11452/Wonderland: The Nameless Deed

Wonderland: The Nameless Deed
Date of Scene:	05 June 2022
Location:	Looking-Glass Land (Square B4)
Synopsis:	The Titans go to Wonderland to look for the White rabbit and find a whole lotta trouble instead.
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Harley Quinn, America Chavez, Gar Logan, Madison Evans, Victor Stone, Kaida Connolly, Kian, Michael Hannigan, Irie West

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Terry O'Neil has posed:
    The last time the Titans had ventured into Wonderland en masse, they had ran afoul of some sluggish miscreants and been charged by a very miffed Caterpillar to find the White Rabbit, who had stolen his precious Hookah, the recovery of which would allow the Cheshire cat and his friends (still under suspicion due to the Cheshire cat's long absence) access to information about what the hell has been going on.
    In the meantime, in hopes of making some headway clues-wise, smaller parties have ventured forth, which contributed some interesting information…
    Such as, for example, the fact that there is a sort of Messianic cult settled around the return of Alice, who is supposed to right all things that have been set askew.
    Or the fact that there seems to be deep loss and grief as an undercurrent to the dreams that inform Wonderland.
    None of those are immediately pertinent to the current problem at hand—which is to find the Rabbit, for whosoever findeth the Rabbit, findeth the Hookah.  Fortunately, one such expedition unearthed a valuable piece of information: the suggestion of where the White Rabbit might have gone.  Even more so, the fact that for some reason, the Red King might be with the White Rabbit.
    "There's only one place in all of Wonderland or the Looking-Glass lands," Vorpal informs the team as they prepare to jump through Troia's portal, "where someone might no longer be called what they are called."  He gestures towards the portal.  "The Wood of No Names.  It's a very dangerous place, as has been explained."
    Part of the brief Vorpal had provided for the mission included a folder with a known description of their intended location.  The Wood of No Name was famous in Looking-Glass Land lore for being a square patch of forest of ever-changing size (as all of Looking-Glass Land was mutable) and which had a very insidious power.
    It stripped you of your name for as long as you were inside.  One might say, 'Why, Narrator, how silly to be worried over such a thing?  After all, names are a dime a dozen!" but that is not so.  As anyone who knows their Faerie lore, Names are a very powerful thing.  Beings stripped of their name in the Wood forget more than just their names: they forget who they are, what they do, and forget such things as the fact that wild lions are dangerous and can eat you!
    Fortunately, any wild lion that happened to wander into the wood would also forget that they were a lion and ate hairless monkeys, and so the two might have a very delightful stroll around the woods.  Of course, things would get interesting if both of them happened to leave the woods at the same time as well.
    But that wasn't the whole of it.  Some people would wander forever in the woods, not having very good sense at all.  It was not a place you wanted to enter if you could help it.  Flying over it was just as bad as walking into it—it was a general Do Not Go zone.
    "From the dream that Nick and I intercepted, it sounded like the Rabbit was on his way to the Wood… for whatever reason.  Hopefully we should be able to intercept him before he enters the Wood.  We'll be coming out at the border of square B4, at Hill of Surveying.  That'll give us the best view of the land in order to intercept.  Remember… we don't want to harm the Rabbit, just capture him.  He's a good sort… if a bit on the nervous side of things.  All right, let's go!"
    Vorpal is the first to go through.  He is wearing a new outfit—a bodysuit in red and white, designed with the idea that the colors matched the Monarchy of Heart's colors, but could also be mistaken for an envoy of the Red and White Queens, thus potentially predisposing any person they come across in their favor.  Provided, of course, that they liked the Queens.
    When they arrive at the top of the Hill of Surveying, what meets their eyes is a vast world with regions organized in enormous and regular squares, like a chessboard.  To the north, far far away, so far that it looks like a toy, is the glittering castle of the Red Queen, just beyond the Eighth Square.  To the south, in the distance, is the hazy outline of the White Queen's castle.  Each castle is also flanked by pairs of Cathedrals, Turrets, Rooks, all of which seem to be inhabitable buildings.
    What they don't see, however, is the area immediately around them.  As high as the Hill of Surveying goes, only several hundred feet of its cusp are visible, the rest fading out into a very thick fog that covers everything below them.  And the square.  And at least two of the squares adjacent in each direction.
    "…This isn't good," Vorpal mutters.  "We should be able to see the Wood of No Names from here, but with this fog I can't see anything, not even where the border is…."
    He turns to the team.  "Okay.  Brainstorming time."

Harley Quinn has posed:
    Harley Quinn says, "I am not too suwah about this wardrobe choice today…."  Harley is confiding with Terry as they go through the briefing.  And indeed she is… oddly dressed.  Even for her usual standards!  Pair of dark red booty shorts combining up to a footlocker referee shirt in all it's black and white stripes magnificence.  On her foot are cowboy boots with rhinestones of all things.  And to finish it off?  A gosh-darn wide-brimmed straw hat.
    "I was askin' April what I should bring since I was nervous!  And I think she dressed me up like some RPG character from one of those games she plays.  I am gonna guess it was SIMS!  She can get a bit pervy on those…."  On and on Harley goes while leaning in against her gigantic hammer that she brought.  And is that a creepy doll head poking from her backpack?  Harley then sorta stage-whispers, "I got revenge by turnin' some of her dolls into bombs.  This is gonna be a blast…."  The wide smile on the clownette's expression is telling.
    As the explanation comes forward about the wood of no names Harley listens in fascination.  "I should had brought my jestah's clothes."  Lost opportunities!  "Next time!"  But then she jumps through the portal without hesitation.  She looks around, wide-eyed.  "Woo, the Queen's castle!"  She points and as Terry asks for brainstorming she looks at him.  "Well, we could just call him!  Unless he already entered the woods, then we might have to go in and look foh fluffy white rabbits….""

