"Another's Destiny Undertaken"
Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends/BtVS
(Title tentative, Subject to Change, Suggestions Welcome)
Note: This will take place during Xander's Road Trip after the end of Season 3 in BtVS. In the Roswell Conspiracies timeline it will happen just before but leading into the first episode. Keep in mind though that is has been years since I've seen the series much less the episode so there will undoubtably be a few mistakes. If anyone can point out a site where I can download some episodes of the show or maybe might be willing to let me download them from their computer I would really appreciate it. Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends was one of my favourite shows when it was on TV and while I will be looking for the DVD at local stores it would really be a break of good luck if I could get the episodes sooner and for free (more or less).
Colorado Springs, Colorado, EveningAh! Good old Colorado Springs! Xander thought as he strolled down the sidewalk of the great city, Too bad there isn't really a Stargate Command underneath Cheyenne Mountain 'cause it'd be cool to bump into O'Neill or Tealc right now.
It had been one of the main reasons he had chosen Colorado for his post high school graduation road trip. Not that he was a geek or anything but aside from thinking that visiting cities used in TV shows would be fun he really had no plan laid out as to where to go. Sometimes when there was no specific city or state in mind he'd just spin himself around and where ever his finger pointed when he came to a stop would be the direction he'd drive in. His 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible was holding up surprisingly well considering he had gotten in from his Uncle Rory and had only needed a little bit of maintenance every couple of hundred miles or so. While his Uncle was among the more respectable members of the Harris Clan he was by no means without his flaws. One of them unfortunately was the tendency to be a bit cheap when it came to maintaining the used cars in his lot. Oh they'd run long enough to impress the new owners during the test drive before the purchase and maybe last a month afterwards without trouble but eventually they'd either fall to pieces or require serious cash to keep going. So with this in mind he'd been a little suspicious of the car when he'd first gotten it but apparently being his nephew meant something to Uncle Rory because the convertible turned out to be in surprisingly good shape and had remained so ever since.
He had intended to drive around to all the local tourist attractions this evening but there must have been some kind of celebration or festival or something going on because when he looked out his hotel window he saw that the streets were clogged. It would take him all night just to get to half the places he wanted to go if he tried to drive there so he eventually decided to just walk there instead. He knew it was a bit risky since vampires and demons weren't confined to just the Hellmouth but he had the necessary tools with him so he figured he could deal with a few vamps if they decided to cause trouble. Also as long as he kept to well lit areas of the city as well as away from the darker spots the odds that he'd be attacked were minimal. After all while vamps might be hungry they were also smart enough not to draw too much attention to themselves by grabbing victims in full view of the public. They'd make sure to lure or take their prey to someplace secluded or away from the bustling crowds before letting their true nature be known. Personally he thought it was just as much the vamps playing with their food as it was not wanting a lot of witnesses given how cocky the undead generally were towards humans. In any case he had a small cross on a chain around his right wrist so if anyone approached him he could easily slip the cross between the two hands during a handshake. If the person showed signs of pain and his palm started to smoke then it was a vampire and he'd make sure to keep an eye on the dead person walkin'. If nothing happened he'd say that the cross was a gift from an ex-girlfriend and that it had the annoying habit of slipping out of his sleeve and into his hand from time to time. If he acted goofy enough and played upon how people generally behaved towards geeks and freaks he'd manage to get away without much trouble.
He spotted a nice looking club about two blocks away and was about to start making his way there when he heard a muffled female scream a helluva lot closer. Letting his instincts guide his actions he ran for all he was worth towards where he thought the scream had come from. Now he knew, logically, that the woman might not be in any trouble at all and could very well be screaming in pleasure or surprise or something perfectly harmless. However the Sunnyhell paranoia that had been a part of him since he'd lost Jesse to the darkness three years ago told him otherwise. It was a few twists and turns later before he found what he was looking for a for a moment he wished that he could exorcise the damn White Knight complex he seemed to have. Right there in front of him were no less than seven vampires that seemed to be dining off a couple near the back of the alleyway he had just turned down. Add to that the fact that their clothes were so obviously of the nineteen sixties and they weren't the 'vamps-is-so-stupid' newbies he was expecting. Still he knew that the couple on the ground didn't have a lot of time so he decided to go with the first half baked plan he could come up with. Reaching into his jacket pocket with his right hand and to the small of his back with his left he pulled out the two things he hoped would even the odds. Bringing his left hand up he revealed the Beretta he'd tucked in his belt and began to open fire on the vamps aiming for head-shots but willing to settle for anything of the upper body variety. He knew that the bullets wouldn't kill the nosfuratu but it would leave them dazed, disoriented and hopefully still for the next minute or so.
