Owner	Pose
Zachary Zatara	It's late in Gotham, dangerously so, and around Coventry, the fear is especially palpable given the recent, erratic murders that have plagued in the area. Tensions have died down with the arrest of the Bleeder, Chester Maylin, but the denizens of the distract remain on edge - and off the streets. Zachary Zatara is a lone walker, harmless in appearance and uncharacteristically nondescript in a black hoodie and dark jeans. No top hat, no tuxedo. He has a backpack slung over his shoulder, but the timing (and location) makes it highly unlikely that he's returning from the prestigious Gotham Academy unless he stayed late. He's leaving the Coventry community center, so perhaps he needed to drop something off. All in all, he cuts a very low-key figure. Lurking in the shadows of the center's alleyways, bodies stir. For his part, Zach has his earbuds in, bopping his head slightly. He is 'on' in a mystical sense, preening with energy for those who are inclined to sense such things.
Jason Todd	The bodies aren't the only things stirring in the shadows, a little ways behind Zach, moving on the rooftops is the Red Hood. The grim vigilante keeping his eyes fixed on the young wizard as he moves. "C'mon, where are you bastards," he curses their quarry not seeing them in the alleys yet. A leap and a flip takes him from one roof to the next, and he lands to continue his search, moving swift and silent.
Zatanna Zatara	After her visit to the Watchtower, Zatanna had a list of tasks to do. They were things that needed to be done quickly. The last time she had delayed and the consequences had be disastrous. She wasn't going to have it happen again. She couldn't have that on her shoulders. The world couldn't afford it either. Not again. Thus she cast a spell while she was on the Watchtower and found her cousin's location. Then she opened a portal. The glowing blue sphere appeared on the street, allowing for her to step through it onto the streets of Gotham City. She was dressed in her costume, the tuxedo covered upper torso, the more risque lower with the fishnets and heels. "Zachary! Good. I need to speak to you." The portal closed behind her, leaving the street in the shadowy darkness once more.
Zachary Zatara	Zatanna was an unexpected variable. Zachary blinks once, twirls a finger around the wire of his earbuds and tugs. "Zanny!" His voice betrays the slightest bit of uncertainty, but he quickly improvises, bounding towards the older Zatara and enclosing her in a brief hug. As he pulls away, his eyebrows lift, like he's surprised to see her or he's been caught doing something he shouldn't. It's hard to communicate without words! Jason would notice a black sedan roar into life a few streets away from the cousin, but it remains parked. "Really, what did you want to talk about? I didn't leave the door unlocked, did I?" It's a bit of a joke. Shadowcrest wouldn't let just anyone enter the house, with or without physical locks. He gives her a once-over. "Just got back from a show or...?"
Jason Todd	The sudden opening of the portal has Jason drawing his guns, at least until he sees who steps out of it and he breathes a sigh of relief, even if the arrival of the older Zatara put a new variable into this little plan. "Those fishnets tho," he snerks to himself before that car roars to life, his head turns like a dog on the scent and he bounds in that direction, coming to a stop a building away, as he turns the magnification up on his helmet optics to get a better look, trying to grab the plate number and a look at the driver if he can swing it.
Zatanna Zatara	Zatanna is not good at stealth. She doesn't even try. She is more show up in a blazing ring of fire and set off fireworks while 76 trombones lead a big parade in the background. Her arrival may have messed up their sneaky. "I was on Justice League business but received a call from Batman. Asking for my help with the situation here in Gotham. He said that you were helping them, trying to find out about possible demons. Rather than start my own investigation, I thought I should come to you first. So we can work together. If you are interested in working together, of course. If not, I will just gather some information and port off to my next destination."
Zachary Zatara	"All business, huh? It can't always be work and no play, Zee. One of these days, we'll have to throw a house party! How stocked's our cellar?" It certainly is not uncommon for Zachary to be less focused on matters of demons, wizards, etc as Zee. He's still very, very new and can come off as lax or even idle. Yet there's something in his tone, an edge. Jason gets the plate number easily and also a good look at the driver, with the magnifying component in his helmet. It's a slouching middle-aged man, with greying hair, and a vacant look on his face. He looks, well, dead. "Yo, how's Batman? I heard on the news that he was still kicking, but like, isn't he supposed to be dead?" Robin said so, Red said otherwise. Zachary's seeing what Zee knows, and avoiding the demon talk for the time being.
