Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Jake, Jason, Beth, and Pam appeared on the outskirts of the overgrown cemetery gates. An ominous feeling washed over Jake as they rose out of the shadows. The last time he'd been here had been when he'd faced Meg Myers and The Amazon. He'd nearly been broken that evening in more ways than one. Returning to the scene, even if it was above ground, hadn't been something that had been high on his priority list. The way his skin crawled as he looked around confirmed that this was where Courtney would be. The Brunswicks might have been involved, but this place screamed Courtney. Graves, unease, and pain, all things she delighted in when it came to him. She'd heard the stories of that night, seen his files, and knew how difficult that night had been for him. 

"You really think she's here?" Jason asked as they looked around the overgrown gates.

"It's as good a guess as any," Jake sighed, "If we're going off of the knowledge that the Brunswicks are involved, I'd say it's a safe one. Even if they're not, Courtney knows what happened last time we were here."

"Your encounter with that freak claiming to be your mom and Myers," Jason nodded, "You think she'd pick this place because of how badly that Amazon freak gets in your head, don't you?"

"Yeah," Jake nodded, approaching the gate, "There's not many women that could rattle me like she could. I hate her."

"Then you should be relieved that she's dead," Jason remarked, finding a spot to climb over the stone wall.

"So that was her in Citiville then," Jake sighed, "The description matched her, but I never got to get confirmation before everything happened with Ingrid. They said she was frozen solid, and that no one could get through it. It was almost like-"

"Magic," Jason finished, climbing over the wall, "I was tracking some pretty strange readings in Citiville while Myers was calling the shots over here."

"What do you mean?" Beth asked, following closely behind the two as they scaled the wall.

"It was mostly chasing the dead," Jason replied, "When I heard that Myers had been elected, I knew something was off. The woman died years ago when I still had my living mind intact before Goth took that from me. I was torn between pursuing the strange happenings in Citiville and investigating how a dead woman could run for office. I eventually decided that between Jake's imprisonment, Dutchess running the damn prison, and a cult of psychos running through the streets, that too much was happening to ignore. Funny thing, I was a supporter of Meg Myers when she was still alive, but the woman who took office was nothing more than dead skin; a wolf in sheep's clothing. But, I trusted the three of you to handle it. You didn't disappoint, so I stayed behind in Citiville chasing ghosts."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Beth asked, "The problems have been here in Metropolis. The only issue that ever came out of Citiville was Goth, and she was sent to the underworld nearly a year ago now."

"True, but the Brunswicks had offices beyond Metropolis," Jason replied, "I was looking into old records when the occurrences and sightings started. After that, my attention shifted once again."

"You're not making-" Pam started with a frown before a menacing laugh rang out over the overgrown tombstones.

"Well, it seems that you're quicker than we thought," a woman chuckled as she stepped out of a tomb, "I suppose that's what we get for trusting a corpse and a lunatic."

The woman had short bleach-blonde hair and dark skin. She wore a business suit and looked to be in her mid thirties as she stepped out. Her outfit was much too clean to be one of Courtney's followers. "Care to explain who you are?" Pam asked, glaring at the woman as she stepped forward, "Or should I just silence you now?"

"Shh, there is beauty in silence and darkness, Ms. Lavely," the woman smirked as she held a finger to her lips, "Do you hear that? The sweet sound of silence blanketing the city amidst the chaos befallen those foolish enough to stand. Darkness is coming, Ms. Lavely, and I will be one of the chosen to stand beyond the realm of shadow and suffering."

"Okay, this is creepy and annoying," Beth spat as she raised her pistol, "Either you can speak plainly, or I can shut you up for good."

"Ms. Thompson, Mr. Blackridge, and Mr. Graves," the woman smiled as she looked between them, "My, my, I didn't expect such a full turnout for the first round. I suppose that will make things easier and quicker. Go ahead, take your shot. Let us see if you have what it takes to withstand the shadows preparing to fall."

Beth rolled her eyes behind her helmet and squeezed the trigger, but something wrapped around her wrist and pulled her arm to the side. The familiar crack of a whip rang out, but thankfully Beth's jacket absorbed the bulk of the impact. She glared at the whip as she grabbed a knife from her inner pocket and sliced it. "Ambush, scatter!" Jason barked as he ran to the left.

"There's nowhere to run that we can't find you!" the woman called out as everyone split up, "Darkness comes for us all, and we are its heralds!"

"Fucking cults," Beth growled as she jumped behind cover and tried to gauge the situation.

