The Phantom Manor (open to Dreamers)

[She-Wolf]

It was a chilly and heavily overcast autumn day, near the beginning of October. Thick gray clouds blanketed the entire sky as far as the eye could see, and they seemed to indicate that a storm would eventually arrive - every now and then, a low rumble of thunder echoed across the atmosphere. A bitter wind howled through the air, just forceful enough to cause the slightest rustling in the trees. This lonesome wind, echoing across the mountains, was the only sound audible at all as the gathered members of the Dream League stood amongst a barren, craggy clearing in the wilderness of Calisota, a few miles southeast from Epcot City, facing the destination that an earlier news report had lead them to.

The Dream League might not have been the first to know of this mystery, but they were likely the first, outside of unsuccessful police forces, to act upon it. The trails of numerous criminals on the run have been tracked to a dilapidated old mansion, dating back to the early 19th century, standing alone in the rugged wilderness of Calisota, a long-forgotten remnant of a once bustling gold rush town called Thunder Mesa. More than once, police officials that hunted down their suspects to this lonely building entered its ancient depths to bring out the crooks, who seemed to refuse to come out... but neither the criminals nor the police officers had ever emerged from that mansion, since entering it. Several officers have gone missing for over a month after discovering the old building.

The mansion, coincidentally, had a fairly interesting history behind it. It was once the abode of a Western settler who struck gold and founded a prosperous mining company - this man went by the name of Henry Ravenswood. Henry raised a family in this manor, including a daughter named Melanie Ravenswood. Ever since an earthquake caused the demise of Henry and his wife, however, no one has ever been seen coming out of that mansion ever since. Melanie is presumed to have died as well... but countless stories dating back to the date of her parents' death presume otherwise. Some say she remains in that manor, awaiting the arrival of her groom for all eternity. This is but one of a fair share of mysterious tales woven by those who have observed this decrepit old mansion.

Whatever the case, judging by the appearance of the building and its grounds, it is not surprising that so many eerie stories have been told about it. The mansion itself was tall and imposing, at least three stories high - a bleak, gray and black citadel of brick and wood that, although grandiose, looked as if it were about to collapse any second. It almost seemed to glare down at the Dream League members that stood before it from its shattered windows. A beautiful garden once surrounded the exterior of the building, in its heyday - now, however, everything surrounding it within at least a 100-foot radius was dead, dried and decayed. The ground was sparse and brittle, and the only trees present were gnarled, black and long deceased. The place almost looked like death itself, a feeling hit home by the presence of what looked like a graveyard a ways behind the mansion. No birds or insects could be heard in the vicinity of the strange, sinister building - it was almost as if all life deliberately avoided this land of death.

Yet, superstition was not enough to deter the Dream League from investigating the mystery of the missing police officers. Outside of the mansion, the Star Wisher was parked, and several Dreamers stood gathered outside of the building, prepared to enter its depths. Among them was She-Wolf, who gazed up at the mansion with what seemed to be defiant suspicion, her fists clenched and her wolf-skin cape billowing in the cold wind. The numerous tales spun about the manor, or the fact that all who entered it never came out, did not discourage her in the least. In fact, she outright denied such stories. She knew those crooks were hiding in there, and where the police failed, she was convinced, the Dream League would succeed in bringing them to justice.

[Dreamchild]

When Dreamchild was ordered to join She-Wolf and the others to investigate a dilapidated manor in the once-prosperous, now long-forgotten Thunder Mesa, her interest was piqued. She had always wanted to examine a very old mansion, just out of curiosity, but that was about it. Did Dreamchild believe in ghosts? She didn't know, but considering everything she has seen, the mere thought of lingering spirits who never crossed over wasn't too farfetched, she would argue. She used to be more skeptical, but ever since empowering her brain with psychic powers, she hesitated to reject anything supernatural. She would decide for herself, when she examined the mansion with her own eyes.

Of course, the Dream League wasn't here looking for ghosts. They were here to learn everything they could about the strange disappearances, which already sounded like the premise of a horror story. It was getting close to October, so at least this mission was fitting!

The girl was bothered by the eerie silence. No birds, no insects, nothing. Good thing she was with some of her heroic partners. She was the first to break the overwhelming silence. "Well, this looks inviting!" There was some truth to this mostly lighthearted joke: she wanted to search through an old manor, and the exteriors didn't disappoint her. True, it probably used to be a glorious, sightly beauty. Now it was a giant eyesore.

[The Balloonist]

The Balloonist stood by Dreamchild's right. The old man tipped his hat upward with a thick finger, so he could get a clear look at the old place. He smirked when Dreamchild once again demonstrated her surprising wit for a girl so young.

"Quite a sight, huh?" he asked the Dreamers, though his illuminant blue eyes remained on the structure. "If it looks as good inside as it does out, this place should be condemned. Hnh. Probably is."

As one of the oldest members of the Dream League, he admired the notion of a very old, large home. His thoughts were similar to Dreamchild's; he could easily imagine the manor being a millionaire's haven way back, even before he was born. Now the manor looked like an iconic destination in a horror movie.

In fact, that's when it dawned on the Balloonist. That's why it looked so familiar: this manor uncannily resembled Norman Bates's mother's home in Psycho. It's a good thing the Dream League weren't here to take showers!

He checked the glowing emblem on his ring to make sure it was fully charged. Satisfied that he had more than enough energy, he looked ahead to the manor once again. Eventually, he realized just how eerily quiet the land surrounding the manor really was. All they could hear was the wind...

[Savage]

Standing to Dreamchild's left and looking thoughtful, maybe even a little unsure as he gazed upon the abandoned mansion, was the Dream League's resident dual-minded member, Savage. Or rather, since his appearance was unchanged at the moment, Delbert Doppler.

Wanting to take his mind off the dreary and rather eerie-looking structure, Delbert went over the facts of their latest case in his mind: several ECPD officers had come here in pursuit of some criminals, and all had gone missing. He had heard many if not all of the tales about the manor before, but had merely dismissed them as the nattering of cranks and drunken teenagers trying to scare one another.

Allowing his eyes to take in the League's setting, he noted that in person the place really did look somewhat frightening. The absence of any animals like birds or even insects, and the dried, long-dead plant life didn’t help any. Why were there no animals around? He couldn't help but wonder if the others were feeling any trepidation themselves.

During his time with the Dream League, Delbert hadn’t encountered any specters. Wizards, a woman who had been bought back from death, and dream-haunting entities yes, but no real ghosts. Well, since he was a young boy, he had always dreamed of adventure. All this house represented was yet another adventure waiting to happen. He wasn't sure what they would discover once they went inside, but well, the only to find that out would be to go inside.

The voices of two of his comrades -- the Balloonist's scratchy, aged tone and Dreamchild's considerably more youthful British-accented treble -- returned him to the present. Delbert uttered a “Hmm?” before their words finally sank in. “Oh yes, it’s awful...ly interesting.” No, I had it right the first time. “I would think that as unsafe as this place appears to be, it must have been condemned sometime ago.”

