Sidra to Raven's Realm, Saturday Evening, Fandom Time
Holding Rook's hand tightly in hers, Karla promised in an undertone, "We won't let her take you, sweetheart. And you still have time to back out of this if you're not sure you still want to participate. Your safety is the most important thing, here, okay? So if you'd prefer to stay--"
Rook cut off Karla's nervous babble with a shake of her head. "No. This is what I wish to do. Maman and Stepfather have already sacrificed so much for me. I must help get them back." She gave a tentative smile up at all three of them. "And Aunt Dinah will protect me. As will all of you. I am unafraid."
What else was there for Karla to say after that? "All right. Let's do this thing."
Dinah
Dinah put herself into position to stay between Rookie and, well. Everything.
And there was a lot of everything to try and shield her from.
"This is a terrible, terrible plan."
Karla
Karla was also scanning the woods, her psychic senses being stretched to the fullest.
"I know, I know," she said with a sigh. "But nothing better suggested itself."
Rook
Rook was craning her neck around, also looking out for any signs of her Mother. She knew she should be afraid or upset, but part of her could not help but see this as an exciting adventure.
"You are all very brave," she said. Her eyes were completely trusting. "Nothing bad can happen to me, so long as you are my protectors."
Raven
"If things go badly, you must promise to teleport straight back to the keep," Raven said to Rook, shields up tight to hold in her anxiety. She didn't want to upset Rook with it, knowing she would surely feel it.
Dinah
"I wish Older Me could be here. I'm guessing she's got problems in her world too, though, if she's not here already." Damnit. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? More backup. Dinah's eyes were flicking from side to side, body tense as she waited for something to happen, an attack, a clue, something. She wished she'd brought her utility belt and body armor, but there hadn't been time. Rookie's trust had her swallowing hard.
Karla
"Maybe she doesn't even know?" Karla said, sounding a little bitter. "Jaenelle probably didn't send word. After all, what's she going to say? 'Could you please come rescue Karla? My social calendar is rather full right now. Hugs and Kisses, Jaenelle.'"
At least, Karla hoped that was why Dinah's counterpart wasn't here. Between this Raven being evil and this Jaenelle just not caring enough, Karla didn't think she could bear finding out that this Dinah had just decided not to show up.
Maybe everyone in this universe was stupid. Maybe that was it.
Rook
"I promise," Rook said to Raven, voice solemn. "Though I do not believe it will come to that. Between you and tiny Maman and Auntie Dinah, I am certain we can get Maman and Stepfather back."
Her small face glowed with the faith she had in them all.
Raven
That faith warmed Raven, but made her feel all the more guilty. How could her future self have turned so evil, and created this beautiful girl in an act of violence? What purpose would that serve?
No, dwelling on that was pointless. It was not going to happen to her. And somehow, they would end this here.
"She cannot possibly expect us," she said, tense and watchful. "She will be sensing for Rook, but she cannot know that Rook has contacted us and we have come here. That will be her undoing."
Dinah
"Let's hope," Dinah muttered under her breath. The oddly quiet forest they'd found themselves in was creeping her out. "Worst case, we try again later. We'll have a shot." That she didn't really want to take, because the element of surprise was the only thing they had on their side, from what she understood.
Rook
At that, Rook's face fell. "Later?" she asked, trying to stop her voice from catching. "We do not have much time. I do not know what they will do to Maman while they wait."
Karla
"I don't think we'll have to wait that long," Karla said, warily turning in place. The odd quiet that Dinah had noticed was starting to grate on her nerves, too. Karla had grown up running in the woods around the estate, they had never been so utterly silent. "I have a feeling. Something is coming."
Wizard Skully
A few more minutes passed in silence while they all kept watch and waited and then, finally, their patience was rewarded. A thin line appeared in the air in front of them and grew into a long rectangle.
It was a doorway into nothingness, but it was not empty. A creature dressed in long red robes stood before them, its face a leering skull, with a symbol on its forehead and blond hair growing from pale bone.
"And what have we here?" he said, his eyes focusing greedily on Rook. "Why, if it isn't the Mistress's wayward daughter, out to play."
Karla
"I--" Karla faltered, then grabbed Rook's wrist and dragged her forward a little. "We've come to trade," she said. "My future self and Warren, in exchange for the little girl. Let them go, and we'll give her to you."
Rook
"What?" Rook gasped, looking up at Karla with disbelief. "That is not what you said--you said we were here to rescue them!"
She tried to pull her arm from Karla's grip. "Auntie Dinah, please! Help me!"
Dinah
Loud enough that the henchman would hear them, Dinah whispered, "Honey, it'll only be for a little while. We'll come get you. You know your mom won't hurt you."
And a wink on the side, and grasping Rook's fingers. You're doing great. Keep acting scared. None of them gets to touch you.
