2012-10-22 Pmub ni eht Thgin

While the Batmobile facilitates a speedy visit, it's not the kind of car that's particularly subtle when parked in someone's driveway. Thus the transport is secreted a short distance away down a shadowed side street in the midst of the Metropolis night, and the Dark Knight takes to zipline and grapnel for the rest of his journey. His initial impact on an outer ledge of the ornate manse that the legendary (infamous?) Zatanna Zatara occupies is muffled; nearly silent. Waking up to a loud thwump, if indeed one is asleep, is no fun at all.

Still, the insistent, rhythmic rapping, tapping at her window only grows in volume-- and eventually urgency-- the longer it's ignored. How a man that large perches where he is without dislodging woodwork or falling and breaking his neck is one of those kung-fu mysteries; a good magician never reveals the entirety of their tricks.

Considering where the 'Mansion' is actually located, the fact that Batman is able to even get to the building itself could be considered a sign of how much he is trusted by the owner of the mansion in question is. After all, while the mansion itself is protected by spells that are best left unsaid, let alone inexperienced, the grounds themselves are almost as well protected.

But still not as protected as the house itself.

Anyways...

As the knocking is heard, the occupant of the room that window belongs to wakens with a start. That is before she turns and glances around. None of the major wards have gone off. None of the protection spells that could do things that are beside left to the imagination have been triggered. Thus who, or what ever is out there means no harm. And yet, the woman inside that room, clad in a pair of shorts and a tank top is still cautious. Cautious enough that as she says a simple spell, she avoids saying something else. Something very specific. After all, Zatanna Zatara does know very well what goes bump in the night.

"Wodniw nepo."

Then, said window opens as it is knocked on.

As the window swings outward under magical force, Batman dodges out around it and all but glides into the opening in the same deceptively graceful motion. Booted feet are silent on the bedroom floor, cape trailing behind him an instant in its own arrival, bringing with it a cool bite of autumn from the darkness outside. One gloved hand emerges from therein to quietly shut the window behind him. "Zatanna." It would take someone familiar with him indeed to note the relative warmth in the greeting, even overshadowed by urgency.

"I need your help. People are in trouble." It's not the first time she's heard this particular 'greeting' from Bruce; nor will it be the last. Even without the depth of his tone, the subtly wearied touches to his stance that speak to abundant overwork, she'd know how important it is-- but then, with the Dark Knight, when /isn't/ it important? It's not his job, it's his life's work.

"It's nice to see you too Bruce." is said before Zatanna takes a deep breath, and reaches for a robe, if only so she appears to be more clothed.R The tone is noted, and even causes The Mistress of Magic to even smile slightly before motioning towards an empty chair.

"I know what you'll say, but please, have a seat. And would you like something to eat or drink? After all, I can't be a rude host."

And yes, she does know how important this is. She knows that he wouldn't come to her if it wasn't something big. But she also knows that there are things that have to be done no matter what. And if he's here, this probably will be one of those times...

"And you know that if you need my help all you have to do is ask. So what's the problem?"

"Problems." Batman clarifies, looking respectfully away, just a moment, as Zatanna adds the robe. Not that he wasn't looking at her when he first came in, granted. As likely predicted.. the Dark Knight remains standing, cloaked in his own dark cape, and doesn't pause to refresh himself before getting down to business. He does advance into the room a bit further, removing a sealed bag from within his cape. Within is what looks like a rather old scroll, etched in ancient Latin, and bearing a diagram of a ritual with sigils of the Knight's Templar, visible once he removes it from its protective sheathe and unrolls it. "Let's start here." Which looks like a pretty deep hole, at a glance.

The ritual discussed on the scroll consists of eight seats around the alleged resting place of the Holy Grail. "I need to know more about a group calling themselves the Eight. They have seemingly vast reach into modern nights, and an association with a group called the League of Fellows, which seems to be conducting their mundane operations. They go too far back, too well concealed for my research to yield much without hitting the books.." Something he doesn't shy away from, but..

