Chapter 5: The Dragon's Heart
Xander flew through the air, his left leg extended out in front of him, his right bent underneath. He had impressive hang time before impacting against the trunk of a tree. The impact sent vibrations back through his bodyf, though the effect on the wood was much worse.
He flipped back and landed softly, getting back into a ready position as the tree trunk crashed down close to him. A large chunk of it had exploded, sending splinters flying. The damage resulted in a crack throughout the rest of the wood column that sent the old and quite large tree to the forest floor.
The Iron Fist in training looked up briefly at the birds that had taken flight from the loud noise. There was no one else in the forest. He had picked that particular place to train, knowing that nobody else was there. It would allow him to experiment with the limits of what he could access. With Giles' equipment he had to worry about damaging it. The Watcher could easily cover it with Council funds, but it was an unnecessary expense. As it was, he was open to just doing a little deforestation on old and dying trees in the forest bordering the town. It was better that way, for everyone's sake.
As for Buffy, well, Buffy had been Buffy. While the loss of the sparring match hadn't had an immediate effect, the other matches following did. He had learned much in his time with Giles in terms of combat tactics and strategy. Lessons he had applied well. It had been only the first, but he had won many of the ones after that.
Not all of them, but enough so that the Slayer had grown increasingly frustrated at his mastery of the martial arts. Knowing how she felt, he had bowed out, taking to training alone. He sometimes met with Giles, but it was away from Buffy. While Buffy and he were able to remain friends outside of the fight and innate competition, she was having trouble acknowledging his skills. At any rate, she was redoubling her efforts to improve her fighting abilities. Which was the silver lining.
Looking down again, Xander bent his knees, and then jumped. Flipping into a forward somersault, he landed on top of the uneven stump that remained of the tree he had just kicked down. Looking over to his left, he gauged and then leapt again, extending his arms and catching a thick branch. Swinging around it, he flipped again, somersaulting towards another tree.
He kicked off of its rough vertical surface, spinning into a kick that impacted against a large rock. Small shards were sent flying as his foot connected with the thick stone. It was something else he had learned. The Iron Fist was not limited to his hands. He could extend it to empower other attacks, which were could be just as devastating.
Xander rolled to a stop, bent low.
The lonesome nature of his training now did allow him to find some measure of peace. He had had a lot to think about over the last month or so. From his changing nature, to the changing nature of his relationships with the closest people in his life. Giles had become much more of a mentor to him, and even more of a human. No more a perfect example of adulthood they had become much more akin to peers.
Buffy was no longer his object of abject worship. While he still admired her, they were beginning to become equals. Similarities that bonded them together, even if she wouldn't allow him in. The object of legacy powers that would always mark them as warriors apart. Sentinels against the evils of the world that could not be faced by ordinary man alone. But, there were differences. Great ones.
As much as he did not know about the power of the Iron Fist, he knew this: only those that chose to face the dragon could wield the power of its molten heart. Every Iron Fist before him in existence had been a volunteer. They had trained their body, mind, and spirit to make them worthy of making such a challenge. Only the righteous could fight for the dragon's heart. Even though he had not asked for it, that type of determination affected him. He didn't only want to control the power of the dragon. He wanted to be worthy of it. To do the legacy honor.
Buffy did not. Not fully. And, he couldn't really blame her. As much as she may have enjoyed the power of the Slayer, she did not fully embrace it. Maybe she was never cut out for it. But, that was the point. The choice had never been hers as it had been for the bearers of the Iron Fist. She may train, and she may fight, but her heart would never be in it as much as it was for him now.
And the knowledge of the second Slayer did not make it any easier for her to accept. Now, she didn't have to just measure up in comparison to him. She had to do it against another Slayer. One that had been Watcher trained.
Xander slowly rose, breath calm and steady. He extended his right arm, making a fist. Calling his chi, he focused it into his hand, making it glow yellow. It was nowhere near as bright or powerful as it had been just a few days ago when he had used it to force the demon Eyghon out of Ms. Calendar. But, he could do it willfully now. He could control it, even though he couldn't do much more with it than punch things harder than before.
Turning to the stone boulder he had just kicked, Xander thrust out in a vicious punch. "Kiaaah!"
The back of the rock exploded in a cloud of smaller stones and moss, having no way to contain the full kinetic energy of his blow.
Xander looked at what he had done, nodding. Satisfied at what he had just done. With a little more work, he should be able to do it even faster. And the effect that it would have on a vampire would be most impressive. It was still just a fraction of what he had seen in his visions of the past though. Lightning from God indeed.
His mind wandered to the redhead in his life. She had been acting odd lately, though if he thought about it, it had started all the way back right after Halloween. She had been trying to spend more time with him and had seemed rather passively antagonistic toward their computer teacher. Xander chalked it up to her feeling like she was being pushed out of his life.
The Iron Fist couldn't blame her for that. He supposed it was similar to the Slayer. Having a life was time consuming enough, but mixing it with a power tended to make one have to prioritize and reconsider just what was truly important in life.
His watch beeped, drawing him out of his thoughts. Xander looked at it and pressed a button, turning off the alarm. He had to get to school, though he had enough time to head home for a shower first.
Xander walked back to where he had stored his stuff. He picked up the bag and slung it over his shoulder, taking out a bottle of water as he did so. Taking a sip, he started to walk for home.
His mind wandered back to high school, and another of the people that he interacted with there. He had no choice but to see Ms. Calendar in class. But, that wasn't so much of a problem. The environment dictated how they could act, and he could pretend to just be a student. At least for a little while.
But, school didn't last forever, despite how it may seem sometimes. And computer class never seemed to last long enough, for a number of reasons. He still hadn't been back for any more sessions with the gypsy yet, though he knew that he should. Eyghon had changed things. He used to pretend that he didn't have growing feelings for her, just as she could pretend that she didn't know.
It wasn't that way anymore. And the way that it had been revealed made it all the worse. He didn't know if Eyghon had been lying when it had said that Ms. Calendar had feelings for him. A small part of him felt hope, which made it all the worse when his mind told him that he lived in the real world and that he shouldn't dwell on the things that could not be. It was a near unending cycle of pain.
But, the Iron Fist was coming. And if the implications of his newfound, but developing, powers matched what effect that the Kalderash seers had foretold, then he had to go back. He knew that he still had nowhere the power of the old Iron Fists. He would need all the help he could get if it meant that much to the world.
It was heady, having to grow up so fast. But, he had to. He had no choice anymore. And while he attempted to play the fool, it could not fully hide what he was feeling. And he was feeling less and less capable of keeping up the façade.
xxx
"Read it again," Spike said, frustrated by the lack of progress. The book that the whelp Ford had provided had proven less than helpful. And no matter how many lackeys he threw at the problem, no real progress had been made.
Dalton shifted in his seat, getting increasingly nervous. "Well, I'm not sure. It could be, uh, deprimere…ille…linter."
He looked up, hoping that it was right this time.
The bleached blonde vampire thumbed through the foreign language dictionary. "Debase…the beef…canoe.
Dalton looked up at his employer, smiling stupidly.
Spike rolled his eyes and punched the bespectacled vampire. "Why does that strike me as not right?"
Dalton turned back to his book, getting back to work. He didn't want to get hit again.
"Spike," Drusilla called from across the table. "Come dance?"
She held out a hand.
"Give us some peace, would you," Spike snapped back angrily. "Can't you see I'm working?"
The weakened brunette vampire pouted. She drew back her hand, and began to whine.
