Defintion of Human
Round 1

After the Battle of Graduation

Life went on, even on the Hellmouth. Though it was only yesterday that the mayor had tried to eat the entire graduation class of his high school, only to be blown up in a spectacular explosion that had leveled the entire school.

Today nobody wanted to remember the unnatural eclipse, that had darkened the sky. Nor the really big demon snake, that the mayor had turned into, that had eaten the principal... the only good thing that it had done in the opinion of some. This was Sunnydale, survive and deny.

Xander sighed as he packed the last of his luggage into the trunk. Soon he would be out of here, if only for a short while. He had earned this road trip, a few months away without demons, magic and vampires sounded heavenly after the events of the last few days.

He had already said goodbye to his friends. He had hugged Willow and teased Giles one last time. Now it was time to go and so he settled behind the steering wheel and drove away.

***

Four months later

"Our target: One Alexander LaVelle Harris, born March 21rst 1981 in Sunnydale Hospital, American citizen. No known siblings. A few friends and his parents are drunks. We have already taken care of the parents, they will not do anything or they will lose quite a hefty sum of money. His friends are troublemakers and no one will help them or believe them if they raise the alarm or they talk about his abduction.

"I want to remind you that Mr. Harris is not to be harmed in any way. Currently he is one of only two survivors of oilien contact and we want to find out how he survived unharmed, which means that you have to take him in undamaged our scientists would be rather put out if they have to wait for him to heal just because one of you has lost his temper, understood?"

The group of black clad operatives answered as one "Yes Sir."

"Mr. Harris had been under surveillance since he came into contact with one of our manipulated 'stamina enhancers' in his years of high school. Since then his parents have been paid to put several different substances into his food and drinking water, he survived everything without even getting sick. Four months ago he vanished from Sunnydale without a trace when he went on a proposed extended vacation, which he informed his parents that he intended to spend touring neighboring states. We were unable to locate him for the duration of the trip, three entire months. Our tracking devices failed not long after he left the immediate Sunnydale area.

"One month ago he reappeared in Sunnydale and he has retaken his place in the Harris household and with his circle of friends. Yet the time he has been without surveillance had us worried and added to the fact that he now appears to have a steady girlfriend is even more alarming. If we wait any longer, his girlfriend could be impregnated and we have no idea how the different substances and the oilian DNA have influenced his own DNA. One week ago, we managed to get our hands on the other survivor of oilian contact. He had been under the influence of a fully grown oilian without damage to his body or brain tissue as far as we can ascertain without invasive tests. He is currently securely locked up with the oilian speciem and will be transferred to our testing facilities as soon as his body is weakened enough and he no longer able to fight back.

"So now go and collect our second subject, good luck, Gentlemen."

***

Washington D.C.

"Take a look at this, Scully."

Those were the first words she heard when she entered their office this morning. Then she was handed a file... a rather thick file describing a series of events involving to a high school swim team two years ago.

"I was given this yesterday evening. I don't know by who, honest! It was just there on top of a pile of file that I was checking at home. The Gunmen have already checked it for me. Guess how many members of the swim team are still alive."

She shrugged and waited, she knew he wouldn't be able to wait long with telling her, he was like a little kid in such cases.

"One, Scully. Only one member of the team is still in the land of the living. During the last 18 months every other member of the team has died. Most of them were sudden and gruesome deaths during the first three months. The others slower and due to, according to the coroner, the complete failure of their immune systems. Yet when they were autopsied, there were no reasons found as to why their immune systems failed. And now it looks like somebody is planning to go after the last survivor if the person who left the file for me is to be believed."

She sighed, rubbed her temple.

"When does our flight leave?"

She knew him only too well.

"At six. And pack lightly."

***

The Silo

He was tired, so tired and hungry, not to mention thirsty and dirty. Right now he would kill for a bottle of water. He had no idea how long he had been here now or even where 'here' was. The only thing he did knew was that it was dark, damp and cold and he couldn't get out. And there was this THING. The thing which was now hiding in the belly of the alien ship. The thing that had stolen his body and free will, that had steered him here only to leave him again through his eyes and nose and mouth... Again he hammered at the door, but by now his movements were slow and weak and he doubted that anybody would hear him. And yet he couldn't give up. To give up was to die and he wasn't ready to die.

Not yet.

-oo0oo-

The darkness was thick and heavy filling every corner including a small 7 by 10 window. Once it was his only salvation, his only light, where he had watched Spender walk away leaving him to die. Now the window was blacked out swallowing, absorbing light much as the alien life form did as it entered him. Even now when it left him he was faced once again with the hollow emptiness that the dark offered him.

