Chapter 2: An American Hero

*****Sunnydale******

Steve had brought a small team with him to Sunnydale, a place Fury told him contained a doorway to hell. Although Steve wasn't sure if the director was being metaphorical or not, he still warned his men to be cautious at all times. Their contact person was an Alexander Harris, a civilian who had been battling the demonic forces in the town for five years. The report said that the man had begun fighting when he was still a kid, only sixteen. That was two years younger than Steve had been when he enlisted in the Army. Steve was looking forward to meeting the man. He had begun to think that the men of this century didn't understand the concept of sacrifice and true courage. It was nice to read about kids still getting it right.

"Sir, the Magic Box is up ahead. Kind of an odd spot for a rendezvous point, huh?" Dave asked. Dave wasn't Army. He was one of Fury's guys. The director said that regular army hadn't had good experience in the town. Only one of his guys, Dominic, had any military training. Dominic had been a Navy Seal and said less than anyone Steve had ever met. Steve figured his watchful nature would do well in Sunnydale. The fourth member of their team was Kylie Canada, a woman. Steve didn't know her well. However, she had a clean record and worked with Nat one more than one occasion.

Inside the Magic Box, Anya was stressing about the return of Giles.

"He left me in charge, and I have hardly got a chance to count the money!" Anya was complaining.

"An, do you think this is a good time or subject to be obsessing about? It hasn't even been two hours since Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Tara have gone! I feel like my life has been ripped away, and you're going on about money! I really don't get you sometimes," Xander said in annoyance. He had proposed to her because he loved her, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Sometimes, though, when he thought of spending his life with her, something inside him froze. Is this the life he wanted? Was he really ready to spend the entirety of his life with a former vengeance demon?

Anya gave him a hurt look. "I'm your fiancée, and I'm still here," she reminded him.

Before Xander could form a reply, the door to the shop opened. Xander did a double take—it was really him. Captain America was just five feet in front of him. Now he was three. His pulse sped up in excitement.

"Xander Harris?" Steve asked, smiling at the man at the table. Fury had supplied him with photos, so he knew both of the shop's occupants on sight.

"Uh, that's me!" Xander said, jumping to his feet. "I just can't believe you're here! It's crazy! Wow! You're a living legend, and you're in my hometown."

"Hi, I'm Anya," Anya said, moving to stand next to Xander.

Xander knew without a doubt that Anya was about to say something totally inappropriate. He gave her a look. "If you wouldn't say it to Giles, you do not say it to this man," he warned in a low voice.

"Nice to meet you," Anya said with a bright smile.

Steve held out his hand to Anya and shook it. "The pleasure is mine, ma'am," he told her. Then he held it out to Xander. "I've read your file. It sounds like you're on your way to being a legend in your own right. Working to fight evil. Stopping apocalypses. I'm very impressed."

Xander felt his face flush as a real-life superhero looked at him—him—in admiration. "Well, I mostly get donuts and fix the things that get broken," he said with a wry grin.

"Except that time you stopped those zombies from blowing up the school senior year," Anya said proudly. "And it was you who came up with the plan and weapons to destroy the Judge when he was trying to end the world with Angelus and Dru your junior year. Oh, and it was your plan that blew up the high school, destroying the evil mayor who turned into a forty-foot demon!"

"Okay, Anya, he gets it," Xander said, embarrassed as the three others with Steve were looking at him in various degrees of speculation.

"You're more than a donut boy," Anya said hotly.

Xander gave her a look of thanks. Sometimes he loved her so much. No one had ever looked at him quite the way she did.

"You military trained?" a guy with Steve asked.

"That's a complicated question," Xander said with a grin.

"It is?" the one woman asked.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce my team," Steve said apologetically. "That is Kylie—the guys usually call her by her last name Canada. That's Dave and Dominic—he's a former Navy Seal."

