I had originally planned not to bring any Avengers character, but that changed. The first Marvel character I'm adding is not an Avenger, however. I'm bringing in Matt Murdoch, but I've made him younger. He's not yet Daredevil. I do NOT in any way claim be an expert on his character. I've seen the movie and watched a few episodes of the TV show, but that's about it. Although I don't think he and Foggy became roommates until graduate school, I'm changing it for the purpose of this story.

Chapter 7: The Escort

******Columbia University Dormitory******

Foggy Nelson, a twenty-one-year-old, undergraduate, walked into his dorm carrying the mail. His roommate, Matt, who was two years younger but already a junior, was laying on the bed, listening to music with his headphones. He opened his eyes when he heard Foggy enter.

Matt had been a singular solitary figure since his father was murdered when he was a child. He had been surprised that his gregarious roommate fit him so well. Foggy saw passed his blindness and treated him like a person—something few people could seem to do. He was funny, outrageous, and more intelligent than most people thought. They were as opposite as night and day in most ways, but they were both determined to go to law school in another year or two.

"Holy shit!" Foggy yelled as he read a piece of his mail. "I don't believe it!"

"What?" Matt said. He sat up and pulled out the earbuds.

"We have gotten an invitation to the Stark Expo and the gala the night before!" he shared.

"Seriously?" Matt asked in surprise. "Why?"

"I guess Tony Stark remembered us," Foggy said with a proud grin.

"That's not possible," Matt said. "We met him once freshmen year."

"Well, the guy has an eye for talent," Foggy said, puffing out his chest.

Matt's cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, but he answered it. "Hello?"

"Matthew, how are you?"

"I'm fine, sir. Who is this?"

"This is Tony Stark. Did you get my invitation?" Tony asked, looking at Pepper and winking.

"Foggy just opened it, sir. Thank you," Matt said. He mouthed to Foggy, It's Tony Stark.

Foggy grabbed the phone and pushed the speaker phone button.

"The reason I'm calling is I need a favor," Tony said.

"What kind of favor?" Matt asked.

Foggy looked at him in outrage, unable to stay silent. "It doesn't matter, sir. Whatever the favor, we are up for it!"

"I guess I'm on speaker phone," Tony remarked.

"Yes, sorry, sir," Matt said, glaring at Foggy.

"No, it's fine as I need to speak to you both," Tony said. "I have a friend—my girlfriend's daughter's best friend to be exact—who needs an escort to my gala. She recently lost her boyfriend—he died in a tragic accident. All her friends are coupled up, and I don't want her to feel like a fifth wheel at the gala tomorrow night. I thought you and Foggy would be the perfect two guys to keep her smiling."

"We will absolutely show her a good time," Foggy said.

"Not too good of a time as she is only seventeen," Tony warned.

"Of course, sir," Matt said.

"I will send a limo to pick you up at seven," Tony said.

"We will be ready," Matt said.

"Great. And this girl, Buffy Summers is her name," Tony said. "She is not like other girls—she's special. Kind of like how you're special, Matt."

Matt wasn't exactly sure what Tony meant by that. "I understand," he said anyway.

"I will see you boys there," Tony said, disconnecting.

"Wow! I can't believe that Tony Stark—Iron Man—wants us to help him!" Foggy said, giddy.

"Why do you think he asked both of us to escort her?" Matt wondered.

Foggy shrugged even though Matt couldn't see that action. "Maybe he didn't want her to feel any pressure from a real date—not if she's grieving for a dead boyfriend," he said.

Matt nodded. He could understand that. "That makes sense," he said. "What do you think he meant about her being special like I am? Does she have a physical handicap, too?"

"Who freakin' cares?" Foggy said. "We're going to the biggest party of the year! Our picture will be in magazines and everything."

Matt grinned. "Why would anyone take our picture?" he asked.

"Because we'll be hanging out with freakin' Tony Starks!" he said with glee. He looked at his watch. "Dude, we have got to get tuxes."

Foggy's phone beep. "I think Tony must have spy ware in our phones or something," he said.

"Why do you say that?" Matt asked.

