Hi everyone, it's been a while. I do my best to keep updates on a regular basis but this past winter has been really hard on me and my broad-spectrum health. A bad lung infection got me a visit to the hospital, for one. And once I was finally over all of that, I was busy getting my life back on track. And filling ETSY orders. Turns out a lot of people like colorful, flannel dinosaurs and dragons. Anyway, back to work!
Emergency midnight calls to the Watchtower weren't unusual enough for Bruce to be annoyed, even if it came in only a few moments after his head hit the cool silk of his pillowcase. Instead, he merely grumbled for a moment, rolled out of bed, and headed for the Batcave -pausing only momentarily to check on a sleeping Tim and leaving a note for Alfred to have an excuse ready in case Bruce couldn't make it to the early morning shareholders meeting.
"Mornin' Bats," Flash said with an insulting amount of cheer. "If we can ever consider this morning."
Bruce grunted, eyes narrowing behind his mask as he glanced over the speedster. "I'm surprised you're so cheery. I know you spent the entire night rounding up your Rogues."
Flash chuckled. "Yeah, good ol' Abra Kadabra was making trouble again. But, what can I say? I'm young. I can go for days."
The little jab wasn't subtle, nor was purposefully malicious. Yet, for Bruce, it was a stabbing reminder both that Flash was the same age as his own son, and that Bruce wasn't getting any younger. Pretty soon, he wouldn't be able to do this anymore.
Flash's grin faltered for a moment, before passing Bruce a mug of hot coffee and continuing with a muted, "Being a speedster... it affects all parts of you. How you eat, how you think, and even how you sleep."
'Interesting.'
Barry had never consented to have the physical effects of his powers studied, so most of Bruce knew it came from observable and theoretical data. Perhaps Dick could get Wally to agree to be studied.
He took a sip of the coffee, nearly moaning at the taste of Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee as the hot liquid slid over his tongue. The brand may have been ridiculously expensive, but Bruce could excuse the indulgence by sharing it with colleagues. Here and at Wayne Enterprise. Now if only he could figure out a way to set up a steady supply at the GCPD...
The familiar slide of the automatic metal doors signaled someone else's arrival.
"Batman, glad you were able to get here so fast," Superman said. Even more so Flash, Clark looked completely away and aware -not so much as a hair out of place. "Good, everyone's here. Zatanna is ready to start."
Bruce nodded silently, following the alien to take his seat at the main table. The tap-tap-tap of Flash's surely specialized boots on the metal floor behind him. This itself was odd, Flash rarely missed a chance to show off -to play with his powers- in front of others. For him to move so slowly, it must have been a sign that Flash wanted the extra seconds to think.
In addition to Jason Blood sitting in the corner, Zatanna was there, clad in her usual outfit. Yet there was a hurried undertone to the tilt of her mouth, the way her brow was knitted together, and the way she was paced back and forth. There was a piece of paper clenched so tightly in her hand that veins were visible. Still, her face brightened when she saw him.
"Batman," she smiled. "Glad to have you here."
Bruce nodded again, allowing a small smile.
"That is everyone then?" Blood asked, grunting when Superman nodded. "Good, because I fear we have a problem."
"Is it that wizard kid?" Green Lantern asked. With his unshaven face, dark bags under his eyes, and scowl, he was the only one who had the decency to look tired and disgruntled at having been dragged here at three in the morning. "We've tracked him to New England but are having a hard time pinning down a location. And, I know it sucks to say, finding a kid falls pretty far down the list of priorities when we have to deal with attempted alien invasions, rich assholes with too much time on their hands, weathering controlling nutjobs, and bank robbers with overly complicated gimmicks."
Zatanna gave the Green Lantern a look that made it clear that she wasn't amused but, though she didn't say anything, Bruce couldn't help but mentally agree. For all the research he was doing on John Constantine and the disturbing information that research was yielding, the Joker attempting to poison Gotham's supply of baby formula and the Ridder setting up trivia death games in the Gotham University library took priority.
