Snippet #2234448

Xander was awaiting the man’s answer, his hand still held out almost though the Reaper would have enough pride to try and go it alone, he could respect that, he knew it was foolish but he still could respect it. However Xander wasn’t intending to let this go. He needed that century to do as he willed. He needed to be able to gather power; again, fact was that Nihilus alone was becoming too powerful, that Clown was outside the realm of predictable control, not to mention the King. He had given up a golden opportunity to slay the Reapers and absorb their power. He knew that they would be the best meals he’d ever had if he had only taken the plunge, however he also doubted that at his level they would give him the power to best both the King and his servants, not in one go like he needed. No, they were worth more to him alive. He needed that Century to gather his strength, and then he’d make his move. He still wondered if he’d made the right decision, maybe he should have considered it for loner, Who am I trying to fool… I knew which side I’d choice the moment this began…

But just when it seemed that Morgan would reply, probably with a less than satisfactory answer, he went pale. The man looked like someone had kicked his puppy or something, but there was a much greater fear there than disbelief. What could make the Reaper of the Void stop so sudden-…Oh… Xander felt it now, that shiver down even his spine, that pressure against his throat like a hand resting there waiting to apply a deadly pressure. He recognized it immediately, he always hated that feeling. Of course he wasn’t a Reaper and he certainly wasn’t a human. While the Reaper was busy catching flies Xander made the very slightest conscious effort to expand his own power and nullify the feeling of “the King’s” hold. Of course he took pleasure in the fact that he felt that in the first place. To Xander it was a Leash being tied to him, a sign that he needed extra measure to control him. A leash I broke with a shrug, hope you’re taking notes your Majesty, pft

“Fine.” Xander glanced back to the Reaper who had finally gotten control of himself, ‘bout time, “You have your deal. It's not like I have much choice...”

Xander had the cheekiest of grins, as usual as he watch the proceedings, “Nope…”, By. The. Balls

“But if you double-cross me...” Void added as he began to fade at his lower extremities. Did he just say that?

Xander jumped on that as he pointedly glared the Reaper down, ”Just who the fuck do you think you’re dealing with, kid?” The fact that this single Reaper dared make such a direct threat, and worse insinuated that Xander would break his word, was frankly infuriating. But He’d let it go, for now, as Void phased, his hand going last as he began to slide through the car, Xander reached out and their middle fingers touched just before he’d finished vanishing. A stinging pain accompanied by a severe burning sensation as black runes emanated from the point of contact, spiraling down and around the finger to the base of the phalange. The hundreds of tiny symbols were the contract, written in the demonic language, complete with all terms and conditions. The black runes faded shortly after, though the tingling remained along with the urge to find and consume other Demons. That was how these things worked, he felt the urge to hunt other demons, like a craving for an odd food, and the Reapers (or at least those capable of noticing their expanded senses) would find a sudden flood of power dropping from their radar.

Looking his finger over and sighed exasperatedly as he glanced out the back window, the Reaper gone. “Well… looks like he’s going to take the easy ones… which leaves me to deal with…grrreat, somehow I feel I just drew the short straw.” he clicked down the blind as Daniel stopped the car, “well, Dan, looks like I’m gonna be working late tonight.”

The man presented a pistol and cocked back the bolt, a silver bullet scribed in runes gleaming in the chamber before he let the slide slam shut, “Need any aid sir?”

Xander had to smile genuinely at the loyalty his human aids always showed, he wondered what brought that out in them, and you say these beings are worthless, King, how little you know… “No, not this time, my friend, this fish is too big. No, you go back to the compound, make sure your family is behind the barrier, I have a feeling I’m not going to be making any friends tonight.” the driver nodded as he put the gun down, the moon roof opening above Xander as he looked up to the blank night sky, [“Oh, and Daniel… if you find the time head on down to the East side, I think Hound found something. He may need a hand if this guy has friends… tell him to take him to take him alive.”[/b]

“Yes sir, oh and sir…” Xander had slid to the middle seat and was looking into the sky like he was doubling checking the wind speed or something but looked back to his driver quizzically, “Good luck sir.”

Again a genuine smile, ”You as well… I’m off.” with that he slowly was clouded away in a white luminescent mist, and while his face and silhouette remained defined he shot into the sky in a stream of light and smoke, vanishing into the clouds. Daniel put the vehicle in drive and hit the call button, directing his wife not to leave the building or let the kids leave either and then turning the car toward the East Side.



Henry Mallory sat in the seventh floor apartment 15 of the down trodden building. The room was dimly lit, with half the lights damaged and the walls covered in a sickly and peeling green with cracked and broken wood paneling from mid wall to the floor. A typical terrible New York Apartment. Mallory sat upon a crushed and stained lounge chair watching the Mets on a crappy TV. Around the room and in the rest of the building were another fifteen men, some in track suits, while those near Mallory in full business wear. Two stood next to the door at any time. And everyone carried the smell of iron and saltpeter on them, guns, lots of them. His guy had called in some major favors. All of this would be simple for Hound to smell and determine which was why Xander hired him for these jobs.

A long black limo pulled up along the road across form the red haired young man. The driver getting out and tossing his hat into the vehicle as he approached, “Mr. Warrick,” he nodded as he stepped up beside the much smaller, yet more dangerous, ‘man’, “Mr. Steale sent me to aid you, says things have changed, we need Mallory alive.” He subconsciously rested his hands on his hips as he looked at the Building Hound was looking at, his hands close to the holster on the small of his back in this position, “What can we expect?” Daniel didn’t know what Hound’s powers were, all he knew was he was a powerful demon like Xander mascaraing as a man, and Daniel was in no mood to fight one of those so he was polite yet casual. And, in the past, very useful, for a human; Xander never kept around refuse, and he’d had Daniel on call for nearly fifteen years, that alone was more than enough of a recommendation for most.



The huge Demon had sent out his minions and burst onto the stage in a flurry of pyrotechnics, played a single note to his own self imagined adoring crowd, and now sat back patting himself on the back, waiting for his groupies to gather some delicious damsels to bring back to his dressing room. It made Xander laugh, and the pride it was does with, oh how enjoyable. He had left the car and vanished, coming down in a pillar outside the church. He’d hidden his aura, not hard in the torrent of power the large winged beast was putting off, well, it wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t’ for the amount of power Xander held himself. As it was there was a fifty-fifty chance he’d been noticed five minutes before when he’d first entered the building. Of course the demon lord was probably watching his hounds play around in his minds ye. Either way Xander felt he’d given the man enough time to ignore him if he was doing so after eight minutes of just sitting there and cleared his throat. A count to three and he began clapping with a huge smile, “Well done!” he stood from the rear pew where he’d sat and stepped down the aisle looking the demon over, “Quite the entrance, though I’m certain it was unnecessary you made such an impression, should have seen Void’s face, priceless.” he stopped halfway up the Aisle and just smiled with venom toward the Arch demon, “Still too proud to dress the part while in this world I see…”