Xander Harris, Rogue Trader of the Multiverse

By Bubbajack

Betas Diller, William Wiltrose

Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS, Warhammer 40k, or any other shows that will appear in this fic.

Ch.1: The Outfit that Made the Man.

Alexander Lavelle Harris couldn't believe his luck. He, along with Willow and Buffy was being forced to escort a bunch of little kids trick or treating. Now normally he wouldn't mind doing this. But in this instance he was being compelled to do so by that insufferable little troll Principle Snyder. And, what's more, he, Willow and Buffy were obliged to take the kids costume shopping.

They ended up going to a new place called Ethan's Costume Shop. As soon as they were inside, their charges began running rampant tearing apart the store. A look of horror had crossed the three teen's faces before they rushed around gathering up and reprimanding their wards but in a span of five minutes it looked like a tornado had gone off inside the store. Bits and pieces of costumes were strewn everywhere and as one, the three chaperones turned to look nervously at the owner of the shop.

He looked to be in his late forties with messy brown hair, and his pale face was lined with age. Yet he just smiled at them and said in an obvious British accent "My, what I wouldn't give to have their energy at my age. It's true what they say, youth is wasted on the young."

Stepping forwards Buffy spoke for the group. "Sorry about the mess sir, aren't we kids?" she said with a bit of force while looking behind her at their charges.

"Sorry, Mister Ethan." The kids intoned as one.

Waving away their apology Ethan replied "Don't worry about it, kids. In fact, I like it like this. When it's chaotic like this and all a mess you'll never know what you'll find…" he finished cryptically. Before he smiled and said "Feel free to put together a costume from whatever bits and bobbles you can find, I'll be here to ring up your purchases when you're ready."

With that, Buffy Willow and Xander sifted through the mess hoping to find suitable costumes for both their charges and themselves. The kids were squared off quickly enough, as, ironically enough, they never actually ended up messing up the costumes that were their size. Costumes for themselves, however, would be much harder to come by. Looking out at the mess, Xander said, "Well, let's see what we can find, shall we ladies?"

Sighing, the blonde Slayer of Sunnydale said, "This is going to be hard."

"This is so of the bad," Willow said, agreeing with Buffy.

Shaking his head at the two Xander waded into the mess saying "It's not that bad you two, here look I'll show you."

He proceeded to pick out bits and pieces of costumes. He tossed a black and gold Elizabethan dress, some hard plastic chest armor and a plastic rapier along with gantlets and boots to Buffy, who looked at him askance.

"Jeanne of Arc." He said in response.

"Nice idea Xander. Now do Willow," The blonde said causing the redhead to blush, which he entirely missed due to picking up random pieces of costumes. For Willow, he chose a chainmail brassier and skirt, and armored boots and gantlets as well as a Viking longsword.

"Xander-wha-whatisthis?" Willow asked in psychobabble.

Shrugging, he replied "I thought you might like to go trick or treating as your favorite comic book character is all Will."

Willow looked down at the makeshift outfit then at her Xander-shaped best friend before asking "Red Sonja, you want me to go as Red Sonja?"

"Yeah," Xander said distractedly as he cast his gaze around the store, hoping against hope to find the one thing that would complete Willows outfit. Then, against all odds, he saw it. Half buried underneath a feathered shawl. Rushing over to it, he picked it up and held it aloft as if it were the Holy Grail.

In his hand was a rigid black gantlet made of resin that had several faux gems placed into it. With a grin on his face, he made his way back to Willow, who asked "Xander, is that?"

"The Witchblade? Yep." He said with a nod.

Willow looked at the gantlet and then the rest of her outfit before she frowned and said "I don't know Xander, this really isn't me."

"Ah, c'mon Will, the whole point of dressing up in costume is to not be you but to be somebody else," Xander told her.

The redhead nodded conceding the point, but she still looked unsure. However, Buffy decided to jump in and say "Umm who's Red Sonja and what's the Witchblade?"

"Red Sonja is a warrior woman from the Hyborian Age, tens of thousands of years ago. The Witchblade is an artifact of great power created by the Darkness and Angelus, the two opposing forces of Light and Darkness, Creation and Destruction. The Witchblade being sentient and male can only have female hosts, and one of its hosts was Red Sonja…another happened to be Joan of Arc." Xander added as an afterthought.

"Wow, cool. So this thing would work with either Willows costume or mine?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you two are going to have to fight over who gets it, might I suggest mudwrestling in bikini's?" Xander offered hopefully.

Both the redhead and the blonde smacked him on the arm for that remark and the Slayer said "In your dreams Xan. Now go pick out a costume, we'll get this stuff wrung up and wait for you at the counter."

Once both women turned away, Harris rubbed his arm. Buffy really didn't know her own strength. Ignoring the wound to his masculinity, Xander proceeded to look for some semblance of a costume that he could afford with his limited funds.

'I need a theme. Like Buff and Will.' He thought. 'What do I want to go as? A soldier would be cool, but is kinda generic…well, maybe a particular kind of soldier, a soldier of fortune?'

When the term soldier of fortune crossed his mind, he recalled numerous debates with Jessie about an individual facet of the Warhammer 40k universe. A group of warriors and traders, savages, and diplomats were known as the Rogue Traders.

With that thought in mind, he started to look around for proper attire. Soon enough, he came out with some futuristic looking police riot gear along with an equally futuristic high collared smoky black long coat that had detachable sleeves. He also found an eyepatch, and a necklace in the shape of an eye with a glass sphere in the center, which he felt he could superglue to the eyepatch. He also found a toy gun that resembled a bolter. He also scrounged up a fist-sized piece of hard plastic in the shape of a kite shield. It had a royal blue background rimmed in gold on which was some kind of stylized raptor which Xander thought would make a great clasp for the jacket.

'Now all I need is a power sword.' He thought.

After looking around and under several piles of costumes, he found the perfect piece. It was a sheathed medieval broadsword almost six feet in length, the sheath was colored in crisscrossing gold and blue and had a strange series of symbols on it. The hilt of the sword was blue and had a flat gold pommel. Drawing the sword he found it was covered in gold and blue enamel ricasso and it possessed more of that strange foreign writing on the 4'9 blade itself. He liked the way the blade and sheath looked and it didn't hurt that they matched the rest of his outfit either.

Taking his scavenged costume up to the counter he placed it in a large pile and asked "How much for all this?"

Ethan looked it all over before scratching his head and shrugging, says "None of this has a price tag on it so…twenty bucks and it's all yours."

"Seriously?" Harris asked incredulously.

"Quite," Nathan affirmed with a nod.

If there was one thing Xander had learned from hanging around Giles, it's that if an Englishman said quite they meant what they said. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Xander handed over a twenty, for once thankful his parents drank as much as they did, as it allowed him to afford all this. Thanking the Brit, the group left the store, never hearing him say "Don't thank me, children, don't thank me…"

Several hours later and Alexander Lavelle Harris was putting on his now finished costume. He was now wearing an eyepatch with a gold and glass sphere. The smoky black jacket on his back was clasped shut by a raptor embossed shield-shaped emblem. It hid the drab olive colored riot armor's chest piece he was wearing and sheathed sword he wore on his right hip while his armored forearms and legs were legs were left in plain view. He'd also added a few cosmetic touches like a neural implant in the shape of a hexagon to his hemline. Tucking the makeshift bolter in an underarm holster on his left side he took the piece de resistance of his costume…A piece of blank parchment he got from G-man, on which was painstakingly copied an Warrant of Trade addressed to himself. After all, one could not be a Rogue Trader without it. Rolling up the parchment he made his way to the Summer Residence.

Knocking on the door, he was almost floored when he saw who answered. Buffy was wearing the costume he'd picked out for her, the dark Elizabethan dress trailed down to her feet which were clad in faux-armor, her gauntleted hands rested on the pommel of her rapier. He noted she'd taken it a step further and added a tiara as well as braiding her hair in a french braid. Maybe it was the hair or the dress, but damn did Buffy Summers look good this Halloween night.

"Buffy, you look wow." Was all Xander could say.

Smiling at her Xander-shaped-friend kindly Buffy replied "Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself…space pirate?" she asked.

Shrugging Xander replied "Pretty much. Where's Willow?" he asked stepping inside.

"She's finishing getting ready, she should be down in a minute."

As if speaking her name had called her forth, Willow came down the stairs wearing a chainmail bikini and skirt. She had an armored gantlet on her left arm and the Witchblade on her right, the Viking sword hung diagonally from her back. Her costume showed off her stomach which was toned thanks to many nights hunting that which went chomp in the night, and her red hair was down and slightly messy, giving her a fierce look.

"Buffy, is Xander here?" she asked while coming down the stairs before looking up and seeing him standing there. She blushed which of course he failed to notice and said "Well what do you think?"

Xander gave his closest friend a thumbs up, saying "You look great Willow, like Sonja in the flesh."

Smiling at him warmly she replied "Thanks." She then asked, "You dressed as a Rogue Trader from 40k?"

"Yep." He replied with a nod.

"40k, is that a nerd thing?" Buffy asked eyebrow raised.

Shaking his head in despair, Xander replied "If you think tabletop games are for nerds then yes, it's a 'nerd thing' Buff or should I call you Jeanne tonight?" he teased.

"Only if you want to see if that armor of yours can actually protect you from harm." She said cheerily with a smile on her face.

Bowing theatrically Xander replied "As Milady Buffy commands." He then offered an arm to both women before saying "Shall we go and collect our charges for the night ladies?"

Taking his arm, Willow replied "We shall Lord Xander, we shall."

"And don't worry-" Buffy added "If a Big Bad comes along, we'll protect you."

"Oh ouch, my manly pride." Xander joked though he did feel hurt on the inside that he couldn't protect 'his girls' even as they set off into the night.

Xander didn't know what happened. One moment all was well. He taught the kids they were chaperoning on how look cute to get the most candy out of the houses they visited, and the next, a wave of power swept across Sunnydale and he felt himself passing out.

