9081/The Last Archivist: Chosen

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The Last Archivist: Chosen
Date of Scene: 23 January 2022
Location: London - England
Synopsis: Jon, Martin, Cael, and Charlie rescue Agnes from a mirror-world by facing their fears. They do /not/ burn down the house, much to Agnes' displeasure.
Cast of Characters: Jonathan Sims, Cael Becker, Martin Blackwood, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe




Jonathan Sims has posed:
    In between fighting angels and making sure Grand Central Station has enough tea and getting a new dog, apparently, Jon has been spending a good chunk of his free time poring over a smaller and smaller chunk of a map of London tacked to the wall of the storage room he and Martin claimed as sleeping quarters. The spell used to mask the location of the actual mirror in which Agnes has been hidden is a spell that Jon was taught years ago, so he knows how to unravel the thing--it just takes time, and energy, and he's short on both. Presumably, if not for the angels, this wouldn't have taken three weeks.

    But he finally did track down the right house, and figured out when the occupant of said house might be away, and it /just/ so happens to be in a lull in activity in Manhattan. He gathers up those who are willing to come with him and heads to London. The house is in Kensington, posh and upscale, but despite that surprisingly easy to break into. Though that could just be that the owner of the house has underestimated the abilities of the group Jon's brought with him.

    So now they're in a darkened foyer, having set off no alarms that they're aware of, mystical or otherwise. Of course, last time there were no alarms until the last minute either, so it might do to be wary. Jon's wearing black fatigues and a tac vest, but left his identifying SHIELD markers behind. This isn't /technically/ an official op, even if his daughter is likely to wind up a SHIELD asset. He swings a flashlight around the foyer, playing it over side tables and pieces of art and fancy rugs, all of it terribly old-fashioned, a home that feels more like a place a rich man from 1822 would have lived than 2022.

    "Whatever pocket dimension he's keeping her in, the portal will be a mirror," he murmurs. "We've got a few hours before anyone's set to be back home. Elias tends to keep to a pretty rigid schedule, unless he's changed. And I doubt he's changed. He never does."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael has dressed similarly to Jon - in unmarked tactical gear, and armed to the teeth with a pistol, an ICER, and some handy dandy non-lethal ordinance - like flashbangs and tear gas. You never know what you're going to need. Along with them she's brought night vision goggles, and a gas mask - all which hang conveniently from pouches secured to her person.
    She turns slowly around the room, letting the flashlight shine over the objects in it, but careful to keep the light away from the windows as much as possible.
    "Alright. So once we find this mirror - what are we supposed to do with it?" Cael asks in a quiet voice. She's been trying to reassure Jon as much as possible that they were going to find Agnes - that they would bring her home safely, and protect her at the Triskelion. This Elias asshole better not make a liar out of her.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin is also dressed in black tactical gear and quite armed in a similar manner to Cael. His one addition is the pair of white gloves on his hands, marked with mystical geometry on the palm and back of his hands. He hasn't activated his magic yet, but he's gotten so used to using the powers innate to him that moving into a more mystical bend won't be difficult.

    "If it's anything like the last one, we go in and get her out" he says sounding mildly irritated. "It won't be easy, that's for sure. I always hated mirror houses at carnivals..." he mutters, looking around. He could almost feel the slime of Elias on the house and it made him decidely uncomfortable.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Charlie has opt'd for less obviously a costumed Vigilantee for this job too. Basically she has the thinner underarmor of her armored suit bits under some baggy civvie style clothes. Fatigues. Gotham Knights shirt. Dark Non-Descript Balastic Hoodie, which is up of course. She does have her orange'ish tinted goggles on though and under the baggy hoodie is the utlity belt. The signature yellow hidden by the black fabric.

    Without Tim around she would have volunteered to pop the door with some decent lockpicking too.

    "I've thought Carvivals are fun. Candy Apples... cotton candy.. rides... wooosh." it is all whispered but there is little restraintg towards no banter or staying on target.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I've always rather liked carnivals, myself," Jon replies idly, frowning thoughtfully. "But I doubt this will be much fun. Once you find the mirror, contact me and we'll all go through together." Wishful thinking, that, but it's a /plan/ anyway.

