[19th August 2010]
[Entrance to the Tower of Fate, Salem]
"LORD OF THE INNER PIT! KARKULL! THE ENSLAVER! THE DOMINATOR! WE HAVE FREED THEE THIS NIGHT..." echoed out above us in the night sky as our enemy wizard seemingly summoned, or freed from his words, what was evidently a Demon Lord of this dimension. A horrid seeming creature of disjointed limbs, tentacles, and a cloak of shadows that clung to it as a dozen 'lesser' creatures emerged around it from the summon circles in the air. Small vicious looking dog-wolf-monster things it appeared to me as I gazed at them through the arcane sight of my mask...
At least I did before a blast of black-red chaos fire roared over our shield, the golden energy shimmering like a rainbow for a fraction of a second as the flames broke upon it as a storm wave upon a great boulder. Still the power behind it...I repressed a shudder at the rotating waves of power emanating from the pretending-to-be-a-child Primordial that had just unleashed the blast from his mouth. And now with each passing moment our enemy was escalating it seemed, bad enough we had a Primordial and an age old evil sorcerer attacking us without adding a bloody pit fiend and his minions to the fight. Oh...and Abracadabra too I suppose, but right now he was the least of our worries.
Still...we had a moment, just a bare moment, now to coordinate inside the barrier "M'gann, are you okay? Superboy?"
Worryingly it was Aqualad who answered as I reached into a compartment of my magic-murder-bag and grabbed for the potion "M'gann can stand but she cannot seem to focus it seems, neither by word or by mind and Superboy..."
"I'm bleeding, how can I be bleeding? I'm a Kryto..." honestly I tuned out no-vital complaining from that corner as I pulled out a potion, turned and flung a potion to Aqualad. Zatara at least seemed to be aware of the problem, letting loose with a flash of light from his wand, and then glancing back with concern. Superboy was close to being in shock by my estimates, not a surprise really considering his right arm was burned and bleeding badly where the Primordial's magic had slammed home first.
"My boy you're durable not invincible to everything as seem to believe I fear, as is your progenitor himself. Magic being one of those whose effects you are not invulnerable too..." came forth in the rapid professional tones of an experienced adventurer, well hero. Beside me Artemis let loose another arrow, this time at the nearest of the summon monster-demon things as she muttered various words that boiled down to 'What the fuck?' on repeat as Zatara continued "...what are you giving him?"
"Healing potion, it'll heal his injuries..." I replied urgently and motioned to Aqualad to give it, or force feed it if need be, to a dazed looking Superboy. Constantine was flinging fireballs now at the summoned demons as more chaotic energy cascaded off the shield around protective circle, howling in the darkness of the night. The older magician acknowledged that as he moved swiftly over to M'gann, who was hugging herself and staring into nothingness before her as Zatara muttered something backwards sounding, then nodded to himself stepping away to ready for battle again after those brief few second
"Your teammate will recover, but not for this fight I fear. Help from the rest of the League will arrive, but I cannot talk and cast. Nor can we employ our full powers with them utilising Mr. Nelson as a shield so close to the battle..."
"Oi Giovanni, focus on defendin' this damned spot with me and let John put some protections on his mates..." Constantine snapped out looking tired already, reaching into the backpack of holding we'd created and pulled out the Benelli M4 semi-automatic shotgun from within. Zatara just stared at him a moment as the lunatic swung back away and towards the creature nearest to them as it slammed into the shield, scratching and slashing at as it did so "...cuz this is flippin' bad and right now these kiddies are fucked outside this little irritantin' circle of bleedin' order!"
CraccccckkkWhoomppp echoed out to punctuate that statement, followed by an unhearthly shriek, as Constantine took aim and blasted the nearest of the minor demon summons in the face. Followed by "Liuk dat little demon shits? Do ya! Fuckin' Wizard with a Shotgun here is gonna show ya little pricks!"
CraccccckkkWhoomppp.
Hmmmm...giving John the shotgun with the blessings of the divine against evil, the demonic and the unnatural was turning out much as I'd expected/feared it seemed. It least it was scattering the unholy creatures a little as their Master Demon seemed to be actually discussing or debating what to do at this moment. Zatara, after another moment's blank faced confusion, shook his head and began chanting in backward talk to send lightning arching outwards at the foe, but at an angle to avoid Mr. Nelson. Okay there was our first priority then...
