(Soundtrack I listened to while writing this chapter was the Tron Legacy soundtrack, which creates a nice build up.)
Klarion reclined in midair, staring at Zatanna as she slept in the overly large bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets. She had used up most of her energy healing herself, and when he took control of her memories, she used the rest trying to resist. He had seen how she stared at Robin, lovingly and tender. He wanted to rip that away and have it for himself. He hid all enjoyable memories with that bird boy deep in back of her mind, and filled her brain with fabricated memories of a relationship with himself instead.
"Teekl, I finally won." He stroked the cat gently, smirking as he remembered the look of despair on Robins face. He had beaten those annoying brats easily, even if Robin had caused him to bleed for the first time in years. He touched his nose. Even though it was healed, he was annoyed. No one made him bleed.
Zatanna shot awake suddenly, screaming and holding her head. Her double set of memories were clashing against each other as her mind had started to heal itself in her sleep.
"Where am I?" She screamed gripping her head furiously. Klarion ran over, grabbing her and restraining her as she tried to lash out. "What's.. What's happening to me? What have you done!"
"Calm down Zatanna," He placed a hand on her head, diving into her memories again, pushing back her true ones. The effect was automatic as she sank into his arms. "I have you my sweet, you're safe." He stroked her cheek affectionately.
"I… sorry Klarion, I don't know what happened," she shook her head, everything was a little jumbled. She couldn't fully remember what she had seen, some guy, with combed back hair and a uniform? It didn't make any sense to her.
"You hurt your head in our latest encounter with those super brats!" He kissed her cheek, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I healed you up, don't worry. We'll make them pay next time." Zatanna shrugged out of his embrace and looked around the apartment she was in. She knew it well, but it felt like her first time here. She walked over to the window and stared out the full length windows at Central Park. She remembered moving in here with Klarion, they'd had a big argument over...something, but she knew she wanted to overlook the park.
"Thank you, but I'd rather heal my own injuries," She walked towards the bathroom, "I'm going to have a shower, might help clear my head a bit." She smiled before closing the door. She reached to her right for a towel and paused. The towels should be on the right. Again an image of another room played in her mind for a moment. She shook it off, stripped, and got into the shower. She closed her eyes and let the water pour over her. After a while she waved a hand at her shampoo's and body cleaning supplies. They hovered in the air around her, this simple basic magic didn't even require Zatanna to use a focus with a spell.
"naelC em pu,"
Klarion tapped at the door lightly "Zatanna, are you okay? I have to go do some work. You need to stay in the apartment until I get back" the door opened and his jaw dropped. The Lord of Chaos felt his cheeks flood with colour at the sight of Zatanna with a tiny towel wrapped around her, drops of water from her hair hitting her legs and running all the way down to her ankle.
"Why can't I leave," She walked over to him, pushing him against the wall, smiling. He put his arms around her, and kissed her quickly. "As much as I would love to stay right now, the Light are calling." She dropped her towel and grinned as colour filled his entire face, "Ack I have to, just stay here!" He turned abruptly jumping through a portal. Zatanna shrugged, tossing the towel back into the bathroom.
"yrD em," She stared at the open wardrobe in thought, "emit ot yrt eht wen sserd." With a swirl of smoke around her, the dress was no longer on the hanger but on Zatanna. It was a dark blue dress, stopping just above her knees. The memory of a pair of blue eyes popped into her head but faded just as quickly as she stared at herself in the mirror. Something wasn't right. There was a nagging sensation in the back of her mind.
"Dick, you have to stop this," Bruce stood at the door to the training room. Dick had spent almost every minute of his time since the attack in the cave training. He had barely said a single word to anyone, hardly acknowledged they were there. Bruce had to ring his school and say he was ill and didn't know when he would be back. They agreed to send school work to the house.
"Dick, get down here this minute!" Bruce shouted at him. He was doing one handed vertical push-ups and practicing his balance. He jumped, flipping in the air and landed beside Bruce. He stared at Bruce.
"It's time for you to start training Tim, he's past all your preliminary tests. I'll help with his training.. " he picked up a towel wiping the back of his neck.
"You've already decided then?" Bruce looked at Dick and sighed. He'd been training him since he was 9, and here he was, nearly 17. He was ready to start making a move on his own, ready to grow up and become his own hero.
"Nightwing... I figure one more year as Robin. I'll be finished high school then," He turned, drying his hands in powder. "Have you found her yet."
"No.. We're following every lead," Bruce sat down, recalling the conversation he had with Doctor Fate earlier that day. They had managed to find some surveillance footage of the attack in the cave, and with the recording from the emergency communication line, they had discovered the spell Klarion cast on Zatanna.
"I know that body language. You found something. What is it Bruce?" Dick's temper took control for a moment, "Please... tell me."
"Klarion is playing with her mind. Literally. He's adjusting her memories or corrupting them. We can't be sure, but it may or may not be permanent." He handed Dick the book he had with him. It had Zatanna's handwriting scrawled across any available space on the pages, in some parts, another's handwriting. He assumed it was her fathers. The page on 'Mind Manipulation' was open, with several words underlined and highlighted.
'While it is known that a person's memories can be suppressed, altered and manipulated, it is also known that, given enough time and altering, the effects of tampering with someone's memories can cause permanent damage. Suppressed memories may clash with the magical barriers or conflict with altered beliefs. Removing the subject's original memories is the only way to prevent damage and retain control '
There was a side note, to his relief, in Zatanna's writing.
-Remember the truth 'gnirB kcab tahw saw neddih'-
"She blocked her memory before, " Bruce pointed to the handwritten spell, "and made a spell to counter it. There might be hope yet."
