Title: Awakened Potential

Author: Nopporn Wongrassamee aka the Evil Author

EMail Address: EvilAuthor@aol.com

Spoilers: Anything goes

Summary: Willow activated every Potential in the world. But not every Potential was a Potential Slayer.

Disclaimer: Characters and concepts belong to their owners who I'm too lazy to list.

The Power of the Scythe flowed into Willow. The powerful young witch took it in, amplified it a thousand fold, and broadcast it. All over the world, every girl and woman with the potential to be a Slayer, became a Slayer.

And all over the world, others with potential became... something more than what they had been.

***

Two college students were sitting in the NYU cafeteria, having lunch together.

"So, what made you decide on politics, Magnus?"

"Charles, have you ever seen a so-called 'ethnic cleansing'?"

"Oh. You were there?"

"Indeed I was. I actually almost became a victim. But I saw what happened, Charles. I saw it happen to my friends and neighbors. I saw it happen to my family. I cannot standby and let such horror happen again."

"Anything?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You said that you'd do anything to prevent another genocide, Magnus."

"No I didn't. But I definitely agree with the sentiment."

Charles suddenly realized that he hadn't heard Magnus say anything. He had heard Magnus THINK it.

***

"I've got it!" said the young man as he began scribbling math equations on a napkin.

"Got what Bruce?" the young woman across from him asked.

"I think I've figured out a way to safely use magic in large quantities, Betty," Bruce replied absently as he reached for another napkin.

"How?" Betty asked, frowning as she munched on a french fry. "You've seen the same reports I have. Anybody who gets to powerful tends to burn themselves out. The only exception we know of tends to make the higher ups nervous."

"We get a machine to do magic," Bruce told her. "We should probably start by building something simple, like a magic radiator or..."

"A bomb?" Betty suggested, following his line of thought. "That would make daddy happy. "But don't use the term 'magic'. You know how it makes the bureaucrats nervous. Call it something else."

"Hmm, you got a point," Bruce said thoughtfully. "How about Gamma energy? Not to be confused with Gamma radiation of course."

"Of course." Betty looked at her friend thoughtfully. "Hey, maybe you can get your doctorate out of this."

"Doctor Bruce Banner? Hey, I like the sound of that."

***

He was aware.

He was a aware that he was floating in some kind of warm liquid. He was aware that he and the liquid were contained in some kind of transparent tube. He was aware of the men in white coats that he could see through the tube.

He was not aware of how he had gotten here, or who those men were, or even who he was. But those things were unimportant right now. He felt an overriding urge to GET OUT.

He began pounding on the sides of his prison. The liquid inhibited his movement, softening his blows.

Out, out, he had to get out...

"Crap!" he heard. Someone outside was yelling. "He's awake! Weapon X is awake!"

He clenched his fists harder. A trio of foot-long blades suddenly sprouted from each.

***

In Norway, scientists were studying the well-preserved body of a soldier frozen in an iceberg since World War Two. They were shocked when he suddenly woke up, called himself Captain Steve Rogers, and demanded to see his CO.

In Africa, a little girl watched some warlord's soldiers take away UN supplied food for themselves. The girl's family needed that food. They were starving. She couldn't just let the warlord's thugs just steal it. Above the girl's head, the sky instantly darkened and thunder rumbled.

Tony Stark burst into the office of his boss at Colt Arms R&D division and began babbling something about power armor. By the end of the day, he was fired and thinking about starting up his own company.

Wilson Fisk glared at his scale. Not only was his new diet plan was not working, but he had actually gained weight. He later called a contact with the local Russian mafia about ordering a hit on the charlatan peddling the plan.

Young Bobby Drake threw a snowball at the school bully tormenting him. They were outside on the playground in the middle of a Chicago heat wave.

In Florida, NASA intern Reed Richards in a fit of inspiration began sketching out a revolutionary rocket motor that would theoretically make space travel cheap and easy.

In the drunk tank of a police station, one drunkard suddenly demanded to be let out. He was claiming to be the Prince of Atlantis.

Eighth grader Scott Summers glared at his homework, wishing it would just go away. He got his wish.

A moment's distraction caused Victor von Doom's chemical experiment to explode in his face.

Matt Murdoch realized that he could hear exactly where everything was.

A girl named Marie kissed a boy for the first time with disastrous results.

Five year old Peter Parker asked his Uncle Ben to buy him a camera.

Under the sands of Iraq, an Apocalypse stirred to wakefulness.

***

A giddy feeling filled Willow as she looked out over the crater that used to be her home. They had beaten the First Evil. The Hellmouth was gone. She could even feel all the Potentials she had just activated. There were a lot more than she had expected.

That was a good thing. Right?