"Excuse me, Ms Rosenberg?"
Willow turned, surprised to see a man in a military uniform approaching her. "Yes?"
"Hi, my name is Jack O'Neill, I was wondering if I could talk to you about Alexander Harris?"
"You've seen Xander!?" Willow beamed, "Is he all right? I mean, I know he said he was all right... but you never know with Xander..."
Jack waited for the girl to run out of breath, something that took a lot longer then he would have expected. "Yes. He's fine, at least the last time I saw him... Has he contacted you lately?"
"Yes! He..." Willow trailed off, looking the Colonel with suspicion. "Why are you asking about Xander?"
"Well he helped us out a few days ago and we wanted to talk to him about the mission."
"Mission?" Willow's eyes flared, "Mission? He didn't say anything about fighting! We told him to stop risking himself like that. Ohhhh when I get my hands on him Buffy is going to have to stand in line to hit him."
Jack raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Excuse me?"
Meanwhile Willow had continued on her rant, oblivious to the people around her. "He *swore* to me that he wasn't going to go looking for trouble this summer!"
"Ma'am?" Strange as it seemed Jack felt like he should defend the boy, "He did save our lives."
"Of course he did! He always does that!" Willow was flailing her arms around as she turned away from O'Neill and started to stalk off, "Excuse me, I have to go talk to someone."
Colonel Jack O'Neill watched, stunned, as the petite red head stalked off, an almost visible fog or fury floating around.
Damn kid must be a saint if he puts up with this shit all the time.
*****
"Excuse me, are you Elizabeth Summers?" Captain Carter approached the small blonde tentatively.
"Yes?" Buffy turned to the woman in military dress uniform with a curious look on her face.
"Would you happen to know an Alexander Harris?"
"Xander?" Buffy looked up sharply, "How do you know Xander?"
Carter shifted slightly, "He pulled my team out of a dangerous situation a few days ago."
"What!?" Buffy's eyes flashed with anger, causing Carter to take a step back. "He told us that he wasn't fighting!"
Carter opened her mouth to say something but Buffy kept on, "He should know better! He's just a normal guy! He could get hurt..."
Buffy growled and stalked off, completely forgetting or ignoring the Air Force officer behind her.
Carter watched as she left, her jaw hanging slightly down in shock. Normal guy?
*****
"Hey," Graham nudged Riley, "Check it out."
"What?"
"Your Girlfriend is talking to an Air Force Captain,"
Riley turned in annoyance, "I don't have a girlfriend... hey, what's Buffy doing talking to an Air Force Captain?"
Graham rolled his eyes, but held his tongue.
The two commandos watched as the small blond suddenly got furious and stalked away from the Captain. The looked at each other in confusion, a single thought echoing through both their minds. Weird.
*****
Daniel Jackson knocked softly on the door, and waited patiently for it to open.
"Hello?"
"Rupert Giles?" Daniel smiled when the man nodded, "Hello, my name is Daniel Jackson."
"Dr Jackson?" Giles opened the door, "The expert on ancient languages? I'd heard that you dropped from sight years ago, while I was still the curator at the museum in London."
Daniel looked surprised, "Your *that* Rupert Giles? I read your paper on the ancient beliefs and myths of Babylonian society. It was fascinating, though I think you gave too much credit to Kauffman's theory of demonology and civilization."
Giles smiled, "Indeed, I rethought that aspect myself after reviewing new evidence, but I've not had the opportunity to publish my new findings... won't you come in?"
"Thank you," Daniel stepped into the apartment, "I've always wondered, what do you think of the Egyptian culture and it's effect on...."
*****
Teal'C listened patiently as the teenagers wound down their practice before he approached the one that matched the photo he had been given.
"Daniel Osborne?"
"Yeah." Oz turned to look at the imposing figure.
"I wish to speak with you about Alexander Harris."
Oz raised an eyebrow, "Shoot."
Teal'C matched the boy's facial expression, "Do you know Alexander Harris?"
"Yep."
"Have you seen him recently?"
"Nope."
Teal'C nodded, "Thank you."
"Anytime."
*****
"So anything?" Jack asked Carter as she approached.
Carter frowned, "Just that his friend seemed to consider him the 'normal guy' of the group."
Jack choked. "What!?"
"She was worried that he'd get himself hurt... something about him being helpless... at least I think that's what she was muttering as she stormed off."
Jack shook his head, "Mine had something similar to say as she stalked off. Who the hell are these people if they consider *him* normal?"
Carter shook her head, "Maybe they're just blind, Sir."
Jack grinned. "I hope so. Here's Teal'C, let's see if he has anything."
"So?" Jack asked as the big Jaffa walked up.
"Daniel Osborne has not seen Mr. Harris lately."
"That's it?" O'Neill glared at his friend.
"That is it."
"Great," Jack griped, "Hey... where's Daniel?"
Carter shrugged, "I sent him to talk to Mr. Giles... The folder said that he was an expert on ancient cultures."
"WHAT!?" Jack yelled, startling Carter. "Oh Hell! You sent Daniel to someone as boring as he is?? Crap. Now we have to go find him ourselves... Otherwise we won't see Daniel for a week."
*****
"Buffy!" Willow shouted to her friend when she saw the blond stalking across the quad. "I need to speak to you."
Buffy was relieved to find Willow so quickly, "Yeah, Me too. This Army Officer was asking me question about Xander!"
"You too?" Willow asked, "Mine was an Air Force Colonel. He said that Xander had saved his team from some trouble."
"Ohhhh!" Buffy growled, "I'm gonna hit him when he gets back! He swore that he wasn't looking for trouble this summer!"
"Stand in line!" Willow griped as she sat down beside the blond Slayer. "I knew him first, I strangle him first!"
*****
Giles and Daniel were engrossed in conversation when a polite knock sounded on the door. Neither man heard it and they continued talking for some time before the door suddenly rattled on its hinges under a somewhat heavier knock.
Giles reluctantly got up to answer the door, and was surprised to find two military officers and a rather imposing gentlemen standing on the other side.
"Ah... yes?"
