6340/Sorcerer's World - A Mirror Perilous

Sorcerer's World - A Mirror Perilous
Date of Scene:	26 May 2021
Location:	Trafalgar Square -- London, England
Synopsis:	Faust's attempt to lay claim to the Siege Perilous is thwarted after a long chase through the Mirror Dimension and a little help from a surprising source. But why does it feel as if everything is still going that megalomaniac's way?
Cast of Characters:	Bruce Wayne, Wanda Maximoff, Hope Svelgate

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Bruce Wayne has posed:
It has been a tense sort of week. It is not exactly a surprise that Felix Faust would go dark again. He has in the past, with other successes. And his thrust into the Gotham Observatory would have to be considered a success, what with him gaining a new and powerful ally in that former Spirit of Vengeance and in taking Jason Blood out of the picture. That one in particularly is galling to the Dark Knight.

But it was not an unabashed success. The ultimate fate of Rath of the Demons Three is unknown, but the possibility that one of the most powerful demons in existence has actually been slain is no small matter. It doesn't make up for the rest of course -- not in Batman's eyes -- but anything that frustrates Faust's mysterious endgame at this point is no bad thing as far as he is concerned.

Faust might be laying low, but the net is up. The Dark Knight has a lot of contacts and they too have people they can count on. Even in the mystical realms. He has been assured that the Justice League will have warning should anything tweak the mystical web draped over the world. Not to mention that there are plenty of others likely interested in just what the mad wizard might be up to that requires gathering such large amounts of power to his cause.

And so the next incursion is detected. It's not in Gotham this time. It's not even in North America. Instead those mystical alarms all point across the Atlantic Ocean, all point to London England. A surprise? Not likely. There's no shortage of mystical power sources over there.

The Dark Knight has been spending a little more time on the Watchtower as of late. Usually he only does so grudgingly, sparing the time away from Gotham for only the most dire of needs. But this apparently qualifies. From up here he has access to the Justice League teleporters. From up here he can get to almost any major city across the world in seconds. So when the alert comes, he's ready. In minutes he is back Earthside, creeping across the rooftops of London despite the fact that late afternoon sun still beats down overhead. Whatever Faust is up to, apparently he does not mind being seen.

Indeed, it would have been hard for the mad wizard to select a more public locale. At almost any hour of the day Trafalgar Square is one of the busier places in an absolutely bustling city and while there are plenty of strange sights to be picked out of the crowd, the blue robed figure with his blue turban, craning his head around looking to see if he is being followed certainly stands out. Whatever he's up to, discretion apparently is not his primary concern.

But what perhaps stands out most to those who recognize him, who know the threat that he poses is the fact that he does not seem to have any of his other allies with him. No Demons Three or Amos Fortune. No Blackbriar Thorn or Eclipso. Today, Felix Faust is alone in the crowd.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
A ripple, a wisp in the magic realm shows itself as a neon light to Wanda Maximoff. She's had to teach herself to ignore it, to tune it out, but it's always there, sitting in the background, banging on the back of her brain, demanding attention. This, however, this simply couldn't be ignored, can't be ignored, won't be ignored. Not now.

It's nothing for the Scarlet Witch to move from place to place, from continent to continent, country to country.. town to town. There are always Travellers, Roman, gypsies, call them what one will, but her appearance is nothing out of the ordinary for those of London. Other than to be considered worse than 2nd class citizens, that is.

Dressed in red; her 'usual', Wanda has her corset with red leather jacket, dark pants, knee-high boots, and her hair is down, hanging about her shoulders. She both blends in with the crowds of the square and stands out both at the same time.. very much like her 'quarry'.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
For the Hell Lords that dwell beyond Earth things like space and distance are not really an issue. It is just as easy to open a portal to London as it is to open one to New York, or even Antarctica. Even for one often dwelling on Earth as Lady Death has taken to lately, crossing space and following her quarry to the ends of the Earth is a trivial matter and between his summoning of various demonic entities Felix Faust has become that quarry.

Standing in her Sanctuary, the abandoned church within the more run down parts of Hell's Kitchen, Lady Death watches Faust move through the crowds in the enchanted stained glass windows. She waves a hand before her face as she spins a simple glamour around her with the appearance of her once young mortal self, though clad in similar garments to those she see's within the glass. Hidden beneath the illusions are also her weapons, the powerful mystic blades Apocalypse and Scynister.

