Chapter 5

~Inch by inch~

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The walk to Megaan's quarters was pretty uneventful. The headache which had moments ago, felt like a million Wallys smacking her upside the head, softened to simple forehead flicks from a few Aqualads. It didn't surprise her that the martian chose to stay in the cave. Most of the league chose to stay in private apartments or homes but the alien was still new to earth. Despite her friendly personality, Megaan still tended to slip up a lot. If she accidently gave away her identity, or the location of the cave….Ug too much to think about. Zatanna held her head as the throbbing returned.

"Awww I'm sorry Zee-Zee, just hang tight okay? I'll call Aqualad for help. Maybe he knows another magician that can help you out-"

"NO!" The mage burst out. "Er-I mean…that would be unnecessary." She mumbled as she looked away. A light pink blush stained her cheeks.

Megaan furrowed her eyebrows at the girl. "You're being silly, you obviously need the help-"

"No. No help from other magicians, Megaan." She insisted with a slight pout.

Before the brunette could question her further, brisk footsteps sounded in the hallway.

"Zatanna!. What happened?!" A masculine voice cut through the air and seemed to pierce her very soul.

"Dick?" She mumbled, looking up in trepidation.

His cerulean eyes gave her a calculating once over before he stopped his half run and grabbed her by the shoulders. Megaan warily took a step back as he brought her face closer to his intense stare. The magician casually looked away with guilt written all over her features.

"You promised me that you wouldn't do this again." He glared at her now. His suspicions confirmed.

"I couldn't help it okay!" She tried to defend herself. "There was just something that I needed to-"

"Find out? Test out? Double check? I've heard it all before, woman. When are you going to learn your limits?" He frowned at her but his grip didn't loosen.

"It's not that big of a deal." Her brow twitched in annoyance.

"Yes. Yes it is. And why didn't you call me when you woke up? You still have me on speed dial don't you?" His anger dissipated and he began to mother her.

"When was the last time you had something to eat? And how long has it been since you slept properly?" His gloved hands pinched her cheeks and traced the dark shows under her eyes.

From a few paces away, Megaan stifled a laugh behind her hand. They were adorable together! She smiled sweetly as she clasped both hands in front of her chest. I really hope this game will end in their victory.

"Stop worrying about me so much…" She grumbled as he reluctantly let go of her.

"Then stop giving me a reason to worry." He crossed his arms and she mirrored him.

"I'm not your responsibility anymore." She turned her cold eyes to him and he froze in place. His heart lurched at the loneliness he saw in them.

He sighed as his arms loosely fell to his sides. "Listen Zee I-"

"Don't call me that." She interrupted him. "It's hard enough okay? Just give me my space and stop pretending like nothing happened." She whispered as she titled her face away from his sullen face.

Megaan grimaced at the tense atmosphere but this was her moment to intervene before things got worse. Or so she thought. "Zee-" A gloved hand swiftly covered her mouth as a rigid force pulled her away from the scene. She kicked and struggled but a cape of black and the scent of apples soon blocked her vision.

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Megaan blinked as light protruded her vision again. She jumped up with a start at pointed an accusing finger at her kidnapper. "Hey! Who the hell do you think you…are?" Her rant died out as the villain unmasked herself.

"Hey Ms. Martian. Miss me?"

"Batgirl?!" The alien squealed in delight as she launched forward to give the newcomer a bone-crushing hug. The beautiful woman accepted the embrace whole-heartedly.

"It's been too long Megaan. How are you?" She giggled.

"Good good! And yourself?" She asked happily as she pulled back.

"Same." She grinned. "And guess who I'm here to help?" Her grin turned malicious.

"Zee-Zee and Dick?"

"Give the girl a prize."

Megaan giggled. "Its not that surprising, we'd need the whole league to help them out at the rate this is going."

"I wouldn't say that…I think we just need one more bat on our side." She smirked.

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"What were you researching anyway?" He muttered downcast as she turned away from him.