'Still, Zatanna was worried about Constantine the last time she was here but she was still collected and calm. She wanted him found but didn't seem pressed for time. She would have told me privately if it was a true emergency. But now... Now she is nearly frantic. Even Jason seems tense.'
If someone as powerful as Zatanna, or as old and collected as Jason Blood was worried, then something dangerous was coming.
Bruce really hated magic.
"Well, change your priorities because, if we don't find John, the stability of magic itself may fall out of balance."
Green Lantern didn't flinch, but his eyes narrowed as his lips pressed into a tight line. "And then?"
"Chaos will consume the world," Wonder Woman answered for Zatanna. Her beautiful face troubled, she continued. "Magic... It's everywhere, it's part of everything. My mother often told me that magic was interwoven with all life on the planet. She told me that it wasn't to be trifled with, that it may be the domain of Hecate but it is older than the gods or titans. If something were to happen to the balance that it holds, all life on earth will be affected."
"Magic isn't contained to just Earth though," Hawkgirl said. "Would... whatever your concern is affect other planets as well?"
Her words were cautious and careful, quite different from her rough, straightforward approach to combat.
"There is no way of knowing for sure, but it is certainly possible," Zatanna replied. With a sigh, she laid the crumpled piece of paper on the table, smoothing it out with her hand before passing it around the table. "I found this letter at my house yesterday. I'm not sure how long ago it arrived, it was buried under a week's old mountain of junk mail and bills though. Take a look at the writing on the bottom."
"I am unfamiliar with the Books of Magic," J'onn said. "Though, given the context, I must assume they are important to the situation."
"That would be an understatement," Jason Blood replied, voice grave. J'onn's eyes narrowed ever so slightly when the immortal disgraced knight began speaking. Clearly, there was still distrust, if not outright animosity there. "The Books of Magic may just be the most dangerous magical artifacts in the world."
"What, can they turn everyone on earth into doves or turn off the sun or something?" Flash asked. Something about his voice told Batman that he was only half joking.
Despite the situation, Zatanna gave the young speedster a small, indulgent smile. "No. There are artifacts in the world that have the power to do things like that, but the Books aren't among them. Like Jason said, they are dangerous, not powerful."
"Yes, but knowledge is power and all that jazz," Green Lantern said. "So share some of that power and tell us more about them."
"Very well. Keep in mind, most of what I'm about to say is based on rumor, speculation, and legend. Still, if even a kernel of those is true, we have plenty of reason to worry. Supposedly, the Books of Magic contain all knowledge -both known and unknown- and might even have been the source of all magic itself."
"To over-simplify matters to a pathetic degree, the Books of Magic supposedly give the hold the necessary information to perform any magic they wish," Blood said. "In the hands of a powerful enough mage, I'm sure you understand how horrifying such a possibility would be."
.
.
.
"...And I suppose Nick Necro is powerful enough?" Superman asked, his calm voice being the first to break the tense silence. It was only the furrow between the Man of Steel's eyes that showed any nervousness or concern for the situation. Emotions he was certainly feeling; magic was one of the few things in the known universe that could harm the superpowered alien.
'But even more than his own safety, he's got to be worried about not being able to protect the world from this new potential threat. Then there is that teenager, John Constantine... Clark has to be worried about him too. He's too soft for his own good. I wonder if even he is powerful enough to survive the weight of such a flaw,' Batman thought, studying his colleague's face carefully. Smooth and perfect as a marble statue, there were times he understood why Luthor feared Clark. For all the man tried with his ill-fitted suits, glasses, terrible posture, and harmless, affable Face, Clark could never quite manage to perfectly mimic humanity.
"I'd make a joke about the pen being mightier than the sword or something like that," Flash said, earning a twin pair of groans from Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, "but it doesn't seem like a good idea right now."
"There is never time for jokes on the job," Batman said sternly, trying not to think of all the times he'd tried unsuccessfully to impart that lesson to Dick. He turned back to Zatanna, "If these Books of Magic are as dangerous as you're implying, then securing them is our top priority."
"Wait, what about the kid? Constantine?" Flash piped up again. "He's wrapped up in this too, and probably in danger. You came to us for help finding him first and that is what we should be focusing on."
