Slaying Time

It was dark out. Shadows slithered around, creatures of the dark hidden within them. Other Xan and I, had quietly snuck into the graveyard. I had been training Xander but he wasn't yet worthy of his X-Man status. As we stalked through the shrubbery and bushes, the secret jungles of suburbia, he had stepped on a twig. Crack! It was a quiet crack but all the vamps turned to faces us.

"Shit!" I screamed.

I looked at Xander. The determined expression on his face. The sweat trickled down his neck. The slight shake of the hand holding the stake I had gifted him. He had a smile on his face as he watched the enemies in front of him in anticipation, waiting.

Know matter how hard he tried to hide it, I could see the slight gulp, the step he took back, the fear in his eyes. Batman watched people and now that skill had been gifted to me and so I watched wondering what he was about to do.

He was not ready. Not at all. It was a simple fact. I had only been training the boy for a week. He had pushed me to take him out on patrol. I'd looked in those same caramel eyes knowing that if I did not take him out, he would go out himself.

He had gone to save this world's Buffy from the Master. He had stopped an explosion that could have well killed him. He was a Gryffindor, a lion, and he would not bow to anyone. Angelus, the scourge of Europe, the crazed psychopath that he was, had left him alone in fear of the retribution that he would cause. Xander represented a crazed doggedness. No matter how many times he fell, no matter how many bruises he would endure, he would fight. Fight for himself, fight for those he cared about and fight for those who had though lesser of him. That list now including Giles, this world's Willow and this world's Buffy.

They had never known of all he had done for them. All he would do for them. They had played their parts but what if that explosion had happened and burned down all those tomes? What is he hadn't forced Buffy's boytoy to take him to her? Would she just have died, this town with her?

Willow had magic, she was the smart one. That was where her usefulness lay. Xander was the heart. A heart that wouldn't stop beating no matter how many times you kicked it down, no matter how useless it was told it was, no matter how many times it was sent to grab donuts for a group that believed him to be nothing more than an accessory. He was by far not the normal one. None of them were. Titled, 'The White Knight,' 'The One Who Sees.'

Titles were not given out all willy-nilly, they meant something. They inspired fear and told a story of the battles won. Battles hard won. Alexander Lavelle Harris had two of them. He was a scary man because he was a man. A man that had come out from the depth of hell to rain down vengeance upon the demons encroaching on his territory, killing his people.

He had made mistakes, like every hero before him. He had cheated on the one he loved, the piece that fit, a person that cared for him to the point of blackening her own relationships but what hero always did the perfect thing?

Hercules murdered his family because Hera drugged him. Spiderman rewound time, giving up his wife and child for an old lady nearing her end. Batman hurt every single person that gave even a cent of care to him and for what?

Most heroes ended up sad and alone, looking back at the world wondering whether anything they did even mattered.

Batman didn't. Xander had that same quality within him. The quality to step forward, uncaring of whether or not he changed things in the grand scheme of things. There was no greater good. Only what he thought was good mattered and for that he would rush into war riddled with bullet holes.

So, I watched him, I watched as he took a step forward and ran at a Vamp even when there were ten of them in front of us and more incoming.

I pulled out an AK and began shooting. I watched as Xander was pushed to the ground and how he stabbed it in its cold-blooded heart before it managed to kill him. I watched as Xander stabbed another in the leg, scrambling up to his feet and stepping down, bolting it to the ground.

"Aaargh," It screamed like a banshee.

I shot it in the heart and I watched as Xander pulled the stake from the ground, somersaulting away from an attack before punching up and hitting another in the balls. One punched him in the face and he fell. It carried him up and threw him at a gravestone. Thud! I watched as all the air left Xander's body, his eyes seeing circles and yet he still stood up from the ground using the gravestone to push himself up. I shot the vampire in its heart before it reached him.

He looked up, no longer dazed and mouthed, "Thank you." I shook my head. He lived in my house, so he was my responsibility right now. In that time, one got close and disarmed me. I pulled out a holy water doused wood-arang and stabbed it in the stomach. It stepped back and Xander stabbed it from behind. Another grabbed Xan's shoulder and threw him to the ground. I punched the vamp in the face and watched as it growled in anger and went into attack pug mode. I stabbed it in the heart.

I saw Xan with my gun shooting two vamps in the chest. He had missed the heart but it was a pretty good shot for a first timer. They groaned, clutching at their chests as I stalked towards them hiding in Xander's shadow. I shot out two wood-arangs in quick succession and they were dead before they even knew what happened.

