The Devil Went Down To Sunnydale IX (Patreon)

Chapter IX: Hunter & Hunted

                                                             – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Your Infernal Beginning: A Guide for Newly Reincarnated Devils

Greetings and congratulations on your transformation into a Devil! As you step into this new chapter of your existence, we warmly welcome you to a realm of infinite possibilities and power. This booklet is designed to serve as your introductory guide through the exciting and sometimes daunting world of Devil society.

While the term "demon" often conjures images of various malevolent supernatural entities across the multiverse, as a Devil, you belong to a unique and distinguished lineage.

Your Heritage

Devils, also referred to as Fiends, are descendants of Lucifer, the original Satan, and Lilith, the first woman and Queen of Demons. This divine and infernal lineage grants every Devil not only remarkable longevity and formidable strength but also an immense potential for accruing power. Unlike the broader category of demons, generally rabble of no greater worth or potential and rather ugly at that—varying widely in appearance and ability—Devils possess a strictly human appearance, reflecting their unique origin of being formed by beings made in the image of Him.

You are now part of a unique and powerful community, distinguished by its rich heritage and powerful innate abilities. As a newly reincarnated Devil, there's much to learn about your new form, the powers at your disposal, and the societal structures that will define your new life.

Here, you will find everything you need to navigate your transformation successfully:

• Understanding Your Abilities: Learn about the potent magical energies known as Demonic Power that you now command, and how to harness them effectively.

• Society and Hierarchy: Get to know the complex hierarchy that structures Devil society and where you fit into this new world.

• Cultural Insights: Dive into the rich cultural traditions and the ethical considerations of being a Devil, helping you to interact and thrive among your peers.

• Common Challenges: Equip yourself with knowledge about the potential challenges and vulnerabilities you might face, including how to overcome them.

This guide aims to ease your transition, providing you with a foundation of knowledge that will help you embrace your new identity with confidence.

Harnessing Demonic Power: Understanding the Paths to Strength

Demonic Power, also called by names such as Infernal Energy and Nether, is the energy of darkness and chaos that runs in the veins of greater demonic creatures, like Fiend Demons (devils) and the basis for their powers. Far more dense and potent than human Mana, and effectively the metaphysical equivalent of miasma compared to the pure oxygene that is Angelic Energy, aka Holy Power or Aether. Nether functions best with a mind attuned to aggresive, negative emotions and works best alongside said emotions.

As a newly reincarnated Devil, one of your primary concerns will be understanding how to gain and grow your Demonic Power. This natural essence, which is the core of a demon's strength, can be augmented through three traditional Ways, that of the Devil, that of the Imp, and that of the Fiend.

The Devil Way: Pathways of Wrath, Pride, and Gluttony

• Wrath: Engaging in combat is a traditional method for Devils to enhance their power. When you defeat enemies, especially those who are strong or numerous, you can acquire a portion of their animus (outer life) or vitus (inner life), components of their soul. It’s important to note that while animus can regenerate, excessive draining can be harmful, thus moderation and respect for foes remain crucial.

• Pride: Belief in one's own power is more than just confidence; it is a means of soul-strengthening. Achieving unyielding self-assurance can significantly amplify your Demonic Power. However, true pride requires not only belief in oneself but also accomplishments that justify such belief.

• Gluttony: Historically, consuming the essence of other beings offered a rapid increase in strength. Currently, this practice is largely abandoned to promote ethical interactions with other entities and to foster healthier relationships within the multiverse.

The Imp Way: The Path of Sloth

• Sloth: The slow and natural increase of Demonic Power over time is considered the least effective method. Especially for those not born with substantial inherent power, relying solely on passive growth can result in minimal gains. Active engagement in other methods is recommended to truly grow in power.

The Fiend Way: Paths of Greed/Envy and Lust

• Greed/Envy: Making contracts with humans is a primary function of modern Devil society. By fulfilling human desires, you can acquire portions of their soul, either in the form of animus or vitus. 

• Lust: This method involves the absorption of animus or vitus through intimate connections. Relatively effe- “Xander!”

