author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg 13
main character: Xander
pairing: Fireworks contains Xander/Jubilee,with side pairings of John(Pyro)/Faith and Bobby/Marie(Rogue)
seventh in the 'Fireworks' series.
disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or X-Men: the Movie, nor do I hold any legal rights to the comic sources for some of the additional background information for Movie characters.
distribution: TNL, Twisting the Hellmouth, Cat if she wants it. Anyone else ask.
note: going rather AU after Becoming for Buffy (yes, all the way back to season 2!), post X-Men the Movie (Sequel? what sequel?).
Jubilee had been shot by some 'Friends of Humanity' goon. How had that guy even gotten onto the property? Weren't there supposed to be security measures? Why had he been at Xavier's anyhow? The whole thing was a mess, and he didn't like any of it. It just felt... off, somehow.
The good news was that neither he nor Jubilee had been badly hurt. The bullet had just grazed his arm, and had hit Jubilee's arm, sort of getting lodged beside the bone. Fortunately, the arm bone hadn't been broken, although Xander wasn't quite certain how that had been avoided. The gunmen was in the medlabs now, with the Professor trying to sift through his mind for clues as to how and why he was here. Xander half hoped they'd throw the guy into a deep dark hole and leave him there.
He had the feeling that it wouldn't happen. They were supposed to be the good guys, and good guys didn't do that sort of thing. Good guys also weren't supposed to half char-broil their attackers, he'd been told. Apparently, they weren't supposed to maim or kill their enemies. Scott had given him this big lecture on why they didn't kill people. Logan had sat in the background, scowling around a cigar, looking pretty furious about the whole thing, although he didn't say a word during the lecture. Not until Scott had left the room, promising to check on Jubilee in the medlabs, where her arm was being checked out. Xander wasn't certain if Scott had believed his statement that he hadn't done it on purpose, that he couldn't control the green fire, but it had shifted the lecture's tone a bit.
He'd been left in the room with Logan, who had looked at him, passing him a bottle of Pepsi before speaking. "How much of that excuse was true?"
"I can't control it. This was only the third time it's come. Maybe I have to get hurt for it to work." Xander had shrugged, sitting in his chair, feeling like his mind and stomach were tied in knots.
Logan had nodded, and sipped at a beer. His question seemed entirely calm when he spoke again. "Would you have char-broiled him that badly if you could control it?"
"What sort of question is that? I'm not some freak who enjoys hurting people... I would have either just made him stop or killed him, not this halfway mess. And if he's dead, how are we supposed to find out why he's here and how he found us?" Xander felt almost angry, and he couldn't figure out what was behind Logan's question.
"So finding out why and how are more important than killing him." Logan looked as if he was making mental notes. "How would you feel if he had died? Or died in the labs? Would you get all torn up inside? Or would you take the view that it was him or you?"
"Damn it, it WAS him or me! Well, me and Jubilee, but that's pretty much the same thing." Xander glared at Logan, wishing that he had some clue what was going on in the other man's head. "There are times when you can't talk your way out of a situation, you have to fight. To push, maybe kill. Of course, I've only been there with vampires and demons before... But there are humans who can be just as vile. It wouldn't make me happy if he dies, but I'd still feel a bit upset, and I'm already worried about this power that I can't control. Scott's right about one thing - it's not good to do that sort of thing by accident."
"How much do you know about vampires and demons?" There was an odd note to Logan's voice, and it wasn't one that said doubt.
"More than I ever wanted. Before I came here… I lived over a Hellmouth. I found out two years ago what it was, that all those things in legends and old myths are real. Well, a lot of them anyhow. The new girl was a Slayer, if that means anything, and we… me and Willow, ended up helping her. Learned a lot about nasty things… and we started helping her fight them." Xander sighed, wondering how everything was in Sunnydale. If his mother and Willow were safe, if Giles had found Buffy. "It makes you think about things differently. The biggest difference though… this guy wasn't trying to eat us, he just wanted us dead. And the local cops might care if he's dead or gone."
Logan just looked at him, sipping from his beer. "And?"
