Chapter 9 – The Doctor's House

Somewhere Over America

The Batplane soared through the dark cloudless sky, invisible and undetectable to anyone save to those whom its pilot wished to see it. Sleek and angular and graceful, it cut through the cold night speeding to its destination unimpeded.

Batman didn't really have to navigate his plane, as it didn't require manual guidance until it was at the end of its journey; despite that he focused his attention on the control-panel nevertheless, making sure everything was as fully operational as he wanted.

Zatanna sat beside him in the passenger seat, still amazed at being in such a technologically advanced aircraft, although she tried not to show it like a dweeb. She was reminded of Baron Winter's complaint that magic was no longer a force in the world – well, here was one reason why. This, and the mind of the man who had created it. She barely felt any motion and it was virtually soundless in the cockpit.

Soundless that is except for Cyborg's voice coming over the speaker, sounding as if he were right there in the cockpit with them: "Looks like it's quiet at your destination and all around it. Target lives some way out of town so you won't be disturbing any of the neighbors, there's that at least. He has a two-story ranch-style house down a private road five miles off the highway. There's a car parked in the driveway so I bet he's home, that and there's at least one heat signature inside the house."

"Good," Batman replied flatly. "Keep communication silence until we land. I don't want even a hint of a chance for them to know we're coming. Batman out."

Zatanna glanced aside at him. His jaw was set in that hard and grim way that meant he was all business. Of course he always looked that way when he was in the suit, but right now he looked especially forbidding, the kind of discouraging-talking-forbidding, so she decided not to say anything.

But he surprised her when he initiated conversation.

"Are you ready?" He asked quietly.

She reached inside her coat and produced a thin black rod, about seven inches long. Batman thought it looked like metal but he couldn't be sure. "Is that your…wand?"

"Well, that's not quite the right word but…yes it is. I only use it for certain magickal work."

Bruce stared at it curiously until she quickly put it back in its pocket. He returned his focus back to the control panel. "Do you think this Fenderbrake knows magick?"

Zatanna shrugged. "Anything's possible. If you're asking me if he's homo magii…I don't know. There are homo magii among every ethnic group on the planet. But even if he's not that doesn't mean he doesn't know some craft. People can dabble all they want."

Like Constantine, Batman thought although he didn't say it. He should have tried harder to bring the man around, as his knowledge would have been useful. But he knew Zatanna wouldn't have liked it. She was barely on board with all this herself, he knew.

"You still don't agree with me." He said bluntly.

Zatanna gave a deep sigh. "It doesn't matter, I volunteered to help the Justice League. I understand the bit about 'knowing your enemy.' I just don't understand why…why you want to understand it so much."

He explained carefully. "Something happened to me on Themyscira. I don't remember much of it, but I know something did happen, at the very end when I was caught up in that maelstrom that nearly engulfed the island. It was only seconds, but it was like I was in another place, another...reality. I felt…different."

Zatanna said nothing for a long moment. Her fists were clenched in her lap. At first Bruce thought she wouldn't reply but then she said:

"Did you know my father dyed his hair?"

"What?" Bruce stared at her, wondered what that had to do with what he'd just said.

"He dyed it jet-black, just like you see on all the posters. I can still smell it, I think, sometimes. Nobody knew it wasn't natural for years, only a few people knew, including me, and they thought he did it to to look good for his shows, and all that male Italian vanity crap. Only I knew why he really did it. His hair turned snow-white when he was still a young man…because he saw what lay in the Outer Darkness, and he didn't die or go mad. That's something you can't really explain to people."

Zatanna looked at him. "I know you don't believe it but it's a blessing you can't remember. Most people with this knowledge, they regret it."

"Fenderbrake isn't dead," Bruce pointed out. "Whatever he's doing, and I'm sure he doesn't regret it at all."

She pursed her lips and said nothing. For several minutes there was nothing except silence in the cockpit. She should have known then he wouldn't be dissuaded by anything she said, he was just too stubborn.

But he surprised her by what he said next.

"I know they're talking about us," Bruce said quietly, in a different tone of voice. "Does it bother you?"