    Splitting up is rarely a good idea, but unlike people in horror movies they have comms and portals and magic. So he gestures with his flashlight. "Let's find Agnes and get out of here. Even without obvious magic, this place gives me the willies." And then he strides out, heading down one of the hallways that lead off from the foyer. There are--conveniently enough--four ways out of the foyer. Hallways going left and right, a grand staircase up to the second floor, and a door that covers the entrance to a smaller staircase that leads down.

    The house, as they begin to move out, does feel... eerie. Maybe it's just the quiet, the lack of that constant electronic hum that pervades most modern dwellings. Lack of even sound from the street, oddly enough--perhaps the owner had the place soundproofed. It's far, far too quiet for comfort, and aside from a few touches here and there decorated in a manner that makes it all feel like stepping back in time.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael doesn't even hesitate as the group starts to split - she jogs her way up the stairs to the second floor - shining her light up and down the hall at the top of the landing, as she searches for the telltale flash of glass, or a mirror, and then heads to the nearest door. After shining her light on the knob, and along the doorframe, she reaches for the handle and tries to open the door quietly.
    After all, she's with Jon. The sooner they get this done, and get out of here - the better. She's hated waiting this long to come after the girl, already.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin sighs as they are forced to split up and heads down the right hallway. After a few feet he snaps his fingers and a small orb or soft blue light appears before him, lighting his way in a manner that is not as glaring or as focused as a flashlight. He turns and heads deeper into the house looking for a room that could house the mirror.

    As his eyes scan for visual clues, he reaches out with his mystical senses. He figured there would be a pervasive sense of magic to the place given the man who lives there. Instead he finds... almost nothing. <<"Jon...">> he asks, relying on the comm system to get his words to his husband, <<"Are we sure this is Elias' house? There's barely any magic in it...">>

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    "Oh come on.. the basement... is this a hazing thing?" she doesn't really sound all that upset. I mean she is likely from Gotham right. Basements in spooky houses are probably not nearly as scary as like Arkham or other Gotham architecture.

    She shakes her head amused and then heads oover to carefully examine then open the door to the stairs down. She peers down it, her goggles adjusting to the darkness as she takes her time. She does go quiet though focused on listening for danger not just watching for it.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    The first room up on the second floor is a large master suite, decorated in greens and greys, as old-fashioned as the rest of the house--right down to a four-poster canopied bed. The only mirror in that room is in the adjoining bathroom, but nothing about it stands out to Cael.

    Jon and Martin search the ground floor and find... sitting room, dining room, kitchen, office. The kitchen and the office are where the modern amenities are to be found, the kitchen full of shiny appliances and the office housing both a computer and an entertainment center. Other than those two rooms, the house feels almost like a museum to some combination of Regency and Victorian era furnishings. Uncomfortable and musty.

    The staircase down leads to a basement hallway made of /very/ old brick, along which there are several firmly locked doors. There's the scent of blood down there, and the whisper of a draft from somewhere. The walls down there are lined with sconces, each bearing candles in various stages of melting down. The candles light themselves as Charlie moves along through the hallway, and snuff themselves back out after she's gone about ten feet beyond, little bursts of magic. Creepy.

    <<"I was wondering about that myself,">> Jon says slowly. <<"But he's subtle, remember? I doubt he'd ward his house all that much, not and draw attention to himself. He's made plenty of enemies who'd be able to tell a place was filled with magic.">>

Cael Becker has posed:
    <<"I'm assuming I can ignore perfectly normal looking bathroom mirrors?">> Cael asks in the comms, as she shines her flashlight on the mirror. Muting her comm for a moment - she speaks quietly, asking simply, "Agnes?"
    Of course she gets no reply.
    After standing there for a few moments longer, she moves away from it - ready to try the rest of the doors in the hall - checking each doorway with her flashlight before opening it, and stepping it.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    As Martin checks the office he shakes his head. <<"You're probably right about that...">> he stops and shakes his head making his way back towards the entry hall. <<"I think the main level is clear">> he says softly. <<"Not surprising really. It's never that easy... especially with the dire villainous types.">>

