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“It’ll be fun!” Izzy insists, shoving the brochure in Duke’s face. Duke looks back down image of a haunted house in the woods, complete with blood seeping from its windows and a witch flying her broomstick overhead, and groans.
Duke takes the brochure and tosses it to Riko, who’s lying on Duke’s bed and squinting at her laptop as she holds it above her head. It’s going to fall and give her a bloody lip again, but Duke is pretty sure his word of warning wouldn’t be appreciated. “Looks like there’ll be jump scares, right?”
“Yep,” Riko says absently. She balances her laptop against her legs, holding it up with her forearms and typing awkwardly away at the keyboard.
“We get enough of those on the dayshift,” Duke reasons. “Besides, we’ve fought real monsters.”
Izzy rests against Duke’s desk, spinning his chair so that he’s facing her. “So, this is a good break from all the serious stuff. Fighting monsters is great, but we could have a normal teen date for once. Dax said this place was really fun, too. And hey, if you get scared, I’ll be there to protect you.”
“I’m not gonna get scared, Izzy,” Duke protests. “But scary creepy house just doesn’t scream relaxing to me.”
“Come on,” Izzy says. “You already graduated early to do the dayshift. You’ve got to have all the experiences. Haunted houses are one of those.”
“You’re not exactly Miss Normal Teen Experiences. Besides, I’ve gone to a haunted house before! My parents and I went every year when I was in middle school.”
“Yeah, but you never went with your girlfriend.”
Duke sighs. “Izzy…”
“We should go,” Riko announces, bouncing off the bed.
“We?” Izzy asks.
Riko places her computer on Duke’s desk and leans over his shoulder. On the screen, Duke can see a map of Robbinsville, with a bunch of dots all around it. And, at the center…
“Missing persons cases,” Riko explains. “Mostly teenagers. But also a guy who went out drinking.”
“Shit,” Izzy says.
“Shit,” Duke agrees.
Of course there are unusual disappearances with a new haunted house at the epicenter. This is Gotham, after all.
“This could be nothing,” Duke says.
Izzy kisses him on the cheek. “Then it’ll be a fun nothing. Besides, I bet you it is something.” She rolls her eyes. “Only in Gotham.”
“It’s not nothing,” Riko says as Duke hands their tickets to the gangly teenager at the door. He repeats the whole spiel that they’ve already heard twice before. No food, no drink. Don’t go off the path. Don’t damage the haunted house. People may jump out at you, but they won’t touch you. If you need out, use the exit.
Duke imagines Batman would laugh at that. No exit in the middle of a fight with a criminal. If you need out, you have to work for it.
"Welcome to the Robbinsville Haunted House," the teen says eventually, waving them forwards. Duke keeps on his guard—half because there could be a Rogue involved and half because he’s not getting jump scared in front of his girlfriend. As they pass through the first hallway, a long, winding corridor filled with creepy paintings, Izzy slips her hand into Duke’s and interlocks their fingers. Meanwhile, Riko seems to be carefully inspecting every single painting, looking for clues.
“So,” Duke says. “What are you thinking? Scarecrow? Hatter?”
Izzy punches him playfully in the shoulder. “We’re off the clock, Duke.” She sighs. “But if it’s anyone, my bet’s on Pyg.”
Duke shudders. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Let’s not talk about—”
An arm shoots in front of Duke and Izzy, stopping them in their tracks. Riko, who practically teleported to their side, keeps her arm raised, preventing the other two from continuing onward. “There’s a pressure plate under the carpet.”
“That’s just normal haunted house stuff,” Izzy says.
“But—”
Duke steps forward, onto the pressure plate, prepared to jump and roll if a dart shoots out of the wall or the floor gives way. Instead, a swarm of semi-realistic animatronic bats sweeps in front of them, screeching.
Izzy flinches. Duke, though, is used to bats randomly flying overhead, due to his mentor’s dramatic choice of underground base.
Riko looks down sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Duke says, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“I ruined the surprise.”
“It was lame anyway,” Izzy assures Riko.
