Title: A mercenary's tale (Part 4)

Author: Michael Dunbar

Summary: A personal vendetta takes Xander back to Sunnydale.

Disclaimer: Nothing, I own nothing. Joss owns Buffy. Whoever owns the resident evil tale owns that.

Timeline: After season 6

Rating: R for bad language

Spoilers: Season 6

Author's notes:

() is for thoughts

"" is for speech and sarcastic comments.

--------------------------------

Xander didn't reply to the questioning gaze on Leticia's face. To be honest it had been so long since he had even thought about that mark on his neck, and no one had ever seen it beside himself. Exempting a few of the militaries best, they like to make sure their undercover agent can actually go undercover. Each time he had asked them to put it back, clinging to the event and the pain like a lifeline.

It was strange looking back on it, it was so pain-filled and yet all he can think about as he views the memories floating into his frontal is how dark the room was. No light entered into where he was held; he had trouble even seeing his hand in the dark room let alone anything that would threaten him. It was such a long part of his life yet in reality it was only 4 months. 4 months he had been kept in a dark room and tortured for the sake of fun. He had hated their laughter so much, so much that it hurt inside. By the time he was rescued he wasn't Xander anymore, his entire being was changed. He had been brought down to a wreck, somebody that begs for death. He wasn't civilised; his mind didn't work on all levels.

The scoobies had tried to rehabilitate him, change him into the once fun loving caring individual that he once was. It was a lost cause, he was like that and that's the way it was. Till Riley came, the once ex of the slayer had returned and saw him. The military have a way at rehabilitating people, electroshock and drugs. It hurt but it worked because it brought him back to being him. After that Xander was indebted to the army, and they made sure he paid up. He was pumped full of drugs, he was tested on and he was pulled apart bit by bit before been put back together, eventually. Thus began his life as a merc. Xander was trained as fast as they could, he was taught by the best so he could be the best. After training began his real payment to them, a few high class missions later and he was on easy street headed for merc city. Xander had never seen Buffy or Willow after that even; he never had the compulsion to phone them. Phoning them would be a danger to them and as much as the slayer thinks she can cope, Xander knows that Buffy can't. He had made some very nasty enemies in his work; enemies that could easily make her disappear.

"We are here"

Xander is pulled out of his thoughts by Jack's gruff voice, he noticed the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign and actually smiled.

"Welcome home" he whispered.

----------- (Later that night)

They had acquired rooms at the champoo hotel, and they were satisfactory to every body's needs. A bed for the night and a place to put clothes, that's all that mattered to them. Straight away they had all gone to their rooms, and acquired a few hours sleep after the long exhausting journey.

Leticia was sitting on her book reading, the same book she had been reading for the past couple of years but never seemed to finish it.

"War and Peace"

The first hundred pages or so had bored her but once she had got into it, it was a good read. A knock at the door disturbed her and she placed the book down on the table at the side of her bed.

Opening the door she saw the smiling face of Xander.

"You want to see a vampire, lets go see a vampire"

She cast a sideways glance at the guy behind Xander; he had pulled Jack out of his sleep. A dangerous thing to do for most men.

"What do you think Jack?"

"Lets go see these vampires" he replied and yawned.

Xander smiled "Great. Come to my room, I've acquired some weapons"

------------------------ (Xander's room)

Xander smiled as he strapped on a few stakes and he cast a sideways glance at Jack and Leticia, their eyes showed some doubtfulness about what they were about to do. But that would be cleared in time. Once they got into the thick of fighting for their lives with wooden weapons, they would change their minds.

"Wow, you've been busy. Did you even sleep?"

"For an hour or so. I don't sleep much these days" He replied, then placed a leather waistcoat over his stakes and his gun.

Jack grabbed a few stakes followed by a few vials of holy water and Leticia followed suit. If only not to look out of place among the two.

"Come on, the vampires don't wait all night" Xander smiled and headed for the door, followed by the others.

------------ (Park view Cemetery)

"This place gives me the creeps" Leticia spoke and looked behind her quickly "And you say you spent most of your teenage years here?"

"Yea.."

"California people are weird" she replied "Are they going to show up any time soon because I'm getting bored"

"Give it time" Was his response.

They walked from one end to the other with no luck. Xander was starting to get really annoyed and that's when he heard the rustling of the leaves. He smiled as he quietened the other two by pressing his finger to his lips, he pointed to the bushes and they nodded in response. He walked slowly over towards the bushes and when he was a foot away something leapt out at him, it was black and small.

A cat.

"Fantastic. Got me all riled up for nothing. You know they have cats all over the world not just in Sunnydale" Leticia replied.

The cat ran off, leaving Xander feeling daft. He was about to suggest they should go home when he heard the voice.

"Hey look boys, we got ourselves some dinner"

Xander turned to see the faces of three rednecks. They wore T-shirts and mud-laden trousers.

"You know you really should be careful about what you eat" Xander replied and pulled out a stake.

The vampire seemed startled somewhat, but only for a second. His game face took form and he leapt.

All Xander heard was a gasp from the other two, as he stepped forward with the stake in hand.