Disclaimer: Not mine
I have no idea why this took almost a year. I can blame a lot of IRL factors. But also, just Silver Summer has also been just hard to grapple with for all sorts of reasons. I can only really blame the last six months on IRL being chaotic, which has been true. But I have worked on other stuff, albeit way too slowly, and this fic has now taken over two years to finish. Two years, just seven chapters.
I don't know why, not really.
I started the ICC series in 2012. It's been part of my life for nearly ten years. I've changed, quite a bit in that time. Graduated college, moved several times, dated, had several jobs, come out as trans, gotten sucked into other fandoms, and more. ICC started as, and still is, a bit of a magnum opus for me in terms of my 'ideal approach to fic', but I'm not the same person I was when I started writing it, and that has an impact on my motivation, my inspiration, and my aspirations, when it comes to writing. Including with ICC. What exactly that impact will mean is an open question.
Regardless, Silver Summer is done. ICC Season 3 is next. Theoretically. I have every intention of writing it - and picking up much sooner to this being published than I did between the end of ICC Season 2 and starting this fic. There are several reasons why it should actually be easier for me to write, too.
But that said, I may not end up writing it. I just... I may give up. We'll have to see. If I do, I will at least provide a sketch/outline of my plans for the Season and after, so people can get at least some sense of conclusion to where the story would have gone.
As always, many thanks to Starway Man and Dieticlast for beta-reading, and putting up with my endless delays here.
Iron Coin Chronicles: The Silver Summer
By Kylia
Installment 7
August 24th, 2000
Outside A 24 Hour Gas Station Convenience Store
Usually, when she was on patrol, Buffy would stick to the graveyards. Unless she had some specific target in mind, some demon she was tracking. Vampires hung out in the town's cemeteries, they rose for their first nights in them, and a lot of other demons could be found in them. It was strange, but what about life in Sunnydale wasn't?
But sometimes, Buffy patrolled other places. While generally the demons and the vampires didn't attack the late night convenience stores and fast food places - better to go after people coming back from them, rather than attack the places themselves - Buffy patrolled around them every now and then, in case vamps decided to jump some idiot who decided he needed a pack of skittles and a 2 liter bottle of soda at 1 am.
Tonight had been a bust, but with summer coming close to an end, Buffy expected things would pick up.
I hope they do. She fingered the silver coin in her pocket, turning it over a few times in her hand. She'd kept her eyes open for 'angels cosplaying as ancient Roman soldiers'. She'd even subjected herself to a few of Giles's books so she could know exactly what a Roman soldier looked like.
Those big shields and those distinctive helmets should make it easy to know what she was looking for, if the big feathery wings weren't a giveaway.
Assuming that's what the 'Jester' meant when he said 'angels', anyway.
But she hadn't seen one. Xander hadn't mentioned anyone trying to kill him, either. Assuming he could... that stupid 'you can't talk about it' thing was so very much of the annoying.
Pulling her hand out of her pocket, Buffy looked at the silver coin again, as if it would look any different from any other time she'd looked at it. It was... a coin. It didn't have any markings she could really make out - it looked like it had had some kind of design once, a long time ago - but now it was faded, worn. One side might have been heads, making the other side tails. The silver was clean and bright despite how worn it looked, never seeming dirty, or tarnished. Even after she'd dropped it in the mud once, as an experiment.
Rolling her eyes, Buffy sighed and stuck the coin back in her pocket.
If this Jester really is just in it for the laughs, maybe this is all some huge cosmic prank.
Buffy turned to look at the gas station across the street, checking to see if any targets tempting to vampires might be walking away. Nothing. The lights were on, she could see the clerk behind the register, but the place seemed dead. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Checking the nearby alleys, Buffy debated which one to check first when a black SUV turned onto the main street and then, with screeching tires - the speed was too much - into the gas station. Moving towards an alley, Buffy kept her eyes on the SUV, just in case.
