A/N: I just want to say A big genuine thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed up to this point. Your praise and advice has really helped me keep this story on track. We are getting close to the end of Season 3 and I plan that Spider-Xander's contribution will be one to remember.
The next several days were tense. Xander stayed out of the webs in order to give Buffy a clear shot at whatever was posing as Spider-man but that just made feel like a coward. Every siren accused him, every accident victim whose injuries where more serious because they didn't make it to the hospital quickly enough tormented him. .
There were also several more attacks.
Faith come to the apartment and confronted Xander. "For god sakes Harris just tell them."
"Yeah cause that's just such a great idea Wesley is hunting for blood, Buffy is too."
"Well they would stop if they knew that you were the man in the webs."
"Wesley is not nearly as trust worthy as you think." Angel said quietly "If he knew that Xander was Spider-man the first thing he would do is turn him into the Watchers Council."
"Christ, don't you think I know that." She cursed venomously "the stuffy bastard is driving me crazy."
"Right now No Spider-man is good. Buffy has issues with the Spider and until she gets over them, Xander opening up is just going to cause more trouble, trouble we don't need right now."
Xander's worst fears became real. In a closed door Scooby meeting, Buffy made a deal with Wesley. She would hunt Spider-man leaving Faith to deal with the Ascension. Since Faith had made no progress in finding the wall crawler Wesley leapt at the offer. Xander had to find out about the meeting from Angel. His loyalty to Spider-man was well known and Wesley insisted that he could not be trusted. Buffy tried to soft sell it. Her desire to leave Sunnydale and attend Northwestern was equally well known. Wesley offered to help her get into the school. The deal put a strain on Buffy and Xander's friendship. She moodily griped that he should allow Spider-man to clear his name. He snidely pointed out her stake first, ask questions if it occurred to her policy.
In the midst of the turmoil, Willow felt torn in two directions. Then Synder pressured her to tutor a brainless jock or have her academic future scuttled by the vindictive educator she started snapping at everyone and everything.
She was helping Giles in the library do more translation with the scroll when Buffy came in in full rant mode. Giles listened patiently but Willow finally snapped a pencil and in the process cut her hand badly. Weeping openly, she dashed out the door refusing to return to the task. Somehow, this became Xander's fault. Their finger pointing and blame laying eventually caused Giles to roar angrily that they should grow up.
"Xander is showing loyalty. And since all we have is a few witness statements and no physical evidence that loyalty is not misplaced."
"Giles …" Buffy cried out
He ignored his charge " Buffy on the other hand is thinking about the safety of others. No matter what you both feel like, something that is obviously dangerous is lurking. After the pointed comments you made during the…. Unpleasantness with Angelus I would think you'd understand and support Buffy doing what has to be done."
Xander moodily left the library catching sight of Cordy in the hall he decided to avoid her as well and sprinted the other way.
He wandered town until he could no longer stand feeling alone. He headed to The Bronze.
Willow was there. It looked like the jock, she tutored was attacking her. He was about to lay a Spider-type beating on the jock's ass, secret identity be danmed, when Willow herself threw him across a room. He marched up to his best friend who embraced him as if she had not seen him in years. He noticed that Willow had acquired a taste for tight form fitting black leather in the few hours since he had seen her last.
"Oh my sweet big boy, I hoped I would get to see you again." her voice was wispy.
"Ah Willow, are you OK?"
She cradled his head in her cool grip. "Our little boy is being so naughty."
Xander suddenly noticed his spider-sense was raging. Buffy walked into the room and catching sight of them both together marched over to them.
"Look you guys I realize some things have been going on."
"Who is this sweet thing, she smells like death, bad death." Her eyes narrowed and her tone was venomous.
"Willow I know you have this thing about Spider-man and I get that but that shouldn't mean we can't still be friends."
Willow released Xander from her iron hard grip. "Bored now, I'm going to find my sweet baby boy."
"Look Willis I think Oz can wait just a second. " Buffy snapped, she reached out to grab Willow's arm.
Willow's face melted and reformed, she was a vampire. "Get off of me." she snarled as she shook off the Slayer and marched out of the club without a backward glance.
Their argument forgotten, Buffy and Xander headed back to the library where Giles reacted with shock and horror to hear that Willow had been murdered and turned.
"We will find her and…. Lay her to rest" Giles promised
"Maybe we could curse her." Buffy said desperately
"That spell is hard to do and willow was the one to do it. I couldn't guarantee that it would work."