"Now I have you Faust." She says to herself, reaching out with her other hand and channeling the blue mystic power of the Energy Arcane through the stained glass, rendering the images upon them into an actual portal as a civilian looking Hope Svelgate steps out into the London street crowds in pursuit of her prey.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While the Dark Knight might have made tracking down Faust his mission, leaving the care of *his* city to his numerous protegees -- at least for the time being -- not everyone has that luxury. So the fact that he is the first one on the scene is not exactly a surprise to the man. Though he might hope that he isn't the only one. It's always difficult to say. It's a big world and there are many things that need attention at any one time. Still, he feels at all overmatched, there's certainly no sign of it as he creeps across the rooftops, his attention centered on the robed figure who weaves in amongst the crowd while apparently trying to look everywhere at once, head constantly bobbing about.

Focused though he might be on Faust and his strange behavior, it is impossible to miss the woman in red who seems to have taken an interest in his quarry and he studies her for just a moment as the head's up display in his cowl conveys a variety of information. Thank WayneTech's satellite reach. Wanda Maximoff then. Interesting. Though just how this might change things remains to be seen. His file certainly makes interesting enough reading.

Some people seem to be able to feel it when there are eyes on them, a nagging sixth sense, the sensation of being watched. Maybe that's the reason why Faust's gaze finally picks Wanda out of the crowd, eyes widening a little bit in recognition. Or maybe it is a brief glimpse of a certain portal opening that spooks him. Either way, for just a moment, panic lights in those eyes. It's not as if he's a slouch in the magic department. Indeed, his machinations have kept the League at bay for weeks. But almost immediate he turns, turns and starts to run. He already stood out in the crowd, but as he shoves people aside he definitely starts to get some attention. Less 'what a weirdo' and more 'what the hell do you think you're doing?'. His hands start to move, tracing out intricate symbols in mid air.

It is like a little sliver at first, a distortion in the air that almost seems like a trick of the light, something imagined or like the little floaties that crawl across one's vision of staring at a powerful light. But it becomes more pronounced, like a crack in reality itself. There's a stir in the crowd, the first signs of a panio as people recoil away. But Faust just plunges ahead, straight towards that crack. He meets it, extended hand touching it and it's like reality... shifts. Suddenly he is stand there, his orientation seeming to have done a complete one-eighty, facing back towards where he just came through, the street behind him now very much like looking into a mirror, reflecting back the other side.

For his part, Faust does not seem concerned. Maybe even a little relieved. Again he turns, once more starting to run away -- or is that back towards them? -- grasping those blue robes to keep them from tangling in his legs.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
As much as Wanda may wish to remain anonymous (one of her strengths when working with the Avengers.. really!), she does exude that same magical aura that screams 'crazy powerful witch', in all senses of the word 'crazy'. Mostly. Even if she isn't aware exactly //how// powerful she is, she does unconsciously channel some of that energy, some of that magic, thus lighting herself up like a Las Vegas strip.

So, running? Kinda logical, even if she didn't expect he'd rabbit.

Wanda looks behind her instinctively, looks beside her, and she begins to move forward, her hands down.. and should anyone be looking, wisps of red essence begins to exude? appear? coalesce at her fingertips as she walks with purpose. She doesn't run; Faust is doing that for her, clearing the path, removing rocks and obstacles.

It's the little rift that he moves into, disappearing briefly before reappearing once more that gives her pause. She's not ignorant of his route, but it just makes it a touch harder to get at him... a step to the side, a movement, and shift in time, space, and he's on that mirror's edge, and the only way to follow him is to, well.. follow him.

Wanda isn't quite as subtle as Faust, then, and with a grand gesture'd wave into the air, a slip of deep crimson appears to slice open reality, and upon stepping through, she disappears.. only to reappear once more.. stepping through.

The witch makes a face, however; it's not normal for her, not //right//, not something she's used to feeling as she looks at her hand briefly as she holds it up to her face. She's still //her//, but there's a discomfort upon her face before she catches sight once more of her quarry and begins her path once more..

Hope Svelgate has posed:
Lady Death does not particularly like appearing in her true form in the middle of crowds in broad daylight. She doesn't have any problem with the way she looks or the reactions it engenders from onlookers, but when mortals are frightened their governments try to do annoying things like ask questions or attempt to detain, neither of which Lady Death ever wishes to deal with. However in this case it can't be helped as invoking the power necessary to pursue Faust will wash away the simple glamour of the disguise like a leaf in a raging torrent.

