Summary:Batman visits Shadowcrest, bringing Strange with him. Magical Information Exchanges! Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
   |
Zatanna has been almost manic with activity as she tries to prepare Shadowcrest for visitors. Not just 'visitors' — Bruce Wayne!
Outside the house is a tall stairway leading up to the front door. The grounds that Shadowcrest sit on are comparable in size to, oh, let's say, half a Wayne Manor acreage. That's still a lot of land to cover from the front gate to the steps, from the steps to the door… And that buys Zee a precious few moments to make sure that she doesn't have dishes in the sink, that the stairs are sticking to Euclidian geometry today, that the grimoires are locked back up and the wards are intact…
Oh, and cleaning. Standing in the living room, dressed casually (for Zee) in a black dress, black heels, black fishnets, black choker, Zatanna frowns at how little LIVING she's been doing in her own house. "Tsercwodahs tsud llab," she says, and with just a bit of domestic magic, the collected dust of the house pries itself free of where it's settled and gathers like a sandstorm, rushing to shape itself into a gray, fuzzy orb that floats in front of Zatanna: the collected dust of a manor home. "Ew. I didn't think that one through," she says, trying to decide if she wants to touch it.
"That is one large dustbunny. I hope it is not sentient?" It's not Bruce Wayne's voice that sounds out though. When Zatanna turns around, it's the Batman that's standing before her. His arms are settled on his chest. "I should have told you this was not a social call." It's his only warning that he gives that they won't exactly be breaking out the good scotch and reminscing on their younger days.
"Have their been any new leads?" On her father. He wants to help her. She knows that already. He's offered to her. "You look …" Amazing. "…well, Zatanna. Your recent tour was a success?" he asks her, before he's preparing to get out a small satchel to set out. "I have asked someone else to join us. Someone that doesn't know who I am. I hope there won't be any issue with this?"
"Though I am not sure that Doctor Strange will answer my request. It has been years since we have talked last. And my departure from the Avengers was not exactly pleasant." It was blunt. He walked away, becuase he didn't think they did enough to prevent registration.
Doctor Strange was almost surprised to have received an invitation to join himself at Shadowcrest. The home of Zatanna. He was good friends with her father. But, the Good Doctor would be but a few moments late, for he had a conference with Watoomb in an attempt to gain wisdom from the master of the winds. But, somehow…there's always a way.
A magic porte that seems to be constructed from swirling, blazing sparks of light and in walks the Sorcerer Supreme. He is shadowed by the Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto hangs from his neck. "Pardon my tardiness, But there was a matter that simply could not be postponed."
A look to Zatanna as the portal closes. "I pray I am welcome in your home." A look to Bruce. "Batman." Of course, Stephen won't namedrop. he knows Bruce is sensitive with information like that.
Zatanna turns around and is as startled as everyone is when Batman is suddenly behind them. She catches herself before she cries out, but she does stay wide-eyed a moment, looking at the Bat from toe to cowl-tips. "I didn't know you were doing this again," she says, sounding more surprised than judgmental.
"Ah… no. No news." Zatanna doesn't seem like she wants to talk about her father's circumstances much. Batman can roll his Self-Awareness stat on that one if he so chooses. "The tour went well. The final show'll be on Hulu in… I don't know, a month? My manager handles that part. One second." Zatanna looks to the dust ball, still floating there, and says: "Sesor."
It's as Zatanna is gathering the dust-turned-roses and putting them in a vase that a bright portal opens and Dr. Strange steps through. "You're always welcome, Stephen," Zatanna says with a grin, and then adds: "Unless I've got a date over. That's Zee time." She winks. In the blink of an eye, she's gone back into 'entertainer' mode. "So, what can I help you gentlemen with today?"
"I tried to let things work themselves out. I had thought after the UN attack, and the end of registration, perhaps the world would be different. I was wrong." Batman admits, waiting for Stephen's arrival, and then glances to Zatanna. "Seal the house." he offers to her. "I do not want surprises while we discuss this." And once Zee has sealed the house, he reaches up to pull back the cowl. There's few people in the world that know that Bruce Wayne is the man of the perpetual scowl, and two of them are in this room.
