(A/N): Hello there!

I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter published. I've been fairly busy but hope to get more writing done soon. Next chapter for this book will be another Christmas Special that I will post on Christmas Eve.

Hope you all have a great day and enjoy the chapter! (It's a long one)

Thanks again.

-MattFromWii

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3rd Person POV:

Zatanna groaned as she woke up, her head spinning as she leaned back in her chair. When her vision finally cleared, she found herself in the Javelin.

The spacecraft was flying through an unknown solar system while Cyborg and Wonder Woman worked on computer stations nearby.

Superman, Black Canary and the three Green Lanterns were spread throughout the ship, manning the controls as they prepared to boom tube back to earth.

Black Canary: "Zatanna, are you alright? You don't look too good."

The magician groaned as her head began to throb. After a short and painful moment, her headache suddenly subsided. She looked up at Black Canary with a confused look on her face.

Zatanna: "No, something's off. Something just doesn't feel right."

Wonder Woman: "You took a big hit back there. You were knocked out for a while. Once we get back to the Watchtower go get a full medical evaluation."

The cabin fell silent once again as Zatanna fixed her gaze on the vast void of space just outside of the Javelin.

Cyborg: "All systems are normal, and the mission was a complete success. Any word from the Guardians?"

Green Lantern: "Our last communication with Oa said the Reach were in full retreat all across the galaxy. We've broken their offensive. The corps should be able to handle everything from here."

The magician zoned out, ignoring the conversations happening around her and focusing on the strange feeling she had. Something was bugging her on the magical plain. She could feel its tug as if it wanted her to find out what was wrong.

She closed her eyes as the Javelin entered the boom tube and tried to concentrate on the strange feeling. Only to have her concentration shattered seconds later when alarms started blaring.

Wonder Woman: "What's happening?!"

Cyborg: "We're in some sort of asteroid field! I-I don't get it. We're right where we should be... the Watchtower should be right in front of us!"

After some careful maneuvering, Cyborg flew the Javelin out of the asteroids and to relative safety. Once they got a clear view of the Watchtower, they were gripped with fear.

The massive space station was split into four smaller chunks, floating aimlessly throughout the asteroid field and with no sign of life on the station whatsoever.

Green Arrow: "How could this happen?! We were only gone for two weeks!"

Superman: "We need to get in contact with the League, Cyborg, see if you can contact anyone."

Cyborg: "I've been trying since we got clear from the asteroids. Nobody is responding."

The heroes elected to head towards the Hall of Justice, hoping their former headquarters would have some answers. Unfortunately for them, they were left with more questions than anything.

As they arrived in Washington D.C, they found the entire city in ruin, overgrown with vegetation of every kind and seemingly abandoned.

They landed beside the Washington Monument, which was still standing tall but had several chunks missing from it. The grass was knee high, and the roads littered with abandoned vehicles of every type.

Black Canary: "What could've caused all this?"

The heroes carefully studied their surroundings as they exited the Javelin, each unsure of what to think or what to do.

Zatanna: "It's like New York all over again..."

Green Arrow: "What are you talking about?"

The magician turned to face the archer with a confused look on her face, only to be met with an equally confused look from the archer and his lover.

Zatanna: "You know, New York, the Eclipse virus and the Hunters... Natalya attempted to wipe out the Division."

Black Canary: "You really must've hit your head. You're not making any sense. There's no such thing as an Eclipse virus, we have no idea who this Natalya person is and the Division has never been activated."

The magician was stunned. She didn't know what to say or think, her head started throbbing as a thousand disturbances on the mystic plain sent chills through her body.

Zatanna: "No... this isn't right... (Y/n) was-is a Division agent. He and Kelso are our allies, we've known them for years and-"

Wonder Woman: "THERE IS NO (Y/N), YOU NEED TO FOCUS OUR WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

The magician recoiled back in shock as Wonder Woman drew her sword and marched towards the magician.

Before Zatanna could get a word out, Wonder Woman grabbed her and threw her to the ground before thrusting her sword into a shadowy figure that had been creeping up behind her.

The figure screamed in a strange voice before crumbling to the ground as green gas rose from their body.

Wonder Woman: "We are being surrounded!"

Zatanna pushed herself to her feet, only to find the strange feeling returning. She knew something wasn't right but the adrenaline took over and she got ready for a fight.

She noticed they were being surrounded by people. After Superman called out to them and received no reply, they realized what was happening.

Green Arrow: "Are those zombies?! What the fuck!"

The people slowly limped into the light, revealing their decaying bodies and zombified remains.

The zombies jumped onto the Javelin and began ripping it apart, tearing their way inside before Cyborg had a chance to get the spacecraft into the air.

With the zombies breaking in he abandoned the cockpit and rushed outside to join the other heroes in a small defensive circle.

Before the zombies could attack, they were cut down by a hail of gunfire from a gatling gun. The heroes turned and saw a helicopter flying towards them just above the treetops. The side doors opened and Division agents jumped out, rushing forward to force the zombies back from the heroes.

"Come on! We don't have all day!"

The heroes that couldn't fly raced to the helicopter while everyone else took off to a safe distance. Zatanna decided to climb aboard the helicopter, recognizing the ISAC watches and hoping they'd have some information about (Y/n).

The agents climbed back aboard once they were certain the heroes were safe and the helicopter took off, flying away from the city and out into the countryside.

Black Canary: "What the hell happened?!"

"We'll ask the questions here. Like who are you and where did you come from?"

Zatanna: "Seriously? I want to talk to my husband. Where's Vanguard?"

(Y/n): "I'm right here. And I'm definitely not your husband."

