who are you... without your memories

[slayers_desire]

Xander Harris piled all his Superman comics up against the pentagram he had engraved on the wall. He cut open his wrist, glancing over his shoulder at the woman in black behind him cautiously. She could attack him at any moment. But hopefully, his magical bonds around her wrists and ankles would keep her tamed while he was vulnerable.

They called him desperate... and after losing everyone important to him perhaps he was. Xander even mourned those that he disliked. There were very few heroes left. Times were desperate.

A few days ago Xander had captured the woman in black. She was important to his plan too. They claimed that she had the powers to make their world right again. To stop the evil. The problem was she was evil herself. Xander called her Lilith, basically because he had nothing else to call her and it seemed appropriate.

And right now, he was sacrificing the last few treasured memories he had. To fix the world, Xander needed to take Lilith to the Stone of Power. But he couldn't do it alone. He needed a hero. And his comics... this spell was his only hope.

He was asking for a Superman.

"He who seeks for the path, never knows where it will lead." The soft voice of the woman whispered behind him. Xander could feel her staring at him. He didn't care. He placed his blood onto the pentagram and opened the portal. This had to work. He had nothing else...

Comments

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He takes a few steps towards the woman, his frown turning to one of concern. "Are you all right?"

[slayers_desire]

She flinches again, taking a step back when he approached. There was confusion in her eyes. "The whispers. They sing. They never sing."

"She hears voices." Xander explained. "When you can make sense of what she says... it usually predicts the future."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

The hard, stern look softens a little at that. He'd assumed that she wouldn't help because she was rebellious against what Xander wanted. Perhaps she genuinely can't help herself. It wouldn't be the first time he'd met someone like that, though something about her seems to call to him, almost.

"It's all right," he says to her. "I'm here to help."

[slayers_desire]

"Help... blurring to help. So fast to the right place." Lilith whispered in response. The chains around her wrists clinking again as she moved.

Xander glanced from Superman to Lilith. Then smiled slightly. "Great! I am glad you will. We need to arm ourselves first. But if my comics were right, you already have the best arsenal with your natural powers."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Yes, that's right." That, at least, made sense to him.

He turns that frown on Xander again. "I hope you don't expect me to be taking lives."

[slayers_desire]

"Demons and vampires are not worth a thing. They are not alive..." Xander grumbled. His anger evident in his voice.

"Shush... shush birdie. They listen. They are here. They exist." Lilith responded to his accusation.

Xander glanced at her. "Right. Fine... then at least use what you can to protect us."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"I can certainly do that. You'll be safe with me." Superman doesn't look at all intimidated or change his mind upon hearing Xander's anger, and his argument against his code of honor. He came close to killing once. Never again.

[slayers_desire]

Xander ensured that he was supplied with a few silver stakes, a magical book, an axe, and a long shotgun. He checked over everything, with a nod.

"Have you ever fought vampires before? Demons? Anything you would like to know?"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"I've faced my world's approximation of both of those," he says. The vampires were kryptonite-infected sorority girls, and the 'demon' was Doomsday, but he figures they were close enough. "What are their weaknesses?"

[slayers_desire]

"The vampires are the easy ones. They hate sunlight. Can be burnt by fire. Holy symbols cause them to run. And staking them in the heart dusts them." Xander explains. There is a low growl from Lilith as he does.

"As for the Demons, each one is different. But silver can be your best friend against them. Or magic."

"You will miss the light... Sun blessed." Lilith whispered.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

The growl gets his attention, as does what she says. "But you won't?" he guesses.

[slayers_desire]

"I am not a sun walker." Lilith looks at him. "I am one of the cursed."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

A lot of this seems familiar to him for some reason, but he can't place his finger on why. And her admitting to vampirism doesn't bother him like he thinks maybe it should. "So action against them could be harmful to you."

[slayers_desire]

"I stay behind. In chains..." Lilith sighs at her bindings. Xander glanced up at that. He sighed too.

"I could release them..."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Why is she restrained in the first place?" Superman asks Xander. He seems to need her, and even if she is one of the 'cursed ones,' he doesn't think she looks hostile.

[slayers_desire]

"She has other abilities... mind powers... the chains restrain them." Xander explained.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"She's hardly going to want to help you if you have her chained up." It seems like a reasonable precaution, though, and he can't understand why he feels protective towards her.

[slayers_desire]

Xander frowned slightly, but he knew that he needed Superman on their side of things. He moved forward, and touched the chains. And released the spell on them.

Lilith started to pull at her chains, attempting to free herself. She has slight strength, that they were bending. Slowly.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He decides that a show of trust definitely couldn't hurt, and steps closer to take the chains off her himself, bending and breaking them with his strength.

[slayers_desire]

Her eyes glance up at him when he breaks off the chains with hardly no effort. She isn't surprised... it was almost like she was expecting the action.

She looks at him... not even noticing Xander who is backing away slightly. Still a little nervous about setting Lilith free.

"Thank you." Lilith whispered. Two words. Two simple words.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"You're welcome. Are you all right?" He doesn't think the chains were hurting her, but being concerned for her wellbeing should certainly help her trust him. And there's genuine concern in him that seems to go beyond his desire to see everyone safe and content in the world.

[slayers_desire]

"I am... physically well." She is at least making more sense. But it still seems to be a struggle to her.

"I didn't hurt her or anything. I even kept her fed." Xander defended himself. "The Demons I took her from were not kind though."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Superman glances at Xander, with only mild disapproval on his face, and nods. He looks back at Lilith. "This world seems to be in trouble. Are you willing to help us?"

[slayers_desire]

Lilith reaches up to pull at her hair. There is a slight moment of hesitation in her eyes... the flight instinct strong right now. She was hurt so much in the past and she is scared of being hurt again.

"I will try."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Thank you." For some reason his protectiveness only goes up as he sees that look in her eyes, the hesitation in her body language, like a bird on the edge of flight. "You'll be safe with me."