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A fissure tears through the ancient underground temple sending white pillars of stone crashing to the ground. A lithe, black-clad, masked cougar melts into the shadows as a boulder hurtles toward her, emerging from a nearby dark corner unharmed.

“You getting slow in your old age?" She mocks.

Standing in front of an aged and cracked mural depicting gods engaged in an epic battle is a massive hyena wearing a plumed helmet and glittering steel armor. In one paw he wields a titanic hammer and mysterious energy swirls around the other. His muscles bulge as he hefts the stone mallet up over his shoulder.

“Just testing your reflexes." He clenches and unclenches his fist, bored. “Soon I will have the Aetherine Conduit, and no one will be able to stand before me: CATACLYSM!"

Suddenly long, thin needles of ice break harmlessly on the Hyenas armor, and a blue-furred husky skis into the fray on sheets of ice, harrying Cataclysm with frozen projectiles as he glides across the temple floor.

From the shadows near the mural the cougar appears, claws bared she swipes at the hyena as he's distracted by the husky. He's ready for her, though, and with a broad swing of his mighty hammer, he cracks the ground and sends her fleeing from the blow.

“Predictable as ever, Nightclaw!" Cataclysm cackles as the cougar narrowly dodges out of the way.

As he readies his next attack ice forms around his foot paws, locking him in place. “Cool your jets, pal!" The muscular husky laughs, his goggles reflecting the dim torchlight.

Nightclaw takes the opportunity to go on the offensive, her claws rending a tear through Cataclysm's armor. Seemingly unfazed the hyena raises his hammer and slams it into the ground. A powerful shockwave shatters the ice at his feet and sends both would-be heroes flying across the room.

“Enough games!" He raises his free paw and aims it at the mural. “Be thankful you will get to bear witness to my ascension, worms!"

The heroes watch in horror as the mural crumbles to dust. An obscuring cloud of ancient debris hides whatever was hidden behind the wall and Cataclysm's victorious braying laugh booms in their ears, when suddenly–

“Wait, who's that?" Nightclaw points at a thin human in a purple and red costume.

His face is covered by his white and gilded Venetian mask leaving only a set of ghoulish green eyes visible. His dark coat hangs down to the floor, blown around by an unseen breeze. He stands mere feet from a pulsing blue crystal, the supposed Aetherine Conduit.

He blinks. “Uh."

An awkward silence fills the temple.

“Is he one of your minions, Cataclysm?" The husky asks.

“I don't have minions, Snowblind."

The human coughs. “I'm uh– shit, I wasn't expecting… I'm–" He slaps his forehead. “Let me start over." He takes a deep breath and unleashes a menacing, wicked laugh. Smoke begins to fill the room and an eerie purple glow radiates from him.

“I am Witchlight! Master of the forbidden knowledge, mightiest sorcerer in this reality and all others!" His voice is warped and twisted. “BEHOLD MY GLORY!" He raises his arms summoning faintly glowing orbs of ghostly light.

The others stare.

“What do they do, exactly?" Nightclaw asks.

Witchlight blinks nervously. “They siphon your life force."

“Is it doing it now?" Snowblind peers around Cataclysm curiously.

“No that was my villainous entrance. I'm still working on it."

“Not half bad, kid." Nightclaw nods.

Snowblind shrugs. “It should do something, though."

“Should I go bigger?" Witchlight asks.

“Also 'Behold my Glory' is a little generic, you should tie your entrance in with your theme," Nightclaw says.

“Another thing you can do–" Snowblind adds.

Cataclysm watches mouth agape as the three make idle chat. This small, insolent, amateurish, newbie villain really thought he could just swoop in here? He was ruining everything! The Aetherine Conduit was a key component of the hyena's master plan for domination!

Now here stood a tiny human, barely reaching Cataclysm's chest, talking to HIS nemesis' like they were catching up over brunch! it had taken him YEARS to locate the Conduit! He'd be damned if allowed this imbecile to steal it!

“Maybe instead I can say–"

“SHUT. UP." Cataclysm hurls his hammer at the young man.

The hammer passes through him harmlessly, to the surprise of everyone in the room.

“Sorry, mister Cataclysm, sir." The human takes a few steps forward toward the Hyena. “I just want to say you're a huge inspiration, the first openly gay supervillain. I really admire–"

A stone spike juts from the ground toward the man's throat. “DIE!"

Once again it passes through him. “–You. You gave me the courage to be out and proud."