[Mechnician]

Mechnician floated in the cool evening air beside the other heroes. As a new member of the team, she felt as if this, her first actual mission, would serve as a sort of proving ground. After all, the others still knew very little about her, and vice-versa. This was Gadget's chance to show that she could make a real contribution, that she could make a difference.

Turning her wide blue eyes upon the old house, the little mouse studied its decaying facade, although to no real purpose. She saw nothing but a condemned building, no different than a dozen others in the city.

Gadget generally kept herself flying shoulder-high to the humans and larger beings to make it easier to converse and so as not to get stepped on. Glancing around at her companions, she, for once, said nothing, preferring to let the more senior members of the team call the shots.

[She-Wolf]

She-Wolf glanced around her as her teammates each made their remarks about the building, ensuring that everyone who had volunteered for the mission was prepared to enter. Five might have seemed like a few too many for such a simple mission... but safety in numbers surely wasn't a downfall in examining an old mansion being used as a hideout for crooks. She-Wolf knew they were in there, somewhere, and she knew that standing around staring at an old building wouldn't help the Dream League track them down any sooner.

"... Let's go," she calmly spoke up, the first words she had uttered at all since boarding the Star Wisher. With brisk steps, she was the first to approach the mansion's entrance, her moccasin-clad feet pressing against the wooden steps of the elegant but clearly aged front porch. The creaks from her footsteps, cracking through the silence surrounding the area, were audible to all, a sign of the weariness of the building. Despite the confidence with which she stepped towards the mansion's doors, even the bold She-Wolf felt an unusual sensation of uncertainty and wariness, the closer she came to the building. Something definitely seemed odd about this lonely building... as if it seemed to emanate some sort of foreboding aura.

... Nonsense. It was just a creaky old house that some low-life scumbags were hiding in to escape the law. And that's why the Dream League was here.

Trying to subdue the strange feeling she suddenly got by tensing her hardened face and confidently swaying her arms to her sides as she neared the mansion's large, pompous black doors, she placed a single hand on it to shove it open. The doors lacked traditional doorknobs, signifying their age, but both had large elaborately designed golden knockers across the center. Of course, there was no reason to knock, here - they had to keep their entrance as inconspicuous as possible. Even so, the massive ebony-black door made quite a racket as it was heaved open. Just as She-Wolf had opened it wide enough, though...

"CAW!!"

A startled but quiet gasp escaping her lips, She-Wolf visibly jolted and stepped away from the door, almost falling backwards in surprise. She whirled her head towards the sound of whatever that noise was, and a blur of black feathers and flapping wings swooped straight past her face and into the darkness of the mansion's interior. After this had happened, She-Wolf's rapid heartbeat gradually slowed down as she stared into the manor's depths - it turns out it was just a crow, or a raven...

... San, what's wrong with you? Snap out of it and focus!

Taking a deep, silent breath, She-Wolf tightened her fists and slowly entered the open door, expecting the others to follow suit. Once inside, the sound of the wind slowly faded out to make way for the sound of... pure and utter silence. It was as if time had stopped inside of this ancient building... and it was nearly pitch black, as well. It was nearly impossible to make out just what sort of room they were in... but, somehow, it felt large and spacious, and seemed that way thanks to how their footsteps across the floor echoed around them. The Dream League had left the outside world and entered what seemed like an abyss... but, strangely enough, there was one single source of light in the distance.

Not far away, in a narrow hallway across from where everyone stood, a single candlelight flickered, appearing to be attached to a wall. This was as good an indication as any that this was the direction to go to look for the fugitives - a burning flame in a long abandoned building was anything but ordinary.

[Savage]

Well, She-Wolf was quick to the point if nothing else. Delbert compliantly followed after his dour teammate. But before joining She-Wolf on the porch though, he glanced to Dreamchild. "Why don't you keep in the middle of our party? I'll bring up the rear." He offered, making sure that his voice lowered. He didn't wish to alert anyone who may have been inside the house to their presences.

When the crow or whatever it was exploded from out of nowhere and flew into the house when She-Wolf forced the door open, Delbert's heart practically leaped into his throat, and he jumped back. He was in the back of the group, so there was no chance of him accidentally bumping into somebody else.

The abrupt appearance of the bird had taken him by surprise as well. Raising a hand to his chest, he uttered, "Good heavens!", head swiveling to look after the animal before returning his attention to the mansion's dark foyer. He could feel his heart going a mile a minute. For a moment he wondered if his transformation into Savage was going to be induced by a bird of all things, but when nothing happened he composed himself, standing tall and straightening out the collar of his sand-colored dress shirt. It was just a silly bird, no need to make a fuss.

Delbert joined his comrades in the house. It was nearly as black as a coffin in here -- 'Why did I go and make that comparison?' He wondered to himself, groaning faintly. Savage could see in the dark , but he himself had no such ability. With his luck, he was guaranteed to bump into something in here. Fortunately, there was a lit candle in the hallway adjacent from where the Dreamers stood. Still, he remained where he was in the back of their stalwart band, canine ears attuned to the slightest sound, even though nothing could be heard.

[Mechnician]

Golly, everybody sure seemed tense, thought Mechnican, as She-Wolf pushed the creaky door open. They must think this is going to be a really dangerous assignment.

As she mentally steeled herself for the perils ahead, a large black shape flapped noisily over their heads, seeming to come out of nowhere. The little mouse started with a squeal before she realized it was nothing but a scruffy-looking crow. "Oops. Sorry," she whispered with a blush.

As the group entered the foyer, Gadget wrinkled her nose at the musty smell of decay. "It sorta looks like a haunted house from a horror movie, doesn't it?"

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild was about to reply to Delbert and the Balloonist, but She-Wolf took charge and started for the mansion. The Child of the Forest was never one for small talk, but she did have a point. The English girl followed the self-appointed leader, keeping close to the Mechnician. Dreamchild didn't know the mouse too well, but she seemed pleasant enough. Sunshine seemed to take a liking to her, and any friend of Sunshine was a friend of Dreamchild's.

Except She-Wolf. She-Wolf wasn't quite there yet.

As they got close to the mansion's porch, Delbert suggested Dreamchild staying in the middle of the group, with the doctor taking the rear. She smiled and nodded up to the taller dog. "I suppose." Her eyes widened and she snapped her attention to a raven as it flew from out of nowhere and entered the manor, as soon as She-Wolf opened the door. The raven startled almost everyone in the group; the Mechnician squealed, and She-Wolf gasped. Dr. Doppler exclaimed, 'Good heavens!' which was adorable.

Dreamchild's eyes squinted as she giggled childishly. She was amused by the bird and how it affected most of the group. But she was quick to realize that giggling at the expense of her teammates was impolite, and so she cleared her throat and forced herself to stop smiling. "I beg your pardon."

