Linksonlygirl- Thank you for review I know what you mean love RJ not a huge fan of RZ but needed the pairing for this one fic hehe
Irenerb- Yay you are still loving it thank you
Bthlovesall-Thank you ery much hope you like this one
CFH- I also take requests but yesh thoughts of a sequel have been heavy but must finish this first
Lin36- Uhm thanks I think lmao and I know I saw that after I started this fic and I was like oh come on my idea seems stolen now wtf lol
Lakeshine- Wow thank you very much and welcome to the review pool so glad you are enjoying just wish it didn't have to endL
Shiary- lol this was such a simple review but made me laugh like really hard for some reason?
OKAY you guys I said the twist for the finale was coming well it is regrettingly here and I hope you all please be very nice to me in your reviews, I know a few saw this coming but I hope it is good regardless and I hope you all stay to see what happens in the end!
…...
Zatana bobbed her head to the beat of the song playing on her mp3 player as she walked down the street. She had gone to the grocery store to get something for dinner, her father had been consumed by work lately and unable to go shopping. Digging her keys out of her pocket she carefully managed to handle holding onto her bags and slide the key home into the lock. As soon as the door was closed she sighed and closed her eyes.
"Mektav to-sue dresu luman", opening her eyes she smiled as the bags floated out of her hands and towards the kitchen. Removing one of the ear buds she looked down the hall and frowned that the house was so dark. "Hey dad Im home!", turning on the hall light she walked down to the kitchen and tilted her head at a note that hung from the fridge.
"Dear Zatana I had to run an errand I will be home as soon as possible. I am sorry but I may be late for dinner.", she read the note aloud and sighed in frustration not only at the horrible penmanship but the fact that she was alone. "Rushed home for nothing, oh goody", she grabbed a box of cookies off the counter and started to open them when she looked at her back pack she had set on the counter. The outer pocket was open, which was odd cause she had remembered closing it when she was at the store.
Walking over she looked in the pocket and reached in only to yelp and pull her hand back, she had accidentally pricked her finger on something. Sticking the injured finger in her mouth she sucked lightly and closed the flap having lost interest in the thing. Grabbing the box of cookies again she headed up stairs to grab a shower before bed, no point in cooking dinner that would get cold.
After polishing off a good portion of the cookies Zatana walked down the hall to the bathroom. As she went to close the door she heard what sounded like someone downstairs. 'Must have left the television on', she brushed the noises off and went into the bathroom. Locking the door as she always did she started up the shower and started to undress. After stepping beneath the spray she whispered a few words and the stereo turned on.
Singing along with the radio she swayed slightly and put her hand out to touch the shower wall, steadying her self. Zatana felt dizzy and a bit nauseous, two things she rarely felt. Finishing up and shutting off the water she paused slightly when she heard an echo to the radio. Grabbing the towel she turned down the volume and listened carefully before unlocking the door and sticking her head out into the hall.
"Dad? Is that you? Welcome home!", she heard mumbling and she came out into the hall. "Give me a minute Ill be down to make dinner!", going to her room she dressed quickly and wrapped her towel around her head.
Coming to the top of the stairs she stopped dead, the front door was wide open, every alarm in her head triggered as she slowly started down the steps. Reaching the bottom of the steps she flipped the light switch but felt a shiver run up her spine as the lights did not come on.
"Zatana…help..me", the sound of her father's voice chased away her sudden want to run out the front door as she looked around the end of the stairs. Gasping she saw her father laying on the floor, blood was coming from his mouth and the wooden floor beneath him was covered as well with the crimson liquid.
"Daddy?", as she approached she felt the house almost tilt as she fell against the wall, looking up she shuddered. Her father was no longer at the end of the hall, the floor was clean, not a speck of blood in sight. "What is going on?", she shook her head but stopped at the sound of foot steps. Looking back she tried desperately to get to her feet as a form was illuminated in the door way.
"If you cant clip a little birds wings then you take away the sky he flies in", as the door slammed she cried out at the sight of the Joker standing there.
"No, please no", she got to her feet and started up the stairs, she was trying to run but her feet felt like cement weights as she was reduced to crawling.
"It's a toxin that the boy wonder helped me perfect, first the side effects are light but then they become much harsher. A heavy body so the prey cant get away-".
"Nallu-em bay-", Zatana choked out the words as her voice left her.
