Hope of Humanity

Prologue

I do not own Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Superman,

and or Attack on Titan.

Joss Whedon, D. C. Comics, and Funimation do.

Positive reviews are welcome

Authors note: I have begun watching both renditions of Attack on Titan, from the Anime to the Japanese Live Action film. Both are amazing pieces of work. I have just discovered as of moments ago, that Warner Bros. is in discussion with Funimation and the other companies that own the current rights to the franchise and it seems as if the U.S. may once again be taking a Japanese based product, and making it an American product real soon, just as they have with many other Japanese products such as Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and many more.

Now, that's not to say that America can't tell good stories, re-edited with American material and/or footage, or just plain old rebooting them as they did with the Power Rangers, aka Super Sentai like they did with the new film that just hit theatres, or even with Pacific Rim, but they will never top the original material that came from some of the greatest minds of Japans science fiction writers, producers, and directors from books, television, and film. Let's just hope they have more ethnicity in the film when made as we don't need just English or American characters, it would need more various cultures from all corners of the globe like they did with Pacific Rim, since the idea of the story is that the location of AOT in somewhere in Germany, if I'm not mistaken.

Now this story is an homage to a writer who has given his blessing and after some discussion, I am taking it where I did not originally want it to go, but did nonetheless. With the permission of Fanfiction Writer 'Harbinger of Kaos's' original story titled, 'Man of Steel, World of Marvel', comes an idea of how would the people of the world of AOT react to a man from another world, a man that had the power to save them all?

One last thing, I have also decided to cancel my HP/Star Wars story and make it a HP/AOT story instead, sort of like a reboot in of itself. But, that's only because I couldn't come up with an exact timeline in which to introduce the son of Thor and Hela into the Star Wars mythos, as there were too many complications about what could happen to make the story way too short, but I will be attempting another try at a HP/SW story with a much more clearer and original introduction, which may take some time.

I hope you enjoy reading this as I have had in writing this.

Prologue

Endings and New Beginnings

Location: Sunnydale, California

Directly above a Hell Portal

'So,...this is how it ends?' The young Kryptonian asked himself with an air of finality as he stares down upon the portal that rested somewhere in between the twenty stories of the highrise that he stood upon. Said portal was in fact a gateway to a dimension that can be only described as one of possibly many levels somewhere within Hell itself.

His suit was torn, but the symbol upon his chest, a symbol that he had come to admire, respect, and yes, even cherished as a child, was barely scratched and or damaged, as it shined from the reflection of the blazing brilliance and radiance of the portal to damnation itself down below.

Even as he stood above it upon the highrise, he observed as the portal continued to grow for every second that passed.

"Don't do it." a voice pleaded behind him. Said voice belonged to one of two young women that he considered more important to the world than himself. Young women he would die a hundred times over for.

"Please Xander! Listen to me. We can find another way." The older voice that screamed, belonged to his second eldest female friend. Elizabeth Ann 'Buffy' Summers. Standing at just 5'4, with the weight equivalent of at least 120 lbs. or 55 kg with blond hair and green eyes, Buffy was the very epitome of Buffdom. And her sister, Dawn, beautiful and innocent with just a hint of mischief, with a long, full length head of brown hair, standing at 5'3, with green eyes. He just couldn't bring himself to allow anything further happen to two of his favorite girls as he held within his hand, the fresh vial of stolen blood, a sample he had just taken from Dawn, in which the recent chaos was originally meant for.

He had bent the metal of the highrises side bars around the both of their wrists, so that when he took his leap of faith (so to speak), they could not and would not be able to stop him. No matter how strong Buffy was, even she could not free herself from the metal that entrapped her appendage.

"There is no other way. Funny, I always thought I'd go down with a claw through the chest or a pair of fangs in my neck." he said as he turned back to gaze down upon the portal.

He continues his sad eulogy as he blocks out their anguished pleas, wishing for some way to explain to them the importance of his up and coming death, but knowing any words he spoke would never work. That he had come to terms with what he must do. This was his choice, and if he chose to die so that his 'Family' could live, then he was ok with that.

His heightened sense of hearing revealed to him that some more of his 'Family' was now ascending up the highrise as he could hear the footsteps of the others as they ran through the long fights of stairs in hopes of preventing a tragedy. His eyes flashed as he looked down and through the metal floor platform, easily recognizing and confirming that the ones climbing to stop him, was indeed the others in whom he cared for.

"Wait for us Xander. For Gods sake, wait!" Giles, the man he considered a father, pleaded aloud as he was being followed.

"Please, don't let us be too late! Please, Dear God." Jenny Calendar, a woman he had saved from a terrible fate and had come to love and admire as if she was his true mother, cried out to the sky above.

"Come on Fang! Move it!" screamed Faith, with none of the usual innuendo or sassiness he had to break through to reach the real her.

"Move it Spike, or so help me, I'll rip out your fangs with a rusty pair of pliers." Angel, a Vampire with a soul. Not many Vampires could ever harness his respect like he did, even if they held no love for one another, yelled to his blond haired child ahead of him.

"Oh, shut up you limey ponce. Why am I even doing this?" Spike, a man that he really hated, shot back. Perhaps hated was to shallow of a word. How about, 'Loathed?' Yeah, that sounds about right.

"Xander, you better not be dead, or so help me, I'll find a way to bring you back and then kill you myself!" Cordelia, a woman he both loved and hated for years on end, yelled. Though he could tell that it was out of fear, and not anger.

"Cordelia, calm yourself. I'm sure he is well." Wesley, a man he had come to respect with the small amount of time that he had known him, had spoke to convey some sense of calm as he clearly did not feel if his rapid heartbeat told him anything.

"I swear to God, I am quitting the 'Vision Gig' if he's dead." Doyle, a man he had rescued from certain death.

"Please be ok, Xander. Please Goddess, watch over him." Tara, another one of his rescues. Maybe his last if things proceeded to their inevitable conclusion.

All of this would appear as a dramatic and tragic scene in a movie, except for several key details.

The two women near the man standing on the ledge were restrained by bent metal bars. He had made sure he had at least some degree of control of the strength he possessed when he bent the metal around their said wrists.

The young man, Alexander 'Xander' Lavelle Harris, standing at a now 6'1, with black hair and blue eyes, wore a tattered and torn black bodysuit with a silver 'S' shield on the suits chest area. There were blood stains blending in with the dark, torn material.

And finally, and most importantly, we see below him once again, the portal of mystical energy, violently lashing out as it grew even more.

Xander, as the young man chose to be called, closed his eyes as he contemplated his inevitable demise in order to prevent another. In his right hand, he held the life giving blood needed to close the portal.

He would deliver it, using his body as a shield. He had learned earlier, that a previous attempt ended in failure when the energies vaporized it before reaching the 'Event Horizon'.

'Figures, I learn to control my growing powers now that I'm going to kick the bucket. Damn 'Harris Luck' is still strong'. he thought dryly.

"So I guess this is it..." He spoke softly as he turned one last time to address the women he lashed to the girder, "...Buffy, Dawn, you two take care of one another, now. And remember, I'll be watching from that great big Twinkie Factory in the sky." he ended the last bit with a sad humor that didn't even reach his heart as he nearly choked on his words as a lone tear flowed from one of his eyes and to his cheek, and fell away to the ground below.

