Chapter 4: Days of Future Past
He came into consciousness quickly, though he didn't show it. It was something that he'd learned over time, even though it never bought him anything. The machines had had him hooked up to so many sensors that they knew instantly when he was back. Still, it was one thing that they couldn't keep him from doing, so it was one more thing that he won at.
Xander could hear voices speaking, slightly echoed at first, but it came into focus soon enough. Quiet whispers and extremely restrained shouts followed by confused questions. He could easily tell who was who, even though it had been years since he had heard most of them say a word. It could go either way, and all he knew was that Buffy had acted before thinking things out. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't exactly surprised. His face still hurt, but it could have been worse. Restraint on her part, for what it was worth.
He waited a few minutes, but there was nothing to be gained from faking being knocked out.
"I think he's awake," Tim said, watching the man that had saved his life. He had no idea what was going on, but had figured that it was better to go with people that he kind of knew, over the thing that had tried to kill him. Still, he was starting to question that decision upon arriving at the apartment of their school librarian.
Xander raised his head and opened his eyes, not altogether annoyed at being caught. He looked at the various people in the room, and it was pretty much everyone that he had expected. Testing his bonds, Xander looked down and noted that he was tied up pretty well to one of Giles' chairs. They had placed him near the corner, away from most everything.
He looked over to the coffee table, noticing that all of his various weapons were there. A thorough job, which would be something good other than that it was impeding his own objectives.
"Who are you?" Buffy asked, coming around and facing the man that she had knocked into unconsciousness. A rather annoyed expression was on her face, something that wasn't altogether deserved. "What are you?"
Xander just looked at her, expressionless. They all looked pretty much as they ever did. It hadn't been that long for them. His orders in regards to contact with people that he knew was simply not to initiate it. It was common sense that most people wouldn't buy the truth if he told them. This was a different case, though it hardly made him feel any better. "You know who I am."
"How do we know it's you?" Willow asked, trying to temper her hopefulness. She got up off of the couch and came a few steps closer to him, examining him carefully. "You look…you look different. Older."
"Yeah, I know that part of it." Xander tested his bonds again, feeling the nylon rope pull against his chest. Better than steel manacles and chains. "How about letting me go? I have things to do."
"Not before you explain what happened," Buffy nearly growled, arms crossed over her chest.
Xander just stared at her quizzically. It was a bit much, even considering the circumstances. "Hey, you hit me remember? I don't recall coming here willingly."
"You were carrying a gun," Buffy exclaimed, waving a hand towards the coffee table. She had just reacted earlier. She had been on patrol when she had heard the people screaming while coming out of the Bronze. Xander's presence had been a surprise, but she hadn't wanted him to get away this time. The peek of a shotgun under his coat had been enough.
"A good thing for a number of people here," Xander noted, glancing over at Faith. She hadn't said anything yet, and was standing in the back, looking as if she was wondering which way the wind was blowing. Smart move that. As for Buffy, he couldn't really blame her. Under the circumstances it had been the best option she had had. Of course, that didn't do him much good. "You know, what with the hitting and the tying up, you're all going to feel bad about this when you come to accept that it's me. Better quit while you're ahead."
"Then tell us what happened, and we'll untie you," Giles said, coming into the conversation at last. It wasn't exactly a lie, but a simple explanation wouldn't convince anyone of anything and both men knew that.
Xander considered and then nodded. "I need to talk to Tim alone first."
"Maybe we should let him go," Tim said, still wondering exactly what was going on. He knew the girls from school, and Giles was their librarian, but it was getting really weird really fast what with the ease in which they had abducted Xander; Buffy had just carried him off on her shoulder. He wasn't sure what to make of the man, but the fact that he had saved his life twice already made him willing to go on a little faith in regards to him.
"Thanks kid, but I don't think you're going to convince Buffy with that," Xander said, nodding in gratitude. He turned back to the Watcher, his mind going back to what he had heard had happened to the Watchers' Council post-Judgment Day. It was mostly rumors, travelling through the supernatural grapevine, but they weren't a factor in the seven years he was there, which meant quite a bit considering how far Connor's transmissions had gone. It hadn't been pretty, and despite the fact that the Slayer and the Watchers were supposed to be there to save the world, they hadn't been prepared for such a threat. A couple of nukes would make anyone's day pretty bad.
"Tell us what happened to you," Buffy asked again, annoyance and pleading mixed in her voice in differing percentages. She didn't know how much of that annoyance was for him not coming to them earlier, or with herself for not being able to save him from whatever had happened. "Tell us how you came back."
The Resistance soldier looked at her, noting the angry and guilty look on her face. He nodded slowly. "Why am I back? I was sent back. I was sent back by Him to save the world."
xxx
May 17, 2023
"I need a medic," Burke shouted as he half dragged Xander out of the helicopter. He looked around as the support crew started to surround the chopper checking it for damage; a couple of other people approaching them. He waved them all off, looking for someone in particular.
"I'll be fine," Xander said, weakly pushing against Burke's shoulder. He was feeling lightheaded, and knew that the field dressing that Burke had put on him in the chopper had only slowed the bleeding. He was just feeling ornery and argumentative, the loss of three good men did that to him.
"Here, sit down," Burke said, pushing him onto a stretcher that had been rolled up to them by some of the medical staff. "Easy, kid. Lie down."
The doctor moved into place, her hands pushing down on Xander as he tried to sit up. "Easy soldier, we're going to patch you up."
Xander looked up, the fluorescent lights at the top of the hanger causing him to squint. Her red hair was unmistakable, it was Kate Brewster. And that was one woman he didn't want to mess with, even if he was at full strength.
Kate opened up his jacket and vest as he was rolled further into the base. She noted that he was floating in and out of consciousness as they moved, and quickened their pace in an effort to get to the medical bay faster.
xxx
Xander woke up in bed, struggling to sit up. He raised his arm and felt a pinch, grimacing at the sight of the IV that had been taped to his forearm. Reaching over, he ripped it out and swung his feet over the side of the bed. There were a few people in the room in their own beds, the circumstances of their situation making privacy less than an issue. He recognized them all; some of the poor bastards were in considerably worse shape than he was.
