Chapter 51

Nora dodged Illyana's most violent attacks. She had been rather sick of apologizing for past mistakes. Especially since this one was not entirely her fault. She lifted a hand up and blocked the incoming attack from the bolt of energy just firing at her.

Harry moved in to assist Illyana. Only the rumbling of a loud army of demonic warriors came his way, indicating Harry was not alone. Harry dodged one of the violent demons, who crashed down from the heavens and sent Harry back a few steps.

Sucking in a deep breath, Harry supercharged a blast of magic and sent the demon flying back. Zatanna, fighting alongside him, sent the demon back a few inches as well. The demon roared in agony until Harry blasted him down across the ground a few inches.

Constantine ended up destroying the barrier when Illyana put up. She froze two of the demons in place before taking a small vile and throwing it at the face of one of the creatures. Zatara blasted one of the demons and Doctor Fate enveloped them in a seal of magic. A loud pop before the demons all disappeared into wisps of smoke.

"That is only temporary," Doctor Fate warned them.

"I gathered as much," Constantine said.

The rumbling of demonic hooves offered a harbinger of something very dangerous to come. A gust of magic erupted through the air and slammed down.

"Hold on!" Zatara yelled.

Deep breaths flew through the man. Each burst of magic might as well have been his last.

Harry dove in front of Illyana when she tried to put Nora down. Illyana's raised eyebrow showed her agitation and Harry blocked the swing of the energy sword. It deflected off of the magic of Harry. Harry turned around and grabbed the woman.

Illyana recoiled from his touch, like a demon being squirted by holy water. Nora nailed her with a beam of chaos magic, dropping down to one knee and feeling her breath hard.

"Oh, I don't know how he used this all of the time without going nuts," Nora said.

Zatanna had been dropped down. One of the demons grabbed her by the throat. Zatara's attempts to get to his daughter had not been done in time. The creatures held him back and laughed at the fresh meat they were about to get. Zatara scratched, clawed and fought his way through the armies.

A beam of blue light cracked one of the demons. Sindella dropped her hands from the post and ran in to save her daughter, smashing it.

A clawed hand ripped through the stone. Constantine, quick as she could move put her hand on the post and started to murmur strangled incantations underneath her breath. A long wave of magical energy erupted through the chambers and practically sealed them shut.

"This should hold everything," Constantine said. "For now, but the cracks are still there."

More demons arrived from the edge. Illyana stepped back, eyes widened. Nora watched her retreat for some reason, and Harry grabbed Nora by the shoulder, while half carrying Zatanna.

Greta's spectral image flashed down the way.

"This way, hurry!" Harry yelled.

Sindella joined the rest of the party, mostly out of concern for her daughter, and also Zatanna's father, her husband, as estranged and strained as the relationship might have been. Harry, Nora, Constantine, and Doctor Fate all hung in the background.

"Zatanna, dear, are you o...okay?" Sindella asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Zatanna said.

"Fifty years in here, fifteen years on the outside, holding that barrier, not aging a day, would not prepare me for how much has changed on the outside," Sindella said. "You're a grown woman, and Doctor Fate is now a woman, and Constantine is...well now a woman, and Superwoman has a son and now….oh, John, you look…."

"A virus ravaged my magic, although it was remarkable I held out this long," Zatara said while he coughed.

"The barrier was held in place by me for fifty years, and Belasco taunted me every second of the time," Sindella said.

"That's a long time," Constantine said. "It was a wonder he didn't find a way to corrupt you."

"Yes, but it wasn't easy, I kept thinking of what might happen if I had….well if I had given in," Sindella said. "Every moment in time, I thought about Zatanna, and I thought about saving her...saving the world...I never wanted to leave, I always racked my brain trying to think of whether there was another way."

Zatanna cleared her throat.

"How long?" Zatanna asked. "How long do your spells last?"

"Hours before that bloody demon is able to rip it down," Constantine said.

