Contently twirling her troll hammer in one hand, Buffy walked through the grounds of the Scottish castle serving as main headquarters for the New Council, after finishing a special training session with a bunch of newbie Slayers getting too big for their britches. Making the small blonde even happier was her companions, who were both on a rare visit here at the same time. Xander and Dawn amiably chatted with Buffy and each other during the trio's saunter along the gravel path. The other Scooby Gang members were prudently strolling on Buffy's far side, well away from the spinning magical weapon which could deliver a devastating wallop against the original Slayer's adversaries. As all the chastened warrior women trainees could now dazedly testify to, while limping off and holding each other up from collapsing flat onto their bruised faces.

Years before, the hammer which Buffy had taken as a token of victory against Olaf the troll had been lost during the Sunnydale collapse. When Willow had run a magical scan on where the former Hellmouth had been to ensure it was permanently sealed, this witch had been somewhat surprised to discover the troll hammer buried far underground in the rubble of where a California city once existed. Unfortunately, the innate spells laid upon this weapon, even though they made it nearly indestructible, also meant the redhead couldn't use her supernatural powers to directly collect the hammer by teleporting it out of the ground. The New Council was forced to secretly excavate a deep mineshaft to regain their prize, which had proven to be a rather…interesting…experience.

In any event, Buffy was having a good time with her friends at the moment. So, naturally, something weird happened.

In a flash of light, an immense figure appeared before the three people. Buffy's right hand holding the troll hammer came up in a guard position, with the Slayer ready to attack the instant she saw an opening. Without looking, the L.A. native knew Xander and Dawn had hastily stepped back and behind herself, leaving Buffy facing…one very yummy hunk of male scrumptiousness.

Tilting back her head to stare upwards into electric-blue eyes intently regarding in turn the young woman observing him, Buffy gaped at (in order): a metal helmet with small wings attached at each side, flowing locks of bright yellow hair brushing past broad shoulders almost the width of a garage door, a bright red cape big enough for a sail, a black pullover sleeveless shirt with round blue decorations in two vertical rows, blue pants, and tall yellow/black striped boots, with the latter estimated at size twenty and triple E. All of this was worn by nearly seven feet of a superbly muscled body surmounted by a handsome face which was presently making Buffy go slightly weak in the knees. Of course, if he made a single hostile move, she'd still pound him into the ground with her hammer, just like an ordinary nail. Well…she'd first have to jump up there at his head level, but that wouldn't be any problem, no sirree.

Continuing to alertly observe her potential opponent, Buffy's lips tightened in mild exasperation at hearing from behind Dawn's blithe, "Helloooo, salty goodness!" Honestly, her little sis was spending far too much time around Faith-

That mental grumble was interrupted by a baffled blink of Buffy's eyes at also hearing from Xander a constant stream of ecstatic fanboy whimpers: "It's him! It's him! A perfect Walt Simonson Thor!"

This was followed by an odd combined thumping/crunching sound. Not daring to take her gaze away from the huge man in front of her, Buffy still managed to slightly turn her head, so she then saw from out of the corner of her vision Xander gleefully hopping up and down on the gravel path, an ear-to-ear grin upon his scarred features.

All three members of the New Council became slightly more vigilant when the newcomer moved for the first time since he'd appeared in their presence. Bringing up an empty left hand from his side, this stranger held it palm outwards at shoulder level in an evident greeting, to next speak in a resonant voice. However, what really staggered the Scoobies was what they now heard. Looking directly at Buffy, their unexpected visitor stated, "Hail, daughter of Sineya."

Switching his attention to the pair behind the stunned Slayer, Dawn and Xander were respectively saluted, "Hail, ye who art the Key. Hail, the One Who Sees."

"Okay, who the hell are you?" snarled Buffy, reeling at being told what almost nobody outside their family should have known.

Putting down his left arm, the stranger allowed a dryly amused expression to flash over his features while nodding into Xander's direction, "Thine battle-brother hath already recognized me, lass. But if ye so desire, I shalt offer with pleasure mine name to a most fair lady. Buffy Anne Summers, I hight Thor, the God of Thunder, and I come bearing a gift for thee."

From where his right arm had been concealed behind his shielding cape, Thor brought forth in this hand into the light a magnificent war hammer. Staring in shock at the proffered sleekly-lethal weapon with a gleaming head of unearthly metal shaped in graceful curves leading into a flaring, dangerously-appearing flat striking surface, Buffy's fingers around her own troll hammer unconsciously loosened. Sliding free, the other crude and clunky weapon dropped to the ground (thankfully missing her right toes by an inch or so).

Nodding in approval, Thor also cast a disdainful glance, accompanied with a contemptuously curled lip, at where the troll hammer had been abandoned. He rumbled with grim satisfaction, "Keep that filthy thing if thine must for some desperate straits in the future, but 'tis not fitting for the Slayer to otherwise touch such an unclean object. Mayhap ye might not know, but trolls test their newly-made hammers by seeing how many mortals' heads they can shatter in one blow. This happens when prisoners of all ages are chained together yet are somewhat free to move in a vain attempt at escape, since those foul beasts think it only increases the sport of their slaughter."

Turning pale in utter revulsion, Buffy hastily scraped the palm of her right hand against her pants leg, to then take a quick couple of steps away from where the troll hammer was innocently resting on its side. A single long stride by this Thor guy put him again in front of Buffy, with the truly exquisite hammer still held out for her to claim.

