The Highway was dark and gloomy. Xander was on his way. The fight against the Mayor had taken a turn for the worse, because somehow Buffy had gotten into her head, that his idea didn't have enough merit. Meaning she wasn't the star of the show. Afterwards she had screamed at him blaming him for everything she had changed. That was the last straw for him. He turned around without a word and left for his car driving off. Buffy stood there dumbfounded and just stared after him. He already hated her because of her impossibility to kill deadboy when he was his dark alter ego. When she pulled the last one she was thoroughly on his shit list. Now he was on his way towards Las Vegas. Oxnard was just passing. The Car threatened to give out on him at one point. But it got a second wind and that carried him past oxnard good on his way to the City of Sin and Games.
Buffy stood back in her Room thinking about all that had happened over the last few weeks. She only then saw what she had done to the man that had stood by her side even though he didn't like her very much. She had seen the signals but played them off at him being Jealous. But now under the microscope of her own doing and the looks she had received from all of the others at Graduation and her Mother and her little Sister when she came home was enough for her. She screamed how ungrateful everybody were for not doing what they should have and leaving her alone with all the decisions and heavy lifting. In retrospect did she really not understand why she reacted that way. She was sure that things was going wrong. But she just couldn't get herself to see anything different when it came to him. Even thinking his name was enough for her to get angry. But why was that?
Xander was straight on his way and was just arriving in Las Vegas at a shop for new cars. But he had other problems. His car was shot to all hell. Nothing he could do was going to help him now. But that didn't matter. He was at a place that he could work to get a new car or his old heap of junk repaired. But the way things were going now was too much for him. He stopped up at an empty parking lot and saved his three bags and what ever else he could before the car finally decided to give up the struggle and die in a pillar of fire taking a carbomb with it that was attached to a car were a few nice dressed People were about to get in. They stopped up when the wreck came into the parking lot and stood there gaping when the teenager jumped out saving himself and everything he could before his car turned into a spectacular inferno that ended with their own car blowing up because of the shacking and done by the wreck showering their car with debris.
Xander stood there looking a bit dumbfounded over his wreck and saw a Policecar and a Firetruck arrive at the scene. He had saved himself behind a dumpster and now stood over the sad rest. The Scrochmarks and the bent metal were the only thing left. He could swear he heard an evil laughter coming out of the engine. He got out a bottle of holy water and used his acquired Internet-Priestdom to bless the car and give it it's last ride. The Policeofficers who stood by and looked over the scenario along with the Businessmen wondered a bit about the strange behaviour of the young man. But that didn't disturb him. Once the richest of the Businessmen was sure that he was finished he came a bit closer and cleared his voice. Xander shot around and first now saw all his Audience clearly.
The Officers waited for what was to come. The man began: "Hello there young man. Could I firstly ask why you did that and secondly if you could do that for my own wreck?"
Xander smiled nodded understandingly and began his tale: "I come from Sunnydale, after the tragedy at our Graduation with the Gasline exploding taking our Mayor and our Principal with them along with many others I took off on my Tour across the good old US of A. My trusty Girl here already threatened to die just outside of Oxnard. But she held together until I was here. I will be eternally grateful for that. For that she deserved to rest in peace or pieces as it now is. But if you insist I could do the same to your car."
The Officers wrote the whole thing down and did wait until the Boy had blessed the now no longer burning car and then talked with him.
"Hello there young man. You sure have some powerful Guardian Angels to survive that. But are you sure that no one had messed with your car?"
"100 % certain Sir. I got it from my Uncle Rory in Sunnydale. He is a bit of a Cheapo. But I sure hope that he didn't know about this. I just can't think of his doing something like that Sir."
"Okay Son. But could you think of someone who would?"
The Officers and the Businessmen both saw him look around scared. The lead Officer tried a tactic.
"Speak Soldier!"
"Yes Sir, my Father could be the one."
