Author's Note: May want to read the last couple of paragraphs in the last chapter. I made a mistake in what was said which is now fixed. And the story is going to start getting darker.
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"This is Snake Eye." Xander said over his radio. He looked behind him, at the town receding in view. It wasn't getting that much smaller, since they weren't going that far. He could see the lights in the darkness. Some from the streetlights and other sources in town, the others were flickering. The flashes of gunfire that were there to make sure that nothing made it out of town alive to come after them. "I'm coming in."
The vehicle passed a few men standing a couple of hundred yards in front of a large trailer. The guards were set behind sandbags, holding large rifles at the ready. There were a few jeeps and other assorted vehicles. Some crates and boxes lay scattered on the sands of the desert as well. Xander recognized a few of the men. He looked at the driver. "Robin, park next to the trailer."
Robin did so, pulling the car to a stop with a skid. He looked at the large trailer that he was parked next too. He wondered what it was for. "Is there something you want to tell us about Xander?"
"Want?" Xander questioned. He unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. "No. Have to? Yes. But, not now."
"When then?" Robin replied, irritated. Part of it was the situation. Having to run from what was chasing them. He didn't like losing. Or retreating. The rest of it was being usurped by the other man. He was supposed to be in charge. He remembered what had happened the last time Xander had led them into the field. Everybody had made it back safe. Physically at least. Still, there were lines that Xander was crossing. Ones that he didn't think they should. It was not heroic behavior.
"After." Xander said, a bit of sympathy in his tone. He felt for Robin. He really did. But, he couldn't allow that to interfere with his orders. Or what he thought was necessary. He couldn't let doubt enter into things right now. Or even more lives may be lost. "Come with me. But, don't say anything. And don't touch anything, that means you Andrew. Leah, make sure that Jesse's secure. Wouldn't want him to get loose now would we?"
Xander walked forward, and waited for the others to join him. He watched as a few of the soldiers, or rather agents, stationed at the impromptu headquarters came up to them. They were dressed in identical black suits. Not Men in Black type, but more the type that soldiers ran around in. They had armored vests on, and were armed. He recognized one of them. "Agent Vickers. Keep this prisoner secure. Don't let him see anything, and don't let him talk. Get Cindy to check him out. Make sure he's not packing anything, dangerous."
Vickers took custody of the prisoner and led him away, Leah watched them go, wondering what they were doing there. Another of the men walked with the departing pair, leaving one still standing there.
"Xander. Lampkin wants to see you." The remaining man said. He was heavily muscled, as were most of the men there. He walked with a steady stride as he led the group to the trailer that served as a mobile command unit.
The team entered. It was a bit of a shock to most of the people that walked in. Xander wasn't though, he'd seen the layout before, and had contributed a few suggestions to the initial design.
"How are we doing?" Xander said, without preamble as soon as they had gathered around the main video screen. It was currently displaying a birdseye view of the town from its place in a large computer set up along one of the walls. A small digital timer was overlaid on the screen in the corner. It was counting down, with a little over fifteen minutes left to zero. He knew that it was the remaining time they had left on the borrowed KH-14 reconnaissance satellite. Time share with the NSA and the CIA. There was a bit of time lag, but the new generation of Key Hole satellites had the sharpest resolution of any country's spy satellites. A few more monitors were placed in other locations, displaying real time footage of the teams in the field.
Lampkin looked up at him, from his seat in the middle of the setup. "The rest of your team got out a while ago. Crystal's already been sent away. Hellions are supporting us here. Nailer and Driver are already past the safe zone."
The field commander in charge of the whole operation pointed at one of the left monitors. It showed a man followed by a group of demons. The man was running fast towards the camera, faster than the demons chasing him. "Blazer's on his way out, with the last of the demons trying to get out. Two minutes until we have a clear. If you think we need to go that way."
Xander nodded. The area was pretty much secure. And they'd got out with the crystal. With a prisoner even. But still, there was something there. Something growing. He walked over to a thin young man with glasses. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit and was currently helping monitor communications.
"Uh, Eccleston right?" Xander said. The man looked up at him, pushing the glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. He nodded.
"Right. See if you can get Cindy, Zebra, in here." Xander said. He checked the clock set into the far end of the trailer. Wild Fire would be in place soon. Ready for his role.
