Demon Archives: Black Doom. Lord of a sub-race called the Black Arms, they were confined to the Black Comet and forced to drift the mortal galaxies. They could only invade whatever planet they flew by. While passing Mobius, Black Doom was approached by Professor Gerald Robotnik, who wanted his blood to create the "Ultimate Lifeform," Shadow the Hedgehog. Doom planned to use Shadow to conquer Mobius, but was ultimately destroyed by his "son."

Part 2: Uncle and Great-Great-Great Grandpa

Lingering in the forest any longer wasn't safe, and the families knew everyone else would need to know. Maddy knocked on the door of their cousins' home and were promptly answered by Cheren. "It's already started, huh?"

"Sooner than we expected." Haylee replied. "Did you call everyone down from the treehouse?"

"Yep. Perry rounded them all up in the underground room. Had a biiiiit of trouble squeezing Mali in there, heh. And it seems we have an extra guest." He noticed the green-haired Lyserg; who confirmed his male gender on the way.

"He says he's a Divine Angel." Maddy said.

"Not a Spirit KND operative?"

"I work with them often." Lyserg answered. "So, can you lead me to the others?"

Perry's bedroom had a part of Sector V's treehouse in the corner. A secret passage inside led into a secret room that once belonged to the legendary Numbuh Zero. One by one, the group slid into the chamber. "Christina!" Laruta raced up. "What were you thinking running off to an illegal rich guy tournament?! You should be ashamed! And Silica, if you were gonna put this idea in her head, you at least should've gone with her!"

"I was in the middle of a stream! Chris walked in and started whining about K. Rool, so I told her about that contest to get her off my back!"

"Iron-clad friendship, that one." Haylee remarked.

"So, why did you make me call them all here?" Perry asked. "And who're you?"

"I'm Lyserg of the Spirit World's Divine Angels. I'm inhabiting a Gigai right now. To start off, do you all know about the Day of the Demon?"

"Uh…I don't know." Mali answered, not liking the sound of that.

"Isn't that the day when the demons took over the treehouses and awakened Malladus?" Isabelle replied. "It was the first time the Kids Next Door learned about the Underworld, I think."

"Dad told me a while back that it might happen again this year." Perry said.

"Well, it has. And it seems that several Demon Lords have formed an alliance. An alliance to take Malladus's essence… from the Uno descendants."

Christina recapped what happened after she got home. Ralph was stunned to hear his Joaquin played a part in this, and was fearful over why the .I.E. was absent now. But they were more concerned over the status of Christina's father, left to fend off the giant demon. "The giant bathtub place sounded kinda cool!" Jason admitted, earning a glare from his friends.

"That demon was Diablo." Lyserg explained. "He's one of the current Six Demon Saints and known as the Lord of Terror. He used to be an active figure in the old Demon Wars, alongside his brethren, and destroyed thousands of Divine Angels."

"If he's so bad, how come we've never heard of him?" Silica asked.

"Because you don't research." Lyserg answered with a knowing glare. "Based on our intel, there are at least four other Demon Lords working with him. The other demon you encountered was HIM the Bedtime Terror. There's also Aku the Time Tosser, Alastor the Radio Demon, and Clawthorne the Owl Keeper. Clawthorne is a fairly recent Lord, so we can't gauge his Power Level, but the others are nonetheless dangerous and powerful. But… it's hard to imagine Diablo being strong enough to attempt to harbor Malladus's soul. No other demon but Demise could hope to contain his Royal Fire."

"We still can't let him make a meal out of Dad!" Christina argued. "We gotta go down to the Underworld and trash that fucker!"

"Miss Christina, I think it would be best to keep you away from the demons as much as possible. Only you and your father carry both halves of Malladus, so if Diablo takes yours, too-"

"WHADDYA MEAN 'TOO'?!" Christina grabbed him by the collar and shook furiously. "Don't act like Dad would lose to that bull!"

"All I meant was that you shouldn't risk getting involved! None of you should. The Divine Angels will get your father back."

"How do I know if your angels are any good? You look like a total pushover, for one!"

"I'm only an apprentice! I assure you the others are quite strong and capable!"

