Game of Thrones [Zee]

[Zatanna]

Dick only had time to get out one offensive comment before all hell broke loose - perhaps more literally than anyone would like to believe. Zatanna's lips pursed in preparation to tell the dark knight what she had been trying to do, or else to just curse at him - whatever came first. That's when the 'zombies', as Dick called them, turned up. Zee saw the skeletal hand snap out of the mist and grasp Batman's ankle while he was looking in her direction. She didn't have time to call out a spell before Dick employed his staff or another zombie tried to get handsy with her

Zatanna felt the tug on her feathered cloak and looked down to see an animated skeleton trying to pull her off of her horse. The bony fingers not clamped onto her cape held in its palm an ancient dagger caked with dried blood and swamp scum. "Emoc trapa!" With a shiver, the bones of the animated skeleton fell apart and fell into the water with a scattering of splashes. By the time Zee turned back to check on Dick they both looked ahead to see the twin crimson eyes gleaming through the fog, crowning a massive shadow that was quickly growing more solid.

The sorceress raised her hand, teeth clenched for a backwards sentence when her horse reared defiantly onto its rear legs. Zatanna grasped onto the saddle horn with all her strength to keep from being thrown from the back of her steed. During the woman's contest to remain seated, a much more flesh-covered corpse of a massive zombie hit Dick's horse head-on, sending him crashing into the waters below. Zee's horse slammed back onto all fours at the same moment that a sickening snap and a forlorn whinny came from the other animal.

Zatanna's look of momentary surprise kindled to boiling rage. "Tsubmo-" A corpse slightly smaller than the one assailing Dick, but still massive curled his disgusting, frigid fleshy hand around the collar of Zee's cloak, and hurled her aside brutally. Rather than hitting the cool murky water, Zatanna landed roughly on a moist, sopping, spongy cropping of earth partially submerged in the rancid mire. Rather than attempt to defend his rider, Zee's horse turned tail and sprinted away into the mist. Meanwhile the zombie that had thrown her was now approaching and many more living skeletons began to appear through the mist.

The Mistress of Magic didn't like being thrown and she had always detested necromancy. She had encountered the walking dead enough to know some of their soft spots, though. Zatanna hadn't even climbed to her feet again when she was forced to counter the zombie before he could get his hands on her again. "Tloberif!" Flames condensed in a hefty orb in Zee's palm and exploded forward to catch the hulking undead figure full in the chest. It stopped, teetered for a few moments, then fell into the water with a smoking hole through its once-living chest.

"Dick! Where are you?" Zatanna knew it was a little unrealistic to expect Batman to be able to tell her, depending on his current state against the zombies, but she was being pressed. One technical incantation and a ring of fire caught on the ground around Zee, making a formidable barrier against any of the fleshy monsters that tried to attack her. She wasn't so sure about the skeletons, and now that she saw they carried swords, daggers and ancient longbows, the fact that they were easy to defeat wasn't such a powerful silver lining.

[Batman]

(Warning: This post is heavily riddled with what is commonly known as “dues ex machine”)

There was an ancient martial arts form that was solely focused on the art of chi and meditation. The monk who had come up with the art form had theorized that with enough concentration and focus you could augment your body to superhuman levels. Your fingers could have the sharpness of daggers, your strength could triple and you could move much faster than the average human being. All you had to do was center yourself and tap into this inner chi. The name of the monk had been lost in history but the method had not. During Dick’s brief travels he had learned about this art form but had abandoned it after realizing that he could wind up hurting someone or fallen prey to his passions if he focused on his chi. It was a dangerous method that was ruled by emotions. That’s why you had to perfectly center yourself. Yet in Dick’s current state of desperation he was willing to try it. His natural curiosity coupled with the fact that this creature was undead made him ever more eager.

The zombie bent over and rushed at Dick again in an attempt to knock him over. Dick waited until the creature was practically bearing down on top of him before he grasped it by the shoulders and flipped over it. He landed on the ground as the zombie again plowed into the deep waters below. As it pulled itself upwards Dick closed his eyes and inhaled. He felt his temperature rise as he ignored the freezing state of his clothing and his fists felt as if they were vibrating. Dick was somewhat alarmed by how quickly he had been able to create such a calm. He could only assume that it was because of the magical properties in the air but he didn’t care. It was show time. The creature rushed at him again and Dick sprinted forward. He stiffened his fingers and as it attacked he stabbed upwards at its throat. His fingers pierced rotting flesh and bone and the creature was forced to take a step back. The sheer momentum of the attack pushed it down underneath the waters. Dick raised his right fist and plowed it straight through the zombie’s face and with that it stopped moving.