"Oh, I'm sorry kitten," Spike apologized, going to her. "It's just this manuscript. Supposed to hold your cure, but it reads like gibberish. Even Dalton here, the big brain, he can't make heads or tails of it."
Drusilla put a hand to her head, as if she was in pain. The vampire walked a few steps away and put her other hand against it as well. Bending over, she whimpered.
Spike rushed over to her, concerned. He pulled her back up speaking, "Oh, forgive me. You know I can't stand to see you like this."
He moved her over to a chair by the table and set her down into it. Crouching down, he looked her in the eye. "We're running out of time! It's that bloody Slayer! Whenever I turn around she's mucking up the works."
"Shh. Shh," Drusilla comforted the other vampire. "You'll make it right. I know."
Spike kissed her gently and then rose, walking back to Dalton.
Drusilla looked at the tarot cards before her and reached for one.
"Well," Spike said, turning his attention back to the supposedly educated vampire seated before him. "Come on now. Enlighten me."
"Uh, well, it looks like Latin, but it's not." Dalton tried to buy time, not knowing exactly how to get out of it without getting smacked around again. "I'm not sure it's, it's even a language actually. I…"
"Then make it a language!" Spike roared. "Isn't that what a transcriber does?"
"Well, not exactly," Dalton hedged.
Spike, now thoroughly pissed off, grabbed the other vampire, pulling him to his feet. "I want the cure."
"Don't," Drusilla called, not really paying attention to what was going on. She continued to inspect the tarot.
"Why not?" Spike questioned. "Some people find pain very inspirational."
He punched the transcriber in the stomach, emphasizing the point.
"He can't help you," Drusilla said, examining the cards in front of her. "Not without the key."
She pointed at one card in particular. A tomb of some kind was printed on it.
"The key?" Spike echoed. "You mean this book is in some kind of code?"
"Yeah," Drusilla answered, more lucid than normal.
Dalton nodded in agreement, still feeling the effects of Spike's latest effort to torment him with physical abuse. He dropped back into his chair as Spike shoved him and walked over to Drusilla.
Spike looked over at the card that she had indicated. "Is that where we'll find this key?"
"Yes," Drusilla said.
Spike was glad for some type of progress. "I'll send the boys, pronto!"
"Now will you dance?" Drusilla inquired, smiling unfocusedly.
"I'll dance with you, pet." Spike smiled as well and took her hand. He lifted her from her chair and drew the vampire into his arms. "On the Slayer's grave."
xxx
Buffy crouched on the roof and looked through the window into her room. She watched as Angel picked up a stuffed pig from her bookshelf, inspecting it more carefully than one usually would a stuffed pig. Quietly, the Slayer reached for her bag and tossed it inside. It landed with a loud thud onto the carpeted floor.
Angel spun around, startled by the sound, the pig still in his hands. "Buffy! You scared me."
The Slayer climbed into her room. "Now you know what it feels like, Stealth Guy."
She bent down and picked up her bag, moving it over to her trunk and placing it inside. "Just dropping by for some quality time with Mr. Gordo?"
"Excuse me?" the vampire asked, confused.
"The pig," Buffy said, pointing at what Angel was holding.
"Oh," Angel chuckled. "I, uh…"
"What's up?" Buffy said after he just trailed off. She walked over to her desk.
"Nothing," Angel said, trying to be blasé about it.
Buffy looked at him carefully. "Only you don't have a nothing face. You have a something face. And, you don't need to whisper. Mom's in LA till Thursday. Art buying or something."
"Then why'd you come in through the window?" Angel asked.
Buffy crinkled her nose. "Habit."
"I wanted to make sure you're okay," Angel explained, clearing concerned about her. "I had a bad feeling."
"That's a surprise," Buffy said sarcastically. "Angel comes with bad news."
Angel turned away, tired of getting rebuffed like that again. Not that he could particularly blame her. He had been playing it rather cool.
"Oh God, I'm sorry," Buffy said apologetically. She walked over to him. "Look, I've been cranky Miss. all day. It's not you."
"Well, what is it then?" Angel inquired.
"It's nothing," Buffy replied, shaking her head.
He just looked at her, not buying her denial.
"Uh, we're having this thing at school," Buffy explained.
Angel nodded, knowing what it might be. "Career week?"
"How did you know?" the Slayer asked.
"I lurk." Angel shrugged, as if it explained everything.
"Yeah, well it's that...," Buffy said, trailing off. She sighed. "And, Xander."
"What did he do?" Angel said, facing screwing up slightly at the mention of the rather annoying teenage boy. He had just gotten more annoying with the changes that had occurred over Halloween. The teenager had always been irritating, only he was just a lot more confident about being irritating now.
"Nothing," Buffy replied, not really meaning it. "Well, he beat me during one of the sparring sessions that Giles wanted us to have."
"You were probably just having an off day," Angel said sympathetically. "It could have happened to anyone."
"It's more than that," Buffy said, pushing herself to be honest. "It wasn't. And it wasn't just the one time. He's been beating me a lot lately. And, we don't practice together anymore. That's kind of my fault."
Angel narrowed his eyes. He didn't know that the boy had developed so much so quickly. "He's really that powerful?"
Buffy nodded. "And there's more."
"What?" Angel asked, wondering what else could possibly be getting to her.
"There's another Slayer," Buffy stated, still trying to work through it in her mind. Giles had told her only a few days ago. Evidently Ms. Calendar and Xander had come up with the idea that her dying a bit had activated another Slayer. It turned out that they had been right.
"What?" Angel was shocked. "How?"
"Remember about the thing with the Master?" Buffy asked rhetorically. "How he, killed me a little?"
Angel nodded, getting it now. "Yeah. You drowned."
"Well, that did it." Buffy said unnecessarily.
"That's…" Angel couldn't figure out what to say. He shrugged beseechingly. "I don't…I don't know what to say."
"It's just like I've got this deal," Buffy said, venting more to herself than to Angel. "One girl in all the world and all that. And, I tried. I mean, I tried to be the Slayer. I was okay at it right?"
She looked up at him, watching as he nodded at her. She smiled at him briefly.
"And suddenly, Xander's better at fighting than me," Buffy grumbled. "And now there's another Slayer. It's like a whole week of 'what's my line,' only I don't get to play. I don't even know what role I'm supposed to be playing anymore."
She looked into the long mirror that was attached to a bedroom wall, only seeing herself in the reflection. "Sometimes I just want…"
The Slayer sighed and moved over to her bed, taking a seat.
"You want what?" Angel asked gently. "It's okay."
"The Cliff Notes version?" Buffy responded, looking up at him. "I just want a normal life. Like I had before. They're all bits of me, but I can't be a normal girl anymore. I'm still the Slayer."
"Before me," Angel said, bringing it back to him.
"No, Angel." Buffy reached out with a hand, touching his. "It's not you. You're the only freaky thing in my freaky world that still makes sense to me. I just get messed sometimes. I wish we could be regular kids. The both of us."
"Yeah. I'll never be a kid," Angel whispered.
"Okay," Buffy said. "Then a regular kid and her cradle robbing, creature-of-the-night boyfriend."
Angel laughed aloud at that, Buffy smiling back. It was a good moment.
xxx
"Oh, here I am," Cordelia said aloud. She pointed at her name on the list tacked to the bulletin board in the quad. "Personal shopper or motivational speaker. Neato!"
"Motivational speaker?" Xander questioned. "On what? Ten ways to a more annoying you?"
Cordelia didn't respond, instead going through the pages to Xander's name. "Oh what about you? You're…"
She didn't know how to take it and just left.
