Things died down pretty fast. The fight was over, or so they thought.
The two mini spacecraft carrying the captains broke through the clouds and descended toward Earth's scarred surface.
As they neared the ground, the ship thrusters released a sharp hiss of pressure that slowed the descent until the landing legs extended wide and pressed firm into the cracked soil. Dust blew out in circles before fading away.
All eight captains hurried out the moment the hatches opened, heading straight toward the ruins where Lord Tim was, and the supposed empty vessel of the void.
With great anticipation and relief, they marched forward with the belief that the battle had ended. They hadn't come to fight but to tend to the exhausted heroes who had faced a monstrous foe.
Henk jogged behind the rest as they crossed through the city's wreckage. Burnt walls still smoked, rubble scattered everywhere, entire blocks reduced to ash. He raised his wrist device to his mouth and spoke sharply:
"Send a medic ship. They'll need instant attention immediately."
He knew how worn down the Furious Three would be. This was a fight that would be remembered for ages.
Oliver, thanks to his speed, had already arrived ahead of them. A playful smile stretched across his face. He wanted to be the first to congratulate Lord Tim. Stepping lightly, he made his way over the cracked ground and heaps of broken rocks and burnt debris littered across the street.
Lord Tim was there, kneeling, shoulders bare without his battle suit, his upper body scarred and exposed. His head hung low, knees spread apart, arms heavy at his sides. Paul's burnt body, now voidless, lay nearby.
A voice buzzed in Oliver's wrist device:
"Oliver, tell us what condition he's in and report back."
"Understood," Oliver answered quietly, his grin softening as his mood shifted.
He drew close, squatted in front of Lord Tim, and reached out with his right hand, two fingers extended to check his pulse at the side of the neck. As he did, he noticed the rest of the captains appearing in the distance, drawing nearer.
Instead of staying focused, Oliver's playful side broke through, he grinned wide again and waved at them like he hadn't seen them for years.
The captains, knowing his childish antics, interpreted it as a sign that all was well.
"Seems all is alright on his side," Deborah said, her steps slowing. "I wonder where he sealed the void at?"
But in that moment of distraction, Oliver failed to notice. Lord Tim's eyes snapped open. Only… they weren't his eyes. They glowed violent purple, and a cruel grin twisted across his lips, his head still bent toward the ground.
'It worked, the void thought. 'His powers collapsed in that instant when he thought he had me. And this vessel… it's different. Strong enough to hold me. Perfect enough to harness my power. But first, I have to....'
The thought broke As he lifted his gaze. Oliver was right in front of him, still smiling at the others.
Suddenly Oliver froze, unable to move. His grin was stuck unnaturally, his body stiff.
The void's hand, shrouded in shadow energy, clamped hard around his throat. Rising slowly to his feet, he lifted Oliver with ease.
From behind, the captains cheered faintly at the sight of Lord Tim standing again, unaware of what they couldn't see. Their view was blocked.
Oliver tried to flare his cosmic energy, but it was smothered instantly, swallowed like a candle in the dark. His expression began to falter, the grin twisting into the face of a man realizing his doom.
The void finally turned toward the captains. The closer they drew, the heavier the air became. Their steps slowed, their expressions shifting into shock and dread. None of them had braced for this, and their hesitation cost them.
Oliver dangled helplessly in the air, the void tossing him upward like a tennis ball. His right fist pulsed with violent dark energy as he bent slightly, winding up to strike.
Before Oliver's feet could even brush the ground, a brutal punch crashed into his chest. The force was monstrous, flinging him at an unseen speed. The captains dove aside, clearing a path as his body tore past them.
They turned sharply, eyes wide, but only one among them realized too late,the void was already standing in their midst.
A tiny black sphere fell to the ground at their feet.
The void disappeared.
Henk, reacting on instinct, carved his hands through the air, summoning a pink-red translucent wall that wrapped around all of them in a tight circle.
The sphere detonated.
The explosion roared with piercing force, tearing apart everything in its range. The shield absorbed most of it, but not all. The blast hurled them backwards, tumbling over heaps of broken stone before crashing into the ground in a scatter.
When the smoke thinned, the void stood tall, admiring his new form, Lord Tim's body, now fully his. He flexed his hands, looked at his reflection in a piece of shattered metal, and grinned.
It was perfect.
A cunning smile spread across his face as he drew in a deep breath. He could already feel the new energy stirring inside him, waiting to be explored.
He raised his left hand, and in an instant, a dust-like portal appeared, swallowing him whole. He was gone, and the fight was over, a loss disguised as victory.