"That don't mean we can't help, too!" argued Jason Dimalanta, the team leader. "This happened back when our grandparents were tykes, right? So, why can't WE handle a load of demons?"

"And if I recall," Isabelle began, "didn't the treehouses get corrupted by Malladus back then? Isn't that gonna be a problem?"

"Back then," Lyserg answered, "the Sacred Trees were all restraining Malladus. The Day of Demons empowered Malladus enough to corrupt the trees, leaving them vulnerable for his minions to take over. Now that that seal is no longer needed, the Sacred Trees should be strong enough to hold back the demons."

"Yeah, but they won't protect everyone else, will they?" Perry reasoned. "What if the demons attack innocent people? We'll have to be out there to protect them, anyway."

"That's true, but I do agree fighting the bigger demons is too dangerous." Laruta said. "Especially after we just got back fr-"

"What, so you're gonna chicken out just 'cause you couldn't do nothin' against K. Rool?" Christina asked.

"Excuse me?! I only meant we should pick our battles wisely, and you should, too!"

"You know, when I attacked that 'HIM' guy, he was hurt by my firebending; called it the 'Royal Fire.' That means I got an advantage against these guys, don't I?"

"The Unos' firebending is highly effective against demons." Maddy remembered. "Because you harbor the Demon King's essence."

"That means it's MY job to put these punks in their-"

"But I still don't want you trying to challenge them!"

"SCREW YOU, Mom! Isn't this what you fuckin' trained us for?! Ain't this what you want us-"

"Tina, it's almost midnight. It's late. You're stressed and tired and you're trying to rush into things you're not prepared for. Even if you do have the power to help, you need to sleep first."

"You really expect me to go to sleep with all this happening?! I'm goin' back to that forest and I'm gonna help-"

Mali seized Christina like a dolly, a milk bottle pinched in her finger as she popped it into Christina's mouth. Reactively suckling it, the Uno began to feel drowsy, and within seconds, she was out like a lamp. "Nighty-night, Chris-chan." Mali whispered, gently rocking her little friend.

"I didn't think that would be strong enough to knock her out instantly." Laruta said. "She must be really tuckered out."

"She's gonna kill you two when she wakes up." Ralph replied. "And I don't wanna be caught in the crossfire. Hah, crossfire! I'm the accidental pun master!"

"Just put her in bed for now." Perry instructed. …Now that he thought about where they were, the Supreme Leader looked to a certain casket that was kept in this chamber. "Hey, Dad… if demons are attacking, don't you think I should use those weapons?"

"I had a feeling you'd ask." Cheren smiled awkwardly.

"Come on! This is the best time to, right?!"

"You should go to sleep, too, kiddo. This might be a long week…"

Coruscant Mall; clothing store

"How's about THIS for the young lady?!" asked the clerk as he showed Nebula a set of wide, Japanese armor with a thick knot at the back. The clerk was an alien with an overgrown beard and brows that covered his face. "It's classy, it's retro, it makes ya look like a warrior!"

"It looks like something I'd wear in a play…" replied the principal of Galaxia Elementary. "I just want something new to wear for school."

"THEN HOW'S THIS?!" The clerk threw up a huge coat that looked like an open book, with a hood designed like a graduate's cap. "Ya won't look any smarter than this, ya'll look like a flippin' genius!"

"I'll look like Gruntilda's spellbook. I think I'll just shop around on my own."

"Okay! But ya won't look complete wifout these sparkler earplugs!"

Nebula could usually rely on this store when she needed a change in attire, but it was only after going through the clerk's more "creative" designs. Nebula skimmed through a number of outfits that would look good for a principal… until she discovered a glow poking between the row of hanging clothes. Nebula spread them open and discovered a hidden passage. "Well, this totally isn't suspicious." But she decided to walk in for the heck of it. It was always nice to find something new in a place she comes to semi-often.

The corridor was fairly short and ended in a chamber with decorative spider-webs. There was an outfit suspended by the webs… one that felt otherworldly, different from anything the crazy clerk would create. "Would you like to try it on?" Nebula gazed up at the ceiling. An arachnid woman with white skin and dark-gold segments of armor hung from hypnotic webbing.

