Title: Cry Havoc Once More
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: First four series of Buffy with some elements of five and six.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy it but I am broke.
Summary: The final battle is about to be joined and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Friends will become enemies and enemies will become friends. A look at the final battle and the path that lead to it. (Multi Crossovers)
AN: Generally I really like Buffy and I usually write B/X fics, but for this fic I have decided to incorporate and focus on one aspect of Buffy's personality that I usually overlook or tone down. Also no Glory or Dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~15 Years Ago - End Of 2000~
Xander slumped as he felt his soul returning to his body. It had been an incredible rush being joined in Buffy's body to defeat ADAM. While himself, Willow and Giles were still weak, a hairy demon broke into the room only to be killed by Spike. Because he was still coming down from the magic experience and insulting Spike was as natural as breathing, Xander did not pay any mental attention to the conversation (AN: this is because I can't be bothered looking up the episode and copying the dialogue. :) ). Buffy emerged from the secret lab with Riley and hugged Willow, almost ignoring Xander despite the fact that the spell had been his idea, and Spike said something stupidly macho before they headed out into the chaos of battle.
While Buffy and Riley took point, Xander went drag, bringing up the rear and incapacitating a lot of the demons and vampires that tried to attack the group that Buffy and Riley never noticed. When Graham and the other Initiative Soldiers joined the group, Xander traded the blaster for an M16. Utilising his soldier memories to their fullest, Xander organised the soldiers into a covered fallback that managed to keep the demons at a distance behind them. The last cover pair was Xander and a soldier he did not know, they waited as Buffy and Riley pried open the elevator doors and began to get the soldiers into the elevator shaft. As the evacuation continued, a group of demons and vampires poured around the corner. Most of the demons were killed by the burst of gunfire from the M16's, even a few vampires were killed when the bullets ripped through their necks, effectively taking their heads off. The soldier managed to stop more demons and vampires by throwing a grenade around the corner, leaving them to face one big, hairy demon and two vampires.
The two vampires came at Xander while the demon attacked the other soldier. Xander heard a few shots ring out before he was too busy to notice anymore. Xander shifted his grip on the now empty M16, and using it like a baseball bat, swung the rifle, almost taking the head off one of the vampires and driving it into the wall. The second vampire was more cautious and managed to disarm Xander, sending the rifle flying out of reach. Xander, in the true, extremely paranoid tradition of the Scooby Gang, pulled a stake out of the back of his trousers and prepared for hand to hand. Xander did fairly well against the vampire, as it was only a fledgling, managing to land several solid punches and kicks, one of which cause the vampire to stumble back. Taking this opportunity, Xander kicked the other vampire in the head as it tried to rise and staked it. Mad at the staking of its companion, the final vampire made a classic and final mistake, it charged trying to land a haymaker, which Xander dodged and used the opening to stake the vampire.
Xander looked over at the other soldier. He had managed to slow the demon down with the shots he had gotten of and was using his rifle like Xander had. As Xander turned, the soldier made a mistake, allowing the demon to disarm him and rake its claws across his stomach. Xander immediately jumped into action, grabbing the demon from behind and, with the strength born of an adrenaline rush, threw the demon into the still burning bodies down the corridor where it began to burn before it ran off. Xander grabbed the injured soldier in a fireman's hold and carried him to the elevator shaft.
"Medic!" he called as he got there.
Xander looked around seeing only soldiers. Riley, Buffy, Willow, Spike and Giles had already gone to the surface. The medic quickly began to work on the soldier but in the end he was unable to help him and the soldier died.
"Thank you, Xander." Graham said.
"No problem. Never leave a man behind, right?" Xander said before he sadly began to climb the ropes to the frat house above.
********
Xander was just finishing has last set of bench presses when he heard the door open. Looking up to his spotter, Graham, he saw his friend mouth a name.
"Come on in, Tara. I'll be finished in a second." He said as he continued with his daily exercise.
