The intercom beeped, and Flash's voice came across "Supes, Jason Blood is here to see, you, he said you asked if he could come see you?"
The three of them looked at each other and finally Wonder Woman muttered "It normally takes us days to get people to respond to us, and this time the two we ask are here within minutes, I think I am starting to get worried.
"Um… guys… can I send him up or what?" Came Flash's voice again and the three of them started a little.
"Please do Flash and thank you." Superman's voice responded as they all looked at each other. He spoke again, once the intercom snapped off. "Perhaps this is more serious than we previously supposed. Jason is leery of us on the best days, and Madame Xanadu will rarely help us at all. And now he is here in Watchtower, she offered information for free, and the Stranger even pointed us in the right direction. I dislike having so many out of character things happen at once."
"Indeed." Growled Batman. "Something is going on, and I suspect that we are not going to like the answers we find." He was not happy with this situation, and was growing even more unhappy with all the magic that was being brought to play.
The door slide open with a soft "whoosh" sound, and Jason walked in, smiling a little bit at Batman, nodding to Wonder Woman and Superman. 'You wanted to see me?"
Batman turned looking at him; eyes narrowed "Why did you reply so fast?" The interrogation beginning.
Jason sat down and shrugged "Because Etrigan told me days ago the second you asked to see me, to drop everything and come, and he has been extremely agitated of late, more so every night after the news. The kicker was when he asked nicely, so that was enough to get me up here. He rarely says please." Jason commented wryly. "And anything that gets him that upset makes me more than a bit nervous. I assume it is he you wish to speak with."
"If you would not mind Jason, we do have some questions for him." Superman asked, his blue eyes, on Jason, trying to see if he knew anything.
"I kinda what I had figured you were asking for." Jason stood, slipping off his coat.
"Change, change the form of man.
Free the prince forever damned.
Free the might from fleshy mire.
Boil the blood in heart of fire.
Gone, gone the form of man,
and rise the demon Etrigan!"
Suddenly, where Jason had stood was the demon Etrigan.
"You took so long,
I thought the reason gone.
I speak to you,
of Slayers new."
Batman stood walking towards him, "Then you know why we asked you here, you know about these Slayers?"
Walking, Etrigan thought then turned to the three watching him.
"Slayers risen from mists of time
For unknown reason or rhyme
Along with them come my kin
Death they bring with them.
Here now demons walk the land
Along with Slayers they now stand
Search for one who sees with love
Uses his heart as his glove.
Dimensions far away he does sit
Bemoaning the reality that has hit
Beware those who are tied to him
Love has been twisted violently in them.
Vampires walk once more on earth
Slayers born to kill all demon birth."
The rhyming speak of Etrigan took a minute for them to understand, but when they did Diana gasped. "Vampires are real? They are here?"
Etrigan nodded watching them closely.
"Slayers made to fight the dark
Not to heal or make their mark.
Blood is spilled, blood is drank
More are made added to their rank."
"Can we kill them, do we need the slayers?" Batman demanded.
A bittersweet smile crossed Etrigan's lips.
"Wood pierces the heart of vamp
dust floats in the light of a lamp.
Slayers must kill those of demon kind
Else wise they fester and burn in the mind.
Strength will triumph against all my kin
But Slayers are built for this battle to win."
He looked at them carefully to make sure they understood what he said. Diana spoke up slowly. "So we can kill them, but if the Slayers do not have battles to fight they will go insane?"
A low growl of agreement came from him.
"Princess true you see the light
Slayers are made to win the fight
Fight they will until they die
As long as there are demons under the sky."
All three of them sat at the table looking at Etrigan. "So we have to let them fight, or they will find others to fight. This might explain the rise in weird crimes we have seen, they need something to fight against, but why are the Vampires here?"
Arms crossed behind his back Etrigan spoke
"Batman you again see truth
Mystic might that set them loose
Broke open that which was sealed
Those who come will be revealed
Evil high rank low, Chaos, power
Their goal, make earth their bower.
My domain, my right they invade
Breaking ties, plans I have made!"
Anger growling out the last bits of his rhyme.
"Fear I not, these little girls
others here they act like churls
Want this fixed, they must go
Back to hell, the chaos they sow."
A sharp bitter laugh from Batman. "So you could care less about the slayers, you just want your competition put away.
Sharp growl of anger, from Etrigan as he flashed teeth at Batman.
"Their blood is sweet, so innocent
Seal the door, stop the vent
Or blood I will taste, from many veins
They will fall like drops of rain."
"Enough!" Wonder Woman stood and spoke out. "Gone, gone O Etrigan! Rise once more the form of man!"
With an angry growl Etrigan was gone, and Jason was standing there looking exhausted. "He is rather annoyed. It has been centuries, since I have seen him this angry. I am not sure what he said, but the rage was coating every thought. Hope he was of some help, but I am not letting him out for a long while if I can help it." Jason stood, put on his coat and was gone before they could ask him any more questions.
Finally Batman sighed. "Let's give Zatanna what we have and see if she can find him, this Protector. Otherwise I have a bad feeling crime is going to be on the rise, and normal cops are not going to stand a chance." Pointing to one of the screens showing the local news, with more reports of young women doing violent acts, and the cops being unable to stop them.
Three days later Diana was sitting at the table in Zatanna's apartment, with all the information lain out in front of her. "Batman pulled all the tapes from the meeting, and we transcribed both what Etrigan and Madame Xanadu said. You are our best hope, we are hoping with this you can find this man and see if he will come here and help us. I have a bad feeling that otherwise we might lose these girls."
Zatanna read the information over and over, making notes back and forth. "Yes I think I can do this, but let me warn you, walking through dimensions is a few orders higher than walking through realities, I pull this off I am going to be good for nothing for a while. How do I convince him to come with?"
Diana nodded "Not a problem, we will back you up if you need anything while you recuperate. Wayne Enterprises is offering him a salary and a job, with training and a place for these girls, so that should help to know he won't be out in the cold trying to do this. Thank you Zatanna, I know Batman and Superman don't think this is as big of a problem as I do, but the level of power these girls are gaining with no understanding of the consequences worries me greatly."
A wry smile from Zatanna, "I can understand that worry. I will do what I can, but no guarantees. How would you like me to contact you when I am back?"
Diana handed her a small communicator. "Use this, will bring one of the three of us here quickly."
"Okay, I will let you know." Zatanna remarked absently still looking at the dearth of information she did not have.
After a half hour of scribbling Zatanna thought she had a spell down that would work. She changed into her normal heroing outfit, hoping for 'impression' value, packed a few essentials, and took a deep breath and started the spell.
"Ekat em ot eht Rednefed fo dniknam,
ni rehtona noisnemid raf morf ereh
eno ohw sah tsol nointpecrep ni eht elttab.
Sreyals eh swonk, sih traeh si sih ediug,
ekat em ot eht eno I kees, eht Redndfed fo Dniknam!"