As night deepened over Gotham, Axel slept soundly, curled around Selina.
Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne in the lab had been awake for nearly forty hours, eyes bloodshot as he combed every database for anything linking Axel to the mysterious woman. Alfred, far from Bruce but equally exhausted, worked on integrating the city's entire surveillance grid for him. By now Alfred believed he needed just one more night to complete a workable prototype.
Even as the righteous toiled, villains didn't sleep either.
True to form, Oswald Cobblepot sent men out into the streets overnight, recruiting nearly three hundred desperate homeless people. Victor, fresh out of surgery and with his arm finally reattached, was the first one at the office the next morning — even if Axel had already left without him. Unbothered by that betrayal, Victor rounded up his loyal crew and strapped self‑destruct devices to each of them. Once they confirmed the enemy had crossed into the mythological stage, the madness in Victor and his gang fully surfaced.
Gotham never feared the strong and bullied the weak — it was rotten in every corner. That rot birthed a hysteria that feared no god. Since they couldn't defeat Wonder Woman face‑to‑face and had been forced to confess under the Lasso of Truth, Victor and his band of lunatics decided they'd give her shock through death. In Victor's view, if mortal men couldn't terrify gods with a swift, decisive death, then at least they could make the gods laugh at their ugly lives.
Which Gothamite wasn't a Joker?
While the night readied itself for chaos, Diana packed her things and boarded a plane bound for New York.
Three hours later, Diana exited the airport and merged with the crowd, flagging down a taxi.
"To the Forgotten Bar," she told the driver.
"Sure thing, miss."
Within minutes, she reached the bar's entrance.
The moment Diana stepped out, several patrons turned to stare. One man who had been entering the bar backed out instead, unsettled at the sight of her. Nearby, the doorkeeper, a woman leaning against the wall and smoking, immediately snuffed out her cigarette when she saw Diana. She picked up her walkie‑talkie and called in.
"Is everything okay inside?" she asked.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," came a voice full of applause and laughter.
The doorkeeper replied, "I'm fine, but we have an interesting guest."
She stepped back and nodded toward Diana.
Diana smiled faintly and asked, "Is there a Zatara magic show tonight? If not, I'll leave. You all seem wary of me."
"It's not wariness. It's trouble," the doorkeeper explained as she gestured for Diana to enter. "We've seen someone with an Amazonian presence before. So don't worry, but you need to understand — this isn't a place for conflict. The last person with that aura caused serious losses. And after her death, her soul didn't return to her homeland. You'd be wise not to become the next one."
"Oh?"
Diana's brow tightened. She stepped forward.
"Is she already dead?"
She pressed the doorkeeper against the wall, voice cold.
Intimidated by Diana's presence, the woman swallowed and gently shook her head.
"Not… not yet."
"Oh, that's good," Diana said with a short laugh. "Even if they were just a few scattered Amazons, they're still my people. Knowing she's alive means we won't have to fight today."
With that, Diana walked into the Forgotten Bar.
Despite its reputation as the mystic world's largest stronghold, the truth was that anything so openly displayed couldn't be that important. The place drew novice mystics and ordinary mortals alike, all mingling in the shadows of magic.
Inside, Diana's gaze lingered on a poster for the Zatara Magic Circus on the corridor wall. One look made her stop in confusion. The name was correct, but the promotional image featured a woman rather than the magician she remembered. Had the circus changed its lead performer?
Diana moved past the cautious crowd and confidently sat in the booth closest to the stage.
Almost immediately, a bold man approached her, opening his coat like a salesman.
"Limited edition demon's blood, straight from a high‑level Archduke demon! You and I are meant to meet, only three million dollars, how about it?"
"I think you look more like three million dollars worth of trash," Diana said, unimpressed.
She turned and waved at a bartender. The peddler, ignored, raised a middle finger before moving on to his next mark.
In every circle with a threshold, there were con artists and half‑baked wannabes. In the mystic world, the tricksters were just more dangerous.
The bartender brought Diana's drink, and she paid no further attention to anyone else, quietly waiting for Zatara's performance.
Forty minutes later, a stand‑up comedian finished, and it was time for the magic show.
Diana watched the stage with anticipation, but when the act began, she felt a flicker of disappointment.
A young woman entered, wearing high heels, fishnet stockings, a white corset, and a magician's top hat. The crowd cheered loudly, chanting "Zat‑ta‑na" like a favorite celebrity.
But Diana's eyes narrowed in confusion. She recognized the girl — she had seen her when she was just a child, barely able to speak. Diana had expected to see the legendary master of magic, not a grown‑up version of someone she remembered as a kid.
As the performance wrapped, before the girl could bow, Diana stood and spoke.
"Do you remember me, Zatanna? I am Diana of Themyscira. Sixteen years ago I saw your father perform, and we worked together. He helped me solve a major problem."
Diana reached out her hand. Zatanna paused, wary, but eventually approached and took Diana's hand gently.
"Are you a friend of my father's?" Zatanna asked softly.
"I believe we are friends," Diana replied. "I once invited him to dinner by the Aegean Sea where there was piano music, and he also helped me with several difficult curses."
She squeezed Zatanna's hand warmly.
"We haven't seen each other for sixteen years. You've grown so much. But where is your father? Is he backstage enjoying your performance? Your magic is wonderful, Zatanna. I haven't seen a show this interesting in a long time. That said, I have important business with your father. Can you take me to him?"
Diana smiled, but for some reason Zatanna's expression darkened.
After a tense moment, Zatanna inhaled and nodded.
"Follow me."
Zatanna released Diana's hand and led her backstage, greeting other members of the circus along the way. Finally, they reached Zatanna's magic cabin.
The moment Diana stepped inside, Zatanna spoke softly.
"Space Bind!"
Almost instantly, an unseen force lifted Diana and bound her upside down in mid‑air before Zatanna.