"Willow said..." Xander hesitated, his voice catching in his throat.
"Yes?" Buffy asked, looking at him.
Xander took a breath, "Will said she was going to try to give him his soul back."
Buffy stared at him blankly for a moment, then he saw a ray of hope enter her eyes and his heart dropped as all of his combined emotions crashed in on his heart. They were all there, from his petty jealousy to his mind numbing terror that she would hold back so much in the coming fight that Angelus would kill her.
Buffy's eyes were actually watering when she spoke again, the joy in them melting his heart. "Thank you for telling me, Xander."
Xander cursed himself as three kinds of fool as she turned away and entered the mansion. He looked after her for a brief moment, then called himself yet another kind of fool and followed after her.
"Hello, Slayer."
Buffy cringed inwardly at the cold voice that came from the man who had once been her friend, her boyfriend, and her lover. She tried not to let it show, but the centuries old Vampire saw through her as if she were made of crystal.
"Scared?" He taunted, "You should be. When I figure out how to open this thing then everything you know is going to go bye-bye."
Buffy steeled herself as she searched the shadows for the figure she knew was there, the figure she could feel in every pore of her skin. "Show yourself, Angel."
She winced, cursing herself, as she used his ensouled name.
His dry chuckling laughter set her on edge. "You just can't get it through your sick, twisted,littlemind can you Slayer? Angel is dead. You killed him."
She shook her head, denying the words even as her heart screamed at her.
"Fucked him to death even..." The vampire continued speaking from the shadows, a cruel laugh in his voice. "I have to admit that even I never managed that one.... A true coup de gras, Slayer."
She spun around, still searching for him when she suddenly felt his voice vibrate through her left ear as he appeared from the darkness and grabbed her from behind. "AH but what a way to go... You can at least take some comfort in that he died happy."
Buffy didn't struggle, she forced down the instinct to fight with a mantra that was running through her mind. <Willow is going to succeed. Willow is going to succeed. Willow is going to succeed.>
She felt the cool rush of air against her earlobe as he whispered to her, "What? No fight left in you? Maybe you want to meet your precious Angel again so bad that you're willing to go to him?"
Buffy swallowed, hating the feeling of his evil presence so close. Hating the perverted way it felt familiar, the way that Angelus had twisted the feeling of safety she felt from Angel. But still she didn't move. <Keep him talking, give Willow time.>
"Time to visit you're lover, Slayer." Angelus said as he closed his teeth on her neck and drew blood.
Buffy gasped in shock as she felt the blood flow, and instinctively threw him off with her entire strength.
Angelus flew across the room, and crashed into the statue of Acathlea, his shoulder scoring agtainst the embedded blade and drawing blood. He got up, fury written across his, and charged Buffy.
Again she hesitated, not wanting to kill her last chance to be with Angel, and Angelus tackled her to the ground. As she lay stunned she felt her teeth rip into her neck again, and felt the warm flow of blood begin. This time she didn't have the strength to fight it and the stars she saw form the impact grew brighter as the loss of blood began to affect her.
"NOOO!" Xander screamed as he flew across the room, hitting Angelus in a flying tackle that drove the ancient vampire off his prey.
The two tangled across the floor, neither noticing the growing rip in space that was forming beside the ancient statue behind them. Angelus quickly flipped over and landed on top of Xander, his superior strength keeping the boy down as he grinned down, Buffy's blood glistening on his teeth and dripping down his chin.
"Well, well, what have we here? The White Knight. How nice, a little something to clear the pallette before I finish off the Slayer."
Xander struggled against the vampire's grip but it was useless, he simply didn't have the strength to play the game at this level.
"What? No glib comment? No crack about being around to see me die?"
"Urk." Was the best Xander could manage.
Angelus started to grin wider, his teeth standing out like those of a shark, when he suddenly went limp. His face blank, and he fell forward onto Xander.
Xander pushed him off, drawing his spare stake and rolled on top of the vampire with the stake held high.
The vampire looked up at him in confusion. "Xander? What?"
The stake stopped it's descent mere inches from the Vampire's heart. "Deadboy?"
Angel grimaced, "Don't call me th..."
Angel's eyes widened in horror as the memories slammed through his skull. Tormenting Buffy and her friends, the sickening crack when he snapped Jenny's neck, and the sick thrill of torturing Giles. "Oh God. Not again..."
Xander swallowed, still holding the stake just above Angel's heart. But the horror in the vampire's eyes was genuine and he let his grip go limp and rolled off the vampire. Xander half crawled, half stumbled to where Buffy laid, unconscious, and gathered her head up into his lap.
"Buffy?" Angel stumbled to his feet, "Is she...?"
"Not yet." Xander said dully, not having the energy to be angry with the vampire. "Not yet."
"Oh God... I..." Angel stammered.
"It wasn't you." Xander said, not taking his eyes off Buffy's pale face. "It wasn't you."
Angel shook his head, "But I remember it!"
The vampire took another look at Buffy's prone form, but couldn't bring himself to approach her and her protector. he turned away from the scene, his heart ripping as he relived the horrors of the past weeks. As he did, his eyes fell on the statue of Acathlea and he nearly fell to the ground in shock.
"It's opening!"
Xander looked up and cursed. "What did you do!?"
Angel shook his head, "I don't know! I don't know! I... He... Angelus couldn't get it to work! It didn't do anything... then Buffy came in... she threw me into it..."
"Blood..." Xander muttered.
"What!?"
"Giles said that the key is blood. Blood opens it... and blood closes it!"
Angel stared at the portal was that gaping open. "How...?"
Xander shook his head, "I don't know. That's all that Giles said."
Angel stared, "blood... blood... my blood."
The Vampire's eyes cleared and he took a step toward the portal, picking up the Slayer's sword from the ground as he did.
"What are you doing!?"
Angel turned to look back at Xander, "tell her... tell her I love her,and that I'm sorry. I should never have got so close."
Xander stared at the Vampire as Angel drew the blade across his own chest and turned back to the portal.
"Angel!"
Startled by Xander's use of his proper name, the vampire turned back.
Xander took a breath, and spoke though it hurt him to do so. "I'll tell her... but remember, she loves you too. Remember!"
Angel nodded. "I will."
Then the centuries old vampire turned and vanished through the portal. Xander watched, his heart in his throat until the portal began to close, then he turned his attention back to stemming the flow of blood from Buffy's neck.
"Come on, buff..." he whispered. "We've got to get you to the hospital."
Buffy awoke in a hospital room, unaware of where she was. She looked around, his eyesight lowly clearing to reveal Willow in a bed across the room.
Willow grinned at her, relief clearly written across her face. "Hey roomie. How you doing?"
"I hurt." Buffy moaned. "How'd I get here?"
"Xander brought you in."
"Xander!?" Buffy sat up straight, then collapse back down in pain. "How is he?"
"He looked... bothered by something." Willow answered truthfully, "But he's fine physically. He said that everything's over now and the world is going to be ok for another week or so."
Willow smiled weakly, "I think he was joking..."
Buffy shook her head slowly, then it came to her. "Angel!"
Willow looked down, "I don't know. I tried to do the spell... I really did, but I don't know..."
Buffy forced herself out of bed, wrapping herself tightly in the flimsy hospital gown. "I have to find Xander... maybe he'll know."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Willow sat up, worried, "You're not in any..."
Buffy was already out the door.
When she found Xander he was standing in front of a waiting room window, staring out at the night sky.
"Xander?" She ventured softly.
He didn't turn around. "How are you, Buffy?"
"I'm alive." She smiled weakly.
He didn't react the way she expected, just nodded his head slightly. "Good."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm leaving Sunnydale, Buffy."
"What!?" She asked, her eyes widening in shock.
"I can't stay." Xander said, "Not after tonight."
"Why?" Her voice was soft, unbelieving.
Xander was silent for along time. "Because I had a decision to make tonight, and I made the wrong one. And because of that, you almost died... The world almost went to hell, and the only thing that saved it was Deadboy finally proving that he was the better man."
"Angel!?" Buffy stepped forward, spinning Xander around. "What happened to Angel?"
"He's gone, Buffy. I'm sorry." Xander even looked sorry, his face etched with sorrow. "He said that he loves you..."
Stunned, Buffy let her arm drop and numbly stared out the window as Xander pushed past her and walked out of the waiting room. He paused at the door, "I'm leaving tonight, Buffy... Tell Willow and Giles that... I'm sorry."
She turned to stare at him, stricken silent by to much pressing on her at once, but he was already gone. Buffy turned back to the empty window and stared out at the night sky.
"Angel..." She whispered, then turned and ran for the hallway.
"Xander!?" She cast around, but he was gone. She ran out of the hospital, three orderlies chasing after her. "Xander!"
There was no answer save the howling of the night wind.
"How is she?"
Willow looked up at Giles as he limped into the room and shook her head. "I don't know."
They looked over to where Buffy was laying on her hospital bed, strapped down by tough leather that kept her from getting up or moving much. Giles swallowed as he noted Joyce asleep in the chair beside her daughter.
"It took five orderlies to drag her back in..." Willow said quietly, "And all she would say while the drugs took hold was 'they're gone.' She kept repeating it over and over again."
"What did she mean?"
"I don't know." Willow confessed. "Have you found Xander?"
Giles shook his head, "No. The lad hasn't been back to his home... or at least his parents haven't seen him."
Willow was quiet for a while, "Something's gone wrong again hasn't it Giles?"
The older man didn't have an answer for that.
You are now leaving Sunnydale.
Xander didn't look at the sign as he passed it, instead he merely hunched down and jammed his hands in his pockets as he trudged up the road. It was funny, the night certainly wasn't cold, but a deep chill filled him as he walked away from the town he had been born in. Judging from what he knew of the place it seemed a reversal of what it should be, afterall he was leaving the evil behind... wasn't he?
In the end though, he knew. It wasn't leaving the Hellmouth that was giving him the chill. It was leaving the only life he'd known, the only family he'd loved.
Xander shook off the feeling and kept walking.
In the distance he heard a car approach and he turned around and stuck his thumb out. His heart jumped as the car slowed to a stop and the driver popped the door open for him.
"Hop in, Son..." The cheerful man grinned at him, "I'm heading up towards Vegas if you're going that direction."
Xander smiled and nodded, "Yeah... that's along my route. Thanks Mr...?"
"Just call me Ray." The man held out his hand, and Xander shook it.
"Name's Xander."
"Hi, Xander." Ray looked at him, his face turning a little more serious. "Say now... you look pretty young to be hitchhiking..."
Xander shrugged and lied glibly, "Summer break is coming up and I wanted to see some of the country this year before I get locked in school again."
The man nodded, his smile returning. "That sounds like a great idea... but you better be careful. It's a big country, and there are a lot of wierdo's out there."
Xander nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I know all about that... trust me."
Ray just grinned in response and hit the gas, pulling away and heading toward the interstate.
"They're gone."
The three people surrounding her just stared at Buffy blankly.
"Who's gone, honey?" Joyce asked softly.
"Angel and Xander." Buffy answered, "They're gone."
"No... No..." Willow shook her head, "Xander brought you in... he's ok."
Buffy turned to stare at Willow, her eyes filled with pain. "He left."
"What?"
Buffy's throat worked as she tried to swallow, but the drugs had left her with a mouth feeling like cotton. "He left... He said that he couldn't stay and that he... was sorry."
"Sorry? For what!?" Willow eyes lit up, "And what do you mean, 'he left?'"
"I don't know what he meant... and he just said that he couldn't stay in Sunnydale..."
Willow stumbled back a step until she came into contact with her own bed. She collapsed onto it. "Xander's gone?"
The room was quiet. For all of two minutes.
Cordelia Chase came roaring into the room at that point, her face etched with anger and worry. "He's gone!"
Her statement didn't have as much impact as she had hoped.
"Didn't any of you dead beats here me? Xander left town!"
"Cordelia..." Giles began, "Do be quiet... this is a hospital. And we know. Buffy just told us."
Cordy turned her gaze on Buffy, her hand waving a piece of paper. "How did you know!? I only just found his note!"
"Note?" Giles stepped over, "May I see...?"
"No!" Cordy snatched her hand back, "It's private..."
"Cordelia!" Willow snapped, "If it can help us find him give it to Giles..."
Cordelia reddened slightly, "But... it can't... I mean, it's just a... oh damn. Here."
Giles took the proffered note and flipped it open as he began to read.
Cordelia turned back to Buffy, "How did you know!?"
"He told me." She said dully, her eyes just drifting as she looked at nothing.
"He told you!?" Cordy's voice rose again, "Why didn't you stop him!?"
Buffy didn't answer.
"Well!?"
Joyce stepped between her daughter and Cordelia, a stern look on her face. "Cordelia... I know that you're anxious about Xander, but this isn't helping. Buffy already feels bad enough."
Cordelia glared at the older woman for a moment, but finally backed down and looked away.
Giles suddenly reddened and closed the piece of paper with a crackling noise. "Ahem. Cordelia was correct... this won't help us find him... and it is personal... *very* personal."
He handed the paper back to Cordy, who accepted it while blushing again.
Xander glanced down the street, his eyes wincing at the garish neon signs that jumped out from every corner. He had to suppress a self depreciating laugh as he realized that this was his kind of town. No one here seemed to have any concept of coordination when it came to colors, and for once he wasn't the loudest dressed person in the area.
He didn't even glance at the casinos as he walked by, not really certain where he was going or what he was going to do when his cash supply ran out. He was, for the moment, rather wealthy. He had over a thousand dollars in his pocket which, when he thought about it, suddenly terrified him. This wasn't a place to be flashing any cash on the street.
He didn't know what drew him along, but he kept walking until he reached a darker part of town. Here he could actually hear himself think, and his Sunnydale trained ears quickly picked out a scream that wasn't one of excitement.
Xander broke into a run, his earlier wish to remain apart forgotten in the rush of fear and adrenaline that followed the scream. He rounded a corner and came to a stop in a back alley as he saw the source of the scream, a young girl, surrounded by three figures.
<Vampires.> he thought in disgust as he closed on them.
He kicked an empty can on the ground and cursed as the three turned to look at him. The leader grinned, "Well not... whatta we got here? A hero maybe?"
Xander stood his ground, "Leave her alone."
"You gonna make us?" the leader glanced back, "All three of us?"
Xander pulled a stake from his pocket, "I said leave her alone."
"Hey guys... he's got a bitty piece of wood." The leader grinned, "Come on then... play the hero."
Xander stood his ground, refusing to give up any advantage by making a stupid move. The leader seemed to tire of waiting and came at him in a rush.
The leader seemed to be in slow motion to Xander, he avoided the rush easily and landed a hard punch to the man's jaw that sent him reeling into the wall of the alley. Xander took a half step toward where the man was slipping down the wall, but was distracted with number two came at him from behind.
Xander dropped into a half crouch, letting the fist swing an inch over his head, the straightened and buried his fist into the second guy's stomach.
The man dropped to the ground in a rush of exploded air and lay there, gasping.
The third man grabbed him by the shoulder and Xander spun around, the stake slicing through the air as he swung without aiming.
The man screamed in pain and fell back against the wall, blood pouring from his shoulder where the wooden stake was lodged. That was when Xander realized why he was having such an easy time of it.
They weren't vampires.
"Oh shit." Xander looked up and grabbed the girl, "Come on, girl... we've got to move!"
The young girl nodded and followed him, jumping over the fallen bodies of the gang members who had pulled her into the alley and followed her strange rescuer out into the street.
They didn't stop running until they were well clear of the area, then Xander let their pace fall back to a swift walk.
"Are you ok?" he glanced sideways at her, getting his first decent look. She was a slim girl, with mousy brown hair and an innocent look. She seemed to be around thirteen or so, maybe a year or two older or younger.
"Yeah," She said, out of breath, "I guess that'll teach me to go exploring on my own."
Xander shrugged, he wasn't one to judge. "At least stay closer to where there are people next time."
"I know, I know." She said, "But I was getting so bored."
Xander laughed, "Well, how are you now?"
"Shaking like a leaf." She answered honestly.
Xander nodded. "Good. Lesson learned."
"No kidding."
"I'm Xander by the way." He held out his hand.
She took it and shook it with surprising strength, "Katherine Pryde... but you can call me Kitty... all my friends do."