He lays out the cloth. Complete with weapons marked with an eclipse moon. "Have either of you kept up with the kidnappings of gifted children from two schools in the New York area by men and women capable of summoning tattoos, that go by the title of 'The Nightfall'?" he asks the pair.
On the table is a flechette made of a glas like substance, and a metal that is like titanium. "I ran these through a full analysis. Whatever these are made of, it's not from Earth. I spoke with one of their former members. She claims they were supplied by a creature calling itself Lord Plokta. And his minions, the Nameless Ones, are serving as conduits for the Nightfall to teleport the children."
"Nothing is ever so simple." Stephen chimes and he does leave his hands by his side as Zatanna greets him proper. "Thank you for your hospitality." Then Bruce Gives his briefing and the Doctor pays strict attention. He'll wait for Zatanna to make sure her home is secure before they get into the thick of it.
Once that is done? "The Nightfall…I am unaware of this name." Stephen crosses his arms. "But then disappearance of youth is something I keep up with. I was about to investigate before I received your invitation."
Oh shit.
"Lord Plokta is no one to treat lightly. He hails from the dark domain. He targets the greedy and the weak of will with promises the fulfillment of any wish for the price of a soul." He takes a breath. Stephen looks almost angry. "This will be difficult."
Zatanna tends to the sealing of Shadowcrest, of course. It doesn't take her long. She's had practice, and the house is designed in many ways to make things like this easier.
Turning back to the two, Zatanna raises an eyebrow. "I've seen the name Lord Plotka in some of Dad's tomes," she says. "Sounds like Stephen has more hands-on experience… or better tomes." She tries to cut through the gravity of the situation with a smile. Zatanna's status in the magickal world is pretty clear: she's inherited a tremendous estate, but for the most part, she doesn't get too involved. Only when necessary, and then it's back to fooling rubes with tricks on stage. During the registration era, she tended to avoid fighting demons unless she really had to.
"Tell us more, Br… Batm… I'm not sure which to call you right now."
"When the cowl is off, Bruce is fine, Zatanna." Batman responds. She gets that pass, at least, as he places his hands flat on the table, his expression dour. "They have only targetted two schools so far. Bayard Taylor and East Side Elementary, within blocks of each other on the Upper East Side." Stephen's comment draws his attention to the Doctor. "That's an angle not considered - if they are targeting the children of those that can fall beneath his influence." he offers thoughtfully.
"The metal seems to only be affected by unforged, pure cold iron. I was hoping I can get one of you to scribe to find out where they are pulling it from. And a way to defeat them. Unless either of you have access to unprocessed iron and a cold forge." he says dryly.
But just in case that /is/ the case, he does have a small supply of cold iron that he's brought with him. It's cold, unprocessed.
"Lord Plokta is using a group known as Nightfall to kidnap children. One of their former members, Keiko Kurita, has been cooperating with WAND for information, through Agent Koa Turner."
As Stephen seems to be the route to go at the moment, his attention turns to him. "Plokta has someone in his employee. A Doctor Eclipse. He seemed to be one of his lieutenants. As do these minions.." With that, he sets down a rough drawing of a creature that seems to be a shapeless mass of a man, with a single eye for it's face. "She called them Nameless Ones. How are they defeated?"
Doctor Strange seems to patrol the room as he speaks, always so dramatic. "There is a level of trust between us all Zatanna." Stephen encourages her to drop formalities, before he looks at Bruce, looking him in the eyes. "Zatanna is likely better at scribing than I am." quite the praise! "She can likely handle the scribing. As for the nameless ones…they were made to be pure engines of destruction, unstoppable in their execution. According to the Book of Dormammu, they were unleashed whenever Plokta had a rival that he wished destroyed or slowed."
Strange then seems to look at Bruce. "How would you kill a man? Not as easily. These mindless, nameless drones are most easily effected by magics. Though for the uninitiated, other energies that focus on heat as their primary source of consumption will do." cool, lasers works.
"Blunt force trauma is the only other way. I don't suppose Doctor Banner could be called in to help in handling that particular situation." since Stephen hasn't seen or attempted to locate the Gamma Scientist in some time.
"But, even with these weapons, they are still a force to be reckoned with." a look to Bruce. "Non-lethal methods, as I know of, don't exist when it comes to the Nameless."