As he lifted his hand out of the water he winced in pain and stared at his wrist. It looked as if he had sprained it. The “chi high” he had been feeling faded away ridiculously quickly. It was almost as if it had never been there. He glanced over his shoulder to notice two more manageable skeletons advancing towards him. Dick sighed as he assumed a lax fighting stance. He’d have to use his left hand for his primary strikes but he was practically ambidextrous. Besides, he loved a challenge. Before either of them could make a move Dick advanced. With one well-placed jab he was able to dismantle the jaw of one skeleton before he grabbed the sword hand of the next. The first attempted to slash him from behind but Dick redirected the second skeleton’s sword to the first’s chest. Dick then executed a roundhouse kick to the second skeleton and knocked its head clear off. Dick stepped backwards as the skeletons fell apart into the smog.

Was that all of them? He glanced around through the piercing fog in hopes of finding Zatanna. He didn’t see or hear anything nearby. Maybe she had figured out a way to break the curse. Regardless Dick wasn’t moving until he heard or saw Zatanna. He wasn’t about to get lost on his own. He didn’t have magical spells that could tell him where he was or whisk him out of danger. So he just stood there in silence. He didn’t want to betray his location to anymore creatures and he was hoping that Zatanna would be able to use her magic to locate him. It had been sheer luck that he had been able to take the 7 foot tall monster down and he was in no mood to fight such a battle again.

[Zatanna]

Zatanna knew that the amassing skeletons' sheer number was what gave them strength. They weren't as formidable or as cunning as the fleshy brutes that had assailed Dick and Zatanna foremost - though those weren't exactly Einsteins, either. She didn't see anymore of the zombies around, but the skeletal army that was surging toward her from her peripherals was a bit daunting. Flaming barrier or no. Zee didn't know how helpful firebolts would be against piles of living bones knit together by dark magic.

The Mistress of Magic didn't have time after she called for Dick to wait in silence for a reply. She doubted her shout had penetrated the fog that now veiled Batman from her. When Zatanna had been thrown it had been a tactic, whether the zombie to blame knew it or not. Divide and conquer was at foundation tactics for any army, and these necromanced corpses were definitely legion. Over the clatter of bones, the sloshing of water parted by the stampede of skeletal feet and the roar of Zee's own boiling barrier, no wonder she didn't hear a reply.

Zatanna tried a firebolt at one charging skeleton, but was unsatisfied with the results. The thing made three more steps before its rib-cage disintegrated enough to undo the evil spell that animated it. Tines of lightning weren't that helpful, either. It simply bounced around one of the creatures, causing them to vibrate, but still they didn't come undone. Finally, the Mistress of Magic hissed under her breath. "Dniwlrihw, reab ym siemene, dna rettacs rieht senob!"

With a howl a whirlwind nearly exploded into existence. Zee made sure not to let the bottom get near enough to the surface of the water below to absorb it - these vile things obviously held an affinity to ice and water. Zatanna sent the miniature cyclone forward and was satisfied with the results. Even so, after several close calls with arrows emerging from the fog originating from unseen undead archers, Zee knew that that wasn't the end of her troubles.

And where the hell was Dick?! Zatanna turned an oncoming arrow to snow with a spell, and then panic struck her. What if Batman was in trouble, and here she was only thinking of her own well being? "Cigam dleihs em!" Drawing up the multicolored force field that she had made use of earlier, Zee turned toward the vague direction that she had last been straddling her horse. Zatanna forced the panic in her chest to abate. She needed to concentrate more on this next incantation to make sure nothing went wrong. "Matab, ylf ot em!"

A whimsical sound somewhere between a hiss and the gong of a church bell rang out. Disturbance swelled through the air from Zatanna's fingertips and vanished into the distance. If all went well, Dick would find himself suddenly levitating off of the ground and winging his way to her. Almost too late, she added a layer of protection to the summoning so that when he came through Zee's fiery circle he wouldn't emerge on the other side nice and crispy.

[Batman]

Despite the presumably open field that the duo had been fighting in Dick felt as if he were in a cramped small space. The fog, muddy water and frigid air weren’t helping either. His clothes were sticking to his body and he desperately felt the need for a hot shower. Yet that would have to come later. It wasn’t as if he had a choice or was trying to exercise discipline. He literally couldn’t get a shower until he got back to his timeline. There had been no mentions of hot running water in any of the Narnia books that Grayson had read as a child. The vigilante shivered and wrapped his cape around himself as he peered through the fog in an attempt to find Zatanna again. Where was she? Then he heard a melodic voice in the fog and found the source of her voice.