"Tony says since this is last minute, he has arranged for us to get a fitted tux," Foggy said with a wide grin. "We're to go to this address tonight at 9."

"That's convenient," Matt said.

"Well, get your shoes on. We need to get some food and then get to our private fitting," Foggy said, his glee contagious.

Matt laughed and got his shoes on. "Okay. Lead the way," he said.

Happily, Foggy stood in front of him while Matt picked up his walking stick. This should be interesting.

*****Stark Tower*****

Willow and Oz had been working on an entry at the science expo. At first, they hadn't realized it'd be for that, but they had started it when Oz joined them after his band's gigs wrapped up. Of course, Tony had it planned all along and entered them before he even brought up the Expo. Naturally, Tony had several elite prep schools and other gifted individuals competing for one top science prize.

Willow and Oz decided to create a robot that was about their height and was able to follow ten distinct commands, including answering any music trivia and picking up trash. Willow had been horrified at the amount of litter in the slums they'd driven by. They made half of it from garbage they had foraged, wanting to keep the cost down. Willow was hoping the city would actually make use of them. They'd installed a GPS and a camera in case of theft.

"Mom, what do you think?" she asked Pepper, who came into their lab.

"I can't believe you and Oz built a working robot by yourself," Pepper said. It was not aesthetically pretty—none of Tony's were either. It was even grungier. However, it had an actual face and eyes.

"We got the design idea from Star Wars New Hope," Willow said. "That scene where Luke picks another robot that wasn't R2D2, but the robot flakes out. At least that's why its shaped like this."

"He's an unsung hero," Oz said.

"Without him breaking down, we'd never had had C3PO and R2D2!" Willow said with grin.

Pepper chuckled. "Yes, I have a vague memory of the robot you're referring to," she said. "Tony went through a sci-fi spell and had all the classic sci-fi from the seventies and eighties playing on a loop for a month in every house he lived in."

"Xander gave us the idea," Oz added. "He has strong feelings about the forgotten robot."

Pepper laughed. "I bet," she said.

"So is it dinner time?" Willow asked.

"Not quite," Pepper said. "I wanted to run something by you."

Willow stopped fiddling with her robot and looked up. "What's up? Did Tony decide our robot wasn't good enough and wanted you to break it to us gently? Or maybe we've cost him too much money. I can take back the dresses!" she said anxiously.

Pepper smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "None of that, sweetheart," she said. "Tony has more money that even he can waste, and I make a good living. I owe you lots of belated gifts."

"Oh," Willow said, relieved.

"Do I need to leave?" Oz asked.

"No, this isn't about Willow, but it's about Buffy," Pepper clarified. "Tony arranged for her to have an escort to tomorrow's gala. Will she be upset or happy about that?"

Willow looked at Oz, who shrugged. "I think she'll be okay with it," she said. "I know she kind of feels like a fifth will with us. It's hard not to be a couple when we're two couples here with her."

"Yes, I know," Pepper said. "She admitted as much to me."

"Really?" Willow said, feeling a flash of guilt.

"Tony told the escort that she'd just lost her boyfriend, so he won't be having any expectations outside of showing Buffy a good time," Pepper explained.

Willow smiled. "Oh, that sounds great. Have you told Buffy?" she asked.

"No, I wanted to see if you should tell her, or should I?" Pepper asked.

"Well, if it comes from me, it may make her feel bad—like she couldn't get her own date," Willow said. "But it's easier if it comes from you," Willow said.

"Okay, then, I will go speak to her," Pepper said. She walked into the nearby elevator. "JARVIS, where is Buffy right now?"

"She is watching TV with Cordelia in the family room," he said.

Pepper went there and found the two girls watching an old episode of The A-Team. It made her smile. "Interesting choice," she said.

"This show is hilarious," Cordelia said.

Buffy grinned. "Whatcha talking about, fool?" she imitated Mr. T. "That's totally going to be new line when I slay."

Pepper was glad to see Buffy smiling. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that Tony arranged for you to have an escort for the gala tomorrow night. I hope that's okay?" she said.

