The rest of the whole Hyena possession crisis went kind of smoothly after that. They arrived at school later that day to find the school mascot had been eaten as well as Mr Flutie, but Buffy was already hot on the trail of the four students, and they managed to get them unpossessed. Especially when Xander knocked two of them out by throwing them into a wall when only Willow was watching. He was enjoying the super strength.
Finding out that Buffy's mysterious Angel was a vampire, well... Xander and Willow had to be held back until Buffy explained the whole soul deal. Didn't really mean much to them, especially since Xander still wanted to fight him anyway.
Willow was rewarded big time when she discovered a demon on the internet. The gang used her as bait to lure it out into the open. Though it's new metal body managed to knock Buffy around and eventually out for the count, it discovered that Xander and Willow weren't as helpless as they seemed.
******
Buffys punches created large clangs as they impacted on Moloch's armored metal body, though they did little to harm it. Her kicks were equally ineffective as they only managed to put her off balance, as Moloch's 700 kilo chassis was very difficult to move. That didn't stop her from trying though as she ducked another of the machines slow yet powerful strikes and came up swinging. Though she failed to see the other metal claw though descend on her shoulder with a crunch. She fell to one knee under the pressure only to meet the demons computer synched metal knee with her face. The impact flung her back several feet, before she hit the a wall and slid to the ground, she gradually made her way to her feet as the metal clad demon lumbered over to her.
Ten feet behind her, two friends were torn between helping her and revealing their secret.
"You know I was really expecting more of a challenge from a slayer" Gloated Moloch in a kind voice.
"I'm not even warmed up yet Arnie" replied Buffy as she pulled a fire extinguisher from the wall. The heavy items base staggered the demon as it impacted on his head with a rather large amount of force. Smiling at her small victory Buffy began to swing the red canister in increasingly heavy blows. Moloch couldn't block most shots raining in on him due to his rather slow motions, and finally a blow to his leg managed to put him on his metal backside. Buffy standing over him triumphantly, smug grin in place and a now scarred and battered canister held high ready for the final blow.
"I'll be back my ass!" was her final verbal jab as she brought the canister down. That final verbal jab is what cost her.
Moloch in that time managed to get an arm up to block the blow. The resulting impact caused the fire extinguisher to explode rather violently.
Buffy was flung like a ragdoll into the nearest wall head first. There was a large crack and she didn't get up.
Xander had flung himself over Willow, the instant the explosion happened. Several shards of shrapnel caught him in the back and shoulders, but didn't cause any serious harm, as his super hard bones stopped all of it from going to deep.
Willow looked up at Xander from her covered position and saw him grimace in pain. Eye's squeezed closed and teeth gritted. He stayed like that for a moment before he opened his eye's a slither. He saw Willows look of concern and horror so he smiled tightly at her before simply telling her to get Buffy.
She nodded and he rolled off her, allowing her to rush over to their downed friend.
He stood silently, grimacing slightly as embedded shrapnel pulled at muscles. He reached over and pulled a 2 inch piece out of his back and tossed it to the floor. CO2 floated all around them from the extinguisher. He couldn't see Moloch through it's white haze.
"Is she all right?" He yelled to Willow over some sirens that had started to blare. Another bit of shrapnel fell to the ground.
"She unconscious. And her heads bleeding, but I dont think it's a fracture." Willows replied in a voice that rather calm compared to what her voice was like in the beginning.
Xanders sensitive ears picked up the whirring of machinery, as he got the last major piece of shrapnel out of his shoulder. He'd have to get Willow to get the rest out later.
"He's coming again Willow" He warned her as the gas finally started to settle and disperse. He extended his blades and tensed himself. Mentally preparing for battle. He waited like that until he made out the massive bulk of Moloch through the thinning gas.
'Man this is gonna hurt'
"For HIM!" Xander let out the cry and charged straight at him. Moloch stood ready and at the last minute raised a large metal claw. Xander side stepped at the last minute, claw whistling passed his head, and put himself against the wall of the narrow corridor they were fighting in. Putting a boot against the wall he launched himself at Moloch, and him having considerably more mass than Buffy, managed to stagger him. It did leave him, unfortunately, in a heap on the floor, dazedly wondering if he missed and hit the opposite wall.