Dick turned and began to walk towards her voice. He still didn’t trust himself to speak or call out. It would seem as if he had all the bad luck in this reality. He wasn’t looking to jinx himself by making his presence known to anyone or anything else. Zatanna was a magician and he was certain that she had other ways to summon him if need be. Just as this thought crossed Dick’s mind he heard another spell in the distance. Then he let out a surprised yelp as he was tugged out of the muck he had been standing in and was pulled straight through the air! The sudden change of motion surprised Dick but he quickly adapted to it. His inability to see more than a foot in front of him made the trip unpleasant but he truly couldn’t complain. Soon he saw a multi-colored barrier in the distance and closed his eyes tightly right before he crossed through it. He landed next to Zatanna feet first and let out a sigh of relief.

“Good to see you again.” He said cheekily as he pulled off his cloak. It was becoming more of a burden than anything else. He made to pull his cloak off but realized he was totally dry. He glanced at the shimmering shield that surrounded them. It looked like Zatanna’s magic worked for comfort as well. “So what’s this about a bridge?” Dick questioned as he pulled his hood above his head. His question seemingly answered itself as the ground rumbled beneath them. Dick glanced down at his feet and watched as a circular slab of grey rock slowly rose out of the ground. Water and mud drained off of it and suddenly they were moving. Even Dick’s superior sense of balance couldn’t save him from stumbling a bit. The “bridge” continued to accelerate until they were literally speeding up a slope. Dick realized that they were traveling up the mountain.

“So, since you’re the genius how exactly are we going to convince Faust to send us back once we find him? I doubt trading blows is going to convince him to work his magic in our favor.”

[Zatanna]

Zatanna didn't have any plans for the foreseeable future. Her primary goal at the present was fairly straightforward: don't die. Compared to other magical threats that Zee fought on a weekly basis, a horde of animated skeletons wasn't that fearsome, out of context. With her and Dick being separated, the mystically-infused fog, the fact that she was in an alternate reality and other such handicaps factored in? Zatanna wasn't having an easy go of it. Surprisingly, Batman was plopped down beside the sorceress via her spell within seconds after it was cast.

Even better: he had all four limbs! Zee marshaled the whirlwind that she'd summoned earlier as a puppet master might control a marionette, or a pet owner might lead their dog with a flick of their leash. Zatanna glanced over her shoulder, and though she tried to muster a dry look of sarcasm at the cheeky comment, Zee was still too relieved that he was alright to put too much force into it. Rather, all she managed was a wry smirk while she glanced him over quickly to make sure he didn't have any additional wounds.

Then something that even Zee didn't see coming happened. In theory, Zatanna thought that she and Dick would have to battle through the skeletons and face some danger that was superior to the grunts before the fog would dissipate enough to allow them to carry on with their journey. As it happened, the key to success was a little more simple. Being united in the right spot of the bog. The magician stumbled slightly, and widened her stance to accommodate as the circular slab of stone rose beneath the couple's feet.

Zee's eyes narrowed at the engravings on the surface while the water and sludge drained dutifully off of it. The moment before the small platform began to move, Zatanna realized what was going to happen. With a dismissive chop of her hand through the air the circlet of fire rumbling on the ground around her and Dick cut off. Batman might have had a 'superior sense of balance' but Zee didn't. At least not in this case. With a small gasp - hopefully not caught by Dick over the grinding stone underfoot - Zatanna wobbled, and fell into her ally unintentionally for support.

Grabbing onto him to keep herself on the stone, Zatanna slowly lowered into a crouch that centered her gravity more. "Oh ye of little faith," she said with a smirk, "I don't think you realize how persuasive I can be." Zee looked up at Dick, realizing belatedly that winking from that angle could be suggestive. Too late. She fluttered one eyelash, and refused to feel embarrassed at the implications. Zatanna still wasn't sure if this slab was considered the 'bridge', even if it were taking them higher up the mountain.

Just as the fog left them - rather suddenly, as it appeared - the stone stopped with such abrupt force that Zatanna was hurled forward through the air nearly twenty feet. Miraculously she managed to land in a roll that didn't pop her shoulder from its socket, though she knew that her back was now peppered with bruises. Zee didn't grown, per se, but she did grumble in an offended way while she climbed onto her elbows. She and Dick were now on the ridge of the lowest jagged mountain in the range where Faustus's abode resided.

Space had been heavily altered by magic here, or at least that was Zatanna's guess. Directly in front of her a long, narrow stone bridge arched more than a hundred feet to the bottom of the next mountain. On the peak of that cropping of rock, in turn was another slightly different, wider bridge that struck out towards another. Zee couldn't see definitively, because mist - the natural kind this time around - blanketed everything below from sight, and fudged the view ahead. She counted nearly five bridges, each longer and wider than the next.

