Be Wary

"Ok, Sebastian, what's really going on here," Zatanna inquired while stirring her coffee.

"Well, let's just say I got my powers from dear ol' dad. Just like you did."

"Uh huh. So, what's your deal then?"

"You're awfully snippy. Trust issues?"

"Everyone in the magical world's got their own agenda. I'm just being careful."

"Ah but you're curious. Why else would you agree to go for coffee?"

Zatanna tensed up and squinted her eyes into a glare. Something about this new sorcerer didn't sit right with her. She brought up her coffee cup for a sip with her left hand making sure her ring was very prominent.

"Didn't know you were engaged. Lucky guy," Sebastian commented.

"You clearly want something. I'm willing to hear you out. That's all."

"Right. Well, I'll just cut to the chase then. I'm part of, shall we say, a study group. We're all magicians, real magicians. We want to learn and grow our powers together."

Zatanna relaxed a little and became more interested.

"Study how?"

"Well, we've all got our strengths and flaws. Our group supports each other and help one another practice. For example, I know your magic comes through your backwards talk, right?"

"Uh ok."

"I can help you get past that little roadblock. With a little practice, you'll be able to just think and do."

"I dunno. This seems a little sketchy. No offense."

"None taken. Come meet the rest of us. Judge for yourself."

Something about this whole ordeal raised red flags for Zatanna. It felt way too good to be true. However, a small part of her did want to find out more about this study group. All her life, magic revolved around just her and her father. She never really had anyone else to ask or relate to about the magical world. Sure, Dick always supported her, and she would always love him for it. But his world was so different from hers. After thinking about it, Zatanna decided one meet up wouldn't hurt.

"Ok. Tomorrow then. Where shall we meet?"

"Excellent. Come to this address. It's where we practice."

Zatanna and Sebastian parted ways shortly after. Once Zatanna was out of earshot, Sebastian pulled out a phone and dialed an unknown number.

"She's in. Now comes the hard part."

Zatanna arrived at Paco's Martial Arts Gym. It really just looked like a regular gym. Inside there was a boxing ring. Punching bags hung all around the open floor. There were some weights and other workout machines along with a few medicine balls and jump ropes to the side.

"Zatanna! Glad you could make it!"

"Hi Sebastian. Good to see you."

"Alright. C'mon let's go to the training ground."

"Um aren't we already here? How'd you manage to rent out a whole boxing gym?" Zatanna asked while awkwardly looking around.

"Oh no this isn't the place. And plus, I know the owner. He's a friend from school," Sebastian smirked.

Sebastian pulled out a gold key and pushed it into the keyhole on a random door. As he turned it, a quick flash of light shone through the hole. He opened the door and gestured her to enter.

"Ladies first."

Zatanna entered and felt the whole world suddenly flip. She felt like she was turned around and entered the gym again, but instead she arrived at a clear meadow. The sky was bright blue with animal clouds moving as if they were real. A cloud gazelle jumped around. A cloud otter happily swam in circles. A cloud bunny hopped and actually waved at Zatanna. As she waved back, she noticed two other people and a giant bright green blob that looked a lot like Flubber from that Robin Williams movie.

"Oh wow, what is this place?"

"It's a pocket dimension kinda like the Room of Requirements from Harry Potter," Sebastian answered gesturing forward, "Come. Let's meet the rest of Mystik U."

"Mystik U?"

"Yea, that's what we call our little study group."

The people and blob from the fields began approaching Zatanna and Sebastian. One appeared to be Hispanic girl with big hoop earrings, curly hair, wearing a white t-shirt and jean overalls. The other was a shyer boy with a turban, a pair of glasses, a button up shirt covered with a blue sweater.

"Zatanna, meet Pia Morales and Davit Sargon."

"Hiya, it's so nice to meet you!" exclaimed the big hoops girl as she excitedly shook Zatanna's hand

"Uhhh hi there," waved whom Zatanna deduced was Davit.

The green blob formed a little arm and waved hello as well. Zatanna could almost make out a face with a smile in the center of the mass.

"Oh right, and this is Plop!" Pia introduced her familiar.

