The Fallen (in progress)

“Sir target building is in site. Orders?” asked the driver.

I reach for the radio that is sitting on the dashboard as I slowly turn the knob at the top to turn it on I cant help but think finally we are here the time has come to end this whole ordeal. “Listen up we are coming up to the target building shortly. I want teams entering from every and any entry point possible. Stay together and alert all times. I want this to be quick and clean the sooner we are done with this contract the sooner we get our money. Shoot anything that isn’t human understood?” I let out a sigh as I gave these orders. Through the radio my men answered with no signs of revolt the way I prefer things to be. Simple.

“Hey Dio.. I’m feeling a little uneasy on this one man..” said a voice from behind. Slowly I turn facing the man that said these words of nervousness.

When I look to the backseat of the SUV I find my friend Sebastian looking at me with uneasy eyes.
“Sebastian.. This will be just like all the other jobs you and I have done. There is nothing to worry about. We’ll go in, eliminate the target and get paid like we always do.” I tell him.

“Yes that may be partly true but this is different Dio. All those other jobs were small fry compared to this. Clear the undead from here. Capture a vampire in this location. Acquire a package and deliver it in a fucking forest full of mutated beings but this takes the cake. If I read the Intel correctly and I damn well know I did not only are the undead in there but there also have been sightings of demons. Demons Dio! This is big and I think it’s too big or us this time. Who knows what else is in there!” as he said this I could see the fear and anger in his ocean blue eyes.

Sebastian has been with me in this odd job mercenary line of work since the start. We’ve seen and done it all ever since these creatures that only thought to be fiction became the real thing. I understood his worry but I need him to focus. Not only is he my friend but Sebastian is the most skilled man I have. He watches my back as I watch his. There is little to no room for mistakes to be made on this contract. For the slightest error could lead to our total destruction.

“Listen to me we can do this. We’ve been through all kinds of shit and you have been my right hand man since the start. I need you to focus and to put your head on straight. Yes, you read correctly there have been demon sightings within this building but they can die just like everything else so snap out of it. We need you at your best.”

He shakes his head as I tell him this his long black hair swaying back and forth.

“This is so fucked you know that don’t you? Fine I’m with you like always but if we die know now that from here to the end of time ill be kicking your ass in hell.” he says this with a sigh. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Thank you my friend and we’ll see who is getting their ass kicked down there.” with that I get a chuckle followed by a fuck you from him.

“Sir we are here.” the driver announces.

Slowly I turn forward to find the monstrous building towering over us. It’s large shadow covering all around it giving one a feeling of anticipation of what lies in store. The doors of our SUV open and one by one the six of us step out onto the courtyard of this ancient site. We walk towards the trunk popping it as we walk. I can see the other vehicles driving towards different parts of the area as we make our short journey. I grab a hold of the handle and lift the door unveiling the tools of our trade. The trunk had been converted into a mobile armory sometime ago, Racks lined the sides of the trunk space each filled with different assortments of weaponry. Each of us begins to pick and choose the load out of our choice. Most of the men grab more standard weapons such as the M16 Assault Rifle, M4 Carbine, UMP45 SMG and the P90 SMG. Their secondary weapons consisting of Barreta M9 pistols and M93 Raffica machine pistols.

Sebastian and I on the other hand have different tastes which are opposite from one another. Sebastian prefers the ranged approach no matter what the location is. Carefully he inspects his CheyTac Intervention Sniper Rifle. As he checks for any bumps and scratches he slowly tightens on the high powered scope that rests upon its top. After he twists on his suppressor to its barrel allowing for the silent kills he specializes in. Slinging the rifle over his shoulder onto his back Sebastian takes hold of his Glock 19 pistol. Once more he checks it for any abnormalities. He holsters it as well as sheathes a few throwing knives into his belt. Lastly Sebastian equips a small crossbow along with explosive bolts which he slides into the quiver located on his lower back.

“A crossbow and a sniper Sebastian? You do realize we will be inside a building don’t you my friend?” I ask him jokingly.

“ Oh I’m well aware of where we are Dio. I just have to have a close up of you getting your ass kicked by some zombie.” as he says this he taps the scope on his rifle.

“Yeah very funny.. Get the fuck out of the way.” I push my way forward as I growl this at him.

Where Sebastian prefers long range I like to keep things close. First I acquire the Sawed Off shot gun that is lying towards the back of the trunk. Followed by my side arm of choice the Desert Eagle compact yet powerful which is what I enjoy most. Lastly my weapon of choice which was sitting ever so perfectly within a slot embedded in the back of the seats. Firmly I grab the sheathe and pull it from its resting spot. Fastening it to my side I unsheathe the blade revealing my prized katana. The hilt pure black with red accents along the sides. The blade perfect and sharp enough to cut the densest fog. Along the sides of the blade in black Japanese letters are found. If read they say: darkness on one side and light on the other.

