Blood Tears 12. The Order
"Hi Wills, no Oz?"
"Practice with the band," the Wicca explained before taking a second to inspect her oldest friend as she made her way into the house he shared with Faith and Kendra. Her friend had changed a lot since moving in with Faith four months ago. He had shed most of his puppy fat, lost all of his natural clumsiness, now he moved with an almost predatory grace, similar to that of the ensoulled vampiress and had gained considerably in confidence. Despite her and Buffy's earlier misgivings it was apparent that Faith had been good for him.
She realised Xander was staring at her curiously. "What's up Wills?"
"Just thinking how much you've changed."
Her friend grinned at her. "And do the renovations meet with madam's approval?"
Willow giggled. One thing about her Xander that would never change, he'd always be a complete goof. "I think so, yeah."
"Then sir is pleased," Xander bowed theatrically before turning serious. "What's the gig Willow?"
"I'm here to see Kendra. She asked me to teach her the computer." She'd really got to like the dark Slayer, her shyness in social situations reminded her of herself before Buffy had entered her life. She was determined to do whatever she could to help bring the new Slayer out of her shell.
Xander's eyes widened in mock-outrage. "Hey, Kendra can use the computer just fine - we've nearly finished Tomb Raider!"
"You and Lara Croft - why am I not surprised? Heard of word processing, spreadsheets and databases? What about the internet and e-mail? Do you listen to Ms. Calendar?"
"No I'm too busy staring at -," Xander's words trailed off. "Never mind. If I finish that sentence you'll only tell G-Man."
Willow rolled her eyes. That was another thing that would never change about her friend. He was an utter perv. "So is Kendra in?"
"She's upstairs. Do you mind if I sit in on the lesson?"
The Wicca hesitated before nodding. In everyday situations, Kendra was less skittish whenever Xander was present. Like Buffy and Cordelia, Xander had become Kendra's rock. Just like he'd been her's until she'd found Oz. "Sure Xand, but try to keep the quips to a minimum."
Her friend saluted her. "Yes, Sergeant-Major sir!"
* * *
Xander smiled proudly as he watched Willow and Kendra work on his computer from his position laid on his bed. Kendra was intelligent and quick- witted, just not well-schooled and she picked things up first try. Which was more than he'd ever managed.
His brow furrowed in puzzlement when Kendra interrupted the lesson by standing, her posture tense and her eyes watchful. "What's up Kendra?"
"There's somebody downstairs."
"Well it can't be a vampire," he pointed out. "It's till daylight. It's probably Cordy or maybe Oz for Will. I'll go." Without waiting for agreement, he rose and strode out of the room. He was half-way down the stairs when a tall, thin shaven-headed man with grey eyes stepped out of the lounge. "Hey! Who the hell are you!"
The intruder didn't answer, instead he raised his right arm and made a fist. Xander's eyes widened in shock as a flaming ball of fire erupted out of the man's hand and flew straight at him. Cursing, the boy leapt backwards up three steps, noting with terror the scorch marks on the bottom of the step where he was now stood. If he hadn't reacted so quickly, the fireball would have hit him in the stomach. Turning, he raced up the stairs and into his room.
After slamming and locking his bedroom door, he turned to a wide-eyed Kendra and Willow. "Boy, do we have problems. The human torch is outside and he so wants to barbecue me. Wills, you know that hovering spell you do, can you manage with three people?"
The Wicca shook her head. "Even two's a stretch."
Xander hurried over to his bedroom window and grimaced. Hard stone beneath, even a Slayer might injure themselves dropping from his bedroom onto that, and injury could slow them down enough to caught by their pursuers. He glanced at the door, already he could smell burning as the man on the other side worked through it. "Okay, Wills you and Kendra go to the library and warn Faith and the others. I'll hold them off."
"No -."
Xander placed his hands on Kendra's shoulders. "Listen, if there's more of them out there, I need you to protect Willow for me, okay?"
"Xander, what are you going to do?"
