Chapter 26: No Damsels Here

*****Nearly Eight Months Ago, Russia*****

Ivan Vanko stared at his father's recently deceased body, barely hearing the nurse offer his condolences. The TV was on in the background as he looked at his father. Anger at his loss and the injustice of his father's legacy being forgotten raced through him. Then he heard a name from the TV.

"Tony Stark has admitted that he is Iron Man," the reporter said.

Tony Stark. He was the reason Ivan's father died broke with his genius unrecognized. Tony's reactor was not his father's design, but Ivan's father's. Tony was going to regret cutting out his father.

A few months later, he worked on his reactor, determined to show the world, show Tony Stark, that his genius was stolen. He looked up at the news showed yet another story of the man he despised.

"Tony Stark's CEO and former assistant, Pepper Potts newly revealed daughter and her boyfriend are going to present their invention at the Stark Expo," the reporter said. "Tony Stark denies the girl is his daughter, but the speculation continues to surround the young woman."

Ivan stared at the picture of the young redheaded girl. There were other children with her, and Tony seemed very happy. Anger burned through him at the man's seemingly perfect life with Pepper Potts and the daughter.

His father never had any recognition, but Ivan would. Tony had changed the date of his Expo, and Ivan's suit wasn't quite ready. However, he would bide his time and find a way to hurt the son of the man who destroyed his father. Ivan's father deserved that from him, and he would make sure Tony knew what it was like to lose everything.

*****Present Day, New York*****

Tony had left New York, and Ivan's revenge was put on hold. His reactor and suit were more powerful than Tony's, and he knew that he could take back what should have been his. Rumors of Tony's stock dipping as he focused so much on clean energy were combined with talks of his preoccupation with teenagers in California.

"Pepper Potts' daughter, Willow Rosenberg, is living in Sunnydale, California. Stark is rumored to be in the hospital for an undisclosed illness. However, his condition could not have been too serious as he was spotted in Sunnydale today," the reporter stated. Then they showed Tony and Pepper Potts walking into Sunnydale hospital. "Since the town is too small to have top medical facilities, it seemed odd that Stark would be there for medical reasons. His team released a statement that Willow Rosenberg's best friend had been shot on the way to a school dance. They were in town to make sure she was okay. Currently, her report is stable."

Ivan stared at the television, contemplating his next move. Since meeting his girlfriend's daughter and her friends, Tony had made a noticeable change in his habits. Rarely was he in public doing things he would normally be seen doing. It was hard for Ivan to find a public place for a confrontation. However, Tony was currently in a small town, far away from any of his toys. Sure, he probably kept his suit with him, but there wouldn't be any others for backup. His military friends weren't nearby.

Making a decision, Ivan decided that he would draw Tony out. Once again, the picture of the teenage girl flashed on the screen along with her house in Sunnydale, California. A plan began to form.

*****Rehab Facility*****

Buffy wasn't sure the rehab center was much better than the hospital. She knew she'd be fine in another day or so, and she didn't see the point. Buffy also didn't like not being with her mother when she was so upset. Her mother had called her after walking out of the hospital, but she had not come by the rehab center, saying she would be by in the morning.

Giles and the gang did, of course, show up not long after she settled into her room. They brought her a stuff animal and flowers. Luckily, they were even allowed to bring in food, so pizza was shared by all. It was good to see them. Giles introduced Faith's new watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Price.

"I can't believe Diane quit!" Buffy exclaimed.

"A little pain, and she ran," Faith said, curling her lip in disdain.

"Our life isn't for the faint of heart," Willow observed.

"What she said," Oz agreed.

"Well, it's best to know that now than in a more dangerous situation," the ever-practical Cordelia pointed out.

"True," Faith acknowledged.

"I hope to handle myself admirably," Wesley told them.

"You better," Faith said, glaring at him. "I won't be a third time loser. You don't hack it, the Council can kiss my ass! Giles can just have two slayers."

"Now, Faith, be nice," Giles warned.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys," Buffy began. "Mr. Coulson is a spy."

"What?" Faith asked.

"A spy for who?" Xander asked.

"He's an Agent of Shield," Buffy said.

"What's that?" Cordelia asked.

"I never actually asked," Buffy admitted. "But he's a government spook."

"How do you know?" Willow wondered.

"He confessed to me and Mom earlier," Buffy shared. "Mom is pretty devastated."