Zatanna watched in shock as one of the agents pulled down his face mask, revealing (Y/n), though not the one she knew.

(Y/n) had a small scar across his left cheek, reaching from his eye down to his mouth. He had a full (h/c) beard and looked noticeably older than Zatanna.

The magician gasped as a thousand memories flashed through her head, memories she was certain weren't real. She saw images of men and women in black, fighting her and her friends in what looked like Metropolis.

She saw images of Mary yelling at her and the words "It's not fair! I'm ready!" ringing out in her head. Then an image of Mary stepping into a boom tube, tears running down her face as Granny Goodness welcomed her with open arms.

She saw herself meeting a CIA officer, (Y/n) (L/n) in Greater Bialya. They were forced to spend some time together as they worked to rescue refugees and stop arms shipments to retrofit groups in neighboring countries.

She met (Y/n) again as she fought Klarion in Cuba and after saving his life, he agreed to help rescue the captured Meta-Teens with the Outsiders. They went on a few dates shortly after, but her job in the League and his with the agency prevented them from seeing each other much and the relationship fell into limbo after a few dates.

(Y/n): "You okay? You're sweating an insane amount."

Zatanna: "No... no this isn't right! This is all wrong!"

Black Canary: "We're in the Justice League, you seriously don't recognize us?"

(Y/n): "Everyone in the Justice League died six years ago. The Outsiders shortly after that and any hero associated with the League is either dead or in hiding."

The news was shocking. Silence feel across the cabin as the helicopter continued to race through the sky, eventually arriving at a large military compound built in the middle of a farm field. The base had massive concrete walls with watchtowers lining the perimeter and razor wire atop the walls.

A small heliport was in the center of the base and the pilot quickly landed the vehicle just before the doors slid open.

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*Unknown Location*

(Y/n) groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He was surrounded by darkness and hanging upside down. Blood rushed to his head and made concentrating difficult.

He attempted to study his surroundings but found only a dark abyss. Before long a white light washed over him, and the horrifying entity lowered itself down.

"I introduced myself as the Upside Down Man to your beloved magician. Though you may choose to call me a god, or simply cower in fear."

The creature made itself visible before the agent and his words died in his throat. The Upside Down Man was terrifying to look at but (Y/n) couldn't bring himself to look away. It was as if his entire body was frozen in place.

(Y/n): "What... what did you do with Zatanna?"

"I contained her in a prison of her own horror. She will be kept in a state of constant fear until I have need of her magic."

The agent tested the darkness holding his limbs in place, only to find that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break the bonds.

"You and I both know she's incredibly powerful, whereas I am the embodiment of dark energy, formed after the creation of magic itself. Your little magician is the embodiment of magic. She is a force of nature itself, how jealous the gods would be if they knew the gift the universe bestowed upon her."

After taking several seconds to process everything. The agent narrowed his gaze at the creature and tested his restraints once again.

(Y/n): "Why are you telling me this? Better yet, why am I still alive? You clearly don't need me for whatever it is you're planning."

"Right you are, agent of order, I don't need you. The gods that favor you are a direct creation of light energy and the opposite of what gave birth to me. They could intervene and aid your little magician in discovering her true power, if they get over their own jealousy and pride that is. To put it in a term you'd understand, you're bait for the Lords of Order. By now they'll have sensed my presence and realized what I just told you to be the truth. They'll have no choice but to rush to the rescue, for the fate of magic itself and the universe is about to be decided."

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Zatanna was in the command center of the makeshift base along with the heroes and a handful of agents. She was zoned out completely, trying to focus on the sickening feeling in her gut while fighting off the memories she was certain weren't hers.

(Y/n): "Nobody knows how it happened. Our best guess was that it was caused by Apokolips. They invaded six years ago with an army unlike anything I've ever seen. Giant red beasts that we couldn't kill. Eventually we found out they were made with Kryptonian DNA, we outfitted chemical weapons with Kryptonite and used them to take away their powers. We were able to beat them back into the portals, but not before their god came knocking. They called him Darksied. He single handedly wiped out most of the Justice League before leaving a bomb that destroyed all of Gotham. Most of the Outsiders died trying to evacuate civilians while attempting to defuse it. About two weeks after that people started to turn. With our forces drained and depleted, we couldn't contain it. It spread throughout refugee camps and easily overwhelmed everyone."

Black Canary: "How many people are left?"

(Y/n): "I have no idea, ISAC's satellites were knocked out during the invasion, we only have proximity coverage and that was just enough to detect your spacecraft. Look, I recognize that this is a lot to process. I'll show you to your bunks and answer any questions you may have after you've got some rest."

On the way to their bunks, Zatanna couldn't take her eyes off (Y/n). The agent wore a tight fitting green t-shirt and jeans with a black plate carrier. Her eyes drifted to his body and something seemed off about it. Sure he was six years older than her by the looks of him but he seemed noticeably stronger, at least he looked that way.

After a short walk the heroes were shown into their rooms where they settled in and attempted to process everything they'd been told. Zatanna immediately snuck out, following (Y/n) through the base and avoiding various soldiers walking about.

Eventually she watched him walk into his own cabin and shut the door. With a quick glamour spell she hid from everyone and rushed to the cabin door. After making sure nobody was around to see the door open on its own, she quickly entered the cabin.

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard the shower running and saw the plate carrier placed by the door, assuming that (Y/n) was in the shower and unable to hear her enter.

She carefully krept around the small cabin, navigating towards the fireplace and examining the few pictures that sat atop the stone structure.

It didn't take long for Zatanna to recognize the people in the photos. The first one was Kelso and Kandel, celebrating (Y/n)'s birthday with a man and a woman she had never seen before. Where these people his parents?