The driver's side door opened and a woman in a red pantsuit stepped out, wearing an almost blindingly white shirt under the jacket. She had a cell phone pressed to her ear, looking like some Hollywood executive on her way to a power lunch, instead of being parked at a cheap gas station in a one-starbucks town.
Buffy found herself admiring the woman's heels - it was hard to be sure from this distance, but she was pretty sure they were the latest Manolo Blahniks - for a moment, then there was a weird...something.
Like a shimmer of white light passing over the woman, and when it vanished a split second later, Buffy inhaled.
Angel cosplaying as a Roman soldier, indeed.
Superficially, the woman looked the same - except for the fact she had wings, folded behind her back. The wings were white, feathered, and Buffy had no idea how long they'd be when fully spread, but pretty big. In place of the pantsuit she'd been wearing, she had one of those segmented suits of armor she saw in the sketches in Giles' books, the skirt-like... thing. It was real armor, too - not the stupid skimpy stuff you saw in the movies or on TV or in Xander's comic books.
She also had one of those big square shields, and a sword like the one in the pictures. Definitely focused on the point, rather than the edge, though the edges didn't look dull.
Buffy took a breath, inhaling slowly as her hand clasped around the silver coin in her pocket again. I really only have the Jester to go on that these guys are the bad guys. Her experience with Walsh had shown her how carefully she had to listen to the information provided by people she didn't know.
Still, wanting to be safe rather than sorry, she took the coin out of her pocket entirely, holding it in the palm of her right hand, closed. It felt... weirdly warm against her skin, all of a sudden.
The moment it left her pocket, the woman turned away from the gas pump faster than a normal human should be able to, staring intently at Buffy. The woman - the Legionary, Buffy decided to just call her - pushed against the ground, leaping into the air and moving above rooftop height, then landing back down, spreading her wings to slow her descent.
I think gravity doesn't work like that... Buffy's fight or flight instincts were screaming at her to do both, simultaneously. Her Slayer senses were now screaming at her that what she was looking at was 'unnatural' and 'evil', but Buffy held her position.
"You are not the coin-bearer," the Legionary said, her voice as inhuman as her jump - it sounded like metal clashing against metal, like when a sword caught another sword and ground against it a little, like in the movies.
Hearing it made Buffy's teeth hurt.
"That's a really odd way to ask if I have change to offer," Buffy quipped. "I don't actually have any change on me, but I could go into the gas station and buy you a snack if you're hungry..." She went on, as if she was talking to some homeless beggar. Her mom had always said don't just give a homeless person money, give them something they'd need that can't be quite as easily turned into drugs.
Of course, in Sunnydale, homeless people weren't really a problem, so Buffy had never had a chance to put that theory into practice.
"You are not the coin-bearer I seek, but you reek nonetheless," the Legionary's expression was unchanged, just intent staring, and while judging tone with that horrible metallic grinding voice was hard, she didn't seem especially emotional about anything.
Manners, much? I guess people devoted to fate and rules and making galaxies spin right would be pretty flat and boring?
"I reek? Now that's just being rude," Buffy disagreed. "I shower every day. Sometimes twice a day, if I have to slay a really nasty demon." She leaned forward a bit, speaking a bit conspiratorially: "And do you know just how hard it is to get some demon blood out of your clothes?" She shook her head, pulling back.
"You have not been so changed by Chaos as to adopt the mannerisms of the Anathema of Chance." The Legionary cocked her head to the side, as if assessing Buffy. Then her eyes snapped downwards, to Buffy's right hand. "You bear a silver coin!" She raised her shield, positioning it between herself and Buffy, blade raised and pointed.
"Oh, okay, so we're fighting then?" Buffy flipped the coin, still a little surprised at how quickly it turned into a sword, which she held the hilt of loosely, taking another step back. That shield would give her problems. It was big, and it looked sturdy.