"Is Dr. Jackson here?"
"Oh, hey! Jack!" Daniel looked over Giles' shoulder, "Sorry, I've just been discussion ancient myths and legends with Rupert here..."
Jack waves his hands in front of him, trying to stop the young doctor from continuing. "I don't want to know. What I do want to know is if Mr. Giles here has seen or heard from Alexander Harris lately?"
"Xander?" Giles was shocked, "What do you want with Xander?"
"He helped our team out of a jam a couple days ago and we wanted to talk to him about it."
"Ah... I see." Giles removed his spectacles and cleaned them, "Well, I can't say that I've heard from him in quite some time I'm afraid."
"Well, if you do," Jack began, "Could you let us know?"
"Certainly, certainly." Giles said, "Now... if you'll excuse me I have some work to do."
The four members of SG1 looked at each other in confusion as they were hustled out of the small apartment and the door closed behind them.
"Mr. Harris has some very strange friends."
Jack looked at Teal'C, slightly surprised. If the Jaffa considered them odd, then something was really screwy.
*****
Jarod and Xander closed the door to the office they had been given and started opening boxes of evidence and casework that the local agents had dumped on them.
"Well," Jarod grinned as he opened the first box, "Let's get to work then shall we?"
Xander looked at the tons of material and groaned.
*****
Sept 16th, Billings Montana
The word had come through the offices pretty fast that another victim had been found. Same M.O. as the previous three. Jarod and Xander had immediately dropped their research and followed the rush of agents out of the offices.
At the scene Xander was struck by how many people had shown up. He counted police, FBI, paramedics, reporters, civilian looky-loos, and god alone knew how many others. Xander shook his head and followed Jarod into the scene.
Christ. Why doesn't anyone ever show up BEFORE the damned massacre?
Xander followed Jarod as he led the way through the crime scene. The area had been sanitized by the forensics experts a few minutes earlier, but the sight and smell caused even Xander's experienced stomach to turn.
"The perp arranges the organs of his victims in a way that satisfies his image of what his private demon expects." Jarod playing his flash light over the body, examining the symbols inscribed in blood around the carefully placed body. "The incisions are precise, but not surgical. Probably indicative of a ceremonial dagger as opposed to a scalpel."
Xander shook his head, he couldn't fathom how Jarod kept his head given the situation. Xander was able to force down the bile sufficiently to operate while he was exposed to horrors like this, but Jarod had totally pushed it aside. He could see the emotion present in the man's eyes, but that was the only place it showed through.
Xander stood back and watched as Jarod moved through the scene as though he'd done it a thousand times before.
*****
Sept 23rd, Billings Montana
"So we have it down to three suspects." Jarod looked over the files carefully.
Xander shifted his head from where it had fallen on the desk and muttered quietly, "Jeeez man, are you human? How do you sift through that stuff so easily?"
Jarod shrugged, "I had a very focused childhood."
"Man, that's not natural."
"It's who I am," Jarod said simply as he spread the files out on the desk. "How much time did your friend G-Man say there was going to between rituals?"
Inwardly Xander snickered, Giles was going to kill him if he ever met Jarod, "Thirteen days."
"So that leaves us less then twenty four hours to narrow down the suspects."
Xander forced himself back up, and shook his head to clear it. "Ok... Research boy rides again. Let's look at these guys one more time."
"Janice Tesh. She rode the dot com rocket last year and bailed just before the crash. Reinvested her money into steady industries, gold, oil, and blue chip companies. Slightly odd that someone who made their money by risking everything would suddenly become so conservative in their portfolio."
Xander looked at the file. Janice was a fairly attractive blond, late thirties, with no listed family. She had no obvious links to any occult groups or anything even remotely hellmouthy. "Next."
"Raymond Silano. Played the market last year, took a lot of big risks that paid off. He's currently under investigation for insider trading."
Xander shook his head, "No. G-Man was pretty specific. If this was our guy he'd be clean, the investigation would have been shut down before it got started."
Jarod nodded, he wasn't certain about that but the man didn't fit the profile in other ways. He was a Christian who never missed Sunday mass, he had two kids and a wife, and according to a psych report Jarod had hacked from the man's therapist he had an almost pathological fear of blood.
"That leaves Dennis Pierce. He was 'discovered' last year and has made a small fortune playing the part of Rick 'Rocker' Richards on a series that's being filmed on location here."
"Its probably just paranoia but the fact that he's involved in show business kinda spooks me. L.A. is pretty close to my hometown and I can tell you that we get more then our fair share of the weird stuff around home."
Jarod looked over the file closer, "He was away on location when the second 'sacrifice' was found... but the time of death places the murders several hours before his plane left."
"So he's still a possible then?"
Jarod nodded. "Yes. The third sacrifice was thirteen days after the first. That's confirmed by both, your Mr. G-Man, and the coroner's time of death report. He was back in town two nights earlier."
Xander pushed himself off the desk, "Let's check him out."
*****
Las Vegas, Nevada
Miss Parker scowled as she watched the sweepers rummage through the room, looking through the latest 'nest' that Jarod had left behind.
"Miss Parker, take a look at this."
She jammed a stick of nicotine gum into her mouth as she strode across to the darkened room that the sweeper had called from.
"What?" She snarled.
The sweeper wordlessly flicked on the lights. Miss Parker's jaw dropped as she stared at the room, the half-chewed stick of gum falling to the ground.
"What in the hell?" She whispered as she stared around the back and red painted room.
On the floor was a pentagram, painted in blood red, and the walls were covered in arcane symbols. An ornate dagger was resting in a bowl of what appeared to be blood, alongside a cutting board that was plastered with some of the most disgusting things she'd had the misfortune to see.
Without a word she stepped over to the table and dipped her finger in the bowl. Lifting it to her face she sniffed at if for a moment before popping her finger into her mouth and licking it clean. Around her, the hardened sweepers suddenly paled and look like they were about to be sick.
She turned around, a disgusted look on her face, "Its movie blood you idiots. Corn syrup and food coloring. Get back to work."