Xander grinned at her, "Alright Kitty-cat, where are you staying?"
Kitty glared at him when he added the 'cat' to her nickname but soon sighed and replied, "The Emperor Hotel... it's a few blocks this way..."
Xander glanced to were she was pointing and nodded, "Ok, come on... I'll walk you home."
Kitty glanced back over her shoulder, "Shouldn't we... ummm... well, I mean you did kinda stab that guy..."
Xander grimaced. "Yeah... but it in the shoulder, he'll live..."
"Oh." She said, still glancing over her shoulder, "I still think we should help..."
Xander nodded, "So do I... but if we go back there now I don't they'd be in much of a mood to thank us for helping..."
She nodded slowly, "Yeah... you have a point there."
"Come on," Xander laid a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her away from the fight, "Let's get you back to your family.
The two young people turned and headed toward a somewhat better part of town.
"Kitty!"
Xander watched as the older woman launched herself across the lobby of the hotel and pulled the young girl into a hug. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"
Kitty somehow managed to gasp out a reply from under the strong embrace, "I'm so sorry! I went for a walk and got into trouble and three guys tried to rob me or something and this guy here saved me from them and his name is Xander and he brought me back here!"
Xander stared at her in shock and wondered if she ever had to come up for air.
The older woman looked up and smiled at him, "Thank you for helping my daughter..."
Xander cracked a half grin, "You mean you understood that babble?"
The older woman grinned even as Kitty glared at him again, "Oh yes, I'm very fluent in Kitty-speak."
Xander rubbed the back of his head, "I grew up calling it Willow-babble actually... but its nice to know that some childhood skills come in handy even now."
Xander and Mrs Pryde enjoyed a light laugh at Kitty's expense before the older woman turned back to her daughter. "We told you not to go exploring alone! You could have been hurt!"
"I'm sorry." Kitty said meekly.
Xander felt sorry for the girl and spoke up, "I think she's learned that lesson, Ma'am... nothing like a scare to drive a point home."
Kitty nodded enthusiastically as her mother considered the words. Finally Mrs Pryde nodded, "Alright. No punishment this time... but if you do it again, the punishment will be twice as bad."
Kitty nodded, "Thank you, Mom."
"Alright dear," Mrs Pryde stood up straight, "We have to go find your father... he's been beside himself with worry..."
"Ok, Mom." Kitty turned back to Xander, "Thank you... for... well... saving me."
Xander smiled, "Anytime, Kitty-Cat. Anytime at all."
Mrs Pryde looked at him, "Xander? Is that your name?"
He nodded.
"Would you like to join us for dinner?" She asked, "My husband would like to thank you, I'm sure..."
Xander hesitated, then Kitty looked up at him with wide eyes, "Pleeeease?"
He folded. "Alright."
"Good." Mrs Pryde smiled, "We'll be eating in the hotel restaurant in about an hour... would you like to meet us...?"
Xander nodded, "I'll be here."
"Good." She smiled again, "We'll see you then."
The hour passed quickly and Xander found himself seated in the very expensive hotel restaurant, self-consciously noticing how shabbily she was dressed compared to everyone else.
"So... Xander is it?" Mr Pryde said as they waited on their order.
Xander nodded.
"What are you doing in town? Or do you live here?"
"I'm just visiting I guess..." Xander said slowly, "I wanted to get out of my hometown for a while... decided to see some of the country this summer."
"On foot?"
Xander nodded, "Mostly... a little hitchhiking, a little luck, and a lot of walking."
"That's so cool!" Kitty stared at him in awe.
Xander shook his head, "No. It's tiring, uncomfortable, and a pain in the a... ah neck."
The two adults smiled at each other, then Kitty's father spoke again, "How has your trip been so far... other then uncomfortable?"
Xander smiled slightly at the small joke, "I just got started really... but it's been... liberating."
"How so?"
He sighed, "It's just nice not to be worrying about others for a while..."
Dr Pryde looked over at his wife, an odd look in his eyes, and when he spoke again his wife recognized his 'couch' voice. "You often worry about others?"
Xander shrugged, "Yeah... life was pretty rough at home... and I couldn't do anyone any good, I just got in the way... so about all I could do was worry I guess."
Another glanced exchanged between the two, but this time Xander caught it and realized that he had been rambling onto dangerous territory. He tensed as Kitty's dad began to ask another question, but was saved by the arrival of the waiter with their food.
The meal passed quickly as Xander shortened his answers as much as possible and tried to stay closer to the cover that he had thought up to explain why he was wandering around the country alone. When the meal was over Xander slid his chair back and stood up.
"Well... I do hate to eat and run, but I have to be going..."
Dr Pryde straightened, "Are you sure, Xander? You're welcome to..."
Xander shook his head and smiled a little, "I'd love to but I really have to go..."
Reluctantly the Doctor nodded and shook the young man's hand, "Thank you again, Xander, for helping Kitty out..."
Xander shook his head again, "no thanks necessary... I'm just glad I was there to help."
"Still... thanks."
"No problem." Xander turned to leave.
"Xander!" Kitty jumped up.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks... and be careful, ok?"
Xander grinned again, "Will do, Kitty-Cat."
She glared at him again, but only received a laugh in response as he walked out of the restaurant.
Kitty sat back down as her parents looked at each other, concern on their faces. "What's wrong with you guys?"
"Kitty..." Her mother said gently, "It's just that we're worried about Xander..."
"Why?"
Her father sighed, "He's a runaway, Kitty..."
Her mother looked sad, "We should call someone..."
Dr Pryde nodded, "I'll look into it... but something tells me that we won't find much. I hope the boy will be ok."
Kitty just looked at the door. "He will be," She predicted. "I know it."
Xander took a right as he left the hotel and headed down the street at a brisk pace, cutting around the first corner and heading straight as he checked over his shoulder. He wasn't really worried that they would follow him, but he knew the type he recognized in Kitty's dad. Well meaning, interfering sots. And he didn't feel like getting packed of for home.
He was moving blindly when he stumbled straight into a man in a black suit, driving both of them to the ground.
"Jeez!" Xander said hurridly, "I'm sorry, man... I wasn't watching..."
He was cut off when two sets of arms closed over his shoulders and yanked him hard off the man. Before he knew what was going on he was laying flat on the ground, his arms pinned roughly behind him and the weight of a man's knee on his back.
"Are you alright Sir?"
"I'm fine..." The man he knocked over said brusquely, "You can let him up... I doubt he was trying to assassinate me."
"Sir, he could be a risk..."
"I said, let him up."
The man nodded reluctantly and Xander felt the weight vanish from his back. He got up, wincing slightly. "Man that hurt..."
"You ok?" the man asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah... thanks for getting the bruiser off me..."
The 'bruiser' stiffened, insulted by Xander's tone, but the man in the suit just smiled. "No problem... watch where you're going, ok kid?"
"Yeah... sure." Xander said, nodding as he got his first look at the man.
The man was dressed impeccably, in a tailored suit and expensive shoes. His hair was a dark brown and he had a pleasant face with a fairly bushy mustache covering his upper lip. He was a little taller then Xander, and slim but gave the impression of being built under the tailored cloths.
"Good." The man smiled, then glanced at his body guards with a sly smirk, "Come on, Jim, if you're done beating up teenagers..."
The big black man just growled, and then held the door of a limo open for the man.
Xander turned and walked away from the car, jamming his hands in his pocket. Behind him he heard the limo start to pull out of the lot and suddenly he was deafened by a blast of heat and wind that threw him to the ground.
The world went black for a few precious instants and Xander fought and struggled back to the surface. When he came back to his senses he could hear yelling and screaming all around him and still feel the heat coming from behind him.
He got to his feet and saw the limo, ripped half apart and burning in a flaming blaze.
"Holy shit." he mumbled as he staggered to the blazing car, holding his hands up in front of his eyes to shield from the heat. "Is anyone alive in there!?"
He didn't hear a response from he car, but it didn't matter. He had to check. So he ran closer to the blaze and grabbed the back door, pulling it open. Inside he could see the three men, all out cold or dead. He couldn't tell which.
Xander grabbed the first one, a bulky white man that hadn't said anything earlier, and drug him from the car. As soon as he had the man a few feet away, Xander went back and grabbed the tall man in the expensive suit. The man was surprisingly heavy for his size and Xander was sweating from more then just the heat of the fire as he drug the man up beside his bodyguard.
The man was groaning and barely conscious but he managed to grab at Xander's arm, "Jim! Is he...!?"
"I don't know, Pal... hang on a sec and I'll see..."
The man dropped back down and Xander rushed back to the car. The big black guy was alive, and even slightly mobile, when Xander got to him but a piece of the car had buckled somehow and his foot was trapped under the seat.
"Get out of here, kid!" He yelled as he tried to pull his leg free.
Xander shook his head, but didn't say anything as he slid to the floor and tried to see under the seat.
"Christ, kid! Get out of here before the tank blows!"
"Shut up and let me work!" Xander yelled from under the guy's legs. "Damn, you really wedged your self in here..."
"Give it up! I'm not getting out of here!"
Xander rolled his eyes and reached under, grabbing the man's foot. "This is gonna hurt..."
The man's eyes widened as he looked down at the boy under his legs, then he clenched his teeth and nodded. "Ok kid."
Xander muttered, "Sorry..." and twisted the man's ankle until it cracked and the big man let out a loud groan of pain. Xander winced in sympathetic pain but pushed the feeling down as he tugged the foot free.
"Ahhh!" The big man groaned, "Shit that hurts!"
Xander got up and grabbed the man by the shoulder and drug him from the vehicle. "Fuck, you are one heavy son of a..."
"Ah shut up and pull already!" The man said through clenched teeth as he tried to help himself along with his good leg and arms.
"Man, you are one huge pain in the ass you know that?" Xander groaned as he finished pulling the guy up beside his two friends.
The man in the expensive suit grinned through the ash that darkened his face, "He's sure got your number, Jim."
"Oh shut up." The big man groaned and laid down.
"What happened?"
Xander looked at the remains of the car, memories flooding into him as he did. Flashes passed across his eyes, and for several long seconds he was gone. When he came back he didn't look away from the car. "The limo took a anti-armor round in the front end... Killed the driver instantly, I doubt you'll find a body... I'm surprised that there was anything left, let alone that you guys survived."
The black man, Jim, struggled up. "Are you sure!?"
Xander nodded. "Yep."
He looked down at the man, "You have to get out of here."
Xander got up into a crouch and looked around, "Too late."
They appeared from the shadow's, practically shimmering into existence from nothing. Xander would have been awed, except that he'd seen (or rather not seen) Angel pull the same trick far too often to be impressed any longer.
They were armed, but Xander didn't see any firearms, only swords. He blinked for a moment as he tried to decide if he was seeing things or not.
"Ninjas!?" He said incredulously.
"Damn!" Jim struggled to his feet as he saw the first of the black garbed figures. "Jesus... Mick! Mick! Wake the fuck up!"
The big white guy, Mick or so Xander assumed, didn't budge as Jim pulled a big pistol from under his arm and aimed it at the approaching figures. Xander didn't think twice, he reached under the white guy's jacket and pulled out a matching pistol and swung it up at the approaching figures.
"What the hell do you think you're doing kid?" Jim growled, "This ain't your fight!"
"Let's just say that I can't seem to stay out of trouble." Xander muttered as he drew a bead on the closest Ninja.
"How do you know that you're picking the right side?"
"Even if I thought that you guys might deserve being ambushed with an antitank weapon in downtown Las Vegas, you'd have just confirmed my choice by asking that." Xander said.
Jim rolled his eyes, and aimed at a ninja in the opposite direction. "I know who you guys are! Now back off or I'll open fire!"
No answer.
Then one of the black garbed warriors reached into his Gi and pulled out something glittered in the garish neon lights. His arm snapped out in a fast motion.
Jim cursed and hit the ground, barely ducking under the thrown blades that flipped over his head. Behind him he heard the kid yell in pain.
"Shit!" Xander cursed as he yanked a razor sharp throwing star from his shoulder. "That hurt!"
Jim propped himself back up, "Next time... duck!"
"Next time!?"
Jim chuckled, "Hey, its good advice... and here's some more..." Jim watched as others reached for throwing stars. "Shoot!"
Xander's finger closed on the trigger even as he heard the odd report of the black man fire behind him.
The weapon bucked lightly in his hand, and Xander was momentarily surprised by the lack of recoil. He saw the shot lance through the air and strike the ninja square in the chest, knocking the black clad figure onto its back.
Internally, Xander screamed. Outwardly he calmly shifted the weapon to the next target and opened fire.
Behind him Jim was firing repeatedly as he carefully kept himself between the attackers on his side and the wounded men. Between shots he risked a glance over his shoulder and was surprised to see that the boy behind him had taken up the opposite position on the other side, protecting the two men with his own body as he fired methodically on the attackers.
Jim shook his head as he briefly wonder who the kid was, but turned back to his own troubles. The approaching figures had cut the distance between them in half in the last few seconds and soon they would be close enough to use those swords they were carrying.
"Who are these freaks!?" Xander screamed over his shoulder as he dropped the proverbial hammer on another one.
Jim shook his head, "Enforcers for the Fujikawa corporation!"
"What!?"
"We're going through a very hostile takeover right now!"
"You have got to be SHITTING me!"
Jim shook his head, "Nope. Those Japanese types take business real serious."
Xander muttered another curse under his breath and kept shooting. In the distance they could hear the noise of sirens break the air. "Cops are coming!"
Jim shook his head, "Let's just hope they get here in time!"
Xander nodded as he swung the gun around, looking for another target. Only there was none to be found. "What the?"
Jim winced as pain shot though his ankle as he turned a bit to look around, "They're gone..."
Xander got up, a shiver running down his spine. "No. I don't think they are."
Xander looked around slowly, every instinct he had screaming at him, and beside him he could see Jim tense in his crouch and start to look around as well as the feeling became contagious.
"Where the fuck are they?"
Xander shook his head, "I don't know..."
The two turned slowly in place, eyes searching through the gathering crowd that thought the fireworks were over. A sudden chill down his spine shook Xander and he looked straight up.
"Above us!" He screamed and threw himself over top of the prone business man as he saw a flash of light in the darkness.
The next thing Xander knew was pain, then everything went black.
Buffy Summers suddenly jerked upright in her bed, a piercing shriek cutting the air of the Summers' residence with alarming suddenness. As she sat there hyperventilating with her nighty clinging to her sweat soaked skin, a light flicked on in the hallway and a concerned voice echoed in.
"Buffy?" Joyce Summers called out n concern as she rushed into the room, "What is it, sweety?"
Buffy swallowed as she took deep breaths, "It's Xander..."
"Honey... what is it? What about Xander?"
"He's dead." Buffy whispered in shock.
Jim spun on his knees, teeth gnashing as pain shot through his broken ankle, and blew away the black clad form that was kneeling over the kid and the boss. As the figure fell away he rolled the kid off the boss and checked him.
"I'm fine." The man said, "Check the kid."
Jim nodded and rolled the kid from his side back to his stomach. Jim winced as he saw the long sword that had sliced through the kids back and into his left lung. "It don't look good, boss-man."
The man on the ground swallowed and forced his way to a sitting position, sweat pouring down his face as he did. Around them police cars and fire units screeched to a halt and men in uniform began to flood the plaza.
"Tony! Lay back down, you can't over exert yourself in your condition!"
The man brushed him aside, "Jim... get on the phone and call my specialists. This kid just saved my life, whoever he is... he gets the works."
Jim nodded, "You got it, man. You got it."
Rupert Giles rushed into the Summers' residence, his clothing rumpled and hurriedly assembled. "Joyce?"
"She's upstairs..." Joyce Summers said softly, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, "She just keeps saying the same thing over and over again..."
Giles nodded and rushed up the stairs, then down the hall to Buffy's room.
When he went in he saw Buffy rocking in her bed, saying, "He's dead... oh God, he's dead..."
"Buffy?" Giles said tentatively.
"Giles?" She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. "Giles? He's dead."
"Who? Who's dead?"
"Xander."
Giles' heart dropped and his stomach knotted at that proclamation. From anyone else he could have brushed the statement off, and pretending that it was just a dream, but Buffy was the Slayer. And her dreams had power. "Are you sure?"
