Author's notes: Special shout out to Umbra Venator for taking the time to review the first part of the prologue.I'm a fan of constructive feedback. While I have done other writing challenges this is my first foray into Fan FIction. That being said I warn everyone now. I will be playing a bit fast and loose with the Nasuverse magic system as well as that used by D&D5e/BG3.

The summer sun was beginning to set on the small town of Sunnydale when the Fixer appeared in an alleyway not far from the local high school. He knew his pick would most likely be in the library with the rest of the group, minus the Slayer.

"Ahh, dinner is delivery tonight brother," came a growls voice from behind him, deeper in the shadows of the alleyway.

Turning the Fixer saw a pair of what appeared to be pale, dark haired college students. Shaking his head Fixer stated, "Unless you want an example of Genesis 3:19 you should walk away."

The one on the left said, as his face shifted to elongagted ridges and his eyes became a sulfuric yellow, "A bible verse won't help you, and without a Slayer in town screaming won't either."

Fixer shook his head and as the pair rushed him said, "Ashes to ashes."

A metallic cylinder dropped into his hand, and with a casual swipe of the three foot cerulean blade that extended from it he removed both his attackers heads. Normally a wound from this weapon he had picked up in his travels would cauterize a wound, but in this case both his attackers seemed to explosively dissolve into ash as he finished, "Dust to dust."

A sharp inhalation from behind him had him looking over his shoulder at the dark haired teenager in a bright hawaiian shirt who was gaping at him while he looked ready to drop the box of donuts he was carrying. Fixer smirked and said, "Don't drop the snacks. I'm fairly certain the long night of research ahead will make the gang hungry."

"You have a lightsaber," the teenager said in wonder.

"Something I picked up in my travels," Fixer responded with his characteristic smirk still on his face.

"You have an actual, functional, lightsaber," the teenager repeataed.

Shaking his head Fixer deactivated the weapon and stowed it back up his sleeve as he walked out of the alley into the fading sunlight. Clapping a hand onto the teenagers shoulder he began to direct him towards the high school as he said, "Just wait, the surprises are going to keep coming. Let's go see Giles."

Shaking himself the teenager asked, "How do you know Giles?"

"Your Giles, I don't know him. Do you think I should introduce myself to him first Mr. Harris," Fixer said.

"Mr. Harris is my father, just call me… wait, how do you know my name?" the teenager asked warily.

Fixer laughed and said, "Come on, let's head into the library so I don't have to explain it twice."

Fixer watched as the teenagers eyes slightly unfocused as if he were deep in thought and he internally said, 'So, even now that part of you exists. Maybe less developed, but it's good to know that age doesn't stop you from being The One Who Sees."

Entering the library Fixer saw that some of the structural damage from the recent earthquake and assault from the monster was in the process of being repaired. An older dark haired woman and a teenager with dark red hair were working on a set of computers while an middle aged man in glasses was reshelving books on the upper levels. The teenager set the donut box down and called out, "G-man, we have a guest. I don't think he's from anywhere around here."

"Whatever do you mean Xander?" the man in glasses responded.

The older woman reached under the desk, most likely for a weapon as the Fixer leaned against the check out counter as the younger woman looked at him like he was a puzzle to be solved. As she looked at him Fixer noticed an unfocused mental tendril brush over his being and with a minor effort of will he let his vision change to see the entirety of the girls being. 'Well, well, well what have we here. That could make this more interesting,' he thought before shifting his gaze to see the librarians inner self, 'His is dormant, no it's atrophied. He still has his focus though. He probably gave it up after the Eygon debacle."

"Who might you be?" asked the cultured British voice of Rupert Giles.

"I'm mostly known as the Fixer, though if you must you can call me Mr. Johnson," Fixer replied.

Xander snorted and seemed to be struggling to bite his tongue at that answer, which only made Fixer's smirk grow to an actual grin. Giles looked to his young compatriot and asked, "What is amusing about his name?"

Xander shook his head and said, "That isn't his name, but it does mean he has recent experience in nerddom."

It was the adult woman who responded, "There's a game that came out a few years ago called Shadowrun which heavily featured people looking for mercenaries known as fixers. Usually they used the alias Mr. Johnson."

"Ahh, I see," Giles said as he began to polish his glasses.

"Well I lost that bet," Fixer said as he pulled out at examined a pocket watch, "I had it as thirty minutes before I caused you to polish the glasses."

"You seem to have some knowledge of my habits," Giles said with a hint of inquiry in his tone.

Xander's eyes lit up as he said, "Your Giles…. You have met others, the multiverse right?"

Fixer laughed and pulled a wrapped Twinkie out of his coat pocket and tossed it to Xander before saying, "Damn kid, I thought I was going to have to full on explain it. A bit bigger than just a multiverse, but close enough for explanations sake."

The young woman asked, "So, what are you doing here?"

"Well Ms. Rosenburg, I'm here to make a bargain on behalf of someone, and maybe a few others depending on circumstances," Fixer responded.

The adult woman said, "It's usually not safe to make bargains with beings of power."

"Ms. Calendar, I am a shocked you would suggest I am anything but a man of my word. Well not really, but in this case you don't have to worry. My plan is to lay out the offer, and then go away for a little bit so you can research to see if there is any information about me in the musty old books," Fixer said.

"And if we refuse?" Giles asked.

Fixer shrugged and said, "Then I go on my way and check if the next name on my list wants the deal. No skin off my back."

Xander asked, "What are you offering, because if it's the lightsaber I have a twinkie to trade?"

Fixer chuckled as Giles made a disapproving noise and answered, "Sorry, but my offer is on behalf of someone else, and he doesn't have a lightsaber. At least not one like what you saw. I do wonder what he would do with one though."