"What?" Zatanna was surprised at the change of conversation. "What, I mean…no, not at all." She didn't think he'd want to talk about that during their mission. She wondered which 'they' he meant: their Justice League friends or the press? "Um...what about you?"

He gave an almost imperceptible shrug of his shoulders. "No. Of course people will talk. I just wondered if…you were upset by it."

She hadn't expected that. She couldn't imagine Bruce reading the gossip news, but she supposed he did it to keep up his 'image.'

"I'm a little in the public eye, already. I admit, though, I'm not used to anyone caring who I'm, um, dating. I…assume that's what we're doing."

She made it sound like a question. It almost seemed like he was deliberately trying not to look directly at her. But she took that for an assent. She grinned.

"My manager Charly warned me about you," she added playfully. "She said you were a dangerous playboy, and that I should avoid you."

"She's probably right," Bruce muttered without the same levity.

The smile faded from Zatanna's face. "You don't mean that."

"I know you can 'take care of yourself,'" Bruce said. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"How could I forget it?"

Two years ago…

Zatanna had received a message from Detective Frazier, her contact at the San Francisco Police Department. He was her liaison for the so-called 'Midnight Shift,' the police branch that handled weird occult matters whenever they popped up, and vetted psychics for work on missing persons cases. Frazier's own boss, now long-retired, had been her father's liaison when he was alive. She had wanted to continue his work helping law enforcement.

Lately, he hadn't called her, but this time he'd asked to meet her at a popular little coffee shop in the Haight-Ashbury. He didn't initially say what it was about, so she was intrigued. She met him just before the noontime lunch rush; he was a pleasant-looking man in his middle-forties, happily partnered to an older man, an emigrant from Brazil. Despite his affability, she knew he was a tough cop who'd put away some infamous crews. She trusted him.

"Hi Mark!" Zatanna saw that he had already taken a table. She always used his first name when out in public. She saw that he was in casual civilian dress too, although she knew he always kept a concealed sidearm under his jacket.

"Hi Zee," Mark Frazier smiled at her but she saw a trace of tenseness around his mouth. "It's been too long! I'm glad to see you looking well. I heard you're finally going to be on TV?"

They exchanged the usual pleasantries, a bit longer than usual, which made her wonder what was up. She hadn't heard of any big cases in the news.

After they'd ordered their lattes, her policeman friend finally got around to it.

"Well, it's been quiet for awhile on the midnight shift," he explained. "But that's not why I wanted to meet you. We got a message for you through our unofficial channels."

Zatanna was surprised."From who?"

For the first time, Frazier looked uncomfortable.

"There's a…certain person who wants to meet you. Privately."

"Wow, I didn't know you all were running a dating service too!" Zatanna joked but he didn't smile.

"I don't think it's that kind of meeting. The message came like this."

He reached into his coat and brought out a small thick card, like a business card. He laid it flat on the table, his big hand covering it completely, and pushed it across to her. When he removed his hand she saw what was printed on it. No words, just an image.

When she saw it, Zatanna's heart nearly stopped, whether from excitement, or excited fear, she still didn't know, and then it was like there was nothing and no one in the café except for her and Detective Frazier.

"Is it…real?" She whispered.

Frazier nodded. "This was delivered through our 'channel' that works in Gotham City. 'He' wants to meet you."

"Me?" Zatanna heard her voice come out weird and squeaky. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "But…why me?"

"I guess he's heard about you, and what you do for us. He didn't exactly say what he wants, he only gave a time and place…and your name, alone."

Frazier glanced quickly around to make sure no one was listening. "Listen, Zee, you don't have to go through with this if you don't want to. I know you've done nothing wrong, and I heard this guy can be dangerous to those he doesn't like. Anyway, this is San Francisco, not that shithole Gotham, we can give you protection-"

Zatanna shook her head. Her heart was beating fast, but she realized she was actually very excited. "No…no I'll meet him and find out what he wants. Besides…I don't want to get any of our people hurt, if he's really like that."

Of course the meeting place was down by the docks, and in the middle of the night: a nice empty and dark wide space lit by sparse street lamps. No one was around, not even homeless people. No one would be out here if they didn't have to.

