"Okay, so you're a were hyena, in addition to having the blood of a god." Pete said. "Anything else you forgot to mention?"
"Like Mrs. Fredricks, I'm immortal."
"Blood of a god kinda implied it, so not a shocker." Pete shot back.
"I hope this doesn't change your mind. It's just the hyena is personal. If it wasn't for Cordy, it would be alot harder for me to understand and deal with. A human male is often taught that we're meant to be dominate, the hyena male is always going to be secondary to a female. Modern society says human men and women need to learn to live as equals. If I'd fallen in love with a different kind of woman, she might have tried to take advantage of that seeming conflict within me. Cordy doesn't take advantage of me, not even when she had money and status. We've found a balance. One that works for us."
"It hasn't made me change my mind." Mrs Latimer said. "If anything, it cements it. Pete told me how you willingly stepped in front of a Tesla blast to protect Cordelia. Jinx is certain you're not lying about anything you've said to us. You could use your abilities or the Hammer to hurt people, instead you try to help and protect. I think you'll do the same with the Hammer."
"I've been wondering something." Claudia said. "If you're immune to the effects of the Hammer, why didn't Mrs. Fredricks just tell you where it is, instead of having Mrs. Latimer give it to you?"
"Because Magic is full of symbolism and belief. The Hammer belonged to the Thor of this reality. Only the Thor of this reality or his descendant, can give it to someone else." Xander informed her.
"That makes sense." Claudia said. "And I should have realized it. We often have to figure out what emotions or action drives an artifact to behave the way it does before we can get close enough to neutralize it. Emotion and belief helped them become what they are."
"Exactly." Xander agreed, as they arrived at the Norse Hammer. Mrs. Latimer carefully picked it up and holding it out on flatten hands almost ceremoniously extended her arms toward Xander. He wrapped his hands around the handle and picked it up. He could feel its power. The Hammer had power separate from Thor. A power Xander would have to learn to control. He carefully slipped it into a newly created dimensional pocket.
"So, I guess this is the part where we say good bye. I hate goodbyes. I think we've become friends and I'm going to miss the bottomless cookie jar." Xander joked.
"I'm going to miss having someone around who appreciates Leena's cooking as much as I do." Pete joked back.
Xander reached into the dimensional pocket he kept the control button in and froze. "Uh oh." He said.
"Uh oh, what?" Cordelia said.
"I just realized, I was holding the control button when I got hit with that scifi blast of Pete's. I dropped it and didn't think about it, what with the dying and reviving."
"Control button?" Jinx asked.
"To the device that brought us here. Even across realities it keeps a lock on us and connects us to it. Without it we can't move on to the next reality."
"It's probably still over by those shelves." Mika said. "Let's go get it."
"Gives us a little more time to say goodbye." Claudia pointed out.
"I'm going to head back to the office." Artie said. "Good luck."
"I am too." Mrs. Latimer said. "These old knees aren't up for that much walking."
As the two of them headed back to the office, the others walked Xander and Cordelia back to where they'd first met them. After some searching they found the crescent shaped device with the button on it, just under a shelf.
"Well, this ranks up there with the weirder things that have happened since I started working here." Myka said. "And yet again, this place has expanded my horizons. I wish you luck."
"Thank you. You too. This place is amazing." Xander said, feeling awed by the Warehouse.
"Well, it's good to know I'm not the only kid helping safeguard the world or the multiverse." Claudia said. "You guys take care."
"We will." Cordelia assured them, taking Xander's hand. "Next stop, the Alteran world."
Too bad none of them realized that if an electrical discharge could affect a human being, it could also affect an technological device. Oops doesn't begin to cover it.
An electric tingle and the world shifted.
