2013-02-03 Dark Mirrors: Part II

"The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."

Proverbs 30:17



A hot, dry wind blows over the blasted landscape of Limbo. Cracked, parched earth gives way here suddenly, falling into a deep chasm. But there is no bottom to be seen. No matching cliff-face on the far side. Instead, the land gives way into darkness and shadow, large pieces of rock spinning amidst the black, supported by nothing. They form a broken, uneven path that leads deeper into that darkness.

The stillness is broken by a crackling sound as Magik's stepping disk opens wide, the normally uniform disk's shape warped by the forces affecting Limbo itself, making the edges bleed arcing arms of eldritch flame. Magik in her white hood and robes stands in the center, hands resting on the pommel of her Soulsword set point-down into the dirt with the others arrayed around her.

Nate was easy to collect, bringing him from Stomrwatch's current home base. Raven and Wonder Girl involved a stop by Titans Tower and while she's off the team, she's never been unwelcome. Illyana sought out Wiccan specifically, knowing from working with him before that he should be able to handle the spellwork involved. Maybe she should have asked before popping in and hauling him off to Limbo to teach him the spell but hey. Royal prerogative.

Those that can sense magic can feel the wrongness. Of reality ripping and bleeding and the beating, pulsing source of power tearing things apart that lies somewhere in that shadow. They can feel the crawl of evil over their skin and the sensation grows exponentially as one moves towards the edge of the cliff. Even those that can't feel magic can sense the tension in the air and their darker, violent emotions are enhanced.

"I can't go any further." Illyana says, having to raise her voice over the wind that whips across the land and down into the darkness, like it's a mouth trying to suck everything in. She holds out a hand, turning it palm-up and the image of a crystal, about the size of a thumb and filled with reddish light, spins there. "This is what you're looking for. Raven and Wiccan should have no trouble leading you to it." She looks to the other two for confirmation. "Whoever rules that version of Limbo has had to come very close to the edge, where our realms overlap. That means they're not all-powerful like they would be deeper into their own territory, but they're still probably scary as hell. You need to get to the crystal and then buy Wiccan time to reverse its power back onto itself. As a back-up, just smash the thing. But there's no guarantee that doing that won't start this whole thing all over again. Either way, once you're done, get out as fast as you can. The rip in realities will close, and you don't want to get stuck on the wrong side." Illyana's lips press into an unhappy line. "Good luck."

"There is a darkness here. ...It claws at my senses. Trying to overwhelm." Raven sways almost as soon as they appear in the plane of Limbo, reaching a hand up inside of her hood to press to the side of her temple as if she were suddenly dizzy. "I... need a moment."

As a demon-born empath, she was finding herself rather susceptible to the feelings of oppressive /wrongness/ found here. It blurs her vision and presses in on her chest as she shakes her head to try and clear it. Finally, with a shaky intake of breath, the cloaked Titan stands steady again, adjusting her hood to more fully cover her face, leaving only her eyes and lower part of her mouth visible, even as the wind rips at her cloak, robes, and the strands of hair that try to escape her hood's confines.

"I will get everyone home if I am still standing when it is over." The young empath says, her voice once more taking on its lifeless, dead tone. She closes her eyes, reaching out with her empathic sense and soul-self, searching for the source Illyana speaks of as she moves closer to the cliff. Thankfully she could fly, otherwise moving towards a cliff face with one's eyes closed was a rather foolish move.

"I cannot remain in this place long without succumbing. The feeling is too familiar."

Nate nods to Illyana. He knows the drill. "Good luck yourself, blondie," he replies with his usual smirk. Fighting for Limbo again. Funny how the place no one really likes is so valuable for some folks.

Then he looks at his allies today and blinks slowly. They are all younger than himself, that is new. But he started fighting... well, since he remember. Youth is not an issue, it really isn't. "Good thing here, I think we call all fly, right? Most demons can't, at least in Illyana's realm." He nods at Raven, "then, we should move quickly,"

"...ELL!" Only the very end of Wiccan's reaction to being scooped up in a stepping disk out of nowhere can be heard, but it is probably not hard to guess what he was saying. Wiccan shudders feeling the /wrongness/ of where he is. While he does not react as strongly to the wrongness as Raven there is a subtle change in his posture and a slight glow of electricity along the hand holding his staff.

   Wiccan raises off the ground where they are standing a few inches, like always feeling a little more confident when in flight than when walking. When he speaks his voice is a little hoarse as if he had been sick, or had a neck injury, recently but other than that there is no sign that he is not perfectly healthy. "I should be able to pull of the spell. Who knew the home work I have been doing after school at The Oblivion would pay off this soon?" There is a slightly worried look at Raven and a nod with Nate's words. "Right, in and out quick."

<p class="MsoNormal">Wonder Girl cannot sense magic. But she has normal senses that detect stuff like unnatural silence, broken landscape rent into fragments, deep darkness... Darkness, darkness, everywhere, and not a shadow to see. Limbo is kind of scary, but there's something important here, and she trusts that the other heroes know what they're doing. They wouldn't be coming to a place like this to wreck this crystal if it wasn't for a good reason, right? Right! So, after her own arrival in this alien environment, Wonder Girl takes a moment to listen to the explanation and just check that the others are alright.

