Graduation day is a happy occasion for most, it signifies the end of one journey and the beginning of another, but not for these students, today could very well be the end of everything, today they had to make a choice to stand and be counted, or to walk away and fall.

But for one student Alexander 'Xander' Harris it was at a crossroads, he held a secret one that he hadn't told anyone, Halloween had changed him for the better, what he became because of it changed eth town for the better

He sat alone bathed in darkness; the night was surprisingly still, like the eerie silence at the eye of a storm. He sat in a comfortable chair looking out at the star filled sky, in his hand a long totem staff; it was long and silver at the head a metal standard that held a black screen like section that had the image of a star upon it.

"Whispered secrets of a shattered age, I summon you renew this sage" he said as he slammed the butt of the staff into the floor. It glowed sapphire blue for a moment then a mechanical looking owl came out of the totem "oh grate owl of wisdom will we survive the battle if I don't use my powers" the owl considered this for a few moments

"You will indeed survive the graduation if you don't use your powers, but a great many students will not, you must consider whether to reveal your secrets or let many of your pears die" the bird spoke in an ageless voice that held grate wisdom.

For all his powers he had yet to use them but now he was at a cross roads, he remembered what the wizard Merklynn had told him

(Halloween night)

Xander landed heavily in his plate armour costume that was cardboard not five seconds ago, he looked around and found himself in a palace in front of him stood an old man in a red robe tied with a golden rope, and in his old bony hands he held a football sized crystal ball

"Hello" he said startled slightly "who are you?"

"Where am I, what is going on" he said slowly getting to his feet

"You my young friend are on Prysmos, as to what is going on I'm afraid I am at a loss" he said razing his crystal ball "ah it seems that a poorly crafted spell sent you hear, I am getting a trace of Chaos, tell me my young friend what were you doing before you arrived hear"

"I was taking kids trick or treating "the old wizard held up a hand to stop him

"What is trick or treating?"

"Its part of a holiday called Halloween originally a pagan holiday which is when the spirits of the dead rise, but in modern times it's an excuse to dress up as your favourite character from TV of comic books and extort candy and other treats with the threat of a trick if you don't" the old wizard razed an eye brow "don't look at me like that I was against doing it but got overruled by an evil troll of a principle"

"What did you dress as? He asked slightly amused

"What" not thinking he heard him correctly

"What did you dress as?"

"I dressed as a knight from this TV show I watched once when I was a kid, I couldn't remember the name but I thought it was cool I went as a knight I created when I was younger, I found a picture I drew when I was like nine or something and thought what the hell give it ago"

"Really that is interesting" he was scanning the boys mind and saw what he imagined a spectral knight and a darkling lord, a gray knight he liked that. "Tell me my young friend what would you do if I gave you power" he asked

"That depends you're not going to steel my soul right" he asked when he shook his head indicating no "I would help my friends in any way I could" the old wizard smiled

"I know the truth of you Alexander, for I have gazed into your very being, like my own knights you have the ability for grate kindness and grate pain, and as such I grant you two things, the first "He razed the ball high and energy struck Xander in the chest where the armour was once plain white now was black with a white and blue lion "you have the a noble and choragus heart that is matched only by your ferocity , there for I grant you the white lion as your totem animal" he then materialized a staff that held a metal standard with a plain bland screen. He then beckoned Xander to follow him he led him to a set of steppes that led up to a golden pool, you could feel the power coming from it in waves, he then placed the totem staff into the pool for about an hour, "When I first chose who received the power I charged their staffs for a mere moment, and to create a lasting peace, I made them come here to recharge their totems power, but with you living so far away and the circumstances by witch you find yourself, I am charging it with enough power to last permanently, you also have all the totems of both the spectral knights and the darkling lords and the knowledge of the basics of magic, just enough to do simple spells that will help you summon the powers of your staff, and how to de summon it, though I caution you young knight only you will know when and how to reveal your powers chose wisely who you confide in, but I sense our time is at an end, a pity that" he smiled and handed him the staff totem, Xander felt the power flow through and connect with him at his very core

(Graduation day)

"Good afternoon, I am Mayor Wilkins the third, I hope you don't mind the cameras but I believe that the people of this fine town and state should bear witness to this momentous occasion, what momentous occasion you ask?, Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just distance travelled? Time spent? No, it's what happens on the way. It's the things that shape you. At the end of the journey, you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do. You ascend to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing" he pauses as if in pain, grimaces nastily but straitens up "And so, as we look back on..." again a grimaced pause, " on the events that have brought us to this day..." another and his skin began to visibly change " we-we must all- AHH" he smirked evilly his human teeth becoming sharp and jagged " It has begun my destiny. It's a little sooner than I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride, but, I guess we'll just skip to the big finish" he growled out in the sky the moon was encompassing the sun in a total eclipse, the plan had begun, both the mayors and Xanders.

