Song: Corpse Party: Book of Shadows ~ Deciding Fate D (Extended)
POV: Zatanna Zatara.
Flashback
Three years later, Gotham City had changed—for better or worse. Gotham's skyscrapers had grown a little taller if one could see the horizon. The world is slowly transitioning from grounded automobiles to flying cars, though that doesn't mean that the former is out of use, the flying cars thing were still in their prototype stages. It almost felt like, closer and closer, Zatanna thought they were slowly reaching the era of the Batman of the Future (*1), even if relatively speaking, it was still far.
Three years—without Batman - without her husband.
There were tempting thoughts that she wrestled with. Perhaps she could at least see him again. She has the power to do it. Peer through the afterlife. Find him there. Reassure herself. But she knew that such acts were forbidden. Not to mention, she can't fall. Her son, Damian, still needed her. Her other sons, Dick, Jason, and Tim, still need her. The Mother of the Bat Family. That's what she ultimately became. Someone that the rest could all depend on now that Batman was gone. Even Dick, who had taken over the leadership role, still needed her.
Thus, she was only content to pay a visit to her husband's grave, the same as any other mortal who lost a loved one. There were actually two graves. For both Bruce Wayne and Batman. But in fact, neither of those houses the actual body of her husband. There was a place where Batman's body was buried and it was something of a secret that only a few people knew, all to prevent Batman's body from being used for whatever insidious schemes that some may do. Nobody wanted the body of a hero desecrated for less noble principles. And it is a place where Zatanna is heading off too.
"...Oh, hey mom. You hear to visit the old man again?"
The one who spoke with a sad smile was a man wearing a brown jacket that covered the upper part of his black bodysuit, and the center chest had a red stylized bat symbol. He had his red helmet, with white visor eyes, on, but Zatanna could immediately tell the man's expression underneath. He was sitting on a bike, indicating that he drove from there. She knew him as the second son of her beloved husband, and the second to take the mantle of Robin. Nowadays, he is simply known as Red Hood.
"Hi, Jason," Zatanna spoke with a soft smile. The wardrobe that she wore was her usual magician outfit. Top hat, black blazer, white blouse, a black skirt with fishnets, and black heel shoes. She carried some beautiful roses with her - her late husband's favorite, a recommendation from former and reformed supervillain, Dr. Pamela Isly, who is known throughout Gotham for running Wayne Nature, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises that handles the protection of nature and awareness of the environment. "And yes, I'm here to visit your father again. How about you?"
"Oh, just...thinking of passing through," Red Hood spoke while looking at the grave nearby. He hopped out of his bike and started walking, with Zatanna following behind. "I just got done with a patrol with my fellow Outlaws, and thought, what the hell, can't really hurt now, can't it?"
That was a lie. Zatanna thought sadly. She knew how much Jason was hurting from the loss of Batman. Everyone in the Bat Family was still grieving from the loss. That loss had turned into a strength, a resolve, a common bond, to continue where Batman left off. To protect Gotham City, now that he's gone. She thought that he would have been proud, to see his children grow up to be fine men and women, who made Gotham much safer. Crime is down to 95%. Supervillains have become a rarity in Gotham itself, barring whoever came from outside of course. There would always be some people who would like to start some trouble.
Of course, that didn't mean all sunshine and rainbows. Because there had been, well, some local interdimensional problem involving a gang called the Jokerz. Yes, apparently, some have taken to outright admiring and worshipping the late Clown Prince of Crime so much that they took to claiming the face and name for themselves. They're nothing but troublemakers, the cowardly lot that her late husband would probably easily scare off and beat. Most of the members of the Jokerz come from another universe, where a mismatch of futures got mixed into one because of Crisis. That universe was where one of the Bat Family, the Batman of the Future - Terry McGinnis, came from.
Even in that universe though, Bruce Wayne had already passed away. Though that Bruce Wayne had a more peaceful death compared to her late husband's death at the hands of Darkseid.
She should know, because she and her late husband had visited that grim future. She knew that this Bruce, before meeting Terry, had let himself be alone and cut off everyone else in his life. He was ultimately her husband's possible and closest approximate future, if Bruce Wayne had allowed himself to continue down the road of refusing connections and let the trauma become a part of his life.
That was his future.
But, for better or worse, that future would no longer happen. Bruce Wayne, her Bruce, chose to allow himself a chance. Zatanna wasn't there when it happened, but her late husband had a conversation (or a few) with his late future self. Whatever happened there left a profound impression on Bruce, which is one of the factors that ultimately contributed to the change. That Batman could open his heart at least. Zatanna, even now, never really thought that she'd be the one he'd chosen in the end to settle down with.
They both walked towards the grave. A simple one. No symbols that could indicate any affiliation or association with Batman. No phrases like "Here lies a hero". Nothing like that.
Just a simple: "A Good Friend. A Good Father. A Good Husband."
Zatanna smiled softly as she dropped the roses down on the ground. ".evol ym rof moolB .tnalP (Plant. Bloom for my love.)" The roses would attach themselves immediately to the ground, joining the other roses that were planted there. This wasn't the first time she visited his grave, and it would not be the last. For the past three years, she had planted a garden of roses and trees that surrounded her late husband's grave. The first seeds that she planted had in fact grown into large oak trees, that provided a protective shade.
And then, they spent their time in quiet, looking at the tombstone.
Then, Red Hood spoke. "It's..." Zatanna looked at him. "It's still hard to believe that he's gone, even after three years. Sometimes, some part of me thought, hey, the old man's gonna show up again. You'll see. He'll spout some bullshit about faking his own death just to protect us. That's right. I mean, it's not like he didn't do that before. Plus, in our line of work, heroes or villains don't always stay dead...except for Flash, or Cap, or..."
