The next day found "Gurney Harris" asleep in the library where he'd decided to bed instead of returning home. He could almost smell the mélange thick in the air as the Fedaykin stormed the final Sardaukar defenses between Paul and Shaddam. The screams, the windstorm, the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the elation as he himself took out two Sardaukar in succession before scything through a plethora of Harkonnen and mercenary auxiliaries. To wake suddenly at that moment was disconcerting, especially as he didn't know whether to draw his colt, roll onto the floor and fire his blaster or order strong coffee after a night of hard drinking in London.
He was Alexander Harris, but he could feel the experience and weight of memories behind him. And he suspected that his last four 'possessors' had had somewhere to return after the spell lifted. "Why was Gurney able to reach me last night?" he asked allowed, 'The mélange?' part of him whispered in the back of his mind. Getting up from the cot, he realized he was still wearing his stilsuit and jubba cloak. The real ones, not the costume pieces.
Xander'd had time to think and the privacy afforded by the Library soothed him. He looked through the cafeteria cupboards and found food for Phil, who still seemed to transition with him every time, and a couple gallons of juice. He thought through the skills, the memories, the experiences, of his possessive entities, and then his own. Using the analytical abilities of Giles, Halleck and Asimov, began to note the gaps and rough edges, where he needed to be able to instinctually act and react, making his new gifts truly his own. He fired up the computer, punched into Willow's search engine the skills he wanted or sought to improve in general terms, and half an hour later he had two historical figures that fit the bill at different levels.
Figuring that he probably had a few hours until Giles, or at least the Scoobies, appeared, he began a series of unarmed combat workouts by accessing his 'Gurney' skills. He practiced until he'd gone through the entire set of routines, then pushed his exhausted body to pick up twin short swords, adding them in and continuing to familiarizing himself, letting the memories and instinct takeover, the hyena energy now his atop a hell mouth in a temporal loop fueling the change. An unknown time later, as he started a whirling charge at an unseen opponent, Buffy leapt in with twin short swords, moving up to Slayer speed as it became apparent that the fully-engaged Xander could move at tremendous speed and with great agility even if rusty with carry-through. After nearly six minutes, Xander finally called a halt as she took a step back before possibly attacking anew.
"Wheeew, thanks Buff," Xander smiled his trademark grin at her, "You jumped in at just the right time for me to get in some real-opponent sparring." He placed his swords on the table and grabbed a couple of towels, offering one to her. She paused a moment then set her swords down and accepted one.
"So what was that all about, Xander?" the slayer asked, "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
"Gurney Halleck was a 'gladiator' amongst other things in the slave pits of Giedi Prime before escaping to become the weapons master for a planetary ruler," Xander 'reminisced' quietly, "He passed on his knowledge to me before leaving." Xander reached over and poured four large glasses of double-strength orange juice and started in on a few 'cooling off' exercises as the others thought about it all.
"X-Xander," Giles addressed the young man, "I haven't read 'Dune' in over twenty years, but how would this Gurney Halleck understand English?"
"I don't really know, Giles," Xander considered, "Proximity to the Hellmouth? Melange in his system warping reality so that he could contact me? Believe me, I've given it some thought, and even though his own language is partially derived from our own, that's like saying ours is derived from pre-Classical Greek."
"Well, what about the ROUS, Xander?" Willow asked as she petted a happy groundhog, "I don't remember him from Dune." Xander considered lying, but seeing her and the ROUS, just went truth instead.
"Phil started his current existence as a very successful example of Uncle Rory's taxidermy phase," Xander revealed, "And when I completed my first time loop as the guy from Ground Hog Day, Phil made the rounds as a living animal once again. He's excellent company."
"W-What do you mean?" Giles asked with a touch of confusion, "This is some sort of repeating experience for you?" He began cleaning his glasses.
"Chaos magic that converts you to your costume, atop the Hell Mouth, and your character is caught in a causality loop?" Xander smirked with a tired look, "What are the chances of that, Ripper?" Giles dropped his glasses at the use of his old nickname.
"That's right, I once dressed as a man avoiding tweed," Xander emotionlessly, though with Giles' own accent, "And was with these two birds in their pad off Finsbury Circus when the spell hit Ol' Ripper. And when the spell has broken, Ol' Ripper decided he'd stick around somehow and made it so I'd remember everything from today, but...oops, today for me goes on and on...and I don't feel like talking about it right now." Giles got up when he heard the tea kettle whistle.