Accepting Delbert's offer, Dreamchild kept in the middle, with the Balloonist following (Delbert was last). Each step on the porch was followed by a loud creak. Yes, this was definitely inviting. When she finally entered the foyer, she was overwhelmed by a very strange aura, not pleasantly so. She grasped her forehead and moaned softly. She shook her head when the creepy sensation subsided... but not completely. Or maybe it was just the bird making everyone uneasy? That bird was somewhere inside this manor now, and if he made a loud noise in the dark, it'd be far scarier.

"I must say, I feel uneasy in this room. And it's awfully dark..." Her eyes searched the foyer. It was almost pitch black, but as her eyes adjusted she could see a lone candle flicker nearby. That was worth an investigation. She wanted to look at the candle herself, but she didn't make the first move.

[The Balloonist]

The Balloonist nodded after listening to the doc. He saw the flying mouse from the corner of his eye, and he looked to her. This was literally the first time he ever went on a mission with her, though he wasn't alone. He didn't know anything about her, other than what he was told. Of course, first impressions were important, and he treated Dreamchild so poorly upon their first meeting. He promised himself to never make the same mistake with any new Dreamers. He still felt guilty, and he was amazed when Dreamchild actually forgave him. But, enough of that; it's in the past.

She-Wolf gave an order, and she started. He didn't know who elected her the leader of this outfit, but he didn't mind. Watching her was a little painful, though; she was already a grump, ands he was still a kid! Carl became cold and antisocial after his wife died. Did She-Wolf lose someone important, too?

The old man followed She-Wolf, keeping close to the others. Delbert requested Dreamchild to take the middle (which he agreed), and Delbert volunteered to take the back. He chose to stay behind or next to Dreamchild. He didn't mind. When She-Wolf opened the door, a raven burst from out off the blue, swooped inside the building, and cawed very loudly. The noise was so shrill and intense that his hearing aid WHEENED! unbearably. The old man clenched his eyes shut, scowled, and grumbled in agitation. "Darn thing!" He slammed the palm of his hand against the hearing aid three times, then fiddled with the nob until his noise stopped.

When things were back to normal, he wore a grumpy expression as he entered the stupid manor. It was very dark inside the foyer, but it was the dead silence that disturbed him the most. His eyes glowed in the darkness (creepily). His irises were the most prominent. His eyes cast a faint glow on the walls, but only when he was very close to said walls. Speaking of the walls, by the looks of it they had distinctive wallpaper. "You could hear a pin drop," he said of the silence.

The Mechnician commented on the manor, saying that it was like a haunted house in a horror movie. The Balloonist looked for the mouse to agree with her. "I was just thinkin' that. Anyone here watched Psycho? This house looks just like the one in that movie."

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild noted that the Balloonist's illuminant irises cast a very faint glow on the walls, but only when he was very close to them. She kept close to the old man, examining his wrinkled face. He spoke of an old movie, a movie that Dreamchild recognized, though she hadn't actually watched it, herself. "That's the movie where a woman is stabbed to death in a shower, isn't it?" Her tone wasn't thrilled, and she swallowed out of a mixture of awkwardness and nervousness. "Goodness..." Her lips tugged as she tried to think of anything besides murder.

[She-Wolf]

She-Wolf, too, noticed how the Balloonist's eyes seemed to glow like faint flashlights in the darkness of the room, illuminating at least a little of the way before them. She was certainly thankful that this particular member had offered to join this mission, or else the others would be stumbling around in the dark aimlessly. She-Wolf, however, had an at least adequate sense of night vision among her repertoire of abilities, so to her, the mansion wasn't quite as pitch black as it seemed to the others. This did little to make it seem any less foreboding, however... for a moment, She-Wolf thought she caught hundreds of glaring eyes staring at her, before realizing it was just an unusual wallpaper pattern...

It only got stranger from there, though... that candle-lit hallway ahead... it reeked of suspicion. Unless the fugitives taking refuge here felt the need to light the candles along the walls... why would such an old, long-abandoned house have lit candles? Whatever the case, that was certainly the way they needed to go first.

She-Wolf ignored the others' comments about the atmosphere of the mansion and whatever it reminded them of, tuning it out as she began to carefully trod towards the candlelit hallway. She said nothing, again, expecting the others to follow suit. She-Wolf did not intend to appoint herself the leader of this party, and was barely even aware that she was being seen as such. The wolf girl was only following her gut as always... and, after all, somebody here had to indicate where they should go next. Having everybody scatter off into different directions could have harsh consequences.

Despite the brighter light in the hall of candles, it was no less unsettling in atmosphere as the foyer, and equally as silent. The hall was narrow, with a low ceiling - almost rather claustrophobic, but just roomy enough for the five Dreamers to come through together. Deeper and deeper into the mansion it seemed to lead them - although it wasn't quite as long as it seemed, it was starting to go on for a while, winding and turning more than once, until...

"Cahh."

There it was, again... that same black raven that flew into the mansion earlier. What was a wild bird doing in here...? Possibly looking for shelter from the incoming storm, She-Wolf thought... but, somehow, that thought didn't make her any less confused about its appearance. The ragged bird stared intently at the Dreamers as they turned around the corner, perched atop a small chandelier placed on the hall's ceiling. Finally able to get a good look at the raven, anyone would instantly notice something unusual about it... its bright red eyes, almost glowing like embers.

Almost seeming to glare at the five heroes, the bird examined them from its perch for a good four or five seconds before fluttering off deeper and deeper into the winding hall, its flapping wings filling the silent hallway with sudden sound. Not too far down into the hall before them, however, less and less candles were lit... until it seemed as if, at a certain point, none of them were lit beyond there.

She-Wolf, after the sudden encounter with the raven, stared into the black abyss before them with uncertainty in her eyes. There was little way to tell from her relatively stoic demeanor... but she was slowly becoming rather unnerved by this lonely house as well. She stood silent for a moment, as if waiting for her teammates to ensure that they were still there before pressing on.

[Savage]

Well, Dreamchild seemed to get a kick out of the bird and the temporary furor it had excited, but she hastily composed herself. Honestly, Delbert was relieved that he hadn't been the only one frightened by the crow/raven/whatever. He felt a little guilty for having such a thought, but at the same time, it made him feel like they were more like normal people who were capable of doing extraordinary things and not these stoic, flawless entities who were above mere men. At times he felt a little out of place around team members like She-Wolf or Paradox. People just seemed to take them more seriously then they did an ex-college professor (though they had no problems taking Savage seriously).

