17232/Back to the Earth

Back to the Earth
Date of Scene:	22 February 2024
Location:	Lazarus Pit - Somewhere in Iceland
Synopsis:	Phoebe comes back to the land of the living
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Essix, Austin Reese, Jason Todd

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
ICELAND -- AN OLD MINING ATTEMPT

    The open pit lay in a volanic plain, greenish old ice and snow lending a trecherous decor to the largely barren landscape. This mine -- it was a mine, once, when people still went a viking and raided the communities of Europe -- had been stopped in its attempt to get much more than rock centuries ago -- Iceland was still too new, geographically, to have produced precious metals or gems. The whole operation had shut down in the 1800's, when it was purchased by a private interest. And then it had lain barren and undisturbed.

    Phoebe's domino had pinged -- once -- and then shut down again. Likely a deliberate action.

    She perished Saturday. She's being raised on a Wednesday. What prepwork had been done? What condition would she be in?

    When she had left Gotham in Jason's care, her black hair had been soaked in canal water. Her body sliced from the bottom of her sternum to just left of her navel, through armor. Through flesh and viscera.

    And he had brought her to the Lazarus Pit.

    Though a rough-hewn stone tunnel, marked by ancient tools and period graffiti, there is a massive chamber, access granted by someone shooting through the lock and shoving open the gate. The black bassalt was uplit by the viridian neon glow from the lazarus pit at the bottom.

    A sharp crack in the earth, jagged like a maw where bubbles and steam and heat rises from below.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
All it had taken was for some awareness of the disruption of a Lazarus Pit. Was it instinctive? Was it innate? She was drawn to it in her own way. A light tremor in her that had nothing to do with the volcanic backdrop of the island. What was it that called her to here?
    That lead her to finally break one part of her unspoken pact of fear and paranoia with her father? That had her going upon the territory that she had banned herself from?
    The death of one close to her. And the worry that she would not have wanted to go through it.
    Talia Al Ghul watches from the shadows, silhouetted by the ashes that rained down and the acid.

Damian Wayne has posed:
GOTHAM CITY -- SLAUGHTER SWAMP

Done with Saif Hassan and putting down the information he provided, Damian's phone pings. Taking in the information from Phoebe's domino, he seperated from Flatline and Ravager, heading immediately to the Batcave.

A quick change from his assassin's garb into the Robin gear - Phoebe does not need to see him in the darker outfit when she awakens, he reasons.

And it's a trip from the Cave to Icelan - presumably with others. Once they arrived at the location, Robin descends, using his cape as a glider as he drifts into the craggy hole, landing on the edge of the Pit.

A glance towards Jason as he lands, and his attention turns to him and his own mother. "Hassan gave me information on the blade that killed her. Not much else. But we have some leads." He offers. "I'll share the information when we get back."

A glance to his mother. "She is family. Do not hide from her." he comments flatly. Almost angrilly. "Grandfather can go to hell if he doesn't agree with this."

Tim Drake has posed:
    There's no need for a countdown ticking away in the corner of Tim's HUD. In fact, he's all but eschewed the Red Robin guise since Phoebe's death, out of disgust with himself. For not being there when she needed him. He only uses it when needs must, and Tim's always had a very acute sense of time awareness. He knows they're running out of time to get this right.

    If anyone reaches out to him about it, in fact, they get a terse reply that mostly amounts to a "Don't contact me again." He's dealing with powers far beyond his own reckoning, using the copious amounts of notes lifted from Phoebe's study, relics of the past his birth father Jack Drake had concealed from him, and a few more far-flung resources. So it needs to be perfect.

    Because Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne is about to become a necromancer.

    It's Wednesday when Tim sends out word that everything is ready, that he has everything he needs. A big thanks to Essix for that, who he had roped into running further errands even after the initial list he had passed her at the Curio. Magic often has a material component, and the Tim Drake Theory of Magic right now is to throw everything at a wall and pray to every God, Goddess, and gender-neutral-or-otherwise-unspecified Deity that he knew about that something sticks.

