"My estimate is complete," I said seriously, landing on the ground. Looking around, Gamma had joined us.
"We got the gem," Misty said, holding it up. I took it and placed it in my medical kit.
'Beta, Delta, you there?' I thought.
'Waiting outside,' Superboy answered.
'We need to move quickly. This temple belongs to the Bleak family, so it is in Klarion's possession.'
'Meaning?'
'He'll notice it's gone pretty quickly.'
The physical strain of teleporting the temple into rural Australia was immense. I would later compare it to being brain blasted by Psimon, thrown against a wall by Clay Face and burnt by Chaotica.
When we landed in the outback, which was deserted in the dawn apart from red dust and shrubbery, Tim caught me as I collapsed. I took a deep breath and told myself to stand.
From inside the bio-ship, we could see the temple. "You did it," Misty cheered.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon, when Juanita portled into the cave and returned with Raven in her pod. Superboy wheeled her into the temple.
I told him to open it. The Team stood against the wall as Conner lifted Raven's body out and placed her on the floor gently.
My gaze finds Nightwing. I felt the familiar fear crawl up in me. Did he not once have feeling for Raven, when she played the role of Lola?
"Create a dome around her," I instructed. Henry, who was to my left, held his hands out. Palms splayed, mahogany mana created a shield over Raven's body. Being in the middle, I used my Midnight mana over the top. Last, Juanita used her white mana.
A dome of mahogany, blue and white swirls covered Raven. The three of us sat mid air. I let the energy surge through me. My eyes snapped open, glowing.
I chant the words on the all in front of me.
"Nruter reh ot tahw ehs saw
Ekat yawa reh niap
Eerf reh morf soahc sehctulc
Evomer yreve ecnuo fo cimag
Nruter reh ot tahw ehs saw
Ekat yawa reh niap
Eerf reh morf soahc sehctulc
Evomer yreve ecnuo fo cimag!"
Raven screams and writhes in pain. A range of coloured streams of light shoot out of the dome and into the air, disappearing like dust.
The gem flies up from where I left it. Just outside of the magic circle. It flies in and hovers above the dome.
"Gnisu eht enots
I esuf ti htiw reh
Tcetorp reh morf eht drol fo soahc
Noiralk Kaelb
Noiralk Kaelb."
The stone disappeared within the dome. The lat of the light left the shield and it began to disperse. It began breaking apart, revealing an unconscious but clean looking girl.
Before I could react however, the shield, which was still deteriorating, burst in a final release. It knocked myself, Juanita and Henry backwards and against the wall.
Every breath of air in me left as I felt my back connect with the temple wall. La'gann caught me as I flew towards the ground, before everything went black.
~Nightwing~
Wondergirl caught Juanita before she hit the ground, but Impulse, Viper and Blue failed in catching Henry. I ran over to Hana, who was being supported by La'gann.
She's breathing, just, but I smoothed her hair back gently.
"Hold her," I said, before standing and approaching the magic circle.
Batgirl and Bumblebee were tending to a still unconscious Raven.
I reached out to grab her, but instead fell backwards when the temple suddenly shook violently.
"Everyone out!" I commanded.
Most of the Team made it out, but the doors slammed shut behind Viper. I was left in here with Batgirl, Bumblebee, Laurel Destiny, Raven, La'gann, Robin and Hana.
'Nightwing! It's Klarion! He's tracked the temple down!'
'Where are you now?'
'Aboard the bio-ship! We can atta-'
'Negative. The only person fit to take on Witch Boy is out cold and in here.'
'So what, we wait until he spots us or kills you!?'
'I won't let that happen!' Hana's voice suddenly said. I spot her being held of by Lagoon Boy.
"Destiny, Bumbleebee, Lagoon Boy. Do everything you can to break down the walls. Klarion couldn't care less about what happens to the temple; just the people inside."
"What about us?"
"Batgirl, stay close to Raven. I-I'm going to try and portal you guys into the ship."
"But you just used all that magic!" I argued.
~Hana~
"I'll be fine," I smiled, though I failed to mention that I was already in agony. "Go with Batgirl. Pick up Raven. Robin, stay with me and try to deflect any rubble."
With the temple shaking like crazy from whatever the hell Klarion was doing, I tried to gain as much energy as I could, breathing deeply.
Growling in pain, I managed to open what I hoped was a portal to the ship. Robin ordered Batgirl and Nightwing to get Raven through first.
Dick opted with walking towards the portal and handing Raven to Batgirl, sending her through. He then made Lagoon Boy and Bumblebee give up, since what they were doing had little effect.