Cordelia's eyes lit up. "Who did he get? Someone famous? Is he hot? Does Tony have a picture?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't know," Pepper said. "You'll have to go bug him."

Cordelia jumped up. "Oh, I will," she said. She grinned down at Buffy. "Don't worry, Buffy. The man will be putty in my hands."

"Try not to break him," Pepper said fondly.

"No promises," Cordelia said, giggling as she bounced to find him.

Buffy laughed. "Didn't she seem a little too interested in my date?"

"That's Cordelia," Pepper said, sitting down next to Buffy. "So are you really okay with it?"

Buffy shrugged. "Sure," she said. "I mean, it's better if I have a date than not. It's kind of lame that Tony had to bribe some poor guy to be my date, but it is what it is."

Pepper put her arm around Buffy's shoulder to hug her. "Don't worry," she said. "Young men are always looking for ways to get ahead and owing Tony Stark a favor is a rare boon. The guy's going to be very happy to be your date. He'll show you a good time."

"You don't know who it is?" Buffy asked.

"Tony said he was pre-law at Columbia and just a few years older than you," Pepper said.

"You know the last time I went out with a college guy, he and his buddy drugged Cordelia and me and tried to sacrifice us to his snake god," Buffy said casually.

Pepper's mouth fell open, and she looked closely at Buffy to see if she was joking. "Seriously?" she asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yep. That was the one and only time I did Cordy a favor," she said with a grin.

Pepper groaned and closed her eyes. "The lives you kids live—it breaks my heart," she admitted.

"It's okay. We always manage to survive," Buffy said.

Pepper shook her head, still a bit perturbed, but she knew she couldn't dwell on all their horrors, or it would make her mad.

Downstairs, Tony was cornered in his lab by a woman with a mission. Cordelia had already managed to get Tony to admit the date was a college student he knew. He was saving the fact that he'd arranged two dates as a surprise, and he grinned at the thought of their reaction. Then Cordelia slapped his arm.

"A college student? Did you do an extensive background check 'cause the last college boy Buffy went out with drugged her and tried to sacrifice her to this demon," Cordelia said.

"Really?" Tony asked, his eyes lit up in interest. "What kind?"

"It was gross and snake like," Cordelia said. "The one time I ask her to do a double date with me, and it goes to hell—she's a trouble magnet."

Tony grinned. "Oh, she is, huh? It sounds more and more like you are the damsel in distress who she is always rescuing! You're Daphne, and Buffy is Fred!" he declared.

"What? That's crazy!" Cordelia exclaimed in outrage. She proceeded to list all the times Buffy put her in danger.

Tony let her words wash over him as he enjoyed her passion and twisted logic. If only he had a teenage son, he'd move heaven and earth to make sure Cordelia married him. To have a grandkid with her passion, arrogance, and sheer ambition combined with his genes—the image made him grin. Of course, he loved all the girls equally if he was honest. Willow will her earnest desire to learn and please—her intelligence and curiosity for just about everything was limitless. Yet she didn't hide behind her shy exterior but helped her best friend fight freakin' monsters! What a kid.

Then there was the slayer herself—her burden was great, but he knew she would never stop fighting to save people, to do her duty. Her selflessness shamed him. He was going to help these kids and find others like them. More and more mutants were being discovered—genetically enhanced humans, not mystically powered. He'd already located a spider boy. JARVIS had recently told him about a school for gifted youngsters ran by a guy named Xavier. Tony had a meeting on the books with him. The new slayer was already located, and Tony planned to meet her and her Watcher at the end of the summer.

Tony might not be able to do everything himself, but he had the resources to help these kids and kids like them. And he would use every penny and make sure no kid who was risking their life to help others would go without anything they needed.

*****Chapter End*****

I feel that if Tony really DID see firsthand kids fighting like this, he would be involved. The latest Spiderman/Tony bonding in the Marvel moves sort of backs that.

I didn't bother to look up if the Buffy/Cordelia date episode was in season 2 or if it was in season 3. It was just too perfect to mention here, so let it go if I messed it up.