Raven
Raven pushed back the hood of her cloak and fixed the skull-faced creature with a stare. "Your mistress would agree to this bargain," she said. "Trust me, I would know."
Wizard Skully
"Mistress!" The red-faced creature looked startled and then hastily bowed. "But--you--how?"
He peered closely at Raven, drawing arcane symbols in the air. "You are not the Mistress!"
Karla
"She didn't say she was, jackass," Karla snapped. "She's Raven from another world, facilitating this trade--" she shook Rook by the arm "--as an act of good faith. We can't trust your Raven, but we know ours. She'll make the trade."
Rook
"Please do not do this!" Rook pleaded, looking from one Fandom girl to the next. "I am very, very frightened! I do not wish to go!"
She was doing an excellent job of pretending to be scared, but anyone with a touch of empathy could tell she was enjoying herself immensely.
Dinah
"We haven't got all day," Dinah snapped to the Skullface. "Move it, bub. Or we'll move you."
And to Rookie: Don't make me giggle! Doooon't!
Raven
"Take us to your mistress," Raven added. She somehow managed to leave off the "please."
Double-Crossing Wizard Skully
"Of course," the creature said, stepping aside and bowing them through. He gave them a leering grin--the only kind of smile he could give, surely.
Stepping through the portal, the girls found themselves in a long tunnel, slightly more than double Dinah's height. The walls were carved into the living earth, and shored up by bones, some animal, some human, some completely unidentifiable, but larger than both. Light came from sconces at regular intervals, glowing balls of power settled in skulls attached to the wall.
From behind them, the portal closed with a snick.
"My Mistress will be pleased that you brought her the girl," the creature said, glee in every word he said. "But I highly doubt there will be any trade. Why should she, when she has all of you here?"
And suddenly there were numerous portals opening among the walls and more of the skull-faced creatures came pouring out.
Dinah
Ohhhhh.
"Shit. This was a completely definitely incredibly bad plan!" Dinah said, yanking Rookie behind her and reaching for her TK. "What was plan B?!"
Karla
Plan B? Who said anything about a Plan B?
"Uhh, I'm pretty sure it was kicking ass with a side of running away!" Karla said, backing up a little to stand between Raven and the creatures. "And if it wasn't, it is now!"
Dinah
Crap crap hell oh crap oh hell--
Dinah started throwing bad guys into each other, looking around desperately for some clue to where Raven's evil twin was, or Warren, or anything aside from more bad guys.
Charging Skullies
"Intruders! Get them!"
So far, no sign of anything approaching a friendly face. Or even a face really, just swarm after swarm of creepy guys with the skullheads.
"For the Mistress!"
"Come and greet your deaths!"
"Take the child!"
Dinah
Right. Be smart about this. Dinah snarled, concentrated, and lifted four of them, then threw them smashing back into those behind them.
"Where's Raven? Tell me and you can walk out of here!"
Skullies
The four went flying, toppling through the ranks of their fellows, save the one who went hurtling into a wall and slowly sank to the ground. What happened to the rest remained unclear as more surged up to take their place.
"You should be fearing for your own legs," one called, before throwing a punch towards Dinah's face.
"Just ask the little Queen the Mistress has taken," laughed another as he tried to tackle her from behind.
Dinah
Dinah was thrown forward into the punch, and saw stars, but that particular taunt had her seeing red a second later. Screaming in rage she lashed out with her telekinesis, sending those closest away from her with all the force she could muster.
"Last. Chance," she panted. "If you won't talk--"
Blaster Skully
A burst of light came flying down the hallway at her, radiating both heat and menace. It hit a few of the skull-faced creatures who did not scramble out of the way fast enough, leaving smoking craters where it hit, but the beam did not even slow.
"You'll what?" the blaster snarled, before sending off another shot. "Be a cooked Canary? GET THE CHILD!"
Dinah
"Scream."
Dinah inhaled. And hoped that someone would forgive her for this, because if Raven got Rook--
"EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee---"
She'd gotten better at controlling it. Gotten better at not leveling everything in it. It was only half-force, only half-strength-- but it wasn't going to stop and it was aimed at the blaster, and everything in between the two of them.
Skullies
If it would make her feel any better, no one in Kaeleer would hold it against her. If anything, Lucivar would probably take her to task for not using her full strength--rather, he would had he any idea what was happening, instead of being held captive by Dorothea and Hekatah, of course.
The cry flew back towards the blast and where they met there was a huge explosion of light and sound. Bodies crumpled and fell and turned to ash. Still Canary's Cry came, pushing past that and hitting the second blast for a similar effect.
Dinah
There were always the wall, and the ceiling, and well, the floor to worry about. Sometimes Dinah wanted to let loose just to find out what the limits of her power were. Most of the time that idea scared her senseless. Lucivar would probably think that was not the smartest plan either.
