Highest Bidder (DC SI) by NotAHero

Synopsis: The SI branches off into the DC Universe following the end of Ninja Grandpa, only there's something very wrong going on!

(Follows the Jumpchain timeline, but doesn't affect it)

Rated: T

Words: 41k

Link: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/highest-bidder-dc-si.938379/reader/

Valmar Remarks: Okay, so quick disclaimer... this story is supposedly part of another series the author does with other jumpchains with the SI venturing different worlds as different characters and accumulating different skills and powers. However I've been reading it as a standalone with no knowledge of any past-exploits, worlds or powers. There are moments that reference something of the MC's past that go over my head but for the most part I'm able to follow it well enough.

Due to my lack of backstory knowledge I may not fully understand his powers. However I've been thinking him more or less as a quasi reality-warper that is using his power to act a bit like a magical deal-maker in Gotham city. Think of faustian deals, minus the more sinister aspects. He's a bit of a troll and seems to be mostly just having fun with it. It's been entertaining to me thus far, though might take three or four chapters to get into more familiar territory if you don't really know whats going on with the MC's backstory. I'll include the first three (plus the "pilot") and hopefully thats enough to intrigue interest.

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(Pilot)

She couldn't help the scowl on her face as she walked, her footsteps echoing off in the dark, overlapped by the falling rain. Raindrops that fell everywhere around her, though never reaching her body thanks to the rudimentary arcane spell covering her.

She let out another scoff of irritation as she shook her head, her mind still unable to believe her father's audacity!

Even after all of these years spent proving herself, he still refused to take her up as his public side-kick. She'd been his apprentice since she was nine, and considering some of the more known heroes and their protege's, you'd think that was enough but noo, evidently she still wasn't ready! Whether in the hero field, or the magical entertainment one! Her dad refused to let her come into her own! All of it no doubt meant to limit her independence from him!

Worse, he had the nerve to tell her to her face that she wasn't ready yet! At fifteen! Despite the fact, he'd started younger than her. Hell, she was pretty sure half the Justice League side-kicks were all younger than her. But that clearly didn't stop them!

Ugh, it was all so unfair!

It was another argument, following her father's performance that had led her to leave the show early, unwilling to sit and stew as she watched fan after fan walk up to her father for his signature.

Turning the corner, her home practically at the end of the road, Zatanna held in the urge to react as she watched someone come in direct view, her body almost spinning as she made to avoid crashing into the stranger- Her annoyance showing itself as she watched the other continue walking ahead, not paying her the slightest bit of attention.

Briefly considering demanding an apology of sorts from the other, the teen instead chose to scoff as she shook her head and set her mind to keep on walking-

She wasn't entirely sure what changed her mind as she suddenly found herself turning her gaze back. Maybe it was the lack of respect from her father? Maybe it was because the stranger clearly didn't believe in basic human manners, but whatever it was, it had promptly caused her to turn around, an accusing finger stretched outwards. "Hey-" whatever had been about to leave her mouth disappeared, as her eyes narrowed at the sight before her, her feet briefly taking a step backwards.

The stranger had stopped walking, his body still facing away from her, as his shoulders seemed to lean from side to side, her own gaze briefly going upwards as she took in the fact the falling rain didn't seem to hit him either.

Mechanically the stranger slowly turned around as her own body took another step backwards, her knees bent into a stance, her hands going upwards to the side-

"Ma...gic?" The stranger echoed out, her own gaze fixated on his almost ethereal looking face, the effect no doubt magical- Briefly preparing a spell of sorts, particularly due to the fact the stranger had taken a step towards her, a single hand outstretched in her direction. His zombie-like movement, for a moment almost scaring her into action- "You... Will... Do..."

Her eyes widened as a magical incantation started leaving her mouth, the stranger having taken more steps towards- Only for the words to disappear as the stranger echoed out, "Help... Me..."

The ball of fire she'd started calling for never came as her incantation suddenly ended, her eyes widening the slightest as she watched the stranger's form buckle towards her, his outstretched hand landing on nothing as she took another step backwards to avoid it, her gaze watching as his body dropped face-first onto the floor.

She couldn't help but simply stare at the form, her feet taking another step backwards, as she watched the stranger force his head up to look at her. Her mind only now noting how young it really looked-

"Can't... Be... Seen..." Despite the ambiguity of the words, she felt herself stiffen as she found herself understanding.