"I agree with Flash," Wonder Woman said. "Our protection and aid cannot be limited to the large scale. Helping a single young man in danger is as worthy of a cause as any other. And, forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't there laws about children running away from their parents?"
"John won't be going back to his father," Zatanna cut in immediately. "No matter the outcome, he won't be going back there. If for no other reason than he needs a proper magical education. He will be going to Madame Xanadu, and that is that."
Despite what Zatanna said, Flash sent to Amazon Princess a quick smile. One that faded when Green Lantern decided it was his turn to speak.
"It's pretty obvious that this Constantine kid is involved in something nasty but if he's been on his own and on the run for all this time, then he isn't going to want us trying to get involved with his life. I know kids like this, I work with them down at the center," John explained. "They're private. They've been burned too many times and by too many adults. We show up in front of him and do what? Drag him up here for his own safety? At best, it will terrify him into clamming up and, at worst, we'll make sure he'll never accept his help."
"You aren't the only one who has worked with troubled children, GL, and you aren't wrong but I stand by my point," Flash said, shaking his head. He turned back to address the entire group. "Look, no offense, but I remember what it's like being a teenager a lot clearer than the rest of you and, if he's going out of his way to send a warning like that-" he nodded towards the note "-then he's terrified of something."
"No, he's afraid of someone ."
All eyes turned to Batman, silently prompting him to continue. "I'm assuming the 'Nick' referenced in the note is the same man you mentioned last you were here? Nicholas Nolan, Nick Necro?"
"That does seem to be the case," Blood said. "Especially considering Necro is known to have a long-standing interest in the Books of Magic."
Batman had looked into Nick Necro alongside John Constantine during his few spare free moments in these past weeks that weren't taken up by his investigations into Nico Franks and her company, his own company, the messes caused by his own Rogues Gallery, and other League business. The man's life was interesting in how dull and sparse the official records were. His mother, Patricia, was a seamstress and his father, Donald, was a plumber; both, by all indications, were honest, hard-working people.
Blue-collar, but respectable.
A missing person's report was on file for Nolan when he was sixteen. Five years later, one Nicholas Necro made a name for himself in the Art & Antiquities scene of New York. He bought a penthouse, made suspiciously good investments, drove fancy cars, bought expense suits, and ate at the best restaurants. A fancy life, one expected from a wealthy, young bachelor in a major city -one not too different from the life a younger Bruce Wayne seemed to have lived- and yet when you dug deep, it was obvious how fake it all was.
'How much of Necro's success is due to magic?' he wondered. 'What did he do to get where he is?'
The most unnerving thing about digging into Necro's life was seeing the increase in utility bills and a new, second set of credit card purchases from the months that John Constantine would have been living with him. That part of Batman's stomach that had developed after Dick came into his life twisted when he read through a list of purposes that could have only come from a teenager: junk food, video games, takeout, in-game purchases for at least a dozen different app games, online pornography, expensive clothes, and cheap aftershave, and dozens of the most random Amazon purchases.
That discomfort turned to blinding rage and burning bile when Batman then dug into Necro's purchases. Even thinking back to them had Batman clenching his fist.
God, he hated magic.
"If what you're saying is true, then something else must be considered," J'onn said, speaking up for the first time. "When Nick Necro contacted you, he said that he was searching for John Constantine because the boy had stolen some artifacts. Yet, with all this new information, I must wonder if that is a lie."
With a slow nod, Hawkgirl spoke up. "I see what you're saying, J'onn. The kid sees or finds something about his mentor that freaks him out, he rips that page out of a book, he mails it to Zatanna here, and then goes into hiding. Necro tries to find him but, like you-" she nodded towards the magician "-told us, something was... hiding him? So he turns to others in your community in hopes that you could do the dirty work for him."
Batman watched as Zatanna and Blood met each other's eyes, both growing a shade paler at the thought of being used to hunt down a scared teenager. They may have already been suspicious of Necro yet it seemed like only now were the true implications of the situations that were sinking it.
"Wait... when was the last time you tried tracking John Constantine?" Superman asked.