She walked across to where Sidney was studying several texts on Satanism and occult worship. "What is Rat Boy sticking his nose into now, Sid?"
Sidney shrugged, "I do not know, but it would appear that he has simulated a cult environment, complete with ritual sacrifice."
"Tell me something I can't see with my own eyes, Sidney."
Outside they could hear the sound of Broots retching.
*****
Dennis Pierce was living the American adolescent's dream. He was constantly surrounded by movie stars, and starlets, and was paid to pretend to be someone exiting. When Jarod and Xander caught up to him, he was wrapping up a shoot.
"That's a wrap! Good job everyone, head home and be back by six in the AM, people!"
Xander and Jarod hung back, watching as the subject as he headed for his trailer.
"What do you think?" Xander asked as he watched the man.
"It's too early," Jarod shook his head and moved to follow the man.
Xander nodded once and followed after the FBI agent. Elan, can you pick up any demonic vibes off this guy?
Get me closer, Alexander. The demonic energy from this type of ritual would be very slight.
All right.
Xander caught up with Jarod and laid a hand on his shoulder, "I have an idea. Let me go ahead."
"If you're sure." Jarod looked curious, but held his questions.
"I am." Xander grinned up at the man, and walked past him to the actors trailor.
*****
When Dennis Pierce stepped out of his trailer he was surprised to find a young man waiting for him.
"Mr. Pierce, I'm a big fan and I was hoping to get an autograph?"
Dennis smiled, "Certainly, young man. Do you watch the show often?"
"All the time, Mr. Pierce, I never miss an episode."
"Really?" Dennis loved to hear that. "Well, who should I make the autograph out to?"
"Alex Harris."
Dennis scribbled down a dedication and was about to hand it back to the young man when he noticed the boy twirling a silver baton in his hand.
"What's that?" He asked curously.
Alex smiled, "This is Elan, I guess you could call her an *old* friend. Kept me safe in some rough neighbor hoods."
"A self defense baton?" Dennis had considered getting on himself, "Mind if I have a look?"
"Certainly," the boy grinned wider as he handed over the foot long silver club.
Dennis toyed with the baton for a moment before shaking his head and handing it back. "No, I think I'm going to get one of the telescoping models. More versatile don't you think?"
The boy chuckled, "Yeah, and less annoying too, I'd warrant."
Dennis frowned in confusion as the boy turned and left. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
*****
What the hell was that supposed to mean!? Elan demanded as they walked away from the actor.
"What?" Xander muttered under his breath.
You know damned well 'what'! What did you mean by that annoying crack?
Xander grinned wide, Exactly what I said. Now, was it him?
Oh, I'm going to make you regret that.
Let me guess, your going to annoy me some more?
Yes!... No!... I mean... Ohhhhh, why you brazen... Elan fumed.
Was it him? Xander pressed.
Huh? Oh... no. He's clean, no demonic energy at all. He isn't the subject of the spell.
"Damn."
*****
"What is it?" Jarod asked as Xander walked back, looking frustrated.
"He's not our man."
"How can you be sure of that?"
Xander sighed, "I just am. Trust me on this, Jarod. I know."
Jarod wasn't certain what to say or think. He could feel that Xander was sure of what he was saying, but could he trust the boy's confidence? Peoples lives were at stake.
"What do you suggest?"
Xander thought back, "The woman. Lets scope her out."
*****
Cheyenne Mountain, SGC
"He wasn't there?"
"No Sir, General Hammond."
Hammond ignored the slightly sarcastic tone to Colonel O'Neill's voice. "Then where was he?"
"We don't know, Sir." Daniel sighed as he took his place at the long table.
"Frankly, Sir, considering some of the things we found in that town I wouldn't be surprised if he never went back." O'Neill played with a pen as he spoke, his face perplexed.
"Why?"
"From what we could tell the kid blew up his school, or at least helped to blow it up."
"What!?" Hammond blew up. "And we have this nutcase running around with advanced alien technology and weapons?"
"Not that simple, General." Carter spoke up. "By all accounts he did it to save the lives of everyone present at the graduation ceremony. We got a hold of some police records..."
"Hacked some police records." Jack interrupted her.
"Ummm... Yes sir. I hacked into the police database." Carter blushed slightly, "They wouldn't give us access, Sir."
"Go on." Hammond prompted.
"According to the police files, as well a some files that were secured in a triple encrypted directory labeled 'mayor', Harris has been a local vigilante of some skill for three years. He's disrupted gang activity and saved the lives of dozens of citizens, including several police officers and fire officials."
"If he's a vigilante, then why hasn't he been arrested?"
Carter shook her head, "I have no idea, Sir. The only notation we could find on him was that the Mayor had handed down orders to leave him and his friends be."
"The Mayor is protecting vigilantes? Who the hell does he think he is, Commissioner Gordon?"
"Was, General. Was."
"Huh?"
"He vanished on graduation day. No one has seen him in over three months, he's presumed dead. Killed by 'gang members on PCP.'"
Jack jumped in, "And that's another thing, for a crime with no witnesses and no evidence, that police report was terribly specific. Gang members on PCP. It says that same line over and over again, as if it's a code for something."
"For what, Colonel?"
"I don't know, General." Jack conceded, "But I'll tell you this, that town gave me the creeps."
*****
Janice Tesh lived in a very nice neighborhood, surrounded by a very nice wall. Xander looked at the security floating around the home and swallowed.
"This isn't going to be easy."
"Leave it to me." Jarod spoke with certainty.
*****
Janice screamed in frustration. The power had gone out twenty minutes earlier and she was losing money every minute she couldn't get on her computer. The power company had promised to have someone over as quickly as possible, but they had the *nerve* to tell her that it could be up to three hours.
She was about to throw a book at the unresponsive computer screen when the doorbell rang. When she answered it a man in coveralls lowered his dark sunglasses and smiled at her.
"City Electrical Services, did you call about a power outage?"
*****
Xander shook his head and, lifting a tool kit, followed Jarod into the house. How the hell did he get all this gear and the van so quickly?
"Please, the breaker is down this way."