As if the Scarlet Witch's display wasn't enough, a telekinetic wave suddenly pushes those around 'Hope Svelgate' back though not so hard to as to harm them overly even as her disguise melts away revealing the white haired demonic albino queen of all that is dead and dying in all of her glory. For a moment she glows with the blue mystic power of the Energy Arcane from head to toe before it surges out from her opening her own gaping rent between dimensions, which she then steps through before it can reseal itself. Chalk up another global Lady Death sighting.

On the other side Faust gets a look that would probably strike him dead if looks could kill, before she takes off after him. Why must mortals always run from Death?

Bruce Wayne has posed:
He really has to try and find a way to expand his knowledge of magic somehow.

Up above the crowd in the Square, perched on a gabled rooftop the Dark Knight stares grimly at the scene below as that crack in reality seems to manifest itself, not entirely sure of just what it is that he is looking at. What he does see however is the fact that he's not alone, not exactly. One way or another that little sliver of distortion seems to be the key. But he has no way of knowing just how long it will remain in the lock.

He doesn't like operating in ignorance. Much of his reputation is built on the fact that he always has a plan, that he always knows more then his opponent no matter how badly they are otherwise mismatched. But he's operating in the dark here and not the good sort of dark. So Batman simply takes the plunge, firing off one of his grapnels as he leaps from the rooftop, swing in a downward arc and simply letting his momentum carry him right into that distortion...

...where like the others he appears in what seems like almost a reflection of reality. He might not be a wizard, but even he can sense that faint aura of wrongness, like he doesn't quite belong. But it is not as if he has a lot of time -- or points of reference -- to get used to all of this.

Outside the portal the panicked crowd is dealt with in a rather abrupt manner that probably does not ease many tensions. But it is rather effective, if nothing else, that wave of telekinetic force knocking down anyone close to the portal. The intimidating figure also is not likely to ease many minds, but just as quickly as a growing incident seems to be about to start, that distortion of reality winks out existence.

Running away -- which seems like an immensely good idea at the moment -- Faust still glances back over his shoulder and seems surprised that he is not alone in this world that exists just outside reality as they otherwise know it. Again those eyes widen ever so slightly and the blue-robed wizard gestures with his hand. If he cleared the path of obstacles to reach this place, it would appear that he is now intent on throwing them up.

On the reflected street the vehicles that plod along the mirror-road abruptly begin to accelerate as if propelled forward by some onseen force, moving from maybe ten miles an hour to top speed in mere seconds. A compact car hurtles towards the Dark Knight while a much more substantial lorry suddenly leaps ahead, barrelling down on Lady Death. As for the Scarlet Witch? She gets a pair of England's own double-decker buses, leaping the curb to bear down on her. All in red of course.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
As Wanda walks, her demeanor shifts from that of discomfort and uncertainty to something more determined. She has her head down, her eyes forward, and one might almost catch a red glow from within those emerald green eyes, and at the tips of her fingers, that deep crimson color that wisps like smoke.

She's all aware, all attuned, partially in keeping those around her safe, and continuing on her path. A hand rises, and red is pushed from her hand at the speeding car that looks as if it's going to run over the.. cowled man? Not enough time to question, nor really to think, to second guess anything, and the forcefield is set to act as a shield for the man.

In the next moment, Wanda is swinging her hands around in a largely gestured fashion, from one side, over her head, to the other before she pushes back on those double-decker busses. She actually has to stop, dig in with her boots in order to concentrate on them, all while trying desperately not to lose visual sight of Faust. If he disappears again, she may lose him...

The appearance of Lady Death, however.. that is something for the books. Magic screams from the other woman, this walking figure of Death, and Wanda is immediately ready to at least protect herself from this manifestation...

Hope Svelgate has posed:
Having spent centuries in actual Hell, a little discomfort at the oddity and strangely reversed otherness doesn't really bother Lady Death too much. She takes off after Faust, the blue mystic power of the Energy Arcane enshrouding her feet and burning in her otherwise bright white eyes as she flies after.

The oncoming tractor trailer does present an obstacle for Lady Death but perhaps not quite as significant of one as Faust might have liked. Rather than flying around it, she grips the Chaos-forged blade Apocalypse in both hands, drawing on her Energy Arcane to fill the blade, even as the sword itself channels raw Chaos power from the ends of infinity and in impressive display of raw mystic power and swordsmanship she slices the ongoing truck in half down its length.

