Author: Kate R.
Disclaimer: The Buffy peoples belong to Joss, the Gods belong to them selves, Joxer, and Xena et al belong to Ren Pics
Rating: PG-13 to R I suppose
Pairings: Giles/Ethan, Xandr/Spike, Angel/Wes, Ares/Joxer, Cupid/Strife
Summary: The Blood of war is important. But what is it?
The Blood of War
by Kate R.
Prologue: Explaining the Blood of War
"What was that?" Xander asked as he stared at Mr. Trick lying on the ground screaming. He stared as he realized what was causing the pain. Trick had bitten Giles. It had to be Giles' blood that ahd caused it but why?
Giles was standing looking down at trick and look on his face was not Giles. It wasn't even what Xander knew to be Ripper. It was a look he had never seen before. It was damn scary too.
"Deadboy," Xander began. "Did I just see what I thought I saw?"
"If you mean did you see Trick Bite Giles, have his blood spatter on Trick's face and see trick fall to the ground screaming in agony then Yes, you did see what you thought you saw. But, if you're asking me if I can tell you why? The answer is, I do not know."
"Why don't we ask him? Giles? What was that?" Xander asked the tweed-clad librarian.
"The Blood of War," Giles answered quietly.
Xander and Angel both did a double take as they thought back on the prophecy that had just been found that day.
"You have the Blood of War?" Angel asked.
"You misunderstand the wording, Angel," Giles said. "I do not Have the Blood of War. I AM The Blood of War."
Chapter 1: I'm Sorry, What?!?!
"I'm sorry, Giles but I could have sworn I just heard you say you are the Blood of War. That can't be possible cause War doesn't have Blood," Xander said.
Angel was looking at Giles and trying to tell Xander to shut up but the youth was not listening.
"Wrong, Xander," Giles said softly. "War does have Blood. He has children who also carry his blood and the blood of those he mated with to make them. He has me and he has Cupid. He has Harmonia and Demios and Phobos. He has Evander and Xena. He has children."
"You're talking about fantasy," Xander said.
Giles stopped and looked at him darkly. "Fantasy is it?" Giles asked coldly. "Long before that damn book of lies your father worships came about My Father was controlling over population, aggression and hate. My Family kept the world balanced. What has your Father's God done but ruin this world? I don't have time for this shit Xander, I have things I must do. Things I have to deal with. Do you know what my Blood being activated will cause?"
"No, what?" Xander asked.
"Hell on Earth if I can't find my Father's Sword. War was already going wild. Your precious One God never had control of it and he never bothered to put checks on things like hatred and greed. And now? Now War is out of control. If I cannot find my Father's Sword and my Father himself, this world will self destruct."
Giles turned his back on Xander and started walking back to the school. He ignored Mr. Trick's cries of pain as he left. He had no time for Mercy. Not right now.
"He's still Giles, Xander," Angel said. "But you are not Xander. You are becoming Hank Harris. Do you know how bigoted you just sounded? How close minded and arrogant and full of prejudice? Just because you can't do something and can't explain something with that book of lies your father worships you do not have the right to treat someone whose Blood is far more powerful like dirt. You want to be treated as something other than a damn joke? Then stop acting like one."
Angel walked after Giles and Xander stood staring down at Trick. His face was scarring and Xander knew not even Holy Water could do that. He stared at Trick's face and swallowed s he understood. Angel was right, Giles was more powerful. Giles was here and strong and his very Blood could do worse to a vampire than just mildly burn. But, not to just any vampire.
Xander knew Giles' Blood had hit Angel in the past and it had not burned. Not even when he was Angelus. It had not burned Spike either. Xander stood thinking about what that meant and it suddenly came to him like a bolt out of the blue: Giles' Blood only burned Evil.
Holy Shit.
Xander felt his worldview being changed as he thought about it.
