Falling into Gotham (Dick Grayson Fan Fiction)

Chapter 9

"Oh my god, my arms are going to fall off." I groaned as I fell face first into my bed. Zatanna's version of magic training has just been intense workouts. For three days straight I have been running, jumping, doing pullups and push ups. Anything you could imagine.

Dick chuckled behind me and sat down on the bed where I was currently dying. After today's intense workout regime I needed to be helped into my room, my legs were unfortunately turned into jelly. "Zatanna knows what she's doing."

I scoff, "Does she really? I haven't done any magic at all, just strength training."

"You're muffled, I can't hear you Angela." He said softly.

I sat up and turned towards him, "I said, does she really? Three days of no magic at all. Just gym workouts. If I wanted to workout I would've asked you to teach me self defense!"

He laughed which annoyed me. Why does he think it's okay to laugh at my suffering? "Angela, she knows what she's doing. Trust me, okay? I've known her for a long time and she's one of the only people I know who genuinely has their shit together."

"Well, imma beat the shit outta her if she doesn't start teaching me some mother fucking magic." I mumble under my breath. Dick heard and a stupid sly grin overtook his face. He was thoroughly enjoying my suffering. "Dick, please get out of my room so that I can wallow in peace."

"Alright, alright I'll leave you alone. See you tomorrow at breakfast." He said as he made his way to the door.

"You most definitely will not." I grumble. Dick and Karen have been trying to get me and Zahra to eat with the whole team for days now but it's been an unsuccessful endeavor. Zahra is still totally uncomfortable with the fact that she's in an alternative universe so she's been locked up in her room for the most part. She only eats with me or Cyborg when he comes to check up on her. And as for me, I'm still super nervous around Damian. He hates me and there is no reason to be around someone who hates me. Why would I bring that kind of negative energy into my life?

Dick sighs before stepping out, "Dami won't be a problem. I told him it's not your fault and to turn down the hostility."

"As if he listens to anyone but Bruce. I am fine eating alone or with Zahra until this whole situation is fixed." I slowly crawl into my bed and stretch my aching limbs. "Bye Dick."

"Bye Angela." He closes my door letting me be alone.

~~~~

Zatanna walks into the training room wearing a black exercise set and a giant smile. I was annoyed that she could look so good so early in the morning after yesterday's brutal workout.

"Hey Angela, beautiful morning isn't it?" She beams at me and places her water bottle on the floor.

"Yeah, sure." I grumble. I'm in some sweat pants and an oversized T-shirt that Dick let me borrow.

"So, today we're going to try and tap into your magic and see if we can tell exactly how your magic works." She sat down on the floor cross legged.

"Omg, finally." I collapsed on the floor and almost cried from happiness. I copied Zatanna's sitting position. "So what was the point of all the workouts? Does that help with magic?"

"No not really, I just figured since you've been here a couple of days and all you do is sleep and eat you might need to get the blood pumping." She shrugs. I stiffen and look at her face to gauge if she's really serious right now. Did this bitch really have me running on that treadmill for 5 miles the past three days because she thought I needed to get my 'blood pumping'?

I almost lunged at her to attack but then I remembered when I read how she got the Joker pregnant and stayed seated. While silently seething at the same time.

"Okay so, this might sound a little stupid at first Angela, but I need you to dig down deep and see if your magic will speak to you." She says. I cock my head to the side and furrow my eyebrows.

"Speak... to me? Magic talks?"

"Yes, sometimes. Not so much in words as it does in feeling."

"In feeling." I repeat.

"Yes."

"Please elaborate."

She grins before speaking up, "I like to consider magic a living thing. It picks and chooses who it wants to command it and sometimes, even then, it will not listen to you if you do not hear what it is trying to say. I inherited my magic from my father so my whole life I was trained on how to hear it and listen to it. But you have to start from the beginning. Which is just trying to listen to it."

"Hm, okay. I'll try." She sounds a little insane but I'm also in a comic book so I don't think insane is all that crazy to me anymore.

"Close your eyes, clasp your hands together on your lap and breathe. Block out all other sounds in the room. Only listen for the thrum of your magic, try and hear the voice calling out for you."

I follow her directions to the T. I close my eyes, I try to block out all sound in the room, and I listen. Nothing happened at first, It was just quiet and the only sounds in the room were the sounds of us breathing and the fan whirring above us. But then it started, the pull towards the center of my body. It was like I was being dragged down to my stomach. So I followed that pull and went deeper and deeper until all I could hear was my own heart beat.

My mind was in a warm dark place but I could feel a wisp of something slipping through my fingertips. It felt like a silk cloth was caressing my hands, so I grabbed it and it pulled me even deeper. The deeper I went, the warmer I felt. It was like eating a warm apple pie after a day of playing outside when I was little. It felt like happiness and love. 

Wake up

Is this my magic? Is it talking to me?

Angela, wake up.

It must be working, I can feel it pulling me closer to it. I'm so close I can taste the apple pie filling.

"ekaW pu!" (Wake up!)

I snap my eyes open almost shoot backwards at the concerned looking Dick, and Zatanna who were towering above me. "What happened? I was so close, why did you pull me out?"

"Angela, you were under for 30 minutes. Your eyes started glowing and... and..." Zatanna trailed off, unable to find her words.

"And what?" My heart started to beat erratically in my chest.

"You opened a portal." Dick stated.