The young man glanced from the nearly burnt through door to his best friend's concerned face. "I have a plan."
* * *
"I didn't say it was a good plan," the youth muttered as he clung to the drainpipe running alongside his window, his feet precariously balanced on the all too narrow ledge that ran beneath his window. Finally the pyromaniac stuck his head out of the window. His knuckles whitening, both with the effort of holding on and the terror he felt, Xander swung out with a boot that connected powerfully with his unsuspecting victim's jaw.
"I knew I should have tried out for the soccer team," the youth exclaimed jubilantly as he dropped back through his open window. His joy was short- lived when he saw his adversary already struggling back to his feet, his face a mask of blood, but his eyes very, very angry. Yelping in fear, Xander dived for the door, narrowly avoiding a fireball that flew past him and out of the window. Once on the landing, the youth vaulted over the landing rail to the carpeted floor.
Hitting the floor in a ball, he rolled to his feet and turned to see the largest man he'd ever seen staring down at him. Xander swallowed hard, the shaven-headed man looming over him had to be over seven tall and weigh in excess of 700 fat-free pounds.
As the goliath lunged for him, his movements frightening for a man of his side, Xander dived for the open dining room doorway. Hitting the floor hard, he staggered to his feet. Seeing the behemoth following him sideways through the doorway, Xander covered his face and dived through the window, sending glass flying as he hit the lawn outside on his side. Cursing the battering his body had taken, the boy dragged himself upright and ran off.
* * *
"You let them escape!"
"You hardly did better," Victor Gargov pointed out as he stared impassively at the blood-stained figure stood before him. Before he'd been discovered by the Order he'd been a pit-fighter facing wrestlers, boxers, kick boxers, martial artists and barroom brawlers. In six years he'd remained undefeated, taking on all comers, and in all that time he'd never shown fear and he wasn't about to show any to this freak. The boy had impressed him, he'd been trained well enough to know he was out of league and took appropriate and quick-witted action. "We know were they're heading. The library."
"Hi Wills, no Oz?"
"Practice with the band," the Wicca explained before taking a second to inspect her oldest friend as she made her way into the house he shared with Faith and Kendra. Her friend had changed a lot since moving in with Faith four months ago. He had shed most of his puppy fat, lost all of his natural clumsiness, now he moved with an almost predatory grace, similar to that of the ensoulled vampiress and had gained considerably in confidence. Despite her and Buffy's earlier misgivings it was apparent that Faith had been good for him.
She realised Xander was staring at her curiously. "What's up Wills?"
"Just thinking how much you've changed."
Her friend grinned at her. "And do the renovations meet with madam's approval?"
Willow giggled. One thing about her Xander that would never change, he'd always be a complete goof. "I think so, yeah."
"Then sir is pleased," Xander bowed theatrically before turning serious. "What's the gig Willow?"
"I'm here to see Kendra. She asked me to teach her the computer." She'd really got to like the dark Slayer, her shyness in social situations reminded her of herself before Buffy had entered her life. She was determined to do whatever she could to help bring the new Slayer out of her shell.
Xander's eyes widened in mock-outrage. "Hey, Kendra can use the computer just fine - we've nearly finished Tomb Raider!"
"You and Lara Croft - why am I not surprised? Heard of word processing, spreadsheets and databases? What about the internet and e-mail? Do you listen to Ms. Calendar?"
"No I'm too busy staring at -," Xander's words trailed off. "Never mind. If I finish that sentence you'll only tell G-Man."
Willow rolled her eyes. That was another thing that would never change about her friend. He was an utter perv. "So is Kendra in?"
"She's upstairs. Do you mind if I sit in on the lesson?"
The Wicca hesitated before nodding. In everyday situations, Kendra was less skittish whenever Xander was present. Like Buffy and Cordelia, Xander had become Kendra's rock. Just like he'd been her's until she'd found Oz. "Sure Xand, but try to keep the quips to a minimum."
