Black Adam
Khandaq Prison

The boy. They always send the boy.

"Have you even been listening?" Shazam asked

"You're not worth listening to."

"So, you must like it here, then. I can see why. I mean, I only saw six, maybe seven rats on my way down the corridor. A couple were even alive...chowing down on the dead ones."

"Shut up and leave me alone. I'm not falling for your tricks."

"Tricks are more Zatanna's thing. You probably remember one of her better ones: 'the vanishing god'"

He stood and walked to the cell door. "What makes you think I won't just kill you?"

"Nothing. I fully believe you'll come after all of us again. I'm not here because I trust you. I'm here because you're the only one who can generate the kind of power I need. You already know how to manipulate the rip between dimensions. As much as I hate to admit it, I need your help."

"I help...what then?"

"That's up to you. Live your life as a god, or face off against the Justice League and wind up back in here...for good, this time."

A weak threat. An ignorant child making promises he can't hope to keep.

He made him wait, staring him in the eyes before nodding. "I will help."

Batman
Gotham City

"Gordon?"

"Things have slowed down here. You?"

Complete sentences...we've made progress.

"No one that fits the same profile as the men in Arkham."

"Why do I get the feeling that doesn't ease your mind?"

"Because we've both been doing this too long. It isn't over. We're just not seeing something."

"Mm. The warden?"

"I talked to him earlier. The six in Arkham are still rambling and combative."

"Keep your eyes open. We're running extra officers 24/7. I'll let you know if we find anything."

"Thanks, Commissioner."

"Mm."

He hung up, leaving Batman to the rest of his patrol. At least Barb will be happy that we're getting along...more or less. At Wayne Tower, he shot up and perched a little ways from the top. Good memories here. It also gave a good view of downtown.

"Anything new, Batwoman?"

"Other than you sitting in the cursed spot of your sins? No."

He chuckled. "So dramatic. Kate, what you saw was a beautiful expression of love between..."

"Don't! For the love of god, don't."

"Elliott is being transferred to Blackgate tomorrow evening during your watch."

"Good," Kate said. "I'll make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Thank you."

"When does Zee leave for LA?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," he said, voice quiet. "Thanks for covering so I can be home with the kid."

"Happy to. She'll be okay."

"I know. I just don't like not being able to help."

"You are helping. You're supporting her."

He heard a siren in the distance. "Heading south," he said, diving from the tower and returning to the car. "And thanks."

Zatanna
Wayne Manor

"You all packed up?" Bruce asked, bouncing Thomas on his knee.

"I think so. I really hope it's only a day or two."

"I still think I should go...at least be nearby."

She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "I can get you there, if I need you. Stay here and be a parent while I can't." He frowned and nodded, moving Thomas to her lap when she sat. "Anything you need for this little monster?"

"Eyes in the back of my head?"

"I can do that spell, but you'd have to cut some eye holes in the back of your cowl. Might look weird."

"Could spot more crimes that way." He tried to joke, but he was still frowning. "I don't like this."

"I know." She kissed Thomas's head and hugged him close. "I'll miss you guys."

Bruce stood, so she handed him back and kissed him. He held her and his lips clung to hers. "Please be careful," he whispered before stepping away.

"I will. I'll call you when I can. Love you." She blew Thomas a kiss and he waved his little hand at her. "Ot Doowylloh."

She'd never been a big fan of LA. Good shopping, but too many shady areas that overpowered the glitz and glamour. Gotham City and San Francisco were shady enough. Still...nice hotels. She checked into the Four Seasons and decided to meditate until she had to meet Tsaritsa. When it was time to head out, she warded the room and took a cab to her office. She was led inside and Tsaritsa greeted her with her typical unwelcome hug.

"So lovely to see you again. Thank you so much for coming," she said, leading her to a chair. Zatanna tried to fight off the urge to zap herself home. "Now that you're here, we can discuss our plan for getting Callum to me. He's excited! It's been far too long since we've been together."

Yeah, he's jazzed.

"What is your plan?"

"We bring him here."

"How?"

"We need to shift the interdimensional rip so we can access his world."

