Ch.38

I spent all my free time with Faith, training her in martial arts, weapons and how to use her scythe in particular. I taught her how to meditate and find her balance and seek to limit her wasted movements. Weeks flew by as I missed the witch hating stuff brought in by a demon due to work, training Faith and patrolling with her when we were reprising our roles as rabbit stand ins for an Energizer commercial. When Buffy's birthday came around, I sold the watcher's council ten boosted easy to make storage rings of legend rank for a copy of all the texts they had on the First Evil and a billion dollars, American.

They were gobsmacked at my price and I told them that the rings were blood locked so only they could access them once blood bound, indestructible to the point of being immune to all outside magics and the inside can preserve degrade-able things for up to ten thousand years without rot. I told them the rings could hold a football stadium's worth of whatever and were spelled to protect the wearer against curses, minor spells and poisons while giving the wearer minor healing abilities capable of staving off any non sudden deaths.

I waved a hand to Quinten Travers. "You tell me if it's worth it or not. Oh, and they protect the wearer against outside diseases so yeah, if you don't want them I'll sell them for far higher prices elsewhere. You lot are pretty stingy considering you have alchemists who shit gold."

Quinten Travers put one on and cut his hand. When it healed rapidly without leaving a trace of blood, he spoke. "We'll take them and any more you have."

I shook my head. "It's a one time deal. I'm not becoming another resource for your people. Ten is all I have and all you're going to get unless your people can figure out how to make your own."

He nodded. "Very well. The money will be transferred by the end of the day. As for the knowledge you seek, it will take time to have it pulled up."

I scowled. "You have an hour or I walk and shatter the wards protecting every building you own. I'm not some dime store warlock old man, I can't be fooled or lied to. Don't screw with me and give petty excuses. A bargain struck with me is held to the letter and bound by the speakers souls."

I slapped a talisman on the table and grunted. "A Sumerian demonic oath talisman that binds the speakers to their words. Break it and your souls or mine are forfeit to a hell dimension immediately."

They swallowed and Quinten Travers asked where I got something so dangerous. I told them about my trip to an alternate reality created by a vengeance demon. I told them what I did there mostly and what I brought back. They were shocked that I'd laid waste to Wolfram and Hart there.

Quinten asked why I didn't do the same here and a warlock with experience spoke. "Because he can't, can you? That spell you used to ensoul the vampires was dark magic, a powerful curse. You opened yourself up to so much dark magic and it nearly swallowed you whole didn't it?"

I grunted and he sighed. "I bet it's all you can do to teleport here without going black eyed and that's likely because of the stored power in your ring."

I shrugged and he asked. "What's to stop us from taking it and all you have once we fulfill our end?"

I smiled. "Two things. One, I'd fight back and I'd given in to kill you all for trying because you'd have to kill me to take my ring."

The warlock asked. "And two?"

Faith revealed herself with the slayer scythe at his throat. "Me."

I smiled wryly. "Two is that I didn't come alone. Faith here wanted to see what kind of people the watchers council was for herself so I brought her here after she borrowed a cloak of invisibility I'd made when I heard about a book of a British wizard boy with one."

Faith said she wasn't impressed and I waved her off saying they were human, just very greedy. Quinten had the books, scrolls and tablet copied and brought in. I asked if that all the knowledge they had on the First because if it wasn't they'd be dead the moment I left by the Sumerian talisman. Quinten waved a hand and a scroll was handed over.

I shrugged. "Good, then you'll be happy to know this was a knock off I picked up in Greece a few years back. At best it can tell truth being spoken from lies, nothing more. I'll expect the money transfer to be completed or you will regret screwing me."

I slid the talisman to Quinten and growled. "Use that to see if I'm lying."

He said a deal was a deal and they were gentlemen who upheld their end. I snorted and waved a hand, opening a portal that Faith and I stepped through. Teleporting was quicker, but it took more power and he wasn't wrong that I was using my ring. Once we were home Faith asked why I wanted to know about the First so much.

I sighed and told her the First wasn't gone, only in remission. I told her it couldn't be destroyed, only banished and only ever temporarily. I explained to her that we needed information if it reared it's ugly head again. She agreed and asked about the money which I grunted to. "That's for something else, a secret project of mine of sorts. Trust me, it'll be spent wisely."

A day later the money was in my account and some of the council members were headed to Sunnydale for Buffy's big birthday nightmare test. Faith and I missed it, mostly due to training and work or slaying in Faith's case. We didn't miss the end of the world demon badness with the Sisterhood of Jhi which was about as fun as getting beaten by a clown half for death. Considering the school didn't blow up and Oz ended up with a full stomach of zombie the next day, I knew Xander did something to save our asses.

I also saw Faith acting weirdly and a cold thought went through me like an Arctic chill. That night I beat Xander's ass and kicked them both out of the mansion when I knew for certain they'd fucked. I was done hanging with them for a time and barely even patrolled with Buffy. When I heard Faith killed a guy, I felt bad for her because I knew it was an accident.

Still, cheating on me with my best friend in my own bed wasn't an accident and the rage that thought brought on tore me apart inside. I meditated almost always these days when I wasn't at class or at work. Trying to find your inner cool when your life turns to shit is like fishing in a snow storm and not getting eaten by a bear. The others didn't know why I'd dumped Faith and kicked her and Xander out of my place until afterwards.

I hadn't deemed it worthwhile to say anything yet Xander had when Faith started spiraling from the accidental homicide. I got up and left right then and didn't say a word to them. Buffy chased after me and I told her I didn't want to talk and no good would come from venting the anger I had in me. I left her there and she sighed. "So that's what happened."

I didn't comment and just left, driving home where a new beds were brought in by workers. I donated the others and locked up the mansion for a time while they dealt with Faith. Faith and Buffy had to do some tests sent by the watcher's council so even hanging out at the library was painful. When she and her new watcher, Wesley Wyndem-Price, showed up, I dropped my conversation with Giles on Babylonian to Sumerian texts and left.

She tried to stop me and say I didn't have to go and my eyes turned black as a pulse of magic blasted her through the library doors and on her ass where she slid to the table Buffy was still at. I growled and told her not to touch me before shaking my head as a migraine set in. I tried my best to calm myself and left at a fast pace. Even as I got in my truck I could hear Wesley asking. "What the bloody hell was that all about?"