"But we have to try, don't we?" Xander asked " I mean we have to get her back somehow."
"Curses are unnatural things. At best we would be condemning Willow to the same fate as Angel. A lifetime of solitude with no hope of every knowing happiness."
"Perfect happiness she could have ordinary happy, moderate happy, casual happy." Buffy insisted desperately
"Buffy, " Giles shouted, she reacted as if he had hit her and he softened his tone. "The Willow that we knew and loved is gone. Even with her soul, she would still be a monster. Angel almost went mad with the knowledge of what he had become. It was decades before he became the person we know now. Can you really afford to put Willow through that, do you think she deserves it. The gypsies were trying to punish Angel. Willow has done nothing to earn the kind of pain she would be subjected to."
"I'll go with you." Xander said quietly
"No, absolutely not she's, not our Willow anymore and she would use that against you. This is something I will do for her, please Xander let me do my job and let me not have to worry about the only living friend I have left dying at the hands of a Willow-shaped demon…please "
Xander nodded and left them to the hunt.
Giles watched him go sadly. "First his friend Jessie now this , that boy has suffered much for his devotion to this battle."
"I hope he can forgive me."
"He knows you have a job to do "
"Not Willow, Xander knows the score there. I'm taking about when I kill Spider-man tonight. I stopped him from helping for a reason. Now he'll call Spider-man. All I have to do is find the vamp Willow and Spider-man will be there. "
"Are you sure that's wise."
"Every man has a weakness and Xander's is the fact he loves Willow and would do anything for her. He would never betray Spider-man to me but if he thought I might choke rather then kill Vampire Willow then he will ask for help and Spider-man will come out of hiding for that if nothing else. "
"So in reality you have no problem staking and killing your former best friend turned to a vampire? "
"If this was a year ago I'd say yes. And as I recall Jenny paid for that mistake. " She strode toward the door.
Giles watched her leave and tried to tell himself this was not a worse mistake. He was not concentrating when a shadow drifted into the library. His senses finally kicked in when it was too late and the he was totally unprepared for what came next.
Spider man had been swinging for hours and nothing. Not a peep, Vampire Willow was impossible to find. He looked down saw a shadow moving across the rooftops.
"Got you babe"
He landed and saw the shadow slip inside an abandoned building. He approached a window and felt his spider-sense buzzing
"So that's our game. Fine then we'll play. "He climbed through the window and slipped into the shadows.
Angel answered the buzzer on the apartment door. Faith strode in looking like hell and feeling worse
"This had better be good." She snarled "Wes is really getting on my last nerve.'
She looked around and Angel gestured her to take a sit at the worktable. Cordelia was already sitting nursing a hot coffee and looking miserable.
Hey Queen C, what's up Deadman you looking to trade for the non-slaying cheerleader."
"Cordy has a tale to tell and I think we need to hear it together."
"What's up?"
"Cordy tell it again tell it like you told me and then we will decide."
"I know you guys are looking for the phony Spider-man."
"How do you know it's a phony, Buffy seems convinced "
"Buffy is an idiot, and frankly so is Xander. That's why I came to Angel I figured he was in on the big secret."
"What big secret."
Cordy sighed and cut to the point. "Look, during the whole Gwen Raiden thing I was feeling pretty bad about breaking up with Xander. So bad that Harmony Kendell invited me to some get together. A kind of girl club where the women are supposed to be empowering themselves but basically they bitch about their screwy choice in guys."
"Sound like fun can I join "
"You might want to reconsider that after you hear the story. The head of the group is this woman, Anya Jenkins. She preaches that we have to envision a world without the pain that keeps us back, a world without the guys who abuse and use us."
"Sounds cool." Faith snorted
"It gets better, all the members wear these special amulets to show that they won't be taken advantage of anymore. Harmony gave me hers…you're supposed to picture a world without your pain but I couldn't help it I really blamed Buffy for things. She was the one who made Xander attractive, if it hadn't been for her things might have been better "
"That's a stretch " Faith started but Angel shushed her and Cordy went on.
