Elysium Elysium Chapter 3, a buffy: the vampire slayer fanfic

Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN, et al. own Buffy. May they keep her post Season 6. Devil May Cry and DMC2 are owned by Capcom. I own neither of these things.

Title: Elysium

Author: Paradigm Shifter

Feedback: You have to ask? Of course! Please?

Crossover: Devil May Cry

Rating: R. Something different, I feel?

Continuity: Better the Devil You Know. If you haven't read that, do so, or this will make no sense whatsoever.

Notes: With the abrupt end to Better the Devil, I decided to write a sequel. I can't leave a good fic down…

The dark.

The silence.

The aching lack.

The sound.

The light.

The past, buried in the future.

Xander screamed until his throat was raw.

He couldn't feel it.

"This is wrong…" Xander said to himself.

"What's wrong, Xan?" Buffy's voice asked from behind.

Xander jumped, and turned to face one of his two best friends with a mock scowl. "Don't do that, Buffy! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Buffy grinned, unrepentant. "Nah… you're much too young for a heart attack!" at a shout, she turned round, "come on Xan, here's Willow."

Xander trailed after his blonde friend.

"This is so, so wrong…"

…

Xander sat in his first class. He looked around with wide eyes at the people with him. His eyes fixed on Buffy, next to him, and Willow, the seat next to her. "Something's wrong…" Xander said to himself.

"What's wrong, Xand?" Buffy asked as she leant over to him. "You're failing this class already, you should pay attention!"

The teacher noticed their conversation. "Mr. Harris! Do you have something you wish to debate with the class?"

Xander's attention snapped to the teacher, instead of his failing attempts to decide what was going wrong with the picture he was seeing. "Um… nothing, Ms. McCormack, nothing."

"Then would you kindly refrain from holding private conversations."

"Certainly, ma'am." Xander replied, relieved he would not be sent to visit with Snyder.

The rest of the class passed without incident, except for the nagging at the back of Xander's mind that something was wrong.

…

The Lunch Hall was packed. There was nowhere to sit. Xander put an arm round each of his friends. "Where shall we have lunch, ladies? I hear the Quad is a nice open place to visit at this time of year…"

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, Xand. Sure. Just let me pop to the Library and fill Giles in on what happened last night on patrol."

Willow chipped in. "I need to ask Giles about a spell. I'll go with you!"

Xander shrugged. "Sure, why not? It's not like I've got anything better to do, I'll go annoy the G-man."

…

The three friends entered the Library. Xander could feel a strange sensation on the back of his neck. "This is wrong…" he said again.

Buffy elbowed him in the ribs. "You're been saying that for the whole day, Xand. Unless you can give a reason why, I can't help you."

As Buffy and Willow talked to Giles, Xander wondered away into the stacks.

"Hello?" Xander called quietly. The last thing he wanted was Buffy to think he was cracking up, and banning him from Slaying.

"Hello?" Echoed back at him.

Xander spun on the spot. "Don't play tricks, guys, it's not funny!"

Something touched his shoulder. Xander turned again, and fell backwards screaming at the sight of a nine foot tall jet black demon with glowing green eyes and small horns down his arms. He scrambled to his feet, turned, and ran.

"Giles! Buffy! Willow! There's a demon in the stacks! Help me!" He flew down the rows of books, and fled into the main body of the library. Giles, Buffy and Willow turned to him, and smiled.

"Relax, Xan… you're dreaming…" They said in unison.

Xander walked through the halls of Sunnydale High. He looked round at the corridors, and the people milling around in them. Larry and the rest of the football players on one side, with the Cheerleaders and other hangers on, while the 'less desirable' remained separate and disorganised. All seemed slightly unreal. Less than solid. Or perhaps, more that solid.

"This is wrong…" Xander said to himself, worried.

"What's wrong, Xan?" Buffy's voice asked from behind.

Xander jumped, and turned to face one of his two best friends with a mock scowl. "Don't do that, Buffy! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Buffy grinned, unrepentant. "Nah… you're much too young for a heart attack!" at a shout, she turned round, "come on Xan, here's Willow."

Xander trailed after his blonde friend.

"This is so, so, so wrong…"

…

"What's wrong, Xand?" Buffy asked as she leant over to him. "You're failing this class already, you should pay attention!"

The teacher noticed their conversation. "Mr. Harris! Do you have something you wish to debate with the class?"

Xander's attention snapped to the teacher, instead of his failing attempts to decide what was going wrong with the picture he was seeing. "Um… nothing, Ms. McCormack, nothing."

"Then would you kindly refrain from holding private conversations."

"Certainly, ma'am." Xander replied, relieved he would not be sent to visit with Snyder.