Underworld; Chaos Sanctuary

The lair of Diablo was sealed inside a great, red barrier, surrounded by totems that projected electrical currents that seemed to span across the Underworld. An army of Divine Angels tried to destroy the totems, but their efforts seemed to do nothing.

An angel with glasses and blonde hair spiked in the back landed before his leader with a bow. "Lord Balder, we haven't been able to make a dent in the towers. Some of our numbers traced the electric chains back to their origins… and they appear to be the territories of other Demon Lords. It seems that whatever is empowering the barriers is located in their domains."

Balder was a majestic angel with peacock feathers, white hair flowing behind his golden mask. "Then we haven't much choice, do we? Divide our forces and locate the power sources. Inform the Spirit KND as well. We'll need every soul available to fell these treacherous demons!"

"Understood. Also, I've sent my apprentice to watch over the Uno daughter. She should be out of harm's way for the foreseeable future."

"I should hope so. Diablo has already lured the father into his lair, but I can sense their battle persisting inside. There's no telling how long he'll be able to fend Diablo off. Now, hurry, Marco! Take your division and follow the southeast current!"

"Understood!" Marco whipped out a gun and threw it into the air. "Drive me, Michael!" The gun began to morph like a Transformer, growing into a shiny, silver car; a '92 Ferrari Testarossa. Marco leapt into the car and sped off in the desired direction, followed by members of his division in cars of their own. "MOBILE ANGELS: LET'S MOVE OUT!"

Balder glared at Diablo's sanctuary with malice. "Cowering in a sealed fortress… The Lord of Terror is not just frightening, but terrified. At least I may finally have the chance to avenge my mentor, you scum."

Sector V; the next day

The morning was as peaceful as it could be under the circumstances. Global Command spread the word to other treehouses about the Day of Demons, and sure enough, there were reports of strange holes in the ground with red spires of light. The ops were certain the peace wasn't to last; it was only a matter of time before-

"MALIIIII!" Christina woke up in a rage, storming into the living room as the frightened giant cowered behind the central tree. "You're gettin' one hell of a whoopin' after pranking me like THAT!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The child scurried around the tree as Chris chased her around it. "I was only doing what Big Sis Laruta said!"

"It didn't seem like you were planning to listen to us OR get rest." Laruta marched up. "I hoped you would be a little more rational by now."

"Alright, then give me the deets!" Chris grabbed the puny gymnast by the shirt and raised her without effort. "Did Dad come back, yet? Those big, brave angels save his ass?"

"We haven't heard from them!"

"The longer we wait for 'em, the sooner that Diabolo-whatever will eat Dad up! We gotta brave up, go down to the Underworld, and beat them!"

"We have no idea what the Underworld is like or what those demons are capable of!"

"You blokes oughta settle down." Jason ordered, approaching them. "Look, Christina, Ah'm on your side. Ah wanna bash those demons' heads in, too! And it's not like we ever got a chance to explore the Underworld!"

"See, the captain says we should, so we should!"

"We're not going!" Laruta stated. "At the very least, we'll need the whole KND to help with this, so we should take it up with Perry first."

"Then let's hit the Moonbase! Perry's gonna give that order even if I have to squeeze it out of him!"

"It's getting hard to tell if you're serious…" Isabelle commented. "Anyway, I wanna help, too, but I still think you're trying to rush into this."

"Oh, so I shouldn't rush to save my dad from bein' eaten by demons, huh?"

"No, that's not what I…"

"You're too riled up, Christina." Laruta said. "Not just about your dad, but the whole thing with K. Rool, and maybe other things. If you don't give yourself time to calm down, you'll never be able to fight your best."

"And what if your folks got captured, huh? What would you do, Lary?"

"I…I would still want to be in the right mood to save them, and you should, too!"

"Whatever! Jason, are we calling Perry or not?"

"Well, of course we-!…er…" Jason saw the disagreeing, hesitant looks of his other teammates… and Silica playing a game.

"I mean, you can go ahead and call Perry, see if other operatives wanna get started." Ralph said. "But I… kinda agree with Lar. You're scary when you get even a little angry, but now…"

"Huh. Then you guys are bad friends then."

