By David Mycock The Darkest Road 2
Walking the Path
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the vampire slayer or any other of the characters in this story they belong to Joss Whedon and whoever else created the characters used in this story. Any characters I created I own.
Pairing: Janna Kalderdash/Xander Harris (There will be other relationships in this story but this is the main one)
Summary: Xander and his friends continue their journey before finally heading to the Romany clans to challenge for control of the Lavelle Clan and finding answers to long buried secrets.
(Dream Realm)
Cassandra walked calmly back into Alexander's dreams having been granted permission by her lord for a talk concerning his plans and the appearance of the demon assassins sent by the first.
She noted Alexander was sitting once again in Sunnydale Park in his dream alongside Tara, both were talking even as they unconsciously clasped hands and basked in the presence of the other. She smiled at the innocence of the act considering they hadn't had much time to even with respite they had just had. His relationship with both Tara and Janna were now very strong, she had worried he would loose Janna once his feelings for Tara came through and she learned of what the bonding ritual really meant but it would seem she had underestimated Janna's feelings for Alexander. She had decided she loved him enough to share him with another woman, she wondered if their child had also factored into her decision and muted her anger and fear.
She finally stopped and sat before them alerting them to her presence in the dreamscape
"Hello Alexander, Tara" she greeted them
"Hello Cassandra" they both responded before Xander took over "Is anything wrong?" he inquired
"First Alexander I want you to know we are aware of the attack by the demon assassin which was sent by the first" Cassandra informed him "You will have to be a lot more careful from here on out, Vlad was not been overly dramatic when he stated how dangerous and powerful they our" she added "They are some of the lower power's best followers, each has vastly different powers but at levels most of our champions cannot mach but we have enough to keep our forces balanced" she went on "They are only sent after either our best champions or normal human targets who they want eliminated for some reason" she explained
"That doesn't really fill me with confidence" Xander replied with a shake of his head "But if we can use the right combination of strategy and tactics them we should be able to deal with them if Alucard and Sir Integra's advice is spot on" he added "And how come you use Alucard's old name, everyone else uses Alucard and it also sounds like you know him?" he asked as he caught something in her voice when she had mentioned the undead king
Cassandra was startled that Alexander had picked up the way her voice had changed when she spoke of her husband not that he knew her connection with Vlad and this was not the time to go into that just yet. She would have to be bit more careful of how she talked because she had underestimated Alexander as well
"That is a conversation for another time Alexander much later on" she finally replied hoping he would drop it
"Okay another time, then but there is something I would like to know why is it me and Tara cannot tell anyone about you bar Janna?" he relented in asking her anymore about Alucard due to the tone of her voice which for once was uncertain
"I placed magical blocks in your minds Alexander to shield the knowledge of your contact with me from anyone, I made an exception for Janna considering how close you are with her" Cassandra explained "I had to do the same to Tara when the bond allowed her to pick up my contact with you as well as share your dreams where I usually come to talk to you" she explained "It was a necessary step Alexander and I am sorry I didn't inform you but considering everything else that was going on especially once you were ambushed I forgot" she finished
"It's okay, I understand sometimes it's necessary to do things that you can't explain to others straight away" Xander assured her
"I agree with Alex" Tara said with a friendly smile "It's is clear you have your reasons to hide your contact with Alexander" she added and Cassandra both were not angry at having magical blocks placed in their heads with out permission
"Now what was the other thing you wanted to discuss?" he asked after a few seconds
"I wanted to ask what you intend to do after helping the charmed ones and Harry Potter?" she inquired
"I was thinking if nothing else comes up of trying to start building our alliance, I know it's going to long and difficult so the sooner we start the better" he answered
"We aren't ignoring that something else might come up but Alex has a point, from everything Sir Integra and Alucard have told us of past attempts to form an alliance leads us to believe we will have an up hill struggle to even bring the heads of the different organisations together in one room" Tara put in as she recalled everything they had been told
"We agree" Cassandra nodded in agreement "However we don't want you to get too distracted by your efforts to form an alliance to finish your journey" she informed them
Xander and Tara shared a look as they took in basically what Cassandra was asking of them, it would seem the powers Cassandra represented believed finishing their journey was more important than forming the alliance
"We aren't saying it's not an important step Alexander" Cassandra told them as she read the expressions on their faces "But it is quite clear you'll have plenty of time to do this after completing your journey" she went on
"You have a point" Xander admitted and had a quick talk with Tara over the bond before coming to a decision "If we fail the first time to get somewhere in forming an alliance then we'll put it off until after we complete our journey" he added
"A good idea Alexander" Cassandra said with a smile "It pleases me to see how far you've come" she stated "A good leader always knows how far to go with an idea and when to let go until a later time" she said "We will speak again Alexander but I must go now, just remember my warning concerning the demon assassins and never try and engage them one on one" she reminded them "Also by contacting the charmed ones you may draw the attention of the source as well of the first so be careful how you proceed" she finished before standing and walking away leaving Alexander and Tara to discuss what had been said