"Hi everyone. Wow, this is so cool. How long have you guys been doing this?" asked Zatanna

"Only a couple of months really. This pocket dimension was a gift from my father's. I found these two around Gotham. Pia here is our resident healer. Davit relies on the Ruby of Life. He's got similar illusion magic just like you Zatanna."

"And what about you, Sebastian?"

"Me? I'm a more well-rounded magician. Transfiguration as I've shown you, among other talents."

"I gotta admit. This is genuinely really cool. I've never really had anyone to talk magic before. Ever since my father erm….passed."

"You mean pledged himself to the helmet of Fate?"

"How did you know that?" Zatanna exclaimed with shock in her eyes.

"It's pretty well known around the magical community. Giovanni was a really powerful and popular magician. We're all so sorry for what happened."

"It's…..It's ok. I've gotten used to it. But I still work everyday hoping to free him from the helmet."

"With our help, you'll get him out in no time!" Pia assured her.

"Why don't we get started now? We're here anyway," asked Davit

"Sounds good to me," exclaimed Zatanna

"Alright alright! Concentrate Zatanna! Concentrate!"

Zatanna strained to hold her rock construct together. To finish out the day, the group decided to have a little avatar battle of sorts. Zatanna and Davit both formed giant rock gladiators with their powers and had a little sparring session. Davit's gladiator landed a solid punch on Zatanna's causing her gladiator to fall to pieces. Zatanna fell backwards a bit falling into Sebastian's arms.

"Easy there pretty lady."

"Uhh Thanks," Zatanna uncomfortably answered and immediately got up.

"Well, I think that's enough for today. You've got a lot of potential Zatanna. With enough training, you'll be the most powerful sorceress there is."

"Thanks, you guys. This has really been eye opening. I'm really glad to have met you all."

Zatanna left the dimension first to prepare for her next show. The other three members of Mystik U stuck around to have a little meeting.

"You sure it has to be her, Sebastian? If we misstep, she could tear all of us apart."

"I concur with Pia. We're walking a very dangerous line here. Maybe there's someone else we can use."

"NO! It's because she's that powerful that we need her."

"Just don't lose sight of the goal and don't get distracted."

Meanwhile

Dick waited patiently in line at a sandwich shop. Spending day and night tracking HFS through the streets worked up a huge appetite. He needed something other that cup ramen and instant rice.

"Hola! Welcome to Paco's Bocadillos. What can I get you?"

"Hi! I'd like a 4 for 4 special, please."

"Ok no problem. Pick your protein and bread and then four toppings, por favor."

"Can I get the steak on wheat please? Along with pickled onions, tomatoes, pepperjack cheese, and banana peppers with Chipotle sauce?"

"Coming right up!"

Dick grabbed a ticket and stood to the side eagerly awaiting his lunch. Just then, the door opened and two people walked in. One wore a leather jacket while the other tucked in his shirt and wore a beige jacket. Both wore police badges around their necks.

"Jake! Why can't I pick the spot for lunch?" asked the guy in beige.

"Because, Charles, and I'm telling you this as your best friend, your choice in food sucks. Besides, you love Paco's! You wrote in your blog that he's a top three sandwich guy in all of Bludhaven," leather jacket dude replied.

"That is true."

"Plus, he owns a martial arts gym up in Gotham. Dude's a total badass. And look! He's got the 4 for 4 special today!"

"That is a good deal."

Dick tuned out most of the conversation. After his initial run-in with the lazy cops in the 69th precinct and him nearly getting blown to bits, he had become incredibly wary of Bludhaven cops. One thing did however pique his interest.

"So, Jake, any headway on that new street drug."

"Huh? HFS? I dunno man. I keep running into dead ends."

"How come?"

"All the dealers I catch keep trying to play it off as oxycodone or Xanax. No one is talking. It's almost like they're protecting someone. I think there's a bigger operation in play."

"You have great instincts, Jake. Your detective brain is always cooking something good. Oh, what I'd give to suck that head of yours dry."

"…Charles really?"

"For knowledge Jake! Knowledge! You're so smart."

"C'mon man. Think before you say. Think!"

"…..I don't get it."

"Anyway, I think I can rattle one guy. I think he's a little higher up than a dealer, but rumor has it he's a bit of a wuss. Larry Muntz. I know he's got important intel, but he's the chair of Beary Bears. God if only Captain Wilson would just let me interrogate him."

