"Between Darkness and Light" by Shadow Master aka Ryley Breen
(BtVS/007 James Bond)
Disclaimer : I do not own either of the copyrighted properties featured in this drabble/short for they are the registered property of Joss Whedon and Ian Flemming. I am making no profit whatsoever from this so any attempts to get money from me would be a waste of both time and lawyer fees. I am writing this for the readers who like my work, like BtVS and like the James Bond films.
Note: This is just to inform you who have been reading the 'Dreams and Ideas' collection of where the votes stand at the moment.
Phoenix Effect
Counterparts and Causes
The Cold Face of Destiny
Son of War
The Trickster in Me
When these five will be written I do not know but I just thought I'd let you know how things stand so if one of the ideas you like is not in the top five you can try and do something about that. Tell your friends, tell everyone, and get them to submit a review for the fanfic idea you really want to be expanded into a complete fan fiction work.
Now with that out of the way let's get to the good stuff! Cue the music….
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The Morning After the Halloween Janus Spell, Xander's RoomNow I see what people mean by the morning after. Xander thought to himself as he threw his legs over the side of his bed and sat up.
Despite the images and memories still floating about his head from the previous night's festivities he had to smile a bit at this bit of wit. However the smile faded when he realized where it had more than likely come from or rather the fact that it came from more than one source now. The best word he could come up with to describe his current situation would be troubling because while there were certain benefits there were some rather permanent downsides as well. Hard to believe that it had started out as just an enforced bit of 'volunteer' work where he, Buffy and Willow had to chaperon a bunch of elementary school kids around town for trick or treating.
The three of them had been just walking down the halls of the school talking about school, Scooby business and what plans they had for Halloween when Snyder had come out of nowhere and snagged Buffy for chaperon duty along with him and Willow. It wasn't something that any of them had been looking forward to but at the same time they had all known that if they ditched Snyder would come up with some kind of punishment that was much worse. So half with dread at having to deal with a bunch of suger hyped rugrats and half with joy at being able to dress up like someone else they had gone down to the new costume shop named "Ethan's" for their outfits. His first idea for a costume was one of a standard American soldier since he knew of an army surplus store where he could get some fatigues on the cheap. All he'd need to get would be a toy gun to complete the image and he'd be all set to go. Unfortunately by the time he got to the bin where the plastic guns were kept there was nothing in there that would go with an army outfit because all the guns were pistols or some other form of hand gun. For officers or army people in dress uniform a simple side arm like that might have been appropriate but his idea of a soldier would be an in-the-trenches type which meant an automatic rifle or something equally impressive looking. So he had been left in a bit of limbo trying to formulate some sort of alternate idea for a costume when the Brit owner of the place came up behind him and asked if there was anything he could do to help.
In hindsight he now knew that that was the moment he should have been wary because in the past when a stranger had shown up in town offering help it usually meant trouble.
However he had been pacified by Buffy telling him earlier that Giles had declared Halloween to be apocalypse free and the need for a suitable costume was enough to get him to ignore the paranoid voice in the back of his mind. He'd then proceeded to explain to the man how his idea for a costume had been shot to hell by the lack of certain accessories leaving him in the lurch for the 'volunteet work' later that evening. He's then inquired if the shop owner had any ideas or suggestions and that was another thing in hindsight that he should have been more careful about. The Englishman then took him about the store pointing out some possibilities that he said 'would look simply smashing on you' only to have most of them shot down either because they would make him look a little too like Deadboy or would make him a target of the jock squad. However just when it looked like the owner of the store had looked ready to lose his 'always polite to the customer' façade he showed the Xan-man a costume that hooked him instantly.
It didn't look like much at first glance, pretty much a generic tuxedo, but when the owner began to give a summary of what it was supposed to be it became something more than that. According to the manager it was a spy costume modelled after several lesser known spy movies and a friend he knew back in England. The tux had a few hidden compartments here and there along with a shoulder harness for a holster where just about any handgun could fit. Once in his head the idea of going out as some super suave spy guy armed and ready for anything quickly got him pumped. Turning to the guy he then had asked what the price on the costume was only to find out it was a good thirty dollars more than he had on him at the moment. However in a gesture of generosity the man had agreed to give him the outfit for what he had so long as he told everyone where he got the outfit. It had seemed to be too good to be true and that was the one time that the wariness fighting the paranormal had created got his attention with a warning that something was up. However when he looked over at where Buffy was gushing over a puffy old style dress that he knew was for a certain animated corpse that was all it took to shove his wariness away. So it was that he had walked out of that place with the tux in a bag at his side and a toy replica of a Walther P99 in there as well.
When he had arrived at Buffy's place it had taken a bit of coaxing for them to see the whole 'spy guy' look of his outfit rather than assume he was a butler or something. From there things had gone pretty much according to plan with the three of them heading to the school, picking up their brats and then heading out. However it had been about half an hour before they were due to head back to the school something had happened that apparently not even Giles could predict. All of a sudden he was no longer in control of his own body and someone else was in the driver's seat. For the first little while he had been more than a little freaked and had tried to regain control by whatever means he could think up regardless of how ridiculous they might have been. However no matter how hard he tried all he had been able to do was watch as the personae in control of his body fended off a couple of mini-demons without killing even one of them. This had been a relief for him since he knew that those tiny little monsters were actually kids that had been changed like he had. Instead of pulling his Walther P99 like he had feared his spy personae would do the artificial mind had used a combination of quick movements and some solid punches to taken them down. It had been an impressive display and for a moment he thought that kicking it back in the passenger seat of his body might not be so bad after all.
That however was when things had taken a turn towards the embarrassing when Willow had shown up wearing an outfit that made his mental self's jaw drop in shock while the spy personae used his body to give her an admiring once over. From there the man had begun to inquire as to what was going on while at the time dropping double entendres about Willow's appearance. Most of course went right over the mousy redhead's genius head but the ones that she did count were such that he had expected her ghost body to do the impossible and faint right there of embarrassment. Once the guy had gotten whatever flirting he had out of his system he had agreed to go with Willow to look for Buffy who was likely scared stupid right then.
I wasn't too far off the mark there either. He thought as he recalled him and Willow coming across Lady Useless running away from a car claiming it was a demon.
It was when his spy personae started putting the moves on Lady Useless that he had come to the conclusion that the spy was unable to keep himself from seducing any attractive woman regardless of the situation. He personally hoped that when he went into school today that they didn't hold his costumes actions against him or he was going to be stuck with 'Female Glare No. 5' for a while.
Once they had arrived back at Buffy's place to both hide and plan their next course of action he had been somewhat relieved when his costume personae chose to scout out all the ways in and out of the house rather than continue his game of seduction. Of course he had known that once the spy had accomplished that he would not hesitate to pick up where he had left off and was only partially glad when Cordy had come screaming down the street outside. It had on the plus side of things provided more business for the costume to do thus keeping him from turning Willow any redder than she was at that point. It was also because thanks to Cordelia's skintight cat suit it gave the ladies man an irresistible target that couldn't possibly make things worse for him when he went to school today. After all Cordy already treated him like a social outcast and took almost every opportunity to mock his class level so he figured it wouldn't change much if something his costume personae said wound up offending her. The downside though was that it might lead Willow to test him over the next few weeks to see if he actually had any interest in Cordy or if what happened was all the costume's doing.
The rest of the night was pretty much non-stop action since thanks to Deadboy Lady Useless had run off out the back door while he was wrestling with a newbie vamp on the floor. How it had been possible for a newbie to be so much trouble for a fang face a good century older he'd never figure out. They'd eventually found Buffy and just in time since a few minutes later and pirate Larry would have crossed a serious line that would have put him on more than one person's shit list. While he had hoped at the time that the group would be able to make it to some haven in time to avoid getting into more trouble that was when Mr. Murphy had decided to have a little fun. Just as they had been heading out of the alleyway between warehouses Spike had shown up with a posse of real demons and transformed children. Both he and the spy personae were in agreement that a direct confrontation would not be in their best interests which led to a search for some place they could hole up in until sunrise. They managed to get into a warehouse but despite vigorous efforts to block the door they used to come in it proved to be no use against demonic strength as well as superior numbers. It was then that his spy self had pulled the Walther P99 from its holster and ordered everyone to get behind him in order to ensure he didn't hit one of them by accident. Naturally both Willow and Lord Forehead had told him he couldn't use his gun on the monsters because some of them were actually transformed children but the suave secret agent had reassured them that he would shoot to wound only.