Jason Todd	"Well either he's a zombie or he's just pulled a double shift," Jason quips to himself as he takes in the driver. He wasn't lucky enough for it to be the latter but he wasn't going to splatter brain matter on anything less than a certainty. Taking out the car though? That he'd do in a second. He rushes forward leaving his guns in his holsters as he fires a grapple into the building across the street. On the swing that follows he reaches into coat and hurls a batarang at the hood. It's a solid throw and if it's on its mark it should hit the hood of the car and explode with enough force to wreck the engine but leave the driver still breathing... If he's alive to begin with.
Zatanna Zatara	"We can have a party after all this is over," Zatanna says. She sighs and glances to the ground. "I hestitated the last time. I didn't get everyone involved fast enough and Superman lost his fight. Then everything escalated and we lost two heroes." She looks back to the young man. "I can't let it happen again." She considers how to answer the Batman question. "Yes, Batman is still around." That is an easy way to phrase it. "And alive though still recovering." How he can be both yet it is all truth. Her turn to change the subject back. "What can you tell me about the murders and demons? I understand it all started when the fight between Batman and Superman reached the final moment?"
Zachary Zatara	"No time to waste. I get that," Zachary adjusts the strap of his backpack slightly, turning his pale green gaze to the rooftops. Was Jason seeing this? Were the -demons- seeing this? "From what I understand," he leans forward, very hushed. "a hell lord that goes by the name of Lucifer prevented Batman from dying, but in doing so allowed something from Hell to escape." The car screeches forward, even as its engines are utterly destroyed by Jason's piercing, explosive batarangs. At no point, does the driver take control of the wheels, however, and the sleek sedan doesn't make it very down the street, colliding with a lamppost in a collision that sends the (now obvious) corpse spilling from the shattered windshields. The scene dies to an eerie silence after the initial crash. Zachary and Zatanna likely only heard a noise in the far distance. "Have you heard of this guy?" Walking towards the pair is a young petite woman with brunette hair and a pink sweater. She is being closely followed by an elder, maybe her grandmother or aunt. "You're Zatanna Zatara!" A fan? This late, and Zee still gets them? Zach rolls his eyes.
Jason Todd	Bounding off the far wall, Jason unhooks his grapple and lands in a crouch by the car. He'd see it move, on it's own, so when he reaches the scene he puts a couple of rounds into the tires, "There you go Christine," he tells the car, "Stay put." What? He reads Stephen King. Next order of business... alert Zach. He pulls out his phone and types: Red >> Can demons possess cars? I think they can possess cars. On my way to your twenty.
Zatanna Zatara	"Lucifer?" Zatanna's brow knits together as she considers that name. "As in /the/ Lucifer? Fallen angel of God?" She nibbles at her bottom lip a moment, wheels spinning in her head as she considers this little tidbit. Interesting that her next step was to go visit someone claiming to be an entity just like that who calls himself Lucifer. "And he didn't put it back?" What an odd question for normal people. Cue Normal People! As she hears the reaction, Zatanna turns with a bright smile, reaching up to pull off her top hat and giving a bow to the young woman in question. "The one and only! Live and in person!" At least she isn't doing jazz hands.
Zachary Zatara	"By his own admission, yeah. Wild, huh? He runs a nightclub called Lux, and is very interested in the case," Zachary crosses his arms over his chest, then casts a look over to normal people (heh) that approach Zatanna. The girl looks to the older woman for assurance, and with a serene nod from her, she comes closer. "I'm, like, your biggest fan EVER!" She gushes. "I saw one of your Vegas shows last summer and have been following you ever since! I can't believe you're here! Is it, is it real? Are you an actual magician?" It's a perfectly wholesome conversation. Yep, Zach's eyes go up and over, and he distracts himself by answering the text on his phone. Family's complicated. Sometimes, Zach goes to great lengths for his cousin's approval, and others, he resents her success. At this moment, it's the later, and he shoots the woman (who couldn't be more than twenty) a withering look, "I'm her biggest fan." <<they so can. these ones, anyway. why, did you find one??>> He sends the text back to Jason, before dragging a hand through his black hair.
