7117/An Knot of Zombies or Two

An Knot of Zombies or Two
Date of Scene:	28 July 2021
Location:	Fun Land - Amusement Mile
Synopsis:	Red Hood and Zatanna finish off leftover zombies.
Cast of Characters:	Zatanna Zatara, Jason Todd

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Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The summer heat has the town out in droves. Amusement Mile has all the attractions of a carney show. People jostle lining up for rides and fast food. Grease wafts on the breeze, mixing with the sweet scent of cotton candy. Teenage girls in mini-skirts hang off the arms of local toughs in muscle shirts, trying to out-do the old grifters that are masters at cake cutting.

It's not Zatanna's milieu; she is a headliner for the best theatres in the country, but that doesn't keep her from helping out an old friend. The ancient theatre she packed this evening is barely breaking even and is badly in need of renovation. So after her last bit of pancake makeup is removed, Zatanna turns out the lights of her dressing room and grabs her bag. Preferring to change at home, she is still in fishnet stockings, high heels, and a stiff-front white tuxedo shirt with black tie.

"Henry," she calls to the backstage doorman. "I've turned everything off. Tell Baker I'll give him a call tomorrow."

Zatanna lets herself out into the trashcan-lined alley and immediately gets a whiff of death riding the aromas of the amusement park.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason always hated Amusement Mile.

The Joker used to have literal blasts here. Yet, oddly enough, some of his best memories are about cracking skulls here in Amusement Mile with Batman. Being Robin was the best time of his life, pity it ended so abruptly because of one stupid decision. Well....beggars can't be choosers.

He was on patrol though...something was off. Felt wrong. He didn't quite know what was going on or why he felt called to this place, but the Red Hood was prowling. He had his helmet in his hand, colored red and black, yet his eyes scoured the area with a critically, putting those old skills to proper use.

Batman didn't train a late bloomer.

He does manage to spot Zatanna from his rooftop position, a tilt of his head at the family friend as she leaves the theater. Then the scent hits him. Something died. Literally.

He puts on his helmet, and keeps to his friends: darkness itself.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna's eyes water involuntarily at the smell. It's not the trashcans. Death, particularly this kind of death, has its own unique signature. Under her breath she invokes a will o'wisp light which appears in the palm of her hand. Holding it in the air like a candle, she looks up and down the alley. A blast of music from a nearby ride brings a faint smile to her lips, the beat of "Thriller" drives in the background as she looks for the Dead.

"Zombies on a Saturday night at the amusement park. Please," she whispers to herself indignantly. After depositing the bag back inside the stage door, she begins to patrol the alley, away from the crowded thoroughfare toward a vacant lot that runs along the back of the theatre.

Jason Todd has posed:
Sometimes, people who go -towards- the danger are the ones who know the most about it.

Such was a lesson taught to him by both Batman and the League of Shadows. The Red Hood moved from rooftop to rooftop until he made it to the lovely amusement park. It was rather cliche, wasn't it? To just have a zombie fight near a theme park? It's like straight out of a Stephen King novel.

Though with a soft step, Red Hood lands slightly behind Zatanna. Maybe she knew he was there, maybe she didn't. Magic was a weird thing, especially in Gotham, where dark magic especially was more likely to be found than....regular magic? holy magic? Meh.

Magic.

"So, you're after the weird shit too, huh?" Red Hood questions Zatanna, noticing she was still weairng the fishnets...he takes a second to check her out actually. "Now what's a pretty girl like you doing in a shitty place like this?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna freezes in place, the light in her hand soft on her scowling face. "You need to work on your pick up lines, Jason!" She exhales slowly, unwilling to let him think that he got the drop on her. She's not omniscient.

"You can stop ogling me and tell me what has you down here." She flicks her dark hair back over her shoulder dismissively, "I bet it's not for the coconut throw."

The wind turns and the odor is strong enough to gag a morgue worker.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason seems to smirk a little bit to Zatanna as he seems to have gotten the drop on her, whether or not she shows it is of no consequence. Though incredibly amused, Jason continues to approach Zatanna. "Can't help it. Still as beautiful and fiery as I remember. we'll chat about it after we take care of this fuckin' awful scent." Red speaks in a clearly modified voice.

"I'm here for the same thing you are, Zatanna. Something's going down tonight." He adjusts his hood a moment and he pulls out his pair of handguns. Bullets still work on zombies, right? That wasn't a fiction-only thing?

If it is, he might be in slight trouble.

If not, then it's hunting season.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The woman mage studiously ignores Jason and gestures toward the vacant lot. "Definitely something going down. Leftover magic. That's what it is. Something escaped the sweep we made on a cemetery not so far from here." Folding her hand, the light disappears. "Guess I don't have to lead them to us. Two will be better than one."

She turns to scrutinize the cheeky man next to her, chin high, lips pursed in thought. "Bullets work. Explosive caps to blow their heads off their bodies is the best. Follow me."

A cat jumps off one of the dumpsters and runs away from them toward the crowded street, preferring to slink between a thousand feet than face what walks behind the theatre. They come out into the lot. Old carnival equipment dots it, two abandoned cars lie rusting with their doors open. Shadows shamble between two cars, the light from the ferris wheel that dominates the amusement park shines blue in six pairs of dead eyes.

"Oops, guess that explains the smell," Zatanna remarks conversationally. "Here we go."