    He eyes the door down the basement. <<"Misfit, you have anything?">> he calls over the comms. Elias -might- be that cliche to put his secret mystic sanctum in the basement. The man -was- horribly old fashioned and had a limited imagination, likely not much has changed.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    <Ye.> is the initial response through her subvocal mic to the comms <Candles down here light themselves and unlight themselves... old brickhallway. It smells like blood and violence. Doors several locked. Trying one.>

    She counts the doors silently mentally then triggers a randomizer on her watch. Letting the number generator pick which door she picks. She figures chaos and chance is better than starting at one end or the other by default.

    She steps over to the door and starts to pick it.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    The door Charlie picks leads into nothing more obviously dangerous than a library--rows on rows of bookshelves, stuffed with ancient tomes. The candles in that room light themselves as she comes in, too. But there's a strange, foreboding feeling in the room, a sense of being watched. The top rows of the bookshelves and the wainscoting on the join between walls and ceiling are lined with eye motifs, so that /might/ explain the feeling.

    It's past the third door Cael tries that she finds the mirror. It's not just that it looks nearly identical to the mirror from the warehouse, or that it's sitting in the middle of the room. It's not just that the room itself is clearly a young girl's bedroom in that old-fashioned sense, with frills and soft colors and delicate touches. It's that there's a table set in front of the mirror on which a candle burns with a cold flame, and Agnes is standing in the mirror. Her eyes widen when she spots Cael coming into the room.

    Martin heads toward the door to the basement; Jon turns to go upstairs. But for the moment, they're all still alone.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Agnes..." Cael breathes softly, her voice relieved, before she activates her comm again. <<"I've got her. I found the mirror. Upstairs - the the third door on the left. Door's open.">>
    She stays where she is for the moment, several several steps away from the mirror as she waits for the others to join her - afraid of triggering some sort of magic she had no hope of understnding. "Agnes, I told you we'd come for you. I'm Cael."

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin stops on his way down the stairs and immediately turns back. <<"Come on up Misfit, we might need your help in getting out if we have to go in">> he says. He keeps it to himself that if Elias is worth his salt as a sorcerer, he'd likely ward whatever prison he has the girl in against teleportation in or out, but he's been around the Outsider enough times to know her magic is -far- from normal and beyond anything he's experienced. Maybe her being here will be the key.

    He hustles up to the second floor and catches up to Jon and Cael, slowing as he reaches the door. He eyes the girl. It's the second time he's seen her but now there's a tug at his heart as he sees the blend of Jon and Alya in her features. He pushes the pain of the memories of the girl's mother out of his mind and asks Jon, "How do you want to do this?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    <I found a phat Library... I mean the eye motiff and sense of being watched isn't cool but the sheer volume of old and ancient tomes is pretty cool.> her eyes flick around slowly. <The adventuring urge to just teleport a few of these bookcases out is strong. Brain go very brrrRrr.>

    Then what Cael said registers. <Oh okay, be right up.> she chirps and starts to retreat from the library with the intent to give the basement up and head upstairs to Cael's discovery.
<I mean... hopefully not. My best teleport can't take passengers but I have been practing group portals...>

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Before Agnes can respond to Cael or Jon can respond to Martin--and before Charlie really has a chance to get upstairs--Jon stepping over the threshold into the room seems to trigger... something. Not a trap, necessarily. More like his presence cuts through something, whatever had been folded in on itself to keep Agnes' mirror hidden.

    The world turns sideways for a moment.