He came to his senses just in time to roll out of the way of a stomp that cracked the concrete where his head had been.
He rolled away and to his feet, rising to face Moloch again.
"Hard bastard aint you"
"Very" came the kind reply.
They both started towards each other again, Xander started throwing punches that left small knuckle shaped craters in Moloch's armor, before dancing back out of Moloch's range, though after several successful strike his hands were bleeding rather profusely. Testimony to the strength he had put behind the blows, that had affected his opponent so little.
"You have very little chance against me human. You and all your friends will die. It is inevitable."
Xander refused to answer, instead coming in to land several hard kicks against Moloch's joints. He wobbled slightly, but nothing other than that. Well... that and smacking Xander right in the face and onto the ground several feat away.
Xander rose, blood dripping from a large cut on his cheek and could already feel the familiar feeling that his face was swelling up. He stuck out a hand to steady himself against the wall. Once the room stopped spinning he'd have another go.
It didn't stop spinning soon enough, and Moloch started to smash Xander around the cranial region...... repeatedly. He managed to throw himself clear, but after the hits he took... the blood was in his eyes and he knew there were several large lumps on his head. The room was awfully bright and loud.
And all he felt was anger. All he thought was fight.
He knew his mental attacks wouldn't do any good here. No mind for him to connect with, just a hard drive.
All that was left to him was the fight, with brute force.
And that is how he would fight, and a tiny part of Xander knew, that was how he would die.
He pushed himself forward. Faster. He ducked under a haymaker swing, and drove his elbow blade in the androids 'gut'. As hard as he could. Harder.
There was an incredible screech as the blade went through Moloch's thick armor, sliced easily through whatever was in him, and came out the other side a half inch.
They stayed like that, motionless, just for a moment. Moloch's system searching for damage. Xander trying to get the feeling back in his arm after the shock of the impact.
Just a moment.
Moloch looked down at Xander. Xander looked back up.
"Missed"
The blow caught Xander right in the face, threw him clear across the hall, ripping his blade out of Moloch. He hit the ground hard but still slid several feet on his back. He lay there, still for a moment, then started breathing again. He proceeded to cough hard. The blood in his mouth proceeding to spit out .
He eventually stopped coughing, and proceeded to roll onto his hands. It what seemed like a superhuman effort he managed to lever himself up onto his hands and knees. He stopped there and just watched with bloody fascination as his blood poured out of his mouth and nose. It tickled his lip slightly, as his limp was now numb and tingly. And he watched his blood pool before him.
Willow watched in horror.
She was watching her friend get beat to death. He was going to die because of that metal monstrosity. But he wouldn't stop fighting either. He wasn't going to give up, wasn't going to retreat. He would fight until he was a bloody pulp quivering on the ground or he won. He would do it. For Him. And for her.
She wasn't going to let him.
He was levering himself to his feet against the wall when Moloch started after him again. Willow stood up. Put herself between Xander and Moloch's slow unstoppable steps.
"Willow.....noo" Xander managed to bubble out as he saw her put herself between the two.
"Willow move out of the way. I dont want to hurt you. I love you." Moloch's voice was the same kind tone.
Willow just stared at him. Completely focused. Her lip curled up in a snarl. She started moving her hands about her in very precise motions. Practiced motions.
They couldn't see it but she was weaving a spell. Pulling energy from the air and herself. A spell she stopped just short of completing.
"Fuck you" She finished the spell.
A point of light, tiny, appeared in front of her. Very quickly though, small sparks ran across it's surface, enlarging it. It took maybe three seconds until it was the size of a tennis ball. That was all Willow could do. She hoped it was enough. She gave the ball a small push.
Hundreds of small of bolts of electricity leapt from the ball, in every direction. They then curved around and shot straight into Moloch. He let out a electronic screech of pain, as blue fire leapt from his joints and plastics melted.
Willows ball of electricity was getting smaller every moment and the look on her face was one of absolute strain as she tried to pull more and more magic out of the herself and the area.
There was a sudden flash as Moloch's body as internal circuits fried. Willow collapsed immediately afterwards. Blood dripping from her nose and eye's. Xander rushed over to her and pulled her up to him. Got to her just in time to hear her whisper.
"For Him" With that she blacked out.
