Seeing herself restrained, Diana frowned, hanging upside down as she spoke to Zatanna.
"Interesting. I didn't realize I had done anything wrong. Has the Zatara family's reputation really declined so much in just sixteen years?"
A golden light flashed in Diana's eyes, summoning her divine artifacts around her. Surrounded by a storm of magical and divine energy, Diana burst through the restraints, landing firmly on the ground.
Zatanna's eyes widened in surprise. She raised a hand and whispered, "Mixup Space."
Though Diana appeared to be only an arm's length away, her instincts screamed that Zatanna might already be light-years distant. Diana tried to move, but no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't bridge the impossibly small gap to touch her.
Sighing, Zatanna casually walked to a chair, poured herself coffee, and settled, legs crossed in her signature fishnet stockings. She spoke softly, addressing Diana.
"After my father disappeared for two years, you're the first to seek him out. Do you understand now, elder sister? I've been waiting for someone like you for years. Tell me who you are, what you did to him, and why it took you two years to come and test me. Was my father fighting you all this time, keeping you distracted? Or did he escape, leaving you to gather information for yourself?"
Zatanna pouted before continuing. "Forget it, I know you won't answer. If it were that easy to extract answers, I wouldn't have been left searching for him for two whole years. Fine. I'll find my own answers. Sense the mind."
Casting her family's backward-speech magic, Zatanna attempted to peer into Diana's consciousness. But Diana, protected by countless divine artifacts and her own godlike presence, made it nearly impossible for Zatanna to reach her fully. Desperate, Zatanna tried to access Diana's most recent memories before her spell was broken.
Suddenly, she gasped.
"Ah!"
She clutched her chest, stunned. For a brief instant, she had felt a sensation as if someone had grabbed her. It wasn't painful, just… overwhelming.
"This isn't real!" Zatanna muttered, glaring at Diana. "Your mind is full of defenses. All I got was your age and a fleeting… feeling from earlier today. I'm just a girl who's read hundreds of adult movies, never had experience… and now I feel something I only dreamed about. I… I'm being controlled, spilling my own thoughts!"
Her face flushed as she noticed the subtle binding rope at her ankle. She struggled in vain, powerless against it, her words continuing to spill uncontrollably.
"So this is what it feels like to be touched… If the man is decent, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Sometimes I'm glad my dad isn't here; I can watch, explore magic, and live without him scolding me. He always said magic comes at a price, but I've been using it for two years, no price. When I find him, I'll confront him. And… this rope, it's driving me insane! Magic stage outfits are so tight, so comfortable… oh no, stop!"
Finally, Zatanna regained control, using her backward-speech magic to silence herself. Just as she prepared to untie the Lasso of Truth, Diana spoke.
"Your father has been gone for two years?"
"Yes!" Zatanna blurted, unable to hide it.
"Two years ago, one morning, he didn't wake me with backward speech, but I got up out of habit. I never saw him again. Countless spells failed. His past is a mystery. You're the first to mention him in all this time. I didn't see you as an enemy — I just wanted to test you. From my mother's perspective, it wasn't good for him to know a beautiful older woman like you."
Zatanna extended her hand in despair, releasing her magic. Diana stepped forward, retracting the Lasso of Truth with a gentle smile.
Patting Zatanna's head, Diana said, "I'm sorry, Zatanna. I don't know where your father is. We only worked together once, sixteen years ago, on a curse. But don't worry — once I finish my current mission, I'll help you find him. If I survive, that is. Your father's absence means I can't risk sending someone inexperienced like you into the fray."
Diana ruffled Zatanna's hair and turned to leave. Zatanna, cheeks burning and voice trembling, ran a few steps after her.
"I can do it! My magic isn't weaker than my father's. Just let me help you first, then you help me. We'll solve each other's problems!"
"Not this time," Diana said gently, shaking her head. "Neither magic nor divine power matters against my current enemy. Experience is what counts, and that's exactly what I need. Wait here. If I survive, I'll come back for you — and we'll find your father together."
With that, Diana vanished into the sky. Zatanna lowered her head, frustrated, rubbing her flushed cheeks, muttering, "Experience, right… I'll see what kind of trouble she's walking into."
She raised a finger, and a film reel emerged from the void. Watching frame by frame, her face reddened in exasperation.
"Damn it… who exactly is this person? Fighting without armor, unstoppable, constantly growing stronger… If I created a world for him, could he still return to Gotham?"
===
Look up "_Zeph" on Patreon to get access to chapters in advance.