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[center][u][b]Homecoming III[/b][/u][/center]
[sub]Gotham City Outskirts, The Zatara Estate
4:55 AM[/sub]
[sub][sub][hr][/sub][/sub]
[indent][indent][color=lightgray]"Tink"

Torn tendons and flesh pulled themselves back together as shredded capillaries took on a new form. Zatanna looked the other way and suppressed the urge to gag. She never liked healing incantations, the alien push and pull on flesh moving, a part of you moving on its own accord. The visual distorted further by the undulating flesh of whatever the hell creature had just attacked her. 

The magic did its work and soon the searing pain began to subside. Zatanna waited another minute just to be sure before glancing back at the arm. The only trace of the wound that now remained was a long pale scar, that in time itself would start to fade away. Brain no longer screaming in pain and panic, Zatanna being acutely aware of herself. She felt [i]terrible[/i] a battlefield of blood, sweat, tears, and vomit all fighting for every square inch of available space on her skin. 

She needed to get clean.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet, fighting the slight tremor that still persisted. She coughed as she breathed in the air still heavy with skin and wood infused smoke. There was the particular type of silence that hung after such sudden and harsh violence, the absence of action masking itself as the presence of peace. Blue eyes regarded the destruction of the room one last time before she made her way towards the door, careful to keep a large distance between herself and the still smoldering pyre in the center of the room practically hugging the wall as she went.

"Mister Tong!" A last ditch effort as she exited the study her voice echoing through the lonely halls without a response. She didn't want to admit it but Mister Tong, or whatever remained of him, was lost in the fire.

Robotically she made her way through the halls of the estate and towards the bathroom. Clothes were discarded in a messy heap on the floor, black marble tile cool to the touch. Bloodstained hands grasped old bronze shower knobs and rotated them as far as they could go. Steam began to fill the room as Zatanna stepped into the shower and into the stream of hot water. Pinpricks of pain shot across her body as scalding hot water made contact with her skin, but she fought the urge to pull away. 

The blood was long washed away by the time the water was turned off. Stepping out of the shower, Zatanna looked down at the pile of stained clothes clumped on the ground. 

"Those won't do," She muttered to herself. 

"Emitwohs"

Conjured tendrils of cloth and ribbon began to wrap and weave themselves around Zatanna's frame slowly taking on the appearance of the black and white tuxedo outfit that was her show outfit. She mainly used the incantation mainly during performances as it made quick changes a breeze. Now though staring at her reflection in the mirror quick changes and Vegas seemed to have occurred in another lifetime, by a different version of herself.

Turning away from her reflection, Zatanna headed back out into the hallway and back towards the study. She halted in her march as she came across a portrait hanging in the hallway. The sharp blue of her father's youthful gaze met her eyes. The portrait was painted when the elder Zatara was her age may be a few years older. He was standing in what appeared to be his study one hand resting lazily on his hip and the other hoisted what appeared to be a human skull that he was intently examining. Even confined to the portrait there was a certain pull that was there, the type of palpable charisma that manifested itself in those few individuals who didn't just think but [i]knew[/i] they were the biggest person in the room. 

"Is this what you were training me for," Zatanna asked the empty air "is that what you were expecting me to so willfully inherit?" 

Her father's confident smile frozen in time and paint provided no answers, the long silence that hung in the air perhaps an answer in itself. 

"Just like the real thing huh?" Zatanna mused softer this time as she turned away and headed back towards the study. 

As she turned the corner a flash of light burst through the open door followed by a large explosion of noise like one of the large confetti cannons used during her shows. Going into a crouch Zatanna began to creep down the hallway towards the door. She could hear the noise of footsteps pacing across old wood and the sounds of a deep baritone voice muttering to itself. Zatanna took a deep breath as she came to the edge trying to steady the slight tremor that ran its way from her legs up and into her hands. Cautiously she peered the top of her head around the corner and looked into the room.

"It would appear that I arrived too late." 

There standing in the middle of the room was a man who was bent over consulting the burned pile of what were once bookcases. He was holding a piece of burnt wood in his large, muscular, dark-skinned hands holding it up to a weathered and wrinkle-worn face peering at shard intently. Gazing at him from behind as Zatanna was he appeared almost like a giant skunk hunched over on two legs. Hair brought together in a massive mane of dreadlocks falling beyond the shoulders marked with a long strike of white that went down the middle. The man clicked his tongue in thought as he regarded the charred piece of wood. 

"You know," He addressed the room suddenly without turning around "most people that try to sneak up on me end up in shallow graves."

