Capítulo 65: Surprise
Bats dropped me off near the right parking lot and drove somewhere west of the city. I suspect he's going to check out Leroy's suspicious housekeeper to get a lead on the owl ninjas, or try to find the little guy who escaped. Hmm, or maybe he's off to the caves to catch Jokers who are suspiciously quiet? Okay, I have my own problems, and I'm not likely to be of much help to the greatest detective, especially without proper training.
The Aston was carefully inspected for surprises before the trip home, but I found nothing suspicious. I think it's time to come up with some kind of disguise, because not only is the car too conspicuous, which makes it relatively easy to track my movements, but it can't be left in the first alleyway: without active defense systems, the locals would quickly scavenge the vehicle for souvenirs.
Hmmm... And basically, what can I do about it right now? Only buy a spare car, since the hangar with the necessary equipment hasn't been built yet. Wait, I have magic and access to one of the largest magical libraries in the world! I can already screw in runes for a complete color change, and if I get creative, I can make the color non-uniform, and try to get the illusion of volume where there is none. Of course, I can't count on a complete change of appearance, because mana expenditure will be unrealistically high, and unfortunately, I don't have my own magical source at my side. Besides, even the simplified version is not so easy to get, and I'll have to not only share my blood, as I did for Harley's bat, but also use the storage devices, so I don't have to walk around with a half-empty reserve all the time.
I solved the problem of storage devices right on the road by ordering two dozen synthetic diamonds of different colors. The yellow ones were the largest and relatively cheap because of impurities, but I wasn't sure that they would have a normal capacity and wouldn't gradually lose charge, so I took a few of them for a trial run, but the colorless ones I had in stock, realizing that I would use them anyway. According to Zee, a good diamond, because of its structure, can easily replace crystals that grow from magical sources, but artificial stones will lose out in terms of capacity, but this problem is partially solved by their quantity and availability.
I was met at the mansion by a pleased Natalie, who reported on the work that had been done. The kitchen and the central part of the mansion were finally done, but I was especially pleased with the first line of defense, which covered the entire estate. If a fake tried to get in here, he would be in for a very unpleasant surprise. I was shown two more secret passages that allowed me to go outside unnoticed. I ordered one to be bricked up and the other to be turned into a normal exit. In any case, the secret lair under construction would have several paths leading outside, and if I needed to leave the building unnoticed, I could always escape through a window.
After the report, the manager left, and I started to calculate runes for changing the color of the car and interrupted only when Harley came back tired but very satisfied, as the security system informed me by displaying the broadcast from the cameras at the gate.
"Mr. J, I have a wonderful surprise for you," the harlequin said happily, grinning ear to ear as she entered the workshop.
"Brag," I nodded graciously, deciding not to try to guess, because last time the surprise was Babs ready for sex. This time, it made sense that it would be Zee, but that outcome was too improbable even for this crazy world.
"Here!" Under my scrutinizing gaze, the blonde unloaded five familiar tubes from her pocket. - Went to Arkham. Only I think half of it's gone bad, judging by the sediment," she shook a couple of the vials, revealing flakes floating inside that hadn't been there before.
So, it looks like the liquid hypnosis is gone, but the components of the amnesiac look normal, which is not bad, considering the not the best storage conditions.
"You're a good girl," I twirled the happy girl around happily. - No one noticed you, did they?
"They shouldn't have. I've looped the cameras, I haven't met any people. By the way, you don't have to worry too much if you can't reproduce these things. Zee told me about potions with a similar effect, but you'd need specific ingredients, but I highly doubt it would work without them.
"No one is prevented from trying to restore, after all, it's better to have two ways of exposure," I said, shifting toward the bathroom to reward the faithful assistant.
***
In the morning, strangely enough, it was morning, and an early one at that. I decided to get up early to engrave on the machine the rune combinations I had calculated yesterday, but my work was again interrupted by a signal from the security system. The curious thing is that there was no direct intrusion, but the smart program noticed a figure that had been walking along the fence for ten minutes. Hmm... Judging by the gorgeous dark hair poking out from under the hat, it's a woman. It's worth checking what she's doing here.
I got dressed and walked towards the mysterious stranger, but there was no one behind the fence, although the cameras were showing the presence of a person. My heart skipped a beat, as the praised system was completely useless, and it had been hacked in just two days. Damn it, Harley could be in danger!
"Huh!" I concentrate to think through my options faster and watch in surprise as a female figure in a beige cloak appears out of thin air. - Zee?!
"Jay?" The sorceress looked up, distracted by the strange amulet she held in her hands.
"Damn, didn't recognize you dressed... Heh, well, you get the idea.
"Yeah, yeah, don't go on. What are you doing here?
"I live here. Now, same question for you.
"I came because of the magical activity the detector picked up," she showed an amulet with a large, shiny stone that glimmered with a mysterious reddish light.
"That's how it is... - I guessed something like that, considering the pace of construction, and now my thoughts were confirmed. - I'm doing a little construction here," I lowered my gaze to the ground.