The second she peeked her head over the tombstone, a knife flew just by her helmet. It had been barely an inch away from hitting her. Either she was lucky, or that was some sort of warning shot. Whatever the case, she wasn't going to be quite so merciful. The knife had come from the northern portion of the cemetery, but she couldn't see exactly where. She frowned as she felt a rock beside her. That would work well enough for now. She grabbed it and tossed it out to see. Gunfire and blades cutting through the air filled the air as she ran deeper into the cemetery. She needed to find cover and a good place to catch these assholes off guard if she were to have a chance at walking away from this. They were good, better than most she'd seen in a long time. They were trying to herd her and the others, and she needed to be careful lest she get caught in their trap.

Jake tucked and rolled to the side as bullets began flying past him. He grabbed his grappling gun from his utility belt as he rolled and fired it at a nearby tree. He was flying through the air in a second, but he scanned the grounds for signs of their enemies. The Children of Darkness, it had to be them. That meant that the cult was still around, but moreover it meant that they believed the Brunswicks to still be alive. Did that mean Jason was right? He hated to think about it, but nothing was completely off the table these days. It was something he could figure out later, after they'd dealt with the issues at hand. Courtney was still a problem, but these freaks needed to be dealt with first. 

Jake landed and perched on a branch to try to find the attackers. He saw Jason running the opposite way as Beth, and watched as Pam tried to raise a shield over herself to prepare a spell. He could see the flashes from the muzzles in the distance, but he knew he wouldn't have long before they spotted him. Beth was running for cover opposite Jason to try to get further into the cemetery, so Jake needed to try to draw their fire alongside Pam. With his free hand, he grabbed a couple of birdarangs and launched them in the direction of the shooters. It was enough to break their line of fire, but then he heard one of their guns backfire. That was one down, but he still didn't know how many more were out there. 

Jake quickly flipped a switch on the side of his cowl. His vision switched to thermal as he looked around. He could see them, almost two dozen from where he was perched. They were hidden behind gravestones, in the bushes, and in the trees. Their group was spread out. Jake needed to move and try to take down as many as he could to buy the others some time. They still didn't know where Courtney was, but they could find her after they'd dealt with these lunatics. Jake launched another series of birdarangs at a group hiding in the bushes before firing his grappling gun again. He needed to close the gap and try to take out some of the opposition while he could. 

While everyone scattered, Pam remained firmly rooted in place. She wouldn't run from these pathetic fools. She would face them head on and make them pay. The Children of Darkness were a thorn in her side, long before they'd revealed themselves with Meg Myers. She had raised her barrier for protection, and she had a counter spell charging in her right hand as the bullets hammered away at it. She could feel the smugness and hatred radiating off of them in waves. They were hiding, but it wouldn't save them from her. Once the bullets finally stopped, Pam unleashed the spell she'd been holding. A volley of lightning bolts shot from her palm and surged between targets. Screams of pain and agony rang out as her lightning chained between their attackers. 

"Haha, just as spirited as I'd hoped!" the blonde woman cackled, "Too bad it won't save you from what's coming!"

"Insufferable bitch," Pam muttered as she teleported to try to ambush more of their attackers.

Jason had pulled out a machine pistol as he rushed into the fray seeking shelter from the gunfire and unknown. He could hear the lightning from Pam's magic, guns backfiring from Jake's attacks, and Beth returning fire on the opposite side. They were slowly cutting through their ranks, but they were outnumbered and outgunned. Still, they'd faced worse and walked away. Unfortunately, he couldn't see their attackers which meant he was forced to fire blindly. It wasn't about hitting and eliminating the targets, but more about breaking their ranks and firing line. It seemed to do the trick as he managed to break through as he threw himself against a crumbling tomb. He had a grenade in his coat, but tossing it meant risking hurting Jake and the others. No, it would have to wait until he knew everyone was safe.

Beth had been returning fire at every opportunity while the others did their part. She'd managed to find her way deeper into the bowels of the cemetery as Jake and the others tried to take down who they could. She'd also managed to take out a few of their forces with a few well-placed shots, but it wasn't enough. Beth rounded the corner for cover, but nearly ran into a blade aimed at her throat. She leaned back and stopped short just as the edge cut where her neck would have been. A man wearing a black and red ensemble tossed the blade to his other hand and moved to attack. 