Four out of seven isn't bad. He thought as more than half of the bloodsuckers he had fired at went down and were barely showing signs of moving, Now to deal with the remaining three!
Charging to close the distance between the three remaining vampires and himself he kept his right hand in his jacket pocket until he was about two feet away and then flung the contents of the jar he had into the faces of the vamps. Like Queen C finding out she had a huge zit on her face two of the three vamps he'd hit started screaming as the holy water burned their skin like acid. For the One remaining vampire though he had managed to save himself from the majority of the blessed liquid by jumping back at the last second. Not what Key Guy wanted but still not entirely hopeless. Pulling a stake from the inside pocket of his jacket he prepared to go to work on the disoriented vampires when out of nowhere a strong hand clamped onto his shoulder and threw him into the nearest brick wall. Needless to say he was somewhat disappointed to find that neither stars nor tweety birds danced in front of his eyes but rather Twinkies with faces and hands with all of them laughing at him. Unfortunately he didn't have much time to curse whatever higher or lower being responsible for that because once his vision cleared a bit he had to quickly dodge to the side in order to avoid his brain being splattered by a vamp's oncoming fist. It only saved him for a moment though as with a quick glance around he found that the nosfuratu he'd shot earlier were beginning to get enough brain juice to stand upright again.
Not GOOD! He thought as he tried to think up a new strategy that wouldn't involve getting put six feet under the hard way.
Taking out another bottle of holy water he had with him he dumped liberal amounts on a trashcan lid nearby and then like a Frisbee he flicked it at the rising vamps hoping to catch one or maybe even two with the shot. Surprisingly enough Lady Luck seemed to be in a generous mood this time of night because he actually managed to hit three in the head before the lid lost momentum and fell to the ground. Just like he planned though the water that was on the lid hit sensitive spots on the vamps' faces causing whatever coherency they might have regained to go back to square one. Ejecting the empty clip from his Beretta he fished a fresh one out of his pocket and was about to slap it in when he got tackled from behind. Slamming onto the cold alleyway floor with what had to be two hundred and twenty pounds on his back the wind exited his lungs leaving him temporarily weak as the proverbial kitten. He tried his hardest to knock the vampire off, to somehow get back on his feet where he had a chance of surviving, but even as oxygen began to return to his lungs he knew he was quickly running out of time. If he didn't somehow force this scenario back onto even ground he'd soon be dead and the vamps would have some desert ready for when the finished draining the couple.
Knowing my luck they'll probably take two sips of me and say 'tastes like Twinkies'! Xander thought as he prepared to give one final all-or-nothing shove to dislodge his vamp piggy-back rider.
However before he could enact his plan of desperation the sound of quick footfalls approaching caught his ear and he looked up to see a guy in a brown duster jacket running towards him from the other end of the alley. He tried to get enough air into his lungs to tell the man to turn around, to save his own life, but before he could speak a single word the unknown hero dove forward and tackled the vampire that was holding him down. Suddenly free of any restrainers he got back to his feet and turned to see his saviour faring better than most humans would against the vamps. As quick as the vampires were this guy knew enough about fighting and apparently some martial arts to stay one step ahead of them. That would only last so long though since it would take more than a beating from even a skilled human to put a vamp down for good. Taking his second and last wooden stake from his pocket he charged in taking advantage of his rescuer's skill and staking a vamp from behind after it took a stunning blow to the jaw.
"What the--?" the man asked in confusion as the vampire turned to dust right in front of him.
"Fight now, explanations later!" Xander said firmly as he ducked a punch from another vamp, slammed the cross chained to his wrist into its forehead and then rammed the stake into the undead being's heart.
For the next few moments it was absolute bedlam as he and his twenty something looking partner teamed up to take on the five remaining vampires. Staying back-to-back and taking advantage of almost every opening the other provided. Thankfully his duster-wearing friend found the stake that he'd dropped earlier due to his forced introduction to the brick wall and was putting it to good use. Ten minutes later the vamps that were once five were now two and with one-on-one odds he knew that the two of them would make it out of this situation alive. That was when Fate decided to change that rosy picture when the vampire that his green eyed friend was fighting landed a blow that sent the man flying into a pile of trash someone put out back. Quickly dusting his own vamp Xander charged at the other vampire's back and slammed the stake into the unbeating heart within dusting it completely. As he took a moment to catch his breath he wondered why the last vamp had stayed fixed on the man in the duster jacket instead of aiding its pal and double-teaming him. It was when he looked up at his brave new hero that he got his answer in the form of a growing stain of red on the man's shirt.