Eccleston got onto his radio and called outside. The witch walked in a few moments later. "What's up Xander?"
"What are you sensing out there?" Xander asked, looking at his witch. He didn't have time for the niceties. "What's the threat assessment?"
Cindy frowned. The magical disruptions in the town had reached her, even here. After she had got back she had cast a search spell to see if she could dig something more up. She didn't like what she found. "Something big's coming up. There are portals opening up all over the place. Seven of them. Linked. Massive energy output. No attempt to hide anything. We're looking at a class six nexus. Time till it's operational is probably about 15 minutes."
Xander didn't like the sound of that. The Seal of Danzalthar had only been a class three. At least, that was what the texts he had been forced to study said. Or described in any case. The problem wasn't just range. The dimensions that the portal could link to was just one facet of its power. One of the others was size. And what was being created now was something larger than they had ever faced. At that level, duration of the opening wouldn't even matter. An army could come through, and they didn't have the manpower to face it. Nor the time to mount a proper response. "Right. Baker Delta Zulu. Got no choice."
Andrew perked up at that. It sounded vaguely familiar.
"Are you sure?" Lampkin said. He frowned. It was a pretty drastic call. While he was ultimately in charge in the field for this mission, he had to trust his field teams and their leaders. Rather odd that the man calling the shots was one of the youngest there. "Drastic move."
Xander clenched his jaw. "No doubt. Get it set. Where's the laser?"
"Your call." Lampkin replied. "There's one in the corner, but we can have one of the others set it up."
"No. It's my responsibility." Xander walked over and picked up a bulky steel tube from a shelf on the wall. He checked it to make sure it was properly charged. Xander also grabbed a pair of night vision goggles that were secured to the shelf. He walked towards the hatch out, but stopped before opening it. "Get Vickers to bring the prisoner up to the pile of rocks at the perimeter. Robin, you might want to see this."
He walked out, the others following behind. He waited for the guard to come up with their capture. He noticed as Vi came up with them. He nodded to his girlfriend, pleased that she had come through okay.
He walked towards the town, trying to find a clear line of sight. He set up behind a large pile of rocks. A tall boulder with a large flat section served well as a platform. He set up the laser, making sure it was pointed at the right area. He put on the goggles, adjusting the fit so he could see properly out of them, and shot the laser. Xander made a few small correction to the aim, making sure that it was painting the center of town. He triggered his radio. "Wild Fire. Target is painted. Wait for the clear."
"Roger that. Wild Fire is on hold." Came the response. It was calm and clear. The pilot and crew had been chosen specially for this. Trusted to do the job without question. Absolute loyalty to the cause. "Waiting for the clear."
"Confirmed." Xander nodded, not that they would be able to see it. He looked over to Vickers. "Take off the gag, and get him up here."
"What are you doing?" Robin asked, stepping up to the gear that was set up. He didn't recognize exactly what the mechanism did.
"I think it should be pretty clear by now." Xander said. He looked over at one of his oldest friends. "How about you?"
Vickers pushed man in the suit against the rock, making sure that the laser would not be disturbed. He undid the makeshift gag, pulling the napkins out of the man's mouth.
Jesse took a gulp of air, and then spit, a few scraps of wet paper hit the sand. He didn't know exactly what was going down, but he had an inkling that it wouldn't be good. He could recognize the look in Xander's eye. It was a serious one. "Xander. It doesn't have to go like this. You don't have to do this."
"You're right." Xander replied. "I don't. Call it off. Close those portals, and I don't have to do this. Give up the plot. You're beat."
He triggered his radio again, calling back to the headquarters. "Blazer clear yet?"
"Almost. Just clearing up the rest. Will advise." Came the call back. There was some apprehension in the voice, but it was clearly controlled. Lampkin didn't like the situation. None of them did.
"Confirmed. Let me know when the area's clear." Xander replied, releasing hold of the radio. "Tick tock. Not much time left."
"Look at you." Jesse said, a bit mockingly. "Big man, playing the secret agent. That what you think you are now? Big bad warrior? Think that's who you are now? You're not going to do this."
