Superheroes Chapter 3 (in progress)

Thunderstryke watched as Chimera sat, almost blind to the world. So far, his astral search had come up empty, with no sign of the Masters' errant member, Baron Imp.

"What's the holdup" Toxin asked impatiently. "Even Imp can't be-"

Toxin was cut off as Chimera jerked awake, face drenched in sweat.

"Did you find Imp, boy?" Thunderstryke asked.

"No. Something's coming ... Go-Gormas?"

The rest of the Masters of Crime blanched at the name. The older members of the group knew that name all too well.

"That rat has betrayed us" the Black Barbarian snarled. "When I get a hold of Imp, I shall..."

"Forget about him for now" Thunderstryke cut Barbarian off. "We're about to have company."

In his multidimensional home, Baron Imp relaxed, 'feeling' Gormas seek out his compatriots, thoughts of revenge on the demon's mind.

"The fools" Imp muttered to himself. "No doubt that big brute followed the lad's astral trail right back to their lair. A pity, now they'll never appreciate my joke..." Baron Imp trailed off, a new thought intruding on the chaotic entity's mind. A joke, a prank that might well ensure his own survival, even if Thunderstryke went through with his plan. It would require some mystical effort, and one slip might tip his hand. Still, it would be fun.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Elite, after having been brushed aside by the near-insane entity Gormas, slowly got to their feet.

"What," Silvercat asked, "the heck was THAT?"

"Gormas" came the reply from Darklord, Brick, and Marie's brother (over their mindlink). It was a bit disorienting, but she got over it.

"OK, it's got a name. What was it?"

"It," Darklord said, "is a demon of considerable power. The Elite fought that entity some time ago, after the Masters of Crime summoned it to further one of Thunderstryke's plans. A powerful entity possessing psychokinetic powers, as you have seen. One of the older Masters, The Wight, was killed in his summoning."

"The Wight" Corey said thoughtfully. "Wasn't he some freaked out necromancer?

All the reports ah've seen said he vanished some years back."

"Yes" Vixen said. "Something went wrong with the ceremony, and Wight was killed when Gormas drained all the mystical energy out of his body."

"And mystical energy is what's needed for a demon to survive on this plane," Silvercat said.

Everyone looked at the young heroine, blinking.

"Hey, it's a hobby, all right?" she said pointedly. "Now, where did he go?"

"Probably after the Masters," Neutron said. "From what C...Brick and Vixen were able to piece together, Thunderstryke was planning on draining off Gormas' energy to power his beasts."

"This Thunderstryke's a mage, then?" asked Corey.

"Not really," Brick answered. "He knows a bit about the mechanics, and can assist in rituals, but that's about it...BLOODY HADES!"

"What?" Vixen asked, startled by the giant's outburst.

"The power source Toxin got from the base! What if that's what the Masters wanted it for??"

Unknown to the rest of the Elite, the Coterie were listening in over Marie's mindlink.

//Michael, is that possible?// Marie asked over the link.

//It's iffy at best// Michael replied. //From what I've seen, it'd be tricky to integrate the more chaotic energies into something as orderly as a computer.//

//Hey// Ryan's voice came over the link. //Didn't they just say something about siphoning off energies from some scroll into a machine just now? And what about that poltergeist you nailed some months back? The one that got into that computer store?//

//Point taken// Michael replied. //Marie, stay with them, but be careful. I'll check with Cassandra, she'd know a bit more about this sort of thing.//

//Talking with a ghostcomp// Ryan said, //it still creeps me out.//

//Deal// Michael said sharply.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Baron Imp slowly phased into the headquarters for the Masters of Crime, checking to see if anyone would detect his entrance. Not that he feared harm, but it would spoil his plans. He noted the smashed paperweight on the floor of Thunderstryke's office.

"Someone's had a tantrum," Imp remarked lightly, casting his glance to the small laptop that was on the desk. A quick spell opened the computer, and Imp looked admiringly at his handiwork. The computer chip that Thunderstryke wanted so badly, there inside the fool's own laptop. Imp chuckled slightly at the 'Idiot Inside' logo on the chip, his own personal touch. Then all humor left him, and he incanted a quick spell. "Flow of power, coursing without, Know my will, and turn now about. As once you were bidden, still shall you do, But the power you bring will not be aimed true!"

Imp watched as the flow of power perverted the circuitry on the chip, subtly altering its function. Even if the other Masters found it, and checked it carefully, they would find nothing amiss. Until Thunderstryke ran his little program. A shudder outside the building caught the demonlord's attention.

Gormas was near, and Imp had no intention of staying for the show. He rippled again, fading back to Huswirq.

Imp's arrival and departure went unnoticed by the other Masters. Once Chimera had awakened, he had been pressed into preparing the defenses of Thunderstryke's base, pitifully few that they were.

"Well? Did any of Wight's notes survive?" Barbarian asked. He had warmed up the teleporter on his suit, though he had no intention of telling the others about it.

"Yes, but they're all in that cursed script of his," Thunderstryke replied. He had managed to regain some of his composure, contenting himself with thoughts of how he would torture and kill that blasted midge for unleashing Gormas on him.

"It seems the good professor has gotten his revenge after all."

"Revenge?" Chimera asked, still confused by the current events.

"When Gormas was summoned," Toxin said, "we needed a life to give the demon, one that was strong in mystical power. Monty here decided to offer Wight as Gormas' main course."

Engrossed in his preparations, Thunderstryke did not hear Toxin's slight.

"So why is Gormas so mad at Thunderstryke?"

"We tried to siphon off Gormas' power. It would seem that demons don't appreciate that sort of treatment."

A sharp shock could be felt through the floor.

"Thunderstryke, he's here!"

"Good" Thunderstryke said. "I'm ready for him."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Why are we doing this again?" Neutron asked, as Darklord prepared to teleport the Elite to where Gormas was headed.

"We have to stop him while he's weak," Brick replied. "I know it means saving the Masters, but we don't have a choice. That demon snacks down on Thunderstryke, and we've all had it."

"Sure" Vixen said, sounding unconvinced. Brick noticed, and while the others got ready, Brick took Vixen to one side.