<p class="MsoNormal">When Raven shows signs of unsteadiness, Cassie reflexively steps forward, one hand rising to help if it's needed. But her new friend regains balance on her own, and Wonder Girl just lowers her hand and mutters some encouragement, "You can do it, Raven. You're strong enough to resist." Then she looks around and asks, "So we should expect someone trying to stop us?" She also nods confirmation to Nate. "I sure can fly!" <<...Usually, anyway.>> she thinks to herself, remembering times where she wasn't quite able to manage. But that was awhile back, so it's probably fine now! Wonder Girl believes in Raven's strength, but she still has to silently nod agreement to the sentiment voiced by Wiccan. Staying here overlong is not something she wants to do even with friends.

<p class="MsoNormal">Illyana looks over to Raven, and her expression is one of empathy. She knows what she's asking of the other woman whose background shares similarities with her own. "I need to be the spellcaster for another assault." She explains as to why she doesn't go with them. There's also the fact that, like Raven, the odds are high she would fall to her own evil nature and then they'd all be doomed since she's holding the mystical gates, as it were. Nate gets a familiar, annoyed smirk at the nickname before Illyana's expression fades into something far more serious and she nods. "I'm sure that whoever is in control there and is trying to merge their realm with mine is going to try to stop you. But I don't know what shape that might take." Obviously the first hurdle for most would be that broken path into darkness but as Nate noticed, they can all fly. Good luck having already been given, Magik raises her arms to summon another stepping disk beneath her and disappears. Now it's just the four of them and the unknown.

<p class="MsoNormal">Stepping (or floating, as it were) off of the edge of the cliff, it's like stepping outside from the warmth of home into a frigid winter. The temperature drops enough that breath steams but the hot, dry wind is gone. Now, it's eerily still. Moving forward the slowly spinning boulders that form a path can still be seen, but beyond that, only darkness and it doesn't take long before looking back shows them only darkness as well.

<p class="MsoNormal">Raven was right. The darkness does feel familiar. While it prickles the skin of the others like something cold and clawing, for her there's a certain pleasure in it. The comfort of the shadows. The emotions of those around her seem easier to sense and the temptation to pluck at them, to toy with them is like a hunger in her belly.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Thank you for your concern, Wonder Girl." Raven avoids the use of her given name given the mixed company, but she can practically feel the worry flowing off of the blonde like its blaring from a bullhorn. She offers her friend and team mate an encouraging nod to show she'll be fine as she summons her powers and begins to levitate into the air. It'd be faster to teleport to the location of the disturbance, but there were too many variables, such as not knowing what would be awaiting them when they got there!

<p class="MsoNormal">"We will do what we can on this end." The dark-haired teenager assures Illyana. Once the other woman is gone, she begins to head in the direction her sense are calling her, expecting the others to do so as well. "...It is this way."

<p class="MsoNormal">She's silent as they go along, but the farther in they go, the more she must concentrate to keep the evil OUT of her mind, and the less she is concentrating on the emotions of her team. Thus, they might find their own emotions subdued, drained right out of them by her vampiric empathic abilities, and perhaps even replaced with a little of her own premonition.

<p class="MsoNormal">She picks up speed the further they go, a feeling of urgency overcoming her, non-verbally urging the others to hurry. The closer she gets, the more temptation she will face, but the longer she takes, the greater the desire to give in.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, lead on, you are the mystics," says Nate. "I guess Wonder Girl and me will be in charge of protecting you and removing obstacles out of your way." He takes off, but hovers, waiting for the others to move and direct the team to the crystal. Truth is Illyana's Limbo does not bother him much, but Vandal's Limbo was bad, BAD. He still feels bad about how much of it got into him and made him doubtful and weak, and he is not really much of an empath. His mindshields were up, too, until now, as he descends into the darkness he opens up, scanning for minds. Most demons have minds, even though they are mostly unreadable. Mental note: talk to Xavier about it. There must be a way to make sense out of alien minds.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate's emotions are easy to read, they are so intense. He is almost happy, definitely excited at the perspective of a battle, he is confident and fearless, except in what regards protecting others. And under it all, there is a whole ocean of rage.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan takes a deep breath while getting his senses and everything used to Limbo, "As bad as it is, at least its not Niflheim. The worst bits of what we feel here combined with crushing depression and soul numbing cold...that and I am betting Hel is never going to forgive me." Yup, Limbo may be bad news, but Wiccan knows the Norse underworld is worse and its queen wants to do worse things to him than give him homework or teach him what magic he has learned from Magik so far.

<p class="MsoNormal">   Moving into the dark and along the path Wiccan shudders a little at the sudden cold. "Still not as cold as the Land of Mists, but close." He kind of has to joke, with the feeling of darkness prickling at his skin and the little bit of himself that he is afraid of that wants to revel in darkness and power he has to find a way to keep his spirits light. "Showmetheway, Showmetheway, Showmetheway!" He chants as they start off his voice taking on a subtle other tone and waving his free hand in front of him.

