Chapter Text
They didn't get there in time to stop the summoning. That was the worst thing: breaking in through the skylight to find missing Jason, his little brother, bleeding out in the summoning circle. The whole thing was glowing, too, an unhealthy green that was too familiar to too many of them. It glowed brighter where Jason's blood had seeped over to it, and there was no blood on the other side. On the contrary, the green was starting to follow the blood, glowing trails licking towards his body.
"Wing," said Batman tightly, while Red Robin, Black Bat, and Robin went wild on the cultists. Dick was already moving to retrieve him, but the amount of blood -
No. He refused to think about losing little wing again, not while a moment's hesitation could make the difference. He dove into the circle instead, get out his kit so he could pack the wounds and apply pressure. Oracle was already telling him about the ambulance on the way. The blood was - there was too much of it, on the ground or in the glowing runes, but the bleeding was slowing. They might have made it in time.
Jay tried to say something, but only managed a horrific gurgle. Dick shushed him, told him that help was on the way.
And then the first of those Lazarus-green tendrils made it to Jason.
There was a . . . sound, almost, except Dick didn't hear it with his ears. It was something like a shriek. It was something like the endless scream he, they were all, trying not to voice. It got louder and louder, while Dick worked frantically to stabilize Jaybird. Then the runes lit up like a circus Ferris wheel, and Dick realized it wasn't louder, it was closer when the suddenly blazing green coalesced.
The crown formed first. It didn't look like much, not a fancy coronet set with diamonds, just a simple ring made of white fire. That was what his mind insisted when he looked at it, at least, but even accounting for the flicker of the flames there was something not quite real about it. Dick knew it was a crown, though, without being certain how he knew. It was like looking at a platonic ideal.
The . . . person . . . who formed beneath it was just as unusual. They seemed to be made of eyes and the hint of movement in the shadows and whispers. Dick, who sometimes felt like he spent half his life in the shadows, wasn't as unnerved by that. The green was almost like animal eyeshine, except the color. The whispers were loud enough to identify as whispers, and not loud enough to understand. Then they flickered, or something, and the person blinked into being fully present. The eyes and shadows and whispers cut out instantly, replaced by a mostly-humanoid figure wearing an expression that would make anyone who'd never met a Bat quail. "Ả̵̧̨͓̯̤̏l̸̘̼̫̏l̸̬̦͑̑̃́ ̴̮͓̱̬̿́r̸̦͍͕̺̝̒̇̓ḯ̶̖͎̹͂̽g̸̮͔̣͒h̵̦̣͖̐t̵̢̛̰̫̠́͜,All right," they demanded, in a voice that was the howling of nuclear fires and whose echoes reached Dick's ears before the words did, "w̸̙̜͓̲͠h̴̯̊͠a̷̩̒̌t̶̨̡̡͛͊̐͐what?"
Then they appeared to actually process the scene, because they said, "O̵̘̽̒ḥ̴͉̦́̇̿͠ ̷̤̠̤̈͗̾̄̈́f̸͎̲̜̱͒ͅǔ̵͓̀c̷̼̭̍̇͌k̶̯̜͙̲̐̐ ̵̗̬̈́̽͐̆n̴̨͉̗̬̟͛͛́ô̷͇̓́̽͆.Oh fuck no."
The next few moments were a series of still images, totally disjointed from one another. He remembered being pushed aside, surprisingly gently for how quickly it had to have happened. He remembered the - being (the king) - looking at his work, frowning. He remembered them putting a glowing green hand to the compression bandage he just applied, and the flow of new blood just - stopping.
He remembered them taking Jay's arm, clasping both hands around his one.