"Xander, please!" Dawn pleaded one last time as she sobbed.

"Please, don't do this! I'm begging you, please don't!" Buffy cried out as her friend prepared himself to die in her place, the tears streaming down, only to emphasize the sorrow she wore. "I'm sorry I pushed you away! I'm sorry..."

"I know Buffy," he sadly replies as he softly cups her cheek in one hand and gives a sad smile that just broke her heart even more. "...The world needs you, even more than it needs me. You were right. You were right when you said I was dangerous. Without some degree of control, I hurt people without even intending to, by merely touching them. I hurt you." His tone showing the defeat he felt before giving her a strong, confident look.

"It's time for me to make things right. I left a letter in your bedroom. I know I'm not much for goodbyes, but..."

"Xander...!" he heard Willow's voice as she and the others drew closer.

Having taken his eyes away to look towards the approaching group with his enhanced visual senses, he returned to looking into his personal favorite Slayer and Hero's eyes, "You take care of them for me Buffy. Remember me from time to time."

"Xander, I-I..."

"I know. Goodbye Bu-...Elizabeth. Dawn." Taking a step back before he could force himself to do anything else that would let them try and stop him, and with his final words, he broke the vial on his shield, turned to face the portal, and with his arms out, he fell as the others had finally arrived.

"NNNNOOOOO!" Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Giles, Jenny, and Cordelia, all cried out at once in horror.

Xanders body struck the portal and once more, after his battle with the Hell Goddess Glorificus, did he feel pain.

The energies interacted with the blood he took from Dawn, and slowly, the portal began to shrink and close in on itself, and yet, at the same time, grew more violent in its discharge. He could feel his skin burn and peel away. And yet, it also felt as if it was striking at his very soul.

As all of that was occurring, his mind went through every event throughout his short life in some vain attempt to block out the pain and latch onto his sanity. He found out that it was true, when they say that your life flashes before your very eyes when you die.

Meeting Willow over a mishap with a yellow crayon.

Meeting his brother in all but blood, and the many times he sheltered him from a cruel home life.

The day he met Buffy and his first words to her, "Can I have you?"

The truth behind what truly goes on in the night when the sun falls, and with it, the terrible deed of killing his turned brother in name, had been what cemented his participation in an ongoing war with the Darkness.

And the day it all changed for him, was one fateful Halloween night...

Flashback

He was looking around the costume shop he and the girls found themselves in after being conscripted by the troll that was their Principle. Having bought a plastic M-16 to go with the military fatigues his Uncle used to own was all set.

'Once more, I defy the odds and come out on top with my bargain finding skills.' he thought to himself with mirth as he searched for Willow and Buffy.

He found the two near an 19th Century Gown with a man who worked at the establishment. The way the diminutive Slayer was eyeing the dress and the man whom was sweet talking her, it was a done deal that she was getting that dress.

'I bet my secret stash of Twinkies that it's to impress Deadboy.' You could note the mental dryness in his inner mental voices tone.

He was still a bit peeved at her for coming to his rescue when Larry had him up against the Soda Machine after he made some comments about her and he, Xander, defending her honor.

Deciding to give the girls their space to continue to look around until they finished, his eyes caught onto several costumes that just screamed 'Take Me' to his inner Geek.

Predator, Master Chief, Darth Vader, and many more were there that just tugged at his love for video games and movies. However, none of them ever compared to his love of Comic Books.

There, he found so many characters from both major franchises.

Black suited Spider-Man, Red and Yellow Dare-Devil or maybe D-Man, Green Arrow, Azreal, and...'Whoa, now that's not something you see everyday.' he thought to himself as he spied a Mannequin wearing a Black and Silver Superman Suit.

Being one of the Titles he often read both before and after Jesse's death, he knew it was a perfect replica of the Solar Suit the Man of Steel wore after healing in the Fortress of Solitude, in the aftermath of his battle with Doomsday.

'Man, whoever made this, sure gave it a lot of thought and put in quite an effort in making this.' he thought as he ran a hand over the suits material.

As he did, it brought him back to simpler times, back when he, Willow, and Jesse were still together and were untouched by the darkness that lived and thrived in the shadows of the world.

It was when they were eight at the time, and together, they managed to scrounge up enough money for a trio of costumes. However, what to wear was the question, as they all wanted to go with a similar theme.

It was Jesse and his love of comic books that helped as they decided to go as the three greatest heroes in D.C. Comics: Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman. Willow was a bit reluctant to dress as such an iconic hero, but the two of them easily convinced her otherwise.

Jesse decided to go as the Dark Knight, allowing his brother in all but name and blood, the honor of being the Man of Steel. Jesse's mother took a picture of the three, one of which he kept with all of his other treasures that helped him get through the days when his parents were in one of their drunken tirades.

'Man, those were the days, huh Jesse? Just you, me and Willow, against the world of High School angst, and not blood sucking Vamps or world ending Demons.' he thought forlornly. His reminiscing distracted him in that he did not see someone approach him from behind.

"Can I help you, young man?" A British voice asks suddenly.

"Gah!" The startled young teen let out, jumping a mile in the air and unconsciously releasing his hold on the toy gun, where his foot soon met it on the way down.

'CRACK!'

"Ah man..." Xander dismally spoke as he lifted up his foot, bent down, and picked up the now obviously broken toy weapon, "...and that was the last one too."

"Oh dear, I am terribly sorry, Mr. uh..."

"Harris, Xander Harris." the boy muttered as he held the toy fondly.

"Right, I'm deeply sorry Mr. Harris." The gentleman spoke with what seemed to be true regret.

With a sigh, the young man turned to him, seeing the British shop owner holding out a hand and grasping it, shaking it as it were, "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

'Real smooth Xander. I can just feel my masculinity shrivel.'

"No, no, I should have made my presence felt sooner. Ethan Rayne, at your service my good sir. I am the owner of this fine establishment." The now identified man said with a disarming smile as he returned the shake before both men release one anothers hands and stepped back.

"As I said, Xander Harris, renewed customer, once again." the teen replied sheepishly.

"Pleasure. Now then, how may I make up for my transgression?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any more toy rifles, would you?"

"Sadly no,..." the older man spoke before eyeing the Superman costume, "...but, perhaps I can help you with something else. This costume perhaps."

"What? There is no way I can afford this." Xander squeaked, despite how his inner geek thought differently his hands waving despite wanting to touch the suit again.

"It's no bother..." Ethan spoke as he faced the costume, "...in fact, you'd be doing me a favor since no one seems to like this one, something about the original being better." placing a hand on his hip and scratching the back of his head to add to the dramatics.

"I guess people like the classics more,...still, I don't see why. It is a great costume. You sure you want me to use this?" Xander naturally asked as the suit seemed like high quality from what his eyes could make out.

"Of course, my young friend, it would be a waste to have to have this suit left to rot in a dingy box. And, you look like a man who can appreciate the value in it."

"Well,..." Xander replied, not wanting to brag, "...you've got a point. I'll take it!" he said with some satisfaction, that he could have a great costume and relive a happy moment of his childhood.

