4804/The Jar, The Bell, and The Wheel

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The Jar, The Bell, and The Wheel
Date of Scene: 20 January 2021
Location: Gotham Museum of History
Synopsis: Felix Faust manages to acquire the Jar, the Bell and Wheel, summoning the Demons Three. While the heroes managed to deal with the demonic invasion of the Gotham Museum of History, the wizard and his new followers make their escape.
Cast of Characters: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Stephanie Brown, Donna Troy, Hope Svelgate, Rachel Roth, Diana Prince




Bruce Wayne has posed:
Gotham City is a different during the day. It seems a little more like any of it's nearby neighbors. Not so different from New York City or Metropolis. Sure, there are times that the sun seems to shine a little less often, that grey skies and rain is a matter of course. And it still has it's fair share of problems of course. But it's not like it is at night. People don't clear the street in 'those' neighborhoods. They don't quicken their steps just because they happen to be out. They don't flinch at every stray, unexpected sound.

Today is a rather pleasant weekday in Gotham. The sun is actually shining, even if the temperature hovers around the freezing mark. In the heart of the city the distinguished Gotham Museum of History plays host to any number of visitors. Most are class trips, or retirees out for an afternoon but there is certainly a smattering of others. Including one who has the most malicious of intents.

Twenty minutes ago an entirely undistingushed figure paid his token entrance fee and passed into the museum proper, through the great hall as he made his way towards an exhibit on America's westward expansion. For minutes he stared at a simple, unassuming wagon wheel proped up in a corner, ignoring everyone in the room. Then the wheel flickered, the image of that wagon wheel melting away to reveal the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath. And for the first time in who knows how long Felix Faust smiled.

Fifteen minutes ago the first cries of alarm began to sound from the exhibition halls, the illusion that wrapped up the Wizard Faust gone now. A tall man in blue robes, marked by a golden torc around his neck, golden bracers at his wrists and a golden belt at his waist -- all of which have a variety of arcane looking symbols marking them -- strides through the museum, anticipation clearly on his features. The stolen silver wheel floats above him, circling his head as if in orbit around the sun. A pair of museum guards approach and the mage flicks fingers dismissively as a quartet of imps appear, standing no more then to one's knee but clearly demonic in countenace. Fire appears in their hands, thrown like half-sized baseballs as they send the on-site security scattering.

And in the display of artifacts from ancient Greece an unassuming clay pot begins to grow fuzzy, to waver, until at last the Red Jar of Calythos appears in it's place, slowly floating up to take it's place in orbit around the hat perched atop Faust's head.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Seveen minutes ago. Crowds begin to stream out of the museum, most running and not looking back. Smoke rises from the building, the multile plumes of smoke still thin, suggesting many small fires instead of any sort of inferno. And inside the building Faust makes his way into an exhibit on the colonization of North America, moving without any hesitation now to where various artifacts from a sunken Spanish galleon are on display. He ignores the dubloons or the cannons, his focus entirely on the small ship's bell. Which under his intent stare morphs into the Green Bell of Ulthool. Like the other two artifacts, it rises up and joins the twirling orbit around the wizard's head. Faust cackles, triumphant at long last, throwing arms wide. And more creatures appear. Larger now, the first ones are human size, meancing with heavily muscled and chittinous forms, claws and fangs on display. Others, even larger appear, all bulging with spines, smoke wafting from their mouths with each breath.

Now! The occasional flicker of fires show in windows, or between columns as the Gotham Museum of History continues to burn. Emergency vehicles approach the scene, slowing down to a crawl as they try to navigate the crowds that have gathered -- either from within, or attracted by the spectacle. The first of the news vans are also on the scene as reporters hurry to setup, cameras being aimmed towards the institution as the onscreen reporters review their notes.

And inside? Scores of school children and their teaches remain scattered, trapped by demonic creatures that seem to have spread to every corner of the building, slinking through the halls as what terrified security remains on site just seeks hiding places, the lobby and great hall crawling with dozens of the inhuman monsters.

And in the heart of the building? In an exhibit around the founding of the country? Felix faust sits in the middle of a glowing pentagram, the Jar, the Bell and the Wheel still circling him as if he were the center of the universe, chanting in some indecipherable tongue as a trio of portals -- black as night -- begin to open behind him...

Clark Kent has posed:
"Is it me or are these clowns coming out of the woodwork more often than usual?" Superman asks, having gotten into Gotham airspace right around when the fires started. Bruce openly asking for help means trouble, and Clark wants to take it seriously; he does a quick x-ray scan of the museum, trying to identify clusters of the civilians and the main problem.

"Okay, I've got a few batches of kids and teachers. One in the west wing, one in the east, one in the basement. And...yeah, it's Faust. Damn. He's sitting in a pentagram and some big pool of nothing's opening up, that's never good." Superman says, skidding to a halt in front of the demon infested museum. "Any of our occult specialists on call? I can handle his pets but I'm pretty sure he's going to realize he can turn me into a frog sooner or later."

Superman walks towards the door, heedless of the danger. A few fires snuff out from a blast of his super-breath, as he tries to calculate the must efficient lifesaving strategy. Superman punches the big doors of the museum, and they crumple like so much cardboard, one massive brass door flying over the head of a group of the rat-wolf like demons and landing directly on top of them. "Hey Felix!" Superman shouts, sure the evil wizard can hear him make entry, "You want to skip to the part where you make a tiny mistake and we have to save you from whatever you're trying to call up here? You're an addict, man!" A great way to deal with wizards, Superman has found over the years, is to talk to them like they're your slightly shady college roommate. The familiarity drives them crazy.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown is walking down the city street, book bag over her shoulder. Coming back from a study session that leaves her feeling a little better about her Econ 101 test. "Damn but Margie takes some good notes," she murmurs to herself as she sidesteps a man carrying a box large enough he can't see where he's going, and almost ran her over.

The blond Gotham U coed rounds a corner, which gives her a view of smoke rising up into the air in the distance. "That looks like the museum," she says, just as her phone chimes. She pulls it out and looks at it. An alert from Alfred. "So much for going over the notes one more time before tomorrow," she says, racing into an alley. Her thumb brings up an app on the phone and activates it, then she pulls a wrapped package from her bookbag. Tearing it open to reveal her Batgirl suit, she begins the unpleasant task of removing what she's wearing in the freezing weather, to swap clothes.

Not long later, a self-piloted motorcycle in black and purple pulls up at the mouth of the alley. A cape billows behind the woman that darts out of the alley, jumping and landing on the bike, which rockets off towards the Museum.