    When it rights itself, they're all in a dark, endless space. Sounds echo strangely, the comms don't work, and while they can see there's no obvious source for the diffuse light. There are mirrors scattered about, some reflecting the people who look into them, some not, some showing other people or other places. The one constant is that every mirror shows a candle at the front of the reflection, before anything else that can be seen. None of them are in sight of each other, and none of them can see Agnes.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Wha'- NO! Agnes?!" Cael calls - as if she expects to hear voices coming from the mirrors. Shit. Shit shit shit.
    <<"Sims? Blackwood? Misfit?">> she calls into the comm. ...nothing.
    She starts moving towards some of the mirrors, peering into each of them in turn. An empty room. Her own face. A room with a man watching television. A cave.
    She stops and stares at the next one - as it seems to show a room where someone is being dismembered - piece by piece - while still alive. "...what the shit."

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    While Martin had expected as much of a situation, being in it is much more terrifying than he anticipated. "Jon? Cael? Misfit?" he calls, noticing that his voice echoed and also didn't seem to travel far at all. He moves around this space, not wanting to see what the mirrors around him show, but he can't help but notice out of his periphery.

    The world of the mirrors is filled with people, faceless people all moving around him. He's not in some empty space in the reflection. He's surrounded, by people who don't even notice him. As he finds himself looking on at the faceless press of bodies he can feel them pressing in all around him. Constricting him. Crushing him in this vast emptiness that is just -filled- with people who don't even realize he is there. Alone while not being alone at all. Simply: ignored.

    "NO!" he calls out, knowing no one can hear him and he releases just kinetic force on the mirror before him, hoping to shatter it and release the hell it's forced upon him with its empty and yet full space.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    The transition from hall in the basement to giant dark empty space full of mirrors is very odd. The goggled chaos muppet pauses and looks around, jog curtailed with the change. <<Anyone?>>

    Then a deep sigh <<Of course>> she rubs the side of her face then starts to walk slowly towards the nearest mirror, glancing into it cautiously. "Huh." rando in the mirror. She moves along glancing into them. More confident when nothing attacks her <<Gang?>>

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon spins around in a circle, staring at the mirrors around him. He presses his Sight open, but it does no good--the space they're in is some kind of pocket dimension, made of magic. There's nothing to See but tht's already here. "Martin?" he calls. "Cael? Misfit? Agnes? Agnes, if you can hear us, yell!"

    There's a voice that echoes through the darkness, Agnes' voice. "It was nice, being out in the world. Seeing the way things really are. I want to go back. The sun shouldn't be kept inside forever."

    Another voice, male, English, a voice they've all heard before, though Martin and Jon know it best: Elias. "He's never coming for you. Too busy saving the world. Who's fed you and clothed you all these years? /That's/ fatherhood, not some... genetic donation. There's nowhere for you to /go/, Agnes."

    Cael sees horrors, always with that candle front and center. Charlie calls out over comms and finds nothing, as mirror after mirror shows different people. Martin strikes out and shatters a mirror--and for just a moment they can all see each other, standing there in Agnes' bedroom. A blink and then it's gone.

    It's enough to make Jon stop and close his eyes, reach out telepathically. <Fear,> he says. <That's what we're seeing here. Fears. This spell is meant to be a mental shield, to protect, but he's... inverted it, reflecting fear and anxiety back in on us.> A pause. <I think we might have to... ahh... /face/ the fears to get through it. Look in a mirror and... think about what you fear.> Well, that'll be... fun.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "What?" Cael answers Jon's telepathic voice - unsure if he could even hear her. "SERIOUSLY SIMS?"
    She starts moving past more of the mirrors - each one showing some sort of horror. A giant spider wrapping a man who doesn't move - other than the panicked ways his eyes flick about.
    A pack of wild dogs snapping on the heels of a child as it tries to run.
    A familiar bedroom - a still and bloated form on the bed, covered by a blanket. The air thick with buzzing flies, a slick and wriggling mass spilling over the floor.
    Cael breaks into a run, refusing to look into the mirrors until she finds herself abruptly screetching to a halt in front of another mirror. She sees her sister's terrified face, bloody pink foam on her lips, as she gasps for breath.
    "No no no no no no..."
    Turning away, she finds there's some how another mirror directly behind her - this one shows Sara - surrounded by her Witchblade armor as she faces off against an alien invasion - only to have the armor currently retract, the bracelet falling from her wrist - leaving Sara vulnerable to a blast that fells.
    "No, no, no..."
    One last turn brings her face to face with another mirror - one that wasn't there a moment ago, she would swear.
    It shows Michael advancing on Jon - his sword drawn...
    "No..."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    "OOOoof" she notes back telepathically. She has zero idea if anyone can even hear her when she thinks back after hearing Sims give her the heads up on what could happen. Well what the spell likely is. How to deal with it.