I could try a host of things of course; try going all out myself, casting a telepathic bond to coordinate better, summon something, but having options didn't always make decision making easy in the middle of a battle. Right now even the most basic of battle plans would be a better idea considering we had a powerful party right here on the field...just disorganised. As usual as much as I hated to admit it; so Planning, even for a brief moment, came first as I waved the others to listen as Aqualad had Superboy drink the potion and wounds began to close up. My voice was low enough not to be heard by our evil and chaotic enemies over the noise of shotgun rounds, snarling demons, and protections of the circle.
"Listen, we don't have much time. We need to get Kent Nelson away from Kadabra, and in here with us if we can, or that Elemental Lord, or the flippin Pit Lord will stomp on us hard before help arrives!" my team were shook, or at least some of the were. M'gann was barely there, Superboy was nodding now but still somewhat distant while Kid Flash was caught up with concern for both of them and the rather nightmarish scene all around our golden half bubble. Only Aqualad and Artemis seemed fully focused, though she was afraid from the feel of it at the presence of actual demons her weapons weren't bothering let alone harming. Aqualad nodded firmly.
"He is correct; these are creatures of vile darkness and most foul magics. The former Sorcerer Supreme they hold prisoner is as much their weakness as their shield if we can free him. What do you suggest?"
"Artemis, Aqualad, your ranged support, Aqualad's water magic can hurt them and use these Artemis. It's the few I've got..." I started pulling out a quiver full of just about enchanted arrows. Hardly ideal but right now it was better than ineffectual "...and focus on Klarion and Faust. Superboy your defence here, I'll give you a weapon in a moment; keep M'gann safe till she recovers and our ranged support covered. Kid Flash...Wally it's me and you on the offense. Hit, Grab and Run! I'm going to cast a spell of invisibility on you..."
This was taking too long as the attacks accelerated and grew in ferocity upon our circle of order amidst the chaotic and demonic energy clawing and smashing at the Circles of Protection. At least it was there and let me have the time to cooperate with the others to get basics in place like with some blessed arrows for Artemis; a summoned spiritual warhammer for Superboy, a ring of protection, and beyond that it was relying on the Protections against Chaos and Evil that were imbued by the Circle casting.
Time wasn't exactly on our side as the seconds ticked by and we spend precious time on basic planning. Assuming we survived this I was going to get plans and training a host of other things arranged. But right now it was time to roll the dice as the assault upon our position was getting ever more vicious. I jammed a dagger into the asphalt beneath me and took a deep breath...
An arrow, then another joined by blasts of blue coloured water magic lashed out at the child package sized Primordial from within out circle alongside the magic and shotgun blasts of Constantine, and the backward chants of Zatara. This time though the creature snarled in pain as the arrows bit home; painful bites rather than true damage it looked like but it was enough to get his attention and that of his powerful compatriots. An overreaction at that, I noted feel the sheer power and rage behind the attack even without the childish-demonic shrieking that went alongside it "DID YOU SEE THAT TEEKL? THE LITTLE INSECTS THINK THEY CAN HURT ME! MEEEEE! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!"
"Greater Invisibility" I stated as I finished the spell, then immediately following unto the next one as Kid Flash vanished from sight...then reappeared a moment later speeding out of the protective circle as a blur of light. Immediately purple and green lightning decorated the ground as his image dodged this way and that as he attempted to get close to the figure of Nelson and his captor. Who now raised his own wand and shot lightning at him while restraining a struggling old man with the other hand...
'Now' I thought focusing my power with the spell triggering silently and stepping forward into the 'doorway' that flashed into existence before me. Stepping out behind the rather well dressed latin man that was Abracadabra as the image he directed his lightning at, along with Faust and the Pit Demon, vanished from sight to his confusion. My footsteps seemed to alert him to my presence as it touched the ground and started to turn...
...and invisible fists smashed into him. Or at least to him it would seem that way as Kid Flash slammed one into his stomach, then grabbed his wand out of his hand as I lashed out at the taller well dressed man with a Sleep spell as he stumbled. As he fell to the ground snoring loudly I stepped forward between Nelson and the now apparently aware-of-what-was-happening Faust as he turned in our direction. While Kid Flash went about removing the technological collar restraint on the old man I brought my hands up and chanted rapidly. Just in time too it seemed as purple coloured lightning reached towards us "Globe of Invulnerability"
Eldritch power shattered off the invisible sphere of protection that came up around me, or at least only for a brief moment as the attack slammed home, then dissipated in the wave of its failure. Behind me the old man's voice reached out "Young man I think..."