In the three months since the debacle in the Initiative, Xander had been excluded more and more from the Scooby Gang that he had basically founded. At first it had been as normal. Tara had been integrated into the group and had quickly become friends with Xander, once commenting that he was a 'cutie' and insinuating that if she was not gay and currently dating Willow, she might consider dating him. Then things had begun to change. Buffy had slowly begun to exclude him from her patrols, saying that she could not protect him and he could not protect himself yet she refused to train him. Instead she took Riley and Willow, for 'magical backup', generally leaving Xander and Tara behind to research or just to worriedly wait for those they cared about to return.
One day, a few weeks after the fight, Xander had accidentally met Graham on the streets, Graham having returned after his debriefing in Washington. Graham and the small group of former Initiative soldiers that had returned respected Xander for what had happened during their extraction from their overrun base and they quickly befriended him. The small group had trained and patrolled Sunnydale, avoiding Buffy and her patrols as Xander knew her patterns and Tara, the only other Scoobie who knew about them, helping them out in any ways possible. This little group had great success, particularly when Xander insisted that they all begin to learn melee weapons such as stakes and swords rather than just guns and blasters. The downturn in demonic and vampiric activity was noticed by Buffy and the Scooby Gang, however Buffy, as usual, put it down to her own prowess and the demons now learning to fear her, suddenly after four years.
Xander finished his last bench press and sat up, not noticing or caring that he was shirtless. Wiping the sheen of sweat off his body revealed a well toned and muscular physique, which had been hidden for years under his baggy clothes and enhanced by his training. It is amazing how fit you body can become from simply absorbing twelve years of bullying. The sight made Tara blush slightly and look away until he had a shirt on, however she did notice the tattoo of a cross on Xander's right shoulder.
"So what can HC do for our favourite blond Wicca?" Xander asked.
"HC?" Tara said, confused.
"Hell's Commandos" Xander clarified.
Tara smiled at the name and gave a slight wave back to Graham, who had waved as he exited the gym. All of the members of the newly named HC liked Tara, thinking of her as their unofficial mascot and good luck charm. If she ever asked for anything, they would do everything in their power to get it for her, but she never abused this, making the soldiers respect her even more. After the downfall of the Initiative, the HC had managed to acquire Lowell House as their base of operations and had given Tara an open pass to visit.
"Right. Xander, there's going to be a Scooby meeting this afternoon and they want you there. It's probably one of Buffy's I'm so great meeting but you should still show."
"Alright, I'll show." Xander said before pausing. "How is Willow?"
"She's fine, I guess. I think she's using too much magic though." Tara replied slightly sadly. "I'll see you this afternoon."
With that, Tara turned and walked out. When she was gone, Xander walked into the main house.
"Alright everyone. Party tonight for Tara's Birthday." He announced with a grin.
********
Xander was bored. The gang was sitting in the Magic Box, which Giles had purchased. Willow was sitting next to Tara, holding her hand but generally overlooking her girlfriend, who deserved more in Xander's opinion. Giles sat in his typical position at the head of the table while Anya, Xander's ex-girlfriend, them having broken up after the Initiative incident because he might have died and then there would have been no one to give her sex, stood behind the cash register counting money. Buffy was going on about the demon that had injured Riley, who was now in the hospital; a demon that Xander knew was relatively weak, for what they had faced. The door opened and everyone glanced at the door to see three people. One was a man about their own age with a weak attempt at a beard, next to him stood an older man and the third was a young woman, about the same age as the first man, with blond hair. Everyone at the table, except Tara, turned back, intent on the conversation or being bored in Xander's case. Tara, on the other hand, looked terrified, and Xander was the first to notice.
"Hello Tara." The older man at the door said.
"Father, Donny, Beth. How, I mean what are you doing here?" Tara stuttered nervously.
"It's that day, and we've come to take you home." Mr Maclay said. "We thought that you had gotten this out of you system, but we were obviously wrong."
Mr Maclay gestured around at the magical items.
"Get back here you sodden wanker!" came an irritatingly familiar voice from the back room.
Suddenly the door to the training room burst open and the demon that Buffy had been talking about earlier came bursting in, followed by a pissed off Spike. Buffy managed to intercept the demon and kill it by driving a stake through its chest, which will kill a surprising number of demons.