"Shit!" he exclaimed as he raced to the guy's side and began checking for a pulse, "Come on buddy stay with me now! Don't you dare waltz off to the pearly gates without so much as a goodbye!"
Unfortunately no matter where he looked, whether it was the wrist or the throat, there was no pulse at all. He must have been impaled from behind the second he hit the pile of trash and been killed instantly. It would also explain why the vampire had ignored him and fixated on someone who looked to be out of the fight for the moment. The vamps had been out for their first meal of the night and while some of their thirst might have been dealt with by feeding on the couple it had still be strong enough to get the last vamp to ignore him in favour of easier prey. Not that those facts mattered at the moment because whatever the circumstances had been this man was dead now because he had come to one former Zeppo's aide.
The vampires might be dead but this man and the couple he'd originally come to save were dead as well.
This was no victory.
"Maybe not kid but it doesn't have to be a total loss." Came a solemn voice with a distinctly Brooklyn accent.
Turning to the voice he was surprised to find a loudly dressed pimp standing not fifteen feet from him with his hands in his pockets. No name he could recalled matched this stranger's face but at the same time he knew it'd be a smart thing to listen to whatever this mystery man had to say.
"Smart decision. You know you really are a wild card Harris." The man said as he looked about and took in all the blood, death and ashes strewn about the alley, "Out of all the possible outcomes this situation had the higher ups didn't know this was going to happen until it was too late to do anything about it. Needless to say kid you sure made a mess of my bosses plans for this guy."
"Who the hell are you!" Xander asked with no little bit of anger towards the unknown man that was, in his mind, disrespecting the dead by treating their passing so lightly.
"Name's Whistler. I'm a messenger of sorts." Whistler replied as he let his eyes pass over the scene in front of him, "I'm here to make you a rather unique proposal Harris. One that'd help make up for the mess you've made."
"Me? I didn't do anything but try to help this couple. This guy came in on his own to help me out. How is this my mess?" he asked as he tried to get a grip on what might be coming his way in a few moments.
"It's true you didn't force Nicky-boy here to come down here but you were the reason he came and therefore are partially responsible for him being dead." Whistler replied as he returned his gaze to Xander, "With Logan dead a lot of things that would've happened if he'd been alive are now in danger of either never coming to pass or being distorted horribly. One such distortion would be the fact that unless something is done this entire planet is going to get blown up."
"What?" Xander exclaimed as he tried to imagine how the absence of one guy could result in the destruction of the Earth.
Whistler however seemed to be listening to some voice audible only to him and given the grimace's on the guy's face it was not a pleasant conversation.
"Okay! O-kay! Sheesh! Look kid here's the deal: due to you deciding to play hero a human who was a couple days away from startin' down the path to his destiny was killed. Now things are all outta whack but you have the ability to fix things." Whistler explained as he tried to get the ring inducing silent tongue lashing out of his head, "Basically you'd be taking his place and doing the things he'd have done if he were still alive. I'd call you on his cell phone every once and awhile to nudge you in the right direction if you stray too far from the preferred path. It won't be a cake walk but it's still better than the alternative."
Xander wasn't entirely thrilled by this so called proposal but he had to admit that he was at least partially responsible for Nick Logan's death. If it hadn't been for his botched rescue attempt of the couple the man probably would still be alive to do whatever it was he was supposed to do. Still there was one detail he had to hammer out with this Whistler guy before he'd even consider doing anything.
"What about Buffy and the gang back in Sunnydale? What if they need me?" He asked as he needed to know if he'd be able to go back and help them during Armageddon season.
"Not likely kid. You saw how they were slowly pushing you outta the loop in the months leading up to graduation." Whistler said with the certainty that what he was saying was true, "Sure they invited you back for that whole graduation bomb thing but let's face it kid it was a one time thing. In the end you gotta ask yourself: do I wanna be a sidekick the rest of my life or become a player all my own?"
Much as he hated to admit that the pimp might have a point there it was in big neon lights. Aside from rigging the school to blow and maybe organizing the graduating class a little into an organized force rather than a rabble of teenagers he really hadn't been that involved in the slayage back home. Plus he'd kind of been dreading going back to Sunnyhell what with Buffy and Willow going on to University while he'd still be stuck in his parents' basement. Not exactly the most morale boosting of predicaments he had to say. Still he couldn't just leave the gang so it was time to toss his own proposal into the works.
"Okay I'll do it but on ONE condition and this is non-negotiable: you and you're bosses monitor the gang in a way that makes the idea of 'Big Brother' surveillance look like amateur hour. The absolute minute you hear about something going down that the gang could use a hand with you call me immediately. You tell me everything about the situation and find a way to get me there without blowing my cover. Understand?" he asked looking at the pimp dressed messenger in a way that made it clear he wouldn't back down from this position.