<< Batgirl on my way to the Museum. Send me anything we've got on what's going on there. >>

Donna Troy has posed:
    Over in New York, work has been continuing at an impressive pace on the Themysciran Arts Center. Construction is complete and the collection is in the process of being assembled, items small and large being shipped from Themyscira, mostly in Diana's invisible jet.

    The latest delivery is a collection of statuary, which the two Amazon sisters have been unloading, because frankly it's a lot easier for them to do it themselves. "Before you say anything , Rae," Donna says to Raven, who has been watching proceedings and occasionally heckling, as she puts a statue down in the foyer. "Yes, this is our mother, and you /know/ why she doesn't look like me, so no comments."

    It's a foolish thing to say to Raven really, because it would almost certainly guarantee comments, but any in-depth heckling on the subject is interrupted by the alarm call from the Gotham Museum. As Diana rushes to the jet to make the journey to Gotham, Donna dusts her hands off and looks at Raven. "Well, Diana's just figured out how to get out of handling the paperwork, and I'm not hanging around to have it dumped on me. I think this calls for a trip to Gotham."

Hope Svelgate has posed:
How to attract the attention of Lady Death in three easy steps, unleash powerful magical energies, threaten children with demons, and open sinister portals to places that you probably shouldn't. She stands there within the abandoned church in Hell's Kitchen that serves as her Sanctuary on Earth, watching the events play out upon enchanted stained glass. Regardless of the risks this is not the time for subtlety and her usual glamour of disguise is forgone.

She checks that her blades are firmly in place before raising a hand and channeling her energy arcane into the stained glass transforming the scrying images into actual portals. Stepping into the burning chaos of the museum lobby as if from nowhere is Lady Death, the 6'4" albino woman with eyes of blue flame is perhaps not the most comforting sight to children, but it should be magnitudes more frightening to the demonic creatures present. One of the Hell Lords has arrived and she does not look particularly happy about any of this.

Rachel Roth has posed:
    We'll call it /occasional/ heckling.

    "Ah yes. The famous Grecian infidelity." she notes, "I have yet to find a reliable source as to what Zeus turned into to make Diana." It did guarantee comments. There is a silence. Raven looks at Diana rushing off with a quizzical brow, and then returns her gaze to Donna. "Right." she notes, contemplating her options. "If we arrive first, the paperwork is still technically her responsibility." she notes, lifting into the air for a moment.

    A bird emerges from the ground below her, summoned from her very shadow. Somehow at once seeming both two and three dimensional, it converges on them like a great beast, engulfing them in its form. If Donna thought they'd be taking the jet, she was very wrong. The two are simply gone, as the bird itself seems to dissipate into constituent wisps of particulate shadow. One of these flits over the paperwork.

    At the museum, moments after Clark arrives, a mass of whirling shadow departs the sorceress and her sidekick into the thick of things, mere meters from where he's arrived. Her eyes are entirely blackened, turned into pools of infinite darkness surrounded by a corona of white light. Still on the ground is Donna, who luckily gets teleported on her feet, this time. It isn't always that way. Raven claims that she cannot control that. She is lieing. Donna is aware.

    It'll be a moment for her to survey the scene, but already she has decided the most prudent course of action is to unsummon the demons: Something she is very expert at. She'll move on them when Donna does.

    Back at the Themysciran Embassy, a large stack of paperwork thuds its way in triplicate onto Diana's desk.

Diana Prince has posed:
The Arts Center is rapidly approaching its grand opening, and there are private tours being given to friends and family. Today was one of those days, and this is what the Princess was occupied with when the call of a serious emergency came across the League channels that reached the Princess in mid tour.

It didn't take her long to separate from those duties and to embark on the route to the Center's roof that would lead her to the invisible jet mk2. This version of the jet being powered by alien technology, it can very much be visible when so desired by the Princess, and it is in the here and now.

The cloud-white jet awaits any other passengers to join it before it rapidly departs New York and fades away from visibility on as it does so.

<"Wonder Woman here, with a bit of extra help."> Diana's husky-hued voice comes in over comms. <"Descending toward the site. We will try to help those under threat of the fire, Superman, if you can stop the cause of it.">

From the sky, above Batgirl as luck would have it, Diana appears out of thin air, with her dark blue hooded robe flowing around her otherwise armored body!

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Trouble in Gotham is not exactly a headline grabbing event in most cases. Like dog bites man, it is a rather worn story at this point. But tales of magic, on unexplained phenomenon and demonic creatures? That plays well no matter where it is taking place which might help explain how word of the trouble has spread so far, so fast. And of course the unusually large media contigent that has joined the fray of onlookers and emergency personnal.

As a general rule Gotham's Dark Knight does his best not to put in daylight appearances. The night is his ally. It plays tricks on the mind. It makes people nervous and jumpy. It hides and conceals. And it keeps people from getting a good look at him, keeps him a myth. Powerful and frightening. But there are exceptions to every rule and this certainly qualifies. He also does not love bringing in outsiders to deal with threats to /his/ city either. But this is not just any threat. So again, exceptions.

Batman is nothing if not adaptable.

"No answer from any of the usual suspects," Bruce offers up grimly over the comm in response to Clark's inquiry about mystical support. Which is unfortunate to be sure, if not unexpected. One doesn't exactly keep conventional hours in that world. The HUD in his cowl relays an alert from Alfred, that Batgirl is nearby and ready to lend a hand. He doesn't hesitate to give the go ahead, reluctant as it might be under the circumstances. He might have left the matter up to Barbara, but he has been given no reason to question her decision in passing on the mantle.

Where exactly is the Dark Knight? Well, that's something of a mystery isn't it?

Almost as soon as Stephanie has made her presence known an array of information begins to be sent her way -- including the fact that there are a number of school children and teachers still on sight. An image of Felix Faust is sent to her, along with the highest indicator of danger and list of just some of the magical abilities he has demonstrated when coming up against the League in the past. Then video survelliance is realyed to both Bats, giving them an idea of what's going on inside and confirming Superman's breakdown on the location of the trapped children and teens.

Certainly Superman has the right idea. He is capable of making quite the entrance, one that Faust almost certainly couldn't ignore, not as he simply pounds open the double doors that lead into the building, extinguishing fires as he goes. And someone who takes himself as seriously as Faust does hates to be made light of. It's worked in the past.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The problem this time? Faust already thinks he's won. He might be right. Either way, the faint screens of magic that drape over the museum no doubt give the magician all the notice that he needs that he is no longer dealing with local security. But he doesn't stop that chanting, those dark portals continuing to gape open behind him, growing increasingly large. He flicks fingers casually, not even opening his eyes. And out in the lobby things get a whole lot more chaotic.