    The jet lands, sans Damian and anyone else who took the quick way down. There's a pelican case of gear, a bag slung over his shoulder with (more) gear, and Phoebe's familiar leather go-bag, which looks stuffed to the gills. A peek of fabric from inside shows the familiar pastels of Phoebe's favorite pajama pants. You all know the ones, with the Care Bears printed on it.

    He himself is in civilian clothes. Armored underneath, of course, because Tim's not an idiot, but something about doing this in the Red Robin suit seemed... ill-fitted. Pressed slacks, dress shirt, vest, puffy coat, a knit cat pulled over his head to tame his hair.

    It takes him some time to make his way down into the cave, to the Pit. Once, he would have stood fascinated at the edge, his mind whirling at the implications of what swirled in those depths. Now, he doesn't even look, just sets down his kit and starts unboxing things, quiet as... well, he's trying not to think about that.

Essix has posed:
Learning that Phoebe was dead had turned Essix's work upside down. Grief was such a personal thing, each person effected in their own way, and try as she might she could find no real mentions of it in the memories of her people. She was facing this new experience without any reference beyond what she had seen in humans... and that was a level of emotional hell she had not been prepared to feel.

Perhaps thankfully, she had come across Tim in his search for answers and partnered up to help find the pieces of the puzzle. It was the perfect distraction, because he has said they could bring her back, and the paper and explained how. For Phoebe, Essix would do anything and in fact had. Some of the items on the list had required her to enter places she technically shouldn't be entering, but she didn't care. Tim gave her the list, she went and got the items.

Now, at the time of the event, she traveled with Tim to an unknown location, residing silently in his pocket until the moment he reaches the cave. Only then does she flow like water out and into a human form, dressed in what she calls her 'costume', which is really just an aqua colored body suit.

The location is new, different, exciting, filled with so many things that normally would send her off into a rambling spree of questions, but not tonight. Tonight she remains standing silently beside Tim.

Austin Reese has posed:
Austin has foregone the full outfit tonight, wearing his gauntlets and belts, civilian clothes making up the rest of his getup. He'd been really quiet on the ride over, lost in thought more than anything else. He was far less formally dressed than Tim, jeans and a hoodie with a parka-like work jacket helping to keep him warm enough.

Once they get down into the cave proper, he found his way down around towards the edge of the pit, leaning over it a bit to try and get a look at the bubbling green below them. This feels wrong, but at the same time he would do just about anything at this point to undo his screw up from that night, so if this is what it takes, so be it.

Jason Todd has posed:
How long had she been under?

He didn't know. He hadn't bothered to pay attention to the time when he finally let go of her, let her slip under the surface of the pit.

Jason didn't know what the actual chemical makeup of the Pit was. He would argue Ra's doesn't even know. The only part that matters is that they work. Sometimes too well, but they work.

Kneeling beside the pit like a loyal guardian, the form of Jason Todd didn't move. It had been too long since he'd last slept. Longer since he last ate. This was all that mattered.

Beside him, Red Hood's mask sits. This is about Family. This is about Jason Todd trying to save his sister. He may not be the rocket scientist of the family; he'll leave that to Tim and Damian. But of the three who know where active Pits are, he was one of two at the scene. He was the one who found her. He hasn't left her side since the moment he located her under the river.

Movement. They weren't alone. He could tell Talia was in the shadows. If she meant to attack and interfere she already would have. No, she's here for.. her own reasons but they weren't to stop this process.

Then the others. He could tell each from their walk. Tim. Damian. Austin.

The silence is broken, his voice hoarse and ragged.

"Took you long enough. Did you get everything?" No 'good to see you', no 'glad that everyone is here'. Just gruff assumption that the others would follow while he did the grim work of escorting their sister. Gathering the accoutrements was in their wheelhouse.

And now they could continue.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Each arrives in their turn. People who didn't want her beyond their reach. People who cared for her, who were trying to save her.

    But oh, what comes out of the pit isn't always what goes in. Moon Letters and Interrogations and all the magic and research in the world can't prepare for what comes out.

    There were bubbles beneath the surface, minor movement, but nothing that screams life.
R    Maybe it didn't work for Homo magi. Maybe it took longer.