"What are you doing?" Kate asked, as she strode over, all green scrubs and stethoscope. She had come a long way from her early day as a veterinarian, pre-Judgment Day. The doctor looked rather perturbed at her patient who had taken it upon himself to direct his own treatment.
"Discharging myself, Doc." Xander stood up leaning against the bed, still a little shaky from the shrapnel wound that he had sustained. It could have been worse; if the metal fragments had been any bigger he probably would have bled out before getting back. Especially if it had nicked an artery or one of those other blood tubes that were so important in the human body. The machines had it easy. "I got…I got to debrief and all that."
"No, you need to rest," Kate said in her doctor voice, placing a hand against Xander's chest to keep him from moving. She knew that it was somewhat futile. Xander had been in the camps with their commander, and was one of his best soldiers. More than that, he was one of his closest friends. And stubborn as hell. Connor called on him often, and gave him quite a bit of leeway because of that.
She looked around her for some help, noticing someone walk by through the corridor next to the medical bay. "Derek, get in here."
"I'll be fine," Xander said, trying to be as convincing as possible. He knew that he was failing at it. He coughed a few times, as his fellow soldier stepped in and helped him keep his feet.
"What's going on?" Derek asked, steadying the man. He knew that Xander and his team had been sent out on a mission. He also knew that not all of them had come back. That type of loss always hit them hard, no matter what species the soldiers came from.
"Nothing, I'll be fine," Xander said, waving off the help with a weak hand. He stopped and took a breath, looking at the doctor that was adamant on him not getting his way. From the glare, he knew that he wasn't doing much more than just annoying the doctor. "I'll be fine. How's Burke."
"He…will be fine, you need to stay in bed," Kate said, frowning as she took a step back. As long as he was just standing there, she would give him a little space. It would be of no use if she fought him the whole way down. She sighed, and looked at him in some sympathy. She had patched together more than her fair share of soldiers, and had lost God knows how many people on the table. It was never easy. "I know that your men died. It was for a reason."
Xander acquiesced and took a step back and sat down on his bed. He looked up at his doctor, his face still a little pale. "Don't. You don't need to. I know why they died."
"They died for the mission," the doctor said soothingly, as she helped him lean back. At least he was being so obstinate. She reached down to pick up the torn off IV, shutting off the drip.
"No." Xander shook his head, as he adjusted his position. He turned his head to look at her. She was sort of a mother figure for them all, a role that she was pretty good at. It didn't make him feel much better though. "They died for John Connor. We all die for John Connor."
Derek just looked on, but he knew the feeling intimately.
xxx
September 8, 1998
"You came from the future?" Giles asked skeptically. Alternate dimensions were something he knew about, but time travel was something else altogether. Although the implications in regards to prophecy made it slightly more believable than crackpottery.
"Yeah, which is as believable as anything we've all been through." Turning his head, Xander took a long look at Tim who was looking rather confused. Looked like they may have known the kid, but he wasn't one of the Scoobies. "Most of us anyway. Probably shouldn't talk about that, but you know what I mean, Giles. So how about untying me and letting me do what I was sent back for."
"You still haven't said who sent you back," Oz mentioned, still wondering exactly what he should make of the situation. Xander was right though, they had all seen things that most people would see as crazy. The idea that he had been sent to the future and then back again wasn't any more unbelievable than the existence of demons and magic.
"And I'm not going to." Xander shrugged as best as he could under the circumstances. He wasn't trying to intentionally be a jerk, but there was a reason for everything that he did. Playing the human game. He had picked up a few of his own lessons from Charles Fischer during his imprisonment, though it had cost him dearly. "The less you all know, the better it is for everyone."
"And you get to decide that?" Buffy asked, getting a little riled up at how little Xander was telling them. Not to mention how calmly he was taking things.
"Yes, I have more experience with this." Xander looked around, noting how young they all looked. Well, barring Giles of course. "What do you want me to say? I already told you what happens. What happened…what will happen. The details, well they don't exactly matter. Not to you anyways. Not if I do things right."
"How do you know?" Buffy retorted, glaring at him. It was all so farfetched, and she couldn't accept that it had happened. It was one thing for him to have to suffer though a hell dimension for seven years, but that the whole world ended was something else entirely.
Xander did not react visibly to her look. "I lived it, remember? The Watchers' Council. They're gone. No Slayers. No plucky band of teenagers with crossbows and swords running around saving the world. This does not work, and the more I say about it, the higher chance there is that word of this gets out. As it is, some of it already has. And, I don't take my orders from you."
"If you told us, maybe we could stop it. Stop this…Judgment Day," Buffy shot back. She was rather struck by the notion that they would all more than likely be dead in a little more than a decade. But, more than that, she was a little annoyed that he deemed them so ineffectual in being able to change it.
"I need people loyal to me." Xander looked over at the Watcher again before turning back to Buffy. He wondered exactly how this would be reported back to the Council. "He, and you, still work for the Council. And you only half believe me as it is. No way that they do, or that this stays a secret if we just start telling everybody. Besides, whatever happens, what you do…what you did, it doesn't work. And unless you're planning on pulling out a stockpile of plasma rifles, you don't have anything that I need. I have my orders. And talking is not part of it."
"You talk like you're some kind of soldier," Willow said, still trying to wrap her head around the Xander she knew only a few months ago to the man that she was seeing now.
Xander smiled slightly, a little weary. It was still Willow, and he had thought about her often over the years. It didn't much change things though. "I am six years in, I was with Him since we started. Actually, I was promoted to first lieutenant a few months or so before I was sent back. MOS Tech-Com. According to some, I have a pretty impressive record. Course, we pretty much all do at this point. Those that are still alive. Which means that I still have my orders. So let me go."