"I wished, I wished that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale and …and it happened. I was in a place where Buffy wasn't in Sunnydale and the place was like Hell. Everyone was there; Angel, Willow, Giles every one. Except they were different. "
Faith kept making comments "Was I in this dream." She said smugly
"No you weren't they had never heard of you. But there was a Spider-man he was different, Darker, more vicious, and he fought alongside Giles and some other people against that Master-guy I've heard about. Willow was a vampire and she was powerful too. Nobody messed with her. "
Since she had Faith's attention now Cordy continued. "The Willow of that world created a thing, she made it … out of herself and Spider-man but it was different dark and twisted really screwed up and it hated Spider-man even at the same time it wanted him. The Spider-man of that world called the thing Venom. The picture Angel showed me of what Buffy is hunting tonight is Venom. Somehow he's got loose from his world, came here, and if he is like he was there, the one thing he wants more then anything is to destroy Spider-man ruin him and leave him alone and helpless. "
Angel summarized for Faith who looked confused. "Venom is a doppelganger of the Spider-man we know and love. Similar in every way except that he has a demonic bestial appearance."
"…And the fact he is crazier then a fifty percent off shoe sale. Kept calling Vampire Willow mother and Spider-man Father."
Faith whistled "That is crazy, ok if this actually happened, how did you get back?"
"The Giles of that world was looking for help. To get it he rebuilt a machine, it looked like a clock. If you used it right, it opened a gateway to another world. Something happened and I had a chance to use it. Anyway, Alterno-Giles sent me through with instructions to give the amulet to the Giles here. Apparently, the magic of the pendent creates a marker. Once used to go to an alternate world the pendent acts like a beacon. Someone could home in on it and come here from there. I gave him the pendent."
"Fat Lot of good this does us --- Hi Giles, that phony spider-man running around. It turns out he is the mystical union between a vampire version of Willow and an alternate universe Spider-man."
"Not a problem, Giles called to tell me that Willow had been killed and was running around as a vampire. Buffy took off to hunt her down and kill her I was going to join the hunt when I heard from Giles. Willow showed up at the library very surprised by the level of love she got from Giles. "
"There can't be two Willows " Faith protested
"Yes there can," Cordelia explained. "Vampire willow is here and the fact that Venom is running around can't be a co-incidence."
"Well what about this clock thing can we use it to send them back"
"Clock's on the other side of the door. " Angel held up yet another sketch. "This is the closest thing we have on this side."
Faith gasped. "That's a picture of the scroll thing Giles has been screwing around with."
Angel nodded. "Somewhere out there, we have two evil twins running around. And more important neither Buffy or Spider-man know that Willow is alive and well and that if they don't nail Vampire Willow it could go very badly for us all."
"We'll go on the hunt " faith said resolutely "As for Venom, for all the trouble he's been I'm betting Spider-man will want to give him a seven course ass kicking. "
"Killing Venom isn't going to be easy."
"Why?"
Cordelia took a deep breath and gave a highly edited version of the rest of her story after all, some things were for Xander and Xander alone to deal with. .
At various times since becoming Spider-man Xander had idly wondered how he would fair against a Slayer. His training sessions with Faith had gone a long way to answering that question but that was training. Faith for all her power, was more like a street brawler with good moves. Buffy was the more capable of the two fighters.
His spider-sense tripped off. Buffy came at him like lightning. She scored several hits that drove him back but he tossed her aside and hopped to a wall.
"I know you think I'm dangerous but lets deal with Willow first then if you still want to …"
"I am dealing with my friends both of them.": Buffy said resolutely " I've always known Slaying would leave me alone. Either something would kill my friends or they would turn on me."
She hurled an axe at Spidey. Then she darted toward where he was instinctively going to jump. Her punches and blows were everywhere he wanted to be and yet his spider-sense kept him ahead of her strikes, just barely.
"Willow died because I didn't keep her away from the things that haunt this town and when you're gone Xander will hate me. Why did you have to turn on us, start attacking people."
"You're wrong, I'm not the enemy." He cried out but she wasn't listening strange as it seemed she was lost in a world of her own nightmarish insecurities flowing out in the banter she unleashed as she attacked him.
"I know what he thinks of me. Buffy the Cheerleader; given a chance to be a hero, All I do is whine about why I can't be normal. Given a chance with a normal guy who I can love and grow old with I chose a cursed vampire. He doesn't understand what its like to want to be normal, to want to be understood for who and what you are. I want out of this life I want to be more then the Slayer and if my only chance means offering Wesley your head on a plate." She redoubled her attacks they came faster and more furiously
"Xander doesn't hate you " Spider-man cried out waving around a flurry of kicks that would have crippled him if they landed.
"He doesn't trust me, doesn't think I have what it takes to do this job. I knew he would go behind me to tell you about Willow."