Duke turns to face Riko and Izzy. “If there’s some evil plot going on here, they’re probably not taking people from inside the haunted house. It’s barely even dark out, and everyone has people waiting for them. They’d come later, at night. Yeah?”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Izzy agrees.
Riko nods. “Yeah.”
“So,” Duke says, “our mission has two objectives. First objective: gather clues, if there are any. Second objective: have fun. After all, day shift is over—we’re off the clock.”
They exit the hallway into a dining room. At each plate setting is a human head, and each diner is headless.
“Yuck,” Duke says as they walk past the place settings. A flicker of movement catches his attention. He spins around just in time to see one of the heads’ mouths snap open, subjecting them to an earsplitting scream.
“Okay, I thought this place was gonna be scarier,” Izzy says. “I mean, it’s Gotham. They gotta do better than severed heads. I see those for real.”
“Screaming severed heads, though?” Duke asks as a low, menacing laughter sounds behind them. It’s different enough from the Joker’s high-pitched cackle that, although it makes Duke’s skin itch, he doesn’t do anything more than walk a little faster.
“Didn’t your new big bro do something like that?” Izzy asks.
Duke winces. Three guesses as to which ‘big bro’ Izzy is talking about, and the first two don’t count. “Did he?”
“They weren’t screaming,” Riko says matter-of-factly. “Just severed. Maps told me. And Robin told her.”
In the next room, the lights flicker on and off. Mannequins hang from the ceiling on meat hooks, faces twisted into gruesome expressions of pain. Izzy’s grip on Duke’s hand tightens just a little bit. This looks like a mob torture dungeon in a movie. And given that mob movies seem to be where Gotham’s gangs are getting a lot of their criminal education…
They hurry into the corridor. It’s long and wide, with lantern-lined walls. The wooden floor is covered in fake bloodstains, and the wallpaper is arsenic green.
The lights flicker. Once. Twice. And then they turn off.
A crackle, and then a voice fills the hall, sounding like it’s coming through a loudspeaker. “All persons, please evacuate Robbinsville Haunted House. Take the nearest exit, marked with a green ‘Exit’ sign. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
“This is just meta, right?” Duke asks the darkness.
“Duke?” Izzy’s voice comes, sounding oddly far away. “How far down did you go?”
“I’m right here,” Duke says. “I didn’t move.”
“Guys?” Riko’s asks. There’s a sound of shuffling. “Where are you?”
“All persons, please evacuate Robbinsville Haunted House. Take the nearest exit, marked with a green ‘Exit’ sign. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Duke can’t see the exit sign. They have to have the exit sign visible, right? It’s some sort of safety law. So if that’s off too, they’re in trouble. Real trouble.
“Shit, my flashlight’s not working,” Izzy says.
“Mine too,” Riko agrees.
They both sound farther away, their voices fading.
“You guys have flashlights?” Duke asks, snapping his fingers. It would be a good line…if the light that he willed into existence actually appeared. Instead, he felt the darkness weighing heavily on him, smothering his powers.
“They’re not working,” Izzy says. “Can you—”
“It’s not working either,” Duke says. He tries to use his photokinesis to see past the darkness—into the past or future, it doesn’t matter, as long as he can see, but the darkness obscures everything except the present moment.
Duke steps forwards, holding his arms out to feel for Izzy and Riko. But now that he’s focusing on the darkness, he can feel it move around him, almost like it’s warping space itself.
“Put your hand on the wall,” Duke says.
“I can’t find it,” Riko says. “I can’t—”
Duke breathes. The darkness sits heavy in his lungs. One more shot. He can do this. He needs to do this.
He feels the darkness around him like it’s tangible and pushes, making way for the light. Light, streaming out of his fingers, fighting back against the shadow and filling the room. Duke’s victory is far from secure—his light only lasts for a second. But it’s enough.
Duke leaps towards Izzy, grabbing ahold tightly of her hand. Izzy reaches for Riko, holding her hand on the other side. When Duke’s light flickers out, the three teens are clinging to each other’s hands, the only thing fortifying them against the dark.