    But her family was gathered around her now.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul glances over at Damian and gives a soft nod. She just looks over at the bubbling pits. Her own memories strong. Darkness. Drowning. Staggering up and out of the depths desperate for air to survive. The euphoria of realizing they were still alive.
    But that something was always paid as a price. Everything did not always come back.
    "You'll need restraints. Netting. Something that can prevent her from casting magic. She will break through almost anything and he rpowers will be.. Enhanced." One always came from the depths empowered and manic.
    She could only imagine what it would be like for a Homo Magi in that state of almost feralness that almos tall that went through the Pits came out as.

Damian Wayne has posed:
"Yes." Robin responds to Jason as the youngest of the group considers the Pit. "I am surprised mother has not warned you though. The Lazarus Pit lies upon the intersection Ley Lines. And we are placing a person with a strong affinity for magic upon that, along with the strong presence of Earth Magic. I had hoped we could have secured a Zatara or other mage for this part, but the results, regardless, will be unpredictable."

That said and out of the way, the young Robin offers. "That all said, we proceed as planned. After all. It has worked on others here." And that's all is said, as his mother fills in the blanks.

But as the ritual begins, he kneels down, close to the water, his gloved hand settled over it and he speaks in Egyptian,

"<<O my heart which I received from my mother,
my heart which I received from my mother,
my heart of my different ages,
do not stand up against me as a witness!
Do not create opposition against me among the assessors!
Do not tip the scales against me
in the presence of the Keeper of the Balance!
You are my soul which is in my body,
the god Khnum who makes my limbs sound.
When you go forth to the Hereafter,
my name shall not stink to the courtiers
who create people on his behalf.
Do not tell lies about me
in the presence of the Great God!"

Prayer completed, he moves back to let Tim do the necromancy thing.

Tim Drake has posed:
    The presence of others is noted, in a distant sort of way. It's really only Jason right now that Tim seems to acknowledge, with a quick, flat, "Yes," in response to his question. He looks up sharply at Talia when she speaks, but by the lack of reaction, it can't be anything Tim hasn't already considered, can it?

    Whether or not he's actually willing to follow through? Another question entirely.

    The setup goes thusly:

    A flat surface is needed. Such things are admittedly hard to come by in cave formations, but this was once a mine, or at least an attempt at one. There's been space cleared off, dug out, and soon enough Tim has raised a laser on a tripod in the middle of one, retrieved from the pelican case. It projects a series of lines on the ground, and Tim pulls out a paint marker, which he gives a series of shakes that makes the ball inside click rapidly with one hand while consulting an actual, old-fashioned compass in his other. Probably from his Boy Scout days.

    Then, he starts to draw.

    It's a complex series of shapes, circles within circles, perfectly straight lines, words interspersed in hieroglyphics. His hand doesn't waver. Several times he has to pause to make sure the paint is flowing from the tip of the marker again, so it's a long, laborious process. But then finally with one final flourish, a series of markings in the very center that appear to be some sort of writing, Tim is done. He steps back, careful not to mess the lines up, and observes his work for a moment.

    Soon enough, though, he's turning to Essix. "Repeat the poem we read in Phoebe's study to me? Not--," he takes a deep breath, steadying, "Not her personal notes, just the words of the poem please."

    As Essix complies, his eyes and his body follow the circle, several times consulting the compass in his hand. At the end he nods once, says "Thank you," and then returns to his bags.

    Three collars in a pattern are placed in one smaller circle, upon an earthenware plate. A masonware jar stuffed full of copper paper and wrapped in twine and wire goes into another. Thirteen lit candles, all around. And then Tim, standing in the center, palms a vial from his pocket. "If this works, be ready to pull her out," he says. "If it doesn't work..." He trails off there. His mouth opens, then shuts, before his brow furrows and he glares down at the floor. "It's going to work."

    From the vial come a few strands of dark, coiled hair. A bit of magic (the boring, slight-of-hand kind) has it suddenly alight in Tim's hand, and he doesn't so much as yelp as the flames lick at his fingers.

    "Bring my sister back to me," he says, all in one breath. Inhale. "Bring my sister back to me." Inhale. "Bring my sister back to me!"

