Labyrinth

[raptorcanaria]

Here's the thing about Milliways: It's not the Real World. Dinah has a very clear delineation in her mind: there're things that happen in the bar, and there are things that happen at home, and even if people visit from one to the other, they're very different places.

Justice League, supervillains, Oliver. Those things don't follow her in. Which is good and bad, because it becomes a place to escape. And escape becomes too safe, somewhere where actual threats aren't real. That's the problem with the place. It's not home, and it doesn't touch home, and if she wanted, she could stay in the bar, rent a room, and never have to worry about outside. And that's what's so dangerous.

Not that she's thinking of danger right now, even deep in the forest where there might be demon rabbits. She's just thinking of the run, and the exercise, and also where she wants to take Ollie for dinner tonight. That's how she manages to get lost.

And how she finds herself facing a rough hewn stone wall, with a door cut into it.

Dinah stands in front of it, stretching out her warm muscles, staring at the door. Has that always been here?

Comments

[boston_bruiser]

"How're you doin' up there?"

Not to pressure you, Dinah, but WALLS MAKING FOR SQUISHY-SQUISHY ACTION PRETTY DAMN FAST.

[raptorcanaria]

"Really wishing I was an acrobat, here," she says. But she manages to turn around, so she's facing downwards holding on by one hand and her feet, and nods towards the approaching opposite wall.

"Come join me."

[boston_bruiser]

"Up there? Me, an itty-bitty blanco niño?"

He shakes his head, grabs hold of the groove on the opposite wall, then sticks a foot in and jumps before sinking his tomahawk into the wall. The blade slips, and he turns, jumps to the opposite wall-

- and just barely grabs the groove.

"Okay," he says, scrambling into position, "what now, we wait for only half of us to get squished?"

[raptorcanaria]

"No," Dinah says, reaching out across the gap, towards him.

"Now I complain loudly about hos you need to go on a diet and shed that bulk, machoman."

In other words - grab her hand and do it now.

[boston_bruiser]

He does.

"You try humpin' a ruck up 'n down a coupla fuckin' mountains every goddamn day, see if you don't bulk up."

In other words - whatever, just don't kill them.

[raptorcanaria]

"Yeah, yeah," she says.

Though right now she's wishing they were Batman and Robin, this'd be so much easier.

"You're gonna have to jump, OK? I've got you."

And if she can get him to her level, they're good.

"On three."

[boston_bruiser]

"One-"

His grip slips and he clenches his fist -

"-two-"

- his knuckles are turning white, turning numb -

"-three!"

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah grins at him cheerfully as he counts, and on three she puts all her effort into her legs and core, hauling his weight up alongside hers.

There's an ugly popping sound, and she squeaks in pain, but the only thing she says is: "Grab hold and get yourself up."

[boston_bruiser]

Voodoo does, squeezing himself into the groove.

"You good?"

[raptorcanaria]

"Up!" she repeats curtly, nodding to the level above them. the gap is getting tight now.

Without waiting for him, she turns upwards and grabs the top of the wall with her one good arm, flipping herself over as she goes so she lands on her feet.

[boston_bruiser]

And Voodoo follows suit. He's not limber enough to roll to his feet, but he's plenty limber enough to roll far, far away from the edge.

"Lord, if you're listening, I will trade my right nut if it means we don't gotta do no more'a these walls."

Beat.

"You know. After I kick it. Not - asking you t'pluck it right now."

[raptorcanaria]

"Come here," Dinah says, reaching out a hand for his. When she gets it, she puts his hand on her shoulder to steady her as she guides her dislocated shoulder back into place.

Then winces pops it back in, as if she's done it a dozen times before.

(Not quite that many.)

Just as she's doing that, the next set of walls open a set of holes like before with the flamethrowers only further apart. Except this time, it's an arrow that hits the ground right by Dinah's feet.

"Oh for heaven's sake!"

[boston_bruiser]

There's a thwip, and an arrow buries itself in Voodoo's -

- well, let's just say he curses, reaches behind him, and breaks off the shaft, but he's not gonna get to sit until he gets the arrowhead removed.

"If there ain't a pot of Aztec gold at the end of all this," he shouts to the ceiling as he runs to the wall, climbing like he did before, "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah, meanwhile is beginning to laugh.

"Really? Arrows?" she yells at the room. "You know who my boyfriend is, right?"

She throws herself forward, flipping onto her good hand and over again, turning cartwheels between the flight of the arrows.

But she also heads towards the wall, and starts to climb.

[boston_bruiser]

Voodoo's already halfway up, reaching for another handhold when all of a sudden -


- he feels really, really woozy. His head feels like it's been pumped full of helium and taken on a merry-go-round, his muscles feel like rubber, and his vision is- is-


- he closes his eyes and hits the deck with a CRUMP.

[raptorcanaria]

"VOODOO."

Dinah drops from her own climb and races over to him, reaching him just in time to roll him away from another arrow which tried to embed itself in his leg.

"Are you okay?" she says, peering down to check his eyes.

[boston_bruiser]

His breathing is raspy, irregular, but his eyes soon flutter open, even if they're not quite fixed on Dinah.

"My...ass...hurts."

[raptorcanaria]

"Dammit."

Dinah rolls his towards her, to check the ass in question. "Poison, dammit. Tell me you have a knife on you."

[boston_bruiser]

"Sheath. Right...side-" -another raspy breath- "-below my pack."

[raptorcanaria]

"Okay."

She scoots back as the wall approaches, and reaches down under his pack, fumbling for the knife...

... which no sooner does she have in her hand but she whips it up and backwards, deflecting an arrow.

"Just breathe, Voodoo, you'll be okay."

Then she bends over him, holding the knife. "This is gonna hurt."

But she's going to have to cut the damn thing out.

[boston_bruiser]

He can barely hear her through the fog. But the one word he hears clearly is hurt.


His breaths are raspier, but he nods.

"Do it."

[raptorcanaria]

She doesn't wait for his acknowledgment - by the time it's out of his mouth she's already down, slicing through his pants (and ducking to the right as an arrow shoots past her left ear) and into his flesh.

She pulls the arrowhead out with her fingers and presses down on the wound as soon as it's out.

"No time to dress," she tells him. "We've got to move."

[boston_bruiser]

Voodoo slowly gets to his feet, stumbling to a wall before grasping onto it, climbing like he did before.

He's slower, now. And the walls - they're coming closer.

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah glances over he shoulder at the approaching wall, just in time to leap in the air and deflect a second arrow heading at Voodoo.

"Keep going," she says. "Plenty of time." That's a lie, but as the opposite wall gets closer, the risk of another arrow hitting him gets greater, and she won't be able to pick him up again.

So it's time to stay level with him on the wall, grabbing on with her hands and kicking arrows out of the air.

[boston_bruiser]

It doesn't look like he'll clear it, but he does, rolling flat onto the top of the wall just before they slam shut.

"ThinkI'mgonnapuke," he rasps.