Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http/ or http/ Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.
Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Winner Take All for Teen Titans.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: The Tournament of Heroes has begun, but trouble brews back home.
Author's Note: Just so it's clear, the invaders are from the Nazi world seen in the first part of the Justice League episode The Savage Time. Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg were teleported away for the Tournament of Heroes, and the events there are going as in canon.
Xander watched, tight-lipped, as Raven -- scary, four-eyed, demon-y Raven -- used her powers to toss Der Ubermensch around like a limp rag doll. The Kryptonian shuddered with every impact, unable to even catch his breath between blows.
"Damn, Boss, she's scary."
Xander glared at the slayer, "Get your ass down before you bleed yourself dry, you idiot."
"Aw, c'mon, Boss," she said. "It's just a..." she paused as she stumbled and caught her balance, "...a flesh wound."
"The arm, maybe, but not the collarbone," he said. "Sit down," he said, using what she and his other slayers had dubbed his "Command Voice."
She complied.
He felt along her collarbone, and she flinched. "Yeah, cracked it." He reached into his utility belt and applied one of his slap patches.
"Thanks, Boss," she said, her gaze turning to Raven. "We gonna stop her?"
"Eventually. I gotta check on Star first."
"She's out cold," Raptor replied. "Scratched and bruised, maybe a mild concussion, nothing major."
Xander nodded. While he was able to train his slayers in enough first aid to accurately report everyone else's injuries, the sense of invulnerability the slayer powers seemed to give them just refused to let go.
Hence the macho posturing.
Not that he was crazy or suicidal enough to call it that to any slayer's face.
Well, most of the time, anyway.
Xander forced himself to his feet as he absent-mindedly catalogued his own injuries. His face was a mess, that was for sure. Broken nose, but at least no missing teeth this time, miracle of miracles. At least two broken ribs, three cracked. Another one that he wasn't sure if it was actually broken or just cracked. Wrenched joints -- especially the shoulder from helping that big guy out of the burning building -- bruises and cuts all over his body. Oh, and every muscle screaming out in pain from lactic acid overload and muscle strain.
He was definitely not a pretty sight right now, but aside from the ribs, he was doing okay. He probably wouldn't have broken those two if he hadn't kept pushing himself.
"Raven!" he called out. "RAVEN!" he tried again, this time in his Command Voice. She turned and blinked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. "That's enough," he said, his voice softening. "You have the package?"
She nodded wordlessly and handed it to him. He drew his Colt, ejected the magazine, opened the small, lead-lined case, and slid the magazine within into the pistol.
Xander calmly racked the slide and approached the Kryptonian.
"What are you going to do?" Raven whispered.
"There's still an army out there," he replied coldly. "I'm going to break their will."
Der Ubermensch -- weakened by the mere proximity of kryptonite -- slowly began to lift his head to look at his executioner.
BLAM!
Xander didn't give him the chance.
On an entirely different world, one ruled by Vandal Savage, a man much older than his years slowly regained consciousness.
He groaned.
"It's all right," came a deep voice. "You're safe now. We got you out of there."
He looked up. "Who are you?" he asked, staring in puzzlement. That looks like...
"Bruce Wayne," came the curt reply. "We heard Savage's men had captured someone -- you -- and used information from you to launch an interdimensional invasion. It looks like they failed, but we thought you might be able to help us here. What's your name?"
"Xander," he said. "Xander Harris."
"Red's already one of your girls, huh?" Raptor asked.
"Huh?"
"C'mon, Boss," the slayer snorted. "We're both messed up way worse than Red, but you had Rae-Rae fly her back to the Tower's infirmary instead of one of us."
"Her physiology requires special attention, Raptor," Xander defended. "Fast healing isn't a Tamaranian power, either."
Suddenly, the green and purple battlesuit landed next to them.
"I'm sorry I had to withdraw," the battlesuited warrior apologized. "My suit's coolant system needed repairs, and a lucky shot with his heat vision would have set off the power supply and destroyed several blocks. I think I've managed to lock it down now."
"Don't worry about it. Thanks for the help," Xander said, extending a hand. "With the Justice League busy, we needed it."
"No problem," he said, pulling off helmet and tucking it under his arm.
Xander froze.
The man shook his hand and said, "It's the least I can do."
"Lex Luthor," Xander strangled out. "I, uh... didn't think someone of your... stature would throw himself in the line of fire like this."
"I see my reputation precedes me," the bald man smiled. "Believe me, Nighthawk, I've put all that behind me. Besides, in my... less admirable days, I learned a great deal about fighting Kryptonians."
"I'm sure you did," Xander murmured. Shaking it off, he gave Luthor a hearty slap on the back. "Well, I'm glad you were here. I don't know what we would've done without you."
