V is for Vagenda (Part 16 - Halloween Party 2011)

V is for Vagenda (Part 16 - Halloween Party 2011) 

 

It's time! I am so excited! My first Halloween Party!!! I just teleport down from Watchtower to Gotham and fly as FAST as I can to Arkham Island! The comm is buzzing with shouts to get out there mixed with all kinds of things already underway. I rush out to the graveyard - what an absolutely perfect place to have 

Halloween Party 2011

I land in the middle of about 60 people and realize I made a very big mistake. OMG! I'm the ONLY person here that is not wearing a costume! I quickly teleport myself back to my room in the Watchtower and get changed! I teleport myself back to save time hoping it largely goes unnoticed. It's amazing just how good some of these costumes are!

Super Power and Lady Lightbringer stand up on top of the small mausoleum and call out to confirm everyone is there, and ask for volunteers to stand forward for the "best costume" contest! Mine isn't great but I just want to participate anyway! Jayde Falcon, Magician, Baretta Vixen, and Emerald Galaxy all step forward - then Raarsi gets in line! OMG - her costume is a demon in really rich shades of red and black! I don't even recognize how she got to get that look - it is so well done! Everyone attending that isn't in the contest gets to vote and after the votes are counted, Raarsi is the sure winner!

I spend most of the next hour dancing to music and getting introduced to some of the correspondents that Justice Girls have on the villain side. They are a group that call themselves "Dark Justice" and they maintain some relations almost like double agents, but truly honor a truce on Halloween. They are invited just as if they were members of the league, fellow heroes. So many names, I can't remember most - though I do remember the faces, and the sound of the music pumping, everyone dancing.

Super Power starts another contest with some Heavy Metal & Alternative Rock trivia! I am so ready to kill this contest and sweep it, but apparently I'm not the only musician here - the competition is actually pretty fierce! I do win a good number of rounds though, and am quite proud of myself!

I wander off into some fog that I see nearby still hearing the party roaring behind me. I am only here for a second, but start feeling funny. I start to lose my balance, and stumble along further - I think I'm following the sound of voices at the party, but don't realize I'm getting further and further away from everyone. Soon, leaning against a tree, I start to see cornstalks around me and the voices grow from laughter to ominous monstrous sounds. My chest feels tight, my head feels light. I want to curl up and hide, but then get panic stricken! I don't deal with panic well. I get very violent when I feel cornered and vulnerable. Suddenly I'm haphazardly striking out at phantoms and apparitions that are not real. I am surrounded! They must die! I clench and in my mind recite Karmic Backlash! Anything around me within a fixed range will get hurt and thrown away from me in proportion to how bad their karma truly is - it is one of the spells I know best. Even this stoned on fear-gas, I can rhyme it off with precision and speed like no one else. My heart gets in my throat after the second casting as I realize it isn't affecting them! I don't realize imaginary villains have no karma, let along bad karma! I start violently swinging at them and they start evaporating away like bodies of mist dissipating in the air. I start to panic even more, convinced the dew from the mist is sticking to me - making me covered in something so gross! Ewe, ewe, ewe, get them off of me! Get away!!!

"Scared yet?" a voice says from behind me, the laughter cut short by a red circle falling from the sky around me, sending Scarecrow reeling, totally unprepared! I start to realize that he is real and the rest are not by the reaction I got from the last cast, but it only calms me down slightly. I cast a series of heals on myself, thinking I'm close to death, when I am actually perfectly fine.

Scarecrow gets back up, blowing more smoke my way. He seems like he is a tall fortress of a man looming over my small pink frame. "Yessss, cower and run little girl! All of your worst nightmares are about to come true" he howls with an expertly practiced and determined sense of intimidation.

My mind is suddenly flooding with every horror I've ever imagined, in one instance after the next. I reach a higher and higher heart rate. He's trying to kill me with fear! Suddenly, the worst nightmare I ever had takes its turn on the stage of torture he's created in my mind.

