Disclaimer in Chapter 1

There was a palpable silence in the conference room as Xander scanned the three women with his one good eye. He had caught them off guard. In the back of his mind he was doing the Snoopy dance, but he didn't let that play on his face. His eye rested, not on Black Canary, or on Wonder Woman, but on Power Girl. He locked his eye on hers, and smiled slightly.

Turning his attention back to the gathering in general, "Look, I know that it isn't everyday that an organization with over two thousand trained fighters with metahuman attributes knocks on the door from out of the blue, but there has to be something that you have thought of."

Black Canary nodded, "We would like some oversight, a way to know that you aren't just militarizing your people for a takeover of somewhere. Also, the idea of trained back up does have merit. From what we have gathered, your 'slayers', while having metahuman abilities, aren't in the class that most of the community. Add in the factor that most of the people in your organization is attractive and female, well, the use of them as crowd control does come to mind. That is if they can behave themselves."

Xander nodded at the last comment. "I would have to put a list together of the ones that could handle that, but that is very doable. With the oversight, if we can make it both ways, then I don't see too much of a problem. I am sure that there are some things that you wouldn't want us to know and verse vicea. It would be appreciative if it is someone with either mystical or tactical knowledge. Not only would it help the learning curve, but also the exchange of ideas would be beneficial for all groups."

Xander sighed as his eye socket started to itch, again. He tried to ignore it. The thought of tending to the uncomfortable feeling in front of the women gave him the willpower to resist tending to it. He knew he was going to do something that would put him out of the comfort zone, but he was pushing his luck already for not doing it.

Before he had a chance to say or do anything, Black Canary spoke up. "Well, I think that we have progressed quicker than we thought we would, and it is lunch time. How about we break for lunch and resume afterwards." Seeing Xander's nod she smiled, "You can have lunch in our cafeteria."

"I checked the directory and the floor plans of the building. It doesn't have a cafeteria."

Black Canary touched a button on the table and the walls pulled up to show a view of the Earth from orbit. "No, that building didn't, but the Watchtower does," she responded with, appropriately a 'cat that ate the canary' smile.

Xander shook his head to get back from the view. He pulled out his cell and held it out. "I bet I don't have a signal here, do I?"

"Not unless you have the Universal Freedom plan from your provider," answered the fishnet clad blond.

"I need to get to a communications system that can contact Earth."

"I'm sure that you can be out of touch for a little bit…"

"Out of contact, yes, but if signal is totally lost, then the fail safes kick in. Did we make the transition when we walked into this room?"

"Yes, that is where the side step transporter was located."

"Side step, nice name, which puts us at thirty minutes, give or take, we need to hurry to that communicator."

"What's the importance of the communicator?" asked Wonder Woman.

"There are members of the Council that, if they are out of contact, in a way that is not prearranged, will trigger certain responses. Right now, I am being tracked down with mystical measures, work on a gate to my location is being prepared, and three assault squads of slayers are ready to roll. They may or may not have been told not to hit the outside walls. If I walk through that door, will I be back on Earth?"

"No, that location is a one way transfer. Follow me," said Black Canary as she strode through the door.

Luckily Xander had ten years worth of following Buffy either on patrol, shopping, or… Well, patrol or shopping, that seemed to be the only time she was in a hurry. He was able to keep up with Canary into the communication center. "I need a com line to the Watcher's Council, now!"

There was a red blur in the room and almost instantly there was a Please Wait message on the large screen at the front of the room. Seconds past, and the individuals in the room saw what appeared to be a war room in full preparedness. There was not a passive face on the screen.

Xander stepped forward, "Hey, Becks, it's okay, they didn't know that their little flash and show would trigger this. Chill on the We Have to Save Xander Again Contingency plan."

The brunette in the front of the screen nodded, and then looked back over her shoulder. Shouts could be heard coming from off camera. A petite blond burst into the focus area of the camera. "Xan…"

"Buff, I'm okay. They teleported me up to the satellite, they didn't know about our precautions. Plus, we might want to look into getting one of these things. Going through unawares is much easier on the system than gating unawares."

"Okay, Mister. You know that we still have to go through the authentication process," Buffy said with a smirk.

"No, Buffy, we don't."

"Per Xander's Rules…"

"And I am Xander, and I will amend them this time… Please, Buff, I will make it up to you."

"Prada."

"Not in the budget this quarter, you know that. How about Payless?"

"Like Hell. Jimmy Choo."

"Next swanky meet and greet, I'll take your place."

"Oh, now we are negotiating. Plus, you will wear the Armani suit."

"Of course, Xander looks good in Armani."

Buffy could be seen to turn her head from the camera, "Okay, girls, stand down, it's him and he's okay." Turning back to the camera, "You better bring me something nice because of all the trouble you put me through."

"Yeah, trouble… like having to take off the avocado facial early?"

"What? No, I mean… How could you tell?"

Xander pointed to his right cheek. "Talk to you later, Buffster."

"Bye Xander."

Xander watched the main screen flip back to multiple news feeds. "Well, I guess that disaster has been diverted." Xander turned towards the three women, "You said something about lunch?"

"Uh, yeah… I'll get someone to take you to the cafeteria."

"Well, I was wondering if Power Girl wouldn't mind showing me the way," Xander hedged.

Wonder Woman and Black Canary looked at each other, and then at Power Girl, who shrugged. "I don't have any plans. Sure, why not?"

The smile that came onto Xander's face and into his one eye was infectious enough to start painting it onto Power Girl's lips also. He made an elaborate bow, and presented his arm to her. A slight blush crossed her cheeks as she took his arm, and then left the room.

As the door closed Black Canary turned to the techs in the room. "I want all that we have on him, and I want it now, something is not right." She looked up and called out to the air, "J'onn, what did you get from him."

The green Martian rose from the floor, "He is a very unique person. It was difficult to get into his mind to begin with. It was like there were residues of other people in his mind. I had to work out what was him and what was the residue."

"So he is possessed or something?" inquired the blond.

The Martian tilted his head slightly, "No, in the past perhaps, but not currently. The other interesting thing is that his mind is perfectly split in two, separate, but connected halves."

"So what did you find out about their operations?"

"That is the most interesting thing." There was a long pause while it seemed the Martian tried to control his shape. "I couldn't get to it without him knowing. There are blocks and mental countermeasures that are most elegant, and unlike any that I have come across. They may, in part, be mystical, but they are also psychic in nature."

Canary had a half smile on her face, "Like he came prepared in case we read his mind. Some trust factor there."

Wonder Woman shook her head, "No, I don't think it was there to prevent us, but to prevent anyone, or thing from doing so." Black Canary and the Martian Manhunter both gave her their attention, "They are in a fight with things not of this plane. Dark, evil things that seek to usurp this existence. If you know your enemies plans, tactics, strategies, strengths and weaknesses then your victory is all but assured. If what he says is true, with no powers or abilities, then he would be the most likely target. It would be irresponsible for them not to do such things to him."

Black Canary sighed again, "You're right, Diana, but it just makes things more complicated."

A grunt was heard from the shadows of the communication room, and the Batman strode from the shadows into the corridor.