Chapter 42: Stand (Patreon)

After various commentary about respective power levels, I've done my best to keep this chapter true to what I consider to be the canon strength of both Taylor and Klarion. Of course, I'm not perfect, so if there's anything that stands out as odd, just let me know. 

Chapter 42: Stand

The water struck me like a physical force, near blasting the three of us down the corridor. Ahead, a red figure, all hard lines and reflective chrome, appeared in a doorway. The water shifted. It pulled at me, like fingers.

“Shit!” Robins throwing star went wide, but the tide slackened for a moment.

I threw out my arm. Jagged walls of ice shattered the wave, but any hope I might have felt was wiped away by Klarion’s echoing laughter. 

“This way!” Robin shouted. I spun to see him scrambling into an air vent, Artemis half a second behind.

“Itsy bitsy SPIDER, climbed up the water spout!”

I sprinted towards them, even as my ice barrier began to crack. The water around my feet trembled beneath an invisible force.

“Down came the RAIN!” The ice disintegrated beneath black lighting. A counter leapt from my hands to stop it. To the other side, I fired a blind spell. As I slipped into the air vent, I saw the robotic man dodge. My shattering matrix dug deep into the mountain wall instead. Metal and circuits crumpled in an eruption of sparks

I bit back a curse. Another anti-construct spell collapsed the vent behind us just as Klarion’s face came into view.

Robin and Artemis flinched at the sound of tearing metal.

“That won’t hold them for long,” I muttered.

“Then let’s not be here when that happens,” Robin said. “Here, this way.” He turned and, half crouching, half crawling, led us deeper into the vents.

“Who the fuck,” Artemis started, before shaking her head. “I mean, I saw Klarion, but what’s with the Red Tornado look alike?”

I could feel Robin’s anxiety growing thick in the air. “On one of our first real missions as a team… we ran into another android. It called itself ‘Mr. Twister,’ had weather control powers just like Tornado,” he said. “At the time, I just thought he was one of those look-alike villains that pops up sometimes.”

“Wait, Twister, Tornado?” Artemis said. “What’s this one called, Red Tsunami or something?”

“It can call itself whatever the hell it wants,” I bit out. “I want to know how he got into the mountain and why in the world he’s working with Klarion.”

“Well, let’s find out then.” Robin broke open a junction box with the tip of a batarang. He connected it to the small computer in his glove. Camera feeds sprang to life.

Artemis swore softly. There was another Red.

This one had a slimmer structure, an almost mockery of the female form. She stood in front of a cage of flame. I found myself grinding my teeth at the sight. Miss Martian and Aqualad already looked like they were flagging beneath the heat. I couldn’t help but recall how poorly Kaldur faired in the sands of Bialya.

“Where’s Raven?” I hissed.

The atrium camera moved. Off to the side I saw a globe of solid darkness. Foul ruins burned into the floor wove a ward around it, compressing and compressing what was no doubt Raven’s shield.

“Not… ideal,” Robin said, eyes widening. I resisted the urge to hit him. 

The first red and Klarion continued to patrol the halls. As we watched, the Witchboy tore a hole through the kitchen. Water erupted from the broken pipes. Such destruction would only serve our enemies in the long run.

“Call the League,” I said.

“Robots are jamming me,” Robin said. “Crap.” Numbers and schematics blurred across the screen too fast for me to make sense of anything. “They’ve sabotaged the zetatube as well. Nothing gets out unless it’s non-biological.”

“How did Klarion get in then?!” 

“The must have broken it after,” Robin told Artemis.

I glowered at that pointed head of hair. “Or he teleported. Find the cat.”

“Huh?”

Artemis scowled. “Klarion has a cat. He doesn’t like it when people mess with it. I say we make him a very unhappy camper.”

“Yeah?” Robin started flicking through camera feeds. “And in the meantime? We can’t just leave our friends there.”

A lump formed in my throat. “I,” I started. I forced down the uncertainty as both of my teammates looked at me. “I can probably get out, inform the League.”

Artemis frowned, “But it’s a one woman show.”

I nodded. “My method of travel is lethal to anyone else,” I said. “But between that and just… hoping for the best here? I’d put my faith in the League.”

“Haven’t you faced off against Klarion before?” Robin said.

“With backup,” I said. “He’s strong.”

Robin shook his head. “Time.”

“Look, I’m flattered that you have so much faith in me, but I don’t want the lives of our team riding on this. If I go down he’ll shred both of you, and that’s not even counting the damn robots!”

