Hello, sorry for the long delay, had a bad case of the flu (thankfully not covid) that kept me in bed for a week or so. Apologies. Thanks to those who liked and followed the stories, much appreciated, and hope you all enjoy the next chapter of the story. I'm a bit uncertain with how the reception will be towards the end character, as it is the one from Marvel Comics I am adding as stated in the story premise. Hopefully you enjoy it.
LordNimmu: Thanks for the review. Hopefully things start to get a little more smooth from here on out, and soon enough the OC character will be making an appearance. It's just this story isn't centered on one person, more so many, giving different views on how the story will flow. But thank you for the honest feedback and hope you enjoy what comes.
Guest: Thanks for the review and glad you enjoy the characters interactions. As for Bruce and Zatanna, I won't flat out come out and deny it'll happen, or promise it will. The story is still flowing organically so things can change. What I will say is that Bruce is protective of her and she idolizes him, so will see where things go with that. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter 4
It took two hours, two superheroes, and about 5 million dollars in citywide damage, but finally Lois Lane was able to prowl the street looking for her exclusive after the rampage by Metallo and Giganta.
What had started out as a night in the office with Jimmy Olsen overlooking a story had turned into a massive brawl just a few streets away with a view of it all. The moment the first siren had gone off both had raced over, just in time to see Superman and Wonder Woman fly in and take on the villains.
It was easy enough for Lois to spot her fiancé, and even easier to spot him taking on Giganta. She'd watched him do it with relative ease, as his partner took care of the other villain who'd pose quite a threat.
After a few punches, some explosions, and about 2 dozen cop cars flooding the streets, the citizens of Metropolis were safe yet again, leaving Lois free to search for a quote. There was the added bonus of going straight to the source, but she also enjoyed the hunt, and the work that went into it, so she'd find someone other than her soon to be husband.
She'd save that for when they got home.
Thankfully thinking ahead, she spotted Jimmy who had begun his own recon with his camera, talking with a few people who had been lucky to escape the mayhem before it turned deadly.
"Over here Lois!" He called out.
She raced over, careful not to push over anyone, before she came face to face with a small family who were just finishing a check up near a makeshift triage. A mother and father she suspected stood impatiently as their child, a small girl, was getting looked over by a paramedic.
"What do you got?" Lois asked curious why Jimmy had called her over here.
He pushed her aside giving the family space as he explained. "Bank heist apparently."
Lois frowned. "What would a giant and half machine want with money? Don't they have goons for that?"
"Actually they did," Jimmy confirmed with a smile. He pointed over towards the couple who were now hugging the small girl. "Apparently they were inside when about 10 guys in masks stormed the bank, the others, Metallo and Giganta were outside buying them time I guess."
"Not exactly front page news," Lois admitted. It was definitely a story, but one that had played out about a 100 times in the past. There was nothing fresh or interesting that made the story unique. "I need special."
Jimmy shrugged gesturing back to the family. "I dunno Lois, getting saved by Superman and Wonder Woman, I'm pretty sure that's special to her."
Lois looked over and felt her resolve soften watching the little girl embrace her parents. She seemed perfectly fine, just a little bit of dust and dirt covering her head to toe, but the gigawatt smile she had on her face took all the focus away on anything else.
The two watched as she enthusiastically mimicked the heroes running around and throwing kicks and punches before pretending to fly. Her mother relaxed and even laughed while her father chased her around trying to calm her.
It was a heartwarming scene, and one that made Lois's mind stray towards the not so distant future.
Would her and Clark have kids?
She didn't see herself as a mom, let alone a mom of a one day half Kryptonian. It was a conversation that was needed one day, probably soon, but she'd settle on talking to the little girl for a quote about her favourite superhero.
***
"Almost done!"
Clark rounded the corner in his living room and spotted an over enthusiastic Lois typing away on her laptop on the couch flapping her feet against the cushion like a fish out of water. She'd ditched her work attire for pyjamas and tied her hair up diving deep into the story she was working on.
It was all so casual but Clark was sure he'd never seen a more beautiful sight. In her element, lost inside the world a potential story, Lois stood above them all.
He'd found her an hour ago in the same spot after he'd helped local cleanup downtown in the aftermath of the attack. She had hardly noticed when he flew in, cooked dinner, and watched a quarter of the football game beside her, until she had finally gotten up to use the restroom.
"Oh you're home?" She had said.
Clark smiled at the thought, stepping deeper into the room to see if she had put the finishing touches on her first draft on what would likely be a front page story within the next day or so.
"Good stuff?" He asked sitting down. Lois molded into him, shifting the laptop slightly so he could see her titled story. "Inspiring the next wave of heroes," He read. "Catchy."
Lois nodded. "I agree, even though I have to admit, this wasn't exactly what I was looking for down there."
