A/N Thanks to all those who have reviewed this fiction – I very much appreciate it. Big thanks to Kamagong for his critique and his advice. Guess I shouldn't have gone to see 'Thor' before starting this fan fiction! ROFL And yes, it does appear my characterization here is closer to Thor here. Hmmm maybe I should have had Xander dressed up as Thor instead…
A/N 2 I will try in the sequel to make the Captain / Xander less pompous and more action oriented, but the overall feel I was trying for here was a combination of the Captain and Xander but I guess it really didn't work. Oh well it's only my second fan fiction – live and learn I guess.
A/N 3 If I have annoyed any other fans of Captain America, I am sorry LOL. It's only my second ever fan fiction so I will use this as a learning experience. Besides it was only a small project of mine meant for fun!
CHAPTER 9 CONSEQUENCES
After the events of the evening and the spell had been reversed through the efforts of Rupert Giles, the members of the 'Scooby' gang all found themselves back at the apartment of the Watcher so they could fill in Giles, of what had happened that evening. Unfortunately, Xander had passed out due to the pain of the magical backlash that he had suffered and so had to be carried by Buffy, who had now regained her own self, as well as her Slayer gifts. Xander was currently lying on Giles' couch, sleeping while being fussed over by a concerned Willow.
"What's wrong with Xander, Giles? I can't bear to see one of my best friends hurt like this." Buffy practically whined to her Watcher.
"I don't know Buffy. Something like this is unprecedented. He should have turned back to normal like yourself and Willow." Giles replied even as he was cleaning his glasses.
"Could it have something to do with the Hell Mouth Giles?" Willow asked, even as she looked away from the peacefully sleeping Xander.
"I'm not sure Willow. It might be possible, but I would have to research it properly." Giles answered.
"And what's up with Xander anyways? The dork looks different now and how the hell did his costume get all torn and ripped like that?" Cordelia added her two cents worth in. The Watcher then took a moment to examine the boy, before he answered the cheerleader.
"Hmmm. It seems to me he's actually grown quite a few more inches than he was. And he seems to have bulked up a fair bit – but for the life of me I have no idea on how any of this is possible." Giles stated as he pondered upon the consequences of Ethan's spell.
"Have any of you suffered any ill effects thanks to the spell of that pillock, Ethan?" Giles asked as he was afraid of his other charges being hurt as well as the boy.
"Well I seem to be okay now Giles, now that I'm no longer lady useless." The Slayer grumbled.
"I have my powers back, and hey how did I lose them in the first place Giles? Isn't the powers all part of me being all Slayery?" A confused Buffy asked Giles.
"I'm not sure for certain. Chaos magic in it's essence is purely, should I dare say it, chaotic and is almost impossible to predict its effects and consequences. Maybe such a spell cast on such a place like the hell mouth contributed as well. Until I get the chance to research it properly, there's no way to be certain. I'm sorry Buffy." Giles explained even as he continued to clean his glasses.
"And what about you Willow? Have you noticed any side effects?" A concerned Giles asked the red head.
"No I'm fine Giles. No more walking through walls and doors and stuff for me anymore. I'm back to plain old Willow." Willow reassured Giles and her friends.
"Hey! What about me! No one is asking if I'm okay! Just look at my costume here! It's not like I'm going to get my deposit back!" Cordelia piped up.
"*Sigh* Are you okay then Cordelia." Giles sighed even as he humoured the girl.
"Fine. Thanks for asking." Cordelia slightly grumbled even as she smiled back at Giles.
"But you weren't even affected by the spell Cordelia!" Willow protested even as she started to get a bit angry at Cordelia's attitude.
"Hmmmp." Cordelia only huffed back at the girl. "I was in much danger as the rest of you tonight you know."
"But…"
"I think we all should take a moment to reflect." Giles interrupted the two girls before they could get into a shouting and arguing contest.
"We were all lucky tonight. It's unfortunate that Ethan Rayne managed to teleport himself away while my back was turned. So we're all going to be extra careful in the future should he decide to return to this cursed place." Giles warned his charges.
"IF he returns, Giles. When I get my hands on him….." Buffy said angrily.
"Yes, yes you will make him pay as you Americans are so fond of saying. But for the immediate concern is to make sure Alexander is okay." Giles said.
"You don't think he's really hurt do you?" Willow asked concerned and sad that her oldest friend could be seriously hurt from the night's magic.
"Probably not Willow. But it's best to make sure and ask him a few questions when he manages to wake." Giles stated to the group.
"If he's hurt Giles, then Ethan answers to me!" Buffy almost snarled.
"And I'll be there to back you up Buffy." Willow agreed.
