Beyond Grim And Evil

General's Log: Meanwhile…

General's Log 001: Everyone is gone…

ECC

Soon enough Skarr came out of the change room, having quickly showered and changed into his military uniform. He looked around then frowned. Wait a minute? Where were the ten patrons who had been here earlier? "Where is everybody?" he questioned Hector curiously.

"I don't have a clue," Hector replied, shrugging. "One minute they were here, then all of a sudden they all left and disappeared."

"Really? Well that's a bit odd, don't you think?" Skarr suspiciously questioned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, suspiciously.

"General, you're too uptight. Live a little! It's a vacation," Hector encouraged.

"Yes sir," Skarr replied, yet the alert expression never left. They walked through the mall towards the shop they'd left Ghastly at. It was so abandoned, so quiet. Something strange was going on, and this time Skarr doubted it had anything to do with his fellow Undertakers. They wouldn't dare test him again after that. They weren't idiots. Then again, he supposed he really didn't pose much of a threat, seeing as they were all immortal. Still… No, this couldn't be them. He just knew it. He was on high alert now. It didn't help that he was already in a bad way. Immortal Triad, it had to be. Why then, did he feel there was something else at play that needed to be feared more?

"Here it is," Hector suddenly said loudly.

Skarr cried out in alarm, startled, then put a hand on his heart, panting. Angrily he demanded, "Do you mind!? Are you trying to give me a heart attack man!?"

Hector, Boskov, and Stomach exchanged glances. "Anxious," Stomach sang.

"Uh huh," Boskov agreed, nodding.

Skarr sighed then grumbled, "Let's just get Ghastly and end this nightmare."

ECC

They entered the shop and gasped, eyes wide in shock, mouths dropped. In front of them was the spa, wide open to their view. They couldn't believe it! A secret spa!? "Well, that was unexpected," Hector remarked.

Skarr shook his head then yelled, seizing Boskov's fur and pulling he and Hector down to his eye level, "A secret spa!? How do you even hide a spa!?"

"I have no clue, but I like it," Hector remarked. "It is a clever hiding spot. I wonder if it is worth the secrecy? Come along General. Ghastly may be inside.

"Yes sir," Skarr agreed, saluting.

As they walked through, Skarr watched for anyone or anything moving. There was no one. He began to shift nervously. Where was Ghastly? They hadn't found her yet. What if… He quickly pushed that thought away. What did he care anyway? Still… Suddenly Hector stopped and blocked Skarr with his arm, asking, "General Skarr, do you hear singing?"

Skarr looked confused, then listened. His eye widened and he replied, "Why, yes. I do believe I do. Quickly, it's coming from the back rooms! Someone's still alive in this godforsaken mall!" Wait, alive? What had prompted him to say alive? He shuddered. Bad omen's, this was not going well. Perhaps he was dreaming. He pinched himself as he ran. No, not dreaming.

"There!" Hector exclaimed, pointing to a door. He walked towards it. Skarr began to follow, but this mall… It was so empty, so-so creepy. He shuddered. It was distracting him.

ECC

Hector, meanwhile, instantly shoved open the door without a second thought and walked in, asking, "Ghastly, are you in here?"

Ghastly screamed from her position, sinking low under the water and bubbles in her bath. "Chief!" she shrieked. Oh what a time for him to walk in. She was bathing! Wait, she was bathing, Hector was here, wow; now she didn't know whether to be thrilled or horrified. But she was covered by bubbles anyway, and Hector wasn't even looking. He walked past her and took in the private spa room, hands on his hips.

"This is it?" he wondered.

"H-Hector, you're not supposed to be in here," Ghastly quickly said.

"Hush Major Doctor, I am evaluating the room," he answered, taking note of the dimensions and furnishings. "Skarr, come in here a moment!" Hector called.

Skarr paused outside it, curious, then walked in, asking, "You called me, Hector?" It was then that he saw Ghastly. He gasped so loudly he doubted his lungs could expand more. His eyes widened larger than ever before, and he stiffened up. Ghastly gaped at him in horrified disbelief.

"Skarr!" she exclaimed in shock.

Skarr felt his mind shutting down almost completely as he tried to stammer, as he blushed redder than he ever even remembered going, "G-Ghastly, y-y-you, bath, we, I, I mean, terribly sorry, we're leaving." He seized Boskov's arm, trying to drag Hector out at the same time he was apologizing. He had no idea how to react to this!

"N-no, i-it's alright. Everyone makes mistakes, right, right!?" she asked, tone rising nervously as she tightly giggled. Gods she was red, she knew she was! Oh immortals, this day had just gone from dream to awkward city!

Hector finally shrugged and turned around to leave, saying, "Meh, it is a mediocre room, but the spa is tres chic." With that he walked out of it, shoving Skarr out of his way. Unfortunately, Skarr tripped over the edge of the bath and with a cry of alarm plunged into it! Ghastly screamed as Skarr came to the surface sputtering. On seeing how close he was to her, he screamed as well.

"Ghastly, I'm sorry!" he cried.

"It's okay, it's okay!" she cried, quickly trying to scramble out.

