by I'm Not Mister Mxypltk, GoozX and The Eurostar
By now M'xy was nothing but a small light, while K'tl was an almost-complete dark moon. But just when the light started blinking, the darkness convulsed.
"What?!" K'tl exclaimed. "What's going on here? Where's my power going?" Seeing that K'tl was distracted, M'xy started backing out.
Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard, followed by a scream. "Is that Smith?" K'tl asked himself as his power continued to decrease.
M'xy began thinking. The only reason he and K'tl could be close to each other was because K'tl was more powerful now. But, if he was losing power...
K'tl looked at M'xy, realizing the same thing. But the smile on M'xy's face told him M'xy was one step ahead of him.
In the exact moment K'tl became M'xy's equal once more, M'xy quickly extended his aura. When the aura touched K'tl, an explosion took the dark being away, and he was lost in the darkness.
"Well, would you look at that," M'xy said. "He did fall for the same trick twice."
After resting for a moment, M'xy started floating to the place where the explosion came, hoping he would find his friends there.
When he reached the place, he saw a man suspended in the air, with his arms opened and a dark energy surrounding him. The man screamed in pain.
"Is this that the Smith K'tl mentioned? It can't be," M'xy said, wondering. "He doesn't look like a Smith. He looks more like a Joe, if you ask me."
Just as M'xy noticed someone that looked like Naecken in the surroundings, the darks energy started growing wilder, sending lightning bolts everywhere.
"NAE! Come over here -- I'll make a funky force field for the both of us!" M'xy yelled, but the being didn't answer.
M'xy looked back at Smith, and noticed his body was being torn apart by the dark energy. Soon, Smith was nothing but ashes.
"Ugh, there goes Mr. Smith," M'xy said.
Right then, the dark energy started taking shape. It took the form of a face: Smith's face.
"SMITH IS DEAD," the dark energy said, its words echoing through the entire Castle of Crossed Destinies. "YOU CAN CALL ME EVIL."
Sam "Shift" Dawson used all the strength he could muster to lift stone after stone off his fallen teammate. His body was battered and weak, his arms mush and his head throbbing. Ignoring the striking pain flowing throughout his body, he continued digging. Finally, he found a hand.
Its black glove was tarred, the hand beneath bloody and motionless. Sam grabbed the hand, frantically searching for a pulse or anything to show signs of life. Nothing. Sam paused and lowered his head. It was too late. Grimm had fallen.
Sam sighed and let his weak body fall back onto the hard granite beside him. Why did this all happen? Tears filled his eyes. Dirty smoke filling his lungs caused him to cough and gasp for air. Attackers who were looking for revenge, some assholes I have never even met. Grimm, Dirk, these guys had no need for revenge against us. NO NEED AT ALL!
"Gonna give up that easy?" a weak hush emitted from beneath the rubble.
"Grimm?" Sam asked, slowly getting back to his feet, pushing himself toward the rubble, where there was now movement. With his last few bits of strength, Sam helped Grimm escape his granite and stone coffin of rubble.
Sam then let his body fall back to the ground. "You okay, Ghost Rider?"
"Yeah buddy, I'm fine." Grimm took Sam's hand, helping him up. "Your face..." Grimm said, remembering Sam's skull-like face the last time he saw him, when it was he who thought Sam was dead. "You're okay?"
"In a matter of speaking," Sam responded. "Yeah. Dirk's not as good off, though. He needs help, and quick."
"Where's Knell?"
"See the spot on the floor by Dirk?"
Grimm smiled and let out a laugh before grimacing in pain, his cracked ribs taking their toll. "Good job, Samuel. Good job, indeed."
Sam hung off the large man's arm, barely able to keep his balance. A trail of blood flowed from his nose, and his face was bruised, his body limp. "Thanks."
Aurochs, hiding in a remote room near a pond of still water, looked dismayed at his hands, which were becoming old, wrinkled and chapped at a very rapid pace. His face, mirrored in the still water, went under the same transformation.
And Aurochs SCREAMED. His newfound youth was gone.
He touched the water. Among the rings on the surface, a scene appeared. Mr. Smith exploded.
Now he was a formless black shadow, and then took the shape of a visage. "You can call me Evil!" the black energy said, speaking to the transdimensional member of MBL Consulting.
Aurochs cried. He was now as old as he was at the end of his first battle with MBL Consulting, old and drained of most of his energies, tired, sick.
And the promise of immortality was gone. If he lacked trust in Smith, now he was completely aware that the new Evil entity would not fulfil any promise.
Aurochs felt lost. What would he do now?
Then his sight fell over the endless row of amphibious beings carrying things along the stairs. He needed a place to hide. He needed to be forgotten, by both the Evil and MBL Consulting.
He went near the beings and paid attention to the things they carried. He smiled and, now reassured, followed them away from the battle, ready to begin the next phase of his life.