chapter 6
TITLE: The Power of XION
AUTHOR: Methos if ya want to host it somewhere else just tell me where ya putting it ok? ;)
DISCLAIMER: All things BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, Green Lantern, ION, Batgirl and any other mentions of DC characters belong to DC Comics ok? I own nothing ;)
SUMMARY: On Halloween Ethan's little costume stunt may have changed the future more that he know. and created something completely new in this dimension.
FEEDBACK: love it :) my first fanfic and so many reviews already :) more please lol
RELATIONSHIPS: None as yes, copious amounts of flirting yes but no relationships planned.
RATING: FR18
SPOILERS: Anything from the Halloween episode onwards. I plan on taking the story through to the bitter end of Buffy. Changing a few things along the way of course ;)
AUTHORS NOTES:
wow first episode from season 2 out of the way. only a hundred or more to go lol
actually can't complain really enjoyed writing this figuring out how to do things differently or how to change things with Xander's powers. it was fun :)
anyway glad every ones still enjoying it. couple of recognitions in this chapter to random DC characters. ya get a cookie if you spot them all.
hope everyone's still enjoying it and there'll probably be another update tomorrow night with the "the dark age" episode.
enjoy
"Look Buffy I've told you before. I'm not going to use my powers to change your grade on the school computer system." Xander looked over at Buffy pouting. "I'm not using my powers for things like that Buffy. It's not right"
Willow was sat on the chair next to Xander just thinking about how much he had grown in the time since he had received these powers. He may have the power to rival a god now but he's still Xander.
"Come on anyway, we've got to talk to Giles about what I saw last night," Buffy says as she stands up waiting for Xander and Willow to follow. "well come on. He needs to know about Angel and this skanky woman he was with. Well?"
"Buffy I can't side with Angel on this one, mainly because I think it's a physical impossibility for me to agree with Angel on anything but maybe you're overreacting just a bit? You don't know if they were even doing anything," Xander tries to play the devil's advocate but sees from the look on Buffy's face he's failing miserably. "Well ok we'll come with you but don't be surprised when Giles tells you the same thing. Just with more complicated words." smiling Xander stands up and watches Buffy turn around and walk straight into someone.
"Ford?" Buffy looks up at the face. "Ford? God what are you doing here? The last time I saw you was back at Hemery." hugging the new arrival Buffy turns to Xander and Willow.
"Guys this is..."
"Ford, Right?" Xander quipped holding his hand out to shake Fords. "Kinda got your name from somewhere." Grinning he moved his other hand up and stopped Buffy from swatting him without even looking.
"Buffy no fair trying to hit me from behind." he quipped now looking at the slayer, completely missing the look of puzzlement and astonishment that passed over Fords face before being hidden again.
"So what you doing here Ford? It's not exactly like Sunnydale's the center of excitement or anything." Buffy sat down again, the meeting with Giles completely forgotten.
Leaning up against a post watching Buffy, Ford smiles. "Matriculating. My dad got a job over here so I'm finishing up my senior year here. Didn't expect to see you here though. The last time I saw you was the swimsuit competition over the summer. You were dating... Pike wasn't it?"
Jumping up Buffy quickly swatted Ford on the chest.
"Hey watch it summers. I know all your secrets." Smiling at Buffy he softly rubbed when she had hit him.
"Care to place a bet on that?" Xander quipped. During the entire time he had been here Xander hadn't been able to take his eyes off Ford. There was something wrong with him. But damned if Xander could place what it was. It was like his energy was incomplete, or was missing bits.
Xander had been experimenting with the energy fields around people and was beginning to understand it. It was more than their 'life energy', it was more like their potential.
Buffy's was pure green, and pretty aggressive looking. The energy leaked out all over the place. He'd seen it somewhere before but couldn't place it so he just filed it under slayer energy.
Giles was blueish white with some dark streaks though. Most people's were blue or while. He guessed that's what normal people's energy looked like.
Willows was pretty much the same but the dark streaks were more prominent in her. He didn't know what the dark streaks were yet. He was going to ask Giles at some point to see if was anything like reading auras but he just hadn't got around to it yet.