"MOS?" Oz asked.
Xander just looked at him. He was proud of his service record, and while it wasn't something that any of them openly bragged about, he would match his record against anybody else in the Resistance. "Military occupational specialty. I did a lot of stuff. I was assigned to the sapper teams initially, did recon/security for a while. We all did. Is this the part where you let me go?"
It was like the Halloween army guy stuff, only real this time. Willow just turned her head and looked beseechingly at Giles.
"Let's turn back to this man you speak of," Giles said, trying to change the subject. He ignored Willow's look, knowing that she was extremely emotionally invested in what was going on. And that type of investment did nobody any good. "Who is he?"
"I told you, I can't tell you that." Xander shook his head; they were getting nowhere. It was frustrating, though he kept his emotions in check. A hard task even under the best of circumstances.
"Then tell us whatever you can," Giles said, getting used to Xander's stubbornness once again. "Why is he so important?"
Xander just looked at him, wondering exactly what the point of the question was. He wondered if Giles was genuinely curious, or if it was meant to extract exactly why he was doing what he was doing, or even if it was to try to poke holes in his story. Or if it was just to get the interrogation back on course. "I wasn't there the whole time. But, I was there for enough. It was me, Him, a couple of others. It wasn't the only fight going on, but they were on their way out. We all were. Anyway, we were in the camps. It was bad. Stacking, dragging, burning. I don't know how many bodies we cremated in there. He…He brought us back. Gave us hope. Taught us what we needed to know. I don't tell you, because He is more important than each and every one of us."
He looked on to ensure that they all understood the stakes that they were playing with. He had filled them on Skynet and the end of the world. It was all heady stuff, and though they didn't want to believe it, he could tell that they were starting to take him seriously. That would be enough, for now. "Now let me go."
"So what about him?" Faith asked, pointing at Tim, who jerked a little at the attention. He was still unsure at the group, other than picking up on the fact that Xander had been quite close to them before whatever had happened to him.
"He's been targeted for termination," Xander answered the second, or rather third Slayer. He wasn't sure what to make of her exactly. He guessed that Slayer came in all sorts of flavors though, Faith not having too much in common with Buffy or Kendra, aside from the obvious. "I don't know why. All I know, is that if Skynet wants him dead, then we want him alive."
"And you think that you can stop him?" Faith asked, walking over to the table and picking up the shotgun. From the descriptions that he had given of their weaponry in the future and how badly they were doing, she had her doubts. "With this?"
"It. Not him," Xander said, frowning as her finger got dangerously close to the trigger. "And, that's not a toy. And, I don't know if I can stop it. But, I'm damn sure going to try."
"What's this?" Faith asked, picking up a shell that didn't appear to be standard. It was heavier than she would have thought.
"Dewey." Xander looked at the shotgun shell that the Slayer was holding. Those things didn't come cheap, even now. "Depleted uranium shotgun slug. Best we could come up with here, beats firing a grenade launcher in a crowded room at least."
"We can help," Buffy stated bluntly. Not a request, and maybe more than a little wishful thinking. "We can stop it."
"Can you? Cause I don't know if I can, and I've been fighting these things for the last seven years. It's stronger than you. Sure as hell tougher. And you're not going to distract it with some quip, or trick it into thinking that you're not strong as hell. Cause it doesn't matter to it. You come at this thing the way you come at any demon or vampire you faced, and you're dead." Xander looked at them all, knowing that they couldn't exactly comprehend what he was talking about. It was hard to, unless you've seen a metal skeleton rip somebody in half. Or punch through the head of someone that you used to call friend. They hadn't seen the blood, nor heard the screams and sudden silence. "You're all dead. Because these fuckers do not stop. They do not feel. And the best place for you all, is as far away as possible. Because if you die fighting it, then whatever you are meant to do in the future doesn't happen. It could just make things worse. So you going to let me go now?"
"Why won't you tell us anything?" Willow said, almost pleading. A few tears made her eyes glisten in the soft light of the room.
"I know you think I'm being a jerk here." Xander couldn't face her, because he sort of was. Even if it was for a reason, it was never easy. One of those differences between them and the machines, as if it ultimately made a difference. "But, I'm trying to protect you. You can help…maybe…I don't know. Or it could make things even worse. I don't know even know if you particularly believe me."
"Maybe if it was something that we could believe," Buffy said, starting to pace. "And you are being a jerk."
Xander sighed and looked up at her. "This isn't a game. And I don't have time to consider your feelings on the matter. And I really don't care."
"You seem to be taking it well enough," Buffy noted dispassionately.
Scoffing, Xander just shook his head. She had no idea, but then again, she really couldn't comprehend it without having been there. "You don't get it, do you? For you, it's been months. For me, it's been seven years. For me, you're nothing but bleached skulls and ash."
It was a striking moment for them he knew. But, it was the truth. If the nukes or poison didn't get them, it was the hunter killers in various forms. A dragon or an ogre tank, a stray burst from a T-600's Gatling gun, or even a spike from a hydrobot.
"Are you going to let me go?" He didn't bother to look up again, there was nothing new to see. "Because I am getting tired of asking."
Xander didn't exactly expect a response. He waited for a moment before moving again. Looking at them all in turn, he could tell that they were still rather unsure of what to do. He couldn't blame them, though it did present an opportunity. One that wouldn't have occurred to him before he had been sent to the future. The years had certainly had an effect. Not just in terms of aging him physically, but what they did to his mind as well. Being responsible for the lives of his own team had forced him to take on responsibilities that he might not have otherwise. Odd that it was only in the fight against the machines that he had learned something about the human condition. Something that Skynet had taught him about too.
"You don't have a lot of options here, Giles," Xander said, choosing his subject carefully. "You already tested me. I'm not a vampire. I'm not a demon that you've ever heard or read about. And if you think I'm crazy, fine. What's your explanation of what happened tonight? I shot a guy a bunch of times and it…he didn't fall. What's your explanation for that?"
