Chapter Four:
Janus

Xander felt he had been put through a blender put on high speed and then dumped out into a cave…. Cave? …. Cave…. Why was he in a cave?

“Alexander, come in. While we had an idea you’d be coming, we didn’t expect it be this soon.” Came a two-toned voice. Which he followed to a man who looked like the old busts of Janus he had seen in museum pictures.

The… Man? God? Waved his hand and a recliner appeared with a side table and a drink on it. “A headache tonic to fix up the spin cycle you went through.” Hugging his head in his left hand Xander took the… Being’s… offer up figuring that he was dead either way. And quaffed the nasty thing down, but an instant later felt better.
He looked at the being, but his eyes were drawn to the glowing orb on the desk he was sitting behind.

The being pointed at it but did not touch it. “This, Alexander, is what was known in its realms as an Infinity Stone. One of several. Each with their own set of Powers to Lord over. In the main branch of their part of the Muti-Verse and their side verses, they were there when the verses were created. And were considered part of the very fabric of that set of the universes.”

Xander’s eyes grew huge at that thought. But the being continued, “A being taking on the name favored by the one whom he called Lady Death, took it into his mind to decrease life and overcrowding in all the planets in his universe by gathering these Stones and making a Wish.”
Xander sunk further into his chair with a grown. “How nuts was he/it?”

“Very. But at the same time a near immortal and powerful in his own right.”
“Let me guess, he did it.” The two-headed being nodded, “He was defeated in the end, but the cost was too high. And the Universe with its side verses were destroyed.
“A few managed to escape into the Multi-Verse. But not many. And that section of the Verse created another. Rebirthing many there. But not the idiot and the Stones were sectioned off this time into the Verses to not be used that way again.”
Both heads looked at the young Xander, and he now knew just what the plan was. Putting up his hands in a no-no manner.

The being just flicked the Stone quickly at and into Xander’s chest to be absorbed. “That is/was the Soul Stone. With it you will have greater ability to control and manipulate your own power and brain.
“Now.” He sat up as Xander rubbed his chest and glared at him. “You were inconveniently cursed before we were ready for you. Originally, we were set for after you got your Masteries, but now, we will have to get you back to your own studies. Problem is your own portion of the Multi-Verse was taken over by a Hell Goddess by the name of Glory or Glorificus. Bad show of Zeus to let Callisto get out of Tartarus where she had been imprisoned and toss her at your Verse. By being tossed out early, you didn’t get messed up in the whole matter.
“But that still leaves the matter of where to put you till you were needed. And the consensus was to put you in the time of Queen Victoria.” Xander gaped at him shaking his head no. While the being nodded yes.

“The Verse you will be going too is or was blocked from the demons that ran around yours. Though shape-changers and a different kind of vampires do exist. The magical population is bigger yet hidden. Something you’ll get tutors on while you’re in between terms. While you CAN be killed it would take a lot of work to do so. But don’t go about getting yourself in a position that it announces itself. And the Stone in you will see to it you reach your best age before you stop physically aging.
“By the way, if, in your travels you come across the ass Flamel and his Philosophers Stone, do take his Stone out that thing uses a sacrificial blood right to power it to keep he and his wife young and alive. And there are those in various pantheons who are NOT happy with him about it.”

A grim-faced boy/man looked at the being asking him to do this deed and nodded. Getting a nod in return. “You will be put in the Native Land nearby the Canyon where the school is at the end of the term and be tutored there to catch up on what you need to know before you go back to the Academy. And the year will be 1880. Good luck my boy.” And with that, Xander, again, disappeared.