Note to the readers: This note is to inform you that I am currently looking for a new beta reader for this fanfic. The author who did the previous two chapters has regretfully informed me that he/she no longer has the time to beta read for me as his own work and life have gotten busier in the last while. The following is the criteria I am looking for in a potential beta reader:
1)He/She must be quite familiar with both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer(The TV Show not the Movie)" and "Rurouni Kenshin(The Anime TV series not the manga)". By familiar I mean that you will have to have a good grasp of the characters of both shows as well as all the episodes. The reason for this is because I will be looking to the beta reader to make sure a level of accuracy is maintained with regards to the characters, the story Arcs and all the other elements that make up the show. It is very important to me to remain true to the source material that I am using in the fanfic. I don't want to write a chapter and then get reviews saying that 'this character would never do that' or 'it didn't happen that way in that episode'. So hopefully between myself and a beta reader I will be able to keep the inconsistencies and errors to a minimum.
2)Basic spelling and grammar correction. I do my best on my own to make sure the spelling and grammar is correct but I must confess that sometimes I miss a few mistakes. Hence the reason why I would like a beta reader to go over the new chapters as well to exterminate any spelling and grammar mistakes I miss.
3) This beta reader will also have the optional choice of being a sounding board for any plot ideas or story twists I come up with. This will help to work out any quirks or feasibility problems that might anger or confuse the readers.
If you can meet these criteria email me or post your name and email address in a review and I will try to get back to you ASAP. Thank you for reading this and now on with chapter 3 of "A Reborn Wanderer"!
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Sunnydale General Hosptial, One Week Later, Mid-MorningThe sounds of a hospital are many from the gurneys being wheeled down the corridors with their noisy wheels to the announcements being made over the personal address system. Aside from those dominating sounds there were the sounds of the various people walking up and down the tiled floors as well as the muffled chatter of people talking to patients in the other rooms surrounding his own.
He however was numb to all of that.
Even though he had regained consciousness two days ago he was still pretty banged up and with the stitches in both his chest and back movement was at a minimum under threat of being strapped to his bed if he moved around too much. Aside from that there was the pain medication which was quite potent but reasonably considering the fact that he had two long gashes to deal with that were probably going to leave scars after the stitches were taken out. Despite these factors it was not the threats of restraints or the pain numbing effects of the medication that were responsible for the dead look on his face. No it was the memories that were on a constant loop inside his mind that could claim credit for his current emotional state. It was a loop that started with the nightmare he had when he went to sleep after seeing the exhibit at the museum, then went on to the events that were responsible for his current injuries before ending with a new set of memories that he could not believe belonged to him.
The new batch of memories might be a bit vague and not quite as detailed as the others were but he had little doubt that they'd eventually become complete with THX surround sound and high definition visuals as well. What was weird though was that aside from his first person point of view showing him what was going on there was no one else in these visions. He was all alone in a forest that was covered in snow as far as the eye could see and while there was some anger in his mind what was most potent was an undeniable need to get someplace as soon as he could. It didn't matter whether he dreamt of these images or merely remembered them when he was awake because the feelings they inspired remained the same.
He did his best to put on a brave face for his friends when they arrived but despite his best efforts he couldn't keep it all from showing up on his face. Deciding that handing them easy and honest answers was the way to go he had gone and told them that it was because of the massacre he had witnessed. That there were ordinary humans, in this day and age, willing to kill innocent people in such a brutal and bloody manner was shocking to say the least. That excuse was enough to get them off his back as far as his abnormal behavior went but it also opened him up for an attack from Buffy's overproteative nature as uell as a 'what uere you thinkine' rant. Normally when she went on one of her 'I fight, you hide' tangents he would get angry and tell her that a person didn't need to be super powered to fight the good fight. This time however her words held the sting of truth to them since he had come to the conclusion that rushing in to try and save those people was stupid. Despite the fact that he had done everything he could, despite the fact that some people might call what he did brave, every last one of them aside from the boy had died because wasn't good enough. If Buffy had been there she would have taken them all down in a matter of seconds with maybe only one or two of the members of the Japanese family needing to go to the hospital. With him, the inexperienced hanger-on, how could he have thought for one second that he could have done anything more than make the situation worse. With this in mind he mounted no defense as the Slayer laid into him with her words and it was probably this that caught Giles' notice causing him to cut Buffy off and try to divert the conversation towards something a little more neutral.
The gang had told him a little later that the boy had come through the ordeal in one piece physically but in terms of his mind he'd likely be scarred for life. Now if anyone tried to approach him in a group larger than three the boy started screaming at the top of his lungs and tried to get away from the group. They eventually had to sedate him and were hoping to be able to get into contact with the boy's next of kin soon in the hopes that they could help the child through his ordeal. So far though the search was not going well as it seemed that the majority of the kid's family had been with him that fateful night and were now dead. He figured the authorities would continue for a month or so to look for blood kin but when that failed the boy would be shipped off to child services and then most likely to a foster home. The thought of this boy being alone in the world now because one stupid Zeppo thought he could pull off a Buffy all on his own hurt him to the core. If it was possible he would have chosen to adopt the kid himself but he knew realistically that it was impossible. Not only was he not an adult in the eyes of the law but he also had no way to support himself much less a young boy. So now it was going to be a case of Russian Roulette with the boy as it was anyone's guess whether or not he'd land in a decent foster home. While he was sure that child services and the various foster child organizations did their best to screen out the bad families there were most certainly some bad families that knew how to put on a good face when the inspection teams came by to check them out. He just hoped that whatever god, goddess or deity that had cursed him with his unique brand of bad luck didn't take a liking to the boy because he wouldn't wish the Harris luck on anyone.
Hearing the familiar sound of the door opening up he saw the doctor that had been tending to him, a Dr. Gordon, and a nurse enter the room.
"Well Mr. Harris how are you feeling today?" Gordon asked as he went to the foot of the bed and picked up the folder that contained the records of what had been done since the doctor checked on him last.
"About the same as always Doc." He replied just as he had every other time the doctor had asked him that question.
"Well then I'm sure that the news I have for you today will brighten your mood." Gordon said with a look on his face that made it clear he was troubled by the teenager's response, "If everything looks to be in order with the stitches on your chest and back then I believe you can look forward to being discharged as soon as tomorrow afternoon."
"Great." Was the only reply that Xander could give knowing what he would be going home to in his present condition.