Oh thank goodness, someone -- the Balloonist, apparently -- had bought a flashlight along. Walking behind the shorter human, it took Delbert a moment to realize that the source of light was actually emitting from the man's eyes. Well, that was... different. Did his eyes glow because of his powers? Delbert also wondered how that ring of his worked exactly and where he had gotten it from. He wasn't very familiar with the senior superhero. The Balloonist's earlier run as a superhero had been before Delbert's own time, but he had heard of the man prior to joining the Dream League. Certainly someone worthy of respect. Come to think of it, Delbert didn't know much about Mechnician either, but she seemed like she was easy to get along with.

"Let's stick together. I would hate if anyone was lost in here." Delbert said in response to Dreamchild's comments about the shadows that had quickly enveloped the Dreamers as they stood in the foyer. Mechnician and Balloonist also remarked on the manor's dreary interior, referencing horror movies. Must they mention horror movies now?

"I'm not much for horror movies myself." Delbert muttered. "Now, a good Indiana Jones movie..."

The five trod down the hall after the ever-silent She-Wolf. The lighted candles along the wall granted them more light, thankfully. Doubtfully, Delbert peered up at the low ceiling. If he did transform here, it was going to be a tight squeeze. Hopefully the rest of the house was more spacious.

Oh, there was that miserable raven-like bird again, perched on the chandelier and watching the five of them like they were trespassers. It let out a raspy 'cah', eliciting Delbert to softly recite, " 'Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore.' " He couldn't help it; the scarlet-eyed beast had put him in mind of Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem The Raven.

The creepy raven didn't hang around for much longer, flapping off down the hall, leaving the superheroes there in peace. She-Wolf had halted, and was staring down the corridor before them. Delbert stopped too, waiting to see what the Wolf Princess was going to do next.

[Mechnician]

"I didn't like that movie either," Mechnician whispered with a shudder at the remembrance. "It was horrible."

Flying as she did, the little mouse was able to move soundlessly down the narrow hallway. She wondered privately why anyone would want wallpaper that looked like eyes, although she said nothing about it.

A few moments later, she spotted that raven again. Gadget ventured a brave, "Hello, there. We don't mean to tresspass, but we're looking for something. I mean, somebody. Several some--" Before she could finish, the bird flapped off again without answering her.

"Oh. He's not very polite." After all, she was an animal, and conversing with birds was nothing new to a mouse. "I can't tell if he wants us to follow him, or if he's mad that we're in the house."

As the darkness grew deeper, Mechnician thought that night-vision lenses in her goggles would've been useful about now. When they finished this mission, that was going to be the first thing she did.

[The Balloonist]

The Balloonist eyed the very creepy wallpaper as the group continued to explore the dilapidated manor. The old man smirked playfully at the other Dreamers (save for She-Wolf, who took the lead) when both Delbert and the Mechnician dismissed horror movies. "You sissies," he said without a trace of sincerity, as if he was the playful grandfather. As he walked, he turned his head to let Delbert know that he was talking to him. "Indiana Jones is great, but did you know he was a love letter to the old serials I used to watch when I was a kid?" He chuckled softly and looked straight ahead again, continuing to smirk. "Sure hope a boulder doesn't roll in here." He brought up his wrinkled, liver spot-coated hands and wriggled his thick fingers. "Or a room full of bugs."

As they walked down the narrow and long hallway, complete with turns, the Balloonist felt it necessary to explain the faint light emitting from his irises. "In case you're wondering, when I wear my ring long enough my eyes glow. Don't worry, I'm not radioactive. Wonder why Sunshine doesn't light up, too?"

He stopped in his tracks and held up his ring hand instinctively when he heard a noise. It sounded like the bird from earlier. The group eventually found the raven, perched on a chandelier. Delbert recited Poe (classy!), and then the Mechnician attempted to communicate with the bird. But the raven apparently wasn't the social type.

The Balloonist narrowed his eyes as the bird flew away so hastily. He looked to the mouse, responding to her softly, his raspy voice more serious than before. "Only one way to find out. Come on." He made the first move, and started for the unexplored territory.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild didn't mind Alfred Hitchcock or his movies at all, at least the ones she had watched. She just didn't want to talk or think about murder in a house that, frankly, made her develop an aura of foreboding, almost as if she sensed a disquieting metamorphosis. No, she didn't like the feel of this place at all, but she stayed as brave as she could. Thankfully, having a party such as Dr. Delbert, the Balloonist, and the Mechnician guaranteed some distraction from the gloomy atmosphere. She-Wolf, on the other hand...

Dreamchild smiled and nodded when Delbert and the Balloonist discussed Indiana Jones, though she didn't look back. "I'm quite fond of Harrison Ford," she said with admiration but without romance.

As the group continued to explore the mansion, the girl realized that the ceiling was very low. Once, some years ago, she had a dream that she was inside house and suddenly began to swell rapidly, until she was much larger than the home. This cramped hallway reminded her of this dream. About this time, the Balloonist explained why his eyes had a faint glow to them. The old man then wondered why Sunshine's eyes didn't glow with all the solar energy she can absorb.

Sunshine. That reminded her. Dreamchild immediately established a mental connection with She-Wolf, and spoke to the very quiet and serious young woman with her mental voice. <<She-Wolf, will you be all right without Sunshine? I can't remember the last time you went on a mission without her.>> Her mental tone wasn't condescending, nor did she intend it to be that way. She simply wanted to hear from the Wolf Princess, and to confirm if she was friends with Sunshine. She-Wolf obviously treated Sunshine differently than the other Dreamers, which made Dreamchild curious. Of course, this was an intimate question, and one Dreamchild opted to ask mentally rather than out loud for the others to hear.

Dreamchild gasped softly when she heard a noise. The Dreamers all found the same raven from earlier. Well, they didn't know for sure if it was the same raven, but it must have been. Dreamchild frowned sympathetically to the Mechnician when the bird rudely flew away without answering the mouse's question. "Well! Seems to me he can learn something about manners!" she exclaimed to comfort the Mechnician.

The Balloonist decided to go ahead, and Dreamchild waited until she could be in the middle of the group before starting to walk. She wished to adhere to Delbert's suggestion from the start. The doctor had recited excerpts from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe while the bird was still on the chandelier. Dreamchild, minding her footing, looked back to the Doctor a few times as the group moved, to speak to him. "I love that poem, Doctor. I also enjoyed 'The Tell-Tale Heart.' But, did you notice the raven's eyes? They were... red. And they glowed, like... like the Balloonist." She hoped that she wasn't the only observant person here.

[She-Wolf]

The dark, lonesome and suspenseful silence of the narrow hallway made She-Wolf more and more tense, the farther they pressed into the mansion's depths. By the time Dreamchild mentally addressed her, the tension had grown to the point where She-Wolf visibly twitched in a startled manner upon suddenly hearing her voice in her head. She-Wolf couldn't say she cared very much for Dreamchild's unique manner of communication. While it was useful in situations where silence was necessary, She-Wolf certainly didn't like her own peace of mind being intruded upon, whether by a teammate or not. And suddenly hearing a voice pipe up in her head while creeping through this dark hallway didn't help her appreciate Dreamchild's telepathy any more...