Red Hood's face turned darker and closed his eyes. Zatanna would walk towards his shoulder, and give him a comforting smile.
"He's loves and is proud of the man you become, Jason," Zatanna reminded. "You should always remember that."
"...Yeah," Red Hood shakingly nodded his head. "But...I just wished he'd be here to say that. When I came back from the Lazarus Pit, I...I did plenty of mess up stuff. My mind got all screwy. I was in a dark place. But he...But dad never gave up on me. He'd always say that I'm always welcome back to the Batcave. He's always waiting for me to come home. I wondered. If...If, Joker hadn't died, maybe...maybe I'd be harder to convince. I...I didn't blame dad for not saving me. But, I knew, I knew that he...he would still keep the Joker alive if that were even possible. When I found out that he was dead, it wasn't really him that killed the mad clown, it was Gotham finally having enough of his bullshit. I became...something of a symbol myself, a martyr, that would forever put that clown's legacy to the dirt."
"...But," Red Hood continued. "Some part of me didn't seem satisfied by that. I wanted dad to kill him himself. Screw his no-kill rule. I wanted to let him see that. But, I don't really have any excuse to cling too. The clown was dead and gone for good. Good fucking riddance. Dad's problem seems to never want any of his rogues to die. He always wanted to help them. That's what he does. He always...He always wants the best for people, including the villains he fights. The problem is...it works. Two Face? Ivy? Even Harley? They all came out as somewhat decent people after years of being in a dark place. Sure, some people never forgive nor forget, but...they at least became better. That's what dad wanted us to learn. That there's always a chance, that people are worth saving, even what we considered as unredeemable scum."
"Me..." Red Hood continued. "I took myself to the streets, to the little guys, those that the city had abandoned, took care of the low lives when Gotham didn't care. You know what dad said to me? He said...He said that he was proud of me. For standing up to the little guys. It's a reminder to never forget those who are less fortunate than we are. I came down from that hellhole, and dad got me out of it just so that I could bring others out of that same hellhole, and make their lives better. Early days, I thought, why not clear Gotham of its criminals, permanently? But then, over time, I thought, it could just be the Lazarus Pit screwing with my mind, I don't know. At some point, I just...stopped killing criminals. Dad never really approved of my methods, but it wasn't because of any sanctimonious crap like "Heroes don't kill" and all of that. It's because...he was angry at himself, for letting me become that, of not stopping the Joker when it was too late. He cared about me, nothing else. That's all there was to it."
Red Hood's teeth clench. "But damn it...That's dad's problem. He always cares about everyone except for himself. He...He always had...I...I didn't want to believe that he was gone, just like that. But...But it's here, staring at me in the face. He's gone. But...But I couldn't accept it. Even after three years, I still couldn't get myself to accept it."
Then, silence followed for a few moments. Zatanna followed by saying.
"If it means anything, Jason," She spoke softly, with a saddened smile. "I can't fully accept it either. I miss him too. And it's not just me, or you, but everyone who loves him misses him."
"...Yeah, I know...Just...I just thought of getting this out of my chest," Red Hood's expression grimaced.
Another silence followed before both of them could hear the echoes of an orange mystic portal conjured up. Out of that portal stepped someone who had a black goatee and black hair that was slightly greying from the sides. Grey eyes, pale skin, and a fairly tall build, yellow surgical gloves that covered his scars, with a blue robe and red cape.
"Strange?" Zatanna looked curiously at the middle-aged man who showed up. "What are you doing here?"
Doctor Stephen Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme. Whenever he shows up, it's usually an omen of something worse. Not to say that happens all of the time, but it is a recurring pattern. In fact, the last time she recalled his name being brought up in a conversation - more like all of the damn time - was John Constantine a.k.a. the Hellblazer, a man who is as shady as the colorful language dictates and was one of the few people from Zatanna's past. There's a bit of a joke in the magical heroic community that he and Strange tend to team up frequently even though the two can barely stand each other.
"I'm telling you, Zee. Those two are the de-facto good cop-bad cop buddies of everyone's mumbo jumbo." So says fellow superhero Boston Brand a.k.a. Deadman in a pastime conversation.
Strange is also somewhat of a magical mentor for Zatanna, who taught her a few new tricks that complimented her natural prowess as a Homo Magi (*2).
"I'm sorry to bother you both at a time like this, but..." Strange apologized before turning grim. "It's about something important, that concerns all of the Bat Family."
Zatanna and Red Hood would look at each other before looking back at Strange. Red Hood spoke with a shrug. "Alright, doc, what is the deal this time? Joker somehow finally got out of Neron's prison and caused trouble again - but in the afterlife? Scarecrow making a deal with a Fear Lord? Another stupid Good Guy Doll stunt?"
"Ahahaha, if only it were that simple..." Strange chuckled with light exasperation and a slight wincing from the face.
Zatanna raised a suspicious eyebrow on that expression. Nevertheless, they would follow the good doctor towards his Sanctum Sanctorum, with Zatanna saying another goodbye once again to her beloved late husband, with a loving glance before walking through the portal.
Strange wasn't kidding when he said that all of the Bat Family were here.
In a large open hall, she could spot Alfred Pennyworth, all dressed in his bulter attire. Dick Grayson, in his dark and blue Nightwing costume, along with the rest of the original Teen Titans. Jason's Outlaws were also here. Oracle and Commissioner Gordon were here. The other women of the Bat Family are here. And Tim Drake and Damian Wayne were here. Pretty much everybody was here. Superman by technicality was also here.
But she also noted the appearances of other heroes, of the magical and supernatural variety. Deadman. Daimon Hellstrom. Blade. Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider. Jason Blood - the human host of Etrigan. Constantine (of course, she thought dryly). Many others. Including some of those heroes who, while not of the magical and of the supernatural, had many daily interactions with it. Such as Wolverine. And all of them made up...
