Chapter 96

Only a note didn't give him much information, but he knew he could get details by going to the Tower's computer.

Dio needs to heal his wounds first, and then he needs to catch up with them. The only person he talks to in this way is Vanessa.

The next thing Dio did was sit down on his bed in his room and start to treat his wounds.

The situation wasn't as bad as when he fled through the forest, so he just needed to bandage the wound on his leg that had already stopped bleeding with gauze and let his natural healing work.

Then Dio looked around for his cell phone, which was in the usual place.

Dio put it on the charger and turned it on, only to see it freeze due to the notifications of messages and calls that have been appearing.

The messages were as expected and showed concern and a bit of anger for not being answered.

So Dio called her right away.

"Where the hell were you!"

Vanessa's first word to him.

Dio had informed her that he would be away for a while, but he didn't tell her where, and since the time extended for another week, she got worried.

"I don't want to lie now, so I'll tell you everything."

Dio gave her a shortened version of what happened that left out a lot of details.

She liked hearing him talk about his missions, so she stopped talking and listened, but he could still feel her anger on the other end of the phone.

"Why did you lie to me and not tell me where you were going?"

"I don't want to leave you worried."

Dio responded honestly.

"You failed your mission, but forget it; let's talk about this face to face later."

Vanessa is coming to college in the city, and she will start in a few weeks; before that, she has to be in the dorm to arrange her things.

"So, what's new?"

Dio thought it better to accept this and change the subject.

Vanessa may not have access to the League's database, but most important events appear on TV.

It seems that the weeks have been very calm; the only event of importance is the abnormal number of disappearances in major cities.

The exact number is still being checked, but in the two weeks since the last update, more than a hundred people have vanished without a trace.

The city with the highest number of disappearances is Gotham.

"Did someone from Metropolis disappear?"

Dio asked.

"I didn't see it on the list of cities; why?"

"Nothing."

Metropolis should also have been affected if this event had been supernatural and not planned.

However, the absence of reports of disappearances suggests that there may be deeper issues happening.

"Any news at home?"

Dio asked, even though he didn't expect anything.

Vanessa didn't answer right away, which surprised him.

"Van, what happened?"

Dio asked again, and she finally spoke.

It seems that Julia got a new job at a major company in the capital that gave her full funding for her research, and Julia accepted it.

She went back to working regular hours and coming home almost every night—because she probably sleeps at work some days.

"What's the problem with that?"

Dio asked while not understanding the issue.

It's not the first time her mother has stayed at home, and they both know that this doesn't last long.

"The company also offered me an internship position and even a scholarship at the local college if I accepted."

"And you're thinking whether to accept it or not."

Dio understood everything.

The good thing about the proposal is that she wouldn't have to leave her hometown.

"I'm going to work helping my mom, Dio."

Vanessa finally said.

Vanessa hasn't tried to connect with her self-destructive mother in a very long time, but Júlia is still her mother because she's a good girl.

She is seriously considering the chance to connect with her in a way that she can understand her through work.

"Vanessa, you got a full scholarship to a good medical school, not to mention that idiot also got a spot at a nearby university, so before accepting the new job offer, you have to think about what you really want and if it's worth it."

That's the best advice Dio can give her.

"Thank you, Dio, I know, but you have to stop calling him an idiot; it's already very strange for him to be afraid of my younger brother being older than you."

Vanessa said it with a little laugh.

Dio might have been a little scared the day he met her boyfriend, and he might have used a small and simple spell to scare him when Vanessa went to the bathroom by herself just to be warned.

"What's the company that Julia is working for now?"

Dio asked out of curiosity.

"Cale Pharmaceuticals, it seems they are interested in some ancient Greek herbs that my mom can locate."

Dio didn't hear anything after the company's name.

Cale Pharmaceuticals, Veronica Cale is the CEO and also the female version of Superman's Lex Luthor.

Dio was sure that they hadn't had any problems yet in this universe, but Diana's job offer to one of her few friends was a clear sign that she was planning something.

'Does she know about me too?'

It's also a possibility, as he doubted that the internship idea came at the request of her mother.

"Dio, is there any problem?"

Vanessa asked after he stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Van, I need to tell you something. Your mom's current boss is not very trustworthy and is under investigation by the League, but she's as good at hiding her secrets as Lex Luthor; so far, we haven't found anything."

Dio told a half-truth because he couldn't tell the whole truth.

The League did look into Veronica Cale, but they didn't go too far because they didn't find anything to continue with.

He doubts that made Batman give up, but he doesn't disclose his private information unless he has to.

"Are you sure?"

Vanessa asked with a concerned tone.

"I am sure, as I'm going to call Diana now to try to get your mom to quit this job."

"Are we in danger?"

Vanessa knows the dangers of villains very well, as she grew up with Diana.

"No, Veronica Cale won't take direct action against you; she doesn't want to raise suspicions."

Dio reassured her.

That is almost certain to be true because Veronica Cale doesn't act until the time is right.

Dio was more concerned about Veronica's likely plan; from what he remembered in the comics, she had an unusual interest in conquering Themyscira.

There are some details missing from Dio's memories.

"Van, I have to hang up now; I need to catch up with the team."

"Okay, I also have to sleep, and tomorrow I'll reject the internship."

"No, leave it open until the day of your trip here."

"Why?"

"Just a precaution."

Dio didn't want Veronica to have time to try anything before then.

After exchanging a few more words, Dio hung up the call. He immediately got up and went to the elevator.

The computer floor, or Robin's personal cave remained the same, a long corridor with a daunting computer and several screens scattered around the room.

The computer was on as usual.

After entering the user and password, he looked at the mission reports.

They did a few things during these weeks while helping here and there and catching some robbers, but the current mission is what interests him.

According to the report, Kaldur'ahm was leading an investigation into the second city with the highest number of disappearances.

The dynamic duo Batman and Robin are also looking into the first Gotham because it is their territory.

Dio thought the territory they had established was kind of silly, but who was he to judge the thoughts and plans of beings who were much more powerful and older?

Before talking to them, Dio sent messages to Diana and Steve and informed them about Julia to express his concerns as simply as possible.

Then Dio grabbed a communicator from the side of the table and put it in his ear.

Dio tuned it to the team's signal in the second city and listened for a few seconds to make sure he was not interrupting anything.

"Here's Kírix, how are you guys?"

Dio said it cheerfully.

The response comes almost immediately.

"Kírix! Is that you!? You came back!!!!"

Starfire exclaimed loudly, so loud that Dio took the communicator out of his ear for a few seconds.

"Yes, Starfire, I'm back, and I'm doing very well."

"You have to tell me about your adventure; how was it? Did you fight someone strong, or are there good foods in the underworld? What was the weather like?"

Starfire bombarded him with questions.

{He can answer the questions in person, Starfire.}

Kaldur'ahm said with a gentle voice.

"True, it will be more interesting that way."

"Welcome back, man."

Kid Flash greeted him.

"I was almost unable to resist the temptation to enter your room."

Kid Flash confessed right afterward.

"You can try whenever you want, Kid, but I guarantee you'll have a very unpleasant surprise."

Dio teased him.

...

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