She was silent for a while, however (both mentally and vocally), as is debating on whether or not to respond to Dreamchild. What was she doing, suddenly questioning her with something like that...? Why did she think it was such a big deal that Sunshine wasn't here, but She-Wolf was? Was she insinuating that, unless Sunshine was with her, she couldn't do any good in a mission...?

She-Wolf was almost insulted, until... the meaning of what Dreamchild said actually occurred to her. This really was the first time she had been on a mission without Sunshine... And when she actually thought about it... Sunshine had done a lot for her on missions. Not just in terms of helping her out of a pinch... but something about her presence always just made She-Wolf want to try her hardest to succeed and bring justice. It was hard to explain, and not even She-Wolf could figure out why.

<<.... I don't need Sunshine around to do well on a mission,>> She-Wolf sternly responded to Dreamchild's telepathy after the short silence, not even turning to face her as she trudged onward into the darkness of the mansion. She wasn't saying this out of annoyance towards Dreamchild's question, in fact, so much as a means of convincing herself that this was true. Sunshine wasn't here... but that shouldn't have any effect on her performance in this mission. A few cowardly fugitives shouldn't be any trouble at all to apprehend, especially with five Dream League members in the group.

---

It wasn't long until the Dream League was shrouded in pitch blackness all around them, the Balloonist's illuminant eyes their only means of determining which way they were going as they pursued the mysterious red-eyed raven. Dreamchild did have a point about her observation... no raven She-Wolf had ever seen had red-eyes. As curious as it made her, though, it was nothing she felt the need to think about too much. In a change of pace and position, she now walked behind the Balloonist in the midst of the group, allowing him to lead the way due to his flashlight-like eyes improving visibility for all.

Eventually, however, light became visible... but it was not candle light. The narrow, winding hallway had led the heroes into yet another spacious, wide-open room, albeit smaller than the foyer - and even so, it was difficult to actually determine its size in the near darkness. But at the far end of the room, directly across from whence the heroes entered, tall, glass windows were lined together, revealing the bleak grayness outside that, nonetheless, provided the dark room with just a bit more light than the abyssal hallway. It could be seen that the clouds outside had become even darker and thicker... the storm was surely imminent. The faint light from outside illuminated and silhouetted a few unusual objects throughout the room, all as if on display... Close examination would reveal that they were, in fact, a variety of plants of numerous sizes. Was this, perhaps, a conservatory of some sort?

Many of the plants seemed to surround some large shape in the middle of the room, not far from where the glass windows stood tall... it was horizontal, and almost looked like... a sizable, elaborate funerary box.

The deathly silence was broken once again by the flapping of feathery wings. The silhouette of that raven appeared yet again against the glass windows, and it perched atop the casket to squawk incredulously at the five heroes. Those red eyes that Dreamchild had pointed out earlier were, indeed, glowing brightly in the darkness, almost like infrared lasers...

[Mechnician]

Mechnician floated silently through the corridor with the others, reaching out with her mental power to try to make contact with some machine or other. She figured that whatever escaped crooks were hiding out here, one of them would have a cel phone. Or maybe a radio.

But, no, she couldn't seem to pick up anything. Maybe they were still out of her range.

The little mouse was just about to mention that fact, when the hallway widened out into a room. Although it was still dark, it was light enough to see that raven again, perched on a coffin.

"Oh, no," whispered Mechnician, "It's a funeral. Somebody died." Even without a clue as to who it might be, the thought was awfully sad. Besides which, you should never intrude on a funeral.

"I thought this house was supposed to be abandoned."

[Savage]

How long did this hallway go on? Refusing to look at that awful wallpaper pattern that seemed to almost leer at them, Delbert focused on the Balloonist instead. "Oh yes! I remember seeing a special discussing George Lucas' inspiration for the series a while ago." The doctor brightly answered in response to the human. "It's really too bad that those old serials aren't aired on television anymore. I'd love to watch them."

Prompted by the Balloonist's playful joking, Delbert imagined himself in the role of Indiana Jones, trekking down the length of a darkened tomb in search of his next great find. When Dreamchild confessed her admiration for Harrison Ford, Delbert nodded in agreement. "He is a good actor. I suppose he ranks as one of my favorite current actors. I actually don't have very many of those."

The Balloonist must've realized that the rest of the Dreamers wondered about his eyes, because he explained their glowing as being a side-effect of wearing his ring. Delbert was tempted to ask about he origins of his ring, but surprisingly his practicality won out over his curiosity. Perhaps now was not the best time for such questions. He raised a good point though about Sunshine's lack of a glow. If he hadn't gone into astrophysics, then maybe genetics would've been a good alternate career, Delbert thought. He would've loved to have studied himself and his teammates to see how their power worked and affected them.

Watching Mechnician's attempt to communicate with the raven (he had long since stopped trying to figure out what species it was and just deemed it to be a raven) made him wonder -- were other animals capable of human/anthro speech like she was?

The Balloonist took up the lead, which She-Wolf didn't seem to mind. "Do you really think we should follow that thing?" Delbert asked from his position in the back of the team. He didn't mean to doubt the old man, but he just wondered if following some wild bird would be fruitful.

As tempted as he was to discuss Poe with Dreamchild, her last comment about the raven's eyes got Delbert to thinking. "Ah yes. I'm not a bird expert by any means, but that was rather odd. Could it have been a trick of the light perhaps?"

Soon the candles was all gone, leaving only the Balloonist's bright blue eyes to illuminate the path for the five. After what felt like interminable minutes to Delbert, they wound up in a room. Bare windows allowed light from the outdoors to permeate the area, though it wasn't a great deal of light. There were several plants placed around something. Delbert's face contorted in a confused frown as he gazed upon the scene, trying to figure out what the large object in the center of the display was.

A coffin? He gasped. It was a coffin! "It is abandoned." He replied to Mechnician before addressing anyone who was listening. "Well, except for the fugitives of course. But who on earth would have a funeral in here?"

The raven's squawking broke him out of his surprised state, and he didn't bother to hide his irritation as he glanced at the creature, which sat upon the casket. If there was someone hiding in this house, as the lit candles would suggest, then the bird might have already alerted them to the Dreamers' presence with its cawing (never mind all the talking he had done earlier).

[The Balloonist]

'Do you really think we should follow that thing?' asked the doctor. Being a doctor, Delbert generally had a higher authority than many others, but this time the old man had an answer ready. "Well, what other leads d'we have? Either way, we're searching the place as we follow it." After his polite defense, he continued on.

Eventually, it was overwhelmingly dark. The heroes found themselves in near pitch black as they trekked through the mansion, but, thankfully, the old man had his eyes to lead the way. They weren't bright, but they could show where he was walking, which was all he needed. They found themselves in what looked like an conservatory. A creepy conservatory. He looked around at the various plants, but the Mechnician pointed out the most important object in the room: a coffin on display!