Beth sidestepped to avoid a crushing fist, and she countered with the butt of her pistol to his forearm. Her attacker grimaced as he threw his arm back, but he tried to stab her in the shoulder. He knew the weak spot in her armor. That was concerning, but he was too slow for her. Beth twisted her torso and grabbed his wrist before he could pull it back. His wrist in her hand, Beth stepped forward and threw her arm up. She curled her arm around his before jerkijg upward. A sickening crack rang out followed immediately by a scream as she broke his arm. He dropped the knife and Beth caught it. She silenced him by driving the tip of the blade into his throat before pushing his limp body onto his back. She threw herself against the wall and peered out from behind cover to see who else might be waiting for her.

Jake dropped down into a group of four armed cultists. His bostaff was at the ready as he landed in the middle of them. None of them saw him coming, and he capitalized on the opening with a wide sweep aimed at their ankles. He stepped back and spun his staff in an upward arc to disarm one of the cultists closest to him, and he swung it in a straight line to slam it against their jaw. He knew he didn't have long before they opened fire on him, so Jake pushed the end of the staff down on the ground and flipped himself upward. He vaulted over the one behind and brought it down over the man's head to knock him out. Jake sidestepped around one of the cultists who raised their guns, and jabbed the edge of his staff into the stomach of the other one before swinging his staff up into his jaw. A final, quick roundhouse kick disarmed and knocked out the last standing member of the group. With four more down, Jake fired his grabbing gun again and disappeared before more could surprise him.

Their group was making quick work of the cultists, but Jake was suddenly pulled out of the air by an unseen force. His body felt like it was being ripped apart molecule by molecule as time suddenly froze around him. He blinked and he was on his stomach laying in the grass. A heavy boot pressed against his back to keep him on the ground, and he felt his heart sink. He'd felt this once before, and he had hoped to never feel it again; not the boot, but that feeling of being torn apart. A hand grabbed the back of his cape and lifted him off the ground. He saw it as he was lifted into the air. The red sheen of armor from the suit of a woman he'd thought long dead. Emily Brunswick was here, Voidfoot was alive.

"Jake," Emily smirked as she hauled him up, "It's been too long, hasn't it? The little beta boy has become a man, but he still hides behind a mask. Running from the man he is at heart, and hiding from the nature of his humanity."

Jake frowned as he collected himself despite the fear and apprehension creeping through him. He didn't respond verbally, but rather threw his weight backwards and drove his feet into her ironclad chest. She didn't budge, but Jake hadn't expected her to. He pushed off of her chest to break free from her grip, and he landed with his staff at the ready. He looked around to see that they were the only ones moving. She'd placed them in a bubble outside of time. Of course she'd want to speak and taunt him. He looked into her dark eyes that seemed to reflect the cosmos in her irises. It was unnerving to see, but more so was how much she knew about him. The only person that had ever come this close to him had been Rebecca. Emily was far worse than the Goth Goddess had ever been, though.

"Still fighting against your instincts," Emily chuckled as she circled him, "Why do you resist, Jake? I have seen across countless eons and realities, and in all of them you are the same. You crave submission, freedom, and a strong hand to guide you. I know who you are, Jake Blackridge, and this act is fooling no one. I'll make you a deal, boy. Get on your knees and submit to me, and your friends will live. Concede this city, your wealth, your power, and all that you have to me, and you and the others will live."

"Piss off," Jake muttered as she tried to concentrate on the spellcraft that Pam had taught him, "I'm not giving you shit, and I've beaten you before!"

He could feel the burning in his chest as he tried to use his staff as a conduit for his magic. If they'd have had more time, he'd have grabbed the focusing tool he'd been working on from the Birdcage, but everything had happened so fast. He could only hope that he was strong enough to channel on his own. He dragged the staff across the ground, digging the end into the dirt, and swung it up in an arc at Emily. His anger and frustrations at everything she'd done fueled his attack, and a jagged blade of earth shot up and flew at her. Unfortunately, Emily was able to swat it away with ease and shatter the stone. Jake hadn't expected it to hurt her, but he had at least expected it to surprise her. Emily seemed entirely unphased by the attack, though.

Jake ran forward and swung his staff at an angle aimed at her shoulder, but she caught it with one hand. With deft ease and blinding speed, Emily cast it aside and extended her fist to crash it into his chest. Jake was knocked back by the force of her blow and the powers she wielded. He wheezed as he was sent sliding back, but he managed to stay on his feet. This wasn't working, and he needed help to beat her. If he couldn't take her head-on, then he'd have to break her concentration to free the others. That was something he could do, but he'd have to be smart about it. It was nothing new to him, and all he needed was to make her think she had the upper hand.

