Part 99: Blackwell Epiphany - Update 22 (Part 1)

Update 22

And so, after all we've been through, it comes down to this. Madeline is hovering over Grace Church, using the strength gained from devouring the spirits of all six members of the Grace Group to siphon energy through the void and into her own being. When she draws enough energy in, it will explode, destroying not only her spirit, but also that of every person in Manhattan. Rosa and Joey are the only ones who have even the remotest chance of stopping her. How will they go? Let's find out!



Having pelted all the way from Bellevue, Rosa arrives red-faced with Joey in tow. There is no music here, just the soft howl of swirling wind.

*huff huff*
You okay?
Thirty blocks... never ran... so fast...

COnsidering she was almost certainly sedated before all of this, Rosa's doing pretty well to run thirty blocks without stopping! I guess all that snow trampling has paid off in terms of cardio

She's up there.

As Rosa wonders what Madeline is doing, the light in her eyes comes on again.



How do we stop her?
I... I don't know.

Uh oh. That's the first time omni-Rosa hasn't known the anwer to a question. The light fades from her eyes.

Nothing like this has ever happened before. Not even the universe knows what to do.
Well. I guess we'll do what we always do, sweetheart.
Improvise.

That's the spirit! They look at one another.

He looks ready to finish this. So am I.
She looks a bit... unsteady. Hopefully it's just the hospital drugs wearing off.



Rosa remarks on how everything is quiet. I assume that's because there are no people walking around, no automobiles moving. Everything's still other than the gentle fall of snowflakes.

Just the calm before the storm. Let's end this before it gets here.

Also pictured: I did my best to force Joey to lose his temper by having Rosa make footprints at this crucial juncture, but he didn't seem to notice

Whatever we need to do, we're not going to accomplish it on the street.
We didn't start this, but we sure as hell are gonna end it. Let's get to Madeline before it's too late.



They enter Grace school to find Michael's corpse still lying around.

Nobody can get near this building without being affected by the void energy. Nobody except us.
Ow. God damn it. That hurts.

Seriously, Rosa needs to develop some way of choosing when to turn that power on. We didn't need to know that, and it's clearly not good for her She looks at the floor.

It's the circle of protection that Madeline created for Michael. Madeline activated it by using a part of her essence.

Figuring she should take advantage of whatever she can, she searches through Michael's pockets.

I'm sorry, Michael.
He's got a piece of chalk in his pocket. It looks like he used it to draw the circle.

We'll pocket that. Maybe we can do something with a circle ourselves, though I have no idea what.



Steeling their nerves to go upstairs and face Madeline, Joey starts to get angry again.

Desperate enough to destroy a city by the sheer force of will? I hope I never have to find out. Come on. We don't have much time.

Danger



They emerge on the roof of Grace Church, as the shimmering vortex drives energy into Madeline's now-flickering ghostly form. At the sound of Joey's voice, she turns to face them in anger.

You? How on EARTH did your mind survive? Your head must be absolutely splitting.
It's over, Madeline.
Indeed. I have wanted it to be over for a long, long time.

She turns back away from them, focusing on the task at hand.



Joey and Rosa quickly look around as they consider their options.

The entire city is asleep. If we're going to do something, it has to be now.
There's no place to run. We have to finish this. One way or the other.
She's being pulled apart. We don't have a lot of time.
She's being ripped apart. God, how does she stand it?

They then confer with one another.



No. She's trying to force herself apart. We got here just in time.
Normally I'd say good riddance. But I guess we gotta stop her.



Rosa is the first to act. She can't interact physically with Madeline, but she can try talking to her.

What?
Please Madeline. You tried. You failed. Just stop before any more damage is done!
Failed? No. I admit my original plan did not proceed as I'd hoped. This is just a viable alternative.

Rosa tries to talk her out of it.

This is NOT the only alternative. We will help you find another way!
Can you really? The universe is pouring into your head. Your head is splitting from the pressure of it.



Madeline asks a very pertinent question...

...

...and Rosa comes up short. This could mean several things - it might mean that it's impossible. Perhaps it is possible, but nobody else in the Universe has ever figured out how? Or, perhaps the method is known, but as Rosa has only had a small fraction of the Universe fill her head, she just hasn't learned it yet. Unfortunately, this whole "Universe in the head" thing is not clearly defined. What can be said for certain, however, is that neither Rosa nor Madeline know of any other alternative to ending Madeline's existence.