Her hand, for a moment, wavered as she couldn't help but decide whether to reach out to help, or to immediately call an ambulance-

When the ethereal effect on the stranger's face seemed to disappear, replaced by the other's face. A face that was visibly twitching moments before his eyes closed. His mild thrashing turning quiet as the sound of rain once again took over her surroundings, this time hitting the stranger as well.

She couldn't help but simply continue to stare, her mind wavering on the right course of action.

Begrudgingly, after a moment of thought, she rapidly started dialling her father- Only to curse the moment the dial went to voicemail, the flip phone closing with a thud.

Briefly looking around, she idly looked over her to family's home in the distance, before palming the side of her forehead in annoyance-

Letting out a sigh, she made to cast off an incantation to levitate the body before her, her choice of action clear- Yet the moment the incantation was finished, her magic washing over the stranger, she quickly covered her face as she watched the energy bounce back, harshly in her direction, a startled squeal echoing out of her as her vision twisted in a kaleidoscope of colours.

When she lowered her arms again, her eyes blinking open rapidly, she stiffened as she found herself in a completely blank space, the only other thing beside her been the stranger on the ground, albeit now standing up and facing away from her.

Before she could react, she watched as the stranger fluidly turned around, a passive expression on his face, before he tilted it in bemusement, his eyes blinking a few times.

"...Uh... Hello?" The stranger stated. "...Pardon the surroundings, I haven't had time to decorate?" The stranger seemed to question as he scratched the side of his head, before a look of understanding filtered through his eyes as he pointed a finger towards her. "Ahh! Shit! I am probably waking up!" He stated again. Before both of his hands clapped together before his chest. "Really sorry about this, but I am gonna need you to get me somewhere out of sight- Anywhere will do, even an abandoned warehouse!"

Her head tilted to the side in confusion, at frankly everything that was going on.

"I should be good in a few days- My mind and bodies kind of, um, just uh? Recalibrating? Yeah, let's go with that, there's gonna be a bit of a light show with it, and you know, probably best no one sees that-"

"What the hell is going on?" She couldn't help but interrupt, her gaze rapidly looking around as the panic finally seemed to set in.

The stranger didn't bat an eyelid at her question.

"I am what you might call a self-defence measure- Don't really have all the memories yet, but that should come in soon- I uhh, kind of blew myself up? Or my soul up? I blew something up trying to deal with-" The stranger blinked a few times, his index finger going to his mouth as his other hand crossed around his stomach, a quizzical look taking over his face. "I think it was an alien invasion? Against my village? Filled with ninjas?" He blinked a few more times. "That doesn't make any sense..."

Before she could say anything, she watched as the stranger shrugged.

"Eh, whatever happened, I am going to need you to do me a favour and just put me somewhere out of sight until I am functional again! I am not sure the public would react well to the possible clones, haphazardly flying energy strings and/or possible appearance of a shinigami all too well." He stated with a straight face. "Not to mention all the manic laughter..." He added on under his breath.

At the lack of reaction, barring the sheer bemusement colouring her face, the stranger frowned.

"Please? I really don't want to wake up in a facility..." When that failed to earn a reaction, the stranger's frown deepened. "Seriously, you can even just throw me in a river or something- I'll even owe you one!" He blinked again, his eyes squinting the slightest as his head tilted to the side. "As soon I remember who you are-"

"...If I say no?" She questioned, worried, she could practically feel the way her magic seemed to be locked off here... Wherever she'd ended up- Not to mention she'd already tried levitating his body, and that had clearly worked out so well.

The stranger blinked once, twice and shrugged.

"Then I am clearly just wasting my energy here. Just don't interfere and uh... Leave me wherever the hell you found me then... Long as I don't end up under a microscope, I think everyone else should be fine..." He remarked, resigned before his eyes blinked once and narrowed the slightest. "Don't sell my organs, I really wouldn't appreciate that." He added on with a deadpan, and before she could say anything in response, the stranger clicked his fingers and the world around her twisted again.

Gasping once, she reopened her eyes and found herself back on the street, the stranger's crumpled form before her, her hands on her knees as she rapidly took in breath after breath, her eyes widened.

As she watched the body before her resuming its twitching, her own body practically feeling the energy radiating out of it, she felt tempted to run.

She wasn't sure what convinced her to pick up his hand and sling it over her shoulder, her brain idly noting the fact he seemed to be light as a literal feather, as she stared pacing on towards her home. Her phone beeping as a call from her father went through.

With her free hand, she returned the call, wondering how she was going to explain this.