The blade itself is a darker hue on the side of which darkness is imprinted upon. To me this means balance and there should always be a form of balance and equilibrium within this world. I sheathe the sword and turn to my men. They all are making final preparations yet I find Sebastian bowing his head at me.

“Oh great warrior! Today we shall see victory!” with a rough Japanese accent he says this. My annoyance could not be any greater.

“No room for any fucking around. Now shut the fuck up and get your shit together.” I glare at him as I say this, He gives me a sly look and turns towards the building.

“Say Dio.. What kind of building is this anyways? A school? Prison? It’s quite big” he inquires.

“Close. It’s an asylum.” as I answer everyone is fixed upon me with worried eyes. With this sight I could not help but smile.

“It was built in the early 1800s. This building was the home to many how can I say… unfortunate souls. First it was used as a jail to hold some of the most dangerous criminals the world has known. Each of their crimes different yet equally horrific. Rapists, murderers, the occult they all were housed here waiting for their death. Rumor has it that rituals would go on within these walls. Human sacrifices and such trying to appease some sort of god.. Or devil. For a few decades it remained running as a prison until it was shut down for supposedly being ran like a circle of hell. The prisoners were tortured and beaten in the worst ways our minds could come up with. Then, sometime later it reopened as an asylum housing people who weren’t all together mentally. Madmen filling the rooms that were once filled with killers and criminals. It was said that the treatment for these patients weren’t any better than that of the criminals. There were no beatings or any deaths but experimentation took place instead. Injections for some patients. Others were given drugs as a way to test their results. This too went on for years until it was deemed inhuman. From then on the building remained abandoned yet it is said that the cries of those being tortured and the laughter of the insane can still be heard inside of the rooms of this asylum.” I could feel the fear within them as I finished explaining the history of the building.

Slowly they began to walk towards the main door but they walked with a sense of caution. Sebastian stops at my side takes a deep breathe and asks “So we are pretty much walking into hell on earth?”

“It seems so. It’s quite understandable why the men are so shaken. How do you feel about this? I inquire.

“Well…It’s our job right? We gotta do it at all costs seeing that if we want to get paid we have to complete this anyways. Will say this though. I do not wish to stay here longer than we have to. Lets be done with this and leave.” we begin to walk towards the entrance as he answers me.

When we approach the door one of the men turns to me with a look of frustration. “Sir the door is locked up tight no means of entry.” as he says this I couldn’t help but think how pathetic this crew actually was.

“So what if it is locked? I want breaching formation on that door. Now! When I give the signal we breach and clear. Tell the other teams to do the same. Understood?” He nods accepting my orders. The group gathers at the sides of the door weapons drawn and ready. One moves in front of the door and arms the breaching explosive. Swiftly he falls back into line and looks towards me for the signal. With a smile I nod giving the ok. He then presses the detonator causing the door to blow. With a flash followed by a deafening boom the door snaps off its hinges flying off into the darkness of the building. As the smoke cleared I could make out a long hallway through the darkness.

So it begins. Hopefully things will get somewhat exciting. Suddenly our senses are hit by something putrid. A rotten smell begins to emerge from the doorway. Pure decay and rot filling the already dense air. Most of the men began to gag and cough due to the intensity of this odor. Following the stench a sound can be heard coming from within as well. At first it sounded like something wet flopping on the floor inside but once I listened closer I could tell what it was: footsteps.

“Something is coming.” I announced.

All the men shot their eyes at me and began to back up from the door. The footsteps grew louder and have picked up a bit of speed. Groans and gasps for breathe could be heard now. Followed by a growl here and there. Louder and louder these sounds became as the thing that was making it began to come closer to the door. The rotten smell intensified more and more until finally we could see a shape in the shadows. Stumbling forward it emerged from the doorway showing us the grotesque creature it truly was. Skin and body rotting beyond repair. With every step a piece of it would detach due to the decomposition that was taking place.

Puss and other signs of infection could be seen oozing from open wounds. Chunks of its body no longer present allowing us to see the innards and bones. Gasping and wheezing this undead monster limped forward towards us. Snapping it’s jaw hungrily as it stared with glazed eyes. The six of us stood there in a circle around the undead yet only Sebastian and I had no weapons in hand.

“Well that’s disappointing.. What a way to start this.” I said

“It’s only a fucking walker. Let them take care of this waste of bullets.” Sebastian says with a scoff.

“Kill it and lets get a move on. I’ll explain what’s next as soon as we are in and secure so move your asses.” I ordered while walking away.