She admitted that they looked like (Y/n) a lot and moved onto the next picture.

Kelso and (Y/n) were in military gear with rifles strapped in slings around their bodies. Another man was in the photo and Zatanna gasped when she recognized him.

Aaron Keener stood smiling beside (Y/n) with his arm wrapped around the agent. It took her several seconds to process what she just saw. Her head began to spin as the strange feeling returned. She knew this was wrong. And her mind cleared for a split second, revealing everything. She remembered the Upside Down Man and how he appeared in Gotham along with a mind controlled Circe.

Suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth and she was pulled out of her thoughts. Her spell faded away as (Y/n) secured his hold over her easily.

(Y/n): "You seem to have taken quite an interest in me. Who do you work for?"

Zatanna pushed back against the agents chest in an attempt to free herself, only to find her efforts were in vain.

I'm a split second (Y/n) spun Zatanna around and pinned her up against the wall, she gasped as he removed his hand from her mouth put placed it on her neck.

(Y/n): "One word from you that isn't English, and I'll choke the life out of you. No magic, got it?"

The magician nodded her head as she brought her hands up to (Y/n)'s chest. She could feel his muscles through the shirt and felt her face flush red as she struggled to answer.

Zatanna: "N-no no I'd never betray you. I-I'd never spy on you."

(Y/n): "Then what are you doing here? What do you want?"

The agent smiled down at the magician and all her caution went out the window. Her mind went blank as the agent leaned down and kissed her. She gasped as he pushed his body into hers while deepening the kiss.

(Y/n): "Convince me that we belong together."

All that Zatanna could muster was a groan as the agent carried her across the cabin and sat down on the couch, forcing her to straddle his lap.

Waves of conflicting emotions crashed in Zatanna's head as something inside her screamed at her to fight back and to focus her mind.

The more she tried to struggle the more her mind became a thick fog. Her lips were forced to connect with (Y/n)'s as he pulled her down on top of him. Soft moans slipped out as she brought her hands to his face and ran them through his beard.

He was rough, far more uncaring than she remembered. After a few minutes of making out she was pushed onto her back. (Y/n) tore off her magicians jacket and her pocket watch fell out with an unceremonious thunk.

(Y/n): "Ha, what's this little trinket supposed to be?"

The agent tossed the watch across the room, landing it softly on the carpet by the fireplace. Before he had a chance to go down on the magician, her mind cleared and she kicked him in the chest.

She wasn't nearly strong enough to force (Y/n) back and the agent laughed as she scrambled to her feet.

Zatanna: "Ezeerf! Erehw si Uban?!"

Cold air blasted through the cabin as (Y/n) fought against the spell, finally giving in and snapping his gaze up to Zatanna.

(Y/n): "He can't help you! You'll be stuck here forever!"

The agent's eyes began glowing red as his skin turned gray. Fangs grew from his mouth as he charged at the terrified magician.

Zatanna scrambled towards her pocket watch and was tackled to the ground as she grabbed it.

(Y/n): "This could've been easy and painless for you! Even pleasurable, but you had to make it difficult! Your damn mind will break before we free you from this prison!"

Zatanna: "Eerf em morf siht eramthgin!"

The creature resembling (Y/n) hissed as it was sent flying back by a wave of golden light emitting from Zatanna's body.

The cabin began crumbling around them as a blinding light overtook everything in sight. Within seconds Zatanna was completely engulfed by the light and felt like she was floating through the air.

A feminine voice called out to her and Zatanna tried to turn her body to find whoever was speaking to her, but all she saw was a blinding white light in all directions.

"You can stop it. You must. It seeks to enslave all of magic as if it belongs to it. Magic is as much a force of nature as you are."

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(Y/n): "You won't win, we'll stop you."

The Upside Down Man didn't even bother responding, realizing the agent was trying to convince himself more than make a threat.

Without uttering a word the Upside Down Man disappeared, vanishing into the darkness and leaving the agent dangling upside down in a dark void.

(Y/n) cursed as he felt the fear wash away and the sensation of blood rushing to his head take over. He fought desperately to free his hands but once again made no progress.

Left alone with his thoughts, his mind began to wonder, inevitably drawn to worst case scenarios. He didn't care what happened to him, his own safety was an afterthought when Zatanna was involved.

With a defeated sigh he accepted the fact that he was helpless and prayed that Zatanna would be okay.

Almost as if his prayers were answered immediately, a bright white light washed over the dark void.

"Eerf ym tnega!"

(Y/n) smiled as Zatanna's voice rang out and he let out a massive sigh of relief. A split second later he was released and slowly floated towards the light.

Zatanna: "You're alright?!"

The magician suddenly appeared out of the light and threw herself at her husband. (Y/n) smiled and quickly caught her, pulling his wife into a tight hug.

(Y/n): "Yeah, yeah I'm alright. What happened to you?"

The lack of a sarcastic response coming from her husband did more to worry Zatanna than anything else they'd been through.

Zatanna: "I was stuck in a dream prison, well, more of a nightmare prison. We need to get out of here. Its power is stronger here, I can basically feel the dark energy in the air."

(Y/n): "No argument here. I'll be happy to never see that thing again."

Suddenly the pair were swept by a massive blast of wind. (Y/n) pulled Zatanna into his embrace in an attempt to shield her from the cold, but it was futile. Ice formed on the darkness and threatened both the magician and the agent with hypothermia in a matter of seconds.

Darkness wrapped around their bodies, forcing the pair to their knees as a gray lightning bolt cracked across the sky.

Circe's laughter filled the darkness as she emerged out of thin air, swiftly followed by the Upside Down Man materializing once again.