"Yea! You and me, we'll get him to sing!"

"Actually, I was hoping to do it with Rosa."

"What!? Jake c'mon! What can Rosa do that I can't?"

"Instill the fear of God and Satan into a perp with just a look?"

"….fair point. She is a much better bad cop than I'd ever be."

By this point, Dick had gotten his steak sandwich and headed out the door. Finally, he got a lead. Time to find Mr. Muntz.

"Alright. Thank you, Leslie. You go on home. I'll finish up here," Larry Muntz told his secretary.

He sat down at his desk, opened a drawer, and put a cigar in his mouth. He dug around a little looking for a lighter. Just then, a click could be heard and a gloved hand held a lit lighter in front of Larry.

"Let me get that for you."

Shocked, Larry pushed his chair back and hit the wall behind him.

"What the! Who the….what the hell are you doing here?!"

"I just wanna ask a few questions. That's all."

"You…this ain't your town."

"No, but your business is bleeding into my town. Which now makes it my business."

"I ain't talking. You can't make me talk. You're not the Bat! The Bat makes people shit their pants. You're just a kid."

Angered, Robin flipped the desk with one hand spilling papers all over the place. He grabbed Larry's tie and growled.

"Wrong answer."

"Alright alright! I'll admit it! I'm not actually vegan. I have a cheeseburger every night before bed."

Confused, Robin stood back up and just looked at the guy.

"What? No not that. I don't give a damn about that."

"You don't?"

"No! I want to know, what's the chair of a local teddy bear distribution chain got to do with the spread of HFS."

"Ohhhhh. I uh….have no idea what you're talking about."

At this point, Robin gripped the tie tighter and lifted the man by his collar. He slammed him against the wall.

"C'mon Larry. Just admit it. You're stuffing the pills into bears and shipping them all around Bludhaven aren't you?"

"No man. You don't get it. I sing, the Big Man will come and get me."

"Big man's not here. I am."

"No no not the Bat. Big Big man."

"Big Big ain't here. I am."

Robin gripped the neck a little tighter. Finally, Larry tapped Robin's hand and gave in.

"Alright alright! I'll talk. I'll talk. Only a few of my distribution plants are being used to spread HFS throughout the city. I-I can give you their locations. They're on my laptop They're just like you said. We stuff them into teddy bears and the dealers pick them up at specific toy stores. That's all I do. I swear!"

"Who makes the drugs!"

"I don't know. We just get the bags and stuff them into bears. Honest! That's all I am to them."

Realizing that's all he'll get out of Larry, Robin handcuffed him to the chair. He walked over to Larry's briefcase and pulled out a laptop.

"I can give you my password," Larry cried.

"No need."

"But, how will you…"

"I'm already in….Jeez man use incognito mode!"

After closing the questionable sites Larry was on, Robin found the files detailing all the drug shipments and distribution plant locations. He copied the info onto a drive in his glove and left the laptop on a chair.

"You're gonna let me go right? No hard feelings?"

"Cops are on their way. I think they'll be interested to check out those files on your laptop."

"Wait what! No! You can't leave me with the cops. I'm as good as dead if you leave me with them."

"Jail's not that bad, Mr. Muntz"

Larry scrunched his face and closed his eyes in frustration.

"No, you don't understand! The cops are on….." Larry stared in disbelief as Robin already disappeared, "….on his payroll."

Robin arrived back at his suite at the Sherl Hotel. He changed into some loungewear and plopped on the couch. He looked at his phone and sighed. Over the past few hours, he's sent over eight texts to his wonderful girlfriend ranging from "Hey babe, miss you," to "How are you? Hope the show's going well." No response all day.

"She's probably just really busy. Mistress of Magic's getting super popular after all."

He got up to pop some popcorn and turned on the TV to watch the Dallas Mavericks play the New York Knicks. He tried to enjoy Dirk Nowitzki dunking on some poor Knicks scrub, but one thing Larry said tonight really bothered him.

"…I'm not Batman."

AN: Thanks again to 4shur4 for being the inspiration for the Mystik U training ground. Check out his amazing Chalant fics such as Morf Z ot A and Weathering with You. As always, come hang with other Chalant fans at our discord /Mzd5ABNSz9