Even then, the final bridge hit the highest mountain in the range at its waist. After Zatanna and Dick made it there, it would still be a gruesome climb to the top. "Aah," she said with a sigh, "wonderful." Zee had just noticed an impressive silhouette halfway down the first bridge. It was a man nearly eight feet tall in robes of charcoal black lined in golden thread. His hood was drawn with blond locks spilling at the bottom onto his chest. One hand held a jagged sword of slender, intimidating design. The other flickered with magic.

"You think each bridge will have a guardian?" Zatanna asked Dick absently while brushing herself off.

[Batman]

As the stone began to pick up in speed Zatanna stumbled into Dick. The vigilante grasped her by the shoulders quickly to help her steady herself. The sorceress seemed more than capable of being able to handle herself, though. Not long after stumbling she immediately righted herself and bent into a couch in order to preserve her footing. Dick glanced down at her to make sure she was steady and was met with what he considered to be a suggestive wink. He had to admit that he was somewhat confused as to Zatanna’s decisions to act in such a manner now of all times but he shrugged it off. He’d take a victory when he saw one. Either way he was too professional to let things get too fun. “Hang on.” was all he said as the rock steadily climbed its way up the mountain.

As the stone continued to push its way up the mountain Dick bent his knees slightly and braced himself for a sudden stop. He wasn’t entirely sure what would happen but it never hurt to be prepared. A sudden stop would likely kill him. Dick had been jumping off of high points long enough to be able to predict his elevation in the air. He knew that if he fell off the rock now he would risk breaking something. So when the rock suddenly stopped Dick didn’t go flying off towards the ground. He stumbled a bit and while he did fall off he was able to correct his fall well enough to land on the ground feet first. He glanced at Zatanna and offered her a terribly cocky smile. Not everyone was as good as him. “You alright?” He questioned even though they both knew the answer to that question.

Dick took in the impressive mountain with one slow glance. Five bridges. Each bridge would be substantially more difficult to cross than the last. There was also the fact that they had run into an obstacle when they had crossed the first bridge. (Though it had manifested as a floating piece of rock). He was starting to think that this would be far more difficult than he had assumed. This was hard to admit t because he had already been wondering just how hard they’d have to fight to get back home. There was also the fact that he was somewhat responsible for this whole mess. Dick had never been very adept at dealing with guilt so he was hoping they’d get back home. “Did I mention how much I hate magic and people who use it?” Dick said with a sigh as he looked across the bridge. “No offense.” He added belatedly as he began to walk across the bridge to meet the guardian.

[Zatanna]

Being taken on a joy ride by a floating slab of earth was bad, but being flung from it at an abrupt stop was much worse. The silver lining - that she wasn't broken, or dead, or unconscious, and so on - was heavily dampened, though. When Zatanna glanced through the curtain of hair that had fallen over her face in the tumble, she saw the blatantly arrogant smile that Dick was wearing. Did he care if her spleen was ruptured, or her arm was torn from its socket in the fall? Hell, no! ... Not that any of those things had happened, but they could have!

"Dandy," she snapped irritably, not caring that her reaction would probably just fuel his ass-fire. You need to work on your insults, girl, Zee thought to herself. The jerk-wad didn't even try to help her up. Of course, in her current state she probably would have been offended at the jest, but he didn't know that. Nope. The dark doofus was watching the scene ahead which, Zatanna admitted grudgingly, she couldn't exactly blame him for. The bridges spanning peaks that came above the cloud bank was pretty awe-striking. In a beautiful way as well as an "oh crap, we're screwed" way.

Zee managed to hoist herself to her feet easily enough, and felt her anger begin to dissipate. After she intoned a healing spell that wrapped her briefly in an aura of whirling, regenerative light, Zatanna was of a much milder attitude. Dick ignored her question, of course. Maybe he thought it was rhetorical, beings that she was the mystic guru of the equation? Zee listened with mild amusement while he complained. She raised both hands in a surrendering gesture.

"None taken," she assured, though in a tone still with enough bite to make her meaning seem undermined. "Right now? I'm not too fond of magic, either." Zatanna rolled her shoulders and neck, experimenting with their soreness. When you did an overall healing spell like she'd just commenced, cramping was far too easy if you didn't work out the kinks from the charm. "Is this where I say: "You get behind him, and I'll push?""

Zee jutted her chin to indicate the willowy creature - was she allowed to say "man"? - barring their path. He continued to survey them with slanted, impervious eyes. The magic glistening in his empty palm continued, and Zatanna almost thought she saw his grip on his sword hilt increase in readiness. Size mattered, she supposed, but the fact that this man - she was going to call it that, it made things much easier - was obviously wielding magic, and his build was definitely lithe meant that he might be harder to fight than a troll, or something.