"Excellent. I assure you, that this is a deal you won't regret and will leave a most...interesting impression."

End Flashback

And it did indeed do just that. For just one night, he had become one of the greatest Heroes of the D.C. Comics Universe, though not at full power, given the nature of his costume and the period it was involved in.

He didn't lift cars, or fly through the air. Superman was recuperating after his battle with Doomsday, and wore the suit when the Cyborg Superman, alias Hank Henshaw, and Mongul attacked. Even with those limitations, he was told that the Man of Steel who had inhabited his body that night, still acted the hero by protecting the depowered Slayer and Cordelia.

When Giles finally disrupted the spell everyone involved was under, everything returned to normal,...or so it appeared at first.

The young man had indeed returned home that night and fell asleep exhausted. He was unaware that his body had been irrevocably altered on the genetic level. He had seized to be an average human and became a full bloodied Kryptonian.

The change did not end there as he recalled every moment of Kal-El/Clark Kents life. Every struggle, every battle. All of his losses and triumphs. Xander at first thought he was remembering some issues...but that thought was soon discarded when he saw moments that never made it into the comics.

Birthdays and Christmas's with John and Martha Kent. The first Wedding Anniversary with his wife. Talks about adopting a child or ways for them to conceive a child. This was more than the remembrance of days gone by,...this was the life of a man who carried a great burden and power upon his shoulders each day and used his fantastic powers to help those many would deem inferior.

When he awoke the next day, he found himself stunned into silence by what his mind showed him while he slept. He felt dirty somehow. As if he had intruded on something that was not for his eyes.

Life continued, and three weeks after the event, he began to notice something happening to him. He felt stronger and started to see changes in his body, muscles where he did not have any before and an increase in height. Anyone else would have written this off as an effect of a late growth spurt taking effect...but Xander Harris was not just anybody and Sunnydale wasn't just an ordinary town.

He had suspected that the recent Halloween had left him something more so as he set about testing himself. He would lift weights and see if there was any increase in strength beyond the norm. He was soon proven correct as the more time he spent in the sun, the better he felt. He found his skin was slightly harder to pierce and his healing rate was faster than before.

He had debated the Pro's and Con's of keeping this a secret from the others. On the one hand, he could do some good now and help in the fight. He would no longer have to worry about being seen as useless or have them worry about him, Sure, Magic is one of Supermans major weaknesses, but he would just have to be careful when facing off against the Supernatural.

On the other hand, Buffy may attack him since she was very much of the mentality of 'Shoot first and let God sort out the mess later'. She had not given any signs that she knew he was changing or having already changed in so many ways so far, so maybe aliens didn't register in her senses...yet.

Then he debated if keeping the lie would end up biting him in the ass. His luck was never that good as anyone was aware of his dating history, would be aware of that little gem as well as how he reacted to Magic.

In the end, the potential 'Good' outweighed the Potential 'Bad', or at least, that's what he thought at the time. Such as when he used his new abilities had helped deal with the Terakans. When bug guy showed his true colors, he just grabbed Cordy and busted through the back door and ran. Not at Superspeed, but fast enough that the maggots and whatever else he was made of, couldn't catch up.

She of course, wanted to know how he pulled that off, but he lied through his teeth to make her believe he owed it all to the many nights of running for his life and a new training regimen he put himself through. Which wasn't entirely a lie, he did go out on patrols to test himself against the local nightlife, but still had yet to find a way to fully control his strength in combat.

She was 'Slightly' nicer to him after that, but nothing worth writing home about...which begged the question, just how n the hell did they end up dating later. His changing appearance spared her the scorn of her 'Cordettes', but his friendship with Willow was on Rocky shores once the news came out.

Then it all went to Hell when Buffy and Angel became intimate,...much to his eternal disgust, seeing as she was still a minor, and he was a walking, talking corpse. The result of this impromptu night of passion was the return of Angelus. Add the return of a powerful 'Demon' called 'The Judge', that no human weapon could harm, and you had a potential Apocalypse in hand.

They all thought up as many ideas a they could since this was a situation that required a good plan, seeing as the Judge took out a Slayer and an army before getting drunk and hacked up.

He voiced that maybe a modern day weapon could do the trick since so many are made from machines now a days. Giles agreed and soon, he along with Oz and Cordelia went to the local Army Base and...liberated a rocket launcher. Figuring that Sunnydale Mall would be a likely target to power up the Demon, they headed there.

Now facing his inevitable end, he thought that honesty would have been the better idea than secrecy. It would have saved him plenty of pain and anguish that came later on.

Flashback

People were screaming in anguish as the Judge released a yellow bolt of energy from his hands and began to burn away the humanity in the shoppers. Buffy called him out, getting the Demons attention before she aimed and fired the weapon.

The Judge did not seem to care what it was, and with mild annoyance, grabbed the oncoming explosive from the air with a single gloved hand.

"FOOLISH LITTLE SLAYER! I CANNOT BE DEFEATED WITH MERE TRINKETS!", it bellowed, before returning the missile to the stunned Slayer.

At that moment, Xander acted. He forgot about keeping secrets and what consequences may come from revealing them as he ran to her. Everyone watched as he for one moment was standing elsewhere, and the next, blurred before appearing next to Buffy. He grabbed her as gently as possible and threw her at Giles.

"Ooof!" the man let out as the blond Slayer flew into his arms as both collided with the floor. Both watched from where they fell as the missile landed at the feet of the young man.

Xander grimaced as it hit the floor in front of him, 'This is so going to hurt!'

This was followed up a massive explosion as Willow and Cordelia screamed his name in horror as they watched his body be flung into a clothing store.

"Hahaha! Well, he always did want to leave an impression." Angelus mocked as he always hated how Angel allowed himself to be bullied by the boy in order to save the Slayer.

"Oi! Time to feed the blue boy..." Spike ordered as he spied the shell shocked Scooby's, "...that Slayer looks mighty tasty don't you think?"

"INDEED SHE DOES...BURN HUMANS!" the blue skinned Demon cried out as he prepared to once more unleash his power onto the humans.

However, before it could go further, the Judge was suddenly slammed into a support column by something powerful.

Everyone gaped as they saw none other than Xander Harris looking very much alive. His shirt and pants torn and blackened by the explosion. Some cuts bled through, showing that he did incur some damage since he did not share the full level of invulnerability that the Man of Steel held.

From the expression on his face, the young Kryptonian was furious as should anyone look a bit closer, could swear his eyes began to alter themselves from their natural shade of blue to red as he stood his ground before the fallen Demon. He then charged the creature and picked it up by the waist and threw him at the Master Vampires. The three members of the Scourge managed to get out of the way of the Demon and moved as the person they thought to be the weak link, charged again.

The Judge met the charge head on with equal fury as soon as it could right itself and both got caught in a battle of wills as one tried to overpower the other.

"WHY...DO YOU NOT...RRRGGGHHHH...BURN!?" the creature growled.

"Like...I'd tell...you, you...freak!" Xander grunted as he pushed the creature back.

"What the bloody Hell? How is he doing this?" Spike demanded, this same question on everyones mind as they saw the struggle.