The computer teacher, Ms. Calendar. Hers was the weirdest it had seen so far it was bright yellow. So bright he's had to over his eyes when he'd first looked at it. But she had the same dark streaks running through it. So far he'd only seen these streaks in Giles, Willow and Ms Calendar. Admittedly he hadn't been going round the entire school looking for them but out of the few people he had looked at these were the only people with them.
Fords was different. His was blue. Quite a dark blue in contrast to Giles but there were bits missing. Like it was incomplete. This puzzled Xander. How could anyone have incomplete life energy? Perhaps he'd got it wrong. He'd have to do more research before saying anything to anyone anyway.
"We're all heading to the bronze tonight Ford. Want to come along?" Buffy asked picking up her bag again ready for class.
"Might be there Summers. If I can make it I'll see you there ok?" With that Ford left the group and disappeared into the crowd of teenagers.
"So buff. What's the swimsuit competition I hear about?" Wiggling his eyebrows like Groucho Marx Xander stood up.
"Nothing Xander, and if I ever hear about it again I'll make you eat your eyebrows." Buffy mock threatened, starting the walk to the library.
"And who's this Pike? What sort of a name is Pike anyway? Isn't that a fish?" Xander's questions got no response as he followed her to the library.
"Ahh Buffy, Xander good. Your here."
"Yes Giles, we are. Kind of you to notice." Buffy commented before slumping down in a seat.
"Come on Buffy, perhaps they were just talking." Willow tried to reassure her friend.
"Willow I know what I saw, and it wasn't talking."
Giles turned to Xander. "May I ask what are they talking about?"
"Ahh, Buffy saw Angel kissing another woman last night Giles. She's a little upset about it."
"Well has it occurred to her that they might have just been friends or something?" Giles started polishing his glasses trying not to pay attention to the conversation the two girls were having.
"That's what I tried to tell her. But does she pay attention? No. It's like talking to one of my constructs Giles. Might get more sense out of them anyway." grinning Xander created a quick construct of a playboy model and started talking to it animatedly.
"Xander may I remind you that school is still in session. Students may come in here at any time and see that... thing."
Waving the construct away Xander laughed. "Students in here? For what?"
Without waiting for an answer he wandered over to where the girls were sat now glaring at him.
"What?" he asked before getting a slap from both Willow and Buffy of the chest.
"Ow! Now what was that for?"
"You know perfectly well mister." Willow said looking hurt.
"Oh before I forget Buffy I've got something to show you." Xander said hopping up on the table.
"Oh, presents? Jewelry?" Buffy asked smiling again.
Hmm Xander filed away the thought in his mind. Rings were awfully important but he'd have to get them right and it would take a lot of his power to create a permanent one.
"Nope Buffster. Weaponry." With a wave of his hand a crossbow appeared on the table looking like nothing Giles or Buffy had ever seen.
"May I?" Giles asked picking up the construct. "It feels real Xander. Weight and everything, I must say you have come a long way from the prop guns you first started creating."
"Well a gun's still a long way off G-man but I got the idea for this little puppy watching a movie last night. That Van Hellsing flick. A bit of the mark, but it had some good ideas. Look."
Retrieving the crossbow from Giles he quickly took aim at the wall and squeezed the trigger letting fly a swarm of little darts that impacted the wall.
"Well that does look useful but isn't it just a construct like the sword and the prop guns?"
"yeah, it is just a construct Giles but I've made the ammunition for this have the same properties as wood. I don't know how effective it will be against vamps but it should at least hurt them if it doesn't dust them," making the crossbow disappear he looked back at Buffy. "I just wanted to show you that I've got weapons down now. So I'm like a walking armory for you now. I've got a plan for something a bit more permanent that the constructs I'm using at the moment but for now any time I'm out patrolling with you. You just name the weapon and you'll have it ok?" seeing Buffy's grin Giles immediately intervened.
"This does not mean however that you neglect your training or exercise. Just because you now have Xander and his powers with you, does not mean you should get sloppy with any of the techniques I've shown you so far."
"I get it Giles. Continue training as if nothing has changed. But when we're out on patrol can I play with the new toys then?" pouting up at her watcher he quickly relented.
"Yes you can use them then. But I don't want you to rely on them too much. You still have slayer strength and speed for your advantage. We don't want you getting sloppy do we?" looking at his slayers happy face he decided to change the subject quickly before Xander had any more ideas about what he could provide for the slayer. "you were talking about training with Willow last night? I assume by that you meant keeping her up to speed with her new athletic prowess?" Giles asked looking at the girls.