He turned to Buffy. "You can't keep me here forever. I want out, and I'm screaming my head off. The walls to this place aren't that thick, and Giles has neighbors. You want to explain this party to the cops? I'm sure Detective Stein is going to be real interested in what's going on in here with you keeping me here tied to a chair. Or are you just going to knock me unconscious?"
"Torture me until I say whatever it is that you think is the truth?" Xander turned to face Willow, catching her in his eyes and making sure that she couldn't look away. It was a dirty trick, but he was the one at the disadvantage after all. It was always about control. "I stay off the grid because Skynet knows who I am. This isn't the first time I've been a prisoner of war. And, trust me, there isn't anything that you could possibly do to me that I haven't already been through. So you let me go, or we find out exactly how far you're willing to go with this thing."
xxx
The terminator finished tightening a loose cable with the pair of needle-nosed pliers that it had acquired. It had run a systems check and had performed a visual scan after peeling off the damaged skin from its leg. The slug had still been in there and it had taken some effort to remove it from its internal hydraulics.
Flexing, the terminator checked the range of motion for its knee joint, hearing grinding that should not be present. The machine leaned closer and inspected the joint, reaching over to the desk that it was sitting at and picking up a can of WD-40. It sprayed it over its knee joint liberally, though it was no real substitute to the frictionless lubricant that was standard issue back in its own time. The terminators were made tough though, and it wouldn't be a problem.
Testing the joint again, the terminator ran a system check on the leg. It was 87% of optimal, which would have to do. A limp was still in line with what humans could do, and so it would be able to maintain its disguise in that regard. The more important thing was the subject that had interfered in its mission. Picking up the unusually heavy round with its right hand, the terminator ran a scan on the twisted and fractured metal slug. It had already pulled one out of its shoulder and one from its forearm. They were all identical, depleted uranium shotgun slugs. While hand-held weaponry of this time was mostly ineffective, there were some weapons that were capable of damaging its chassis.
It was illogical to presume that it was just coincidence that the man that had shot it had just gotten lucky with his ammunition. The more logical conclusion was that it was a Resistance soldier that had been sent back in time to protect Timothy Frakes. Which meant that it would have to take more care in the future in regards to its objective. It also meant that making the termination appear to be an accident would be more difficult or possibly impossible at this juncture.
Setting the slug down on the top of the desk next to its twins, the terminator looked into the wall mirror at the damage that had been done to its face. The bullets had impacted and deflected off of its metal skull, so there was nothing more than gouges in its flesh covering, though with some bare alloy still showing. The wounds would heal quickly enough, allowing it to blend into the human population once again.
Until then, it would have to wait and bide its time. It had other avenues to explore in the meantime, and though primitive, the computer networks of the day still offered up a plethora of useful data that would help the machine in executing its objectives.
xxx
The police detective said nothing, standing off to the side of the still rather dark room as the techs did their jobs collecting evidence and the detective assigned the case stood there looking important. Henley couldn't exactly say why he was there, but he had been in the area when the call came up. Some of the details piqued his interest, and though it wasn't officially in his bailiwick, he felt compelled to be there. As mundane as the details of the case were on the surface, he got the feeling that there was something going on down deep. And he had learned long ago to trust his gut.
He walked up to the detective in charge of the case, keeping his personal feelings in regards to the other police officer from showing on his face. Word got around the precinct, especially in a town that small, and he was less than impressed with Detective Stein's record. Still he couldn't exactly say anything negative, since he wasn't in the homicide unit, while Stein, somehow had gotten that placement. The more years he put in in government service in Sunnydale, the more intense the feeling that something off was going on in City Hall. "You know what went down?"
The bald headed detective turned to face the other cop. He wasn't pleased that some other detective saw fit to just stand around his crime scene. Even if Henley hadn't said anything until now. "Little outside your jurisdiction, isn't it Henley?"
The robbery cop shrugged, ignoring the venom dripping from the other man's voice. "I hear it was a rip. That's robbery. Technically."
"And more than a couple of people got killed." Detective Stein waved a hand at the techs who were still in the process of taking pictures of the bloodstains, the bodies having been removed and were probably already at the city morgue. Quite a few parents would be getting phone calls that night. "That makes it homicide. Technically."
"Yeah, well some of what I was hearing seemed to be similar to a couple of cases I'm working," Henley said, shrugging again. He tried to keep it light, trying to not give Stein anything to use. "I thought I'd see if there was a connection. Initial reports said that the second gunman, the one that tried to stop the robbery, was carrying a shotgun."
"Yeah, so?" Stein said, shaking his head. He had no idea what the other police detective was talking about. He wasn't even sure that the second gunman's intention was to stop the robbery. It was that type of guesswork that he frowned upon as a detective.
"Any idea if any sort of special or exotic ammunition was used?" Henley asked, looking over at the damage that the gunfire had wrought in the club. It wasn't much use, and he would either have to move to get a better look or wait for the crime scene photos, but it seemed rather normal. Much to his surprised disappointment. Maybe he just wanted to get a handle on his own case, or maybe there was something more to his mystery robber's motives than straight profit and the occasional firearms violations.
Still, the reports that the robber had been hit multiple times in the head without going down made him question just how normal the whole situation could be.
"Not really," Stein droned on, getting rather annoyed at the interference. "But, I'll be sure that you get a copy of the ballistics report when I get it."
Henley could feel the jurisdiction coming off in waves from the man. He took a step back and put up his hands in placation. "Sure. Thanks for your help, Paul."
He turned to leave, still having that nagging feeling that it was all related. Even if he couldn't exactly understand why.
xxx
May 19, 2023
"You don't have to do this right now," Burke said, as he walked beside Xander. The sound of his words echoed off of the catacombs. The tunnels that had been dug to extend the base they were using had intersected with a natural cavern system underneath Los Angeles. The demons and other supernatural folk that had moved with him to Los Angeles to join the fight had taken up residence in the caves. They lived apart, keeping to themselves, though they never shirked their duty. He made sure of that.
