Choosing Grounds (AU/UC/XO/ADULT) Xander and Maria needed

[Anna-Liisa]

I wish I could help you with Temping, but the only show I know about is Roswell so I can't :/

[magikhands]

*Maria*

Max stops before entering the doorway and looks at me. "Maria?"

"Yes?" I am a little confused of his tone but I see an uneasiness cross over his posture.

"Tell me about your world. How did you get involved in the whole 'alien abyss'?"

His question shocks me. "Max...is this really the time?" I ask but then I see the look on his face. It's one I've seen many times and I've never been able to deny him answers when he does it. It's so strange how this man in front of me, someone I was very close to, could be an absolute stranger.

I sigh. "Fine. You healed me. One day while Liz and I were working at the CrashDown these two men were arguing. One of them had a gun and it went off. However, I was standing at the wrong place at the wrong time and the bullet hit me right here."

I place my hand over my abdomin and think back to that day...the pain that seared my body and how I knew I would die.

"But you were there and you healed me with your alien mombo jumbo."

I removed my hand and sighed again. "That was the day my life became chaos." I look up at Max waiting for his response. His lips are parted and his eyes wide, filled with surprise. That's when I knew that this Max was not MY Max. Not the man who saved my life.

"But I wouldn't change it for the world." I give him a smile. "I got one of the best friends a girl could ask for out of it. My very own protector, if you will, along with a second chance at life."

[isabelle]

*Max*

I was somehow expecting her story to be different than my world, none-the-less, I'm surprised at what she tells me. I can only imagine how different things would have been there. Did her Max and Liz get together, too? Obviously her Alex and Liz were in on the secret, too, but that must have happened in a very different way. Were her Max and Liz together, too? Maria calls her Max her best friend, not a boyfriend, but I can't help but wonder.

"On my world, Liz was the one who was shot," I tell her, in a small voice. It's enough. As Maria said, this isn't the time for details, but it's important to know at least a little of where we are and how we stand. The Liz following behind us with Isabel had also been healed by Max. That Liz got powers as a result. My Liz didn't have any that I'm aware of, but what about Maria?

We walk into the mall and find the place strangely empty. There isn't anyone immediately visible, no shoppers, no sales people. I walk beside Maria, keeping my voice low, not wanting my words to carry. "Did it ... change ... you?"

[magikhands]

*Maria*

Max turns from me and I can tell by his expression that he's deep in thought. The hope that he's from my reality plumeted when he told me that it was Liz that was shot and not myself. I glance back at Liz and Isabel, they are from the same reality...would we find someone from mine?

I follow Max into the mall and look around. This was the deadest mall I'd ever seen. It was deserted...no people, no music playing over the speaker system, and the smell of food was absent.

"Definately not my mall." I mutter under my breath in disappointment. I loved to shop...ok, window shop but still, the option was there if I saved money for it.

We started walking, and I was thankful Max stayed by my side. I think at the moment, in all this strangeness, his presence was the only thing not sending me over the edge of insanity.

"Did it ... change ... you?"

His voice was low and soft. It was either he was afraid to speak louder than our foot falls or he didn't want Liz and Isabel to hear. His question was unexpected. I hadn't even thought about it since being transported to this place.

"Change...? As in gaining powers?"

Max nodded.

"Well yeah. And let me tell you what I wild trip that was." I chuckle remember how I had levitated the contents of my entire house one night when Michael pissed me off. It was a shock really at the time, but I've learned to control it since then.

"I can levitate things and change the shape of objects...kind of like what you do." I look at him in question. "You can shift molecules and heal people, right?"

[isabelle]

*Max*

"That's me," I say with a ghost of a smile. "Plus flashes, teleknesis, pyroknesis, a force-shield, and such."

I wonder what it all means. Liz and Maria both got powers because they were healed by their versions of me. In mine, I healed Liz and Kyle. Will they be getting powers sometime, too, or will it be different in my world? In Liz's world, Max was killed because Tess was a traitor. In Maria's, Tess killed Alex. In mind, Alex is dead and nobody knows why. Liz thinks an alien did it. Could it be Tess, afterall? It seems completely unfair to be thinking such things about her, to be suspecting her because of things that happened on two entirely different worlds. And yet, the thought is there...

"Wait! I hear voices," I say, holding my arm out to indicate that everyone should slow down for the moment. Male voices, but I'm not sure how many. They seem to be coming from up ahead where I can tell that the hallway opens up -- probably a displaycenter or a food court.

As silently as possible, I creep forward to see who might be there. Will this 'Medina' be there, too?

.

[magikhands]

~Xander~

"Yeah, well maybe once we figure this out I'll do that", Angel tried his hand at a joke but I look at him and roll my eyes.

