Project: Team-Building Exercises

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Xander has a file of 'things that need to be fixed'.  This is high on this list.  (Right below it in Tony's less readable scrawl is 'and while you're at it get a better name for this because this is clearly not a summer camp'.)
Word Count: 305
Rating: Gen, The angst isn't too bad but it's definitely there.

         Tony sees the world in terms of things that need fixing.  One of the foremost is himself.  It’s shocking to Xander how little he actually thinks of himself, despite the fact that he is one of the heroes.  For all Tony Stark’s posturing, he’s a man who sees himself as broken, but functional.  Serving a purpose, and as long as he can still perform adequately, he doesn’t need to be replaced.
         It’s a mechanical way of looking at the world.  It’s also fundamentally depressing.  He tries to not let it get to him too much.
         He sees that their team is broken.  That they spend more time fighting each other and being teenagers that they lose sight of how much they actually care for each other.
         He’s seen it before.  He’s seen it tear people he cares about apart, and he doesn’t want that to happen again. 
         But he’s not good with human systems.  Sure, he can see the problem but he doesn’t know the fix.  And anything he can’t fix eats at him.
         He does what he can.  Gets Buffy a new set of shoes.  Treats Willow to a milkshake and listens to her babble.  He talks about the magic with Giles, who alternatively appreciates it and is worried.  And it reminds him of Xander’s first teacher, Miss Calendar, who actually had some useful tips given the whole ‘technopagan’ thing.  The memories hurt Giles, but at least he pushes through it for the greater picture.  Xander does what he can to support his friends when he can but he’s only one guy and they don’t really notice.  Sometimes it feels like a thankless job, but it’s what he signed up for, so if they appreciate the donuts and the quips more than the magic and the tech then at least he’s doing something right.