Jericho's POV:

As soon as my Caduceus pierced through his neck, both he and the guilded smoke that surrounded us vanished as the power I borrowed from Anti and Dark dissapated, leaving me alone in nothingness. For a moment, I was afraid I was trapped there, that Fell had somehow managed to cage me in.

That fear was put to rest to be replaced by a worse one as whatever I was standing on was yanked out from under me, sending me hurtling downward through the darkness, screaming my lungs out.

My back impacted with a hard surface, making my eyes widen and mouth gape as the breath was knocked out of me. There was a brief moment where I thought I would be crushed by the enourmous pressure that surrounded me in that split second of panic.

Then the weight was gone as soon as it came, leaving me feeling light as air with the contrast of its absence. I sat bolt upright with a deep gasp, clutching my chest and panting heavily as my heart pattered sporadically in my chest. I felt around my body frantically, checking my legs, ribs, and neck before sighing in relief; none of the wounds I'd sustained in the dreamscape had followed me into the real world.

Assured of my immediate safety, I took the time to take inventory of my surroundings. I was in the middle of a silent ghost of a city; from the void state of the streets, I assumed I was still in Munich.

Then I heard the screams.

Mark's screams.

I grabbed my new weapon and shot to my feet, sprinting in the direction of the noise.

Sean's POV:

We legged it around an alleyway half a block away, far enough that we were prtected from the super nova that was Jericho's aura, but close enough to keep an eye on her.

Mark was in bad shape. His burns were the worst I'd ever seen; rivulets of blood trickled from his arms and chest in the places that weren't already cauterized, dripping into puddles on the ground. The thinner skin of his hands and wrists were eaten through nearly to the bone, his fingers twitching involuntarily as the nerves were agitated. His screams faded into delirious moans as he drifted into shock, eyes fluttering as his body seized with the effort of keeping him alive.

"God fucking Dammit!!" I shouted as we held him down as best we could without doing more harm, "Virgil, what's the cost?!"

"Dude, I can only grant so many wishes at a time... Those wounds are pretty intense, and I'm not too keen on kicking the bucket a second time," he said, putting up his hands. I snarled, knowing he was right.

"Think of something quick!" Chica snapped, "I don't have unlimited energy to feed him!"

"Um... I-I could do it," Virgo said softly, worrying at her purple curls as she tentatively approached Mark.

"What? No. Fuck no," Virgil said sharply, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder, "You're too young. It would knock you out for a month!!"

"There's no need," came a voice from the alleyway entrance. We all turned to see-

Oh thank GOD.

Jericho was awake and well and walking quickly towards us with an air of calm determination. We all stepped aside as she drew her wand and kneeled beside Mark's shivering body, channeling her power through the instrument and directing it at his wounds. We watched with relief as the charred skin began to heal itself. Within the span of thirty seconds, the bloody residue coating his arms and chest were all that remained of his ordeal.

I let out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding when Mark finally relaxed, his face clearing and eyes fluttering shut as he drifted into a deep sleep. Chica collapsed as well, panting and whining with exhaustion. I kneeled to run my fingers through her fur before turning my face to Jericho. I opened my mouth to thank her when I was interupted.

"Don't. This was my fault," she said softly, "Don't thank me for that."

I shook my head.

"That's not true, Jericho. Whatever happened, I know you would never willingly hurt Mark."

"Listen, as nice as all this is, we really should get going," Virgil cut in, "What was that about a hotel, Virgo?"