Buffy spoke up. "Faith cheated on Jesse with his best friend Xander and Jesse being the most powerful warlock in the world with enough dark magic to make demons blush in him is trying to bottle it up so he doesn't hurt anyone or more accurately, everyone. It's complicated and why he doesn't come around that often anymore. From what I can tell it's eating him alive inside…"

She drifted off likely due to Faith telling her to shut up about things she doesn't know anything about. Wesley asked if Xander was alright and Giles said he'd live, though his nose was broken and he was severely beaten when I'd kicked him out. I roared and the windows in my truck shattered while a quake shook the parking lot, setting off all the car alarms. I drove off after wasting the energy to fix the windows in my truck.

A storm brewed and poured rain for the next day. I felt the temporal fold Anya and Willow made together that brought forth the alternate version of Willow. On the bright side she's already been ensouled apparently and thanked me for that before asking to go back to get her dose Mohra demon blood and become human again. I'd sent some to Angel who had put it back as my letter suggested so I'd done right by him and Buffy.

I'd told her when I'd done it and apparently he'd refused to take it because he wanted to do the champion thing and protect the innocent. I left seeing as Xander was there and headed for patrol to find something to hurt badly. They could send alternate Willow back without me. I headed to the former master's lair and cut down a dozen vampires with the two swords with glowing jewels at their hilts.

When no more came, I found the right area and made a hole into the alter like cavern. I put my blade to the master's revived throat when he appeared and told him. "Piss off vampire. I've not come to harm the seed and I'd rather not waste it's energy so it could revive you again."

He growled and my eyes turned black as I growled back. "Vincire."

My magic bound the master and I turned to the seed, putting away my swords. I shoosh'd it saying I'd never harm it and that I was here to ensure it's safety along with the world's. The green energy seed shimmered and I iwaved a hand as fiery runes covered the full cavern. More and more filled it as hundreds, thousands and millions of inscriptions filled the cavern.

Rune spells were added with fuinjutsu and soon a massively powerful barrier over it was erected with enochian runes as well to ensure it couldn't be found. I added chi spells and finalized it with a special barrier around only the seed. When and if it should be attacked with the slayer scythe, a shell of it would break while the power of the seed would be sucked into my soul where I'd shunt it into my painted world to be reborn as a full seed again next to the one already there.

The best part was that it ascended time and space so even if I died and was reborn, it would still come when it was time. Speaking of ascended, a few weeks later I'd released the master and tossed him a shackled collar that bound him to the seed's will alone. I told him to behave like a good dog and he might get fed someday. I told him the seed has it's own sentience and power so now it could work it's will through him.

The seed pulsed and filled me with magic after it understood what I'd done to the place was to protect it and I had no intentions of stealing it, only protecting it from destruction if necessary. The magic was so pure it made the dark magic in me fade. Back to the ascension deal, two weeks after I left the hole and covered it, Buffy and Faith needed money to buy the books of ascension from some demon or other. Giles came to me for it and I gave him the five grand the demon wanted before telling him to be careful.

He asked if I knew what it was about and I nodded before leaving. Xander had enough and tried to bury the hatchet with me only for me to bury my fist in his face. I told him we were best friends and he ruined every good thing I'd ever felt for him and Faith whom I had real feelings for. I went to hit him again and Buffy stopped me saying he'd had enough.

I pulled my hand back and told her no, that I'd had enough. He killed all the good I felt in this world and shoved it in my face so we were through. I told her they could save the world without me because to me it wasn't worth saving if those whom you loved and trusted shoved knives in your back and carved out your heart in your own bed. I walked away having said my peace out loud finally and making both Faith and Xander flinch harder than I'd struck him.

Willow tried to catch up to me saying they might need my help. I told her coldly that she was just as bad as Xander having done the same to Oz and Cordelia with him. I told her I don't have it in me to forgive him and I'd sooner watch the world burn than help him ever again. I pulled away and went to leave before she said I was just being childish.

She let out a blood curdling scream a moment later and the others came out including Oz. Willow was on the ground sobbing and Oz asked what happened. I grunted. "She tried to take my pain away with magic. She felt a fraction of it and it's crushing her. There's nothing I can do for her now. She'll be fine in an hour or so provided it doesn't drive her insane."

I turned and left to her sobs coldly ignoring them because I was too busy with my own damned pain. Angel came back into town and after a round with Buffy and Faith, he managed to find out about the mayor's plans for graduation day. He and I had a heart to heart over a bottle of Jack and some rum. He told me it killed him to know I slept with Buffy and yet he never stopped loving her for one moment.

He said he'd forgiven me the moment he found out as well. I growled and told him the difference was that he'd chosen not to be with Buffy and she'd chosen to be with me. I told him they'd chosen to be with each other knowing they'd hurt me in my own fucking bed. The mansion shook as my eyes turned black and I had to breathe it off before the quakes calmed down.

I told him that Faith had chosen to be my girl, knew I was falling for her and decided to cut her losses by screwing my oldest friend whom I loved and trusted like a brother. The bottle of rum shattered in my hand and I picked out the shards before telling him that he could speak his peace until he's blue in the face, but nothing he says will change how I feel or the facts. I grabbed another bottle and told him that he's a better man than I am and I know it while I can't even get pissed off without fear of causing natural disasters so I can't even feel the anger I'm entitled to for the world's sake.

I sat down and told him to change the subject or man up and use the Mohra blood so he can have the girl of his dreams to stop the brooding. He gave a wry smile saying Doyle said something similar to him when he got my gift. I snorted lightly and warned him that even if he did do it Xander might swoop in and fuck his girl or marry her at this rate since he'd cheated with Willow and now Faith which left only Buffy he hasn't messed with yet.

Angel lost his smirk and said Buffy wouldn't do it but I scoffed and told him Xander's resorted to love spells before and even had Buffy under his thrall so it's possible even if she didn't agree. Angel sighed. "That's the anger talking."