"We helped you get the girl, now you must help us. Enough of your games Klarion!"
Klarion glared at the other members of The Light. They hadn't even given him a full day with his new toy before ruining his fun.
"I know what I need to do! I'll be ready when the time comes, but for now, I'm going to go practice my puppetry." He turned, stepping through a portal leaving behind the squabbling members of the Light.
"Who cares Teekl, none of them know how to have a good time like us right!" he appeared back in the apartment he had taken for himself and Zatanna. She was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, staring at a half-eaten sandwich on her plate.
"If you don't plan on eating that I'm sure Teekl would love it," He levitated the sandwich from the plate, flinging it to the cat. She glared at him in a playful manor as he turned her stool around so she faced him. "Now, where were we earlier?" He picked her up, one arm around her waist, the other working up her neck to her hair.
"Why don't you remind me," She grinned. He pulled her head back lightly by her hair, slowly kissing his way up her neck. She wrapped her legs around him, giggling, and began unbuttoning his shirt. His lips found hers and in moments the kiss grew from gentle caressing of lips to a wild clash of tongues. She coiled her arms under his shirt, her hands running up his back, gripping tightly as he levitated them up, landing her on her back on the counter.
"Not so rough Dick," She mumbled, breaking the kiss for a second. He put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her down and pulled away from her.
"What did you say?" He stared at her, noticing the confusion on her face.
"I said not so rough, the landing on the counter wasn't exactly gentle Klarion!" She smiled and tried to pull him back down towards her, but to no avail. He pushed down on her shoulders more, digging his nails into her flesh. A sadistic smile spread across his face as she gasped at the slight pain.
"Maybe I want to be rough," He was annoyed now, she had called him Dick, which he could only assume was the bird boys real name. He let go of her shoulder, snaking one hand under her back to arch it, and started kissing her again, only this time it grew more heated. His other hand moved down her side, over her hip, down her thigh until the end of her dress, then started moving up under her dress. He ran his nails lightly down her thigh. Zatanna tried push his hand away, turning her head to break the kiss.
"Klarion what are you doing, stop!" she pushed him off her, and sat up, fixing her dress. She looked at her thigh where some small scratches were starting to show, and her shoulders which had small red marks from his nails. A sharp sudden pain shot through her head, followed by the memory of thighs and legs scratched and bleeding, broken bones and an aching face. She jumped from the counter, dashing past him to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. She was fine apart from the mild scratch marks.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Klarion was leaning against the door frame, staring at her with suspicion. Her eyes were wide and she was gently prodding the skin above her lip.
'This can't be, is she remembering already?' He moved to her quickly, putting one hand to her forehead, trying to come across as soothing. "I'm sorry for being so rough, are you okay now?" She slapped his hand away, sensing his magic at work and stormed past him.
"Why don't you tell me what's going on Klarion? Why do you keep trying to get into my mind!" another shooting pain in her head caused her to stumble, sending her crashing into the wall.
'Remember the Truth' Her own voice echoed in her head.
'I would really love if you'd be my girlfriend' Another voice, a male voice. It was too gentle to be Klarion. She shook her head, pushing Klarion away as he tried to help her.
"What have you done to me? You said you healed some injury, tell me what you did!" She turned on him, and as she thrust her hand forward, Klarion was pushed backwards, toppling over his own feet and fell to the floor. Both their eyes grew wide in shock. She hadn't cast a spell. In pure anger of wanting the truth and not letting him touch her head, she had used her magic without a spell. He stood slowly, hands held out defensively before him.
"Zatanna.. my sweet, please, you have to calm down. Let's go sit down and talk about what's happening," He disappeared, reappearing on a sofa in the living area. She grabbed the sides of her head, falling to her knees as more painful images flashed through her mind.
There was the boy with dark hair and the uniform, with the blue eyes she had seen in the mirror. His voice rang around her head. 'You're so beautiful,' she could see his cheeks blush, hear his laugh, see his smile.
"Who are you?" she screamed, sending a surge of magic out, knocking back the approaching Klarion.
'I'm glad you came Zee,' 'I miss you' She saw his wink, heard his cheeky laugh 'You're too cruel Zee!'
Her eyes shot open as she felt herself fly back through the air, crashing through the wall and landing in broken rubble on the ground. Klarion was furious, stepping through the hole in the wall.
"What do I have to do to make you forget HIM!" He waved a hand and her body jerked itself upright. He started laughing, moving his hands and fingers as if he were a puppeteer. Zatanna felt her body move out of her control.
"KLARION WHAT ARE YO-" Klarion made the motion of 'zipping' his mouth shut, and as he did, Zatanna's mouth clamped shut. More images streamed through her head, this time of Klarion. She saw his face distorted, his anger, she remembered him attacking her, the spell he cast to make her kiss him becoming clear in her mind for the first time. Tears flowed from her eyes with the pain of conflicting memories.
Free falling from buildings in Gotham with Robin.
Dancing with Klarion somewhere in a ballroom in Europe for their third date.
The boy with the blue eyes, laughing as he carried her up some stairs, brushing her hair lightly from her face.
Lying on the roof with Klarion as he shaped clouds with his magic to say he loved her.
Dick's tender kiss, gently brushing her lips, the tear that rolled from his eye as she spoke about seeing his parents.
'DICK!' she cried out inside her head, remembering him, remembering everything. The only problem was she still remembered her time with Klarion. She knew her memories of Klarion were false, but the feelings they created were real.
"Clearly changing your memory won't work." He moved his hands again causing her body to move awkwardly towards the door, "Let's go bird hunting."