Swearing a few times he took a deep breath and broke down on the ground beginning to spill his story. He ended with: "Dad and my Uncle Rory have been drinking heavily. Well dear old dad is always on the piss as some brits say. But Rory is not as safe in the Alcohol as dad is and since they have been drinking in my Uncles Junkyard ..."
"You believe that your Father could have done something to the Car?"
The reaction said enough. The Officer turned to the Businessman who only nodded and turned to Xander: "Tell me young man. What is your name?"
Xander dutifully but broken answered: "Alexander LaVelle Harris Sir."
"Tell me young man. Would you like a job at my house as an allrounder? You look like a young man that can work."
Looking up with renewed hope he nodded while speaking enthusiastically: "Yes Sir, you wont regret it."
The Businessman smiled nodded turned to the Officers and made them leave. He then gave Xander the order to go and get his things. The Limodriver who had showed up came over and gave him a hand. Xander sat in front and kept the Driver entertained with questions while the Businessman was in the back with his friends talking drinking and joking. They came up to a huge house were Xander got out and helped his new employer to his Pool making sure that there was enough Booze and snacks. After that he got shown to a room where he could sleep for a few hours.
Next morning he came out of his room to find the whole house in uproar. The Staff had found his Weapons. Xander came over and quietly packed everything back down into the Bag and began to work his way towards his clothes. But the man was wide awake and had already pulled out a sword looking thing. Xander not even seeing him sidestepped the man without even knowing it and dove for his bag pulling out a swashbuckler that looked cared for. Flying around and standing at the ready with the Man attacking him to the best of his abilities. Xander seeing his abilities weren't that big of a problem for him only defended. At one point the man stopped up and lowered the sword. Xander saw and just stood there waiting.
"What have you been fighting young man and don't try to deny it. I have not shown my full potential. But you seem to have fought for your life a few times?"
Giving in he walked over to his Weaponsbag and put the sword away pulling the zipper close and the bag in his room closing the door and walking down to the Kitchen with everyone following him. In the Kitchen he began to talk.
"Sorry if your Chef doesn't like it but I need to do something with my hands. Eggs, Bacon and Blueberry Pancakes hope is good enough. Okay here goes."
Not really paying attention to the Staff getting the ingredients out for him or the others starting Coffee, Tea and other drinks they all just listened in. The Mans Friends were also awake and listening in: "I grew up in Sunnydale. An hour north of Los Angeles. What not many know or many believe is that we have a massive problem in our little town. People vanish out of no reason, show up a few days later attacking the ones they loved before. Call it what you will. You may already know this. I saw your technique. My Hometown is overrun with Vampires and everything else you can think of. Everything you may have thought hides in your closet, under your stairs or in your basement or just plain in the dark is alive so to speak and kicking in Sunnydale. Why you may ask?
Easy reason for that. Underneath Sunnydale Highschool were I went to is a Hellmouth and yes it is exactly what it sounds like. A not fully closed Portal to a hell or the hell. No one knows for sure. I learned quickly to defend myself or be another statistic by the most incompetent Policeforce in history. For our Graduation did our "beloved" Mayor Wilkins had a plan to ascend to a pure Demon. An Olvikan if that means anything to you guys. Basically a huge ass snake. He ate our Principal Reginald Snyder and along with his Minions he was hitting us hard. I had made a plan to get us out of this situation with a minimum of Hurt people. But our main fighter the Slayer didn't like her part. She thought that she needed a more Prominent role and changed the plan in short order.
Many died that shouldn't have to. Just because she thought that she needed or wanted to be the hero. When the dust had settled she zeroed in on me to yell at and basically tell me that it was my fault for her foolhardy plan not working. After that I just vanished out of town. I just can't stand this shit anymore. Then I show up here and my Car going up in a pillar of flames. I could have sworn to have heard an evil cackle coming from the wreck. I just thought that an ounce of prevention."