<p class="MsoNormal">   Wiccan's spell takes a second to flair into existence, and when it does it takes the form of a faint translucent half circle in front of him with a spike sticking out of it pointing the direction Raven is leading them. Confirmation on direction is always a good thing, and a direction finder that looks like something out of a video game...well it is those little touches that make a freaky situation seem more surreal than scary.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wonder Girl takes Raven at her word, waves goodbye to Illyana when the latter departs, and then cracks her knuckles. "Yep, that's probably what we're here for, so let's make sure we do it!" she answers Nate. She's trying hard to keep an upbeat attitude, but as an optimist in general, this isn't terrible hard -- even when she steps off the floating rock into the void. Her 'borrowed' sandals allow her fly through the air after Raven, but her focus is only somewhat on that flight. The distinction between relative warmth and frigid cold is unpleasant, but the thrill of being out there with a super hero team, on a mission of great importance, leaves her with a warmth inside that can not be touched by the menace or alien nature of this plane.

<p class="MsoNormal">They're heroes! It's okay to be scared, but Wonder Girl can't afford to allow it a foothold in a place like this, so she just scans around as they float through the clutching blackness and offers a smile to Wiccan's attempts at levity. "Sounds like places to leave off a list of vacation spots. Say, how big is this crystal we're looking for?"

<p class="MsoNormal">They can't see as far ahead or behind anymore and the 'trail' of stones stays in line with their objective. The silence is almost crushing, making the breathing and movements of those around them magnified.

<p class="MsoNormal">It starts as whispers in their own voices, as if it were their own thoughts. "You don't need their help. Send them back. It's for their own good. They'll be safer. They're just a distraction to you, anyway."

<p class="MsoNormal">For Nate, it draws on that well of anger. "Where are the things to fight? Shouldn't there be demons? She's taking us the wrong way!"

<p class="MsoNormal">The voice in Wiccan's head is almost light-hearted. "This is nothing! I've been to Hel. We'll be in and out, no problem. I can sense power here, that I could use to get us to this crystal so much faster."

<p class="MsoNormal">To Wonder Girl, it is a voice of doubt. "Man, this is so much bigger than me. Realities merging and freaky proto-gods trying to take over the world? They need the big-leagues for this like... like... the JLA! Why isn't the JLA here? Maybe Magik is selling us out. She's gotta know how hard this is on Raven..."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Please! ...Your emotions, contain them." Raven calls back, a hint of emotion in her voice for the first time: desperation. Only through supreme willpower was she keeping it all at bay, an iron will forged over her entire life battling her father's influence in her own blood. Even across dimensions, she could feel his influence, but here... Here it was so much worse. It was the next best thing to being in His direct presence!

<p class="MsoNormal">The voices, she's not unused to fingers clawing at her mind. But they're stronger this time, a bit more potent. There was something here, something she was right to fear. Something only she could face and live. These others certainly needn't come.

<p class="MsoNormal">For even if it was Trigon himself, He would never destroy her, his precious, only daughter, the one who would help bring about his power and end his imprisonment. Raven clenches her jaws and fists, soaring through the chill air as her cloak billows out behind her.

<p class="MsoNormal">'Away from me, temptation! I have not made it this far to fall to your grasp now.' Memories of Arella, her mother, Wonder Girl, who has become her friend, Starfire, who seemed to support her when others thought her a displaced outcast. They help to counter the voices, for now, with an inner light she so rarely acknowledged possessing.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate scowls. The absence of demons is weird. Although they are flying, so maybe that is the reason. He is not, generally, a distrustful person. Raven's request draws his attention, and for a second he feels her despair. Ouch. What? Why? "What do you mean?" He tries not to sound hostile, but he is tense. He glances at Wiccan and tries a brief mind-scan. But the young wizard seems completely sincere in his attempts to guide them. He sighs and relaxes a little. "Hey, don't worry. This is a walk in the park compared with the last time." He grins, trying to inspire confidence.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan nods at wonder Girl and offers her a small grin. "It is, although that is mostly just because it's a place meant for the Dead not the living." That, and Hel guards what is hers like Smaug and his ill gotten dwarven gold. As the whispers and voices start Wiccan shakes his head. Nope, no that's a bad thought.

<p class="MsoNormal">   The outburst from Raven gets a surprised "Eeep!' from Wiccan and a deep breath as he tries to quell his emotions. Almost under his breath he says, "The Land of the Dead made a better offer to give me my biological family, I said no then, I say No now." As he redoubles efforts to control his emotions Wiccan's eyes glow.

<p class="MsoNormal">   Wiccan's mind when scanned is pretty much an open book, really someone should help him with building blockades and stuff in case he ever has to fight a telepath. He is completely sincere just as Nate sees, although he might get odd flashes of the stranger ends of pop culture, science fiction, and him being taught how to fight hand to hand by Norse Gods.