Whistler seemed to be listening to his silent friend again but this time seemed to be a little more comfortable with what was being said.
"You drive a hard bargain kid. Deal." Whistler said sounding impressed both by the kid's loyalty to his friends and by the reaction to the demand by his bosses.
"Good. So now what?" Xander asked as he tried to figure out how things were going to play out from here.
"Now THIS!" Whistler replied and without any warning bolts of energy leapt from each of the pimp's hands but went in two different directions.
One bolt flew through the air and struck the dead body of one Nick Logan while the other hit Xander right in the chest. Most would expect a flashy lightshow at this point, maybe something similar to the end of a duel in 'Highlander', but disappointingly it didn't. All that happened was Xander's face twisting up in pain, a bright flash of light that lit up the alley from one end to another and then everything went back to normal. Well as normal as a teenage guy suddenly looking identical to the dead guy on the ground a few feet away. It took a few moments for the formerly teenage Xander to get everything working right in his head but when everything was in the green he didn't bother to restrain the anger that had been produced by the pain.
"What the HELL was… that… ?" Xander began to ask before he noticed that it may have been his words but the voice was definitely not his, "Huh?"
"Well you can't exactly step in for Nick Logan if you don't look and sound the part right?" Whistler asked rhetorically with some amusement, "Don't worry though, you'll be able to shapeshift back and forth, it's just something you'll need to get used to. Anyway aside from the physical changes you should also now have a complete copy of Nick's memories from childhood to the present. Fortunately though we ain't gonna dump them all on you at once but rather bit by bit over the next couple days. It'll make the integration process easier on you."
Definitely a plus because if memory dumps are anything like they are in the movies then I definitely don't want to have to deal with the 'everything-immediately' package.
"Don't worry about the bodies or yer car." Whistler said as he faded out of sight, "I'll take care of 'em both by giving a proper burial to the first and putting the latter into storage."
"Wha--? HEY!" Xander exclaimed comprehending what the messenger was talking about.
It was too late though because now there was nothing in the alley to even show that the pimp had ever been there in the first place except for an angry and frustrated looking live Nick Logan aka Xander Harris. Knowing that nothing could be served by making a commotion about his situation he headed for the mouth of the alley intending to try and find where this Logan was staying. He got about a block away before the sound of a cell phone ringing came from within his duster pocket. Then almost as a reflex of sorts he reached in with his right hand, flipped open the phone and put it next to his ear.
"Talk to me Cracker." He said without even thinking about it.
Woah! Auto-pilot! This should make things easier. Xander thought as he tried to keep himself casual and calm.
"So what was it? You hung up on me so fast I got a little worried." Came the Texan accent from the other end of the connection.
He must be referring to the fight in the alley. Xander thought before replying, "Just a couple of street punks ganging up on some kid. Nothing to worry about."
"I'll bet. Well as I was saying before you cut me off I got your next bounty for you. Big bucks if you can find the guy." Cracker said with a slight chuckle before getting down to business, "Name's Lucien Thrope, broke out of Long Pock about two weeks ago and took out seven guards in the process. Doc's say they'll be okay in a couple of weeks but two of 'em might have to retire if some of their injuries don't heal right."
So Nick's a bounty hunter eh? Sounds like an interesting job but also potentially painful if the guys Logan goes after are capable of taking down seven people. He thought before getting down to business himself and asking, "Any clue as to where he might go to ground?"
"Texas'd be my bet. Thrope's rarely been outta that state since he first started his B&E career." Cracker replied with the sound of clicking computer keys in the background, "He'll probably head to Austin, San Antonio or Houston trying to lose himself in the crowd."
"Then I guess I'm headed to the Lone Star state." Xander aka Nick said as he finally set eyes on Nick's car and caught himself before whistling appreciatively, "I'll call you when I get to Austin."
"See ya then." Cracker said before hanging up.
Ya know I think I just might like being Nick Logan. Xander thought to himself as he took in the blue and black masterpiece of automotive engineering.
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San Antonio, A Few Days Later, Early AfternoonIt had been a busy couple of days and despite some initial weird spells where Nick Logan's memories would click into place or one of his mannerisms would pop up. Once he got over the insane kookiness of the situation he actually found it kind of cool that he now knew the things he knew and could do the things he could. Add to that the wicked car and he was willing to roll with the new cause that asshole Whistler had stuck him with. With any bit of luck he'd be able to solve most of Logan's immediate destiny deals sooner rather than later and be able to head back to Sunnydale to at least see his friends once more before committing more fully to living a second life. He knew that the chances of being able to perform all of Nick Logan's destiny duties in a few months were next to nil but he was hoping that he'd at least be able to see Willow and the others long enough to set up some kind of secondary form of communication. Something like an email address that only they would know about or maybe a set of wicca-ed up cell phones that not even the best intelligence agencies on the planet could eavesdrop on. Looking down at the empty Styrofoam tray at his feet that looked like it had been used with raw meat and his ringing cell phone it was something he'd have to shelve for the time being.
