Marvellous Tidings

Author: JMD_009 <jmd_009[at]yahoo.ca>

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters they are owned by Mutant Enemy and Marvel Comics.

Summary: During S2 Halloween Xander buys from the comic book rack instead.

Note: Just a short little piece to kill a plot bunny that crept up on me.


Chapter 1

Ethan Raynes was a little disappointed as he ushered the last of his customers out and locked the door. So what if he had managed to convinced the Slayer's friend to go as something other than a boring soldier? The boy's choice, although it seemed to excite him, still seemed less than inspired. Just some random character from the comic character section that Ethan had never heard of. What fun could that be?

*****

A squeal from upstairs caused Joyce to tilt her head upwards. She knew her daughter was trying to convince that poor girl Willow to go as something she really didn't want to. With a sigh Joyce stood. She knew how her Buffy could get. Best to go save the poor girl.

As she reached to stairs the doorbell rang. With one last look upstairs Joyce turned to answer it. When she opened the door her jaw nearly dropped.

A man with short white hair stood there. His skin was painted a dark blue with small white specs in it and gold armbands adorned his wrists. The man wore a skintight suit with a star on his chest. It was blue except for a red portion covering the stomach, chest and shoulders. It also left very little to the imagination.

"Xander is that you!"

"Call me Genis." Xander replied with a grin using his character's name.

"Hey Mom? Who's at the…? Wow!" Dawn stopped in her tracks a she saw the object of her current crush standing in a skin tight suit that highlighted muscles that most probably didn't even realize he had.

Joyce knew she was about to embarrass her youngest but couldn't resist. "Don't drool dear."

"We're ready!" Buffy called as she bound down the stairs. She stopped short as she got a good look at Xander. "Looking good there Xand."

Xander grinned as he took a regal bow. "Buffy, Lady of Buffdom. I completely renounce spandex."

"I don't!" Dawn chimed in. Everyone turned to look at her. "Was that out loud?"

*****

Later that Night

A wave of dizziness enveloped Xander for the briefest of moments before he looked out at the world with new eyes. Pure white ones. His skin no longer looked painted, but now like it was the night sky filled with stars.

He looked around at the world. It was obvious he was somewhere on Earth. The fact that the architecture matched and that he spotted several humans running for their lives attested to that.

A noblewoman ran past him screaming demon at the top of her lungs after a car drove past her. More importantly there were actual demons around of every shape and size. A red headed hooker was running in the same direction as the noblewoman… make that red headed ghost hooker since she just ran through a car.

"To other people this might seem strange eh Rick? Rick? Rick!?"

<Rick isn't here right now but if you leave your name and number after the tone he'll get right back to you. BEEP!>

"Who the hell are you!?" The man asked as the speaker's head took shape in yellow and orange energy nearby. Only he could see it. "And what have you done with Rick Jones!?"

<Calm down big guy. I'm sure Rick's fine wherever he is. Right now you're stuck with me. Name's Xander Harris.>

"What's going on?"

<Seems like everyone has been turned into their costumes. I went as you by the way.>

Genis raised a sceptical eyebrow.

<You got that whole cosmic oneness going on. Use your cosmic awareness and see for yourself. You know there is something off with the demons over there.>

He couldn't really deny that now that he looked. Genis was shocked, though, when he concentrated further. They were just kids!

"We have to stop this."

<First let's get my friends to safety.>

"And where exactly will I find your friends?"

<Well one is the noblewoman running from the car and the other is the ghost hooker.>

"At least Earth is never boring." Genis said as he took to the skies. It was time for Captain Marvel to get to work.

*****

The Next Day

Buffy and Willow were heading to the library. They wanted to fill Giles in on their experiences last night. He had stopped by after he stopped the spell and made them promise to do so. The girls had stopped at Xander's to get him too, but the young man was nowhere to be found.

As they entered the library they found out why. The pair came to a stop next to Giles who seemed to be trying to clean a hole through his glasses.

Xander sat in a chair at the desk a few feet away. He still wore the gold bands from last night and didn't seem to notice any of them.

"I am not banging the nega bands together."

"Because its my body, my universe. I didn't invite you!"

"As a matter of a fact she never did teach me to share!"

After a moment of apparently listening to something Xander sighed.

"Fine. We'll have to work something out I guess. Why does this stuff happen to me?"

"That was rhetorical!"

"I should have just bought the toy gun!"

The End