"What?" Xander said concerned. He flipped through the pages frantically, trying to find his own name on the wall. "What?"
xxx
"You and Angel are going skating? Alone?" Willow asked, walking with Buffy across the lawn.
"Unless some unforeseen evil pops up," Buffy answered, happy for the first time in quite a while. "But, I'm in full 'see no evil' mode."
"Angel ice-skating." Willow was still in disbelief. She couldn't picture the thought. Well, she could, but it disturbed her and made her want to hide until it went away.
"I know," Buffy said knowingly. "Two worlds collide."
Xander ran over, catching up to them. "Results are posted."
"What did you get?" Willow said, interested in how her friend did. It was about all she could manage to show interest without getting all nervous around him and being unable to speak properly. Or getting the uncontrollable urge to run away.
"Investigatory services, FBI agent." Xander ticked off on his hands. "And oh, teacher."
Willow just looked at him, stunned for the second time that day.
"Yeah, who knew?" Xander shrugged. He smirked crookedly.
"Teacher?" Buffy started to giggle at the thought of Xander teaching anybody anything.
"Ha ha ha," Xander said drolly. "Laugh now missy, they assigned you to the booth for law enforcement professionals."
Buffy stopped giggling, stunned. "As in police?"
"As in polyester, doughnuts, and brutality," Xander answered, though not the specific question asked.
The Slayer whimpered.
"But, doughnuts." Willow smiled, trying to be encouraging.
Buffy whined louder. "Well, I'll just jump off that bridge when I come to it."
She caught sight of Giles, walking along the path next to the lawn. She turned to her friends. "I got to go. Giles has this whole thing about checking on every day after homeroom."
She walked off mumbling to herself, "police?"
Xander started to follow after her, somewhat glad that she wasn't so cool to him. Although it could have been the disturbing news of the results of the career placement test.
Willow held him back before he could get far. "You didn't check to see which seminar I was assigned to, did you?"
"I did," Xander answered, turning to face his friend. "And you weren't."
"I wasn't what?" Willow asked, confused.
"On the list," Xander expanded unhelpfully.
"But, I handed in my test!" Willow complained, getting nervous. "I used a number two pencil!"
Xander shrugged. "Then I guess you musta passed."
"It's not the kinda test you pass or fail." Willow reproached.
"Your name wasn't up there, Will," Xander said, shrugging. "You want I should help you figure out what happened? That's what us FBI agents do after all. Be all investigating and everything."
xxx
Spike held out a red pillow, upon it lay an intricately carved golden cross. He waited for Drusilla to inspect it."
"It hums." The vampire seer sensed. She held a hand over it. "I can hear it."
Spike smiled. "Once you're well again, we'll have a coronation down Main St., and invite everyone, and drink for seven days and seven nights."
"What about the Slayer?" Dalton called out, seated at the table a way away from the other two vampires. He was annoyed at being the one to do all the grunt work, but knew that he couldn't let the blonde vampire know that. He would just get hit again. "She almost blew the whole thing for us. She almost caught me last night. She's trouble."
"You don't say?" Spike got up and looked at him. He paced back and forth, nearing the table. "Trouble? She's the gnat in my ear! The gristle in my teeth! She's the bloody thorn in my bloody side!"
The blonde vampire snarled and kicked the table, nearly breaking it in two.
"Spike," Drusilla called out, concerned.
"We gotta do something." Spike looked over at his injured girlfriend. "We'll never complete your cure with that bitch breathing down our necks. I need to bring in the big guns. They'll take care of her once and for all. Her and that freaky boy of hers."
"Big guns?" Dalton inquired.
"The Order of Teraka." Spike turned to face the more academic of the vampires in the room.
Drusilla looked down at the tarot cards beside her on the bed. It was not a normal tarot deck, instead containing magical cards that changed to give insight into the future. They were barely helpful to the best of seers, never mind insane ones. Though, they did provide some help on occasion.
"The bounty hunters?" Dalton asked, worried.
Drusilla dealt three of the cards, turning them over after she had laid them all out in a row. One was of a Cyclops. Another a centipede. And the last a panther. "They're coming to my party. Three of them."
Spike walked over to her, looking at the cards that had been revealed.
"Uh yes," Dalton said, dismissing the ramblings of the insane vampire. "But, the Order of Teraka. I mean…isn't that overkill?"
"No," Spike contradicted, still looking down at the tarot cards. They would be useful not only for the Slayer but also for her little friend. It would be perfect. He didn't know what had happened to allow the boy to retain powers. But, it was something he'd rather deal with indirectly. The Order of Teraka would be perfect for that. "I think it's just enough kill."
xxx
"What if it's the CIA?" Xander wondered aloud. He walked with Willow through the corridors of the school. "That would be cool. Or maybe it's the Watchers' Council. Infiltrated the school, and looking for new recruits. You made with the book learning and stuff. I'm sure Giles would put in a good word for you and everything. Maybe they'll even get you a wool sweater."
"I don't know," Willow said, not really buying it.
Xander shrugged, looking down the hall. He saw the computer lab in front of him. He frowned for a second before turning back towards his friend. "Well, I'm all out of suggestions."
A man in a black suit walked up to the two of them. A man similarly dressed was with him. "Willow Rosenberg?"
He waited until she turned to face him. "Come with us, please."
"Excuse me?" Willow asked, suspicious as to the identities of the two Men in Black looking people.
"Let's walk," one of them said.
"What's this about?" Xander asked, sizing the two of them up. He could take them.
The two men ignored the boy. One of them reached into a pocket and handed Willow a business card instead.
The redhead took it, eyes widening slightly once she had looked at it. "It'll…It'll be okay, Xander. Unless you want to come along?"
Xander looked up, noticing that Ms. Calendar was watching him through the doorway of the computer lab. She looked hesitant at the sight of him. He frowned, not liking the apprehension he could see etched on her face. She disappeared back into the classroom. He turned back to his friend. "No, if you're sure it's legit, I'll catch up with you later. You can tell me about it."
He walked forward, heading towards the computer lab.
Willow watched him go, frowning as she saw where he was heading.
"Ahem," one of the men from Microsoft coughed out. He waited until she turned to face him. "If you would please."
They led her off, though Willow glanced at the door to the computer lab as she passed it.
They didn't go far, heading into a closed off section of the student lounge. A thick black curtain ensured privacy for those inside.
Willow looked around, surprised by what had been done with the area. A waiter was even there, serving appetizers. She moved in, noticing that only one other student was there. She vaguely recognized him as a boy from the year above.
"What is all this?" Willow asked, turning to face one of the men that had brought her in.
"You've been selected to meet with Mr. McCarthy, head recruiter," the man said. "The jet was delayed by fog at Sea-Tac, but he should be here any minute. Please, make yourself comfortable."
He pointed over at a couch.
"But, I didn't even get my test back?" Willow nearly squeaked out.
The man was not dissuaded. "The test was irrelevant. We've been tracking you for some time."
"Is that a good thing?" Willow asked.
The recruiter nodded. "I would think so. We're extremely selective. In fact, only one other Sunnydale student met our criteria."
The two men turned abruptly and left without another word.
Willow was stunned by the action, but then started to look around. She wandered over to the other student who was sitting on the couch, examining a tray of appetizers.
The boy looked at the girl that had just sat down, recognizing her as the one that he had seen on Halloween a few weeks ago. He looks down at the tray, before raising it and offering it to her. "Canapé?"
xxx
Xander closed the classroom door behind him, glad that there were no other students inside. He took a second to turn back around, nervous. He still didn't know exactly what he should say.