Jake circled her and tried to find an opening. He quickly pulled a few explosive birdarangs out from his utility belt and dropped them as he circled her. Emily watched him as he tried to surprise her, and she blocked an incoming strike with her left arm. Jake pulled back and reversed the swing before she could grab his staff again. She blocked a second time, this one coming from an upward angle, but Jake pulled back again before she could attack. He spun around to put some distance between them, and launched two more birdarangs at her. They hit her in the chest, but she remained unphased by them. It didn't matter. His point wasn't to stagger her, but to keep her focus on him. She stepped forward, but Jake flipped a switch on his belt to detonate the birdarangs he'd dropped.

One of them exploded and caused her to stumble, but Emily growled as she trapped the others in a celestial bubble. They detonated one by one, but the blasts were contained within her shield. However, the diversion worked to break her concentration on holding the others in place. That was the opening he had been waiting for. "Voidfoot is here!" he shouted the second the air started to move again, "She's here, dammit!"

Beth had been in the process of shooting another cultist when Jake shouted. She frowned and looked over where the noise was coming from. She felt her heart sink as she saw the crimson powerhouse standing mere feet from Jake. "Jason, blow these assholes to kingdom come!" she ordered as she shifted her focus to their old enemy.

"On it," Jason replied as he holstered his machine pistol and grabbed two grenades to toss into the remaining resistance.

"They won't save you from what's coming," Emily chuckled as she advanced towards Jake, "All you've done is condemn them to a fate worse than death. They will serve, they will suffer, and they will break because of your choice today, Jake."

"Shut up!" Jake growled as he launched another offensive at her.

Emily blocked his attack, and ripped the staff from his hands with ease this time. She swung it around and broke it across his back with one fierce movement. Jake cried out despite the armor plating of his suit. "Their fate and pain rests squarely on your shoulders, boy!" Emily snapped as she grabbed him by the throat before he could fall, "All that happens now will be because of you! Silence will fall, and only the strong will remain! Your weakness, their weakness, will be extinguished in the wake of true dominance and superiority!"

Jake could feel his windpipe beginning to snap as Emily held him in the air. She could kill him and raise him if she wanted to. Hell, she could pluck another version of him from another world if she felt inclined. Her powers were beyond anything they'd ever seen, but they had to try to face her and beat her. Gunshots rang out alongside the explosion from Jason's grenades. Bullets ricocheted off of Emily's back as Beth raced forward to try to save her friend until her clips ran dry. Jake suddenly found himself flying through the air and crashing into Beth before she could reach them. He could breathe, albeit labored, but this fight was far from over. Beth shoved him off of her, but tried to help him up all the same.

"You okay?" she asked as they got to their feet.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I'll live," he replied as he grabbed a spare weapon from his utility belt, "She's stronger than I remember."

"We're not alone this time, and she's not the only one who's gotten stronger," Beth said, holding her hand out and summoning her katana, "We can take her and end this before it begins."

The skies began to grow dark as thunder rolled above them. A swirling vortex of black clouds started to form overhead, and both of them knew it wasn't a natural storm brewing. Beth looked up to see Pam floating in the air above them with her hands crackling with energy. "Such a sad attempt at resistance," a cold and feminine voice chuckled from the shadows, "It's better to know when you've been beaten than to waste the time of your betters."

Jake saw her as she stepped out of one of the tombs. A woman with long black hair and pale skin that looked eerily similar to Emily. Was this the woman Jason had mentioned, the woman Ingrid had worked for? What was she doing here? "Keep talking," Beth barked as she raised her sword above her head, "It's all your kind is good for."

"Ah, the bravado of the foolish and stupid," the woman laughed, "It is always such a wonderful delight to see it first-hand. Make them suffer, sister dear."

"With pleasure," Emily smirked.

A bolt of lightning came crashing down onto Beth's sword and surged through her. A move that she and Pam had practiced more than once, but one that hurt each time they used it. Still, it did the trick. The electricity channeled through her sword, funneled into her body, and heightened her speed and reflexes. Pain was a small price to pay for the tradeoff. The added bonus of giving her attacks an electric boost didn't hurt either. She just hoped that it was enough to avoid Emily's attacks. Between her, Jake, Pam, and Jason, they had a chance. Beth looked over at Jake and shared a nod. It was now or never. They had to make their stand. As if on cue, another bolt of lightning crashed down by Emily just as she stepped towards them. That was as good a signal as they were going to get.