"Ah," the sorceress said understandingly, tucking the amulet into her coat pocket. - Let me guess. VSO?
"Are they that famous?
"Are you kidding me?! They're the only ones you can trust to secretly build anything.
"I wouldn't be so sure since you were able to detect magical activity.
"Don't worry," the brunette waved it away, "I only succeeded because of the dragon vein, which served as a signal amplifier for the amulet. The others wouldn't be able to detect anything. Besides, the background had dropped considerably by the time I got here, and in an hour, there wouldn't be a trace of it.
"Hmm, why don't you drop in for a cup of tea?" I suggested, hoping to learn more about the world around me.
"I prefer coffee," she replied with a smile.
After assuring me that I had excellent coffee, Zatanna jumped the fence with a spell and we walked back to the mansion together.
While the refreshing drink was being prepared, I unobtrusively asked the guest about the construction company. There wasn't much information, but the level of trust in the mysterious organization became clear. It was all about the contract, an incredibly competent and without pitfalls magic contract, which completely duplicates the text version, and which can be seen only by those who have magical vision.
Strangely enough, there was very little data about the VSO itself, except that it really builds everything and likes clients who pay for its services with interesting technologies or magical knowledge. Neither where it was based, nor the names of its leadership, and what to say, even the appearance of the mysterious builders was unknown! Although the enchantress claimed that it was clearly someone from the infernal dimension, judging by the coloring of the magical background. She was even ready to say that they were some kind of devils because of their characteristic aura, but it was very wrong: not only their powers are aimed at creation, not destruction, but they don't try to harm in any way, which is contrary to their nature. Heh, hellish gastarbeiters Ravshans and Jamshuts.
"To be honest, I think it was organized by someone very powerful from another dimension, and they're obviously interested in superheroes and supervillains," the illusionist summed up her reasoning as she sipped her coffee.
"Here's how... Thanks for the interesting story.
"Good morning, Mr. J," the sleepy blonde came into the kitchen, yawning widely. - Oh, hey, Zee, what brings you by?
"Hi, found some suspicious magical activity and decided to check it out, but it turned out to be due to VSO activity.
"I see," Harley poured the rest of the invigorating drink into a clean cup and turned on the stove. - Are you going to have breakfast?
"No, thanks. I have to go home now, I want to prepare for the eclipse in advance, not do everything on the last day in rush mode.
After bidding my assistant a warm farewell and apologizing for her hasty departure, Zatanna headed for the exit, and I went to see her off.
As we walked down the path, the illusionist kept throwing strange glances at me, and as soon as we stopped at the gate, she suddenly approached.
"You started to feel different," the enchantress literally sniffed me, which looked rather disconcerting.
"Zee?
"It's strange, you smell like magic... At first I thought it was because of the magical background, but it's definitely not that..." she inhaled deeply. - Hmm, did you get a blessing by any chance?
"I sniffed my sleeve like a longtime alcoholic, catching only the scent of the strawberry shampoo Harley uses and then rubs against me, reminding me of a cat at times like this.
"You know, I noticed it yesterday, but I didn't think much of it. The Shadow Peak is saturated with magic, and I didn't have time for it..." Her cheeks flushed a little.
Oh, I think I know why.
"It couldn't be due to a dramatic increase in reserve but poor control?" I made an assumption.
"That's how... Yeah, that's a very real possibility.
I grinned mentally, heh, it was not for nothing that I sent all the skill points to the fourth beginning and continued studying illusions. Honestly, I can't wait to check my status, but it's better to be patient and then the increase will look much more impressive.
"Z.
She stood close and as soon as she lifted her head slightly, meeting my eyes, I put my arms around her and kissed her.
Softly... Pleasantly. The girl shifted a little, snuggling into my embrace. She smelled of coffee and something floral.
"Mh..." the enchantress pulled away after a moment, hiding her gaze. - I'm sorry, but I'm not ready for this kind of relationship...
I didn't want to let go of the seductive beauty, but with a Herculean effort, I unclasped my hands. Not yet.
"I understand. The question is going to sound weird and inappropriate, and the answer is probably on the surface, like, we're champions and all that, but..." I was a little embarrassed. - Harley's eyes turn multicolored during sex, as you know who does.
"Zatanna chuckled stupidly, "You know how to keep the atmosphere going... But it's weird and it shouldn't be happening, so I'll have to check on you again... Sorry..." the brunette took a step back. - I have to go.
She left the estate without looking back, and I returned to the kitchen, where I was greeted by Harley, her eyes dancing with scowls. I could guess the reason for it, given that the TV on the wall was showing the view from the camera at the gate.
"Next time you'll have to be a little more persistent," the blonde put a plate of porridge and a vase of jam on the table.
"I decided not to rush things, especially without you, it's not as interesting. By the way, what are you doing?" I asked, noticing the big pot on the stove and the battery of bottles with strange contents.
