Batman
Gotham City

Two more weeks. Two more dead girls. Still no evidence.

I'm failing them.

He couldn't blame distractions for these two; the killer was just too good at covering his tracks. The people of Gotham were living in fear and the press was frothing at the mouth over it.

"Gotham University Killer Strikes Again"

"Death Toll Rises...Where are the Police?"

"Co-ed Slayer Operates in Batman's Backyard"

"Where is Gotham's Protector Now?"

To say he had a love/hate relationship with the press would be a misjudgment. It was 90% hate and 10% uncomfortable resentment. They wanted him to fail – success doesn't attract readers. A few young, beautiful college students being slaughtered did, though. Stories of the deaths were on the front page of every newspaper and magazine in the city. It was time to call in help. He hated doing it, but she was already buzzing around him about it, anyway. When he got to the morgue, he found Zatanna waiting for him, in costume, ready to see if she could track anything down. Gordon was chatting with her when he entered.

"We could sure use your skills on the force, Ms. Zatara. Hell, there's a lot of Justice League members we could use on the force."

"I imagine. It's a challenging city to deal with. Feel free to call me anytime, Commissioner. Batman can't be everywhere."

"Trying to replace me?" He asked as he reached them.

"Well, no offense, but she's a little easier on the eyes. More enjoyable to chat with, too."

Stop flirting with my girl, old man.

"Let's go," he said as Zatanna turned and winked at him. Gordon stayed behind as they entered the room with the latest victim. "Sorry to do this, but I keep running into a brick wall."

"I told you I wanted to help. What can you tell me about her?"

"20 years old. Taken just after sunset on Sunday night. Raped, tortured, bludgeoned, just like the others."

"How recently?" Her voice was small in the large, cold room. She cleared her throat quietly as the smell of death wafted around them.

"She was found this morning. Dead for no more than 8 hours."

"That might help. Let me see her."

"No."

She turned and gave him a confused look. "Why?"

"You don't need to see her to track the killer, do you?"

"It won't hurt. What's the problem?" He grabbed her hand when she stepped forward to remove the sheet covering the body.

"I said no, Zee," he said, pulling her back slightly. "Just track him."

"You're being overprotective," she whispered.

"You already look like you're going to vomit. Just track him."

Sighing, she pulled her hand away and held it up with the other. "Wohs em ohw dellik reh."

Light started to engulf the body and her eyes fluttered closed. Her breathing picked up slightly while she searched. When she had been quiet for several minutes, he started to get impatient.

"What do you see?"

"He's waiting for her. I'm seeing through his eyes." The words were spoken through clinched teeth, and she sounded repulsed. "I don't want to be in his head. I can't see him if I'm in his head, damn it."

"Watch for reflections. Car window or mirror. Breathe, Zatanna. You're safe."

"She's not. He's cold. Cruel. Angry. Arrogant."

"You can hear his thoughts?"

"No," she said, "not his thoughts. But I can feel his intentions. His emotions. Evom daeha." She was quiet for several more minutes before he noticed her breathing change again. "He has her. He's pulling her out of his car. Wearing a mask. Shit."

"Anything about the car? Or location?"

"The car's a four door sedan. Grayish red? I think he's colorblind. Everything looks a little dulled."

"Location?"

"Brick house. Basement."

"That's good, Zee. That helps." Gotham didn't have a lot of basements. It wasn't a lot to go on, but it was something.

"He's walking away from her. She's tied up now. Stairs. Bedroom." Her brow was furrowed as she focus on what she was seeing until, suddenly, her face went ashen and she opened her eyes. "No."

Zatanna
GCPD Morgue

His face.

"When did you say she was taken?" She could barely speak.

Not his eyes.

"Sunday night. What did you see?"

Watchtower.

"And when was she found?"

Not his smile.

"Early this morning. Zatanna, tell me what you saw."

On patrol.

Her stomach lurched as the visions faded and the smell hit her nose again. She stumbled backward a few steps before Bruce had her by the arm.

"You. Did you find her?"

"No. What did you see?"

"You. I'm gonna be sick." She backed against the wall and slid down to sit, trying to keep from vomiting all over the floor.