Behind us I could hear the clicks of safeties being taken off followed by gunfire and the ripping of flesh. The men opened fire upon the undead causing chunks of it’s body to be torn from him. I could hear the squeals and shrieks of the beast as it was being obliterated. I couldn’t help but smile since this greatly pleased me. The gunfire ceased and the men fell in behind Sebastian and I.

“we’re with you boss lets get to work.” one of them said.

“Good.. On me and stay alert at all times. One may be easy but a pack of them is an entirely new nightmare.” I said and we made our way inside.

One by one we turned on flashlights that were attached to the front mounts of our weaponry. The walls of the hallway was stained in blood. We also found what looked like claw markings carved into the walls as well as we walked further. Along the sides leaning against the walls bodies or just parts lined the path. Reaching the door on the other side I signal for everyone to stop. Slowly I open the door enough for me to peek into the next area.

“what do you see Dio?” Sebastian inquired.

“Seems like a cellblock. I count 5, 6 no.. 10 undead on the floor level alone. Ready for frag and clear. Once we are in two of you go with Sebastian to the upper catwalks and clear it while the rest of you are with me and we take the ground level.” I see everyone nod in agreement to my words.

Silently we move into position one man grasping a grenade from his belt. Once we are set he looks towards me for the go ahead. With a nod we commence our plan. Opening the door he tosses the grenade inside the explosion following shortly after. With that the door flies open and we make our way inside. From all around us the growls and shrieks of the undead can be heard.

“Two in front!” says one man

“We got three more to the left!” said another.

“Dio! We are surrounded!” exclaimed Sebastian.

I quickly looked around to find dozens more appearing from within cells and rooms that are laid out all around us. More began to stumble down the stairs tripping over one another. Their gasps and growls of hunger fill the room almost deafening everything else around us. I can sense everyone including Sebastian becoming tense. I had to think quickly of what to do. Closer and closer this army of the dead got when finally I had my plan.

“Form a circle! Cover the man that stands to your left and right! Aim for the head for it is the fastest and surefire way to take them down!” as I belted these orders everyone automatically moved into position.

“Alright! Lets fucking do this Dio.. First to 50 gets a third of their share taken. You up for it?” Sebastian says challengingly

“Sure I’m game. I could use the money now don’t get in my way.” I reply cockily.

“Well then let the games begin!” exclaimed Sebastian.

With that we both fired our rounds screaming through the air slamming into the foreheads of our targets. Smiles could be found painted across our faces for the excitement has just begun. The hoard fell upon us from all around it almost seemed like they were coming from the walls. The six of us held our ground not moving an inch from where we stood. Our weapons continuously spitting death only stopping for a quick reload. I could feel the heat coming from the barrels of the weapons Sebastian and the man to my right carried.

The bodies of these creatures began to pile up around us causing others to trip over them making easy targets for us to eliminate. The smell of iron filled the room making the air heavy and dense which in turn began to make breathing a difficult task. The shrieks and growls grew less and things began to become quieter.

“Keep firing! Their numbers have severely dropped soon this will be over!” I shouted over the gunfire.

Suddenly a crashing sound comes from the far side of the cellblock as if a wall gave way and crumbled to pieces. What caused the sound was unknown yet a beastly roar echoed through the darkness. Stomping footsteps could be heard marching towards us. It’s labored breath whispering into our ears ever so distinct and out of place compared to everything else here. Quickly I shine my light in the direction of the footsteps. I find an undead of beastly composure. Standing tall of over six feet yet built like a walking tank this new challenger stands and stares towards me with his soulless eyes. It roars once more leaning forward giving itself a more menacing look.
“
A savage here too? I’m not surprised with the amount of undead concentrated here.” said Sebastian.

“That is true.. Look how he stares it’s sickening… He’s mine! Sebastian cover me, the rest of you continue focus on the remaining undead!” with that I was off in a full sprint.

“Play nice Dio. Oh, and mind your head wouldn’t want you getting in the way.” Sebastian said as he began to aim down the scope of his Intervention.

As I ran I holstered my Desert Eagle and put my left hand on my katana resting my thumb on the hilt. The savage had taken notice of me and began to run towards me as well. I could feel the small quake that followed each footstep which allowed me to track the distance between us. Before anyone could realize it we were upon each other. Letting out a giant roar the savage swung his left arm towards me. Catching the movement within the shadows I jumped back the swing barely missing me. Once my feet touched the ground I unsheathed my sword slashing forward with no hesitation. I could here a groan in the darkness along with the sound of flesh being cut.

I begin to walk circles around the figure as it begins to do the same. From time to time I slash the floor causing a spark to erupt towards the air. Not only does this allow me to see momentarily a shot is followed by every spark. Sebastian uses the spark to dictate my location thus allowing him to fire upon the undead that surround me.

“Ah, there you are my friend..” Sebastian says as he see’s the sparks through his scope.

The rifle echoes as he takes shot after shot at those around me. Allowing me to focus solely on the savage. So our dance begins both of us with entirely different styles. The savage swings wildly in every direction attempting to land a blow on me. Patiently I wait swiftly dodging his attacks then striking when an opening occurs. As I wait I continue to slash the ground to make temporary light. Suddenly I realize the only thing that can be heard are our footsteps, the gasps of the beast and the shrill of my sword striking the concrete floor.

“Hmm so it begins.” said Sebastian

“Um.. What begins? We already cleared all the undead.” said one of the men confused.

“The dance now truly begins. No other distractions or participants solely the two main performers remain. Watch as they sway to and fro their steps making them fly through the air. Dancing to the music that falls on deaf ears. Watch them waltz through this room yet in the end when the music fades one shall remain. For that is the price to dance in this waltz of death.” as he says this Sebastian begins to snap his fingers as if there was music playing.

The savage’s wild fury continues as he wildly swings blood dripping from his body due to the many cuts across his torso. Though he was badly wounded there was no slowing down in his movements.

“Fucking undead doesn’t know when to quit… the time has come to end this.” with that I quickly dodge his attack by jumping backwards.

With a push from my legs I make myself slide forward as soon as I landed from the jump. While in motion I ready my blade and quickly slash his knees ripping through the flesh and bone. I dig my heel into the ground and quickly rise with a spin taking the sawed off shotgun out of its holster mid rotation. I can hear the sound of flesh plopping onto the ground as the savage landed on the stubs that his is legs. Suddenly I stop with my blade resting upon my right shoulder and left arm extended forward. The barrels of the shotgun shoved into the mouth of the savage. Sounds of gagging can be heard from the darkness.

“So it’s over… finish him and be done with it Dio.” Sebastian says a light smile playing across his lips.

“This is the end.. Farewell.” I whisper towards my enemy pulling the trigger shortly after.

With a massive bang the shotgun goes off causing the savages head to explode due to the force. Blood and brain matter flew across the room bits of his skull could be heard bouncing across the floor . A devilish smile was painted across my lips and with a chuckle I holster my weapons and return to the group.
They all stare with happy eyes as they see me return to them.

“Well done I had no worries about you losing that fight.” said Sebastian

“It will take more than one Neanderthal zombie to take me down. Now everyone gather around time to really get this job started.” everyone slowly gathers around me as I say this.

I explain to everyone our true reasoning for being in the asylum. We are after a man named Victor Reznov. A Russian scientist who was a part of a team researching the plausible causes for these creatures to appear upon this green earth. It had seemed that once their research had reached a stand still they stumbled upon an artifact that could truly open the doors and lead to an understanding as to how they are here. One day Victor had stolen the artifact killing a good portion of his colleagues in the process. Intel says that Victor is now here within this building for reasons unknown so that we should be cautious and if need be dispose of him. His position is unknown so we have three teams searching the building. One taking the main floor, the second team taking the second story and roof and lastly our team taking the lower levels. The teams have been named Top, Mid and Lower for simplicity.

“Well we should try to get some sort of info from the guy right? I mean we cant just kill him.” said
one man

“Fuck him. I say we shoot the bastard and take what we came for. That’s it.” Said another.

“Well.. What’s the plan Dio?” Sebastian asks me.

“Simple. Victor Reznov is expendable we are here for the artifact. When we find him we will take the artifact and go. If he cooperates he lives. If he doesn’t then he earns a one way ticket to hell. That’s it now lets get this done.” I answered gruffly.

“We should first see what happens. Give him a chance before we do anything rash.” Sebastian says

“Makes no difference to me. As I said he is expendable.” I say this with frustration in my voice.

If it were up to me I would just kill him and be done with it. I turn to see Sebastian giving me a look. I can tell he does not fully agree with me. If it were up to him he would show the man mercy and take him with us. Possibly try to help him or something. I find that sickening yet that is how he is the merciful one in our band of mercenaries. In moments like this we both would always bash heads me always being considered the ruthless one when to me it just makes things all the more simple.

“This is Dio teams report.” I said over the radio.

“This is top reporting. We are on the second floor and have began our search for reznov. Also we have encountered a decent amount of undead here but nothing we cant handle.” answered one team.

“This is mid reporting sir. We are in the southern area of the first floor near cellblock G. Plenty of undead in the area but not enough to slow us down,.” answered the other.

“Good. We are now heading into the lower levels ourselves. If you find anything contact me immediately.” I said followed by a yes sir in unison from both teams.

