Operation Magic- Part III

"You ready?" M'gann asked Conner, who was dressed in a motorbike jacket with his usual cargo pants and boots, paired with a black ski mask over his face.

"This plan is stupid." He grumbled, eyeing the Team in the empty park from behind the bushes and trees.

"We don't have time for anything right now, we just have to wait for Batgirl's signal." She told him sternly, morphing into a woman with brown hair, blue eyes and a built figure, placing her own ski mask on.

"What was the signal again?" He asked, watching the new teammate perform some gymnastics routine.

"That's it!" She exclaimed quietly, "Ready?"

"No."

Come on, she thought, eyeing the spot in the bushes she had seen them sneak in.

She had just finished her routine, the signal, and everyone was here, including Zatanna and Robin- who could flee at any moment. And from what she could see everyone was eagerly anticipating the moment they would have to act like Zatanna was actually being taken.

Then out of no where, M'gann must have been in camouflage mode, a woman that looked very muscular and angry grabbed Zatanna, putting a piece of cloth over her mouth so she couldn't speak and proceeded to run away, flanked by a built male figure who was to be assumed to be Conner.

The Team- Robin- pounced into action. Aqualad bringing out his water bearers and Aquagirl rushing over to the pond nearby, both bringing their weapons of water out. Wally bringing out his goggles and putting them over his eyes, speeding to run circles around the two 'kidnappers'.

M'gann mentally apologised before Connor punched him, sending him flying back into the ranks of the Team. But he quickly shook it off and regrouped with the others.

Artemis brought out a collapsible crossbow and started shooting arrows at them, but it was too late. The two ski mask criminals were gone.

"How could they have gotten away?" Robin yelled, running a frustrated hand through his hair, the sunlight glinting off his dark sunglasses.

"What do they want with Zatanna?" Raquel asked lowly, casting her eyes downwards.

"I don't know, we should head back to the cave- see what's we can find." Kaldur sighed, bowing his head solemnly.

Artemis smiled at Batgirl knowingly, before catching up with the group- grabbing hold of Wally's hand. Barbara looked back at Dick, who was still standing there- looking out to where they saw their last glimpse of Zatanna.

"Hey Dick?" She called, tapping her best friend on the shoulder. "Dick." She said more forcefully, coming around to face him.

"She's gone." He whispered, but as far as she could see he could be tearing up under those glasses, or just being frozen over.

"And we'll get her back, but we have to look over everything first at the cave." She insisted, "Let's go."

"Alright." He sighed, turning to leave and catch up with everyone else.

Barbara knew she shouldn't be smiling at a time like this, but it was so obvious that he had more than a crush on Zatanna. It was at least a mutual like between the two, but she had never seen him so down before- maybe it was combined with the fact that another person in his life had gone missing.

Great, now she felt guilty.

M'gann? Can you hear me?

I can hear you, Batgirl.

Is she okay?

Zatanna's fine, just…um… knocked out.

You knocked her out? That wasn't part of the plan!

Well I didn't know she could kick so hard, and then she nearly got away.

Okay, look. Where are you now?

Um…in the cave.

You hid her in the cave? Are you serious?

I'm sorry- we didn't have anywhere else to go and we panicked, well I panicked. Conner just followed.

Well, you know she has a tracker on her right? Batman installs one of each of our uniforms.

He what?

Only the ones he can get to, like yours he can't.

So we have to move her before you get back and look for the tracer?

Bingo. Move her to Jump City or something.

How?

Zeta there! Fly! Anything, we're about ten minutes from the cave- you've got five to get her out before we could have any sight of you. Get her out, this has to be perfect.

Fine, we're leaving now. Good luck on your end.

Okay, so they had a serious problem.

Well she did, as far as the Team knew.

They had stashed her in the cave, and what she said about the tracers- partially true. She knew he put tracers on her and Robin's uniform, but she had no idea how it worked for the rest of the Team. Hopefully they did or she would have to ask M'gann to drop some pretty obvious and annoying clues.

"Batgirl?" Artemis called, bringing Barbara back to her surroundings- they had just arrived at the cave.

"Yeah?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Blocking out any eavesdroppers that could want to hear what they were about to discuss.

"You have a plan?" Artemis asked, knowing that she wouldn't go far to hurt Zatanna. This was just a plan to get her and Robin together- something that should have happened the first time they met.

"M'gann and Conner have zetaed to Jump City. Please tell me there are tracers on your uniforms." She begged- she really should've thought this through more.

"We do." Artemis said, "Kind of creepy- but we do."

"Oh, thank god." She breathed a sigh of relief.

It would have been mighty hard to try and find a way for Dick to get to her without knowing that this whole thing had been set up by her and the team.

"How long do we have to drag this out?" The archer asked nervously.

"Not long, we'll wrap it up by midnight- tops." She replied easily, yes- she had planned this out. Yes, it was probably because Bruce had given her constant reminders that the plan- he didn't know what it was- couldn't run for very long.

"Good." She said, turning to walk away. "And welcome to the team, rookie."