(Hellsing Jet)
Xander awoke to find the jet in a darkened mode as most of the others were asleep as well, he felt Tara stir next to him and slowly wake up. On his other side Janna was asleep against the near by window, he smiled at how peaceful she looked before slowly standing and heading to where Alucard sat still very much awake
"You have something on your mind Alexander?" Alucard asked just before he sat down
"Just wanted to run a few things past you especially concerning the idea to form an alliance" Xander answered as Tara joined them
"God ahead, we have another hour at least before we reach San Francisco" he stated "I was becoming a little bored in such a small space and everyone else wanted to try and rest seen we are all of the opinion our meeting with the charmed ones will end in a fight with the source's minions especially this Shack's you mentioned who killed the alternate Prue Halliwell" he added
"I think you're right about that" Xander agreed "We have a feeling it's gonna come down to that and by doing what we're doing we are gonna attract the attention of the source which will add to the dangers we face from the first but it's worth it" he explained "I will keep my promise to the sisters we met in the other dimension" he swore
"I would expect nothing but that from you Alexander considering everything I know about you and what Lilith has told me" Alucard replied with a smile "She has grown very close to you in such a short amount of time which has surprised me considering her past, I hope I do not have to warn you to be careful with her?" he stated with a small growl at the end
Xander almost jumped out of his chair at the growl because he knew what happened when you annoyed him or if you indeed hurt one of his children but he managed to keep himself seated, he didn't know exactly what Alucard was alluring too or if he was reading more into their friendship than was there.
He stopped as Tara's voice floated over the bond and began to show him certain events that had happened since meeting the lovely vampiress that had deepened their friendship over time things he had not looked too closely at during the course of their journey. Tara also showed him what he had been thinking without realising it at the time and it shocked him to learn he had developed a deep interest in Lilith he had not noticed before due to the constant threats. He sat back and thought over everything Tara had shown him and he knew things were going to get messy again if he was not careful; he thanked Tara over the bond for revealing this before looking at Alucard who was waiting patiently for his reply
"It would seem I've been a bit blind to some things" he finally spoke
"I take it Tara has woken you up to what was quite clear to me and Adrian?" Alucard asked "I have access to your mind remember Alexander and so I too have caught what you think of my daughter even if the thoughts are only in your subconscious and you are dimly aware of them" he informed him "Lilith likes you a lot more than she will admit at this point especially considering your relationship with Janna and now your bonding with Tara but the feelings are there and I want you're word you will be careful in how you respond to her" he explained "I do not mind if you get together because you return her feelings and Tara and Janna agree to it but if you mess around with her heart I will gut you and make it very painful in your last hour do you understand me?" Alucard asked
"I really wasn't aware of my interest in Lilith Vlad honest but yes Tara has shown me what I missed and I need some time to think" Xander replied slowly "Janna has slowly excepted my relationship with Tara, I have no idea if she would except another and I am not willing to risk it until I know how I truly feel about her and so until then you have my word I'll be very careful around Lilith" he went on hoping this was calm the great vampire
"I am pleased we understand one another Alexander" Alucard finally replied with a vicious smile before relaxing "Now back to what we were discussing before we had to deviate, what is it you wanted to say" he added with a much more easy going smile
Xander shook his head a few times to clear the more surreal talk they had just had before remembering why he had wanted to talk to Alucard in the first place "I think we shouldn't get to carried away after we help the charmed ones and Harry in trying to form an alliance" he finally informed him "If we fail the first time to get the leaders together then I think we should leave it until after we complete the main objective of our journey" he explained
"We believe it would be stupid to waste so much time and effort until after our main goal is complete" Tara added hoping to make it clear what they were thinking "Especially if we are not going to get anywhere and be bogged down in nothing but petty arguments between the different organisations we hope to bring together" she put in a second later
"An excellent suggestion" Alucard stated after thinking about their new position "It is good you have taken on all the advice myself and the master gave you concerning the past attempts to form such an alliance" he went on "I agree until our main goals are carried out then we should not put to much effort into this" he agreed "We will tell the others once we land, I suggest you both prepare and in your case Alexander to think" he finished before closing his eyes and pulling his hat down to cover them and taking a small rest himself
Xander and Tara went back to their seats and talked over the bond about what had just happened and what he should do about it.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra was surprised by the discussion her husband had just had with Alexander concerning Lilith, it verified her own conclusion that Lilith had feelings deeper than friendship for Alexander. However what had surprised her was that Alexander may return them after Tara had shown him what had been buried in his subconscious concerning his own feelings towards her step daughter.
