Disclaimer: I do not own this. Really. But if Disney wants to ask me to start screen writing for them, I'll at least consider it. Joss - I'll write for Buffy. Really. I will.

Xander adjusted the tie in the mirror one more time. Tony and his parties. He'd been determined to make up for last year and the mess of Christmas with a major party this year. Safira was excited and Darcy had batted her eyes at him, making him crumble in an instant. Hence he was dressed up in a tuxedo and getting ready to pick up Darcy. The Avengers were going out more often and after incorporating a lot of SHIELD employees into the mix, the place had been busy. On the bright side he got to see Maria more often and they had verified their enjoyment of teasing flirting, but he was head over heels for Darcy and he really suspected Maria had a crush on her boss, well her former boss. No accounting for taste.

"You look wonderful, Xander. Any woman would be proud to have you on her arm." Safira spoke from the doorway to his bedroom.

"I hate bowties. They always look stupid," he muttered as he tweaked it. "Are you sure it's fancy dress?" Jeans and a button down would be so much more comfortable.

"Yes. Besides don't you want to see Darcy all dressed up."

Xander slid his eye towards her. "Don't be logical."

She laughed and pulled him out of the bedroom. "Jolie is curled up with a new documentary courtesy of Jarvis. Steve will meet me there. We need to pick up Darcy."

Xander let himself be dragged out. "You look very nice tonight."

Safira spun at the elevator. "Don't I just?" she'd cut her hair into a modified mohawk, so her sides were shaved while her curly locks cascaded to one side intertwined with gold thread that matched the short sheath dress that revealed miles of muscled legs, then she had on gold strappy heels. All in all she looked shiny and stunning.

"Ego you have none," he said with a smile as they stepped into the elevator.

"I have no false humility. I believe in owning what you are. And I am stunning tonight."

Their laughter created the music that wrapped around Darcy as the doors open. She smiled at both of them. "Dang, if this is what I get when I dress up I need to do it more often. Two gorgeous specimens." She stepped in, kissing Xander lightly on the lips.

"Mm, I think we are the lucky ones. You look good enough to skip the party and go back to your place." Xander leered at her with a smile.

Darcy curtsied, a smile on her face. She wore a bustier in bright red that matched her lipstick and presented her breasts in a most appealing manner. It was matched with an ankle length skirt that swooshed as she walked in shimmery black.

"I am going to be the luckiest man at the party," Xander said grinning at his girls. The elevator rose up smoothly and opened the door to the main level. "Ladies?" He offered each of them a arm.

Giggling, which sounded wonderful on both of them, they each took an arm and he walked out into the life of the party.

We need to do this more often. Look at how everyone is smiling and laughing. This will be a great evening.

Xander watching Darcy dance with an old man who looked like one stiff gust of wind would knock him over, if he didn't die of heart failure dancing with Darcy, smile in pure joy.

He found himself back against the wall scanning everything and everyone. He'd dance with Darcy later, but something was bugging him. His eyes were caught by Nat and Bruce doing their flirting dance and he sighed. As cute as they were together until Bruce accepted himself they'd never work. How did he help with that? Because together they might be good.

I am over dressed, but for the smile on Darcy and Safira's face was worth it.

The night wore on, he danced with Safira, Darcy, even Maria. They had to help the guy Darcy had been dancing with away after Thor had let the old men try his drink. Never accept booze from gods, unless of course you were dosed with super soldier serum. People started to leave and Xander moved over to where Steve was talking to Thor and a few others. They were all taking turns trying to lift Mjolnir

Darcy drifted over, drink in hand, cuddling up next to him as Safira draped herself over Steve's lap.

Steve had mellowed out lately, if not gotten a bit darker. Xander fully expected Safira to start going on missions with him, despite her protestations. She needed the challenge. Steve was laughing as he held her and pointed at the hammer. "Safira, you should try to lift it." The others had tried and failed miserably.

"And if I do? What would I do with a hammer? It's reach sucks and I've spent the day swinging sledgehammers remember? It's exhausting." She referred back to when they were both working on cleaning up New York after the invasion.

"Besides, if Safira could lift it, Buffy and Faith would want to try and if they couldn't, I'd have crying women to deal with. Thanks, but no thanks." Xander protested, giving the room another scan. His back itched like something was watching him.

Safira snickered. "He's right. It would cause issues. Safer to avoid any trouble."

Thor laughed though there was an odd tension after Steve tried, but his smile never faded.

They all watched Tony and War Machine try to lift it and laughed more at the failure.

"He's cheating, biometric locked or something," Tony protested when even with the glove it hadn't moved.

"There is an easier answer. You're all not worthy," Thor said, picking up the hammer like it weighed nothing and flipping it around.

"Hey Xander, are you going to try?" Maria asked, a teasing smile on her face.

Xander turned his head to look at the people near Thor even as he hugged Darcy with one arm as they sat on the couch.

"Me?" He asked, looking at Tony and Maria with a smirk. "Do I look like a hero to you?"

"Yes," Safira responded instantly. "The best type of hero. One who doesn't know he is one."

Xander laughed. "You are biased and I think your childhood has warped your perception." He shifted his attention to Tony. "I was starting to wonder if you had disappeared from the tower. You emerged out of your lab. I'm impressed."

Something flashed across Tony's face. "Trying to wrap stuff up before this party of course. Can't let Thor leave without a decent good bye."

"Speaking of good bye," Xander said looking around. "Both Pepper and Jane bailed? Granted Darcy mentioned Jane was going to Norway for the next two weeks. I'm surprised you didn't go see her Thor. Your heritage after all."

Thor wrinkled his brow. "There are too many memories there."

Xander flashed him a wicked grin. "If they are of Anyanka, I would think that Jane would benefit greatly."