I shook my head. "That's the rum talking. The anger is still bottled up or I'd have two dead ex's, an ex girlfriend and an ex best friend. Go, take your demon blood and have a happy time Angel. You'll only find sour drunk company here."

He left after a few minutes and I finished off another jug of rum. I missed the whole psychic Buffy thing thanks to my tats preventing her from reading me and not giving a fuck. Angel was in town still and he'd saved her. Hell I even missed the whole meeting with the mayor shtick because I'd gone into the desert and caused a massive storm to let out my anger and frustration.

I'd used seismic plates to prevent earthquakes, but the massive sandstorm and tornados made the news. The sheer amount of magic and pain was felt around the world. It was so strong D'Hoffrin came in person saying my pain was felt like a great wave that tore through dimensions. He offered me a place in Arashmahar, the demon dimension for vengeance demons. I roared at him to leave and the brat blast of magic surprised even him as I'd banished him with sheer magic alone and no spell.

My magic went wild as my hair and eyes turned black. My skin paled as I let out a psychic roar that deafened psychics across the globe. I let all of it out, psychic energy, magic, anger, rage, frustration. All of it poured out of me so much that for a sheer moment between seconds everything went quiet and it lasted an eternity while I sorted out my feelings.

When it started up again between seconds, I turned to see the female oracle to the powers that be. She asked if I felt better now and I grunted, telling her to leave because her bosses didn't want my attentions if they knew what was best for them. She quirked an eyebrow and spoke. "You're powerful for a mortal, but you're no match for them."

I huffed. "Mortal, immortal, you think I care that they're gods? You think I haven't butchered gods before? That even now I don't have some trapped in my power and will?"

I glared at the Oracle. "I may wear the skin of a mortal little Oracle, but I am no mortal. I am eternal, unending and undeniably the most powerful being you'll ever meet. Now go go bar to your place and die by Vocah, the demon your gods destined to kill your physical form."

I turned to the male that appeared and spoke which caught my attention. "Come sister, he is not a champion of the powers that be. He is no one of significance."

I ignored them and stopped the storm with the last of the magic I had in me. My hair returned to normal with my eyes and I left the desert. I found the others in the school with the mayor and walked in as the doors exploded outward. I turned to Angel. "Give him the box. It won't change what's to come."

He did so and they traded Willow for the box. The mayor asked who I was and I glanced at him. "Someone with more magic in my cock ring than you have in your entire body pissant. Take you box of pet spiders and leave before I strip the invulnerability from you and shove the open box up your ass."

My eyes turned black with my hair as veins covered me. "I said leave, or you can stay and be my toy for a time. I promise agony so exquisite you'll eat your own eyeballs to make it stop."

I touched his face and he groaned while shaking. He backed away barely and I turned to Faith as my body returned to normal. "Stop what your doing now and you won't regret what comes next. You've killed a demon, so what, I've killed millions of them. You don't have to be evil Faith. Evil is a choice, a conscious decision to inflict harm against the innocent. Stay and not even the council will touch you, I give you my word. Go and I won't protect you."

She shivered before saying. "I can't go back."

I shook my head. "Then don't. Be better than you were before. You've changed, you can change again. Walk away if that's what you want, take all the time you need to find yourself and forgive yourself for what's happened. Fuck the world and it's opinions, do this for yourself Faith. If you go, even if you survive, you'll regret it for the rest of your life, worse than all the rest you've been through."

She looked from me to the scoobies then to the mayor. He asked Faith if she was coming and I grunted. "Shut your pie hole fish bait. Speak again and I'll send your ass to Quar'toth to find out what real hell feels like."

I turned to Faith. "Don't worry about fish bait, he's weak, even for a warlock. Even if he ascends he'll only be another pure demon, an old one like the first slayer killed. You can chop him down to size or blow his ass up then. His little spell doesn't protect him after the transition after all."

The mayor scowled and Faith said she was staying. I turned to the mayor. "You heard her, fish bait, piss off."

I growled and the school shook. "NOW!"

He and the guard were flung through the door at the principal's feet. They left and the principal only asked why we couldn't be selling drugs like normal people. We headed to the library and and I tapped Faith, giving her tats like my own. I told her. "They'll protect you from being found by the council. Spells and cameras can't see you and once you leave here I'll speak with the council in person and make it clear that if they hunt you I'll hunt them all into extinction. I may not kill them, but I'll drop them all into hell realms and watch them be torn apart without breaking a sweat."

Wesley let out a strangled noise as I continued. "They've done far worse to slayers and far worse to anyone that gets in their way for the greater good as they put it."

I held up a ring for her. "Money, fake passports in every country and every language across the globe. Weapons enough to see you through if anything nasty comes your way and an anti-magic suit of sorts that'll protect against magic. The scythe will help you deal with everything else."

I tapped her forehead and gave her a major migraine as I fixed her school knowledge up to the college level along with adding every human language I knew to the mix. I helped her heal and told her there was a charged solar powered motorcycle outside that's magically spelled to repair itself if anything breaks. She gave me a hug and I sighed. "Find and fix yourself. Only then can you help others Faith. Sometimes you have to be selfish if you're to survive."

She agreed and I told her to go and remember the cell phone in the ring if she needs help. She thanked me and left while I turned to the others. I looked to Xander before turning to Giles and Wesley. "Would either of you like to come with me? I'm sure they'd appreciate reports in person."

Giles said they'd fired him during Buffy's birthday blowout so Wesley was the only one whom they appreciate a report from. I asked if he wanted to come in person and he said he'd call. I shrugged and sighed. "If you chase after her I'll leave you bound in a demon's lair and watch it strip the flesh off your body while it eats you alive. Leave her alone. She was broken long ago and she needs to fix herself before she can help anyone, let alone make amends."

He flinched and I gathered magic as I teleported to the council. They called an emergency meeting and threats were made. I told them Faith was on a quest to find herself and her place in the world. I threatened them a great deal and nearly deep fried their warlocks when they said I was weak. They changed their minds real fast and I told Quinten Travers that Faith would return when she's ready rather than when they're ready only to turn fully evil.

I told them what the mayor was planning, how he manipulated her and how Wesley was too busy drooling over high school girls and giving weak orders to see the pain she'd carried. I told them slayers were human and to treat them as nothing more than weapons only breaks them or dulls their edges because if they have friends and family then they have something worth fighting for, worth dying for.