A lie of course but one that was necessary as far as the spy was concerned if any of them were to survive the encounter to come.
When the demons and transformed kids managed to get inside the spy in him did his best to snipe shots that would greatly reduce the mobility of the enemy while not being immediatel lethal or difficult to recover from in the hospital. In the end though his restraint cost them since the real demons weren't all that impressed by bullets and the transformed kids were small enough that it was next to impossible to get a shot that he could live with. In a matter of minutes he had the gun knocked from his hand and had any attempt to fight hand-to-hand ended with a few staggering blows delivered by the demons. Restrained from behind all that the spy personae could do was make threats and try to make the demons believe he was more dangerous than he looked at the moment. Threats of the 'I-will-hunt-you-down' and 'there-will-be-no-place-you-can-hide-from-me' nature were issued but naturally the genetically coded arrogance that just about every demon had made them dismiss his threats a second after they were issued. He was just glad when the spell came to an unexpected end and Buffy went from being Lady Useless to the Slayer she was meant to be. Monsters turned back into kids and the few real demons that had been there knew enough to make tracks when the Slayer started acting like her usual kick ass self.
Things pretty much got tied up rather quickly with Spike barely managing to avoid getting dusted, a fate two of his minions avoid, and running off like the coward he was. From there things pretty much consisted of rounding up the kids he, Buffy and Willow had been put in charge of and getting them back to the High School. He suspected it was that task that allowed him to ignore the new thoughts and knowledge bouncing around his head.
Now, the day after, however he did not appear to have that luxury.
So the question now becomes 'what do I do with what I have'. He thought as he began to consider his options.
He now had memories of a life as a double oh agent in Great Britain's MI6 and a particularly successful one if what he recalled could be trusted. That essentially made him a very dangerous man in many ways and that could make him into a real player in the fight alongside Buffy against the forces of darkness. While it was true that guns meant little to most demons if he used the right ones properly he could at least soften them up so that Buff' could deliver the knockout punch. Also it wasn't just firearms he knew his way around now but also a multitude of other weapons as well as a few forms of unarmed combat. After all one didn't become a double oh by being a one trick pony, not if one wanted to last long, so with a wide assortment of knowledge he was confident that he could really make a difference.
However the question then became: what was the best way to make that difference?
While his first inclination was to come clean with the gang and let them know exactly what he was capable of another part of him, perhaps the spy part, was against that. While most of the demons in Sunnydale were probably too proud or stupid to keep tabs on the Scoobies he knew there had to be at least a few that had the intellect to keep an eye on them. If they took notice of his new skills he had no doubt the demons would take steps to render his new knowledge and abilities useless or at the very least difficult to utilize against them. That would put him right back where he started or even worse allow the demons to use him to place the gang in danger by using his knowledge to their advantage. The thought of being indirectly the cause of harm coming to his friends chilled him to the bone and in the end he knew he had but one choice.
He would have to maintain the illusion of being the 'comic relief' and 'sometimes helpful' part of the Scooby gang utilizing the knowledge he'd gained from spy guy only when there was no other way for he and his friends to triumph. It would be tough, staying in a role that would now be a lie, but if it would keep those he cared about alive he would do it.
Pretending to be someone harmless while in fact possibly being the most dangerous of the entire group. He thought with a grim smile, An impossible task before but now all too familiar thanks to the memories I got from one double oh seven agent named James Bond.
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So it came to pass that despite receiving the memories as well as other traits from the world's most infamous super spy one Xander LaVelle Harris remained in the role he had been in since the formation of the Scooby gang. The role of the morale officer and occasionally the third opinion that while often not thought of at first turned out to be the most feasible course of action. Only at certain points was he forced to tap into the knowledge he'd gained Halloween night: a) The robbery of the rocket launcher from the military base, b) The fight in the library when vamps interrupted Willow's attempt to re-ensoul Angel, c) Preventing O'Toole from blowing up the school and d) wiring the high school to blow up in order to destroy the Snake Mayor. Each time he tapped into the knowledge he wondered why his friends never clued in that there was something more going on with him than just blind luck or chance. In the end he figured that it was just a toned down version of Sunnydale Syndrome in that while the gang wasn't blind to the supernatural aspects of ol' Sunnyhell denial of other things outside the norm worked just fine for them. While a part of him would always chaf at the way they looked at him another was somewhat glad since it made it easier to covertly use Bond's skills to help out.
So in the end he figured that this was the way it'd always be, him supporting the gang from the shadows using his borrowed skills, but little did he know that by the end of graduating year events were taking shape that would pull him from the shadows forevermore.
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Secret Location, National Neutral Territory, One Week Prior to Graduation Day"Are you certain this can be verified?" asked M after being told news that hurt her more than she would ever admit or show physically to anyone.
"As much as can be considering the state of the room M. The amount of blood at the scene matches James' in every way measurable with only a slight difference most likely due to the… questionable cleanliness of the room." Charles Robinson replied trying to deliver an efficient yet gentle response to his superior's question, "Considering the amount involved and the damage caused to the rest of the room it is unlikely Commander Bond survived."
"If I had a pound everytime someone counted Bond among the dead I'd have more money than the Treasury department." M said making it clear that unless they found a body that could be positively identified as belonging to double oh seven the search for the missing agent was to continue, "Have our people continue to investigate this matter and to report any significant findings to me and only me."
"Of course." Robinson stated with a nod before leaving his place at his boss' side and leaving the room.
For a moment silence reigned in the room where the heads of quite possibly the most formidable Agencies and covert organizations in the world sat about a standard boardroom table. There was a growing crisis afoot and this latest news did not bode well for while few present could say that they approved of James Bond's methods none could dispute the results he was able to produce time and time again. To hear that he had been most likely killed within two weeks of starting the mission to uncover the perpetrators of this growing menace did not bode well at all. For the past six months there had been a growing rumor within the underground of the various criminal underworlds of a new force beginning to take shape. A dark shape that employed unusual operatives and whose leader had never been seen nor any proof discovered his or her existence even found. However there could be no disputing that all crimes tied to this new force were linked and proceeding according to some unknown but large scale plan. So far every Agency in the world, both known to the public and some not known, had tried at one time or another to infiltrate this growing organization but without success. Most agents wound up dead whereas the others came back broken and muttering nonsense about 'demons' and 'magic' and the like. For the most part these ramblings were not taken seriously despite the fact that each agency knew there existed several odd species that most certainly were not normal. To the majority of the agents and their leaders to even consider believing in the superstitions and myths of old was to already concede a major advantage to the enemy and that could not be allowed. So instead they operated under the premise that these 'unusual' operatives were the result of flawed genetic experiments intended to create a superior form of soldier.
No matter what the explanation for the dark organization's hiring practices the fact remained that it was growing bigger and stronger with every passing week. Something had to be done before it became too powerful to deal with by any force be it covert in nature or publicly known.
"I'm sorry for your loss M but we must remain focused on the task at hand." Said Mr. Johnson comfortingly and who was the head of the covert strike force known as Impossible Missions Force, "There will be time enough to mourn the dead after we have successfully managed to curtail whatever this First Organization is planning."
"While I would like to point out that there is no conclusive evidence to support the position that Commander Bond is dead I agree that we must press on regardless." M stated making it clear that the subject of double oh seven was NOT to be brought up again, "You all know the situation and what is at stake. Any suggestions on how to handle this situation?"
"Unfortunately M there seems to be precious little we can do at the moment." Came the voice of a man identified only as Charlie from the intercom speaker, "The majority of our operatives that could handle a mission of this caliber are either dead, currently on an assignment just as important as this or are simply too past their prime to handle certain 'aspects' of the situation."
Most of the room nodded reluctantly in admittance of this fact since each of them were low on acceptable agents to assign to this job.
"There must be someone working for one of us that can handle something this important." Growled an African American man designated Father, "What about you Abbott? Don't you have one of your 'special' agents that you can send on this mission?"
"If by 'agent' you are referring to the Treadstone experiment I am afraid you are mistaken if you think I have any such operatives at my command." Deputy director Ward Abbott of the C.I.A replied with perfect innnocence in his voice, "As I stated before the Committee Treadstone was nothing more than an exercise that was terminated when it was deemed to be a waste of resources."