"You need to tell me what you saw, Zatanna!"

"I did! I saw you! He took off the mask and it was you." He stood staring at her while she tried to keep her lunch down. It wasn't him that she saw, that much was obvious. But it looked like him. And for a brief moment…

"Zatanna, you know it wasn't..."

"Of course. Something's just off with my brain. I don't know why I would see him as you."

"You asked if I found her. I didn't, but I was the first to examine her. Would that make a difference?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I need to get somewhere else before I puke. Damn it, I'm sorry I didn't help."

He took her arms and lifted her to her feet, supporting her weight so she didn't topple. "You did, actually. Colorblindness is fairly common, but basements in Gotham aren't. That and the car color might lead us in the right direction."

"Tracking off of an energy or an echo isn't best. If you find something concrete..."

Gordon walked up to them once they exited the morgue. "Find anything?"

"Nothing much, Commissioner. Sorry." She sat down on a bench and tried to regain her composure while Batman requested that patrols on campus be on the lookout for a reddish colored sedan. It sounded like so little. She had wanted to break the case for them. Bruce had been wearing himself out working on it for weeks and she could see how much it was weighing on him; he took each death personally. She would try to massage his muscles when she saw him, but he was wound so tight that it was like rubbing her hands against steel. He had upped his patrols to five a week, doubling all of the shifts in an attempt to stop the killer. Something had to give.

"Well, thanks for trying anyway, Ms. Zatara. You should get home. Looks like morgues aren't your usual hangout."

"I can think of better places to spend an evening," she said, standing and forcing a smile. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

"I'll talk to you later, Zatanna," Batman said as she walked out. That should be an interesting conversation.

She quickly transported herself home, flopping onto the bed as Asshole took up his daily complaint session about his plight in life. Screaming, he came and stood on her stomach, which was not ideal.

"Must you?" He gave her a slow blink and laid down. "If I puke on you, I'm not sorry."

Letting her mind drift, she tried to analyze what she had seen tracking the killer. Maybe I missed something. Being in the man's head was not what she had planned, but her magic had taken here there, regardless. He saw his victim as worthless...just another one on the list. His smile was forced and lifeless, just like his eyes. Dark eyes, devoid of humanity. They looked wrong set in Bruce's head. His blue eyes were filled with depth and life and emotion. She thought back on the first time she had gotten lost in them. Four weeks into their training, she had asked him who the best fighter he'd ever taken on was. He was still in the habit of ignoring or grunting his way through most of her attempts at conversation, but this one made him pause. After thinking quietly for a minute, he looked up at her with a grin on his face and a different glint in his eyes.

"Ra's Al Guhl. Martial arts master."

"Ah, so you like fighting him," she said, enjoying hearing his voice say something other than commands.

"I wouldn't go that far. But I do enjoy a challenge."

She laughed lightly. "I bet you're miserable here with me, then."

He shook his head and motioned her back to the mat. "Different kind of challenge. Come on, let's get back to it."

Something about the way his eyes had sparkled when he spoke of the challenge had warmed her heart. It was probably the moment she started falling for him, but she refused to admit it at the time. It didn't make sense to fall for him...even still, but it was too late. She couldn't imagine life without him in it now. As she thought about their first days together and the cat purred on her stomach, she started to hum. The voices in her head were there, gnawing away at her subconscious, but she'd tried to hide it when she was around Bruce - he had enough to worry about. Rather than hum around him, she would silently listen to them, letting them have their way while she put on a fake smile. He'd stopped asking about them and her trip through Hell, so the act seemed to be working.

Move on and push through...no matter the cost. Super healthy.

Batman
Gotham City

It wasn't much to go on, but he had Barbara pulling city records to find out which brick houses in Gotham City had basements. From there, she could cross check which owners also had a red sedan registered to them. Kate was covering the campus while he patrolled the outlying areas and answered any immediate calls. None of them were getting much rest. He'd missed more days at the office than he could count and the conversation in the morgue was the most he'd talked to Zatanna in two weeks; he usually just came home and crashed. Some cases are all-consuming.

"You're taking the next shift off, boss. No arguing. You're a walking zombie at this point," Kate demanded at the end of his patrol.