Her friend saluted her. "Yes, Sergeant-Major sir!"
* * *
Xander smiled proudly as he watched Willow and Kendra work on his computer from his position laid on his bed. Kendra was intelligent and quick- witted, just not well-schooled and she picked things up first try. Which was more than he'd ever managed.
His brow furrowed in puzzlement when Kendra interrupted the lesson by standing, her posture tense and her eyes watchful. "What's up Kendra?"
"There's somebody downstairs."
"Well it can't be a vampire," he pointed out. "It's till daylight. It's probably Cordy or maybe Oz for Will. I'll go." Without waiting for agreement, he rose and strode out of the room. He was half-way down the stairs when a tall, thin shaven-headed man with grey eyes stepped out of the lounge. "Hey! Who the hell are you!"
The intruder didn't answer, instead he raised his right arm and made a fist. Xander's eyes widened in shock as a flaming ball of fire erupted out of the man's hand and flew straight at him. Cursing, the boy leapt backwards up three steps, noting with terror the scorch marks on the bottom of the step where he was now stood. If he hadn't reacted so quickly, the fireball would have hit him in the stomach. Turning, he raced up the stairs and into his room.
After slamming and locking his bedroom door, he turned to a wide-eyed Kendra and Willow. "Boy, do we have problems. The human torch is outside and he so wants to barbecue me. Wills, you know that hovering spell you do, can you manage with three people?"
The Wicca shook her head. "Even two's a stretch."
Xander hurried over to his bedroom window and grimaced. Hard stone beneath, even a Slayer might injure themselves dropping from his bedroom onto that, and injury could slow them down enough to caught by their pursuers. He glanced at the door, already he could smell burning as the man on the other side worked through it. "Okay, Wills you and Kendra go to the library and warn Faith and the others. I'll hold them off."
"No -."
Xander placed his hands on Kendra's shoulders. "Listen, if there's more of them out there, I need you to protect Willow for me, okay?"
"Xander, what are you going to do?"
The young man glanced from the nearly burnt through door to his best friend's concerned face. "I have a plan."
* * *
"I didn't say it was a good plan," the youth muttered as he clung to the drainpipe running alongside his window, his feet precariously balanced on the all too narrow ledge that ran beneath his window. Finally the pyromaniac stuck his head out of the window. His knuckles whitening, both with the effort of holding on and the terror he felt, Xander swung out with a boot that connected powerfully with his unsuspecting victim's jaw.
"I knew I should have tried out for the soccer team," the youth exclaimed jubilantly as he dropped back through his open window. His joy was short- lived when he saw his adversary already struggling back to his feet, his face a mask of blood, but his eyes very, very angry. Yelping in fear, Xander dived for the door, narrowly avoiding a fireball that flew past him and out of the window. Once on the landing, the youth vaulted over the landing rail to the carpeted floor.
Hitting the floor in a ball, he rolled to his feet and turned to see the largest man he'd ever seen staring down at him. Xander swallowed hard, the shaven-headed man looming over him had to be over seven tall and weigh in excess of 700 fat-free pounds.
As the goliath lunged for him, his movements frightening for a man of his side, Xander dived for the open dining room doorway. Hitting the floor hard, he staggered to his feet. Seeing the behemoth following him sideways through the doorway, Xander covered his face and dived through the window, sending glass flying as he hit the lawn outside on his side. Cursing the battering his body had taken, the boy dragged himself upright and ran off.
* * *
"You let them escape!"
"You hardly did better," Victor Gargov pointed out as he stared impassively at the blood-stained figure stood before him. Before he'd been discovered by the Order he'd been a pit-fighter facing wrestlers, boxers, kick boxers, martial artists and barroom brawlers. In six years he'd remained undefeated, taking on all comers, and in all that time he'd never shown fear and he wasn't about to show any to this freak. The boy had impressed him, he'd been trained well enough to know he was out of league and took appropriate and quick-witted action. "We know were they're heading. The library."