InsaneJournal

Who: Xander
Where: Chicago, IL
When: January 26th (Starts moments after Lois/Xander RP)
Notes: More explanations on what’s going on

Xander was tired and frustrated after a very long night with Lois. Their investigation was the easy part. Explaining about monsters and demons and having to prove it with a visit to a small vampire nest, was the hard part.

He understood her aggravation though. It was a lot to take in. He was sure she’d feel better in the morning after she had some time to let it soak in. Or in a day or so. Cause it was very difficult thing to believe in, even if you see it in front of your face.

Xander headed downstairs to the bar and saw Mary and Wendy cleaning up. It was very late in the evening and it was closing time. The final patrons few patrons finished their drinks and headed out. The two of them were obviously drunk frat guys.

“Dude, we should totally buy a bar,” one said as they passed him to the door.

“Yeah! Totally, with no last call. Bar doesn’t close until the last person is finished.”

If he had a nickel every time he heard that.

“There’s the stud,” Wendy said clearing off a table. “So…details.”

“What details,” Xander said as he helped clean the tables. He was off the clock, but he still didn’t mind helping.

“We saw you talking to that girl,” Mary said. “Then you ran off with her. So, spill. Did you two…you know?”

“What? No. It wasn’t like that. It’s…it’s complicated. But nothing happened. And nothing will happen. She’s just a friend.”

Mary turned to Wendy. “Me thinks he protest too much.”

“You haven’t been on a date since we’ve known you,” Wendy said. “It’s okay if you did. We won’t be jealous.”

She winked at him.

“I’m not looking to date anyone right now anyway. She’s a reporter for The Daily Planet. I offered to help show her around the city and find a lead on a story she’s working on. That’s all.”

And of course took her to a vampire lair and staked a few vampires, but other than that…
The two women nodded.

“Good. Now that I see you ladies are doing fine without me. I’m gonna head home. I’ll see you ladies Tuesday.”

Xander went home and made an international call to the new Watchers Council. If something weird was going on, Giles would know and what he could do to figure it out.

“Rupert Giles.”

“Giles, its Xander.”

“Xander, so good to hear from you. Been a few months since I’ve heard from you. How are things? You’re in Chicago right?”

“Yeah. Los Angeles wasn’t for me. New York seemed a bit too big for me. So found the middle area. It’s not that bad. Save for the usual vampire population, its fairly quiet,” he said stressing fairly.

“Notice you said fairly there…what’s going on,” Giles asked.

“Well, it’s probably nothing. Just me grasping at windmills or whatever…”

“Yes…”

“There was a guy who got killed here a couple nights ago. Ran over by a bus. And in a long complicated story short, I think something supernatural is behind it. It literally came out of nowhere. And all the witnesses say the same thing.”

“Xander, much as I’d like to think there’s something behind it, it just sounds coincidental. If you had more to go on…”

“I checked out the guy I think might have known something. He had a tarot card,” Xander said. What was it Lois said it was…”Strength Card I think. And I noticed his fridge was moved back. I know its small, but…”

“You believe that the two are connected?”

“In theory. Have any knowledge on this kind of thing Giles?”

“Sorry Xander. I think you’re seriously reaching on this one. However, the old council, before it was destroyed, dealt with certain antiques of an occult nature. There’s a shop called Curious Goods in your area. I’ve never dealt with them personally, but if you find some more evidence, go there. They might be able to help you.”

Oh, look. Xander just smacked into a brick wall.

“Okay Giles. Thanks anyway.”

“You’re welcome. But do keep me in on your progress on this. I might be able to help once we have more information.”

Xander sighed and nodded. Giles was right. He didn’t have much to go on save for a gut feeling. He was grasping and straws on this one.

“Alright. I’ll do that. Talk to you soon Giles. Bye.”

Xander hung up and plopped on the couch, letting the day wash away as he succumbed to sleep. One day, he might actually sleep in his bed.


The Next Day…

After a hearty breakfast, Xander went to the gym to work off some steam. He went towards the weight areas to do some weight lifting before hitting the treadmill.