As the Kryptonian is joined by a host of others in the main lobby the number of demons in the hall seems to increase as well, pouring in from the grand hall beyond. Has Faust actually opened a portal to some Hell dimension and left it open? Dangerous. And foolish. But it gives no shortage of distractions.

A huge, hulking ape like creature simply crashes through the wall from the grand hall beyond, at least fifteen feet tall and absolutely rippling with muscle, it's blood red skin and six arms sending stone and masonry flying everywhere. Eyes lock on the Man of Steel and it gives a beastial cry of rage as it charges towards him in a crouch, each time it's feet or clenched fist hit the floor tiles shatter and add to the flying debris.

It is a hooded figure that first approaches Lady Death, robes black as night draped over it's form to conceal it. But the massive scythe clutched in it's hands leaves little doubt that it has nothing good in mind for her, that hooked blade lashing out, slicing through the air with deadly intent.

There is no shortage of aother demons in the hall. Some have animal features, wolf-like muzzles, or manes of giant cats. Some have cloven hooves and massively curled horns, and others look like demonic pigs with their snouts and sharp tusks. They snarl and stamp their feet at the trio of women nearby. Some hurl fire at Diana, Donna and Raven.

But it is the dozen shadowy shapes that are the most dangerous, creeping up behind the trio, reaching out shadowy tendrils towards them from a nearby wall...

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman is about to swear when he sees that the kids are here. Be family friendly, Clark. "Hey, Troia, Raven." Clark doesn't wave to Steph in case she is doing some Bat-person stealth gambit. He wonders why he can't see Bruce and decides that the nut is hiding in the vents again. "Nice to see you..."

Lady Death gets an eyebrow raise. "Is she a new Titan or something?" The team sure has a type.

The giant hell ape charges Clark and he feels faintly insulted. He takes the punch anyway, getting flung back through half a dozen minor monsters and a really obvious forgery Superman's fairly sure has 'Penguin' written on the margins. Gotham, man. "Hard way it is."

Superman snaps forward in a shriek of speed. He's had a rough week, and had really wanted to sit his friend Bruce down to help work some stuff out that's been building up, but instead here he is being attacked by a mini-boss from Doom. Clark grabs the hell ape's right fist, sets himself against the ground, and just starts to squeeze. There's an awful crack as Superman twists the monster's wrist in an unnatural direction, and then he follows up with a brutal haymaker right at the monster's jaw. Clark isn't bothering to hold back against what is very likely an immortal monster wearing a suit.

"Alright, Di, but if he turns me into a frog you're fixing it." Superman says, winking at Wonder Woman.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Mary Dubois gathers the three children from her class to her, gathering them about her legs as she huddles over them protectively. She looks around for signs of other elementary school students. But they scattered like the wind at the first sign of the demons. Now Mary and the three kids hide behind a large plant. The hallway she'd hoped to escape down is a roaring wall of flame, leaving one way out across the room full of Old West exhibits. One way, with three of the demonic creatures going around, looking behind this pedestal, or launching fire at that painting.

The air is full of smoke, and one of the kids tries not to cough, hand over his mouth. But he can't help it. A demon whirls at hearing the sound and lets out a cackling laugh. Fire forms between his hands and he rears back to throw the fireball at the school teacher and the children.

A form swings down from the layer of smoke hiding the ceiling, and a boot connects with the demon's head, launching it across the room. Demon and fire both slam into the wall as Batgirl drops to the ground, moving towards the other two demons. A yellow bo staff extends open and she whirls it at a demon who dodges the first swing, but is caught in the side by the second, keeling over. His partner leaps at Batgirl, the knee-high demon raking claws across her ribs and rending her armored costume there, drawing blood.

Batgirl pivots, an elbow smashing into the demons head and then grabbing it, using her movement from throwing the elbow to pivot and throw the demon through a glass display case. She turns and hurries to the teacher and kids. "Come on, there's an opening, lets get you out of there," she says, hurrying them across the room towards the exit.

The second demon lets out a shrill, cackling laugh, hurt but not out. He launches bolts of fire at the ceiling, not only engulfing it in flames, but cracking the support beams. The entire burning ceiling creaks and begins to collapse on Batgirl and those she was rescuing.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna knows all too well Raven's tendency to intentional inaccuracy in the vertical, and is braced for a landing that doesn't actually come as she unwinds her lasso from her waist, beneath her jacket. The lack of a drop to have braced again makes it look a little like she was attempting a dramatic superhero landing on arrival, which may in fact have been Raven's intent all along. She rolls her eyes slightly before turning to give Superman a nod of greeting. She has about enough time to say "Hey Kal, Diana's right behind us" before the sound of the jet arriving can be heard.

    The younger Amazon takes in the scene unfolding with a grim expression, but the demonic nature of the opponents is not something that would be a particular bother to someone who has stood guard at the gates of Tartarus. Besides, she just showed up with the daughter of practicallySatan as her uber driver, and its a rare day there isn't a whiff of the brimstone around Titans Tower. On the other hand she can only claim one of the hellish presences, and following Superman's gaze to Lady Death, Donna gives a shrug. "Not one of ours," she says, her lasso snaking out to entangle one of the smaller wolf-muzzled demon and yank it into another, dropping them into a tangled heap.

    When those bolts of fire start up, Donna shifts from lasso duty to bracer duty, her arms a blur of motion as she deflects bolts aimed at herself or Raven. While none of the usual suspects may have been available, the Titan's sorceress is very much of the magical support nature, and Donna knows that rule one when fighting sorcerous foes is to protect the wizards while they do their thing.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
Blue flames crackle to life around Lady Death's hands and feet as she rises into the air. "You would challenge /me/ with a scythe? You are either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid!"

Drawing her favored blade Apocalypse in one hand, the blue flames run down its length mixing with the glow of raw primordia chaos energy. Her other hand draws forth a short sword that appears to be of Asgardian make, rune forged uru metal. As the blue flames of Energy Arcane envelop the second sword it begins to lengthen and shift until it has transformed into a scythe of her own. "Come then creature that plays at Death, I will show you oblivion."

She lungs forward through the air with terrifying speed leading first with her sword Apocalypse in a wide swing as much to cleave through any enchantments around her foe as to slice the thing itself. She spins easily with the momentum and the glowing rune forged scythe enhanced with Energy Arcane's telekinetic force sweeps through as well in a whirling flourish.