"What the fuck is that?" Donny asked.
"A demon. Der." Buffy replied.
"See what you've done? How many more demons are going to come because of you?" Mr Maclay screamed at Tara.
"What are you drivelling about?" Xander said.
"She is part demon, evil. As are all the women in our family, but we know how to control her." Mr Maclay said.
"Um. What kind of demon?" Anya said in the back.
"Huh?" said Donny.
"What kind of demon. Sure some are evil but others have led productive lives that help the community." Anya said.
"Demon is demon, evil is evil." Mr Maclay said.
"With the exception of Tara, hands up if you are, were, dated or raised a demon." Xander said.
Everyone in the store, except the Maclay's raised their hands.
"Spike?" Xander said, gesturing to Tara.
"Right." The chipped vampire said.
Spike walked up to Tara and punched her in the nose then clutched his head in pain.
"Hey!" Willow said angrily.
Xander just smirked.
"She's human." Spike declared.
"Let me guess." Xander said, turning on Tara's blood relatives. "It has been a family tradition, passed down for generations, that the women were part demon to keep them under control. You sicken me."
"It's none of you concern. Tara, come with us." Mr Maclay said.
"N No." Tara stuttered.
Mr Maclay stepped towards Tara, only to be stoped by Xander.
"You lay a finger on her I'll break all your bones, sting you up for a week and then stop being nice." Xander growled.
"We're her blood kin, who the hell are you?" Donny demanded.
"Her friends, her family. We care about her." Xander said, before turning on her farther. "You're just the fucking sperm donor."
Donny threw a punch which was grabbed by Xander, who twisted Donny's arm around behind him.
"Leave now. If I ever see you again, you'll beg for death." Xander growled before throwing Donny, Beth and Mr Maclay out of the Magic Box.
There was a pregnant pause before anyone spoke.
"Who's up for some Bronzing?" Buffy said.
"Well Tara can't. She has a prior engagement. I have to be going too." Xander said with a lopsided grin.
TBC
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: First four series of Buffy with some elements of five and six.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy it but I am broke.
Summary: The final battle is about to be joined and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Friends will become enemies and enemies will become friends. A look at the final battle and the path that lead to it. (Multi Crossovers)
AN: Generally I really like Buffy and I usually write B/X fics, but for this fic I have decided to incorporate and focus on one aspect of Buffy's personality that I usually overlook or tone down. Also no Glory or Dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~15 Years Ago - End Of 2000~
Xander slumped as he felt his soul returning to his body. It had been an incredible rush being joined in Buffy's body to defeat ADAM. While himself, Willow and Giles were still weak, a hairy demon broke into the room only to be killed by Spike. Because he was still coming down from the magic experience and insulting Spike was as natural as breathing, Xander did not pay any mental attention to the conversation (AN: this is because I can't be bothered looking up the episode and copying the dialogue. :) ). Buffy emerged from the secret lab with Riley and hugged Willow, almost ignoring Xander despite the fact that the spell had been his idea, and Spike said something stupidly macho before they headed out into the chaos of battle.
While Buffy and Riley took point, Xander went drag, bringing up the rear and incapacitating a lot of the demons and vampires that tried to attack the group that Buffy and Riley never noticed. When Graham and the other Initiative Soldiers joined the group, Xander traded the blaster for an M16. Utilising his soldier memories to their fullest, Xander organised the soldiers into a covered fallback that managed to keep the demons at a distance behind them. The last cover pair was Xander and a soldier he did not know, they waited as Buffy and Riley pried open the elevator doors and began to get the soldiers into the elevator shaft. As the evacuation continued, a group of demons and vampires poured around the corner. Most of the demons were killed by the burst of gunfire from the M16's, even a few vampires were killed when the bullets ripped through their necks, effectively taking their heads off. The soldier managed to stop more demons and vampires by throwing a grenade around the corner, leaving them to face one big, hairy demon and two vampires.
