Plagiarist 4
Pat and Xander poked through the racks of clothes picking both comfortable clothes and things that could be modified to make a decent costume, including a handful of props, some of which he was sure were actually tools that had been dropped by villains.
Xander winced when he saw the giant white purse Pat grabbed. "You could fit a small child in there."
"Or a couple dozen weapons and clothes for naked clones," she said with a smirk.
"And suddenly I like the handbag o' doom," Xander said, making her smile.
Several hours, three additional thrift shops, and a couple of 'no question' pawn shops later...
"I'll get us a room while you get the luggage," Pat told him, pulling into the Gotham motor lodge.
"Ok, but once we shower we are taking some of this stuff to the laundromat. I don't care if they claimed they washed it already, always wash it yourself first," Xander said firmly.
"I know a place nearby," she said as she parked the car in an empty space. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I probably should wear more clothes."
"Only in public," Xander assured her as he pulled a couple of bags from the back seat to dump in the steamer trunk they'd bought. He'd managed to stuff everything in the trunk and two suitcases by the time she'd returned with their room key.
"This way, Boss," she said getting the suitcases as he lifted the trunk, finding it lighter than he expected.
Sunnydale Scrublands
Susan and Amy walked the border of their property, stomping a foot every ten feet, causing a layer of sand, bush, and rock to dissolve into sparks that they channeled into creating a twelve foot tall brick wall around the property.
"Did they say how they were going to handle utilities?" Buffy asked.
Jane shook her head. "It's one of those Builder things I assume, magic can do almost anything."
Janet chuckled. "Actually, I asked Susan about that, and one of the reasons they chose this area was access to ground water. They can sink a well pretty easily and put up solar panels."
Willow sipped her soda and watched her clones work, her hands itching for tools. "Wish I could learn that style of magic."
"You and me both," Cordelia agreed as the pair of Builders finished preparing the land and started vanishing solid square blocks of earth in the center, jumping down into the hole a moment later.
"Can't believe Xander's hiding like a chicken," Buffy said. "Surely he doesn't think you guys would still be angry with him."
"As far as I know we were never angry," Jane offered.
Janet grinned. "Angry was not what I was feeling either."
"I'm pleading the fifth," Cordelia said when she saw everyone looking at her.
"Well, I'm angry," Willow said, tearing into a slice of pizza.
"Only that you missed it," Janet said, stealing a piece of pizza.
Willow ate her pizza and didn't respond.
"She was busying saving my life," Buffy reminded them.
Willow sighed and then let out a huge burp and blushed heavily while everyone else giggled.
"We were planning on pinning Xander down for a repeat anyway," Jane said. "You in?"
"Yes!" Willow exclaimed before hiding behind her soda.
Gotham Wash and Fluff
Watching their clothes spin around in the machine was only entertaining for so long so Xander found himself watching the other patrons, when he saw a very curvy brunette folding laundry at one of the tables. It took him a moment to figure out why she'd attracted his eye beyond the obvious. She was wearing horn rimmed glasses, but the lenses were clear glass, she had a pair of cats head earrings with emeralds for eyes and her baggy sweater was filled with kittens playing with balls of yarn.
"You know, it's impolite to stare," she said, sounding slightly amused.
"Sorry, psychic," Xander said making up a story on the fly as he realized who she was and saw the opportunity to copy her. "And might I say you have a very colorful future ahead of you."
"Really?" she said with a smirk as he approached her. "Going to offer to read my palm?"
"May I?" he asked holding out a hand.
"Sure," she replied, amused at what she was sure was a pick-up line.
Taking her hand, Xander spawned a clone under the folding table, and pretended to be surprised by what he was reading, "I see... timelines changed by people interfering in time, but several things remain the same, a fondness for felines, fantastic flexibility, and naming your daughter Helen."
Selina laughed and took her hand back, quickly finishing up her laundry. "Not a bad attempt, but just so you know... girls generally prefer being told they are going to meet a tall dark stranger and come into money. Bye." With a flirtatious wiggle, Cat Woman left the laundromat and a moment later a slightly younger one slipped out from under the table.
"Clothes please," she asked.
Xander gave her his hoodie and Pat quickly handed her the sweat pants she'd been wearing. Their minds had connected deeper than he had with any of the other clones he'd made so far and he could literally feel her weighing her options.
"If I help you with this, I want something in return," she said as she came to a decision.
"And what would that be?" he asked.
"I want you to use your power to clone the big cats in every zoo we pass," she told him. "As long as you do your part to prevent their extinction, I'm in."
"Deal," Xander said, shaking her hand.
"Who are you?" Pat asked.
"Pat, may I introduce Catwoman," Xander said. "Catwoman, Pat."
"Nice catch, Boss," Pat complimented him. "She coming with us to copy the Cards?"
