Title: GodWar 1: Gathering the Troops Together
Author/pseudonym: Voracity
Email address: to list, voracitys@hotmail.com, or voracity@hot-shot.com
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Xover: Xander/Ares, Jim/Blair, Giles/Oz, Daniel/Jack
Disclaimers: none of these men are mine and I know not who owns a few of them. I make no
money and mean no harm to them, I'll gladly put them back after I'm done with this series.

Summary: GodWar has begun and they have to brief the troops and get them started.

Warnings: This is a 'set-up' story and needs to be taken on face value. Later stories will explain
the inconsistencies so please be patient until the next GodWar part comes out.

GodWar 1: Gathering the Troops Together.

Simon Banks looked around the bar, sipping his beer quietly. He knew he was in a dangerous
place, but the invitation to the elite paramilitary group that the Feds had been screaming about for
almost a year now had been too good to pass up. So, here he was, undercover with the other two
people the invitation had been sent to. Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg were in a corner booth,
talking quietly, but he knew they were scanning and keeping an eye on him.

He looked beside him, flinching as he noticed the still body that hadn't been there a second earlier.
"Who are you?" he asked, being surly.

The man with the dark hair smiled, brushing some of it back. "Who invited you?" he countered.

"Don't know, it was anonymous."

"Then call me anonymous." He held out a hand. "Ares."

Simon shook it. He had read the briefings, he knew who this man was now. He was the head of
the organization. "Simon." He looked him over. "Why me? I'm not military or former military?"

The man waved a hand and the wire Simon had been wearing appeared in it, he could feel the
empty tape sticking to his chest. "Let's get some privacy, shall we?" Ares smiled at his newest
man. "Go join your friends, I'll be there in a few minutes. We're only waiting on one other
person." He turned to the bartender, a young man with dark hair and piercing brown eyes,
handing the wire over.

Simon made eye contact with Jim, who was looking very scared. He took a deep breath, sitting
down beside Sandburg. "What?" he asked quietly, his dark skin having a nice pale undertone to it
now.

"Simon, I can't get a reading on him. It's blocked." Jim leaned closer. "No white noise, nothing."
He sat back up as the man came over to them with a young female. "Who's she?" he asked.

"Some of my greatest Generals have been women," Ares said, sitting her down beside Jim and
snapping his fingers. A chair appeared behind him. "The reason you can't sense me is because
there's nothing here to sense." He looked at Blair. "You're here because he needs you and I need
your brains." He looked at the girl. "Buffy, you're here because I need what you can do and what
you know." He looked at Simon last. "You're here because I need a good leader, someone who
is willing to go the extra mile for his men and that last inch after it." He smiled winningly.
"Welcome to the home team."

"Whoa," Blair said, shaking his head. "I didn't agree to anything yet."

"Yay. And? As my favorite assistant would say." Ares smiled at him and snapped his fingers.
Then everything became different.

Jim looked around in awe, his mouth hanging open. "There's no noise," he said, looking at Blair.
"I even tried to up my hearing and there's nothing. Not even our heartbeats."

"Yeah, well," Ares said, popping in directly in front of Jim. "It's all shielded. Some of the other
Gods can't sleep when there's a lot of noise." He looked at Blair. "You know who I am now?"
He got a scared nod. "Good, 'cause you two are part of my next assistant. The three of you
should be able to make up for my last one."

"Why?" Buffy asked, sneering. "He leave?"

"More or less," Xander, God of the Paranormal, said as he walked in. "And you're still belligerent
and don't take orders I see." He kissed Ares on the cheek, watching as her mouth opened and
closed.

"Xander!" she shrieked finally. "Oh, my God!" she said slowly, looking at his very
comfy-looking outfit of natural cotton loose pants and a silk tank top. "Why are you here?"

"Shut up," Ares told her. He glared when she opened her mouth again, and a large piece of duct
tape appeared over it. "Thank you!" He turned back to Blair. "This is GodWar, you're a
participant. You're here for extra training." He smiled sweetly, something he had learned from
his consort. "*He's* your God." He patted Xander's behind then turned suddenly, ripping the
tape off her mouth. "Better?" he asked snidely. She nodded, her eyes very large. "Good," he
purred. "To the Gym with you. I need a new sparring partner, Giles just won't play fair and he
taught Xander too many dirty tricks." He looked over his shoulder. "I hate losing."

Xander rolled his eyes, giving out a quiet snort. "Go play, Ares, but be nice, we need her
healthy. Later," he said, waving her away. He popped them all to their joint living room, the
young God having decided against his own temple for the time being. He saw Blair's smile at the
tv and video game stash. "I had to teach him modern warfare. My first day as his assistant, he
actually tried to teach me how to use a sword."

Jim snorted, sitting next to Simon, pulling Blair onto his lap. "So, we're here why?" Blair asked.

"You're here because you need some extra training. You're the leaders of our combined troops.
Ares and I made an allegiance one night after I wore him out." He smiled in fond remembrance.
"That God is such a kitten some days." Jim cleared his throat, bringing him out of his daydreams.
"Sorry, my first time at all this stuff. I've not been a God that long." He clapped his hands and a
tray of drinks appeared. "Have them, gentlemen. We'll get you settled, probably in the guest
quarters. I'm not mean enough to put you into my old room, which is a wind tunnel." He stood
up. "Blair, TV Guide is in the couch somewhere, remote is probably about the same place. Gym
is in the basement, Jim, as are the weights, Simon. We'll bring you back not ten minutes after we
left, so get comfy while I go check on them. I really don't want him to take her apart over what
she did to me." He popped out, blocking Ares' killing blow with the sword he suddenly held.
"Kitten," he purred. "I thought we agreed that you would leave her alone." He stepped over his
former friend, taking control of his consort's mouth with a hard kiss. "After all, if she hadn't
driven me away then I wouldn't be here now. Right?"

Ares shook his head. "No, not really. You were destined to end up here. That's just the way it
worked out. And don't give away clues like that. You never know who's listening that might
want to change some history."

"Then millions of people would die because you would go insane," Xander pointed out, pulling
Ares off the mat. He turned to help Buffy up, shrugging when she knocked his hand away.
"Whatever. Your thing." He turned his back on her, dodging her lunge with Ares' dropped
sword, knocking her back on her ass with a block and knocking her feet out from under her.
"Don't do it again," he warned coldly. "Really, don't." He tossed both swords to Ares. "Clean
them and join us. I've got them relaxing before the big speech." He smiled at his willing sex
slave, his Kitten of War.

"Which you were supposed to write," Ares pointed out, wiping down a blade. "Which you
haven't."

"Then I'll wing it," Xander said sweetly, a sure sign his temper was going to blow. He glared at
Buffy's back then smiled at his mate. "Upstairs?"

"Upstairs," Ares agreed.

***

"That's it?" Blair asked. "That's why we've been pulled up here? We're your pawns in a fight with
the other Gods over status?" He laughed, clutching Simon's arm. "Oh, man, and I thought this
was going to be important."

"It is," Ares said dryly. "Who wins the most honor has a chance at ruling the mortal realm again
until the next episode." That stopped the Guide's laughter. "Thanks to my assistant then, it came
out a draw."

"When?" Buffy asked.

"Fall of the Roman Empire," Blair breathed. He got a small nod from Xander. "So, why us?"

"Because you and Jim are on a borderline. I checked since Sentinels are a natural phenomenon.
They're a gray area, and are usually excluded. We're using you as teachers and a safe base.
Simon is a natural leader, both where you two are concerned and in other senses. Buffy, well,
she's fully one of mine." Xander sighed at the snort. "Not asking for worship here, just
cooperation," he told her, not turning to look at her. "I'm in charge until your other trainer comes
up for a visit. He," he pointed at Ares, "can countermand me in training, because I let him, but
you are mine to command, Buffy, get over the snot fit." He focused on the trio again, giving them
a small smile in apology for having to witness that. "In addition, Ares has chosen you three to be
his next assistant jointly. I'll be teaching you my old job," he blocked Buffy's sudden swing at his
head blindly, pushing her across the room with his force of will, "as time allows," he finished.

"When," Jim asked, holding onto Blair like his life depended on it.

"Not until you're gone," Ares soothed. "Which is a few years from now for all of you." He
smiled at Simon. "I wouldn't worry about your son, you'll be able to kick his ass while you
work." The older mortal nodded. "Buffy," Ares snapped when he noticed her starting to come
back around. "Quit messing with my man or deal with me again." She nodded, walking back
over to the couch and sitting down.

"Relax," Blair told her. "He's not going to hurt you. And I'd like to know why the dynamic
between you two is flowing so hard so it doesn't interrupt our training."

"It's nothing," Buffy glared at Xander, "is it?"

He popped them into his old room, glaring at her as he pushed her into a convenient chair that just
happened to appear. "What is your damage now?"

