by The Eurostar, I'm Not Mister Mxypltk and Danny
The world was going fuzzy, because the world was gone.
It was the second round for Aurochs with MBL Consulting. The previous time he was not defeated. Alone among his comrades, he had never been defeated. Unlike K'tl, unlike Ma Kalunga, unlike Dr. Zachary Knell, and the Scorpion brothers, he had never suffered defeat at the hand of the MBL.
The previous time, however, his full victory was stolen. How, he didn't know. But just when the heroes were about to be banished to the netherworld, they arrived (magically?) back at their own home, safely.
This time, he swore his victory would be full. He only among his comrades knew the power of the new MBL Consulting recruits, the power of the bald one, the monk, he who was friend of the Earth. He knew that cutting that man from the Earth was the key for victory.
And so, Aurochs, now twenty years younger and at full force, made the powerful spell he was able to, one that he had never dared to make before.
A few arcane words, some strange waving of the hands, one spit on the ground and some humid grain of soil modeled between the fingers.
And the world became fuzzy, and the MBL and their nemeses were transported away, away from Earth, away from time, away from space, away from dimensions.
They were taken to the crossroads of every creations, to the place where everything existed and never had.
They were taken to a place were infinite stairs intersected at impossible angles, and from arches of every shape and materials an endless row of strange amphibians moved, each of them bringing on their back the last things seen by dying humans.
They were taken to the Castle of Crossed Destinies.
Back on La Perdita:
"I think I see something on fire over there," Shirley Francis said as the car moved closer to the top of the hill where the team was supposed to be. "But I don't see any fight..."
"I don't see our friends, either," said Naecken in the back seat.
"Oh, my God -- that thing on fire is the van!" Shirley exclaimed.
"Do you think our friends are in there?" Naecken asked.
"Are you kidding? With all the powers these guys have, a little fire like that shouldn't stop them."
When the car reached the top, Naecken and Shirley saw a hole in reality itself floating in the air.
"What is that?" Shirley asked.
"A portal," Naecken answered. "Our friends must be on the other side!"
"Oh, great..."
Most of the combatants were situated on a bridge some countless miles above nowhere. At either end of the bridge was the Castle of Crossed Destinies, and quite an impressive castle it was.
Below the bridge... nothing. Nothing that anyone could see, anyway.
Something streaked across the top of the Castle, creating nothing but a red blur. A blue blur followed quickly after it.
The blurs moved along the bridge and up onto the opposite wall of the Castle. Then they disappeared into the bowels of the building.
Tobias Christopher had only moments ago escaped his rat wheel trap when, by pure luck, Pete Glover stumbled onto it, somehow causing its built-in sonics to shatter it completely. Tobias was now locked in a race with the Blue Scorpion.
And the Red Scorpion had his sights set on the injured Danny Hearn.
Danny rested on all fours, trying to catch his breath. He placed a hand gingerly on his chest, testing it. He winced in pain and thought, Yup, definitely a broken rib. Well, that sucks.
He looked up and found himself the subject of the Red Scorpion's malevolent gaze. Danny looked to his left, off the edge of the bridge. Nothing. Nothing for what looked like miles, although it was hard to judge distance when looking into nothing. Danny looked to his right at the Red Scorpion, poised for battle. Danny didn't have high hopes for a direct confrontation between the two.
"Well... trapped between a rock and a hard place," Danny muttered.
"Which one am I?" The Scorpion asked as he swung his huge leg into Danny's chest, kicking him off the side of the bridge.
Danny landed in a forest after what felt like a remarkably short fall. He looked up and noticed that the bridge was only twenty meters or so above him. He could still hear the other guys on it. How very... odd, he thought. This forest wasn't here when I looked down from the bridge.
Ah, crap. The Scorpion is following me. The Red Scorpion followed Danny off the side of bridge. Either he could see the forest where Danny couldn't, or he really didn't care how far he had to fall.
The Scorpion landed on his feet with a thud. He craned his neck, seemingly trying to hear and see as much as he could. He stepped forward slowly, hunting for Danny.
He walked right next to Danny without even knowing it. Ah, shit... he's looking through the bushes... don't look there... Crap.
The Scorpion found Danny's clothes, hidden under some bushes. "The hell...? He's naked?" he said softly. He walked slowly back the way he came, taking care with each step. He knew Danny was near somewhere.
Now, the Red Scorpion didn't know this, but Danny was nestled in some low-hanging branches mere inches away from his head. And he wasn't breathing. He just realised this. I don't think I've taken a breath for a minute. The Scorpion was right in front of Danny and didn't know it.
Danny leaped out, latching himself onto the Scorpion's back. He quickly jabbed his hand into his opponent's neck, releasing what he hoped was a paralyzing spider venom into the Scorpion's bloodstream. Danny jumped off and stood back.
The Scorpion staggered, but didn't fall. He lumbered toward Danny slowly. He raised his club-like arm, only to receive a blow from a remarkably similar club-like arm approaching him from behind.
Sam Dawson stood over the unconscious form of the Scorpion.
"Thanks for the save, man," Danny said.
"Well, if you hadn't slowed him down, I wouldn't have gotten close," Sam replied.
"We'll call it a team effort, then."
"Sounds good. Um... Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are you green? And not wearing any clothes?"
"Uh... sorry. Reverse the chameleon skin, Hal..."