Tony stood with one hand still gripping the cultist's collar, the other hovering near Ivory. The three teenagers at the warehouse entrance sized him up with varying degrees of suspicion. The caped one, unmistakably Robin, stepped forward first, his posture screaming trained fighter despite his youth.
"Let him go," Robin said, voice pitched deliberately low. Trying to sound older, Tony thought. "That man needs to be turned over to GCPD."
Tony snorted. "Kid, the Gotham police aren't equipped to handle cultists trying to rip holes in reality. Trust me on this one."
"We weren't talking to you," said the muscular teen with the S-shield. Superboy, had to be. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Raven, who's this guy? And why does he feel... wrong?"
Before Raven could answer, the third teen dressed in red and white with goggles perched on his forehead, suddenly appeared at Tony's side, moving faster than the human eye could track.
"Whoa, check out the guns! Are those custom? They look custom. And that hair! Is that natural or do you bleach it? Wait, are you that guy people downtown call the Devil Hunter? I've heard rumors but nobody believed me when I said—"
"Impulse!" Robin's sharp command cut through the rapid-fire questions. "Focus."
Tony blinked, slightly disoriented by the speedster's enthusiasm. "Your buddy always talk like he's mainlining espresso?"
"Usually worse," Robin muttered, then quickly recovered his stern demeanor. "Identify yourself. Now."
"Relax tighty whities, it's Tony Redgrave. Private contractor." Tony nudged the cultist forward, sending him stumbling toward Robin. "Here's a present. I'd recommend specialized containment. These Blood Church types have a habit of swallowing poison capsules when captured."
Robin caught the cultist with practiced ease, quickly zip-tying his wrists while Superboy checked for hidden weapons or suicide pills. The boy wonder's eyes never left Tony.
"You're operating as an unauthorized vigilante in Gotham," Robin said. "That's problem number one. Problem number two is your unregistered metahuman abilities."
Tony laughed. "I'm not a vigilante, I'm a contractor. Working for Wayne Enterprises, actually." He pulled out Morrison's business card. "And I'm definitely not a metahuman."
"Then what are you?" Superboy asked, stepping closer. The teen practically radiated power, reminding Tony of certain demons who relied on intimidation. "You don't smell human."
"That's just rude," Tony said, hand drifting closer to his holster. "I showered this morning and everything."
"Enough." Raven's voice cut through the tension. She stood up from the damaged seal, looking drained but determined. "He helped stop the ritual. For now, that makes him an ally."
Robin frowned. "Batman has protocols for unauthorized—"
"No offense to your boss," Tony interrupted, "but we have bigger problems than my work permit. This seal is broken, and whatever's on the other side is pushing to get through."
Impulse zoomed over to the damaged metal, circling it at high speed. "What is this thing anyway? Some kind of weird manhole cover?"
"It's a containment seal," Raven explained, pulling her hood back slightly. In the red emergency lighting, her pale skin had an almost ghostly quality. "Created centuries ago to contain a fragment of Trigon's power. If it fully ruptures, that power will seek a host."
"Trigon," Robin repeated, his posture shifting subtly. "The interdimensional demon lord. The Justice League has files on him."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Your kindergarten club has demon files? Impressive."
Superboy stepped forward, fists clenched. "We're Young Justice, not kindergartners. And you still haven't explained what you are."
"I'm complicated," Tony replied with a smirk. "Ask your dad. Big blue might have heard of my family."
The teen's eyes widened, then narrowed with anger. "Superman isn't my—"
A low rumble interrupted him, the warehouse floor vibrating beneath their feet. The damaged seal pulsed with sickly red energy, cracks spreading further through the metal.
"Raven," Robin said sharply. "What's happening?"
"The cultists weakened it more than I realized," she answered, dark energy gathering around her hands again. "The seal is failing."
Tony cursed and drew both his pistols. "Kids, you might want to step back. Things are about to get ugly."
"We don't take orders from you," Robin said, but he did motion for his team to create a defensive perimeter around the seal.
The rumbling intensified. Concrete chunks fell from the ceiling as the whole building shuddered. The cultist Robin had restrained began laughing, a high, manic sound.
"He comes! The first emissary comes!" the man shouted, writhing against his bonds.
The seal cracked with a sound like breaking glass. Red light erupted from the fissures, coalescing into a swirling vortex above the damaged metal. The air grew thick, hard to breathe, reeking of sulfur and something worse.
"Get ready," Tony called out, rolling his shoulders as he readied himself. "First wave's always the ugliest."
"First wave of what?" Impulse asked, vibrating with either excitement or fear.
His question was answered seconds later as shapes began pushing through the vortex. Twisted bodies with too many limbs. Eyes glowing like hot coals. Teeth designed for tearing flesh.
"Demons," Raven said, her power manifesting as a shield around herself.
The first creature through let out a piercing shriek that shattered the remaining lights. Only the red emergency illumination and the glow from the portal now lit the warehouse, casting everything in blood tones. Six more demons followed the first, their movements jerky and disjointed as they adjusted to the physical laws of Earth.
"Anybody got a plan?" Superboy asked, dropping into a fighting stance.
"Yeah," Tony replied, a genuine grin spreading across his face. "We fucking kill them all."