I don't wait for the others and I head for the large building that I'm sure is the mall. There is no mistaking it. As I walk, I know the others are following. I can't help but keep my eyes open, looking for the slightest moevement. Being part of the Scooby gang, you can't help but pick up survival instincts. Plus Buffy taught me a lot in our...private lessons.

I nearly stop my pace when I realize that thinking of Buffy didn't...hurt. My heart didn't break all over again, my eyes didn't overflow with tears. I was actually feeling almost...calm about it. Accepting of her death.

I close my eyes a moment and don't know whether to be mad or comforted by these feelings. I open my eyes and look around this strange land I find myself in. Could this place be dulling my pain, making me forget my love? No, I didn't want to forget. I loved Buffy with all my heart. I died inside the day her life was taken. But as I walk along these deserted streets I reflect inside myself. I can feel her within me...but now I feel something different. I feel as if I was here for a purpose.

I look behind me and see Angel gazing at me. His eyes are dark and intense but his feelings are hidden. I know Angel is different. He's got a soul, he has emotions, passions. We all clearly saw it when he and Buffy were together.

I shiver. That period of my life was a harsh one. No, I won't allow myself to go to that time and the hurt.

Behind Angel was Willow. She looked so lost...and innocent. Could this be the one that was about to kill me? She looked so much like the Willow that I grew up with. So unsure of herself and actions. It almost makes me want to comfort her...I said almost.

Then there's the two strangers. Moon and Zeus. Strange names to go along with thier behavior, but they seemed harmless enough.

Knocking myself out of my thoughts, I find myself standing in front of a side entrance to the mall. I stop, the doors don't open. I wave my hands in front of the sensors but nothing happens.

I turn to the small group behind me. "Any ideas of how to get in?" I ask.


ooc: hope it's ok that we head to the mall...figured we can catch up with the others (there are many entrances to a mall so this one can be a side one)

[isabelle]

*Zeus*

"Any ideas of how to get in?" Xander asks as we reach the locked doors of the mall.

"No problem at all," I say, grinning widely. I take a look at the locks. Seems to be electronic. That's easiest of all. I pull an RFI scrambler out of my pocket and start playing around with it, checking different frequencies. Then I add a dampner wave and a few moments later, I can hear a buzz as the lock disengages.

"Done," I say, smugly. I press the green button and the gate slowly grinds open. "We're in. Any idea where we should be going from here?"

[StormWolfstone]

~Isabel~


As Liz and I walked beside Maria and Max, I remained rather silent, simply keeping watch and making sure I was on my guard. Despite this guy being Max, a different realities version of my brother, I wasn’t going to risk letting my guard down. My top priority is and will remain being there to protect and guard Liz. As we continue, I can’t help but listen as Maria and Max ascertain that they are not one and the same. I glance over at Liz and ask her silently, ‘How are you holding up, sis?’ I know that it can’t be any easier for her then it is for me.

This whole day since waking up had been strange. I can’t believe that I’d almost killed a replica of my brother because I was certain he was a Skin. Now, the knowledge that I was in another realm, away from Michael and Alex… it was tearing me apart. I reach out a hand and place it on Liz’s shoulder as a silent showing of support as we continue making our way to the mall.

Once inside, I glance around and note that it’s nothing like the mall we had back in our reality, but still it wouldn’t have held the same joy that malls used to hold for me. I sigh, shaking my head as I think back to the time before Max was killed, before I welcomed Tess into our folds. I still felt guilty for everything that had happened. It had all been my fault, every bit of it.

I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to Liz now. And, now I wasn’t there to keep Kyle, Maria, Michael and Alex safe. Balling my other fist at my side, I made certain that Liz wouldn’t be able to see that reaction. There were enough things for her to be concerned about, she didn’t need to be focusing on me at the moment. We both had more important things to worry about and I knew my anger wasn’t going to help situations any.

[StormWolfstone]

~Willow~

Angel agrees that it feels extra planar in this place with a curt nod. I watch him move to the weapons cabinet and grab a sheath for his sword. "I don't like this, but until we know the game we have to play by 'her' rules", Angel looks at us in question and I simply nod.

"So it seems," Zeus replies and I turn back toward him, "The distribution center is what Quixote said. A center of commerce, a store, a market, a Mall, a place to exchange goods..." I nod, understanding much better now what he was meaning. "I think I saw one down the street before I came in here," he continues.

“Well if we are going to this…distribution center, I need a weapon.” Xander decides to comment and I turn to see Angel seeming to want to disagree before Xander continues, “No. I want a weapon. It’s obvious that something strange is going on. We are no longer in Kansas and tapping our heels together will not get us home.”

I see him glance my way and I look at him feeling hurt but yet understanding that something must have really been bad where he was from. “If you were the same one I was just up against, you’d have killed us all by now…but I can’t…” Xander shakes his head before deciding to add, “I don’t know if I can trust you. What you did to…it was horrendous. I don’t trust you. I can’t right now.”

