Be Like a Fairytale
"Kaldur look out!"
"Superboy, back up Miss Martian! She can't handle the fire."
"Rocket, Zatanna, Lantern we need shielding immediately."
"Team regroup we need a plan!"
Orders were flying all over the place as both the Team and the League were scattered around Central City Plaza….or at least what used to be Central City Plaza. The heroes were trapped in some sort of twisted dark forest filled with tall black trees and slender branches. Thunder and lightning shook the skies and rough winds blew through the clearing.
The president of the local high school occult club, Manda Waximoff, tried to contact her grandfather via a séance using his old book of the United States Tax Codes. Unfortunately, what the late gramps forgot to mention was that he was the gatekeeper for the sinister and powerful Queen of Fables and that the book was actually her prison. Instead of contacting her grandpa, Manda ended up summoning a tall woman with a purple cape, gold corset, gold crown, and a puffy lavender collar, the Queen of Fables. Immediately, the Queen turned Manda into a wooden doll and began terraforming Central City into her own dark fairytale land. It was all-hands-on-deck for the League and the Team.
"A head-on assault is suicide. We need to distract her."
"Batman is right. She has too much raw power. Even I can't withstand it," commented Superman as he rubbed a bruise on his head.
"Uhhh guys, talk faster! We can't hold her off much longer," chimed in Hal.
Rocket, Zee, and Hal struggled as the Queen summoned a mighty dragon that continuously spewed fire at the group.
"Burn you wretched heroes. Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck. And I am not going back!"
"We need to create openings. Flash, KF, run circles around her and create a vortex. Kick up as much dust as possible to blind her. Team, pair up and run offensive dash right 93 Berlin. Batman, League's your call" ordered Robin.
"Agreed. Diana, you're with me. Superman, Lantern, cover fire. On my mark…."
"Hurry the FUCK up with your mark, Batman!" Zatanna yelled.
Superman leaned close to Robin, "She's got quite a mouth for a Catholic schoolgirl…."
"Tell me about it…."
Ignoring all comments, Batman fired a flare up into the sky, and the heroes began their attack.
Flash and KF ran in opposite directions creating a huge dust storm. Dust, soot, sand, and pebbles flew all into the face of the Queen.
"Cough cough GODDAMMIT! Yall are ruining my eyeliner!"
With the Queen distracted, Superman fired his heat vision and Green Lantern fired an energy beam in a crisscross X pattern trapping her in the middle.
"Argghhh! Ohh that's it. SMAUG!"
The dragon flapped his mighty wings, and the wind blew the two speedsters away clearing the dust storm. But just as quickly, Rocket and Superboy (with the help of Miss Martian's telekinesis), were zooming towards the Queen like two wrecking balls. Both slammed into her knocking her down to the ground. The onslaught did not stop there. Once the Queen got up, Wonder Woman slammed her shield right into the Queen's face. Batman appeared from behind and roundhouse kicked her to the side. Robin with his staff and Aqualad with his water mace both ran up to her and swung their weapons upwards knocking her back. Quickly, Artemis fired a foam arrow that quickly hardened and trapped the Queen to the ground. Unfortunately, the battle was far from over.
"OHHHH YOU'VE DONE IT NOW!"
Her eyes glowed white as the ground rumbled and the foam began to crack. With a huge shockwave, the Queen burst out from the entrapment and opened her book of spells. From the pages a bright light shone and suddenly, a thirty-foot giant holding an enormous club appeared.
"BLUNDERBORE! MAKE THESE PEASANTS BOW TO YOUR QUEEN!"
Quickly Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern flew up hoping to draw the giant's attention away from the rest of the group. In the meantime, Zatanna finally discovered the key to winning the battle
"Guys, her spellbook! That must be the source of her power! We need to destroy it!"
"Sounds good, Zee! Kaldur, any ideas?"
"No Robin, you have a better feel for the situation. You make the call."
"Ok ummm…..pro right 90 Alpha. BREAK!"
As the Team rushed forward to commence their attack, Flash stood that and glanced at Batman.
"Soooo, what do we do?"
Batman could only smirk with pride seeing his young protégé grow up and be the leader Bruce always knew he could be.
"We run support."
M'gann's eyes glowed green as she used to her powers to try and keep the Queen in place. Aqualad's tattoos also began to glow with static surrounding him as Wally ran in circles generating a swirl of lightning. Suddenly, Wally stopped and threw that lightning at the Queen as Kaldur also fired his bolts at her. The lightning hit true to their target as the Queen shook vigorously from the shock.