Giles Blood only burned Evil. It did not burn Spike, Angel or even Angelus. It did sting Buffy and Willow. It did not burn Wesley, it did not burn Ethan. Ergo, Angelus was not truly Evil and Buffy and Willow---
Xander staggered into a wall in the alley and just stared as it sank in. If Giles Blood of War did not burn Angel then Angel was not as Evil as Xander kept claiming he was. If Giles' Blood did not burn Spike, Spike never was Evil. And IF Giles' Blood did burn Buffy and Willow then---oh, God.
Xander staggered to the corner of the alley and vomited, as he understood.
Angel was not the Evil he was sure was always around him. Buffy and Willow were.
"Come on, Xander," he heard as he felt Angel lifting him to his feet. "Giles is waiting for us."
Xander followed him to where Giles was waiting and Giles simply lifted his arm in offering. Xander ran to it. He needed to be sheltered and Giles was the best at granting that.
"Come on, lad," he said gently as his accent slipped and slid. "It's time we went home."
Chapter 2: Research and Discussion
"So. Lets see," Xander said three days after the attack. He'd been thrown out by his father and moved in with Giles when he called the bible a fraud. "We are looking for the Sword of War and the God of War because the balance on the planet is off and he was the balancer?"
"Exactly," Giles said. "More than that, If we can find my father and his sword, we can find the others as well. Hades could control all the vampires and demons and zombies. He and Bacchus sued to work together. Xander, vampires were originally a population control. The Slayer is not intended to slay all vampires, that's just what the church wants done because vampires are --- Different."
"Oh," Xander said as he pieced it together. "So, That's why your blood doesn't burn all vampires?"
"Exactly," Giles answered. "You noticed it did not burn Angelus and yet it did burn Jenny and the members of her clan when they came to the library. That is why they avoided me afterwards. They knew what it meant for my Blood to have done that. It meant I knew what they had done and that they had no right. Population control means population control and they had no right to punish a vampire for doing its job. They were just upset they got picked even though their clan was getting too big."
"So they threw a tantrum huh?" Xander asked.
Giles nodded.
"Angelus hates them for a reason," Angel said. "And so do I. Angelus is my best friend. I---when he lost me---it hurt. It hurt him so much he lashed out at the ones he saw as being responsible for it. He was going to ask you all for help but by the time he got here Jenny Calendar had already convinced you he was evil and since you already hated us, well, he thought why not give in and be what he was expected to be?"
"So, he just wanted you back?" Xander asked.
Angel nodded. "That's what that whole 'Open the portal to hell' thing was about. He just wanted to get me back and he was willing to do anything to save me. He is so sorry about that, Giles," Angel said. "He just---time was running out for me there and no one would help him so he did what he had to do."
"I understand, Angel," Giles said. "Is he better now?"
"Yeah," Angel said as he flipped through a book. "Much."
"Good. Oh, Ethan will be joining me here soon. Under no circumstances is Ethan to be attacked by anyone for anything. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Giles," Xander said.
Soldier guy stirred in him and Giles looked at Xander. "I need you and Soldier Guy to decide if you will follow My Father or stay with the One God. I need to know so I need to know if we will be at odds on anything?"
Xander closed his eyes as if having a mental conversation and smiled after a few minutes. "We'll work with your father or for your father since no soldier works With the God of War. Uhm, Giles, what's going to happen here?"
"Best case scenario is we find my father and the rest of the family and they get the planet balanced properly. Worst-case scenario? We all die. But, we need my father to win without massive property damage I know that even if there is another way. Now, lets get some rest, Xander. We bother need it. Angel? You can stay if you like."
"Thanks, Giles," Angel said. "See you guys later."
Xander went in to the guest room and Giles went up to his loft bedroom. He was so tired and he was going to need all of his energy and strength soon. It now became a race to find his father.
City Hall
The Mayor was staring at the scars that decorated Mr. Trick's face and he kind of paled. "It wasn't Holy Water?" he asked. "You are absolutely certain of that?"
"It was the Watcher's Blood," Trick said. "His blood spattered and it hit my face. Seeing what it did to my skin, I'm kind of glad I didn't swallow any. I don't know what it means Mr. Mayor. I just know I'm afraid of him."