The Midnight Suns... but why...? Zatanna thought.
"Mother, do you know have any idea of what's going on here?" Damian Wayne a.k.a. Robin would ask. Looking at him now, he was all grown up - in more unfortunate ways than one, a first-year high school student of Gotham Academy. Dressed up in his red and green Robin attire and mask.
"I'm not sure, Damian," She gently caresses his hair. "Strange only said about this problem concerning all of us, and didn't elaborate too much on that."
"Ha! Cryptic as always, that bloody goatee bastard," Constantine smirked a little, his hands placed deep into his pockets.
"John, do you know anything about this? Zatanna raises an eyebrow.
"Hell if I know, Zee, I'm just as much in the dark as the rest of us here," Constantine's smirk dropped a bit, before looking at everyone else. "Though with that Benedict Cummberbatch muck here gathering all of the Midnight Suns together again, it's probably safe to assume the worst." He said, indicating Doctor Strange.
"If it were only just a Midnight Suns gathering + an apparent Bat Family meeting in relation to that, then I shouldn't ordinarily even be here though," Superman spoke grimly, walking towards them with a grim expression. The typical red and blue, the iconic 'S', and red cape. A tall, handsome man with black hair and blue eyes, and a muscular build.
"Oh, don't sell yourself short, supes," the ghostly red jumpsuit figure - Deadman spoke, hovering over him with a smile of humor. "Just because you aren't all about the supernatural and the mysticism doesn't mean that you aren't welcome in our little get-together club meetings every now and then."
"Yeah," The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, with his red and blue spandex, with spider webbing, spoke as he hung upside down and drew a little near. "I mean, I'm more of a science-oriented guy myself, and I still get involved in these types of meetings."
(*3) "Heh," The scarlet-bulky-skinned Hellboy, Agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.), spoke with humor. "Well maybe if it wasn't for the fact that the Devil wanted your soul so badly, webhead, you probably wouldn't have gotten too involved in the other side of the world." (*4)
"Well, guilty as charged," If Spider-Man could make an emoji smiley face, he would have. "Though, may I like to counter that by saying that I'd get involved regardless if the little guy gets involved - which is how Spidey Central always rolls."
"But the fact of the matter does remain true," Daimon spoke grimly. Among the heroes here, he was an actual priest. Exorcist priest if people want to be technical about it, as based on his white collar and black cassock. The irony of which is not lost on the Son of Satan himself. "Superman's appearance in this emergency meeting is far from random when he isn't ordinarily associated with our side of the world."
"Well, it sure as hell ain't random to me considering I get called in just like the rest of you," A tall man with a left black eyepatch covering his scar, with a blue and white jumpsuit, with the symbol of an eagle and the words "S.H.I.E.L.D." are present on both of his shoulders.
"Heh," Wolverine, the man with shorter stature, wearing a yellow and black stylized jumpsuit and black mask. "If you're here as well, Fury, then it really must be that serious."
"It is as serious as it can be, Logan," The man, Doctor Fate, with his yellow helmet, flashing white eyes, and blue jumpsuit and yellow cape, walked towards them, along with his beloved wife, Inza Cramer. "Forgive me for the unintentional pun, but fate is at work upon this very day."
"And so is the cunning of the strange," A woman with white hair reaching her neck, and pinkish eyes, walking towards them. Her clothes consisted of a black webbing, dark violet jumpsuit, and pink gloves and boots. She was Clea Strange, the good doctor's wife, a personal friend of Zatanna's, and the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension. Her husband was following right beside her. "Dear, perhaps it's best that you tell them, and tell her, now," She would say, with a look.
"...Right," Strange winced a bit before looking at everyone. "Now, before I explain everything, let me reassure you all that I only just found out about this information from a certain source, and I want no part in getting socked in the face of a presumed preconceived fault."
"Doctor, please stop beating around the bush and just say what you really need to say, damn it," Fury spoke in annoyance.
Strange sighed before looking at her and the rest of the Bat Family. "...Very well. I...I have just recently found out and had been informed that... that Bruce Wayne is in fact alive and well...of a sort."
...Everyone grew silent. The entire hall went silent. Everyone had their eyes widened. It almost felt like something had dropped.
"...Strange," Zatanna's voice turned cold, as her hands sparked lightning. Strange sweated and winced a little, as if he knew this was going to happen. She looked at him with a "Don't bullshit me" type of look. "You had better start explaining what you actually mean by that. Starting now." Everyone in the Bat Family also had similar expressions. Conflicted. Anger. A demand for an actual explanation. One didn't just blurt out, oh hey, Bruce Wayne is actually alive, and expect everyone to just go along with it like its no big deal.
"...I'd probably tell her and not be too cryptic as hell if I were you, Strange," Constantine quipped a little.
"Shut up, John," Zatanna spoke coldly, while still staring at Strange. "I'm not in the mood for any of your stupid jokes."
Constantine wisely shuts up, while feeling a little sweaty.
"I second what Zatanna said," Superman spoke, with his arms crossed, with his mouth forming a frown. "What do you mean by Bruce being alive and well, doctor?"
"Third," Robin spoke sharply, with his demanding eyes. "What do you mean father's alive?"
"Fourth," Wonder Woman, with golden crown and armor, with blue, red, and white stripes uniform, spoke, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "This is my late friend that we are talking about, good doctor."
"Fifth," Stephanie Brown a.k.a. Spoiler, with her dark purple robe, black mask, and hood, spoke sharply. "What the hell do you mean Bruce is alive?!"
