Zatanna
Hell
The sound. "Wailing and gnashing of teeth" was a very accurate description for what she was hearing. There was also screaming, pleading, cursing and shrieking. She didn't open her eyes; she didn't want to see where the sounds were coming from. All she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare and find herself at home in bed. Home. I miss home. She wanted to be there now; curled up with a book and listening to Asshole purr on her feet. Instead, she was in Hell waiting for her torment to start. It wasn't the physical torture that frightened her the most. That was a known quantity. It was the idea of reliving all of her life's fears and failures that she found terrifying. Would she have to watch her father die again and again? Her mother? The innocent people in Cairo? Would the League be there judging her for her shortcomings? Hating her for not saving more people? Laughing at her for thinking she could use magic to save the world? She wondered if she would see Bruce...fucking Selina while they laughed at her childish stupidity. And would Dick be there, calling her a whore? The terror was already choking her as she continued to lie on the ground with her eyes squeezed shut. She could hear something move toward her and let out a scream as she braced herself. A large hand grasped her arm.
"Do not scream for mercy yet,
We've work to do, let's not forget"
The scream cut off at the demon's prose. Taking a breath to steady herself, she carefully opened her eyes to see Etrigan leaning over her. "You...you took me to Hell. Why did you take me to Hell? I was helping you." Her body shook, still fearing the torment to come.
"You want to help, that much is clear
I need your help and need it here."
"Do you have to talk like that?"
"No."
"Then will you stop?"
"No."
Fuck this place.
Grabbing her other arm, he quickly pulled her up and onto her feet. For the first time, she looked directly into the landscape of Hell. It made the desert look like an oasis. The ground was dried and cracking beneath their feet. There were no structures, no vegetation – just vast, empty nothingness. Except the people...the writhing, suffering people. She and Etrigan were on a mountaintop above them and all she could see was misery. When another wave of terror hit her, she stumbled backward, threw off her jacket, and sat down. "Noitatidem elcric."
"No time to rest, can you not see?
Darkness is here and running free."
"I'm not resting. I'm meditating. I'm scared as shit and meditating. Or would you rather I spend the next two hours screaming? You brought me to Hell and now I'm fucking meditating, okay?" She was talking so fast that she was almost out of breath. Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale. It wasn't working. She was too terrified to concentrate, and the sounds continued to ring through the hot, dry air. "Damn it! Why did you do this? I'm not Constantine. I don't know how to help you here."
"Constantine knows Hell, it's true,
but I need the power that's found in you."
"Oh, come on, not you, too. Why does everyone want to use me as a goddamn battery?"
"A battery, an interesting thought,
is that why you killed those creatures of rot?"
"How did you...? No. I mean, kind of, but not really. Look, those things were created by man to kill my people. They were abominations and I took them out and took back the power."
"Yes, I feel it, the power you wield,
your strength and purpose now are sealed."
Stop rhyming, stop rhyming, stop rhyming. Her head was starting to pound as the heat and noise continued to assault her from every side. Add in the meaningless, lyrical conversation and she wanted even more to just get out. "What do you even expect me to do?"
"Fight with me, this fateful hour,
show me you deserve this power."
"I don't know how to fight here. I can't even move. I'm too afraid."
"This place will prey upon your fear
your thoughts are not your friend in here,
but if you let me guide you on,
the Darkness will at last be gone."
With a shaky breath, she nodded her head. All of her insecurities were rattling around in her head and trying to paralyze her. She'd lived through years of self doubt, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy and now Hell was trying to use them to torment her further. Without meditation, she wasn't sure she could keep them under control, but she knew she had to try or she was going to lose her mind. She finally managed to get her breathing settled, picturing Bruce standing across from her and holding his hand to her chest. "With me. Just breathe with me. In and out." She wanted to be with him more than anything.
"Etrigan, can I ask you one more thing?" She paused a moment, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer. "Am I dead?"
"Not yet."
"You couldn't just say "no", huh?" He walked forward and pointed into the distance. All she could see was more horrors and desolation.
"We must go there, to meet our friends
we've far to go before this ends."
Walking through Hell with a demon bard. Livin' the dream. As they headed down the precarious face of the mountain, she tried to sense if any of her allies back on Earth were still helping. There was nothing. It didn't mean that much, but she wanted to feel something familiar. Nothing about this place was familiar, not even her escort. The further they moved along, the sounds of the damned grew to the point that she began to miss Etrigan's rhyming.
"You said we're meeting our friends. What friends?"