He had little doubt that his parents would be mad enough when they got the hospital bill for his stay here but when added to the fact that their son's injuries would mean they'd have to take care of themselves and you could bet he'd be lucky to survive his first night back. He could try to arrange to stay at the Buffy's home or even Willow's place but then he would have to come up with a reason why he didn't want to go home to his 'loving parents' and airing out that bit of dirty laundry was not an option. While he wasn't exactly thrilled with how he was treated by the two people who he should be able to trust above all others he refused to let the rest of Sunnydale find out about it. So far all he had to worry about among his peers and the rest of the town was being known as a loser and a member of the 'freak squad' as Cordy and her elite's liked to call the Scooby gang. If word got out that Alexander LaVelle Harris was the abused son of two abusive drunken parents he'd be belittled by one half of the town and treated as a charity case by the other half of town. Even his friends would likely treat him with kid gloves even if they only did it on an unconscious level. That was something he refused to have happen to him. He might not be rich like Cordy or a jock like Larry or even an undead pretty boy like Angel but he would sooner live out of a cardboard box than treated like an invalid or a child by anyone. He would not permit himself to be coddled! He would be treated with respect! Even if it was only by those he called friend!
"Is there anyone we should call to come pick you up?" Gordon asked no doubt with the intention of finding out if he had someone to help him through this funk.
"I'll call them myself when I sign the papers tomorrow." Xander replied as he looked out his room's window giving the doctor a subtle hint that he wished to be alone.
Doctor Gordon didn't look happy about it but without an official reason to stick around there wasn't much he could do if his patient requested some alone time. So with half-muttered instructions to the nurse concerning medication amounts and checking on the stitches the good doctor left the room. He pretty much ignored the nurse despite a few attempts on her part to engage him in conversation. She had even made a half-hearted attempt to flirt with him when she offered to come by later and give him a full body sponge bath. If this had been any other time and if he had been in the hospital for any other reason he'd likely have jumped at the idea but all he did in response to her overtures was to continue to look out the window. He heard her 'harumph' in response to her ploy's failure to get a rise out of him but let it go and went about her business checking his IV drip and the machines monitoring his condition. He doubted that she had been serious about her flirtation and had probably only done it because she thought he was the stereotypical teenage guy who would jump at the chance at such intimate contact with a beautiful young woman. However if he had actually tried to take her up on the offer she'd likely just respond with an 'only if you behave' or some other brush off like that. If she had done the opposite and actually gone through with it he'd likely presume she was another Mantis-Lady or something since he doubted the hospital would hire a woman willing to get pelvic with the patients. In any case he decided he would not dwell on such things any longer as it meant little to him at the moment.
Not when the images of blood and death kept creeping towards him from the dark corners of his mind.
An Estate, Just Outside of Sunnydale, Two Hours Later"So Kameko, how does our young warrior fare after his difficult test?" asked owner of the estate as he stood in front of a large plasma screen TV watching the test in question from start to finish over and over again.
"Physically the boy should make a full recovery my Lord. While he did lose a great deal of blood his friends were able to get him to the hospital in time." The Asian woman known as Kameko replied as she took of her Sunnydale General name-tag, "Mentally however he is hovering dangerously close to depression. His failure to save the family you selected for the test has taken a heavy toll on him. If he is put in a comforting environment surrounded by those who care for him he should pull out of it."
"What exactly do you mean by the words 'if' and 'should'?" the Owner asked without looking away from the TV in front of him.
"After Dr. Gordon's most recent visit with the young man he asked me to discreetly do some checking on the boy's parents." Kameko replied with more than a little disgust in her voice, "Suffice it to say that I think that Alexander has it even worse than Sōjirō had it with his family. Both parents are barely holding onto their jobs and those who know them openly call them 'drunken bastards'. I think it is safe to say that Tony and Jessica Harris do not limit their horrid behavior merely to drinking ridiculous amounts of alcohol."
"You believe Alexander's parents abuse him?" the Owner asked without a trace of interest.
"Yes and I confirmed it by looking at his medical file. Up until the age of six he is recorded as having standard scrapes and bruises. After that though the severity of his injuries increased month by month with the worst being a broken arm." Kameko replied as she tried to speak in a more professional manner, "While the official cause recorded was something common the descriptions of the injuries along with the x-rays say otherwise. Given this evidence my Lord I believe his returning home would have a negative effect on his mental state and perhaps even result in permanent injury to his person."
To this the Owner simply stood quietly in front of the television for a few minutes before finally giving his response to her report.
"Thank you for your report Kameko. You are dismissed." The Owner stated in a manner one would expect between employer and employee, "However before you leave tell Mr. Udo that I wish to speak with him immediately."
"Of course my Lord." Kameko said as she bowed formally before turning around and leaving the room.
Once the door clicked shut and he could no longer sense Kameko's presence within what he knew was the limit her demonic ears could hear things he returned his full attention to the plasma screen TV in front of him. He had been reviewing the footage since it had been delivered to him two hours after the incident was recorded. He would have preferred it sooner however the man assigned to the task had also been told to remove all evidence implicating the target in the deaths of nine armed men. While he was far from wanting to do Alexander Harris any favors he didn't want the local PD to impede the resurrection of his old foe. To that end he had already sent Hiroshi to meet with Mayor Wilkens to broker a deal that would ensure that any of the demon-wannabe's plans didn't interfere with his own. While at last report there were a few details to be ironed out his right hand man had assured him that he would get everything asked for by the time phase two was ready to be activated.
With the threat of the local PD and the Mayor out of the way it was time to begin contracting the necessary help to bring his old nemesis closer to the surface. After viewing the footage of the test as well as the boy's behavior after waking up in the hospital he knew that he had finally found his adversary's reincarnation. The way he attacked, the fluidity of his movements and icy cold voice with which he had demanded the release of the final female victim had confirmed it. The methods open to him to bring his old enemy back completely were many but when he took notice of the calendar on his desk a grin grew on his face as an idea began to form. With each detail that he fit into its designated place his grin grew and he knew that he had indeed found the perfect means to bring the swordsman of legend back from the depths of history. All that would be required would be the locating and acquisition of certain items important to his enemy as well as a few items from nearby special effects studios. Once they were obtained all that would be needed would be for those objects to find their way into young Mr. Harris' hands on the night selected. True if the items required simply came into the boy's possession it would still leave something to chance as to whether or not he'd actually use them as prescribed but with a little manipulation of events he was sure the odds could be tipped in his favor.
Before he could contemplate how to arrange matters favorably for himself a knock at the door acquired his attention. It took only a moment for him to sense that it was Udo waiting outside to be verbally granted entry into the room. While the matter of the second phase of his plans for young Alexander Harris were important the mission he intended to send Udo on would be a nice diversion. The idea for the mission had come to him when Kameko had mentioned the vices and dirty habits of Alexander's parents.
Perhaps it is time that I do my old enemy a favor The Owner of the estate thought with a smile, for old times' sake.
Sunnydale General Hospital, The Next Day, NoonWell it's almost check out time. Xander thought as he looked at the clock next to his hospital bed, Not a moment too soon because I don't want to be here a moment longer.