"If it helps, they're not even really lifeforms to begin with. It's like Stephen said: drones. You should feel more guilty slapping a mosquito." Zatanna leans down at the table to pick up the metal sample that Bruce brought for show and tell. She turns it over in her hands, looking at it like… well, like someone trying to solve a puzzle.
"But yeah — I can scribe," the Magickal Mistress of Showbiz says with a look to the other two. "I'll get on this first thing." She pauses half a beat. "I'll put some hours in at the library, too. Maybe these Nightfall guys got mentioned somewhere and I just never thought about it. Or maybe in one of the… hundreds of books I haven't gotten to yet."
"Excellent. Spider-Man is looking into a way to counteract the ink that is used in these tattoos that the Nightfall are using to summon their creatures. Apparently, they are kidnapping these children to make them into their new soldiers." Batman responds with a frown pulling at his features. "The ink they use comes from a remote region near the National Reserve Allpahuayo-Mishana in Peru. I assume that is where their camp is as well." the Dark Knight offers.
"Are there any wards or items you can suggest outside of the iron or pure light to use as a defense against these creatures?" The question about the means that Batman's willing to go to draws his lips into a thin line. "I did not hold back at the UN either, Doctor." he comments dryly. He nearly died in that attack, and came back.
"If they are drones, as Zatanna has said, I will make sure to share that information and that others know not to hold back as well. These tattoos are connected to their owners. Injuries suffered to them /will/ hurt their owners."
Doctor Strange nods to Bruce. "You have Spider-Man involved?" He hums, but accepts it. He does look upon Zatanna as she informs them that she'll be spending some deep time in the library. "As will I. Zatanna, if you need, the Sanctum's doors are always open to you." invited to the most concentrated source of magic knowledge on the planet? Strange is all in.
"That goes for you as well, Bruce. Though I don't think its much your style."
Batman's comment about not holding back at the UN makes him smile. "Good, then we're all on the same page. In the meantime, I'm going to find out the best way to face off against Lord Plokta. I imagine he's just gonna keep up his antics until I deal with him."
Zatanna is still fiddling with the glass-stuff. She looks up. "The other name for them — it really varies based on who's translating — is the Mindless Ones. You'd fight 'em like you would a Mack truck. A Mack truck that shoots ray-beams out of its windshield." Zee smiles. "Only difference is a Mack truck is smarter. If it comes down to it, Bruce, trick 'em into fighting each other. It'll… make a big mess, for sure, but it could also buy you some time when you need it."
Zatanna returns her gaze to the glass material, then wraps her hand around it, as if to say she's got this one. "Thank you, Stephen. Say hi to Wong for me, if he's still kicking around." She grins. The last time she would have seen Wong would have been when she was a teenager… but she knows those who work as retainers for Sorcerer Supremes tend to stick with it for a long time. "And Bruce… you say hi, too." She winks, as if to tell Bruce that he knows who he should be saying hi to.
"Spider-Man got himself involved in it when he rescued two of the children, Doctor." Batman retorts plainly. It's a statement of fact, before he lifts his brow. "You have no idea what all I get involved in." With that, he's pulling his cowl back into place, the lenses flaring back to life as the cowl seals into place. There's a glance towards the pair. "If you can place a ward at the schools that have been attacked so far - it may drive them into the open."
Zatanna's comment draws up the corner of his mouth. "I will pass my greetings. Whatever information you can find out, get to me as soon as possible. We were able to thwart their last attempt. They will doubtless try again. And I want to be ready for them." he promises Zatanna. With that, Batman waits for the house to unseal, before he steps out, and disappears back into the night.
"Nor do I much care to." Stephen retorts to Bruce. "Your business is your business, much how mine is mine." he then looks to Zatanna, smirking. "Sure. Wong misses you, ya know. He's still grateful of how you taught him to make better tea." he smiles teasingly. "But yes, The Mindless Ones are impossibly dumb. Easy to trick, but dangerous in mass."
He looks to Batman as he disappears. Not even so much as a goodbye. Same old Batman. "I'll handle warding off the recently hit targets. Let them know they won't get away with it for long. Until then, see you next we meet, Zatanna." and with that, Strange makes his leave through a portal, ending up to be what looks like the Sanctum Sanctorum's inner library. he has some rituals to perform.