"Not enough trouble for you?"
"Hardly," She teased with an eye roll. If there was one thing she never did, was turn away from danger for a story. "I guess I wanted something more audience catching."
"And instead you got…."
"A little girls dream to save the world," She finished with a smile.
Clark returned the smile remembering a similar goal. "Sounds like a farmers dream from Kansas."
"Yes Jonathan and Martha Kent would be proud to listen to Aya Garza's goals." Lois recalled the hour spent after meeting the Garza family and listening to their story inside the bank that had been held up by supervillains.
Daniel and Emilia Garza had recently moved to Metropolis with their 7 year old daughter Aya after immigrating from Ecuador 3 months earlier. Emilia had gotten a job opportunity and the family had relocated to a foreign and unknown place.
It was a drastic leap but one they felt confident in, especially knowing the city they were moving to was personally guarded by Superman. That thought alone had carried Aya through the difficult moving process of leaving her home and friends behind.
The family never thought they'd actually run into the worlds most famous hero, let alone be rescued in a bank by him. What had started as a meeting with their finical advisor for mortgage discussions had become an ever lasting memory.
Daniel had focused on the near fatal loss but for Aya, she spent the majority of their meeting gushing how she wanted to one day save the world. Fear had passed her, replaced with admiration and ambition, and although Lois understood the parents reservation about a near life changing moment, she couldn't help but smile at the young girls charisma.
She had gotten her story, and a knew perspective, while appreciating the thought that her soon to be husband truly did spark change in the world.
"You did that," She whispered. Closing her computer she looked up at Clark and gently kissed his lips before resting her head on his shoulder. "You inspired her."
"I had help."
"Yes, Aya saw Wonder Woman too," Lois confirmed recalling the fighting poses the little girl displayed for her and her parents. "I think Diana might have stolen the mantle of favourite hero from you."
Clark chuckled at the thought. "I can live with that. As long as their happy and safe."
"They are," Lois said. "Terrible scare but when I left they seemed in high spirit. Hard not to be with their daughter. Beautiful family."
Clark heard the slightest change in her voice at the last two words but relented on pressing the topic. They'd been together for 3 years, engaged for the last one, but they'd yet to have the conversation of children seriously.
It was a sensitive subject given both their lives.
Clark was a full time reporter and full time hero. His life was every bit as chaotic as one could imagine and the thought of inviting a child into the danger and uncertainty that surrounded him didn't seem right or logical.
As for Lois, he knew she could never abandon the hunt and dedication she applied to her job and career. Of course there were many reporters or those in similar situations who had families and children, but Lois was different. She'd fly across the world for a story, dive deep into the most dangerous parts of cities to uncover the truth, and make enemies with just about anyone with any real power.
They both dedicated their lives to changing the world, yet would they be able to handle a child who would change theirs?
It was a conversation that needed to happen, and probably soon, but as Clark eyed the sleeping form of his fiancé next to him, he knew he could postpone the eventual seismic shift at least another day after they'd gotten some proper sleep.
***
After filing a report and saying goodbye to her friends and colleagues, Zatanna found herself inside the bar of her hotel in New York where she lived for the past year. A tour around the adjacent cities had relocated her east, and with her final shows coming up within the next few weeks, she'd be free to decide where she was off to next.
Gone out of her league attire and blending into civilians clothes, she'd found herself inching closer to the bar than her bed. A goodnight sleep was what she needed to clear the disappointment from her head but she'd decided on an Old Fashioned instead to cure her ails.
She knew it was stupid to think she'd failed the mission. It was a simple recon job, no bad guys, no danger, just show up and look around hoping to find clues. Countless times a mission like this would turn up empty but it was her mission, and the first one, and she just wanted to prove to her teammates that they could depend on her.
Dinah had played it off, as did Oliver, but they were her friends, they were supposed to make her feel better. Bruce the ever enigma had taken a quick glance at their report and then disappeared, offering no insight good or bad.
Maybe if she'd had gotten his approval it would have felt different.
Sighing, Zatanna took the last sip of her drink and looked around the empty lounge of the bar. It was half past midnight on a Tuesday night and the city was tucked away for the evening.
Most people would start their daily ritual tomorrow while she'd lounge around her lavish penthouse moping around trying to solve what was likely a suicide.
All the clues pointed to it, but still something felt off. Six people, all complete strangers, just decided to take their lives within minutes of each other, and no clues of foul play were left behind.
She tried to recall her moment on the ledge where the victim had stood. There was no magical residue left behind, or traces of a spell, but still something felt off. Dark magic had always been an eerie step into the unknown and as willing as she was to solve this potential case, she knew drowning in darkness would be no way to handle that.
What she needed was someone who'd been there before.