"Oh, Zee shared a really cool recipe with me yesterday and even lent me the ingredients.
I stood up, seeing some unappetizing green slurry bubbling inside.
"Uh-huh? What's this thing supposed to do?
"It's another surprise, I promise you won't be disappointed," Harley pecked my cheek, sitting down next to me and taking a bite of her food.
"Okay, - I've gotten a lot of surprises in my life, but when they're pleasant, why not?
I still had time to engrave the basic runes for the color change before I left for the studio, but I decided not to bother with the three-dimensional image. Harley wasn't idle either, and when I returned to the kitchen, she happily presented me with a pot of potion.
"It was like throwing up a unicorn... - now instead of swamp water, the liquid was colored in all the colors of the rainbow with a pretty clear separation across the spectrum.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee, I was thinking the same thing. And now," my faithful assistant suddenly plunged her head into the container, and then came up spitting.
"Fef, ugh. This stuff tastes disgusting," she said, sticking out her tongue.
"Um... And what was supposed to happen?
Harley's appearance hasn't changed a bit, which is gratifying in a way.
"I'll be right there," she closed her eyes, concentrating, and then snapped her fingers, causing her hair to turn red. - How was it?" she scrutinized the lock. - It worked!
"Wow," I stretched out in admiration. - That's an amazing disguise! How long does it last?
"For a whole week, but the cool thing is that mana is only spent on changing colors, which you can change with willpower!
Naturally, after such a demonstration, I also dipped my head and, after changing color a couple of times, left green for the interview. It's a pity that the potion won't work for Babs, as she doesn't possess magic and won't be able to create an initial impulse, but we can try to solve this issue with the help of a storage device. Ah, no, you have to have normal magic to use the drive too, since cutting yourself and using prana every time isn't too healthy. Okay, I'll address this issue with Zee a little later.
It was time to hit the road, especially since Natalie, whom we had left in charge, had arrived.
***
During the trip, as if by clockwork, Alan called and joyfully announced the start of the auction, which would last until the evening. The news was undoubtedly pleasant, because it was necessary to pay for the company's services. And in the light of the new information I didn't want to violate the magic contract, though it didn't imply any lethal sanctions, at most deprivation of the already bought real estate and all the money from the account, plus, complete cessation of cooperation in any form, which was really the worst outcome.
The channel's studio, succinctly named Gotham News, was located on the central island of Summerset, in an ordinary high-rise building decorated with gargoyles and occupying the top five floors. All I had to do at the front desk was show my driver's license and almost immediately an assistant came and took me and Harley straight to meet the "incomparable" Mary Jane Watson-if anything, the first word was written on her dressing room sign, though the place could be called a small apartment.
Inside, we were met by the host herself, who was obviously pleased with the guests. In reality, the girl looked even more beautiful than on the recordings: bright red, almost red, hair, blue eyes, neat line of scarlet lips, cute face, slender figure, freckles on her face added completeness to the beautiful image.
Honestly, she could have been compared to Babs, but that feeling was gone as soon as she smiled. The kind of anticipatory grin Ms. Vale could learn from. I sense it's going to be difficult...
My premonition was correct, and our duet was taken in a tight turn. An hour and a half later, my faithful companion and I were already sitting in the studio on a soft red sofa listening to Ms. Watson's welcome speech to the viewers. Huh, the main thing is not to say something stupid, because it's a live broadcast.
"Now, Jay, many of us have probably already read the interview conducted by that bitchy... I was going to say: gorgeous reporter Vicki Vale. But the only question on everyone's mind is, are you really the Joker? You know, you're sitting next to me right now, and by your appearance and behavior you can't say that your appearance a couple of months ago would scare grown men into wet pants.
Yep... The local news clearly doesn't care much about censorship.
"Mary, as I said in court, yes, I am him. Although, with my memory still not recovered, I'm not 100% sure. Besides, it must be borne in mind that the crimes attributed to the Joker he did not commit, as evidenced by the evidence presented to the court. I suspect someone used my unstable mental state as a screen to create a scapegoat.
"Is that so? Very curious. Do you have any idea who it could be?
"I have no idea.
"That's sad. Harley, now, question for you: what's Jay like in bed?
"Oh, he's an insatiable beast!" the harlequin clung tighter to me. - He's--
"I'm sorry to interrupt," the anchorwoman said with a concentrated voice, putting her finger on the speaker sticking out of her ear, "but someone is robbing a bank right now and needs live coverage, otherwise they'll kill a hostage every five minutes. Bring up the picture," she ordered, and then an image appeared on the big screen behind us.
"I hope this thing works now, or someone's going to get another invigorating electric shock," said a painfully familiar face with green hair, acid eyes, pale skin color, and deep scars at the corners of his mouth that looked like they were about to split and bleed, adding color to the lipstick smeared sloppily across his face to symbolize a wide smile.
"Fuck..." I whispered quietly, feeling my beloved clinging to my arm, seeking support.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder