2013.10.18 - All This and Fishnets Too

It's noon on Central Park as Zatanna Zatara finishes her magic show by the ice skating area. As the crowd disperses and the woman goes back to the makeshift room she stays between acts the winds get braver, and everything grows colder. The show in itself, involving a lot of skating and pyrotechnics, dance numbers and disappearances, was done for fund raising for a new space in the park to house new animals and for maintenance, something the magician did for reasons unknown to most, given her usually busy schedule. 
Right now Zatanna leaves said room, walking past the pair of burly bodyguards that kept watch over her door, dressed in a smart business jacket, pants to go with it, all black, and a white scarf. All in all, she looks a bit older than she actually is, more mature, and maybe that is why she picks this look. With large sunglasses to hide her identity, the woman strolls out, smiling wide.
*Rattle* *Pop!!*
A bottle is popped open. Just a pain reliever. The person opening it is laying on a park bench. She was not able to actually see Zatanna's show though she did benefit from it. The crowd was large enough to keep her well hidden. That is just what she needed for the time being. Now the crowd is dispersing leaving her exposed for all to see. 
Sitting up, the girl on the bench sits up with a groan. "Owww. Damn Black Adam... Damn that thing in his head." She rubs her own head a moment before standing up. "I need to find food." She states to herself.
Tilting her head the magician peers at the girl, apparently by herself, groaning and mumbling. Although she is not one to entertain many fans, usually, this person doesn't seem like she cares for Zatanna in particular, and with a smile, she just passes through the girl with a winning smile. 
"Hangover?", she teases, trying to be friendly to the girl, "Look, they sell food just outside the park, if you are looking for a place to buy."
"I wish it was a hangover. I had a run in with Black Adam earlier. All I know is if this is what a hangover feels like, I never wanna drink." The girl stands and gives a smile to Zatanna. "Wow. I didn't expect to see you walking around here. Nice to meet you Zatanna. My name is Roxie." 
Roxie looks over in the direction of the food stand. "Thank you very much. I just need to get over there." She begins rubbing her head and doubles over. Too much with too little. "Ugh. Note to self. If it's a well known dangerous person, keep my distance. I'm not ready for fights like that."
As Zatanna seems ready to compliment the younger girl on her tattoo, she hears the bit about Black Adam, her eyes behind the sunglasses immediately going wide. With an elegant eyebrow arched, Zatanna takes a seat by Roxie, clearing her throat and smiling some.
"Hey, Roxie. Nice to meet you! So... about this Black Adam thing... how about you tell me more about it? I will even, you know... buy us some snacks?", she says, still in disbelief. This little girl had a less than friendly meeting with Black Adam and all she has to show for it is a headache?!
Roxie smiles a little and sits down. "That would be wonderful. Sorry, I am sure you had more important things to do then hang out with me. I have had one of those weeks that you just want to forget you know?" She shutters. 
"I was up on a roof and I seen an accident. Black Adam showed up and took it upon himself to punish the person who caused it. I tried to stop him. So did Star Sapphire. Flash and Raven were there too. He tore the guys arm off. I used part of my top to slow the bleeding on the guy. Flash took him to the hospital. Star Sapphire and Flash started fighting with him while Raven was helping wounded people and trying to talk him down. I tried to Psychicly cool him down but what I deal with wasn't him. It was some Egyptian god. I never fought so hard in my life. Next thing I knew I hit him with a blast mixed with a shout. He made a good impression in the pavement from it. That is what happened to me."
As Zatanna listens she frowns at the mention of Flash, Star Saphire and Raven. Maybe moreso of Raven than Black Adam himself. Still, she nods and shrugs at times, always trying to make the girl feel more at home, as if she were talking to a friend. 
"That's... a pretty wacky story, Roxie...", she says, smiling some, "Now... why were you on a roof, and why haven't you changed since? I mean... did this -just- happen, because I haven't seen any warnings around that Black Adam is in New York!", she says, even going as far as looking about police sirens roaring, or people with cameras going from one side to the other.
"It happened an hour or so ago. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I just came here because I couldn't make it home if I tried. It drained me a lot." Roxie looks at Zee curiously. "Umm... Why was I up on a building. Right." She gives a little look that says, if the rest didn't sound crazy, this will. 
"I have been trying to keep mobile and away from sparse crowds. Alone, I know no one else is going to get hurt. In a large crowd, I can blend in and am less likely to get attacked. Small crowds though... yeah." She seems really nervous about the whole thing. "I've sorta been attacked a few times by nasty aliens. They are totally nasty and are trying to use me as a weapon or kill me."
"One hour?! Oh damn it! Look, the... the man with the arms. Without the arms! Where did they take him? Maybe we can fix him still!", Zatanna says, surprised that this much commotion happened an hour ago and she didn't get a call from her colleagues in the Justice League. Great friends, those were. 
As the woman stands, ready to go somewhere she doesn't know where it is, she quirks an eyebrow at the mentioning of aliens, looking a bit lost. "Aliens...? This is -not- my especially... which species?", asks the magician, offering Roxie a hand "It is obvious I can't just -leave- you here... come on. Lets save that man's arms and then you'll talk to me about said aliens, right?"
Roxie stands weakly and accepts Zatanna's hand. "The hospital in upper Metropolis." Slowly the girl forces herself to straighten up. "He did get to the hospital really fast at least." Within a few moments she is looking ready to roll. "Lets do this!"
"Lets do this! Okay, brace yourselves and get ready for Zatara Express!", Zatanna says with a smile, looking around carefully before holding the girl close and saying "Ot siloportem lareneg latipsoh ew og!" , leaves around them whirling faster and faster until they are completely encased by those, wind making Zatanna's hair and scarf a bit messy and, once they are gone, both Roxie and Zee are in front of said hospital, people everywhere and reporters looking at the duo dumbfolded before rushing to ask questions, noticing Zee. 
"Justice Leaguer here, people! Come on!", Zatanna says, frustrated, trying to get past the wall of reporters. With a bit of luck and a lot of coercing they finally are shown the man's room. Right now they remain outside, and Zatanna mutters something to herself, reassuringly. 
The young girl doesn't seem to amazed by the teleport which would be quite odd to most anyone. She moves along with Zatanna to the man's room. She looks in toward him. "That's him. I hope they gave him some good meds because I seen how horrified he was. The pain must have been excruciating."
"Look, Roxie... stay outside, okay?", Zatanna says, looking nervous before she says something to herself and smiles. Beaming, she gives that over-confident smile of hers and winks at the girl, before walking in and closing the door behind her. For ten, twenty minutes Zatanna remains inside and for many times strange lights glow under the door, lighting the hall. Eventually, however, Zatanna gets out, bags under her eyes, taking a deep breath, before looking at the girl. 
"So... lets go to the cafeteria... I... I need coffee. And you can explain it to me why you are being hunted by aliens. Okay? And please... -please-... don't be a wacko."
Roxie rolls her eyes, "Here is the proof that I am not a wacko." Without warning she reaches out and takes hold of Zatanna's arm. The tattoo on her torso goes from black to brilliant purple and then... *FLASH!* Both would find themselves a floor down and standing in front of the Cafeteria. 
The girl releases the magician's arm. "I scoped things out while you were helping the man." She leads the way into the Cafeteria looking even more burnt out then she did a minute ago. "Asmidians. They are after the Heart of Tamia. The heart of Tamia is this mark on my stomach and chest. It is what gave me powers." Quickly she takes a seat before she passes out.
Zatanna was not ready for the teleport, and as such she tries to separate herself from Roxie once they arrive in the Cafeteria, startled, before she nods. "Wow. You... you seem pretty at ease with your powers...", her voice throaty. Recovering from the surprise the magician stands straight and smiles. 
"So... Asmidians... and this tattoo of yours is the Heart of Tamia... which is their planet? Or Goddess?", and at that, Zatanna slowly moves to the Cafeteria, ordering some coffee for her. "And how did you end up with this heart-tattoo thing?"
Roxie stays seated for a moment. She looks like she is going to faint. "All I know about The heart, Is it's an artifact that fused with me about two weeks ago. I am getting a handle on my new abilities but am still learning how to handle them. I know how to teleport. I know I can speak with telepathy. I can also move things with my mind and form a sort of psychic blast. 
She puts her head down on the table. "Sorry My abilities drain my energy. That's the trade off. I can eat a lot more now and I think my metabolism is higher but I burn through it. And Black Adam earlier and that god in his head. It was a nasty fight."
"Oh? You need to eat? Well, consider this a All-You-Can-Eat, on me. Order anything you like! You look like you could use the food...", says Zatanna, peering at the girl. She has been thrown into this superhero world for two weeks, and she is already this powerful. "Have you considered... well... asking for help? I mean... we have a few groups that would gladly take you in as a junior, to help you grow into your own skin. I know the Justice League is going to be interested in this Asmidian thing..."
Roxie looks at Zatanna and nods. Carefully she gets up and moves to go place an order. It doesn't take long before she slowly moves back to the table. "They said they will bring it out."
The young lady nods, "I've talked with someone with the Titans. I talked to Martian Manhunter too. He suggested the titans. I know I am nowhere near capable enough to work with the JLA. I am still learning to control my powers and I don't know the extent of them or anything. I've had more fights in one week then I know what to do with and I don't know the first thing about combat. I dunno what I should do. It hurts to talk telepathically and I pushed through the pain earlier to fight."
Zatanna looks at the girl, pondering for a moment. "You have talked to the Martian Manhunter... and he told you to go with the Titans. Maybe you should. Do you need a recommendation letter or something?", asks the magician, smiling at the younger girl. "Because you shouldn't be left alone, that is for sure.", she says again, arching her eyebrow in a smart way. "Also, you can meet a lot of interesting people with those guys. I hear they are pretty crazy."
