Title: A Soldier's Dream
Author: MrPowell
Summary: A Scooby has died in Japan and a former member of the gang has been sent to get vengeance. But is that all there is to the story? WARNING: Character Death.
Rating: FR18/M
Ship: Xander/OC, Xander/Buffy (Friendship)
Verse: Buffy with a mention or two of things from Charmed in some possible later chapters if I ever get around to writing them. No real crossover though.
Category: Action, Yet Another Halloween Fic, Non-Crossover
Warnings: Violence, Character Death
Beta: Drucilla & SeiyaStars
Thanks: Drucilla and SeiyaStars for beta'ing this and making it readable. Abby for allowing me not only to use her name but make her a widow. Joss for creating this verse (even if I do believe you ruined it in seasons 6&7) and allowing us to play with it.
Disclaimer: No. I do not in any way own any of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All rights belong to Joss and his minio… erm excuse me… his associates, yes his associates.
A Soldier's Dream
Prologue
Death of a Hero
- - -
July 17th 2027
Yokohama, Japan
Xander Harris, formerly of the United States Army's Delta Force and Green Berets divisions, usually found flying to be a peaceful experience.
Usually being the operative word.
Sadly, this time, it was not a peaceful and relaxing mode of transport, primarily because he was in the middle of a battle, and his specially modified H&K MP5 was headed in the opposite direction. That and his chest hurt.
He and his team of vampire hunters had been contacted by the New Watchers' Council a week ago for what was supposed to be a simple hit-and-destroy mission. He gladly took the job, not because of the offered pay (which he had refused) but because of one thing. Yurimo Icharo, a 500-or-so year-old master vampire from Japan had killed Buffy Anne Summers, and while he still didn't really get along with her, he still was fiercely protective of "his girls" no matter how badly they had betrayed him. For that, Icharo had to die.
It was probable that it was that hard-headed sentiment that led him to his current situation. A semi-reputable source had given him an address where Icharo supposedly made his base. He had quickly led his eight-man team of retired military special forces ranging from around the globe in what was supposed to be a quick recon op. Apparently, however, it seemed that his source had double-crossed him as Icharo had what looked to be a two-hundred-vampire strong welcoming committee ready for them when they arrived.
As he descended, he took stock of his situation while drawing his twin H&K USPs. Ramirez, Su and Cromfoot were all down, presumably dead, while Powell, Stravinsky and al-Maliki were fighting back-to-back holding off the demonic horde somewhat comfortably. That left one more person. A quick turn of his head revealed his second-in-command, Petrunak, single-handedly holding off a trio of vampires with only a sword. 'Uh oh,' he thought 'Abby will kill me if I let her brother die'. Despite being a blonde, his normally soft-spoken wife of five years had a temper that would rival any redhead when it came to matters of the family.
He was brought quite forcibly out of his musings when he hit the ground, his Kevlar vest taking most of the fall. The moment he was stable enough to aim, he opened fire on the minion that had hit him in the first place, his blessed pistols spitting dozens of pieces of automatically blessed lead into the offending undead, quickly causing him to decompose.
It took only a matter of moments to right himself. It was then that he saw him. Yurimo Icharo had decided to join in the battle, and was standing calmly in full traditional samurai garb less than twenty feet away, staring directly at him. The master vampire fluidly drew his primary blade and bowed. So he wanted a formal duel. Xander quickly holstered his pistols and smoothly drew his trusty Black Wind Katana from its sheath on his back before returning the bow.
Immediately his opponent attacked with a ferocity that surprised even Xander who found himself defending and once again found himself grateful for the cocktail of combat skills he had received on October 31st 1997 as he found himself drawing quite heavily on his supernaturally-retrieved abilities as well as his subsequent martial arts training to remain alive against the better opponent.
Most vampires are moderately-skilled opponents who rely on their species' advanced instinctual combat ability when fighting, but Icharo was not most vampires. According to the files the Watchers' Council had given his team, the Master vampire discovered the creatures of the night shortly after he was granted his second sword and led a rather successful fifteen year war on the demonic creatures, a crusade that ended when he was confronted by ten of Japan's greatest master vampires. The final surviving master turned him that very night. Icharo spent the intervening years faithfully serving his master as an enforcer, and had brought the majority of the island nation's vampire population under their control. Their reign of terror had ended when a visiting Buffy Summers apparently stumbled across their lair and killed the master only to be killed by Icharo before she could muster a defence.
Five minutes into the battle, Xander realised his initial assessment of his opponent's abilities was wrong. Icharo wasn't just better, he was far superior. Shortly afterwards, he realised something else. Icharo was toying with him, and seemed to be tiring of the game he was playing. Xander decided he needed to do something, and he needed to do it soon. After a few moments of consideration he came up with an utterly insane plan.
'I'm sorry, Abby,' he thought with an internal sigh as he lowered his guard when his opponent thrust his weapon towards his chest.
The blow struck home.
With his opponent's blade stuck firmly in his heart, he used his last bit of strength to behead his opponent.
Toppling over, his last words were, "For you, Buffy"
On July 17th of 2027, in Yokohama, Japan, Alexander LaVelle Harris, formerly of the United States Army's Delta Force and Green Beret divisions, closed his eyes for the last time.
- - -
October 31st 1997
Sunnydale, California, United States of America
On October 31st of 1997, in Sunnydale, California, Alexander LaVelle Harris, formerly of the United States Army's Delta Force and Green Beret divisions, opened his eyes once again.
Author's Notes: I'm BAAACK! ... Sorry 'bout that. And sorry for not posting anything in forever. Stupid muse won't focus on a single plotline long enough for me to be happy about it. This story had been sitting on my flash drive waiting for my muse to come up with a direction for chapter 2, not to mention the rest of the story. Today I finally gave up and decided to post it as a one-shot with the option of more if there is a visible interest shown, and I get an idea as to where exactly I should take this. For those of you who didn't get the hint, please review with plot ideas.
For anyone who cares about my other posted fic, Harry Potter and the League of Warriors, I'm currently rewriting it. The rewritten version will look very different from what I was planning to do with the original (*shudders* what in the world was I thinking with that plotline????).