Trolls were notorious for their stupidity. Everyone knew that.

[Batman]

“I don’t think you could get behind him…his sole purpose seems to prevent people from getting behind him.” Dick had a feeling that Zatanna was joking but it was easier to voice his frustrations with the situation out loud than bottle it inside. His frustration manifested by him picking apart what was a simple joke. Dick wasn’t annoyed or angry with Zatanna. He was glad she was here. He was mostly angry with himself. The fact that he had managed to help them get into this mess was bad enough. Now Faust was forcibly putting them through hell to get back. After the first fight against the skeletons Dick had come to realize that he mine as well take responsibility for his actions. He wasn’t a child. “Alright…we do this the hard way. I distract him and you…do your thing.” He wasn’t sure what her thing was. It had to do with magic but he had a feeling Zee would have to whip something a little special for this guy.

The androgynous guardian strode towards them haughtily as he raised his left hand. It looked as if he was holding a ball of flame and as Dick strode down the bridge to meet him he realized just how little wiggle room he had. The first ball of blue flame struck the ground directly in front of him. The next whizzed at his chest and Dick simply twisted his body to avoid that as well. Dick cracked his knuckles and his casual walk turned into a full spring as the Guardian raised his hand and emitted a wide berth of blue flame. Dick turned his run into a quick roll before he planted his hands on the cold and rocky ground. He pushed himself into the air and as he did the flame passed directly beneath him. He winced in pain as he felt blue flame ignite the cuff of his shirt and pure heat forced the whole sleeve to catch on fire. Dick landed behind the guardian and stepped backwards. “Hey!”

The Guardian spun around and slashed his sword down at Dick. Dick dodged to the side and flipped backwards. He had managed to get behind the sword wielding being but it wouldn’t let him survive for long. That was all fine and dandy. All Dick was trying to do was distract him until Zatanna could work her magic. The blond haired swordsman continued to press his attack but Dick found his moves predictable. While the being was much faster than the average human being Dick was able to avoid his attacks simply because the kata he was using was painstakingly predictable. That was until he was struck by the flat side of the blade and knocked clear off the bridge.

Dick barely managed to grab onto the edge for dear life. The Swordsman stepped towards him and a smile flashed across his face before he raised the sword and drove it down towards the vigilante.

[Zatanna]

Zatanna didn't know when she would learn. Age or name, it didn't matter. Anyone that had been trained by Bruce automatically thought that their strategy as the best possible one on the menu, and that their plans could never go awry. Zee didn't know how many times she and a Bat-family member had to be turned into newts, or - in this case - sent to an alternate reality before they would all get it through their notoriously thick skulls: Sometimes they didn't know best!

Take that moment, for instance. The Mistress of Magic didn't know what kind of bothersome magical rules that Faust might have put on the series of bridges. She didn't know how big of a mystical threat this gold-skinned dude was, either. Odds were that there was some kind of law worked into the bridge that meant only one person could combat the guardian. The truth could be that the guy - though wielding a sword - was a brutal battle mage. All in all? There were a few choice reading charms that Zatanna could have worked to make sure that they weren't going into this half-cocked.

Actually, she had been forming the necessary incantation in her head when Dick said for her to "do her thing," and proceeded to walk right out onto the bridge. Zatanna summoned the breath necessary to chew him out, but let it go after a moment. There was no use complaining, she supposed. Instead, Zee massaged her temples, and tried to remain on her toes. Alright. If I work a Leveling Curse, I can make sure that Dick and this creep both have to fight hand-to-hand. Zatanna began phrasing the backwards incantation, when worse quickly came to worse.

Before Zee knew could do more than stop her curse, Dick was aflame, dangling from the edge of the bridge, about to be stabbed in the face. "Ezitengam!" Zatanna threw out one hand in desperation, and a physical ripple ran through the air with the speed of a lightning bolt, along with the distinct sound similar to a metal chair grinding against yet more metal. Abruptly, the man with the sword was repelled by Batman's proximity, and was blown back off his feet.

The guardian only made it five feet or so when he got far enough away that Dick was pulled up to keep the distance between them the same. Zatanna looked as both were suspended in the air above each of the crude railings that ran along both sides. Zee remained rooted to the spot, both palms outstretched to maintain the tricky little charm. There was a heavy moment, and then she dropped them both. "Erif, hsiugnitxe!" Dick's sleeve snuffed out. "Shelf, leah!" The blistered skin smoothed, and mended.

