Teen Titans #30: "Wickersham Isle" Pt. 2

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“Black magic operates most effectively in preconscious, marginal areas. Casual curses are the most effective.”

-William S. Burroughs

“The tricks of illusion came to him so easily that it seemed he had been born knowing them and needed only to be reminded.”

-A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

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The old man grumbled to himself as he set up a long black table in his ritual room. He had miscalculated. He had managed to get the girl here all right; that had been a tougher struggle than he cared to admit. He had managed it, but then realized his error; he had failed to set up a place to hold her!

He cursed himself for his foolishness and advancing senility. But as he managed to bring her here, other problems had occurred to him, things he really ought to have given serious thought to before now. Just as she had had protection, she also clearly had allies who would come and try to retrieve her.

That being so, he would have to put off his original purpose for her, for just a bit longer. The arts of Necromancy required to gain her power and vitality for himself were long and complicated; and more importantly, could not be interrupted. If her allies came calling in the middle of the ritual, he would lose whatever he had gained and have to start over, after defeating them.

He sucked his teeth thoughtfully. He knew she was a member of what modern fools called “the superhero community”. He gave no thought to such terms; magic-weavers of all kinds had existed for thousands of years, whatever peasants might call them. He knew only of their existence, not the exact numbers or strength. But he knew that she herself was amongst the very powerful, at least in raw physical terms. It was one of the reasons he had chosen her.

And there were other, shorter rituals he could perform that would enable him to use her strength to protect himself against them. That was also a delicious irony.

With effort, he dragged the young woman’s unconscious weight onto the dark table he had maneuvered into the room.

He was getting entirely too old for this.

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The T-Jet was very quiet.

This was partially because no one wanted to disrupt Raven’s concentration as she guided them to their enemy, but mostly because everyone was thunderstruck, depressed, and angry that Donna had been taken.

Raven took it hardest of all, feeling that it was her own personal failure that had somehow led to this. The others had tried to reassure her, but she was inconsolable. She was quiet now, sitting in the front with Nightwing, occasionally giving him course corrections for the plane.

Starfire was up out of her seat, pacing up and down in the aisle. Beast Boy held his head in his hands, Terra doing her best to console him while dealing with her own shock. Cyborg remained seated, but occasionally punched his flesh fist into his mechanical one, almost to the point of hurting himself. Kid Flash was occasionally trying to talk to him, but he wasn’t listening. Dagon brooded in the back.

”A little more east,” Raven said distantly.

Nightwing turned the plane ever so slightly. “It wasn’t your fault, Raven. You did all you could.”

”I was taken by surprise, but I shouldn’t have been. This enemy is powerful and dangerous.”

”We’ll get her back,” Nightwing said. “I have faith in you.”

Raven smiled, but it was a very thin smile. “I hope you are right.”

”Whoever it is,” Cyborg said, punching his hands together still, “I hope we get the opportunity to hurt ‘em real bad.”

”Now you’re speakin my language,” Terra said.

I just hope she’s all right,” Beast Boy said.

”She is a sister in arms,” Starfire said, still pacing back and forth. “A fellow warrior. I can’t fully explain to you what that means to me. In some ways she’s the only one that understands.....”

”Cyborg has the right of it,” Dagon said from the back. Only his eyes could be seen. “We will make her abductors pay.”

Kid Flash said nothing. He was having trouble keeping his seat. This was one of those occasions where he couldn’t just run ahead to find the place. It was very frustrating for him, adding to his worry over Donna.

”Stay calm and focused, team,” Nightwing said from the front. “We need cool heads if we’re going to rescue her.”

”I don’t really know you guys that well yet,” Terra said, “But from what I saw of her, she’s a fighter. She might take these mooks down before we even get there.”

You’re right, you don’t know,” Cyborg snapped. “But you’re also right that she’s a fighter. She’ll give them all she can handle...if she can. But that might be why they messed with her head first.”

Nobody had an answer to that one.

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Raven found what she thought was the island, but admitted that she couldn’t pinpoint the location more clearly than that because of waves of astral and psychic disruption coming from the isle.