America Chavez has posed:
    America arrives in her usual manner, punching a hole in reality and stepping through.  "Oh!  Thank the gods, I made it," she says, looking windswept.  She does it justice with her dark curly hair, it might be part of her superpowers for all anyone knows.  "Not a swamp monster this time… which is good.  Dragons!" she says with a smile given to Madison and Victor.  "Smallish ones, but still… dragons."  She shrugs into her star-spangled jacket a bit and smiles to Terry.  "Sounds like a plan," she says with a smile as she looks over the briefing.
    Arriving in Wonderland she immediately takes to the air, only a foot or so above the ground at the start of it.  "Nice threads Vorpal.  You too Harley, ecletic is all the rage here in Wonderland," she adds.  "I like it."  She then looks around.  "You think Mach 1 could clear it?" she asks, looking at the fog bank and the other fliers in their midst.  "We could cover the ground fast enough and billow it out if necessary."

Gar Logan has posed:
    "Well, when you're playing those open-world games where the map is hidden, you just have to start going through it and that'll clear it up."  Leave it to Gar to draw a comparison to video games.
    Beast Boy is in his red-and-whites as well, and he's already arched a brow at Vorpal's New Clothes.  More time for that later.  "So I get that we want to stay out of the woods.  Bad juju there.  If he's already made it in, this is gonna get a lot more difficult."  Others may have input as well, useful or not.

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison's mother absolutely would not approve of her daughter wandering through into Wonderland—but the teen has slowly grown more and more flagrant in her disregard about such things.  She also jumps through the portal without hesitation—dressed in simple jeans, and a skirt, with a light jacket just in case of chill.  Once on the hill, she pulls out a telescope which is perfectly normal in nature—honest, why would you think otherwise?—and tries to peer in the direction of the woods.  "Maybe I can see through the dog with this?" she muses.
    Something that obviously would not work at all if it is indeed merely a normal telescope.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Looking Glass Land is an entirely new place for Vic, who's been avoiding going to Wonderland supposedly because he was staying behind to make sure one of the older Titans was in the Tower at all times.  (Really it's because he's been moping in the labs and avoiding Troia.  Shh, don't tell anyone.)  But he's moping less, or at least for different reasons, so he's joined the others on this trip to… find the Caterpillar's Hookah.  Sure, why not?  Honestly, genuinely, he's done weirder stuff with the Titans.
    "I'm thinking," Vic says as he peers at the fog, "that I could maybe clear it out with some wind, yeah."  He holds up his sonic cannon.  "But also maybe Gar's got the right idea.  Maybe we just forge on into the fog of war."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    Kaida leaps up on to a rock nearby and peers out over the land they are surveying.  She is wearing, for the most part, her usual garb.  Today, however, she has brought her scarf up over her chin to give her an extra epic look in the wind with the scarf floating out behind her whenever it blows.  She taps her foot a little as she looks around before looking to Terry.
    "If I've learned anything, it's that if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall, tell 'em a hookah-smoking catepillar has given you the call."  She nods her head and then looks to Terry before grinning.  Finally she looks to the others here and puts her hands on her hips, standing up as tall as a mouse can stand.
    "I think America has the right idea but where should the forest be?" she asks and looks to Terry.  "Like, the map is in a grid pattern already, which grid should it be?"  She gestures out over the area.  "We can start there."

Kian has posed:
    Kían has tried to digest everything that Terry has told him about Wonderland, what to expect there, how to deal with it, but… well, theory and practice are not the same thing.  Ultimately, all he really knows about the situation is that one of his tenár'yw needs his help, and that's really all the birdman needs to know.
    Without thinking about it, he takes a deep breath and steps through.
    And is confronted with fog.  So much fog.
    Again without giving the action any thought, he kicks into the air on a directly vertical trajectory.  Eyes in the sky, you know.
    "Everything is in such neat squares," he radios down, as if amazed such regularity can be found in a land he was assured was mad.  "And I see a few other flying things, but they're some distance.  I don't know what… who?… they are."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    If one were to look at pictures of cumulative papparazzi photos of Nick Drago.  It would become apparent that Nick does not rely upon an extensive wardrobe.  So while others are mixing and mattching attires, he's gone back to the jeans and tee combo of the wild haired stage persona.
    Right now that appears to be the only thing wild about him as his posture seems, rather subdued.  Possibly a bit tired looking as well.  Then again, certain things they saw in the dream wasn't shared beyond the loss and grief.  Also noticably absent was the reveal of how Terry managed to upgrade some kid's Titan themed birthday party.
    Another time perhaps.
    He looks to the fog.  "Either get closer or use a spotlight of sorts?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    Terry has categorically avoied telling his team-mates of his embarrassing dive out of the Dream realm and onto a birthday table at Planet Herowood.  Gar would never let him hear the end of it.  Especially because the kid had a Titans-themed party going on.  And the real motivating reason for his new outfit was the fact that he could not get the mustard stains out no matter how hard he tried.
    "Uh oh… be careful, Kian.  The flying fauna of Looking-Glass Land includes Gryphons.  If any of them start taking an interest… they might come for you."
    Harley gets a grin.  "You are as appropriately attired here as anyone will be.  Wonderland… is a place of exploratory fashion."  In fact, he's had the theory that two-thirds of the high couture industry are Wonderland expats.  Have you seen the fahsion shows?  "The bombs might come in handy."  Even if they are creepy murder-dolls.  Man, was it just a year ago that he and Harley were battling possessed murder-dolls that had been brought to life in April's store?  Sunrise, Sunset—
    "I think that might work, America.  In fact, we could have you drive the MAC truck through the fog and have Vic follow up with wind action—"  He pauses and glances at Cyborg.  "—by which I mean your cannon, not what you and Gar get up to after Taco Tuesday."  There's a noogie coming from Gar, he just knows it.
    "Gar, you can take point leading the party through the fog, whether we part it or not we still need to get through it.  You can use that bloodhound nose of yours," he says, tapping Gar's nose, "to guide us.  As Kaida pointed out, walking around blindly in Wonderland, of all places, is no good, and terrain that might look real isn't necessariy so.  Or solid."
    The Cheshire nods at the Jedi.  "Right, Maddie, I want you at the rear of the formation looking through that telescope.  The moment you see anything through it, sound the alert."
    He glances at Nick.  "If you have any lights on you, we may need them if we can't dispel the fog.  It may be the only way to go through.  We can follow Vic's lights, but we should have someone bringing up the middle with illumination just to be careful."
    "All right, let's go!  'Merica, let's start with your WOOOSH and we'll start filing in.  Vic will be at the front with Gar and blast at any recalcitrant fog, and we'll bring up the rest.  Titans, onwards!"