Jake took off to the left as Beth barreled to the right. They circled around Emily as more lightning strikes started to rain down. All he had left was the pair of batons he'd taken up months ago, but it would have to be enough. Beth made the first move and tried to slice Emily in half, but her blade stopped as it dug into her armor. The fact that it could cut through it spoke volumes, but it still wasn't enough. As Beth pulled the blade out, Jake moved in and kicked at the back of her knee. It was enough to cause her to falter, and Jake swung both batons up to Smash her jaw. Emily stumbled back a step, and Beth unleashed a devastating spin attack that released a shockwave of energy. The cultists that were left standing fell one by one, but Emily absorbed the brunt of the attack alongside her sister. What were these women made of?

Pam landed on the ground a good distance from them, and she summoned her chains to try to bind Emily. The storm she'd conjured continued to rage above as the rains began to fall. Her chains curled and coiled around Emily's arms and legs, but the woman shrugged them off and broke them with ease. It bought enough time for Beth to try another attack in tandem with Jake, but Emily held her arms out and her body began to crackle. Colors distorted around her as a dark sphere started to stretch out from her. As it grew in size, Jake, Beth, and Pam all found themselves held in place by whatever power she was wielding. Scenes of unexplainable things flashed before them, each varying in what they witnessed. It didn't last long, and Emily finished whatever it was with a mighty stomp that sent them flying backwards and crashing to the ground.

"Hey, freak!" Jason shouted as Emily started towards Jake and Beth, "They're not the only ones you're fighting!"

"The dead man wants another round," Emily scoffed as she spotted Jason who tried to step between Jake and Beth, "Very well, perhaps I'll send you to a world where you lived. You can see what your life might have been if not for Jake Blackridge and his selfish meddling."

"Get bent, you ugly freak," Jason growled as he grabbed his guns from his coat and opened fire.

He knew it wouldn't do any good, but it would buy the others some time. That was all they could do right now. He watched as Emily stepped forward slowly and deliberately. Beth was the first back to her feet, followed shortly by Pam, and then Jake. Beth and Pam moved to attack in unison as Jake tried to catch his breath. Pam sent out a serpent of fire as Beth tried to move in and cut through Emily's armor once again. Jake was preparing to move in behind Beth to support when a hand clamped down over his shoulder. He turned around to see Eva standing over him with a sinister smile. Her fingers seemed to cut through his suit and dug into his flesh like knives.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Jake?" she asked as she slung her hand and him back, "You may not recognize me in my current state, but your sweet sister might. How is Samantha? Does she still cry and scream at night?"

Jake frowned as he watched Eva move between him and the others, "That was you? You bitch!"

"Ah, family is such a sensitive subject, isn't it?" Eva asked as she dodged a ferocious swing from Jake, "You love them, want to protect them, and it hurts so much when you fail. Of course, I can understand how you feel. It was exactly how I felt when you sent my sister to another world!"

Jake growled as he swung his batons at Eva, but was shocked when her arm turned to shield. He pulled back and leapt into the air for a spinning kick, but his boot was shoved aside by her shield arm. He watched as it turned back to a pale skinny arm before the other turned to a silver blade. That same menacing smile never left her face as she swung her bladed arm at him. He crossed his batons over his head to block her, but she kicked his stomach before he could counter. He stumbled back and just barely managed to keep from getting cut across the face, but her blade managed to cut half of his mask. It fell and left half of his face exposed for the world.

"There it is!" Eva laughed, "The face of the betrayer, the usurper, and the unworthy. Fitting that half is exposed considering the double life of lies you live. You will watch as everything you love is taken from you and cast into the fires of creation. This world will be mine, your city will be the beginning of the end, and your friends will curse you for ever existing. All of this because you took everything from us!"

"I don't even know you!" Jake shouted as he dodged another swing and hit Eva in the ribs with a horizontal swing of his batons.

"No, but your whore mother did!" Eva barked as she grabbed his baton and ripped it from his hand, "She was the first to stand against greatness. The first to stand in the way of true excellence, but you won't be as lucky as her. You will beg to be cast into the void, but I will never let that happen. You will serve, suffer, and be my little plaything until you crave my attention. Then, and only then, I will take that from you too. All men break, everything falls, and you will be no exception, Jake Blackridge."