"Anne," Brick said, knowing what she was thinking, "You know I'm right about this."

"All I know is that...thing turned my sister into a vegetable," Vixen replied a bit coldly. Then she regained her composure. "I'm sorry. I..."

"Forget it. I feel the same way."

"I have found him," Darklord intoned, getting the couple's attention. "Be ready, I will transport us to a short distance away, where we can prepare to battle Gormas." Darklord looked at Silvercat and Corey. "Are you ready to fight a demon?" he asked.

Silvercat nodded. Corey said "No, but what the hell," grinning. "Sorry, small joke."

"Very small" Brick said. "Everyone watch yourselves. Even if we beat Gormas, we'll be on the Masters' home turf."

Dark light enfolding, and a swirl of disorientation as where briefly ceases to have meaning, and then the Elite, along with their two new associates, were in a narrow alley between buildings. The demon was close; they could all feel it's presence now, a twisting wrongness in the air.

//...'Down the dark alley where nobody goes...'//

//This is no time for singing, Ry.//

//You do it. Fighting demons once, even.//

//Don't remind me.//

"Um... before we go in there... Can we handle this alone?" Silvercat asked the Elite.

"I doubt the Coterie would be much help, if that's what you mean," said Brick.

"Of course not," Silvercat agreed. "Most of what they think they know about this sort of thing, they get from silly new-age books, and the rest they get from fantasy novels, For Pete's sake." She shook her head. "Like I told you, the only reason I ran with the Coterie is because I'm new to this city, and they had a few marginally useful connections."

She closed her eyes, as if steeling herself to face some difficult task. "What I'm saying is, if you think this is gonna take more firepower than we've got... I can get more people here."
Silvercat gave them all a faint smile. "We're having a special on superheroes. Six for the price of one."

Neutron looked at Brick. Brick and Vixen looked at Darklord.

"Your others," Darklord said.

"Yeah," Silvercat said, looking away for a moment. "My 'others.'"

"If these 'others' can help out, I'm for it," said Neutron.

"Yes," said Darklord. "Yes. Call them."

He gestured toward a building across the street. "Gormas is there. Enigma, go with Brick and Corey from this side. Vixen and I will strike from the roof. Silvercat and Neutron, take the far side of the building. Remember, we must prevent Gormas from killing any of the Masters, or he will become too strong to defeat."

They split up, and Neutron and Silvercat hurried toward the back of the building that hid the Masters' meeting place.

"We can do this," Silvercat said under her breath as they ran. "It worked fine last time... What are we for, then, if we have to be together to work together?"

"Hey, 'Cat?"

"I see... Hope there's something left..."

"Silvercat...?"

When she paused and looked at him, her eyes were a radiant green within her cat-face mask, and something of the same light was gathering around her hands.

"Take care of the demon," she said. "I'll get the children out of here."

"Children??" said Neutron, but she turned and disappeared, and didn't hear him. He phased through the wall, in search of a demon.

Enigma, Brick and Corey approached the building. Though from the street it appeared to be an innocuous building, with no sounds coming from it, they all knew that there must be some kind of tremendous battle coming from within. Corey stood in the middle of the street and put out his arms, when Brick stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?"

"I was going to make us an entrance into the building. Why?"

Enigma explained. "Because first of all, we don't need to alert the entire city that Gormas is here. That means we don't need the police, fire department, or any one else showing up here getting their heads blown off by something they have no real protection against. Second of all, we don't destroy property unnecessarily. I mean, people like it when we show up and get rid of the bad guys, but we want to make sure they still have a home afterwards. You have to
remember that we have our reputation to maintain. But we'll talk about this later. Right now, we have a job to do."

Brick grinned and said "Now, this is how we do it. Milady, if you would?"

Enigma walked up to the door and placed her hand over the lock plate. It was a little unnerving for Corey to see her fingers fused together as a single unit. There was a slight glow of green light from under Enigma's hand, and the sound of a loud click. Enigma pushed the door open. "Wasn't that so much easier?" she asked as the three heroes ran inside.

They found themselves in a long hallway with no doors in it. At the far end, there was a steel door with no knob in it, or any other visible means to open it. As the heroes approached the door, they heard a loud click behind them. They turned to see a steel door, similar to the one at the other end of the hall, slide up and seal them into the hallway.

Suddenly, they all felt that the hallway was sinking, that it was an elevator of some kind.

"I have a funny feeling about this..." Brick said.

Meanwhile, on the rooftops, Vixen and Darklord had landed. Both did a quick search of the roof, Darklord checking for life and Vixen for heat sources. Neither found anything. However, as they ran towards the door to the building, they suddenly heard a metallic sound behind them.
They turned to see four guard robots rise from within the roof. The robots extended whirling saw blades from the ends of their arms and moved to attack the superheroes. Darklord concentrated for a second, and a pitch black ball, so dark that it seemed to suck in the light around it, appeared in his hand. He threw it at one of the robots. When it hit, there was a slight flash of light, and the robot continued to advance.

The duo looked at each other.

Oh, no! Vixen thought, as the robots drew nearer.

A loud pinging suddenly started coming from Corey, and Brick and Enigma felt a strange feeling start to stir deep inside them as a pleasant mist permeated the room. The blue haired young man looked over at Brick, "We're sinking at a rate about 3 meters per second. There's a large open area at the bottom of this pit, and several metallic forms waiting there for us." He gave him a smart-assed grin, "Sure you don't want me to take out this wall? Oh, I forgot, no property
damage."

"You got a smart mouth boy," Brick told him.

Corey smiled, "That's what Stefan keeps telling me."

"Children..." Enigma warned them. She turned to Corey, "How do you know the makeup of the room?"

"Sonar." Corey told her. "It comes in handy. I can use it sort of like an ultra-sound machine." Corey looked over at Brick, "Look, I'll watch the property damage, when it's appropriate, but if comes down to saving someone's life or breaking the building, then I choose the life. Buildings can be rebuilt, people's lives can't."

"Fair enough," Brick told him, his mind racing. This kid was such a dichotomy. He obviously had the spirit of a hero, albeit a reluctant one, but at the same time, he took a strange tack to life. One he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with.