Now looking up he saw the looks coming from the people. They were not looking at him like him being an idiot or something. They looked at him like a fellow Warrior. One of them blurted out with the others flying around on the guy and then back at him.
"Your the White-Knight!"
"I hate that name."
"Why? It is not only a name given to you by that pesky Vampire. But also a name under which you are known by in many light and dark circles. I thought I knew you from the start. Now I know for sure. But shouldn't you be back and guard the Hellmouth?"
"Whatfor? My so called friends apparently don't need me anywho. At least according to her royal pain in my ass. Can we eat now?"
A snicker worked its way through the group and everybody went to eat. Xander saw the spread and ate his full. After the meal they sat in the Living-Room and talked it over further. Xander found out that they were a group off mercenaries from the Church. The Church did know about the Hellmouth but not were it was. Now they knew and also were the newest slayer was. Xander laughed with the leader getting annoyed.
"What so funny Boy?"
"I twinned the Slayer-line a few years ago by giving the slayer CPR after the Master having drunken from her and letting her drown in a pool of water. There has been two for a while now."
"And were is the other?"
Xander shrugged: "Last I knew? In Jail for some stupid thing that she should have been much too young for to be persecuted anyway. But Wolfram and Hart played her for a fool and got her in to the klink. Nice Girl, doesn't trust people period. Not after her run in with our stupid group and the Mayor. She thinks that she belongs in the klink for what she did. I am certain she needs to be out here doing her job. The other slayer wont do it because she apparently is in love with Deadboy."
"Deadboy?"
"Angelus of the Angelic Face. I just call him Deadboy, or other nicknames that annoy him immensely. He lost his soul given to him by Gypsies. He got it back after a complete stupid spell done by my one time oldest friend."
"You annoy Angelus? In your dreams."
"He was the one who called me that stupid nickname the first time. I hate it mostly because it came from him. If it was for me I would have dusted that stupid Graverobber a long time ago along with the rest of that stupid group."
"The Scourge of Europe. On the Hellmouth? Of course."
"Yeah the freaking Scourge of Europe. The Bleach Blonde Billy Idol wannabe and his crazy Girlfriend. She always calls me kitten. God and she only knows why."
Xander looking down the whole time only now looked up and saw all the disbelieving faces. Xander stood up and looked out the window seeing that it was getting darker. He turned around and looked over the group: "you know a Demon Bar around here?"
Quickly getting ready they went over to the local version of Willy the Snitches Establishment. The others went in first and settled in a booth with beers and looked towards the others. Xander waited around the corner and came in a few minutes later. The Bartender and Owner lost his smile and began to shake in his boots while several Vampires and other monsters almost lost it. Xander being the goof he always was shot out: "Would you guys calm down for crying out loud? I am on Vacation. I just feel more at home in a place like this then any of the flashy Casinos. So do you have a coke for me Barkeep?"
The Bartender quickly came out of his stupor: "So the White-Knight is only here for the Feeling of the place?"
"Yeah. My car blew up I need work to buy a new one so I can get along with my Tour of the good old US of A. So for my time off I need a place I feel at home. So here I am."
A Monster that resembled a mixture of a Taurus with the face of a Bulldog came over and laid a tenner of the bar and said: "Drinks for this one is on me. Just make sure that you don't turn your Vacation into a working Vacation."
Xander nodded took a sip and said: "Keep out of my sights and I wont."
Bulldogface smiled nodded and shouted out: "Kittenpoker is on. I have a few I want to bet on!"
Xander took his drink and went into a booth across from the others and began a casual talk. The other patrons got into the casual normality of things and the group soon left. The others were now thoroughly convinced about Xander and took him into their home. He helped them out a few times and got a new car sponsored from the Church. His Priesthood was blessed by their own Padre and Xander was now official a Priest of the Church as a thank you for giving them the info. Xander hadn't heard from the Police. But his new friends had told him to go back after his summer vacation and look for himself. If only just to make his own mind up about things.