"You left us." She crossed her feet. "Giles went insane looking for you."

"Gee, I talk to him almost daily now and he's never said that." She blanched. "Yes, I'm his God
too." He leaned over her. "Whatever your problem with my orientation is, get over it now. I
didn't object to your necrophilia with Angel and I won't have you poisoning people against me
because I'm sleeping with a God." She nodded stiffly. "Thank you. Now, that mirror," he waved
and it appeared on the wall from his and Ares' bedroom, "will let you connect to Giles, it's already
programmed and everything. Talk away." He popped out, or seemed to, watching her walk over
to the portal and watch her mentor.

"Buffy, do quit staring," Giles said quietly. "It's most disturbing." He looked up, smiling at her.
"I see they found you again." She nodded. "How is Xander, I've not seen him today."

"Okay," she croaked. "Giles, he's still *gay*," she whined, "and he beat me."

"Buffy, dear girl, he's a God now. You can't beat them." He looked up as the doorbell was rung.
"Do go away, I don't need the authorities hauling me away for supposed insanity."

Xander reappeared, turning off the portal. He listened in, frowning at the man trying to get Giles
to go in for a psychiatric evaluation. "Hell," he muttered, popping into the immortal's bedroom,
walking out yawning. "Giles? Who's that?" he asked, wrapping an arm around the immortal's
waist. He blinked at the man on the outside, slowly looking him over. "Gee, strange people?"

"Yes, well, they think the same of us." He waved at the man. "Good day." Then he closed the
door in his face. "Xander," he sighed, sliding into the hug. "So good to see you in person again."

"I'm sorry, I know it's been busy with all the planning and I keep forgetting to come see you." He
smiled, taking a gentle kiss. "Come on, want to go up there?"

"No, I want to finish packing so I can go up full time. Have you heard from Oz?"

"Yup, he'll be joining you up there after Devon dies." He frowned. "His own problems got him,
Giles, and I had to tell him I couldn't help him." The older man nodded, hugging him back.
"How much longer," he whispered.

"Soon, my Xander, soon," Giles whispered back, letting him go. He answered the door again,
frowning at his landlord. "Yes?"

"Who's this?" he asked plainly, tapping a folded piece of paper on his leg.

"Xander," he said, holding out a hand. The other man shook it hesitantly. "Maybe you've heard
of me, he keeps saying I'm a God in bed." He wiggled his eyebrows and the man handed over the
paper and ran. "Gee, not friendly at all," he said, looking at the paper. "Eviction notice?"

"Yes, they're tearing down the building." He tore it up. "But since I was planning on leaving
anyway, there's no problem." He looked at the helper Xander had sent him to pack his books,
smiling at her. "Please take the next load," he told her. The small stack of books disappeared
through the portal.

Ares popped in, handing Buffy over. "I can't deal with her. Keep her with you or I will kill her,"
he said, popping back out.

Xander sighed, looking at his former friend. "What did you do to my kitten?"

"Nothing," she defended. "He just got pissed for no reason." She saw Giles roll his eyes. "Well,
he did."

"I'm sure," Giles said soothingly. "You can help me pack for now. We'll both go back up when I
go to start my official term as his assistant." Her mouth hung open. "Yes, he asked me. Oz and
myself actually. That's why I've not aged much."

She looked at her former friend and helper. "Not Willow?"

"No, not Willow. She's begun to use Chaos spells almost all the time now and she's getting
dangerous." She nodded, looking at her shoes. "Come on, let's go help him get settled in." He
waved a hand around at the remaining items in the apartment, whisking them to his new quarters,
complete with sitting area. "Home sweet home," he said, waving a hand around. He frowned at
the dusty cloths covering the furniture. "I thought I asked them to fix this." He snapped his
fingers and everything was suddenly clean. "There," he said proudly. He turned to find Ares
behind him. "What did I do?" he asked, making him go from a bemused expression to a small
smile.

"You jumped time again, precious," his mate said, holding him tightly against his chest. "But
we'll fix it." He snapped his fingers while they kissed, ending up in Giles new room, complete
with books. "I've sent his helper down to make sure everything's settled. Come help me train the
brat."

Xander stole a kiss from Giles, in plain sight of Buffy as Ares dragged her out. "Tell me if I
misplaced anything," he whispered before following after them.

***

Xander's scream of outrage could be heard all over Olympus, waking up his staunchest supporters
and bringing Hades and Aphrodite to his side. "What's up, sweetie," she asked, smoothing his
hair from its upright position. "What happened to Ares?"

"What did he do this time?" Hades asked. "And do I have to reserve a place for him?"

"No, but maybe for me," he said, turning to her. "Take me with you. I'm not staying here
anymore. I'll get my own temple." She nodded, cradling his head to her ample chest as they
popped to her temple, all three of them.

"What happened," Hades said, sitting behind them to cuddle them both. "Tell us and let us help."

"He slept with them," Xander cried into the breasts. "With the pawns."

Hades frowned. "He did?" He got a small nod in answer. "With which one?"

"The dark one, Simon." Xander looked up. "Please don't hurt him, he's important." The God of
the Underworld wiped off his friend's tears then nodded. "Thank you. I know how mesmerizing
he can be so I don't blame Simon. Even I was stunned at first."

Aphrodite and Hades shared a look and a few thoughts and she nodded, settling them in her bed
so he could sleep. "Sleep, sweetie, you're safe here. I won't let him near you." Xander curled
back up into her side, crying himself to sleep over the worst betrayal in his whole life, mortal and
not.

Hades popped into his nephew's bedroom, picking Ares up and holding him against the wall, feet
off the ground. "Didn't I tell you not to hurt him?" Ares nodded slowly. "Then why did you?"
He dropped him suddenly, frowning down at him.

"Because I wanted some, Unc. You know he's not allowing me access to his body." Ares stood
up, looking his Uncle in the eyes. "I'm frustrated and the mortals were willing."

"I'm sure they were, right after you flashed some powers, or maybe just showed off a bit." Hades
grimaced, looking around the room. "You will *not* go near that boy again. Do you
understand?" he asked quietly, all the chilliness of Tartarus in his voice. The God of War started
to open his mouth and found it slammed shut for him, instantly closed with rusty nails. "Do you
understand?" he asked again. This time he got a nod of agreement, so he popped back to
Aphrodite's, listening as she comforted the young God.

"I mean," Xander said quietly, "I almost expect him to cheat with you guys, that's just the way
things are up here. But with a mortal is something different. I was one not too long ago and...
and I know how mesmerizing he can be, but I know he used him and I'm not sure if that pisses me
off more or less." He looked up into the stunning blue eyes. "Wouldn't you be upset if your
Heph did a mortal behind your back?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I would," she admitted, running her fingers through his hair. "But I know why
he did it. He needs to dominate someone sometimes and you don't even let him top you."

Xander snorted. "That act is only done out of love as far as I'm concerned anymore and I was
working my way up to it. Why couldn't he have been more patient?" He started to sniffle again,
resting his head on her shoulder. "Thanks for letting me crash, ‘Dite, I promise to go talk to
Heph tomorrow to get my own temple."

"Shh," Hades said, appearing to both of them. "Don't worry about that now. Rest now. Let us
handle the details." He put the young God to sleep, sharing a look with his niece. "You deal with
him," he said quietly, "I'll go talk to your consort." He popped back out, ending up in the forge
area of Olympus. "Hephaestus?" he called.

"What?" a cranky voice called between clanging hammer blows on metal.

Hades walked toward the sound, shielding his eyes from the glow of the hearth. "I need to talk to
you. Xander wants his own temple now." The God of the Forge snorted, looking at the elder
God. "Ares cheated on him with a mortal."

Hephaestus' face fell. "He did?" The God of the Underworld nodded slowly. "That poor kid. I
can't build him a temple right now because of the upcoming census but I can create a place for
him by separating space from one of the others; who has extra space temporarily?"

Hades sighed. "I don't have any at all. I'm double bunking my helpers. ‘Dite's the same way."

"We could put a shield around part of Ares' temple and let him have it for a while. Make it one
the Gods can't get through unless he wants them to."

Hades patted the man's shoulder. "Good idea. I'll leave it in your overly capable hands. He's
presently curled up on your wife's shoulder, letting her soothe him by stroking his hair." He
looked around as he felt someone pop in, hugging the boy tightly. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Because I can't," Xander said. He rested against Hades' side, looking up at the large God of the
Forge. "You can do that?" Heph nodded, smiling slightly. "Please then. I still have to work with
him for GodWar. I promised." He smiled sadly. "I'm going to go curl up with Giles for a few
minutes. I'll put a shield on the door so he can't get in. And so Buffy can't." He waved and
popped out, landing beside Oz and Giles. "Hi," he said quietly, crawling in between them. "Want
cuddles?" Oz nodded so he wrapped himself around the young immortal, falling quickly to sleep,
comforted beyond belief by the simple comfort.