"If we asked you to leave without hearing your offer, would you?" asked Giles, and at Fixer's nod he stated, "Then we may as well hear you out."

"Excellent," Fixer said before hopping up onto the counter and began to explain, "In this particular case the offer is actually to Xander. I'm representing a being that, while once human, now exists outside time and space as more of an entity. The bargain in a nutshell is that he would grant you a measure of power and knowledge. Beyond the basics you would have to develop that power yourself. He would get something in return, mostly knowledge but also he would gain a small increase in power. Think like interest in a bank."

"An entity that was once human, would it be correct that he is a damned soul?" Giles asked.

Fixer chuckled, "He probably would agree with you at times for that statement, but not in the way you mean. In the branch of the multiverse he is from he lived and died as a man who wanted to save everyone within his reach. He sacrificed his afterlife for the power needed to stop a nuclear detonation that would have wiped out most of the Middle East and Southern Europe by making a deal with what is known in that branch as the Counter Force. The Counter Force is part of that realms Spirit of the World, which is split between Gaia, the Spirit of the planet, and Alaya, the collective Will of Humanity. Alaya empowered him after he died to act as one of her Counter Guardians to troubleshoot problems that could result in the end of Humanity."

Xander winced and the young woman noticed and asked, "But isn't that a good thing?"

Giles shook his head and said, "Oftentimes the greatest threat to humanity, is humans."

Xander interjected, "And I would be willing to bet that he dealt with the trouble by shooting it."

Fixer nodded and said, "Yes. His particular skillset made him very good at that job, capable of going up against opponents that pound for pound should have stomped him into so much ground pulp. He would have to explain his reasoning for being willing to make the contract, mind reading isn't a talent I particularly cared to pick up. However it is that skill set that is on offer."

Jenny Calendar asked, "What can you tell us about the skill set, and why Xander?"

Xander looked mildly offended, but also interested as the Fixer replied, "Beyond some basic magic from that branch of reality Archer was a revolutionary in the magic of Projection. It let him create a temporary copy of items, with a specialization in swords. He took it to the level that he could even copy the skills of past wielders of those weapons, to an extent, and the weapon would respond to him as if he were its chosen wielder. When some of those weapons embodied concepts beyond just being sharp and pointy you get to the really interesting things he could do."

"Chosen wielders, you are talking about Named items of power aren't you," Giles said, once again furiously polishing his glasses.

"Oooh, like Excalibur," Willow said while excitedly bouncing.

Fixer nodded, "He could copy any weapon he saw at just a glance, and since he resides outside time and space in a pocket dimension known as the Throne of Heroes his armory makes him a versatile weapon for Alaya."

Xander pointed out, "You said his skill set though, not his armory."

Fixer nodded and explained, "He would have to decide if he wished to share any of his collection, but the other magics he perfected allowed him to go toe to toe with the equivalent of master vampires when he was still human."

Fixer hopped off the counter and began walking toward the exit as he sated, "Think it over, do your research, and I'll be back in about a week. If you are interested we can summon Archer to finalize the details."

After Fixer had left Xander turned to Giles and said, "This is too good to be true isn't it? He's offering a way for me to get into the fight, and not as bait."

Giles replaced his glasses on his face and replied, "'I am curious as to why you specifically, not that I doubt your heart. I believe I have heard of a being that matches his mannerisms though. It is a good sign that he isn't pushing to form the contract though. It lends itself to him being on the level. It really depends on the price asked and the details. Not to mention if you even should take the deal."

Willow spoke up, "Would taking the deal make you less… you?"

Xander smiled a goofy smile and hugged his friend before saying, "I would still be your Xander shaped friend. If he's on the level though I think I will make the deal. I don't think I can stop fighting now that I know what is out there. I need an edge, and from what he was saying I could make my own with that deal."

"Quite, but let us not be hasty. First we see if we can find references to this Fixer," Giles said.

**One Week Later**

Fixer opened the door to the library to find the quartet waiting for him. Setting down a box of donuts he said, "I brought the snacks this time."

Giles let a small smile creep across his face as he said, "Thank you for that. I'm sure you already know, but we did find references to you in some of the Watcher's journals."

"Excellent, and I wasn't sure about that. My wandering don't always take me to the same timelines, so while I was hoping you would find them, I didn't count on it," Fixer responded.

"Yes well, from what I have found you are a being of your word. From what was written you gain power by making deals, and rarely do your bargains have negative impact on the subjects unless they deal in bad faith," Giles said.

"More or less accurate. So, Xander, are you game?" Fixer moved the conversation along.

Xander nodded nervously while saying, "I'm willing to bargain."

Fixer smiled, before fishing a small metal sphere out of a pocket and gently lobbing it into the air where it hovered before shining an image of an intricate magic circle on the floor of the library. "My word!" Giles exclaimed.

Fixer reached a hand forward and began the chant used to summon a Heroic Spirit, from his wrist dangled a red gem from a delicate chain, "Let Silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let the oath of pacts be the ancestor. Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

Blue foxfire lit along the lines of the summoning circle and static seemed to fill the air as he continued to chant, "I hereby declare. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be your sword. Submit to the offering of contract. If you will submit to this will and this reason… Then answer!"

The circle lit from within, glimpses of a mist shrouded wasteland could faintly be seen in the illumination as the catalyst dangling from Fixer's wrist locked onto the one h sought to bring forth, "An oath shall be sword here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!. From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power. Come forth from the ring of restraints, Protector of the Holy Balance!"

The light became blinding before it faded to reveal a tall man in black with a crimson shroud wrapped around him like a split coat. Tan skin and golden eyes that crinkled in amusement as he said, "Well that's a change. I didn't fall through the ceiling this time."