"But how are you gonna get out of your time loop thingie if we don't help you?" Buffy pressed, "We're your friends." Xander gave her a small but tired smile.
"I have to figure things out for myself, first, Buff," Xander sighed, "and when I get to that point, or at least to a point where I feel I can really push to end 'today' I'll do what's necessary."
"It just seems weird that the rest of us won't remember this," Willow remarked, "I mean, nothing but you changes at all?"
"Well, Phil stayed a real, living groundhog," Xander replied, "But I really haven't paid too close attention to little details except to pick up a board with nails Mrs. Summers ran over once. I guess I could, though."
"So there's nothing we can do to help, Xan?" Buffy asked again.
"Not unless you want to join me, Willow, champagne and the Sheraton for a few hours."
SMACK. SMACK.
"Ow!"
Xander considered again who he'd 'been' and the words shared with Gurney Halleck. He considered the weapons used against demons were those that had in one way or another been used for millennia, and perhaps going as someone of unquestionable or legendary skill might indeed be the way to go. Most everything he needed was in the weapons cage in the Library. Getting Ethan Rayne to work the mojo on enough stuff would be the key, but as seemed to be the case previously, mentioning Giles' name should be enough to goad him forward.
SHS Library Again
The Reset occurred, but as he got up from the table, a weapon fell to the ground. 'Looks like the crysknife made it through with me,' Xander thought, doing a quick inventory to see that that was all that had made it with him. 'And I looked so good in the stilsuit,' he sighed.
Patting Phil on the head, and leaving a dish of water, Xander grabbed up the necessary weapons and headed toward Ethan's. Getting there wasn't a problem, and he entered the place with confidence.
"Can I help you young man?" Ethan asked, slightly annoyed, "I was thinking about closing early as business has all but disappeared." He recalled the young man as a low-spender in with the blonde he guessed was the slayer.
"Well, after talking to my friend Giles at the School Library," Xander carefully replied, "I realized that a better costume would be something different, so I'm thinking heroic Roman gladiator-guy? What was his name?"
"Spartacus, I believe," Ethan responded, and couldn't help but ask, "And that wouldn't happen to be Rupert Giles, would it?"
"Oh, yeah, you know the G-Man?" Xander choreographed, "We got him going as a Roman senator, so I thought I'd surprise him by being Spartacus? Think ya can help me out? I have fifty dollars, most of the weapons, but nothing else, and I still need to pick up a few party supplies. Do you think you could put something together for me while I run errands?"
"Oh, my boy, just leave what you have here, and I'm sure you'll do just fine," Ethan replied, laughing, "You'll positively kill our friend Rupert tonight."
Xander walked confidently along the halls of the high school, attired in the sandals, weaponry, shorts and leather cross braces of a minimally-attired gladiator. Twin gladii over his back, daggers strapped in different places and crysknife on his waist, Xander's attire affected a far greater female reaction than occurred in other universes involving a speedo. His accoutrement emphasized what he had and down-played lack of muscular toning. And the increased confidence he felt inside mirrored itself outside.
A couple pirates laughed at a joke, and as he moved along the outside corridor toward Willow and Buffy, Larry made the mistake of intercepting Xander Harris with a smug look.
"Where's your bodyguard, Harris?" Larry laughs sneeringly, "Curling her hair?" Xander ignores him and continues on, angering Larry in front of his friends. He places a hand on Xander, hoping to make him flinch or do something stupid. Instead, students and faculty watch as Xander grabs the hand, twists it and introduces the jock to a locker door and pain. Xander walks away without greater pause.
Willow in ghost costume walks toward Xander as Snyder charges past to get there first. Xander pulls out two daggers as Snyder nears, and holds them up in front of him as Snyder's about to speak.
"Every time Larry attacks me," Xander coldly rages at the troll, "I'll make sure you feel his pain, Snyder." The vice principal stepped back, unused to, and a bit afraid of, this Xander Harris, "Now, I agreed to lead some kids trick-or-treating..." Snyder pointed to a group of kids and decided to yell at Larry instead. Xander resheathes the cutlery and pulls the sheet off of Willow, deciding on some fun.