As the room slowed to a stop at the bottom, Enigma felt the air pressure in the room start to change, as the steel wall slid up to reveal a hideous sight. Crouched at the door were the silver forms of half a dozen children. Each was wearing a golden collar attached to a leash leading to the maniacally grinning form of Baron Imp. He danced a little jig and stepped forward, "Well, look what we have here children, a group of hero wannabe's." Putting a finger to the side
of his mouth he smiled, "But you see, I can't let you interfere just yet. Gormas has to punish the Masters first. Not too much mind you, but enough to teach that idiot Thunderstryke that there are some forces he just shouldn't play with. So in the meantime, I'll let you play with some of my subjects" Still grinning he looked at the group as something seemed to hit him. "Oh my."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Vixen's mind was dancing into the forest, twisting and spinning more the harder she fought against it. Something about the robots reminded her of the Amazon jungle where they'd found Darklord's scroll. She could almost smell the humidity now, the lush green. But rather than purifying and wild, suffocating and stagnant. She could hear the sounds of chanting. That was it, Darklord's summoning chant! The robots approaching them were repeating it. Over and over and over. Not exactly the same, but like a degenerated remix with reversing words.

"Can you cover your ears?" she whispered to Darklord, knowing that he didn't actually have ears.

Darklord said nothing for a moment. Then, in a low, strangled voice that sounded very unlike his usual tones he said, "Over - and - below."

For a moment, Vixen couldn't comprehend what he meant. Then, in a sudden flash of insight, she launched herself straight into the air. Her leap carried 20, 30, 40 feet straight up. Then, with a graceful flip, she plummeted back towards the roof, on the opposite side of the robotic guard unit.

The robots, though still in the midst of their chant, had momentarily turned their attention skyward, preparing for what they thought was going to be an aerial assault. So they appeared to be somewhat confused when Vixen's leap terminated about 30 feet away from them - and completely crashed through the roof.

The robots moved about uncertainly, apparently unable to determine if this apparent miscalculation on Vixen's part was what it appeared to be.

They made their decision one second too late.

Vixen burst through one of the robots' own roof access portals with a savage growl. One robot was less than five feet in front of. This one Vixen quickly disposed of by way of a flying kick which caved in its central processor. A second bot turned to advance, but was similarly incapacitated.

The other pair, though, now adjusted their tactics. As one continued towards a strangely immobile Darklord, the other retracted its blades, replacing them with a set of tubes which immediately fired a series of projectiles at Vixen.

Vixen immediately began evasive tactics, hoping to use her stunningly agile leaps to cut a pattern towards the remaining robots. It rapidly became obvious, though, that the one targeting her was not going to let up, or give her a clear pathway. Missile after missile rained her way, and Vixen found herself leaping away from rather than towards the murderous robotic sentinels.

*Clever little scrap of metal, aren't you?* she thought sourly. *All right, if you can change your plans on the fly, so can I.*

As the next barrage of missiles arrived, Vixen chose no to dodge out and up, but down, diving for the robot's base. The guard robot did its best to follow her, but she had gotten too close for it to use its missiles without damaging itself.

Before the robot had a chance to try a new strategy, Vixen lifted it completely up off the roof and heaved it at its companion.

There was a harsh, electronic SQUAWWWWK as the two robot guards collided, and then nothing.

Satisfied that they were disposed of, she turned back to Darklord - and gasped.

"Darklord! Are you okay?"

"Not - entirely, no, I am not," was his strained reply. In his "normal" appearance, Darklord towered over everyone around him. Now, though, he was barely Vixen's height, and his darkness seemed somehow less imposing, as though it were tainted somehow. No, not tainted - diluted. "The change was one of not just of banishment, but discorporeation. If his mechanical minions had succeeded, Thunderstryke would have effectively torn me to shreds."

Vixen was stunned. "He shouldn't even know the chant to summon you, much less something like that."

"No, he should not. The fact that he possesses this knowledge is, to say the least, disturbing."

"Can you go on?" she asked.

"I must, Vixen. Thunderstryke is not the only danger here, nor is he the greatest. We must proceed."

Privately, Vixen doubted the wisdom of this decision, but she also knew there was more at stake than their own safety. With a nod, she and Darklord headed for the door.

Baron Imp's visage reflected distracted annoyance and seething anger. "It seems I have an appointment," he said, "So I'll leave you three with my capable charges. Ta." With a wave of his hand, he was gone, leaving Brick, Enigma and Corey facing the six silver-skinned children.

"Okay," Corey said nervously, "Tell me this is something y'all in the Elite have faced before and you got a sure-fire answer, right?"

"I think this is one more time," Brick said, "We're going to have to make up the answers as we go, son."

"And quickly," Enigma added as the children began to advance on them.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Traitor!" Thunderstryke snarled. "I ought to kill you here and now and be done with it!!"

"Cool your ramjets, Thunderthighs," Baron Imp sighed and sneered. "What makes you think I had anything to do with Gormas? Don't forget, he wants my head on his wall as well as yours."

"Then explain where you've been this whole time! And what you've done with the chip!"

"Hey, I sent it!" Imp said with amused charm and scornful disdain. "Sounds to me like someone here has sticky fingers. Imagine that - one of the Masters of Crime is a thief."

"You know what happens if you lie to me!"

"It's the hunnert-percent truth, T.S. - I sent the chip here personally."

Imp was delighted to see that while he didn't look totally convinced,

Thunderstryke at least considered it possible. "Never mind that now, Imp! It's Gormas who's the problem at the moment! Here," he said, handing the Baron a handful of amber stones.

"Mindstones?" Imp asked incredulously and derisively. "Come on, Stryker, I know you're desperate, but who's kidding who? You don't think you're going to be able to mindwipe a demon, do you?"

"These aren't ordinary mindstones," Thunderstryke said smugly. "They ought to have quite an effect on Gormas. And if any of the Elite happen to get caught up in it, so much the better. Now go!" he said, leaning into Baron Imp's impossibly disturbing face, "Or I may repeal that little spell of mine that's been so beneficial to you!"