"By the Vishanti, I knew this would happen..." Doctor Strange sighed, pinching his eyes out, as if saying, I knew that they wouldn't take this reaction too well, least of all Zatanna. He raised his hands to gesture calmness. "Alright, I'll-"
"There's no need for explanations on your part, Sorcerer Supreme of 616."
Everyone, to their surprise, would look behind them, seeing a man in trenchcoat walking by, with black hair and strange bluish-white eyes. Strange winced a little - almost like he was sweating a bit - was that fear?, something that Zatanna noted. That was an odd reaction. Not many can give the Sorcerer Supreme that kind of reaction. Exceptions include universe-ending threats, such as the Dread Dormammu - Ruler of the Dark Dimension, or the unkillable abomination that was Shuma-Gorath - one of the Elder Ones and a Lord of Chaos (a different kind).
Then, who exactly is this person? She could tell at least that this man was an angel. The spiritual signature was just too obvious. And yet, it concealed something else. Not too surprising. Angels have their manner of secrecy and their own external and internal dimensions that are akin to a multi-faceted matryoshka doll.
"Oh bloody hell," Constantine spoke dryly, with displeasure, exasperation, and some level of familiarity. "A feather wings from upstairs. And of course, it just happens to be Heaven's top bureaucrat that's involved with this."
"Nice to see you are doing well for yourself, John Constantine," The man spoke grimly.
"O...Okay, who's the out-of-place random dude who had probably just gotten out of the office?" Duke Thomas a.k.a. The Signal, an African American with black hair and brown eyes, underneath his white eye visors, with a black mask, and yellow suit, spoke bewilderingly.
"John," Zatanna gave the con man a look. "Do you know him?"
"...I, may have the unfortunate pleasure of meeting this bloke a few rare times in my career since the early days. Save my soul a few times, then started forcing me to do Heaven's dirty work as compensation of me taking advantage of the loopholes that I did against both the former and Hell," Constantine said, wincing a bit.
"What kind of dirty work are we talking about here?" Red Hood asks, with a similar expression of "I need answers".
"The kind that ensures that the entire bloody multiverse even has a freakin tomorrow, or a bloody yesterday," Constantine answered.
"As crass as that answer could ever be, he isn't lying," The office-looking man spoke grimly before looking at the few angelic beings in the room. Zatanna looked at the face of Zauriel, who seems...a bit terrified. Odd? What kind of reaction is that supposed to mean?
"...I don't believe it," Zauriel spoke reverently, before bowing down with one knee on the ground, beating his chest. "...To think that I would be graced with someone of high stature from the heavens above."
"Umm, Zauriel, what the hell are you doing?" Elsa Bloodstone, a redheaded woman with blue eyes, with a stone choker on her neck, and a red jumpsuit, would look at the angel bewilderingly.
"...Grr, this power," Johnny Blaze, a blond man wearing a biker outfit, flinches and grits his teeth. "I don't know who the hell this guy is, but...he's rattling the Ghost Rider, and it isn't vengeance...it's fear."
"Uhh...same goes for me I think," Robbie Reyes, a young man with black hair with white flashes, and brown eyes, wearing a black jacket and shorts. "I don't think I feel too good," He felt like he was puking on inside.
"...I don't know who this is," Daimon was also flinching, as if wanting to bolt out of there. "But he feels so...wrong, even for an angel."
Other magical-oriented heroes would have similar reactions, from flinching to hesitancy to outright dread. Zatanna looks at the man again and finds...
...Something ancient. Old. Powerful. What she saw is but a fraction, that she knew, but the man hid a very primordial source of power, and the wings were...strange. Like any angel, it was pure white. On the surface. But she could tell that there were wings that could not be perceived by mortal eyes, or through singular dimensions, like shadows within shadows.
What the hell...or heaven is he?
Zatanna felt like drawing back, yet steeling herself. Then she sees that signature wane a little, returning to a normal wavelength.
"Forgive me for letting you see a glimpse of my true form," The man spoke humbly. "I thought that it was more than enough to garner your full attention."
"Yeah...or you're just showing off like a typical Old Testament cliche," Constantine commented with a deadpan tone.
"Its' only the ones with the capability for mystical forethought that could be allowed to see a glimpse of my form, but most of the others only see a limited three-dimensional structure of what may as well be a humanoid born from the dust on the ground," The man explained.
"Eh, semantics," Constantine dismisses with a wave of his hand.
"Who are you?" Dick Grayson a.k.a. Nightwing, would walk forward and speak grimly. "And how are you related to the disappearance of my father?"
"That..." The man stops speaking for a bit, before continuing. "Bruce Wayne, the Batman, is currently doing Heaven's work for the time being in the past three years of your relative time zone."
"Explain," Zatanna spoke sharply, looking at the angel with narrowed eyes.
"My name is Archangel Castiel," The man explained. "One of the Angels of the Seven Weeks."
"The Angels of the Seven Weeks..." Zauriel muttered softly. "...But I never heard of such a thing."
"You wouldn't have," Castiel said. "Most of Heaven wouldn't know of our existence. In the olden days, I and those amongst my kind are known as the Anno Domini. Nowadays, we call ourselves the Adjustment Bureau."
"Adjustment Bureau?" Spider-Man raised an eyebrow, before jumping down and standing up. "You mean, kind of like those shady guys in business suits that rearrange things so that destiny gets fulfilled, that kind of stuff?"
"You're talking about the 2009 movie: The Adjustment Bureau," Castiel muttered, raising some questioning eyebrows among the crowd of heroes, including Spider-Man. "I'm pretty much obliged to learn about popular culture as part of my duty." He explained. "Though to clarify, that movie does give only a fraction of understanding of what we actually do."
"Like monitoring time and the multiverse," Zatanna spoke. "At least from what I understood from Hellblazer."
"That is correct, Mistress of Magic," Castiel nodded.