"Logan here." He said after flipping open his phone and put it to his ear, "Yeah Cracker I'm on it."
Reaching down for a moment to pick up the empty and quite frankly disgusting Styrofoam tray he looked it over to see if there was an address on it or at least the name of the company that made it. If it did then a little creative snooping by Cracker would let him know where it had been before entering Thrope's hands and give him a few alternative locations in case the one he had now didn't pan out.
"Look's like Thrope hasn't lost his taste for steak tartar." He commented after confirming both what had been placed on the tray and whether or not an address was on it.
"Sucker eats raw meat Logan. Strong too considering the seven guards he took out breaking out of prison." Cracker said with extra weight to convey that this Lucien guy wasn't to be taken lightly.
"Reason enough to keep the local authorities out of this. No sense putting them at risk when I can handle Thrope myself." He said with a genuine desire not to get the local P.D involved if he could avoid it.
"So you know where he is?" Cracker asked obviously not liking the laid back way Logan a.k.a Xander was taking the situation.
"If he stinks as much as I've heard finding him won't be a problem." He replied as he watched one of the flies that had been buzzing around the empty tray separate from its feeding party and head towards a half open window above him, "Tell the people that hired us to get my check ready."
With that he slapped shut the cell phone and exited the alley before heading to the front entrance of the building the fly had been interested in. It turned out to be the apartment building he'd received his most recent lead in regarding Thrope and thanks to the insect he now had an idea of which room the creep was in.
Time to do my thing! He thought as he began to flick through Nick's rolo-dex of ways to get the drop on your chosen bounty.
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Unmarked Van Two Blocks Away, Same Time"I like him." Said the female brunette with an Egyptian accent as she watched the video feed from several of their hidden cameras.
She along with three others had been tapped for the pop quiz that was being given to a possible new recruit for their organization. From what she had seen so far he definitely had the potential but the real test would come when Logan got his first real taste of what the world was really like.
"Big surprise! He's male." Said her blonde former C.I.A partner with his usual sense of humour and smug tone of voice.
"Shut up!" he said haughtily as she wondered for the hundredth time what she had done to deserve a partner like him.
"Quiet. This was the easy part." The Boss said sternly with his eyes never leaving the view screen.
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Apartment Building, Second Floor, Outside Apartment 2BThis should do the trick. Xander thought as he finished sticking the tennis ball to the hallway ceiling right outside the door to Lucien's room.
It was a real MacGyver way of doing things but he agreed with his Logan memories that it would give him just enough time to circle around outside and set himself up for a surprise entrance through the window. Once satisfied that the ball wouldn't drop before he wanted it to he turned and ran quickly to the stairs that led to the roof intent on getting there in plenty of time. With the seconds ticking away he yanked down the cord someone was using for a makeshift clothesline and tied one end to a thick pipe sticking up out of the rooftop. Getting a firm grip on the cord himself he soon heard the sound of Thrope reacting rather aggressively to his little distraction and that was exactly how this scenario was supposed to go. Jogging quickly he leapt over the edge of the roof before letting gravity do the rest guiding him right through the chosen window and into the back of his target. He winced slightly when the guy wound up taking a header into the TV set but any thoughts of sympathy went flying out the window when a new level of weird kicked in.
What the HELL? He thought as he watched a ghost-like image of something big and hairy super impose itself on Thrope.
It looked like some kind of werewolf with cybernetic implants or maybe some kind of armour protecting certain parts of its body. He didn't have time for a more thorough look though since Lucien then decided that he'd share some of the head trauma he was feeling by throwing the broken television at his attacker. When that failed things went close quarters with Thrope looking to inflict bodily harm the old fashioned way. Fortunately though the combination of Nick's karate knowledge and his own experience in dealing with things faster and stronger than him made dodging easy. That wasn't to say that dealing with the perp was easy because while the escaped con might not have been very fast he definitely had the edge in brute strength.
Have to end this quickly because one lucky shot is all its going to take to have this end badly. He thought as he grabbed the larger man by the arm and slam him face first into the wall of the apartment.
When the struggling continued he added a couple of solid elbows to the back of the head which when coupled with the shoddy construction of the place sent Thrope's head right through the wall. That sadly was when some higher power concluded that he was having it way to easy and decided to let Thrope shape shift without the benefit of a full moon.
