Book of Titans [Zatanna]

[John Stewart]

Players: John Stewart, Zatanna
Location(s): San Fransisco
Plot Summary: A a pairshady figures have stolen a book infused with the knowledge and power of the Titans of Greek Mythology. It is up to Zatanna and Green Lantern to put a stop to the madness before it gets any worse.

Darkness had befallen the city of San Fransisco as it did every night after the sun had went down. Two figures had taken advantage of their years of training and studying to inflitrate the San Fransisco museum where their prize awaited them. "Our day of reckoning has come. These foolish mortals will not know what hit them," the voice of a male broke the silence as they were now in front of a glass case inside the corner of the museum where Greek Mythology was held. "Indeed, It is time to take back what is rightfully ours," a female voice replied as she too stepped into the light.

Moments later the Justice League watchtower's early warning sign had went off. Causing Steel to contact John Stewart, the Green Lantern on duty, and Zatanna, the only other Justice Leaguer on call at this moment, to inform them of a situation in progress in San Fransisco. "So you're telling me two unidentified people broke into the Museum stole something then a second later they were down the street making a mockery of the S.F.P.D.? typical for a Thursday I suppose. I'm on it Steel," he replied as he turned his flight pattern above Lexington, Kentucky back toward San Fransisco, California. \

In no time at all John arrived on scene just in time to hear the grand speech of the man holding the stolen book. "Gone are the days of man, now is the time for the Titans to return and claim the Earth as their own! No one shall stop us!" he stated with confidence. "I beg to differ on your point of view," the Green Lantern lowered into the scene to make his presence known. He knw that he had back up on the way so he just had to handle the situation and figure out what they were up against. "The ignorant have come to speak blasphemy against our kind. No more shall we hide!" the woman barked up toward John. "Stand down. This is your only warning," he made it clear he was not joking around.

"So be it," the man stated as seemingly was standing down. "Good now, just hand over the book and---" he did not have time to finish the sentence as the woman appeared in a blur to punch him in the face sending him flying backwards into a building. "Holy cow..." John muttered to himself as he slowly pulled himself up and out of the rubble. "That felt like I got hit by Wonder Woman..." he stated to himself as he rubbed his sore chin. What was going on?

[Zatanna]

Zatanna had been actually sleeping. Wonderful, beautiful, darling zen sleep after three encores and a nice soak in the whirlpool tub of her hotel suite. So, when her Justice League communicator went off urgently, Zatanna sat up slowly, dangerously, blue eyes wide and crazed through a curtain of raven strands as she reached for it. "There better be a disaster happening," Zee grumbled into the comm. link. She quirked a brow, not amused, pushing stands of hair from her face. "What do you mean, I'm on call duty?"

Then comprehension dawned just as a scowl creased her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Dick." And Zatanna meant it in both meanings of the word. "No, no, it's fine. You say John's en route? Alright, well, what's the deal?" The Mistress of Magic palmed a yawn and stumbled out of bed, mixing a bit of potion in with a bottle of water to help wake her up. "A Greek artifact? Of course. Why not? Alright, I should be there by the time Stewart makes his debut."

Zee looked unsatisfied when she stood before the full length mirror in her suite. "Yes, I can teleport, but I have to get something from Shadowcrest first," she sighed. "Kay, Zee out."

. . .

What was it with the Greek pantheon and their drama? No wonder Diana was so... emotional, shall we say. Speaking of, shouldn't the Amazon be handling the problem at hand? It was her area of expertise, wasn't it? Zatanna was making excuses, but that was just because she'd been awoken from a much deserved sleep. The fact that when she popped into Shadowcrest she found that the griffin that lived in the attic had decided to chew up a whole corridor of tapestries didn't help matters.

Zee appeared in the middle of the street partway between the culprits of the theft and John - or, shall we say, the John-shaped hole in the nearest building - in a whirl of white vapor and golden light. Zatanna looked with narrowed eyes at the man and woman who were the cause for her sleep deprivation, and scowled. This was going to be... difficult. The magic aura that they each possessed was nothing short of what she had been expecting, but that did not help matters. The book that they carried not only empowered them, it also cast a field of interference around them.

