AN: I do know that the prologue was confusing, but other than the opening quote, it alternates back and forth between a fight between Xander and Ares to Xanders thoughts the day before he would reveal his true self to the Scooby Gang. This part does seem to put Buffy in a bad light, but it is from the view of someone who feels as if he has been betrayed by his friends. After the incident where Angel pretended to be Angelus to test Faith, Xander decided that he was better off without the others, he's hurting and is out to prove something to the others, showing them just what he can really do, and why he seemed normal. There are a few changes to what actually happened after that, most of which will be explained as they come up, from there on out it's a whole new world.

X-Over-I will continue working on most of my other fics as soon as my laptop is fixed. The only fic that's multichapter that I've given up on are Bladeborn: Of Fairies And Psions as well as Dragon Masters, Bladeborn because of all the negative feedback I got from it and Dragon Masters because it just seemed to get rather pathetic at the time.Dragons Destiny is on hold until I get other things done, I'm just getting no ideas for it at the moment. 8-Bit Xander may get a few more chapters with him as other characters from the comic. Along Came A Bunny is finished though, it's a one shot that I won't expand.

xXx

"I have been entrusted with the secrets of the past, ones that even the watchers believe to be only a myth. Hell, if I didn't keep the mask of the jester to keep my allies from suspecting the truth, I'd have one up on the G-man. One of my recent hobbies has been to look for references to the Cores in his books, but even then he still suspects only that I have strange way of looking at things. My family has had several laughs at the depictions of a couple observed duels and battles involving Armored Cores and Ravens through the centuries."

-From the Journals of Alexander Lavelle Harris, Callsign Paladin

xXx

The night was wet and windy, he had been tracking the two slayers as they stalked each other in the night.

His cousin was waiting nearby with a chopper, a reconfigured black hawk that had been acquired through some trades and deals with a government sponsored Raven group. The government liked having Ravens about, at least the US government did, at least when they didn't have to cover up some duels gone bad that ended up making a city seem like the set for a Gundam episode or something.

Xander had made arrangements to get Faith out of dodge, he owed at least that much to her. He planned on joining her as soon as graduation was over.

He was dressed in black combat gear with weapons strapped on all over, he was not aiming to kill either slayer, but he would if he had to, this fiasco had to end, and quickly.

He also wanted to deal with the Watchers council, it was the other part of the deal his parents had worked out in the trade with the military team, two part shards for two things, one was to get the escape set up and handled for Faith, and the other was to let him have a piece of his mind with the council of bastards as he had taken to calling the Watchers Council after he had researched what had happened with Faith.

It appalled him at what those sick worms had done to her in the first place, and then when a young girl who felt unloved received care, albeit from an enemy source, to plan to eliminate her rather than help her.

He had already dealt with the team that showed up to deal with Buffy, their private landing strip was paid a visit to by a pair of Ravens out for blood as they prepared to take off, they left no survivors, only a burning stretch of land.

Xander smiled slightly as he powered up the depth scan function of his helmet, the world being overlaid with neon green lines marking the contours of his surroundings.

The gear he wore was based off of the same spells and technology that the Armored Cores were, but not as effective as the massive forms, nor as advanced.

He saw the blond slayer running along, searching for something, well, more precisely someone, Faith.

His own hunt for the dark slayer going nowhere, he opted to follow his friend, but he was going to be ready, he brought up the dart rifle and moved. The armor he was wearing was graceful, his skills in handling Desperado transferring easily to the new power armor with little being worthless about it.

"Paladin to Reaper," he said into the comms unit, linking him up with one of the other Ravens in town, this one a close ally.

"Reaper here," the calm voice of Aryana Grey, a girl that had reminded him of Willow to an extent during training, but with the focus on tactics and military history rather than the normal school subjects, of course, his own knowledge didn't help him that much either, "Go ahead Paladin, Hawk wants an update on the hunt for the rogue slayer."

"Tell him I'm on it," Xander responded, annoyed by the fact that their own comms gear worked better than that of the chopper, "The blond is nearby, she looks like she has an idea where our girl is."

"Do you need backup Paladin?"

"I can handle one bottle blond quite easily thank you," he chuckled, "The armor balances the scales in it."

"Roger that, Hawk says to trigger your beacon as soon as you spot the quarry, she's as valuable to us as she is to you," the girl chuckled, her voice filled with mirth, "Unfortunately, a situation has developed."

"Don't leave me hanging here Reaper," he shot back, "One girl throwing me is enough."

"Oh, sounds like a story to that one Paladin," she laughed before her tone shifted to a deadly serious one, "But we have a retrieval team on sight at a disturbance two blocks from you, seems like your little girl has been very naughty, there is also a SWAT team on route, I'll try to get them diverted, but it will take some time, deal with the tweed boys."