"Uh, hi," the Iron Fist said, walking towards the front of the room. Ms. Calendar was seated there, nearly looking as nervous as he probably did. He could probably have hid it, but didn't want to. It felt better to be honest. "How you doing?"
"It's been a while," Jenny said, looking at Xander approach. She felt rather awkward around him too. After what had happened with Eyghon, it could not have been easy for Xander in class. She had watched him, knowing that he had been withdrawn, concentrating on his work. It helped his assignments, but did nothing for his peace of mind.
"So, this thing," Xander started, stopping beside her desk, not too close. "With the Iron Fist. I guess I still need help, and um, I'll start coming back, if you're okay with that."
"That's good," Ms. Calendar said.
"Okay then," Xander said, turning around. He started to walk away, but stopped. Forcing himself to face her again, he moved in closer. The results of the career placement exam had shown an aptitude toward active jobs. Where fear had to be something dealt with and accepted. He couldn't stay an immature kid forever. "It's just…"
"Yes?" Jenny inquired, knowing that he was struggling. She wished she could do something to alleviate the pain he had to be going through. But, anything she did would probably just make him feel worse about the whole situation.
"There were things that were said," Xander began again. "That can't be unsaid. I have to accept that. And, I can't pretend anymore that I don't have feelings for you. And, I guess that means that you can't pretend anymore that you didn't know."
Jenny gasped slightly at the admittance. She had known, like he said, but it was still rather shocking to hear it from his lips. Especially with the pained look on his face as he said it. "Xander…"
"No," Xander interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. "Let me finish. You know me better than anybody. Better than anybody else. I've been more honest with you about everything than with anyone else. Buffy. Giles. Even Willow."
He took a breath, struggling with his words. "It's dumb, and stupid, and I can't pretend that I don't... So, if you still want me to be around, and can accept that, then I guess I can stick around. If not though, then just tell me now."
He had just repeated himself, but it seemed like the thing to do. He didn't want her to start to have second thoughts.
"You need help," Jenny said, meaning more than just with the direct applications of his new abilities. "Of course, I'll be there."
"Thanks." Xander nodded, smiling briefly. His voice broke as he spoke, "but, with what Eyghon said, I know it's wrong. And I know I have no chance. And I know it's selfish, but I'll still have those feelings. And I'll try."
"You're just a boy," Ms. Calendar said after a moment. She said it with as much sympathy as she could. She couldn't let him know that it hadn't all been lies. "You shouldn't…"
He looked down. Then started to walk away, not giving her a chance to say more. He stopped at the doorway, his hand on the doorknob. He turned his head, watching her through the corner of his eye. "I'm not a kid anymore."
Xander turned the knob, opening the door and walking out.
xxx
"So Giles is sure that the vampire who stole his book is connected to the one you slayed last night? Willow asked, looking at the Slayer that was seated next to her. "Or is it slew?"
Buffy shrugged, not knowing herself.
Xander looked at the wall, lost in thought. He barely heard the two girls talking.
"Both are correct," Giles said, coming down out of the main stacks. He had a National Geographic in his hand. He walked over to the table and set it down, flipping through it until he reached the article that was relevant. "And, yes, I'm sure. Du Lac was both a theologian and a mathematician. This article describes an invention of his, which he called the Du Lac Cross."
Giles handed the open magazine to Willow, noticing that the boy looked to be a world away. "Xander."
Xander nearly jumped, turning towards the Watcher. He tried to cover. "So, why go to all the trouble of inventing something, and then giving it a weak name like that? I mean, I'd have gone with the Cross-o-Matic, or uh…"
The girls just stared at him, while Giles looked at him suspiciously. The boy evidently had a lot on his mind. He could only guess what. The boy had been unwilling to talk about what had happened before they had arrived at Ms. Calendar's apartment. He could only imagine that it had not been a pleasant experience for both of them. He looked away.
"The cross was more than a mere symbol," Giles pointed at a picture of the cross. "It was used to understand certain mystical texts, to, uh, decipher hidden meanings and so forth."
"So you're saying these vampires went to all this hassle for your basic decoder ring?" Buffy asked, translating.
Giles looked nearly disgusted by the analogy. Mainly at its underlying accuracy. "Uh, actually yes. I suppose I am."
"According to this," Willow said reading from the article. "Du Lac destroyed every cross except the one buried with him."
"Why destroy your own work?" Buffy asked.
"Perhaps he feared what might happen if it fell into the wrong hands," Giles hypothesized, pacing back and forth.
"Obviously not too much," Xander inserted. "Or else he would have dealt with it properly and destroyed all the crosses. Do the job right."
Giles looked at the boy, wondering about what else he could be referring to. "We'll have to disrupt their plans."
"How?" Willow asked.
The Watched checked his watch. "Uh, by learning what's in the book before they do. Which means we can expect to be here later tonight. Don't worry though, we'll have help."
"That's good," Buffy said. "I really have to bail, but I promise I'll be back bright and early tomorrow and ready to slay."
Giles frowned at his charge. "This is a matter of some urgency, Buffy."
"I realize that," Buffy acknowledged. "Well, you have to admit, I kinda lack in the book area. I mean, you guys are the brains, I'd only be here for moral support anyway. And you have someone coming to help. Who do you have coming to help?"
Giles just looked at her, uncertain exactly how to answer her and why she wanted to be excused. She had been applying herself much more recently. A welcome change.
"Uh, she should go," Willow encouraged. She knew why Buffy was requesting to take off for the night. "You know, gather her strength."
"Perhaps you're right," Giles reluctantly agreed, accepting the explanation. "There may be fierce battles ahead. And, the new Slayer should be able to help."
"What?" Buffy said, surprised. She snapped her head towards the Watcher. "She's coming here? Today?"
"Uh, yes," Giles said, stuttering slightly. "In fact, she should be here any moment now. She just flew here today. Um, didn't I mentioned it?"
They all looked at the swinging doors at the other side of the library, as if expecting it to open up and reveal the new Slayer. Nobody appeared.
"Uh, yes. Any moment now," Giles said, frowning slightly. Nothing happened. "Well, perhaps the flight was delayed. Anyway, we should move onto the-"
The door suddenly opened, revealing a striking young woman. She sized up the people in the room, as if deciding if they were enemies.
Giles recovered quickly and walked over, beckoning the young woman over. He turned to face the seated Scooby Gang when the girl stopped at the table. "Uh, this is Kendra."
He turned toward the new Slayer, "Uh, this is Willow, she helps with research and uh, the computer. Buffy, the other Slayer, and, um…uh..."
The two girls just looked at her, waving vaguely. Giles didn't know exactly what else he should say. Xander had requested that the existence of his powers be kept a secret, as well as his new title. There was no telling who else may know about it, and a legacy of justice would carry its share of enemies.
Xander sized her up, taking in her smooth dark skin. He also noticed a rather tight-fitting dark top that showed off her midriff, and rather shiny satiny pants. She was fit. Although, those large hoop earrings, however stylish, were not good in a fight. Slight guilt went through him, but he pushed it down. He raised a hand, showing her the blade side of it. "Hey, I'm Xander. I know Kung Fu."
Kendra looked him over, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach. It was odd, but he didn't seem like much of a fighter to her.
"Uh, yes," Giles said, turning back to the table. "I suppose you can leave now, Buffy. We can take care of research here."
Buffy packed up her bags, and left, saying goodbye quickly before she left, before she could change her mind. The presence of the other Slayer made her want to stay, but she put her plans with Angel first.
Kendra watched all this, frowning. She turned to face the Watcher, as the other Slayer left. She was not all that impressed by her either. "You allow dis? Dey know of de Slayer's identity."
