Thirty minutes earlier…
The collapse of the floor shocked Rose Wilson. With her friends trapped behind the three corridors, the last thing she needed was for the ground to break apart and have her and Agent Zatanna Zatara fall through.
Her first instinct was to scream but she was more concerned with the result at the end. Was it going to hurt? Sure, she had regenerative abilities, but that did not make her immune to pain. She shut her eyes and braced herself for the impact.
Then she heard it. Zatanna muttering some incoherent words. Was it a prayer? A spell?
She soon found out, as she felt her body floating, gliding through the air, passed the falling debris of rocks and boulders and surfing through the dust to the light appearing down below. Rose gazed at Zatanna and put her faith in whatever magic she was doing; obviously, it was working, the sorceress was not going to get them killed.
They touched the ground unharmed, only to see a group of Bouda creatures surrounding them. They held down Zatanna's arms, while they took Rose's katanas and guns, and placed her hands behind her back. The duo now watched helplessly as the witch, Derinoe, carried out her ritual.
Rose, look at Cassie!
"Jericho?" Deathstroke's daughter whispered to her brother. His invisible voice permeated her mind.
Rose, we don't have time! Trust me and look at Cassie!
His sister agreed and stared at the teenager struggling with her mystical bindings on the slab. Their eyes locked. Instantly, Jericho's spirit entered Cassie's and inhabited her body, as Derinoe performed the first part of the ceremony. The witch placed the glowing seal upon the girl, allowing the object to sprout twigs, leaves, and vines all around her body. Panicked to see her brother being entwined in greenery, Rose struck.
"Jericho!" She screamed. Pulling a tiny blade from the hidden pocket of her pants, she stabbed the throat of the Bouda cheetah holding her and slashed the neck of the other hyena man. With two beasts down, she flipped over the attacking boar that tried to grab her and retrieved her katanas. Now she was ready to fight.
Seeing her partner fighting back, this gave Zatanna time to use her magics. Despite the pair of Bouda hyenas holding her hands, her mouth still worked. Reciting an incantation, she released her spell.
"Ya'wa Evo'hs!"
The hyena men released their grip on her, shooting in opposite directions and slamming against the cavern walls. Zatanna got into position as the rest of the Bouda men attacked, she aimed her hands at the creatures and said her spell.
"Ya'wa Wol'b!"
Strong gales appeared out of nowhere, picking up the monsters and tossing them every which way around the cave. The distraction proved to be an advantage as both Henry and Helena got in on the action.
A rifle still pointed at her head; Helena saw her moment to strike. LeTonya turned her head to see Rose and Zatanna suddenly fighting back, giving Helena the perfect opportunity to take down the hacker. Darting to her enemy, she grabbed the butt of the gun and kicked LeTonya in the face, causing her to release the weapon in her hand. Quickly, Helena picked the rifle, clutched it close and slammed it into the hacker's chest. The sudden impact, sent LeTonya flying to the ground, giving Helena now full advantage as she aimed the gun toward her enemy.
"You were saying about blowing my head off?" Helena taunted the hacker, as she laid sprawled on the earth with a rifle close to her face. There was nothing that LeTonya could do now but surrender.
On the other side, Henry made his move. Despite stealing his knives and guns, the Bouda did not account for the concealed, mystical Themysciran weapons on his person. Pulling out the magical coin from the hidden pocket of his sleeve, he pressed it to summon his sword. Right away, the Bouda monsters attacked him. The demigod cut down a boar with ease, while slicing through a panther next to him. He decapitated a pair of hyenas, while running his blade through a cheetah and a hawk. Blood stained the cave in crimson red.
Seeing her minions being slaughter, Derinoe signaled to her daughter, Alkyone and her surviving Bouda creatures.
"KILL THEM!"
Alkyone agreed. The burnt warrior raised her scythe and first went after Rose Wilson, who dispatched a were-hawk and a were-boar with her dual blades. She swung at the young girl.
Rose noticed the disfigured figure striking at her and she blocked the scythe with her katanas. Metal upon metal clanged as the two fought with their weapons.
"Hey, Freddy Krueger's sister!" She taunted Derinoe's daughter. "Ever thought of joining a circus freak show with that mug of yours?
Alkyone sneered. "Your insults are meaningless! I'm going to enjoy cutting you tongue out!"