Then there was that darn bird again. The Balloonist, after eying the coffin, gritted his teeth at the ominous raven. "I don't like that bird," he said tersely, the first genuinely grumpy and bitter comment he made in a while. He looked to the mouse and pointed at the raven. "Could you try talking to it again? Maybe this time he'll listen." Probably not, but there was a need to be hopeful.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild, remaining in front of Delbert, noticed the Japanese-American's twitch after the mental question was asked. It seemed that, even after all this time, not everyone was comfortable with telepathy. The girl waited for a response, and when she finally got it, it annoyed her. She-Wolf didn't even bother to look back as she answered; she just kept going after making a stern remark. She didn't even look back at her. Why? Was Dreamchild just a lowly fly to shoo away?

Dreamchild didn't realize that her question could have easily been viewed as offensive, but now her mind was clouded by irritation to even consider the fact. She was getting very tired of She-Wolf's perpetual moodiness. <<You can look at me, you know. Oh, but you're right. I suppose it's best that Sunshine isn't here to help you. After all, she might have interfered with your brooding time.>> Her mental tone was dipped in acid, and thoroughly displeased.

She folded her arms on her blue and white chest, and continued walking in frustrated silence. She was glad that the doctor also commented on the red eyes, but she was too grumpy to respond.

In the conservatory, Dreamchild noticed the plants, the bird, and the coffin just like all the others, but her focus remained on the coffin. While the others were talking or staring, the girl stepped out of her 'area' and walked closer to the coffin and the bird, step by cautious step. Aware of the bird's glowing eyes and obvious stare, she reached a hand out to touch the coffin, without saying a word.

[Mechnician]

Gadget did notice her teammate Dreamchild's sudden moodiness: crossing her arms, frowny expression...something was bothering her all of a sudden, but what?

Her musings were interrupted by The Balloonist's request. "Talk to him? Okay, if you think it'll do any good."

"Um..." began Mechnician inauspiciously, "We're sorry we interrupted the funeral." Now Dreamchild walked over to touch the coffin, though the little mouse couldn't begin to figure out why.

"We don't mean any disrespect, but there may be some escaped criminals hiding out in this house. You haven't seen any suspicous characters, have you?"

[She-Wolf]

It was only when Dreamchild made her bitter, biting response towards She-Wolf's coldness that the wolf girl turned her head momentarily to look at her - with a razor-sharp, infuriated glare. She-Wolf and Dreamchild... they never quite seemed to hit it off. The wild woman's distant, moody demeanor and the English girl's emotional belligerence were anything but a match made in heaven. While they might have respected each others' powers, when it came to personal interaction, it more often than not culminated in a quarrel. To She-Wolf, Dreamchild was just a little too immature and needlessly argumentative, at times - she wished the girl would just grow up.

Regardless, She-Wolf made no more response to Dreamchild's spiteful quip, mental or vocal. This was no time or place to engage in an argument - as furious as the girl's remark made She-Wolf. Huffily trying her hardest to control her anger, She-Wolf, her unseen face contorted in annoyance, pressed on with everyone else.

It was then that the group reached the strange conservatory. She-Wolf's night vision was quick to recognize the various plants scattered across the room, but then, her eyes locked on that large, unusual box-like object in the back of the room... A coffin? This was, perhaps, even stranger than the presence of candles, earlier... why would a funeral be held in such a long-abandoned old house? And even if that wasn't the case, why keep the coffin in this room...?

That ever-present raven appeared yet again, cawing as if taunting the group from afar, seemingly luring them closer to that bizarre coffin... She-Wolf, by now, shared everyone else's suspicions about the bird. Why was it so relentlessly following them throughout the mansion? Or... was it leading them into it...? She-Wolf's thoughts were interrupted as she noticed Dreamchild slowly approaching the coffin, and the bird. Logically speaking, there was no real reason to not do such a thing, but... She-Wolf couldn't help but experience a very ominous feeling, the closer Dreamchild came to the coffin. She clenched her fists tightly, as if expecting something to happen - of course, she didn't know what to expect.

Dreamchild's hand slowly reached out to the elaborately designed casket, and just as she laid her palm on it... the raven, perched right in front of Dreamchild, began squawking and squalling uproariously, its guttural voice exploding into the girl's ears. Its beady red eyes, already shimmering in the darkness, seemed to intensify in brightness, and in an instant flurry of feathers, the bird flapped its wings noisily and flew off into the darkness of the mansion... it almost seemed to vanish from this plane of existence.

But, upon the raven's departure, a strange event occurred. Without Dreamchild so much as budging it, the lid of the coffin suddenly began to shift... on its own. As if somebody, somebody living, was inside. Stone grinding against stone, the lid was heaved off slowly but surely, until it met the floor below with a thunderous THOOM. Inside the coffin was... empty blackness. Almost as if there was a neverending abyss within it. But, in an instant, the entirety of the coffin's interior burst into color with a bright green light, that was barely able to illuminate the surrounding room. The light faded in intensity... until...

UUUUUOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!

A ghastly, high-pitched, unearthly scream, like the scream of someone dying a painful and gruesome death, echoed throughout the entire room - but it did not come from any of the Dreamers, or even the raven. It sounded as if it didn't even come from a human - but the owner of the screeching voice was almost instantly revealed. Something burst forth from the glowing coffin... something large and vaguely human shaped, but most definitely not human. It had long, bony arms ending in gnarled fingers, a head of decaying, ratty hair, and... a positively terrifying face. Two huge, unblinking eyes with black pupils, glowing like embers, deep set within huge black eye sockets, and a gruesome face with only a bare semblance of skin left on it - its face was, almost literally, a skull. And the inhuman horror, glowing ethereally, did not merely pull itself from the coffin - it flew from it.

None of the heroes would have much time to examine it, however. Almost as quickly as it appeared, the ghoulish creature swooped down towards the one closest to its resting place - Dreamchild. It clasped its huge, clawed hands tightly around the girl's throat, choking her - despite the being appearing almost transparent, its hands felt very much solid and physical - and unbelievably strong. But the pain that Dreamchild experienced was not just physical. It felt as if her entire inside was coursing with an unbelievable pain, paralyzing her muscles and rapidly sapping her strength - no, not just her strength, but her very life force. It was a feeling difficult to describe, but one could almost liken it to having one's soul sucked out of their body. The monster's skeletal face loomed right in front of Dreamchild's as it constricted her, its striking, soulless eyes glaring brightly. The creature screeched horrifically continuously, even louder than when it initially appeared.

