Avatar sneered down on the group of travelers at its feet. As the gathering watched, Avatar finished its metamorphosis. Standing at least thirty feet tall and clothed in blood red psionic armor, the amalgamation of Robyyn and Farouk had taken on an almost cat like visage. Its face now held the eyes of a predator above a too snub nose and a mouth that was full of too many impossibly sharp teeth.
"Foolish children," Avatar screamed. "You have no idea of the power we......I wield. Surrender to me now and revel in the pleasure of being my slaves and consorts for eternity. Do not make me possess you all again. I assure you it won't be as pleasant as the first time."
This last comment was meant for Nytshade, who had been under Farouk's will for over 50 years. The beautiful sorceress scowled, and her mind filled with images of acts of debauchery and shame that Farouk had forced her to perform. Never again she vowed.
"You will never touch me again, mind-raper," she screamed. "If you could take us, we would already be in your thrall."
This gave Avatar pause. It was true. After merging, with Robyyn, in the last instant that their psyches were separate, Farouk realized just how many minds Robyyn held in check within her own.....thousands....hundreds of thousands. It appeared even his psionic powers were capable of controlling no more.
"No matter," Avatar thought, "I am stronger than the sum of my parts and after I slay these pathetic weaklings, I will find a way to circumvent these limitations and I will find new worlds to conquer."
Avatar raised a hand and let it fall, releasing a crimson bolt of psionic energy charged with eldritch fire. It seemed to explode all around the assembled group below, rocking all of them off their feet. Deadpool tumbled off the foundations of the pyramid and went sailing into the infinite darkness. Siryn activated her powers and was engulfed in flame. She took flight and streaked after Wade as he fell, catching him just at the moment he was about to disappear into the inky darkness forever.
"There is no solid ground here," she screamed. "Everyone stay close to the pyramid."
This brought them all into action. Silver reached out with his metallurgic abilities and made contact with the base of the pyramid. It held some metallic properties, but seemed to stay aloft in the blackness by some other means. There were no supports, it was simply there. Silver concentrated once again and drained all the trace metals from the base, shaping them into a razor thin yet adamantium strong floor of sorts stretching at least 50 feet in a square around the pyramid. This gave the assemblage at least some room to maneuver, while Avatar rained its blood red energies down around them.
"Everyone, open their mind to me!" Nem screamed over the roar of the battle. "We must attack together."
Nem's mind suddenly embraced all present allowing them wordless communication and all the brave warriors attacked the psi-beast as one. Siryn let loose with a flame burst strong enough to turn a redwood to cinder in seconds. Havok and Psi-Shot each released plasma bursts and psionic daggers in increasing waves. Nytshade, who perhaps, knew to fear the dread creation more than the others, fired a hex bolt and Gomurr increased its power a hundred fold with a spell of his own. Rahsas fired blast after blast from his newly found Anaconza staff as if he was born with the knowledge of its use. Blink and Gregor stood side by side firing energy spikes charged with maximum power, and through it all the rapid firing of Deadpool's machine pistols echoed most loudly of all.
Silver and Grover shielded the three human girls from the fallout of the battle to the best of their abilities using the gauntlets and bracelets they controlled. The din of battle was deafening with the upstarts and black court members utilizing their abilities more than they ever had before. The combined effort of the warriors would have been enough to level 10 city blocks, yet Avatar barely was phased.
"Your efforts are as pitiful as they are futile, children," the psi-beast roared. "Do you really hope to challenge me with your pathetic powers. The fear and anger you pour out only makes me stronger."
With this, Avatar swung its monstrous arm through the air. The resulting air vortex swept Deadpool toward the glowing crystal pyramid, and as he reached out to it to slow his momentum, he suddenly disappeared.
"Wade!!!!" Siryn screamed. "What have you done with him, Avatar."
"Simply sent him to a better place," Avatar laughed.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT," roared Gregor, as he triggered his blast field and hurtled toward Avatar.
Avatar with a lightning fast move that was so out of character with its huge size simply swatted Gregor out of the air and sent him flying into the other side of the pyramid where he also promptly winked out of existence.
"You seem to be dropping like flies in a spider's web," Avatar mocked. "Let's see...who's next."
"We're being wiped completely out," Nem said to Gomurr, "And that thing is just toying with us. There's got to be a way to stop it."
"I think I know the way," said Gomurr almost sadly, " but are we willing to pay the price?"
With that Gomurr, ceased attacking Avatar and rushed hurriedly over to the three girls that were his newest students.
"Bux," he said, "You are the only one that has the power to stop this, before any others are lost."
"Are you mad?" said Silver. "The only thing keeping these girls alive right now is Grover's and my protection. What could they possibly do?"
"More than you know," said Gomurr. "More than you can know."
Gomurr reached out his hand to Bux and she looked at him with the fear of a thousand nightmares in her eyes.
Gomurr said simply, "It's time."
"You're not leavin' without us, Chica." said Rita.
"Like it or not, we're a team, darlin," said Jam.
"Then let us go," said Gomurr pulling each of the girls into the shadows that he teleported through.
"What in the name of heaven is that old man thinking," thought Silver as they faded away.
They trio of girls and Gomurr stepped out of the shadows at the very base of the crystal.
"Now, you must take back what is yours, child of the nexus," Gomurr said to Bux.
"Look dwarf, I'm just a kid, if you want me to do something, you need to speak English," spat Bux.
"I'm afraid, my child, it's just that simple. All of this power you see being used to destroy your friends is yours. You must simply accept it," said Gomurr.
"You must be unstitched, old man. It took everything I had to break free of her power before..and I don't even know how I did that." screamed Bux on the edge of hysterics.
"I do know how though," snapped Gomurr taking her hand and placing it in Rita's and then taking Rita's and placing it in Jam's. "Together, you three girls, stopped Robyyn from performing a spell she has performed time and again over the years. Together......you can defeat this."
A scream split the air as they saw Blink fly by and disappear into the crystal. With each new addition of people into it's mass, the crystal changed from its brilliant white to a deeper red. It's once radiant glow was now tainted by streaks and swirls of crimson.
"How do I know what to do?" screamed Bux in tears.
"I cannot say," said Gomurr patting her shaking shoulder. "I just know simply that you will know the time and the place to take your stand. Now go. You are the hope for us all. Go claim your destiny."
And with that the three girls stepped into the crystal.