He said it made every hit you can make, it makes... but with that shield... What did that even mean though? What did 'every hit you can make' even mean? She'd found when she used it against demons and vampires, it cut with more force than she'd have ever expected, despite its light weight. She'd cut right through thick demon skin and bone to lop off hands, even a head once, though that one felt like it had been luck.
Does luck even count here?
"If you wield the weapons of Chaos, you are a servant of Chaos, and must likewise be excised," The Legionary countered. "You have one opportunity. Surrender your Silver Coin, and do not interfere with the Legion of Necessity, and you shall be left in peace."
"See, that's where we might have a bit of a problem. The guy who gave me this," Buffy held up the sword, waggling it a little, "told me that your... Legion is here to kill a friend of mine. And that is just not happening." Buffy leveled the sword at the Legionary. "So. Counter-offer: You gather your little friends, leave Sunnydale, and none of you ever come back. Or else."
"The bearer of the Iron Coin will be excised," the Legionary replied flatly, ignoring the not-so-subtle threat. "If you defend him, so too will you." The Legionary thrust her blade at Buffy, lunging for her, and it was all the Slayer could do to move out of the way, just barely getting to the side, the blade missing her torso by just a few inches.
Uh-oh. The other woman moved faster than even an older vampire!
"But why!?" Buffy demanded, dropping her sword a little, catching it underneath the gladius and pushing it upwards. Despite the strength behind the Legionary's attack, Buffy found it all too easy to push back against her, at least with the silver sword.
"The coin-bearer is a cancer, eating at the foundations of Fate's plans for a dozen worlds, a dozen hundred dimensions. Change proceeds and Chaos spreads," the Legionary intoned. "It must now be excised, removed at the source."
"By killing my friend? And now, me as well?" Buffy shook her head. "No. Not happening."
Whatever 'Fate' had planned - and apparently it had included some pretty terrible outcomes, with Faith being in prison, Amy stuck as a rat and who knew what else - Buffy didn't care. They could say it was better in some big picture sense, but that didn't matter. They'd killed Oz. Buffy had been there at Oz's funeral, had held Willow more than once as the other girl sobbed herself to sleep over her boyfriend's death.
And now they wanted to kill Xander? And her? Who else? Was Willow next? Riley? Giles? Her mom?!
"You cannot stop the Legion of Necessity. We will do what is needed to preserve the foundations and designs, preserve Fate itself!" the Legionary proclaimed before she stabbed again, and once more, Buffy caught the blade, pushing it aside to the right this time. The Slayer knew she needed to press the attack, but every time she tried to pull the sword back for a swing, the Legionary attacked. She was fast, too fast, Buffy was having trouble keeping up. She stepped back, and felt brick pressed against her.
The building behind her...
"I thought Fate was bigger than some puny mortal," Buffy quipped again, "That's what the Jester kept going on about, anyway-"
Once more the Legionary thrust, but this time, Buffy managed to anticipate just enough - she rolled along the wall to the right, the blade driving into the brick with a soft shower of brick shards and clay dust - Buffy averted her face a little, trying not to inhale as she swung-
The Legionary moved her shield in time, crouching a little to be fully behind it as the silver sword connected.
The sword was good, but Buffy was not prepared when the sword hit the shield and didn't dent it.
It sank right in, leaving a deep gouge in the metal as she pulled the sword back. The Legionary wasn't surprised by it, and Buffy dropped and rolled to the side, just barely avoiding another stab that once more sank into the brick wall, raining clay dust all over Buffy's shirt.
"Not going to respond to me?" Buffy asked, jumping back to her feet. She raised the blade, but the Legionary was in front of her again, stabbing at her. Buffy tried to dodge, but instead this time, the so-called angel kicked out with her leg and hit Buffy in the knee. The blow didn't have that much force behind it, but it was enough - Buffy stumbled back, falling over and nearly hit the back of her head on a tree. The Legionary was above her, sword thrusting down for a stab, and Buffy grabbed onto the legionary's wrist, barely holding it in place, the point inches from her stomach.