"Hey, Willow," Xander smiled at the gawking girl, "Like what you see? I know Lady Buffy does..." He turned to see Buffy's eyes go wide as a dear caught in the headlights. "Oh, and I want you both to take these, just in case something does happen tonight." He handed them each a gladius and one of Buffy's stakes, sheathed in material blending well with their costumes.
"What are these, Xander?" Buffy asked, recovering first as he also provided small pouches of holy water and pretend id.
"Basic slay-kit, Slayer and Enlightenment-Hottie, the Lady Buffius Elizabeth," Xander smirked, "and Immortal Willow Devereux, eternal hottie of Rome and all cities since." 'Boy I'm laying it on thick,' he thought, 'having noticed Willow's interest in me, I'm feeling as bad as Ripper, but it'd be unfair to her if we...' Sighing, he finished making the weapons blend in well enough.
"Okay, beautiful ones," he laid on thickly, "I know which houses to hit for maximum candy, and we'll be back a little early. We'll see what happens then."
Author's Note: I am saying something in Latin the indicate this.
They had managed to drop off the kids and climb into the Harris car Xander had stolen earlier from his parents while Ethan was casting magic on the costume. Xander fibbed by saying he wanted to swing by and pick up some food before they headed back for Buffy's rendezvous with Angel. They'd gotten over near the mall and newer businesses and offices, and just stepped out from the car when the magic swept over them.
Is this Tartarus? Xander asked aloud, My wounds are gone. He looked around to where two women were oddly dressed, facing off with each other drawing swords. He stepped forward but not too close, not seeing any Romans, or other threats.
Women, he said bluntly, interrupting their wary sizing up of each other, Before you kill each other, I need to know where I am, and why I am here.
The red-headed swordswoman glanced over, curious at his speech, then said something to the dark-haired woman, who after a moment nodded and they sheathed their swords together.
What can I do for you...gladiator? the red-head asked, sizing him up in more than one way, I, myself as in...Saguntum when I found myself here.
Have you any idea where here might be, and are we in the after life? the gladiator pressed, I was on a cross a few minutes ago... The dark-haired girl answered in badly pronounced but still passable Latin.
I was in Brittania, myself, but I'm guessing two millennia since your time, Lady Elizabeth replied, And from the looks of things, beyond my time as well.
What were you doing when you...came here, Willow asked her, I was in a duel and just barely holding my own, but I fear not for long.
Vampires were attacking, and I couldn't fend them off," the Lady admitted, I've only been a slayer for a couple of months... At their blank looks, she continued, Divinely compelled and gifted with speed and strength to fight the evil things of the night. They nodded noncommittally, then heard a scream from somewhere down the street. Looking at each, the brunette turned to them.
It might be my duty calling, she sighed, pulling off her large overskirt. I have to check it out. The red-head and gladiator nodded at each other.
We'll accompany you, the gladiator declared, and headed after the fast-running 18th century slayer. They neared the entrance to an alley, the red-head catching up gradually in her heeled boots. Six men with weird faces and yellow eyes were laughing and pawing at two terrified young women. The blonde charged in, drawing out a sword and a wooden stick, screaming at the top of her lungs in a language not understood by the gladiator.
The dark-haired girl leapt into the air, kicking and slashing, punching and stabbing. The gladiator smiled as she'd managed to distract all six things from their victims. Drawing his gladii, he charged forward silently, ready to eliminate the things.
Slash/parry-right stab-stab/parry-slash-kick, he struck and wounded three of the six as one exploded into dust, distracting him achieving a beheading. He stabbed another in the chest, while lashing out to keep another thing off of him, when a red blur decapitated one of his opponents, turning it to dust.
Wood in the heart or decapitation are the only ways to kill them, the blonde Lady Slayer called out as she kicked one about ten feet down the alley. She turned to the girls, who were screaming in a different language. They ran away as she re-entered the fight.
Red slashed and kicked an undead into a slash by the gladiator, and he turned it into a head-lopping blow. Thus distracted, the other thing managed to break away and run down the alley, leaving two of its fellows to die.
A moment later, only the trio of Latin speakers stood, slightly dusty, in the alley. The gladiator turned to the two young women.
This is not my original body, he revealed, Perhaps I have been reborn? The red-head took out a mirror and looked at her reflection.
I, uh, died once before, she admitted, But like then I seem to be the same in appearance, but not nearly as fit. Perhaps it is as you say. The noblewoman took the proffered mirror, and frowned.