"Copy the cards?" she asked curiously, while mentally going through possible names to use since she wasn't the original Catwoman.
"The Royal Flush gang," Xander explained.
"What's the plan?" she asked deciding 'Julie Newman: The Cat' would be her new identity.
Sunnydale Scrubland
"I think they're done for now," Buffy said as she saw a marble stairway form out of sparks, rising from the ground.
"Good, the sun is dropping and I'd rather be indoors before that happens," Cordelia said as the Builders climbed out of the hole in the ground.
"Was it easy to get them to change your hair color?" Buffy asked curiously.
"Extremely," Janet said, running a hand through her bright red hair.
"Thinking of becoming blonde?" Jane asked with a smirk, while Cordelia frowned, upset she'd been beaten to the punch.
"I am blonde," Buffy defended herself. "But I could be blonder," she admitted grudgingly.
"We've seen your natural hair color in the shower," Cordelia said quickly, before one of her clones could steal her line.
"Fine!" Buffy groaned burying her face in her hands. "I am a light brunette who would like to be a medium blonde!"
Amy shrugged and tapped Buffy on the head, changing her hair color to medium blonde. "Done."
"Really?" Buffy asked picking her head up and examining her hair before pulling out the front of her pants and checking below.
"Carpets as well as the drapes," Amy assured her.
"Even got the arm hair and eyebrows," Cordelia complimented her. "Nice work, looks good."
"Well, I am famished," Susan said, "Who wants dinner?"
"I could eat," Willow admitted. "Have we figured out where you guys are going to sleep tonight?"
"My guest house could work, but I'd like to avoid my parents seeing us together until we got your IDs down," Cordelia said, biting her lip.
"My parents are gone," Willow said, "We could have a sleepover!"
"We could do each others' nails and make up malicious gossip about Harmony," Cordelia agreed.
"I'll make a quick patrol and join you," Buffy said, looking forward to it.
Gotham: The Big Easy Bar and Grill
"Just so you know, I think this plan is crazy," Julie said, adjusting her outfit. "But I am amazed at your sewing skills."
"Yeah Boss," Pat agreed admiring herself. "Every time you insisted on redoing them they got a lot better."
"White leotards with red hearts aren't exactly hard to work with," Xander said. "It's a simple design."
"You used red leather from cut up car seats for the hearts, freehand no less, to hide various small weapons," Julie said. "I didn't quite buy your excuse of needing to check my exact measurements, even with being able to read you the way I can, but none of my outfits have ever fitted this well."
"I think Oliver, the guy who's power I copied, had a rapid learning skill," Xander admitted.
"That explains so much," Pat said.
"How so?" Julie asked curiously.
"First time he was fumbling like a virgin, but by the third he rung my bell like a pro!" Pat said with a grin.
"That was only the second time in my life I had sex," Xander admitted embarrassed.
"When was the first?" Julie asked.
"A couple hours before," Xander admitted, "But Oliver's personality was running my body at the time. It was from a possession that left behind a copy of his powers when the spell broke."
"Hmm," Julie said with a thoughtful grin as she checked he razor sharp playing cards hidden behind the hearts and stroked her red and white whip. "Six, ready," she announced.
"Seven, ready," Pat added, patting her handbag o' doom which Catwoman had painted with a Wonderland motif of white rabbits and assorted clocks.
"Nine ready," Xander agreed, patting his belt where a red and white striped club shaped like a candy can rested. He would have preferred something more in character, but they'd had a limited choice of weapons at the pawn shop so he'd chosen something that at least fit their color pattern.
"I could have done a great Cheshire," Julie decided as she adjusted her domino mask.
"Not enough female roles in Wonderland," Pat said with sigh. "I'd probably ask the Boss to clone me and go as the Tweedles."
Seeing they were both waiting for his choice he sighed, "The Mad Hatter was my favorite but its taken."
"Many times over," Julie agreed.
"Oh yeah," Pat said. "I heard about that. Imitation Mad Hatters keep popping up and we can't even be sure if the one we know is the original cause he's changed quite a bit himself."
"Maybe he really is from Wonderland," Xander said, "A crazy place like that would explain the shifting features. Anyway, if I can't go as him, I'd go as the white rabbit."
"Next time," Julie decided. "Since these are one-off outfits to rob the Royal Flush gang or at least the King, since I doubt the others will shake your hand, we can work on more permanent personas later."
Xander nodded. "Now let's go stack the deck."
"God, that's cheesy," Julie complained.
"How is that more cheesy than one of your many cat based puns?" Xander asked.
"Because cats are classy of course," she said cheerfully.
"Pussy is always good," Pat added not wanting to wait for them to banter a bit, "Deal us in."
Typing by: Abyssal Angel