Work Text:
Vigilante ducked under a car and watched the laser blast pass by. He prepared to sneak out the other side to get off a few shots when, to his annoyance, the car above him was lifted off the ground. Removing one of his revolvers from its holster, he got off three shots. The car began falling back towards him. He rolled to one side and covered his face. A tire rolled into his legs before toppling over on its side.
He let out a quick sigh of relief before he heard someone shout, "Vigilante, watch out!"
The cowboy spun around on one knee and once again drew his revolver. The full body of a car was already coming his way. Next thing he knew, someone had hold of him and was whisking him off to safety. He looked over his shoulder. "Sure do appreciate the save, ma'am."
Hawkgirl laughed. "No problem, cowboy, but maybe keep an eye open next time."
He grinned under his bandana. "Now that's what you're here for ain't it?"
"Whatever makes you feel better, cowboy." Hawkgirl flew down and dropped him safely on the ground. He watched her brandish her mace moments later, ready to deliver what was sure to be a dazing blow to Solomon Grundy.
Vigilante sighed. "What I wouldn't give ta fight a normal human again. No zombies, or livin' weapons, or ladies with laser beams."
Another blast of pink laser-light streaked across his path. He shook his head and jogged back into the battle.
The mission had seemed simple. At first, the League was just called in to stop Solomon Grundy. He was going on a rampage for unknown reasons in downtown Central City and he needed to be stopped. Then Star Sapphire came along. For some reason, Grundy attacked his old partner-in-crime and the two started going at it until they noticed the Justice League members. Star Sapphire - being the brains of the operation - had convinced Solomon Grundy that his problems would be solved by laying out this batch of Leaguers. Grundy seemed to agree, because he'd been going all out ever since.
Vigilante liked it better when Grundy was fighting Star Sapphire and ignoring them.
"Hey!" Stargirl snapped to Vigilante's right. He took a quick peek and found that Star Sapphire was attempting to take the girl's staff. Stargirl was doing her best to keep hold of the staff, but it looked like Sapphire would be the winner. Unless someone intervened, anyway.
The cowboy spun a revolver on his index finger, then aimed at Star Sapphire's hand. He was sure it wouldn't hurt her. He pulled the trigger.
Star Sapphire recoiled, losing concentration. Stargirl's staff clattered to the ground. Vigilante grabbed his lasso and prepared to catch Star Sapphire. He swung it around once, twice, three times, then flung it toward the hovering ring-bearer. It landed right over her head and he tightened it around her shoulders. He held tight with both hands while she struggled to free herself. It wasn't an easy feat to pull Star Sapphire down, but he managed somehow.
Just as Vigilante finished dragging Star Sapphire out of the sky, Hawkgirl pulled a trump card and simply convinced Grundy to calm down. Who knew! She promised to take him to see Dr. Fate if he would be patient for a moment and he actually agreed!
Hawkgirl walked over to the rest of the team. "Alright, good work everyone." She addressed Captain Atom. "Can you escort Star Sapphire to the authorities?"
He nodded, so Vigilante handed the rope over.
"Good. It looks like we're done down here, so everyone else is dismissed. I'll see you back on the Watchtower."
Hawkgirl returned to Grundy. Captain Atom took care of Star Sapphire. That left the rest of the team with the Javelin and orders to return to the Watchtower. They had landed the Javelin a street over so that it didn't get damaged by Grundy's rampage. Thankfully, there had been an abandoned lot and they hadn't had to land it on top of a building or something. Vigilante can only imagine how annoying it would be to sit in an elevator or scale multiple flights of stairs to reach the plane.
Stargirl jogged up next to him, clutching her staff tightly. "Thanks for helping me get my staff back, Vigilante."
The only indication that he was smiling at her was a light in his eyes and a slight movement in his bandana. "Glad ta be of service, darlin'."
She smiled again before jogging off to catch up with one of the other young heroes.
Vigilante rolled his shoulder, trying to get a kink out of it. "I might be gettin' too old fer this," he mumbled to himself.
The flight back to the Watchtower seemed unproductive and was not stimulating in the slightest. Vig only remembers cleaning his revolvers. He doesn't even remember anyone talking, though he was sure at least the younger heroes had been talking. He hadn't yet seen them go on a mission where they wouldn't talk afterwards.
Batman waited at the bottom of the Javelin's ramp. The returning heroes lined up, one by one, as they came down. No one knew what he was doing there. It was very unusual for them to be met like this.
Finally, Vigilante moseyed into the hangar. He, too, froze when he saw Batman.
"Vigilante, I have another mission for you." Batman's tone was succinct. He turned and walked away, expecting the cowboy to follow.
Vigilante exchanged some awkward glances with his teammates before jogging to catch up with the Batman. "What can I do ya for, Batman?" he asked when he finally matched pace with the Dark Knight.
"There has been a magical disturbance in downtown Gotham. Some artifacts were stolen from the museum and we need to get them back. We don't have any suspects so far, but we do have a trail to follow. I am heading up a team to track down and stop the thief."
