Evil Strikes Anew
Prologue
by Cybat
Durand winced as his companion pounded the nearby table. After a year of putting up with his friend's temper tantrums, he decided it was time for them to stop.
"Marek, stop this! You're acting like a child!" he shouted.
Marek looked up at Durand with blazing eyes. "Stay out of this, Durand," he sighed, "It's none of your business."
Durand glared. "I'm making it my business. Are you still mad about-"
"Yes!" Marek bellowed. "Of course I'm still mad. Master Hand has wronged me for the last time, and he will pay!"
"That was a year ago, Marek, and it wasn't his fault," Durand replied gently. "Get over it."
Marek shook his head. "I don't think so, Durand. You wouldn't understand."
Durand shook his head. He understood all too well. He remembered clearly, as Marek did, the day when Marek was traveling with his family on vacation. Durand was monitoring their safety from home, just in case. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Master Hand appeared in a flash. Marek's two children flinched and staggered backward into a huge pit. Durand was completely helpless, and Master Hand apologized profusely and tried to go save them, but it was too late. Marek's wife committed suicide a few weeks later, and Marek never forgave Master Hand.
"Let it go, Marek. We have more important things to worry about."
"Do we? Like what?"
He had a point. Marek and Durand, the top policemen in their dimension, had terminated every criminal operation around, and were left with nothing to do except rescue the occasional lost pet.
"You have to stop thinking about-"
"Don't tell me what to think about, Durand. That-that monstrosity has gone unpunished for too long."
Preparing for the inevitable reaction, Durand sighed. His friend since high school was talented and powerful, but very impulsive.
"I'm going to avenge my family," Marek announced. "Now."
Durand groaned heavily. He was afraid of this. "Let me come with you, Marek. I could help."
There was a long pause. Marek seemed to be frozen in the middle of his tirade. Durand looked at him intently.
"All right, you can come. But don't get in the way."
Durand's heart leaped. Maybe he could still convince Marek to change his mind.
Penumbra grinned as he watched the friends' conversation from his secret lair. He knew he had found his minions. He walked confidently over to his mind well.
The black-gloved hand of Penumbra reached into the well and emerged with a handful of some sort of liquid. Penumbra drank it quickly and laughed evilly. He had never taken this much from the mind well before, but he would need as much psychic power as he could handle.
Penumbra then walked over to his wardrobe and picked out his favorite black cloak. Covering as much of his body as possible, Penumbra ended up looking even more like a mysterious shadow than he had planned. He teleported away excitedly.
Marek and Durand appeared back in the forest where the accident had occurred. "Look for any clues, Durand." Marek insisted. "We'll find him."
Throughout the interdimensional ship ride, Durand had tried to convince Marek of his unnecessary brutality, but Marek was intractable. Eventually Durand had given up and silenced himself, which Marek took as agreement.
Suddenly, Durand screamed. Marek rushed over to help his friend, and was immediately confronted by a mysterious shadow.
"Who are you?" he shouted. "What do you-"
The shadow extended his hand, and the two friends remembered nothing afterward.
They awoke later, on some sort of ship.
Penumbra turned around happily. "Oh, you're awake. How do you feel?"
"How…can…we…serve…you…master?" Marek asked.
"What…do…you…wish?" Durand put in.
Penumbra chuckled. "Wonderful," he muttered. "With Marek's innate motivation, I will be able to prove myself to the Council of Telepaths by defeating this Master Hand."
He laughed, and his new minions laughed with him, as the ship rocketed away.