The state and town watched as he transformed morbidly fixated on the honorific scene as flesh became scale, his arms fused with his body and his legs fused together, but the most horrific was his face, his mouth opened and opened and opened, his eyes shifted up and out wider, his nose vanished.

At the height of his change the sky darkened, slowly obscuring the horrifying scene, whilst the students were still with horror and aw, no one moved no one save Xander; he pushed off the graduation robes in one movement then the hat, discarding them like trash.

His armour was black white; the shoulders had a lion like paw that covered the shoulder completely in a silvery like white, the bicep and triceps armour was black. The forearm armour was again silvery white and extended down onto the top of the hand which was black and had white claws on the tip of each finger. The main armour of the leg was black which led down to white boots; most of the details on the armour were trimmed with gold. The torso witch held the main image of his totem was white silver; the screen like totem was black with a roaring lion that is blue and white.

He materialised his totem staff in a flash of white and blue.

"The arrows turn, the swords rebel, Let nothing pierce this mortal shell" a green being surrounded the Sunnydale students as Xander stepped out of it. He had hair in spikes with a strong masculine face, he was only the upper body which was well muscled, where his lower body should have been was the domed shield.

"forgive me for not being truthful to you Buffy but what must be will be" he said as he put on his helmet, that of a roaring lion, with a long white main, the face guard slammed shut, he pulled an English war sword from seemingly nowhere "DEMON" he shouted.

The crew filming the graduation live were jostled out of there shock, by the incantation and were filming the young knight.

"I WOULD HAVE WORDS WITH THEE" he shouted imitating the mighty Thor, he slammed his staff into the ground with enough force to hold it in place, around five or six Vampires rushed him, he ducked one strike, in one motion he took the leg of his attacker with enough force to flip it, he then took its head. Another attempted a kick which he blocked, he moved like water taking the beasts head, a kick from his blind side knocked him forward, he then spun around and levelled it with a punch, he then cut off its head in its stunned state. The last three came at him at once trying to hit him but getting in each other's way; Xander ducked and weaved, until the moment presented its self, in one swish another dust pile, ducking weaving and dodging until swish another dust pile, the last attempted to charge only to have his skull spilt in twine, the creature fell to its knees before dusting.

He was slightly out of breath but hid it well behind the face guard.

A cold laugh echoed through the courtyard where the ceremony was held.

"Alexander, you are an interesting opponent" the mayor said in his peppy happy voice "and you have some power, no matter you will die" Xander just moved forward retrieving his staff and securing it to his back. "You believe you're self powerful, I will make you fear me"

Without any indication more vampires attacked, Xander ducked one which gave him a shot at anther he moved faster than normal decapitating an attacking vampire he spun to his left ducked a wild punch and cutting the legs from the back to front, then before it hit the floor in one clean swing he took the head,

"I will teach you the meaning of fear" Xander said as he raised arm and placed his hand on his staff and pointed at the vampires "Oh mist-filled pits, dark, dank, unclear, Touch all before me with frost-fingered fear!" hundreds of green spiders began to pour from the totem and land on the ground and on him, the scene was horrific as anyone had seen they poured from the staff on and down him and scuttled towards the demonic minions of the mayor, having not felt fear in many years or not at all the demons were beyond petrified as their worst fear came to life and attacked them, immediately there screams of terror filled the air the majority of them ran than trying in vain to escape there terrors, while the others dusted themselves rather than face any more of the horrors.