Essix has posed:
Four men, four levels of pain in the cave. Essix couldn't feel their pain, but she could see it in their body language, read it on their faces. Her own pain was different, the way it registered to her species was something unfathomable to the human mind. A misfiring of the very electrical signals that zapped through the viscous liquid that she was, as if some key part of her was out of alignment.

Her eyes had moved to the bubbling liquid that everyone else was looking at, then to Jason knelt beside it. Was Phoebe in that green stuff? What would that do? It wasn't part of the instructions Phoebe had given with moon letters, so would it work? So many questions and yet she asked none of them, not now, probably not ever. What mattered was bringing Phoebe back.

"If it is required, I can contain her," she offered quietly, looking from the woman she didn't know to each man in the room. "Be a net, ropes, bonds of any kind." The idea of containing Phoebe in that way didn't settle well inside of her, it felt wrong on the highest level of her being. "But only if it is required," she then adds.

Turning her full attention to Tim, she offers one curt nod. If he was becoming a necromancer tonight, then she was the tome from which the information came. Having read the same instructions as Tim, her photographic memory permitted her to repeat the entire poem verbatim, including the parts that Phoebe had added as explanation. Since only asked for the poem however, that is all she gives.

"Start in the direction of the unmoving star and place your marker to the Earth. Encircle five cubits by three and one fifteenth, and so your marking starts," she says clearly, loud enough to be heard by everyone who cared to listen. Tim was the one whom she needed to ensure could hear and understand her, even if she honestly had no idea what what said actually meant. That was for Tim to know and do.

From there she continued to recitation of each stanza, slowly and clearly, giving Tim time to do what was needed as she spoke, it was the part she could play in aiding this situation and she was damned sure going to do it.

Austin Reese has posed:
The silence could be cut with a knife, until it's finally broken by Jason. Austin moves around the side of the pit, stopping for a moment to listen to Talia. Restrain her. Keep her from casting, they might be able to pin her arms. He could pin her arms with a bear hug. Probably not a good idea. But he may still go through with it.

Damian's words are foreign to him, but he listens along anyway. It's important for the ritual. Thinking of a ritual, he runs one of his gauntleted hands through his white hair. He still owes her, she can't go yet. When Tim starts to draw, he just keeps quiet, letting them do their work. He didn't get any of this stuff, but he didn't need to. He'd known his sister long enough to at least be comfortable around magic now. A long way from fighting angels while freaking out.

When Tim starts to chant, Austin keeps his eyes focused on the pit itself. He trusted that this would work, and that whoever came out of there would still be his sister. Still, he tenses up a bit, prepared to move if she is as hostile as Talia thinks she will be.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd snorts at Damian. "Not my first rodeo, brother." He could have been more aggressive. Snarled like a wounded predator. The truth is they're all hurt and hurting. Family fights but doesn't tear itself apart. Right?

As the ritual begins, he remains beside the pool. Ever the loyal guardian, he has embraced the role as the others begin to fulfil their parts. Tim is doing Tim Stuff. He was meticulous like none of the others. He'll get this right.

He listens with grim focus on each word spoken. His eyes remain fixed on the pool, the very spot where Phoebe's head finally disappeared under the surface.

Waiting until he is needed again.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Everybody wanted her back.

    The energy in the room tenses. The pool of noxious green begins to bubble as movement is seen. The twitching of limbs livened by energy, fingers relearning that they can move. The jerks of a puppet cut from strings, and then seizing, panic. The figure in the pool reaches up, hands breaking the surface, pulling at air before her face breaks the surface, coughing murk and blood from her lungs, staining the green of the pool as she takes a burning breath out, and then emits an ear-splitting scream, her lips parted, eyes closed as she cries out at the sudden pain of living.

    The materials burn, stinking the chamber with the smell of burning hair and beeswax. The Frankinscence burning helps the smell, but also begins to drift away from the pit as the energy comes to a crescendo.

    Tim, who has encountered magic coursing through his body before may feel both invogorated and exhausted at the same time. The tension in the chamber turns hot, tingling -- but not like Phoebe's magic.