"I don't care how!" Angelus snarled as he watched the plan falter, "...kill the rest!" the Vampire ordered as he ran at Buffy.

Seeing this broke the surprise they had at watching their companion go toe to toe with the Judge, and missed on Xander who gritted his teeth in anger.

"YOU SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION, HUMAN." the Demon spoke as he headbutted the superpowered teen with enough force that he broke his nose. The Teen of Steel back stepped from the force of the blow before taking a right hook to the jaw that left him stunned for a minute.

Of course, Xander would retaliate by taking body shots the creature felt. From the look on the Judges face, it was not used to feeling pain. Yet still, despite his strength being on a level that could inflict pain, Xander knew he was nowhere near strong enough to be more than a nuisance. Add in the fact that he was being hurt by the creatures blows, and he was not going anywhere fast.

Unfortunately, the Judge had had enough of the being hurting him and impeding his goals, grabbed the teen by the neck and slammed him down hard enough that the floor cracked.

"I WILL FEAST ON YOUR FLESH, CREATURE! BUT NOT BEFORE I BURN EVERY TRACE OF HUMANITY IN YOUR COMPANIONS, STARTING WITH THE TWO WOMEN WHO CRIED OUT YOUR NAME."

That was the last thing it ever got to say. Xander had learned to tolerate much in his life, but the one thing he never stood for was anyone threatening Willow, Buffy,...or Cordelia. He glared at the monster until he saw red...literally as from his eyes, a focused blast of heat vision engulfed the head of the Judge.

"DIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The enraged young Kryptonian cried out, drawing all attention to him as the beams of searing energy killed the Demon, a feat that no human had ever even managed.

"Spike...Miss Edith says it's time to go, now!" Drusilla cried out in fear form witnessing the display of power.

"Right luv,...time to go!" he yelled back as the two quickly left.

Angelus was furious at what just happened, not only had he lost a powerful ally, but the Slayers weakest link just stepped up.

"This isn't over!" He cried out in anger as he two retreated and disappeared before anyone could stop him.

After the battle was done, the Scoobys all turned to face Xander, his eyes still very much glowing red as he decided to incinerate the body of the Judge, despite this being his first use of the iconic heat vision. After that, once he managed to quell his anger and closed his eyes to focus, feeling the fire die down until it was a mere echo behind his eyelids, he opened them once more and turned to face his friends, and with their querying expression, he could tell that there were questions to be asked.

End Flashback

True enough, they returned to the library to mend their wounds and the Slayer immediately pounced on him, demanding to know how he survived and killed the Judge. He explained as clearly and calmly as he could about Halloweens after effects and how he took it upon himself to use his abilities to help in the fight.

The group was not happy...or more to the point, Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia, were not happy. Willow was very disappointed in that he had lied to her and worried he bit off more than he could chew. Buffy was in full Slayer mode, demanding they find some way to fix him so he can leave the fighting to the professionals. Cordelia was pissed because he kept such a big secret from her, though in all fairness, he did deserve that one.

Giles was naturally worried for him. He understood where the young man was coming from since 'Magic', especially Chaos Magic, was not to be taken lightly. Oz just tried to calm Willow, who was now thinking of ways to change him back.

He allowed Giles to see if it was reversible...only to learn, much to their horror, that it was not since he was fundamentally altered on a genetic level. Buffy then went as far as forbidding him from getting involved while demanding that they block his powers.

He argued that they had no right to dictate his life to him, and that what he did with these powers was his business, that he would continue to use them to fight the Demons and Vampires, especially now that Angelus was free alongside Spike and Drusilla.

That finally let the anger and grief Buffy was feeling come out in full force as she said that Angelus was her problem, not his. He countered this by reminding her that lives were on the line and that they needed to stop him before he gained a power base,...sadly, he was ignored by the two women.

The following days weren't any better. Willow and Buffy had given him the cold shoulder and Cordelia was still miffed. Giles was too busy looking for any and all records on and pertaining to Angelus, if they were to have any hope on fighting the cunning Vampire.

Surprisingly, Jenny (or Janna Kalderash as she was really called), approached him, having revealed the nature of her true and secret mission to them. It was only natural that the girls and Giles would feel betrayed. Xander on the other hand, felt it was necessary in order to keep an evil contained, even if the others weren't in an understanding mood.

Jenny was something Xander looked to as a confidant as he explained how it all went down. She then asked if he had all of the powers and he answered that so far, he had enough strength and speed to make him a substantial threat, not to forget the heat vision.

She gave him a smirk when she asked if he had used his X-Ray Vision to peep in on the girls locker room...or on her. This strangely enough brought a memory of Lana Lang asking Clark Kent the same question. He of course said that she would be the first to know if he did.

He had continued patrolling, despite the many protests of Buffy. Quite frankly, someone had to pick up the slack since she was too immersed in her depression to do nothing more than mope.

It was thanks to that, that he managed to save Jenny since she had been working on returning Angels soul. Somehow, the Vampire caught wind of this and stalked her at the school. It was at this time that his 'Super Hearing' kicked in as he caught her cries for help.

Flashback

Xander was currently dealing with a pair of Polgara Demons whom were out for a snack. He had started to practice his 'Heat Vision' on them when suddenly...

"HELP!"

'Miss Calender?' Xander wondered as he paled when he recognized the next voice.

"I love it when you meat sacks run in terror..."

"Angelus!" he growled as he struck the last demon with a backhand with such power, that its head flew off due to the force of the blow. He wasted no more time as he sped off in a blur, running as fast as he could. His clothes were ripping because of the force with which he ran, but that was the least of his concerns as he smashed through the doors of the school.

"Miss Calendar! Where are you?" he hollered.

"Xander, help!" she cried out.

He wished he had X-Ray Vision right now, but made due with his Hearing in order to pin point her location.

He soon found her in the Biology Lab,...Angelus with a scalpel to her neck.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our very own resident Superman." the Master Vampire mocked.

"Let her go Deadboy!" the Teen of Steel demanded through grit teeth.

"You know, me and that wimp Angel do have some things in common,...we both hate that fucking name."

"Let her go before I finish what I started at the mall and throw an impromptu Barbecue."

"Aw, isn't that nice..." the formal ally said with disdain, "...the white knight thinks he can save the damsel. Maybe she'll pop your cherry as a reward now that your bitch is about to dump your sorry ass, can't say she wouldn't be worth it." He then rubbed the wound even deeper as he proceeded to lick the side of Jenny's neck, making her recoil, despite the blade pressed against her neck.

"Let. Her. Go. Now!" he demanded while his eyes began to glow red.

"Just kill him, Xander. Forget about me." she hissed.

"Well, looks like someone has a death wish..." the Vampire sneered, "...let's oblige her." the monster then rammed the scalpel into her stomach.

"NO!" Xander screamed as he ran to her jut as she fell and the Vampire fleeing. Just as he caught her, Xander fired a burst of Heat Vision at the retreating fiend, but the Vampire managed to escape unharmed. Drawing on whatever knowledge he had from Superman, he took out the knife slowly, dropped it on the floor, and tore off a piece of his shirt.