"I̶͕̤̿́̇̇'̴̱̫̰̇̓̀̿͘m̵͂͜ ̵̛̝̤̮̻͆͠n̵̝̚̕o̵̞̥͎̬̲̒̏͛t̶̻̞̼͋̉͛̾͑ ̴̗̣̾̀͠g̶̢͉͖̮̓͛͌̚o̴̡͔̙̖̊͛͒̽ĭ̸̪̟ṇ̸̬̫̓̾̽̉g̶͍̀́̌͘̕ ̸̘̝̥̯̀̀ṭ̸̨̜͓́̕ǫ̵̲̭͖̉͘ ̶̜̝̒̎̋b̴̩̱̻̀̓̀̏̚ȩ̷̥̼͍̈́̓ ̶̛̜̖̮̆̃͘͝ͅá̷͚͍b̴̢̹͖́̑ĺ̸̪̽̓e̸̢͈͍͛̃̑͘ ̵̡̳̞̼̗͒͗͑t̷̟̞̜̺̯̂ò̶͙̺ ̴̳̪͒́̾̈s̷͓̰̿͒a̷̜̓̆̈́͝v̶̫̘̌ę̴̦̟̟͛͝ ̴͇̥͚̎̀͋̂̊y̵̩͐͊̽͘͠o̷̢̍̈́̈́̐ủ̵̢͇̺͎̙r̵̘̝̙̹̄̍̑̒ ̸̩̥̖̄l̵̤̦̳̳̒̚i̴̞͙͍̞̾̆̈́̅̐f̵̧͎͍̙͒̉̐̈̀ē̷̜̙̪̲̒͑̚͜,I'm not going to be able to save your life," they said, and something in Dick broke. "I̵̹̐͋̀͛'̶̼̖̤̎̌́͋̂͜m̸̠̝̂͋ ̴̨͔́͐͂̇̉s̶̗͐̽̈́̇̒͜ơ̴̺͕͎̻̐͜ṛ̶͔̮̀͗͜r̵͚͋̑̔̓̍y̷̗̪͌.I'm sorry."
Jason didn't say anything, didn't even move that Dick could see, but the king responded as though he had. "Y̷̱͚͚͑̂o̴͈͙̍ù̶̪͒̌̚ ̷̣͚͖̂̂͒d̵̼̫̬̒̐̋͌o̸̗͋͑͑n̴̜̠̠̂̾͘'̶͓̜̞͚͖̈́̚ṱ̵̰̝̣̈͐̃ ̷̗͇̻͒ẅ̸̯̭́̈͊̍̍ḁ̶̩̺͇̬̐̂̉͠n̵͖̱̲͖̍̉̈̚̕t̵̻̺̲̼̉̾̌ ̷͙̼̣́̊t̴͍̍h̵̬̩̫͌͝a̵̮̭̭̭̣͑̆t̸͈̜̣̖͑.You don't want that."
Again, a moment in which Jason didn't speak and the king replied anyway. "B̵̳́̿́̐è̵̜̘̣̕c̶̠̩͚͑̌͜ȃ̶̛̩̪̱͉̋͑͆u̷̡͚͐̎̕͠s̶̟͇͠ḙ̴̙̈́͜ ̶̣̣̩͘ĩ̸̘͍͚̍̉͌̕f̷͑͌̒ͅ ̵̺̒́̏̊y̵̯͉̅̄̇o̵̡͕̦͍͆͒́̔̂û̶̢̨̫̦̖́͑͗͝ ̵͚̪̈́d̴̘̣̮̱̐̈́̏̃o̷̪͂͒͐̕,̶͙̫͎̟̅ ̵̘̗̓̊ÿ̷̟̫̪̲o̷͛̀̃̈́ͅŭ̷̮̱̭͂̏̄͑ ̵̥̘̯̩̦̓́c̷̦̲̰͊a̴̟͘n̸̖̹̾̽̋'̷͉̟̐͑t̷̢͎͉̖͉͛̓̇͊͝ ̸̺̞̇̐̏̑ę̵̦̥̪̠̎̈̈́̂v̸̱͔̈́́̋́͜e̷̹̭̭̝̠͌̑̓̀͌r̷̝̼͊̾͝ ̵͙͖͒́̈́g̸̛̟̙̐̕ọ̸̧̟̝̽̆̓̚ ̵͖̫̲̊̾̋̚b̶̢̦̀ā̴̛̞̦c̶͚͙͉̘̐̅ͅḳ̶̹͖͖̘͑.̸̨͈͓͈̙̈́̑̒̅͛ ̷̱̪͋̉̄̿̓Y̵̼̙̓́͒͂o̷͔͍͎̠̗̅͋͆̚͠ú̷̜̼̀̽̿'̶͇͗̓̅l̷̼̬̟͖͊̍͋͗ļ̸̲̤̀̋̕ ̴̼̩͊̃b̷̹͇̙̲̰͑e̸͔̮͐ ̷̧̞͉̯̈̆̔͛ͅl̵̬̥̯̒͜ï̸̛͕̟̣̜̳͝k̵̳̰͉̼̄̏̈́̚e̷̪̟̐̇̈̕ ̸͉͎̟̝̦̓̽̇͑t̵̠̲͙͕̘̑́͋͠h̴̙̊͂̚͠ä̴̤́͒̀͐̆͜ͅt̴̝̭͕̥͖̑͑͋͘ ̸̢͌̀f̸̘̅̾̃̊̕o̷̩̔̓̈́r̶̬̭̘̰͙̍ẽ̸͈̔̅v̷̫̫͖͊̿̌ê̵͈̺̱̖̦̽̀r̵̜͖̅.Because if you do, you can't ever go back. You'll be like that forever."
