– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

The last two days were officially a new type of Hell, and Xander was being all too literal when he said that.

It wasn't bad enough that he had to give up his glorious freedom to be another unwilling victim of the United States mandatory school system, he also had to find out that not only are vampires real, but so are all other types of monsters and demons and they're all running around his town, free as birds.

On top of that, said town was also built on a literal gate to literal freakin' Hell.

It couldn't even just be an ancient Indian burial ground, Xander thought bitterly, his mind racing faster than his body could manage as he stumbled through the darkened alley. It had to be so much worse. I already had to worry about lead popping up all over the place, who knew what weird Hell energy was doing to my system?

To make matters worse, their only defense against all this was the blonde new girl. Impressive as she was when it came to kicking evil ass, she was all of five feet tall and with a face that wasn't very threatening.

Vampire Slayer Barbie would sell like hotcakes, though, Xander joked, trying to distract himself from the searing pain in his leg and the terror gripping his heart. A pocket-sized superhero, wrapped up in a pretty blonde package.

All of that barely mattered right now, because to make matters somehow even more worse, he was running down the back alley of the Bronze while his new friend Buffy fought off vampires with the help of an old friend and a British librarian in tweed, because another of his old friends seemed dead set on drinking him like a freshly opened Capri-Sun.

"Where you goin', bud?" the voice cackled through the alley, the laugh lacking all of its usual goofiness. "It's me, harmless ol' Jesse. I just wanna talk, man." The fanged monster he once considered a friend chased after him, barely speedwalking as Xander struggled to keep moving despite the pain.

It would have been funny, you know, if he wasn't living it.

Xander panted heavily as he scrambled through the darkness of the alley, the echo of his desperate footsteps swallowed by the ominous shadows. The sharp pain shooting up from his upper thigh, where another vampire had unintentionally clawed him open when he tried to face Jesse inside the Bronze, slowed his pace, leaving red staining his jeans and a trail of glistening blood behind him.

This is bad, this is so bad, Xander's mind screamed, his thoughts jumbled and frantic as he tried to push through the agony. I'm gonna die in this alley, and I never even got to second base with a girl.

He cursed himself for fleeing the relative safety of the under-twenty one club, thoughts racing as panic and adrenaline fueled his shaky legs. "I should've stayed," he muttered under his breath, the fear of the creature that attacked him now overshadowed by the terror of the one now pursuing him.

The shadows seemed to close in around him, the narrow walls of the alley feeling more like a coffin with each passing second. Don't think about coffins! Don't think about graves! Xander's heart pounded in his chest, the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears nearly drowning out the ominous footsteps behind him. How am I not supposed to think about either? They're BOTH vampire related.

"You smell kinda good, bro." Jesse, once a friend, now a nightmarish version of himself as a vampire, taunted Xander with a chilling casualness. "Is that weird of me to say?" His voice, filled with a horrifying hunger, bounced off the graffiti-covered walls.

Xander's response was breathless, his voice filled with both fear and defiance as he clutched for the wooden stake hidden in his jeans. "Very! I'll call it kosher if you leave me alone though," he shot back, managing a weak smile and a shakier laugh.

Come on, Xander, keep it together, he urged himself, trying to steady his breathing and focus through the haze of pain and terror. You've got a weapon, you've got a chance. Just keep him talking, keep him distracted until Buffy can get here.

But even as he tried to convince himself, Xander knew deep down that his chances were slim to none. He was just a regular guy, a high school kid who liked to snark and loved his comic books. He wasn't a superhero, he wasn't a fighter.

He was just... Xander.

The blood loss was starting to take its toll, his vision blurring at the edges as he stumbled forward, his legs feeling more like lead with each step. The world seemed to tilt and spin around him, the shadows dancing at the edges of his vision.

Jesse laughed from behind him, the sound more terrifying than reassuring, as Xander quickened his pace. "No can do, bud." He glanced behind him and shuddered, picking up the pace as once-friendly eyes glinted back at him with open hunger. "A man's gotta eat."

"Yeah, yeah," he gasps, trying to inject some bravado into his voice as he continued to run from his old friend. "You're a growing boy and all that. Didn't figure you could grow anymore considering you're DEAD!" Xander's heart sank, a cold realization settling in the pit of his stomach.