"You really should be careful with sharp, pointy objects," Buffy quipped, watching the Legionary's eyes as she held her arm in place. The Legionary tried to pull her hand free, but Buffy held on for dear life. Faster, yes. Stronger? Apparently not. Her sword in her other hand, Buffy feinted, seeming to thrust for the Legionary's stomach, but then dropping it and swinging for the leg.
The blade swung right through the agent of Fate's leg, severing it - the Legionary fell back as Buffy let go of her wrist, stumbling over to the side. Buffy pushed herself to her feet. She hadn't expected - right through the-
But before Buffy could get past the surprise, she saw, eyes wide, breath caught in her throat as the Legionary's stump of a leg... regrew, and the foot she'd lost...
It turned into what Buffy would have called TV static, before vanishing completely.
What the-
"Your weapons of Chaos cannot harm me," the Legionary intoned. She raised her sword and shield again, and charged at Buffy - Buffy didn't dodge this time, but moved forward, swinging. Once, twice, three times, her sword connected with the Legionary's shield, gouging deep cuts in the metal each time - at least it wasn't healing - and not letting up, trying not to give her enemy the chance to stab her.
She tried to swing a fourth time, but this time, the Legionary didn't raise her shield - she took the blow on her arm and once more, the blade sliced through the limb with impossible ease - even compared to cutting the limbs off a vampire, it was too easy, almost no resistance. The Legionary's shield arm fell to the ground, along with the shield.
Buffy couldn't help but stare, but she managed to pull her eyes away sooner and started swinging again bringing the sword up for downward slash - the Legionary blocked the blow, holding her sword up and blocking the swing.
Just like with the shield, the gladius was damaged by the swing, cracks spiraling through it -
The Legionary's shield arm regrew, complete with a shield, but this one was undamaged.
Did she-
Buffy staggered back again, barely able to believe what she was seeing - she looked from the undamaged shield, to the damaged blade...
Don't target her.
Buffy was back on the defensive, being pushed back under a steady assault, stab, stab, swing - the Legionary was mixing up her strategy now, and Buffy kept having to block with the silver sword, or dodge, each dodge barely a success, and she felt like the sword was getting closer and closer each time she stabbed.
On the sixth strike, another swing, Buffy caught the gladius on the silver sword again, and this time, she pushed back, blade grinding against blade again.
"Surrender now, and you will be spared, mortal. Your position in Fate's design remains secure." The Legionary's voice almost blended into the grinding noise of sword on sword as Buffy pushed back.
"I've never been a big fan of doing what people tell me," Buffy replied. "I mean, just ask the Council." She watched the damaged blade, cracks spiderwebbing across the metal under the force of Buffy's push as the Legionary dug her feel into the dirt, not moving -
Buffy pushed, putting everything she could into it - her arms felt hot, sore, like she'd been practicing in the hot sun for hours, but the rest of her body felt increasingly cold. The Legionary would not move, could not move, would not pull her blade away from the silver sword-
The gladius didn't break.
It exploded.
Shards of metal - or what looked like metal - flew everywhere - several impacted with the Legionary, and she saw blood drawn all over the other woman's face. But these wounds weren't healing, blood dripping from the forehead, into the Legionary's eyes -
Buffy didn't want to let the Legionary have a moment, so she swung again, aiming for the Legionary's shield -
The Legionary tried to turn, tried to get her shield arm sliced off again, but Buffy turned the blade, hitting the shield from the 'inside' cutting deep into the edge-
And then Buffy cried out, pain spiking through her body, centering on her stomach... Buffy staggered back, head light, and she looked down at her lower stomach
A metal shard was embedded in it. Buffy grabbed it with her free hand and pulled it out, barely biting back a scream - she looked at it. An inch of the shard was covered in blood, and Buffy dropped it nervelessly, staring at her blood on her hand -
"You have accepted your own death," the Legionary intoned - then jumped straight up into the air, flying away, body fading into TV static as she flew -
Buffy felt her heart pounding in her chest, breathing fast, shallow breaths. She couldn't focus, she pressed her hand to her injury. She needed - she needed to get somewhere safe, quick, bind it, bandage - Slayer Healing could deal with this, as long as she didn't lose too much blood...