Dinah took another breath, looking around at the groaning bodies, those that were left. They weren't moving much. Barely able to try to crawl away. Sickened, she swallowed, checked on Rook, then walked over, and flipped one onto its back with the toe of her boot, unwilling to inflict more damage, but needing to see its face, to judge what it had to say.
"Which way to the Queen of Pain?"
Evil Raven
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The voice was Raven's, but the tone was not. The Raven of this dimension appeared in the air several feet above them, hovering, red and terrible, as she took in the people below her.
"Dinah, how good to see you again." she said. "I think you'll make a perfect addition to my family, once I have implanted one of my father's seeds within you. And I must admit I'm curious to see what it would do to another version of myself. Karla, now I have two of you, like delicious blonde bookends. I'll surely have some fun with that. I'll even let you enjoy it, since you've been so good as to bring our child back to me."
Rook
Rook whimpered at her mother's arrival, clutching for Karla and hiding her face. She was here. The last time they had been face-to-face, she had nearly convinced Rook to go away with her, that her Maman and Stepfather would be happier without her, having the children they were meant to, the life they were meant to.
"You should have been named Cuckoo," Mother had murmured, reaching out a red hand to run a nail--almost a talon--down the side of Rook's face. "Because that is what you are. You entered your Maman's nest and pushed out the little birdies she was meant to have. Every time her precious husband--" and her mouth twisted like a curse "--looks at you, he sees the children he should have had. The children he actually wanted. Come with me, my daughter, and they can finally move on past the mistake they think you are." Her golden eyes were wide and Rook had felt like she was spiraling, falling into them...
Rook might have gone with her, then, awash with misery, guilt, and loneliness. But then Stepfather had darted down from the sky and swooped her up and flew so, so fast and far away.
And for that, her Mother had caught him and hurt him. Sent Maman bouquets of his feathers and had once worn his wings to fool them. Rook knew she should be angry and defiant, that she should yell that she would never go with her Mother, never! But all she could do was cringe in fear and hide, scared that if she looked at her Mother again, she would wind up running to her instead of away...
Karla
Blonde bookends? Delicious blonde bookends? Karla shuddered and couldn't ignore the tiny voice in the back of her brain that pointed out that if it hadn't been for Fandom whimsy, she could be back on the island breaking the pants' rule with her boyfriend.
Even as her brain was busy reminding her of what she could be doing, Karla's hands were clutching Rook tightly, drawing the little girl back behind her, shielding her with her own body.
"My daughter isn't going anywhere with you," she snarled. "And I'm going to be a little too busy kicking your ass to be a bookend for anyone."
Dinah
"Raven, or what's left of you-- you're getting as stupid and tantrum-prone as your dad," Dinah said, watching her, thinking about what she knew about their Raven. Pride. Arrogance. Those were her weak points. Poke at those, see what she'd do. "If you wanted to keep Rook, you should've given birth to her yourself."
She grinned as nastily as she knew how, and was surprised at how good it felt. This whole mess was down to this version of Raven, and it felt good to let loose a little. "But you couldn't, could you? Can't do anything. Can't make Karla love you, can't make Warren break down, can't make Rook want to go with you-- I think you're the one that should give up now, princess of pitiful."
Evil Raven
"There's where you're wrong, dear Dinah," Raven laughed, eyes flashing gold. "Karla loved me as I filled her with my essence. And Warren?"
She shed her black cloak, revealing the black-dyed wings she wore on her back. The white ones were fun until the blood stains turned brown, and white was never her color. "He's so very broken," she said. "And I have yet to run out of new ways to make him suffer. Including torturing his wife before his eyes while he impotently screams and flails against his birdcage."
Rook
"NOOOO!" Rook shrieked. "You will never hurt my Maman!"
She stomped her foot and screamed--and in her scream, she balled up all her tears and her pain and her fear and hurled them towards her Mother. Rook was only nine years old, but she had had a lot to fear in her short life. Her Stepfather--taken. Her Maman--poisoned. Her Mother--every nightmare she'd ever had.
"LEAVE US ALOOOOOONE!"
Karla
No, no. No she wouldn't, Karla thought frantically, staring with horrified eyes at the evil Raven that floated above them. She would never--not to me--
Her distracted denials were abruptly cut off as Rook let go of her and screamed her defiance at her mother. Karla felt the force of the emotions as they flew by her; Rook had fashioned them into a weapon somehow, turning her feelings into something like an energy blast? Karla could barely understand what the little girl did, never mind try to mimic it.
For all the the little girl hated and feared her mother, there was no denying that she had inherited a full measure of her mother's powers--and some of Karla's, too. No wonder this Raven wanted the child so badly.
Evil Raven
Raven flinched back as if she'd been struck by Rook's scream, then closed her eyes and smiled, savoring the emotions rolling over her. "Such anger, such hate," she said. "Truly my child. Embrace it and it will make you powerful."
