DCM Volume 2 -Chapter 3: Magical Bureaucracy

"Albert?!" The moment the teen walked into that oh so familiar coffee shop, an old voice nearly squawked in surprise. Looking up, he saw the visage of an old man dressed like some sort of gentleman with a white button up shirt that had a brown overall over top. The man's brown eyes looked to have a few a more wrinkles around the eyes from the last time Albert saw him last, gray hair seeming a bit thinner than before. Overall, the man seem to have aged considerably in his absence. "I thought you were dead?!"

That comment combined with Jeremiah's appearance made him bite his tongue as guilt overtook him, it was a like a ball of hot lead settling in his stomach twisting and turning as though to really dig the sensation home. Before the lock down, he had avoided coming to this place because he didn't wish to implicate the man in his own problems. From what he knew, Black Mask really didn't mess around and neither did the crime lord's men. But even after the city was forced to open it's street back to the public, a lot of other things had taken a majority of his attention.

From acquiring adequate living quarters, to fixing up his new home and working. All of these had dragged him down to the point of only really socializing with the two villainesses strictly due to how close they were, and because the blonde really didn't know when to quit. Yesterday was even the first time he had spoken to Marceline, in person, in weeks.

So it wasn't strange to say his stomach churned with equal parts shame and guilt as he realized the consequences of his self imposed isolation. In the old man's eyes, he had just up and disappeared out of nowhere a few weeks before the lock down. But he hadn't called or swung by ever since receiving that note.

"Hey Jeremiah." Albert smiled tightly, struggling to keep eye contact with the suddenly relieved looking man. His thin shoulders slumping in kind as he placed down the mug he was drying. "Sorry about not visiting..or calling."

"Don't worry about it," Jeremiah waved him off, already walking over to a nearby machine and depositing some of that divine nectar that seem to draw in all kinds of weirdos," It's just good to see you safe. When you just disappeared, I just assumed you were busy with something..but when the lock down came and went..I'll admit to jumping to the worst kind of conclusions. But now that you're here, take this cup of coffee and catch me up on your adventures."

He didn't see a reason why not and leaned against the counter to begin his tale, telling him nearly everything of his journey. Purposefully cutting out parts that were either deemed to worrying like being threatened by a crime boss, to temporarily living with two super villains and even completely skipping over his direct witness of 'The Neighborhood Massacre' for obvious reasons.

The old man didn't say anything and just listened to the teen's stories, his eyes steady pools of brown as he sipped at the freshly made cup of coffee. Either completely forgetting that mug was meant for his guess or not caring.

"….But to make a long story short, I finally got a place to call my own." Albert story was beginning to wind down as he got to the most recent events. "It's a shop like this with a living space on the second floor. It's not much but it's better than leaking money staying at motels. Remember how I said I wanted to open a private investigation agency? It's all up and running now...just waiting for clients to really cement everything. I'm calling it, The Seeking Eye Agency."

Jeremiah was silent for a moment as the teen finished up, swirling a cup of coffee in thought," You had quite the adventure. While I'm sure there's some things missing, it is still something else entirely. It's nice to see a someone make something of themselves without turning to crime you know? I was a bit worried that you might've taken that exact same path as every downtrodden youth in this city. You have no idea the amount of joy it fills me with to finally have someone else who went through that..bureaucratic hell. It was a lot worse when I was first starting out, we didn't have these fancy computers back then and instead we had to write everything down in hand. And we could only send out letters, waiting weeks at a time for a response before finding out we filled out the wrong form."

'Really, what about me makes it seem like I'm some future criminal?' Albert didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry, this would be the third person within the last day that had implied that he was some sort of hoodlum or miscreant. 'They had to have coordinated that, there's no other way.'

"..Oh yeah, just a heads up, that red head princess has been asking about you."

Those words dragged him back into the conversation fast enough to almost cause him whiplash, the description already enough for him to know exact who the old man was talking about.

"What did she want?" Despite receiving aid from Barbara on the night of the massacre, he had been actively avoiding her calls and even refrained from opening any messages. It wasn't like he was ungrateful or anything...that was a bold face lie. In hindsight, their 'aid' hadn't really done anything to help the situation. Killer Croc was already down for the count due to Poison Ivy's ministrations, leaving only the police with the job to restrain and carry him off back to Blackgate.

And speaking of the poison mistress, he didn't think it would do him any good if anyone from the Bat Family found out who he spent his free time with. Less they try to prematurely label him as a villain by association. He didn't doubt there were clues to exactly who was there that night but that didn't mean he would be willing to provide them with anything concrete.