"And he's tried, even trying to use his daughter as a conduit," Sindella said. "He had her possess a young woman, using a doll as a conduit, and now he's….tried to use Greta….her unique powers to guide his forces through the realm and around me."

"And you were able to find a way to send me a message through her," Zatanna said.

"Yes, but it was a gambit," Sindella said. "For if he had known, he might have doubled down on his efforts."

"We need to find Illyana as well," Harry said.

"Yes, I heard of his corruption of that poor child," Sindella said. "She came in here, innocent, and delicate, and Belasco twisted her into a monster."

Harry turned to Nora, to attempt to get some kind of insight on Illyana. Only to find out Nora slipped out during the conversation.

"The Chaos Vessel is heading North," Doctor Fate said. "Lords of Order can track one of chaos."

"Go after her," Constantine said. "Zatara, Nimue, and I will try and find a way to prevent the barriers from crumbling, and letting that demon out of the box, without putting anyone in the barrier."

Nora hated slipping away from the party, but she had to do this. Illyana had been her responsibility and she wanted, wished, needed to right the wrongs from years ago. She took in a deep breath and stopped at the edge of the path where Greta stood in front of her, blocking her, with arms folded and hovering.

"I don't want to blast you away," Nora said. "But, I won't hesitate to do so...because I have to reach her."

"You won't have to go far."

Illyana stepped into the picture and she had not been alone. Harm, stepped right beside Illyana.

"It will be destroyed," Harm said. "Belasco has promised Harm back Harm's rightful prize if Harm helps Darkchild eliminate it."

Nora rolled her eyes at Harm's matter of speaking.

"You really are a stupid little boy," Nora said. "And I have no time for your games."

Nora sent a blast of light smashing Harm into the ground. She whipped him around two times, sending him flying through a chasm of rocks, and then down into his enemy.

"Nora, stand aside,' Illyana said. "The master doesn't care for you...he wants...her."

"No," Nora said. "Illyana, I know what you're going through…."

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

Illyana's beams of light struck out and slammed Nora into the wall. Once again, the dark magical energy started to choke her out. Nora's eyes glowed, when trying to fight out. She gave into the madness, the madness of the powers she stole from Klarion all of those years ago.

"You stood there, while the demons dragged me into the portal, and did nothing!" Illyana yelled. "You should have been in my place."

"Trigon struck a deal with Belasco to get me to comply, he would have gone after others," Nora said.

"Death is more than you deserve."

Nora broke out of the grip and channeled all of the force of chaos she could. Her eyes glowed red and her hair stood up on end. She started to giggle in an unsettling manner.

"You want to play little girl," Nora giggled. "Let's play!"

Nora's waves of magic struck Illyana's as the two of them fought with each other. The power, the power erupting from them side by side, and both being unable to fight each other.

"The Darkchild may be the key to stalling Belasco's plans," Constantine said.

"She is the source of Belasco's strength, within this place," Sindella said. "And unlike the others, he has never...taken physical liberties with her. What he's put her through, has been emotional, and not physical."

"So, he needs her untainted on a physical level," Zatanna said.

"Yes, certain rituals require a party which is uncompromised, and untainted," Constantine agreed. "If you catch my drift."

Harry understood more than anyone else. He could hear the rumbling of a battle coming out. The chaos magic was so strong it was almost strangling. It caused Harry to deeply breath and Doctor Fate's fingers to twitch when she looked into the power.

"No," Constantine said. "She's playing right into his hands."

"I'm sorry?" Zatanna asked.

"Belasco wants to trick Nora into accessing her full powers, to destroy whatever chance we have in rebuilding the altar," Constantine said. "And Illyana obviously pushed some buttons, because…."

Harry blasted through the army of demons which approached them. He picked up the spear one of them held and slammed it down onto the chest of the man.

"Getting sick of demons," Harry said.

Zatara helped Harry clear the pathway, with Sindella and Zatanna fighting them through as hard as they could as well. Constantine opened up a vortex in the ground and the demons practically fell through, smashing all the way through the ground. The loud echoes increased, the faster the demons fell straight into the abyss.