"I bet," Willow said in sympathy.

"Did she find out why they planted him here?" Giles wondered.

"To monitor the hellmouth and give aid to me and Faith if it's needed," Buffy said with a shrug.

"Oh, well, that's nice of him," Willow said.

"Are you freakin' kidding?" Cordelia demanded. "She dated Mrs. Summers to get in good with Buffy. Joyce thought she finally found a nice guy, but it's all an act. I'd have his balls if it was me."

Faith felt a pang of guilt since she was the one who introduced him. "It's my fault. I brought him in," she said.

"No, he had already met Mom," Buffy said. "He came to her gallery a few weeks before you brought him into the library."

"That's good," Faith said, relieved. "I mean, it's good that it wasn't my fault."

"What are we going to do about him?" Xander asked.

"I'm considering kicking his ass for hurting my mother," Buffy said. "It will have to wait until I get out of here."

"I'll do it," Faith offered.

"No, you won't," Wesley said. "You cannot attack civilians, especially not government agents."

"He's right," Giles added. "While this is unfortunate, it does not mean we can harm the man. Not only is his cover a teacher at the school, but he is also a government agent. The first will get you expelled, the second arrested."

"Good point," Xander acknowledged.

"Is your mom okay?" Willow asked.

"Not really," Buffy said. "She was too upset to come here today."

"That's unfortunate," Giles said with sympathy. "I have seen them together, and I cannot believe Mr. Coulson was faking his feelings for your mom."

"Men are snakes," Cordelia said.

"What she said," Faith added.

"Hey!" Xander protested.

"It wasn't cool what he did," Oz interjected. "Men can sometimes be snakes."

"I don't think he was faking it entirely either," Buffy admitted. "He said that his boss wouldn't like him blowing his cover, but he felt that he owed it to Mom to be honest."

"Before he slept with her, you mean," Cordelia said, angry on Joyce's behalf.

"Well, that's good of him," Willow said.

"Okay, how about we stop gossiping?" Giles said. "Joyce's relationship is none of our business."

Cordelia turned the subject, asking Wesley, "So are there any more cute watchers like you in England?"

Wesley blushed at her scrutiny and mumbled a reply.

"Okay, I think we've overstayed our welcome," Giles said, rolling his eyes. "Let Buffy get some rest."

Natasha was waiting outside the room and overheard the entire conversation. Of course, Coulson had already given her a heads up about it. She was a bit pissed about the entire mess. Dating the slayer's mother was not the best way to get in with the group. However, she couldn't really blame Coulson for his sudden desire to be honest. It was easier for her because she wasn't far from who she was pretending to be. She hoped that Phil would come out of this with his limbs still attached.

******Summers' Residence******

Joyce Summers put away her phone after speaking to her daughter. She knew that she needed to go spend the night with her at the rehab place since it was Buffy's first night in a strange place. However, she just felt so undone over Phil's revelation. Here she thought that she had finally found a good man, a decent man, but it was all a lie. She was falling in love with a fake, a phony. The humiliating experience of dating a robot came to her mind. That she was fooled yet again hurt her deep inside. How could she be such a bad judge of character?

Phil had been using her to get close to her daughter, and the realization both enraged and devastated her.

Her doorbell rang, and she got up to answer it. When she looked in the window and saw that it was Phil, she debated what to do. On one hand, she had no desire to see his lying face. On the other hand, her home was more private, and she could actually yell at the man like she really wanted to.

Deciding, she opened the door. "What do you want?" she asked, an angry tone in her voice.

Phil knew it would not be easy to convince Joyce that he was sorry. It seemed that his job was always going to be his life, but when he was with her, he saw a future that would allow him to be very happy while still making a difference in the world.

"I want to apologize," he told her, stepping into the house and shutting the door.

Joyce immediately took a step back. "I don't want your apology. I don't want anything to do with you!" she told him with an angry glare.

"Joyce, please. Let me explain," he begged. "I care about you. I wasn't playing around or pretending."

"Sure. I'm just so irresistible that you couldn't help yourself!" she scoffed.

"That's not far from the truth," he admitted. "I liked you from the moment I met you at your gallery. Knowing that you were the mother of this amazing daughter just made you more interesting and compelling."

