Chapter 13 – Gateway
July 13, 2010
Charmcaster's Manor
Bellwood, California
Gwen and Kevin turned to see what Ben was gaping at across the lawn. The giant stone archway stood proudly where before there was simply a line of trees and some shrubbery. It had decidedly not been there when they looked before, but it was impossible to ignore now. The Door to Anywhere was now a fixture in the yard.
Gwen looked around quickly. "Where's Charmy?" she said urgently.
"I thought she was inside," Ben said, staring at the door. "Um, when there's no swirling purple energy... the door is off, right?"
Gwen held her hand up experimentally towards the door and shook her head. "I don't feel Ledgerdomain on the other side. But when did that appear?"
"Just now," said Ben. "I was looking at you and then I looked back and it was there."
"What does that mean?" asked Kevin, looking between Gwen and the door.
"I'm getting Charmcaster," said Gwen and ran past the two boys. "Keep an eye on it." She vanished into the house.
"What are we watching for?" asked Kevin.
"To... make sure it doesn't go away?" posed Ben.
"If it does... how do we stop it?"
Ben shrugged. The two continued to stare. A few minutes later Gwen returned with Charmcaster in tow. They both looked equally dumbfounded.
"That's not good," said Charmcaster.
"Did you misplace something?" asked Kevin.
"I didn't summon it," said Charmcaster.
"Then who did?" asked Ben.
Charmcaster shook her head. "It's gotta be someone on the other side."
"We don't know anyone good on the other side, do we?" asked Kevin.
"Like I said," Charmcaster said. "That's not good."
"Last time that door hung around, Brozz showed up," pointed out Gwen.
"See the above note about lack of good," Charmcaster snarled angrily. She shook her head and then strode towards the door.
Gwen, Ben, and Kevin hesitated then slowly followed behind.
"What are you going to do?" asked Gwen.
"I'm going to try and banish it," said Charmcaster. "Before Brozz shows up or... anything else comes out."
"Don't we want Brozz to show up?" asked Kevin.
"Now?" said Charmcaster loudly. She looked over her shoulder to glare at Kevin. "When we've spent all day training and getting on each other's nerves? Are you ready?"
"I thought we were just agreeing we were?" said Kevin, looking towards Ben and Gwen.
Charmcaster scowled. "Well, I wasn't part of that conversation. I'd like at least to get some sleep before committing suicide."
With a sound of cracking stone, the door began to glow with the symbols of Ledgerdomain's true name. The doors complained loudly as they ground upon the earth to swing open, revealing the swirling mass beyond.
"Okay, too late," said Ben. "Plan B: take cover!"
The group scattered to the trees and bushes, keeping their eyes locked on the portal and anything that might come through. Once the doors stood fully open, there was a full minute of painful stillness as they waited for the inevitable shoe to drop.
Then a form emerged from the opening, tall and male, covered in tattered robes and a hood. He staggered forward and then fell face first into the grass whereupon his body began to smoke slightly. He looked charred from head to toe and where the rags of his robes had burned away revealed bleeding wounds. The doors swung shut after him and became silent once more.
Charmcaster stood from her hiding place behind a bush and suddenly forgot the last few days of animosity amidst an unexpected surge of familial emotion. "Uncle!" she cried out and rushed over to the still form.
Gwen and Kevin watched in surprise while Ben turned towards the manor. "I'll get some help," he said before running inside.
Charmcaster knelt down beside Hex and gently rolled him onto his back. She felt the sticky wetness of blood on her fingers as she moved him, and tried to keep her stomach from turning when she saw the bits of burned flesh on his chest.
"Uncle?" she said again. "What happened?"
Hex wheezed as he breathed, and barely opened his eyes to look at Charmcaster. "Adwaita..." he murmured.
Charmcaster grimaced. "What about him?"
With another labored breath, he spoke quietly with long gaps between each word. "Found out. Angry. Attacking Archamada. Guarding door. Not much... time." His eyes fluttered shut. "I'm sorry." He fell into unconsciousness.