Thor threw his head back and roared in laughter. "She was a fiery woman. Willing to stand up to anyone regardless of her slight stature."

"Yes, she was. Anya was something else." The memories of that last battle would never fade, and he still wished he knew how she had died. The stairway door flew open and slammed against the wall and Jolie came flying in, moving at slayer speed.

Xander pushed Darcy away gently as he stood. Jolie slammed into him knocking him back into the couch. He saw Safira untangle herself from Steve, a frown on her face.

"Jolie. Jolie? What's wrong?" Xander asked holding her. She was still in her pajamas, a set she'd picked out with little luck cats all over them and smiley faces. It was adorable and very much what a pre-teen would wear.

"He's gone. He's gone. I can't get him to answer at all!" She was almost incoherent as she babbled the words twisted in-between her sobs.

"Who Jolie?" Xander looked around but everyone had a worried look on their face and the only people not present he had a good idea where they were.

Before Jolie could respond a high pitched scream went through room and they all cringed. Tony pulled out his phone gadget, staring at it. A clanking sound drew his attention to the end of the penthouse room where a broken mockery of an Ironman robot stood, then rotated to face them.

Jolie pushed herself deeper into his arms. "Jarvis. Jarvis is gone!"

"No. How could you be worthy?" It spoke in a rich mechanical voice and came out a few more steps reminding Xander uncomfortably of a zombie. "You're all killers."

Tony called for Jarvis and the thing spoke. "I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

Jolie wailed in Xanders arms. "He killed Jarvis."

Xander swallowed, but his reactions were foremost. Stairs, elevator, windows. Sam wasn't here so no wings. Elevator too dangerous. That meant stairs. It didn't matter how good Safira was, slayers weren't meant to fight killer robots. He resolutely didn't think about Ted.

Tony's voice echoed from the thing, "I see a suit of armor around the world."

"Ultron," Bruce whispered.

Oh Tony. You created a version of Moloch. This is not good.

Competing needs warred through him. They had a god on their side. Surely they could take a robot, even one built by Tony. The words the machine spoke washed over him, until the robots blew through the walls.

"Safira, grab Jolie and go. Stairs. This is not your fight," he ordered his voice implacable.

Next time they say fancy dress, I'm wearing a damn suit of armor with a sword.

Steve exploded up, as Safira dove away from him, kicking her shoes off in one fast move and dived for Jolie. Jolie for her part was still sobbing and didn't fight as Safira rolled and came up with the twelve-year-old in her arms and sprinted for the stairs, the rest of the people in the room went into action.

"I need a fucking mace, or a gun, or something," Xander yelled as he dove to one side avoiding a flying Steve. People dove one way or another and the only person making serious dent was Thor as his hammer slammed into one then another of the flying robots.

"Battle-axe, it's the newest trend in walking sticks," Xander muttered as he threw a chair at the one Steve was fighting with. A mix of impressions and images, as the shield flew through the air and Thor pulverized another one and stood up the hammer embedded in the remains of a robot.

Another one came charring out, headed towards the stairs Safira had disappeared down. Xander moved on automatic and grabbed the hammer hurling it towards the robot. It slammed into it, ricocheting back to Thor. Xander dove out of the way of a blast. At this rate he'd need a drink.

Monologuing and then Thor ended it, as the creepiest song Xander had ever heard issued from the robot.

"There are no strings on me."

And then like that it was over. Thor's hammer slammed into the mockery of an Iron Legion, and it crumbled. Xander looked around. The place was trashed, but no one was dead that he could see. He lifted his head to call for Jarvis and then remembered.

"Everyone okay?" He called out. Steve looked around, worry creasing his brow.

"I think so. Safira?"

Xander had already headed to the stairs. "Checking now. Let me know if I need to bring med stuff back."

A grunt answered him. It only took a minute to reach the door to the stairs and he flung it open, peering down. "Safira?" He yelled, wincing as it echoed in the stairway. His phone rang a moment later, her ring tone.

"You know, calling is easier. What happened?" She asked.

"I don't know. Everyone is okay. Shaken I suspect but okay. But don't come back up. Head to the apartment and get a bug out bag ready for both of you. I don't know what is going on, but if I have to, I'll move you to Cleveland."

"Xander," Safira started to protest. He cut her off.

"I don't know what is going on. But slayers and robot's don't fight well on a hand to hand basis. You have to fight smart. And I still don't know why Tony's friends went all Moloch. Just get ready to flee, okay? I can't lose either of you to something you can't fight." He didn't know how to put into words the terror that had wrapped around his spine, threatening to pull it out.

She was silent for a minute. "Okay. I'll get the bug out bag and we'll be ready."

"Where is Jarvis?" He heard Jolie demand and the sound changed telling him Safira had put it on speaker.

"I don't know yet. I'll ask. Let me get back to Tony and figure out what is going on."

"What if he is dead?"

The questions hit him like a blow, but he kept his voice calm. "I'm not sure he can die. But I won't know anything until I talk to Tony."

A long moment of silence. "Okay."

"I'll call when we are ready. Let me know." Safira sounded so adult and serious Xander wanted to cry.

"I love you both," he said softly and hung up the phone, then turned and walked back into the penthouse and followed the path of destruction to Tony's lab, it had multiple ways to get to it and Tony had multiple labs.

Tony and Bruce sat there looking glum while Darcy looked freaked out and others looked annoyed.

"So anyone what to explain to me what the fuck just happened and why Jolie is asking me if Jarvis is dead?"

So if you wanted to try my writing, the first book in my Twisted Luck series is on sale this week - from 10/8 to 10/13/21. Grab it now if you wanted to try it for only .99. My Luck is available on Amazon and as always in Kindle Unlimited.