"Don't get out of the tub woman!" he begged. She realized then what would have been exposed if she had. Wait a minute, every man's dream and Skarr hadn't let her lose herself. Wow, so many others would have. She didn't know whether to be offended at the fact he didn't want to see, or deeply, deeply touched at the respect he'd shown her. Desperately the two forced themselves to calm down, then Skarr calmly—as calmly and with as much left over dignity as possible given the circumstances—climbed out of the tub blushing deeply. He took a deep breath then took down a towel and turned around, holding it up. She swiftly scrambled out and allowed him to wrap the towel around her.

"Th-thanks, you know, for the-the towel, an-and not taking advantage of the situation. If, that's the right word, that is," she replied.

"O-of course," Skarr stammered, taking her folded clothing from the area they'd been placed and handing them to her. She grinned nervously and he smirked, but it instantly fell. Blushing he backed out of the room fearfully. Her grin fell to confusion, then amusement. You know, he really was adorable when he was embarrassed.

ECC

Skarr sighed in relief on leaving the room, leaning against the door. "Skarr, why on Earth are you blushing?" Hector suddenly demanded.

Skarr started. "Blushing? Heaven's no! No blushing, not at all!" he quickly exclaimed.

Just then the door opened and Ghastly walked out smirking. "What's up?" she questioned.

"Skarr is blushing. I do not know why and he refuses to tell," Hector declared.

Ghastly's smile fell and she too blushed. Quickly she covered, grinning and saying, "Oh let him be chief. So, what's next?"

"We continue on, what else?" Hector declared, beckoning for his two minions to follow him. Getting in line, Skarr and Ghastly did just that. "So, let us get back to planning world domination," Hector began.

"All right chief, we're listening," Ghastly enthusiastically declared.

"Quite," Skarr unenthusiastically said.

"All right, here is what we will do…" he began. All of a sudden they heard a whooshing sound, then Hector stopped right in the middle of his sentence. The two gasped and looked at him. He had been turned to ice!

"Hector!" they both exclaimed in alarm, racing in front to look at him.

ECC

The two minions turned quickly, looking around for the origin of the thing that had turned Hector to ice. They never saw it, but all at once another group of blasts shot down the hallway! They cried out in alarm and dove behind a makeshift fort of barrels and crates. The blasts echoed all around them. Suddenly the noises stopped. After a moment the two dared to exit. Nothing. "Chief!" Ghastly exclaimed, running to Hector and falling over him, trying to find some way to help him, frightened over what had become of her infatuation.

"Great, a brainsicle," Skarr complained, coming out and standing next to them, disdainfully looking down at Hector. "Of course Hector would be the idiot to be hit. Boskov makes for a wide target."

"Wait! Maybe a kiss will work! You know, like in those fairy tales," Ghastly suggested.

"True loves first kiss? Oh please, Ghastly, tell me you're not that far gone. That's only a story," Skarr declared.

"Save it pal!" she shot, obviously agitated. "Hector, chief, I'm going to kiss you now, okay? Maybe it'll work." Skarr scoffed. She frowned at him but knelt down, kissing the brain in the jar anyway, long and hard. Skarr blinked then scowled angrily, jealously, and dragged her off of him with one arm, saying, "All right that's enough! We get the picture! So much for that brilliant plan! Hurry up Major. We need to find a solution."

"Okay, sheesh, what got under your skin?" she replied.

ECC

The two entered the mall once more, leaving the spa and sweet shop. They gasped on seeing what was out there, however. People. That in itself wasn't a shocker, but these ones seemed dazed. They were groaning and dizzily staggering, but they weren't heading anywhere. Cautiously the two walked down the corridor. "My gosh, what happened out here?" Skarr mused, passing a moaning patron who began to make wheezing and coughing sounds.

"I don't like this," Ghastly stated, pulling closer to the General.

"Neither do I," Skarr stated, unsheathing his rapier and holding it tight as they walked down. It was so quiet, so eerie, so wrong. These people should at least be blinking.

All at once they heard a low growl and gasped, looking quickly up. Silence. After a long moment Ghastly said, "We have to get out of here."

"Right. Come on, there's the nearest exit," Skarr declared, pointing. Quickly the two moved towards it.

Suddenly a vicious roar was heard. They gasped and froze. Seemingly from nowhere leapt a leopard coming right at them! They cried out in terror, and Skarr realized with a chill that Ghastly was directly in its path! He gasped and raced between the leopard and her. The creature took him violently down. "Skarr!" she screamed as the creature began to try and maul him. She ran towards him as fast as she could, but all at once her mad dash was cut short by plants wrapping tightly around her! "No, General!" she screamed, trying to get to him, fighting.

"Fall in!" a voice suddenly ordered, and just like that the leopard stopped its attack, looked at the injured and bleeding General a moment longer, then backed off of the terrified man. The plants suddenly released Ghastly and she ran towards Skarr.

"Skarr, look at me!" Ghastly ordered, seeing his eyes flickering everywhere. Oh immortals, she couldn't let him go into shock. His eyes fell on her and instantly he calmed down. She sighed in relief.

"My word, you two?" the voice which had called the leopard off declared in annoyance. They gasped and looked over.

