered it, his sword was still visible. When he took his helmet off, the jacket hid it. Now Xander knew the helmet's capabilities.
When he got to the building where the vampires were nested, he put his helmet on, hid the bag, and jogged to the building. Xander wanted to do some recon on the number of vampires that were in there, but all of the windows were painted black. The building was just 4 walls and 2 giant doors that were big enough for trucks to be driven into. The doors opened outward, by a two-man team pulling on handles. Xander tried opening the door slightly, when he noticed it wasn't locked. Xander opened one door, just enough to slip in. His heightened Hyena sense told him there were twelve vampires in there. Six of them were directly in front of the door, another three had their arms in the doorway. Xander placed his hands on the doors and pushed as hard and as fast as he could.
The hinges were oiled, so they didn't squeak. The first sound heard were of six vamps screaming in agony as the accursed sun hit their bodies before turning to dust. The next screams came from the three whose arms were on fire, telling their friends to put them out. As the vamps were screaming, Xander drew his sword, and killed the three hiding in the safety of the shadows. One of the three that were left did the Stop, Drop and Roll. Right into the sun. The last two were dispatched without any difficulty.
Xander looked around and on a table on one side, he found the remnants of a poker game. There were money, Rolexes and women's rings. He hurriedly got his bag from outside, took the paint and brush out, put the loot in, and knocked the cards out on the floor. Xander opened the paint, thought about it for a microsecond, then painted a message that only Angelus would understand:
The White Knight Was Here
His calling card left, he could imagine his friend's reaction. He could imagine that when Giles sees his message, "I'll want to consult my books." Willow won't think it's Xander because, "He couldn't do something like this." Buffy would, well she'll be pissed off when she finds out. After all, "He is my Xander-shaped friend." Cordelia... I like her, and she's a great kisser. But it won't last. I need to tell her the truth. I love Buffy. Hopefully, she won't do anything rash. "I'll just drop my stuff off at the house then invisibly wait in the library for them to return and research, 'The White Knight.'" Xander closed the doors so they wouldn't think anything was up.
8:30 PM, One mile from the railroad tracks.
"Giles, can't this heap go any faster? I knew I should've asked Cordy to drive us."
"Buffy. You know this car is a classic."
"A classic piece of junk, you mean. I can run faster than this and not use my slayer speed."
Giles let out an exasperated sigh, as he turned the headlights off. Willow asks, "Why did you do that, Giles?"
"So the vampires won't know we're coming." Just then, the muffler backfired.
"Won't see us coming, huh?"
Meanwhile, back at the building
Angelus entered through the front door majestically, expecting to be worshipped by the occupants as some sort of vampire king. When he noticed t here was no one there, Angelus started looking around. There were 9 dust piles and he was sure if he looked, there would be three more. There were also some pieces of burnt clothing. 'How the hell did Buffy dust all of these guys and not get a scratch?' Then he noticed the writing on the wall, or table in this case.
'That bastard! How did he do it?' Just then, he sensed Buffy, Willow and Giles and decided to have fun with them. They hid behind boxes, but it didn't matter. "You know, I should be upset over this, but I'm not. There were twelve vampires in here, and now they're all dust. And here's the kicker; the Slayer didn't do it. Who knew Buffy's White Knight would've been able to defeat them all, and not get a scratch. And here I thought all he did was tell jokes and fetch doughnuts."
'Xander?' The group all thought at once.
"This will make the game much more fun now that there is another player. Too bad Buffy doesn't know." With that statement, Angelus left.
Buffy was he first to speak, "Xander got twelve vampires? I don't believe it."
"You're right, Buffy. Xander can't do this." Willow stated.
Giles removed his glasses, rubbed his nose, and then said, "You're both wrong."
"What?" They both asked.
"Buffy. Who saved you from permanent death in the Master's Lair? Who came up with the idea for using the rocket launcher against The Judge?"
They both knew the answer was Xander, but Buffy did not like where this was going. "What about Ms. French and Ampata? He needed saving then."
"Actually, Xander saved me from Ampata. And should I bring up the Zeta Kappa Fraternity?"
"OK, you've made your point. But what does Xander have to do with it?"
"Why don't we ask?"
'I never understood why we attack nests at night. Patrolling at night, I understand. That's when the vamps are out, but it would be better if we attacked nests during the day like they did in John Carpenter's Vampires. We also need better weapons. A shotgun blast to the knee should disable a vamp or demon enough to finish it off. Willow should be trained to fight, since she only started learning witchcraft. After I get home, I'll call Cordelia and let her down gently. I'll keep my helmet nearby. I might need it to get away.' There's a pay phone. "Cordy, hi! I was wondering if you were free for dinner tonight? Good, could you pick me up at 8? You can? Great, see you tonight." 'I hope she takes this well.'
'How the hell did he do that? I really am pissed off. He has no powers. Unless you count Halloween, but that was a temporary possession. Wasn't it? But he helped Buffy use a rocket launcher to defeat the Judge. I just don't understand it. And I hate it when I don't understand something.'
"What's wrong, My Angel?
"Xander Harris."
Drusilla moaned as if she was in pain and Spike rolled up to her. "Are you alright, Ducks?"
"The stars told me he's going to kill the three of us."
"That weakling?"
"He wasn't that weak when you ran from him like a defenseless mortal does from us, Angelus."