"MY HAIR…..MY FUCKING HAIR."
She slammed her fist into the ground causing a massive energy wave and knocked everyone back.
"ARTEMIS! QUANTUM ARROW!"
"Wait? What? How do you know about-"
"Just use it!"
Artemis kneeled down and pulled out an arrow with a special metal tip. She fired it as Robin threw his own special silver disc. As the two weapons flew through the air, they illuminated bright blue and an electric line formed between them. The line caught the Queen and the projectiles wrapped around her like bolas. Finally, in front of her, the disc and arrow collided causing a massive explosion.
Through the smoke, a disheveled and frazzled Queen slowly got up and brushed the dust off her shoulders.
"ENOUGH! I HAVE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH THESE MOTHERFUCKING HEROES IN THIS MOTHERFUCKING PLANE OF EXISTENCE" she screamed pointing at Robin, "YOU! I'm taking the quarterback off the board right now!"
With her eyes glowing dark purple, she fired from her hands a bolt of purple lightning. Unable to dodge in time, the lightning struck right through Robin's heart knocking him several yards back. Horrified, Zatanna could only scream for her beloved.
"DICK!"
"Hehe, try calling plays now little boy."
Zatanna whipped her head around clenching her jaw in anger. Air started to swirl around her. Pebbles began rising and circling her. Her eyes glowed bright blue and little lightnings started to spark all around her.
"Oooo whatcha gonna do sparky? Hit me with more lightning? Your boys already tried that"
"I'm gonna fucking roast you alive…."
Dark clouds gathered above Zatanna swirling ominously. A loud crack of thunder boomed throughout the skies. Zatanna raised her right hand and closed her eyes.
"Oelilag yrev yrev yninethgirf…" (Galileo very very frightening)
Multiple bolts of lightning then shot down at Zatanna's hand, almost like they were charging it. Slowly, she lowered her hand and pointed it at the Queen. Finally, Zatanna opened her eyes….and opened fire.
"TLOBREDNUHT DNA GNINTHGIL!" (Thunderbolt and lightning).
A massive blast of lightning shot out from Zatanna's hand barreling towards the Queen. Just before it hit, the Queen could only stare wide-eyed and in awe.
"Oh shit…"
The lightning shook her entire being tearing right through her chest. She was in so much pain that she dropped her spell book and it caught on fire.
"NOOOOOO MY MY SPELL BOOK!"
As the book began disintegrating, the illusions and creatures all around began to fade. The dragon and the giant vanished along with the trees. The heroes were all now back at Central City Plaza. Finally, Zatanna ran out of energy and ceased her onslaught. What remained was a shriveled and wrinkled old body of the Queen of Fables. She laid on the ground just barely breathing completely powerless.
Zatanna collapsed onto her hands and knees and struggled to catch her breath. She could not rest for long though as she immediately got up and clumsily stumbled towards Robin who remained unmoving on the ground. She cried and fell over as she got closer to him and saw a blackened exit wound on his back. While on the ground, she rolled him over and cradled him in her arms.
"Dick?...Dick?...Baby? Talk to me….please…."
She was now full-on sobbing as she saw the extent of the damage. The Queen's lightning had burned the R off his uniform clean off and left another blackened wound where his heart should be. His face was covered with purple veins, and he was writhing in so much pain.
"WALLY! FLASH….ANYBODY! PLEASE! HE NEEDS HELP!"
Secret identities be damned. Zatanna could only scream for help as her boyfriend suffered in agony.
"Dick…baby, stay with me please….."
Hours later, the Team, Batman, Superman, and Diana gathered in the Watchtower infirmary. Dr. Fate was examining Robin attempting to expel the magical affliction. Conner held M'gann close while Raquel put a hand on Kaldur's shoulder. Wally continually paced back and forth in the room. Artemis sat next to Zatanna holding her as she tried to cry but her dry eyes were completely empty. Batman tried to keep a stoic face, but it was getting harder and harder to see his son in such pain. Diana stood by his side and subtly reached out to take his hand, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Superman. Finally, Fate finished his diagnosis.
"The boy is suffering from a polymorphic curse. It is slowly eating away at his cells. The structure of the spell is ever changing which means anything I conjure to counteract the curse will be rendered useless as the curse adapts and mutates. The boy will die. Fate has willed it so."
Almost coldly, Dr. Fate walked towards the door leaving the room of heroes stunned. In a blink of an eye, Batman stood in his way.
"That's unacceptable."