"Oh come on! That line might work in front of the Committee Ward but everyone here at this table knows the truth about the Treadstone prject!" Father yelled almost upset enoug to get out of his seat in order to accuse Abbott better.
"Indeed we do. However the fact remains that we have a problem on our hands that is only going to get worse the more time we waste. Put whatever issues you have with each other aside gentlemen and try to focus on the task at hand." Spoke a woman who went by the alias Betty Director and was head of the organization known as Global Justice, "Regardless of what some may think it is a fact that the majority of the agents we might send on this mission are either occupied, dead or otherwise unavailable. We need to come up with an alternative plan and we need to do it NOW!"
"I believe the situation may be even worse than it appears." Says the man named Augustus Gibbons representing the NSA who looked as though there was something else they had to be concerned about.
"What do you mean Agent Gibbons?" M asked voicing the question that many of the other people at the table were no doubt thinking.
Getting up from his chair Augustus began to walk towards the other side of the room where displayed on multiple screens were the faces of both rumored members of the First Organization and the agents that had been sent to infiltrate only to wind up dead or wishing they were dead. For a moment he looked to have forgotten that there were other people in the room before turning around and looking at the assembled group with the most serious look imaginable on his face.
"I believe we may have a mole amongst us." Gibbons replied allowing that response to explain everything.
It was no surprise than no sooner did Gibbons finish his statement then just about everyone in the room leapt to their feet and began either flinging accusations or defending themselves. Only M remained in her seat composed and with a partially inquisitive look on her face as her reaction to the NSA agent's theory. In her mind she would wait until the rest of her colleagues calmed down and then ask Mr. Gibbons to explain himself. It took three minutes of yelling and recriminations before she decided that if any order was to be restored she'd have to be the one to do it. Reaching over she picked up the pitcher of water she picked it up and without warning threw it down on the floor with a resounding smash that stopped the arguing in its tracks. Once she was certain she had everyone's attention she sat back down into her chair and motioned for the others to do the same using the patented female 'behave yourselves or else' look. Reluctantly those that had been yelling at each other moments ago sat back down and waited for the next move to be made.
"Would you care to elaborate on your rather surprising opinion Agent Gibbons?" she asked hoping that once the man explained everything any further uproar could be avoided.
"Consider that almost from the moment we first learned of the First Organization we have been sending top agents to either apprehend or infiltrate it with no success. These agents have come from wide and varying backgrounds with no two of them sharing that many common skills or abilities. They have been sent in with some of the best equipment we can provide and still they have either been killed or sent back to us in dire need of professional therapy."Gibbons replied as he used a remote that they had all been given in order to present what new information they had each uncovered, "The question we must ask ourselves is simply: how is this possible? Are they simply that powerful that they can thwart any action we take against them? Or have they been so successful because someone here has been informing them of our plans beforehand?"
With that explanation each member of this council had to look at one another in a new light and wonder if Augustus Gibbons might be correct. Indeed the lack of headway being made by their agents against this evil enterprising group had been shocking with little in the way of clues to explain why. In the end the most of them had simply chosen to believe that this organization was simply that good and that that was all there was too it. However now looking at it from the NSA representative's point of view all of them had to admit that the possibility did exist that someone might be feeding insider information to the enemy. None of them wanted to admit that one of them, people who had spent the better part of their lives in the service of their repsective countries if not the entire human race, could be a traitor. However taking in the information before them it would at least have to be factored into the equation of any future plans.
"I assume that because you came up with this theory that you have also formulated a way to overcome this obstacle Agent Gibbons?" asked Mr. Jerry Lewis head of W.O.O.H.P (World Organization Of Human Protection) with a contemplative look on his face.
"Yes. We must disband this Council immediately and attempt to formulate plans against the First Organization on our own." Gibbons replied with the utmost sincerity in his voice.
"Are you mad!?" exclaimed Mr. Johnson as though he could scarcely believe what he was hearing.
"You're the traitor!" accused Father pointing a finger at Gibbons as though to emphasize his point, "Disbanding this council would be the same as handing victory to the enemy!"
"On the contrary sir disbanding this council and going our separate ways may be the only thing that could possibly let us win this battle." Augustus stated calmly amidst the accusations, "With no feasible way to truly determine who the traitor in our midst there would be no way to determine who the enemy agent is and therefore any plans we made after disposing of who the majority of us believe to be the informant could still percievably fall into the hands of the enemy. Only by separating and acting on our own can we render the usefullness of this mole null and void. We can leave it up to whomever we individually assign to the mission to work amongst themselves in the hopes that the First Organization's reach does not extend that far down the chain of command."
Once again none could argue with the logic that the NSA agent was putting forth and one by one they reluctantly nodded showing their acceptance of this course of action. Each of them to one degree or another believed in the philosophy of two heads being better than one but in this case splitting up the group might be the right thing to do. With no way to figure out who among them had sided with the enemy maintaining this council would only hurt them more if they continued with it. By going their separate ways they at least divided the enemy's forces amongst them and that hopefully would provide them with a fighting chance.
"Then it is decided?" M asked wanting to put spoken words to the decision she knew they all must have reached.
"Yes. This council his hearby disbanded until further notice." Mr. Johnson said as he picked up his briefcase and stood up, "Good hunting all of you."
With that the man in charge of the IMF left the room and one by one each representative did the same wishing their comrades well or at the very least giving polite warnings to stay out of the way of the 'professionals'. In the end only Gibbons and M remained in the room and just as she was about to leave Augustus grabbed her hand and said 'stay a moment' with his stare. Deciding to see what other pearls of wisdom the man from the NSA had to offer she curbed her tongue until just after the door to the room closed before she decided to let the man know exactly how she felt about being manhandled.
"You have one minute to explain yourself before I have you thrown in the deepest pit I can find and consequences be damned!" she said sharply making it clear she meant every last word.
"I thought I'd do you a favor by informing you that I may have found a suitable substitute for your missing double oh agent. One that could possibly succeed where Commander Bond failed on this mission." Gibbons replied before going silent to see how his British comrade reacted to his words.
"I'm listening." M stated doing her best not to let her piqued interest show on her face.
"A little over a year ago one of my people in southern California, just a few hours away from Los Angeles happened to witness a most unusual theft of military weaponry from an army base on the outskirts of a small town called Sunnydale." Gibbons replied taking on the tone of a storyteller rather than a debriefing agent, "What made this unusual wasn't the theft but rather the people who were pulling it off in the first place."
Retrieving a single disk from his jacket pocket he slid it into a player below one of the main screens. It took a moment but eventually four pictures that looked like they belonged in a high school yearbook popped up highlighting four teens, two boys and two girls, none of the immediately recognisable to the head of MI6.
"The brunette girl on the upper left is Cordelia Ethel Chase, daughter of a prominent member of a law firm based out of San Francisco, and by all accounts your typical spoiled rich girl. However our profilers believe that this is more a mask she wears in order to protect her true self from the rest of the world." Gibbons said as he used the remote he held to highlight the Queen of Sunnydale High, "Next is Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne, a remarkably short spoken young man, who possesses a surprisingly keen intellect despite his every changing hair color and position in a band called 'Dingoes ate my Baby'. At the moment he is being scouted by no less than ten separate software companies and three recording studios."
"Next we come to Willow Rosenberg who surprisingly enough seems to be a veritable prodigy with perfect marks in almost every class except gym. Personally I'm hoping that one of the NSA recruiters manages to sign her because I know for a fact that several other agencies have their eyes on her as well." Augustus said taking a moment to pause as he saw that he was beginning to lose his audience.
"I would hope that this last youth is the point of your little presentation otherwise I am going to be most disappointed." M stated impartially but with eyes implying that her patience and Gibbons' time were almost up.
"Indeed. Take a look at this security feed from one of the cameras on the base that I had my specialists enhance." Gibbons said pointing and clicking the remote at the screen.
The photographs of the four teens vanished to reveal your standard security camera with time stamp and date located in the appropriate corners. The image on the screen was that of the front of what looked like to be a supply building or more likely since Gibbons mentioned it the base's armory. For about ten seconds there was nothing but then she spotted two figures skulking towards the entrance to building but being careful to keep out of sight. When they entered the light he could see that one was Ms. Chase whereas the other was the final mystery member of the quartet and both obviously believed the coast to be clear. This was proven to be incorrect less than ten seconds later when a guard approached them and while there was no sound it was obvious that he was demanding to know what the two teenagers were up to in front of the armory.