There was nothing resembling an air strip, so they had to find the nearest one in North Carolina that would give them clearance to land. That took some time. Once it was done, however, it was simple enough for Raven and Kid Flash to transport the team to the island. Even so, both of them found their means of travel disrupted. Raven theorized that the island literally messed with peoples minds.

”This island isn’t supposed to be nearly this big,” Nightwing said. “It’s on the maps, but only as a much smaller, uninhabited rocky island.”

”What, even the satellites are fooled by this thing?” Asked Beast Boy.

”Apparently so...”

“Creepy,” opined Terra. “How are we supposed to do anything with our powers if this place is messing with our heads?”

“It is simply a matter of concentration,” said Raven. “None of our powers are weakened, just unfocused.”

“So we stay on task, and we succeed,” Nightwing finished. “For Donna.”

“For Donna,” the others chorused, and they began to move inland.

Despite their commitment, at least three of them were nagged by a particular doubt. Raven, Nightwing, and Beast Boy, each in their own way, had the same thought; if the bad guys could mess with their heads even this much at range, how hellaciously difficult would direct combat be?

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The old man was no more confident than his enemies. He knew the girl’s allies had arrived; he could sense that much. Disruption was an easy enough spell, one that he had had going for years, literally. It required no effort or concentration on his part, and was little different from hiding outright. Such tricks came easy for him, after all these years.

But even with all his power, direct confrontation was not something he relished. His bones were old and brittle, and combat spells took a lot out of him.

Fortunately the girl helped him cover such contingencies. He took his heavy dark staff and passed it slowly over her body, mumbling words of power....

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It wasn’t long until they met some of the native islanders.

A quartet of rough looking men stared at them over the crest of a small hill. They were unshaven, slightly stooped in their posture, wearing dirty patchwork clothes. They glared at the Titans suspiciously.

“Oh yeah, this will turn out well,” Terra sneered.

“It’s like a scene out of Deliverance” Beast Boy whispered back.

Nightwing put his hands up, to show there was nothing in them. “We’re looking for a friend of ours…” he began.

“Their unnatural clothes, brothers,” the one in the lead said, “Proof they are more witches and warlocks! Death to them!”

They charged, pulling weapons from their clothes, but clearly they had no powers.

Nightwing could have taken them alone, that was clear, but the team moved as one anyway. “No serious injuries to them!” Nightwing warned. He kicked the lead man in the head, who than stumbled back and slashed with a rusty farmer’s sickle, which Nightwing ducked. Two punches and a kick later, the man was down.

Terra smirked, knowing Nightwing’s warning had been mostly meant for her, and trapped a man up to his knees in mud, then solidified it back into hard ground, literally rooting him to the spot.

Kid Flash whipped past and knocked another one out.

Beast Boy pounced on the last one in the form of a tiger. The man struggled wildly, eyes blazing with fear and hate. The fact that he must know he had no chance to win made his efforts all the more pitiable and frightening.

Raven draped her soul self over Beast Boy and the tough. Beast Boy shivered and got out of the way.

“You mentioned witches and warlocks earlier,” she intoned in a chilling, echoing voice. “Does a coven or a cabal live on this island?”

The tough struggled, trying not to answer her. But he was no match for Raven’s power. “Just one,” he answered reluctantly, bitterly. “An evil old man that’s ruled here for....centuries! And he deserves to die, just as you do!”

”Centuries?” Kid Flash and Beast Boy echoed in astonishment. Terra just shook her head in disbelief. Raven and Dagon each looked pensive in their own way, knowing how true such things could be. Nightwing merely narrowed his eyes. He knew magic was real, but a centuries-old sorcerer was sometimes hard to swallow for his detective’s mind. Cyborg just looked grim.

”I sense much resentment from him,” Raven said distantly. “This magician has ruined their lives, and the lives of their forefathers.” She refocused on him again. “Have there been any developments in the last few hours? Did he take someone into his home unwillingly?”

The tough frowned at her. “He keeps to himself in his home much of the time, unless he wants us to bow down before him or to do something horrible to one of us for his experiments. There’s no knowing what he gets into in there. Foul magics, I have no doubt.”