Magic. Vigilante hated magic. There were only a few things on his hate list from this planet, and magic was at the top. And yes, he had a hate list - well, a couple hate lists. He had a specific one for earth, where magic sat at the top. Then he had a generalized one for the galaxy where magic was trumped by one thing: Thanagarians. Right below magic on both lists were people who disrespected Clint Eastwood. Sometimes that grouping even included his best friend.
"Vigilante, are you paying attention?"
Batman's gravelly voice shocked Vigilante out of his thoughts.
"Sorry, I think my thoughts trailed off. Care ta run that by me again?"
Batman stared at him for a moment, trying to discern whether or not the cowboy was well. "I was saying this team will be a four-man team. I will head the investigation while you, Shining Knight, and a friend of mine track the thief."
"Friend o' yours, huh? Bet he's a real hoot."
He chuckled nervously when Batman glared at him. "Heh, sorry."
"No matter. Shining Knight is already waiting for us at the teleporter. We will teleport down to the college in Gotham where we will meet our final member."
Vigilante nodded.
The rest of the walk was in silence. When Shining Knight saw them, he cast a pitying look Vigilante's way. No one would have envied walking with Batman all the way from the hangar. The Dark Knight was always so intense.
Batman and Vigilante took positions on the teleporter. He gave a quick nod to Martian Manhunter, who stood at the controls, then they disappeared in a blue light. They rematerialized seconds later outside Gotham University.
Batman handed Vigilante a piece of paper, since Vigilante was the closest of the two heroes to him. "I want you two to talk to Professor Cunnings. I asked him to stay late for League purposes. He should still be inside. He'll tell you where my friend is staying and if he's currently there or not."
"And what of you?" Shining Knight asked, looking over Vigilante's shoulder at the paper. "What will you be doing?"
"Like I told Vigilante, I will be investigating. The thief wanted these artifacts for a reason and I plan to find out what that is. I wrote the number to my direct line on the bottom of that paper, so don't throw it away. The man who will be joining you has my number as well." Batman had pressed a button on his belt while he was talking. As he finished what he was saying, the Batmobile rolled to a stop on the street behind him. He entered it and drove off without another word.
"Is it jus' me or is he bein' a bit more cryptic than usual?" Vigilante asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nay, I noticed that as well. There is something he has refused to tell us."
"Think we should be worried?"
Shining Knight seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I believe Batman would not keep something dangerous from us."
Vigilante nodded. "Guess yer right, partner. Now, what d'ya reckon we go an' meet this Professor Cunnin's?"
The two Justice League members walked boldly into the college. On a normal day they would seem out of place, in their strange, colorful garb. Tonight they seem downright otherworldly. The halls were empty. No sound escaped the place, except for where Shining Knight and Vigilante stepped. As far as they and the building were concerned, none of them were anywhere on earth anymore. Vigilante would liken this to an episode of the Twilight Zone if asked.
In fact, he'd come to Gotham for quite a few concerts as alter-ego Greg Saunders, country singing sensation, and it always seemed like he was on a different planet. The people were great. They were surprisingly lively for their dreary surroundings. He had no issues with the people. He'd even had dinner with Bruce Wayne once or twice. His issue was with the city landscape itself. It was so dark and smoky or foggy all the time. It seemed a little damp more often than not as well. Very much unlike the place he was born and raised, where the only time the sun wasn't shining was the time between when one closed his eyes for sleep at night, and opened his eyes in the morning.
The dark halls seemed to stretch on forever, until they finally reached a classroom that had the professor's name on the door. Vigilante had to take a second look because they passed it first.
"Hey, Sir Justin, he's in here."
Sir Justin, a.k.a. Shining Knight, stopped and looked at his friend. "How do you know this?"
"Well I spent a fair amount o' time in a public school myself, Sir Justin." He motioned to the stickered letters on the window. "Plus, I can read."
The knight nodded. That was a fair assessment. He had found that many individuals in this age were taught to read, not just scribes, priests, and nobles. Sir Justin approached his friend while the cowboy opened the door and walked into the room.
Inside were rows of desks with a large desk at the front. Sitting at the large desk was an old man. On the other side of him was… Sir Justin couldn't believe it. "Jason Blood?!"
The younger man jumped to his feet, while the older man simply looked at the two heroes.
"Nay, you must be some- some facsimile! Or perhaps a descendant!"
Vigilante looked back at his partner, then pointed at the younger man. "You know him?"
"Sir Justin? What are you doing here?" Jason Blood asked.
The old man, Professor Cunnings, looked confused. "You know the superhero, Jason?"
"Then it is you!" Sir Justin gasped.
Jason and Sir Justin stared at each other for a moment. Then, to Vigilante's and Professor Cunnings' surprise, Sir Justin surged forward and tackled Jason.
"You traitorous cur! You allowed Camelot to fall for what? Long life?! What deal did you make with the sorceress?"
Professor Cunnings stood and backed into the blackboard to avoid the fight. Jason managed to get Sir Justin off of him with a strong right hook to the jaw. As Sir Justin stumbled back toward Vig, the cowboy grabbed him.