"I copy Reaper," Xander said with a smirk, so the Watchers council wanted to play some more, well they just walked into a group of hunting Ravens that they're already in the outs with, "If you can't get them diverted, stall them, meet me at the park, that seems to be the best place."

"Roger, I'll tell Hawk of the meeting point," she responded, "Angel says that she'll provide cover if you need it."

Xander suppressed an involuntary shudder, "I have got to convince her that she needs a new callsign, the other one with the name isn't someone I want associated with my mother."

"I know, but she's had the name since she got her Core Crystal," Aryana muttered, "Reaper out!"

Xander leaped and triggered the jump jets, leaping forty feet in a single move, but unfortunately attracting Buffy's attention in the process.

xXx

The black armor landed on a tree branch with barely a rustle as he added infrared to the helms display, the commando teams standing out as did Faith, but he had tagged her with a designator in the computer.

Xander shrugged his shoulders as he counted two dozen armed men moving through the woods, "Where do the tweed boys find these jokers."

He switched to the more lethal weapons in his arsenal after firing a dart into the dark slayer to keep her out of the fight, the watchers getting wary, but they had no clue what Paladin had planned for them.

A devise on the wrist whirred as it armed, a small laser designator burning through the sky to glow a dot on a watchers forehead that could only be seen through the helmet or by one with special lenses.

He fired a barrage of bladed disks, each an inch in diameter but razor sharp all around fired at nearly the speed of sound, the target dropping in a spray of blood.

That was the beginning of the end as he leaped from cover, firing from both gauntlets in rapid fire succession, five more bursts, a total of three from each, but eight more dead by that strike.

The watchers scattered in a panic, instinctively taking cover as nearly a third their number fell dead in a matter of seconds, a black form landing with a heavy impact in the center, standing protectively over their target.

Xander armed the pulse rifle, a weapon similar to the Karasawa he favored in his Desperado, but with a faster recharge rate at its current setting, ready for simple protection rather than the charmed, heavy armor of the Armored Cores.

He fired as the jets kicked in as he fired a pair of unguided rockets through the British pests, leaving only three survivors of the volleys.

"Now to finish this," Xander said as he saw them charge him, and a feral grin crossed his lips, "Play time has just begun!"

They got within a yard of him before he moved again, biding his time, ready for what he would do.

His beam saber triggered, tearing through the nearest, his head simply ceasing to exist save for as acrid smoke, the body dropping to the ground with the neck cauterized.

"Take that," he chuckled as he struck again, finishing the fight as the steady tempo of the chopper came into hearing range, the lights focusing on him and Faith.

"Paladin, this is Hawk, settling in for retrieval, but you have one more hostile, the blond seems to have followed your trail."

"Roger that Hawk, be prepared for immediate dustoff, I'll deal with the brat."

"I'll get her loaded up and strapped in for you," Reaper said as she cleared the trees, "The cops are five minutes out, but they will be recalled in just a bit more than that."

Xander nodded, "Signal me when your ready, then go to twenty feet, I can land inside from there, I just need a short jaunt to throw off he scent."

"Roger that boss," Hawk chuckled, "Will do!"

The blond slayer burst from the trees at him as he stood his ground, blade deactivated, Reaper loading the other slayer.

"So the blond wants to party," he said as he turned his head to her, eyes glowing crimson, he triggered the external speakers, "Stand down or you will be dealt with."

She looked shocked, but she tightened her grip on the weapon she was holding.

"You and what army," Buffy snapped back as she lunged at him.

"This one," Xander responded coldly, grabbing her by the wrist and spinning her around and away to land in the dirt, "And I have a few more moves."

She struck with a haymaker that made an audible noise on impact, the metal not budging, but the bang was heard as was the sound of bones breaking in her hand.

"To bad, so sad," he commented as he sent her flying.

"Paladin, we are clear," Hawk chimed over the comms, the chopper leaving the ground.

"So you do what with the murderer," Buffy roared as she spotter the craft take to the air.

"Look around you," Xander snapped, "Those tweed boys are the real murderers, warn your watcher that he's being watched."

He leaped skywards, the jump jets guiding him to land in the open side just before the doors sealed and the black craft vanished into the sky.

A small genuine smile crossed his lips as he glanced at Faiths sleeping form, he removed the helmet of the armor and visibly relaxed.

"Well Paladin, your parents are at the fortress for the night, you're asked to join them, those of us who are remaining here will be planning tomorrow, so it's in your best interest to come."

"I'm in," he said with a frown, "Just make sure that Faiths okay."

She nodded back.

xXx

Back in the park, a red clad man in a trench coat watched the chopper. His planning and plotting was finally coming to completion, his foe would be defeated and destroyed, but first the games tomorrow was just the distraction for the next move he would make. Only a few more moves before checkmate.

xXx

Core Notes

Raven: Aryana Bethany Grey

Callsign: Reaper

Primary Core: Artemis