Instead, Rosa tries to appeal to Madeline's conscience.

You've spent hundreds of years helping out souls like them. You're really going to throw that all away?
You say that like they matter. Since humanity crawled out of the ocean, they began to deny death. Denied it so much that the post of Bestower was created. In all that time, humanity has learned NOTHING. Helping their pathetic souls all this time has achieved NOTHING.
So you'll destroy them all?
It is a means to an end. Nothing more.

Unfortunately, it looks like she's way past worrying about her conscience.



With her pleas falling on deaf ears, Rosa lets out her own frustrations instead.

It was nothing personal.
You don't understand, do you?
We could have supported each other. We could have been NORMAL. You took that from us. From me.

That's really sad Of course, it falls on deaf ears.

And yet... here you are. Don't tell me you are worse off. You survived. You thrived, even.
Not for much longer, if you keep this up!
As I said, this is nothing personal.



Suddenly, Rosa thinks of another alternative.

What?
I mean it. If it means all this stops.. do it.

That's a pretty gutsy choice to make. Unfortunately, Madeline is not able to take her up on it.

I have expended too much energy. Your mind would overpower me and reject me. Like all the others. But... the offer is appreciated.

Finally, Rosa just starts to threaten Madeline.

We're going to stop you, Madeline.
And what makes you think THAT?
We've stopped others before you. We can do it again.
Others before me? Like who?



Rosa starts to go over the cast list of supernatural baddies she's defeated.

That mad, incorrigible soul? A man so insane with fear that he created the devil out of thin air? There are so many spirits like him. Spirits so scared and so desperate that they will do anything to escape. Your Deacon would have welcomed the oblivion that I am bringing.

You know, she's probably right It is nice to finally get confirmation that the Devil appearing at the end of Legacy was just a projection of The Deacon's own fears rather than an actual devil, though. Next up, Rosa mentions The Countess.

The Countess. My aunt killed her. I finished her off.
You forget - she was my host, once. Whatever happened to her, it was her own undoing. I am through with being at the service of hosts like her. Of ANYONE like her.
And this is how you're doing it?
There is no other way!



Finally, Rosa brings up Gavin.

Gavin. Yes. I sensed it when you killed him.
That was an accident.
Be that as it may. His soul was weak after he tried to feed on you. It didn't take long to overpower him. So... thank you for delivering him to me.

Jesus Christ, really? Madeline was the one who devoured Gavin's soul at the end of Deception? I suppose it was right after Joey released her from the void. I guess she stuck around long enough to sense his death, somehow travelled to Rosa's nodespace and had a bit of a snack.

Danger



With Rosa having run out of things to say, Joey jumps in.

What?
You gotta stop this! You're gonna fry every soul in this city!
I wish I could say that I feel remorse. But I am so old. I am so tired. I cannot muster the energy to even pretend to care any longer.

Being somewhat less tactful than Rosa, Joey skips over the bargaining stage and heads straight to the insults.

Get this through your thick head - this is where it ends.
Oh, you have no idea.
I said it before, Maddy, but you're insane.
I just want what every creature has - the ability to DIE. Can't you understand? But the universe has denied it to me. So I am turning to the only recourse available.



Or the desert. Or the moon! Anywhere but here!

Joey comes up with a good question, but we already know the answer. She can't leave.

I am bound to this area, thanks to you. And the soul energy I absorbed will only last for a limited time. I... have no choice.
You always have a choice!
I have sought another way for centuries! I am sure you have asked this same question yourself, Mallone. When will this end?
Well, I have the answer: it doesn't.

As was the case even before Madeline betrayed us, Joey seems to have the ability to get under Madeline's skin



You would do the same in my position.
We're nothing alike, Maddy. Don't even pretend to think we are.
You think you're so noble, little ghost? Wait two or three centuries. Two or three millennia. THEN tell me you wouldn't do the same, just to end it all.

Already sick of talking, Joey decides to take matters into his own hands. Unlike Rosa, Joey should be able to physically interact with Madeline.



However, when he tries to give her a shove (or possibly a nipple twister?), he ends up going straight through her.

It has started. My spiritual form is becoming intangible. Even to you. It won't be long now.

That's not good. If we can't interact with her, there's nothing we can do. In desperation, Joey tries using everything in his arsenal. His breath:

I really don't think blowing on her's going to help here!

