A Favor - August 17
Title: A Favor
Author: LadyWinterlight (songs_of_winter)
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Avengers/MCU
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 633
Notes: This one follows directly on Sarcasm & Snark (August 15). Sorry my bad day post interrupted the flow. In the same 'verse as the rest of my challenge submissions so far.
I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers or anything to do with the MCU.
“May I ask a favor of you?” Wanda ventured quietly. She had followed Buffy out of the Avengers meeting when the more scientific-minded degenerated into griping about their precious laws of physics.
“Depends,” Buffy replied after a moment. “What is the favor?”
“Natasha had begun training me on purely physical combat, in case I ever found myself in a situation where my powers were not enough,” Wanda explained. “To have survived for as long as you have in an all but endless battle, you must have a lot of skill. If you are willing, I would like your help in learning some of that skill.”
Blinking, Buffy studied Wanda for a long moment. “I’d have thought your team would handle training?”
Wanda sighed and shrugged. “I worked closely with Natasha and Clint. Steve would help with technique and tactics, but had a difficult time holding back enough to train with someone physically less… resilient. The others… we have trained to work as a team, but not… this.”
“You’re serious about this?” Buffy asked, though she more or less already knew the answer.
Drawing herself up straight and proud, Wanda nodded. “Yes.”
In response, Buffy held out one hand. Wanda took it tentatively. “Now, please, Dawn,” Buffy said aloud, though Wanda tilted her head as she sensed something more than verbal accompanying what she heard. A portal tinged with green energy opened right beside them. “Come on. We can send you back at any time, but we have facilities exactly for this sort of thing.”
They stepped through to the Slayer house in Delaware, which was the closest to NYC they got.
“Buffy!” several voices greeted them enthusiastically. A gorgeous brunette with vivid blue eyes hugged Buffy, and Buffy whispered thanks to her sister for the convenient exit.
“Hey everyone!” Buffy responded cheerfully to the crowd of girls. “This is Wanda, and she’s here to work out with me. She’s not a Slayer, but she could use some lessons in our sort of skills. Anybody want to help?”
Several voices agreed; Wanda noticed girls as young as eight or nine all the way up through late teens in the crowd of volunteers.
“Awesome,” Buffy enthused. “Thanks. I’ll give a holler once I figure out where her skill level is at, okay?”
“Have fun!” one of the older girls said cheekily.
“These girls… all Slayers?” Wanda asked softly as Buffy led the way further into the building.
“Yes,” Buffy agreed smoothly. “I don’t think any of us had any idea that changing the rules would change them for everyone going forward, too. But that’s how it happened, so we’re doing everything we can to make sure all the girls are found, taught, and cared for.”
Wanda sighed softly. “I wish I could have been one of them. It would have been nice… to belong somewhere.”
“Hey,” Buffy stopped and turned to Wanda. “If you’d rather stay with us than the Avengers, we can make it happen. We have lots of people in our organization, not just Slayers. We have researchers, historians, linguists, and even other witches.”
“I… would have to think about it. I am not sure the team is ready to handle another loss,” Wanda said quietly.
Buffy smiled sympathetically. “I get that. Well, we’re not going anywhere and we’re not in a rush. You get to make your own choices. For now, let’s get that assessment done, yeah?”
Wanda nodded. It really had been an idle thought that just sort of slipped out. Maybe she was just lonely, her closest friends among the Avengers all being gone. But Buffy was right about one thing.
It was nice to have a choice.
“Besides,” Buffy finished with a grin as she flipped on the lights in the training gym. “Willow is dying to meet you.