Smiling at the thought, Zatanna pulled out a 20$ and dropped it under her glass before rising from her seat and out the bar lounge. She quickened her pace after waving at the bartender until she reached the front entrance and outside.
The air was damp and the clouds had parted from the storm but she was alone on the boulevard. In the back of her mind she began to question her idea but the second glass at the bar had given her enough courage to confront her doubts.
Quickly she raised her hand and mumbled the spell quietly. "Latrop ot nhoj."
The outside streets of New York were quickly replaced as she felt herself step foot into a dingy looking room. She faced towards the window, spotting the sun just starting to peak out into view, alerting her of the likely time change.
Quickly she spun around to face the familiar outline of a typical hotel bedroom you paid less than 100$ a night with a bed facing a mounted tv unit and a one seater couch in the corner. The room itself was a mess, covered in garbage and smelling like old pizza and hard liquor.
On the bed a body rested, a woman from the looks of it, with a bare leg sticking out from the bottom of the uneven sheets and her naked back exposed near her blonde covered head.
Her face was turned leaving her identity a mystery but Zatanna hadn't come for her. She knew someone else was here, and just when she was about to call out, the man in question came out of the bathroom near the back of the room by the entrance covered in nothing but a towel.
Zatanna stayed still waiting, as she spotted his eyes lift up from the floor to meet hers. For the first time in a long time, she almost smiled at the thought of John Constantine looking genuinely surprised and unnerved.
"Zee?"
She smiled. "Hello John."
"What….what are you doing here?" He asked confused. His eyes took a quick glance at the girl in the bed before back towards his new guest. "You didn't kill her did you?"
Maybe a few years ago and a less mature Zatanna, but she shook her head amused. "I'm not really into the crazy ex girlfriend cliche. I'm here for business."
Constantine smiled a crooked smile while shaking off the water from his head. "So was she."
A muffled moan at the sounds nearly alerted the nameless girl as Zatanna rolled her eyes. "You're a pig."
"I'm a romantic," He countered.
"Funny, I never recalled any moments of romance." Constantine took a step forward to argue but Zatanna quickly raised her hands to stop any notion. "Look I'm not here to fight, can we talk. It's serious."
Her plea must have worked as Constantine motioned towards the patio window where they made their way outside. Quietly they closed the door to avoid waking the girl, leaving them in somewhat privacy.
"What's got you troubled love?" Constantine asked. His fingers dug out a cigarette before he lit the stick and leaned over on the ledge of the railing. They were a few stories high overlooking an unfamiliar town.
Zatanna was unsure how to begin.
The last thing she expected this morning was to show up at John Constantine's door asking for help. He was without a doubt one of the biggest headaches she'd ever dealt with and was insanely unreliable when it mattered.
Perhaps that's why it'd been over two years since they'd last spoken.
John brought trouble wherever he went, and as intoxicating as that once was to her growing up, she'd gotten over the trope fairly quickly. They'd dated nearly two years, and she'd been in love, but that wasn't enough.
Mistakes had happened, on both parties, and it had led to what was now an awkward conversation for help.
"It's work related," Zatanna admitted.
"Tights and capes up in the stars causing you trouble?" Constantine asked with a smirk. He'd never worked well with the other heroes, even if they'd called on him every so often. "What cat in the tree did you fail to save?"
"I didn't fail to save anyone," Zatanna countered a little testy. She felt like a teenager getting sucked back into the constant bickering. "Will you help me or not?"
"That depends." He took a long drag from his smoke before exhaling. "Does this mean I'm part of the super duper team?"
"You're impossible."
Constantine laughed. "I'm just playing love. Don't let a little fun ruin your day. How can John help?"
She ignored the smirk and explained the case Nightwing had stumbled upon. It didn't take very long given how little they knew about the case but by the end of the explanation her ex boyfriend was nodding his head in understanding.
"So you think someone killed these people?"
Zatanna couldn't say for certain but she almost felt something on that roof. "Maybe, but I'm not sure. I thought maybe you could see something I didn't."
"Not really in the mood to go to Gotham."
"Blüdhaven," Zatanna corrected knowing that would be his response. She took a deep sigh before saying something she'd hoped to avoid. "If you promise to help then you can see through me."
Her offer quickly caught his interest as he smirked knowingly. "You must be desperate if you're asking me for that."
"Yes well desperation does seem like a common trait around you," She quipped unwilling to let that comment go. "Now can we get this over with before I wise up and change my mind."
That last thing Zatanna wanted was John poking around her head in places reserved for her and her alone. To step into ones mind wasn't just being able to see their memories, but feel their emotions, connect with their thoughts, and form a bond.
She didn't exactly perk up at the thought of her ex boyfriend digging around her head like a buried treasure in the ocean but the alternative was far worse. She knew her doubt would begin to haunt her dreams and second guess herself, and the last thing she wanted was it effecting her job with the league.
