AN: I have no idea how people manage to post a new chapter every few days. I'm currently working on chapter 8, and have been for… many weeks? I am having a ton of problems with it and I didn't want to post more until I got through it. I actually haven't yet, but It's taken so long I need to give you guys more so you don't think I'm going to vanish for ten more years.

I have created a discord channel where I can post images of character and scenes from this story. Just remove the space after the dot:

discord. gg/mJNysER5

Chapter 06 – So Much to See

The 'Savage Lands', as it turned out, was only named after the jungle secretly hidden in Antarctica, and for good reason. It was a massive wildlife reserve where Xander had placed animals that would otherwise be extinct. It was not on the surface like it was in the comics, but deep underground in a cavern that was magically expanded to be much larger than would normally have been. The ceiling high overhead was reinforced and enchanted to show a blue sky. There were wispy white clouds floating by, created and controlled by specialized weather modifying charms. The cavern was divided into different terrains and climates, allowing for animals for all over the world to coexist. The cabinet travel room was half-way up the wall on the edge of the preserve, greatly reducing the chances of any animals making it inside. Far to the left was a low mountain range, while an ocean spanned a distance to the right.

After exiting the cavern where the vanishing cabinets were stored, Boros had scooped a surprised Jenny Calendar up in a bridal carry before stepping off the cliff edge. She had screamed, gripping tightly to his chest and closing her eyes, only for the infuriating man to chuckle softly. Opening her eyes, she was amazed to see that they hadn't fallen, but were instead soaring through the air defying all the laws of gravity.

"You can fly."

"And you can state the obvious."

"And... and it's safe?"

"It is." He grinned salaciously, "Of course, If you want to perform a pre-flight inspection, we can go back."

Jenny rolled her eyes, ignoring the part of her mind which pointed out that he could probably do things to her that she couldn't even imagine, "I'm good thanks. Just focus on not dropping me."

Xander snorted but didn't say anything, instead looking upon Jenny's face as she watched the ground pass below them. The massive, magically expanded space beneath the ice was divided into different climates, each controlled by a combination of spellwork and intricately carved runes. As they flew, Xander began pointing out the different species of previously thought extinct animals in the preserve. Tasmanian Tigers, Black Rhinoceros', Eurasian Aurochs, and even an entire herd of woolly mammoths. He didn't want to land, informing her that the area they were currently in was populated by some of the more predatory animal species and were best left alone. In minutes, they were soaring along an artificial coastline before turning to fly out over the water. Jenny reached down to run her hand through the surf and laughed when a pod of strange creatures that looked like dolphins with no snouts began to chase them, jumping and playing in the wake left by her touch. Xander called them 'Vaquita' a species of porpoise that once lived off the coast of Northern California. They flew for another minute before a small island came into view. It was a lush tropical paradise covered in a variety of fruit trees. Within moments of landing, a loud warbling cry of 'Brack!' preceded several large grey flightless birds rushing out from the trees to greet them.

"Wait," Jenny said, her eyes going wide even as Xander telekinetically plucked a large juicy mango from high up in a tree. The birds went crazy seeing the luscious fruit, squawking and jumping, flapping their short stubby wings in excitement, "Are these-?"

"Dodo birds, yes." Xander replied, "Hunted to extinction by humans. Or they would have been, if I hadn't rescued a bunch and brought them here."

Jenny smiled and held out the ripe mango, which was immediately snapped out of her grip by the large flightless bird that she would have said was extinct only a day ago. She had heard the phrase "dead as a Dodo" before and was amazed to see an entire flock of them alive and roaming around in this hidden preserve. They were surprisingly gentle despite their size and the popular stereotype of them being dumb and clumsy. Admittedly, they weren't the slightest bit afraid of her, coming right up to her when Xander had passed her the fruit to feed to them, but they were clearly more agile than popular culture portrayed them.

Xander started walking, leading the way through the brush into a wide clearing where a small village stood, multiple diminutive creatures moving between wooden huts. As they approached the miniscule community, the birds seemed to lose interest in them, turning away and wondering back into the trees.

"A repelling ward," he stated, somehow reading her unspoken inquiry, "It's harmless to the animals, but keeps them out of the village."