"That's not your call. I'm focused and I'm staying on this."

"You're right, it's not my call. It's everyone's call. You've been out-voted four to one."

"Four?"

"Me, Barb, Tim, and Alfred. So, if you're going to be mad, you'll have to be mad at us all," she argued. "We'll be on patrol while Al runs ops. He's locking you out of the Batcave."

"He can't," he grumbled.

"Don't underestimate the butler, Batman. It's one night. You need it. Don't make me get Zee involved, too."

"Leave her out of your schemes, please." A scheme of his own started to come to his mind with the mention of Zatanna. "Fine. But if anything...anything...comes up..."

"Your watch will be buzzing off of your wrist."

Not thrilled, but somewhat relieved, he decided to let them have their wish, for once. They were more than capable, he just felt like he was shirking his responsibilities when he wasn't on the streets. Still, there were plenty of other responsibilities he had been shirking lately. Maybe a forced day off was what he needed. It might even reset his mind and give him a fresher perspective on things. As he pulled into the Batcave, he started to plan for his evening off. Our evening off. He wanted to do something other than snore in Zee's ear for a change. She hadn't even been there in the mornings the past week. Understanding as she was, he knew he was putting a strain on their relationship. Batman always put a strain on relationships, so he needed to be Bruce Wayne for a day...needed to be human. She deserved that much, and a hell of a lot more that he wasn't able to give her right now.

"Good morning, sir," Alfred said when he entered the Batcave.

"Good morning, Brutus."

He laughed and shook his head. "You have an interesting idea of betrayal, Master Bruce."

He slowly walked to remove his suit and shower, exhausted from the long shift. "The four of you sure like talking behind my back."

"Maybe if your front wasn't always so grumpy, we would be more inclined to talk with it. Take the night off. Spend it with Ms. Zatanna. I haven't seen her around here in days and I'm assuming that's your fault."

Fair assumption.

"If anything comes up..."

"Yes, yes. We'll call you. Go sleep."

Getting bossed around a lot today.

When he got to his room, it was empty. He thought about going to Shadowcrest, but decided against waking her up; she was still hearing things when she was awake. She'd tried to hide it, but wasn't being very convincing. He could feel her body tense up when it started, even though she had stopped her humming and movie-watching routine around him.

I'm failing her, too.

It was his job to take care of her and he wasn't. Lord knows she would never ask for help. That's why he needed to be rested up for the evening. He was going to get her to open up to him, one way or another, because it was well past time for things to change.

Shadowcrest

He stepped into her bedroom at 7:30. It took him a minute to be sure he was in the right place. Everything had been changed: the colors, the bed, the rug, the light fixtures. The only familiar feature was her books, still scattered on every tabletop. Something else to investigate while he was there. He made his way downstairs, passing change after change before he found a room emitting a familiar glow. With a smile, he stepped into the doorway and watched her for several minutes. She was breathing slowly, face relaxed...beautiful.

"Hey," she finally said, not opening her eyes.

"Hey. Why aren't you dressed?" He asked.

"I am," she said, clearly not paying him much mind as she hovered. He looked her up and down; she was wearing shorts and a sports bra and had gained most of her weight back. They hadn't restarted training, but she was practicing on her own – the muscle definition returning to her arms and legs.

"I don't think they're going to let you into the lounge in that outfit. Not that I'm complaining about it."

"Lounge?" She was still half a world away.

"Gotham City Library Fundraiser."

She finally opened her eyes, blinking several times before giving him a confused frown. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"Because I'm meditating."

"Does that mean I have to find another date to the fundraiser?"

Taking a deep breath, she lowered her feet to the floor and blinked the glow from her eyes. "It means I have no idea what you're talking about. What kind of game are we playing here?"

"Zatanna, have you ever known me to play games?" She shook her head as he moved closer to her. "Come with me."

"What about patrol?"

"Covered. Come with me."

She walked past him and into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and studying him closely. "I thought we agreed to keep this quiet."

"That was months ago. I'm tired of being quiet. Or are you worried about ruining your reputation?"

"Excuse me?" She glared at him.

"That's it, isn't it? Gotham's most eligible bachelorette doesn't want to lose her adoring audience."