    There is no smell of rose petals and pepper now, just the over sweet smell of death beneath the scent of the incense offering from the ritual Tim has performed.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And there is that scream. That rage. That howl that is a challenge to existence. It is a howl and a rage of one that has been brought back from peace. Brought back from the realm of sleep. Summoned back to the realm of the living kicking and screaming. Renewed.

But with a part left behind. A part stitched on from another source. Talia goes to speak, firmly to those that this might come as a surprise. "Part of her soul has been left behind and something else stitched in. She has come back to us but she will -not- be the same." Talia listens to the hair splitting shriek. It is an announcement that she has returned.

And at some level perhaps it is a sob for the girl that has known so much trauma and to have a final rest.. But that is loved too dearly to be left to eternal slumber, and has been summoned back to her family's embrace.

But all of the preparation here is to not only bring her back but to bring her back in a way that doesn't put much of this isolated volcanic island at risk. Because with great power on the cusp of great madness..

Talia watches. Talia warns. Talia spekas with the experience of someone that has had large swathes of her consciousness shredded away and knows it.

Damian Wayne has posed:
The scream is unholy. Damian was only a little one when Talia brought Jason back - and while he has seen his grandfather resurrected before - seeing it on his sister is a different experience. As she screams and claws for her breath, he removes his cape, steppin forth to throw it around Phoebe and pull her towards the shore.

"You're with family." he hisses sharply, his eyes narrowed behind his mask. "We're here. You're safe. I'm sorry." His voice catches as he reaches up to remove his mask.

Emerald eyes, the same color as the waters of the pit focus on Phoebe's. "Deep breath..." And then, an idea. A dumb idea. But maybe.

"Just relax for a moment." he says in a soothing tone. "You're free from the carbonite. Shh. You have hibernation sickness."

Totally throwing a Star Wars line at her.

Tim Drake has posed:
    He's selfish. He is, it's true. In this moment, Tim is being the most selfish he's ever been: he doesn't care about what Bruce wants, what the family wants, what anyone expects of him at all. He just wants his sister back, and given how much magic is based on your intent, there's nothing more powerful right now for him than his selfish desire to have Phoebe back. To have his sister back.

    So what does Tim do? He weaponizes his selfishness, of course. Demands the universe, and the gods of Egypt, to give her back.

    And then she screams.

    His legs don't immediately obey him when he commands them to move, but after a second or two of shock he does start to run thataway, only to stumble and fall, skidding on the heels of his palms and knees. Magical exhaustion hits different, in a way Tim has only felt once. Almost entirely unfamiliar, so he has to fight through it for a few seconds more. He's at the side of the Pit soon enough, in time to watch Damian throw his cape out and pull Phoebe in. To hear Damian defy his staid upbringing to, of all things, quote Star Wars at their sister.

    "Oh my god," Tim breaths, and then he's... he's laughing? It's nigh-hysterical, and he falls to his knees there, hands covering his face as he repeats himself, "Oh my god, oh my god."

    He's almost certainly crying behind his hands.

Essix has posed:
With her recitation complete, Essix remains back from the pit but she does not stop paying attention. The four men are so eager to have Phoebe back that they rush in without hesitation, without confirmation that what just came out of that pool is in fact Phoebe. Yes, Essix /WANTS/ it to be Phoebe, but the words of the unknown woman cannot be ignored. She sounds like she speaks from experience.

Essix watches the young men rush in, the tears that may fall, the relief and joy in their voices, the removal of Damian's mask, every moment of it is witnessed and burned into her memory like a photograph that would never be erased.

But the words of the unknown woman... so it is that the alien moved forward only very slightly, the energy of her body vibrating. She was positioning herself to be ready to strike like a snake and wrap Phoebe up, to hold her in place, to keep her from harming any of the brothers. If it meant that she herself would be hurt, so be it, but the brothers? No, she could not permit them to be hurt.

"Please let it be Phoebe," she whispered quietly to whatever human Gods might be listening. "Let it be alright."