Harley Quinn has posed:
    Gar's comment has Harley hover close to him.  "Oh, you sound as pervy as April with her games, Gar.  Not that I don't play!  I like World of Warcraft, played them with the turtles!  We weah the worst with all the open world ganking, spreading terror with our lil guild called Shell Shock…."  Going on a bit of a tangent there, Harley!  "But yea, I like yoh assessment, this is sorta like open world pvp, we just can't get to kill the little rascal…."  She looks at her hammer then ahead to the fog again.  "I mean, no one dies from a hammah strike, right?"
    But then back to the real issues here!  "Oooh, your boy is looking sweet isn't he?"  This said to Gar about Terry's outfit.
"Sizzlin'"  She then says to Terry.  "And yep, bombs are good in every situation."
    And once they start marching to follow Gar's snoot?  Harley starts singing a… Girl Scout song:
    "Alice the camel has 4 humps."  Beat.  "Alice the camel has 4 humps."  Another beat.  "Alice the camel has 4 humps so go Alice go wibble wobble wibble…" with the wibble wobble part she shaking her booty.
Because someone has to be the party bard and keep the morale up!

America Chavez has posed:
    America gives a quick salute to Terry and takes off.  There were many advantages to being born close to the Demiurge in the universal pocket realm she called home, one of them was the ability to fly at exit velocity speeds.  Mach 33 is quite a bit faster than she needs to go to disperse this fog and so doing so doesn't cause her much issue in this situation.
    She shoots high into the air before diving down at an angle through the fog, the air particles at her heels compress into a field before the sonic boom flashes out from from the explosive speed she reaches.
    The path she cuts through the fog reveals tracks.  Rabbit tracks!  They're visible for a moment before the fog bank starts to swirl and close in over the wide berth she created.  It's not long before she cuts up through the fog and starts to zoom back for another pass, giving Cyborg plenty of time to sonic pulse his own way clear for the others.

Gar Logan has posed:
    The Cheshire cat gets a little shove from Beast Boy for his joking around, leading to him rolling his eyes.  "I know it's tough sometimes, but let's try to be on point here.  Not to be all Jedi, but I have a bad feeling about this."  The expression on his face shows the mood, and not even Harley's observation about Vorpal is enough to distract him from trying to keep things focused.  "Yes, he does.  I'll think about it more once we've figured all of this out."
Sure enough, he goes with a form that's great at tracking scents, but it's not a bloodhound.  Rather, it's a bear.  If there are any pik-a-nik baskets about, he'll find them.  Or rabbits.  Or other creatures of the lands.  America's mention of tracks found leads to him glancing up that way, then he keeps on keeping on.  "Got a few things around here…" he reports.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Aye-aye—I'll cover our rear!" Madison declares brightly.  She somehow seems to have gotten the 'red' memo—because her t-shirt today is red, and shows Vader sitting on the Iron Throne.
    If the Iron Throne were made of lightsaber hilts.
    Finishing her outfit is her backpack—designed to look like the Mandalorian writing a bantha with Grogu beside him, because of course it is—and tucked inside are some food, and first aid items, and water—and anything else she decided might some in handy.
    "Hammers very definitely can kill people you kno- OH!  Clear up the fog some more!" Madison says eagerly, pointing down the hill.  "I saw something!  Squat little… animal something, with pointy ears, running that way!  It's pretty fast!"

Victor Stone has posed:
    Cyborg nods to Vorpal firmly, grinning a little at the way the Cheshire is taking charge.  America's sonic boom is clearly impressive, but he doesn't focus on that too much beyond his grin widening.  Instead, he moves down to start sending short blasts from the sonic cannon to make the fog retreat as they go along.
    "On it, Madi-Wan!"  Because she's a Jedi, see?  "You need a better codename, seriously.  Let's go!  The fog'll probably close in behind us but I'll keep it off.  If it comes to close to you just holler."

Kian has posed:
    "What's a gryphon?" Kían asks, quite seriously.
    Someone is a touch lacking in his knowledge of Earth mythology, or has forgotten a few bits from his reading of 'Alice Through the Looking-Glass'.
    Okay, to be fair, reading and understanding are two different things.  Although it's getting a little confusing.
    "I don't think they're coming closer.  Yet," Kían radios down a little uncertainly.  "Is there anything I should be looking out for?  Other than the other flying things, that is."  He peers into the distance, but there's only so much that hawk-like vision can do.  Unless they come closer, which is a good thing in that he might be able to identify them, and a bad thing in that that might mean they noticed him.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Note to self: If ever invited to one of these Taco Tuesdays, do NOT sit next to Cyborg or Beast Boy.  As Terry seems okay with the suggestion, Nick glances around to see if anyone brought a flashlight or lantern.
    "I don't have any on me but I can make it," Nick says to Terry.  He makes sure the cat is looking right at him before stating the next part, "If I do, you might want to not come in contact with me during that time."
    Warning given, the musician shuffles over towards the middle of the group.  Making sure there's at least a Harley sized gap between him and Terry.
    Fingers are brought together as the musician becomes quiet, seemingly focusing on something.  As they start moving towards the fog, lips part to a low murmur.  "…Lucia's Light, show me the way."
    In an odd turn of events as Mike utters the last phrase, it seems like a switch got flicked on.  The dark clothing Nick ends up not being the case anymore as it acts more like a lampshade.  Nick is positively glowing right now as his skin starts radiating holy light.
    Nick Drago.  Rockstar.  Actor.  Dream Specialist.
 Annnnnd sometimes holy fog light.