"Hey, say no more, Thunderboy, I'm on my way," Imp said agreeably. But as he vanished into his rift, Imp's mind seethed with rage. *Keep pushing Thunderstryke!* he thought. *But when I finally get to push back, you better be ready to brace yourself!*
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Black Barbarian was used to fighting. Oh, as Anthony Clinton, mild-mannered librarian (or so he joked to himself), he knew the value of waiting for the right time to strike, and the value of controlling the force of one's strike.

Still, he could not deny the thrill of putting on the armor, wielding his mighty axe, and just cutting loose, as it were.

And how had Thunderstryke, his sworn liege left him? Babysitting.

Granted, the boy Chimera was a potent weapon, but still, this was just a kid.

Having Toxin pacing around the room didn't help any. "Must you do that?" he
asked, annoyed.

"Yes." Toxin replied, flatly. "How can you be so calm? Not only is Gormas running around loose, but we have the Elite knocking on our front door, plus two extra members. So I'll pace if I darn well please, thank you very much."

A whiff of brimstone caught Barbarian's nose. "IMP!" he roared, axe swinging. It impacted with a desk, sending a series of small amber crystals flying.

"Idiot!" Toxin yelled, scrambling to grab all the inert Mindstones. With a quick thought, she forced the bioplastic suit she wore at all times to extend, forming a large bowl to catch the stones. "Are you trying to mindwipe us? Imp must have left these for us to use on the Elite."

"Gormas." Chimera said suddenly. "They're meant for Gormas. They're...wrong somehow. What are they?"

"Mindstones." Toxin replied. "They drain the neural energy out of a subject. It was one of Thunderstryke's early experiments. Can you tell how they'd affect us?"

Chimera looked at the small stones again. "I don't know. Like a grenade?"

The boy was shaking a bit.

"Lovely." Barbarian muttered. "Let's go. We're wasting our time here."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Neutron glanced around. "We're fighting a demon and she's going after children? I-"

He stopped, shocked. Inside the room were five children, some curled up in a corner, one or two staring blankly at nothing.

"Mindstones." Neutron growled. He glanced around, saw nothing. Quickly, he phased himself and entered the room, alert for anything. Desperately, he cast his mind over the various missing children reports, trying to identify any of the kids there. "It's alright. I'm going to get you out of here."

"That is unlikely, hero." Baron Thunderstryke strode into the room, entering from a door on the opposite wall. "If you wanted a tour, you only needed to ask."

Neutron didn't bother with a witty reply. He jumped on top of Thunderstryke, and brought his body up to about five times normal density. To his surprise, Thunderstryke rolled and threw off Neutron, sending the hero flying through a wall.

"Really," Thunderstryke taunted. "Did you think that I would not expect you to come after me? You always were the impulsive one of the group. Probably one of those tragic backgrounds that fueled the fires of your sense of moral outrage. Sibling? Parent? Lover?"

"Shut...UP!" Neutron yelled, charging again. This time, he ghosted through Thunderstryke, solidified behind him, and caught the villain with a double-weight fist. The evil scientist staggered, dazed. Cries caught his attention; the children who were not yet mindwiped were starting to panic. "I don't have time for you." Neutron replied, shoulder-checking his opponent into a wall. He dashed over to the children, gathered up the ones who couldn't walk, and started
looking for an exit.

Thunderstryke recovered. "Idiot." he whispered, sneering. It wasn't so hard, transferring his mystical 'scent' to the fool. Gormas would waste time chasing a decoy. And give Thunderstryke a chance to implement his own plan.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"We must retreat." Darklord whispered, still recovering from the initial mystic assault. "These things are spelled against my power."

"Not mine!" Vixen replied. Focusing, she amplified her strength, and punched one robot through the chest. She pulled her arm out, dodged an energy blast, and then kicked the other robot's head off. "Though this is getting a bit old," she gasped, feeling the effects of the battle. "I thought we had the only spell to summon you."

Darklord, some of his former poise recovered, shook his head. "I cannot say; it may be that the shaman who bound me made a copy of the scroll. Or some other human might have gained the knowledge, planning to use it against me. Whatever the case, we must go on." Darklord shuddered. He started looking around, as if confused. "Something has happened. Or is about to happen. My spiritual senses-"

"Are tingling." Vixen finished wryly. "Maybe you should go back without us, then. If they take you out..."

"I do not know what will happen to you and Brick. You may simply lose your powers, or, in being linked to me, die when I do. I think it would be better if we were to stay together. My strength is returning, and I will be able to teleport people with me in a few minutes."

"All right then." Vixen replied, uneasily.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The last of the beings vanquished, Brick mimed dusting his hands. "Well, that was a chore. Enigma?"

"I don't know." Enigma replied, drawing on the medical knowledge of Dr. Regina Butler. "I think..." she peeled off some of the silvery skin, revealing a human underneath. "God," Enigma whispered, alien and human halves repulsed. "Brick, they're just children!"

"Children?" Corey asked, stunned. "That sick -"

"Easy!" Brick commanded. "We'll settle with the Masters for this later. Can we get them out of here?"

"We are here." Darklord said, appearing with Vixen. "There is trouble. Thunderstryke-"

"Is experimenting on kids." Corey growled. Vixen looked at one of the silver-suited beings, and nearly retched. "Are you...smaller?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes. The Masters are more prepared than I thought." Darklord replied.

"Our foes have taken measures against me; my powers will be of little help."

"Maybe not. Can you teleport these kids to the nearest hospital?" Enigma asked. "We should try to help them."

"It will be done." Darklord replied. He spread his darkness over the fallen children, and the group vanished.

"Where's Neutron? Any word from him?" Brick asked.

"No. But he should be alright." Vixen replied. "We should split up, there may be more children in here. Enigma and me?"

"Go for it." Brick replied. "You up for it?" he asked Corey.

"You're asking me NOW?" Corey replied. "Bit late to back you, isn't it?" He smirked. "In other words, sure."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Neutron finished herding the last of the children out of the building.

"Now what?" he wondered. "I even wish Darklord were here. He could get these kids somewhere safe. If I leave 'em here....Everyone here?"

Those children still able looked up. Neutron did a quick headcount. Four, five, six...six?