Joyce frowned, surprised by his words. "You lied, Phil. You pretended to be something you're not. How can I get past that?" she asked. Turning her back on him, she went into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

Phil moved quickly to sit down next to her and grabbed her hand. "Joyce, I wasn't pretending. I like spending time with you. I am attracted to you. Sharing my real job is against protocol. My boss is pissed that I've alienated your daughter and everyone, but I don't care. I don't want to lie to you because you are too special to me. It's been so long if ever since I've felt this way about a woman," he admitted.

"You sound sincere, Phil, but I am clearly a bad judge of character," Joyce said. "I can't tell when a man is real or not. I can't see deception and trust far too easily."

"Please, Joyce, I am so sorry. I would give anything to change this, but I don't know if I would've met you if not for my job," Phil said. "I can't regret meeting you. I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me and give me another chance."

"A chance for what?" Joyce asked.

"A chance to show you that you do know me. I'm not much different from Phil Coulson, the history teacher. I have a real degree in it, and you matter so much to me," he said earnestly.

Joyce couldn't tell if he was lying since he seemed so sincere. Of course, she couldn't forget that he was basically a trained spy. How could she believe him now?

"I don't know, Phil," she said. "I need some time." She stood up, so he did, too.

"I understand," he said.

Joyce walked to the door, signaling that his visit was over.

"Can I call you?" he asked.

She didn't know what she wanted. Did she never want to see him again? That thought depressed her even more than she already was.

"I don't know," she finally admitted. "I need some time. Buffy needs me right now, and I don't have the energy to try to figure out how I feel about you."

Phil couldn't help but press his advantage, and he gave her a soft kiss. When she didn't push him away, he felt hope. "I'm not giving up on us," he told her. Then he turned and left.

Joyce gave a tired sigh as she put her index finger to the mouth he had just kissed. How could she even consider forgiving him?

She went to bed hoping that the morning would bring more clarity.

*****An Hour Later*****

After dinner and her friends' visit, Buffy was feeling restless, so she got up to walk around the place. It wasn't nearly as big as a hospital, so it didn't take her long to walk the entire hall. She decided to do it again when she noticed a good-looking man who wasn't tall but not short like Oz either. The man looked at her like he recognized her, but she didn't know him. When he stopped to take a call, she shrugged and kept walking down the hall. Then she was back in her room.

However, a dark-skinned vampire jumped out of her bathroom. "Time to finally get going on that whole death thing, slayer," Mr. Trick said with an eager smile.

Buffy realized the suit-wearing man was familiar and glared. "You're the one who was on that video about Slayerfest. You set Faith and me up!" she exclaimed, looking for a weapon.

"It was my pleasure," he said, smiling as he gave a little bow.

She was in the worst place for a fight. Not only did she not have any weapons, but anyone could also see the fight. Stupid vampires!

Deciding on the wooden food tray, Buffy quickly punched it, splitting it. Then the vampire was on her. Although Buffy was healed, she was not back in fighting shape yet. However, for her, fighting was instinctive, and she hit the vampire hard. He quickly exchanged blows with her. Then he kicked her in her stomach, enraging her as the pain ricocheted through her still-healing body. She hit him with a kick of her own, and he hit the bathroom door, breaking it.

Clint made it to Buffy's room as soon as the sounds of fighting came to his attention. Her room was not near the nurses' station, so she needed to end the fight quickly before a staff member witnessed it. When she was kicked in the stomach, he looked for a way to help her, but she rallied quickly and knocked the vampire through the bathroom door.

"Do you need help?" Clint asked her.

She snapped off the leg of her food tray. "No, I got this," she said, surprised at the offer of her help. The man was entirely too calm about her fight.

Mr. Trick was now fully vamped out and charged her. She hit him hard in the face and then plunged the makeshift stake into his heart.

"We need some help here!" Clint called out. He quickly went to the nurses' station and reported the fight. "Some man is attacking one of your patients down the hall. Call security!"

When he made it back to the room, Buffy was sitting on the bed, breathing hard. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm okay," she said.

"I would've helped you, but you clearly didn't need my help," Clint said, smiling at her. "I did tell them to call security, though."

"Why did you do that?" Buffy asked, annoyed.

"How are you going to explain the mess in this room if you don't tell them something?" he pointed out. "I told him some man was attacking you. My presence scared him off."

"Clearly," Buffy said with a snort.

"Yes, well, I do what I can," Clint said with a grin.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Clint. The new Deputy Mayor," he said. "I was just checking on you when the mayor told me you had been attacked on the way to a school dance."