It seemed like an eternity since Spender had left him here. Left him to die trapped in a silo in the middle of nowhere. Breathing slowly, he once again started talking to himself, 'Concentrate on every breath, inhale and exhale. You're alive, not going to give up, can't give up. Just think of Mulder, and how happy you could make him-now that you can be his living X file. Imagine what tests Scully will put you through just to determine whether we're human or not. Fuck, I don't even know anymore.' Strange as it seemed thinking about being Mulder and Scully's lab rat it was his high point for the day.

He felt along the wall to his right to find the scratches. Scratches he made to try and indicate how many days he'd been trapped. Nothing but guesses really, but one of the few things that helped his sanity. Feeling each ragged scratch he counted six altogether. Six days without food, without water, that he couldn't stop the one question foremost in his mind was he still human? By natural definition he wasn't. By natural definition he should be dead maybe not by Mulder's definition, but by Scully's. She plays by the rules of science. And by natural assessment of what defines a human essentially includes eating, drinking, and breathing. Trying living without breathing------- Especially if one went by the fact that he hadn't eaten, nor had anything to drink in days, and when the oilan took over his body crawling to every opening. It infused each opening slowly traveling studying him, throughout his body through every major organ.

No, the oilian would enter him roughly once a day for what he imaged and hoped was only for an hour or so. He hated thinking that it was possibly longer. But it was so hard to know exactly. After so many days without food never mind water by all rights he should be dead, but that thing would just ooze into his body forcing his conscious mind into a smaller dark prison within his own mind.

Relief would be there once it left, but his fear grew as he acknowledged that it was keeping him alive. For what purpose he didn't know, but surviving and staying, as its plaything for eternity was beyond his scope of acceptability.

-oo0oo-

Scully ignored Mulder's more impolite silence since they arrived at the Harris home, and turned back to Mrs. Harris, "Oh, one more thing Mrs. Harris, if you happen to hear from Alexander could let us know. Here's our number, we just have a couple of questions for him regarding his medical treatment after the swim-team incident."

Mulder couldn't resist staring at Mr. Harris as all his instincts kept flashing red flags until he felt Scully nudge his arm as she passed him on the porch stairs indicting they should leave. "Well, again thank you for your help, Mr. Harris. Mrs. Harris." As Mulder reluctantly followed and nodded as Scully thanked them.

Opening her door Scully asked, "Ok, so what was all that about?" Mulder indicated with a quick movement of his head and smiled, "Not here." Scully looked over and waved as Mrs. Harris stood watching them off as her husband turned and entered the house.

Mulder started the car and drove off.

Mr. Harris approached his wife holding the phone. "Get the fuck in here, where's that card?" Grabbing the card he barely restrained himself when he heard someone on the other end. "You got do something, the fucking FBI were here asking about that brat of ours. No I told you they took him yesterday, with no problems. Listen we're not going to be taking the fucking fall on this. Your end fucked up, we've done everything you asked, if you don't do.... Yeah, ok, ah their names Mulder, Fox Mulder, and Dana Scully, should have been Dana Fox with that red hair---Hey, you're going to take care of this right. Right well see that you do." Mrs. Harris watched her husband hung up the phone muttering about needing a drink. Without thinking she went to get her husband his drink, trying not to think about what had brought the FBI to their home.

-oo0oo-

After leaving the Harris house they rode in silence until they pulled up in front of a store named 'The Magic Box'. Scully looked over the shop then turned toward Mulder, "So are you going to explain to me what happened back there?"

Mulder took a breath, "It was just a feeling. We're not going to get anything from the Harris'. We got to find that boy Scully." Without another word Mulder opened the door, and stood on the curb for a second waiting for her.

Exasperated and curious about what was going through her partner's complex mind; she stepped out of the car and followed her partner into the shop as he opened the door ringing the bell above the door announcing there entrance.

Scully watched as three people were milling around while this one guy who struck a remarkable resemblance to Billy Idol a hard rocker of the eighties; sat back on a bookshelf counter swinging his legs banging the cabinet beneath him as if he was annoyed.

"Spike quit that, or you won't get your package." A red haired girl announced before turning back to clearing off a table full of opened books. Scully turned hiding her smile, and brought her attention back to Mulder. He cleared his throat, before he addressed the girl behind the counter. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for a Rupert Giles. Is he here?"

The girl smiled back, "Mr. Giles will be right back he's just in the stockroom. Is there anything I can help you with?" The blonde girl seemed a bit shy, but friendly.