It was a struggle to control even my breathing as Robin refused to agree. There was still no sign of the cat, and I was second away from saying damn the artillery and just Walking out of the mountain anyway. This sort of opposition was beyond anything we’d faced before. I’d yet to take Klarion’s full measure. If I cut loose and I didn’t take him out, then we’d be screwed, but Robin just wouldn’t see that.

“May I have your attention pleeeeeease!” At once, all of our eyes snapped back to the camera feed. Robin flicked through half a dozen before we caught sight of Klarion standing over a console with a microphone in hand. 

“We have one of those?” Artemis murmured. I clenched a fist so hard my gloves tore.

“Not a bad job, brats! In fact, I might have even been worried about running into you in a few years!” Klarion continued. He detached the microphone from its stand and started walking back towards the atrium. I felt my heart sinking in my chest. “But you all forgot one itty-bitty detail. I have hostages! And you heroes know what nasty icky things people like me do hostages don’t you?”

He cackled.

“Destiny—” Robin started.

“So listen up! Witch girl gets down here in sixty six point six seconds, or I start popping heads off like your friends are last year’s Champaign!”

With that, he threw out a hand. I saw a bolt of red leap from it right before it crashed into the only camera, obliterating it.

“I’ll be waiting!”

For a second there was only silence.

Artemis summed it up best, “Well… Fuck.”

A dozen different emotions roiled beneath my skin, but anger rose to the top. I felt the urge to run rising inside my chest. This wasn’t a fight I wanted, and I didn’t have to take it. I didn’t even have to come back after.

“Can you find the cat?” I asked, voice on autopilot.

“Nothing,” Robin said, grimly. “If it’s here, the thing’s hiding somewhere the camera’s don’t cover.”

“60 seconds left!” Klarion’s shrill voice made us all wince.

I swallowed. I could still run, but then… “Distract the reds,” I told Robin. I turned to head back down the vents. 

“I thought you said you couldn’t take him,” Artemis said.

I didn’t slow. “Looks like I’m going to prove myself wrong then,” I said. But then, if I ran every time someone ‘stronger’ than me showed up, I would never grow. I would never be able to move forward, only back and back and back. Until I was alone once again, this time in a cemetery of my own making, as I buried everyone I cared about in the ground.

I would not let myself fall that far. No matter the cost.

It was a simple matter to slip out of the air ducts. I moved silently across the rubble and standing water, counting the seconds. The atrium wasn’t far, but I only hoped there would be enough time for Robin and Artemis to get into position.

The door to the atrium was open. Through it, I could easily make out the gynoid and Klarion on the central platform. He was humming. My mana flared at the sight, aching to be unleashed

A crash sounded from the far hallway. The robot glanced at Klarion. He just waved his hand, giggling. The moment it vanished down the corridor, I struck.

The Ankh of Decay tore across the room. It drank in light eagerly, viciously, fueled by my own desire to see it rip into Klarion’s back and out his obliterated torso.

It hit a shield with a shockwave. For less than a second it stalled, before punching through. That was all the Witch Boy needed to roll away. His gangly limbs recovered quickly. Unfortunate, but then, he was only my primary goal. Unimpeded, my Ankh clipped the side of the runic circle entrapping Raven. I saw the barrier flare once, but this time it was my spell that gave in.

It deflected, crashing into the cave wall. The explosion echoed in my bones.

“Naughty, naughty!” Klarion said. His grin stretched wide, wider than a human face could accomplish. “Bad girls get put in time out!”

Red and black claws whipped across the ground in both directions. A counterspell took care of both. Klarion’s eyes widened, backpedaling as I sprinted forward. His next bolt of destruction missed.

My rapier carved the air in front of him. Metal screamed across a translucent orange barrier.

He rallied quickly, a countless orbs flickered into existence around me, homing in like hornets. I had to leap away. My answering bolt of lightning went wide. Yet another scour mark in the concrete. 

Klarion cackled as we traded lighting and fire across the platform. My spells came faster and faster. Ozone crackled in the air, and despite the seriousness of the battle, I felt my blood singing in my veins.

I stepped to the side, sending a jagged lance of ice arcing off his shields. It crashed against Raven’s barrier.

Another lance of blue mana shattered Klarion’s largest spell yet. “UUUUUGH! Stop doing that!”

“Where’s your kitten, Witch Boy?” I called as we started another salvo. “Won’t it come out to play?”

A wordless scream of rage was my only response.

His spell work grew sloppier, more I could dodge past. I wasn’t running out of mana yet, but neither was my opponent breaking a sweat. At this rate, I’d need every single mote I could save.

He conjured a whip of crackling black electricity. With each swing it arced off a score of bolts, hitting the walls, the floor, everything in range. 