Xander froze as he realized he had unwittingly played into her insecurities. That he didn't think she could cut it. That she would hesitate when the moment to strike came.
"I'm not the person you are looking for." Spider-man jumped to a wall and perched there.
"Fine, prove it to me, prove to me that you aren't a threat, prove to me that Xander is right and that you are still the hero he thinks you are. Prove to me that I can trust you."
Xander sighed and reached upwards to grab at the edges of his mask. He had seen this moment a thousand times and in his nightmares, he always lost Buffy as a friend forever. He was taking it off when he felt something that felt like white noise in his head and then the window exploded inward. A shadow dropped and hit him hard, sending him crashing to the ground. at Buffy's feet. He struggled up and looked into a face he had almost forgotten.
"Hello Father, we've missed you so very much. Wanted your heart to carry to mother, she is here you know."
"Venom!"
"It does our heart good to hear that name come from your lips. When mother killed you, I thought we'd never hear it again. But mother is kind and loving. Showed us how to pierce the veil between worlds and come to find you."
"What do you want Venom."
"What we have always wanted father, to kill you, over and over and over, one time for every second of pain we have endured since our existence began." Venom came at him fast
Xander shoved Buffy out of the way. "I'll take care of him. Find his mother. She's got to be bad ass if she can control this thing."
Buffy startled and then sprinted for the window.
Xander fought Venom and noticed for the first time that he was taking more hits then he normally did. There was white noise in his head. That he realized was his Spider-sense being blocked. Something about this abomination made his one edge in a fight useless. "Doesn't matter" he said grimly to himself "I still have to stop him , put him down somehow".
Venom laughed at his efforts "Oh you are much less fun then before father, pulling your punches perhaps you think We're going to be a good boy if you take it easy on us. Well let's get that thought out of your skull along with your brain."
Venom's talons slashed at his face and Xander snapped his head back kicking out hard at the bulky demonic thing. "That's our daddy, more, harder make it fun for us."
A three-foot rebar rammed into Venom's chest. Buffy was holding it. "And I thought I had father issues."
Venom screamed and tore at the metal staff in his chest. He fired webbing at Buffy that caught her and secured her to a wall. She screamed in pain. "Listen Father her screams are musically delicious. I made my razor webbing for all of the special people in your life."
He stalked toward Buffy slapping the Rebar in his fist. Spider-man pulled himself back to his feet and fired impact webbing at the head of the thing. Venom screamed as he began tearing at the sticky webbing entrapping his head and face.
Spidey did not wait. He just bounded to the wall and yanked the razor webbing off the wall. Tearing it off Buffy and freeing her. Little cuts covered her skin and clothes.
"What was that?" The lacerated Slayer asked tiredly "it felt like I was wrapped in barbed wire."
"Razor Webbing courtesy of the bad guy. Aren't you supposed to be fleeing for cover."
"What and miss the chance to eat a bit more crow. "
Venom tore away y the webbing on his head and started toward them but then he stopped. Cocking his head to one side like a dog, he was obviously hearing something. He spring to the window. "I'm coming Mother, I'm coming."
"Junior has good ears, I'm thinking this family reunion should be short lived."
Buffy nodded, they sprinted for the opening and saw Venom webslinging away.
"He's moving really fast " Spider-man said grimly
Buffy nodded "I wouldn't want to lose track of either of you."
"If you don't tell anyone, I won't "
"Agreed "
He held out his arms and she hopped into them. Soon they were webslinging after Venom. Xander had to say carrying Buffy had certain advantages over carrying Faith. Not the least of which was, unlike Faith, Buffy screamed in this cute way as they flew over the rooftops tracking his evil twin.
The trail ended at the Bronze, Venom slipped inside. Spider-man landed on the roof. He and Buffy dropped to the ground where Angel, Faith, Cordy and Giles were lurking in the shadows. Most surprising of all, Willow was there in all her Willow-y goodness.
"I'm still not sure of all the details its all very confusing" Giles supplied helpfully
"Can you believe the Watchers Council let this guy go." Faith sniped, Xander laughed underneath his mask.
"I see you two are still in one piece."
"Call it a temporary non-aggression pact "
"Vampire Willow is inside, some time in the last few hours she has rounded up cadre of thugs intending to terrorize the city." Angel summarized for the latecomers
Willow snapped "Can I just point out my annoyance that not only am I skanky and possibly gay when evil I also become hideously cliched "
"Don't worry hun," Buffy soothed " remember that's just a demon in there it has nothing whatsoever to do with what you are really like."