Giles and Oz shared a look over the young God's head and Giles got up, heading upstairs to talk
to the other God involved in the fight. "Ares, if I may speak with you?" he asked quietly.

"What!" the God of War yelled, throwing something at the immortal, who didn't flinch. "Gods,
I've lost my touch if I can't even scare you."

"No, I believe you fear what would happen if you hurt me more than I do you." He smiled
gently, leaning against the doorframe. "Did you have to hurt him? Has all you've gone through
with him meant nothing?" Ares gave him a dirty look. "Yes, I do know what happened, I heard it
as did every person currently up here." He coughed lightly. "I dare say he may never come back.
Work with you, yes, because he promised, but not for any other reason."

"He's going to be staying in the temple until he gets his own," Ares said quietly. "Heph's
overloaded so he's partitioning off part of the temple for you three." He sat down in a chair, hard,
and looked at one of the few people his consort trusted with his secrets. "What do I do? How do
I apologize for this?"

"You can't," Giles said. "There's nothing you could say that would make this hurt him any less.
The only thing you can try to do is to go on, to work out your differences and grow stronger from
it." He walked in, sitting on the couch. "There is nothing you can buy, conquer, or steal that
would make him love you more than he did."

"But it wasn't enough! He wouldn't ever let me touch him." Ares looked at the floor, frowning.
"Now I know how the pawns feel."

"Yes, well, that may well be the case, but he wouldn't allow you entrance to his body unless he
was sure you were the perfect one for him. He once told me he regretted how he lost his virginity
with a woman. How it meant nothing to him, that he felt it should have meant that he wanted that
person more than life itself and that it should have at least appeared to be love to him. Obviously
he wasn't sure enough of your love to allow you to take his other innocence." He stood back up.
"Good day, Ares, sleep well." He walked out after a small pat to the God's shoulder.

"Not likely," Ares said, frowning down at himself.

***

Xander looked at the manifest of books. "Giles, you're missing some," he called. His assistant's
head popped out of his office, frowning. "About two boxes if I'm correct." He tried to call them
to him but they wouldn't come, meaning they were down on the mortal plane and purposefully
trapped somewhere. "Come on, we've got to find them for you. Missing books are a bad." He
grabbed the immortal's hand, popping them to where he could feel the books, keeping them both
from sight.

Giles took the charms that Xander had given him to teleport the boxes of books, putting some on
the full box and the half-empty one. He watched the God manifest to the people around them
then winced as he realized what sort of people they were. "Vampires," he whispered, shaking his
head. He saw a few more of his books so went over to them, sending them back to his quarters
also. That left two books: one on the altar surrounded by people, and one in the hands of
someone he wished he hadn't seen this way. "Willow," he sighed sadly, as she cast a spell from
the book. He picked up a rock, tossing it at the back of the people around his nearest book,
trusting Xander to deal with his former friend.


"Will," Xander said quietly, making her look up. "What are you doing?" She gasped, her mouth
falling open. He looked her over silently, seeing the change in her. "You're one of them," he said
sadly.

She sneered. "And who are you?" She took the card he handed her, pulled from thin air in front
of her, frowning at the small words. "You are? Since when?" He made a 'turn it over' motion
with his finger and she read the back, grimacing. "Pretty sentiment," she said, handing it back,
"but you can't believe what you read anymore."

He sighed, calling the book to him with a small crook of his finger. He clutched it to his chest,
frowning at her. "Some things you can still trust. Why, Will? Why change over?"

"Because they had more to offer." She shrugged, then picked up a handful of herbs to toss on
him, chanting at the same time. He deflected them with a wave of his hand, making them land on
the vampires that were starting to take notice of him. "Hmm, maybe the card was partially right.
When'd you start studying?" She walked closer to him. "You could join me, you know.
Embrace true power, learn to heal the world." He shook his head, staying silent, giving her his
best 'I'm sorry for your delusion' look. "Oh, come on," she whined. "We used to be a great
team."

"Yeah, and you used to be human," he said sadly. He turned, pushing through the crowd to
where he could see Giles putting the pages back into his last book, wincing at the injury to the
precious tome. "Home again," he said quietly, talking just to him, or at least so he thought.

Willow shrieked, catching sight of the book on the altar, picking up a piece of bone from the table
in her work area and rushing at his back. He must have been too focused because she hit his
back, wrong side to be the heart but in a mortal it still would have killed him.

Xander fell to one knee, gasping in pain. He sent the book home, then Giles, silently telling him
he could come back for the rest of the pages, then turned on her. He snarled, the pain dulling
anything he might have had that resembled a conscience under normal circumstances. He
concentrated on her, and the vampires around them, flashing sunlight into the room so bright it
fried most of them instantly, but he kept her alive, glaring into her eyes, showing her the truth
before he turned it off. "Will, I hate what you've become," he said quietly, kneeling beside her
badly hurting body, healing the burns but leaving the scars, "but I'm going to make you live as an
object lesson to my other subjects. Hurting me and mine is the best way to be hurt back, twice as
bad." She reached out to him and he knocked her hand away, reaching down to touch her
forehead, dodging her protesting hands. "No more for you, young lady," he whispered, then
passed out.

"Xander!" Ares shouted, popping into the room. He picked him up, glaring down at the two
people he had left alive. "You bitch, you'll pay," he promised, taking the young God back to
Olympus with him. He headed directly for Aesculapius' temple, putting the boy on the healing
altar while he called for the God. "He was hit," he said, needlessly as it turned out since Giles
popped in with him. "Oh, Gods, who was that?"

"Willow," Giles said sadly. He touched the God's shoulder. "Did he leave her living?"

"I heard him say something about object lessons before he passed out." He paced in front of the
altar, glaring at Hades as he popped in. "This is your fault," he told his Uncle.

"I didn't make him run away," Hades countered.

"ENOUGH!" Giles yelled, stopping them both. "You can argue over fault later, right now the
boy should be the priority."

"Good job," Aesculapius said, smiling at the assistant. "Nobody else can shut those two up when
they fight." He pulled the bone from the back of the boy's back, tossing it at the Gods. "Someone
let some more of it out," he said quietly. "It's on the wrong side to kill him outright."

Zeus popped in, glaring at all of them. "What did you do now, Ares?" he asked his son. He
looked from the shard of bone to the God on the altar and back. "You better not have done that."

Ares tossed it at him. "One of his subjects did it when he tried to stop her." He turned to walk up
to the altar. "Babe, I know it hurts, but you have to hold on," he whispered. "Come back to me."
The other Gods shared a look but he didn't care, his life and his sanity was laying on that slab of
stone, bleeding to death. "Please, Xander, stay with me."

"Hurts," the young God muttered, rolling toward the soothing voice. "Make it not hurt? Please
Ares, make it stop."

The God of War looked up at the God of Healers. "Whatever you need to do," he said quietly,
"tell me and I'll help."

"I'm sure," Aesculapius said, looking around the temple's main room, "but not even I can heal
that."

"Then what can?" Ares yelled, standing up to face off with the other God. "Tell me and I'll go get
it."

"It will take three Gods from different pantheons, with only one of *us* participating, to heal him.
And you know how much those Gods hate us now."

Oz shook his head, putting on the necklace that Xander had given him so he could travel
anywhere. "So, any particular two?" he asked quietly. He stopped long enough to kiss the God's
forehead. "Where, just tell me."

"The Norse Gods, they have some fire to heal the wound. And one other type not from our
lineage."

Giles nodded, putting on his own. "I'll go to the Norse ones, I've had a few discussions with one
or two." He popped out, heading to the hall that held their continuous party.

Oz frowned then nodded. "So be it." He whispered a name and was sent to a place he had found
on his roadtrip to think.


Giles frowned at the guardian on the door. "It's urgent I speak to one of the Elder Gods. I'm a
messenger on an urgent mission."

"We want nothing to do with those libidinous creatures you serve," the Gods inside shouted.

"I come with a request from a different lineage than their's. My God is ill and requires aid." He
was shown in, put in front of a large, imposing throne and the frowning man sitting on it. "My
Lord Thor," he said quietly. "I come with a small request for aid for another God."

"Which one?" He looked over the immortal. "You have the stink of Ares about you. Begone, I
want nothing to do with him."

"I have nothing to do with him, my Lord, I serve his assistant, Xander, God of the Paranormal."
The God on the throne sat up, looking interested. "I see you've heard of him." He cleared his
throat. "He has been injured by a piece of Titan's bone and needs help that only one of your kind
can give. We only wish that you help him. You don't have to converse with the other Gods on
Olympus."

Thor nodded. "I have heard many good things of him, even from my own subjects. How did this
happen?"