The rest of the class passed without incident, except for the nagging at the back of Xander's mind that something was wrong.

…

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, Xand. Sure. Just let me pop to the Library and fill Giles in on what happened last night on patrol."

Willow chipped in. "I need to ask Giles about a spell. I'll go with you!"

Xander shrugged. "Sure, why not? It's not like I've got anything better to do, I'll go annoy the G-man."

…

The three friends entered the Library. Xander could feel a strange sensation on the back of his neck. "This is wrong…" he said again.

Buffy elbowed him in the ribs. "You're been saying that for the whole day, Xand. Unless you can give a reason why, I can't help you."

As Buffy and Willow talked to Giles, Xander wondered away into the stacks.

"Hello?" Xander called quietly. The last thing he wanted was Buffy to think he was cracking up, and banning him from Slaying.

"Hello?" Echoed back at him.

Xander spun on the spot. "Don't play tricks, guys, it's not funny!"

"Giles! Buffy! Willow! There's a demon in the stacks! Help me!" He flew down the rows of books, and fled into the main body of the library. Giles, Buffy and Willow turned to him, and smiled.

"Relax, Xan… you're crazy…" They said in unison.

Xander walked through the halls of Sunnydale High. He looked round at the corridors, and the people milling around in them. Larry and the rest of the football players on one side, with the Cheerleaders and other hangers on, while the 'less desirable' remained separate and disorganised. Cordelia looked over in his direction, and pointed out the looser. Harmony, Aura and the rest of the Cordette's giggled on the cue.

"This is so wrong…" Xander said to himself, his arm twitching with nervous tension.

"What's wrong, Xan?" Willow's voice asked from behind.

Xander jumped, and turned to face one of his two best friends with a mock scowl. "Don't do that, Willow! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Willow grinned, unrepentant. "Nah… you're much too young for a heart attack!" at a shout, she turned round, "come on Xan, here's Buffy."

Xander trailed after his red headed friend.

"This is so fucking wrong…"

…

Xander sat in his first class. He looked around with wide eyes at the people with him. His eyes fixed on Willow, next to him, and Buffy, the seat next to her. "Something's wrong…" Xander said to himself.

"What's wrong, Xand?" Willow asked as she leant over to him. "You're passing this class with flying colours already, you should pay attention!"

"Huh?" Xander asked, "don't you mean failing?"

"Yeah," said Willow, "that's what I said! Pay attention, Xander!"

Xander frowned, but didn't have time to reply, because the teacher had noticed their conversation. "Mr. Harris! Do you have something you wish to debate with the class?"

Xander's attention snapped to the teacher, instead of his failing attempts to decide what was going wrong with the picture he was seeing. "Um… nothing, Ms. Murphy, nothing."

"Then would you kindly refrain from holding private conversations, or I will be forced to send you to the principle."

"Certainly, ma'am." Xander replied, relieved he would not be sent to visit with Snyder.

The rest of the class passed without incident, except for the nagging at the back of Xander's mind that something was drastically wrong.

…

Willow nodded, "Yeah, Xand. Sure. Just let me pop to the Library and fill Giles in on what happened last night on patrol."

Xander paused, and thought about this sentence. "Un… don't you mean…"

Buffy chipped in. "I need to ask Giles about a spell. I'll go with you!"

Xander collapsed on himself. "Ah, hell, why not? It's not like I've got anything better to do, I'll go annoy the G-man."

…

The three friends entered the Library. Xander could feel a strange sensation on the back of his neck. "This is so fucking wrong…" he said again.

Willow elbowed him in the ribs. "You're been saying that for the whole day, Xand. Unless you can give a reason why, I can't help you."

As Buffy and Willow talked to Giles, Xander wondered away into the stacks.

"Hello?" Xander called quietly. The last thing he wanted was Buffy to think he was cracking up, and banning him from Slaying.

"Hello?" Echoed back at him.

Xander spun on the spot. "Don't play tricks, guys, it's not funny!"

"Giles! Buffy! Willow! There's a demon in the stacks! Help me!" He flew down the rows of books, and fled into the main body of the library. Giles, Buffy and Willow turned to him, and smiled.

"Relax, Xan… you're insane…" They said in unison.

Xander turned around. The demon was right behind him. It reached behind itself and pulled a gun.

It pointed, and fired.

"Relax, Xan… you're insane…" They said in unison.

Xander turned around at a noise behind him. The demon was following him. It reached behind itself and pulled a gun, before reversing it and holding it out.

Xander reached for it, mesmerised. As his fingers closed around it, the world became green.

And he screamed.

