Roman

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

Grounded.
Grounded.
Grounded?!

Gem was furious.

They were Teen Titans. She could build a warhead out of cardboard and tape, and her sister could make it strong enough to level the moon and take out Superman if he got in the way, and just because she'd had an 'episode' - god forbid that constantly seeing how to turn everything into a WMD would occasionally become a bit stressful - they, the both of them, had been grounded. Confined to the dorm floor, barred from missions, taken from quarters to training and back again. Escorted.

"You can't make nuclear explosives from cardboard, Gem." Sia said, reclining on her bed. She didn't even open her eyes. "And I don't have the time in my life to hold a WMD until it vaporizes the Man of Steel." She sighed, crossing her legs and bringing her hands behind her head. "Quit pacing."
"How did you know what I was thinking? You're not doing that freaky twin thing again, are you?" Gem said, brought out of her tantrum by her sister's words.
"No." Sia replied, smiling. "You were muttering. You mutter too loud. Go stew if you have to but be quiet, at least."
Gem just huffed. Sia said nothing, and for a few seconds, it was peaceful.
"But we're GROUNDED." Gem yelled, and Sia opened her eyes this time. No use anyway.
"Yep."
"And we're TITANS."
"Uh-huh."
"And we didn't even do anything wrong!"
"That's a matter of perspective."
"They just went on a mission without us!"
"Mmmhmm."
Gem sat on the floor, crossing her arms. "It's not fair."
"Wrong." Said Sia, standing up and walking over to her sister. She held a hand out and Gem looked at it sullenly, before accepting it and pulling herself up. "We have to learn. That's why we're here, after all. The world needs protectors, and that's what the Teen Titans are for, but sometimes we need protecting as well. You don't realize how wired you get when you're stressed out, Gee, and that leads to episodes, and that leads to bombs." Sia put her hands on Gem's shoulders. "We're not grounded, that's just what Rose called it so she wouldn't seem nice. It's a vacation." Gem sighed, and Sia pulled her into a hug.
"If you say so, Si." Gem conceded, returning the embrace.
"I do. Now be quiet so I can rela-"

There was a rumbling as the T-Wing returned, and Gem and Sia heard echoes of Rose chewing out the team. There was the sound of breaking glass, then they heard Sentinel's dorm door open and slam, and then there was a knock at their's, and Rose opened it.
"Your team is back. You're un-grounded. But the team's on orders to take some downtime. You guys are the newest - so get to know your teammates. They're upstairs."
Gem pulled out of the hug, and looked from Rose to Sia, and then gave Sia a grin that almost frightened her. She shot past Rose and up the stairs.
"Thanks, Rose." Said Sia, sincere.
Rose didn't say anything before she left.

Sia joined Gem upstairs. She'd already grabbed a beer, and was sat watching the Guitar Hero proceedings. Sia settled for a can of cola, and stood behind said sofa.
"Dibs on next game. Winner stays on?"
"Si, you only say that because you always win." Gem said, smirking at her sister while playing air-guitar to the riffs coming from the TV.
"Because I'm good, Gee. Natural talent."
"I'm not sure superpowers count as talent, hun'." Gem remarked, pushing playfully.
"It's not my fault those controllers are so simple. Things practically play themselves."
"They do after you've been holding them for a few minutes." Gem said, and Sia threw her hands up in defeat, walking away as Gem remained.

Sia stopped beside Pistole-Simone. Man, really gotta learn actual names.
"So..." She started, unsure of her words. Simone was rather...imposing. "...how was the mission? We heard Rose yelling...and apparently we've been ordered to 'take downtime'. That bad, huh?"

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

Thanks, NR. It wasn't intentional - I wasn't aware of an imbalance in the first place - I just tend to play a lot of female characters. I don't know why.

Is there a beer stash in the tower? Can Gem have one if there isn't?

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

Grounded

@Hillan

That's not half bad...

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

So as far as I understand it, being caught up on the IC, you're all hanging out int he tower post-mission on orders to get to know your team better. Cool.