"Nothing much," Jeremiah shrugged," Normal stuff, like if I had seen you or knew when you would be back. Stuff like that. If you're trying to avoid her then, I should warn you that she usually comes around this time. You can slip out the back just in case you accidentally bump into her."

"Thanks," Albert let out a breathe of relief, already coming around to the other side of the counter," I do have to meet up with Marceline in a few, just wanted to stop by and check up on you."

"No problem," The coffee shop owner pushed the back door open for him, and let out a sudden grin," Oh yeah, while you're back there could do an old man a favor? There's a few trash bags that are simply too heavy for my old bones to handle, could you take them out on your way out?"

He knew that grin all too well and when he stepped into the backroom, his suspicions were well founded. There were a total of six, over-sized bags filled to the brim with coffee grounds, paper cups, spoons and other disposable cutlery. Despite how jam packed each bag was, they didn't hold any overly heavy items. At least that's how it appeared. But he wouldn't be fooled by the same trick twice.

"I'm quite bu-"

But the sudden sound of the bell over the store's front door made him freeze in place, Jeremiah looked back and called," Just a minute! I'll be right out!"

"I'll get it done.."

Albert spoke in a low tone, already grabbing for a nearby back with great gusto.

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"..What happened to your arm?"

Was the first thing that came of Marceline's lips as he trudged up to the pair of girl lazily sitting on a random bus bench, breaking off their conversation in the process. The medium wore a thin graphic t-shirt with a smattering of what looked like finger paint all over its surface and a pair of jeans that looked a bit baggy on her thin frame. Her short brown hair was hidden beneath a black beanie whose tip slightly leaned off to the side.

Besides her, an athletic girl with long blonde hair hung up into a loose ponytail sat. Her piercing green eyes roamed over his figure, taking in every detail with the efficiency of a politician she was most likely trained to be. She wore a brown button up vest with a black long sleeved muscle shirt underneath, that clung to her impressive biceps that weren't there the last time he saw them, and dark jeans with a series of tears in places to make it look stylish.

"I've been had this." Albert shrugged the best he could while inside a sling, only feeling a hint of pain that quickly subsided. "I got a dislocated shoulder a few weeks ago and the doctors said I should be wearing it constantly. But as you can see, I've gotten lazy with it."

It was the reason why he had been late to their meeting. Apparently slinging over-sized bags into a dumpster was too much for his recovering shoulder and it had taken him an extra ten-minutes to fast walk back to his place to pick up the sling to wear for the rest of the day. Hoping that would be enough to calm the slight burning he felt from the limb.

"You're going to have to go back to the doctors then." Angeline spoke up for the first time, eyes running along the sling with a slight frown on her face. "They'll have to check it over again to make sure it heals correctly. Else you'll deal with a creaky shoulder for the rest of your life."

"I'll go after we get this done." His low stats were already enough of a handicap for him, he didn't need something else to make things difficult for him. Losing motion in his dominate arm wouldn't be something he could afford.

"You might not have to." Marceline said, deepening her voice to make it sound 'mysterious'. "We'll just have to see how things work out."

"Don't mind her," The blonde rolled her eyes," She's been like this all morning."

"Can you really blame me?" She pouted, crossing her arms in tandem. "I'm just excited about introducing you guys to a whole new world that you had no idea about! Let me have this."

"What do we need to do?" He asked, the area they found themselves in didn't seem 'magical' in the slightest. They sat under a bus stop with a faded blue covering over-top, a map of the local bus schedule was on each of the glassed walls. No matter how he looked, nothing there screamed 'magic' in the slightest. "Is there a special bus we need to get on? Like is it a bus number that doesn't exist to the public?"

"And you must have some kind of special magic card to see or get on it?" Angeline joined in on the fantasy, both of their eyes sparkling as they descended deeper into their own imagination.

"What if it's not a real bus, but a magical dragon we all fly on?"

"Or if we get owls accepting us into a magical academy?"

"Brooms? I never really liked that mode of travel...but maybe it wouldn't be so bad?"

"What if there's a giant library just filled with spell-books and grimoires? And what if we stubble across some ancient tome that just seems ordinary only for it be extraordinary?"

"Sorry for this," Marceline did not seem sorry in the slightest," But you're both wrong...on all counts. There's no special bus, no card. While there are dragons, there's no way they would use such resources so frivolously. Especially not on us. Magical Academies do exist but once again, there's no way any of us are getting accepted. And yes, they do have a library...just not filled with any actual magical contents. Grimoires and spell books are both things The Seven keeps on a pretty tight leash."