Irie West has posed:
    Iris has been here the whole time!  I swear!  She's been hanging in the back with Madison, dressed up in her new Kid Flash costume.  Though, now that she's older, she wonders how appropriate being called 'kid' Flash is.
    "Do you see anything, Mads?" she asks, curious to see what the magical spyglass has to offer.  "Maybe it can see through the fog, too."
    When she points out the running figure, Iris turns and squints.  "I got it!"  She rushes forward and starts circling the figure at Speed Force speeds, creating a vortex that clears away the fog to reveal… the White Rabbit!
    It looks like the White Rabbit has been running around with the stolen hookah, pumping smoke into the air to cover his tracks.  When the whirlwind subsides, he totters for a moment before falling flat on his face, sprawling on the ground.  "Oh my paws and whiskers!  My nose!" he cries out.
    "Found him!" Iris says triumphantly, pointing at the prone rabbit.  She looks around as the dense fog starts slowly rolling back in.  "Um.  We better hurry or else we're going to get lost in the fog again."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "A Gryphon is a creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle, and the temper of Caitlin after someone damages her favorite cookwear.  They can be nasty if they take a dislike to you, so be careful…."
    And then, the Rabbit is found.  Just like that.  "Good teamwork, everybody!  Quick, double-step before the fog rolls in—"
    The Cheshire frowns, suddenly, as if noticing something.  He narrows his eyes a bit.  "Harl.  Keep those bombs handy," he says.  He doesn't say why, but he looks like something has fired off his Cheshire sense.  If there is such a thing*.  "Kian, hon, keep your eyes out for anything moving in the fog."
    As the Titans double time it to the cleared, the fog already closes behind the path they had cleared, it is that fast.  It is unknown whether Harley is capable of keeping up this pace and her Girl Scout song going, but it's definitely a challenge to be accepted, right?
    "Leverett!" Vorpal says, stomping towards the White Rabbit, who fumbles to his feet and holds the Hookah to his chest, protectively.  As the Cheshire cat approaches him, the rabbit lets out a squeak.
    "No!  Y-y-you're an imp-p-p-postor!"
    "It's a long story, Leverett—one I don't have time for," the Cheshire says, his tone softening a little but still firm.  "You stole Caterpillar's Hookah.  Why?  We've come to take it back to him."
    The Rabbit's eyes widen, and he shakes his head quietly.  "Y-y-y-ou musn't!  I'm p-p-protecting His Majesty.  I n-n-need it!"
    "What do you mean, you're pro—"
    At once, Kian would notice something moving in the fog.  The fog that is closing up on his team-mates now.  Several somethings, in fact.  They are so tall, the very tops of them peek through the curtains of mist.
    Trees.  But strange trees—covered in a dark substance that drips from them, from their clawed branches that move like arms.  From their trailing roots that carry them across the ground.  From the jagged openings in their trunks, which look like gaping mouths.  There are dozens of them, and they are converging to the same point: The Titans.
    The Cheshire stops talking and looks around, ears twitching, eyes wide.  They can't see what's coming yet, but they can hear it.  "Combat positions!  America, Vic, give us some visibility!  Nick, can you join Kian above and you two can be our eyes in the sky?  Harley—"  He glances at his friend.  "Bombs away.  Far away enough that you don't hit any of us, mind you… Irie, fast recon?  Can you zip around and see what's there and where?  Your running wake will help clear some fog too.  Maddie?  Jedi Invisibility and use the element of surprise like in training… and YOU!"
    He wheels on the White Rabbit.  He points at the Hookah.  "Turn.  that.  shit.  off.  NOW!"
    "I d-d-d-d-don't know h-h-h-h-how!" he wilts.  Vorpal groans.  "Gar, stay close and protect the Rabbit.  I think they're coming for him."
    "They are!" the Rabbit squeaks.
    "—As I SAID."
    The towering creatures move with frightening celerity, for lumbering hunks of forest.

* - There is.**
** - It isn't what you think it is.

Harley Quinn has posed:
    Challenge accepted!
    Even if first Harley does whine a little.  "Come on.  You guys need to sing too.  Whoeva heard of girl scout's songs only sang by one person, mmmm?"  This said before they actually need to start running over to the rabbit.  "Awww, he's sooo cuuuute."  A grin.  "…I just want to pinch it's cheeks and call it… George."  She winks at Leverett in quite the teasing manner and a 'call me' sign.
    The call to battle positions means Harley perks up though, looking ahead and putting her backpack to the ground.  One dollie is brought out, she twisting it's head over and over and letting it go.  It starts to rotate back, it's creepy little teeth clacking as if it was a timer.
    And back to singing!  "Alice the Camel has 3 humps…."  Bomb is tossed.  "Alice the camel has 3 humps!"  Explosion.  A grin as one of the approaching trees starts to combust…  "Yea, never bring twig arms to a bomb fight, suckas!"
    Another bomb is tossed into the fray but now the attacking trees appear to have learned and instead of letting it explode one of them smacks hard on it, sending it rebounding back to where Harley is, it clattering across the grass.
    "So go Alice go—"  Harley spots the bomb close to her.  "Ooops."

America Chavez has posed:
    America comes in again swinging around low to the ground to clear a space for the coming battle.  Her trajectory, however, never included the monster trees in the equation.  One of the things rears up right in her field of vision and she pulls hard to starboard.  She has incredible coordination and reflexes, but not much can be done with a moving monster tree in one's face.
    The veering direction, combined with her speed sends her flying headlong into the forest at breakneck speeds.  The very forest where you forget who you are and what you can do.  The Forest of No Names.  Uh-oh.  This can't be good.

Gar Logan has posed:
    Returning back to normal after the White Rabbit has been found, evidently with a name of his own, Beast Boy squints.  "…Leverett?  Wait.  His name actually means, like, 'baby?'  Hey, dude, how is this protecting anyone?  It's just keeping us from being able to… uh, what was that?"  The sounds around them intensify, branches creaking, thudding steps heard, that sort of thing.
    Harley is doing Harley things.  Boom.  America… where did she go?  Kian's up there.  Iris is around.  More direction is being given.  "What are you doing?" he asks Vorpal, while at least moving to keep the Rabbit nearby.  "Don't even think about hopping off.  If you didn't need me here right now, I'd really scare those big Groots off.  It'd be Termite Time."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Uhh… it's Fulcrum," Madison informs Victor, putting her hands on her hips.  "But you never asked."  She sticks out her tongue at the man—just as the tree ents start moving in on them with murderous intent.
    "Eep!"  Yes, she actually says 'eep.'  "Aye aye, Captain!"  And with a moment's concentration—the Jedi simply ceases to be.  From a visual perspective, anyways.
    "All right.  How about I—" she starts—just as the bomb lands perilously close to her and Harley.  "Oh no."
    That's when Harley feels her wrist grabbed by the unseen hand of a certain young Jedi, who shouts out a hasty, "RUN!"  She empowers her running speed with that ability inside her she calls the 'Force'—allowing her to drag Harley along at an increased speed as she murmurs, "Three, two—JUMP!"
    She jumps for all she's worth, trying to shove herself clear of the blast with her telekinetic abilities.  Whether it's her TK skills, or the force of the blast from the bomb that propels her—it's a little unclear, but Harley disappears into the dangerous woods—presumably with the Jedi along with her as well.