She tried to staunch the flow as she staggered away. Giles - Giles's place was closest, right? Or maybe it was - Wesley's? Or maybe Willow's? Someone - she needed -
Buffy tripped, over nothing, over an exposed root, on the sidewalk - she fell to one knee, almost onto her face - she dropped the sword and it clattered on the sidewalk as she caught her fall barely with her now free hand...
She heard the sound of cards being flourished behind her.
"Not bad, for a start. Almost expected you to die, really. But it looks like you'll live. So go ahead and keep my silver coin, for now. Keep your friend alive."
The Jester.
"You-" Buffy gasped out, "What the- what happened?"
"Ah, ah, ah, that would be telling," he taunted, and Buffy could almost imagine the smug expression on his face, just from how punchable his voice sounded. "Oh, gotta go. Be seeing you, I guess."
Buffy tried to push herself to her feet, but instead, she only got as far as up to her knees - and then she fell again, barely managing to turn, landing on her back, not her front. Lying there, half on the grass, half on the sidewalk, bloody hand pressed to a cut that shouldn't be bleeding this much, right? Stomach wounds weren't supposed to be -
"Buffy!"
Buffy blinked, the voice familiar, she couldn't-
"Riley?" the Slayer called out, groaning in pain as she tried to force herself to sit up. With one hand, she pushed herself to her feet. The pain was intense, more than she'd felt in - well, a long time? Ever? She wasn't sure.
"Buffy!" Her boyfriend was there, why was he there? How? Buffy couldn't spare the mind to care. "You're bleeding!"
"Really?" Buffy replied, airily, "I didn't notice."
"Right, sorry," Riley looked at her injury. "Uh, I've seen worse." Buffy couldn't tell if Riley was being honest, or if he was trying to make her feel better. "C'mon, I can patch you up somewhere safe." Riley put an arm under hers, around her back. "Can you walk? Wesley's apartment is the closest."
So second guess. Wesley wasn't her Watcher, but it wasn't like he'd turn her away if she was bleeding on his doorstep.
"I - I can walk," Buffy nodded. "Just not - not quickly. I think."
Riley nodded. "Like I said, I've seen worse. Let's just get you fixed up, quickly."
August 26th, 2000
17619 White Oak Drive, Sunnydale
Apart from vampires in general, Xander tried not to hate too many things. At least not let the hate be a thing he focused on. But if there was one thing he really hated, it was when something bad happened and he didn't see it with the coin.
Not because he didn't flip and didn't see.
But because it didn't happen when he flipped.
Of course, the question is, would I have seen it if I'd flipped for other people? If I'd known who to flip for?
Like that vampire that had stabbed Buffy in the gut with the piece of metal. If Riley hadn't been out on patrol on his own...
No. Buffy would have made it. Or Faith would have found her - she was patrolling too.
But she would have gotten more hurt. As it was, Buffy had said she couldn't understand how such a small piece of metal had cut her up as bad as it had. She'd be fine, once she healed, but...
Xander wished he understood why Fate did the things they did. Some great glorious endgame plan, yeah, fine. But how - how did it all add up? Why was breaking Willow and Oz up so important that they killed him? Among other things. Xander looked at the coin in his hand. Cordelia had just gotten in the shower, so this was the best time to get it in.
"Buffy Summers," He flipped.
A familiar scene passed through his mind. Xander could tell it would be happening sooner, rather than later, at this point. Dracula was coming to town.
Buffy dusted a vampire, and a man walks out from behind a mausoleum. Tall, pale, long flowing hair and long flowing cape.
"Very impressive hunt," the vampire said - his accent didn't sound any more real the hundredth time Xander heard it than it had the first.
"Okay, who are you supposed to be?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you knew," The vampire gave an elaborate bow. "I am Dracula."