Zatanna felt her heart seize up as she nearly stumbled backward. Her mind froze over with apprehension. What did she do? Did she run? If she did where would she go? [i]No.[/i] She was tired of running, and she was tired of strangers barging into her house uninvited and making threats. She took a deep breath and marched out from around the corner with her head held high and fire in her eyes.

"And you know," She countered as she stepped forward "people that come into my house uninvited usually end up underneath a pile of bookcases... [b]On fire[/b]."

The man stood up slowly turning to face her as she did. To Zatanna's surprise, there was no trace of malice on the man's face but rather a slash of white teeth fixed in a grin. The man began to laugh, a deep, warm laugh that came from the chest and seemed to easily fill the entire room. He was doubled over from the effort of it all resting his hands on his legs and laughing while he shook his head. Zatanna took a step backward in confusion unsure if the man was in the midst of a mental break down or something else. 

After what seemed like an eternity the laughter began to die down and the man looked back up at Zatanna. His eyes were impossibly old, but they sparkled with a youthful mischievousness. "You are most certainly Giovanni's daughter."

Zatanna took a step backward as if she had just been punched in the gut. "You... you knew my dad?"

"Knew him?" The man asked cocking a brow "I was the best man at his wedding!"

"...wedding?"Zatanna felt the words come out of her mouth almost automatically. 

"He never told you..." The man asked disappointment lingering on his voice "Of course he didn't, always left me to clean up his mess."

The fog of confusion that had taken over Zatanna's mind was slowly beginning to dissolve. Replaced now only with the simmering pool of frustration. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and when she opened clear skies were replaced with the thunderous storm, her voice seemed louder taking up more of the room. "[b]Listen[/b], all this talk is doing nothing more than confusing me. You're still a stranger who barged into my house without warning. So you better give me a name before I force you to vacate these premises." 

There was conflict in the older man's face, Zatanna could see it in his eyes. He was looking not at her but beyond her. There was a weariness to his gaze the hesitant look of somebody who had been hurt before. Finally, he sighed the tension in his body falling away as he looked up for the first time to really look at Zatanna. 

"The world knows me as Doctor Voodoo," He explained with a small smile as he reached out his hand in an offering, "but you may call me Jericho, Jericho Drumm." 

"You see that wasn't that hard was it?" Zatanna offered with a small smile as she took Voodoo's hand and shook it "It's a pleasure to meet you mister Drumm, my name is Zatanna Zatara but I think you already know that."

"Indeed," Voodoo offered as he gestured to the space around them,"you must be wondering why I am here."

"Yeah," Zatanna replied with a laugh,"you could say something like that."

Voodoo tilted his head towards the pile of wood and ashes that took up the center of the room. 

"The [i]Loa[/i] told me you were in danger." 

"Yeah... well, I appreciate it but as you can see I was able to deal with the creep myself," Zatanna explained spitting on the pyre as she did.

"It is not that simple child," Voodoo offered as he knelt back down next to the pile. 

He produced a small knife from the cluster of small satchels and bags that hung at his waist. Carefully he scrapped at the charred flesh and blood that still clung to the floor. He removed a small sliver no longer than a fingernail placing it gently into his outstretched hand. Zatanna was about to ask what was going on, but Voodoo raised a finger to his mouth urging silence. rolling her eyes Zatanna watched the piece of inert flesh. Slowly, so slowly at first that Zatanna believed it is a trick of her eyes the flesh began to move. It wiggled and twitched pulling itself forward like a worm back in the direction of the pyre.

"What the hell?" Zatanna asked feeling her stomach lurch

"Flesh elementals," Voodoo explained making no effort to hide the disgust in his voice "mimicries of living flesh that seek only to consume and devour. They are almost impossible to destroy, despite the damage you may throw at them they will eventually reform and continue whatever task was assigned to them."

"So that [i]thing[/i] that attacked, is currently pulling itself back together?" Zatanna questioned.

"Indeed it is " Voodoo commented as he produced a small glass vial guided the piece of squirming flesh into it before sealing the lid. He muttered a few words beneath his breath and for a brief moment, the seal began to glow with a faint green aura. He examined the vial one more time, seemingly content with the seal he tucked it away. He looked back up Zatanna who was growing paler by the minute as her gaze continued to flicker between him and the pyre as if she expected to abomination to remember any second.

"Calm child," Voodoo placed a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze forcing her to focus her attention on him "it takes time for the elemental to reform. Anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the damage that it received."

Zatanna took a deep breath nausea pulling away,"You said [i]almost[/i] impossible to destroy. That means there is a way right?'