When he woke up, he found himself sitting in a high-backed chair around several other individuals' several of whom looked like himself. One Xander-clone was rather smart looking, wearing a lab coat and glasses. Another was dressed all in leather and had gel in his hair and he had a sadistic feral grin on his face. The Third was in knightly armor, and the Last had a large stack of X-rated magazines in front of him that he was... 'Amusing himself with'. But the ones who had his focus where the three who didn't look like him at all.

The first was a blonde haired woman with her hair tied in a braided knot, wearing a blue dress and silver armor. She had piercing green eyes and gave off a regal air. The second was an old man with a cut short white beard. He gave off an air of 'creepy' and was dressed in black robes the raptor sigil on his chest, and the eye symbol on the hood of his robes. And the last of the trio was an average looking man wearing a brown trench coat and olive colored shirt with orange-tinted shades on his face. Looking at the assembled people all Xander could do was ask "Just where the hell am I?"

The old man threw his head back and cackled "Ha, I told you both he would have no clue!"

The blonde frowned while the other man remained silent before the woman to him in a cool calm tone, "Silence Magus." She then turned to Xander and adopted a kinder air as she explained "As to where we are, we are in your mind, Alexander Lavelle Harris."

Xander blinked once, twice, and then said "My mind?" He then looked at the clones of himself and said "So these guys..?"

"We, are clones of your attributes," Knight-Xander spoke up.

Looking at the Xander, who hadn't stopped jacking off since he'd arrived he said, "Let me guess, that guy represents my teenage libido."

"Yep," Libido-Xander replied not even looking up from his porno mag.

Nodding yet feeling embarrassed Xander turned to the others, saying, "You're my heroic tendencies, you're my smarts, and you…" He said to both Knight and Scientist Xander who nodded before he paused on the leather clad Xander, trying to place him "You're my anger?"

Said Xander-clone smirked ferally before saying "Sort of. You remember the Hyena spirit right?"

Harris's eyes widened and he blanched before managing to get out "Y-your joking right?"

Hyena-Xander shook his head before cackling like the animal he was, saying "Nope. I liked you so much, I didn't want to leave, so I took refuge in your most primal emotion. Your anger. I made it my own, and now, I'm as much a part of you as breathing."

Xander responded to this by getting right in the spirits face and saying in a low, dangerous voice "You want to stick around in my head? Fine. But if you ever, and I mean ever attempt to do what you did to Buffy again…I will find a way to not only exorcise you, but also give you corporeal form just so I can make sure you die slowly and painfully…Am. I. Clear?"

The smirk left the Hyena doubles face and he stared at Xander stoically for a moment before he nodded curtly saying "Understood…Alpha."

He then leaned back in his seat and looked over to the three unknowns before asking "Now, just who are you three?"

The woman spoke first "I am King Arthur Pendragon the Once and Future King of Britain."

"You're a woman?" Xander said in surprise.

"Yes, I hid my gender throughout my lifetime. My actual name was, is, Altria." She replied heatedly, narrowing her forest green eyes.

"Sorry." He said raising his hands up defensively knowing how dangerous blonde women can be.

Shaking her head and giving him a warm smile, she replied "Don't be, it is not your fault but mine."

Nodding Harris turned towards the creepiest of the three and asked "And you are?"

Smirking evilly the old man replied "I am the Archmagus, master magician."

Slowly Xander nodded before he asked "Cool, cool." He then turned to the last man and asked "You?"

"Names Jensen, Adam Jensen. I'm a mechanically augmented security officer for Sarif Industries."

Upon hearing that Xander rolled up the sleeve of his coat and found naught, but gleaming opaque black metal staring back at him, with metallic gray covering his knuckles and finger joints.

Paling he sat down shakily and began taking numerous deep breaths. Reaching across the table, the blonde took her armor encased hand in his own mechanical one, saying "It will be alright, just breathe and you'll be fine."

Xander took several deep shuddering breaths rationalizing 'Giles will think of something, Giles will think of something' before finally saying "And why are you all here exactly?"

Clearing her throat Altria replied "I have no idea." Turning to her compatriot she asked, "Have you any clue?"

Jensen shrugged his mechanical shoulders in response. The Archmagus, however, stroked his beard closing his eyes for a moment before he said "It appears some mage has cast a spell. It has a blanketing effect which is to turn those who are wearing Samhain costumes into the creatures or people they have disguised themselves as. I deduce that the reason we were brought forth was because his costume had items relating to the three of us. Isn't that so Alexander Harris?" The magus said while pointing to his covered up left eye.

Nodding slowly Xander replied "I…think I get what you mean. I see that you have the eye and the Phoenix sigil that I have on my costume." He said nodding towards the Archmagus. "And I was wearing mechanical armor which might explain Jensen…"

He then turned towards the King of Britain and said in a confused tone "But I have no clue how you got here. I don't see anything connecting us."

Altria frowned in thought for a moment. Although he didn't know it, Xander was wearing his costume and his jacket was covering his form for the most part. So she couldn't see any defining marks or sigils on him like the magus could.

"Stand up and open your jacket." She requested.

Confused but doing as she asked Xander stood and flared his outerwear. He knew she saw something familiar when she gasped. "What is it?" he asked upon seeing the stunned look on her face.

"That blade on your hip. It's Excalibur, and its sheath Avalon." She said breathlessly.

Blinking, Xander took the sheathed blade off his hip, noting it was much heavier than before and held it out for the faux kings inspection saying "This is Excalibur?"

Taking it from him reverently she replied "Yes, it is. It was given to me by the planet itself, and it is the crystallized prayer known as Glory. It's sheathed, Avalon is the ultimate defense which transports the user to the mystical Isle itself, heals wounds, and prevents aging."

Whistling Xander replied "Damn, the sheath sounds more useful than the actual sword."

She looked up at him and smiled wanly saying "It is, and you are wise for realizing that fact."

"As for the items of mine, you possess both the Phoenix Gate, and The Eye of Odin. Both were objects forged on Avalon." The Archmagus informed the boy.

Clearing his throat he continued "The Phoenix Gate contains within it the actual Phoenix. A time-space traveling entity while the Eye of Odin is just that, Odin's left eye, which grants its user insight and allows them to become their innermost self. Would that you also had the Grimorum Arcanorum, then you would possess ultimate power."

Upon hearing this, Xander said, "Well then, it's a good thing I don't have this 'Grimoire of Magical Secrets,' as absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"Only one too weak to seek such power would think such," The Archmagus said dismissively "Power is gained by those willing to take risks to obtain it."

Rolling his eyes Xander replied "You have a bunch of friends don't you Archie?"

Narrowing his eyes dangerously the old man warned "Do not call me that boy."

"I agree with Alexander's assessment," Altria said with a curt nod. "If one has absolute authority and power than they think they are infallible and none would dare think to tell them otherwise."

The Archmagus scoffed. "Fools both of you, the whole point of attaining power is so that none may question you or your motives."

Jensen cleared his throat and added gruffly "Power isn't everything. I'd gladly give up my augments if it meant I could be an ordinary person."

"See, we respectfully disagree. Now, let's drop this and move on to something else. Like how I get out of here." Xander said staring at the Archmage pointedly.

Clearing her throat Altria inquired, "Before you go, Alexander, what exactly are you supposed to be that has you dressed as such?"

"I'm something called a Rogue Trader a merchant explorer from the far future." He replied.

Both the King of Knights and the Archmage's eyes faded out of focus for a moment. When they came back to themselves, all three nodded approvingly.

"A king who rules," Altria said.

"A conqueror who crushes all who opposes him." The Archmagus continued.

"I remember that game, good times," Jensen added.

Blinking in surprise Xander asked "How?"

Shrugging, Archmage replied "We merely looked through your memories."

"What," Harris said flatly.

"Do not look so surprised Alexander. This is your mind, your memories are like open books to those of us here." Altria replied as if it were common sense.

"As if my head wasn't messed up enough," Xander muttered to himself. Before saying aloud "So does having you all in my head actually do me any good, or are you all just going to drive me nuts talking me to death?"

Altria frowned at that, but the Archmagus merely chuckled and replied "Oh so that scene with the Hyena spirit wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. You do have a spine."

Seeing the scowl on the boy's face, he just chuckled again and replied "Yes, there are benefits to us being around. To put it in terms you can understand, you are now an Alpha-level Psyker, who can teleport through the time-space continuum at will, and see the future and that is just from me. I will let my 'better half' speak for herself."

"Hold on, for me to be Alpha-level I would have to be crazy." Xander protested.

"My dear Alexander. When you learned about the existence of the supernatural, did you shy away? Did you try to rationalize it like so many do? No, you accepted it as truth and then, you fought back. With nothing more than sheer determination. You are crazy…Oh, the floor is yours, my dear." The Archmage said with a smug grin on his face.

Altria glared at the magus for a moment. She then sighed in exasperation before she turned back to Xander, saying "Alexander, besides gaining use of both Excalibur, Avalon, and Invisible Air from me, you also have the Aspect of the Dragon. This grants you the blood and soul of a Dragon, which allows you to enhance yourself several dozen times beyond that of an ordinary human. You are also immune to most magical attacks. Also, as I was a king you shall be more charismatic, more so than you already are."

"That is definitely of the good." He replied.

"I think it goes without saying that you've got various mechanical augmentations from me. You Enhanced strength, speed, invisibility, computer hacking, the ability to tell when people are lying, and an innate sense of direction via satellite uplink are some of what you are capable of." Jensen said the young man in front of him.

The would-be Saber frowned, causing Xander to ask "Something wrong Altria?"

To which the blonde king replied gravely, "I'm afraid so. You see Prana Burst can enhance a human body by several times granting brief spurts of superhuman attributes…but-"

When she trailed off, Jensen caught on and continued "But his body is heavily augmented and it's not meant to be used on machines, right?"