"Do you have to do that?"

"What?" He grinned at her, enjoying getting a rise out of her.

"The billionaire playboy thing. Does it come with the tux or something?" She set the glass down and tried to push past him again, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close.

"Please let me be your date tonight," he said, pressing his lips to hers and eliciting a soft sigh.

"Okay," she said, pulling her head back. "But I don't want to hear complaints about the press. This was your idea."

He smiled and nodded. "Deal. Go get ready. I have a limo on the way." Rolling her eyes, she headed up the stairs. He walked around the house while he waited, further assessing the changes she had made. Everything was brighter and more open. Hearing her come back down the stairs, he decided to ask her what the changes were about, but when he caught sight of her, he lost his train of thought. She was wearing a long, dark blue dress that hugged her curves and had a slit that ended just above her right knee. Her hair was in a messy up-do with strands of curls falling down to brush her shoulders and back. Leaving was suddenly the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

"Are you ready, Mr. Wayne?" She asked in a low, seductive voice. As if planned, the limo honked. Rather than pick her up and take her upstairs like he wanted, he grabbed her hand and kissed it before putting her arm through his.

"Let's go, Ms. Zatara."

Zatanna
Limo

Why am I so nervous?

The limo was approaching the lounge and her stomach was tied into a thousand tiny knots. Bruce was relaxed...his warm, rough hand running up and down her arm, while the other rubbed her knee. He hadn't said anything, but she got the impression he was a fan of the dress. His eyes had looked her up and down several times before he took her hand on the stairs at Shadowcrest.

- "You're kidding yourself."

Oh, shut up.

"Relax," he mumbled, squeezing her closer.

"I am," she lied, which made him laugh softly. "The press is going to be manic."

"Yep. Put on a smile and pretend you want to be here."

She turned and nuzzled his neck. "I want to be with you."

The limo pulled to a halt and an usher came to open the door. Bruce leaned over and kissed her before getting out and offering his hand. The flashbulbs were already blinding as the press jumped at the opportunity to see who Bruce Wayne's latest arm candy was. With a deep breath, she stepped out and was immediately pulled to his side and led forward.

"Zatanna! Bruce! Over here!"

"So, the rumors are true?"

"When can we expect wedding bells, you two?"

"We're just friends," she said, smiling for the cameras. Bruce suddenly stopped and turned her to face him.

"Friends? Really?" He asked.

"Can we just go in, please?" She whispered, trying to wiggle out of his arms. Instead, he held her tighter and leaned down to kiss her passionately. She could hear the thrum of the press and see the flashing behind her eyelids while he scrambled every thought that was trying to run through her head. When he finally pulled his head back, he lifted her chin until she opened her eyes.

"No more hiding, Zee."

She nodded and tried her damnedest to ignore the reporters yelling at them, letting him lead her the rest of the way into the lounge. Her head was in a cloud as he stopped and greeted people, keeping his arm around her waist and occasionally turning to kiss her temple. When they had made the rounds, he pulled her to the bar so they could sit and rest.

"What do you want to drink?" He asked, brushing strands of hair back from her shoulders.

"Just water."

"Really? This is supposed to be a fun night out. Get blitzed." He grinned at her and motioned the bartender over.

"Yeah, really. My stomach hasn't been right since the morgue. And I'm nervous as hell."

"No reason to be nervous. It's just me. Same as always."

"You and a couple hundred of our dearest, richest friends. And a few dozen reporters outside."

He leaned forward and kissed her again, letting his lips move slowly against hers. There was no press in here, but she could feel the eyes of Gotham's elite watching their every move.

"Well, well. It looks like the world's biggest playboy has finally been tamed. Might be your best magic trick yet, Zatanna." Vicki Vale walked up to them and leaned against the bar as Bruce pulled away and sighed. She got the instant impression that there was a history there.

"Ms. Vale. I didn't think press was allowed in here," he said, not being overly polite.

"Lovely to see you, too, Bruce. I'm here as a donor. Don't worry, I'll let the rest of the press corps cover this little revelation," she said, gesturing toward them. Mercifully, an announcer walked up to the stage to start an auction session. Bruce drove up the prices on several deals before paying entirely too much for an Italian vacation he would never go on. As the night wore on, Zee finally started to relax a little. Bruce was behaving normally, for the most part, though he was checking his watch every few minutes.