"One of his own subjects, a former friend, turned on him. She got angered when he attempted to
take something of mine back." The Norse God laughed heartily. "My book contained many
spells, including some most harmful Chaos spells," he said quietly. That stopped the laughter
immediately. "All I ask is that you help him."


Oz knelt in front of the temple of the Chinese Elder Gods to pay homage before walking in. He
sighed at the stone figures, closing his eyes. "I plead my case before your greatness," he intoned.
"Hear me, Elder Gods." The room filled with lights he could see through his eyelids and the basin
around him filled with water. "I plead for a young God, injured in retrieving a book of spells
from a former friend. He knew she should not have the power of Chaos so tried to take it from
her and she hit him with Titan's bone." He shuddered as the wind touched his wet skin, but
continued. "All we ask is that you heal him."

"Who is this God," a kindly male voice said from in front of him. "And you can look now, I
banished the others."

Oz opened his eyes, smiling gently at the God before him, one he knew very well from his long
roadtrip, then silently handed over his charm. "Xander," he said simply.

"Ah, consort to Ares, God of the Paranormal." He nodded, handing the necklace back. "Was this
that important?"

"Some of his other assistant's books were lost in the transfer, including many that had to do with
Chaos. My former girlfriend and his former best friend had them. When he retrieved them, she
tried to kill him." He bowed his head. "We don't seek to heal the rift between our lines, only to
have him healed."

The Elder God of Earth Realm, Rayden, nodded slowly. "I've heard many good things about him.
Let us go see him and I shall decide."

***

Ares looked up as he felt the power appearing behind him. His mouth fell open at the people
standing there, but moved out of their way so they could help the man he loved. "So sorry," he
whispered, kissing him one last time. "Just help him," he asked the other two Gods. "I ask no
other favor."

"And we shall ask none in return," Rayden said, patting him on the shoulder. "For any other,
including yourself, we would not do this, but we have both heard many good things about him."

"He's the best," Ares whispered, going to where his Uncle and Father where, sliding into Hades'
arms to watch.

Thor flipped the young God over, frowning at the amount of blood that came out from under him.
"Very bad," he told the other God. "Who will aid us," he called.

"Any and all of us," Hades called back. "We all have reason to help him." Zeus nodded silently
beside him. "Do you want friends or his mate?"

"His mate," Rayden said, "as long as it's a true bond." He looked at Ares and sighed. "Have you
fixed your disagreement?" The God of War shook his head, turning to his Uncle for comfort. "I
see. You have more reasons to want him healed then. Come." He held out a hand, watching as
the God of War walked up and took it. "I've seen how much you care for him. You should have
been more patient," he told him quietly. "He would have come to you soon." He closed his eyes,
gathering his powers and sending them out to merge with the fires of Hel, who had given them to
Thor to seal the wound.

Together, they attached their powers to the young man's flesh, healing him by force of will. Soon,
he was breathing normally, then he started to move. Thor touched the back of his head to keep
him still, and they worked some more, healing him as fully as they could, Ares' shining love for
the young God a beacon for their powers to merge. "It is done," Rayden said quietly, wiping off
his forehead. He leaned down, kissing the God on the altar's forehead after Thor had turned him
back over. "Awake, young one, and live."

Xander blinked, looking up at the two strange Gods. "I'm okay?" he whispered. They nodded,
smiling at him. "Thank you," he said, getting up to hug each of them. "If I can ever help you, tell
me and I'll be there," he promised.

Rayden smiled at him again. "I'm sure you will. Your lineage has changed them considerably."
He looked at Thor. "Come, let us go speak. I've not seen you in quite a while." They left
together, leaving Xander looking at Ares.

"I'm so sorry," Ares whispered. "I was wrong."

Xander looked around then frowned. "This is a private-type discussion. We'll have it later. After
you've thought some more." He got a small nod before his consort disappeared. "Thanks guys,"
he said, walking down to hug them. He stopped last in front of Oz and Giles, hugging them
together. "Thank you," he whispered between them. He looked into Giles' eyes. "Do we need
to go back? I noticed some pages falling out."

"Hades sent someone to get them," the older immortal said quietly, hugging his friend tightly to
him. "I'm so glad you're better," he sighed. He stepped back, smiling through the small, happy
tears. "I'll see you at home," he promised.

Oz simply patted his friend's shoulder. "Home," he promised, popping out.

Xander turned to look at Hades, the only one left. "I screwed up, huh?" he asked, walking over
to hug him again. "Thank you." He looked up. "For letting him do it."

"That was Rayden," the elder God admitted. "I was going to send him home while they did it."
He wrapped an arm around the younger man's shoulders, walking him out into the meeting area.
"You do know that you should work it out, right?" He felt the small nod. "And that you've
tamed Ares, so much so that they came to help you because they had heard about it?"

Xander stopped them. "They did?"

"Hey, he's *your* kitten," he said in explanation. "The big, bad God of War humbled by a former
mortal, who is so well respected the other Gods get into his fights for him." He smiled slightly.
"Go home to him, talk to him. And for all the Gods' sake, trust him again." He saw the God's
face fall so kissed his cheek. "He loves you, he was frustrated because you wouldn't share
yourself with him. Or anyone else for that matter." He frowned. "You know that we're free up
here about that, right?" He asked, pulling back to look down into the brown eyes, seeing the
small smile. "Good. Now go give him a reasonable reason why you didn't trust him that much."

"Mostly because I refuse to do that unless I know it's really love on their part, and I want to be an
equal to him. Not a toy, or a plaything. Or even a subservient lover. He still doesn't want to
pleasure me the way I do him. Seems he has this 'lesser being' hang up."

Hades nodded simply. "That's actually very common but his ego makes him the worst of all of us
about that." He shrugged, bringing them both to Ares' temple, settling the young God on the
couch. "Now then, rest for a few days. Let him fight for you." He smiled kindly. "Not that you
did so badly, but still. Oh, and working that way, you only have to do it once usually, so it's a
decent strategy." He looked up as Ares walked in. "He's all yours again. I suggest you not make
me come back for him." He tapped the piece of Titan's bone on his thigh. "We'll meet later to
decide what to do with this."

"Destroy it," Xander whispered. "That was *way* too close." He smiled up at the elder God.
"Go home, Hades, I hear your wife calling your name and she's with Athena again." Hades got
his best lecherous smile on as he left, leaving them alone. "Hi," Xander said quietly, looking up at
his lover.

"Hi," Ares said, lying down, putting his head in the younger God's lap to talk to him. "I'm sorry.
I heard what you said to him, just now. That and what Giles told me. I'm sorry I betrayed you
like that with Simon. I keep forgetting that you weren't raised up here." His lover nodded slowly.
"But you have to admit, by our code, I didn't do anything wrong."

"Ares," Xander said, his voice getting back its steel edge. "I'm not naturally one of you and I'm
not going to change. Not even for you. Personally, I think that may be part of the image problem
you guys have right now. The world thinks you're the orgy Gods." Ares frowned up at him.
"Admittedly, I don't care if you go top another God, but I refuse to be dominated. All along I've
said I wanted to be equal. Maybe not in power or skill, but in *our* lives, I refuse to be the lesser
being. Get over it." He pushed him off, pacing around the room. "I refuse to argue with you on
this point but I will compromise. If you feel the absolute need to dominate and conquer a lover,
then *tell* me and I'll let you go play on the mortal plane. No harm, no foul. Just no kids." He
stopped, looking at his lover, who was nodding. "Agreeable?" Ares nodded again, looking up
into his eyes. "Thank you. Now, I want to nap and you want to go yell at someone else."

"You left her living," Ares said quietly. "You're going to be known as soft."

"No, I'm going to be known by what I told her. 'You hurt me, I'll hurt you twice as bad.' I left
her alive to spread that word. It's all part of a brilliant plan to gain respect. I help those who need
it and I'm fair." That got a quiet snort. "To me, that's important. The world isn't a fair place.
Well, I'm going to try and I'll do a damn good job of it." He shrugged, heading for his new room.

"Wrong way," Ares reminded him.

"When I can trust you again, then we'll start sharing a room," Xander said, slamming the new
door down to his section of the temple, teleporting directly into his bed, which was filled with
Giles and Oz. "Hey," he said, snuggling down behind Giles' tight body. "Just napping."

Oz pulled himself up to look down at his friend. "Shouldn't you be upstairs?"

"When I trust the man again. Which shouldn't be too long. He's trying, which is the important
thing." Xander yawned. "Why? Kicking me out?"

Giles pulled the God to rest against his front, holding him tightly. "No, our beds are always open
for your sleeping needs," he said softly. "We're just worried that you're perpetuating the problem
by not going back to him."

"I set out my demands and he agreed. When he brings the pawns back up, we'll see if he can
control himself and if that works out okay, then I'll go back to my napping next to him."