”Where is this place?” Nightwing asked.

But the man shook his head vigorously. “I’m not going in there! Not even this witch can make me!”

"Nobody said you had to," Nightwing said patiently. "Just take us in sight of the place."

“He’s kidnapped our friend,” Beast Boy put in. “We’re here to save her. That’s a good thing, right?”

The man looked at them for a long moment, sweat on his trembling lip and his brow, and then shrugged. “With luck, you and the old fool may kill each other. Then we’ll be free.’

”....riiight,” Beast Boy said uncertainly.

“Just take us there, you redneck dimwatt bulb,” Terra sighed.

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The walk through the island was short and uneventful, but they saw a pair of small ramshackle houses, frightened eyes behind the windows staring at them in fear.

The man led them within sight of the wizard’s house, then darted away. They let him go with barely a glance.

The house was tall, dark, imposing, and sinister in it’s architecture. It was the stereotypical haunted house, made real in front of them.

“Oh...kay....now I am officially creeped out,” Terra said.

“I’m with ya on that one doll; it’s the freakin Bates Motel!” Beast Boy’s eyes were wide.

Starfire shrugged. “It’s just another human domicile.” Everyone stared at her. “What?”

"There is power here," Raven said. “I do not know for certain if Donna is within, but certainly this is the source of the darkness. There is shielding, but it is not at full strength....I rather suspect the mage is waiting for us.”

“Defensive formation then,” Nightwing said.

Raven nodded. “Aside from myself, Dagon’s physical attacks and Starfire’s starbolts will be the most effective…”

Abruptly they fell silent as the front door opened. A man stood in the dark doorframe, his back bent with his age... Withered skin was tight on his flesh, making him look skeletal. His clothes were more than a century out of date. But his eyes were bright with cruelty and intelligence. He leaned against the support of a long black staff. It was not immediately clear to Cyborg’s scanners whether it was made of wood or some other material.

“Good evening, young ones,” the withered old man said. “I am Magus Wickersham. I admit that I was expecting you.”

“Return Wonder Girl to us,” Raven stated ominously, her soul self floating over the team.

The old mage looked up at her soul-self and nodded appreciatively. “Aura magics, I’m impressed. Azarathian? A worthy sorceress.” He gave a momentary bow of his head in what seemed honest respect. “But I still prefer--Wonder Girl, did you call her? Is she then a defender of Themyscrians? I chose well!” Raven opened her mouth to answer, but Wickersham waved a hand. “Yes, yes, I know you want her back. By all means, be reunited with your friend.....’

He stepped aside, and abruptly Wonder Girl shot out of the dark doorway, slamming right into Raven. She gasped and went down.

“Raven! NO!” Kid Flash was at her side instantly, only to be knocked aside by a kick from Wonder Girl.

“As you can see, your reunion will be brief, bloody, and final,” Wickersham chuckled. “When it is finished, I will resume my....experiments on her.”

“Oh crap,” Terra whispered.

“Indeed,” the wizard smiled, displaying cavities and yellow teeth. He turned his attention to Wonder Girl. “Child,” he said smoothly, and Wonder Girl turned to him with a blank gaze. “Keep the sorceress alive, but incapacitate her; her power will be useful to me also. Kill the others.”

Wonder Girl gave a slow, mechanical nod and turned to face her friends. A bolt from Starfire knocked her back, but not by much.

Dagon moved in and gave Wonder Girl a backhanded slap that staggered her. She refocused on Dagon and threw a punch. The vampire blocked, but it clearly cost him, as the pain of absorbing the blow was written all over his face. Wonder Girl grabbed him in a choke hold and threw him at Starfire. They went down in a tangle of limbs.

Cyborg blasted Wonder Girl with his white noise cannon, without noticeable effect. Whatever hold Wickersham had on her, it wasn’t through sound. Cyborg didn’t have long to reflect on it, as Wonder Girl came in and shoulder-rammed him hard enough to dig a trench in the ground and leave him winded.