Well actually…" Angel started until a series of dark looks from everyone …even Faith lead him to keep the thought to himself. " Good point Buff."
"SO what's the plan, rush them in the manner of John Wayne." Spider-man suggested
"Body count could get a tad high with that plan."
"We could dress up our girl Willow here and lure them out." Faith said
"No, No, and can I just say no again." Willow muttered
"It's a corny plan but it might actually work." Buffy supplied disconsolately
"Maybe if we give them something they really want." Cordy said quietly "Something we know that they really care about."
"Whist do you mean Cordy." Buffy asked
"Cordy thinks Bad Willow is from some alterno-dimension with No Slayer and a very dead Spider-man "
"Come to think of it, Venom seemed really eager to wipe the floors with you." Buffy speculated looking at the webslinger.
"I sense much suffering in my immediate future." Spider-man sighed. "Ok I go in and distract the bad guys with snappy patter and spider-heroics. "
Buffy nodded "We go in cat-like dusting surgically while the crowd is over-awed by your performance. " Buffy stated. Faith and Angel nodded.
As usual, everyone but Xander agreed the part he was to play in Buffy's plan was a good one. " yay me." he grumbled sullenly
Evil Willow was finishing a demonstration when Spider-man burst into the club. The girl in her arms was being drained dry. As she dropped her burden she smiled and kittenishly remarked "questions, comments."
Spider-man dropped to the floor. "Yeah, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, can I still kick your skany leather clad ass." Evil Willow startled and when she froze, Spider-man entangled her in impact webbing that sent her crashing to the floor, wriggling like a fish.
The white noise in his head was back. Venom was coming so he leapt fifteen feet up. He then let himself fall back to the ground landing on Venom's head.
The two began a pitched battle across the floor. Vampires and club goers skittering to jump clear as the two sailed acrobatically around the room Xander got a real education about what it was like fighting Spider-man. Venom had all his moves and then some. Plus, he was ruthless and totally demented. Xander's only edge was he wasn't crazy. He could plan and react and react he did.
A shrill and piercing whistle cut the air like a knife. He looked up and saw Evil Willow was free. Worse she held Willow, his own sweet Willow hostage. "If my two men want to kill each other then there's nothing mommy can do to stop them." She vamped out, her fangs poised above Willow's perfect neck. "Oh wait, yes there is something I can do." She growled
"Don't do it" Spider-man said
"Oh but honey, your were so much more fun to play with after I killed everything that meant anything to you. Besides, Her and me, " Evil Willow moaned " oh such nasty things we could do together."
Cordelia's voice cut the room. "Hey Bitch remember me."
Evil Willow snarled "You, What are you doing here."
Cordy stood above the DJ booth. "It's called Payback, look into it." she twisted a console control and loud rock music blasted out at a volume just past earsplitting. The club patrons reacted with annoyance, the vampires with their better hearing reacted with discomfort but Venom reacted as if he was in genuine pain. Buffy leapt out of the crowd and grabbed Willow. Spider-man moved like lightening. He shot a web-line out that tripped up the Evil Willow.
Spidey turned and punched at his doppelganger repeatedly hitting his writhing form until it collapsed into unconsciousness. He was turning to deal with Evil Willow when he saw her leg sweep Faith and then leap upward escaping out the roof entrance and into the night.
Well don't just stand there, " Buffy cried out "get after her."
What about you" he asked
She dusted the last of the vampires and "we're fine, we'll be finer if you stop evil Willow."
Spider-man hurled himself out in the night. Sailing over the rooftops, he eventually landed at the school chasing the vampire though the halls they arrived at the library. She had opened a vein and was holding her hand over the arcane blueprint Giles had been working on.
"You gonna leave junior behind." Spider-man asked
"He's a big boy he'll find his way home in time. " An eerie glow came from the paper a glow that surrounded Evil Willow
Spider man marched toward her "I'm not letting you get way."
"OH yes my sweet Xander come with me, I know it got bad before but this time would be different. You and me owning the darkness together, Willow and Xander together just like before and no cheerleaders to screw tings up."
He paused "What are you talking about we were never together."
"Yes we were until that bitch Cordy Chase took you from me. But I showed her, figures that when I finally find you again she is there too." Spider man rushed Evil Willow but she dodged and grabbed him by the throat.
