For his part, Lazarus was brandishing a large knife in his right hand. The blade was ancient and, according to legend, had once been used to kill a large werewolf that had been preying on young children in Manchester, England. There was nothing particularly powerful about the weapon but Lazarus had found it useful on several occasions.
Catalyst waited for a signal from Lazarus. Though it had never been stated outright, it was generally assumed that Gray was the leader of this expedition. Andre was, after all, operating on the other man’s turf.
Lazarus gave a curt nod and Catalyst went to work. The old man channeled the eldritch energy that existed within him and pushed it towards the wall. The brick shimmered and then vanished, revealing a room that was about 12 x 12 feet in size. In the very center was a surprisingly ornate pedestal upon which sat The Unnervum. The pedestal was covered in carved symbols, many of which seemed to glow with a soft blue light, illuminating the room. The Unnervum itself glowed as well, but it was a subtler thing, and within its glass confines images swirled of things both dark and frightening.
Andre paused. “Perhaps you should stay out here,” he warned. “If something dire happens to me, I’m dead already. The worst case would be that my time is up and my power would return to the ether.”
“As far as I’m concerned, death is nothing to fear. I’ve been there and back.”
“Your death was a metaphorical one, my friend. Richard Winthrop may have ceased to exist but your physical body never truly went away.” Andre flashed his most winning smile. “Besides, you are now a married man. I would feel terrible if I took that lovely woman’s husband away from her. Stay here. Watch. If I need help, I won’t hold it against you for giving me assistance.”
Lazarus took a deep breath and agreed.
Catalyst took one step into the room and then all hell broke loose. A crackling field of energy shot forth from The Unnervum, striking Catalyst with such force that he was lifted off his feet and sent flying backwards. He landed on his back, grunting as the air was driven from his lungs.
Almost immediately, creatures formed out of the air, taking on humanoid shape. There were five of them, perfectly matching the number of heroes on the scene. These monsters had two arms, two legs and a central trunk topped by a head but that was the end of their similarity to humanity. Their skin was mottled and rough like a reptile’s and their faces were smooth and somewhat moist-looking, with only tiny slits for eyes and a mouth. Their hands were long, with tapered fingers that ended in razor-sharp claws.
They were completely noiseless as they emerged from the room and attacked. Lazarus and Eun fell back, not wanting to be overwhelmed by the creatures before their companions could join the fray. It was a wise decision because Catalyst was on his feet in seconds, joined by Morgan and Samantha.
Lazarus shouted, “Be careful with your guns! Don’t accidentally shoot one of us!”
Morgan nodded and took aim at the closest of the things. He fired two shots, both of which hit home directly in the center of the creature’s forehead. The bullets sank in and seemed to be swallowed up by the goop that comprised its facial features. “Uh-oh,” Morgan mused. He glanced over as Samantha was discovering the same thing. Bullets that struck the monsters’ lower body bounced off, ricocheting dangerously in the enclosed quarters, while the ones that struck their heads vanished into the clay-like substance.
Eun was taking the more direct route. He was punching and kicking with all his might. Unfortunately, his blows were having no more effect than did the bullets. Each strike did more to hurt his own hands than anything else and when he backed away, his limbs were tingling in pain.
Lazarus’ blade struck home again and again but it, too, was useless.
Only Catalyst seemed to have any effect and even his magic blasts were only staggering the creatures. “Any ideas, Mr. Gray?” he asked, shouting over the sounds of gunfire and the grunting of Eun.
Instead of answering, Lazarus took action. He avoided the worst part of a swipe from his opponent’s claws, ignoring the stinging pain as a gash was opened up on his shoulder. He dove into the room, headed straight for The Unnervum. The monsters had seemingly emerged from nowhere but he suspected that they did have a point of origin: the same one from whence the blue energy had come.
Catalyst saw what was happening and inwardly flinched. He had wanted to be the first to handle the cursed object, not out of personal hubris but because he feared the effect it could have on the others. Still, there was no turning back now. He brought up an arm and blocked a punch from his enemy, the force of the blow sending a shock of pain that went all the up to his head. “Hold them off for a minute more!” he yelled to the others.
The advice was unnecessary. Each of the Assistance Unlimited members were doing their utmost to defeat the creatures. Samantha had abandoned her pistol and was using judo to toss her opponent to the floor. She kept it there with a flurry of kicks but she knew that the monster would inevitably rise.
Morgan, meanwhile, was in a bad way. A powerful blow to the side of the head had rocked his senses and left him dazed. Now he was trying to fend off two of them, as the one that Lazarus had abandoned had now joined the creature he’d been fighting. The two of them raked Morgan’s flesh again and again, ruining his shirt and leaving glistening red lines on his skin.
Eun saw all of this and lowered his shoulder, driving like a football player straight into the side of one of the monsters. It drove the beast into the one next to him and both toppled over. The young Korean spun about just in time to catch the arm of his own enemy, the claws of which had been just about to descend in a killing blow. “Not trying to rush you, Lazarus, but this isn’t going well!”
Lazarus heard his friend’s cry but he couldn’t move any faster than he already was. The air around The Unnervum was as thick as molasses and every step he took required a tremendous burst of strength. It seemed to take forever before his outstretched hand seized the crystal ball and yanked it off the pedestal.
That simple action had an immediate effect. The creatures that had been bedeviling his companions vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. The strange energy distortion that had surrounded The Unnervum was gone, as well.
But the worst of it was what was happening to Lazarus. He screamed, a soul-rending sound that was unlike anything his friends had ever heard from him before. They stared in horror as he fell to his knees, the strange crystal ball held tightly against his chest. His eyes were open but they were completely white, with no sign of the mismatched green and brown orbs that they were normally.
Samantha rushed to his side but she was prevented from reaching out to him by Catalyst, who swept her up into his arms.
“No! Do not touch him! We have to trust him to come through this on his own!”
“But what’s happening to him?”
“He’s communing with The Unnervum. It’s showing him something. I don’t know what it is but we have to pray that it’s going to help us get some answers.”
The mind and soul of Lazarus Gray were now some place beyond the mortal realm.
He stood before a lake of some kind but it was not water that lapped at the shore. It was thick and pus-like, with an odor that reminded Lazarus of an open sore. The sky was a muddy brown color and was completely featureless. The landscape was cracked and dry, with only a few dead trees to be seen.