by T5
On the way over to Zveidi's castle, Mr. Smith could feel himself growing within. His power levels were as they ever had been and more. He had never felt better in his whole life. Those bastards on La Perdita Island would pay for their insolence, and pay in blood.
"You're having that smug look on your face again," observed Zveidi.
"Huh? Heh heh... I'm just thinking about my little gift that I will give those moronic heroes on La Perdita. Isn't that what you're after, as well?"
Zveidi smiled and patted him on the back. "Not even close, my friend... not even close." And with that, she left Smith with a perplexed look on his face.
Naecken was outside testing the abilities of the T5 unit. Explosions and beam shots could be heard even inside the castle. "Impressive. The ones who created you sure knew what they were doing."
"Yes. My Quadinc masters are an advanced race."
"Maybe... but not very effective." Naecken's mind was full of plans for the return to the mortal realm. Everything had to be set up right. Oh, it would be wonderful.
After a week's worth of recuperating and planning, the team of Naecken, Zveidi, T5, K'tl, Ma Kalunga, and Mr Smith went out toward the barren wastelands of dust. They flew in a construct resembling an open flying saucer, the barren lands passing underneath.
Their thoughts weren't really on the task at hand. Naecken was wondering about the weird nagging feeling in his subconscious. It felt like someone else was in there trying to get out, someone powerful. Zveidi thought of all the wonderful slaves she would turn to her cause. T5 didn't think at all, just following the course directions given to him. K'tl felt strange, out of place; he shouldn't be here, and certainly not helping these weirdos. Why not? Something wasn't right. Ma Kalunga wondered how her disciples on the island were doing. Mr. Smith felt his need for revenge grow with each minute. Soon, very soon, the poofs on La Perdita Island were going to feel his hellish wrath.
Their trip took about two hours, and after some reorientation on Naecken's part, they found the mountain where he as Lord Kwaiziel had been snatched away the first time.
No one said anything as they landed on the summit and disembarked. They just watched the gray landscape that surrounded them.
Mr. Smith broke the silent moment. "Man, this is one place I sure won't miss."
Zveidi laughed. "You've got that right, my dear. Just think of all the wonders we will accomplish on the other side." And with that, she turned to Ma Kalunga. "Prepare the gate spell."
The gate opened with a swoosh and a loud bang. The fifth-dimensional magic by the little man and the woman was proving to be just what Naecken had hoped, a circle of aquamarine flames that swarmed around a gaping hole in reality.
Inside, a twirling mass of gas and lights moved as if alive, but this didn't faze Zveidi, who smiled and said, "Okay, fellow travelers, let's do the dance cosmic."
Mr. Smith gave her an uneasy look.
They moved forward, but suddenly K'tl hesitated, with his hands against his head. "Hnnnng!" He sat down on his knees.
Ma Kalunga came up to him. "Come on, we'll take care of it later. We don't want the gate to close." She lifted the man in her arms. Mr. Smith came over to help.
Naecken looked at Zveidi and grinned. "Let's do it."
He and Zveidi suddenly gave the trio a huge blast of infernal energies that sent them through the gate with screams and flapping arms.
"Where will they turn up?" asked Zveidi.
"Who cares? It was their power that helped open the gate. Now they have served their purpose. They will survive, I'm sure of it. Heh heh heh. What doesn't kill you will probably just... almost kill you. Ha ha heh heh heh."
Laughing, they reconfigured the gate and saw the twirling gasses again, but this time they were paler, almost white. Naecken took her hand and led her and T5 through the gate.
The pain was incredible, the terrible pain of suddenly being turned inside out.
K'tl smiled to himself. Try to trick me, eh? I hope they enjoyed the parting gift I left for them. Who did they think he was, anyway? Helping a demon and his insane partner enter into the mortal realm? Never.
Trouble was that the gift had sucked out the remaining energies in him for quite awhile. So he drifted in the ethereal gas in the between space of the realms, knowing he had found his true self again, almost too late, but only almost.
The beach where he suddenly appeared was full of palms with coconuts, and the sun was shining. And finally K'tl was home on Earth.
A newspaper drifted past him, and he caught it. The Phillipines. He was in the Phillipines. And with a content smile, he fainted.
Ma Kalunga turned up on a small balcony in Hell's Kitchen, causing an obese cat to fall down from its sleeping ledge in panic.
She was back, and a perfect place to build up her forces was right under her nose. Thank the fates. She entered the apartment and killed the family there without a sound. Her new home proved to be quiet cozy. She smiled.
Mr. Smith looked around. What was that terrible smell? He groped around in the darkness, only to find something slimy and slippery in his hand. It was a fish.
He threw it away, and suddenly the doors opened, letting the sun reveal a huge storage house on a dock. Several fishermen entered.
Mr. Smith smiled. Food.
T5 managed to get a grip on both of the screaming demons as they plunged through the ether, keeping them together.
But Naecken's mind was in a state of chaos, and he screamed again. Then something within him called out, "Eurostar... Antarctica... domination... help!"
It seemed like ages before they erupted from the gate, only to land face first in deep, cold snow. They had arrived, and as soon as they could gather their thoughts, they would begin the domination game.