Giles scrambled for words. "Well, uh…"
"We're her friends." Xander saved the Watcher, noticing her thick Jamaican accent. It suited her rather well. "And we do other stuff. Like, Willow can read. And uh, I can, well I can do Kung Fu, but you knew that. Oh, I can also order pizza like nobody's business. That's worth something. Especially when we got a late night research session, like tonight apparently is going to be."
Kendra looked at him skeptically, having to struggle to keep that strange feeling down. It was odd, she had little experience with boys and had no idea what the feeling was, or what was causing it. It was almost like detecting a vampire, but not exactly.
"Right, we can exchange pleasantries later," Giles said after a moment, looking over at Willow and Xander. "We should concentrate on what we need to do now. I'll fill Kendra in on the situation, you two can start researching."
xxx
Buffy skated around the rink by herself, moving in a smooth circle. She tried to do a tight spin, but lost balance, sliding to the side of the rink on her butt. She started to get up, but was surprised as a strong arm grasped her by the neck and dragged her back. Not being able to get any leverage, Buffy struggled to get free, feeling herself choking. She tried to pry the hands loose from her throat, but it wouldn't work. They seemed inhumanly strong.
"Buffy!" Angel shouted, rushing forward at the large man that was currently choking his girlfriend. He leapt forward, tackling the man from behind and making him loose his grip on the Slayer.
Buffy dropped back onto the ice, coughing loudly.
The attack didn't stop the Terakan assassin as he turned and faced his new opponent. He punched Angel hard in the chest, sending the vampire flying against the wall of the ice skating rink, his one eye blazing in anger.
Angel recovered quickly, his face morphing to reveal his fangs. He came at the assassin, and jabbed him hard in the face, but it did little. The one-eyed attacker just punched him again, forcing him against the wall another time.
The Terakan reached over and grabbed Angel by the throat, lifting him up. As he did so, he heard sounds behind him and turned.
Buffy skated up quickly, grabbing the side of the rink and vaulting over, kicking the assassin in the throat. The blades of her skate sliced into him easily. The Terakan dropped Angel and grabbed at his own neck, feeling the blood flow through his fingers. He took a few steps forward before collapsing dead.
xxx
"He's passing under our feet right now," Drusilla said, turning over the tarot card with the figure of a Cyclops printed on it.
"No worries," Spike assured her. "We're close to decoding the manuscript. We just need a bit more time."
"Time is ours," Drusilla said, vaguely. "It brings the Slayer closer to them."
xxx
Angel bent over the biker looking man, picking up one of his hands and examining the ring that was around a finger. He took it off, inspecting it further. "You're in danger. You know what the ring means?"
"I just killed a Super Bowl champ?" Buffy quipped.
"I'm serious!" Angel growled, annoyed. He stood up and walked over to Buffy. "You should go home and wait until you hear from me."
He looked at her, his vampiric nature still evident on his face. His voice softened, "are you okay?"
"What about you?" Buffy said, cupping his cheek and examining a cut over his eye. "That cut!"
"Forget about me." Angel moved away. "This is bad, Buffy. We gotta get you outta here."
"What," Buffy nearly exclaimed in disbelief. "You mean hide?"
"Let's just get you someplace safe!" Angel said, not exactly agreeing with her.
"No!" Buffy stated loudly. "Your eye."
She reached for him, but he shook her off.
"Hey, don't be a baby. I'm not gonna hurt you." Buffy tried again.
"It's not that," Angel said, unable to look at her. "I…"
"What?" Buffy didn't get it.
"You shouldn't have to touch me when I'm like this," Angel said, looking her in the eye with his own yellow ones.
"Oh," Buffy said softly, understanding. She took a glove off and touched his brow and cut, sliding down to his cheek. "I didn't even notice."
She moved in and kissed him, the kiss getting deeper as she drew him closer.
xxx
Giles looked at the ring carefully, using a magnifying lamp to ensure that he didn't miss any details. He frowned as he recognized the markings upon its golden surface.
Xander yawned, watching Giles work as he did so. It had been a long night and he had been up early, keeping to his schedule of training in the woods before school. He glanced over at Kendra, who had been looking at him oddly every now and then when she thought he didn't notice. It made him feel all weird. He didn't think it was his chi, Buffy after all, hadn't been able to sense anything different about him. Although, she couldn't detect vampires as Giles said Slayers usually could. He had taken a shower, so it wasn't that he smelled.
"This guy was hardcore, Giles." Buffy flexed her knee. It felt better than the night before and would be back to normal within half a day or so. One of the perks of being the Slayer. "And, Angel was power freaked by that ring."
"I'm afraid he was not overreacting." Giles agreed with the vampire's viewpoint. "This ring is only worn by members of the Order of Teraka. It's a society of deadly assassins dating back to King Solomon."
"These assassins, why are they after me?" Buffy questioned.
"'Cause you're the scourge of the underworld?" Willow offered.
"I haven't been that scourgely lately," Buffy countered.
The Watcher rubbed his eyes. "I don't know, I don't know. I think the best thing we can do is to find a secure location. Somewhere out of the way you can go until we decide the best course of action."
Buffy got up, feeling freaked. "Okay, now you and Angel have both said to head for the hills. Are you saying I can't handle this? That I'm not strong enough to fight these people?"
Giles turned to face her, setting the ring down on the table. "They're a breed apart, Buffy. Unlike vampires, they have no earthly desires but to collect their bounty. They find a target and eliminate it. You can kill as many of them as you like, it won't make any difference. Where there's one, there will be another, and another. They won't stop coming until the job is done."
Xander listened intently to Giles speak, muttering under his breath grimly. He frowned, though he was unaware of what he was saying. "Hail HYDRA."
Kendra heard the boy speak, frowning as she was unable to figure out what he meant.
The Watcher on the other hand, had not heard, and continued to speak. "Each of them works alone. His own way. Some are human, some are not. You won't know who they are until they strike."
"And yet," Xander broke in, "they all wear decoder rings. Any way to track that or something?"
Buffy and Willow looked at him in surprise.
He looked back at them and rolled his eyes. "What, I can't have ideas?"
Giles shook his head, indicating that they would not be able to track the assassins by their rings. Though he himself was surprised that Xander had made a decent suggestion as to a course of action.
xxx
The proprietor of the drinking establishment started to clean up the bar, using a rag to wipe down the countertop. Blood and alcohol revealed the good business that he had did the night before. He looked up as a shadow appeared in the doorway. "We're closed! Can't you read the sign?"
Angel stepped into the light of the bar, unimpressed.
"Oh, uh, hey Angel," the barman greeted nervously. "I didn't recognize you in the dark there. What, uh…what can I do for you tonight?"
"I need some information." Angel walked further into the bar.
"Yeah?" the man behind the bar asked. "Man, that's too bad. 'Cause, I'm staying away from that whole scene. I'm living right, Angel."
The vampire with a soul walked up to the bar, within arm's reach of the bartender. "Sure you are, Willy. And I'm taking up sunbathing."
"C'mon man. Don't be that way!" Willy beseeched. "I treat you vamps good! I don't hassle you, you don't hassle me. We enjoy the patronage of this establishment. Everybody's happy, right?"
"Who sent them?" Angel inquired, getting into Willy's face. "Was it Spike?"
"Look Angel," Willy said, trying to placate the angry vampire. "I got some good pig's blood in, good stuff. My fence said-"
Angel snarled and grabbed the weasely bartender, slamming his head into the bar. "You know, I'm a little rusty when it comes to killing humans. It could take a while."