Xander felt like he needed to sit down, except that he already was. "Oh man… I hadn't even thought about legal things. There are laws, and lawyers, and jail…"
"Xavier will take care of that. You do need to try to learn more control over the fire, but… It's good to see that someone around here thinks sensibly on a few things." Logan's eyes got this sort of distant look, as if he was contemplating some memory, rather than the room. "Sometimes, the only way to prevent trouble later is to kill the bastard now. It shouldn't have to be done here and now, but… shouldn't doesn't always hold much weight with the way things are, if you follow."
Xander nodded, and got up from his chair, realizing that now that the danger and lecture was over, his whole body felt shaky, and almost rubbery. "I… think I'm going to go check on Jubilee."
At the door to the medlab, he paused, wondering how Jubilee would be feeling. She'd been shot, and that would be pretty upsetting. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open, offering a slight smile towards his girlfriend. Those two words felt wonderful, even if only in his mind – his girlfriend. "Hey, Jube."
She looked rather pale, and her hair was sticking up in funny directions. There was a bandage over her arm, and she looked… scared. Jean was looking at something on the table, her back to the door. Jubilee offered a small wave with her uninjured arm. "Xander. Are you alright?"
"I'm pretty good. Glad that you're okay, glad the lecture's over and the danger past." He gave her a gentle hug, not wanting to hurt her already injured arm.
"That might be a bit hasty." Jean's voice sounded worried. "This… it isn't a bullet."
"What else would it be? It came out of a gun, and into my arm… good painkillers, by the way. If it's not a bullet, what is it?" Jubilee was frowning, and had sort of moved closer to Xander, almost hiding inside his over-shirt.
"Some sort of electronic device. It sort of reminds me of… of the tracking tags that the wildlife department uses." Jean looked very worried now.
Jubilee made a little whimper, and hid her face against Xander's chest. He looked at Jean, and whispered the big question. "Who's picking up the signal?"
"I wish that we could answer that. Something like this… it's not good, or comforting, or legal, for that matter. I hope the professor has found something." Jean's voice was filled with worry.
End Fireworks 7: Smoldering Fears
rating: pg/pg 13
main character: Xander
pairing: Fireworks contains Xander/Jubilee,with side pairings of John(Pyro)/Faith and Bobby/Marie(Rogue)
seventh in the 'Fireworks' series.
disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or X-Men: the Movie, nor do I hold any legal rights to the comic sources for some of the additional background information for Movie characters.
distribution: TNL, Twisting the Hellmouth, Cat if she wants it. Anyone else ask.
note: going rather AU after Becoming for Buffy (yes, all the way back to season 2!), post X-Men the Movie (Sequel? what sequel?).
Jubilee had been shot by some 'Friends of Humanity' goon. How had that guy even gotten onto the property? Weren't there supposed to be security measures? Why had he been at Xavier's anyhow? The whole thing was a mess, and he didn't like any of it. It just felt... off, somehow.
The good news was that neither he nor Jubilee had been badly hurt. The bullet had just grazed his arm, and had hit Jubilee's arm, sort of getting lodged beside the bone. Fortunately, the arm bone hadn't been broken, although Xander wasn't quite certain how that had been avoided. The gunmen was in the medlabs now, with the Professor trying to sift through his mind for clues as to how and why he was here. Xander half hoped they'd throw the guy into a deep dark hole and leave him there.
He had the feeling that it wouldn't happen. They were supposed to be the good guys, and good guys didn't do that sort of thing. Good guys also weren't supposed to half char-broil their attackers, he'd been told. Apparently, they weren't supposed to maim or kill their enemies. Scott had given him this big lecture on why they didn't kill people. Logan had sat in the background, scowling around a cigar, looking pretty furious about the whole thing, although he didn't say a word during the lecture. Not until Scott had left the room, promising to check on Jubilee in the medlabs, where her arm was being checked out. Xander wasn't certain if Scott had believed his statement that he hadn't done it on purpose, that he couldn't control the green fire, but it had shifted the lecture's tone a bit.
He'd been left in the room with Logan, who had looked at him, passing him a bottle of Pepsi before speaking. "How much of that excuse was true?"