"Hey, now, calm down, partner. Don't know what's goin' on with you pickin' a fight like this, but we got a job ta do."
Sir Justin was fighting Vigilante until he pointed out that they still had a job to do. He calmed down enough that Vig decided to let him go. Once free, he adjusted his helmet and the fabric over his armor with a harumph. He turned to the professor. "We were sent by Batman to retrieve his ally. May you tell us where the man or woman is, that we may go get him or her?"
Professor Cunnings cast a quick glance toward Jason Blood as the young man stood and straightened his suit. Sir Justin assumed he was checking on his colleague, though he wasn't sure how anyone could call Jason a colleague after what he'd done to Camelot. Vigilante, on the other hand, immediately understood. He sighed and rubbed a gloved hand down his face.
Jason understood as well. "I am Batman's ally." Sir Justin looked at Jason and narrowed his eyes. "Professor Cunnings believed Batman wanted me here when you arrived, so he called me."
Sir Justin's lips curled into a sneer. Vigilante couldn't remember ever seeing the knight so hateful towards someone. Sure, he could be neutral, maybe a little spiteful, but he was never downright hateful.
"I suppose it is just as well," Sir Justin hissed, "it will be easier to ensure you do not ruin this world."
"If I wished to destroy this world, do you really believe I would have waited so long?"
"The mind of a traitor is not one I wish to understand."
"Okay okay, that's enough outta you two." Vigilante stepped toward Professor Cunnings. "Professor, I'm Vigilante. I was sent by Batman with my partner Shinin' Knight. Do you happen ta have any info on these here relic thieves we're after?"
The old man loosened up a little. "No, I only know what items were stolen. I wish I could be more helpful."
"That's alright. It would be right helpful if you could tell us what was stolen."
He returned to his desk and started shuffling around in the papers. "I have a list somewhere. Although, I must admit, it was just for my own curiosity. I thought Batman would have told you what was stolen during your mission briefing." He looked up. "Do you have mission briefings?"
Vigilante shrugged. "Sometimes. But Batman ain't a talkative one, so he didn't tell us much."
Professor Cunnings nodded and continued looking for his list.
Vigilante looked back at Sir Justin and Jason. They had struck up a conversation, to the cowboy's surprise.
"And what do you do here?" Sir Justin was asking.
"I don't work here, but sometimes I will come and give a talk on my subject of study. I am a researcher. I write papers and work at the museum," Jason explained. "And what of you? Clearly you joined the Justice League."
"Yes," Shining Knight nodded. "Winged Victory and I have joined the Justice League to assist in protecting this world, much like I swore to do for Camelot once."
"Your steed is here as well?"
Vigilante shook his head. He just didn't understand. What were they to each other? Old enemies? Or old friends? Well, to him, they were just old annoyances. All this back-and-forth was getting on his nerves.
"You 'bout done there, partner?" Vigilante tucked his thumbs between his belt and pants as he turned back to the old man.
"Oh, here it is." The old man finally pulled a yellow paper out from under some of the other paperwork. He held it out to Vigilante.
Vigilante took it and looked it over.
Shining Knight and Jason Blood were intrigued. "What does it say, Vigilante?" Shining Knight asked.
"Well, it's a list o' the things that were taken. Let's see here…" He squinted at the words. Were these real names? "The thieves stole themselves the Lamp o' Grace, the Disc o' Misfortune, le Mir- le Miroi-" He was struggling with the third one on the list.
Jason must have become impatient because he snatched the paper from Vigilante's hand.
"The third'n."
"Le Miroir d' Abolition." Jason cast a disapproving glance at the cowboy before continuing. "They also took le Gant de Ruine, a piece of the Pillar of Revival, and Death's Lamp."
Sir Justin reached for the paper now. "You need not be so rude, Jason. Or did Morgaine le Fey remove your manners as well as your loyalty?"
He grabbed it to take it, but Jason didn't let go. The paper tore in half. The two men each stared at the torn half in their hands. Vigilante just sighed.
"My apologies, Vigilante," Sir Justin said, raising his eyes to meet Vig's.
"I ain't the one you ripped the paper from!" Vig threw his hands out in exasperation.
Shining Knight looked at Jason, and quickly looked away. No apology was uttered.
Jason harumphed. He handed Vigilante his half of the paper. "None of the relics' names have been deformed. We are still going to be able to use this list," -he cast a sideways glance at Sir Justin- "if someone will provide the other half of the note."
"Gladly," Sir Justin hissed, handing Vigilante the other half of paper.
Vigilante turned to the other adult in the room. "You got some tape or somethin'?"
Professor Cunnings quickly shut a drawer in his desk. He shook his head.
"It's clear ya do."
"I need it here."
Vig rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, partner." Looking at the others he motioned for them to follow him. "Let's get goin'. Got a thief ta catch."
