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Chapter 3

Clark Kent smiled hovering over the ground watching below as a group of miners waved towards his fleeting form. He'd been called in for help after an earthquake had hit the region, causing a rockslide and destroying the entrance tunnel the workers used.

Thankfully he'd gotten there quick enough, helping each of the men and women out, and leaving their care in the hands of the professional first responders who flooded the area with aid and support. There were a few bumps and bruises, but nothing a ventilator, some clean air, and medicine could not treat within the next few hours and days.

With a job done, the workers cheered from the ground at his departure, slightly embarrassing him, before he took off into the sky. It still felt weird after all these years helping to hear people cheer his name and applaud his actions.

Modesty had always been a core trait his parents had taught him, and his father Jonathan Kent had stressed that until his dying day. So as many people called out for 'Superman' or for all those articles written about him and TV features he'd appeared in, never would he come to take that fame to heart.

The world needed a hero, not a celebrity, so keeping an open mind and clear conscious would do wonders before it ever became too much.

As he tore through the air, wind pressing up against his cheeks, he was thankful that the spotlight on him had dimmed with the creation of the Justice League. What had started out as a solo mission to help the world had become a team designated with being a beacon for everyone on their home planet and outside their solar system.

With more members coming in by the day, and others aligned with aid and support from other planets, they had turned a farmers dream of helping the innocent, into shaping the world and inspiring hope.

All that pressure had been passed on, shared by others, leaving Clark less stressed and more confident knowing he had help if needed. It may have seemed pointless to help someone capable of what he could do, but truth was everyone needed help, even one who possessed powers that could rival a god.

Maybe hovering over the earth in a space station looking down on the world is a little to…godly. Clark thought half amused.

He breached through a set of clouds, the air thinning, before he signalled his teammates.

"Superman to Watchtower," Clark called out.

His com opened quickly with the familiar voice of his teammate Shayera. "Watchtower come in."

"Miners are safe and secure," He announced. "Anything else you need me to do?

Shayera responded quickly. "Relatively quiet up here Superman. We just deployed Firestorm and Booster Gold to Coast City to rendezvous with Hal. And Tornado just informed me that Zatanna took Canary and Arrow to Blüdhaven on Batman's request."

"Bruce doesn't usually request." Clark smiled at the thought of his friend 'asking. "Either team need assistance?"

The line was quiet before Shayera responded. "Negative. For now all is clear. Do you want to come up?"

Clark knew his shift had finished but he also knew Lois was working late tonight at the planet. It'd just be a regular night at the apartment waiting around watching TV until he fell asleep or his fiancé came home to tired to hang out anyways.

However last Clark remembered, he also knew Diana was on shift if he read the schedule right, and after the dust up in the training area with Zatanna and his ill advised laugh, he'd been avoiding her like the plague.

"Ummm," Clark began before he relented. "Beam me up, I gotta write a report anyways."

Shayera confirmed his request and within seconds he felt himself disappear out of the sky and reappear inside the transporter room where his friend stood behind the desk greeting his arrival.

"Thanks Shayera," Clark waved.

Her mask was off leaving her eyes more expressive than usual. "Still avoiding Diana?"

He saw the tease but tried to play it off. "A week should be long enough right?"

The tease in her eyes became a full out laugh. "You'd think that wouldn't you Clark."

"I'll lay low," He offered stepping towards the exit. In the back Hawkgirl continued to laugh at his misfortune as he left the room and joined the main hall where the large space usually held most of the heroes during off hours.

Given the time and amount of members out on patrol, he wasn't surprised to see so few inside the room. He spotted Cyborg towards the far right of the room by the window chatting with someone displayed through his arm.

His ears picked up the familiar voice of Silas Stone, Victors father, and turned away leaving the father and son to catch up in peace.

Further down Clark continued past the row of tables and seats, greeting Steel and Captain Atom in passing, before he found a secluded area he could quickly update his report and file it into the league registry.

It didn't take very long, but soon enough the report had been sent and he had time to stare outside the massive window into the vacuum of space. It all seemed so little up here and he wondered how many felt the same staring down at the planet they called home.

It was one of the hardest tests as a hero, understanding that every action they took had a consequence that followed. Their choices were magnified each and every time, and that added stress was something that would never go away.

For Clark it had become routine, but he knew others felt that weight.

As brilliant as his gifts were, listening to some of the doubts and fears his teammates spoke in private was always an issue. He'd never willingly pry, but every so often his powers would catch the slightest sound or conversation, and he'd know the truth.

"Love you dad, bye."