"The young man you see is Alexander LaVelle Harris. A friend of Ms. Rosenberg's since pre-school and a recent acquaintence of Mr. Osbourne's." Gibbons explained as events unfolded on the screen, "Not a stellar student overall but about four months before this footage was recorded his grades began to show a noticeable improvement. Here in this footage though he showed knowledge of military protocol and regulations as well as a bearing you might recognise."
At that moment the scene paused, rewound and then began again except this time the images were strictly that of Mr. Harris with obvious signs of enlargement and enhancement procedures. Watching the young man move there was something about it that struck her as familiar but no matter how closely she scrutinized the images being played out in front of her the vital clue remained outside her reach.
"I can see that you need a little more to put the pieces together." Agent Gibbons said with a small smile, "Keep watching but pay special attention to Mr. Harris' hands."
Doing as instructed M kept close watch on Alexander's movements with special scrutiny being placed on his hands. It was not until the boy began to go to work on the locks and security keypad keeping the door secure that she spotted the one element that had kept the point Gibbons had been trying to point out from bringing it all together in her mind.
"That's…!" she exclaimed unable to complete her sentence out of shock as her mind tried to figure out how a Californian American teenager could know skills only those working for MI6 were taught.
"Yes it is. It's what first tipped me off that there might be more going on in Sunnydale than originally thought. Intrigued by the possibility of a future operative I assigned a surveillance team to keep tabs on Mr. Harris and his friends with orders to report all their findings directly to me." Gibbons said as he clicked the remote again and this time five separate video feeds popped into existence, "What I found over the coming months was that without us being aware of it a team of high school students and one British librarian were single handedly saving the world from threats quite similar to the 'failed genetically engineered soldiers' employed by the First Organization. More importantly though was the fact that at several key moments Mr. Harris exhibited skills that were impossible for one his age and education to know through natural means."
"This led to a bit of reverse investigating in which we backtracked Mr. Harris' abnormal spurts of covert knowledge and tactics until we perceived we had found the point zero of it all. Surprisingly enough it all apparently began on Halloween about a year and a half ago at a costume shop being run by one Ethan Rayne." Gibbons explained his small smile growing into a slightly larger one as he saw recognition play across the features of M, "Yes the same Mr. Rayne connected to half a dozen different incidents that were thought to be the work of the First Organization only to be mere pranks for Ethan's amusement. Apparently that Halloween in Sunnydale the man planned to pull off something rather spectacular involving the costumes he was renting or selling to his customers."
"While the how of the matter is still somewhat unknown it was believed that for a few hours that night, by means of magic, everyone who wore a costume from Ethan's shop turned into what they were dressed up as including Mr. Harris." Gibbons explained as he used the remote to begin a slideshow of Ethan Rayne and what evidence could be recovered from that night.
"Magic?" M asked as though she wanted to believe she had misheard the man even when she knew her hearing was perfectly alright according to her most recent physical.
"You heard me correctly M. While the others might be willing to discard the various signs of paranormal and supernatural properties present in several of the First Organization's crimes I am not. Since I first became aware that there might be something more out there than one might think I have made it a 'hobby' of mine to separate fact from fiction among the various sources of information on the paranormal and supernatural." Gibbons said trying to gain at least an open minded listener out of M, "But we are deviating from what I wanted to show you. So for one night the people who procured costumes from Rayne's shop became what they dressed up as and roamed the streets of Sunnydale. In the case of Mr. Harris though he went as someone real rather than someone fictional like the other trick or treaters did that night."
Gibbons then tapped a button on the remote in his hand and a picture of a tuxedo appeared on the screen apparently taken in someone's basement apartment.
"While Alexander was at school one of my men snuck into his room and attempted to locate the costume that young Harris wore Halloween night. It was hidden very well but my man eventually found it along with a toy version of a Walther P99 complete with shoulder harness and holster." Gibbons said and took special delight when the light that came from connecting numerous dots to form one picture appeared on M's face.
"That suit belonged to James?" she asked sounding remarkably calm given the circumstances.
"Yes. Judging from the labels on it, the few less than perfect replicas of Q Branch's devices and the results from tests done on the fibers we believe it must have been acquired sometime just before Commander Bond dealth with Mr. Trevelyan. Thanks to this suit though for that Halloween night Alexander Harris became double oh seven." Gibbons replied before using the remote to turn off the screens, "Based on this information I believe that Harris has somehow inherited much of Commander Bond's knowledge and abilities. How much exactly I can't be sure but considering what he does possess I believe it presents a rather unique opportunity for us. After all who would know to expect a teenager with the accumulated knowledge and experience of oen of MI6s best agents?"
"You can't be serious! He's just a boy and regardless of whatever knowledge he may have retained from his night as Bond that does not make him as good as Bond." M exclaimed appalled at the idea of sending a young man like Mr. Harris on a mission that had claimed so many lives already.
"Perhaps but he also possesses knowledge that the other agents assigned to this mission did not. That combined with double oh seven's skills might be just the combination needed to make some headway against the First organization." Gibbons stated to counter M's own opinion.
M said nothing to this and that was enough for Gibbons to at least give the proposal he hoped would end up sealing the deal so to speak.
"I've arranged for a small demonstration of the boy's skills and abilities. According to my sources in Sunnydale the kid is planning on going on the traditional cross-country roadtrip in about two weeks. After running a psychological profile on him as well as reviewing what we have on Bond we believe we know the route he'll take out of town." Gibbons said tucking the remote into his pocket, "Would you be interested in being there?"
"Where will the 'demonstration' take place?" M asked deciding that the least she could do was see up close and in person whether or not this Alexnader Harris really did possess the abilities and characteristics of James Bond.
"Oxnard."
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Oxnard, California, Two Weeks Later, Early EveningIt's a great day to be alive! Xander thought to himself as he walked down the streets of Oxnard.
It had only been a day or two since he'd left Sunnydale on his trip to across the United States for the cliched roadtrip most teenage males take after graduating from high school but it felt great to be away from the people who 'knew' him. Since the day after Halloween it had been more and more suffocating to suppress all the things he had inherited from James Bond so that no one who looked at him would see anything different. He hadn't thought much of it at first, thinking it would be easy to just stick to the same old routine but as the weeks went by he had more close calls with his Bond moments than he thought he would. After one particularly close call when Kendra first came to town he had ruthlessly done everything he could to keep the spy's characterisitcs in check. While this had done its job of keeping the others from suspecting that he might have retained more than a few snippets of information there were times when he had a feeling they suspected more might be going on. There had been a few instances, not the least of which was the theft of the rocket launcher, when he had been forced to tap into double oh seven's skills in order to ensure that the demon of the day or the Warlock of the week didn't succeed in whatever scheme was being put into action. After those incidents all of the gang had in one way or another asked him how he knew what he knew and was able to do what he did. He just gave them either the 'my body moved by itself' excuse or the 'I only remember bits and pieces with the rest coming from research' excuse to explain his bits of never before seen prowess. Fortunately the gang must have contracted a weak strain of the ol' Sunnydale Denial Syndrome because they bought those lines every single time. Just like Giles had mentioned once, people see what they want to see, so it was with the rest of the Scooby gang where he was concerned. They wanted to see their lovable, loyal Xander who while perfect for morale support was a little more than lacking in the area of fighting. While it annoyed him a bit that they thought he would never be anything more than that it proved useful at times so he let them think what they would.
Now that I don't have to pretend anymore it feels great!He thought with the burden of pretending no longer on his shoulders.
Now that he was away from anyone who knew him he could finally let it all show and not have to worry about news of his retained skills getting to the wrong people. Oh he'd have to keep the more combat oriented skills on constant watch so he didn't accidently hurt or kill anyone but the rest of it could be given more or less free reign. One of the first things he'd done was improve his wardrobe since with a bit of James Bond in him now the Hawaiin shirts he had worn back in Sunnyhell were just a little too bright. Dressed now in tan cargo pants and casual dark short-sleeved dress shirt with a pair of Nike's on he felt quite comfortable with how he looked. Judging from some of the looks he was receiving from the women he passed by they thought he looked quite good as well. That met with mixed reactions from him with the Bond part of him wanting to flirt back while the Xander part of him was uncertain how to handle being found attractive to ladies. With such opposites present in one body he had chosen to settle for simply giving them a charming smile before continuing on his way.