Batman's opponent paused for a moment, and looked between the man before him, and the sorceress on the cleft of earth to his left. The Guardian's magic-laden palm flared with what looked like a casing of warped purple energy. He threw the orb onto the bridge nearer Zatanna, and from a portal that opened came a strange creature. It looked like a pile of boulders, but they were held together by wiry electricity, and rotating as if in a whirlwind. The holes that were its eyes in the central block of stone glittered, and the group of pebbles that formed its hands jutted forward.

"Tihs!" Zee dove to the side as a bolt of lightning smote where she had just been standing, detonating in a charged explosion.

[Batman]

Dick wasn’t exactly sure what happened over the next few seconds. One minute he was about to let go and just let gravity claim him. The next thing his skin was healed, his right sleeve disintegrated into ash and he was standing safely on the ground. There was also a massive creature made of rock attacking Zatanna. Dick winced. “So we’re just resorting to pokemon now? Is that it?” Dick questioned as the luminous being loomed over him. Dick’s eyes quickly scanned the man’s body. There really weren’t any weaknesses that could be exploited. Yet maybe if he was able to somehow trick him into falling off the bridge? Dick’s thoughts were cut short by the being’s blades as he slashed down at it him. Dick hurriedly side stepped the weapon and it sank deep into the rocky ground. The swordsman tugged for a moment and was unable to move the blade.

Dick took that as an opportunity and stepped forward. He dodged between his foes legs and without further ado jumped onto his back. Dick tugged the hood off and immediately clamped his hands around the being’s eyes. The swordsman roared in anger and let go of the sword to reach back and grab Dick. Dick reached down and grasped the man’s heavy cloak before he jumped over his head. As he did so he pulled the cloak up and over the front of his body, successfully obscuring his vision. These were basic tactical moves that he’d rely on back when he was 12 years old and lacked any significant strength to fight bigger man. Dick felt childish but he was also fighting someone three feet taller than him and extremely strong. The man stumbled backwards as he tugged at his cape and that’s when Dick decided to act as foolish as he would have when he was 12 years old.


“Catch me!” He was making a gambit. If he defeated the swordsman there was a significant chance that the rock juggernaut would disappear. If anything Zatanna would have to step up her game and beat the rocky giant a lot sooner. For now he was going to take advantage of this while he still could. Dick took a deep breath and sprinted towards the swordsman before grabbing him around the waist and pushing him off the bridge. The swordsman did exactly what he thought would happen and grabbed Dick in a bear hug. He grabbed him so hard that Dick could swear he could feel his ribs aching and groaning under his skin. As he fell he idly reflected on the fact that this would not be the first time Zatanna would be forced to save him from falling to his death.

[Zatanna]

Zatanna had sough refuge behind a jagged precipice of rock that jutted up in a slender dollop of a ridge at the feet of the bridge itself. The fall that she'd suffered just minutes before had her more light on her feet, and Zee tucked into a side roll to ensure that another bolt of lightning couldn't catch her unawares. Zatanna remained hunkered down behind the spears of stone while several more quick electrical bolts smote the barricade, blowing small fist-sized craters in the rock and sending up puffs of dust along with the overpowering smell of ozone.

Zatanna breathed deeply and began directing her energies. She cast them out like a probing finger toward the summoned elemental creature to divine it's origin and, hopefully, a chink in its armor. When Zee did so, she discovered several things. The first being that the being of thunder and lightning was a creature brought forth from a layer of the dimension they were in that was much more powerful. Good. At least Zatanna could handle that. The second discovery was in the cloak of black feathers that the magician wore on her shoulders. There were many spells in the cape that she had of yet been unaware.

"Well," she said mildly, "how about that?" Zatanna had been caught off-guard by the sudden manifestation of the lightning-throwing summons. Now that she was in control, though, what threat could a small elemental conjuration pose against the Mistress of Magic herself? Zatanna stood, and strode purposefully around her refuge. Jagged tines of lightning licked the air around her, but couldn't seem to meet their mark. Zee looked at the whirling mass of stones, knit together by sky fire, and smirked.

"Eb enog." Zatanna flicked a palm toward the summoning, and a bolt of smoke, lit within by a multicolored light. The projectile was loosed from Zee's palm just when Dick yelled an order - she was going to say it was a "request" - at her, and tackled his opponent. Both sprawled, and toppled over the edge of the slim stone bridge in an embrace. Zatanna wasn't so unnerved by this event: How many times already had she saved Batman from an otherwise lethal fall?