She had made certain to dress in her best working costume. She arrived a little early, but of course she didn't see anyone about, certainly not a giant bat-person.

It was cold, and she could see her breath, and the fog was thick. She guessed she must have waited for half an hour, and was on the verge of leaving altogether – maybe the whole thing was just some kind of hoax – when she heard rather than saw something very big and very black drop down right in front of her.

She gasped and nearly jumped a foot back.

"Thgil!" She shouted instinctively.

Zatanna saw him for the first time then, and she could see for herself how this thing had become the fear of Gotham. She had to resist an instinctive urge to turn round and run the opposite direction as fast as she could.

"Nice trick," it spoke, and for the first time she realized there was a real man inside that suit. "I wonder if can you do anything else?"

"I can do a lot of things!" Zatanna said defensively, and at least her voice didn't come out squeaky. "Are you really the Batman?"

The huge form said nothing and she realized it must have been a dumb question. What was he going to say, 'No'?

She tried again."What…what do you want?"

"I'm looking for individuals to help the Justice League," the Batman strode towards her, and she resisted another urge to step back. It – he – was tall and built like the proverbial brick shithouse. "I have heard that there are individuals in the world who can do so-called real 'magic.' Is that for real or are you just another stage actor?"

Something about his voice and the way he said 'just another' rubbed her the wrong way. She folded her arms in indignation.

"What the heck is this, an audition?" She demanded.

"Yes!"

Faster than she could believe, he flung something at her. She dodged just in time, as a pair of darts, or something, thudded into the pole behind her. She whirled and stared about – he had disappeared!

"What are you doing?" She cried out. He could have hurt her with those!

"Do you help people, or do you just trick the police, or people, and take their money?" Batman's accusing voice echoed from somewhere. She tensed.

"What is it with you? Where are you?"

For a moment, total silence, and she strained to see even in the pool of light that surrounded her. She was sure he was hiding in the darkness but-

There was a whoosh! and Zatanna lost her balance as the Batman's large cape brushed against her, knocking her down. She landed awkwardly on her butt, wincing. Now she was pissed!

The Batman was in front of her again and stared down at her, looking decidedly unimpressed.

"You have a history with the San Francisco Police," he rasped in that harsh voice. "They seem to be impressed with you. Myself, not so much. It seems before you started your professional 'career' as a stage magician, you hung out with a crowd of druggies and occultist wanna-bes. You and a man named John Constantine were arrested two years ago in London for a B&E of a magic shop, among other mischiefs."

"What? No, wait, there was a good reason for that, it was…hey, why are you poking into my history?" Zatanna gasped.

"I'd hoped you might be an asset, even people with a shady history could be helpful to us, but perhaps not."

He had turned to go, his cape swirling before him, and Zatanna jumped to her feet.

"You want to see some real magic?" She growled. "Dnoub yb sniahc!"

The look on the Batman's face as he was encircled by the chains and tied to the same pole where his darts were embedded was most gratifying. She stood with her hands on her hips, smiling contentedly as he struggled. Maybe she should have agreed to have Frazier and his cops here to see this! What pictures they could have gotten!

"There! I hope you liked the show!" Zatanna laughed derisively. "Have a nice day!"

She turned on her heels to leave – let the dockworkers find him in the morning! – but a grating sound made her turn around. She had never been so shocked to see the chains she'd conjured lying in a heap on the ground, with no Batman around. She had never seen anyone escape like that before!

"And I thought I was a good escape artist!" She whispered to herself.

"A very good trick," Batman said from the darkness. "I recognize what you said, only you said it backwards didn't you?"

She spun around and staggered back as he was right before her, blocking her path.

"Is that your usual M.O. to speak backwards?"

His voice sounded genuinely curious. She found herself stammering in reply.

"Uh…uh, yes, usually, it depends on…I don't always use it."

"Do you use it as a weapon? Or can you do other things with it?" He seemed to loom over her, demanding an answer.

"I can…use it to learn things." Zatanna replied meekly.

"Like what?"

"Oh, just…" Then it just occurred to her. "…things like your real name! Llet em ruoy laer eman!"