Xander just followed Jarod as Jarod followed Janice down the hall. Elan, can you get anything off her?
Not yet. I have to get very close, physical contact would be best.
"Great." Xander muttered under his breath, "And how am I supposed to do that? She doesn't seem like the type to ask to check out what the repairman is working with."
Not my department.
Xander sighed and followed Jarod into the basement.
*****
The Center - Blue Cove, Delaware
"Talk to me, Broots."
"Well... uh..." Broots stammered, "I found three cult related situations that have made national news... Two of them havn't involved the authorities yet, so I wasn't able to get much on them. The third is a series of ritual murders in Billings, Montana. Oh, uh... and get this. A new investigator just took over the case, a Jarod Ford."
"That's it. Have the jet readied for takeoff," Miss Parker snapped to the sweeper behind her.
Broots looked nervous but spoke up, "There is one off thing... Jarod Ford brought an assistant with him from his home office."
"An assistant?" Sidney said, looking curious. "Jarod normally works alone."
"I know, I know..." Broots looked even more nervous.
Miss. Parker narrowed her eyes, "We're checking it out anyway. What are the odds that an investigator named Jarod shows up at a cult crime after that disgusting scene in Vegas?"
*****
Janice sighed in relief as the lights flickered back, and headed to the basement stairs to let the repairmen know that the power was back. She's reached the bottom of the stairs when a clank at her feet caused her to look down.
One of the repairmen must have dropped this, She mused as she picked up the metal tube. She couldn't figure out what it was for but she held it out when she got to the two men. "Did one of you drop this?"
The younger one grinned up at her from where he rummaging in a toolbox, "Thanks Ma'am, I was just looking for that."
She handed it down to him and turned to the older repairman. "The power's back on upstairs, are you almost done down here?"
"Yes, Ma'am." He smiled again, "Just finishing up."
*****
Jarod led the way out of the house, feeling frustrated. His quick search of the house had yielded no connection to the murders or the occult in anyway. "That was useless." He turned back to his companion and was surprised to see a grim smile on Xander's face.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Xander said simply, "She's our man. So to speak."
"How can you tell?"
"Inside info." Xander grinned, then looked thoughtful, "You know, if we're going to do this I suppose I should try to fill you in on a few things."
What kind of things?" Jarod started the engine of the van and they pulled out of the driveway.
Xander took a breath, "Well, it's like this..."
*****
Twenty minutes later.
Jarod stared at the boy in the passenger seat for a long time, trying to decide if he was lying or insane. Normally he would be able to decide something like that quickly, but Xander showed none of the signs of insanity, and he honestly seemed to believe the things he was saying.
"Let me be sure that I understand this." Jarod began, "Demons and Vampires are real. And they run around the planet trying to end the world?"
"Some of them." Xander answered, "Actually I think that most of them probably try to avoid the End of Days scenario as much as we do... The ones with any brains at any rate. Problem is that humans really weren't intended to be immortal, and the power goes to their heads."
From a theoretical viewpoint Jarod had to admit that he could see what Xander meant, but he shook it off quickly. "Look, I don't mean to insult you or anything but..."
Xander grinned and finished for him, "But, I'm insane? Lying? Both?"
"Well... I was going to say confused, but yeah. Both sounds about right." Jarod actually smiled back.
Xander laughed, "I said the same thing... or close enough the first time I heard about vampires."
"I don't suppose you have any evidence?"
Xander patted himself down with a puzzled expression on his face, "Evidence... evidence... hmmm, Let's see, I have proof that aliens exist... but no... nothing on the supernatural. Except Elan."
"Elan?" Jarod asked slowly as he pulled the van into a parking space.
Xander nodded, and got out of the van as Jarod shifted into park, he waited for Jarod to join him and drew the silver cylinder from the sheath it rode on his hip. "Jarod, meet Elanthielle."
Jarod raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Your defense baton?"
Xander smiled and, after glancing around for spectators, activated the weapon. "My ten thousand year old battle staff."
Jarod started in shock when the foot long baton became a seven foot long staff, gleaming in the setting sun. He stared for a long moment before speaking, "How did you do that?"
"I didn't, Elan did."
"That's not possible." Jarod said, "That much volume couldn't have been contained in such a small device."
"Huh?" Xander looked at him for a second before his mind started to unravel what Jarod had said. "Oh... Well, all I can say is... Magick."
Xander deactivated the staff and tossed it lightly to Jarod, who caught it neatly. "Elan has kept me alive through some very nasty situations. I owe her a lot."
"You keep speaking like this weapon is a girl, why is that?"
"She is." Xander shrugged, "I don't pretend to understand it, but Elanthielle was a warrior at one point who's soul was entrapped in the device your holding. She's still in there, and will be for eternity if what she's told me is true."
Jarod looked at the small device, his eyes sad. "Entrapped for eternity..."
"Yeah, I know." Xander said quietly. "I have a hard time imagining it myself. Elan is how I know that Tesh is our woman, she's got a spidey sense for demonic energy."
Jarod shook his head, passing the weapon back to Xander. "You're asking me to take a lot on faith."
"I know." Xander said, "But look at it this way, you don't risk anything by assuming that I'm right and taking some precautions."
"Such as?"
Xander grinned and grabbed his duffel bag from the back of the van.
*****
Later that Night
Jarod shook his head as he followed Ms Tesh into the caves she had driven to. Tonight was possibly the last sacrifice she had to make, to appease the demon she had forged a pact with and he didn't know what he expected to see here. An insane woman who believed she could speak to demons? Or a demonic entity who had been harvesting sacrifices from selfish men and women like Ms Tesh for thousands of years?
He knew that Xander was in the area, following them both while nearly invisible in that odd armor her wore. Jarod's mind was actually rushing to understand something for the first time in years. The existence of aliens, demons, magick... It was almost too much, even for him to process.
I wonder if the Center knows about any of it?
He smiled as he realized that the world had just gotten even larger then he had thought it to be. There was more out there to learn. More to study, and even more to do. He was feeling challenged for the first time in well over two decades. And Jarod loved that feeling, he had sorely missed that feeling.