Pressing it against the wound, Xander spoke, "Keep Pressure on it. I'll get you to a Hospital!" He then gathered her hands and had her press the cloth against the wound as he then gathered her into his arms Bridal Style and sped out of the room and then the school, trying desperately not to hurt her even worse.

End Flashback

He had gotten to a Hospital in time, but still the fact remained that the situation had gotten out of hand. He had contacted Giles after calming down since he'd destroyed two payphones in his anger.

The Librarian was overcome with worry and anger at learning that his romantic interest was wounded. He came as soon as he could, but it seemed he had company since Buffy and Willow were with him.

They were still not happy with him as he refused to surrender his abilities, the same abilities that helped him rescue them against the Judge and now Jenny as well. They became less happy when he told them it was open season on Angelus.

Buffy was livid when he spoke of killing him. She had the audacity to at his actually punch him...which she soon regretted as her hand broke, for even though she was empowered Supernaturally, she didn't have the same effect as Demons and Vampires, who were fully Mystical in Nature, much less stronger than her in some cases.

Xander did not mean for her to hurt herself, but the glare he received was enough to tell him he was not wanted there, it hurt even worse because Willow also looked at him with a mixture of fear and anger.

Things finally came to a head as Acathla was discovered and with it, came the death of Kendra, the second Slayer to be called. The beating of Willow, Jenny, and Cordelia, Giles torture, and finally, the final battle between Angelus and Buffy.

He had arrived at the Mansion and made sure Giles was safely in the Hospital where he learned that Jenny had re-enacted the ensoulment ritual. However, Giles had told him that should the sword that held the Demon at bay be removed, only the blood of the one who removed it would seal it shut, taking the summoner as well.

He returned just in time to see Buffy falter while Angel asked what was going on, and the portal grew in size. A choice had to be made, one life for billions, and Buffy was biased, so it fell to him to both save the world and...lose his family.

There was no great fanfare. He simply crashed through the glass doors, took the sword, and rammed it straight through Angel. He looked him straight in the eyes of the cursed Vampire and apologized deeply as he pushed him into the portal. His heart went out to Buffy as she screamed Angels name.

He did not look back as he left as quick as he came. He simply went home, packed a bag, grabbed as much money that was in the house, and left. He would not be welcomed again, and the next time they saw him, there would only be scorn in their eyes for what he had done.

He had gone to L.A. at first, only approaching Sunnydale to check up on them whether they cared or not. His name was taboo around Buffy, but Jenny refused to pander her as she understood what had to be done for the world to survive.

Giles had tried to defend Xanders actions as he too saw the logic in Xanders reasoning, but the girl was not about to forgive him any time soon. Willow seemed reluctant to support his self-exile, but she also did not approve of the way things went down. Cordelia seemed to miss him, but not enough for him to return.

All in all, he had been one big mess at that point in time, worse yet, his powers continued to grow as he absorbed more sunlight. He was now at half of Supermans power level, and exhibited the other fields of visions and senses.

Hearing so may cries for help, nearly drove him over the edge, and what's worse, he could never be there for all of them or make sure he did not hurt any one accidentally. In the comics, Superman had the Fortress of Solitude, years of training, and many people to help him gain control. Here, he had to rely on sheer luck.

He knew Superman had mental blocks to control most of his abilities in combat, but frankly, he did not have the discipline, nor the patience to apply them all. He mostly concentrated on not hurting anyone by just going out to walk.

It also didn't help that he had every baddy looking for him in order to make him their minion, especially a group of evil 'Lawyers' from a firm called Wolfram and Hart, who somehow knew who he was and what he could do. A firm that often enough tried on many occasions, attempted to brainwash him or bind him to their will. The thing about brainwashing, was that it depended on the targets willpower. He ran only as fast as he could after demolishing their main Headquarters, and since range was a key factor, he made sure to stay as far away from any Wolfram and Hart stooges as much as possible.

He was just glad they hadn't tried to summon Doomsday or cloning him with some mystical Xerox machine. He had since learned to circumvent L.A., since they did not operate in Sunnyhell, something to do with a client who lived there, or so he heard.

It was on one of the patrols around the Hellmouth that he came upon the newest Slayer, Faith. A girl with a history much like his own, she was on the run from a Vampire that was said to put the Master to shame. Xander dealt with him discreetly before she even knew he and his right hand man, Mr. Trick, were even there.

Angel somehow returned from whatever Hell dimension he was sent to, so he kept watch over him at a distance, thanks to his 'Telescopic Vision'. Buffy was caring for him, but he had to make sure they were dealing with Angel, and not his evil counterpart.

One night, he had to reveal himself as both Buffy and Faith were dealing with a group of Vampires, however one of them was not part of the group, because he had a heartbeat, and he recognized him as the Mayors Deputy. Buffy threw him to Faith, who had a stake ready.

Xander dashed in just as she rammed the stake into his back, causing it to shatter easily while covering the Deputy. Buffy took one look at him, and he saw the hatred in her eyes meant for him, hatred that cut him to the bone. Faith however wanted to know who he was and what the deal was with protecting the guy. Xander simply took the man away, leaving them behind and trying to ignore the sadness he felt or the tears that fell.

According to Alan Finch, the Mayor was really a 100 year old Warlock whom was planning to 'Ascend' for lack of a better term, into full Demonhood. Xander took him to Giles place and was surprised to see Jenny there. Both were relieved to see him, and he allowed himself a moment to be held by them before he left so they could plan for the new threat.

He made a pass at the Dark Slayers motel room to speak to her about what nearly happened, out of some need to talk to someone who wasn't about to shove a dagger in his back.

Flashback

After the third knock, Faith moved towards the door with a dagger at the ready. She slowly opened it an inch, and found it was the same person who had stopped her from killing the guy who had informed them about the Mayor.

She opened it the rest of the way and stepped aside. Xander recognized the tactic as he and the others utilized the same when they found out that Vampires were real.

"Well, if it isn't Superboy. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" with her usual smirk in place.

"Came to check up on you, see how you were doing after that run-in with the Deputy and the suckheads." he answered.

"Awe, and here I thought you came because you liked me." she teased as she flopped down on her bed.

"Trust me, there is nothing I don't like." he teased back as he sat in the chair opposite of her, next to the dining table, sitting where he was facing her with his hands splayed where she could see them and know that he came in peace.

"So, what's the deal with you and 'B'? She looked ready to rip you six ways from Sunday."

With a 'sigh', he replied, "Long story. They tell you about Halloween yet?"

"They don't tell me much of anything involving you, only the Watcher Dude and his honey talk about you and only when she and red aren't around."

That surprised him a bit, "So, Miss C and G-Man hooked up, huh? Good for them."

"Heh, G-Man?" she asked in amusement.

"My pet name for our esteemed, British Gentlemen..." he said with a mock English accent, "...feel free to use it repeatedly in his presence."

"Oh trust me, I will." she giggled devilishly, her fingers dancing with each other and her eye brows wiggling with evil intent.

"Anyway, what happened was some guy Giles knew back in the day, decided to have some fun at our expense. We all dressed up and I just happened to get suckered by the asshole into a Superman costume. Well, he decides to spice things up and I and some others turn into our costumes."

