Young Justice

"Out of Bounds"

Summary: Jason Blood is 'asked' to come retrieve his 'nephew'.

Author's Note: I've always rather liked the dynamic of this hero-villain 'relationship'.

Warning: This story will contain a scene of disciplinary spanking. (C'mon, everyone should agree the little 'witch boy' deserves it.)

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they belong to DC Comics.

~Jason~Blood~The~Demon~Etrigan~Klarion~The~Witch~Boy~

Jason Blood was sitting in front of his fireplace, in his high backed leather chair, sipping on some tea, and reading the newspaper.

It was a simple, quiet evening…and then his phone had to ring.

Sighing, he put the paper down and got up to answer it.

"Hello," he spoke into the receiver.

"Blood," a deep voice he recognized as belonging to the Batman answered.

"Yes," he said, wondering what earth shattering catastrophe would have the Dark Knight phoning him at this late hour.

"Your services are required," Batman told him. "Immediately…"

"Mine…or his?" Blood asked, referring to his alter-ego—the Demon Etrigan.

"Both," Batman told him, gravely. "It concerns your 'nephew'."

Blood blinked and then inwardly groaned.

"You do know he's not really my nephew, right?" he asked, hopefully.

"You're the only one who can stop one of his 'tantrums'," Batman reminded him, sternly.

Blood sighed. "Yes, of course," he said, resignedly. "Where is he?"

"Metropolis," Batman told him. "The League is…entertaining…him at the moment."

"I'll be there in a few moments," Blood assured him. "Give me just a minute to change…"

He hung up and sighed again. So much for his quiet evening at home….

Taking off his jacket, he draped it over the back of his chair and turned to stare into the flames.

"Gone! Gone! Gone! The form of man! Rise! Rise! Rise! The demon Etrigan!" he intoned, mystically.

He raised his arms high and was instantly transformed into his demonic alter-ego…at least outwardly.

There was a time when he and Etrigan were two separate beings who happened to share one body, but thanks to an incantation by Merlin, the Demon's 'heart' had been removed.

This allowed Blood to retain his own mind while transformed.

He still possessed the demon's supernatural abilities, but had direct control over his actions in his altered form.

Clapping his hands, he was instantly transported to the city of Metropolis.

There he found various members of the Justice League doing battle with two individuals.

One appeared to be a woman-cat hybrid, but was in truth a cat that had been transformed by her master.

The other individual in question was a boy—a twelve year old boy, to be exact.

Or rather, a twelve year old 'witch' boy to be even more exact.

Klarion was indeed a child, albeit one from the race of beings called the Lords of Chaos, but possessed extremely powerful magical abilities.

Unfortunately, he was also a rotten brat who took delight in using his powers to cause as much mischief and mayhem as he could.

He was currently hovering several feet above the ground, laughing at his handy work.

He'd apparently been 'playing' with the Justice League already…

Flash's feet were more or less 'super glued' to the ground.

Superman—who was vulnerable to magic as well as Kryptonite—had been buried up to his neck in asphalt.

Green Arrow's arrows had come to life and were attempting to skewer him.

Aquaman was frozen within a torrent of ice coming from a busted fire hydrant.

The only one who apparently had yet to be 'zapped' was Batman—who was currently doing battle with Teekl in her hybrid form.

Etrigan sighed, shaking his head at the boy's antics.

Time to nip this party in the bud, it seemed.

Raising his hands, he intoned, "Magic Forces weave a spell…ensnare the witch boy within a cell…cut off his magic…cease his fun…make his spells come undone!"

As the words left his gruesome looking lips, a large ball of energy erupted from his raised hands and shot out at the hovering witch boy.

Taken by surprise, Klarion didn't have time to counter-act his spell and was struck full force by it.

He suddenly found himself on the ground, encased within a magical cage that prevented him from using his powers.

Teekl instantly returned to her true feline form, letting out a simple 'meow' and blinking in puzzlement.

The Justice League were each freed from their various predicaments and made their way over to him.

Seeing that his services were no longer required, Etrigan transformed once more into Jason Blood.

"Mr. Blood," Superman greeted him, holding out his hand. "Thank you for the timely assistance."

Blood shook the Man of Steel's hand and nodded.

"I'm only sorry I had to be of assistance," he said, glancing toward the cage his alter-ego had constructed.

"Not fair! Not fair! Not fair!" Klarion yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping up and down in true bratty fashion. "No fair calling him!"

"That kid needs a muzzle," Green Arrow grunted, returning the last of his now inanimate arrows back into their quiver.