The Mayor nodded and dismissed Mr. Trick. Only when he had left the office did the mayor begin to shake. He knew what it meant. He knew and he was terrified of it.
The Blood of War.
Chapter 3: Search Olympus
"Jesus, what happened to this place?" Xander asked as they walked through the marble paths of Mt. Olympus. Giles sighed as he picked up a piece of statue and looked at the face.
"Legends say Zeus went mad and tried to kill his family. He was prevented from it by his bother, Lord Hades, countering everything he did with something else. However, Zeus did eventually manage to imprison them all inside their temples. All but his brother whom no one ever knew what became of.Some say he and Zeus still fight. I don't think so. The others would still be free if they were still fighting. I think Zeus ahd Hades somewhere. He can't kill Death so he can't kill his family because Hades protects them."
"My dad was always good at that," Spike said.
The Bleached blond Vampire had joined them the day after Giles said Ethan would be coming soon. Ethan had arrived with Spike and seeing as they needed all the help they could get, Spike joined their quest. So did Dawn, Buffy's younger sister and the third active Slayer.
Giles had not realized Dawn was active until he came across her and young Wesley training in the Summers' backyard. He had been shocked that he had not realized it. Of course, Dawn was not his charge but he knew the girl so he thought he should have realized it. Wesley was proving to be a fine Watcher. He had followed Giles' lead and Dawn was proving to be a fine Slayer. She was young but Wesley was teaching her and training her and preparing her and yet, still leaving her time for a normal life. Dawn had time for everything a 12 year old could want to do, Wesley made sure of it.
Giles head turned as he caught a whisper of something. "Doors," he thought. He shrugged not understanding but willing to wait and see what it meant. He had a feeling of being watched by two separate and completely different presences. One felt good. The other---the other felt like sick
malignance and evil. Giles sighed as he walked. What was it about this place? "Doors," he heard again.
His head snapped around and the others all followed his gaze. Nothing was there. He shook his head and kept walking.
"G-Man?" Xander asked. "You okay?"
"Fine," Giles answered. "Just fine."
"LOOK OUT!!!!" A young voice yelled.
Giles whirled and saw marble heading towards him. He was slammed to the side by something not one of his children and hit the ground. The marble landed next to him. His head cleared and he found a little boy with wings staring at him.
"Hewwo," the little one said. "I'm Bwiss."
"I'm Giles," Giles answered.
Bliss grinned and hugged him. "You're here! You comed. Giles Fix?"
"Giles Fix," Giles agreed only knowing he had to say those words. Something was wrong here and this child was terrified by it.
"Giles, you don't know what you're offering to fix," Xander said.
Giles raised an eyebrow. "Does that matter on the Hell Mouth at all?" he asked.
Xander kind of stared and shook his head. The answer was no. If it needed fixing on the hell Mouth, Giles did his best to fix it. Why would it be any different here?
"You feels like Gwampa," the little one said.
Giles chuckled. "If you mean Ares, the answer is because I am his son. I'm Giles, son of Joxer and Ares. And you are?"
"Bwiss son of Cupid and Stwife. Gwampa said you'd come one day. He saided you'd fix."
"And I will, Bliss. But first I need to know what's going on here."
"Giles, Move!" Angel roared.
Giles rolled to the side taking the child with him and yet another piece of rubble hit the ground where his head had been a few minutes before.
"We go to Uncle Dis' temple. Gweat Gwampa Old Goat can't get us there."
Giles nodded and they all started running. They soon found themselves in the temple that belonged to Spike's father. Spike flopped into the throne, as so long as his father was not here, He was lord of the temple. Food appeared on the table at a mental thought from Spike and everyone tucked in.
Giles knew Spike was going as much by instinct as he was here so he let it go. Questions could wait until after they had done what was needed.
"Can you tell me what's going on now, Bliss?" Giles asked.
Bliss sighed and nodded. "Badness," the little one said. "Deep badness."
Chapter 4: Badness
"Okay," Giles said once they had all eaten. "Bliss, can you tell us what happened here?"
