Chapter 34: Interlude

-[Zatanna]-

Seeing Dante show up in front of them, she was happy, happier than she had ever been before.

Her dad was one of the league's magic experts so they naturally came to him and she overheard what happened.

The three weeks that passed were the longest three weeks that she had ever experienced. She had no way to even see for herself what had happened. The only way she would be able to do that was if she joined the team.

So she begged.

She begged her dad to allow her to join, which the man obviously refused but that didn't stop her. She pestered him, going as far as not hiding her attempts to leave the house.

Zatara was naturally furious but that didn't stop her from repeating it. If he wouldn't let her join the team then she'd find her own way there…even though she had no idea where to start.

She didn't have access to zeta tubes so even finding a way out of New York would be a struggle. Fortunately, before she could do anything rash, Zatara (very very reluctantly) allowed her to join the team.

She spent her first day in the cave seated in front of the crystal that held Dante with Dinah right beside her.

Hearing it was one thing but seeing it was a heart wrenching experience.

The playful boy who managed to bring some excitement into her life was trapped and unmoving…unresponsive.

How was she supposed to have friends when she couldn't invite anyone over or even stay outside long enough to interact with others?

Having no social experience, it wasn't hard to understand why she didn't have any friends. What made it worse was that the key aspect of her life, magic, was something she couldn't exactly talk about with people.

Then Dante came along.

Someone who also had powers and she could talk to without having to mind every word she said.

They had fun sneaking her out of the house to hang out, touring the city she was born in in a way she hadn't done before. She'd never felt happier.

And then this happened.

She was so distraught that she barely took note of Artemis who stopped by to visit Dante daily. She got along well with the blonde archer but Dante's situation sat at the forefront of her mind.

Whether or not her dad was informed of how much time she spent beside Dante, it was the farthest thing from her mind.

All she wanted was for him to wake up and take her into the skies again.

Though Batman gave them a mission, the sadness could still be felt among them. Though she wasn't part of the team when Dante was the leader, it was obvious that they missed Dante's presence.

Even the usually cranky Superboy (so she heard) was less of a grump and more cooperative. Even Kaldur who did his best to be strong still felt saddened by his leader's absence.

It was why his appearance sent a jolt of happiness through her and she had no doubt that the rest of the team felt the same way.

Seeing him standing in front of her with a playful grin that seemed even more childlike than usual made her realize just how much his presence in her life meant.

It also helped her confirm the feelings that had been budding inside of her. She could barely hold herself as she ran into his embrace, filling his lips with hers.

Only after a few moments did she realize what she did, causing her to gasp as they separated. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just…glad you're alright!"

The grin didn't leave his lips as he pulled her closer, causing her heart to flutter once more.

-[Artemis]-

She didn't know how to feel.

For as long as she could remember, she'd been searching for an out. An opportunity to step out of the shadow that was her father and the past of her mother.

It was beginning to seem hopeless until she was given that chance. Even while knowing everything, he gave her a chance. He gave her a spot on the team, a place she felt she could belong.

Though a certain speedster was certainly annoying, the fact was that she now had a place. She didn't have to keep worrying about being kicked off the team because of her parentage, Dante knew that and he wasn't bothered by it.

Even while Wally was trying so hard to get Red Arrow on the team, he didn't change his mind. She would admit that the other Archer was a bit more skilled than her but that didn't matter.

Though she wasn't ready to tell the rest of the team, she was working towards it. That was when things began spiraling out of control.

She almost died due to a certain speedster's brashness. Dante seemed to have a brief episode of…something when he visited her.

She heard the rest from the team when they came back with Dante stuck in the crystal. All of this was happening and she wasn't able to help in any way.

Even after she recovered from her injury, she still spent some time in the med bay each day to see him. As Robin would say, she was not 'whelmed'.

The new girl came along and joined the team. It was unclear what kind of relationship she had with Dante but 80% of the time that they weren't on a mission, Zatanna could be found in the med bay.

The only person who spent more time by Dante's side was Black Canary.

Robin seemed to have a thing for her and she internally wished him luck on that endeavor.

Now it seemed that her own luck had run out. Dante was awake and healthy…and was currently tongue tied with Zatanna.

She felt heartbroken…and confused. She forced down the disappointment that rose within her as well as wiped her face of anything betraying her thoughts.

-[Mount Justice]-

-[Dinah]-

She felt terrible.

It felt like her life had been put on pause. Dante was a breath of fresh air in her life. They had grown accustomed to the shared meals and bonding moments they had everyday.

She didn't blame him for the disconnect between her and Oliver. She blamed herself. She was so happy about having Dante in her life that she didn't realize the change she had brought in her relationship.

Though they both could have handled the situation better, it didn't change what had happened.

Seeing her son in the state he was, she could barely eat or focus on anything. She hadn't been in her apartment for a while, having grown used to Dante's presence there.

Oliver tried to patch things up, which she was grateful for, but they both agreed that any amendment would happen when Dante woke up.

Even as she slept in the cave, her mind wasn't at peace. It was why she was startled when she woke up to alarms blaring in the cave.

Pushing herself to her feet, she exited the room, racing towards the med bay. It didn't take her long to reach there, meeting Batman standing in front of a destroyed med bay.

Her mind went into overdrive. "What happened?! Where's Dante?! Is he okay?!" She fired out in worry.

Batman turned to face her. "He's awake."

=======

Forgot to add this earlier.

Another short rant: I've basically finished with mha anime and I give it a…meh. It's not bad but it's not best. Definitely above average though.

Also a friend of mine keeps trying to convince me to write a Ben 10 fic but I don't see possible developments in that area that'll go past 15 chapters.

~Fin~