The walk back down the hall was also eerily quiet. It would also be more comical if Vigilante saw it in a sitcom. He could feel the unspoken enmity between the two individuals behind him, and the fact that they were probably making faces at each other behind his back like toddlers didn't escape his notice. Vigilante started to wonder how Batman kept a straight face with all these jokers in Gotham.
Vigilante deflated when they made it outside. He stared ahead, as if his car had been stolen.
Sir Justin and Jason looked at him, then followed his line of sight.
"Friend, what is wrong?" Sir Justin asked.
"Well, y'see," Vigilante started, "in our haste ta get down here, Batman fergot ta leave us with any transportation. No flyin' horse an' no motorcycle."
Sir Justin deflated too. How could they have forgotten such an important thing?
Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. "Then it is a good thing that I am here," -Vigilante didn't miss the smug look he cast at Sir Justin- "my car is parked in the parking lot around back. We can take it."
Upon finding Jason's car, he slid into the driver's seat. Vigilante was about to get in the passenger seat when Sir Justin walked over and placed his hand on the door.
"Please, friend, allow me to sit up here in case of treachery. You will have a better chance of escaping if you are not beside him."
Vigilante shrugged. He wasn't about to argue with the knight, but he still didn't understand what was so untrustworthy about the guy.
Sir Justin removed his helmet before sliding into the passenger seat. Vigilante took his hat off as he ducked into the back. Once the doors were closed and the car was on, Vigilante found it a bit stuffy. He reached up to pull his bandana down. He didn't think there would be an issue since this was one of Batman's friends. He had a feeling Batman didn't choose his friends lightly either.
"Vigilante, I would not advise that," Sir Justin told him. "You would be supplying this traitor with the knowledge he would need to hurt you and your loved ones."
"Do what you wish," Jason said, adjusting the rear view mirror to see Vig, "By my word, your secret is safe."
"You say that as if it means something."
Vig pulled the bandana down, causing his friend to gape at him. "I know you're jus' lookin' out fer me, but this is better'n me bein' smothered."
Sir Justin clenched his jaw. "I suppose."
"You look like that singer, Gregory Saunders," Jason commented.
"You've heard my music?"
"It isn't to my tastes."
"Right, I suppose Gregorian chants are more to yer likin'."
Jason glared at him while Sir Justin raised an eyebrow.
"I wrote a ballad once too. That may be more up yer alley. It's 'bout our mutual friend."
Jason and Sir Justin spoke simultaneously, "You wrote a ballad about Batman?"
"Yessiree." Greg was proud of himself. "An' maybe I'll sing it for y'all when the mission's over." It was meant to be a slight reminder, but it startled Jason.
"Right. The mission." Jason faced forward and put his car into gear. "We are aware that the thief took all these items just outside of Gotham, to a location that is sometimes used for a medieval reenactment. Clearly, the individual is someone who-"
Sir Justin cut him off. "Nay, we are not to speculate on the identity of our thief. Batman is the one doing the investigation. We are simply supposed to keep track of the knave."
Vigilante pulled up the three pieces of paper he had as the conversation up front continued.
"I haven't heard that slander in some time," Jason was saying.
"I refuse to believe you have never once been called a knave."
"I am no knave."
"You say so, but only a knave would betray Camelot."
"I understand I made a mistake, Sir Justin, but I do not appreciate you bringing it up every second. Are you ever going to leave it alone?"
"I had - then I found out you live, while Camelot is gone." Sir Justin narrowed his eyes at the driver.
"Would you condemn King Arthur, or Ceasar, or Tutankhamun, had they lived after their civilizations fell?"
"I would condemn them all, had they betrayed their own people - even King Arthur himself. It is not a light matter to betray the trust of people one swore to love."
"'Swore to love'?" Jason scoffed. "No, I swore to protect them, to serve them-"
"Is that not what love is?"
"Not in my experience, Sir Justin."
~0~
"Coffee, Master Bruce?" Alfred Pennyworth set a tray down on the table next to the BatComputer.
Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne, was sitting at the computer, examining the screen. He didn't look away from the screen. "Thanks, Alfred."
"Careful, sir, it's still quite hot." Alfred carefully handed a saucer with a steaming cup of coffee on top to Bruce.
Bruce drew his eyes away from the screen long enough to grab the cup and saucer. Then his attention returned to the task at hand.
"A penny for your thoughts?"
Finally, Bruce managed to pull himself from the screen to look at Alfred. "What?"
"You have been staring at that screen rather intently for some time, sir."
"Only since I got back."
"Care to talk about it?"
Bruce rubbed his chin. "It's about these thefts."
"The artifacts stolen from the museum?"
"Yes. I've been looking into their history, and even through spells that they could be used in, but none of it makes sense."
"How so?"
"Two of the six artifacts stolen are specifically used in spells that cause death. Three of the others were historically used for curses. The final one has a few different applications, from what I can tell."
Alfred raised his eyebrow, looking at Bruce. "What would someone want with those items when they have such different applications?"
"I'm not sure." Bruce leaned into his desk, resting his elbows on the top and folding his hands. He let out an exasperated sigh as he leaned back into his chair. "I think I'm going to have to get some information from Dr. Fate or Zatanna."