Chapter 1:

With her right hand holding the stranger's arm over her right shoulder, Zatanna angled her left hand in an attempt to place the phone in her left ear, accidentally slapping the stranger's face in the process, an amused apology echoing out of her mouth as she walked on. Though in hindsight she should've picked the phone up with her other arm and simply balanced the person with an arm around his upper back- He wasn't exactly heavy, making the act possible.

"Hey dad-" She started off, sheepishly, her earlier annoyance towards the man gone as she tried and failed to think up of a good way to bring up her stray encounter-

"Zatanna!?" Her father's panicked voice immediately stilled her mood, her footsteps speeding up almost subconsciously. "Where are you- Are you home!?" He questioned rapidly, causing her to blink in bemusement.

This wasn't exactly the first time she'd left his show early, and he'd never been worried about it before.

"On the way," She answered warily, idly positioning herself better as she loosened up the crink in her neck. "There was, uh, a bit of a-"

"You can tell me later! Just hurry up home, now!"

Her eyes blinked a few times at the tone "...It involves inviting a stranger to our home?" She questioned carefully, her worry and panic rising with every beat of a second that her father took in responding. "Dad?-"

The stranger, of course, chose that moment to wake up, his groggy expression visible to her as she momentarily stopped in her tracks.

"Fine! Just make sure neither of you are-" Whatever her father had been about to say cut off, though the words already said had already set her stomach in knots. Any other time and she was sure that he'd either start grilling her with one hundred and one questions, outright refuse, or show up himself to chastise her in person.

That was the first time he'd ever agreed without a question on the matter.

After the slight pause, her gaze turned towards the stranger still latched around her shoulder, the two of them having stopped walking as her mind's focus switched between her completely out of character father, and what the protocol was for the particular situation she'd thrown herself into, given the stranger seemed set on staring ahead, uncaring. When he made no move to remove himself, Zatanna took a step further and found herself surprised as the stranger complied, following along, uncaringly. His gaze not budging the slightest from their direction up ahead. Turning her attention back to the phone, she immediately asked her father what was going on, and if he was feeling alright.

Briefly looking up in the said direction, she found the gates to her family's manor coming up, the long grassy path before it that connected to the end of the street, calm and unbothered by the rising winds.

"I'll explain later! Something's come up-" She frowned for a moment, before to her surprise the phone promptly closed with an audible click.

With the hairs on her shoulder metaphorically rising, she promptly sped up towards the manor.

It wasn't until she'd reached the gate itself, that the stranger beside her promptly stopped walking, his body practically turning into a steel wall as he refused to budge, his arm locking her in place. Her worry and panic around her father, briefly turning back towards herself-

Only for the stranger to simply raise his arm, giving her her freedom back, his gaze briefly turning from the manor, towards her own eyes. The expression practically dead to the world as she let out an audible gulp, before taking a single step closer to her home, her back to the manor's gate.

"Are you-" she made to speak up before briefly startling as she watched the stranger's face wince in pain, his right hand going up to the side of his head, as one eye closed. A curse echoing out of his mouth.

Instinctively, she made to reach out, before she watched the stranger take a step back, a snarled order coming out.

"Don't. I am fine- This is procedure." He stated, hoarsely. And from what she could see, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what was happening, or if she should call an ambulance. The stranger blinked once, lowered his hands, and let out a sigh. "Go. Inside." He grit his teeth. "You've done enough, thank you." He forced out in between breaths.

Her eyes narrowed in response. "You need help-"

"No." He shook his head. "You need to listen to your father." He remarked, briefly causing her eyes to widen, his expression once again wincing as his right eye closed rapidly, blood pooling at the edge of his mouth as he snapped his teeth shut together. Before she could say, or do anything, she watched as the gates to her manor were suddenly swept open by a powerful gust. Her gaze, rapidly turning between the metal doors and stranger, as she'd been certain she hadn't used any magic to open it. And brute force alone wouldn't have managed it. Before she could comment on it, she watched as the stranger turned around, showing her his back. "Inside. Now."

She didn't budge, the air around the two of them practically sparkling as she felt herself shift, on instinct into a defensive stance, her gaze locked ahead.

"You... Your defense measure..? Said you needed to rest..?" She found herself saying lamely, her brow furrowing at the complete change in personality. He'd been perfectly fine with been escorted up until they'd reach the gates. "My dad said we need to be inside..."