<p class="MsoNormal">The cheerful words uttered seem somehow harsh in her own ears, but Wonder Girl has already decided that the only reason she has to keep quiet is if it would draw attention from the enemy. Otherwise, let her laughter at the camaraderie she shares with the others echo through this whole stupid dimensional place-thing forever, for all she cares! Maybe it'll cheer someone up! But then Raven pleads for them to contain their emotions, and Wonder Girl is surprised. She hadn't realized that was an issue. She offers quietly, "Sorry, Raven. I'll try." She is not psychic, but she does the best she can to curb her enthusiasm by just reducing her extraneous thoughts, reigning in her positive feeling about this mission, and just... Focus on making that feeling a reality. She believes they'll succeed, so there's no reason to let that belief control her behavior.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah... Yeah! That definitely sounds like something a hero would say. She'll have to remember that one! But then her thoughts spiral away from there. Her smile grows a bit tighter around the edges. The silence and the darkness seem even harsher now than when voices were filling the emptiness. <<Yeah... What a REAL hero would say... Because I'm not a real one yet.>> The voices of doubt seem to be having an influence on Cassie! <<...Which is why I have to keep going, and why we're going to complete this mission! There's no way the established heroes would recognize someone gave up just because she's not official yet!>> ...Orrrrr maybe not. It's not that she doesn't doubt she's as good as the big names. But she believes she can get there someday, and it all starts with refusing to back down from any challenge!

<p class="MsoNormal">Then Wonder Girl realizes she's being INSPIRED again and brings a hand to her mouth. "Oops! Sorry, again!" she apologizes and tries to once again tighten down on her emotions. Yeah, they got this. Even if she's not as good as Wonder Woman, working together there's just no way they can fail. NO. WAY.

<p class="MsoNormal">What can possibly go wrong!?

<p class="MsoNormal">They're getting closer. Raven can feel it. A few moments later they can see a red glow in the distance, like the crystal that Illyana had shown them. The darkness has drawn close enough now that if there is still a path, they can't see it.

<p class="MsoNormal">The familiar sense in the darkness to Raven grows stronger and now, now there is no denying it. It tastes of Trigon. The red glow gets brighter. Stronger. And then, below it, two more spots of glowing red appear. And then below that, another set. Between the five, it gives enough light to reveal a form. The four red lights, two sets stacked upon the others are eyes set into a familiar face, with the crystal they seek set into the forehead.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Welcome." It's Raven's voice, in a breathy sort of whisper that they have no trouble hearing. The red light brightens, and then the darkness pulls back a bit so they can more easily see her. Long, dark hair falls down her back and her costume matches Raven's, only in a deep black, like shadows woven into fabric. "You're here to try to stop me. I know." Those two sets of burning eyes move over to Raven and the Dark Raven shakes her head. "He is disappointed in you. He offers you his love and you spurn him. It's not too late. Take the realm from the Darkchilde, free our Father. Rule by his side."

<p class="MsoNormal">There were no demons before, and there are none to see now. Just that lone figure, standing there. But then Nate feels a presence behind him, and when he turns, there he stands wearing a cocky smile. "You've got a lot of nerve, considering you're a reality refugee yourself. It's OK if it's you, running away from your world, leaving it to die, but no one else is allowed huh?" The other Nate's eye starts to glow, but instead of yellow light it burns with red light, the cocky smile fading into a harsh snarl. "Why do you deserve a chance at happiness when you left everyone to die!" Then a TK blast erputs outwards towards Nate.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan can see the symbols of the spell that he needs to reverse, glowing lines of eldritch energy that are carved into the Dark Raven's skin, glimpses of it peeking through the shadow of her dress. While he's looking at her, another figure steps up behind her, and now he sees his own double, though years older. Like the Dark Raven, he has two sets of burning red eyes. He rests one hand on her shoulder and points his staff at Wiccan. "All hail Trigon." He says before firing off an eldritch blast at the young witch.

<p class="MsoNormal">Seeing these other figures step out, it probably isn't a surprise for Wonder Girl when she turns and finds herself standing there, but with glowing red eyes as well. She has one hand resting on her hip and the other comes up in the classic 'bring it' gesture. "Enough with the small talk. Time for the beatdown."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Your emotions are loud." Raven calls back by way of answer to Nate. "They are... much too loud. Please, calm your anger. The power here, it will feed upon it." A beat. "Thank you." Though the last part is almost whispered, Raven expresses her gratitude at her team mates for subduing their emotions as much as possible.

<p class="MsoNormal">"...My father." Raven speaks, and her voice is no longer even close to neutral. It's anger, despair, and desperation that roils out of her tone. "I sense his power! Be wary, and do not obey his influence!"

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">They are there sooner than she would like. Sooner than she is ready for. Raven ceases moving forward, hovering now, her cloak falling into place about her. She hovers like a banshee, and if the others should happen to glance at her, the eyes that stare out of her hood are now glowing like two bright red coals set into her face.

<p class="MsoNormal">"So..." Her voice is dripping with contempt. "He has sired another." And then harsher, louder, "I will not obey his will! I will never submit to our Father!" And then she's screaming, thrusting her arms out and casting open her deep blue cloak. "HE WILL NOT HAVE THE EARTH!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Almost without her own bidding, Raven's Soul-Self comes forth, forming and looming large, black against the darkness already around them, forming a two-story bird behind her. "I will /kill/ you as Azar has all the others."