“Whazzat?!”Xander jumped slightly as a hand slapped his arm. His head snapped up and snapped to the side as he looked over at Willow, quickly stuffing the booklet titled "How to Be a Devil" into his back pocket, hoping she hadn’t seen it. Can’t explain how my devil boss gave me a training manual.

"The zebras?" she shouted again with a giggle, still pointing.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Xander flashed a lopsided grin, quickly deflecting with humor. "Are they black with white stripes, or white with black stripes? Like, make up your mind." 

Willow, however, was not to be distracted. She frowned, obviously not amused by his attempt at humor, and pointed vigorously toward the zebra enclosure. "No! They're mating!"

Xander turned his gaze in the direction she pointed, his expression transforming into one of mild shock mixed with curiosity. "Oh... wow, just like the Discovery Channel," he muttered, a goofy chuckle leaving his lips as he watched the natural scene. 

"I can't believe they would do that with everyone watching," Willow continued, her voice a mix of fascination and embarrassment. "It’s like they don’t even care that we’re here."

Xander raised his eyebrows, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, when nature calls, I guess." He glanced around, noting that a few other students were also watching, some with interest and others with embarrassed giggles. 

Trying to shift the topic from zebra romance, Xander leaned closer to Willow, lowering his voice. "So, did you bring any of those oat bars your mom makes? Because watching all this zebra action is making me hungry."

Willow rolled her eyes but smiled, digging into her backpack. "You're impossible, Xander. Here," she said, handing him a homemade oat bar. "Don't ever change."

"Thanks, Will." He accepted the snack, grateful for the change in topic and the chance to recover from the surprise of their unexpected zoological lesson. As he chewed, his thoughts drifted back to the hidden booklet in his pocket. How to Be a Devil, huh? More like how to navigate life without freaking out your friends.

"You know, I've been thinking," Willow said suddenly, her gaze thoughtful as she watched the zebras now calming down. "We learn about all this stuff in school, right? Biology, math, history... But when do we ever learn about the really important things?"

Xander paused mid-bite, considering her words. "Like what? How to file taxes, or all the fun parts of Sex Ed?”

“Xander!” Willow’s face went red, the redhead averting her eyes as she cast her eyes to the ground. “I… I… letsgofindBuffy!”

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"Hey! Buffy!" Xander called out, his voice echoing slightly in the open space near the elephant enclosure. He and Willow had just seen something in the zoo that definitely beat any biology class. She’s gonna get a kick out of this, he thought, a grin already spreading across his face. Jogging up to her, he noticed the distracted look on her face as she rounded the corner, her eyes distant and her brow slightly furrowed. Uh oh, looks like someone's got a case of the Mondays... on a Thursday.

Willow was practically bouncing next to him, her usual state of being whenever she had exciting news. "You missed it!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with the kind of enthusiasm that made even the mundane seem thrilling, like she had just discovered the secret to cold fusion or something.

Buffy, always a good sport, played along, her brow furrowing further in mock curiosity. "Missed what?" she asked, turning to face them fully, her hands on her hips in a classic Buffy pose.

Xander couldn't suppress his grin, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards like they had a mind of their own. "We saw the zebras mating," he announced with a dramatic flair, his hands waving in the air as if presenting a grand revelation. "Thank you, very exciting," he added, his tone dripping with sarcasm, though a part of him really found the whole thing bizarrely interesting. I mean, how often do you get to see a live nature documentary?

Willow chimed in, her description vivid. "It looked like the Heimlich. With stripes." Her smile was usually contagious, lighting up her whole face, but Xander could tell that Buffy's reaction was subdued this time, like she was only half-listening.

"And I missed it," Buffy played along, her voice laden with feigned disappointment, her bottom lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout. "Yet, somehow I'll find the courage to live on." She gave them a theatrical sigh, the back of her hand pressed to her forehead like a swooning damsel, which made Xander chuckle.

They began to meander along the zoo's pathways, the gravel crunching under their feet and the scent of popcorn and animal musk mingling in the air. As they walked, Xander felt the need to probe a little, to see what was up with Buffy's mood. "Where were you?" he asked, genuinely curious about what could have taken Buffy away from their planned meet-up. “You find a vamp in the monkey house or something?”

"I was looking at the fishes," Buffy replied, tone flat and uninterested.