"Undoubtedly, sir. I am sure they know these things better than any archeologist or historian."
"Undoubtedly."
Bruce reached for his business phone. He had three calls to make. He wanted to talk with Dr. Fate and Zatanna both, in case one knew something the other didn't, but he also wanted to call and check in on the field team. It wasn't ideal to put Shining Knight on a team with Jason, considering what happened in Camelot, yet no one else who had magical expertise was free when he was assembling his team.
Diana was off-planet with Wally. Shayera hadn't returned with the rest of her team, so he assumed she was with Grundy. Vixen did have a magical amulet but he was sure she hadn't spent enough time around mystical events as a hero. He could have easily asked the Amazons. Then again, he couldn't have, because of their "No Men" policy. Anyone else he knew that would suit the role were either not part of the League (as in the case of Jason and another man, Constantine), or were supervillains (like Talia Al Ghoul).
He should have called Constantine. He could have, but last he checked the man wasn't really in this dimension. Nasty business with some demon named Trigon - from what Bruce could understand. It was just as well. Vigilante was brought along for the specific reason of keeping things civil between Shining Knight and Jason. He would check in on him after his first two calls.
~0~
"You have brought us to the middle of nowhere!" Sir Justin snapped.
"I brought you where I said I would," Jason growled back. "They usually do not tear down the fairgrounds."
Vigilante looked around the barren area. There was grass - well, he thought there was grass. It was pretty dark and he was starting to get sleepy. His eyes could be playing tricks on him. He already had one question for Batman because of a trick of the eyes. "Why don't you two stop quarrelin' and take a looksee around these here parts. The faster we cross this off o' the list, the faster we can move along."
"It is fairly easy to tell there is no one here," Jason commented.
He and Sir Justin watched Vigilante as the cowboy walked slowly around the area.
"I hate to agree with him," Sir Justin said reluctantly, "but it appears he is correct. There is nowhere for someone to hide, thus it is easy to see there is no one here."
Greg dragged his feet along the ground to see if they hit anything. It took a few seconds of ignoring his two allies before he found something. He squinted to see the object laying in the grass.
"Well, someone was here." Greg squatted and grabbed the item off the ground.
Shining Knight and Jason looked over to see what he meant.
As soon as Jason saw what Greg picked up, he yelled, "No! Put that down!"
Shining Knight quickly grabbed Jason. "Run, friend!" Of course, he assumed Jason wanted the item for himself. Greg took a couple steps away from them before realizing it was probably just another one of their arguments.
"Don't scare me like that, partner!" Vigilante chided Shining Knight.
Jason still struggled against Sir Justin's hold. "Put it down, Vigilante! That's the Dis-"
Both men-out-of-time stopped and stared in horror and awe at something behind Vigilante. He felt a rush of hot air against his back. It felt sort of nice, but it was definitely unexpected.
"It's what now?"
Neither man replied.
Vigilante turned around to see what had them so fixed, and then he deflated. "Lemme guess on that. This here," -he lifted the item- "is the Disc o' Misfortune."
A demon took one step toward Vigilante. It stood about eight feet tall and had skin that was red as blood. Two voracious hounds walked alongside it - one at its right heel and the other at its left heel. The creature looked down at Vigilante as he looked up at it.
"Well now," Vigilante laughed awkwardly, stumbling back a few steps, "this is a mighty fine situation we done found ourselves in." He motioned over his shoulder at his companions. "What's say you an' I come to an understandin'? I already got enough misfortune bein' partnered with them two, so how's about you jus' go back where ya come from? We won't cause ya no trouble."
"That is the hound-master of Hades," Jason informed him. "He doesn't care about your misfortune."
The demon lifted one long, lanky hand and pointed a bony finger at Vigilante. The dogs began stalking toward him. One finally lunged at him.
Shining Knight jumped into action. Drawing his sword, he charged the second dog before it could flank Vigilante. The cowboy rolled out of the way of the first dog's attack. He got a running start while the hound tried to stop itself from skidding.
Once the hound had control of itself, it opened its jaw wide. Hot blue flames poured out into the air.
Vigilante nearly got singed at one point. He managed to sidestep the flames but he still felt the heat against his face. "Too close!"
Shining Knight held Excalibur's hilt with his right hand and held his left against the flat of the blade. He was locked into combat with the second hound. It kept trying to reach Shining Knight with its jagged claws. He would push Excalibur's blade into the creature's chest whenever it tried closing the distance.
Jason retreated to the passenger door of his car, where he had a clear view of what was going on. Vigilante was still doing all he could to just avoid the first hound's fire. He wasn't even being given the chance to let off some shots. Shining Knight was successfully holding off the second hound which, Jason knew, was not an easy feat. What concerned him the most was Hades' hound-master. The demon was clearly drawn to whatever energy was radiating from the Disc of Misfortune, which meant it was drawn to Vigilante. It wanted that power and, as far as Jason knew, Vigilante had no magical prowess to speak of. That meant he wouldn't be able to put up a fight.