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate is quite surprised to find Raven is the ruler of this Limbo. He expected some twisted and or version of Illyana. Not of... well, themselves. He is MUCH more surprised to see himself there, but not so surprised not to be able to throw a telekinetic shield to that blast. "What the hell! I didn't run away!" Nevertheless, the truth is he believes he failed, and that is the source of much of his anger. But running away? Never! Maybe this other Nate, so clearly corrupt did run away.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate was itching for a fight, and it seems he got what he wanted! Psionic energy crackles around him, golden and bright in the darkness of this Limbo. He turns his shield into a blast, forgetting his task was to protect the mystics to attempt to obliterate his evil self.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan keeps himself cool and composed, refusing to whoop for joy when he sees the red glow ahead. Checking his spell, yes it is brighter and more solid so that is definitely it. "There it is now we..." His words die in his mouth as the Evil raven speaks. "Oh...Odin's Beard!" It's not the curse he wants to use, but that one is rather graphic and it involves the Desir and it's never a good idea to say their name out loud in a place like limbo.

<p class="MsoNormal">At the blast from his double Wiccan does a barrel roll to the left and brings up his own staff. "Yeah, no. He isn't worthy of tying Thor's boots." Electricity crackles along the hand holding Wiccan's staff before a bolt of lightning explodes from it's tip aimed for the red eyed Wiccan. "Great, another onother me and this one is evil, older, and looks like he knows what he is doing. Thor, Odin, even Loki I am gonna need some help here." He speaks mostly to himself as he keeps moving to dodge any more blasts from himself.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wonder Girl really did not know what to expect. So, in regard to encountering something unexpected, she is at least not disappointed. But she is still pretty surprised. Still trying to keep ahold of her emotions, she takes Raven's advice to heart, and assumes this is some kind of illusion or trickety trick! After all, there's no way Raven would turn bad! "Ha! Raven is plenty strong on her own. And if she ever needs help, we're here to help her! 'Trigon' doesn't--" But Cassie's defiance of fake-Raven is interrupted by the appearance of duplicates of the others. She's not quite sure, but... Some of what they're saying doesn't seem like random general-purpose illusion-blabber. It's not something that just... 'Sounds' like the fakes know what the real people have experienced and feel. It's personal.

<p class="MsoNormal">Are these really 'fakes'? Then another Wonder Girl shows up. She wants to accept the challenge. She WANTS to REALLY BAD. And even if it would be wiser to say, '...I actually have some people to protect right now. Sorry.' She doesn't have that wisdom quite yet. So she grins back and just flies at her double, attempting to kick her right into the other-Raven. Hey, no reason to not do her protecting job WHILE giving in, right?

<p class="MsoNormal">"Another?" The other Raven laughs, the sound rolling out and curling around everyone and it's like pouring gasoline on a fire as it sets fire to their emotions. "Silly child, I am the you that could have been!" As she speaks, her voice grows louder and louder until the world seems to tremble with it. When Raven's soul-self bursts forward, the evil Raven gives a smile full of teeth. "Yessss, show us that you are worthy." She lifts her own arms wide and shadow boils up, forming a raven that is a mirror-image to Raven's, save that this one has those four, burning red eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">The older, four-eyed Wiccan starts to fly towards his younger self as Billy rolls out of the way. "Foolish child, we are beyond the reach of your little gods. You stand now in Trigon's realm!" When Billy returns fire now it's evilWiccan that's dodging to the side and then returning fire, hurling red lightning from his staff while the other reaches out, speaking a word and Billy's staff jerks in his grip, trying to fly towards the elder Wiccan.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate's blast slams into his other-self's own telekinetic shield, sending him flying backwards but the red-eyed Nate catches himself after a moment. His lower lip is split and he wipes at it with the back of his hand and gives a fierce grin, teeth stained red from his own blood. "Now that's more like it." He brings both hands forward and flies towards Nate, accelerating as he moves to try to slam bodily into the refugee from the Age of Apocalypse.

<p class="MsoNormal">As Wonder Girl flies at her double, the red-eyed one drops into a ready stance and so that initial kick, while it sends Wonder Girl's opponent back a few feet, doesn't send her at the other confrontation happening. "That's it, c'mon!" The doppelganger says, in what oddly sounds like encouragement as she moves in, throwing punches and knees and kicks at the original. The possible-illusion isn't holding anything back, hitting with all the speed and strength that Cassie herself possesses.

<p class="MsoNormal">Raven's Soul-Self lets out a thundering cry of defiance as it's appearance is mirrored by the other. It flies forward, even against Raven's better judgment, even against her training. There are some things she simply was not prepared to face, and a fragment of her father's apparent power were one of them. She knew giving in was deadly, that it could lead only to ruin, and yet she does anyway, even as a small part of herself fights it.

<p class="MsoNormal">The part of her still in control as the source of her power, her very soul, strikes out at the wanton perversion that she could, no, WOULD, become struggles against her own hate and fear and self-loathing. It reaches out with her mind, struggles to touch into the psyche of her others, to draw away their pain and fear and take it unto herself.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You must not... let them... control you... remember out purpose!" Her voice lashes out at her team mates through her soul as she tries to reach them, to calm their minds.

