Code of Men

Author: Razial
Beta: Hawklan and berchen

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of the characters from the show, they belong to Joss Whedon and neither do I own any of the characters from the film Men of War they belong to whoever owns the rights.

Pairings: Xander/Cordelia Nick/Loki

Summary: It's Halloween and Ethan is about to make a very big mistake.

Notes: Mostly canon with no real changes to any characters or to the story line with a few exceptions in what happens after Halloween.

Chapter 1

(Ethan's costume shop)

Xander refused to watch as Buffy and Willow gossiped over the Victorian style dress they had found. He still did not understand how a girl, let alone a Slayer could find a vampire attractive or even contemplate having a relationship with one. He decided to stay clear of that disaster from this point forward, as there were other girls out there. Turning to the left he noted Cordelia enter the shop with Aura and another of her friends and he guessed Party Town had not had what she wanted.

Looking around he noted some army fatigues, as well as some dog tags stashed in a basket and he quickly walked over and checked them out. He noted that they were his size and he decided to get them, as it would do as a costume and considering Snyder had dragged them all into this, he didn't want to go to that much trouble for this thing.

He took them and went over to the counter and watched as the guy, who owned the shop, rung his stuff up. He noted the man had a rather creepy smile on his face that chilled him to the bone.

"There you go young man, I hope you have fun," Ethan said, with another smile, as he watched his plans begin to form.

"Thanks," Xander replied, before he turned around and left the shop he caught Cordelia's eyes.

As Cordelia watched Xander leave the shop, she felt the now usual chaotic feelings again. Since the year has begun and he risked his life to save hers, she always felt some strange emotions for the young man.

She closed her eyes for a few minutes before she opened them again and resumed looking for a costume.

She still couldn't believe Party Town had been closed for renovations, which forced her and her friends to come to this new store. Sadly it looked quite run down to her.

Aura and Kelly separated from her, as they went looking for their own costumes, whilst cursing Snyder for forcing them to sign up for the Halloween gig.

She noted the costume Buffy was buying and shook her head at her naivety. She was not blind to Buffy's little dance with that Angel guy, but to her it was a joke. Angel was a vampire and that just went over what she felt was right in a relationship, but to everyone their own.

She finally found something she actually thought suited her. It was a simple dress, but very colorful and almost looked Middle Eastern to her. The material was also something she was not used to, but she decided it would do for tonight. She gathered it up and took it over to the counter and observed Willow buying a ghost costume. She shook her head before getting her costume and then waited until Aura and Kelly got there's. As they left the shop together she hoped tonight would not be long.

(Sunnydale High School)

Giles sighed as he went through his books. He expected the night to be a very boring one, as the group had been shang-highed by Snyder to escort kids for Halloween, and as it is Halloween that meant it was going to be quite anyway, as vampires and demons tended to lay low for some reason or another. So he decided he was going to sit back and do some research on his own subjects of interest for once. He smiled, as he finally found some silence in the library.

Outside Snyder gave his last minute instructions to the students who would be escorting the kids for Halloween. He glared at Harris, as he passed him because he noted that he was holding what looked like a real assault rifle. He also glared at Summers as she straightened out her dress which in his eyes looked horrible.

Finally finishing his speech he turned and stalked off, only turning to watch as the kids left with their escorts. He hated children of any age and he sometimes wondered why he had accepted the job from the Mayor here. He shook his head and went to his office and grabbed his glass of whiskey and downing it in one go. He finally sunk into is chair, he rubbed his eyes and wished he was somewhere else.

(Ethan's Costume Shop)

Ethan smiled, as he finally finished his preparations for his great plan, oh what fun he was going to have tonight he thought.

Janus would be very pleased with his offerings. He moved over to the bust that would be the focus for the spell and began the ritual. Just before he started the chant he imagined the look of complete shock and dismay his old friend, Ripper would have on his face, once his realized who was behind the chaos to come.

(Sunnydale)

Xander was just watching some of his kids walk up to the house just across from where Cordelia was guiding her batch. He exchanged a very heated glance with the girl who had until recently been the bane of his existence.

