The Center of the Vortex.

[John Hino]

John tore free, his powers breaking off and absorbing the affected section of vine as he landed in a crouch.

"Only if I'm in danger... so that's how that works," he smirked, eyes twinkling with realization. He strode on to one of the vines attacking his comrades and made a grab for it. He'd tear it from the very ground if he had to.

[Sean Hall]

Sean grimaced at the lack of effect he'd had on the vines. He simply didn't have the raw power to combat Doom, but there was plenty available all around him.

He reached out for the twisting lines of magic, and prepared to channel it in a more direct fashion.

[Narrator]

John pulled...and pulled...and pulled. There seemed to be no END to the vine.


Sean....saw everything. And I do mean everything. The sheer....the sheer AMOUNT of the power was like nothing he had ever seen before.

[John Hino]

Well this is a waste of time.

He dropped the vine an headed toward the circle of stones. The vines did originate there.

[Narrator]

Yet another vine, however, grabbed at him...but, oddly, it retracted all it's spikes....what was it doing?

It was humming, that was for sure.

[John Hino]

John drove tthe claws of his one free hand into the vine, trying to rip out a chunk.

[Narrator]

He did...and it began to melt in his hand...and green acidic junk spat out onto his armor, beginning to try to eat away at it.

[John Hino]

"You'll have to try harder than that Audrey II," he smirked as he tore out another chunk.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear meanwhile, took out two balls filled with a potent Herbicide. Aiming for the root junction close to John, she let them fly.

And then she moved, looking for another target.

[Narrator]

The vine tried to spit more acid at John, but it couldn't get through the armor--and his effrts, combined with Bear's herbicide, Kevin's hacking, and Sean's mystics, caused the vines to retreat........leaving the vortex almost visable, as if out of the corner oftheir eyes, even to the muddles.

[Byrna Cooper]

"Do you see that?" Bear asked over the comm.

[John Hino]

"Barely. Thanks for the save by the way."

[Sean Hall]

Sean wanted to scream as he saw what many would consider too much. There was so much power it hurt, and he seemed to glow. Barely keeping his composure he looked at the vortex, and tried to decide how best to seal it.

[Narrator]

That decision might soon be made for him, as the ground around the people still ON said ground began to liquify around them, turning into quicksand...

[Sean Hall]

Sean smiled as he began to sink into the ground, and did what every wizard would do in this situation. He focused the additional power he was accessing to try and levitate himself out of the quicksand.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear launched one of her grapple balls to the top of one of the stone pillars, in an attempt to move away from the quicksand.

[Rachel O'Brien]

Blood was starting to ooze out of Rachel's nose as she tried, and failed to get into Doom's mind.

[Victor von Doom]

Doom shoved against Nailah, trying to use the energy against her.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear swooped down and grabbed Rachel, taking her love up to the top on the stone obelisk.

"Take a break, Sugar.. take a break.."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"I'm almost there." Rachel said, rubbing her temples "I'm almost there."

[Janice Gilbertson]

And as Rick took them around, Janice saw Doom defending against Professor Weaver, and diverting Sean, and apparently still fending off Rachel. She looked around in confusion, and then finally smiled.

"...something's got to give, don't you think Rick?"

She reached out with her powers towards the good doctor.

[Nailah Weaver]

Without the vortex (or a good chunk of it anyway) backing her Nailah was slowly losing ground to Doom. Though for now she managed to keep the energy trapped between them she now was quite obviously on the losing side of this battle.

[Victor von Doom]

Doom pushed Nailah back, wanting to end the battle quickly so that he could go back to conquering the world.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah's claws dig into the ground as she leans against the energy boiling inches away from her hands.

Maybe if I give her powers something to work with... she wonders with a glance to Janice. I really hope this works.

"The Ways are opened, the banks of the rivers are swollen, and the world dreams of your eternal slumber, even as you dream of it." she says and throws herself to the side and on her knees. Holding the end of her staff into the swirling magic she points the palm of her hand towards one of the giant stone slabs to reroute the energy into a blast to the base of the structure, hoping Janice's power will make it topple over towards Doom.

[Rick Ferguson]

"I agree," he said to Janice, grinning as he saw what she was doing. He flew in orbit around a point above Doom's head, maintaining an even distance between himself, Janice and the Doctor. "Need me to move in any closer?"

[Narrator]

Apparently not, as the large stone block behind Doom started to fall.

[Victor von Doom]

Doom tried to dodge the rock at the last moment, and he almost succeeded. Instead of squashing him, it slammed into his shoulder, slamming him into the ground.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah jumps up and with a flap of her wings she takes to the air again. Pointing her staff at the fallen Doom she begins to chant a binding spell to try and keep him down and buy them some time.

[Sean Hall]

Sean began trying to undo the spell that Doom had been casting while Nailah tried her hand at binding Doom.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Rick, you've been a real sweetheart carrying me here," Janice said as she reached for the amulet around her neck, feeling the power returning to it, "but I've a strong urge to add insult to injury."

Her costume wrapped around her again, as she took flight. She aimed straight for Doom, looking to clobber him in the jaw with the Star Scepter.

[Narrator]

Janice connected, hearing a satisfying clang and crunch as she connected, staggering Doom back...

....as Nailah's chanting and Sean's focus hit a fever pitch--Nailah keeping Doom still, Sean working the knots---until Doom staggered back, INTO the vortex.

No one who was there would forget the howl Doom made as reality seemed to warp and twist around, blasting people outside the vortex back as Doom screamed...

....and then, silence. And emptiness. He was gone.

[Sean Hall]

Sean let go of the ley lines, and went down on one knee looking exhausted.

Still have to make sure they all start going back where they belong

[Rachel O'Brien]

"He's.....gone." Rachel said, looking up.

[Nailah Weaver]

To say she fell to the ground would be a terrible overstatement because obviously she's much to graceful for that. She just approached the ground with a certain eagerness and exhaustion.

[Janice Gilbertson]

Thankfully, Captain Britain was already in the air herself. Noticing Professor Weaver's fall, she swooped in to try to catch the falling sphinx.

[John Hino]

John clawed himself free of the re-solidified earth and proceeded to help Kevin out.

[Kevin Gravis]

Kev took a moment to breath. "Thanks John."

[John Hino]

"Don't mention it."

[Sean Hall]

Sean smiled tiredly as the ley lines began moving back to their original locations. He stood up and began walking away from the group of exhausted, but relatively uninjured heroes.

[Byrna Cooper]

"So.. We saved the day, right?"

Bear was skeptical, not being all magicy and stuff.