<p class="MsoNormal">But there are so many of them, and amidst her own struggle, it is so hard to break into another's mind. Who knows if she is even successful?

<p class="MsoNormal">And outwardly, her red-eyed visage snarls, the entire struggle within her for the minds of her friends and companions taking barely a few heartbeats. "I will NOT allow him free!" She screeches in rage at her doppelganger.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah? There is more where that came from!" Nate is perfectly fine with dropping the fancy blasts-and-shields and right up physical and personal. He receives his double aiming a kick to the face, charged with most of his psionic power.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, it feels great to lash out like this. He rarely has a chance anymore, Earth is too peaceful for Nate.

<p class="MsoNormal">However, however... It does not /think/ right. There is emotion, loads of it, but there is nothing behind. That is not right - he should be sensing powerful mind-shields protecting his double's mind. Or maybe it is normal with demon-tainted people. Or maybe he shouldn't overthink this so much, since he is going to take a beating if he does not dedicates 100 of his attention to the fight with the other Nate.

<p class="MsoNormal">But Raven is right, when he 'hears' her he knows she is right. |"Yes. I know. On three forget the doubles and hit the other Raven with everything"| They are going to take a beating, but they also need the crystal. |"One. Two..."|

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan holds tight to his staff for a mental count of one, two, three. Then, does something no one ever expects, he lets go. When people struggle over a weapon they never expect it to be suddenly let go of, and no one ever expects a mage's staff to be just plain wood with no power on its own. Because of both these things the Good Wiccan is sure that the advantage goes to him for now.

<p class="MsoNormal">As the staff flies from his hands at the Evil Wiccan the good one chants fast, "Bindherholdher, Bindherholdher, Bindherholdher!" As the magic for the spell goes off his staff will accelerate not towards the Evil Wiccan but towards the Evil Raven changing to ropes and chains while still somehow being made of ash, the type of wood Wiccan made his staff from since its what the sacred tree Yggdrasil was. "oh please! I fought Hel in her own realm, you think a guy named for an animated TV show from Japan is going to scare me? And if this is his realm, then I am Vash the Stampede."

<p class="MsoNormal">After taunting his other a second Wiccan hears Nate in his head telling him...he was actually right to make his decision to change tactics even if it was for a different reason. He figured that they might have a better fight if they followed the words of the Mad Hatter and 'Change Places!' so that they could deal with each other's doubles. He attacks the Evil Raven instead of his own doppelganger. Lightning leaps from his fingers like Emperor Palpatine punishing Luke Skywalker for refusing to give in to the dark side, only this time aimed at Evil Raven for having done so.

<p class="MsoNormal">   If he hits Raven or not Wicca dives first, and then climbs aiming to get behind the evil Raven hoping that all the evil others can be distracted long enough to do the job he was picked for in this fight.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ha-HA! Wonder Girl got in the first hit! Oh, but then other-Wonder Girl doesn't fly back as far as was expected and lunges in at 'normal'-Wonder Girl and returns the favor. Un-ha-HA. She tries to mount a defense, using lessons provided by Wonder Woman to try to reduce the damage she takes by dodging, blocking, and deflecting, but both the initial flurry and further attacks afterwards manage to get through. As one might expect, super strong punches hurt. But she just takes a moment to try to trap one arm between her hands the next time her doppelganger attacks her and try to spin around and throw the crazy other-self away!

<p class="MsoNormal">She's a little bit scared here, but also sort of... Excited. This is a real test of her abilities. Someone who can do everything she can. What better opponent is there? But... She takes her eyes off the enemy and looks towards Raven. The GOOD Raven, that is. "...Yeah. Yeah, you're right." she mutters. A throw isn't going to stop her other self any more than it would Cassie herself. They can both fly, obviously. So she only has a moment. She has to think like a hero, not just fight like one.

<p class="MsoNormal">What Would Diana Do?

<p class="MsoNormal">She doesn't want to back down from her fight. But her friends, the other heroes here fighting to make sure this mission succeeds... Indulging herself isn't going to make her a hero. She's not here for herself! And when Nate mirrors that idea with a mental message of his own, Wonder Girl turns, whether the throw maneuver was successful or not, and tries to fly towards the other-Raven. She doesn't really want to hit someone who looks like her friend.

<p class="MsoNormal">So she focuses on the features that DON'T look like her friend, fixes those in her mind, and makes those the 'identity' of the thing she's attacking. It's not Raven. It's not. It's a glowing-eyed thing pretending to be her friend. That's the only way she can justify the flying punch she attempts, aimed at the doppelganger’s midsection. And even then... She holds back juuust a little. No reason to kill this other-Raven, right?