Jason Todd	Red >> Yeah. Three streets over from your position. Be careful I think they know we're here. Jason finishes typing then breaks into a sprint towards that first street, firing his grapple, then taking his run to the rooftops to try and move even faster.
Zatanna Zatara	"Magic is as real as you believe it to be," comes Zatanna's answer, her smile about 100-watts or so since it is so bright. "Some people believe it is only sleight of hand." She flicks a hand and a deck of cards appear which she fans out with practiced ease. "Smoke and mirrors." There is a puff of smoke from the deck of cards and it is gone as quickly as it appeared. "But it is all real if you think it is." She glances over to Zachary, thankfully missing the rolled eyes. "You should see my cousin though! He's got his own Youtube channel and millions of followers. You should be sure to follow him too! This is Zachary."
Zachary Zatara	The kid's eyes are stars, and she's smiling quite strong at the display of magic. "OH MY GOD, you did the thing!" She looks back to her guardian, grandmother, demon mother, whatever. "She did the thing!!" Her squeals echo through the dark street, and she holds a card, queen of hearts, and stretches it out for Zatanna. "Um, can, if you're not too busy, could I get an autograph? And maybe a selfie?" This close, the skin of her face looks pale but perhaps not unusually so. Zachary doesn't have millions of followers, but his connections with Titans are certainly doing wonders to his growing fanbase. He appreciates the hyperbole, though, and winks at the adoring fan. "Yeah, totally subscribe and learn all of our occult secrets." No jazz hands from him, either. He's looking down to his phone, which is sorta a dick move, but he's been called that and worse. Plus, demon texts are important. <<took them long enough. i was this close to going home.>> As Jason returns to his position, he'd notice the Mistress of Magic and her cousin are joined by two newcomers. A short brown-haired girl, and a woman of distinguished age that is coming suspiciously close to Zachary.
Jason Todd	Spotting the 'fans' mobbing the two wizards, Jason decides it's time for Red Hood to play 'security', the grapple gun comes out and fires letting Jason swing down to the street landing by the wizards, the girl and the woman. "Heya, mind stepping back from the talent a little bit," Jason asks holding out a hand towards the woman, his hand isn't resting on his gun but it hovers over it all the same ready to draw if he needs it. "Hey Zach, Fishnets, how's it going?" says the Red Hood. "Don't know if Zach updated you, but we had a bit of a whole Maximum Overdrive situation a few blocks away, demon possessing a car. Lots of fun." Given how he watches their fans it's a safe bet he's thinking the demons are in more than just cars tonight.
Zatanna Zatara	The arrival of Red Hood has Zatanna taking a step backwards, which puts a little more distance between her and the young fan. "The name is Zatanna," she points out to him even as she notices the position he is taking. The way he is trying to keep the people away. No doubt he's been on watch. He may know something they don't. "Dleihs." The word comes out with a flow of energy and power, eyes flaring briefly. Immediately, there is a circle of shielding around the trio, invisible but there to keep anyone or thing from getting through. Hopefully. It may be overkill but with demons a couple of blocks away, it may not be a wrong choice to make at this time. "Here." She flicks a card and pen out of nowhere, scribbling on the card. "Catch." She flicks the card out toward the young woman. "But the selfie will have to wait." On the card is a small 'God bless you!' along with a scribble that looks nothing like her signature. In fact, the scribble is a holy symbol used to keep demons at bay. Hopefully the fan likes it!
Zachary Zatara	A fleeting glare of utter malevolence passes through the granny's face when Jason touches down, and she steps back, calculating, and replacing it with a clean mask of concern. "Heavens," she breathes "maybe it's not safe for us to be out this late. This city can be such a cruel place at night." A pointed glare towards her younger counterpart, but the girl (?) is persistent with this autograph business, even as Zatanna backs away. Zachary may not be the sharpest detective in Gotham, but between the way Jason puts space between them and the word that he easily identifies coming out of Zatanna's lips, he comes to similar conclusions on who - or what - they are dealing with here. The brunette catches the card, and drops it with a burning hiss. For her part, there is no cry of pain, but the holy sigil caused a disruption or interference. "Holy shit," Poor choice of words from Zachary. A flash of steel, and the older woman comes for the trio with a knife. Very limber for her age, but she clearly doesn't recognize the shield spell Zatanna passed.
