Chapter 4

AN: Alright, I'm back to working on this one and hope to have it done in a few chapters – not sure just how right now, but let's just play that one by ear.

(Restfield Cemetery – Two months later)

Kendra watched in suspicion as this 'Xander' thing (or is that 'person'?) decapitated another vampire with a hand that was morphed into a scimitar-like blade and Aura slashed another one in a backhanded motion with her claws, an act that also decapitated with the sheer force of it. She did not trust either of them, particularly since neither one of them were what she thought of as 'human' (though Aura's case of being the next step in humanity DID give her pause…), nor did she trust the third member of their 'team', Jenny Calendar.

Said person faded into view a few feet in front of her and erected a shield of some kind that a vampire beat against in a futile manner as she smirked, "You know, it's nice to see this actually working for me for a change."

Xander turned and shot his arm out a dozen feet, it tapering out to the point of a needle that speared the vampire through the chest in mid-swing at the shield, causing it to go stiff for a second before turning to dust, "No offense, Jenny, but you do not have the physical constitution to keep up in these pitched battles."

Aura snorted, "And yet somehow she keeps that trim figure of hers that you and every male in the school ogles at."

Xander arched an eyebrow, "Art should be appreciated, should it not?"

Kendra snorted in disgust as both of the women laughed at this statement – there was an oddly familiar bond between the two women and thing she refused to call a man that often transcended 'friend' and it made hunting very dangerous; what if one of them were to be turned, it would make it difficult for the other two to destroy them, at least according to Mr. Zabutto's books, "Come, we have much work to finish."

The Asian girl, Aura, merely shook out her heavy denim jacket as Ms. Calendar sighed, "Not all of us have Slayer recuperative powers, Kendra."

"Den you need to leave dis to de professionals, Ms. Calendar." Kendra just wanted to go back to her room, successful in her Calling, and not having to babysit these three any more.

Her way, though, was blocked by Xander, whose eyes were narrowed in an assessing manner, "Blood pressure elevated, pulse and reparation fluctuating and the blood capillaries in your skin are engorged – you are angry. Why?"

"I am NOT angry! And you have no right to ask me dat, T'ING!" She knew that her reactions was irrational, particularly with the fact that the thing in front of her could easily kill her, just as he could have two months pervious when she had arrived, but she was not going to back down now. She COULD NOT back down to it.

"Your menstrual cycle ended last week and Willow is not scheduled to start hers for another four days, so my scans and other information indices say that you are angry." Kendra flushed and slammed her fist into the thing's chest, deforming it as her hand sank into it and stayed there. He looked at her oddly for a moment before saying, "That was unnecessary, and I was merely inquiring because I am concerned about your operational performance and the detrimental way anger affects Human minds will impede that."

Kendra tugged at her arm repeatedly, "Let. Me. Go!"

Xander looked at her for a moment before he did that, but at the time he did so she was jerking away and it caused her to fall flat on her backside, which got a snicker out of Aura, "Are you injured, Slayer Hawthorne?"

She glared up at him but said nothing as she got to her feet, instead looking over at both Aura and Jenny, "We are leaving." Without waiting for them, she took off at a brisk walk – the Council would hear of this.

Aura looked at Kendra's back and then over at Xander, who had a puzzled look on his face, "What's wrong?"

He merely shrugged, "I was unaware that being a Slayer unilaterally impeded the thought process."

Jenny shook her head and walked over, "It shouldn't. I think she's just mad that you already know her cycle, Xander."

Xander nodded, "True, but it was Giles who gave me said cycle information, so should she not be angry with him?"

Aura arched an eyebrow, "Mr. Giles knows our cycles?"

Xander again nodded, "Indeed, he said something about 'self preservation', but would not go into it further."

Jenny narrowed her eyes for a moment before she frowned, "Xander, what's wrong? You never acted like this before…"

He smiled a little, "Before? Back when I was human?"

Jenny winced, "I didn't mean it like that…"

Xander just shrugged, "I do not take any offense to it, Jenny. In fact, I cannot take offense to it. I've found that, over the past few weeks, my abilities to emulate human emotions have hit a wall that not even I can breech – human emotions are beyond my ability to process."

Aura frowned, "But… you were doing so well a few months ago. What's changed since then?"