"Well... nope not really." Buffy replied looking a bit nervous. "You see Willow wanted to learn a bit more about the character she became during Halloween so we went down to that comic shop in town and picked up a load of Batgirl comics. One of which contained her origin in it."
Seeing the worried look on Giles face Willow took over quickly.
"Well you see Giles, Batgirl, or the Batgirl I went as. Her name was Cassandra Cain, she was trained to be an assassin by the best in the world. She ran away from her father after he trained her because his training methods were... well they were a bit weird to say the least. But the short story is the reason she was a mute is because she couldn't talk. No that didn't come out right."
Pausing for a minute, Willow tried to get the story straight.
"The way she was trained was a language of the body, not words. She could read you during a fight and anticipate your next move automatically. But this training took over the language center of her brain so she couldn't speak."
Smiling now she had got that right.
"Look it might be better if we showed you. Buffy?"
Giles watched on at the two girls moved over to the center of the library when they stood opposite each other and bowed.
"Now hold on. You can't possibly mean that you retained this ability Willow?" Giles stood up meaning to stop this before Willow got hurt.
To his amazement Willow just grinned at him and stood waiting for Buffy to attack her, she didn't wait long at Buffy launched herself at her opponent at full slayer speed.
Time slowed for Giles. Xander just stood up instantly at the ready to put a shield between the two girls. He needn't have bothered as Willow easily sidestepped the attack bringing her elbow down on Buffy's back sending her sprawling onto the floor behind her.
Buffy quickly jumped back up and attacked again. Each punch from Buffy was effortlessly deflected, each kick was quickly avoided. Willow herself couldn't land an attack on Buffy but the same applied for Buffy. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't touch Willow.
The fight was brought to a swift conclusion when Xander decided he had had enough of seeing his two best friends trying to pummel each other and restrained them both with emerald energy shields.
Giles just walked up to the girls and looked at Willow in astonishment.
"You mean to say you can... read her moves? Before she even makes them herself? Xander, I don't think it's necessary to hold them. It was just sparring."
Xander just waved his hand in response letting the two girls go. "It may have been sparring but Willow could have been hurt. And more to the point if you two are going to fight again, can it be wearing bikinis and in a pool?" Xander grinned at the girls
Shaking his head Giles continued.
"You're fighting style was highly impressive Willow. But if you are as good as you say why could you not fight back against Buffy?" Giles asked looking at the redhead.
"Well it's like I can read her body and blocks the attacks, but I don't know the first thing about fighting Giles. I wanted Buffy to train me so I could fight back otherwise I'd just be there avoiding punches and kicks all night."
"Well yes I can see where that would be an advantage," Giles relented sitting down. "now why don't the three of you get to class and we'll talk about this later ok?"
"Ok g-man" Xander stood up and walked to the door
"Oh we're going to the Bronze tonight Giles. I'll swing through and do a quick patrol with Xander before he head there ok?" Buffy asked not waiting for a reply as the three headed out the door.
"Teenagers" Giles muttered to himself as he made his way into the office for a fresh cup of tea. The kettle was just about boiled when he heard the doors to the library swing again.
Walking out to the main area Giles was pleasantly surprised to see the computer science teacher Ms Calendar stood there.
"Mr. Giles. I was wondering if we could have a talk." Jenny asked walking round the counter into the office.
"By all Means Ms Calendar please come in. Would you like a cup of tea?" Giles politely asked moving to get a fresh cup.
"Please that would be nice. And please call me Jenny." closing the door to the office Jenny sat down and waited for Mr. Giles to finish the tea.
The rest of the day and the following patrol were quite boring. The patrol had gone quite well. Xander and Buffy had surprised a few vampires feasting and had quickly dispatched them using Xander's new weapon.
To Xander's surprise it worked perfectly well, dusting vampires as soon as one of the bolts caught a vampire's heart.
Xander quickly refined the weapon affectively giving the weapon infinite ammunition so he didn't have to keep creating new constructs when one ran out.
Approaching the Bronze, Xander got rid of the construct and followed Buffy into the club looking for Willow.
"Over here guys." Xander soon spotted Willow waving her hand over by the pool table. She was wearing an attractive skirt and top. The Batgirl possession must have done wonders for her self confidence Xander mused to himself as he made his way over to her.