He had hoped to avoid this tonight, but clearly it couldn't be helped.
"Jason! Why do you just stand by?!" Shining Knight had spotted Jason's reluctance. He knew it was a bad idea to trust this man.
Jason closed his eyes. "Gone gone, the form of man. Rise the demon, Etrigan!"
The form of Jason Blood disappeared before Shining Knight's eyes. In its place rose a fiery demon with pale skin and red eyes. This was the demon Etrigan.
Etrigan charged and tackled the first hound. Vigilante turned at the squealing of the hound during the fight. When he caught a glimpse of Etrigan, he had one thing to say: "Well now we got ourselves a right proper cast for our own reenactment o' The Good, the Bad, an' the Ugly."
Shining Knight thrust the second hound away from him once more. "Is that another of your Eastwood movies?"
"Yes sirree, an' I think we all should watch it when we're done here."
"Watch yourself!" Etrigan jumped back from the first hound. He quickly turned and sent a fireball flying toward Vigilante.
Shining Knight brandished his sword and charged Etrigan with shouts of, "You traitor! You have not changed!"
Vigilante was hit by another gust of hot air as Etrigan's fireball collided with a fire blast sent from the hound-master of Hades. He quickly grabbed his hat when it almost flew off his head.
Etrigan appeared as the smoke cleared. He got right in Vigilante's face and motioned to the Disc of Misfortune. "Why do you still have that thing?!" He knocked it to the ground.
Suddenly all the smoke, both hounds, and their master disappeared from the area. All three heroes were confused.
Vigilante put a finger up, "Hold that thought." He knelt down and touched the disc.
Everything came back. He removed his hand from it and everything disappeared again.
"Huh." He reached out to it once more, only to have Etrigan grab his wrist.
"Don't touch it."
The cowboy's bandana hid his frown from the demon.
Shining Knight slowly sheathed his sword, unsure if the battle was over. He approached the other two.
Etrigan sniffed Vigilante. He reeled back and scrunched up his nose. "A normal human? I'm surprised you're not dead yet."
"Hey now!"
"Mind your tongue," Shining Knight ordered.
Etrigan took a whiff of the air around the knight. "At least you have some magic with you. But I like you, so you can stay."
Vigilante glared at Etrigan, standing up.
"And what would cause such a shift from moments ago?" Shining Knight folded his arms.
"I am Etrigan. Jason is a fool."
Somehow that explained everything for the knight. He dropped his arms and seemed downright happy about that reply. "Finally, someone I can agree with."
Vigilante backhanded his friend. "Listen here, uh, I didn't catch yer name?"
Etrigan glared at Vigilante.
"Okay. Well, we need Jason Blood. Where'd he get off to?"
The demon picked Vigilante up off the ground and moved him forward a step. "Stand here, little man."
Vigilante would have laughed if he wasn't literally being lifted into the air like a pillow by the little troll. The hound-master and its hounds reappeared when Vigilante was back on the ground. He looked down to find that he'd been placed on the disc.
"This is why Batman had us join you," Etrigan sneered, cracking his knuckles, "not for Blood, but for me."
Etrigan charged back into the fray. He was easily dispatching the hounds, but when the hound-master was taking aim again, he called on Shining Knight for assistance in distracting the other demon. Shining Knight repeated the instruction for Vigilante before unsheathing Excalibur.
It took only a few moments. Vigilante was in awe, but he couldn't show it. He was too mad that they'd just used him to activate the disc when they didn't even need to.
"Hey, I got a question."
Etrigan and Shining Knight looked at him while Etrigan dusted his hands off.
"Why didn't we jus' not touch the disc again? Coulda left it well enough alone and not dealt with those things in the first place."
"And where's the fun in that?" Etrigan chuckled.
Vigilante's phone started ringing. He sighed. Pulling it from his pocket, he found there was no caller ID. He answered it. "Howdy."
"Vigilante, have you found the thief yet?" It was Batman.
"Not quite, no, sir."
"Let me speak with Jason."
Vigilante looked at Etrigan. "Uh, he ain't really himself right now."
"Let me speak with Etrigan."
The cowboy held the phone out. "It's Batman. He wants to talk to ya."
Etrigan took the phone and gave a very gruff greeting.
"Sorry, Etrigan, but I need Jason right now. Gone gone, O Etrigan. Rise again the form of man."
Another blast of fire surrounded the demon, and in his place stood Jason.
Shining Knight's mood deflated.
"Jason, are you there?"
"Batman? What do you need?" Jason asked.
"I think I know what the thief is planning. Tell me, what do you know about the Lamp of Grace?"
Jason began to tell Batman what he knew as he walked around to the driver's side of his car.
Vigilante took a step off the Disc of Misfortune, causing the three demon-creatures to disappear. Shining Knight cleaned his sword on the grass.
"You seemed ta get along with whatshisname," Vigilante commented.
"Quite," his friend agreed. "It is telling of a man when even a creature with such hatred can agree with another because of him."
"I don't follow."
