Sell you a Bridge chapter 93 (Patreon)

The Clock Tower August 29th 8:30 AM EDT

That  statement did not go over well. With pretty much anyone. Sadly Giovanni  decided to try to back it uip and thrust out a hand, snarling "gnirb reh ot em" a  massive magican hand lashed out at Zee, trying to grab her, I readied  myself to pour some points into my shadow construct but before I even  got a chance Jim just...appeared in front of us. He rapped his cane on  the ground just like always did when he was serious, and the chime of a  graveyard bell tolled through the clock tower.

Unlike  the other times he'd done it though this seemed...bigger. More  powerful, more momentous. The bells weren't just from any old tower,  they belonged in THIS tower. This was Jim's place, and even Zatara  wasn't ready to deal with what the meant. The shadows in font of Jim  lengthened as the glow of his eerie light intensified and they lashed up  to tear the hand construct apart with almost casual ease. Jim's voice  was cold and casual. "You come into my home, break down my wards, and  cast a spell like that at MY apprentice?"

The  ice in his voice started to literally chill the air, and I realized  that Jim was fucking ANGRY. He didn't care that Giovanni was worried or  upset, didn't care that the magician just wanted his daughter back. He  had come into Jim's place, had disrespected me and Jim both, and was  strutting around like he was in charge of the place, ignoring Gentleman  Ghost in his own house. The ice crawling across the walls and floor made  it clear that this was a big mistake, and not one Jim was going to let  him forget making.

Kent's  eyes widened and he stepped forward, blocking Giovanni with his body.  "James, there's no need for this. Giovanni was simply upset, he meant no  offense. You and yours are in no danger from him, all he wants is his  daughter returned safely to him. We would be happy to held with the  repair of your wards and compensate both you and your apprentice for any  inconvenience once that goal is met." Giovanni's sneer made that seem  less than accurate but I had to give Kent credit for trying. He didn't  want this to devolve into a fight.

To  my surprise it wasn't Jim who answered, but Madame Xanadu. "The girl  stays." We all turned to look at her, the three men who had broken in  seeming almost shocked to see her. I wondered if she'd had some sort of  concealment spell up, because she was kind of hard to miss. Maybe she'd  been waiting to see how things played out. "She doesn't want to go with  you. You must see that. She's angry and hurt, and if you force her back  it will destroy any chance of reconciliation you might have. She's only  got a few years until she can leave on her own, if you bring her back  like this she'll wait them out and you'll never see her again. I've seen  it more than once."

Giovanni  looked torn, but also furious. "Madame, I have the utmost respect for  your capabilities, but please don't tell me how to raise my child. I  decide what is best for Zatanna, not a thieving ghost and certainly not  some teenage boy. My daughter is confused and upset, but once she's home  we can talk this out. I won't be letting her stay here another night  however. I'd rather she hate me than to be alone with this...criminal  for another evening. She doesn't know what boys like him will do to get  what they want from her. Perhaps that's my fault for keeping her  isolated, but it remains true all the same."

Now  it was my turn to be pissed. "You pompous condescending asshole, fuck  you!" Everyone turned to stare at the sheer rage in my voice. "How dare  you! How dare you ignore her and keep her locked up like a show dog and  then question my feelings for her? She's been coming out with us for  months now, and you only noticed when those shitbag justice tots decided  to narc on us. What kind of father are you? Leaving her alone to go  risk your life every night? At least I show her I care through my  actions instead of just treating her like a china doll"

I  was fucking heaving like a bellows, panting so hard with rage I felt  like my head would burst. "I actually TRUST her, you just think of her  as some stupid little girl you need to manage. Do you even care if she  comes home? Or are you just worried people will think you can't control  your daughter and might lose face?" I legitimately didn't see a way out  of this without a head on fight between the two of. I wasn't sure I  could take the old man, but I was going to fucking try. Hearing him talk  about Zee like the only thing I could possibly love about her was her  body was fucking infuriating.

Giovanni  screamed in rage and bellowed a spell, another magical construct flying  towards me. Jim stepped forward, clearly furious, but the green lantern  with the stupid cape lashed out with what, to my aura sight, looked  like pure fucking life fire and my mentor was pushed onto the defensive.  Madame Xanadu raised a hand to help but Kent, still looking regretful  but firm in his convictions to help his friend flicked a hand and a  golden ankh manifested behind him, a sure sign he was using order magic  against the Madame.