"Anything from your family?"

He shook his head. "No news is good news."

She was surprised he was taking a night off; even when he wasn't on patrol lately, he was in the Batcave working.

- "And you're useless to him."

"I know."

"Know what?" He asked as they slow danced.

"Nothing," she said quickly. Damn it.

His jaw tightened and he pulled her closer. "I thought music blocked that out."

"It's nothing." She smiled to try to reassure him.

"I know you've been hiding it from me. You don't have to do that."

"I'm not. I just..."

"Don't lie," he said sharply.

She narrowed her eyes and returned his glare. "You have enough to worry about. I'm coping. Drop it."

"No. Talk to me."

"This isn't the place, Bruce." She knew she had him there, and his eyes darted around at the others in the room. Sighing, he pressed his lips to her forehead and continued dancing.

"You can't fix everything, you know," she said quietly.

"You won't even let me try."

"They're my demons. I have to deal with them." She felt his body stiffen with her words, but he didn't look down at her. They danced on for another two songs before she slowly felt him start to relax again. When he finally looked down, his eyes were soft.

"I love you."

She nodded and brushed her lips against his. "How much longer do we need to stay?"

"Your call."

"Get the limo," she said with a small smile. In spite of herself, she had enjoyed the evening, but the crowd was starting to feel intrusive. She knew he was probably going to quiz her more, but at least they would be alone. The second pass through the press line was just as manic, so they made their way through quickly this time, avoiding questions and just waving. Once in the limo, they rode quietly to Wayne Manor. Alfred didn't greet them like he usually did.

"He's monitoring the team tonight," Bruce said when she asked where he was. "It was a group effort to get me to take a night off."

"Well, I'm glad they did, even if you didn't want to."

"I wanted to," he lied, taking another glance at his watch. She knew where most of his mind was at any given moment. "Sorry I haven't been around much."

"I understand. Priorities."

He grimaced slightly. "You are one."

She didn't need internal voices to tell her that she was a distant second to Batman in his life. It was something she knew about him and accepted. Having him fake it held zero appeal.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight. I'll head home. I know you need to get down and check on things."

He shook his head and started to remove his watch. "I don't need to check on anything. I'm spending tonight with you."

Reaching out, she stopped his hand. "Bruce, you don't have to..." He quickly kissed her, tossing his watch onto the coffee table as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I'm spending tonight with you," he repeated against her mouth, walking her backward toward the stairs. When she stumbled in her tall heels, he gently lifted her and carried her the rest of the way. He lowered her back down in the room, kneeling to remove the shoes. "Time to get short, Cinderella."

"I guess that makes you Prince Charming."

He smiled up at her, kissing her knee where the dress parted. "You're beautiful. Can I make a request?" Arching her eyebrow, she nodded, wondering where his mind was headed. "That costume you wore in Metropolis."

"I got the distinct impression you weren't a fan of that performance," she said as he stood again.

"Ah, see, that's where you're wrong. I wasn't a fan of the secrecy. I was very much a fan of the performance and happen to be very fond of the performer." His hands found their way to the zipper on her dress and lowered it. It fell to the floor, leaving her standing in her underwear. She took a few steps back and waved her hands in front of her.

"Stluda ylno emutsoc." With a snap of her fingers, a chair appeared behind him and she peeked out from under her top hat. "How much of a performance are you requesting tonight, Mr. Wayne?"

"As much as you'll give me, Mistress of Magic," he grinned at her.

"Sit," she said, lifting her leg and pushing against his chest with her toe. He laughed and flopped into the chair.

"How many relationships do you think you've ruined with your little act?"

"None," she said, straddling his lap and looking down at him. "That couple in Metropolis..."

"Conner and Julia," he said, annoying her with his perfect memory.

"Right. Well, Julia sent me a card afterward thanking me. They went home and had the best sex of their lives." She pulled his tie off and tossed it onto the floor. "There's nothing wrong with a little fantasy now and then. You just have to know how to hit the right notes." Her hands worked at his buttons as she stood over him. "Flirt too much, take it too far...no good. But get them both involved...stroke them both in just the right way...they're yours. And they leave happy."