*******
Xander had had a great time getting both Buffy and Willows unconscious forms out of the facility. Especially when the guards showed up. He had a fabulous time carrying both of them out on his shoulders and through the fence.
It hadn't taken much to explain to Buffy what had happened. Her last blow, while knocking herself out as well, managed to destroy Moloch as well. She accepted it whole heartedly.
Willow and Xander had come out of it all right as well. Willow just needed to spend a day and night sleeping in bed, and she was good to go. Xander though had to spend a couple of days in a healing meditation, to get back to peak strength. It wasn't all in vain though. After they had recouped Crytex had led Willow into the school oval and got her to dig in a certain spot. Got herself a shiny magic bracer. And when she said the magic words Willow got herself a nice glowing, see through, magic kite shield. Blocked pretty much anything Crytex had said. It was attached to the bracer and was pretty much weightless. Best of all, it looked like a piece of jewelry so she could wear it everywhere. She also got herself a nice magic power boost.
Xander got himself a strength and speed boost, though he was still a way off his collars enhancements. But he got himself something while wholly impractical for fighting, would eventually be necessary. And he still got a fight out of it.
*******
Glyndaf had led Xander to the south edge of town, to a small wooded area. Led him to a run down, two story brick house. A few broken windows, front screen door hanging off it's hinges, lawn un kept, and everything in need of a good paint.
The place stunk of vamps.
Xander proceeded to clean the place out. The place now needed it's floors washed, thanks to all the ash and blood on it.
*******
" What are we doing here Glyndaf?" asked Xander as he rested on the houses back steps, a can of coke he snagged from the fridge in hand.
* This is your reward *
"What?" he asked confused
* The house *
"Glyndaf, no even He can give me a house just like that. There's the whole legal owner ship deal with wills and deeds and documents and stuff"
* He knows this, that is why you are yet to receive a reward for killing those vampires. Follow me * Glyndaf led Xander back into the house, up to the second story than into the attic.
The place smelt of mould and dust. Several spots on the roof had holes in them. The place was scattered with boxes of junk, old furniture and a couple of paintings that had seen better days. A couple of birds fluttered out a hole in the roof as Xander stepped through the mess.
Glyndaf led Xander to a cloth covered cabinet. Under the sheet was a nice simple wooden cabinet. Xander opened up the first draw. Inside was a shoebox full of old comic books in plastic covers.
"Hey I haven't got this one" He said off handedly flipping through the collection.
* Other draw Alexander * said Glyndaf tiredly.
Xander opened the next draw, to find a small leather portfolio.
" Hey, what do you know? Wills and deeds and documents and stuff" he stated in an unsurprised monotone.
* And I do believe Willow has the skills to make the necessary arrangements for this property to fall into your hands *
" Oh joy, now I get to pay taxes"
*******
Willow had felt kind of jipped that Xander got a house and all she got was a magic bracer, that was when Xander mentioned that the house was probably meant for both of them, and that He put more value into things used for combat than houses and stuff.
She had been able to make the arrangements though, she had had to do them over several weeks to ensure she didn't get caught. Xander spent that time fixing things up a bit. He managed to get the garden to look respectable, with cut lawn and weeded garden. Fixed up the fence out the front, nailing it back together in a none to shabby job. Even gave it a lick of paint. Most of the stuff he did though was limited to the stuff he found in the houses garage. Luckily whoever had owned the place before had figured themselves a bit of a handyman and he had most of the stuff he needed.
The comic book collection though. That had been a surprise. Several very old and very good condition comics were found at the bottom of that shoebox. Very valuable comics.
Xander, himself being a collector, knew of this. So when a comic book convention was held in LA, he and Willow made the trip up on the weekend and set up shop. The trip back was full of Willow exclaiming at how much people would pay for some old pieces of paper. Both though, were screaming with joy.
They'd brought in about fifty grand (give or take a couple of grand) in cheques. Several of those comic books could have been sold for more but Xander was looking for a quick, assured sale. They had been given several odd, suspicious stares, but Xander brushed off any questions by telling them that his grandfather had left them to him and he wanted to sell them.
They set up an account the very next day. Putting 40 grand into the account, and getting the other ten invested. That still had left them with about one and a half grand left. They went shopping of course. Willow had grabbed Buffy and gone clothes shopping, Xander went entertainment shopping. Got himself about three hundred dollars in CDs and a really good walkman.