"Was it cool?" Willow asked, sounding at least three times more sincere than Buffy.

Buffy seemed to consider her answer for a moment, her head tilting slightly to the side as if weighing her words. "It was fishes," she said simply, her shoulders lifting in a small shrug.

Picking up on her lack of enthusiasm, Xander couldn't help but comment, his brow raising slightly. "I'm feeling that you're not in the field trip spirit here," he observed, trying to keep the mood light despite sensing her subdued vibe. Come on, Buff, this is supposed to be a fun day! No slaying, no vampires, just good old-fashioned teenage shenanigans.

Buffy's response was very bleh, her eyes darting away for a moment. "Well, it…it's nothing." She shrugged again, but this time it seemed forced, like she was trying to convince herself as much as them. "Anyway, we did the same zoo trip at my old school every year. Same old, same old."

Oh no, we're not letting you off that easy, Xander thought, determined to get to the bottom of Buffy's funk. "Buffy, this is not just about looking at a bunch of animals," he pointed out, his voice playful. "This is about not being in class." 

That got a smile from Buffy, small but genuine, like a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds. Xander felt a hint of pride for managing to lift her spirits, even if just a little. Score one for the Xan-Man!

"You know, you're right," Buffy admitted, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she looked around again. "Suddenly the animals look shiny and new."

"Gotta have perspect-wait, what’s going on there?” Xander’s tone and attention shifted as the three of them slowed down slightly, his eyes focused on another student entering the closed off entrance to the hyena exhibit, said entrance absolutely covered with multiple warning signs, caution tape and flashing orange lights.

“Was that Lance?” Willow asked, eyes slightly wide as the boy disappeared down the path, followed by several others quickly dipping in after him.

Xander frowned. Lance Lincoln was a shy kid who was often bullied and had often been since middle school, simply for the fact that he always gave in to said bullies, making him an easy target in their eyes.

“Yeah,” Buffy frowned as well. “And he was with Kyle’s group, those idiots.”

Xander’s scowl deepened. There was something very wrong about this picture, and it was as obvious as Lance’s bright red sweater — he would never be part of that crowd. Xander knew Lance was no more likely to hang with Kyle and those guys than Willow was. Or himself, even. Like, not at all.

“What are Kyle and his buds doing with Lance?” Willow asked.

To Xander, the answer was clear. “Playing with him, as the cat plays with the mouse.”

“What is it with those guys?” Buffy asked. They stopped at the tape, looking down the path. Lance and the others were gone from sight. “They tried to get in my face right before you guys showed up.”

“They’re obnoxious,” Willow said, crossing her arms over her chest as the three of them walked closer to the hyena exhibit. “Professionally.”

"Every school has 'em," Xander explained, his voice carrying a casual, almost dismissive tone as he shrugged his shoulders. "You start a school, you get desks, some blackboards, and some mean kids." He counted off each item on his fingers, as if it were a universal checklist for educational institutions. "It's like a package deal, you know? Can't have one without the others."

Buffy started toward the tape, her eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, well, I better extract Lance before —" Her words were cut short as Xander raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks.

But Xander raised a hand before she could actually enter, stopping her in her tracks. “I’ll handle it, Buffster” he offered. “This job doesn’t require actual slaying.” I hope. He ducked under the tape and headed for the hyenas, fully aware that the two girls behind him were watching him go. 

Quickly walking down the tunnel towards the hyena exhibits, Xander's nose wrinkled as a pungent odor assaulted his senses. It was like rotten, fetid meat — many days, if not weeks old — and it made him want to gag. What the hell are they feeding these things? he wondered, his stomach churning at the thought. Roadkill surprise?

As he approached the exhibit, he arrived just in time to see Lance being held in front of the bars to the hyena cage, his face mere inches from the snarling beast within. The hyena stood in the middle of the pen, it's dark muzzle pulled back to reveal large, pointed teeth that gleamed in the dim light. It growled menacingly, the sound sending a shiver down Xander's spine.

"Hey!" A familiar voice yelled out, fear and anxiety clear in its tone. Xander's head snapped towards the sound, his eyes widening as he spotted Lance struggling against the grip of his tormentors.

