Birth

AN: Well here's another chapter. Enjoy.



Xander knew from the moment he woke up that morning that he had to hide his new changes from the rest of the gang. Giles probably would see the advantages his new abilities would bring, but the others wouldn't and Giles would eventually weaken and concede to Buffy and Willow. Xander didn't like that. Sure, he didn't like some of his changes, psychopathic behavior being one of them, but he could take the good with the bad. The fact that his changes had downsides comforted Xander, as it meant it wouldn't come and bite him in the ass later on.

His friends as much as he loved them, wouldn't understand. He only needed to sleep four hours a week, he wouldn't be easily outsmarted, and given a little training to get up to Slade's measure of physical fitness, and he wouldn't be weak ever again. No more Tony Harris bullying him, no more going to Salvation Army for clothes, no more jocks making fun of him, and most importantly he could do whatever he wanted to do. College? He was smart enough to get a scholarship. Jobs? He would have his pick of jobs. See the world? Anyplace he wanted to go.

Buffy, no matter how much she denies it, identifies herself by being The Slayer. It made her better than everyone else, it made her important. He couldn't blame her for loving it. He was tasting only a small bit of what he could be and he was loving it. She wouldn't like the idea that a guy, let alone Xander, after some training of course, could beat her without breaking a sweat. Oh, he wasn't being cocky. He knew she was The Slayer, Chosen One, and all that other stuff. But Slade had mastered countless forms of Martial Arts, and a lot of them centered on using your opponent's strength and speed against them. Buffy, whether she admits it or not, is sloppy. She pretty much makes it up as she goes along, and that will fail every time against a good strategy and a skilled opponent.

That weakness seemed to be shared by most demons too. Sloppiness.

They seemed to think that, because you were strong, you didn't need to be smart or learn skills. Those that did use the most basic strategy and Martial Arts, were legendary. Angelus, well known for being a 'skilled' fighter, a 'master' of manipulation, and having a 'gift' psychological warfare. Hah. Killing or threatening someone's family is an extremely basic form of psychological warfare, knowing some tai-chi and tai kwon do, does not make one a skilled fighter, and your talking about a guy whose 'great' repertoire of manipulation extends only to nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nah. Seriously, it's pathetic.

"Enough of that, though. How am I going to make some money?" Xander asked himself. His now impressive mind brought up the fact that many men who were in the army and needed money turned to mercenary work. 'Nah,' Xander thought to himself, 'I may be a certified psychopath now, but I don't think I'm ready to go out and kill some people for money or become a minion for hire.'

His mind started working on a way to gain money with his new skills, unfortunately without working his body up to acceptable conditions, the list was getting short, and most of them were not going to get him money as quickly as he wanted. Computers were out as Slade had died in 1989, and he didn't know anything about computer's other than they could do math. 'Note to self: Ask Ms. Calendar for extra lessons....on computers!' He thought shaking his head as he tried to get rid of the near pornographic image of Ms. Calendar in an indecent business suit that popped up.

'Moving on.' Thought Xander as he checked his mental results again. 'Well let's see. Carpentry? No money to buy the wood. Mechanic work? Nope Uncle Rory owns the only mechanic shop around and he'll be suspicious if I suddenly become a great mechanic when I couldn't change a tire last week. Stealing? Well, with the way the cops are around here, I could pull it off. But what to steal? Cars? Don't know any chop shops. Or I could just hit a pharmacy.'

Xander felt like slapping himself. 'Of course a pharmacy. It could provide plenty of drugs to sell in a trip to L.A., pay for the trip, and get a nice little nest egg for the weapons. No way in hell am I doing anything in Sunnydale without a H&K by my side!' He thought. 'I could make the hit tomorrow and make the trip this weekend. First thing though, I have got to get into shape. It'll take a few weeks to shape up with the regeneration. Damn I wish I had this in boot camp.'

Xander frowned for a moment. It was getting difficult to separate Slade Wilson from Xander Harris. 'But do I really want to?' He wondered to himself. 'Not really.' He shrugged. With that decided he got up and went into the bathroom.

As he got out of the shower, he glanced at himself in the mirror, and froze. 'Shit I forgot about the hair and eyes.' He realized. 'Well, looks like I'll have to stop at that pharmacy sooner than expected. Though not to steal.'

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A few hours later found Xander Harris walking in to the library. With freshly dyed hair, new colored contacts, and an Hawaiian shirt he looked more or less the same as he had the day before. The were some changes as his hair kept trying to spike up and he walked straight-backed and proud, not like his usual slump.