"Hey Buffy. How did patrol go?"
"Willow, keep it quiet will you. I don't want the entire club to know," Buffy smiled at her friend seeing the crestfallen look on her face. "it went well Willow. Xander's new toy worked a treat."
Smiling Willow watched Xander walk over to the bar to get a round of sodas.
"Did he talk about me at all Buffy?"
"Sorry will's. We were too busy dusting vamps to do much talking." the lie slid easily of Buffy's tongue. They'd talked about lots of things but not once had Xander mentioned Willow.
"And where did you get those clothes? If you want Xander to notice you that's the way to go about it." Buffy smiled looking at Willows new outfit.
Willow just blushed watching Xander come back from the bar.
"Come on buff. How about a game of pool? Put your reflexes to the test against the mighty ION." Xander quipped putting the drinks down and striking his hero pose.
Laughing Buffy stood up. "Ok mister hero, but you're paying."
"Drats, foiled again" Xander quipped snapping his fingers dramatically but moving over to the pool table and setting up the balls anyway.
"Ford!" Buffy grinned and walked over. Seeing her old friend always brought a smile to her face.
"Summers. I hoped you'd be here. Mind if I join you?" Ford asked motioning to the pool table.
"Sure, how about me and you take Xander and Willow?"
"Sounds good to me." Ford replied picking up a cue and chalking the end.
The game passed quite quickly with Xander performing shots that shouldn't have been possible. Quite soon he was five balls ahead.
"Xander," Willow whisper in his ear. "no cheating."
At that Xander just turned to her letting the power shine through his eyes again.
Willow loved it when he did that. The smile and the eye thing just turned her legs to jelly,
"Excuse me. I've got to... you know." with that Willow blushed and moved away towards the toilets.
"Angel." Buffy exclaimed. Placing her cue on the table and moving away towards the vampire.
"That her boyfriend? Kinda old" Ford commented sinking another ball.
"You're not wrong." Xander quipped back moving away so Ford could take another shot.
A few minutes later Buffy returned, looking slightly put out.
"He says he wasn't out last night. That he stayed in all night." Buffy pouted at Xander.
"He might have had a reason to lie. And besides..." he motioned to the couple leaving the club. "I think works calling."
"You stay here with Ford Xander. I'll take care of it and be back in a minute." Buffy quickly moved through the crowd to the doors and made her way outside.
"Willow, you ok?" Xander spotted his friend coming back through the crowd.
"Thanks Xander. Yeah the Soda just made me feel a bit queasy that's all. Must have drunk it too fast or something," Willow quickly lied. "where did Buffy go? And Ford?"
Quickly looking round Xander saw Ford making his way out the same doors as Buffy had a few moments before.
"Oh crap." Xander muttered starting to move through the crowd with Willow in tow.
Outside.
Buffy staked the last vamp and was in the process of helping the young woman up when she spotted Ford.
"There you go. Go home now and try to stay to well lit areas." she told you girl letting her scamper off down the street.
"Uh. Ford this isn't what it looks like." she started.
"So that wasn't you dusting a vampire?" Ford quipped, much like Xander.
"What do you know?" she asked spotting Xander and Willow behind him and nodding to them discreetly to make their way home. She'd handle this alone. No sense risking Xander and Willow's secret's as well as her own.
The following day Buffy met Willow in the library while Xander and Giles were in the stacks looking for books on aura reading.
"You mean he just came out and told you?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. He said he found out about me being the slayer just before I got kicked out of Hemery," Buffy was lazing in one of the chairs looking at Willow. "but it's kinda cool. You know... not having to be secret identity girl around him."
"Well yeah. I suppose." Well if Buffy is with Ford, then I can have Xander all to myself. Willow added silently
"Well it doesn't sound like you're reading their aura's Xander," Giles commented as they came out of the stacks with armfuls of books each. "in fact I don't know what it sounds like to be perfectly honest. You say most are the same but you have come across a few that are different from the rest?"
"Yeah. It's like yours, Willow's and Ms C's. They all have these dark bits running through them. Well yours and Willow's are blue with dark bits, Ms C's is yellow. Almost golden"
"Well that doesn't sound like anything I'm familiar with at all. Do you know what these 'dark' threads of energy are?"
