TITLE: Remedial Education

SERIES: Poltergeist (one) - sequel to "Dark Journey (prologue)

AUTHOR: Scorpio

ARCHIVE: The Nesting Place, CKoS, CoST and any list archives that want it.

FANDOM: Xena:WP/Buffy:tVS

SPOILERS: Buffy - Season 1 through 5, Xena - all

PAIRING: None (eventually Spike/Xander and Ares/Xander)

RATING: PG-13 (series: NC-17 overall)

WARNING: Dead Strife

DISCLAIMER: Xena boys owned by Flat Earth Prod and Buffy boys owned by Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Old temperamental computer owned by Scorpio.

SUMMARY: Strife!Ghost explores the Hellmouth and meets the locals.

*
REMEDIAL EDUCATION
by Scorpio
*

SUMMER 2001
SUNNYDALE CALIFORNIA, THE HELLMOUTH

It didn't take Strife long to realize that there was something odd about the town he had found himself in. In many ways it was just like any other surface town. Lots of mortal humans running around, always in a hurry and so caught up in thier own petty little lives and with no real clue as to the true realities of the world around them. Granted, they talked in a language that he was unfamiliar with. It had undertones of Latin, Greek and even bits of Gaelic from the Northern Isles that Caesar had once conquered, but not enough that he could understand. The mortals also dressed in wild and exciting clothing made of fabrics that he didn't recognize and the buildings were big. Bigger than the adverse mortal hovels were when *he* was alive at least.

And yet, there was something dark, something almost sinister about the town. Something that tingled his "God powers" and made him feel almost...hyper. Like a dark rolling energy that was just *slightly* off. He could *almost* pull it into him and use it for his own will, but it was just a *tad* too foreign. It was, Strife concluded, power pouring out of a doorway between the Mortal Realm and another Death Realm. *Not* Asphodel....but something....alien.

Still, the energy tickled a bit when it washed over him, and since he couldn't truly access it, he ignored it. Instead, he went off to explore and to learn. Drifting in an invisible ghostly mist across town, the dead God of Mischief decided that the first order of business was to learn the language that everyone was babbling in. That was a simple enough process. All he had to do was pick a mortal and possess them. Once he was firmly in charge of their minds, he merely had to access their memories and absorb the knowledge. It wouldn't hurt the mortal, but it would leave them feeling dizzy and forgetful for a day or two.

Seeing a large muscular guy step out of some sort of metal chariot, Strife figured that he would be a good start. Concentrating, Strife slipped his incorporeal form *inside* of the mortal man and used his Godly powers to latch onto his mind and override the human's will. To anyone who might be looking, it merely appeared as if the guy had lost his balance slightly and stumbled. Then he straightened up and leaned up against the car as if waiting for someone. In reality, Strife was busy exploring the human's mind and memories, learning and reliving the man's life experiences.

After an hour or so, Strife released his hold on the human and slid back out of him and away. He was physically and mentally tired. Not only did he have to constantly maintain control over the human and override his puny willpower, he had had to absorb all his knowledge and memories. Strife concluded that the man's grasp of the language was a touch limited and a bit on the colorful side, but it never hurt anyone to know how to curse out your enemies, right?

Plus, the man was *very* knowledgeable about the metal chariots. Cars. He not only knew how to drive 'em, he knew how to fix 'em. Handy knowledge, that. Especially if Strife planned on dragging his "chosen" mortal across the world to search for Unc Ares.

The guy had also been enthusiastic about a game called "football" and Strife thought it was something Ares would enjoy. Very violent and aggressive. And as interesting as that information was, it wasn't exactly what Strife had been hoping for. The mortal had no real clue about what was happening in the world nor what had happened in the past. He had no interest or knowledge about geography or politics. And that was the kind of thing Strife needed to know. He was used to being the right hand man of one of the world's greatest "movers and shakers" and once a political animal *always* a political animal. And Strife *adored* politics. All that potential for trouble and mischief was such a *rush*.

He was too tired to do anything about it at the moment, but after a bit of resting, he would find his next "mortal teacher".

*the next morning*

While he didn't really need to *sleep*, per se, he *did* require "down time" after exerting himself. And that usually meant drifting aimlessly while he allowed his mind to wander and "process" what had occurred. When he finally felt that he was strong enough to try again, he focused his mind outward again only to discover that it was very early in the morning. The entire night had passed him by.

Off to the side, he could hear a young teen mumbling as she walked down the sidewalk. To Strife's delight, he could understand her words. It was a simple litany of "i shoulda studied last night, damn test, i shoulda studied last night, damn test" spoken over and over again. Strife smiled. That sounded like what he was looking for.

He watched her for a short time. He could see that she was wearing these tight little shorts that exposed a delightful amount of leg and a tiny little top that showed off more of her belly than it covered. She was carrying a book and her soft lips were twisted into a frown.