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Raven moves in mysterious ways.

    Raven isn't tuned into the communicator that Bruce is on, but that's fine, as she greets the world as if it had just insulted her gravely already- so, in essence, she's already there. If we're being fair, the ticking time bomb that is the portal to the prison dimension in which resides her universe-destroying father not being one of the Usual Suspects is, probably, a good thing.

    Raven has nothing to say about Lady Death. This in itself is telling. She knows when she's in a glass house with a bucket of stones.

    Donna is great- but protecting herself and Raven is probably more than Raven wants her to be doing on this occasion- Donna is best when she's punching, not when she's running interference. Raven's hands finally emerge from her pockets, and for a moment the shield she conjures around herself is visible, a sphere of inside out darkness that only seems to make a full appearance when one of the firebolts manages to strike it. Donna gave her the time to put it together- now was time to start working on offense.

    Her muttering of incantations evolves into something louder, as Raven nigh-shouts words that do not have meaning to most present. Invoking the names of places and people at once. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS." All at once several of her targets lose their ability to manifest on this plane rather gloriously, the cohesion of their physical forms not-so-gradually becoming undone as Raven's unsummoning quite literally unmakes them on this plane. Some merely collapse to dust, others are unwoven in a gorier fashion that, all the same, leaves nothing of their presence. As if they were never there.

    The end result, of course, is that there are altogether less fireballs, and the inconsistency explainable by the chaotic nature of demons.

    Regardless, Donna should be much less occupied with deflecting fire.

Diana Prince has posed:
Upon arrival into the fiery hellscape that is this demon besieged museum, Diana's blue robe sweeps around her body as she settles in and views the full scope of the chaos going on here-in. Superman's response to her garners a small and very brief smirk before she looks to the demonic forces charging toward them all.

The fire thrown in her direction is met with a raised arm inside of her deep blue robe! The result is her her entire arm being instantly burst in to flames, soon to be followed by all of her robe as the fire quickly spreads across her body! Engulfed in flames, Diana takes a staggering step backward before her fire-covered arms raise up and she... starts to spin.

Like a fiery top, Wonder Woman begins to spin faster and faster, until the pieces of her burning robe all fly from her body! When she stops, she's left in her Themysciran armor, her booted feet apart and her left hand going to her right hip to grab her lasso, while her right raises up behind her shoulder to draw her sword from its sheath!

A look is given to Lady Death as others speak of her, a wild card to be sure, but for now there lies trouble elsewhere and Diana lunges toward it!

It being where Stephanie was in trouble... with the ceiling come down above her and those innocents. Bashing her way through the demonic creatures that are closing in, Diana sweeps her body up toward the ceiling to apply enough counter pressure to keep it steady. "I have you, run for safety now!" The Princess shouts to Batgirl, and those she was saving.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Outside the number of police finally begins to swell to such a point that they are able to properly cordon off the area outside the museum, pushing back the onlookers though the media manages to hold their ground, right up against the temporary barriers that begin to appears to help with the task. Likewise, the sudden appearance of several costumed heroes finally lets some of the fire fighters on scene to begin creeping closer to the building proper, directing sprays of water at some of the fires that still burn. A window or two is smashed and unearthly cackling sounds, keeping most away though water still streams through into the building, the growing plumes of smoke suggesting that they might be having some success.

There are times when it probably seems like Gotham stopped building new structures after the nineteen twenties. Every other building seems to be something out of an old serial, all massive stone and iron, columns and decorative fluting. And gargoyles of course. So many gargoyles. The Museum of History is no different. Indeed, Superman is not wrong. Kreeping around the vents is exactly where Batman is, down in the depths of the museum, those bulky shafts and crawlways constructed of lead and iron instead of aluminum.

Slipping out silently, the Dark Knight drops to the ground and glances around -- the lights having gone out in this part of the museum with only the red glow of emergency lighting left to illuminate the world. The feed from Oracle gives him some idea of where to go and he is little more then a shadow himself as he picks his way in amongst the demonic creatures that search this level for survivors. He passes one of the exhibition rooms where a still, sprawled form a security guard lays across the tile, the puddle around him, and the torn uniform on his back, featuring stains that are particularly dark in the flickering reddish lighting. His expression hardens slightly, if rock can grow any harder, and he swiftly darts to the end of the passage as strangely shaped shadows stretch, their source rounding the corner a moment later just as the Dark Knight darts out of sight... and into a supply closet full of kids and their teacher. He raises a fingers to his lips to indicate silence before tilting his head back towards the door, listening for their moment.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The ape-like demon roars in surprise, anger and probably more then a little pain as the Man of Steel takes the best he has to deliver... and returns it in spades. It can't help but contort it's body to try and reduce the strain of the grip on one of it's wrists, starting to bring it's other arms down in a thunderous blow... which is abruptly stopped as that haymaker connects. That's one less ape monster to worry about. But demons big and small continue to pour in through that gap leading into the museum proper.

The Reaper might merely be playing at Death it's true, but it is not entirely without skills -- or magic of it's own. It moves as if there is more liquid then solid within it, impossibly moving aside from blows that should strike hom, body contorting in ways that defy belief as it catches those whirling blades of that thick haft of it's scythe, that blade twirling to direct them aside. For a moment the hood of that robe slips, revealling those hideous features, a skull still dripping flesh and maggots. But what is that to Lady Death and a moment later those blades put an end to the demon playing at death.

The fiery assualt looks like it might have been enough, just enough of the little blazing orbs getting past Donna's defense to set Diana aflame. But just for a moment. Then the Amazonian Princess is spinning and the rest of the fiery assault is beaten back by Donna and RAven's combined efforts. The demons that begin to swarm towards them, that shadows that seek to reach out with cold, life-draining tendrils are abruptly banished, reduced to dust, ash and ectoplasm as the lobby is suddenly cleared of threats. For a moment everyone has space to breath. But already more demons can be heard in the great hall ahead, a glimpse of a gapping red portal visible beyond.

At the heart of the museum the turnings of the Jar, the Bell and the wheel begin to pick up, those dark portals seeming to reach critical mass. Faust abruptly throws his arms towards the heavens. "Abnegazar! Rath! Ghast! Return to this world where you were banished from so long ago! Return! And serve me!"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl is urging the teacher and school children towards the exit but knows they won't make it, when the inspiring sight of Wonder Woman flying up to catch the burning timbers causes all four of them to breathe a sigh of relief!