One of the children suddenly jumped back, skin reddening and expanding. "Your form and technique may have changed, Thunderstryke," it said, "but your mystical stench has not! DIE!"

"RUN!" Neutron shouted. "Take those two kids and RUN!" Solidifying as fast as he could, Neutron interposed himself between the kids and the demon. "Do I LOOK like a mad scientist?"

"You are pathetic indeed if you think a mere shift of your appearance will fool me, the mighty Gormas! Die, Worm!"

"Not so fast!" Silvercat roared, appearing out of nowhere. "I've removed the rest of your sacrifices, so you won't get any energy from them!" A part of Neutron's mind noted that Silvercat's voice sounded different, as if several people were speaking at once. "It's time to pay, demon!" She was acting different, too, Neutron also noted.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Enigma and Vixen cautiously made their way down the corridor, alert for any trouble. "Times like this..." Vixen muttered.

"Hm?" Enigma replied softly.

"Just wishing that I'd never played that stupid 'Doom' game."

"This is no game, mortals." Both heroes whirled around; stunned that anyone could have come so close to them. Vixen's eyes widened. "Wight!"

"I am," the specter replied, "only a... shadow of my former self. I would seek your help in killing Thunderstryke."

"Right." Enigma replied. "If he dies, Gormas becomes practically unstoppable. There's not a lot in it for us."

Wight held up a hand, and a glowing ball of energy formed in it. "Not even the soul of Pamela West?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Alone, she couldn't have done it, but now more than ever, she was not alone. Six other people saw with her eyes, spoke with her voice. Six other people focused all of their power, all of their knowledge and skill, into her, so that whatever one of them was able to do, would be done through her body, her hands.

They were not a group mind; they were still separate and themselves in that regard, and when this was over, six minds would return to their own bodies in far cities and leave her with only their voices in her head.

They didn't join like this often. It drew a lot of attention, psychically, if only to the focus. Nor was she that focus each time. Sometimes it was her brother, or David; a few months ago, when he was still in Jersey, Sam had been the focus.

Silvercat placed herself between Neutron and the demon, even as Neutron stood protecting the children. "These are not for you, Gormas. Return to your own place."

But the demon paid no heed. "Thunderstryke! Are you so weak that you hide behind your enemies for protection?" The bloated red form lunged, clearly intending to go through Silvercat to reach the man he believed to be Thunderstryke.

Silvercat made a sweeping gesture with her arms, and a wall of faintly rippling green flames sprang up to halt the demon's attack. Gormas pulled back before contact with that wall and, if anything, looked more enraged than ever, and startled.

"You!" he said.

"_Us_," Silvercat replied.

The demon glared but made no move, only stood with lightning crackling about his head and shoulders.

//It's gonna take time to remove that tag.//

//We don't have time, just now.//

//And Thunderstryke is next. He's been experimenting with children, treating them like lab rats...//

//Thunderstryke is next.//

//As soon as we keep Gormas from killing your friend.//

//Hmm. Maybe. Yes. I think it'll work...//

//What?... Oh, yeah. I like it.//

//Ping, ping, ping, BOOM.//

For her, and for Michael, dealing with the demon was only the immediate concern, not the real goal. They were all angry that Thunderstryke had been using children for his experiments, but for the Delling twins it was a very personalanger. There had been another experiment years ago, conducted in another place and by different people but also involving children, but time wouldn't erase the memory of all they'd been through before they escaped. Even if they'd not been sister and brother, that shared experience would have bound them closer than any
mere ties of blood-kinship.

The demon was right in one thing: Thunderstryke was going to pay for what he'd done.

Gormas was pacing beyond the wall, looking for a way in. "I see you, Thunderstryke! No matter how powerful your new friends, they cannot protect you forever from the mighty Gormas!"

//Who the hell writes his dialogue, anyway?//

One of the children started crying.

"Why does he think I'm Thunderstryke?" asked Neutron.

"Thunderstryke tagged you - put his psychic signature on you."

"Oh." That sounded like very bad news. "You know how to get rid of it?"

"Yes, but it takes time." Suddenly she turned and grabbed him by the shoulders. "This won't hurt."

*What the...?* thought Neutron

Green light flared, starting at her eyes and hands, engulfed Silvercat and Neutron both for a moment, and was gone.

"What... what did you just do?"

"Don't worry; it's temporary," Silvercat replied. "Keep the demon away from the kids, get them to a safe place while I mark a trail for him to follow."

She waved a hand, and the wall vanished. Neutron expected Gormas to attack him again, but the demon was turning his head as if searching...

"Thunderstryke! You cannot hide from me, worm! I will find you! I will destroy you!"

Silvercat ran. First, to lead the demon away from the children. Neutron was a skilled fighter, and his particular power was great against any normal opponent, but like so many, there was little he could do against a demon but get in its way and slow it down a little...

She placed both hands against a lamp post, leaving red handprints that quickly faded. A little distance further, she did the same with a tree.

Already Gormas noticed the first 'ping.' With a bellow, he charged across the street and attacked the lamp post, battering and burning it until nothing was left but a half-melted stump of metal. Then on to the next object, and the next, predictably following the trail of psychic tags that Silvercat was creating to lead the demon to the real Thunderstryke.

And meanwhile, Neutron was temporarily marked with David's psychic signature. Should the demon come back before the Thunderstryke's tag was removed, Gormas would see, instead of Thunderstryke, someone he did not want to pick a fight with.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The side door opened and Toxin stuck her head out. She quickly looked to see that no one was watching and motioned to her two companions inside.

"The coast is clear, let's go."

The threesome ran out of the building and into the alleyway, the Barbarian at the rear making sure Chimera didn't cut and run.

Toxin took a small plastic box from the pouch at her belt and pressed the button on it. The back wall of the alleyway shimmered slightly and disappeared. In the room beyond was an SUV, waiting for them to make their getaway.

As they were about to get in the vehicle, they heard a sound from the street at the other end of the alley. They turned to see Neutron herding the children away from the building that hid the Masters' hideout.

The Black Barbarian turned to Toxin. "I'll take care of the kid, you take care of him." He motioned towards the street.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Vixen asked "What do you want us to do?"