Her husband's threat was real of that she had no doubt and she prayed Alexander would not do anything that might make Vlad believe he had broken his promise, she doubted he would but Alexander would have to dig deep before trying anything and even then he would need Janna and Tara's permission to try and she doubted either would say no after what had happened concerning his bonding but then again maybe nothing would have to be done if it turned out Alexander only had a physical interest in Lilith.
On other matters she was pleased he had listened to her advice about the task of trying to form an alliance, she had been worried he would see it as an attempt by the powers to keep their champions separate. Her lord had not believed there would be any problems in this and she was happy he had been right; she didn't want any bad feelings to form between herself and Alexander.
She looked up as her lord returned followed by Tanith and Jonas; she wondered how the reconstruction of the powers that be was going before focusing on her lord
"How did your talk go with Alexander?" their lord inquired
"It went well my lord" she responded "They both received our advice well and decided to only try once to form their alliance till after they complete their journey" she continued "I Slipped up a bit when I mentioned my husband by his real name and Alexander caught the emotion in my voice as I spoke however I managed to redirect him and told him we'd discuss at a later date" she confessed
"You will have to be a little more careful Cassandra until Alexander is ready to hear the truth about his blood connection to you and from you to his distant relationship to Vlad Tepes" their lord replied with no real reproach in his voice as he knew where love was concerned nothing could really conceal it
"There is something else my lord" Cassandra said pleased their lord had not been angered by her slip "Vlad confirmed my suspicion that Lilith has feelings for Alexander" she continued "Tara however showed not just Alexander and Vlad but myself that he may indeed return these feelings" she added "He is confused because these feelings were buried deep and he was not aware he had taken a liking to her deeper than friendship, there is a danger that the group could unravel if he is not careful how he proceeds" she finished
"Interesting" their lord mused "I do not believe Alexander would rush into anything especially considering Lilith is Vlad Tepes daughter" he added "He will wait to do anything until he is absolutely certain his feelings are deep enough" he went on
"I agree my lord, but still considering how protective Vlad can be in regards to his children Alexander must be very careful from this point on in his actions towards Lilith" Cassandra said
The others nodded in agreement with this statement, Tanith and Jonas had remained quite during this topic as they didn't believe they had anything they could add which would help.
(San Francisco airport)
Xander looked around the airfield as he waited for the others to disembark still deep in thought about what Tara had revealed inside his subconscious, how had he missed his growing attraction to Lilith even given the fact he had been concentrating on what had been happening to them at the time. Then again another point was he had also missed his attraction to Tara till she had almost been killed so he guessed it was no surprise he had missed this.
He was worried how things would play out; Tara had assured him over the bond she would have no problem sharing him with Lilith as well as Janna if he found his feelings were strong enough and that helped calm him, no what worried him was Janna's response to this new twist. Yes she had decided to share him with Tara but he felt due the bond between him and Tara she felt she had no choice, this was a completely different situation and he doubted she would react the same. But he had time to think of how to approach this with her if he found his feelings for Lilith were more than just a simple physical attract ion.