The Once and Future King nodded briefly saying "Indeed. While it can be used to enhance them well beyond their typical performance for a time, it will eventually wear them down to the point that they won't work." She explained, recalled the Yamaha V-Max and the extremes she pushed it to.

Frowning, Xander asked worriedly "How long do you think I can last if I have to go all out?"

"It's hard to say, but I'd give you no more than a few minutes at most. So use Prana Burst sparingly Alexander." Altria warned.

Nodded the Sunny Dalian replied "Right, thanks, Altria."

"It is of no trouble. Now, I feel you had best be going. For I sense things are getting hectic out there." The blonde replied waving away his thanks.

Yet her words cause Harris to frown and ask "Why, what's going on?"

"Besides the numerous people who have been turned into various monsters you mean?" The Archmagus asked condescendingly before continuing "Your two friends Elizabeth Summers and Willow Rosenberg are fighting each other…or at least, their costumed personas are."

It took Xander a moment to figure out what the two women could be fighting over "They're fighting over the Witchblade aren't they?"

"Indeed. There can only be one wielder of the Witchblade, and both desire it." The Archmage said with a sinister smile on his face.

"Don't be worried about them or anything Archie, I'm sure they can handle themselves just fine," Xander said dryly before saying to Altria and Jensen "Wish me luck."

Now frowning, the Archmage snapped "Don't call me that!"

While Altria smiled at Xander's rapidly fading form saying "Good luck Alexander."

"Give em hell kid," Jensen replied just as he faded from existence.

When Xander awoke, the first thing he noticed was the HUD. It wasn't all that intrusive, merely taking up the far corners of his vision. In his upper left, there was an honest to goodness health bar that was monitoring his vitals. It was currently reading one-hundred percent. Slightly below his health bar was a set of five white batteries, all full. On his lower right was a crude caricature of a human body. Head, arms, legs, and torso, all of which were green at the moment. On his upper right, there was what he assumed to be an ammo counter for whatever weapon he was using as it showed an outline of his bolter and that he had fifty shots and no reloads. Finally, in the lower left there was a map that showed his position as a green arrow and currently, there was no one else around him.

He soon found out why. Looking around, Xander find himself under a midday sun that was clear of clouds. Sitting up he found himself laying upon a grassy knoll as a slight breeze swept through his hair, ruffling it as well as the grass around him. He took a deep breath and could feel the sheer saturation of mana in the air. He knew immediately where he was…

Avalon. The resting place of King Arthur. Apparently the sheath thought it would be a good idea to protect him while he was 'talking to himself…his selves?' Xander didn't really know. But he did know now was the time for action.

"So, how do I get out of here?" he muttered to himself.

As if in response to his inquiry there was a sudden flash of golden light and Xander found himself standing in the middle of the street. Looking down at the gold and blue sheath in annoyance he said, "You did that on purpose didn't you?"

The sheath gleamed in response as if winking at him. Rolling his eyes at the inanimate object, Xander surveyed the street. It looked like it was the epicenter of a war. Concrete was smashed and broken. Cars were either smoldering wrecks or crushed flat. Several lampposts were torn to shreds and looked like they had been used as makeshift spears. And many scorch marks marred the various houses along the street as if they had been hit by a laser or something similar.

"Shit, this isn't good." He had muttered to himself before he thought 'I need to get to higher ground. Guess I should try out these new limbs of mine that Jensen gave me… and just so I know how it feels before I get into a fight, I'm going to try that Prana Burst thing Altria told me about.'

"Here goes nothing." He said to himself before shunting energy to his mechanical legs and jumping straight up.

The ground buckled beneath his feet as he bent his legs and shattered completely as he propelled himself upwards. Xander felt as if he had rockets attached to his feet as he soared upwards like an eagle, easily flying above the two-story houses around him and getting a bird's eye view of the area.

'Well, that worked better than I thought it would.' The teen had thought giddily before he looked around for his friends while he was airborne.

He found them soon enough. As, if the dust cloud was any indication, they were fighting near the old refinery outside of town. His course set, he kicked off the roof of the closest house, leaving a foot sized imprint in its roof as he angled himself towards the battlefield, hoping he wasn't too late…

Jeanne d'Arc, The Maiden of Orleans was confused. The last thing she recalled she was burnt at the stake by the English. Then, quite suddenly she found herself in a foreign land, fighting the toughest battle of her life, her most powerful weapon was stolen from her. For across from her was a wild red-haired barbarous heathen of a woman who was using her Witchblade as her own. The semi-sentient weapon covered the thief in its protection, sliding up her arm then replacing what little she was wearing with an organic metal mesh. The mesh took the form of a brassiere and undergarments…rather racy undergarments the likes of which could be found on a lady of the night. It left her full, voluptuous form in full view as if to tempt the righteous.

Seeing her staring the woman smirked at her with lips painted the same ruby red as her hair before she asked "Are you jealous, child?"

Narrowing her eyes, Jeanne leveled her blade Le Pucelle at her and said disdainfully "Why would I be envious of thee, who is both trollop and a thief?"

Instead of becoming angry, the woman just laughed before saying "Trollop, back in my day we used the term whore. But I am not that, nor am I a thief. Tell me, child, just what is it you think I've stolen from you?"

Pointing an accusing finger at her Jeanne accused "The Witchblade, ye hath taken the holiest Witchblade from me wench."

Raising her gauntleted right hand the woman replied "You know of the Witchblade?"

"Of course I do, I am its chosen bearer during the Hundred Years War, as you should well know," Jeanne replied hotly, her eyes never leaving that of her opponents.

Raising a pencil-thin red eyebrow, the redhead replied "Is that so? And tell me, child, in what year does this Hundred Years War of yours take place?"

The Holy Virgin looked at the thief before her as if she were addled "It is the year 1431 as you well know. What is the point of such a question?"

In response, the barbarian of a woman lashed out with a tendril of the Witchblade. Impaling a piece of paper that lay in the street before saying "The point is child. According to this, it is the year 1998, not 1431 and apparently not my time period either it is…much too civilized."

"Of that, I have no doubt," Jeanne said before she snatched the piece of paper from the older woman and making note of the date. While she couldn't read nor write, Jeanne knew that times usually went in the top right-hand corner of documents. There it was in black and white, October 31st, 1998.

"How can this be? How can we have been transported more than half a millennium into the future?"

"Half a millennium for you maybe, but for me, it is much more. For back in my day years weren't even counted, only endured as best one could. As for how we arrived here it is rather obvious. Sorcery, only the mystic arts could transport people across time."

Jeanne's eyes widened "Sorcery, are you certain?"

The redhead nodded curtly "Quite child, but where we are is not nearly important as what both of us want, and both of us desire the Witchblade…Yet, there can only be one wielder." The redhead then flicked her blade out to the side before bringing it to bear one-handed.

The air became thick with tension as the two warrior woman from different eras of human history stared each other down. Then, without a word, they moved. Each tore a trench in the ground as they moved forwards, but for different reasons. Sonja was able to move at such speed because she possessed the Witchblade, Jeanne, however, was able to match her for an entirely different, yet intertwining reason.

When a woman bargains her life for a miracle, she is granted the Witchblade. But in return, after her goal is accomplished their soul is made to serve the world as Counter Guardian, spirits that protect humanity from being wiped out, even if the threat is humanity itself. Jeanne knew however that she wasn't a Counter Guardian at least not fully at the moment. No, she was something more than human, but less that what she should be. She was in the shell of humanity, she was… A word flitted across her mind -a Servant- A Servant to the Counter Force? -A Ruler- She shook such thoughts away she had no desire to rule over anything, yet she couldn't deny that voice inside of her, for she felt it spoke naught but the truth. Had she been paying attention she would've noticed several sigils glowing red on her right arm that crisscrossed forming diamonds.

But that was not important now, now she needed to fight, not wonder about superficial things. Armed with Le Pucelle she struck out at her foe, who met her charge with blasts of bursts of darkness, light, and flame. Yet the blasts of magical energy merely flowed around her, like the river around a large rock before continuing along their original path. They put scorching craters in the earth and causing an explosion equal to a trench buckets flaming payload to her ears when it hit one of those wheeled metal carts in the street. She was gratified to see the look of surprise in her adversary's eyes, and she attempted to capitalize on it to end this fight quickly.

Yet Jeanne had underestimated her foe. For Red Sonja was not one to be surprised for long. Upon seeing that magic had no effect on her much younger opponent, she switched to doing what she did best…beating down her opponent with savage, brutal efficacy. She lashed out with an armored boot, striking her younger opponent in her abdomen and winding her. While she was stunned, Sonja looped that same leg around until it was raised for an ax kick. She then had the Witchblade sprout a wickedly curved serrated blade from her heel that she intended to bring down on the girl's skull, preparing to end the fight before it could actually begin.

As her leg descended, the girl's thin blade rose to guard against the lethal blow. Defiance and anger burning in her eyes as she glared up at her. Balancing herself on the blade, Sonja back flipped, kicking the girl in the chin and creating some distance in between them as she did so. Now that she was distracted, Sonja threw a brace of half a dozen knives formed from the Witchblade at her opposition, still hoping to end this fight as soon as possible. It was not to be. For Jeanne's rapier moved faster than the human eye could see, deflecting all of the projectiles, harmlessly away from her and into either the ground, nearby cars or an unfortunate lamppost.

Frowning Sonja said more to herself than the person she was engaged with "It seems this will not end quickly as I'd hoped."

Instead of answering Jeanne rushed forwards and, following some innate instinct, -Revelation- a voice told her in the back of her mind, she closed the distance between herself and Red Sonja. Their blades met with a ferocious clang ringing in the night air so frequently, one would think whole medieval armies were clashing on the streets of Sunnydale this Halloween, and not just two warriors ceaselessly crossing blades. Jeanne narrowly avoided a slash to her face. Losing only a few strands of her gossamer blonde hair in the process; Jeanne retaliated. Swiping her own blade and the Hyperborean woman's midsection and scoring a glancing blow that was quickly healed over by the innate magics of the Witchblade.