Victor Stone has posed:
    "Harl— Ameri—Madi—!"  At this rate, Vic should just be Gramamma, the way he's going through people's names.  Maybe it was inevitable that the group would get split up in the fog—it's Wonderland, after all—but he doesn't have to like it.
    Cyborg keeps sending out blasts from the sonic cannon to keep the fog at bay and then growls, "Ugh!  No, we're stopping this right now!  Gimme that!"  He reaches out to grab the hookah away from the Rabbit and starts trying to figure out how to turn the thing off.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    The illuminated Nick looks over at the contradictory order.  "LIGHT OR FLIGHT?!  YOU GET ONE," the rocker responds back loudly.  Nick steps to the side he notices a tree nearing him start to back away.
    "Huh."
    Nick makes a jump motion in the direction of the tree to see what it does.

Irie West has posed:
    "On it!" Iris says, with a little salute to Vorp.  And she's off, zipping around the trees, leaving little eddies in the fog which makes it easy to track her movement.
    When she returns she reports, "There's about thirty," she says.  "Harley took out, like, half a dozen of them but there are a lot."
    Speaking of which… "Where's Harley?  Or America?  Maddie?!?"  She starts zipping around again trying to find their missing members.  "Oh no!  Did the trees get them?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "Goddamnit can I do anything right?"  This was the first time he was taking charge in an actual combat situation—and he was screwing the pooch with it.  They have already lost three team members into the Woods.  HOW are they going to get them back without setting foot in the woods?  Wait—
    No time to think, though.  "I'm going to rectify my screw up, is what, Gar!" Vorpal says, and quickly tries to take stock of the situation.  And he gets an idea.
    "Okay, okay—NICK, they seem to be scared of your holiness!"  Been there, done that.  "Try to herd them—VIC, use your cannon full blast, try to herd to the same point—GAR, become something big and do the same.  We want as many of them in one concentrated clump… IRIE?"
    He points.  "Harley's bag with the bombs is over there… grab it.  When you see them all clumped together… give them an Unbirthday present."  He reaches over and grabs the Rabbit's arm.  "I'll keep Leverett here."
    The Hookah is strange.  It doesn't seem to need anything specific to produce smoke, it just does.  There also doesn't seem to be any visible way to turn it off.  But there is an inscription on it, with the words that may have haunted Vic for a long time now: Who Are You?

Gar Logan has posed:
    "Just keep it together.  Let's deal with this first, then we'll figure out the rest."  Beast Boy has gathered that things are falling apart to an extent, but it's not the first time and won't be the last.  All the same, being down a few already isn't optimal.
    With Vorpal calling out some instructions, and the others getting to the point of trying to deal with the threat of the big trees, he steps away as Vorpal replaces him in guarding the White Rabbit.  "Heh.  You want something big?  I've got just the thing."  He creates some space to help, and his size grows… and grows… and grows.
    Once finished, a brachiosaurus looms well above the others.  An added bonus? Jaws part and begin to seek out the nearest tree.  "Come to daddy!" he says, with glee.

Victor Stone has posed:
    "What Gar said," Vic agrees, as he frowns over the Hookah.  He doesn't like that question.  Not at all.  He opens his mouth, closes it, opens it, closes it again, and then says to the Hookah, "Cyborg, okay?  Just turn off, would you?"
    The smoke… does indeed stop spewing out of the hookah, so that seems to be the right answer to the question.  Or an acceptable one, at least.
    That done, Vic tucks the Hookah under one arm and adjusts the settings on the cannon.  He starts sending blasts, stepping to the other side from Gar so the two can work together to herd the trees to the same point.  This is a big benefit to their constant attempts to one-up each other in video games—a lot of the time they don't really have to talk to work together.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Watching the tree scoot back from the jump scare confirms the initial observation.  Interesting.  Hearing the order from Terry change again to something capitalizing on the discovery ends up being icing on the cake.  Nick gives slight smile.
    And the chase is on!  A lovely sight indeed of a glowing little man chasing after much larger trees.
    HOLY LIGHT, BIRCHES!!!

Irie West has posed:
    Iris looks at Terry and suggests, "Maybe if I run in there and grab one of them real fast maybe I can do it faster than I'd forget my name."  She looks nervously over where the rest of their party disappeared.  "I mean.  I'm pretty fast.  I'm sure I could do it."
    But then she gets other instructions and she goes over to pick up Harley's bag.  "These are really creepy, you know?" she says, pulling out one of the dollybombs.  "Okay there's… four more in here."
    She looks up and waits for all the evil ents to get clustered together, then in a blur of motion, primes each doll and runs through the trees spreading out the bombs and tucking them in nooks and crannies where the branches and roots can't reach.
    She runs back to the group and shouts, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" and hides behind Vic.  If there's any ent shrapnel coming her way, she's sure Cyborg could deflect most of it.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    WOOSH.  The creepy ents explode once Irie has primed the dollybombs, and it takes care of the majority of the enemies.  Vorpal gave the order to fall back, and fortunately it was timed well enough that no-one was caught in the immediate blast.  Black slime and tree shrapnel flies, but are kept from impacting the party by virtue of Victor's cannon, and Vorpal's constructs acting as shields, especially to shield Nick who is not shrapnel-proof.  His right bicep hurts when summoning the constructs, for some reason, but he doesn't think much of it.
    It doesn't destroy all of the trees, but most of them, and the remaining ones are so splintered and maimed that all they can do is wave a futile branch here and there, but make no advancement.  There is time for re-grouping and figuring things out, at least.
    Vorpal exhales and bends over, hands on his knees.  "That was close… too close… and we still lost people, damnit!  Nobody go in the Woods yet.  We need to think.  We need… info."
    He rounds up on the terrified rabbit once more.  "Damnit you old fool, why were you headed to the woods and what the hell are you doing with the Hookah?"
    Leverett's ears droop, as do his whiskers.  And, well, the general totality of him is just one big droop at this point.
    "I was t-t-t-trying to save His M-m-majesty…."
    "From whom?"
    "You know whom."  The rabbit's gaze is surprisingly intense.  "You ran away to get away from him!  Or at least…" he adjusts his spectacles, "you did but it wasn't the you that is now…."
    Vorpal grows quiet at this, and lets out a tiny growl.  For the moment, he seems to be biting back a reply, or anger, leaving the floor for others to ask questions.