We made our way out of the cellblock with me taking the lead. I took the team through corridor after corridor each filled with small groups of undead that deemed to be little to no problem. The corridors were tight giving a sense of claustrophobia to some of us since we were almost packed together forced to almost stay within a line. As we went farther into the building the air began to become more and more stale due to the lack of circulation from its abandonment. After what seemed like hours we happened upon a the stairs which led down into the belly of this beast. The stairs spiraled down into what seemed to be an abyss due to the thickness of the darkness. Slowly we began to make the long walk down everything becoming darker and darker the deeper we went.

Our flashlights soon became our only source of light feebly attempting to cut into the darkness. Without them we would not even be able to see the man walking in front of us. No one spoke on this journey for we all wished to reach the bottom which never seemed to come. The walls were a discolored mix of the gray from the area above and a rust orange which soon became dominant the further we went. We spotted trails of blood along the steps that at times lead down the stairs or curved and went over the edge as if someone was dragged and pulled over. I could hear the occasional sigh coming from my team. Their way of trying to stay calm in situations like this.

“Keep it together guys we’ll be done with these stairs soon. We just have to keep moving.” I said reassuringly .

The men gave me a sound of confidence and we pushed onwards. I was shaken as well but I couldn’t let them know. The worst parts of any situation is when nothing happens and you are left there wondering when something will come out. It’s quite maddening if you let it get to you but soon those feelings drifted away as we reached the end of the staircase. Yet, what laid before us had no signs of further relief. Yes we made it to the bottom though nothing had happened but every direction we turned was corridor after corridor after corridor. Each long, wide and lead solely into darkness. We decided to split up into groups of two and each chose a different way. Sebastian by my side we entered this labyrinth. Like rats in a maze searching for the hunk of cheese awaiting for them at the end.

“Think we’ll have to fight the minotaur at the end of this maze?” Sebastian asked jokingly.

“hmm.. I’m not entirely sure but if we do I think it will be he who has to be ready for us!” I exclaimed while laughing heartily.

“I think you are right my friend! We’ll show him what true power is!” yelled Sebastian thrusting a fist into the air.

We almost died from laughing so hard. Our laughs could heard echoing through the dark corridor. Going from loud and full to far and haunting as it traveled deeper into the darkness ahead. We continued forward turning here and there seeing no change or any sign of something new. The deafening quiet made our sense grow to their maximum capabilities. The slightest thing catches our eye even the smallest noise making us turn our heads. Sebastian comes to a complete stop to look around at the never ending scene we are in.
“Man.. This is nerve wrecking it’s too damn dark. Cant see a damn thing and I feel like something is gonna pop out at any minute. Gives me the fucking creeps man…” Sebastian says nervously. Suddenly he realizes that I am no where around him. This sends him into a panic. Frantically looking all around him as if to spot me.

“Dio! Dio! Where the fuck did you go man!? Shit.. Its too fucking dark to be left alone…Where are you!? He calls for me desperately searching through the darkness. Shining his light in every direction hoping that I will get caught in its beam.

“Sebastian! Just keep going forward and you’ll find me! There is something here you must see!” I call out to my lost friend.

I heard the sound of footsteps quickly coming closer and closer like someone running from the devil himself. Sure enough Sebastian emerges from the darkness sprinting towards me the signs of relief clear on his face.

“I thought I lost you man..” Sebastian says trying to catch his breathe.

“Were you scared or something? You came running like a bat out of hell! I didn’t know you were afraid of the dark Sebastian!” I tell him jokingly.

“Hey! No time to talk shit Dio. Last thing we need is to get split up in this place! Now what is it that you want to show me?” he says with frustration.

I point my flashlight at the wall behind me showing the rust color it originally contains. Slowly I begin to pan to the right unveiling some sort of growth that is upon the wall. It looked like flesh and pulsated as if blood was coursing through it. Even further to the right giant claw marks could be found as if some beast ravaged the wall with it’s fury.

“What the fuck is this Dio? Looks like flesh and it seems like it is living or something.” as he says this Sebastian stabs a knife into the growth and what seems like blood begins to pour from the apparent wound.

“Hmm it is plausible but I think we arent alone down here. Look at those claw marks. Something is in here. Something big.” as I finish this statement a loud roar can be heard from deep within the maze. Something monstrous was close by it’s thunderous footsteps pounding upon the ground. We turned and looked at each other for a brief moment. It had seemed like we have found our minotaur the one that guards this labyrinth.

“Something big is around here.. And close. Hate to see what it is.” Sebastian says with a slight quiver in his voice.

“I have a feeling we are going to find out soon. Stay alert and stay calm I can tell you’re a little shaken up.” I tell him.