"Relax, Xan… you're insane…"

"Noooo…!" Xander wailed, "I'm sane, I'm sane, I'm sane…" He repeated it like a mantra, as much to convince himself as anyone around him. If he repeated it, it might become true…

***

Dawn snuck into the storeroom of the Magic Box. She was looking for one particular box, in which Giles had locked the two items she was interested in. "I know they're here somewhere…" Dawn said to herself as she searched.

Reaching up to a shelf above her head height, Dawn's fingers closed on a handle, and pulled. "Is this it?"

The whole shelf fell to the floor of the storeroom as Dawn tried, unsuccessfully to remove the box. Giles voice came through the door. "Are you alright? Dawn?"

Dawn cursed quietly and shouted back, "Yeah, Giles, I'm fine! I just knocked some stuff off a shelf!"

"Be more careful!" Giles admonished. "For yourself as much as the stock."

Dawn nodded absently. "Yeah, yeah…"

A box on the floor caught her attention. "That's it…" More cautious now, especially after having seen the results of Buffy's attempts to pick the weapons up, Dawn knelt next to the box, and opened the lid with awe.

"Wow…" Dawn breathed, "these are amazing…"

She reached forward, and brushed a finger along the barrel of the one closest to her. "Guns this impressive deserve names…"

[We have names.]

Dawn jerked back as the voice spoke in her mind.

[Take us to our Master.]

Dawn winced at the command. And it was a command. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't. I don't know where he is…" Dawn sighed as she realised she was talking to a pair of guns. "I'm cracking up… its all this time with Buffy. It has to be."

Dawn collapsed completely as a barrage of pain overwhelmed her mind.

[Master! Pain!] An inhuman scream ripped through her mind. Dawn realised that it was the guns.

"Wha… what?" Dawn struggled to ask.

The guns refused to speak again.

***

Xander stepped through the doors of Sunnydale High. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, and still everything he saw hurt his eyes.

It all glowed green.

Dully at first, getting brighter as time passed.

Time passed.

Holding his hand in front of his eyes, Xander staggered round the halls with eyes squinted at everything.

People avoided him, looking at him as if he was crazy.

Cordelia walked past, with some scathing comment to which the Cordette's dutifully giggled at. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Xander turned away, unaware.

Buffy laid a hand on Xander's shoulder, and spun him round. She looked annoyed. Her mouth moved, but Xander could not make out a word. She finally snorted at him in disgust, and turned toward Willow.

Willow started talking to Xander. He couldn't hear her either.

The students all headed toward their next class, Xander stood dumbly as the flow moved around him.

As each person passed, and moved further away, they began to fade.

The world faded into the green.

Xander looked down at his hands.

They were the hands of the demon. The Devil incarnate. He was the Devil. A Devil.

The green darkened, turning inexorably black.

Seconds before Xander himself vanished into the dark swirl, he screamed.

…

He didn't hear that, either.

Adam stood in the sewer. He did not need to sit down; he never got tired. He never needed to eat; he only needed to recharge his solar batteries every 48 hours. There were more than enough opportunities for that in this town.

"So… we must obliterate the Slayer?"

"Yeah, mate… that's what I said. We gotta kill the bint before she gets wise to us."

"How will this coincide with the goals?"

"Huh? Goals?" Spike asked dumbly, "you play football?"

"Error. That does not compute."

Spike swore silently. "Alright, you piece of crap, Soccer! Understand now?"

"Negative. You fail to make sense, and are therefore a liability. Liabilities must be eliminated." Adam extended an arm, on which three vicious spikes were suddenly crackling with electricity.

Spike backed hastily away. "Whoa! Hold on there! You need me!"

"Negative." Adam intoned.

"You can't get close to the Slayer without me! I tell you what, get this chip out of me 'ead, an' I'll personally show you my own brand of pain for that bitch…"

Adam seemed to think for a few seconds. "Very well. Chip removal protocol engaged."

Adam approached Spike; arm raised and gripped his head in a death grip. Spike twisted for a second, before his head was pinned in place by a large hypodermic like projection entering his skull. He passed out from the pain as the chip was removed, electrodes and all.

[Nonononononononononononono……]

Xander stepped into the main hall of Sunnydale High. As people turned to look at him, it was a tidal wave of horror.

The first girl screamed in fear, causing others to scream out loud. Soon, there was a stampede away from him.

Buffy's voice came from behind him. "I don't know who or what you are, but you're not welcome here!"

Xander spoke, explained to her that it was him, Xander. Only to realise that he hadn't made a sound.

Buffy charged.

Xander fell back under the attack, which was obviously an all out assault against an enemy. He blocked one punch, that he was sure would have taken his head off if it connected, and countered in a vain attempt to survive.

As his fist connected, Buffy's head exploded like an overripe melon. The world faded to darkness as Xander collapsed to the ground, looking in horror at his best friends headless corpse.

