Title: The One Who Sees
Author: Dhampyrx2
Category: Crossover W/ X-Men: Evolution, X-Men comic elements
Timeframe: Post-Dirty Girls, S7
Pairings: I'm open to suggestions that don't involve Spike, unless he reverts to his old, evil self
Summary: Xander's loss of an eye at the hands of Caleb stirred up a hornet's nest of trouble. His family is angry, worried, and happens to include several Alpha Class mutants, who will descend on Sunnydale with a vengeance to find out what happened, and take their frustrations out on the Caleb and the First Evil's hides.
Standard Disclaimer: I own squat. Several very wealthy people own the rights to Buffy, X-men, and any other character I may throw in. I make no money off of this. Nobody else try to do it either.
Distribution: You want it, just ask.
Buffy found herself at Sunnydale High School after she had checked in on the Potentials. The school itself was empty, now that most of Sunnydale had begun a mass exodus out of town, only the most emergency of services, like the hospital, were still running. And even then, truly critical cases were being transferred as fast as they could be taken in by nearby hospitals in other towns. Buffy imagined that once Xander and the SiT's were released, the medical professionals would leave as well.
The elder Slayer sighed as she wandered the halls, trying to get her head around recent circumstances. The arrival of Xander's rather famous family had thrown her for yet another loop. To think that her Xander-shaped friend was the son of the famous Nightcrawler, founder of the team Excalibur, based on Muir Island in Scotland, and that his mother was the Scarlet Witch, of New York's Avengers, was quite a head trip for the blonde.
Her cheeks colored slightly in embarrassment as she recalled attacking Mr. Wagner like she had. She should have recognized him, even as worn down as she was. Between his distinctive looks, the media attention he'd received internationally over the years, and the fact he clearly lacked any demonic aura to her senses, she should have held back from attacking first. It obviously didn't throw Faith off to see him.
Buffy sighed again as she contemplated things. She would never admit it to him, but it hurt that Xander had concealed his mutations from her. Even if she rationally knew better, and his reasons for hiding made sense (she had to admit she and Giles would have jumped at a chance to protect any kind of advanced warnings they could get), it still felt as if he hid it because he thought she would persecute or mock him. It felt like Xander expected her to act like the spoiled brat she was in LA, despite the fact he had never encountered her in her pre-slay days.
Her eyes watered, as she wondered if her best male friend secretly thought her a racist monster, until she was stopped short by a voice she loathed with unbridled passion from behind her.
"Now now, Child. Dry those eyes. I haven't had a chance to give a filthy whore like you reasons to weep, yet." Caleb mocked with a pleased grin, as he casually strolled toward his prey.
Buffy glared at the fallen preacher as she spat, "We'll see. Maybe I'll weep for joy after I tear your head off."
Caleb's response was to rush in with a punch to her face, that knocked the Slayer back a good ten feet.
"Well, Mr. Harris, with your family here to help tend to you, I think we can get the paperwork signed off and processed so you can leave in a couple of hours. You eye seems to be progressing well, and I don't see any signs of infection. As long as you follow your cleaning directions, and take you prescriptions, you'll do fine." Xander's trauma specialist, Dr. Essex (no relation, Mystique had checked quite thoroughly, and relayed that to Wanda when she called), commented, as he rewrapped the wound.
Unlike Willow, who was willing to give Xander space if he asked for it to protect her from the sight of his missing eye, Wanda, Kurt, and Rogue refused to leave.
As a result, lights were flickering wildly at odd intervals, as Nightcrawler muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'I'll kill him' over and over again in Romani. Rogue just scowled, agreeing wholeheartedly with her brother's assessment of the situation.
"Thanks, Doc." Xander replied non-chalantly.
"Yes, thank you, Doctor." Wanda agreed with a tight lipped smile.
At the rater Wanda's temper was going, Xander was sure things would start floating around the room wildly in ways he had only heard about before through his Uncle Pietro's stories about what happened when his mother was upset during her time with the BoM.
"Yes, well, I'll send the nurse to notify you once the paperwork is finished." the Doctor said with a slightly nervous look, before he left the room as quickly as he could while keeping his dignity.
"Mutti. Bitte." Xander said, taking his mothers hand gently to calm her as the doctor beat his retreat.
Wanda's ire burned out quickly at her son's plea, as she broke down into tears and held onto his hand tightly. "Oh, Alex." she whispered as she wept.