Jason Todd has posed:
"Leftover magic? What, you forgot your friends back at the theater?" Jason knows when Zatanna has either finished a show or is on patrol. Considering she still has allo f her things that she would logically have...it's not too hard to connect all the dots.

Though as she turns to scrutinize him, Red Hood nods. "Good to know." and seems to exchange out his mags real quick before they go into the fight. He ewas expecting a necromancer. A magic user, but a human all the same. He would've used hollow points! Promise!

He's trying.

But as the creeping creatures seem to rise up from the shadows, the six pairs of dead eyes are no stranger to Jason Todd, even as he lifts his weapons. "Alright, I have first dibs." Jason extends his guns forward, fully intending to empty lead into the zombies! Of course, he aims for the head. Two guns, lot of ammo between them? Maybe he'll get lucky. But he'd be a fool to think that there's -only- six.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Though loathe to tell him, Zatanna is not unhappy that the man calling himself Red Hood appeared out of the darkness. The dead animated by magic get under the mage's skin. The unquiet dead are like a nightmare from her childhood.

A screech from vocal cords that should no longer function rises high into the night air and gets lost in cacophony of amusement rides. Two heads explode from the bullets that Jason so handily shoots.

Striding forward, Zatanna flips her hand over, fingers spread as though releasing something in the air. "!sdaeh htiw rieht ffO" she declares sharply. Two more heads fall as though sliced off with a guillotine blade.

From behind a derelict ride more forms shuffle toward them. "Well, who knew we missed this many? Be my guest, Jason."

Jason Todd has posed:
Sometimes, when you face the evil hordes of Hell and darkness, it is extremely comforting to have a friend by your side.

Jason fires off two shots from his guns, and both of those shots manage to completely blow up the heads of two zombies he fired at, leaving a satisfying 'splat!' of blood and gore. His eyes then witness Zatanna just -speaking- and those creatures's head fall off in a clean slice.

"Remind me never to piss you off." Jason says with a bit of wondrment.

Then he hears them. The shuffling feet of something coming up from behind them, and He easily spins on his heel. "I'm already on it, gorgeous." Jason knows she's slightly peeved by his flirting possibly, but it's all in good fun right? Oh shit, he's probably serious? Well then.

The sounds of gunfire continue as Jason continues to pump lead into the enemy, moving to cover Zatanna's back.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Magic is not always clean. Bullets certainly aren't. Zatanna isn't sure whether she is more pissed off at the gore spattered across her perfectly starched shirt or Jason's flirting. When will he learn to make friends first and then go for the girl? Or is that something that only comes with experience? All of this flits through her head as Jason shoots in the opposite direction. At least, he has her back.

More of the dead find death again under the barrage of metal that flies from Red Hood's gun. Body parts fly in the air, spraying gore as they fall.

Magic costs. Killing costs more. Even killing the undead dead. Both hands raised in the air, palms up, Zatanna begins to dig deeper into her magical reserves. In a commanding voice, ".niaga esir reven ,sevarg ruoy ot nruteR" (Return to your graves, never to return.) The four left facing her stagger pulled forward by the magic animating them and pushed backwards by her command. It is a strong magic on them.

"Oh, for heavens sake. Shoot them, Jason. Please."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason wasn't quite paying attention - for the moment - of what ended up on Zatanna's blouse. Weren't they already friends? Or frenemies? He flirted with ehr even when he was Robin too. Zatanna is a beautiful woman who gets hit on often, no doubt, but Jason seems genuine in his attempts, like he's not just trying to get laid or something.

But, flirt later, fight zombies now.

The Dead all crumble to the Red Hood's bullets. Some go through the head, others the neck, but the effectiveness of the make of bullets make it a very potent combination. Though Jason turns to see how Zatanna's doing aaaaand it's about what he expects. Zombies are irritating.

"Please, allow me." Jason lifts his pistol and tries to just blow their heads off. Zatanna's keeping them still, so they shoud be easy targets.

Right?

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The Homo Magi manages to roll her eyes at Jason, and simultaneously look appreciative for the efficacy of his shots. His youth and forwardness are not as fatal as his gun. She hopes he'll grow out of it.

One last screech rends the air. All that is left of the hoard is their stench. Snapping the fingers of both hands, ".sehsa ot meht redner ,semalF" (Flames, render them to ashes.) The bodies and scattered pieces burst into white flame.

With the pyres burning hot behind her, Zatanna turns to Jason. "Thanks. You made that much easier, I must say. You've been scarce. Are you based in Gotham again?"

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason seems to crack his neck a little bit as the final zombies go down, and with Zatanna ensuring that they never rise again to threaten the world? Jason finally puts his guns away and takes a deep breath. His hand rises up to his helmet, lowering his hood and taking it off, revealing his face to Zatanna.

He definitely got a bit more handsome.

"Anytime, Zee. I've been handling my business. Gotham's the homeland, so...yeah, I'm back in Gotham. Gonna try and set a few things right. How about you? It's been a long time, Zatanna."

He gestures toh er top. "Sorry about the blood and your tux."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna looks down at herself and shrugs. "I have others."

Relenting somewhat, the boy has indeed matured into a man, "Welcome back. There is always room for others fighting the good fight." She says that with more hope than conviction.

"I'm fine." She amends that right away by adding, "Mostly. Still looking for my father. Come on. I don't want to be around if someone calls the cops." Walking rapidly toward the dark end of the lot, she disappears into the darkness.