Mulder smiled back, "No, thank you. We'll wait." He left the counter appearing to browse various items on the shelves.

The back door opened followed by an English accent, "Ah, here you go Ma'am. I believe this will do the trick for you. Just follow the instructions to the letter." The woman, who had been browsing the crystals necklaces, looked up as she was addressed, "Oh, Thank you Mr. Giles. I will. Thank you again for your help." The woman leaned in closer as he passed her the package, and asked in throaty matter, "Are you sure there's nothing else I can do for you? Dinner perhaps?"

Scully watched as the man turned a shade of red running a close second to her hair, and start to fluster about trying to get his someone's attention to help him, but they seemed to enjoy watching him lose his composure. "I..that is..."

Stepping up behind the woman Scully cleared her throat and put on a big smile, "Ahm, excuse me, I was wondering if you could help me?" The woman looked back at her then over at Mr. Giles reaction, and knew she lost his attention for now.

The man threw her a grateful smile, "Yes, yes of course." Turning back to the other woman, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Birch, as you can see now's not really a good time. Please to come back another time if you have any problems with the spell, I'm sure Willow will be more than happy to go over anything with you. Isn't that right Willow?" He turned toward the other red head, who nervously smiled back, "Oh, yeah sure. I can do that any time Mrs. Birch." He politely smiled again, "Now if you'll excuse this young woman has been waiting." Mrs. Birch huffed as she turned and stormed out of the shop.

"Good going Rupes, no wonder you've got such an active social life." The blond man smirked, and the redhead tried to stifle a giggle. Giles glared over at the man, and moved over to the redhead girl. He turned back to the woman waiting for him, "If you'll excuse me for just one moment."

The redhead side stepped before he could grab her, and clasped the blond girl's hand, "Ah, you all set Tara, I think we better go, gotta do that thing, right?" The blond opened her mouth then nodded, "Yeah, that--that---th-thing. Sorry Mr. Giles. We have that thing." The redhead pulled the blond closer into a hug then kissed her cheek as she pulled her out the door yelling quickly behind her, "We'll let Buffy know, about the schedule change. Bye."

He started after them for a moment muttering under his breath about woman. "I hope you don't think that way about all woman?" He looked back at the young woman before him confused for a moment before answering, "Ah no, I'm sorry. What may I help you with?"

Scully smiled at the man she liked his accent, "Mr. Giles, Rupert Giles?"

At her formal address he knew she wasn't here as a customer, standing taller more alert, and very wary, "Yes, what can I do for you?" Scully noticed the change and cringed inside before reaching for her badge, and turning nodding toward her partner, "I'm special Agent Dana Scully, and my partner Mulder I would like to ask you a few questions. About a young man, Alexander Harris, he seems to be missing?"

Giles finally noticed the man walking over and looked at the badge, 'FBI'. Flustered, he gasped out, "Missing? Xander? Good lord, when, what happened?"

Scully's smile softened over the man's response acknowledging that this man cared more for the boy than his own parents did; even the blond who had jumped off the counter, and stood beside the older man in a protective stance. A stance that belied the harsh words he spoke, "How do you know the git's missing? Saw him not even two days ago. Looked right fine stuffing his face with more Twinkies, and a right disgusting sight too."

Mulder came over to stand by Scully and address the man's question, "Not officially missing. We'd just like to find him, and ask a few have some questions about some medical treatments he had a few years ago when he was on his High School swim team. We've checked his family, and at work..." He watched for a reaction, and found the older man pulling his glasses off beginning to polish them calmly. "We talked to his parents, and they mentioned he went on a trip a few months back, and thought maybe he took off again since he broke up with his girlfriend, an Anya Emerson. Mr. Harris' foremen gave us your name. Seems you're listed in case of an emergency. Thought you might be able to shed some light on where he might be-if he did take off."

"Ah, I see that's how you got my name. Yes, Xander left on a road trip a few months ago, but has been back for a while. And yes, he and Anya did break up, but it was mutual with no hard feelings." Giles answered quietly contemplating why the FBI where really involved.

"Do you have a number, or address where we can reach her?" Mulder asked as he studied the tow men.

"No, I'm afraid I don't. She was able to return to a previous job when an opening became available. She jumped at the chance." Giles looked Mulder in the eyes then replaced his glasses.

"Are you sure of his reaction to the break-up-that it was amicable?" Scully inquired.

"Yeah, the git was just fine. They had a good run, but it was more just the physical between them. She was a good bird, and he was happy for her." The blond spouted off.

