Diamond stood in the center of the chamber. His feet were spaced apart and his shoulders hunched. He’d balled his hands into fists and was digging them into his thighs as he—well, Tony wasn’t exactly sure what the big man was actually doing. Diamond stood facing four Dark Ones. Three of them were quite large. The fourth was even larger in stature, standing a good two feet above the others. It seemed older and somehow more regal. The three younger lizard-men stood just behind the older one; Tony assumed it was the leader. It and Diamond seemed to be engaged in some silent battle of wills. They stared at one another, their faces inches apart, eyes unblinking, jaws set, teeth bared. Both man and Dark One trembled slightly, as if under a great strain. Sweat poured down Diamond’s forehead and face.
“Jesus,” Clark whispered beside him, “what the hell is that?”
Beyond Diamond and the Dark Ones was a rectangular pool of water, floating sideways in the air. It reminded Tony of a giant salt-water fish tank with no fish inside of it. The light in the cavern seemed to be coming from the portal, as well. He still couldn’t determine the source. As near as he could tell, something that looked like a miniature sun was floating in the middle of the water. As he stared into the rectangle, his headache increased. Clark winced, obviously feeling the effects, as well. Water splashed out of the rectangle and onto the cave floor.
“That must be the portal,” Tony muttered. “There’s an entire fucking ocean on the other side. And that light— whatever it is. It’s almost like this is a window into another world.”
“That’s very apt,” Amethyst said, walking up behind them.
Tony and Clark turned to face him. The younger man was clearly seething with anger. His eyes flicked to Ruby’s mangled corpse, then to Diamond. He quickly appraised the silent struggle, and then turned back to Tony and Clark.
“Should we help him?” Clark asked.
“No. You’ll notice that the other Dark Ones are hanging back. Diamond must battle the Elder alone. Were any of us to interrupt them right now, the results could be disastrous.”
“The fuck are they doing? Having a psychic battle?”
“That’s not important, Tony. What is important is what the fuck you are doing. Do either of you realize just how badly you could have jeopardized things by running off like that?”
“We wanted to help,” Tony said, eyeing the Dark Ones uneasily. Their attention was focused on their leader—the large lizard Amethyst had referred to as the Elder. “I mean, what the fuck happened in here? Ruby and Diamond came in here, and obviously, there was some kind of big battle. But when Clark and I get in here, it’s just Diamond and that old Dark One having a staring contest. What happened? What was all that stuff we heard?”
“What occurred in this chamber was not meant for human eyes,” Amethyst said. “Believe me when I tell you that you’re both better off not knowing. You can see the aftermath for yourself. Had you rushed in here a moment earlier, your corpses would be decorating the walls, as well.”
“We just wanted to help.” Clark’s tone was sullen.
Tony nodded. “And by the look of things, Ruby could have used our help. Tell me something, Amethyst. Does it even fucking bother you that she’s dead?”
“No more than it bothers you, Tony. Ruby knew the risks from the moment she was initiated into our organization.”
Tony started to respond, but his reply faltered as the Elder grunted with pain. He, Clark and Amethyst turned toward the strange confrontation. Veins stood out in Diamond’s head, and his face was beet red. His body shook as if in the grip of an epileptic seizure. The same thing was happening to all four of the Dark Ones. They collapsed to the floor, quivering and thrashing in obvious agony. Spittle flew from their mouths. Their tails slapped the ground. Their talons raked against the rocks.
“Ph’nglui,” the Elder croaked. “Mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.”
Diamond’s seizure increased. A low moan escaped his lips.
And then the four Dark Ones were turned inside out.
Tony, who was no stranger to gruesome deaths, gasped out loud, recoiling from the wet, red explosion. One second, the Dark Ones were lying on the ground, eyes rolled into the backs of their heads, muscles tensed in pain. The next, their organs and innards were on the outside. They quivered for a moment longer, and then lay still.
Sighing, Diamond relaxed. He seemed weakened and disoriented from his ordeal. He glanced over at them. Blood ran like tears from the corners of his eyes, and dripped from his nose, ears and mouth, as well. He wiped the sweat from his brow with one hand. Then he took a wobbly step forward.