Circe: "Not what we were hoping to catch, but a successful trap nonetheless."

"Come little magician, if you won't stay in your prison then it's time to take your rightful place at my side."

Zatanna: "I'm going to send you right back to the hole you crawled out of in the Underworld!"

The Upside Down Man laughed as Circe charged, blasting green magic at the married couple and encasing their bodies in it. Before either could react the burning magic offered them up to the Upside Down Man, presenting them as trophies to be marveled at.

"So defiant. I'll fix that, you will both become slaves, destined to watch as your world crumbles."

Just as the Upside Down Man reached towards Zatanna, a golden blast of magic tore through the darkness and struck his outstretched hand. The entity hissed in pain and pulled its hand back towards its body, turning to face Dr. Fate who appeared a short distance away.

"Nabu, how kind of you to join us."

The creature's voice was dripping with venom, the uncontrollable hate spilling out and washing over the group.

Circe's magic faded a second later as Fate attempted to cleanse the goddess of the Upside Down Man's influence.

Zatanna jumped up the second Circe's hold weakened, grabbing onto (Y/n)'s hand and pulling him towards Dr. Fate.

"NO! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME!"

Fate acted fast, blasting another shot of golden magic towards the entity and buying enough time for Circe to limp towards the heroes once she was liberated from the Upside Down Man's control.

Circe: "Get... get us out of here. We won't last much longer inside its mind."

Fate nodded his head and waved his hand, a golden portal appeared before the group. In a split second it lowered on them, blinding everyone with a golden light.

When the light faded, the heroes found themselves in the streets of Gotham. (Y/n) and Zatanna looked around, letting out a sigh of relief and scanning their surroundings for their friends.

Zatanna: "Wait, where is everyone?"

Their gaze fell upon the clocktower, finding it in flames and partially destroyed. They were suddenly gripped with fear and panic as their minds wandered to the worst possible scenarios.

Circe: "They were taken by the clown's pawns. He will have them now. The Upside Down Man thrives in chaos. When we attacked you, he incapacitated every hero in the city. Most were taken by various criminal elements before they regained consciousness."

Strangely enough, the city was silent. Not a sound could be heard, save for the fire burning the nearby clocktower.

(Y/n): "Where were they taken?"

Dr. Fate: "We do not have time to worry about the League, this is bigger than them. The fate of the universe is at stake. We must stop the darkness from enslaving all of magic. It will throw the universe out of balance and ensure chaos reigns for a millenia."

Silence fell over the group for a brief second as the wind howled. They knew they had little time, the Upside Down Man could return at any moment and force them into a battle they likely wouldn't win.

(Y/n): "Look, I get this is important, I really do, and I understand you need to deal with this right away. But the longer we leave the League and our friends captive the less likely they are to make it out alive. You three go deal with that thing and I'll work on saving our friends."

Zatanna: "That thing is more powerful than all of us and you're seriously suggesting we split up?!"

The terror in her voice was unmistakable. (Y/n) couldn't tell if she was worried for his safety or afraid of facing what came next alone. Regardless of the source of his wife's fear, this was the only way.

(Y/n): "Zee, I'm useless in a fight against that thing, I can't match his power. I'd only be a distraction, a weakness it could use against you. You can do this, but you need to be focused and can't be worrying about me."

Zatanna: "No, what if that thing tracks you. It could show up anywhere and you'd be helpless against it. The safest place is by my side."

Dr. Fate: "No. It is drawn to magic. It will be difficult for the Upside Down Man to locate you while away from us, you'd blend in with the population. Magic users are easier to locate, we must leave, now."

The magician let out a shaky breath as the agent hugged her, letting out his own nervous breath as she gently kissed his cheek.

(Y/n): "There's a Division safe house a few blocks from here. I'll gear up and work on freeing our friends, by the time you get back I'll have everything under control."

Circe: "Hold on Nabu, didn't you say he was chosen by the Lords of Order? I think that entails some magic."

(Y/n): "I'll be careful. Now go, you need to get out of here before... Fate? What are you doing?"

The Lord of Order suddenly opened a portal as the Upside Down Man appeared in the sky.

"DIE! DIE DIE DIE!"

Without warning Fate grabbed both (Y/n) and Zatanna, throwing them into the portal before jumping in after them. Circe quickly followed the heroes, barely making it through before the decaying white hand of the Upside Down Man slammed into the ground where they stood moments ago.

The group found themselves in the Tower of Fate, but they instantly realized something was wrong. The tower was colourless, encased in a dark aura that seemed to drain their energy the longer they stayed.

(Y/n): "What the hell happened here?"

The magician groaned as she pushed herself to her feet, looking around at their surroundings and attempting to find an answer.

Dr. Fate: "No... it can't be."

(Y/n): "Doc? Everything alright?"

Without warning Fate dropped to his knees, clawing at his helmet as he screamed in pain. Before anyone could help the Lord of Order, the tower began crumbling around them as the Upside Down Man's laughter echoed throughout the building.

"You can't escape me! I'll break this tower down before I let you rats slip away!"

Circe: "Zatanna, pour your energy into me!"

The goddess outstretched her hands and purple magic shot towards the tower walls, reinforcing them as the Upside Down Man's magic crashed against the tower.

After hesitating for a brief moment, Zatanna did as Circe asked, boosting the goddesses power in a desperate attempt to save the Tower of Fate.

(Y/n) rushed to Fate's side, trying to help the god the best he could.

(Y/n): "Hey, Fate, we need you. Right now. You've gotta push through this or we're all screwed."

Dr. Fate: "The Lords of Order... they are under siege."