Jason Todd	"Right, totally what I meant," Jason quips to Zatanna before things kick off. Even ready to draw his gun that knife comes out to quick to out draw it, instead he makes a grab for the woman's arm, then uses her momentum to fling her over his shoulder and into the concrete. Or at least that's the plan. "So, these are definitely demons, right?" Jason asks the wizards.
Zatanna Zatara	"Considering her reaction to a holy symbol," Zatanna states from her safety inside the bubble. As Jason moves to engage, she realizes she probably should've explained what she did. But alas, it's too late now. "These are most definitely demons." She pulls out her cell phone from the pocket of her tuxedo jacket. Now she resembles her cousin as she quickly flicks through it, seemingly oblivious to the fact there are two demons right there! She has some confidence in her shield. "There you are. Hopefully you are answering," she mutters outloud to her phone, as though that would help. Then she pushes the name she has displayed on the screen under her thumb: Lucifer.
Zachary Zatara	There's a horrible bone-shattering sound that accompanies Jason's move, and a snapping at the arm by which she's thrown, but no pain registers in the zombie and there's no hesitation in her next actions. She brings the knife up and into Red Hood's armored side. "Safe assumption," Unlike Todd, Zachary moves further into the shield, pressing into Zatanna's shoulder just slightly. "How's the holy water coming, Red?" He knows that it was being worked on, less sure about how it was coming along. The demon in the younger body cannot pass through the shield, quickly realizes this when she's blocked from clawing at the Zataras, and focuses her attention on Jason. ""Ekirts it nwod!" A blast of eldritch energy pulses at Zachary's fingertips and fires directly at the zombie, hitting her square in the chest and pushing her clean off her feet. "Who could you be calling right this second?"
Lucifer	It rings about three times. Then there's a pickup, and an inordinately cheerful answer. Lucifer. "Well well, a surprise call from my most //interesting// lady magician," greets the pleasant tone of the devil. "//Do// tell me you're calling for a late dinner date? I could eat," chatters Lucifer, clearly unaware of any demons. There's music in the background of his call: Lux.
Jason Todd	Jason grunts as the knife hits his side, more from the impact than anything the armour kept the blade out, if only just. Zatanna's confirmation is all he needs, time to put in some work. "Have some, but in this case," says of the holy water drawing his pistol and firing a .44 hollowpoint at the demon-woman's skull. "But figured I'd start with that."
Zatanna Zatara	"There's a shield here, by the way," Zatanna points out helpfully to Red Hood. She concentrates so it will become visible as a light blue haze around them. "If you wanted to have less combat and more standing around watching them flail uselessy." She winces as the zombie goes for the stabbing motion but trusts the man to be able to take care of himself. He is one of the Bat Brood after all. To Zachary, she says, "I'm not texting. I'm calling. You should try it somet--" The phone is picked up and Zatanna falls silent as she listens to the voice on the other end. "Lucifer, my dear. Sadly this is not so much a social call. Although perhaps if you can help me with my situation, we could go catch a bite after? I've been busy all day and just realized I skipped lunch. Is that Buble I hear in the background? Oh, let me focus here. We seem to be dealing with some demons and your expertise would be appreciated. Might I pop you over to see if you might have some information about them? The rumor is they may come from your neck of the Hell realm."
Zachary Zatara	"Lucifer? Tell him Zach says hello. Also, can I come with? I am positively starving...unless it's a date," Zachary's nose wrinkles, and his arms lower. The bullet penetrates the demon-girl's skull as it would any normal human. That is, nothing remains of her face and head, and there are blood and brains splattered everywhere. Zachary blanches, fingers shaking slightly as the magical glow coursing through them dies down, and he lets out another expletive under his breath. The creature is felled for no more than a minute, though, before she and the demon that'd been blasted begin to clamber to their feet.
Lucifer	"Demons," echoes Lucifer, as if she'd mentioned an interesting restaurant he hadn't been to. Curiosity carries. "Just happened upon them, did you? What a stroke of luck, that I'm actually //looking// for some demons. Give me a few moments, I'm in the middle of--- well, I'll just let your imagination cover that one," Lucifer chuckles. He's actually moving in his club now, heading to a more private area, adjusting clothing. "Normally I detest magical UBERs coming through my club, just as a general statement," Lucifer adds, very put-upon. "Let's not make a habit of summoning me in this manner. It suggests it //can// be done, which is really not the message I want put out into the world." Huff. "Ready."
