Xander stood in the darkened room and stared at his foe, his nemesis, his darkest enemy that haunted him every day of his life.
With all his Willpower Xander turned and walked away.
Behind him a bottle of liquor sat alone in the darkened room.
--
Xander scribbled some base notes on a piece of scratch paper before picking up the recorder.
"Alexander Harris Prototype stake launcher test, take fourteen. I am attempting an electro-mag launched stake for possible adaptation to the Gear suit." Xander spoke as he set up the mannequin at the far end of the warehouse and carefully targeted the system to the Dummies chest before clicking on the recorder again. "A simple band placed around the stake allows the Magnetic Polarizer to grasp it for launch, this system has proven much more reliable and far cheaper then my original attempt to incase said stake in a break away shell." Xander said before stopping and considering the variables he had to deal with.
"While accuracy leaves much to be desired, this is a problem I can work out in further models. Test fourteen commencing. Charging Electro-Mag System." Xander said as he tapped a couple keys and nodded at the green lights came on in sequence. "Firing."
With a sound similar to a paintball gun firing, Xander watched as the stake flew from the launcher and slammed into the mannequin with enough force to punch through the sawdust filled target and slam into the concrete wall behind.
Walking down the range, Xander bent to look through the hole in the mannequin before clicking the recorder on again. "Test fourteen was a resounding success, recommend reducing power charge to decrease punch through of targets." Xander said before sticking his finger in the hole where the dummies eye had been. "Secondary recommendation, find viable way to increase stake accuracy."
Xander spun as an alarm behind him warned him of impending danger.
With a muffled curse, Xander ran for the door and out into the morning sunlight.
He was late for school.
--
Xander walked up to his two friends as the exited the history class.
"I don't know, I don't think so. They seemed pretty friendly." Buffy said in confusion as Xander got within hearing range.
"Who's friendly?" He asked as he tried to break into the conversation.
"No one." "Angel and a girl." Xander's two friends responded together, Xander grinned as Buffy commented on Willow sharing.
"Hey, it's me. If Angel is doing something wrong I wanna know about it. Cuz you know it gives me a happy." Xander said with a smile as the three walk into the student lounge.
"Well I'm glad someone has a happy." Buffy said glumly as she thought of Angel and the dark haired woman.
"You're right, I do have a happy, it's a very big happy. Hey I even call it Mr. happy, and is this conversation really as nasty as it sounds?" Xander said before shaking off the preceding words. "Well you just need some cheering up, and I know just the thing." Xander said before jumping back into a pose. "Crazy dance party at the Bronze." He suggested as Buffy crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "Slightly chipper party at the Bronze?" he tried as he dropped the pose and watched Buffy shrug. "Very calm party at the Bronze?" he pressed before sitting next to Willow. "Absurdly depressed moping at the Bronze, with lots of brooding and angst." He finished as a dark haired teen walked up behind the slayer.
"You might try a box of Oreo's dunked in apple juice, but maybe she's over that phase."
--
Xander walked into the Bronze and glanced at the gathered crowd before focusing on Buffy, Willow and the new guy that just seemed to bug him.
Walking up to the three, Xander made sure he was behind the male as he tried to line up a shot at the pool table. "HEY guys." Xander said with a smirk as the dark haired teen's shot went horribly off course and sunk the black eight ball. "Buffy, Willow and… no no don't tell me I got it. Chevy, No Dodge no…" Xander trailed off as the blonde slayer rolled her eyes and started setting the table up again.
"It's Ford." The newest transfer to Sunnydale high said as he offered Xander his hand.
Taking it Xander ignored the cold creeping feeling he got up the back of his neck. "Ford, right I knew it was a domestic brand, well it could be worse I know a Porche, a Tomas Adam Hawk and probably most disturbing is Ms. Cee Phyllis over at the Sunnydale Motor Lodge." Xander said and tried to settle his misgivings as Ford snorted.
"Yeah, Ford was just about to tell us about the ninth grade Beauty contest and the uh, swimsuit competition." Willow said cheerfully as Buffy glared at the smirking Los Angelian.
"No he wasn't," Buffy warned as Ford broke the racked balls and shrugged at the blonde.
"You can't touch me Summers, I know all your dark secrets." Ford threatened playfully as Xander sat next to his redhead friend and watched the game.
Xander watched the byplay between the two before a blonde at the entrance caught his attention as she talked to a tall man.
Cursing silently, Xander excused himself from the group and followed as the two went outside.
One Xander recognized as a vampire due to the outdated clothes, the other he knew as his own personal bane.
Ms. Alice Case.
Xander carefully felt for the stake he kept in his pocket as he hurried toward the entrance, growling as he wondered who was more annoying. //Vampires or reporters, Vampires or reporters? Why can't I only have to deal with one blood sucker at a freaking time?// he wondered before shaking off the thought.
With his luck she would be turned and he would have to deal with a true blood sucking reporter.
"At least it's not lawyers." He grumbled as he finally made it outside.