"Shut up, Rollerboy. I didn't run." He looks away, "I walked away."
Spike crashes his wheelchair into Angelus' to knock him to one knee. Spike grabs Angelus by his collar, "You bloody wanker, he's still alive. You 'walked' away from a defenseless mortal. Why didn't you just kill him and the Slayer and be done with it?"
Angelus breaks free; "I said shut up, Spike."
"I said it before when you killed the Watcher's girlfriend, I find myself preferring the old Buffy-whipped Angelus. This new improved one is not playing with a full sack."
"My boys are fighting. Isn't it lovely, Ms. Edith? What was that, Ms. Edith?"
"What's going on, Drusilla?"
"I know why my Kitten is so powerful." If the male members of the Scourge of Europe ever needed a reason for wanting Xander dead, Dru being in love with him on Valentine's Day was it. "He met his real daddy. And if we kill him, there is no where on Earth we can hide."
"Who's his daddy, Drusilla?"
"I see thunderclouds going off, scaring the humans."
"Thunderclouds scaring humans, huh? God?"
"She means Zeus, you git." In being true to himself, Spike states for the record, "I vote we leave the boy alone. I do not want a thunderbolt between the eyes."
"Spike, are you scared of Xander?"
"Of the boy, no. Of his father? How can I say this so even you can understand. YES!"
"Giles, I refuse to believe that Xander had anything to do eliminating that nest. And what did 'The White Knight Was Here' mean?"
This was all he heard for the last 15 minutes. When they were 5 feet from his car, Giles took his glasses off, put them in his jacket, and with a stare he hadn't used since the Eyghon incident. "That is enough. I will not hear another negative word about Xander until he explains himself. How could his so-called friends think so little of him? He has helped save the world numerous times. So, I think it would be best if you two would drop it until he tells us what is going on." The three never said another word to each other that night.
'How can I tell Cordy I don't love her. How do I tell her I love Buffy and that I just want to remain friends.' Xander had a towel wrapped around himself as he headed to his room to get ready for his date with Cordelia. "Hello there, Sweetie. How are ya?" Xander turned around so fast, his towel fell off. "Impressive. You really are a son of Zeus." Xander looked down, noticed he was naked and 'tried' to cover himself with his hands.
"How did you get into my room, Harmony? And why are you in your 20s?"
"I'm not this Harmony person, whoever she is. I'm Aphrodite."
Xander bowed slightly and said, "My sincerest apologies, Aphrodite. I meant no disrespect comparing you to that... cheerleader."
"Apology accepted, Stud." Aphrodite notices something out of the ordinary, for her anyway. "Why are you not aroused by me, Xander? Mortals are usually begging me by now to join them in their beds."
Xander chose his next words carefully. "While you are definitely a beautiful woman, since you bear a resemblance to a woman I dislike, you will have no problem fending off my advances. Because there won't be any."
"OK. Now let's talk about you, Big Boy." She admired Xander's butt as he put his jeans on. 'I hope he's the loyal type. I'd really hate for Anyanka to show up and mess everything up.' "You do know the Slayer will never love you. That she will probably hate you if you end up succeeding in killing Angelus."
"What am I supposed to do? She has my heart."
"I know you've loved her since you met her, and that's the basis for your hatred towards Angelus. Do you really think she'll love you if he's dead?"
"Why not? I'm the one who saved her life when the Master killed her last year, when I had to force her precious Angel to show me where the Master's Lair was. All he was doing was sitting on his ass on his couch sulking wanting to do something, and wasn't. I found the evidence that cleared her of murder when Ted the Killer Robot fell down her stairs. I saved her life on Halloween when she was a brainless aristocrat running from her shadow. I'm the one who stole and showed her how to use the rocket launcher that killed The Judge. I saved her from Angelus when they fought in the cemetery when she had the flu. Then again a couple of nights later at the hospital when Angelus tried to kill her. I've earned the right for a chance to win her heart."
"Has she ever thanked you for saving her life so many times?"
"Once."
Aphrodite didn't believe him. "Really?"
"OK. So her thank you to me for saving her life at the Master's Lair was an attempt to make Angel jealous."
"And you think that a woman who has never shown her appreciation to you will suddenly love you?"
Xander's starting to figure out that Buffy will never love him the way he loves her. "What am I supposed to do? It's not like I can just make my feelings disappear for her disappear just like that."
"Instead of loving her as a man loves a woman, how about as a brother loves a sister? Isn't that how you love Willow?"
Xander thought about it for a minute, and replied, "OK you may be right. Then who is the one I should love or try to love?"
"Since you already love Willow like a sister, what about Cordelia?"
"All there is between us is arguing and kissing. We are total opposites."
"In magnetism, opposites attract."
A vision of Paula Abdul dancing with an animated cat flashed through Xander's mind. "It will take a lot of work on both our parts or she might think that I'm using her until Buffy sees me as a man. Who knows what will happen if we get really involved and I ruin our relationship. Might want to check Giles' books, just in case." Xander puts a solid blue shirt on over his arm bracers. He put his wallet in his jeans, with the money the vamps 'donated' in it, strapped his sword on, and went downstairs to wait for his date.
He heard Cordelia pull up, he grabbed his jacket, kissed his mom goodnight and went outside. 'I hope I can make this work.'