Kid Loki, part 4. The Tragedy of Junior Heroes

Loki was too busy glaring at Wally to pay any mind to the cave stronghold they were currently in. He wasn't even all that interested in the giant skyscraper, shaped like a "T", that was just above them.

Right now, glaring at the Ginger Speedster was far more important then their location. The boy, who was glaring right back, was infuriating. He kept insisting Loki was a fraud, and that his spells were nothing more then cheap tricks. CHEAP!

Loki was one of the greatest illusionist in all the realms, but that was hardly his only skill either. He was a master of ice and water based spells, highly skilled in even the exact opposites of Earth and Wind. Even his charms and hexes were at the very least expert level.

He was a master Enchanter, Potioner, and Alchemist. He was one of the primary gods of magic! About the only spell work he couldn't do were fire based, and that was only because of his affinity for ice! And that mortal insect dare called him CHEAP!

Loki showed him just how 'Cheap' he was. He spent the entire night using his 'worthless tricks' to smite the brat, including getting one last prank in this morning. Where he filled the boy's bed with conjured snakes. They were completely harmless of course, as they were effectively just solid illusions, but they did successfully scare the child out of his wits.

As expected, the boy responded to this by attempting to punch Loki, but even though he was a Speedster he wasn't really fast enough, or smart enough. Loki used more of his 'cheap tricks', to con the brat into going after illusions. While throwing conjured snow balls at him. More to annoy then injure, as he didn't want to reveal himself yet.

But of course the game ended with Loki being taken over the Flash's knee, and soundly spanked. While the brat looked on... but after Loki was freed, and he began to stew over the unfairness of it all, as he had during his youth, Wally actually found himself in that same position...

That was something different he really was not used to. As a child, whenever Loki played a harmless prank, and the others acted disproportionately, it was always entirely his fault. His brother, and his friends, always got off scott free, While Loki was harshly punished, no matter what they had done to provoke him.

His treatment during his youth made more sense now that he knew what he was. Why his brother had always been praised. Where Loki himself brought nothing, but shame in their father's eyes... mother's eyes, however, were filled with love when she looked at him. She really never did care what he was. To her she was her son... truthfully Loki worried what she thought of him now.

"What's with that face?" Wally demanded.

"Eh?" Loki blinked and realized his face had transformed from a glare to near tears. "N-nothing," he lied, retreating to the persona he had adopted. Perhaps a bit of truth would help that image? "J-just thinking about my mom."

Wally looked shocked for a moment, followed by an obvious uneasiness. Loki didn't really understand why. The lie he told was that she was dead. Mortals die, it's what they do, yet they seemed so uncomfortable at the thought.

Wally opened his mouth to say something, presumably comforting by his body language and facial expression, but he closed his mouth again and just let them stand in awkward silence until the others came.

Loki looked around the empty lair. "Where is everyone?"

"They'll be here soon," Wally shrugged. "Give them a break, it's Sunday. I'd still be in bed, if Flash didn't have to go buy furniture for your room."

Loki scoffed before muttering, "He wouldn't of had to buy anything if he let me keep my stuff."

Suddenly the computer came to life, as the portal of light reopened to bring someone else into the base. "Recognized: Robin. Recognized: Nightwing. Recognized: Bat-lad." three deceptively skinny boys stepped into the large room.

The two teenagers were tall for their age, one 15 while the other was 17. While the final boy was only 12, and short even for his age. They reeked of unholy magic, that gave their pale corpses an echo of life. They were vampires, most likely turned by Batman. They were all wearing sunglasses to spare their eyes the pain of light. So they were, obviously, more sensitive to it.

"Hey Wally," the middle child (Robin) smiled. Then immediately preformed some ritualistic handshake with the ginger. Loki recognized it as a "Secret Handshake", from the television. If that box was to be believed, it was a ritual Midgardian youths preformed with their closest friend. Each ritual was unique based on the kids.

The oldest patiently waited for them to finish, before asking, "This a new recruit?"

"This is Jivin," Wally introduced. "He's another 'magic user'." his use of air quotes caused Loki to retaliate. By subtly turning the ginger's hair to hot pink.

Loki had learned males of this realm believed that color to be largely feminine, and shameful for them to wear... Loki learned this by acquiring himself a pink shirt, with a Pegasus printed on it, and getting teased relentlessly by other males of his age bracket, when he wore it.

On Asgard, Pegasi were seen as majestic powerful companions to a warrior, but here they were seen as something out of a little girl's fantasy. Obviously these idiots had never actually seen a Pegasus, or they would not hold such an opinion. Still it was just a bit of culture clash he'd have to look out for.

The Bat children smiled and didn't alert Wally to the change at all, clearly wanting everyone to see the prank. It was just a minor one after all, no harm in that.

Loki made small talk with them for a bit, and learn they were the wards of Batman... most of them in some crisis, when Batman saved them and took them in...

Nightwing (who let them call him "Dick" but refused to say his last name) confessed to having lived with Batman for many years, before stealing his blood to turn himself... bit extreme to become a vampire, but the boy became rebellious and impatient...which was all heightened after he was turned. So he was a bit out of control those first couple of years.

Jason (The Middle child and current Robin), said Batman didn't actually turn him. Rather the dark knight had saved him from the crime lord that had. He was turned by a small coven of child vampires that ran their own little gang, boosting cars and wallets and anything else they could find.

He said they were basically reenacting "Oliver Twist", whatever that was, but with Vampire kids. Batman helped him get out of the gang, and took him in. Nightwing gave the boy his blessing to take up his old mantel of "Robin".

He'd died a few years ago, but was resurrected last week. And helped Batman tame Joker junior.

The youngest was the victim of a mugging, that cost him both his parents lives, and left him brain damaged and catatonic. But Batman healed him by turning him.

He was later tortured into insanity by the Joker. And now had to wear an enchanted cowl, just to keep his own Joker impulses under control... The bat coven really did seem like it been through it's share of tragedies... but were slowly healing.