Just gotta figure out why Lock&Load weren't sent on said mission.

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

Aw man. I thought we weren't accepting new characters. I've been watching Justice League Unlimited again and I was thinking of throwing up a protege to the Question. Probably not a member of the team, but someone who runs into them every now and again.

@King Kindred

Status still says apply so I threw it up. Plus, I got them special ins anyhow.

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

| NAME: |

Gemini 'Gem' Trent (Left) & Siamese 'Sia' Trent (Right)

| ALIAS: |

Lock & Load

| ABILITIES/SKILLS/EQUIPMENT: |

Gem (Lock) and Sia (Load) possess unique, but oddly complementary abilities.

Lock's power presents itself as a low-functioning form of technopathy that focuses on creation and, though she'd not care to admit it, warmongering: she is able to take rudimentary resources, such as metal, wire, wood, etc. and craft it expertly into weapons of many functions almost without a second thought. Through this, she is the ultimate combat pragmatist, taking basic components off the battle field and creating a potent tool with which she can triumph over her enemies.

Load, meanwhile, has a separate ability which, while useful in its own right, becomes downright sadistic in tandem with her sister's. Load also possesses a form of technopathy, although one that functions on a higher level than Lock's; Load can hold a weapon or tool in her hands, and instill it with power in order to 'upgrade' the object, directing it to perform its function better, at a higher level, or more efficiently. Load can take a crude shield made from a sheet of metal and survive an RPG, or a roughly-hewn sword and slice through titanium - all she needs is time and energy.

| LIMITATIONS AND WEAKNESSES: |

Gem (Lock):
-Builds require resources. Gem only constructs, not creates, so if she doesn't have the raw material, she can't make anything.
-Her builds are only as effective as the material she has allows them to be; refined, plentiful resources will create effective weapons. Crappy materials won't.
-Complex weaponry requires greater amounts of resources, and wider varieties. Weapons are only as complex as Gem's creativity allows her to make them.
-Builds are limited to weaponry only. Gem can't seem to make anything else.
-Builds do not instill innate knowledge on proper usage. No matter what she constructs, Gem is only as effective with it as her training.
-Lock has no power to 'turn off' her ability, and is always seeing ways things can be put together and constructed and mechanized into tools of war. In the field, this is useful; out of it, it can be a little overwhelming.

Sia (Load):
-Upgrades require energy and focus, and take time to ramp up in power.
-Upgrades are lost if Sia loses possession of the item; an upgrade must be constantly fed energy to maintain itself.
-Upgrades require additional energy to manipulate in a specific direction; if Sia wants a shield that is lighter over sturdier, she must focus to push the upgrade that way.
-Upgrades are not unconscious. Sia must intentionally begin an upgrade process.
-Upgrades do not instill innate knowledge on proper usage, unless the upgrade gets advanced to the point of the object being able to use itself. No matter what she upgrades, or what the upgrades do, Sia is only as effective with the object as her training.

Finally, both girls do not gain any extra durability, survivability, strength, stamina, or speed from their abilities, unless they specfically engineer equipment for these uses. They are human, and suffer all the drawbacks of their species.

| SAMPLE POST: |

It was clanking that awoke Sia. Clanking and muttered groans of frustration and more clanking and- Sia rolled over, lifting an arm to check her clock, red LED's glowing harsh. 8:13. Gem had had worse episodes. Sia strained her neck to check the corner of the room where Gem's scrap heap resided. It was less of a heap, now, more of a...mound? Pile? The words still seemed too big. Whatever, it was smaller than it had been when they'd gone to bed. Or at least, when Sia had gone to bed.
"Gem?" Sia said gently, sitting up in bed, carefully prodding her sister. It was important not to startle her in an episode. Who knew what she'd constructed. "What've you been building?"

