This is chapter one of "No More Childish Things…"
"Zatanna! Take Klarion out!" Nightwing said while sparing with one of the witch-boy's henchmen. Zatanna nodded and proceeded to levitate herself after Klarion.
"Etativel!" She said. She flew past Beast Boy and Miss M. combating Klarion's cat, Teekl. She watched as Kid Flash ran circles around angered soldiers, she saw Wonder girl and Robin as they hog-tied the unconscious men together. Finally she passed by Artemis, in a brutal battle with Sportsmaster, her dreadful dad. Zatanna paused as Sportsmaster beat his daughter to the ground. She wasn't moving and he still delivered blows to her.
"I deen ot raeh simetra!" Zatanna chanted, eyes momentarily glowing as her spell was placed. She faintly heard Artemis whimper as Sportsmaster's foot collided with her stomach. Relief and sadness filled her chest and she relaxed for a moment.
"Zatanna! Get Klarion!" Nightwing called, finishing off his fight.
"Bu-but, A-Artemis she-" the magician was cut off.
"Zatanna, go! I'll help her." Nightwing left his pile of defeated goons aside as he went to engage Sportsmaster. Before he could help his terribly beaten teammate, a motion-activated bomb clicked under him. He waited to feel himself get blown off his feet. The explosion came but not the fire, not the sensation of flying through the air and not the feeling of pain. He never felt a thing.
Nightwing turned to see a fire behind him, Artemis flying through the air and her landing in a heap by Zatanna. After she checked that Artemis was alive, she turned to Klarion, ready to let hell rain on him.
"Klarion!" She yelled. Her magic levitating her up, above the trees. "Face me!" A distorted version of the girl's voice echoed through the forest. Heads turned to face her. She seemed unlike herself. She unleashed a wave of power at the boy who merely laughed it off.
"Oh please!" he chuckled, "Let me show you real magic." He extended his arm and chanted an unintelligible spell. Zatanna went limp in the air, her eyes closed and she fell to the ground, the impact was heard all the way to Nightwing, who stood over a defeated Sportsmaster, the farthest away. Garfield buried his face in M'gann's neck, the sickening snap of bones nauseating him. Nightwing doubled over, "Zatanna" he whispered.
"Nrut eht starb otni seibab!" Klarion cackled as a red light surrounded the squad.
"Come, Teekl." He said, reverting from his demonic behavior to his calmer, childish self. The cat meowed and followed.
"Yes, yes I know Teekl, we are leaving. Nepo latrop ot spilacopa!" And after one last glance at the glowing teens and a disturbing laugh, he gracefully stepped through the portal, and it closed behind him.
In The Batmobile...
"Batman to team. Batman to team, come in!" Bruce yelled into his earpiece. Static, he tried again with the same result. Then crying came through the comm. "What in the world?" He said before radioing the league.
"Green Arrow, Flash, Superman, rendezvous at the coordinates I'm sending." After getting an okay from each teammate, he and the league members hurried to the location, Batman made it clear it wasn't optional.
The summoned league members arrived on site. Surprisingly, Green Arrow first. The four heroes found a sight they hadn't expected. Bats interrupted everyone's thoughts as they stared at the clearing filled with their protégés.
"I need The Martian Man hunter, , Wonder Woman and Batgirl." Flash sped to the nearest boom-tube and went up the watchtower. He explained the problem and had said heroes on a jet to the team's location in less than ten minutes. When they had arrived, they saw Batman holding the hand of a seven year-old Nightwing and carrying robin who was now four.
Green Arrow and Red Arrow found Artemis under a tree, Zatanna and she leaned against each other. Artemis was five now and Zatanna was six. Roy helped her find her way to her dad.
Zatarra was not allowed away from the Helmet, no matter how much he tried to persuade Nabu. Later, Kid Flash was found, he wailed until his uncle Barry gave him a granola bar. Kid Flash was six as well and definitely didn't act like it. Garfield was in the form of a kitten, he was assumed to be about four. He was asleep on M'gaan's lap, she was about seven and both were given to a surprised and unsuspecting J'onn. Finally, Wonder Woman pulled a four year-old Cassie out from a bush, leaves and branches sticking out of her hair.
While pulling pieces of shrubbery out of Cassie's hair, Diana quietly pulled Bruce away from Dick and Tim who were petting Beast Boy and watched M'gaan while she played telepathically with her uncle.
"Bruce, what are we going to do?" She asked quietly so Cassie wouldn't hear. Bruce place a hand on her shoulder.
"Everyone," He started, all the heads turned at him, Diana silently wondered why he was unfazed by the attention, "Take your protégés home, I'll send cover stories in twenty minutes, and I'll speak to parents. Dr. Fate and I will research counter spells. Zatanna will stay With Green Arrow and Black Canary." Every one acknowledged the plan and split ways.
For those who would like the Spell Translations from spells used by Klarion and Zatanna:
Etativel "Levitate" I deen ot reah simetra "I need to hear Artemis"
Nrut eht starb otni seibab! "Turn the brats into babies!"
Nepo latrop ot spilacopa! "open a portal to apocalips!"