Glorious Modern Era

[madimpossibledreamer]

Yes I am absolutely referencing my favorite Xander Harris line of all time. Yes, it’s from Chaos Bleeds. It’s so dorky and yet it somehow manages to be cool.  (...hang on it’s actually also very similar to the Jotaro quip about roads, too...)

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/SMT Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha (Casts Shadows)
Summary: Giles and the Scoobies have to find a way to get into the costume shop and disrupt the ritual.
Word Count: 1028
Rating: Teen

 

         By the time they reach the costume shop, it’s clear that the transformation spell is wearing off, but it’s done its job. It’s much easier to barricade a street, particularly when you’ve got three incredibly powerful superheroes working together to create a barricade of literal glowing will and concrete, than it is to try to sneak through a warzone. Any trying to sneak around are easy enough to pick off, particularly when some on your side have guns and can snipe shots, even though they still don’t do the kind of damage to demons Raidou is used to.
         He is slightly shocked that Giles did not immediately break in, actual backup be damned. Of course, the actual Duchess watching him knowingly might have something to do with that, but still. Raidou’s first impression was that the man was very calm and rational, but the hints of impatience and desire for action are definitely showing a different side to the Agent of the Yatagarasu. Even though he isn’t, not here. Xander had some more street smarts than previous holders of the title, due to the amount of the time he’d spent avoiding his own home, before he’d been given to the Elders for training, but it’d been a while, and those senses, like a blade disused, may certainly have dulled. He should be taking no one at face value.
         “I don’t believe it is too early to say at this point that the plan was inspired and effective.” He—all right, maybe it’s the spell clouding his memory, but he cannot recall praise, even though logically he had to have earned some. During the trials, perhaps, or—
         Nix smiles gently, proudly. “He is right, my Summoner. Few Devil Summoners, even those calling themselves Raidou, would have thought of such a plan.”
         Raidou’s grip on his hat is the only thing that is keeping him from melting right into the street. He’s no Fourteenth, and he’s barely begun. He has...all right, perhaps he has earned a little tiny scoop of this praise, but the whole sundae is far beyond him. Just as this metaphor is getting out of hand, even though it may only be happening within the confines of his brain. Perhaps he should just move on? “I don’t suppose he left the door open?” he asks, gesturing at the door.
         From the thoughtful gaze Giles aims in his direction, he’s given something away. He doesn’t even really care what that something is, at the moment—that’s a problem for Future Xander, not Present Xander—as long as they move on from the subject before he implodes from being under the spotlight like this. “...He has not, but given the correct materials, I could pick the lock.”
         That sounds...incredibly awesome, and later Raidou—or, rather, Xander, he will be just plain ol’ Xander, at that point—is going to pester him for lessons, but despite the fact that they’re keeping the army at bay for the time being, that will only last for so long, and Nix shivers and draws a little closer to Raidou even as he becomes aware of the power building, like the feeling of a storm brewing. “I’m not sure we have the time for that,” he disagrees slowly.
         Angel and Nix attempt to break down the door, though Angel’s all awkward about the teamwork thing, and the door probably has some sort of spell on it because it doesn’t budge an inch. He’s going to guess all the doors are like that, because this sorceror really didn’t want to be interrupted.
         Angel opens his mouth—probably to sass him, honestly—but the Duchess beats him to it. “I suppose you have an alternative to suggest?”
         He considers that for a moment, and then yes he absolutely does. Destructive, yes, dangerous, absolutely, but they’re on a schedule before the power reaches its peak, at which point something bad will almost certainly happen. Gouto would probably disapprove, not that he’s going to bother attempting to hide it, later. His future report should be given in all accuracy. “Willow, can you, discreetly, check if the guy is anywhere near this front wall? Don’t get spotted, please.”
         Almost immediately she’s phasing into the wall, but at least she does seem to be being careful about it. And she’s back before anyone can start interrogating him, so that’s good. Like a dork, she salutes. “It’s clear, Raidou.”
         Okay, pretty much all of that was weird, but he’ll ignore that for now. “Okay. You might want to back up, then.”
         Pretty much all of them dive for cover, which means they all have some amount of self-preservation instincts. Excellent.
         Gouto had grudgingly agreed that Sid with all of his wares was pretty helpful, even though he’d grouse about how he knows it’s rich for one spirit stuck in a different body to be this wary about another, but, like, no one knows what’s up with him. He’d come recommended by the Devil Summoner community or Raidou wouldn’t have even talked to him. The cat had also spent a lot of time talking about missing a guy named Victor and even ‘that grouchy old antiques dealer’. And sure, sometimes you really need to be discreet, but sometimes, too, you just gotta go with what works, presuming you have the necessary tools. Like blowing up a whole storefront building wall. He does retreat to a safe distance with the rest; he’s pretty sure he doesn’t have the Mag for Nix to be healing him up if he’s reckless. When the dust clears, the door is still there, but the wall isn’t, with costumes strewn every which way.
         “If the door doesn’t want to open, sometimes you’ll find you don’t actually need the door.” And he’s pretty sure he actually does look vaguely cool with the little cape blowing behind him and his hand on his hat.
         “Xander, you’re actually terrifying sometimes,” Angel tells him, looking—he can’t tell if that’s impressed or queasy, but he’ll take that as a compliment all the same.
         And he turns to Giles and gestures for him to go ahead, since the path forward is clear. “After you.”