(Y/n): "Then let's save the Tower and go help them."

Dr. Fate: "It is too late, they have been corrupted and chosen a new side."

Time seemed to slow down for the agent as he comprehend what Fate just told him. When it finally clicked his heart skipped a beat and he reached for his weapon.

Dr. Fate: "I will not let this tower become a symbol of its victory."

(Y/n): "Wait, what are you doing?! FATE NO!"

The Lord of Order summoned an ank and slammed it into the ground. The golden magic spidered out, mixing with Circe's and Zatanna's magic as it spread throughout the tower.

Zatanna: "Nabu?! What the hell have you done?!"

(Y/n): "Oh this is so not good."

The tower began to crumble as blinding purple, golden and white lights erupted from all directions.

Circe and Zatanna stopped their defense of the tower in an attempt to mitigate the massive influx of magic and control the massive overflow.

Realizing they failed, Zatanna turned and grabbed onto (Y/n) as the mixed wave of magic crashed down onto them and the tower collapsed. The last thing the couple saw was an endless abyss below them as they were blasted with more magical energy than Zatanna had ever thought possible.

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*Gotham City*

Nightwing woke up with a groan, his head was spinning and his entire body ached. Once his vision cleared, he did his best to study his surroundings.

They were in a dark room, presumably underground given the cold temperature and damp stone walls. The room was full of small cells each with a different hero inside.

He was shocked to find Superboy, Miss Martian, Tigress and Oracle in cells all around his own.

Barbara was the only one awake, barely conscious and laying on the cold floor as her wheelchair was taken from her.

Each hero had an inhibitor collar on, nullifying their powers and ensuring their captivity. A single lamp was positioned in the center of the room, providing just enough light for the heroes to see one another.

Nightwing: "Oracle... Babs are you okay?"

The candlelight flickered and Barbara crawled towards Nightwing's cell the best she could, propping herself up against the wall and drawing in a deep breath.

Barbara: "It happened so fast. You were all taken before I could react."

Nightwing: "How... how did they beat us?"

Barbara: "They didn't. One second you were all ready to face Joker's gang, then Zatanna and (Y/n) disappeared into thin air and all of you fell unconscious with collars around your necks. Joker's gang stormed the clocktower... I called for help but nobody answered."

Nightwing: "It'll be okay, but we've gotta get out of here before Joker comes back."

The door opened a moment later and a feminine figure stepped into the darkness. Her heels clicked on the stone floor and her raven hair swayed from side to side.

"Good, you're awake. I told Mr. J that his plan wouldn't be delayed, I hate it when I can't keep my promises to him. He gets so sad."

Nightwing: "Who the hell are you? Another Harley?"

Punchline: "Trust me, Harley's a joke, and if she's the joke then I'm the Punchline, and I'm going to make sure you suffer for all the pain you've caused my Joker."

The woman stepped into the light and smiled down at Nightwing, twirling a knife in her hands as the battered hero looked up in shock.

Punchline: "Joker is the new Emperor of Gotham, and to celebrate his coronation he's going to play a little game with all of the heroes we've captured in the city."

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(Y/n) groaned as he woke up. His head was spinning but strangely his body wasn't hurting. Once his vision cleared a few seconds later, he found himself slightly relaxed and comfortable.

Birds chirped overhead as a gentle warm breeze blew through the empty field he found himself in. He attempted to sit up, only to find Zatanna unconscious and laying on the lower half of his body. From what he could gather they were in a small clearing of a forest. The grass was long and clearly uncared for.

He wanted nothing more than to lay back down on the surprising soft ground and pull Zatanna up into a more comfortable position for her before drifting off to sleep. But he had way too many questions rattling around in his head to sleep.

Before sitting up once again he searched his mind, trying to remember how they ended up in this field, but the only thing he could remember was grabbing onto Zatanna as the Tower of Fate crumbled around them.

The magician let out a soft groan as she woke up, pushing herself to her knees and looking around in confusion. Her hair was disheveled and frayed, her magician's uniform worn and tattered, but despite all that, (Y/n) found himself blushing at the sight of Zatanna.

Zatanna: "Where... where are we?"

(Y/n): "I umm... I was hoping you could answer that. You're the magic expert here."

Zatanna: "Are you blushing?"

(Y/n): "Can you blame me? You're hot."

The magician's face flushed red as (Y/n) stood up and surveyed their surroundings in detail. She stayed on her knees for a few seconds, fighting off the urge to smile.

Zatanna: "You're being blunter than usual."

(Y/n): "Don't get used to it, must've hit my head in the fall."

The agent playfully smiled and held out his hand for Zatanna, helping her to her feet as a warm breeze swept through the field.

(Y/n): "ISAC's rebooting, in a minute I should be able to tell where we are. If we're still on Earth that is."

Zatanna: "The Tower of Fate passes between the physical and magical realms. It theoretically could've sent us anywhere when it was collapsing. I don't understand it's full power, Fate was never big on sharing his secrets. He only ever told me the bare minimum."

(Y/n): "Given your relationship to him, I don't blame you for not pushing for details. But I have a feeling that we're going to have to dig through his secrets if we want to get home."

Zatanna: "Maybe not, maybe it just teleported us to a nice field somewhere safe and we just have to find a ride back to our friends."

The pair laughed in unison as they began making their way through the thick grass, staying close to one another as they walked.

(Y/n): "Come on, that would be too easy. We never get that lucky."

Zatanna: "Personally I blame you. My life was a lot less dramatic before I met you."

The agent playfully elbowed his wife as she continued to giggle in amusement, pushing him in return as he rolled his eyes.

(Y/n): "Your life was a lot more boring before you met me."