"Sorry, I'm going to need it," Rose smirked. "I'm thinking of having barbecue later. Of course, you would know what that feels like!"
Enraged at her words, Alkyone screamed and slashed at the Titan. Once again, Rose was able to block her strike with her blades.
Close by, Zatanna was busy facing off against her own opponents. Wielding crude spears and clubs, the Bouda monsters shifted their focus on her and charged. With too many to fight, she needed some time to fend them off so she could formulate a new plan. Spreading her arms, she said her spell.
"Dle'if Ec'rof!"
An invisible barrier appeared, fending off their assaults. They tried to beat and pierce through the unseen wall, but Zatanna kept them away. The only thing she needed now was a solid plan to defeat them.
With everyone fighting, it only distracted them from the fact that Derinoe had completed her original plan. Soon, Cassie became encased entirely within Urzkartaga's foliage. Cocooned in completed greenery on the slab, the sinister vines and leaves erupted from the seal, made their way down to the ground, and slithered up along the cavern walls. In a matter minutes, the entire cave became covered in branches, twigs, and moss as the battle raged on. Then an omnipotent, threatening voice echoed from inside the cave.
FOOLISH HUMANS! YOU EFFORTS SHALL BE IN VAIN!
The leaves, vines, and twigs gathered, shaping, and twisting until it formed an image of an enormous skull. A detailed visage appeared, protruded forehead, shallow eyes, nose, and brittle teeth, as it communicated its rage to the heroes.
SURRENDER AND BE ASSIMILATED! OR PERISH FOR YOUR FOLLY!
"BEHOLD!" Derinoe cackled. "URZKARTAGA LIVES!"
Seeing her daughter swaddled entirely in the plant God's greenery, Helena screamed for her.
"Cassie!"
Distraught over this, she failed to see LeTonya Charles flipping back up and racing toward her, fist clenched. Helena realized too late as the collision of the hacker's punch to her jaw, knocked her back, breaking and ripping apart the rifle in her hands, and caused the demigoddess to tumble a few feet away. Shaking off the disorientation, Helena pulled up her sleeves to showcase her Amazon bracelets and whipped out her two magical coins in her hidden pocket. Within seconds, she was armed with her Themysciran sword and shield.
"No gun this time?" Helena gritted.
LeTonya smirked. "Don't need it!" She pulled out a blade and cut into the flesh of her left arm without screaming in pain. Blood spilt out of the wound, as she tore further until she removed fully the husk of skin to reveal a metallic, skeletal arm underneath. She tossed away the realistic, epidermal layer and displayed her robotic limb. "Cybernetic parts. Courtesy of the Collective. Hence, my codename Cyborgirl!"
"You're about to get a new one." Helena glared. "Dead Girl!"
"Clever, bitch!" Cyborgirl snapped. "Let's see if you still have a mouth!" She aimed her robotic arm at the woman, dials, wires, and electronic cylinders stared to turn, as the cybernetic technology transformed around her metal limb, forming a large weapon around her wrist. She grinned. "Hope you like my gatling gun!" She laughed as she fired her motorized arsenal at Helena.
Back behind the altar, Rose and Alkyone continued to battle. Katana and scythes clashed, clanged, and echoed as each weapon matched metal for metal. Deathstroke's daughter prepared a new plan of attack. Her disfigured enemy pulled back her sickle blade and readied a slash at her chest, but Rose anticipated the warrior woman's next move. Ducking out of the scythe's path, she somersaulted forward, extending her right leg on Alkyone's ankle. Then she struck, sweeping her leg and tripped the burnt foe on to her back. Twirling her katanas, Rose went in for the kill.
An invisible force crashed into the Titan, hurling her toward the stone slab. Upon witnessing her daughter almost defeated, Derinoe worked her magic and shot a spell at Rose. Deathstroke's daughter came down hard, giving Alkyone time to pick up her scythe and strike. Rose did not have a chance as Alkyone drove her sickle into the poor girl's chest and murdered her.
Unable to assist his friends, Henry continued to battle the Bouda. Each one bombarded him with weapons, as he defended himself from the endless crude spears and clubs coming at him. Just then, two large vines shot out of ceiling, wrapping its leafy coils around the demigod's arms, trying to keep him in place, but the IADC agent fought back against his bindings as Urzkartaga's voice echoed around the cave.