"Or at least a leash," Flash said, smirking.

"The child is indeed…high strung," Aquaman agreed, wincing and rubbing his sore arms.

"Isn't it about time you did something about him," Batman, who was the last to come over, said as he handed him Teekl.

The orange and black striped cat purred happily and then jumped onto his shoulders to fall asleep.

It seemed regardless of her masters' feelings, she liked him.

"What would you have me do?" Blood asked him, frowning. "The boy isn't really related to me!"

"Robin isn't blood related to me," Batman reminded him, "but I still keep him in line when it's necessary."

"As I do with Aqualad," Aquaman said, nodding.

"Same with Superboy and Supergirl," Superman nodded.

"And Kid Flash," Flash said, smirking.

Blood glanced at the boy in the cage, who had apparently ceased stomping up and down in favor of merely pouting with his bottom lip sticking out.

"Why me?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Because you're the only one he truly fears," Batman told him, seriously. "The only one he has any respect for."

"Respect!?" Blood asked, snorting. "He enjoys making my life a living Hell!"

"Speedy likes to do that, too," Green Arrow said, shrugging. "He's a kid—it's built into them to drive the adults around them loony."

"And he is Immortal while he is in this dimension," Batman reminded him. "He's never going to out grow these 'tantrums' of his on his own. He needs someone who is more powerful than him to keep him under control."

Blood nodded, seeing that he really had little choice in the matter.

Somebody had to keep the brat in line…it might as well be him.

"Very well, then," he said, turning to the cage. He snapped his fingers.

The cage disappeared, but around Klarion's neck appeared an amulet—so long as he wore it he could not cast any spells.

And Blood was the only one who could remove it.

Crossing the distance between them, Blood glared down at the pouting youngster.

"Why did you do all this?" he demanded, sternly.

The witch boy continued to pout, but did answer. "I was bored," he grumbled, sourly.

Blood narrowed his eyes. "I see," he said, and then latched onto one of the boy's ears.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Klarion hollered, wincing. "That hurts!"

Blood ignored him, turning towards the members of the Justice League.

"If you all will excuse us," he told them, grinning. "My 'nephew' and I need to have a long overdue chat."

With that, he snapped his fingers and transported both of them back to his penthouse.

Only then did he release the boy's ear.

Klarion rubbed his ear, glaring at him.

"Remove this at once!" he demanded, pointing at the amulet around his neck.

"As you wish," Blood said, grinning. He snapped his fingers and the amulet vanished.

The witch boy smirked, evilly.

"Moon's light…Magic's might…Take me far into the night!" he raised his hands, but nothing happened.

He frowned and tried the spell again.

"Try as often as you like," Blood told him, smirking. "I've wards in place that prevent anyone save myself from using magic here."

Klarion pouted. "That's not fair!" he screeched, stamping his foot.

"I'll tell you what is not fair, young man," Blood told him, angrily. "Being saddled with a spoiled brat to look after forever!"

"Then let me go!" Klarion yelled, stamping the other foot.

"So you can go and nearly destroy another city?" Blood asked, snorting. "Not bloody likely!"

"You're mean!" Klarion pouted again. "You spoil all my fun!"

"Good," Blood told him, grinning. "That must mean I'm doing something right. Now, go stand in that corner until I tell you to come out!"

He pointed to the only empty corner in the room, well within view of his chair.

Klarion's eyes widened. "You must be joking!"

"Believe me, I'm not," Blood told him, sternly. "Now, go!"

"No!" Klarion crossed his arms defiantly. "You can't make me!"

"Is that so?" Blood asked, raising an eyebrow. "We'll see about that!"

With that, he walked over and picked the boy up.

Instead of carrying him to the corner to stand, however, he walked back over to his chair and sat down.

He then proceeded to drape the squirming little witch boy over his knees.

"You've had this coming for a long time, Klarion," Blood told him, raising his hand back. "Now you're going to get it!"

With that, he brought his hand down onto the boy's squirming bottom with a resounding smack!

"Ow!" Klarion hollered, outraged. "Stop that or I'll turn you into a mouse and feed you to Teekl!"

"Go ahead and howl all you want," Blood told him, smirking. "Like I said, you've had this coming…"

He then brought his hand down again…and again…and again.

He gave the boy ten to twelve good hard smacks and then stood him up in front of him.

"Now, go to the corner," he ordered him, sternly. "Or else I'll turn you back over my knee—and this time you'll lose your breeches, young man!"

Klarion glowered at him as he reached back to rub his stinging behind.