I told them honor and duty was useful for men, but women and girls needed more because they were different and unique unto themselves. One of the females said that wasn't true and I asked how hard she'd worked to get where she was before asking if she thought the men had done the same for the same reasons. I shook my head and called them fools if they thought it was the same. I turned to Travers. "I've given Faith my protection. Hunt her and I'll hunt you all and drop each and every member of the council in hell realms, watchers and all. There are plenty enough hell realms to put each of you into a separate one."

I turned to the warlocks. "And I'll strip your magic users of power before leaving them in a demon's den that is immune to magic."

I turned and Travers asked. "Why go so far for one girl?"

I grunted without turning back. "I loved her once. I believe she can do what she has to so that she can heal and remember that the world is worth saving. I did and I was drowning in dark magic under the weight of my own power."

He sighed. "Very well. But if she turns up on the side of evil again, we'll do what's necessary to protect the world."

I waved him off and returned to the school where I sat with the others and told them what I'd done in the desert. I'd given in and let it all out, even the dark magic. I told them I'd been holding all the magic in my body all these years and with the dark magic, my emotional state and the pain, I was drowning so I let it all out. I told them I had a moment of clarity after the demons stopped bothering me to try and get me to become evil and the oracles of the powers that be stopped bugging me to become a champion.

I sighed. "I realized that I can't control the past and I can't change it, nor would I want to. I understand what drove Faith. To do what she did, both in joining the mayor and cheating on me. She was broken before she ever got to Sunnydale, probably before she was ever found as a potential. Add to that I'd given her a talisman to feel my feelings towards me and it overwhelmed her so she lashed out to make it stop."

I tapped the table. "As for the mayor, we'll, you lot haven't been very inclusive. Willow's been jealous of her when she started taking up Buffy's time, Xanders been horny for slayer sex since Buffy came to town and O-"

I turned to the werewolf. "You're not exactly the sharing type in groups."

He grunted. "Fair enough."

I shrugged. "It's not an excuse. Xander wants Buffy, Willow wants to spend time with Buffy and all the time she's trying to fit in to a closed off group while I'd already isolated myself from you all thanks to my lack of classes and constant work which left her with the stick up Wesley who was busy drooling over Cordelia most of the time, and Buffy's already close as a father watcher, Giles."

I sighed. "She lashed out and I did so as well when I kicked her and Xander out. She was left with less than Xander and in more pan than when she came here, so she sought her own father figure who manipulated her guilt for the accidental death of the dumbass and her need to fit in. The fact that Xander slept with her while wanting to be with Buffy only solidified her pain because she felt she wasn't measuring up. It's only human to want to compare and compete with those we see as equals and constantly failing to measure up because everyone was focused on Buffy nailed it home for her."

I raised a hand, removing the spell I had on their voices saying. "It's nobodies fault, it's just facts, not blame. We're only human and nobodies perfect. I pushed her with my failure of a gift and it was too much."

I turned to Xander. "As for your part, dick, I don't know nor care what you were thinking. I brought you into my home and gave you a better everything before you betrayed me by sleeping with my girlfriend in my bed because fucking around on your own girlfriend wasn't enough. Faith I can forgive and forget, but you, I-I have nothing to say. You're the worst of humanity I've ever met, just above rapists and murderers or vampires without souls. Hell, with vampires you know where they stand, but you-"

I shook my head and sighed at his lame excuses for not thinking. "Whatever. It doesn't matter anymore, none of it does. You spat on our friendship and burned that bridge with your dick, congratulations."

I turned to Buffy and the rest. "I've fixed myself and no, I won't be your go to magic man. I've been warned that beings with my power aren't allowed to interfere using said power with those that lack it. Granted I told said beings that warned me to fuck off, but it could turn out bad for you all if I do magic on that scale to help out."

I tapped my finger on the table again and Giles asked what I knew about as ascension. Wesley perked up after vehemently denying his drooling over Cordelia. I grunted and told them what ascension was, how it was done, how said form was determined by the ingredients and what the mayor was going to turn into. They mentioned having the scythe would be useful and I told them I had another plan.

I explained the plan, why it would work and how if it worked we'd walk away having saved the town. Angel said he'd help and I nodded, thanking him before telling them I was going to meditate. Willow followed me out and I apologized to her saying I hadn't meant it, I was just drowning under everything and rage was the closest emotion to the surface. She said she understood, but I shook my head and told her I hoped she never truly did.

We hugged it out and I told her that what Xander did wouldn't come between the two of us because I didn't blame her for his actions. Weeks later Prom was on the horizon and the school year was ending soon. I took care of the hellhound issue by waiting outside the school with three real hellhounds. Part dire wolf and part dragon, they were Mewtwo's improvement on the hellhounds I'd gotten before. As big as horses and the only real visible difference besides the size was the fact that they could breathe fire.

Their scales were as touch as elder dragon hide scales. When they saw the three hellhounds coming, I told them in a Crowley esk way. "Sick em boys!"

Buffy's eyes went wide as three massive beasts tore the demonic hellhounds apart and ate them. I chuckled and told her they were pets I summoned from a hell dimension. I told her they were tamed so she needn't worry. I made them disappear with their meals and handed her the dress she needed to change into.

I walked in without a spec on my tux and went stag. I wasn't in the mood to screw around or date anyone so I danced with Willow, Buffy and Cordelia once apiece before watching Angel dance with Buffy. He thanked me and I nodded before heading home. I'd talked him into coming by telling him what it meant to her.

Less than a week later graduation came and the school was prepared alongside the students. Unlike Buffy, this time I played bait when it was time to blow up the school. She helped Angel with the vamps after the council nearly screwed him to death causing her to quit them entirely. She was weak from blood loss which is why the scoobies helped her and I played bait.

It went off without a hitch and the school was blown to smithereens with the giant snake demon of a mayor inside. We cleaned up and no one important died so I called it a win. Oz was just happy we survived high school. I signed up for classes at UC Sunnydale and spent the summer setting up magical safe houses, buying a castle in Scotland and preparing everything.