Xander's grimace shifted from disgust to anger as he saw a hand on the back of Lance's head — from who exactly, he wasn't sure — pushing the boy's face even closer to the cage as the group of bullies laughed, their voices echoing off the concrete walls.

"Ow!" Lance whined, his voice high-pitched and panicked as he struggled to step away from the growling hyena. "Stop it! That's not funny!" He squirmed in their grasp, his feet scrambling for purchase on the smooth floor.

Xander heard that last part, and had to agree — despite the raucous laughter coming from the Kyle Brigade, none of it sounded terribly humorous. In fact, it sounded downright cruel. "He said, stop it!" he shouted, his voice booming in the enclosed space as he leapt up the stairs and into the thick of it.

With a strength he barely held back to avoid doing damage, Xander yanked the bullies' arms away from Lance, his fingers digging into their flesh. He shoved Lance out of their reach, sending the boy stumbling in the direction of the stairs. "Go on, get out of here," he urged, his eyes never leaving the group of teenagers in front of him.

As Lance stepped a good distance away, cowering by the stairs, Xander found himself eyeball to eyeball with Kyle, the ringleader of the little gang. "Why don't you pick on someone your own species?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The other dark-haired teen glared back, not giving an inch. "What, are you gonna get in my face?" he sneered, his lip curling in a mocking smile.

Xander scoffed, his own lips twisting into a sneer. "Where does it look like I am right now, genius?" he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm so close I can smell your breath, and let me tell you, it ain't minty fresh."

The hyena interrupted the stare-down with another long, low growl. It raised its head into the light again, its eyes glinting with an almost unnatural intelligence. Xander found his attention drawn to the animal in a way he couldn't properly put into words. The thing was not lovely at all, its fur matted and its teeth bared, but its eyes held a mesmerizing quality, and the five of them — Xander included — found themselves staring into those eyes, unable to look away.

                                                               – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

The Next Day

Xander was not feeling his best.

That was putting it rather mildly.

In more accurate terms, he felt like someone had refried a bucket of shit in oil mixed with sewage and then let that concoction sit in the sun to get nice and warm. And then force-fed it to me, he thought, his stomach churning at the mere idea. Yum yum, gimme some.

So, yeah… not his best. 

Not by a long shot.

He'd been weird since after the zoo yesterday, his memories of what he'd done after rescuing Lance seeming oddly faded out, like someone had taken an eraser to his mental chalkboard and just went to town and then slammed that eraser into said chalkboard. Might explain the pounding in my head.

It's like he blinked and, all of a sudden, school was over, and he found himself jumping from the hyena enclosure to the Rosen Queen; Sam's over-decorated office, to be exact.

                                                         – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"-iking the book?"

Xander blinked, the action slightly slower than he felt was normal. He raised his head, the movement feeling like it took far more effort than it should have. "Huh, you say something, boss?" His voice sounded distant to his own ears, like he was speaking from the bottom of a well.

The red-headed boy in a suit, Samuel Lucius Ash VI, raised a hand to his head as he quirked an eyebrow in Xander's direction, brushing some of his dreadlocks back behind his ear with casual grace. "I've been saying something for the last five minutes..." he drawled, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. Turning from where he stood at the far end of the room, Samuel put his hands behind his back and properly looked at Xander, his piercing blue eyes seeming to see right through him. "But what I asked was... how are you liking the book?"

Xander blinked again, his eyes much more responsive this time. "O-oh, yeah. Love it. Tons of good info," he stammered, trying to sound more enthusiastic than he felt. 

"You sure about that?" Samuel probed lightly, head tilting slightly to the side as he studied Xander's face.

Xander nodded, perhaps a bit too vigorously. "Y-yeah, yeah," he assured him, though the sudden motion made him wince, a sharp pain lancing through his skull. The room took a gentle spin, and he gripped the edge of his chair to steady himself, his knuckles turning white. Whoa there, cowboy. Let's not go for a ride just yet.

"Alright then," Sam nodded in return, seeming to accept Xander's answer for now. He strode across the room with a fluid grace, his expensive-looking shoes clicking softly on the hardwood floor. He leaned up against his even more expensive-looking wooden desk, crossing his ankles in a casual pose that somehow still managed to look regal. "Any questions about some of the stuff written there or..."