"We will head for the house I ordered to be bought which is close to the Halliwell's neighbourhood and get settled in before going to contact the sisters" Sir Integra informed them as she joined them on the tarmac
"How are we getting there?" Amy inquired
"There will be some limo's arriving shortly, they will take us straight there" Sir Integra replied "After that we can use the car I had bought up from a near by safe house we have in the area" she continued
"Let's hope our initial meeting with the sisters goes off without a hitch" Janna stated as she tried to ignore the upsurge of nauseous she was feeling until they would reach the house
"I think once they see the evidence of the tape and the letter the alternate sisters gave us things should go smoothly" Lilith spoke up as Xander continued to stare of into space and was barely paying attention to what was been said
"The books they gave me had their names on them so that might help as well" Tara added with a smile as she was really looking forward to seeing the sisters again even if they would not remember her and Paige would not be there at the start
"Alexander, is everything alright?" Adrian inquired as he noted the far off look in the young man's eyes
Xander didn't answer straight away as he continued to seek out the answers to the questions Tara's revelation had posed him, finally after a mental poke from Alucard he shook his head and focused on everyone else "I'm fine" he assured them "I was just thinking about things" he added
"Are you completely sure Alex?" Sarah asked her son not really believe his answer as she caught the guarded look in his eyes
"I'm okay really mom" he answered with a smile "I was just thinking things out and I got carried away honest" he added as the limo's arrived
"Very well but if you want to talk you know I will be willing to listen" Sarah finally relented before heading to one of the limo's followed shortly by the others
Janna remained where she was for a few minutes as she too had not really believed Alexander's answer but she would not push him to tell her what was bothering him and would wait until he was ready to tell her as she knew he would when it was time. Finally she followed behind Tara and got into the last limo and hoped she could hold onto her upset stomach until they reach the house.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra watched as the elder's entered the chamber on their lord's command, she knew her lord was about to order them not to try and interfere with Alexander's contact with the charmed ones. He was hoping to head off the same sort of trouble they'd had with the powers that be which had led Malek to not only break his oath's to their lord but to take arms against his own to which he was banished for as well as his followers.
She knew the elders were a little more flexible than the powers had been before Malek's downfall but they could also be too set in their ways and they also hated outsiders having contact with their champions. She watched the conversation along side Tanith and Jonas and noted the frowns that came to some of the elder's faces at their lord's command but it seemed after what had happened to the powers no one was willing to test their lord's temper which pleased her as it meant they wouldn't have anymore internal problems for a while.
"They took it better than we did" Jonas noted with a focused look
"No surprise considering what happened to us and Malek and his followers when they disobeyed our lord's commands" Tanith reminded him his thoughts mirroring Cassandra's
"Let us hope they keep that in mind as Alexander's contact with the sisters progresses and finally reaches the stage when he tries to forge him alliance as he will want the sisters involved not just because they would be powerful allies but because he deeply respects everything they have gone through" Cassandra commentated
"A good point" Jonas responded seeing no error in Cassandra's views "I believe once they get over their initial worries things should go very well, I also think he will get on very well with Prue as they have the same dedication to their duties" he added with a thoughtful look
"I have to agree with that, they are very similar" Cassandra couldn't help but agree "They will be good friends I think" she stated
They watched as their lord turned and walked back to the viewing pool whilst the elder's left, all of them looked a little worried but there was no sign of dissent from any of them.
"That should head off any problems from them due to Alexander's promise to help the sisters" their lord commentated "It should also stop us from having to deal with anymore traitors for a while" he added in a dangerous tone as he thought of Malek's betrayal
"We can only pray they heed your command my lord" Cassandra spoke up "They know what will happen should they fail to do so after Malek's own fall, so I do not believe they will be so stupid as to defy you" she went on
Tanith and Jonas nodded their heads in agreement with Cassandra's point of view, they both knew there would be an even more terrible retribution from their lord if the elder's defied him after what had happened to the powers.
(San Francisco)
Xander walked up to the Halliwell Mansion hoping things would run smoothly, he knew the moment the made contact then the Source would quickly know they were there and move to counter them. Prue would be a big target and they would have to make sure she was protected over wise this trip was for nothing and he would have failed in his promise to the alternate sisters.