Fate was right.

"What makes you think we can even do that?"

She smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Have a little faith, child. I've been working on this for a while, as you know. We just need the right timing."

"The right timing? What does timing have to do with anything?"

"More than you could possibly know," she said, standing and moving to lean on the table. "That's why it's taken me so long to get to this point. The rip isn't static. Its strength and size waxes and wanes. With the right timing, it can be shifted to a new location...the right location."

"Let's assume for the moment that what you're saying is true. How do we know when the rip is weak enough to shift?"

"That's where all of my time spent researching this comes in handy. I can feel it...sense when it's changing. When the time is right, we move."

It sounded like nonsense, but so did everything else about the whole mess. "So, you're just going to call me when the rip is weak and we somehow move it."

"You move it."

"Why just me?"

"Because that's all it will take. You move it, I'll cast the spell to bring Callum here."

"And then?"

"And then he'll be here, instead of there. It isn't that hard to understand."

"I disagree. You've waited months. You've recruited me. This is all...a little too simple."

She laughed and walked back to her chair. "My child, you've been working with the Justice League for too long. Not everything is a grand conspiracy. I'm alone here. I want someone from my dimension here."

How do I make her tip her hand?

"Convince me."

"Of what?"

"Convince me that this isn't a grand conspiracy. Maybe you're right and I've worked with the League so long that I don't know how to trust. So...convince me."

Her stare turned cold and she leaned forward. "You promised..."

"Convince me, Tsaritsa."

She clinched her jaw and looked down. "Fine," she said. "Tonight. Midnight. Be at my home and you'll meet Callum."

Oh, well...that'll be interesting.

"Midnight," she said as she stood. Tsaritsa silently glared at her from her chair, so she turned and walked out.

I need to warn them.

Callum
His Dimension

"I'm not a great actor," he said, standing in front of the mirror.

"Not surprising," Tanna said, leaning against the door frame. "Terrible liars are always bad actors."

He frowned at her reflection. "I'm not a terrible liar."

"That. That right there. That was terrible."

Turning to her, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Tsaritsa has been buying my act. I'll do what I can."

"It's probably best if you do as little as possible. The less you talk, the better. I'll be out here eavesdropping."

She closed the door behind her, so he turned back to the mirror.

Maybe she's right. He needed to make sure his reaction to Zatanna being with Tsaritsa was neutral. He also needed to "convince" Zatanna that he was in love with Tsaritsa and convince Tsaritsa that it was the first time they'd met. Yeah, I definitely need to keep my mouth shut.

He put on his best poker face and waited for his "beloved" to appear in the mirror. Zatanna was standing behind her, wearing her own poker face, when the image shifted.

"Hello, darling," Tsaritsa said. She seemed overly tense. "I've brought a dear friend of mine to meet you this evening."

"I don't particularly like surprises," he said, glaring as best he could at Zatanna. "But I'm assuming this is the powerful friend I've heard so much about."

Anger flared in her eyes. See, Tanna? I can lie.

"No. Zatanna is just a friend. She's helping me get you here, like we discussed. That's all." Her voice was barely containing her rage. Zatanna smirked behind her and winked. He'd given her the opening she needed. "I've told her how much we've missed each other and how excited you are to be joining me here. She's happy to help."

Oh, yeah. Can't wait to join you, darling.

"Then I guess I should thank her," he said, forcing a smile that he hoped looked sincere. "I'm ready when you two are."

"Good. We're waiting for the rip to weaken. Once that happens, the process should be easy." Tsaritsa was glaring at him, jaw tight.

"Right. Wait for it to weaken." This wasn't something Tsaritsa had mentioned before, but Zatanna had given him a heads up, so he played it neutral again. "And when will that happen?"

"Soon," she said, standing and turning to Zatanna. "You've met him. Are you satisfied now?"

"I guess so," Zatanna said. "If you'll excuse me."

She stepped away and vanished. Tsaritsa turned back to him.

"I must ask that you not make assumptions!"

He raised an eyebrow and studied her. She'd been cloyingly sweet up to this point. "If you no longer want me to come, I..."