"You'll like it at home we'll be a family again. You, Venom, and me; maybe we can have another child. You could go back to using your real name. The name we came up with together before things went sour my sweet Carnage."
The glow was intensifying and Spider-man felt himself losing contact with the world, slipping away. His Spider-sense was going nuts.
The sound of metal singing and Willow's scream brought him back. Her hand and arm lay on the ground, she was holding a bloodied stump. He looked up, and there was Black Widow.
Evil Willow let out a string of curses that faded into echoes as she vanished. The glow faded from the room leaving the blueprint quiet again.
"What the hell was that?"
"That was a doppelganger of your friend Willow Rosenberg. Turned evil and insane by the Master's chief lieutenant."
"Angelus was evil in that world too."
"No in that world the vampire chooses the pathway that was forced on the one in this reality. No that Willow was destroyed by one she trusted, her best friend Xander Harris."
"Xander " he barely hid his disbelief
"In that reality you gained the powers you have now and the darkness took you. You re-imagined yourself as the being called Carnage. As Carnage with Willow at your side you brought much suffering to Sunnydale and the world."
"How do you know all this."
"Because my order, my matriarch has seen the webs of fate, this is how we found Spider-men across time and tracked them and why we have had to kill them all. They have all been as Venom is or worse like Carnage was." Black Widow retrieved her throwing blade and turned away from him. "I do not know why you are so different from your other self but because you are I'm reluctant to destroy you until I know for certain which path you will choose."
"How will I know I going the right way?"
"If I don't kill you, you will know "
"And if you can't kill me "
"Venom hates and despises you because he knows that no matter how evil, twisted and psychotic he is, he will never be like his father. Choose your path wisely Spider-man because if I cannot stop you the world will pay the price."
Black Widow disappeared just as Buffy and the rest arrived in the library. Where is the evil one." Willow asked anxiously
"Gone back home. " he turned to Giles "Mr. Giles I think I know what this thing is " he pointed at the blueprints he explained that it was a means to move back and forth across the dimensional divide. Cordy confirmed that the blueprints matched exactly the machine the Alterno-Giles had used to return her safely to this world after her adventure.
"That's a story I'd like to hear more about " Giles stated and Cordy wearily began recounting her tale again. It was so engrossing no one noticed when Spider-man slipped away.
Xander was perched on his skylight looking out on the city. Across town Sunnydale Highs best and brightest were prom-ing it up in style. The events of the past several days had drained his desire to party and even Buffy's sincere invitation that he go as her date didn't sway him any.
Cordelia startled him from his deep thoughts. She was clad in the outfit he had swindled for her. He looked at her and she blushed at his stare.
"I figured I owed you one since you're the reason I even have this thing." Cordy came out and sat beside him."
"So how come you aren't being the Belle of the Ball "
"Oh I'm going to be there, I want to see Buffy 's face."
"Are you guys going to pull a Carrie on her cause She's a Slayer, it could get ugly."
"As if, no the Prom committee decided they want to give her some secret award, I only found out about it cause I still have a bit of pull socially speaking."
"An award?"
"For protecting us, " She reacted as if he was a slow child. "You think the students are really so dim they don't know a hero when they see one. "
"That's great. " Xander smiled, "A little public recognition for everything she had done would do Buffy a world of good."
"I'd of told them to give one to Spider-man but awards like that are reserved for students and outside of Faith and Angel and me nobody knows your Spider-man
" I'm not…."Xander sputtered
"Please I may wave pom-poms Mister but I'm not dumb. "
"So how did you figure it out." He asked resignedly
"The old fashioned way, you told me "
Cordy when on to tell Xander the parts of her story she had edited out of he version she had told the rest of them. She told of how upon arriving in the alternate world she had met a dark and defeated Xander.
"Yeah apparently I'm some piece of work over there" Xander replied bitterly
"Was a piece of work, you died, you died to save me. " Sadly, Cordy told the rest of the tale. Carnage had indeed been an evil influence but he had been rescued from the darkness that had taken him by love, love for Cordelia Chase. For Cordy, Carnage had reformed, betrayed his comrades, left Willow, and joined the resistance. They had succeeded in defeating the Master. However, Willow had rallied her dark forces and unleashed Venom on the world. His first act, slaughtering several resistance fighters including that reality's Cordy Chase.
Her death had plunged, Xander/Carnage into a deep depression. Their Giles had been looking for a miracle when Cordy had appeared. His love returned to him at last Xander/Carnage had taken up the fight again and they had come close to winning.