I pulled raw diamonds out of the ground and made magical rune stones after forming massive diamonds with them, securing each of the warehouses I'd turned into magical safe houses across the globe. Wards and barriers were put up after the places were renovated and runes were put in to hide the ward stones gathering power below from nature. I spent most of the council money I'd gotten on all the things needed including armored and solar powered vehicles with spells to keep out demons and vampires.

I spared no expense for securing every safe house and hiding them with runes from everyone and everything in existence. Every safe house in every country and major city in the world was bought, built, reinforced and spelled for safety. It was a lot of work, but I had the magic and the time to get it all done by teleporting all over the place. When I returned to Sunnydale, my summer vacation had been well spent.

I'd put in a cloaked satellite net around the globe entirely for full coverage and hooked up all the servers and monitors in all the safe houses to them. The castle was fully equipped with everything and even had helicopters, state of the art training facilities and a fully stocked armory. I'd made thousands of slayer scythes with blue tinges to them to stock the armory. They had the thermal cut wires and a bit of a healing factor amongst other things.

I couldn't make them exactly like the original, but I could give them a bit of power and make them nearly indestructible. I made sure to spell them against mortals who didn't know about the supernatural which would be a big help later no doubt. As for the others, Angel was in LA for good, Xander was on a road trip across America in his car, Cordelia had moved to LA to try her hand at stardom and Buffy was with Willow slaying and deciding her class courses when I arrived.

Oz was off on tour still thanks to songs from the albums skyrocketing on the charts. Devon wasn't half the singer he thought he was so they pretty much had to make it on the albums being slowly released for money by the record company. I was still getting paid for it and I'd had to pay taxes, though I got a massive tax cut for donating ten million to the cancer research and a bunch of youth shelters across California. I got a singular dorm room next to Buffy's thanks to my generous donation to the school and the Dean's cooperation.

Since Xander wasn't coming to college and I'd quit working in construction after high school, I was going to be a full time college student. The extra bed in my room was put side by side with mine and I used the extra room for a bigger desk. I heard Buffy come in and mention her roommate Cathy so I went over with her and met the demon in disguise before ripping her fake face off and banishing her back to her home dimension.

I told Buffy to take what she wants of her stuff and toss the rest. Buffy shrugged and I left a note in Cathy's handwriting for the dorm housing. I suggested she have Willow move in and she asked why not me. I told her I like my space and unless we were sleeping together, I didn't fancy living with anyone else in the same room.

I added. "Besides, Willow's in a loud dorm known for it's parties. Odds are she'll be forced to change or go crazy because she can't study in peace."

Buffy grimaced and I added. "If you're interested though and ready to move past him, I wouldn't mind dating. So long as you're not going to sleep with Xander anyways."

Buffy rolled her eyes saying she wasn't going to sleep with Xander. She agreed to try dating me so I kissed her and smiled. "Good, now go through her stuff so I can dump the rest before the dorm patrol gets here."

She nodded and took what she wanted before I vanished the rest into my ring to dump later. I suggested we head to my room and break it in before calling Willow so she can have time to consider. Buffy agreed enthusiastically and we made great use of the big double bed. She called from my phone while I strummed her body and kissed her shoulder.

She spoke with Willow over the loud noises and told her to come over so she could explain. When she hung up, I pulled her back into bed only for us both to have to get dressed. I spoke with the dorm manager and she spoke with Willow. Willow agreed and I helped smooth things over with the dorm manager thanks to the American way, bribery.

Willow was allowed to move into Buffy's room since her dorm mate left saying just being on campus was so overwhelming basically. We helped Willow move in and Buffy told her that she and I were dating or trying it out seriously anyways. I went patrolling with Buffy that night and we met a guy that was lost. We walked him to the bike path and the next day he was said to have left in the night.

We went and found him the that night as a vampire. It was a trap, but I was ready. The vamps surrounded us and I held up a hand. "So, ready to become ashes dumbasses?"

They looked confused and I intoned. "Solaris Ignis!"

A ball of sunlight appeared and vaporized all of them while Buffy and I closed our eyes. When the spell ended, I kissed her and said. "Welcome to college, it's like high school only more work and more things trying to kill you on campus."

She smiled. "What was that? I thought you wouldn't use magic."

I chuckled. "I can't use magic for you, but I can defend myself if necessary. That was the sunlight spell I made to simulate sunlight and fight vamps in a group. Downside is that my body gets sick with radiation poisoning the more I use it. I'll be fine by tomorrow for a short and small spell, but a big one will kill me, magic be damned."

She asked about herself and I shook my head. "No, you'll be fine. The radiation went all into me. It just means no sex tonight unless you want two headed glowing green babies."

She snorted and said no so I headed to the dorm with her where we parted ways. I did all my work before crashing for the night. The next day I was fine and after classes Buffy and I spent a lot of time focused on having fun and dating. I helped her with her homework when needed and enjoyed picnics when not. The first month of school flew by as we learned more about each other, likes, dislikes and everything.

Some mornings she'd just lay in bed and watch me work out before showering together and heading to classes. I only had Intro to Psych with her because I was taking a whole lot of classes including online classes as well. I did my work usually right after class and sped through it all with finesse. We spent our most recent night out at the Bronze where the Dingoes were playing.

Xander didn't show so things were of the good even though he'd returned to town after having seen forty-nine of the states. He was back in his parent's house living in the basement and paying rent plus car insurance off the college fund I'd given him before. Back to our night out, Parker, a serial bed notch addition type of guy, came over and hit on Buffy.

I told him to piss off and he backed off easily enough, going to another girl. I told Willow and Buffy he was a psych major who used the pleasure principle to talk girls into bed before talking about them behind their backs. I told him he refers to girls like toilet seats only toilet seats don't follow him around afterwards. Buffy was irked and Willow was glad I'd made him leave.

I blew a gesture from my hand his way and we watched him start scratching his junk like crazy. Buffy asked what I did and I grunted. "I gave him most of the non lethal STDs in the book. By the end of the month his prized possession will have rotted off and he'll speak with a high C tone. It's his own fault, after all, he sleeps with toilet seats and he's bound to catch something."

Willow asked. "Isn't that vengeance?"

