In the middle of a space station where many heroes could meet and prepare themselves to future missions, the dark night and the man of steel, both walked with a thoughtful mind, Batman was holding a sack containing what would be another trophy after their victory, but this time the artifact which he has in hands could just lurk problems if was used by the wrong hands, but one thing was clear… They knew actually nothing about the mission today, and they were going to talk to the only person who seemed to know the acts of magic and occult.
As the Man of Steel gave the code to open the door, both he and his partner of the mission sat in silence beside the table. And after a few minutes of waiting without opening their mouths, the door being opened revealing what would be a man wearing a black suit topper and a red bow tie.
"I came as soon I receive the message." The man walked through looking at both silent heroes. "What is so important that it would need my assistant at this right moment?"
Batman who let the bag over the table, decided to take off something that the old magician palled after seeing it.
"No…please tell me nobody used it." The old man sweated as he saw something that shouldn't be into mortal hands in the first place.
"We prevented to from being used." The dark knight said but he couldn't imagine someone who knew so much about mysticism and occultism could pale so quickly into a simple mask… But the boy who told a hint of what the artifact is, Batman understood the quick reaction.
"How you can be sure? If this is the true Golden Mask Artifact then just by standing over the circle could have activated the forbidden sacrifice." The magician narrowed his eyes, usually when the mortals though they know something occult would be easily destroyed by beating the casters, no that wasn't the right way to stop it.
"I destroyed the ritual circle was made of blood dust before the artifact got inside of the circle…" Superman who remained quiet, finally opened his mouth but looking In the face of the magician, he discovered the decision he did was the right one.
"Ah, that's unbelievable, that was the right choice, I'm so glad." The magician let out a sigh of relief after learning that the artifact wasn't even used. "You seemed to be instructed on how to deal with this problem the quickest as possible."
Both Batman and Superman nodded their heads.
"Zatara, from the way our consultor informed us… Just at the moment, this artifact would be used that would bring the followers from the one who is the owner of this mask." Batman decided to say the reason behind calling him.
Zatara the man with all his knowledge nodded his head agreeing with what he heard.
"You are right Batman, from the time I started knowing about the occults, I learned things I regret learning, the creator of this mask was known as one of the entities who should never be called on this plane? Their powers if unleashed would create the end of this world."
"And their followers?" Superman whose was still with his eyes narrowed he glared at the golden mask in front of him, remembered the only thing the boy wanted to avoid most wasn't the entity but the followers of the said mask.
Zatara who remained on his position near to the night detective, couldn't help but sigh in displeasure.
"If you want my true opinion… These people were the trash of the entire world… who's not even death should be enough to make up all the cruelty they did on this world… Thankfully by someone who was too stone and drunken made a silly mistake actually saved the entire world by destroying the cult and making them lose 9/10 of their members in one month." Zatara seriousness showed to both heroes that his report wasn't a joke and by the same way he himself wouldn't believe if he didn't know the truth. "But don't be mistaken, 1/10 of those followers could still make a lot of bloodsheds depending on where they would install themselves… Where this artifact was in the first place?"
"Gotham." Both Superman and Batman said at the same time.
The silence remained the air as the magician remained thinking seriously… But after 10 seconds remained in silence, Zatara said in his most solemn tone.
"You don't know how many lives you have saved today…" The magician said as he took a glimpse of the mask again. "Usually, I wouldn't interfere when it comes about missions of the Justice League, but knowing that this artifact could have killed thousands if not millions of innocents and spreading and creating new followers for this entity, I will make sure to hide this artifact into a place which nobody could lurk for it."
"Gentleman Ghost was going to use the artifact to bring people from death." Batman said after showing the primary assumption would have been that mission. He then offered the mask to the magician who immediately put over the bag. "But from the way you look on this mask, it seems there was something even more terrible."