"When are you going to let him have you?" Oz asked, gently reminding him of the real problem
behind all this.

"When I'm comfortable enough to do so," Xander sighed. He flipped onto his back, pulling his
friend down to cuddle. "Oz, that's a special act for me. You can't get much closer to me without
physically crawling inside of me and I want it to be special." That got a small nod against his
chest. "Ares makes me feel that way, but there's... there's still something off between us. I feel
like I have to do something still, or prove myself somehow. And I can't until I know what."

Oz yawned, nodding again. "Okay. You tell him that?"

"Just now. He heard. The man's a chronic eavesdropper." He blinked as the God of War
appeared in the room. "Thought you couldn't do that," he said sleepily.

"Well, I pulled a you and actually walked through the door first." He climbed into the bed with
them, waiting while the bed adjusted automatically. He curled up behind Oz's body, falling
quickly into a deep sleep.

Xander and Giles shared a look, then shrugged together, doing the same.

***

Xander spit his mulled wine across the living room, heading immediately down to fix Blair lying
to protect Jim, a plan forming in his mind as he traveled. He smiled as he popped into one of
Athena's pawns' workplaces, turning on the tv and bending down to whisper in the General's ear
as they watched the end of Blair's prepared lie. "He's lying," he whispered. "The man's protecting
someone. Ask the warrior of Athena if you don't believe me."

General Hammond coughed, rubbing his bald head. "Damn, what is this?" He looked around
then buzzed down the control room. "Doctor, come up here for a second, I want your opinion."
Two of his men walked in, and he pointed at the tv running the statement over.

"Whoa, Blair's still a bad lair." Doctor Daniel Jackson of the Stargate Project walked closer to
the television, putting on his glasses. "Huh, he found one then. I'm proud of him." He turned to
look at his boss. "The man's always been a bad liar."

"So you know him then," the General surmised, "and that's actually the truth?"

"Yeah, I'd get in touch with him. See if he has anything going now." He stood back up, smiling
at the General and his partner, Jack. "The man's a genius. We came up through some of the same
accelerated programs. Sticks to mostly native tribes though." He scratched his head. "I'd say call
on him."

"Would the military showing up..." Jack's mouth fell open. "*That's* who he was covering for?"
He pointed at the screen. "Ellison?" General Hammond nodded slowly. "Oh, sir, get them here.
Ellison was that guy that was stranded in Peru. And if Daniel said Blair's covering for his
abilities, then he's got to be. We could use a pairing like that."

Hammond sat up. "Who do we send?"

"Classify it," Xander whispered, smiling at Daniel as he scratched his ear. "I'm not harmful," he
told the too perceptive man. "Ignore me."

"Sir," Daniel said. "If you were him, would you welcome Military Intelligence right now?"

Jack shook his head. "Then pack a bag, we'll go." Hammond gave him a confused look. "Daniel
knows him, sir, and he and I could both use a break for a few days." He waved his partner out of
the room. "We'll call with updates, sir."

"Yes, you will," Hammond yelled after them.

Xander popped into Blair's apartment, about ten minutes before the people he had sent arrived,
frowning at the man on the couch across from him. "You lie worse than a cheap rug," he said,
making the Anthropologist jump in fear and spill his tea. "Sorry," he said with a grin. "Perk of
the job." He turned his head to smile at Jim as he walked in off the balcony. "Visitors," he said in
explanation. He waved a hand at the couch, pulling one of his legs up onto the arm of the chair
he was sitting in, mimicking his lover's most frequent pose. "So, how about classified?" he asked.

Blair shook his head. "I hate the military."

"Hey," Jim complained.

"What about good guys in the military?" Xander asked. He got a 'get real' look. "Oh, but I think
you know this one," he said, pointing at the door. "It's a fascinating project with total
classification." He smirked at Jim. "And they *know* you, man. Something about Peru?"

Jim snorted. "Everyone knew about that." He looked toward the door. "Visitors," he said,
getting up.

"Let Blair get it," Xander called, fading out.

"Don't *do* that," Blair called after him, not knowing he was still in the chair. He got up,
opening the door just as the men on the other side were going to knock. "Daniel!" Then he
passed out.

Xander laughed all the way home, tuning a portal to watch them. He tipped his head to get a
small kiss from his lover, then had to catch his breath after Ares was done with his mouth. "Gee,
missed me?" he guessed. He waved a hand at the screen. "Watch."

Blair came around, looking up at a very worried Jim and a man he used to know so well.
"Daniel," he said again, shaking his head. "He who disappeared off the face of the earth shows up
on my doorstep with a military guy the day after I tell the world the biggest lie in history since
Bush said 'no new taxes'?" He sat up, helped by Jim. "I'm not joining."

"Yay," Jack said, sitting down in the chair Xander had been in. "We just want to make a
proposition to you, tell you about a classified project your friend works on and see if you'd be
interested." He turned to look at Jim. "You'll like this one. Sit."

Jim and Blair exchanged a look then sat side by side on the couch, watching Daniel pace. "Blair,
remember my hypothesis for my diss?" The other anthropologist nodded slowly. "Well, I can tell
you, it's real. So very real we almost started a war because it was real." He glanced at Jack, who
waved him on. "We could use your knowledge because Earth was used as a feeder planet for
these colonies. On far away planets. And the Stargate sends us there."

Jim nodded then stood up. "I thought Blair had some crazy notions but this is way too out there."
He looked down at his partner, who mouthed the word, "Xander", making him sit. "Fine," he
grumped.

Jack smiled. "You should have heard my argument when they brought Danny in to work the
thing." He shrugged out of his jacket, tossing over a folder marked classified. "This was the first
three missions, of which there are now over six thousand." He looked up at Daniel, who was still
pacing. "Sit."

Daniel frowned at him. "I can't. I feel like I'm being watched."

Xander choked, then rolled his eyes, popping back to the loft. "Some people are all too
perceptive. I should have checked harder into your background." He looked at Jim, who was
watching him. "Yes, listen to them. They can get the dissertation classified so tight that no one
will know."

Jack hesitantly pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. "Done," he said. "Who are you?
For that matter, where did you come from?" He looked at Ellison. "Want to explain the
suddenly-appearing people?"

Xander rolled his eyes, checking with his boss, Athena, whose pawns these two were. He
nodded, then looked at Blair, who glanced at Daniel so he focused on him. "GodWar," he said
simply.

The military Anthropologist choked on thin air, clutching the back of the couch. "I thought that
was a myth," he gasped.

"Aliens," Blair pointed out. He looked at the God. "Ours?"

"Athena's. But she said it was okay to clue them in right now. She may make them forget
sometime in the future." Xander relaxed, watching Jim glance from him to the folder and back.
"Yes, Jim, it's true, just as your senses are." He smirked at the older man. "Just relax and let the
decisions flow. I can only offer suggestions here."

Blair turned to look at the officer across the open space from him. "It will be classified? If I need
to work with another sentinel, if I find one, will they be snatched? Will I have control over my
work? And most of all, am I expected to be going with you?"

"Slow down, Chief," Jim sighed, tossing back the folder. "I hate the military," he said, getting
comfortable. "I'm happy here with my life."

"We wouldn't need you full time," Daniel said. "On an as-needed basis. I'm great with some
cultures but not the native stuff Blair's a genius at. You could still work here, most of the time,
and maybe spend a few months with us." He gave his most winning smile. "We have autonomy,
Blair, and so would you. Your research would be put under our classification as something we
found and you'd always have control over future research. As a matter of fact, I think we can get
you back in your school with the words "Classified" and "Military". They'll make the connection
and Jim might have to do something to spook them. But the choice is yours."

"Where?" Jim asked.

"Cheyenne Mountain," Jack said, glancing at Xander again. "Who are you anyway?"

"Xander," he said, leaning over, shaking his hand. "God of Paranormal Beings and Ideals, they're
my people in GodWar." He smiled at his lover as he popped in. "Ah, my kitten. Ares, Athena's
pawns are trying to get Jim and Blair to go to that big, shiny ring you were checking up on
recently."

"Whoa!" Jack said, standing up. "Who are you two? No funny stuff either."

"Sit," Jim said quietly. "It's the truth. Ask your friend, he seems to know." He looked at Ares
and frowned. "Don't you two ever knock?"

"If we did, you'd never hear it," Ares told him, smirking at Jack. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, Stargate
Project, Air Force. Leader of SG-1, a fierce warrior brought back from retirement for this
project." He looked at Jim. "Your equal, only no heightened senses." Everyone frowned at him.
"Oh, please, I hate this cloak and dagger stuff." He looked toward the door. "M. I.," he said
simply.

Jack picked up the classification paper and his credentials, walking over to stop them. "Good
bye, gentlemen," he said, holding them up.