A flash of glee stabbed through him for a brief moment and then Strife attacked. He slid his ghostly form inside of her body and clamped down on her brain with his powers. Her willpower was almost non existent, but her mind was a fascinating place. Almost instantly, Strife had access to her thoughts and memories and he immediately agreed with her opinion about remedial summer-school. It sounded like one of his Aunt Athena's punishments gone crazy, if you asked him.

Still, Strife received an instant education in all things "fashion" and in the current music scene. He also had the opportunity to fine-tune his understanding of the English language and he picked up a bit of modern history, as well. But most importantly, he learned about something called "college" and the girl's parents fear that she'd never get into one.

Gently, Strife released his hold on the young mortal girl and decided that as soon as he felt stronger he was going to find Sunnydale University and absorb the knowledge of a student or professor *there*.

*later that afternoon*

Feeling refreshed again after his "mental nap," Strife finally found the University. He had specific goals and needs that he wanted met, so he didn't play around with random strangers this time. He specifically sought out the Chair of the Political Science Department and spent a lovely and invigorating two hours touring the man's mind. What made it so interesting was that Dr. Shrounburger didn't even *mind* Strife's presence in his head. Instead the mortal had tried to access *Strife's* memories in imitation of what the Mischief God was doing to him. Enthralled with the concept, Strife allowed him access to selected memories and opinions.

In any other situation, Strife thought that they would have a blast arguing with each other about their mutual obsession. Politics. However, it was more important to Strife that he catch up on what he'd missed over two thousand years and what was currently happening with world politics. And this man really did know his shit. Strife was suitably impressed.

However, he came across something so wild, so intense and so *utterly* different than anything he'd ever imagined that he knew right away that he'd have to learn more and Dr. Shrounburger didn't really have any true insights into the topic beyond basic awareness.

Computers.

Before he left the old man's mind, Strife decided to be a pal as way of saying thanks for all the great info that Strife had adsorbed. Delving into his own memories again, Strife played back one of his favorites. When he had first come into his own adulthood, Unc Ares had sent him off to Cupid for lessons in bedroom matters. It had been a wild ride and Strife had been addicted to hot hard cock ever since. So, now Strife accessed the memory of that amazing week and allowed the feelings and sensations to be relived in his mind...and he brought Dr. Shrounburger along for the ride. Not even ten minutes into Strife's memories of one of Cupid's famous blow-jobs and the human man sharing the memory came in jerky pulses in his pants.

Chuckling softly, Strife drifted out of the mortal's head and let the memories wash over his own mind as he recuperated.

*early evening*

Strife pulled out of his own head once again feeling oddly refreshed and yet lonely for his family. Well, for his cousin Cupid, anyway. Cupid and his mother had been the only two from the "blonde" side of the family that Strife ever got along with and every now and then he'd miss them almost as much as he missed Unc Ares.

Still, he had a mission and if he succeeded, then Ares would be freed. And if he was any judge of the War God, then he would lay money on the fact that Ares would find a way to free his son and his sometime lover from the Twilight.

Strife knew that he should start looking for his "host" soon. The mortal that he would use and abuse until he found Ares, but he was truly interested in these "computer" things. According to Dr. Shrounburger, they made modern life possible and yet they were dangerous in the extreme.

Intrigued by this thought, Strife drifted around the University campus for a while until he found the computer lab. Just as he arrived, a slim young red haired girl was exiting, her shoulder bag filled with books and things. A slight smile graced her lips and her green eyes sparkled. With a mental shrug of his incorporeal shoulders, Strife figured that she would do as well as any.

With a ghostly grin, Strife slid inside of the girl's body and clamped down on her mind, digging in deep to search out knowledge about computers. He was shocked and delighted to find so very much more.

Almost immediately, the young woman, Willow by name, put up an incredible fight to control her own mind and body by thrusting Strife out of her. She was extremely strong willed and what's more, she was *well* versed in magic. The forbidden black arts of Hecate as well as the more normal spectrum of benign magics common to mortal witches. Strife only had a moment to wonder why his Great Aunt Hecate would grant access to such power to one of her mortal worshippers when the answer came slamming into his mind.

Hellmouth.

Demons.

The Slayer.

Vampires.

Magic.

Knowledge of computers forgotten, Strife concentrated on learning as much as he could about the *true* nature of this small town and it's inhabitants. It wasn't easy, Willow's mind was strong and well trained and her magic was almost a living thing all it's own, but Strife was a God. Granted, a *dead* God, but still a God and he was able to learn a lot of *amazing* things from her.

However, it didn't last long. Willow finally gathered the strength to banish him from her mind and he was flung out and away from her. Both of them were exhausted and weary from the struggle, but Strife *definately* felt that it was worth it. Willow's mind had been a goldmine. He had found the perfect host and even a protector for his host all within her memories.

Xander and Spike.

But first, he needed to rest after the mental battle with the red haired witch.