The rest of the vamps looked at us cautiously.

"Who want a piece?" Xander cried.

He waved the gun like a madman and they all bent down. I just sighed and brought out five more wood-arangs, throwing them at five more vamps that turned to dust.

They all looked at one another and smirked. There looked to be fifteen more of them.

"You can take on all of us!" One shouted.

The rest all nodded their heads.

I smirk.

"I can. Because I AM VENGEANCE!"

Xander chuckled.

"Flank me."

Xan nodded.

They all ran at us at once. I threw three more wood-arangs, killing turning three more of them to dust. Xander shot at one but missed. Too bad. I jumped over a leg sweep but got hit in the face. I pulled myself using the vamp that punched me's hand. Its teeth ready to bite into my neck. I stabbed it in the heart then jump kicked another one. It looked unfazed. It grabbed me by the hair making me cringe in pain. Blood escaped from my head as it punched me in the face.

Xander shot and hit it in the head. Blood and brain bits flew out. It let go of me and impaled it in the heart. I should really start dousing the tips of the bullets in holy water. I got up from the ground and watched as the remaining four charged at Xander.

BANG!

BANG!

I heard two shots and two vamps were gone, dead.

BANG!

"Aargh," I grit my teeth.

I'd been shot in the left shoulder. This was bad. Vamps were sensitive to blood. More would come. I got out two more wood-arangs and dispatched the remaining two. I heard a loud booming sound in the distance and turned to Xander who looked horrified at what he had done.

"Let's go."

"I-I-"

"Not right now."

I grab his arm and begin running to the car. Luckily, we get in and drive back to the house.

I turn to the side to see Xander shaking. The guilt was palpable in the air. He stared at the gun in front of him and then looked at his own hands. I had seen this before.

Jason Todd, Batman's protege had been toying with criminals. He'd jeer and joke until one day, almost hit him to the ground. He had winced waiting for something that would never come only to see Batman stabbed with a knife protruding his abdomen. Jason had apologized but Batman just glared at him. I had seen what Batman had thought at the time. He had thought that it was not Jason's fault but rather his own. He would never say it and him never saying it led to Jason's untimely death and the creation o f the red hood, a man who did what he felt Batman should have done. I would never let that happen to Xander.

I would never lead Xander to think I was angry or that I hated him. I might have been a little pissed at first. Not at him, but myself. We should have gone to a smaller graveyard. I should have taught him gun safety. Should haves, would haves, could haves. What happened, happened and no amount of dreaming of praying could change the hard facts.

We had only even been here because I didn't want to deal with this world's Buffy yet. In many ways she was still a child, still afraid of what she was. Yes, now that Faith was her, now that other Buffy was here she could stop and retire. Why didn't she? Why was she still fighting? She no longer had to. She really did not.

She had been prattling on about wishing to live a normal life. She had the chance. Giles could help Faith. She was the important one. The one who would pass on the line. She liked being the hero. She liked being the leader. She liked helping people. She was a kid and it would take her some time for her to understand that this was who she was. The Slayer Line chose HER for a reason it was because, deep down she was worthy of it.

She had come out against all odds, some terrifying, others whacky. She had dealt with everything from praying Mantises that ate virgins to Master Vamps. She was Buffy the vampire slayer and in her heart of heart, she could not deny it.

I would rectify my mistake and speak to her today.

I turned to Xander moving my right arm from the steering wheel and placing it on his shoulder. I continued staring down the road.

"It wasn't your fault."

He looked at me, his fingers balling up into a fist.

"I shot you."

"I let you keep the gun," I retorted.

"I-"

"Look, Xan, There were many ways the battle could have gone but it does not fucking matter. It is done. We are driving home and once we get there, my beautiful girlfriend will patch me up and I'll be good as new. Then, tomorrow I'll start training you on gun safety so that never happens again. Cool?"

He nodded.

"Thanks."

"What for?"

"I fucked up today. I struggle against all the vamps. I shot you. I was useless and yet you are still being kind. Heh," He chuckled, "I guess I'm just the donut guy."

I turned and glared at him.

"With little to no training, You dusted three vamps, stabbed another in the leg allowing me to kill it and shot another one in the head saving me. I could have died Xander. You fucking saved me you self-loathing bastard. This is the job. We go out there ready to die."

He nodded. I sighed, calming down. I saw the pensive look on his face.

"What I'm trying to say is that you're not just the donut guy as you've put it. You are a hunter."