"I can't control it. This was only the third time it's come. Maybe I have to get hurt for it to work." Xander had shrugged, sitting in his chair, feeling like his mind and stomach were tied in knots.
Logan had nodded, and sipped at a beer. His question seemed entirely calm when he spoke again. "Would you have char-broiled him that badly if you could control it?"
"What sort of question is that? I'm not some freak who enjoys hurting people... I would have either just made him stop or killed him, not this halfway mess. And if he's dead, how are we supposed to find out why he's here and how he found us?" Xander felt almost angry, and he couldn't figure out what was behind Logan's question.
"So finding out why and how are more important than killing him." Logan looked as if he was making mental notes. "How would you feel if he had died? Or died in the labs? Would you get all torn up inside? Or would you take the view that it was him or you?"
"Damn it, it WAS him or me! Well, me and Jubilee, but that's pretty much the same thing." Xander glared at Logan, wishing that he had some clue what was going on in the other man's head. "There are times when you can't talk your way out of a situation, you have to fight. To push, maybe kill. Of course, I've only been there with vampires and demons before... But there are humans who can be just as vile. It wouldn't make me happy if he dies, but I'd still feel a bit upset, and I'm already worried about this power that I can't control. Scott's right about one thing - it's not good to do that sort of thing by accident."
"How much do you know about vampires and demons?" There was an odd note to Logan's voice, and it wasn't one that said doubt.
"More than I ever wanted. Before I came here… I lived over a Hellmouth. I found out two years ago what it was, that all those things in legends and old myths are real. Well, a lot of them anyhow. The new girl was a Slayer, if that means anything, and we… me and Willow, ended up helping her. Learned a lot about nasty things… and we started helping her fight them." Xander sighed, wondering how everything was in Sunnydale. If his mother and Willow were safe, if Giles had found Buffy. "It makes you think about things differently. The biggest difference though… this guy wasn't trying to eat us, he just wanted us dead. And the local cops might care if he's dead or gone."
Logan just looked at him, sipping from his beer. "And?"
Xander felt like he needed to sit down, except that he already was. "Oh man… I hadn't even thought about legal things. There are laws, and lawyers, and jail…"
"Xavier will take care of that. You do need to try to learn more control over the fire, but… It's good to see that someone around here thinks sensibly on a few things." Logan's eyes got this sort of distant look, as if he was contemplating some memory, rather than the room. "Sometimes, the only way to prevent trouble later is to kill the bastard now. It shouldn't have to be done here and now, but… shouldn't doesn't always hold much weight with the way things are, if you follow."
Xander nodded, and got up from his chair, realizing that now that the danger and lecture was over, his whole body felt shaky, and almost rubbery. "I… think I'm going to go check on Jubilee."
At the door to the medlab, he paused, wondering how Jubilee would be feeling. She'd been shot, and that would be pretty upsetting. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open, offering a slight smile towards his girlfriend. Those two words felt wonderful, even if only in his mind – his girlfriend. "Hey, Jube."
She looked rather pale, and her hair was sticking up in funny directions. There was a bandage over her arm, and she looked… scared. Jean was looking at something on the table, her back to the door. Jubilee offered a small wave with her uninjured arm. "Xander. Are you alright?"
"I'm pretty good. Glad that you're okay, glad the lecture's over and the danger past." He gave her a gentle hug, not wanting to hurt her already injured arm.
"That might be a bit hasty." Jean's voice sounded worried. "This… it isn't a bullet."
"What else would it be? It came out of a gun, and into my arm… good painkillers, by the way. If it's not a bullet, what is it?" Jubilee was frowning, and had sort of moved closer to Xander, almost hiding inside his over-shirt.
"Some sort of electronic device. It sort of reminds me of… of the tracking tags that the wildlife department uses." Jean looked very worried now.
Jubilee made a little whimper, and hid her face against Xander's chest. He looked at Jean, and whispered the big question. "Who's picking up the signal?"
"I wish that we could answer that. Something like this… it's not good, or comforting, or legal, for that matter. I hope the professor has found something." Jean's voice was filled with worry.
End Fireworks 7: Smoldering Fears
