A/N: I own nothing you recognize.
So, still a little late. But sooner rather than later, right?
Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.
Gotham City
Thursday, November 4, 2010
2133 EDT
"Naomi?" Bruce asked once he picked up the phone. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she assured. "I was just calling to request tomorrow off."
"Oh, right," Bruce said, nodding on his end of the line. "It's David's birthday tomorrow, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Naomi said. "We're going out for dinner."
"Of course," he said. "I'll let the Team know you're taking a personal day."
Naomi couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I don't care what you tell them, Bruce, honestly," she laughed. "Just as long as they know I'm not going to be there."
"Got it," Bruce chuckled. "I'll see you when I see you."
"Bye, Bruce."
Gotham City
Friday, November 5, 2010
1948 EDT
Naomi's head was buried in her menu. "Agh, I can't decide!" she exclaimed with a little laugh. "James, what are you..."
She trailed off when she glanced up and realized she was utterly alone in the restaurant. "James?" she called out timidly. "Lisa? David?"
When she got no response, her heartbeat began to thunder in her chest.
Stay calm, she chanted to herself as she shakily pulled out her phone to call Bruce. It's okay. You're okay. Everyone is... She cut herself off when Bruce's line went straight to voicemail.
His phone is never dead, Naomi thought to herself. Okay, she breathed. Just try Bird Brain. She found his contact and dialed. As it rang, she jumped up from her seat and dashed out of the restaurant.
Outside was chaos.
Cars were littered in the street, most of them in some kind of accident. Naomi could hear kids wailing in the backseats, and several more were sobbing in the middle of the sidewalks.
Okay, she panted. This is a disaster. heavy on the 'dis.'
"Lily?"
"Dick!" Naomi all but cheered. "Slava Domnului! Ce naiba se intampla?!" she gasped, unconsciously switching to Romanian.
"Calmează-te," Dick soothed. "I take it you mean the missing adults?"
"Yes!" Naomi exclaimed. "The restaurant is empty and the street...is a nightmare."
"Get to the Cave," Dick said. "We're all here."
"Okay," Naomi said. "Give me five minutes." She glanced down at her nice dress. "I get the feeling I'll have to change.
Lily arrived at the Cave in her standard civilian outfit with her standard bag slung across her chest.
"What happened?" she demanded as Kaldur appeared in the mission room.
"We were in the hanger with Batman, Red Tornado, and Zatara," Kaldur said, "when they suddenly disappeared. From what Robin tells us, the same thing is happening in Gotham?" Lily could only nod.
"We need to get organized," Kaldur instructed, going into leader mode as he addressed the rest of the Team. "We need to get in contact with anyone we can and have them patrol their cities and make sure everyone is taken care of." The Team nodded. "Robin, stay here. You will tell us where we are needed most. The rest of us will start nearby and move out."
"What about me?" Zatanna asked.
"Do what you think is best," Aqualad said and he and the rest of the Team moved to the zeta-tubes.
"I'll stay here then," she said with a smile at Robin.
When Lily appeared on the other side of the zeta, she called Morgan. The red-head had been invited to David's birthday dinner, but she had passed on it, saying there were a few things she had to finish getting straightened out.
"Naomi!" Morgan exclaimed in relief when she picked up. "I was so scared you had disappeared too!"
"Where are you?" Lily asked.
"At your house," she said. "I was watching the news when the anchor disappeared!"
"Yeah, that sound about right," Lily muttered. Then, to Morgan, "The adults around the world have disappeared. I want you to make sure the house is locked up, and then if you could do me a huge favor by rounding up the younger kids and taking them to Gotham Academy. I think some kids might already be there," she added, thinking about Dick's friend Barbara.
"Okay," Morgan nodded. "I hope I see you soon."
"Me too," Lily said quietly. "Stay safe."
Happy Harbor
Friday, November 5, 2010
2019 EDT
"We've set up a refugee center at the high school gym," Wally said over the comm-unit. "Any luck with–-"
"No," Robin cut off. "Can't raise the Batcave, the Hall of Justice, or the Watch..." He trailed off as a thought dawned on him. "Or any adult hero, even Red Arrow."
"He turned eighteen?" Lily asked immediately.
"Must have," Robin sighed.
"Guess we're on our own," Wally said. "Kid Flash out."
Lily clicked her earpiece and continued her search of the block. She had already found five minors, three of them under ten. She had directed the two teenagers to take the younger ones to the high school before moving on.
Realizing she had finished the street, Lily moved across the way to the corner store. She heard a scuffle in the back and Lily cautiously approached the alley. When she peaked around the corner, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
"Alex?" she gaped, watching as the teen in question stood off against two other teenagers.