The two vampires came at Xander while the demon attacked the other soldier. Xander heard a few shots ring out before he was too busy to notice anymore. Xander shifted his grip on the now empty M16, and using it like a baseball bat, swung the rifle, almost taking the head off one of the vampires and driving it into the wall. The second vampire was more cautious and managed to disarm Xander, sending the rifle flying out of reach. Xander, in the true, extremely paranoid tradition of the Scooby Gang, pulled a stake out of the back of his trousers and prepared for hand to hand. Xander did fairly well against the vampire, as it was only a fledgling, managing to land several solid punches and kicks, one of which cause the vampire to stumble back. Taking this opportunity, Xander kicked the other vampire in the head as it tried to rise and staked it. Mad at the staking of its companion, the final vampire made a classic and final mistake, it charged trying to land a haymaker, which Xander dodged and used the opening to stake the vampire.
Xander looked over at the other soldier. He had managed to slow the demon down with the shots he had gotten of and was using his rifle like Xander had. As Xander turned, the soldier made a mistake, allowing the demon to disarm him and rake its claws across his stomach. Xander immediately jumped into action, grabbing the demon from behind and, with the strength born of an adrenaline rush, threw the demon into the still burning bodies down the corridor where it began to burn before it ran off. Xander grabbed the injured soldier in a fireman's hold and carried him to the elevator shaft.
"Medic!" he called as he got there.
Xander looked around seeing only soldiers. Riley, Buffy, Willow, Spike and Giles had already gone to the surface. The medic quickly began to work on the soldier but in the end he was unable to help him and the soldier died.
"Thank you, Xander." Graham said.
"No problem. Never leave a man behind, right?" Xander said before he sadly began to climb the ropes to the frat house above.
********
Xander was just finishing has last set of bench presses when he heard the door open. Looking up to his spotter, Graham, he saw his friend mouth a name.
"Come on in, Tara. I'll be finished in a second." He said as he continued with his daily exercise.
In the three months since the debacle in the Initiative, Xander had been excluded more and more from the Scooby Gang that he had basically founded. At first it had been as normal. Tara had been integrated into the group and had quickly become friends with Xander, once commenting that he was a 'cutie' and insinuating that if she was not gay and currently dating Willow, she might consider dating him. Then things had begun to change. Buffy had slowly begun to exclude him from her patrols, saying that she could not protect him and he could not protect himself yet she refused to train him. Instead she took Riley and Willow, for 'magical backup', generally leaving Xander and Tara behind to research or just to worriedly wait for those they cared about to return.
One day, a few weeks after the fight, Xander had accidentally met Graham on the streets, Graham having returned after his debriefing in Washington. Graham and the small group of former Initiative soldiers that had returned respected Xander for what had happened during their extraction from their overrun base and they quickly befriended him. The small group had trained and patrolled Sunnydale, avoiding Buffy and her patrols as Xander knew her patterns and Tara, the only other Scoobie who knew about them, helping them out in any ways possible. This little group had great success, particularly when Xander insisted that they all begin to learn melee weapons such as stakes and swords rather than just guns and blasters. The downturn in demonic and vampiric activity was noticed by Buffy and the Scooby Gang, however Buffy, as usual, put it down to her own prowess and the demons now learning to fear her, suddenly after four years.
Xander finished his last bench press and sat up, not noticing or caring that he was shirtless. Wiping the sheen of sweat off his body revealed a well toned and muscular physique, which had been hidden for years under his baggy clothes and enhanced by his training. It is amazing how fit you body can become from simply absorbing twelve years of bullying. The sight made Tara blush slightly and look away until he had a shirt on, however she did notice the tattoo of a cross on Xander's right shoulder.
"So what can HC do for our favourite blond Wicca?" Xander asked.
"HC?" Tara said, confused.
"Hell's Commandos" Xander clarified.
Tara smiled at the name and gave a slight wave back to Graham, who had waved as he exited the gym. All of the members of the newly named HC liked Tara, thinking of her as their unofficial mascot and good luck charm. If she ever asked for anything, they would do everything in their power to get it for her, but she never abused this, making the soldiers respect her even more. After the downfall of the Initiative, the HC had managed to acquire Lowell House as their base of operations and had given Tara an open pass to visit.