He had noted the change in the dynamic of their relationship and was very unsure where it was heading, part of him was scared of the change and the other excited. He had to admit though that Cordy looked especially stunning in her outfit and he wondered who she had gone as. Sighing he turned to walk back to his group when he felt pain strike him right in the chest.

He collapsed to his knees and barely noted Cordelia and Aura, who he could also see, were also down on the ground. He tried to push himself to his feet, but he failed and fell to the ground again. As he lost unconsciousness he failed to notice everyone who had bought a costume was also on the ground and changing.

(Ethan's Costume Shop)

Ethan fell on his ass, as he finally completed the ritual and felt the magic flow over the town. He sighed as he fell on his back very tired from his casting, but also very pleased that he had succeeded in his plan. All he had to do now was sit and watch the chaos to come.

(Sunnydale)

Nick Gunar groaned, as he picked himself up from the ground and grabbed the nearby assault rifle. That was when it hit him. He was not where he was supposed to be. The last thing he remembered was himself was sitting on the beach with Loki, who was two months pregnant with their child. Now he looked to be somewhere else and if he had to guess, somewhere in America considering the structures of the houses he could see.

'What the hell was going on?' he wondered, as he looked around before pausing as he finally noted what looked like very weird creatures running around. "What the Fuck?" he whispered.

A scream for help jerked him out of his shock and as he turned he felt his eyes widen as he noted someone who was dressed like Loki being charged by one of the creatures. He quickly took aim and fired, hitting the thing five times and knocked it to the ground. He quickly ran over to the girl, before hearing a growl form behind him. He span around just in time to see the thing he had shot getting back up again. He cursed and wondered what the hell it was made off before bringing his weapon up again, but the creature took off and ran away quickly.

"Thank you," the girl said with a smile causing him to smile back to her. "May I have your name?" she asked.

"Nick Gunar," he responded instantly, looking around for more threats, before he noted the girl's gasp of surprise. "Problem lady?" he asked.

"You cannot be Nick," the girl responded. "You do not look anything like him and I would know. I am his wife," she added almost angrily, as she grabbed his dog tags and looked at them.

He noted her eyes widen as she noted the name on them. He was getting very confused now as the girl claimed to be Loki, but looked nothing like her.

Then there was the statement that he looked nothing like he should and finally there the weird ass creatures running around the town he was in. None of this made sense for him.

He was a mercenary or at least had been one, as he had retired once he had saved Loki's island. Their island, as it was his home now also or should be, so the question was how the hell did he end up here and what was going on?

Loki herself was just as confused as Nick was and was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the young man in front of her was her husband. The monster that had attacked her should not exist and she should not even be here. Suddenly a new thought accrued to her and she placed her hand against her stomach. Her eyes watered a little, as she felt she was not pregnant. Now she was certain something was very wrong, she looked up as the young man touched her chin.

"You do not look like Loki, however if you are telling me the truth you will know why I came to your island in the first place," he stated as calmly as he could.

"You were hired to burn our island for bird shit, you refused and instead helped us defend it from your former commander and his demented second," she responded with a small smile.

"Keefer," Nick spat at the mere mention of the man.

Loki smiled, as the young man proved he was her husband, even if she still did not understand how it was so. She quickly grabbed him and pulled him into a passionate kiss which he eagerly returned. They were interrupted by a red headed girl wearing very low cut clothes. She stared at them with wide horrified eyes.

"Xander, what in the hell do you think you are doing?" Willow demanded, as she finally came out of her shock at seeing her friend in a heated kiss with Cordelia of all people and at a time like this.

"Do I know you?" Nick asked confused. "My name is Nick not Xander," he added, as he watched as the red head went red in the face.

"Xander stop messing around," Willow shouted, unable to believe he was trying to pull a stunt during this mess.

It had been a good night so far, full on fun until suddenly she had been hit with a pain unlike any she had felt before. When she had come around again, she had been horrified to see her body lying on the ground with the ghost sheet half off. She had tried to lean against a tree only to fall right through it. She was scared and frightened unlike any time, since she had learned the truth about Buffy.