Gem dropped the scrap that was in her hands and hovered a hand over a pile of odd, near-spherical objects that lay beside her. She picked one up and cradled it in both hands, standing and turning around - Sia could see her eyes were bloodshot, hair greasy and pulled back. Oil marked her face, though Sia couldn't see any cans or containers in the room. How did she always manage that?
"Bombs."
Oh. Good.
"At first explosive!"
Naturally.
"Just plain bada-boom, y'know, bit of gunpowder? But then I saw these," Gem threw her arm behind her and scooped up some metal shavings, "and I thought, what about a dispersal system? Like, a scatter-bomb." Sia nodded along, ignoring her need for coffee. It was best to let Gem talk. "And that got me thinking about dispersal systems in general! SO many different things you can put in a bomb, Si, it's crazy! This one's just the boom, but you've got EMP's, sonics, heat. You just put this there and then that goes around here and then you press this-"

Sia leaped frantically from her bed and nearly tackled Gem in sweeping the bomb from her hands, then fled to the window, flinging it open and tossing the small metal bomb out into the open air beyond. It clicked mid-flight and Sia pushed herself flat to the ground. There was a boom and a rumble and Sia got up, peeking out of the window. There was smoke, and a small piece of metal was vibrating in the wall next to their window, but through the lingering black plume Sia could see small bits of coloured paper fluttering gently in the breeze, starting their fall to the ground.
"Oh, that one was confetti. A celebration-bomb!" Gem said from behind her, cheerful and spacey.
"What were you celebrating?" Sia asked, exerting calm upon herself, turning around to face Gem.
"Well that's for whoever throws it to decide."
Sia tried to respond, but the tannoy crackled to life, and whatever she was about to say was cut off by the icy tones of Rose Wilson, their leader.
"Gemini and Siamese. Attend breakfast. And then the training room."

Sia groaned, rooting through her drawers to find suitable clothing. Gem just grinned.
"Excellent." She said. "I'm starving."

| NOTES: |

-Their parents have a sense of humour. Whether or not it's good is another question.

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

So lets break it up with a new quality-ass character sheet(s?)!

| NAME: |

Gemini 'Gem' Trent (Left) & Siamese 'Sia' Trent (Right)

| ALIAS: |

Lock & Load

| ABILITIES/SKILLS/EQUIPMENT: |

Gem (Lock) and Sia (Load) possess unique, but oddly complementary abilities.

Lock's power presents itself as a low-functioning form of technopathy that focuses on creation and, though she'd not care to admit it, warmongering: she is able to take rudimentary resources, such as metal, wire, wood, etc. and craft it expertly into weapons of many functions almost without a second thought. Through this, she is the ultimate combat pragmatist, taking basic components off the battle field and creating a potent tool with which she can triumph over her enemies.

Load, meanwhile, has a separate ability which, while useful in its own right, becomes downright sadistic in tandem with her sister's. Load also possesses a form of technopathy, although one that functions on a higher level than Lock's; Load can hold a weapon or tool in her hands, and instill it with power in order to 'upgrade' the object, directing it to perform its function better, at a higher level, or more efficiently. Load can take a crude shield made from a sheet of metal and survive an RPG, or a roughly-hewn sword and slice through titanium - all she needs is time and energy.

| LIMITATIONS AND WEAKNESSES: |

Gem (Lock):
-Builds require resources. Gem only constructs, not creates, so if she doesn't have the raw material, she can't make anything.
-Her builds are only as effective as the material she has allows them to be; refined, plentiful resources will create effective weapons. Crappy materials won't.
-Complex weaponry requires greater amounts of resources, and wider varieties. Weapons are only as complex as Gem's creativity allows her to make them.
-Builds are limited to weaponry only. Gem can't seem to make anything else.
-Builds do not instill innate knowledge on proper usage. No matter what she constructs, Gem is only as effective with it as her training.
-Lock has no power to 'turn off' her ability, and is always seeing ways things can be put together and constructed and mechanized into tools of war. In the field, this is useful; out of it, it can be a little overwhelming.