Clark half smiled, picking up the last of the conversation Cyborg was having before he heard footsteps approach the common area. The sound of heal on metal alerted his senses as he knew the sound of that shoe and weight hitting the floor.

"Damn."

As graceful as a princess could be, Diana slipped onto the other side of the table, approaching from the back, before he looked up from his tablet he'd finished with to stare her dead in the eyes.

"Diana."

"Kal."

Neither spoke, knowing whoever caved first would lose.

After Bruce, Diana was easily the closest person Clark was with in the league. They'd become fast friends after meeting all those years ago and their similar strength and power had bonded them.

They knew what it was like to feel like Gods among men, and be the pinnacle of everything and everyone around them. They were leaders, carriers of hope, and unlike Bruce who hid in the shadows, they thrived in the light.

Clark always cherished their friendship, but there were times like this, he knew her well enough to know he'd wounded her pride.

"I'm sorry," He apologized for what felt like the fifth or sixth time.

"So you've said."

Clark did mean it, but still he couldn't help but smile at the scene he'd walked into. "After years of being in 'Man's world' you'd think you'd have developed a sense of humour."

"I enjoy a good joke Kal," Diana confirmed, her blue eyes flashing in anger. "What I do not appreciate is being made a joke."

"I don't think that was Zatanna's intention…"

Diana shook her head. "Not hers, but yours when you laughed."

"It was just a little funny," Clark pointed out. "No harm done."

"Of course you'd see it that way."

Her tone of voice had Clark frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Diana's anger faded as she looked at him seriously.

"Zatanna is a newer member to the league Kal," Diana explained evenly. She spoke to him like a colleague and not a friend. "She is young, inexperienced, and one day she will need to make choices she never thought she'd have to make."

Clarks frown deepened as he listened to Diana speak like Bruce. As close as they were, he couldn't change the fact that his friend also took after the third part of their trinity. Diana had somehow become similar to both men, while carving her own style, and using every tactic to argue against each.

"And you think a training exercise will help teach that?" He asked.

"I think laughing will give her the idea that she has someone their to protect and coddle her," Diana pressed firmly. Clark wanted to argue but she didn't give him the chance. "We started this league, 7 of us, but soon enough it will be the next generation leading the charge in the protection of Earth. Arthur is already splitting his time with Mera here and in Atlantis, and Bruce is always one foot inside Gotham. The quicker we are at helping the younger heroes become leaders, the better prepared will be. That goes for Zatanna, and all those I train. Not just her."

He saw her point.

She was training their replacements and him laughing had undermined her work. It was a fair point and one that could hardly be argued. Still he felt he needed to ease that stress knowing no good would come from it.

"I won't undermine your training again," Clark promised, earning a small grateful smile from Diana. "As long as you ease up on your approach."

The smile vanished. "My approach?"

Clark remembered the beating Zatanna had taken before she had finally gotten tired of ending up on the floor. "Embarrassing her and the others won't lead to results Diana."

"I'm not embarrassing anyone," Diana argued. She felt her anger rising once more. "I train them for real life situations, not simulations. They have to be ready for anything."

"Shouldn't that go for their teacher as well?"

Diana could see finally him trying to hold back a smile as she sighed. "You enjoyed watching me falter didn't you?"

"You learn from your mistakes," Clark pointed out. "Hardly anything is learned from success. Zatanna learned how not to fight you, until an opportunity came."

"I said no magic."

"And you got tangled in your own Lasso because of it." Clark rose from his seat and offered his two cents. "Now you learned something too."

"Superman…"

Clark broke his stare and eyed the side of the room he came from as he spoke into the receiver where Shayera had called him from. "I'm here."

"No break for you it seems," Shayera explained. "Metallo and Giganta are terrorizing Metropolis. You best get down there as soon as possible. They're about 3 blocks from the planet so….."

"So Lois will be all over it," Clark mumbled knowing his fiancé would do anything dangerous for a good story. "I'm on it."

"As am I."

Clark looked at Diana in confusion. "There's no need, isn't it best you stay on reserve if anything?"

Diana stood from her seat with an even smile before she walked past Clark towards the monitor room. "Two of us will save time and damage," She called back after him. "And it'll give us time to continue this….debate."

A painful groan rumbled inside Clarks stomach as he watched the retreating from of Wonder Woman exit the room. He should have known not to press back and lay his opinion so firmly.

"Not feeling very super are you?" Shayera asked in his ear.

"Remind me to keep my mouth shut next time," Clark suggested shaking his head.

He heard Hawkgirl laugh as he chased off after Diana to begin what would likely be a very long night for him.