Acceptance, even in the face of extinction did not come easy. Sometimes he couldn't really blame the machines for turning on humanity.
Xander said nothing as he walked, concentrating on keeping his footing on the uneven stone-lined ground. He was still feeling a little weak, and his shoulder was rather sore. He was off active duty for a couple of more days at least, and while he had protested, he knew that it was as good of a deal as he would get. It didn't take long for them to hear muttering, the dim light of bulbs strung up along a wire leading to fires and makeshift overhead lamps, as they reached the central cavern that was the main gathering place of the inhabitants of the Underworld.
He noticed that the muttering got louder and then stopped as he approached a large tall and flat rock that marked the center of the cavern. Xander said nothing, waiting for more and more people to notice him and crowd around. A number of demons filtered in through side tunnels, some coming down from the stalactites that hung from the tall ceiling of the cavern.
There was a good-sized crowd before Xander spoke, and he was able to catch many of them by eye. It was only through mutual respect, mostly on his part, that they were on such terms. He knew that there was still some apprehension about their presence. They'd proven themselves as far as he was concerned, but old beliefs died hard. Even in the presence of Judgment.
He waited for all of the side conversations to cease before he spoke. Looking across the dozens of faces of mixed species, he spoke, "You all know what happened. You all know why I'm here."
Reaching into his pocket, Xander pulled out three armbands and placed them on the flat rock that he stood next to. The pieces of cloth were frayed and stained, the inked names just barely visible in spite of the damage. He watched as a small demon that looked like it was made of stone walked forward and picked up the red armbands, carrying them off to a back wall. The demon tacked them onto a wood panel that had been set there, next to a number of other armbands. Frowning, Xander took them all in, knowing that there were already too many to count easily.
The machines did not distinguish by race or species, even if humanity did.
He turned his attention back to the crowd. They knew what he was there for. It wasn't that they didn't pull their weight. Those who could, served sentry duty. They went on patrols for supplies and security as needed. They served as sappers; taking out the various ogre tanks and dragons that still pestered them in the ruins up above. But, he was asking for more, and worse than that, he knew that he'd get it. "I need three volunteers."
xxx
"You're going back out there," Blair noted, arms crossed and leaning against the makeshift door that led into Xander's room. Most of them couldn't be so lucky as to get private quarters, but his were near the Underworld, and the space there wasn't exactly in high demand. Location was the name of the game, or just taking advantage of people's prejudices.
"Tomorrow," Xander said, examining his bandage and making sure that it was still clean. He looked up to notice Blair's disapproving look. "Connor has a suspected factory that he wants us to check out. Shouldn't be too bad. Training mission for the new guys. Milk run."
He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.
"No air cover," the pilot noted. She had heard the general outline for the mission. Supposed to be on the cheap and quiet, an attempt to keep the machines from noticing their efforts. Of course, the constant lack of supplies was always an unstated factor.
"Sometimes we have to live dangerously," Xander said, sitting down on what could loosely be considered his bed. It was better than he had for a while when he had first arrived, and he had learned to get used to roughing it. "You know that as well as I do, hotshot."
Blair moved into the room, kicking the sheet metal panel that served as the door across the opening, somewhat closing them off from the tunnel outside. It was more a gentle reminder than a physical barrier. "Connor sends you on a lot of missions."
"It's cause I'm so damn good," Xander said, a weary smile on his face. It was true though, and everybody knew it. John picked favorites, and some people did question whether it was because they were the most loyal, or if they were the best. He preferred to think that it was the latter, although the scuttlebutt did mention the former quite a bit.
Blair smiled back a little. "Or lucky."
"Or lucky," Xander repeated, standing up. He wondered if she wanted to get into it again, something that he would prefer not to do sitting down. Feelings on Connor were varied, and his communications with personnel in other bunkers made him very aware of what Command felt about their little operation. Never mind that they managed to hit Skynet harder than any other Resistance cell out there. That might have something to do with it, or maybe it was the people that John had managed to pull around him.
Blair just examined him; he looked about as he always did. Some scrapes and bruises, nothing that she hadn't seen on him a hundred times before. That in itself was troubling. "You trust him a lot."
"Don't you?" Xander asked, brow furrowing.
Blair considered his attitude, it was as if it had never occurred to him not to. "You know what they say about him. I follow him, because he's in command. Something that not everyone higher up is so happy about."
"I trust him completely, because he earned it." Xander stared at the door, and sighed. She wasn't saying anything that he hadn't heard quite a few times before. Often from her. "Lot of things happened in Century."
Blair shook her head, she had heard the same thing from Kyle before too. It was like there was a cult of personality around John Connor, mainly centered on the people that had been in the camps with him. She wasn't sure if she bought into most of it. He was an effective fighter and leader, and was always willing to put himself in harm's way. It was more than Ashdown was willing to do, floating around in a modified nuclear submarine off the coast of California. Far away from the reach of the machines. Still… "They say he's crazy. They say…"
"Who? Who says he's crazy?" Xander asked, frowning.
Blair shook her head again, dark shoulder-length hair swinging. "It's not important. They say that he knows things. Thinks he knows things. Things that haven't happened yet."
Xander smiled slightly, one that usually infuriated the Resistance pilot. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe he does?"
"You act like he's some kind of prophet or messiah." Blair exhaled loudly, crossing her arms over her chest.
He knew that there was more than that. Xander had been there from the beginning, and knew a little more about the man than most. It wasn't that there was a shared experience with time travel, but that it meant that Xander had been willing to believe. John Connor had confided in him as a result. It certainly explained things.
"You take risks because of Connor; it's going to get you killed." Blair frowned, it was a conversation that they had had before. She didn't understand it, and doubted that she ever would.