Austin Reese has posed:
That scream will resonate in his dreams for a long time, no doubt. But it won't really matter, there's a job to do. The moment the pool started to stir, Austin moved, dropping the flashlight he'd been holding and quickly closing the distance between himself and Phoebe. The pain in his ears from the screaming registered somewhere in his brain as he got near to her, dropping down to level with her, arms going around her and pinning her own to her side, pulling her into the tightest hug he possibly can without risking hurting her, keeping her from falling back into that green goop.

As soon as Damian shows up with the cape, he's quick to let him wrap her in it and helps him bring her to shore with it, trying to wrap her up in it as best he can, then starting to take off his jacket to help wrap her. Damian's quote catches him off guard, the sudden shift in tone making him laugh out loud, though the tears coming down his face are probably from the happiness of seeing her back up.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Everyone wants it to be Phoebe.

    Wearing Phoebe's under-armor T-shirt and leggings, both-blood stained. Tim is laughing in insanity )Better check on him). Damian is cracking jokes.

    Essix and Talia are more on their guards. The masks are removed. The helmet. She is surrounded by family. She is back...

    Everyone is feeling things as she coughs, sputters, colagulated gunk rising from her lungs as Damian reaches to pull her back.

    Her knees scrape against the side of the rocks, sharp as glass.

    The Lazarus Pit, however, does horrible things.

    Those cuts on her knees don't heal. HEr teeth grit hard enough to grind and creak, her eyes open but not seeing as she grasps Damian's arm, twists, and plants her feet solidly to throw him to a spikey outcropping of rock, lifting Austin in his hug as she leans forward and tries to sling HIM over her shoulder in a gutteral snarl, hands curling as she gives another blood curdling scream, reaching up to tear at her soaked, matted hair.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd listens and watches. As the ritual is completed, he is the first to see the stirring in the pool. The change of color as movement beneath the surface happens. He watches as Phoebe almost erupts from within the pit.

This he remembers in fever dreams. As Talia describes losing part of one's soul in this process of re-becoming, he knows that feeling. He was watching his own rebirth from the outside in this moment. When Damian moves forward and covers Phoebe with his cape and Talks Nerdy to her, he is bracing for it not unlike Talia.

This isn't over yet. When Not-Quite-Phoebe tries to grab Austin, Jason moves with speed and power. Sure he is mostly mortal but being this close to a Pit? Perhaps a little residual power does affect him. He tries to grab Phoebe from behind, to wrap his arms around her at the elbows. The risk is great but they all accepted it by coming here to begin with.

Sometimes the right path is directly through the heart of the storm.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
As the others move to engage Phoebe in close range, Talia recognizes the madness that is in her eyes until the mania can be exhausted from her body. They cannot appeal to her better nature. Not to her memories. Not to their love. Nor to their presence as family.

Talia recognizes the primal fragment that is the euphoric madness that for nearly all that bathe in the Lazarus Pit and come back wtih something wrong on them.. And she finally goes to head down towards Phoebe. Towards the girl that can vaporize them all. How many of them here have been through the Pits? Seen what they do? Seen thier cost? Paid their penance? Out of love, out of loyalty, out of family?

Talia Al Ghul goes on down towards Phoebe as the group would struggle with her, their friend, their family..

Damian Wayne has posed:
As Damian was trying to help ground Phoebe with his words, he wasn't ready for the sudden surge of strength. He is lifted up off the ground and flung towards the sharp rocks. While he is able to twist and turn, avoiding the most dangerous of the spikes, his head still collides against the base of one of the stalagmites.

There's a whoof of air as his feet go out from under him and he's dropped to the ground, out of the fight for the moment with a groan of pain.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Talia was right to warn them. Essix was right to stay back, wishing. Jason was right to be ready.

    And Tim? Tim was so, so wrong. He's back up on his feet, wobbly and uncertain, so that he can lift his hands in front of himself. Unarmed, no threat (inasmuch as any Bat can be considered "not a threat" even when unarmed). "Phoebe, it's us. It's your family." He takes a step forward, towards her. Her and Jason. "It's Tim." Another step. "Please, just come back to us." Another. "I found your notes in your study, the ones you wanted me to find. I figured out how to read it, with the lamp."

