12Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the characters that will be portrayed within this story. Any Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer character or any not yet mentioned are also not mine. If any of these characters owners wish to give them to me I will be quite grateful, until then I will just be poor.
Now enjoy the story.
Xander's Big Night
Xander looked around the shop while Buffy and Willow shopped for the perfect Halloween costume knowing that he was just going to pickup a toy gun and wear a pair of old army fatigues. It was damn depressing; some of these outfits really looked cool.
However, with his old man around he was never able to save up enough money for a real costume. He had given up hiding money around the house long ago, if he tried his mother or father would find it, using it to buy alcohol. Moreover, the one time he had started a band account his parents had somehow found out about it and cleaned it out. The only reason he had any money now was that he had started having Willow hold his money for him when he did not need it.
Xander slowly started to move back towards the area of the store where he had seen a few toy rifles growing more depressed about his life. When he finally got back, he was shocked to find that some kid had taken the last toy rifle. Thanks to some young kid, his plans for a cheap and easy Halloween costume were blown out of the water. He was about to leave the shop when the shop owner stepped up from behind him.
"Ahh, good afternoon. Is there anything I can do for you, young man?" He asked with a smile on his face.
Xander jerked away. "Don't sneak up behind people like that." He said.
"I'm sorry, young man." The owner said. "My name is Ethan Rayne and I've been watching you and your friends. The two young ladies that you are with seem to be enjoying themselves, but you seem to be in a sort of funk about something."
"Well, I had planned on going as a soldier for Halloween but that idea just flew out the window," Xander said with just a bit of bitterness behind it.
"After watching you looking around the store I can tell that you honestly don't want to go as a soldier, do you young man?" Ethan asked him.
"Well, no I don't." Xander truthfully said. "But, I am not exactly rolling in cash right now. That was why I was just going to buy a gun here and use some old army fatigues I picked up." Xander didn't want to tell him that they were given to him by the church. He felt bad that he sometimes had to eat there when his parents drank all their paycheck without buying any food. If uncle Rory hadn't giving his drunkard father a job washing cars on his lot, they wouldn't have any food the rest of the time either.
"Well I don't have any guns left, but I may still be able to help you young man. I think that we can make a deal, I have a box of odds and ends that you could have for free," Ethan said. Seeing the look of suspicion forming on the young man's face Ethan hurried to add, "All that you would need to do would be to come by the shop the day after Halloween. You can help me clean up the shop before I put the rest of my stock into storage. I really don't want to have to pay any extra rent, so you would be helping me as much as I am helping you. Is it a deal, my boy?"
Xander thought about it for a second or two and really couldn't see where it wasn't a great deal all around. Sure, he helping the man would save him a great deal more than he would likely be getting in trade, but it got him a box of props that he could use in the future. "It's a deal! But, how do you know you can trust me to come in after Halloween. I'll have everything I need and could just disappear on you?"
"I'm a good judge of character and I can tell you are an honest young man. That and I overheard your friends talking a bit. I heard them mention helping an old friend of mine, Rupert Giles. If Giles trusts you and your friends to help him with his books, I know that you will keep your word."
"Now, give me a few moments and I will go into the backroom and bring out that box for you. Just, do me a favor and watch the door for me. Let me know if anyone is ready to check out or needs help," Ethan said while stepping into the back.
After a few minutes, Xander could hear the shop owner coming back towards the front of the shop. Stepping forward to take the mid-sized box from the man, he was surprised by the weight. It felt like he was getting a lot more than the few odd and ends that he expected and promised that he would work extra hard to pay the man back for his kindness. "I don't know what to say. This is more than I expected. I just want to thank you again."
"Don't worry about it my boy. I can honestly tell you that knowing that you're a friend of Rupert is all that I need to know. Just do me a favor and don't tell the 'old boy' about me yet, I haven't got a chance to surprise him yet by seeing him. What with being stuck behind the counter and setting up the shop for the last two weeks. When all this is over, I'm sure that he will be speechless when he hears that I'm in town."
"Sure, I understand," Xander replied. I'm sure you and the G-man will have a lot to catch up on. I don't want to ruin your surprise, not with all that you have done for me."
Moving over to the girls Xander could see that they were ready to check out. Buffy and Willow seemed pleased with their choices, but were not going to let him see what they picked out until they got together tomorrow evening to pickup the kids they would be escorting for trick-or-treat. After promising not to look or ask the owner about their choices, Buffy and Willow paid for their costumes and left together.
Xander returned to the back where they had left his box of goodies. Picking it up he walked up to the front to let the owner know that he was ready to leave. "I really wanted to thank you again for everything, I sure that I will be able to make good use of this. And I'll see you first thing, bright and sunny Saturday morning, Mr. Rayne."
Smiling back at the boy as he started out the door, Ethan said, "There's no need to get here that early my boy. After eleven will be fine, I'll likely be sleeping in a little late my first real day off after the big event."
"OK, see you at eleven, sir." Xander yelled back as the door started to close behind him.
When Xander finally got home, his arms were slightly sore from carrying the awkwardly sized box. Setting it down in his room he was grateful that his parents were out, likely getting drunk as this was payday for his dad. He didn't expect to see them back until late in the morning if at all. Popping the taped down lid back Xander peered into the box to see what he would have to work with. What lay inside was more than he expected.
Pulling the items out one at a time and laying them out on his bed, he was impressed. While, he could see that there was not a complete outfit of anything here, there was plenty for him to work with. He was not known as the 'two dollar costume king for nothing.' There was an odd brown wig with white streaks, a jar of blue body paint, yellow contacts, a hand sized golden eyed medallion, a white cape and gloves, a golden plastic hammer, a round mid-sized Plexiglas shield and armband, a dime sized sapphire colored glass gem, a short plastic sword and chakram, a fare leather belt with a toy hand and hoister, a some other odd pieces of cloth. All and all he thought it could be used to go as some kind of weapons master. Remembering and old marvel villain he decided to check the basement thinking there was an old bow and arrow set down there. And if not he would ask the G-man to borrow a few items tomorrow before leaving school.
"This will be the best outfit for Halloween ever! Willow and Buffy will be speechless when they see me at the door to pick them up," Xander said to himself. Clearing off the bed and putting the stuff away under some dirty clothes, he rolled in and passed out thinking of the fun he was going to have tomorrow night.
Hope it looks good. With Halloween coming up, I wanted to join the crowd of people writing a Halloween story. Hope to have a second chapter up in a week or two.