She nodded as she rocked in her bed, "I saw the blade, Giles... it was a long sword, curved... like the wooden ones you keep for practice... like the ones in those movies Xander loves... the Ka... Ka..."
"Katana?"
She nodded.
"It went into his back, Giles... right into his back." Buffy started crying again, "Oh God, Giles... He's dead..."
Giles held her as she rocked and cried, not knowing what to say.
Standing in the doorway, Joyce Summers watched in shock and pain as her daughter cried over something she was powerless to affect. Movement behind her startled the older woman for a moment.
"Mom?" Dawn asked as she rubbed her eyes, "What's going on?"
"It's nothing, Honey... go back to bed." Joyce replied dully as she hustled the young girl away from Buffy's room and back to her own.
Buffy didn't notice either of them, she just kept rocking in her bed as she cried over the pain fill dream.
"Is he going to be alright?"
The Doctor sighed, "Things are very complicated right now... the blade pierced the boy's rib cage just to the left of the spinal cord and slice cleanly through his lung... we've managed to stabilize his condition, but we might have to remove the lung."
"Doc, is he going be alright?"
"Sir... we had to resuscitate him when he arrived... He was flatlined when the paramedics got to him... there could be extensive brain damage..."
"Is. He. Going. To. Be. Alright?" Tony repeated through clenched teeth and the sweat pouring down his face.
"I don't know." The doctor admitted.
"Everything you can do, Doctor. Everything."
The doctor nodded, "Whatever you say, Mr Stark."
Tony Stark turned and walked stiffly away from the doctor, making his way to where Jim Rhodes was waiting for him. He collapsed into the chair that Rhodes had waiting and started shaking.
"Christ, Tony..." Jim cursed, "You know that you can't take it so hard in your condition... you're going to make it worse."
Tony brushed it off, "I'll worry about that later. How's your ankle, Jim?"
Jim shrugged, but Tony could see the pain behind the neutral expression. "Broken pretty bad, Boss-man. Word from the doc's is that it might not heal straight and I'll have a limp... but they say that they can break it again and try to set it straight if that happens."
"How's it going to affect your mobility?" Tony asked.
Rhodes shook his head, "I don't know, Tony... depends if it heals right or not the first time. If I'm lucky it'll be a little stiff for a few months, but I'll be able to work it out."
"If not?" Tony winced at the thought, but had to ask.
"It's a joint, Tony..." Jim said simply, "If it doesn't set properly then I could lose some range of motion in the foot."
Tony shook his head, "Christ, I'm sorry Rhodey..."
Jim Rhodes shook his head again, "Better this then burning up with the limo, man. Kid saved my life too tonight."
"Yeah..." Tony said softly, "But who the hell is he?"
Xander opened his yes slowly, wincing as his eyes protested the unaccustomed intrusion of light. "Muaaarrrghhh."
"Well, that was concise... didn't relay much information though."
Xander blinked and looked around for the source of the voice, and was mildly surprised to see the well rounded figure of a blonde nurse smiling down at him. He decided to try and salvage his first impression. "Gnaaaghhh..."
She tilted her head and grinned at him, "Well... at least you didn't drool that time."
Xander just let his head fall back as he shut his eyes in embarrassment. The nurse must have noted the emotion because he felt her hand gently pat his shoulder, "It's the drugs... Don't worry about it, a couple hours and you'll be as eloquent as ever."
"Thhhhhhaaaaatttt baaahhhhhhd, huuuuh?"
She looked at him in surprise, then laughed sharply with delight. "Oh you are a quick one... I can see I'm going to have warn the other nurses about you."
"Trrrrraaaaitorrr...." He managed to get out as he grinned at her.
She shook her head and laughed again, "I'll be back in a few minutes... just rest and relax... you've just made it through some pretty serious surgery."
He nodded tiredly and relaxed back, closing his eyes again.
When he opened them next he found the man in the expensive suit and the big black guy staring at him.
"What?" he asked, "Hey... I can talk again!"
The two men laughed and nodded.
"You pulled through really well after your injuries, Kid." Jim said, "The Doctors are pretty amazed actually... They figured that you were going to lose a lung."
"What!?" Xander tried to sit up.
The man in the expensive suit rushed forward and pushed him back down, "Relax, you're alright... You came through the surgery with flying colors, you're gonna be fine."
Xander let himself be forced down, "What happened?"
Jim snorted, "You took six inches of cold steel and made me look bad in front of my Boss."
"Huh?"
"Jim." The Boss reproved, then turned back to Xander, "You took a sword strike that was meant for me. I have to say, that doesn't happen everyday..."
"What? Being attacked or being saved? I really hoping you mean the first one... cause I'd hate to think that anyone had a worse life then me."
The man chuckled, "Both actually... though I am attacked on a fairly regular schedule."
Xander smiled weakly, "Must be a bitch for your secretaries to fit between the business meetings huh?"
Jim snorted again and grinned wide. "I'm starting to like you kid."
"Jim." The boss looked back, then sighed with a slight grin. "What's your name? I can't keep calling you kid."
Xander took a breath, and winced when it sent a sharp pain through his chest. "Xander... call me Xander."
The man waited a moment, then nodded as he accepted that he wasn't going to get more then that yet. "Well thank you for saving my life, Xander... I'm Tony Stark."
Xander blinked. "The billionaire?"
Tony nodded.
"Damn." Xander laid his head back, "Its going to be one of those days."
Giles apartment was quiet and dark, despite the brilliant sunshine that tried to come in through the drawn curtains. The living room was filled with the group as they did little more then stare at each other with numb expressions on their faces.
Buffy's announcement of her dream had put them all into shock, even Oz though his version of 'shock' didn't differ much from his version of 'bubbling enthusiasm'. Every time Cordelia looked at one of the others, a tear would form and slide down her cheek as she remembered something about Xander. Despite that, she simply couldn't stay away from the gang because the pain came with memories she wanted desperately to keep.
Willow stared dully at her laptop, where she had hacked into the missing persons database and a couple other police databases she had through would help find her friend. Solemnly she shut down the connection and closed the laptop with all the dignity of a military salute.
Giles stared at the group from behind the kitchen counter, uncertain what to do. He had known from the start that death would come for one of these children, and had vigorously opposed their participation in the slaying. Truth was however, something had always told him that Xander would never go down while Buffy was still breathing. It was a foolish thought, but he had seen the boy risk so much for the Slayer that it seemed wrong somehow that he should die so far from her.
Buffy herself was still largely in shock from the dream, replaying it over and over again in he mind as she tried to find something, anything, in it that might give her hope that she was wrong. Maybe it was just a dream, and not a vision, maybe he was just hurt and needed her help. But time and time again she saw the silver blade slice the darkness and embed itself in his back. Time and Time again she felt his heartbeat slow and stop.
Xander was dead and there was nothing she could do to bring him back.
Buffy broke down again, tears streaming down her face as the other around her followed suit. Even Oz had a sheen over his eyes as he watched the strong young Slayer cry, and the others made no pretenses to hide their thoughts as they let their tears flow. Behind the kitchen counter Giles took off his glasses, having long since been blinded by tears that refused to either fall or go away, and wiped them meditatively.
Xander slid off the bed and walked to the window, looking out at the city-scape below him. He stared at the dizzying site and shook his head. He was so far from home how.
He heard the door to his room open up from behind him, "Kid? You awake?"
"Yeah, Rhodey... come on in."
Jim Rhodes walked in and stared at Xander. "What the hell are you doing out of bed!?"
"I feel fine, Rhode..." Xander said, "I just need to move around."
"Christ, Kid... The Doc say's that you should be laid up for at least two more weeks!"
"I've always been a fast healer, Jim... I'm fine. Trust me."
"He's right." Tony said as he walked in the door, "He is a fast healer. I just had a conversation with the Doctor and he tells me that Xander's almost fully healed. The Doc is pretty confused."
Xander just shrugged and turned away from the window, "When can I leave?"
"Do you want to?"
Xander nodded, he couldn't stay around here. Sooner or later Tony would find out who he was and ship him back to Sunnydale, and he wasn't ready for that yet.
Tony shrugged, "Well, Alexander... Harris. If you sure you want to leave, you can go in a couple days if the Doc ok's it."
Xander sat down heavily in his chair. "How'd you find out?"
Jim laughed, "Hey, I didn't get to be chief of security for Stark Enterprises just on my looks you know."
Xander rolled his eyes, "Oh thanks... shatter my illusions. And here I figured if you could make it I was a shoe in."
"Hey!"
Tony laughed, and stepped between them, "What I want to ask, Xander, is this... How would you like a job?"
"Huh?" Xander turned to look at him, "Are you serious?"
Tony nodded, "Yeah I am. But don't think that it's easy street, Xander. I'll expect you to keep up your schooling as you work. It won't be easy."
"If you know who I am, then you should have checked my grades..." Xander said sourly.
Tony nodded, "I did. But I choose to think that you can do better... maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see."
"What kind of job?"
Tony shrugged, "For now? I'll start you in the security division. Most of your summer will be spent training... As soon as the Doc clears you for strenuous activities. When the summer is over, well... we'll see what your up to and go from there. What do you say?"
Xander mulled it over, and finally nodded. "Mr Stark, you have a new employee."
Tony smiled, "Excellent. Oh and Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Anyone who saves my life gets to call me Tony."
"How's he doing?"
Jim Rhodes shook his head, "Incredible. I've never seen anything like it, he takes to the training like he's been doing it all his life... plus twenty years."
Tony looked out over the training field, "A natural huh?"
"No." Jim said firmly, "You don't get it... It's not natural. He's picking up six months of training in a week and a half... it's like he's remembering it, not learning it."
Tony looked at Rhodes oddly, but didn't comment. "What's your opinion?"
"Of the kid?" Jim shook his head, "Give me another week to work with him and he'll be able to stand in line with any of out security people. Give me a month, and I'll be worried about my job."
"You're kidding, right?"
"I wish." Jim said, "Something is really weird about this kid, Tony..."
Tony looked out the window and nodded, "Start him on the advanced weapons and tactics training as soon as you can."
"Why? What's the rush?"
"Just a project that just came up... I think that Xander would be perfect for..."
"You got it, Boss-man."
Xander toweled off as he stepped out of the shower. He hurt in places that he never knew he had, but felt pretty good too. He had never really excelled at anything before, other then knowing the two hundred best ways to eat a twinkie, and it felt damned good.
"Feeling proud of yerself kid?"
He turned to see Jim watching him from the doorway of the locker room, "Ummm... kinda I guess?"
"Good. But don't get cocky. You were damned sloppy at the end there..."
Xander swallowed, "Sorry... I was..."
"Don't apologize. Be better next time." Jim turned to leave, then half turned back, "You were tired. Just say it."
"I was tired."
"That's cause you're in terrible shape. But you've got the instincts kid... the body we can work on."
With that Jim was gone and Xander nodded to no one, his ego a little deflated but the pride still there.
Xander sat in the simulator, his hands flying over the controls as he blew away pixilated enemies right and left. Wave after wave of enemies flowed at him and were destroyed as he responded to the simulated attack.
Beside him the tech trainer stared, a little awed by his performance. "Wow."
"What?" Xander risked a glance over at him.
"You're doing really well."
"This? Please... this is just like all the arcade machines I blew my quarters on..."
The tech grinned, "I guess... maybe we should market this to some arcades as a recruitment tool?"
Xander laughed, "Not until I break the record you don't."
"What's his status?"
Jim shrugged, "By skill? He's on par with some of out best men... but he hasn't got the stamina to hold up for very long. He'll need another couple months of working out and running to start building that up."
"With the advanced tech?"
"Like his was born with a computer interface. But we get a lot of that with the younger recruits now..."
Tony nodded. Arcade devices really were good for simulator training. "Overall?"
"Overall he's the best I've seen."
Tony nodded tiredly. "Good. I want you to schedule a field op for him next week. Something challenging, but don't kill him."
Jim grinned, "Aw, Boss... you take all the fun out of my life."
Xander woke up with a start in his room at the Stark Industries training center and looked around the darkened place. Something woke him up but he couldn't place it.
He slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of blue jeans, then threw on a shirt, when he heard the sound that woke him again. A muffled thump that came from outside.
He worked his way to the window without turning on the lights and slid open the drapes. His eyes widened as he stared out at the mass of destruction that used to be a training field.
"What the hell?" He blurted in shock.
A huge mechanical figure was ripping the field apart as it strode toward the building with an imposing gate. The noises it made were so loud that they penetrated even the soundproofing that was built into the entire building. Xander stared in shock as his mouth went dry.
<Demons I can handle... But forty foot tall robots on a rampage!?>
Xander let the drapes slip back into place and made a rush for the door. He had to get to Tony and make sure the Boss was out of Danger.
Outside things had quickly gone from bad to worse as two armored figures were the last standing defense against the colossal machine they faced.
"I AM ULTIMO!"
The figure in silver and grey turned to the one in red and gold, "Not real big on conversation, huh?"
"I don't think that's his primary intent, War Machine."
War Machine shifted his shoulders and brought his huge shoulder mounted mini-gun to bear on the target. "Probably not. Let's kick some ass, shall we?"
"With Pleasure," Iron Man almost seemed to smile as he lifted off the ground and flew toward the giant machine.
Xander ran up to the office level and headed for Tony Stark's private rooms, but was stopped by two bodyguards. "Mr Stark is not to be disturbed."
"Come on, guys..." Xander said, "I just need to see if the boss is ok..."
"Mr Stark is fine." The two were intractable, "But he is not to be disturbed."
Xander growled, but nodded and back down. "Fine. But I'm waiting here."
The two big men shrugged, "Your choice."
Iron Man flew around the head of the goliath robot, firing repulsors at every opportunity while War Machine struck it with anti-tank missiles and armor piercing rounds from below.
"I AM ULTIMO!" The huge robot spoke in booming tones as it swatted at Iron Man, as if the armored figure was a mere insect.
"Yeah, yeah... we got that..." Jim Rhodes muttered from inside his armor, "Yo, Shell Head! Incoming!"
With that warning he launched another rocket, armed with a sub-nuke warhead at the huge bot. Iron Man pivoted and dove behind the huge machine just a the missile impacted.
A huge cloud of smoke and debris formed, blinding War machine for a few seconds as he leaned into the blast. As it cleared and his sensors came back online Jim Rhodes heart dropped.
"I AM ULTIMO!" The monster robot emerged from the smoke with little to no evident damage.
"Man," Rhodes complained, "What does it take to put this guy down!?"
"I don't know," Iron Man said in his quiet voice, "But we'd better figure it out fast."
War Machine lifted off on his boot jets and flew to support Iron Man as the Red and Gold figure blasted in towards Ultimo once again.
Iron Man blasted in for the huge machines head, firing his repulsors as he went in an attempt to find some weak spot in the things construction. So intent was he on the target that he missed one swatting hand.
Ultimo reached out and caught the armored figure with a powerful backhand that slammed him into the ground over eighty feet away, leaving a crater when he had hit and the zapping lights of the sparks that flew from the damaged suit.
"TONY!" War Machine screamed in rage as he turned the full firepower of his suit on the giant robot. "You Bastard!"
Xander came bolt upright as he heard a scream of pain from Tony's private quarters, and he started across the room at a half run. The two bodyguards looked worried but they stood between him and the door. "The Boss said, no one gets in until he comes out. No exceptions."
"Christ, guys! Something's wrong in there!"
The two burly men shook their heads. "No exceptions."
"Fine." Xander half turned, then spun back and nailed the first guard with a jab to the sternum. As he went down gasping for air, Xander grabbed a hole punch from the desk and spun around and nailed the second guard across the side of the head.
He walked past the two groaning guards without looking back. "Just tell 'em I hit you."
"Tony!" Xander rushed to the bedside where Tony was laying and groaning in pain. "Jesus! What's wrong!?"
Tony reached up and grabbed Xander's hand, speaking weakly. "Jim... He needs help."
"Jim? Where is he!?"
"O...outside."
"Fuck!" Xander cursed, "He's out there with that thing!? For god's sakes... why?"
Tony shook his head as he fumbled with something behind his ear. "No time... help me... up."
Xander shook his head, but did as he was bade. "Man... You can hardly breath... what are you doing?"