The respite isn't wasted though, Batgirl immediately ushering the teacher and the child she's taken to carrying towards the exit, while she herself fires off a grapple line and grabs the other two kids. The trio whisk out of the room, the teacher and the other student close behind.

Which just leaves one angry little demon with a side that aches from a staff blow he took. Looking up at Diana Prince holding up the ceiling. He cackles malevolently and starts growing a fireball between his hands. He's a little thing, but it grows, and it grows, and it grows. He rears back with it in both hands to launch it up at her, when a black batarang comes whirling through the exit, hitting him in the back of the head and sinking in deep into his skull. The demon falls over backwards, the huge ball of fire landing on him and burning furiously, until the flames fade out leaving an inky black demon-shaped stain on the ground.

Batgirl sticks her head back in, gives Wonder Woman a thumbs up, and then moves off into the smoke, pulling her cape around her to help conceal her form as she moves forward stealthily towards what seems to be the nexus of the problems.

Clark Kent has posed:
Magic is gross, Clark thinks as he sees a bunch of monsters unmake themselves at Raven's dark command. Still, it was damn useful and he gives the moody girl a thumbs up. Clark has the sense she doesn't actually get all that much encouragement, and a little positive energy never hurt anyone. As for Lady Death...

Super hearing picks up trouble. The fugitive becomes less of a priority. "Great. Titans, we've got to push forward!" Superman says, as he can hear whatever ritual Faust is preforming start to reach its climax. He can't really go crazy in here without destroying the place, though. "Batman, Wonder Woman." Clark says into the com, though the Titans can probably hear him, "He's summoning some guys called Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast and it's nearly finished. I'm going to, uh."

"Break a few things." Superman admits, and steps forward towards the sound of the ritual. As he meets the Horde, Superman takes a page from the Hulk's book, holding his hands back and slapping them together in a massive thunderclap! It may feel like the whole building is shaking, for a second, as monsters fly away from the terrible figure of the Superman; he's been very careful to aim the clap so as to avoid any damage to people, but a few vases might fall over. Gotham has great insurance.

Superman continues to plow forward, knowing their best hope of solving this is his punching a way for Diana, Donna, or Raven to actually do something about the portal before all hell (hah) breaks loose.

Donna Troy has posed:
    So sayeth Raven; punching it is. Once the sorceress has shielded herself, Donna returns to a more aggressive posture, charging into the horde of the animal-featured demons. Taking advantage of a thinning of the ranks, she forces her way like a one-woman wedge formation into the midst of the creatures, her golden lasso flicking out to ensnare and bring creatures to their knees while her spare fist pounds animalistic faces.

    The onslaught is suddenly reversed when a sloth-faced demon clearly guilty of misleading advertizing leaps onto the back of a lion-faced fiend Donna has brought to the ground, and with startling speed swings a powerful two-handed blow that sends the younger Amazon hurtling into a donation box that shatters in a cloud of glass, metal, coins and banknotes. She quickly regains her feet as the sloth-faced fiend bears down on her, and with blood soaking down one arm meets it in crashing grapple -- but before the two combatants have a chance to test their strength, the demon disappates, unceremoniously unsummoned, and the lobby is empty.

    Donna rights herself, winds her lasso around her arm, and advances towards the great hall, drawing her sword. Sometimes you just have to up the stakes. She positions herself behind Superman in a sprinter's crouch, awaiting his lead, and calls back to Raven "Rae! Someone opened a hell portal here. Mind correcting that error? We'll buy you time."

    Superman's thunderclap crashes into the horde and Donna follows it into the great hall, a blur of motion as she chases the shockwave. Before her one elephantine demon stands in a crouch, braced against the buffeting pressure washing over it. Before it has had a chance to straighten, Donna launches herself from the body of one of its stunned fellows, vaulting over it with one hand on its shoulder to swivel as she comes down. Her sword flashes in a broad arc as she hits the ground, hamstringing it, and she has to roll quickly forwards to avoid being trapped beneath the heavy body as it crashes to the ground with a pained roar.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
"Is that all?" Lady Death jams the Apocalypse blade through the demonic charicature of the grim reaper causing the thing to blacken and explode in a cloud of ash. "I see you were a fool."

With her foe dispatched she drifts upward to get a better look at the battlefield. She finds herself torn between the fates of the children beset by demons and the prospect of even worse things from those portals. In the end it seems that others have the children in hand and bursts off after Superman towards Faust and those portals.

As she streaks forward into the Great Hall, surrounded by an aura of blue flame that gradually envelopes her entire form, Lady Death continues to gather her power. The blue flames becomes shot through with sparkling points of light and the sensitive might detect seemingly angelic energies building up in her aura, at odds with her demonic countenance before she unleashes a blast of enhanced arcane energy at one of the portals, the first she is able to see, attempting to unmake it as she approaches.

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Raven isn't lazy /per se/ as much as she is pragmatic about the amount of effort that she puts out at any one time. When you have Superman, Donna, Diana, and others running pass interference for the metaphoric football that is your ability to close portals, you just sort of let it happen. Donna surges forward, though, and then is sent backwards somewhat unceremoniously before Raven can properly control-z that particular demon.

    "Troia. I appreciate your generosity but that particular donation may send the wrong message." she notes, as the two of them position to enter the great hall and Raven almost languidly follows along, floating above the ground and spending her time peering into the now open Great Hall in order to discern the exact nature of the portal Faust has opened.

    "I will need the time."

    Raven floats in after the vanguard of the others, keeping to a slower pace to present a less imminent threat than the others so that she can begin chanting. The portals won't close immediately, but Raven is an expert: Summoning, unsummoning, merging and making bridges between dimensions is quite her forte. "If anyone can disrupt Faust, now would be the time."

    Her hands fly out to her sides. Energy like fluttering shadows emit from her, and she then entrusts everything else to the others: She will be vulnerable, so interference is imperative. She will be straining against the magical might of an empowered Faust, so any help would be -gravely- appreciated.

    "Equitus. Egoth. DOMINAN!" Spectral hands flit into existence around the portal, clutching at its edges as if it were a physical thing, six in total- and begin powerfully, desperately trying to pull it closed, hopefully before it can deposit its deadly cargo. Those demons, of course, have /names./ Their presence would be very, very bad.

Diana Prince has posed:
Of course the issue of simply holding a burning ceiling up isn't quite so simplistic as just hoisting it, at least not when it's this broken up and crumbling around her. So Diana is forced to adjust her position as her hands start to sink in to the breaking ceiling, smashing their ways through it all.