Despite the young woman's intense urge to grab the weapon at once and then go off to blissfully gloat over it for the rest of the day, Buffy hesitated. She remembered what her mother had told a little girl about not taking candy or other treats from strangers. Besides, there was the whole Hellmouth thing from Hemery High on, what with the occasional smarter Big Bad trying some sort of bribe or temptation to get Joyce Summers' daughter under the control of various Evil Overlords.

However…her Slayerness wasn't getting any kind of nasty vibe from Mr. Muscles. On the contrary, Buffy's demonic warrior spirit was at this moment licking her lips, pawing at the ground, and insistently demanding to her host, *MATE WITH HIM! NOW!*

Absently telling the shade of Sineya to go take a long, cold shower, Buffy continued to eye with wariness the man still patiently waiting for her to make a decision. Glancing again at the offered hammer, Buffy's wistful gaze examined it again from top to bottom, but this time she noticed something else there she'd previously missed. It had the effect of immediately making up her mind, so Buffy reached out, and she grasped the hammer's shaft above the big guy's hand.

Instantly letting go for the young woman to receive her gift, Thor stepped back, nodded once regally, and then he broke into a wide smile as bright as the rising sun at seeing the Slayer adoringly examining what she now owned. A deep chuckle shivered through the air, distracting Buffy and her companions also staring at what she was gripping. Taking a few more steps away while still beaming at the trio of valiant mortals, the god of thunder paused, to then place a hand upon another, more massive hammer dangling from his belt and detaching this.

Watching with a single bulging eye, Xander croaked in his awe, "That's Mjolnir! Frakkin' Mjolnir!"

A delighted laugh came from Thor as he lifted this legendary weapon over his head. "Verily, it be as thou sayest, good White Knight. Now, list, ye all. Thy world canst not allow mine presence here much longer, so I must take hence mine farewell. Slayer, it was I who forged thy gift, so it hath but a single enchantment laid upon it, unlike mine own hammer imbued with mine father's Odin Force. None the less, I think thou wilt be most pleased with a further reward, which shalt commence when I take my leave. Be of good cheer, gracious lady, and find joy in thine family and friends!" Mjolnir began to move in its spinning path around Thor.

Realizing their guest was about to leave right away, Dawn wailed, "Wait! Can't we at least get your autograph?"

Continuing to wield Mjolnir, which was already starting to glow, Thor looked thoughtful for a few seconds. After that, the Norse god lifted his free hand to his head, grasping the lower edge of his helmet and removing this, to then toss it straight towards the younger Summers sister with a casual flick of his wrist. Dawn grabbed the soaring helmet out of mid-air when it got near, only to have another's fingers also seize this incredible treasure at the same time. Glaring at an equally stubborn Xander across the helmet they were both tenaciously clutching, Dawn eventually grudged, "Okay, we'll share it. One month at a time for me, then you, and we flip a coin to see who goes first."

Xander slowly nodded in reluctant acceptance, though an extremely wicked smirk now twisted his lips, as he snickered, 'Andrew's gonna drop dead from sheer envy, which only makes it better!"

Dawn was about to derisively agree, except she and her one-eyed best friend were distracted by the white glow completely covering Thor's body, which then instantly vanished. Just as swiftly, before even Slayer reflexes could react, a small lightning bolt appeared out of thin air from the point where the thunder god had been a mere moment ago, to strike directly upon the head of the hammer Buffy was still grasping.

With a tremendous BANG!, a searing light enveloped Buffy's entire form, momentarily blinding both Xander and Dawn. Frantically blinking away their tears and the after-images, the two Scoobies stared at where Buffy was now standing totally unharmed.

Unharmed…but not unchanged.

Dazedly turning around to present herself to the others, a younger sibling and a former carpenter who'd years ago fallen off his skateboard at catching sight of a hot high school girl now gawked at their longtime comrade. This was only natural, given that in the last two seconds, Buffy had increased in height from her previous (and strongly resented) 5'3" height to at least twelve inches taller. Plus, the Slayer had somehow also added from out of nowhere about a hundred pounds of muscular yet feminine flesh.

In her whirling thoughts, Dawn couldn't help but to sourly note that at least twenty pounds of this recently acquired body mass was concentrated around Buffy's upper chest. Particularly when Xander's remaining eye was keenly fixed in an unblinking stare towards this exact point, where the few remaining scraps of the Slayer's clothing ripped into shreds by her sudden physical expansion were just barely maintaining her older sister's modesty.

As for this lady herself… Ignoring everything else, including how her pure golden-yellow hair now fell to the small of her back (which later in complete privacy was comprehended as part of her change into an authentic natural blonde), Buffy disbelievingly gazed down at where her much-larger right hand was still gripping the hammer. Just above this, also unscathed, there was a long red ribbon which had been tied into a cheerful bow around the shaft of this weapon. None of the Scooby Gang would ever know this had been done by and due to Mockingbird's insistence, when Thor had shown his Avengers compatriots exactly what he planned to bestow upon the previously considered fictional main character of a television show.

Suddenly glancing up to deliver an exuberant grin at Dawn and Xander goggling back at her, Buffy crowed, "I got a really nice prezzy!"

A wondering look now appeared on the young woman's beautiful face, with the Slayer going on to further exclaim, "Yeah, that's it! I'm gonna name my new hammer now!"

Before the others could say anything, Buffy brandished her magnificent weapon in a grand, sweeping gesture which ended with her holding motionless the hammer on high, to then ceremoniously intone, "I dub thee…Prezzy!"

After this last ludicrous word, Buffy Anne Summers took a deep, proud breath.

Finally giving up the ghost, the very last threads of the fragment of cloth just barely clinging to an extraordinary set of female mammary glands then snapped, resulting in what had been a women's blouse now completely sliding off and dropping to the ground, next to a discarded troll hammer.