Batman felt sick as he fell to ground, catching himself. His senses were overwhelmed. The air in his environment was very coarse and rough and he couldn't get any of his senses to work like they usually did. His eyes were difficult to keep open, he couldn't smell anything, and it was difficult to feel grounded in of his senses.
"Take it easy, Bruce. Non-magic users aren't meant to be in the Tower Of Fate", Bruce heard Jason Blood say.
Bruce got back to his feet, feeling the ground wobble as he did. He kept his eyes open with a determination and that would impress Green Lantern, surveying the room. Once surveyed, he sees Jason Blood, Doctor Fate, and John Constantine. At seeing the chain-smoking dirty blonde-haired man, Bruce felt his body tense. He had never had a very high opinion of John Constantine.
Bruce's eyes dart to the right, seeing Zatanna lying unconscious on a table. Bruce immediately rushed over to her, feeling his cape weigh heavier in the odd air pressure of the tower. As he got to her, Bruce saw that her skin looked pale. Very pale. He tightened his fists roughly.
"What happened to her?", Bruce asked, not taking his eyes off the black-haired woman.
"Klarion", Constantine began, "Put our girl under a bloody nasty spell."
Bruce takes his eyes of Zatanna to turn around, "Her breathing is erratic, and her fists are clenched. What did he do to her?"
Doctor Fate walked up closer to him, "It's a simple spell, but quite unbreakable. Miss Zatara has been put into a trance of her own worst nightmare. She can't escape it because she's doing to herself. It will continue until the…pressure causes her heart to wear itself out."
And she dies, was the unspoken end of that sentence. Bruce felt a chill go up his spine. He wanted nothing more than to help her. Save her. But he knew nothing about the world of magic and sorcery. Which led him to an interesting question…why was he here?
"I'm assuming I have some part to play in the plan to save her?", Bruce says.
"You are the plan", Jason Blood says, his voice sounding very quiet.
Bruce looked at all of them, waiting for the follow-up answer. It took a bit, but Constantine finally spoke up.
"We need someone to go in there and bring her back. Someone with a bloody special connection to her. That's you, mate."
Batman stares at the trench-coat wearing man, "Don't you have a connection with her Constantine?"
As much as it pained him to admit, Bruce knew Constantine had a deep connection with Zatanna. From the outside looking in, the two had shared an off-and-on relationship for the better part of ten years. Despite how lowly Bruce thought of the trench coat wearing man, he couldn't deny that he must be important to Zatanna.
"I don't love her, mate. Never have", Constantine said.
Bruce felt confused. Is that what this was? The spell could only be broken by the person's true love? Bruce felt his hands tighten when he thought of the other reveal of Constantine's statement. "I don't love her", Constantine had said. Bruce felt a wave of anger wash over him.
"Then why have you-"
Constantine laughs, "Have you seen her, mate? Those fishnets sure do get the blood ru-"
Bruce didn't let him finish, launching a punch at the man in front of him and causing the blonde-haired smoker to fall to the ground, unconscious. Maybe that was a bit reckless, but Bruce really didn't care at the moment.
Constantine just implied that he only saw Zatanna as an object. A pretty thing. That made Bruce's blood boil. To think that a man who viewed her that way had…actually kissed her…kissed his….Zatanna. It was a very rage-inducing thought for the black-haired vigilante.
"Well, I guess that answers that question", Jason Blood said with a laugh.
Bruce gave Blood a questioning glare beckoning the man to explain. Blood nodded, "Constantine was correct in saying that she needed someone with a deep connection to her. Truthfully, she needs someone who...", Blood trails off.
"Loves her", Dr. Fate said, leid, leaving no doubt in what Jason Blood was implying.
Bruce looked at the two men, his annoyance growing. What was this? Some kind of Disney fairytale?
"I understand your skepticism, but this spell and it's solution, are both very real. Klarion likely cast this spell with theory that Zatanna didn't have someone like you", Fate says.
"So, by the nature of my feelings for her, I will be able to save her?", Bruce said, not wasting any time denying the assumptions of the two men in front of him.
Fate shook his head, "No. The love you two share will simply allow you to get into her corrupted mind and afford you a chance to break her out of the spell. If you fail however, your life will be lost alongside hers."
Batman nodded walking over to Zatanna and gently clasping her hand in his. Her dainty hand was shaking fiercly and the sweat in her face and hair was constant. Bruce lightly trailed his thumb across her hand.
"How do I get in there?", he asks, still not taking his eyes off her.
"Grip her hand tightly and close your eyes", Doctor Fate said.
Bruce did, trying to focus but Jason Blood's voice distracted him.
"Bruce", he began, "The spell will affect you as well. You are going to face with not only her nightmare, but likely yours as well. Can you handle that?"
Bruce tightened his grasp on her hand. Facing his trauma in a nightmare scenario was not ideal, especially for a man who seemingly was unable to deal with that trauma in way that didn't involve beating criminals to a pulp. But this was for Zatanna and for her, Bruce could muster the strength to beat whatever nightmare was thrown at him.
"Yes", Bruce said, his voice sounding determined.
"Then, close your eyes", Blood said.
So, Bruce did. He felt himself felt himself get progressively more tired until the conscious left his body completely and he slipped in a slumber.