Jarod felt the slight weight of the weapon Xander had passed him, a 'Zat' gun, and recalled the boy's instructions. One shot will stun a human. Two will kill. And three is when you don't want the bodies to be found. A versatile weapon. I'll stay with one shot.
*****
Janice drew her robe over her shoulders as she went over the incantation in her mind. The victim, a young boy she's snagged from a playground earlier in the week, was tied solidly to the altar and anointed with blood and oils for the sacrifice.
The others had already arrived, taking their positions around the circle of power as she approached the altar.
"The time is here." She began the ceremony, as she had the other twelve times. This was the last sacrifice she owed to Mel'Kai, the thirteenth victim in exchange for her thirteen weeks of success.
She stepped over the bound child and raised the blade into the air, "Mel'Kai, come forward and accept this offering!"
The air over the altar shimmered, and slowly coalesced into a familiar demonic form.
"I am here, woman. Grant me by boon." The demonic voice reverberated through the room, causing those present to shiver in fear and anticipation.
"As you ask, so shall it be."
Janice lifted the blade slightly higher and prepared to drive it down when a shout startled her.
"FBI, Freeze!"
She turned in shock, and stared at the man pointing a pistol in her direction. The electrician! "Kill him!" She screamed at the assembled people.
The cultists stared at each other, Janice, and the FBI agent, but didn't make a move.
"Mistress," one began, "he has a gun."
Janice roared at them, "I don't care! Kill him!"
The demon spoke, it's voice quietly reverberating through the room again. "I will handle that one. Be prepared to grant me my boon, and another in payment for this service."
*****
Jarod stared as the big thing actually floated across the floor towards him. My god. They do exist.
He fired reflexively, each shot hitting the demon straight on but not even phasing the abomination that was drifting toward him. Jarod watched, helpless as it got closer, and was surprised when a blast from the far wall caught it in the shoulder and wheeled it about.
He saw a blurred form detach itself from the wall and shimmer into existence, recognizing the armor that Xander had put on.
*****
"Mel'Kai!" Xander shouted as he deactivated the shift suit, "I would have a word with you."
The demon turned and stared at him, unrecognizable emotions playing across his demonic face. "Yuatja." He snarled, "What is your business here? I am not prey to your kind."
Xander smiled under his mask, damn. Ruatha and his people have one helluva rep. "I'm not Yautja, Demon. And your kind are my only prey."
The demon roared and went after Xander.
Xander thumbed the firing stud for the plasma caster again, catching the demon square in the chest as it advanced, eliciting another roar of pain from the demon. When it was almost on him he dove to one side and rolled clear.
Xander, draw me and show me to him. Act confident.
Huh? Xander thought as he came out of the roll.
Trust me.
Xander mentally shrugged and slid Elan clear of her sheath, and shifted his stance to stand square on to the demon. He held Elan aloft, parallel to the ground, and activated the ancient weapon.
"Do you recognize this, Demon?"
Mel'Kai stared at the glistening staff as it glinted with light reflected from all over the room. "It is not possible! We destroyed them all!"
Xander's voice was ice cold as he repeated what Elanthielle said, "You, above all, should know that these weapons can not be destroyed. Not even by your kind, Demon. You hid them, you banished them, and you even corrupted them. But you never destroyed them."
Xander lowered the Staff into a combat stance and stared at the demon, "Come on, Demon. My weapon wants vengeance, and I always try to give my friends what they want."
Mel'Kai roared, his voice tinged with as much caution as anger now, and moved forward to engage the armored warrior in battle.
*****
While the cultists watched the Demon and warrior start their battle, Janice Tesh edged toward the exit. She didn't care who won, she just wanted to get clear of ground zero.
She had just reached the door when a cold voice interrupted her thoughts, "Going somewhere?"
Then a sudden blinding flash of blue light sparkled against her eyes, and a rush of pain wracked her body. Janice never saw the source of the voice, but she knew who it was just the same.
The Electrician. Was her last thought before the world went dark.
*****
Xander ducked to the said and spun Elan into the Demon's back as it passed. Damn this guy is slow. Those black monsters were more challenge then this!
Do not get cocky, Alexander. Mel'Kai is no warrior, but he will not die as easily as those creatures you faced off world.
Xander nodded as he ducked another powerful swing by the demon, and struck out with Elan at the demon's wrist. He heard a satisfying crack, followed by the demon's scream of pain.
In that case, I'll have to take him down one piece at a time.
Xander lashed out again, bouncing Elan off the Demon's jaw, and moved to follow through when the demon struck out with a hard shot that impacted on the armored mask Xander wore. The blow lifted him clear of the ground and through him across the room, slamming him into the far wall with enough force to shatter the cement.
"Ouch." Xander shook his head clear, and tagged the demon again with the laser designator. He opened up with the plasma caster from twenty-five feet and poured on the firepower until the creature dropped to the ground.
Xander stumbled forward, eyeing the bleeding demon uncertainly. How do I kill this one?
Until you learn to wield me properly? Same as usual.
Xander nodded, and drew the Japanese short sword Ruatha had given him. "Something to be said for the basics."
*****
Jarod watched as the Demon went down under fire from the armored figure that was Xander. He saw Xander stagger to his feet and approach the wounded creature, drawing a sword as he did. Internally his emotions were raging. The boy was about to kill another being in cold blood. But... a demon? A demon who had caused the ritual sacrifice of at least eleven people, and most likely hundreds of others. A demon who could not be held accountable by law.
Jarod turned away from the sight as the blade flashed down, wincing at the sickening noise that he heard.
*****
Later
Janice Tesh awakened in the dark, she frantically tried to move but realized that she was tied down. She looked around, her eyes widening when she saw the gleam of a dagger over her.
"Who are you!? What do you want!?" She screamed.
"What do I want?" the voice asked, coldly mocking. "I thought it would be nice to be rich. So I'm going to sacrifice you. Like you did to those innocent people."
"No!" She screamed. "You can't do this to me!"