Back in Sunnydale did Buffy have a very hard discussion with Giles. He had a hard time understanding her because she was talking so low. But he got out of her that she thought she was under somekind of spell because her mind was screwy bigtime when ever it came to Xander. She wasn't sure about it. But she needed confirmation.
Giles of course understood perfectly that Buffy hoped for something to ping in his search so she didn't have to feel so guilty. So a quick check got both him and Buffy a huge surprise. He pinged the search as well. Buffy having smelled a rat quickly got everybody together. Cordy was also there. Giles who by then had cleared his own spell did the search again and found them all pinging. When he explained that they all were under somekind of spell did it go up for them. Willow began to hyperventilate. Oz calmed her down easy enough. But after the spell was blown off of them did they begin to understand what had happened. They had all been played by somekind of very old evil. Buffy began to scream: "Whistler get down here! Something is very very wrong!"
Whistler showed up and saw the spread of Magical material and quickly overlooked the Notes of the Librarian and vanished as quickly as he had shown up. He appeared up with the Powers and blew out a cleansing spell at the Lead-Power. He felt the cleansing and immediately did one of his own. He looked over at the others and vanished further up. Up with the heavenly host along with the one above all he stood bowed. The voice spoke up: "Come forth North and speak about your troubles."
"Voice, we are in deep trouble. The First is influencing us up here. I don't know how. But our Balance-Demon Whistler just showed my own failure."
The Voice turned to the one who had a slight frown on. Suddenly a man in a nice suit stood there along with an angel in the appropriate garb. The man was a bit miffed but still somewhat friendly: "Dad? What's up and Why is Amenadiel up here with me?"
A short conversation later and Lucifer Morningstar had a dangerous frown on: "Excuse me Father. But I have a wayward General to put in his place. Amenadiel, would you find the boy and look him over covertly?"
Amenadiel smiled and vanished along with Lucifer. Xander was in the meantime on his way out of Las Vegas towards a new stop in his travels. He had stopped a bit away from the crowd and looked over a hill down to a town. He wasn't very sure about himself and his goals. But he needed time to think. So he sat down still feeling the incredible feeling of good around him. Amenadiel smiled at the young Boy being so astute and at the same time not bothering to disturb him. Amenadiel cleansed the boy, blessed him as well and vanished up to heavenly host with Lucifer waiting: "And?"
"You were right Luci, He had a lot of dark inside of him. But his pure soul was still although barely fighting it. I didn't know a soul could fight that long against someone like him."
Lucifer smiled: "I would like to talk to the boy at one point. But I have the feeling that he needs clarity more than he needs me clouding his Mind. So I will hold off on that for now. But once he is on his way home again I will need to talk to him. Thank you father for bringing that to my attention. I have taken care of it. They have a bit more time before they have to face him."
Amenadiel smiled at the byplay between Father and Son but stayed careful. Then he found himself back with the usual. Lucifer was asked a few questions by Mazikeen who got intrigued. But she needed to promise not to do anything to the boy yet. He would need time to come to gribs. She would get a go at him later. But she did get the go ahead to go to the Hellmouth and get rid of a bit of her ever present anger. She smiled for the first time in a long time and vanished for a few days coming back smiling even wider. Lucifer asked with a look. Mazikeen only said: "Not much to do. But I had a few fun battles. Those cheapskates are fun to knock around."
Lucifer smiled shook his head and went out to find his Detective.
Xander had felt his whole being change and even found Meditation to be possible. Even only for a short time. He still got very sleepy. But he felt a lot better and he even found the was forward Be saw a clear path he should take. The city below wasn't on his path. So listening to his gut he drove on and found his next station where he had a run in with another group on hunters. They were helpful to provide him with a place to sleep and a meal to eat as long as he provided them with Holy-Water. With his new Priesthood he could do that easily. He even found a second to contemplate about his "Friends" at home. But that is coming the next Chapter.