"You need to be inside." The stranger remarked, briefly turning his gaze to look towards her- his eye for a moment catching her attention as her breath was promptly taken as she took in the swirling, shifting colors in it. The effect disappearing as quickly as it came, her head shaking the slightest as the stranger turned his gaze back ahead. "Beside's," The stranger snorted humourlessly, his body for a moment spazzing erratically as he seemingly held in the urge to grunt in pain, his head twisting the slightest as an audible crink was dealt with. "There's no rest for the wicked." He finished, and before she could comment on it, she suddenly found her feet sweeping off the ground as another gust of wind pushed her back behind her manors gates, the steel doors rapidly closing shut as she landed behind their protection-

Just in time to, as a huge, white worm-like head promptly exploded out of the ground just before the stranger, a screeching, metallic-like sound grating on her ears as she immediately covered both them with her hands, her knees buckling as she found herself kneeling, her body practically turtling as she winced- Though her gaze never left the scene before her, her mind idly noting the lack of eyes on the creature's face.

The stranger who, on the sight of the creature and within earshot of its scream, as well as outside the protection afforded to her by her manor, was completely relaxed, as he slowly bent his knees, and pulled one fist back- The giant, near thirty-foot otherworldly worm-like creature, twisting in the air in a one-eighty akin to a whale out of water, promptly opened up its giant maw of a mouth and swallowed him, and the ground beneath him whole to her horror, half of its head underground while the other half of it's slithering, snake like-texture, hung outside, slowly flailing in the air. The ground beneath her rumbling, as the magic surrounding her manor, seemed to let loose static bursts of magic in the creature's presence.

She stood transfixed, frozen by the horrifying sight as her eyes shifted minutely, her breath and the words in her mouth lost as her jaw hung open- Her emotions warring with themselves as, to her complete confusion, tears, despite having just met the other, pooled at the corner of her eyes. When the creature's flailing half of the body, started losing mass or rather started concentrating its's mass downwards as it visible shrunk from the top, and expanded down the middle akin to a water balloon been squeezed on one end. What looked like giant hands started forming before stretching out towards the ground itself, the creature straining to pull its head out as it turned from a worm-like creature in size and appearance, towards a more slug-like one with arms.

Not wasting a beat, her body haphazardly buckling backwards as she made to raise herself and run- she suddenly found herself frozen as words suddenly started echoing out from the creature.

"This is gonna hurt me, a lot more than it's gonna hurt you..." The creature, for a moment, seemed to freeze its movement as soon as its head had come out of the ground, its massive head slowly shifting from side to side-

"Rokugan."

And just like that, a massive shockwave echoed out from the creature, scattering all of its essences in every direction as it painted the street white in its organs and skin- Her manor's protections, thankfully preventing it from reaching in, and in the middle of it, all stood, the utterly bored stranger, completely drenched in white mucus of sorts, a single hand idly scratching the side of his head.

"I... probably shouldn't have wasted that much energy..." The stranger sighed, dramatically as his face lowered towards the ground. "This recovery's gonna suck-"

And with those words, she promptly watched as the stranger let out another curse as his knees dropped to the ground, his hands rapidly closing around his stomach as his expression twisted in pain before his eyes promptly rolled to the back of his head as his body went limp and fell into a crumpled heap.

Her legs moved before she could even finish processing everything as the gates to her manor rapidly reopened.

Chapter 2: (there are colored text sections meant to make following dialogue easier at parts but this effect doesn't transfer over to webnovel)

She hadn't really thought it through, in truth. The guy had been inside that thing's stomach before he'd... Blown it up? She distinctively remembered the defence measure mentioning doing something of the sort-

She really hoped explosions of sorts weren't a regular occurrence.

Still, that put her in a bit of a pickle as she carefully stepped through the creature's... organs? Blood? Skin-

"This is so gross!" She couldn't help the words as she visibly shook off her disgust. Reaching the stranger's body, she promptly hesitated as she simply stood in the middle of white, white, and more white goo.

After briefly considering what to do- Given her last attempt at magic had ended in her meeting the aforementioned defence measure, she stilled herself and decided to go for it anyway.

Best case scenario? The spell works and the stranger's mucus-covered form is cleaned up enough for her to try and escort him into the manor proper. Worst case, she gets to meet the defense measure again and ask him who the hell she was interacting with.

Holding out her hand before her, she took in a deep breath and-

"Ydob siht gnirevoc sniats eht evomer!"

The spell covered the crumpled form before her and for a moment looked to work as the cleaning process slowly started before, to her utter surprise, a shockwave of sorts promptly echoed out as she instinctively raised her hands to cover her eyes.