The voice began to heat up with anger. "I'm sure that's what they thought! Awakening here, scared and alone. But you wanted to be rich. So you killed them so your own private demon would grant your wish. Didn't you?"
"Didn't you!?"
"DIDN'T YOU!?"
"Yes!" She screamed, her terror building. "I did it! Now let me go!"
"No." the voice turned cold again. "Like I said, I want to be rich."
The Dagger flashed down at her and she screamed, first in terror, and then in pain. Then it all went black.
*****
Xander watched in awe as Jarod played the woman's fears to the hilt. Man. Jarod is SADISTIC. I think I really like this guy.
He watched as the dagger flashed down, narrowly missing Janice's throat, and Jarod triggered the Zat in his hand, knocking the woman unconscious.
"Nice." Xander complimented Jarod as he walked up, "What now?"
"Now, I call the local FBI office and have them come and pick up her and her cultists. Unfortunately I don't think that any of them will see the inside of a prison, but I can be fairly certain that they'll all be committed to a top security asylum for a long time."
"Cool." Xander shook his head as Jarod moved to hand the Zat back to him, "Tell you what. Why don't you and I stick together for a while? Unless you have something else to do?"
"Sure." Jarod smiled, "I'm very interested in the new world you've shown me. Where are we going now?"
Xander cradled his mask in the crook of his arm and grinned, "I have someone I need to say hi too in Terrace Point, then I think I know some people you would like to meet in San Francisco."
"Who?" Jarod asked curiously.
"Remember you told me you were looking for your mother?" Xander asked.
"Yes."
"Do you have anything that has a connection to her?"
Jarod pulled out an old, beaten photograph and looked at it sadly. "Only this."
Xander glanced at it and grinned, "Should be perfect. I'm going introduce you to a wicked trio of wiccans who cast a really cool locator spell."
*****
FBI Offices Downtown
"Excuse me, but have you seen this man?"
The Agent looked at the photo for a second before answering, "Sure, that's Agent Ford. He just took down those cult murderers. Flippin loony tune bunch, thought they were sacrificing the people to some demon in exchange for financial success."
"Really." Parker didn't care. "Do you know where I can find Agent Ford?"
The Agent shrugged, "Sure. He and his assistant just cleaned out their office. They're probably in the parking lot, don't know how you missed them coming in."
Parker swore under breath and spun around, heading for the exit.
The Agent watched her go, grimacing. Christ. That guy, Ford, sure know how to pick the people he deals with. That assistant of his was scary enough the first day they showed up, but that lady is something else.
Miss parker swept out into the parking lot, three sweepers on her heels, and scanned the area for Jarod. "There he is!"
She and the sweepers moved fast, maneuvering to corner Jarod as he slammed the trunk of his mustang and rushed around to the driver's seat. She drew her pistol, but kept it low and under her jacket as she saw Jarod sitting in the drivers seat of his car, his hands already in the air.
"Hold it right there, Jarod!" She said as she leveled the pistol at him, across the passengers seat.
"I'm not going anywhere, Miss Parker." Jarod grinned, "Not yet, anyway."
"Oh your going somewhere all right." She growled, "You're going home to the Centre."
"I don't think so. You see," Jarod paused for effect, "I think my new friend would object to that."
"What new friend?" Parker snarled and turned around.
Behind her she saw the three sweepers laying on the ground, unconscious. Hovering over them was a gleaming metal staff that seemed to be suspended on a blurry cushion of air. She watched, her jaw dropping, as the blur shimmered and coalesced into an armored figure.
"What the hell are you?"
"I would be the friend he was talking about." The figure's voice was distorted, sounding hollow under the armored helmet. "Put down the gun."
"Are you and that stick gonna make me?" She snarled, leveling the pistol at the form.
"No." It replied simply, a device on its shoulder abruptly coming to life and aiming directly at her. "But this will."
"I'd do as he says, Miss Parker." Jarod smiled, leaning over her shoulder and taking the pistol from her limp hands. "That's quite a lethal weapon."
Xander grinned at the look on her face and casually depressurized the helmet, and slipped it into the crook of his arms. "I have to hand it to you, Jarod. You called it perfectly. How did you know that she'd be here?"
Jarod smiled, "I've gotten to know her quite well over the years. She rarely does anything to surprise me."
Parker snarled, watching as the smirking, armored, form got into the Mustang. "I'll show you surprise yet, Jarrod."
"Ta ta!" Jarod called as he pulled out of the parking lot, tossing the pistol back over his shoulder as he did. Parker winced as the nickel plated automatic clattered along the pavement.
*****
"Man, you have to tell me who those people were." Xander laughed as they sped down the highway. "The lady was Miss Parker, she's a hunter for the corporation that kidnaped me as a chile and raised me. They want me back."
Xander crooked an eyebrow at him, "Why?"
"I'm what they call a pretender. I can be anything I want to be. Read a book on surgery in the morning, perform the operation in the afternoon."
Xander was silent for a moment. "Damn. I take that your not an FBI agent then?"
Jarod grinned, reached into his pocket, and handed Xander a dozen ID's.
Xander looked through them, "Forest Ranger, Doctor, Fireman, SWAT Officer, Army Ranger?"
"Jeez, man." Xander whistled, "I thought my life was screwy."
"Being hunted by the Centre does tend to put a crimp in any long term plans I might make."
Xander grinned, "Ha! I'll see your mysterious corporation and raise you a clandestine unit within the Air Force."
Jarod looked over at him, "Oh, this should be good."
*****
Terrace Point, Montana
"Pull in over there," Xander pointed to the small parking area outside the church.
Jarod nodded and pulled in, looking at the old church thoughtfully.
Xander hopped out of the vehicle, and headed to the rectory and knocked. He was startled when a young man in clerical cloth answered the door.
"Yes?"
"Oh. ummm..." Xander stammered, "Is Father Cranston here?"
The young priest shook his head, "No. I'm afraid that Father Cranston requested a transfer two weeks ago."
"To where?"
"I believe that he was brought to Rome for some reason, but I'm certain if that is a permanent position."
