Ready was a relative term. Physically, yes, they were ready. Rafe created the centre area they needed in the middle of the mirror maze, true to his word. The Cleavers were all inside the maze, stationed at various points throughout the maze corridors as per China's instructions. None were more than a few feet from a symbol drawn in chalk on the mirrors themselves, and those symbols were designed to catch the reflections' magic as they stepped back into their reflected world. Not all at once, naturally - the effect would be much stronger as a ripple, starting at the outermost edges with a few Cleavers at a time, rippling back through the channels China drew for them, drawing on the power of further reflection deactivations deeper inside. One Cleaver stood in a chalked circle with China and the others in the centre, and he was going to receive all that power. Literally, become all the reflections combined into one.
With absolutely no clue what would happen after that, Solomon was standing rather tensely near the Cleaver. Bliss had already seen the ex-Necromancer. The hope was that if he saw Solomon again, it would draw him back out - and enable him to take control of a version of himself able to handle the strength of his soul.
That, or the reflection would shatter. Either way, Bliss would be free. In the latter series of events, he'd simply be free and dead.
So yes. Physically, they were ready.
Emotionally, China didn't think she ever would be. She'd never saved Bliss's life before. She had, in fact, tried to kill him. Three times. Oh, she'd helped him out several times since then, for varying and sentimental reasons, but she'd never simply saved him before. Not without a reason.
Her body gave none of her worry away, because China's body was perfectly under her control. There was barely a tremble in her hands. That wouldn't fool Solomon, however - or Raphael - and she certainly wasn't fooling herself. China was entrusting Bliss, a version of Bliss who might be completely insane, with her own life. She didn't even have a plan in place for if he did immediately try to kill her.
China was taking an awful lot on faith here. Appropriate, really.
"I am," she confirmed. Her role was pretty much ended. The Cleavers didn't need her command to step into the mirrors and dispel themselves; they needed an Elder's. And Solomon would then be the one waging the metaphysical battle. "Elder Wreath looks a little pale, I have to say."
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With absolutely no clue what would happen after that, Solomon was standing rather tensely near the Cleaver. Bliss had already seen the ex-Necromancer. The hope was that if he saw Solomon again, it would draw him back out - and enable him to take control of a version of himself able to handle the strength of his soul.
That, or the reflection would shatter. Either way, Bliss would be free. In the latter series of events, he'd simply be free and dead.
So yes. Physically, they were ready.
Emotionally, China didn't think she ever would be. She'd never saved Bliss's life before. She had, in fact, tried to kill him. Three times. Oh, she'd helped him out several times since then, for varying and sentimental reasons, but she'd never simply saved him before. Not without a reason.
Her body gave none of her worry away, because China's body was perfectly under her control. There was barely a tremble in her hands. That wouldn't fool Solomon, however - or Raphael - and she certainly wasn't fooling herself. China was entrusting Bliss, a version of Bliss who might be completely insane, with her own life. She didn't even have a plan in place for if he did immediately try to kill her.
China was taking an awful lot on faith here. Appropriate, really.
"I am," she confirmed. Her role was pretty much ended. The Cleavers didn't need her command to step into the mirrors and dispel themselves; they needed an Elder's. And Solomon would then be the one waging the metaphysical battle. "Elder Wreath looks a little pale, I have to say."