He knocked on the door and waited alongside the others, he had decided to bring the whole group so they could get the introductions out of the way as well as insurance in case the source attacked faster than he expected it too. The door swung open and Piper Halliwell stood before them, she was a little younger than her alternate self and also did not have the air of sadness around her as well as the pressure of been the eldest sister who was responsible for her siblings
"Something I can help you people with?" Piper asked a little surprised to see so many people at their door
"We need to have a very big talk with you and your sisters and you whitelighter Piper" Xander replied "It's very important and concerns the life of Prue" he added deciding to be blunt and to the point
Piper stared at the young man in front of her with a frown as he answered; it sent a chill up her spine when he mentioned Prue's life. She was concerned he knew about Leo but was more concerned about Prue
"As a sign of good faith Piper we'll hand over our weapons I promise " Xander added hoping Piper would not turn them away so she could talk with her sisters and think about it
"Let them in Piper" Leo said from behind his wife having just been told to aid the new comers in their introductions with the sisters
Piper looked at her husband for a second before stepping aside and allowing them entrance, she led them into the main living room and watched as they all placed their weapons in the corner as he had promised
"I didn't actually expect you to do that" she stated
"I keep my promises always" Xander answered as Prue and Phoebe entered the room
Phoebe also looked younger than her alternate self and a lot more cheerful, she seemed very curious about them instead of weary. Prue herself was in Xander's honest opinion hot before shaking his head in annoyance as he had enough trouble in that regard. He felt Tara's gentle laugh over the bond and he guessed she had heard him, the eldest sister seemed very confident and also ready for anything should something happen
"Piper, who are they?" Prue inquired indicating the new comers
"I don't know yet but Leo had me let them in" Piper responded "They handed over their weapons as a sign of good faith" she added showing her sisters the small pile near the couch
"Who are you and what do you want?" Prue demanded to know not liking the idea that they had brought weapons into their house
"My name is Alexander" Xander replied "The others are Janna, Tara, Lilith, Sarah, Seras, Alucard, Adrian, Amy and Sir Integra" he added pointing out the others so the sisters would know who was who
"Sir Integra?" Phoebe inquired not sure he actually meant what that sounded like
"There is no mistake that is my title" Sir Integra assured them "I am Sir Integra Hellsing of the Hellsing organisation miss Halliwell" she continued "We have are here to help you concerning matters that from your point of view haven't happened yet" finished
"What does that mean?" Piper asked a little lost
"Before we go further Piper you and your sisters need to read this" Xander said as he pulled the letter Piper's alternate self had written and handed it over
The sisters gave him a hard stare before stepping back and opening the letter and began to read; they all recognised the style of the handwriting as Piper's but none of them could remember her writing such a letter. Once they were done they looked up slightly disbelieving
"Is this some kind of joke?" Prue asked in hard tone
"I assure you I've never been more series" Xander shot back a little annoyed at their scepticism "Everything in that letter is the truth" he added "Two and half months ago me and Lilith were ambushed by a cult and sent through a dimensional portal which sent us to different dimensions, in one of those dimensions we encountered you or at least your future selves" he explained "The one major difference between you is that in that dimension you Prue had died during an attack by the source's bounty hunter Shacks, this devastated your sisters but just shortly afterwards Piper and Phoebe would discover the exsistance of a half sister the product of the union between your mother and her whitelighter Sam" he continued "Before we left that dimension we made a promise to those sisters to do everything we should to keep you alive and bring your half sister home, I intend to do just that and before you dismiss us you should watch this" he finished as he pulled this video the alternate sisters had recorded to help convince their doubles
Prue had watched Xander as he talked looking for any sign of deceit but she had been able to see none, he looked very series. She looked at her sisters before taking the tape and putting it on, she sat on the sofa and was joined by her sisters and Leo, they all watched in shock and fascination as Piper, Phoebe and another young woman appeared on the TV and began to talk to them explaining events as they had happened to them. It shocked all three when the other Piper talked about Prue's death and the events surrounding it and then finding Paige their lost half sister and the battle with the source, the other Phoebe also warned about the loss of Cole if they allowed him to go undercover in the brotherhood when they showed up which would lead to the events of Prue's death and make sure she and Leo were not there in time to save her.
This bit of news hurt Phoebe a lot to hear, because it sounded like she had go off to rescue Cole during a dangerous situation and it had cost Prue her life, the events describing the battle with the source were shocking and also warned of the seer and her plans to use Cole to be the new source. At the end the sisters on the video asked them to trust Xander, Lilith and Tara and allow them to set things right
"Leo, can you make sure they on our sides?" Prue asked as she tried to digest everything she had been told
"I don't have to Prue, the elders sent me down to help convince you to listen to them" Leo replied with a gentle smile knowing his sisters in law and wife were distressed by everything they had learned
The sisters looked between themselves at his answer before leaning against each other for a few minutes to gather their thoughts before standing and walking back over to where their guest still stood
"How long do we have until this is supposed to happen?" Prue asked trying to keep her voice steady
"In the original time line a few months but I suspect the attack will come sooner due to our presence" Xander answered "We've attracted the attention of the first already and by showing up here I am sure the source now knows about us and will act to stop us from helping you" he went on
"How do you plan to stop what happened to my alternate self from happening here?" she inquired
"By killing shacks as quickly as possible, he's the real threat" he replied "We all have our skills Prue from magic to hand to hand and weapons, we can help keep you and your sisters safe" he assured them
"What about our half sister?" Phoebe inquired
"It wouldn't be wise to bring her here until after the attack Phoebe" Tara spoke up "She will need a lot of training in her powers before she'd be ready for something like this" she added
"I agree" Leo added into the conversation "She's safe at the moment because she is hidden, we should leave her like that until after we've dealt with this situation" he cautioned
"In that case what do we do now?" Piper asked
"We prepare, first I am going to tell you as much as I can about what we've been through including Mine, Lilith and Tara's trip through dimensions so you can understand why we want to help you and so you know you're not alone in this fight" Xander answered
They all sat where they could and the sisters and their whitelighter listened to Xander as he began to explain his own introduction into this fight and those he had befriended along the way.