Jason Todd	Jason doesn't flinch at the gore, he just coldly puts a second round into the demon's chest. Though when the body begins to rise, he curses aims lower and shoots at a knee, trying to cripple the body. "So what were you saying about a shield, Fishnets?" Jason asks as he slips inside the shield. "These demons definitely don't play fair." That doesn't stop him from popping off a couple more rounds at their legs though.
Zatanna Zatara	"My word, that's loud," Zatanna comments as the now close to her Red Hood is firing off more rounds. "Ecnelis." It is a simple word but now when he fires the rounds, there isn't a loud BOOM that makes her ears hurt. "Much better." To Zach, she gives a nod. "Of course you can come along. You as well, Red Hood." She focuses on the phone call again. "I know, Lucifer, and I promise I won't make a habit of it. I won't tell a soul. If someone does find out, just tell them only your favorite magician gets to do so. Or something. I'm sure you'll think of something clever, you always do. See you in a moment." She pushes the disconnect button and the phone goes into her pocket. A moment later, her eyes blaze white as she draws the power around her. "Rebu." It amused her so she had to use it. The portal opens, a doorway he can just step through from his location at the Lux into the seedy streets of Gotham. It should bring him into the shield with the three of them but it will be a tight squeeze. "Thank you ever so much for coming. Do you recognize those?" She waves her hand at the zombie like corpses that seem intent on getting to them.
Zachary Zatara	"Red, cool it with the bullets," Zachary suggests, in a shaky voice that suggests he is not AT ALL used to this level of brutality. Or any level, really. He has reasons that go beyond general squeamishness, though. "Once the physical body is wrecked beyond repair, they'll just jump into another body...or lacking that, an object. That was probably what happened with the car." "We need an exorcism," He tells Lucifer on arrival. "Any of these things strike you as Gaulichu?"
Lucifer	The demon that still has her head slid back, using the body of her headless 'friend' as a bit of a shield with a hiss, twisting the knife, deciding about the best move. She isn't so much 'helping' her friend stay up so much as using the meat as a buffer against the gun. Which was, in fact, loud. Can't just fire a gun in the street and not expect various attention from all around them. "Are you okay? I'm calling 911." "Who's shooting?!" Three people look out of the building next to the community center: two men, and a teenaged boy. "Holy SHIT," says the boy. They're coming out, while one of the men brings a phone to his ear. He must be 911-caller... Lucifer steps carefully out of the portal as if getting off a plane in Hawaii. He looks all around them, as if taking in the sights. He blinks at Red Hood and Zachary, flashing a surprised smile. "Small world," he remarks, but then rounds on the two women, head tipped. "Let's see," Lucifer answers Zatara's question, and moves forwards towards the front of Zatara's shield. Something weird happens: Both zombie women stop moving. So do the others; they were jogging over, but they slow down, and just stop. One of the men had a gun he was concealing, and he forgets to keep concealing it. The woman that still has a face says something, in a weird tongue, like she's gargling gravel, at the group within the shield.
Jason Todd	Jason pulls the trigger and there's silence. "Neat," he exclaims. "Can you do that permanently?" he asks Zatanna. He fires off another round before he looks to Zack, drawing a wavy bladed kris knife with the pattern of Damascus steel, "Want me to switch to this? It's not going to be any prettier." Jason for his part seems at home with the brutality, none of it particularly fazing him. Luci's arrival and the shouts from the locals have him stop shooting however, "Go back in your homes and lock the doors!" he shouts to the lookie loos. "Can one of you do something about their phones, I don't think this is going to do anything for your careers if all this hits the net." Though that becomes a secondary concern when Lucifer does... whatever it was he was doing with the demons.
Zachary Zatara	"What, no," Zachary gives Jason a -look- when he draws the blade. "Metals are only valuable if they're blessed. Do you have, I don't know, a taser?" It may not be a clean fix, but that might cause some interference with the demonic possession over the corpses. "I can see the headlines now: Zatara Cousins Fire on Unexpecting Fan and Grandmother on the Streets of Gotham," Yeah, he's on it. He brings his hands above his head, and incants softly, " "Erefretni htiw senohp." Then his eyes flicker over to Lucifer conversing with the demonic underling. "No clue what she's saying." It isn't backward speech.
