Chapter 13 by Zeebop

What does Zatanna notice?

They All Have Fresh Tattoos

The witch's finger stabbed out, and Lois followed to where she pointed...and yes, each woman had a new tattoo, the skin red and shiny. A simply black symbol that could be covered with a thumb. It was in different places...over the breast, on the inside of the wrist...but all of the women were showing it off, mugging for the camera.

⚲

"It's the symbol of the planet Venus," Zatanna said. "The older one, before the Christian cross was added. Associated with copper, used to represent the female sex. It was derived from the ancient Greek abbreviation for the plant, Phosphoros—Light-bringer—Lucifer."

"Like the devil?" Lois asked.

"Yes...although that isn't his symbol. It's the symbol of something else. Bright...womanly..."

The topless witch was silent for a moment. She leaned against the reporter, so that the sides of their breasts touched...a sensation that the reporter found incredibly distracting.

"They look so happy together," Zatanna said, her voice wistful. "I'd almost think they were lesbians, but...why would the lesbians use the older form of the symbol?"

Lois sipped her beer, face burning. She focused on the photos again. Not on the women themselves, but their surroundings. All the pictures were taken in the same place...but it didn't look like a tattoo shop. It almost looked like a church or some kind...and then she saw the symbol, drawn on the wall beside the photographs.

With an arrow underneath. The reporter followed it with her eyes...and about ten feet away there was another symbol, another arrow...and Lois grinned.

"C'mon, Zee. The hunt is on..."