New York, Saturday Fandom Time

[trigons_child]

[Follows this.]

Raven teleported herself atop a building that overlooked her former friends, watching over them as they laid upon the ground, bodies thrashing as they fought against their darkest fears. She smiled and drank it all in, savoring their suffering. Soon they would be hers. Soon they would serve her father.

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Re: Karla's Nightmare

[glacial_witch]

"It's perfectly natural to be envious of Jaenelle," other-Karla sympathized. "She's so wonderful at everything and you're constantly going to be second-best. It's funny; had she not been born, you would have been the strongest witch of your generation. Triple-aspected, the potential to wear the Ebon-Gray. Even Gabrielle only wears the Opal. You would have meant something. But with Jaenelle, now, you barely rate a mention. History will remember you as a member of her coven--if that. How many members of Cassandra's First Circle can you name, hmm?"

Karla balled her fists as they lit up Sapphire once again, but it wasn't the gentle Healing-Craft she called upon now. “You lying, manipulative bitch!" she snarled--then stops. "Oh, I get it," she said in tones of wonder. "You want me to fight you."

All amusement fled her twin's face, replaced by shock. "What? Don't be any stupider than you have to be--"

"No, I don't think I am," Karla said thoughtfully. "I think that's exactly what's going on here. I see through it all--your grand plan to keep me trapped here, fighting your lies while Trigon and Raven commit more atrocities on the world?"

"You think that I--"

Karla talked right over her, not even bothering to listen to the denials. "Hate to disappoint, but I don't think so. You can stay and keep talking to the wind for all I care, but I'm leaving. I have better things to do than to mince words with the likes of you.”

“Tsk tsk,” other-Karla said with a regretful shake of her head. She'd managed to rally herself and her smile was firmly back in place. “The likes of me? Likes of you, you mean! See, these self-esteem issues are really going to be your downfall. They're why you lose Warren in the end. Oops!” Her eyes went wide as she covered her mouth. “I wasn't supposed to let that slip, was I? Now I've gone and ruined the surprise.”

“Let. Me. Pass,” Karla demanded through gritted teeth, determined not to rise to the bait.

“Sorry, can't do that.” That sickly sweet tone was belied by the hatred in her eyes. “You're supposed to stay put, isn't that right?”

“Good.” Karla's own smile was just as maliciously cheerful. “I was hoping you'd say that. It means I'll just have to go through you.”

Karla ducked out of the way as a gout of witchfire flew towards her face. With a thought, hundreds of phantom hands sprang into existence, clutching at the other-Karla's arms, legs, and clothing. Hadn't she just seen how potent a weapon grasping hands could be? Did the other-her think her too stupid to learn from that? Still more hands clustered at her doppelganger's throat, choking her into silence as they slowly crushed her windpipe.

“Kiss kiss,” she crooned. “I must say I am unimpressed. I'll have to report this poor showing to whomever is in charge. Another version of me should be much more effective.” A flick of her fingers and one nail now came to a dagger-like point. "Good-bye. Tell your master I'm coming for him." Something within her protested, but Karla ignored it. She could just walk through now, while this dark reflection of herself remains bound, but that wasn't enough. Not when every fiber of her ached to rip out this bitch's nasty, lying tongue.

Karla's hand darted forward, a pale flash of movement in the darkness. The phantom hands vanished and her other self slumped to the street, blood gurgling out of the gash in her throat. "There is nothing of me in you," she said, stepping over the body. "Next time, maybe you'll think twice before using a dream to ensnare a Black Widow."

Without a backwards look, Karla walked through the door and awakened, unaware of the sound of a trap snapping closed behind her.