Jake could feel his anger and blood pumping at the mention of his mother. Hearing her dragged through the mud lit a fire under him, and he wanted nothing more than to see this woman silenced for good. "Enough!" he shouted as he let his anger take root.

A small pit formed beneath Eva, but she must have sensed whatever it was. She gracefully jumped out of the way of the chasm he'd created, and she struck him hard across the jaw with her fist. Jake stumbled backward and tried to catch himself. He wasn't going to fall here, but someone grabbed him from behind. Cold and pale hands wrapped around his body and he tried to break free only to fail. The stench of death filled his nostrils, and he knew exactly who had him. The sadistic cackle of his undead ex only served to confirm his suspicions before he felt an excruciating pain in his exposed neck. Courtney had sunk her teeth into him, and she was gnawing her way to his jugular.

"No!" Eva screamed, "What are you doing, you parasitic buffoon?!"

Beth, Pam, and Jason had been engaged with Emily when they heard Eva screaming her question. Beth looked over and her blood ran cold at what she saw. Courtney had Jake and was eating his flesh. She pulled away and ripped part of his throat out with a sinister smile. "Jake!" Beth screamed, abandoning her efforts to try to get to her friend.

Jason looked over and his eyes went wide. They'd overlooked Courtney, and that bitch had managed to grab Jake. "Beth, stop!" Jason shouted, grabbing her arm to keep from losing another friend.

"Let go of me!" Beth screamed, elbowing Jason in the face, "I can't leave him!"

"Mm, this is what I've been wanting," Courtney purred in Jake's ear, "You taste even better than I had hoped, lover."

"You stupid, oaf!" Eva screamed as she moved toward Courtney to admonish her, "He is mine!"

"He was never yours," Courtney scoffed as she went in for another bite.

Jake could feel the blood pooling up in his throat. He wasn't sure if the pain from the bites, or the feeling of suffocation was worse. His body was seizing up, though, and he could feel himself dying. There was arguing happening between Courtney and Eva, but it was drowned out by the sound of Courtney's disgusting chewing. Eaten alive, one way he never thought he'd go out. He could see Beth fighting with Jason, Emily stopping her assault, and Pam staring at him in horror. Beyond them, on top of a hill beside a lone tree, he swore he saw a black wolf with red eyes. It stared at him as though it knew him. Everything began to fade around him, and all he could think was how he'd failed everyone. He stared at the wolf, who stared back intently before howling at nothing. Jake Blackridge was gone only seconds later.

"You murderous bitch!" Beth screamed as she broke free and grabbed a spare pistol from her coat, "I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!"

"Beth, stop!" Jason repeated, grabbing Beth's jacket, "We need to fall back and regroup. There's nothing we can do for him now, and he wouldn't want us getting killed. He'd want us to live to fight another day."

"You insects aren't going anywhere," Emily snarled, her focus returning to the fight at hand, "His death only guarantees your misery."

Pam felt her own anger and fury swell, but she didn't fight to contain it. She let it flow out of her in a tremendous explosion that managed to sweep Emily off of her feet and knock her back. One of her best friends, the boy who'd become a brother, had been taken from her. While she agreed with Beth's sentiment, she knew Jason was right. They needed to leave, plan, and strike back before it was too late. A howl caught her attention in the distance, and she briefly thought she felt a hint of magic as she saw a wolf in the distance. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to figure out what it was. Beth would be furious at her, but she wouldn't lose anyone else today.

"Beth," she said softly, putting a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, "We have to go. Jake would want us to live."

"I can't leave him," Beth whispered, and Pam could hear it cracking behind the modulator, "We can't…"

It broke Pam's heart, but she knew what had to be done. "We will avenge him," she said, already preparing the spell to get them away, "They will pay for what they've done, I swear it."

"Pam, I-" Beth started, stopping when she saw the shadows moving in, "Don't!"

"Do it!" Jason ordered, moving in closer and grabbing Beth's arms, "Now!"

They were gone seconds later, sinking into the abyss. All that was left were the bodies of the fallen, most notably the Raven who Courtney continued to feast upon. Eva and Emily growled in frustration as Eva admonished Courtney for her actions. The wolf in the distance looked on for another moment before it turned and left from whence it came. Its mistress would be heartbroken, but the deed was done. The fight that should have been finished here was only just beginning, but now the city had one less hero looking out for it. The fate of Metropolis fell on the shoulders of the broken and the unknown. A failure for the forces of good, and a bittersweet victory for their enemies had transpired this day.