“I don’t expect you to. Obviously I am not the same as you knew, but that wouldn’t alter the memories.” Though, I can’t help but recall a spell I could use that would, but that would be siding with forces I’m not ready to reach out to, so for the time being, I’ll just do what I can to reach out to my best friend, even if he’s not the one from my reality.

He turns back to Angel and comments, “I promise not to use it on her, unless that is, she attacks me. Give me a weapon. The crossbow. Buffy taught me how to use it. And I got pretty good at it too.”

Angel hands him the crossbow and I see him load it and look my way which simply causes me to be wary. He’d already come at me once, I wasn’t to certain that I could trust him not to try something again now. "You be careful stay close...Clear?" I hear Angel say and simply turn to look at the others.

"Ok. Let's go. Maybe we'll meet up with others at the mall."

"Fine, let's go then," Zeus replies and makes his way out of the hotel, the girl Moon staying close

"Perseus!" I hear him call out as I follow them out the door. I myself don’t expect to need to use a weapon, not with the magick that I’ve had at my command for some time now. I glance up to where he’s looking and see what appears to be a hawk but as it comes closer, I note that it seems somewhat mechanical, but yet it’s more advanced then I normally see. "I didn't realize you were here, too." He says as it lands on his wrist. I simply look, thinking how strange it is.

Glancing back at the others, I note that Moon’s still in the doorway, looking behind us and turn just as I hear Zeus saying, "Search the road that way. Show me what you see," The strange bird takes flight and I have to admit, silently, that I’m amazed.

"Since we don't know what's out there, I'd like a weapon as well. No way do I plan to face the unknown without some form of protection for the next week of my life." Moon mentions and I turn back to see that she’s looking at Angel without a hint of backing down. Smiling, I can’t help but think that there’s something familiar about this girl’s attitude.

Not long after Angel has managed to locate a long dagger of sorts, at least to me that’s what it seems like and reminds me that my athame is still in the folds of my dress. I note the sun is out, but I can’t help but wonder how Angel is going to join us, but that seems unimportant when he suddenly steps out next to Xander just as I’m turning back toward him to ask that question.

"Been a while since I could do this", I barely handle Angel say and can’t help but smirk at that.

"Maybe you can get a tan while you're at it." I hear Xander say and can’t help but think that it sounds like something my Xander would have said.

Zeus looks toward Moon as she steps up beside him and I watch as he asks her, "You know how to use that?"

I follow behind them as we began making our way toward the mall, and I hear Moon as she responded, “Yes, I learned before…” She trailed off and looked ahead going silent and I couldn’t help but wonder just what she was getting into.

I drown out the rest of what’s going on as I return to my thoughts. I have to return home, there’s so much counting on me now that Buffy has vanished. The thought of that bothered me greatly. I missed her, she was my other best friend. Her vanishing and Tara’s death have continued to weigh heavily on my mind for weeks.

Before I know it, we’re on the outside of the mall and the doors don’t seem to be opening.
"Any ideas of how to get in?" Xander asks and I’m silently going through my memories of spells that might work when Zeus steps up and grins.

"No problem at all," he begins looking at the locks and pulls out some sort of device which I watch him work carefully. It’s interesting to say the least. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen it before but it seemed to be some sort of scrambler or something. A buzz sounds and the lock disengages as Zeus speaks smugly, "Done," I watch him press and green button and the gate opens before he questions. "We're in. Any idea where we should be going from here?"

“Angel, why don’t you use your smeller to locate other people?” I comment and look at him with a slight smile. Vampire senses could often come in handy and I had no problem trusting him, though it surprised me that Xander seemed to, especially when he was on the lead section for slaying Angel in my reality.

[AntarPrince04]

Angel

“Angel, why don’t you use your smeller to locate other people?” , she asks me with that small smile that she gets when she thinks she's being insulting. A rather cute quirk really, I haven't seen it since I took Xander to L.A.

With an expressionless Nod I step away from the group and slowly enter the biulding leaving the rest of them outside. The boy, Zeus makes a move to follow, but I stop him with a look and a raised hand. It's obvious he doesn't like being given instrection. However, grudgingly as it might be moves back by the door.

With a sigh I move a few yards deeper, mindful of the group of eyes on my back and let the silence wash over me, extending my senses. I can feel the bones shift as my face changes. I hear faint heartbeats off in the distance and sniff the air. "Uh Huh", I say quietly to myself. I defenatly smell Human, but...

I let my face shift and head back out quietly being carful to be sure Im not heard. "Seven, at least...Maybe more", I say to willow. "But...", Will looks at me questioningly and I let my brow crease in minute concern. "...Not all human."