Title: Ironclad (3/?)
Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=62966 or http://fanfiction.net/~cyclone
Rating: I'm gonna go say PG.
Spoilers: Up to season four and the Reign of the Supermen.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the almighty Joss and DC Comics. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Sunnydale has a new hero. Sequel to Steel Knight and Shining Armor, Crimson Tears.
Author's Note: Blame Tenhawk and cobra_7422000 for this. With Red & Gold, Tenhawk gave me the idea, and Cobra suggested how I could do it. Also, aside from what's in The Return of Superman, all DC information in this 'fic will be drawn from the Batman/Superman animated series (and possibly modified slightly).
* * *
"Anya," Xander said, his voice strained, "what are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," she said simply. "I want to know where we stand."
"'Where we stand'?" he asked, bewildered. "Where we stand on _what_?"
"Our relationship."
"_What_ relationship?" he sputtered. "We had _one_ date. One date does not a relationship make, Anya." He sighed, "Anya, just... go. Sort your own life out first, okay? 'Cause right now, the last thing I need is a girlfriend."
She stared at him thoughtfully, then asked, "Are you gay?"
"_What_? No!" Xander snapped. "Anya, my life is really complicated right now. I just got back to Sunnydale, I'm still getting back into the groove of Slaying and hanging with the gang, and I just had a bonding moment with my dad. Please, Anya, not now."
Anya frowned. "Is my body not beautiful enough for you? Should I be a blonde?"
Xander let out a strangled sound, then said, "Just get out, Anya. I don't want to be with _anyone_ right now."
Anya hesitated, then nodded and headed up, pausing at the door and looking back at him. "Redhead, right? That's it, isn't it?"
"OUT!"
"I'm out-ing, I'm out-ing!" she squawked, closing the door behind her.
"Now," Xander sighed, realizing the implications of what had just happened, "why did I just turn down a chance for sex?"
With that question on his mind, he flopped onto his bed and was soon sound asleep.
* * *
"So," Xander glanced at the moping Slayer in the distance, "what's got Buffy so upset, Will?"
"Parker," Willow growled
Xander raised an eyebrow at that. _That_ particular tone of growl was usually reserved for Cordy.
"Who's Parker?" he asked carefully.
"Playboy jerk who seduced her, then left her," she growled.
Well, that explained the growl. Feminine solidarity and all that.
A chill ran down Xander's spine as another thought struck him. If he'd slept with Anya last night, if he hadn't kicked her out, _he_ would be on the receiving end of that kind of growl.
And he would deserve it.
It was something to think about.
But in the meantime... he glanced at Buffy worriedly. The Slayer did not look in top form, and if what this Parker prick did distracted her...
Something would have to be done about Parker.
He smiled sinisterly.
Yes, something would _definitely_ have to be done.
And he had a pretty good idea what.
* * *
Parker Abrams suddenly stiffened as he felt a chill run down his spine.
Shaking it off, he smiled at the girl next to him, "And that just made me think, you know, about living for now."
* * *
It was night time, and three young men were heading toward one of Sunnydale's many graveyards.
"So," Parker said, "where is this party?" He was a little suspicious, but this townie seemed pretty cool, though he felt a bit leery hanging with the redhead's boyfriend.
"Right here," the townie, Xander, said, opening the door to one of the crypts.
"Oh, man, that's just freaky," Parker said, shaking his head as he ducked in.
And felt someone slam him against the wall.
"Well," purred a voice, "looks like delivery tonight."
Hmm, aggressive, not his usual preference, but he wasn't about to...
...
"AHHHHH!"
He struggled in her grip. What kind of... _thing_ was that? Her face was all bumpy, and...
Ohboyohboyohboyohboy. Those fangs looked _really_ sharp.
He blinked when she suddenly crumbled to dust. Face pale, he looked up and saw the two who'd brought him here.
"Wh-wh-what was that?"
"That," Xander said flatly, "was a vampire."
"She... she was so strong..." he mumbled, still stunned.
"You noticed," Xander's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Remember Buffy?"
Parker felt the blood flee his face once more. "Wh-what about her?"
"It's her job to keep these things from killing people," Xander said acidly. "She's a lot stronger than they are. Now, understand this, when you screwed her over, you made her less able to fight vampires. I'm of a mind to find another vamp and feed you to it. Care to give me a reason I shouldn't?"
Relief flooded through Parker when Oz placed a hand on Xander's shoulder and said, "Don't."
It evaporated when the musician continued, "He won't suffer enough."
"Yeah," Xander mused, "and Buffy'll freak if they turn him."
*Oh, my God,* Parker thought, his heart -- or what passed for one -- sinking.
* * *
Buffy sighed as she walked to class. Life sucked. She hadn't heard from Parker in a while. She hadn't even seen him. It was like he was avoiding her.
*Or got eaten,* she thought morosely. *Can't forget that possibility. Which means someone else I failed to protect.*
"Ah, Buffy?"
She blinked and looked up. "Parker?"
"Yyyeah," he said nervously. Why was he so twitchy? "I, uh, I want to apologize. F-for using you like I did." His voice rose an octave as he forced the next words out of his mouth, "F-f-feel free t-to pummel me if it'll make you feel better."
She frowned. She saw his eyes flicking over to... what...?
Xander.
She waved at him, and Xander grinned sheepishly, returning the wave.
*Well,* she thought with a smile. *That was sweet.*
She glared at Parker and growled, "Get outta here before I change my mind."
* * *
Author's Postscript:
Thought I'd take a break from Legendary. Plus, I wouldn't want to hold up Cobra and our upcoming-in-the-distant-future-co-author-project _too_ much.
Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=62966 or http://fanfiction.net/~cyclone
Rating: I'm gonna go say PG.
Spoilers: Up to season four and the Reign of the Supermen.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the almighty Joss and DC Comics. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Sunnydale has a new hero. Sequel to Steel Knight and Shining Armor, Crimson Tears.
Author's Note: Blame Tenhawk and cobra_7422000 for this. With Red & Gold, Tenhawk gave me the idea, and Cobra suggested how I could do it. Also, aside from what's in The Return of Superman, all DC information in this 'fic will be drawn from the Batman/Superman animated series (and possibly modified slightly).
* * *
"Anya," Xander said, his voice strained, "what are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," she said simply. "I want to know where we stand."
"'Where we stand'?" he asked, bewildered. "Where we stand on _what_?"
"Our relationship."
"_What_ relationship?" he sputtered. "We had _one_ date. One date does not a relationship make, Anya." He sighed, "Anya, just... go. Sort your own life out first, okay? 'Cause right now, the last thing I need is a girlfriend."
She stared at him thoughtfully, then asked, "Are you gay?"
"_What_? No!" Xander snapped. "Anya, my life is really complicated right now. I just got back to Sunnydale, I'm still getting back into the groove of Slaying and hanging with the gang, and I just had a bonding moment with my dad. Please, Anya, not now."
Anya frowned. "Is my body not beautiful enough for you? Should I be a blonde?"
Xander let out a strangled sound, then said, "Just get out, Anya. I don't want to be with _anyone_ right now."
Anya hesitated, then nodded and headed up, pausing at the door and looking back at him. "Redhead, right? That's it, isn't it?"
"OUT!"
"I'm out-ing, I'm out-ing!" she squawked, closing the door behind her.
"Now," Xander sighed, realizing the implications of what had just happened, "why did I just turn down a chance for sex?"
With that question on his mind, he flopped onto his bed and was soon sound asleep.
* * *
"So," Xander glanced at the moping Slayer in the distance, "what's got Buffy so upset, Will?"
"Parker," Willow growled
Xander raised an eyebrow at that. _That_ particular tone of growl was usually reserved for Cordy.
"Who's Parker?" he asked carefully.
"Playboy jerk who seduced her, then left her," she growled.
Well, that explained the growl. Feminine solidarity and all that.
A chill ran down Xander's spine as another thought struck him. If he'd slept with Anya last night, if he hadn't kicked her out, _he_ would be on the receiving end of that kind of growl.
And he would deserve it.
It was something to think about.
But in the meantime... he glanced at Buffy worriedly. The Slayer did not look in top form, and if what this Parker prick did distracted her...
Something would have to be done about Parker.
He smiled sinisterly.
Yes, something would _definitely_ have to be done.
And he had a pretty good idea what.
* * *
Parker Abrams suddenly stiffened as he felt a chill run down his spine.
Shaking it off, he smiled at the girl next to him, "And that just made me think, you know, about living for now."
* * *
It was night time, and three young men were heading toward one of Sunnydale's many graveyards.
"So," Parker said, "where is this party?" He was a little suspicious, but this townie seemed pretty cool, though he felt a bit leery hanging with the redhead's boyfriend.
"Right here," the townie, Xander, said, opening the door to one of the crypts.
"Oh, man, that's just freaky," Parker said, shaking his head as he ducked in.
And felt someone slam him against the wall.
"Well," purred a voice, "looks like delivery tonight."
Hmm, aggressive, not his usual preference, but he wasn't about to...
...
"AHHHHH!"
He struggled in her grip. What kind of... _thing_ was that? Her face was all bumpy, and...
Ohboyohboyohboyohboy. Those fangs looked _really_ sharp.
He blinked when she suddenly crumbled to dust. Face pale, he looked up and saw the two who'd brought him here.
"Wh-wh-what was that?"
"That," Xander said flatly, "was a vampire."
"She... she was so strong..." he mumbled, still stunned.
"You noticed," Xander's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Remember Buffy?"
Parker felt the blood flee his face once more. "Wh-what about her?"
"It's her job to keep these things from killing people," Xander said acidly. "She's a lot stronger than they are. Now, understand this, when you screwed her over, you made her less able to fight vampires. I'm of a mind to find another vamp and feed you to it. Care to give me a reason I shouldn't?"
Relief flooded through Parker when Oz placed a hand on Xander's shoulder and said, "Don't."
It evaporated when the musician continued, "He won't suffer enough."
"Yeah," Xander mused, "and Buffy'll freak if they turn him."
*Oh, my God,* Parker thought, his heart -- or what passed for one -- sinking.
* * *
Buffy sighed as she walked to class. Life sucked. She hadn't heard from Parker in a while. She hadn't even seen him. It was like he was avoiding her.
*Or got eaten,* she thought morosely. *Can't forget that possibility. Which means someone else I failed to protect.*
"Ah, Buffy?"
She blinked and looked up. "Parker?"
"Yyyeah," he said nervously. Why was he so twitchy? "I, uh, I want to apologize. F-for using you like I did." His voice rose an octave as he forced the next words out of his mouth, "F-f-feel free t-to pummel me if it'll make you feel better."
She frowned. She saw his eyes flicking over to... what...?
Xander.
She waved at him, and Xander grinned sheepishly, returning the wave.
*Well,* she thought with a smile. *That was sweet.*
She glared at Parker and growled, "Get outta here before I change my mind."
* * *
Author's Postscript:
Thought I'd take a break from Legendary. Plus, I wouldn't want to hold up Cobra and our upcoming-in-the-distant-future-co-author-project _too_ much.