After Doctor Gordon's visit yesterday the man had made almost periodical visits every two hours or so and when the doc couldn't come he made sure one of the nurses walked into his room under some inane pretense. It had puzzled him for a moment until he took his own behavior into account and realized that he had been pretty much acting like a suicide case waiting to happen. After all depression and lack of reaction to a beautiful nurse offering to give you a full body sponge bath with her own 'special' touch was definitely a sign of the crazies so it was no wonder they got worried. Of course knowing this did nothing really to improve his emotional state or drive off the images that kept pulling cameos in front of his mind's eye but it did force him to act a little. After all if they continued to think he was a suicide risk than they might try and keep him here awhile longer or maybe even let their suspicions be known to Buffy and the others. That would lead to them behaving just like they would have if they had all found out about his home life. So in the end he had to act like his usual carefree Zeppo-self and hope that he did it well enough to fool everyone that needed to be fooled while reassuring those that could tell when he was faking it.
At the moment he was just finishing getting dressed in his normal clothes as there was no way he was staying in that drafty hospital nightgown any longer than necessary. Willow had brought the change of clothes over as he had taken to leaving a set with her just in case Tony did something to him that messed up his clothes before he headed out to meet the rest of the Scooby gang. So basically whenever his clothes got too torn or bloodied by Tony Harris he would quickly scoot over to Willow's place, sneak in her bedroom window and quickly change before walking around to the front like everything was normal. Aside from that there wasn't really much of his to toss into a bag to carry home. He picked up his shirt and began to slip it over his head when a sudden sharp pain in his chest stopped him in his tracks. It took a few minutes for the pain to subside but when it did he slipped the shirt the rest of the way down but being extra careful not to rip the stitches in his chest and back. It had been one of the things that Doctor Gordon had said he would have to endure for the next week or so. According to the Doc some extra strength Tylenol would be enough for the pain and that once the wounds had healed enough he would have to come back to get the stitches taken out. There would be scars on both his chest and on his back as well as on his left cheek but there was nothing the doctors could do about that. The wounds had been deep and while nothing crucial had been cut through or damaged it would take quite a bit of plastic surgery to completely remove the scars. Unfortunately plastic surgery cost money, a lot of money, and he doubted that his 'benevolent parents' would be willing to fork over that many Lincolns and Washingtons just for him.
He was just about to step outside his room to see if he could find Dr. Gordon and persuade him to hand over the discharge papers sooner than later when he noticed a flurry of activity in the hallway. Curious as it usually meant some serious demon activity had just gone down he decided to follow the orderlies and the others to see what was going on. After all if it was something big he might be able to overhear the nurses and doctors rattle off what the injuries were, what was needed to save the victims and just how serious the situation was. Once he had that info he would have something to pass on to G-Man later during the research session they would no doubt have to take down the demon responsible.
The shuffle of people were apparently heading towards the emergency entrance near the ICU where the ambulances always stopped when they were carrying truly critically injured patients. That didn't bode well for whomever they were carrying and it meant that the demon that had done it to them was particularly vicious. In vamp cases they just brought the bodies to the morgue and in terms of the more brainless demons the victims rarely lasted long enough to even get to the hospital. That meant that the demon that did this must have been both intelligent and sadistic as he would have to be smart enough to know what wounds to inflict to the cause the most pain but still give the victim time to get medical help. Those types of demons were the worst since to them killing their victims was never the objective. The pain, the suffering and the torment they could cause their victims. That is what egged those types of demons on. It would also be what would be at the forefront of the demon's mind when he eventually decided to tackle Buffy. That meant that Joyce, Willow's parents and most likely Giles himself would be on this demon's 'someone to torture' list.
Well not if I can help it! He thought to himself as he turned the final corner to the emergency entrance to the hospital.
There was a fairly large crowd of hospital personnel standing near the door and they were so concentrated in some spots that he could barely see what was going on in front of them. He knew he missed the first stretcher that was brought in but judging from the hint of blood red he had seen on the normally pristine white sheets they put on the ambulance gurneys the victim had to be bleeding profusely. As the automatic door closed he tried to peek over the heads of the hospital staff to see who the victim was and just how bad the wounds were. Unfortunately he had the foul luck of choosing the side of the hospital where all the tall people had chosen to stand and look so if he was going to get even one look at the victim/s he was going to have to jump up on something. Looking around he saw a set of recycling bins lined up nearby and they did indeed seem strong enough to support his weight. So with a hop, a jump and some very iffy balancing on tipsy containers he finally managed to see over the heads of the staff gathered around the emergency entrance.
However what he saw was enough to cause him to lose his balance and land butt first into the trashcan positioned right next to the recycling containers.
"M-mom?" he whispered in disbelief as his mind became stuck on that one clear look he had gotten of his blood covered mother as the paramedics wheeled her into the emergency room.
She had been so badly cut up and bloody that he had almost not recognized her. If it had not been for the unique way she styled her hair and the shreds of her favorite nightgown that the paramedics had cut off of her that were still on the gurney he would not have recognized her. Her entire body was a mess of cuts and stab wounds and even though most of them had been covered up by the bandages placed on her by the medics the ambulance people would have had to mummify her to get them all. What really tossed him for a loop though was the certainty that existed in his mind that made him sure the wounds had been caused by a bladed weapon rather than by sharp teeth or claws. The lacerations were too straight and clean for them to have been made by teeth or claws. Cuts made by organic blades, teeth and claws were more jagged with a bit of tearing here and there. With the belief that no dumb demon could have made such clean cuts his theory about the sadistic yet intelligent demon was verified.
It was almost as if his body was operating without the benefit of his mind's assistance that he got himself out of the trashcan and when he looked around he saw that his fall had gotten quite a bit of attention. However before he could say anything to divert attention away from himself a higher (or lower) being decided to do it for him as the emergency entrance doors wooshed open again to admit another critical victim. While this one didn't deprive him of his vertical posture the affect it had on his brain was no less traumatic. Unconscious and in even worse condition than his mother had been, if that was at all possible, was one Tony Harris and judging by the behavior of the medics the elder Harris wasn't likely to live for very much longer. A thought shot through his mind as what he knew fell into a pattern that had him seriously wanting to run out the door and check on the gang. Both his parents, at the same time, had been attacked and the attackers had used bladed weapons that they wielded with significant skill and precision. While it may have been just a coincidence that they were harmed in such a manner so soon after his encounter with those ten armed men he personally thought otherwise.
Could this be payback for what I did? He thought to himself as he moved over to one of the vacant chairs nearby.
With everything that had happened that night and his own guilt over not being able to save that family he had not given the men he killed a second thought much less considered whether or not they might have been working for someone. After all there were enough people and demons in this town that killed just for the sheer enjoyment of it so it was only in specific cases that the gang considered that there might be something more to it. Add to that the fact that any payback they might get from the demon community tended to be solely aimed at Buffy and the rest of them rarely had to worry about reprisals. In this case however humans were the enemies and he had been the one to kill them. That meant that if the men he had killed and the people who had done this to his parents were connected then it was his fault his parents were here.