"Mend said they would need to vote on me. I need to find a place to stay. That is all I know. I left home. I told my parents about what happened. Daddy told me that he wished I wasn't his daughter." Roxie frowns a little. 
The food is brought out. A pair of large cheeseburgers and fries as well as a large coke. She attacks it like she hasn't eaten in days. "Sorry. I am starving." Roxie was definitely drained and it shows.
At first Zatanna just blinks, tilting her head to the side. She wishes she could just let this slide, nobody that actually knows her would say Zee would ever make a good roommate, let alone someone you should share your house with. Still, that bit about Roxie's dad... it strikes home too hard. 
"Y... You can stay with me, until you get accepted into the Titans...", she says, screaming in her head. Zee can almost see Zachary shaking his head. Whatever, he doesn't know what it is to be in Roxie's shoes. "If you want."
Roxie blinks a few times and looks at Zatanna. A smile crosses her lips. "Thank you so much Zatanna! That is a huge help. Thank you thank you!" She beams a little and out of the blue gives Zee a hug. "You are a life saver. I sorta slept on top of Titan's Tower the past night or two." She blushes a bit. 
Then it's right back into the food. She is already through half of it. "I shouldn't have run away but if that is how my parent's feel, I shouldn't be there. Also, For their own safetly I can't be there. What if those aliens used them to get to me?"
"You are right. You better keep some safe distance.", Zatanna says briefly, trying to avoid the parent talk. Why would a father reject his daughter? How could anyone do that? She would like to know. Some nights, Zee would give everything to know just that. 
"You can stay in Shadowcrest... with me. But... well... you must follow some ground rules. If I have someone over you assume by default you have to stay in your room, okay? Also, there are a number of rooms you cannot go inside. Is that okay with you? Or does it feel like I am too bossy?", she offers with a grin.
Roxie gives a nod. "I understand. I don't know how much I will be in anyway. I know I am trying to get into another school. The school I was in is not really able to handle me anymore. Plus I would feel awful if the school would be attacked because of me." She shutters.
"I am trying to get into the Academy of Tomorrow. A few people gave me cards to join there. Five of them were girls who spoke as one. Then there was this guy. They all told me to get in touch with Ms. Frost." Roxie continues eating.
Zatanna nods as Roxie speaks "Ms. Frost? Never heard of her... but anywhere where five girls talk as one sounds like either a super strict catholic school or a recipe for creepiness...", jokes the magician, leaning to take soem fries from the girl's plate and eating one. 
"You can stay for as long as you need. We will try and get you into this Academy, if you want my help... and then... the Titans. How does that feel? Pretty super, right?", she says, offering the girl a smile.
"That sounds really good. I will stay out of your hair as much as I can. I know you are very busy. I only need to grab one or two things from home and I will be good. Namely some clothes, my pillows, and my sewing machine and materials." 
She finishes her meal and smiles happily feeling and looking a thousand times better. "Ahhh. I needed that a lot. Thank you so much. It's a huge help. I will stay out of the way at your place. Don't worry I won't do too much exploring. " She snickers.
Zatanna winks at the girl, raising a finger up "It's for your own good, missy!", and then, a bit more serious, she adds "And the world's. Seriously, there are rooms in Shadowcrest -I- don't visit.". But, just then, she smiles at the girl and nods. 
"Let me tell you this. We grab my car from here, and we buy you some new clothes, so you don't go around looking like a No Doubt fan. When you are properly dressed, we go to your house, grab what you need?"
Roxie beams brightly over that. "Buy clothes?! That is cool! I make some of my own. This top was one of my first that I made. Still I can't wait!" She giggles a little bit. "Do I gotta wear fishnets too?" She laughs at the thought. 
"I won't do much exploring. I got a lot of practicing to do and I don't think inside is the best place to do it." She looks out through a window. "If I am ever going to have enough control over my abilities to be a help to anyone I need to practice right?"
"Right! So, lets?", and standing up the magician offers the girl her hand, a wide smile on her lips. "Also... no, no fishnets. They... are pretty... mmm... they are too risque, and you are too young!", she chuckles, remembering when she was young, walking around the stage in her fishnets, the kinds of stares she got. 
"Maybe in time!"
Roxies busts out laughing. "Nah Fishnets aren't really for me. I just need to come up with some sort of costume. I think I might have a code name to use but I am at a loss for how i want to look. I just don't wanna look cheesy." 
"The tux look works for you but I don't think that would work for me. I just have mental powers. It's kinda cool though Except when I am fighting with Egyptians. That guy I tangled with in Black Adam's head was nasty. I think it was Zehuti?"
"Thoth!? Oh... don't get me started on him...", she chuckles, standing up to waggle a finger at the girl, beckoning her to follow Zatanna as she goes out the door.
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