Shining Knight stood, sheathing Excalibur. "Do not worry about it, friend."
They stood in silence until Jason returned and passed the phone back to Vigilante.
"So you met Etrigan," Jason noted.
"Yes. He agrees that you should not have betrayed Camelot for a woman."
Jason grit his teeth. "Clearly I have received my punishment! I must be bound to the demon for eternity! Isn't that punishment enough?! I do not need your lectures."
Vigilante whistled, then mumbled to himself and, accidentally, to Batman. "My punishment seems ta be jus' startin'."
"What was that?"
"Nothin'. What'd ya need ta say?"
"The paper I gave you, did you read it?"
"Yeah. You sure 'bout that?"
"I am. How far away are you?"
"Dunno. Took us 'bout twenty minutes ta get out here."
"Then I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."
"Hey, partner," Vigilante turned to Jason, "gimme yer keys."
"Why?" Jason asked.
Sir Justin stiffened. "Do not, Jason. I have seen what he does to modern transportation. Even I would not wish to strand you."
Jason gripped his keys tightly, suddenly unwilling to assist the cowboy.
Vig folded his arms. "You got any o' that super strength an' firepower that other fella had?"
He shook his head.
"Then I suggest ya hand over the keys an' slide on into the back. Both of ya."
While Sir Justin wouldn't strand Jason, it was painfully clear that he wouldn't fight Vigilante to defend him. Jason had already lived a long, painful life, so he knew what was worth getting hurt over. A car wasn't really on the list. He handed the keys over, resigned to the fact he would need to buy a new car.
"There we go. Every'ne in the back seat."
"Why?" Shining Knight asked.
"'Cause y'all got some problems ta deal with," Vigilante snapped before ducking into the driver's seat.
Shining Knight harumphed and climbed into the car behind him. Jason sat on the other side.
"Where are we going, friend?"
"Jus' hold yer horses." Vigilante buckled up. He turned the car on and tossed his hat to the passenger seat. "You'll see in about 20 minutes."
Sir Justin and Jason looked at each other. "Twenty minutes?"
~0~
Batman arrived at their rendezvous point first. He lifted himself out of the Batmobile and moved to the sidewalk.
"Batman to the Watchtower."
"We read you, Batman," Martian Manhunter's voice crackled back.
"Get B'wana Beast and have him bring Shining Knight's horse, I need the horse down here."
"Do you want B'wana Beast as well?"
"No, just the horse."
"Understood."
Batman had arrived about fifteen minutes after his phone call with Vigilante. He was prepared to wait. After some thought, he had decided bringing Winged Victory down may be beneficial. He wasn't quite sure what they would be up against.
Two minutes later the white steed materialized in front of him. Batman surged forward and caught Winged Victory's reigns. He spoke quietly to the horse, calming him down.
About a minute after Winged Victory finally settled down, Jason's car pulled up to the curb behind the Batmobile. Batman and Winged Victory watched as Vigilante stepped out of the driver's door. Shining Knight exited from the door behind him, with Jason exiting the car on the other side.
"I am astonished," Shining Knight was saying to Vigilante, "I have seen you ruin every vehicle you use, yet there is not a single scratch on this one."
"Well, Sir Justin, there's a simple explanation fer that: I get those motorcycles specifically fer fightin' crime. Also, they're motorcycles an' this is a four-wheeled car. An' thirdly, it ain't my car."
"You don't have a car, you have a truck."
Jason, Sir Justin, and Greg looked at Batman. He was still stroking Winged Victory's neck.
"An' there's that. I got a truck." Vigilante walked away from the two old-timers to pet Winged Victory.
"Remarkable."
Jason raised his eyebrow. He turned to Batman. "What have you found? Why are we back here?"
The small group of heroes stood in front of Gotham University once more. It was still as dark and dreary as when they'd left it.
"I wonder, Jason," Batman didn't answer the question, "have Vigilante and Shining Knight met Etrigan yet?"
"Nasty fella," Vigilante shivered.
Simultaneously, Shining Knight said, "He was very helpful."
"Good, then you turning into Etrigan for this won't be a shock to them."
Jason Blood sighed. He hated to do it.
Professor Cunnings was working away, pleasantly distracted by the papers laid out in front of him. He looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight now. Very good. A malicious grin crossed his face.
"You're working rather late, Professor."
The professor jumped when he heard Batman's voice. He shoved the watch back into his pocket and looked up to find four heroes. "Oh, oh," he laughed awkwardly, "you scared me. Did you find the thief? Did you recover the artifacts?"
Vigilante shrugged. "We recovered one o' them artifacts; an' yeah, we found the thief. 'Bout to recover the rest o' them artifacts."
"That's good news! Which one did you recover?"
Batman walked toward the professor while Vigilante continued the conversation. "Got the Disc o' Misfortune. Jus' hasn't been my night."
"Oh, I apologize." He scanned the four people. "I-I thought Jason went with you. Where is he?"
"I ate him," Etrigan sneered.
Shining Knight beamed a little. Vigilante just let out a small, annoyed sigh.