Tony lurched across the room, with Xander holding him up. At the far side of the room he pulled out a small remote and pressed the button. Xander watched in shock as the entire wall slid away to reveal a sizable room set up as an armory.
"Whoa..."
"Help me... over there."
Xander helped Tony stumble across the room until they were standing in front of what looked like a glass case. Inside was one of the strangest and most impressive suits of armor Xander had ever seen. It was red and gold, and looked like it would be equally at home sitting with the Knights of the Round Table or standing side by side with warriors in a sci-fi movie.
"Whoa." Xander breathed.
"Help me... put it on..."
Xander looked at Tony, "Are you crazy man!? You can barely stand... how can you help Jim like this?"
Silence reigned for a few seconds, the Tony shook his head, "No... choice. Have... to..."
"No... Look, I'll do it." Xander said, "I'll do it."
Tony looked at him, uncertainty passing across his face. "I... don't know, Xander..."
"Come on. Do we really have time to argue?"
Tony smiled weakly and nodded. "Ok... Computer! Copy voice print... and neural... records for Alexander Harris to the Armory."
"Files copied."
"Authorize Alexander Harris... for access to the... Model Twelve..."
"Authorized."
Tony slid down to the floor, breathing heavily, "It's all yours... Xander. Go... help Jim."
Xander stepped up to the case and the door slid aside as the armor pivoted around until its open back was facing him. He hesitated a moment, then stepped into the armor and felt it close around him. As the systems came online he felt a rush run through his body as the Armor began to feed him information from its sensors and systems.
He turned around and stepped out of the display case, looking around him in wonder. He started toward the door, but Tony shook his head and spoke. "No... Look up."
Xander did, and saw a round hatch in the ceiling about thirty feet above him. "How?"
"Just think it... Just... think it."
Xander looked up and 'thought it'. He was startled as he felt the suits jet boots kick in and saw the hatch grow closer and closer as he accelerated towards it. Just as he felt certain he was going to smash right into the metal hatch it slid open and he flashed through it, and outside.
<WHOA! SLOW DOWN!> Xander breathed heavily as the armor obeyed his mental command, then he turned slowly around and surveyed the area around him.
He was a couple hundred feet in the air, hovering on the suits boot jets, and looking down at the training field he had spent the last couple weeks sweating on. It was a mess. The grounds had been torn up by the fighting and the giant robot's footsteps, the obstacle course didn't exist anymore, and the firing range was in shambles.
Xander just glanced over that with a fast eye, and soon settled on the huge robot that was waking toward a lone figure in silver and black. <Must be Jim.>
Xander leaned forward and tried like hell not to visualize crashing into the ground.
Jim stood his ground, finally emptying his last rocket into the mammoth machine and hearing the mini-gun go dry as the firing pin clicked on empty cylinders. He growled as the empty weapons slid back into the rear of the suit, "Alright. You want to go man-o an bot-o... let's do this."
As he got ready to fight he heard a noise behind him and half turned in surprise to see a familiar red and gold figure make an unsteady landing next to him. Eyes widening he spoke in shock, "Tony!? What the hell are you doing out here!? Christ, you're in no condition for this!"
"Relax muscle head." The metallic voice said with a snide tone that Jim recognized, "You really think I'd let the Boss man do my job?"
"Kid...?" Jim breathed, "Jesus Christ... This is way out of your league, kid!"
The armored figure shifted his weight and balance until its whole stance screamed 'duh'. "What else is new? I've been fighting monsters since I was fourteen. At least this time I've got some kickass tools to work with."
Jim Rhodes tried to say something more but the shuddering the ground alerted him to Ultimo's approach.
The red and gold figure slammed one metallic fist into another metallic palm and almost seemed to smile. "Let's get this show on the road."
War Machine shook his head and turned back to the lumbering enemy, "Yeah," He breathed, "Lets."
Tony Stark struggled up to the computer console in the armory and slowly turned it on. "C... computer. Patch me into the model twelve's visual sensors."
"Patch completed."
The screen came to life and showed the image of Ultimo as it pounded closer and closer to where Xander stood in the armor.
"Computer..." He rasped in a weak voice as he stared at the screen, "Give me a radio link."
"Radio link established."
"Kid.... you there?"
"Kid... you there?"
Xander cocked his head, "Tony?"
"Y... yeah."
"What's up?"
"T... thought you..." his voice broke up in a coughing fit, but then came back. "C... could use a users manual of sorts."
"Sounds good, boss man." Xander grinned, "I'm feeling better already."
"Yeah well... move!"
Xander glanced back and saw Ultimo's big hand swiping for him, and instinctively wished to be elsewhere. The boot jets roared to life and Xander lifted clear of the area just as the big hand slapped down were he had been standing.
"Thanks."
"No problem... just... keep a better eye out."
"Sorry."
"My fault too... for distracting you..." Tony said as he shifted in the chair, "ok... time to learn about the weapons systems..."
"Cool." Xander said as he arced around, turning the armor back toward the bot.
"Repulsors first... point the palm of you hands at Ultimo..."
Xander did as he was told, flying past the giant robot as his hands tracked the machine.
"Good... now, flex your forearm muscles and think about firing."
<Weird> Xander thought as he did as he was told. He flexed his forearms and mentally screamed. <FIRE!>
The repulsors opened fire, striking Ultimo across the back of the neck and raising a think line of smoke from the surface of the giant machines skin. Xander felt a slight tingle run up his arms as he fired again and again.
"It's not doing much." he muttered.
"Th.. That's ok." Tony said, "we need to give you a crash course in armor... combat. This is just the first... first grade."
"Well skip a few grades, man... this thing is getting close to the buildings!"
"Next focus your attention on... your chest. Same drill... tighten your chest and... fire."
"Alright..." Xander muttered as he came back for another pass. As he lined up with Ultimo he tensed up and fired.
The chest beam struck the robot hard, rocking him in his footsteps but nothing more. "It wasn't enough!"
"U... ultimo's a tough bastard... Xander." Tony started coughing again, "and... I think... you're on your own n......"
"Tony? Tony!" Xander yelled, but there was no response. "SHIT!"
"Kid?" War Machine flew up beside him, "What is it kid?"
"I just lost contact with Tony... he's hurt pretty bad...."
"I know, Kid. The tele-presence armor's a two edged sword... when it was damaged the feedback must have been a bitch. But we can't worry about that now... we have to shut this bastard down!"
Xander grimaced under his armor, but nodded. "Let's get this bastard."
"Now you're talking, kid." War Machine responded and the two armored figures turned in mid air and flew back in toward the giant robot.
"I AM ULTIMO!"
"Bastard's got a real problem with his vocabulary." War Machine muttered as he struck out at the big machine with his repulsors.
Xander grinned under his helmet but didn't respond, instead he maneuvered into place and opened up with his chest beam into Ultimo's head. The big robot actually staggered back and Xander, encouraged, hit him again.
Suddenly Ultimo's eyes glowed with a green light.
"KID! Move!"
Xander heard the warning too late and was only starting to maneuver when twin beans of green light struck out from the robot's eyes and struck him full on. "ARRRRGHH!"
War Machine dove for the ground as he saw the armored figure fall from the sky, but was surprised when Xander pulled out of the fall and climbed back up, unsteadily, to meet him.
"You ok, kid?"
Xander's voice was shakey, but strong. "Yeah... I think so..."
"Hell kid, you just took an full blast from Ultimo and you're still moving... not bad. The Boss must have done some real work on that armor."
Xander glanced down at the smoking red and gold suit and shuddered. "That really hurt."
"I'll bet."
Xander turned and looked at the lumbering robot as it came for them again. "This really isn't working, is it?"
"Nope. But what can we do?" War Machine said, almost philosophically. "I ain't gonna run."
"Wouldn't suggest it, pal." Xander said as he dropped to the ground and started striding toward the big machine.
"Kid? What the hell are you doing!?"
"Got a plan. Hang tight."
"Hang tight he says." War Machine grumbled. <Great. Another insane martyr. Like I needed another one to look after.>
Xander stopped as Ultimo took notice of him and stood his ground.
"I AM ULTIMO!" The thing roared again, and Xander just shook his head.
"No shit. I got that the first time."
Ultimo lifted one huge hand and swung down at his position, slapping at the armored pest. Xander lifted off just ahead of the shot and was high in the air as the mighty hand slammed into the ground with enough force to dig a crater over six feet deep. From where he was he could see the unprotected back of the machine and he dropped right onto Ultimo's neck where he was bent over, striking with enough force to shatter steel.
Unfortunately, Ultimo wasn't built of steel and the huge neck merely vibrated from the hit. Ultimo immediately started to straighten up, but Xander struck him with his repulsors and chest beam at the same point, and was finally rewarded by a smoking hole that formed in the machines armor plate.
<Yes!> He lunged forward and got his armored gauntlets into the hole and grunted as he started peeling the armor away inch by inch.
Ultimo straighten up and tried to grab him, the huge arms reaching blindly over its shoulders. Xander dodged one, then another, but was almost caught until a blast struck Ultimo in the face and distracted it.
"I got your back, kid!"
Xander didn't respond, he just turned back to the hole he had made and kept ripping at the plating until he had peeled back a sizable hole. He reached inside to rip at the innards of the creature but yanked his hand back as a tremor of pain ran up his arm. "AHHH!"
"What is it, kid!?"
"Internal defenses! You got anything that might ruin this fucker's day!?"
"They don't call me War Machine for nothing kid!" Jim grinned and popped a hefty cylinder from his belt, "Catch!"
Xander glanced up and intercepted the thrown object. He recognized the device from the course Jim had given him and twisted the cap quickly. When the cylinder started flashing and beeping he jammed it deep into the hole he had made, screaming through clenched teeth as the pain ran up his arm again. As soon as it was lodged in solidly, Xander kicked off and activated the jet boots.
As he climbed away from the big machine he could see the monsters two huge hands coming up to catch him between them, and he just focused on pouring on the speed. As the two hands came together he flew clear and below him he could hear the titanic clang of metal meeting metal, followed by a muffled explosion as the grenade he had set went off.
"I AM ULTI...moooooo..." The huge robot shuddered and started to stumble, falling to one knee then surging back to his feet.
"Just go down already you bastard!" Xander screamed.
The machine seemed to hear him as it stumbled to one side, then toppled. Xander winced as the huge form slammed into the training barracks as it fell. "Oh shit! All my stuff was in there!"
War Machine flew up beside him and chuckled, "Kid... I think the Boss will cover it."
"Yeah... but..." Xander said, "It was my stuff..."
War Machine shook his head, "Come on. We'd better check on the boss... and we also have to get a clean up team up here... and maybe small nuke."
"What!?"
"Ultimo doesn't stay down forever kid. We've tangled with him before."
"Oh great."
The two armored figures shifted their balance, and flew for the main HQ building, and the skylight entrance.
Their boot thrusters flared as they touched down in the armory, and the two figures looked around.
"Tony!" Jim shouted as he caught sight of where his boss was slumped in a chair by the computer. He quickly rushed over and picked the man up. "We've got to get him to the hospital ward."
Xander nodded, "Let's go."
Leaving the same way they entered, the two armored figures blazed out of the armory and headed for a building on the other side of the Stark Enterprises compound.
Xander and Jim, sans the armor, walked into Tony Stark's room to see him awake but in obviously bad shape.
"Hey Jim... Xander." He whispered.
"Hey Tony," Jim responded.
"You ok, boss?" Xander asked.
"I'll live... for a little while longer anyway." Tony smiled weakly, then looked at Xander. "I'm told that Iron Man did a hell of a job earlier..."
Xander shook his head, "Nah... just a stand in who got lucky."
Tony shook his head, "No... I think that was the real Iron Man after all... If you think he's up to it."
Xander looked shocked for a second, then stammered. "I don't know... I guess..."
"Don't guess." Jim said sharply. "This isn't a multiple choice exam."
Xander flinched, then nodded. "I know one thing..."
The two men looked at him expectantly, and Xander grinned. "I want to find out."
Tony smiled weakly from his bed. "Good... Jim, start him... on armor basics."
"You got it, Chief." Jim grinned, "War Machine and Shell Head will handle company security, you just focus on getting better ok?"
Tony nodded. "Ok..."
Over the next few weeks, Xander learned what pain truly was. From five AM to seven PM Jim Rhodes rode him mercilessly, drilling him in armor operation, weapons and tactics, security procedures, Stark Enterprises Manuals, and a dozen other courses that he was forced to absorb at the cost of his sleep, recreation, and nearly (in Xander's opinion) his sanity.
Of course, as Rhodes pointed out during one of their ten mile runs, Xander's sanity had been in question as soon as he accepted the job.
At the end of the third week Xander had found words to describe new and fascinating forms of torture. Unfortunately the words generally were single syllable grunts and moans that probably wouldn't be making it into the dictionary any time soon.
Xander collapsed on a bench in the locker room, a towel hanging around his neck. "Jesus that hurts."
Jim laughed as he strolled in with a jaunty spring in his step that Xander was certain he put there just to piss Xander off. "What? The run? Or the beating you just got?"
Xander glared at him, "Neither. I stubbed my toe coming in here."
Jim stopped in mid walk and stared at him for a long time, uncertain if he was serious or what. Finally he shook his head, "You're a weird one, you know that?"
"So they tell me." Xander smirked and turned back to his locker.
Jim shook his head and headed for his own locker. As soon as he was out of sight Xander dropped the cool facade and began massaging his arms and legs. <God DAMN that hurts!>
Xander staggered out of his bed at the sound of pounding on the door, painfully walking the length of the room. When he reached the door he groaned low in his throat and forced himself straight and wiped the grimace from his face.
"Hey, man." Xander grinned through clenched teeth. "What's up today?"
Jim grinned at him, knowing full well that the kid was in pain. "I thought I'd take it easy on you today..."
Inwardly Xander sighed in relief.
"So, after the fifteen mile run," Jim grinned as he saw Xander suppress a groan, "I thought we do the driving course."
"Driving?" Xander perked up.
"Of course. Always have to cover the basics."
"Cool."
"STOP THE FUCKING CAR!"
Xander hit the brakes and the car skidded to a halt. "What?"
Jim breathed heavily in the passenger side for several seconds before responding. "Ok. Lets do that again... but if you go over fifty, I'm going to KICK YOUR ASS!"
"What? I thought this was a high speed course...?"
"IT IS! But first you have to learn to drive normally you crazy son of a...!"
"That's it for the week." Jim announced.
"What?" Xander asked, checking his ears.
"I said your done for the week. You've earned a weekend off."
Xander nodded slowly, a smile passing over his face. "You serious?"
"Hell yes." Jim grinned at the younger man, "Go out, have some fun... it's a big city after all."
"COOL." Xander grinned, snapped off a salute, and ran for his room.
Jim just watched him go, "That's the next Iron Man? Jesus we've fallen to a new low."
Xander grabbed through his things as he got ready for the night off, his first in well over a month. Jim Rhodes was nothing if not dedicated.
<Yeah, a dedicated pain in the ass.> Xander thought as he slipped in to the clothes he had picked up under Jim and Tony's close supervision.
Tailored pants, silk shirt, and a four hundred dollar jacket. Xander shook his head at the thought of what the outfit cost, but shrugged it off. It was part of the job, he reasoned, to blend in with the crowd that Tony dealt with.
He slipped on a shiny pair of black oxfords to complete the outfit and looked at himself in the mirror. He grinned, "I've gotta admit. This makes me look good."
He laughed and straightened the jacket, then headed out of the room. He paused at the doorway, and turned back uncertainly. Sighing he walked back to the closet and opened a false bottom.
From there he pulled two stakes, a cross, and a Stark Enterprises Plasma Pistol. A few seconds later he walked out the door, looking forward to his night on the town.
The club was crowded and hectic compared to the Bronze, but Xander moved through it quickly and easily as he made his way around. He'd already scored two dances with a couple of ladies that were almost in Cordy's class, though not quite and was heading towards a third that he had caught winking at him a minute earlier.
"Hey there," He grinned, "Can I get you a drink?"
She smiled at him, but shook her head. "No... but I wouldn't say no to a dance."
Xander gave a little half bow and presented his arm, "Anything the lady wants."