The small headache he'd gotten at first when he saw this had gotten less and less bad each time. Now it didn't even hurt at all.
Come to think of it, all the headaches are less bad.
What did that mean? Headache meant what he saw was important to Fate's plans, right? So - so no headache meant not important? No big headaches meant nothing super important?
The Jester had said he wasn't totally human anymore. Was he... adapting to the headaches? Changed so he couldn't feel them?
Letting out a long breath, Xander returned to the coin.
"Cordelia Chase," flip.
Cordelia. Graveyard. Daylight. No, not just a graveyard. A funeral. She was wearing black. All black. Everyone was there. Buffy. Willow. Tara. Giles. Faith. Amy. Even Wes. Buffy's mom, his mom, some other girl, maybe 13, 14, long brown hair. Xander felt like he should recognize her.
Xander felt his throat tighten even before the 'vision' allowed him a glimpse of the headstone.
Alexander Lavelle Harris.
1981-2000
Loyal Friend, Beloved Partner
"Why..." Cordelia's voice was choked thick with tears. "Why would you do-"
The vision ended... with no headache.
"Fate... fate can't do that, right?" Xander blinked, confused. They couldn't write for him... so how could they write Cordelia at his funeral? That didn't...
His funeral.
Xander swallowed, blinked, stared at the sunrise a moment.
He had just... seen his own funeral.
Or at least, what could be his funeral.
Exhaling and inhaling slowly, Xander didn't let himself linger on it. He had more to do.
"Willow Rosenberg."
Willow, in a room. Burning incense, chanting something in... something. Xander didn't recognize the language. She moved almost... airily.
"Turn around, bitch," a voice growled, and Xander could have sworn it was Willow's voice, if Willow started talking in some gravelly growl. Willow turned and saw... Willow.
The second Willow was half crouched, low to the ground, as if poised to pounce. She looked exactly the same, but her clothes were dirty, ragged, torn. She had leaves and sticks in her hair. And even though it was the same hair, it almost looked longer.
"I'm going to kill you, imposter," the second Willow growled, snarling, baring her teeth like she was some sort of...
Wolf.
Xander blinked again as the vision faded away, yet again no headache.
Two Willows? That was...
Xander swallowed. Yeah, that was about par for the course for Sunnydale, when you got right down to it, but... still.
Without any further information or contest... Xander filed it away.
"Riley Finn."
For a change, nothing.
"Tara Maclay."
Tara, in a - store, maybe? There was a man, hand around her wrist, tugging her towards him.
"It's time for you to come home, Tara," the man growled. But from the look on Tara's face, somewhere between kicked puppy and terrified, she didn't want to go home.
"Let her go!" It was Willow's voice, and Xander saw Amy next to Willow, both stepping towards the man.
"Or what?" The man sneered.
"Or they'll hex your balls off, asshole," Faith's voice said from somewhere off to the side. "And if they don't, I'd be happy to just squeeze until they go pop." The man flinched at the threat, but he quickly recovered.
"This is our business. We're her blood-kin! Who the hell are you to try to stop us from taking her back where she belongs!"
"We're family," Buffy said from behind the man, arms crossed in front of her. Even though she spoke in such a level, normal tone, and her expression seemed fine, Xander knew his friend well enough to know just how close she was to hitting this guy.
Xander opened his eyes as the vision ended, still yet no headache. Tara had family that she didn't want to go home to. And they'd come looking for her. Again, useful information to know, but...
Didn't seem urgent, yet.
"Faith Lehane."
Faith, half-crouched on the ground, bleeding from a busted lip, holding her arm like it was broken, or fractured.
"Who the fuck are you?"
She was speaking to a woman. Blonde, wearing heels and a red dress, long, sleeveless. Xander thought Cordelia might describe it as 'acceptable'. The woman had a manic look in her eyes, her hair kinda curly.