“I work on my arms on Mondays, Tuesday I do my delts, Wednesday’s I work on my legs, Thursday’s I work on my biceps again…”

Xander rolled his eyes as he put in his earphones and began his MP3 player. He hated this gym at times. Most of the guys here were arrogant and only cared about themselves and how they looked. Basically a bunch of muscle monkeys that looked like they use steroids, most probably did.

As Xander started his weights he noticed a familiar person bench pressing.

It was Simon.

For someone of his size, he was lifting a lot. Looked to be just at 200 pounds, maybe more.

“Hey, string bean.”

It was the guy Xander saw when he came in, but he wasn’t talking to Xander, he was talking to Simon.

“You’re on my machine. Get lost.”

“I don’t see your name on it,” Simon said not moving continuing his work out.

“Funny. Get up. I have a system. And everyone here knows I use this machine at exactly 10:30 on Mondays.”

“Not today,” Simon said ignoring the guy.

The guy tired of playing games grabs Simon by the shirt and tosses him off the bench and to his friends.

“Thank you,” he said as he added more weights. “Now take a hike. And make sure this guy doesn’t bother me again.”

Simon reached into his pockets and walked away. He turned and stared at the guy before shouting. “I’d be careful. Don’t want to push yourself too hard. Might hurt yourself.”

The man scoffed and continued bench pressing his 350 pound weight.

Simon walked away and went towards the locker room. “Would hate for you to lose your grip and snap your neck,” he muttered to himself.

If Xander hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have believed what happened next.

The man pushed the weight up, but somehow his arms started to feel weird.

“Guys, my arms feel funny,” he said with his arms shaking. But before they could help, his arms became like spaghetti. The weight was too much for him to hold and came crashing down on his neck…snapping it as his arms fell limp.

One of his friends shouted, “Someone call an ambulance!”

There was a huge crowd gathered around the area. Xander snuck around to the locker room looking for Simon. After a quick look around, he wasn’t there. He must have been showering. Xander found his locker and snooped around.

Underneath the mans wallet, he found the tarot card…the lion. The same card he found last night.

“Strength,” he muttered under his breath.

Xander heard the shower stop. He put back the card and took off out of the locker room. Simon walked out glancing around the room, seeing the door slowly close. He looked in his locker noticing his wallet and card were not in the exact spot he left it.

Xander grabbed his bag and started to head out of the building. He pulled out his cell phone and the matchbook Lois gave him the night before. After dialing, he got her voicemail.

“Lois, its Xander. I think Simon just killed again. I’m at the health club I told you about. Some guy kicked him off the weight bench, now that guy is dead. Barbell snapped his neck. I checked out Simon after, he had the card on him. It’s connected somehow. A source of mine told me about an antique shop here in town, they might be able to help. Call me back when you get this.”

He hangs up, and when he turns around to head back he is face to face with Simon.

“You and you’re girlfriend were snooping on me last night weren’t you?”

“She’s not my girlfriend. And we weren’t snooping.”

Technically, they were investigating. Slight difference.

“Whatever. See…I don’t know what you think you know, but if you know what’s good for you, you’ll both back off.” He gets in Xander’s face. “Or there will be consequences.”

This guy was quickly gaining supernatural strength and could probably end up killing him, but Xander didn’t care. He put on the brave face he had put on so many times and stared right back, holding onto his resolve face.

“Sorry. Can’t. Not in my nature. You’re killing innocent people.”

“Who’s to say they’re innocent. You’ve seen guys like that all the time in your line of work. I’m doing the world a favor. Everyone’s better off.”

“And what’s in it for you? There’s always a consequence.”

“I get exactly what I’ve always wanted. I can stop people who try to get in my way.”

He punches out a window of a nearby car rips the door off. “Just like you are right now. And you know… Super-strength.”

“The card…”

“You have been snooping. Sorry to hear that.”

With a smirk, he swings the door and hits Xander with it, sending him flying across the street, landing on top of a car. Simon drops the door and heads down the street.

A crowd starting to gather around outside to see what happened. None of them saw what happened, all the saw was Xander on top of a car.

Xander tries to get up, but all he can see is stars. Things slowly get blurry before he succumbs to the darkness.