Xander wasn't surprised that it was Dominic that had asked if he had military training. "All SHIELD agents?" he asked. When they nodded, Xander felt relieved. "I'm really glad they didn't send in the military. Last time they came here, it didn't go so well. They were all about harnessing demon power. Lots of death and mayhem was the result."

Steve looked grim. "I knew a Nazi during the war that tried that," he said. "We won't be doing that."

"Well, that's a relief," Anya said. The door to the shop opened. Spike was under his smoking blanket.

"Oh, here's the only one left of the team," Xander said with grimace. "He's the blood sucking fiend Buffy won't let me stake."

Kylie looked alarmed. "Excuse me?"

"Relax. I'm a vampire that can't hurt humans without excruciating pain from this bloody chip in my brain," Spike said sourly as he tossed his thick blanket down. Then he looked at Captain America. "I can't believe the American Bloody Captain is here."

"That's Captain America," Anya correctly.

"You can call me Steve," he said, flashing Spike a smile. "Clint said you're good in a fight."

"Clint is pretty good himself," Spike said. "Can't believe he took my girls. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Ah, is poor Spike feeling hurt in your soulless heart?" Xander said snidely.

"I take it the two of you don't work well together?" Steve asked, frowning.

"I loathe the sight of him," Xander said honestly. "The only thing keeping him from killing us is a chip. He's not a good guy. Never forget that."

"That's right! I'm not a good guy. But at least I'm not a useless whelp like you!" Spike fumed. "I wouldn't bite you even without a chip! Your blood sucks!"

"Like I'd let you bite me!"

Kylie looked at her partner. "Are these guys for real?"

Dave snickered. "Fury said they would be unorthodox. It's like Tony and Steve," he said.

"The sun is nearly down. How about we save the bickering for when there's not work to do?" Steve suggested.

Xander gave them a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Spike and I don't see eye to eye," he said.

"You can say that again," Spike muttered. "So, do you have a run down on how to kill vamps?"

"Why don't you tell us everything we should know?" Steve suggested.

"Sunlight kills vampires, so we come out at night. Some like me, get around in daytime by avoiding direct sunlight—that's what kills us. We can't go into a private home without an invitation, but public places like businesses are fair game," Spike explained.

Xander held up a wooden stake. "Wood of any kind through the heart kills them. Wooden arrows or stakes are what we usually use," Xander said.

"Cutting off their head works, too," Anya added.

"That's basically it," Spike said. "Oh, we also avoid holy water and crosses."

"Are vampires all we should worry about?" Dave asked.

"Nah. Demons, too. Various kinds. Method of killing depends on the species," Xander said.

"Don't go killing demons without finding out if they're evil," Spike said with a glare. "A few of them are blokes of mine."

"Exactly one of them is. Clem," Xander said. "We like Clem. His kind are harmless as kittens."

"Except to kittens," Anya added. The visitors looked curious, but no one asked her to explain.

"What do they look like?" Steve asked.

"Flappy skin. Kind of gross looking," Xander said.

Anya glared at him. "That's totally specist!" she said accusingly.

"Sorry, An," Xander said. "She's a former vengeance demon and sensitive about demon stereotypes."

"Some demons perform a necessary service to the community!" Anya insisted.

"You cursed men who broke women's hearts, An. You didn't save puppies or orphans," Xander argued.

"How about we get this show on the road?" Dave asked, eager to fight the real-life monsters. He'd been overseas during the alien invasion and missed out. This was his chance to make a real difference.

"Let's," Xander agreed. He grabbed his favorite axe and pointed to the weapon's chest. "Help yourself to a weapon. Guns are useless. Don't bother pulling them out. All it does is piss off the vamps and demons. There's a squirt gun full of holy water—that works like acid on them. Take a cross."

"It actually works?" Dominic asked, speaking for the first time.

"It does," Anya said, pulling her favorite one from behind the counter.

Spike and Xander led them to a nearby cemetery. No action. The same with the next three. Not a vampire in sight.

Xander grew more and more alarmed. "This isn't good," he said.

"I agree," Spike said. "Something is wrong."

