S. Xander Soldier Xander
S.Faith Soldier Faith
L. Faith Little faith.

Adam was moving ahead with the plan. He had one witch and soon have the other. Magic was the only thing he could not control. He understood it but not control it. It was beyond him.Maybe after the first phase was underway, he could implant a control in a witch to see if it worked. But that would have to come later. He didn't know if that would work with them and still allow them to cast their spells. He turned on his terminals and watched the base as the soldiers and tech moved about, transporting in more and more demons. And as more troops where moved in to help contain them. Then he switched and watched his X5 bringing in the witch. He had him put her in one of the hidden containment rooms that Mother had used to create him. Most where just storage rooms. But others where holding cells where she had vivisected demons. Behind him Walsh's body contuded. To work on the preparation to make more hybrids.

She could feel her body decomposing as she moved around, she felt a burp come from deep in her body. As the gases were release. She thanked whatever small mercy she could not smell it, but felt the pain as more body parts fell into decay. The pain she felt was hell. She knew she was dead and was still walking around. But deep in her a part of her that she kept from Adam, The Fail Safe. A pocket Nuke she had hidden under that base. No one knew about it Maybe the new base Commander might know but she didn't think so. She had removed any evidence from the Mainframe. In case someone removed her before she had finished her work. And if it was not re-sat every few days it would then go into count down mode. And then it would be 24 hours until it detonated. The Base and most of Sunnydale would go with it. She had a small smile at that the end. Soon she would feel no pain.

In Holding Cell 58 Tara sat on the floor outside the Cell, Willows friend watched her. He had been sitting across from her for an hour and not moved. Just watching and waiting. Every time she asked him something, he just looked at her, She could see that he understood but didn't say one word.

Faith sat and watched Tara, awaiting orders from Adam.

Deep inside Faith's mind.

Little Faith sat on a worn couch in a worn room. Across from her was the Soldier verison of herself. They were watching an old TV, on the screen was what she was seeing in the real world outside her head. Sitting on the couch between them was the Hyena, her head laid out on L.Faith's lap. Her eyes looking up at L. Faith looking for any sign that she wanted anything. But she mainly just sat there. Soldier Xander walked into the room. He had been trying to get Faith to save Tara for a while. But Little Faith was too Scared to do anything and Soldier Faith, Well she
just wouldn't, she had her orders. And would follow them to the letter.

Soldier Xander sat on an old chair, looking around. This was a place where young faith felt safe. Just after her dad had left or died, she wasn't sure. Just that he was gone. One day he was in the front yard, then he was gone. Her mom never went in detail about it. He was just gone, and out of her life.

A thought hit him. Looking at the TV.

" You guys mind if I see what else is on?" he asked looking at the Faiths. Both didn't say anything so he reached out for the remote control for the TV and switched Channels. On the TV was a young Xander playing in a play ground. No one was around him. He was that Harris kid. Off in the back ground you could see a young Cordy surrounded by her Cordettes. They where standing around a little Girl, who was crying.

Little faith Gasped at that, they were being mean to her. Just like the girls at school where to her. Calling her names. And making fun of her dress. Thou the red head had on better clothes than little Faith could ever think to have. Her clothes had always been hand me downs. From neighbors or from The Goodwill store down the street. Boy, little Xander ran the mean girls off. Then started to play with the redhead girl... Willow the name came to Soldier Faith.

"Why did he help her?" S. Faith asked. He shouldn't have, there was no reason to help her. He could have helped later when no one would have known.

" Because Xander likes to help people," S. Xander said.

He changed Channel again, it was a years later, there was a guy there he was talking to L. Willow while pushing her around. They were at a mall some were. He was forcing her into a dark hallway. S. Faith had seen this happen a lot growing up but never after she had been called. Then Xander was there, he jumped on the guy, who was a LOT bigger than him. He held on til Willow got away, taking all the guy could give til she was safe then trying to fight back never quit doing the job. He would have been hurt really bad if Willow hadn't came back with another guy, Jesse, she had heard about him from some conversation being heard around her.