She took his arm and he led her onto the floor where they were soon twisting and gyrating to the music beat. When the song ended she leaned over to his ear, "I know a club downtown that's going to be... hot tonight. Want to blow this place?"
Xander considered, then shrugged and grinned. "What the hell? It's my first night off in weeks... I'm game for a party!"
"Good." She grinned and led him from the club.
The club they went too wasn't visually impressive, it looked like a converted slaughterhouse to Xander, but he had to admit that there were certainly a lot of people there. The dance floor was packed and the music was certainly booming.
His date led him out onto the floor immediately and Xander shrugged ad grinned. <Hey, if this is what she considers hot... well, that's cool with me.>
Halfway through the dance, Xander felt something wet strike him from above and he glanced up to see the sprinklers discharge all through the place. It took him a second in the strobing lights of the club to realize that it wasn't water, and when it coated his face and some rolled into his mouth Xander gagged as his heart dropped.
<Blood.>
He looked around and then at the girl he was dancing with, just in time to see her face change. Xander stepped back from her and looked at his blood soaked clothing in disgust. "You fucking vampires are really sick, you know that?"
"You fucking vampires are really sick, you know that?"
Xander saw a look of surprise cross the vampire's face as she saw his reaction.
"Who are you?"
Xander ignored the question. "Do you have any idea how much this outfit cost!?"
The sprinklers died down and the music softened and Xander could hear screams start to echo around him. His hands flashed for his jacket and reappeared with his pistol in one hand and a stake in the other.
"IF YOUR HUMAN, HIT THE DECK!!" He screamed as he brought the plasma pistol to bear on his 'date'.
Everyone in the room turned to look at him as he shouted, and those human's who were still in some possession of their right minds screamed and ducked for cover.
"He's got a gun!"
As Xander expected, the vampires were too arrogant to duck for cover and most of them actually took a few steps closer to get a better look at him. He centered the Plasma Pistol on his date and squeezed the trigger.
The pistol jumped slightly in his hand as it fired, the plasma bolt striking the vampire in the center of her chest and blowing her back through the air as the superheated gas ignited her flesh and the flame consumed her. All that hit the ground was a scattering of black dust.
Xander forced down his nervousness as he eyed the group of vampires that he counted as fifty plus, and smiled. "Who's next?"
He gulped as the entire group charged him.
"Oh shit." he muttered as he started firing.
The man looked up at the window above the door, noting the flashes of light and the lack of music from within. "I guess I'm late. They started the party without me."
He casually kicked the door down, and strode into the 'club' his sword already drawn and ready in his right hand, while his left held a powerful pistol. As he rounded a corner to reach the 'dance floor' a screaming body came flying past him, dusting just before striking the wall.
He lowered his sunglasses and looked at the scattering of dust on the floor. "That's new."
The big black man strode around the corner and into the club proper, noting the gaggle of terrified humans cowering in one corner, and the mass of vampires crowded around something in the other.
Suddenly the group surged and three vampires burst into flames and dusted, then it surged again and with a clatter a pistol flew from the group and clattered across the floor where it slid to a stop at his feet. He looked down, then up at where the vampires were relaxing as they fell apart to reveal three of them holding a struggling young man in place. He watched as the leader of the group leaned close to the young man, glaring and said something he didn't quite hear. When the vampire looked ready to drain him, the man spoke loudly.
"Hey!"
The vampires turned to look at him, shock passing over their faces.
"It's Blade..."
"The Daywalker..."
"Here? What's the Daywalker doing here?"
"Isn't he supposed to be in Russia?"
Blade shook his head and flashed the vampires a small grin. "Tsk tsk tsk, I leave town for a few weeks and you all grow some balls? Guess I gotta... cut 'em off."
Xander looked up through swelling eyes as the vampires seemed to lose interest in him and focus on the newcomer. As the press of vamps grew less he felt their grip on his loosen and he marshaled his strength to pull free.
He caught brief glimpses of the new guy, Blade the vampires had called him, through the press and was awed by his moves. <Christ. He's faster then Buffy...>
Blade sliced through the rush of vamps like a hot knife through butter, dusting them with an ease that Xander had to admire. As the herd thinned Xander saw his chance and surged back, driving the vampires holding him off balance and ramming them into the rear wall.
Their grips loosed and Xander wrenched free, spinning around and drawing his last stake with the same fluid motion. Before any of them could react he had dusted the first, withdrawn his stake, and slammed it into the second.
As that vampire dusted the third bulled into him, driving them both to the ground.
Blade leapt over a vamp, flipping in mid air, and landed behind the foolish creature with ease. Then he reverse the path of his sword and sliced it through the vamps neck. He paused briefly to check on the kid the vamps had been holding and was surprised to see him fighting back and holding his own.
"Impressive." he said, as he decapitated a vampire that tried to sneak up on him.
Xander rolled across the floor with the vamp, struggling to keep the things teeth away from him as the vampire, in turn, struggled to keep Xander from jamming the stake into his chest.
"Die you pitiful human!"
Xander flinched back.
"Ha! I'm more powerful the you are!"
"Your breath is anyway." Xander muttered, "Christ, man... brush between massacres or something..."
The vamp looked outraged and lashed out at Xander, throwing him off and catapulting him across the room.
Xander hit the wet ground and slid the length of the room, sliding to a stop next to his pistol. He grabbed it and grinned, "Well... that was lucky!"
As the vampire jumped up and charged him, Xander casually fired a plasma charge into it and looked around for more targets.
All he saw was Blade standing in the center of the room, sword scraping lightly against the concrete floor. The big black man straightened his sunglasses and, with a flourish, slid his sword into a scabbard concealed under the back of his jacket. The he looked straight at Xander. "Who are you?"
Xander shrugged, sliding the pistol back under his jacket. "Just some poor bastard stupid enough to be conned into coming to this... club. I gotta be outta practice for something. Jeeez, I should have noticed she was a vamp back at the other place..."
Blade watched him as he looked disgustedly at his cloths and sighed. Then the young man walked across the room toward Blade, and held out his hand.
"Sorry... I'm just a little ticked off. The name is Xander Harris."
"I'm Blade." The big black man said as he grudgingly took the boy's hand and shook it.
"So I gathered from their screams of terror." Xander grinned. "You've got one hell of a rep... I don't think that even the Slayer scares 'em that bad."
"You know a Slayer?" Blade said, eyeing the young man.
"Yeah. That's how I got intro'd to this crap." Xander muttered, "Anyway... I don't mean to be rude... but I've got to get home and get changed."
Xander half turned to walk away, then cursed. "Ah hell! How am I going to get on a bus looking and smelling like this!?"
Blade looked at him, not really certain if the kid was for real. Finally he rasped out a dry chuckle. "You need a lift?"
Xander looked back, "You really want me in your car like this?"
Blade tilted his head in invitation as he walked out the door. In the distance they could hear police sirens gathering. "Come on. I keep plastic sheets in the trunk just for this type of shit."
Xander paused for a second, then nodded. "Cool."
"This where you live?" Blade asked in some surprise as he looked at the gate to the Stark Enterprises compound.
"Yeah," Xander replied, "Got a job there this summer..."
Blade nodded slowly, "Good work if you can get it, I suppose."
Xander snorted, "Something like that. Look, man, thanks for the lift. Hey, you ever need any help... give me a call."
Blade smiled at him cooly. "Don't hold your breath."
Xander just chuckled and got out of the car, "I wont... but you never know when another hand might come in handy... besides, I've got my own scores to settle with the vamps too, you know?"
Blade nodded. "I'll think about."
Xander smiled, "Cya, man. Hey... Why do they call you Daywalker?"
Blade just smiled, his eyes glittering dangerously, and stepped on the gas. Xander jumped back as the car roared off and shook his head. He turned and trudged into the compound, his feet squishing with every step as his shirt and pants began to stick to his cothes.
Jim Rhodes looked up from his computer, where he had been working overtime, to see the kid march in and head straight for the showers. Something looked odd about him and Rhodey got up and followed him in.
In the locker room, Xander was peeling off his jacket when Jim walked in. He glanced back, grimaced, and threw the jacket into a corner where it landed with a splat.
"What the hell?" Jim glanced at the black jacket, then back at Xander who was peeling off a red shirt that Jim thought he recognized. "Hey... wasn't that a white shirt when we bought it?"
Xander just grimaced and sent the shirt after the jacket with a flick of his wrist.
Jim noticed that the red was spotted around Xander's skin and drying in a familiar color. As he got closer he recognized the smell. "Shit! That's blood! What happened? Are you hurt?"
Xander shook his head, "Just some bruises, Jim..."
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Like an idiot I got conned into going to a Vampire club."
"A WHAT?"
"Vampires... you know? Bloodsuckers?"
"I know about vamps kid, but I ain't never heard of a vamp club before."
Xander was too tired to be surprised. He just nodded, "Yeah... me too. Would you believe they had blood pouring from the sprinkler system?"
"Uh huh." Jim muttered as Xander slid off his pants and underwear.
"Hand me the soap over there would you?" Xander asked, "Thanks... oh, and can we burn those clothes?"
Jim looked down at the clothing as the kid headed for the showers, already trying to scrub the blood off his skin. "Damn, Xan! This stuff cost thirteen hundred dollars!"
"So he took his first day off in weeks and went vampire hunting."
Jim nodded. "Near as I can tell. He swears up and down that it was an accident... but he took one of the TX-9's and a couple stakes with him when he went out."
"So... either way, accident or design... the kid's a boy scout." Tony smiled, "Maybe we should introduce him to Steve."
"Don't joke about that, Tony. The kid's really impressionable right now... Steve is the last thing he needs."
Tony laughed lightly, then started coughing. "What was the damage?"
"Other then thirteen hundred bucks worth of clothes? None. Kid even got to meet the Daywalker."
"He exists?" Tony coughed, "I thought our teams reported the guy as a myth."
"Guess they screwed up. Wouldn't be the first time."
Tony nodded. "Other then that, what's his status?"
"Kid's ready to roll, Tony... All he needs now is the experience. You got a plan for that?"
Tony smiled. "Oh yeah, but don't tell him yet. This one, I want to drop."
Xander was jogging around the track when the messenger caught up to him. "Yeah?"
"Mr Stark wants to see you in his office."
Xander nodded and took a breath. "Tell him I'll be up as son as I change."
The man nodded and jogged off.
Xander headed for the locker room and quickly ditched his workout gear in a duffel and grabbed a fast shower. After toweling off he quickly got dressed in the business attire that Stark had provided, black dress pants, white shirt, no tie (thankfully), and a pair of loafers. The he headed for the head office.
"Mr Harris to see you sir."
"Send him in."
A moment later Xander walked into the office and looked around. As always he suppressed a flinch when he saw Tony seated in the wheelchair and quickly moved to take his own seat.
Tony was silent for a while, just staring at Xander while he shifted uncomfortably. "I understand you had a little adventure over the weekend?"
Xander swallowed, but nodded. "Yes Sir. Ran afoul of some vamps... no big deal."
"You were carrying Stark Security Issue weaponry. That makes it a big deal."
"Sorry, Sir."
"You should be." Tony said, "You're not licensed to carry that. If you had been caught with it the political backlash could have cost us some very lucrative contracts. Not to mention the lawsuits over us allowing minor's to carry lethal weaponry."
"Won't happen again, Sir."
"Damned right it won't." Tony slid a wallet across the table. "Open it."
Xander did. Inside it said : Stark Enterprises Security Consultant - Alexander Harris. On the other side of the flip case was a special federal firearms permit.
"I had to call in a lot of favors for that one, Xander. Do not make me regret it."
Xander swallowed again and nodded. "Yes Sir."
Tony smiled, "And the name is Tony. Remember?"
Xander grinned self consciously, "Sorry Tony... just flashing back to Principal Snyder..."
Tony rolled his eyes, "Speaking of which... I want you to remember your promise."
"Promise?"
"The school year is about to start, remember?"
"Oh." Xander grimaced, "Yeah... that promise."
"Yes. That promise." Tony grinned, "As it turns out I think I have the perfect solution. We have a major government contract that we recently won the bid on and I'd like you to oversee the security of the project for me. The job would be fairly straightforward, though it does require a certain amount of discretion as the contract is being handled through the senates black bag committee. Think you can handle it?"
Xander blinked. This was certainly not what he had expected. He nodded slowly, "I won't let you down."
Tony smiled, "I didn't think you would. The job is going to take you out of state though, so you won't be going to school here in New York."
"Tony... Iron Man... ummm, he's your body guard. I can't..."
Tony shook his head, "Iron Man was never my bodyguard, and you know it Xander. War Machine will fill that role while you're away."
Xander nodded. "Where is this project?"
"The contract is in your hometown, Xander. You're going back to Sunnydale."
Tony watched as Xander paled. "Sir... Tony, I really don't think...."
Tony cut him off. "I don't know what happened back there, Xander... but it doesn't matter. Iron Man can't run away from his problems, and if you want to wear the armor, neither can you. Go home. Do this job. Settle the old demons."
Xander swallowed. Then finally nodded. "Yes Sir."
Tony smiled at him. "Good. Now, you've got another couple weeks before you have to go... so take a vacation. But don't let up on your training."
Xander recognized the dismissal and stood up. "Yes Sir. Thank you... Tony."
"Get out of here." Tony grinned, "And send Jim in when you go."
Xander nodded.
"How'd he take it?"
"As expected." Tony grinned. "He wasn't happy but he didn't whine either."
"Can't have Iron Man blubbering now can we?"
"Of course not. Besides the whole image thing, he'd rust up the suit."
The two friends chuckled for a bit. The Rhodey spoke again, "You really going to let the kid handle that project?"
Tony nodded, "Yeah. But we'll check in with him whenever we're at the West Coast headquarters. I think he can handle it."
"It's not his skills that bother me, Tony. He's going to have to deal with people who aren't going to be looking much beyond his age."
"Well, he'll just have to handle it won't he?" Tony said simply.
"By being perfect I suppose?"
"Worked for me." Tony grinned.
Jim just rolled his eyes, "Yeah. A perfect pain in the butt."
"Whatever works, Jim." Tony grinned, "By the way... have a place set up for him in Sunnydale. He's going to need the basics."
"Armory, secured computer link to HQ, Modular components for the Mark 12... anything else?"
"Heat, telephone, basic cable, and running water would be nice."
"Wise ass." Jim growled. "Won't his parent wonder why he's not living at home?"
Tony turned grim. "I checked them out. I doubt they'll notice, if they do I've arranged for them to be compensated for not causing any trouble."
"Why?"
Tony slid a file across the table and Jim picked it up. A few minutes later he growled. "We should just have the kid take 'em to court."
"Too much publicity. This is a covert installation we're building in Sunnydale."
"Who the hell builds a military base under a university anyway?"
"The U.S. Government apparently." Tony said with a smile.
<Two weeks off.> Xander sat in his room and stared at the wall, <And then back to Sunnyhell.>
"What the hell am I going to do now?"
For a brief instant he actually considered just taking off, telling Tony thanks but no thanks and making a run for it. He didn't want to go anywhere near Sunnydale after that night.
Xander winced to even think of it. The worst failure he had ever managed, and that was saying something. He didn't have the guts to simply keep one thing from Buffy. That was all it would have taken, of that he was certain. If he had just kept his mouth shut, or told Buffy that willow had said to kick his ass then Buffy would have taken Angelus down.
Xander stood up, growling. But no. He was a simpering coward that couldn't tell one measly lie to save the world. Sure the world hadn't ended, but that wasn't do to him or anything he had done. Angel had come back and sacrificed everything to clean up a mess that Xander had allowed to form.
That was probably what really galled him, Xander supposed, but the thing was that night he realized something. He was a danger to the group. He couldn't hold his own in a fight, he couldn't even protect Buffy from herself. So he had no business being there.
Yes, Xander supposed that he could run. But, he also knew that Tony had laid a lot of faith at his door and for some reason he couldn't stand the thought of letting the man down.
"Hey..." Xander suddenly stopped, "Didn't I save *his* life? Why do I feel like I owe him?"
Finally he had to admit that he didn't understand it, couldn't quantify it, but he did feel a loyalty to Tony Stark. And Tony wanted him to do something that could make a difference in the world. Something that he knew he was good at.