Not that I care about them but no one deserves to be tortured like that. Xander thought as he took another look in the direction the medics had taken his parents, Those two might deserve to be beaten until they're black and blue but not sliced up like so much fresh meat.
He was about to go and call the rest of the gang to see if they were alright or not when a hand was placed on his left shoulder and he looked up to find Dr. Gordon looking down at him.
"I suppose there's not much point in asking you not to look is there Xander?" Gordon asked rhetorically as he sat down in the next seat, "Nevertheless I am sorry you had to see such a horrible sight."
Deciding to focus on something other than what he had seen Xander asked "What happened to them?"
"The police are still investigating but from what the paramedics said over the radio your parents were attacked sometime early this morning." Gordon replied as he did his best to answer the young man's question, "In fact it was something of a miracle that they were discovered at all. Apparently the paper boy spotted blood trailing into the living room and dialed 911 as soon as he could."
That bit of info told Xander that whoever had done this had acted quickly to keep both Tony and Jessica Harris inside the house. He knew that the moment either of them had reason to believe that their lives were in danger they would not hesitate to abandon their 'spouse' and head for the hills. That would likely mean that there had been more than one person involved since there was no way a single person could have pinned down two adults no matter how drunk they had been. After all fear would have produced adrenaline and the adrenaline would have cleared their heads in a big hurry of any grogginess or fogginess. With these facts that the Zeppo began to wonder just who he could have pissed off and just how big a mess he had gotten himself into.
"I know you probably want some assurance that your parents will be alright but I'm afraid that I cannot." Gordon said and the graveness of the situation was written all over his face, "To tell you the truth I would consider it a small miracle if they lasted more than twelve hours."
"Dr. Gordon please report to the O.R. Dr. Gordon please report to the O.R" came the voice of a female nurse over the personal address system.
"Looks like someone needs your help." Xander said in a tone that hinted he would no longer be a very good conversation partner two minutes from now.
"Yes, so it would seem. I'll have a nurse bring your discharge papers here." Gordon said as he got to his feet, "I'll also inform the surgeon working on your parents that you're here so you can be updated on their condition."
"Thanks." Xander stated as he began to sink into the contemplations of his own mind.
He didn't even hear Gordon's footsteps as he walked away but then that isn't much of a surprise since how important could footsteps be in comparison to his parents being tortured to the brink of death and he himself responsible for the deaths of nine men. At the moment all that mattered was figuring out the puzzle that he had unwittingly stumbled into and finding a way to make sure no one else suffered or died because of him.
Sunnydale High School, The Library, Noon"Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!" Willow yelled as she burst into the library in the middle of the Slayer's debriefing over the whole fraternity Snake Demon thing, "Xander! Parents! Blood! Ambulance!"
Needless to say the mentioning of the founding guy member of the Scooby gang and blood was enough to derail the Slayer's butchered rendition of events at the fraternity house and focus both her and Giles' attention on the redhead. It had only been a day or so ago that Buffy had gone with a member of the fraternity to his frat house for a big party and wound up being the sacrifice to a snake-guy demon. It had turned out okay in the end with the snake-guy being dead, the frat boys being pummeled and everything. In fact the only sour point had been Angel refusing to go to the party with her by using some lame excuses like being too old and not being able to control his demony side when he got hot under the collar. In retrospect she probably should have chosen a safer way to deal with his denial of a date with her than to get drugged and strung up for some demon but she was still mad at the vampire with a soul. Even with the sweet 'want to go for coffee' thing he did after all the slayage was done with she still didn't feel like letting him off the hook for those lousy excuses. Still there'd be time enough to consider payback for Angel dodging her advances later because from the look on Willow's face there was something decidedly not of the good going on.
"Breathe Willow! Breathe!" Giles ordered as he went quickly to the young girl's side, "Now slowly tell us what has you so upset."
"I w-went to X-Xander's after class to get his book report for history class this afternoon." Willow replied as she tried to bring her breathing under control, "When I got there though the entire place was surrounded by police cars and forensic vans! I tried to get a look inside but all I could see was the front stairs and they were covered in blood!"
With this news the looks on both the face of the Slayer and the face of her Watcher became decidedly grayer as they realized what this likely meant. They all knew that Xander was still in the hospital even though he was due to be discharged today. This was no secret and would not be hard for someone to learn about if they really wanted to find out. That meant that whoever was responsible for the carnage at the Harris household had targeted Mr. And Mrs. Harris for murder instead. Given the less than savory reputation the two elder Harris' had about town it was quite possible that the person or persons responsible were human and thus outside the Slayer's jurisdiction. However given the town's history it would be better to cover all of their bases just to be on the safe side.
"Giles?" Buffy asked with a look on her face that showed she was deferring to him as far as a course of action went.
"We do not yet know the entire situation. Willow herself has just said as much." Giles said as he took his glasses off of his face and began to clean them, "I recommend that you go to your classes as usual this afternoon. I will contact some of the Council's resources here on the west coast to see if any of the … er… more colorful characters have been spotted near Sunnydale."
"What about Xander? He's gonna be pretty messed up by all of this." Willow said with her concern for her childhood friend written all over her face.
"You may go and keep him company at the hospital after school. The doctors are more likely to have something to share concerning Mr. And Mrs. Harris' condition by then." Giles replied as he placed his glasses back on his face, "Besides which I doubt that troll Snyder will be compassionate enough to allow either of you to skip your afternoon classes to go comfort him."
"Like I care what that impotent Nazi thinks about me!" Buffy declared at the thought of the Principal stopping her from going to her friend's side.
"True but perhaps you might want to be concerned about what he says about you? To you mother for example?" Giles asked rhetorically as he reminded his assigned Slayer that while Snyder could do little to her physically her mother was another story entirely.
This of course made Buffy stop in the middle of whatever Snyder-bashing she was thinking of voicing as she knew that while the troll's words might not mean much to her they could seriously harm her if they got back to her mother.
"Alright! Right after school we go to the hospital to see how Xander is doing." Buffy said as she reluctantly agreed to play it safe instead of simply tying Snyder up and tossing him in the janitor's closet for a few hours.
Or more.
With that Giles made the coughing noises universally used when you wanted to get someone's attention and when Buffy looked at him he pointed to the report on the snake-guy demon that still had to be written up.
I'd almost rather chance Snyder! Buffy groaned mentally as she prepared to spend the remainder of her lunch hour going over every mind numbing detail of the slayage no matter how tedious the detail was to her.
Sunnydale General Hospital, Emergency Ward, Three and a Half Hours LaterHow much longer are they going to be in there? Xander asked himself as he glanced at the door to the emergency ward's O.R for what had to have been the three hundredth time since he first sat down.