"Matab, nrut ot ekoms!" The Princess of Prestidigitation knew that being transfigured into an element - especially on so loose and flimsy as smoke - was a very unpleasant experience. Without Zatanna's will exerted over Dick's substance as it was, he would have been broken by the passing mountain winds and dispersed across this alternate dimension. As it was, Batman turned to dark vapor and left his opponent's arms to grasp nothing but air. The hooded figure disappeared into the cloud banks below.

Zatanna twirled her wrists and gestured to the ground before her. Instantaneously the smoke swept up from below like a miniature thunderhead and spun in a corkscrew funnel. With a last flourish of black mist, Dick was deposited on his rump there. "Is this going to be a trend?" she asked. "Or should I just turn your arms into wings?" Zee was interrupted by a low, ominous groan. At the opposite end of the bridge, the mist revealed a gate of crimson, broken by knobs of gold. The doors swung open.

"Nice job, jumper." Zatanna paused. She felt a tremble run through the ambient magic around her, and then the physical tremble of the stones underfoot. Zee knew what was going to happen before it did. "Run now," she instructed, grabbing Dick by the forearm as she passed, "snark later." Zatanna sprinted across the bridge as it started to crumble behind her.

[Batman]

Dick inhaled and exhaled rapidly as he felt the being only increase its grip on his chest. He had a feeling that it could kill him in a matter of seconds. Yet it was waiting and making him suffer. Dick began to regulate his breathing into quick and short breaths as he struggled to control himself. He couldn't last this long. It wasn't the impact he was scared of. It was the thought of having every bone in his chest crushed before he even realized if he'd be saved or not. Then the creature squeezed him so hard he felt a rib bruise. Dick grunted in pain and just as he was about to give up he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. The tingling intensified until Dick suddenly found himself flying and bouncing around through an alternate dimension.

That experience was so fast and fleeting that he barely noticed it. Then Dick was sitting on his rear end on the bridge. He slipped his hand over his rib and noted that it was still bruised. He inhaled carefully and felt a slight throbbing pain on the lower right portion of his chest. That wasn't a good thing but it wasn't going to slow him down. Not too much. He had survived on patrol with worst. The idea of asking Zatanna for help came across his mind but he pushed it down. His pride wouldn't suffer another cry for help. He had already stuck his neck out too many times during their stay here. He just didn't like the idea of needing to be constantly rescued. He would just power through like he always did. "Well I always g-" The bridge began to tremble underneath him and Dick stood to his feet. "Above and beyond the call of duty!"

He didn't care if it was a life or death situation. He was going to finish off his one liner. Dick glanced behind him and noticed that the bridge was falling apart behind them. In his approximations it would only take another thirty or forty seconds before the rest of the bridge plunged into the depths. Needless to say Dick didn't want to be there when it happened. So he began to sprint and ignored the pain in his side as he did so. The ground trembled underneath his feet but he continued to run. Just as Dick almost made it to land the bridge in front of him collapsed. Dick cursed and jumped. He barely managed to grab onto the jut of rock pointing out of the mountain and managed to pull himself onto the edge of the rocky jut. He pushed himself up and glanced at Zatanna. "Close one."

He glanced up at the rocky stairs and sighed. "How many more bridges do we have to go?" He questioned as he began to climb up the rocks. He sighed as he stared across the bridge and noted five gollish trolls wrestling with each other. "Alright...let's get it over with." He began to walk across the bridge. Each of the creatures were roughly six and a half feet tall. They all had massive broad swords and they all wore armor. Dick needed to just get his hands on one weapon and then he'd be fine. The first troll barked in laughter and strolled towards Dick with his sword propped against his shoulder. The troll stood there and grinned, revealing bright red flesh caught within his teeth. "You sure you want to try and cross me, puny human?"

Dick exhaled heavily. Maybe he should have asked that Zatanna heal his rib. "Yeah...let's get this over with."

[Zatanna]

"Yeah," Zatanna said, amused, after Dick pulled himself onto solid ground again, "I almost had to save you again." The Mistress of Magic let a flicker of mischief glance through her blue eyes to ensure she meant no offense. Was she actually flirting through all of this? Why, yes. Yes, she was. Not for a lack of anything to do, either. Zatanna found that the snark-filled conversations that she traded with the dark knight were actually helping her to grapple with the situation they were in. Funny as it sounded, being with Dick made her feel at ease.

Comfortable in her skin, even in such a setting.

Down, girl, Zatanna scolded herself. Going through a parallel dimension, where your life was on the line every few steps could addle anyone's judgement. Zee had had this same, or similar experiences frequently enough throughout her life to know that. She liked Dick, but she wasn't going to do anything... brash... until the both of them were home, in their own dimension, safe and sound. Or, that's what the Mistress of Magic was telling herself, at the very least. Zatanna let Dick complain while they mounted the stairs to the next bridge without even shooting him a reproachful look. To be truthful, Zee was in the same mood.

