Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
~T. S. Eliot
Arch 1, Chapter 2: Beginnings
In the criminal-justice world, the people are subjected to two separate but equally important groups: the supervillains, who instigate crime, and the superheroes, who persecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
DUN DUN
Mel groaned. Now her subconscious had a sense of humor.
Yes, the little voice answered, now get up and figure out this mess.
She groaned, but rolled over to comply. The world of brightly-colored threads still existed in the back of her head, but now it was tamer. No, wrong word, now it was more manageable to her mind. At least to the point where it wouldn't send her mind into overdrive. That was a good sign.
Her six-month plan was almost to an end, only a few days left to go, and she could already see that it had all been worth it, even the multiple trips through purgatory.
Just in case, she should go through it again.
That's more like it, the little voice said approvingly, now, from the beginning.
June 21st: Day One, Jump City
Though dawn had to have broken on the surface, the cave remained enclosed in its own eternal night. She was okay with that, the bright strands of life were easier to see in darkness. At the moment she was watching a beautiful thing happen: Dick was inspiring his Titans, unifying them into a single, incandescent cord.
"I died there." Slade's voice rang through the cavern, jarring. The strands wavered before it, fading into reality. Mel glimpsed area it had appeared to him that she had been staring at: the floor had the distinct black ridges of cooled lava.
"Do you remember her?"
"Who?" Slade had replaced his mask, but even so it was easy to read his facial expression by his eye.
"Death."
He looked her up and down for a moment, as if searching for the joke. "No, just heat."
Mel remembered Death. She missed her now and then. But rather than explain, she tossed her Titans communicator, the one that had belonged to Joe, to his father. "You should call Rose. Tell her to pick up Gotham's Robin for backup."
"That wasn't part of the plan." Something about wearing that mask made the older man more demanding and controlling. Sometimes it was like a switch had been thrown off in his mind, turning off all his humanity and leaving only a cool, calculating killer. Mel didn't like it.
"Yeah, but neither was Dick taking the rest of the Titans with him."
She heard the communicator turn on. "Slade?"
"Yes?"
"Your mask."
"Right." There was a soft, metallic click, and the low dial tone of a call waiting.
"Dad?" Rose sounded baffled.
"Hello, Rose."
Mel smiled. There was the father she was looking for.
Later, Gotham City
Keep busy. That was Bruce's, and later, almost word for word, Dick's advice on coping. So, for whatever reason, Jason followed it.
Why was he even trying to follow their advice? What did they know about dealing with killing someone? What did they know about the broken memory, luridly recolored, playing over and over like a video on repeat? What did they know of the innocent terror in her eyes, or worse, the glimpse of hope and trust that he wiped away with a bullet?
She thought he had been there to save her.
Jason threw his water bottle against the exercise room wall.
Keep busy indeed.
The doorbell rang, interrupting his thought process. Jason sighed, and began to step in the shower. Just as he reached for the shampoo, he heard Alfred call.
"Jason, were you expecting a visitor?"
"No, Al," he called back, "but I'm a little busy here."
"I'm afraid-"
"Oh for christ's sake." That was most definitely a girl's voice, and from the sound of it, she was just outside the shower door. "Todd? Are you in there?"
"Who wants to know?"
"We don't have time for this. Put on the Robin costume and let's jet."
Jason turned the shower off. "You know?"
Al gave him an apologetic look as he stepped out of the shower. "I tried to stop her." Then he looked down. "Jason, you seemed to have forgotten your clothes."
Well, it was too late to go back and get them. Besides, he was more interested in this girl. She glared at him. Long, white hair, accusing blue eyes that didn't blush at the sight of him wearing only a towel, and Kevlar bodysuit. She was another masked hero. Maybe. "Yes, I know. I'm with the Titans, and they need us. Now get dressed already."
"If I may remind you, you are on house arrest, Master Todd."
She released a frustrated hiss. "Dick sent me."
Alfred studied her for a moment, then produced Jason's Robin costume out of nowhere. "Then we mustn't waste any more time."
"That's what I've been saying." She said, rolling her eyes. Jason took the costume wordlessly. This was turning out to be an interesting evening.
June 23rd, Jump City
Adeline Kane stood in the throng of reporters and journalists, slightly out of place without a press badge, notepad, or camera. Even so, no one bothered the brunette beauty. She had an air of efficiency about her, and her steeled green eyes seemed to search for the most painful way to dispose of whomever they were fixed on.
Currently that honor belonged to Nightwing. The former Boy Wonder had called this press conference to announce Melody's official capture, with hints of an even bigger announcement about the future of the Titans. He seemed calm, collected, with no sign of the ache and remorse he showed at Joey's funeral.
They got over him that fast.
Addie felt a heavy ball of bitter anger stir in her chest. Her son gave his life for this. As if Joe hadn't already given up so much…
"… think of it as the beginning of a hero academy."
The rest of the conference was lost on her. She felt the world drop away around her.
They were creating an Academy to recruit more canon fodder.
Wasn't Joseph's life enough to convince them to stop these little charades? Did they need to take more to feel fulfilled? Were they planning on justifying her son's death with more death?
The heavy ball of anger melted, pouring through her veins, filling her completely. The Teen Titans had had their day. Now, she decided vehemently, it was time for the children to go home.
Later
Carol stormed away from the press conference. She could hardly believe the press was eating this up. The return of the fallen Titans. Psh.
"Excuse me." The familiar voice chilled her blood. Had she been found out finally? She turned to face the woman she once called her mother.
"Yes?" She said carefully in response. She saw no sign of recognition in Addie's eyes.
"You're Chloe Kettering, the reporter against the Titans, correct?" She asked. Carol relaxed. Her cover hadn't been blown.
"I am." She said.
A hand was extended. "I'm Addie Kane. I believe we have a common goal."
We have more in common than that, Carol thought bitterly, but after what happened to Joe, I suppose we do.
"Why don't we grab a cup of coffee, Ms. Kane?"
"Addie, please," she said, "and that sounds like an excellent idea."
A/n: So I meant to have this up sooner, but the world seems determined to give me new distractions. Like fanfic's new image thing? I'm all over that. Expect later updates with matching covers. Also, if you want crappy close ups, my deviantart account (same name) is about to become my fanfic cover dumpsite. Yay for distractions! Anyhow, I'll continue to work on my wall of stickynotes containing the plot for this fic and will try to update every week or so. No promises. Until next chapter!