    He manages a smile, though it's shakey. "Moon letters. It was amazing." He stands in front of her now, and his hands drop, so he can offer one to her. Even if Jason has her pinned, he reaches for her.

Essix has posed:
Worst fear brought to reality, Essix screams out, "Get back from her!"

Flowing into her natural state and literally launching herself at Phoebe like an arrow, the viscous liquid flows from point A to point B in the blink of an eye. Her only intent to wrap herself around Phoebe's body, from shoulders to knees, over and over again like a giant boa without the full on constriction.

It isn't what she wanted, but this wasn't entirely Phoebe, something was broken and the young men needed to live to figure out what that was and to fix it.

"I can hold her for as long as is needed," the giant snake says the moment Essix has fully formed into it. "What do we do now?"

Austin Reese has posed:
Of all the responses to the hug he thought he might get, getting lifted off the ground by her was not anywhere on his list. The surprise of being hauled up through the air does pass after a few moments, and he releases his hold on her, figuring that will help him free himself from her grip. It's not as easy as one might think, and he is now experiencing a temporary lack of gravity. Far too temporary.

He may be flying through the air, but at least he is able to control his trajectory enough to not go into the pit. Having not much choice, he bundles up and crashes down hard on a stone to the side of the pit, bouncing off of it and coming to a stop on the ground, dazed and bloodied, but starting to get back up already, cursing under his breath that she just had to pick hard way, trying to get back into the fray as quick as he can.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd is strong. Much of that coming from his rebirth in fact. But Phoebe has power on an entirely different level. He can hold her briefly but she breaks free to attack Austin and Damian.

Staggering back a few steps, he resets his stance to try and tackle her again. Instead Essix moves in and it appears she may be more suited to the task.

As Tim moves up to try and reason with Phoebe, Jason cautions. "This isn't entirely her. Not yet. Her mind is still recovering."

The others are better suited to using reason. So he stands by, ready to step in as extra muscle. Just in case.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Jason is strong, Phoebe is temporarily stronger, fueled by adrenaline and fear. she gives a cry of fury, feeling Essix bind up around her, and she tries to stagger forward, kicking Tim with one leg, and spinning around on the other, her eyes tinged green until she's brought down to her knees by Essix's hug, struggling against the goop, her eyes closing tightly before she chokes out:

    "What... did... you... where... am..." and she swallows down another scream, struggling to come back to her senses and to her feet, straining against Essix's body wrapped around her.

    "GrrrRRYAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" she cries out, jaw distending wide, teeth and tongue showing as she fights.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul moves calmly, even as others go to try and calm down Phoebe or restrain her. Talia? Talia does not join those trying ot appeal to Phoebe's better nature or her memories. Talia goes over to one of the supply pouches taken along.. There, toward's someone's standard issue utility belt. She takes out one of the tranq darts used in case the group runs into Killer Croc out on patrol. Evaluates Phoebe. The girl's strength. Her bleeding legs. Then she takes a full clip of the darts.

She walks towards Phoebe serenely.. And moves to fire off a dart hopefully into her when the rest aren't in the way. Tranq dosage is based upon body mass.. Phoebe doesn't have her powers (if she wer ehealing she would have to use a dozen or so clips worth to even start).. And the girl is in an enhanced manic state from the fumes. She calculates, goes for a high end dosage with a margin of error..

Then readies the rest of the clip in the event she's wrong and Phoebe's powers do kick in.

Damian Wayne has posed:
As Damian starts to come to, he groans groggily. And his vision comes back to him, there's a grunt of pain as he assesses the situation. Austin, Jason, and Essix seem to have the situation well in hand...

But what the hell is his mother... "MOTHER!" he cries out, grabbing a pair of birdarangs and flinging them at Talia's hands to knock the tranqualizers out of her hands and into the pit. "Are you //insane//!" he growls out, gripping the back of his head as he gets to his feet.

Essix has posed:
Without a doubt there is a struggle in holding Phoebe, but Essix pours every ounce of her strength into keeping her friend from hurting anyone. Is it her friend? Did something else come back, stealing Pheobe's body and leaving them to have to deal with it? What else could there be to come back into Phoebe's body? There was still so much the little goopling needed to learn.