"Hey, we are not!" Isabelle argued.

"We just don't want a crazy driver drivin' this train!" Shimmy said.

That's your job. Trella signed.

"We really do care, Chrissie." Mali approached her cautiously. "We're just worried about you."

"Can it, Gassy." Chris began to march toward the exit.

"Where are you going?!" Laruta asked.

"I'm gonna hit a Hunger Burger and get breakfast. Yo, Silica, wanna come with? Not like you got anythin' better to do."

"Fine…" The gamer followed without taking her eyes off her hobby.

None had any convincing words to stop Christina from leaving. "Well, at least one more of us oughta follow them in case they get in trouble." Isabelle reasoned.

I think he will. Trella replied.

"Who?"

The Pumparian pointed at the empty breakfast table, leaving Isabelle confused. However, Trella could plainly see Lyserg sitting there, eating a bowl of Ghostly Munchies. She approached him and asked, "What kinda weirdo just eats at our table and doesn't talk to us?"

"Because you're the only one that can see me in this form." Lyserg rose and flew toward the exit. "I've been asked to watch Christina and make sure no demons get to her."

"Whatever, Greenie. Just don't make her madder than she already is."

"I think that nickname would fit you better. How can you even tell what color my hair is?!"

"I can SEE spirits, TOO, DUUUUUUH! You ain't very smart for an angel. And you don't even have wings!"

"I'm an apprentice! I haven't earned them, yet!"

"Yeah, yeah, excuse me Susie."

The others could see Trella moving her mouth, but were baffled as to "what" she was "talking" to.

Underworld; Clawthorne's Lair

Aku was projected from a magic orb, HIM was projected from a cauldron, in which he seemed to be bathing, and a small radio sat on another table. "Diablo's brethren are secure within our domains." Aku said. "But are you sure Mephisto does not need a guardian?"

"It's not like we had an extra Lord to spare." HIM said, squeaking Mr. Quackers. "But Mephisto is still strong despite the loss of chi. I think he'll be fine."

"He better be." Clawthorne said. "Those Divine Dimwits are already banging on my doorstep, and I'm sure they're on your tails, too."

"They're real hyped for the show, I tell ya!" Alastor's voice sounded from the radio. "Let's give them a performance to die for!"

"And while the 'boss' is busy with the adult Uno, it's up to us to snag his kid. Fortunately, I'm already workin' up a plan to catch her."

"Ha ha ha! Clawthorne bein' the hero? That's a show I'd pay to see! Our newbie Lord Clawthorne, the underdog Owl Keeper! Will he succeed or will he smell like burning dog?"

"That's KING Clawthorne to you, Radiohead! You won't be laughing after I have that Uno girl in my claws. Just you wait!"

"I shall hold my breath with anticipation." HIM teased. "Come, Mr. Quackers. Hold your breath with me…" They submerged in the tub and disappeared.

"It will be quite a laugh when those foolish children get the better of you. Hakukukuku!" Aku disappeared with a laugh.

"Tune in next week to catch Clawthorne's exciting plan in action!" Alastor cheered. "Just don't choke on your aspirations, heh heh ha ha ha ha…" The radio seemed to flicker and distort horrifically before deactivating.

Clawthorne glared at the inactive devices. "Yeah… I hope this works, too. Well, Eda, the next part's up to you."

Hunger Burger

It had become late enough in the morning for the restaurant to become a quarter-full with customers. There were miscellaneous people enjoying a late brunch, including a man with longer, tan fingers reading a newspaper in the corner. "I mean, why does Laruta always think she's in charge?" Chris ranted, munching a burger with ketchup dripping down her face. "She was never appointed vice-leader, she just acts all high and mighty and everyone else just goes with it. Jason's gotta learn to tell her off, y'know?"

"Yeah." Silica focused on her game while her shadow, Inky served her fries.

"And even you gotta agree we should beat those demons 'soon as possible, right? Or else, they're gonna take everything over and do whatever demons do. Like, if your parents were abducted, wouldn't you wanna get it over with and save them?"

"I guess so."