Xander shook his head quickly, the young devil wincing at the action as the room seemed to sway again. "Yeah, y-yeah, just not right now..." he managed to get out.

After a pause, during which Sam scrutinized him more intently, his blue eyes boring into Xander like laser beams, the demon finally spoke. "...Alright. Well... I just wanted to let you know that the three Corpses you sent to me are doing a rather good job."

Xander blinked, confusion clear on his face as he tried to process Sam's words. "The who?" 

Sam raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "The..." After a moment, he let out a slight laugh, shaking his head. "Different terminology, I see. What you term as Vampires... I would consider more Corpse Tier Undead, if rather shittier overall, despite their agility." The Devil shook his head again, the look on his face conveying complete disdain, as if he had just stepped in something unpleasant. "Really, no magic or true ability, just bloodsucking and a dead body? A waste of the term."

Xander blinked, nodding slowly as he tried to wrap his mind around Sam's explanation. "...huh." So vampires are just shitty zombies? Good to know, I guess.

“Honestly, might have to see what I can do to fix that,” the demon mused to himself for a moment, hand on his chin. The moment passed and Sam’s attention turned back to him, his expression growing serious again. "Yeah, there's something wrong with this picture. No follow-up, no joke, not even an attempt to cut me off with some inane question..." The Fiend demon let out a sigh, shrugging his suit jacket off his shoulders and laying it over his chair, leaving him in only a black vest that hugged his lean frame. He stared at Xander, his eyes intense and searching. "What's going on with you?"

Xander wasn't even sure how to answer that. He felt like his brain was wrapped in cotton, his thoughts sluggish and muddled. "I... dunno, I just feel... weird," was all he could muster.

"Hm." Sam raised an eyebrow, before swiping up with one finger. Translucent red screens popped up in front of him, hovering in the air like holograms. His eyes trailed through each one as he looked between them and Xander, his expression unreadable.

Xander wasn't even sure what was supposed to be on them as they looked entirely blank from behind, at least from where he stood. More devil magic, I guess, he thought, too tired to even be impressed anymore.

"Yeah... go get some rest," Sam finally announced, dismissing the screens with a wave of his hand. They vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving no trace of their existence. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"...okay.”

                                                                  – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Only he couldn't.

Get some rest, that is.

He had avoided Willow and Buffy as much as he could all day, not wanting them to catch whatever it was he had. I thought being a demon meant I couldn’t get sick. Staying at home wasn't an option either; Tony's yelling was loud enough when he seemed to be dragging his feet leaving the house this morning, his dad's voice grating on his already frayed nerves. He didn't think his brain could take an extended session if he decided to skip school for being sick.

Skipping P.E. by staying in the bathroom the whole time had been a godsend but knowing he was missing out on dodgeball was almost as bad as being sick. A chance to nail Kyle in the face and I was stuck in the john like a loser, he thought bitterly.. Story of my life.

The teenager shook his head again, quickly regretting the action as the world tilted on its axis, his vision blurring at the edges. His legs felt like jelly, and he stumbled slightly as he made his way to the library door, his hand reaching out to steady himself on the doorframe, the wood cool against his clammy skin.

Pushing it open with more force than necessary, he barreled through, his voice ringing out in the quiet space. "G-Man!" he yelled, his voice hoarse but demanding all the same, echoing off the high ceilings. "Mr. G, I'm a student in need! A very sick, very miserable student!"

His Royal Tweedness rushed out from the library's cage, urgent and confused, his glasses slightly askew on his face. The man had been cataloging, Xander figured, because he was carrying a clipboard and one of those little cards from the card catalog with him as he moved from place to place, his tweed jacket flapping behind him. "Xander, what are you-" The man froze, eyes wide behind his glasses as he spotted the boy leaning heavily on the stairs, his face pale and slick with sweat. "Xander, what's wrong with you?"

"I…" Xander stumbled forward, his legs giving out as he slumped into a seat at a study table, the hard wooden chair feeling like a blessing after the trek from the bathroom. "I really wish I knew, Giles," he managed to get out, his voice strained and thin.