It had been a good weekend.
*******
Finding out that Buffy's mysterious Angel was a vampire, well... Xander and Willow had to be held back until Buffy explained the whole soul deal. Didn't really mean much to them, especially since Xander still wanted to fight him anyway.
Willow was rewarded big time when she discovered a demon on the internet. The gang used her as bait to lure it out into the open. Though it's new metal body managed to knock Buffy around and eventually out for the count, it discovered that Xander and Willow weren't as helpless as they seemed.
******
Buffys punches created large clangs as they impacted on Moloch's armored metal body, though they did little to harm it. Her kicks were equally ineffective as they only managed to put her off balance, as Moloch's 700 kilo chassis was very difficult to move. That didn't stop her from trying though as she ducked another of the machines slow yet powerful strikes and came up swinging. Though she failed to see the other metal claw though descend on her shoulder with a crunch. She fell to one knee under the pressure only to meet the demons computer synched metal knee with her face. The impact flung her back several feet, before she hit the a wall and slid to the ground, she gradually made her way to her feet as the metal clad demon lumbered over to her.
Ten feet behind her, two friends were torn between helping her and revealing their secret.
"You know I was really expecting more of a challenge from a slayer" Gloated Moloch in a kind voice.
"I'm not even warmed up yet Arnie" replied Buffy as she pulled a fire extinguisher from the wall. The heavy items base staggered the demon as it impacted on his head with a rather large amount of force. Smiling at her small victory Buffy began to swing the red canister in increasingly heavy blows. Moloch couldn't block most shots raining in on him due to his rather slow motions, and finally a blow to his leg managed to put him on his metal backside. Buffy standing over him triumphantly, smug grin in place and a now scarred and battered canister held high ready for the final blow.
"I'll be back my ass!" was her final verbal jab as she brought the canister down. That final verbal jab is what cost her.
Moloch in that time managed to get an arm up to block the blow. The resulting impact caused the fire extinguisher to explode rather violently.
Buffy was flung like a ragdoll into the nearest wall head first. There was a large crack and she didn't get up.
Xander had flung himself over Willow, the instant the explosion happened. Several shards of shrapnel caught him in the back and shoulders, but didn't cause any serious harm, as his super hard bones stopped all of it from going to deep.
Willow looked up at Xander from her covered position and saw him grimace in pain. Eye's squeezed closed and teeth gritted. He stayed like that for a moment before he opened his eye's a slither. He saw Willows look of concern and horror so he smiled tightly at her before simply telling her to get Buffy.
She nodded and he rolled off her, allowing her to rush over to their downed friend.
He stood silently, grimacing slightly as embedded shrapnel pulled at muscles. He reached over and pulled a 2 inch piece out of his back and tossed it to the floor. CO2 floated all around them from the extinguisher. He couldn't see Moloch through it's white haze.
"Is she all right?" He yelled to Willow over some sirens that had started to blare. Another bit of shrapnel fell to the ground.
"She unconscious. And her heads bleeding, but I dont think it's a fracture." Willows replied in a voice that rather calm compared to what her voice was like in the beginning.
Xanders sensitive ears picked up the whirring of machinery, as he got the last major piece of shrapnel out of his shoulder. He'd have to get Willow to get the rest out later.
"He's coming again Willow" He warned her as the gas finally started to settle and disperse. He extended his blades and tensed himself. Mentally preparing for battle. He waited like that until he made out the massive bulk of Moloch through the thinning gas.
'Man this is gonna hurt'
"For HIM!" Xander let out the cry and charged straight at him. Moloch stood ready and at the last minute raised a large metal claw. Xander side stepped at the last minute, claw whistling passed his head, and put himself against the wall of the narrow corridor they were fighting in. Putting a boot against the wall he launched himself at Moloch, and him having considerably more mass than Buffy, managed to stagger him. It did leave him, unfortunately, in a heap on the floor, dazedly wondering if he missed and hit the opposite wall.
He came to his senses just in time to roll out of the way of a stomp that cracked the concrete where his head had been.
He rolled away and to his feet, rising to face Moloch again.