"What's going on here!" he exclaimed as the convict's strength almost tripled in a matter of seconds.
A fist was his only reply as Lucien batted him away like so many vamps had beforehand when they considered him nothing more than an annoyance.
Talk about the bad hair day from HELLO! He thought as Thrope gained a full foot in height and took on the form of the cyber werewolf image he'd seen earlier.
"Surprise bounty hunter!" Thrope said in a growly voice that went perfectly with his new lupine appearance, "Never learned to fight something like this did ya? Raarrrgh!"
With that the transformed werewold lunged at him and once again he had reason to thank Nick Logan's instincts, memories and mannerisms since his arms started moving before his mind could really think of anything. Grabbing a nearby lamp pole he thrust the top end right into the attacking were's mouth thus keeping those sharp teeth occupied with something other than him.
"You'd be surprised what I was taught how to fight!" he said defiantly while making sure to keep the top of the lamp in the cyber-wolf's mouth.
Then to prove just how much of an idiot he was Thrope chomped down on the lamp top causing the electricity that had once been contained in the light bulb to course through him. A few seconds later Lucien keeled over completely dazed and disoriented which gave him the opportunity he needed to more effectively neutralize the main threat by wrapping the recently torn power cord from the lamp around the wolf's snout. He grabbed a few cords from some of the other appliances and electronics as well to bind the guy's arms and wrists. Once satisfied that there wouldn't be any more trouble he yanked the guy-wolf to his feet and threw a bed sheet over him.
"Now that you've had your fun howsabout you change back into your human form so we can walk out of here nice and peaceful-like. Whataya say?" he said saying with his eyes that another thrashing would be in Lucien's future if he said no.
Grumbling what were likely threats of payback and general frustration at being taken down by a lowly human Thrope complied. Three minutes later they were exiting the apartment building only to find what looked like a Texas Ranger truck pulling up to the curb.
"Admirable work Mr. Logan. I'm Jefferson Trueblood from fugitive collection and transport." Said the Native American man from the passenger side window, "We'll take it from here."
The man got of the truck and after the sound of the truck's back door sliding up ended two more people walked up to him to take possession of Thrope. The first was an attractive brunette woman with tanned skin while the second was a tall muscularly built man with blonde hair. Both wore the same uniform as Trueblood but there was something about the way they carried themselves that failed to meet his estimation of how law enforcement officials should move. Then another nagging detail hit him when he recalled that he hadn't yet put in the call that Lucien had been caught and he knew that Cracker wouldn't have made the call without talking to him first.
Better ask them about it. He thought before asking, "How did you guys know where I was? I don't remember calling anyone."
For a moment all three of them looked uneasy before the blond one seemed to have a moment of inspiration.
"Oh we monitor all cell phone communications." The blonde man replied slowly easing into believability.
"Yeah, exactly!" the attractive brunette said quickly in support of her partner's explanation.
These guys are definitely not what they appear to be. He thought as he began to formulate a few more questions he'd like to ask them.
"If you'll come with me we'll get your details for the reward." Trueblood said before any other conspicuous questions could be asked.
For a moment he thought about being stubborn about asking questions but decided that there wouldn't be much point to it since all three of the 'officers' had their guard up now.
"Yeah. Sure." He said as he followed the man as he led Thrope to the back of the truck, "You better watch Thrope though 'cause I think he has a bit of a split personality."
Once Lucien was secured in the back of the truck he began to rattle off the info about Logan's bank account and how the money should be deposited. A few moments after that was done the Bonnie and Clyde part of the mysterious trio popped up looking pretty satisfied with the day's work.
"Any detail work?" Trueblood asked them sounding casual.
"Taken care of." Blonde Guy replied acting like it had been a piece of cake.
"Yeah! Bring your shovels!" Attractive Gal stated as though there was some hidden joke in her comment.
Definitely something of the weird going on here. He thought as he followed Trueblood to the driver's side door and asked "You know this guy is unusual right? Like really not of the normal?"
"Mr. Logan I have no idea what you're talking about." Trueblood replied as if he didn't have the foggiest idea what the bounty hunter was referring to at all.
That settles it! He thought as he watched the truck drive off.
Without missing a beat he headed for the nearest fire escape and began to climb with all the speed he could muster. If these guys really weren't on the level then he bet they'd be losing their easily recognizable wheels soon or at least do something to make it blend in more. Once on the roof he immediately began to jump from rooftop to rooftop to keep up with the van but eventually he reached a point where he could go no further. Thankfully that was when Trueblood and his friends decided to show their true colours though what he saw wasn't quite what he'd been expecting. Right before his eyes the van pulled a Transformers on him and changed from your garden-variety moving van sized vehicle to some kind of high tech aircraft. Flying off at a fast clip there was no doubt now in Xander's mind that he had once again stumbled onto something that was going to change his view of the world permanently.