He fired both pistols simultaneously, each shot finding a demon's eye or throat with impossible precision. Two creatures fell, their bodies dissolving into ash before they hit the ground. The others scattered, leaping onto shipping containers or clinging to the ceiling.
Robin pulled out his bo staff, extending it with a flick of his wrist. "Young Justice, defensive formation! Protect any civilians in the area!"
"Only civilians here are the cultists," Tony said, tracking a demon with Ivory as it skittered across the ceiling. "And they're kinda responsible for this mess."
"They still need protection," Robin insisted, whipping his staff around to block a demon that lunged at him from behind.
Tony rolled his eyes but didn't argue further. He put away his guns and drew Rebellion from the guitar case on his back, the massive sword gleaming in the red light. One of the demons recognized the weapon and shrieked a warning to its brethren.
"Yeah, you know this blade, don't you?" Tony taunted, pointing it at the retreating demon. "Tell your friends who's come to play."
Superboy was grappling with the largest demon, his superhuman strength matching its own. The creature's claws couldn't penetrate his skin, but its strength was enough to send him crashing through a stack of crates when it landed a solid hit.
Impulse darted between demons, too fast for them to track, landing quick strikes before vanishing again. His strategy was working until one demon sprayed a sticky substance from its mouth, creating a patch of floor that trapped the speedster's foot mid-run.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Gross! What is this stuff?" Impulse cried, trying to vibrate free.
A demon leapt toward the vulnerable teen, claws extended. Tony reacted without thinking, tapping into his Trickster ability to instantly close the distance. He appeared between Impulse and the demon in a blur of red, swinging Rebellion in a wide arc that cleaved the creature in half.
"How did you do that?" Impulse asked, eyes wide behind his goggles as Tony cut him free with a precise slash. "Are you a speedster too?"
"Nope," Tony replied, already tracking his next target. "Just got a few tricks up my sleeve."
Across the warehouse, Raven was containing two demons within a sphere of dark energy, compressing it slowly until the creatures dissolved into nothing. Robin was holding his own against another, his training evident in every precise movement of his staff.
The last demon, seemingly smarter than its brethren, made a break for the warehouse door. Tony sheathed his sword and reached for his inner power again, activating Trickster's Air Trick to teleport directly into the demon's path. He reappeared with a flourish, bowing slightly as if ending a dance performance.
"Leaving so soon? The party's just getting started."
The demon skidded to a halt, then charged him with a roar of frustration. Tony waited until the last second before sidestepping with inhuman speed, sticking his foot out to trip the creature. It sprawled across the concrete, and Tony casually put a bullet through its skull before it could rise.
"Show-off," Robin muttered, but there was a hint of reluctant respect in his voice.
The immediate threat eliminated, the five of them regrouped near the seal. The vortex had diminished but not disappeared, still swirling ominously above the damaged metal.
"We need to close that portal completely," Raven said, her voice strained from exertion.
"Can you do it?" Robin asked.
Raven shook her head. "Not alone. The seal is too damaged. It needs to be repaired or replaced entirely."
Tony studied the ancient metal, recognizing symbols similar to ones he'd encountered before. "I might know someone who could help with that. An expert in demonology and ancient languages."
"One of Batman's approved contacts?" Robin asked suspiciously.
"Not exactly," Tony admitted. "But he knows his stuff. Name's Morrison. John Morrison."
"We'll need to report this to Batman first," Robin insisted. "And you're still coming with us for questioning."
Tony laughed. "Kid, I admire your dedication to the job, but I don't do interrogations. Especially not by junior heroes."
"You don't have a choice," Superboy said, stepping forward menacingly. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Tony's smile didn't waver, but something dangerous flickered in his eyes. "Trust me, you don't want the hard way."
"Stop it, all of you," Raven interrupted. "The seal is still active. We don't have time for posturing."
Robin and Tony stared at each other for a long moment before the boy wonder finally nodded. "Fine. We work together for now. But when this is over, Batman will want to speak with you."
"I'll pencil him in," Tony replied glibly. He turned to Raven. "You said this seal contains a fragment of Trigon's power. How big a fragment are we talking about?"
"Big enough to possess dozens of humans," Raven answered grimly. "Big enough to create a foothold in this dimension that could eventually allow Trigon himself to manifest."
"Great," Tony sighed. "Just what Gotham needs. Another power-hungry megalomaniac."
Impulse zipped to his side, practically vibrating with curiosity. "So what exactly are you? Those moves weren't human, and Superboy's right, you smell kinda... burning-ish."
Tony hesitated, weighing his options. These kids had handled themselves well against the demons, but sharing his heritage rarely ended well. On the other hand, Raven clearly knew what he was, and would tell them anyway.
"Let's just say I'm uniquely qualified to handle demon problems," he finally answered. "Family business."
Robin's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "You're being deliberately vague."
"And you're wearing a domino mask that wouldn't fool a five-year-old, yet here we are, pretending not to know who works for who," Tony countered.
Before Robin could respond, the warehouse door burst open again. The remaining cultists had escaped their restraints and returned with reinforcements, at least twenty robed figures flooding into the building.
"For Trigon!" they chanted, brandishing ceremonial daggers and vials of the same glowing liquid they'd used before.
Tony drew his guns again, standing shoulder to shoulder with the young heroes despite their differences. "Round two, kids. Try to keep up."