"I appreciate that you think so highly of me, but a medical degree is not one I possess," the man said, stepping forward with a clearly worried look on his face, his brow furrowed in concern. "The school has a nurse for a reason, Xander."

Xander let out a grunting laugh, the sound more of a wheeze than anything else. "Y-yeah, I don't think Ruthie's gonna help with this one," he said, shaking his head and immediately regretting it as the room spun.

Giles frowned, clearly confused, his head tilting slightly to the side. "What? Why do you say that?"

The teenager laughed again, the sound bordering on hysterical. "J-just… just a h-hunch," he managed to get out between chuckles, his shoulders shaking with a humor that he didn't really feel. “I’ve just been like this all day, but I’ve been feeling kinda weird since I helped Lance yesterday.”

“Lance?”

“Kind of a wimpy guy,” Xander answered. “These mean kids were bullying him by the hyena cage at the zoo. Maybe some kind of airborne animal disease, you think?”

"Well," the Watcher adjusted his glasses, crossing the room to stand in front of Xander, his eyes scanning the boy's face for any clues as to his condition, "did you sleep last night? Perhaps this is simply a case of exhaustion."

Xander laughed again, the sound coming out high-pitched and manic, grating on his own ears. "Sleep?" He shook his head, the motion making the world blur at the edges. Last night had been a sleepless haze, more tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling than any time spent in snoozeland. Warm milk hadn't helped in the slightest and neither had cookies, although the latter had been more of a treat for him than anything else. Probably shoulda laid off the sugar, in hindsight. Really, the only thing that had seemed to ease his nausea was the bacon he had for breakfast and that thing was barely cooked, still glistening with grease. "No, no sleep," he confirmed, voice flat. “Sleep is for the weak, G-Man. And I am anything but weak," he joked.

The man frowned, rolling his eyes at what he viewed as Xander’s carelessness, exasperation clear by the droop of his shoulders. “Of all the ri—”

Then Willow and Buffy charged into the library, both clearly upset and looking varying degrees of panicked, footsteps loud in the quiet space. Their sudden entrance jolted Xander from his feverish daze, his head snapping up from the table. What now? he thought, his mind still foggy. Can't a guy get some peace and quiet around here?

Giles turned his head, his attention diverted by the sudden commotion. "Girls, wha—"

"Principal Flutie!" Willow shouted, interrupting the librarian for a second time, her voice high-pitched and frantic. 

"What about him?" Giles asked, the older man tilting his head slightly, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Dead!" Buffy answered, her voice flat and matter-of-fact, as if she couldn't quite believe it herself. After a moment, the blonde shook her head, her expression grim. "I mean, he's dead. Like, really dead."

Eyes widened behind a pair of glasses, Giles' mouth falling open in shock. "My word, how?" He looked between the two girls, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"Eaten!" Willow answered, looking frantic as her hands fluttered nervously at her sides. "Ate him up! Like he was a big ol' principal-shaped cheeseburger!"

"And also Herbert," Buffy added, rushing down the steps with Willow right behind her. "They found what was left of him in the office too."

“Herbert?” Giles questioned again, looking thoroughly confused.

"The piglet," Willow responded as she sank into a chair, her hands still twisting in her lap. "The school's new mascot. Something ate the both of them! It was awful, Giles. Blood everywhere, and... and pieces..." She trailed off, looking green around the gills.

"Someone," Buffy corrected, her jaw set in a hard line. "Word in the school is. a pack of wild dogs somehow got into his office, but I'm leaning more towards someone," She shot Giles a careful look, her eyes narrowed. "Or a pack of someones."

Willow gasped, green eyes wide and terrified. "Kyle's gang, you think?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Buffy nodded, face grim. “They’ve been acting weird since yesterday. After Xander got Lance out of the hyena exhibit, they didn’t even make it on the bus back to school and today…” She let herself trail off.

"Hyenas, you say?" Giles blinked, the librarian seeming to realize something, his eyes widening behind his glasses. "Xander was just saying something about hy—" The Watcher turned around, his words cutting off abruptly as he spotted the boy in question fast asleep, twitching fitfully as his head laid on the table, a sheen of sweat on his brow. 

"Xander?"