Disclaimer: I'm poor. I own nothing

--o--o--o--

The first thing Xander noticed on waking was the throbbing in his head. Damn it! he thought. Another bump for the collection!

The second thing he noticed was something cold and hard beneath him. It only took a moment more to realize he was laying on a stone slab of some sort. A length of heavy chain bound him to it by the wrists, another just above the knees.

He heard voices nearby, though he couldn't make out what they were saying. Deciding it would be best to find out what he could while his captures thought he was asleep Xander kept his eyes closed and tried to keep his breathing even. As the voices drew nearer he strained his ears to make out what was being said.

"Hello Mr. Harris." He heard Anton's voice clear as day. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Well, so much for that plan.

Xander opened his eyes in time to see Anton come up to the slab he was on. It was then that he realized something odd; his arms were angled down and the chain that bound his wrist wrapped under the slab. He could even touch fingers if he bent his elbows.

His upper body had enough give that he could lean just enough to the side of the shoulder-width slab to see over the side. Xander stared, blinked, and looked back up at Anton. "Fancy. Floating stone altar. Cool, but is it really necessary?"

"Not really, no," Anton told him, a friendly smile on his face like they were buddies having a casual conversation rather than one of them being chained down. "One must, however, add some personal flair to their work. Keeps things interesting. It's the little things in life after all."

"Riiiight," Xander drawled, taking the chance the unnecessary small talk provided to get a better look at his surroundings.

He already knew he was on a floating stone slab and chained down. A quick look to his left and right found that the room he was in took up the entire floor. The top floor, as the glass ceiling gave a beautiful view of twin quarter moons surrounding a third, completely full moon. The floor had strange symbols painted on or maybe even part of the floor itself. He couldn't help but think Willow would drool at the sight of it and Giles would mutter a bunch of 'oh dears'.

A quick sweep of the eyes also confirmed that Walker was not alone. The flash of green kimono put Trisha to his left several feet behind Anton. Riktor the thick-necked bodyguard was to his right standing a respectable distance off. Close enough to be there if there was trouble but far enough not to get in the way of any magic going on.

The top of his head seemed warmer than the rest of his body and when Xander craned his neck to look back he saw a stone bowl filled with glowing embers and white-hot flame. The pointed tip of the demon horn was wedged in the embers; the rest was carefully angled away from the flame.

Looking down Xander found himself staring at his own bare chest. Strange symbols that he couldn't identify other than 'Hellmouthy' were painted on him in blood. He didn't seem to have any wounds so at least it wasn't his own.

Xander looked back up at Walker who still smiled down on him friendlily as he reached for the D'Caran horn.

Ok, trying to negotiate a deal with a criminal mastermind was out of my depth. Strapped to an altar ready to be sacrificed in some arcane ritual, now that's more familiar territory. Man, and how sad is that?

"So this is the part where you kill me?" Xander asked as he pulled on his restraints. They were more rounded than modern cuffs, closer to medieval irons. Which, he realized, they may well be given that the walls were littered with Earth-That-Was artefacts ranging from ancient weapons to a pinball machine.

Anton simply nodded to his question. "I'm afraid so, yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes-" Anton started but Xander had kept going.

"'Cause I would really appreciate if we could skip the me dieing part."

"I'm sure you would," Walker grinned. "But it is still going to happen."

"Don't suppose you could tell me why?" Xander asked trying to buy time as he grasped his right restraint and tried to wiggle his hand free. "I mean it is standard bad guy behaviour to reveal their evil plan when they have the good guy dead to rights."

Anton laughed. "Is that so? Well who am I to go against tradition? Though things are not as clear-cut as they may appear Alexander," he said as he placed what Xander assumed was supposed to be a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I am not the 'bad guy' though I sometimes perform evil deeds."

Xander scoffed. "You're pretty much the bad guy from where I'm sitting, well, chained."

"Point taken," Anton conceded, removing his hand from Xander's shoulder. He waved his hand around at the room and Xander's chained form. "This, as I'm sure you can tell, is a ritual."

"No!? Really? I thought it was a tea party. A tea party with demons, but still a tea party."

Anton shook his head. "I'm not summoning a demon."

Xander blinked. "Well, that's a relief."

"I'm summoning a god."

"And the other shoe drops."

"You see Alexander," Walker continued, ignoring his comments. "I'm looking for someone who has been lost a very long time."

"You couldn't just put up some posters?"

"This person is beyond the reach of mortal man."

"So you need a god to find them?" Xander asked wide-eyed. "Seems overkill to me."

"Not just any god," Anton told him. "A goddess from some Mesopotamian pantheons. Akkadian and Babylonian to be more exact. Ereshkigal is a goddess of the underworld that lay beneath the primordial ocean. The people of the person I'm looking for had a special connection to this pantheon.