I shook my head. "I don't believe in vengeance, I believe in karma and he just got screwed by it. Don't worry, by the time a girl sees his favorite part it'll be useless and have a burning itch like nothing else."

They both grimaced and soon Parker was running out to see a doctor while scratching like mad. We helped Oz and the band pack up before a moonlit stroll to my truck where I drove us to the dorm. Buffy joined me in my room for the night where she told me about Harmony being a vampire. I told her we'd worry about it in the morning and lit some candles while Barry Manilow played low on the stereo.

She yelped as she was in a sole er nightgown soon enough and I grabbed the candle wax with honey dust and whip topping. We had a long, slow and sensual night in where l told her I loved her and meant it. I put her hand over my heart and told her. "Faith broke it and time healed it, but please be careful, it's still weak."

She kissed me and told me she loved me too. I sighed and shared my feelings with her with a very temporary spell, feeling hers as way which were hesitant, but there. We made love and I told her not to worry as it was temporary. I told her I wanted her to feel my love for her and understand it was a truth beyond words.

She told me to shut up and keep touching her. I used sex magic and we ended up going at it like bunnies all night. The next morning I'd had to leave for classes and she had to check on the Harmony issue. She found nothing so we went to a party that night, running into Spike and Harmony carrying a drunk college student meant to be their next meal.

I had a drunk frat thrown at me and cursed as I had to roll the two hundred plus dead weight off me. I followed but they were gone and Buffy said they got away. I grunted and she mentioned the gem of Amara. I chuckled and told her to call the others because I knew where they were going.

By the time we arrived, Spike and the others had broken in and he fled while his flunkies were dusted. Harmony barely made it away as my three hellhounds made chew toys of the rest of the vamps. I put away my hellhounds and Giles asked where they went when I put them away. "Where all good things and people go when it's time."

My cryptic answer was enough for him and he asked what they were. "I experimented when I heard hellhounds were an issue last year. I took a dragon egg and added dire wolf bone DNA with magic to manipulate the results. They're my version of a hellhound and absolutely loyal to me. After all, you can't call something a hellhound if it dies easily and can't even breathe fire."

I looked around and shook my head. "They hit the sewers so they could be anywhere by now. Too bad my beasties are too big for some of the sewers or I'd sick them loose on anything without a pulse or that smells like a demon. They have perfect night vision and can see in heat vision with echolocation and a subsonic sensory gland. Basically nothing moving or living can hide from them. Hell, if it smells like anything I give them they'd tear it to shreds or bring it back for treats."

Xander gulped. "What's the treats?"

I held out a hand and a fruit appeared. "Dragon fruits. Ironic, I know, but they've developed a taste for them and they'd tear each other apart for one. Loyal, mean as hell to those they don't know and very protective of those they do know and like."

I turned and left saying Spike was gone and the gem was with Angel so there was no need to freak out. We left and didn't hear from Spike again anytime soon. In the meantime Halloween soon came and with it, Buffy's insistence that we go as the Joker and Harley Quinn. So there I was with body paint and a purple jacket while she had short shorts and a T-shirt that read: Daddy's Lil' Monster.

The baseball bat she carried read: Good Night. As for Oz, he went as God while Willow was Joan of Arc. Xander came as James Bond in a tux and complained when he saw Oz was God. Oz called him a blasphemer and we headed to the party house.

When we arrived, I told them. "Someone activated a summoning ritual and didn't complete it. Reality is warping around here as illusions. Don't leave five feet from me or you'll hallucinate and don't touch anything, it could very well come to life and kill you."

We moved through the house as my green hair turned black with my eyes. Everyone stayed close and I guided us to the attic where we found the others hallucinating all around us. I grabbed the book and told Buffy. "Break the circle and summon the fear demon. It's one inch tall so w simple boot could end all this."

She did so and soon the floor rafters glowed as the demon manifested. When it came out, Xander teased it before Buffy squashed it saying I owed her new shoes. I chuckled and told her I'd buy her a closet full. The kids hallucinating came to and several were found dead in the basement sadly.

The party ended on a sour note, but I didn't waste the costumes and instead ravaged Buffy as she did me. It seems she had a major kink for the crazy or it might just be for me. Either way she definitely kept the outfits because we'd both enjoyed them and fucked like champs after tearing them off each other. We were in a great place as a couple and even a dumbass bar owner serving magic beer couldn't change that.

I'd taken the beer, destroyed his set up and let the three primate level brain trust idiots burn down his bar. I made sure to empty the till and safe while keeping the cavemen restrained and the bartender unconscious as I dragged them out. I left all four of them in a compromising position while unconscious and naked in the back of some stranger's van. I called the cops around sun up and watched as the arson investigation showed the bartender had drained the cash and had his gay lovers burn his bar before celebrating in a stolen vehicle.

I'm sure the Sunnydale cops lives were interesting to say the least. As for the bar, I'd emptied it of top shelf alcohol, letting the rest burn with the bar itself. Buffy was fine with it since I didn't start the fire and they were all assholes. A few weeks later we were at the Bronze with the gang when Giles showed up and joined us in watching Veruca's band play.

I found her presence odd and when Buffy asked if I was drooling, I snorted. "Hardly. I was reading her aura. She's a werewolf like Oz only she's a killer. From the aura she gives off I can she she relishes the hunt and kill. Odds are she makes sure she's near the people she wants dead when the moon kicks in so the wolf will do the rest."

Giles asked. "Dear lord, really?"

I nodded. "What's more she's not taken her eyes off Oz this whole time. She knows he's a wolf and the fact that she's openly watching him like this indicates big trouble."

Willow asked how and I grunted. "If his wolf gets out or she finds his cage they'll mate as wolves tend to do and she'll try to kill you to remove the competition afterwards."

I took off my key ring and told Oz. "Tomorrow you'll change. Use the cage in the cellar of my place. Buffy and I will keep Willow nearby and hunt her wolf form because she's going to want to kill, it's her nature now that she's given in to the wolf."

He asked if that's what he should do and I flicked his forehead. "You're a werewolf, you don't have to be a killer. Give me a couple days with Veruca and I can make a spell to charm a talisman. It should give you control over your wolf side."