Giles whispered, "Spike, please." And raised his hand to Spike's shoulder to calm them both down, and was thankful the witches had left.

Mulder turned his attention to the blond and asked, "And your name's, Spike?"

Spike leaned in closer, "Right, Spike, Mr. William Spike Bloody. Bloody with two o's."

"I think got that, and you're a friend of Mr. Harris'?" Mulder continued.

Spike started laughing, "You could say that."

The redhead asked, "And you'd say?"

He looked over at the petite redhead who was full of spirit, not unlike their own redhead. Unable to stop himself from leering in her direction he answered, "I'd say we were roomies for a short time. He helped me when I was in-between places. And don't call 'im Mr. Harris. That's that wanker of a father he's addled with. Xander's nothing like 'im."

Neither Mulder, nor Scully could hide their grins since they had similar sediments concerning the Harris'

"Well I'd like to leave a card. Again we'd just like to question him on some past medical treatments he received." Scully handed over the card to Mr. Giles. Before giving him a bright smile, "We appreciate your time and help. Please call day, or night---" Scully paused looking right at Giles, "---with any information, of course. We'll be in town for a few more days before heading back to Washington."

Scully blushed as she heard the blond snort at her attempt of flirting, but looked back up to see the man smiling with his own blush. Scully smiled, happy to know he wouldn't blame her for the unsettling news about the Harris boy. He reached out to shake her hand as he softy caressed his thumb over her hand "Yes, yes of course, Dana, I mean, Miss Scully. It was a pleasure to meet you as well-even under the circumstances." Turning, and with more formality he shook the other agents hand before he watched them walk out.

"Alright Watcher they're gone. Gonna call the witches back, to find out what happened to the boy?" Spike asked.

"Good lord no. And not Buffy either." Giles announced as he started toward to door and turned the sign indicting that the store was now closed as he bustled around grabbing different ingredients throwing them into a bowl, and lighting candles.

Spike spat out, "Wot, know twinkie boy means more to ya than that."

Giles looked confused stopping what he was doing before he recalled what Spike had just said, "What, of course he does."

"Well, then why? Why the spying, why not calling in the Cavalry for one of your scoobie deals?"

Exasperated Giles looked sternly at the vampire as he lit the ingredients in the bowl, "I had you spying, as you call it just for this reason. I was afraid something might happen to Xander, but medically, not this. Buffy is needed here, and focused on her duty guarding the Hellmouth. With, Willow she'll want to charge in with magic to fix everything, and Tara would follow her. Magic she's not prepared, or strong enough for yet. "

"Yeah what did the poof get into?" Spiked inquired as he watched the smoke spiral up changing colors as it neared the ceiling.

"Nothing more than he does every day try to protect us. Remember what they said about his medical treatment in High School?" Spike nodded before Giles continued, "Xander went undercover when different members of the team started to disappear. Only they didn't disappear, but started to transform into these sea-creatures. It seems the swim coach wanted a winning team and was able to get a hold of this Russian formula to enhance the team."

"Wot he injected them that formula?" Spike asked.

"No not injected, he was more subtle. Had them inhale, and absorb it through stream baths. The medical treatment was after to flush out their systems-those who didn't disappear and turn into those creatures."

Spike whistled, "Red's right boy's a complete demon magnet."

"Be that as it may. I took it upon myself to keep an eye on him and the others for any long-term effects. At first there didn't appear to be any. Then one by one each student died. At first I thought it was Hellmouth related, but four of the team members had moved away. I was informed shortly after Xander left on his road trip that the last boy died. I used a few questionable resources to get a copy of their autopsy. Just like the other boys they could find no medical reason as to why their immune systems failed."

"Oi, you've had all this information and didn't say, or do anything?" Spike gasped at the possible meaning why the Watcher didn't do something.

"Shut Up Spike! I did do something. And there was no sense to say anything to Xander and have him worry. None of the others were abducted. I thought it was more a medical substance for which I didn't have any proof of anything."

"Abducted? Someone abducted Xander?"

Giles frowned as he looked down into the bowl and the location spell he enacted, "Yes, it looks that way. The spell I cast confirms it Xander's alive, but no longer on the Hellmouth."

-oo0oo-

Xander woke slowly to the rhythmic jostling of movement and the clack clack of shoes on linoleum. His eyelids seemed to have doubled since he knew he had raised them but it seemed as if he was looking through a dark curtain to the passing lights above. He tried to remember back, tried to think how he could have gotten here but all he could remember was pain. No memory of what or where he was, just a jumbled lump of pain in his memory.