The team were huddled around the computer, which had been filled with files and satellite images. Robin was currently in the process of pin pointing Zatanna's location. Down to the closest millimeter, the last sliver of hair and trace of her he could possibly find.

"Robin, perhaps we should call the League about our predicament?" Aqualad suggested, per suggestion from Raquel, just to make things look less suspicious.

"I've tried, there's a signal jamming all radios out of the cave. I don't want to waste time overriding that when we need to find Zatanna. Plus, they're probably busy on a world-ending mission." He rebuffed, triple checking his findings before moving onto the next stage.

"If you think it best." He solemnly said, backing down and joining the rest of the Team on the other computer screen, who were monitoring video feed around the city they had located her to be in.

The soft beeping of data being transferred between devices was the only sound that could be heard in the room, missing the normal spark and dynamic that the Team brought to the cave.

"I found her." He announced, bringing up satellite images and co-ordinates, the Team rushing around him to have a look at where she had been 'stashed'.

"Jump City High School?" Wally asked, his mouth full with food, so it came our as 'hump shifty hu skull?'

"Are you absolutely sure?" Artemis asked, "I mean- are you absolutely sure?"

"See for yourself, I've triple checked every stage of the findings. Triple checked the end finding and triple checked the co-ordinates." He said, turning to face Artemis.

"Just checking." She smirked at him, boy he was whipped.

"Let's head out." He grumbled, narrowing his eyes so the whites of his mask were just lines. "We should make it before dinner."

Clearing out and exiting the room they made their way to the bioship, which M'gann (thankfully) had prepped before her departure. And gladly Robin was too engrossed in finding Zatanna he didn't question M'gann and Conner's whereabouts.

This is it. Barbara thought.

They were finally going to get together, finally.

She wouldn't have to pretend to not know about anything at school, although there was still Artemis to account for. She could openly tease him about it, not that she hadn't before. Plus she could feel the satisfaction of knowing that her best friend found love because she initiated this plan.

Oh yes.

Her plan was pure bat-brilliance. Which really was a major step up from normal brilliance.

The only problem after today would be explaining to Bruce, or more importantly- Batman, her plan and why it was essential to bringing the two love doves together, and not going with a simple: lock them in a closet so they make out.

But he would understand, from what Dick tells her he gets around as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. Billionaire playboys, eh? Can't trust 'em with nothin'. Too busy looking good for the cameras or hiding in shadows and stalking people.

The ride to Jump City was unexpectedly long and boring. Not to mention the coldness that surrounded Robin like the plague, boy he would kill them if he found out.

And she really wondered at times, why they didn't just zeta to missions- it would be faster, time consuming, and generally more efficient. Plus helped those out who were prone to air and motion sickness- not that she had any of them.

"ETA five minutes, get ready for landing." Artemis called from her position in the driver's chair, or the captain's chair- or the chair. Things became that much more complicated after you added martians into the mix.

"Opening entrance." She called, "Were here."

"Team." Aqualad said, calling everyone to attention. "We don't know what were up against. But we will fight to get Zatanna back. We have already looked over blue prints of the school, and Robin's location suggests she is somewhere in the west wing of the building."

Batgirl?

"We are splitting into two teams, the first team will be myself, Kid Flash, Rocket and Batgirl. We will be searching the first level of the west wing. The second team is Robin, Artemis, and Aquagirl. You will be searching the second level." He said, splitting the team into teams, "Maintain radio contact, and if we are under attack, continue moving forward. We don't leave without our friend."

M'gann?

Oh thank, god. Hurry up, she's going to wake up soon and I don't want to knock her out again.

She's still out? How hard did you punch her?

I didn't punch her, I'm a martian remember.

Okay then, how hard did you brain blast her? We're going in now. What floor are you on?

The second floor- in one of the English classrooms. This school is really creepy at night.

Okay, see you soon. Good luck.

Artemis was scared.

She had never seen Robin so pissed off before, so dark, so angry, so Batman before. It was like an angsty teenager had been killed and come back to life. With a new found moral and code that didn't really make him a criminal- but it sure as hell made him as scary as one.

They had gone through most of the second floor, and all the classroom doors had been kicked open, and turned- and put back- from head to toe.

This was the last room they were meant to search, and if she weren't in here Robin would probably make them search the whole school- not just the west wing.

Boy he really did like her didn't he?

Robin sent her a glare as if he could read her mind, she just nodded in response. Telling him silently to push the door open. He then turned to Aquagirl, to knock the door down, because if he did the door would surely break off it's hinges.

Thud.

The door opened forcefully revealing the standard classroom, a whiteboard, a teacher's desk, desks for the students. But the few oddities in the room were a tied up, knocked out, dark haired girl in a chair and her captors M'gann and Superboy- or as they looked Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

It only took a split micro second for Robin to assess the situation before silently releasing his fury on the closest captor he could find, Conner.

He relentlessly punched, kicked, flipped and pummeled the buff half Kryptonian. That was Connor. Superboy. Being beaten up by a very angry bat. He was actually being hurt by the wiry, yet muscly,

"Robin, stop!" M'gann cried morphing back into her usual form. As soon as M'gann called out he had ripped the mask off the man.