Duke feels something pulling at him, stretching the space between him and Izzy so that their hands just reach over the gap. Izzy’s hand tugs at Duke’s and he nearly loses his grip, but he twists his fingers with hers and holds on for dear life. “I’ve got you,” he says.
“I’ve got Riko,” Izzy says.
“I’m here,” Riko confirms.
The force continues to expand the shadows, desperate to separate the teens. Something tugs at Duke’s clothes, his skin, his hair, trying to rip him away from Riko and Izzy. But he won’t let it. Whatever’s here, they’ll face it together. Duke’s not letting go.
“What do we do?” Riko asks. “Strategic retreat?”
Izzy’s hand grips Duke even tighter. “No way. Whoever’s doing this is gonna get their ass kicked.”
“We’re not retreating,” Duke agrees. “The only way out is through.”
He takes a step forwards, feeling Izzy step alongside him. It takes all his energy not to lose his balance and give into the shadows clawing at him. But he does it.
And then he takes another step.
And then another.
As they gain momentum, the shadows seem to weaken. Duke, Izzy, and Riko step closer and closer together, until Duke can feel Izzy’s jacket against his arm and hear Riko’s unsteady breathing.
A lantern just ahead of them flickers on. In the dim light, Duke sees Izzy and Riko’s faces flood with relief. “Your power’s back?” Izzy whispers.
“No,” Duke says. His voice feels too loud for the corridor. “That wasn’t me.”
Another lantern flickers on ahead of them. And then another. Up ahead, Duke can see a fork in the path, the lit lanterns guiding them to the left.
“This is a trap,” Izzy says.
“Definitely a trap,” Riko agrees.
“Yeah,” Duke says. “Absolutely a trap.”
They step forward as one.
The light of the lanterns leads them through a maze of corridors that definitely aren’t supposed to exist in the Robbinsville Haunted House. Duke keeps track of the turns and steps they take, and by his count, they shouldn’t even be in the house anymore.
They press onwards until the hall opens up into a dimly lit living room. The couches are upholstered in fancy red velvet and the rug on the hardwood floor is filled with an intricate flower design. The light is provided by a combination of gas lamps like the ones in the hallway and a fireplace, the flames just a little too pale to look like any Duke have seen before. And on the couch, warming her hands by the fire, sits a girl of about fourteen.
She stands smoothly, turning to look at Duke, Izzy, and Riko. “Hello,” she says, voice small and cold. “Are you here to help me?”
“Trap,” Izzy whispers in Duke’s ear.
Duke knows. But he lets go of Izzy’s hand and steps forward, towards the girl. “What’s your name?”
“Kaylee,” she says, brushing her dark brown hair out of her pale face. “I’m Kaylee. Are you here to help me?”
“Yeah,” Duke says.
“You promise?”
Duke opens his mouth, but the words don’t make it past his tongue. He purses his lips and glances back at Izzy and Riko. Riko’s hanging onto Izzy’s upper arm. Nothing’s going to separate them. Whatever happens next, at least they’ll have each other. “You know you’re kinda creepy, right?”
Kaylee looks down. “I’m sorry. I just—I just need help. Will you help me?” Something about her seems off. It’s not her eyes—her eyes seem bright and full of life. When Duke looks at her, really looks, he can see light there. But her body…she moves strangely. Or more, she doesn’t move strangely. All the tiny movements she should be making—the twitches, the tremors, the slight muscle movements as she balances herself—are absent. She’s just…there.
“Yeah,” Duke says. “I’ll do my best to help you, okay? I promise.”
Duke holds out a hand to Kaylee. She stares at it warily. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Duke says. He knows this is a bad idea. But he knows one thing—Kaylee does need help. And he’ll help her.
Kaylee rests her hand in his.
Immediately, Duke feels a painful ice rush through him. He collapses to his knees, hand trapped in Kaylee's grip. His vision flickers and he sees the light running through his veins streaming out, passing into her. His vision flickers again, and darkness encroaches on his world. Duke’s sight tunnels and—
“Let go of him!” Duke falls back onto the floor, gasping for air. He blinks, light returning to his vision. He sees Izzy raining down a flurry of blows on Kaylee, backing her against the wall. Suddenly, Kaylee's neck snaps, throwing her head back. She slumps back against the wall, lifeless. And then, like a dying gasp, a strange fog-like substance slips out of her mouth, coalescing into a floating figure.
