If Xander was recruited by the initiative

[MarieVampSlayer]

Hi all!

So I had this idea that it would have been great if Xander had been recruited by the initiative in Season 4. It would have added a another side to the initiative story and could have been a arc for Xander's character. I do love Xander's construction success in the later seasons but Season 4 was always more calmed for him.

Do you think this would have been interesting to see him get into the initiative gang and help Buffy from the inside? Riley could still help but since he was so conflicted about his alliance, it would have been interesting I think to see Xander use his military skills and be ''chosen'' for once.

What do you guys think?

 

[Skanky Vamp]

The thread title made me laugh. I can't image any way that Xander would be recruited into the initiative. Maybe if that Halloween spell never ended... it just seemed like oil and water. They were all alpha males and Xander certainly was not that.

 

[sosa lola]

Xander would probably get bullied there, but I can imagine the Initiative guys going over the top to catch a vampire and eventually Xander simply stakes him. They'd get mad at him because they'd want to experiment on the vamp and Xander would be like, "Why?"

Also Xander's vampire kill is way more than Riley's, I don't think any of the Initiative men would believe him though.

 

[thrasherpix]

I have to do mental gymnastics for the Initiative as it is. For the Initiative themselves, the young soldier boys anyway, I see them as handpicked in a way similar to how the demons took slaves in Anne. My headcanon is that most to all were in foster care and virtually no one to ask about them, and none were from the area of Sunnydale. They were then trained and conditioned together to see each other as their own family (much like a gang or cult) and at that perfect age for both obedience and fast healing, all the while being secretly augmented. My guess is that they didn't include girls because Maggie was desperate to avoid conflict of romantic drama (exactly as Buffy brought) which threatened the camaraderie (and thus loyalty) that was so important to them.

Xander was probably too old for consideration, and even if he was (he had the family they'd prefer) he was still from the area with friends and therefore had close connections outside the Initiative that would be (rightly so) considered a security risk for a project so sensitive. Furthermore, it would take time to properly train and incorporate him, I'd say a bare minimum of 6 months (and that doesn't count the demon drugs).


And while I'm at it, I say Buffy was actually tagged and bagged by the Initiative (that is, Maggie Walsh and the others who ran it), just not in an obvious way. Disappearing Buffy would cause problems as she had family (including a father out of the country) as well as local friends, and too many could point out Buffy was with Riley meaning Riley would become the focus of any investigation focusing on Buffy's disappearance (though I think they overestimate the Sunnydale PD--OTOH, I have my headcanon on how some cops within the Sunnydale PD were secretly looking out for Buffy as they realized she made Sunnydale safer for cops, and so might actually make a determined effort to find her).

All in all it was easier to instead "recruit" Buffy (who remained somewhat gullible even then) when it was just a scam by Walsh, though the young members would think it was legite. When they did the exercise of tracking Buffy and she then neutralized the patrol (the start of one episode that then showed Maggie looking very disturbed, apparently not loving Buffy despite Riley assuring Buffy everyone loved her) they were experimenting on her in a more subtle and insidious manner as well as attempting to gauge her capabilities for later neutralization.

And that would be one more reason not to recruit a close friend of Buffy's.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

I have a plan for Xander in the fanfic I'm writing. My idea is basically the Initiative is a private thing run by Maggie Walsh rather than the Government. Buffy is recruited after she is spotted fighting a vampire by Riley. Riley talks to Walsh about recruiting Buffy (nobody gets in without Walsh's say so). Walsh agrees on the proviso that Buffy passes the suitability test. Buffy passes and is recruited, initially believing the Initiative to be great since she is getting paid to track vampires. Xander, who is unemployed, asks Buffy to put in a good word for him so he can get a job. Buffy agrees though tells him not to get his hopes up. She asks Riley, explaining how Xander has help her fight demons for the last 3 years, and he tells her that they can't let just anyone in. He says there is a mandatory team bonding exercise coming up (that all personnel must attend) and that Xander can tag along on that. If Xander proves his worth, then he'll talk to Walsh about letting Xander join.

Xander does prove his worth and Riley talks to Walsh, who admonishes Riley for letting Xander on the team bonding exercise, she says Xander can take the suitability test. He passes the test (just barely) and is let on the team. Xander takes to being in the Initiative and the teamwork like a duck takes to water. It makes him feel useful and that he's making a difference. However, Buffy begins to be unsettled with what the Initiative does to the vampires it captures, Xander however thinks the vampires deserve what they get.

This creates conflict between Buffy and Xander whilst Willow is caught in the middle because of her friends' two opposing viewpoints.

 

[white avenger]

As absurd as Xander being recruited into the Initiative initially sounds, due to his age and lack of formal training, we have to remember that pretty much the same thing actually had happened to another character in Season 6. Sam, Riley's wife, was supposed to have been a college student doing missionary work in Africa or South America prior to being taken by demons, then rescued by the Army. She was recruited, most likely, because of her first hand experience with demons. Surely, Xander would have had at least as much experience as Sam, plus having been involved in demon fighting with Buffy, Willow, and Giles for several years. At the very least, he would be invaluable as a civilian consultant.

 

[sosa lola]

However, Buffy begins to be unsettled with what the Initiative does to the vampires it captures, Xander however thinks the vampires deserve what they get.

I like your fanfic idea, but I don't think Xander would agree with torturing demons/vampires. He was disturbed when Buffy tortured that vampire in When She Was Bad, he was against the Initiative in canon, and he didn't cheer on Buffy ruining the vampire whore house in S5.

I would think that Xander would be in denial because he likes having a good paying job that he's good at, but I don't think he believes that the Initiative is right.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

I like your fanfic idea, but I don't think Xander would agree with torturing demons/vampires. He was disturbed when Buffy tortured that vampire in When She Was Bad, he was against the Initiative in canon, and he didn't cheer on Buffy ruining the vampire whore house in S5.

I would think that Xander would be in denial because he likes having a good paying job that he's good at, but I don't think he believes that the Initiative is right.

I think Xander would initially be on board with what the initiative does in that he doesn't question it and he enjoys his job. However, he'll see something that doesn't sit quite right with him and that is where he'd start to come round to Buffy's point of view after a load of conflict between them.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

There is a book series called "Monster Hunters International" where most of the characters are survivors of Monster attacks, the logic being, monsters are such a shock to the ordinary person, if you can figure out a way to not only accept their existence, but to kill them, you have the flexible mind needed for dealing with the supernatural. Also, the government threatens to kill people who know about monsters if they talk, so limited pool of help. I could see Xander being attractive to the Initiative for those reasons.

 

[white avenger]

There is a book series called "Monster Hunters International" where most of the characters are survivors of Monster attacks, the logic being, monsters are such a shock to the ordinary person, if you can figure out a way to not only accept their existence, but to kill them, you have the flexible mind needed for dealing with the supernatural. Also, the government threatens to kill people who know about monsters if they talk, so limited pool of help. I could see Xander being attractive to the Initiative for those reasons.

I've been a fan of this series since its inception. It's a great combination of fantasy and action, plus the author actually gets his technical details, primarily concerning firearms and other weapons, correct without overloading the narrative with excessive explainations/

 

[Dora]

Square peg ,round hole I don't see them recruiting Xander , although by this time they had already , it seemed could find very little for Xander to do take out Hells bells and grave he had little input

 

[Mr Trick]

Its not the worst idea I've heard. The best part of it would be that Xander's presence would make Riley more interesting😛 It would also mean we could probably lose Forrest who was a rubbish character🙄 Overall though I'm pleased with Xander's direction in S4 and probably wouldn't change it.