She turned her eyes to Karla once more. "This was not what I intended. The seed I planted within you should have turned you into my true sister, but somehow we created this instead. No matter, now I have you both. Or, well, all three of you to be exact, since now I have an old and crippled Karla to play with, and a young one to make into my own. A pity you did not bring your Warren to me as well. Or Jono. Or are they waiting to rescue you when you fail? I will enjoy making them part of my new family."
Raven
"You will do no such thing," Raven said, fighting against her own fear and anger over this creature's threats, though her eyes began to glow red. She didn't know what had caused her to become like this in this world, but she would never let that happen to herself.
Her Soul-Self rose from her shoulders, black outlined with gold. "I will destroy you before you touch them," she said. "I swear it."
Rook
For all that both her mothers were powerful in their own right, Rook had never practiced with her powers--her Maman had been afraid it would give Raven another point of access to her. So she was unprepared for just how much an attack of that magnitude would cost her.
Drained of both emotion and energy, Rook drooped, nearly tumbling over with exhaustion.
Dinah
Dinah caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, and lunged forward to grab Rookie as Raven prepared to take on her bad twin. "You did so good," she whispered to her, hugging the little girl and taking a step back, holding onto her. "But let's let your real mommy take on your messed-up one now, okay?"
Except if Evil Raven took a step toward Rookie, she was going to get a face full of sonic scream. But it looked like Real Raven was gonna handle it.
Raven
Take care of her, Raven thought, trying to keep her mind shielded from her other self. She hoped she hadn't somehow learned telepathy over the years. Karla, you must find Warren and yourself. I will deal with...me.
It was frightening to look upon this future version of herself, all consumed by evil. It wasn't a point of view she'd ever had before, unlike Karla and Dinah. But she forced her fear away, sending her Soul-Self up toward her other self, trying to wrap her with its power.
Evil Raven
"Oh, little sister, you cannot hope to defeat me that way," Raven laughed, the blackness of her own Soul-Self rising, jagged edges rimmed in red. It slammed against her younger self's, and both spiraled into the air, each struggling for dominance.
"You must be wondering why and how, because you are weak enough to still care," she said. "Ask Karla how I died. And once I did, the flesh that bound my father's power was gone. My soul was free to do as it wished, and it hungered for vengeance, against those that killed me and those who did not prevent it. I accepted what I am, and now you will do the same."
Karla
Karla had knelt, placing her hands on Rook's face to make sure she was okay. Even as her logical side pointed out that it was likely a mix of reaction, exhaustion, and several days of being on edge, Karla couldn't deny the purely maternal surge of worry that Raven might have done something to her daughter that they hadn't detected.
But no, Rook was fine. Her breathing was easy and a spark of Healing Craft could detect nothing wrong.
"You'll be fine with her?" she asked, looking up at Dinah. "Are you sure? Do you promise?"
Dinah
Dinah grabbed her hand, so as not to give Trigon's Twit any access to work from, and sent, Promise. Certain. Sure. Yes. If you keep her away from us, I will take out every stupid minion in this maze. They won't lay a finger on her. Go.
Karla
Karla gave another agonized glance down at Rook--then looked back up at Dinah and nodded. She had to find Warren and her other self. They had come here to rescue Rook's parents--and no, she was not counting this Bon Temps bondage bargain basement Raven in that designation--and that's what she was going to do. She didn't know what she'd encounter further inside Raven's creepy Netherverse funhouse, and keeping Rook here, near the entrance, was probably the best plan they had.
*I trust you,* she sent, clutching Dinah's fingers. *But if it all goes to Hell, get her out of here. Don't let Raven touch her. Bring her to Jaenelle, bring her to Gotham, I don't care. Just get her away from here.*
With a burst of love and courage towards their Raven, an emotional be strong, I believe in you, Karla pulled a sight shield over herself and slipped away, heading deeper into the catacombs.
Evil Raven
"Kar~la, where are you go~ing?" Raven sing-songed as she vanished. "You're going to miss all the fun. Don't you want to watch your daughter die? Don't you want to know why?"
Karla couldn't have gone far yet, and even if so, Dinah was still there to hear her megalomaniac speech. She was a comic book villain; it was in her contract. "I remember the day of your wedding," she said, lowering herself to the ground. "I came to you and fed you Trigon's seed. Or at least that is what I then believed. You should have become my sister. But there must have been something of the good Raven still alive within me, for unknown to me it was her soul I placed in you and not my father's spawn. And it was she who created this child. She wanted you to protect her good soul from being corrupted. But you have failed, and now I will destroy it utterly."
Dinah
"Man, did you ever fail biology," Dinah muttered, still hanging onto Rookie.
Then having to TK-throw more Skull guys into each other; this was not going to work for long, protecting Rookie, they knew where they were, she was heinously outnumbered, even if most of them were down for the count.
Time to go...