"Now, now. There's no reason to go out on a limb seeking vengeance. But rest assured Ethan will be dealt with. For tonight I suggest we get some rest. We will all think more clearly in the morning. Why not we catch up tomorrow at the school library tomorrow and we can discuss this further." Giles suggested.
"Yes Giles. And Xander?" Buffy asked.
"I'll look after him here for the night. You lot should all go home and get some sleep."
"And Xander's parents? What do we tell them?" Buffy asked.
"I'll say that he is staying the night over at my place Buffy." Willow answered her friend.
"They know he used to stay over when we were little. Besides it's not like that would really notice him gone anyways." Willow said that last little bit more quietly. So quietly that no one else in the room heard her.
"Very well then. You've all had a big day so I suggest you all get some sleep. Xander will be alright here." Giles said again, even as he turned to Buffy and continued.
"I suggest Buffy that you walk Miss Rosenberg and Miss Chase home so nothing will happen to them."
"Hey! I don't need to be babysat!" Cordelia complained.
"After tonight, do you really want to walk home all by yourself?" Willow asked.
"…" Cordelia had no answer to the point just raised by one Willow Rosenberg.
"I thought so. Let's go Buffy."
"Alright follow me and stick close." Buffy answered as she managed to pick up a sword and axe from Giles' personal armoury before leading the girls back outside to head home.
Rupert Giles awoke up at about 7 am and went downstairs to his kitchen to fix some breakfast for himself as well as Alexander. Once there he noticed that, Xander was already awake and sitting at the kitchen bench reading the comics section of the morning newspaper. Giles knew the lad had a habit of oversleeping, and hoped nothing was truly wrong for getting up early was a bit out of character for the young man.
"Good Lord Xander! Are you alright?" A concerned Giles asked. Xander turned around from where he was reading the comics and replied.
"Yeah I'm alright I guess G-Man…its just…"
"Xander *sigh* I know you were through a lot last night, but do you really need to call me that infernal nickname?" Giles asked with a sigh.
"Yep." Xander replied back to the Watcher with a cheeky grin.
"Well, it seems you are back to you old self again it seems. Do you feel anything different or any side affects from last night?" The Watcher asked, even while still concerned about Xander's taller size and more muscle bulk that he had suddenly gained.
"Well G-M…..eh Giles, it seems that I might still be all Captain America like?"
"Still? But you sound like your usual self Xander. You could elaborate on that? What exactly do you mean?" Giles asked the young man.
"Well, I don't know how exactly, but firstly I feel much stronger than before. Like in Captain America strong."
"Hmmm and how strong would that be exactly? I'm not much of a reader of these comics as you are Xander."
"Well if memory of the comics serves correctly and if I am now physically now like Captain America, I have the agility, strength, speed, endurance and reaction time which is vastly superior to any Olympic athlete who has ever competed. Did you know that Captain America was once able to lift up to 800 pounds?"
"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed as he started to clean his glasses.
"I'm not sure if I am as strong as Buffy, but I'm pretty sure I now come closer than almost anyone you can name, will ever do."
"Good Heavens Xander, that is truly remarkable if what you say is true. Is there anything else about this Captain America that I should know?"
"Yeah, Captain America really mastered the martial arts of judo and American styled boxing and he has combined these disciplines into his own unique style. Which by the way G-Man I can remember all of his moves." Xander grinned even as the Watcher's jaw dropped.
"I'm not really sure, but I could probably now give the Buffster a run for her money in a fight now." Xander grinned cheekily back at Giles.
"I see but challenging the Slayer to a fight is not really a wise decision Xander." Giles cautioned Xander." I do hope you're not planning anything silly."
"No Giles, but I can really help out now."
"Still Xander, we should be careful and make sure there aren't any ill affects from the spell before we do anything rash. We still need to research this properly." Giles warned Xander.
"*Sigh* I know Giles. It's the memories and dreams that I could do without." Xander sighed.
"Memories and dreams? You mean to say you've got some of this fictional character's memories now?"
"I'm afraid so."
"That shouldn't be possible! This truly is disturbing to say the least!" Giles remarked as he was starting to feel concerned about what has truly happened to Xander.
"Yeah I say, some of the memories aren't nice Giles. It was wartime against the Nazi's after all. And some of the things that the Nazis did and what Captain America was witness to…." Xander trailed off as he started to shudder. The nightmare that he had early this morning and had woken him up wasn't a bit pleasant.
"I know I'm going to regret this, but do you mind asking what some of those things he witnessed were?" Giles asked as gently as he could.
"Well Giles…I don't know how to say this, but Captain America once lead a rescue team to Auschwitz near the end of the war. Some of the vile, evil and murderous things done by those bastard Nazis there…." Xander trailed off again as he shuddered again and could plainly be seen to be crying now.
