Voodoo Magic~ A Young Justice Story

Prologue

♤3rd Person PoV♧

Sloane Decker was a lot of things. Growing up in the back streets of New Orlean she learned her grandmother's trade at an early age. Her grandmother and many others in Sloane's Community practiced witchcraft and magic. Sloane was told by many people in the Community that she had a natural affinity for what people called the "Devil's Craft".

Sloane's grandmother worked as the local healer, but Sloane never had any interest in doing the same. While she learned her grandmother's craft, she also studied under other magic users. She learned healing spells, potion-making, conjuring, divination/scrying, and a few others, but it wasn't until she learned voodoo and necromancy from the local witch doctor that she found her calling.

Until her 12th birthday, Sloane apprenticed under the witch doctor; mostly helping during Samhain, a holiday for remembering the dead, which thankfully aligned with the non magic holiday of Halloween and the magic and non magic Dia de Los Muertos. The veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead thinned leading up to Samhain, so Sloane, as a necromancer, could easily guide spirits to their loved ones.

With her mother passing away when Slone was barely a year old and her father wanting Slone to be raised amongst people with similar powers, Slone's grandmother raised her until her father gained custody of Slone around her 12th birthday. Necromancy allowed Slone to still have a relationship with her mother, or rather her mother's spirit, and technology kept her father in touch though he and his adoptive son/ward were typically too busy for anything more than a few minutes on the phone.

Her father took Slone into his custody a few months shy of her birthday but waited until then to take her back to his home in Gotham. He and his ward/son arrived at Sloane's house just in time for her birthday party.  When the two ran the door bell, the middle-aged man and a boy her around her were they last two people Sloane would expect to see when she opened the door.

Both wore a button-up with khaki slacks and black dress shoes, well dressed compared to Sloane's current and usual outfit of combat boots, cut-offs, a old graphic shirt, a black wide-brim hat, and a random assortment of black and green jewelry pieces. The two guys stood out compared to most in the Community, where the women mostly wore loose, long, colorful, and flowy clothes and jewelry prices, the men wore dark boots, black pants, and long dark shirts.

"Can I help you?" Sloane asked after staring at the two for a minute.

"Yes. Is Avalon Decker here?" The man replied after also staring. This was his daughter? He wasn't shocked at how she looked; almost exactly like her mother, but with his hair, eyes, his tan skin and some of his height. Sloane's mother, Aneira, was barely 5ft tall, yet Sloane was easily 5'7" or 5'8" at only 12 years old. Bruce could tell she would easily be around 6ft by the time she stopped growing. Compared to Dick's small stature, Sloane was almost a giant.

"Sloane? Is that Nathaniel?" Called Avalon from inside the house. Nathaniel was Sloane's mentor and older brother figure.

"No grandmother. It's uh... What did you say your names were?" Sloane turned to the two guests.

"Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson," Dick answered. Sloane repeated this to Avalon.

"Well don't just stand there, let them in!" Sloane stepped aside and led them into the small, but still grand house. Once inside, they walked into the kitchen/dinning room where an older lady was stirring a large pot, while a younger couple made burgers and a twenty-something lady was talking to them. Sloane introduced Bruce and Dick to the older lady, who they learned was Avalon.

"Bruce, we need to talk. Mathias finish those burgers and take them out to your father to cook, Evangeline stir the gumbo until it simmers than also take it out back." Avalon directed the couple, before her and Bruce started to leave the room to talk. "Sloane, why don't you introduce Dick to everyone out back?"