"Bruce Wayne," he replied immediately. Then his mouth dropped open.

She couldn't help herself this time: she barely managed to stifle the giggles with her hand at the look on his face, which was truly priceless. Which was probably a good thing, since his next expression indicated he just might punch her right in the nose. She raised her hands defensively. His real name had meant nothing to her, not then, not until she thought about it later...

"Why!" The Batman's big hands clenched into fists and he took an angry step forward towards her, his voice roaring. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Hold on! I'm sorry! Really I am! I just couldn't….I just wanted to know who you really were, is all. I won't tell a soul, I promise!" Zatanna said, very fast.

He just glared at her, his teeth clenched from what she could see of his face not hidden by the cowl. There were a few seconds of very tense silence. Then, she ventured timidly

"So…do I get to join?"

Zatanna didn't know if Bruce had ever told the others the details of their first meeting (she doubted it), but without it ever being announced in a big, grand way, she soon found her way onto the Watchtower and the Hall of Justice, and met a ton of really interesting people, to say the least. At first she'd thought they'd be standoffish, but most were really friendly (except that big birdman alien). But she hadn't really had a chance to do anything until Batman had disappeared. Then...

"I should have told you earlier," Bruce said, bringing Zatanna back to herself. "I mean, I wanted you to know…I think of you as more than just a friend…I mean…"

Now Zatanna was really surprised. She saw that he was staring quite hard at his control panel, and seemed to be struggling for the right words. No wonder he wanted a communication blackout.

"You're not like the…the others." He finally said.

"Others?" Zatanna raised an eyebrow.

She almost thought she saw a blush run along his exposed jawline.

"Other women I've…dated. Don't think…please don't think I'm just using you, Zee. I just don't want you to be hurt. People around me, that…happens. I wanted you to know that before…in case something happens tonight," he added even more quietly.

Zatanna found herself at a loss for words. She hadn't expected Bruce to talk like this.

"Whatever happens," she found herself saying. "I won't have any regrets, for anything. I mean it."

Batman didn't so much as look at her or change expression, but she knew he had heard her. For a moment, just a moment, she wondered if she should confess what she did, when she first tried to seduce him...

A proximity alert in the cockpit went off and Bruce straightened, and she knew that he was now all Batman. She shivered, but only for a moment.

"We're almost there," he said. "I'm going to put us down behind that cleft."

They would still be at some distance from Fenderbrake's home. Bruce deftly landed the plane, and again it was such a vehicle that she almost didn't feel the landing. They exited quickly into the darkness.

Although it was night out, it was still very warm, the Santa Ana or 'devil' winds as they were known in this region of the country bringing hot weather and fire hazards. Zatanna saw the lights of the house as distant glowing pinpricks.

Batman stood beside her. She heard him talking to Cyborg. "Is he in the house? Can you provide a schematic now?"

"The heat signature is still there, someone moving from room to room. One person, I can't detect any more. For some reason, I'm having trouble developing a schematic of the house. Something about how it's built, I don't know."

"It doesn't matter," Zatanna said. "I can teleport us inside the home, like we'd planned, now that I've seen it."

Batman looked at her, his expression hard and unreadable in the dark. "Are you ready?"

Zatanna nodded. "Then let's go," he ordered.

She raised her hands and spoke one word: "Yawa!"

On the opposite side of the house, about equally far away as the Batplane, Flash and Hawkgirl kept a watch on the place from a vantage point half-hidden by a long-discarded traffic berm. So far it seemed quiet, a Chevy Suburban parked in the broad circular driveway. In the distance they heard the howling of coyotes, even fainter sounds of highway traffic, but for all intents and purpose the builder of this house had intended it to be isolated. Shayera, with her stronger hearing, thought she heard the sound of a TV inside the house, but nothing else.

They saw a shadow drop soundlessly and vertically down from the clouds – the Batplane.

"Man, if Batman finds out we're here we're going to be toast. We're not supposed to be here." Barry Allen muttered, hopping from foot to foot. Hawkgirl said nothing to that, watching the house as carefully as…well, as a hawk, he thought. "You haven't said why you think we ought to be here, do you suspect a trap?"