"GOOD LORD! Xander, I am so sorry…" Giles tried to comfort the boy as he realized the horrors and nightmares that Xander must now be subjected to.
Curse that bloody wanker Ethan Rayne. Damn him and damn his bloody chaos magic. If I ever see that idiot again, I will kill him! AND IT WON"T BE A QUICK DEATH EITHER!
Giles was even more furious now at his old friend Ethan Rayne as he was starting to begin to comprend how badly Xander had been affected by Ethan's antics. And to get memories and nightmares of any death camp would be horrible to say the least. BUT to get memories of THAT place…..well Giles was no longer a happy camper. Ethan would suffer badly for this if Giles ever got his hands back on him.
It took a while for Giles to console the distraught teenage boy, and he finally managed to convince him to have breakfast. While Xander was trying to concentrate on eating the cereal that Giles had provided, Giles then went to look for a change of clothes for the boy, as the boy's current state meant that Xander would have nothing that would fit, and Xander now appeared to be ROUGHLY Giles' own size, well at least in height. So Giles went upstairs to look for something suitable.
Giles came back down to the kitchen with a change of clothes, and noticed that Xander had finished breakfast and was now examing the shield that had been part of the costume that he had wore last night. Xander was so engrossed in looking at the shield he didn't realize Giles was back downstairs until the Watcher coughed politely.
"Hey Giles, what's up?"
"I brought you a change of clothes Xander. Judging from your new size, I doubt any of your previous clothes will fit you anymore, and that thing that you're currently wearing is hardly what I call suitable."
"Awwww but Tweed Giles? Do I have to?" Xander whined, though with a weak smile plastered on his face. Giles smirked before answering back to the teenage boy.
"Just think of it as punishment for all those times you called me by that infernal nickname. And I think that you would look absolutely smashing in Tweed." Giles joked as he was trying to cheer up the troubled lad.
"But Giles!" Xander protested even as he began to smile a little bit brighter than before.
"Please get changed quickly Xander and we will now head off to school. I hardly need to say it but please leave that plastic prop here. It really doesn't belong at school."
"Ah Giles, there's just one small problem…" Xander said a bit nervously.
"And what may that be?"
"The shield is not plastic. It's remained real."
"A real shield? I suppose it might come in handy with Buffy's duties, but I don't see how one shield can change things all that much." Giles said before he was interrupted by Xander.
"But Giles! It's Captain America's shield. From what I can recall, the shield is made up from a special metal-ally…..
"Metal Alloy, Xander." Giles corrected.
"Okay. Metal Alloy. A very unique Metal Alloy called Vibranium-Adimantium."
"Vibranium-Adimantium? I've never heard of it."
"I don't think it really exists in this world Giles. At least, not until now."
"And what is so special about this Vibranium-Adimantium?" Giles asked.
"Well accordingly to the comics the Vibranium-Adimantium makes Captain America's shield virtually indestructible. It's resistant to penetration, temperature extremes and all manner and types of radiation."
"Good Lord! I can see that this shield is not exactly your normal shield then!"
"Yes. The shield has great aerodynamic properties: it is able to slice through the air with minimal wind resistance and deflection of path. Its great overall resilience, combined with its natural hardness, enables it to rebound from objects with minimal loss of momentum."
"Oh dear. Then this shield could be used as a deadly weapon."
"Yes. In fact when I was possessed by Captain America, the Captain dusted no less than three vamps and one demon with it."
"Good Lord! Then you better leave it here so it will be safe. The last thing we need is for some demon or vampire to get their hands on it."
"Yeah. That would be of the bad." Xander agreed with Giles quickly.
"Very well, then. I will secure this shield in my armoury while you go change quickly. We will then head to the school library to meet up with Buffy and Willow, then go over last night's events."
"Sure thing, G-Man!"
"Xander?"
"Yes Giles?"
"Don't call me that."
But unknown to Giles, Xander or the rest of the Scoobies, one Alexander Lavelle Harris wasn't the only one to suffer the consequences from the spell cast by Ethan Rayne on that fateful, Halloween Night. One Warren Mears, who was a year or two above the Scooby gang, was currently cursing the misfortune that had be felled him that night, with the freaky changes that had now affected his body seeming to be permanent. Warren Mears was now looking into his personal mirror and was silently cursing his luck. He had grown taller by a large amount, more than what was normal and had put on some muscle. In fact, he had put on A LOT of muscle. But those facts were NOT the ones that were so freaking him out. No it was in fact that when he looked at his reflection in the mirror, a man with a fiery looking RED SKULL for a head, was looking back at him.
THE END….OR IS IT?
A/N Sorry folks but this is where I planned on ending this particular fiction. And in the immortal words of Bugs Bunny – AIN'T I A STINKER! Lol