If that meant having John dig around her memories for a bit then so be it.
"Remember," John said stepping forward. His mischievous smile vanished as he raised his hands to her head. "You asked for this."
"Just get on—"
She was caught off abruptly from the magic coursing through John's fingertips. Her body froze from the touch and soon she found herself a prisoner inside her own mind. Memories flashed all around, spinning and circling around her while her body drifted higher gazing down like a bird.
It was a surreal experience, like watching a movie of your own life but having no say or power in what happened. She couldn't' see John physically, but she could feel his essence poke around her head knowing he was there.
At first she was worried, which proved correct when he poked around her personal life with a low chuckle, but soon enough he brushed past it and continued forward. She caught little glimpses of her old self as a child, moments playing with her father, training with him, and even meeting Bruce when he was younger.
She could feel the love radiating off he memories of her father and just the thought would have brought a tear to her eye had she control.
More memories past and faded, some of her friends, others of work, then of the League. John had somehow snuck in and revisited their first kiss, which hadn't been romantic at all but more so drunk fuelled and clumsy.
The memories began to pick up in speed before she recalled her meetup with Dinah and Oliver on Watchtower. She watched the three disappear back down to earth and soon enough the night in Blüdhaven played out as it had.
She watched herself be unsure, then fail awkwardly with Nightwing, before attempting to figure out a magical cause around them. It was almost like failing twice, as she had to endure the moment once more, this time with the added bonus of seeing her misery face to face.
A low murmur came from John inside her head but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The memory rewinded, back to her moment of holding her hands up over the edge of the building, before it froze.
John continued to mumble, but Zatanna couldn't hear.
All she had was the frozen image of herself over the ledge with her hands up and eyes covered in total white at the failed spell.
Then the image faded, and she found herself back on the balcony of the patio sitting down in a lawn chair. Sunshine had her momentarily blind, but she brushed her hands above and noticed John leaning on the railing in front of her with a cigarette and cup of coffee.
He was completely dressed, and had a serious look on his face.
"How long was I out?" Zatanna yawned.
"Long enough for my sleeping guest to catch us out here wondering what the hell was happening," John explained. He passed over the coffee into her grateful hands. "You okay?"
"Just a bit tired."
John nodded. "I imagine so. Long night for you. Who is your blonde friend by the way?"
Zatanna took a sip of the much needed coffee ignoring the question. "Did you find anything or not?"
The small smile on John's face turned into a firm line before he sighed. "You really out did yourself on this one Zee."
"What's that mean?"
John took a long hard drag before exhaling. "For someone so privy on being associated with good magic you always seem to find yourself drawn to the dark side of it all."
Perhaps it was the coffee, but Zatanna shot forward with a burst of energy she didn't know she had. "How so? You found something didn't you?"
John shook his head slightly unsure. "Had you stuck with your training in all aspects of magic, you'd have found it too. Pretty obvious actually."
"Alright alright, no need to be a jerk about it." She rose to her feet to stare her ex partner in the eye. "Tell me the truth. Is this murder?"
"Afraid that I don't know," John admitted, seeming rather disappointed in doing so. "But it's not me you should be asking."
"No? Then who?"
John offered her a slow smile before turning his attention towards the morning sun. His blonde hair glowed like sand in the beach, as he basked in the warmth. "It's beautiful here. Spend the day, will have lunch, see a show. We can do anything."
Zatanna heard the sincerity in his voice and recalled the image of the two at the bar during their mind connection. They were happy at a point, and probably still could be, but that was a choice she wasn't willing to make just yet.
She bumped up close to him, her hand gently reaching for his, before she whispered. "Who do I have to talk to John?"
John's face never changed, but the look in his eyes did. His plea to stay here wasn't just to rekindle a lost flame, but to steer her away from a path he knew would prove to be dangerous.
"You were looking for a killer," John finally said. "Instead I found his collector."
"Henry Grant's collector?" Zatanna repeated in confusion.
"You didn't think the devil himself chased all those lost souls did you?" John asked mildly amused.
Zatanna was even more confused. "I don't understand, what's the devil have to do with this."
"That's a damn good question," John agreed. "But if you want answers, you'll have to ask his collector."
Zatanna didn't like the sound of that. "His collector? And who is that exactly?"
John shrugged. "Unsure about that. They change every so often, and haven't met one me self. But they're real, just nameless Ghost Riders is all."
"Great." Zatanna crossed her hands in frustration. "I have to find a nameless person.""
John sympathized with a comforting pat in the shoulder. "Tread carefully love. You're in uncharted waters now. I've only heard stories, but when one goes looking for the Devils Ghost Rider….well…the story usually ends with just the beginning."
