Xander wasn't nearly as good at computers as Willow was, but he could be charming when he wanted to be. After checking with Willow and being told Tara was in surgery, he went to see the charge nurse, an older woman who'd known him since the first time he'd been brought in after one of Tony's drunken rants had left him with a broken finger. He used to charm suger free suckers from her that he'd give to Cordy, back when they were kids. Now he told her wanted to do this big brother thing for his friend Buffy, who had been hurt by her last couple of boyfriends and been asked out by an intern named Ben. The nurse smiled and gave him Ben's phone phone number, which allowed him to do a reverse lookup online and get an address.
Which is why he and Cordy were now on the roof across from the building and could clearly see the woman torturing General Gregor.
"He's not going to hold out long. Either he's going to die or he's going to tell her his theory about where the Key is. Either way, we don't have alot of time. We need to see if there are any other people in that building and then we need to watch and see when she turns back into Ben."
"And once that happens?"
"I've got an idea, but it depends on if there's anyone else in the building."
They knocked on every door in the building except the penthouse suite they'd determined she was in and found no one. Standing in the alley behind the building, Cordelia asked Xander about his plan.
"I mix up the biggest homemade bomb I've ever mixed up and put it in the basement, with a detonator attached. We watch and when we see her turn back into Ben. I set it off. Since their life forces are tied together, once he's dead, so will she be."
"Might just work. It's a good bet anyway. Alright, let's do it."
Once Xander completed his homemade bomb, made from a variety of household chemicals, they loaded it into the trunk of his car and drove over to the building. They hauled it into the basement and each assumed a position on buildings on opposite sides from the one the hell goddess was in. From their positions, they could each see two sides of the building. They'd be able to see if anyone exited at any time.
Xander settled in to watch for the transformation. He saw the moment Gregor died and the hell goddess begin to rant. Then she started hitting her own head and suddenly he was seeing Ben.
"Cordelia, are you clear?" He asked, via walky.
"I'm clear." She answered.
Xander set off the bomb. It leveled the building and both he and Cordelia had to duck to avoid debris. Car alarms began to sound and the building went up in flames. They watched to see if anyone left and saw no one. They saw fire trucks arrive and begin to put out the fire and still no one appeared. They saw the firefighters put out the flames and saw them bring out some bodies. From where they were standing with the watching crowd, they could hear the firefighters say a man's body had been found along with some weird animals. Having heard what they needed to hear, they headed back to the Magic Box.
They listened as Willow informed them that Tara was going to be fine and Joyce reported that her own prognosis was good, she would not need chemotherapy, both announcements were met with cheers.
About an hour later Buffy suddenly jumped up and yelled. "Ben is the hell goddess!"
"Oh my." Giles said. "How did we forget that, we saw him transform right front of us. We need to find him quickly. Buffy, do you know his address."
"You don't need to worry about Ben." Xander said. "He's been taken care of.
"What do you mean, Xander?" Jenny asked.
"I mean, Cordy and I didn't forget what we saw, maybe because of our hybrid nature. We tried to tell you all, but none of you hold the information for more then a second, before it was gone. So, we found out where he lives, watched to see when the hell goddess turned back into him and took care of him."
"How?" Faith asked.
"We made sure there was no one else in the building, then I mixed up the biggest bomb I've never mixed up, put it in the basement and blew the place sky high. We hung around while the firefighters put out the fire and saw them bring out some bodies. We heard them say, they were a man and some weird animals, likely demons of some sort. Hopefully, that takes care of it."
"Well, perhaps overkill, but better to be safe, then sorry, I guess." Giles said.
"I'm not going to scold you, Xander." Joyce said. "You protected Dawn, that's what's important."
"Yeah, nicely done." Faith said.
Amy and Willow also agreed. They also agreed, Dawn would never know, a human died to keep her safe. She was simply told that the being looking for the Key and been found and destroyed. She was safe. They all were. Or safe as you could be when you live in a city built over a Hellmouth.