"Yes, I can. In fact that is what happened when I first gained this power, the power is called the Umbra. Yet when I reformed I wasn't me I was Millenia. It took a while before I came back.  How does it work ? Well it is a natural force it is change, entropy, mutation, evolution and destruction. It is linked with me so it has become reflex almost."

A strange look overcame Skye for a moment, "Practical application ? Huh. You know I have been asked many things and helped a lot of people but I have never been asked that before. It is a strong force for destruction, so in a way it is a superior offensive power. It's opposite is a superior defensive power called Eidolon, I will get to that in a moment. At it's most simple levels I can perceive the Umbra in all things."

Skye proceeds to go around describing old wounds on each of the people here. As well as describing what there children may look like as natural evolution takes place.

"I can see the same weakness in walls, in computer programs, in conversations, philosophies. I see how entropy and change can effect things. It's useful but as you can imagine sometimes depressing so unlike some that share in the power I don't always actively use it. Millenia can explain Umbra really well she took to it like a fish to water."

Skye shakes her head slightly, "I am unsure. A seer or diviner might be able to use the Key in such a way. What I do know is a Warden can set their mind to finding something, or someplace and find it. It might take a while but unless another Warden is hiding what your looking for you should be able to find it as one."

Skye rolls her eyes looks at the ceiling and throws up her hands.
"The Grand Stair, or Yggdrasil, or The Maze, or any number of names this place has is ancient truly unimaginably ancient. I know some really ancient beings and they weren't even a twinkle in the eye of their great, great, great grand parents when the Grand Stair was already ancient. So I must confess I don't know who originally made them, but there are some hints as to why. Some claim to help keep things organized, some say Umbra was old and thus the early protoverse was a chaotic and planets and dimension struck each other in a grand mess. Then some being spoke ORDER and then their was the Eidolon and they saw it was good. This gave some order to things and something back then built the Grand Stair to separate things and give room for the many realities to not mix with each other and grow on their own. Every once in a while you might see some sigils near Doors those are known as Rhen Code the people who wrote them are ancient and they are one of the few who know how to actually leave marks on the Grand Stair that last. If you meet one they can perhaps answer your question better though they are very close lipped in general."

"Another thing the early universe had which strode the early dimensions as they clashed and merged and mingled before they were separated, were the mighty and terrifying Typhonians. Gigantic Titans of obscene power. I can testify these things are real not myth. The Grand Stair may have been invested to strand them in whatever world they were in when the Stair separated things. Doors were made to keep this megalithic beings from making use of the Stair."

Barbara looked thoughtful
"At Jessica's place, the area around the door was...altered.  As if it had aged centuries in an instant,  the very stone and wood rotted away together.   Could that have been caused by this Umbra?"

Skye nods, "Easily yes that is one application of Umbra the entropy of time. You or Jessica were in possession of the key the whole time ? I have head the Umbra can breach even locked Doors as can the Eidolon which I have witnessed. I have never had to use that myself since I am a Warden. Perhaps then following the same line of logic that is how your Door was temporarily sundered. If that is the case you have someone who is broken that has your relative. Either in body or mind. Sometimes both."

Xantastic, "Did you do it ?"

Skye looks at the little one, "No, why would I, I wouldn't need to steal a Warden, I already am one."

Xantastic, "Well what if you did it just to be mean."

Skye nodded, "I see your point, it could have been done just as an act of vengeance or villainy. Still my answer is no and before you ask Millenia has never kidnapped anyone it is not her style she is much more in the habit of freeing people and things which causes it's own set of problems."

She wouldn't have wanted to admit it,  but Barbara had indeed had Skye on her, admittedly,  short list of suspects.
Granted,  she was technically still on it, but Barbara was okay looking elsewhere,  at least for now.
"Unfortunately,  i was sent the key after the attack happened, sonl I'm not positive if Jessica had the key at the time of the incident "

Xantastic looks to Batgirl, "She always has it on her, but."
She slumps a bit, "I guess she didn't have it on her when she left it for me to give to you."

Jill, "Listen I know I am just a dancer and bartender but even before the download I was well on my way toward a medical degree. I might be able to help out if you will have me."

  Dean nods.  “We’ll help you find her, whatever it takes.  So, Xan, since you were the last person to see her, can you tell us what she may have been working on.  Did she have any enemies?  Was she investigating something?”

"Jessica was always working on things. Sometimes she worked with heroes on the world we lived on, other times we would wander the Stair. So yeah we had enemies. Joker was one, I don't like him he isn't even funny. We had some enemies from the Stair too Henrietta was one she was a wizard who we clashed with, uhm we also won an auction in the Agora once and some people were jealous."