Slowly the reaming green spiders disappeared in light

"Well gosh, colour me impressed" it slithered around the podium "but why not let them out to play as well" he asked he turned to the emerald shield

"You think me a fool, I will not sacrifice innocents in this battle" he said with conviction,

"The creature that the mayor has become is having some sort of dialog with this knight called Alexander, Faculty and students have identified him as being one Alexander Harris, a graduating student" said the female news woman

"XANDER" shouted Buffy "why, why are you doing this, what about the plan what about..." she couldn't continue, Buffy was resorting to pounding on the shield, but not even her mighty strength could crack it

"Yes Alexander enlighten us why are you fighting here alone" it slithered "They are armed and willing why not let them go" he spoke

"They are scared teenagers who have yet to make their peace with whatever god they choose to worship, they have not lived yet so I will not condemn them to die now, before they get their chance"

"so you chose to fight me alone what about your friends the slayer her watcher your Wiccan friend and her werewolf lover, the ensoled vampire the new watcher and your ex, they have fought with you and saved this world more times that most, four apocalypses and all four you had a hand in guiding them, direct or no, CPR on the slayer, the rocket launcher for the judge, lying to the slayer to stop this world from being sucked into hell, the sister hood of je's zombie minions that planed to blow the hell moth open, they fought with you most of those times why not now" he asked "do you not trust them or is it that you have a death wish"

"I made a promise as god as my witness I swore that I would do everything in my power to keep my friends alive, in the shadows or directly I helped them because they are the family I have forged myself, I have read all the watchers diaries translated every dialect through hard work, I found picking up languages easy, do you know what I found out"

"What did you find out Alexander?" he asked

"each and every slayer only lived one to two years after they were called, girls some as young as ten having this responsibility thrust upon them, not even experiencing life for all its wonder and beauty, after that I swore, I swore no more I wouldn't let another have this wretched fate befall them"

"A noble goal" spoke the snake "foolish but noble"

"When Buffy drowned I brought her back, twining the line and saving her life, I'm sorry to say I couldn't save Kendra"

"And Faith"

"I made a mistake with Faith, she needed more love than I alone could give and you exploited her vulnerability for your own ends"

"And I enjoyed every moment of it"

"You're a sick bastard you know that, and I am going to enjoy taking you apart "

"You believe yourself capable I am insulted, I am going to be a god, and unlike the gods of old who were killed by aliens or simply vanished, I will be eternal this world will be mine, mine to shape, mine to twist in any direction, not even the Powers That Be, WolfRam and Heart, the Circle of the Black thorn or anyone else will stop me"

"Hubris? You did all this for hubris" he spat

"No, the camera crew from the news beaming my glorious ascension around the state was to forever destroy the balance, I make history today, and today I will rule the world"

"No you won't, I swear on the blood of my ancestors that you will die this day"

The crew were recording in stunned aw, unknown to them they were beaming this world wide, in religious centres around the globe prayers were made, in a Colorado military base was watching the events unfold they were already scrambling a team to deal with the threat, they are at least an hour away, in san Francisco three sisters began to chant a spell to help the knight, S.H.I.E.L.D was launching their own response, in New York Dr strange was also chanting, the Avengers also launched with a team for battling magic, the X-man also launched their full team , in angle grove six teenagers with attitude were already on their way to fight their own enemy. Various governments were watching in stunned silence, they watched as a mere boy stood between the world and doom.

"Fine words my boy, but I think more difficult to put into action" he spat "I am now an Olvikan, a high demon do you have any idea of what that entails"

"Do you?" that stunned the snake "have you forgotten that humanity banished the pure demons long ago, in our earliest writings the storeys were passed down, how humanity stood as one and defeated evil, and for a time the world was Eden" he spoke

"Have you forgotten the means and the ability to do so was destroyed by the Catholic Church" the snake laughed or at least as much a snake could "I am now a god, invulnerable, immortal, nothing on this plane can defeat me"

"Well then today I will prove that even gods can be killed" he spoke finally, he lifted his staff from his back and raised it again "By nature's hand, by craft, by art, What once was one now fly apart!" he pointed to the few remaining demons "obliterate them" a green gigantic beast immerged from the staff and attacked the horde cutting them up with ease, it turned its attention to the Mayor, this was this creatures first summoning it was too powerful to use in a normal setting. Using its glowing green sword it slashed the Mayor cutting his scale armoured hide like a knife through butter, the mayor screamed in rage and pain and attacked the entity, using his large jaw and serpentine body to wrap around him he began to constrict it before he bit its head off, the creature dissipated him a halo of lights.