(Lower Realm)
The source snarled as it sensed the danger from the new comers, some kind of holy magic was stopping it listening to what was been discussed between them and the charmed ones but it was certain they were trying to from some kind of alliance. It would have to move quickly to stop this and began to plan an attack led by one of his best demons Shacks.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra watched the discussion between Alexander's group and the sisters, she had at first been annoyed at the scepticism the sisters had shown even if she could understand it but she was pleased they had chosen to believe the evidence the alternate sisters had given them. She was pleased Fate had allowed them to use magic to stop their enemies from listening in on their discussions as it would help them plan for the coming attack and she had no doubt the source would attack as soon as it could believing Alexander and his friends wanted to form an alliance with the sisters making them more of a threat, something it could not allow to happen.
She knew Shacks was not to be underestimated and she didn't think Alexander would do so either but he would have to be careful how he went about this, the sisters would need the power of three spell to vanquish him but they would also need time and that was where Alexander and his group came in as she did not believe Shacks would be sent in alone.
"The next day or so will be dangerous for them" their lord spoke up "The source will go for numbers in this attack" he added "How they plan to defend themselves will go along way to seeing if they will succeed in their goals" he continued
"I agree my lord, strategy as well as tactics will be important here" Tanith stated with a nod
"It will also show if Alexander has learned anything from his encounter with the first's demon assassin about trying to combine his physical attacks with his magic" Jonas put in his own views
"I do not believe Alexander will forget that or what the others advised" Cassandra responded to the discussion finally "He knows Shacks will be as tough and dangerous as the demon assassin the first sent after him" she continued
"I have to agree, still this will a true challenge to everything he has learned so far" their lord replied with a small smile before turning his attention to the viewing pool joined a second later by the others
(San Francisco)
The sisters sat back quite shocked to learn they were not the only defenders out there, that they're were others were the most shocking thing. Alexander had stated the powers usually liked to keep their champions separate and ignorant of each other although he didn't see why they couldn't see the harm it was doing to their forces.
They now had a list of a few of those other champions as well as three different organisations which they could call on should they need the help, the fact that they had the leader of one of those organisations was surprising as well and they wondered why she was so interested in the actions of Alexander and his group.
They were amazed about some of the situations they had been in especially the latest one which had sent two of their number into a number of different dimensions, one of which Alexander was bonded to Tara so she became a member of their group and then the dimension where they had met the alternate charmed ones. They realised that they were not the only people with the force of destiny on their shoulders and it calmed them to know they were not alone in this fight, it was just bigger than they had ever realised.
They were now planning how to deal with the attack they were sure would be coming now they had made contact, their reasoning for the source to send Shack's now made sense and they had already gotten the spell needed to vanquish him. They had called Cole in and explained things to him, to say he had been shocked would have been an understatement however he had also been horrified to learn he would fall back into darkness finally becoming the source to save Phoebe, he had promised to be a lot more careful from this point forward.
"So are we agreed on the plan?" Alucard inquired after a few minutes silence
"We are" Prue replied "We've written down the spell so each of us has a copy just in case we lose ours during the fight" she added with a determined look
"Our main job is to keep whatever demons show up with Shacks of the girls long enough for them to vanquish him" Xander reminded the others "Cole, I want you to stick with the girls and try and distract Shacks himself whilst they do their spell?" he asked
"No problem" Cole nodded in agreement "e'll ignore almost everyone else to get to the sisters but me I'm near the top of the source's hit list as well and I doubt he'd miss the chance to remove me and gain more of the source's accolades" he explained
"Just be careful Cole, I don't want to lose you now or in the future" Phoebe told him before kissing him briefly
"I will Phoebe I promise" he assured her "But I will do what I have to do to give you the time to do your spell" he added with a hard look
Phoebe nodded after a few seconds knowing Cole would never agree to leave her to fight alone, and he was determined to help them in this fight. She just hoped he would remember his promise and not take any stupid risks.