"The friends we meet, you've met before
the same that helped us through before."
"So, Swamp Thing, Deadman, and Spectre? Did you not want to try to rhyme those? I'm disappointed. Why are we doing the exact same thing again? It didn't work the last time."
"It's not the same, would think you'd see
after all, you're here with me."
"Yeah, I noticed." She changed her mind decided walking the rest of the way in silence was probably better, even with the ambient noise. They walked and walked for hours, passing more miserable souls and more barren wastelands. When he finally stopped, she was in such a stupor that she slammed head-first into his back. "Ow. Okay, guess we've reached the right stretch of nothing?"
"Zee? Fancy meeting you here. Oh, crap...did you die? That sucks. It's never the assholes...I mean, except for all those guys." Boston Brand floated toward her and he gestured out over the landscape of suffering.
"Damn, Boston, am I glad to see you. I'd kiss you if you were corporeal."
"Never have I wanted to be more, darlin'. Seriously, though, are you dead?"
"Not yet," she muttered, casting a glance to an uninterested Etrigan. Swamp Thing and Spectre joined them shortly after, quietly nodding at her and forming a circle.
"You're kind of glowy, Zee. What happened?"
"Killed some stuff, took some power. It's a very long story."
"We need to start," Spectre said, darkening the mood. "Why did you come here, Zatanna?"
"I heard Hell's taco Tuesdays are top notch. I didn't come here! Your demon sidekick quite literally kidnapped me and brought me here."
"Etrigan? Why did you make this choice?"
"The reason for it should be clear,
Zatanna will protect me here."
"Uh, no I won't. I was protecting you on Earth! I knew how to do that! I have no idea how to protect you here! You're acting like this was planned. None of this was planned!" She was yelling.
"Zee, you're yelling." Boston said, in case anyone had gone deaf.
"Because I'm freaking out! I'm in Hell. I want to go home, so someone needs to send me home. Alec, please. You got here, you can get both of us back." She grabbed onto Swamp Thing's giant green arm and pleaded. Her fears were getting out of control again and she didn't know how to stop them...other than get out.
"I will try to get you back," she felt a rush of relief at his words, but it was short lived. "But, we must fight first. We must end this. If you survive, I will help you."
Not what I wanted to hear, man. She stumbled back and sat on the ground, repeating her breathing exercises and trying to block out the hissing voice that was still seeking to rip her mind apart. It's not real. None of it is real.
"Alec, can you carry her?" Spectre was clearly not interested in giving a comforting pep talk. "If not, we'll leave her behind."
"Fuck you, Corrigan," she bit back, trying to will herself onto her feet. Before she could, Swamp Thing had grabbed her around the waist and lifted her until she was perched on his back. "Alec put me down. I'll walk."
"No. Enjoy the ride. It's hot." He started to move in the direction Etrigan and Spectre were leading, so she clung to his neck. Well, it is really freaking hot. She quickly decided it was best to take the free ride and continue trying to calm herself while the others did all the leg work.
Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale…
Bruce
Batcave
The request had gone out. He hated calling on people he didn't fully trust, but he didn't know where else to turn. Kent Nelson was a good man. Dr. Fate? A wildcard. He always had ulterior motives, no matter what he was doing. Nabu could take over at any moment and tilt the odds in his own favor, but Bruce needed magical help and he was the most reliable source left. As he waited for a reply, he tried to catch up on cases he had missed. There had been another murder that Gordon suspected was tied to the new serial killer. It explained why Selina had sent him a dozen "call me" text messages while he was gone. Whoever the killer was, he left no evidence on the new body, either. The only thing the cops knew was the type of shoes he wore, which narrowed the list of suspects down to approximately 150,000 dock and warehouse workers in the area. It wasn't enough to even find a starting place. They left the crime scene locked up for him so he could investigate on his next patrol, though it sounded like their investigation had been thorough. He scrolled through the pictures, noting the similarities with the other victims.
"I wasn't expecting you to request my help, Bruce." Dr. Fate appeared behind him, making him jump out of the chair in shock. "You must be desperate."
"I am. Or at least short on realistic options." He sat back down and motioned for Kent to do the same, but he crossed his arms over his chest and stayed standing.
"Are you aware of what kind of complications you have caused by leaving a Justice League member in another dimension?" Well, I guess we'll be getting off to a quick start.
"I didn't leave her there. She stayed there willingly and didn't ask for permission."
"I fought this being before. I was there the first time. She's in over her head...they all are. It chewed me up and spit me out like I was nothing."