    "Ugn." is the next note and she wanders to peer at the mirror and try to stare at it. Jon said face their fears in the mirror just really deal with it. Mental shield spell inverted.

    The mirror shows fire licking through an apartment. Smoke filling the ceiling. Two people, a woman and a toddler clutched in her arms as fires close in. The women and child waver to a redheaded woman in the same situation. Charlie looking on helpless for some reason. She has no idea what to do with this fear being shown though other than reliving it right now vividly. Horrible.

    There is some oddness thoughm, the edges of the mirror are lined with crimson glass and a glow infusing the pane of glass slowly. Which isn't from the intended spell or trap.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin tries to shut out the press on him that resumes as he hears Jon's voice. Jon. He's not alone. He will never be alone again as long as Jon's alive. And even after, there are others. People who he works with. Cael. Peggy. Tim. Phoebe. A number of people stretching out. The list going on and on and on. But always at the front of the list, is Jon.

    He pushes himself to his feet and cries out at the invisible mass. "I. Am not. Alone." He turns to look at another mirror. The faceless crowd has stopped moving all around him. Their blank faces: empty panes of skin where a mouth, eyes, a nose, other features should be, stare out of the mirror and at him.

    "You here me!" he says to the faceless throng, anger rising in his voice. "I am not alone. I am never alone." He peels off his left glove and holds up the simple gold band on his finger. His weeding band to Jon. "I am -never- alone. As long as he breathes -somewhere- I am not alone."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    <I'm sorry,> comes Jon's voice, telepathically. Did he hear their protests? Or just figure they wouldn't enjoy this? Hard to say.

    He turns to look into a mirror, himself, gearing himself up for... spiders, or Michael, or that horrible moment when Ma'at had weighed his heart and found it heavier than her feather. Or, quite likely, something similar to what Cael's seeing: dead bodies of the people he loves.

    Instead, he sees a child, no more than eight or nine, curled up in a ball. There's something... odd about the child. They're twisted, somehow, monstrous. It's hard to tell just how. Do they have horns? Feathers? Extra eyes studded all along their skin? It's hard to say, the monstrosity shifts and changes; an eye on their arm opens and looks right at Jon. His own eye, staring at him in horror.

    There are people around the child, looking on with disgust. There are whispers: monster, failure, slurs that don't bear repeating. 'You did this to yourself.' 'You deserve this.' They turn away, one by one, walk away, leaving the shifting monster-child alone. Jon... wasn't ready for that image, and he stares at it in horror, frozen. "No," he whispers, "No, I'm not..."

    Martin and Charlie both pass the test in their own ways. Cael and Jon deny their fears; Jon didn't even know what his /was/. Charlie accepts, though it's horrible, and the oddness of her magic clashing with Elias' helps. Martin... faces down his fear, confronts it, accepts it and overcomes it. And together, they shatter the spell.

    "Cael?!" It's Agnes' voice. "CAEL! MARTIN! JON?! JON!"

    Abruptly, they're all standing in the bedroom again, this time with Agnes standing in /front/ of the mirror, dressed as ever in old-fashioned clothing, though not so old as the house. A gingham skirt, button-down blouse, Mary Janes. She's in the middle of shouting for them, and she stops on seeing them, laughs with relief.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Michael's sword was just coming down on Jon's unresisting form - when the mirror shatters, and she finds herself standing back into the bedroom, a few tears streaking her cheeks. "No-" she starts, but cuts herself off abruptly as she looks around.
    This is real... isn't it? //This// is reality? "Agnes?" she asks - her gaze going from the girl, towards Jon, and then back to the girl again. "Okay. We, uh- we should go. As quickly as possible."
    And not just because she wants to get away from this place.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie looks really unhappy about the whole situation as they are all teleported or moved or released. She isn't sure. But they are together. "That sucked jokerized fries." she pauses "Which are actually quite tasty... so bad metaphor.. but that was... this wizard guy is the worst."