Zatanna blinked at the question before raising her hands. " ?nitnatsonC nhoJ si erehW "
The air shimmered in front of her, twisting and glowing until it formed a spinning globe. The magical globe spun faster and faster, the image shifting as it seemed to zoom in. First on the Western hemisphere, then onto the United States, then the eastern shore board, and then further still until the city of Bludhaven... only to then seize and stutter before fading away entirely.
"Hmmm, I guess the kid is still hiding himself," Hawkgirl said.
"Noooo..." Zatanna said, her beautiful face twisting in confusion and concern. "That was different from all the other times I've tried locating him. Something has changed."
"A different type of magic is hiding him now," Blood mused, eyes narrowing.
"Try tracking Necro," Batman said.
Zatanna's eyes widened in understanding, waving he hands once more. "?orceN KciN si erehW"
Once more, a spinning globe appeared and narrowed in one Bludhaven... before sputtering away.
"Damn," Green Lantern grunted.
"Language," Superman said absentmindedly, before turning to Zatanna. "Is there anything else you can do? Any other spells you can try?"
"My magic is stronger than Necro's, do doubt. With enough time and focus, I could break through his cloaking spell," Zatanna said. "But that's time we might not have. Still, now I know for certain that John is with Necro."
"How so?" Hawkgirl asked.
"Every mage in the world has their own unique magical signature. It's hard to explain but, if you know what to look for, a magical signature is as unique as a fingerprint," Zatanna explained. "The spells hiding John and Necro? Those have the same signature."
Batman fought the urge to finch at the thought of a teen being in the claws of a predator. Yet, even with his worry, there was no denying that securing the Books of Magic was the bigger priority. He didn't like it, but no one said being a hero meant making easy decisions.
"Looks let's put aside the magical hocus pocus for now," Flash says. "When we ignore that element, isn't this just a search and rescue mission? We know they're in Bludhaven; that's just one city. Between me and a few of the rest of you, we can search that in a couple of hours."
His voice was calm and even, almost commanding in its easy strength. And the way Flash spoke made it clear that this was what he was going to do no matter what the overall group decisions ended up being. And, if he had to do it himself, then so be it.
Under most circumstances, Flash's youth stubbornness was frustrating for the same reason it was irritating to see in Dick. Being so sure in your own course was dangerous. There was a saying that 'The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long,' and that often reminded Batman of reckless young men. He didn't want to see Dick or Flash dead before their time, let alone before him.
Now though, Batman found himself hiding a small smile. For all that brashness could be dangerous -could easily be a young hero's downfall- there was something about the pure dedication to helping people that reminded Batman of why he -why they all- donned their caps, masks, and costumes: to protect those who needed it. And, despite being a hero for over a decade now, Flash's soul still hadn't been worn down by all the horrors he'd been exposed to.
He still had hope.
"...Flash is right," Superman announced. "We'll divide into two teams. One to search for John Constantine and Nick Necro, and the other to find the Book of Magic."
"If we're lucky," Blood grunted. "The boy wasn't courteous enough to send us the actual location of the Books, just a riddle hinting at where they are."
"Good," Batman said. He turned to Superman, "You'll be staying here with the second group."
"But-"
"You're as vulnerable to magic as the rest of us. Moreso even," the detective pressed. "You'll be more help here with Zatanna and Blood. Flash's speed is more than enough, and having you free creates a safety precaution in the event of an emergency."
Superman looked ready to keep arguing, only to be cut off by Zatanna.
"I'm going too," the magician declared. "And don't you dare try to argue with me, B- Batman! I am the most skilled magician the Justice League is associated with. And I know Nick Necro. If things come to blows, you're going to need me there."
One of the chairs screech against the floor as Wonder Woman rose to her feet. "Zatanna is right. Her skill and experience could be invaluable. Additionally, there is the possibility she can break through the cloaking spell the closer we get."
"You can count me in too," Hawkgirl said. She patted her mace affectionally. "I've been up against my fair share of magical opponents. I know what I'm doing."
"As will I," J'onn volunteered. "My telepathy might come in handy during the search."