"You're really going to tell me you don't know?" The woman rolled her eyes. "Nobody in this place recognizes me." She looked at her hand, then frowned, "I broke a nail! Look at what you did to me?"
"Loony bitch," Faith spat a bit of blood and Xander realize she must have done more than bust her lip, "You're fucking crazy."
"I have better things then to send you flying across the room again - and I really don't need to break another nail - but I will, if you don't shut up and let me think!" The woman countered.
Xander's head snapped back - important vision.
But no headache.
Still.
No headache.
What the heck was going on?
Xander was about to flip again when he heard the shower shut off. Xander stuffed the Iron Coin back in his pocket. That was too fast. Why would Cordelia be done so soon? He stood and walked out of the bedroom, over to the bathroom door, knocking lightly.
"Everything okay, Cordy?"
"Yeah, I just need you to grab another one of my shampoos."
"Forget to swap out when you finished the last one?" Xander chuckled. His girlfriend was usually pretty good on that.
"Ha, ha. No, just not enough left in the one here. Now, will you get me the damn shampoo or not?!"
"Of course," Xander opened the hall closet across from the bathroom door and grabbed another bottle of Cordelia's preferred shampoo. It wasn't the expensive fancy big name brand she'd liked when her dad still had money, but she'd come to like this brand, calling it 'good enough'. Which was high praise for his girlfriend when it came to hair products.
Opening the door to the bathroom, Xander pulled back the curtain of the shower a bit, holding the shampoo bottle out for her.
"Thanks," Cordelia grabbed it, and Xander just kept looking. He never did get enough of looking at how beautiful and sexy his girlfriend was.
"No, thank you," Xander grinned, eyes on her chest, watching stray droplets of water slowly make their way along her boobs.
"Right, you'll do anything to see me naked," Cordelia rolled her eyes, but the laugh in her voice - all in good fun.
"Pretty sure I get to do that just about every night," Xander pointed out.
"True. Since you're there and enjoying the show..." Cordelia lowered her voice and smirked in that sexy way of hers that always went right between Xander's legs. "...why don't you just get in here and help me wash my back?"
Horny and with a gorgeous girlfriend or not, Xander actually spent a few seconds debating the offer. He did have to keep going with the coin, but... He had time. Nothing was urgent. As long as he got to it right after...
A tiny part of his brain told him he'd regret this just a little, but Xander ignored it.
"I think I will." He stepped away, closing the bathroom door and then started stripping his clothes off, tossing them aside. As he worked on his pants, he glimpsed himself in the bathroom mirror...
What the-
He did a double-take, looking in the mirror and stepping closer. Was that-
Hands on the sink, Xander felt his heart pounding in his chest, breathing suddenly quick and shallow.
Never being one for staring in mirrors much, Xander did still know that his eyes were supposed to be brown.
Not blue.
And certainly not a very familiar blue.
No. No. What the - trick of the light, gotta be - the Jester's screwing with my head, right? His eyes could not be turning the same color as the Jester's. Even if he still had separate pupils.
"Xander!" Cordelia stuck her head out of the shower, "You're handsome, now finish getting naked before I change my mind!"
"Cordy," Xander pressed a hand to the side of his head, taking a step closer to her. "Tell me - what color are my eyes?"
"Xander, did you get hit in the head or something? They're brown, they've been the same chocolate brown color since forev-" Cordelia cut herself off midword, as Xander took another look and...
"They're blue..." Cordelia started, disbelief and horror starting to color her tone. "Xander, what the - whatever you're doing, stop it! RIGHT NOW!"
Xander barely heard his girlfriend's demand, feeling his heart pounding in his throat as he staggered back, hand on his head. For a moment he felt light-headed, vision going a bit dark. So he shook his head, violently trying - and failing - to take a deep breath.
"I'm not doing anything," Xander grabbed onto the sink again and used it to stabilize himself, standing straight again.
"Cordy - I - I have no idea what's happening." He turned to look in the mirror again, as if his eyes would return to normal.
Still blue.
What - What the hell is happening tome?!