Taking in all there was to see he soaked in the newness of it all, the not Sunnydale-ness of it all, hoping that for the duration of his roadtrip he didn't encounter anything more serious than the odd vampire that needed staking. Unlike Buffy and Willow he was smart enough to realise that the Hellmouth wasn't the only place where demons liked to party. He didn't really expect to be able to go his entire trip without doing any slayage but he hoped that Fate and the Almighty would at least do him a favor and keep it to a minimum.
It was as he was passing a strip club called 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club' he cursed himself for being so stupid by wishing for such things. Right before his eyes, being dragged down an alleyway by four thugs, were two women whom he presumed were employees at the strip club. Judging from the firm grip the guys had on their arms and the way they were struggling to get free it was a pretty safe bet in his mind that they weren't going of their own free will. For a moment he wanted nothing more than to just walk to the nearest phone and report what he'd seen to the local police but his long years of dealing with the Sunnydale P.D made him pause. He knew that not all police departments had to be as crooked, cowardly or incompetant as the S.P.D back home but at the same time he also believed that even if he called immediately the cops might not get there in time to do more than find the bodies of the two ladies. So stuck between the choice of not getting involved and doing the right thing it was no real surprise to him when his damned White Knight tendencies teamed up with Bond's 'gentleman' qualities to make the choice for him.
Casually making his way across the street he slipped into the alley after the group and once clear of any pedestrians he pulled a stake and a little something from his pockets. That was another thing that he'd gained more from Bond than from the advice of Giles and Buffy. Ever since Halloween he made sure he never went anywhere without the bare necessities for dealing with the demonic and supernatural. Whether it was day or night he made sure that he had at least a stake and a cross with him with the odd bottle of holy water thrown in when he thought he might need something with a little more spray to it. Fortunately he had all three on him at the moment along with a little something he'd come up with from one of the do-hickey's he'd seen in Bond's memories. It was crude and no doubt Q could do better but considering he was just a high school student with limited funds available he was quite proud of what he'd managed. True it had made quite a mess in his room until he'd gotten all the kinks worked out but he'd field tested it about a week before graduation and it had gone off just like he'd planned.
Of course he'd been hiding on top of a mausoleum waitint for a vamp to come out and dropped it on the undead guy's head but he was fairly confident it'd work out in live combat conditions.
Mostly.
"Please! Let us go! You can take all the money we have!" screamed a woman's voice who clearly was frightened out of her wits.
"Oh don't lady! We'll take the money alright… right after we take everything else including your life!" said a man that was most certainly a vamp given how corny the line was as far as quips went.
Can't these guys come up with ANY original material? He thought as he peeked around the corner to get the lay of the land as well as the positions of the various people and things, I must have heard that at least twenty times from vamps this year alone.
From what he could see both of the women had a vamp restraining them from behind while the others were arrayed in a semi-circle in front of them. Not the most likable position from his point of view considering that even if he tossed his little surprise at them the vamps restraining the girls would have just enough time to kill the women before he managed to close the distance. Somehow he had to get them to abandon the restraining of the girls just long enough for him to give them their present.
Time to give the ol' piss-them-off-until-they-come-after-you strategy a try. He thought as he stood up and put both hands behind his back. Walking around the corner he waited until one of the vamps spotted him before going into his routine that he'd perfected on Deadboy but with a little more bite to it.
"Now that has got to be the lamest line I've ever heard!" he said like someone lodging a complaint with a restaurant in front of many witnesses, "I mean do you guys even bother to give your material a run through before you use it on people 'cause a little rehearsing wouldn't hurt."
By this time every vamp in the alley was looking at him and his comment had achieved the affect of pissing off the vamp that had spoken it which was some vamp that looked like an extra from Mad Max. Now he just had to get the two holding the girls equally pissed or even more so if that's what it took to get them to toss their captives aside to come after him.
"Not that I can really blame you for coming up with such derivative stuff with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb back there as pals." He said sounding like he was talking about spineless lackeys that kissed ass so much it was pathetic, "It's obvious that they do all their thinking with their little heads rather than the one they have on their shoulders. Maybe you should cut their little rods off? At least then you'd get the blood flowing to where it's needed."
He smiled on the inside when he the two holding the girl's growled angrily and looked like the only thing keeping them from abandoning guard duty was facing the wrath of their leader for letting the catch of the day get away. Fortunately guy vamps were a lot like jocks in that if you insult their manhood enough they suddenly become the I.Q equivalent of a rock. Fortunately he had just the quip to send them over the edge and put his plan into action.
"Who the fuck do you think you are meatbag!?" yelled the Mad Max reject who looked to be only slightly better at controlling his temper than those holding the women, "The fricken' dialogue police!?"
"You should count yourself fortunate that I'm not because if I were you'd be looking at life without parole for lines like that. I mean come on, swearing to cover up bad lines, now that is the last resort of the truly desperate!" he said arming his little surprise in his left hand, "Maybe you and your two bedmates back there should spend some quality time together and come up with something that at least sounds clever. What do you think?"
Now THAT put them over the edge in a big way as both of the goons holding the women tossed them into the nearest wall before striding angrily forward with the Mad Max reject leading the charge. Still he held his ground and held his fire wanting to wait until his targets had reached optimum range before unleashing his little surprise at them. Feeling his heart beating faster and the tension rise within him it took no little bit of effort to wait while four vamps advanced on his position. However as they reached what he deemed the point of no return he couldn't help but smile at what was about to happen to these walking corpses.
"You ain't gonna be smiling for much longer shithead!" growled the lead vamp as his posse followed behind him.
"Oh really?" he asked before quickly pulling his left hand from behind his back and threw his little surprise at the oncoming vampires, "Maybe a wiff of this might put a smile on your face?"
His surprise turned out to be two containers taped together and each filled with an unusual liquid one of which appeared to be water.
Which it was of course but water that had been blessed by a priest prior to his departure from Sunnydale a few days ago. However it was what was in the other container that would really allow for maximum damage to be inflicted on the oncoming vamps. By itself it was relatively harmless but when mixed with water it would cause the liquid to turn immediately into vapor and cause it to expand in every direction.
He'd come across it during one of the research sessions with the gang while they weren't paying attention to him. He had originally been intended it to be used on the local sewer system since he figured if he convinced a priest to bless the largest convergences of sewage in the city he could literally flood the system with holy sewage mist. Basically turning the regular shit that flowed through there into holy shit (if you'll pardon the pun) taking a large chunk out of the demons that dwelled there that had a vulnerability to holy water or other blessed substances. Unfortunately that idea was scrubbed when he found out that due to the fact that the city sat on a Hellmouth and long-term residency of demons in the sewer system any attempt to bless the refuse flowing underneath the city would be useless.
In this case though the amount of water was small enough that the blessing of the priest would stick and when combined with the liquid in the other container it would create a holy water mist that would cover everything within five feet of detonation. He knew there was a specific name for the liquid that was the key to the device but he was never able to remember its complicated name. All he knew was the letter number combination on the bottle it came in and what to show the local retailer when he wanted to buy some himself. He'd stockpiled a fair bit at the moment but had decided to wait until he got back from his roadtrip before mass producing his 'breath of God' or B.G bombs and showing them to the G-Man.
Watching as the taped bottles shattered on the chest of the lead vamp he couldn't help but smile smugly as in the blink of an eye the vamps were stuck in the middle of a cloud of mist. Almost immediately he heard the vamps screaming in pain as the holy properties of the mist reacted with their unholy bodies much the same way an acid shower would on a human being. Knowing that the mist would only be around for a few seconds before dispersing he charged into the cloud and began staking vamps left and right the moment he got a clear enough shot at their hearts. One of them managed to stomach the pain of the holy water mist and take a swing at him but a dodge, an armlock and a leg sweep later had the vamp flat on his back. One quick stab later and the bloodsucker was dust leaving only one vamp to dust before he could call it a day and get the ladies to someplace safe.
However it was then that something unexpected happened when suddenly a gunshot rang out in the alleyway and clipped him slightly in the right shoulder. Looking in the direction he believed the shot had come from he spotted something he thought he'd never have to face.