"Thanks."

"No. Thank you."

We got into the driveway and parked our cars. As we walked to the front door, I put my arms around his shoulder and ruffled his hair.

"Heeey!" He shouted.

I just smiled as we unlocked the door to see Vamp Xan and Wills performing the act of coitus on our nice couch. I would burn that thing.

They looked up and paused. Thank god they were still in their clothes.

"Uhhhh."

I just kept on walking. I went down to the basement. Xander followed.

"Did we just…"

I shake my head.

"No. I never saw anything. You never saw anything."

I watched as his brown eyes began processing everything.

"Ewww."

Vamp Xan and Wills ran down the stairs and caught that last part. Vamp Xan smirked.

"Says the guy who made out in a janitors's closet. At least we were home."

Xander scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

Wills stares at my shoulder.

"Is Buffs back yet?"

They nod.

I hear her footsteps coming down the stairs.

"What's all the ruckus…"

She stares at my shoulder.

"What happened?" She growled.

My face was bloody and my shoulder was bleeding.

"Vamp grabbed my hair too hard and I got shot. Could you help me?"

Her face morphed into one of pain. It made me sad.

"I should have come with you."

I nod.

"Probably but what's in the past is in the past."

She nods.

She starts by wiping the wound and then grabs some sterile tweezers and pulls the bullet out. Blood spurts out. I grunt and move away.

She slaps my back in annoyance.

"Stop being a baby."

I calm down and hold myself. She gets out a lighter to cauterize the wound but I stop her. I look to Wills and she nods.

Oh Hecate, god of all that is magical.

I pray that you give me strength.

I beg that you show me the way.

Remove this small blemish

Oh god Hecate

Help me heal.

Hecate was a neutral god. She never asked for more than was needed and so, many wiccans prayed to her. They offered her whatever they could give and she gladly took it. The gods derived their power from prayer. They would not die if they were forgotten but, who ever wished to be forgotten?

Gods were just humans in a higher realm of strength. As were the powers and the demons. Humans too seeked to control.

My wounds began healing and I smiled, flexing my once injured shoulder. Good as new.

Buffs sighed in relief as did Xander.

I looked at the time and saw that it was one a.m. I yawned.

"I'm sure that we are all pretty tired."

Everyone nodded.

"Oh and Xan don't worry about it."

"Worry about what?" Vamp Xan asked.

Willow sighed, facepalming.

"You dolt. You are lucky you have a nice ass."

Other Xan looked like he was about to throw up.

"Ew. Ew."

Vamp Xan laughed.

"Didn't you cheat on Cordy wit-"

"Yeah and I wanna forget it. Cordy was the best thing that happened to me. I miss her."

"Then don't let her go," Buffs joined in.

I nodded.

"You fucked up and she might not take you back but where is the Alexander Lavelle Harris that I know? You know my mom once left my dad."

Xan looked up at me.

"He turned his life around in a week and ran to her, begging and pleading. Those who do not fight for who they love will end up regretting it. Do you love her Xan?."

"I don-"

Vamp Xan got elbowed again.

Xander looked up, bronze showing itself in his once rust filled gaze. It was time for the new to wash away the old.

"I love her."

"Aww," Wills remarked.

I smirk as does Vamp Xan.

"Then fight."

"I will go right now."\

Xander was about to walk up the stairs before Buffs grabbed him.

"Go in the morning."

"Bu-"

"Vamps," Willow pointed out.

"Oh right."

I take Buffs's hands.

"Good night everyone."

We walk up the stairs and soon find ourselves lying in our beds.

Buffs turns to me.

"What happened?"

I turn to her. I remove that same annoying strand of hair that doesn't seem to like order. In some ways you could say that I was like that strand of hair. I saw the look of concern on her faces.

"We were encircled by a hoard of vamps. A vamp hit my shooting hand and the gun fell. It pulled me by the hairs and Xan shot it, enabling me to dust it. We were doing well until Xan missed a vamp and I got hit. I managed to kill the rest and come back here before more came. I'm good. I promise."

I smile.

"I don't like seeing you hurt."

"It's part of the job. Mistakes happen and even when they don't. Shit still happens."

"If I was ther-"

"What? I could be hit by a drunk driver. A sniper could shoot me in the head through that window. Vamps could lure us out of this building with Molotov cocktails. There are many things that could happen that we can't control. We just have to move."

She looked down.

"I still don't like it. Doesn't matter how you rationalize it."

"..."