"I'm just happy I could help," Lex said. "Now, it looks like things around here are under control, so I suppose I should be going before the press shows up." With that, he put his helmet back on and took off.
Xander watched dispassionately as Luthor flew away...
...and exploded.
Xander turned and looked at Raptor, who looked right back at him, "Well?"
"Was there a reason for that, Boss?"
"Yeah, there was."
"Good enough for me."
"Welcome back, boys," Abbey waved as the three missing Titans appeared in the ops center. It was just after sunset, and slayer healing had already made short work of most of her injuries.
"Good to be back," Robin waved back. "Did we miss anything?"
"Naw," she waved it off. "No big."
"You have an interesting definition of 'big.'"
Abbey stared.
Robin stared.
Pretty much everyone present stared.
"Superman?"
"I take it you handled everything?" Superman asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, we did," Raven nodded.
"Nice of ya to show up finally, though," Abbey retorted.
Superman looked around, "Could I speak to Nighthawk? I've been meaning to talk to him."
"He's in his room," Raven replied.
"Thanks."
Xander slumped in the chair. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his costume, settling for just doffing the mask. He hadn't felt this exhausted since he'd come to this world. In his hand, he held a bottle of whiskey.
"To a man with so much potential..." he murmured, "...and yet, none at all." He swung the whiskey bottle, swirling its contents and clinking it against an imaginary glass.
"If only your turnabout were genuine..." he sighed, "but the world is a safer place without you in it. Rest in peace, Luthor." He took a long pull from the bottle. "Lots of pieces."
"So, that's what happened."
"Hello, Superman," Xander said softly. "So, the Justice League finally sent someone, huh? Sorry, but you're a little late."
"You're hurt."
"Hence the anesthetic," Xander smiled, tapping the bottle in his hands.
"Do you really need to drink like this?" Superman asked, noting that he had already drained half the bottle.
"Y'know, I 'preciate the way you're avoiding the whole 'I killed someone today' thing," Xander said bluntly. "But, yeah. Tonight, I do. 'Cause today, I had to put a kryptonite bullet in your brain, boy scout."
"What?"
"Sorry," Xander waved it off. "Alternate evil Nazi you. No way to keep him down, so I shot him while he was still on his knees. Couldn't even look 'im in the eye. Heat vision, y'know."
"And Luthor?"
"Luthor's an obsessed man, Superman," Xander said, his voice suddenly very sober. "His world revolves around you: fighting you, beating you, killing you, destroying everything you value and your place in history. Remember the Justice Lords? His entire reform is designed to break you, Superman, to turn you -- or at least everyone's perception of you -- into that. To ruin you and pervert everything you stand for. Just like Darkseid tried to when he brainwashed you."
Superman bristled.
Xander rose and walked over to the window, "Y'know, you may be the most powerful single being on the planet, but... I'm not afraid of you, Superman. That's why I'm telling you this. Of Batman? Yes. Of you? No."
"Why not?"
"Because Batman is far more dangerous," Xander looked back at the Kryptonian and smiled, "but then, you knew that." He turned back to the window, "But also, he -- and I, for that matter -- will cross lines you wouldn't touch. Besides, Clark, even you can't be on guard twenty-four-seven. If the need arises... not even you would see or hear it coming."
Superman frowned, then nodded very slowly, "Good. I hope the need never arises."
"Again, you mean."
Superman flinched.
Xander sighed, "I know what Darkseid did isn't your fault, and neither is what this Der Ubermensch guy did. But if it can happen once, it can happen again. There are a lot of worlds out there, Superman, and while you always came through in the comics back home... this isn't a comic book."
"I know that," Superman growled in annoyance.
"I know you do," Xander's head and voice both dropped low. "But a part of me doesn't. A part of me's still the little kid sneaking comic books into his bedroom and reading them by flashlight. That part of me is desperate to believe in you, believe that even if you make a mistake, it'll all turn out okay in the end. I can't afford that."
"I see."
Xander looked over his shoulder at his guest, "This is a world of dreams, Superman, where the bad guys never win, and the good guys never have to kill. You, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, the League, all of you. You were my heroes when I was growing up. For all the vampires and demons I've killed, all the apocalypses I've stopped, and all the lives I've saved, I still believed in you. And now... now, I can't risk that anymore. What happened to Luthor had to happen. Because there's a difference between what's right and what's necessary."
"So, a crisis of faith?"
Xander snickered.
"What?"
"Sorry. Private joke."
It was nearing midnight when the intruder alarm went off.
"Who's there?" Robin demanded, birdarang raised.
The intruder froze, then turned and stepped out of the shadows.
"Uh... hi, guys."
Beast Boy and Starfire reacted simultaneously.
"Terra!"
Author's Postscript:
Whew! That was... wow.