"Then the vocal chords cease to work, leaving the prey unable to scream for help, but the winning feature…", she shook as he turned her over on the steps, tears streaming down her face, "the prey can feel everything.". He dragged a blade over her hand and she opened her mouth, a silent scream leaving her as the Joker chuckled.
…...
M'gann swayed as she pulled out a tray of cookies, the sudden movement causing the tray and the cookies to fall to the floor. Touching her temple she turned to look at Connor as he came into the kitchen to check on her.
"Call the team", he nodded.
"What's going on?", Wally asked as he adjusted his goggles on his forehead.
"I got a really bad feeling, I felt fear, pain. Its someone close to us, someone we know", she shook beside Connor as he wrapped an arm around her.
"What are you talking about?", Roy asked as he listened to her.
"It was fleeting I don't know but I think one of the League or someone we know is in trouble. I have been working very hard on sharpening my skill to hear distress from those around me, those I hold dear", Kaldur looked to Robin and then the others.
"Did you see anything?", she shook her head.
"So we have nothing to go on", Wally rubbed the back of his head.
"No we do, M'gann has only used the link with us and a handful of others, we just have to list the other people she has linked with", Artemis added in. Robin sighed as he listened to the others and lifted his arm to compile a list on his computer when the main screen opened.
"Zatara to Mount Justice", Kaldur stepped forward.
"We read you Zatara, how can we help you?", the magician smiled to Kaldur but his face grew very serious.
"I was wondering if my daughter had returned to the mountain?", he looked at each of them as if searching for her.
"She said she had to be home to meet you?", Robin spoke up but Zatara shook his head.
"I left a note for her to return to the Mountain because I would be at Watch Tower for the evening?", Robin stepped forward.
"She hasn't come back maybe she decided to stay home and wait?", Wally looked to the others. But it was Robin everyone looked to as the color drained from his face, Zatara shook his head as if hearing what the boy wonder was thinking.
"I will call the house again, she must be listening to the music to loud is all", but before Zatara could close the message Robin was running for the zeta tubes, his mind in utter disarray.
The Joker wouldn't take her, she had nothing to do with the team, and she was an under developed young hero. His mind tried relentlessly to make up excuses as the Zeta beam carried him to a dirty closed down photo booth in a back alley. As he ran it was like a blur, he couldn't hear the team yell for him as he left the mountain, he couldn't feel the rain that he knew was striking his body, all he could do was see.
As he came to the street he turned left and pounded down the side walk, the few people with umbrellas that littered the side walk moved out of his path with gasps and muttered words. He passed building after building, the internal map in his brain telling him which turns to take and what to look for. The brick home he skidded to a stop in front of seemed dormant compared to those around it, no lights in the window, no sounds from within.
He knew he should wait for the team, knew there could be a trap on the other side of the door but all he could think of was Zatana. Taking the few steps two at a time he threw his left shoulder forward, the wooden frame groaned before buckling, forcibly opening. He quickly scanned the hall, two disks in hand as he raced through the lower level of the house, no one. Half way up the stairs he froze as sound reached his ringing ears.
"Please….help me…..", the soft whimper was Zatana, continuing up the steps he followed the sounds of her cries. A door that was cracked open caught his attention and he made his way towards it. Taking a deep breath he pushed the door open and stepped into the room, it was dark except for the soft glow of a television which was positioned away from the door he stood in. Moving deeper into the room he could hear her sniffling and he began to calm, she was here.
"Zatana, its me", he spoke softly, but there was no response as she continued to whimper and cry.
"Why is this happening…..What do you want!", she screamed her voice breaking. It was then that Robin's fears were answered, Zatana was not in the room. Turning the television he stared in horror at the sight of Zatana sitting in a chair, her arms, legs, and upper body restrained. She was in a dark room with one light positioned above her to keep her illuminated.
Robin fell to the knees before the television, he could hear the others as they entered the house, it didn't take long for them to find him as he sat staring at the screen. M'gann gasped as Wally turned on the lights and cursed as the room was finally revealed. Robin turned to look at the wall that the others stared at and felt anger build within him as Wally read the words allowed.
"Little bird, our game is far from over. Though your body is free, ill keep your mind with me. It should have been you but you got away boohoo. You will never find her so don't even try, just sit back relax and watch as she dies…", there was silence as Artemis walked to the wall and touched the red lettering, as she turned back to look at the others her face was so pale.
"Its blood", she whispered as everyone looked to the screen