The Justice League was no stranger to summoning powerful entities, but as the glowing green portal ripped through the air in the Watchtower, there was an unspoken tension among them. They had expected a dark and ominous figure. Instead, a teenager with stark white hair, glowing green eyes, and regal black-and-green robes with a shimmering, ethereal crown atop his head floated before them.
Danny Phantom, the Ghost King, had arrived.
The moment he set foot—or rather, floated—on the Watchtower’s floor, he held out a gloved hand, his expression neutral but expectant.
“Alright, let’s get this over with,” he said. “I assume you called me for something important. Where’s my offering?”
John Constantine, ever the opportunist, smirked and stepped forward. With an exaggerated flourish, he reached into his coat and pulled out a cigarette before dramatically crushing it between his fingers. Then, placing a hand over his chest, he said, “How ‘bout my soul, mate?”
Danny turned to him, eyes narrowing slightly before his lips curled in distaste. “Ew. No one wants your broken, old soul, Constantine.”
The League collectively inhaled sharply. Superman coughed to cover a chuckle. Batman’s lips twitched ever so slightly. Zatanna stifled a snicker behind her gloved hand. Constantine, looking slightly offended, scoffed and took a drag of a new cigarette. “Well, can’t blame a bloke for tryin’.”
Wonder Woman, arms crossed, took a step forward. “Then tell us, Ghost King, what is it that you desire?”
Danny crossed his arms, looking at them all appraisingly. Then, with a small smirk, he said, “Honestly? I just want some good homemade sweets. Best you can find.”
Silence stretched between them as the request sank in. Then—
“I know just the thing,” Superman said immediately, a fond smile spreading across his face as he thought of Ma Kent’s famous homemade pies.
Batman hummed. “Alfred’s cookies.” His tone was decisive, as if it were an undeniable fact that they were superior.
Superman’s gaze sharpened. “You think your butler’s cookies can top my mom’s pies?”
Batman turned his head just enough to meet Superman’s challenge. “Yes.”
Danny, watching this unfold, raised a brow. “Wait—”
Flash grinned and clapped his hands together. “Oh-ho! This just got interesting.”
Wonder Woman smirked. “A contest of sweets, then?”
And just like that, the battle lines were drawn.
Superman wasted no time contacting his mother, explaining the situation with excitement in his voice. Meanwhile, Batman sent an encrypted message to Alfred, who replied with a simple: Understood. Commencing preparations.
Danny, who had just wanted some cookies or pie, now found himself at the center of an intergalactic baking war.
“Uh,” he started, watching as Superman and Batman prepared to bring their respective champions into the fray. “…This isn’t what I expected, but I’m not complaining.”
Constantine clapped him on the back. “Buckle up, kid. You just started the Bake-Off of the Century.”
And so, the great Bake War between Ma Kent and Alfred Pennyworth commenced, all for the favor of one very amused Ghost King.
Two days later, the Watchtower kitchen was in utter chaos.
Flash had somehow been appointed the official taste tester and was already on his fifth plate, buzzing with sugar-induced energy. Green Lantern had made a bet on Alfred and was wearing an apron that said Kiss the Cook, despite not actually doing any cooking.
Martian Manhunter was curiously sniffing a pecan pie, while Wonder Woman was critiquing Superman’s rolling technique. "Kal, you are treating that dough as if you were forging a sword. Relax. Let it breathe."
Batman, meanwhile, had an array of meticulously measured ingredients lined up in front of him. Alfred had given him explicit instructions, and Batman followed them with the precision of a man planning a high-stakes infiltration.
Danny was sprawled across a floating chair conjured from his own ectoplasmic energy, munching on a cookie from an early batch. “You guys do realize I could just declare both the winners, right?”
Superman shot him a look. “That’s not how this works.”
Batman nodded gravely. “There must be a victor.”
Danny snickered. "You guys are way too into this."
Constantine lit a cigarette and leaned against the counter, watching the madness unfold. “This might be the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
Alfred and Ma Kent, meanwhile, were exchanging polite but intense glances, silently acknowledging each other as true culinary warriors.
The Ghost King had spoken. The battle for baked good supremacy would rage on.