"If that's really your damn job, then how come you weren't around when crises of multiversal proportions happened over the years?" Red Hood questioned, looking at the angel suspiciously. (*5)
"There is, what you call, a chronological timetable of events, in hypertime. This also takes into account of minor and massive temporal changes. Flashpoint is one example of such massive temporal changes that interrelate with the temporal conflict between Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne, and the machinations of one Doctor Manhattan. The Crisis on Infinite Earths is another example, that no matter what outcome, even with the Flashpoint event, it has always been meant to happen and couldn't be stopped, and for the multiverses to converge as one, for an Epic Renewal." Castiel detailed the familiar crisis events, which made everyone pay close attention.
"What about Final Crisis?" Nightwing asked.
"That brings us to the main topic and issue of this discussion," Castiel spoke grimly. "Batman is truly dead, that isn't deniable nor debatable, however, his soul had been reborn into a brand new identity due to the effects of Darkseid's corruptive Omega Beams."
...Everyone was silent, as they all looked at each other.
Disbelief. Hope. An intermingling of emotions. The hope that Bruce Wayne... The hope that Batman... was alive...
"...Where," Zatanna's eyes would leak tears, gritting her teeth, clenching her fists. "Where is he? Where's my husband?"
"...That, I simply cannot tell," Castiel spoke.
That answer snapped a little of most of the Bat Family drew their weapons and equipment.
"Screw that shit!" Red Hood would aim his gun at the angel, gritting his teeth, his emotions getting the better of him. "You better start talking!"
"You do realize that weapon wouldn't have any effect on me, Jason Todd," Castiel spoke plainly, eyeing at the gun with curiosity.
"Yeah, well, I don't think I'm being a little rational right now when some stranger who knows something about what really happened to my father wouldn't really tell me everything I need to know of what. the. hell. happened to him!" Red Hood said.
"And if its' an actual effect you want, angel," Wonder Woman spoke grimly, as she sparked her wrist gauntlets. "I think I'm more than happy to demonstrate such effects."
"Wait!" Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate exclaims, as they suddenly appear in-between, using mystic arts to transport themselves, with Strange speaking in worry and concern. "All of you, stand down. Despite what you all think, Lord Castiel is not our enemy."
"Yes, well, that isn't exactly convincing us, doctor, especially if it concerns my father," Cassandra Cain a.k.a. Batgirl, wearing her dark black and yellow batsuit, spoke spitefully.
"The Sorcerer Supreme speaks the truth, I am not here to spark any kind of conflict with all of you," Castiel clarified, his tone growing softer. "Please do not mistake me for another Asmodel, or another Zadkiel (*6), or any rogue angel you have all fought in the past. I am not your true enemy."
"Then what are you, really?" Superman asks, maintaining a grim expression, being the more diplomatic among the heroes, as he places a comforting hand on Zatanna's shoulder, who tried to breathe and calm herself down.
Letting her emotions loose wouldn't do anything, least of all to someone this powerful and ancient. Even if she didn't like it.
"Someone with larger concerns, and offers just compensation," Castiel spoke grimly. "To clarify, the reason I cannot just blurt out who Batman has been reborn into is something that concerns the vitality of the timestreams. One wrong step, and it would implode with ramifications that would be catastrophic."
"What the hell does that even mean?" Red Hood demanded.
"He means that it concerns a temporal fixed point in history, points in history that could never be altered under any circumstances. An example of such would be the destruction of my world and how I ended up on Earth Pre-Crisis, is that correct?" Superman clarifies, understanding what the angel intends to convey.
"Yes," Castiel nodded, and after a moment when the Bat Family all calmed down and lowered their weapons, with some supportive help from other heroes, he continued to explain. "Batman has been reborn in a sense into a different individual, who is one of the central points in hypertime. Darkseid's Omega Beams had broken reality, so much so that Batman being reborn into another individual is one way for reality to forcefully compensate. The actions of this individual, minor and major, is something that Batman would have to experience, which means living in a new world, with a new identity, with new connections borned from that identity, but still being the same man at the core of his being and completely distinguishable as a person from the one whose identity he is unintentionally occupying."
"So Batman is like a multi-layered bandaid for reality then," Superman dumbs it down a bit for everyone to understand.
"That's an apt comparison," Castiel confirmed. "The world that he has been reborn into is something that is under my complete jurisdiction. It is, shall we say, a Post-Crisis Universe (*7) where various and divergent realities have all converged into one cosmology - one multiverse, and amongst them is a prime reality - similar to your universe's designated place in this multiverse. Though unlike yours where various and divergent elements all recall the original outcome, this Post-Crisis Universe was retroactively changed completely. Some elements have been retained. Some have been discarded. Some are flux points where and when things can be subject to change. Some are fixed points to provide a proper hyperbalance to this new reality. The identity of the one individual that Batman had donned is one of these fixed points, in the sense that this individual's experiences provide a cause and an effect. His actions, his interactions, and his involvement in major and minor events. All of these, Batman would have to experience. to compensate for the lack of this individual's presence in the timeline."
"That still doesn't fully explain why you won't let us find Batman, angel," Wonder Woman asked.
"If you try to find him too soon, these interactions and events could be potentially threatened. History abhors a vacuum, and Batman provides the solution," Castiel explained.
"Okay, okay, so if I'm getting this right," Spider-Man spoke up, putting his hands on his waist. "The old Bat had gotten himself mixed in with another person, and is so forcibly attached to that other person's history - who we don't even know the name of by the way - and we can't do anything about it, and if anything happens to that other person, we could see the potential screw-up of reality as we know it, that's why Batman's currently taking shotgun and the steering wheel at the same time. Is that right?"
"That is one part. There is another," Castiel affirmed while explaining of the second.