It's a struggle, but it's one she's mostly winning, at least long enough to give Batgirl time to complete her rescue!

With the ceiling falling apart around her, Diana tosses whats left of the section she's holding aside and lands in time to see the Bat-a-rang take out a demon that was apparently conjuring up a bit of fire for her...

A quick nod is given to Stephanie before she vanishes, then Diana turns to rejoin the others...

...Batman's call across the comms is heard, and soon Diana is joining the other's on their way to these portals. Always with the portals... Superman's efforts are used to progress further, to join Donna and the mysterious Lady Death at the portals. The Lasso of Truth is brandished, twirled and slung out to wrap around a portal? Apparently this is Diana's idea! Ensnare the portal and keep it from widening any further, or pull upon it's magical source to attempt to weaken or destroy it entirely!

Either way, the divinely powered rope is sent to lasso the gateway to whatever Hell those 3 people are meant to be coming from!

Bruce Wayne has posed:
There are still those inhuman shrieks coming from the museum of course and occassionally some dark shape moves past a window, the brief glimpse of it -- as obscured as it might be -- still making anyone who sets eyes on it uncomfortable. But increasingly outside the museum things are almost calm. The fires are clearly being dealt with, the Justice League -- at least some of them are on the scene -- and surely this will all be dealt with soon. Only a few fearful faces in the crowd suggest that the parents of some of those children trapped inside have begun to arrive. Of course, thanks to Batgirl -- with a timely assist from Diana -- the first of those trapped inside emerge from one of the side doors, slipping out towards the waiting authorities who begin to usher them away while a handful of officers linger nearby to cover them, eyes wide, guns drawn as they watch the scene within before the heavy door slams shut once again.

Down in the basement, the Dark Knight waits in silence with his own group of innocents. He keeps track of what's going on up above of course -- knowledge is practically his stock in trade -- and he watches with satisfaction as the first group of children is rescued, watches as the lobby is cleared and Superman clears a path to that blood red portal where a stream of unearthly beasts emerge into this world. His eyes narrow at the mention of those three strange names, but magic is one area where his knowledge is limited -- much as he would hate to admit that.

Either way, the moment seems to arrive and the Dark Knight carefully opens the door, glancing out into the hall before motioning for the children and their teacher to follow him. He leads them swiftly and silently, moving twenty-five feet ahead or so to insure that the way is clear and in short order has them at the freight elevator, rising up to the surface and the loading docks where they too can slip out.

That taken care of, he can finally turn his full attention to the matter at hand. Faust. <On my way,> he says lowly over the Justice League comms before switching back to the Bat frequencies. <Be careful Batgirl. Faust is beyond dangerous,> he urges just as quietly, making his way back into the museum proper.

The corridor that Stephanie moves through has the benefit of windows which offer enough natural light to compensate for the fact that the power is out. Whether it was damage from the fires, or magical surges, or maybe demons smashing transformers, it doesn't really matter, but the hallway does start to plunge into darkness as it angles deeper into the heart of the museum. It also seems to... twist slightly, looking normal at first. But the footing seems unsure, as if the tiles on the floor were just slightly slanted and slick with moisture. Corners and angles don't seem to quite align, not at ninety degree angles at least, the walls sometimes seeming to slant outwards or other times seeming to loom to close as if they were closing in. All without any rhyme or reason. If she looks back down the hall from where she came, well, almost as disturbing everything looks entirely normal.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
A little property damage seems almost inevitable during this sort of thing but if there is anything to be relieved at it would be that there are no genuine historical relics in the lobby or great hall. A number of impressive decorations and recreations mind, but nothing of immense historical value. So as demons get thrown about or as shockwaves devestate whole lines monsters, the resulting damage is at least not so bad as it looks.

But lets face it, those fighting off this incursion from the Hells are some pretty heavy hitters. And this is not the sort of confrontation where you pull your punches.

So Superman's handclap of might has it's intended effect, sending demons scattering, knocking them back into walls and benches and sculptures. Some are smashed lifeless, melting away, returning to dust and ectoplasm while others try to stagger back to their feet.

Which does them no favors either as they simply run into Donna who puts an end to them with deft sword strikes, mowing down any that approach her -- and some that try to do the exact opposite. Either way, none last long and for a few precious instants the way to the portal is entirely clear of obstructions or more demons pouring through...

...which allows Lady Death to unleash that stream of arcane energy towards that blood red portal that shimmers brightly. As that new surge of energy strikes it the portal seems to expand, the light radiating from it increasing until it's almost blinding. But just as quickly it begins to rapidly contract, falling in on itself until it winks out of existence entirely.

In the Founding of America exhibit Faust slowly rises to his feet, still standing amongst the glowing lines of the pentagram underfoot, his eyes ablaze with a light that even those trio of black portals cannot dim. Stepping out of each of those portals are unlikely specimins. There are no masses of muscle here, no foot-long razor-sharp claws or fangs. They are vaguely man-like in size and shape, though puprle in coloration. One has a pair of huge, over-sized eyes, another jutting, pointed ears and a mohawk of stringy hair while the last has hundreds, thousand of concentric circles that decorate his body, overlapping in intricate patterns. They almost look comical in some respects but power absolutely radiates from them. Anyone with magical sensitivities might feel like they've been hit by train. And as they step through those portals they begin to swell, growing more and more immense...

...at least until Raven begins to chant just as Diana reaches the chamber and lashes out with her lasso, binding those portals. Held in check by the power of the Amazon and with Raven's magic fraying the edges, the portals wink out.

Faust screams, whirling to face Diana, well aware others will soon follow. "You've stopped nothing!"

Clark Kent has posed:
"...really glad Gotham has good insurance." Superman says, aloud. He's not as worried about being capital S superman in front of the kids right this second, since things are getting serious enough that things have to finish. Not the History of America exhibit! Superman loves this one!

"Man you got blood all over Daniel Boone's cap." Superman says, frustrated at the best reason to visit Gotham when you're a nerd getting so messed up. He stands for a moment, arms akimbo, staring down at the JLA's old enemy and frowning impassively. It's important to look the part with a lot of criminals, a trick he's picked up from Batman over the years even if he does it a bit differently. The psych out game's important.

And then the Demons Three. "Hell is full of Oompa Loompas?" Clark asks, visibly shocked. As a Kryptonian his third eye isn't just shut, it's missing, so they just look like strange little purple men to Superman. Until he uses his special vision power and stumbles backwards like he was slapped.