"Yes," Voodoo admitted with some level of reluctance "you have to deal with whoever or [i]whatever[/i] conjured the elemental in the first place."

"And if we don't," Zatanna asked though she felt like she already knew the answer.

"If we don't," Voodoo explained bluntly "then the elemental will continue haunting you to the end of your days. Killing and stealing the faces of the ones you know and love to get close to you. You will try your best to stay one step ahead of it and for a time you will succeed, but one day you will be thinking about something else perhaps and it will end your life."

"Alright," Zatanna gulped, "so all we gotta do is find the creep that created this thing and makes him dispel it!"

"That is the general idea yes" Voodoo agreed.

"But," Zatanna offered as she noticed the hesitance in his voice "there is a problem."

"[i]Mhm[/i],"Voodoo nodded as he began to pace about the room back and forth"this type of magic is very old and forbidden by most paths, I have no idea who could of possibly created this creature."

"So we got nothing," Zatanna proclaimed visibly deflating. 

"Not necessarily," Voodoo offered hesitantly stopping his pacing to stare out the window. He peered out towards the horizon looking for something, his brow furrowed "there is [i] someone [/i] who can help us. Acquiring his assistance though in this matter will be somewhat [i]complicated[/i]."

"Complicated?" Zatanna questioned as she walked over to join him at the window.

"He angered someone very powerful" Voodoo admitted "and he is now, how shall we say, in shackles at it was" 

"So what does that mean? We are going to have to stage a jailbreak?"

"I would prefer it not to come to that."

Voodoo turned away at this to face Zatanna. Standing this close to him Zatanna was able to see the toil of age upon his face, wrinkles lay atop wrinkles that lay atop scars. The bare skin of his chest that lay exposed a patchwork of bruises and cuts in various stages of healing. He still managed to hold himself tall, but there was a conscious effort there to keep it pulled together.

He placed his hands atop her shoulders, "Are you sure that you want this child?"

"Well," Zatanna started "considering my other option is to wait until that thing eventually kills me? I don't think I really have any other choice." 

Voodoo nodded, "Then so be it."

There was another pulse of green energy as a long shape began to take form in Voodoo's hand pulled from the beyond. Wood and bark began to grow outward from the green glow weaving and pulling itself together. Moments later Voodoo was grasping a long wooden staff, a series of red ribbons tied to the top, and draping down from it like tendrils. 

Voodoo slammed the staff into the ground and as ancient wood collided with ancient wood his eyes became glazed over with white. He began to hum softly, the humming wrapping and tugging at Zatanna as the sound began to multiply. The humming slowly transformed into a song, the words ancient and old but effortlessly pulled at Zatanna's heart all the same. A song driven by the beat of the largest drum sat on the tallest monument in all the heavens. As this chorus began to fill the room Voodoo spoke his voice thunderous.

[i][b]"Oh great Kalfu mirror of the mighty Papa Legba, I beseech you now always the humble servant. I ask that we mere mortals may walk as you do, in your shadow between the worlds..."[/b][/i]

And as Voodoo chanted the green energy around his staff turned bright red. Zatanna could see human faces in the churning mist screaming as they were pulled away. This energy coalesced growing larger and larger with each thunderous beat of the ethereal drumming. Voodoo lifted the staff again and slammed it into the ground and with that, the energy rushed outward from the staff quickly building itself in the shape of a large red archway.

Voodoo turned to Zatanna his eyes still glowing white, voice still thunderous as if many were speaking through him "We must go now, child."
"Well," Zatanna spoke her voice shaky as she looked at the strange archway above her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath forcing her feet to move "here goes nothing."

And with that, she ran through the archway.

For a moment she was swimming in an ocean of red. The only sound that she could hear was the still beating drum that continued even in this strange place. The reverberating echo muffled like the beating of a heart through a stethoscope. With each beat, the red around her shook like water. And soon she felt herself begin pulled along by a mysterious tide as the drumming grew louder and louder as in the distance a great wave was beginning to form, so large that it threatened to block out the entire sky.

The next moment she awoke with her face pressed against cold concert. Groaning, slightly she began to push herself upward. She could hear birdsong on the air and the honking of cars in the distance. She was in an alleyway between two buildings, a trashcan next to her having been knocked over with her arrival. She gasped as she looked up expecting the night sky of Gotham but instead saw the light of morning peeking through overcast clouds. Ahead of her Voodoo was already waiting where the alleyway ended ushering her forward.

"Hey," Zatanna asked as she headed over "where are -"

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"Oh..."[/color][/indent][/indent]