Shadow Monarch in DC,Chapter 239: A Date With Death

Chapter 239: A Date With Death - 2

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The streets of Gotham were quieter than they had any right to be. Smoke still rose from the buildings, windows were shattered, and rubble remained piled in gutters. Yet, in the distance, life was crawling back vendors cleaning their ruined shops, some sweeping broken glass off stoops, children darting between alleys. Gotham always rebuilt itself in strange ways.

Arthur walked beside Didi through the fractured cityscape, the sound of their steps crunching over shards of glass. She was dressed in black, as always, but there was something about her today, something subtle. The cut of her clothes, the way she carried herself, the faint aura that radiated from her.

He studied her for a long moment before speaking. "For some reason, you look... different today. And I’m not talking about the clothes."

Didi tilted her head, her smile soft but knowing, as if she’d been waiting for him to say it. "I’ll take that as a compliment from the mighty Monarch of Shadows."

Arthur’s lips curled into a half-frown. "I’m not so sure if that’s actually a compliment. Sounds more like mockery dressed in pretty words."

Her laugh rang out, light and melodic, and it only deepened his scowl.

Arthur gestured around them with a sweep of his hand the cracked roads, the boarded windows, the blackened facades of half-collapsed buildings. "And tell me this..do you really want to go on a date in this hellhole? Gotham’s usually bad enough, but after what just happened? This place is practically begging for reconstruction."

Didi looked around slowly, her eyes catching on the graffiti-stained walls and the bent streetlights, as though taking it all in for the first time. Then she smiled, faint and enigmatic. "I like this city. It’s interesting. Even in its ruin. Or..." She turned her head back to him, eyes glimmering. "Do you have a place in mind?"

Arthur smirked, a sly edge to his voice. "Actually, I do."

He raised his hand, and his violet-ring glowed. The air rippled before them, folding and stretching until a portal tore itself open in the middle of the ruined street. Beyond it shimmered a different light, soft and foreign, promising anywhere but Gotham.

Arthur stepped back, lowering his hand with mock formality. "Ladies first."

Didi’s smile widened, and without hesitation she stepped through the swirling threshold, her form vanishing into the unknown.

Arthur exhaled slowly, staring at the portal’s undulating edges. His smirk faltered, replaced by something closer to unease. ’I kinda have the urge to close this damn thing and just head back home...’

And then clear as a bell, playful, her voice rang inside his head.

’Are you coming?’

Arthur’s eyes snapped wide, his breath caught in his chest. He clenched his jaw, glancing around instinctively even though he knew the voice hadn’t come from outside. "...Yeah," he muttered under his breath.

Inside, his thoughts twisted with disbelief. ’Unbelievable... she’s on the other side already and still manages to slip into my head like that.’

He let the sigh escape through his nose, shoulders straightening, and then he stepped into the portal himself, Gotham fading behind him.

****

The light was pale and golden when Arthur and Didi stepped out of the portal.

Venice stretched before them, bathed in the quiet hush of early morning. The canals reflected the sky like polished glass, broken only by the occasional ripple from a drifting gull. Gondolas, unused and tied to their moorings, rocked gently in place. Narrow alleys carried the faint scent of saltwater and stone dust, remnants of collapsed plaster clinging to the edges of old buildings.

Didi stopped for a moment, turning her face up to the cool light. She inhaled deeply, and her lips curved into something between a smile and a sigh. "Ah... Venice. Beautiful, even when the world has just brushed the edge of oblivion. Nice choice Arthur."

Arthur glanced at her sidelong, half amused, half wary. "You sound like someone on vacation."

She looked back at him with a glint of humor. "And what do you think this is, Arthur? I told you..I have the day off."

Arthur said nothing, hands slipping into his pockets. They walked down a narrow stone lane, their footsteps echoing faintly against the walls. A swirl of dust swept by, carried on a stray gust from a broken shutter above.

Didi sneezed.

Arthur blinked, slowing in his step. His eyes narrowed for just a fraction of a second, something sharp stirring in his expression. But just as quickly, he smoothed it over, choosing not to say anything. He simply looked forward again.

They reached the edge of a canal, where most gondolas sat unmoving and deserted. Only one man worked, a wiry gondolier in his mid-fifties, dark-haired and dressed simply. He was wiping down his gondola with an old rag, humming faintly to himself. When he saw them, he straightened, surprised.

"Tourists?" he said with a lilt of disbelief. "At a time like this?"

Arthur smirked faintly. "Is there a problem with that ?"

The man chuckled and nodded toward his boat. "No no it’s not like that.. I’m called Leo. If you want the canals, you’ve got the right man. Strange thing, though... you’re the first I’ve seen this morning. Usually, this place is filled with chatter and laughter. Today, empty. Everyone’s still shut away in their homes, afraid to come out after... well, after what happened all over the world."

Arthur and Didi exchanged a brief glance but climbed into the gondola. The old wood creaked beneath their weight, and Leo pushed off gently, guiding them into the quiet waterway.

Didi leaned over the edge, trailing her pale fingers along the surface. Ripples spiraled out, catching the light, and her expression softened as though she were simply another woman enjoying a morning ride.

Arthur, however, never stopped watching her out of the corner of his eye.

Her voice broke the quiet. "You said everyone else is still hiding in their homes." She tilted her head toward Leo, eyes curious. "What about you? Why are you the only one working here, when everyone else is afraid?"

Leo chuckled low in his chest, as though the question amused him. He shifted his weight, driving the oar against the water with practiced ease. "Because, signorina, for me...it doesn’t matter if it was the end of the world yesterday. I have nothing to lose and work is work. If I can live one more day, that’s enough for me."

Arthur tilted his head, intrigued. "You’re not afraid of dying? The Black Lanterns could still be out there."

Leo threw back his head and laughed, the sound echoing faintly between the walls of the canal. "Afraid? No. When death comes, it comes. Why waste the day fearing it? Better to live it. Besides..." He gave a little shrug, smiling. "Every time I sail is another memory. If this was my last ride, it wouldn’t be such a bad way to end."

Arthur and Didi exchanged looks, he studied him quietly. Then, with a faint smirk, he said, "Quite the fellow you are."

Leo smiled back at him, eyes crinkling at the edges, before resuming his humming and steering them deeper into the canal.

The city unfolded around them in shades of gold and shadow, the silence strangely beautiful. Didi continued to let her hand drift in the water, her expression unusually peaceful.

Arthur, unsettled, kept his thoughts to himself.

After a few minutes, Leo squinted at Arthur, tilting his head. "You know... you look very familiar. I think I’ve seen you.. in the news yesterday..."

Arthur leaned back lazily in his seat, his smirk faint but sharp. "I get that a lot."

Leo chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "Ah, well, my memory’s terrible anyway. Faces blur together. Names too. But I’ll tell you something..." He grinned wide. "You two, you make an impression. I didn’t think I’d have any passengers today, much less... such an interesting looking couple, sailing through this city after the sky nearly fell on us."

Arthur raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his gaze flicking to Didi.

She only smiled, her eyes glittering faintly, and neither of them corrected him.