Lady Death does not seem terribly interested in Wanda however, certainly there is no move to attack her or the Batman. The Hell Valkyrie looking woman seems intend on one target and that is Faust.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Yeah. He's pretty sure that he's not exactly in Kansas anymore. Or London as the case might be. Kansas is really more of Clark's thing anyway.

Any disorientation he might feel, any concerns about how he is going to get back to reality are shunted aside without a second of consideration, his expression never changing as he stares after the retreating form of Faust. And then that car is racing towards him, hurtling across that increasing short expanse of roadway to simply mow him down.

His reflexes are as fast as any human's, just about the peak that a simple human being can aspire to. But that car is bearing down on him awfully quickly and even as he starts to move, starts to throw himself bodily to the side to try and avoid the on-rushing car. Small as it is, at the speed it is going to do some damage.

But even before he can move that red energy is there, his very own personal barrier that slides into place between him and the speeding vehicle, shunting it aside before it can reach him. The Dark Knight dips his head in brief acknowledgement, his expression still unchanged -- nothing but grim determination -- as he nods Wanda's way. "She's not a hostile," he calls out to the Scarlet Witch before shooting Lady Death another look. "At least not at the moment. "She's after Faust," he offers up. They definitely don't want any misunderstandings here.

It would appear that speeding vehicles, even heavily-loaded Lorries and Double-Decker buses just are not going to do it. Faust probably knew that, understood that, even if he might have hoped otherwise. Still, it made his pursuers spend precious seconds. Still sneaking darting glances in his wake to see just how imminent the danger to him is, Faust gestures with his hand again, fingers moving as if fold over a page in a book, or laundry.

The effect that has in the Mirror Dimension is considerably more impressive. Trafalgar Square begins to fold, the ground and buildings twisting as made out of some bendy material instead of pavement and brick. Up ahead the roadway seems to fold at a ninety degree angle, any view of where it is going lost for those on the ground. But it otherwise does not seem to change things, cars still creeping along, one moment seeming having fallen into a pit and the next right-side up, still crawling through the late afternoon traffic.

As disorienting as all of that is, the sudden change of perspective, the warping of reality, more concerning is that the buildings from the far side of the street have foldd right over, casting a shadow over them from above as they come crashing down towards them out of a sky that is increasingly blotted out.

And Faust? He runs straight towards where the road seems to just end, folded over and seemingly plunging downard. His steps carry him closer and closer and then he is simply gone, apparently plunging straight over that edge.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Precious seconds lost; heartbeats that Wanda knows that can be the difference between success and failure. She meets the Dark Knight's eyes briefly, holding it there for those heartbeats before she nods in the information, and continues on her path, now that she knows he's safe(ish) and that the other woman.. the one that literally looks like Death and not particularly warmed over, is 'friendly'.

The amount of magical energy emenating from the woman, however, and chaos energy at that almost takes Wanda's breath away. She can //feel// the drain of the aether, of the chaos, of the essence of the world. And right now, the Escher-esque creations isn't doing Wanda any real favors. She can feel the wrongness of them at every corner, every fold, every dip.

From the walk, the Scarlet Witch turns into a jog, her mid-length leather coat fluttering behind her before she stops at the edge of the seeming chasm. The buildings around her seem to lurk, some at dangerous and unreal angles.. and there's an uncertainty, an almost unwillingness to jump in, to follow into the depths.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
Seconds might as well be an eternity as Lady Death and the others are delayed just long enough for Faust to begin twisting the landscape itself while seemingly making his escape through the base of the folds.

Lady Death surges forward through the air as the two halves of the Semi fall to either side, dodging through the oncoming buildings as she seems relentlessly determined that Faust not escape again. It's far from a simple task though, even with her speed. Several times she is nearly crushed save for a blast of Energy Arcane clearing the way or some well timed telekinesis, other times she is forced to fly through openings in the collapsing buildings themselves busting through windows on one side and out the other.

At the spot where Faust seemed to disappear though, even Lady Death displays caution coming up short as she searches for the way through.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
He is out of his element here. He doesn't know the rules. He doesn't know if this is even real. If that car had hit him would he have simply woken up, laying on the street beside one of the bronze lions that surrounds Nelson's column? Or would he just never be seen again? Likewise with those buildings that plunge down towards them above, those cars and trucks that crawl along the street overhead, hanging impossibly upside down. Will they be crushed? Will it stop short? Does it matter?

Perspective seems completely skewed. The Dark Knight is a detective. He relies on his senses -- what he can see and hear and taste and touch and smell -- to inform his decisions. None of that seems to matter at all here.