"No...no." She took a breath. "I was just caught off guard. I should have spoken with you before I brought her here."

"Who is she, really?"

"Just a tool, my love. Just a tool we need for our plan."

"This is all starting to feel a bit crowded."

Her face twisted slightly before she settled back on her usual smile. "Taking over the world is not so easy, even for you and me."

"About this weakening of the rip..."

"That's not something you need to concern yourself with. I must go now. We'll talk again soon."

Without warning, the connection cut off. He stared at his reflection.

"Damn."

"It's up to her now," Tanna said, reentering the room.

He nodded and walked past her. "I know."

Bruce
Wayne Manor

"I don't see anything," Bruce said, adjusting the camera on the drone. He pointed again, so he squinted and tried to fine-tune the focus. "I still don't see anything. Are you sure?"

"Bun!"

A small creature darted across the screen and Thomas laughed and pointed again.

"Ah, okay. You were right. Bunny."

"I don't feel particularly well monitored at the moment," Batwoman said over the communicator.

"I'm watching, but we're seeing important things over here that cannot be ignored."

"Rabbits?"

"Nighttime rabbits. Very out of the ordinary in the middle of the city. He was right to point them out."

"I see rabbits all the time."

"Very out of the ordinary, Kate."

"Oh, of course. You're right. Can't let a rabbit uprising go unchecked. I'm heading toward the hospital now for Elliott's transfer."

"Good. Let me know if you need any help...or spot any other rabbits."

"No Peter nor Jack nor Bugs nor Rodger shall escape my sight, Thomas. You have my word."

"Hi, Kake!"

"Hey, kid. You are the only one who can get away with calling me that. Glad you've got my back tonight."

"We both do," Bruce said. He steered the drones to follow her along the transport route. Elliott was strapped to a wheelchair and looked even more frail than when he had seen him in the hospital. There were three police cars, an armored truck, and a swat van awaiting him, no doubt filled with officers who were armed to the teeth. They loaded him into the armored truck and started down the route. Kate shadowed them in the Batmobile, staying within shouting distance without interfering.

"Would it kill you to make this seat adjustable?" She complained during the drive.

"Yes, Kake, it would kill me."

"Well, you're getting punched later. Thanks for the loan, anyway." She revved the engine so he could hear it over the line.

"Just take good care of her."

"We're crossing the river. Gordon is meeting us there."

They were driving a little slower than he would prefer, but they made it to Blackgate without any interference. Elliott was removed from the car and Kate walked in with them to see him to his cell.

"Easy enough," he said when she returned to the car.

"He was quiet. Seems like he's accepted his fate."

"Thanks again for making sure they made it safely."

"You're welcome." She fired the engine back up. "Go back to worrying about Zatanna. I'll keep the city safe from rabbits and criminals, alike."

I never stopped worrying about Zatanna. He was perfectly capable of multitasking his worries. Her tracker was back at the hotel, but she hadn't called him yet.

"I should wait and let her call me," he said to Thomas. "She's probably just gathering her thoughts. It wouldn't help if I called her first and she'd probably give me a hard time about it."

His leg bounced and Thomas giggled at the unintended horse ride. Unable to stand it anymore, he grabbed his phone. It rang when he picked it up.

"You were just about to call me, weren't you?" Zatanna asked.

"No, I was..."

"Just about to call me."

"Yeah, I was just about to call you."

"Miss you, too. Everything okay there?"

"Yes. Elliott is in Blackgate and Thomas is manning the drone feeds."

"He's still awake? Should have guessed you'd turn him into a night owl...bat...whatever. At least the city is in good hands. Give him a kiss for me?"

He kissed his forehead. "Done. How did things go there?"

"Fine, I guess, but I need to go see her again tomorrow. Callum gave me an opening to squeeze her for more information."

"Squeeze her for more information? You're starting to sound like a detective." He grinned and turned the drone to the east.

"You're rubbing off on me."

"I'd like to, at the moment."

"I should be home tomorrow and you can rub off on me all you want."

"What else?"