A 'pop' sounded as one the small creatures appeared before them, an excited look on its face. "Master comes to visit us?"

More of the creatures ran over, many carrying plates of food or carafes of liquid. They were very happy to see people visiting them and quickly arranged an extravagant feast. While they ate some of the most extravagant food Jenny had ever seen, Xander explained the basic history of the creatures. They were called House Elves and they weren't extinct and protected within the preserve, but instead maintained the environment and cared for the animals. She smiled softly as she watched the small creatures gather around Xander, chatting excitedly. If only Rupert was here, she thought, he would be fascinated to meet these simple yet charming beings. The smile dropped from her face as she realized that, once again, she had forgotten about the man she had claimed to love only hours before. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't deny that this new Xander completely enraptured her. She sighed heavily, knowing that it was just a matter of time before she would have to decide where she belonged.

-oOo-

After hours spent touring the Savage Lands, they returned to the cabinet travel room, Xander leading her to a separate hall that opened onto what could only be described as a museum. There were tall arched openings leading to separate rooms, each with a theme. One room held armor and weapons from across the eons. Another was transportation, containing everything from horse-drawn carriages to antique cars to an array of sailing ships. A third wing stored items of art. Another looked like a massive closet, filled with rack after rack of clothing from multiple eras and countries. They continued through room after room of items that Xander had collected over his long life. Jenny knew, in an analytical sense, that Xander was immortal, but to see evidence of it made it somehow more real.

-oOo-

Returning to Sunnydale after everything she had just seen was surreal for Jenny. Extinct species living in a magically expanded preserve under the ice of Antarctica. It would be surreal if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. They had passed back through the cabinet and then to the foyer sitting room of Xander's luxurious home, only for her to nearly run into his back when he stopped dead unexpectedly. "Someone has been here, someone powerful enough to disrupt the wards."

Given that Jenny didn't even understand the magics used throughout the building, she couldn't begin to conceive of the amount of power needed to affect them. She watched as Xander crossed the room, slowly approaching the coffee table on which set a jumbo yellow envelope. Xander held his hand out causing the envelope to rise off the table without him touching it. The flap opened and the contents spilled out onto the surface. There were two silver keys on a ring and a single sheet of aged white paper that had two worn creases where it had folded multiple times.

"Keys?"

"And apparently this," Xander said after skimming the writing on the paper, "is a property deed to the CRD building."

"CRD?" Jenny questioned. "isn't that where Moloch was?"

"Yeah, the Calax research and development building. They were a tech firm, shut down years ago."

"How did the property deed get here?"

"No idea. I've never seen it before."

"Let's go check it out." Her voice held a note of excitement. She moved forward to grab the keys only for them to dance away from her reaching hand.

"Someone powerful enough to bypass some of the strongest wards on the planet hands us the keys to a building and you just want to go there? There's no way that's not a terrible idea."

"What? Where's your sense of adventure?"

Xander's response was completely deadpan, "I must have left it in my old body. You know, the sixteen-year-old one that got banished to the desert Halloween night."

The excited smile fell off Jenny's face, "oh. I– I didn't-"

"It's alright, and you aren't actually wrong. I do need to go there. Those keys were left here for a reason. As to whether it's a gift or a trap, I do not know, and I'm not willing to put you in that kind of danger. You're staying here while I check it out."

"What? After all this, you're shutting me out now?"

"Yes. I'm not taking you with me without knowing what I'm walking into." He turned and strode for the doors, Jenny following until Xander turned and glared at her. A feeling of physical force pushed her back gently but firmly, making it clear that he wasn't going to let her leave. "Stay here. Please."

She sighed, but capitulated, returning to the lounge to sit and wait. She was joined a short time later by Siobhan, who didn't show the tiniest bit of surprise upon finding her in their house. When the girl spoke, she had a knowing smile, "So? Having a good time?"

"Yes." She admitted begrudgingly.

The younger girl grinned, "I thought so. This is so much better than something like, say... monster trucks, isn't it."

Jenny glared at the teenager not willing to admit that, deep down, she knew the girl was right.