"Oh." That single, two letter word was enough to showcase the completely trodden dream that once filled Albert's heart. He had declined going to Gotham's most prestigious boarding school but there was no way he would decline going to a magical academy. There were plenty of people back on his Earth that would've killed for such an opportunity. Most of which were adults.

"Then why are we at a bus stop?" Angeline despite having her hope smashed into small pieces, still sounded somewhat excited. "Do we need to get on the bus out of town?"

"We're only here because it's the only place with some shade."

"Oh."

Both newly ignited youths said in unison, their voice monotone and listless. Like the medium had just kicked their puppies or kittens to death.

"We're actually already here," Marceline pointed across the street at a nondescript building with wide windows that gave anyone and everyone a clear open view into what's going on inside. Just looking at the tall counters and people standing in line was enough to trigger a sense of dread to sizzle down his spine. He really didn't want to spend all day in monotonous hell," But don't worry about the line thought."

"Is it an illusion?" The blonde asked hopefully, as though she wanted at least this little bit of magic to real and not be yet another let down. "You know, to keep the… 'normies'? Out?"

"First of all, no. I mean we have an appointment so we won't have to wait in that awful line. Take it from personal experience, you only need to wait in that line once before you always set up appointments. And second of all, please don't call...non-magical humans 'normies'. A lot of people consider it a slur..especially since in the grand scheme of things, Ignited are often lumped together with mundane humans."

"I will explain everything once we're inside, this branch won't be too awful since most of the staff here are also Ignited. But either way, please be on your best behavior. You really, really don't want to accidentally piss off a Magus."

And with that, they followed behind the much shorter girl as she lead them across the street and through the glass doors. The scent of cool paper and ink filled Albert's nose as she took a closer look at the interior. Everyone there just looked like normal everyday people, most of which all looked as drained and annoyed as anyone else would be over waiting in line at some government building. The employees didn't look any better, most of them had heavy bags over their eyes and nearly slumped across the counter as their victims tearfully wrote on documents after documents. Just looking at the depressing sight was enough for the energy he had accumulate to leave his body in a steady stream.

'Thank you Marcy for sparing us this torture…'

If things were this bad after he just walked in, just imaging what it would be having to wait in line was almost enough for him to turn around right then and there. Instead of getting in line, the medium only scanned a card she whipped out of her small purse on a nearby reader before taking a seat out of the way. The two newly Ignited looked at each-other before taking up a seat on either side of her.

The building was quiet, besides the occasional scuffing out shoes on the rough carpet or the low muttering of people just dragging themselves out of the mire to speak to one another. He wasn't sure exactly how long it too but in one blink they were waiting like anyone else and in the next, a single voice broke the silence that drained everyone out of their joy and life.

"Appointment twenty-three please come to room two. I repeat, appointment number twenty-three please make your way to room two."

The woman who let out the call said it in an incredibly drawl way, monotone like she was some kind of robot in desperate need of charging. Just hearing it was enough for even more of his energy to be sapped out of him from a trickle to a thick stream. And honestly, he would've ignore it if it wasn't for a series of thin fingers stabbing themselves into his side.

"That's us." Marceline stood with the blonde in tow, who also didn't look the best either. "Let's go."

Standing up with a groan, Albert followed behind the pair like an obedient duckling. Trying his best to ignore the series of looks plastered on the faces he briefly glanced at. Some of them looked annoyed, other seemed resigned but the majority had this pleading expression on their faces. Like they he expected him to throw them a rope to drag them out of this field of despair. The most heartbreaking were the workers, they were the ones that almost made him stop and do exactly that. Just sling them over his shoulder and leave this hell hole with reckless abandon.

'Sorry little ones..' He turned away from their misery with an aching feeling in his heart. Whatever hooks this place had them was much to deep, that even when leaving this place at the end of the day they would still wake up earlier tomorrow morning and come right back here no matter what he did.

He was grateful when they turned a corner and came across a long empty hallway. Rooms lined both sides of the hall, even numbers on one side while odd numbers were on the other. And given their room number, it didn't take long for them to funnel into their appointment room and close the door behind them.

Before them sat another woman behind a large desk, she had a series of bookcases on both sides of the room, a few filing cabinets and windows with closed blinders behind her. The woman in question wore a navy three piece, business suit that looked tailored to her frame. Dark brown hair tied up into a tight bun and she wore a pair of thin spectacles that enlarged her black eyes to comical proportions.

But instead of the monotone voice he had expected, she let out a small tired smile and greeted them.

"Hello, my name is Joanna Glover. I don't mind if you call me Ms. Glover...but please do not call me ma'am. It is very nice to meet you all."

"Thank Ms. Glover for meeting with us."

