Sell you a Bridge chapter 188

March 5th 2016 Gojo Penthouse 10:00 AM EDT

It  took Zee a few hours to fall asleep. She cried for Kent, for her  father, for the things we lost when we were ripped away from home and  dropped back in this strange parody of where we came from. Dreamer and I  held her, and our goddess sang to her as she wept. Dreamer had a lovely  voice. I hadn't known that. We fell asleep cuddled around her, giving  her warmth and support as best we could. When your mother dies young and  you only have a few people in your life, every loss is that much  harder. Losing Kent was devastating to Zee.

The  catharsis seemed to help though, despite not being exactly chipper the  next morning she certainly seemed better at least. Crying herself our  had released a lot of tension. When we got up and got something to eat  she was still quiet but not as overtly sad. Her aura was still deeply  torn up with grief, but she was starting to heal, which was a relief.  Once we got downstairs, we sat down at the table and mom made scrambled  eggs and cheese for us while we talked about where exactly we were going  to go for our first day back.

Naturally we all had  our own ideas. "I want to check out the island. We've been gone for  ages, I want to make sure it's all in order." Not to mention I wanted to  check on Jim, but I didn't want to bring him up in front of mom, who  was obviously incredibly angry at mentor still for allowing me to  vanish. I hoped they would get past that but there was no way to know  when or even if that would happen.

Zee  looked uncertain. "I really want to go see my dad, but we don't know  exactly where he is. Maybe someone at the League would know." She looked  at Wally. "Are you ready to get back in touch with your team? I know  you were worried about how much things have changed." She purposefully  didn't mention his upcoming moral dilemma about what to do about us and  the League.

Still,  he bit his lip. "I...yeah. I can reach out. If I go home I can get in  touch with...the Flash. He'll know where your dad is for sure." I was  pretty sure his dad or someone close to him was the Flash based on the  hesitation, but it wasn't really my business either way. He turned to  Artemis. "Are you ok coming with me? I...I don't know what to say to  them. What do you tell your parents when you vanish for half a decade at eighteen and come back the same age?" She reached out and took his hand,  giving it a firm squeeze.

That...might  not be a great idea. I doubted they had word out to look for us, given  we were supposedly dead, but mom said Kent had come here to pay his  respects. Which meant the League knew us. Still, I wasn't going to be  able to talk her out of it. I cleared my throat. "I don't think that's  the best idea man. If our identities are out then the League might get  wind of her being there."

His  face fell. But Zee cut in. "How about we divide and conquer. I'll go  with Wally to his parents place, since he's going to be asking about  daddy anyway. Arty, you can go with Morgan and Dreamer to check in on  Jim." I could see how nervous she was to find out more about her dad,  and I was just as anxious to see my mentor. I gave her a reassuring  smile, which she responded to with a soft curve of her own lips.

We  eventually ended up agreeing on all of that, and we split up, Artemis,  Dreamer, and I heading to the island. We'd never set up a teleportation  pad at moms place, opting to get a better spread since she was safe with  Gojo. Which left the one at the Clock Tower and the one at Gotham  Academy. The Clock Tower was closer so we headed for that, hopping a bus  so we would have time to think. I sat down next to Dreamer and Artemis,  watching the familiar buildings go by. "So do you think she's going to  be ok?" I looked at Artemis. "Hell, are you?"

She  shrugged, her aura anything but the peaceful facade she was putting on.  "I'm fine, my mom is ok. So she's with Jade now, big whoop. Kind of  glad she's not banging Jim anymore, to be honest, but I'm not super  jazzed he's been getting the blame for  us being gone. As for Zee...I  don't know Morgan. You know how few people she really lets herself get  attached to. Kent was there before any of us. Plus with her dad stuck in  the helmet too...I think it's going to be a hard road to recovery. What  about you, princess? You have any insight into Zee's mental state?" She  looked at Dreamer, raising an eyebrow in question.

Dreamer  just sighed, shaking her head. "I do not know. Losing a parent is a  powerful thing, from our talks, her Uncle Kent very much filled that  role for Zatanna, in a way her biological father was too damaged to  manage. Her time with him was brief, but she was truly happy there for  the first time in her life. I suspect that very nostalgia will make this  a difficult hurdle for her to move past." She looked sad and lost, and I  realized I'd taken for granted how much listening to all our problems  must weigh on Dreamer.

I  reached out and squeezed her hand, letting her lapse back into silence  before returning my attention to my best friend. "Now, how about we try  your answer about yourself again, but this time remember that I can see  your emotions." She let out an annoyed huff but eventually it turned  into a smile.