It  wouldn't be nearly enough to stop her, but it didn't need to be, it  just needed to hold her for a minute while Giovanni dealt with me. But  before the construct landed a WAVE of magic arced up from the ground as  Zee's guardian spell manifested in front of me. The three dragons heads  however, looked vastly different. Instead of red scales they were blue  with spiraling lines of purple, and the flames they spat crackled with  heavenly punishment lightning. Zee's voice boomed through the room "That is enough!" The lightning-fire tore the spell Giovanni had sent at me apart.

She  stepped past me where I'd pulled her with my shadow port when all this  started and smiled at me. "I appreciate this baby, but I need to talk to  him myself." I scowled but finally nodded, stepping back and putting a  hand on Jim's arm to pull him back with me. She turned to glare at her  father. "I am not confused. I am not being manipulated. What I am is  disgusted. I knew you didn't worry much about what I thought, that you  figured you knew best, that's what fathers do. But seeing how little  regard you have for me or my decisions, it makes me sick."

Giovanni  looked like he wanted to attack me again or something, anything to stop  her from talking, but he didn't he just looked at her with pain and  frustration. Her voice wasn't scornful or biting anymore, it  was...disappointed. "I am not coming home. I don't feel safe there.  You're too controlling and you ignore the things I want and it's not ok.  I love you daddy. And despite the way you act I believe you love me  too. But ever since mom died everything you do is tainted by fear and  guilt."

Her  eyes started to tear up. "You're consumed by it. Every decision you make  is out of terror that something might happen and you're so obsessed  with protecting me from everything you're suffocating me. I don't hate  you, I could never hate you. But you've become so driven by your fear  that something might hurt me that you haven't realized you're doing it  yourself. You treat me like I'm small and useless and incompetent, like I  can't be trusted with my own life or thoughts. I'm not one of your  magical treasures to be locked in a box and protected."

Giovanni  looked crushed, his eyes overflowing with tears, and finally, all the  anger drained away. All the denial that had been propping him up the  hope that he hadn't really alienated his only child, drained away with  it. "I never knew you felt like this. I didn't...I failed Sindella. I  wasn't there for her, for you, if I had been, I might have noticed the  cancer sooner, I might have been able to take her to someone who could  help. But when she died...if I'd left my work behind, left all those  people to suffer it would have been for nothing. My wife would be dead,  and it would just be pointless."

He  covered his face with his hand as his tears picked up. "I couldn't let  it be just another random meaningless death in a random meaningless  world. I had to keep fighting, had to make my failure worth it. But I  didn't even mean to make you feel small or weak or stupid. I know you're  a brilliant young women, I know you're strong and fierce." He looked at  her helplessly. "So what do you want angioletto? Papa is  listening. I can't let you stay here, it isn't safe. I was wrong before,  you can make your own decisions, but this place isn't fit for you. But  we can discuss other options. If...coming home is that horrible to you."

Kent  cleared his throat. "What if she came back to the tower with me? I can  have a zeta tube installed so she can come back to visit you, and you  know you can trust me with her. She's stayed with me when you were on  missions before, this will be no different. You can take your time  talking things out, maybe talk to Black Canary, I know she helps with  counseling. Zatanna can continue to associate with her friends under my  supervision, so you can be reassured about their...intentions."

That  was actually a great idea. Worst case I could just teleport over to  Salem myself to see her if he didn't keep up his end, but Kent seemed  like a solid old man. He had the benefit of perspective that Giovanni  didn't and he wanted to leave everyone an out. Zee looked thrilled and  ran over past her blue lightning dragons and threw her arms around him.  "That sounds perfect Uncle Kent!" She turned to Giovanni. "How does that  sound to you daddy? You trust Uncle Kent to take care of me so staying  there should be fine, and I don't mind a chaperone when I spend time  with Rand if it makes you feel better."

Her  aura told me that last part was actually a huge lie, but I wasn't going  to bring it up, I wasn't stupid. Giovanni sighed and nodded. "I...I  think that may be for the best. Kent is able to be there for you more  than I in any case. As long as you agree for us to meet with each other,  potentially with Black Canary as well, and try to..." He swallowed  hard. "Try to get past these feelings you've been having, I can accept  that." He swung his glare to me. "However, if I find out you've  pressured her in any way, I'll come for you, and no ghost will stand in  my way."

That  seemed to calm most everyone down, except maybe Jim who was a bit  pissed off but decided to let it go. The three men agreed to help repair  the wards once Kent got Zee settled, and she promised to call me once  she got moved in. With that everyone left, and I retreated alone to my  room. This whole thing had shown me something integral. The wards were  fine, but magic just wasn't as overwhelmingly absolute as my power. If  we were going to be safe I needed something more. Something that could  protect us all. I opened my phone and scrolled down through my emails,  bringing up a search. Let's see what I could find for "Secret Lair".