She looked at him out the corner of her eye. "A new spell."

"Don't give me that. If it was just a spell, you wouldn't spend so much time on it." He looked at her seriously. "What could be so important that you would lie to me about it? "

She looked away again.

"Tell me Zatanna." His voice was firm but she heard the slight tremble. He's suffering over this just as much as I am. "Don't make me get Batman involved." He continued.

Her gloved hands formed into a tight fist. But evidently, not enough.

"I'm doing it for a friend that's why." She clenched her teeth.

"Friend? I thought magicians hardly befriended each other…" He trailed off.

"Yeah well he's taken a certain liking to me." She gritted out.

NightWing was silent. "You don't have to do this."

"Do what?" She asked quietly but she already knew the answer. Deep down, she just hoped that he would never figure out the lengths she had gone through for him.

"Playing this stupid game, Zatanna. You think I don't notice how you're flaunting yourself around with other guys? You think I don't realise that you're just trying to make me jealous? " His brow ticked as he let his irritation take over his previous guilt.

"You think that I'm going to come running back to you because you're asking taken men to pretend to like you?" His words stung and he knew it but he couldn't stop now. "It's pathetic honestly. If you wanted me back, why didn't you just come out and say so?"

Tears glistened down her cheeks slowly. And she bit her lip in an attempt to stop the trembling.

"Your reputation is spreading you know. How did the idea of whoring yourself out ever equal to me coming back to you? It's stupid and irresponsible and you manage to get your friends involved too. They'll also have to burden the shame that you're spreading around here Zatanna. Do you understand?!" He finished and as soon as the last word past his lips, he regretted every word he'd just uttered.

"…Wait no…I didn't mean for it to sound like that, I-" He hastily tried to fix his mistake.

"That's alright." She grunted as she wiped at her face quickly before facing him. He flinched at the remnant of tears on her cheeks and the redness still present on her nose.

"Zee I-"

"You're right." She smiled painfully and his heart lurched again. "I was trying to win you back and it was really, really stupid of me." Her fingers swept her bangs away from her face as she sniffed a little. "But I'm done now Dick. I'm sorry for inconveniencing everyone and for bothering you." She gave him one last heart-breaking smile but before he could reach out to her, she whispered a teleportation spell and vanished into thin air.

His arm stayed outstretched to the spot she had been standing mere seconds ago. He took a step back and slumped to the floor in defeat. What have I done?

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Her wails echoed through the night as she sat on the top of her apartment building, crying her eyes out. The chilling breeze whipped past her hair and the sounds of the city muffled her wails of agony. "Why does this hurt so much?" She brokenly whispered as her hand clutched at her chest. This pain felt eerily familiar to the day she lost her father. The ache of loneliness and the continuous flashbacks of happy memories were almost too much to bear. She wiped her tears away with her sleeve messily as she looked at the skyline of the city. It was vast, so endless. Would anybody even notice if she was gone.

The sick thought left her mind as soon as it had appeared. No. She wasn't one of those damsels in distress. These things happened all the time and people still found a way to move past it and continue life. If they could do it, so could she.

She nodded to herself and dusted off her outfit as she wearily stood up. She was still weak from magic exhaustion and that previous teleportation spell hadn't helped things either.

She spotted a worn out broom a few paces from her position and tiredly shuffled over to reach it. The pole was rugged and the entire thing smelt damp, as if it was infected with mold. She grimaced in distaste but grabbed it anyway. She would need all the support she could get if she wanted to make it back to her room.

"Looking a bit worse for wear there, witch." A snide voice commented and she hastily turned around to face the presence but the momentum was too much for her exhausted body and she ended up falling flat on her ass.

The sound of laughing could be heard and she quickly looked up to see a shimmering mass of snakeskin floating above her gracefully. The rolls of mass pared gently as the giant serpent she'd seen before lowered its great head until it was level with the mage.

"Wh-Wh-What the…" She stammered as the beast gazed at her lazily, continuously shifting in transparency.

