Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.
Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.
Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: With the arrival of a new Titan and the return of an old enemy, trouble arises.
Author's Note: Another episode, another plot arc.
Xander turned the mask over in his hands. It was hard to believe its owner was really dead.
Or is he? he wondered, eyes narrowing as his thoughts drifted back to the newest Titan.
He'd turned it over in his mind repeatedly, much like he had the mask, but no matter how he looked at it, the conclusion was the same. It didn't matter whether it was the comics or the cartoon.
At least one thing was certain, as much as he hated it. If Slade was alive, then...
"He's gone, you know."
"Don't be so sure of that."
"I know how you feel," Dick said, walking up to stand next to him, "but you killed him. We found the body. Well, parts of it. He's dead."
"Maybe," Xander acknowledged, "but if there's one thing I've learned in life, Dick, it's this: Nobody ever stays dead. Nobody." He paused, and his voice dropped, "Well... almost nobody."
Life wasn't fair, and he knew that, but it made him sick when he considered the reason he came down here: Lex Luthor. The man was dead, blown to pieces in mid-air, and yet, not a day later, Lex Luthor Junior was there, making his first public appearance and hoping to "make up for the sins of the father." Xander had no doubts on what was going on: Lex now had a Get-Out-of-Jail-and-Public-Disgrace-Free card, courtesy of the friendly neighborhood cloning facility.
"Besides," Xander tossed Slade's mask back in the box and turned to leave, "the body parts were never positively identified. He could still be out there."
Dick watched him leave, deep in thought. It looked like he wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion.
"Xander!" Dick called.
Xander turned, "Yeah?"
"I came down here to tell you, you handled things pretty well while I was at that Tournament of Heroes. I'd like to make you second in command, if you want the job."
There was a long pause before Xander shrugged and nodded, "Might as well."
"'Might as well'?"
"I've been in command before, Dick, and as second banana more times than I want to think about. It's not new." He turned and continued on his way, adding bitterly, "I've always been the back-up guy."
What the hell was that about? Dick wondered.
Author's Postscript:
Here we go again.