FIGHTING ME IS FUTILE! SURRENDER NOW, SON OF ZEUS!
"Never!" Henry shouted.
A horrific roar bellowed from inside the cave. Henry endlessly combatted the tendril of vines attacking him as he saw the foliage suddenly separating to reveal a hole in the wall where something huge and terrifying was charging out of the blackness.
From the shadows, a monster twenty times bigger than any man appeared. Fur and scales covered the creature that exhibited both claws and hooves. Two heads sprouted in front, that of a lion and a goat, both with sharp teeth, fangs, and horns while its tail sported a long serpent with deadly fangs. Henry fearfully knew what it was.
A chimera.
The darkness is welcoming.
How long had she been falling? The abyss seemed like forever. Kory slowly opened her eyes, seeing only the blackness around her. She started to welcome it.
She had failed everyone. Her parents. Her people. Her kingdom. Tamaran. All for what? To be her own person, to be able to make her own choices. To be completely free.
It was all for naught.
Now she was plunging to her death and there was nothing she could do, except for Death to finally take her.
She was all alone now. Without friends. Without love. Without family.
Then her thoughts to drifted to Rachel, Dick, and Gar. They made her a better person. They made her understood love. They made her understand friendship. They made her understand family. All the Titans did. And right now, those same Titans needed her help.
She needed her powers. The thoughts drifted into her. She remembered what the Gray sisters said.
You must accept yourself and, only then, can you truly ascend.
Looking inside, she recalled everything. The tender moments with her family. The love and beauty of Tamaran and her people. The love that she had for all the Titans. That was truly her salvation. That was who she accepted.
Her body began to glow, but much brighter this time. The orange hue illuminated against the darkness; her eyes lighting up green and flashing in emerald colors. She could feel her body changing, transforming, storing all the power of the ultraviolet energy, wanting to release it all, and waiting for it burst out. She called it forth and set it free. She had finally ascended!
Flames streaked her copper, scarlet hair as she shot forward, unaffected by the fire surrounding her and took off. Through the darkness, she flew out of the ravine, hovered in the air, and set her eyes on her intended target.
M. M. raised her shocked face to the flying figure. She thought she killed the Titan woman. No matter, she would kill her again. Whipping out her pistols, she aimed her guns and fired.
Kory released a thermal shield, burning each bullet until the hitwoman's weapons were emptied out. She watched as M. M. retrieve another cartridge to refill her pistols.
"My turn," smiled the alien princess. She balled her hands into fists, directed her aim at the henchwoman, and allowed the ultraviolent energy to surge within her. Once full charged, she smirked. "Fry bitch!"
A huge beam of orange and green flame erupted from Kory. It lit M. M. into an inferno, as her screams, quickly disappeared leaving nothing left but a mountain of ash. Kory flew beside the cavern wall, stroked it, and inhaled.
"Let see if this works," she said her to herself.
Once gathering all her starfire energy, she hovered a few away, aimed her fists at the wall, and fired. An even stronger orange and green flame blasted through hard foundation, leaving a huge hole to travel though.
Kory hovered down and flew right through it.
Darkness covered Dawn. The rubble blanketed her and surrounded her in a pile of rocks, stone, and dirt. Thankfully, her metallic wings shielded her from the falling debris, but even that would not save her. Dawn knew that soon she would run of oxygen. She prayed.
Come on, Dawn. Fight!
The voice sounded familiar. It was welcoming, loving, and warm.
You can do this, Dawn.
She recognized the voice as an image appeared before her.
"Mom?"
Yes, Dawn. I know you can do this. I know you are stronger than me.
Dawn sighed. "No, Mom. I can't! I'm not strong enough."
Her mother frowned.
Yes, you are, Dawn. You're stronger than me. I couldn't fight against your father, but you did. That is why you're the hero, not me.
"But I failed. I couldn't save you. Life isn't fair," she said sadly.
Why can't we make it fair? You are Dawn Granger. You are a talented ballet dancer. You are smart, strong, graceful, and brave. Be that hero I could never be. Be Dove!
As quickly as it came, the image vanished.
"Be Dove," Dawn said to herself. She recalled the words of the Gray sisters.
You will find salvation and redemption.