Briefly peeking through, she promptly froze at the sight before her.

All around her, the white stains covering the street had all been swept further away from the stranger's form, the cleaning spell going as far as to have turned the ground beneath the body into pristine condition. The stranger's form itself was no longer covered by the slightest bit of the creature's innards.

And as she stared at her own arms, in open horror, her body visibly twitching as she realized that the worst-case scenario was another event entirely.

She promptly let out a screech as she rapidly started another backward incantation to clean herself of the slime and mucus that had covered every inch of her body.

'Gross, gross, gross,, gross, groossssss!' Her mind helpfully threw its own thought on the matter.

...

The trek back to her manor was a short one. The stranger currently in the same position she'd started with before that giant alien worm had attacked them. Fortunately, he was once again light as a feather, leaving the physical aspect of the journey rather easy to deal with- Unfortunately, he was still unconscious, though that didn't stop him from muttering random words and sayings along the way.

Words she had no clue regarding the meaning of.

"Ban....kai..." Idly glancing towards his face, she found the stranger's expression split into a massive grin, albeit with closed eyes, which wasn't creepy at all. "Say... hello... to... my... little... friend..."

She really hoped that wasn't an innuendo of sorts.

Shaking her head again, she turned her attention back to the now opening doors of the manor, and carefully helped the other up the stairs.

At least he hasn't brought up the fact he was a Shinigami- What even was that, from the future again?

That was something right?

She was never much of a fan of anything related to time travel, whether it was the tv-shows she'd grew up watching or the general theory behind it brought up in her schoolwork of all things- Mostly because the fact that time-travelers never came from the good future- No, they only ever came from ones that involved a line of horrible events.

...

Not wanting to explain to her father why there was someone sleeping in her room of all things- Even if the guy was technically in a coma of sorts, she elected to place his body on top of a sofa in one of the manor's living spaces. She had originally considered putting him on top of a table, though she figured the stranger wouldn't be too happy if he found himself waking up to what looked like an operating table of sorts.

Plus the sofa was a lot more comfortable-

"Hey, Aizen, think I can eat that without dying?"

The stranger's speech pattern seems to have fixed itself- In that, he was no longer pausing after every word. Not to mention she was fairly sure the stranger was just remembering events that had likely gone down- Her mind vehemently crossing out the possibility of time-travel, given he hadn't brought it up since.

Still, judging by the words that came out every time this 'Aizen' was mentioned...

She was really starting to feel sorry for the person.

She had a feeling the guy before her was a bit of an idiot that 'Aizen' had to deal with on a daily basis-

She stiffened the slightest, as she felt the air before her shift, the room growing the slightest colder as her gaze haphazardly started scouring her surroundings before her gaze fell back onto the stranger before her. Her eyes widening as she took in the ethereal hue that started surrounding his form, though the most striking, and worrying part, was the way his mouth seemed to have rapidly started mouthing out words at an inhuman rate- Briefly standing up and taking a step back, she watched as the stranger's body, previously laid out straight onto the sofa, seemed to spazz out uncontrollably- The strange words and speech from before all rapidly coming out as she heard, maybe every fourth? Fifth word? Most of them overlapping each other before, for a brief moment, the very ground beneath her feet felt as if it had shifted the slightest. The body's erratic movement suddenly and immediately stopping dead-still.

"...What the hell did I sign myself up for..?" She remarked, almost muted as she took in the unbelievable calm breathing before her-

She watched, taking a small step closer, as the stranger opened his mouth again- Yet, even before the no doubt strange words had come out... She could feel an almost shift in its tone-

"Fuck..." She paid no mind to the return of the pause. "Dressrosa..."

She wasn't sure who this Dressrosa was, but she had a feeling whatever had gone down with her, had probably needed some time-traveling to fix it.

...

She was convinced she was dealing with a multi-personality basket case.

Why? Because the stranger had gone from what she'd assumed was a happy-go-lucky idiot, judging by the earlier set of babble he'd set on spewing to... Well.

"...Congratulations you've... Brought yourself... Into slavery..."

Under any other circumstances, she would've called the police, the FBI, or frankly any government agency worth a damn. The only thing that had stopped her was the fact that before said line, the stranger had been complaining non-stop about what she assumed was meant to be a pompous, entitled, enslaving lord of sorts. Which considering she couldn't find any signs of online- Having spent the past fifteen minutes trying to search up and find out exactly what a celestial dragon was- She knew it was meant to be human, given the stranger himself, she'd come up with nothing.