Willow was at Xander/Carnage's dubious mercy. One strike and he could have ended the war and saved the rest of the town and those beyond, also suffering under the hell that he was partially to blame for creating.
Just when victory seemed assured Venom had captured Cordelia. Threatened with seeing Cordy die again Carnage had hesitated too long and Willow in her madness had killed him. Murdering Xander had ripped away the last vestiges of her sanity. Wesley who apparently was not a prick in that world had invented a sonic cannon and used it on Venom but his attack came too late to save Xander.
"So that was how you knew to turn the music up really loud."
"Venom is a combination of vampire and spider demon his sense are acute, too acute really he is very sensitive to sound. Loud noise hurts him. "
"Something I should remember if my Xander-luck holds and he comes back for a another go at me."
"Anyway, before the battle he told me a lot of things. Like how he had tried to be a hero at first but the strain of keeping people in the dark, losing friendships and everything else had driven him over the edge. Carnage was born and soon thereafter Evil Willow."
Xander nodded. "So you jumped to the conclusion that I was Spider-man based on the tormented ranting of a slightly insane version of me. "
"Well there was other evidence which makes too much sense not to pay attention to it. I mean either you're Spider-man or you hiding a love child or something but you really have some issues."
"I could be gay you know "
"You're wardrobe wishes you were that lucky. Anyway, I wanted to tell you not to lose hope. That those of use that love you and know the truth appreciate everything you do and everything you try to do to protect us. "
"Thanks Cor" Xander helped her stand he hugged her and then holding her face leaned in to kiss her she responded and they melded together. Then the moment was gone she was gently pushing away
"I'm sorry that was out of line I read the moment wrong." Xander said quickly
"No you read it right that is the moment two people who care about each other are supposed to kiss."
"Then what was the …ah yes your date. "
"My date is Wesley "
"Wesley?"
"That man has hidden reserves of suave if he'd let go of his father issues he might be less…"
"Of a pompous twit?"
"I was going to say uptight."
"So what about you and me "
"There is no you and me, there never can be. I watched you die for me. Because you loved me and cared for me you hesitated."
"That was another Xander from another world "
"Another Xander but still you , you where it counts. You are a super hero and that means you are going to make hard choices. Those super shoulders are going to bare some heavy burdens and since you are who you are, you'll do fine. But I'm not her."
"Her?"
"The other me selfless and strong and noble and all the other things he said I was. I can't sit at home wondering if you're hurt or dying somewhere cause some punk with a gun got lucky. What if you got hurt because you were trying to save me. What if you got hurt because you were worried about me instead of fighting the bad guys like your supposed to. If I can't know one hundred percent that I can deal with that then I'm just fooling myself and risking your life. I can't do that and you can't afford to let me."
"Don't you think it should be my choice. I can make my own decisions about the risks I run."
"You've been making choices for over a year keeping everyone in the dark about what you really are. I don't know if that was right to do but I do know that there is no way I'm allowing myself to be the reason you fail. I've already seen what happens when Xander blames himself for the deaths of those he loves. I do not intend to put that look on your face."
"So what? You came over here just to say -- Hey Xan, Surprise I know your Spider-man but don't worry, the thought of you going evil and killing everyone assures that I'll never want to be with you."
"I hoped it come off as more self sacrificing."
"It didn't "
. " I'm sorry you feel that way." Cordelia sighed. "I'll leave you alone."
"There are better ways to punish me for breaking your heart if that was the point of this exercise."
"I'm not punishing you Xander, I've seen the good that Spider-man does. People believe in him and they hang on that much longer because of him. I'm not punishing you Xander, whether you know it or not, I'm helping you out."
Xander snapped at her angrily "How does leaving me forever help me out, explain that to me."
In a sickly ironic moment a police siren ripped across the night sky. Xander winced Cordelia looked at him steadily "I'm leaving for the prom, if you can ignore that, even if only for tonight, then prove me wrong and go inside. put on your tux and we will go to the prom as a couple. "
Xander looked at her then dropped inside the loft.
A moment later a blur of speed shot past the weeping teenager as Spider-man sped into the night. Cordelia's tears were a mix of pride and sorrow, Pride that she knew someone like Xander Harris, sorrow that she would never be a part of his life. Xander Harris belonged to Spider-man, and Spider-man belonged to a world of which she could never be a part.