"Oh." Superman says, and shakes his head. "Okay. Felix, I'm serious, I've had about enough of fighting devils today." The Man of Steel just walks towards Faust, unless some serous ordinance intervenes to protect the mad wizard! "Give it up before I knock over those bowling pins you're calling up."

Donna Troy has posed:
    For twenty of her twenty-six years on Earth, Donna has trained with unwavering dedication for exactly this kind of thing. Surrounded by monsters, a sword in her hand, she is in her element. In swift, precise movements, her body and blade move in tight harmony. The silvery blade of Amazonian steel rises and falls guided by lessons hammered into instinct. When there are no more foes in the great hall, her sword arm seems to know it before she does, hanging at her side while strained muscles take a moment to relax as she ensures there are no more foes to fight.

    All is not over yet though, and Donna knows her sister is somewhere deeper in the building. She glances over her shoulder as she follows after Superman, eyes flickering to the shadows cast by the fires not yet doused, ensuring there is nothing lying in wait to attack them as they pass, but soon enough she too arrives at the History of America exhibit. She sheathes her sword with a >snick< and loosens her lasso again, the magical rope burning gold between her hands as she sidesteps around the edges of the pentagram, making space between herself, Diana and Kal, to give Faust the message that he is surrounded.

    "Give it up, Faust!" she calls out. "I mean, summoning demons in a museum? It has been done /so many/ times before. Couldn't you come up with something new? Something original? This is like... Tuesday for us. It's just not worth the effort, really."

Hope Svelgate has posed:
When the portal to Hell finally collapses and the torrent of new demons abates, Lady Death is finally able to turn her attention towards the Founding of America exhibit and Faust himself. Too late it would it would seem prevent his true goal, the summoning of demonic oompa loompas. Lady Death does not greet their arrival nearly so flippantly as Superman though, not that she ever seems to be flippant. Still her eyes narrow, seeming even more unhappy if that's even possible.

"The Demons Three." She says the words like a curse. "They once inhabited this realm before being bound away eons ago. Do not underestimate their power no matter how they appear." She says to no one in particular, perhaps everyone as she continues to float into the room, though more guarded now perhaps waiting to see what Faust's next play is now that he has these creatures with him.

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Raven exhales softly, as the others do their jobs with brutal effectiveness. Still, however, it is perhaps too little, too late. She lands as Faust successfully summons those named demons, and there is very little that she can do once they're present. Regardless, she is bold- and she has a card to play that none of them may be ready for.

    There are no more incantations, no more spells, no blackened eyes or attempts at telekinesis. Just a girl walking forward, as if she has nothing to fear: And make no mistake, there is no fear there.

    "Shut up, Faust." she argues, immediately. Her voice echoes on walls that aren't present, an inhuman addition to her presence that punctuates her other half. She ignores him afterwards- as if he were not the real power here. As if he held no sway on the three he'd summoned. The Rodney Dangerfield of wizards.

    "Demons Three, I am Raven, Daughter of Trigon. I beseech you now to relinquish any contracts you hold with Felix Faust, and return to your imprisonment. If you do not, I will have no choice but to bring your contention for this realm to my father, to see if your claim can outweigh his."

    It's... Approaching the nuclear option, but the questions remain, is it a bluff? And if it isn't, is it just /that/ easy? Raven has an /impressive/ poker face, even as she pulls the hood down from around her features, exposing a face of blood red skin, and eyes of glowing yellow. All four of them.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes are on Faust when she sees him specifically call her out for nothing having been stopped here.

"Yet." is Diana's simple response to him. She knows the others are with her, she can see Donna taking up position on the other side of the evil man. Lady Death's words are heard, off to her right, while Diana takes a single step to the left then pivots to face Faust again.

"All of this... is without any hope. Perhaps you will put a dent in us, Faust." She tells him, her eyes not leaving him as she slowly paces. "But whatever ultimate goals you have with this reckless, foolish, display... they will be thwarted. The Justice League, and its allies, have grown strong. Stronger than your desperate displays of heinous power."

Diana pauses then, her sword is pushed tip-first in to the floor beside her foot so that it will stand on its own. She wraps her golden glowing lasso up into a coil of divine rope, her eyes still on Faust.

They're all surrounding him now, it would appear, giving him a chance to do the right thing?

Bruce Wayne has posed:
For a moment Faust looks furious, his face almost beet red as he glares at Superman. This sort of thing always works so much better face to face and it looks like the wizard is going to fall for it. Hands clench at his side and it is almost possible to see, to hear the angry retort that is coming to his lips.

And then, quite suddenly he laughs. A deep, full belly laugh. He actually throws his head back as he lets it all out. There is nothing joyful about that sound though. It is entirely malicious. Made all the more so when those three, almost comical demonic figures behind himjoin him. The sound of their laughter is grating. Worse then nails on a chalkboard. So very full of spite.

"Ahhh, Kryptonian. It's far too late for that now," he says softly, eyes narrowed to mere slits as he gives a little theatric twirl of his fingers. It seems like a nothing gesture by Abnegazar smiles and makes a gesture as if reaching for something. "I'm told you have remarkable hearing. Can you hear that? It just entered the atmosphere, pulled from the depths of the void. And hurtling towards your beloved Metropolis. Such a shame," he says lightly, for a moment the image of an asteroid burning a streak through the atmosphere appearing like a haze vision in the air around them.

He also seems entirely unapologetic about ruining Daniel Boone's cap. Jerk.

His eyes flicker towards Lady Death, that smile growing a little more pronounced. "Ahhhh, you have some knowledge. In another millenia or two you might even be formidable. Perhaps I shall keep my eye on you. When I'm through there will be room for those with the proper intellect and mindset to thrive," he pronounces. Probably not real flattering.

The Amazonian's capture Faust's attention next, lips curling into a sneer. "Never a problem that cannot be solved with your sword, hmmm? Or that special golden lasso. I wonder what truths I would reveal to you? Perhaps you would not like what I would have to say. Perhaps you would not appreciate what I place I see for the Amazons in my new world?" he says, flicking fingers dismissively towards Diana and Donna. Rath raises a hand and a wave of unseen force suddenly slams out towards them.

Then finally his eyes light on Raven, a hint of admiration there at her gambit. "It is no contract they have with me, daughter of the demon," he says softly, silibantly, laughter still in his tone. "Our ties are much deeper then that. Now," he adds, that strange little mobile of the Jar, the Bell and the Wheel continuing to orbit above him. "You speak to them as if they have any say in the matter. But by all means, bring forth your father. Perhaps you'll find there was a reason he did not try to enter this realm with the Demons Three were rulers over all they surveyed," he says. Bluster? Knowing Faust, probably. "Or perhaps we should merely draw that darkness out of you instead? Oh, that might be much more interesting," he says with a low, cruel laugh.