"One moment," he said. He raised his right hand, which was clenched in a fist, and two green arms reached out to pick up the two teens and move them on their way.
"Who the hell are you?" Lily demanded.
"Ana, right?" Alex said, a bright smile on his lips as he approached Lily.
"Lily," she said uncertainly.
Alex chuckled. "Of course you wouldn't give me your real name," he said lightly.
"And again I ask: who the hell are you?" Lily exclaimed loudly.
"I'm Guy Gardner's protégé."
"I'm sorry," Lily said, shaking her head and holding up a hand. "What?!"
"Look, is there somewhere we can talk?" Alex asked, suddenly serious.
"I have a job to do," Lily said shortly.
"Well then, let me call you."
"If you want to talk, talk to Gardner and then have him talk to Batman and then we can figure it out."
"Fine," Alex sighed. "But I will see you soon."
"Yeah, sure," Lily said distractedly. She turned and sprinted away, ignoring Alex as he called out, "See you, beautiful!"
As Lily approached the school, she heard, "Aqualad to Lilith," in her ear. "We are doing a video cast, and we would like you to translate. Head back to the Cave ASAP."
"Roger," Lily said. She sprinted the rest of the way to the zeta before appearing in the mission room.
She stepped out as Robin was setting up the connection, and he, Aqualad, and Kid Flash were dressed in their uniforms.
"Just in time," Aqualad said when he spotted her. He tilted his head at her frazzled state and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, fine," Lily said breathlessly, not looking at him or anyone else. She busied herself with the camera set up before pointing it at Aqualad.
Once they were finished and Lily had sent off the last video, she changed and quickly came back. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Would you care to go home?" Aqualad asked her softly.
Lilith glanced up at him. "I know what I'd find," she sighed. "I don't think I could take it if I saw it with my own eyes."
Aqualad nodded. "Understood." He hesitated before putting his arms around Lilith's shoulders. She tensed at first but then relaxed slightly into his embrace.
"What's this for?" she asked, though she wrapped her arms around his chest.
"You looked like you could use some comfort," Aqualad said softly.
Lilith didn't respond for a moment. Finally, she whispered, almost inaudible, "I'm scared."
"Me too," Aqualad whispered back.
"Maybe you should try Atlantis," Lilith suggested, finally pulling away. "The spell might have skipped over them."
"Good idea," Aqualad said. "I will be right back."
Lilith sighed and looked around. "Where's Zatanna?" she asked Robin.
"Preparing a locator spell," he said. "Like the one Zatara used on the Injustice League."
Lilith bit her lip. "If we believe magic is involved, do you think..." She trailed off when she caught Kid Flash's eyes and he gave a grim nod.
"Who among us could wear it?" Lilith asked lowly, falling in step with Kid Flash as he made his way to his souvenir room.
"We both know there's only one person who could truly make the connection with Nabu," Kid Flash said. Lilith nodded.
The Helmet of Fate sat level to Lilith's eyes and she reached out to touch the cold metal.
"I finally got through to Atlantis," Aqualad informed, coming up behind them. "No adults there either."
"So...just how desperate are we?" Kid Flash asked softly, turning to Aqualad.
"It could definitely come in handy," Lilith said slowly, not taking her eyes off it and deliberately not saying its name; an ominous feeling came to her whenever she looked into the empty eyes.
"Yes, but we know anyone who dons the Helmet and allows Nabu to possess him may never be released from being Doctor Fate," Aqualad reminded them.
"So...not that desperate," Kid Flash summarized.
"Not yet," Aqualad said.
"Guys?" Lilith turned and found Zatanna standing in the doorway. "I-I'm ready to try my father's locator spell."
The four headed back to the mission room and Robin pulled up a holographic globe. Zatanna stepped forward and chanted, "Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!"
"Coordinates locked," Robin informed. "Roanoke Island," he identified. "You did it," he added to Zatanna.
"Roanoke...that's not far from here," Lilith said. "It shouldn't take long to–-"
She was cut off when a voice exclaimed, "It works!" Lilith gasped and whirled around to find a young boy, maybe ten, with dark hairs and blue eyes.
"Where did you come from?" Aqualad asked immediately, stepping forward. "Who are you?"
Instead of answering directly, the boy said, "Quick, read my mind!"
Miss Martian's eyes glowed green and then she gasped. "He's Captain Marvel!" she said, her eyes wide.
"Right, and I'm Speedy Gonzalez," Kid Flash said sarcastically. "Look, just because he believes he's Cap–-"
Kid Flash was cut off when the boy said, "Gee, Wally, do I really need to bring you nachos and pineapple juice to get on your good side?"
"Oh," Kid Flash said dumbly. "That's Captain Marvel."
"I knew it!" Lilith exclaimed. Everyone turned to her in confusion and she cleared her throat. "Uh, just that Captain Marvel always seemed awfully child-like."