Terra pummeled Wonder Girl with rocks, seemingly without effect. Wonder Girl advanced on Terra, but suddenly Kid Flash was back in the picture, hammering Wonder Girl with super-speed blows, over and over and over again. Tears of rage trickled from Kid Flash’s eyes. He knew that Wonder Girl was mind controlled, but he also knew they had to do whatever it took to break that control. And she had hurt Raven.

He kept hammering away at her, doing more damage than anyone else had so far, until finally Wonder Girl simply grabbed him and threw him aside. But she was dazed, and stumbling around.

Starfire opened up again as Nightwing closed in.

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Beast Boy, meanwhile, was charging for Wickersham, in the form of a raging bull.

“You crossed the line, you Saruman reject!” he bellowed.

“I crossed the line centuries ago, boy.” Wickersham smiled, and twisted his fingers, uttering a single word. Abruptly Beast Boy screamed and his form changed against his own will; he became a snake, tied in a knot.

Almost instantly a rock came and slammed into Wickersham. Gasping in pain and surprise, the old man was knocked back through the doorway and into his home. He made a frantic gesture, and the door slammed shut.

Beast Boy turned back into himself, gasping in pain.

Get up Beastie Boy, get up!”

Beast Boy did not respond, curled up and wheezing. Terra tried to get up him upright, to no avail.

“C’mon honey, get up, please!” Terra begged.

He sat up slowly, and gave her a painful smile. “Thanks for the....term of endearment...doll, just give me a....minute.”

She slapped him on the back of the head, but not hard. “We don’t have a minute!" She helped him onto her chunk of floating rock, and they shot back towards the main battle.

Nightwing had thrown several sleep gas capsules at Wonder Girl, hoping to knock her out. But while her eyes fluttered, whatever enchantment the mage had her under kept her from slumping down into unconsciousness.

Starfire unleashed another volley of starbolts, knocking Wonder Girl back....at first. But then Wonder Girl advanced, taking the blasts as they came, and finally lashed out with a kick that knocked Starfire down.

Nightwing risked an anxious glance at Starfire; then had to dodge a punch from Wonder Girl.

Suddenly, Dagon was there, wrapping his claws around Donna's neck, trying to choke her out. She reached behind with one hand, ripped him off, and threw him at the house. He slammed awkwardly into the structure, which held; the sizzling of the house's magical shields sent purple arcs of energy over him, and he screamed and collapsed.

Raven was slowly getting up, as Terra and Beast Boy came to either side of her.

"We must combine our strength," she said to them.

"Good plan," Cyborg answered, limping around to join the trio.

As Wonder Girl flew at them, Cyborg leapt to meet her, and they collided with a tremendous crash. Cyborg was down on his knees, and Wonder Girl stumbled back, seemingly dazed.

"Now!" Raven shouted. Terra trapped Wonder Girl in a fist of rock, then with a fluid gesture hardened it as much as she could. It wouldn't hold Wonder Girl long, and already it was beginning to crack as she struggled within it; but it gave the others time to act.

Raven sent forth her soul self, wrapping it around Wonder Girl, trying to break her connection to the old wizard. Wonder Girl strained, resisting Raven's spirit. Raven knew she could break the connection, given time. Wonder Girl, of course, didn't want to give her that time.

So Cyborg fired his white noise generator from where he was kneeling before her. Beast Boy flew into the shadow of Raven's soul-self, and took the form of a woodpecker, drilling mercilessly into Wonder Girl's head, trying to break her concentration. Terra constantly reinforced her stone grip on Wonder Girl, trying to keep the prison of rock intact.

But eventually, Wonder Girl got her hands free, and that was all she needed. She clapped them together hard, and the shockwave blasted them all back save Beast Boy, whom she swatted as though he were a fly. Rubbing her head irritably, she broke free of Terra's earth prison. She turned to where he had fallen, meaning to finish him.

But Kid Flash charged in at that moment, and connected with three superspeed punched before Wonder Girl kicked him away. Nightwing took advantage of the distract to sneak up behind her and tazer her in the middle of her back. For a moment she writhed under the electricity, then turned and smashed the tazer out of his hands.

Wonder Girl grabbed Nightwing by the throat and lifted him up. He could feel her slowly increasing the pressure of her grip. His vision began to gray out....

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Continued....

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