With a scream, Riko flies forward, throwing a spinning kick at the figure, but she passes right through it and almost loses her balance. Izzy catches her, before throwing a punch of her own, but that passes through as well. Duke, too, throws his punch. But it’s like trying to hit a—
“It’s no use,” the ghost says. Duke squints at it, trying to determine…anything, really. But despite his vision being clear, he can’t make out anything about the figure. Not any colors, or even distinct shapes—it’s about human size, but it could be anywhere from five to six and a half feet tall, with any shape of face, any shade of skin.
“You killed her,” Izzy spits. “You killed her.”
“I had to.” The ghost reaches out. For a second, its hand brushes against Duke’s shoulder, cold and draining and tangible. But Duke dodges out of the way. A whisp of light floats into the air. The ghost breathes it in. “I’m sorry, but I have to.”
It glides forward. Duke steps back, thinking. This ghost, creature, whatever it is…can’t be punched. Can’t be touched, unless it’s touching you. If Duke lets it start draining him…maybe…
“Why are you doing this?” Duke asks. “Eating…people’s lifeforce. Luring them here. Trapping them. How are you doing it?”
The ghost shakes its head. “Eating?” It sounds almost…offended. “I’m not eating anything.” It tilts its head to the side. “I’m just the stomach.”
Right on cue, the floor of the house shakes violently. Duke widens his stance and just barely manages to keep his footing, but Izzy and Riko slide backward, falling against the wall.
“She’s so hungry,” the ghost says. “I’m sorry, but she’s so hungry. But you…you have it in you. The metal. The life. You could fill her up. You could free me.”
“No way,” Duke says. “I’m not feeding your psycho house.” He draws on the light around him, pushing it forwards in tendrils. He’s never used the light to truly attack someone before—it’s just light, it can’t touch, can’t do anything except shine. But when he throws his hand forward and pierces the ghost with a spear of light, it screams.
Duke feels something push back at him. One by one, the lanterns in the room flicker out. Shadows lick at Duke’s skin, ice-cold. Duke surrounds himself with a shell of light, but the shadows wrap around it like a boa constrictor. Duke holds on as long as he can, but it’s only a few seconds before it cracks. Duke’s lightspear disappears. The shadows wrap around him, dragging him down to his knees.
The ghost reaches for him in slow motion. Duke should be doing something. But when he tries to look into the future, all he can see is darkness.
An icy hand wraps around his neck. Light burns beneath Duke’s skin, flowing out of his body. His toes and fingers tingle, turning numb. He can feel the strength leaving him.
But when Duke looks up at the ghost, he sees a strange sphere of light at its center, pulsating like a heart.
Duke tries to lift his arm, but he’s so tired. Black spots float in his vision. He’s so tired.
So tired, he hears, echoing faintly in his head.
He just wants to sleep.
Just want to sleep.
Duke doesn’t know how to do this. He needs backup he doesn’t have. Riko and Izzy can’t even touch the ghost. They could be dying right now. They could be dead. Even if they aren’t, after the ghost finishes with him it’ll move onto them.
I need help.
The ghost’s features shift into focus. A crooked nose, light brown skin, grey eyes. Silver hair, balding. Slumped shoulders, and a mouth torn wide in a scream.
You said you’d help.
Duke pours all his strength into lifting his arm. He strains against the shadows, letting the burn in his muscles fuel him. If he’s burning, he’s not cold, not numb. If he’s burning, he’s alive.
Please, help me.
Duke’s fingers wrap around the ghost’s heart.
Please help me.
Please help me.
Please help me.
I’m tired.
Duke squeezes. Energy floods through him, setting his nerves on fire. His hand spasms, but he doesn’t let go.
