AN: I know I said the story would come out in late spring, but I wanted to release another chapter. And cover some things that I didn't make it clear in Prelude.
That story takes place in the shows 2016, six years ago for us as it was our 2011/2012, and this is the sequel to Prelude. The main story will take place in 2021, five years in the future for us- actually four by the time this will be published- and ten years for them since the end of their First Season. Also consider this a super late Christmas present because I recently just relocated the file.
Character(s): Kent Nelson/Dr. Fate, Zatara, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Alfred Pennyworth
Others: Khalid (mentioned)
Zatara's view into a white flash. It settled to the blackness that surrounded himself in the helmet and the milky greenish light.
"Fate? Where are you?" He didn't hear anything. Before he could say more, he felt a familiar energy. The essence of Fate's Tower.
"I am here, mage." The helmet, or rather the inner personification of the helmet, appeared beside him.
"Why are we in the tower? What's going on?" He shivered, feeling a strong pull of magic. What was this?
"Do not fear mage, it is because Horus calls to Fate. You are no longer needed, the new host is of age." Said Fate, after leaving Zatara in the dark for who knew how long. Leaving him unable to see, to hear and even feel things around him.
The man opened his mouth, wanting to ask for more clarity, but he felt a strange pull. "BE GONE!"
After a white flash, and ringing, Zatara fell onto a cold surface where he was unconscious.
To say he was frightened was an understatement. Alfred, who has seen aliens, angels, demons and other horrifying images didn't have anything to prepare him for the sight that appeared in the Batcave.
The sight of a man in a torn and tattered suit, with long raven hair that was graying at the tips with his beard matching that pattern, that was pale skin stretched over bone. Now that.. That frightened him.
He picked the man up and pulled him from the floor, transferring him to the table. He took a sample of blood before running to get the IV bags.
He hooked the bags up and then stitched him up carefully, waiting for the DNA results. The results came back as Alfred cleaned the medical instruments.
He lookes at the pale figure on the table, having bandages and stitches over a good percentage of his body. "My my, Mr. Zatara, you have a long road to go before you are well."
Bruce Wayne had been home for ten minutes, listening to Alfred as he looked over to the man on the table. "So he hasn't moved.. At all?"
Alfred nodded. "Correct. I have not informed Miss Zatanna about our guest, as I am awaiting for him to wake first."
Bruce nodded. "Of course." He looked at Alfred again. "You go and get yourself cleaned up, you look like hell. I'll watch him."
Alfed nodded, "of course master Bruce." He left the Cave, intent on having a hot shower and a spot of tea.
"Damn it Giovanni." Bruce said, looking at the man. "You couldn't have called a head of time?" He grabbed the phone and was intent on calling Zatanna.
Zatanna looked up from her book, to see her phone ringing. It was Bruce.
"Hello? Zatanna Zatara, Mistress of Magic and Sorceress of Mayhem. What, man of bats, may I ask is the nature of your call?" She asked, wanting to have some fun because she was still off league duty for a few more weeks and life at her apartment by herself was getting boring.
"Zatanna, I have a situation on my hands." Bruce said.
"Phone consultations cost extra," Zatanna chuckled to herself as she leaned against her pillows, thinking Bruce was on a date and needed some voodoo to make it go smoother.
"Put that part of your magic kit away," Bruce said, his 'dad voice' coming out. "It's not that kind of situation." Bruce was dumbfounded as to where she got that humor from.
"Pft. Fine." Zatanna said, grabbing her water. "I can't have any fun anymore, is that it?" She took a sip of it.
"Zatanna.." Came his stern voice, wanting this particular issue solved so he could eat and then go to bed.
"Okay, geez. What is it?" Zatanna took another drink, deciding to listen to him.
"Your father is out of Fate's helmet-" he didn't get a chance to finish because Zatanna spat out her water.
"What? Where is he!? Tell me!"
"-he's here, at the Batcave." Bruce said, looking to the table when his ears caught a weak intake of breath. "I gotta go-"
"I'll be there in ten minutes." Click. Great.
Bruce looked over to Giovanni, who was sitting up and coughing. "Giovanni?"
Green eyes, large with fright opened to look at Bruce. "B- Bruce? What's going on? Am I actually..?"
"Yes, Giovanni. Calm down. Your severely malnourished and have stitches in multiple places across your body." Not to mention the IV and blood bags. "Zatanna's on her way."
A relieved sigh left the man's lips. "Good." He shivered. "Is it too much to ask for another blanket, please?"
It was then Bruce realized how then Giovanni actually was. "Of course, hold on." He grabbed a spare blanket and a heating pad, giving them to Giovanni. "Better?"
Giovanni nodded. "Thank you, I appreciate it." He smiled, wrapped the two blankets around himself as the heating pad began to warm up.
Bruce laughed. "Zatanna is going to love taking care of you. And I think you'll like to see how much she's grown up."
Giovanni pulled the blanket tighter as the elevator opened, revealing Alfred. The man had a cart, on it were four bowls of hot soup and a warm pot of tea with four cups.
Bruce was about to ask when the zeta from the end of the cave went off. It announced Zatanna's arrival. The Bat looked down to see the raven haired woman, dressed in jeans and a red winter coat, a scarf wrapped around her neck and a white knit cap was on her head.
"Dad!" Zatanna made it across the cave and to the table where Giovanni was bundled up in record time.
He pulled her close. "My rabbit," he smiled, pulling away slightly. "Let me look at you!" He looked at her, "you've grown so much!"
"Dad.." Zatanna choked out, moving close to him for another hug.
After their hug ended, the four of them settled down for soup and tea.
"You can stay here, Giovanni. We have more than enough room." Bruce said, trying to convince him.
"I don't want to impose-"
Zatanna cut Giovanni off when he tried to further refuse. "Actually, you can stay with me. I've had a room set up for months."
This surprised Giovanni. She had been waiting for him for five years, and made a space for him in her home? Had she been expecting this?
"I.. I don't know what to say.."
"How about 'yes, I will gladly stay with you because we need to catch up.' " Zatanna said. "And I'll say 'perfect, no need to worry about anything because I have it all covered. As soon as your well enough to walk, you'll be brought home.' "
The man laughed, smiling at her. "I gladly accept your offer."
Two months later, Giovanni was walking with Zatanna through the hallway to the apartment.
"That sounds like fun." He said after Zatanna mentioned a vacation with him possibly to Italy or Turkey to reconnect.
"I know." She smiled, pulling out her keys and unlocking the door. Inside was a good sized living room. "What do you think?" She asked as Giovanni looked around at the lightly painted room with complimenting dark furniture.
"I like it." Giovanni said to her, a smile on his face.
"Well then, welcome home dad." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug.