Sell you a Bridge chapter 37

The Clock Tower July 11th 2010 11:00 AM EDT

Sleeping  at the clock tower was miserable, the beds here were awful, I  considered ordering a super deluxe mattress through my power, but it  seemed like a huge waste with everything going on. I needed a new power,  something I could explain away with my perfect memory and my current  abilities so I was saving up for something useful. Unfortunately my  muscle powder was long finished and I couldn't use it to fix up damage  to my body anymore, so I was stuck with this stupid crick in my neck,  not to mention being insanely tired because of all the damn nightmares.

Artemis  and Reggie looked about as tired as I did. We were all sleeping at the  clock tower since the building was warded and impossible to find.  Nathaniel knew where at least two of us lived and Artemis was my next  door neighbor so her place was out. I wasn't entirely sure my nut job  uncle wasn't going to lose his mind when he couldn't find my mom, and  I'd rather not get shivved by a ninja in my sleep. Since the beds here  were just shitty ones meant for quick naps during long term ops Artemis  and Reggie were in just as bad of shape as I was.

Artemis  had slumped her head down on the table and had it cradled in her arms.  She groaned in exhaustion "Oh my god that mattress. It would have been  more comfortable to sleep on the floor. Shame this drafty old tower has  fucking rats." I'd actually had the same thought but she was right, with  all the critters scuttling through this old place it was asking for  trouble. "Didn't Jim say something about the mice and bugs not being a  problem anymore? Why have I still been seeing the damn things around?"

I  chuckled at that "Because you don't listen well enough to remember that  he said it would take a few weeks. His presence lets off a low level  necromantic field. Nothing with sapience or bigger than a fist will be  effected, but everything that doesn't meet the two criteria will just  kind of fade and die. His aura needs to permeate the tower though, it's  one of the big reasons he spends all his time here, aside from imbuing  the place with whatever weird aversion magic he's been baking into the  foundations to make it impossible to find."

Reggie snorted  from where he sat with an arm thrown over his eyes, head leaned back to  hand over that back of his chair. "Oh sure, don't worry about bugs, our  boss had a concentrated death aura so strong it kills off small  animals. I definitely feel better now. Speaking of death aura, when are  we supposed to be meeting those Shadowpact guys. Jim was planning to  bring them here right? He didn't mention exactly what time that was  happening and I for one want to mainline a few cups of coffee and shower  before they get here."

Before any of us could answer a  sardonic voice said "They'll be here in an hour, as a matter of fact."  We all jumped out of our skin as Jim's suit faded into being in one of  the empty chairs. I could have sworn he did that on purpose. Every time  on of us mentioned him when he wasn't around he took it as an  opportunity to sneak up on us and scare the shit out of us. I always  felt like he followed us around sometimes waiting for an opening, the  weird thing was I didn't even see him with my aura sense when he was  invisible like that, not that I wanted to, since I was worried it might  drive me insane, but still.

Reggie nodded sagely "Ah, of  course, then we should definitely get ready to greet out new friends. I  think a shower would probably be best for all of us, an hour is enough  time for us all to get a chance. I think the only real thing to decide  is who goes first." He held up a hand, cutting off Artemis who was about  to speak from her spot closest to the door. "Wait. One thing, before  you decide who will be the one who gets to use up all the hot water." He  paused meaningfully "Dibs!" He translocated Artemis into his chair then  bolted for the hallway to the shower, knocking his chair over on the  way out.

Artemis's eyes flew open and her nostrils flared  "Son of a bitch!" She vaulted the table and took off after him, hurdling  the chair as she raced off down the hall bellowing "You better hope you  get into that bathroom and shut the door before I get there  Willowbrook!" I snickered at their antics and Jim just sighed in an over  dramatic expression of feigned despair. He liked to act like we were a  huge imposition but he showed his appreciation with actions. He liked  having us around, even when we acted like stupid kids.

I  stood up from the table and walked into the open concept kitchen (which  was fancy architect speak for this place was  so old the wall fell down  and we cleared away all the debris) and poured myself a cup of coffee.  "So, boss." I said with no small amount of hesitation. "I know who  Warlock's Daughter is. Any chance this is going to be a problem? Our  families were never really friendly. I know she doesn't run with her  dad's crowd but old habits and blood feuds die hard. The Aquista family  have hated the Falcone's for years. Speaking of the Falcone's where's  Kit by the way?"

Jim sighed again, this one coming across  much more sincere. "Kitrina is still asleep. She was displeased to be  left home to study during our outing last night. I tried explaining she  has a month of intense training to catch up on but she just felt left  out. She stayed up late last night reading in the library and I had to  carry her back to her room. I suspect she'll sleep through the meeting,  which might be for the best because while Ms. Aquista most likely won't  hold your father against you, Kitrina is a Falcone by name as well as  birth, not an outcast like the two of you."