He knew he couldn't outrun Jesse, not in his current state.

But he'd be damned if he was going to go down without a fight.

Come on, Buffy, he silently pleaded, a last desperate hope clinging to his heart. Where are you?

Xander knew it was pointless to hope. He was alone in this alley, alone with the monster that had once been his friend. And as much as he wanted to believe otherwise, he knew that no one was coming to save him.

The alley seemed to stretch on forever, the end nowhere in sight as the shadows kept on closing in, slower than Jesse but terrifying all the same. Xander's breath came in ragged gasps, his lungs burning with each desperate wheeze. He could feel Jesse's presence behind him, and he hoped that was only blood he felt trailing down his leg.

Jesse's footsteps grew closer, the sound echoing through the alley. Xander's heart raced, his pulse pounding in his ears as he tried to push himself to move faster, to escape the inevitable. This can't be happening, he thought, a hysterical laugh bubbling up in his throat. I'm too young to die, too pretty to be vampire chow.

But even as the dark humor flitted through his thoughts, he knew it was a futile attempt to keep the fear at bay. At least cook me first.

Xander's vision swam with that last joke as he laughed out loud to himself again, the blood loss and exertion hitting him even harder. He stumbled, his foot catching on an uneven patch of asphalt, and he nearly went down. Somehow, through sheer force of will, he managed to stay on his feet, to keep moving forward. He pulled the stake from his back pocket and gripped it in his hand as tight as he could manage.

Just a little further, he told himself even as his knuckles turned white around the wooden weapon, though he knew it was a lie. Just a little further, and maybe Buffy will find me. Maybe she'll save me.

Without warning, Jesse appeared in front of Xander with a sudden burst of vampiric speed, nearly blurring in Xander's swimming eyes as he let out a cackling laugh. The friend turned freak grabbed him by the jacket with one hand and raised him in the air, Xander's legs kicking wildly as he let out a frightened yelp.

Still laughing, Jesse slammed his friend against a cold brick wall, the impact sending a shockwave of pain through Xander's already battered body.

"Ooooh, is that O-Negative?" Jesse cackled, smiling at Xander hungry as his face shifted, his brown eyes glowing a sickly yellow. "Why am I asking? You don't know."

This can't be happening, Xander thought, his mind reeling as he stared into the face of the creature that had once been his best friend. Jesse's face was monstrous, brow ridged, features distorted and mouth twisted by the fangs that protruded menacingly.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

With the stake now pointed at Jesse's heart, Xander trembled, both from pain and the cold realization of what he had to do. His hand shook, the rough wood digging into his palm as he tried to steady his grip.

Jesse smirked, monstrous eyes mocking as he tilted his head to the side. "Ooh! All right. Put me out of my misery. You don't have the guts."

He's right, Xander thought. I can't do this. I can't kill my bud. I can't kill anyone.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, another voice spoke up, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Buffy from the night before. That's not your friend anymore, Xander. That's a monster wearing his face.

Fear, pain, and a desperate burst of willpower collided as Xander ignored his own agony to drive the stake forward. He let out a primal scream, a sound equal parts terror and determination as he put every ounce of strength he had left into the downwards thrust.

Jesse, caught off guard by Xander's sudden move, tried to react, but it was too late. The stake pierced his chest even as his clawed fingers speared through Xander's chest in a lastdefensive attack.

Xander gasped, the pain so intense that for a moment, he couldn't breathe. He looked down, eyes wide with shock as he saw Jesse's hands buried in his chest, blood already soaking through his shirt.

This is it, he thought, a strange sense of calm washing over him. This is how I die.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, Jesse collapsed into dust, his body disintegrating before Xander's eyes. The hands that had been buried in his chest vanished, leaving behind gaping wounds that pulsed with each ragged breath.

Xander crumpled to the ground, his legs giving out beneath him as he clutched at the fatal wound. Blood flowed freely, mixing with the dust that was once his friend. He gasped for air, his mind a whirl of pain and confusion.

"Fuck," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he tried to crawl forward, his hands and knees scraping against the rough asphalt. He managed a few feet before his strength gave out, and he crashed to the ground once more.

I can't die here, he thought, even as the world began to spin around him. I can't leave Buffy and Willow alone. They need me.... I need them.

