Disclaimer - I don't own this, Josh, Marvel, Disney - heck everyone else owns this. I'm just playing with it for fun. This takes place right after Thor Dark World and before Winter Soldier.

Xander pounded on the metal in a rhythmic pattern that exactly matched the beat of his pulse. The metal had started to vibrate with the pattern of his hammer. It created a zen pattern as he chanted softly the entreaty in his heart. When he had finished the pattern, seven times seven times seven time seven pattern, he quenched it in the bucket of milk waiting for him.

"Interesting. What does the milk do that water wouldn't?"

"Not a hundred percent sure. I suspect the lactose in it creates a low level chemical change, but mostly I'm just following the instructions." He didn't turn to look at Natasha, instead finished waiting for the two minutes then pulled the sword out and rinsed it off in a bucket of water and vinegar that waited for him. The sword steamed a bit then he pulled it out and lay it down to cool. He still had runes to carve into it and blood to anoint it with. It wasn't done yet.

"Can I look at it?"

"No." His tone sharp and she froze in the act of reaching for it. "I haven't sealed it yet and until the process is done, I don't want to take a chance. When done, you are free to play with it, but it isn't the right weapon for you."

"Oh?" She had pulled back and he turned to look at her, any emotion she might have felt gone from her face.

"Oh." He rolled his eye at her and her mouth twitched the tiniest bit. "You work better with knives. Your form and everything treats the knives as an extension of your body. A sword would throw you off, you haven't spent your life working with it, knowing how to use it. Trust me. I have a recipe I want to make for you. Would be just one knife, but it might come out very nice." He trailed off as the idea of the blade slide more into his mind and he looked at her again. "How tall are you?"

Natasha blinked at him and answered slowly, "Five foot, seven. Why?"

"Huh." He walked over and scribbled something on a piece of paper thinking.

"Xander?"

He looked up and smiled a bit sheepish. "Sorry, thoughts. So, what brings to this out of the way place?"

"Jarvis told me you'd be here."

"That doesn't answer why you are here though. Jarvis usually knows where I am."

"I want to see your video with you fighting with Clint."

Xander snorted. "You mean you've been unable to get past Jarvis, Clint warned you not to tell Tony, and it's driving you crazy."

Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and stalked around the room. "Something like that." She spun looking at him. "I don't see what the big deal is. Clint would only tell me you weren't awful, and Steve just kept saying I'd have to talk to you. I don't like being left out of the loop." Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him and Xander covered his reaction, backing up towards the bench.

"Safira?"

"Didn't even bother to ask."

"Sure, you can watch. Jarvis, would you play it for her while I finish cleaning up here?" He heard it click on and familiar voices filled the area as he put away his tools, wiped down the sword and placed it in oiled sand. Designing the runes would take time, but he looked forward to how this weapon would work for Faith. Safira would do better with a spear. She had the height to make it a deadly weapon, but he didn't know how to work that yet. Maybe spear was the wrong answer, a different weapon? One he hadn't seen yet? Thoughts and ideas blocked out the noise as he worked.

Finishing his clean up he turned to see Nat staring at him, her eyes thoughtful.

"What are you?"

Xander blinked, thrown by the question. "Human?"

"No. Or at least not only. There is something about you." She stated it as a fact, not a question and he sighed.

"I am not more fantastic than Clint. Both human just not content to be run of the mill. It is possible. Just cause you and Cap have the super soldier enhancements doesn't mean everyone does."

She froze mid-stride, her pale face going paler and she looked at him, green eyes suddenly dark. "How do you know that?" Her voice harsh and low.

"Really?" He gave her an incredulous look. "Natasha, I've seen you take a full-on blow from something that knocked Cap for a loop and get back up. That same blow killed a human that I didn't move fast enough to save. So, either A - you're a mutant or B- you got dosed with some Russian variant of the same shit. No big surprise there." He shrugged and finished washing his hands.

She blinked at him and let out a long low sigh. "Most people never figure that out."

This time Xander sighed and threw up his hands. "You fight hand to hand with super heroes and slayers. Of course you're enhanced. Clint stays as far away as possible and shoots things. Are you suspecting my motives again?"

"Oh, I know your motives. I just happen to approve of them." She had regained color in her face and smirked at him. "Besides, watching you torture Fury has become a favorite pasttime of people."

"Ah, so that is why he's been avoiding me so much lately. I'd wondered." Xander looked around the workshop, everything had been put away and cleaned up. Time to head home.

"May I share this with Maria?"

"No. She doesn't need to see it. Cause if it gets into Shield's archives Fury will see it. He can keep thinking I'm physically harmless thank you so much." He flinched as Nat batted her eyes at him. "Don't do that. That is wrong, very very wrong. You are allowed to threaten people, not that."

Nat's laughter filled the small workshop as he shuddered. Xander looked around one more time to make sure everything was locked up and shut off. The forge would take a while to cool, but it was properly tamped. "What time is it, Jarvis?" He didn't keep clocks in the workshop, it messed with the counts most of the spells called for, counts of heartbeats, or breaths.

Jarvis didn't respond.

Xander shot a startled look at Natasha who also frowned in concern.

"It is 6:23 PM, Xander. But I believe there is something you should be aware of. Communications have been blocked in London until now, and the whole story is currently unfurling on the news. Aliens have attacked New York and Thor and Dr. Jane Foster seem to have been in the middle of it. Sir is headed there now. The situation is resolved, but Thor has asked to speak to Sir. Ms. Potts is requesting both of you return to the tower and convince Captain Rogers to not go out after them."

"How did Tony get there?" Natasha asked as they headed out the door, not at a run, but a ground eating pace just the same.

"He took one of his Quin jets. He should be on the ground in the next thirty minutes. UN troops are already dealing with the clean-up. And I am currently working to see how my awareness of this incident managed to be blocked for hours."

His voice had a definite disgruntled vibe as it spoke out of Natasha's phone, switching seamlessly from the workshop speakers. That more than anything made Xander relax. When Jarvis was disgruntled, he would be fine.

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

"I am still waiting for Sir to tell me what the outcome - " Jarvis broke off and Xander let him be even as he and Natasha headed to the Tower.

So - new story. I don't have it done yet, but I'm actively working on it. I love my Xander. But hey! My Kaylid series is in back in Kindle Unlimited and the next book is coming out Friday 4-29-2019. So get it when it's hot. If you can't afford it please come like my Facebook page under Bad Ash Books and share this world. I've got one more to write in it, then on to a new urban fantasy series I'm super excited about. Enjoy - another chapter tomorrow.