Gwen and Kevin, who had crept up to watch, stared still, unsure what to think.
"Do you think we can—" started Gwen but Charmcaster shot her a look that could have pierced steel.
"Don't even say it," she said. She appeared deadly serious, and Gwen wilted under the stare.
"Sorry," Gwen muttered.
Ben showed up with Verdona and Max just then and they quickly laid down a bed sheet next to Hex. He was carefully transferred onto makeshift stretcher and the whole group helped carry him back into the manor.
-(X)-
From that point on, the group moved in quickly organized shifts, cycling between people watching the Door (which refused to go away despite Charmcaster's attempts), tending to the gravely wounded Hex, and arguing with Max and Ben.
"You lost over a day the last time you were in there," said Ben to Charmcaster. "If you go in now, everything might be over before you get back . The clock is ticking. Sooner or later Brozz is going to show up."
"We don't know that!" said Gwen, who found herself in the more and more frequent position of defending Charmcaster. "We don't know why he was at the gate when we exited, it could have been a coincidence."
"That would be an extraordinary coincidence," said Max. "Though she's right, we don't know why he was there."
"We need them to make the plan work," stressed Gwen. "And we can't just let a people... ugh, they're being oppressed! We can't do nothing!"
"They've been oppressed for quite some time," said Ben.
"Oh, there's a reason to do nothing," Charmcaster said, dripping with vitriol. "You forget, we changed things by asking my family to raise a rebellion."
Ben sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to see anyone hurt."
"Then help," said Charmcaster.
"But-" Ben said loudly. "Our plan falls apart if we separate now. And if our plan falls apart, that means neither Brozz nor Adwaita will be taken down. Everyone stands the best chance of surviving if we stick to our plan."
"And just wait for Brozz to show up?" Charmcaster said angrily.
Ben grimaced for a moment. "Well, I might have an idea of how to make him appear."
Everyone stared at Ben.
"You do?" said Max.
-(X)-
Brainstorm was tinkering with Azmuth's silvery time machine in the yard in front of the Door to Anywhere. That was the best way to describe it from Gwen's point of view. He claimed he knew what he was doing, but she'd always been a little skeptical of that alien's insistence it was smarter than Azmuth. Few people were smarter than Azmuth, including other Galvans. The only thing that was more suspicious than a self-important alien monkeying around with a time machine was that Kevin was right there with him offering advice.
"No, that can't possibly do that," said Kevin for what was possibly the thirtieth time. "Look at the power generator, it can't just be venting all that excess energy. It's gotta be used somewhere."
"This apparatus was devised under non-ideal conditions with a temporal contingency factor," Brainstorm said without looking up. "I venture that precision was not at the forefront of its design requirements."
"Still, that's a Tetryon reactor," Kevin said. "With modifications. It's gotta be putting out more energy than a small sun."
"That is an insufficiently comparable analogue," said Brainstorm. "Given this design, energy generation is potentially greater than a super-massive black hole. This aligns with my estimates, however, as a gravitational force greater than the sum total mass of our solar system would be necessary to distort space-time in any meaningful manner."
"Uh," Kevin took a small step back from the time machine. "If that's the case, maybe we shouldn't be messing with this."
"Don't be silly," said Brainstorm. "I know what I am doing."
"I seriously doubt that," said Kevin.
Phil walked up behind Gwen and stared. "So what are they doing?"
"I think," said Gwen, and she was not at all happy to be voicing her opinion here, lest it be true. "That they're building a time bomb."
Phil was silent for a few seconds. "Like a... bomb that goes off after a certain amount of time, or a bomb that blows time up?"
Gwen looked at him helplessly.
"Yeah, neither of those options sounds good," said Phil.
"Are we ready?" Charmcaster called out from the doorway of the manor.
"These modifications necessitate an additional eighty-four seconds," said Brainstorm.
"Err, right." Charmcaster ducked her head back into the house.
"I'm still not clear on how you think this will attract Brozz," said Phil loudly as he was not inclined to willfully approach anything described as a 'bomb.'