(Lower Realm)
The source looked at the assault force he had assembled to aid Shacks and smiled, he had summoned five vampires and seven demons which he was sure would keep the sisters allies busy whilst Shacks dealt with the sisters. He just hoped Balthazar was there to see his precious witch killed, maybe Shacks would be able to remove him from contention as well which would help him move forward with a lot of his plans.
"You will strike tonight, do not fail me Shacks" the source hissed making it clear he would punish the demon severely
Shacks nodded his head in obedience before moving to prepare for the strike hoping he would get the chance to kill Balthazar for his betrayal of their master.
(San Francisco Night Time)
Xander quickly stood and made his way to where they had stored their weapons and retrieved his sword and his hand cannon and moved towards the door followed a second later by Tara who sensed the coming attack at the same time with their joined senses
"Alexander?" Janna questioned him at his sudden movement
"The attack is coming, we better prepare" Lilith informed them having seen this before "Their joined senses over the bond allows them to sense incoming attacks" she explained to the sisters whilst reminding the others of this fact
Alucard grinned at the fact that there would be a fight especially one where he could engage one of the sources best warriors, he retrieved his weapons as did the others and they each began to move into position awaiting the attack. The sisters and Cole remained near the sofa's making it look like they were not expecting the attack and hoping they would be quick enough to get out of the way of the first salvo
A few minutes later the doors were blasted open by a wave of magic and Shacks entered followed by his assault force, the demons and Shacks unleashed a barrage of magic which the sisters and Cole just barely avoided. They dived behind the sofa which was almost blown to bits by the combined attack, as Shacks moved forward to get a better view of his targets which now included the traitor Xander and his group jumped from cover and engaged the assault force.
Shacks paid little attention to the fight which had broken out, he was experienced enough to focus only on his target. He raised him hand ready to release another energy bolt when Cole jumped at and through his own causing him to move out of the way, they quickly began exchanging hits trying to land a fatal blow. He growled because he knew Balthazar was almost his equal in terms of experience and strength having once held a place in the sources inner circle but he was determined to kill him and avenge his betrayal of their master.
Xander ducked the vampires attack before bringing the hilt of his sword up into the vampires stomach stunning it and giving him the chance to use his hand cannon to shoot it in the heart dusting it, he turned as one of the demons charged him which he side stepped before trying to get a shot on it which it avoided before knocking his gun out of his hand. He gripped the sword tighter and got ready for it's next attack, beside him Tara was busy trying to kill the vampire she was fighting but it kept dodging her attacks so he tapped a small piece of the ancient magic of the Romany and used it to stick the vampire's feet to the floor giving her the chance to take it's head off with the sword she had been given by the Valar.
Alucard grinned as he removed the head of the demon he had been fighting before taking a quick look around and noting that they seemed to be holding their own before charging Shacks catching the demon by surprise and sending him flying into the near by bookcase. Cole stopped his attack so he wouldn't hit his ally by accident and went to help the others taking one of the demons out as it tried to kill Amy who had been knocked to the floor. Shacks stood and growled as it faced the undead king, he had once feared this vampire when he had been a servant of his masters but now like Balthazar he was a traitor and not worthy of his fear or respect and so he charged him intent on killing him only to be flung backwards by the burst of magic Alucard had sent at him.
The sisters had watched the battle in shock having not seen anything like it, usually it was just them fighting the demons but this was so much bigger than their past fights. Prue shook herself and realised they had gotten distracted and elbowed his sisters and got them to focus on the spell to vanquish Shacks. Lilith snarled as she caught sight of Alexander be double teamed by a vampire and a demon wounding him in his leg and his back, she noticed Tara cry out as she felt his pain over the bond but she remained standing and concentrated on helping Janna kill the last of the vampires. She jumped over the heads of the two demons she had been fighting alongside Adrian leaving Seras to come up to help her brother and landed in between the demons and her fallen friend as they attempted to kill him.
