1th January

23:55 GMT +1

"Zatanna, we need that spell."

I'm glowing, she's-. Shit, she's not glowing-glowing, there's just so much orange in her right now that it looks like she is to me. Did I..? Miss this? No, the supporting structures-.

She points the head of the Staff of Love at me. "Love me."

I don't.. feel anything happen. My spell eater isn't even getting hotter.

"Zatanna, please, talk to me. I think you're being influenced by an external-."

The gnome who was clutching his head comes upright, the front of his face projecting forwards and spurs forming on his forearms as he mutates. Something in the air. A few regular gnomes have noticed us, but they're just retreating rather than raising a hue and cry.

"Evol em."

Warning: spell eater temperature increasing.

Zatanna staggers slightly, and I instinctively reach out to steady her with my right hand. She takes it with her left, then holds up her staff with her right and stares at it in confusion. "Why didn't-? Oh."

"Something's altering your desires. You need to cleanse yourself-."

She grins manically at me as the newly mutated gnome throws back his head and exhales a puff of flame. "No I don't. Ezigrenys!"

"Zatanna, I'll be happy to talk to you about this-" Violet light crackles around the Star Sapphire before flowing down her arm and… Merging with her orange glow. "-when you're in your right mind."

"Oh, I'm in my right mind right now."

Pale violet phantasms materialise out of the air around us, intercepting a wave of the smaller mutant gnomes. Some move immediately to grapple while others dissipate around their opponents' fire breath before pulling themselves back together. Any regular gnomes who hadn't already fled are doing so now, and I can see reinforcements for the mutants heading this way.

"I've been in love with you for a year."

"I know. And I told you-."

"That you didn't think it was appropriate. And that hurt… But after a while, I just realised how noble you were being."

"I'm glad, and I'll be happy to talk about this-"

A shower of rock rains down from the roof as Amon punches his way through!

"-after we've dealt with this situation. Amon, what are you-?"

"I'm going to fight the villain." He grins somewhat maniacally. "Isn't that what we're here for?"

Oh.. dear.

Boom!

As Amon flies down as fast as he can I hear the faint echoes of the boom tube as Canis appears… Somewhere off the main concourse.

"Orange Lantern to Aqualad." I try to take a step away, then realise that my feet and shins have been enveloped in violet crystal. "Something's affecting our team mates' minds."

"I-. I am aware. I am afflicted also."

"Orders?"

A mutant gnome leaps down from a nearby stalactite, claws spread wide..! Only to be annihilated by a violet bolt from Zatanna's staff.

"I.. regret… I cannot-."

"Understood." I try applying a little more force to the crystal, to no avail. I almost certainly could break away…

"Did you know that the Star Sapphire talks to me sometimes?"

"No. It.. wasn't supposed to do that."

"Oh, it's not controlling me." She smiles in a way I suspect that her altered mindset thinks is reassuring. "I just cast a few spells to try and find out…" She frowns. "Hang on a sec."

She turns, stamping the butt of the Staff of Love down on the ground. Violet light radiates across the stonework, shards of… Razor-edged crystal impaling the first wave of mutant gnome reinforcements. Blood pours forth from their brutalised torsos, their arms impotently flailing at the translucent spine in a frenzied and futile attempt to free themselves.

Zatanna's going to feel horrible about that once she comes to her senses. And I need to stop her. I really wish it hadn't come to this. I reach out for her desire netw-.

"That didn't take you long." She looks at me sceptically as a barrage of violet beams force the unskewered mutants to take shelter. "But after everything you said about protective equipment, did you really think I didn't come up with a way to stop power rings altering my mind?

While inconvenient here, it could be useful for the Orange Lantern Corps if it worked on the wearer.

"Well done."

She smiles, genuinely pleased at my compliment. "Thank you."

"But while I'm perfectly willing to discuss the specifics of our relationship, I'm not willing to do so with you when you're so clearly under an external influence."

Zatanna blinks, then turns to frown at the Star Sapphire. "No, I'm not going to freeze him in a giant block of crystal! How can he marry me if he can't speak to the priest?"

Oh no, she's gone full Silver Age. Ring, armour.

Unable to comply. Subspace pocket unavailable.

I'm not. Letting. Whoever is doing this. Control-

The crystal around my legs shatters as my environmental shield flares!

-Zatanna. Armour.

Compliance.

"Starfire to Orange Lantern. What is happening?"

"Some sort of mind-altering gas weapon. Stay high and wait for the Bio-Ship."

"Very well."

"Zatanna, if you're serious-"

"Deadly."

"-then we can talk about this once the source of whatever is affecting your mind has been dealt with. Which is probably below us. Can we do that?"

She puts her left index finger to her chin. "Can we talk and fly?"

"Yes?"

"Okay then! Let's go!"