[NFI, NFB, OOC is always love. Warning in place for violence and incredibly stupid ideas. Preplayed with trigons_child and blondecanary, coded using whateverknight's swanky coder. Warning for violence, megalomania, and the occasional comic book villain monologue. Follows this, this, and this!]
Rook cut off Karla's nervous babble with a shake of her head. "No. This is what I wish to do. Maman and Stepfather have already sacrificed so much for me. I must help get them back." She gave a tentative smile up at all three of them. "And Aunt Dinah will protect me. As will all of you. I am unafraid."
What else was there for Karla to say after that? "All right. Let's do this thing."
Dinah
Dinah put herself into position to stay between Rookie and, well. Everything.
And there was a lot of everything to try and shield her from.
"This is a terrible, terrible plan."
Karla
Karla was also scanning the woods, her psychic senses being stretched to the fullest.
"I know, I know," she said with a sigh. "But nothing better suggested itself."
Rook
Rook was craning her neck around, also looking out for any signs of her Mother. She knew she should be afraid or upset, but part of her could not help but see this as an exciting adventure.
"You are all very brave," she said. Her eyes were completely trusting. "Nothing bad can happen to me, so long as you are my protectors."
Raven
"If things go badly, you must promise to teleport straight back to the keep," Raven said to Rook, shields up tight to hold in her anxiety. She didn't want to upset Rook with it, knowing she would surely feel it.
Dinah
"I wish Older Me could be here. I'm guessing she's got problems in her world too, though, if she's not here already." Damnit. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? More backup. Dinah's eyes were flicking from side to side, body tense as she waited for something to happen, an attack, a clue, something. She wished she'd brought her utility belt and body armor, but there hadn't been time. Rookie's trust had her swallowing hard.
Karla
"Maybe she doesn't even know?" Karla said, sounding a little bitter. "Jaenelle probably didn't send word. After all, what's she going to say? 'Could you please come rescue Karla? My social calendar is rather full right now. Hugs and Kisses, Jaenelle.'"
At least, Karla hoped that was why Dinah's counterpart wasn't here. Between this Raven being evil and this Jaenelle just not caring enough, Karla didn't think she could bear finding out that this Dinah had just decided not to show up.
Maybe everyone in this universe was stupid. Maybe that was it.
Rook
"I promise," Rook said to Raven, voice solemn. "Though I do not believe it will come to that. Between you and tiny Maman and Auntie Dinah, I am certain we can get Maman and Stepfather back."
Her small face glowed with the faith she had in them all.
Raven
That faith warmed Raven, but made her feel all the more guilty. How could her future self have turned so evil, and created this beautiful girl in an act of violence? What purpose would that serve?
No, dwelling on that was pointless. It was not going to happen to her. And somehow, they would end this here.
"She cannot possibly expect us," she said, tense and watchful. "She will be sensing for Rook, but she cannot know that Rook has contacted us and we have come here. That will be her undoing."
Dinah
"Let's hope," Dinah muttered under her breath. The oddly quiet forest they'd found themselves in was creeping her out. "Worst case, we try again later. We'll have a shot." That she didn't really want to take, because the element of surprise was the only thing they had on their side, from what she understood.
Rook
At that, Rook's face fell. "Later?" she asked, trying to stop her voice from catching. "We do not have much time. I do not know what they will do to Maman while they wait."
Karla
"I don't think we'll have to wait that long," Karla said, warily turning in place. The odd quiet that Dinah had noticed was starting to grate on her nerves, too. Karla had grown up running in the woods around the estate, they had never been so utterly silent. "I have a feeling. Something is coming."
Wizard Skully
A few more minutes passed in silence while they all kept watch and waited and then, finally, their patience was rewarded. A thin line appeared in the air in front of them and grew into a long rectangle.
It was a doorway into nothingness, but it was not empty. A creature dressed in long red robes stood before them, its face a leering skull, with a symbol on its forehead and blond hair growing from pale bone.
"And what have we here?" he said, his eyes focusing greedily on Rook. "Why, if it isn't the Mistress's wayward daughter, out to play."
Karla
"I--" Karla faltered, then grabbed Rook's wrist and dragged her forward a little. "We've come to trade," she said. "My future self and Warren, in exchange for the little girl. Let them go, and we'll give her to you."
Rook
"What?" Rook gasped, looking up at Karla with disbelief. "That is not what you said--you said we were here to rescue them!"
She tried to pull her arm from Karla's grip. "Auntie Dinah, please! Help me!"
Dinah
Loud enough that the henchman would hear them, Dinah whispered, "Honey, it'll only be for a little while. We'll come get you. You know your mom won't hurt you."
And a wink on the side, and grasping Rook's fingers. You're doing great. Keep acting scared. None of them gets to touch you.
Raven
Raven pushed back the hood of her cloak and fixed the skull-faced creature with a stare. "Your mistress would agree to this bargain," she said. "Trust me, I would know."
Wizard Skully
"Mistress!" The red-faced creature looked startled and then hastily bowed. "But--you--how?"