Xan looked in thought, "Also some weird Sci Fi guy ! yeah he was pretty powerful and a real jerk I don't remember his name it was just a bunch of numbers."

Barbara smiled at Jill.
"If i were back in my world, I'd definitely get a team of friends together to slice this mystery,  so I'll definitely accept the help of  new friends now.  Thank you,  Jill. Especially if you have useful skills like a doctor."
She still felt a pang of jealousy when she looked at Jill, the other woman, besides being more mature and very beautiful,  definitely had a solid connection to Dean.

Still, she had learned to never let personal feelings interfere with the job.

Looking at Xan, she stared in shock.
"Wait, what??  She was active on my world,  fighting villians like Joker???   Did she work with Batman?  Did she have a superhero identity?  In fact, what did she even look like?  Whar powers did she have?"

  “Well, if it came through the door, it probably wasn’t one of the local villains like the Joker.  Guys like that always leave some kind of calling card or something, right?  So, let’s focus on enemies from the stairs.”

"She called herself Wild Card, Oh yes she fought alongside Batman a few times, He is too serious he really needs to lighten up. At least he says thank you if you give him chocolate. She was tall like legs over there but had dark brown hair and bright ice blue eyes. Powers ? Well she knew how to make cards and could call people out of them and talk to people with them. I was hoping she would call me."

Skye looks over, "I have a friend with that power it is known as writing and it is very useful. It allows one to teleport, communicate and mentally attack someone."

“Mentally attacking someone? “ Dean asks, trying to picture it.  “Sounds strange, but no stranger than anything else in the last day.  Okay, so the suspects we have.  The guy from the auction, someone with numbers for a name.  Who else?”

"Henrietta a mage."

  “So, that gives us a list of people to start with.  Barbara, what do we do with that?  Go talk to them?”

Barbara frowned,  not recognizing the superhero name "Wild Card", but then again she didn't really know Batman by more than reputation,  either.  She had desperately hoped to work with him one day, but....well, that was a problem for another day (though she was impressed that Jessica,  and even Xan, it seemed, seemed to know what Batman looked like without his cowl).

"Okay, so we need to look to the stairs for a culprit,  then?  Yes, Skye, I'll definitely need your help, then.  Thank you"

She looked at Dean, trying to sound more confident than she felt
"Yes, that's exactly right,  Dean.  If we have a list of names,  we need to start interrogating them for information. "

  “Okay, so who do we look for first, and where do we start?”  Dean asks, looking between Barbara and Skye for the answer.  After all, he was just the muscle of this endeavor.

"I know where Henrieta and Numbers are at least I know what their Doors look like. Though I would need to start from our Door Batgirl."

Barbara sighed and smiled wryly
"Which, admittedly,  is probably something we should have done when we were there the first time,  rather than walking for a day and night away from the scene of the crime,  but i suppose better late than never.   Okay,  when everyone is ready, let's head back."
She shrugged
"Perhaps i can glide down some of those stairs we had to climb up last time.  I'm not complaining about the help Dean gave me last time,  but being carried around like sack of groceries isn't the most efficient dignified way to travel ".

"Hold on, Millenia was on your world right Dean ?"

  Dean nods.  “Yeah, she was in the club in New Orleans, but she made mention of Miami while we were talking.  Seemed like she was talking about it during Prohibition though, almost a hundred years ago.  I thought she was yanking my chain though, you know, playing around.  Why, you think it’s relevant somehow?”

"She can get you places she has been it is not pleasant but it is very fast."
Skye makes a face at that but looks to everyone, "I can let her have control again, she will most likely adore you Xantastic, she likes kids. Dean she had a friend a Warden he owned a world like yours and it was during prohibition times, she was a singer there. I think she still has fond memories of that world."

Barbara held up a hand in support
"Please,  only do that if you're comfortable with it. "

  Dean shrugs. "Fast and unpleasant, slow and more pleasant...I'm good with either way.  I have no issue with being the pack mule when needed.  I'll leave the decision up to y'all on this one.  Down the stairs is probably easier than up.  But hey, that makes sense about her having been in a similar world.  She seemed to have a familiarity, but not an exact one.  Gold coins, old time jargon."

"Well. I like to be in control but Millenia has the experience to get you there which I do not." She looks down somewhat sadly.

"Alright let's get this over with."

Skye collapses in a black cloud and a red head rises up in her place.




"Ahhhh home again, home again !"

Barbara nodded, impressed.  She'd seen shapeshifting before,  but this was truly impressive

"Hello Dean ! Awwwwwwwwwww is this your little sister and daughter !"

Millenia sweeps across the floor towards Xantastic and Batgirl, "Wow now look at those clothes you two are certainly making a statement."