"You," he hissed in rage "how dare you, I am your god bow before me and I may let you live"

"I bow before no one, mortal or otherwise" spoke Xander "Three suns aligned pour forth their light and fill the archer's bow with might!" a giant blue man with no lower body sprang forth from the staff floating he aimed his arrow at the mayor, Xander pointed at the mayor and he fired the arrow hit with such force that it lifted the mayor up and back around ten feet further away.

"That took allot of power" he said as he used his staff to support himself he was tired fatigued already he knew how exhausted but his body was just catching up, he had done it the beast was gone, or so he thought.

"Little bastard, almost killed me, me a higher demon a god amongst lesser beings" the snake moved slowly

"No, no it's not fair" he spoke softly but clearly enough for the crew and the world to hear him; he forced himself to his feet he didn't know how long his strength would last.

"You cut me, wounded a god, a commendable effort Alexander but not nearly enough to kill me" it spoke with its tail it lashed out hitting Xander into his own shield, it rippled with energy but held just as strong "is that the best effort you could cobble together, what would faith say"

"Don't, don't you ever, ever speak her name" strength fuelled with rage and stubborn determination brought him back to his feet "you are not worthy enough"

"Poor love sick fool" spoke the mayor

In her hospital bed Faith had awoken, to see nurses in her room watching the battle as Xander got to his feet.

"She would never love you; you were nothing but another notch to her"

"Maybe but I love her, she is my one and only and because of you I may never get to tell her"

"She was a fool, a naive little girl, a runaway, a worthless broken whore; she was useful for a time, a tool, no a puppet, one I no longer have a use for" it slithered closer to Xander who was shaking with rage "dose it hurt, dose it hurt to know that everything that befell her hear was all a part of my plan, I made sure to clue in finch at the right time, I made sure the two slayers were together I was going to get one of them, I made sure to attack at the right moment and with a little prompting from a mind control spell made sure he ended up on the end of her stake"

That hurt Faith deeply, she had viewed him as a father figure, he treated her well, but to see and hear what he really felt brought her to tears she had been a fool to trust him,

"I will make you pay for hurting her worm" Xander snapped, the rage with in him was burning like a raging inferno. He raised his staff he hammed it securely into the ground, "Draw upon the breath of stars, and scorch the skies with fiery scars!" birthed from the sky came a raging hell that only the pharaoh who defied mosses could relate, flaming death began to rain upon the mayor, flaming rocks bounced off the emerald shield weakening it slightly.

The mayor was amazed by the sheer power that the boy had shown.

"Very clever Alexander but I am immune to fire" he shouted, Xander was beginning to tire again keeping the shield up and launching attack after attack was starting to drain him dry,

The film crew didn't know that this was being filmed now all around the world, they just watched amazed until the roar of aircraft began to be herd.

"Ah, it seems as if the military are getting involved, such fine brave men and women, they will taste utterly delightful" he moved faster that he looked and was a military bout to sink his teeth into the military helicopter

"No, I will not allow it" shouted Xander as he pointed his staff at the multiple landing craft "Shield this craft from one and all. Reflect, deflect, depose and fall!" all the ships were encompassed in a glowing blue energy shield, he was now running on fumes. The green shield protecting his friends began to flicker slightly "this is between you and I, no one else" he spoke over the mayor's scream of pain.

The mayor hissed in rage at Xander

"Very well" he breathed a raw burn on his body "very well" he spoke louder and clearer.

"Sheathe these feet in the driving gale; Make swift these legs o'er land I sail!" A blue human with wings on its helmet and a tornado for a lower body wrapped itself around Xander, he moved so fast that he was only a blur to normal human eyes.

They watched the Mayor as a blue trail was all over him, any normal being would be like a snake in a blender

"You fight well my boy, but not good enough to defeat me" he shouted, across world the people were transfixed. The Mayor demon laughed as he fought, Buffy and every member of the ceremony were pounding on the flickering shield

(Inside the various craft)

Jack O'Neill braced himself only for a shield to appear around the copter 'I want this kid' he thought, thinking of all the damage he could wrought against the Goa'uld

Nick Fury was about to fire down the monsters throat only for a shield to surround the craft 'I want this kid' he thought, thinking of the military applications for his powers

In the Avengers Javelin Thor and Hercules wanted to share a drink with the mortal that could fight a higher demon and hold the two of them at bay

In the x-jet the mutants were wondering what kind of mutation this kid had.