Looking around, he could see a tall thin woman in a white lab coat to his side. An IV itched on his arm. Two people walked on the other side of him, an amalgam of colors, like green tress and autumn leaves.

Ug, hospitals, he hated hospitals.

Some vamp, or demon, a nastie whatever must have gotten the better of him, though he didn't remember being out on patrol. That must have been where the pain came in. But before he could try and remember more he was in cold air with noise that pounded into his head. It felt like falling, being tossed into the cold, hard wind. Into the pit of darkness.

-oo0oo-

The door was only open for a minute. Bright lights flooded his world and the soft breeze of fresh air surrounded him as the tomb door was opened. Alex tried to make a break through it but living walls pushed him back. He tried scrambling through the legs of soldiers, anything to get into the light and out of this hole but he was weak. He barely noted that they brought something in and dumped it to the side; his whole attention was on that open door.

The soldier holding him back, dragging him back from the door over the rough concrete floor grunted, whooping him across the head before retreating into that blinding light.

Clang.

The door shut hard, a dull church bell of doom.

Alex didn't remember much after that, just a whole lot of yelling and cursing, screams until his throat was horse. He remember banging on the door, scratching at it, hoping that the door didn't catch and that if he pulled just right... he might have a chance.

Unfortunately forever didn't have an end and the door stayed stubbornly closed.

-oo0oo-

Scully turned back from another group, shaking her head at Mulder as they reconvened at the bar. They'd hit every place a 20-something, recovering teen would hang out and still they had no luck. The case had pretty much gone from an investigation into the paranormal into a missing person case.

"Great, Mulder would probably label it an alien abduction." Scully thought to herself. Not that she really minded those, though those type cases left more questions then answers, and of course, those type of cases usually started out as alien abductions, then got... interesting.

"Any luck?" Scully asked over the wailing sound of the Brittany Spears clone on stage. Mulder looked a little too smug for her comfort.

"Nope, not a single person has seen Xander Harris the last 2 days."

"And we're happy about this why?"

Mulder rolled his eyes. "They knew we were coming, they removed the evidence before we got here, at least they think they have. He's only been missing for less then 2 days, which mean we have a chance. They're still cleaning up and we have a chance of getting something still fresh."

"Despite that, Mulder, it means that someone is missing, and knowing your cases, in trouble. We need to touch base with the local authorities and officially file him as missing. Maybe they would also have some other things, put us on the right track."

"Not me, I called it..."

"Huh?"

"I called it. It's not me that's going to inform the local police that Xander Harris has been kidnapped by aliens!" Scully said sarcastically, poking fun at one of Mulder's favorite diagnosis.

"Don't be silly, he wasn't kidnapped by aliens," Mulder said as he exited the club. "He was kidnapped by grays, not aliens. Grays are exhaled earthlings while aliens usually drool and speak in bad Texas accents."

"Bad Texan accents?"

"Yeah, like in..."

There was a load *kthump* off to the right, stopping Mulder in mid sentence. Both the agents had their Sigs out and were making their way cautiously down the ally.

More grunting and thumping could be heard, then growls and a high-pitched voice throwing non-sequitors out amid the thumps.

"Every time a ..." *kthupmp whack* "... bell rings, an Angel... " *Pow pop* "...obeys his Pavlovian conditioning..." *Olf ug,* Grrr, *Pop Thump* "...and sits to brood."

Clapping could be heard then a familure voice. "Brilliant, luv, just brilliant."

"Hey, I don't see you helping."

Mulder and Scully saw a petite blond in a brown leather jacket throw a large man against the wall. As one, the duo raised their guns, pointing to the attacking girl.

"Freeze."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

"Freeze, put your hands up and put down your weapon!" Scully yelled, advancing to go check on her victim.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the British voice said. Scully looked over and could see the blonde Idol twin seated on a stack of crates. "We're the good guys. And that's a bad guy."

Blonde pointed across the ally where big, tall, and ugly was shaking himself out of the stupor. Scully could see his face was distorted, glowing yellow eyes and very large front canine teeth.

Mulder gave a girlie scream before dropping his gun.

"Tha's the way ta' show 'em," blonde said, nearly dropping off his perch laughing.

Scully kept her head and kept screaming at the advancing lug.

"No, this" petite said, "is the way to do it." She pushed her steak through the vampire's heart, causing him to turn to dust feet away from Scully.

Mulder looked up from the ally floor, after having picked up his gun to see the last little bits of dust settle.