We slowly begin to move forward through the corridors. The fleshy growth on the walls can be seen spreading throughout the area. At first on the walls in certain spots then, it began to creep onto the ceiling and now covering the corridor on all sides. A wet squishing sound can be heard from our footsteps as we step upon this fleshy environment. We were getting close to something I could feel it. The giant steps grew louder and louder the more we walked. Finally we began to hear long and deep breathes from right in front of us. As I was about to aim my light towards the sound the lights in throughout the lower levels turn on in blinding flash.

“We found the breaker sir! Got the lights back up!” said one of my men through the radio.

Sebastian and I held our hands to our eyes due to the flash. All I could see was white for a moment and felt my eyes sting due to the sudden appearance of light.

“Yeah well you should’ve said something! Fucking blinded Sebastian and I you fucking moron!” as I yelled this an ear shattering roar smashed into us.

My eyes finally focused and my heart sank at the very site of the creature before me. It stood taller than the savage we faced in the cellblock. It’s eyes a soulless black with no pupils. The creature’s skin was a dark brown with long black claws lining its hands and feet. A serpent like tail extended from the back slamming against the ground in a fury. It’s mouth was lined with razor sharp teeth which looked like they could tear through flesh with ease. Never have I seen anything like it before and I could feel the dread in my heart. Finally we found one, the creature reported in the intel. We have stumbled upon our first demon. I draw my sword not wanting to use my firearms due to the size of the corridor. I notice Sebastian pulling his throwing knives from his belt and caressing them between his fingers.

“What’s the plan Dio? This is some new shit we have before us..” said Sebastian

“I’ll draw his attention. While he is focused on me I want you to hit it whenever you can. Keep on eye on his movements we don’t want those claws tearing into us.” I tell him. From behind me I hear him make a sound of understanding. Thus we began our fight with the beast.

With great haste I sprint toward the demon slashing at it’s side as I run by. As soon as I cleared him I could hear the sound of flesh being punctured as Sebastian threw the knives with a sharp flick of his wrist. The beast roared and violently slashed towards Sebastian with pure rage behind every swing. I could see him dodging the barrage of attacks with a it of ease yet he couldn’t attempt to counter act due for the chance of getting hurt was too great. Again I ran towards the demon yet this time I slid under it’s legs jumping up in front of Sebastian. Using my blade I blocked a few of the monster’s swipes. The ringing noise coming from the impact of claws against sword could be heard echoing throughout the entire area.

Behind me Sebastian ran back a good distance in order to gain some space crouching down and equipping his Intervention once he felt satisfied with where he was. Aiming down his sight he tried to find an opening for a shot. Yet every chance that presented itself before him was quickly swept away due to me coming into the line of fire.

“Damn.. Dio! I cant get a clear shot! You keep jumping in to the scope as you fend off it’s attacks!” Sebastian says into the radio with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Quickly I begin to think what could be done to fix this problem. I couldn’t run past him since he was focused solely on me. Even if I tried he would tear at me with his claws. Sliding under him would not work either if I pressed forward in an attempt he would catch me as well. Suddenly I noticed possibly the only way I could pull this off and have Sebastian in this fight. I look at my sword and at times catch his reflection in my blade. I could somehow use this to pinpoint where he is aiming then we could have a fighting chance.

“I have an idea,, At times I can see your reflection in my sword I can use that to see where you are going to aim. It will be difficult so give me a moment to see more or less where your aiming, Five seconds the most. Don’t call out where your going to aim because I don’t want this big guy gunning for you. Ready?” I ask him.

“Yeah. Lets fucking do this.” he answers.

With that I notice him shift to the left in response to his movement I block the left claw and counteract with a horizontal slash to the right leaning into the attack. As soon as I attacked I heard the crack from Sebastian’s rifle echo through the corridor. Shortly after scream of the round passes by my head thus it slamming into the beast’s chest. We continued this for some time me dodging and slashing in the opposite direction of Sebastian’s rifle shot. I began to notice a decrease in it’s speed and more of my attacks were getting through.

“Keep firing he’s slowing down! The ball is in our court Sebastian!” I yell towards him.

My confidence quickly vanished from my body as the demon slammed his arm into me sending me flying through the corridor. I flew back about twenty feet my back bouncing and sliding across the floor. Sebastian grabs hold of me as I go past him causing him to fall back due to how fast I was going. We both recover and I give Sebastian a thumbs up showing him I’m ok.

“Thanks and nice catch bro.. We need back up. Contact the team and tell them to hurry.” I tell Sebastian.

“Your welcome… Yeah ill give it a shot. This is Sebastian we need immediate assistance! We have encountered a demon and are in the need of back up! I repeat we have encountered a demon and are in need of back up! Is anyone there?!” Sebastian says over the radio.