"Problems." Batman clarifies, looking respectfully away, just a moment, as Zatanna adds the robe. Not that he wasn't looking at her when he first came in, granted. As likely predicted.. the Dark Knight remains standing, cloaked in his own dark cape, and doesn't pause to refresh himself before getting down to business. He does advance into the room a bit further, removing a sealed bag from within his cape. Within is what looks like a rather old scroll, etched in ancient Latin, and bearing a diagram of a ritual with sigils of the Knight's Templar, visible once he removes it from its protective sheathe and unrolls it. "Let's start here." Which looks like a pretty deep hole, at a glance.

The ritual discussed on the scroll consists of eight seats around the alleged resting place of the Holy Grail. "I need to know more about a group calling themselves the Eight. They have seemingly vast reach into modern nights, and an association with a group called the League of Fellows, which seems to be conducting their mundane operations. They go too far back, too well concealed for my research to yield much without hitting the books.." Something he doesn't shy away from, but..

There's a deep breath as Zatanna takes that all in. That is before she nods slowly.

"I see. I'm not sure what to tell you. I have met Mandrake the Magician. I can say that much. As for 'The Eight', I want to say they're an ancient cult, but I'm going to have to look them up to see if I can find anything more specific than that. Your 'League of fellows' isn't ringing any bells for me."

"Aside from that though, I will say that I'll look up what I can, and talk to my own sources if that helps."

"Trustworthy?" Batman double-checks this issue, Mandrake's character, regardless of the Phantom's perspective. "If you can work up a locator spell for him.. it might tell us a lot." He doesn't have time for complex ritual, but he /does/ trust Zatanna to handle it. "I have suspicions that he's been replaced by an impersonator or doppleganger." the Dark Knight clarifies-- because in her field of work, the devil really /may/ be hiding in details. "The Huntress and a girl, Angelique Destane, I'm /sure/ they were taken. If you need anything..." Personal artifacts, expensive components.. that sort of thing, "I'll get it for you."

The information on the Eight is largely matching with the Bat's own hypothesis-- he leaves it to her, moving on to avoid wasting time. "I'm sure the League has been looking into the plot surrounding Senator Castroneves and the Registration initiative.." He didn't come here to talk politics, simply propose a deal, "I'm onto something, it could be huge. I need to know what your people have dug up-- all of it. If I'm right about any part of this, they're going to need my help as much as I need them to expedite this."

"Even if I say he is, would that be enough for you to consider him trustworthy?" is said with an almost teasing smile as Zatanna glances at Batman again. but that smile quickly falters and vanishes as the female magician gets back up.

"Understood. But I'll warn you, I probably will hold off on trying to put together a spell like that until I have a better idea what this group can do. Not only do I want to minimize them possibly detecting me in return, but there are ways to deflect detection spells, if not turn them into dangers for the person casting them."

Then, there's a nod as the topic is switched. In fact, as that topic is brought up, The Mistress of Magic gets an odd look.

"I've been meaning to talk to you anyways and ask for your help on this. Especially since one of the key incidents here happened in Gotham, and so far it feels like the authorities either aren't looking into certain aspects of that, or haven't turned up anything. So if you want to know what we know, I'll see what I can do, but I might have to set up a meeting between you and certain members of The League to make sure that you're given everything, and so they feel like you're actually helping instead of hindering."

"After all, while I could just give you files, we both know that not everything gets written down, so this way you're more likely to get /everything/."

"No." Batman admits frankly, reaching into his cloak for another, smaller folder of photographs and printouts. "But it's a start." The list of people the Dark Knight truly, fully trusts is a short one indeed. That he's as direct with Zatanna as he is is evidence enough of the faith there-- particularly since he mostly leaves her to her own devices on how she can best help. No argument about delaying the spell, or what she needs to do first; he doesn't even lay out an explicit set of directions.

The new set of documents is held for a moment as the Dark Knight listens. Here and there, blank white eyeslits narrow thoughtfully, more than dangerously. "I don't have time to earn their faith any more than they have time to do mine, but if we don't take the chance on this and resolve it... a lot of people are going to be hurt. Perhaps worse." He doesn't see the endgame behind the conspiracy, at least not yet-- but he sees enough to distrust it. A lot. "You're right, though." That never really gets easier to say, but he says it. "Just let me know where and when. As soon as possible-- I'll make time." Somehow. It doesn't look like something he has in abundance, right now.