Which meant either the stranger was delusional, he was a part of an underworld conspiracy that had no traces online, or he was from another planet.

She wasn't sure which one of the three was preferable.

Still, much like before, it wasn't long before the stranger had started speaking in a more controlled manner, and barring the speeches about ending the 'Royale Institute of Pompous Dickery,' she hadn't heard anything that... Well, convinced her to throw him out of the manor-

He had stopped that creature after all, and considering the call she'd had with her father before it had attacked, she assumed it had been after her.

It wasn't long before the stranger's subconscious speech had, once again, started rapidly overlapping itself, his body once again erratically shaking on the sofa.

When she'd saw the first sign of it coming, she'd immediately settled on leaving the room to make a cup of coffee for herself, intent on waiting it out.

...

Returning back to the room, her cup of coffee held by her left hand, she let out a sigh of relief when she took in the stranger's calm breathing-

Only for a veritable sense of wrong to suddenly fill the room as the stranger's expression split off into another grin, his still-closed eyes bothering her more than ever as he opened his mouth and-

"Hello world, my name is Kira-"

Her eyes briefly widened as she took notice of the fact that, this time, his speech hadn't started off like before. There hadn't been a hint of a pause in between the wor- When the stranger's body immediately started shaking uncontrollably, causing her to stumble backward, his words once again overlapping each other, her worry grew more and more as she took notice of the visible pain showing on the other's face, his shaking unlike before intensifying with every second, instead of calming down, his head visible thrashing on the sofa's pillow-

Instinctively, she promptly placed the cup down on the table and reached a hand out to the stranger's forehead, unsure of why she was doing it- though, to her surprise, it seemed to do the trick as he slowly started to calm down, his breathing labored...

Whatever that was... He clearly hadn't wanted to remember it-

She watched as his eyes, for a moment, briefly opened, locking with her own as she froze, unsure of what-

"Thank you."

She blinked a few times, before nodding once as she removed said hand, only now taking notice of the visible wisps of energy that had covered it for a moment. The energy that immediately dissipated the moment the contact was removed... The stranger's eyes once again drifting off back into sleep.

One thing was certain in the back of her mind, her gaze seeing the other in a newer light, the stranger before her was more than likely brimming with power-

"Zatanna." She froze once again, as her gaze haphazardly turned around, taking in her father's appearance.

Just, in time for the stranger to, for whatever reason, start laughing of all things. His eyes were still closed to the world.

"Dad-" she promptly stood up, quickly taking note of the sheer number of injuries and gashes marring his body as she gasped. "What happened!?" She questioned, numb as she moved towards him, though his eyes never left the laughing stranger.

"I was going to ask you that..." Her father remarked numbly. "How... did you kill that construct?" The question was directed towards her... Though the way his eyes held onto the stranger, she had a feeling he already knew the answer as he immediately turned her around on the spot and put himself before the still chuckling stranger.

When the stranger's chuckle stopped, and instead, subconsciously started speaking again, she found herself immensely worried the moment she noticed a distinct lack of a pause, despite starting what she now presumed was supposed to be a new cycle? Of Memories?

God, she had so many questions right now.

And judging by the look on her father's face, he had even more. Still, considering her father's likely first thought of action... She braced herself to try and convince him that attempting magic on him was a very bad idea.

The stranger's first choice of words in his presence certainly didn't help.

"I am going to systematically destroy the rest of the ninja world."

But at least he stopped laughing?

Chapter 3:

"Dad-" Zatanna started as she took a few steps closer to stand by his side, her eyes watching as her father appraised the stranger before them.

"It was foolish to invite him in," He immediately rebuked, as he took a few steps closer to the sofa, his hand held out in an open palm in front of him.

Preemptively, she immediately grabbed hold of the hand, panicked. "I-" Her father's gaze snapped to her own, narrowing the slightest as he lowered it to her wrist. "Maybe, but he stopped that thing, that was after me- I think, and I couldn't just-"

Her father shook his head, softly removing his hand from her grip.

"You have no idea what his intentions are... Besides..." His gaze slowly roamed towards the stranger, away from her eyes as he lowered his hands. "He shouldn't have been able to kill that construct. That alone makes him dangerous-" He raised his hand, an incantation likely on his tongue before once again, she haphazardly reached out for his hand.