(Sunnydale Graduation fight)

"It seems you are running out of power young knight" taunted the mayor "you will be easy pickings in mere moments" Xander hated to admit it but the bastard was right he had two maybe three spells left in him.

"I have strength enough to finish you demon" he breathed as the shield began to fall Buffy and the others were going to run to him he shouted "stay where you are" he was breathless now but he began to chant again but was interrupted by a crack as the shields surrounding the air craft also fell.

He was tired, his throat hurt, his vision was starting to blur, and he was shaking with fatigue but he fought on

"Wings of steel shall ride the breeze. Invade the air, the land, the seas!" metal wings sprouted from his armoured back he took to flight using strength within the spell he lifted the mayor with him, "you may be immune to fire but not to gravity" higher and higher they went, it beardy registered that the eclipse had ended, they continued to fly up until they were just touching space, then the spell ran out of power the wings disappearing both began to fall.

Buffy tried to stop him, she tried to break out of the shield if only she was stronger, or faster she could have saved him. She looked to the sky for any singe of her friend or the mayor; she knew that if whatever Xander had planned failed that she would stand in his place and fight.

The camera was pointed at them until they were specs in the blue sky.

"It seems that mister Harris has taken the fight to the sky" said the news woman. A shrill whistle brought them out of there stunned state as Buffy called for the attention of the students

"Xander may have won this fight but in case he hasn't we must be ready" she then nodded the group leaders, immediately around thirty to forty students removed there robes and hats, the parents watched as their children unvalued armour and weapons from the middle ages, "Xander made sure that each of us is armoured for our battle now, we are his plan B and we will show him that we can stand by his side in this fight and win" the students roared in appreciation she had fired them up like a great general could.

The camera looked right at her then the students.

Every student was armoured and dressed as if they were going to stand with Henry the fifth during the hundred year's war, but instead of Tabards showing the crest of the king, it showed an emblems of the slayer.

Harmony as the best archer in the school lead the archery club, students from the Av science and history clubs most lacked any real physical strength used cross bows Jonathan Livingston lead them, the sports boys were the close range fighters were armed with swords, axes, war hammers, pikes, with shields. They planned to use a phalanx like attack that would work well in the tight quarters of the square.

The military was stunned slightly at the sight of the armoured and armed teens.

Nick Fury was not amused

"What do you think you're doing missy" he snapped as he approached the camera zoomed on him.

"Finishing the fight" she answered and turned to join her friends only for Fury to grab her arm, she then flipped him judo style, and walked away.

Many people began to look to the sky, to see if they could find any trace of Xander or the demon; it was early quiet like they were in the eye of the storm, the students were making any last minute preparations needed, making sure all the arrows were easy to reach, making sure that the blades were sharp, military personnel were policing trying to lead them away only for them to be met with a wall of stone faced resistance.

The super heroes were also trying to convince the students to leave.

"You can't stay here its too dangerous" said wasp

"I don't care, Xander fought for us, we are his back up if you don't like it then get lost, this has nothing to do with you" spat Buffy

"Yeah, you haven't lost friends or family hear we have" said one student

"You all of you super heroes can get lost, we don't want you hear" said another

"Please we are only trying to help" said captain America

"if you really were you would have been in this town saving lives instead of jetting around the world" said another student another approached the captain

"look around you all of you, look into our faces we are the lucky ones, we survived SunnyHell" said one student who held a thick news paper "read it, go on, read about all our dead friends, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters" he drove the paper into the chest of captain America "the only deaths that excel our towns would be the camps in Nazi Germany" the captain grabbed the paper off him "so don't you dare, don't you dare tell us that this isn't our fight" the student left and rejoined his friends to prepare.