"No more of a risk than your dragon slaying." Xander smiled a little wider. He had seen Hickabick do her own share of risk-taking. That she hadn't been shot down yet was a minor miracle. "I don't know how things are going to end. I don't think that John knows exactly either. But I believe in him. I have seen too much…done too much, not to. Maybe you just need a little faith."
Blair sighed, it wasn't an argument she was going to win. Although she wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to go over it yet again. The man just brought it out in her. "Just be careful, alright?"
"I try." Xander said reassuredly. He looked her up and down, trying to read her facial expression and posture, and then moved closer to the woman. "So, STAF?"
Blair just nodded, closing the distance and kissing him hard on the lips.
STAF. Sit tight and fuck.
xxx
September 8, 1998
Stretching, Xander leaned down and picked up his cell phone. He flipped it open and quickly dialed a number. He checked his watch before speaking, "September eight, ninety-eight. It's not the father. The trip-eight's after the son. I got him here with me now. You still at the house?"
Xander turned slightly and noticed that they were all looking at him. He ignored it though, and turned his attention back to his phone conversation. At least they had begrudgingly let him go. He only hoped they didn't reconsider in the next five minutes. "Okay. We're going to meet up there. I'll take him there myself."
He hesitated before speaking anymore. "They found me out. I'll deal with it. I'll fill you in on the details, but you better get ready. We need answers now. I don't think we have the time anymore to finesse this thing. Trip-eight made another attempt. We got away, but it's not being subtle anymore. Pack heavy, we're not going to get lucky another time."
"Who was that?" Buffy asked, she had strained to hear the conversation from across the living room, but had not been able to make out very much.
Xander just looked at her. "Partner. He was sent back with me."
"The demon?" Buffy asked, though she had already figured on the answer.
Nodding, Xander stuck the phone into a pocket. "Yeah. The demon."
Xander shifted back to the coffee table and started to gather his belongings. His wallet joined his cellphone in his pants. He checked his handgun and placed it back in his belt, making sure that it was secured tightly.
"So that's it?" Faith asked, stepping forward and watching as the man slid on his jacket. She had helped search him, and she had noticed some interesting artwork on the man's body. The dragon wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, but the bar code that looked like some sort of brand was something else altogether. Not to mention the scars. It was intriguing, to say the least.
Xander just looked at her. "Yeah, that's it. Try to forget I even exist. It'll be much safer for you if you do."
He walked towards the door, hiding the shotgun under his coat. Xander noticed Willow's eyes were on him, but he tried to ignore it. She was showing remarkable restraint, although it may be that she was still trying to digest it all. Instead he turned to Tim. "You ready?"
Tim just nodded, not liking that he was just being led around, but glad that it seemed that he was about to get some actual answers. He wasn't sure about the whole machines from the future, but with what he had seen in the Bronze, he was willing to go a little further with it. It had turned into that kind of night.
Raising an upturned hand, Xander turned to face Giles who stood at the door, looking a little disapproving. "I need your car."
"What?" The Watcher said, surprised by the request.
Xander shrugged. "I'll make sure you get it back, but I don't want to have to walk him home. It's not a getaway, I just need something to get us there. It'll be safe. I hope."
Weighing the options, Giles reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He took the car key from the ring and placed it in Xander's hand. "Make sure that you bring it back."
It was probably the best chance of speaking to Xander again; he wasn't going to get anywhere else that night. He knew that much at least.
"Thanks." Xander opened the front door and checked outside, making sure that there was no one outside waiting for them. He stepped outside, and waited for Tim to follow. As he stood in the cold night he looked inside, watching the people in the brightly lit room look at him. They all looked at him as if they were expecting something. Like he could provide some easy answer for what had happened, or what would happen.
He shrugged at them all, catching eyes with Willow, his oldest friend once again. He whispered, to her, though he knew that none of them could hear it. "I'm sorry."
xxx
"So we just let him go?" Willow asked, slumping down into the couch. She let Oz put a hand on her leg, but she couldn't help but feel that it was all so anticlimactic.
Giles sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He was so very tired. It was late enough as it was, even before they had arrived. "Until he comes back. He was right. We couldn't exactly hold him here."
It was something of a shock. Even more than the difference in age, Xander had carried himself much differently. Somewhat ironic since he had been tied to a chair for most of the time that he was there, but it was still the truth. He had been calm throughout, and much more in control of his emotions than he had ever seen the young man. More than that, he had been in control of the situation. What he had said was all carefully laid out, from his choice of who to look at to how to speak; it had all been chosen to get what he wanted. It wasn't that Xander couldn't be incredibly insightful, because he had been that at times in the past, but that he had been able to utilize it so well. He wasn't sure if he completely believed that Xander had been sent to the future rather than an alternate reality, but he believed that Xander was telling them all the truth as he knew it. He couldn't believe that what they were doing now could all be so futile. But as the boy had proven before, fate had a way of not working out as expected.
Buffy just sighed, sitting in one of Giles' club chairs. She had tried so hard to get Xander back that she hadn't actually considered what he would be like if they had gotten him back. It hadn't been real to her that Giles' constant reminders that he had likely been sucked into a hell dimension would change him irrevocably. That it was the future, if Xander was to be believed, made little difference. The hardships that he had suffered had changed him. It had been blindness that she had thought that she would be able to get her Xander-shaped friend back so easily.
Faith just leaned against the wall, looking at them all moping. Shaking her head, she pushed off and headed towards the door. The whole mope fest from them being so close-knit and Brady Bunch was wigging her out.
"Where are you going?" Buffy asked, head snapping towards the other Slayer as she opened the door audibly.
"Home," Faith said, though that wasn't where she was planning on going at all. She wasn't one to follow orders, and she was still rather curious on what exactly Xander was planning on doing. It beat standing around there and indulging in the pity party that the others were enjoying.
xxx
"Tim?" Joe asked, bleary-eyed as he heard the front door open and close. He hurried to it, turning on the hallway light. He started to speak loudly even before he got to the door. "Do you have any idea what time it is? I saw on TV that-"
Tim's father stopped speaking when he noticed that his son hadn't come home alone. "Who are you? What's going on?"