Xander asked about Veruca and I grunted. "She'll live, but after I'm done finding the right spell, she'll wish she hadn't. Doing spells on werewolf like creatures is hard and painful due to their dual natures. Once I'm done getting what Oz needs, I'll give her the option of cage or death."

Buffy corrected me saying she'd give her the option. She told me I didn't have to act cold to protect her. I hugged her and told them not to worry about Veruca tonight. The next night Buffy and I saved Professor Walsh without her realizing it.

We took Veruca back to the mansion and I began experiments. I started with a wide variety of spells and narrowed it down fast. It caused Veruca and her wolf untold agony to force her back to human form during her transition. By morning Oz and Buffy asked if I'd any success.

I told him it varied because I needed her to shift or try to tonight. That night, I got damned close and the next morning I held up a bracelet for Oz to see. I told him. "We'll know for sure if she doesn't shift tonight, but the stress may kill her if it fails."

Oz said he'd do it instead so I gave him the bracelet and Buffy gave Veruca her options. She chose cage or so she said, but in reality she chose to try and kill Willow which led to Oz killing her even with the talisman on in a fit of rage. We saved Willow from werewolf Oz and I got rid of Veruca's body. When he came to, I told him that extreme anger and stress seems to be an emotional trigger for the werewolf even outside the full moon.

A bit later we found out he was leaving and I spoke to him, telling him of the monastery in Tibet and suggesting he see Lorne in LA to sing. I told him all about Lorne and that he'd set him on his path. Two weeks of comforting Willow with Buffy later and I took patrol with Xander and Giles so Buffy could take the night off with Willow. I sighed when Buffy told off Professor Walsh, she took Willow and left while I told the stunned Professor. "You know, she's right. For a world renowned professor of Psychology you suck at being human even if you study human behavior. I know, irony must be your middle name."

I left and caught up to Buffy and Willow before splitting up to head to my other classes. Later that night I took Giles and Xander on a hunt where we found and followed some commandos to their underground facility under the Lowell frat house. I made us invisible to them and cameras. We found Maggie Walsh in charge of the military outfit with Riley, Graham and a basically all the Lowell house frats being military.

I had them follow Maggie with me into section 314. There we found her and another doctor working on Adam. When they left, I spoke. "I'm going to use their computer terminal here to hack in and trace all their projects, you two try not to touch anything and warn me if you hear anyone coming."

They agreed and I got to work, taking all they had before finding us a back door access to leave from. We got out just before the alarms could go off. We left and I told them when we made it to Giles's place. "Give me a minute to go over everything. Xander, you find Buffy and Willow, warn them I heard a vampire that sounded like Spike just fled the facility so he may try coming after her next."

After a bit I was in and not happy. I told Giles. "They're into some bad shit Giles. I'm talking planned mass murder and human/demon/cyborg weapons enough to build an army."

I showed him everything and told him what all they clearly had planned. Maggie Walsh wasn't so careful with her backup secure servers and it showed. When Buffy called about a Spike attack on Willow and a dorm blackout fight with the military outfit, I had them come to us. When they showed up with Xander, Giles told them. "It's so much worse than whatever's going on with Spike."

Giles gave a speech after telling them what we'd done and found there. "It seems your professor is even more devious than we first suspected. She has all the military personnel under a strict diet of drug cocktails she calls their vitamins. With the cells and experiments, we've concluded that she intents have all the soldiers become a sort of human/demon/cybernetic super soldier mashup. She even had secret facilities installed in the complex for the final phase of the project 314."

He took off his glasses and sighed. "All the soldiers have behavioral modification chips imbedded into nerve clusters along with the mass production facilities and the deadly drug cocktails lead us to only one logica conclusion. Once she pieces together her first successful monster soldier she's going to make a lot more. Whether she intends to use her newfound army or sell the super soldiers is unclear, but the woman is clearly psychotic."

I told them the soldiers have no clue what she's planning and likely neither do her bosses with how well the full scope of her plans were hidden. I explained how she handled and manipulated them all. We decided to deal with the Initiative the direct way. I brought out a hundred hellhounds, busted down doors and gathered the initiative in one place.

A few had bite marks, but they'd heal. As the initiative finished being gathered, I patted the all red hellhound next to me. It looked at me and turned black as it's scales laid flat. It sniffed and licked my hand as Buffy and the rest came over. The hellhounds parted and made room for them and Buffy told the soldiers everything.

The cameras watched us and I told the scientists to shut up while a lady is talking. The hellhounds near them snapped at them and Buffy continued. When she offered them proof along with the location of the secret lab location, the files on their vitamins the doctors kept and the body of the patchwork man Adam, the soldiers looked to the scientists with anger. She added the behavioral modification chips location implanted in their bodies and told them everything.

When Dr.Walsh asked why, I spoke up. "You're messing with things you know very little about. If you continue you'll get your war only it'll be with every hell dimension out there filled with millions and billions of demons. There are thousands that we know of and trust me, that's a war we wouldn't survive. My beasties are just one of many species including dragons, hellhounds, demonic soldiers, hell gods and many more that could fuck the world into extinction. We can't allow your actions to jeopardize humanity because believe me, the demons know and soon they themselves would've gathered, overwhelmed the entire town and slaughtered every man, woman and child to make you stop."

I stroked a hellhound's face and looked over Riley. "Buffy is the slayer and the slayer is humanity's supernatural nuclear deterrent for war. None of you can do what she does as well as she does and none of you should be playing with these beings like they're idiot beasts. The fact that you think they're mindless animals only proves how dumb and ill equipped to handle your situation that you all are."

I waved a hand and ten hellhounds went away where screams and roars were heard. "They'll clean up your mess, but this is us telling you nicely to shut it down and leave town. There's a reason demons have decided to congregate to this small town and you aren't prepared for it. We're fighting to stem the flow of demons in this area and you're poking holes in our dam while shaking your asses at them to antagonize a war. So fuck off in the kindest sense of the word or we'll stop asking and my personal will start feasting on you before you get this town slaughtered."

Each of the hellhounds growled and snapped before breathing a bit of fire, melting all their shit and catching most of the base on fire. Buffy tossed Riley the files on his men and told them to see a surgeon to fix the damage before the drugs kill them. Xander told them to take that chance and get their chips removed as well. We left them there and all except three hellhounds disappeared once we were outside.

