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Chapter 13: Darkness Falls Across the Land As Jack regained consciousness, he could feel the restraints on his wrists and ankles. He was being held upright in the center of a ring of obsidian. “Jack!” The voice pierced through Jack’s ears as he struggled to focus. He looked across from him and saw Moth attached in a similar structure. “Moth! Are you okay?” Moth gave a side eye look at her restraints. “Oh, just great. Tied up to an alter about to be sacrificed. How’s your evening been so far?” Jack looked around the chamber and saw the other members of Night Shift, each trapped in their own ring. A metallic door slid open and Nekra and her acolytes walked in. Bringing up the rear was Brother Ernest, carrying a chain wrapped around Hannibal King’s wrists. He grinned up at the trapped Night Shift. “Bonsoir, brothers and sisters. So sorry that your friend, what was it you called him? Hangman? So sorry he won’t be joining us. I’m sure you are saddened by his passing.” “Actually he was kind of a prick!” Digger shouted. Nekra held up a hand to stop Ernest from replying. She shook her head as she walked around the circle of rings before stopping at Shroud’s. “My fellow children of Kali, the ultimate transcendence is upon us! Our mother shall finally walk upon the mortal plane, and wreak her vengeance on the world! All praise Kali!” “All praise Kali!” the acolytes chanted. Shroud’s face remained expressionless. Nekra reached out to touch his face. “And as it is written, Kali’s return must come with a sacrifice. She has blessed her children with powers to sow fear and despair among her enemies. And as they master her gifts, they grow in power. And now, these lives will be offered back to Kali, and she shall use their power to complete salvation!” “You’re out of your mind!” Nekra turned to glare at Hannibal who looked defiantly at her. Ernest yanked the chain and sent Hannibal sprawling to the ground. Ushas and Shaya knelt over him. “This one has much fire in him, sister,” Ushas hissed. “Can we play with him, sister?” Shaya said, letting the edge of her morning star touch his throat. “Sister Shaya! Sister Ushas! Stand down!” Nekra’s features grew animalistic for a moment when she shouted, before she controlled herself and walked to Hannibal. “This human, this supposed warrior of justice, will be one of the first victims of Kali’s wrath. He shall bear witness to the end of all things.” Hannibal’s eyes burned with hatred as stared at Nekra. “I swear, if you people hurt Terri I’m gonna kill you! I don’t care if you’re bringing Kali or the Tooth Fairy!” Nekra chuckled. “Brave words, from a foolish man. But that’s all you have. Words and breath to speak them. And soon you shall have neither. Brother MODOK! Brother Johnathan!” Hannibal was dragged out of the circle to make room for the creature in the chair and Ohn. “Is everything prepared, brothers?” “The generators are uplinked to my chair. I am ready to increase Dr. Ohn’s powers.” Ohn looked nervous at Nekra. “Um, this isn’t going to hurt is it?” Nekra ignored Ohn and raised her hands to the ceiling. “Then let the ultimate transcendence begin! All praise Kali!” The acolytes and thuggee gathered around the circle and echoed the chant. “All praise Kali! All praise Kali! All praise Kali!” MODOK fired a beam of energy into Ohn’s chest. He screamed in pain, falling to his knees. “Oh, Kali! We have already given you the lives of those arrogant scientists! Let our worship bring you back to us! All praise Kali!” Wyndham, Tombstone, and Bushwacker stood on the observation deck, looking over the ritual. “Do you really believe this crap?” Tombstone asked Wyndham. Wyndham remained stone-faced watching Ohn. “I am a scientist, Mr. Lincoln. I believe in continuing an experiment to it’s conclusion. If this Kali is as powerful as these people claim, it would be better for all of us to be seen as useful to her cause.” Bushwacker clutched at his gun arm. “Or be ready for a hell of a fight.” Ohn’s head snapped back as he screamed at the ceiling. Above the circle, a large portal began to open. Jack could see pinpoints of stars amid the blackness, and the sound of a woman’s wail. “Accept our sacrifice, great Kali!” Nekra raved. “Let the power you entrusted to us return to you again!” Shafts of black lightning shot from the portal and struck the entrapped Night Shift. The sounds of their agony filled the lab, as energy began flowing from their bodies into the rift. “Brother Max!” Dansen cried out. Shroud gritted his teeth to try to resist the pain. “Dansen! Hold on! You have to use the spellaaaaaaaaaaaargh!” But then more lightning bolts emerged and struck the acolytes. Bushwacker looked worried as the cultists started to fall to ground. “What the hell is this? I thought these nuts