The boy, who introduced himself as Billy Batson, quickly told them what he had discovered: there were two universes, one for adults and one for kids. Since Billy and Captain Marvel were one and the same, he was able to travel between the two dimensions.
Back and forth, Billy went to the two worlds, Batman and Aqualad conversing through him. Finally, a plan was set.
Roanoke Island
Saturday, November 6, 2010
0034 EDT
Lilith, Robin, and Artemis stood in the open, facing Klarion's exposed back. Simultaneously, they fired at him: Lilith her stunners, Artemis her arrows, and Robin his exploding disks. Klarion easily put up a shield and the projectiles fell uselessly to the ground.
"That's the best you can do?" he taunted in his annoying voice, his eyes narrowing. He raised his hand in their direction and a red arc of electricity shot toward them. Lilith jumped out of the way and the ground exploded at her feet.
She heard Superboy, Kid Flash, and Aqualad grunt, and she figured their direct attack hadn't worked. Somewhere, Zatanna exclaimed, "Etativel mih ffo eht margatnep!" The dust settled and Lilith saw a dent appear in the shield Klarion had conjured, though it quickly fixed itself.
Klarion huffed. "Huh," he sniffed. "Baby magic." He recited a spell of his own and Lilith watched as Zatanna was thrown back with a yelp.
Lilith scrambled to her feet and saw Miss Martian flying above Klarion, hurling rocks at his protective shield. He opened his mouth and breathed out...something purple. Lilith ducked behind a tree and began firing stunning pellets, hoping to break through the shield with enough electricity.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted an arrow soaring toward the cat Lilith had seen in Salem, which sat outside the range of Klarion's shield. Before the arrow reached its target, Klarion raised his hand and turned the arrow into a ball of yarn, which rolled to a stop in front of the cat.
Klarion cackled. "Show them what the familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekl," he said. The cat, Teekl, began to grow and lose interest in the yarn. It growled, and Superboy ran forward but was easily swatted away by the familiar.
"Lilith, can you talk to that thing?" Robin called somewhere behind her.
She shook her head. "It's not an actual cat," she explained. "Whatever it is, it's not an animal I can understand."
Lilith quickly changed course and started shooting at Teekl, but the pellets didn't seem to affect the thing at all.
Within his protective shell, Klarion grunted. "So," he said as Lilith turned around, "you teamed up with the grownups. Teamwork is so overrated."
He raised his hand, and in the center of the bubble, a pale yellow crystal crackled with electricity. Blue arms reached out toward the Team.
"Oh no," Lilith growled to herself, weaving between the arcs. "Not getting shocked again."
Behind her, she heard Artemis and Robin exclaim as they were hit with the electricity. Aqualad managed to hold his arc at bay, and Kid Flash was thrown back.
"Tehleh fo Etaf, laever flesruoy!"
Lilith whipped around in time to see the Helmet of Fate appear in front of Zatanna. "No!" Lilith yelled, turning her back to Klarion and taking a step toward Zatanna.
Zatanna snapped her gaze up and found Lilith reaching out to her. Behind her, an arc of blue electricity streaked her way. "Lilith, behind you!" Zatanna warned.
Lilith turned around in time to see the blue streak hit her chest before all went black.
When her eyes fluttered open, she saw Aqualad kneeling beside her.
"How do you feel?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.
"Like I was fried," she groaned. She glanced down at Aqualad's hands, which were still on her upper arms, and she gave him a small smile.
"Did we win?" she heard Robin ask.
"At a cost," Aqualad responded grimly beside Lilith, turning away from her. She glanced up and saw a Doctor Fate with long dark hair.
"Oh no," she whispered.
"Fate!" Zatara yelled angrily at the Lord of Order. "Great Nabu," he corrected, "release my daughter."
There was a pause.
"No," Doctor Fate finally growled, glaring down at Zatara. "Witness the havoc wrought in these hours. The world needs Doctor Fate," he declared, "and the girl's natural affinity for the mystic arts makes her the perfect candidate."
Lilith shivered involuntarily. Hearing Zatanna's voice with Doctor Fate's was eerie, especially when she spoke about herself.
"You can't do that!" Artemis yelled.
"She has a life of her own!" Robin added.
"Kent would never allow you–-" Kid Flash started.
"Kent Nelson did object, strenuously," Doctor Fate sighed. "So I released his spirit to the afterlife. He is gone."
Everyone, Team and League, glanced at each other, a feeling of loss settling over them.
"Take me instead." Lilith's eyes snapped up to Zatara, who sounded small and defeated as he said it. "My skills are already at their peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strain of your power."