And in the end, that's all it took to make his decision.
"Sunnydale... Ready or not, here I come."
Decision made, Xander found himself with two weeks to burn. Unfortunately, Xander honestly didn't know what to do with his time now. He'd been training for so much of the summer, and had spent next to no time learning what to do to relax, that he was lost for a bit.
Then the thought hit him. He'd go out and find Blade. Why not? That was certainly good to pass some time, and if he was going back to Sunnydale soon then he needed to get some practice in.
That thought in mind he quickly raided his closet. This time he skipped over the two hundred and fifty dollar shirts and grabbed one of the twenty dollar denim jobs, and a pair of black jeans.
He grabbed the Plasma Pistol, and slid two more stakes into his pockets and headed out the door. As he passed the garage he decided to exercise one of his new privileges and used his pass card on the door.
A quick glance around and he grabbed the keys to a sedan, and signed it out. The man behind the desk nodded, checked his ID, and waved him on. In a few moments Xander was on his way into the city.
Blade hadn't been accommodating enough to give him an address or even phone number, but Xander had a few new tricks up his sleeves now. He smiled as he access the computer in the car and tapped in the licence plate he had memorized off Blade's car. Within minutes he had an address and was driving along, whistling to himself as he did.
He stopped whistling when he pulled up to the empire state building. <Real funny.>
<Alright. You want to play that way... fine.> Xander grinned as he used the computer to slip an APB into the computer, requesting that anyone who spotted the car report it's location.
That done he grabbed a remote, locked the car up, and went sightseeing.
He was checking out the view from the top of the Empire State building, enjoying the red glow as the sun went down, when the remote chirped.
He glanced at it and smiled when he read the address the car had been seen out of. He quickly went back down to the car and acknowledged the information, telling the computer that the car wasn't to be tracked further.
Xander pulled the car to a stop and eyed the parked muscle car with a smile. "Got ya."
He got out of the car when he saw te big black man appear, and walked calmly toward him. Blade spotted him almost instantly.
"How'd you find me?"
Xander grinned, "Trade secret."
Blade's eyes narrowed, "What do you want?"
Xander shrugged, "Looking for a workout actually. You got anything on the line for tonight?"
Blade growled, "I have something on the line every night."
Xander smirked, "How about if I tag along?"
"I'm not a tour guide." Blade said as he got into his car.
Xander jumped into the passenger side and grinned, "Well I'm no tourist. Besides, I just found out that I'm shipping back to the Hellmouth soon... I need some survival practice."
"Your going to Sunnydale?"
"Heard of it?"
Blade nodded as he started the car, "Couple years ago the rumors started filtering out... about a Slayer protecting the hellmouth. Before that there wasn't much information though, just myths and legends about a Master."
Xander nodded. "Yeah. We dusted him over a year ago."
"You got a Master?"
Xander nodded, "Well... Buffy did."
"Buffy?"
"The Slayer."
Blade actually glared over at him, "The Slayer's name is 'Buffy'!?"
Xander chuckled, "Yeah... weird huh?"
"Ludicrous." Blade said, "What do you know about the new Slayer?"
Xander tensed. "New Slayer!?"
"Word is that Boston is being patrolled by a Slayer now."
Xander thought fast, "Must be Kendra's replacement."
"Who?"
"The second Slayer."
Blade glanced over again, "I thought that there could only be one?"
"Loophole." Xander said, "There are two... for now at least... I hope."
Blade didn't comment.
"What do you know about the one in Boston?"
"Not much." Blade said curtly, "just rumors. Word on the street is that she's pissing off a Master vamp out that way..."
Xander chuckled, "Sounds like a Slayer."
"Yeah... but Kakistos isn't an ordinary suck face." Blade said, "He's old. Real old. Word is that stakes won't kill him anymore."
"Is that possible!?" Xander asked.
Blade shrugged as he slowed the car down and parked it. "Anything is possible."
"So... what's this place?"
Blade pointed to the wall, and Xander saw a mark. "See that? It's a glyph. It means that there's a vamp safe house in the area."
"I didn't know they were this organized." Xander muttered, "They seem to be pretty loose around home."
"How big is your town?"
"Small... Sunnydale is pretty small."
"That's why. That and the fact that the Hellmouth has been under demonic influence for a long time. Rumors are, some big bad ass is pulling the strings in that town... so vamps can relax a bit."
"Great." Xander muttered, "Just great. Anyway, what are we looking for tonight?"
"Just cleaning house, and letting the suck faces know that I'm back in town."
Xader grinned, "Cool. Sounds like fun."
"Knock, Knock!"
Three vampires turned to see two men walk toward them. One was a young kid, dressed in black jeans and a maroon shirt, who was carrying a chunky pistol in his right hand. He was the one who had spoke. The second they recognized.
"Daywalker!"
Xander grinned, "You really do have one helluva rep."
Blade shrugged, "doesn't take much to impress this bunch."
"You have a point," Xander smiled as he raised his gun, "Shall we?"
Blade smiled evilly, and for the first time Xander noticed that he had abnormally sharp teeth. "Lets."
Xander forced down any questions as Blade opened fire. A quarter second later he followed suit and the room was suddenly filled with the muzzle flashes and reports of the two powerful weapons.
"What the he..!?" One of the vamps managed to scream before a shot tore him to dust.
The whole fight only lasted a few seconds before there was nothing but dust on the other side of the room.
"That was easy."
"Don't get cocky. We had surprise on our side there."
"And Firepower." Xander grinned, "Don't forget firepower."
Blade glanced down at Xander, "I wasn't. Where did you get that piece?"
"It's a Stark Security Issue TX-9 Plasma Pistol." Xander said, "Fires magnetically contained bursts of superheated gas. Designed to take out human targets while limiting collateral damage to the surrounding area... The plasma expends it's heat so fast on contact that most things don't have a chance to absorb enough heat to cause damage. Designed for counter terrorist operations where the fighting is likely to be around sensitive materials."
"Humans?"
Xander winced, "Ruptures a hole through their bodies big enough to drive your car through. I had to sit through a training film that showed the effects of this thing before I was allowed to pick it up on the range. I lost my lunch twice."
"Nice." Blade said impassively, "How much do they go for?"
"Not for sale." Xander shook his head, "Mr Stark keeps a very tight thumb on his weapons technology."
"Smart. Too bad, but smart." Blade started looking around.
"What are you looking for?"
"Should be a way into the basement from here."
Xander nodded and started looking himself. It took the two of them several minutes to find it, and in the end it was Xander who figured it out.
"Blade, check this out." Xander was grinning.
"What?"
Xander pulled on a book and the entire shelving system slid to the side.
"You've got to be kidding." Blade said.
"Nope. Someone's been watching too many old Batman shows."
Blade shook his head in disgust and the two of them walked down the stairs.
"I'm telling you! It's the Daywalker! He's here!"
Xander and Blade could hear the voice as they approached the dim light that was trickling from a closed door at the bottom of the steps.
"Blade is in Russia." A tinny voice replied.
Blade kicked in the door. "Dobriy vecher! I'm Back."
A vampire scrambled back from a computer and Xander raised his pistol.
"Wait," Blade stopped him, "I want to send a message."
Blade walked across the room, and glanced at the computer. "Hello Errin."
"Daywalker." The voice came back, "What brings you back to New York?"
"You do, Errin. You should have known better then to make a play for the east side. I might have left you alone for a few years while I was busy elsewhere."
The vampire on the screen shrugged, "We all make mistakes, Blade. Yours was coming back here. I'll have every vampire, demon, and bounty hunter in the state on you by tomorrow morning."
Blade smiled, "Bring it on."
Then he stepped back and fired a shot into the computer screen and started to walk out.
Xander stopped him, motioning toward the vamp. "What about him?"
"Him?" Blade kept walking, "Nothing."
"I thought you needed to send a message?"
Blade smiled, and pulled a small object from his belt. He casually tossed it over his shoulder and Xander heard it bounce into the room. "I just did."
They had just reached the top of the stairs when the grenade went off with a loud thump. Blade glanced over his shoulder, "Willy Pete. White Phosperous... Nothing going to be left of this safe house in an hour."
"So you do this every night?" Xander asked as they drove off.
"No. Some nights are busy."
Xander laughed, drawing an annoyed glare from Blade. "What?"
Xander stopped laughing and looked at him, "Oh. You were serious."
Xander shook his head, still grinning. "Now that is the way to hunt vamps. I always wondered why we didn't get ourselves better armed."
"You hunted with a Slayer?"
"Yeah."
"Watchers are idiots." Blade said flatly.
Xander laughed again, "Could be... could be. Speaking of which, what else do you know about this Slayer in Boston?"
"Not much, why?"
"Because Watchers are idiots. And I have a soft spot for Slayers." Xander said with a grin.
Blade shook his head, "The fact that they are all teenage supermodels doesn't have anything to do with it?"
"Of course not." Xander grinned, "And what is up with that anyway!?"
Blade chuckled dryly, "A mystery of the ages. Though I remember one guy who had an interesting theory..."
"What's that?"
"He thought that the Slayer spirit was male."
Xander couldn't help it. He bust out laughing. "Oh god, that's rich."
As he calmed down Xander managed to straighten out his face. "You know... it *would* explain a lot of things."
Blade just shook his head and drove. "I can probably find you some information on the Slayer i your serious..."
"Good." Xander said, growing more serious.
"Give me a couple days." Blade said, "Then call this number."
Xander reached out and took a card from him. "Thanks."
Blade shook his head, "If your serious about helping her, its all the better for me. Keeps another fighter in the game, and lets me focus elsewhere."
As Blade pulled the car to a stop beside Xander's sedan he looked back over, "And kid?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't track me down like that again."
Xander got out and shut the door behind him. He held up the business card and smiled, "Don't make me."
"Mr. Harris to see you, Sir."
"Send him in."
Tony Stark watched as Xander Harris walked into office, and nodded pleasantly. "What can I do for you, Xander?"
"It's about my time off..."
"Yes?"
"I need to head up to Boston."
"Why?"
Xander hesitated, "You know about vampires right?"
Tony nodded, "Yes. Stark Enterprises even funds a couple mobile hunting squads. Why?"
"Ever hear about the Slayer?"
Tony shook his head.
Xander nodded, "The Slayer is kinda the Anti-Vampire. A teenage girl is empowered by a mystical spirit, and then charged with fighting vamps. Until she dies."
Tony frowned, "What happens then?"
"Another girl is called." Xander said simply.
"That's barbaric."
Xander shrugged, "Whatever... That is out of our hands. What is maybe in our hands however is the latest Slayer... She's working out of Boston, and she's pissed off a Master Vamp."
"You want to go up and see if you can help." Tony said, nodding.
"Basically. I've got a couple weeks before I have to be back in SunnyD... maybe three if I push it... I really hate to hear of a Slayer's death, Tony."
"Ok. Go. If you need help, we'll be here."
"Thanks." Xander turned and walked toward the door.
"Xander?"
"Yes?" He half turned back.
"Take the Armor."
Xander looked shocked, but nodded. "Thanks."
"Hey kid," Jim said as he leaned against the door jam of Xander's apartment. "I hear you're leaving us early."
"Yeah... Got some business I want to check out in Boston."
Jim laughed, "Yeah, Tony told me. You know kid, trouble is going to be looking for you soon enough, no need to go looking for it."
Xander smirked, "But then what would I do for a hobby?"
Jim rolled his eyes, "You are too much like the boss for your own good. Anyway... here's a gift."
Xander caught the small object Jim tossed his way, then looked at it. "Keys? You're giving me a car?"
"Well... It's a company car." Jim grinned, "Nothing fancy... on the outside."
"And on the inside?" Xander smiled.
"Just the basics." Jim grinned.
"Thanks, Rhodey." Xander said, pocketing the keys. "I owe you one."
"Nah. When you see your apartment... THEN you owe me one." Jim laughed and walked away.
Xander shook his head and turned back to packing his things.
"Hello?"
"Blade there?"
"Who's this?"
"Xander."
"Ah, the kid with the Slayer fixation. I've got your info."
"Yeah? Who are you?"
"Name's Whistler. You want the info or not?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Xander listened as Whistler detailed everything he knew about the Boston Slayer's patterns and habits, as well as a little background on the girl's watcher, a Ms Pryce.
"Thanks. Tell Blade I owe him one... I'll call in a few weeks to let him know where he can collect if he needs to."
"If your still alive, Kid. Kakistos isn't a vamp to be fuckin with."
"Yeah well, I'll take my chances."
"Your call, kid. Good luck."
"Thanks, Whistler."
Xander hung up and went to say good bye to Tony and Jim.
Xander took a breath as he changed lanes and caught the exit to Boston. Finding the city had been easy, now the tough part. Find a Slayer in a haystack.
<No name, no address, and no description.> Xander mused, <Piece a cake.>
He drove through town until he arrived a cathedral downtown. He checked the place and nodded, one of the common stops on the Slayer's path. Xander parked the black Impala sedan and triggered the door locks and security system after getting out.
He felt the comforting weight of the pistol that was nestled under his left shoulder, and walked out into the graveyard. It was still light out, and there were people visiting their departed loved ones, so Xander stayed quietly out of the way and waited.
An hour to sundown.
"Miss Williams... please."
Faith just grinned as she palmed the Stake and hurried ahead of her watcher.
"Really, Faith... this is completely out of order! We should carefully examine the options... not merely run through the graveyard...."
Finally she gave up, and just followed her charge into the fourth graveyard of the night. The field watcher was shaking her head as she caught sight of the young Slayer ambling calmly through the massive graveyard.
Ahead of her she suddenly say three vampires accost her young Slayer in the middle of a crop of tombstones, attack all at once in a vicious harmony. She tensed and prepared to run to the young girls aid, but it shortly became evident that Faith didn't need any help.
The first one was dust almost instantly, the poor vamp never even realizing its fatal error. The second managed to get in a solid roundhouse that snapped Faith's head to one side. She came back with a grin, "That the best you got?"
The vamp pulled back for another shot, but Faith slid her stake in under its ribcage, and then angled the chunk of wood upwards to pierce its black heart. When it dusted it took the stake with it, but Faith was retrieving another one from her belt in a blurring motion.
The third tried to take advantage of the Slayer's apparent moment of weakness, but was stopped short by a snap kick to its groin, and a palm strike that laid it out on its back. As it's vision cleared it saw the lithe young girl straddle it, grinning down as she sat on it's chest.
"It must suck to be you." Faith said as she jammed her stake into it's chest. "Buh bye."
Linda Pryce allowed herself a small smile of pride as she watcher her Faith easily dispatch the three vampires, and began to walk forward to meet her.
"Not bad." Said a voice from just behind and above her.
She turned in shock to see a young man seated on the brick wall, chewing calmly on a piece of grass he had plucked from a slightly overgrown section of flowers.
"Not bad at all." He said as he flicked the piece of grass away using his thumb and forefinger, and calmly hopped down form the wall.
"Who are you and what were you doing up there?" Linda gasped out, fearing that the dark young man was a vampire.
"I was sitting in the lee of the yard so the vamps wouldn't smell me," The young man grinned, "and my name is Xander Ha...."
That was about as far as he got when a blurring fist came at his head, propelled by a screaming Slayer.
Xander snapped his head to one side and let the fist pass by. <Good thing I was half expecting that. Slayer's are predictable.>
He grabbed her arm and pulled in the direction of her punch, drawing her off balance until he lad her bent over in an arm lock. "If you'll just calm... OOOFF!"
He had missed the motion of her free hand swinging up from underneath and she nailed him in the ribs. The blow was light by slayer standards because of the awkward positioning, but it still packing enough punch to lift him to his toes. While he was distracted she slipped free and fell back.
"I don't know how you did that, but you're gonna pay for it!"
Xander got his breath back just in time to see her spin on her heel and lift her right leg to nail him across the head. Xander dropped onto his shoulders from a standing position, grunting with the impact, and as her foot swept overhead he lashed out and swept her left leg from under her.
He was moving before she hit the ground, kipping back to his feet in time to catch both her legs as she fell. He went with the motion and as the Slayer hit the ground he forced her legs all the way back to either side of her ears and sat on her upturned ass and held her pinned there.