"So, you became the Man of Steel?"

"Didn't peg you for a fan."

"I'm not, but the first two movies were alright."

"Back to the story, nothing happened at first, but after a Couple of days, I notice I'm getting taller and manlier..." he said in a suave tone that earned a 'snort' from her.

"Well, you do look yummy, very yummy." She said with a stare said she did indeed like what she saw.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you just complimented me."

"Hhhmmmm, maybe." she teased again with a lustful tone.

"Right,..." he tried to continue without looking her in the eyes, knowing she was giving him the 'I want to screw your brains out' look, "...Anyway, I do some testing and find out, I'm getting stronger the more time I spend getting a tan. So here's where I am now. Do I tell everyone I am the first and only Kryptonian on the planet, or do I keep it a secret and fight from the shadows? Guess what option I chose?"

"Door number 2?"

"Give the gorgeous lady a prize." he said with a smirk.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that 'You' just complimented me." she said with a smile and batting eye lashes.

"Yes,..." he confirmed with a gulp as he had to loosen his shirt a bit, "...yes I did."

"Okay...I see you're not one for sugarcoating things." she said, though she was surprised that he accepted calling her gorgeous and that she liked it.

"Yeah...well, I was going out with Cordy. We were very honest with each other..." he said as he slumped in the chair, "...is she seeing anyone?"

"Well, Queen C does go out, but I haven't seen her stay with one guy for more than a day, mostly because they take a gander at these.." she emphasized by placing her hands on her breasts shamelessly. He had to avert his eyes as he blushed, not seeing her smirk.

"Is she ok?"

"Well, she definitely has the wicked tongue with some blond bitch who hangs with her group, but I sometimes see her moping from time to time. I think I heard her say your name once."

He gave her a look and for some reason, the way he was looking at her was as if he was trying to see if she was lying about that.

"Are you using your peep vision on me?"

"NO!" he quickly said, his face taking on a darker hued blush.

"Boy, you sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"What?"

"Heh heh, I'm messing with ya,...but honestly, do you have all of his powers? Can you fly?" she asked with a little excitement.

"Little bit." he said, using his index finger and thumb on his right hand. "I try not to since I don't know how to navigate well."

"Care to give a girl a ride? I'll make it worth your wild."

"Wwwweeellllll, ok. But don't blame me if something happens." he replied as he got up and walked to the door. She quickly grabbed a coat before closing the door before turning back to him, slipping her jean coat over her shoulders and straightening it out followed by her hair.

He held out a hand that she grasped as he pulled her to him. She slipped a hand around his waist as he made sure he had a firm grasp on her, "Ready?"

"Hhmmhhmm." she answered as he gently pushed off into the air and allowed his instincts to guide him as they both rose into the night sky.

End Flashback

Faith had enjoyed the short, but exhilarating ride and had indeed tried to reward him, however, he had enough trouble controlling his powers in combat, much less...in 'THAT' situation, so instead, they talked some more for an unknown amount of time until both felt it was time to call it a night. Xander hit the floor, aided by a pillow courtesy of Faith while she slept on the bed.

He found himself visiting her more frequently. He wasn't looking for much except for someone who could understand the loneliness he felt because of his self imposed exile. She in turn, found herself telling him about her life before becoming a Slayer, and the happiness she felt with Diana.

He had helped out against O'Toole and his Zombie Gang, and against the Sisterhood of Jhe. He was slightly wounded by the thing they were trying to bring out of the Hellmouth. He never could remember the name of the demonic creature, not that he cared to. The thing managed to knock him unconscious. He later awoke up to the sound of screaming between Buffy, Willow, and Faith. Giles and Faiths watcher Wesley tried to mediate while Angel and Oz watched. Jenny and Cordelia was near him.

Turned out, Willow wanted to work out some mojo on him and try and change him back. Buffy wanted to beat the hell out of him, and Faith was ready to go Medieval on the both of them.

A small part of him wanted to go back to the way things originally were, but then he realized that after Angelus, he would still be an outcast. He slipped off the table and blasted through the ceilings glass window.

He had taken time to heal as the creature had done a number on him. Thankfully, his Kryptonian Healing had done wonders for him as he flew above the clouds and drank in the suns rays. Of course, this was balanced out by the fact that he had to endure many cries for help, unanswered.

When he returned to Faiths motel a day later, she informed him that they had to blow up the Mayor, since it would take a big blast to kill him. From what he had seen, she was still angry at the Scoobys for threatening her friend, but he just brushed it off.

The time of the 'Ascension Ceremony' came and bodies were piling up, Snyder among them, but that was just the only death that wasn't really going to bother him. An army of Demons ad Vampires under Mayor Wilkins order, came to bathe in innocent blood.

Flashback

Chaos reigned in front of the school as students and teachers alike, fled to safety, and away from the horde of monsters. The Demonic Aberration that was now Wilkins was targeting anything that moved.

The Scoobys were fighting as best as they could as several students were coordinated by the Watchers into fighting the Demons with any and all weapons they had on hand.

The Olvikan that once was Mayor Wilkins would drop down on several people and devour them. Buffy and Faith were killing anything inhuman, but even they could only hold on for so long. They needed to get him into the Library.

Cordelia was helping with the stragglers when she was tackled by a Vampire. She pulled out a cross before staking him, however, that delay cost her.

"MISS CHASE, WHAT A DELICIOUS SURPRISE..." Wilkins said in a twisted mockery of his voice as he lunged at her.

She screamed in terror as he descended on her, with her reflexively bringing up her arms as if to ward him away when a 'Sonic Boom' was heard from above followed by a loud 'thump' with a bit of crackling stone, and then the sound of struggling.

As she opened her eyes and lowered her arms, she was shocked to see the back of a man straining against the Demonic Creature. When he spoke, she knew who it was.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER, YOU UGLY MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Xa-Xander?" she whispered in awe.

"Cordy, where's the bomb?" he asked impatiently.

"In the Library." she answered as she got to her feet.

"Righ...duck." he yelled.

Doing as he told her, she felt the heat of his Heat Vision as it passed over her. She turned slightly and watched as three Demons and five vampires fell victim to his power, all headshots that incinerated them a second after being struck.

Wilkins coiled to full height and though it did not look like it, he was glaring at the young man. "MR. HARRIS, I'M AFRAID THAT THAT WASN'T VERY SMART. YOU SHOULD USE THOSE POWERS TO RULE THESE PEOPLE, NOT PROTECT..." The Demon began, only to receive a blow to his chin from a right hook.

Xander had flown up at high speeds when he struck the Demonic Mayor, "Shut the hell up and bleed, you filthy piece of trash." he yelled as he fired several beams of heat vision upon the creature who roared in pain. The young man then assaulted it with several blows to the head, each one shook the air as they struck.

Wilkins tail whipped to the ground, as he slammed it repeatedly on the Kryptonian. On the Fifth strike, Xander rolled away and fired one last beam to one of the creatures eyes.

As it shrieked and flailed about, Xander shouted, "COME AND GET ME YOU FREAK." he then turned and ran ahead at a normal pace in order for it to follow him, the creatures hubris clouding its mind as it trailed the young Man of Steel.