It's the dream that I had where I die. The supernova I become transported back in time to be the catalyst that destroys Krypton. That look in Superman's eyes, having no choice but to participate in the destruction of his home world, the death of every soul and life-form on Krypton - yet the moral resolve knowing it is necessary for the sake of all life in this universe, and the unfailing love and strength in his eyes - all of this embodied in the final moments he held me looking at me.

"You don't know much about my nightmares, Scarecrow" I say low, uncaring if he can hear me clearly. I'm suddenly infused with a sense of determination and courage from revisiting that stare from Superman, and my body is still in instinctual panic attack mode - emphasis on attack!

I leap on Scarecrow - which to me is 14 stories tall - but it reality only about 2 feet taller than me and I start to attack him in what could seriously end up as bad as the Luthor incident.

Scarecrow manages to pull out from under me once, pulling back confused! If I wasn't so influenced by the fear gas, I'd have seen the fear on his canvas covered face. To me, he is as menacing, scary, and threatening as ever! He screams out "I don't understand! You should be paralyzed with fear! Your heart should be ready to explode"

All I hear is "EXPLODE" and the dream of my death flashes again in my mind, heightening me sense of panic and rage - and resolve. I can't lose Raine! Not today! I attack again! A swing and a miss as a black cable suddenly ensnares the Scarecrow and pulls him out of my reach.

I see a new demon coming for me, and target this new enemy! I can't land a punch, so out of reflex I cast Karmic Backlash again - but it has nearly no effect on this black horror. Oh my god, I spin around looking for scarecrow again - this is another apparition! I am convinced I'm right, but then this phantom drops me and is on top of me, as something sharp pierces my neck! I struggle and strain but it is no use, it has me pinned, grass in my mouth as I try to scream!

The medication acts fast. I start to feel weak as I come down off of the toxins. The dark demonic laughter from the beast - it transforms in seconds and I suddenly submit realizing it is Batman explaining to me that I was just injected with an anti-toxin that will counteract Scarecrows fear-gas.

I start to feel my heart slowing to a normal speed again - my blood cooling. My face breaks a cold sweat as my body starts to push the toxin out thanks to Batman. He's saved my life, and saved me from another ...incident. Everyone's already referring to the other one as "the Luthor incident". I am so relieved and thankful right now, I can't even speak.

"That was a close call. I will take it from here. You should actually go back to the party and try not to think of this for the rest of the night. I mean it. A good time is what the doctor is ordering for you right now, and the dancing will help you sweat out the rest of the toxin faster. I mean it. Don't let this ruin your night, I don't have far to go to return this convict to Arkham" he says looking over his shoulder at it.

I lean against a tree getting my bearing, and take a deep breath. I look up to thank him, but he and Scarecrow are already gone.

Meanwhile, the three chairs sit around the cauldron watching what unfolded entertained. Cierce looks to Gentleman Ghost and Klarion The Witchboy, not feeling she is really appreciating what happened on the same level they do.

"So you are telling me that Vagenda is your ancestor?" Circe asks, still finding that something that came from him could be heroic.

"Yes" says Gentleman Ghost still enjoying light laughter with Klarion over the events that just transpired.

"And you are OK with Scarecrow attacking your offspring like that?" Cierce asks, with a strong understanding of nepotism.

"Yes" says Gentleman Ghost, laughing slightly harder now, seeing Cierce's confusion as another source of mild comedy.

"She would have killed him! He had no idea what he was getting into. Bats saved his life back there" Klarion smiles, fully amused at how quickly Scarecrow made his way out, and back in, to Arkham due to his poor judgment in underestimating Vagenda.

Gentleman Ghost stands proudly. "Didn't you ever see the Wizard of Oz?" he asks looking around.

Everyone nods not quite getting the point.

Gentleman Ghost clutches his staff affectionately looking into the cauldron at Scarecrow back behind bars "Oh Scarecrow - if you only had a brain!"