-oOo-

The building was empty, Xander could tell. Telepathy could tell him there were no living minds within, and telekinesis could tell him that nothing moved. He shifted his footing, and bobbed his head, his current physical shape that of a crow. He had transformed and flown here in disguise, landing on the roof of a neighboring building so he could observe undiscovered. He spent some time watching and waiting for something to happen, but after nearly an hour of silence, he moved closer. There was nothing. No sign of magical defenses, no security forces, just a long-abandoned building in need of repair. He approached on silent wing, keeping constant attention on possible avenues of attack and escape, only to be confronted by more nothing. The only sounds he could hear was the occasional car passing on the surrounding streets. Cautiously, he approached a window on the exterior of the building, popping the lock with an application of telekinesis and slowly easing it open. He stepped into an empty office hallway, the rugs dirty and worn, the walls scuffed. He remembered coming here with Buffy to fight Moloch the Corrupter, a demon that had been released from imprisonment in a book by being scanned onto the internet. He had recruited people to construct a robotic body for him using the machinery in this building.

As he moved from empty room to empty room, he wasn't sure why he was even here. The place was long abandoned. He was about to give up and return home when he entered a large space that was once the production floor, where computer parts would be mass produced. What he found was not what he expected. Instead of broken and rusting machinery, the sole item in the room was a computer console that looked like something out of a science fiction story that was attached to a large metal and glass tube by way of thick cables. He approached the machine, his eyes taking in every detail. There was something so familiar about it.

"It should look familiar." Said an unexpected voice, "it belongs to you."

Xander spun, the fingers on one hand sharpening into long bladed claws in preparation for a fight. Standing in the center of the room was a thin man with short curly black hair wearing tan leathers. He looked completely non-threatening, yet Xander could feel a sense of immense power emanating from him.

"You're the one who brought me here? Who are you?"

"Like you, I have had many faces over the centuries, but you will know me as Janus."

"Like the Roman god?"

"I have been called that."

"You're claiming to be the actual God?" Xander asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"All the things you have seen in your very long life, is it so unbelievable?"

"Let's say for a moment I believe you. Why are you here?"

"I have decided it is time we talked. I am the one who empowered the reality-altering effect that transformed the people of this town into their costumes. It is though me you retained the abilities that allowed you to survive the ages."

"You're the reason that I ended up in the past."

"Partly. There are things happening on the higher plains that you could not understand even if I had the time to explain them to you. You are in a predestination loop. It would not have mattered what you dressed as that night. You were meant to end up in the past. This was always how things were going to happen. While there are other realities, other versions of you, this is how things were meant to be here. You know how this works. Time is fixed, you can't change events that have already occurred. You had to end up in the past because you were in the past."

"Yet, I did change the past."

"Only in a single instance and only because we allowed it. We gave you that change as a form of recompense for all you had gone through."

"Right. So, you're here to what? Tell me to buck up? That it's not your fault?"

"Of course not. You wouldn't want to hear that. I have simply come to give you an offer." He gestured at the machine behind them, "This machine came into being as part of the Halloween spell. It contains a database of genetic mutations known as 'X-genes' and the capacity to write them into human DNA. It is my gift to you. I want to see what changes you could bring if you were no longer alone."

"I'm not alone."

"Not in a physical sense, perhaps, yet you are the only true immortal in the world. With this," He patted the machine fondly, "You don't have to be."

Xander's eyes went wide, feeling honest shock for the first time in nearly longer than he could remember. If this being was what he claimed, then this was... game changing. He didn't have to watch as, yet another child grows old before his eyes. His thoughts turned to Jenny for a moment before he cursed himself, pushing those hopes away. He couldn't do that to her, to any of them. He couldn't curse them to a life of eternity alone, watching everyone they have ever or will ever know grow old and die.

"You think I would ever do that to people I care about?"

"What you do with the offer of immortality is up to you. Even if you choose not to share it, there are many powers available for you to bestow onto others. Do with them what you will. Give them out. Use them to progress your world."

-oOo-

When Xander returned home, he found Jenny sitting with Siobhan surrounded by photo albums, both women laughing uproariously. Both looked up upon his entry, Jenny becoming excited by the prospect of an answer to the mystery. "Well? What was it?"

A look of understanding crossed Siobhan's face as Xander shook his head in response to the woman's question. "There was nothing there. Just an old rundown factory."

"Oh," Jenny sighed in disappointment, "that's a letdown."