How many did they have left? Zatanna thought on the matter, and the levels of magic that drifted through the air, tickling her senses. Counting the one that they were about to embark on, Zee guessed at around four more, maybe. That was still a lot of challenges that the unlikely pair would have to go up against. Zatanna glanced at Dick through the corner of her eye, and a whimsical smile brushed against her mouth. It couldn't be that bad, could it? Zatanna made it to the peak of this new precipice, and saw the array of beefy, well-armored trolls.

Well, she thought dryly, obviously it can.

The nearest troll, and - judging from the tattered crimson cloak that was pinned to his shoulders - the leader of the rest, sauntered up to Dick. If something that big could really saunter. Zatanna looked from Batman to these new guardians, and her eyes narrowed. It was evident that the previous scuffle had left Richard in need of a bit of magical mending. Of course, he had tried to conceal that fact, which just made it that much more obvious. Trolls weren't immune to magic. At least your general brand. In a purely militant battle, it was nearly impossible to best them.

Typically, Dick stepped up right away, intending to... Well, Zatanna didn't know, honestly. That instant was when some of the sorceress's stubbornness made a comeback. So far Batman had done the brunt of the finding. Zee had been there to thwart disasters and give him a mystic buff every now and again. Not this time, Zatanna thought, nearly in a sing-song way, internally. "Go ice your wings, Dicky-bird," Zee said offhandedly, stepping in front of him. "Leave the uglies to me."

The troll before Zatanna regarded her thoughtfully, an edge of heaviness glazing his misshapen features. After a moment, and a glance at his comrades, the creature gave a heaving shrug. "Girl or boy human, it does not matter," he said, receiving a round of snickers from his fellows. "You'll just be the first course." Zee wrinkled her nose in distaste when the thought of eating her made the troll's lips peel away to show a row of uneven, yellow-brown, brick-like teeth in something that Zatanna guessed was a smile.

The troll unsheathed his sword. The thing was black, and eight feet long. It's bearer used both hands on the thick hilt to steady it, and along the jagged serrations of the blade were a line of golden hoops. Everything about the trolls were caked with dried blood and the vile tangy scent of sweat mixed with it. Zatanna was busy formulating a plan of attack, though. Something she had just said to Batman piqued a scheme in her mind. "I'm a dish best served cold." Zee threw out both hands. "Eci gninommus, esira!"

There was a shrill howl of wind, and what looked like a micro-blizzard spun into existence between Zatanna and the troll. She was too invested in the present to shake her head at the sheer lameness of her attempted one-liner. Usually she was pretty good at engineering them. No doubt Dick was snickering, if his pride allowed it, that is. Zee wondered if he'd be mad that she took the reins. With a chorus of cracking noises, a figure formed completely of ice congealed at the heart of the whirling cyclone of snow. Within moments, a giant creature put widened its stance there, making the bridge moan underfoot.

The figure looked roughly human, but uneven and roughly-hewn from a glacier. The leader of the trolls stepped back uncertainly, and looked up at the summoned gollem, which stood several feet taller than it. Evidently the trolls weren't used to having challengers that were bigger than they. Zatanna smirked as she stood behind her atronach, looking at once majestic and powerful while a whirlwind of snow buffeted her locks and cloak, and strangely comical, as if she had just summoned a Pokemon to do battle. The colossal being of frost brought both jagged arms up, and dropped a powerful double-handed blow down on the leader of the trolls.

There was another tremor that ran through the bridge, and a brief detonation of ice flakes, and snow that blocked anything else from view. Once the disturbance faded, the troll that had been dealt the blow was nothing more than a broken smear on the bridge itself, coated in a layer of thick frost. Unfortunately, the element of surprise was now gone. The other trolls were looking more wary, and while one whispered words in a strange language that lit his twin daggers on fire, another produced a bow as long as itself, and started fitting arrows to the string. "Drazzilb, emoc dna yebo ym lliw!"

Zatanna reached both hands skyward imploringly. At once a snowy wind picked up, and within a few more seconds another micro-blizzard had appeared, wrapping the entire bridge in below-zero wind, whipping snow into the air and pelting the trolls with hailstones. Zee wrangled control of the phenomenon well, however. Not a single speck of snow carried beyond the bridge on either side, so that nothing other than herself - protected as she was by magic - her summoned atronach and the trolls were enraptured in the weather anomaly. Sometimes being the Mistress of Magic payed off.

If only she had noticed the troll that miraculously skirted around her summoning, and had jumped into the air despite the strong winter winds, now coming down with a war hammer ready to do to her what she had done to his commander...