Those two went into the portal next. "Nightwing will you just go!" I screamed. I wanted him to be safe most of all.
There was a crash, louder than most. A red stream of energy shot through the wall, missing everyone entirely.
Misty ran up behind Nightwing and shoved him through the portal. Reaching down, Robin helped me up, placing my arm around his shoulder. Misty shielded us as we hobbled to the portal.
"Look out!" I felt myself hit the floor as Robin released me and tackled Misty to the ground, saving her from being hit by an energy blast.
Without a second thought in his eye, Tim jumped up, grabbed Misty and tossed her into the portal like a sack of potatoes, before a stream hit him the the shoulder. With a shout, he dropped beside me.
I could not longer handle it. The portal snapped shut and I collapsed to the cool stone floor, rubble and dust picking up around me.
Suddenly, everything stopped. The rubble stopped mid-air. The holes in the walls, one of which I guessed the team were watching through, filled with a barely visible red substance.
"It's dampening my magic," I gasped out to Robin. "I can't do anything." Not that I had any energy in me to do anything like that now, anyway.
"Whoever is in there; you'll be sorry!" Klarion screamed from the outside, before one of the temple walls crumbled completely. It was only then that the ship decamouflaged.
Robin and I opted for a slow jog to the new opening. An invisible forcefield blocked it though. My guess was that Witch Boy had his back to the ship, so he could not see the Team.
They watched us from the ship in panic.
Overhead, there was a cracking sound. It started from the top of the temple, before the entire thing came crashing down in seconds.
I cast a brief glance at the team, before I swipe Robin's feet from under him. At the same time my arms wrap around his waist as he falls to his knees, making me fall on top of him.
Tim is a normal human. I am a partially invincible meta-human. I could survive this.
I push my forehead into the back of Tim's hair and attempt to encase us in emerald mana, but it is so hard when I am so weak and drained of energy.
For a while, it is substantial. There are rocks of all sorts on top of us.
When the shield breaks, the biggest rock falls, but is caught by the edge of another, leaving the smallest gap.
"Robin?" I whisper.
"I'm alright. Thank you," he replied.
"Hana!? Robin!?" I hear Conner's voice.
The rocks on top of us shuffle and move, before light fills the small dark space.
Looking up, I see Wonder Girl and Superboy staring down at us. Conner reaches down and pulls me up onto my feet. Cassie then reaches for Tim.
"What's happening?" I ask softly.
"Misty alongside Juanita and Henry are doing a good job at keeping Witch Boy at bay."
Superboy helps me out of the rubble and dust. In a clearing by the bio-ship, I find the team making occasional individual attacks in the battle happening over-head.
Nightwing runs over and takes a side of me from Conner gently.
Juanita, Henry and Misty are slammed into the ground and the same time in one big crater.
"Well well. My beautiful, beautiful Brie," Witch Boy chides, grinning as he walks along the air. "What on Earth made you want to save her? She hates you."
"Simple. I know she would have done the same," I struggle back.
"True, true," he says after a while of contemplation. "However, have you readied yourself, for this?"
When he clicks his fingers, I panic. There's not an ounce of magic in me. It's taking every part of me to not collapse and sleep forever.
"For what?" Garr asks stupidly.
Klarion grits his teeth and continues cliking, before he gives up entirely. "You infused her with the Azarak stone!" He whines.
"You taught me well," is my reply, with a mischievous grin.
His anger darkens, he calls me a rude name and pushes backwards, arms at the ready to launch an attack. I see Destiny, Juanita and Henry ready themselves.
Wind picks up suddenly. What kind of attack is this?
I frown and look around, seeing the red Australian dust and leaves swirl along the ground.
"You shouldn't have any magic left!" Klarion snapped.
"Exactly, brat! It's not me!" I yell.
The wind keeps growing until it is twisting at a fast pace. It swirls, until there are three tornadoes forming.
"Nine. You were warned, sparkling one."
Klarion tries to defend himself, but the wind literally takes him buy surprise and launches him off into the horizon.
"Nine; wind," I mumbled to Nightwing.
His grip suddenly loosens on me. I would have fell, had Conner not continued his hold on me.
Through Nightwing's mask, I see Dick's eyes. They are betrayed. They are hurt. And why? Because now he knows. Klarion is a weakness of mine.
That I still care for him.
~
Were you expecting that? xD
Comment, vote, eat rocky road.
Happy 1am in the morning T-T
-Kaido <3