Faith growled and started to move but froze suddenly as the barrel of a pistol was stuck up her nose. She didn't recognize the model, but she knew what end of a gun she didn't want in her nose. So the Slayer held still in her rather undignified position, growling at the humiliation.
"You must be the Slayer." Xander grinned until he felt a sharp point at the back of his neck.
"Let her up." Linda Pryce growled as she held the knife on the young man.
Xander shook his head, grinning. "Nice to see that Rupert Giles wasn't the only decent watcher in the council."
Linda was surprised but held her position, "How do you know Rupert?"
"As I was saying before I was so..." He glanced down at the brunette Slayer and grinned wider, "Rudely interrupted... My name is Xander Harris. I worked with Giles and his Slayer for a couple years."
"You can't be." Linda said, "I read Rupert's reports... Xander Harris is dead."
Now that did surprise Xander, and he mulled it over as he sat on the squirming Slayer with a knife at his neck and a gun in his hand. "Dead? What would make him think that?"
"His Slayer had a vision concerning Mr Harris' demise." Linda said coldly, "Something to do with being impaled?"
Xander tilted his head, but kept the gun firm as he let a little more of his weight settle onto the Slayer. "Well I did take a sword through the lung... Doctors had to resuscitate a couple times... would that set off a vision?"
Linda blinked. "I don't know." She admitted.
"Hey!" Faith yelled, "Could you two talk about this while I don't have some thug sitting on my ass while I'm folded up like a step ladder!?"
Xander glanced down and grinned again, "But I'm so comfortable here."
The Slayer growled, and Linda spoke up. "Do get off her."
Xander shook his head, "Uh uh... no I don't think that would be a good idea."
"Why ever not?"
"Because I know a little something about Slayer's... and the look in her eyes right now means that the second she gets free she's going to rip my liver out and feed it to me. And I'm not anxious to become an organ donor."
Linda smothered a laugh, trying to regain her composure rather then embarrass her Slayer any further. "I'm sure that Faith will promise to leave you be..."
"Yeah... sure... I promise." Faith said, entirely unconvincingly.
"You believe her?" Xander asked Linda with a grin.
Linda shook her head, "Perhaps you're right... and I must admit to be curious about exactly how long you can sit there..."
"Alright! Alright! I won't do anything! Just let me up!"
Xander nodded, "That time I think she meant it."
He gingerly slid off her, making sure to keep her legs under control until he was prepared to hop out of range. He was relieved when she kept her word as she got up, rubbing her legs and shoulders gingerly.
"Why are you in Boston, Mr Harris... assuming you are Mr Harris."
"I was working with a hunter in New York and heard that... Faith?" Xander waited for her nod before continuing, "Faith here had pissed off a Master vamp... Having seen first hand what a Master is capable of I decided that she could use a little backup."
Faith glowered at him from where she was standing, "I don't need any help."
"You're pissing off a vampire so old that he doesn't look human anymore, and you don't think you need some help?" Xander looked at her, mildly disgusted. "I guess Slayer's are all alike."
Linda Pryce looked at him, concern passing over her face. "What do you know?"
"I know that Kakistos is a contemporary of the Master we dealt with in Sunnydale... and that means that he's no powder puff."
"Kakistos..." Linda whispered in shock, shaking her head. "I had no idea he was in the area..."
"Who? What the hell are you two talking about?" Faith looked between them.
"Kakistos is an ancient vampire, Faith... he is not to be underestimated."
"So what?" Faith asked, disdainfully, "He stakes like any other vamp."
"Fraid not." Xander said seriously, "Word is that his skins grown too tough to drive a stake through... and even if that wasn't the case... a vamp that old, he'll hit you with a whammy before you get within ten feet."
"Whammy?" Faith asked.
"Hypnotism." Linda said quietly, "Elder vampire's have more then mere physical prowess at their disposal."
Xander nodded, then glanced around. "Look... you two mind taking this elsewhere? We're going to attract the wrong kind of attention soon."
"You afraid of a few vamps?" Faith taunted him.
"Actually I was talking about that police cruiser that just made its third pass." Xander said, "My car's in the lot... I can give you ladies a ride to wherever you want."
Linda nodded, "Very well... we'll go back to my apartment and discuss this."
"Cool." Xander said simply as he gave a little mock bow, "The chariot is this way M'ladies."
Faith rolled her eyes and Linda merely smiled as Xander led them out of the graveyard.
"This is a very nice automobile." Linda complimented him as she settled into the front seat.
"Yeah," Faith admitted from the back, then she smirked nastily, "For an old guy."
Xander just shrugged, "Company car."
"And what company do you work for, if I might inquire?"
"Stark Enterprises."
Linda's eyes widened. "Most impressive."
"It's a living." Xander shrugged as he pulled out of the lot. "Where are we going?"
Linda started giving directions.
"So, if you don't mind my asking, who exactly told you about Faith?"
Xander shrugged, "Hunter in the New York... goes by the name of Blade."
"The Daywalker?" Linda asked with a raised eyebrow.
Xander nodded, "Yeah... that's what all the vamps screamed before we roasted them. What's with the nickname anyway?"
"The Daywalker has been a modern myth of sorts," Linda said quietly, "Other vampires consider him to be some variant of a vampire... one who can walk in the sunlight."
"Blade's a vamp?" Xander shook his head, "That's hard to believe... He hates vampires, even more then I do."
"The myth goes that his mother was drained by a vampire before he was born... and that he was born half human... and half vampire." Linda shrugged, "But it is all simply myth. Until now I had ever met anyone who claimed to have met him."
Xander shrugged, "Whatever. Doesn't matter right now anyway, he's in New York... I'll take it up with him the next time I call. Kakistos is what matters now."
"Indeed." Linda said as she got up and moved to a well equipped bookshelf, "let me see now... K for Kakistos, or M for master?"
Xander rolled his eyes, and faith caught the expression. "You got a Pryce too?"
He grinned and nodded, "We call him a Giles though. Nice guy, but a little... hmmm... how do I put it nicely?"
"Square? Dull? Weird?"
"Ummm... British." Xander said.
"Ah. All of the above."
The two were chuckling when Linda came back with a book. "Kakistos... Worst of the worst... quite a name to live up to... He is the second oldest vampire on record... well, the oldest since the Master was killed."
"Anything on how to kill him?" Faith asked, impatient.
"A stake would suffice if you could get it through his hide..."
Xander held up his pistol, "This should do the trick as well..."
"A gun?" Linda asked disdainfully.
"A plasma pistol." Xander corrected, "Fires bursts of superheated gas that tend to charbroil a vamp."
"Cool!" Faith explained, then turned on Linda, "Hey! How come I don't get one of those?"
Xander grinned as he watched Linda fidget, then he finally decided to save her. "These were developed recently and aren't available for sale."
"How'd you get one?"
"Company issue."
"Oh." Faith looked annoyed, "How about slipping me one under the table?"
Linda looked downright terrified by that thought and Xander actually laughed. "Ask me again when your eighteen and we can get you a permit for it. But I have to tell you that my boss guards weapons technology very jealously..."
"Damn." Faith said simply, then perked up. "Crossbow still does a nice job though."
Xander smiled, "In your hands? I have no doubt."
Linda Pryce looked up from her books to see that both the young people had fallen asleep during the 'research party' as Xander insisted on calling it. The two of them had slid down slightly in the couch and Faith had wound up with her head resting on the young man's arm as he cradled her.
The Watcher smothered a soft laugh, not wanting to wake them, and knew that when Faith did awake she'd probably be as embarrassed by this turn of events as she had been by her ignominious showing in the earlier fight. Quietly the watcher got up and walked to her telephone, pondering whether to call Rupert or not.
Normally this wouldn't be a problem. She'd simply call her colleague and confirm the boy's identity, however Rupert had been making noises with the council concerning the upcoming eighteenth birthday of his Slayer.
"Damn you Rupert." She whispered. She had already received notice that communication with Giles was to be run through proper council channels only until further notice. They didn't trust Rupert, and that was hurting her ability to make proper decisions for her Slayer. "You had to keep bucking tradition."
She sighed and let her hand drop away form the phone. It was entirely possible that Rupert or herself were under Council surveillance, and violating a council edict could result in her removal as Watcher to Faith. She couldn't risk that.
Instead she went to her bedroom and unlocked a door that led to a small study. Inside she gathered up several components and a single parchment before returning to the living room where the two children slept.
She whispered quietly as she cast her spell, sprinkling the fine dust over the sleeping teens. "Light of souls, I call you here... Reveal to me, that which these hold dear."
Slowly a glow formed around the two forms, one that shimmered and coalesced into a cocoon of light that enfolded both bodies.
Faith's, she recognized instantly. The silver entwined with red that marked a Slayer, the streaks of black that represented her past were gently fading away now, and the core of fiery orange and purple that was Faith's true essence. Her Faith was a warrior born, one who had to be carefully monitored because, though she was good at heart, she had enough neutral in her that she could be swayed unless she had a powerful anchor for her loyalty to tether her to.
The boy was something else entirely.
His core was almost pure white. The sign of a Martyr or, as they used to be known, a Paladin. It was the colors that surrounded that core that disturbed Linda, however. Shimmering, unsteady, but growing stronger, filaments of Fiery red entwined with the purest gold were slowly forming around him, surrounding his aura as if with a shield of mystic armor.
Linda canceled the spell and sat down heavily as she considered what she spell revealed. She knew that the inner core established a persons course in life, and that meant that this boy would never betray those he befriended, though it may cost him his very soul. But the outer colors often established the persons interpretation of their destiny.
For Faith it was simple. She was a Warrior. Cunning, lethal, ruthless when need be. Her inner core had been guided and molded by the outer strands of the Slayer spirit until her warrior self was focused on a lifetime goal. Vampires. Demons. Threats to mankind.
The boy however, she didn't know. He was a Paladin, true... but that did not necessarily mean a warrior. Paladin personalities ranged from Knights, to Priests, to the man down the street who gave his last dollar to a stranger who needed a cup of coffee. It was an uncommon trait, but not unknown, or even difficult to find. It was the colors that directed the inner self that defined who the man was to become.
Purple for a warrior, Silver for a priest, an iridescent blue for someone who was simply a kind and generous man. Linda shook her head because the colors red and gold meant nothing to her in this context. They were unprecedented.
She sighed and went to a linen closet and retrieved a warm blanket. After gently laying across the two sleeping forms she retired to her room in the hopes of catching some sleep herself. At the door to her room she stopped and looked back, smiling as she caught sight of the peaceful look on Faith's visage. The only time that one looked peaceful was when she was asleep and, far too often, not even then.
The Watcher shook her head and retired for the remainder of the night.
The waking world claimed Faith first, as she slowly drifted back to consciousness pulled along by the bright shine of the sun in her face. The first thing she noticed was that she was warm. That was always a new feeling for her when she woke, she was used to waking up from the numbing cold.
Warmth was good, it was nice.
When she opened her eyes she recognized the room around her, and wondered why she had slept out here instead of in her room. That was when she felt something shift under her and she turned her head to see what it was.
She almost growled in annoyance when she recognized the guy who had put her down so quickly and easily the night before.
<How the hell did I wind up sleeping in his arms!?> She slid away, noticing that his arm gripped her a little tighter before finally letting her slip away. <At least I got out of there before he woke up. I hope that Linda didn't...>
"Good morning, Faith..." Linda said quietly from where she was sitting across the room, a steaming cup of tea cradled in her palm.
"Ah damn it."
"Do watch your language." Linda reproved her as she enjoyed the red flush that crossed over the Slayer's face. It was a rare event that Faith was embarrassed by anything, normally it was quite the reverse in fact.
"Don't say a word." Faith warned her with a jab of her finger. "I'm going to go change."
"Whatever you say..." Linda grinned as she sipped casually on her tea.
Xander shifted and awoke, something feeling wrong around him. He slitted his eyes before his mind even registered as being awake and took a fast look around him.
<Where? Oh... yeah, Boston. Watcher's place... shouldn't have fallen asleep here... don't know if I can trust these two or not yet.>
He shifted slightly, checking himself. He was free, just a blanket weighing him down. Though he felt chilled for some reason. Xander decided that was probably what woke him up and he stretched and opened his eyes.
"Good morning." Linda said from across the room.
"Morning." Xander got out through a yawn, "Sorry 'bout crashing here..."
"No need to apologize." Linda assured him, "You fell asleep while we were researching more information Kakistos."
"Did I? Damn." Xander muttered, "I thought I had a better attention span now..."
He sighed and stood up, stretching to work out the kinks.
"Sleep well?" Linda asked with a mild grin.
"Yeah..." Xander nodded, "Yeah I did... woke up a little cold though..."
She smiled, "Odd..."
Xander shrugged, "No big. You find anything else on Kakistos?"
"Nothing beyond what we already knew." Linda shook her head.
He nodded, "Too bad. I asked Blade to see if he could dig up any information on this one... I'll give him a call and see what he's got."
Linda nodded, "Very well."
Xander made his way to the far side of the room and pulled out a cell phone. He dialed Blade's number from memory, not wanting to trust it to the autodial where it might be found.
"Yo."
"Hey Whistler."
"Who's this?"
"Harris."
"Oh. You. You find the Slayer?"
"Yep. You got anything more on Kakistos?"
"Yeah... Blade rousted one of his childe last night, got an address down by the docks that might give you something... I hope you appreciate this, kid. We don't usually do errands."
Xander rolled his eyes, "Come on... give."
The man on the other end grumbled a bit, but turned over the address.
"Thanks, Whistler. Remember, I owe you guys one."
"I ain't gonna forget, kid."
Xander chuckled and hung up the phone before turning to Linda. "I think we've got an address."
"Good."
Xander turned in surprise to see Faith grinning nastily from a doorway, hands on her hips and a cocky smile on her face. He swallowed as he took in her leather pants and form hugging black t-shirt.
"What cha starin at boy?" Faith grinned, "See something you like?"
Xander shuddered almost imperceptibly, but quickly got his face back under control and turned to Linda. "We should get ready... it could be a rough night."
Linda suppressed a grin as she saw a flash of rage cross over her Slayer's face, but nodded at young Mr Harris. "An excellent idea."
"This is the place?" Faith asked in disbelief.
Xander didn't respond, he was staring up at the skyscraper through a powerful pair of binoculars.
"It does seem an unlikely place to locate a Vampire..." Linda added.
"No." Xander said finally, "He's here."
"How can you be sure?"
Xander passed Linda the binoculars. "Look at the top three floors... the windows specifically."
She did. "I see what you mean."
"What?" Faith asked, "What!?"
Linda lowered the binoculars and Faith grabbed them. "He painted over the windows on the top floors. Ingenious."
"Huh?" Faith asked staring through the binoculars, "They just look tinted to me..."
"No. They're painted. You can tell by the secondary reflection when the sunlight hits the paint... it's faint, but its there." Xander said as he keyed open his trunk and pulled a large attache case from inside. "How do you guys want to handle this?"
"Simple." Faith said, "We go in, take the stairs to the top, and kick his ass... NOW."
Linda frowned, "That is not a plan, Faith... that is Suicide."
Xander nodded, "It would be... except that I'm going to call in some help."
"What kind of help?" Faith asked, suspicious.
"A friend of mine from the company... He doesn't much like Vampires either."
"So what's your plan then?"
"You two handle the ground floor... I'll go in through the roof... With my friend."
"How the hell are you going to get to the roof?"
Xander smiled, "You don't know my friend."
"Alright. I'll bite," She said, "Who is he?"
"He's in my division at the company... only he's a lot higher up the ranks." Xander made a show of pressing a button on his cell phone. "And he'll be here in a few minutes."
"So we wait?"
"No." Xander shook his head, "You guy's go now... I'll meet him and go in through the roof in a few minutes."
Linda looked nervous, "I don't think that's a good idea..."
"Come on, Linda... We don't need them anyway... lets go." Faith started to drag her watcher away.
Xander reached out a hand, stopping Linda as she was starting to follow Faith. He handed her his pistol, "Take this."
"Don't you need it?"
"My friend is bringing something for me... Don't worry."
"What worries me is that you refuse to name your 'friend'."
Xander shrugged unapologeticly, "Sorry. But I can't tell you that."
Linda nodded, the results of her spell confirmed in her eyes. He would not betray a confidence. "Very well... but I still believe this to be an unwise course of action."