"Of course there's more..." Spider-Man sighed, his shoulders lowering.
"This reality that I governed is somewhat of a backdoor if you will, and if anything happens to this one..." Castiel stated grimly. "...Dark forces could easily invade your world as a result, by default."
"What kind of dark forces?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Darkseid's death—and the deaths of every New God—have created a wide-open power vacuum, one that isn't easily filled. Coupled with reality shattering into trillions of pieces, there is a set of myriads within myriads of leaks. To say that I could simply snap my fingers and fix it immediately is foolhardy. Think of this as a series of pipes with cracks in them, threatening to break open and start flooding the house. That is the current state of reality. It still has yet to fully heal from the events of Final Crisis. Within the supernatural worlds' spectrum, who do you think would try to take advantage of this?"
"The Hell Lords," Doctor Fate grimly stated.
"Okay, but that's old news that we've been dealing with for the past three whole years now," Daimon Hellstrom crossed his arms. "I'm assuming this meant that they as a whole are simply part of the problem, like using this world that Batman got sent to as a backdoor."
"There are no official Covenants in that world, no official ceasefire and peace treaties that the Hell Lords in general would recognize. That's not to say that this world isn't protected with its own mystical powers and principalities, but nevertheless, they are relatively easy to penetrate through manipulation. That world...needs a Sorcerer Supreme."
Castiel looks at Zatanna meaningfully.
"...Wait, you don't mean?" Zatanna spoke, realizing what he was trying to convey.
"Though I cannot tell you right now of where Batman has been reborn into, I can say that you must be reborn into this world where he had been sent to. There, you would have to spend half of your life, before reuniting with your husband again, and there, you would have to take up a role that you would never even thought of."
Everyone was silent. All looked at each other. Some spoke amongst each other, conveying unsureness and troubles.
"...Would that also mean that I can't contact anyone here once I cross to the other side?" Zatanna asked.
"At least for the waiting period - no, you cannot," Castiel explained. "But, to emphasized, I am not forcing you to take this role nor take this sort of action - I'm simply stating the only safe and reasonable passage that one could do in light of these circumstances. And if I were to speak in relative terms, that wouldn't necessarily mean that the long period of waiting could apply to the other side."
"So, a half of a decade in that world, could only mean like a day for the rest of us?" Nightwing spoke grimly.
"And once she reunites with your father, that world would now be accessible to you - and time would catch up with both worlds, synchronizing them," Castiel explained.
Everyone was silent. Then Superman spoke up. "...Can we at least have time to discuss all of this accordingly?"
"Of course," Castiel nodded, before looking at Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate. "And I trust that you two can provide further explanations."
The sorcerers both nodded. "We'll take care of things from here, thank you, Lord Castiel," Fate spoke respectfully.
Castiel nodded, before disappearing into thin air, leaving everyone to contemplate on what just happened.
POV: Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Present Day
"You found out where Flash is?" Batman asked his wife.
"Yeah, I found him," Zatanna nodded.
While the guests were eating Zatanna's cooking in the dining table, the shrunken married couple would have their own private meeting in the bedroom, room sealed courtesy of magic. Zatanna would inform him of her little search-wide spell that she had enacted - for a relative of thrice of twenty-four hours, or more - and managed to find him.
"...Barry's current identity is Shidou Itsuka," She snaps her fingers to conjured up said individual for Batman to see and examine. "Currently living in Tenguu City, which is a few miles away from Tokyo, and...that's a bit of a problem," Zatanna sighed.
"Why?" Batman asks, concerned.
"Well, I've reviewed a bit of the history of the timeline after tracing it from Shidou Itsuka, and...managed to stumble upon yet another important event - or series of events - in this universe," Zatanna explained.
"Is Barry experiencing a similar situation to mine?" Batman asks.
"No, he didn't unintentionally stolen another person's identity compared to you, dear, but he did get reborn into an important person in this reality, and he just so happened to be sibling of someone I know," Zatanna explained. Snapping her fingers again, replacing the former image, she conjured up an image of a red-headed young girl, wearing a black loose tie and white collar shirt, with a red jacket around her shoulders. "Her name is Kotori Itsuka. In a very young age, she got recruited by an organization called Ratatoskr, an organization that is, to put it in perspective, essentially the S.H.I.E.L.D. of this reality. They have been around since World War II, played a major role in the Cold War - a.k.a. making sure America and Russia don't nuke each other, and as of now, they have a preliminary concern - one that centers around Shidou Itsuka."
"What would Ratatoskr want with Barry, as Shidou?"
Zatanna looked at him with slight exasperation and worry. "As ridiculous as it sounds, Flash's...gonna be forced to have dates with a lot of women - all of them being potential world-ending threats, if we aren't careful."
His wife was right, Batman thought. It did sound a bit ridiculous without context.
"...Give me a rundown of these women, what are dealing with here?"
Zatanna would explain to him of a concept in this world called Spirits.
Based on what she researched, Spirits are extradimensional beings (most of whom are humans) that intermittently appear on Earth, causing widespread devastation when they do so. Their arrival is usually precipitated by a spatial quake - also known as spacequakes, described as a phenomenon where space-time begins shaking and appeared as giant black-purple spheres that destroy any matter they come into contact with and produce large shockwaves that extend beyond the immediate area of effect.
The Spirits vary widely in their power and abilities, but in general, their practical destructive ability ranges from casually destroying buildings to being soft country-level threats. If a Spirit is allowed to perform a spacequake without limitations to hinder them, it can be estimated that the damage they could do would reach continent-level. In terms of durability, they aren't Superman-level, but at least they would be sturdy enough to take maximum amounts of damage.
In relation to the first spacequake that has ever been recorded, or lack thereof, it was estimated to have killed over 500 million people in the continent of Eurasia. But...