Pouting, he sniffed…but then turned and went to stand with his nose in the corner as he had been told.

Blood grinned and sat back in his chair.

Getting the newspaper he'd sat aside earlier, he proceeded to open it and read it.

About fifteen minutes later, a very different Klarion asked, "Can I come out now, Uncle Jason?"

Blood put down the newspaper and glanced at the little witch boy.

"Come here, Klarion," he instructed, beckoning the boy to come stand in front of him.

"I don't like being told what to do," Klarion informed him, sulkily. "And I don't want to stay here!"

"No kid likes being told what to do," Blood reminded him, firmly. "And you will be staying here until I say otherwise."

"I hate you!" Klarion stomped. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

"You aren't my favorite person, either," Blood told him, bluntly. "But it seems fate has decided to put us together, so deal with it."

"No!" Klarion pouted. "I'm leaving!" He turned to storm out, but found that the knob wouldn't turn.

"I told you," Blood told him, calmly. "You aren't going anywhere but to bed, young man."

"I don't want to go to bed!" Klarion yelled, jumping up and down again.

Blood raised an eyebrow and then stood up.

"You have two choices," he told the boy, sternly. "You can go to bed…or you can go to bed with an even sorer backside."

Klarion glowered at him. "You're mean," he told him, pouting.

"I do have a demon living within me," Blood reminded him, smirking. "Now, follow me…"

Klarion continued to pout, but he did follow him down the hall to a bedroom.

"This is going to be your room," Blood told him. "There is a washroom attached, and you'll find pajamas in the top drawer of the dresser. Once the door is closed, you won't be able to open it until morning."

"I am your prisoner, then," Klarion sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"My ward," Blood told him, grinning. "Since it seems I am the only one who can handle you, we will be together a long time. I suggest we both make the best of it."

"Humph," Klarion said, sniffing. "Can Teekl sleep with me?"

"Of course," Blood told him, gently, knowing how much the boy loved his pet. He let out a shrill whistle.

The orange and black striped cat came into the room and jumped up on the bed.

She circled it twice and then plopped down.

"Seems she approves," Blood said, smiling. "Now then, go get changed."

Klarion sighed, but then went to the dresser and pulled out the pajamas. He then trudged into the bathroom.

A few moments later, he came back out dressed in them. "Why must I go to bed?" he asked, curiously.

"Because naughty boys who abuse magic and cause mayhem get sent to bed early," Blood informed him, pointing to the bed.

Klarion glowered, but marched over and climbed into bed. "This sucks," he muttered, sourly.

"I couldn't agree more," Blood told him, pulling the covers up over him. "But as I said, we'll make the best of it."

"Easy for you to say," Klarion told him, glaring.

"I'm not a bad guy, Klarion," Blood told him. "And despite your penchant for chaos I don't believe you truly are all that wicked—you just need someone to look after you, that's all."

"And that someone is you?" Klarion grumbled.

"It's your own fault, you know," Blood told him, smirking. "If you hadn't insisted on calling me 'uncle' all the time Batman wouldn't have thought of this arrangement."

"I like calling you 'uncle'," Klarion admitted, hesitantly.

"And why is that?" Blood wanted to know, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Klarion shrugged. "You are powerful," he told him. "I respect power…"

"I respect those who know how to use their power responsibly," Blood informed him, firmly.

"Will I ever get to use magic again?" Klarion asked, curiously.

"That depends entirely on you," Blood told him, seriously. "Show me you can behave and I may allow you to use magic again."

"Will you teach me some of the spells you know?" Klarion asked. "I've always wanted to learn from you."

"You have a funny way of showing it," Blood smirked. "Again, we'll see—for now, though, it is time to say goodnight."

"Goodnight, Uncle Jason," Klarion told him, as he got up from the bed and went to the door.

"Goodnight, Klarion," Blood told him. "Goonight, Teekl." The cat returned a meow.

Turning out the lights, Blood closed the door and then sealed it. He then heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Going back into the living room, he sat down in his chair once more and picked up his newspaper.

He then sat it down and turned to the crystal ball that sat on the table beside him.

Waving his hand, he conjured an image of Klarion's bedroom and peered inside.

The little witch boy was curled up sound asleep with his orange and black familiar curled up beside him.

Blood smiled. It was a small victory, but he would take it.

They still had a long road ahead of them, but at least now Klarion would have some boundaries…and someone to keep him within them!

And you thought I was bad, Etrigan's voice chuckled inside his head.

"Oh, shut up," Blood said, picking up his newspaper again.

Finally, he was going to get that quiet evening.

The End.