“What are his powers, exactly?" Snowblind asks.

“The life siphoning thing and maybe… Illusions?" She sniffs the air.

An amused laugh echoes from the other side of the room. “Indeed it is." They all turn toward the voice. “I nicked this when the wall came down." In the human's hands is the Conduit.

He idly tosses it back and forth between his hands as the illusion in front of Cataclysm fades away. His jovial mood is short-lived as he eyes the others in the room. “I uh, I should have left already, huh?"

Snowblind takes one step forward. “Yeah, yeah you should've, kid."

“Surrender the conduit!" Nightclaw growls.

Cataclysm summons his hammer and roars with white-hot rage. “I WILL FUCKING EAT YOU, BOY!"

“Shit." In a terribly mundane fashion, Witchlight turns on his heel and runs toward the temple exit.

Snowblind and Nightclaw begin their pursuit, ignoring Cataclysm in favor of retrieving the Conduit.

“Iä! Iä! Shub– Fuck!" Witchlight slips down the path on a freshly conjured sheet of ice. “NO!" He grasps at the air as the conduit goes flying.

Nightclaw appears from the nearby shadows and catches the Conduit as it tumbles through the air. “Got it! Let's get out of here Snow!"

“FUCK OFF!" With surprising speed Cataclysm shoulder-checks the cougar, slamming her into the stone wall with bone-shattering force. “MINE!"

Snowblind jumps onto the hyena's back attempting to freeze him in place.

Eldritch chanting and a sickly green light surrounds the pair. “Drop it." An orb of light hovers above them, menacingly.

Cataclysm falls to his knees and Snowblind tumbles off the hyena to the ground. The pair lose most of the feeling in their arms and legs, the pale glow sapping them of their strength. Each moment in the light siphons more and more of their power.

“What… What are you…"

“Sorry, sir. I really am a big fan, but I need this." He plucks the crystal from Cataclysm's paw.

As he turns the orb of light flickers and blinks out.

“Fuck me."

Cataclysm stands at his full height, towering over the mage. “Fuck you."

His hammer comes crashing down with meteor force, the mage winces, and braces for impact but it never arrives. Shadowy ribbons have tangled around it, barely restraining it from crushing the human.

Witchlight exhales. “Oh thank God."

Snowblind puts an arm around him. “Don't thank us yet." Ice encases the human's lower half.

“Wha–" Witchlight starts, but a thin layer of ice covers his mask where his mouth would be.

Nightclaw roughly grabs Snowblinds arm and takes the Conduit from Witchlight.

“Later, kiddo!" He laughs.

The shadowy ribbons vanish, allowing Cataclysm free movement.

“Mmmf! Hhrrn!!" Witchlight struggles against the ice.

Cataclysm glares down at the young human before a wicked grin crosses his face. “You're my biggest fan, huh?"

Witchlight nods.

“Then help me get my conduit." His menacing cackle rings throughout the underground complex.

The heroes ignore him and flee through the dark corridors. With the Conduit secured whatever it is Cataclysm has planned is secondary, they need to get this artifact someplace out of reach.

“That new kid has a lot of promise," Snowblind says as they slide through the cave.

“He's too hung up on the theatrics." She replies.

“Weren't we all when we started?"

“I guess. I hope Cat goes easy on him, it's sweet the kid looks up to him."

“When has Cat ever gone easy, I'm afraid we might never see– Wait, what's that sound?" His ears perk up.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH—" THUD.

Witchlight crashes into the pair of heroes with devastating force, having been thrown by the titanic Cataclysm. The three desperately attempt to untangle from one another, but they're not quick enough.

Heavy footfalls shake the walls. “Thanks, Witchlight. It's good having fans like you." Cataclysm waves his empty paw, summoning a sinkhole that traps the three unfortunates. He crouches down to face the new villain. “You're too caught up in the drama, boy."

“That's what I was just saying." Nightclaw groans.

Witchlights eyes flicker. “I'm sorry… I know I have a lot to learn." He stares into the hyena's eyes.

“You're for…forgiven." Cataclysm shakes his head.

“I don't like doing things this way." His voice becomes whispery, quiet. “But I really, really need that."

Cataclysm can't look away, the ghoulish light cast from Witchlights eyes paralyzes him.

“What's wrong?" Witchlight tilts his head, his voice sounds distant and thin.

“You…" He falls back on his rear. “What are you…doing… to…"

“Free me."

The words pound his skull.

Cataclysm pulls the mage from the sinkhole.