"...You're saying that something's changed the timeline, decreasing the amount of casualties to merely a small percentage of about 3000 people, limited to just a vicinity that happened a little near the China-Russian border?" Batman asked.
"That's right. We both have the same general line of thoughts on this one, Bruce," Zatanna spoke grimly. "Someone's probably been manipulating the timeline of this universe long before we came along. Whoever they are, they could be the potential suspects that we've been looking for regarding Shinichi Kudo's identity? But aside from an unknown enemy, there's one other sore subject that we have to worry about."
"The Hell Lords," Batman spoke grimly.
The Hell Lords, from Batman's understanding, referring to a category of beings in the multiverse, most of whom are malevolent, each of whom are generally considered to be lords of dimensions that are classified as hells - with varying names, origins, mythos, structures, and rules. The common thing about them can be summed up in two:
1.) A punishing afterlife.
2.) Home to beings that could be considered or classified as demons and damned souls.
"So we could potentially be dealing with a Hell Lord invasion that's in relation to Flash's situation with these Spirits," Batman surmised.
"Not potentially, Bruce, even before I found out about Flash being here, this is one of the main reasons I actually came here to this universe besides finding you," Zatanna slightly corrected.
"Which all comes back to how you are to become the Sorceress Supreme of this reality," Batman understood immediately, his face turning into a frown. "You're trying to keep them all back, all this time, all the while Doctor Strange provides the seals from the other side and from outside."
"And I did have a bit of help in that regard - gathering some connections here and there - like a certain scientific genius living in a simple household, or some fallen angel scientist and general leading a slowly dying faction, so you don't need to worry about that part," Zatanna smiled cheerfully a bit, closing her eyes.
But Batman wasn't having it. His wife had lived for so long without him.
Three years without him, and she had to be the one who reached out to their sons and daughters.
Half a decade spent on this world, knowing that he was out there, somewhere, unreachable, untraceable.
And yet, she soldiered on.
"...Ah, Bruce."
Zatanna spoke softly as she was embraced by the boy tightly.
"...I'm sorry."
He didn't even need to see the beautiful smile that graced her lips as she reciprocated with her own hug, tears threatening to come back.
"Come on, Bruce, you're being a little silly right now...I'm...I'm quite fine really."
"I don't think you are," Batman gently rebuffed. "But...even I don't think I'm alright either."
Zatanna frowned a bit, wiping a bit of her tears. "Is this still about your current state?"
"...I honestly prefer not to spend too long with an identity that I stole, unintentional or not, especially with how its affecting those that identity cared about and otherwise. The sooner I find the real Shinichi Kudo, the better," Batman spoke grimly. He and Zatanna looked at each other. "At the very least, we finally found where Barry is, and we also know - at least so far - that Thawne isn't out to ruin his life again."
"Well, about that, I did explain to you that Rip is also doing us a favor of time travelling towards yesterday, doing some bit of investigating on what really happened to Shinichi Kudo," Zatanna explained.
"This archangel seems to leave full of surprises so far," Batman noted, referring to Castiel.
"Add it with a touch of cryptic annoyances," Zatanna's tone became a little irritated and sighed. "This would have been a whole lot easier if he could just simply tell us exactly what's really going on here."
"Based on what we both understood so far, it's something bigger - and the Hell Lords in general are probably a majority tactic that connects to a complicated distraction," Batman explained.
Thinking it over, Batman could list off the current goals - and the motivations and actions he'd undertake - that relate to his new world.
* Shinichi Kudo - Conan Edogawa. A story that wasn't his. A history that wasn't his. A timeline that wasn't his. If he's become that person, as if he were some self-inserting character, but has no actual knowledge of this character's life, and would have to retrace one's steps. That would mean cases - relating to both past and future. He already told Zatanna about his recent flash forward memory. The flash memories aren't limited to just the past, but to the future - a future where Batman didn't become Shinichi Kudo. He naturally couldn't just trust this ability, because he knows how dangerous and consequential it is to just peer into the future.
Zatanna was correct. He shouldn't brute force this. He needs time for these flash memories to take its course.
Including this theme would revolved around the relationships that Shinichi Kudo and Conan Edogawa both have. Which meant that he needed to expect the unexpected. He needed to think far ahead. Research anything he could find. Assume that the people Shinichi Kudo has met at some point in the past could be important for events in the future. Past cases could influence future cases. Potentially, this leads to the next problem.
* He is not the only one in this world. Confirmed individual so far is his old deceased friend, Barry Allen - the Flash. Assume that other heroes, villains, or otherwise had been reborn - in what circumstances are considered an unknown and unpredictable variable. Rebirth or reincarnation or whatever you want to call it may not be the only method to inhabit this world. Dimensional travel and time travel is possible here. Another method to consider. Leading to another problem.
* Anticipate and adapt for timeline changes in-universe. Could be anything. Could be anyone. Assume the possibility of non-immunity to temporal changes - even though that never really became a problem for him personally in the past. Flashpoint where Barry went back in time to save his mother which caused a rapid change in the timeline, Vandal Savage changing history through a limited form of time travel, and other events would portray the example of his temporal immunity. Potentially, this leads to the next problem.
* Lords of Hell. Possible invasions that this world, or universe, could not be ready for. May have to stock up with anti-infernal weapons and equipment. Not his first rodeo in dealing with Hell Lords. Gotham in fact happens to be a Hell Lord fan favorite after all.
"How's that interdimensional spell going?" Batman asks.
Zatanna smiled a bit. "Oh, we'lll be seeing our children and the rest of our friends quite soon enough. Just got to wait like its' downloading videos on the tube, and we'll be able to connect with our world anytime - and vice versa. It's something that I had been working on for many years after all."
"That's good," Batman nodded.