Lucifer	"You're right. Rude," Lucifer agrees with Zachary. He looks at the demon. "English. Not everyone here speaks that," Lucifer reprimands the zombie coolly, exiting the front of the shield. The demon given the request looks very deer-in-headlights, or vacant. And doesn't answer. "Again, for the English speakers," Lucifer repeats, rolling his hand impatiently. "We're very sorry," says the demon, looking at the ground. "Yes, I know. Go line up over there. Against the wall. Take stubby with you," Lucifer directs. Stubby, the headless one. The demons, like children just given a talking to, head over towards the wall. The two on the ground, and the new three: all five head over towards the wall. The one with shot out knees is a lot slower about it. Lucifer turns towards Jason, Zach and Zatanna. "Right, well. Demons. Probably Gaulichu's servants, from the dialect. Thoughts? Otherwise I'll just go ask."
Jason Todd	"Fine," Jason says sliding away the knife. "Looks like Lucifer has it under control," he says as the demons look downcast and line up against the wall. "Handy," Jason says to Lucifer as he swaps out his clip and slides the gun away. "Zach, you got any questions for these guys, besides where Mom's at?:" he asks not bothering to try and say the demon's name.
Zachary Zatara	Zachary rubs an arm, trying not to look at the headless, walking corpse. He's mostly successful, and glances at Lucifer instead. "Soooo. No Gaulichu? Fuck," He groans and shakes his head. "Do you think they'd know where she is?" He does not sound at all hopeful about their luck with picking up her trail. "I was trying to locate her...set a trap or something. Zatanna showed up, which was not planned, and threw me off," He presses the heel of his hand into his eyes. "Those guys are demons, too?" He glares at the other three gathering up, like chastised children. "Fuck. What are you going to do with them?"
Lucifer	"Well, whatever we do, let's not do it in the middle of the sidewalk," Lucifer suggests, moving towards the wall as well, and looking down at the brain and blood splat on the ground. "I was considering sending them back to spy, but I think they'll tip her off, even if they don't mean to. Which could be good or bad," Lucifer answers Zach. The stylish man approaches the young teenage male, and clears his throat. "Again, English, for my nice friends here," Lucifer clarifies. "You're not here on your own. Explain." The teenager studies his shoes. "We followed Mistress Gaulichu's orders, lord. We're very sorry." "Yes, I remember," Lucifer agrees. "Gaulichu's location." "I don't know." The others also shake their heads, those that have them. "She brought us here. We followed her orders." There's a pause. "Now your orders," he amends. The others nod.
Jason Todd	Jason steps off the street as well, moving to keep an eye on the demon as Lucifer interrogates them. "Spies could be useful even if they tip her off, we could use that," he suggests. "Though we should probably send the headless one back to where it came from, that body's not going to do it much good."
Zachary Zatara	"There's a chance she already knows that we're coming. She jumps bodies whenever I tried to triangulate her position. I thought I had her..." Zachary's clearly unimpressed with the demons, now that they aren't trying to kill him. "You guys are seriously the worst, you know that? Do any of you know anything about Chester Maylin, why he was framed for the murders?" If they follow Lucifer's orders now, he may even get an honest answer. "Thanks for the assist, Lucifer," He turns to the Devil, with a brief smile. "I owe you one."
Lucifer	"Chester Maylin is taking attention from us," the second guy, who had been going to call 911 (or had been pretending to) volunteers. "Right. Cute," Lucifer scowls, but turns back towards Zachary and Jason with his smile returned. "Right. Let's do a bit of an example, and send them off, then," Lucifer agrees. He turns on the headless one and the woman next to her, his back deliberately to Jason and Zach. "Off you go," he says to them quietly. If he does something else, it won't look like anything: but it will feel to Zach like a wave of some sort of power. Both women collapse. "You three get to take the bodies to where they can be found, and then you get to come to the coffee shop on 3rd and Grand tomorrow with a report on your progress on finding Gaulichu." Lucifer looks to Zach and Jason, as the demons rush to follow the direction. "I'll remember that," Lucifer winks back at Zach, about owing one. That won't be dangerous later or anything. "No worries. We'll get her, one way or another."