Continued
May 10, 2004
Johannesburg
He shot up from his bed as he awoke from the nightmare, sending sweat on his covers. He sighed and wiped his brow, coating the backside of his hand wet. He let out a muttered, "Dammit", as he stood up, only in grey sweat pants, and walked across his hotel room and into the bathroom.
His life had been somewhat of a blur for the last year, moving from one village, tribe, country, city to the other. But every 6 months, he was ordered to go to Johannesburg to have a routine video conference call with Giles, who was in London heading up the London division of the Watchers Council, and Robin Wood, who was in Cleveland setting up the first North American division of the Council with Faith. With Buffy and Dawn finding slayers, more like taking a vacation, in Europe and Willow and Kennedy in South America, Giles and he decided that he would take Africa. Only thing was, he thought people called Africa the Dark Continent because they were still stuck in the Middle Ages and most did not know of the world outside of their village, tribe, country, or city. He was wrong.
In one year, he killed more demons there than he ever did in Sunnydale. He got into shape, the best in his life, and was prepared for what was to come. He found slayers and sent them on their way to either the Rome Institute or the London Headquarters if they chose to. He gave them the choice of going and accepting their forced-upon destiny or turning away and living and dying a normal human being. Most left. In between slayer-grabbing missions, he hunted demons and cults and the once-in-a-while slayer slavery groups. He hated those missions, seeing the young girls threatened or killed because of what he and his friends had done, and he also loved them, because deep down in his sub-conscious, he thrilled at the chance of ripping apart the demons who would do that to them.
He even aquired a reputation in the demonworld of Africa. Demons feared him, humans loved him. They either called him 'The American' or 'The One-eyed Man'. He, personally, liked the first one. If he wasn't busy with the demon-hunting, he fixed up houses or buildings for the natives, or helping out with every sort of aid group, the ones dealing with famine, disease, or refugees fleeing war-torn countries. He couldn't not help, it was what he did. And now that he was back in civilization, he yearned for the silence and isolation from... people.
He splashed water of his newly shaved face, not used to the man he sees in the mirror. Not too long ago, he had a dangerous looking stuble and long hair, falling just above his shoulders. Now, he rubs his hand over his smooth face and buzzcut hair. He doesn't look like the man he saw earlier today, but he remembers to look at the eye patch, and he recognizes himself. A sudden beeping broke him out of his reverie and walks to his laptop computer, that lies at the table at the foot of his bed. He opens it up and finds a splitscreen, showing Giles and Wood. He lets out a insufferable groan and settles into a chair. He digs in his nearby duffel bag and gets out a webcam and a headset. He hooks up both and turns the webcam towards him. He grabs the headset and places it on his head. "Hey, G-man. Wood", nodding to both.
Some seconds later, they reply with 'hellos' and the next several minutes, they tell him about several happenings with the other Scoobies and life at the Watcher's Council. And he couldn't be more bored. He wanted to miss his friends, but he couldn't. The last year in Sunnydale, and the several before it if he was honest with himself, he was neglected and misused as their friend. To them, he was a shoulder to cry on, a handy man, and the Jokester. Hell, who was he kidding? He wasn't even the Jokester, his self-appointed role in the group, his way of keeping hope and happiness in his friends' lives. But, alas, he was too busy. He was the only one bringing food and supplies and money to the table in that household. He had 30-odd mouths to feed. And he had to replace that damn window every single day. And when he wasn't working his butt off, he listened to everyone elses problems, felt everyone's pain and fear and kept his all to himself. He had everyone's pain and all his own. No one ever asked if he was okay, if he needed to cry, if he needed something at the store. And it was only when there was a severe physical injury that they cared, splayed love over their faces. Deep down, he hated them, for their selfishness and their lies. But most of all, their betrayal to him, leaving him all alone to go to the most dangerous place on the planet, and that was with Sunnydale still around. They didn't care if he lived or died. He often wondered if he could fake his death and see how long it was for the others to realize he was dead, but stopped there. He never liked the answer.
Breaking out of his musing, he caught the tail end of what he thought was Cordelia. "What, Giles? What about Cordelia?" His quote-unquote father figure lowered his head solemnly and he knew she was gone. "I'm sorry, Xander, but Cordelia passed a few months ago. She never woke from her coma." He felt himself leave his body for a moment, ignoring Giles' half-assed apologies. She's gone. He kept mutting it in his head, like a mantra. He hadn't talked to her in 4 years, right before she left for Los Angeles. A tear rolls down, remembering her smile and realizing he missed her. He stopped ignoring when he caught Giles' look when the Watcher said Angel. Something happened with Deadboy. He clears his throat, and the lump in it, and pushed his feelings away... again. "And what's up with our favoritist souled vampire?"