"Nah, can't really identify them yet." Placing his pile of books on the desk Xander turned to Buffy.
"So how about it Buffster? Do a quick patrol tonight and try out some new toys?" Xander looked at Buffy trying to lift her spirits as she was still moping over the whole Angel thing.
"Nah sorry Xand. I'm heading to Angel's tonight. He said there was something he wanted to speak to me about. Besides I'm sure you can patrol on your own. You're the great and powerful ION remember?" she said jokingly.
"Suppose I could do a quick sweep. And yes Giles I'll be careful," he added cutting Giles off. "besides it's not like anything can happen to me is it?"
"Oh and that reminds me." walking over behind Xander Buffy rolled up a magazine and swotted him round the head with it.
"Hey! What's that for buff?"
"Cheating at pool last night. Don't think I didn't see those little green disks pushing the balls about. Slayer sight remember?" Laughing she picked up her bag and started towards the doors for her next class.
"Will's ya coming?"
"Sorry Buffy. Must have zoned out or something." Picking up her bag Willow quickly followed Buffy out of the library. To be honest she'd been paying too much attention to the way Xander looked in the tight jeans he was wearing today to concentrate on anything else.
"Well that leaves just me and you G-man and I'm of a free period so I'm going to sneak up to the school roof and practice some of that meditation you taught me. Don't want to do it here in case I start glowing when people are around"
Xander quickly picked up his bags and fled the library as well before Giles asked him to help with any research.
"Ahh, peace and quiet at last." Giles muttered to himself before going into the office for a cup of tea and his lunch.
Later that night.
"Willow you there?" Angel knocked on Willow's bedroom window trying to get her attention.
"Angel! What are you doing here?" Willow almost screamed in shock jumping up quickly to put on her dressing gown and opening the window.
"Willow, I need a favor," Angel asked stepping in the room. "I need you to look someone up on the 'net for me."
"Oh, ok I can do that. Who do you want me to look up?" Willow asked suddenly much more at ease with the subject of research.
"Billy Fordham." Angel tensed waiting for the reply.
"Well it looks like dead boy had the same misgiving I did about Ford." Xander said standing in the window causing Angel to whirl his head around.
"How'd you do that? Slayer been training you boy?" Angel asked Xander who just grinned, obviously amused at being able to put Angel off his game now
"Look guys. Are you sure this isn't just a male jealousy thing?" Willow asked.
"No." and "Nope." came the reply's
"Well if it's something that both you and Angel agree on Xander then it must be big." Willow grinned to herself.
"Willow are you in bed yet? It's nearly sleep time." a voice carried into the room from downstairs.
"Not yet mum. I'll be ready soon," Willow shouted back through the door. "look you two, I'll have a look tomorrow. But you've both got to go now. I'm not allowed boy's in my room and if my mom catches you here I'll be in trouble so... well go on go." Willow said standing up and ushering Angel out of the room.
"Ok I'll go. But promise me you'll look into it for me?" Angel asked before slipping out the window silently.
"Yes I'll look into it. Now go."
"Hey where'd dweeb boy go?" Angel muttered to himself as he walked away
"Right here captain forehead." came the reply from behind him. Spinning round Angel came face to face with Xander stood less than two feet behind him.
"Look I don't have time for games ok Angel? Now this is the first time I'll say it but I need your help. I followed Ford to this club last night and... well it's not a decent sort of club if you get what I mean." Xander said keeping a straight face.
"What? You mean he went to a bondage and S&M Club?" Angel deadpanned back as they started walking back into town.
"More like a 'I want to be a vampire' kinda club. Filled with wannabe's. Most dressed like Dracula." Xander grinned imagining Angel dressing up like Dracula. Only force of will stopped him from creating the construct there and then.
"I know the kind. Didn't think there were any in Sunnydale though." Angel said now looking worried.
"Well there is now. Called The Sunset Club, just of main street by the Overcliffe. Didn't have a sign or anything so I guess it's invite only, wait a minute aren't you supposed to be with Buffy tonight?" Xander asked stopping suddenly.
"Yeah she came round. We talked then she said she was going to a club with Ford. Something about catching up." Angel said looking worried again.
"He wouldn't. He knows about her being the slayer. He wouldn't take her to this club would he?" Xander said, starting to jog down the street to the club he followed Ford to.