Feeling the pain from the wound even as it was washed away by the power of the ancient artifact, Sonja felt her respect for the girl in front of her rise further. Few warriors could hope to injure her even without the Witchblade, her only match being Conan of Cimmeria. While in possession of it, none had managed to harm her, even when whole armies were arrayed against her. The fact that a lone girl barely a woman managed to do so while she possessed the Witchblade spoke volumes of her skill in combat. Thus did Red Soja, the Demoness with a Sword know that she could no longer hold back against this so-called child.

She released a spherical pulse of energy in the hopes of pushing her back, and much to her surprise, it worked. The blonde slid across the pavement, gouging three trenches into the earth as she dug both her heels and her sword into it to prevent herself from being forced back. A calculating smile crossed Sonja's face as she thought, 'So it seems she can be affected by magic. At least, so long as it is not aimed at her directly but is instead meant to target a large area.'

Wanting to see if she was indeed correct, Sonja used telekinesis to pick up several light poles and hurl them at the Saint of Orleans. As she thought, the girl was forced to either cut them to ribbons or dodge them outright. Now possessing a plan of attack; Sonja proceeded to pick up and throw various things at the blonde. Cars, mailboxes, picket fences, all were tossed the Saints' way. All were either dodged or cut to ribbons. Smirking, Sonja sprung her trap. She fired rays of black anti-matter at the cars Jeanne had swatted aside, making all of them explode around her and launching the girl off her feet…and sending her right at her.

Grabbing the blonde by her throat with her free hand, Sonja delivered several vicious punches to her stomach while still gripping her sword before launching her bodily through the air. Sprouting mechanical looking wings from her back, the Demoness with a Sword followed after her prey.

Jeanne felt pain in her side flare up regularly as she tumbled through the air. She met the ground with a thunderous thud kicking up a cloud of dust as she landed. Jeanne just managed to pull herself out of a human shaped crater before Sonja appeared once again a set of chiropteran like wings flapping lazily from behind her back as she looked down at her with a critical eye.

Finally, she said, "I have underestimated you child. That is not a mistake I usually make, but you came off as…nonthreatening. It is not a mistake I intend to make twice." The red-headed barbarian then held her sword aloft, and from its tip, a sphere of black energy began to gather…and it grew…

First it was the size of a pea. Then it grew to the size of a stone, then a fist, then a human head, then a human body. Then two…Jeanne, feeling the power gathered in the coming attack, cast her gaze around looking for some way to defend herself. Then she saw it. Hanging from a stand mounted to the side of the building. It was ragged and worn, but it would still work she knew. Even as she didn't know why she did.

As Jeanne raced towards the object of her salvation, it looked as if she were running away in fear to the redhaired battle goddess. Frowning slightly Sonja said, "For such fierce resolve to falter right at the end, how sad. Be honored to know that it was Red Sonja, the Demoness with a Sword, and Blood-haired Goddess of Battle whom you fought so valiantly against today child."

She then unleashed her sphere of darkness and watched as it swallowed the entire factory and her adversary with it before shrinking into non-existence leaving nothing but a massive crater in its wake. Dropping down to the epicenter of the hole in the landscape, Sonja looked around. Even though she knew there was no way the girl could've survived that, she had surprised her before, and she did not wish to be surprised again.

Looking around, Sonja saw no sign of the girl, not that she expected to. Still "Would that I could have gotten the name of such a valiant warrior-woman, so as to engrave it in my heart for all time." Sonja lamented to herself.

There was a sudden flash of light. When it cleared, the blonde reappeared now bearing a gold and white silk standard with golden fleur de lys on it, its split ends torn and frayed the pole made of gold embellished black metal.

"That was close, you almost had me there. Were it not for Luminosite Eternelle, you would have just won our fight, Red Sonja." The Patron Saint of Orleans told her earnestly.

The Warrior Queen nodded knowing she spoke the truth before saying "I would know your name before we continue."

"I am Jeanne d'Arc; Maiden of Orleans, and you?" she asked although she already knew her name it just seemed proper.

Saluting the girl with her sword, the redhead replied "I am Red Sonja, the Demoness with a Sword, the Bloody-Haired Goddess of Battle, and the Queen of War from a bygone age. Well met Maiden of Orleans."

Saluting with Le Pucelle Jeanne couldn't help but feel a smidgen of respect for the woman in front of her as she replied "Well met Red Sonja." She then sheathed her blade and took up her standard with both hands wielding it like a quarterstaff before asking "Shall we continue?"

Eyeing the younger girls weapon of choice dubiously, Sonja asked, "You intend to fight me with naught but your standard? Surely you jest."

But Jeanne merely shook her head and smiled before saying "I have faith that God shall deliver victory to me."

Now Sonja understood. This child was given her abilities through patronage to a god. Most likely the Aquailionian Mithra. For any virgin foreigner found in the realm of the Stygian Serpent God Set was sacrificed upon his altar and the Cimmerians Crom was known to be as cold and uncaring as the land of Cimmeria itself. Still, that changed nothing for she possessed the Witchblade, and with that, even the greatest patrons of the Gods could be brought low.

The two prepared to go at it once again, only to have something drop from the sky in between them and kick up a cloud of dust. Once the dust cleared, the Saint and the queen found a dark-haired young man wearing a black high-collared coat that was held partially shut by a metallic clasp, his left eye was covered by a golden eyepatch which had a glowing blue jewel set in its center like an eye. His right eye glowed a golden yellow like a bird of prey and his hands seemed to be covered in black and gray trimmed gantlets.

He had looked back and forth between the two of them before he joked "Well, you've been busy, huh ladies?"

Sonja, however, was not amused. Frowning she all but demanded "Name yourself fool, and give me a good reason not to cut you down where you stand."

Now usually, Xander would make another joke to try and diffuse the situation but something stirred within the pit of his stomach and burned within his veins. It roared in defense at this woman's impudence and demanded she be taught her place, and underneath that roar was a bell-like keening that was subtler but no less demanding. He didn't really know what made him say it, but on some level, he felt it was instinctual. And so turning to her, her eyed her coolly and said something that would be said numerous times by him in the future.

He said, "I am Alexander Lavelle Harris, Rogue Trader….and I hold Victory in my hands."

Without taking his eyes off Red Sonja, he addressed Jeanne d'Arc. "Jeanne, I know you don't know me, but I need you to listen to me. Some way, somehow a sorcerer has brought both you and Sonja here. You are both currently possessing the bodies of my friends, Elizabeth, and Willow. I need you to go and hunt down the sorcerer responsible and stop whatever is causing this."

Upon hearing that she was possessing the body of another Jeanne blanched. She was no daemon. So she nodded viciously and said "Consider it done Sera. What shall you be doing in the meantime?"

Giving a nod Sonja's way, Xander replied "Holding her off."

Yet, much to his surprise Red Sonja sheathed her Viking blade and said "No need. As curious as I am about the current age, I shall not take possession of the body of another. I know my time has long since passed." She had scowled before she finished with vehemence "Besides, Red Sonja is no Sorcerers puppet."

Xander let the tension that was building on his shoulders evaporate with a silent sigh. While he was prepared to fight the Bloodyhaired Goddess of Battle, he didn't know if it was a battle he could walk away from even with his augments, Alpha class psyker abilities, and magical items. It didn't help matters that, in the Top Cow Universe, Excalibur was merely a shard of the Witchblade itself. If that fact still holds true, she could just absorb his blade and increase her own power.

He didn't think this was the same Excalibur, however. As nothing was ever mentioned about a matching magical sheathe. But he didn't want to take that chance, and he was glad he didn't have to. Instead, he smiled at her and said "Welcome to the Scooby Gang. Please, keep your hands and feet to yourself at all times unless accosted by an outside force. Make sure your weapons are held upright and primed for maximum carnage upon possible coming apocalypse and have a pleasant day."

To his credit and astonishment, Xander actually managed to get the redheaded Amazon to smirk. There was a hint of fond remembrance too, he noticed. This was confirmed as she walked past him she said, "You remind me of the Man-Spider."

'Man-Spider…wait…' "Do you mean Spider-man?" he asked.

She turned and looked at him before saying "Aye, now enough talk, we have a sorcerer to slay."

"Umm right… So, does anyone know where the big bad wizard is located so we can do some good ole fashioned slaying? Or were we just going to wonder around till we found an old guy with a long grey beard, wearing black robes, with a wart on his nose, that caused lightning to strike every time he cackles like a madman?" Xander asked in faux-optimism.

His statement made both the redhead and blonde stare at him as if he'd said something both very smart and very dumb at the same time. He just shrugged and said again "Any idea where we can find this guy or do you both just want to do a city-wide sweep?"

Jeanne suddenly felt a tugging at the back of her mind. She tried to ignore it, as she was attempting to think of a way to locate this devil worshipping sorcerer, yet, the feeling persisted and so she turned and felt the feeling intensify slightly. Yet it felt…right for lack of a better term, as if, if she followed this feeling her goals would be met. So she followed where the sense leads ignoring the voice of the courageous young man who was willing to fight Red Sonja in her place just so she could follow this feeling…

She suddenly found her arm grabbed and herself turned around. She was looking into the face of the young man, who was looking at her concernedly. "Jeanne, are you ok? You were walking around like you were almost in a trance or something."

Smiling at him reassuringly, she replied in a tone of voice that was much softer than Buffy's. "I'm all right sera, Alex-"Her eyes widened in surprised before she promptly curtsied to him. Saying, "Apologies sera, but I never formally asked you your name."

"It's Alexander Harris, but my friends just call me Xander." He replied giving her a kind smile of his own.

Nodding the Saint replied "Alexander. Tis a nice strong name. Anyway, I am fine, Sera Alexander. I am merely…following a feeling." She said sounding unsure of herself.

