A/N Seacouver doesn't exist in this reality. Duncan's dojo is in L.A.
"You're feeling something in the back of you head, aren't you? A sort of buzzing feeling?"
"Yeah, it's giving me a headache."
"It's called the Buzz, unoriginal, I know. It's sort of an early warning system. It lets you know when another of our kind is around. You got hit with some of Evanson's quickening, you're seeing some of his memories, things he knew."
"Yeah. Why?" Xander was definitely feeling freaked out.
"The quickening is what gives us our power, makes us what we are. Come with me, I'll explain and I'll help you. On my honor."
"Honor mean alot to you?"
"Yes, it does."
"Alright, I want answers, so I'll go with you."
"Good, my car's outside. Once I've explained everything, we'll try to figure out when you activated."
"Activated?"
"When you're immortality kicked in. You were born with the potential, but it had to be activated."
Xander was definitely feeling overwhelmed. He was immortal and no one knew it? In a daze, he followed Duncan to his car. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake. They drove to a better part of town and Duncan parked his car and got out.
"What is this place?" Xander asked.
"My dojo, I teach martial arts. I'll train you in martial arts and how to use a sword. You'll need to know, in order to survive. Where do you live?"
"I've got a little studio back in that neighborhood. I work a couple of jobs as stock boy, I just graduated High School."
"Where'd you grow up?"
"Sunnydale, it's a couple of hours from here."
"I'm familiar with it and the Hellmouth. Wait, did you go to Sunnydale High School? The one that blew up?"
"Yes, you know about demons and the Hellmouth? The Mayor wanted to turn himself into a giant demon, we stopped him."
"We who?"
"Our entire graduating class, if you know about demons, do you also know about the Slayer?"
"Yes, I've met some."
"I've met three. There were two stationed in Sunnydale. I was part of a group that patrolled the Hellmouth and kept demons from trying to open it. For two and half years, 'til they decided they didn't wanted me around and kicked me out. They decided I'm just too normal to be apart of their group, one's a Slayer and the other is practicing Magic. And you think I'm immortal?"
"I know you are. Do you know of anytime when you might of died?"
"What do you mean died? If we're immortal, how can we die?"
"We're immortal because we don't age once we activate. We can die, we just don't stay dead, unless the quickening is released, which is what happened with Evanson back there, he wanted my quickening and challenged me. If I hadn't defended myself, he would have just killed me, straight out. He would have killed you too. He believed in the Game, I don't, but plenty do."
"So I died? Well in the last two and half years, I've been knocked unconscious three times, so I suppose, one of those times could have killed me. Although, one of them, someone else was with me and wasn't knocked unconscious and would have noticed. She's the one practicing Magic. I can walk in daylight, I have a pulse and a heartbeat, no urge to drink blood, so not a vampire. Beside this buzz and that lightening show, is there any other way you can prove this to me?"
"Yes." Duncan picked up a knife and sliced his hand, he held it up so Xander could see the cut. Lightning danced across it and it healed. Without a word, Xander grabbed the knife and cut his own hand. He watched as lightening danced across it.
"So that actually just happened. I'm not imaging it."
"No. We can die, we just don't stay dead. We can heal from any wound, the worse the wound, the longer it takes, but we will heal. The only way to stay permanently dead, is to remove the head and release the quickening. The first time you were knocked out, when was it?"
"Beginning of Junior year. Vampires wanted to resurrect their Master, he'd tried to open the Hellmouth and he was stopped. In order to resurrect him, they needed those that were physically near him when he dusted. They knocked me out to get to the one they needed. I don't know how long I was out before I was found. The second time I was knocked out and left in the street, at night, in Sunnydale. I still don't how I survived or why the vamps didn't chow down on me."
"I doubt you did and as for why they didn't? Once you activate, your blood is poison to them. If they'd tried, they'd have learned that in the seconds it took them to dust. You'd have been healed while you were out."
"Damn, always knew that town would kill me. That's why I left when they kicked me out. Despite the fact that I could offer more then Willow to the group."
"I have some apartments above the dojo. One of them is mine, another belongs to another student, Ritchie, he's also an immortal. If you want you can have the other one. You can work for me, Ritchie does. The older you get, the more you can accumulate. I'll teach you how. I'm sorry, but the life you knew, has been completely changed."
"Not the first time that's happened. I've been trying to teach myself how to fight, since no one else would, so I'll take you up on your offer."
"You were part of a group that patrolled the Hellmouth and no one taught you how to fight?!"
"And then used the fact that I didn't know how, as part of the reason for kicking me out, yes."
"Something's off about that. It doesn't make sense."
"Didn't make any sense to me either."