"I'm sorry sir," the first officer said. "We're to take Mr. Sandburg and Mr. Ellison with us."

Jack held up the paper. "We have precedence here, boys, go home and tell your commander to
call ours."

They looked at the paper, then at the sheet they held, which had a lower rating. One pulled out a
cell phone, dialing his leader. "Sir, I have an O'Neill here with a higher classification rating, he's
claiming precedence." He nodded, handing over the phone.

"O'Neill," he said cheerfully. His day was always made when he won against the oxymoron of
the military, Intelligence. "Yes, I am. Of Cheyenne Mountain actually." He turned to smile at
Daniel. "Yes, he's here too. We've already claimed them and his research to protect people. Get
over it." He hung up, handing back the phone and waving at them as he shut the door in their
face. "God, I hate those people," he said softly. "No offense," he said, catching sight of Ares
smiling at the other guy.

"Hey, none taken," Ares said. "I feel the same way." He smirked at Xander again. "He, on the
other hand, wants to do this the complicated way." He leaned down to kiss Blair's cheek,
flinching at the bolt that hit his rear. "Take it," he whispered. "They'll protect you and Athena
watches over them. Pure knowledge. You can even travel and do things."

Xander yawned. "Kitten, you can't force a decision. I'm new to this and even I know that." He
looked at Jim. "But it is what we think would be best for you, splitting your time between the
two."

Blair nodded. "I'd like to talk to their leader first," he said quietly. Jim touched his shoulder.
"No, I want to check this out. Being a Detective is great but I *need* a thirst for knowledge to
live." He smiled at his partner. "You okay with this?"

"If you go, I'm going," Jim said simply. "There's no way I'm letting you go to other planets
alone." He smiled at Xander. "Happy?"

"Not yet," he admitted. "Kiss him and tell him you're sorry you made him lie and I will be."

At the exact moment they kissed, Aphrodite let fly with favor Xander had asked, making the pair
realize what they had in their partner. Then it started to work on the rest of the room too.

Xander nodded at Ares to leave with him when the kissing and groping started to get intense.
"Hi," he said quietly once they were in their living room again. Oz cleared his throat so they
moved out of his line of sight of the game, going back to their kissing.

Giles smiled at his accomplice, then up at his bosses. "I'd say it worked," he whispered.

"What?" Xander asked, distracted by the lip lock he was in.

"Nothing," Oz and Giles said together. "But do we have to watch this?" Oz finished.

Ares moved them into his bedroom, laying them both naked on the bed with a mere thought.
"Want this," he sighed, pressing against his consort's body. "Make me yours," he pleaded, kissing
him again and again.

"Or we could go the other way," Xander offered in a small, afraid whisper. He quickly found
himself on his consort's stomach, kissing him, his ass being stretched by invisible fingers since the
God's two hands were rubbing down his back. "Slow down," he requested timidly, nuzzling the
strong neck. "Some of us are really new to this side of the act."

Ares smiled, making the fingers work slower but wider, wanting into the body of his consort so
much he would break rules for him. "Ready?"

Xander nodded and sat up, looking at the thick cock staring at him. "Um, how?"

"Easy, pet, sit on it." He held himself still, steadying his lover with his other hand, then simply
gave him some extra stability as he slowly sunk down. He waited until the younger God was all
the way down, after what seemed like an eternity, to move higher into him, thrusting gently.
"See, you control everything this way and I can still do this." He sat up, kissing his lover hard,
making many promises with his lips alone. He rested against the headboard, watching his lover
slowly ride him, enjoying the boy's shocked expression. "Good?" he asked.

Xander nodded, climbing off. "Yeah," he said straddling the tight waist, teasing his hole with the
solid pole of his lover as they kissed. "But I want to experience what you gave so many others,"
he whispered. Ares' laugh echoed around the room and Xander found himself on his back,
arching up as he was filled again. "Equal?" he asked.

Ares leaned down, giving him a gentle kiss. "Always, pet." He pushed in hard, watching his
lover's face as his breath caught. "So beautiful," he whispered, sitting back up to work his lover
harder. "You're my master in here," he told the younger man. "I simply follow you around,
panting after your luscious ass." He slammed in, earning a small howl of pleasure. "Come on,
pet, you can do better than that." The piercing brown eyes focused on his darker ones and he
winced. "Sorry, precious."

"Better, babe," Xander sighed, pushing his lover off him and climbing on top again. "But you're
making me wait too long." He rode him hard, using the body below him, enjoying it fully as he
got off, all over the older God's body. "Ah," he sighed, leaning down for a small kiss, avoiding all
the mess. "You need a bath," he whispered, nipping at the swollen lips.

"Nah," Ares said, rubbing the cum into his skin with a smile. "Now I smell like you." He flipped
them over, pounding his lover much faster and harder than he had been doing on his own. "My
turn," he said cheerfully, giving much better than the younger God thought possible. Ares
knocked the hand away from the recovering cock, pulling on it himself. "Come on," he whispered
seductively, "howl for me again, babe, make your kitten purr." Xander arched up into him again,
his orgasm pulling Ares' own out of him, making them both howl.

They lay on the bed, panting, Xander drawing little shapes into the drying cum on his lover's chest
and stomach. "Not too bad, right?" he asked, looking up into the almost black eyes then back at
what his fingers were doing.

"Not at all," Ares told him quietly. "Technique could use a little work but otherwise, for a virgin,
you did great." He rolled them over, stealing a long, hard kiss. "We should check on them again,
just in case."

Xander made a face. "I'm sore, sweaty, covered in cum, and did I mention sore, and you want to
go visiting?"

"I said check. We can create a portal to do that. While we bathe even." He popped them into
the bathroom, smiling at the tub that had been run for them. "See, someone heard us."

"You," Xander snorted. "Did you know you *yell*?" He pinched his lover lightly. "And I'm still
sore." Ares held out his hand, showing off the small piece of plastic in it, a very nice little plug.
"Where do you get sex toys up here?" He winced as it popped into his open hole. "Okay, I get
why you have it now."

The older God smiled wickedly at him. "Mortal plane. Go regularly. You can come next time if
you want." He climbed into the bathtub, helping his lover in to sit on his lap while he bathed them
with the lightly scented water. He watched his lover create a portal to watch their pawns, smiling
at the pile of sleeping bodies on the bed in the loft. "Looks like they got some too," he whispered
against the firm neck.

"Later, Ares, after I'm less tired and open." He turned his head to kiss the older God, stunning
him with his hunger. "Don't worry, you'll be getting plenty of chances to do that to me, same as I
will you from now on. Once I get started down a path, I go at top speed."

Blair chuckled lightly, looking into the portal. "Still haven't figured out how to make it a one-way
one guys?" Xander shook his head, grinning. "We're fine. Tired but fine, so go away and let us
sleep."

Ares leaned on his consort's shoulder, looking at the young men. "I just felt that there was
something wrong." He scanned the rest of the apartment and swore softly. "Wake them, Blair,
you're having more visitors and they're military too."

"Shit," Xander said, climbing out of the tub and bringing clothes to put on at the same time. He
beat Ares to the loft, frowning at the men coming over the balcony railing. "Oh, you shits," he
muttered, advancing on them, "you had to ruin my afterglow to pull this stuff?" He sent the first
three flying, and felt another God pop in behind him, grabbing him. "Get off," he said, pushing
Athena, hard, into the door. He finished off the last of the soldiers and turned to face the other
God, growling at his boss. "You'd do this to your own pawns?" he asked snidely.

"Hey, I'm trying to save them from you." He shook his head, looking at the soldiers. "Then
someone sent us both to protect them."

"Yeah, I'd say," Ares said, popping in, cleaning his nails. "Who is a good question."

"God of War?" Athena said snidely.

"Enough!" Xander yelled, a direct imitation of Giles. "People, focus here. Where are the
mortals?"

"Upstairs," Athena and Ares said together. Xander shook his head so his lover popped up,
leaning over the railing, scowling. "Not here," he said. He tossed down a black rose. "Who's
this?"

Xander looked at it and frowned, incinerating it. "Oh, let's go find out, shall we?" And he smiled
wickedly as he sent himself to where the pawns were. He looked dryly at Blair, grinning at
Daniel when he noticed him first. "You do find trouble, Sandburg," he said quietly. "Ever think
of fighting vamps?"

Jim shook his head. "Enough. Get us out of here." Xander shook his head, handing over the
keys he'd stolen from the guard up front. "You can't," he said dryly.

Xander wiggled his hand in the air. "Oh, I can do some things but I'm forbidden to actually
teleport you out of trouble. That's part of the purpose of using you guys, to see how well you
perform." He winced as he heard Ares scream at Athena again. "Enough guys," he whispered.
"Backup is good." He smiled suddenly, hearing Ares go scare the crap out of Simon as Athena
did the same to the other member of Jack's and Daniel's team. "Cavalry's coming guys, just relax
and fight back," he said, fading out.