S. Faith didn't understand. They we helping the girl. Even getting hurt to help her. L. Faith watched someone helping someone and wanting nothing just to be a friend. It didn't make sense to her. You only did things because you got something back. Not just because. S. Xander continued to show Faith more and more seems from Xander's life. Then he started in on what Manticore had done to him. And How he STILL helped others. He would go without Food so
other members in his Squad would eat. He was punished for missing roll call just to make sure everyone was out in line. She was shown how he was hurt over and over again. And what he would do for a friend. Some of it worried her.If he could hunt down and kill a man for hurting a fellow trainee at Manticore what would he do to her for hurting Tara. She may not be a friend of his but she was a friend to Willow and Willow was a Sister to him.

Then she was shown the times she had him in the hotel room. How when she took his virginity what it had meant to him. He had thought he had a connection with her. To her it was just skin. To him it was whole lot more, Sex to Xander was not what you did when you were bored. Then he put on the times he was with Max, and the Feelings there. How they were complete now. And the sex they had was just secondary to what they had. How they could be together forever as long as they were together. They were not worried about the other leaving. They would be together forever and they knew it.

Meanwhile at The Magic Box.

Spencer was going through all his papers. He had been on the phone with his wife for 3 hours. She still didn't believe him, she had seen the pictures, she would not be home when he got there. She was taking the kids and going to her parents till all this was settled down. He had gone into a rage after that. He had calmed down now and was looking for the tracking spell. Ayna was watching him. His rage was about to bubble back out at the woman, then he found it. He when back to the Table, and cast it again. There. There she was at the Sunnydale U again. But in two
places again. But one in the same place it always was. The one that was moving must be a distraction she had someone cast for her. She could lay low and wait for me to leave.

"Gather the men. We're going in tonight," he told his second in command.

Outside unseen by them a young boy in uniform watched them. He was in the second floor of the building across the street from them. Holding a lazer Mic.

Turning to his radio.

"They're moving in tonight."

Back in Faith's head.

They sat and watched the whole of Xander's life. The good the bad. The in-between the glory, the infamy. And watched what had happened to X5-471 life with the same dedication. L. Faith saw more and more of a life she wished she had, friends, family, For that how Xander looked at the Scoobies they were his Family. Even 471 had family, the others of his barracks were his family. People who did things for you, helped you. Not sell you out as soon as it was in their interest.

It seemed like that had been at if for a long time. But to the outside world it was a few minutes.

L. Faith watched it all. She wished she could have that. The Happiness that he had and what he gave. What she had thrown away when she tried to kill him. How could she go back to that?

While S. Faith didn't understand what was going on. To her Xander kept making mistakes, Trusting in people who would only hurt you later. How could he keep doing that, they would only turn on you in the end? That had happened more times than she could think about. The only one not to turn on her had been the Mayor, and she was sure that that would have happened sooner or later. Any it won't matter, she was bad. They won't take her back.

"He would take you back, he had a lot done to him too. It will not be easy but he would try to convince the others if you would."

S. Xander said. Looking at both of them. "But he would want his body back and you need to get back to yours."

Both Faiths looked at him.

"Yes," L. Faith said looking at S. Faith.

"But how? I don't have the charm bracelet anymore." S. Faith said, hoping that he would just leave. She had her mission. She had Manticore. What else was there.

"Well," S. Xander said looking at the TV again. Which changed to a picture of Tara, "She could help."

"No, she wouldn't help me. We brought her here," S.Faith said looking around.

"Well, you'll be stuck here. Do you want to be a drone for the rest of your life. No more parties. No more freedom. No more Men. Adam doesn't like gays, and you are a woman in a man's body. If you don't switch you'll be stuck here."

" Well, I did girls before," S.Faith said, L. Faith looked on. She did want to get back, to get back to HER. It would be nice to feel right again. She had not felt that in a long time. Not that it was the body thing. She felt the same as S. Faith on it. It really didn't matter to her. But this was not her place here. The hyena lifted its head up and licked L. Faith's face. L. Faith knew what to do.

"We're going to help this girl," she said to her other self.
"What? Why?"

"Because it's right. We are a Slayer. We protect people. Not hurt them."

"We're not a Slayer anymore, we're just Faith."

"Then it's more important than we do what's right,"L. Faith said, " And because we're a protector. It's what we're good at."

"No, we were not good at it, if we were good. Someone would have told us. We would have had friends."

"We did have friends, Xander tried to be one. He even thought we were at one time." She bent down and picked up the remote and flicked to a station that shown Xander talking to the other Scoobies in the Library.