I looked at her misty thunderclouds. It seemed like rain was on the forecasts tonight.

I placed my arms around her.

"I'll try not to get hurt."

"Thanks."

She holds me and we slowly drift into Hypnos's dominion. Good dreams only I hoped.

I woke up to the sound of the newspaper being dropped off at our house. Bat senses were no fucking joke. I could hear every click, every clack, every snort, every breath that entered into my vicinity.

I groaned and looked up at Buffs as I began wiping the tiredness out of my eyes and kissed her on the forehead. I shifted my weight in a way that she wouldn't feel that I had left and then exited the room to pick up the newspaper.

What day was it again?

I got to the door and quickly checked the paper. It said Alan Finch was murdered. Fuck. I hadn't forgotten the event and I was planning on interfering but I had been too focused on Xander2​ to think about anything else. Shit.

I run up Vamp Xan's room and knock. He opens the door.

"I need your help right now. Something happened. I'll tell you on the way."

He nods.

I also knock on Xander's door. He opens it groggily, rubbing it vigorously.

"Whaat?"

He tiredly asks.

I give him a serious look.

"Faith trusts you. Dress up and come to the car in 5."

I run back down and start the car. Xan and Xan2​ follow quickly behind.

As soon as they get in, I press down on the accelerator and we're off to the motor lodge inn to save an afraid seventeen year old.

"So…" Vamp Xan says, "What's going on."

"Your Buffy and Faith were fighting a group of vamps yesterday. A person got caught in the fray and Buffy threw him over to Faith. She staked him in the heart."

"Shit," Xan says.

"Yup," I reply.

"Shouldn't we leave her to Giles," Xan asked.

I stared at him for a second before looking back at the road.

"Giles already has Buffy to deal with as does Willow, your Willow I mean. Buffy will probably not take the death too well and expect Faith to also take it in the same way she does. They are two different people. One grew up with everyone around her, another had no one, lost two watchers, although one was fake and still isn't fully integrated into the scoobies."

"That's…a lot," Vamp Xan says.

"Buff…Buff doesn't always see things clearly and Faith…she's lashing out at the world right now. I don't know how she grew up but I can tell when someone's been abused," Normal Xan says.

Vamp Xan looks at normal Xan sadly.

"Thank fuck my Buffs had all the character development already," He quips.

"Hey! My Buff beat the Master. Suck on thos-"

"Focus!"

I walk to the front desk and wave at the owner.

"Where's Faith?"

He smiles showcasing his pearly yellows. He shrugs.

"I don't know any…"

BAM!

I drop two hundred dollars in the table.

"Now you're speaking my language."

Slimy git!

"She is in room 110."

I nod and we walk up the stairs. We soon reach the door. I knock. No answer. I knock again.

"What, Frank? I've already paid this month's re-"

She opens the door to see two Xanders and a mysterious third person.

"Am I seeing double?"

I karate chop her in the neck. She faints.

"Why did you need us again?"

"To calm her down if I failed. Luckily, it didn't go there. Now go my grunts. Pick her up and put her in my boot."

"Can't you teleport us to the car? I feel uncomfortable carrying a knocked out woman," Vamp Xan asked.

"I could but you said you wanted to be useful. You're right that it is uncomfortable though."

I snap my fingers and disappear leaving the Xan and Xan2​ to do my bidding. They were probs grunting and groaning right about now.

Vamp Xan sped to the car with the body. The other is running behind.

"We'll get you for this," They promised.

I just continued laughing as we drove back to the house.

By the time we had gotten back, both Wills and Buffs were awake. They were tapping their feet, arms crossed, glaring at us.

"Why are you carrying an unconscious girl that looks to be underaged?" Wills asked.

"She's the slayer. We are not pedophiles okay."

I crocodile teared.

Me and Xan tie her up to a chair quickly.

"So what happened?" Buffs asks.

"She killed someone because he was dumb enough to walk in the way of two slayers dispatching bodies. We need to make sure she's alright otherwise, she might go dark and right now we don't want to deal with a rogue Slayer, especially with the Mayor trying to ascend."

I snapped my fingers. A stake appeared in my hands. I burnt it.

"I've removed any evidence. Alan Finch's body has been burned."

"The Mayor?" Buffs inquires.

"He founded the town. Made a pact with demons for immortality and his plan to become a being of enormous power. We have to stop him but first Faith."

Buffs nods.

"X! What the fuck? Let me go."

We all turn to see that Faith is now awake.

"You're awake."