Then, silence would follow.
Zatanna would quip a comment. "You know, we can't keep the guests waiting."
"I know," Batman replied.
"Do I detect a bit of sadness in that voice?" She teased.
"...I'm not gonna reply with the question, knowing that I'd probably lose either way," Batman deadpanned.
"Hmm," Zatanna giggled before kissing him on the cheek, and then places her right hand gently on the left side of his face. "Well, that lost, I'd probably consider a win." She winked before walking towards the door, leaving Batman a little stumped.
Song: Tokyo Revengers Season 2 & 3 - Opening FULL ''White Noise" by Official HIGE DANdism (Lyrics)
"Yes, alright, The Children would be there in about a few minutes time."
Batman would see Minamoto turning his phone off and looking at him.
"Apologies, Batman, but it seems we have an incident happening somewhere around the downtown area of Beika, located around District 7. A rogue Quirk User is currently on a rampage, along with a few hit squads of the Pumpkin Heads," Minamoto explained.
"Hmm," Batman narrowed his eyes, his hands placed into his pockets. Zatanna was right beside him, crossing her arms. "Something tells me that the Pumpkin Heads got rattled when I started to subtly bust their operations based on the info I gave for the police to find. This could be a distraction."
"For what exactly?" Kaoru asked, worried.
"I'm not sure," Batman thought, putting his hands to his chin. "Zanna, I believe we should try it out."
"Try what out?" Minamoto asked, curious.
"Oh," Zatanna smiled knowingly. "Something that my husband and I concocted in case of emergency situations, such as right now. A secret password that we both liked to use when we were children, and we eventually turned it into something...glamorous and stage-worthy. .reviveR" She said with a snap of her finger, as her eyes glowed bright blue.
"Reviver," Batman spoke, narrowing his eyes, which started glowing bright blue.
Then, a flash, where everyone - Minamoto, the esper girls, and Ran, to raised their hands to cover their eyes a little, before the flash immediately dissipated.
"...Woah," Aoi muttered, putting a hand to the side of her glasses.
Coming out from the flash was a suit. A dark black cape and cowl, with short pointy bat ears, and two expressive white eye visors, with his mouth being the only thing uncovered. Dark heavy boots and gauntlets, with sharp retractable talons on either side. A grey utility belt centered around his waist. A stylized dark-colored bat emblem is on the center of the grey chest. It was linear and geometric in shape. The wings were elevated and modified to more sharper edges.
While Zatanna had gone back into her Akako Koizumi form, with an ordinary black and white dress, Batman's form now dons Shinichi's form - he willfully allowed himself to, along with a perfect combination of timing of uttering the word.
"Hmm...That's strange," Batman muttered softly. "Zanna, did you add anything to the suit?"
"I may have gotten a few ideas from a certain scientific genius," Zatanna smiled, raising her hand a bit as she walked and leaned on the edge of the dining table. "I'd relax by the way. It's a scientific-oriented suit, through and through, just the way you like. I know how much you don't like any magic tricks worming your way into your Batsuits."
"It's not that I don't like magic - personally objective neutrality on the subject - I just find it unpredictable, logic and reason hardly mattering," Batman explained.
"You already told me that a few times though," Zatanna smirked a little.
"I only repeated it for the people around us, in case they would all start to wonder," Batman answered before looking at Minamoto. "Can I request that I can come with you all in this authorized B.A.B.E.L. operation? I would like to see this rogue Quirk User for myself and assess the problem accordingly."
"I'd accept if I were you, Minamoto-kun," Zatanna shrugged her shoulders and slanted her neck to the left. "My husband can be quite stubborn, and the law's not gonna stop him from fighting superpowered villains. That's pretty much his hobby."
"I...Very well," Minamoto nodded before drawing out his phone again to dial.
"Mouri-san," Batman looked at Ran, who looked a bit worried. "My wife would stay with you for the time being. If there are any more questions that you have, you can ask her."
"I...Yes, I understand," Ran nodded grimly.
Batman looks at Shiho and the rest of the esper girls of the team. "I suppose I'm in your care from now on."
"...With respect, sensei," Shiho spoke, a little conflicted yet anticipating and attentive. "I think that should be our response."
"Nevertheless, this is your world," Batman reminded. "Hence, I defer to you four as we work together on our current strategy."
"Well...no pressure or anything," Aoi muttered, her face saying "We're actually gonna be working with an experienced veteran superhero from another world!".
"I've got the go-signal from the chief of my organization," Minamoto looked at Batman. "You're all clear to proceed and work with the team, Batman."
"Good," Batman nodded. "Then let's get to work."
Next Conan Hint: My Hero Academia.
Trivia For Chapter:
(*1) - The era of Terrence "Terry" McGinnis - Batman.
(*2) - In DC, Homo Magi, also called Homo Magus, is a sub-race of humans with the inherent ability to wield magic.
(*3) - Story Hint: Due to the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, Dark Horse is one of the comic book verses had merged with the prime continuities of Marvel and DC, creating the current reality.
(*4) - A reference to Spider-Man: One More Day (OMD), a four-part 2007 comic book crossover storyline, connecting the three main Spider-Man series published by Marvel Comics at the time.
Story Incorporation Trivia: One More Day was a Midnight Suns event that centered around Peter Parker - Spider-Man, in his personal conflict against the Hell Lord Mephisto.
(*5) - Red Hood was referencing the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, and the Final Crisis event, among other things.
(*6) - A reference to Heaven's on Fire, a comic event in Marvel that dealt with Zadkiel, who is the main antagonist of that event.
(*7) - A reference once again to the aftermath of the Crisis on Infinite Earths event. It refers to Batman's current reality, or Shinichi Kudo's reality - a mixbag of anime settings that became one cosmology.