Harry's motives had been clear, crystal from the beginning. He needed to reach Nora before the magic drove her mad.

"Oh, this is power!" Nora yelled. "Belasco gave you a little taste, but he only gave you a taste, so you can be an obedient little dog, bending to his wills. But I have true power, and once I embrace it."

"STOP!" Greta yelled.

The energy flickering through the air solidified Greta for just about ten seconds before she turned back into a spectral form. Illyana sent a blast of light through the air but Nora blocked the crystal. Illyana created a glowing disc and threw it at Illyana who smashed it.

The walls started to rattle and at the speed of light, Harry scooped Illyana up off of the ground before launching her halfway across the room.

"No fair, I was playing!" Nora yelled.

"Nora, snap out of it, you're letting the energies control you!" Harry yelled. "Just like Trigon did. Do you really want to go there again?"

Nora's fingers began to madly twitch and she shook her head. No, no, no, she didn't really want to go there again, not now, not ever. Nora's deep, heavy breathing rattled through her body. She did not want to lose control like this ever again, not if she could help it.

"Harry, she's...she's…."

Illyana snatched at Greta. Only for Harry to jump in front of her and grab her by the shoulders. Illyana's eyes widened when Harry pulled her forward and kissed her so hard her entire body shut down and she could not hold herself together.

The screams of anguish from afar indicated Belasco's rage grew into catastrophic levels, unable to hold his vessel any longer. Because, the Darkchild is another.

"You might have stalled me, but you cannot stop what is happening…."

"Oh, you demons lords all talk big," Nora said.

Nora blasted Illyana from behind. Just because her purity had been tainted by Harry, like he had so many women before her, did not mean Nora would take any chances.

Sindella, Zatara, Zatanna, Constantine, and Doctor Fate both joined with each other. Nora reigned in her chaos powers before they overwhelmed her, yet again, but only just, and without Harry to talk her off of that ledge, she had no idea how far she would push herself into it.

"It's time to go,' Constantine said. "But one of us can stay behind…."

"I've done it before, I can keep doing it," Sindella said. "The barriers, you can't hold it without a physical presence to reinforce the….."

Giovanni Zatara stepped around his wife and positioned himself on the other end of the barrier and put his hands around it.

"Dad?" Zatanna asked. "You…."

She didn't want her Mom to do it either, but seeing her Dad do this, it caused her life.

"Death is approaching, but since I still have some life, it will be frozen at this stage," Zatara said. "Sindella, you have life to live back on Earth, but I only have weeks left, if I'm so fortunate. Here, I can make a difference. And here I can stop Belasco and his forces. Keep them from invading. There's no reason for me to return, just to die. Here I can forever make a difference."

"You...you sure about this, mate?" Constantine asked.

"You know as well as anyone else, there's no way I will survive to the end of the month," Zatara said. "I can do this...go...all of you."

Zatanna paused for a moment. She got one parent back, before losing another. Although, she regretfully understood she would lose both, had they not entered this realm and had her father not taken her mother's place.

"Go!" Zatara yelled. "Before, it's too late, you should get out of here and go!"

The entire group made their way through the portal, one by one. Harry stopped short to Zatara.

"I could have always made a time duplicate and…."

"No, that would be unwise," Zatara said. "It would grow resentful and bitter that it's only purpose was to suffer, and then you would have an enemy far more powerful. Trust me, the League's been down this road before, and...it's just better you go. I'll...be more useful here than I am, dying on Earth."

"If you…."

"Now or never!" Constantine called.

"Take care of both of them," Zatara said.

Harry slipped through the portal. It sealed up and it left Giovanni Zatara in Limbo, stuck in the midst of where they were. His hands were shaking when he tried to steady to the grip.

Solidifying his grip on the barrier, Zatara's ravages of aging disappeared, and he returned to a man in the prime of his life.