That time, Jay did manage a real response, twitching his hand in a weak gesture towards the room. Robin and Black Bat were busy zip-tying the cultists, but listening intently. Batman was standing outside of the circle of runes, in a way that meant he'd tried to come closer and couldn't. Eyes, a lot more than just the two in the humanoid face, took them all in. Some of the howling had gone out of the king's voice when they said, "A̸̡̒l̵̜̍l̴̝͝ ̷͚̅ŗ̶̑ḯ̸͓g̴̤̀h̸̩͊ẗ̴̡,̴̮͋ ̷̧͒t̶̥͑h̷̨́ą̴͠t̵̡͊'̶̠̏s̸̡͆ ̷͓̈f̶͖͠à̵ͅi̷̗̅r̴̺̈́.All right, that's fair."
They put a hand on Jay's torso. Then they paused. "Ỷ̴̧ȍ̵͙u̶̞͛'̸̧̅r̴̜͐e̶̲̔ ̵͔̔ś̸̝u̶̥͑r̵̭͋e̵̗̊ ̴̖͠t̸͎̉h̸͙̎i̷̺̍s̸͙̓ ̸͚̀i̶̞͑ŝ̵̩ ̸̫́w̸̹̌h̴̺̓a̸͕͠t̴̞̎ ̵͎͋y̶̺͗o̸͈͋ū̵̳ ̴̮͂w̴̫͋a̴̡͋n̵̺̂t̸̢͋?You're sure this is what you want?"
Jay rolled his eyes in such an impressively Jay fashion that Dick almost laughed. The king did let out a single breath of it, and then pushed their arm into Jay's torso. It sank in to just past the wrist, like one of those optical illusions of either two people about to kiss or of a vase: chest, wrist. Jay didn't have a gaping hole in his chest, at least.
Then a ring made of the same light as the summoning formed around Jason's midriff. Two rings, as the king caught one and pulled it up towards Jay's head, the other matching its movement down towards his feet. Dick didn't need to be told to get out of the way of those rings. The unlight gave him a headache just to look at. After they'd passed . . .
Well, it was still Jay, at least. A smaller Jay, years younger, wearing - Jesus, the torn and tattered remains of the Robin outfit he'd died in. Also sporting the injuries he'd died with, bruises standing out starkly under corpse-pale skin.
To their credit, the king didn't flinch from the gruesome sight. Instead they leant in, picked up the too-still Jay in a bridal carry. Lifted with their legs, too. Dick immediately threw himself forward, and ended up throwing himself through where the kind was standing, without apparently affecting them at all.