"Cool, do that again. I didn't see."

"What was that... that... thing," Scully asked.

"Um, a biker?" The petite blonde said.

"It...He...er...may have been a biker but its also a..."

"Vampire!" Mulder exclaimed as he rushed to the ashes, sifting through them. He tried to grab the wooden stake from Buffy but she moved back from him quicker then Mulder could reach.

"Great, luv, not on'ly do ya' kill a vamp in front of civvies, ya' kill one in front ta' Fibby civvies too."

"Fibby, as in law FBI government agent type people." Buffy exclaimed as she sheathed her stake and walked over to a fallen mace over by a dumpster. "First commandos and now FBI. What next, the Mexican army?"

"Prefer a Canadian Mounties me self. Look right spiffy in those red surges, they do."

"I so don't want to..."

"Excuse me," Scully said, interrupting the blondes' banter, "but Vampires?"

"Sure, Scully, she staked the biker with a wooden stake and he dissolved to dust. I have lots of files on this phenomenon. It's probably one of the main reasons we haven't ever gotten a specimen to study."

"Files, on Vampires? What are you, a Watcher or something?"

"Mulder watches alright..."

"Scully..." Mulder shook his head but jumped back onto the subject rather quickly. "So you kill Vampires? Every night? Is there lots of Vampires in the area? I wonder if they took Alexander Harris."

"Xander?" Quick as lighting, the petite blonde had Mulder in a headlock; his head so far back that his vertebra would snap, instantly killing him. Mulder had a quick moment of panic before relaxing, knowing that the girl was started and obviously knew Mr. Harris. Scully raised her gun, ready to take Buffy out at her first move but Mulder waved his partner off. She wasn't really hurting him, just holding him really tight. "What do you know about Xander?"

"We came here to investigate paranormal activities."

"In English..." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"It is English, oh, right, Blonde." Mulder continued despite the two's protests, "We came to investigate Alexander Harris, the only person to survive experiments by his swim coach in High School. All the rest of the Sunnydale swim team has either disappeared or died of an autoimmune disease. We've been trying to locate Harris and it seems that no one has seen him in 2-days."

"Spike, I thought you were living with him?"

"Nope, whelp kicked me out 'ta there a week ago. After him an' the chit broke up. Said he needed time 'ta think. I've been sleeping in The Magic Box, in 'ta basement. 'Ta Watcher has a spell, keeps out baddies an' the like. They can't see in with magic or techno stuff. Safest place in Sunny hell."

"So Xander's missing! Why didn't anyone tell me!" Buffy exclaimed, letting go of Mulder. Scully stood next to her partner as he straightened his clothing, taking a surreptuous glance to make sure there wasn't much bruising or anything.

"We didn't tell you any thing 'cause the Watcher an' me thought you and Red would go all wonky. The whelp's just getting some texts of Dru's. Stuff I hid from her wos right dangerous, it was. I trust 'ta Watcher with them but not Red. She's like to turn me into a newt or something. O' course it took you 2 days to see that he's gone. A right good mate you are, hump!"

"But Xander, he would tell me..."

"Whot, that he was goin' on a secret mission for me and the Watcher, get some books to track down those Commandos?"

"Commandos?"

"Yeah, we have a bit of a army ant problem. Kidnapped Spike here a while back, did some Pavlovian stuff and now big bad here has no bite."

"Big bad? So you mean Spike here is..."

"...a biker. Good goin', luv, just tell everyone 'm a vamp why don' ya. Make it Spike huntin' season all official like."

"Oh, every day is Spike hunting season," Buffy pressed herself against Spike, using her steak to draw designs under his chin.

"You're a vampire?" Mulder approached the two to get a closer look at Spike. "You don't look like the other vampire. Are all vampires all deformed like that? Is it just him? Or are you different because of the Commando people? Did they change your appearance?"

Mulder reached out to gently run his finger over Spikes eyebrows, tracing down to his cheek, near his mouth. A bolt of electricity ran up Spike's spine. The tough was so soft, so gentle and so curious. He turned into Mulder's enquiring fingers, purring gently.

Mulder yanked his hands back like Spike's skin was burning him. The last person he heard purring, the last person who he'd touched and reacted like that was Alex, Alex Krycek. Unwanted thoughts churned in the investigators mind, thought he desperately wanted to avoid.

That way laid danger.

Switching back to the subject at hand, "commandos? They're doing experiments, on the people here."