"I don't know. Look you go to the club and stay out of sight. Wait there. I'm going to see if Buffy's at home, then I'll meet you there ok?" Angel ordered as he took off in the other direction at full speed.
"Yeah, right." Xander muttered to himself as he willed the change into his 'work clothes' as he liked to call them before taking off and flying towards to club at full speed surrounded by a green light.
"Xander I mean it. Stay out of..." Angel stopped and looked round. Xander was nowhere in sight. He fancied he saw a bright flash of green disappearing behind one of the houses but quickly dismissed the thought and started running again towards Buffy's house.
The Sunset Club.
Xander set down in an alleyway behind the club and changed back into his normal clothes. Walking round to the entrance he rapped shortly on the door.
"Password." Came the reply from behind the door.
"Huh, Mxyzptlk?" Xander quipped before letting lose a blast of emerald energy blowing the door clean off its hinges. "Guess so." Xander muttered walking though the threshold noticing the vampire on the floor now pinned by the steel door with a cigarette still smoking in his mouth.
"You know you shouldn't smoke. Those things will kill you." Creating a sword he quickly took the vampires head before starting off along the corridor to the sounds of scream's
Two more vampires were quickly dispatched outside another welded steel door to what looked like the main club.
Changing into his 'work clothes' again he quickly created a construct of a muscle bound wrestler and watched as the construct ripped the door off its hinges before disappearing again.
Walking into the club Xander immediately identified doue vampires, including Spike and Dru. Along with Buffy, Ford and about twenty or so other Vampire wannabe's who were all looking at him now.
Glowing green again and floating down to the main level Xander just looked at Spike. "Have we met before? Cause you look like this really bad punk singer from back in the 80's." Xander just quipped causing a smile from Buffy.
"Who the bloody hell are you supposed to be?" Spike snarled at him.
"I'm the ION." Xander just quipped back.
"Spikey. Make him stop. He's making all noises in my head. Please let's go. The stars are saying he's powerful, more than the slayer, more that the guardians."
"Dru, what the hell are you on about? And who the hell are the guardians?" Spike snarled looking round at Dru.
"Buffy, need a Hand?" Xander asked looking over to see her holding Ford by the neck.
"Nah thanks. I've got this one covered. Why don't you get people out?"
"Done." Xander snapped his fingers and relocated everyone outside but the vamps, Buffy, Ford and himself.
"Hmm, didn't think that would work." Xander muttered
"Now, what should we do about him?" Buffy asked.
"Look. I'm dying. Buffy, I don't want to die." Ford started wailing almost pitifully. "He said if I gave them you then he would turn me into one of them. One of the immortals," Ford looked over at Xander with tears in his eyes. "I just want to live. Is that wrong?"
"No it's not wrong." Xander answered. "But buying life with the life of someone else, someone you said you cared about is." Xander knew he should hate this man. Trying to buy off death with Buffy's life but for some reason he couldn't find it in himself to hate him.
"Can you…" Buffy trailed off the question looking at Xander.
"No Buffy. There are some things even I don't have power over, one of those is life and death." Xander saw the pity in her eyes.
"Come on. Let's go." Xander walked over to the slayer and started to walk towards the stairs.
"You get a free pass tonight spike, but if I ever see you in this town again I'm going to personally incinerate you, and that peroxide hair of yours." Xander shouted at spike walking up the stairs and out of the club.
3 Days Later.
"Buffy are you sure you can do this?" Xander asked looking over at the gravestone that marked 'Billy Fordham. 1981 – 1998.'
"I have to do it Xander. All he wanted was to live. He doesn't know that as a vampire it won't be him, just another demon walking the world in his body. That's not the life Ford would have wanted."
The vampire that was Billy Fordham rose a few minutes later and was quickly staked by the slayer before even taking its first step.
"Do you think it ever gets easier Xander?"
"I don't know Buffy. I just don't know."
With that Xander and Buffy walked out of the graveyard in silence.
AN: ok bit of a sad ending but I didn't want to use Giles and Buffy on the gravestone as the episode ended or I might have well just copied the end transcript word for word.
Hope people enjoyed it. Anyone spot the DC character reference?
Any guesses as to who Supergirl is yet?
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and hope to see you again tomorrow night for more of the same.