Enigma turned to her. "You can't be serious. You want to help this guy? Kill someone? Are you out of your mind? Even if it is Thunderstryke. And who is this Pamela West person that's obviously so important to you?"

Vixen hissed at her "I'll tell you later. In the meantime, let's hear what he has to say."

She turned back to Wight. "Okay, start talking."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The figure of the Wight smiled slightly. "This is my proposal, then. If Gormas kills my treacherous former colleague, he will absorb his essence and become practically unstoppable. Certainly, the rest of the Masters will be short work for him - even that misbegotten little creature Imp! And your own leader, Darklord, will fare little better, I wager. And soon, the entire planet will be Gormas's footstool.

"If, on the other hand, Thunderstryke were eliminated by other means, Gormas would be denied that power and would eventually be brought to heel again."

"So what do you care?" Vixen asked tightly, not taking her eyes off the glowing ball of energy he held. "You're dead, and nothing's going to change that. What possible difference does it make to you if the Masters and the Elite both get wiped out?"

Wight's figure laughed - a hollow sound. "For the Elite, I care nothing. For the rest of the Masters, I care even less. But Thunderstryke... We were almost like brothers, he and I! We founded the Masters together, were going to squeeze every last bit of gold and blood and power out of the world that we could - until he sacrificed me without batting an eyelash. No, I'll welcome him here to my new realm in my own special way."

"We don't kill," Enigma protested.

"But it's the perfect solution," Wight said. "Gormas is defeated, the Masters' organization is crippled, you wind up even bigger heroes than before - and Pamela West gets her life back."

"We don't kill," Enigma repeated. "Let's go, Vixen."

Vixen didn't move.

"Vixen?"

"No."

"Vixen, you can't seriously be thinking about..."

"Shut UP!" Vixen whirled to confront her teammate, and Enigma was startled by the look in her eyes - a look that belonged more on the face of one of the Masters than to the Elite.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"No."

"What the blazes do you mean, 'no'?!?"

"Get smart, Barbarian," Toxin sneered. "We can get more test subjects - hell, we can probably pick up half a dozen on the way out of town! But if we waste time slugging it out with Neutron and the others, Gormas will be back and then there'll be no more experiments, no more research, no nothing - just us, sliding down the demon's gullet!"

Black Barbarian leaned in to Toxin, breathing heavily. "I say they're too valuable to abandon, and *I* say you go after them!"

Toxin didn't flinch. "You want them so bad, *you* go after them! *I'm* getting in my little gas guzzler and making tracks!"

The Barbarian started to make a reply when Chimera let out gasp. "The Elite! I can feel them! The big one, Brick, and the one we fought at the mall! They're heading this way!"

"Where! How close?"

Suddenly, the three Masters were enveloped by a geyser of water.

"That answer your question, big guy?" Corey asked.

"Back for a replay, are you?" Barbarian asked. Unlike Chimera and Toxin, he had kept his footing against the oncoming flood. "Let's go for it then."

"You dance, I'll lead," Corey smirked. "Hey, watch out for the kid - he'll play with your head if you let him."

"No problem," Brick said. Chimera, still stunned from the water, never even saw the fist that knocked him cold.

Meanwhile, Barbarian and Corey were dancing around each other. Barbarian would thrust and lunge with his axe, while Corey danced gracefully out of the way.

"You're actually quite good at this," Barbarian allowed. "Enigma's the only other person who's ever stayed out of my reach this long."

"You lookin' to get a job writing liner notes for my albums?" Corey laughed.

"Oh, heavens no," Barbarian replied. "All I'm looking for is - THIS." He thrust forward, and Corey dodged again. But instead of following through, Barbarian followed the dodge and sliced neatly through Corey's dorsal membrane.

With a strangled cry, Corey collapsed.

"Kid!" Brick turned and yelled. He never saw the thick green gas that suddenly enveloped him, dropping him heavily to the ground.

"Nice trick," Barbarian said. "Fatal?"

"No time for that," Toxin said. "It's just debilitating. Let's go, before the other Elite get here - or worse, Gormas."

"But the test subjects -"

"*Later!*" she growled, squishing her way into the SUV. With a last dubious look in the direction Neutron had herded the children, the Black Barbarian collected the still-unconscious Chimera and piled in beside her.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Onwards and upwards!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Neutron had barely enough time to get the children out of the way before the SUV came screeching out of the alleyway, turned the corner and took off. He told the kids to wait for him, and he ran back to check the alleyway. He took one look at Corey and Brick lying in the alleyway, and he whipped out his communicator. He hit the button that connected him to the 911 switchboard.

"We need an ambulance as fast as can be!" He gave the address to the dispatcher. "We have two people down!"

He raced to them, and checked their pulses.

Relieved to find both pulses, he ran back to the street to keep an eye on the kids, and to wait for the ambulance to arrive.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Thunderstryke stuck his head out the door, and looked both ways.

"No one is there." he told Baron Imp as he continued out into the passage.

They walked quickly down the corridor, and stopped in front of what appeared to be a wall, covered with a rather ugly portrait of a woman. Thunderstryke pulled out a small remote control device, pointed at the wall, and pressed the button on it.

The wall disappeared, revealing a passage behind it. The two ran down the passage. Thunderstryke paused to press the remote at the door behind them, making the wall reappear.
At the end of the passage, there was a room with three computer stations. Thunderstryke sat in front of one of the stations, and began to enter commands into the computer.

Baron Imp watched. "What do you find?"

Thunderstryke said "The others have fled, taking the SUV. I have the tracers set up on them, and will deal with them later. There are three of them still in the building, although I can't tell which ones. Gormas' signature is still registering in the building. And ... " His voice trailed off.

"What is it? What do you see?" Baron Imp demanded.

"I am not sure. There is an energy signature here, but it's not clear from the system what it is. It's not a person, but the system seems to want to think it is one. You see it here, that red dot next to those other two on level six."

Baron Imp looked at the computer screen.

"I don't know either. Now, are we going to get out of here already? I don't want those damn Elite catching up with us."

Thunderstryke smiled beneath his mask.