He peered closely at Raven, drawing arcane symbols in the air. "You are not the Mistress!"
Karla
"She didn't say she was, jackass," Karla snapped. "She's Raven from another world, facilitating this trade--" she shook Rook by the arm "--as an act of good faith. We can't trust your Raven, but we know ours. She'll make the trade."
Rook
"Please do not do this!" Rook pleaded, looking from one Fandom girl to the next. "I am very, very frightened! I do not wish to go!"
She was doing an excellent job of pretending to be scared, but anyone with a touch of empathy could tell she was enjoying herself immensely.
Dinah
"We haven't got all day," Dinah snapped to the Skullface. "Move it, bub. Or we'll move you."
And to Rookie: Don't make me giggle! Doooon't!
Raven
"Take us to your mistress," Raven added. She somehow managed to leave off the "please."
Double-Crossing Wizard Skully
"Of course," the creature said, stepping aside and bowing them through. He gave them a leering grin--the only kind of smile he could give, surely.
Stepping through the portal, the girls found themselves in a long tunnel, slightly more than double Dinah's height. The walls were carved into the living earth, and shored up by bones, some animal, some human, some completely unidentifiable, but larger than both. Light came from sconces at regular intervals, glowing balls of power settled in skulls attached to the wall.
From behind them, the portal closed with a snick.
"My Mistress will be pleased that you brought her the girl," the creature said, glee in every word he said. "But I highly doubt there will be any trade. Why should she, when she has all of you here?"
And suddenly there were numerous portals opening among the walls and more of the skull-faced creatures came pouring out.
Dinah
Ohhhhh.
"Shit. This was a completely definitely incredibly bad plan!" Dinah said, yanking Rookie behind her and reaching for her TK. "What was plan B?!"
Karla
Plan B? Who said anything about a Plan B?
"Uhh, I'm pretty sure it was kicking ass with a side of running away!" Karla said, backing up a little to stand between Raven and the creatures. "And if it wasn't, it is now!"
Dinah
Crap crap hell oh crap oh hell--
Dinah started throwing bad guys into each other, looking around desperately for some clue to where Raven's evil twin was, or Warren, or anything aside from more bad guys.
Charging Skullies
"Intruders! Get them!"
So far, no sign of anything approaching a friendly face. Or even a face really, just swarm after swarm of creepy guys with the skullheads.
"For the Mistress!"
"Come and greet your deaths!"
"Take the child!"
Dinah
Right. Be smart about this. Dinah snarled, concentrated, and lifted four of them, then threw them smashing back into those behind them.
"Where's Raven? Tell me and you can walk out of here!"
Skullies
The four went flying, toppling through the ranks of their fellows, save the one who went hurtling into a wall and slowly sank to the ground. What happened to the rest remained unclear as more surged up to take their place.
"You should be fearing for your own legs," one called, before throwing a punch towards Dinah's face.
"Just ask the little Queen the Mistress has taken," laughed another as he tried to tackle her from behind.
Dinah
Dinah was thrown forward into the punch, and saw stars, but that particular taunt had her seeing red a second later. Screaming in rage she lashed out with her telekinesis, sending those closest away from her with all the force she could muster.
"Last. Chance," she panted. "If you won't talk--"
Blaster Skully
A burst of light came flying down the hallway at her, radiating both heat and menace. It hit a few of the skull-faced creatures who did not scramble out of the way fast enough, leaving smoking craters where it hit, but the beam did not even slow.
"You'll what?" the blaster snarled, before sending off another shot. "Be a cooked Canary? GET THE CHILD!"
Dinah
"Scream."
Dinah inhaled. And hoped that someone would forgive her for this, because if Raven got Rook--
"EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee---"
She'd gotten better at controlling it. Gotten better at not leveling everything in it. It was only half-force, only half-strength-- but it wasn't going to stop and it was aimed at the blaster, and everything in between the two of them.
Skullies
If it would make her feel any better, no one in Kaeleer would hold it against her. If anything, Lucivar would probably take her to task for not using her full strength--rather, he would had he any idea what was happening, instead of being held captive by Dorothea and Hekatah, of course.
The cry flew back towards the blast and where they met there was a huge explosion of light and sound. Bodies crumpled and fell and turned to ash. Still Canary's Cry came, pushing past that and hitting the second blast for a similar effect.
Dinah
There were always the wall, and the ceiling, and well, the floor to worry about. Sometimes Dinah wanted to let loose just to find out what the limits of her power were. Most of the time that idea scared her senseless. Lucivar would probably think that was not the smartest plan either.
Dinah took another breath, looking around at the groaning bodies, those that were left. They weren't moving much. Barely able to try to crawl away. Sickened, she swallowed, checked on Rook, then walked over, and flipped one onto its back with the toe of her boot, unwilling to inflict more damage, but needing to see its face, to judge what it had to say.
