A/N Anyone reading my browser history would think I'm a very weird person. You never know what you're going to need to research for a story. If you think Xander can't build a bomb big enough to destroy the Thirdspace Artifact consider what the largest homemade bomb ever did and add a military specs bomb to that.

######

"Tor, you lead them in, knock out people as you go, the more of them that can't participate the better our chances are. Do not kill if at all possible. Remember what one Anla'Shok is capable of."

"Like Marcus Cole." One the girls pointed out with a grin. "He put down a whole barfull of humans and aliens. We're only half way through our training, but that just means each of us can put down half a barfull of people. And we each have a partner."

"Xander." Cordelia said. "I understand why you're doing this by yourself, it doesn't mean I'm not pissed at you at the moment. Just so you know." Xander gulped, there's a reason why Cordelia had a glare that could intimidate vampires. If he survived tonight, then the next few weeks were going to be uncomfortable for him.

As Tor led them out, Xander turned to Giles.

"Don't." Giles said. "It's yours and her call. Not mine and it's the right call, I know that. She can do more than I can with this Magic. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, it doesn't, but this is how we have to play it, Giles. She may make the difference out there precisely because she uses Magic and technology. We need Amy here, directing the research. And you four are our back up. Amy channels Hecate, a celestial goddess. If it comes down to it, she may be the only one who can finish this and in that case, I need you three to get her there. Find another way." He pulled out his phone and hurried out.

"What does he mean?" Willow asked.

"He means Hecate's power could possibly counter a Hell dimension's energy, possibly." Amy told her. "But like all the gods, she can't come in unless invited. Channeling her just means she loans me a portion of her Power. To counter the energy of a Hell dimension, I'd have to invite her in completely. No human can survive that much Power, Willow. It would kill me. If we can't find another way to do this or the bomb fails to do the job, then giving myself over to Hecate may be the only way to end it. Xander will give the order if he has to. And I will follow it. Because I'm Anla'Shok too."

"But he won't order anyone to do something he's unwilling to do himself, he's said so." Willow said. "So he's going to try the bomb first and hope that's enough, even if he dies delivering it."

"Exactly. Because he is Entil'zha, Ranger One. We chose him to lead us, as well as allowed him to teach us. We live for the One, we die for the One. But we don't die stupid. We know that if he gives that order it's for a damn good reason."

Outside Xander headed for his car with his phone pressed to his ear. "Uncle Rory? Good, you're still free of the effect."

"What the Hell caused that nightmare, Xander?! It sure as Hell wasn't natural." Xander filled him in.

"What do you need?" Rory asked.

"Something out of your junkyard that runs and has a flatbed. I also need you to pick up some agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel and a few other things."

"How much?" Rory asked, understanding what Xander needed.

"As much as you can fit on the flatbed, I'll get the rest. Meet me at the National Guard Base. The balloon's going up, Uncle Rory and some of us aren't coming back from this." He hung up and headed for the Base and its armory, praying they'd have something big enough to do the job. It didn't take much to convince the guard to check out a noise on the other side of the compound or get the most recent access codes from his mind, just a surface scan and nothing more. Once inside the armory, Xander studied the inventory.

"Some day I want to know exactly why Sunnydale has a National Guard Base and a very well stocked armory." Xander mused. "Because this is way beyond what a National Guard Base should have. They're essentially back up, not primary. Unless there's a war." He noted the armory had conventional bombs but nothing nuclear. "Thank you other me for a near encyclopedic knowledge of modern weapons, not that I couldn't have learned it all myself, the slow way." He chose the largest blast bomb the armory had in stock and it probably weighed around 250lbs. "Not nearly the biggest one out there, but hopefully big enough, especially when augmented by the rest." Xander commented and got a mover to get it out of the armory. Once back outside, he found a place to hide near the road and waited for Rory to arrive, which he did about an hour later, driving an eighteen wheeler with a smashed in front and a long bed filled with all kinds of things.

"Wow, Uncle Rory, you're going to spoil me, other kids get fireworks for their birthdays." He quipped as Rory helped guide and tie the bomb down on the flatbed.

"You've earned it, you've been a good boy all year." Rory joked back.

"Cordy doesn't agree at the moment, she's kinda pissed at me for doing this without her."

"She'll see you soon enough. Let's get out of here and get this put together. We're only going to get one shot, aren't we?"

"Probably, doesn't mean I don't have a contingency in place, just in case."

"That's just smart."