To some, this would be a gift, but it did seal Zatara's fate. The moment he stepped one toe out of the barrier, he would age again and likely the strain would instantly kill him. Zatara needed to remain persistent, stubborn, and he knew how to do all of those things.

"Sindella spent fifty years," Belasco said. 'I will escape. And your daughter will be the first to suffer."

Zatara felt he was in for an eternity of taunting and attempts at corruption by Belasco. But it would be worth it to protect everyone.

Better than painfully dying from this virus.

Zatanna sighed deeping and felt a mixture of emotions. Harry put his arm around Zatanna and pulled her close to him. Zatanna did not know what to say.

"I know he was going to die but…." Zatanna said. "He's going to be there, forever."

"I'm sorry, Zee, I am," Harry said. "If there was another way."

"There wasn't," Zatanna said. "I still don't like it."

"I should have stayed behind," Nora said.

"No, no one should have, but….well…." Harry said.

"My father was the best choice," Zatanna said. "As much as I don't like it, he was...the best option we had in sealing that barrier."

Constantine stood at the doorway.

"Giovanni's a right stubborn bastard, if I trusted anyone to hold the gateway between here and Limbo shut, it would be him," she said. "And at least, Belasco did not get his hands on Greta, at least...for now."

"And he won't, not if I have anything to say about it," Harry said.

"And Nora?"

Nora turned to Constantine, a deep frown on her face.

"I've been harsh on you due to your circumstances," Constantine said. "Despite your fate being sealed before you were even born, you managed to come out ahead, most of the time. And you've made some bad choices, but if I had to throw stones from the glass house I live in well…."

"Yes, I...those powers should never have been held by me," Nora said. "I was desperate to break free from Trigon, I plotted how to steal his powers. But Klarion...he could control him."

"But, he's gone, and you're here," Constantine said. "And it's true, not one person could wield this powers. So, we're going to have to come up with a very creative solution. And I just might have an idea."

Sometime later, Joan Constantine and Nora Darhk arrived at a farm house, out in the middle of nowhere.

"At one time, they burned witches in this city," Constantine said. "And they're still conservative. They wanted to burn the Timmy Hunter books because they promoted witchcraft and satanism, but of course, that just only drove up the popularity of the things. Of course, most wished the author would stopped while she was ahead, and not done that infernal play for a cash grab, and the book based off of the play, but….that's an evil far behind my power that even I cannot fight. The power of greed."

Constantine reassessed the situation.

"Shall we?" Constantine asked.

A knock on the door caused it to open. An attractive woman with dark hair answered the door.

"Well, not going with the old crone look these days, eh, Agatha?" Constantine asked.

"I'm surprised you've gone with actually being a woman, as opposed to dressing like one, Constantine," Agatha fired back with a smile.

"One time, infiltrating a demon drag club, and it follows you around for the rest of your life," Constantine said. "Nora, this is Agatha Harkness, and Agatha, this is….Nora…."

"Nora Darhk, I know," Agatha said. "And you have the chaos energies overwhelming you child...but I believe you can assist my charge, and you can share the burden of your collective powers."

Agatha took Nora by the hand and took her inside.

"Wanda!" Agatha called up the steps.

"This is Wanda Maximoff," Constantine said. "Let's see how you get on with each other and see if she can help you gain control of powers."

"She's been training for seven years, so she's more than ready," Agatha said. "This power needs to be stabilized."

An attractive dark haired girl, wearing a black top and tight red pants, around Nora's age, descended on the stairs.

"Hello, Nora," Wanda said. "I feel you every time you use your power….you need help to control it, like I did when Agatha first met me."

"Where did she…."

"In the Asylum where my father and brother left me," Wanda said. "But...I let go of my anger a long time ago regarding them….and it's useless to be angry at the dead."

"From the Amazon Plague, right?" Nora asked.

Wanda nodded in response and she took Nora by the hand and set down. The two more experienced magic users locked eyes.

"Order would not exist without chaos," Agatha said.