Blüdhaven

"How did you convince us to come again?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes listening to Oliver complain. She stood outside the apartment building alongside her two teammates in the dark of night waiting for Nightwing to meet them. Bruce had sent over the coordinates and for now they patiently waited for the former sidekick to show.

Most were patient.

"Should be home."

"Do you always complain this much?" Zatanna asked turning on the archer.

At first when they'd met she'd felt uncomfortable talking to Oliver in such a blatant way. He was after all one of the firs to join the league after the initial 7, so he was looked up to as a mentor and team veteran.

Yet after growing close with Dinah, she'd gotten a more personal relationship with Green Arrow, feeling free to talk like she did with personal friends.

"You don't get used to it," Dinah offered.

Even behind his hood and domino mask they could make out Oliver's eyes rolling. He leaned forward off the brick wall of the alley of the complex and tore his eyes down the street.

"He's here."

The girls turned in the direction Green Arrow was staring but saw nothing. The empty street was soulless, until they heard a small hitch and Dinah shifted back defensively to stare face to face with Dick Grayson

Fists out at him, Nightwing chuckled stepping out from the darkness in the alley. "Bad habit, sorry."

Zatanna felt her heart beat a little faster from her nerves at the surprise jump scare, but relaxed when she saw the familiar face of Bruce's protege. "You startled us."

''Hardly," Dinah argued dropping her fists.

Only Oliver seemed relaxed, knowing what was coming. "So, what's the deal? I'm assuming there's a reason were hiding in the dark inside an alley."

"Batman didn't mention anything?"

Dinah nodded. "We got the reports. If you're searching Mad Hatter then I'm assuming you think whoever is responsible is forcing these people into killing themselves."

Nightwing nodded. "That's a theory, but Bruce thought you guys might have another approach."

Three sets of eyes shifted onto Zatanna as she stepped back in confusion. "Me? I don't have any idea!"

Dinah smiled slightly knowing how little experience her friend had in the field. "Not yet, but let's get to the roof and see what you can find. Bruce requested this mission for you, there has to be a reason."

Dinah's confidence did little to quench the nerves inside Zatanna's stomach but she found herself nodding. "Lead the way Nightwing."

Both Nightwing and Green Arrow quickly repelled to the rough of the building leaving Dinah and Zatanna below. Following suit, Zatanna used her magic to elevate her and Dinah until their boots touched the ground and they joined the guys on the edge of the building where the first suicide had been reported.

Zatanna watched as Dinah joined the others leaving her slightly behind. She felt almost small and reserved. For the first time since she joined the league she was leading an actual mission. It was hardly dangerous compared to most ventures, but the thought remained.

Someones life had been taken, willing or unwillingly, and she had been tasked with finding the truth. That wasn't lost on her as she eyed her hero friends wondering how best to proceed.

Oliver was the oldest, but he remained quiet overlooking the surrounding buildings. Next to him Dinah was shining a light towards where the man had presumably stood before he dropped. And finally Nightwing stood over explaining the other scenes that resembled the one they stood over.

"Anything Zee?"

Shaking away her rust, Zatanna quickly stepped forward at her friends question. She nearly tripped on a pipe but recovered enough to save her embarrassment. The edge was clear, with nothing but gravel and loose garbage. There was no letter left behind, or signs of struggle, or any piece of equipment or tool that could force a man off a ledge.

It was empty.

"If there was a machine or device that controlled their minds or movements I'll hardly be able to tell," Zatanna explained bracing her teammates.

Nightwing smiled reassuringly at her. "I don't think Bruce asked for you thinking that. There's a chance magic was used, who better than you to know?"

She could have stood there thinking about a half dozen or so magic users but Nightwings smile towards her caught her slightly off guard. It was toothless but wide, and the tone of his voice came out as slightly complimentary.

Being somewhat of a celebrity in her everyday life had prepared Zatanna for moments like this when strangers or even friends used compliments and kind words for an invitation into something more. It was a full time gig and grade A headache turning down admirers but somehow it coming from Bruce's protégé just seemed strange compared to others in the past.

At first she thought maybe she was overthinking the statement, but Zatanna quickly noticed Dinah's curious glance from behind, and new the former boy wonder was casually flirting with her.

Must take after Bruce more than he knows. She thought.

Zatanna lowered her eyes and brushed past joining Dinah at the ledge before she lifted her hands and felt the air. Like her father had trained her, she closed her eyes, steadied her heart, and drowned out the others while feeling out the scene that played out.

It was difficult to explain the feeling of searching for both magic and the dead. The struggle between looking through a doorway and jumping into necromancy had always been a battle within, knowing too little and something was missed, and too much and the cross into dark magic would take something from you.