Xander smiled, "Maybe... I guess we'll find out."
Linda frowned and shook her head. "I do not like this... but faith will not be turned from this course of action..."
"And you're her watcher." Xander said seriously, "Good luck."
Linda hefted the chunky weapon, "To you as well."
Xander waited until they were out of sight and then ducked into an alley. He glanced around quickly, making sure that noone was in sight and lifted his attache case to eye level. A quick flick of a hidden button and the case fell open, unfolding and expanding with an eerie motion until the Iron Man armor was standing in front of him.
Xander stepped into the open armor, and felt it snap shut behind him. He slipped the helmet over his face and felt it snap shut around his head. He looked up and smiled under the armored mask. "Time for Iron Man to kick some ass."
His boot jets flared and he lifted off the ground, flying up to the first row of covered windows. He momentarily examined himself in the mirrored surface of the window, then calmly lifted his palms to face the glass and fired his repulsors.
The window shattered into a million shards, showering the interior with glass and letting in the burning light of the sun.
"What the fuck...!?"
"Shit!"
"Fuck! It burns! It burns!"
The vampires who were standing too close to the glass went up in smoke in seconds fro the glaring heat of the August sun. Those lucky few who were standing a little further back stared in shock as a gleaming form in red and gold appeared at the windows, stepping lightly onto the floor and walking in as if off the street.
"Aren't we twenty two stories up?"
"Yeah..."
"Is it just me or did a giant robot walk in our window?"
"Yeah..."
"Ok. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't insane."
"Yeah..."
They watched as the armored figure stepped in and looked around, its slitted eyes coming to rest on them. "Where is Kakistos?"
"I don't know what your talking abou... urk!" The first vamp managed to get out just before the armored form jumped forward and grabbed him by the throat.
"Where is Kakistos?"
"Go to hell!"
"You first." The armored figure whipped around and threw the vampire out the broken window, where it burst into flames and was reduced to dust more then ten floors above the street below.
The second vampire jumped in fear as the armored figure turned on him. "Where is Kakistos!?"
"Uh... two floors up?"
"Thanks." The vampire started to relax, until the armored form twisted and sent it along the same path as its brethren.
Iron Man rolled his eyes. "Vampires."
He looked around the large room and saw no more vamps in the area. He switched field views in his helmet and examined the nearby rooms, but unfortunately vampires proved quite difficult to detect and he found nothing.
"Decisions, decisions... Clear the floor or let faith have some fun?" Xander smiled. "Clear the floor."
Loud crashes, booms, and screams filtered up through the floors of the skyscraper.
"What the hell is going on down there!?"
"We... uh... we're under attack, Lord Kakistos."
"Who dares?" The cloven hoofed vampire snarled as he spun on the vampire who spoke.
"W... we don't know! He's dressed in armor, Sire... impossibly strong... he's going through our... your minions like they are.... mortals."
"What!?" Kakistos roared in fury, "My Childe are falling to some armored mortal!?"
"No Sire! He can't be mortal! He's too strong!"
"Bah!" The ancient vampire roared. "I'll handle this myself... get out of my way!"
<Floor cleared... Moving up.>
Xander glanced at the stairwell and grinned. He looked straight up and aimed his repulsors at the ceiling. A single blast a full power cleared a hole large enough to drive a truck through.
Kakistos hit the second floor roaring, looking around for any sign of the intruder. Nothing. He turned to head down one floor when an explosion caused him to spin around. As the dust and smoke cleared an armored form rose through a huge hole in the floor and touched down lightly just in front of him.
Kakistos growled. "Who are you!?"
"They call me... Iron Man." The metallic voice echoed oddly in empty floor.
"Cute." Kakistos muttered as he strode forward. "I am Kakistos."
"No shit." Iron Man said calmly. He lifted his hands, "I surrender... no wait, I don't."
Kakistos roared as a blast of energy lifted him off his feet, throwing him back into the wall. He slid to the floor, landing on his cloven hooves and shook the blast off. "You'll have to do better then that." He roared and charged Iron Man.
Xander took the cloven hoof strike on his armored jaw before he could react.
For obvious reasons the Iron Man armor was built out of materials that, while incredibly strong, are also remarkably lightweight. In fact the entire suit of armor weighs little more then its equivalent volume of plastic.
Thus, strikes as powerful as Kakistos' cloven hoof delivered enough energy to blow Xander, armor and all, off his feet and back into the hole he had blasted moments earlier. He fell a dozen feet to the next floor and slammed into the floor.
Kakistos walked over to the hole and looked down at where Iron Man was picking himself up off the floor. The armored head tilted up and the ancient vampire could have sworn that he saw it smile.
"You want to do hand to hand?" The tinny voice asked, "Fine by me."
Kakistos' eyes widened in shock as the armored figure lifted off, fists outstretched and flew through the hole, nailing him with both fists under the jaw.
The force of the double punch blew Kakistos into the air high enough to hit the ceiling, smashing the flourescent lights and dropping sparks across the entire floor. He came down to his knees, crashing into the floor with enough force to crumble the tiles.
He looked up in time to see the red and gold figure touch down lightly just in front of him, arms folded across his chest.
"Who are you?"
The armored figure just stared at him.
Kakistos growled as he surged to his feet, striking out with two fast punches to Iron Man's head.
Xander rolled with them, letting the clangs of the strikes die down, then he reached out and grabbed Kakistos with both hands. "I can bench over 80 tons..."
Kakistos just had time to look confused when the armored form suddenly shifted its weight and threw him straight up.
Xander watched as Kakistos slammed through the ceiling and vanished up to the floor above. "And I somehow don't think that you weigh anywhere near that much."
He fired his jet boots and lifted up toward the newly created hole.
"Hurry up!" Faith glanced back at her watcher as Linda puffed up the last flight of stairs.
"I'll... be... right... there."
"We should have taken the Elevator."
Linda shook her head, "No. They could have trapped us there."
"But Xander and his friend have probably already started!" Faith said as she kicked the door open and strode out onto the floor.
Linda came up behind her and ran into her Slayer when Faith stopped cold. "What?"
Linda looked over Faith's shoulder, surveying the mass of destruction that was in evidence across the entire floor. "What happened?"
Faith just walked out into the destruction, and looked up at the huge whole in the ceiling. "Do you suppose Xander did this?"
Linda swallowed. "I don't see how..."
"Yeah... I mean... how did he and his friend get in here anyway?"
Linda pointed to a window, "I'd say through that window..."
"What!?"
"All the glass is on the inside... if someone had *left* via that window then the glass would be outside."
"But where is Xander?" Faith looked around.
"Perhaps the vampires did this? Maybe they got him?"
They jumped back as an explosion shuddered above them, dropping debris through the hole. "No... I think he and his friend are still at it."
Xander surveyed the top floor of the building as he touched down. "Nice place you got here, Khaki."
"My name is NOT Khaki!"
"You prefer Caca maybe?"
The ancient vampire growled and charged him, plowing into Xander and running him back through the closest wall and into a corner office behind them. Xander dug his feet into the ground and they slowed to a stop.
"You want to do a test of strength? Try this!" Xander surged forward, driving the vampire back through the hole the two of them had made and across the room and through the next wall. As the two closed rapidly on the painted window at the far end, Kakistos grew more and more desperate to stop the rush and dug his own cloven hooves into the tiles floor. They ripped the tiles apart for dozens of feet before the two slowed to a halt and Kakistos glared at the impassive face of metal that was just in front of him.
"What in the nine hells do you want!?" Kakistos growled as he struggled to hold his position.
Xander drew back his right fist, "Not a damned thing."
Then he swung with the full strength of the armor, impacting Kakistos in the head and driving the ancient vampire off his feet and back through the painted glass behind him. He flew out twenty feet, screaming as the rays of the sun igniting his age hardened skin.
Xander lifted his right hand and fired a thin cable that snapped out and wrapped around the falling vampire's ankle. Xander braced himself and caught the vamp before it could fall to the streets below. He held fast as the cable tightened and started drawing Kakistos back in. A few seconds later the bleached white skeleton of the ancient vampire was laying on the floor at his feet.
He looked around, detecting the movement of others on this floor. Xander attenuated his chest projector and activated a piercing sonic squeal. He could hear groans of pain around him, and then screams of pain as the glass shattered all across the floor and the light of day reached all the darkest crevasses.
He waited a few seconds, searching for any survivors, but found no sign. Then he strode across the room, back to the corner office he had seen earlier and quickly located a computer terminal.
<let's see here...> Xander activated a small probe that jomped out of his left wrist and interfaced with the computer. <Hmmm... Vamp with his head in the modern world... dangerous. Ahh... digital security cameras... good. That's erased."
After he finished up his cleaning he sent a virus into the computer and watched as the hard drive began smoking, and new that others throughout the building were doing the same.
A slight noise reached his pickups and he snapped around in that direction. <Two moving... human. Hot. Linda and Faith... Time for my friend to leave.>
When Linda and faith picked their way through the debris on the top floor they found Xander lounging in an office chair, his feet resting on a cloven hoofed skeleton.
"Hey..." he greeted them cheerfully, "What took you?"
They stared at him in shock for several long seconds. Finally Linda spoke, "How?"
"My friend is a pretty scary guy."
"He'd have to be." Faith said, her jaw dropped.
"So... Linda, you know the ritual to scatter this things Skeleton?"
She nodded.
Xander grinned, "Good. I was worried for a moment. Shall we get out of here before the police arrive? The fight did break a little glass you know..."
They had just wrapped up the ceremony to destroy the skeleton the night before and Xander awoke that morning with the rising of the sun. He had crashed again on Linda's couch, though he couldn't quite explain why since he had a company expense account and could easily have found a nice room at any local hotel.
Still, he had elected to remain with Linda and Faith and had even succumbed to Linda's request that he spar a bit with Faith. Xander groaned at the memory. Faith had been delighted to return a little of the embarrassment and pain he had given her a couple nights prior.
Xander smirked. He was also fairly certain that was Linda's intention, keeping her Slayer confident in her own abilities. As painful as it had been on him, Xander was more then willing to get his ass kicked if that's what it took to keep Faith happy, confident, and alive.
He looked over to the kitchen and saw that linda was sitting at the table already, sipping at her tea.
"Good morning, Mr Harris."
He nodded at her, "Morning."
"I understand that you'll be leaving us today?"
Xander nodded, "Yeah. I started out this summer planning on seeing the country... I think I'll continue that before I go him for the start of the school year."
"You're returning to Sunnydale?" She asked, somewhat surprised.
Xander nodded soberly, "Yeah... I'm not sure I want to, but I am."
"Faith will be following you soon I think."
"What?" Xander looked up, "Why?"
"That is what she is being trained for." Linda said simply, "The Hellmouth needs to be protected at all costs."
Xander nodded. "When?"
"Around Christmas I should expect. By then she should be ready. Besides," Linda smiled, "I do so wish to be in a more temperate climate for the winter."
Xander rolled his eyes, "there are worse things then snow... and Sunnydale is most of them."
"Perhaps. But Duty binds us."
"Look me up when you hit town," Xander said, "I'll be in the area."
"I will do that." Linda promised. "When will you be leaving?"
"I thought I'd wait for faith to wake up so I could say good bye."
She nodded. "Good."
"So you're really leaving?"
Xander nodded as he walked along side the Slayer, "yep. School starts in a couple weeks."
Faith laughed, "I still don't get the whole school deal."
"Part of the deal I made with my boss." Xander said, "And I like my job."
"I guess." Faith said, unconvinced.
"Besides," Xander said, "School's not so bad... has some good points."
"Like what?"
"Food in the cafeteria isn't that bad."
Faith laughed and then Xander joined her. "You're completely insane."
"So they keep telling me." Xander smirked, "You know... maybe there is actually something to that."
Faith rolled her eyes. "I wish you were staying around."
"Ah...," Xander smiled, "No worries... keep your stake high and your vamps dusted and we'll meet again. Maybe I'll even let you kick my ass some more."
"Let me!?" Faith glared at him, outraged.
Xander slipped into his car and closed the door before she could say anything. "Besides... I've got a feeling that we'll be seeing each other sooner then you think..."
"Let ME!?" Faith raged at him as he started the car and backed out. "What do you mean 'LET ME!?"
Xander just chuckled, "Kidding, Faith, Just Kidding!"
She was still shaking her fist after him as he turned the car down the road and accelerated away.
"Yeah, that's right... I'm heading into town now..." Xander spoke into the headset as he passed the sign that said 'Welcome to Sunnydale.'
"Good." Tony Stark said over the phone, "You're late. School starts tomorrow."
"I'll make it." Xander grinned, "I just wasn't in a mood to be around the Sunnydale shop of horrors before I had to."
"Understandable. Take care."
"Always do, Tony."
"I meant, take care of *yourself* Xander."
Xander rolled his eyes, "you can't have everything, Boss."
"Good bye, Xander."
"Catch on the flip, Tony."
Xander hung up, then dialed another number quickly.
"Yo."
"Hey, Whistler... What's the what?"
"You again." The voice sounded disgusted.
"Yep. Don't you just hate your life?" Xander grinned as he turned down the main street.
"Actually I'm starting to hate yours." Xander could hear a smirk in the older man's voice.
"Ahh, well," Xander lamented, "Blade around?"
"Hunting."
"K. I just wanted to let you know that I'm setting up shop in Sunnydale now."
There was a brief pause. "The Hellmouth huh? Always figured you for a suicide job, kid. What I want to know, though, is what happened with Kakistos?"
"We got him."
"You already told me that. I want to know how."
"Explosively?"
"Wise ass." The man growled.
"Always." Xander grinned as he pulled his car into the parking lot in front of his new apartment. "Gotta let you go, Whistler... I'm... home."
"Good luck kid. Stay alive."
"Awww, I didn't know you cared."
"I don't. But you owe us a favor... and I'd like to collect eventually."
Xander laughed, "fair enough. You have the number I gave you?"
"Yeah, Kid... I got it."
"Good. Catch you later."
"Via Con Dios, kid."
Xander broke the connection and closed up the phone, then got out of the car and looked up at the building he was going to be living in. "I guess its time to check out the new digs."
He walked up to the building and let himself in with the key that Jim had attached to his key chain, and walked to the elevator at the far end of the hall. He got in and pressed for the top floor.
The elevator didn't move.
Xander cursed and inserted his door key into a slot below the buttons. When he turned it the elevator started moving.
"Can you say paranoid, Jim?" Xander asked aloud of no one in particular.
The elevator doors opened directly into the living room of his loft apartment and Xander walked out. "Damn. Rhodey, you were not kidding when you said I was going to owe you one for this."
The place was wide open, plenty of room, and decorated with impeccable taste. Leather couch and chairs, Stark eighty inch flatscreen that would do the job of a TV, computer monitor, and communication system that would let him have face to face talks with Tony at any time. The floors were newly redone in hardwood, and there was a single huge window that overlooked the park.
The bathroom was done in similar luxury, with a whirlpool tub large enough for a half dozen people easily, tile walls and floors, and a separate shower.
He nodded in approval and walked over to the bookcase on the far wall of the living room. "Armory Access."
"Confirm identity." The computer's voice came out of the ceiling.
"Harris, Alexander L. Stark Enterprises Security chief, west coast."
"Identity confirmed."
The book cases slid apart, revealing a well stocked armory within. Xander marched in and placed his attache case that contained the Iron Man armor into a special lock box. "Seal the Mark 12. Maximum security."
"Sealed."
He walked out of the armory, "Close the armory."
The bookcases slid silently together behind him.
Xander dropped into the comfortable leather couch and grabbed a remote from an end table. "Let's see what's on Tv..."
Before he could trigger the remote, the screen popped to life and a menu with a list off all channels and shows came up on the screen.
"What would you like to watch?" The computer asked calmly.
Xander shook his head and grinned. "Is Friends on?"
A brief pause, "Confirmed. Three different episodes."
"Show me."
Xander grinned as episode synopses for all three came up on the screen. "Hey! The Princess Leia episode! Put that on."
The screen flickered and the show started.
Xander grinned. "I'm gonna like living here."
"Thank you, Sir."
He looked up at the ceiling suspiciously, about to say something more, but finally shook it off and started watching the tube.