Zatanna Zatara woke up slowly, her head hurting. She looked around to her surroundings, to see that she was in a prison of some sort. It wasn't an American prison, though. It was too dirty, and it didn't look from this time period. She lifted her head up, seeing that the floor she had been laying on was made of stone. Well, now she knows why her head won't stop ringing.
"You're awake. Good", she heard a voice say from behind her.
She recognized the voice, Bruce Wayne AKA The Batman. She turned to see him leaned against the wall in the darkness of the cell. He was still in his cape and cowl. She got to her feet, her calves screaming at her in pain. She wasn't sure why, though. She didn't remember how she had gotten here.
The last thing she remembered was returning home after a show at the Gotham Observatory. It had gone well, very well. She had a gone home early, though. It had been a long week and she just wanted to get some rest, but based on the soreness in her head and the fact that she was still wearing her fishnets and magicians outfit, she had been knocked out.
"Bruce, where are we?", she asked, walking a bit closer to him.
Bruce stared at the bars to the jail cell. She had a feeling he was likely looking for a way out or at least making himself abundantly aware of his surroundings. For as long as she had known him, his eyes had always travelled all around the environment. She had found it a bit unnerving when she was younger, but now she found it comforting.
"Nanda Parbat. Ra's Al Ghul's base of operations, As for where we are exactly...the dungeon in his large Castle", he said.
Okay, well that question answered. "I know why you are here, then. But why am I here?", She asked.
Bruce finally looked at her, but she couldn't see his actual eyes through that cowl. It made it harder to read him. His eyes were always much more expressive than his words. He was usually very tight lipped, but his eyes were always very easy to read.
"Because he wants me to be his heir", Bruce says.
Now Zatanna was even more confused. "I'm not following", she says.
Bruce closes his eyes now. "He wants me to accept his offer and become the new Ra's Al Ghul. He thinks offering Talia to me should sway me. It doesn't."
Zatanna knew that the opportunity to take Talia as a bride would probably entice any other man to accept the offer. She had only been around her once, but Talia was legitimately the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen. She was essentially literal perfection in terms of looks, but she had never seen Bruce even look at her like most men do.
And it was odd because Bruce looked at Zatanna that way. It had only happened a few times since they were in London all those years ago, but it had happened and she had definitely remembered each of those instances. Why Bruce had glanced at her like that and not Talia, Zatanna never understood.
"He assumes that of he captures you and threatens your life, I will do whatever he asks."
Zatanna let that sink in her mind. So, she was just here for some plot to get Bruce to marry Ra's Al Ghul's daughter? Well, that was certainly something. She had hoped if she had ever had an integral part to play in Bruce Wayne getting married, she would be the woman marrying him…but, she should have known better.
"And he'll ask you to marry his daughter?" Zatanna asks.
"Most likely", Bruce responds.
Bruce slides down the wall of the prison, now in a sitting position. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes still focused on the bars that kept them imprisoned.
"And will you?", Zatanna says.
"Dick should get us out of here long before it gets to that point", Bruce says.
Zatanna tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear, "That's not what I asked."
Bruce looks up at her, his eyes reaching hers. She still couldn't see his eye due to his cowl, but she could imagine the look he was giving her. It was likely that same intense look that used to make a 21-year-old Zatanna Zatara's whole face go red. And if she was being honest, it still had an affect on her even now.
"I'll do what it takes to protect you, Zee", he says.
He then looks straight ahead again. Zatanna for her part, sits down next to him. His words were sweet, but she knew he wasn't saying them to be thoughtful. He meant every word. A silence brews between them as they both stare at the bars. Yet, the magician still had one more question for her Dark Knight.
"Why threaten me, though?", she asks.
She sees Bruce's body tense up. "Because he knows", he says simply.
Zatanna understood what he was saying now. Bruce had said a lot in those few words, which wasn't absormal. Although, the fact that he wouldn't look at her was something she did find kinda cute. It reminded her of when he first confessed his feelings in London.
Zatanna layed her head on his shoulder, feeling the hard musculature of his shoulder against her head. He didn't say anything in response, but he did run his hand across her leg, which caused her to shiver. She just nuzzled her body a little bit closer to his, content in this comfortable and silent moment with the man she loved.