"I guess you really didn't know me at all then. Makes me wonder how well I knew you." Xander looked back at him. "You know, when the First came, he made a much more convincing you than you do. Funny how he can play a better you, than you. Must be the years of being who you are now."
Robin furrowed his brow. While he had known that a number of them had been visited by the First Evil, he hadn't thought that it might have came to Xander. It came to the major players in that game. Guess it just showed how much he thought of the younger man back then.
"What'd he say?" Jesse was honestly curious about it. Partly, because of what the First Evil would have said in his body. And partly because he wondered what it would have said to one of his best friends. The whole being held at gunpoint and bound and gagged thing not withstanding.
Xander gave a humph. "The usual. You know, about how I wasn't cut out for this. That I was the normal one. Worthless in the fight. Something about how I should have been the one to get out and move on. Marry some nice woman and settle down. That more people died because I wasn't strong enough back then. Jenny Calendar. Teresa. Tara. You."
Jesse winced. "Harsh."
"Harsh." Xander shrugged and gave out a chuckle. "But, true. And nothing I haven't thought of a million times myself. I made mistakes of my own. Let people go that I shouldn't have. And people died."
"There's more to it though." Jesse said. "The First was right about that. This, this isn't what you were meant to do. This isn't your destiny."
Xander smiled. "And I suppose you know what my destiny should have been?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Jesse smiled back. "This is wrong. Your destiny is wrong. Overwritten. For the coming of Jasmine. One of my, glorious leader's former adversaries."
"Really." Xander said, curtly. "And exactly what should have my, true, destiny have been?"
"Cleveland's not bad." Jesse said. "It has some nice neighborhoods. Suburbs to raise kids. That should have been you. You were meant, you were meant to leave Sunnydale. You were meant to fall in love with Cordelia Chase and move with her to LA. Her career as an actress wouldn't have gone past a few guest shots on TV shows, but the sheer fact that she was so awesomely beautiful would have made her the It Girl and sprung her to stardom as a model. You would have moved to New York with her. But, not just in the shadow. You would have stepped up and become her manager, an equal. You would have two beautiful children. Twins. A boy and a girl. The boy would have been named Jesse. After me. The girl would have been named Willow. You were to die at the age of 96, surrounded by loving grandchildren. Even maybe a great grandchild. The world would not have been in danger, as far as you knew, and you would have lived and died without having to fear its end. That was the life that was meant for you. That was the life you should have had. The life you should have lead. Real. Honest to God. Happiness."
Vi gasped quietly. Xander felt it more than heard it. He wondered if she had ever seen a picture of his former girlfriend or heard much about her. Xander couldn't remember if it had happened or not.
"So what happened?" Xander swallowed hard. "If that was to be my future, then what made it fall apart?"
"When you kissed Willow." Jesse said.
"And you know that how?" Xander retorted. He heard the voice in his earpiece tell him that the area was clear. That Wild Fire was set to go. He only half paid attention to it. He checked the laser. Making sure it was still set correctly. Not much time left, but just enough. He was learning something here after all.
"We have our own seers remember?" Jesse shrugged. As best as he could anyway, with his wrists bound. "The chaos magic with that mage, Raynes wasn't it? Anyway, a slight influence on his magic by Jasmine and her minions, and you get dosed. Which leads you down the path."
"No." Xander stated. "It wasn't just some magic. That was a mistake I made. Magic didn't cause it."
"True." Jesse agreed. "But, it did give you that little thought about Willow being a girl, all grown up. Which was enough for you to screw things up. But, don't feel too bad about it, it was high school, and it could have happened to anyone. And if it wasn't that, it would have been something else to make sure Cordelia got to LA. Without you."
"So why are you telling him now?" Vi stepped forward. She was angry. She had seen the look of pain in Xander's face. He covered it well, but she'd seen him hurting enough to now when it happened.
Jesse looked at her. "Cause this is his second chance. A last chance. The last thing I can offer. It will take a lot of work and magical energy, but my superiors have authorized this as one last deal."
"Which is what?" She said, though she suspected she already knew.
"Destiny." Jesse said, calmly. He looked at his friend. "I can give that back to you. Cordelia. Kids. Two eyes. A life. A normal, happy life without worry and death. Without the blood of innocents on your hands. We can give that to you."