Sia (Load):
-Upgrades require energy and focus, and take time to ramp up in power.
-Upgrades are lost if Sia loses possession of the item; an upgrade must be constantly fed energy to maintain itself.
-Upgrades require additional energy to manipulate in a specific direction; if Sia wants a shield that is lighter over sturdier, she must focus to push the upgrade that way.
-Upgrades are not unconscious. Sia must intentionally begin an upgrade process.
-Upgrades do not instill innate knowledge on proper usage, unless the upgrade gets advanced to the point of the object being able to use itself. No matter what she upgrades, or what the upgrades do, Sia is only as effective with the object as her training.

Finally, both girls do not gain any extra durability, survivability, strength, stamina, or speed from their abilities, unless they specfically engineer equipment for these uses. They are human, and suffer all the drawbacks of their species.

| SAMPLE POST: |

It was clanking that awoke Sia. Clanking and muttered groans of frustration and more clanking and- Sia rolled over, lifting an arm to check her clock, red LED's glowing harsh. 8:13. Gem had had worse episodes. Sia strained her neck to check the corner of the room where Gem's scrap heap resided. It was less of a heap, now, more of a...mound? Pile? The words still seemed too big. Whatever, it was smaller than it had been when they'd gone to bed. Or at least, when Sia had gone to bed.
"Gem?" Sia said gently, sitting up in bed, carefully prodding her sister. It was important not to startle her in an episode. Who knew what she'd constructed. "What've you been building?"

Gem dropped the scrap that was in her hands and hovered a hand over a pile of odd, near-spherical objects that lay beside her. She picked one up and cradled it in both hands, standing and turning around - Sia could see her eyes were bloodshot, hair greasy and pulled back. Oil marked her face, though Sia couldn't see any cans or containers in the room. How did she always manage that?
"Bombs."
Oh. Good.
"At first explosive!"
Naturally.
"Just plain bada-boom, y'know, bit of gunpowder? But then I saw these," Gem threw her arm behind her and scooped up some metal shavings, "and I thought, what about a dispersal system? Like, a scatter-bomb." Sia nodded along, ignoring her need for coffee. It was best to let Gem talk. "And that got me thinking about dispersal systems in general! SO many different things you can put in a bomb, Si, it's crazy! This one's just the boom, but you've got EMP's, sonics, heat. You just put this there and then that goes around here and then you press this-"

Sia leaped frantically from her bed and nearly tackled Gem in sweeping the bomb from her hands, then fled to the window, flinging it open and tossing the small metal bomb out into the open air beyond. It clicked mid-flight and Sia pushed herself flat to the ground. There was a boom and a rumble and Sia got up, peeking out of the window. There was smoke, and a small piece of metal was vibrating in the wall next to their window, but through the lingering black plume Sia could see small bits of coloured paper fluttering gently in the breeze, starting their fall to the ground.
"Oh, that one was confetti. A celebration-bomb!" Gem said from behind her, cheerful and spacey.
"What were you celebrating?" Sia asked, exerting calm upon herself, turning around to face Gem.
"Well that's for whoever throws it to decide."
Sia tried to respond, but the tannoy crackled to life, and whatever she was about to say was cut off by the icy tones of Rose Wilson, their leader.
"Gemini and Siamese. Attend breakfast. And then the training room."

Sia groaned, rooting through her drawers to find suitable clothing. Gem just grinned.
"Excellent." She said. "I'm starving."

| NOTES: |

-Their parents have a sense of humour. Whether or not it's good is another question.

Roman's Scrapbin

| Name(s) |

Gemini 'Gem' Trent // Siamese 'Sia' Trent

| Alias(s) |

Lock // Load

| Age |

18

| Sponsor |

Booster Gold

| Personality |

Vivacious // Grounded // Loyal

| Experience |

Two (and a half) Weeks

| Power(s) |

LOCK | Possesses a low-functioning form of technopathy that allows her to take rudimentary resources from her surroundings and use them to intuitively construct weapons, explosives and firearms almost without second thought.