I hurled a counterspells at it, only for each one to impact a shield. He formed new barriers as quickly as I could break them, and the whip cut off any physical route of attack.

Step by step he walked me back. I grit my teeth. This, I knew, was a losing route. Klarion saw that as well. The air itself screamed as the black whip hounded my every step.

“Die, die, Die, DIE, DIE!”

“Shut up already,” I hissed. Throwing out my hands, I sent a wave of my own lightning marching across the battlefield. His weapon deflected my attacks with ease, but it bought me time. Adrammelech phased into existence beside me.

A crimson sword slammed into my dragon the moment after it formed. I suppressed a grimace, tallying the remains of my rapidly dwindling mana. I had enough, I told myself. It would have to be enough. 

“You think I’m not wise to your tricks!?”

“Go!” I shouted.

A lance of white hot flame shot from my summons’s mouth even as a second blade send the dragon back to the void. The blindingly hot fire scorched past Klarion. I saw him wince back, suit jacket catching alight. He took half a step to the side. He took a second to quench the flames, and I took the moment to start shaping a series of spells.

“Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me!”

I took the chance for all it was worth. “Oh? Maybe you should pull out your cat and give me some real target practice?” I shot back.

“Awww, is the itty bitty baby sad that her free win button isn’t here?” Klarion said with a grin, idly twirling his whip. Obviously he thought he was winning this fight, and no small wonder at that. I was more versatile than him, but Karion had raw power on his side. I’d tagged him in out duel, made him move, but I was starting to run out of mana and he only looked winded. “Of course,” Klarion said. “An easy isn’t the only thing you’re missing now, is it?”

I frowned, taking a step to the side. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing really.” Klarion said. He mirrored me as we circled, just a few more steps to go. “You… haven’t talked to the old man in a few days.” He giggled. “Haaaaave you?”

I stopped, balking at the thought. “You,” I started. For a second, I couldn’t conceptualize that Kent might be in the hands of this monster. “No.”

“Yes!” he shot back. “The old fart’s not that tough without his precious helmet, and he’ll be handing that over to me soon enough!” Klarion laughed again, and suddenly, I was sick of wasting time.

With a roar of frustration, I fired two massive Ankhs towards him, sprinting in their wake. The last of my red mana went into my speed. The last of my blue into my sight.

I would not allow myself to miss.

The first Ankh crashed into Klarion’s lighting whip with the sound of dying angels. The black spells ate into each other. Matrixes flashed in through my eyes as two very different types of death vied for dominance.

In the space of a breath, they canceled out into an explosion. I saw Klarion shield his eyes, but the wave of heat and light failed to even slow me down.

Three steps.

My second Ankh crashed into his claws. I saw the ground crack beneath Klarion’s feet, bat-like toes burst from his shoes, digging deep into the concrete.

Two steps. 

I passed my Ankh, the strands of death shriveling the edges of my cloak. My rapier described a plane of steel, piercing through the air.

One step.

Klarion’s eyes flashed. His claws twisted in the air, no longer pushing but pulling and—

I saw the tip of my blade pricked the surface of his eyelid. 

I saw it dug into his not so human flesh.

I saw as my Ankh came crashing into me.

The lattices of black mana ate into my side. Pain roared through my entire being, and I felt a scream tear its way from my throat. But I did not take a single step to the side.

My rapier chimed as it dug into the ground.

For a moment, there was silence.

I looked over my shoulder. The left half of the Witch Boy’s face was a bloody mess. I saw where I’d carved a trench across his temple, lopping off the top of his ear. I noticed, with some grim satisfaction, that his suit was rumpled and charred, his too long fingers trembling in the aftermath of our exchange.

For all that, he stood unbowed, grinning that demonic grin.

“Was that your best shot, little girl?” he asked, red fire crackling over his palms. The orbs of fire were smaller than before, not that they would burn me any less dead.

I didn’t even bother to try a spell. My reserves were well and truly spent. “Yes,” I said.

“I’d say ‘better luck next time’,”

I gave him a savage grin. “Hey, I never said that I missed.”

His eyes widened as he finally caught sight of my real objective. Fire flew, but too slowly. My rapier carved a gouge into the concrete.

And, more importantly, in the rune etched in that exact spot.

The barrier burst, darkness rushing out to quench the oncoming flames. As I sank to the ground, I saw Raven emerge, eyes glowing white and Klarion’s face even whiter. With another burst of magic, hers this time, the cage of flames shattered, and the rest of the team sprang into action.

“Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!”

I hit the ground on my wounded side, and everything went white.