Remaining Balance
Xander crossed his arms and glared at Buffy, as she did her level best to get everyone to agree to expel Xander from the group.
"They don't like the way you mess up their plans," Whistler said appearing in a flash of light.
"Who?" Xander asked his eyes scanning the room for enemies and weapons.
"The Powers That Be," he replied. "Short term you do great work," the balance demon admitted, "but the long term effects aren't nearly as positive."
"See?" Buffy exclaimed. "Even the Powers say you shouldn't be in the fight." She wasn't sure why Whistler showed up to lend a hand to her efforts to keep Xander out of the way, but she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"The Powers really take exception to his participation?" Wesley asked earnestly.
"Whole lotta yeah on that," Whistler said. "And like I said, short term he does some good, but it's the long term consequences that the powers are concerned with."
"Like what?" Xander demanded.
"Like Acathla," Whistler said. "If you weren't here for it, Angel would have been the one to stop it, not cause it and spend a century in hell for it."
Buffy's glare could have melted iron. "See what I mean?! We're better off without you!"
"Jenny?" Giles asked quietly.
"She'd still be around," Whistler said.
"I-" Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them shutting out the world as he considered things.
"We're all better off without you," Cordelia said coldly. "Consider your membership revoked and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
"It has to be his choice," Whistler said. "Free will is the name of the game, but I have been cleared to sweeten the deal since we want to remove his influence from the timeline."
"So everything will turn out like he never interfered?" Willow asked hopefully, thinking of Xander having a normal life, and causing Buffy's eyes to light up as she pictured a happier future with Angel.
Whistler gestured and everyone froze in place except for him and Xander. "I think we've heard enough from them, don't you?" he asked.
"Yeah," Xander agreed sadly, as he considered how his friends- former friends were looking at him.
"I need your permission to move you to another reality," the demon explained, "so this world goes back to how it would have been had you never interfered with events."
"Like…hell?" Xander asked with a wince.
"No, come on kid, you don't deserve that, sure things haven't turned out all that great, but that isn't a reflection on you, you did good work. Just because things are more… fitting without you around doesn't mean you're at fault."
"Feels like it," Xander said sadly.
"How would you like to be a super hero in a world where good and evil are a lot more black and white?"
"What?" Xander asked shocked.
"Infinite universes means I can slide you in where you not only fit, but can improve the place just by your presence," Whistler promised.
"How would that make me a superhero?"
"For accounting reasons we've switched from three wishes to a debit card system using karma as your base balance," the demon explained. "And like I said, short term you built up some good karma with your deeds, so you agree of your own free will to allow me to move you to say… Gotham city and you can use the karma account to buy some powers."
"I…could be a superhero?!" Xander asked.
"Or villain, like I said, free will. Have we got a deal?" the demon asked with a friendly grin.
"Yeah, we do," Xander said clasping hands with him. "But… can you tell them about me? So they know I left for their sakes?"
"I promise," the demon said as Xander vanished in a flash of light.
This seemed to free the rest of the people around them because Willow burst out, "Where did you send him?!"
"Exactly where I said I would," the demon promised, his form swelling and splitting the clothes he was wearing, revealing silver armored skin.
"Is it done?" Whistler said as he appeared.
"What is going on?" Buffy demanded.
"It's done," the silver skinned demon said with a grin. "And as promised, I have to explain what just happened."
"You'll have to make it quick, the timeline is already shifting," Whistler said.
"My name is Skip," the silver skinned demon introduced himself. "I was chosen by the PTB, because it was felt that Whistler would give too much away because he likes the kid."
"First change is coming," Whistler warned.
"Xander was a source of chaos that interfered with our plans," the demon explained. "With him gone things are predictable again."
"Then how did you know what the long term effects of his doing his thing were?" Faith asked.
"We didn't, but we know they don't match the PTB's plans and that makes them bad, according to the PTB," Whistler said sourly.
Buffy's physical form faded leaving a shocked shade in her place. "What did you do?!"
"I'm keeping everyone here until I finish," Skip explained. "Without Xander you died before the Harvest. As a Slayer you're pretty mediocre."
Willow paled and shrank a little as her clothes changed to a full body leather outfit.
"Willow was turned by Jessie," Whistler said with a sigh. "Xander wasn't around to stake him."
"Jenny?" Giles asked.
"A ghost cursed to haunt Angel," Skip explained. "Her clan is really strict about watching people and death doesn't exactly excuse you from duty."
"Linda?" Faith asked hopefully.
"She'll be along," Whistler promised. "Kendra died releasing the Master in place of Buffy, who was already dead. With you becoming the Slayer earlier, you were both called to the Hellmouth."
