Sell you a Bridge chapter 236

June 1st 2016 Gotham City 6:00 PM EDT

Jim, Blood, and Madame Xanadu all flinched visibly when the name was  mentioned, which...wasn't a great sign. Jim actually choked on a sip of  tea he was taking, which given he didn't have a windpipe or need to  breathe was even worse. Judging by the looks I wasn't the only one  worried about that. Everyone at this table looked disturbed by the reaction, and I was worried enough to ask my mom and Claire to take the kids away before I cleared my throat and decided to ask. "I take it  you've all heard of the place. Want to fill us in?"

Jim's  immediate response was. "No." I raised an eyebrow at my teacher, pretty  much shocked at that answer. Jim was very much a sink or swim kind of  mentor. He wasn't the type to forbid me knowledge for my own good. He  shared what he knew and if I couldn't handle it that was on me. Not that  he wouldn't help me out if I was in genuine danger, but he wasn't there  to baby me and he knew it. He could be pretty brutally pragmatic about  his educational style when he wanted to be, a trait I ascribed to his  time as a highwayman.

Madame Xanadu frowned at him, then  at Blood, who was being just at tight lipped, before sighing. "I agree,  to be honest, but we all know how Morgan is. The boy is stubborn as a  mule and loyal to a fault. You know as well as I that he'll keep digging  into this until he finds answers, and I for one am somewhat terrified  about the kinds of people he may encounter in his search. Since we can't  exactly stop him, perhaps giving him a realistic and factual  understanding of the kind of place he would be walking into would  be...kinder."

Jim snorted. "There is nothing KIND about  tell anyone about that abomination of a city. Just knowing it exists is  enough to give any sane being nightmares." He paused for a moment or  two. "But...you aren't wrong. Morgan has never been the type to leave  well enough alone. It's one of the qualities I like best about  him...usually. Fine. We tell him the basics, but I want your word you  won't go haring off to try to find your cousin without discussing a  concrete plan of engagement with the lot of us. Discussing and AGREEING  ON. If you can't agree to that then I say nothing. I'd rather you hate  me than help you get there. Death is the kindest of the fates that may  await you."

That seemed a bit melodramatic, but Madame X  wasn't calling him out on it, nor was blood. While Jim was prone to  drama, the other two were fairly even keeled, with Blood being so severe  one might call him humorless. This was absolutely not an exaggeration  if they were agreeing with him. I sighed loudly. "Fine. I promise. I  won't attempt to enter the Nightside without discussing and agreeing on a  plan with the three of you. Now you're starting to freak me out, can  you just tell me what the hell is so bad about this place?"

He  hesitated for a bit longer before finally sighing. "The Nightside  is...difficult to explain. Mostly because people don't like to think  about it too much. It's sometimes called the dark heart of London, but  most sources agree it predates the city itself. The Nightside existed  even before the Roman military outpost that eventually became Londinium.  It exists in its own pocket of space and time, in a moment that never  ends."

He paused, clearly worried about saying more. He  muttered a few words and gestured with his white gloves, and Madame  Xanadu and Blood joined in, casting some kind of spell to protect us  from being overheard. He started speaking again, but his voice was  lower. Not consciously, but as if he was afraid someone would hear and  was speaking softly without meaning to do so. "The Nightside was created  by...someone, no one knows who, to be the only place in the world free  of the interference of Heaven and Hell. Anything can happen there, and  usually does."

My expression must have been unimpressed  because Madame Xanadu shook her head. "You don't understand. There are  things in this world so heinous, so awful, that Heavens light cannot  abide their presence. Things so despicable that even the rules of  noninterference that normally governs the coming and going of the Divine  doesn't allow their existence, and the angels can smite them from  creation out of sheer outrage at the violation of order and decency.  THOSE are the kinds of things that happen in the Nightside. Daily."

Blood  cut in then, seemingly needing to interject. "Not only evil either.  There are forces of good in the Nightside that Hell couldn't abide the  existence of. Being of absolute judgement who cleanse would cleanse any  sin they see, even the ones committed by the most innocent. The Light  can be as awful as the Dark in some ways, and those outliers wind up  there too. It is a city at war with itself, an abomination against every  law of decency and morality, and its going on at all times, waiting for  any person or being who doesn't feel the need to play by even the most  basic rules."

I was starting to actually worry a bit about  this. I had figured they were just being dramatic, but Blood, BLOOD of  all people, sounded...afraid. Jim spoke again, his voice quiet for a  different reason this time, almost sounding tired. "The Nightside, where  it's always three AM, the dark hour of the soul, where the moon never  sets, and the sun never rises and there's nothing to chase away the dark  and save you from your nightmares. That's what you're talking about  Morgan. That's where your cousin is waiting. I wasn't exaggerating  earlier. Dying IS the kindest thing that can happen to you there. Are  you still willing to make the trip?"