"Wow. The Deputy Mayor. I didn't know the mayor knew who I was," Buffy said, getting back into the bed. The nurse finally made it.

"Oh, my God! Are you okay?" she asked, taking in the destruction of the room.

"I'm okay. Some guy attacked me. I fought him off," Buffy said.

The nurse looked doubtfully at the broken door. "You broke the door?" she asked.

"I pulled him off her and threw him into the bathroom," Clint added, explaining the unexplainable.

"Oh, well, it's good that you were here," she said. "But it's not visiting hours."

Clint gave her a charming smile and held out his hand. "Clint Barton, the new Deputy Mayor," he said. "The Mayor just wanted me to check on the patient's well-being. He doesn't like hearing about a high school girl getting attacked on the way to a school dance, so he sent me here. It's a good thing he did."

"Oh, of course, Mr. Barton," she said. She moved to check Buffy's vitals and looked her over for injuries. "I am happy you are mostly uninjured. I'll see about getting you a new room."

Clint decided that since Phil had already pissed her off, he would go a bit off script. He moved to pick up the chair by her bed and sat down. "The truth is, the mayor is an evil 100 year-old warlock that has some kind of creepy plan for your high school graduation," he said.

Buffy gave him a surprised look. "How in the world do you know that?" she asked.

"I'm an Agent of Shield and was sent here to get close to him and find out his game," Clint said. "I also am to aid you if you need it."

"Seriously? Another freakin' spy in my orbit? What the hell?" Buffy asked, annoyed.

"Hey, you're clearly no damsel in distress, so I know you don't need me much," he said. "However, the Mayor is evil. He employs vampires. His Deputy Mayor, Finch, was the only human who knew his secret."

"Why would a human work with him if he's so evil?" Buffy wondered.

"Finch was in over his head. He had no idea until it was too late. His life depended on him playing the good little soldier for the mayor," Clint said. "We arranged for him to leave and me to step in."

"Just like you did for Mr. Coulson," Buffy said, eyeing him in suspicion. "I'm going to have a little talk with your co-worker when I get out of here."

"Phil's a great guy," Clint assured her. "He really likes your mother. Breaking protocol like he did is never encouraged. He did so because she matters."

"You didn't seem to have any trouble coming clean," Buffy pointed out.

"That's because he already did once," Clint said, shrugging. "It seemed the best way. SHIELD doesn't want to alienate you or Faith."

"Do you have any more agents in town we should know about?" Buffy asked.

"Probably," he said evasively.

"I want names," she said in a growl.

"I can't do that," he said.

"I don't like people spying on me or thinking I can't trust the people in my life," she said.

"I get that," he said. "However, you should just be grateful that you have back up."

Buffy glared, determined to get him to share more. However, the nurse and police both arrived. Clint gave his statement and snuck off after giving her a cheeky grin.

Then she realized it was more important that she focus on what he actually told her.

The Mayor was the new Big Bad.

*****Willow's House*****

After leaving Buffy's rehab place, the group spent some time patrolling in Buffy and Faith's absence. Natalie insisted on going with them. It still surprised her how unafraid the teens were. Sure, they were tense when in a graveyard, but there was not the fear she would expect. They had no slayer with them tonight, but they still were determined to do their part. Oz carried the crossbow while Cordelia held her giant supersoaker full of holy water. She and Xander had the ultraviolet ray guns that Tony made for them. Willow held the sword. Of course, all of them had a stake or knife on them also. Buffy had taught them well.

Wesley and Giles were trailing at the rear. "I do not understand why we are allowing civilians to hunt. It is against protocol," he said to Giles.

"They have been fighting for two years with Buffy," Giles pointed out. He, too, carried a crossbow while Wesley carried a stake and short sword. "They are more than capable. Natalie is an expert in hand-to-hand combat."

"Why is she here?" he asked.

"She is Willow's bodyguard," Giles said. "And the woman who saved both slayers when humans tried to gun them down. We cannot forget that."

"All right," Wesley conceded. There was a vampire crawling out of a grave, and he resisted his urge to scream at the horrible sight.

"One fledgling," Xander said. "Who wants to take it?"

Cordelia sprayed it with her holy water while Oz shot it with his crossbow.

"Okay, then," Xander said, grinning. "On to the next one."

Wesley watched the group calmly kill six vampires in an hour before calling it quits for the night. Once, Giles even killed one with his crossbow while Xander and Natalie both used their guns to take out a pair that had caught them by surprise.