"We have a connection," Xander was saying.

"Xander she doesn't have a connection with the guys she sleeps with, its just fun to her," Buffy was saying.

he was thinking.

Looking back at S. Faith, L. Faith said, "He thought he was our friend. He wanted to help us, WE threw it away, not them. If no one else was a friend, HE was."

S. Faith just sat back. Crossing her arms. " So he was a friend. He's not now. And why do this so we could get one guy as a friend?"

" We're not doing this to be his friend, it wouldn't be bad if that happened. We're doing this because its right." L. Faith looking at S. Faith.

S. Xander noticed as they talked L. Faith grown a little, she was still a young girl but now in her
early teens. She was talking back some of her control. Stepping up to what she had done wrong and was going to try to make it right.

S. Xander hoped it would be enough. And that it was coming soon enough to help.

S. Faith finally sat up. Looking around at them. "How could we get her out of here, Adam gave us a pass code, I am sure he would have changed as soon as he noticed us leaving. And We can't leave without him noticing anything. Not with that Camera just over our head.

"Ok," S. Xander said. "Here's what you do."

And the information was in Faith's head.
"How?"

"I can do a lot in here, but it's easier for you to perceive it this way. I am not real you know, just a phantom of a memory."

"Oh, ok." Her voice revealed that is was anything but ok.

Xander's warehouse.

Buffy sat Fuming. She had to sit there with Giles and the others while Faith/Xander left, She still didn't know if she believed that part. If it was Faith she was a better actor than she thought, and if it was Xander he was acting very strange, and the demons that he was with now? She so didn't know what to believe. And the part about them being transgenics? Wouldn't there be a story in some paper somewhere? Wouldn't Riley have heard about it? That part was still bugging her. If this was really Xander here, then these guys have to be human, just changed. So as a Slayer it would be her job to protect them. But they just don't look it. Scaley over there with the stares and the smoking, he couldn't be human, could he?

Giles had not said a word in a while he had that deep thinking thing going for him, He was holding his glasses and stopped in the middle of wiping down his lens. And Riley and Forrest were in the middle of a stare down with the Reptile Demon. Who just Stared back chewing on a cigar. That had been going on for a while. There was a bang on the door. The Human looking one, .Alec opened the door. And in poured more demons. Some if not most looked Human, but some were from her worse nightmares. Snakes, Sharks, dogs, even a few that looked like mice. One she could swear was a troll. Though he was no where as mean. The groups just split up. Moving around the room. The one thing they all had in common, was that they talked bout Max.
And that they where here to help her. Giles had sat there and listened, Buffy was getting impatient with what was going on. Giles just waited. He didn't think they were in danger, at least not much. Willow didn't seem to be under any control and he had heard of Spells that do what Faith/Xander had told them so that much was possible, and with Xander's luck even probable. What had gotten to him were the conversations the Demons were having. If he closed his eyes, it would sound like a bar outside of any Military base around the world. These were Soldiers, and even some of the new creatures that had shown up. There were other signs, some were soldiers but others like the huge troll-like one were too passive to be fighters but from the way they talked and what they were talking about he was sure that they were part of a military force of some kind, if nothing else they were part of the support units. The more they talked the more Xander/Faiths story sound more credible. Most of these worker types, were the most inhuman looking ones. And all talked about being freed by Max. He wished he had his Books. He could only remember so much, and this was the limit. Some of the Newer Watcher books had talked about a new cult that had demons and Humans. They all had some markings on there necks that looked like a tattoo. He looked around ever neck he could see they had a tattoo on it. The only ones that didn't was the black girl, OC or was it OJ, he couldn't remember, and the dog-faced one. Who had found some old paint cans in the corner of the ware house and was busy painting on the wall.

What he couldn't say, but he was painting.

Willow's and Tara's Dorm room.

After a fast search thought the room they found nothing. That was until they were leaving. Max had found a Slap tab on the ground outside. A Slap tab looked just like a Very small bandage. But it had a very powerful narcotic on it. As soon as it makes contact with the skin it starts to slow down your reaction time. And in a few seconds you're out. It was used as an Assassination backup. It was used to either take out your target or guards. Xander could remember using it on a number of occasions. He didn't say anything but Max could feel it.

