“Nifty, I guess…” said Ash as Xander finished his summary of the last three years of his life. They’d been there close to four ours now, the food long gone from the table.

“So you see what I’m saying about Sunnydale being a dangerous spot?”

“I get it…” Ash said angrily, “But what I don’t get is how you, Xander Harris, has survived all this crap over the years being the normal human being you are.”

Xander gave him an odd yet pointed look, then said “You learn to survive after a while, or you don’t learn anything cause you’re six feet under…”

“I gotta agree with you there, kid…” Ash replied, fingering the large crooked scar near his chin, “Hell, you’re probably as good as I am at it, though I figure you need a little training…”

“I guess so,” Xander replied, with a little nod, “I mean, I’m good with guns, but lead doesn’t work on much here on the Hellmouth.”

“Firstly, there are very few things that can’t be killed by shotgun decapitation. That I know…” Ash said with a determined grin, “And secondly, did you say good with guns?”

“Let’s just say that I armed that rocket launcher I told you about…”

“Yeah, you can arm em’ and work em’, but can you shoot em’?” Ash asked, a challenge in his eyes.

Xander picked up on that mischievous and daring look. “Sure.”

This discussion brought them out to a barn on the outskirts of Sunnydale. It had been there forever, but no one ever used it, except for Xander who took his dad’s rifle to do target practice there every once in a while. He practiced not because he needed to,
but because it was stress relieving, and a good way to clear the mind. Needless to say, he went there a lot.

They’d gone in Ash’s car, a 90’ Oldsmobile that had seen better days. While it was nowhere near the state of Ash’s old car, it certainly wasn’t in the best condition. They would have walked, except that the S-Mart employee had stopped to get two bundles of guns from his apartment, and he didn’t feel like carrying them all that way.

While Ash had by no means brought all the weapons of Deadite destruction with him, he had still brought quite a collection. As he opened the one bundle, Xander could see several shotguns and other assorted guns, his Halloween-induced memories giving him names and information for each one.

“You know how to use one of these?” Ash asked, holding up a one-barreled affair.

Xander looked at him as if he was asking ‘can you add two plus two’ then laughed. “Please…”

“Okay, hotshot, how about this?" This time, the salesclerk held up a Winchester.

“Sure. Easy. Nice piece, though…” Xander said. 

Ash smiled. Kid knew his stuff. The clerk held the gun up for the boy, who took it with an experienced hand.

“Fully loaded” Xander stated. It wasn’t a question. “So, what do you want me to hit? I didn’t have any more bull’s-eyes at home, and there’s not much here…”

The other man looked around, trying to find something suitably challenging for the little hotshot to hit. It took a minute or two, but he finally found something. A small candle on the other side of the barn obviously left there by someone. It was perfect.

“That” Ash said at last, pointing. The young man looked to where he was indicating, then smiled.

“NOW!” Ash bellowed, trying to scare the boy. He wasn’t interested in how the boy shot. He was interested in how the boy shot when he was scared. There is a large difference in most people.

Xander, startled but still under control, pulled the trigger. A click and a boom later, the candle was flying in the air.

“Cute.” Said the young boy, obviously knowing what Ash was looking to do.

“Okay. I guess you can shoot.” Ash said, perhaps a little proud, “And more importantly, you can shoot while there’s something startling you. But I’d like to see how you do with a moving target…”

“What exactly are you proposing, Mr. Williams?” Xander asked with a wicked grin, “I’m up for it.”

“A little competition…” Ash replied, grunting as he opened the other bundle he had with him. Inside were a bunch of paintball guns and several containers of ammo for them. “You, me, the woods. Sound like fun?”

“Sure” Xander said, taking a paintball gun from the floor, “But take one of these…”

The boy then took a wooden stake out from a previously unknown position on his person and handed it the older man.

“Vampires.” Xander answered, clearing up Ash’s confused look, “I’ve never seen them in this area before, but better safe then sorry…”

Ash, who knew the value of being prepared, took the offered stake, mentally applauding Xander for his common sense and paranoia. Well, he couldn’t call it
paranoia. It’s not really paranoia when everyone, or rather, thing IS out to get you. He understood that.

They left the barn without another word, splitting up as soon as they got outside. They were almost even when it came to shooting, thought Xander was a good bit better at it than Ash. But Ash had an edge, a survival instinct, and ended up with a lot less paint
on him than Xander did. Not that Xander was bad. Against a normal boy his age, he would have triumphed. But not Ash.

They played till daylight, which was a considerable amount of time, then collected their things and headed to Ash’s apartment.

They both got into the car, and since Xander was offering no direction, the scarred man figured that the boy had no want to return home. So he drove to his own home, the apartment they had stopped at before.

When they got out, Ash was about to tell Xander to scat, but the boy was looking so lonely, he just couldn’t. The kid looked up at his apartment building longingly, then at Ash. Ash, who was really a mush about some things, waved him over in a silent
invitation to stay. Xander smiled sheepishly, then followed.

They shared the load equally, the young man taking the paintball bundle, and Ash taking the guns. Together, they carried them up the three flights of stairs to Ash’s apartment, and then dumped them as soon as possible.

The apartment was pretty bare, but that wasn’t surprising. According to Ash, he hadn’t been there all that long, and so hadn’t unpacked yet. Xander could see the evidence of this scattered around the small, but tidy apartment. Boxes filled with who knew what. But there was one thing up already. On top of the mantel was a dirty old chainsaw with an odd attachment.

“Is that…”

“Yeah,” Ash grunted as he put away the guns and other things, “That’s the one that got me through everything.”

“Nifty.”

“Thanks kid…” Ash said with a smile as he finished putting everything away in a small cupboard. Xander smiled back.

There was a silence again, this one more familiar but just as awkward.

Finally, Ash asked, “What’s on your mind, kid?”

“Nothing…”

“Bull.” Ash retorted with an annoyed look, “Kid, you’re upset about something. Please, tell me. Maybe I can help?”

“Well,” Xander started nervously, “I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“Would you train me a bit?” There. It was said. Now, Xander though, it’s up to him. The seconds slowed then, and perhaps even the universe took a deep breath. The world has been changed by simpler questions…

“Sure kid.” Ash answered at last, perhaps changing the fate of the world with those two words, “ I like you. You kinda remind me of myself when I was your age. Besides, I think you have th…the Spark. The spunk to live. And the determination. But you had better be ready to work. I’m not going to make you do any dumb menial labor like those TV
shows. But you will work. Every day, if you can take it. It’s your choice how hard you work, and that choice affects how good you can be. So, I want you here at 5, after my shift, whenever you want to train, as long as you can handle it.”

Those eyes that had seen far too much blood looked into Xander’s and told him exactly how things were. Xander nodded solemnly.

“But I do have a favor to ask” Ash continued, “Could you show me around the town and all that? Teach me all about this Hellmouth crap?”

“I’ll do you one better.” Xander answered, his smile returned to his face, “Not only will I help you adjust to the Hellmouth, I’ll work on some new attachments for that hand of yours…”

“Groovy.” Ash responded with a goofy grin.

And thus began an apprenticeship that would become a partnership. A partnership that would turn the Hell-beast ridden town of Sunnydale, CA on its ear.

**************

Part 3