He had been there for hours waiting for any word about how his parents were doing and aside from the occasional calls of nature he hadn't budged an inch. While some might call his behavior that of a dutiful and loving son the truth of the matter was that if his parents … died … he'd essentially have no means to support himself. After all he was only fifteen years old and even if he sold off everything he might own or might inherit from his parents in their wills he'd still be in a pretty pickle financially. After all it was a common fact of life that funeral's were expensive even if you chose the cheapest pieces of crap available in terms of headstones and coffins. Not that he would stoop to his parents' level and be a cheapskate on a matter that serious of course so it was going to cost him quite a bit. So no matter how you looked at the situation it was in his best interests if they lived since it would only create more problems for him if they died. Not the most altruistic reasons but what can you expect when he knew he'd probably have to wait on them hand and foot when they got out of here as well as take any abuse they sent his way.
My life sucks! He thought to himself as he kicked a piece of garbage that had been near his right foot.
Just as he was about to try and charm a few bucks out of one of the nurses for a snack from a vending machine the doors connecting the emergency ward to the rest of the hospital swung open and slammed into the walls of the hallway. Now some might interpret this as the arrival of an enemy or some rowdy nutcase from the psych ward but given the time of day it was the Zeppo had a much better idea of who was responsible. Getting to his feet he turned towards the doors and almost before he could get more than a few words out something nearly tackled him to the ground before it wrapped its arms tightly around him. He winced slightly as the pressure that was being placed on his chest and back was aggravating his wounds but he figured the person attached to him right now needed the release so he decided to let it go on for a bit longer.
"OhXanderI'msosorrytohearwhathappenedtoyourparents!Iwenttoyourhousetogetyourreportforhistoryandthepolicewerethereandtheyhadtheplacealltapedupand…"Willow babbled at what had to be a new personal best speed for her but he placed a finger on her lips to stop her in her tracks as he figured she'd run out of oxygen if she went for much longer.
"Easy Willow! I'm glad you decided to come down here and provide me a shoulder to lean on." Xander said as his voice began to tighten a bit at the amount of pain his chest and back were telling him about, "Still if you don't release this bear hug you have me in I don't think I'll be able to remain conscious to enjoy your words of comforty fuzziness."
"Oh! I'msosorry!Ididn'tknow!Areyoual-" Willow began to babble as she quickly detached herself from his person and began to do another babble lap in response to yet another worry being placed on her to do pile.
"Hey! I'm fine! Just watch the stitches alright." Xander said as he grasped Willow by the shoulders in an effort to calm her down, "I've already heard the lecture once from Dr. Gordon about popping them and I don't want to hear it again if I can avoid it."
This in combination with his lopsided grin was enough to take a load of worry off of his friend's shoulders and so with a few light hugs from Buffy and Giles they all sat down to talk about the situation at hand. They told him, a bit more thoroughly, about the situation at his house and what Giles' contacts had managed to tell him about the demons and mercs known to be in the state of California within the last forty-eight hours. From what the G-Man had to relate there were a handful of known professional killers in California at the moment who were known for getting 'carried away' with their work. The problem with blaming them with the attack on his parents was that none of them used blades on the job. They were all gun people or explosives people and most of them liked it better when their targets at least put up a decent fight. After all what is the use in going after prey that is not only easy to corner but would also spend most of the 'game' unconscious. Given his parents' usual drunken state, the fact that they were both out of shape and were cowards to the core and he doubted any merc would bother taking the contract. Even those that enjoyed inspiring fear in their marks would find Tony and Jessica Harris poor prey indeed. He related these thoughts to his friends but in a way that was more his 'everything I have learned I learned it from TV' way than a way that would indicate he put conscious thought into figuring everything out.
"While the ..um … source of your theory is ..um dubious I believe it does hold some merit." Giles said trying to make Xander's idea sound less ridiculous than it did, "Still if it was not a paid mercenary who attacked your parents then who was it."
"I think it might have something to do with the 'incident' after the exchange program's costume dance." Xander said seriously while doing his best to phrase things in a way that wouldn't arouse suspicion in any eavesdropper's mind, "I managed to beat up quite a few guys that night. If they have friends maybe one of them is responsible for the attack."
"That still doesn't rule out mercenaries." Buffy said with a bit of confusion since she didn't see where her Xander-shaped friend was going with his words.
"Ah Buffy, ixnay on mercansay." Xander said while taking covert looks around the room.
The fact that saying things like mercenaries and attacks in a hospital within hearing distance of a dozen people was a bad idea caught up with her brain at that point and she looked like she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Not exactly the best thing to wish for given that they were sitting on the Hellmouth but at least she now knew to be a little more tactful concerning what she said out loud.
"I don't think those guys were just a bunch of 'fun' loving guys with a bit of time to kill. Most of the guys that do what they do professionally are loners." Xander said as a certainty entered his voice that everyone but him noticed was there, "The fact that those guys were all together means that they likely belonged together as a group or maybe as a platoon in an army."
He made the mistake of saying 'an army' rather than 'the army' on purpose so that the others would understand what he was getting at but if any eavesdropper came up to them and asked questions he could just said he made a mistake. After all to switch 'the' with 'an' could be construed as an understandable mistake in anyone's eyes and given his no doubt infamous reputation as a slacker in school no one would blink an eye at the town doofus messing up like that.
Looking at the faces of the rest of the gang he could tell that they had all picked up on what he had been trying to get across to them and the implications had all of them distinctly worried. After all it was one thing if they were dealing with a mercenary fulfilling a contract since they could just take care of the person who put out the contract in the first place before he could zero in on the Zeppo. If he was the primary target to begin with and the Harris' were just attacked to inspire fear than they could still deal with the problem by taking out the employer. After all when you get right down to it mercs are just interested in the money and once that's gone they quickly lose interest in carrying out the contract. However if he was right and the men he killed were part of an army then the problem was a great deal bigger and the situation would get a great deal messier before it got any better. By killing nine of this unknown army's soldiers he had brought into question their skill and effectiveness in the eyes of those whom they served. After all if one teenage boy from California, Hellmouth or not, could kill that many without proper training or weaponry how good could the soldiers in the unknown army be anyways. In order to salvage their reputation and dispel any rumors about their effectiveness they had no other choice than to take him out professionally and skillfully. They had to prove that his victory over those men was the exception rather than the rule and that they were just as good as they have always been.
So until the army goes belly up or I die things like what happened to my parents will keep on happening. Xander thought as horrible images of Buffy, Giles or even Willow being cut up like his parents had flew across his mindscape, I'm not going to let anyone hurt my friends! Anyone who tries to dies!
"I will have to consult my sources to confirm this hypothesis of yours Xander." Said Giles as he had a look on his face that told them all how dire the situation was, "If it is true then it will at least cut the list of possible culprits down and give us a better idea of what to expect in the future."
"You mean besides boatloads of pain of course!" Buffy muttered in a snappy manner.