She allowed her darker nature come to the fore and launched herself at the taller vampire and plunged her fist straight through it's chest dusting it instantly, she flinched as the other demon attacked her unprotected side causing a wound to open in her side but she managed to push it way as she turned to face the other when it suddenly erupted into fire before exploding and she turned to see Sarah had come up behind it and took it by surprise. She gave the woman a nod of thanks before checking on Alexander who was still conscious and trying to sit up, she held him in place as the last two members of the assault force were killed by her brother and Seras leaving only Shacks left.
Alucard smiled as the fight progressed, Shacks was a good fighter and was skilled in the arts of pain but he lacked the necessary speed and presence of mind to know what was going on around him. He knew the sisters were almost complete with their spell and he also knew the assault force which had arrived with Shacks had been eliminated but Shacks was too focused on him to realise it. Shacks charged him again catching him in the side which he easily shrugged off before catching him by the throat and flinging him into the wall just as the sisters finished the spell. They all watched as Shacks screamed in agony before exploding as he was finally vanquished.
"It's over" Sir Integra stated with a small smile as she replaced her hand cannon whilst looking around and noting that apart from Alexander's wounds they hadn't suffered any major injuries
"We need some bandages and some water" Lilith responded as she checked her friend's wounds which seemed deep whilst Janna and Tara joined her at his side
"No we don't" Prue replied "Leo" she called and a second later their white lighter appeared and quickly took stock of the situation and moved to heal Alexander
"Thanks a lot man" Xander said with a sigh once the whitelighter had finished and stood with Lilith's help
"No problem" Leo assured him "The elders are very pleased with the destruction of Shacks and his attack force" he informed them "They now understand why they were told not to interfere with your visit to the sisters" he finished
Xander and Tara shared a quick look between them selves at this news knowing Cassandra must have had something to do with this and were grateful
"Why would they want to interfere?" Piper inquired "And who could order them not to?" she added a second later as she thought through what her husband had told her
"Politics Piper" Sarah replied remembering what her son had told her about the powers "They like to keep their champions separate so they don't have to worry about loosing them to the other powers" she explained
"But that's stupid it leaves us to handle really dangerous situations on our own which could get us killed" Prue almost spat "If our mom had been able to call on some help she might have lived" she added angry at the arrogance of the elders for not thinking about the lives of their champions
"I know Prue, that's exactly what I thought when I found out their reasoning for keeping us separate" Xander stated "Which is why once I help another of my friends I intend to try and form an alliance not just between the different organisations out there but the champions as well and I would be honoured if you'd consider helping us" he added
The sisters looked between themselves for a few seconds each echoed the same answer in their eyes before they turned back to Xander "We're in" they promised
Xander smiled at their answer and felt they'd just taken their first steps in forming some real lines against the darkness
"I think we'd better fix these doors" Leo said a few seconds later as he moved over to survey the damage
"I'll give you a hand" Xander as they all broke up into groups
(Lower Realm)
The Source shook its head in anger and hate as it watched one its best hit demons die at the hands of the sisters and their new allies which included the undead king Dracula, which had been a surprise it had not expected and it had cost him dearly. These new allies of the sisters were been protected by holy magic which is how it missed the presence of Dracula and his children and Childe, it cursed the higher powers before trying to focus on some of his other targets which were not so well protected. It would have its revenge against the sisters and their allies but for now he'd leave them be until he had a plan for which they could not survive unless a miracle happened.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra smiled as Alexander and his friends helped the sisters destroy Shacks and his assault force, when she had seen Alexander go down after been attacked by a vampire and a demon she had wanted to lash out and blast them into pieces but she knew she couldn't and so had reigned in her more destructive instincts.
Lilith had of course moved to aid him using her enhanced skills to get between Alexander and his attackers, she had destroyed the vampire using all the demonic power she processed and most likely would had taken the demon apart but Sarah had beaten her to it and set it on fire killing it. Leo had taken care of his wounds and the sisters had agreed to his offer of forming the alliance, this had pleased her immensely and she could see her lord was pleased as well.
"They all did well" Jonas stated with a smile pleased to see the destruction of Shacks after loosing many of their own champions to them
"Indeed they did" their lord replied "They can take a few days rest before moving on to talk things through but Alexander knows time is against them now he has gained the attention of the First and the Source" he added
"Sill my lord he also has to help bring Paige into the family and will not leave until he has done that as he also promised" Cassandra gently reminded her lord
"Of course that too" their lord nodded in agreement