"Not quite," Spike said, getting back to business, forcing his mind back to distracting Buffy and the FBI from Xander pursuit. "They been experimenting on 'ta demons in town. Seem 'ta want avoid the humans round here."

Mulder took Scully's elbow, leading her a few feet away, not knowing the Slayer & the Vampire's hearing made no difference to their precaution.

"Scully, sounds like the Consortium *is* here. Maybe they're trying to find a way to harness the demons to fight the grays."

"I don't know, Mulder. I don't trust them, especially that Spike person. A vampire, really, a mixed up Goth with a blood fetish." Scully shook her head, ready to get back on track. "Besides, the consortium are *working* with the grays. Maybe they're trying to learn more about them to eliminate them as a threat."

"Hmm, you could be right. Either way we should look into this. Sounds like they have a permeate base here. Maybe something tangible we can get on them," before Scully could protest, get back to the missing person problem Mulder was calling at the two, trying to get as much information as he could on the commandos and what they were doing.

Buffy mentioned that the commandos were typically seen around the college campus made over-eager Mulder insisted that the duo lead him there.

As the group started to the Campus, where Spike appeared after he escaped from the Commandos. Scully looked over at him, knowing that the bad boy blonde was just that. Bad news and he was hiding something. He was obviously lying about Xander's where about to this Buffy girl. Judging from her reaction to Xander's disappearance, maybe it was good that she and Mulder were investigating the young man's disappearance, rather then the chaotic Buffy.

Trying to catch Mulder's eye, give him a warning about her suspicions made her see that she'd probably be the only one looking for Xander Harris. Mulder's eyes were already cast to other places, dark places of hidden military agendas and old green-eyed enemies.

-oo0oo-

"Hello, anyone there?" Xander asked, his voice echoing in the darkness. He could tell he was in some type of dungeon, a cell. Though it felt somehow larger, different. Almost open air. Of course hearing his echo it may also be a large dungeon. It was so dark he couldn't see a thing, well, almost. He could almost swear he saw something. It wasn't lighted or anything like that, he just knew where it was.

He slowly got on his hands and knees to crawl over to it, wondering if it was some weird magical fire or something. It kind of glowed in this nothingness, like after images of the worksite when he closed his eyes for a second. Getting closer, he revised his opinion of it, or rather, a him.

It looked like a sprawled out body. Xander hesitated for a bit, wondering if it was some demon sleeping, intent on keeping him for a snack. But then when it didn't move, he crawled forward to investigate.

It was a man, a normal human, non-demoney type man, as far as he could tell. He was kind of cold and clammy but not vampire cold. Xander could attest to that. They put a new meaning to room temperature. No, the strange guy was probably cold from sleeping on the concrete and a bit clammy from the sheen of sweat he was covered in. From time to time the guy would shiver and whimper in his sleep, like at the beginnings of a nightmare. He'd move his hands, almost like searching for something.

Xander felt around, trying to see what was around. He discovered a door, of which the man was leaning against. Xander tried it, looking for handles, hinges, anything but only felt slight scoring of metal on the heavy door, other then the ridges, the door seemed featureless.

There was no warning when the strange man woke up, as far as Xander could tell, he was asleep and the next moment clinging to him so tightly that Xander wanted to revise his non-demoney diagnosis and opt for some tentacle demon, like Thra'tars. He was babbling so much that even years of interpreting Willow-speech didn't help.

Of course, when the man started crying, huge wracking sobs, Xander could interpret those quite clearly. That he could under stand, he'd been there himself, stuck in closets where he knew his drunken father wouldn't look, wishing for a shoulder to cry on.

"No problem, mister, I'm not going anywhere."

-oo0oo-

A chill breeze drifted through the trees surrounding UC Sunnydale as Buffy, Spike, Mulder and Scully made their way across the college campus. Buffy shivered, just a little. She had a feeling it had more to do with the Fibbie company than the nocturnal weather. Still reeling from the fact that Xander had gone off without her knowledge, it took every ounce of Buffy's Slayer will-power not to march right over to the Magic Box and demand an explanation from Giles.

She appreciated that he'd been trying to protect her and Willow, but Buffy hated being kept in the dark worse than she hated her Slayer duties breaking into her social life. And what was up with Spike knowing about it and not saying a word? Buffy shook her head as if to clear it. She glanced at the suits, Mulder and Scully, not entirely sure she should or could trust them.

She had an odd feeling, right between her shoulder blades, about working with the FBI. It was the same creepy wiggins she got every time she had to deal with the Initiative.