<p class="MsoNormal">“Give into anger." The evil Raven croons to her other self. "I can feel you, taking their pain and fear? Take it all! Anger, joy. Drink them down." Another low laugh. "You'll need to, if you want to defeat me. For I have the power of our Father, and that of Limbo!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Raven's soul-self swoops in, claws at the ready, wings spread wide and that of the evil Raven moves forward as well. Talons lock with talons, wings beat against wings. But in a fight of pure power, even with Raven's rage behind it, she's loosing. The evil one's soul-self is stronger. Tougher.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate and his double clash like Titans, punches fueled by TK and the force blunted by shields of the same. Every hit that Nate gets in, his double does as well. They tumble through the empty darkness, blood smeared across knuckles and faces as one gets the upper hand, then the other. As Nate makes his countdown his double, face a mask of rage, holds Nate by the collar while the doppelganger’s other arm cocks back. His fist burns with a red light to match his eye and as Nate gets to 'one', that fist comes down?

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan's staff flies across the distance and is caught by the evil Wiccan's free hand. He brings both up, forming an X in front of him and shouts, "BURN!" This time, it's not electricity but like the aforementioned Smaug breathing flame, a gout of it fans out in a huge cone at Wiccan just as the young witch lets loose with the Force Lightning.

<p class="MsoNormal">The evil Raven's laughter cuts off as Wiccan's ropes and chains start to climb up her body, starting to immobilize her. "Foolish child!" She screeches, but that's all she has time for as Nate's TK blast and Wiccan's lightning slam into her from opposing sides and a heartbeat later Wonder Girl slams into her with such force that that red crystal set into her forehead, an eerie mirror of Raven's own breaks free. It arcs upwards as if in slow motion, and then starts to fall, down, down towards that smothering darkness.

<p class="MsoNormal">Raven's hands are held out before her as her energy struggles against that of her, for all practical purposes, evil twin. It's a contest of wills as Soul-Selves battle it out that lashes back and forth through her mind and psyche, taking far longer in her mind that it does in actual physical time. But for her, time slows down as the two Raven-shaped souls of energy collide.

<p class="MsoNormal">And then the resistance is ending, so abruptly, even as the other Raven was on the precipice of ultimate victory, of forcing Raven to draw FROM her friends merely to survive. But her own Soul-Self does not continue on to strike. No, the heroism of her friends feeds the light in her soul, and for once, light engulfs the darkness.

<p class="MsoNormal">"ENOUGH" Raven now has not two, but four eyes, all of them burning white-hot.

<p class="MsoNormal">The enormous bird-shaped entity that was Raven's soul coalesces into a bright, burning ball...

<p class="MsoNormal">And then it explodes. It lashes outward with all of it's psionic energy, striking not at the bodies, or even the minds, but at the souls of all it touches. Friends, foes, all are equally sought out as Raven's soul assails them and seeks to render them unconscious. There is no targeting, no avoidance of friendly fire, just an explosion of energy, striking for the doppelgangers as much as its unintended targets.

<p class="MsoNormal">Only two are spared: Raven herself, and... Wiccan. The dark-haired Titan braces all the concentration she can muster into sparing the spellcaster, for he still had a job to do, the most critical one, in fact.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate ducks, tries to block the punch with his arm, |"...three"|. He spins, turning to the Dark Raven, his left eye glows bright a fraction of a second, and then blasts the four-eyed demon-woman with all his power. Enough power to shatter a skyscraper. And not enough power left to shield himself, his left arm snaps at the impact of the telekinetically charged fist. Nate clenches his jaw, smothering a scream of pain.

<p class="MsoNormal">And then Raven explodes. Now, no one told him she could do that! It comes in a bad moment, too, and Nate clings to consciousness by the skin of his teeth.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan's plan, changes the instant that the crystal in the Evil Raven's forehead is knocked free. He was going to dodge around the fire breath come up behind Evil Raven and try the spell he was taught to use on the crystal if he could grab her head. Now, he is just going to dive straight for the crystal pouring his will power into moving faster than it is falling to catch it.

<p class="MsoNormal">   Even before he can catch the crystal Wiccan is starting to chant the spell. Weird words in whatever tongue that the spell was written in tripping off his lips. When the soul rending blast from Raven washes over the portion of the dark realm of Limbo that they are in Wiccan is...perhaps easier to protect from the effects than he should be.

<p class="MsoNormal">   As soon as Wiccans fingers can wrap around the crystal his whole mind, his being, even his soul focus only on the spell he was taught even ending his flight leaving him dropping into the dark. Weird words slithering crawling words not meant for human tongues or ears come from his mouth as the bluish white glow quickly becomes all that can be seen of him of him, at least till the spell is done and he is willing to put energy into flight so he can rejoin those that he came with to this fight, unless someone does something to draw him back.

<p class="MsoNormal">Awesome! It looks like Raven is really getting into this! Look at those cool glowing eyes -- nothing at all like the menacing red ones on this other Raven! Yeah, Wonder Girl is totally enthused again, her friend Raven showing herself to be a hero capable of great things, just like Cassie always believed! She has to stop herself from pausing to pump a fist and call out encouragement, and instead focus on what her doppelganger is doing, and if the other-Raven is properly restrained and so on. But then... Well, the girl of wonder is stubborn like an abnormally stubborn mule. But there's only so far stubbornness can get one when one's soul is being blasted by psychic 'pass-the-frick-out' waves. Wonder Girl lets out a shocked gasp, bending her back like a bow, head coming up, eyes wiiiide open... And then they close as she passes the frick out and starts plummeting down to join Wiccan and say hi. And by 'say hi', we of course understand what is meant is, 'keep falling without saying hi at all'!