"Be patient, my friend, be patient. I have some tricks yet up my sleeve, and those fools will learn the consequences of meddling with my plans."

He typed a few commands into the computer.

"Hahaha. Let's see how they can handle that!"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Onwards and upwards!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Neutron waited for the ambulance, shifting impatiently. Brick and Corey seemed to be in relatively stable condition, although the wicked gash in Corey's dorsal fin told another tale. Neutron was really more worried about the children. The ones they'd found encased in the strange silvery goo were at the hospital, courtesy of Darklord (and just where was he, anyway?). This batch, numbering about two dozen, seemed unharmed - but they weren't behaving normally. After having been held captive by the Masters and subjected to whatever kind of
twisted "experiments" that bunch had devised, any normal bunch of kids might be expected to act more than a little hysterical - panicky, sobbing, cries for mommy or daddy, and so forth.
These children weren't, though. They seemed somewhat out of sorts, but no more so than, say, being told they had to eat brussels sprouts and broccoli for dinner. They didn't act so much scared as they did - annoyed.

"Ooooh - Ow! Snail guts!"

"Corey!" Neutron knelt next to him. "Better be still, kid, Barbarian cut a pretty good sized chunk outta you back there."

Corey weakly waved a hand at him. "Naw, 'salright, it'll stitch back up pretty quick-like."

"What?" Neutron looked more closely at Corey's wound. Sure enough, the edges of the cut not only seemed less ragged than before, they appeared to be closer together and the bleeding had almost stopped.

"P-pretty neat, huh?" Corey said. "Course, I ain't gonna be worth much for the next few hours, but I ain't in no danger, either. What about Brick, there?"

"I, uh, I'm not sure. I'd say Toxin got him with something nasty," Neutron said, still unashamedly staring at Corey's self-healing wound. "I got an ambulance on the way - I thought I needed it for both of you, but I guess-"

"Hey - what, what're them kids doing?"

"Search me. They've been milling around like that ever since we got them out of the building. The Masters must've -"

"Naw, man, look at 'em now!"

Neutron turned to see what Corey was talking about - and his blood nearly froze at the sight. The entire group of children were standing with their heads lolling to one side. Surrounding each child was a pearlish white aura which, even as Neutron watched, began to float upwards. As they floated up, the detached lost all human aspect, and instead assumed a shape similar to a gruesomely large grubs of some sort - thick, segmented and pulpy, with a gaping, pulsating maw at one end.

As the monstrous apparitions rose, he cautiously approached the children. They were still standing upright, but they otherwise appeared to be cut off from the world around them. Their skin had all faded to a dull, waxen grey, giving them the appearance of being zombies. They all stood with their heads tilted to the side, their eyes rolled so far back in their heads that only a sliver of white showed. A thin stream of drool issued from their mouths. Some of them were
bleeding from the ears or nose.

"What the hell have they done to these poor kids?" Neutron whispered.

A dull thud from above caught his attention, and he looked up to see the grub-things squirming around one particular spot, slowly disappearing into the building. Neutron realized their combined mass had collapsed part of the wall. He also realized there was only one thing in there they could be after - the rest of the Elite.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Abruptly, the Wight caused the sphere to vanish.

"What are you doing?" Vixen demanded.

"I cannot stay here," the ghost said. "Danger is fast approaching, for me as well as yourselves, and I doubt we will be able to converse."

"What about your offer?"

"We will discuss it later," he said dismissively. With a leering, corpse-like grin, the Wight also vanished.

"NO!!" Vixen screamed. "Damn you, you said you could..."

"Vixen?" Enigma said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You have to stop. We-"

"Let GO of me!" Vixen said, spinning away from her teammate's touch.

"Vixen, please, we have to - wait. Something's coming."

"What do you-"

Just then, the wall next to them buckled, then crumbled away, allowing something to make its way in. Whatever it was, it was about 4 feet long, and looked, both women thought, disconcertingly like a maggot.

"What is that - that *thing*?" Vixen exclaimed, her anger replaced by horror.

"I don't know, but that fact that Wight feared it indicates it must be quite dangerous."

As the creature passed beneath the corridor's lone light, the fluorescent bulbs inside flickered - then electricity arced out, melting the plastic covering and flowing into the creature's body.

"An energy leech," Enigma mused. "And one that must be able to absorb even the energy that Wight's essence is composed of. We have to be very careful, Vixen!"

"More than you know!" Vixen said, indicating the hole in the wall. A second worm-thing had writhed its way in. It was quickly followed by another. And then even more.

"These things are blocking the exits," Vixen said, looking around warily. "If we're going to do something, it better be fast."

"Let me try a direct approach," Enigma said, hurtling towards the thing. She smashed one side of its mouth inward. The thing emitted a cry of pain.

So did Enigma.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Neutron heard one of the immobilized children let out a cry of pain. He turned to see a young girl, about 10 or so, stagger backwards. She displayed no other sign of consciousness - but then the side of her face crumpled. Blood began to flow freely from her mouth and nostrils as her eye swelled shut and blackened.

*What the hell?!?*
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Enigma?"

"My God - the children - the children!"

"Enigma, come on, get up! You can't let it absorb all your energy! It looks like there's a bunch more of these things coming to-"

"Vixen, no! Those beings aren't just monsters! They're - they're made from the minds of those children the others found!"

"What?!?"

"It was the psychic feedback from the child's pain that - Vixen, when we hurt them, the children are injured as well!"

The situation sank in. "Bastards!"

"We dare not risk harming innocents."

"But we can't just sit here and let them suck the life out of us!"

"There is one other option. Please brace yourself." Enigma let her mindforce flow downward, locating the braces and connections in the surrounding construction. Quickly, she disconnected them, forcing them apart in an exact sequence, and the section of floor she and Vixen were on dropped neatly down to the next story. "Head for the exit - quickly!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Thunderstryke frowned as the third dot abruptly vanished. He wasn't able to explain what it was about the mysterious presence that bothered him - but bother him it did.

"Neat trick with the kiddos there, Thunderman," Baron Imp said approvingly and disgustedly.

"So let's blow this popsicle stand and regroup elsewhere."