“Kneel."

He wants to.

“The Conduit."

The hyena obeys.

The mage pulls his mask up past his lips, his voice losing its ghostly quality. “Good boy." Witchlight plants a quick kiss on the hyena's cheek as he takes the conduit and pulls his mask back down. He dusts his costume off and sighs when he sees several tears in it.

“Mine…" Cataclysm weakly reaches toward the conduit.

“Hope we can do a collab sometime. It was an honor meeting all of you." He squeezes the Conduit and a surge of arcane energy fills him.

“I'm going t-to f-fucking EEEeeAT! YOU!" Cataclysm slurs.

“I'm sure." Witchlight steps past the Hyena and utters something in an incomprehensible and ancient language before a screaming tear appears in the fabric of reality. “Byeeeeeee~~!" He giggles and jumps through the portal.

Over the next few minutes, the enchantments that bound Cataclysm and the others begin to fade. Slowly they return to their senses. Cataclysm stares at the ground in shock as the heroes crawl from the sinkhole.

“Well, guess we're after the kid now," Snowblind says.

“Didn't expect that." Nightclaw stretches.

“He's gotta be an A-Level threat at least, mind control? Necromancy? I think we need to call some backup."

“Agreed. Mystic Marmot and Dracunaut?"

“How about that new guy, Mighty Horn?"

The heroes make their plans and prepare to leave. Nightclaw places a paw on Cataclysm's shoulder. “If you want to do a temporary team-up, you know where to reach me."

Cataclysm mumbles to himself, oblivious to their conversation. He's furious, dumbstruck, and humiliated. He watches his rivals leave and scratches his cheek where the mage had the audacity to kiss him.

What the fuck just happened?

---

Arthur unceremoniously tosses his mask to the side of the room and runs his fingers through his matted blonde hair. It had been an exhausting day, he didn't realize anyone else was after the Aetherine Conduit.

He falls backward onto his couch and stares up at the intertwined roots that compose the ceiling of his lair. Beneath an ancient oak tree on top of one of the world's Leylines, he couldn't believe another villain hadn't taken up residence here already.

Arthur rolls over on his side and recounts the day in his head. He met his greatest inspiration, and first crush, Cataclysm! He fought two legendary heroes! He even won the fight… Sort of.

It was a bit dicey at times, had Nightclaw not intervened he'd probably be pasted on the temple floor. Cataclysm was huge. Huge and furious, with those big paws of his he could probably crush the young human!

Arthur bites his lip as his hand wanders down his chest. Cataclysm had picked him up and thrown him like he was nothing, in any other context he would have loved it. He exhales as his hand slips past his waist.

“Cataclysm… Fuck…" He squeezes his hard length and imagines how the mighty Cataclysm would ravage him. Oh to be captured by the beast of a man! To be imprisoned and at his mercy, his powerful form dominating and–

“You can't be serious." A feminine voice scoffs.

Arthur jolts upright. “Rheus! Knock!"

A small orange tabby cat stretches lazily in the doorway. “I am your familiar, I should not have to knock."

Arthur throws a pillow at the cat. “Well then don't be surprised if you walk in on me taking care of my needs."

Rheus jumps onto the bed. “I'll never understand you, aroused from nearly being crushed to death."

“I'm only attracted to powerful men, Rheus," Arthur says. “What do you want?"

“I want you to focus! You have the conduit, our first step is complete, but the great work has only begun."

“Fine. Let's get this over with so I can get back to my fantasy." Arthur lewdly squeezes his junk.

“You disgust me."

Arthur grabs the conduit and heads deeper into the tangled labyrinth of roots that is his lair. Slowly he hears it, that dread sound that would drive lesser minds to insanity. Not him, though, such things were second nature now.

TeKe-LiLi

“It is angry," Rheus says.

“No, it is hungry."

TeKe-LiLi

Willing a particularly thick and gnarled wall of roots to part he enters the deepest part of his sanctum. A circular stone altar sits in the middle of the room, runes and glyphs dance across the surface like fireflies.

Floating above it is a slowly rotating cube that changes its configuration with each passing moment. Arthur mutters an incantation, opening it. He raises the Aetherine Conduit up to the arcane puzzle box and allows it to be absorbed into the shape.

“It is secured." Arthur turns to the door.

TE

KE

LI

LI

“What a hideous noise," Rheus says.

Arthur stares at the curtain of inky blackness on the opposite side of the room. “Come, Rheus. Our work has only begun."