"This ritual will summon, well call, you don't summon a god, but it will call to Ereshkigal and offer me the chance to find The Saviour"

"Well," Xander said. "I could just hear the capitals there. The Saviour?"

"The Saviour of the Darkling Nation."

"Who?"

Anton smiled down at him but didn't answer. Instead he said, "After the horn I only needed one more thing to complete the ritual. A sacrifice."

"Aren't sacrifices supposed to be virgins?" Xander asked. "I gotta tell ya, I don't qualify."

Walker shook his head. "Oh, anyone will do for this one."

"Why me then?"

"For millennia my people lived in harmony with the Earth. Than some dumb fuck, your namesake, ruined all that. An Alexander Harris set in motion a chain reaction that destroyed the world. Our world," Anton said as he leaned in close. "I like you kid, I do, you have a sense of humour, but everyone needs to vent. It's ironic really. One Alexander Harris destroyed our old world and killing another Alexander Harris may save our new one."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to," Walker whispered before he straightened back up and grabbed the horn out of the flames.

Anton brought the horn up, ready to strike, and Xander's eyes flashed with panic. He wasn't ready! He need more time! More time to get free of the chains, more time to get away, more time to live his life, more time to see her again.

Blood began to slick his fingers as he worked the restraint harder, cutting into his skin. It actually helped some, not nearly enough to get it off but a little.

Xander wanted to say something calm and cool, a quip like this situation was nothing. He wanted to demand answers and get them. Instead he spat out, "I trusted you!"

Anton paused at the sudden outburst. "That, Alexander, was your first mistake. I recognize a desperate man when I see one. Desperate men are easily manipulated. What you asked for cannot be done. Time travel? Ha!"

Anton shook his head, genuine mirth in his features. "The most novice of practitioner knows not to play with temporal magicks. Even the higher beings are careful with it. Time travel, for all intent and purpose, is the thing of fiction my boy."

"No! I need to get back home!"

"Home?" Anton questioned. "I knew you were naive Alexander, but I never though you were delusional too."

"Go to Hell you overdressed piece of shit. I never should have trusted a second rate sorcerer like you!"

Great idea Xand! Provoke the guy about to sacrifice you. Let's turn a quick death into a slow and painful one. Initiate brain to mouth filter. Ah, who am I kidding? Like I have one.

If Walker took offence he didn't show it. He just shook his and shifted the horn into a two handed grip. Slowly he raised it over his head chanting in a language Xander didn't understate. Though given the mention of Akkadian and Babylonian he assumed it was one of them.

Xander had gained a little more ground on the restraint during the conversation, but not much. He knew it wasn't enough. With a deep breath he gripped his thumb. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done this. A lesson from his father took that honour. It would be the first time he did it on purpose though.

With a sharp twist he popped the thumb out of joint. He rose up as far as he bounds would allow, screaming to cover the sound and in genuine pain.

Anton took it as he had hoped, a sign of anger at the situation. He freed one hand and placed it on Xander's chest. With little effort he forced Xander flat and held him there.

The chanting began to slow and Anton locked eyes with Xander.

It was now or never.

Just as Walker struck out with the horn Xander was able to slip his hand free. He brought his hands up as fast as he could; imminent death is quite the incentive. His right hand flashed out, brushing aside the striking horn. Pain lanced through his dislocated thumb and down his arm but he knew it would have been worse if he had tried to catch it.

At the same time the left hand went above his head and grabbed the stone bowl throwing its contents at Walker with a sharp tug.

Xander sat up quickly, biting back the pain as he took the horn with his bad hand as Anton brought his own to his face, screaming in pain. Flames danced across his body as it spread along his clothes. Behind him Trisha was desperately slapping the hem of her kimono, some of the embers having landed on her as well.

Bringing the bowl back around Xander slammed it into the side of Anton's head, letting it fly from his grip as he switched the horn to his good hand. The sorcerer fell to the ground with a solid thump. He didn't have time to appreciate the small victory as Riktor was almost on him.

The chains still hung from his left wrist so Xander used it. He swung it around and lashed out, catching the large man in the nose with the heavy manacle. With the same motion he brought the demonic horn down on a link of the chain binding his legs. The bone cut through the metal like it was paper.

Xander rolled off the table and put a little distance between himself and the bodyguard. The horn was held tight against his chest with the fingers and wrist of his injured hand. He gripped the chain dangling from his other wrist and swung it in a circular motion, ready to strike even as he backed away.

Riktor had risen to his full height. Blood gushed from his broken nose but it only served to accentuate the anger in his features. He advanced, murderous intent clear on his face.

"If you say 'Hulk smash' I'm either gonna laugh or cry," Xander told the him. "And let me tell ya, neither one'll be very manly."