We  drifted off into silence after that, Reggie came back into the room  with his head completely wet, but not the rest of his body. When he saw  my questioning look he glared off down the hall. "She gave me a swirly! I  only teleported her into a chair, it's not like I hurt her or anything.  She said next time I use my powers on her she'll shave my head and wax  the entire rest of my body. Crazy bitch.Thank god that's a new toilet."  He shuddered and walked out of the room heading for his current bedroom  to dry off and get changed.

I  went back to my own room to get changed and comb my hair, knowing  Artemis was a notorious hot water hog and there was no way I would be  taking a shower before the Shadowpact people got here. I got finished  getting ready in my costume and headed out to the...I wasn't actually  sure what to call it. The huge room behind the clock face served as a  sort of combination dining room, living room, and kitchen. By the time I  got there, the Shadowpact people had already arrived. They were not  what I'd expected. I figured they would be serious aloof magic types,  but I could tell at first glance they all seemed fairly approachable.

First  up was Acheron, who floated off the ground with his legs crossed  dressed like the bad guy from an eighties movie. He had a black shirt on  under a bright red jack with a ridiculously high collar sticking  straight up and a gold dragon emblem across the front. His eyes were  burning orange with black sclera and he had a huge underbite with two  wicked looking fangs sticking up. Still despite the odd image he  presented he was smiling cheerfully at Jim, who sat across from him in  the air, as the two of them shared tea from a floating tea set.

Sitting  at the table looking amused was a very well built woman in a domino  mask. She was pale as a ghost, pun not intended with white glowing  pupiless eyes, and wore a pair of elbow length black gloves and black  bodysuit with gold trim that left her shoulders and a good portion of  her cleavage bare. I reflected briefly on how much I loved being around  female heroes and villains before I noted the presence of a strange  energy around her. In fact it almost felt...familiar. I felt a sort of  kinship between her presence and my powers, and it took me a minute to  realize that her powers affected shadows.

The  last person (if that label really applied in this particular instance)  was a girl about my age. She was white as chalk, her skin the color of  new fallen snow, and her eyes glowing with an ethereal light that  reminded me of Jim's suit. Her entire body was covered in a crimson  bodysuit and cape, with black interspersed throughout it, the edges of  the dark material seemed to roil like dark smoke or lightless fire, and I  saw her eyes fixed firmly on me. That wasn't a surprise give our  respective identitys.

Darla  Aquista had been killed in a gang war a few years back that my family  had definitely been involved in. Rumor had it the Odessa mob were the  ones actually responsible, but she'd been resurrected by her father's  enforcer, Johnny Warlock, in a rather gruesome ritual involving the  sacrifice of her actual dad, to bring her back as the Warlock's  Daughter. I didn't know if she was a ghost like Jim or some kind of dark  magic spirit but whatever she was she really didn't like mobsters for  obvious reasons. Even if she was willing to give me the benefit of the  doubt because I had cut ties when I was younger I was still a bit  uncomfortable.

Nightshade  seemed to have noticed me come in as well, and unlike Warlock's  Daughter she wasn't shy about talking. "Oh, hello. You must be Random!  Jim gushes about you all the time, though gods know he'll never admit  it. It's so nice to finally meet you." She shifted through the shadows  and arrived in front of me, smiling and holding out her hand "I'm  Nightshade. I can sense you and I have a little something in common. You  manipulate darkness huh?" Her grip was firm and her smile was warm and  friendly.

I  blushed a bit, I won't lie. She was absolutely gorgeous and her clothes  were very very flattering. I cleared my throat and willed the blush  away, hoping that would work "Not exactly. I have stealth abilities  pertaining to shadows but I can only do one or two things with them."  She giggled at my obvious shyness and released my hand, walking back to  the table and giving me just as nice of a view from behind. I was  interrupted from my staring by the sound of Artemis and Reggie coming  in, both also in costume.

Jim  made the introductions and finally stood from his little floating tea  party and turned to face all of us. "Well now, we're all here for the  same thing, even if we might have different ideas about how to go about  it. We want to protect Gotham from whatever is coming. I personally  believe that Morgana will play a part in..." He trailed off his head  snapping up as an ethereal white dove flapped into the room. He put a  hand up and it landed on his arm, he leaned forward and it cooed softly  in his ear before vanishing into a silver mist. Jim looked back at us  slowly, monocle gleaming. "Madame Xanadu was just attacked, her shop was  robbed...by the Talons."