Just before they made it to the tree line, they heard a branch snap. (Y/n) reacted instantly, jumping in front of Zatanna and unholstering his handgun.

The agent pointed his weapon at a figure in the darkness, partially concealed by the shrubs.

(Y/n): "Come out with your hands up! Right now!"

The figure slowly moved out of the clearing with his hands raised.

"You'll want to lower that, or you'll end up in the hospital."

The agent scoffed, carefully examining the shadowy figure as he continued to slowly move into the light.

(Y/n): "You don't look that dangerous."

"Oh not me, I wouldn't bother dealing with you. She on the other hand, will fuck you up."

The next second a crossbow bolt slammed into the receiver of (Y/n)'s handgun, knocking it out of his hands and sending it crashing down into the thick grass.

With one swift motion the agent threw one of his small knives towards the origin of the shot without fully examining the shooter.

The woman lept from the trees, landing beside the man who now stepped into the light, barely dodging the knife on her way down.

The woman proceeded to lunge forward, tackling (Y/n) to the ground before flipping up and kicking Zatanna in the ribs.

The magician grunted in pain at the force of the kicks and tumbled to the ground. As Zatanna hit the ground (Y/n) had already jumped back up to his feet.

"Eit meht pu!"

(Y/n) finally got a glimpse of the man and was stunned. The man had dark black hair just like Zatanna. He had pale skin and piercing blue eyes, just like Zatanna and (Y/n).

The spell took hold in an instant, ropes appeared and bound both the agent and the magician in a split second. As the woman shoved (Y/n) to the ground beside Zatanna, the agent couldn't help but notice the man's attire. He was dressed almost identically to Zatara, the only thing missing was the signature top hat Zatara often had with him.

The agent immediately began testing the ropes, finding them weaker than the ones Zatanna has used on him in the past. He could break free, but not without telegraphing his move. Silently cursing himself, he elected to wait for an opening and pretended to be helpless.

"You're good, it takes considerable skill to react to an ambush the way you just did."

The woman smiled as she examined the agent, keeping her crossbow aimed directly at the bound pair while the man made his way to her side.

"Who are you and why are you here?"

(Y/n): "Honestly I wish I knew why we're here, but if you want to get to know us, how about untying us first?"

The woman scoffed and knelt down beside (Y/n), placing the tip of the bolt loaded in her crossbow on the agent's neck.

"If you want to walk out of this field you'll start talking. I only need one of you alive to answer my questions."

"That's enough Huntress, I know who they are. I'm surprised you don't recognize them."

(Y/n): "I'm flattered and all, but we have no idea who you two are."

The woman stood up and studied the magician and the agent with a curious gaze. Finally something clicked in her head and she spun around to face the man with her eyes wide in shock.

Huntress: "Holy shit, you can't be serious."

"I knew I sensed a disturbance here. Something terrible is happening on the mystic plain, I'm guessing you two know something about it?"

(Y/n): "Maybe, what's it to you?"

"Life and death, my name is Zachary Zatara (L/n), I'm your son."

Zatanna/(Y/n): "WHAT?!"

The shock gripped both the magician and the agent as they stared up at their supposed son. The pair had to admit he looked like a perfect match of them. His pale skin tone matched both of theirs and he had (Y/n)'s eyes with Zatanna's dark hair.

The agent had enough and simply stood up, snapping the ropes with ease and pushing himself to his feet. Zatanna simply whispered a spell and freed herself, standing up beside her husband a second later.

(Y/n): "You can't seriously expect us to believe you, we don't even know where we are."

Zach: "Well, I can answer where you are, but I have no idea how you got here. This is Helena Bertinelli, call sign Huntress. She's the adopted daughter of Dick and Barbara Grayson. We're both members of the Legion of Super Heroes, think of it as the successor to the Justice League. We were on monitor duty when we picked up a massive surge in mystic energy coming from this forest. We came here to investigate and found you two. Now as for how you got here, I think that's something you'll have to answer on your own."

Huntress: "Look, let's ignore the fact that you just exposed our identities to complete strangers and move onto the fact that we have no way of proving these people are who they say they are. This could be any number of mystic villains just looking to get an advantage over us. I say we take them in for further questioning and get one of our psychics to read their minds."

Both the magicians rolled their eyes which is something (Y/n) instantly took note of.

Zatanna: "If you're really my son than-"

Zach: "Erahs htiw su eht hturt!"

In a flash, Zatanna and (Y/n)'s memories of the past day were shared with Huntress and Zach. The agent and magician gripped their heads as the spell ruffled through their minds. After a few seconds the throbbing stopped and the pair were able to resume the conversation, though with mild annoyance coursing through their veins.

Zatanna: "You know, when I use that spell... it's a lot more graceful."

Zach: "Sorry, my skill isn't anywhere close to your level. While your magic has the power of a sledgehammer with the grace of a scalpel, mine is more akin to that of a regular hammer and not nearly as precise."

Zatanna: "We were in the Tower of Fate, I-I think it collapsed. I think if we can get to Dr. Fate or the Tower, we can get some answers and maybe even get home."

Huntress: "Tower of Fate? That old thing hasn't been seen since-"

Zach: "Don't. If we say too much it could disrupt the time stream. The important thing is the Tower of Fate isn't an option, and neither is Dr. Fate."

The magician and the agent shared a quick glance, each unsure of the answer they received or how to proceed.

(Y/n): "Look, magic sent us here, it's unlikely that we're going to get home without utilizing it in some way. So if Fate isn't available for whatever reason, who's the next best option?"

Huntress and Zach shared a quick glance, the crossbow wielding vigilante shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, glaring at her companion as he stared off into space.