"Let's go talk to Willy and see what's brewing," Xander said.

"Willy?" Steve asked as they changed directions, heading back to town.

"He owns a demon bar," Spike said.

"He's a squirrelly guy, but Buffy usually got intel out of him after she slapped him around a bit," Xander said.

"He a demon?" Steve inquired.

"He looks human, but I think he's half demon or something," Xander said with a shrug.

"If you know of a bar where demons hang out, why don't you raid it and take them out?" Dominic asked. This was a strange town. The vibes were beginning to unnerve him. He could sense something was wrong, but there hadn't been any bad guys to fight. He didn't like it one bit.

"Buffy says it's good to have a neutral place to keep a pulse on the demon community. Plus, by not immediately killing them all, she curries favor with the minor demons who aren't bent on world endage," Xander explained.

Steve nodded, seeing the wisdom in her decision. "I can get that," he said.

Xander opened the bar door, and they all walked into the darker interior.

Steve and his team all were noticeably taken aback by the strange creatures in the bar. A few looked human. Steve figured that those were the vampires.

"That guy has testicles coming down from his face," Dave whispered, trying to hold back his horror.

"That guy is blue," Kylie said in fascination. She wasn't freaked like Dave.

Xander looked at the Navy Seal, whose stoic expression made Xander grin. The guy was one tough cookie.

"Hey, Willy, old pal," Xander said when Willy spotted him.

"Oh, it's the friends of the slayer," Willy said too loudly. A few vampires immediately got up and left.

Steve smiled. Clint's sister's reputation must be incredible that just mentioning her name caused monsters to run away.

"Willy, I was hoping you could tell me and my new friends something," Xander said, leaning onto the bar.

"Anything for you, Xander," Willy said brightly. He eyed the very tall, formidable looking man wearing a shield with Xander. It occurred to him that the man looked familiar. Then he shrugged.

"So, I was out showing the guys a few of the cemeteries we have in town, and I couldn't help but notice the lack of vamp action," Xander said. "What's going on? Where's all the vampires? Did someone organize a vampire convention and forget to invite Spike?"

"There's a little rumor going around that I know isn't true. I told the guys it was bullshit, and they could fall for it if they wanted. It was their undead life," Willy said earnestly.

"A rumor?" Anya asked, brightening at the thought of some good gossip.

"There was some human in here earlier saying that the Slayer left town. Andrew was his name," Willy said.

"Damn, word's already out?" Xander grumbled.

Willy's eyes widened. "So it's true? Buffy's gone?" He asked excitedly.

"Don't be too happy. Another slayer named Faith is probably coming back. In the meantime, me and the guys here will be keeping everyone in check," Xander said, gesturing to Steve and his team.

Willy eyes them with interest. They did look formidable. "You guys are welcome here anytime," he said, giving them a friendly smile. "Any friend of the slayer is—well, not a friend of mine, but I want to stay open."

"If that's the case, tell us why the cemeteries are so dead. Where are all the vamps?" Xander asked.

"I think one of Spike's old gang from his Harmony days is trying to form some vampire coalition."

Xander winced. This wasn't good. "Buffy isn't the only threat to the vampire population. Get the word out," Xander said, pointing to Steve. "We have Captain America in town now. Uncle Sam has decided to send his best soldier to put a beat down on the demon population in town, so any shenanigans need to stop."

"Which guy is it?" Spike asked Willy. "If it's Doug, I'm going to rip off the poser's head!"

"It's Tom," Willy said.

Spike relaxed. "Oh, that's fine then. Tom's got a brain and guts," he said. Then he looked at Xander as he realized what that meant. "Oh, we might have a problem."

*****To Be Continued*****

I've taken away Warren and Willow, so there's no real big bad from season six. That means I get to be a bit more creative. The team with Steve is not based on any Marvel character(s) or team from the movie. I just created them since the only two guys with names from the Captain America Winter Soldier movie ended up betraying him. I hope you enjoy this. Next chapter: Back to Faith