Marceline nodded and slid into the long seat before the desk, following by the blonde and soon after Albert.

"It is of no great favor." Joanna smiled at the medium and then her eyes shifted over to the pair of silent teens. "Are these our two new Ignited?"

"Yes Ms. Glover. My name is Angeline Gramercy. I must apologize for my rudeness...all this has just been a bit too much...And honestly things haven't been exactly as I imagined."

"That is understandable." She nodded her head, a small grin plastered across her exhausted face. "It happened to me too. I had all these grand expectations after learning about the magical world….but reality is often rather disappointing. But what about you Mr..?"

"Oh sorry, I'm Albert Nelson."

"Well Albert and Angeline, I'll tell you why your here. Marceline here should've given you a general idea but I'm here to go into greater detail. Just behind the scenes, there is an entire world of science and natural laws not known to the general population. Magic is a general catch all terms for all things strange and mystical. There are a variety of creatures, items and places that oozes the stuff naturally. But for humans, that isn't the case. While all humans do have the potential to tap into 'magic', not everyone is so lucky. So we split humanity up into three groups. First we have Mundane Humans, whose magical potential hasn't been stirred. This is the largest group for obvious reasons. Next we have those humans whose potential has been nudged along due to magical interference, those people are called Ignited. Which means that their Sparks have been completely activated. That is where you are now."

"While these Sparks are great, it doesn't mean you have enough potential to actually use spells. Usually, your potential is relegated to related rituals which are like spells but they don't use your small reserve of energy. Or Mana. Instead they use ambient Mana or the released energy from ingredients to power it. And this energy can then be channeled by chanting and hand gestures to better direct the ritual. Really anything can be a Spark. Like Marceline's Psychopomp abilities, or my Dowsing capabilities. Before you ask, Ignited are completely different from...uh Meta-Humans?"

"Meta-Humans, as defined by Star Labs, tend to have an innate ability that usually draws on some form of natural law, no matter how obscure, while Ignited draws on arcane laws and rules. But personally, I wouldn't be surprise if we're dragged under that umbrella in the coming years."

"But what about the last group?" Albert couldn't blame the blonde for asking. He had a general idea but didn't want to tip his hand at exactly how much he actually knows.

"The last group…." Joanna paused and looked off wistfully into the distance," The last group were called in ancient times Wizards, Sorcerers, Mages, Magus… But in more modern times, we call them Homo-Magi or just Magi. The truly blessed individuals that were simply born with the ability to use magic. They can actually use spells without relying heavily on rituals to supplement their stores. They can fly, blast out balls of fire, call down rain...and really just warp reality to their whims."

"If they can do all that, what's the use of Ignited?"

He asked, feeling a bit jealous of those lucky few. Sure he could eventually get strong enough to use spells but they came at their own risks and costs. Most of which being his own sanity. Just remembering how powerful Zatara was for a Lord of Order to want him as host so badly that he had to essentially blackmail him to do so, was enough for a swell of envy to burn in his chest.

'Why couldn't I have just been born as a Homo-Magic instead?'

"While they do have a lot of power and versatility," Instead of being insulted by his words, Joanna only looked on like she had seen a fellow comrade in arms," That does come at price. Most Sparks manifest as either defensive or supplementary abilities, and because of our restrictions we focus heavily on just one thin aspect of magic. Some of which might require a Magi to dig deeper into the more darker arts to accomplish the same feat. Let's take Marceline's Psychopomp Spark, she can see and even guide spirits to their afterlives. That isn't something a Magi can do easily. And even then, it's more forceful that what she does. And let's take my situation as an example, my Dowsing allows me to find things or people no matter how far away they might be. Sure it might only give me a general direction, but usually such spells takes a Magi a vast amount of resources to do the exact same thing."

"Think of Ignited as super specialized magic users that excel in their field and suck everywhere else."

When she put it like that, Albert could see the advantages Sparks has over Magi. And it also tracked pretty well with his own memories. For instance, there was a this one scene when Bruce was traveling around the world to learn from all these different types of masters and he came across Giovanni Zatara who taught him all he needed to know to an escape artist. And from his deductions the man had found out about the magical world, and wished to be taught the mystical arts. The master magician then refused and instead offered to teach him a single type of magic that took his memories as fuel to speak to the dead.

But from what he could tell, Marceline didn't need to sacrifice anything as precious as that to do the exact same thing. And more if her words could be believed.

"I think I understand." Albert said finally after a few moments of contemplation, he even felt a little bit silly over being so envious of the Magi. It wasn't like they didn't have to worry about their own issues after all. "What do we need to do next?"