"D-don't! Magic doesn't respond very well to him!" She stated out loud, watching as his eyes briefly narrowed as his mouth snapped shut. The beginning of the incantation held. Briefly catching her breath, she let go of his hand once again and sighed, before turning her gaze over to the calm, sleeping form. "Why do you think he's dangerous?" She settled for asking at the sudden silence- the longer she kept him busy, the more likely the stranger would wake up on his own terms... And hopefully, explain himself.

"That construct you saw, wasn't the only one that was sent." Her father calmly remarked, idly taking another step forward. "The other showed up following the end of my show..."

She stiffened the slightest.

"Were people hurt?"

When her father refused to answer, the sinking feeling in her chest grew.

"It took too long for me to stop it..." He remarked, despondent. "Burning it, freezing it, even blowing it up had failed, every other spell I threw at it, bounced back-" she watched as he shook his head, a despondent look in his eyes. "No matter what, it shrugged it off. Even when scattered into millions of pieces, it simply reformed itself."

Her eyes widened the slightest as her gaze swept back towards the stranger. "Maybe it was diff-"

"It wasn't. The one that had attacked you, had split off from the original."

"...How did you?" She started to question, wondering what he had ended up having to do-

"I didn't stop it..." Looking downwards towards her father's hands, she found them visibly shaking. "They shared a link. When the one... He attacked had fallen... Mine had followed in its heel. Collapsing in on itself within seconds." Her father turned a look towards her. "How did he do it?"

She blinked in response, bemused. "I... I don't know- One moment it swallowed him whole-" Her father's eyes widened further.

"It's corrosive."

She held in the urge to gulp at the interruption. "-The next... Well, it blew up from the inside."

Her father took in the words, his bemusement clear for her to see before he shook his head. "It should've simply reformed itself then. Whatever he'd done... had killed it instantly."

She opened her mouth to retort, only for her father, whose gaze was away from her, and stuck frozen on the stranger, to continue, his own words freezing her on the spot.

"Which shouldn't have been possible- Given it had no source of life to begin with. You can't kill, what isn't alive, Zatanna... No... What he did was something far more worrying."

She ignored the way her breathing turned shallow as her father turned a haunted look towards her.

"He destroyed it's very concept."

She found herself speechless as her gaze slowly turned back towards the stranger, her own hands matching the shake in her father's.

"You welcomed a monster into our home."

"He's a human." The words echoed out of her, almost on instinct as her eyes narrowed. "Who protected me from that- whatever it was. He told me to listen to you, even before that worm-thing showed up."

For a brief moment, her father simply appraised her, his gaze locked onto her own, before nodding once, trusting her judgment. "That does not make him any less dangerous."

Slowly, she watched as her father raised a single hand, while his gaze held her own, his eyes soft- yet resigned. "Do not worry daughter, it is merely a diagnostic spell, nothing more." When she opened her mouth to protest, her father promptly shook his head. "I cannot simply allow an unknown to rest in my home, without knowing what he truly is. It is either that, or I relocate him back to the street, while I still can."

And not giving her a chance to protest that, her father echoed out the incantation 'Terces ruoy laever', the words immediately forming wisps of energy that flowed out of his hands to cover the stranger, before to both of their surprise, instead of receiving a form of knowledge, a single large thread suddenly appeared just above the sofa. Something that caused her father's eyes to widen as he promptly took a step back, pulling her behind him, his body set into stance-

Yet the thread did nothing more, but merely float before them. Her mind noting the fact it was slowly, but surely, breaking down piece by piece. Each particle breaking off and floating into the air above it- Following one with her gaze, her eyes briefly widened as she took in the thousands that filled her ceiling.

Her father's own, thoughtful, eyes merely stared at them, in open wonder.

Both of their gazes, however, promptly set back down on the stranger, as his body visibly stirred, his eyes opening slowly, as he rose up into a seating position, a single hand covering his face, while the other covered a... Yawn?

The stranger blinked, bemused as he stared at the two of them.

"Okay. Who woke-" He blinked once as he stared at her, his head tilting to the side. "Oh fuck me-"

Her father promptly took a step forward, anger coursing through his eyes. "You are not-"

"-I am in the DC universe." The stranger finished with an audible sigh of frustration, completely ignoring her father as he covered both of his eyes with his hands.

"DC Universe?" Her father quickly questioned, his tone changing rapidly- As if he hadn't just assumed- She shook her head and merely listened in, curious herself. "Are you from another?"

