The Butler's Apprentice, Part 2
„It's been two months", Dinah mused. They were sitting at a calm little smoothie bar in central Gotham. "How have you been?"
Mary reflected on the events of the past weeks. Alfred Pennyworth had shown her endless patience, teaching her step by step how to master the practical aspects of her new life. Robin, who reminded her so much of her own dear brother, had been her gateway into modern culture and technology. Bruce Wayne had been rather cold and distant, but still made sure to provide her with everything she needed.
Since that night when she had met him again in his Batman persona, stitching his wounds and setting his relocated shoulder, she felt like she might have earned a little bit of his respect. She did not try to win his friendship, she just had to made sure not to disappoint him. He would be the one to judge whether she was fit to work for the Justice League or not.
She did not know what he would do to her if she was deemed untrustworthy. She might wake up another sixty or eighty years in the future, when her knowledge of the names Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson posed no threat to them any longer.
"I've been quite fine", she replied. "I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to talk about any details."
"Of course not." Dinah winked at her. "I'm sure that's the first thing Batman taught you."
She absent-mindedly stirred her smoothie with the straw. "Secret identities sound pretty useful in theory, but are awfully hard to maintain. I'm glad I went public early on."
"I've seen you on TV last week", Mary ventured. "You fought a group of smugglers at a harbour town."
"Short showdown of a long mission. It took us months to track down that ring leader and find an opportunity to get them all at once. You wouldn't believe how many nights of the past weeks Green Arrow and I spent perching on rooftops around some stinky smuggler's dens, doing recon. None of that gets ever mentioned in the news."
Mary noticed a faint smile on Dinah's lips. She suspected that Black Canary and Green Arrow did not actually mind spending time on rooftops together.
"Now, was there something specific you wanted to talk to me about?"
Mary nodded. "Yes. But it is a delicate subject."
"The 'secret identity' type of delicate? This might not be the place to..."
"No, none of that. Just personal."
From what she had seen on television, people were not easily embarrassed by these things today. It still felt very awkward.
"You remember the… female products you bought for me when we met at the mall?"
Dinah nodded.
"Well, it's been two months..."
It took a moment before Dinah understood. She paled.
"You mean, you might be… I mean, did you… Has there even… Back in your time?"
"No! I mean, yes, but that's not..." Mary shook her head. "I'm not expecting a child."
Dinah looked at her with a strange expression.
Mary dropped her eyes. "I'm not sure if I still could", she said.
Two weeks later, Dinah and Mary visited Zatara the mage in a peaceful suburb of New York City.
They had teleported across the country via Zeta tube. Mary was once more convinced that absolutely everything was possible in the 21st century.
Outside of Gotham, it was evident that Spring was coming. Crocuses were blooming at every front yard, and the first yellow dandelions already peaked up between them.
Zatara welcomed them warmly at his home. He was wearing a tasteful black suit, but his head was bare today. Mary spotted several black top hats at a hat rack near the door. She caught herself looking out for rabbits and doves.
"Please, come in." Zatara ushered his guests into a cosy living room. "Dinah, Mary, meet my daughter Zatanna. Tanna, these are Black Canary and Mary Baker."
A black-haired teenage girl greeted them with a beaming smile. She wore a white blouse, black shorts and pair of silky grey tights, similar to those which Dinah had also donned today.
"Will you start working for the League soon?", Zatanna asked, her blue eyes sparkling.
"I fear I cannot answer that question, Miss. That's for Batman to decide."
The girl nodded gravely, her eyes darting towards her father momentarily.
Mary smiled. Clearly the teen knew what it felt like to wait for someone's permission. She immediately reminded her of Robin – another kid driven to be a hero way too soon.
"My daughter and I have been doing some research", Zatara explained when they were all properly seated around a small coffee table. "We came across some more information about the spell Doctor Fate placed on you, Mary. But maybe you could start by telling us your experience first? Have you noticed any magical side affects, strange occurrences, anything unusual?"
"No, I don't think so. Except the potential… health issues that Dinah already told you about. Robin and I did some more experiments, but there were never any other notable effects beside the transformation."
They looked genuinely interested, so she began to describe their findings in detail.
"First we tried to find out more about the material of my petrified state. I am much heavier as a statue, the density seems to be similar to granite. Robin was quite irked by the fact that I can triple my mass when I petrify, without obeying the law of energy conservation."
"A common misconception", Zatanna commented. "A lot of thaumatic energy was transferred to you by the original casting of the spell. You are basically buzzing with it right now. When the transformation is triggered, some of that energy is converted into mass."
Zatara nodded at his daughter approvingly.
"I'm sure Robin will be glad to hear this", Mary told the young enchantress. "We also found out that my statue-state is very durable. It is impermeable to most types of electromagnetic radiation, including X-rays."
Robin's 'workshop' at the manor was very well equipped.
"The material is also apparently much harder than granite – he tried scratching a hair with a diamond drill, it didn't leave a trace. Oh, and we also found out that my hairs don't turn to stone – or whatever it is – if I pluck one out before the spell is triggered."
Zatara nodded. "Once they are separated from the physical entity of your body, the spell does not reach them any more."
"The transformation is also always limited to myself, it never affects the clothes I am wearing or items I'm carrying, and also no other living being I touch. We only used beetles for that experiment, but they never changed even when I held one in my hand while transforming."
The magician nodded again. Then he sighed deeply.