"Hard bastard aint you"
"Very" came the kind reply.
They both started towards each other again, Xander started throwing punches that left small knuckle shaped craters in Moloch's armor, before dancing back out of Moloch's range, though after several successful strike his hands were bleeding rather profusely. Testimony to the strength he had put behind the blows, that had affected his opponent so little.
"You have very little chance against me human. You and all your friends will die. It is inevitable."
Xander refused to answer, instead coming in to land several hard kicks against Moloch's joints. He wobbled slightly, but nothing other than that. Well... that and smacking Xander right in the face and onto the ground several feat away.
Xander rose, blood dripping from a large cut on his cheek and could already feel the familiar feeling that his face was swelling up. He stuck out a hand to steady himself against the wall. Once the room stopped spinning he'd have another go.
It didn't stop spinning soon enough, and Moloch started to smash Xander around the cranial region...... repeatedly. He managed to throw himself clear, but after the hits he took... the blood was in his eyes and he knew there were several large lumps on his head. The room was awfully bright and loud.
And all he felt was anger. All he thought was fight.
He knew his mental attacks wouldn't do any good here. No mind for him to connect with, just a hard drive.
All that was left to him was the fight, with brute force.
And that is how he would fight, and a tiny part of Xander knew, that was how he would die.
He pushed himself forward. Faster. He ducked under a haymaker swing, and drove his elbow blade in the androids 'gut'. As hard as he could. Harder.
There was an incredible screech as the blade went through Moloch's thick armor, sliced easily through whatever was in him, and came out the other side a half inch.
They stayed like that, motionless, just for a moment. Moloch's system searching for damage. Xander trying to get the feeling back in his arm after the shock of the impact.
Just a moment.
Moloch looked down at Xander. Xander looked back up.
"Missed"
The blow caught Xander right in the face, threw him clear across the hall, ripping his blade out of Moloch. He hit the ground hard but still slid several feet on his back. He lay there, still for a moment, then started breathing again. He proceeded to cough hard. The blood in his mouth proceeding to spit out .
He eventually stopped coughing, and proceeded to roll onto his hands. It what seemed like a superhuman effort he managed to lever himself up onto his hands and knees. He stopped there and just watched with bloody fascination as his blood poured out of his mouth and nose. It tickled his lip slightly, as his limp was now numb and tingly. And he watched his blood pool before him.
Willow watched in horror.
She was watching her friend get beat to death. He was going to die because of that metal monstrosity. But he wouldn't stop fighting either. He wasn't going to give up, wasn't going to retreat. He would fight until he was a bloody pulp quivering on the ground or he won. He would do it. For Him. And for her.
She wasn't going to let him.
He was levering himself to his feet against the wall when Moloch started after him again. Willow stood up. Put herself between Xander and Moloch's slow unstoppable steps.
"Willow.....noo" Xander managed to bubble out as he saw her put herself between the two.
"Willow move out of the way. I dont want to hurt you. I love you." Moloch's voice was the same kind tone.
Willow just stared at him. Completely focused. Her lip curled up in a snarl. She started moving her hands about her in very precise motions. Practiced motions.
They couldn't see it but she was weaving a spell. Pulling energy from the air and herself. A spell she stopped just short of completing.
"Fuck you" She finished the spell.
A point of light, tiny, appeared in front of her. Very quickly though, small sparks ran across it's surface, enlarging it. It took maybe three seconds until it was the size of a tennis ball. That was all Willow could do. She hoped it was enough. She gave the ball a small push.
Hundreds of small of bolts of electricity leapt from the ball, in every direction. They then curved around and shot straight into Moloch. He let out a electronic screech of pain, as blue fire leapt from his joints and plastics melted.
Willows ball of electricity was getting smaller every moment and the look on her face was one of absolute strain as she tried to pull more and more magic out of the herself and the area.
There was a sudden flash as Moloch's body as internal circuits fried. Willow collapsed immediately afterwards. Blood dripping from her nose and eye's. Xander rushed over to her and pulled her up to him. Got to her just in time to hear her whisper.
"For Him" With that she blacked out.
*******
Xander had had a great time getting both Buffy and Willows unconscious forms out of the facility. Especially when the guards showed up. He had a fabulous time carrying both of them out on his shoulders and through the fence.