His call for help was answered by static and interference. I could see the frustration in his face and right there I knew we were on our own. Out of no where we began to hear snapping and cracking sounds. Looking upon the demon we can see its body popping in certain directions as if something within it was moving around throughout it’s body. The demon’s body began to change before our eyes. The limbs began to extend and grow with sickening popping noises bouncing off the walls. It’s torso and lower body also began to extend making it seem more spider like. Twisting it’s head in a circle it looked upon us and roared with great rage. Then he jumped back while flipping simultaneously anchoring itself upon the ceiling. Thus began slowing walking towards us at a menacing pace.

With little to no thought we drew our weapons Desert Eagle in my hands and Intervention in his. We opened fire upon the demon round after round slamming into it’s body yet it seemed like it wasn’t being phased by the assault. With great haste it charged toward us howling with anger. Soon he was upon us slashing with his right claw. Sebastian and I rolled to the sides of the corridor just barely dodging the attack. As he misses we can see the demon spin in a circle turning itself for another pass.

“Get behind me Dio.” Sebastian tells me equipping his crossbow as he does so.

I see him reach for the bolts that rest within the quiver upon his lower back. Quickly he loads it into the crossbow and noticing the bolt I realize why he wants me to stay back. Aiming towards the demon a sly smile plays across his face.

“Let’s end things with a bang shall we? I’ll see you in hell motherfucker!” Sebastian exclaims.

The demon charges towards us screeching once more at that same moment Sebastian fires the bolt. Silently it soars towards the beast soon lodging itself into it’s throat. The demon falls from the ceiling and slides past us a soft beeping sound could be heard coming from it’s body. At first it was a steady then suddenly the beeping grew faster and faster.

“Boom..” Sebastian says calmly followed by an immense explosion from behind us.

Chunks of the demon could be seen flying from the smoke landing in various places with a wet splat sound. The smoke cleared and the obliterated carcass could be seen laying there in a pool of dark crimson. We both let out a sigh of relief for we were finally done with this fight.

“Man.. That was intense. Hope there arent any more of these things around here.” Sebastian tells me.

“You and me both but, we should remain alert just in case. Let’s go find the rest of the team and let them know about this encounter.” I said

“Sounds like a good idea Dio. Let’s get going.”

As we began to walk away a plopping sound filled the corridor. Fear struck us and shock soon took over the relieved expression that was across our faces. We turned to find the remains of the demons body squirming and hopping around. Parts of it was stretching and expanding soon after what looked like a head began to emerge from a hole in it’s upper body, In the center of it’s chest I could see something that was the shape of a ball throbbing like a heart.

“It’s…It’s regenerating! How could it possibly still be alive after that!?” Sebastian said with pure shock.
A tearing noise came from it’s body and slowly it’s limbs began to grow out once more. Each arm emerging and slamming into the floor as they extended more and more. It was clear that the explosion put it into a regenerative state. Quickly I came up with a plan yet was not sure if it would work.

“Hit him again. Did you notice the ball shaped object in it’s chest? I believe that’s it’s heart.” I tell him

“You sure? I mean it’s worth a shot.. And yes I did notice it as well. Fuck.. Alright lets do it.” he says.

Once more he loads another bolt I ready my blade as he does so. With a dull sound the bolt flies towards the regenerating demon impaling it once more. I wait as the beeping commences. Once the beeping starts to quicken that is when I was going to make my move. Finally my signal came the beeping began to pick up haste. With that I was off running at full speed my blade sliding against the floor leaving a trail of sparks behind me. With mere feet between us the explosive detonated yet I did not allow it to slow me down.

“That is it! This game is over!” I bellow as I emerge from the smoke.

Before me laid the it’s body once again torn and broken into pieces. I could see the throbbing from the demon’s chest once more. With all my might I stab my blade into it’s chest and tear it through the left side of the beat’s body. Blood and entrails erupt from the wound causing it’s body to convulse. At an instant it grows stiff and all movement ceases to exist from the demon. The smell of sulfur fills the air followed by the body slowly beginning to burn. I begin to walk towards Sebastian with the burning carcass to my back. We had done it. We have killed our first demon.

“Holy shit… it’s over. We finally killed that bitch!” exclaimed Sebastian. His face glowed with joy when I looked at him.

“Yeah we finally did but there could be more so stay alright. We need to find the rest of the team and inform them of our little interaction.” I told him.

We began to walk once again through the flesh covered corridor. From time to time Sebastian would give the radio a try with little to no luck. Frustration began to set in as what felt like an eternity went by, Every turn felt the same as the last. Our environment never changing yet sprinkled across our path a demon or two could be found. These encounters were simple, clean and quick since we had an effective way of dealing with these creatures.

“What if they are dead? Maybe that’s why we cant get in touch with them..” Sebastian says suddenly.