"The presumption," said Brainstorm, again without looking up. "Is axiomatic based upon conclusions drawn from experiential interactions with extra-dimensional beings inclusive of Paradox and Alien X. The immediate term inversion of normal temporal progression is analogous to an elevated beacon positioned at the extremities of peninsulas or independent land masses where risk of collision with subsurface protrusions is present."
Phil swallowed and said nothing.
"He's creating a small paradox in the hope that it'll look like a lighthouse in the night to Brozz, who has Paradox's powers now," translated Gwen.
"The experiential data is conclusive, vocal aspirations towards celestial entities encouraging intervention is extraneous," said Brainstorm.
"He's sure it'll work," said Gwen without prompting. "I'm less confident."
"Bah!" snorted Brainstorm as he worked. He slammed the hood of the time machine down, nearly catching Kevin's fingers in the process. "Complete!"
Kevin stepped back. "Should we be looking for cover?"
"Nonsense," nodded Brainstorm. One of his pincers reached out and flipped a switch on the dashboard inside the cockpit. "There isn't eminent danger from the temporal transmission device, only from the desired attractor."
"And the 'attractor' is Brozz," clarified Kevin.
"Affirmative."
"And you just... turned it on?" asked Kevin.
"Such was the intended purpose of the device." Brainstorm moved its arms like a shrug. "What erstwhile destiny did you have intended for such a technical accomplishment?"
"How about a heads-up first?" yelled Kevin angrily. The end of his sentence, however, was cut off by a flash of white light followed by Brozz pushing Brainstorm straight in his supermassive cranium and sending him ricocheting off the ground and into the edge of the Door to Anywhere. Chunks of purple glowing stone broke off from the artifact and went flying before freezing in mid air, and then slowly reassembling themselves back onto the Door as if the world had been put on rewind.
"Damn," Kevin said under his breath as he ran towards the cobblestone walkway by the manor. Brozz ignored him, however, and kicked the time machine violently to the side, causing it to skitter, roll, and then crumple in a heap along a hedge.
Gwen's eyes glowed as she held up her hands and summoned several large bands of magenta energy to wrap themselves around Brozz. "Get everyone out here!" she said to Phil.
Phil was already running for the manor calling out for the gang to assemble as he pulled a gun from his belt. He let loose several wild shots at Brozz as he ran.
There was a flash of light beyond the Door to Anywhere and a voice called out: "Ultimate Humungosaur!" On cue, the large alien stomped out and began firing missiles at Brozz from its fist before he rammed straight into Brozz's chest. The impact broke the bonds that Gwen had placed around him, but also sent the alien flying backwards and skidding along the lawn.
Kevin ran back up covered in gray stone and turned his fists into giant maces. "Now what?" he said.
"We need Charmcaster to open the door!" said Gwen as she watched Brozz stands up again, shrugging off the two attacks like they were nothing.
"I'm on it!" yelled a voice as a flying blur sailed past. Gwen looked up to see Charmcaster floating high above the Door to Anywhere and chanting.
There was a flash of magenta light on the opposite side of Gwen to Kevin and Grandma Verdona and Sunny appeared, already in Anodite form. At least, Gwen assumed they were Grandma Verdona and Sunny, they didn't actually look any different than Gwen herself did when she was in that form.
"Just like we talked about," said Gwen to her family. "As soon as the gateway is open, drive him towards it."
One of the anodites nodded. The other sighed and said, "Fine." They flew off.
A loud growl came from the fight between Ben and Brozz and then Humongosaur came flying overhead and crashed into the manor, eliciting several screams from inside.
Kevin grimaced and started running towards the manor to try and save people. "This is why a heads up would have been nice!"
Gwen felt pangs of guilt, but turned away from the collapsing building. She knew Max, Hex, Julie, and Kai were in there, but she had to leave them to Kevin. She was going to be needed against Brozz. She could see Grandma Verdona and Sunny circling around Brozz and striking him with bolts of energy. They seemed to be having even less effect than Gwen's shots were doing in the last battle. He was further adapting to Anodite attacks, hopefully not so much that their plan had no chance anymore.