"I'm not sure. She was feeding me some line about the rip being weaker at certain times and that she needs to time things just right."

"You don't sound like you believe it."

"I've interacted with the rip directly and it seemed exactly the same each time. I find it hard to believe that I wouldn't have noticed it shifting or changing."

"Why would she lie?"

"To keep me off the scent of what she's really doing? That's why I want to see if I can get more out of her tomorrow."

He leaned back in the seat. "And then you'll come home?"

"And then I'll come home."

"Good. Shazam wants you at the meeting Monday night."

She sighed. "I sure go to a lot of meetings for an old, retired lady."

He could hear bathwater running in the background. "Stay on with me for a while?"

"I can do that," she said, switching to speaker.

"And feel free to tell me everything you're doing."

Zatanna
Los Angeles

"I don't care if she doesn't want to see me. Tell her I'm not leaving until she talks to me."

Tsaritsa's receptionist rolled her eyes and picked up the phone. "She's still here and says she's not leaving."

The door slammed open, so Zatanna walked into the office.

"You're making a habit of pissing me off, Miss Zatara."

"It's Mrs. Wayne, thank you very much. I want to know what's really going on."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Bullshit. Last night Callum spoke of a powerful friend. Who?"

"You, of course."

"Enough! Tell me or I walk."

"You walk and I'll bring hell down upon you, child," she said, standing and leaning forward onto her desk.

"I'd like to see you fucking try. You're bringing another super human here who could tip the balance of power in your favor. Did you think I wouldn't have a problem with that?"

"You swore to me, and if you refuse to help there will be consequences."

"Maybe that's a price I'm willing to pay to keep the world safe."

"Are you telling me that our world can't use another hero?"

"I'm telling you that I think you have reasons for bringing him here that have nothing to do with him being a hero."

"Of course I do! I love him! You can tell if someone is lying, yes? I want him here with me and that's all I care about."

"Why not go to him? Return to your dimension?"

"Because I have a good life here. If I try to return, they will send me right back and I will still be alone."

Someone knocked on the door. "Your next appointment is here!" The secretary swung the door open and stood with her arms crossed.

"You need to leave. Now."

"If I find out you're lying..."

"I am not lying. Now leave. I'll call you when I need you and then we can be finished with one another."

Zatanna turned and walked out. Who else is she recruiting? It wasn't likely she would fall for another break-in ruse, which meant no mirror access. Let's just fucking close this thing. If Tsaritsa was waiting for it to weaken, then she wouldn't be a problem. Once she walked around a corner and zapped herself home, anxious to talk to Bruce and get the ball rolling. She could feel the tension in the house as soon as she arrived, so she dropped her bags and headed down to the cave. Barb, Tim, Alfred, and Bruce were huddled together.

"What's going on? Where's Thomas?"

"Upstairs with Miss Sophie, ma'am," Alfred said. Bruce was on the computer monitor and hadn't turned around.

"Someone want to fill me in?"

"Kate never logged her report this morning," Tim said, lacing his boots on. "Not answering her phone."

"Her tracker isn't pinging."

She turned grabbed her suit from its case. "Who's coming?"

"Me," Tim and Barb said in unison.

"Stop. Go upstairs and see to your son," Batman said.

"My son? Don't try to pull this right now. It's not the time."

"I said stop!" He ordered, eyes blazing when he finally turned around. "We don't need your help."

"Fuck off! I'm finding her."

He grabbed her arms and pushed her against the wall. "You're not going anywhere."

"Kcab ffo!" He growled when his hands snapped back involuntarily. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"He's blaming himself, as always," Barb said, moving between them. "So, he's being mean to all of us."

"Well, we're going. We'll tell you what we find."

"Fucking goddamn..."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a pain in the ass and you're pissed at me. I get it. Are you coming?" She snapped to change into her suit and put her mask on.

Batman walked over and stood near them. "Alfred..."

"I'll be at the controls, sir."

Zatanna glared at him and put her hands up. "Ekat su ot Etak."

They teleported to an alleyway near her apartment.