LOAD | Possesses tandem-functioning forms of energy manipulation and technopathy that allows her to instill 'power' into any tool or weapon she is in contact with, and upgrade it to perform its intended function better, at a higher level, or more efficiently.

Clearly, the sister's abilities perform best when used together; Lock creating crude and cheap weaponry quickly from whatever she can find, and then handing it off to Load so that it can become a true battlefield terror.

| Weaknesses |

LOCK | Builds require resources, and without materials, she cannot build anything. Additionally, poor quality materials will create poor quality weaponry. The more complex a weapon, the more detailed resources Gem needs, and her builds do not instill her with innate knowledge on a weapon's proper usage.

Finally, Gem's power does not come with an 'off' switch. While this is useful out in the field, constantly seeing resources and how to use them, in her day-to-day it can be overwhelming and mind-flooding.

LOAD | Upgrades require energy and time, and progress slowly at first. Upgrades are lost if Sia loses contact, and she must focus carefully if she wishes to 'direct' an upgrade down a specific path, and she must intentionally and consciously begin an upgrade process. Additionally, unless Sia directs an upgrade down autonomous function, her upgrades do not instill knowledge on how best to use the new-and-improved object.

| Appearance |

Gem and Sia are twins, and while not identical, they are similar; both have stark blonde hair, with sharp features and lean bodies. Gem's hair is often worn in a wild, thrown-back quiff, the sides shaved haphazardly, while Sia usually tilts more towards allowing her long, straight hair to flow freely, tied up into a tail in time of concentration. Both dress in avant-garde nature, more often because of what little clothing is available to them, rather than an eccentric fashion taste.

| Bio |

Orphaned from 13, Gem and Sia have come to lean on each other as their only reliable source of comfort, compassion, and actually giving-a-shit about their wellbeing. Shuffled through the boarding school system for a few years, their powers often getting them trouble and transfers in that order, the twins eventually abandoned government-subsidized 'care', and found themselves surviving on the street, using their abilities to the best they were capable of to help their situation.

Scrounging and odd-jobs soon turned into accidental heroism after Gem, in the heat of an episode, constructed a crude crossbow and pinned a would-be mugger to the wall behind him. Discovered shortly after by Booster Gold, who was looking for the would-be vigilantes in hopes they were indeed 'vigilantes' and not villains-to-be, they were admired by Booster for their similarly rough upbringing, innovative technopathy-based powers, and general good-hearted nature that led them to defending the common citizen in the first place.

Still looking for a ward to sponsor, Booster introduced Lock & Load to the rest of the Justice League, and quelled claims about their inexperience and young age with claims that he had fore-knowledge from the future of their impact upon the world-at-large. While such claims were doubted, the League could not deny their plausibility, nor the twin's own suitability for the candidacy. They were cautiously accepted, and have been working hard to earn their place ever since.

| Sample |

It was clanking that awoke Sia. Clanking and muttered groans of frustration and more clanking and- Sia rolled over, lifting an arm to check her clock, red LED's glowing harsh. 8:13. Gem had had worse episodes. Sia strained her neck to check the corner of the room where Gem's scrap heap resided. It was less of a heap, now, more of a...mound? Pile? The words still seemed too big. Whatever, it was smaller than it had been when they'd gone to bed. Or at least, when Sia had gone to bed.
"Gem?" Sia said gently, sitting up in bed, carefully prodding her sister. It was important not to startle her in an episode. Who knew what she'd constructed. "What've you been building?"