"Conner?" He gasped, moving to help his friend, who was gripping the desk table with such force that it left a clear mark.

"What the hell is going on?" He shouted, looking to M'gann who looked worried and relieved that it was all over and that she didn't have to pretend to be evil anymore.

"Um, I think Batgirl would be the best person to explain this." She said with a timid smile, trying to make light of the situation.

"Oh, she better." He grumbled.

The Team were back in the cave, including a conscious and slightly confused Zatanna, and were mere moments away from facing the wrath of Robin- the dark squire.

"Explain." He growled out, looking at Batgirl in particular, who stood her ground against him and cocked her head.

"We made a plan." She shrugged.

"What plan."

"Well, you were always blacking out on me at school, in training, on patrol and it was getting really annoying- and before you deny anything." She hurriedly stated the last of it, seeing Robin was going to interrupt, "Yes, it was necessary and yes, I know it didn't work, and yes- I would still do it again."

"Why?" He asked, this whole deal seemed stupid to him. They had kidnapped Zatanna for what? To prove a point? Just to mess with his head?

"Because you like her!" Everyone screamed, putting Zatanna and Robin in the spotlight.

"W-what?" They both stuttered. "Pft. Are you serious?"

"Him?"

"Her?"

Both turned away from each other slightly and blushed, while the Team just shook their heads and smirked at them.

"Aha." Artemis snuck in, "And I didn't loathe Wally when I first met him."

"Hey!" Wally shouted, finding offence in that statement.

"Babe, just go with it." She said to him, "You guys should have been together before me and Wally! You even kissed on New Years Eve, and then just went back to being friends. Nobody does that."

"You always hang out, laugh with each other, and prank the Team together- which gets annoying sometimes." Wally added.

"See!" Batgirl cried, "Everyone see 's it apart from you two. I've been here for a few days and I can see you guys like each other. I even saw the New Years kiss, and speaking of that- Robin, Batman wants to talk to you about that."

"He what?" Robin screeched, the whites of his mask enlarging so they nearly covered the black.

"Anyways, you should just ask her out!" Batgirl cried, "It's been like two years! Two long, long, long years. Just put everyone out of their misery."

"Excuse me?" He blurted out.

"Team, let's leave the two love birds to figure out what to do." She called victoriously, leading everyone out of the room so they could be alone and hash things out between them.

Things were awkward, to say the least, everything- or at least everything of Robin- was out in the open for them to talk about.

"Listen Zee," He scratched the back of his neck, "We don't have to do this, we can just go back and tell them whatever."

"But where's the fun in that?" She smiled evilly, keeping her composure straight and in check, not crumbling at the knees- because that's where she felt this was going right now.

"Um." Robin blinked.

"Is it true? What Batgirl said." She asked eagerly. So maybe her heart felt lighter when she had said that, and maybe she really wanted it to be true. And after what M'gann and her had talked about last night she really shouldn't be surprised her kidnap had something to do with the Team.

"Yeah." He mentally cursed himself. He was supposed to be, according to the papers, a player and ladies man. Not some blubbering idiot would could only speak one word at a time.

Pull yourself together Grayson.

"Well then." She purred, "A little birdie told me that Zatanna likes you too."

Catching him off guard for a second before he smirked and cocked an eyebrow at her, "Does she now?"

Zatanna nodded, "She does."

"By any chance would Zatanna like to go on a date with me?" He asked, playfully going along with the third person talk.

"Zatanna would love to go on a date with you, but she has made a request." She smiled,

"I shall oblige to that request, what does she wish to do?"

"She requests that the first date be an undercover mission. To infiltrate each one of the Team's rooms and set a prank as revenge for kidnapping her." She cheered happily, god this was the total opposite from romantic.

"Her request shall be followed out, in fact." He smiled, "Why don't we go ahead and have our date now?"

"Boy Wonder, you know me back to front." She smirked.

That was the day Zatanna Zatara and Dick Grayson official became a couple. It was also the day the team were terrorized until midnight for their plan. Wally's room had been rigged with anti-gravity devices that may or may not have been taken from the Watch Tower.

M'gann's room had been painted a green so ugly not even she could love.

Artemis' room had been filled with photos of her dad and sister being caught off guard- giving the most hilarious facial expressions.

Conner's room had been covered by stuffed monkey toys.

Kaldur's room's speakers had the Little Mermaid's 'Under the Sea' playing on repeat. The same went for Tula's room.

Rocket's room had been painted a rainbow of colours, most noticeably pink and purple, colours she did not approve of.

Since Barbara didn't have a room at the cave, Dick went back to the Batcave and painted every single one of her suits green.

And they suffered an assault of pranks during the course of the next month. Lesson learnt but Barbara would still do it again, and not change a thing. Because their plan worked, mission completed.

Operation Magic was a success.

A/N: And it's done! So I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who has read the story and waited for these updates, sorry for my lateness by the way- I've been sick the whole week with the flu. I will probably get onto my next story in a few weeks, or if not earlier than that.

Thanks a million again!

-The Missing X