The bodyguard stopped and grinned a humourless grin. Then he began to change. His already impressive bulk increased; so much so that his suit was torn apart as he grew too large for it to contain. Fur grew over his body and he roared as he nose elongated into a snout and his hands became huge claws.

"I though there were only werewolves out there!" Xander blurted out as he stared at the massive black bear that was now in front of him.

"I assume you speak of the supernatural condition of Lycanthropy?" A voice to his left asked. In his peripheral vision Xander saw the redheaded woman stand up, having apparently put out the flames on her kimono and the unconscious Anton.

"That is something else entirely. More of a virus than anything else really. Many cultures of the old world had tales of were-beast of one description or another. Therianthrope would be the more technical term," Trisha told Xander as she sauntered towards him with a predatory yet seductive smile on her face. "We of The Pride are born the way be are. A people unto ourselves."

She let her kimono pool at her feet and if Xander hadn't been so scared he may have been captivated by her beauty. As it was he only idly noted she was indeed a natural redhead. "We want him alive Riktor," she told the bear as she started forward, her hips swaying seductively. "Injured is perfectly acceptable, but we still want him for the sacrifice."

Then she too began to change though Xander didn't get to see it. As it was he only just managed to roll out of the way as the bear charged him.

"A were-bear!?" he exclaimed. "Why couldn't it have been a care-bear? I'm pretty sure I could have kicked a care-bear's ass!"

Before Xander could turn back towards the bear he heard the sound of paws impacting stone. Without a thought he threw himself to the ground. He wasn't fast enough though. Pain ran through him and he could feel blood trickle down his back. On the plus side at least he was able to get down fast enough for it to only be a glancing blow, it could have been a lot worse.

His assailant continued even as he came to a stop on the floor. Xander heard them land in front of him and lifted his head to see a regal looking lioness turning her gaze on him. "Don't suppose we could talk about this Trisha?" he asked.

She growled in response.

"Fine, be that way." Xander struck out as the lioness tensed. She yelped as the horn was jammed into her front leg. He rolled to his feet, imbedding the horn in her rear leg as he pulled himself up.

Xander didn't have time to appreciate the small victory as he put some distance between himself and the injured lioness. The bear gave an angry roar as he charged Xander. With an almost casual swipe of his arm Riktor sent Xander flying across the room to impact hard against the wall, Earth-That-Was antiques falling around him.

His ribs gave protest as he used a nearby pinball machine to pull himself up. Xander knew he was lucky. That probably would have been a killing blow if Trisha hadn't said she wanted him alive.

Two more guards ran into the room as Xander stood. He didn't get a good look at them though; they shifted as they came through the door. One changed into a timber wolf but it was the other that made him shiver. A hyena.

The hyena reached him first, jumping on the pinball machine and grinning down at him. Xander stared at it for a second before he grinned himself.

"Grrrrrr!" Xander growled at it and swung the chain at it. Whatever the hyena expected it obviously wasn't that as it reared back in surprise and slipped to the floor. It did not have time to contemplate this change of events as the pinball machine came down and its world went black.

"Tilt!" Xander exclaimed then he paused. "Man, that was a bad one even for me."

A loud growl pulled Xander back to the moment. He looked up just in time to see the wolf leap the fallen pinball machine. Time seemed to slow as Xander came to a realization; there was no way he would be able to get out of the way or get a defence up in time, and this one wasn't around for the whole 'I want him alive' spiel.

Then a shot rang out and the airborne wolf flew into the wall, its momentum carrying it along missing Xander by mere inches.

Xander turned to the doorway. Standing just inside was a man with a gun in hand.

"Jayne?!"

"What'd ya do," Jayne barked. "Piss of a zookeeper?"

"No. Well, not today at least."

Jayne started towards Xander at a fast jog but he only got about halfway there before the sounds of something large charging his side caught his attention. Inwardly he cursed himself for getting distracted by the boy. He cursed outwardly when he saw that the something was a large black bear.

He tried to get his gun up but the thing was fast and with a vicious backhand knocked him off his feet. The gun clattered off out of reach.

Jayne's vision blurred and he could feel blood running down his face. He groaned trying to stand up but his body wasn't listening. After a second his vision cleared only for his eyes to widen.

The black bear stood over him growling. Its arm lifted, ready to strike down with the sharp claws. Then it roared in pain and the arm fell away from its body. Jayne had to roll to avoid the falling bear, a bloody stump where its right arm used to be.

For a moment Jayne was confused, then he saw Xander behind where the bear had been. He held an antique, yet apparently fully functioning, katana in a one handed grip.

"Time to go," Xander said and Jayne didn't need to be told twice. He just scooped up his gun as the two ran out the door.