Logan, who had returned after he had finished his cigar, and watched from out in the hall as the doctor worked, remained silent. He neither growled, nor popped his claws in anger. If Sabretooth been there, and had seen Logan's reaction, he would have soiled himself on the spot. A Wolverine that had gone so deadly cold was one of the most frightening things on the planet.
Buffy coughed out a small cloud of drywall dust from the wall she had just been tossed through. "Man, Xander's going to upset over all these repairs." she muttered groggily as she tried struggle back to her feet.
Caleb laughed at the sight before him, as he crowed, "Look at you. You're so weak and pathetic. Just another dirty whore to squash beneath my boot in her name. Where is the power that the darkness is supposed to fear? Where is the passion that makes demon's flee? Maybe I have to do something else to get you motivated? So what will it take? Oh, I know. I'll head down to your friends, and finish blinding the One Who Sees. I think he'll make a nice Bringer when I poke out the other eye. Don't you?"
Buffy wanted to let out an inarticulate scream, charge at Caleb, and rip him to bloody bits for his threats. Too bad, she never got the chance, as someone beat her to it.
"How about I just beat you to death instead?" Mystique sneered from behind Caleb, her voice more frigid than anything Bobby Drake could ever hope to conjure.
Caleb didn't know what to make of the blue skinned redhead that suddenly charged him. All he knew, was that he was suddenly on the defensive against an opponent far more skilled in the employ of lethal and crippling strikes against a human. The grey skinned demon-like form she often morphed into when it was advantageous (known universally by the Brotherhood as 'The Thing with the Teeth') was an unpleasant addition to the fight as well.
It was when plasma bolts from a futuristic sidearm Mystique carried were flying at his head, bolts he was only dodging thanks to enhanced speed and reflexes his master had granted, though, that he decided to cut his losses and run.
"Another time, harlots!" the hick shouted, a he turned and ran for his life.
"I look forward to it." Mystique seethed as she watched him go. The only reason she didn't pursue was that she looked forward to letting Logan and her children get their pound of flesh from the man as well. Watching Wolverine go into a berserker frenzy on someone you hate was always a wonderful form of therapy, in Raven's opinion.
"Uh, thanks for the save." Buffy said, her voice uncertain, as she walked to a point ten feet behind Mystique. She could guess that the blue woman was related to Xander in some way. The similarities between her features and those shared by Kurt and TJ were unmistakable. The creepy version of Xander's trademark grin the woman sported each time she made Caleb bleed was a good clue as well.
"It was about hurting that idiot. Saving you was a side effect. Don't think I'll do it again." Mystique sneered, not bothering to turn around.
Buffy was taken a bit back by the cold response from the strange mutant woman as she replied, "Uh I take it you're here because of what happened to Xander?"
Raven snorted as she responded, "Aren't you just the little detective? The animal hurt my grandson. He'll /pay/ for that." That was the last thing Mystique said before she transformed into a bird, and flew off out of a broken window.
"Whoa, she looks really good for her age if she's Xand's grandma." was Buffy's stunned reply as she watched the terrorist go.
"So what would look good on Allie, kiddo?" Tabby asked as she and TJ went through Xander's closet.
"Hmmmm." TJ replied as she mused on that very inquiry. "How about the black dress slacks, and the shirt you got him for Christmas?" she suggested.
"I think that might work." Meltdown agreed as the took down the appropriate clothes.
"So, what do you think of Alex's friends so far?" Nocturne asked as they collected his shaving gear, and a clean pair of both socks and underwear for him.
"That Buffy girl was a little quick to go after Blue, but she settled into everything quick. Faith seemed cool from the get go." Tabby replied without much thought.
"Yeah, Faith might be fun to get to know." TJ agreed. "So, are we going to try to set them up?" she asked after a pause.
"Maybe. We'll let nature try to take its course first, of course." Meltdown responded.
"Of course." TJ agreed. "So, about a week before we stick out noses in?" she asked.
"Half that. At best." Tabby replied as they left the apartment, closing and locking the door behind them.
"Sounds fun." Nocturne said with a wicked gleam in her eye that most at the institute shivered at when it graced her father's handsome features. Usually it was the precursor to a prank war with Iceman. Sometimes, it was an attempt at matchmaking. Other times, it was a part of a plan to get Logan and/or Scott and/or Warren to lighten up. One thing was certain, though, it always meant trouble.
END CHAPTER 5