Her mind kept repeating the questions. Was she dead? Would she be fixed, once whatever caused this madness was located? She just didn't know and then her mind had locked onto her missing friends and so she had set of after them. Terrified of the state she would find them in. What she had not been expecting was to see Xander and Cordelia making out like there was no tomorrow. She was surprised, angered and incensed even more now as he was acting like he was not himself.

"I told you Lady I am not Xander. My name is Nick Gunar, Special Forces retired," Nick responded, glaring a little at the red head.

Willow's eyes suddenly widened when she remembered looking at the name on the dog tags Xander had bought for his costume. Nick Gunar was who Xander had gone as. She groaned as her mind began to connect the clues as to what was happening and it did not look good. She took a deep breath before realizing she didn't need to, before looking at Xander and Cordelia or whoever they now were.

"Ok listen to me closely, you are not really whoever you think you are," Willow began. "You names are really Xander Harris and Cordelia Chase. You are in Sunnydale California and tonight you were dressed for Halloween and somehow, maybe by magic, you've been changed into your costumes," she explained, noting their skeptical looks she continued. "Xander was dressed as a soldier and the dog tags he wore had Nick Gunar on them, which is you. I don't know exactly what Cordelia was dressed as, but whoever you are that is why you are here ok?" she asked.

Nick and Loki exchanged very uncertain looks between each other, before shrugging. At least, whilst sounding insane, the red head's explanation gave them an answer as to how they came to be here and why they looked different. Still magic was not something Nick was willing to take in easily, whilst he suspected Loki would at least accept it.

"Ok say you're right and that is a big if, who did it?" Nick asked, hoping if she could at least give him a target he could hopefully deal with the guy and then maybe this would all end and he and Loki could go home and forget this ever happened.

He had hoped when he finally retired he would not find himself back in action. He wanted to rest and forget his past and yet here he was once again up to his neck in trouble and this time he had people depending on him, who he didn't even know. If the red head was right, he was in someone else's body, as was Loki and that meant it was up to him to keep them alive, until whatever this was could be sorted out. He sighed before turning back to the thinking red head.

"I don't know," she answered, before suddenly her eyes widened again and she went to run off, before pausing and turning back to them. "We have to find Buffy, she's in danger," she added, before taking off.

Nick looked to Loki who shrugged and so he indicated she could go first before running after her, making sure to fire at anymore of the creatures that were running around.

Across the town Spike was walking along with a grin on his face, as he watched the chaos consume the town. He had intended to stay in tonight, as was normal for Halloween, but Drusilla had indicated something would happen that would give him a chance to kill the Slayer and so he had rounded up some minions and started a hunt.

"This is just neat," he said to his nearest follower who just grinned and nodded a little in awe of been chosen by Spike who had quite the reputation, including killing two Slayers.

(Ethan's Costume shop)

Ethan smiled, as he watched the chaos he had brought to Sunnydale with a nifty little spell he had created. It allowed him to view each person he had sold a costume too separately. He was enjoying the wonderful events taking place, though he had to admit he was a little unsure about the soldier and his friends. Something was off about them and he just could not put his finger on what it was, oh well he decided he would keep an eye on them.

He leaned back in his chair with a cup of tea and wondered how Ripper would respond to this once he knew about it. He grinned, as he anticipated coming face to face with his old friend again.

(Sunnydale)

Nick was getting pissed off, as he shot another of the creatures who for some reason would not stay dead. They had located the girl the red head seemed so worried about easily enough, as she was screaming at a car, as it passed her.

Since then she had screamed at least twenty more times and it was grating on his nerves. He was half tempted to threaten her, but then he kept his attention on the creatures.

The red head had pointed them to a house before she had gone to get some help. She thought the house might be safe, but he was not too sure on that, with all this going on was anywhere truly safe he wondered? He was suddenly flung to the floor as someone rammed into him, he quickly jumped back to his feet and noted the new comer was wearing a trench coat and grabbed the useless screamer.

He lashed out and caught him in the face, knocking him away from the girl and quickly followed it up with a back kick. The man's face transformed, which startled Nick a little, but he kept himself in check.

"Knock it off," the man growled.

Nick did not respond and attacked again, as Loki moved away from them and kept the useless woman out of it as well, as the girl continued to scream in fear.