A vamp with a 9mm pistol in its hands getting ready to blow the Xan-Man's brains out.
Doing the only thing he could think of he grabbed the last vamp of the four that had originally dragged the girls down the alleyway and held him firmly in front of himself to use as a shield. He could feel his unwilling 'protection' struggling to get free but thankfully exposure to the holy water mist had weakened him significantly. That and the fact that the vamp with the gun was shooting him full of holes trying to get to the Key Guy of the graduation ceremony kept his new 'friend' from freeing himself.
"Take cover behind those dumpsters!" he yelled at the young women who were almost completely recovered from their rough introduction to the brick walls.
Fear of getting shot proved to be a great motivator and thankfully cut any protest at being ordered around short. Both the African American lady and the outdoorsy looking brunette caucasion woman took cover behind the blue dumpster with their hands covering their heads. Now that he had some time to look at them he found that they were quite a bit older than he had originally thought they were, which had been between twenty and twenty-five, being closer to Ms. Calendar's age than his. Still they were absolute knockouts and besides which they were the victims in all this so it didn't really matter how old they were.
A moment later there was a pause in the firing of the pistol and he knew that he had to take this chance while the vamp was busy reloading to act. Throwing the vamp into the dumpster the ladies were hiding behind he grabbed a hold of the sides and began to push it so that its front was facing the gun wielding vamp. Now would come the hard part since he'd need help if he was going to get it moving as fast as it would need to go.
"I need your help ladies! Get next to me and push this thing like your lives depended on it!" he said never once stopping pushing the dumpster with his own body, "Hurry!"
While there was some hesitance on the part of the two ladies it only took a second or two for them to lend their strength to his. Like a train the waste receptical began to move towards the gun wielding vamp gathering speed with every moment until he and the girls were almost running to keep up with the blue box of metal. He knew that this alone would at best distract the vamp since while moving fast it would not be beyond the demon's ability to evade. Reaching down with his right hand he searched his pockets hoping that he'd remembered to bring an extra bottle of holy water. It took a few stressful minutes of fumbling but eventually his fingers wrapped around a comforting glass bottle and he smiled triumphantly. Releasing the dumpster he took a step back, thankfully the ladies followed suit, and the three of them watched as the metal construct rocketed towards the vamp. Waiting until he was certain he quickly charged to the right when he spotted the vampire heading that way to evade the dumptster. The second that the demon cleared the dumpster he threw the bottle of holy water as hard as he could and like a guided missile it flew through the air before smashing open on the vamp's face.
"Arrrgghhhh!!!" the vamp screamed in pain reflexively dropping the gun it had been holding to grab its face.
Wasting no time he charged the demon as fast as he could and just as the vampire was beginning to lower its hands he drove the stake home into the demon's heart. With a familiar poof and gust of air the vamp turned to ash like the others had which left only the one in the dumpster that was likely regenerating from the gunshot wounds at that very moment. While it might be the smart thing to finish off the vamp first before leaving he was already beginning to feel a bit lightheaded from blood loss and decided that getting the two ladies to safety took priority.
"Well ladies I hope you've enjoyed this little display because I think it's time to leave." He said not noticing the slightly British lilt his voice had taken on, "Do either one of you have a house or apartment nearby?"
He knew that the club would not make a good sanctuary against vamps because it was a public place and while he didn't think the last vamp would come after them he hadn't expected that last vamp to have a gun much less use it. He'd feel a lot safer once they were inside a home where the invitation clause would work since it would at the very least limit what any vampires could do to them.
"Y-yeah!" replied the brunette who looked to be about five steps away from going into shock, "My a-apartment is about ten blocks from here."
"Then let's get going. We'll be safe from these guys once we get inside." He said gesturing with his arm towards the entrance of the alleyway.
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A Secure Room Nearbye, Same Time"So what do you think M?" Gibbons asked the head of MI6 as they watched Harris and the two agents they had posing as civilians walk out of the alley from numerous angles thanks to cameras hidden in the alley.
"He's resourceful I'll give him that but I am still not entirely convinced that he is capable of carrying out this mission." M said trying to downplay how much Alexander's performance had impressed her.
"He is rough around the edges and not at all like any agent you have working for you currently but I believe that that can be a good thing in this case. It means it will be harder for his enemies to predict what he'll do next." Augustus said turning away from the numerous screens as Harris left the range of the cameras, "It's one of the reasons I choose my Triple Xs the way I do. Government agencies have been training their operatives the same way for so long their enemies have begun to use this to their advantage. Besides I'm sure that with a little help from your man Q and perhaps a month of intense training to sharpen him up a bit Harris will be the perfect man for the job."
"If he's such a promising recruit then why bring him to my attention?" M asked deciding to voice the real reason she was hesitant to accept Gibbons' gift, "Why not recruit him yourself?"
"I haven't recruited him because I believe that someone in the NSA may be working for the First Organization. After I first began to suspect that someone was feeding information to the enemy I conducted an independent investigation into my own people to see if it was one of them." Gibbons replied with a look on his face that hinted he was troubled by what he had found, "While I wasn't able to come up with any concrete proof there was enough suspicious data to discourage me from drafting Mr. Harris. If he's capable of half of what I think he is he has to be free to do what he thinks is necessary to accomplish the mission. He can't do that if my own people are sabotaging him every step of the way."
"And what makes you think that my people are any more trustworthy?" M asked looking troubled herself at the idea of members of the NSA working for the First Organization.
"I don't but they're all familiar with Bond so both consciously as well as unconsciously they'll assume that Harris will act like double oh seven. They'll take things for granted and make more assumptions about him and this will cause them to make mistakes which Alexander can exploit." Gibbons responded bluntly but respectfully, "Besides it's only fitting that someone with the memories of Commander Bond be recruited by James' boss. Harris will recognise you from the memories he inherited on Halloween making it much easier to recruit him than some scarfaced stranger like me."
M considered his words, examined them thoroughly for any flaw that would give her ground to refuse what was being offered, but in the end she could do nothing but acknowledge Gibbons' logic.
"Very well. Once he's finished escorting your agents to their home I'll make contact and proceed to brief him on the situation." M stated professionally as she settled into her authoritative role, "If after that he is willing to assist he will be transported back to England where he'll undergo the training you recommended before being deployed."
"Of course. Now if you'll excuse me I have to check in with my people and see if the team I sent to recover my latest Triple X from Bora Bora was successful." Gibbons said before politely nodding his head at M and walking away.
With that the wheels of Fate were set in motion and the world of one Californian teenager would never be the same.
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Pilar's Café Oxnard, The Next Day, Late MorningM wasn't sure why she was surprised that Mr. Harris was late for the agreed upon meeting time and place. If he had inherited as much of double oh seven as Agent Gibbons claimed, then it was perfectly on par with Commander Bond's usual behavior. She just hoped that that was the only negative trait that Harris had inherited from her best agent, otherwise she'd be tempted to leave and disavow knowledge of this meeting at once. After all, one outdated chauvinistic dinosaur named James Bond was quite enough for her and the idea of a younger 'protégé' existing was enough to give her a migraine.
"Here he comes, M," came the voice of the one subordinate she trusted enough to bring on the trip with her and was certain he was not a spy of the First Organization.
Five seconds later a shadow passed over her and she decided it was time to get this meeting off on the right foot by making it clear who was in charge and what would not be tolerated, "You're late Mr. Harris. Unless I am very much mistaken, which I know I am not, you agreed to meet with me forty-five minutes ago. Explain yourself." She demanded in a tone that most would imagine their employer or a Supreme Court judge.
"Sorry M. Agent Jinx and Agent Nightshade were quite… thorough in their briefing last night and I am afraid we were up most of the night." Harris stated as he sat down in a chair opposite her, "It took them awhile but eventually I got a feel for the situation."
I hate it when I am right! She thought to herself as her prediction concerning both what Bond traits the young man had inherited and the migraine that was beginning to form in her head.
"Well then, if you are quite finished making use of Commander Bond's less complimentary traits, let's get down to business shall we." She said, eager to move along to something more important than the potential fallout from Agent Gibbons in the future, "I presume they informed you as to the nature of the current dilemma?"