"Correct you are Batman… This mask wouldn't actually bring dead people but turn souls from the dead horrifying creatures spreading insanity to everyone who could look into their forms… And the perfect food from these creatures… Fresh human meat, preferable alive people who went insane and committed suicide into their front..." Zatara whose usually didn't like to tell macabre details couldn't help but be sympathetic with Batman who was in front of him. "From the villains who lived into your city, the followers would have been created a feast and infestation, starting from your most loved villain… to even an innocent girl who couldn't see her mother anymore."
A powerful crashing sound was made at the same moment making both Zatara and Batman take a glimpse over the man of steel who seemed furious into knowing this terrible thing.
"I understand your anger, but you must remember, this terrible thing was avoided from being escalated into a horrible ritual, if you made sure this mask didn't even get in contact into the circle…" Zatara said smiling as he could see Superman finally calming down. "The consultor must have informed you to make sure this mask never should be in contact with any ritual."
"Clark it wasn't your fault. You did it in time." Batman who saw the anger of his friend boiled for a long time imagined the reason why he became really angry from failing in the first attempt.
Superman got up from his seat and he breathed imagining the consequences, but it wasn't for the boy who seemed despaired to try to destroy the circle with a rock, he couldn't have taken serious of this awful issue.
"I know Bruce, but… if Mysterion didn't act despaired after knowing we failed to retrieve the mask in the first place, I couldn't have taken this problem seriously and if wasn't for the task of you taken the mask from the horse which I let it escape, we could have awakened something really terrible over Gotham city." Superman wasn't anger for the fact of terrible consequences would have happened over the artifact touching the circle… But he was angry with himself for having slightly doubt of the little boy who cursed so much that it was sure that the situation was serious.
At the next moment Batman touched Superman's shoulder as he made eye contact.
"That's why the Mysterion made sure to be part of our mission as consultor, I never in my days of life knew a boy who actually followed orders by staying away from a battle without protesting a second it wasn't something he knew about. He said being vigilant of the night wasn't his busyness… But something from occult…? This boy became someone who knew things we could never imagine." Batman took his mask off as he remembered the tone of the boy… "That boy has talent, but what I'm gladder is he knows where to focus. He focuses more on protecting the ones near to him instead to try to save everyone. He isn't hero material."
Superman looked at the broken table and the magician who looked the scene in amusement and silence.
"Zatara ever have heard about a boy who knows the secrets of the occult?" As Superman questioned, the look on Zataras made from his silence amusement become a frown at the same second.
"A kid you say?" Zatara who has wandered around the entire world, never in many ways crossed from inside of his mind but a sudden drunken memory crossed through his mind. "From where he is from?"
"South Park." Superman answered but couldn't help but be startled by the sudden groan from the magician.
"Ugh, I should have known. From the entire world, of course, it was there." Zatara said as he shook his head in disappointment and anger. And before Superman asked. "Constantine always complained about how twisted and evil that city was. They even managed to release one of the occult gods… and a bunch of kids who played as superheroes actually managed to find a prodigy kid who had the power to actually defeated the same ancient god, how? Nobody knows… But from what Constantine said the boy who saved South Park from that same god was found dead from an overdose of crunch cereal and energetics… Constantine said in drunken shouts that were the most annoying soul he tried to protect from the demons… And he was glad that in the end, he couldn't save him."
The silence remained in the room as Superman didn't even have the courage to ask, however Batman was amused at how that city was still alive since that day.
"I read the reports of the news of that city and both kids were brought from there by the President Garrison…"
"Who was from South Park as well… I know, seriously… I voted on him because at the moment I saw the most stupid debate ever on television… I even asked Constantine to bring me whisky… I ASKED CONSTANTINE TO BRING ME ALCOHOL." Zatara facepalmed after watching what would be a memorable failure into America's history, a man who was honestly saying to vote to his opponent because he knew he was incompetent and an opponent who always said the opponent was a liar and all the statements he said were untrue. "I hate Constantine with the deep of my heart, but that day I was grateful for him to bring me something to drink to make my mind to not explode in anger."
"I know…" Batman sighed as he turned his chair. "Sometimes what surprises me is how our choices of who could be leading our country."
Superman who was in silence couldn't help but sigh.