Zach: "I was really hoping to avoid this, but the longer you stay here the more of a chance you damage the time stream. I'm going to take you to the Hall of Heroes, and introduce you to my mother. She's the most powerful magic user in the world, probably the universe."

The agent and magician shared a nervous glance as they realized what was about to happen. They were going to meet older Zatanna.

A few minutes later a high tech spacecraft landed in the open field. The ship looked almost identical to the Javelin but with significant upgrades under the hood.

Huntress: "I don't think I need to stress how important it is that you keep your hands to yourself and not touch anything."

Zach: "The Hall of Heroes was once the Hall of Justice, I know it's unrealistic to not answer your dozens of questions, but understand that protecting the time stream and getting you home are our top priorities. This isn't a sightseeing trip."

Zatanna and (Y/n) sat down close to a window and kept their hands to themselves. The spacecraft took off and immediately accelerated to an impressive speed, almost breaking the sound barrier in a matter of seconds.

(Y/n): "Yeah I have so many questions."

When the ship emerged from a thick patch of clouds, the pair saw a high tech metropolis spanning as far as the eye could see.

Cars still drove on the streets below, but everything looked cleaner than what either Zatanna or (Y/n) could ever have imagined.

After taking in the impressive city and how clean and futuristic everything looked, the pair noticed a massive building similar to the Hall of Justice appear in the distance.

Similar spacecraft flew across the sky in various directions, opening boom tubes and disappearing into them seconds later, all emerging or returning to this massive Hall of Heroes.

Several statues lined the streets leading to the hall, statues Zatanna and (Y/n) instantly recognized. Miss Martian, Superboy, Nightwing, Tigress, they all had statues. There were even more, but due to the speed of the ship, the lovers missed most of them.

As the spacecraft approached a large hangar in the side of the building, the pair caught a glimpse of a large statue in the center of a nearby park. Though they only saw it for a second, the pair realized it was a statue of them.

Zach: "Unfortunately my mother is busy, but I gave her the details and she has ordered me to keep you here until we can send word to New Genesis. They have several time spheres and we'll use one to send you home."

Once the ship docked, Zatanna and (Y/n) were quickly escorted off and led throughout the compound. Dozens of maintenance personnel were busy working on the various spacecraft in the hangar and teams of heroes moved from one place to another, glancing over at the couple with wide eyes.

(Y/n): "I think we have a few fans."

Zatanna: "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

The agent forced himself to smile and gently took Zatanna's hand as they were led deeper into the Hall of Heroes.

Everyone they passed looked at them, whispering amongst themselves as they stared in awe at the magician and the agent.

Zach: "You're going to stay in here until further notice. We can't have you talking to anyone or doing something that could disrupt the time stream."

The agent rolled his eyes and took a step forward, looking at the room which was clearly a holding cell that was hastily converted to a "living space". A small twin bed took up most of the room with a love seat positioned in the corner beside a nightstand.

The walls were all the same bland gray with a single bright light positioned in the center of the ceiling. One wall had a massive one way mirror, giving away the room's true purpose.

(Y/n): "There is no way we're sitting in a cell for who knows how long while you figure out a way to send us home."

Zach: "Sorry, but we can't have you messing up the time stream. Anything you do could change an unknown number of events. Or if you get hurt in any way, it could hinder-"

Huntress: "Just get in the damn cell."

The agent scoffed and squared up to Huntress, readying himself for a fight. The magician rolled her eyes and grabbed her husband's hand, pulling him into the room with an annoyed look on her face.

Zach: "Sit tight, we'll be back with an update soon. Someone will bring you dinner shortly."

The door unceremoniously slid shut with a soft thump, locking the couple in and effectively trapping them in the future.

(Y/n): "For the record, we could've taken them."

Zatanna: "I'm not disputing that."

(Y/n): "No, no, that wasn't meant for you. I said that for the bugs they've inevitably placed in here. It's obvious they don't trust us."

Zatanna: "Oh... should we look for them? I don't really want people listening to us."

(Y/n): "No, it isn't worth it. They've probably hidden it with some futuristic tech and even if they haven't, the one way mirror is right there and they probably have a way to listen through it."

Zatanna: "Can we lay down? I feel like I'm about to drop dead. I'm so tired."

The magician had her back to the mirror and a twinkle in her eye. Her mischievous smile returned once again and (Y/n) knew that they wouldn't be staying in the cell for much longer.

(Y/n): "Of course, might as well get comfortable if we're going to be here for a while."

The magician smiled sinisterly and walked towards her husband, her hips swaying as she quickly closed the gap between them.

Before (Y/n) could get a word out, the magician's lips pressed against his own. Zatanna let out a soft moan as she pressed her body into the agent's.

Butterflies flew in (Y/n)'s stomach as he wrapped his arms around Zatanna's slender figure and walked back towards the bed, pulling the magician with him and flopping down onto the bed.

Zatanna giggled as she peppered (Y/n)'s face with kisses, making her way across his face to his ear. She softly whispered to him as the agent let out a shaky breath and struggled to control himself.

Zatanna: "Hold on tight."

The agent took a deep breath as Zatanna tightened her hold on him. Her words echoed in the small room as white magical energy sparked from Zatanna's body.

Zatanna: "Tropelet su ot ruo seutats!"

In a bright flash of white magic, Zatanna and (Y/n) disappeared. Seconds later alarms went off as the guards watching from behind the mirror sounded the alarm.

Several hundred yards outside of the Hall of Heroes, Zatanna and (Y/n) emerged in a bright flash. The couple found themselves in a nice park, with winding stone paths and beautiful gardens surrounding the massive gold statues of various heroes.

