Zatanna's presence in Starling City added an unexpected layer of the surreal to the Queen family's already complicated dynamic. Intrigued by Michael's unique connection to the anomalous energies and sensing a deeper magical current at play, she accepted Oliver's somewhat hesitant invitation to dinner.
The evening was a study in contrasts: Oliver's guarded vigilance, Thea's cautious skepticism, Slade's silent observation, and Zatanna's vibrant, almost otherworldly charm.
"So," Zatanna began, conjuring a single red rose from the tablecloth, her gaze sweeping over the assembled group, "a vigilante with a penchant for dramatic entrances, a fiercely independent sister, a man who redefines the term 'stoic,' and our emerald-tinged mystery. You certainly are a captivating ensemble."
Oliver's jaw tightened slightly. "We're dealing with serious matters."
Thea, ever blunt, addressed Zatanna directly. "Are you going to turn our living room into a magic show?"
"Only if the conversation gets dull, darling," Zatanna replied with a wink. "Though, I assure you, my interest here is purely professional… initially." Her eyes lingered on Michael, a subtle warmth entering her gaze. "These magical disturbances… they speak of a world unseen, a world I navigate. And your abilities… they're a key to understanding what's happening here."
Michael, feeling an undeniable pull towards her enigmatic allure, met her gaze steadily. "I'm trying to understand it myself."
Slade, breaking his silence, grunted. "Magic. Always complicates things."
Later, as Michael and Zatanna found themselves in a quieter corner of the mansion, the playful banter faded. "That energy you wield," Zatanna said softly, her fingers tracing an invisible pattern in the air, "it's not just raw power.
There's an inherent control, a sensitivity to the arcane that's… rare. Where did you learn such things?"
"Lian Yu," Michael replied, the name still carrying a weight of memory. "It wasn't a conventional education." A shared understanding of the strange and often dangerous forces they were beginning to confront sparked between them, a silent acknowledgment of a world beyond the tangible.