"No shit handsome," Faith licks her lips.

I shiver. Eww. Act your age bitch.

I turn to Buffs who begins to crack her knuckles. I hold her hands.

"Why are there two of you X?" She turns to Buffs with pleading eyes, "B, are you doing this because of last night? I didn't kill him."

"You did. The cops got your fingerprints on the stake. I removed them. Stop lying."

Tears began falling from her eyes.

"I-I'm a bad person."

Buffs went up to her and hugged her.

"You're not. Shit happens and while you shouldn't let shit faze you, you should learn from it."

Faith just looked at Buffs weirdly.

"Who are you and where did B go?"

I step up.

"We're not from here. We are from a different world where Buffy nevers goes to Sunnydale. Long story short, the world was distorting into this one and I saved these three before that world died. That Xan is your though."

He waves.

"We want to help you. We know that the scoobies haven't been the most accepting but we could be. You could stay at our house. It's pretty large. Besides, why are you even staying at a motel? Vamos could kill you while you sleep."

Faith paused.

"Nobody offered me a place."

I sighed. Why was this Giles such a blockhead? You'd think that wearing glasses would help a person see but for Giles, it was the inverse. He only saw Buffy. I guess there was a reason why the council didn't want Slayers and Watchers to be close. Though I disagreed, this situation explained it.

Giles wasn't even a bad person. That was the thing. He was just a man trying to do his best like I was. Things always did slip the mind. Especially when I had hundreds of memories stuck in my mind to swathe through.

Perfect memory just made it harder to remember shit.

I could have stopped this. I had the date in my mind. I knew the time. Batman's memories took precedence sometimes. I couldn't control it. They were there, helping me with every single decision I made. It was just too much. Too fucking much.

"Faith, you killed him but you are not a killer."

She looked at me confused.

"A killer feels no remorse. I know that you do."

"How d-"

"He knows because he can see it in your eyes. They are inflamed from bloating which is most likely from tears. Look at you, as we are talking, you are shrinking into yourself. You can't hide because…HE'S BATMAN," Buffs says.

My young padawan must have had a great teacher. I didn't think that she listened when I taught her how to read a person. I guess she had. Damn was she hot right now.

I gazed at her lovingly.

'FOCUS!'

I heard batman's voice at the back of my head.

Alright. Alright.

"So…?"

"Okay," she smiles.

I nod.

"Good. Now, before you go out again we are going to have to do some training. It might not have been fully your fault, but you weren't calm. We'll have to fix that."

She laughed.

"What can you teach a slayer?"

"Didn't my girlfriend tell you, I'M BATMAN!" I smirk.

She deadpans.

"Really?"

"Yup. Wanna have a spar?"

She nods.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," Faith smirks.

I untie her and walk to the basement. I turn to see that she hasn't followed me.

"What are you waiting for, your mama?"

That only serves to infuriate her even more.

"Oh just you wait, handsome."

Buffs smirks evily.

"Demolish her."

I nod.

We get down there and have Buffs be the officiator.

"Ready…GO!" She screams.

Faith throws a wild left. I dodge and patronizingly tap her nose. She swats my hand away and goes in for a jab which I dodge, my hands behind my back. She goes for a right. It comes closer and closer to my face and at the last moment I turn and place my leg out tripping her up.

"You go girl," I laugh.

"Aaargh," She screams.

She runs up for a tackle but I place my two hands on her shoulder and vault over her like an acrobat. She falls face first to the ground.

"Didn't think I'd beat children ever."

She gets up, glaring and tries a feint this time. It was a shittily constructed one but it was better than anything else she'd done. I dodge both it and the uppercut she was attempting.

I saw Buffs do the kill sign and nodded.

I gave her a leg kick. She grunts and attacks again. I dodge. I gave her another leg kick and another until she fell to one knee and then I elbowed her in the chin and she crumpled to the ground. She wouldn't be getting up any time soon. It was a miracle that she hadn't fainted yet.

"Damn you really held out on me," Normal Xan says.

I ignore him.

"We really need new names," I remarked.

They all nod in agreeance.

"So, want me to teach you?"

"Yes," she whispered from the ground.

"I didn't hear you."

"Yes!"

"Cool."

Hey guys, author here, what did you think about this chap? Was it better than the last? I tried to include more fighting. What did you think of that? Again, I want to ask, do you want more perspectives or not? I'm cool with continuing the story the way it is now. I might try and add a goofy vamp next chap seeing as there's no longer evil vampWillow to deal with