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“Well this is just peachy.” Red Hood said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
He was tied to a post like the rest of the Bats. Red Hood, Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin, and Batman were each tied to a post around a pentagram like symbol that was drawn on the floor in blood. They were all missing their belts but still had on their masks.
They had been investigating a new cult that had appeared in Gotham. People were being found unconscious and missing blood. The victims recalled being attacked by men in bright green robes. They all said that the men took them to a warehouse and took the blood in the same process as if one were donating. After the victims blacked out, they were dropped off back to where they were taken and left for someone else to find.
Batman looked into the case and found it was a cult. The group called themselves the Children of the Infinite Realms. He tracked them down to an old warehouse on the edge of Gotham.
After gathering Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin, and a reluctant Red Hood, the team set out. When the group entered the warehouse, it was quickly filled with smoke and they all fell unconscious. When they woke up, they found that they were tied to the posts.
“Astute observation Hood.” Robin said with a deadpan tone. Batman sent both of them a glare. There were fifteen people around them in robes. One was more ornate than the others, so it was assumed he was the leader.
“Silence!” the leader shouted. “The time had come to summon the king to lay waste to this accursed plane.”
“Well that doesn't sound good.” Nightwing remarked.
The leader started to chant in Latin “ Oh, High King of the Infinite Realms! Please hear our call. Answer our prayers and lay waste to this mortal plane so as to usher in a new era under your rule. Take these non-believers as a sacrifice. ”
The rest of the men started to chant as well. “ High King, hear our call! High King hear our call! ” The symbol on the floor began to glow and a bright green mist began to fill the room.
“This is definitely not good.” Red Robin stated.
There was a flash of light and the mist cleared to reveal…a small adorable creature. It had a serpentine black body and two arms that ended with clawed hands. All the robed men, except the leader, cooed when it yawned and stretched.
“What is the meaning of this!” the leader yelled. “Where is High King Phantom?!” While the other robed men started to murmur amongst themselves, the Bats were attempting to free their hands while the men were distracted.
“Can I keep it father?” Robin asked with a pleading voice. He took his eyes off the creature to look at Batman. “No.” Batman growled.
The leader stomped over to the creature and yelled, “Where is High King Phantom.” The creature smiled up at him, showing rows of sharp teeth and fangs. The little creature began to grow and shift, causing the robed man to stumble backwards. The creature's eyes turned pitch black that spread to the rest of its face and body. Wings that belonged to a demon sprouted from its back with a spine tingling rip. The arms grew to disproportionate lengths. Its teeth grew to be too big for its mouth, leaving a permanent grin on its face. The temperature of the room dropped and frost and ice began to creep along the floor. After the transformation was complete, the creature now reached the ceiling of the warehouse.
“Please creature of the realms! Have mercy on us for our mistake in summing you.” The leader cried, bowing his head. The rest of the men doing the same. The Bats stared at the creature waiting for it to move.
The creature gave no response. It moved its fingers and sent a wave of green energy that sent the robed men flying back into the walls, knocking them all out. With another wave of its hand, all the men were bound and tagged with ice.
Hood will never admit it, but he flinched when the creature turned its head to look at him and the rest of his family. The creature's eyes widened. “Holy shit is that Batman?!” the voice that came from the creature did not sound right coming from such an eldritch creature.
Once more the creature’s form shifted. It began to compress to a smaller size and took on a more human shape. When the darkness resided, the Bats blinked in shock at the now teenage boy that was left floating above the ground. He had snow white hair that moved in a nonexistent breeze. His eyes glowed like the green of the Lazaris pit. His skin was a light blue with bright green freckles dusted across his cheeks. His ears were pointed like an elfs and small fangs poked from under his lips. The black armor and cape he wore was dark as night. What drew the Bat's attention the most was the black crown of green fire that floated above the boy's head.
“Sorry about that.” the boy said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with a gloved hand. “I get so many of these crazies on a weekly basis it is just fun to mess with them sometimes.”
Batman just stared at the child with an unamused look on his face. Nightwing, however, decided to break the ice, “oh, it’s ok. It’s not the first time we’ve been kidnapped for sacrificial purposes.”
“Oh, ok .” the boy responded. “Let me get you out of those ropes!” With another wave of his hand the ropes fell away allowing the Bats to be free.
“Who are you?” Batman growled. He was suspicious of this powerful creature, regardless of its appearance as a child.
“I am High King Phantom of the infinite realms, but you can call me Danny.” The boy, Danny, said with a smile. “Don’t worry about those guys.” he said, jabbing a thumb behind him. “They’ll wake up in an hour or so.”
Batman nodded his head, still giving the boy his trademark glare.
“I know this might sound strange,” Danny said with an embarrassed smile on his face, “but can I get all of your autographs? My boyfriend and girlfriend are huge fans!” As Danny said this he phased a hand into his chest and pulled out some paper and a pen. “Please?” Danny gave what could be the best puppy eyes any of them have ever seen.
Everyone looked at Batman. He looked at his sons and sighed. “Ok.” he said. “YES!” Danny cheered and did a little spin in the air. After getting all of their autographs, Danny phased them back into his chest but kept out one blank page. After doodling on it for a second he gave the paper to Batman.
“Here. If you ever need my help with anything ghostly, place your hand on the symbol. It was a circle with a D in the center and a P inside as well.
“Now this has been fun,” Danny gave the group a smile, “but I have to get home.” With that Danny gave a wave before a swirling green vortex opened behind him. “See ya later!” Then he was gone along with the portal, leaving the Bats to think “What the hell just happened?!”