Fury of the Beast
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, just some of the plot. In fact, I'm not sure I own that.
Xander walked through one of the many graveyards of Sunnydale.
He'd been back a week, got himself a little haven, and now was wondering what exactly he was going to do. Try to rejoin the Scooby Gang? Pull an Angel and go all Mystery Cryptic Guy? Or just go on his own and do what he can?
His friends would probably try to kill him on sight, although they probably had the best of intentions, Xander did not look forward to having a stake jammed into his heart.
It wouldn't kill him, but it would not be fun.
A foul stench hit his nose. Demon's blood, probably.
He followed the scent, wondering what exactly Buffy had slayed tonight.
He walked past a couple of trees when the scent grew stronger, and he looked up.
A demon had been strung up, gutted, and left there to hang. Xander couldn't even tell if it was a demon, or half-human, or whatever, anymore.
Buffy wouldn't do this. No way Buffy would do this. Something else had killed this demon, for sure. Buffy just kills them, she doesn't string it up as an example for other creatures.
He had to get to Giles' books, see what he could find out there.
Xander slipped into Giles' apartment, slowly, trying to make no noise.
Good thing he didn't need an invite to go anywhere. This never would have worked if he needed one.
Once he shut the front door, Xander stood still, listening for any sign of life in the house.
After 20 seconds had passed, Xander moved again, confident Giles had gone out, maybe to find out what had killed that demon.
He made his way over to the good old research books, when a thought struck him. Look in the Watcher's Diary, see if Giles had already found out what is killing the demons around. Chances are they would just give the whatever it is a medal, but hey. Best to go for it anyway.
He looked around, trying to figure out where Giles would keep the Diary.
He spotted Giles' desk. Locked, naturally.
With a tug, he broke the lock, knowing he'd have to get all his business done now. Giles would know for sure someone had been here.
Hello there, the precious Diary. Should be called a Journal, it would sound more manly, but anyway.
Flipping through the book, he started back at the entry on the date of his Embrace.
He skimmed through it, until one entry caught his eye.
April 9, 2000
I fear one of my worst nightmares has come to pass. Buffy had come to me today, her face stained with tears. It took a good deal of calming and reassurance, but I managed to get the story out of her.
Alexander Harris, one of her best friends, and a young man that I think of as a son, has died.
Even worse, he has been reborn as a vampire. I fear that Buffy may not survive many of these losses. I'm not sure the group will survive without him either. Xander was a source of moral support in our group. And this is not the only fear I possess.
Xander has trained with Buffy on numerous occasions. While he has not shown much in combat capabilities while human, it is possible that he knows her tactics, and how she thinks. If this is the case, Xander may be able to slip past her guard in the same way Angelus did, knowing how she fights and countering her moves, making her chances of survival small.
Even worse, Xander is a child of this modern era, and he may decide to use modern tactics on Buffy, attacking with modern weaponry instead of fighting hand to hand as most vampires do.
He is, despite the low test scores, rather intelligent. He is, as my young charge would put it, 'street smart' and considering this, I doubt Xander will attack in the same manner most vampires would.
To make matters worse, a new master vampire, Christof Romuald, has appeared in town. He is powerful, and dangerous. It seems that he has created a form of defense against stakes, and is capable of extreme amounts of speed, and able to vanish from sight at will. Riley has confirmed that he is also capable of bending people's wills, forcing them to believe things that are not true, or changing one's perception of him. I can only assume these are small examples of what Christof is capable of. If he allies with Spike, or some of the other vampires here, he will grow only more dangerous. Even more so if he can teach the vampires here how to use the powers he has. I shudder to think of the danger so many powerful vampires would pose to the world. Only the most powerful of Slayers would stand a chance, and we would have to train vampire hunters in large numbers to even maintain the balance of power.
I can only hope that Willow may restore Xander's soul, and prevent a new threat from arising in our midst.
Xander sighed, and flipped through the next few pages until his eye was caught again.
April 17, 2000
We had finally gained all the equipment required for the soul curse ritual, when we discovered something terrible. It seems that no matter what we do, how many times we try the curse, or how many spells we cast, that Xander's soul will not be called.
I can only assume that somehow, Xander has discovered a way to keep his soul from returning through the curse. This has lain a crushing weight upon all of us, for we must finally let go of the hope that Xander will return to us, albeit changed. All I can hope is that somehow, my young charges shall be spared further plight here and now, although I know this is a vain hope. I have decided to take a certain action upon myself, however. If Xander should return with the intent of harming anyone here, I shall destroy him myself. I believe he would not want Buffy or any of the others to feel guilty for destroying a creature that has perverted his body and mind for it's own ends. Granted, I too, will feel guilt over it, but if we cannot find a way to restore him, then we must put him to rest.