were on Kali’s side!” Ushas and Shaya crawled across the floor and looked pleadingly up at Nekra. “Please, sister!” Shaya begged through the pain. “We are loyal to Kali! We are loyaaargh!” Nekra smirked at the two women. “Fools! I am Kali’s high priestess! I am the one who will bring about her transcendence! It has been promised to me! The power of the goddess will be mine! And mine alone!” The energy continued to rise into the darkness. With a mighty roar Misfit pulled against his restraints. The metal began to buckle before snapping. Misfit fell out of the ring, but still was being struck by the pulses. He gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of the broken ring and lifted it over his head. “You want power? Have some of this!” He hurled the ring at Nekra, only for a new pulse to shoot from the rift and envelope her. The wreckage rebounded off the light and struck Jack and Dansen’s ring. The two rings shattered and Jack and Dansen fell limp. With Ernest incapacitated by Kali’s hunger, Hannibal pulled his chains from the acolyte’s grip and ran to them. Nekra laughed maniacally as the dark energy flowed into her. “She’s here! She’s here! Come to me, Bringer of Doomsday! Let me be your vessel, and bring forth the age of darkness!” Out of Ohn’s portal, a shadow began to emerge. It rolled out like mist and filled the lab. Jack crawled to Dansen’s side, eyes wide at the scene. “What’s happening to her?” “This is the ultimate transcendence,” Dansen said grimly. “Kali is using us to pull herself closer to our plane of existence. And she’ll use Nekra to sustain herself here.” A bone chilling wail came from the portal. Everyone gazed in terror as a figure began to emerge through the darkness. It was in the form of a blue skinned woman with wild hair and a lolling tongue. She was draped in a necklace of skulls, and she held a sword in each of her four arms. The lower half of her body was obscured in smoke, and she hovered above Nekra. Black energy shimmered around Nekra’s body as she mirrored Kali raising her arms to the sky in victory. “At last!” Nekra and Kali said in unison. “No longer shall I be kept from my vengeance! Gods and man shall die by my hands! It is the will of Kali!” “We got to get out of here,” said Hannibal to Dansen. “There’s no way we can fight that… thing!” “There’s only one way,” Dansen said, as she fought to her feet. Nekra/Kali looked at Dansen in disgust. “Ah, the traitor. Kali gave you your blessing, insect! Bow down and accept your fate!” Dansen stood at the ready. “You gave me power, abomination. And taught me to master it. But your host should know that I took those manuscripts foretelling your return. I have prepared for this day.” Nekra/Kali laughed mockingly. “Your preparation is meaningless, woman! No mortal or god can stand against Kali!” “Perhaps,” Dansen said, raising her arms. “But a goddess can!” Dansen went into a series of spins and leaps. Jack strained to Shroud’s ring and struggled to undo the restraints. “What is she doing?” Hannibal lifted up the restraint to allow Shroud to drop free. “The manuscripts that Dansen stole,” Shroud said shakily. “They told that the cult would free Kali by opening a portal to the celestial plane. If the cult can use the portal to summon a goddess, so can we.” Jack and Hannibal watched as Dansen continued weaving the spell. “Another goddess?” aske Hannibal. “Who?” Shroud’s sightless gaze fell on Dansen. “The one goddess that can defeat Kali.” Nekra/Kali pointed a commanding finger at Dansen. “Stop this at once! Obey the will of Kali or die! Obey!” Dansen gave a last look at Nekra/Kali. Then gave a cry of exertion as she thrusted her right hand into the air to complete the spell. A blinding light shot down from the rift. Nekra/Kali howled in pain and shielded their eyes. Hannibal and Jack stumbled to Tatterdemalion’s ring and undid the restraints. When the light faded, Dansen Macabre was standing tall. And hovering above her, shrouded in light, was another figure. She was draped in silks and each of her 10 arms brandished a weapon. Nekra/Kali hissed at the interloper. “Durga,” Tatterdemalion breathed. “Just like in the scroll! The other form of Parvati! The warrior goddess!” Durga pointed a trident at Nekra/Kali, and Dansen raised her arm in unison. “Kali! Shiva has heard the call of these mortals! Return to the plane of your imprisonment, or face the judgement of the heavens!” Nekra/Kali roared and raised their swords high and Dansen/Durga rushed to meet them. Digger looked on in amazement. “Whoa. I wonder where they buy sweaters that have enough arms for these two?” OK: Nekra and Dansen are bound to Kali and Durga respectively. They have their powers, combined the powers of the goddesses. Can the mad plot of the cult of Kali be stopped? Stay Tuned and Find Out! Game On!