Just as Jim was about to speak up to decline, Constantine started to signal him insistently. Having been a barkeep for so many years, Jim was certainly good at reading the room. He quickly shut his mouth, nodded in agreement, and started to make his way out from behind the counter to lead the way.
Shiller, very satisfied, nodded and acknowledged his agreement. The group left through the back door of the Forgotten Bar, headed for the Magic World of Maya.
In an alley off of the Gotham Streets, Bruce and Zatanna were leaning against a wall on opposite sides, eyeing a wall at the end of the alleyway. Zatanna sighed, "This won't work. All entrances and exits must have a consistent medium, not disparate ones, otherwise they won't be stable."
"But I hope the entrances and exits can be evenly distributed around Gotham City, to facilitate movement between the surface world and the inner world," Bruce replied.
Zatanna furrowed her brows. Her knowledge in the arcane arts was not very extensive, but thanks to her special talents, magic was like an instinct to her, leading to some surprising insights.
Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Ah!", then looked at Bruce with a dawning realization: "The Gotham River!"
Zatanna turned on her heel, leading Bruce out of the alley and toward Gotham River. "The medium must be connected, yet extend through all of Gotham," she said. "Gotham River is the perfect entrance and exit point. By applying magic to a certain section of the river, transforming it into an entry and exit point to the inner world, you can enter the inner world quickly from any part of Gotham."
The more Zatanna spoke, the clearer her idea became. Paying no regard to Bruce following behind her. She picked up her pace and began speaking faster.
"Perhaps it's possible to create transfer points that aren't fixed in one place. Water is a remarkable substance. It provides necessary nourishment for humans and was our sanctuary before we were born. It represents both the source of life and a bridge between worlds. If magic were applied to the waters of the Gotham River, perhaps it could serve as a key."
"Water from the Gotham River, transformed through magic, could become a moving entrance. Just by drinking the water, you could enter the inner world."
By now, the duo had arrived at the bank of Gotham River. Zatanna leaned against the railing on the edge, looking at the water while thinking aloud, "Gotham's darkness naturally permeates its water veins, connected to the darkness of Gotham city and its people."
"The folks of Gotham have long been accustomed to an imperceptible dark element in their drinking water. They wouldn't experience any adverse effects from drinking this water. If Gotham River water becomes the key, then only the people of Gotham would be able to use it. Anyone else drinking this water would be inviting their own demise. That would essentially serve as a key encryption."
"If we blend it with different magical ingredients, we may be able to designate sections of Gotham River water to connect to specific areas in the inner world. We wouldn't need to establish a singular transfer point, nor have to travel great distances to reach our destination."
"But what about students from out of town?" asked Bruce.
"If they intend to study here long-term, they'll eventually be touched by the darkness as well," Zatanna shook her head saying, "A year is more than enough."
Zatanna added a few more practical suggestions sporadically. In the end, she turned to Bruce with a question, "I still don't understand exactly why, if you want to build a magic school, why go to such lengths to create an inner world for an entire city?"
Bruce curled his lips in a hesitant manner. Just as Zatanna was about to change the topic, Bruce said, "There are too many problems in Gotham's rebuilding process. These aren't issues that can be solved just by planning it out on paper."
"At least half of the cost of the Gotham Renovation Project is spent on trial and error. Wayne Enterprises can no longer afford to bear such horrific expenses." Bruce sighed, but still brought up, "There are hiccups in the ongoing 'Phase Seven' of the project, which conflict with the original design. However, by the time we realized it, it was too late."
"They built over a dozen residences in areas that the soil survey results indicated were not suitable for residential construction. Because of the tight schedule, the quality of the foundations was not thoroughly checked. It wasn't until they were finished that it was discovered they did not pass inspection. Now they all have to be demolished and rebuilt."
"More terrible than the wasted investment is the fact that the residents, who had packed up and were ready to move into their new homes, can't understand why it is that everyone else can move in on time, but they can't. In regions that haven't yet been rebuilt, rumors and criticisms have started to spread."
"So, you need something like a testing ground to rehearse for the Gotham Rebuilding Project in advance?"
"It's more than that." Bruce donned a helpless expression as he said, "You have no idea the amount of destruction those little devils currently residing in Wayne Manor can unleash! Have you heard of the Bag Gang?"
"Bag... what?" asked a surprised Zatanna.
"They've fabricated a gangster family, called Neway（Wayne spelled backward), and have been stirring up all kinds of trouble in Gotham under various aliases, breaking the power structure of the Twelve Families who have ruled Gotham for so long - they want to make the Wayne Family the thirteenth family."
Zatanna was speechless as Bruce continued, "Their fake cultural events fooled enough people to provide them with real funds, which could allow Barbara to rescue the situation. But if they continue to fight for Gotham, I wouldn't know how to explain to Falcone that I'm not attempting to become the Godfather."
Zatanna hesitated before asking, "Half of them are from another universe, right? Why not try to send them back?"
"The problem now is that they're developing feelings for each other at an alarmingly fast pace. I can't separate them. If I let The Flash take them all back, then the other universe, which has already passed its gangster era, will see the rise of the largest gangster family," said Bruce.
Bruce leaned against the railing at the Gotham River and said, "Right now, all I can do is instruct Alfred to watch over them and make sure they do not leave Wayne Manor. Once I've constructed the Mirror City, they can go unleash their full capabilities there."
"Like father, like son," Zatanna remarked, but then she seemed unsure, "But because of that, are you sure you can keep them contained?"
Bruce immediately lifted his wrist to check his watch, and said to Zatanna, "You have a point. Please send me back to the manor. I need to make sure they're dutifully in their rooms doing their homework."
However, when Zatanna and Bruce stepped out of the portal, they were met with an empty lobby. All the Robins, who should have been there, had vanished without a trace.