"I cannot believe those guns work," Wesley remarked.

"Yes, they are very nifty," Xander said. "The bullets are contained ultra-violet rays."

"We haven't had any success yet using them on demons," Cordelia remarked.

"Luckily, there were no demons tonight," Willow said. "Buffy doesn't like us trying to take on demons without her."

"Yes, they can be very unpredictable," Giles agreed.

"Not to mention much stronger than vampires," Willow added.

Wesley nodded, trying to take it all in. They were effective and very prepared. He couldn't help but be both surprised and impressed.

Giles knew the new Watcher was struggling with the group dynamics and sought to reassure them as they made it back to his car. "Do not worry so much," Giles said. "The Council is aware and although they do not approve, they cannot deny the results. Buffy has kept the lid on the hellmouth, the strongest in recorded history."

"But at what cost? She has died once, Kendra is dead, and she and Faith nearly gunned down," Wesley said. "If they kept a lower profile, things might be different."

"Or they could both be dead," Giles countered.

Wesley couldn't argue with the man; that was a good point.

"Tomorrow, we will determine if Buffy has trapped Angelus or Angel inside the Hulk House," Giles said as he started the car.

Wesley sighed. This job was more complicated than he thought it would be.

The teenagers split up at the cars. Xander had driven Cordelia in his car, so he took her home while Willow dropped Oz off with a quick kiss and goodbye. She and Natalie approached her house, not seeing anything amiss. Willow kept up a commentary while her bodyguard walked around the back.

"Don't go pass the entrance until I check," Natalie told her. Neither noticed the SUV with tented windows across the road nor the driver watching them.

Willow rolled her eyes impatiently. They had an alarm and security cameras now, so Natalie's caution seemed an overkill. The alarm was off, though, when she unlocked her door and went to disarm it.

Did she set it? Surely, Natalie wouldn't have forgotten. When Natalie made it to the doorway, Willow asked, "Did you set the alarm?"

"Of course," she said. "Did you disarm it?"

"It wasn't armed," Willow said.

Concerned, Natalie pulled out her gun. "Let me check. Stay put," she ordered. She checked the kitchen and downstair bathroom and laundry room before making it back to the front door. "No signs of disturbance."

Willow looked upstairs, not hearing anything. However, Natalie went in front of her. When they got to her room, there were two men with guns waiting.

"We just want the girl," the first one said.

Willow was so shocked that she stood frozen a moment behind Natalie, but then she turned to run. However, another man came out of the bathroom and grabbed her.

"Hey!" Willow cried out.

Natasha realized that she needed to disarm the two goons before the guns went off and another teenager got shot right in front of her. Luckily, the two guys both drew close to her, so she could kick one in the knee and hit the other in the face.

While her bodyguard was dealing with the two goons in her room, she was trying to remember what Natalie had taught her about getting away from a man who would grab her. Willow flung her head back, hitting the man hard in the nose. The pain of the blow caused her to cry out, but she quickly turned to face him when he let go of her. Then she pulled back her leg and kicked him hard in between his legs. When he instinctively bent over and clutched himself, she jumped up to put more power in her hit and punched him hard in the face.

Of course, it hurt her hand, and she cried out again in pain.

"Are you okay?" Natalie asked as she zip-tied the two guys.

"I'm okay. I think I broke my hand on his face!" Willow complained.

Natalie moved quickly to the hall and saw the guy down and gave her charge a proud look. "You took him down?" she asked, moving to zip tie him.

"I remembered everything you taught me!" Willow said proudly. "I head butted him, so he released me. Then I turned and kicked him hard in his man parts. Then I hit him hard in the face when he bent over to grab himself."

Impressed, Natasha hugged her. "That's my girl. Let's call the police," she said.

"You do that. I'm going to call Oz and Buffy and tell her how I kicked butt!" Willow said, excited.

"It's okay, Willow. You can say ass," Natalie said, grinning in amusement. "You totally kicked ass."

She chuckled as she heard her charge tell her boyfriend that she kicked some guy's ass.

Outside, Ivan was watching and waiting. When he didn't see his guys come out, he knew things didn't go as planned. He waited a few more minutes and then heard sirens, so he quickly drove in the opposite direction. Taking the teenager wasn't as easy as he hoped.

He would find another way to get Stark's attention.

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