Rays of light shoot out of the ghost’s eyes, its ears, its mouth. They flood the room, chasing away the shadows. But Duke doesn’t dare look. He closes his fist even further. Feels his fingers meet.
The ghost meets his eyes.
Please, help me.
Duke closes his eyes and feels the ghost explode into light around him.
And then, he slumps over, his empty hand falling to the floor.
The ground shakes beneath him. “Duke.” Someone shakes Duke’s shoulder. “Duke!” Izzy hauls Duke to his feet. He collapses against her, trying and failing to hold his own weight. “Riko, some help?”
Riko slings an arm around Duke’s back, taking some of his weight. He gets his feet beneath him, taking the rest. “We can’t leave yet,” he says. “The house—”
“We set it on fire,” Izzy says.
“You set it on—”
“Gas lanterns,” Riko says proudly. “They were good for something other than just turning off.”
“We need to get out of here,” Izzy says.
They stumble forwards. When they exit the living room, a wave of heat and smoke hits Duke’s face, making him flinch. The smoke obscures the passage before him. Riko coughs.
“I’m gonna slow you down,” Duke says.
“Shut up,” Izzy says.
Duke shuts up.
They take it one step at a time. Duke directs them through the turns they took—Batman’s Riddler Maze training really does come in handy—until they reach the meat hook room.
The smell of burning plastic hits Duke’s nose. He gags. “Duke—” Duke pushes himself away from Riko and Izzy just as vomit erupts from his stomach. He pukes right over the rubber butcher knife.
Riko grabs Duke’s arm, tugging him forward. Duke stumbles after her.
“I can’t find the exit,” Izzy says.
Duke calls the light to him. It’s weak, barely more than a small lightbulb, but it’s enough that they can see the bright green exit sign through the smoke.
“Here!” Riko shouts. She pushes open the exit door. The smell of fresh air calls to Duke like a siren song. The three of them stumble forwards, out onto the sidewalk, across the street, and then to the small strip of grass across from the haunted house.
Duke falls. Izzy guides him gently to the ground and passes him a bottle of water. Duke looks up to see flashing lights and sirens. The fire department’s here.
Duke chugs the water. Coughs. And then fights his way to his feet. He looks up at the moon, feeling the light fill him once again.
Riko sits down cross-legged on the grass.
“Oh my god,” Duke says, his voice scratchy. “I killed him.”
“Oh, shut up,” Izzy says. “Just because you’re hanging with the Bat now doesn’t mean you get to angst about…like…exorcising a ghost or whatever.”
Duke swallows. Just because that man looked like a ghost doesn’t mean he was one. What if he was alive, just trapped? “Batman would have—”
“Batman can go fuck himself,” Izzy says.
“You can’t kill a ghost,” Riko says. “If he was ever human, he’s already dead.”
“Okay.” Duke exhales. “Okay.” He sits back down on the grass.
“We are never going on a haunted house date again,” Riko says.
Izzy rolls her eyes. “It’s all Bat-Boy here’s fault. Things only get crazy when he’s around. I bet you the two of us could go have fun at a haunted house, and it would turn out to be completely normal.”
“Wait, so am I the one third-wheeling here?” Duke jokes.
Izzy leans in to peck him on the lips. “Never.”
“Is this a bad time to say I planned a date at the aquarium?” Duke asks.
“Next Friday?” Izzy asks.
“Yeah,” Duke says. It’s a week and a half until Izzy has another evening free from work, but it’ll be worth the wait. Hopefully.
Riko looks up from her phone. “Penguin’s out. He’s been in hiding for a couple weeks. Probably making a move in the next two to three weeks.”
“Sounds perfect,” Izzy says, tangling her fingers in Duke’s hair and pressing her lips to his. “You gonna come with, Riko?”
“Yep. You two would manage to miss Penguin’s attack kissing each other in a broom closet.” Riko leans her head on Izzy’s shoulder. "But I doubt all three of us can fit in a broom closet."
Izzy hums consideringly. "I don't know. You're pretty tiny—”
“Hey!” Riko protests.
“—and I've seen some pretty big broom closets.”