Daniel scratched his eyebrow. "You know he's still here, right?" Everyone looked at him. "I
don't know how, just that he is."

"Genetics," Xander called down. "Check the lineage." He reappeared, handing over guns.
"Here, you'll need these."

"Why?" Blair asked, taking one, looking in the clip like a pro, Jim's teaching was starting to show
already. "We're still handcuffed." Jim glanced guiltily at him and handed over the keys, watching
as Blair handed them on. "Okay," Blair said, rubbing his wrist. "Cavalry?"

"Ares went to call bosses." He smiled at Jack. "Yours was most upset. Simon kinda expects
these two to be kidnapped." Jim growled at him. "Hey, stuff it. The van's going to be pulling
onto a base soon. I'd hop out when it slows down but be careful of the guards." Xander popped
out of the truck, looking at the woods surrounding the supposedly abandoned base. He whistled,
and the mortals all started to jump out, Daniel last. He was almost in the clear when the guard
noticed, firing blindly. "Ow," Xander said, rubbing his arm where a bullet had passed through
him. He waved the gun into the ground, letting it fire off harmlessly, and holding it there no
matter what the mortal soldier did. All the while, he was looking around, trying to see who the
pawn he could feel was and to which God they belonged. What he saw took his breath away.

Six pawns, all belonging to the same God, were running his way. And the God they belonged to
didn't belong on this plane. He frowned, waving a hand to stop them, but they didn't even blink.

"Won't work," Rayden said from behind him. "They're not from around here." He stopped them,
appearing long enough to blow the ground up under them and watch them all fall into the pit he
had created. "Your pawns all need to move faster. The soldiers are good but the other two aren't
that good at maneuvers."

"No," Xander sighed, wrapping his arm around the Elder God' of Earth Realm's waist. "They're
brain power." He shrugged. "Those two are planners, learners. And only one of them is mine."
He looked behind him as people started to show up and by the time he had glanced back, Rayden
was gone. "That's *so* cool," he whispered. He appeared to the soldiers and the officers,
pointing into the woods.

Simon nodded, pulling General Hammond with him, muttering something that sounded like,
"long story, trust me."

Ares popped in beside him. "Did the boys get off okay?"

"Jim and Jack leading." He silently moved into the waiting arms. "What were those things?" he
asked quietly. He looked up when he didn't get an answer, his gaze going to where his lover's
was stuck. "Yeah, them. Rayden said we can't fight them with our powers, and that they aren't
from here." Ares silently nodded then popped out, heading to the other Gods he guessed. He
turned, concentrating on his subjects nearby, feeling a kindred touch from two of the creatures.
He summoned them to him, using his power to block the one feeding them. "Over here," he
called softly, looking directly into their eyes. "You don't want them."

"They're warriors who have the Gods' ears," the half-bull-looking creature said. "We want them
for that reason." The thing next to him shot him to stop him talking.

Xander frowned, tuning into the discussion at home, sending his boss the information he had just
gotten. "Be careful, Jim," he whispered, using a trick Ares had taught him to send the words
directly to the Sentinel's ear. "The creatures after you aren't human and they aren't after Daniel
and Jack. They want you because we talk to you." He turned at the touch to his shoulder,
spinning to face his boss. "Hey, Athena. I still can feel a connection to one of them." He pointed
to where the creatures were talking with the soldiers, giving out orders. "Traps?" he said,
chewing his lip. "Not a chance."

"No," she said softly, holding onto his arm so he couldn't move. "You can't interfere here,
Xander. This isn't your battle."

He shook her off, leveling his best glare at her. "Rayden helped me, and again a few minutes ago.
I'm helping my pawns. And yours." She shook her head. "Then spank me later, boss lady, I'm
going to go fight." He popped away from her, landing in front of a panting Jim. "Guys," he said,
flinching when Jack leveled his gun at him. "Hey, easy. Info stuff here." He touched the back of
Jim's neck, sending some of his personal energy to help him recover from the exertion. "Your
bosses are here, Ares went home to tell about the alien travelers. I'm not supposed to be helping,
so said my boss, but I'll be damned if I'm leaving you out here alone." He helped Jim stand,
feeding him a little more energy. "Now then, there are traps out here. I heard them talk about
them." Blair started to open his mouth. "Tainted by magic, over which I'm God here." The
Anthropologist nodded, handing Jack his gun. "Good, now, use your other skills and get out of
this." They all turned toward the crunching coming from the woods. "Hiding would be good," he
reminded them.

"That's Teal'c," Jack said. "I recognize him anywhere." He started to open his mouth but Daniel
covered it. "Not him?" he whispered.

"No, I feel something funny from that direction, not him." He looked at Xander. "Hiding?"

"Hiding means staying safe until the cavalry gets here." They all nodded, looking at Blair, who
was building a small trap of his own and Jim, who was constructing a shelter. Xander used some
of his abilities, using a lower level of power instead of his God powers to help so he wouldn't give
them away. There was an advantage to being God over a bunch of sorcerers. He waited until
they were all inside to call out to any creatures he had in the woods, sighing when he only felt
one, a plant demon. "Come help," he said. "My subjects need a diversion."

The first creature crashed through the woods, snarling at the lone man in the clearing, sniffing the
air. "Gods," he growled, his voice sounding like it had rolled over a few rocks on the way out.
His animal arms came up, leveling a gun at the man. "Go home and die at your puny God's feet,"
he growled.

Xander shook his head. "Nope. You aren't scary at all. Vamps, now they're scary. Demons are
scary, you're just a mixed up little guy, aren't you," he said, walking closer, using the magic that
had joined his parts to call out to it. "You want to worship me instead," he said quietly, smiling.
The creature fired and he ducked out of the way, away from where the mortals were hiding.
"Gee, not a good thing," he said as he brushed himself off. He concentrated on pulling the magic
apart at the seams, separating the thing. Its death howl was the most horrible sound ever heard
on the planet, but it didn't hurt anyone as it vanished.

"Wow," Ares said, popping in behind him. He looked down at the stained clothes. "Now you
know why I wear leather," he said, changing the young man's clothes for him to a leather pair of
pants and vest, with one of his own shirts under it. He smirked at the small smile. "Hey, anytime
babe, but you're not supposed to be here."

"Yay," Xander said coldly. "They're trying to hurt people to get to us. They can all fucking die."
He waved his hand at the creatures he could now feel nearby. "Apart," he chanted slowly,
concentrating on that thought. More howls rent the air, sending shivers up the Gods' spines.

Simon burst through the trees, looking around. Xander pointed him at the shelter so he nodded,
going to help his people. And the two that weren't. "Ares," Xander said quietly, fading out
partially for privacy. "I want these guys, really bad." The older God shook his head. "Tough.
Go run home to daddy and tell him I said so. No one threatens this world. I fought too long and
hard in my young mortal life to save it, to see it destroyed by those unnatural *things*," he spat
the last word, earning a small smile. "You can help or you can hinder or you can watch me play
for a while, take your pick."

"Xander, I promised to support you," he said simply, causing them to reappear in the clearing,
scaring the soldiers.

"Easy," Jack said. "He saved us." He smiled then looked at Blair. "So, coming with us for a
while?"

"All of you," Hammond said, motioning Xander over.

"They have their own way out," Daniel said quietly. "They can handle it where we can't." The
General gave him a dirty look but by the time he turned back to the men, they were gone. "See?"
He wrapped his arm around his friend's waist. "So, tell me what you've been up to, Blair, I miss
our midnight discussions."

Xander looked around his and Ares' temple, frowning at his lover. "I need to be there."

"Sure, but you also need machinery," he reminded him. "Your strength won't last that long, not
this soon after being so dangerously ill." He handed him a small bag. "Go ahead, it's yours. I had
it made especially for you."

Xander pulled out the gun, smiling at the shiny black color. "Wow," he said, looking up and
giving his lover the best grin he'd seen yet. "Normal or otherwise?"

"Heph made it. Just don't push the blue button when it's facing toward you; it's supposed to be
able to take out a God, or at least stun one."

The younger God nodded, stopping long enough to steal a kiss before going back to the clearing.
He popped in behind Rayden, a little upset when the Elder God didn't even start. "Hi, here to
help," he said, holstering his gun.

"Go home, kid," one of the Elder God's pawns said.

Xander snorted. "I'd shut up now, boy, before I take you out." He smirked at Rayden. "I've
been taking ego lessons from Ares." He blocked the mortal's kick, sending him crashing
backwards into a tree, just enough to daze him. He didn't want to *really* hurt the guy. "So,
what's my part?" he asked nicely, his eyes blazing.

Rayden nodded. "You're helping me. Nice weapon. Hephaestus make it for you?" He got a nod
so turned back to his people "I don't know what they are..." he started.

