Buffy dragged herself through the library doors Saturday afternoon.
     “Now, hey, look, I know that vampires don’t believe in weekends, but I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I was sort of hoping to catch some today.  So just tell me what needs slaying and I’ll slay it and then go home and get some shut eye, k?”
     Giles shuffled towards the tables in front of her carrying a mountain of dull, archaically written reference books.  “Actually, vampires and demons have nothing to do with the immediate problem.”
     Buffy raised her eyebrows impatiently.  “Then what the hell did you - whoa…uh…purple?”
     Xellos, who had made himself noticed, clambered down the narrow staircase as though he had just been called to receive an Oscar.  He tripped over the last stair, stumbled towards the floor, but then managed to frantically right himself, standing directly in front of Buffy.
     “Greetings, Slayer.  Your Watcher has been boasting about you all morning.”
     This made Buffy feel even more uncomfortable.  “Who are you?”
     “I am Xellos, surnamed Matallium.”
     “And why are you here?”  Buffy looked at him critically.  It was possible that he was quite intoxicated.
     “Hah, good luck!”  Giles scoffed from his book table.
     “What?” Buffy asked.
     “Getting anything out of him other than a name.  It took me quite some time, I don’t know if he’s telling the truth though, because what he’s after is quite impossible.”
     “Now, now, Rupert-kun, didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to talk about other people when they are standing in the room?”
     “Is he drunk?” Buffy glanced uneasily at the man again.
     “I shouldn’t think so.  If he is, he takes alcohol fairly well, because he’s been chatting aimlessly at me for a few hours now, but at least it’s sober chat.”
     Buffy nodded.
     “If everyone in this room would be so pleasant as to stop trying to label my capacity to reason, and just listen to me now.”  Xellos looked at Buffy and Giles, his face looking more serious than it had all morning.  “Now, is this all there is?”
     “What do you mean?”  Buffy asked.
     “I mean what I said.  Is there anyone else that should attend this meeting?”
     “Meeting?” Giles frowned and stepped away from his books and towards Buffy.
     “Now, for the love of L-sama, stop repeating everything I say and just try to go with the flow.  I am here, in the place where all Watcher things in Sunnydale get done, with the Watcher and the Slayer.  Is there anyone else that ought to partake in this little get-together?”
     “Well, Willow and Xander help us out a lot I guess.  Willow always helps Giles and right now she’s studying witchcraft.  Xander is sorta there, but he does help.”
     “Less rather than more.” Giles muttered.
     “Anybody else?  I’m sure that…” Xellos seemed to be thinking hard.
     “Well, I guess Cordelia knows that I’m the Slayer.  And I guess she has had situations where she has really helped out.”
    “Tres Bon!”  Xellos clapped his hands three times with non-apparent delight.  “Now, Rupert-kun, run along and find a way to contact these associates.  Everyone must be here before the meeting shall begin.”
     “Why, might I ask?”
     “Because then I needn’t repeat it four times, needn’t I?  Besides, everyone brings something to the table, I’m sure.  Don’t bother asking me such trivial questions.  I am a guest, and a guest has his way.  When trouble hits, you will want all the help you could possibly ask for.”
 

     “Perhaps you are wondering why I called you here today?”
     The group was gathered around one of the study tables in the library, all looking quite disgruntled at having to spend their Saturday at school.
     “Um, like excuse me, but some people in this room do have a life and they aren’t going to waste it in a library surrounded by a bunch of freaks.”  Cordelia showed no signs of leaving the room of freaks, but decided to bring it to everyone’s attention that she would rather not slay hell spawn on a day off.
     “Yes, well, that’s very nice.  Thank you for expressing your feelings, but unfortunately this is not a support group.”
     “Then start at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop.  Tell us who you are, why you’re here and why you bothered to bring them all here.”  Giles was fed up, and he felt a nasty headache coming on.  He was not a violent person at heart, but what he wouldn’t give for sawed-off shotgun right now.  He’d give it to Xellos right between the eyes…
     “Do not rush me, Rupert-kun.”
     “Kun?” Xander asked.
     “Japanese suffix denoting to a male peer or inferior.”  Giles had had enough explaining and wanted that Xellos character to do his share.
     “Yes, well, let us begin then.”  Xellos cracked his knuckles and stood up.  “My name is Xellos Matallium, and I am also a Watcher.  Some of you will have the misguided suggestion in your mind that there is one Watcher because there is one Slayer.  There is only one vampire Slayer, but there are many other kinds, all requiring Watchers.  My particular Slayer has not been awakened yet, but apparently resides here in Sunnydale.  In case you’re wondering, none of you are she.”
     “Phew!”  Xander let out a sigh of relief in an attempt to be amusing.  It failed.
     “At any rate, she will be awakened soon.  When she is awakened, she will need extensive training, as her field of expertise extends a tad beyond…brute strength and quick reflexes.  She is being trained for a more immediate purpose than Buffy was.  As much as I shall tell you now is that an ancient evil has been allowed to thrive over the millennia.  My Slayer’s purpose has foreordained, and that is to destroy this evil at all costs.  Because you all are here, on this Hell Mouth, and because you have the ability to slay, we will call upon you to help us.  It may be a case of you all becoming more involved than I would like to imagine, if my Slayer needs more time to learn what is necessary.  She is capable with her field, of this I am certain, but certain…things could get in the way and delay our meeting at all.”
     “Do you know who she is?  If she goes to this school, we might know her.”  Willow suggested.
     “I am uncertain as to which school she attends.  It is possible that you know her, but it is of little consequence.  When the time comes, she will come to me, because she will know.”
     “Know what?” Willow looked around the table at her fellow slayers.
     “Everything.”
 

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