This is indeed me, but I do not know how I could have escaped the vampires I'd been fighting, she confided uneasily, And I seem in better condition in this body than before, but am still a Slayer. Perhaps we are here to fulfill a Purpose?
That would fit, the gladiator nodded, As the first thing after our encounter was to defeat the things that were in this place. But was that it? Should we move through this city and hunt down all such things we find?
Knowing that I'm still a Slayer, I must, the Lady Slayer asserted, And at least until we know more, I'm willing to accept help. By the way, I am Elizabeth.
Willow Devereux, the redhead offered. They looked to the gladiator.
I am Spartacus, the gladiator named himself, And I think that maybe in the course of our quest, we'll find out why we're here.
Over the next few hours, the Slayer sensed many strong evils that were familiar to her, and guided them into combat against the monsters. The gladiator acquitted himself quite well in her eyes, his swords wounding or sometimes dusting a number of their foes as the red-headed woman sliced in from the left and the slayer thundered into the right, dust the result of their simple and effective style. The red-head, being more familiar with this time period, let them know they were in a place called California, and the slayer was able to feel no demonic presence in the smaller monsters.
I think they might be children turned into monsters, the red head explained, They must be the victims of whatever magic brought us here to this place, or its enemy
Perhaps it is a test, Spartacus offered, To see if we can tell true foes from victims, and to only defeat the evil? After all, the blessed one, here, does not sense the wrongness like in the things we've been killing. The slayer nodded in support.
Agreed, the Slayer nodded, We'll only kill what I sense as demon, and chase off the others. Willow Devereux nodded as well. They seemed to be near a large school.
Let's try the school, she suggested, Maybe a scholar might have a better idea of what is happening in this place? Or at least food. The others nodded as she started in that direction, and looked at her watch, 'We've been at this for four hours, and killed about thirty of those vampire things. I'm tired and hungry even if they aren't.'
They approached the complex of buildings, coming to a place labeled 'Library' that had lights on inside. First they'd passed through and broken into the cafeteria, filling up a bag full of fruit and other items, including bottled water.
The exterior grounds showed signs of commotion and a scattering of candy and masks. She pointed out to her companions that her guess might be correct, and to watch out. She tapped on a library door with her sword hilt and looked through the window, finding the doors barred from within. A moment later, she noticed a tired man with glasses come to the door and look out, apparently recognizing her. He unlocked the door for them.
"Willow, did you forget your key again?" the British librarian asked as he held out a cross. Before she cold answer, the slayer moved by her and embraced the man in a crushing hug.
"Uncle Robert!" the slayer gushed, in English, "I hoped we'd find someone to help us..." She squeezed again, cutting off airflow.
Is he friend or foe, Elizabeth? Spartacus asked, If he's a friend, release him before you suffocate him. He took note of the locking mechanism and sealed the doors again. To Willow, What is she saying? I do not understand this language? The slayer released her shocked 'uncle' as she responded.
He appears to be her uncle, and he recognized me and called my name, Willow replied, The language is called 'English' though it contains a few Roman words as well. As to the rest, we must wait and see. As they watched Giles recover, and a fawning Elizabeth fetch him his tea from the other end of the table from where he'd been sitting, Giles caught his breath, and addressed Willow, the normal-seeming teenager.
"Er, uhm, Willow," Giles began, only to have 'Xander' raise a hand to stop him.
Do you speak the tongue of the Romans, Scholar? the gladiator asked, and at Giles nod, continued. Good, let us use that as it is the only one we know to have in common. Giles looked confused, but nodded again.
Yes, uh, Willow, what is going on? Giles inquired, And why is Buffy calling me Uncle Robert and treating me well?
You know who I am, Scholar? Willow asked, and at his confused nod, she explained the evening so far from their point of view. Phil showed up half-way through with an empty water dish. Without breaking her story, Willow placed some snack food on the table and poured some bottled water into a dish as Giles' eyebrows rose at the size of the large groundhog. As she finished, Giles nodded in understanding.
I believe you may be partially right, Giles offered. It could be that you are possessing the bodies as a last service before entering the next life. I know all of you...as Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg and Alexander Harris, all born in this century and teenaged students at this high school. Buffy is also a slayer, and I am her Watcher, or mentor, to help guide her in her duty.