The sun was shining bright and the park was full of people wandering around, enjoying the nice warm weather.

The magician gasped for air and gripped her husband's arm, desperately holding on to keep herself on her feet.

Zatanna: "I won't be able to do that again for some time... gods that took a lot out of me."

(Y/n): "Wow, this place is something else."

The agent stood in awe, supporting his wife with his arms but generously scanning their surroundings, taking in the massive statues of their friends and colleagues.

Zatanna: "Umm (Y/n)... turn around

The agent shifted his body and his jaw dropped. They stood at the base of the largest statue in the park, a massive depiction of themselves standing shoulder to shoulder and holding hands. The statues were impressively detailed, (Y/n) noticed his statues free hand was clenched in a fist and held close to his chest, showing off what looked to be his ISAC watch. Zatanna's free hand had her pocket watch in it, loosely dangling from a chain wrapped around her fingers.

(Y/n): "Wow... we... we look good."

The magician couldn't find her words. A hint of red found its way to her face as she stared up at a massive symbol of their love.

Zatanna: "What did we do to deserve this? What did any of us do? I mean I know we've saved the world multiple times, but the League has always kept our memorials in a more private area. What would cause them to change that?"

(Y/n): "I don't know... but damn we look good."

The magician blushed harder and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear while smiling at the ground.

The pair took several minutes walking through the park, looking at the flower gardens arranged all around the statues. Their peace and quiet was inevitably interrupted by sirens blaring from the Hall of Heroes and several police vehicles arriving on the outskirts of the park.

Zatanna: "I think they noticed our escape."

(Y/n): "Well, we did pull off quite the disappearing act. And it definitely took them long enough."

Zatanna: "Not impressed with their security?"

The agent laughed as he watched more and more police vehicles arrive around the park and civilians flee in every direction.

(Y/n): "No, I'm not. If these people were my agents, they wouldn't be agents for very long."

As police officers in futuristic body armour stormed the park, Huntress and Zachary arrived in a Javelin. The magician let out a sad sigh and crossed her arms as a dumb smile formed on (Y/n)'s face.

Huntress: "You just had to make things difficult didn't you?"

(Y/n): "I fail to see how going for a walk is being difficult."

Zach: "Do I need to call your older selves or are you going to cooperate? I've already told you that anything you do could have massive consequences on the time-"

The annoyed magician was cut off by a massive explosion as a giant decaying hand covered in white flesh reached up and smashed the javelin in one strike.

The Upside Down Man's laughter filled the air as darkness spread across the park, turning the green grass black and instantly killing all the flowers.

"Did you think you were safe? Hiding in the future like the rats you are! My powers transcend time itself! I can see you wherever you go!"

With a quick snap of her fingers and a whispered spell, Zatanna had fully equipped (Y/n) for battle, rearming him after Zach and Huntress disarmed him in the Javelin.

Huntress: "Look out!"

The dark portal beneath the Javelin widened and the Upside Down Man began to unleash waves of strange monsters into the once peaceful park.

The monsters rushed forward, strange black liquid dripping from their black bodies as they raced across the field. Their blood red eyes and yellow teeth stood out and struck fear into everyone in sight.

(Y/n) immediately opened fired, finding that all it took was one or two bullets to reduce the strange creatures to dust.

The agent backed up as Zatanna sent blasts of magic's at the endless waves of monsters, the couple finding themselves isolated from the police and other heroes now showing up from the Hall of Heroes.

(Y/n): "Onto the statue Zee!"

The agent wasted no time in climbing up the large marble base of their statue, using what little high ground they could get to hopefully survive just a little longer.

Zatanna attempted to climb up onto the base, but the monsters were too fast. One got close enough to grab her ankle and easily ripped her off her feet. She screamed in horror as it pulled her down and in less than a second she was completely submerged in a sea of monsters, swallowed up by the darkness.

(Y/n) called out to Zatanna, his heart racing and fear gripping his body. With adrenaline rushing through his veins he dropped his rifle and dove into the monsters, knife in hand.

He passed through the surface with ease, kicking and clawing his way to where he last saw Zatanna. The monster clawed at his body, cutting his body armour to shreads but not enough to stop him.

His heart skipped a beat when he felt her. With all of his strength (Y/n) grabbed onto Zatanna's body and pulled her as close as he could, forcing her against the ground so he could shield her body with his own.

Neither of them could see a thing, but they could feel the monsters feet trample over them as the endless waves continued to emerge from the portal.

(Y/n): "Hang on Zee, I've got you... I've got you."

He wasn't sure if she could hear him, he wasn't even sure if he could hear himself. The snarling and screaming of the monsters drowned out every other sound and made it almost impossible to hear anything at all.

Before the agent or magician could try anything that would free themselves, lightning crackled and a bright flash of light followed by a massive gust of wind sent all the monsters tumbling back towards the portal.

The wind stopped as suddenly as it started with a familiar sound that almost sounded like a boom tube erupting close by. As their vision returned the couple realized it wasn't a boom tube, it was too different, too quiet. But before they could turn and face the direction the sound was coming from, it disappeared along with the wind and lightning.

The couple rolled over, (Y/n) freeing Zatanna from his embrace and letting out a massive sigh of relief when he realized she had protected herself with a spell and was mostly unharmed.

"Sorry I'm late, I honestly can't believe I'm still running late after all these years."

Zatanna and (Y/n) both snapped their gaze over to the source of the familiar voice in an instant, their eyes wide in awe and jaws open.

A hand clad in red was outstretched towards them, and a figure that they knew all to well stood with his red hair swaying and a smile on his face.

Wally: "Hey guys, miss me?"