'They all make this sound so easy,' Batman thought. He still wasn't thrilled about the idea of charging into Bludhaven -a place known to be hostile to heroes and vigilantes in general- while still operating on so little information. Still, time and experience had taught him that sitting around waiting to be sure of something only led to pain. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke up. "Fine, it's settled. Superman and Green Lantern will stay at the Watchtower with Jason to search for more information about the Books of Magic. The rest of us will search for John Constantine and Nick Necro in Bludhaven."
"And, if all goes well, we'll all be done by breakfast," Flash said, confidence and cheer returning in full-forced.
Batman grunted. "Everyone meet at the Javelin in five minutes."
There was a flurry of agreements and solemn nods as the newly formed Away Team stood to go gather the things needed for the mission. Before he left, Flash appeared at Batman's side, leaning in to whisper, "Hey, are you going to call Nightwing before we touchdown in Bludhaven? That's his turf, after all. And we could always use an extra set of hands"
The Dark Knight bit the inside of this cheek as he thought over the question. It would be the best thing to do -a sign of good faith and trust. A fair warning about the situation. One could even call the professional courtesy. And yet... What if Nightwing rejected their arrival outright? Batman and the League would still show up -Nightwing couldn't handle the situation on his own- and then they'd be seen as a willful and deliberate disregard for his wishes. And that would just make things worse.
Alfred may have always hated the mentality, but sometimes it was better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.
"He'll know when we get there," he said eventually. That much, at least, was true.
"Man, why haven't you even told me how much of a dump this city is?" Franky asked. "I mean, at least seeing it at night means you don't see all the piles of trash?"
Robin covered her mouth to smother the sound of her giggling before tapping the small, communicator that rested in her ear -designed to fit deep enough that it wouldn't fall out and the sound came in clear with being audible to those around her without muffling the sounds around her, or doing damage to the user's eardrum. " Fufufu! That is the side effect of you not coming out in public all that much, I suppose. I can promise you this though, everything looks leagues better than it did when we arrived."
These strange little Bluetooth devices of this world lacked the charm of Transponder Snails, but Robin could appreciate the convivence.
"Eh, how did this city survive so long without us?" Franky asked. "Well, Tom was able to help turn Water 7 from a hopeless trash heap into a prosperous city, then-"
"Ahhhhh!"
"Oops! Sorry, man, didn't mean to bother you." There was the sound of the door shutting loudly, making Robin giggle again. "Where were we? Oh, yeah. We can do the same for this place. Also, it looks like the kid isn't the only one who's been hiding out around here."
"Makes sense, the homeless population of this city is still unfortunately high. Abandoned apartment buildings and complexes are the convenient and fairly safe places to stay."
Franky grunted in response. There was more shuffling over the line, the sounds of rustling, and bumping against walls, the clattering of doors, and the cyborg's heavy body on old steps and rickety wooden floors. "Damn, that is another building down, and no signs of the kid. Anything on your end?"
Robin bit her lip as she pulled out the small paper map of the area, crossing out another building. Three down, three to go.
"No," she sighed. "Do you want to take building D while I take E?"
She didn't want to think about the fact they didn't have any real proof that John was ever really here. That they could be completely wrong in their deductions, that this could all be a waste of time. John could in peril, could need their help, while she and Franky were riffling through abandoned buildings playing detective!
"Sure, I-"
Once again, Franky was cut off but this time by the loud WOOOSH -ing sound of a plane flying low overhead. Robin looked up at the dark sky, only to see nothing.
"...You heard that too, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, damnit! It looks like we have company," Franky said.
Robin glanced upward again, this time making out the figure of a winged woman -Hawkgirl, if the files and news articles she read were accurate- flying overhead. She tucked herself against the side of the building to remain hidden and out of sight.
"What are the Justice League doing here?" she wondered out loud.
"Those clowns? The ones who've been bothering you?"
For the years after they arrived, Franky had been bemused by the existence of the Justice League and masked heroes in general. He appreciated the good they did for the world but found the need to dress up in costumes and have odd gimmicks to be ridiculous -though admitted they'd be something Luffy, Ussop, and Chopper would enjoy the existence and appearance of. However, after learning of Batman and Superman's questioning of her after the incident with David Cain, Franky's opinion of the group plummeted, now seeing them as far too nosy and secretive for his liking.