But what do we do now? Spartacus asked, And if we are only here until this 'event' is over, what next do we do? At that moment, a banging on the door occurred, and Giles let in a badly hurt Cordelia Chase, costume shredded and a multitude of minor lacerations evident. Spartacus carrying her to the table, they all began the process of cleaning and binding her wounds within minutes. The half-crazed girl had by then a blanket around her near-naked form, and sipping water, gathered control of her self.
"Giles," she gasped out, "What's going on out there?" Willow translated for Spartacus.
"It appears that many have been turned into their costumes," Giles explained, "Including Willow, Buffy and Xander. Did you?" She stared at him a moment before answering.
"No, I dressed as a cat, and did not turn into a cat," Cordelia replied, regaining her composure, "But I don't shop where they shop, either. That English guy there was very icky."
"Oh, and where did they shop?" Giles asked, sensing a narrowing in their search for answers.
"Ummmm, Eric's? NO, Ethan's," she assured him. He looked shocked and dismayed. He asked for the address and she was able to remember the cross-streets. He searched for his keys but couldn't find them.
"Where are my keys?" he muttered, not finding them. The gladiator turned to the slayer.
Didn't you get an unusual 'feeling' when we crossed that 'main' street a while ago? Spartacus asked her, receiving a nod, Then let us go deal with this ourselves and keep your relative safe. She nodded and they both started to get up, checking their weapons.
Where are you going? Willow asked, noticing them get up, and when they explained, added, I will accompany you. They left Giles and a recovering Cordelia in the Library.
Twenty minutes later and a stop at a 'convenience' store had given them the directions needed to reach Ethan's. Emergency vehicles were still heard throughout the night, but with swords and an apparent willingness to use them sufficed to keep demons and mini-demons at bay. They reached the costume store, the slayer nodding that this was the correct place, feeling really odd. Willow carefully opened the door to avoid the ringing of bells, Spartacus and Elizabeth quickly moving into the shop. A glow cold be seen behind curtains into the back, and as they started in, the door rang behind them.
"Well, luv, I guess I found Lady Slayer and her sidekicks, eh?" the vampire known as Spike asked with a smirk as eight vampires headed into the room. The mad vampiress at his side whimpered and began pulling him toward the door, her eyes wide as she Saw the three opponents. Spike shrugged her off and she ran shrieking into the night. Turning to make a to-him witty remark, he felt cold steel pierce his heart as two of his minions dusted with screams.
Lady Elizabeth pressed the sword upward into the mouthy vampire, drawing out a stake. He grabbed her wrist as he writhed on the sword in pain, trying to push her back with the other hand. Spartacus, having quickly beheaded a minion, kicked and kicked, hilt-punched, then throat-stabbed his opponent, second blade and the initial shock of humans attacking keeping the others briefly at bay. Willow Devereux dusted two vampires before the others caught on, she took a stake and treated it as a main-gauche, holding off two vampires to the gladiator's three. The slayer was finally pushed back by the lead vampire, but she riposted with a successful throw to the heart, dusting the thing and allowing her to rush in to aid her recent allies.
Two vampires successfully bolted out the door and into the night, allowing the gladiator the chance to quickly whirl into the thick of it and dust the three remaining as they scrambled against the two young women.
Hands clapping behind them in applause turned their attention back toward their original goal. A thin man with a droll smile on his face was looking at them in glee.
"Excellent show," the man congratulated them, rubbing a mental nerve the wrong way in Spartacus, who threw a dagger into and through the man's kneecap, causing the man to collapse to the floor screaming.
How do you end this spell? Spartacus demanded, yanking out the knife as the women came up. They were about to say something when Ethan, meeting the eyes of his attacker, quickly and desperately responded, understanding Latin.
The statue of Janus! Destroy it! the man exclaimed in pain. The gladiator saw the glowing-eyed statue in the back room and turned to the women.
My wife and daughter await me on the other side, he stated simply, offering a fist over his heart in salute of women who were surprisingly good fighters, May the gods treat you well. And with that he picked up the statue and threw it at Ethan Rayne, who barely managed to dodge. The statue shattering, the magic receded.
Grabbing the cashbox in spite of the girls' disapproving looks, Xander noticed a Greek warrior's costume as they left, then stared at both girls again.
"What?" they asked at the same time.
Oh, nothing, Xander replied in Thracian-accented Latin, Just thinking that you two, champagne, me and the Sheraton is still the best idea I've had in a long time.
SMACK. SMACK.
Ow!