He spent the time waiting for Buffy by annoying G-man { "Really Xander, must you call me by that infernal nickname!"} and trying to see how many times he could get him to clean his glasses. So far, the count was up to eight times in one minute. 'I'm good.' He thought smugly.

When Buffy and Willow finally arrived they talked about their Halloween possessions. Xander assured them he only picked up a basic Infrantry training regimen, as the soldier was only a private. Buffy was a bit better at French and sewing, and Willow kept walking into walls by accident. He decided to tell them he would be going to L.A. for the weekend.

"Huh? Why?" Willow pouted adorably at him. The one with the trembling bottom lip. But unluckily for her, he was determined.

"Sorry Wills but Comicville is this weekend and their showing the first edition of Uncanny X-men. For this I stay for no girl." Xander told her.

"But, this is cookie weekend!" Willow pouted again.

"I know and I'm sorry. But c'mon 1st Edition!" Xander pleaded.

"Okay, but next weekend is cookie weekend." Willow said bring out the Resolve Face.

"Done! Willow you have no idea what this means to me." 'Probably a hundred grand.' Xander thought to himself. 'But you don't know that.'

Buffy who had set back until now chose this time to speak, "Well, see you at school next week, Xander!"

It wasn't until after school that Willow realized something, "Wait, doesn't Comicsville last a week and a half!"


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To say Xander that when he returned was surprised that an old friend of Buffy's had shown up, betrayed her, revealed that he was dieing, and became a vampire, and that Giles had a dark past, had summoned a demon when he was a kid, which possessed Ms. Calendar, then Angel whose own demon killed it ,was an understatement. It was like a soap opera. Though Billy Fordham better be glad that he died quick, because Xander would have made it slow.

The sale was a success and he now had a small armory of weapons stashed in the basement of an old car factory, including a few of his own design. He had bought a personal gym and made a personal gymnastic obstacle course. He was also able to get the materials necessary for the armored suit he had been designing. The idea had come to him when he was at comicville. It was necessary to show up in case Willow asked Jonathon about Comicville and mentioned that he had been going there.

The Idea had had merit and so he had designed one. The cost was that he was, once again, broke. It was worth it though.

It was after the incident with with the Order of Teraka and the revealing of the existence of Kendra, and boy wasn't that a surprise, that he was at an acceptable physical condition and was putting the finishing touches on his armor.

"It's missing something." Xander muttered out loud as he struggled to figure out what was missing. Helmet, voice changer {It had been a bitch to program Slade Wilson's voice into it }, chest piece, lightly armored pants, steel-toed boots {custom-made }, shin guards, gauntlets, reinforced gloves, utility belt, and satchel. What was missing?

Then it hit him. Color. But what colors to use? 'It has to be at least mostly covert,' he mused, 'Black is a given. It's intimidating. Black is the absence of color. Darkness. You can't hurt darkness, it's intangible. But, it needs more color, it can't be all black. Something tough. Something that endures. Something that bends but won't break. What about metal! That's it! Gunmetal gray. Only on certain parts, though. Shoulder pads, neck guard, midriff, the belt, satchel, shin guards, and gauntlets.'

He pondered what the last color. It should be a trademark. Something vibrant, that shows energy, that sticks out. Going along with the metal theme of the suit, he decided copper orange on half the helmet with a wicked looking curve in a black outline around the left eye. 'Perfect.' He thought with a satisfied smile. 'This is going to be kickass. Let's paint this baby!'

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After the Ted the Robot incident, Xander thought of something to tempting to resist. So he snuck back into Ted's house and stole the blueprints of the robot before the police got there. It had been almost too easy. Like a gift from God. 'Or the Devil. Being that God probably doesn't like what I'm doing.' Xander mused.

Once he got back to the old factory, he looked over the blueprints. 'Holy Shit!' he thought, 'This guy was a genius. I'll have to make a few modifications. Make it battle ready and all. This is going to cost me too and I doubt I can rob the pharmacy again without somebody becoming suspicious.'

Xander's mind once again pulled up the mercenary option. He actually considered it this time. The trick was he had to make a name for himself and he still didn't have a 'business name'. Hell, he just now moved into the factory.

As Xander got up to get ready for Buffy's Birthday Party, he turned and looked one more time at the armor. 'Why not the name of the man who made me what I am today?' He thought as he walked out the door.

"Slade." Xander said as though tasting the name. "That's a good name for a mercenary."


END OF CHAPTER

AN: Damn, I didn't know I had that much to write. Like it? Love it? Hate it? REVIEW.