And she did, many times, protecting the innocent and week, as the heroine Dove. Now she needed to be Dove again, not Dawn Granger. She had found her salvation and redemption.
Recalling the information provided to her by Themyscira Industries concerning her suit, she remembered how her goggles had a special optical feature. Pressing the infrared vision on her device, she scanned for a weak point within the rocks. With seconds, she found it. Now all she needed to do was time it exactly right and blast her way out. She did.
Taking off her wide brim hat, the mercenary known as T. H. shook the moment the rock pile nearby blew up in front of her. Clearing out of the dust, dirt and debris, the figure in a blue and white costume busted out of the rubble, glided against the wall, and landed a few feet away from her.
Furious, the hitwoman grabbed her guns and started firing. With the grace of an actual bird, Dove whipped her feather caped around herself, deflecting each bullet and danced around her opponent eluding every attack. Touching the cave wall with her feet, Dove launched herself at T. H., landing a perfect punt kick to the henchwoman's head, finishing it off with a roundhouse punch to the villain's face. T. H. went down hard to the ground.
This still did not stop the mercenary. Grabbing her blades, she slashed at Dove, but the heroine spun around unharmed as T. H. kept missing her target. Utilizing an arabesque move, Dove pulled in her knee, brought in leg, and shot forward, kicking both daggers out of the way, and dismantling her opponent's weapons. Now disabled, Dove made her move. She punched T. H. in the chest and brought her down again with a leg kick to the henchwoman's back.
Refusing to yield, T. H. struck back. Flipping back up, she grabbed her hat, this time tearing off the material to reveal a sharp metal chakram attached to a chain. This was the final weapon that her enemy was going to use on her to finally take her down.
Whipping the chakram around, the henchwoman threw it at Dove. The weapon soared through the air, striking against the Titan's metal wings, causing a spark before returning to its original owner. T. H. made another attempt, projecting the circular blade at her opponent's head, only barely missing Dove by an inch, as a lock of blonde hair fell from where T. H. had nearly lopped off her face.
"Third time's a charm," grinned Dove.
T. H. seethed. "This time you won't be so lucky!"
The henchwoman launched the chakram again; this time going straight for the face. Dove covered her visage with her protective gloves, allowing the weapon to wrap around her wrist. T. H. yanked the chain forward, causing Titan to fall to the dirt. Now brandishing her blades, the mercenary dragged her across to finish her off.
Quickly, Dove extended her metal talons from her gloves. With her free hands, she slashed through the chain and released her wrist from the binding. Seeing her target now free, T. H. refilled her gun and started to fire. Deflecting the bullets with her cape, Dove grabbed the broken chakram and launched it straight into the face of T. H.
It landed, embedded in between the eyes of the mercenary. Blood streaked down the hitwoman's face as she fell backward on to the ground dead.
Dove wiped off her hands before an explosion ripped apart the nearby cavern wall. Startled, she watched as the dust settled and a beautiful alien princess emerged, soaring through the opening.
"You can fly now?" Dove asked in surprise to her teammate.
"I guess so." Kory shrugged. "I also got a power upgrade." She looked at the dead henchwoman lying on dirt floor with a circular blade protruding from her head. "Looks like you've been busy."
"You don't know that half it." The Titan woman remarked. "Have you found a way out of here?"
"I think I might have," replied Kory. She aimed her powers into the next wall of the cave and fired. Within minutes, she blasted another hole into the next room.
Smoke filled the small chamber. Down on her knees and coughing, Artemis tried to take as much of breath in as she could as the flames got closer. Off in the distance, Zara cackled. No matter what happens, the Themysciran warrior would not give her foe the satisfaction of seeing her suffer.
"Feel free to scream," Zara taunted the Amazon. "I'm going to enjoy seeing you flail alive!"
Artemis coughed. "Come here…and fight me! Or do you need…to hide behind your powers?"
Zara grinned. "Such brave words from an Amazon who knows she is going to die!"
"I'd rather die a warrior's death than be a coward like you, Zara!" Artemis snapped.
The blaze got hotter and nearer, almost engulfing the entire chamber into one huge bonfire. Through stinging eyes from the amount of smoke and ash around her, the Amazon tried to find a way out. Noticing this, Zara ridiculed her more.
"Forget escaping," Derinoe's daughter laughed. "There are no windows or doors you can flee through!"