"Ok..." Xander trailed off, not sure what to say. "Thanks for you time."
"Not a problem, are you sure I can't help you with something?"
"No... no... that's all right."
Xander turned and left, heading back to the car.
"What's wrong?" Jarod asked, seeing the look on his face.
"Nothing... I think." Xander paused, "Let's go downtown."
*****
Terry had to double check his eyes when the two men strode into his store. He hadn't thought he'd ever see the kid again, but here he was, walking in like nothing had happened.
"Christ, Kid!" Terry came out from around the counter and hugged Xander. "I thought you was dead, kid!"
Xander grinned and grunted as his feet left the ground, "Sorry, man. I... well... You won't believe what happened to me... Let's just say that I was way out of touch for the past few months and leave it at that, k?"
Terry grinned, mostly just happy as hell that the kid who had saved his daughter and the others was still alive. "Whatever you say kid. After what you did this town owes you, even if most of 'em around here have gone to pretending that it never happened."
Xander smiled, "I'm used to that Terry. Look, I was wondering, what happened to Father Cranston?"
Terry shook his head, "Damned if I know, kid. He just vanished one night, and we got the new guy. Damn shame, I loved those sermons that old fart gave. Wish I had never missed 'em. This punk preacher thinks that fightn's a sin, no matter what. I hate that 'turn the other cheek' crap... All it ever got me was two red cheeks and a kicked ass."
Xander nodded, "Well damn. If you hear from him, let 'im know that I'm still kicking ok?"
"Sure will. Say, kid, I got your car. The Father told his replacement to give it to me, but I gotta tell ya that the damn thing don't run. I don't know what happened, but I think she seized up."
Xander grimaced, "Damn. Well, it doesn't surprise me. You got a scrap yard around here?"
When Terry nodded, Xander sighed and said. "Could you sell it to them? Give whatever it brings to the church, in Father Cranston's name."
"Sure kid. I can do that."
"Thanks," Xander smiled gratefully. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have another one of those carbon black Tanto's would you?"
"Yeah, I think I got another one kicking around here. Why? Lose yours?"
Xander grinned, "Nope. Traded it."
Terry raised his eyebrows, "Whatcha get for it?"
Xander slipped the old Wakizashi from under his jacket, grinning.
"Damn kid." Terry shook his head, "You got the better part of that deal."
"Oh, I don't know," Xander grinned, "the tanto had sentimental value to the other guy."
"Why's that?" Terry asked as he pulled a carbon black blade from under the glass.
Xander chuckled, "I nearly killed him with it."
Terry choked. "What?"
"Long story, let just say that there was a series of misunderstandings that eventually got straightened out."
Terry looked at the kid grinning face and decided not to press it. "Sure kid. Here you go."
Xander took the blade gratefully, dropping a wad of cash on the counter.
"Kid, you know your money's no good here."
"Take it, Terry." Xander said seriously, "The first one was a gift, but this one isn't."
Terry nodded reluctantly.
"I've gotta go, man. I'll be in touch." Xander smiled again as he turned to leave.
"Wait a minute kid, here" Terry passed him a business card for the store. "If you need anything. And I mean *anything*, I can probably find it."
"Thanks." Xander looked at the card for a moment, pocketed it, and left.
*****
"What was that all about?" Jarod asked curiously as they hopped into the Mustang.
Xander was silent for a bit, "Huh? Oh. Last time I was through here they had a similar problem as you saw in Billings. I helped 'em out, Terry's daughter was one of the first girls I pulled away from the demons."
"And the card?"
"I think," Xander said slowly, "That I may have found a supplier if I ever need some things that are... shall I say, a little hard to get."
Jarod nodded, "where to now?"
Xander looked over and smiled, "Full circle, Jarod. Full Circle. It's time to head for San Francisco."
Jarod smiled, and pulled the mustang out of the small parking lot and headed back for the highway.
*****
Halliwell Manor, San Francisco California, Two Days Later
"Are you sure we should just drop in on them?" Jarod asked, looking mildly worried.
"Relax, man." Xander grinned as he knocked in the door, "It'll be fine."
When they heard a crash and a scream from inside Xander opened the door as quickly as he could and headed in. Only to meet an airborne body headed *out*. The force of the impact tossed Xander off the porch, and crashed him and the body to the driveway.
"Gnnnkkk" Xander managed to let out as he tried to get his breath back.
"Xander!" Phoebe looked down at him in shock, "Thanks for the catch."
"Gnnnnkkk."
Xander managed to get enough of his breath back to speak, "Phoebe? What happened?"
"Demon."
"Oh." Xander shook his head and looked back up at the house from the tangle he and Phoebe were in, "Jarod!"
"Yes?"
"Demon! If it's ugly, Zat it!"
Jarod nodded and slipped the Zat from under his coat, activating the alien weapon as he slipped into the house. Xander let his head drop back to the ground, trying not to think about the asphalt scrapes on his ass and back.
"Phoebe?"
"Yes?" She was still trying to clear her own head.
"I'm going to hate myself later for asking this, but could you get off me?"
*****
Jarod recalled his time with the SWAT team when he slipped into the old Manor house, keeping his head low as he swept the foyer with the Zat. He could hear growls from the next room and proceeded quickly toward the noise.
In the room, the living room he realized, he was two young women struggling to fight off an odd looking man with blue skin. I would guess that that is the demon.
Jarod aimed the Zat and fired as the demon charged an energy ball in the palm of its hand. The bluish electrical charge form the alien weapon struck the demon full on, eliciting a scream of pain. The demon lost it concentration and dropped the energy ball to the ground, where it started a small fire.
"Who the hell are you?" The smaller sister yelled at him as he moved into the living room.
"A friend of Xander's." Jarod answered, "I take it that you have a demon problem."
"Duh!"
Jarod smiled and moved into the room, the Zat held in a single handed grip, firing as he did. Three shots wracked the demon's body, then another two. Finally it went down with electrical discharges flickering over its body.
Jarod looked at the alien weapon in his hand, then down at the writhing demon on the floor. "Damn. Those things are tough, Xander told me that three shots from this thing would vaporize a human."
