The hand hovers for a moment, flexing its fingers gently. Then it's followed slowly by an arm, a shoulder, and suddenly, all at once, a being steps through the portal.

The creature stands around six and a half feet tall, with deep red skin the colour of old blood. The hooked claws on its fingers are a deep black, glinting in the light. Sculpted muscles ripple as it stretches, opening up great, batlike wings at least twelve feet wide. A face too perfect to be human looks over the lab, solid blue eyes glowing slightly. From the temples sprout magnificent, curling horns ending in wicked points. Sharp fangs are revealed as the lips part slowly into a grin.

[b]"Nhash k'zor! Thu'aar'khell valikz okhs!"[/b]

A guttural language spills from the creature's mouth in a deep, rich voice. The portal shudders as it speaks, and four more things come scuttling through. None of them even come close to the stature of the first, all deformed and ugly, though each carries a sense of menace and power. They quickly disappear from the lab, crashing out through windows and in one case just walking through a wall as if it wasn't there.

Folding its wings back up, the creature steps slowly towards Gwen, still grinning unnervingly. The air around it ripples and shimmers in something reminiscent of a heat haze and the floor cracks under its footsteps, though they're soft enough to be silent.

[b]"I thank you. For too long I have been unable to find a path into this world. I am the Demon Lord Ar'khash. Think yourself fortunate that you have performed a service for me; if you had not been so instrumental, you would find yourself sharing the fate of the others."[/b]

He puts one hand on her shoulder. His touch is hot, far too hot for a human hand, though strangely pleasant. He raises his other, and a flash of sickly red light illuminates the room. Everyone except Gwen begins to disintegrate, dust slewing off them to a chorus of screams and flying to Ar'khash, sinking into his hand. White light begins to glow from inside their head, and then one after the other, in quick succession, each light pulses and flies along with the dust. Each pulse signals the complete collapse into dust of a scientist.

It's over remarkably quickly, the whole process taking not more than a few seconds. When the Demon Lord removes his hand from Gwen's shoulder, the room is spotless and quiet. 

His grin widens.

[b]"Genii. I like genii. There's a tang to their souls you just don't get anywhere else. Mages are better, of course, but there haven't been any of those since the idiots up in the Astral Realm decided all the Higher Planes were to be closed."[/b]

Ar'khash sighs, rolling his head on his shoulders.

[b]"I haven't been incarnate for a long time. This is going to take some getting used to, not to mention the fact that everything here has changed a lot since I was last around."[/b]

He turns back to Gwen with a sinister smile.

[b]"Fortunately... I have someone to show me around."[/b]