So he falls into a run as well, racing for that... is it a ledge? That bend in the road way, one more impossibility in a world that is increasingly full of them. Another grapnel appears in his hand and he barely breaks stride as he approaches the proverbial -- and perhaps literal -- end of the road. Even then it is not because of fear or hesitation that makes him break his stride. It's that he is not about to leave Wanda to be crushed as the sky -- or is it the other side of the street? -- crashes down. Even if she didn't potentially save his life. So he sweeps her up, grabbing hold with one arm while he plunges over that edge, his other hand reaching for another grapnel to fire off and stop his plunge.

But they don't fall. One moment there is nothing but an endless drop in front of them and the next it is like reality moves around them. They're right side up, still running down the street after Faust. The Dark Knight's momentum slows, enough to cease carry her along. "This is a little unnerving," he says flatly. It might be as close to a complaint as he has ever uttered in that cape and cowl and he reaches for a Batarang from one of those pouches that line his belt.

Before he can hurl it after the fleeing man Faust suddenly seems to explode in a flash of color. Where there was once a single blue-robed sorcerer, now there are dozens of them, all veering off in different directions, some even taking to the air. The Dark Knight is perceptive, but if there is something that tells him the difference between the images and the real one it is not immediately obvious to him. So again, he starts to pursue, flinging those projectiles after those Fausts that are closest.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
From the edge of the seeming chasm, Wanda is scooped up in strong arms, and she *squeaks* in surprise and complaint. (Tough witch Avenger, and she SQUEAKS?!) The swoop across and the consequent landing on her feet with the illusions and the LSD-ish reality bending around them is enough to cause her to pause, but not for long. She's following the Dark Knight now, running.. and then stopping short as the explosion of *BLUE* temporarily blinds her.

In that next moment, all the illusions tear from the single source, and she's left to think.

The blue, then, is matched with a burst of red- brilliantly hued crimson explodes in the air like a starburst, like a star going supernova as at least the same amount of .. Wandas appear. They seem manifest enough, and without a word, each goes into a separate direction. It's chaos magic that meets chaos magic.. and it was a tough spell.. a big one that looks as if it took a great deal from the Avenger. She looks almost dazed, pushed.. and still she has to dig deep. She doesn't have her anchors, those who can keep her from going too far, who can put a hand on her arm, offer a quiet voice.. and she sends out a push of red energy, the essence coming from deep within.

If one of her illusions comes across the //real// Faust, that burst of aether will know. It will be called to the spot. Something of a 'fire and forget'.. something she'd learned early on in her quests for revenge.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
Lady Death's momentary caution does not last for as she dives through the void and bursts forth into the air above the next part of the street in the increasingly Escher-esque landscape. "Is there no end to this tricks?!" The pale woman growls as she watches Faust appear to split himself up. In the back of her mind though, she has begun to wonder if this wild goose chase isn't intentional, if they are not being lead somewhere. It makes no sense for Faust to appear without his carefully gathered muscle after all.

When Wanda manages to pull the same trick as Faust, Lady Death briefly looks down from where she is floating in the sky almost like the White Witch is truly noticing the Scarlet Witch for the first time. Whether having Death's attention is a good thing or not remains to be seen though. For now she flies above, watching where the various Fausts and Wandas go with her keen senses, waiting for the true Faust to reveal himself so she can strike. Though those nagging doubts as to Fausts true purpose also still remain, yet another reason to observe from above for the moment.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Again, he is no expert when it comes to magic. Perhaps there is some sense in all of this... misdirection. In their past altercations, Faust has relied on brute strength as much as anything, summoning up demons and fire and barriers of all sorts. But this time he simply runs, throwing up distraction after distraction. He might not know him like he does the psychologically damaged foes of his home city, but it just doesn't seem quite right, not keeping with his character, his past behavior.

But the Dark Knight continues to pull out batarangs, hurling them at the fleeing backs of the various Fausts. The field is increasingly winnowed, a little from his own efforts but most especially from Wanda's counter thrust, that burst of red power sending duplicates of her soaring about, seeking out each image of the mad wizard and blowing right through them in a little puff of smoke.

The panicked look on each of the Fausts show how unexpected the gambit is, the customary arrogance nowhere to be seen now, that his composure breaks as the real wizard finds himself increasingly hemmed in. Again he gestures -- his next gambit apparently -- and the world starts to fold in on itself again, this time in front of him. The entire city seems to leap forward, racing towards the fleeing Faust and... compressing as it does so, creating a sort of kalidescope effect as what constitutes reality in this dimension folds in on itself, rapidly shortening the distance between where Faust is now and where it appears that he wants to go.