Gar Logan has posed:
    Big booms and more, and the threat of the trees is lessened.  Cyborg and Beast Boy have their rivalry, but they're always better together.  The overall situation isn't resolved, but they have a chance to sort of reset and make plans.  And, perhaps, get answers.
    Gar is back to normal once more, the overlarge size of the dinosaur gone, and by the time he's back in closer proximity he's picking up on the conversation.  "Okay, I'm not gonna say who I think you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure I know.  But the question is, why was he," as he points Vorpal's way, "I mean, why the last one was running away.  What happened?  And why is it going after the King?"
    Is it a question Vorpal himself could field?  That might not even be possible.  Figuring this out could be a key to more.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    The White Rabbit's whiskers tremble.  "H-h-h-he ran away after the J— after he came out of the Tulgey Woods.  Until that day, he had been confined.  But he grew stronger, and stronger…."  The Rabbit frowns.  "And we r-ran out of time.  He came out and attacked Th-th-the Castle first.  The Red Queen r-repelled him.  But h-he destroyed the Eighth Square."
    The Rabbit sighs.  "Every t-t-time we tried t-to repair it, h-he would destroy it again.  Ch-Cheshire…."
    He glances at Terry.  "The other Cheshire t-tried to face him.  And he hurt Cheshire.  So he turned tail and went up t-the rabbit hole.  Went to find Alice."  He grows somber.  "Then he sealed up the Rabbit Hole and nobody c-could g-get out again."

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic frowns thoughtfully as he comes back in with the others to regroup.  "Why'd you think the Hookah would protect… the Red King?  What's the smoke do, besides be foggy?  And where is your King, huh?"
    He listens to the answers, but starts turning to scan the area around them, trying to see if his cybernetic senses can pick up anything.  T-Comms, say, although if anywhere is going to scramble the ability to track T-Comms it's Wonderland.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "It's a smokescreen," the Rabbit says plainly, as if stating the self-evident.  "He couldn't get to the King because the King is in there."  He points towards the Woods of No Names.  "I p-p-p-put him t-t-there… w-without realizing it.  Now I c-c-c-can't get him out.  He can't go in either, so he started sickening the trees.  But the Woods are strong and it takes him quite a bit to do a few."  He gestures to the twisting remnants of treets that litter what was the combat field.  "S-so I thougtht that if he c-couldn't see the trees for the f-forest, he wouldn't b-be able to create a-any more."
    Then his eyes grow wide, seeing how clear the air is.  "You've g-g-got to turn the Hookah back on!  We're exposed!"
    True to Wonderland, sensors are indeed being messed with.  Vic receives a nonsensical reply to his inquiry: not a single T-comm ping, but the readouts do print out some rather nonsensical poetry about toes.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    The warning was nice.  But the most Nick could do was to duck down and make himself as small a target as possible.  The tree shrap sounding stikes sticking into the shield constructs is noted.  It isn't until the sounds stop that Nick cautiously lifts his head to look.
    He gets up, stepping towards the group still aglow as the group is asking questions of the rabbit.
    "So… we have a red king who doesn't know he's a red king in a woods where if we port to him we are also in trouble."  He pauses.  "How were you intending to have him get out of there when things were resolved?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "I—I don't know!" the White Rabbit protests.  "I was r-running away fr-from him.  He finally c-came after the King at his Hill.  Almost g-got him.  I c-carried him away and r-ran so fast I did not… I didn't s-see where I was going.  Then I th-thought in d-desperation, if the K-King had no name, then He wouldn't know how to find him….
    "The n-next thing I remembered I was in th-the Woods, c-carrying the King.  But I didn't know who he was.  Or w-why I carried him.  B-but I wandered.  I wandered for days….
    "I laid him down somewhere.  Somewhere that looked safe and c-comfortable.  B-but I don't know wh-where.  Wh-when I f-finally wandered out, I realized wh-who I had left back there… but I couldn't go back!"
    He looks agitated.  "If I go in, I forget everything so I c-can't look for him…."  He clearly did not think his plan through.  Perhaps out of desperation and fear.

Irie West has posed:
    "Notes!" Iris says brightly.  "We could write ourselves notes, that way when we go into the woods, we can remind ourselves why we're in there!"  She looks thoughtful.  "And then, we can tie a rope around one of us and send them in, and once they collect everybody, they can follow the rope back to us."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "That… is a very good suggestion."  Vorpal points to Irie.  "Very good one.  But we'd need to go back for the ropes, we didn't bring any…."  He frowns.  "And I don't want to leave our team-mates in there for long.  Or the King.  We've got to get them out now."  He ponders for a moment, and then snaps his fingers.  "I've got it!  Guys, I can use the Rabbit Hole to explore in there.  Think about it, we won't be in there, but looking in, and then when we see someone, we just yoink them.  Let me try that!"
    And so the Cheshire cat focuses on the edge of the forest, and summons a Rabbit Hole, with its sister right next to him.
    So far, so good.  "All right, let's give this a tr— ow…"  He glances down at his bicep.  The wound, which had been almost healed, has re-opened again and is bleeding.  "Must've done it during the battle…."
    The Rabbit Hole doesn't have even half a chance to move, when suddenly there is a horrifying sound.  A terrifying dark roar.
    A shadow emerges from the ground, where it had been skulking.  It's a creature that isn't really there, but it is its presence in any case, a mass of shadow that resembles a dragon, but also a praying mantis, and other creatures beside, and it is terrifying.
    "It's him!" the Rabbit shouts, and starts running away, hands in the air in a panic.
    "Titans!  Battle po—"
    Vorpal doesn't get to say another word.  A scream comes out of him and the wound on his arm lets out a purple, sickly light as he is hoisted in the air by a chain of shadows that suddenly solidifies between his wound and the projection of the shadow creature.  And Vorpal screams as his body becomes blurred, almost as if there are two versions of him, and they are both being pulled apart from each other: a human Terry in agony, and the Cheshire Cat, screaming.
    At the same time, coils of shadow whip towards the Titans from the enormous shadowy figure.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic was already glaring at the Rabbit, ready to yell at him that they can't avoid this thing, this him forever, when he shows up, shadowy tendrils and all.  "I was about to say 'bring him on' but I guess that's already happening!"
    His friend's scream is horrible, and he's not sure what to do about that, but he can think through… Wonderland, puns—no this is Looking Glass Land, so chess… well, shadow, that's obvious to deal with.
    He shifts his sonic cannon to give off light instead.  "Help me out here," he calls to Mike.  "Let's see if we can chase away the shadows with bright enough light!"  He shines the spotlight on the shadows attacking the group!