If Xander had been your standard Sunnydale vamp, his soul would have been restored, and he never would have left Sunnydale. Probably because he'd be busy trying to kill the Scooby Gang, piece by piece.
Hell, the Beast in Xander's heart would do it, if he let it loose.
Xander flipped through the Diary, looking for any indication as for what might be killing the demons in such a manner.
Giles' front door opened, and in strode the tweed man himself.
Xander dropped the book as he turned around.
Giles took one look at Xander, and began to panic.
"H-how did you get in?" He stammered.
Giles drew out a rather large cross and pointed it at Xander.
"Relax Giles, I'm not here to hurt you."
Giles rose an eyebrow.
"Why would I believe that? And I say again, how did you get in? Vampires need an invitation."
"I'm different, Giles. I'm not a monster. I haven't killed anyone, I even saved a few lives." Xander spoke.
"Why would I believe that? I have no proof of what you're saying."
"Because I know why the soul curse didn't work, Giles. It's because I didn't lose it. You couldn't pull me from the ether because I wasn't there. I was here all along, and man, it hasn't been fun at all."
Giles still looked skeptical.
Xander sighed.
"Looks like you're not gonna accept my word on it. Fine then, see ya later."
Xander ran past Giles in a flash, his form blurring slightly as he ran. One of the inherent advantages of being a Brujah, you learn how to move real quick, really easily. Most other clans had to train to learn how to move at such a speed.
And as such, Giles was nearly knocked onto the floor when Xander dashed past him, just from the force of Xander bumping his arm when he ran.
Collecting his wits, Giles could say only one thing.
"Good lord."
Xander trudged through the graveyards, mud clinging to his boots.
He heard a voice up ahead, and he took cover behind a tree, listening closely.
After a few moments, he identified the voice as Willow's. She was standing in front of a grave.
"...And I got a B on the Physics course, aren't you proud of me? Yes, I know that I should be getting A's in everything, but it's been so hard without you to cheer us up when we're down. I guess it's true that we never know what we have until we lose it, because we've all been down since you...well...died."
She sniffed, wiping away a tear.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough to get you back. I should have tried harder, I should have done something! But that damn orb just didn't light up! What did we do to you that was so bad that you wouldn't come back?"
She sighed, wiping away some more tears.
Xander realized then whose grave she was standing in front of, and to whom she was talking.
It was his own grave.
"Look at me, I'm a mess. I'm sure I look like an absolute fright. I wish you were here right now, Xander. You'd probably tell me that everything was all right, not to cry, and to look on the bright side, huh? It's just been so hard to look at anything in a good way since you died. We all miss you. Buffy, Giles, Tara, Anya, even Riley. You were the heart of the group, and without you, we're almost....lost."
A twig snapped, and Willow turned herself around.
Xander looked in the same direction at the same instant.
There stood a tall guy, dressed in leather head to toe, complete with black leather trenchcoat, his face twisted into the demonic features of a vampire.
"Hey there little girl, you won't have to be lost for much longer, I think you'd be pretty nice, once you're one of us." The vampire spoke, grinning hideously.
Xander was moving before he knew it. His form blurring as he charged at the vampire, he landed a punch that sent the vampire flying into the wall of a crypt.
Xander's fangs were extended, he was snarling as he pummeled the helpless vampire against the wall of the crypt, his fists blurring as he landed shots to the gut, face, and chest.
One good punch on the side of the head knocked the vampire out, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Kneeling over, Xander removed the leather trenchcoat from the downed vamp.
He looked around for a wooden implement to stake it with, and he picked up a rather thick branch, and jabbed it into the creature's heart.
Getting up, he slugged on the trenchcoat.
He turned and faced Willow.
She was staring at him in shock.
"Xander?"
He nodded.
"It's me."
She cowered back, as when he spoke, she spotted his fangs.
"You're...Buffy said...but I hoped..."
With visible effort, Xander retracted his fangs.
"I am a vampire, Willow, but I'm not one of them."
He pointed to the pile of ash her attacker had been.
"That was a monster, I'm not."
She still looked scared.
Xander sighed.
"I won't hurt you, Willow, or anyone here. You have my word on that."
With that, he turned and ran off, and before Willow knew it, her oldest, best friend, was gone.
"I'm telling you, he was Xander! Okay, a darker, fanged, miserable Xander, but it was him!" Willow exclaimed.
"Willow, I found him in my home yesterday, and I am certain I didn't invite him, and we don't know what else he can do. So far, he has not shown any sign at all that he still has a soul. We still must assume the worst." Giles replied, his voice grave.
The Scooby gang had gathered in Giles' living room, the drapes open so that the sunlight may filter it's way into the room.
It was as if Giles feared Xander may walk in the door, and he had to make sure the sun was up so he couldn't.
Giles wondered what he would do at nightfall to keep Xander out.