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The Open Highway, Headed Towards New Mexico, Two Days Later"Logan." He said answering his ringing cell phone as he drove down the highway.
"So did ya get that package I sent?" Cracker asked from the other side of the connection.
"Yeah Cracker I did." He replied as he looked over at the print outs and the photo taped to the dashboard, "So tell me, the people who sent you this picture, are they the same ones who sent me after Thrope?"
Seeing how the eyes of the white-haired young woman in the picture suddenly seemed to glow pink for a moment he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
"How'd you know that?" Cracker asked surprised at the accuracy of Logan's guess.
"Just a hunch." Replied Xander as the glow finally faded from the eyes of the photo.
"Her name is Shelainn. Major extradition warrant. Big money if you can find her." Cracker said as he summarized the details.
"Oh I'll find her." He said pulling into the Roseburg Rest Home just off the highway, "But first I need some long overdue answers."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Mountaintop, Beside a Railway Heading to Roswell, Late Evening, Two Days LaterFirst demons and now aliens. He thought as he stood at the edge of the mountain he was on waiting for the training he was expecting to arrive, I'm beginning to think that everything I've heard is real.
It had been quite a tale when he had stopped by the rest home to visit Nick's dad Walter to confront him about the weird training sessions he had given Logan when he was a kid. Truth be told he still wasn't quite sure what to make of all that but he knew enough that he wanted some answers so here he was waiting to catch the one person who might be willing to give him some straight answers. Shelainn Blaize of the Banshee alien clan who was apparently a lot older than she looked in the photo but at the same time considered young and idealistic among her people. Walter figured she'd be looking for answers of some kind. Answers only Trueblood and some organization called the Alliance could give her down in Roswell, New Mexico. He trusted the man since Nick's memories of him were such that the man was trustworthy and honourable but just to make sure he had Cracker check a few things. After some basic deductive reasoning and consulting Logan's knowledge of fugitives the destination of Roswell was confirmed. So here he was in the middle of nowhere on a mountaintop about to try the most hair-brained stunt he'd ever thought of and that was saying something indeed.
Hearing the train approaching he looked down and thought I must be completely out of my mind!
Not that it stopped him from getting a running start and diving off the edge of the mountain though but thankfully there was some reason to Nick Logan's madness. Once he was clear of the mountain and was at the right altitude he pulled the ripcord on the parachute he had strapped to his back deploying it. Unfortunately a parachute was a tad unequipped for dodging energy blasts of some kind as two sets of blue and pink energy beams flew at him from the direction of the engine at the front of the train. He did his best to dodge the attacks but maneuverability was NOT a parachute's strong point and eventually whoever was attacking him scored a hit setting the chute on fire.
Gotta get down to the ground and quick or I'm going to get turned into a messy stain on the desert floor! He thought as he tried to aim the parachute for the roof of one of the boxcars and descend as quickly as well as safely as possible.
It was when he got to the last twenty or so feet though that he noticed his target, Shelainn Blaize, on the roof running in his general direction making a collision an almost certainty. He tried his best to either hasten his descent in order to land in front of her or to get some altitude to glide over her but with a rapidly burning up parachute neither was an option. So it was that the first meeting between Shelainn Blaize and Nick Logan aka Xander Harris was such that it made a sizeable impression on both of them as the collision sent both of them through the roof of the boxcar into its interior. A few moments later he managed to pull himself together and found that he was lying in a rather awkward position on top of the Banshee who was still a bit out of it.
Fortunately her disoriented state didn't last
Unfortunately for him though since she rather roughly pushed him off of herself.
"Get off!" she yelled angrily before getting to her feet.
It was then though that they both got a fairly good look at one another and both gasped in surprise though for entirely different reasons. For him it was a gasp of awe as he took a look at her in the flesh rather than a glance at a photo and he had to say she had a beauty that put Buffy, Cordy and Faith to shame. He didn't even mind that she wasn't human since he knew his past dating track record was hardly clean of such variables but he did his best to reign in his feelings and clear his face of them.
"Logan? Walter Logan?" she asked almost in disbelief of what her eyes were telling her.
"My father. My name's Nick but we don't really look alike." He said putting on his best 'Nick Logan attitude' since he had a feeling she would be an important person to convince that he was who he appeared to be.
"You're his son." She said with her distinctly Scottish accent as though the answer he'd given her made some kind of weird sense to her.