Xander said nothing at first, instead pulling his handgun out from behind his back. "Sorry, but we need to talk."
"I'll give you whatever you want, just don't hurt him," Joe said, raising his hands.
Xander shook his head. "I'm not here to rob you. In fact, I'm here to help. But, I need you to be truthful and listen to me very carefully."
"It's okay, Dad," Tim said, trying to reassure his father. He turned to face the man he had brought home. "Put that away, you don't need that."
Xander considered, and then put the handgun away. That it was there was established, and that was all that was necessary at this point. "Where's your wife? Is there anybody else here?"
He would have wanted Burke in on this at this point, but he knew that trying to establish the existence of demons as well as artificial intelligence machines bent on world domination was too much for one night.
Joe shook his head. "No. There's no one else here. My wife's visiting her sister. In Chicago."
"Let's go into the living room and talk," Xander said, directing the two Frakes into the room on the right and taking a seat on the love seat and pointing the other two towards the leather couch that lay against the side wall. "I just want to be clear. I don't want to hurt either of you, but it's very important that you tell me the truth. Do you understand?"
Joe nodded. He wasn't sure what was going on, but knew that the man wasn't here to rob him, not directly at any rate. His mind flashed to his work for the company, the home security that the company had insisted be installed raised alarms in his head now. "What is this about?"
"Your son was attacked tonight," Xander said, looking the elder Frakes in the eye. "It wasn't the first time. He's been targeted for…well assassination. I think it has something to do with what you're working on. I need to know exactly what it is."
"I don't…I don't know what you're talking about?" Joe said, shaking his head in denial. It seemed to be more and more linked to his work, and likely the theft that had occurred a short time ago. That didn't fill him with much hope. "I work on a lot of projects, but none of them are that important."
"Right," Xander said, frowning. Pulling out his handgun, Xander laid it in front of him on the glass top of the coffee table. "Tell me about Project Falcon."
"What?" Joe said, gulping. He was getting more and more fidgety, trying to figure out how much he should say to this incredibly well-informed and obviously dangerous man. He was contractually obligated to be secretive, but this was his family at risk. "I don't know what you mean."
"I stole five pounds of coltan from you," Xander stated, adding a little heat to his tone of voice. "I know that you know what the project is. What I need to know, is exactly what it is. I told you that I don't want to hurt you. But, the thing is that what went after your son, isn't as nice as I am. So please, if you value your son at all, you're going to tell me. Now."
"Please, Dad," Tim said, turning to his father. "What happened tonight, I don't know. But, I do know that we should trust him. Tell him."
"Tell me what happened tonight first," Joe threw out, chancing things a little.
Xander nodded, and smiled knowing that it wasn't that likely that he would be believed. He would have to be a little more tactful this time. "An assassin was sent to kill your son at the Bronze. You may have heard about the robbery tonight. People ending up dead. That was just cover for the hit. He already tried before, and if it hadn't been for me, your son would be dead. And the only reason I can see is that it has to do with what you're working on. Believe me when I say that whatever you're working on for Calax, it isn't worth the life of your son. What is Project Falcon?"
"It's a joint venture between Calax Research and Development and Cyberdyne Systems. Next generation unmanned aerial vehicle with combat profile. It's meant to sever the connection between the UAV and the operator, allowing it to perform complex maneuvers and carry out multiple objectives without operator input," Joe explained quickly. He knew that he wasn't supposed to say anything, so he kept it as vague as he could. At least, without divulging real specifics on the design.
The blood drained from Xander's face. "How far are you along on this?"
"We were about to move into making the first test type," Joe explained nervously. "Fabrication. The outer shell mostly. But, that's pretty much set back with the…I guess your theft of the coltan. The processor we're getting shipped to us from Cyberdyne once we're done manufacturing and testing the chassis. That would be at least a month after though, wind tunnel tests and the like. I have schematics and blueprints."
Xander just nodded, not liking any of what he was hearing. "Do you have anything here?"
Joe hesitated before nodding. "Yeah."
"Show me," Xander said.
Joe got up, bumping into Tim as he stood up too. They moved towards his office, Xander pausing to grab his gun before joining them. He didn't know exactly why the engineer was going along so willingly, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. Turning on his computer, Joe logged on and accessed the files that were on the hard drive.
"I don't have everything here, but I have some of the general schematics," Joe said, swiveling around the monitor so that Xander could see it. He watched the man carefully, noticing that he didn't seem particularly surprised, but was oddly saddened by what was on the screen.
Xander watched the wireframe fill in, noticing it rotate around a vertical access. It was primitive, and relied on early human-based technology. The size was much smaller, but it was obvious to any human from the future what it was. A wide base with sensors in the nose, the body flanked by a turbo prop to either side. A tail fin for stabilization and control completed the thing. He could even see where weapons would be placed, the plan calling for modular hardpoints to provide flexibility in terms of mission parameters.
Tim looked at the monitor as well, not knowing what he was seeing. But, he could tell that it was affecting Xander deeply. "What is it?"
The Resistance fighter didn't bother to turn his attention to the boy. "The future."
The moment was broken when his cell phone rang, and Xander reached into his pocket for it without taking his eyes of the screen. He made sure that Joe didn't try anything though. He still wasn't sure exactly how he was going to handle not being exposed if he left. Because he doubted that Joe would just promise to keep quiet, even with his son's urging. "Yeah?"
xxx
"Faith's outside, skulking around," Burke said after the traditional greeting, ducking down as well as he could in the van that was currently parked across the street from the Frakes' residence. "And, she's not exactly being subtle. Is the alarm system turned on?"
He waited for Xander to answer, frowning at the answer. "You want me to…are you sure? She doesn't strike me as the type to not stab first and question never."