"This is also the explanation to your, well, health issue", he told her with a grave voice. "We found an old legend referring to that. I am very sorry to tell you this, but it is a built-in feature of the spell to render any enchanted women infertile. No child she might carry could possibly survive the turning."
A long silence followed his words.
"This 'feature' is just as permanent as the rest of the enchantment, I assume?", Mary asked with a faltering voice.
"Yes. I am very sorry, but it is woven deeply into the fabric of the spell."
Mary briefly closed her eyes, fighting down her tears.
Barren.
So it really was a curse, after all.
Dinah squeezed her hand gently. Zatanna looked at her from across the table, the girl's eyes full of regret and compassion. Her father placed an arm around his daughter's shoulders, protectively.
"Well, thank you for telling me." Mary straightened her shoulders, swallowing hard. "Should we continue?"
"Please", Zatara replied.
"The rest of our experiments mainly focused on the two trigger words", Mary began once more. "We found that the petrification-trigger is sound-based, I have to actually hear the three syllables in the right order. Covering my ears with sound-proof head phones prevents the transformation. The other way around is different: When Robin covered my ears with the same head phones in statue-state, he was still able to turn me back by saying 'Alivio' in my proximity."
Robin had been strangely pleased with this absurd result. 'You really shouldn't be able to hear anything with your actual ears while your ear drums are immobile', he had said.
Mary looked at the magician and his daughter. "If I may be so blunt, isn't that a rather critical weakness in the design of the enchantment?"
"What do you mean?", Dinah asked.
"It is a containment spell, isn't it? A way to incapacitate an enemy", she elaborated. That had been easy to guess.
"Yes, that was its primary function", Zatara admitted.
"Now, couldn't I just free myself by, well, loosing my hearing?"
Zatanna winced at the notion. Her father only shook his head sadly.
"You have only experimented with non-magical partners", he stated. "My and my daughter's branch of spellcraft is based on saying words backwards to focus our power. Please, if you would allow me to demonstrate… You may try to cover your ears, but it will not help you."
Mary did as she was asked.
Zatara looked at her questioningly, waiting for her permission.
She nodded.
He mouthed a word.
Mary could not hear him, but felt the letters vibrate in her bones.
ARUDEM.
"Alivio", Zatanna said.
Mary's vision returned.
"That felt intense", she admitted.
"Are you okay?" Dinah looked concerned. Mary realized that this was the first time she had actually witnessed the transformation.
"Yes, thank you. But I want to try something. One of the first experiments Robin and I performed..."
She turned back to stone.
"Alivio", Zatanna repeated. "What did you do?"
"Focus on the memory", Mary explained. "It didn't quite work with the memory of Dr. Fate originally enchanting me – but he said the word the right way around. Starting with the M, I mean. What you just did was a lot more..."
She turned back to stone.
"OIVILA", Zatara cast.
Mary blinked.
"That should keep you focused for a few minutes", he explained.
"Thank you", she replied. "I might need to get that earphone after all."
The mage raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Robin was thinking about getting me a little earphone that would whisper 'Alivio' whenever I turned to stone. He already gave me this." She raised her wrist. "It is a sports watch with a bracelet that monitors my heart frequency. He told me these are very common nowadays?"
Everyone nodded.
"This one also tracks my location, and sends an alert to Batman and Robin whenever I petrify."
They must have gotten a lot of these alerts today – but of course they knew she was meeting the magicians.
"Why didn't he?", Zatanna asked. "Give you that earphone, I mean."
"He said the spell could also be used in my favour, as it was when Doctor Fate originally saved me. In some ways, it is the ultimate self defence mechanism. Bringing me back without ensuring that I was actually safe might be dangerous." At least in a city like Gotham. The more Mary learned about what Batman and Robin were facing out there each night, the more surprised she was that the boy had not yet lost his joyful nature.
"However, I think you might just have presented me with a solution. You see, the petrification is instantaneous, but I always have an extra second between hearing someone say 'Alivio' and fully transforming back. Now, with the memory you have provided, I think I might be able to resist it. I mean, if I was actually hurt, I could resist the recorded voice saying 'Alivio', by concentrating on your spell to re-petrify myself. Do you think it is safe to try?"
Zatara pondered her question for a moment. "Yes, I can't see why not. Make sure to attempt it only once, though, and don't resist a second time."
"Very well. Medura."
The others watched Mary turn into a statue once more.
"Alivio", Zatanna said, just like she had before.
This time, nothing happened.
"Alivio", she repeated.
Mary slowly turned back alive.
"Fascinating", Zatara murmured.
"Do you think you could also resist the magical version?", Zatanna asked.
"Let's try", Mary offered. "Medura."
She petrified.
"OIVILA", Zatanna cast.
Mary turned back instantly.
"You tried to stay a statue?", the girl asked.
"Yes, but apparently real magic is stronger than memorized spells. I should probably start taking notes. Robin will be very excited to hear that I can..."
She petrified again.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all", Dinah sighed.
"OIVILA, OIVILA, OIVILA", Zatara cast.
"Let's please change the subject", Mary begged.
She was sitting on the floor now, since the couch had started squeaking pitifully under the frequent shifting of her weight. Mary had accidentally petrified herself almost a dozen times within the past half an hour.
"Want to see another card trick?" Zatanna offered.
"Yes, please!"
Dinah moved a few steps away and activated her League communicator.
"J'onn? It's Black Canary. We have a small memory-related problem here, would you mind to stop by?"