More  than anything it was emphatic way they all warned me. This wasn't just a  place they had heard of. There was real fear in their voices, and I was  pretty sure they had all been there, and all been basically traumatized  by it. My mentors were some of the most powerful people on the planet.  Their genuine fear spoke to how scary this place was more than any story  or warning. That said, my answer didn't change. "Yes. I fucked up  before. I ignored Kit when she was in pain, just passed off the job of  fixing her to Zee and Artemis. I don't know what I could have done to  help, but I could have done SOMETHING. Something like Drea did for me. I  won't abandon her again."

I  didn't have any hard feelings against Kit. She'd taken power when she  had a shot at it. It hadn't screwed us over or anything, and she hadn't  tried to hurt us, she just decided we didn't care enough for us to give  up her power. Despite that, she had trusted me enough to call for help.  She needed someone to bail her out and she'd called me, and I wasn't  going to let her just rot. She had finally reached a place where, be it  from fear or acceptance she wanted a hand from me, so she was going to  get it.

That  must have been visible on my face, because Jim didn't question my  resolve at all, just sighed and nodded. "Alright. Then since you  promised you would be making a plan we'll need one. First off, who will  be going with you? I assume you'll want to bring along your companions  but which ones. This isn't the type of place you take the faint of  heart. Not even the gods are safe in the Nightside, and trust me, there  are plenty of them there to act as an example of that fact. Who will you  risk?"

As  much as I wanted to say nobody, I knew that wasn't my call. I sighed and  looked at the others. "Well based on their auras I'm pretty sure Zee  and Drea will insist on coming with me." That got a pair of nods from my  girls. "Artemis looks unwilling to be left behind, and I'm pretty sure  that means Wally is in. Rana looks like she wants to come but...I'm  going to say no." My daughter's eyes widened in pain and hurt and I held  up a hand. "Not because I don't think you could help us out there."

Zee  could feel what I was feeling through our link and picked up the  thread, taking some of the heat off me. "Honey, you're still...new, to  this world. The place we're going is full of terrible people doing  terrible things. We want your early experiences in life to be happy and  exciting, we would be terrible parents if we let you go to a place we  knew was going to emotionally traumatize you. Plus we're still going to  have loved ones out here. Without your father around to protect them if  they get into trouble you need to be here as a last resort in case of  trouble."

That  second point clearly hit harder than the first because Rana closed her  mouth, but her face still looked conflicted. She opened it again, then  closed it, before shooting to her feet and knocking her chair out behind  her. "This is so unfair!" She turned around and stalked away from the  table. Cassie gave me an apologetic look and followed, with Gilotina  quietly rising to trail after them, and I smiled knowing she was taken  care of. They were good girls and they had her back, she would be ok.

I  turned to Reggie and Bette. "I'd like to ask you guys to watch over her  while I'm gone. It's a bit late, but Reggie I was hoping you would  agree to be Rana's godfather. She may not seem like she needs it, but  aside from combat and basic lifeskills she has no memories more than a  few months old. She needs someone to look after her. I'd like Artemis to  be her godmother as well, if she'll agree, but since she's coming with  us I wanted to ask you first." I smiled encouragingly at him, hoping he  would accept.

Reggie  didn't want to go with us, he didn't want to leave Bette, and he sure  as hell didn't want to bring her with him. He felt terrible about that,  but he shouldn't. They'd been together for half a decade at this point,  and I respected his desire to keep her safe. This was giving him an easy  out where he didn't need to feel bad, and I really did want him to be  Rana's godfather. It was an important position, and one I never had  growing up because my mom had been sure anyone my dad picked would suck  me in the mob.

He  swallowed hard and nodded once, eyes locked with mine as he promised to  do everything he could for my daughter while I was gone. I turned to  Jim, raising an eyebrow. " Five of you. Madness, in all probability, but  if that's what you choose so be it. Nimue, you're the one with the best  grasp on things related to the Nightside. I'm aware of your...history,  with that place, and won't be expecting yourself or Blood to accompany  us, but perhaps you could point us in the right direction."

She  sighed. "I have a shop location in London, and still drop in on the old  town time and again. I know the local players. I can't help you get  into the Nightside, but I can help you find a guide who can. There's a  man who spends a decent amount of his time there who can be reached in  the normal side of London as well. He's got something of a reputation  even among circles in the normal world, so you may have heard of him."  She raised an eyebrow at Jim, smiling wryly. "His name is John  Constantine."