A silhouetted figure leaped from its previous place on the crown of the snake's head and approached Zatanna casually.

"Who-Who are you?" She muttered as her eyes struggled to keep focus.

"You're about to find out, pretty lady." His voice faded as her vision blacked out and she finally collapsed into his waiting arms.

"Tch. Witch's have no stamina, ne Sliver-Kun?" He remarked and the beast simply shook its great head in agreement."…So what do we do with her now?" He trailed off and looked to his companion for guidance.

Sliver simply turned his face away in ignorance. "Don't ignore me dammit!"

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Dark lashes lazily parted as Zatanna woke from her slumber. Her body felt stiff and heavy as she reluctantly attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes. A sequence of clatters from a nearby room caused her to still. Someone was in her home.

You messed with the wrong bitch buddy, she thought as she crept out of her spacious bed and silently reached underneath it. Her lithe fingers closed over the handle of a worn out, metal pole.

She stealthily moved down the hallway to her kitchen but as soon as she paused, the house was silent again. Her breath stopped. Slowly, ever so slowly, she pressed a foot forward. The second her foot touched the floor, she was flung back against the right wall forcefully with a strong grip on her neck and the metal pole ripped from her grasp. "What do you think you're doing witch? Is this how you treat a kind stranger?" His voice was rough, as though he'd just woken up, himself.

Zatanna choked as she scraped at his restraining hand. He seemed to realize that he was actually choking her, so he lightened his grip. "Better?" He questioned.

She tilted her head up to glare at him dangerously. He stood about a head taller than her, with a lean, muscled frame, slightly tanned skin and limp, dark, shoulder length locks. His coal eyes were piercing and his grin was cruel.

She opened her mouth to blast him to the nearest cemetery but before she could utter a word, his eyes narrowed and he swiftly placed a large palm over her mouth. He smelt like ash, tobacco and booze, as though every bar in town had just thrown up all over him. She hated that smell and she hated this man.

"Now, now, can't have you say anything you'll regret now, can we?" He grinned at her again, thin lips revealing perfect, pearly white teeth with oddly sharp canines.

"Sliver-Kun, could you bring me a gag or something?" He called out, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Get it yourself." An irritated voice replied.

The asian man sighed. "Israh meha binduo" He muttered before carefully lifting his palm off her face. The magician jumped at the opportunity, she swiftly jammed her leg up his nether regions and followed the assault with a few kicks to his left leg, as his arms slackened, she twisted her left arm out of his hold and produced multiple quick jabs at the pressure points of the arm gripping her neck. He dropped to the floor in pain and she rubbed her neck in annoyance. She wasn't in the league for nothing. As he groaned on the floor, she opened her mouth to speak but nothing happened. Her lips couldn't move. With widened eyes, she frantically felt her mouth for a barrier but found nothing.

The man on the floor chuckled at her panic as he precariously arose. "I'm slightly offended. Did you really think I'd let you send me back witch?" He glared at her maliciously. "Sliver-Kun! Get over here."

"No." a deadpan voice replied immediately.

A vein popped in her intruder's head as he finally lost it and whipped around, storming into the kitchen and leaving her alone. She remained in her place silently until her came marching back with a silver haired teenager dragging behind him. He frowned at her. "Why didn't you try to escape?" His brows rose slightly.

She looked around in complete confusion before intently analyzing the man, then shrugging. I can take you without my voice so…

He scoffed before pushing the emotionless boy in front of her. "This asshole is Sliver, my henchman. Witch, Sliver, Sliver, Witch." He gestured before taking off his hat, reaching into it, and pulling out a bottle of alcohol. She understood the stench now.

"She's not the witch." The teen spoke. All three magical beings froze.

"…What?" The alcoholic spluttered.

"hmm?!" mirrored Zatanna.

"Oh shit, sorry about that. Israh meha lousir."

Her lips snapped open with a pop and the heroine delightfully opened her mouth fully. "ahh, yes!" she exclaimed, a little too loudly before setting her eyes on a future dead man. "I will end you." She gritted out.