Zatanna might have been a very powerful sorceress, but she couldn't outmatch the magic potency of the Titans. That's why Circe was such a pain in her ass. Zee couldn't undo the curses or workings of magics that were more powerful than those she had at her disposal. "You pretty much were," Zatanna said, through the comm. link this time, beings that John was a little dazed and far enough away that she would have had to yell. "Basically they're acting as avatars for the power of the mythological Titans. That's the big, bad ancestors of the gods who gave Diana her kick."

Thankfully the couple were too busy telling the SFPD that their reckoning was coming to pay Zatanna much attention. Right now she was blending in. Probably due to her leather pants, sleeveless black top and fishnet gauntlets. Didn't stand out quite so much as a magician's outfit. "This'll be tricky, Johnny-boy. You'll probably have to be the heavy hitter while I make sure this power couple doesn't... y'know... send California crashing into the Pacific."

[John Stewart]

John was soon joined on the battlefield by another Justice League member in the form of Zatanna. He had already been informed that she was the only other Leaguer on call tonight, other than Steel in the watchtower of course. Thankfully at that too, she was a magical expert on the Justice League. So when situations like this arose she was a go to person. Now they just had to assess just how deep of crap they were in and what they were going to have to do to get the situation under control before San Fransisco became their stomping ground.

"Thanks for the history lesson," John shot back sarcastically into the communicator. He knew what the Titans were and how their mythos were. Though she did raise a good point by bringing it up; Wonder Woman was powered by the Greek Gods, the newer gods compared to the Titans whom they replaced. So that meant their magical presence was older and stronger according to most magical laws from what he had gathered over the years. With these two tapping into forces known and more than likely unknown at the same time, this was not going to be an easy night for the two Justice League members. But what night ever was?

"Sounds about right," John replied this time without the communicator as he stepped up next to Zatanna. The two people were still rambling on after their successful counter attack on the Green Lantern. He was itching for a round two now that he knew what he was up against, or at least a better idea. "Why would things be different this go around?" he cracked more to himself than to Zatanna about him being the heavy hitter and her saving the city from being crushed into a wasteland. With a deep breath in he let a green light flow over his body which gave him the ability to fly up into the sky once more to draw their attention.

"Did you not learn your lesson green one?" the man's voice carried up to John's heights. The Green Lantern made sure to put some distance between him and Zatanna to keep attention away from her for as long as possible. "Foolish mortals are so ignorant," the woman stated as she once again disappeared into a blur. He attack was stopped this time by a reinforced green wall that looked like bricks. "You only get to do that trick once, I'm a quick learner," he mused just before the man started to yell something. "Sister obviously he has not learned his lesson, let us teach him what it means to mess with the Titans," with that the woman blurred back down next to the man and they ripped the book in half each taking one and absorbing it into their bodies somehow. "Nothing is ever normal with magic..." John muttered to himself as he watched as the two people began to cringe and squirm in agony before their bodies shifted into mutated forms much larger in size. It would seem they were taking it up a notch.

[Zatanna]

Zatanna might have gotten annoyed at John's blatant lack of manners. Hadn't she just arrived to help him save the day? However, the Mistress of Magics gave him a little bit of wiggle room, what with having just been plowed into the side of an office building, and all that. Bearing that in mind, Zee refrained from commenting on his sarcastic retort. Once John touched down on the ground beside her, Zatanna offered him a professional nod. She couldn't decide whether he was miffed that she wouldn't be playing the heavy hitter, or if he was attempting a joke.

The Mistress of Magic hadn't worked with John Stewart as long as she had some of the other Lanterns, and there were still instances where Zee couldn't read him entirely - like now, for instance. Personally, the sorceress thought that her side of the paradigm was the crappier pickings. Making sure that magical interference didn't trigger natural disasters, and so on was very much like trying to divert the path of a river with a stick. Thankfully, Zatanna had experience, just like John had experience being a heavy hitter.

"Magic tends to be cliche," the magician nodded grimly. Then John was gone, disappearing into the air in emerald-haloed flight. Zatanna spread her arms, marshaling her energies as a diagram curled into existence on the ground before her, like starlight embedded in crushed diamonds. As if striking a tuning fork against the lines of magical energy that streamed throughout the earth (ley lines was the official term), she calmed the growing chaos that was bubbling throughout nature - would-be storms ceased from growing, a tsunami that was about to start didn't, earthquakes didn't occur.