"My own personal thirty pieces of silver." Xander said coldly. His eye narrowed. "And what exactly would I have to do to get that?"
"Nothing." Jesse shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. You don't have to fight for us. In fact, I'd rather you didn't if your heart isn't in it. All you have to do. All you have to do to get your life back is, walk away. That's it. Walk away from this fight. Walk away, and you get your life back. The life you deserve. The beautiful wife. The loving family. The one that you never had growing up. You can have it all. All of it. Just walk away, man. Walk away."
"You know?" Xander said looking at his friend. "I honestly believe you can."
Vi closed her eyes, a tear leaked out the side of her right one. She took a step back, hoping no one saw.
"But, you know what?" Xander looked at his girlfriend. Then he looked at the others to cover. He returned his gaze to Jesse. "Whatever I might have wanted back then? I have what I want now. I have what I want now."
Xander wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. He snuck a last look at Vi. His heart ached, and he turned his view hardened as he looked at the town again. He'd managed to convince himself. It was something at least. He activated his radio again. "Wild Fire. Baker Delta Zulu is a go. I repeat. Baker Delta Zulu is a go."
"Roger that." Came the voice of the pilot. "Starting my run."
"Last chance. For Christ's sake man." Xander threw out. No reaction. Just Jesse looking sad. All the reaction he expected, unfortunately. Fanatics.
Xander waited for it to happen. He watched the town in front of him. It looked normal from this distance. Just a sleepy little town without a care in the world. Things always looked normal from a distance. Probably most of the human population was kids now that the adults had turned into demons and had gone after them. The rest were probably bunkered down with their kids, scared out of their minds. He glanced to his right. "You were right about one thing. You know, about sacrifice?"
"What's that?" Jesse said, disappointed that he couldn't give his friend what he deserved. The happiness that he deserved.
"The difference between me and you?" Xander said, looking his friend in the eyes this time. "There isn't one. I just hope that whatever I'm doing, and whatever I'm doing it for, it's worth it. Course, that's probably what you're thinking right now too. Funny that. Guess we all have something coming to us."
The town exploded into flames. The town engulfed in the missiles that were dropped by the plane, Wild Fire. The callsign was particularly apt. The flames flickered and their faces were lit up by them. It was a huge fire. Covering the city, an burning it clean. He saw it glint off a tear's trail on Vi's cheek. He wanted to comfort her. But, he knew he shouldn't make the move considering that Jesse was right there. Information was a weapon. It killed him though.
"Xander. What did you do?" Robin exclaimed. Utterly shocked by what just happened.
"Base Delta Zero." Andrew said. The knowledge had been itching at him. He finally recognized the terms. He smiled in triumph at that bit of Star Wars trivia. "That's clever."
"What did I just do?" Xander repeated. He looked at Robin. "I just murdered about a hundred people. Most of them were kids. Because the evidence points to an invasion sent to take us all down to reclaim something the bad guys want. I did the logical thing. I guess, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Never really understood what that was supposed to mean. Till now."
He then turned to Andrew, who was about to finish the quote. He was angry enough already without having to worry about him. "Don't. Don't you finish that. Don't you dare."
His voice grew colder, in opposition of the anger he felt. At himself and at the annoying and clueless boy in front of him. "What I just did, it meant something. It meant the deaths of people that didn't deserve to die because I couldn't see a way out. What part of that is remotely amusing?"
Andrew had the good grace to appear ashamed at the way he had reacted.
"You're right. I'm not a hero." Xander looked at Jesse. "Course, neither are you. So what's that make us then?"
He flicked off the laser, and turned his view to Vickers. "Take him to the Hole."
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Author's Note: I expect that to be somewhat controversial. Though, at this point, Xander and company are technically barely winning. Outside of the pieces of the device, most of the Big Bad's plans have been fairly succesful. And I'm taking a wider view of things for Xander as opposed to the others. It's about the big game, and he's going to have to start looking at things in terms of cities and continents and worlds. Even dimensions. Earth is just one bitty little player in the grand view.
It also makes me wonder what the criteria for ratings are. Graphic description of events or the events themselves, even in broad strokes with not that much graphic description. Maybe I should kick it up to M.
More reviews please. Feedback is appreciated.