<p class="MsoNormal">Because she's unconscious.

<p class="MsoNormal">About the only good part of this is that if that other-Wonder Girl really has the same capabilities as the REAL Wonder Girl, then the other-Wonder Girl is probably also unconscious. (If she's even around still, anyway.)

<p class="MsoNormal">There is one thing that Darkness cannot abide, and that is the Light.

<p class="MsoNormal">Raven's power explodes outward, and as it washes out over the doppelgangers they melt away, like sunlight chasing away an early-morning fog. Far, far below there is a ground. If it can be called that. At first it looks like it might be covered in snow, but no, it's an ocean of bones. Some human, others decidedly not. They rise up in the distance, in great mountains that claw for an unseen sky. The path of floating rocks that they could no longer see is revealed again, and a huge one forms a platform that the evil Raven, still bound in Wiccan's chains is tackled into by Wonder Girl even as the teen passes out. Blood comes from her nose and mouth and ears, and Wonder Girl can feel bones move beneath the skin in an unnatural manner. Her breathing rattles in her lungs with a wet sound.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan dives through the flames, the magic of the spell curling around him and the crystal's glow slowly shifts from red to the same blueish white of the boy himself. Finally, the crystal in his had pulses, the force of it washing through all of them as it starts to fold in upon itself, getting smaller and smaller until it disappears. The mystically inclined can feel the sudden and rapid shift in Reality as the tear between worlds starts to knit closed.

<p class="MsoNormal">The explosion of her soul has left Raven exceedingly drained, and it seems, in her worn and exhausted mind, as if it is slow to coalesce and return to her body. As the energy does begin to return, it is, as it has always been, as she has known it, darkness. The light at the center of her being is once more enveloped by the utter lack thereof. Her eyes cease their glow, the two above her primary pair vanish and the other two return to their normal coloration as she falls to her knees and catches herself with her hands.

<p class="MsoNormal">She can still feel the taint of her evil self, but no longer can she stay and be swayed by it. She still has a job to do. She lost herself at first, but had promised to get them all home. She pulls upon the very last dregs of her strength and reaches out with her soul for her companions.

<p class="MsoNormal">A great, dark pair of wings stretch outwards, seeking to envelope them all, a long talon stretching downward, down to grab those who have fallen. It is not the great bird, there is no energy left for that, it is merely parts of it. As soon as Raven's soul-self makes contact with all three of the others, it sucks them down into a waiting abyss.

<p class="MsoNormal">There is a vague sense of floating, timelessness, infinite cold, and nothing else. And then the world explodes back into sensation as the teleportation is abruptly finished, and everyone is deposited unceremoniously back to where they were to retreat to. Including an unconscious Raven and Wonder Girl.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nate feels his duplicate vanish and he falls for a second or two before he manages to catch himself. His shattered arm hurts like hell, but that sort of helps to keep him awake and mostly aware. As Raven ports them to the edge of the cliff, he stumbles down and sits on the ground, looking pretty pale. His face is bruised and his left sleeve is stained with a growing spot of red.

<p class="MsoNormal">Wiccan would yell in celebration as the spell works and he has done his part to save the universe except for two things. One, the spell felt weird and in a scary way good. The second reason, because as he starts to try and stop his fall and fly...he has difficulty. Agreeing to fight evil demons in limbo so soon after haivng the flu, probably not the best decision ever. As the sea of bones gets closer he closes his eyes and really, really focuses on flying away or not going splat when...

<p class="MsoNormal">There is darkness. There is cold. There is a feeling of nothingness. It's like Niflheim all over again, only without the ghosts and permafrozen ground.

<p class="MsoNormal">A line from a book by Douglas Adams comes to Wiccan's mind. 'In the beginning there was nothing, and then that exploded.' The thought of course does not come first. First there is light, and heat, and feeling things again, and a mountain landing square on the small of Wiccans back. Or possibly it was the other way around, but it did not feel that way. "Did....did someone get the number of the buss that hit me?" He asks out loud in part just to prove he is alive by making a joke, and in part to see if anyone can even respond to him.

<p class="MsoNormal">As the heroes reappear on the cliff where they started, some of the bodies still but breathing, something can be seen in the darkness. The other end of the chasm, some Limbo version of the Grand Canyon, starts to become visible. Seconds tick by, and deep below, the floor can be made out. And beyond, the blood-red sky without sun or moon or stars that is normal for Limbo. Without any fanfare the darkness, and that other reality, fades away, leaving only Limbo. Hot, dry wind blows by, the world seemingly empty save for them until there is the sharp crackle of energy, and one of Illyana's stepping disks, looking closer to normal but still a bit ragged about the edges opens and the woman herself, also looking rather ragged around the edges steps through. She's managed to shelve the horns and the cloven hooves and whatnot, but her eyes still burn all-white with power. She looks over all of them and nods. "Good job. Two down. Let's get you guys some medical attention, huh?" And she knows right where the Titian’s med center is, too. She raises her soulsword over her head to teleport them all away.