For a moment, Thunderstryke said nothing, but only kept staring at the place where the now dissipated spot had been. Finally, he said, "Yes. yes, of course. Take us out of here, Baron."

"Whatever," Imp shrugged, carefully feigning apathy. "Hey, what about all this crap you've got spread out here? You just gonna leave it or..."

Thunderstryke looked up indignantly. "By no means - I want every last scrap of this hardware to go with us!"

"Your wish is my command," Imp said with an ingratiating grin and a defiant sneer. Using his extra-dimensional powers, Imp simply folded himself, Thunderstryke and the computer equipment away - along with the specially altered chip he'd implanted.

*At last!* he thought. *This could be the beginning of the end for both Thunderstryke _and_ Darklord!*
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Neutron worked furiously, putting what medical training he had towards saving the life of the one girl that Vixen had inadvertently maimed. "Come on, come on, stabilise..."

A paramedic ran over. "What happened?"

"Psychic..." Neutron stopped. "Blunt force trauma to the head."

The medic winced. "What hit her? Man, I hope you plant those monsters!" The paramedic pused the hero away, and took over.

Neutron walked back to where Corey was. "Wait here. I'm going in."

"Now hold on," Corey protested. "We don't know what's going on in there, Brick's still out-"

"Actually, I'm better now." Brick staggered over, still unsteady from the effects of the venom.

"Guess Toxin had to do a rush job. Lucky for me."

"You still look like someone used you as a welcome mat at a tapdancing marathon."

Brick smiled at Corey's faint jibe. "Join us when you're ready...no, wait, you're out for...?"

Corey nodded. "Few hours, yeah."

Brick and Neutron shared a glance. "Alright. We go in, get the rest of the Elite out. You heal up
as much as you can. If we don't make it out, call the National Guard out and level the place. And place a call to this number. If we can't handle Gormas, he's the next best thing to do the job."

Corey glanced at the number. "Right. Good luck."

***

The demon stormed down the lane, wrecking any inanimate object that contacted his body. Not through fists or brimstone; so enraged was Gormas that his mere aura was enough to decay anything that got too close.

Thunderstryke. The name burned at his mind. He would eat that one's heart. Then, bit by tiny bit, his soul. And if he had to tear this world apart to do so, what of it?

There were plenty more realities out there to conquer.
***
Vixen and Enigma ducked, dodged, and weaved around the maggot-things that were clawing for their life energy. “Scatter,” Vixen snarled, resisting the urge to launch an attack at the summoned creatures. “You go left, I’ll take straight ahead!” Enigma nodded quietly. Both paused for a second, letting the leeches start to move towards them. Fortunately, these creatures lacked intelligence, being almost completely focussed on seeking and absorbing energy.

Without a word, the two warriors moved, catching the incoming monsters off guard. Vixen gracefully danced between two, hopped over a third, and jumped out a window. Enigma, being more straightforward, ploughed through one wall, then a second, exiting the building in spectacular fashion.

“Alright,” Enigma called. “Vixen, I’m clear…Vixen?” Enigma looked around, then spotted Vixen heading off after Gormas. “Hades.” She ran over to where Neutron and the others were. While she was inside, several members of the SWAT team had arrived and, having been apprised of the situation, were sealing all the entrances they could.

“Enigma…” Neutron started.

“Vixen’s after Thunderstryke. Blast that Wight! He offered her Pa…” Enigma stopped, realizing that they were in the open.

Brick looked grim. “We’d better stop her.” He saw Neutron open his mouth, and silenced him with a glare. “We don’t cross that line. Not for revenge.”

“Right.” Neutron blanched. “Wait, she’s following Gormas? Well, problem solved. Silvercat’s leading him off…ah nuts.”

“Back to Thunderstryke, right.” Corey finished. He struggled up. “Water.” Confused glances.

“WATER. I can heal quicker, ‘slong as there aren’t any sharks about.”

Brick glanced around, and spotted a hydrant. Running over, he twisted the cap off, letting a stream of water out. Corey dragged himself over, and, drenched in water, screamed in agony as he forced his regenerative powers into overdrive. After 30 seconds of screaming, he staggered out.

The remaining Elite started over, but Corey held a hand up. “Faster, but hurts like all get out. You go on ahead, I’ll…catch up.”

--

Silvercat ran, danced, and twisted, dodging the various supernatural attacks that Gormas hurled at her. Just ahead was…

Ah yes. –There- was Imp and Thunderstryke.

--

"Well, Boy-Thundy, it’s been a slice,” Baron Imp mocked, “but I should dash. Have fun with Gormas!” With a flourish, he left.

“Impudent-“ he stopped as something big, red, and demonic piled through the wall he had been hiding behind. Gormas had arrived. “Ah, Gormas. Been well?”

“TAG!” Silvercat shouted, dashing past Gormas and smacking Thunderstryke across the back, then bounding clear. “Play nice, you two!”

//Just what a demon summoner deserves,// Michael’s voice echoed in Silvercat’s mind.

Thunderstryke glanced at Silvercat, then at Gormas again, impressed, as always, by the sheer power the demon radiated. “It seems you are a bit early, Gormas. But that’s alright, I have come to expect such things in this line of work.”

//Is this guy for real,// everyone on the link asked simultaneously. //Get clear,// Michael directed. //I think this just went bad.//

“Pathetic mortal,” Gormas thundered. “I shall rend your body!” His hand came down, slamming into the ground as Thunderstryke dodged backwards, grabbing something from one of the boxes Baron Imp had teleported over. A small compartment on his armour opened, and he quickly placed it inside. “This time, I shall be the one draining your power, fool!” A gout of flame spilled out of Gormas’ mouth, striking Baron Thunderstryke.

And disappeared, drawn into the Baron by some sort of shimmering field. Grinning, the Baron stepped forward, wound up, and struck Gormas a mighty blow. “How?” the demon demanded, pitched backwards by the impossibly powerful strike.

“The chip, you otherworldly oaf!” the Baron taunted. “I have modified this chip to allow me to draw power from any supernatural creature. Such as Darklord. Or yourself.

Now, shall we dance?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Hi-oh Silver…AWAY!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=