Yet, instead of mock or doubt her, Xander just smiled and nodded saying "I get ya, following your gut instincts. Oi, Sonja! Jeanne's got a lead, so stop playing with…Angel and Cordelia?"

Further back, the Blood-haired Goddess was holding both the ensouled vampire and Cordelia Chase, who was wearing a catgirl costume, by their throats. Upon hearing the warrior-jesters words, however, she pulled them both close before whispering in their ears menacingly "You got lucky this time beasts. There is always next time, however…Now get out of here before I decide I could use a new rug, and some incense."

She then let them both go, and while Cordelia gasped for breath, Angel was on his feet, staring at the usually timid redhead warily. Xander raced up to Cordelia and asked "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm okay dork, I mean, I was only almost choked out by Willow of all people. And here I was about to compliment her on her costume." Queen Bee of Sunnydale High said through coughs.

"Sorry, but Buffy and Willow aren't exactly acting like themselves right now." He said by way of explanation.

"What do you mean?" angel asked, worried about Buffy.

Perking up and glancing at Angel Xander said, "Oh, hey Deadboy, didn't see you there."

Giving the boy a stern glare Angel replied "Now is not the time for this Xander, what's going on?"

"Buffy and Willow have been turned into their Halloween costumes. Jeanne d'Arc and Red Sonja to be precise."

"Joan of Ar-"Angel didn't get to finish as he found the point of a rapier against his throat and burning his flesh.

On the other end of the French weapon was Buffy. Or so it seemed. She now had an older more mature look in her eyes, and she was giving him a look she'd never gave him before. It was a piercing glare that spoke of naught but death for him.

"Woah, Jeanne hold up," Xander said.

"Serah Alexander, do you not know what this thing is? Tis a Vampire, one who has damned his mortal soul for demonic immortality. He deserves naught but burning at the stake. But seeing as that is lacking at the moment, piercing him through the heart with mine blade shall have to do." She said with vehemence.

Gently placing his hand on the flat of her rapier blade, Xander said "You have no idea how much I agree with you-" The blonde then snapped at him, "Then why do you try to stop me?!"

"Because, Buffy? The girl whose body you're inhabiting, would kick my ass if she let me, let you-her-kill him." Seeing the confused look on her face, Xander explained "Buffy is something called a Slayer, a girl endowed with mystical powers whose job it is to fight vampires, demons and such."

"Yet she let's this one live?" she asked pressing her rapier point deeper into Angel's throat and making him wince in pain.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Xander replied drolly "Because, he has his mortal soul, so that makes him 'one of the good guys.'"

"Regardless on whether he does or not, it is too much of a risk to let him walk around freely," Jeanne said resolutely.

Seeing an opportunity Xander said "Fine, we'll take him with us. That way, you can keep an eye on him. How does that sound, Jeanne?"

The blonde haired Saint hummed in thought for a moment before slowly nodding and saying "The Vampire shall take point at the front, and I shall be right behind him."

And so, the Trio became a Quintet, with Angel nervously at the head of the group as the others followed the Saint of Orleans. Trailing her, and keeping the transformed humans off her back, they soon found themselves in front of a shop that was very familiar to Xander.

"No, way…" Xander muttered to himself before turning to Jeanne and asking "You sure this is the place?"

Nodding, the Saint replied "I am. Why, is it familiar?"

"I was here with Willow and Buffy just earlier today." He affirmed.

"You bought clothing from a sorcerer?" Sonja asked in disbelief.

Shrugging Xander replied "Didn't know he was one. He just seemed like an ordinary guy at the time."

Xander then activated one of Jensen's implants. It was located in his eye and was called Smart Vision. It allowed him to see through walls to a limited extent and detect heat and energy signatures. Upon activating it, he got several of them. The largest energy signature came from a bust-shaped object within the building itself, it was a swirling mass of red energy tinged with black. Next to that he was shown the shape of a single man in the shop whose outline was also tinged the same color, and no one else.

Looking around, however, he noticed other energy signatures. The strongest came from the Witchblade on Sonja's arm which blazed with black and white light that seemed to infinitely spiral into one another. Next was Jeanne whose entire body, armor included, looked to be made of golden light, yet at the center of her being there was a void, black as pitch the size of a candle flame. Cordelia was reading as normal with a hint of purest white outlining her form.

But it wasn't until he looked at Deadboy that he realized just what he was actually seeing. For Angel's body radiated no heat, yet his walking corpse was still showing color to it, that of a sickly yellow, the color of a vampire's eyes when they 'game faced'.

'I can see more than just heat signatures. I'm picking up…magical one's? Maybe the Eye of Odin and my optical implants are interacting in some way? Or considering I'm an Alpha-class psyker this could be warp-sight for me.'

Mentally smacking himself, he thought, 'No time to think on that now Xander, you've got a sorcerer to stop.' He chastised himself.

He then turned off Smart Vision before he said, "The person behind this is in the back room with some kind of statue that is giving off tremendous amounts of magical energy."

"How do you know that?" Angel questioned.

Tapping his right eye, Xander replied "Cybernetic implant in my right eye. Detects heat and energy signatures. Seems it can also pick up magical ones too. Now, if there are no more questions, here's the plan. Deadboy, you and Jeanne are going in through the front. Sonja, you go in through the back entrance so he can't escape from there."

"And what of you and the plebian?" Sonja asked referring to Cordelia.

"While you guys come in through all the possible exits, I'll be making my own enterance," Xander replied with a smirk. He then gave the Queen Bee of Sunnydale High a dubious look, Xander said, "Cordy, go hide in the shadows."

Giving the self-proclaimed 'King of the Outcasts' a withering glare Cordelia Chase asked, "Why should I do what you say, dweeb? Why do you want me hiding in the shadows anyway, want me to jump him in case you four somehow manage to screw up and he gets past you? Well, let me tell you it's not-"

Cordelia was cut off when Xander said "Actually Cordy, your half right. I want you in hiding in case that guy gets past us. But I want you in hiding so he can't take you hostage, seeing as most of the really powerful dark magic rituals require a virgin sacrifice…you're still a virgin right?" he asked, as he couldn't resist a slight dig at her.

Judging by the enraged look she had given him before she tried to punch him in the face, which he quickly caught, yes, Cordelia Chase was still a virgin. "I'm no whore!" she spat at him.

"Never said you were," Xander replied only to frown when he saw the shocked look come over Cordelia's face. "What is it?" he asked.

"Harris, your-your hand its-its mechanical." She stuttered out in shock.

"Umm yeah, the same thing that happened to Buffy and Willow happened to me. Only I kept my consciousness." He explained in a hushed whisper.

Taking a deep breath Cordelia said, "Have you really thought this through dork?"

Giving her a confused look, Harris asked, "What do you mean Chase?"

Sighing Cordelia explained bluntly, "I mean Harris, what happens when you undo whatever's causing all this freakiness? What'll happen to you when your arms that have been replaced by machines go back to being plastic?"

His good eye widened in shock for a moment. He took her by the hand and lead her away from the group so he could speak to her privately. When he turned to face her, she found his eye burning with resolve as he said, "Then I'll die, as not just my arms but my legs, lungs, heart, brain, spine, eyes, and skin have been changed by this spell. Without them, I'll surely die.

Staring at him in shock, the Chase heiress replied "And you're ok with that? I may not like you dweeb, but I don't want to see you dead."

Smirking at her Xander teased "Careful there Cordy, keep this up and I might actually think you care."

Giving him a glacially cold glare, Cordelia said in no-nonsense tone "Xander, this is serious."

Not in all the years he had known her had Cordelia Chase referred to him by his first name. It was always some name or his last name with her. That's how he knew she was serious with him at the moment. Turning around and staring out at the chaos this spell was creating Xander said calmly "I can't just sit by and do nothing Cordy, I couldn't ever since I figured out how messed up this town really was."

"You mean there are more vampires than just?" she pointed at Angel, who was standing nervously near 'Jeanne' as Buffy was going by at the moment.

Nodding Xander replied "Oh yeah that and tons more demons and all kinds of crap, but mostly vampires…" His tone became even quieter as he continued "Remember that time Jessie wasn't acting like himself and you let him dance with you at the Bronze?"

"Yeah?" Cordelia said with a hesitant nod.

"He was a vampire then," Xander told her, causing her to pale and clasp at her throat.

After a moment, Cordelia found her voice and asked "And I'm assuming he didn't just run away like the cops said, did he?"

Now visibly upset, Xander laughed hollowly while shaking his head and replied, "The cops in this town have got to be either completely inept or they are paid to look the other way at all the shit that happens in this city. Not sure which is more frightening. As for Jessie, he's gone. Dusted we call it…I was the one who did it." He finished in the same dead hollow voice.

"Xander…I'm, I'm sorry. For everything." She added after a second. Feeling like this may be the chance she had to say such a thing to him.

Smiling wanly at her he said, "Don't worry about it. I forgave you a long time ago Cordelia." Sighing he turned back towards the others and said "Well, we'd better get this over with."

He turned to head back towards the others only to stop when Cordelia grabbed his arm. He gave her a curious look as she said "Are you sure you want to go through with this dork?"

"Can I really, afford not to?" he returned before shrugging nonchalantly and saying "Besides, who's going to miss me besides Willow and possibly Buffy? I'm a social outcast remember? My parents? They will probably be too drunk to notice I'm gone for the first couple of weeks. By the time they do, they'll just assume I ran away and use it as an excuse to drink even more. No, no one's going to miss Alexander Lavelle Harris, and you and I both know it."

He smiled at her bitterly. Saying "To the world at large I'll just be another kid from a troubled home who ran away and was never seen again, and I guess, in a way, it's better that way. If people really knew what the world was like, they'd get wiggy. And hey-" He said optimistically "I get to go out with a bang, as an honest to goodness hero, so there's that right?"

"Yeah, just like one of your nerdy comic books," Cordelia said ignoring the tears gathering in her eyes. She was Cordelia Chase, she did not cry over lame heroic sacrifices! At least that's what she told herself as he began to walk back to the others, only to turn back and say "Stay safe Cordelia, and last bit of advice? Get the hell out of this town as soon as you can."

"Count on it." She told the unsung hero of Sunnydale, who gave her one last smile before making a few motions to the others who ran around various points of the building. Remembering she was supposed to hide, Cordelia stuck to the shadows along the side of the building and prayed for a miracle for one Alexander Harris. Barring that, she promised herself that not just Buffy and Willow would keep his memory alive, she would too. The hero deserved that much.

Ethan Rayne didn't know what was going on. One moment he was reveling in the chaos brought on by the ritual he performed to bring about the power of Janus. The next, the wall behind which the bust of Janus was sitting behind was being broken down, and he was being grabbed by his collar and thrown into the opposing wall by persons unknown. When the dust cleared, Ethan found himself surrounded by four people, three of which he recalled selling costumes to earlier to just today. One of them was standing inside a human-sized hole in his wall glaring at him while the two young women each had a blade at his throat.

"Hello Ethan, we found a problem with your costumes and we'd like our money back," Xander said by way of greeting.

"Sorry chaps, no refunds. Could I interest you in store credit?" Ethan coughed out.

Giving both girls a curt nod, Ethan felt both blade press deep enough to his throat to draw blood. After which the fifth member replied coldly "No, no I don't think so."

"We want to know how to stop whatever you did and we want to know now…if you refuse to tell us well, I'm sure these two ladies would just love to show you why it would be good for your health to help us." Xander said.

Looking down at the blades at his throat, before back at Xander, Rayne replied "Yes I do believe I see your point."

"I thought you might. Now, the spell?" Xander inquired.

"Just break the statue," Ethan replied, pointing shakily at the bust of Janus.

Xander didn't even need to glance at the two-faced bust at his feet. He could feel the potent Warp energy coming from it. He knew the entire time that it was the catalyst for the spell and told the fake shopkeeper as much.

"Then why did you ask me what the spell trigger was?"

"Two reasons. One, I needed to know if you were foolish enough to bind the spell to your life. In which case, we would have had to kill you and risk setting off an even bigger and worse spell with your death. Two, if you had lied to me, I would've had these two kill you anyway." He said with a shrug, causing Ethan to blanch and Sonja to smirk while Jeanne's eyes became flinty.

"Harsh," Angel commented.

"This guy has put me through some serious bullshit tonight, so I am feeling far, far from friendly," Xander replied before he reached into his coat and pulled out the invisible Excalibur.

Holding the invisible blade aloft in a downward thrusting grip, he turned to the girls and said "Jeanne, Sonja, after this you'll probably no longer be possessing my friends. So I'll just say it's been a pleasure."

Wrapping Ethan up in a tendril of the Witchblade, both warrior women turned to face him, Jeanne with concern and Sonja with curiosity on her face. The Saint spoke first saying "Do you honestly intend to end the sorcerer's curse even if it could mean the end of your life, Sera Alexander?"

Good eye widening Xander asked "How did you-"He then turned to the Vampire in the room and accused "Deadboy!?"

Holding his hands up defensively Angel said "Wasn't me, turns out I'm not the only one with superhuman hearing."

Lowering his invisible blade for a moment, Xander sighed. Mentally kicking himself for forgetting about the Witchblade's ability to enhance its user's natural abilities before saying "Look, we can't just leave things the way they are for my sake. This has to stop...

He turned to the ensouled vampire saying "Hey Deadboy?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Buffster and Wills that I said goodbye ok?" Xander had requested before he brought the blade down in a burst of speed using both his cybernetic arms and prana burst, to cleave it clean in twain.

The effect was instantaneous. Buffy, Willow, and Xander all passed out on the spot. Angel was quick to check each of them for signs of life. Both Buffy and Willow were breathing but appeared to be unconscious… he quickly noticed, however, that Xander had no heartbeat. The Ensouled Vampire lowered his head in respect. He may not like Xander, but damn if it didn't take guts to end a spell knowing it would kill you if you did.

Suddenly, there was a flash of golden light, and when it cleared, the body of Xander Harris was nowhere to be seen. The Ensouled Vampire had no idea how he was going to explain this to either Buffy or Willow once they awoke. Little did Angel know, that for each of the Scoobies a change was taking place, and each of them was being confronted in their mindscapes…

Buffy found herself standing in a cobblestone square surrounded by old-fashioned medieval looking buildings. At the center of the plaza was the burnt and charred remains of a large bonfire. Approaching it curiously, the blonde reeled back when she found charred skeletal remains in the ashes, it was not a bonfire, but a funeral pyre. This person was burned at the stake.

"What the hell. Who the hell would do this to a person, and where am I? The last thing I remember we were trick or treating…

"You are in the town of Rouen specifically the Old Market where I spent my last moments."

Buffy spun upon hearing the soft voice behind her. She could only gap at who she saw. "Joan of Arc?" she questioned.

The blonde stood in full armor, her hair braided, her standard planted into the ground, and her blade on her hip. She had regarded the Slayer coolly before she replied "It is pronounced Jeanne, Elizabeth."

"Jeanne then, what am I doing here? And call me Buffy." She added.

Nodding curtly Jeanne said "As you wish, as for why you are here, I have come to…make you an offer of sorts after speaking with you."

Raising an eyebrow Buffy asked, "Is this the kind of offer I can't refuse?"

"You may refuse it if you wish, but I will still say my piece." The Saint replied.

Folding her arms in front of her chest, the Slayer asked the Saint bluntly "Ok, what's your deal lady? Why are you so hostile?"

"My 'deal,' as you say, is you, Elizabeth. You are the Slayer. She whose job it is to fight the forces of darkness. Yet when it comes to the vampire known as Angel, you are incapable of doing your job because you have some misplaced form of affection for him. This leaves you incapable of seeing what is right in front of your face."

Stalking towards the Saint Buffy yelled at her "Who the hell are you to get involved in my personal life?! You're neither my mother nor my Watcher so where do you get off telling me what to do! Besides it's not like I even want to be the 'Chosen One' I'd gladly let someone else have the job if they want it, I just want an ordinary life!"

"And that is the problem. You have a higher calling, God has chosen a much more important fate for you, yet you refuse to see it." Jeanne replied coolly having endured the Slayer's rant without losing her cool.

"God?" Buffy scoffed "I'm honestly beginning to wonder if he exists. I mean I know demons exist, I kill them all the time but not once have I ever seen proof of God."

In the blink of an eye, Jeanne was in front of her, and before she could react, the French Saint slapped her across the face saying "That was for blasphemy." She then slapped her again saying "And that was for belittling the sacrifices of a great man."

Buffy became sullen for a moment before muttering out "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Jeanne nodded curtly. Buffy took that as a sign to continue. "It's just-it's just hard to believe in anything when night after night, I'm forced to go out and fight monsters because I got stuck with a destiny I didn't ask for."

"God never gives us more than we can handle Elizabeth…and some people choose their future while others are selected by fate." The martyred women replied, an air of wisdom in her tone.

Jeanne then looked over to the long cooled remains of her funeral pyre. Not taking her eyes off it, she asked the younger girl, "I chose a greater destiny over an ordinary life and I chose to fight and die for what I believed in. Can you say the same?"

Following her gaze to the charred pile of wood, Buffy said, "I already did. I was killed by an ancient Vampire called the Master a year ago and Angel brought me back using CPR. That's why I like him, and that's why I won't stake him." She said defiantly.

In response, Jeanne D'Arc looked at her piteously and said "Oh Elizabeth, you naïve fool. Vampires can't breathe."

Blinking in surprise, Buffy said "What? No, no that can't be right. He was there when I woke up, and he said he did."

"Then he lied, there was no one else there? One who was human?" Jeanne questioned.

Buffy opened her mouth to say no when she stopped. Someone else was there, standing in the background…it was… "Xander, Xander was there with Angel," Buffy said a cold feeling entering her stomach.

"Then you have your true savior and a true act of God at the same time. Tis a shame that Sera Alexander never received proper thanks for this deed…Tis also a shame that you shall never be able to thank him for his help." The Saint said solemnly.

Buffy felt a cold chill race down her spine as she slowly turned towards the Saint and ask "What do you mean I won't ever be able to thank Xander for saving my life?" When she didn't answer and merely displayed that same solemn look, Buffy shook her shoulder and yelled "What do you mean?!"

"Sera Alexander has died this night passing valiantly to end the spell of an evil sorcerer. It was that exact same spell that allowed me to inhabit your body for a time. Due to his choice of attire, once the spell was ended his life would also be forfeit. He knew this and proceeded anyway."

"You're lying, Xander isn't dead he's-he's Xander," Buffy said, seemingly trying more to convince herself than accuse the Saint.

Xander was always around even though she wished he would live a normal life, a life she couldn't live. Regardless of what she wanted he was always there to offer a joke to lighten the mood and even though he wasn't a Slayer or a hacker he was always trying his hardest to be of help. Out of all her friends, Xander was the most normal.

In truth, Buffy considered him her 'anchor' to normality, as he served as a reminder of what it meant to be human and human limits. But more than that he served as a reminder to her. For every time she wanted to give up on the whole Slayer thing, Buffy would see both his admiration for her and the loss of his friend Jessie in his eyes. Upon seeing that mixture of love and pain, the pain she put there by not being a good enough 'Chosen One' she would go another night. Now, without him, she didn't know if she could keep going.

'It's all my fault, if only I'd known about this guy sooner, Xander would still be here.' This thought kept repeating through her mind over and over as she wept for her lost friend. She didn't know how long she cried, but when she finally managed to stop she looked up to find Jeanne too had tears running down her face.

"So do you understand his sacrifices now?" Jeanne asked wiping at her eyes.

"That's who you were talking about earlier? I thought you were talking about Jesus." Buffy said with a mirthless laugh.

Shaking her head D'Arc replied "Nay, not right now."

"You said something about an offer?" The Slayer asked.

Nodding Jeanne explained "Indeed if you are willing, I would like to…stay with you."

Buffy blinked away her remaining tears before asking "What, how do you mean?"

The Saint became visibly nervous for the first time since the discussion began. Poking both of her fingers together, and stubbing her booted foot in the dirt. While doing this, Jeanne replied nervously "I…that is to say if you agree; I would like to continue to inhabit your body in the current time. It would not be a real possession! She said quickly while frantically waving her hands around before Buffy could object. "We would be, in essence, sharing the same body. In return, you would gain access to the powers and abilities I had in life on top of your own."

Buffy clicked her jaw shut before narrowing her eyes and asking "And just what kind of powers did you have? I mean, you're a Saint who was burned alive and martyred right?"

"Tis so, but I was granted certain abilities due to my devotion to God, I prayed for a miracle and was granted one. Due to that, besides gaining inhuman speed strength, and endurance. I'm also immune to magic that is directed at me. Using my standard Luminosite Eternelle you can become immune to all harm at the cost of damaging the standard. You would also gain use of my holy blade Le Pucelle and other abilities as well, like making people believe whatever you desire."

"Seriously?" Buffy asked.

Seeing the Saint nod, Buffy muttered to herself "I could totally use that to cut class."

Apparently, Jeanne had superb hearing, for she said disapprovingly "You shall do no such thing. Back in my day women were not even allowed to have an education. We were expected to stay home and be good, obedient, husband obeying, God-fearing wives. So I shall not have you wasting that which even I did not have access to in life Elizabeth."

"Chillax Jeanne, I was only joking," Buffy said placating.

"T'was not funny," The Saint replied briskly.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Buffy said, "Ok so I see the benefits of letting you stay around…but what do you get out of it?"

"I get to make sure Sera Alexander's sacrifice was not in vain and continue to protect humanity. That is all I actually desire, to make you the best Slayer you can be and to help you make the right decisions'. Do you accept?"

Buffy closed her eyes for a moment before saying "You aren't going to possess my body at random are you?"

"I won't unless you are in mortal danger," Jeanne replied honestly.

Buffy nodded taking a moment to weigh her options before she said "Alright, I accept."

Jeanne smiled at her warmly saying "Thank you, Elizabeth, you won't regret this."

Buffy didn't say anything, she said yes mostly for selfish reasons. For she wanted to get back at the supernatural element of Sunnydale for what happened to Xander. With Jeanne's power added on top of her own, the demons of Sunnydale were going to rue the day they took her Xander-shaped friend from her. Little did she know, a certain redheaded friend of hers had made a similar deal while thinking along the exact same lines as the blonde Slayer. With vengeance burning in their hearts, they prepared to start a holy crusade in Sunnydale in the name of Alexander Harris.

Xander once again found himself standing in the lush green plains of Avalon. Only this time, on the ground several feet away, was an eagle. It was half rotted, yet somehow breathing as maggots crawled throughout its flesh, its once immaculate feathers were now molted off, and circling around it, nipping at its dying flesh was several other animals. The first was a green boar or pig with sharp tusks, the second was a pair of cats, one pure black the other white. The white cat looked emaciated and tired while the black cat had blood on its flank and claws sporting a satisfied smirk on its face. The white cat would occasionally defend the bird from a swarm of locusts while other times it would egg on the other beasts into attacking the eagle so it would be left alone. A mechanical looking snapping turtle was slowly advancing towards the white cat and Eagle. While a little baby blue jay chirped from the on the ground to the right of the eagle, content to eat the maggots and worms crawling out of the eagle's body.

Unable to stand the sight of the once noble bird being tortured so, Xander drew Excalibur and charged in, hacking and slashing with wild abandon. When he was finished, the Boar was beheaded. The tortoise was cut clean in half. The black cat had been tossed far away with telekinesis, and the locust horde was burnt to a crisp thanks to a burst of warp-manifested flame. This left only the eagle, white cat, and blue jay. Xander spared them because honestly the other cat looked so sickly, that he felt if did anything to it, it would be kicking it while it was down. As for the bird, it was just a baby, it didn't know any better.

He then stared down at the Eagle. It stared back defiant and proud even though maggots writhed throughout its body. He could see the thing was in pain, but it was just far too stubborn to lay down and die. Not wanting to see the creature suffer, he raised Excalibur up and planted its tip in the noble creatures' chest.

"An intriguing choice Alexander Harris. Would you mind explaining?" A deep baritone yet smooth voice asked.

Spinning on his heel, Xander almost fell on his ass when he came face to waistline with the God-Emperor of Mankind himself, in the flesh no less. He was eight feet tall wearing golden power armor with the Imperial Aquila on his shoulder plates and embossed throughout his armor. Both of his hands were clad in power fists, and a power sword that almost matched the beauty of Excalibur was buried, point first, in the ground in front of him. Craning his head up to meet the Emperor's gaze, Xander found himself staring into dark eyes that were framed by even darker long black hair. Hair that was held back by the golden circlet that adorned the man's brow. He was strong-jawed and lacked any trace of stubble on his tanned face. The amount of power emanating from his sheer presence was palpable.

He was a warrior, a ruler, a psyker. Billions and trillions have dropped to their knees in awe in his presence, all Xander could do was stare rooted to the spot and say "You're the fucking God-Emperor. You're actually real. Like, really, really real…This is so wiggy."

'Maybe I should have eased him into this, in his reality I am naught but a fictional character.' The Emperor thought to himself.

Deciding change was in order, the Emperor used his vast psyker power to reshape the landscape slightly forming two chairs for him and Xander to sit in. Gently pushing the boy into one, the Emperor took a seat himself. He then said, "Alexander, I know this may come as a shock to you, but the universe I come from does exist. Also, I'm sure you have plenty of questions. But please, I ask that you wait until I have finished speaking. For what I have to say is important."

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Xander replied "Go for it G-man. Also, I'm not really surprised the 40k-verse is real. It's a hell dimension if I ever saw one…Wait, just one quick question. How are you even here in Avalon?"

The Emperor chuckled slightly at that "The 41st Millennium would indeed come off as such wouldn't it? And to answer your question, Avalon itself is akin to Warp space, but it's…different. Whereas regular warp space is a hell, Avalon is a sanctuary, and that very protective aspect is what allows me to manifest here and what keeps the Chaos Gods out. But I digress. The reason I came to speak to you Alexander is because I need you, Alexander Lavelle Harris, to save the Imperium of Man."

The God-Emperor was silent then waiting for the inevitable reaction. He did not have to wait long. Harris cleaned out both of his ears before asking "Could you repeat that? I must've had something crazy in my ear. See, I could've sworn you wanted me, Xander is-good-at-nothing-Harris to save the Imperium."

"I did." the Emperor confirmed.

Xander nodded "I see, so let me ask you then, have the past ten thousand years you spent in the Warp driven you nuts? What makes you think I of all people can do this, and why can't you send your trillions of loyal followers to do this for you?" he asked.

The Emperor spoke next in a low, dangerous voice, as the sky darkened with his tone, "None in my Imperium would dare question me, let alone insult me as you just have."

Had he been alive, Xander knew he probably would've wet himself and been begging for forgiveness right about now. But Harris knew he was already dead, and he doubted the God-Emperor would waste his powers on extinguishing his soul like he did to his treacherous son Horus. So he told him bluntly "I'm not a member of your Imperium. I don't owe you my allegiance, and I don't have any borderline fanatical faith in you either. Plus considering having faith in the Imperium means hating anyone who isn't human then sorry, I'll pass."

"Yet you despise vampires with a passion, including the ensouled one Angel." The Emperor pointed out.

"Yeah, and vampires are basically daemonhosts. The human soul is gone. Angel may be cursed with a human soul, but how much you wanna bet he can lose it and when, not if he does, he'll be the worst thing that happens to Buffy. Because not only will he try to hurt her physically, but just the act of him attempting to hurt her will do more damage emotionally than he could ever hope to do physically." The younger of the two replied bitterly, knowing full well how the Slayer felt about the demon possessed corpse.

The Emperor opened his mouth to say something, but Xander continued "Besides, do you really think I care if I insult someone who's an even worse father than my own old man? The whole Horus Heresy thing wouldn't have happened if you'd just been up front about what you were doing back on Terra in the first place."

"Enough! The Emperor roared, causing thunder to boom overhead before he spoke in a much calmer tone if weary tone "That's enough, you've passed your final test."

"Test? What are you talked about?" Xander asked confused.

"Xander," The Emperor explained patiently "The whole reason I want, no need you to save the Imperium is because you are not one of its subjects. Meaning, you're willing to do things those who are a part of the Imperial Cult wouldn't dare to do. I need someone who is willing to not judge a person by their appearance, or race, but by their character."

"So then…this?" the Californian asked, motioning vaguely at the dead animals.

The Emperor waved a hand, and the animals morphed into one each of the sentient races of the Milky Way Galaxy. An Ork, Dark Eldar, Necron, and human lay dead at the two's feet while an Eldar and Tau stood by the wayside. Looking at the human corpse that he knew still had Excalibur in his chest laying with the xeno corpses all Xander could say was "Oh, so this is what you meant earlier by interesting decisions huh?"

"Indeed, that was a metaphor of sorts. When you killed the eagle, you surprised me and I couldn't help but wonder why you did it."

Xander shrugged "The bird was suffering. It was haughty and proud, struggling and defiant but was rotting, dying from the inside out. The fact that it was being attacked from all sides was just icing on the cake."

The Emperor nodded slowly as if digesting every word he was saying. Silence had reigned in Avalon for a time before he said "I am now even surer of my choice. You are the right man for the job. You will be the one to finish the groundwork I'd laid on Terra ten millennia ago."