Xander could understand where she was coming from given that the rules of the Watcher's Council clearly forbid the Slayer from harming humans beyond what was necessary to render them unconscious. While that may work fine for your average street thug or some two bit warlock who only knew half of what a true magic user needed to know but for a soldier though it was a whole other situation. These guys would be in tip-top physical condition and be trained to kill very quickly and efficiently. Add to that the fact that they probably had more than swords, spears and nagintas in their arsenal the chances that Buffy would be able to hold their own against such men were pretty bad. Like every action flick or TV show he ever saw taught him if you leave an unconscious enemy at your back during a serious situation they will almost always come too just in time to get you from behind at the worst possible moment. While he knew that such a scenario was just a cliché of Hollywood he figured that just like every legend had a grain of truth to it so did every cliché.
"And that would be different from all the other problems we usually have to deal with how?" he asked sarcastically as the Slayer should well know that pain came with the job description when you decided to fight the good fight.
"True." Giles said in response as they all grinned slightly at the fact that Xander was quite right considering all that they had been through.
Xander was about to go on trying to improve the moods of his friends when the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. Turning quicker than he usually did he looked in the direction of the sound to find Dr. Gordon walking up to them with his O.R scrubs still on. However once the Zeppo's eyes locked on the man's face the clothes, the body and even most of the head itself disappeared leaving only the face for him to see. It was both funny and chilling how he had been thinking of Hollywood clichés a few moments ago because another one was square on the face of Dr. Gordon. On TV and in the movies it was usually done either from the doctor's point of view or from the concerned family waiting for news about a loved one. If it was the doctor he usually walked up to the family with a look that said honestly and truthfully 'this is the part of the job I truly hate having to do' from the moment he lays his or her eyes on them until a day or two afterwards. If it was the family that the scene was coming from, as it was in this case, the family would either see or hear the doctor approaching and for a moment a look of hope might enter their eyes. However that hope would turn to dread once they truly saw the look of defeat and sympathy on the face of the doctor. They would be able to tell just from the look on that doctor's face what the fate of their loved one was causing the women to break down into tears and the men to try the stiff upper lip approach. He honestly didn't know how he was going to react to the news so he said nothing as Dr. Gordon finally reached the group and looked down at him.
"Mr. Harris… Xander… I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." Gordon said with the 'I hate this part of my job' look firmly on his face, "I'm afraid neither Tony nor Jessica survived surgery. They're dead. I'm sorry."
Three Days Later, East Sunnydale Cemetery,
After the Funerals of Tony and Jessica HarrisI wish I could say that I'll miss them, that I actually feel something for them now what they're dead, but I can't. Xander thought to himself as he stared down at the two coffins that had been lowered into the ground.
The priest who had been assigned to run the funeral had approached him beforehand to say a few kind words about his parents but he had declined. He knew he should have gone up there and at least tried to bullshit his way through the traditional 'they will be missed' speech but he knew it would take only a minute for his true feelings for his parents to come to the surface. As much as it was sad when someone died he couldn't erase the feelings of anger, hatred and disgust whenever he thought about how Tony and Jessica Harris had treated him growing up. He didn't even have one clear memory of them in his mind where they had behaved like halfway decent parents. No matter how hard he looked all his memories painted them as abusive drunks who cared more about where their next bottle of booze was coming from than whether their own son needed new shoes or something. In fact he would have to say that the only good memories he had concerning family was when he was spending time with someone else's family rather than his own. Whether it was Willow's family, Jesse's family or when Buffy and her mom moved in the Summers' family he had a good times with each and every one of them. The time he spent with them helped fill the gap that was left by his own parents' negligence and helped to keep a basically good kid from going down the same road as his parents traveled. Now though his present and his future was up in the air since he was too young according to the law to live on his own which meant he would likely be placed in foster care or something.
That might mean taking me away from Willow and the gang depending on how many suitable foster homes there are in Sunnydale who would be willing to take in a sixteen year old guy. He thought to himself as he finally managed to wrench his eyes away from the metal boxes that held his parents, If… if I have to move away t-then I'll have lost everything.
Slowly he walked towards the path of pavement that ran through the cemetery where Mrs. Summers and Buffy were waiting by their car. After the initial shock of his parents' deaths had worn off Joyce had made the offer of letting him stay at their place until he decided where he was going to go from there. He had been surprised that Buffy had beaten Willow to the punch but his best bud had explained that given the more or less ambivalent attitude her parents had towards her he was better off at the Summers' home. Besides which, according to Buffy, they had a spare bedroom he could use that at the moment was only a storage room filled with junk and stuff. It would take a fresh coat of paint and maybe a few odds and ends but according to the Buffster it should be okay until he comes across something better. So that is where he had been staying for the last two days even though it wasn't much more than an empty room with a mattress on the floor at the moment. Still he had to admit that despite the somber mood that had permeated the last few days he had found it oddly… nice… to wake up and actually enjoy going downstairs for breakfast. It was a definite change from getting up before sunrise and sneaking a meal out of the kitchen before his parents came too from their latest drinking binge.
I wonder what it would be like to wake up like that every morning? He asked himself as reached the ten feet mark between him and Joyce's car.
"You gonna be okay Xander?" Buffy asked once they were all in the car together.
"I will be Buff, I will be." Xander replied as he looked out the window as the cemetery rolled by in front of his eyes.
To that she only nodded in acceptance as it was clear by the look on her face that she was reluctant to say more just in case her mouth said something before her brain had time to clear it for departure. Her mom was a bit smarter about that sort of thing since it seemed that Joyce was willing to wait until they got back to the Summers' home before getting into all the touchy-feely 'it will be alright Xander' stuff. He knew what they thought the situation called for because he had done the same thing when Jesse had been turned for Willow. The thing that was different in this situation though was that he wasn't all that bothered by the death of his parents and was only making it look that way so that he wouldn't look bad in front of everyone else. After all despite how funny it might look on TV no one liked a guy who came to a funeral only to speak ill of the dead and spit on their graves. Even Willow who had an idea of how bad Tony and Jessica Harris had treated him would not cut him any slack if he just went on with life as though nothing had happened. Everyone would expect some kind of reaction from him that was at least in orbit around sadness and grief. So he put on the necessary act and hoped that in a few days he could just drop it and get things back to the way they were. Back to where everyday was a new day and the biggest worry he had was either a math test or helping Buffy fight the new demon in town.
After all who cares about two abusive drunks anyway? He thought bitterly as the vehicle exited the cemetery.
The Treeline, On the edge of the Cemetary, Same TimeWell, well, well! It seems as though my old foe is closer to the surface than my master realizes! Thought the tall figure standing amidst the shadows cast by the trees above him.