"Even though Xander has returned here, our main priority has not changed. We must still track down and find a way to destroy Adam. However, we must be careful, Xander knows our strengths and weaknesses. If he allies with Adam, we will be.." Giles trailed off.
"...Screwed." Buffy finished.
Giles nodded.
Xander wandered about the industrial part of town, trying to figure out what was going on. Buffy wasn't killing those demons like that. So, that left either a very sadistic hunter, or, a new baddie in town.
"Young one, come here." He heard coming from an alley.
He turned, and looked.
There was a very pale woman there, long raven black hair, wearing a white blouse, knee length black skirt, and a brown trenchcoat. She would be attractive, if it wasn't for the abnormal paleness of her skin, and blood red lips.
Xander cautiously walked into the alley.
"Do not worry, fledgling, I do not seek to harm you." She said.
"Who are you?" Xander asked.
"My name is not important. What is important is that you may be the last hope we all have."
"What do you mean?"
"This place needs a guardian, now, and for ages to come. A threat is arising even now that will destroy the world, not through opening a mystical portal, or bringing demons here, but through a horror of technology. I believe you and the Slayer together are the only ones who can stop it."
"What is this thing?" Xander asked.
"It is code-named Adam."
Xander ran towards the Lowell house, at top speed.
Since his encounter with that strange woman three weeks ago, he'd been training, learning more about his powers, and he'd trained with the weapons he'd gained from Nicholas' place.
He'd also kept tabs on the gang, and had learned through his "sources" that everything is coming to a head. Adam was creating an army out of human and demon parts. It was grisly, disgusting.
Even his sources hated the look of these guys.
It must be pretty nasty, cause a Nosferatu can't call very many things ugly without being a hypocrite.
Xander owed the local nossies a favor, but it was worth it. If he didn't contact them, he wouldn't have known about this. Now it was time to see if he really could make a difference.
It was time to save the world.
He kicked the door down, heading for the false mirror wall that acted as elevator doors.
The doors were opened, and Xander could see the cables, as well as some rope, probably what Buffy, Willow and Giles had used to go down.
Grabbing the ropes, he repelled down quickly, kicking his way down the side of the elevator shaft.
With a clank, he stood on the top of the elevator, regaining his balance.
He pulled the doors open with his fingernails, and took his first big look at the Initiative.
Frankly put, the place was a warzone. Demons and humans were fighting against each other, desperately trying to beat the other.
And so far, it looked like the demons were winning.
Pulling out a shotgun, Xander leapt into the fray.
The chant commenced.
Willow and Tara chanted over a pile of spell components, with Giles looking over them and guarding the door with a crossbow and taser rifle.
They were casting the spell of quickening on Buffy, as it might be the only chance she has against Adam. It would make her stronger, and faster, just maybe fast enough.
The two witches were concentrating on the spell so hard, they did not notice the sound of shotgun blasts and demon's screams.
Giles, on the other hand, grew nervous. Most of the soldiers he'd seen were using tasers, not conventional weaponry.
The barricaded door began to buckle, and Giles rose the two weapons, simply waiting for the creature to come though.
Finally, it gave way, and a green, horned demon, nearly twice the size of Giles, burst in.
He rose the taser and fired.
The creature recoiled for a moment, but the skin turned a darker green, and the creature made a strange sound. Almost like...laughter.
Desperately, Giles rose the crossbow, and shot it in one of it's eyes.
The beast howled, and turned it's remaining eye on Giles, who was trying to reload quickly.
Then there was a blur. The beast flew back two feet, struck by something in front of Giles.
A man in a black leather trenchcoat was standing there, shooting the beast, driving it back, although it seemed to not be injured by the shotgun shells.
Then the shotgun was dropped, spent of it's ammo.
The man pulled something else out of his trenchcoat, and Giles had one good look at it. A grenade launcher.
"Oh bloody hell."
Giles quickly pulled up a metal cart, and tipped it on it's side, to protect him, and Willow and Tara, from the blast.
Then a very familiar voice said something.
"Yippy Ki Yay, ugly!"
The grenade was launched from the barrel, and struck the creature in it's chest. It promptly blew up into a thousand pieces.
The man shook his head.
"What? Did nobody else here see Die Hard?"
He turned, and the three had a good look at him. Xander Harris, back from the dead, it seemed.
"Where's Buffy?" Xander asked.
"She's in the hidden part of the compound. She's probably fighting Adam as we speak." Giles replied, pointing to a wall.
Quickly, Xander barricaded the door again. Then he opened the secret passage.
"Stay here, I'll be back."
In a blur, Xander was gone.
Then Giles realized what he'd just done: Pointed a vampire right towards Buffy.
Reloading his crossbow, Giles ran after Xander.
Lots of fun, huh? Onto part 10.