Closing her eyes, Gwen let her Anodite form consume her again and she felt the rush of energy change her. She floated up slightly off the ground and took a deep breath. She didn't need to breathe in this form, but it helped her stay calm. This was going to be a long battle, and if she didn't keep control... well, she's lose herself to her anodite nature. And as much as she was sure her Sunny and grandmother wouldn't mind, she didn't want to forget her physical existence.
Though if it was a choice between losing herself and letting Brozz destroy everyone she ever loved, she might have to make that sacrifice.
"All right, it's open!" called out Charmcaster from high above.
Gwen's eyes snapped open and she flew into battle.
-(X)-
The first strike Brozz made against Ship's armor sent Julie flying into Ben and almost into the Door to Anywhere. She clipped the corner and went spinning several dozen times before landing hard face first into the dirt.
Ship moaned slightly but held himself together while Julie just breathed and felt all her joint ache as if they'd been twisted completely around. It wasn't until that very moment that she really truly comprehended how out of her league she was in this battle – but it was too late to back out now. She couldn't run away, couldn't flee in case she could buy even a second longer to help Ben's plans come together.
She pushed herself up to her feet again and felt her arms shake. She found it hard to make herself rush back into battle. She was terrified. She knew she had a right to be. She also knew it didn't matter. The planet was at stake. She just needed to put one foot in front of another. Put others before her own wellbeing and fight with all her life.
She just was having trouble doing it.
"Come on," she whispered to herself, trying to steel her nerves. She just couldn't stop shaking. Instead she found herself laughing. "Where is that stupid bravado? That ignorant rushing into danger you always do when you're pissed off at Ben? I could use that now."
Ship had nothing more than a quiet whimper to say, but Julie knew the answer. Anger was different than Fear. She could be an idiot when she thought she was right. But realizing she was about to die had drained all the courage out of her.
"No," she said quietly. "I'm not a coward."
"Ultimate Big Chill!"
Julie looked up to see Ben flying up as Big Chill and breathing fiery ice upon Brozz, freezing him briefly while the others tried desperately to push him towards the Door. Then the ice flashed white and Brozz was moving faster than the speed of light, pushing away the Anodites and grabbing Ben so hard it looked like his spine was going to break before he remembered to go intangible and sunk through the ground out of reach. He turned and started flinging chunks of rock up at Charmcaster, who was moving just fast enough to avoid getting hit.
She watched Kevin merge his arms into a giant axe and hack away at Brozz's legs only to be flicked several dozen feet to the side by an errant slap. Then Brozz turned towards Phil, who was firing away to no effect while slowly backing up. The Chamatronian turned suddenly, swinging his reptilian tail out and tripping Phil. The ex-Plumber fell and would have been crushed by the follow-up if Max hadn't suddenly dashed into and slapped several explosives onto Brozz' forearms as he grabbed Phil and tumbled away. The explosions created a huge plume of dirt and smoke which were quickly blown away by Brozz waving his massive hands around like propellers.
"He's toying with us," said a soft voice nearby. Julie turned to see Kai standing nervously beside her. She looked almost more of a wreck than Julie did and she didn't have the benefit of power armor.
"What?" asked Julie.
"We're nothing to him now," said Kai. "He's just swatting us around like annoying flies but he's not actually attacking."
Julie looked up at the battle, the explosions of mana and different powers from Ben. They were swarming Brozz as best as they could but the beast was unmoving. Just brushing them off while he... stood there.
"Why not?" asked Julie.
"I don't think he cares," said Kai. "He must not be here because of us."
"Then what could he..." Julie started and then stopped as it dawned on her.
"He's after the Door," said Kai urgently.
"I agree, but why?" said Julie. "Does he want to go to Ledgerdomain? We were just doing what he wanted?"
"Maybe, or... I mean, it is called the Door to Anywhere, can't it go somewhere else?" said Kai.
"I guess so, but you need to know the true magical name of somewhere," said Julie, recalling what Charmcaster said about the door. "But if he's after the door, why wait until now when we're all here guarding it?"