"Kakistos?" Faith whispered.
"Never paid attention to you and is still running things and responsible for about a thousand deaths a month overall."
Oz fell to the ground a skinless corpse, his spirit rising like Buffy had a moment later.
"No Scooby gang means you were eventually caught and skinned alive by a hunter while avoiding the Slayer," Skip stated.
Giles hissed and grabbed his arm, his body melting into green goo.
"You pushed everyone away after Buffy died and Ethan got you, while you were attempting to drink yourself to death," Skip said. "As soon as we finish here your spirit will return to serving him as usual."
"And me?" Wesley asked nervously.
"Never left England, Council toady as usual.
"Oh," he said, rather disappointed for some reason.
"And this is supposed to be better?!" Cordelia demanded white faced, as she realized she was the last living Scoob, as Xander had called them.
"Faith and Linda are happier and Faith has a long career as a Slayer, lasting years," Skip said cheerfully.
"What happens to me?" Cordelia asked.
"You survive high school, move to LA, things happen," he replied. "Don't worry about it."
Whistler sighed. "I still say this is against the spirit of 'his' rules."
"No, I made damn sure it was their idea," Skip swore. "Minimal influence and helped the kid you liked as much as possible."
"I suppose you're right," Whistler said shaking his head. "Still, it's not all bad. Buffy goes up, Oz… hmm. He has to do another life to make up for listening to the wolf after he got infected and a lot of inaction before he was bit. Giles gets his case reviewed in a couple of centuries."
"What about me?" Willow said shivering.
"The soul doesn't get to leave until the vamp is dusted," Skip explained. "It's not your fault, but you have to bear witness to the demon's sins."
"You're legally blameless," Skip assured them. "I'm releasing my hold on this timeline. It was nice meeting you all."
*POP*
Everyone vanished leaving the library empty and still.
*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*
Xander appeared in a flash of light on a dark rooftop in Gotham. "If it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all," he informed the two caped figures in front of him.
The Huntress and Robin exchanged glances not sure what to do.
"I don't suppose I could get some clothes…" Xander's voice trailed off. "Good golly, Miss Molly!"
"What?" Robin asked, glancing around to try and locate what had startled the naked teen.
"Telepathic thingy giving me clothes options," Xander replied.
"Well don't hurry on my account," the Huntress replied with a smirk.
Robin rolled his eyes.
"At least we know he's not armed," she said.
"I'll take the Venom Symbiote," Xander said, causing a wave of tar like black substance to cover him.
The two heroes took ready stances waiting to see what he would do.
"What's my remaining balance?" Xander asked the air. "That much?"
"What's with the spider motif?" Robin asked.
"The venom symbiote was originally bonded to Spider-man, so it copied his abilities," Xander explained. "Much like Batman's connection to the Bat Totem it's connected to the Spider Totem."
"And that means?" Huntress asked.
"The Bat is about Survival, so Batman gets the never give up will to survive re-enforcing his own," Xander explained recalling an argument about Totems and their use.
"And the spider?" Robin asked.
"Pranks and jokes," Xander replied. "I will never lose my sense of humor, plus lots of nifty spider based powers."
"Let's start at the beginning," Huntress suggested.
"And god said let there be light," Xander began.
"Not that far back," Robin groaned while Huntress laughed.
"I came from a world where demons infest the shadows and were fought in secret. We don't have more than a couple of heroes and the average life span is about six months active in the fight. I scrapped the good guys long range plans, by doing good in the wrong time and place according to them."
"How does that work?" Huntress asked.
"If you save a small child from drowning, have you done good?" Xander asked.
"Of course," the heroes chorused.
"And if the child grows up to the Adolph Hitler?"
"I-" Huntress frowned.
"You did good," Robin said firmly. "The future isn't written in stone and you aren't responsible for that child's choices."
"Agreed," Xander said. "Now suppose after the war a time traveler gave you the chance to negate your effects on history by moving you to another world so Adolph Hitler didn't become the monster he became in your past."
"I'd take it," Robin said.
"Did you really-"Huntress began.
"No," Xander waved it off. "I affected probably a couple of dozen people at most, but they were ones I cared about, so here I am."
"And the telepathic thingie?" Robin asked.
"My good karma is actually being used like a bank balance to help me settle in."
"Settle in?" Robin asked.
"Yeah, this Earth is now my home and I get an amount of power equal to the good karma I built up fighting demons. I'm just glad my leaving helped out my friends."
Typing by: The Last Primarch!
AN: Someone wanted to know what would happen if you removed Xander from the gang, and here it is. You can probably get a similar result removing one of the other characters. Except Buffy, she's replaceable since the slayer spirit will just send another.