"Yeah, something about a First Organization managing to pine box or strait jacket every agent you sent after it." He replied before being momentarily distracted by a passing young female waitress, "However they weren't able to reveal all the details during our little meeting. I guess that's where you come in?"
"Quite." She said before reaching into a satchel leaning against her chair and removed a file folder, "For the past seven months there has been a growing presence in the criminal underworld's of virtually every major nation on Earth. Groups once viciously opposed to one another are now working together while other criminal elements have undergone sudden changes in leadership. It wasn't until the bomber responsible for the destruction of a major military R&D facility surfaced that we managed to catch our first real break in the matter."
Putting the file folder in front of Harris, she opened it up to reveal several different kinds of photos ranging from what were obviously autopsy photographs to pictures taken most likely by a surveillance team. While the story itself seemed to be enough to catch his interest, she could tell that when Harris looked at the picture of the bomber's face that he knew something more.
"While there has been an alternative theory as to the perpetrator's appearance, it is believed that the man was the result of a failed attempt to create enhanced soldiers by this manifesting alliance of evil." She explained, not willing to support Gibbons' scenario just yet, "From what we were able to discover from the items on his person and from his own statement just before committing suicide, this alliance is called 'The First Organization'. Whether that name means something more we haven't been able to deduce. All we know for certain is that with every criminal organization or mercenary group it absorbs into its collective this Organization is getting stronger."
"I assume that MI6 or other government agencies have tried to put a stop to this?" Harris asked as if he already knew the answer.
"Yes, but each attempt to either apprehend or infiltrate the Organization has met with disastrous failure and the assigned agent either killed or returned to us a psychological mess." She replied, making her displeasure at this lack of progress known, "The last person to be sent to deal with them was Commander James Bond, whom I'm sure you know would not have gone down easily."
This got a reaction out of the young man and, apparently, provided him with sufficient incentive to examine the pictures more closely than he had before. From that alone she knew that Alexander Harris would be unable to leave this alone and would likely do whatever she requested of him in order to either rescue Bond or avenge him. While it was nice that she wouldn't have to exert any pressure to get his co-operation, she would still make sure he was put through his paces once they were back in England. IF he managed to satisfy the instructors used by MI6 and managed to at least maintain a stalemate with another double oh agent, then she would assign him to the mission.
"Okay, so we got badness a brewin' and it's able to chew up and spit out just about everyone you send at it." Alexander stated once he was finished perusing the pictures, "Can I assume you're considering the possibility that you guys might have a traitor in your midst?"
"The possibility is being considered and the usual investigations are underway. It was because of this that you were recommended to me by an NSA agent who is aware of your nighttime 'activities' with your friends." M said, watching to see Harris' reaction to one of his secrets being known to someone outside his circle of friends, "With evidence to support that you have somehow inherited many of the skills a double oh agent is required to know, it was suggested that you might be of some use in dealing with the First Organization."
"While it's obviously a waste of time to try and play stupid with you, I don't think I'm good enough for a mission like this. The skills and memories I managed to keep from my night as Commander Bond are incomplete and I'm sure you agree that it would be quite a risk to undertake a mission without knowing what you need to know." Alexander stated, not quite rejecting the request for aid but not jumping for it either.
"Of course, which is why should you agree to my request you will be put through a series of tests in order to be sure that you know all you need to know for this mission. Unlike some agencies, I don't treat my people as expendable commodities unless it is for the greater good." M stated emphasizing the importance of Harris passing the tests before he was assigned to anything, "So, you have heard what the situation is Mr. Harris, what is your answer?"
For a moment, the fate of one American teenager and perhaps the world hung in the balance, but in the end his true nature meant there was only one answer he could give.
"When do we leave?" He asked before grinning at her in a way only Bond ever had.
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MI6 HQ, Sub-Level 13, One Month Later"Well, Sergeant? Did Mr. Harris manage to meet the required standards?" M asked the man she had assigned to oversee Alexander's testing.
Considering the state the man was in, one black eye and his left arm in a cast, she had a fairly good idea of how things had gone with Mr. Harris. However she wanted to hear the judgment of the man in front of her before she made the final decision about whether or not to deploy Xander.
"Well M, I'm not sure where you found this yank but I'd appreciate it next time if you'd give my men and I more warning next time you ask us to test an unknown like him." Sergeant Granger replied, wincing a little since talking only served to aggravate the black eye as well as the bruise beneath it, "He was rough starting out, but once he had time to adjust it was like he had done all of the exercises before. Where did you find this colonial? Some renegade NSA project?"
"Not quite, Sergeant. Suffice it to say that Mr. Harris and double oh seven have some similar experiences that they learned from." M replied, not willing to reveal the true source of Harris' abilities to anyone, "Based on his performances during the tests, do you believe he is qualified to take on a double oh mission?"
"Permission to speak frankly, M?" Sergeant Granger requested with a look that he needed to say something freely.
A nod was all he got in response but it was enough.
"It is my belief that we should enlist the boy in MI6 immediately before the yanks draft him. If he's this good right now, I shudder to think what he might become with some experience under his belt." Sergeant Granger stated with certainty, "In my expert opinion m'am, whoever you plan on sending him against will be waving a white flag by the time he is finished with them."
"Very well, Sergeant. Thank you for your time." M said accepting the man's appraisal of Alexander, "Now go take your sick leave and report back to duty as soon as you've mended. Dismissed."
"M'am!" Sergeant Granger stated with a crisp salute before he left as professionally as he could on crutches.
To say that M was impressed with Harris' performance in the tests and how he had managed to impress the Sergeant, she wondered if she really should consider making Alexander an official agent of MI6. Much like everyone else who first laid eyes on the young man, she hadn't truly expected Xander to do all that well in the tests. After all, the double oh agents were considered the cream of the crop at MI6 and many lesser agents spent years of their lives trying to earn the designation. Few were willing to bet on the boy managing to pass the tests at all, much less doing as well as he apparently had, but she imagined that right now Ms. Moneypenny was quite satisfied with her winnings from the unofficial betting pool. Just as Granger had reported to her, she had heard tales all month that Harris' performance had skyrocketed after only a few days. She had not observed the tests herself, preferring to get the opinion of someone who would not see Bond in the young man. She knew that no matter how much she might have tried had she watched one of the tests, she would almost certainly draw comparisons between him and double oh seven. At least with Granger running the exercises, she could be sure of an impartial appraisal of the teenager's abilities from which to make her choice on.
It would seem that Agent Gibbons was correct in his appraisal of Mr. Harris as a successor to Bond. She thought as she began walking towards the Men's changing room, where Alexander was currently changing out of his training gear, And not a moment too late either.
For the last month reports had been coming in of numerous attempts by former members of the Intelligence Council to stem the progress of the First Organization and none of them were what she would call a resounding success. Betty Director of Global Justice had enlisted the services of one Kimberly Possible and her partner Ronald Stoppable (if those were even their true names) and while evidence suggested that a significant armory of the First Organization had been destroyed, Mr. Stoppable had been seriously wounded. Her sources in America were still attempting to learn of his condition but, given what information they had managed to gather so far, it did not look good for the young man. Charlie's team, which he laughingly dubbed his 'Angels', had met with slightly worse luck as two of their three woman team would be laid up in an undisclosed hospital for at least six months before being well enough to return to active duty. Intelligence on the operatives of the remaining members of the I.C were equally discouraging but still containing a sliver of hope within them. While virtually all of them suffered injuries, they were also successful in destroying or setting back numerous branches of the First Organization's alliance of evil. It wasn't great, but at least it was better than they had been doing previously when they attempted to pool their efforts as one unified body.
Yet another theory Agent Gibbons was correct about. M thought as she came to a stop outside the door to the men's locker room to wait for Mr. Harris to pass through it, If anything more that he predicted proves true, I will have some of my unofficial sources begin to look into his activities.
While she was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, neither was she one to overlook the warning of being too, right often that came with in her line of work. While some might consider the accuracy of Agent Gibbons' predictions to be mere chance, she was thoughtful enough to consider that it might be something less benevolent. To go from repeated failures to gradual headway in a matter of weeks was suspicious and when added to the appearance of Alexander LaVelle Harris, it made her think. Was it truly good luck or were they merely being led to believe so by a darker hand? If her suspicions were true, then it would be up to her to conceive of a backup plan in case Xander proved to be unable to overcome the challenges that had brought so many agents low.