"So they both go home and fantasize about you?" He asked with dark, half-closed eyes.

"Maybe. Or maybe she puts on a corset and top hat and straddles him," she grinned. "Fantasy."

"I think I prefer reality," he said, pulling at her skirt until it came off. She laughed and ran her hand down his neck.

"That's funny coming from a man who dresses like a bat and is about to have sex with someone in a slutty magician's costume...that he requested."

He gave her a lopsided smile and ran his hands up her thighs, pulling her down onto his lap. She rocked her hips into his and pushed his shirt off.

"I don't get any dancing?"

"No. I'm a terrible dancer. That's why I do about 50 seconds of it."

"You're wrong, but I'll let you off the hook this time." His lips traced across her chest and a hand slipped down into the top of her corset. "I should have stayed that night."

"You were angry," she said quietly, running her hands along his arms.

"And jealous. Those aren't reasons to leave."

She sighed as his tongue traced along the top of her breasts. "Most people would disagree."

"Most people are stupid." He paused and looked up at her. "I'm sorry I left you there...especially on your birthday."

"I'm sorry I kept things from you."

His lips returned to her chest and she rocked her hips against him again. "Enough apologizing," he mumbled against her skin. "I have another request." She rolled her head to the side and looked at him. "Can you do that tantric shit in this outfit?"

Laughing, she pulled herself up tight against his body. "All damn night."

Selina
Gotham City

Things were out of control. Jensen was killing at a ridiculous rate and she'd reached her limit on patience. Fuck evidence, I'll beat a confession out of him. He'd gone underground after she confronted him – no longer going to work or traveling his regular route. He was spooked, but not enough to stop killing.

Selina approached the house silently, checking her surroundings before picking the lock and entering. The room was pitch black, but the rancid stench of death that hit her nose when she entered was unmistakable. He's killing them here.

Running her hand along the wall, she searched until she found a light switch. As the living room lit up, she stumbled backward and threw her hand over her mouth at the scene. It wasn't a girl...it was Sean Jensen. His body, face, legs, and arms had all been repeatedly slashed. His throat was cut so deep that he'd nearly been decapitated. The blood was everywhere, caked on every wall. He'd been dead for weeks...still wearing the same clothes he was when she had confronted him; it was the only thing that made him recognizable at that point.

She turned away from the scene to try to keep her composure, but it only made things worse. On the far wall, written in blood, was a message just for her.

"Nice try, Catwoman."

Zatanna
Wayne Manor

Warm, rough hands were running along her back, rousing her from a deep sleep. The room was warm, almost stifling when she woke.

"You gonna sleep all day?" His mouth was near her ear, and he spoke in his low, gruff voice.

"Maybe," she muttered into the pillow. "Why is it so hot in here?"

"It isn't," he said moving back a bit. She rolled onto her back and groaned as her stomach protested.

"Ah, shit," she said, jumping out of the bed and running to the bathroom. Thankfully, her stomach was fairly empty and she recovered quickly. Bruce came in and handed her a cool washcloth before brushing her hair back from her forehead.

"You weren't kidding about the morgue," he said. Taking a deep breath she nodded, keeping her eyes closed while her mind raced. This has precisely fuck all to do with the morgue. "Need me to call a doctor?"

"No, no. I'll be fine. I'll just get more sleep. I may have overdone things last night."

"Are you sure? I can skip the Watchtower..."

"No, don't do that. Please, I'll just be here sleeping, anyway." She desperately needed him to leave so that she could give in to her panic attack.

"Okay, but I'll have Alfred check in on you." He helped her back to the bed, kissing her cheek before leaving. Once he was out, she sat up and started to shake. Can't be. It's impossible.

After a few minutes, Alfred came in with a tray of tea and crackers. "Warm tea with a bit of honey to soothe your stomach. Drink it slowly."

"Thank you, Alfred." She grabbed the tea and sipped it. As he was about to walk out, she stopped him. "Alfred, wait." He turned back around and she took a deep breath. "Can you run a blood test?"

End Act II