And where he wants to go becomes increasingly apparent. London collapses, folding in on itself more and more quickly, eaten up into that display of shifting color and light as the countryside whips by. Beyond the city proper, racing towards what appears to be a country estate. He tears right through the walls, dropping down until the path appears to lead into a stone worked basement. A pedestal stands there. A pedestal with what appears to be a singular piece of jewelery. A broach, golden along the edge with what appear to be a pair of golden extensions jutting out from either end. And the jewel at the heart? A crystal that defies description, black as night and yet filled with an almost overwhelming luminesence.

Batman can tell that it is important, that it has power. And he has no magical sense at all. But this gem, it radiates power. Even the most ignorant, even the least powerful practitioner would be able to sense the waves of power coming off of this piece of jewelry. And for those who are not ignorant? For those who know magic, who know the powers of that world? There is no doubt at all that this is the Siege Perilous. One of the keys to reality itself.

That gap that has been bridged in this reality, this Mirror Dimension, remains opened and the now revealed Faust plunges ahead, diving towards that distant basement and Merlyn's relic that rests just ahead. And as he nears a great, glowing portal springs to life...

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
That white witch, the one that hovers, exudes magic like few Wanda's seen. It even //feels// almost the same as hers, as if it springs from that self-same well. But the Scarlet Witch is in tune with the world, and it's a topsy, turvy creation that isn't really giving her much mential respite. Green eyes rise to watch her, but then her gaze lowers once more to the task at hand, her features showing a weariness that digs deep into her soul.

Still, the race is on, and she can feel her own illusions blinking out as they take on the illusions of her quarry.

She's on the move again, running without seeming to go anywhere, yet the distances she feels that she travels is tiring, causing her heart to pound with the effort.

And there.. there it is. The ultimate end of this chase, and Wanda's eyes widen in the feel of it, much less the sight.

"Nooooo!!!" is cried out, it's pulled from her lungs as she pushes her hands forward, trying to make a shield between Faust and the desired object in time.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
As the Fausts widdle down and his endgame stands revealed Lady Death curses in Medieval Swedish under her breath. The last thing she needs is Faust getting any more tricks, let alone one of that power. What happens next is perhaps unexpected but an entirely pragmatic decision on her part.

Dropping out of the sky Lady Death lands before the other two, hard enough to crack the pavement. Slowing the velocity of her descent would have cost time after all. Then gripping this hilt of her Chaos-forged blade she slashes a gaping rent in the fabric of space itself even as the point of her blade protrudes from the air not far from Faust and the relic and slices downward in a matching motion.

She doesn't waste any additional time on words, lunging through the tear in space, sword in hand in a last ditch attempt to strike down her quarry. The glowing tear lingering behind her just long enough if the other two have the courage to follow.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While the distance between these two points are rapidly, impossibly compressed it is still much too far for the Dark Knight to hurl a batarang. Nor does he know what the effect of Faust reaching that objective might be. But he has little doubt it will be bad. "Stop him," he calls out. Unnecessarily no doubt, but in this moment that's all he can do besides plunging forward, trying to reach that gap into the basement before it closes up, or the distance between these two points is suddenly restored.

It would seem that Wanda hears him, or at least has a greater understanding of the situation. Enough for her to try and slam and shield into place, barring the mad mage from the portal beyond. Is it enough?

And then Lady Death is there too, offering another alternative. Very little surprises the Dark Knight, but watching a blade cut a hole in seeming nothingness, and yet seeing that it appears to bridge that gap, that instead of hundreds, thousands of steps to reach that basement he can do it in a handful? That might be a surprise. But he doesn't hesitate, plunging after her to reach that basement.

Despite all the efforts to bring him up short, despite the last obstacles presented to him Felix Faust plunges forward, diving for that brilliant glowing portal and there is a brief flash as the energy of the Siege Perilous washes over him, envelops him. The portal vanishes in an instant, the scarab on it pedestal seeming to vibrate as the brilliant, glowing light in the gem at the heart of it seeming to die away.

Is that it then? Has Faust escaped them once more? Has he gained access to alternate realities? To all realities? To the multiverse itself? What could be done with such power?

There is only an instant to dwell on such questions. An instant because as quickly as the light of the Siege Perilous goes dark it suddenly blooms again. That portal springs into being, brilliant and glowing with almost overwhelming light.