"You-You did? You ate him?" Professor Cunnings' voice was trembling.
Batman was suddenly next to the professor. "It isn't him you should worry about."
The professor's eyes darted to the clock on the wall above the blackboard. "Really? Who-Who should I w-worry about?"
The Dark Knight leaned in so that his face was mere inches from the old man's. "Who do you think?"
The clock chimed. It was 12am.
The professor rifled around in his pocket for a moment before his hand gripped the pocket watch. "I think- I think you should worry about me." His eyes turned a shade of red that would give anyone nightmares. That alone didn't faze the Bat. Instead, the burst of power that shot out from the old man sent Batman flying.
Sir Justin and Etrigan covered their faces. Vigilante held tight to his hat with one hand and protected his face with the other. A flurry of papers was sent in all directions.
"An' I thought fer once I was dealin' with a normal human bein'," Vigilante growled over the gusts.
"Now is no time to mourn this, Vigilante," Shining Knight reminded him. He took a step forward, only to be pushed back two steps.
Professor Cunnings turned to Vigilante. He held up the pocket watch so that the face was aimed at the cowboy. "Now I can rid the world of meta-humans! Starting with you."
A beam of light was sent from the watch. It hit Vigilante head on and made a blue aura surround him. The room became clear as all of the power that was causing such a disturbance was directed at Vigilante.
Shining Knight prepared to run to his friend, but Batman ran over and held him back. Etrigan took one step before the caped crusader ordered him to stay put as well. They watched, helpless, until the blue light disappeared.
Vigilante blinked a couple of times. "What in tarnation was that s'posed ta do?" He looked over his shoulder at his back. "Did I grow wings or a tail or somethin'?"
Professor Cunnings laughed. "No, you fool! I took away your powers! You're no longer a meta-human!"
"I ain't?" Vigilante looked at Batman and Shining Knight. "Should I tell 'im?"
"No," Batman walked toward Professor Cunnings again, "let me."
"Be my guest."
While Professor Cunnings tried his magic trick at least two times on Batman, it didn't stop the hero from knocking him out and taking the enchanted watch. Gotham PD arrived and took the old man into custody. Etrigan was upset that he didn't get to do anything, but he did enjoy watching Batman fight an old man.
Batman gave Jason Blood the watch and any remaining pieces of the artifacts. "I'll leave this with you. I'm sure I can trust you to return these to the museum when Dr. Fate is done."
Jason nodded. He smiled. "Well, Gotham University is back to normal. You noticed that shadow, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"What shadow?" Shining Knight asked. He looked over the university again. "It looks no different than when we first arrived."
Vigilante nodded. "Yeah, what's the big deal? The floors're jus' as black as when we got here."
"No, they aren't. They're really, really dark gray." Batman headed to the Batmobile. "I should know."
"Ooookay." Vigilante decided to change the subject quickly. "Anyone down fer some Clint Eastwood?"
Batman hopped in. He looked at Vigilante, but drove away without replying.
Jason walked to his car, unlocking it with the fob. "I have to bring these pieces to Dr. Fate and see if he can re-forge the missing artifacts. So, I must decline the invitation."
As Jason drove away, Vigilante turned on his heel to look at Sir Justin. "You're my last hope partner."
"I apologize, friend," Shining Knight sighed, twirling a strand of Winged Victory's mane around his finger, "I must attend to Winged Victory."
"Hey, yeah, why'd Batman bring 'im down here anyway?"
Vigilante only got a shrug in response. Then he found himself alone on the sidewalk. He frowned. What should he do? He had no transportation and everyone had just left him. Well, one thing was good, he was glad that Jason and Sir Justin seemed amicable now. They weren't at each other's throats after the second 20 minute drive.
He sighed and contacted the Watchtower. "Hey, anyone up there?"
"I read you, Vigilante," Mr. Terrific was the one whose voice crackled back this time.
"Yeah, can ya beam me up, Scotty?"
There was an audible sigh on the other end. "My name still isn't Scotty."
The blue light of the teleporter surrounded the cowboy.
~0~
Vigilante sank onto the couch and turned on the TV. Except for the light of the TV, the room was completely dark, so he noticed when the door opened. He braced himself against the back of the couch to see who was intruding. The TV illuminated two people once the door closed: Sir Justin and Jason Blood. He followed them as they came around to sit on the couch with him.
"Thought y'all didn't wanna watch a movie?"
Sir Justin Shrugged. "I cannot miss an Eastwood 'film.'"
"An' what about you?" Greg raised an eyebrow at Jason. "Thought Western's weren't yer taste?"
"Country music isn't my taste," Jason corrected.
The door hissed open and closed as one more person joined them. Batman walked over and sat in the armchair next to Vigilante. He removed his gloves, then threw them on the coffee table.
Sir Justin, Greg, and Jason stared at Batman.
"I didn't say I wouldn't come, but I wasn't going to leave the Batmobile out in the open." They held their blank stares, so he motioned to the TV and held his hand out. "Pass the popcorn and start the movie."