"All true," Doctor Fate agreed. "But if I remove the Helmet, what guarantee have I that you will don it?" he inquired.
"My word," Zatara said softly. He spoke a few words, which seemed to be enough for Doctor Fate. He lowered himself to stand in front of Zatara, and Zatanna appeared before them once again.
"Dad!" she exclaimed happily, unaware of what had just taken place.
"Zatanna," he said, wrapping his arms around his only child. "Remember," he said softly once they had pulled apart, "I love you." He kissed her forehead and took the Helmet from her hands.
He turned to the others. "Take care of my girl," he said, and to Lilith, it sounded like a plea, which she supposed was logical: he would never get to see her again.
"You have my word," Batman said solemnly.
Zatara nodded and lifted the Helmet above his head.
"No, please!" Zatanna yelled, realizing what her father was doing. "This was my fault!" Robin stepped forward to comfort her, but she threw off his arms as Zatara lowered the Helmet of Fate over his eyes. "Dad, don't!" she pleaded. "Dad!"
Doctor Fate opened his eyes and turned away from Zatanna. "Leave these to Fate," he said, gesturing to the sorcerers Batman had bound together. They rose in the air and disappeared in a flash of golden light.
Zatanna fell to her knees in shock, staring at the spot her father had stood for the last time. Robin kneels beside her, and Artemis and Kid Flash rushed to her side.
Lilith bowed her head from her place beside Aqualad. She didn't know what it was like to lose a father; she had never known hers. But she understood the despair of realizing you were all alone without a parent to guide you.
For a long time, they all stood in silence, mourning the loss of Giovani Zatara.
Naomi took a deep breath before inserting her key and turning the doorknob.
"Lisa?" she called out hesitantly. "David? James?"
"Oh!" she heard someone gasp.
A huge smile spread across Naomi's lips as she rushed forward to embrace her family.
"We were so worried," David whispered, holding Naomi close.
"We didn't know what happened!" Lisa exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Naomi.
"We tried your cell a million times," James added, completing the family hug. "It kept going straight to voicemail."
Naomi pulled back and wiped the tears that had started to fall down her cheeks. "I know I'm lucky to have you," she said, looking around at the Scotts. "And knowing that I have you makes me less angry about not having my birth family. Because I have you. And you are all I need."
Gotham City
Sunday, November 7, 2010
0900 EST
Naomi's phone rang shrilly, jolting her out of her slumber.
"Yes?" she said sleepily.
"Zatanna's moving into the Cave today," Dick said. "I was wondering if you wanted to help out."
"Yeah," Naomi said, sitting up immediately. "Give me five minutes. I'll be right there." She hung up and hurried to the bathroom to get ready.
Once she was dressed, she hurried to the shed and zeta'd to the Cave.
When she arrived, Robin was waiting for her in the mission room.
"M'gann took the Bio-Ship with Artemis to meet Zatanna at her house in New York," he informed. "They should be back any minute."
"All right," Lily said. "Let's meet them in the hanger."
No sooner had they arrived than the Bio-Ship entered. With M'gann's telekinesis and Zatanna's mustered levitation spell, Lily, Robin, and Artemis were left with the lighter boxes.
The five made the trip to Zatanna's new room several times to finish getting all the boxes.
When the last box was stacking, M'gann said softly, "And my room is right next door if you-if you need anything.
"Thanks," Zatanna said, managing a small smile. "I, uh, could use a little alone time, okay?" she said, not looking at anyone.
"Of course," Artemis said.
Robin was the last to move, and he paused in the doorway to glance back at Zatanna before he finally stepped over the threshold.
The door slid shut, and Robin and Lily walked to the zeta together.
"I feel so helpless!" Dick finally exclaimed once they appeared in the Batcave. "I want to do something!"
"She needs time," Naomi soothed. "I mean, remember how you were when you lost your family? You needed time to heal and adjust."
"Yeah..." Dick said.
"So for the time being, just make sure she doesn't feel alone," she advised. After a pause, she quirked her eyebrow. "So, you really like her, huh?"
"What?" Dick squeaked. He quickly cleared his throat. "No! What are you talking about?"
Naomi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, uh-huh. Let's see if we get some of Alfred's famous pancakes," she suggested.
"Yeah," he said, relieved at the topic change. "I could go for some of those."
"Race you there!" Naomi exclaimed, already taking off for the elevator.
"Hey!" Dick yelled after her. "No fair!"
A/N: Everyone's least favorite because of what happens to Zatara. But I hope I can turn that around, if not soon, then definitely in the future!
Also, remember to let me know what you think good screen names would be for the Team! I really wanna add a text string between them.
Translations:
Slava Domnului! Ce naiba se intampla? - Thank God! What the hell is going on/What the heck is happening?!
Calmează-te - Calm down