"Then it's not just the door," said Kai. "Maybe he needs someone to open for him. Someone who knows the true names of places. Like... Hex or—"
"Charmcaster!" yelled Julie just as she saw Brozz smack her out of the sky using Kevin as a bludgeon. Brozz then tossed Kevin at the group of Anodites while he stalked towards where Charmcaster landed.
"He needs her to open the door," said Kai. "He's after her!"
Julie swallowed. This was her moment. This was where she could help. She just had to get over herself and do it. Even if she might die in the process. Ben did it all the time, though he was probably too egotistical to realize he was doing it. But Gwen and Kevin did it too. And Max. And even Kai knew. She wasn't so blind, she knew she was walking into a death trap by joining this battle. And yet she was still here. She could be bold.
So could Julie. She had to be.
"Then there's one place she needs to be," said Julie. She launched off her foot and sprinted as fast as her legs, and Ship could carry her. She felt the armor slowly deform itself around her as she ran, shedding pieces that were bulky and becoming more sleek as she put all of her will into trying to move fast.
"Julie!" She could hear Kai calling out to her from behind, but she couldn't stop now. She made the choice already, she had to do this.
Her legs ached as Ship's armor pushed her beyond what she thought her body could ever do on her own. How much was her own muscles and how much was Ship blurred in her mind as she ran.
Within a couple seconds she had raced past Brozz and was closing in on Charmcaster. Her arms extended to scoop up the magic user's form and to her surprise, Ship's armor expanded and sloped to become a giant spatula to catch her with.
Without slowing down, she dug underneath Charmcaster and lifted, pulling some of the dirt with her, and then turned in a wide arc to aim for the door. Only seconds had passed since she had started running but she could see Brozz's speed increasing faster and faster as he targeted her. She knew that he was a being of time, that he could be anywhere in an instant, but he was also mortal, with mortal instincts and senses. For all the power Brozz had, she HAD to believe her mind was working faster than his.
The Door to Anywhere loomed ahead but Julie kept at it, pushing Ship to move them faster. The distance closed rapidly. Ten yards. Five yards, One.
Then something hard and fast smacked her powerfully in the side, sending her flying off her feet. But her forward momentum was already too great. Even as she felt herself toppling end over end she could the Door still approaching.
Or more specifically, the slight dias the Door at on. Julie had only a quarter of a second but she flung Charmcaster forward, sending her through the doorway just before her face slammed into the steps and everything went dark.
-(X)-
"JULIE!" screamed Big Chill as he saw his girlfriend hit the steps leading up to the Door with an disturbing crunch and then limply tumble through, vanishing into the swirling magenta.
Brozz seemed momentarily stunned by the action but when that moment had passed he ran up to the Door and jumped through.
Everyone stared at what had happened, giving Kai enough time to run up and explain.
"He's after the Door!" she yelled. "He's trying to go somewhere, but we think he's after the door."
"We?" asked Max.
"Julie and me," said Kai. "He didn't care about the rest of you, he only showed up for the door. But he needed someone to open it for him, so he needed Charmcaster or Hex. And since Hex is in no state... well, he was after her."
"Go!" yelled Gwen when she flew down. She pointed at the Door.
Everyone else stared at her for a second.
"He went through," she said. "This was the plan! We have to go after him!"
"But... Julie," started Ben – who had transformed back into his normal form. "She—"
"You can't do anything for her here!" Gwen said quickly. "We didn't expect this, but this is still what we wanted. We HAVE to cast the spell now or we are going to lose, Julie, Charmy, and Brozz!"
"She's right," said Kai, looking to Ben. "Only way is forward."
Ben seemed paralyzed for a moment, and then solemnly nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, let's go." He turned towards the Door and started walking.
Kai fell in step along side Ben and Kevin, while the Anodites flew above and the Plumbers followed behind. "I'm sure she's fine," she said quietly. "Ship would have protected her."
Ben nodded but said nothing.
His fearful expression was enough.