"Hold on a second ma'am, It was just a misunderstanding." He raised his arms in surrender. Before she could strangle him, however, the boy spoke again. "She is a witch though, Tatek. She's more powerful that her."

Oddly flattered, Zatanna turned her attention to the boy, Sliver. He looked young, maybe around sixteen with short, styled, grey hair, a thin, barely nourished body and striking teal eyes. His features were soft, as though puberty had never grazed him and his voice was oddly deep. "But I do not believe that she will harm us."

"Harm you?" Zatanna questioned a little alarmed, looking between the two. "Why would you think that? I mean yes I want to punish you for breaking and entering but-"

"We didn't break in. You fainted like the weak witch you are and we followed your trail to this place. Then we stuck around here to scare you off." Tatek bit out with far more aggression than he had previously displayed.

"Please forgive him." Sliver intervened. "He does not take kindly to witches. They have never treated us…appropriately."

"What do you mean appropriately? And what trail are you talking about?" Nothing made sense anymore. The last thing she remembered was that awful fight with Dick, then her crying it out on the rooftop, and then…something big and green. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to remember.

"Surely you can tell what we are? Why else would you have attacked us?" Tatek's voice was laced with suspicion.

Suddenly it all clicked. She whipped her head between the two before shakily taking a step back. "Demons!" She gasped as her right hand flew out instinctively.

"I told you!" Tatek spat out at his partner before she uttered a spell. "llits eb!"

The men froze in their positions, unable to move at all. Zatanna let out a breath and took a slight step forward. "I'm sorry but I don't know who you two are. All I know is that your kind are forbidden from this realm." She faced Tatek, "…Thank you for helping me. But it is not my place to break the rules of this world." The man's dark, almost blue hair swayed slightly in front his face. Now she understood how he could tame demons, because he, himself, was one of them. The revelation slightly disappointed her but she was unsure why it should.

"…I wish I could have heard your stories…" She whispered sincerely, "denmad-

Three successive knocks on her apartment door cut her off. "Shit." She cursed as she turned to face the entrance. "Who is it?" She called out carefully.

"Zatanna! Dear god, I'm so glad you're in there! We've been looking everywhere for you. It's me and Artemis!" Wally responded ecstatically from the other side.

With a groan of frustration, the magician swept a hand through her tousled hair.

"Hey, you're gonna let us in or what?" Artemis's stern voice cut through her thoughts.

"Yeah! Gimme a few minutes, I'm coming!" She abruptly called out as she turned to face the two demons. If she tried to hide them, Artemis would sniff them out, without a doubt. If she cast the spell, the screech of a tear in the realm would be too hard to lie around. If she let them go…she would be shaming her kind and potentially risk putting the world in danger.

"Zatanna?!" Their voices were growing more suspicious by the second. She gave the demons one last serious look. I'm definitely going to regret this.

"eerf eb." She muttered.

The demons stumbled as they both regained control of their limbs. They looked at her in confusion.

"Go. Get out of here, don't cause any trouble and I don't want to see or hear of either of you ever again. Understand?" She gritted out quickly.

They nodded simultaneously. She crossed her arms, "Well? Go." She pointed to the open window firmly.

A smug smile pulled at Tatek's lips as Sliver bowed his head slightly in respect.

"Thanks, other witch." Tatek winked at her as he grabbed the boy and quickly made a run for it. "You have our deepest gratitude, other witch."

"Don't call me that! My name is-"

They both vanished before she could finish her sentence. "How rude." She grumbled. "They could have, at least, had the decency-"

"Zatanna!"

"Coming!"

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So Tatek is short for Rampotatek, aka 'The hat'. He's an actual character in the DC universe and part of 'the elite'. There's not much info on him so he's going to be half OC xD. Sliver is completely OC though, but their backstories will be epic! I promise ;D

Also I know I take years T.T…but it's the reviews that push me so please:

Read and review! :D

xoxo~

I.V