Bellatrix's gaze danced across the fractured landscape of mirrors, her reflections multiplying like a twisted army. She smiled, tracing a streak of red lipstick across her lips, savoring the moment. "I didn't expect this to be our date," she mused, voice laced with mock sweetness. "A little empty, but I can always take a moment to perfect my makeup before the real show starts." With a dramatic flourish, she reapplied her lipstick, her lips curving into a sly grin.
Elliott stood across from her, his posture relaxed but sharp, the crackle of yellow electricity arcing between his fingertips. "Cute. But you're forgetting one thing," he said, his grin widening. "You can only swap between two places. How long do you think you can keep running in circles?"
Beside him, Joker watched with his usual air of mischievous curiosity, his body shifting between human and cybernetic as he tapped his roulette-themed marotte in his hand. "Oh, I do love a good show," he chimed in, his mechanical eye glowing faintly. "But we both know this is gonna get interesting. Don't disappoint, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix's laughter echoed in the mirrored space. "Oh, Elliott, you're so sure of yourself. You think you've figured it out?" With a flick of her wrist, she released a pulse of violet energy, distorting her reflection in the mirrors. She swapped places in the blink of an eye, her figure splitting into dozens of identical Bellatrixes, each one staring back at them with an unsettling smile.
Elliott's eyes widened in disbelief as Bellatrix's reflections suddenly reappeared, multiplying in the mirrors around them. He froze, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected twist. "Wait a minute—she wasn't supposed to be able to do that! How is she swapping with her reflections? I thought this dimension was supposed to be her counter, Joker!"
Joker's mechanical eye flickered as he studied the chaotic scene, his usual grin faltering for just a moment. "I... I didn't expect her to break the rules of this place," he admitted, a hint of surprise creeping into his voice. "The mirrors are supposed to trap her illusions, not fuel them. She's manipulating the dimension itself—this isn't just a simple swap anymore."
Bellatrix's laughter echoed through the space, her voice growing more menacing as she reveled in the confusion she had caused. "Oh, darlings, didn't you learn? Rules are only for those who are too afraid to break them. You thought you could control this? But look at me—I'm everywhere."
Elliott clenched his fists, the crackle of yellow electricity intensifying around him. "So this is how it's gonna be? Fine. I'll take the fight straight to you, no more hiding in the mirrors."
Joker didn't take his eyes off Bellatrix, tapping his marotte thoughtfully. "The game's changed, it seems," he mused, his mechanical voice low. "But, Elliott... I think we need to make the rules up as we go. This won't be like before."
Bellatrix, now surrounded by countless reflections of herself, taunted them further. "You think you can stop me now? I've just begun, boys. If you want the real show, you'll have to try harder than that!"
Elliott's electric aura flared brighter as he locked onto the real Bellatrix, his body flickering like lightning. "I don't care how many reflections you've got—I'll find you."
Joker, his grin widening again, adjusted his stance, eyeing the shifting mirrors with a new sense of determination. "You heard the man. Let's see how well you handle this... surprise."
Elliott's eyes narrowed as Bellatrix's laughter echoed through the mirrored labyrinth. His fists crackled with yellow electricity, surging with an intensity that made the air hum. "Enough games," he muttered under his breath, his body blurring as he shot forward, lightning fast. He dashed straight for one of the mirrors, aiming to strike the real Bellatrix down.
In the blink of an eye, he collided with the mirror's surface—but instead of shattering it, his body slipped through as if it were water. For a split second, everything around him twisted and warped, and then—whoosh—he emerged from a completely different mirror on the other side of the dimension.
"What the—?" Elliott gasped, disoriented. The space around him had shifted, and the same endless reflections stared back at him. But no Bellatrix. Just more twisted versions of her, each one grinning and mocking him from the mirrors.
From behind him, Bellatrix's voice slithered through the air, amused and taunting. "That was fun to watch, darling. But I'm afraid you're lost now. Every step you take just pulls you deeper into my world. How long do you think you can keep chasing me?" Her voice echoed from multiple reflections, surrounding him.
Elliott's fists clenched, the lightning flaring up around him as he spun to face the endless reflections. "I'm not lost," he growled. "I'll find you."
He shot forward again, his body a blur of electric speed, but as he reached for one of the mirrors, the world twisted once more. This time, he came out through a different reflection, now standing in a completely new corner of the mirrored dimension. His eyes widened as he saw the ever-expanding maze stretching in all directions.
"Getting dizzy yet?" Bellatrix teased from behind him, her voice like a breeze against his ear. "This is just the beginning of the fun."
