Sell you a Bridge chapter 235 (Patreon)

June 1st 2016 Gotham City 5:00 PM EDT

It  was my birthday. Again. Honestly given how much had happened since my  sixteenth I felt like it really HAD been five years since my last one.  Still, I was officially seventeen, and my mom was going all out on the  festivities. Non stop cooking, which she'd roped Drea and Zee into  helping with (in shifts so they each got to spend time with me on my big  day) not to mention a cake from Kirbys just like last year, albeit a  MUCH bigger one she'd had to custom order because there were way more  people coming to this shindig than the last one.

Everyone I  knew had shown up. Jim was here with Claire and Paula. Reggie came with  Bette. Artemis brought Wally, Jade, and Lian because the little girl  and Hana were fast friends, though Roy hadn't come because it wasn't  really his scene. Morana brought Cassie along and shockingly Gilotina  had agreed to come. Drea and I had managed to get her well enough to be  allowed out of her cell, provided Morana was with her at all times, and  the two of them had actually kind of hit it off.

Hana was  running around happily with Lian while mom cooked and Gojo was on the  couch, watching his daughter like a hawk in case she tripped or  something. He was such a helicopter parent. I was currently sitting at  the top of the steps looking down on the whole place happily. I'd left  Zee downstairs talking to Madame Xanadu, who had come with Blood (the  two of them may or may not have been dating, though they refused to  confirm or deny it) and with Drea in the kitchen helping mom I was  taking a minute to just...savor things.

After the battle  for Gotham things had calmed down immensely. Since we had nothing  pressing to deal with I'd been saving up my points in case of a rainy  day. The rainy day never actually came, so I'd decided to splurge and  bought myself a birthday present in the form of a really kickass car.  Despite what SOME people (Reggie was just jealous) said about a car  being a stupid purchase, my new car, a long sleek black sedan called the  Regalia, could transform itself into an off road vehicle, as well as  fucking FLY.

I didn't need a car for that, but I was  turning seventeen damn it, I wanted my own car. Plus it had some weird  magical fusion engine that meant I never had to buy gas and I could lend  to the girls when they wanted to take trips. Still, I wasn't a moron, I  made sure to keep a hundred thousand points in reserve. With ten  thousand a day plus the occasional (read semi regular) tantric ritual my  income was more than enough to support a medium sized purchase and  still save up some point in case I needed them.

I was  jarred out of my reverie though, by a loud thump and I turned to see  Artemis plop down next to me. "Happy brithday nerd." She feigned  surprise as I turned to raise an eyebrow at her.  "Oh no, did I  interrupt you staring dramatically off into the middle distance? I could  come back later if you have some more brooding to do, or is this one  the self congratulatory revels you do behind everyones back while  thinking about how awesome you are? I know they can go either way."

I  flipped her off. "First off. I wasn't staring into the middle distance,  I was watching the party. Secondly I AM awesome, I don't even need to  think about it, and thirdly thank you, I'm glad you could make it. I  took precautions and got an extra large cake this time because last year  some blonde vacuum cleaner gobbled up like a quarter of mine." I gave  her a saccharine smile and she pasted an offended look across her face.

I  could see her lips quirking slightly so I knew she wasn't genuinely  upset, but she put on a good show. "Ok, YOU were the one who cut me that  piece, how the hell are you going to fat shame me for eating a piece of  cake you sliced your own damn self? Also fuck you buddy, I am beauty  and grace incarnate, there isn't an ounce of fat on me, you can just ask  my boyfriend."

I just shook my head sadly. "I was poor in  material wealth, not in manners. I cut you an extra large piece as a  gesture of good will, but it was clearly excessive. Anyone with a polite  bone in their body would have tried to turn it down, or at least saved  some for Paula. You just devoured that think like a black hole  swallowing space junk. As for your so called beauty and grace." I held  up a hand and waggled it back and forth. "You're ok, my girlfriends are  both way better looking. But you're right. I was just kidding. There's  not an ounce of fat on you. Anywhere. Guess Wally likes them bony."

She  hurled herself at me, playfully swatting at my head and shoulders as I  covered them with my arms, cackling in glee as she failed to land any  hits that I could actually feel. Eventually she stopped and collapsed  into laughter too before pulling me into a side hug. "Glad to see you  aren't getting all broody after all. It's a happy day. You need to make  sure to appreciate the good in life. I see your blonde project is coming  along. She looks easily eighty percent less murdery than the last time I  saw her."