"Oh, Spike will draw and quarter me, man!" Willy tried to get free, but the vampire's superior strength did not let him.
Angel pressed down harder onto the snitch's face. "I'll take care of Spike."
"You know he ordered those guys!" Willy shouted, the pressure increasing on his head. "Spike's sick of your girl getting in his way!"
"Where can I find him?" Angel asked, finally getting some information.
"I tell you that," Willy stalled. "I'm gonna need relocating expenses! It'll cost you!"
"It'll cost who?" Angel countered, growling.
xxx
"I found a description of the missing Du Lac manuscript," Giles said, placing a piece of paper in front of Willow. They had read up on what they could on the Order of Teraka, but it would be of little help. They knew as much as they would about them for now, and it was more important to figure out what Spike was up to. That was the reason why the Order had been hired in the first place after all. "It's a ritual. Now, I haven't managed to decipher the exact details, but I believe the purpose is to restore a weak and sick vampire back to full health."
"A vampire like Drusilla?" Willow questioned.
Giles nodded. "Exactly."
Xander turned away from Giles, knowing that there wasn't much to go on at the moment. He looked at Kendra and scooted his chair closer to the new Slayer. "So, what's with the staring?"
The Slayer just looked at him, not finding the words to speak.
"No really," Xander said, after she didn't say anything. "I mean, you've been looking at me funny this whole time."
"I'm not permitted to speak with boys," Kendra said, looking down.
"And yet, you're doing it right now," Xander countered. He frowned after a moment. "The Watchers trained you right?"
"Yes," Kendra said after a moment. "The Watchers found me when I was a baby. My parents gave me to dem. Mr. Zabuto raised me."
"Unnh," Xander said, thinking about the concerns that Ms. Calendar had had about the potentials. She had been right it seemed, if he read between the lines. "Well, this is America. And in America, you can talk to boys. Ask Giles. He'll tell you. Of course, he's English, but I think he's been here long enough."
Kendra smiled slightly at him, her dark eyes locking on his.
Xander tilted his head slightly as she smiled at him. Of all the things that could happen, and all the times, it had to happen now. If that look meant even close to what he imagined it meant, then at any other time he would have been ecstatic. As it was, his heart lay elsewhere. And it didn't appear to be changing at the moment.
xxx
"By George, I think he's got it," Spike said happily, reading over the handwritten notes he had in his hands. He walked over to Drusilla. "The key to your cure, ducks. The missing bloody link. It was…"
"Right, right in front of us…the whole time," Drusilla continued. She took Spike by the hand and pulled it down to her deck of tarot cards. The one on top had an angel printed on it.
xxx
Giles had not had much luck, so he had let the Scooby Gang, including Kendra, go for the day. There wasn't much they could do at any rate.
Xander watched as Kendra and Buffy stared at each, like it was a challenge. He imagined that if they were cats, their backs would be arched, fur raised. He had to chuckle inside, making sure he didn't do it vocally. Catfight.
"So, uh, how are you liking Sunnydale?" Xander asked, breaking the silence.
"Uh, it is agreeable," Kendra said, looking over at the boy. She had gone with them back to Buffy's house, at Xander's suggestion. She hadn't understood why since she was to stay with Giles during the duration of her stay in Sunnydale, but the boy had said that she should see more of the town.
"That's good," Xander said, turning as the doorbell rang. He shrugged as he looked over at Buffy. "I got it."
He opened the door, looking confused at the doughy looking man with horn-rimmed glasses who was standing at the door. The man had a case in his hand. It was probably a door-to-door salesman. "Hi."
The man at the door looked over the boy's shoulder, noticing the two young women in the house. He turned his attention back to the boy standing in front of him, and dropped the case, moving his arm back to punch.
Xander caught the blow easily in his right hand, using his left forearm to break the elbow. It didn't work that way when the arm suddenly turned into a mess of orangish looking mealworms. Xander dropped the crawling creatures disgusted, backing up from the now one-armed man.
The Iron Fist jabbed his hand forward, right into the probable assassin's belly, watching as it seemed to sink into the man's stomach. He looked up as the doughy man just smiled malevolently back at him. He tried to jerk his hand back, but it was fixed. He could feel worms crawling all over his flesh, legs brushing his skin. Xander could hear Buffy shout as he smiled back at the supernatural creature in front of him, his actions decided.
Pulling his chi into his hand, Xander called upon the power of the Iron Fist. He jerked up, using the power of the dragon to fuel the action. It ripped through the mass of hardened and disguised worms; the last thing on the assassin's face was shock as he collapsed into a large pile of worms.
Xander looked down at it, deciding quickly before they could move away. He called more power into his fist as he caused it to flame. Thrusting down he punched the ground, sending a wave of kinetic energy down and crushing all of the mealworms.
The sight of it was disgusting, but he made sure he got all of them, having to stomp the last few by foot. He turned around to face Buffy once he was done.
She skidded to a stop once she saw what he had done. It was an amazing display, and had only taken a couple of seconds. She glanced over at Kendra, to catch her reaction.
"What are you?" Kendra snapped suspiciously at the boy. Giles had said that the boy was okay, and special in his own right, but she had no idea what could have caused what she had just seen.
Xander shrugged, glancing down at his glowing fist. He willed it to die down, returning it to normal. He shrugged. "Awesome?"
Buffy walked over and looked at the remains of the crushed meal worms. She grimaced at the sight, knowing that they would have to clean it up. "I guess that's another Terakan down."
Xander bent down to pick up a crushed gold ring, wiping some meal worm goop off of it. "Yeah. Looks like it."
He examined it closely. "Cut off a limb, and two more shall take its place."
Buffy looked at him quizzically. "What?"
Xander returned the stare. "I don't know. Heard it somewhere."
xxx
"So this Willy guy is going to set Spike up?" Xander asked skeptically. He hopped onto the table in the library, looking at Angel. Evidently the vampire had gone off on his own and come back with a plan. Not that bad of one, though it had its risks. "For you."
"Pretty much," Angel said. "It's the best chance we have of finding him."
"What do you think, Giles?" Xander asked, looking at the Watcher.
"I believe it's the best plan we have so far," Giles replied. He didn't like it anymore than Xander did, but they had little choice. If they could get to Spike, they could stop him from curing Drusilla, as well as maybe get the bounty taken off of Buffy's head.
Kendra just glared at the vampire that was in the library with them. She was supposed to destroy things like him, but the Watcher wouldn't let her. It was all so frustrating. The whole situation was.
"Okay," Xander said, frowning. "I'll find Buffy and let her in on the plan. You get captured, and we trail you to wherever Spike is going to do the ritual."
Giles had managed to translate the ritual description. It would revive Drusilla at the expense of her sire. The Order of Teraka was just a distraction to buy Spike time to find and grab Angel on his own.
"I just want to be the one to mention," Xander said, hopping down from the table and gathering his things. "I think this plan sucks."
He heard gunfire sound out in the hallway, and dropped his bag as he rushed to the library doors.
xxx
Xander couldn't believe that the next Order assassin had been the cop that had been there for Career seminars. And, crazy that she just went off and started to try to gun down Buffy in the halls. Good thing that the Slayer had great reflexes.
Of course the assassin had managed to get away before he had even got there.
He followed behind Kendra silently as they walked through the sewers, following Angel and the others. She had some way of detecting vampires, which made it a lot easier. Buffy didn't have the same ability, which he thought was kind of weird. He guessed that they didn't have completely the same powers.
He shook off the thought, preparing himself for what was coming. Only Spike's goons had gone to pick up the supposedly unconscious Angel. They'd have to go all the way in order to find the head man. That was who they really wanted.