"You asked me to assess the situation. This is the situation. You cannot defy Fate, Batman."
Angered, Batman grabbed the throat of Dr. Fate.
"This course of action is unwise…"
"I'm not feeling very wise right now"
Quickly Diana rushed to Batman's side and placed her hand on the one gripping Dr. Fate. She leaned close to his ear and whispered so softly that only the Kryptonians could hear.
"Bruce, let him go. Please."
Reluctantly, Batman loosened his grip and dropped his hands in defeat.
"SO THAT'S IT?!"
Immediately, everyone turned to the corner of the room.
"We're just gonna let him die?! There has to be another way! There just has to!"
"Child, you do not fully understand the mystic arts enough to-"
"DON'T YOU 'CHILD' ME YOU, FUCKING PRICK! YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER. YOU'RE JUST HIS FUCKING JAILER."
"Watch your tongue…."
"NO. NO I WILL FUCKING NOT. I'VE ALREADY HAD TO WATCH YOU TAKE AWAY MY FATHER RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES. I WILL NOT WATCH YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON THE BOY I LOVE LIKE HE'S NOTHING!"
"Your father is upset at the language you are using."
"FUCK YOU. LET HIM TELL ME HIMSELF, YOU BASTARD."
"ENOUGH!" interrupted Superman, "Let's just…..Let's all take a breather and clear our heads for a minute. This news has us ALL shaken up. We're not in our right minds at the moment. Let's go cool off then regroup and find another solution."
Everyone except Zatanna began clearing out of the room. She sat by Robin's bedside holding his hand.
"Zatanna?"
"Go, Artemis. Let me be with him, please. He's all I have left."
As Artemis left, Zatanna helplessly stared at her boyfriend. They had removed his cape and tunic to bandage his chest and left shoulder. All around his body, the glowing purple veins were spreading. He was still breathing but remained completely unconscious. Now that they were alone, Zatanna removed his mask and placed it on the table. She cupped his cheek as her eyes began to water again.
"Oh Dick. Darling, I'm so sorry. I should've been stronger. I…I should've protected you better. Dick….please don't leave me. You're all I have left. I….I don't think I can handle losing you. You're my reason for getting out of bed every day. Or I dunno, my reason to stay in bed to cuddle with you. I want to be able to trade cooking tips, and to watch Star Wars over and over again with you. I want to cuddle under a warm blanket while we watch Harry Potter and drink butterbeer. I want you to hold me, so I feel safe. So that you can tell me the world hadn't ended. Dick please, if you die….my world WILL end. Dick, baby, bring back the stars to my sky…."
She could not feel any stirring or movement. Just gentle weak breathing. With tears all over her face, she leaned forward close to his face.
"Dick, baby, come back to me…..please."
Gently, she closed her eyes and shifted to kiss him on the lips. She meant to just peck him and pull away, but for some reason she was just stuck there as if time just stopped. All of a sudden, the purple veins turned blue and began receding back towards his chest. She felt him gradually kiss her back. As their lips moved in sync, Zatanna opened her eyes and saw that all those curse veins faded away. She pulled back and felt that he was breathing regularly again. His own eyes opened, and he could feel tears falling onto his cheek.
"God…you're beautiful."
"…oh Dick!"
Zatanna leaned forward and kissed him again. All her worries and grief immediately turned into joy and passion as she slipped her tongue in his mouth and tangled it with his. She climbed into the hospital bed and crawled on top of him never breaking lip contact. She wrapped her hands around his neck and began playing with his hair as he wrapped his own hands around her waist. Eventually the two separated with a SMACK, and Zatanna rested her head on his chest as her tears began soaking the bandages.
"I was so worried about you. I was so scared. I love you too much to lose you like that, Dick."
"I know, baby, I know. But I'm here. I'm ok now…..I'm uh not entirely sure how though."
It took a second, but the gears were finally turning in Zatanna's mind.
"Queen of Fables…..Sleeping Beauty!"
"Awoken by true love's kiss….." Robin finished as he caught onto her logic, "But isn't the prince supposed to kiss the princess?"
"Don't sell yourself short, Boy Wonder. You'd look good in a tiara and frilly pink dress."
"And you'd look stunning in a cape and chainmail."
Zatanna rewarded the tease by repeatedly kissing Dick's cheeks, nose, forehead, ears, eyes, neck, literally every surface of his face.
"Dick?"
"Yea, Zee?"
"Because you live…."
"There are twice as many stars in the sky…."