"No time to talk, Kid Flash will carry you. Now GO!" I ordered not even looking behind me as I marshalled more power and withdrew a weapon from my strapped on magic murder bag. From them I heard a confused squawk as Kid Flash, now with a Bulls Strength spell in effect on him, lifted up the larger man as best he could and prepared to run. But first it was my turn to play the distraction to reduce the danger to them as they moved get away from them the long way. My free hand moved up and pointed upwards as off across the car park the others were redoubling their own attacks as the final incantation finished and I had a nice group of targets to unleash it on "Chain Lightning!"
I didn't see it but behind me I could hear Kid Flash and Mr. Nelson vanish, off to the right I guessed rather than the direct route straight across the war-zone before me. Not that it mattered over much how they got into the Tower, as long as they did get in there. The two lesser winged demons shrieking towards me died as the empowered lightning tore through their hell-spawn bodies as it reached for the hovering blue sorcerer and the higher level demon he had summoned. As expected his shields of floating energy wards around him...Gods that was just wasteful magic I noted...absorbed the attack but he braced and covered himself up with arms over face as he did so. Pulling back a few metres as well thankfully as I stepped forward to avoid killing the unconscious villain behind me, knelling as I brought the AT-4 to my shoulder and took the position that'd been drilled into me in that Curragh...
Vvvvvooooomppppp echoed out as I triggered the magically modified Swedish manufactured anti-tank weapon into the now largely stationary, and distracted, Elemental Lord not too far away from myself too miss even with the iron sights. But far enough away not to get caught in the blast radius myself as well thankfully as I shook from the force of the firing. Honestly it was rather good of it to fight from a distance actually rather than getting in close to my allies, and to fall back on brute force methods of magical walls and such to defend himself rather than teleport spamming. Something though it likely regretted right now as the High Explosive Anti Tank projectile slammed into its back and detonated in a roaring inferno that consumed it, and the ground around all the way to the tall concrete wall of the car park...
I blinked.
'Wait is that a cat?' I noted as something barrelled towards me...
'Oh shit giant demon cat!' my mentally warned me as the polymorph or whatever it was under flashed and it began to grow larger into saber-tooth tiger of some sort. I rolled to the side as it lunged at, then past me with a very enraged sounding roar. Discarding the now empty AT-4 I dodged again, this time from lightning that was green and sickly and evil, and began silently chanting the teleportation spell...
'Good News, Bad News' my mind informed me helpfully as I pulled out my pistol from my magic murder bag and shoot at giant evil monster kitty 'Good News; you found his familiar from the feel of it. Bad News; you need to run NOW before you kilt boyo!'
Chaos Kitty was fast, supernaturally so as I'd feared, but some of my bullets slammed home judged from its pained roar and dodging away at the last minute. Thankfully I'd already taken my brain's welcome advice as the enraged Primordial emerged out of the dust and debris screaming the eldritch and bizarre words of chaos that didn't truly exist with each 'breath'. Still the childish appearance was faded somewhat; the clean and tidy clothes torn, ripped and damaged, body at unnatural angles with one arm grotesquely muscled compared to before as a blast of chaos energy roared like a high wind...
...and then I was back inside the wonderfully comfortable Circle of Protection, hand on dagger, as the ominous roar of chaos winds died down to a mere gust for a moment. Across the car-park where I'd been standing though had become a rather large inferno as breathed in and out while resting on one knee. Around me some of the others were still mildly startled by my sudden reappearance; the non-mages of course as I looked around and saw the invisible Kid Flash with my mask's eyes. I managed to form words.
"Did you..."
A slow head nod "He...ugh, went inside the Tower and said to wait and, well...ugh..."
Power manifested in the sky above us, and behind us in the Tower I could feel the harsh, but right now welcome, drumbeat of Order Element magic come to life. Glancing up I saw a golden Ankh symbol form and out of it come a figure in blue and gold, with a golden helmet that blazed with the magic of the Elemental Plane of Order as a voice roared out into the night sky "ORDER WILL PREVAIL!"
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