Finally he gives a shake of his head and draws himself up, trying to look imperious -- something that is a little difficult to accomplish in this company. "Enough. My purpose is done here. Oppose me to your eternal regret. When next we meet you will kneel and serve or..."

And with that Faust simply smiles and vanishes as if he was never there at all. For an instant those three unlikely demonic forces loom over the heroes. And then they two vanish.

And in the darkest corner of the room Gotham's Dark Knight watches.

Clark Kent has posed:
"What?" Superman says.

And then he listens. This might be the first time Raven and Donna actually see Superman furious; there is a physical presence as the Kryptonian registers the threat hurtling towards his home, the sheer pettiness of Faust, and how this was all just advertising. In this bloody, occult killing field mystical eyes may see the Man of Steel get a little realer, like a sunbeam solidifying into focused heat through the air of a glass.

The old villains are up to something, and if Clark knows, he figures Bruce knows. A particularly deep shadow gets a nod anyway, as the Superman makes a few calculations.

"Seconds to act." Magic words in their own right. "Up!" Gravity ripples as Superman cuts through the air like a rocket, pressure filling the room as there's no time to build up to the proper speeds, Superman has to rip into the air the hard way. "Up and away!"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Out of the shadows, Batgirl emerges. The blond hero has a pair of batarangs in each hand, and Batman would recognize they have sonic emitters on them. Four of them together would be wreak havoc on someone's ears and equilibrium. She stuffs them back in her utility belt angrily as she sees the bad guy has gotten away.

She strides forward, moving over to where the demons appeared and the portals were. She scuffs at something with a foot and then bends down, pulling out a small specimen bag and scooting something into it, then stowing it in a pouch on her belt.

"So, I've had better trips to the museum," she comments. Someone has to break the tension.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Moments after the Man of Steel up, up and aways, the T-Coms belonging to both Titans start pinging loud emergency signals. Donna glances at Raven before pulling hers out and checking it. "We have the asteroid on radar," she announces.

    Donna depresses a button on the T-Com and waits a moment for a response that comes almost instantly, Caitlin Fairchild's voice saying "Donna, what's..." before Donna interrupts. "Cait, no time to explain. Asteroid incoming. Superman is trying to intercept it. Send Supergirl if she's there, and get to the T-Jet. We still have four Warzoon torpedoes, but co-ordinate with Kal before firing. Go! I'll explain later."

    Caitlin's voice starts to say something else but Donna just repeats "GO!" and cuts the signal before looking to Diana. "Invisible Jet? We should probably be prepared to hit it with everything we can throw at it."

Hope Svelgate has posed:
A blast of Lady Death's Energy Arcane is hurled towards where Faust stood. But he is already gone by the time it arrives, debris and bits of the floor exploding outward from the impact instead. Her expression twisted in annoyance at the insolence of this mere mortal who would seek to lecture her.

With Faust and the demons gone however, and the various threats that drew her here with them, Lady Death finds no reason to stay. Not revealed as she is, there's always too many questions, too many who would attempt to assert some manner of authority she does not recognize over her. There are others who will deal with this rock from space, and if they don't? Death will take its natural course.

Her right hand rises up and the Chaos-forged blade Apocalypse cuts a seeming gash in space, through which steps Lady Death to somewhere beyond before the glowing rent seals itself behind her.

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Raven's expression sours as Faust calls the bluff. "You can try." she remarks, "But it would crush you like an insect, and twice as quickly." That... Isn't an empty threat. The darkness within Raven is not at all a pleasant thing, even for those whom find such things appealing.

    To the others, she simply turns, having shuffled her hood about her head as soon as Faust left with his ensorcelled- after a fashion, at least- host of demons. "A meteor is not my area of expertise. I'll return to the tower and get to work on finding and eliminating Faust and his demons."

    The assumption she makes is, of course, that Donna will want to go with Diana- and that means going in the jet. Raven is not going to ride in it at all today- and the shreds of shadow building up around her declare her intent to simply teleport away. Unless she's stopped, that's what she'll be doing.

Diana Prince has posed:
Superman's reaction to the situation that Faust details is one of... noteworthy, at least to Diana. She watches him make his fast exit to deal with the presented problems that are presumably hurtling toward Metropolis now, then reaches for her sword to snap it up out of the ground, twist it around and slide it back in to her sheath on her back.

First, Diana's eyes watch Lady Death make her exist... intriguing, that one. Then her gaze goes to Stephanie, who gets a light nod of her head. "Batgirl, if you could stay local and make sure everything here is... in as best of order as possible, that would greatly help us."

Now Diana is moving to join her sister. "It is just beyond the section that Kal flew from." She says, looking in the direction that he went. "We should go, yes." A quick nod is given to Raven. "You did wonderfully, Raven, as ever." A smile is tacked on to that before Diana moves to depart in a similar fashion as Superman, though without any departing-catch-phrases.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
As Faust makes his theatrical exit the Dark Knight finally rises from his place in amongst the shadows of the exhibit. There is no time to say anything to Clark -- not under the circumstances -- and chances are he has a good idea what he's feeling. He probably feels it too. He has little patience for those that endanger innocents. For any purpose, let alone one like this.

As Batgirl sets about gathering little bits and pieces of the scene -- perhaps samples of the ink used in the pentagram or fragments that could be from Faust or one of the demons themselves -- the Dark Knight gives a little nod. This is a little outside their realm, but they can still apply their talents and see what it is they can learn. "The authorities will be in here soon," he says quietly. Which means that it is time to get going.

Of course some already have the same idea as Lady Death departs without a word. No doubt he is already composing the file that will be opened on the Bat Computer about her, no matter how scant the information he has is at the moment.

Raven and the two Amazons get a nod of thanks as they turn to depart. "Thank you," he says quietly. They might want to bank that. Who knows when he'll offer a thanks again, especially for something in Gotham. "Let Superman know that if he runs into any issues and needs assistance..." he adds, letting the words trail off. It's a given.

In the skies over Metropolis a flaming chunk of rock descends, rocketing towards the ground. It is not terribly large, not as these things go, but then they don't need to be. But despite all the speed behind it, despite that mass there is little doubt that it is about to meet it's match. The City of Tomorrow will be safe, at least for another day by the time the Man of Steel is done.