While she wasn't joining Morana in playing with  the kids, instead sitting on the couch with Cassie, Gilotina's aura was  infinitely less battered than last time. I'd been prying out those damn  thorns with Drea and it was only last week we'd gotten her stable  enough to be around people. Of course she was strapped with more wards  and bindings than a mummy, we wouldn't have let her come along and be  near the kids if she hadn't agreed to that. Even with Morana here that  was too big a risk. Still, she was sitting casually and looked..well not  happy, Gilotina had serious resting bitch face, but blase at least.

I  had to smile a bit at how far she'd come though. "Yeah, Tina is a good  girl. Kind of an edgy pain in my ass, but she's sweet deep down. Rana  adores her, and they spar constantly. She and Cassie get along pretty  well too. The three of them are basically inseparable these days." I cut  my eyes to the side, narrowing them at her. "Speaking of never being  seen apart, how is living with Wally? I still think moving in together  after dating for like six months was nuts." She raised an eyebrow and I  paused. "My situation with Zee doesn't count. There were extenuating  circumstances."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok MOM. No, wait, my  mother is LESS nosy about my love life. I can't believe I caught you  trying to sneak into the apartment with a shovel the first day we moved  in." I couldn't believe that either. I was a master thief damn it. "But  to answer your question its been good. Really good. We're open about how  we're feeling, and if one of us is in need of some alone time we go  stay with our parents or tell the other one and they sleep on the couch.  That's only happened once or twice, which I count as a win."

She  gave a soft smile, and I couldn't help but return it when I saw how  happy she looked. Her voice was fond as she continued. "I feel...good. I  spent so long trapped under my parents roof. I mean I love my mom, but I  felt...stuck. Now I have my own place, a boyfriend who loves, space  when I need it, and a family I can always count on." I saw her eyes  sparkle with moisture, but she turned her head before any tears fell. "I  just...I can't believe how much has changed in the last year. You  finding me on that rooftop was one of the best things that ever happened  to me."

I returned her side hug, pulling her against me.  "Right back at you. I think I wouldn't have survived my first month with  powers if I didn't have you to keep my head on straight. Like you said,  you're family." I held her close for a second or two then cleared my  throat and pushed her playfully away. "Ok this is getting much too  touchy feely for my tastes. How about we head downstairs and get some  grub. Looks like mom is about finished cooking, and I'm starving." I  gestured down to my vitality rich form. "I need plenty of calories to  keep up this masterpiece."

In response to that she pushed  me over the side of the steps. I let her, but I also just floated there  on the other side before sticking out my tongue and flying for the  kitchen top speed. Artemis squawked in indignation and bolted after me.  When I touched down Hana was squealing for a ride in the air and Gojo  and mom were both glaring at me venomously. I winced, since I realized  I'd never flown in front of my sister, and then tried to help as mom  told her she wasn't allows and the two of them dealt with the resulting  tantrum. Hana was usually pretty even tempered, but when she got pissed  she went BIG.

We started dinner early to calm her down, so  even though everything wasn't ready we all sat down and started eating,  which soothed the savage toddler. Once we all got started on the food  everyone relaxed into the party mood again. The food was fantastic. Drea  had been coming over for lessons with mom, and the two of them had  whipped up a hell of a feast with Zee helping....mostly in morale  support capacity because my sorceress could NOT cook. I'd literally seen  her burn water.

After dinner was cake, and we all enjoyed  the black forest sheet cake that my mom had commissioned from Kirbys  because their cakes are fucking delicious. I'd eaten food cooked by  actual gods and that was still my favorite baked good of all time.  Everyone enjoyed it, even Gilotina, and we all sat and laughed and  talked and I was just...at peace. This was what I'd been fighting for  when I fought Kalibak. These people, this dinner, this cake (albeit to a  lesser and not really conscious degree, but seriously that cake tho).  This was what it felt like to finally be in a good place in life.

Which  of course was when a surge of red black flame erupted on the table in  front of me, consuming a plate that thankfully had been cleared of  delicious cake and leaving in its place a single blood red envelope  smelling faintly of brimstone. My name was written across the envelops  in looping black script, and I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach as  I gingerly picked it up, tore it open, and slid out a folded up piece  of parchment. I scanned over it for a minute before looking up at  everyone in the room.

They were all staring at me in  shock, and I couldn't blame them. This had hit me out of left field too.  I cleared my throat, my voice hoarse with emotion. "It's...it's from  Kit. She says she's in trouble. Says she needs my help." Everyone stared  at me, a few of them looking disturbed by the news, including Zee,  Reggie, and Artemis, all of whom had been with me when Kit had been part  of our dungeon exploring crew. "So. Who wants to go on a trip to the  UK? Apparently I have some business in London. Side note, anyone know  how the hell to find some place called 'The Nightside'?"