Blood flowed from him as he watched with droopy eyes and darkening vision, the red liquid trailing out in front of him like a macabre river. The pain was fading now, replaced by a cold numbness that seemed to seep into his very bones.

I just... he began to think, a haze filling his thoughts. I just wanna be the hero for once. I wanna matter.

A warmth suddenly made itself felt from his back pocket, something that felt almost hot but small. What?

Xander's brow furrowed, confusion cutting through the fog that had settled over his mind. He tried to reach for the source of the warmth, but his arms refused to cooperate, his fingers twitching uselessly at his sides.

Before he could question it further, a flash of red light filled the alley, so bright that it seared his retinas even through his closed eyelids. Xander blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision as he heard footsteps clicking towards him slowly.

A pair of red dress shoes filled his vision, stopping just short of stepping atop his blood. Xander blinked again, his eyes struggling to focus as he cast his gaze up from his position on the filthy, cold alley floor.

Black dress pants, a black vest, a black tie, and a red dress shirt were the major things he noticed, but what was above all those took his breath away.

"...you?" Xander croaked, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his own heart.

A mouth full of perfectly straight, brilliant white teeth smiled back at him. "Me."

The figure ran his hand through his mane of thick, blood-red dreadlocks, piercing blue eyes focused on Xander's bloody, wheezing form. "Hey there, Xander."

"...wha..." Xander managed, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

But even as he tried to convince himself it was a trick of his failing mind, Xander couldn't deny the evidence of his own eyes. Samuel was there, looking for all the world like he had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.

What the hell is going on?

Samuel Ash shook his finger and made a noise that was clearly discouraging as he spoke in that slow drawl, seemingly unbothered by watching another kid mortally wounded and bleeding to death. "I wouldn't bother talking. You don't have the energy. Just nod or shake your head. Okay, homie?"

Xander opened his mouth to speak, only to realize the other boy was right. His tongue felt like lead in his mouth, his jaw refusing to cooperate as he tried to form words. Guess I'm not getting any last words in, he thought, a morbid sense of humor still clinging to his fading consciousness.

After a moment, he nodded, the simple motion sending a fresh wave of pain through his battered body.

"Good. See, what I'm here to do is offer you a deal."

A deal? Xander's mind raced, trying to make sense of Samuel's words through the pain.

He nodded weakly, hoping Sam would get to the point before he passed out. The edges of his vision were already starting to blur, the shadows of the alley seeming to close in around him like a shroud.

"Good. Me too. As in I," Sammy pointed a thumb at his chest, his voice carrying a note of confidence that seemed out of place in the grim surroundings, "want you," he pointed an index finger at Xander's prone form on the ground, "to live. Planet Earth would be worse off without you and you don't want to die if you can help it, you're a fighter that way."

Xander nodded, a flicker of hope sparking in his chest despite the dire situation. He wants me to live, he thought, clinging to the words like a lifeline.

"Which is why I took it upon myself," Sam snapped his fingers, and what could only be described as a red glowing pawn chess piece appeared over his palm, the thing hovering a few inches above it, "to make things happen. You wanna live right, Xan Man?"

Xander's eyes widened, his gaze transfixed by the glowing chess piece. What the hell is that? he wondered, his mind struggling to process the impossible sight before him.

He nodded, barely able to do anything else as his vision continued to darken. The pain was fading now, replaced by a cold numbness that seemed to seep into his very bones.

"You want to make a difference, don't you?"

Another nod, weaker this time. Of course I do, Xander thought, a flicker of his old determination sparking to life in his chest. I want to help Buffy, I want to keep Willow safe, I want to... I don't wanna die.

"You want to be a hero like The Slayer, putting vamps in the dirt, right?"

Xander opened his mouth, his voice barely a whisper as he forced the words out. "...y-yes."

"That's what I want to hear, big guy," Sam grinned as he squatted down to the alley floor, his face mere inches from Xander's own. Up close, his eyes seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, the blue irises literally luminescent in the darkness.

What are you? Xander wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, his lips refusing to form the syllables.

"Welcome to your new life," Samuel said, his voice seeming to echo from a great distance as Xander's consciousness began to slip away.

The last thing Xander saw before the darkness overtook him was the scarlet glow of the pawn piece as it touched his forehead, the warmth of it seeming to spread through his entire being like a wildfire.

And then, there was only darkness.