The risk was great though. In order to prevent detection, they had to stay back a far distance in order to prevent themselves from being picked up the vampires. They weren't even within eyesight.
They walked on in silence.
xxx
"Eligor. I name thee." Spike chanted, swinging a burning censer back and forth as he headed down the main aisle of the church away from the altar. "Bringer of war, poisoners, pariahs, grand obscenity."
He spun and turned towards it, heading back up. Angel and Drusilla were strapped together to a chain hanging from the ceiling.
Spike concentrated on the ritual not noticing as others entered the church.
xxx
A vampire burst into dust, as a stake plunged into its back. Buffy pulled it out and ran forward, intent on saving her boyfriend.
Kendra and Xander stayed back, covering the rear. They moved forward, splitting up to cover both sides as attackers came in.
The cop in disguise was the one that he had to deal with. She tried pulling her sidearm, but Xander managed to kick the Terakan assassin's gun out from her hands. He moved in with a hard punch to the face. On the other side, Kendra was battling with a number of vampires.
Xander ducked as the Terakan swept a knife over his head, getting back up and catching her arm in his hands. He quickly bent her wrist, breaking it and sending a vicious kick into her knee as she dropped the knife. He heard the crack as it bent the wrong way, the assassin screaming in pain and pitching forward. The Iron Fish grasp her head in his hands and twisted sharply, inhaling audibly as he heard the Terakan's neck snap.
The body dropped to the floor with a thump.
He didn't give it much thought as he turned, seeing Kendra taking care of another of the vampire minions that seemed to be so prevalent in the town. She was pretty good at fighting, staking the vampire through the heart easily.
Xander pulled out a stake of his own, and flung it with as much power as he could. It seemed to almost blaze, though it could have been a trick of the light, as it caught a vampire in the back. It turned to dust as the sharpened wood penetrated to the heart.
"No!" Spike yelled out, distracted by the destruction of his love. Drusilla had just been turned to dust, making the ritual a complete waste of time. It felt like his unbeating heart had just been ripped from his chest. He turned to face the boy, anger making his yellow eyes glow. The vampire rushed forward, intent on going after the boy and making him pay for what he had just done.
Xander just grinned crookedly at the bleached blonde vampire, motioning with a hand for the vampire to come. Inventing him to attack.
Buffy managed to get Angel down during the distraction, and helped him towards the exit. It was more important to her to get him out of there than to be the one to fight Spike. She had to be honest to herself; Xander was in much better shape psychologically to take the vampire on than she was. She wouldn't have had a clear head about it, and it could have cost her.
Xander jerked back, avoiding the flailing censer as it almost struck him. It crashed into a wall, spilling burning incense onto a long curtain and setting it ablaze. The fire grew quickly as the old and dry cloth caught fire.
Spike growled in anger and started to retreat, not wanting to face the boy on his own. As much as he wanted revenge, he wouldn't do it at the expense of his own existence.
Xander tried to follow, but the growing flames prevented him from catching up to him. He grunted loudly, angry that he had to let Spike go. He'd have to deal with that later.
"Kendra," Xander called out, watching as she finished off the last remaining vampire minion. The fire had spread quickly, and was now threatening to engulf all of them. "We need to get out of here. Now."
Buffy and Kendra helped move Angel out of the burning church, only barely making it as the building's ceiling collapsed.
Xander looked at the man that they had just saved from certain death. He wasn't so sure it was a good idea anymore. He'd have to talk to the vampire with a soul. Make sure that the soul stayed intact, for all of their sakes.
xxx
Xander stood on the upper level of the school, looking down at the quad. It was probably the second time he had taken a human life. It had been a lot easier, though the fact that she was fighting back likely made it that way. Although, maybe it had been much too easy.
It had only been a day, and he was already not feeling much about it. Letting go off what he had done was almost simple.
He watched as Willow walked onto the lawn. A boy with short spiked hair was beside her. They appeared to be sharing a box of crackers. He smiled briefly as they walked out of sight. It was good that she was able to find some happiness.
Xander walked away himself, needing to get to class. And then afterwards, he had work to do.
xxx
Angel walked through the hall, towards his bedroom. He was still feeling weak, Spike and Drusilla having laid into him before the ritual. They had wanted him to be easy to handle throughout it until the end. It had been one of the vampire's end, even if it wasn't him. He would heal quickly, but it didn't mean much to his present condition.
A small part of him felt guilty, knowing that he had been the one to turn Drusilla. His fault that she had been driven insane and his fault that she had died as he had.
He stopped as he stepped inside, sniffing the air. There was someone else there.
A light flicked on, Xander sat in a chair, holding the switch to the lamp in his hand.
"What are you doing here?" Angel asked, walking in further. He had only caught a glimpse of the fight. Buffy was right, he had improved tremendously.
Xander lowered his hand, watching the vampire. He had helped to recover him. Which was the right thing to do. Even if it caused even more danger now. "We need to talk."
"About Buffy." Angel didn't even need to ask.
Xander shrugged in his seat. "Yeah."
"What is this about?" Angel asked, walking closer and stopping at the edge of the rug.
"You love her don't you," Xander inquired, watching him carefully.
Angel nodded, his eyes narrowing, wondering what Xander's intentions were.
Xander continued, "she makes you happy."
"What's your point?" Angel asked, getting impatient. His current condition did nothing to improve his mood.
"The spell you're under that grants you a soul isn't permanent," Xander explained. "You experience a moment of happiness, true happiness, and you lose it. You go back to being Angelus."
"How would you know?" Angel asked, not believing the boy.
Xander shrugged. "Is that important?"
"You still love her," Angel said, smiling bitterly at him. "What are you trying to do? Save her? Buffy's white knight."
The Iron Fist shook his head. "Not anymore. Not like that. So, you find true happiness with her, and you go back. Maybe she kills you, which would kill her. Or maybe you just do it yourself. And then I kill you. Either way, that's a whole lot of death."
"What are you saying?" Angel asked, getting angry. "And, how do you know?"
Xander pointed a finger at his head. "I got a lot of stuff in here. I'm awesome like that. So you got to make a choice. You go with what you want, and maybe kill the woman you love. Or, you do the right thing, and maybe find redemption. You a real person? Or you the leech that let a vampire walk because you felt guilty that you were the one that created her. I'm thinking it's the latter."
Angel looked at him in shock.
"Yeah, I know." Xander smiled grimly at him. "For all her love, you're still a vampire. How'd you even get in this? If you don't have it in you to do what's needed?"
Angel looked down, not having an answer.
"Right," Xander said, shaking his head. He stood up and started toward the exit.
"Wait!" Angel called, turning to go after Xander.
The teenager stopped, turning around. "What?"
"How can you just…" Angel said, seeing the expression on Xander's face. He knew that the boy was telling the truth.
"Because things are bigger than just you," Xander said softly. He actually felt some sympathy for the vampire. He may be a coward and a jerk, but he had feelings. And he wasn't such a villain as to be undeserving of some feeling. "You able to control yourself, and she can still be in your life. You don't have to stay down here by yourself forever."
"I can look, but I can't touch?" Angel said, angrily.
"I'm sorry." Xander shrugged sympathetically. "Life isn't fair."
xxx
Holland reread the report on the altercation that had occurred a week or so ago. There had been a breach and security had gone to deal with it. It had not gone well after that. The lawyer shook his head as he reviewed the photos that were attached to the file.
The power displayed was most impressive indeed. And, if it could be harnessed for their use, it would be quite a boon for the Senior Partners' efforts in this realm. Perhaps even more now that the Tournament was almost upon them.