    She pauses and looks around "Is this real... is this Agnes.. are we actually going to be okay. In the clear?" pause for breath sort of "I bet that tripped an alarm and he knows we are here all."

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin moves to Jon, wrapping an arm around him. "We did it, Jon" he says, looking at the girl. "But yeah... we should go." Escape now, processing later. Facing Elias, in his home, while just affected by his method of magic... not the best ground to fight the wizard on.

    He keeps his hand on Jon and says, "H...Hi. I'm... I'm Martin. Jon's husband." It's a lame introduction, but his concern at that moment is getting the four of them out alive and whole.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I know!" Agnes says brightly. She throws herself forward, suddenly, hugging Jon, and then Martin. Hesitates, looking between Cael and Charlie like she'd like to hug them, too, but isn't certain it'd be welcome.

    Jon, for his part, blinks at the hug. "Yes," he says, "We should get out of here." He still seems... rattled.

    As they all start to back out of the room, preparing to leave, Agnes turns back. She frowns at the candle still sitting in front of the mirror, and then quite deliberately goes and knocks it over--toward the bed, where the flames start to catch on the blankets.

    "Maybe he'll think I died in the fire," she explains as she goes with them to escape the house that she's... evidently decided needs to burn down. Jon, at least, isn't going to stop her--though he /will/ send an anonymous tip in so no other nearby houses burn down.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "He won't believe that unless there's bones," Cael points out simply, as they start for the exit - but she also makes no attempt to put out the fire. "But it might sew enough confusion and doubt for long enough to make sure we have adequate protections in place."
    She pulls out her ICER as they begin to move out into the hallway, and then down the stairs, keeping the weapon pointed down towards the ground as she moves and watching for any signs of movement, or any other signs of attack.
    She can panic about what she saw in the mirrors later. This was not the time for it. "Agnes, stay to the middle of our group as we move, please."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie steps away several steps when the candle is lit and flames start to lick. She is pale at the sight of it. She does not deal well with the whole arson or such. This is in the City of London. Rich lot. But.

    She shudders and fishes under her hoodie with both hands and pulls our a polished dark sphere or metal then chucks it into the room. It bounces a couple times on the bed then explodes into an amazing amount of flame retardant foam coating the room.

    The best WayneTech can make.

    "No arson." she hisses and then heads out as well.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin frowns as the flame retardant does its job to put out the fire. "Someone has to wear the white hat I guess..." he says mildly. He shakes his head and turns. "Let's just hope it can't be traced back to you. Since, now it's evidence -someone- was here." He takes one more look at the mirror and shatters it with a bluish lance of kinetic force.

    It doesn't obfuscate the fact that there's fire retardant all over the room, but maybe it'll set him back a bit for future endeavors. He ushers them out of the room and hopefully off the premises without further incident. There's more work to be done to ensure that Elias doesn't come for her again.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Agnes turns to glower at Charlie, and for a moment, flames dance along her fingertips.

    Jon reaches out and puts a hand on her arm. "No, Agnes."

    "He trapped me in a mirror!" the girl protests. "He /lied/ to me for years! He burned down the house I was was born in and killed my mother, he /deserves/ this!"

    Jon sighs. "Maybe so. And he'll pay, for all of that and more. But just... leave it? Please?"

    She huffs, and folds her arms across her chest, the magic fire on her hands going out. "Fine," she says, and rolls her eyes with the kind of expression only thirteen-year-olds can really manage to pull off.

    Jon just shakes his head and herds her into the center of the group as they make their way out and back to the street.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie will glower right back. "My mom and little brother died in a urban fire that spread uncontrolled in our block." she hisses back angrily.

    She is very quiet until they get clear of the building.