"Which way to the Queen of Pain?"
Evil Raven
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The voice was Raven's, but the tone was not. The Raven of this dimension appeared in the air several feet above them, hovering, red and terrible, as she took in the people below her.
"Dinah, how good to see you again." she said. "I think you'll make a perfect addition to my family, once I have implanted one of my father's seeds within you. And I must admit I'm curious to see what it would do to another version of myself. Karla, now I have two of you, like delicious blonde bookends. I'll surely have some fun with that. I'll even let you enjoy it, since you've been so good as to bring our child back to me."
Rook
Rook whimpered at her mother's arrival, clutching for Karla and hiding her face. She was here. The last time they had been face-to-face, she had nearly convinced Rook to go away with her, that her Maman and Stepfather would be happier without her, having the children they were meant to, the life they were meant to.
"You should have been named Cuckoo," Mother had murmured, reaching out a red hand to run a nail--almost a talon--down the side of Rook's face. "Because that is what you are. You entered your Maman's nest and pushed out the little birdies she was meant to have. Every time her precious husband--" and her mouth twisted like a curse "--looks at you, he sees the children he should have had. The children he actually wanted. Come with me, my daughter, and they can finally move on past the mistake they think you are." Her golden eyes were wide and Rook had felt like she was spiraling, falling into them...
Rook might have gone with her, then, awash with misery, guilt, and loneliness. But then Stepfather had darted down from the sky and swooped her up and flew so, so fast and far away.
And for that, her Mother had caught him and hurt him. Sent Maman bouquets of his feathers and had once worn his wings to fool them. Rook knew she should be angry and defiant, that she should yell that she would never go with her Mother, never! But all she could do was cringe in fear and hide, scared that if she looked at her Mother again, she would wind up running to her instead of away...
Karla
Blonde bookends? Delicious blonde bookends? Karla shuddered and couldn't ignore the tiny voice in the back of her brain that pointed out that if it hadn't been for Fandom whimsy, she could be back on the island breaking the pants' rule with her boyfriend.
Even as her brain was busy reminding her of what she could be doing, Karla's hands were clutching Rook tightly, drawing the little girl back behind her, shielding her with her own body.
"My daughter isn't going anywhere with you," she snarled. "And I'm going to be a little too busy kicking your ass to be a bookend for anyone."
Dinah
"Raven, or what's left of you-- you're getting as stupid and tantrum-prone as your dad," Dinah said, watching her, thinking about what she knew about their Raven. Pride. Arrogance. Those were her weak points. Poke at those, see what she'd do. "If you wanted to keep Rook, you should've given birth to her yourself."
She grinned as nastily as she knew how, and was surprised at how good it felt. This whole mess was down to this version of Raven, and it felt good to let loose a little. "But you couldn't, could you? Can't do anything. Can't make Karla love you, can't make Warren break down, can't make Rook want to go with you-- I think you're the one that should give up now, princess of pitiful."
Evil Raven
"There's where you're wrong, dear Dinah," Raven laughed, eyes flashing gold. "Karla loved me as I filled her with my essence. And Warren?"
She shed her black cloak, revealing the black-dyed wings she wore on her back. The white ones were fun until the blood stains turned brown, and white was never her color. "He's so very broken," she said. "And I have yet to run out of new ways to make him suffer. Including torturing his wife before his eyes while he impotently screams and flails against his birdcage."
Rook
"NOOOO!" Rook shrieked. "You will never hurt my Maman!"
She stomped her foot and screamed--and in her scream, she balled up all her tears and her pain and her fear and hurled them towards her Mother. Rook was only nine years old, but she had had a lot to fear in her short life. Her Stepfather--taken. Her Maman--poisoned. Her Mother--every nightmare she'd ever had.
"LEAVE US ALOOOOOONE!"
Karla
No, no. No she wouldn't, Karla thought frantically, staring with horrified eyes at the evil Raven that floated above them. She would never--not to me--
Her distracted denials were abruptly cut off as Rook let go of her and screamed her defiance at her mother. Karla felt the force of the emotions as they flew by her; Rook had fashioned them into a weapon somehow, turning her feelings into something like an energy blast? Karla could barely understand what the little girl did, never mind try to mimic it.
For all the the little girl hated and feared her mother, there was no denying that she had inherited a full measure of her mother's powers--and some of Karla's, too. No wonder this Raven wanted the child so badly.
Evil Raven
Raven flinched back as if she'd been struck by Rook's scream, then closed her eyes and smiled, savoring the emotions rolling over her. "Such anger, such hate," she said. "Truly my child. Embrace it and it will make you powerful."
She turned her eyes to Karla once more. "This was not what I intended. The seed I planted within you should have turned you into my true sister, but somehow we created this instead. No matter, now I have you both. Or, well, all three of you to be exact, since now I have an old and crippled Karla to play with, and a young one to make into my own. A pity you did not bring your Warren to me as well. Or Jono. Or are they waiting to rescue you when you fail? I will enjoy making them part of my new family."