"I will try until my last breath," whispered Artemis, searching for a way out.
Zara folded her arms, tossed a couple more fireballs into the room, and waited for the flames to engulf her enemy.
"Soon," she said herself. "Real soon, I'll have a dead Themysciran."
The side of the wall behind her ruptured and burst open. Stones, rocks, and dirt flew everywhere as Zara turned around to see two female figures coming out of the smoke. Seeing Kory and Dove appear, she raged. Generating a ball of fire from her hand, she shot a flare at the duo.
"Dawn, get behind me!" Kory instructed her teammate.
Dove watched in awe as the alien princess controlled the oncoming fiery comet with her hand, as if it were a simply a toy she knew how to play with. Kory absorbed the fireball into her fingers and made it disappear.
Zara's mouth dropped. "That's not possible!" She opened her hands again, generated another batch of flames, and threw it at the Titans.
Once more, Kory absorbed it and stored it inside her. Seeing that her fire was not going to harm them, Zara pulled out her sword and charged.
The alien princess shrugged, lifted her fists, and directed it at the warrior villain.
"My turn."
A large blast or orange and green flame released. It slammed into Zara, hurling her back into the wall of fire. Now enraged, she picked herself up, lit up her hands, and prepared for an even bigger strike.
"You will die by my hand!" She shrieked.
Her words fell on deaf ears, as her eyes widened, her mouth gasped, and she glanced down to see a bloody blade protruding from her chest. Behind her a coughing Artemis whispered in her ear.
"You did want to die by A hand." The Amazon smirked. "How about mine?"
Zara struggled to say something but all that came out was empty air. Blood dripped from her mouth as her hands slowly extinguished and she fell to the burning ground dead, a sword stabbed through her back. However, that still did not stop the blaze that surrounded Artemis inside the chamber.
"Kory, we have to get Artemis out of there!" Dove ordered.
The alien princess agreed. Calling over the inferno, she yelled at the Amazon.
"Artemis, stay away from the flames!"
The warrior woman nodded, crouched, and coughed as smoke and heat filled the room.
One more time, Kory raised her hands. Concentrating on the embers everywhere, she took all in. Gradually, the flames drew back, pulling away from the Amazon as it absorbed into the Titan's body. Blackened soot and ash were all that remained as Dove ran in and assisted Artemis outside into the corridor.
"Will you be okay?" She asked the Amazon.
Artemis slowly nodded, coughed, and tried to regain her breath. "I will be in a minute." She released another cough before finally standing up.
"Loving the power upgrade," Dove noted to her teammate.
"Me too," smiled Kory.
Suddenly, the walls started to change. Leaves, branches, and vines extend all around them, covering almost the entire wall into one big mosaic of moss and greenery.
"What is happening?" Dove asked.
Artemis gulped. "It's the ritual! Derinoe must completed it!"
"Then we have to find to way to stop it!" Kory shouted.
They raced down the corridor to where the stone door blocked the original entrance. Kory blasted it away to reveal the huge hole in the ground that once belonged to the walkway. The ladies peered down to see light down below.
"I guess we're going down." Dove suggested.
Kory turned to Artemis. "Need a lift?"
"No, I already have one." The Amazon shot a grapping hook across the wall and jumped down.
Kory followed, flying down to the ground with Dove glided to the bottom.
Shocked at what they saw they moment they landed was an even larger battle in front of them. Zatanna fended off groups of Bouda creatures with her magic. Helena shielding herself from a dangerous Cyborgirl. A dead Rose Wilson laid near what appeared to be a green mountain of leaves that used to be Cassie Sandsmark on a stone slab. And a Henry Sandsmark trying fight a large group of beastly monsters as well as a giant chimera. The trio readied themselves as well to join in, which was necessary as a disfigured Alkyone and an evil Derione charged at them with their beastly horde in tow.
Cassie searched around the darkness. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was being chained up, struggling to set herself free, and the glowing seal that spread a whole bunch of plants around her body.
Shit! She said herself. The ritual worked. That means her family and friends were danger. She needed to get out wherever the hell she was.
A light blinded her eyes. She squinted to see a handsome man with dark hair heading toward her.
He smiled.
"Hello, Cassie Sandsmark." He greeted.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"The name's Jericho." He replied. "I'm here to help."