Buffy's voice came from behind him. "I don't know who or what you are, but you're not welcome here!"

Willow joined in. "Yeah!" She backed up as fast as she could when Xander turned to look at her.

Xander spoke, explained to her that it was him, Xander. Only to realise that he hadn't made a sound.

Buffy charged.

Xander stood firm from the vicious attack, which was obviously an all out assault against an unknown enemy. He blocked one kick, that he was sure would have taken his head off if it connected, and countered in a vain attempt to survive. He twisted Buffy's leg hard, and was sickened as he heard her scream. It did not quite mask the snap that her femur made, though.

Pivoting, he spun Buffy in the air and sent her flying into Willow. The two landed in a heap against the wall, Willow's head cracking against the plastered concrete.

He stalked over to the semi-conscious pair, and picked each up by their throats.

Cartilage and bone cracked under the assault of Xander's grip, and blood flowed slickly down his bare arms.

His mind rebelled, and Xander dropped the bodies of his two best friends. Falling to his knees, Xander covered his eyes and wept.

The world faded again to darkness.

Xander stood opposite Buffy; outside the Mansion that Angelus had placed Acathla.

His mind said one thing, his mouth another.

"Willow's trying the curse again."

[No!] Screamed his mind, [Kick his ass! Kick his ass! That's what I wanted, what I meant to say! What the Hell's going on?!]

"Thanks, Xan…" Buffy said gratefully, "but you're lying in your head."

"No! No, I'm not! I swear I'm not!" Xander gibbered as Buffy stalked toward him, stake raised.

"Yes you are, Xander! You're worse than Angel could ever be! At least he has no control over what he's doing!"

Buffy stabbed the stake into Xander's chest, and screamed as he reached for the stake embedded in his heart. Tearing it out, Xander looked at Buffy, and realised that he was looking down at Buffy.

Down a long, long way at Buffy.

He looked at his hands. They were claws. The stake was gripped in a taloned fist, and he realised that he could see more than just colour. It was the whole spectrum. More than mere visible light.

He stared at his betrayer.

At Buffy.

Xander snarled, and threw the stake to the ground.

"Enough!"

The roar sounded loud in the night, but continued to echo even as Buffy and the world itself dissolved into nothing.

The voice was sexless, and full of contempt. "You are nothing."

It spoke again. "You are less than nothing."

A second voice joined in. Female. "Worthless piece of shit…"

The first voice, male now, spoke again. "You, you scum, have no right to bear my name! To think I made you."

Xander felt himself speak, heard the words without the virtue of using his ears. "You didn't."

Xander stood dumbly as Faith stripped quickly and efficiently before him.

"Come on, Boytoy," Faith said huskily, "I'll steer you round the curves…"

She reached for his hand, and Xander stood stock still as she touched it before her eyes widened and she backed off in terror.

"Demon!" Faith screamed as she dived off the bed toward her jacket, and the stake it contained in the pocket.

Xander stepped toward her, desperate to show her that he wasn't a demon.

The scene faded before he reached her.

"Demon!"

"Demon!"

"Devil!"

"MURDERER!"

"Nooo…!"

Xander's father congealed out of the darkness. "Fucking waste of space."

A second voice came from behind Xander, coming from the opposite direction to his 'father'. "You are not wanted, drunkard."

Xander spun, thinking that the voice was talking to him, but the speaker walked calmly past him, not even looking in his direction.

"You deserve to burn in Hell for the tortures you have inflicted on my son."

Xander spoke to the first, the man he knew as his 'father', pointing at the second man. "He did."

"He did what?" asked the first man.

"He made me. With my mother."

The second man turned to Xander. "You need to accept who you are. What you are."

Xander shrugged. "I do."

"No, you don't. You are more than them." The man waved to his parents.

"And them." He waved to images of the Scoobies.

"And them." He waved at a picture of Dante and Trish.

"Decide who you are, before it's too late."

The scene vanished as Xander blinked.

Xander stood in the darkness. He did not know how he knew he was standing, but he also knew that it wasn't simply floating in the black.

He stood.

It just happened that the floor was the same colour as everything else.

Out of the blackness, four figures walked. Four of the most prominent aspects of his persona. Four partitions of his mind.

There were more, but they did not appear except when bidden. These were there all the time, the insidious dark sides of his mind, waiting for an opportunity to escape. To hurt those he loved.

Dante.

Trish.

All the innumerable people he had met and helped with Dante.

And yes, even the Scooby's.

Yes, even his betrayer. Although that might be too strong a word. Buffy.

He spoke. The words echoed back to him from the other four Xander's.

"Who am I?"