"Cataclysma, Estroy!" Ghastly exclaimed, standing. "You're the ones who did all of this?"

"Us? I assure you, Ghastly, we're innocent. I personally thought you were the guilty party, trying to steal my thunder. Apparently none of us were right. Where is Hector?" Cataclysma questioned.

Ghastly folded her arms, keeping quiet. "That moron was turned into a popsicle in the hidden spa," Skarr answered in a grumble, rising weakly. Ghastly looked worriedly over to him then hurried to his side. "I'm fine," he assured.

"Yeah right," she muttered, taking out a dressing and wrapping it tightly around the General's wounds. "We need to look at that as soon as possible." She glanced around. The eyes of the moaning people were all hungrily and wildly on Skarr… Almost as if they smelled his blood and wanted it. She stood protectively at his side and tried to ignore.

"Really Doctor, don't worry about me. I've survived worse," he replied. Looking at the children with Estroy and Cataclysma he grimaced. "Hello Nergal Junior, Pandora, Mindy, Sperg. Lost your mommy's?" They all frowned icily at him.

"Good, you all know each other," Estroy said.

"Sadly," Junior answered.

"I don't know them," Ghastly said.

"Ugh, Major Doctor Ghastly, meet Nergal Junior, son of Nergal, Pandora of the myth, Mindy, and Sperg," Skarr introduced. Cataclysma, Estroy, and Ghastly looked blankly at him.

"You're joking," Estroy finally said.

"Not at all!" Skarr defended.

"Quit pulling our legs, Skarr. This is no time for joke's," Ghastly chastised. Skarr blinked then face-palmed. Forget it. He should have known better. He was surrounded by scientists, for Pete's sake, though Cataclysma looked more open to the idea, at least. She was now looking at Junior and Pandora in morbid fascination.

"Cut it out! We need to keep moving," Mindy ordered, looking around nervously at the potential hoard.

"I should have known my ice blasts would find Hector. Well where is this spa?" Cataclysma demanded.

"Nowhere!" Ghastly shot.

"Follow us," Skarr answered, frowning at Ghastly. Beckoning for the other survivors to follow, he led them all back to Hector.

ECC

Cataclysma worriedly summed Hector up then sighed, shaking her head. "You simply can't win, can you Hector?" she questioned, walking to him. Raising her staff, she knelt at his side and placed it on his body, closing her eyes. Slowly but surely he was being thawed from his ice prison!

"Wow, what happened?" Con Carne groggily questioned, sitting up with Cataclysma's help. His eyes fell on her and he exclaimed in pleasant surprised, "Why, Cataclysma, what brings you to this spa?"

"Trouble," she answered, smiling gently. Hector noticed the others. Seeing his confused and guarded look, they all narrated what had happened to each of them for not only Hector's benefit, but their own.

"You… you saved me. Cataclysma, I'm touched," he stated after all was said and done.

"Don't get too full of yourself now, dearest," Cataclysma said petting the brain jar and Boskov.

Ghastly seethed. She'd also frozen him in the first place! Skarr nervously looked at her and stepped away. The woman was about to blow, and he wasn't about to be caught in the blast. "We need to figure this out," Hector declared.

"Indeed," Cataclysma agreed. "Personally, I suspect Professor Death Ray Eyes."

"Death Ray Eyes? As if he could come up with something good," Estroy said.

"Here, here," Hector agreed, frowning at her.

"Then whom?" Cataclysma questioned.

"The Immortal Triad," Skarr grumbled. The Spawn of Vengeance plus Sperg glared sharply at him.

"Who?" the others questioned.

"No one, no one at all!" Skarr quickly covered, innocently grinning. It wasn't likely them either, actually. "Let's just get out while we can," Skarr declared. Immediately the group darted out of the mall.

ECC

Bursting outside they looked around and gasped. It was an Arctic scene in the mall parking lot! Everything there was frozen stiff, courtesy of Mother Nature's Child, as Hector had once decided to call Cataclysma, but that wasn't what was alarming them. It was too quiet. "We should run," Cataclysma warned.

Just then they heard a moaning and looked around. "What was that?" Hector asked.

"I don't know chief, but it didn't sound friendly, and I doubt it has anything to do with these icicles," Ghastly replied.

"Let's not stick around here, then. Come on," Skarr prompted. "We have Bunny Island to get back to where nothing absurd happens like it does in Endsville."

"What about us?" Pandora asked.

"I suppose you'll have to come with me until this is all figured out," Cataclysma answered. They looked sadly down. They wanted to stay and find their parents. Cataclysma cringed then said, "Oh all right, I'll stay here with the children and help them find their loved ones."

"But Cat, you…" Hector began.

"I'll be fine, dear," Cataclysma said, smirking.

"Good. I have to check on my sons and make sure they're all right, and my men," Estroy said. "Watch yourselves kids, Cat."

With that the group separated. Cat and the kids raced back inside. The others ran out of the parking lot and to Hector's aircraft, leaping on. As they took off, a small group of men came out moving slowly, eyes glazed and varying from reds and yellows to blacks and whites. They reeked of death…