Suddenly Faust appears, not all powerful and majestic. No, he appears as a rumpled mess as he is hurled from that portal, flying backwards from it as he is forcibly ejected, slamming into the ancient stone walls of this country estate, landing in a heap there, cowering.

Cowering from the figure that emerges a moment later. "Reality is not your toy Faust, and the multiverse shall never be yours to play with," come the hollow, booming tones. Floating their in a shimmering aura is a familiar figure. The costume is blue and gold, looking like some sort of armor, blue leather over golden chain and further reinforced by golden plates, particularly on the chest. The symbol of an ankh dominates there, glowing brightly with power and a flaired cape rises up, the collar framing his head while plunging down behind him like a golden trail. The burnished golden helmet conceals his features entirely, only eye sockets marring it's smooth, golden surface, glowing brightly with power. "It is done," Dr. Fate intones.

On the ground the blue robed mage pants, chest heaving and his eyes... those eyes are filled with panic and fear, black bottomless orbs. And in the depths of them? They are filled with absolute rage as he stares up at Fate, stares up at the others emerging into that basement.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
There isn't much left in the diminuative witch; she's pulled from every which way, half of which she's got no idea how she'd managed it. Wanda is exhausted, soul weary, and the rending of reality with that chaos sword? She's not even sure she could get home if she stepped through it again. She simply doesn't have the strength in her bones.

But still she goes. This is what heroes do, right Steven? She'd had lectur-- talks about this, what it means. She still looks up to him, takes cues from the adorably.. normal Clint.

Right now, she's wishing she had her twin here.

The basement... Wanda raises her hands to her eyes; she hasn't the strength to keep out the glow of the magical, and in the disappearance, she's.. wilted. Lost. Too late.

It isn't until the next moment, however, where Faust is returned, a broken man lying on the ground. And next?

Wanda can't help but stare; her eyes are drawn to Fate, and she shakes her head, her shoulders wearily straightening.

"It is where now? Safe?" Wanda takes a step forward, her accented words finding a little strength as she speaks, "It will not be in dangerous place again, to be found by.." and she waves a hand in Faust's general direction.

Hope Svelgate has posed:
As the albino war witch clad in demonic raiment comes through the tear in space, the telekinetic powers of the Energy Arcade reach out and attempt to grip Faust and lift him off the ground as she steps forward. "You can run and run and run Felix Faust, but when you run from Death? You will only die tired." Lady Death intones. A glance is spared for the appearance of one of the Lords of Order, but only to see if he will interfere with her reaping of Faust's soul.

Apocalypse is returned to her side and a different blade is drawn, this one a short sword, forged with Asgardian runes. As the blue glow her power fills the weapon its shape begins to contort and change until it is a wicked looking scythe that she holds instead, a more fitting weapon for what she intends.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
So the chase is ended. And this time Faust has nowhere to go, nothing apparently but hate and rage to sustain him. He has defied one of the ancient magical forces in the universe and come up wanting. Just like that, the schemes of Faust, put to an end. Such a great bout of good fortune. Of providence.

The Dark Knight is not a great believer in providence. With the mad dash over, he lets that dark cape surround him, draped around his form like a shroud. He steals a quick glance towards Lady Death -- perhaps in thanks, perhaps to check her intentions now that her apparent quarry has been hunted down and brought low at last. Then he does the same for Wanda, seeing the exhaustion there, just what the effort has taken from her. Then he turns his cowled gaze towards the blue and gold guardian of magic. He does not offer up any questions, but then perhaps he does not need to. As wide a gap exists between them, they are still both members of the League.

While Dr. Fate floats there, wrapped in his nimbus of power, that golden aura radiating from him, he does not seem particularly concerned for the man's fate. The Dark Knight on the other hand is not quite so ready to simply stand back and watch an execution. No matter how much Faust might deserve it. "Don't," he says quietly, no reservation or hesitation to his words. It's not a threat, or an order or even a request. But it is still unequivical.

In the end, whether or not Lady Death would be swayed by his words is not put to the test. The panic in the eyes of Faust continues to build, his chest rising and falling like he is gasping for breath. Hands clench at the side of the crumpled man and for an instant he arches up hard, the fear gone from his expression, leaving only rage. Then he slumps, sighs and seems to shimmer as the illusion that shrouds him dies revealling a heavy-set, middle-aged man with scarred features. His features remain twisted with anger even in death and one hand falls open, fingers unclenching as a small black diamond falls from his grasp to clatter across the stoneworked floor.