Zatanna's father Giovanni had always cautioned on her experience with the dead knowing the cost, but he also hadn't raised a coward. She knew her limits, and her strengths, and chose to help rather then run.

"Anything?"

Zatanna ignored Dinah's question, straining harder searching but felt short. There was no magic in the air or traces of any spell that had been cast. It was like stepping into a forest without light, shrouded in darkness, trying to find a needle as a clue.

It was almost too easy to get lost, and just when she thought she felt a tug pull her towards a warm fiery glow, a light breeze past, bringing her back to her senses and leaving her empty.

"Nothing," She admitted dropping her hands. Turning back she felt almost defeated. "Without the body there's only so much I can do. A spell could have very well been cast but there's no signs of that here."

"Well unfortunately the body isn't exactly in one piece," Nightwing admitted.

"Then I can't help," Zatanna explained. She could chalk this up as a mission failed. "Maybe Doctor Fate would have a better go at it?"

"Or maybe this man took his life," Dinah jumped in. She quickly made her way towards her friend and laid a hand on her shoulder gently. "There's no clean answer here, regardless of what we find or don't find."

The gesture was appreciated as Zatanna smiled sadly.

"Hmm."

Olivers voice caught both their attention as they turned to see the Archer a few yards away near the edge kneeling in the ground. He had his back to them, but his hand close to his face, appearing to be smelling something on his fingers.

"Anything?" Nightwing asked just asked his communicator beeped. "Damn it's Barbara, give me a minute."

He stepped away leaving both girls to approach Oliver. Dinah took the lead, joining her boyfriend on the ground wondering what he was up too.

"Got something?" She asked.

Zatanna tried to peer over his shoulder, spotting a dark substance meshed into the gloves of her friends. "Dirt?"

"Oil," Oliver corrected. "Motor Oil to be specific."

"Which means?"

Oliver didn't answer leaving Dinah too. "Which hardly means anything. I'm sure there's about a dozen things we'd find up here that'll lead nowhere."

Zatanna almost agreed but kept her eyes on Oliver's gloves. "What's motor oil doing up here on a roof?"

"No clue," Oliver said just as confused. He took a quick sample and stashed it away around his hip. It might have been nothing, but the amount he stood over called for questioning. "Will find out more when I take this back to Watchtower."

"I'll have to meet you there then later," Nightwing announced joining them. He tapped his ear explaining. "Just got word from Babs. Found a location on a Mad Hatter associate not too far from here. I'm gonna go check it out. I'll meet up afterwards if I find anything."

Oliver took that as an end to the mission and stood with a hardened expression. "Then will head up and drop off the results. I'm sure Batman will let us know if this needs more investigating. Good luck."

Nightwing nodded before smiling lightly. "Thanks. Although unlike Batman if you guys wanna tag along I wouldn't care."

Zatanna was thankful the darkness outside covered her face as she felt her cheeks redden at the invitation. Without saying her name, she felt Dick's eyes gaze over her, before watching the whole group.

Last she heard Dick had been dating Barbara, or at least attempting too, so the wanted advances confused her. There was also the fact that it was like watching Bruce's son try and flirt with her, which made it even more awkward.

"I think you'll be fine," Dinah stepped forward saving Zatanna once more. "Let us know what you find."

With a quick nod, Nightwing raced towards the opposite side of the building and left off, leaving the three Justice League members alone on the roof.

"Reminds me of Ollie in back of the day," Dinah said dryly.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Means you hit on anything that moved in a tight coat." Dinah didn't bother with more details, instead turning back to Zatanna who was a little fazed. "Don't mind Nightwing, takes after Bruce's playboy persona too much."
"It's not that," Zatanna reassured. That had been a tad awkward but she felt her eyes graze upon the ledge of the building. There was a pull there but no result. "I thought I'd help more."

She thought about the warmness calling out in the forest in her head but refrained.

"You did help," Dinah said. She jabbed her arm into Oliver. "Right?"

"You did Zee." Oliver agreed before calling out to Watchtower. "Shayera we're ready to come up!"

Zatanna eyes never left the spot as she felt herself disappear back to Watchtower leaving the roof on the apartment empty. The heroes were gone in a flash, making it seem like nothing had ever transpired moments ago.

It was just a regular roof inside the city of Blüdhaven.

No one would ever know who stood there.

Yet on the ground, across the street at the end to the block, a man watched as the heroes vanished. It'd been only a few minutes that they were there on the roof, but they arrived only a few moments after he himself had stood in that very place.

A clue. He thought.

Dwelling on it, the man started his bike and started down the street towards his next target in Metropolis while wondering what to do with the added threat of heroes interfering with his job.