Falling into Gotham (Dick Grayson Fan Fiction)

Chapter 17

The ride from Gotham to Metropolis is about four hours, but we also stopped by the Tower to pick up a change of clothes and my magic teacher, Zatanna. I decided to stay in the car while Dick and Donna went inside. I couldn't handle seeing everybody's faces yet. I was still ashamed that I got them hurt. And even though I'd never admit this, I didn't want to see that little teenage gremlin Damian. I'd never seen anyone look that mad before—it scared me.

They came back not too long after with four duffle bags and Zatanna behind them. Dick tossed the bags into the trunk of his car while the girls hopped inside. Zatanna sat next to me in the back and engulfed me in a warm hug.

"I felt like you needed that," she explained as she let go. The back of my eyes started burning as I fought back tears.

"I did, thank you," I said to her.

"No problem, Angela. Now onto business," she stated. "While we're on the drive to Metropolis, we will be trying to harness some more of your magic. I can actually feel a lot more in you than last time. I guess Mxy was right when he said over time you'd get more."

"You want to practice in the car?" I asked, shocked. Dick got back into the car and we started our drive.

"Where else can we practice? You're about to meet another fifth-dimensional imp. We need all the magic we can get in case things go south."

I couldn't argue with that logic. "Okay, fine. Let's practice."

"Great!" She smiled.

"Please don't break anything in my car. I love this thing," Dick pleaded.

"Keep your eyes on the road, pretty boy," Zatanna snarked back. Donna snickered and Dick shot her a look.

"What?" Donna asked. "That was funny."

Zatanna turned her attention back to me. "Angela, your dad's magic is different from usual magic. So, we're going to try a new method. Instead of you trying to work with your magic like I have to, you should try just commanding it to do what you want."

"Command it?" I echoed, unsure.

"Yes, like giving it direct orders. Let's start with something simple. Try commanding your magic to conjure up a chocolate bar."

I furrowed my brow. "A chocolate bar? Alright, I'll try."

Closing my eyes, I focused hard. "I want a chocolate bar," I said out loud. Nothing happened. I tried again, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on me. "I want a chocolate bar." Still nothing.

I started to get frustrated. "This isn't working," I grumbled.

"Take a deep breath," Zatanna instructed. "Try saying it with conviction in your mind."

I closed my eyes again, took a deep breath, and thought firmly, I want a chocolate bar, now!

Suddenly, there was a pop, and a chocolate bar appeared in my hand. My eyes flew open, and I looked at the chocolate bar in disbelief.

"It worked!" I exclaimed.

"Great job, Angela!" Donna cheered.

"That's amazing!" Dick added, glancing at me in the rearview mirror with a grin.

"Oh my God! This is so cool." I ripped open the chocolate bar and took a bite. It was as sweet as I wanted it to be. It was like my magic copied exactly what I was thinking into my hand.

"Keep going, practice makes perfect!" Zatanna exclaimed. So that's what I did—I kept practicing. I couldn't do a lot of things, like conjure up a credit card with no limit (one day, I'll get my money!), but I could make small things appear. Like a bag of chips, a tube of lip gloss, some sunglasses, things like that.

Zatanna theorized that the bigger theoretical weight the object I tried to get was, the harder it would be for me to obtain it. Which is why, even though a credit card would be small, it still holds a lot of weight.

I tried to test that theory by trying to conjure up Bruce Wayne's debit card, and she was right. I couldn't do it.

"What is your obsession with cards all of a sudden?" Dick asked as my third attempt at grabbing his adopted father's money didn't work.

"I have no money here, Dick. I would be homeless if I never ran into y'all," I explained. Plus, I just really love money.

"I don't blame you. I would feel more secure in your shoes if I had a couple thousand," Donna said.

I snorted, "A couple thousand? More like a couple hundred thousand." I laughed at my stupid little joke while Zatanna rolled her eyes and gestured for me to keep practicing. I closed my eyes and tried to conjure up a bag of chips. It worked. When I opened my eyes, there in my hand were the chips.

"Try to do it with your eyes open, Angela. Closed eyes in the middle of a fight will get you killed," Zatanna instructed.

"That's gonna have to wait," Dick said. "We're here."

My eyes widened in shock when I looked out the window. I didn't even notice we had made it to Metropolis. The streets were bright and clean, the buildings were tall and modern. It was a huge contrast to Gotham's dark and gothic architecture. We pulled into a parking spot across the street from The Daily Planet. As we shuffled out of Dick's car, I looked over at the newspaper building and saw a tall gentleman with a friendly smile and big, square-shaped glasses.

No way, it's Clark Kent! I knew we were coming to meet him, but man, this is surreal.

We made our way over to him. He smiled brightly down at all of us and engulfed Dick and Donna in bone-crushing hugs.

"Aw man, I haven't seen y'all in a long time. You two sure have grown!" Clark exclaimed in his little southern twang. He let those two go, but the massive grin stayed plastered on his face.

"Thanks, Clark. Missed you too, buddy," Donna said with a laugh. Dick nodded in agreement. "This is Angela. She's the love child of Mxy."

"That's a crazy way to put it," I mumbled under my breath. "Hi, Mr. Kent, I'm Angela Brown."

"Call me Clark," he said with a smile. We shook hands and then he finally turned towards Zatanna. They started shadowboxing, and then she put him in a headlock and ruffled his hair.

"Uncle, Uncle!" Clark laughed. She let him go and playfully punched his chest. "Alright then, let's head inside. Ms. Gsptlsnz likes to hang out around the copier room pretending to be an assistant. She has a little crush on Jimmy, so when he comes in to print his pictures, she just sits there and observes him. Oh, also, she's going by Gizbie right now, to blend in."

"That name will not help her blend in," Zatanna joked.

"It's worked so far." He laughed. Wow, this guy loves to smile and laugh.

We followed Clark into The Daily Planet building. The hustle and bustle of the newsroom were chaotic but fascinating. Reporters were rushing to meet deadlines, phones were ringing off the hook, and the smell of fresh coffee filled the air. Clark led us to a quieter corner of the room, where a woman with long, flowing auburn hair and an air of elegance was typing away at a computer.

"Hi, Gizbie," Clark smiled down at the woman.

"Hello, Clark," she said, her voice smooth and sultry. She was like the complete opposite of my supposed father. She was tall and gorgeous. Mxy is short and resembles a gnome. "How can I help you?"

"These are my friends, and they need some help."

"And why do you think I could help them?" she asked, exasperated, still typing on her computer. Clark grabbed my arm softly and pulled me in front of him.

"Gizbie, look up and look at her," he said with a soft smile. She sighed and finally let her eyes leave the computer. She looked up at me and immediately stood up.

"How old are you?" she asked me. Her anger was palpable and it made me want to take a step back. Her once blue eyes were now red with fury.

"Um, 21," I mumbled.

"I'm going to kill him."