"The Webway?" Seeing the emperor nod, Xander asked another question "What do you mean by 'groundwork?' I thought the Webway was an endgame?"

Instead of answering, the Emperor said, "Tell me, Alexander, how much do you know of the Warp?"

"Also known as Chaos, the Aether, or the Empyrean; the Warp is an alternate dimension of purely psychic energy that echoes and underlies the familiar four dimensions of the material universe, a fifth dimension. It is the source of all psychic powers and known instances of sorcery and magic as well as the home dimension to the four or five Chaos Gods depending on who you ask. Nurgle God of Mortality and Morbidity. Khorne God of Hate, Rage, Violence, and Bloodshed. Tzeentch God of Ambition, Plotting, Change and Sorcery. Slaanesh God of Lust, Greed, Pleasure and Pain. Lastly, there's Malice. God of Anarchy and Terror. The Warp is also accessed using Warp Drives by the Imperium as a means of faster-than-light travel. " Xander replied.

The God-Emperor nodded in approval. Xander knew more than most about Chaos. "Good, good, now I must inform you about my own origins. You see-"

The Emperor was cut off by Xander replying "You were brought about by thousands of Shamans. Psykers in the Eighth Millennium BC, who sacrificed their lives in a mass suicide pact so as to combine their powers and reincarnate to give rise to 'The New Man'. One who would be strong enough to protect humanity from the growing strength of the Chaos Gods. By the time you decided to found the Imperium, you would have already been alive for more than thirty millennia. And, after the Horus Heresy, you would spend another ten millennia interred in the Golden Throne, making you almost fifty thousand years old unless my math is off."

Now the Emperor was impressed. For Xander knew more about himself than he did. He did not know where his vast psyker powers came from just that he had them, and since he had them, it was his place to guide and protect humanity. Nodding once again the Emperor said "Excellent, you are well informed indeed. Now pay attention and do not interrupt for this is important."

Seeing the young man nod, the Emperor began "Ever since my youth, I have had a recurring dream. In this dream, Humanity starts out as little more than savages. Hunting animals, gathering fruits, nuts, and berries, and then over time they change. They learn the value of forging metal and make war on each other. Warlords rise and armies clash, civilizations rise and fall only for another to take its place. As time passes, their structures and weapons become more advanced…And eventually humanity reaches a peak. A point where they have reached the highest point they can with their limited understanding. Be it with sorcery, technology, or both."

The Emperor paused to collect his thoughts for a moment before continuing "When this happens, The Fall as I have come to call it, is soon to follow. Something happens to trigger a cataclysmic event that sends humanity spiraling back towards the earth just as he reaches the greatest heights. It is as if we were attempting to grasp the sun and are being punished for it."

"Icarus," Xander recalled, mentioning the boy who in his folly flew too close to the sun and caused the wax that held his wings together to melt, leading to his demise.

"Indeed. Sometimes it is sentient machines that do it, other times hostile Xenos, and still other times I have seen power-hungry Psykers, or mere human greed lay waste to great human civilizations. Yet in the end, it always ends the same way, Humanity reaches its pinnacle, then it is cast down."

Xander, feeling sympathetic, said, "Well, at least it was just a dream right?"

"That is what I thought for the longest time. Even as I labored on the Webway, I wondered if one day I would see these places, and find these lost worlds as my Astartes continued on the Great Crusade. It was not until I became interred on the Golden Throne that I realized the truth for what it was…That the Immaterium was not just connected to this one dimension, but many. The Warp acted as a gateway between different aspects of reality. Each of them connected like an ever spanning web by the Warp.

"Let me see if I've got this straight, we're talking about multiverse theory here right?" Xander asked.

"Yes," The Emperor replied.

Xander nodded numbly "And you figured out you've been dreaming about alternate realities ever since you basically became a Warp-God."

"Not the term I would prefer to use to describe myself, but yes," The Emperor affirmed with a frown.

Holding up his hands placatingly Xander said, "Sorry, sorry, just trying to wrap my head around this…ok, so God-Emperor, multiverse theory, and me equals…" Xander blinked with his good eye before pointing at the Emperor and shaking his head saying "No-no-no-no-no! I know what you want me to do and the answer is no!"

"Xander, be reasonable."

"Reasonable? You want me, me of all people to not only fix your messed up Imperium, but also go gallivanting across the multiverse that I now know existsbecause… because why? Because you think some unknown force is hell-bent on keeping humanity down? Also, you still haven't told me why I need to be the one to do this, but I'm the one not being reasonable?" the cybernetically enhanced teen inquired.

"I never said you would be alone in this endeavor. You shall have the assistance of my most trusted servants, and also, you are a Rogue Trader. Your Writ of Trade allows you to conscript a sizable fighting force. Or have you forgotten?"

Xander had forgotten about that. But then something else came to mind. "A Rogue Trader without a ship is just a forsaken drifter doomed to an anonymous death."

"You'll have a vessel," The Emperor promised.

Xander then held up a hand before saying "Ok, let's say for arguments sake I choose to help you, and I'll have a ship like you said. How will I get to the Imperium?"

In response, the Emperor tapped the Phoenix Gate. "You already have the means to pass between the veil between worlds. You just need to use it."

"But I don't know-"Suddenly foreign words Latin he thought echoed through his mind. "Ow. Ok, nevermind that particular problem. But what happens when the Ordo Hereticus tries to kill me for being a Heretic?"

The Emperor gave him a soul-searching look before asking quietly "Why are you so reluctant to do this Alexander?"

"Because…Because I'm not like you or Buffy! I'm just Xander ordinary guy, son of a couple of functioning alcoholics. I'm not a Slayer or a God-Emperor. I'm not a main character or even a side character. I'm a background character at best!" Xander shouted throwing his hands in the air before slumping in defeat and finishing "I-I can't be the guy you're looking for, I couldn't even save my best friend…my brother…"

The Emperor ever so gently reached out and placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder saying "I do not need a Slayer, for I have the Ordo Malleus. The Imperium does not need another God-Emperor for they already have me. What they need, what the entire multiverse needs, is a Revolutionary. One who can see what is inherently wrong and fix it. You are he who sees all that is wrong but has lacked the power to fix it. And now, you have the authority."

The two locked eyes and the emperor continued "I understand your reluctance. But do not let your fear of failure, of losing those close to you, and thinking that just because you lack some 'grand destiny' that you should not act at all. For if you do not save them from themselves, who will? Also, now that you know people are in trouble, can you honestly walk away? Wouldn't Jessie want his death to mean something?"

Groaning in annoyance Xander swore "FU~CK! Why the hell did you have to guilt trip me?"

"I didn't, I merely made a point." The Emperor replied, but the ever so slight smile on his face said otherwise.

"Uh-huh," Xander said dryly "Fine, I'll do it. But!-"He said sharply "Only on the condition that if my friends get into some deep trouble, I can help them…somehow."

"I would never stop you from helping your friends. In fact, they would make good allies to you in your mission for the Imperium and beyond."

Only for Xander to shake his head emphatically saying "No. they have enough problems, I do not want to involve them in this."

The Emperor nodded "That is entirely up to you, it was merely a suggestion."

Sighing once more Xander stood up saying "Well, I might as well get this show on the road. Wish me luck G-man."

"Good luck…and Xander a request if I may, as I assume we shall often be speaking?"

"Yeah?" the teen asked.

"Call me Adamus." The Emperor requested.

Blinking in confusion Xander asked, "Adamus?"

Nodding the Emperor replied "Yes, Adamus is my name. Adamus Primus."

Smiling and holding his hand out to the Emperor of Mankind, Xander said, "Alexander Lavelle Harris. Pleased to meet you."

Taking his hand in his power armored own the Emperor, Adamus, gave it a firm shake. Returning them smile he replied "Adamus Primus Emperor of Mankind, pleasure is mine."

They then let go of each other's wrists and Xander took up Excalibur once again before taking a couple of steps back before he intoned "Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!"

His form was then consumed in a ball of fire, which was accompanied by a shrill phoenix cry. When the flame died down, he was gone and not even a scorched grass marked the grass where he once stood. After he had left the Emperor looked at the corpse of the human Imperial soldier before muttering "Thank you, Alexander, now thanks to you, the Imperium will rise again-"

The Imperials corpse then caught fire and was quickly consumed. Seconds later, a bird made of gold and scarlet flames rose up and took flight from the ashes. It began to sing an ethereal song before the Emperor finished, "Stronger than ever before, rising from the ashes of the old. A Phoenix renewed."

Chapter length: 16,545 words – Date Completed: 7/1/15

AN: Hello everyone and welcome to the the…weirdest idea that my crazy mind has ever come up with. While this is primarily a BtVS x W40k fic, I will include various other universes because Xander possesses the Phoenix Gate from the old Gargoyles cartoon. This item allows him to teleport through time and space. But I don't intend to send him just anywhere. The universes I send him to will either have advanced technology, have an Excalibur that exists in that world somewhere, or have been crossed over with the Top Cow Comics.

Now, before anyone screams "Xander is OP!" No, he's not. In terms of 40k, he's probably strong enough to take on a group or two of battle brothers when he's using Excalibur sheathed in Invisible Air. I say this because he still needs to train to fully safely master his newly acquired psyker powers. On the other hand while using Excalibur at full power, things like Titans, and Daemons should be manageable; Daemons due to Excalibur being a Holy Blade.

Also, I would like to point out that both Buffy and Willow are stronger than Xander, with Willow being the most powerful of the three like she was in canon, as she was turned into a Goddess if I recall. All I really did was give each of them a boost early on.

I also don't intend for Xander to 'Officially' return to Sunnydale until mid-Season Five of BTSV, which would be mid-season Two of Angel.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and choose to give this fic a chance. If you liked it, please feel free to leave a review. Till next time everyone, this is Bubbajack, along with my betas Diller and William Wiltrose, out! Peace!