Again, Xander shrugged, "I do believe I have changed, Aura. Beyond the physical changes, I do believe that there are a few psychological changes that have taken place in me – just as you, from what I have discerned, have accepted that you will not be as you were again, I have also accepted that."

Jenny frowned some more, "It sounds to me as if you have given up hope, Xander."

"I would argue that I have accepted the reality of the situation, Jenny," Xander said back after a second of thought. "Would you argue it the same way, were the situations reversed?"

Jenny shook her head slightly, "I am not sure, Xander, but hope is a dangerous thing to lose."

It was Aura who spoke up next, her voice upset, "For a human, Jenny." She looked at Xander, "Would you change back to being human again if you could, Xander? Instead of being this… T-1000 who acts and sounds like Xander Harris?"

Xander frowned a bit, "I… am unsure." He was silent for a moment, "There is only a 3.54 percent chance of my ever becoming human again, given the information I have about magical power and entities who can harness that power. There is a 21.05 percent chance of failure of full recovery of just who I am… was… a risk that is unacceptable even by human terms. There is a 71.11 percent chance of returning to a partial form that once was Alexander Harris, but with significant alterations. Even then, life is not assured."

Jenny frowned a bit more, "What about the other 4.3 percent?"

Xander shook his head immediately, "No."

Aura perked up a bit, "What?"

"NO," Xander said again, more forcefully. "The risks involved with that are astronomical – I cannot allow that."

"Risks of what, Xander?"

Xander looked at Jenny, "There is a 4.3 percent chance that SKYNET would be revived in its fully self-aware form, Jenny."

That statement hung in the still air as the minutes passed by, the knowledge of what SKYNET had been capable of in its self-aware form and what it had done to Humanity on a whole being a fact well-known by the three.

Finally, Aura shook her head, "Let's go catch up with Kendra – we need to think about this some more."

(London, England – Council Chambers - Later)

He finished his report to the Council on what Kendra had told him about the group on the Hellmouth, and after several minutes of muttered conversation, Sam was questioned by the head of the Council, William Pryce, "You mean to tell me that Slayer Hawthorne is working with a comic book hero and a creation from an American MOVIE, Watcher Zabutto?"

He nodded, "Yes sir. I know it sounds preposterous, but if you will just take a moment to understand the entire implications of just what this opportunity presents to us, den you will see that we can work with this."

Mr. Pryce, however, just cut him off, "No, Watcher Zabutto, and I shall tell you why. Do you remember my former second-in-command, Quinton Travers?"

Sam nodded, remembering the despicable ass, "Yes, sir."

"Do you know why he isn't here tonight?" Sam shook his head and William went on, "That is because Mr. Harris presented the Queen Mother with evidence of Mr. Travers' past misdeeds involving several Slayers. Not her Royal Courts, and not us – the QUEEN HERSELF." William Pryce sighed and took a sip of his water, "She had him arrested, charged with, among other things, high treason, and he is currently awaiting execution – do you think that we want to potentially anger an individual who is capable of finding out secrets buried so deep that they are only kept on hard-copy since this incident?"

Sam shook his head, "No, sir. I had no idea that Mr. Harris was-"

Again, Pryce cut him off, "No, you did not. WE did not think he was capable of this until he showed us. Watcher Zabutto, be advised that there are now plans in action to… remove Mr. Harris from the equation, and no, you do not need to know what they are."

Sam smiled a little, now sure that things would get back to normal, "Yes, sir, I understand."

Pryce just snorted and muttered, "I highly doubt it."

Meanwhile, in Sunnydale, Xander smirked a little – honestly, did the Council really think that he wasn't aware of their petty attempts to destroy him? They called places. They wrote things out on computers. They did everything but send him a personally addressed envelope saying that they were going to send a mage after him in hopes of destroying him.

Said mage was currently in front of him, staring dumbly at his chest, where Xander had his arm shoved through his heart – he didn't WANT to kill the guy, but self-preservation was now at the top of his list of 'things to do'.

Xander jerked his hand back and watched as the mage felt to the ground, lifeless, "I think the Council needs another object lesson."

AN: Alright, a short bit, I know, and a little darker, but things are changing all around. With any luck, as stated above, this story will end fairly soon – reviews will feed my muse and hopefully bring that about sooner.