"Well, he is our president and we have to accept it… And the boy was brought with his sister to live in Gotham. And from the way, he took the things. I know for sure that he has a good heart… But a mouth worse than a sailor." Superman said smirking as Batman rolled his eyes.
"Clark if you join the marines then you can make this joke, the kid lived in a poor neighborhood into a city that was much worse than Gotham. I think the way he curses it was to show the way to express his feelings… He has no one other than his sister Clark, and now he has the world over his shoulders to make sure to raise her well." Batman placed his hands both together as he thought about something.
Superman nodded his head in agreement.
"Do you think he having the scepter is a good payment after his help?" Superman couldn't help but ask for the day that boy had. And looking at Batman he knew from his frown that he was in fact thinking about the same thing.
"I know where you want to go with this. And no… the scepter wouldn't be enough for the slight mistake we ignored before luck help us… And no… I will not take him as another helper like Robin. I already have to train him and it's difficult to take care of 2 more children…" Batman said after receiving a disbelief look from Superman but sighing in defeat. "However, from what you told me, you actually gave me a good idea… Batman may not need an apprentice… But the Wayne industries are looking for younger apprentices to be a good help for the society."
At that moment Superman's eyes went wide open as he started smiling.
"Are you really thinking about this?" The man's still smile deepened after receiving a nod from his friend.
"That boy is brute gem… He has some skills and the most important, an understanding of how society works. I think the Wayne S.A needs a reality check, from our investors many tried to talk to the unfortunates and low of finances… I thinking talking with someone who knows from the deep of his life what living without money would make the company values what they have and help the ones who don't have anything." Batman said after taking off his mask. "Besides, if he wants so much his sister to go to Gotham primary school for rich people, I know that he will work a lot under my care. And I will make sure that he will make every cent counts."
Superman hearing this made his entire day, knowing how softy his friend was, even if he doesn't admit it. But knowing how the determination of the elder brother and the desire to help the little sister. Superman couldn't help but imagine how one week made such a difference when both siblings got out from South Park and changed their lives on Gotham… Life changes for the better.
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" But for a price." The female elder woman dressed as a Christmas whore walked beside the boy who seemed freezing.
Kenny who seemed frozen from all the cold around him, which he didn't know how the fuck he was teleported to the North Pole, and now he was looking face to face with the one who can make your life on Christmas like a paradise, or make your entire life as insanity like hell she is born from.
"I don't follow." Kenny who seemed to grit his teeth in cold, looked at the amazing overcoat who seemed so cozy and warm, but knowing from the smile of Miss Claws, it was a trap at the moment she said she wants something.
"Oh, Kenny, Kenny, Kenny." Miss Claws smiled as she giggled in front of him, her laugh was so harmonious but at the same time terrifying. She isn't the same beautiful woman who makes cookies and milk, but she is the eldritch entity who can make your face disappear and your boy was pilled with the others. "You forgot the rules again… Remember… Christmas is a meritocracy, poor kids don't receive gifts from my husband…that's why many of your Christmas wishes for food were denied, like many other kids…"
Kenny tightens his hands, pissed off from the sang the eldritch monster was messing with him, he wanted so much to slap that woman, but he knew if she wants, he would be launched to the monsters from whatever hell she is from.
"But…" This time Miss Claus smiled warmly at Kenny as she launched the overcoat at Kenny who took with confusion. "Congratulations for finally getting out from the lowly life of poverty here is your first Christmas gift from your first year of born."
The way she clapped so quickly; it was like she was excited after witnessing a puppetry show made by kids. And the boy who looked so cold was beyond angry but accepted the gift as he wore the cozy coat himself.
"Well, now that we finally resolved this problem that led us to a serious issue…" Miss Claus walked near to the boy who was wearing his new jacket. But from her beautiful smile, her eyes showed a color of yellow which made Kenny froze himself at his entire existence screamed for him to die and stay away from her. "My brother said some things about you, especially how asshole you were by challenging him after one kid has beaten him up. But he told me that was water under the bridge… which that lead us on this important problem."
