TITLE:
THE PRIZE 7
AUTHOR:
STEPHEN HOWE
E-MAIL:
sh01@bigpond.com.au
FEEDBACK:
Sure.
DISTRIBUTION:
Ask and ye shall receive!
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!
Rated R for violence and adult themes. Set in season 6.B/X pairing. Giles is
Buffy's watcher who now works for the Council once more. Anya gave her life to
save Buffy in the fight against Glory. Dawn is still here and Willow is with
Tara. PONY'S TALE. Pony sits in front of
Willow and begins to tell her tale. Her sadness passed from her face as she
remembered Xander." He has this way of making you feel like you're the only one
in the world. He asked for some basic household cleaners and a cooking pot then
proceeded to 'bake a cake' as he called it. " *******************
FLASHBACK **************************** Xander and Pony were standing on the roof of
the museum waiting for the tribes diversion to kick in when there was a hooping
and a hollering from down the street. Xander pried open the skylight and
listened for his opportunity. One of the guards walks over to the window and
cracks open the blinds." It's a couple of drunken Indians whooping it up over
by the hotel…Jesus!" There was an intense flash as one of Xander's 'cakes' lit
up the night. The deputy draws his gun." Come on before they burn down the
town!" Xander waits
till Pony gives him the signal and he drops the rope down to the safe and
slides down the rope. He takes out a drill from his backpack and drills several
holes in the casing of the safe door before he spoons in some of his mixture.
He waits then inserts a fuse and places a heavy blanket over the safe. He then
moves some heavy furniture and lays it on the safe before signalling to Pony.
She jumps up and runs to the other side of the roof then returns. " They're off
chasing Grey wolf and kicking horse." Xander tells her. "
Move back I'm about to light the fuse." He then whispers to himself." Goddess
of luck and overseer of dumb people please be awake tonight!" He strikes a
match and lights the fuse. It hisses and fizzes away into the pile of furniture
then a muffled boom was barely heard. Xander moves the furniture out of the way
and lifts the blanket to one side. The safe door swings wide open and Xander
grins as he shuffles through the contents until he finds a box. He opens it and
sees the glowing piece of melted rock. " Hmm.. Looks like a dumb rock to me." He places it in his pack and runs
to the rope, shimmying up it and on to the roof. Pony asks." Did you get it?"
Xander nods then she hugs him and he feels her sigh in his arms. Xander shakes
his head. " Why is it I don't get this reaction from Buffy?" He grins." Oh yeah
I do. Now." He grips her hand." Come on we have to get out of here before they
get back." They clamber down the drainpipe and make their way to his car.
Xander throws the pack on the back seat and gets in. He starts the car up and
drives away from the alley. As they make their way out of town Xander sees the
men run from the museum and look at his car before getting in the cruiser.
Xander stepped on the gas. " Crap! We've been sprung hold on!" Xander
led them a merry chase but when the second and third car joined in he knew
their time was short. He floored the car and drove like a madman until there
was a large gap between them. He reached into his pack and took out the box
then went to remove the stone. As his fingers touched it he yelled out in pain
and the car swerved all over the road. Pony was terrified, she had never seen
or heard of this happening before. Xander pulled up and they watched as the
stone was absorbed into his skin.
" What the freaking hell's going on?"
Xander was sweating and his pulse races as the stone sinks into his very soul.
Xander looks in the mirror and tells her. " Get out now. I'll keep them off
your back for as long as possible." He smiles at her. " With the stone gone
your people are free from the towns grip. Tell Grey Wolf when my friends arrive
to help them all he can." Pony nods then runs off up the hill and she squats
watching the red Viper take off. She holds a hand to her mouth when she sees
the Sheriffs Bronco intercept Xander from the other way. She runs across the hill to see what
will happen and watches as the Sheriff points his gun at Xander. " Get out of
the damn Car!" Xander holds up his hands and asks. " What's the
matter officer? I wasn't speeding or anything else wrong." " Where's the stone?" When Xander looked puzzled Vince cocks
his revolver." I'll give you till three to tell me." " Tell you what? I was just out for a
night drive and you redneck hillbillies start screwing around." Xander
remembers the Initiative ID he kept as a memento from when he and Buffy snuck
in to their headquarters and says." Now I'm going to reach for my ID Sheriff
and then, if you know what's good for you, you'll back off and let me through."
Xander takes the plastic ID from the back of his wallet and holds it out. " I'm
with the FBI. I'm here to look into suspected hate crimes against the local
natives. Now you people are in deep shit…" Vince's face turns red and
he panics. " Ah Fuck this!" He fires six shots into the car. Three smash
through the front windscreen and hit Xander square in his chest. Pony screams
but the noise doesn't carry to the men or they were to shocked to care." Jesus
Christ Vince!" Vince holstered his gun and shouted at them. " Just shut up
and take him out to the clearing." Vince picks up Xander's wallet and looks at
the ID." Shit!" He runs a hand through his hair then tells them. " He wasn't
here! He never made it this far and you know nothing!" Pony ran as fast as she
could back to the village and told Grey Owl what had happened." We owe Xander
more than we can ever repay. He not only freed my people he gave us hope. Hope
that there is a chance in the white mans world for us and that we will be
treated with honour and with equal rights." END OF 7