I made them vanish through a portal and Xander asked. "Why'd you send them separately?"

Willow spoke up. "He didn't dumb dumb, the others were illusions, right?"

I nodded. "You're coming along in your magic studies I see. Yes, the others were illusions. I only have three because snatching dragon eggs is more dangerous than swimming in lava and if you get caught, just as painful. I've had to heal my fair share of third degree burns just getting those three just the once. I won't be doing it again."

Soon enough the Initiative left and from what Riley said just before they shipped out, Maggie was locked up in a black site for the rest of her days. They'd found and destroyed the Adam program, all the backups and thoroughly swept the Initiative for any more possible AI backups, finding them all and destroying them. He said the remains were destroyed, the research locked up and the base was filled in with cement. He asked if we had any suggestions and I told him that since they were going to help stem the flow elsewhere, I had something for them.

I gave him a tattoo and told him it would give him the strength and durability to go toe to toe with most demons of vampire strength or lower. I handed him a jug saying. "That's all the magical ink you'll get. When yours heals, have it copied exactly onto your men and warn them to practice their control or they could seriously hurt normal people. It comes with a minor telekinetic boost so if you find yourself floating knives or tossing people around, I recommend meditating and clearing your mind."

He thanked me and I nodded. "Give 'em hell."

He agreed and I told him it'd only kick in after a month so he had between now and then to have it removed if he didn't want it. He happily took the gallon jug of ink and I warned him that he'd need a warlock or witch if he wanted to make more because without magic the ink is poison. He nodded seriously and I warned him to have the witch prove they had magic by conjuring a low level fireball in their hand.

I showed him what it looked like saying. "So long as they have this much power they can bless the ink. I'm sure your people will no doubt run a chemical analysis on the ink to figure out it's mixture. Just be careful. Witches and warlocks can be evil as well and if they are they won't hesitate to poison or kill you all with spells. Magic can kill quicker than a bullet and far more widespread than any nuclear bomb."

He took my heartfelt words and thanked me for caring. Graham did as well while Forrest wasn't so upbeat. He bet he could take me and I snorted as my eyes went black with my hair. Black veins covered my increasingly pale body and I tilted my head. "You could try, but then I'd turn you into fingerprint on the walls. This is what power and dark magic looks like boys. If you see another witch like this the odds are they've given in to their dark impulses and they'd flay you alive while playing with your insides for a laugh."

I turned to Graham and Riley as I changed back. "I however have learned to curb my darker impulses which is why we ran you out of town instead of killing you all."

I looked to Forrest. "Though some of you will never be grateful due to misguided overconfidence and whiny child impulses. The fact is, Buffy and the others saved your lives. I was ready to leave you be and watch you be slaughtered thinking you were in control up until you were in demon stomachs."

They grimaced and thanked Willow who was right there. She said it was no biggie while Buffy was next. She waved them off saying the hellhounds were mine so I did help in a way. Riley flirted with Buffy and asked her out when he was next in the area.

An inhuman growl vibrated from from throat and Buffy told him she was with the surly warlock. I scoffed saying I wasn't surly which only had Graham asking if I'd met me. I scowled and Willow said it was true, that I used to be more upbeat. I huffed and walked away while the army boys left.

Forrest at least lightened up seeing as he wasn't dying anymore and he was even getting a power boost in a month or so. In the meantime I did lighten up as time passed. Soon we were having thanksgiving at Giles's place. I'd caved in all of the old Spanish mission so when the angry spirit came up, I destroyed the curse and dissolved the spirit itself, banishing it.

We had a peaceful thanksgiving except for Spike showing up briefly only to flee when he learned the soldier boys left town. Willow did her 'will it so' spell and things turned wonky until she fixed the spell and apologized. When the Gentlemen came to town, Buffy and I dealt with them because quiet sex wasn't as fun. On the bright side I opened the voice stealing box instead of destroying it so it went into warehouse 2.

Soon an earthquake shook Sunnydale and three demons killed a boy before coming for the word of Valios. Spike was there trying to get me to remove his chip with magic. He learned he could hurt demons and the three Vrall demons were killed, effectively averting another apocalypse. Ethan Rayne came to town and turned Giles into a mucus demon.

Buffy beat him down and we made him reverse his magics before I stripped him of the ability to use magic. He fled town and months passed before Johnathan did his reality distortion spell that made him everyone's ideal man or whatever. His crap didn't fly with me thanks to the runes on me, but after dealing with all that, he did have good advice for some people. Weeks later Buffy and I were at the Lowell house using a bedroom thanks to the party going on.

We were overcome with the need to keep going and we did until Xander and Anya opened the door on us. The next day we heard about Giles's singing at the coffee shop the night before. Buffy said she felt bad and I grunted saying I hadn't noticed much of a difference from when we use sex magics so I didn't feel bad at all. I healed Anya's hand hand Xander asked about his face.

I gave him a cold look and Buffy asked me to let the past go, for her sake. I growled before healing him without a word. Weeks later Oz came back to town sporting the talisman with more and a new calm. He went all wolf when he learned about Willow which she finally told us about.

I told her I'd known she was bisexual the moment I met her evil vamp self. I told her the vampire side is a reflection of the repressed and darkest sides of the human spirit's alter ego. I told her it wasn't evil, just something she hadn't admitted to herself yet so I kept my mouth shut. I told her that she could have whomever she wanted be they make, female or demon so long as it made her happy and she didn't expect me to share Buffy with any guys.

Buffy snorted and slapped my chest before telling her about her own experience in a three way with Faith and I. Buffy hugged Willow and I did as well before Oz found out Willow was bisexual. He didn't react well and I had to knock him out when he turned into a werewolf. Oz left town again and the Dingoes officially broke up as a band.

Willow and Tara were happy and nearing the end of the school year, I tried something with Buffy. We did a mind walk together and met the Spirit of the first slayer. It didn't react well to my presence and tried to mentally kill me, but hey, nobody's perfect. All summer Buffy went hunting after we laid down and every time she returned, she'd have her way with me.