Raven
"You will do no such thing," Raven said, fighting against her own fear and anger over this creature's threats, though her eyes began to glow red. She didn't know what had caused her to become like this in this world, but she would never let that happen to herself.
Her Soul-Self rose from her shoulders, black outlined with gold. "I will destroy you before you touch them," she said. "I swear it."
Rook
For all that both her mothers were powerful in their own right, Rook had never practiced with her powers--her Maman had been afraid it would give Raven another point of access to her. So she was unprepared for just how much an attack of that magnitude would cost her.
Drained of both emotion and energy, Rook drooped, nearly tumbling over with exhaustion.
Dinah
Dinah caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, and lunged forward to grab Rookie as Raven prepared to take on her bad twin. "You did so good," she whispered to her, hugging the little girl and taking a step back, holding onto her. "But let's let your real mommy take on your messed-up one now, okay?"
Except if Evil Raven took a step toward Rookie, she was going to get a face full of sonic scream. But it looked like Real Raven was gonna handle it.
Raven
Take care of her, Raven thought, trying to keep her mind shielded from her other self. She hoped she hadn't somehow learned telepathy over the years. Karla, you must find Warren and yourself. I will deal with...me.
It was frightening to look upon this future version of herself, all consumed by evil. It wasn't a point of view she'd ever had before, unlike Karla and Dinah. But she forced her fear away, sending her Soul-Self up toward her other self, trying to wrap her with its power.
Evil Raven
"Oh, little sister, you cannot hope to defeat me that way," Raven laughed, the blackness of her own Soul-Self rising, jagged edges rimmed in red. It slammed against her younger self's, and both spiraled into the air, each struggling for dominance.
"You must be wondering why and how, because you are weak enough to still care," she said. "Ask Karla how I died. And once I did, the flesh that bound my father's power was gone. My soul was free to do as it wished, and it hungered for vengeance, against those that killed me and those who did not prevent it. I accepted what I am, and now you will do the same."
Karla
Karla had knelt, placing her hands on Rook's face to make sure she was okay. Even as her logical side pointed out that it was likely a mix of reaction, exhaustion, and several days of being on edge, Karla couldn't deny the purely maternal surge of worry that Raven might have done something to her daughter that they hadn't detected.
But no, Rook was fine. Her breathing was easy and a spark of Healing Craft could detect nothing wrong.
"You'll be fine with her?" she asked, looking up at Dinah. "Are you sure? Do you promise?"
Dinah
Dinah grabbed her hand, so as not to give Trigon's Twit any access to work from, and sent, Promise. Certain. Sure. Yes. If you keep her away from us, I will take out every stupid minion in this maze. They won't lay a finger on her. Go.
Karla
Karla gave another agonized glance down at Rook--then looked back up at Dinah and nodded. She had to find Warren and her other self. They had come here to rescue Rook's parents--and no, she was not counting this Bon Temps bondage bargain basement Raven in that designation--and that's what she was going to do. She didn't know what she'd encounter further inside Raven's creepy Netherverse funhouse, and keeping Rook here, near the entrance, was probably the best plan they had.
*I trust you,* she sent, clutching Dinah's fingers. *But if it all goes to Hell, get her out of here. Don't let Raven touch her. Bring her to Jaenelle, bring her to Gotham, I don't care. Just get her away from here.*
With a burst of love and courage towards their Raven, an emotional be strong, I believe in you, Karla pulled a sight shield over herself and slipped away, heading deeper into the catacombs.
Evil Raven
"Kar~la, where are you go~ing?" Raven sing-songed as she vanished. "You're going to miss all the fun. Don't you want to watch your daughter die? Don't you want to know why?"
Karla couldn't have gone far yet, and even if so, Dinah was still there to hear her megalomaniac speech. She was a comic book villain; it was in her contract. "I remember the day of your wedding," she said, lowering herself to the ground. "I came to you and fed you Trigon's seed. Or at least that is what I then believed. You should have become my sister. But there must have been something of the good Raven still alive within me, for unknown to me it was her soul I placed in you and not my father's spawn. And it was she who created this child. She wanted you to protect her good soul from being corrupted. But you have failed, and now I will destroy it utterly."
Dinah
"Man, did you ever fail biology," Dinah muttered, still hanging onto Rookie.
Then having to TK-throw more Skull guys into each other; this was not going to work for long, protecting Rookie, they knew where they were, she was heinously outnumbered, even if most of them were down for the count.
Time to go...
[NFI, NFB, OOC is always love. Warning in place for violence and incredibly stupid ideas. Preplayed with trigons_child and blondecanary, coded using whateverknight's swanky coder. Warning for violence, megalomania, and the occasional comic book villain monologue. Follows this, this, and this!]