Gem dropped the scrap that was in her hands and hovered a hand over a pile of odd, near-spherical objects that lay beside her. She picked one up and cradled it in both hands, standing and turning around - Sia could see her eyes were bloodshot, hair greasy and pulled back. Oil marked her face, though Sia couldn't see any cans or containers in the room. How did she always manage that?
"Bombs."
Oh. Good.
"At first explosive!"
Naturally.
"Just plain bada-boom, y'know, bit of gunpowder? But then I saw these," Gem threw her arm behind her and scooped up some metal shavings, "and I thought, what about a dispersal system? Like, a scatter-bomb." Sia nodded along, ignoring her need for coffee. It was best to let Gem talk. "And that got me thinking about dispersal systems in general! SO many different things you can put in a bomb, Si, it's crazy! This one's just the boom, but you've got EMP's, sonics, heat. You just put this there and then that goes around here and then you press this-"

Sia leaped frantically from her bed and nearly tackled Gem in sweeping the bomb from her hands, then fled to the window, flinging it open and tossing the small metal bomb out into the open air beyond. It clicked mid-flight and Sia pushed herself flat to the ground. There was a boom and a rumble and Sia got up, peeking out of the window. There was smoke, and a small piece of metal was vibrating in the wall next to their window, but through the lingering black plume Sia could see small bits of coloured paper fluttering gently in the breeze, starting their fall to the ground.

"Oh, that one was confetti. A celebration-bomb!" Gem said from behind her, cheerful and spacey.
"What were you celebrating?" Sia asked, exerting calm upon herself, turning around to face Gem.
"Well that's for whoever throws it to decide."
Sia tried to respond, but the tannoy crackled to life, and whatever she was about to say was cut off by the icy tones of their school's icy headmistress.
"Gemini and Siamese. Attend breakfast. And then my office."

Sia groaned, rooting through her drawers to find suitable clothing. Gem just grinned.
"Excellent." She said. "I'm starving."

DC Universe: Gods Among Us (Always Open)

Feel awkward that I've sent Constantine to Gotham now :S luckily he won't be there for long (unless any PC's interfere) as he's just getting some help from Zatanna and then he'll be off on recruitment (still no PC mages :[ ) before he heads downwards. Literally.

DC Universe: Gods Among Us (Always Open)

John Constantine: Hellblazer
Chapter 1, III

Gotham. You could smell it from the air. It had invaded John's senses even before the passenger jet had touched down, and now, packed into a tram car, piss and beer soaking a vacant cushion, the sweat of labour-men creating a thick musk, and paint fumes giving everyone a free buzz, he could tell you that Gotham stank. Even without his Other Sight, John could feel that stench, the basic corruption of the everyman sloughing off the citizens. There were no innocents in Gotham. It was not a place men with clean hands lived in; it was not a place men with clean hands visited. Constantine and his half-breed companion belonged here - John could feel the city beckoning with oozing claws, beckoning to him. Leave Chicago. Come to Gotham. Wade amongst the filth. John resisted. The black stain on his soul would grow for each day he remained until it was all that was left of him. Constantine belonged in Gotham, but he didn't belong to Gotham. Hopefully, he never would. He'd seen what this city could do to people. What it had done to people. Good people, just trying to help. Gotham did the same thing to those people that John did. The tram stopped, the doors hissed, and John stepped out onto the monorail platform. Zee followed him. Downtown. Zatanna should be here.

"Downtown?" Zee asked, incredulity on the edge of his voice. Getting braver, John thought. "No houses down here - none that anyone would want to live in, at least. Why downtown?"
John smiled as they walked through the bustling crowds that haunted the sidewalks.
"Downtown's entertainment. And entertainment has...stages." John finished his sentence as he stopped in front of a theatre, ticket booth swathed in red light and gold paint that had recently been re-painted. On the side walls of the lobby were posters - a couple plays, a singing act, and a magician. The best magic act in Gotham - probably because it wasn't an act. Zatanna Zatara, Sorceress Extraordinaire, come to dazzle Gotham with her magic and her smile. A large 'SOLD OUT' banner had been pasted across the poster beneath its frame. John wasn't surprised. He'd seen her abilities first-hand; socery of that caliber impressed, and combined with a good amount of showmanship and a subtle, magical, implantation of joy and wonder, it was guaranteed that recommendation would spread like a virus. The theatre was happy, Zatanna was happy, and the people were happy. And then in came John.
"Come on. We'll use the stage door."