He had been watching his prey ever since he first arrived and only now lost sight of him because he chose to stop, for now at least. However just because his enemy was no longer in sight he could still feel the rush of anticipation coursing through his veins as a result of what he saw when he looked past his foe's false 'grief'. The young man stood there right in front of the graves of the two people who should have meant the most to him and felt nothing now that they were gone. No emotion at all besides a desire to leave and never think about the loathsome beings slowly rotting in their coffins. That was the swordsman he remembered! That was the man he had wanted to kill him all those years ago back in Japan and in a few short days his old 'sparring partner' would be reborn into this world once more. Then a rematch that was almost one hundred and twenty years in the making would take place to decide once and for all who was the strongest.
The last time we fought it was you who won but things are quite a bit different this time around! The Tall Man thought as he looked down as his arm and marveled once more at the strength it now possessed.
While awakened reincarnated warriors were common in his Lord's army he was unique. He had received a sizeable upgrade upon being successfully recruited and it made him much deadlier than he had been in his previous life. Now the insects that covered this world were even less of a threat than they had been in his last life and that made for a boring time indeed. It had been when he had first received word of his Master's hunt for their mutual foe that he had felt the first stirrings of excitement in his blood. It was like a mesmerizing song that pulled him along as though he had no will of his own. Just when he was about to surrender all hope of ever meeting a suitable adversary the chance for a rematch with him is dropped in his lap. He hadn't been told the exact reason why his boss was so determined to find his enemy's reincarnation but given that he was taking the charge of the project himself was all the proof he needed to know how important it was to him. It had been ten years since he had set out with the rest to find the one they sought and while a few hopefuls had managed to amuse him for a brief moment none had been the person they wanted.
With young Alexander Harris however he had known even before his Lord had that the search for their mutual foe's reincarnation was over. They boy had reacted quickly and decisively to his surprise and did so instinctively rather than so many others who would need to think before they reacted. That alone had told him that whoever the boy had been in a previous life had most definitely been a Japanese swordsman. However it was the fact that young Xander Harris had been able to know exactly where to place his katana in order to block the attack that told him who the boy once was. After all while some might say that the young man merely heard the sound of his blade cutting through air and used that to tell where the attack was coming from. He however knew the true reason why the boy had chosen that place to block as well as that type of block in response to the attack. The American had used a skill that no other swordsman save those of a specific style knew how to use and had done so on a subconscious level. That had been all the proof he had needed to confirm who the boy had been in a previous life and that had put a smile on his face. The video footage of the boy's fight with some of his Master's men was unnecessary as far as he was concerned but it was informative since it showed him how close his chosen enemy was to being 'awakened'.
Soon my old friend. Soon you will return to this world and we can pick up out struggle where we left off last time. The Tall Man thought to himself as he turned away intent on finding some amusement to satisfy his blood until the true fight was ready to begin.
Three Days Before Halloween, The Estate Just Outside of Sunnydale, EveningI bloody hope I know what I'm getting into. Ethan Rayne thought to himself as he knocked on the front door of the estate.
It was about the hundredth time he had thought that to himself with the only variations between each time being the level of profanity he had mixed in. It had been only a week ago he was in San Francisco enjoying himself with a little fear spell and glamour mix he had unleashed in a club. Something Three he believed was the name. In any case it had been entertaining to watch as the numerous patrons had suddenly found themselves surrounded in the one thing they feared the most. Of course none of what they were seeing was real, just a little bit of illusion and hallucination, but as far as they were concerned it might as well have been. In less time than it took him to take a shot of scotch civilization took a nosedive into a sea of chaos as friend turned on friend and wife turned on husband in a bloody show of savagery. Some simply dropped to the ground gasping for breath that as far as they knew they couldn't take. Most likely those people were the ones with a fear of water or perhaps a fear of being buried alive. They were perfectly safe but their brain was telling them that they were submerged deep under water or buried underground in a coffin. It was a basically case of the mind overriding the body and making what it perceived to be real a reality.
A pity those three witches had to break the spell so quickly. He thought to himself as the front door in front of him opened up, Still I was lucky that they weren't bright enough to figure out I was responsible for the ruckus. Three perfect cases of beauty but not enough brains.
Still it had been fun while it lasted and it had been soon after that night that he had been approached by these people to create a bit of confusion and misery on the Hellmouth. It had been interesting to begin with as he had never been to Sunnydale himself but had heard numerous tales of what went on there. Add to that the proposed form that the employer wished him to use and he had gone from interested to eager in the blink of an eye. The element that had firmly locked in his decision to take the job however had been a single photograph of an aged man walking out of the local high school. He had a little less hair and more than a few wrinkles but there was no mistaking his old chum the Ripper. It had been almost fifteen years since they had last been together as friends and mutual experimenters in forbidden magic but he would know his old friend anywhere. After they had dropped out of contact with one another he had heard a few rumors here and there about what had happened to his old chum. Some said that he had dipped a little too deep into the darkness and that it had swallowed him whole. Another said that he had opened a grocery store in some out of the way village off the beaten path. The one that had the most evidence to back it up though was that Rupert had gone back to daddy with his tail tucked between his legs. The Ripper he had seen in the photo he had been handed confirmed that his chum had gone back to his father to join the family business that was the Watchers Council. While it was not a fact he had liked he figured he could pay his old friend a visit after his job was completed, see if there was any of the old Ripper left. Still given the reputation his employer had in the dark magic underworld it would be in his best interest to put the job first time and save the fun stuff for later.
Saying the usual polite platitudes to the Asian woman who greeted him and bowing just in case she preferred that guests followed her people's customs he mentally began to review what he had been told about his new, albeit temporary, boss. Unfortunately what he had been told had been more rumors and personal opinions than actual confirmable facts. Whoever this man was he kept information about himself and his organization on a need to know basis with those that he interacted with outside of the group. Anyone who attempted to learn more either vanished or came to a very messy and public end. Aside from those facts gleaned from 'need to know' situations the only other way of learning about the organization was to study the aftermaths of their various 'business ventures'. You could learn a lot by studying the aftermath of a battle or learning how a particular heist was accomplished. It told you what type of person planned the crime, what type of person committed the crime and above all it gave you a clue as to what the ultimate purpose of the crime was. Police forensic people did it all the time when they went over crime scenes looking for clues but given their limited grasp on reality it would take a true student of the dark arts to decipher the clues left by this organization.
From what he could decipher from the police records he had acquired on the black market and from others who wanted to learn about the organization in a safe manner the people in this estate made the Order of Taraka look like Catholic schoolgirls by comparison. There was not one person in the organization that wasn't a master in his her own field and all of them were lethal if you provoked them. While the majority of them were on par with the elite of the various super power nation's special ops teams the ones that the leader of the organization allowed in the same building with him were in a league all their own. At least that was the conclusion he had come to when he took the reports concerning the various incidents and tried to group them into classes of skill. Seven out of ten incidents linked to the organization were obviously done by normal men outfitted with the latest technology and a few magical trinkets for an extra edge. Two out of the remaining three incidents left evidence that indicated superhuman abilities and skills which the ordinary police attributed to some custom made gadget since they refused to believe a living being could do it on their own. He however knew the signs of demon warriors when he saw them and while he could not deduce the precise number and types of demons used he was certain that they could kill as easily as he now breathed. It was the final incident though that was making him rethink agreeing to the job he had been offered.