On the whole, Robin found it to be a sweet if ultimately unnecessary reaction. Yes, she hadn't enjoyed the unsubtle interrogation and was nervous about the possibility of future 'interest' but it wasn't as if the League was another CP unit.
Probably.
Robin had long since learned to not rule out any possibility.
'Could they be here looking for John as well?' Robin wondered. She kept an eye on the sky until the winged woman disappeared from sight. "Franky, are you safe?"
"Always, babe. These suuuuper muscles of mine can hold up against any clown running around in his underwear!"
"Franky..."
There was a sigh, "No fun, Robin! I'm out of sight if that is what you mean. What do you want to do now?"
A hundred and one answers flooded Robin's mind. The smartest answer would be to run away or hide for now. To fall back and gather information as to what the Justice League was doing here. Yet, the Straw Hat inside her told her to throw caution to the wind, and the desire -the need- to find John was still strong. Even if he didn't want to come back with her and Franky, she at least needed to know he was safe. Robin spent so long as one of the world's uncared-for and rejected children to allow John to be one as well.
"...We still need to find John," Robin said after a moment.
"Hmmm, that'll be harder these new visitors," Franky replied immediately, not even questioning her decision. "We'll have to be careful."
"Agreed," Robin nodded, even though Franky couldn't see it. "You should head back to the van, though."
"What? I-"
"You stick out more. If you're spotted, we'll have a lot more difficulty explaining what you are and what you are doing here. If I'm found, then... Well, Batman seems to have already taken an interest in me. Finding me here won't help matters, but at least I look like a normal human and it is known that I live in Bludhaven."
Franky scoffed. "Yeah, but I'm sure they'll love to know why the owner of a major tech company is hanging around an abandoned building complex."
"Because I'm considering purchasing land and revitalizing it into low-income, private charity-run housing, of course," Robin replied smoothly. "The worse that'll happen is that I have to pay a trespassing fine."
"I still don't like it, what if you need backup?"
"Then I'll call you."
"... And I'll be by your side immediately," Frankly replied. There was more shuffling on the other end of the line before he spoke again. "I'll head for the van. But if you're not there in thirty minutes then I'm coming looking for you, babe. Capes and cowls be damned!"
Robin chuckled. "Deal. be safe."
"You too."
There was a click and the line went silent, though Robin could still call Franky back if need be. For now though, Robin took a moment to listen to the world around her. There was no longer the sound of a plane's jet engine, which gave her no comfort because it meant the plane had landed nearby. Aside from the general sounds of the city at night, there was the closer, barely audible sound of people talking. Several voices... four, at least.
Robin let out a low growl. This was going to make her job harder, especially with the (admittedly reasonable) time limit that Franky had given her. 'Time to do this fast way then.'
Looking around to assure herself that there was no one nearby, Robin darted across the small courtyard towards building E. The main down was jammed shut not locked and a sharp, hard shove was enough to force her way inside. Propping the door closed behind her, Robin surveyed what would have been the main lobby and mail room of the apartment building. Much of the original furniture was still there, though torn and filthy. Anything from the value in the room had long since been stripped from it, either by the original owners of the complex, the former residences, or squatters in the time since the building had been abandoned. The tiles of the floor were cracked and chipped, covered in dirt and leaves.
Creeeeeek!
Fear spiked in Robin at the distinctive sound of a door opening somewhere above her. In three quick bounds, Robin rushed towards and leaped over the old mail counter. She tucked herself behind the counter, safely out of sight if anyone were to come down the main staircase.
Crossover her arms, Robin closed her eyes and whispered, "Ojos Fleur."
She'd never quite be able to explain what it was like to see so many places at once. It was... disorienting at first, back when Robin was a young child first discovering her abilities. Over time, Robin had learned to focus and use the power to its full strength, and it had saved her life many times.
Now though, it let her spy on a man with curious green skin.