There's a pause at that, before Zatanna accepts those documents, all though once they're in hand, she says, "Ekat eseht ot eht efas moor." causing them to vanish.

"I know. And I'm sorry to even bring that up. If you ask me, you'd be perfect for The League as a bit of a 'Reality Check'. But I understand /why/ you don't want to join. Still, I think you could do some good in a larger group, and if you won't join The League, you might want to consider some of the other groups out there where there connections to The Government aren't as strong."

Then there's a pause.

"And I'm sorry to of even mentioned that, but I will say that The League could use you, if only to provide a counter balance to everything the government throws at us, or has us do."

"With that said, I'll contact you. I'll tell the members of The League working on this that it's someone I trust, but I won't mention Batman. Hopefully they'll agree to meet so you can exchange the information that you need. If not, I still should be able to get them to give me the information for you."

"As long as they're leashed to government controls, without private sanction and charter of their own.. they're going to be subject to oversight with the same avarice and mixed agenda that worries me in so many other ventures, Zee." Batman explains, sounding slightly tired by the entire affair. "I trust people.." and not easily. "/Not/ institutions. When we get to the bottom of Castroneves and the agenda and danger surrounding him now.. there are going to be a lot of dirty hands." At least, that's the Dark Knight's strong suspicion. "The League is in a startling and new position to be a real check on internal abuse and threats from within-- we'll just have to see if they make it through that first time they start to realize it's necessary."

There's a pause, consideration, and a simple intonation, "If I can help, I will." She knows that, it's why she tells him any of it in the first place. The Dark Knight takes a few more papers and sets them down in front of Zatanna, "One more thing. This necklace." He taps a photograph of an ancient Egyptian heirloom. "It appears to have transformative powers, cursing anyone who steals it and robbing them of shape and senses. It's been returned to its display, but for everyone's safety the curse will need to be lifted or contained, somehow." Beat, "And Zatanna. I need to know if anyone affected by it will be afflicted past their personal possession of the artifact." For the other issues at hand, this one is surprisingly spartan on detail.

The entire bit about The League, Zatanna nods.

"I agree. Things need to be spelt out. Rules need to be set. If this was a UN venture instead of one done by the US Government, I'd feel better about it as well. After all, no need to worry about a mutant or metahuman arms race. but it isn't. We have to do the best we can. And I think that no matter what you could play a big role in changing things for the better."

There's no mention of Castroneves and the other bits connected to that. After all, she trusts Bruce, and if he thinks that this is like that, then she knows that he's more than likely right. thus the mistress of magic doesn't argue.

"And I'll help any way I can."

As for that extra picture, it's examined, and Zee frowns. "I... i think I can deal with this. Or know people that can. but I need to go and see it myself if possible. After all, there's only so much that can be told from a picture, which you know as well as I do."

"I agree." Batman concedes. More or less on all points. He doesn't even expound on it past that, here and now. For Zatanna, however.. the idea that at least some of those options had occurred to him would likely weigh heavy even unspoken. "Whoever's behind this, they're well connected, thorough, and relentless. It needs to be handled with the utmost discretion." That's his last for the moment on the plot against Castroneves, as well.

The photograph is turned over, the back containing the name, address, and exhibit number of the museum in question. He is, after all, the Batman. It's tapped wordlessly with one index finger. "Be careful." After all, the entire point in leaving it with her is to make sure no one /else/ gets hurt-- even if it is another century or so. "You know how to reach me." The direct, encrypted way: even if she didn't have her own mystical mojo, she does have a technological channel right into that cowl.

"Will do. And if you want, I will be polite and knock on the front door if I show up in person. I'm sure at least Alfred would appreciate that." is said in an almost teasing manner by Zatanna, even as she memorizes the info on the back of the picture, and moves over to set it down in a 'safe' spot. Of course as she does that, she turns her back to Batman.

"You better be careful as well Bruce..."

It's hard to say that Bruce has lived this long by being careful. Perpared, often prudent, perhaps-- but there's little safety or security in his world beyond what he creates around himself. It's carried him this far, though. The only answer to Zatanna's musing is the light, chill breeze from the newly reopened window. Though it's certain that the Dark Knight heard her, it's equally certain that he's simply gone, out the way he came with a graceful efficiency of motion like that which brought him inside in the first place.