And his tie:

It won't work. I can't touch her!

Joey also still has Madeline's totem, but that doesn't work either.



Er. Yeah?
Such an action speaks of desperation. It will not be long before you will not need to worry about such things.



Heading downstairs, Rosa and Joey discuss their options.

So punching her senseless is out. What else have you got?
Um, a piece of chalk?
...
Glad to see the universe pouring into your head hasn't dulled your wits any.

As much as this seems like fun banter, it's actually a clue. Joey provides us with another one, in case we missed it.

We spent an entire night zapping spooks across the city. Do you think we can do the same to her?
When that circle was made, Madeline and Michael were no more powerful than we are. So... maybe?

Perhaps we can create a circle just like they did? Then we might be able to teleportMadeline away from the vortex?



Rosa and Joey head out to the street, and Rosa draws a circle with Michael's chalk. Joey floats up to it. Madeline said she "used a bit of her essence" to make it. We learned in Deception that Joey's tie plays the role of his essence - so we use his tie on the circle.

"Use a bit of my essence," huh? Well. Here goes.



Sure enough, the circle powers up, and Joey's tie because a totem much like Madeline's. If we manage to get through all of this, that'll be a handy trick to remember for future ghosts! If nothing else we can zap them back to our apartment so Rosa doesn't end up sleeping on her feet in the middle of the street every time they help a ghost ot move on.



They head back up, and Joey places the totem in Madeline's hand. Sure enough, it works! She is transported immediately to their magical circle. Hopefully she'll be trapped in there!



Madeline is momentarily disorientated, but quickly realises what has happened.

Oh. How... cute.

Using some power that we apparently don't know about, she powers down the circle...



...and teleports back to the roof.



So you learned a new trick. I'm impressed.

That didn't work, although it did prove that Madeline can still be interacted with. Can we do anything cleverer?



Perhaps we can just be repetitive instead? Joey tries again...



...and Madeline comes back again, albeit somewhat more frustratedly than last time Still, this isn't working. We need to come up with a new plan.



Joey has a sudden thought.

Look, whatever she's doing... it's happening on the other side. Maybe we should take a look?

Much as he did all the way back in Legacy, Joey has Rosa pull on his tie, and they enter the void.



Actually, things look pretty much the same as ever in here. Joey and Rosa look around, but other than the stone platform, there isn't much to see.

Once upon a time I wondered what this was. After so many years and so many spooks, it's hard to care anymore.
A stone platform. At least, I think it's stone. I'm honestly not sure what this stuff is.

Hmm. That gives me an idea.



Rosa tries drawing the chalk circle on the stone platform. If we can send Madeline here, perhaps she'll calm down like ghosts normally do in our nodespace? At the very least, she'll be a long way from the vortex. Perhaps that will be sufficient to interrupt the flow of energy and shut the process down? It sounds like she doesn't have enough power to start it up again. It's worth a try, at least!



Joey uses his tie to power up the circle...



...and once again teleports Madeline away. This is pretty much our last roll of the dice. Could it possibly work?



Madeline immediately recognises her surroundings, but sadly, her resolve is not affected at all. I guess she's spent so much time in the void that she has no desire to be here any longer.

Well. No matter.



She powers down the circle and is about to head back through the portal, when it suddenly closes, and a familiar figure materialises in it's place - the ghost of Lauren. I guess she never did end up heading all the way through the light?

You.
You remember me. I guess I should be flattered.
Open the portal. Let me through.
You've gotta be kidding.

A slight touch of desperation starts to creep into Madeline's oh-so-proper tones.

The energy is almost at critical mass. It is going to detonate whether I am there or not.
Oh.
"Oh?" That's all you can say?



Unfortunately for Madeline, Lauren really doesn't care.

We all need something. I thought I needed to move on. But... I really want to see how this ends.

By now, Madeline is starting to get extremely frustrated. It's a really nice juxtaposition, suddenly having Madeline become the emotional one while Lauren takes the dispassionate role.

It will never end. *I* will never end. That was the whole purpose!
It was never about you. Not me, or my niece, or any of us. You see, I get it now. Why things have to be the way they are. I don't like it. But I get it.
What are you talking about?!
Shhh.



Looks like Madeline's plans have been dashed. But it doesn't sound like that's going to be any help for Manhattan

(continued next post...)