"It wasn't you."

"Yeah," he said looking at her in the eyes. "It's just in my memories I still feel what is was like
every time I used it on someone."

"Well, No blood, and no body. So She is alive," Xander said more or less talking to himself.

"What?" Willow asked, she was shaking badly. She needed something, And Xander was there. He was always there for her, and she loved him for that. "If they wanted her dead, they would have killed her here. She's not here so she is alive."

Faith had Tara, and Maticore had Faith. So they knew were she was, but it didn't make sense. White would not send her out. White just didn't like transgenics. He would come with the FBI, not send an X5 to do anything.

Warehouse.

Xander, Max and Willow had returned a few minutes ago, and were talking to the others, Buffy could overhear bits and pieces of what was being said. Tara was taken, Manticore, the Base. Enough to know that something was going on that she didn't know about. And from Riley's expression he didn't either.

One of the non-human looking creatures was sitting in the back by a radio. He got a call from their lookout. The Watchers Wet Works team was on the move. They had to move fast. Xander ordered them to get there weapons and move out. They were going in behind the Watchers. All the Human looking ones stripped down before Buffy's wide eyes. They were nude, then dressing in uniforms. No one seemed to notice they were of mixed sexes no one looked. Buffy hadn't seen
anything like this since Faith had snuck them into a strip club. They pulled on uniforms that looked like duty uniforms of the Initiative. Just as they where leaving there was a knock at the door. Xander looked around. Everyone was here. Then he went to open it. There were two people he never thought would be there. Tara with Faith/Xander standing behind her.

Adam was sitting at his control console. Then he noticed one of his monitors was off. He reviewed his memory files and found it had been off for 1 hours and 02 min and 52 sec . It was the one watching the anomaly Tara, and his X5. He had just returned from inspecting Mothers work when he noticed. He rerouted ower to it. And found out it was broken. So he switched to his back up camera. They were gone. He calculated that the X5 had turned rogue again. And took the Anomaly Tara with him. It was an inconvenience nothing more. Just then his alarms went off. He switched to the upper levels college dorms, an Assault team was moving in. That had taken out the few guards on the upper levels and moving down. Well, this he could work with. He was ready to start his plans. He looked over to where the body of mother worked. They had been taking bodies from the morgue on the upper level. Along with demons from the Cells and started
his plan. He already had 3 Soldiers to work with he decided it was now the time to start the fire to purge the planet of the Anomalies. He hit a button. All the Cages opened on out poured the Demons into the base. Cutting into the unprepared men.

While he released the Caged demons he opened a back stair well, to allow the Wet works team into the base. Adam had to almost light it up with bond fire before the Team even noticed it. The Guards had not told them anything, at lest the ones that could still talk. These people had been hiding a rogue slayer so there was no playing nice with them. As Adam watched them move toward the stair well, he could see them knocking out any cameras that they came across, but what they didn't know most of the cameras that they took out where just plants so you wouldn't notice the real cameras and mikes placed about the rooms. After The Team moved into the stair well, He turned to his second, to say how it lucky that someone had forgotten to lock this door. But once inside, they didn't notice as it locked behind them.

He didn't notice that one had gotten away. Graham. He had fought his way out, and was gone.

Spencer's Second in command looked at his leader,
Spencer was a Watcher, not part of the team, just put
in charge. It was one of those things you had to deal
with if you wanted to work for the Watcher, they had
to be in control at all times.

As they had moved in and found more and more guards in here. Not Students he had wanted to pull back. But Spencer would not hear of it. If they pulled out now there would be no way to get back in and Faith would surely be gone. And no telling what she would do next. And when he had asked the man if he was sure Faith was even in here. Spencer almost had a fit on the spot. He
had checked the tracking spell before he had left the Magic box, but they had no way of knowing that the target was still here or moved on til they got to were she was at the last casting. But Spencer was sure she would stay, she had not moved from here in at lest three days. So, she should still be here. He was just about to order his men out, no matter what Spencer wanted when, Screams started up from down below. That were soon followed by pleas of mercy. That didn't bother them. They had heard that a lot on battle fields in their lives. What had bothered them was the laughter that followed. But so that had stopped as well. The wet works team was on
the stairwell about halfway on to the second sub level when all the light went out. And they could hear something moving in the dark. Heading their way.