Zee watched as the two power-crazed individuals ripped the book - a priceless artifact! - in two, and both transformed into large, terrible creatures. Zatanna rolled her eyes and groaned through her magic. "Of course they did," Zee muttered. The woman clenched her eyes shut, trying to think. Titans, Titans, Titans, Titans... Zatanna's eyes flared open, and a shocked smile cracked her lips open. "Got it!" There were countless mystic artifacts residing within Shadowcrest, the house of her ancestors. One of them? ... Well, one of them could come in handy just then.

"I, Annataz Arataz, nommus eht Steltnuag fo Sera!" Zee held her hands up, and with a crackle of thunder and a moan in the ground, two iron gauntlets appeared in a plume of fiery smoke, one in each palm. Zatanna smirked. She had almost forgot about the Gauntlets of Ares. Probably the only treasure that was in her possession that could actually touch the two hyped up freaks. "Stewart! Put these on!" Zee hurled the two at John. "And wail on them."

The couple stiffened suddenly upon seeing the Gauntlets. They snarled and regarded one another. Then, in unison, both turned their glares upon Zatanna. "Priestess! Your treasures won't save you!"

[John Stewart]

"Really..?" John asked rhetorically as the two now giant sized tandem stepped forward to attack him. The girl was still able move at craze fast speeds, the difference was he had trained against the Flash. Though, the Flash was not a giant nor was he at Wonder Woman level of strength. He was able to generate a triple layered shield that was able to slow up the punch from the girl, but that was not enough as he was still punched by a fist that was about twice the size of his head. This punch launched him into a tumble backwards.

Sliding to a stop the Green Lantern had to react quickly to the man dropping in with a double axe handle downward strike toward him, to which he blocked with a large construct that resembled a giant net but with steel support beams. The sweat was now rolling off his forehead as he maintained his concentration enough to keep from being crushed. Moving out of the way the monstrous sized man's attack finished into the ground creating a mini-crater. His move out of the way was countered by several bunches by the girl once again, then he was grabbed and tossed into the ground not far off from Zatanna. He was being a bit overwhelmed by not just the size or strength, but also the speed at which they could move.

That is when Zatanna shouted his name, so John only moved his eyes not wanting to give the Titan powered twin threats an edge on him. "What?" he already had the most powerful weapon in the universe at his disposal, what could these thins be? Then again, Zatanna was giving him assistance with something to do with magic. Which meant whatever these gauntlets were they would help. "Thanks Zatanna, that makes it two favors I owe you," he replied as he slipped on the Gauntlets of Ares. Immediately the gauntlets began to glow red allowing john feel a noticeable difference in his strength levels. "How about we try this one more time?" he asked as he stepped up to meet the male Titan's fist with his own matching it in power. A stalemate which surprised both the combatants. Slowly he smirks reaching back with his ring hand to generate a gatlin gun to unleash a wave of bullets on the Titan's face. With that distract he uppercut the man sending him backwards. "Holy cow Zatanna, these things pack a punch," he stated as he hovered several feet in from of his teammate, almost drawing a line between her and the two opponents.

[Zatanna]

Zatanna couldn't get mad at John. If not because he didn't actually mean to offend her, because he was sort of being treated like a glow-in-the-dark rag doll by the Titan Twins. Zee even cringed as the Lantern landed near her in time for her to hurl him the Gauntlets. At least by imparting John with such priceless, ancient artifacts Zatanna felt like she had given him a fighting chance against the vicious duo.

While John met a stalemate between blows with the Twins, the Mistress of Magic smiled through her concentration. Quieting the aftershock of ancient magic in the ley lines underfoot, or surrounding nature was getting much easier. Zatanna had guessed that the transformation that the two just completed would make their output of mystic energy three times as chaotic. In truth? Their control had been heightened in the process. That meant that Zee had less to contend with, but at the same time, it meant that the Twins would be channeling even more focused might into their attacks.

Bad news for John. Good news was that Zatanna could enter the fray now, without being too handicapped by keeping natural disasters from happening.

"You can take me out to dinner one one of Saturn's moons or something," Zee said in regard to the 'favors' that John was talking about. Zatanna watched with amusement as John turned the tables on the two Titans. "You're channeling the power of the a centuries' old god," she explained. "They sure as hell better pack a punch. I don't know if I still have my receipt." Zee already decided which of the two she would distract so that John had a better chance at dividing and conquering.