"Does that mean something to you?" he asked wanting to make sure he had the facts of the relationship between Shelainn and Walter Logan right.
"Yer father came to us. He wanted peace between the humans and the Banshee but Queen Mab wouldn't listen." She replied with a serious tone as she remembered the meeting in the past.
"So why're you here?" he asked beginning to get a clearer picture of the reality of things.
"I wanted to defy Queen Mab, make peace with the humans, Mab condemned me a traitor." She replied with passion and conviction, "Now the Banshee want me destroyed."
He had to admit that the story seemed plausible but given how his first introduction into the new world of alien clans he decided to stand at the side of caution. Putting a hand on her shoulder he tried to turn her around, to make it clear he wanted some straight answers, but she shrugged him off like he was a fly. Deciding to take this as a hostile act he charged her intent on grabbing her hands and keeping them aimed away from him since he bet any attacks would come from there. His hunch was right since halfway to where she stood she fired an energy blast similar to the ones that had turned his parachute into Swiss cheese. Fortunately though his speed and agility was enough to dodge the attacks allowing him to get to her hands and pin them behind her back.
"I could burn yer hands off ye know." She said calmly as though she had the entire situation under control.
"Try it and you'll set your clothes on fire." He said back just as calmly since he'd already worked out that angle, "Call me crazy but you don't look like you'd enjoy spending the next few hours bare bottom in the breeze."
"Do other girls fall for yer lines?" Shelainn asked with some amusement in her voice.
"I gotta admit it's the first time I've used that one." He replied somewhat sheepishly as he realized that what he'd said could be interpreted as a pick up line, "How's it working?"
"It hardly matters." She replied in a disappointed voice, "You've heard of the Banshee legend?"
"You mean the part where you know when people are gonna die?" he asked answering her question with a question.
"Um-hum. Ye've got thirty five seconds." She replied as her eyes took on a spooky pink glow and her hair looked like it had a life of its own.
"Oh boy." He muttered to himself as he tried to think fast and take every variable he could think of into consideration.
Alright. She said we have thirty five seconds and since that isn't near enough time to reach a train station it must mean that staying on the train is what's going to kill us. He thought through the facts hoping to come up with a solution, That means we have to get off the train fast or risk getting involved in an explosion or derailment or something.
Looking around he quickly spotted the motorcycles parked off to the side of the car and wasted no time grabbing one by the handlebars and yanking it free of its confining packaging. Aiming it at the open boxcar door he hopped on and pulled out a set of lock picks Nick carried in case he need to get into someplace without an invitation. Working like clockwork he worked the picks in the bike's ignition and Lady Luck smiles at him as the motorcycle almost immediately came to life.
And not a moment too soon from the looks of it. He thought as he felt explosions and the flames they produced getting closer and closer, Looks like someone doesn't want this train or its illegal passengers to survive.
"Get on!" he ordered as he tossed her one of the two helmets the bike had before slipping on one of his own.
Shelainn quickly did as she was told and with the gunning of the engine the bike flew out of the door of the boxcar. Landing with a thump thankfully cushioned for the most part by the bikes shocks and once they were well clear of the train tracks he brought the motorcycle around before coming to a complete stop. Raising the visor of the helmet he looked down at his/Nick's watch to find that he had managed to beat Shelainn's prediction by a whole second.
"Thirty four seconds." He said as he started to relax a bit, "Beat it by one."
"Ye were lucky this time." She said wagging a finger in his face.
Hearing the hum of aircraft engines he and Shelainn looked up to see one of the Alliance's aircraft rise into the air before shooting off in the direction of Roswell.
"Looks like the Alliance plays rough." He commented since it didn't take a genius to figure out they were behind the destruction of the train and all its cars.
"So do the Banshee." She stated pointing out their other obvious enemy.
"Your warning saved my life." He said with the gratitude clear in his voice.
"An' you just saved mine." She said implying that any debt he owed her had already been paid.
Extending a hand in friendship Xander had a feeling that they'd last longer together than they would on their own.
"Looks like we've got the same problems." She said recognising the gesture for what it was.
"We got the Alliance and the Banshee after us, a pile of unanswered questions, a hot motorcycle, it's night and we're wearing dark visors." He said leaving it to her to say what they both knew they had to do next.
"Let's go!" she said as she brought the visor down in front of her face and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Their decision made and their course set he poured on the gas and zoomed up onto the nearby highway heading straight for Roswell. As the sun rose and bathed the landscape in the light of a new day Xander knew that his life was never going to be like it once was but for the first time he was actually looking forward to it.
It of course had nothing to do with being a teensy bit smitten with the snowy haired Banshee that had her arms wrapped around him.
Nope.
Not one bit.