"Is that why you went into hiding?" He knew he was pressing his luck.
"We've known each other for a while now, Bruce," he said after a very long silence. "Do you believe in fate?"
It was a very loaded question, considering who was asking. "I believe we make our own path and control our destinies."
"I did too for a long time, believe it or not. Or at least that we weren't solely subject to fate's pre-ordinance. The Darkness should have been defeated the last time. It was defeated, but it found another way. What does that say about fate?"
"Are you saying you think this being is fate asserting its will?"
"Everything comes to an end, Bruce."
With this, he stood and mirrored Kent's pose.
"Hide in your tower, then. Mankind doesn't lay down quite so easily. That's why Zatanna is there. Even John Constantine was brave enough to try." He turned and walked toward his computers again, hoping his point would get across.
"What are you asking of me?"
"Help me get her back. That's all. When she wins this fight...and she will...help me bring her home."
"She won't win."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. You'll be just as fucked as the rest of us. Promise me you'll help if she wins. What do you have to lose?" He kept his back turned, not wanting to show his desperation or vulnerability. Wish I was wearing my damn mask.
"If it's a meaningless gesture you want, fine. If Zatanna wins this, I will help you bring her back. I hope that somehow gives you hope in your last days here, Bruce." It wasn't the most uplifting of statements, but it got him what he wanted. There was nothing he could do to help Zatanna in the fight, but when she won, he now had help in getting her home...getting her back to him.
You'd better fucking win, Zee. I have a lot to yell at you about.
Constantine
London
Still can't bloody drink.
It wasn't for lack of trying. He'd tested the spell out with various drinks and drugs, and they all made him spend at least an hour vomiting. His body was getting sore from the efforts.
Alright then, Zee. Looks like you've locked me into this, too.
There weren't a lot of bridges left unburned at this point in Constantine's life. Most were in ashes. The people left that he trusted were all in Hell and most of his wit and charm lived at the bottom of a bottle. Still, he was good at talking, if nothing else. He'd need more help than the current lineup of crazies, clearly...they hadn't even put up a fight when Etrigan latched onto Zee's leg.
"Why did you need to see me?" The Phantom Stranger asked when he approached.
"Nice to see you too, Philip." They'd worked together plenty of times in the past, but John would hardly call The Stranger a friend. "You still trying to win redemption? 'Cause I might have a little project to get you some points with that deity you're trying to please."
"Whatever game you're trying to play, I'm not interested, Constantine."
"Oh, it's no game, believe me. This is as real as it gets. There's a battle going on right now in Hell that could mean life or death for us all."
"I've heard that before from you. It's the same old song and dance every time, and someone always ends up getting the raw end of the deal while you sneak away into the night. You are the fundamental opposite of everything I still exist for, so no...I won't help you damn someone else." He turned and started to walk away, but John stood and grabbed his arm.
"Interesting way of putting it, mate. That's exactly what you'll be doing if you don't help me out."
"Explain."
John sat back down on the park bench and pulled out a cigarette. "Someone's already in Hell that isn't supposed to be there."
"If they're in Hell, they are supposed to be there. You don't get to make that choice or change it."
"No, you're not gettin' it. This person isn't dead. Not yet. They were taken there."
"By who? And who is this you're speaking of?"
John took a long inhale of smoke while he decided how much truth to give up...and how much truth he even knew. "A demon took Zatanna Zatara."
"Zatanna. Why? What demon?"
"Well, I don't really know why, you'd have to ask the demon."
"There's only one demon you're known for running with and it's one you put far too much trust in."
Throwing the cigarette butt on the ground, he mashed it with his heel before taking a deep breath. Time for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...might fuckin' burst into flames.
Zatanna
Hell
There was no sun, moon, day, or night in Hell – just horrors and waste and the smell of death at every turn. For that reason, she couldn't tell how long they had been walking. She'd fallen asleep once on Alec's shoulder, but regretted it when she woke up screaming from her nightmares. There was no safe place for her mind to hide. Deadman did what he could, using his two best skills to keep her distracted: talking and flirting.
"Hang on a minute...you're dating Bruce Wayne? You'll date Bruce Wayne and John Constantine, but not me?" He whined as she caught him up (somewhat) on her life.
"You're dead, Boston."
"Semantics!"
"Physics. Get your body back and I'll rock your world."
"It's not nice to tease the dead. I'm holding you to it. You know, it says a lot about you that you're only dating these men for their bodies."
She shrugged and smiled at him. "They haven't complained yet."