Access to the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven was of utmost importance to the Partners. The magical power that those realms possessed was almost unimaginable. They would be nearly unstoppable if the firm was able to acquire the power of all seven. And their end goals much more easily attainable.
Hundreds of lawyers in multiple dimensions had scoured the rules, looking for a loophole so that they could gain access to the Tournament. So far, the only way was to find a warrior of enough power to qualify for the Tournament to represent them. So far, their efforts had been for naught. If what had occurred a block away was any indication, then they might have a candidate. He flipped to the best picture they had of the perpetrator. It was grainy and blurred with motion, but it appeared to be a middle-aged man of indeterminate race, though light skinned. None of the guards that had seen him had lived long enough to be able to identify him. Which meant that they'd have quite a struggle to find him, not to mention to sway him to their line of reasoning.
Thinking for a moment, he picked up his phone and pushed one of the numbers he had on speed dial. It was answered on the second ring. "Lilah? This is Holland. I need you to pack your bags. You're going to Sunnydale."
xxx
The man walked into the tavern, heading towards the long bar at the back of it. A long vertical scar over his left eye marred his face, though the twisted expression that was nearly perpetually there meant that it did little to impact his looks. Close cropped black hair topped his head, the appearance of a man that did not care about how stylish he looked to others.
He took a seat, beckoning to the bartender. He watched as the man came up to him, eyeing him carefully. He didn't care about it. He didn't care about the Order of Teraka's actions. Only one of their particular targets.
"Call off the hit," the man said, glaring at the bartender.
The barman grinned, scoffing at the interloper. "I have no idea what you mean."
Snarling, the man grabbed the insolent whelp and pulled him over the bar. He glared at the others in the bar, as if daring them to do something. His glowing and blazing purple fist convinced them that it would be foolish to try.
The man picked the Terakan fixer up by his collar and slammed him onto the counter top. He leaned down and whispered into the other man's ear, "you work for HYDRA. And HYDRA works for me. Call off the hit, or I make your death an eternity of pain."
The fixer gulped, knowing who the man was now. The Order of Teraka was but a subsidiary of HYDRA, and he was merely a low level operative, commanding a small cell of Terakan assassins. The man currently hovering over his bent form was on another level altogether. "Okay….okay."
Davos let the man drop, thudding loudly on the floor of the bar. He turned away, his left fist still blazing with fire. If he had not been shirted, the others would have seen the curled serpent that had been branded upon his chest.
The Iron Fist had reappeared, just in time for the Tournament. And the idiotic actions of the Order put the whole thing in jeopardy. Moronic lackeys of an incompetent organization. But, their numbers had uses. But, soon he would have his vengeance. He would have what was meant to be his. What he deserved. His destiny.
As it was, nobody but the barman knew that the man that had just walked out of the tavern was Davos.
The Steel Serpent.
xxx
Jenny looked at the clearing before her. A lot of damage had been done in and to the place. Burn marks and shattered trees a testament to the power that Xander had been swinging around. She was beginning to understand just how powerful he could be. "You've made progress."
Xander shrugged, turning around. He was unsurprised at her presence, having been the one to inform her to meet him in the forest. "Yeah, I'm getting there. I don't got the glowy fist thing down completely yet, but it's getting there."
He had seen the news a couple of days ago. He had seen what had happened in Los Angeles, and knew that there could only be one thing responsible. So much devastation caused by the heart of the dragon. And it lay within him too. He wondered, not for the first time, whether he was on the right path. Whether it was worth it to develop such abilities. If it was ever justified to call upon it.
"That's good, Xander," Jenny said, walking over to stand beside the boy. "Are you practicing the meditation techniques I showed you?"
"Yeah," Xander said, trying to ignore her close presence. "Things are going to change though. I can feel it. It's happening quicker. The turning of the wheel, things have changed from the way that they're supposed to be. I just get the feeling that we're playing an extremely small part in this whole thing. And everyone else has got a better hand. And know the rules."
"Maybe," Jenny admitted, wanting to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but she refrained from it. "But, you can't control that. We'll deal with it when it comes. It's all we can do."
"I guess," Xander replied. "Doesn't make it any easier."
"I know," she said. She had seen the reports too. It had officially been attributed to a faulty gas main that had exploded. An accident. She hadn't bought it though. And knew that he had not either. "I know what you saw. People died, because of what happened in Los Angeles."
"Yeah," Xander looking up at the clear sky. "What is the reason that I have this? Is that supposed to be justice? Says who? Why do I have this power?
He turned around to look at the gypsy woman. "Why would anyone need to have this much power? To be able to do that?"
Jenny had no answer for him. "Does it matter? You have it, and all that matters is how you do use it. It's all anyone could ask you."
"And how do I know if I'm using it for the right reasons?" Xander asked, not expecting an answer. He turned away, looking at the destruction he had wrought upon the forest.
"Xander," Jenny said, walking closer to him so that she was facing him. "You're a good person. You have a good heart. I trust you to make the right decisions."
He looked at her, glad that someone believed in him. Even if he couldn't quite manage it himself. "Thanks. Janna."
"You're welcome," she smiled back at him, glad that he was still able to call him by her real name. She decided to switch subjects. "So, what do you think of the new Slayer?"
Xander shrugged. "I think some of what you're worried about is a concern. She's, well, she was raised by Watchers. Not exactly a social butterfly. Not that I'm one to judge."
Jenny frowned. It had been something she worried about. Having responsibilities forced up on her, she was particularly attuned to the lengths that it could go. "I see."
"Yeah," Xander said, looking at her. It never ceased to unnerve him now. "But, she gets to stay here at least. So I'm sure she'll get all corrupted by us. I bet we'll have her eating hamburgers by the end of the month."
"She's quite attractive," Jenny noted, a knowing smile on her face.
Xander walked over to a large rock, about twice the size that he was. He dragged a hand over some gouges that had been torn into it. "Yeah. But, I know what you're doing. And, it's not going to work. Heart doesn't work like that."
"Xander," the gypsy said, walking around to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.
The Iron Fist walked forward and around the boulder again, letting her hand drop.
Jenny sighed and took a step back.
"Wants what it wants," Xander said sadly. He looked at the rock. He pulled his fist back, focusing his chi. He struck out in a roundhouse punch, digging another gouge into the rock face.
"Turning tiger's punch," a man said, walking into the clearing and walking closer to the boy. "Good power. Sloppy form."
Xander turned to face the stranger that had just intruded into his space. The man looked to be in his late middle age, wrinkles marring his face, and blonde hair speckled with grey. "Who are you?"
"You know," the man said, coming closer and examining the boy. He seemed fit, and carried himself well enough. From the looks of the clearing, he had some amount of control over their shared power. But, he looked young. Much too young to have faced the Dragon and survive. "I'm Orson Randall. You and I have something in common…"
Xander narrowed his eyes at the man. The name seemed familiar somehow. It was just at the corner of his mind, tickling him with the memory. "Is that right."
Jenny looked back and forth between both of the men. She suspected she knew what the man was, as did Xander. She had no idea how things would go. She backed up, not wanting to get caught up in what could occur.
"You and I need to talk," Orson said, walking forward slowly. He didn't want to spook the boy. He didn't know what kind of person the boy was, but he didn't want to attack out of hand. "You can feel it can't you? Our chi calling to each other."
"Maybe so," Xander said, feeling a tugging in his chest. The weight of familiarity. He knew that the man was right.
"You know it's true," the man said, standing in front of the boy. "We're both Iron Fists. And the day has come."