It hadn't taken much to explain to Buffy what had happened. Her last blow, while knocking herself out as well, managed to destroy Moloch as well. She accepted it whole heartedly.
Willow and Xander had come out of it all right as well. Willow just needed to spend a day and night sleeping in bed, and she was good to go. Xander though had to spend a couple of days in a healing meditation, to get back to peak strength. It wasn't all in vain though. After they had recouped Crytex had led Willow into the school oval and got her to dig in a certain spot. Got herself a shiny magic bracer. And when she said the magic words Willow got herself a nice glowing, see through, magic kite shield. Blocked pretty much anything Crytex had said. It was attached to the bracer and was pretty much weightless. Best of all, it looked like a piece of jewelry so she could wear it everywhere. She also got herself a nice magic power boost.
Xander got himself a strength and speed boost, though he was still a way off his collars enhancements. But he got himself something while wholly impractical for fighting, would eventually be necessary. And he still got a fight out of it.
*******
Glyndaf had led Xander to the south edge of town, to a small wooded area. Led him to a run down, two story brick house. A few broken windows, front screen door hanging off it's hinges, lawn un kept, and everything in need of a good paint.
The place stunk of vamps.
Xander proceeded to clean the place out. The place now needed it's floors washed, thanks to all the ash and blood on it.
*******
" What are we doing here Glyndaf?" asked Xander as he rested on the houses back steps, a can of coke he snagged from the fridge in hand.
* This is your reward *
"What?" he asked confused
* The house *
"Glyndaf, no even He can give me a house just like that. There's the whole legal owner ship deal with wills and deeds and documents and stuff"
* He knows this, that is why you are yet to receive a reward for killing those vampires. Follow me * Glyndaf led Xander back into the house, up to the second story than into the attic.
The place smelt of mould and dust. Several spots on the roof had holes in them. The place was scattered with boxes of junk, old furniture and a couple of paintings that had seen better days. A couple of birds fluttered out a hole in the roof as Xander stepped through the mess.
Glyndaf led Xander to a cloth covered cabinet. Under the sheet was a nice simple wooden cabinet. Xander opened up the first draw. Inside was a shoebox full of old comic books in plastic covers.
"Hey I haven't got this one" He said off handedly flipping through the collection.
* Other draw Alexander * said Glyndaf tiredly.
Xander opened the next draw, to find a small leather portfolio.
" Hey, what do you know? Wills and deeds and documents and stuff" he stated in an unsurprised monotone.
* And I do believe Willow has the skills to make the necessary arrangements for this property to fall into your hands *
" Oh joy, now I get to pay taxes"
*******
Willow had felt kind of jipped that Xander got a house and all she got was a magic bracer, that was when Xander mentioned that the house was probably meant for both of them, and that He put more value into things used for combat than houses and stuff.
She had been able to make the arrangements though, she had had to do them over several weeks to ensure she didn't get caught. Xander spent that time fixing things up a bit. He managed to get the garden to look respectable, with cut lawn and weeded garden. Fixed up the fence out the front, nailing it back together in a none to shabby job. Even gave it a lick of paint. Most of the stuff he did though was limited to the stuff he found in the houses garage. Luckily whoever had owned the place before had figured themselves a bit of a handyman and he had most of the stuff he needed.
The comic book collection though. That had been a surprise. Several very old and very good condition comics were found at the bottom of that shoebox. Very valuable comics.
Xander, himself being a collector, knew of this. So when a comic book convention was held in LA, he and Willow made the trip up on the weekend and set up shop. The trip back was full of Willow exclaiming at how much people would pay for some old pieces of paper. Both though, were screaming with joy.
They'd brought in about fifty grand (give or take a couple of grand) in cheques. Several of those comic books could have been sold for more but Xander was looking for a quick, assured sale. They had been given several odd, suspicious stares, but Xander brushed off any questions by telling them that his grandfather had left them to him and he wanted to sell them.
They set up an account the very next day. Putting 40 grand into the account, and getting the other ten invested. That still had left them with about one and a half grand left. They went shopping of course. Willow had grabbed Buffy and gone clothes shopping, Xander went entertainment shopping. Got himself about three hundred dollars in CDs and a really good walkman.
It had been a good weekend.
*******