"Fine, but I'd just like it on record that this is a stupid plan, sir." Burke closed his phone and shoved it back into a pocket. He scrambled up and exited out of the back of the van, closing the rear doors and locking them while holding a grenade launcher in a large hand.
At the very least, he blended in well with the dark, moving quickly across the street and towards the girl that was trying to peer in through the front windows. Very unsubtle-like on her part.
"You know, for a Council that tries to not be in the public eye, looking in through windows isn't particular good protocol," Burke said, approaching the Slayer, but not getting too close. He didn't want to sneak up on her. He wasn't scared of her, but he didn't exactly relish the thought of having a fight he wasn't allowed to win. Especially in a populated suburban neighborhood.
Faith spun around, eyes widening as she took in the mountain of a demon that was approaching her. She saw the odd looking gun in the monster's hand, which made it all the more surreal. The description did match the demon that Buffy encountered when they had faced Kakistos. "Who are you?"
"Doesn't matter. Xander wants you inside, where you can't get into anymore trouble," Burke waved towards the front door with his empty hand. It opened as if on cue, Tim peering out for them. "Let's go. You might want to tell the kid what to expect."
xxx
"Uh, the others are here," Tim said, leading the pair into the office. Faith had explained somewhat what the other "person" was, but it hadn't sunk all the way in yet. He was coping though, after all, he had seen the terminator that had been sent after him get shot in the head with no ill effects. Demons were simply more of the crazy piled on top of the other crazy that he was being exposed to. The hope that he would wake up and have this all be a dream was dying though.
"Oh my God," Joe muttered as he saw the large demonic looking form walk into the office.
Burke smiled a little, which really didn't help matters. Pointed teeth and red eyes usually didn't. "Wrong direction. But, it's okay, I'm on your side. What's going on?"
"Take a look at this," Xander said, waving him over to the computer. "And watch them."
He moved over to let Burke look at the computer screen, the demon would be able to make more sense of the data than he would be able to anyways. Xander pulled the Slayer by the elbow out of the room, dragging her down the hall so that they wouldn't be overheard.
"Son of a bitch," Burke growled, noticing that the two humans took an unconscious step back as he spoke. He ignored it, they would have to get used to it eventually. "Independent thought process and objective control. Multi-target tracking system. Full sensor array."
The demon looked up and stared at the Calax director, his red eyes piercing in unfathomable emotion. "You and your genius intellect. Making the shiniest toys, right? In a decade, your technological marvel is going to be deployed to hunt humanity down. You're the reason why you're an endangered species. Nice going."
xxx
"You know, in another life the whole bad girl rebel thing would be really fucking hot," Xander said, leaning against the side of the hallway. He looked at Faith, not having the energy to get angry at the girl. They wouldn't be there if they weren't rebels themselves. "But, I have way too much going on to have to worry about you not listening. Which you're probably not going to listen to either. So, what exactly should I do with you?"
"I just want to know what's going on." Faith said, smiling sultrily. Usual cover, but she was starting to question exactly what it was she was trying to do. At any rate, she wanted to know if she should skip town once again. "You're the one that said it was so important, and if Buffy won't bother finding out. I figure I should. I gotta live here too after all."
"You think you can help?" Xander challenged her. He hadn't seen her in combat exactly, but he got the feeling that as much of a rebel as Buffy could be to the status Watcher quo, it was nothing on what Faith was. It didn't impress him though.
"Somehow, I get the feeling that that's not what you want to know," Faith said.
Xander just looked at her, feeling the early hours of the day. Playing things by ear was starting to catch up to him. "STAF?"
"What?" Faith asked, eyebrows furrowed.
Xander shook his head, he hadn't been serious anyways. That wasn't him anymore. And it was just more evidence that this wasn't his world anymore either. "Whatever you have going on with the whole Slayer standing alone against the darkness bit, leave it at that. Because you don't want any part of this war. Trust me. Go home. Please."
"You said that you wanted people loyal to you," Faith said, some irregular hesitation in her voice. She wasn't sure exactly why, but she trusted that he was telling the truth. She'd seen enough strange things that this wasn't any more outrageous in her opinion. "And that we were already loyal to the Watchers' Council."
"Yeah," Xander said, remembering what he had said.
Faith just looked at him, more serious than she had been so far in Sunnydale. She may play the rebel, and may appear to not take her duty seriously, but she did understand the stakes. "I'm no fan of the Watchers' Council. Think about it."
Xander nodded, and then tilted his head back towards the office. He wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not, and at this point he couldn't worry about it. It didn't matter, since this was one area of the timeline that he had no intention of getting directly involved in. Or, would try to avoid as much as possible. "I have to get back. You can find your own way out, right?"
Faith inclined her head. She knew when to push it, and when to let things lie.
xxx
"They're not going to let this go," Burke remarked, keeping an eye on the two Frakes men as they talked to each other quietly across the room. He wasn't sure what to do about the engineer and his son either. "They let you go way too easily."
"Yeah, they're going to be looking for me again. Probably trying to figure out what to do with me. I just wonder what they're going to tell the Council," Xander remarked, looking at Tim, trying to see how things would swing. He had saved the kid twice already, and though they didn't have direct evidence, it wasn't nothing. That had had to have some effect on the father. "What about them?"
"Trust that the father trusts the son," Burke grunted. That was the way the game was played. Skynet usually had more information than they did, and whatever insights John Connor may have had, it wasn't detailed on this level. "And Falcon?"
"One way or another, the project goes down," Xander said. He didn't exactly know how that would be handled. Offsite data storage would make it impossible to simply destroy the files, not to mention that it was being worked on at multiple sites all across the country. Culling the staff wouldn't work either, since the hard part was mostly done already. As it was, Joe was mainly management as opposed to directly working on the project. "The trip-eight's more important. We need to find it. Because we can't sit on Tim forever."
"At least we have bait," Burke remarked dryly.
Xander nodded in agreement. "We do have that."