"Khh, whaddya mean you 'guess so'?" Chris cracked a half-smirk.

"I dunno. Like, are you really upset about your dad getting captured?"

"The hell wouldn't I be?"

"Because yesterday, you were whining about how you couldn't beat K. Rool, so I feel like you just wanna beat the demons to make up for that. That's the whole reason you ran off to that basement fight. You were mad that you lost, so you wanted to win at some—OW!" Silica was kicked in the knee and tumbled out of her chair. "HEY, you made me lose!"

"Aw, I'm sorry." Chris frowned in feint sadness. "It sucks when you don't get to finish a fight, huh?"

"UGH!" Silica stomped outside, Inky picking the chair back up before grabbing her fries. "Talk about a sore loser!"

"Takes one to know one! Hmph…" Chris had held her burger long enough for ketchup to ooze on her fingers. "Where's the bathroom…"

As she left to find it, the man in the corner lowered his newspaper, his purple eyes affixed on the Uno.

After washing her hands, Christina decided to wash her face. There was no one else in the bathroom, and she saw only herself in the mirror. But when she looked down after washing, then faced back up—"AAH!" A figure in a short black cape, top-hat with a skull, and raven mask was behind her.

"DON'T be alarmed, my child!" The tall, lean man threw open his cape, revealing a short black button shirt and purple pants over his lanky legs. "I'm merely a fellow patron of this fine establishment, here to partake in some cleansing!"

"Who the fu…wait, I know you! You're-"

"SALUTATIONS!" The man flipped off his mask with his cane, unveiling a long nose and thin mustache on his tan face. "A tip of the hat from Dr. Raymond Facilier!"

"Yeah, you're Ralph's uncle! The guy who always does lame magic tricks at his birthday parties."

"Come now, little Chrissie! You call THIS lame?" He stuck fingers up his nose, and they came out the ends of Christina's bow.

She smacked the fingers out of her. "Yes. Also, you realize this is the girls' room?!"

"It's the only bathroom, dearie, it's for both genders!"

"Well, there should still only be one at a time!"

"Ah couldn't help but notice you seemed a bit down out there. What's troubling you, sweetie? Getting those pre-Demon Day jitters?"

"For your information, a giant demon freak kidnapped my dad and none of my friends wanna save him!"

"Fightin' demons is a tall order, kiddo. Ya gotta have the right strength for it."

"I'm plenty strong, stick fingers! You shoulda seen me when I beached that whale, or fought that giant bat monster, or…or…!"

"Strength thrives in more places besides the muscles, my girl. Your outside may be strong, but inside is always where you're softest."

"This ain't what I wanted to talk about in a Hunger Burger bathroom." Christina made to leave.

"Now, slow down there, kiddo!" Raymond danced to the door. "I may be just a birthday magician, but I'd be remiss not to lend mah nephew's friend a hand in this dark hour. What if I could propose a way to help you toughen this weakness in your heart?"

"What of it?"

"Let's get set up first." Raymond locked the door and flicked off the lights. He removed and wriggled his hat, dumping out an entire table with candles and a crystal ball. "Face the ball, child…" Raymond waved hands by it. "Face the ball and face your inner demons…"

With a roll of her eyes, Christina gazed deeply into the misty ball. Lyserg peeped through the mirror in curiosity and concern. He wanted to stay outside the bathroom for Chris's privacy, but this witch-doctor felt a tad suspicious.

…

Silica restarted her game outside, her shadow still feeding her fries. A large shadow swooped over her, but Silica only assumed it was a hawk. "What is that?!" a distant woman screamed.

"IT'S A MONSTER!"

With a cluster of screams to accompany this cry, it was enough to divert Silica's attention. "?!" A humanoid bird monster was certainly a cause for concern. Its central body had red fur with orange claws, a white head with long ears, and thick long hair that was the same dark-grayish hue as its wings. The beast hissed as it swiped claws at fleeing citizens, but they all evaded injury. As the monster flew up the road, Silica decided to pursue. It flew directly into a bar called Hooties, which Silica knew was an adults' restaurant. "Probably should call the gang about this…"

…

Staring at a crystal ball for a few minutes didn't feel like the most productive time in Christina's life. There was nothing but her own bored expression against the smoke. It spiraled and morphed… but then, her reflection morphed… growing horns and sharp teeth.