Xander easily stayed ahead of it before arriving at the Library filled to the brim with Gasoline tanks, fertilizers, and all other manners of homemade bombs.

He knew they wouldn't detonate the bombs until he was out, but he couldn't risk letting Wilkins escape. Said Demon crashed through the doors just as Xanders eyes glowed red.

The Demon took one look at the explosives and at the now smirking Super Powered Teen, and said only two words that would not normally associate with him, "AHH SHIT!"

"I know, right?" Xander replied before igniting the bombs.

End Flashback

He had woken up in the basement, under some rubble, not knowing how much time had passed, but from the look of things, it must have been several days, since most of the damage was cleared away. He first went to his supplies for a fresh set of clothes, and then went in search of Giles or Faith.

He found them both at Giles apartment with Jenny there. The three were extremely happy that he was alive. When asked how long he was out, they replied that three days had passed. They then asked what his intentions were since things seemed to quiet down for the moment. His simple reply was that he needed to get some control over his still growing abilities, and that he needed to do it away from the Hellmouth.

They were not pleased to hear this, but both Giles and Jenny agreed that such power needed to be tamed. Faith was angry and sad to hear he was leaving. He held her gently as he could and told her that he would always be near if she needed him, "Just call me, and I'll come running." he said.

She then told him that she was heading with Cordelia to L.A., to watch her back and expand her horizons from Sunnyhell. Angel was heading the same way after accepting that he just couldn't be near Buffy without hurting her and or the others.

Paying the Vampire a visit, he decided to set the record straight as he pretty much told the ensouled Vampire that he had dropped the ball, Big Time, and that he had a way to go to make up for it. Angel understood the message loud and clear, and thanked him for being there to stop him when his bad side reared it head, and saving the world, even if Buffy couldn't see it that way.

Time passed, and as it did, his memories blurred as he sought out other dark creatures from Vampires, Demons, and more from all over the U.S. And the world as a whole. Using them to test his still growing powers as if they were his very own test dummies.

He occasionally returned to Sunnydale to face any threats when he listened for any danger near his former home from ADAM, to Dracula, and more as he recalled ripping the head off of a Demon Cyborg. He charbroiled the so called King of Vampires that tried to enslave his friends. But it was Glory who had finally done him in, in a manner of speaking. He heard from speaking to Giles about her being a Hell Goddess, bent on killing Dawn, which made her Number 1 on his hit list.

Flashback

He had arrived to see Buffy get beaten by the blond Goddess after wailing on her with a hammer he sensed was Magical in nature.

Her followers were holding back the Scoobys and Angels group, whom he had contacted and told them of the terrible danger the Sunndydale team faced, high on top, Dawn was being held by some Demon with a dagger in hand.

He chose to handle the bigger threat, and so he rushed in and shoulder tackled Glory. Everyone paused as they watched the blurred form of Glory as she flew into and through a brick wall. It was so quiet right then, one could hear a cricket 'chirp'.

"Xander?" Buffy gasped in shock as she like everyone else, saw him wearing the suit that started it all.

The said Goddess stumbled out of the hole in the wall a minute later, of which it was all the time Xander needed to shoot up and take care of the Demon that was currently holding Dawn. He'd already had Buffy in his arms by then as he secured her there with her sister as he bent the railings side bars around their wrists in order to make sure they did not move as he promised to be right back. Before they could protest, he was already moving.

He sped back down the stairs in a blur, just in time to see Glory stumble her way out of the hole she plowed through. She was cradling her arm as she looked at her new foe, "What the...? Are you shitting me?" she gasped in shock.

"What? I needed to look my best if I was going to kick your fat, ugly ass!" he replied with a shrug as he took a fighting stance.

"I will rip our your spine and beat you to death with it." she snarled.

"Come on then, let's dance." said the only Son of Krypton as he waved her on with a 'Bring it' gesture.

Both charged one another and struck hard with a right cross. A thundering explosion was heard and seen by all in and around the entire area. From there, it devolved into a free for all as they rained down blows upon each other. This battle gained the attention of everyone involved as they watched the two Titans of Power destroy one another.

Xander struck with a left-right combo to the body followed by a burst of Heat Vision. The Hell Goddess dodged the beams of heat and thrust the palm of her hand to his chin before delivering a side kick.

She followed through with a knee to the stomach and a left uppercut that knocked him on his backside.

The moment he was on his back, she raised a leg and foot to cave his head in, but he caught and grabbed the foot and gave a hard twist to the right, eliciting a loud 'SNAP' to be heard.

The Hell Goddess cried out in pain as Xander got his second wind as he rose to his feet. With an open opportunity, he charged in in a blur, raining down blow after blow, putting all of his strength behind them. Glorificus reeled as the powerful strikes were shattering her bones and tearing her muscles.

As she could barely stand, let alone defend herself, she could only watch and wait as the Man of Steel stepped back and then quicker than she could move, came forward with a spin and delivered an uppercut of his own to her chin that sent her flying back a bit, only to see him rise over her within the air, and with a double fist attack, knocking her back down and into the ground with a sickening 'CRUNCH'.

Her body was buried within several inches of stone as he hovered and then landed before her, breathing heavily with his hands curled into fists, "W...Who...What are...you?" she demanded through her swollen lips and broken, disfigured face.

"I'm a Son of Krypton, and it's time I fulfilled 'MY' destiny by stopping you, both here and now." and with those words, he raised a foot and stomped on her skull.

With a sickening 'CRUNCH', he crushed the Hell Goddesses head and caved it in before falling to a knee in exhaustion after stepping away from the now deceased body by several feet.

The wounds he had suffered left him tired, but when he felt the energy in the air change, he felt that a portal was opening. He strained his hearing over the noise and heard the 'Key' and the 'Slayer' talk about the need for Slayers blood and a body to close it.

End Flashback

He was brought back to the now as he smiled and accepted his death, just as the portal collapsed in on him. He had no regrets, save the pain his death would cause to his girls, thus ending the life of the worlds first and only Kryptonian. With a single 'flash', the portal was gone, and so was Xander Harris.

The descent from the tower was just as fast as the one the group had done when they rushed to prevent a tragedy, now spurred by the need to see to their fallen friend.

Buffy, having been freed, thanks to the combined effort and aid of Angel and Spike, was the first to cry out as she neared the bottom, "He's not dead! He can't be!" she ran, ignoring all of her aches and pains as she focused on seeing to her friend.

'WHY? WHY DID I HAVE TO DO THIS TO HIM? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! OH GOD, PLEASE BE ALIVE!' she mentally cried out.

The moment they all reached the bottom, they all gazed upon the devastation that Xander and Glory's battle caused as a single cloth flapped in the wind, only it wasn't a cloth, but rather a familiar silver shield or crest. It got hung up on a spike of wood as the wind blew, letting all who could see it and understand, Xander Harris, was gone.

Despite the shield that Buffy plucked it from the broken piece of wood and now held to her chest, crying in the arms of her family, the others searched the area, frantically searching for any signs of a body, but none could be found. The shield was the only thing remaining of Xander, with his blood splattered and slightly singed around the edges. Her cries called all of the others to her position as they shared in her grief.

