When Zatanna stepped into the Batcave, the atmosphere wasn’t as solemn as she’d expected. If anything, it felt like a tense, bizarre family reunion—with nearly all of Batman’s children present, it was starting to look like a weird kind of multigenerational crisis meeting.
She followed behind Batman, her steps steady as they descended the stairs. But the moment she entered the main command zone, her stride faltered.
Her eyes widened. Her breath hitched, just slightly—but enough for everyone to notice.
Her gaze locked—unwavering—onto someone.
Everyone followed her line of sight. Jason Todd looked up, frowning. This is his first meeting with Zatanna. He knew little about magic circles, and even less about people like her. His world was the streets, the gangs—not stars and spells.
But she was staring at him. With a look far too deep for a first meeting.
Zatanna didn’t say anything right away. Her expression twisted, as if she was trying to chew through a knot of fate that refused to be untangled. She worked to steady her voice as she turned to the looming figure beside her.
“This your second son?”
Batman nodded, alert. “Yes.”
She turned fully toward him, eyes narrowing. “Are you blind? He’s covered in divine marks. None of you noticed?”
The Batcave went dead silent.
Tim nearly dropped his pen. Dick gaped. Damian shot Jason a suspicious look like he’d just caught him practicing forbidden sorcery. And Batman… stood silent, like a volcano deciding whether or not to erupt.
“…Huh?” Jason said, flatly. “Divine what now?”
Zatanna took a long breath. “You look like an entire cathedral just walked into this cave.”
She turned to the others. “Look, usually when someone’s blessed by a divine being, you might see some faint glow—like with priests or nuns. Maybe a subtle rune between the knuckles. That’s normal. But this guy—” she pointed directly at Jason, “—this guy looks like twelve gods co-signed him and then highlighted him with a damn glow stick. He’s lit up everywhere.”
“That’s impossible,” Batman said quietly.
“I thought so too,” Zatanna replied dryly. “Right until my eyes almost melted.”
She tapped her temple. “I’m from the magical side of things, Bruce. Walking into this room felt like slamming face-first into a floodlight. I still see afterimages. And he’s the only thing glowing.”
“…So does that mean we’ve got a literal walking saint in here?” Tim asked cautiously.
Damian, deadpan: “He punches people. He’s no preacher.”
Dick: “Maybe this is a plot twist. Robin Number Two is actually a divine operative from heaven?”
Jason: “Can you all shut up? I don’t even know how to pray.”
Batman turned to Zatanna, voice grim. “What does this mean?”
Her tone dropped the playfulness. She looked serious now.
“It means his memory problems might not be as simple as you thought.”
Silence again.
Zatanna looked Jason in the eye. “You may have a memory—one that was directly tampered with by a god—sealed inside you.”
They moved to the conference area. On the table sat water pitchers, comm tablets, and a few holoprojectors.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6YmISRnrK
Except for Jason.
He’d been politely asked to sit this one out from a side room, joining the meeting via a comm link.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YByAHJXBU
The reason was simple: his divine markings were too bright.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqV44yl9Zr
Zatanna said if they didn’t remove him from the space, she “might actually go blind.”
“You don’t look too happy,” Dick teased from the main screen.
Jason sat slouched in a chair, boots propped on the edge of the control console, rolling his eyes. “Why would I be? I just got kicked out for being a human nightlight.”
Zatanna folded her arms, tapping her elbow with two fingers. Her tone was cool. “I’m just being honest. You’re glowing like a guardian star. I’m still seeing sparkles.”
Batman brought the meeting back on track. His voice steady, low. “How do we find the origin of the memory? Is there a method?”
Zatanna's expression turned thoughtful. Her fingers moved subtly, sketching invisible sigils in the air as she gauged something unseen.
“Bruce,” she said, more gently, “I want to help. But this time… I can’t step in directly.”
She gestured toward Jason’s isolated room. “Someone went out of their way to mark him. That means a god chose to intervene. If I use magic carelessly, it could draw attention.”
“You mean… you’re afraid they’ll notice?”
“I mean I’m not in the mood to pick a fight with a deity I don’t even know by name.”
The table fell silent. Tim exchanged a look with Damian. Even Steph—usually the first to crack a joke—kept quiet for once.
Batman didn’t raise his head. He tapped the table, thinking, then finally spoke.
“How do I meet the god involved?”
The question landed like a stone tossed into a still pond, sending ripples everywhere.
“…Bat?” Jason’s voice came through the comm, suspicious. “You think that girl was—?”
Batman nodded. He didn’t elaborate. But the sharpness in his eyes was enough to slice open the skin of memory.
Zatanna raised a brow. Her lips twitched, like someone just whispered a name no one should say aloud. But she wasn’t surprised.
She looked at Bruce and shrugged. “You know how hard it is to get a god to show up, right? Whole lifetimes of priests never get a single miracle.”
Then she gestured softly toward Jason. “Your second son didn’t just witness a god—he was taken in and raised in its shadow.”
Dick coughed, trying not to laugh. Tim’s mouth twitched. His eyes wandered.
Zatanna opened her hands and let them fall against the table, exasperated. “I’m serious—just figure out that girl’s name first. Names are the first anchors for contacting divine entities. Once we have her name, then I can help figure out if this is a blessing… or a bargain.”52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUALD42JVo
and then Add to home screen.