"?!" Lightning flashed in the bathroom, and the candles spread into walls of flames that surrounded Chris. A demon towered above her, its shadowed form muscular. It had horns, a spiked beard, and a bluish hue. "Well, I didn't expect our first meeting to take place here…"

"Y…you're…"

"I am Malladus! The Demon King and ancestor of the Uno Family! That's what you were about to say, right, my great-great-great granddaughter? I must admit, I'm not disappointed so far. You smell much spicier than your father."

"Ew, don't smell me! Wait…" She remembered a thought she had last night. "Are you…are you here to make me stronger?"

"I can. I saw what happened… That traitorous Diablo wants to devour my essence. It's only fair that I put him in his place. Would you like me to take things from here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're too weak to challenge him, Christina. You'll disgrace yourself, disgrace the Uno line and lose me. Just as you lost to that crocodile! Let me take control of your chi. I will make it stronger than ever and burn Diablo to ashes!"

"Nobody controls my chi but me! If you're living in my body, then I have a full right to your power! YOU'RE gonna make me strong and I'M gonna show Diablo, AND my friends, that I AM NO PUSHOVER!"

"Pathetic girl! You're such a coward that you're begging a demon for his power instead of seizing it for yourself?"

"THEN GIVE IT TO ME!" Christina blasted a flame straight at his head.

"WHOA NELLY!" Raymond screamed—Chris was immediately back in the restroom, the emergency sprinklers raining while the rim of the hole in the ceiling was on fire. "Perhaps a self-reflection wasn't for you." The mage said as he cast ice to douse the fire.

"No, do it again!" Chris gripped and glared at the ball. "I spoke to Malladus! I have a shot at getting stronger!"

"Malladus?!" Lyserg gasped.

"So, ya really did see your inner demon. And he promised you strength?"

"He said I had to seize it from him! I gotta get in there again and steal his power!"

"Not if you gonna be blowin' more holes in the roof! The bathroom ain't for awakening chi paths, it's for awakening pee paths."

"PISS OFF WITH THAT JOKE! Fine, then take me somewhere else to do this!"

"Sheesh, demanding all of a sudden. Honestly, this ain't quite what I had in mind when I decided to help you with this."

"I don't got time for your backtalk! I gotta get stronger! I'm useless if I can't win!"

"Who in the world told you that?"

"Nngh…!" Christina's communicator rang.

"Hey, guys, this is Silica. I think I just saw a bird demon go into the Hooties! I'm gonna go in and try to stop it."

"What?" Christina used Rocket Boost to fly out the roof hole. She saw police cars gathering around the Hooties up the street. "Silica, I'm on my way!" She leapt off the roof.

"Hold on a sec!" Lyserg chased.

"They're startin' the plan earlier than I thought…" Raymond said to himself.

Christina leapt over a cop car, determined as she broke into the Hooties. "Chris, hold still!" Silica rose out of a Veil. "If it's one of Diablo's minions, it'll be looking for you!"

"I ain't scared of him! Where is it?!" But the answer came in the form of a talon-printed trail leading toward the wrecked basement door.

"CHRIS!" Silica tried to restrain her with Shadow Possession, but Chris burned herself free. Her charge into the basement couldn't be stopped. The underbelly of the owl-themed bar glowed a bright red: there was a gaping hole enveloping most of the basement floor.

"It's a Hell Gap!" Lyserg gasped.

"Christina, let's go back." Silica stated. "This definitely leads to the Underworld. The monster must've gone back down. Maybe it was just a random demon that escaped; Gaps are supposed to appear all over the world, you know."

"Well, if it ain't one of Diablo's guys, then maybe it'll make a good warm-up!" Chris jumped into the Gap.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!"

"She absolutely is!" Lyserg flew after her.

"Who'm I kidding, of course she is." Silica answered herself.

I also just learned Gilbert Gottfried died on April 12. Let's say farewell to another beloved actor. Lyserg is from Shaman King, and other Divine Angels in his division are also from that anime.