"Batwoman?" Tim started to call out immediately. Batman grabbed his arm and put his finger to his lips.

"Scanners on," he said in a low voice. Barb moved forward slowly, scanning the area. "So much blood..."

"Dinf reh," Zee whispered. A groan came from a doorway at the end of the alley. They all moved toward the sound, casting glances at the shadows.

"Kate?" Barb said, running forward and kneeling. "Christ. She's hurt."

Batman moved forward and put his hand on Barb's shoulder, moving her aside. "Let's get her out of here." When he lifted her, she cried out in pain. Zatanna walked forward, but he shook his head. "Not here. Take us back. Batgirl, Robin, investigate."

Gritting her teeth, she held her hands out again. "Ot evac."

They arrived in the cave and Alfred quickly moved to check on her. "What happened?"

"No idea. The others are investigating."

"Are you going to let me work now...sir?" Zatanna asked, still glaring at him.

He gave her a terse nod, so she moved forward and cradled Kate's head.

"Hey...Zee..." Kate mumbled through what looked like a very broken jaw.

"Laeh." The light engulfed her and she sighed.

"That's just great," she said, closing her eyes and relaxing. "Really great."

"Get some rest." Zatanna moved to let Batman pick her back up and carry her to the medical room. She returned her suit to the case and went upstairs, ready to be with someone decidedly less moody. Sophie was helping Thomas build a castle out of blocks. He jumped up and came to her when she entered.

"Home!"

"Hey, sweetie!"

"How was the spa?" Sophie asked.

"Spa?"

She smirked and stood. "Alfred said you were at the spa. Don't worry. I get that League stuff is need-to-know."

"Did you two have a good time?"

"For sure, but two hours in and I'm exhausted. How do you keep up with him all day?"

"Advanced cardiovascular fitness. And naps."

Laughing, she grabbed her phone and hugged her. "You'd better be planning another tour soon. I'm getting bored."

"Tony's looking around. Hopefully in a couple of months."

"Yes! Just let me know when practice starts." She waved goodbye and headed out of the house.

Thomas laid his head on her shoulder while she walked to the library. "A day and half and I missed you so much I can't stand it. You've really got me hooked, kid."

Batman
Gotham City

"What have you found?"

"Blood from a lot of people, including Kate," Batgirl said, still scanning the area where Kate had fallen. "Footprints indicate she was attacked by at least a dozen people. Several were dragged away. I'm guessing they thought she was dead and got the injured ones out. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine now."

"Could have been worse," Robin said. "A lot worse." He picked up a pipe and held it out to him. It was heavy and covered in blood. "I'm honestly surprised she made it."

"She's tough," Batman said, turning his own scanners on. He walked further from the site of the main scuffle, looking for clues. Blood analysis would be easy enough - Batwoman had drawn more than her fair share.

"Did she tell you anything?"

"Her brain's still a little foggy, but she said she was almost home when she felt like she got shocked and fell to the street. Whatever it was shorted out all of her bio readings, fried her phone. It looked like she had shut her gear down for the day, just like always."

"Instead, she was on the ground and injured," Barb said, taking a picture of a clear shoe print on the ground. "What time did she bring the car back to the cave?"

"Two thirty. They all had masks on and never spoke. Not a word. She fought, popped smoke, used flash-bangs, but they kept coming at her."

"Ambush?"

"Yes. We need to find out if it was a planned one or if she just crossed them at the wrong time." He turned back to the car. "I'm going to the emergency rooms."

"Gotta be at least a few people there with Kate's fist impression in their skulls," Robin said. "We'll finish up here and alert the police."

Getting back in the car the car, he headed toward Gotham General. No one had been brought in with injuries consistent with a fight, so he moved on to Saint Joseph's...still no one. None of the hospitals had anyone brought in that could have been one of the attackers.

They dragged them away, but not to help them. Covering their tracks.

Those who were injured were either disposed of or left to heal on their own. It was after noon, so he headed back to the cave. The GCPD had taken over the crime scene and Barb was running tests on the blood found at the scene.

"You should rest," she said when he dragged himself to the monitors.