I look towards him and shake my head in disapproval yet I couldn’t help but partly agree with his statement. What if they encountered one of these demons down here? Surely they wouldn’t have survived such an encounter. Beginning to feel the hair on my neck stand I shake off these thoughts knowing that I cannot let doubt fill my thoughts.

“Don’t think such foolishness…Keep trying to reach them through the radio. Sounds like your starting to doubt things my friend,” I hear a heavy sigh from behind me as the words escape my lips.

We trudge on forward with silence in the air and anxiety beneath out skin. Our damp footsteps echo though the corridor and far into the labyrinth. Something soon catches my ear, a sound that is out of place to the surroundings I find myself in. Without hesitation or a single thought I begin to sprint towards the sound that whispered past my ear. We went flying towards an unknown location paying no attention to the dangers that hid within the intersections of the corridors. Sebastian frantically called to me as we ran but I didn’t acknowledge him in any way. I kept on my course as if I did not hear a single word he had spoken.

With no signs of slowing down I suddenly halted ending the mad man’s run. I looked upon a wall towards my left upon my face was the expression of awe. Upon the wall was writing in what looked like a dark crimson ink. Each letter was perfect with strong straight lines and soft round curves.

“Wow.. This is beautiful..” I whispered softly.

I could hear Sebastian’s footsteps as he caught up to me with heavy labored breathes. His eyes grew to the size of moons when he looked upon my discovery.

“Whoa.. I don’t know how you found this or knew it was here but this is amazing. I cant read it though some odd language..” he said in amazement yet puzzled.

“It’s latin but I cant read it myself. Take a picture so that we can analyze it later..” I walk towards the writing as he begins to take pictures.

I soon hear once more the whispers that lead me to this wall. Closing my eyes I concentrate on where it could be coming from. As I got closer the whispers became louder and louder which justified that it came from the wall. As if lead by a ghost I raised my arms towards the walls walking ever so closer.

“Hey Dio! What are you doing man? Step back you don’t know what caused the writing to appear there, Dio? Dio?!”

As he shouted I continued walking like as if I was in a trance. The words gained a slight reddish hue as if they softly glowed. All that swarmed within my head were the whispers that flooded the corridor. Placing my hand upon the wall the red glow intensified into a blinding light, The whispers became deafening then suddenly they stopped. A flash came from the wall and all I saw was nothing but darkness.

Silence filled this void that I found myself within. No light could be seen no matter where I looked not even the smallest hint of it could be found. When I tried to move and walk to an unknown location my body refused to cooperate. With all my might I tried to make myself do something whether it was to move my hand or wiggle my toes yet still I remained paralyzed. Suddenly an intense heat began to crawl across my body. Growing hotter and hotter as time passed. I felt as if I was being burned alive.

Within the darkness a red hue began to glow in the far reaches of the abyss glowing brighter as it expanded and traversed this dark wasteland. They took the form of flames which my mind explained this burning heat then suddenly my eyes caught movement within the mixture of darkness and light. Suddenly I noticed four figures standing in pairs one in front of the other and the other two a distance away staring at the first pair. I could not make out who they were but two had the forms of humans while the others were clearly non human. Both had giant wings that spread as far as my arms two times over yet there was a significant difference. One seemed more like actual wings with feathers and perfect symmetry. While the other had more of a fleshy looking wing similar to that of a bat. It was torn in certain areas and contained spines at its edges.

“An angel and a demon.. What does this mean and who are the two humans they are with?” I asked as I watched the shadowy figures.

The human forms stood motionless for what seemed like hours until finally they began to move. Both began to unsheathe what seemed to be swords and at full sprint ran at one another with deadly intent. As they drew closer and closer I could feel things become incredible cold almost bone chilling yet the flames that had manifested themselves before me still flickered and danced between the shadowy beings.

Within a blink of an eye they were upon each other both striking with all their might. The high pitched snap of metal clashing rang throughout the area. Echoing for great distances in this abysmal void. Suddenly without warning a bright flash of white light appears forcing me to shut my eyes. I begin to feel warm again but not as hot as before. I could hear muffled voices trying to talk to me in some alien tongue. My eyes begin to open ever so slowly revealing the faces of the muffled voices all of which have signs of relief painted across all of their faces. It was Sebastian and the rest of the team.

“Dio! Finally you are awake… Are you alright? What happened to you man?” Sebastian says with a calming sigh.

“I’m alright. Just help me up and lets get going. We have a job to do and I’ll explain everything when we get back. Fucking head is killing me.”

With a mighty they pull me up and help me get my bearings. Sebastian hands me my sword and gives me a thumbs up along with a dumb smile. I was back that was obvious enough. Yet… I couldn’t help but think about what just played out only moments ago. For some time I was lost within my own thoughts trying to understand the events that just took place.