"Well, he ain't human." The girl who had yelled at him responded, while the other one remained on her guard.
"You can say that again," They turned to see Xander limp into the room, supported by Phoebe. "You guys have a vanquish for this beasty?"
"Yeah." Phoebe replied from his side, "He hit me before we could do it."
Xander collapsed onto the couch, "Well, don't let me stop you."
The sisters nodded and chanted their spell, consigning the demon to the pits from which he had risen.
*****
"So," Jarod began, "Does this happen often to you people?"
The girl who had spoken to him earlier, Piper, sighed. "Every week it seems."
Jarod just shook his head, but Xander laughed from where he was reclining on the couch by Phoebe. "It's part of the game, Jarod. Especially around the people I associate with."
"Why?"
"Well, back home I hang around with the Slayer. She's sort of the 'chosen' vampire and demon hunter for the world. So naturally demons and vamps like to turn the tables and hunt her. These three..." Xander trailed off and looked at them questioningly.
The three sisters looked at each other for a moment, then all nodded to Xander.
He smiled, and continued. "These three are the artillery to the Slayer's infantry. The Charmed Ones. Destined to be the most powerful white witches the world has ever seen... well, of the Wiccan variety anyway."
"Wiccan variety?"
Phoebe jumped in, "Magick comes in different flavors, Jarod. Wicca is a religion of sorts, and the magick it invokes is based on ritual. Wiccans are divided up into three groups. You have the natural born, that's us, people who are born with magick flowing through them. Practitioners, those are people who learn to manipulate magick through study and practice. And finally there are the Devote, those are people who practice the Wiccan religion but never master the power behind it."
"I see." Jarod said quietly, "And the other 'flavors'?"
Xander shrugged, "Well, you have Hecation magick. I think that's based on invoking a god, but I'll be damned if I know for sure. I've also see another type I guess, but I don't know what it's called. G-Man can fill you in."
"I'd be grateful." Jarod said.
For the first time Phoebe noticed what Xander was wearing. She frowned briefly as she took it in, a black leather jacket, black jeans, and motorcycle boots. "Xander, what's with the clothes?"
Xander looked down at himself and flushed, "Jarod offered to buy me a new wardrobe after I helped him out... but he wouldn't let me choose the clothes."
Phoebe flashed Jarod a grateful smile, got up, and kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you. His last wardrobe nearly made my eyes bleed."
"That sounds... painful."
Phoebe grinned, "It was."
"Hey!"
The girls laughed at Xander's exclamation, and Jarod flushed slightly at Phoebe's thanks. Phoebe returned to her previous position, grinning.
"Xander mentioned that you might be able to help me find someone."
Prue looked at Jarod curiously, "Who are you looking for?"
"My Mother. I was taken from his when I was very young."
The conversation quickly progressed into what they could do, and what the sisters would need to cast a locator spell for Jarod.
"It shouldn't be too hard." Phoebe said, thinking about the last locator spell she had cast, "As long as she wasn't abducted by aliens."
Phoebe grinned down at Xander, expected another wisecrack from the young man, only to find that he had drifted off to sleep at her side. "Hey! He fell asleep? Anyone else think I should be insulted?"
Jarod looked over at her quite seriously, "Feel complimented. In the time I've known him he never slept well, he's been on edge the whole time. From what he's said he spent the last three months in constant 'Fight or Flight' mode... This is probably the first time he's felt safe in months."
The three sisters looked at their sleeping friend, trying to understand what he had gone through.
*****
Two Days Later
"You sure you want to head out alone?"
Jarod nodded, "This I have to do on my own. I've been looking for so long..."
Xander nodded, "I understand, man. You do realize that if I don't hear from you once a week a certain place in Blue Cove is going to receive a visit from one pissed off hunter."
Jarod chuckled, "In that case..." He tossed his car keys to Xander.
Xander caught them reflexively, "What?"
Jarod held up a plane ticket, "I'm catching the redeye. I'll see you in Sunnydale within a month."
"Hell, man." Xander looked at the keys, "Thanks."
"No problem. I left a credit card in the dash, don't worry about the charges... The Centre picks up my tab."
Xander laughed, "Trying to break their pocketbook?"
Jarod grimaced, "I'm not sure that's possible."
Xander's eyes gleamed, "I do love a challenge, but I can't accept that from you, man."
Jarod waved his hand, "Consider it partial payment for the 'Zat' gun. Do you have any idea how much a weapon like that would go for on the open market?"
"Uh... no?"
"Trust me," Jarod said, "You're not likely to scratch the surface of what it's value would be."
Xander nodded once, accepting that.
"Oh, one more thing," Jarod handed Xander a small box.
"What's this?" Xander opened it curiously. Inside was row after row of .45 caliber bullets that looked like they were hand tamped. Each was a dull silver color and had a bright orange line around the copper casing.
"Magnesium soft tips." Jarod answered, "With a thermite kicker. They'll burn up after about fifty yards, but inside that range they burn anything they hit. Take care not to hit any innocent bystanders. I coated the outside with a teflon shell, it will contain the glare from the magnesium so you don't blind yourself."
Xander looked at the box with a sudden grin, "Vamp killers."
"From what you tell me, they should kill a vampire no matter where you hit him... though an extremity may only wound him if he can put out the fire."
"Cool." Xander said, then he cocked his head, "Actually... Hot."
Jarod chuckled at the joke, "Look, I have to go, my taxi is here. I'll be seeing you soon."
The two clasped hands and nodded, then Jarod headed out the door.
*****
As Xander watched the cab pull away, Phoebe came up behind him, "You leaving too?"
Xander considered, and shook his head. "Not yet, the school term has started and I doubt the gang really wants me around anyway, not until the next Armageddon at least."
Xander was somber for a long moment and Phoebe was quiet, not knowing what to say. Finally he slipped an arm around Phoebe and grinned, "Want to go for a ride in a new Mustang?"
She grinned and nodded, and the two left the Manor and headed for the driveway.
*****