"Wouldn't you, after everything that's happened?" Shayera muttered. "I didn't want to say this in front of everyone, but I don't think Batman's really thought this through as he should have. He should have the whole League out here, not just going solo."

"He's got Zatanna with him."

"I respect Zatanna's powers, but remember what happened the last time they went off together?" She wondered if she should tell Barry her Thanagarian partner's suspicions, but decided not to. Talak was just being ridiculous. Zatanna was not the danger here. She didn't want to believe it, anyway.

Barry looked unconvinced. "That was a fluke. Probably nothing's going to happen. This Fenderbrake guy, he's just a doctor, even if he's working hand-in-glove with Waller. He might have a gun, but I bet he's not even trained."

Shayera shrugged. "Well, then, we made a little extra trip. Beats watching TV, anway."

Barry laughed. "You might be right! Anway, I heard good news: Superman's going to be back soon!"

Hawkgirl looked surprised. "What, you mean his powers have come back?"

"Um…no, but Diana convinced him to come back and work. I guess she got tired of him being gone."

"Huh," she murmured. "Well…it would do for him to put on the suit and appear in front of people. Half the planet thinks he's dead, and the other half thinks there's some conspiracy going on."

"Batman would never allow that. One nutball firing a gun at him, and…"

"I know," Shayera sighed. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I feel sad for your people. I don't meet that many races so suspicious and angry of people trying to help them."

"Yeah. It's just our history I guess." Barry looked embarrassed.

Shayera felt abashed and tried to change the subject. "Any word on when Green Lantern will be back?" He still had not returned from Oa.

Barry shook his head. "He sent a little message, saying he was still waiting for an audience with the Guardians. They're keeping him waiting, sounds like. He sounded really impatient. I wonder if he's doing anything else."

Shayera snorted. "Partying it up with all his green friends while we pick up the slack."

"Nah, he wouldn't do that." But Barry smiled nonetheless.

They continued to watch the house. "Surely they're in by now?" Barry said.

"Maybe they're asking the good doctor some questions," Shayera replied. "I'm sure Zatanna can get the truth out of him, if Batman hasn't beaten it out of him already."

"I don't think he would hit an old guy."

"Hmph. Maybe that old guy though," Shayera's mind drifted again to Hawkman's allegations. She liked Zatanna, but it was true, she didn't know much about the 'magic' force that was practiced on this planet. She didn't really believe in it, but it apparently worked to some degree. Batman must believe in it too, or otherwise he wouldn't have asked Zatanna for assistance.

"Why is Batman so interested in Zatanna?" She heard herself asking, and some part of her was surprised she voiced that thought aloud.

Barry of course thought she was asking him. "Uh...well...it must have something to do with these weird happenings, like we discussed. But...if you mean personally...I don't know if that's really true," he added slowly. He realized a part of him had been wondering that as well. "I never thought-"

Suddenly all the lights in the house went off and the immediate area was bathed in darkness. Both Flash and Barry started.

"What's going on?" Shayera exclaimed.

"Looks like Bats and Zee are in," Barry said quickly. He braced himself, expecting to hear gunfire, but for a tense minute there was nothing but silence.

"I don't like this," Shayera said ominously. "We better get down-"

A hideous sound then boomed out from somewhere inside the house, a sound that neither Flash or Hawkgirl had ever heard before, something that sounded like a cross between a thunderclap and a scream.

"What the hell!" Goosebumps had risen all over Barry's skin.

Shayera stared with wide eyes at the darkened house. She could detect no movement, and heard nothing else, but there was a glow she could detect through the windows, she thought she saw a light…

"Let's go!" She shouted. "They're in trouble! I know it!"

To be continued…

[A/N: Another short chapter (with a cliffhanger!) but I wanted to get something out before the end of the month! What the heck is going in the doctor's house will be revealed soon! I am not sure what chapter to write next, as I am toying with the idea of a Harley/Joker interlude, or I may go back to where we left Diana and Clark and make sure they're ok! Again, would love any readers' input, and thanks so much for continuing to read the story! Please review as always!]