Chapter One: Hard Work Pays Off
Alexander LaVelle Harris A.K.A. Xander was rather bored this week. Not much had come up recently due to a small argument with Buffy he was sidelined from patrols. At least from ones with her. Oh how that idea had percolated but, first Xander had to prepare. He couldn't exactly grab slaying supplies from the library at the moment and unless he had a plan he was going to become Vamp food on his first night out. Now that semi-repeating crossbow he had seen tucked away in the corner of the Sport-O-Rama sporting goods store would be perfect but, given that it was two hundred dollars on it's own not including bolts he would need to buy it was a bit out of his price range unless he wanted to bankrupt his road-trip fund.
Xander sighed and thought to himself, 'That road trip is all but dead now, with Jesse gone and Willow on Team Slayer in just about everything it's just me left. Still I made promise with Willow and Jesse that I would go on that trip and as long as I'm on this godforsaken rock I'm going to keep it.'
Xander decided to look for a part time job, to give him something to do and to build up funds for his solo-slaying plans. A few days worth of work and an incident involving Buffy and a frat house had turned up with a job for Xander. He managed to grab an interview as a cashier until Halloween at Ethan's Costume Shop. The fact that all of the other interviewee's were dealing with health issues due to a snake demon he had little competition and the hours he would receive would easily meet his goals. The discount on costumes was just a bonus. The only downsides for the job was dealing with the few particularly bratty kids and having to check out Buffy and Willow when they came in to purchase costumes. Their questioning looks and confusion meant he was definitely getting interrogated later. On the upside he managed to get out of guarding children for trick-or-treating as apparently Xander spending less time with Buffy and working a job, 'like all these ungrateful brats should' had put him in Principal Snyder's good books for now.
"Ok Xander what's the deal? When did you get a job?" Buffy asked while Willow made general agreeing sounds and didn't quite add much to the conversation.
"A few weeks ago after the Reptile Boy incident, you seemed a bit distracted after that so I guess you didn't notice. Then again you two benched me ever since Ampata so it's not like you have really been paying attention to my life anyways." Xander replied, trying to see if they had changed their minds.
"W-we told you it's dangerous and Buffy can handle herself." Willow responded, quickly shutting Xander down.
"Besides why do you need a job? It's not like you have anything to spend it on that you need.." Buffy replied thoughtlessly. Willow just winced seeing Xander's expression darken.
Growling Xander bit back, "Not all of us can go drain daddy's credit card on things we need when we ditch our friends for the summer." Xander turned straightening up from his casual slouch and marched away. The faintest glimmer of greenish yellow sparking in his eyes.
The next few days went about as could be expected until the day of Hallowen arrived. Ethan came out from the back storeroom smirking and holding a large cardboard box overflowing with various bits and pieces from partial costumes.
"Well my boy that's a wrap as they say. I've got your remaining pay here in my back pocket if you could take this." He said with a grunt handing Xander the box. After tucking his envelope of pay into Xander's front shirt pocket, "Now you can have this box of extra odds and ends to spice up that boring soldier costume of yours. Have an exciting night my boy I'm sure it will be one to remember."
"T-Thank you sir!" Xander replied with a shocked grin. "I certainly will." Xander headed home to see what he could add to his costume, he had only bought the thing to have a cheap costume for parties. With a few hours before he would try to meet up with Willow and Buffy in what felt like the dozenth attempt to smooth things over and entice them to a party, he had plenty of time to figure out what to add to his costume.
Author's Basement: So folks this is a cheesy fic to get my creativity back in shape while I work on Gamer: Odyssey. Still looking for votes on my profile poll about that by the way. Expect chapters in this fic to be short and random in their update schedule.
For now I have a question for the reviews. This is going to be a cheesy crackish fic that involves an absurd level of power gain for Xander though only for a short bit before going back to nothing until the events of the Season Two Finale. Obviously I am making some obvious tweaks to the canon to begin with.
So with that in mind, What Cheesy, OP, Badass, and otherwise awesome things do want Xander to find in the box that he can add to his costume?
Feel free to give me as much detail as you like with the what's and why's. I have some ideas in mind but I want more since the whole point of this is to be a bit absurd but, fun.