One week later...

It was with great sadness, that they all gathered to attend the funeral of one Alexander 'Xander' L Harris. It was held at night so that Angel could attend. He owed the man who saved the world, Buffy, and Dawn that much at least.

On the right of the grave were the Scoobys, mourning heavily while on the left was the whole group of Angel Investigations in equal state.

The casket itself was filled with Hawaiin shirts, Twinkies, CD's, pictures, and the tattered 'S' shield that reminded them of the man who gave his all in the fight. Buffy held in her hands the letter that he had left for them all. She and the others had read it many times after that fateful night. She opened it before everyone, and read it out one last time.

'To my Dearest friends and family,...and the Deadboys of course,

If you are reading this, then it means that I finally bought the farm. Personally, I hope I went down doing what I swore on Jessies grave, protecting my loved ones.

I know that after that so memorable Halloween, that a lot changed between us, some good, but mostly bad. In retrospect, I should have been more honest with you all and acted like an adult instead of a kid with a new toy.

Buffy, I know I hurt you when I made the choice of sending Angel into that portal, but I had to make that choice for you. It may seem callous and arrogant of me to presume to know what is best, but I like to think that I spared you the heartache or at least some of it, by doing it myself instead letting you do that to someone you loved.

Dawn, you are real, and never, ever forget that you are more than special. I don't know how I know it, but I do. Look after your big sister for me, and be patient with her, she can be a handful at times, believe me, I know, but she will always be there for you when you need her the most.

Faith, you and I shared so much in common, it was scary. I'd like to think you found a new and better family like I did, and even though I may no longer be around to talk to, that doesn't mean I won't be looking in on you wherever I end up in in this crazy afterlife. Please, protect my family, they can save you, just like they saved me.

Willow, you were right to be angry at me for hiding things from you. We were the best of friends since preschool and we promised to always be honest with each other. I'm sorry I broke our promise. I pray for your happiness with Tara. Heal each others wounds and watch out for each other like we did.

Giles, you were the father I wish I had. I may not have seemed to take you seriously at times, but that doesn't mean I never respected the advice you gave me. You trusted me, that I would use these powers well, and I hope that I proved myself worthy of that trust. I know my girls will always be safe with you around, watching out for them.

Jenny, what can I say? You were the mother I always wanted and yearned to have. Take care of the old man for me, and please, take care of my sisters. I pray you live long for this, that you let me look upon you as a mother, as you look upon me as a son. I love you, mom.

Cordy, I wish words could express how much I enjoyed our time together, both the good, and the bad. I was the outcast, and you were the Queen of the school, yet somehow, we made it work for a while until all of this happened. A part of my heart will always belong to you, and you alone Cor. I love you Cordelia Chase, and that is why I want you to move on with your life and find someone who can love you just as much as I did.

Angel, I will be honest with you and admit that I was jealous of how Buffy fawned over you and angry when she thanked you for saving her at the cave instead of correcting her. But that is in the past, and since I'm worm food now, it doesn't matter really. However, despite all of our conflicts, I still respected you for trying to make up for your past. Look after my girls for me, you can take it as honoring a mans last request. Oh, and kick Spike in the balls for me as well will you.

Well guys and gals, this is it. I guess, I had a lot of regrets and fond memories, but that's behind me for now. I hope after all is said and done, we will all see each other again in that Great Twinkie Factory in the sky. I'll look in on you from time to time, so be careful out there, and kick ass for me.

With all my love,

Alexander 'Xander' Lavelle Harris

Finally, they lowered the casket into the earth. Giles had a Priest who was a close personal friend of his, bless the land while Jenny, Willow, and Tara, placed protective wards over the grave, so that it would never be disturbed and that the tombstone and casket never wore out.

On the tombstone, made of black marble, was an inscription. It read:

'HERE LIES ALEXANDER HARRIS, PROTECTOR OF MAN, MAN OF STEEL. A TRUE HERO AND FRIEND TO ALL. HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO SAVE THE WORLD.

Below the inscription was the crest of the House of El. A bold 'S' that stood out so that those who looked upon it, knew of its meaning.

One by one, they all placed a handful of dirt on it before Giles, Angel, Doyle, and Wesley began to shovel in the dirt. Rupert shed tears all the while, as did the others, as they did this. Each thinking hard of the moments the man made with them.

When all way said and done, they all left for home together and went to the Summers home to speak of him in more memorable moments and vowed to never forget him or his unending courage and determination, and his sacrifice in the fight against evil.

And so, the life of one Xander Harris came to a close.

Or did it?

Outside of Time and Space

If one would define what absolute nothing would look like, most people would find it difficult to describe such terms. However, in this case, it would be a vast expanse of white, no color or sound being heard. Just miles upon miles of absolute emptiness.

However, that changed when in a flash of light, a body simply appeared in it. His torn and bloody black suit stood in contrast with the white of the space he occupied. He just seemed to lie until finally...

"Gasp! Ugh!" he groaned as consciousness slowly came to him, with some effort, despite his muscles protesting, he got on his hands and knees, and slowly but surely stood up. "Where am I?"

"Well, you are not dead, my young friend." Someone spoke behind him, a man by the tone and pitch involved.

He tried to turn, but the aches he felt from his battle with the Hell Goddess were still healing.

"Oh, I apologize for not taking care of those, here..." the unknown man spoke once more and as soon as the last word left his mouth, Xander felt invigorated and healthy once more. He looked at his suit and found it also repaired.

He finally faced the person who spoke to him and healed both his body and repaired his suit, and found himself staring at none other than Morgan Freeman in a white long sleeved shirt, pants, and shoes. Xander gaped for a moment when the man realized the shock in the young lads face and what it meant, "Oh, I'm not him." the being stated, reading the lads surface thoughts as his mind was in a way screaming out the name repeatedly, "This is the last form I took when I presented myself last."

"Wait, if not him, then who...?"

"Who am I? Well Xander,...may I call you Xander?"

"Sure..." the young man replied.

"Well Xander, I have gone by many names and forms from so many cultures in the universe, both human and not, Kami, Yahweh, Rao, Allah,..." the man spoke as the series of names mentioned made the former Sunnydalian grow paler.

"Oh my..."

"God?" he finished for him with a bit of humor, "...yes. That is the name many know me by."

With his eyes rolling in the back of his head, Xander promptly feinted.

"Sigh, I really must learn to hand out a card first before representing myself. At least the other men I introduced myself to were of sterner stuff." The omnipotent being said as he conjured a bed for Xander and a chair to sit on as he waited for his guest to awake.

XANDER WILL RETURN!

Wow, eighteen and a half pages. Whoo, I am beat. Working on this and more new material as well as updates for weeks. Almost complete with my Power Rangers/Pacific Rim next update. Got the HP/Hulk story in progress as promised where that will be a prologue to a triple crossover with RWBY. Let me know what you think. Remember, keep the comments positive. If you don't like, then please, keep it clean or don't review. And remember, the original writer of this and the second chapter to be written was given the blessing of the original author 'Harbinger of Kaos' himself. Until next time.