"S̴͔̍ï̸̤n̷̘̈́c̷̙͛ẹ̷́ ̵͈̓y̵̞̓o̸̤̅u̶̧͠ ̸̘͋ǐ̴̲d̴̦̍i̸̖̽o̴̹̽t̶̺͂s̴͇̀ ̴͈̾d̴͉̽o̵̗͝ń̵̤'̸̲̈́t̶̨̿ ̷̢̈́š̷͙e̵͙̔ę̶̕m̶̱̈́ ̸̱̔t̷͓̀ö̷̖́ ̴̡̓ĥ̴̫ạ̴̿v̴̤̈́ȅ̵̮ ̶͚̈g̷̾ͅo̴̻͘t̴̨̍t̸̳̀ȩ̵̽n̵̹̊ ̶̟̇t̶̺̀h̴̛͚e̷͙͠ ̶̟̃m̶̧͊e̸̤̅m̴̬̓o̴̜͑,Since you idiots don't seem to have gotten the memo," they said, looking out at the room, "I̷̿ͅ ̷̗̋á̴͈m̶͍͛ ̴̼̎P̷̨̎h̵̜́ǎ̷͓n̴̤͑t̴͕̔o̵̞͑m̴̘̋,̷̟̐ ̶͍̈H̷̲̚i̸͎͌g̸̮͗h̵͇͑ ̸͚͋Ḳ̸͝i̶̮͝n̴͍͒g̸͕͗ ̴̼̔o̶̮̍f̸̃͜ ̷͇̂t̶̫̕h̶͙́e̸̫̕ ̷̺̾I̵̫̓n̸͎͗f̶̛͈i̴̯̔n̷̓͜i̶͍͊t̸̨̋e̴̢͊ ̷͖͂R̵̤͑e̴̞̅a̸̱̾l̶̘͐m̷͔̃ṣ̴͝.̸̘̽ ̸͎̒T̴͇́h̵̭͝ȩ̶͐ ̵̘͊c̷̩̕r̷̝̅o̶̹̽w̵͕͑ǹ̵̘ ̸̛̙ì̶̖s̵͕͠ ̵͕̚m̷̲̆ĩ̵̠n̷̫̈́ẽ̵̪ ̶̞̂n̸̺̾ȍ̴ͅw̵̩̐,̵̗̉ ̴̲̐a̵̹͝n̵͈̊d̸̗͆ ̸̜̾y̶̕ͅọ̷̔ù̷͈'̵͉̀r̸̡̓e̵̢̔ ̸͔̕į̸̀n̵͛ͅc̷̥͌r̸̲̚ě̷̬d̷̢̋i̸̧͌b̶͔̓l̸̮̆y̶̮͐ ̵̧̄l̵̖̈́u̷̧̍c̶̟̈́k̸̗̂y̸͖͆ ̵̘́ṫ̵̘h̸̬̄ä̷͇t̵̯̋ ̴͍͝ï̸ͅt̵͙̀ ̴̺̍i̷͈̅s̷̤̈́.̷̧͆ ̶̟̂Ṯ̶̆h̷̼̄ȇ̷͎ ̵̥͗l̵̹̈́ä̶̙́s̵̨̏ẗ̸̖́ ̸̫̈́ĝ̴̻u̵̧͘y̵͎͋ ̷̟̋-̷͕͑ ̸̺͒t̸͈͂h̵̛̤e̸̲̊ ̶̞̍ǫ̵̾n̵̹̕ë̸͉ ̴̟̓y̷͚̽ȯ̴͉ů̴̖ ̸̹̎m̶̰͊e̴͓̍á̵͈n̸̨̈t̷̘̚ ̷̤͂t̷͗ͅo̵̲̕ ̸̭̌s̸̬̆u̵̗̕ḿ̴̜m̵̫͑ö̵̪ǹ̷̡ ̶̟͛-̷̜̀ ̸̲̈w̵̹͆o̴̧͂u̴͕̚l̶̛̺d̷̞͑n̷̻̑'̵̹͛t̶̗̽ ̵̩̾h̵̩̑a̴͕͑v̵̞̍e̷̺̿ ̴̪̅l̶̮͛e̷͙̔f̵̣͝t̵̬͐ ̷̗̅ą̵̃ ̵̦̈́s̵̺̉ȉ̸̲n̶̼͑g̴̹͑l̵̑͜e̵͕͝ ̶͕̚ọ̵̓ñ̴ͅe̵̛͙ ̴͈̐ó̶͔f̷̱͊ ̴̥͆y̶̮͆o̴͚͆u̴̽͜ ̸̠͑b̵͉͂r̸̲͂ē̷̱a̴̬͝t̶̻̐h̶̐ͅi̶̳͊ñ̴̡g̴̜͝.I am Phantom, High King of the Infinite Realms. The crown is mine now, and you're incredibly lucky that it is. The last guy - the one you meant to summon - wouldn't have left a single one of you breathing." They turned to begin walking away, visibly fading as they did so.
"Wait!" called out B.
The king - Phantom - paused, half-transparent and still cradling Jay so carefully in his arms.
"What are you going to do with him?" asked B.
"W̴̜̎h̵͓̃a̸͈͆t̴̪̾ ̸̛̰I̴̬͆ ̵̬́c̸͙̍á̸̢n̴͍̂.What I can."