She  shook her head. "It's weird being back here after all this you know?  Like I think about how long we were gone and it feels like forever, but  then I compare to how long we were ACTUALLY gone and its an eye blink,  and I have no idea how to feel about it. Not to mention we're back, and  Wally is going to have to pick between me and the League." She paused.  "Well, I mean I'M not going to make him choose. But you know they are. I  still don't know what he's going to decided and that scares me."

I  snorted. "Please, that boy thinks the sun shines out of your ass. With  this whole time jump thing I doubt he's going to feel at home in his own  life anymore. More than likely he's going to be relying on us for a  sense of normality. Besides, they probably can't tie us to many crimes  anyway, it's not like we left calling cards. Hell, what's the statute of  limitations on burglary, we might not even be criminals anymore."

She  blinked. "it's...holy shit. Misdemeanors are two years, felonies are  five. We..." She burst out laughing. "Oh gods, we're not criminals  anymore. Anything they could have even pinned on us has expired." I  snorted, which set her off, and we both dissolved into gales of  laughter. We'd spent so long worrying about dealing with the League when  we got back and now...we didn't have to. I mean we could go back into  the business, but even then a new identity would completely scrub us,  and even if they guessed it was us, without proof our civilian ID's were  bulletproof.

I had a brief but  satisfying fantasy of finding Robin and openly taunting him until he  pulled his hair out, but I decided that it might not have the same  impact after so much time. It was annoying to think about but I'd been a  brief rivalry of his years ago. Just because it was more recent for me  didn't mean he would still care. I slumped back against the seat of the  bus, this was...a big deal. We had to have a meeting about what the hell  we were going to do. I'd spent a few dozen points getting us burners  this morning after my power topped up, so I pulled mine out and texted  Zee the news.

She  took a minute to respond before telling me to hold on and checking  online before she called me. "How the fuck did none of us consider that?  That's amazing. The League can't touch any of us now." There was a  brief pause as someone asked her a question and then Artemis's phone  rang. She picked up with a giggle responding to her frantic boyfriend as  I listened to my sorceress crow about how we were in the clear. It was a  great feeling, being civilians again, one I wasn't entirely sure I  wanted to throw away.

We  got off the phone as we finally arrived at the Clock Tower, or rather,  the bus stop closest to it, we climbed off and made our way in. The  wards were still functional, which was a good sign, and we headed up  through the place for the teleportation pad. I took a few steps up a set  of stairs when suddenly...my reflexes kicked in as was teleported  against my will...into a chair. I was sitting across the table from a  clean cut man with short blonde hair and bright green eyes. He was  staring intently.

It  was the aura that gave it away though. I blinked at the man, and early  twenties version of a friend I hadn't seen in months who was staring at  me like I was...well, a ghost. But like a full ghost. I smirked at him,  raising an eyebrow. "Still a little slow with quips huh Reggie?" I  looked him up and down. "I did the whole clean cut dandy look man,  decided to follow in Jim's footsteps huh?"

A  loud snort sounded from behind me and I turned around to see a drop  dead gorgeous blonde in her twenties. "He better fucking not. That good  for nothing womanizer will regret it if he rubs off on my man." It took  me almost no time to recognize Bette, even after years. Aura aside just  being here with Reggie gave it away. She gave me a wide smile. "I never  thought I'd see you again Morgan, and still all baby faced. You must  tell me where you buy your moisturizer." Artemis, who had come charging  up the steps behind me, came to a stop as she saw the other girl, who  nodded at her with a smile.

Reggie  stood up, walked over to me, and grabbed me up into a tight hug. "Jesus  Morgan, you scared me senseless. Look at you, you haven't changed a  day." His voice was thick with shock and amazement, and I squeezed him  back, careful not to shatter him like glass. I'd gotten used to  interacting with humans again in the OZ so it wasn't a huge effort not  to squeeze too hard. He laughed and pulled back. "Good to see you both.  And you too...weird busty stranger who just walked into my house." He  yelped as Bette smacked the back of his head. "What, like you weren't  thinking it? They're huge!"

I  cackled at his word vomit. Reggie might have grown up and become some  badass master thief, but he was still my friend, the talky idiot who  didn't know how to keep his mouth shut. I had to admit I'd been worried,  but it looked like some things at least had stayed the same. He rubbed  his head, glaring at his girlfriend, before turning back to us. "Well  since you seem surprised to see us, I assume you're here for the  teleporter." He gestured behind him. "Come on then, I'll come with, I  haven't been home in a few days."