"you have our word on the matter" said one of the archers

"you aren't trained to fight we are you will just get in our way" said Jack O'Neill

"Really and how do you plan to fight it?" asked Buffy, jack gestured to his P90, Buffy and the others laughed and Jack suddenly didn't feel as confident as a moment ago "guns, you plan to use guns" she said in-between chuckles "guns and bullets don't kill demons, otherwise we would be using them"

"and arrows swords and knives do I suppose" he said

"you'd be suppressed" she said simply.

"There" shouted one of the students; sure enough a black dot was in the sky and was getting larger another was alongside it, but smaller they were both in freefall, many people creamed as they realised that there hero Alexander was falling alongside the demon.

"No Xander" shouted Willow a second later there was a massive crash as the two landed father with in the town centre that the school. Everybody students and military, hero and civilian ran to the crash site.

Using the last of his magical energy Xander softened his impact considerably but he still felt the impact. The town centre was nothing more than a crater, the demon in the epicentre and Xander unmoving ten feet away, the crowd gathered around, they saw nether of them moving, they didn't know whether to celebrate or cry, that was however until the demon started moving, many began to run until they heard him speak

"inconceivable, how could this mere boy deal me so much damage" it hissed, as it pulled itself from the rubble, it was cut in several places bruised in a light purple some of the fangs were broken and chipped, "no matter my full power is within my grasp" dark malevolent energy began to spark around his body as it began to heal him

"oh, no you don't" spoke the familiar voice of Xander "I'm" breathed Xander as he stood, his armour was buckled and damaged but slowly he got to his feet leaning on his staff "I'm not going to let you, have this world, I have enough power for one spell" energy surrounded him as he drew on power from his staff he stood tall as he spoke his final spell "Flay the flesh, lay bare the bone. Upon this field, let grief be sown!" he didn't see his spell hit, as soon as the energy went to the staff his vision went black and he passed out, the last thing he thought was 'I wonder if I'll share a room with Faith , The news crew and all that had came watched as the greater demon began to scream in immense pain before their eyes, with morbid fascination they watched it as the power visually left its body, all his dark magic bled from his ever poor.

"no, my power" he screamed as he writhed in agony

"what's happening to him Giles" Buffy asked as she turned to him, the other students looking at him with an expectant look, like he could instantly pull the information out of the either.

"I know what that is" said a voice from behind them in a heavily Brookline accent "that is the magic extractor curse" they turned to see whistler the balance demon, some of the students turned to attack only to be stopped by Buffy

"stop he's a messenger from the powers that be" this stilled the students

"it wasn't supposed to happen like this" he spoke as he removed his hat "the kid was never supposed to be a magical knight, but that can't be helped, but now the balance has been all but shattered thanks to Dick here"

"so what now" asked Buffy?

"Now nothing, the powers have been relived by the big man himself" said a the Brooklyn demon

Suddenly a flame whooshed up from nowhere and eth students and military moved to train their weapons on the intruder.

"Behold the Metatron herald of the almighty and voice of the one true god" British voice from inside the flames. The balance Demon's eyes opened wide in awe and he bowed reverently.

Buffy always quick to action grabbed a fire extinguisher from a nearby fire man and began to douse the flames with fire retardant chemicals

"Holy shit it's Adam Rickman" said one of the teachers

"Not again" he hated being mistaken for his mortal counter parts "I am the Metatron" he spoke

"The what?" asked Buffy?

"The Metatron" he saw the black looks from the majority of the people and the news crew "oh honestly don't tell me the name doesn't ring a bell, bloody kids today if it's not in a game or movie it just doesn't exist for you dose it" he sighed in exasperation "I am a seraphim" again blank looks he unvalued his impressive nine foot wing span "the highest quire of angle" finally some of the people began to grasp who and what he is "I am the voice of god, any documented occasion where anyone claimed to speak to god there speaking to me" he paused then added "or there talking to themselves"

"Why dose god need a voice?" asked Willow

"Human beings have nether the oral or psychological capacity to withstand the awesome power of gods true voice, where you to hear your mind would cave in and your heart explode inside your chest" he said with another sigh he added "we went through five Adams before we figured that one out"

"How do we know you're an angle" shouted one student

"What, you mean beside the fiery entrance and the impressive wing span" he said

"You could be a demon in disguise" shouted another student

Metatron sighed again, oh how he hated explaining himself especially to bottom feeding children

"Alright how about a drink" and with a clap of his hands they were all gone.