His emotions switch from sadness to angry when he could tell Giles was lying, saying that Angel was still evil and not doing anything of any importance. He hated them for that stupid mistake at distrusting the vampire. If someone said 5 years ago that he would be the one defending Angel, he would've kicked his ass because of that drastic mistake in characterization. But he was. When he heard that Soulboy was playing CEO at Evil, INC., his first thought was, 'Alright, Deadboy! Way to stick it to them', having heard stories from Giles and Faith about the law firm. But the other didn't think that. They thought he was evil, giving up on his redemption and turning his back on good. He laughed at the thought of Angel evil. There's a diference between Angel and Angelus. One opinion, not the popular one, was that he lost his soul returned to his former self. But they blew that theory away when Wesley and the others continued working with him. He agreed that Angel could be a bastard, but he knew he couldn't be evil. The others were not that quick to agree, though.
But he let the lie pass, because he wasn't in the mood to argue. Although, he was in the mood to get to business and get out of this video call. "So, what was that business you were talkin' about earlier on?" Giles nodded and placed his glasses on. "Yes. Well, Robin had an informant, telling him that there was a group of individuals in control of a book of dire importance. The Book of Unglayin. He was a prophet of sorts who resided in South America, until the disappearance of the Mayan people as he disappeared as well. He prophecized several events, but no one ever had there hands on the artifact, so no one knows what he did prophecize except it had to do with THE Apocalypse. As in the, well, the one that would be apocalyptic. And, well, we've found where these individuals are." Xander groans, hating Giles's affinity to pausing melodramatically when something of 'dire importance' needs to be done. "They live on the border of Congo."
He chuckles at the Watcher, thinking he's joking. When he realizes he'e not, he sobers up and sighs. "Let me get this straight. You want me to go to the Congo?", he yells the last word, trying to give Giles a hint. "Yes, I do, Xander. I know how dan-" Xander cuts him off as stands up and yells again. "No, you don't. The Congo is dangerous, not just littered with demons, but also rebels, humans." He stops when he sees Giles violently rip off his glasses. "Then, you bloody well better get used to killing, Xander. This is a dangerous book and cannot be in the hands of men and ecspecially not demons. They get a hold of the information and prochecies in those pages, and decifer it, and you, us, and the world will be totally and utterly gone!"
They glare at each other for the longest time, all the while, Xander sending subliminal suggestions to Giles to go and get himself a brain with a side order of common sense. Finally, he breaks eye contact and returns to his seat, letting out the most exasperated sigh he ever heard. He's going to admit something that he hoped he would never have to share with his family. "I've killed before, Giles. It's Africa, remember? I found a slayer in a village in rebel-controlled territory and drove like the wind to get to the the local landing strip, where the Council chopper was. Along the way, a rebel patrol stopped us and the... The girl knew what he was and she knew she had the power to kill him. But she didn't want to so I... Didn't let her carry that out."
He looks up and sees look of utter shock and compassion shines off Giles' face, loving the feel of... being cared for. "I'm sorry, Xander. I didn't know. Why didn't you say som-" Xander lets out another sigh. "Because you never ask. None of you. For years. So, one day, I made a decision. Don't let your family hear what haunts you at night. And I never have." He loves the look of self-disappointment on Giles' face. "I'm sorry. I really am. And we can adress this issue later, during your vacation time you got coming up. But we need the book. 6 billion lives depend on it." Xander shakes his head while turning it into a nod. "Fine. I have a source that could probably get me across the border. But I want you to understand that this might be the last time you see me. The Congo is no man's land and chances are, I'll die. But I will do everything in my power to get you that book. If I don't make it out or try to contact you within 10 days, I'm gone. Don't send slayers or any prissy Watchers there because they would get dead before they can say, 'Uh-oh'. I do make it out, I'll personally give you the book in London." Giles sends a hestitant nod. "Yes. I'll be waiting for you. Try your best, Xander. See you later." After receiving a nervous but loving smile, Xander gives off his trademark lopsided grin. "See you, G-man. Give my love to my girls." And he turns the computer off.
Should I continue? Thoughts... Ideas... Give me feedback so I don't keep believing in this story that no one likes. Thanks.