The guy would be easiest for the power of Ares to grapple with. Looks like it's a girl's night, Zatanna thought to herself. "Ssenatit, eb deransne ni ym epor!" The Mistress of Magic gestured forward, and from one of her sleeves a silver corded rope extended like a snake. A snake moving at speeds that would have impressed the Flash, that is. The rope zipped out, and bound the female twin's ankle fast. She looked at Zatanna, and raised a clawed hand with the intention of cutting through the rope.

Zee knew very well that the power of a Titan would slice her enchanted rope like a knife through warm butter. That's why she didn't give her enemy the chance to do so. Zatanna grasped her end of the binding with one hand, and flicked it up casually. The Titaness was whipped like a coin hundreds of feet in the air, turning end over end as the rope unfastened at the apex of the flick to send her away. Zatanna's lips moved in a fluid stream of backwards syllables, and the rope turned into a living bolt of lightning in her grasp.

Zee drew it back like a javelin, and send it crashing into the woman while she stalled at the height of the throw, far above the city. All Zatanna did was most likely piss the chick off, which meant that she'd be super-speeding down to punch her in the face, but at the moment she was feeling pretty good. Hopefully John was doing well with his new toys.

[John Stewart]

"It would be my pleasure to escort you to the best one out there," John replied seriously as he paused for the briefest of moments. he had a few ideas of where they could go, but then he narrowed it down. The others were not high class enough for Zatanna, at least he was not going to take her to a low class place. A woman of her stature and this favor combined meant he was going to have to make sure he pulled out all the stops to show her a good time. But that was to be dealt with later, right now they had two idiots to take care of.

"Ancient mythological artifacts and a green lantern ring?" John stated as he punched his right fist into his left palm. "I feel like this could be a bit fun to experiment with," he added as he kept his eyes open for any movement from their opponents that were picking themselves up off the ground. Obviously they were not ready for the likes of the Justice League. "don't worry though, I'll be sure to return them in the same shape I got them in," he added justice to make sure she knew he intended to give them right back to her. He was not one to be power obsessed, no rather he had other things to worry about in life.

In the next moment Zatanna decided to change the whole landscape of the battlefield by dividing and conquering. So it was girl verses girl and guy verses guy. "Guess that means I drew you as my opponent," John stated as he flew up and right crossed the titan male. "Works for me, I don't like hitting women. But I will crush a bug like you!" the man said as he tried to swat John only to be met with a pointer finger stopping it. Shaking his head the hero then launched a left hook followed by a right cross again.

[Zatanna]

Had Zatanna known how in-depth John was thinking about where to take her on that dinner, she would have been genuinely flattered. Not that she hadn't been serious, of course. Zee just had more perilous things occupying her thoughts in the present. A pissed off Titaness, for one. Zatanna saw the explosive blur of super-speed that came down in the wake of her lightning attack, and she didn't even have the time to purse her lips to cuss, let alone cast a spell. The only saving grace was that Zatanna was still full of so much magic energy from settling the ley lines that the Titaness couldn't hit her directly.

The sorceress's opponent settled for knocking a crater in the street several feet in front of her, though. Zatanna's legs were knocked out from under her as a fracture of pavement sent her flying into the air. There, so far away from contact with the earthen energies that had just saved her - theoretically - the Mistress of Magic was fair game for the Titaness to pummel. Zee wheeled chaotically through the air, but she was more ready than the Titaness at this precise moment. "Tropelet!" The fist of the empowered woman passed through Zatanna as she dissolved in a flash of white light, and silver vapor.

Down on the opposite side of the new crater in the street, the sorceress reappeared. She had to act quick. Brute force wasn't on Zatanna's side, so she would have to cope with that by being more clever, and more cunning. "Leppod sregnag, reappa!" Zee's image wavered even while the Titaness wheeled, midair to look down at her. With a confusing, dizzying visual affect, Zatanna's form appeared to shatter into eighty duplicates that crowded the street. Zee wasn't stupid. The trick wouldn't be very good if the Titaness just punched another hole in the pavement and dispelled them all in one fell swoop.

So, every one of the intangible illusions struck out, sprinting in all directions. Some turned down alleyways, others took to the air to soar away. Several even started conjuring more duplicates. No matter how fast the Titaness was, it would take her a little bit of time to hit each individual one. That was time that Zatanna could spend building up a more crippling attack.