Kenny knew that he was in the dip shit since he was face to face with the mistress of insanity in front of him, the old happy and kind lady was in fact one of the most dangerous creatures on the entire existence.
"If it is about the mask…" Before Kenny decided to protest Miss Claus raised her hand as like Kenny felt tentacles getting out from his mouth and making him choke in shock.
"Oh, Kenny, your sweet little silly mortal… This issue isn't actually about my followers this time." Miss Claus smiled in a creepily way but the sound of her voice made sure to make Kenny crave the words inside his mind, like many screams of innocents shouting insanities and curses, but he knew that was the way, Miss Claus speaks the truth. "For you to know, I and my siblings decided to make our movement over the mortal plane at least 300 years later. So, you don't have to worry about it our intentions…"
"Why do I have a feeling there is a 'but' on that statement." Kenny after finally recovering from all the tentacles getting out from his mouth, Kenny already got used by that bullshit so he directly commented which made Miss Claus giggle in satisfaction.
"Correct you are little Kenny, us as entities we are not planning to appear into mortal realm before at least a few centuries, but, the same cannot be said for the humans who want to summon us impatiently…" Miss Claus finished her statement as she saw Kenny nod his head in agreement. "There is a group of cultists, naming themselves as the cultists of the light. You may never know who they are, or what they are doing at this moment, but in the future, you will know…"
"So, what about them?" Kenny asked as he raised his eyebrow, from the tone of the lovely lady she was being serious about not knowing the reasons… it was a lovely way to say, shut up or you're fucked…
Miss Claus smiled sweetly but the air around her shrove and disturbed as in the walls looked in the color of blood.
"Kill them…" From her tone of voice, Kenny knew that he didn't have a choice since he was armless in front of such an entity, and she knew it. But from between her bust, she took what would be a knife with a green blade and a horrifying face shape on the guard. "I don't care if it's you or another mortal doing that to them… but if you use this blade on their blood, their souls will be offered to me and my brothers… This is a mission I give to you."
Kenny really would say in situations like that to the lovely creepy lady to fuck herself hard, but knowing how she would make the little boy a lively hell, he couldn't help but mutter a simple word.
"Fuck…" Like a whisper into the silence, Kenny couldn't deny the mission.
"I know that would be difficult for you. How a little insect-like you who dies every single day can find and make sacrifices in my name and in my brothers… Well Kenny, in exchange for every single sacrifice you do with this group. I will give you a new power over the death itself." Miss Claus smiled at the little boy opening his eyes wide. "For you who seemed to not know… Your power over waking up and nobody remembering you it's the power of my own brother… but there is a new process I want you to learn how to use it."
Miss Claus clapped her hands, and the wall behind her glowed into a shape of a circle made by runes.
"This is the new process you will learn to wake up after dying. You will remember every single detail on how to learn this rune, and how to make it work." The eldritch of the north pole snapped her fingers and like a giant acid, the runes moved from the wall and went directly at Kenny's mind, making him scream in pain and in horror. "When you use these words correctly and incant this spell, you will wake up on the same place the circle was created and cited. Making your little body create again from this lovely. VAGINA."
A vagina in the height of the rune circle was shaped, making Kenny look at the wall into a different way.
Kenny deadpanned from the ridiculous way of getting alive again, it sounds ridiculous… but in a way, it sounds like any other day in South Park.
"Woopt Fucking Doo…" Kenny sarcastically cheered from inside of his mind but forced his smile as Santa Claus's spouse clapped her hands as she sealed the fate of the little boy's life.
"I hope you have enjoyed this new concept, and when you sacrifice the mortals of this cult of the light in my name or even in my sibling's name's, we will reward you… Now I think it's our time to depart little Kenny… Enjoy your new life." As the sweet the monster smiled again, the entire house inside of north pole started to grow somber and twisted, making Kenny knew what would happen next…
Without hesitation, he just closed his eyes and accepted… the biggest pain he would receive from the impact of a house crushing above him.
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"FUCK." The shout in the morning was enough reason to scare some people walking in the neighborhood and disturbing the dogs over the area…