"Creations," Xander said, frowning. "Made with magic to glue them together. I pulled a few
apart when they didn't listen to reason." He looked back up to see everyone looking at him.
"And they can smell when you've been conversing with a God, somehow. That's why they went
after Athena's and my pawns for GodWar." Rayden nodded. "They've got no real minds, only a
set of commands overlaying everything that used to be there. Major programming going on inside
them. And," he cleared his throat, "they can see us, Rayden, even when we're only partially
there." The Elder God nodded slowly. "I only faced one fully, and I ended up ripping him apart.
The others I took out from a distance."

"Who *are* you?" one of the mortals asked.

"I'm Xander, Pike," he said softly. "I trained with Buffy before getting my Godhood." The
mortal looked startled. "And the last time I knew, she was still around too. Bothering her ex, but
still living." The mortal nodded, backing up.

"God of..." the man that he had shoved into the tree asked.

"Paranormal creatures and phenomenon." He smiled slightly. "It's my background. But I studied
Godliness under Ares."

"And many other things," Rayden said quietly, his eyes telling the other God that it was a small
joke. "Let's go people, no time for fun or polite introductions." He held Xander back. "What
does it do?"

"The blue button is supposed to be able to at least stun a God, maybe take him out." He licked
his lips. "Just don't get in the way if I have to use it."

"Oh, I'm not that unfond of my career." He waved a hand, sending them to a new site. "Sorry,
you need to conserve your energy. Tearing them apart must have been a drain."

"Little bit," Xander said, right before tearing apart another one, "but I deal."

***

Ares was waiting on the bed when Xander popped back home, wrapping him into a tight hug
while he unwound from the battle, tossing his weapon onto the floor. "You were excellent," he
whispered, "but dad wants to see you."

"He can fuck himself for the next five minutes," Xander said, falling into a small nap.

Ares laughter floated around Olympus, alerting the other Gods that everything was going to be
okay again.

Zeus popped in, frowning at his son. "I said I wanted to see him," he said angrily.

"And I just fought for the mortal equivalent of three months straight. I deserve a *nap*," Xander
yelled, pulling the pillows over his head. "I'll come get bitched at by you when I wake up."

The rest of the Gods, who were all listening to the unpredictable pair, burst out laughing. Zeus
looked ready to toast them where they laid but he popped out, going to take his anger and
frustration out on some of the other Gods. He didn't want a revolt on his hands.

Hera popped in later with a small tray of nectar, smiling at the two young Gods. "Boys," she said
softly, handing it over to Xander since he was awake. "How did it go?"

"Fine," the younger God said, mouth full. "We won, they went home, crying for mommy. Or the
sorcerer who made them," he said when his mouth was clear. "Rayden sends his thanks for not
pulling me away. Said I had a great head for battles and he looked forward to meeting me in the
next GodWar since he's not in this one." He slurped another orange cube, handing the tray over
to Ares as he woke up. "I'll go see fussy in a few minutes. Let me change and get clean." He
sniffed himself and became an interesting shade of green.

Hera laughed lightly. "I'll tell him so. Just come when you're ready. He's calmed down now."
She disappeared, leaving them alone.

"Really?" Xander said, smiling at his lover. "Does that mean..." Ares shook his head. "Oh, well,
maybe later."

"Later we have a strategy meeting," Ares told him. "I can't read your handwriting about your
future plans." The younger God nodded, getting up to walk into the bathroom, and of course he
followed. "What did you want Blair to discover?"

"Besides a place where he was needed for himself and Jim?" Xander asked as he scrubbed his
skin hard to get all the grossness off him. "Um, tell you later," he said quietly, looking around.

"Ah, okay," Ares said, leaning against the doorway. "So, Dad's, then what?"

"Here, meeting, sex, you on bottom, and then another nap after we check up on Blair." He
turned, scrubbing his back with his powers so he could enjoy the water at the same time. "Get me
some clothes please, babe. Something comfy for a long lecture."

Oz walked into the bathroom, handing the outfit over to Ares. "Watch out. Giles was just out
there and Zeus wants a piece of your ass, literally." The two friends shared a look then the
assistant left to give them a little more privacy.

"Over my dead and rotting corpse," Ares muttered, putting down the clothes to pick up a towel,
tenderly rubbing his lover dry. He kissed his stomach before standing up and doing it again on his
lips, smiling at the hungry creature his lover turned into. "Well worth the wait," he whispered,
leaning into the consort's side.

"Yes, it was. That'll teach you to be less impatient I hope." Xander cuddled, letting Ares
dress him in the clothes Oz had picked out. He looked down at the leather outfit, smirking.
"Ooh, I look like Dominant Xander now." He looked up to see his lover panting over his
skintight, almost all-leather outfit, and an even tighter tank top under the jacket and pants. "Do I
look edible?" he whispered sexily.

Ares swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, oh yeah. I never realized leather stretched that well." He
wiped his forehead. "Come on, I want to see you do... fix my father."

Xander's laugh lasted the whole time they teleported out to the meeting area. He kissed his
boss's cheek before sitting on her right side, on the slightly lower couch. "Hey, Athena, what's the
gossip since I was gone?"

"Well," Aphrodite said, leaning closer. "Hera's had a new mortal imported and Persephone is
preggy again." She winked at him. "And Heph wants to know how the gun worked."

"Really well. That blue button had to be used to rip those things apart but their God never
showed." Zeus cleared his throat. "Oops, gotta be nice now." He turned to look at the father of
the Gods, then stood up. "Rayden asked me to extend his thanks for my help," he said, smiling
slightly. "He said I was quite an asset and a credit to this pantheon's name." Ares smirked and
Athena chuckled lightly. "He also said that they couldn't come back for a while longer so we're
all safe." He started to sit back down but the Father of the Gods moved his couch away. "You
wanted to say something about my saving my subjects and yours?" he asked coldly, glaring at
Zeus. All the laughter stopped and every God, assistant, and mortal on Olympus tuned in to
listen. "'Cause I'm not sorry for doing it. Unlike some people who have forgotten why they're
here, I know quite well why my subjects come to me with problems. And I solved a major one by
helping Rayden. Deal."

Hera laughed, smiling at him. "Well said, young one." She waved him closer, kissing his cheek.
"Very well put."

He backed up, nodding his thanks and went back to staring Zeus down. "Did you have a
comment or question?"

"No, I wanted to know how you managed to disrupt our quiet life." He glared at his son, who
started laughing. "Don't you know the proper way to be a God?"

"Yup," Xander said, "and I know the 'me' way too, which is right for me." He turned to look at
the other Gods. "Take it from me, if you don't like how I do things, too bad, 'cause I'm not
changing, not even for my kitten." Hades snickered, earning him a small smile of thanks. He
turned back to face the Father of the Gods again. "You want me to change, try changing my
upbringing by stealing me as an infant. You want to change the way things happen even more,
make sure I was never born, but I'll tell you this, my last act will be to curse you with all the
power I have left." Zeus' face fell. "Anything else?"

"Why don't you share?" he asked, pouting. "Everyone else does."

"Hey, I don't believe in that. I believe making love should be about that. Love. Pure emotion.
That's why I had to be sure of Ares before I let him have access. That's why I won't share. I
won't keep *him* from sharing but I refuse to share my body unless there's a real depth of feeling
there. Which makes two assistants and about three Gods." He smiled at Ares, holding out a hand
for him to join him. "Get with the times. These days, sex isn't about procreation, it's about
feelings and emotions." His lover hugged him tightly from behind. "Now, if there's nothing else,
I'm going to go show my man how much I love him and spend some time with my assistants, who
happen to be my dearest friends." He raised an eyebrow but Zeus waved him away. "Good night
then." He walked Ares back to their temple, taking the scenic route, picking up Oz and Giles on
the way. "Hey," he said as they walked through the door. "Let's play a game. Race ya!"

Oz smiled and shook his head before taking off after him. "Xander," he said. "Wait up. I want to
pick my own fighter this time."

Ares looked at Giles. "I think he's good for us."

"Both of their energies and outlooks are insightful at the most awkward times," Giles agreed,
smiling to himself. He and Ares shared a kiss before heading after their young men.

"Xander, you promised all the Gods I was going to get laid," Ares called to his lover.

"But Ares, we can have sex *anytime*," Xander whined. "Fun is more fleeting!"

"Don't pout," the two immortals and Ares shouted at the younger God. "You promised!"

"Who, me?" Xander said, smirking. "Got him," he crowed, earning an Oz groan. "Sorry man,
have to work out my aggression somehow." The video games sounds froze. "On second
thought. Oh, Ares!"

The God of War, one smart man when he wanted to be, ran from his lover before he couldn't sit
for many years.

To be continued?

Next Main Page