Gar Logan has posed:
 All of this news leaves Beast Boy staring at the Rabbit, then Vorpal, or at least the Cheshire side of him.  "Okay, this is a lot.  It was corrupting the trees, and you couldn't get the King back out, and the other one… wow.  Just, wow."
    There isn't a lot of time to process this, because the wound on Vorpal's arm comes into play again.  "Dude, you all right?  What's going on?"  That roar is the answer he really wasn't wanting to hear, but there it is.  "Aw, sh—"
    The shadow appears, building up quickly, taking the form of something they were all trying to avoid having to face.  "Not… good."  And then Vorpal is getting bound by it.  "Hey!  Big and ugly!  Let him go!"  It's the first thing Gar can really think of to say, as Vorpal rather shimmers as two sides are being tugged at.  Then shadow is coming for them.  "Scatter!  Regroup!" he shouts, going into the form of a small bird to evade and try to buy a moment of thought.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    As Terry more or less had center stage, Nick's eyes widen the cat gets grabbed.   "TER—"
    The dramatic shoutout ends up getting interrupted as the movement to the side of Nick's vision gives warning of the impending attack.
    Nick jumps back to avoid the one coil.  Hearing Cyborg's suggestion, the musician's left to run with it.  He's not coming up with any at the moment.
    He twists his body back, reaching a glowing hand to grab on to the bit of shadow that tried to grab him.
    A belated idea.
    "Any chance we can push HIM in the woods?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    The combined light attackes do damage—quite a bit, as whole sections of shadow are dissolved, but soon replaced by more as the shadow grows again.  It almost seems like it is pulling more of itself from the very soil of Looking-Glass Land, as black rivulets on Unlight coruscate upwards to make the creature whole again.
    Terry's situation isn't improving.  In fact, it's worse: at this point, the two bodies almost seem separate, with only crackling wisps of chaos trying to keep them together.  The Cheshire is fighting, his body moving and pushing against whatever it is pulling him… but it's not enough.  The human Terry seems to be completely ignored by the shadow's hunger, serving seemingly as nothing more than a marker to find the Cheshire, as the wound on both bodies glows brighter and brighter the more the Jabberwock exerts a pull on the Cheshire.  Eventually, the strands begin to separate from the two bodies, increasing the gulf between them.
    First, many strands of chaos stand between them.
    Then ten.
    Then, two.
    And then, just one.
    And then, that one starts trembling and fraying.

Gar Logan has posed:
    Chaos causes many things that are unexplainable.
    At the same time, certain things have a very simple reason for being the way they are.
    "Vorpal!" the green bird above shouts, divebombing at the shadow tendrils and chains with little success after turning to a more lethal avian: a hawk.
    "Terry!" he cries out again, as the two sides are being pulled further apart, one visibly ripping and tearing away from the other.
    What to do?  What to do?  The Caterpillar was quite confused at seeing a copy of itself.  Not only that, but that copy asking him who he was.  Trying to do the same thing with the Jabberwock?  Not advisable.  Maybe there's another way.
    The hawk keens in anger and worry, then it hits him.  A distraction.  Something that could draw the attention of the Jabberwock away, give Vorpal/Terry the chance to escape, to help the others flee.
    He would be the Cheshire Cat.
    But remember, boys and girls, as strange as things can be in the realm known as Wonderland, it is still governed by certain rules.  One of them?  There can only be one Cheshire Cat.  It is how Vorpal came to be, tied to Terry as soon as he was born.  His father knew that, and was long gone before that time came.
    Here, the chaos magic swells, pulses, like it has a heartbeat of its own.  The visual of Vorpal's side shimmers again and there is a bright, nearly blinding flash as it leaps to Beast Boy.
    A moment later, Gar is seemingly gone.  No, just different.  Very, very different.  Still green, but quite feline, and quite dapper.  Strong of build in the upper body, akin to a pro athlete.  Dressed in black, from a dress shirt rolled up to the elbows along with tailored slacks, plus a fancy purple vest and bowtie, styled with hints of darker stripes.  Fingerless purple gloves with a buttoned style at the wrists.  Feet bare, save for purple spats that leave heel and toe visible.  A cane in the shape of a pink flamingo, which he leans upon as a leg bends at the knee, the claws of his toes digging into the turf.  Can't forget the green tail swishing side to side behind him in a playful manner to match the wide grin upon his face, the mischief in his eyes bordering on something uncontrollable.
    "Well, well, well, what do we have here?  Aren't you supposed to be after me?" he asks, voice not far off from Gar's, but notably not the same.  There is a throaty purr to it, a brow sliding upward, feline ears attentive.
    The Jabberwock's confusion buys a moment.  Terry falls to the ground, forgotten.  The shadow chains and other threads disappear, broken.  The Cheshire has taken over Gar, and the Cheshire is what the creature is after.  "Shall we see if you can catch me?"  He winks at the Titans there to witness this.  "This won't be but a moment.  Protect him."  A claw gestures toward Terry, then the new feline darts away to let the chase begin.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Cyborg isn't running.  Vic's friend is in trouble; he's not going to run.  He stands there, stubbornly trying to fire light at the shadows, even as it does no good.  He starts franctically thinking, flicking through the resonances he has of Terry's chaos magic, figuring maybe he can use that green light again to put the two halves of Terry back together….
    And then Gar comes up with a solution, and Cyborg gapes, eyes going wide.  "You can do that?!"  He runs over to kneel down and pick up Terry, gently, to keep him safe.
    "I think we need to stand back," he says to Nick.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Nick's glance moves over to the screaming Vorp who looks to be in incredible pain.  The writing on the wall seems clear to him.  "We need to get T—"
    And then Gar happened.
    Well, good to know the priorities are the same with this group.
    Nick moves over, maintaining a reasonable distance from Cyborg and the carried Terry.  Chaos + Holy Magic = Yeesh.  "We still got others stuck in the woods," he points out, eyeing Terry for any physical injuries.  But if something's actively trying to kill Terry they can't very well keep him out in the open.  "But…."  He turns his head, keeping an eye out for where the creature and Mock-Cat went.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "They… are safe," Terry says, almost a whisper while being carried by Victor.  He doesn't look like he is in pain, but he looks like he just ran three marathons and then participated in an all-night dance-a-thon.  He seems to be clinging to consciousness by sheer force of will.  "He can't go… into the Woods.  We need to get rope… but… first… we have to get out…."  And he closes his eyes, finally losing the fight with consciousness.
    Meanwhile, the Jabberwock's projection—for its transluscent state shows it is not the full physical creature in its full prime here—chases after Gar, claws raking and breaking the trees as it passes, being led on a merry chase by the newly-minted mint-colored Cheshire Cat, giving his team-mates the opportunity to escape towards the portal at the top of the Hill of Surveying.