What she needed now were action, adrenaline, and a nice, ugly baddie or two. See Buffy. See monster. See Buffy kick monster's ass. It was what she needed to keep her focus.

Buffy moved through the trees toward the clearing of where Spike had once been found. "Here it is," she said, indicating with a nod of her blonde head to turf. "According to Spike, this is where he became slug man and crawled out of his cell."

"Easy, love," Spike said, sounding slightly offended.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Spike - not," Buffy said bitingly. "Don't think you're getting off the hook that easy."

"For what? Oh, I see. The Watcher decides to keep your Nancy-boy's duty call all secret and Spike's the fall guy..."

"Can we save the sarcasm for later?" Mulder broke in, stepping over to the side of the fraternity building. He brushed aside tree limbs concealing an imposing pair of slate gray doors. The entrance reminded Mulder of an old bomb shelter and it wouldn't have surprise him one bit if this was government owned property.

"What's down there?" Scully asked, arching a skeptical brow.

Buffy shrugged. "Don't know, never been down there."

"Well, hopefully we can find something about your friend," Mulder said, heaving open one of the heavy doors. "If the government hasn't destroyed all the evidence," he added grimly.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit paranoid, mate?" Spike commented.

"It has been mentioned." Mulder cast a glance over his shoulder at Scully.

"Once or twice," she put in.

Producing a high beam flashlight seemingly from out of thin air, Mulder switched it on and moved forward into the darkness.

*****

In a corner of the dark room, Xander shifted his weight against the featureless door as the man he'd found clung tightly to his body. As his eyes slowly became accustomed to the weird after-image sight he seemed to have inherited, Xander took a good look at the man in his arms, patting him calmly on the shoulder. Though older, the dark-haired man's handsome... 'Handsome?' ...face was streaked with grime from his neck to the tip of his elfin ears. He seemed to be dressed in some light, starched material gown that Xander had been thrust into at some point, though he couldn't remember when...

The stranger's sobs knifed through the darkness.

Xander realized that his simple reassurance of "I'm not going anywhere," had triggered something majority bad in this guy. He was in so much emotional pain that his words didn't make sense; he kept talking about greasy aliens, hazel eyes and red hair, smoking men and back rooms.

Xander had enough good sense left in him to be somewhat embarrassed. "Um, mister? That was sarcasm. Hard to tell with me, I know." Xander offered a brief smile, though he was sure the other man couldn't see it. "Are you all right?"

Wary, maybe even a little afraid, the man pulled back and gave Xander a cautious look. "Have you been here all this time? All along?"

"No. I just got here... I think... I'm just not sure where 'here' is." Xander closed his eyes. Shook his head to clear his mind. He felt more than a little unsteady. So many questions. "Who are you?" he asked.

The after image thing changed then, making the man seem kind of bluish instead of the orange outline thing. Xander could tell the stranger blink, sense his mouth open and close for a second like a fish out of water. "Krycek," he managed to say as if the word was somehow foreign to him.

'At least we're getting somewhere.' Xander nodded. "Krycek," he repeated, feeling a little bit better now that he knew his cellmate's name. "Do you know where we are? Is this some kind of a hospital? Can't be, huh? Because I'm not really getting a hospital vibe here."

The man shifted away, stood up slowly, painfully, and stared at him in the gloom.

"I don't know," Krycek said, his voice a low rasp. "I don't remember anything from before ... before...."

Even as he said it, Xander wondered just how long this poor guy had been kidnapped and kept locked up in this hell hole. Would they both be left to rot here for the rest of their lives? Xander shivered, there in this place, with this man whom he barely knew. Somehow he felt his fear even more keenly than before, and a terrible dread was born within him.

"So there's no way out of here?" Xander asked, his voice taking on a kind of quiet desperation, as if he had surrendered a part of himself. "Do the people..." he started, then paused, wondering if it was really flesh-and-blood humans they were dealing with and not little green men who'd whisked him away to cut him open and do experiments on. "The ones who put us here," he went on. "Do they come in here?"

Krycek grunted and threw his head something in the darkness. Xander could feel it, whatever it was, looming in the middle. It felt like evil, like the hellmouth did whenever someone was doing something to it. The thing in the middle was definitely evil. .

Krycek's green eyes filled with fresh tears and he wiped at them bitterly. Then he took a breath and steadied himself, a grim expression on his face. "Until they get careless, and let their guard down if they come back, there's nothing we can do," he said softly.

"There's something we can do," Xander told him.

One eyebrow raised, Krycek studied him. "What's that? What can we do?"

"Not give up."

-oo0oo-

Round Two