Ghost King Meets Batman

Batman Returns... Home

[Edited July 21, 2022]

After dinner, the team and their visiting consultant all went back to the arena area to watch Diana spar with the rest of the team. Everybody had their own strengths and weaknesses, which was to be expected. The problem seemed to be that their styles and levels of mastery varied wildly from one protege to the next. It was apparent to the demigod that these kids hadn't had a lot of organized training and they were suffering for it.

The fact that there was a different mentor for each hero and said mentors were rarely free from their own duties to spend time teaching and training with their sidekicks meant that these kids had to teach themselves most of what they knew. It was a miracle to Nico that more of these heroes didn't end up worm food. He had been trained in a number of different places, and by many different mentors himself and it had taken him a while to catch up to the other demigods when he started spending more time at camp. He couldn't imagine what the group training sessions must look like.

"This isn't much like what you're used to, is it?" Diana came up beside him as he watched Nightwing and Red Robin go at each other in the ring.

"You could say that," Ghost agreed with a grim smile.

"Where did you learn to fight, anyway?" Artemis approached him and handed him a water bottle-- though he had long since stopped sweating, "Hydrate or die-drate" She said in explanation when the son of Hades raised his eyebrow at her. He accepted the bottle.

"I've trained with a lot of different people, but most of what I know now comes from experience," Nico replied vaguely. He didn't want to give them anything that would make them more suspicious of him.

"Experience?" Artemis pressed. Luckily her attention was pulled away by a certain speedster who came up beside her and started talking about school or something of that nature.

"You had better escape while you have the chance," Diana murmured in his ear, "I'll see you back in Gotham, ok?" She returned to the side of the ring and Ghost retreated from the gym unnoticed. He returned to his room and finished the sketch he had started earlier. It took another couple of hours before it looked at least presentable, but he still wasn't happy with it. He would have to do a lot of touch-ups before he would feel comfortable showing anyone. By this time, it was getting really late.

Nico went to sleep that night ready to go back to the manor in the morning. It has been a long week and he was ready to relax. Of course, he hadn't gotten a chance because that night he had the most terrifying dream yet. Ok, it wasn't that scary. The dream wasn't scary in the way that most demigod nightmares were scary, but it was scary in the way that a monster encounter was scary.

It started in Yellowstone National park. The Hunters of Artemis had set up camp in the forested area. Thalia was pacing in front of the fireplace spitting curses that would put a sailor to shame. Her sisters were watching her in wide-eyed confusion, and Artemis herself was watching her lieutenant in concern.

"The boy knows how to take care of himself. I am sure he is fine," the goddess spoke up. Thalia didn't pause for a second.

"I already lost one cousin. I don't want to lose another." Thalia stopped for a moment, staring into the fire. The flames were reflected in her blue eyes. Artemis stood beside her, resting her hand on her' hunter's shoulder. What did that mean? What other cousin did she lose?

"I understand your pain," Artemis nodded. Thalia sank slowly to sit on the ground. She looked worried beyond her years.

"Can you not Iris message the boy?" Pheobe questioned from the other side of the fire.

Thalia shook her head, "If the dream was correct, he was taken by a mortal. I can't risk IMing him. Luckily, he was taken by a specific mortal. One of Gotham's worst villains. Deathstroke." Nico wanted to stick around a little longer and see just what Thalia planned to do, but the dream began fading to black. Then he became aware of someone shaking him and that he was still lying in bed. Time was passing.