"A formidable deception, to fool even me," Dr. Fate says softly, looking down at the unknown, deceased practitioner of magic. That helmeted gaze rests on Lady Death for a moment, then slides to his fellow Leaguer in Batman before concluding that circuit, coming to rest on Wanda. "The Siege Perilous is too dangerous to be left unprotected, especially now that we know that Felix Faust hungers for the power it would give him. I will take it up and guard it until the schemes of Faust are at their end," he says, firmly and decisively. "Know then that the Lords of Order will not stand by while Faust attempts to remake the world. He seeks to bring about a reordering of things, to reshape reality, to bend it until it more closely resembles what he desires to fulfill his goals and ambitions. This must not be. So says Fate," he says in that tone that is both booming and hollow, a voice that sounds like it is right here and yet also coming from an incomprehensibly vast distance away.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:

It's strange, really. When the Dark Knight says simply 'Don't', Wanda is ready to step in to be sure such a 'judgement' isn't meted out. She's learned in her time with the Avengers. Mind, what an exhausted Scarlet Witch could do in this moment is debatable, but thankfully there isn't an answer needed. The man at their feet dies, leaving behind..

It glows in the room, and Wanda tries to ignore it, but simply doesn't have the strength to push the light away.

Instead, she focusses on Dr Fate's words. "You will not let him. I will watch as well." Because, well, many eyes are better? So says Wanda!

Finally, again, she looks to the other two that are within this area, and her words are softly weary, "Is time to go home. I think I have way home." Think so, anyway!

Hope Svelgate has posed:
Even as the telekinetic power of the Energy Arcane reaches out and Lady Death readies her scythe the deception is revealed and her quarry has eluded her again. Fate took the words right out of her mouth, a formidable deception to fool even Death.

Whether she would have stopped though is very much an open question as Death rarely accedes to mortal demands. They might have more luck with her occasional mentor among the Endless, but the girl who only escaped being burned at the stake by her village by fleeing to Hell and then being forced to learn to survive there holds little love for most of humanity. But the potential conflict is open before it begins as other magic takes the man's life.

Lady Death's eyes narrow at this turn of events, anger etched across her sharp white features, Faust has escaped again. Turning, she draws Apocalypse again and channeling the Energy Arcane through the blade. From the blade a beam of blue mystic energy extends forth before reaching a point in the air where reality seems to ripple around it. The end of the beam grows outward with the ripples becoming a portal, a gateway between dimensions that Lady Death begins walking towards. It would seem with her quarry not present she is done with all of this.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Well, at least there will not be any sort of show down here today. The Dark Knight does not know the motivations of this pale witch, but she has thrown herself at Faust time and again. That might not make them allies per se, but the more people trying to stop whatever the mag mage has planned, the better. Especially now that Dr. Fate has provided some hints to just what that might be. Vague, unnecessarily forboding hints -- at least in Batman's mind.

With Lady Death on her way out and the Scarlet Witch also ready to depart, it would seem like the matter is concluded. Not exactly satisfactorily, but at least Faust has been well and truly denied this time. That's something. The Dark Knight's gaze turns once more to the blue and gold guardian of magic who continues to regard the trio impassively. "Yes, we must all guard the way," he intones hollowly. When no one moves towards the diamond on the ground, Fate finally waves a hand and an ankh-shaped portal springs from his hand, moving to engulf both the body of the dead decoy and the disconcerting black diamond, whisking them away. "Know then that Fate will take a more direct hand. Tell the League that I stand watch with them and that this Lord of Order will intervene when the time comes. Tell them the stakes, Dark Knight of Gotham. Stand ready Red Witch of Chaos. Stand ready White Witch of Death," he adds before waving his hand once more, another pair of anhk-shaped portals appearing, sliding towards Batman and Wanda to whisk them away, back to where they came from -- or perhaps where they need to be.

---

Matters are decided then. For a moment a ripple seems to wash over reality and everything slowly begins to draw back. Then there is another ripple and another and it is as if everything in that basement is being watched through a sheen of water. It draws back a little further and indeed, the edges of a forest pond can be made out, the image of that Mirrored basement playing out there as shadowed figures huddle around, watching.

A great laugh finally sounds, the sound holding no good humor, no mirth, only cruelty and a certain smugness. "Did I not tell you? Everything is going exactly as planned..." says Felix Faust.