Gar Logan has posed:
    "So it would appear," the Cheshire Gar said to Cyborg as he spun his cane and it disappeared in a small puff of glitter before he took off.  Apparently some things hold as consistent.  "Here.  Use this.  It'll be faster."  As he glanced over a shoulder, he waved a furry arm and a rabbit hole opened up back to the top of the hill they appeared at.  It would only last as long as he could maintain sight.  "Hurry!"
    After that, a merry chase is taking place, signs of the Jabberwock's pursuit clearly seen and heard as it roars and leaves damaged trees in its wake.  Gar perches atop a branch of one and waves to get its attention, as if such a thing was even needed.  "Maybe you should start trying to Jabber-run instead of Jabber-walk!  From here, you're falling behind!"
    There is power in the Cheshire.  Considerable, chaotic power.  Already, it tugs at him, messing with his thoughts, his focus, but it isn't enough to keep him from ensuring the monster, whatever form it's in now, won't be going back for his friends.
    A fishing rod appears in hand and he casts it out toward the Jabberwock, a fisherman's hat popping into place atop his head, whiskers twitching as he grins on.  The bait?  A miniature toy version of himself, sliding along the ground as the monster nears.  When it gets close, he yanks on it and taunts, "Oooh, you almost had it!  You gotta be quicker than that!"
    With a laugh, he leads the thing deeper, across more squares of land before a series of sight-based rabbit holes brings him back to the hill with the others, making a show of clapping his hands together and wiping them back and forth for a job well done.  "I think we'd better be clearing out.  How are our pals in the Wood of No Names doing?  Have they managed to remember who they are?"  He's looking at Terry in a particular way, worry mixed with something almost maniacal.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    As if suddenly answering Gar's questions, the breeze picks up and, with it, brings a strange sound.  Is it the whispering of the tree tops, or is it an actual voice?
    Run along, dearies. it says, I'll see to them.
    The voice is very different from any of the voices present here, including the Jabberwock's roars.  But if questioned further, it will not answer again.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Cyborg hesitates just a tick, glancing toward the Wood.  Then, on hearing the voice, with a growl of frustration, he heads through the hole back to the top of the hill, carrying Terry with him.
    "Whoever that is just better get them back or there's gonna be hell to pay!  I'll make them call Madison's mother!"  Nobody wants to call Madison's mother and tell her they lost her daughter.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    As Terry says the others are safe, and then the wind backs him up.  If you can't trust an avatar of chaos and an unknown disembodied voice, who can you trust?
    Nick nods, the glow fading from his skin.  "Good enough for me.  Let's go."
    As he follows the group into the portal, he finds himself lucky that he's not in a position to make that call.
    Parents can be scary.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    The portal is right there, being kept open by Troia—although there will be no doubt that the Titaness will make it invisible to the Jabberwock after the last Titan has passed through.  However close it might be.  Once the last of the team comes through, the portal begins to shrink.  Just a little.  As if to give Gar the sign that he needs to hurry.
    Terry, on the other hand, is completely out, like a light.

Gar Logan has posed:
    Gar's head tilts at the voice, one entirely unfamiliar to him, yet at the same time, one he finds he can trust, can believe.  "I have a feeling they'll be back very soon.  Now, let's be off and hope they come back with the King in tow.  I deserve a nice treat for this.  Oh, and the rest of you, too."
    With the portal from Troia's end growing smaller with each one through, he does not dawdle, does not delay.  There is a hop through it to follow the rest, with but a single look over the shoulder at the place they're departing.
    Even with the state Terry's in, he struggles with his reactions, his moods.  "Well, that was fine adventure, wasn't it?  I feel like we've all learned something excitingly new here!"  The tail lashes rapidly as he paces back and forth, the group now returned to the Tower.  "So many questions to ask!  So many answers to find!"

Kian has posed:
    There has been a lot of quiet from above for a while—although really, it wasn't so quiet for anyone who was actually up there.
    Kían has kept up as best he can over the radio, but he's been busy.
    As it happens, gryphons are a thing.  Whatever it was that Kían saw in the distance wasn't them.  They were a lot closer, and they were behind him.
    So, Kían: looking more than a little bedraggled, more than a bit scratched up, and definitely not happy as he comes in for a landing… which diverts into a swoop through the portal back to the tower.  "There were gryphons.  Unfortunately, they were behind me.  I'm not really happy with what I had to… nnh."
    Pick the moment that Kían noticed Gar.
    He just stares for a moment.
    "Oh, shit."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    And as Kian speaks those words, the glowing light of a Star portal appears in the room, bathing everything in light until it shatters, revealing America and… well, probably Madison (she's still invisible.)
Terry begins to snore.