"Right. Xander, there's going to be a Scooby meeting this afternoon and they want you there. It's probably one of Buffy's I'm so great meeting but you should still show."
"Alright, I'll show." Xander said before pausing. "How is Willow?"
"She's fine, I guess. I think she's using too much magic though." Tara replied slightly sadly. "I'll see you this afternoon."
With that, Tara turned and walked out. When she was gone, Xander walked into the main house.
"Alright everyone. Party tonight for Tara's Birthday." He announced with a grin.
********
Xander was bored. The gang was sitting in the Magic Box, which Giles had purchased. Willow was sitting next to Tara, holding her hand but generally overlooking her girlfriend, who deserved more in Xander's opinion. Giles sat in his typical position at the head of the table while Anya, Xander's ex-girlfriend, them having broken up after the Initiative incident because he might have died and then there would have been no one to give her sex, stood behind the cash register counting money. Buffy was going on about the demon that had injured Riley, who was now in the hospital; a demon that Xander knew was relatively weak, for what they had faced. The door opened and everyone glanced at the door to see three people. One was a man about their own age with a weak attempt at a beard, next to him stood an older man and the third was a young woman, about the same age as the first man, with blond hair. Everyone at the table, except Tara, turned back, intent on the conversation or being bored in Xander's case. Tara, on the other hand, looked terrified, and Xander was the first to notice.
"Hello Tara." The older man at the door said.
"Father, Donny, Beth. How, I mean what are you doing here?" Tara stuttered nervously.
"It's that day, and we've come to take you home." Mr Maclay said. "We thought that you had gotten this out of you system, but we were obviously wrong."
Mr Maclay gestured around at the magical items.
"Get back here you sodden wanker!" came an irritatingly familiar voice from the back room.
Suddenly the door to the training room burst open and the demon that Buffy had been talking about earlier came bursting in, followed by a pissed off Spike. Buffy managed to intercept the demon and kill it by driving a stake through its chest, which will kill a surprising number of demons.
"What the fuck is that?" Donny asked.
"A demon. Der." Buffy replied.
"See what you've done? How many more demons are going to come because of you?" Mr Maclay screamed at Tara.
"What are you drivelling about?" Xander said.
"She is part demon, evil. As are all the women in our family, but we know how to control her." Mr Maclay said.
"Um. What kind of demon?" Anya said in the back.
"Huh?" said Donny.
"What kind of demon. Sure some are evil but others have led productive lives that help the community." Anya said.
"Demon is demon, evil is evil." Mr Maclay said.
"With the exception of Tara, hands up if you are, were, dated or raised a demon." Xander said.
Everyone in the store, except the Maclay's raised their hands.
"Spike?" Xander said, gesturing to Tara.
"Right." The chipped vampire said.
Spike walked up to Tara and punched her in the nose then clutched his head in pain.
"Hey!" Willow said angrily.
Xander just smirked.
"She's human." Spike declared.
"Let me guess." Xander said, turning on Tara's blood relatives. "It has been a family tradition, passed down for generations, that the women were part demon to keep them under control. You sicken me."
"It's none of you concern. Tara, come with us." Mr Maclay said.
"N No." Tara stuttered.
Mr Maclay stepped towards Tara, only to be stoped by Xander.
"You lay a finger on her I'll break all your bones, sting you up for a week and then stop being nice." Xander growled.
"We're her blood kin, who the hell are you?" Donny demanded.
"Her friends, her family. We care about her." Xander said, before turning on her farther. "You're just the fucking sperm donor."
Donny threw a punch which was grabbed by Xander, who twisted Donny's arm around behind him.
"Leave now. If I ever see you again, you'll beg for death." Xander growled before throwing Donny, Beth and Mr Maclay out of the Magic Box.
There was a pregnant pause before anyone spoke.
"Who's up for some Bronzing?" Buffy said.
"Well Tara can't. She has a prior engagement. I have to be going too." Xander said with a lopsided grin.
TBC