"Listen to her," Kate said, walking up and sitting down next to her. "You were up all night."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Just trying to remember everything. It was weird. I've run across plenty of violent gangs in Gotham, but these guys were eerie. Quiet and determined, like they were just going about their usual business."

"I'm sorry, Kate. I should have been on patrol. I was distracted."

"You weren't distracted and I volunteered for patrol. This wasn't your fault. Now, that incident on the roof with Dent? Absolutely your fault." She started working on the other monitor, helping analyze what they had found at the scene. "Go sleep. We can handle this and we'll wake you if anything comes up."

He slowly walked to the shower and cleaned up. There wasn't much he could do to help with them hogging the computers, so he decided sleep would be the best idea. He hadn't gotten any in over 36 hours and was starting to feel the exhaustion set in. Alfred handed him a plate of food when he got upstairs.

"I saw that Miss Kate was back to normal."

He nodded and took a bite of his sandwich. "I missed some meetings today."

"Mr. Fox covered and will call you later to catch you up. And if you care to know, your family is at Shadowcrest."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you would be wise to spend time apologizing for the way you behaved this morning."

Putting his plate down, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Was I that bad?"

"The fact that you don't remember speaks volumes about your general mental health."

"Guess I'll be going over there before I sleep."

"I thought you might."

He finished off the sandwich and went to the Zeta tube, planning his apology. Jackass...I should include the word jackass. When he found them in the den, he felt a slight sense of relief. They were snuggled together on the couch, enjoying a midday nap. That meant he could get a few winks in before he faced his music. And "few" ended up being an accurate word. He felt like he'd been asleep for less than half an hour when Thomas hopped down onto his stomach, knocking the air out of him.

"Why are you on the floor?" Zatanna slurred as she woke.

"Providing Thomas a place to land when he jumped off of the couch." He moved Thomas off of his diaphragm so he could breathe. Zatanna closed her eyes again. "It's also a good spot to start groveling. I'm sorry."

"Keep going," she mumbled.

"I acted like a jackass."

"Yep."

"You were just trying to help and I took my frustration out on you."

"Yep."

"And...well, I mentioned the jackass part."

"Jackaff!" Thomas exclaimed.

"In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for teaching our son the word jackass."

"Jackaff!"

"He was bound to learn it with you as his father." Her eyes were still closed, so he sat up and brushed her hair back from her neck. "Kate okay?"

"Thanks to you, yes."

"You would have found her. I was just faster."

"I couldn't have healed her."

"Well, you did say we make a good team. I just need to you to be a teammate that isn't a...Thomas, how did he put it?"

"Jackaff!"

"That was it."

"Thomas, that's not a nice word," he said. "Though, it may be accurate at times."

Zatanna finally sat up, so he moved to sit on the couch with her. "Know who it was yet?"

"No, but they left a lot of evidence."

He tried to pull her over to lean on his shoulder, but she moved back slightly.

"You can't treat me like that, no matter how you're dressed or how angry you are."

"It won't happen again."

"Him, either," she said, looking to Thomas. "Especially him. He won't understand it. You told me to remind you when you check out like that. I'm reminding you now and I don't want to make a habit of it. He's Batman's son, too, and I didn't just marry Bruce."

He nodded and she let him pull her over. "All of my personalities love you. Some just have trouble expressing how much."

"Well, I'm going to need you to tell every single one that it is not acceptable to be a jackass."

"Jackaff!"

Scarecrow

"It still wasn't strong enough. And she fought back."

"Of course she fought back. That's what they do." Scarecrow took the injector from him. "And why didn't you finish her once you failed?"

"We thought we did. She should have died in that alley."

Smiling, he turned to him. "I'll get to work on another device. Meanwhile, I would ask that you be more thorough from now on."

His assistant nodded and turned away.

"Oh, wait. I did get this." He held a single glove out to him. "Not sure if it will be much use."

Scarecrow held the glove up and smiled. "It will, my friend. It will."

Back to the lab.

**In the process of buying a house and moving, so I'm slow. Still writing, but sloooooooow.