Backstage. John hadn't been here in a long time; he hadn't needed money that bad. These days he made do on magic, theft, and what he got from taking cases. Sure, he'd saved England - maybe the world - a couple times, but in secret. Truly, the worst way to save the planet. Up front and glorious, like the blue-and-red in Metropolis. What a bloody lark-about. Down here, in the real world, with the real people and the real problems, it got real dark, and real deadly. Magic was wonderful, but it was dangerous, and it corrupted. It corrupted easily. John walked that line every day, and even though he hadn't fallen yet, he still had a dark taint on him, where he'd had to let it in, open himself up to black hands. Magic. It got everybody.

They'd gotten to the dressing room before being stopped, and John was surprised it had taken that long.
"Hey, trenchcoat! Staff and stars only back here, bud. You an' greasy there gotta go." Some burly bouncer with a teeshirt and no hair. Gotham's finest, clearly. Not on mob payroll, though John could feel a loose connection. Freelance enforcer, most likely. Repo. Punishment. Physical jobs, nothing that required thought. Outmaneuver this one, then.
"Staff or star? Take your pick, mate. I'm a colleague of Zatanna's. Magician myself. Part of the club - magical elite, we are. Worldwide. Come to chat about an enterprisin' opportunity. All very hush-hush, just the way we are I suppose, but generous folk." John spoke fast and friendly, putting on a cockney accent to endear himself - it worked, don't ask him why- and he noticed the attention when he got to 'generous'. A button to push. Easy. "So look, we have our little chat, talk some business - league business - you get paid off for silence and bob's your uncle, I'm gone, my assistant with me, and everyone's happy and with fatter pockets. Alright, lad?"
The bouncer paused, catching up with Constantine's fast speech. Zee himself was a little lost. A moment passed and John felt something in the air click. The bouncer nodded sharply. John smirked. Easy peasy.
"Atta boy. Look, we'll wait in Z's dressing room and you jus' let her know a guildmate's waiting for her. Can't be long 'til her intermission I'm imagining. Me and Zatanna go waaaaay back, so it'll be no trouble." John flashed a smile, but the bouncer wasn't looking at him - he was looking past him, over her shoulder. John felt her before he heard her. Shit.

"JOHN CONSTANTINE." Zatanna yelled, and John heard her stomp down the stairs. He pictured those heels, the fishnet tights, the leotard with the blazer and the top hat, and savoured the image before he turned and faced an extremely angry, incredibly powerful mage who he never managed to enjoy the company of without either fucking something up or letting people die. He gulped. Her face was fury. She wasn't even wearing the top hat.
"Where the fuck do you get off showing up here? Hobbs, toss them. Him and his greasy 'assistant'." Zatanna saw through the glamour too - you couldn't help it when you wielded magic like she and John did. He was half-surprised she hadn't smited him on the spot. She might have done if the bouncer hadn't been there to witness. Speaking of which...

John felt heavy hands fall on his shoulders. Hobbs, what a name. The hand clenched and there was pain in John's shoulder as he squeezed the muscle and the bone underneath, forcibly steering John toward the door he'd come in by. John thought fast.
"Zatanna, come on! I need your help!"
"You always need help, Constantine, and every time you fuck things up. I'm done with helping you, and I'm done with your fucking crusades."
"This is serious!"
"It's always serious, every fucking time it's serious. People's safety is serious, John. People's lives are serious."
"This is different. This isn't like that! This is redemption!" John frantically tried to weave magic to stop Hobbs, desperately trying to reason with Zatanna.
"You might be the greatest conman alive, but I'm a Zatara, and you've fooled me enough times already."
"It's about ASTRA!" John yelled, finally giving in. "I've FOUND her!"

"Stop." Zatanna said, quiet but powerful. Hobbs stopped. John's heart beat in his throat. "Let go." John felt the pressure ease on his shoulders, and then disappear completely. "Leave." Hobbs left. John turned, and Zatanna's furious gaze burnt through him.
"Come with me."
There was no disobeying. John would have followed even if Zatanna didn't outclass him in sorcery.