"DREAMCHILD!!" She-Wolf impulsively shouted her teammate's name in horror as she witnessed her being strangled by that... that thing. Wasting no time at all, the wolf girl, her fangs clenched and her face plastered with a sudden dour concern for the girl that she was bitterly arguing with but a few minutes ago, darted rapidly towards her, but when she got within only five feet of Dreamchild and her attacker, she screamed in pain and was halted in her tracks, as if by some unseen force. She struggled furiously with all of her might, but she could go no further, no matter how hard she tried... it was as if the monster was, somehow, keeping her and everyone else at bay as it kept its prey to itself.

[Savage]

"Good point." Was Delbert's response to the Balloonist's matter-of-fact but courteous answer. He supposed the man was right. Still though, trailing after a dumb bird just... rankled at his dignity.

Somewhat puzzled by Dreamchild's sudden silence, Delbert wondered what was bothering her. She had been quite open and talkative minutes ago. Maybe their unsettling surroundings were affecting her more then she had let on? He was totally unaware of She-Wolf's aggravation, as he was only barely able to see the back of her head from where he was, and hadn't really noticed the sharp look she had shot at the young Brit either.

He wasn't the only one who took offense to the bird's presence. The Balloonist voiced his own dislike of the feathery little monstrosity as well. But he requested that Mechnician try communicating with it again, which she did. That was probably a better idea, actually -- he himself had been about to shoo the ugly thing off.

The raven's screeching intensified before it finally flapped away, leaving them be. Delbert wondered what it had said to Mechnician, if anything. A moment too late he noticed Dreamchild approaching the coffin. Now, why on earth did she want to get close to it? Coffins were creepy, especially coffins in ghoulish places like this!

"Uh, Dreamchild --" He halted in mid-sentence, hand still raised in the air, when he heard stone grind against stone. His eyes became large with growing horror as he realized what was happening. Something inside that coffin was actually stirring, pushing the heavy lid off!

As the lid finally fell away, landing on the floor, the coffin's black interior was suddenly lit up by a bright emerald glow. Delbert's reaction to everything -- the coffin opening up, the unearthly, bone-chilling wailing and then the appearance of the creature responsible -- was instantaneous. He felt terror, visibly signified by his cry of alarm and recoiling away as the coffin's demonic inhabitant flew out of it. Upon seeing the... the entity grab Dreamchild, he felt a rush of fury mingled with fear for his friend surge through him. It was throttling her! Delbert's adrenaline kicked in, triggering the emergence of his much-fiercer counterpart.

Ignoring the unpleasant sensation that always accompanied his changes, he bolted toward the fiend, muzzle parted in a snarl, bright yellow eyes locked on the enemy. Like She-Wolf however, he quickly discovered that physical force didn't seem to do any good here. A howl of pain escaped him: it felt like he had just raced headlong into something as solid and immovable as he himself was -- but there was nothing there! To his shock and great anger, he found himself incapable of moving. Thrashing wildly, Savage tried slashing out with his nails -- or more appropriately now, claws -- and snapping his jaws at whatever was keeping him from getting to Dreamchild, but it seemed to have no affect.

[The Balloonist]

The Balloonist watched the Mechnician as she attempted to communicate with that darn bird. But as he turned his head to look at the bird perched on the coffin, he noticed that Dreamchild--for whatever reason-- approached said ominous box with the obvious intention to touch it. The old man gasped, reached his left hand out as if to pull Dreamchild back and called out with concern. "Dreamchild! Don't--"

He didn't know why he knew the coffin was bad news. He wasn't a mind reader, but he had a strong hunch that the group should have steered clear from the funerary container. His suspicions were confirmed instantly: as soon as Dreamchild laid a gloved hand on the coffin, the raven squawked noisily. He didn't know if the Mechnician could understand it, but he wouldn't have been surprised if the bird outright ignored the mouse again. But that was the least of his concerns.

The raven took hasty flight and was away, escaping into the shadows. But there was no time to worry about the bird, because the coffin's lid began to shift ominously. The noise was enough to send a chill up the old man's spine. He only rarely showed an emotion besides crankiness so clearly, but his bushy eyebrows furrowed and his wrinkled face contorted in dread. Was there someone inside that coffin, moving the lid? ... Nine words you never wanted to hear together!

A flash of emerald light came from the coffin's interior, and then an inhuman scream. A terrifying scream enough to make the flesh crawl.

Carl Fredricksen had watched many movies in his life, and he was no stranger to horror films. This scream, however, could put the scariest movie to shame.

Then the rotted corpse, ghost, whatever the hell it was, shot out from the coffin and swooped down onto Dreamchild.

The Balloonist had been scared on occasion during his previous adventures, with the Aviator. He had seen many things, but none of his adventures terrified him more than this. Just about the only event in his life that scared him this much was when he learned that Ellie was incurable.

If the Balloonist had a weaker heart, he might have suffered a cardiac arrest on the spot. But his very advanced age belied a strong, steadfast heart. He was terrified to be sure, but after a moment of undergoing shock, he pulled himself together when Dreamchild's life was threatened. The inhuman grabbed her by the throat with his gnarly hands and clearly wanted the girl dead. The Balloonist's eyes and mouth shifted from expressing fear to pure, raw anger. He gritted his false teeth and attempted to sprint to the girl's aid, but he found himself blocked by some kind of invisible force. An invisible force that hurt! Every time he tried to break through this barrier or whatever it was, he felt serious pain in his muscles. He clenched his eyes shut as he groaned loudly. He heaved and, with furious eyes, aimed his ring at the ghost and took multiple shots of offensive blue energy, trying to break through the invisible blockade. If those shots wouldn't work, he would create a different kind of weapon with the ring. He focused so much on the unholy being and his victim that he barely remembered his other teammates.

"Dreamchild!" he shouted under unbearable pain; not through the physical pain he experienced, but through the pain of watching Dreamchild being strangled to death. His face was hardened in rage; he was NOT[/b] going to lose another person close to him!!

[Mechnician]

Mechnician tried to communicate with the raven again, being as friendly as she could manage. But he just squawked out a--well, she couldn't repeat what he'd said before flying away.

"Golly, he's not very nice," she remarked, as much to herself as to her companions.

The incident was quickly renedered moot, however, when the lid flew off the coffin and a hideous shape flew out. The little mouse let out a squeal of shock, though she quickly recovered herself pretty well. After all, it's not like she'd never seen a ghost before.

But that was a much nicer ghost. Not nearly as scary-looking as this one. Still, you can't judge a book by its cover--it might be friendly.

Make that unfriendly. The spook was trying to strangle Dreamchild.

Unlike the other heroes whose battle-honed reflexes reacted almost instantly, Mechnician froze for a second or two, gasping in horror at the sight.

Then came Delbert's transformation. Gadget had heard about it, of course, but this was the first time she'd actually seen it happen. To see the calm little professor stretch and bulge into the huge, hairy Savage was enough to further stun her already over-burdened sense.

But when her other teammates each moved close enough to be affected by the ghost, Mechnician snapped back to her senses.