It had been a report concerning the massacre of a prominent Japanese family with connections to a remote village somewhere. While on the surface this family was considered to be just your average bunch of wealthy spoiled bluebloods in was said in darker places that they had a bloody history all their own. Some even suspected they had ties to the Yakuza and thus were left alone by the smaller fish in the criminal cesspool under threat of a painful death. However in the space of a single hour the entire family was torn to shreds with bloody corpses left scattered across their sizeable property. The two facts that made this incident stand out in his mind were a) the property in question was the size of a large university campus and b) the coroner report stated that the massacre had been committed with a single bladed weapon. By 'a single bladed weapon' the coroner didn't mean multiple men armed with a weapon that had a blade only on one side or something like that. The coroner stated rather bluntly in his report that one weapon, one sword to be precise, was responsible for killing each and ever member of this influential family. This of course confused the local police department since they couldn't figure out how one sword could be used to kill over twenty people when those same people had obviously scattered in every direction after the first murder. It wasn't like a relay race where a rod is handed off from person to person during the course of the competition. To kill all those people over so large an area in under an hour with only one sword was seen as impossible by the detectives placed in charge of the case and so they came up with some half-baked story along with some known killers to blame for the massacre. That way they could save face in the eyes of the public and quietly cover up the truth behind the scenes. Only a select few people knew the truth and one of those people fortunately had some money problems requiring him to sell anything of value that he had. That was how he had gotten the file on the incident that contained the truth about the massacre rather than the doctored file resting in a police filing cabinet somewhere.
Taking all this information in and painting it into a picture in his mind he had to wonder if he was making a smart move by taking this job. These people weren't greedy little men who believed that money would get them everything they wanted in life. Nor were they the dimwitted thugs who thought that they were the best because they could take a beating and still get the job done. No these were the deadliest of the deadly and worse of all he would be entirely at their mercy every step of the way. One screw up, one mistake, and he knew he'd be lucky if all they did was slit his throat and dump him in the middle of downtown Sunnydale. The only thing that allowed him to keep his cool was the relatively simple chaos magic he would be employing on this job. The spell was straightforward and the ingredients easy to come by so unless someone interfered during the actual casting of the spell he had nothing to worry about. It was like following a recipe in a book in that as long as you followed the directions exactly and knew what you were doing you had nothing to worry about. Still the relative safety of the spell did little to dispel the unease that he had been feeling ever since he first laid eyes on the estate as he drove up to it.
Oh well, too late to back out now old chap! He thought to himself as he followed the Asian women who had let him in up some stairs and down a hallway.
Once they came to the door at the end of the hallway the woman merely bowed to him and left. He figured this must mean that this is where his employer was waiting for him and that the woman wasn't of sufficient rank to witness this meeting. Squashing his uneasiness as best he could and putting on his prankster's smile he reached out with his right hand and opened the door.
The room he beheld was an odd mixture of the modern with objects that were at least a century old if he was any judge. A sword collection, a plasma screen TV, a bookcase filled with volumes about Japan's history, a computer on a solid oak desk and to top it all off an antique cigar box. For some this might seem to clash to the point of being ugly but when in the presence of the land standing in front of the far window it seemed to come together quite nicely. The man in question was a bit taller than he was and wore an expensive tailored suit that practically screamed 'big money'. He had light brown hair with a short ponytail trailing down his back with only a ribbon to hold the hair in place. A plume of smoke rose up every once and awhile in front of this man indicating that he had already lit and was smoking one of his no doubt expensive cigars. All of it together spoke of a man that was in complete control and knew how to get what he wanted to matter how many obstacles got in his way.
Not the sort of man you want to piss off that's for sure. Ethan thought to himself grimly as he walked across the room before coming to a stop a respectful distance from the oak desk.
"Ah Mr. Rayne! Right on time I see. Good." The Boss said without turning around at all, "A punctual man is a dependable man I always say. After all if you don't care about something as precious as time can you honestly say you care about anything else."
"I suppose so. Truth be told I try not to concern myself with such philosophical trains of thought." Ethan said with his usual slick smile, "They give me a frightful headache."
To this small remark the Boss chuckled for a moment before asking rhetorically "A prankster through and through aren't you Mr. Rayne?"
"Definitely. After all what do pranks cause but large amounts of chaos?" Ethan asked meeting his employer's one rhetorical question with another.
"Indeed. If it is chaos you wish to cause to satiate your inner prankster Mr. Rayne then I believe you will get your fill if you perform your duties as instructed." The Boss said finally turning around and looking Ethan Rayne right in the eyes, "I've already taken the liberty of acquiring a space in downtown Sunnydale for you to set up shop as well as ordered a variety of costumes for you to use in the spell. The preparations should be completed by tomorrow afternoon so all you have to do is enchant the costumes and accessories so that they achieve the desired effect when the spell is activated."
"Thank you. However if all is as you say then why did you ask for this meeting?" Ethan asked as he was truly curious why he was here if there was nothing left to discuss, "Is there some specific alteration you want to make to the plan your assistant outlined for me?"
"More of an amendment than an alteration." The Boss replied as he walked up to his desk and lifted a large package from its hiding spot on the chair behind the desk, "There is a certain young man who will be looking for an outfit Halloween day at your shop. I want you to make sure he gets this costume and no other."
Reaching over and taking the package he looked down and saw a photo taped to the upper right hand corner. In the photo was a black haired teenager who appeared to be around sixteen years of age. There was also a sparkle that the photographer had managed to capture on film that told Ethan that this young lad had an inner prankster in him as well. Aside from that though he could see nothing obvious about the boy that would interest the head of such a deadly organization like this man had.
Oh well mine is not to reason why and all that! Ethan thought to himself before saying, "I believe I can arrange this outfit to find its way into the hands of this fine young man without difficulty sir."
"Then I suggest you go to the shop and get some rest. Tomorrow will be quite busy for you I'm sure." The Boss stated before returning to the window and gazing out at the land spread out before him.
"Good evening then." Ethan said and without further adieu he began to make his way towards the door.
He got about three steps before he felt something fly past his ear and when he looked to where the object should have landed he saw a small dagger sticking out of the door. It was only with the realization of what had gone by his ear that he felt a sharp pain come from his left ear and a small trickle of blood slide down his face.
"That was to make sure you understand Mr. Rayne that failure isn't an option for you." The Boss stated with lethal intent in his voice, "To me failing in one's task is the same as being worthless and I dispose of worthless things Mr. Rayne. Painfully."
To those words the chaos mage known as Ethan Rayne left the room as quickly as he could while retaining as much dignity and self-respect as he could. He also made a promise to himself to only do jobs for people weaker and dumber than him from now on.
A wise move indeed.