Issue 1 Downtime

The ley-lines were bent. The magicks of Europe, flowing, swirling, changing, dangerously refocused.

And they were all hovering above Stonehenge where, floating above the ancient rocks, Doom stood, arms outstretched, chanting to the heavens.

Approaching the area had already been bad, but it only got worse when they got closer to the nexus. Clutching her head Nailah tried to sort out the chaos she felt going on all around her.

And chaos it was...lines merging, splitting, dividing, rushing in from all over the continent, swirling, twisting, fading in and out of existance.

And she could see them.

"Here's the thing," Captain Britain said as they approached.

"This is both the center of the world and the edge of the world at the same time. If he ties it up here, he'll not only have this world, but a beachhead in others."

Ninja Harry Potter watched the vortex with a mix of horror and amazement. He'd never seen a working on a such a scale.

"Well, shoot. What the hell can I throw at that??"

"What I'm hoping is that I'll be close enough to my power source here to push back and give you all a chance."

"And if not? Well, I never did want to live forever..."

Rick nodded at Janice, then looked back to the vortex, grim but determined.

Rachel closed her eyes. She'd almost gotten into Doom's mind before-she thought, she hoped, and was determined to do it this time.

Janice Gilbertson wrote:"And if not? Well, I never did want to live forever..."

"This is not how it ends." Nailah simply states, staring off into seemingly nothing. Something about her seems off, be it the determined tone of her voice or the fact that her posture does not quite mesh with her usual 'academic' demeanor.

More chanting, and now even the horizon seemed to be bending.

"If any of us can stand up to Doom now, it's you Captain," Kevin said supportively.

Sean looked down at the ground and took a couple deep breaths. When he looked up his eyes glowed blue for a moment.

"I will support you as best I can," NHP said having regained his composure.

And with that, the ground rumbled and quaked...and large, spikey vines pushed their way out, topping several of the outmost stones as they advanced towards our heroes.

"I believe that is our cue." Nailah shouts as she takes to the air, flying towards the circle of stones.

"Do what you can. Don't let up!"

Captain Britain plowed into the vines, aiming to knock a few aside as she aimed for the nexus.

Some of the thorns shot out as missiles, headed to intercept Janice.

Somewhat disregarding the danger of the thorns Nailah lands on one of the halfway toppled stones forming the outer ring, the chaos of the ley-lines flickering around her. For a moment she hesitates but then the look of uncertainty fades and she thrusts her staff into the air with one hand and begins to chant, growing louder until she is shouting against the chaos, eyes closed.

"I am the uncreated god! Before me the dwellers in chaos are dogs, their chiefs merely wolves.
I gather the power from every place, from every person, faster than light itself.
Hail to her in the heavens who is strong even before the terror of the darkness.
She bestows upon me this power from every place, faster than the shadow follows the light!"

And as she chants strands of magic are slowly being pulled down from the twisting lines, wrapping around her staff.

Kevin's blades of light hacked at the magical viney things as he gracefully avoided becoming a pincushion.

John, meanwhile, merely wrestled with one.

The one John was wrestling with tried to pierce his tough outer hide.

Kevin's multiplied--every time he hacked at one, two more grew in it's place.

And around Nailah space....warped.

THAT got Doom's attention.

Nailah's eyes snap open, simmering with a faint glow.

"Did you really think you could get away with this, Victor?"

Lucky for John, his armor shrugged off the piercing needles. Seeing Kevin's dilemma, he opted not to tear the vine in half.

So the vine wrapped itself around John and tried tearing HIM in half.

Doom let out a defiant yell, and pointed his staff at Nailah, sending a bolt of light straight at her "Perish, strangler!"

Nailah's wings snap open and she swings her staff down, straight into the bolt. The resulting explosion of violent energy sends her flying from the toppled stone but she appears mostly unscathed.

"Not today. Other forces object to your presence!" Nailah shouts, feeling something in her stir as more magic gathers around her.

John struggled against the force pulling at his body. The unnatural creation resisted his strength. As the imminent danger to him increased, his powers began to react and blackness slowly crept over the vine wherever it touched him.

"I Said Perish!" Doom shouted, sending another bolt her way.

This time Nailah simply raises her arms, outstretched palms towards Doom and the bolt shatters against a flickering shield, tongues of chaotic energy splashing around it.

"The Eye of Ra will not let you destroy this world, Defiler!"

And with that Nailah swoops down towards the center of the vortex, staff poised to strike.

Doom's own shield caught the blast, and he aimed another blast of energy at Nailah. And coincidentally, the vortex.

Nailah brings the staff up between herself and Doom at the last moment but she's not fast enough to keep the discharge of energy from knocking her backwards and into the vortex. For a split-second she seems confused but then a sharp-toothed grin spreads on her lips as the magic courses through her body. She elegantly sets down on the ground, though there's a tension in her body.

"You shall fail, Doom, I can see it. All Her foes will perish, may you be the first!" she shouts almost gleefully as she launches herself at Doom.

Doom caught her with his staff and for a moment the two stood frozen, as power locked up against power.

Sean used Doom's focus on Nailah to do something to help his comrades. He focused on unmaking he magic that was causing the Vines to animate, and attack those around him.

"Break," Sean said simply.

Captain Britain circled around, her force field buffeted by the thorns, desperately looking for an opening.

"Break", he said? He tries to overpower Doom? Yeah, right.


But, uh, well, it DID cause them to slink back, just for a moment--that, combine with John's power, would allow HIM to break free.

And the slinking back created a Captain-Britain sized hole...

Captain Britain darted through, but as she neared the center of the stone formation it was hard to tell if she was coming in low, or just losing altitude.

...well okay, it became a little bit more obvious when she began tumbling towards the dirt a few yards from Doom, her costume starting to fade away...

Doom ignored the silly girl.

Rick cursed and turned on the afterburners, racing through the air just above the ground to get to Captain Britain in time and snatch her before she hit the ground going way too fast.

Janice let out a breath in relief as Rick just barely got there in time.

"...right. Bastard can take away my powers. You'd think I'd remember that," she said as she clung to Rick, cursing herself.

"We've got to be smarter than this. I've got to be smarter than this... wait. Bloody hell, Rick. We're inside..."

"You can take him, you know. You have called on me and I shall grant you more should you ask for it. Claim for us what he intended for himself!" a voice whispers in Nailah's head.

And it is tempting. She can feel the power that's within reach and she knows she can't break this stalemate without it. Lightning-like St. Elmo's fire begins dancing around her hands. But just when her mind reaches out her eyes flash a bright white.

It would have been a palace of ice. Victoria would have been in my place until we changed things. Now...

Pictures flash through her head. An imposing temple front. Slabs of sandstone covered in hieroglyphics. Fire Bowls coating the inside in flickering shadows. Bloodied claws and fangs flashing in the twilight.

"No!" Nailah screams out, streams of magic unravelling around her as she pushes back against them, the suddenly unctrolled energy discharging in a bright flash that knocks her and Doom apart.