"Quiet. We're getting close," Spectre grumbled at them. Squinting into the distance, Zee couldn't tell that they were any closer to anything. She began to wonder if he was just trying to get them to shut up when part of the nothingness she was squinting into shifted. Blinking, she tried to focus on the movement, but her eyes were burning more and more the longer she looked.
"Ah, shit," she said, putting her hand over her eyes, "what's happening to me?"
"You're staring at death. Stop." Spectre said in a low whisper. She quickly closed her eyes and turned her face into Swamp Thing's neck. His body was somehow still cool to the touch and it soothed the burning. Probably best not to see what's coming anyway. It didn't stop her from hearing, though. The cries and screams were twisting into something different as the terror of demons drowned out the terror of the damned. Hell was being ripped apart at the seams.
"Find a place where she can see,
the place she'll be protecting me."
"So, I'm just going to hang back and shield you?" It wasn't the most exciting gig, but she wasn't going to complain.
"Shield me through until I'm near,
I'll let you know when it is clear."
"Clear to what?" Might be time to start complaining.
"We'll all need to move in when Etrigan distracts the Darkness. I'll be taking hold of the nastiest, biggest, ugliest demon I can find...aside from Etrigan." Deadman said as Zee became more tense. "Then we go in and end this for good."
"So, you think I'm fighting. I don't know how to fight here."
"Could have fooled me," Spectre said. "I saw the news feeds of Cairo. I feel the power you took from the creatures you killed in the other dimension. You're afraid and you should be, but it's time to adapt and overcome, Zatanna. Use the power your parents gave you. Your father would fight if you had allowed him to be here. Did you take his place just to cower like a child?" He was trying to make her angry. It was working.
"You self-righteous son of a bitch. What have you ever done? You claim to be some kind of all-powerful guardian of heaven, but you failed just like the rest last time. Now you need a 'child' to come clean up the mess you've made." She squirmed her way down from Swamp Thing's back and walked up to Spectre, jabbing a finger at his chest as she spoke. "Fine. I'm here. I'll do what you couldn't and then Alec will take me home and you can go tell your boss that you saved heaven and earth like a big damn hero."
Stomping away, she headed toward...where am I headed?
"Okay, someone needs to tell me where to go first," she said, turning and stomping back toward the group.
"You know, Jim, you're lucky Zee's nice, because my money would be on her," Boston said.
Alec picked her up again, despite her annoyance, and put her on his back. "We'll fight soon, little warrior. Just be patient."
"Don't call me that," she pouted.
"Can we all be quiet now, please? I would rather have the element of surprise than run at this thing arguing with each other." Spectre turned again to Etrigan, who pointed to a hill closer to where she had seen the movement in the distance; she didn't dare look at it again. "Alec, take her up there. Zatanna, shield Etrigan so he can move closer. Alec, Boston, and I will stay and protect you until it's time for us to move."
Once they had covered the short distance to the top of the hill, Swamp Thing placed Zee back on the ground and moved away, giving her space to work. She quickly drew a small rune circle as Etrigan faded into the distance on his way to face off against Darkness itself. When the circle was completed, she sat down and tried to shut out the voices in her head. "Raelc ym dnim. Cigam pleh em ot tcetorp Nagirte sa eh sevom. Dleihs mih, edih mih, evig mih ym htgnerts."
She was banking on her protectors doing their job well, not using any of her power to shield herself. As the force of her will started to project outward, her mind finally started to emerge from the fog of terror that had been obscuring it for hours. Her confidence began to return and the power she had been storing rose to the surface. "Okay, Etrigan. I've got you now. Go save your home."
Selina
Gotham City
The same lonely man walking the same lonely street night after night. To most, it wouldn't seem like anything worth taking note of. Most weren't looking for a serial killer who happened to hunt right along this lonely road. Every night he would leave the docks and head in the direction of Gotham University. He always kept his head low – never drawing attention to himself, never deviating from his path. At the end of his journey was a lonely house on a lonely dead end street. Lots of people led lonely lives. Hell, Selina had thrived on her own lonely life. Some wallowed in self-pity, wearing loneliness like some sort of tragic burden forced upon them. Others? Others used it as a tool. Be quiet...hidden...isolated. That way no one knows what you do in the shadows. No one knows the deepest, darkest parts of your soul – that monster you hide underneath that has to feed or risk being choked off or chained by polite society.
When will you try to feed again, little monster?
As he did every night, the lonely man quietly walked into the lonely house to lead his lonely life. Boring, yes...to most. Most weren't hiding a serial killer within.