The stranger uncovered his eyes, instead electing to cross his arms around his chest as he sighed and leaned back into the sofa.

"Admittedly, not my first choice... Or seventeenth." He rambled, ignoring her father's question. "Too many freakin' weirdos- But I guess I don't really get to choose so..." And, as if he'd just remembered that he was, one, in another's home, and two, had people staring at him. The stranger blinked again and let out another sigh. "Give me a moment, Zatara, my last-"

"How do you know my name?"

"-set of memories hasn't finished uploading. Then I can answer your questions." He deadpanned. "Zatanna was very helpful in helping me avoid putting a hole in society as an entrance." He smiled towards both of them, showcasing a gleaming set of shark-like pearls. And as if to prove his point, they both watched as the thread hanging above the stranger promptly started breaking apart at a much faster rate, practically disintegrating into hundreds of more pieces that followed the rest up. The stranger himself promptly jumping up to stand on both feet as he stretched out, a relieved expression on his face. "Neat trick by the way." He deadpanned, as he stared upwards himself.

"Now. Where was I- Oh, right. Adventure number five. I do believe you had some-" Yet, whatever he'd been about to say, promptly stopped as he stiffened. Her own question, aswell as her father's judging by the way his own gaze was locked just upwards of the boy, frozen in its tracks.

As just as the thread had neared its end, with perhaps the barest of an inch left on it- All three of them promptly watched as the space next to it, promptly twisted, the very air at the end of thread shattering as to Zatanna's surprise, the thread seemed to grow- or perhaps unravel more of its self? A small part of her wondering if it was another cycl-

Yet the moment her gaze lowered itself towards the boy, she found open horror dancing in his expression.

"...What? There's... More? But..." Unlike before, the pauses in his words this time, caused a shudder to go down the length of her spine. His eyes widened further. "Sirius Black..? But... I never..." His jaw hung loose as his eyes seemed to shift. "...That's not possible- Not unless this isn't the main-"

And just like that, realization seemed to dawn in the stranger's eyes, a realization that for whatever reason... Seemed to suck the energy out of him, as his body practically crashed back into the sofa, a completely lost look taking over his expression.

Both father and daughter, tentatively shared a look of confusion, before they slowly turned back towards the stranger staring ahead into nothing.

"...I am... pointless?"

And just like before, the thread started rapidly breaking down, and with every piece that flowed upwards, the memories that likely encompassed them made the expression on the stranger worse by the second- To the point Zatanna found herself walking past her father, her own worry, at the sheer distraught that was rapidly filling the other's gaze, rising.

She wasn't sure why, but her empathy for a moment seemed to strike her harder than she'd ever felt-

Yet the moment the thread seemingly neared its end- Her own thought on what she presumed was a mountain's worth of memories been shoved into someone's brain been extremely unhealthy ignored, she briefly contemplated reaching a hand out- Only to watch as the stranger promptly stood up, causing her to take a step backward, her own fathers shadow showing how the man had practically jumped to her side- Even if nothing came of it as the stranger seemingly stared at her for a moment before-

"Enough... I don't want to know anymore..." A single beat passed, one that her father for whatever reason, promptly pulled her back, her own feet listening as she took several steps backward, her hands instinctively going to her face as she felt more strange energy suddenly start building up at the base of the stranger's feet before-

"Finite Incantetum."

And with those simple words, a veritable gust of wind swept through the indoor room, her hair sweeping backward as her father immediately brought her to his chest, covering her head with her own hands, though her gaze never left the distraught stranger.

For a moment, the very air in the manor turned unbreathable, as the sounds of crashing belongings and trinkets in every other room suddenly echoed out. As books dropped from their shelves, and hidden doors and compartments suddenly sprang open- Three of which opened in the very room they were in, while the sofa, behind the stranger, promptly vanished without a trace, the only hint it was ever there been the magical wisps of energy left in its wake.

Everything remotely magical in nature, from the furniture to the tomes, to the mechanics that filtered throughout her home, had for a moment stopped functioning completely, or outright disappeared.

For a single moment, her labored breathing ignored, even as her father visibly shook, terror openly showing through his eyes, the three of them merely stared at one another- Before, the stranger simply started walking past the two of them, an uncaring, and lost look in his eyes.

"...They treated me like a monster, for saving them..."

The moment she heard those words, she couldn't help but break off from her father, her feet practically twisting on the spot as she made to call out to the stranger, only to watch as an audible crack sounded through the air, the stranger disappearing from sight as the air itself visibly warped for a single second.