It seemed like there was some kind of invisible barrier around the specter. If you got too close, you were affected. And painfully.

Yep, definitely unfriendly.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild's heart jumped to her throat when the raven squawked in her ears. She looked at the angry bird with a surprised expression, as if startled awake. This was half true, because the bird snapped her out of her trance. She realized she was just in front of the coffin, with her palm pressed against said coffin's surface. The bird had reacted angrily to this action and was soon gone, and Dreamchild was left wondering why she approached the coffin. Why was her hand on it? She didn't remember walking to it, let alone touching it; it was like someone had stepped inside her and commanded her to act. What a dreadful sensation...

She was about to turn around and tell her comrades about this, but the coffin made a noise. She gasped and stared wide-eyed at the funerary container in fear. The lid shifted, slid off and collapsed on the floor, but the coffin appeared empty. Just before Dreamchild decided to lean forward to look, a green glow came from inside, and then... the worst scream Dreamchild had ever heard. The source of the inhuman vocalization shot from the coffin like a rocket, and swooped down on her.

It was only when Dreamchild got her first good look at the thing did she scream in fright. But she was silenced by a strangle. As terrifying as her first nightmare created by the Boogie Man was, that "grandmother" was only a dream, and Alice wasn't really strangled. But not only was this situation inside the hellish manor real, the strangulation itself was the worst pain she had ever felt, even more painful than when she ate that fateful mushroom and felt like her head would burst. Later in her life, she would have trouble choosing appropriate words to describe the sheer, excruciating pain she suffered that night. She immediately felt an adverse effect on her entire body, not just limited to muscles. She tried to use her psychic powers, but she couldn't concentrate. She tried to break free from the spirit's hands, but his grip was like iron.

Dreamchild felt so much pain that she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Every noise she made came out as a constricted gurgle. She was losing her strength, her mentality, everything was fading fast. She started to black out. She thought she was going to die... but then it happened. Her eyes suddenly shot wide open and narrowed intensely. Her white eyes inexplicably took on an illuminant gold hue, and her teeth gritted in anger. Her eyes stared--hatefully, antagonistically--directly into the spirit's eyes. She was suddenly not afraid, and only had raw hatred to spare. An inexplicable blue energy emitted from all over her body. The energy was hazy and transparent like smoke, but it wasn't actually smoke... what was it? Dreamchild had never done anything like that before, let alone in front of her teammates. This was entirely new... and probably unsettling.

<<LET. ME. GO![/i]>> she mentally bellowed for everyone in the room to hear in their minds... but it wasn't exactly her voice. It sounded only vaguely like her, but was distorted, double-layered with a distinctively male voice, and immensely furious. But as soon as she said "go," the vaporous blue light coating her body brightened and spread out rapidly, like an explosion, with the intention to eradicate the spirit, though it wouldn't harm her friends.

[The Ghost Host]

Once more, the ghastly spectre made an unearthly howl - but, unlike the first two, this one seemed to echo a feeling of pain and suffering, rather than rage and hostile intent. Dreamchild's startling display of psychic powers had done the job, and clearly did harm to the creature as evidenced by its reaction to the burst of energy. Its grip on the girl's throat was instantly released, and, hovering higher into the air, it writhed and trembled and shuddered in sheer and utter pain, howling in discontent, its ratty hair flailing wildly and its soulless eyes beaming.

It flew higher and higher, gradually, until... with one final shriek, it evaporated into a burst of ethereal, glowing dust and smoke. It had vanished... As if right on cue, after the disappearance of the hellish being, a booming crack of thunder echoed outside and into the mansion, a streak of lightning seen from the huge windows illuminating the entire room for just a brief second - the light from this illumination made it clear that whatever had attacked Dreamchild was, indeed, gone, now. Shortly after the storm made its presence known, it arrived in full force - the pitter patter of raindrops slowly grew louder and louder, until, shortly, a veritable torrent was happening outside. It was difficult to tell with the sky coated completely by thick, dark clouds, but it seemed that the sun was slowly beginning to set, as well...

Despite the incoming darkness, however... the interior of the mansion, all of the sudden, became much brighter in contrast. All on their own, wall-based candelabras began to light up, one by one, until the entire conservatory, once engulfed in darkness, was now bathed in a warm - if not unsettling and claustrophobic - glow. The entirety of the room was now more or less completely visible for all to see, as soon as they recovered from that harrowing incident, the many strange plants - some of which looked disconcertingly carnivorous - now able to be seen in all of their detail. A number of other strange artifacts were scattered about the room, giving the room a most peculiar countenance... was this once the abode of a rather eccentric person? Most noticeable was a towering grandfather clock in the far corner of the room... it was difficult to tell from a distance, but... something seemed odd about the number the large hand was set upon. It almost looked more like the number 13 rather than 12...

However... examination of the strange room would have to wait. Everyone present in the room would, at that moment, be addressed by an unfamiliar voice.

"Well, now... more visitors, is it?" a deep, somewhat aged-sounding male voice boomed. Rather eerily, the voice seemed to come from no particular direction... but from all around them, at once, as if it was within their head. But it was most unlike Dreamchild's psychic manner of communication. The guttural voice chuckled in a strangely condescending tone. "I must apologize for the most unpleasant welcome you all received... some of our residents simply don't take kindly to... uninvited guests." Those last words were spoken in a tone that could easily be called vindictive, and even ominous.

Who was this unseen character speaking to everyone...? Whoever he was... he could not be seen, anywhere in this room.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild's bizarre light faded quickly. The spirit released his grip, and the girl plummeted to the floor. She crashed noisily and painfully. Her yellow hair was spread out around her head. Her eyes were clenched shut and she coughed instinctively, gasping for much-needed air. But her eyes were closed as she lied on her back, though her knees were bent, and her arms, hands and legs were in uncomfortable positions; she hadn't the strength to move, and was nearly unconscious. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed. She was no longer engulfed in the unexplainable smoke, and seemed back to her normal self.

When the thunder roared, the rain started, and the disembodied voice spoke, she did not react. She wouldn't get up or stir without assistance.

[Mechnician]

When the specter finally vanished, freeing her teammates, Gadget exhaled in relief; 'til then, she hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath.

Flitting from one to the other of the heroes, she tried to ask if they were okay, but a sudden disembodied voice drowned her out. Dreamchild seemed to be in the worst condition, plus she was the youngest. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Mechnician couldn't tell if the girl was conscious or not.

A sickly feeling settled in the pit of Gadget's stomache, not because of the ghosts, or even the danger. But the little mouse was just realizing how far out of her league she was.

She'd thought her super-power a useful one that, combined with her adventuring experience and scientific know-how, would make her a useful, effective crime-fighter. But here she was, in the middle of her first case, watching while her friends were nearly killed, and powerless to help in any way.

It was all she could do to keep in check the tears that threatened to spill out any second.