"Freaks and Nature" Tales of the Atomik Punk, part 8

Whenever the Atomik Punk knocked heads with the Freaks, he was always in danger of being mistaken for one by his fellow heroes. It was a long running joke with the C.O.P. and friends, “Careful! Don’t accidentally blast the Punk!” they would all laugh but it was true. In a way the Atomik Punk felt a strange kin-ship with the Freak Show and could easily blend in walking through Carnival Town and Bricks town. It wasn’t so long ago that he too was an outsider, supped up on radiation and testosterone, hell bent on taking on the world. The big difference was, they were all a bunch of stupid low-lifes and the Atomik Punk was a former scientist.

It didn’t really make any sense why the Freak show with it’s anarchistic world view of destruction, would form an alliance with the walking elementals called “the Devouring Earth”, but then again, a lot of things in Paragon City didn’t make much sense. Deep underground in Perez Park, something bad was happening. The Freaks had gotten ahold of some magic artifacts used to channel forces beyond this world. In exchange for knowledge of the artifacts, the Freaks would help the Devouring Earth reclaim the zone called “Eden” and help take out Heroes and Rikti alike.

The artifacts were still in their unholy reliquaries hidden and protected by the Freaks and D.E. until the next new moon, when the elementals would use their arcane knowledge to unleash their power and transfuse Drek, one of the Freak leaders, into a walking magically infused power house.

Atomik Punk arrived with Fibulator, Outlander, Arctic Night, Lasamos, the Master of Illusion and Dr. Demoriel who carried with him a small ancient clay vessel. The cavern was filled with Freaks and D.E who were taken by surprise at the team’s arrival. Insect swarms, electricity, rockets and mind numbing psychic energy laced the cavern walls and shallow pits as group after group was put down in their icy graves courtesy of Arctic Night. The magical artifacts were reached and Drek was getting ready to unleash their power. As the team converged on the cerimonie there was a giant explosion. From the artifacts a monstrous creature was forming! Most of the remaining Freaks fled in terror as giant tentacles tore them limb from limb or pulled them struggling to one of many gaping mouths. The D.E. were bowing and worshipping the entity!, Drek tried to flee with the others but was engulfed by the glowing green creature of nightmare and began to change shape.
Dr. Demoriel appeared in front of the monster and raised the mysterious clay jar over his head and spoke “ Dark Shubniggurath, Black goat of the woods with a thousand young!, Back to the womb of mother Gaia! I command you!” A loud cry of unearthly anguish wracked the cavern, the D.E. fought back trying in vain to stop Dr. Demoriel from the spell of containment which was unleashed. The entity, and all the D.E worshippers, were sucked in an instant into the magical container with a blinding flash!

When it was all over, Drek was thankful for having his life spared and cursed himself for ever trusting the Devouring Earth. Drek had almost become an avatar for an unholy ancient god.