With her mind focused on a million questions, and keeping Phoebe in place, she extends down to wrap around the leg as well so the possibly-not-really-Phoebe has no weapons to use against the others.

Then the unknown woman is moving, picking something up and firing it at Phoebe. Damian's reaction is enough to cause Essix to try and catch the darts in herself. The toxin won't effect her, and if it is later explained why she is attempting to shoot possibly-not-really-Phoebe, the little alien can just stab it into the young mage..

Austin Reese has posed:
Once he's back up on his feet, Austin quickly rejoins trying to rein Phoebe in, "Phoebe stop, it's us!" He's trying to find a way to pin her down. Extra strong or not, he's not willing to give up. And he's also not willing to try and shock her or anything, not in the current state she's in. Which is why it's probably good that Damian managed to intercept that.

Austin decides to try something and moves to pick her up off the ground, to get her feet out from under her, while Essix tries to keep her bound, trying to put Phoebe over his right shoulder, so she won't have any leverage to kick off of. She can beat the shit out of his back all she wants, he's sure it'll heal eventually.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd steps in again. There is no thought for his personal safety. Phoebe could do many things with her abilities but he didn't care.

As Essix and Austin try to contain Phoebe's body - whether or not Talia's intended tranq dart flies true - he moves close and reaches up to hold her face in his hands.

"Phoebe. We're here. We're all here. For you. Fight through it. Push down the madness and focus on my voice." He tries to hold her gaze, to give her a single place to focus her attention. His attempts at reasoning are cumbersome compared to the others. But he knows what she's going through. What she went through.

"You can do this."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The green-tinged eyes look up at JAson without recognition. THey see a stranger. HEr face is held in scarred and calloused hands.

    Jason gives her a focus.

    Slowly the tension ebbs. Her shoulders drop, the tendons in her neck relax, and she blinks. Her hair is still matted. Her body seems tired all of a sudden as she closes her eyes. She gives a low swallow, and then her eyes open again the green is gone -- mostly. A little at the edges.

    "... Jason." she whispers, and takes a deep, shuddering breath, and then she closes her eyes again, bodily on Austin's shoulders, unable to kick as her body goes slack. Bound up by Essix. She takes a couble deep breathes, and whispers quietly:

    "I... think the Shard is gone..."

Damian Wayne has posed:
There's a quiet noise when Phoebe speaks of the shard. And it's his turn to add to the bad news. "I... I'm sorry, Phoebe." Damian whisper to his sister. "Idu... Idu's gone." he tells her as gently as he can. "He disappeared right after..."

And he doesn't know what else to say. His head is still killing him as he slips and sits on his rear, another grunt as he works on treating the knot on the back of his head.

Essix has posed:
Once Phoebe relaxes and stops struggling, when she speaks to Jason albeit a whisper, Essix is certain it is safe to unwind. Flowing from the giant snake to her natural form on the ground then into her human form as effortlessly as water flows across rocks, she walks over to where Damian is sitting to kneel down and offer him any assistance that she can. She'd done her part in helping bring Phoebe back, the young woman was there with realization of reality flickering in her eyes again. Now she would tend to her next closet friend, that is if he would let her.

Austin Reese has posed:
Once she speaks, when she goes slack on his shoulder, Austin turns around and shifts her into his arms, holding her there so Essix can get off of her. Damian's mention of Idu gets a frown out of him. There's a lot right now, no need to add onto it. He holds her close in his arms, until she wants to get down, "We'll deal with that when we need to, Phoebe."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd nods as Phoebe is able to fight past the Madness and regain her senses.

"That's right. We're here." He drops his hands as Austin shifts to hug her. He dares a brief smile for her then steps back so the others can have a chance to reunite with her.

He pauses and picks up his mask from where it sits, holding it in one hand. The comments about the Shard are lost on him. It wasn't a topic he seems to know or recall.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I know, Dams... I know." Phoebe whispers, and in Austin's arms, she closes her eyes, appearing tense, and seems to pass out, safely.

    She was surrounded by her family... she was safe.

    ... but were they?