Hearing sounds of footsteps within, she quickly composed herself in the manner of a stern superior and a barely satisfied one as well. While internally she may have been impressed with Harris' test results, she was not about to let him know it, lest it give him a swelled head. Instead she would impress upon him that he would have to earn her respect through his progress in the field and, hopefully, that would be enough to keep him from turning into Commander Bond completely.
Emerging from the locker room dressed in a specially made suit that she had ordered to be made should he succeed in passing the tests. Seeing him now, she could almost say that she was looking at a young double oh seven before the years of service turned him into the man he had become… was that day. Hair cut in a style similar to Commander Bond's rather than the mess that most teenagers seemed to fall into sooner or later, she was certain now that this young man was the operative to send after the First Organization next. He had both the skills required to be a one man force for good and had an appearance that would cause everyone to underestimate him… at least everyone who did not really know him at all that was.
"It would appear, Mr. Harris, that you are something more than what I have come to expect of the American educational system and if Sergeant Granger's appraisal is correct, you should prove adequate in taking over the mission to stop the First Organization." She said, sounding as though she was skeptical of the accuracy of the reports she'd been handed, "Therefore you will report to Dr. Warmflash for a complete check up to ensure that you have suffered no lasting strain from the tests and then go to Q branch where you'll be outfitted for your mission."
"Of course, M. After all, a doctor a day keeps the reaper away." Harris stated with a completely professional face but she could see a familiar twinkle in his eyes.
"Do not expect to be able to persuade the good doctor to exaggerate your good health, Mr. Harris. I've reminded her in person what level of professionalism MI6 expects from those in its employ." She said, conveying the subtle hint that he was not to use Bond's less than desirable way with women to sway Dr. Warmflash.
"It hurts, M, that you think I'm just like any other teenage male when it comes to a beautiful woman." He said with mock sincerity, placing one hand over his heart, "Besides, I somehow doubt that I'm Ms. Warmflash's type so you don't have anything to worry about."
I am sure that is exactly what the women thought before they met Bond face to face. M thought as she walked away.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Q-Branch, One Hour Later"Don't touch that!" Exclaimed an upset Brit voice that kept Xander from figuring out what the cigarette lighter in front of him could do.
He had only been in the room for about five minutes before his overactive imagination and healthy curiosity had him examining every object that caught his fancy, no matter how ordinary it looked. Ever since Halloween it had always been one of his secret wishes to visit the lab where Q invented and tested the various devices that James Bond used on his missions. While the part of him that he retained from Commander Bond considered it pretty much par for the course that the head of Q branch could come up with such devices, to Xander Harris it was all extremely cool. So far he had only been able to examine about a quarter of the room's contents and, thanks to the arrival of the man formerly known as R, it looked like he would have to wait to have a look at the other three quarters.
"Sorry but it's a little hard to tell the ordinary from the extraordinary in this place." He said, moving a safe distance away from the lighter just in case, "But I guess that's the whole point. Harris, Xander Harris."
"Yes, well, unless I tell you otherwise, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself." Q stated a bit uncertainly since he was unused to politeness or compliments from double oh agents and one in particular, "Now, if you'll follow me I'll show you what I've come up with for your mission Agent Mirror."
Gotta remember to talk to M about that. He thought not entirely lovin' the codename that the head of MI6 had given him for the duration of his time under her command.
"First the standard issue wristwatch, complete with explosive detonator, high intensity laser cutter and grappling hook with fifty feet of high-tensile micro-filament." Q explained before handing the watch that looked like a Rolex, "While not possessing any components not seen in previous models, it is the first to incorporate them all in one place. Keep in mind though that it just cleared the testing phase, so don't be surprised if a bug or two pop up."
"Don't worry! I won't get a scratch on it." He said, not liking the idea that his first piece of equipment came with a bug warning from the inventor.
"I certainly hope so. Double oh seven had the appalling tendency to return his equipment in pieces if he even bothered to return them at all." Q said, making it clear that it'd be a good thing to not copy James Bond, "Hopefully you'll show more respect to your tools than he did."
If only he knew that James really did try more often than not to return the things he was given in one piece. He thought as the gray haired man moved on to the next item, Lady luck just kept tripping him up.
"Next the multi-function credit card lockpick." Q stated as he picked up what looked like a perfectly ordinary platinum credit card until the man pulled on the top, "It will open any door you come across and, as an added bonus, it will allow you to copy the clearance of any security card that you scan with this next piece of equipment."
Passing the card to him, Q walked along until he came to what looked like a common black leather wallet.
"Merely insert the card into the center pocket of the wallet, wait five seconds, then remove the card." Explained the proud sounding inventor, "Then place the multi-function credit card into the same pocket, wait five seconds, and you will then have the exact same security clearance as the owner of the card you scanned."
"I'm sure this card will open quite a few doors for me," Xander said, unable to keep himself from utilizing the famous Bond wit.
Q just gave him a look that obviously meant the man was worried he had spoken too soon when he thought Xander would be different from double oh seven, but went on, "A standard issue ultra-high frequency ring capable of shattering any known form of glass no matter how durable it's said to be." Q picked up an ordinary-looking golden ring with what look like three emerald slivers embedded in it before passing it to him.
"Lastly we come to the specially made items you somehow managed to convince M to have me create." Q said with some reluctance, as though he was almost embarrassed to have created in the first place, "A silver cross neckchain. Harmless looking on the outside but containing six pellets based on the crude design you provided when you arrived here."
"And the water in them has been blessed by an official priest?" Xander asked, wanting to make sure that detail had been seen too since otherwise the pellets would be useless.
"Yes, just as you insisted, although cannot fathom what good they will be unless you come up against some pagan cultists." Q said with annoyance before moving onto the next special item, "A roll of silver dollars. Apply pressure to the heads side and then you have five seconds before it detonates like a thermite grenade. Use them sparingly!"
"Of course! That makes perfect cents." He said implying the potential value to coin collectors.
"Finally the device that caused me the most trouble to create." He stated with a mix of animosity and satisfaction, "One dual alloy EM belt. Perfectly safe for use as an article of clothing but when removed and the buckle give a sharp pull, the micro electromagnetic generator causes the belt to become as rigid as a sword and as sharp as one as well. Keep in mind though that the micro EM generator has a limited capacity and will only keep the belt's rigidity for fifteen minutes before it needs to be recharged."
"I'll be sure to use every minute of it well." He said, liking the idea of having a sword that could pop up at any time.
"Another one. Perfect." Q muttered, shaking his head as he walked towards the garage area of the lab.
"What?" He asked, sounding perfectly innocent even though he knew exactly why the elderly man was shaking his head.
"Where Commander Bond failed to destroy the world, we can trust a Yank to succeed." Q replied, making it clear that he predicted much destruction and chaos in the Xan-Man's future.
"Oh, come now, Q, you know the old saying - if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." He said this time not being able to keep the trickster smile from his face.
"Oh grow up, Agent Mirror!" Q said as they finally came to what the only son of Tony Harris (thank you GOD!) could only describe as beautiful.
"Here is your transportation. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, equipped with headlight rockets, hood mounted machine guns with tracking capability, extendable spikes in the tires and an emergency ejection system." Q explained, pointing out exactly where each addition could be found, "As requested solar batteries were installed and the adaptive camouflage system was modified to be able to collect solar energy as well. With a few simple commands you should be able to discharge a rather blinding flash of light for six seconds before the batteries will run dry and need recharging."
"Nice." He said, still admiring the Aston Martin's look more than the additions that had been made by Q.
"There are a few other odds and ends stored in the baggage compartment but they're nothing too special." Q said as he concluded the explaining of the equipment he'd prepared, "Do try to bring them all back in one piece, Agent Mirror, otherwise I will strongly recommend to M that the repairs be billed directly to your savings account."
Go right ahead, considering I emptied it of all but five bucks before leaving for my road trip. He thought, already making plans to start a separate account once this was all over with.
"Now, I suspect that M will want to brief you on where you'll be going so I suggest you head to her office immediately." Q said, satisfied that his warning would have the desired effect.
"Of course. It never pays to keep a woman waiting." He said as he finished slipping the belt Q had provided around his waist to replace the one he had taken off, "See ya later Q!"
"Hopefully MUCH later Agent Mirror!" Q yelled after him as he left the room and headed towards the elevator.