Elliott's teeth gritted in frustration, but there was no stopping him now. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, and his electric aura surged with a renewed sense of determination. "I'll tear this whole place apart if I have to."
Suddenly, a reflection of Bellatrix appeared directly in front of him, and without a second thought, Elliott lunged forward, his fist crackling with yellow energy. He struck with the force of a thunderbolt—but again, it was an illusion. Bellatrix's form dissipated in a shower of sparks, and he found himself slamming into yet another mirror.
"You're just not fast enough, darling," Bellatrix's voice echoed again, now coming from multiple directions. "You can run, you can strike, but you'll never reach me. I'm everywhere."
Elliott's pulse quickened, his lightning-flashes cutting through the space like a thunderstorm. He wasn't backing down, no matter how many tricks she pulled. "I'm getting closer," he muttered, his body a blur as he kept moving, ignoring the illusory reflections, his mind focused on the one that was real.
Meanwhile, Joker, watching the chaos unfold, couldn't help but chuckle, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Quite the chase, isn't it?" he remarked, tapping his marotte rhythmically. "But something tells me Elliott's not about to back down. This is starting to get good."
Bellatrix's laughter rang out from the mirrors again, more chaotic this time. "You think you've figured it out? The mirrors are only a small part of the show, darling. You still have to find me."
Elliott, his focus unwavering, shot forward again—this time intentionally aiming for the wrong mirror. As soon as he passed through it, he felt the dimension shift again, and with a crack of lightning, he found himself behind Bellatrix. She hadn't expected him to bypass the traps, and she froze for just a moment—just long enough.
"Gotcha," Elliott said, grinning fiercely as he lunged forward, his electric aura crackling like a storm on the horizon.
Joker raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Well... this wasn't how it was supposed to go."
Joker's mechanical eye gleamed with a newfound intensity as he watched Elliott close in on Bellatrix. A sly grin curled on his lips. The show was fun, but it was time to take things up a notch. With a flick of his wrist, he spun his roulette-themed marotte in the air. The familiar hum of energy around it seemed to grow louder, more charged with purpose.
"Enough of these little games," Joker said with a flicker of menace in his voice. "It's time to bring the curtain down."
He twirled the marotte once more, and as it spun, the entire dimension seemed to tremble. The mirrors around them vibrated, their surfaces rippling like water disturbed by a stone. Joker's grin widened, his movements fluid and graceful as he spun the marotte with increasing speed.
With a final flourish, the end of the marotte collided with the ground, sending a shockwave of energy through the entire mirrored dimension. Crack! The first mirror shattered. Then another. And another. The mirrors began to splinter and break one by one, the shards of glass flying in every direction like confetti at the end of a performance.
Bellatrix, her eyes widening in surprise, tried to leap back, but it was too late. The mirrors that had once been her playground were now nothing more than broken fragments swirling in the air. Every reflection, every illusion she had created, dissolved into chaos. The dimension itself seemed to be collapsing around her, the glassy surfaces cracking and splintering under Joker's assault.
"You—!" Bellatrix's voice faltered, her confidence slipping for the first time. "What have you—?"
"Shh, no time for questions, love," Joker replied with a sharp chuckle. "The final act's begun."
Elliott, now seeing the dimension collapse around him, grinned. The endless reflections were gone, leaving only the real Bellatrix in front of him. With the mirrors shattered, her illusions were powerless. It was a 2v1 now, and Joker's entrance had made all the difference.
"Nice move, Joker," Elliott said, his voice low and dangerous, the crackle of yellow electricity still arcing from his fists. "Now we can finally finish this."
Bellatrix's eyes flickered with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. She staggered back, her mind racing to adapt to the sudden shift. The mirrored dimension, once her domain, was now shattered, and her power felt... diminished. But she wasn't about to give up just yet.
"Oh, how... charming," she sneered, her hand flicking through the air as violet energy crackled around her. "But do you really think this is over?"
Joker's smile didn't waver. "Oh, darling, it's just beginning."
In the midst of the shattered mirrors, Joker stepped forward, his marotte still twirling lazily in his hand. "You've been quite the showstopper, Bellatrix. But now, it's our turn."
Elliott surged forward, his electric aura sparking with renewed intensity. "Ready for the finale?" he taunted, as he lunged toward her, determined to end the fight once and for all.
Bellatrix, now facing both of them head-on, tightened her grip on her powers, preparing to fight back. But the odds had shifted. The mirrors were gone, her illusions shattered, and she was standing alone, with Joker and Elliott closing in fast. The true showdown was finally here.
To be continued...