Tales From the Cave-Beauty & the Superbeast

Storming the Cave

Wally, Kaldur, Artemis, Raquel and Zatanna all gathered in the foyer of the Cave, counting the minutes until midnight tolled and the curse became permanent. Wally and Artemis were sharing their last dance together, while everyone else was just moping about.

Kaldur felt the hands on his face go tick, tick, tick. "Only an hour left until midnight.", he reminded everyone. "Enjoy it while it lasts." Artemis sighed as Wally twirled her. "Maybe things would have been better if she'd never come at all.", she thought aloud. "Than we wouldn't have gotten our hopes up, only to have them sent crashing down."

Their sadness was interrupted by the whinny of a horse. Zatanna gasped in delight. "Did you hear that? She's come back!" Their spirits were lifted in an instant. "Is it true? Is it her?" They all hurried to the window to see not M'gann, but an angry mob of villagers bearing weapons storming towards the Cave. "Invaders!" "And look!", Raquel said, pointing at the handsome one leading the charges. "That one's got the mirror!"

Kaldur let loose a loud whistle. "Man your battle-stations! If its a fight they want, its a fight they will get!" "Take your positions!", Wally ordered as their friends scrambled to find their places. "Robin! Robin!", Zatanna cried, calling for her boyfriend. "Has anyone seen Robin?!" No one answered. There was no time to look for their lost little bird. They had to defend Mount Justice.
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Conner stood in his bedroom, staring at the enchanted rose, which now only had one petal left. Soon, it would fall, just like all the rest before, and he would stay like this forever. He gingerly touched his deformed face, which would soon truly be his own, and tried to hold back tears. It was stupid to think she'd love me again.

"Conner!" He was pulled out of his thoughts by Zatanna's voice. "If you're here to try and cheer me up,", he grumbled sadly. "You're wasting your time." "Its not that!', a frantic Zatanna said. "Mount Justice is under attack! There are a hundred people outside, ready to storm the Cave!"

"What do you want me to do about it?", he muttered, still staring at the rose. "Just leave me alone." Zatanna's heart ached for the Kryptonian, but she persisted. "But Conner! You have to fight them off!" The teapot knew that one look at the hideous man would send everyone running back to wherever they came from, screaming for their mother.

Instead of spurring into action, Conner only shook his head sadly and looked out through his bedroom window. "It doesn't matter anymore.", he murmured gently. "Just let them come."
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Wolfe grinned maliciously as he and the mob approached the castle. He gripped the mirror tightly in his leather-gloved hand as he dismounted his horse. "Take on whatever comes your way.", he called to the villagers. "But remember—the beast is MINE!"

Ten strong, able-bodied men carried a battering ram made from a giant tree that they had chopped down. They approached the caved-in walls and struck in perfect rhythm, over and over again until the walls gave way and fell apart, paving a way inside for them. Wolfe was the first one to step inside the Cave, leading the rest.

It was so dim inside the mountain, if it weren't for the flaming torches that some of them carried, they might not have been able to see at all. They were all silent as they took careful steps, searching the room for any signs of danger. Wolfe looked around skeptically. "Its quiet.", he thought aloud. "Too quiet." He reached out and grabbed a lit candelabra, holding it up so they could see better.

"NOW!"

Wolfe's head shot up to see that his candelabra resembled a person—a living, breathing, moving person. At it's command, all of the furniture in the foyer sprang to life and attacked the villagers. The teapot hung from the ceiling and poured boiling tea on those below. The wardrobe boxed the manliest men, locked them inside her drawers, and even dressed them in drag to humiliate them. Even the little clock stabbed some of the women with his swords.

The candlestick reached out and tried to burn Wolfe with one of his candles, but the hunter dropped it just in time. In all the chaos, no one noticed Wolfe make his way through the wildness undetected and slip up the stairs to look for the beast.
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M'gann pulled on the doors to her cell, but they wouldn't budge. "We have to get out of here!", she cried, tears forming in her eyes. All she could think about was Conner and the others, trapped inside the Cave, at the mercy of all those angry, vicious townspeople. If any of them ended up hurt, especially Conner, M'gann would never forgive herself.

She collapsed onto the floor of her prison cell, sobbing uncontrollably. "I have to warn them all!", she wept. "Oh, this is all my fault!" Geppetto wrapped his arms around her, patting her silken hair in an attempt to comfort her. "There, there, now! We'll think of something!"

"Look out!" All of the sudden, a silver blade hacked through the metal bars, slicing open the cage. M'gann and Geppetto looked up to see Pinocchio wielding his father's best ax like a sword to set his family free. Jiminy Cricket stood on one of his shoulders, while Robin was perched on the other, as he and M'gann moved the bars to allow her access out.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!", she cried, showering her little brother with kisses. "Don't just stand there!", he cried, pushing her off. "GO!" M'gann scooped up Robin and placed him in the pocket of her apron as she ran towards the rented horse that still had not been returned to it's original owner. She had to get back to the Cave and save Conner and the others—before it was too late.