"Zoos went nutso, Daddy Stwife said," Bliss told them. "He goed cwazy and twied to kill Evweyone. Gwampa Dis stopped him but me not know how e'cept he used himsewf to doed it. Daddy say Gwampa Dis Wove us aw and he wouldn't wet Zoos hurt us. Gwampa Dis fighted Zoos and he gived us aw time to get fings in pwace. But, Then one night we hearded a scweam fwom Gwampa and it souwnded wike he was hurted badwy. We not find him and den Zoos wocked evewyone in tempwools e'cept me. I can go wherevwer me wants to go cause I not a full god so me not wocked to one gwoup. I visits Gwampa Awes and Gwampa Hephy and gamma Dite and Daddy and Daddy Stwife and Gamma Hewa and everybody. Ucle Pol misses sun. He getting sick now and me not know how to hewp him but maybe Giles can hewp?"
"Yes, little one," Giles said as Bliss wound down. "Giles help. Now, do you think since I am not bound to any house yet I might be able to go temple to temple? Or that maybe Xander here, not being of any Godly decent, could maybe open the door since Zeus cannot order him?"
"Me can go ask Gwampa Awes," Bliss said and flashed out. He was back a second later. "Gwampa being punished," Bliss said in tears, "but Daddy Stwife say yes, youw fwiend Xanner can open the doows and you can too."
"Good," Giles said. "Take me to Grandpa Ares' temple."
Bliss took his hand and led him with the others following. The black marble House of War soon loomed before them and Xander pushed the doors open for Giles.
"ZEUS!" Giles bellowed. "Face me you coward!"
A wind gust hit them but Giles remained on his feet. Giles was looking at a wall and he understood what the mural showed. It showed him being born and then hidden.
"This wasn't about protection or Power!" He yelled out into the wind. "It was about your children an your nephews and nieces and those you hurt! It's about Family! My Family Uncle. And I've come home!"
"You think to challenge me, boy?" Zeus demanded appearing and my god did he ever look on the insane side.
"I don't think to do anything, you pompous windbag," Giles growled. "I DO IT!"
"And you think you can?" the insane Sky God demanded.
"I'm here, right?" Giles retorted. "I'm here, still standing even after your little brush of wind, and I'm not bowing for you! This is only the beginning because I am here and I will NOT Let you continue to hurt them. I will open the doors to every temple on this mountain and I will find Hades! And there is not a damned thing you can do to stop me!"
"I can kill you, Giles," Zeus said and Giles laughed.
"By your own law you cannot," Giles informed him. "No god may harm any other with the intent to Kill. That is the only reason Hades is not dead. Because you cannot supercede that law. Well, I was not raised a God Zeus so even though you cannot kill me and maybe I cannot Kill you, I can damn sure hurt your sorry ass!"
"You Dare?" Zeus roared throwing lightening.
Giles, having had demons throw acidic venom at him, had reflexes more than sufficient to dodge
that. "Missed me," Giles said.
Another bolt was thrown and Angel moved as well, dodging and grabbing the ones who were not as fast. Xander ducked one and grinned up at Zeus smugly.
"Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me," the teen taunted in an old singsong children's taunt.
Zeus screamed in rage and Giles laughed at him. Zeus just froze. No one had ever laughed at him before.
"Get used to it, Old Goat," Giles said as he built a charge of Chaos Magic in his hands and slammed Zeus into the wall with it. "Because from now on, that's all the attention I'll spare you: To laugh at your butt ugly arse."
The blast threw Zeus through the temple of War and Giles sighed when he did not come back.
"Ow," Giles muttered. "Dammit."
"Giles?" a deep voice asked.
Giles looked up and grinned. "Hello, father," he said to the tall, leather clad man. "It's good to see you again."
Then, Giles did what anyone would do who had just faced down and insane sky god: he passed out.
"G-man needs a nap," Xander said with a smile. "Long few months. Hi, I'm Xander. Who are you?"
"I am Ares," the leather clad man said. "God of War."
"Oh," Xander said in shock. "Okay."
END PART 4