by Michael Todd
Pandora waved her hands. “Getting to it. I’m asking for volunteers from your Damned soldiers. We need their help desperately, and Korbin is the one who sent me to gather them, if that is all right with you.”
The commander thought for a moment, then pivoted 180 degrees. “You heard her, Damned. Who wants to volunteer?”
Everyone’s hands shot up, and the commander pointed to four of them. “You four go with her. The rest get back to training.” Pivoting again, he faced her. “Good luck. We will be rooting for you.”
Pandora stood straight and tilted her head as he walked away. She shifted her eyes up as four of the Damned stepped toward her.
“This sounds like a real good deal,” one of the Damned said with wide sparkling eyes and a smile.
Pandora pointed at the four of them. “We’re fighting, not fucking, okay?”
“We know,” they said, chuckling.
Pandora opened a portal and waved her arm. “Good. Follow me.”
Pandora stepped out first, with the four Damned following behind her. They had their guns slung around them, close to their chests, and their eyes grew wide as they looked around in wonder at a dimension between the worlds. It was a futuristic city with tall glass buildings and what looked to be small flying vehicles soaring overhead. The people walking by were all naked, just like the other dimension she so thoroughly enjoyed.
“Huh, what do you know. There is more than one naked dimension,” she said, her eyes shifting from tit to dick.
One of the French troops shook his head, not blinking. “I don’t know whether to be weirded out, interested, aroused, or all of the above.”
Pandora patted him on the shoulder. “I think the last is a decent response. I thought you French people were all loose about nudity and stuff. The European way.”
The Damned blinked and glared at her. “Sure, on beaches, movies, and television, but we don’t go walking to the office butt-ass naked.”
One of the naked folks stopped on the sidewalk and stared at Pandora. He was tall, dark, and handsome, with big muscles and a wide grin. Slowly he walked over, keeping her attention. “Excuse me, but I just had to stop and tell you how beautiful you are.”
Pandora sucked her tongue over her teeth and pulled up her belt. “Sorry, buddy. I like the hang of your hog, but I’ve got a battle to win.”
The guy tilted his head. “Where are you from?”
Pandora puffed out her chest and smirked. “I’m an angel from another dimension.”
The guy’s mouth fell open as his eyes scanned her body. “That’s amazing.”
Pandora walked forward and pulled open a portal. “I know, right?”
With a wink she pulled her team through it, letting it close behind her.
Korbin left the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn, heading for the living room, where they were watching coverage of the battle. Suddenly a portal popped open, startling the hell out of him. He jumped, tossing his popcorn up. Pandora stepped through, the troops following her.
Korbin put his hand to his chest. “Jesus Christ, Pandora. What are you doing here?”
Pandora snickered. “I need to scare you more often. That was amazing. Your face got all contorted like one of those dogs with all the wrinkles.”
Korbin gave her a deadpan look. “What do you need?”
Pandora motioned to the guys behind her. “They’re from France, but we need more.”
Korbin plopped his half-empty bowl on the table as Brock came out of the living room. “I need to stay here in Bahrain. If it’s for the fort, that’s my job, but it might also be helpful if this rampage starts to spread. Brock should go, though. I know he wants to.”
Brock clapped his hands and jogged over to the counter. He grabbed his guns and shoved them into the holsters on his sides, then reached into a drawer and pulled out several more magazines. Pandora rolled her eyes. “You just want to go because your girlfriend is there. You wanna get all smoochy-smoochy in Rio.”
Brock pushed his short sword into the sheath on his leg. “Don’t be jealous. It’s unbecoming.”
Pandora pointed at him and opened her mouth, but Korbin cut in, “No time for this. Come here to the map. I have a few ideas about who else you can pick up.”
18
Juntto cut a path around the outskirts of the city and led the civilians to a wealthy part of Rio. The people trudged behind him, looking around in awe. It was quite a different place than the favelas, and none of them usually dared to come to that area. They were not welcome there, and the class war in Rio was real on many levels.
As they walked up the street, they saw huge iron gates in front of them. The metal twisted and swirled, leaving just enough of an opening between bars to catch a glimpse of the rich behind it. They made sure that they kept themselves safe from the poor. Juntto turned to the people and nodded, letting them know he would handle it.
He walked up to the gate, and through a small iron door to the right, a man stepped out in a collared shirt, khaki pants, and some sort of exotic leather shoes. He looked Juntto up and down, swiping his premature silver hair to the side. “Why are you here?”
Juntto could feel the tension building in his shoulders. “We need you to let these people in. There is an attack on the city, and they will be safe here for a little while.”
The man tilted his head to the side, looking at the ragtag bunch behind Juntto. He stood back up, chuckling and twisting his peppered mustache around his finger. “I’m sorry, but that just isn’t possible. This residence is for…affluent people.”
Juntto opened his mouth to argue, but the ground began to shake. Slowly he turned around, the rich guy staying behind him but peeking out from behind his large arm. Bounding down the streets was a huge demon, his four arms swinging, knocking trees, cars, and anything else in his path out of the way. Juntto raised an eyebrow. “This is interesting.”
The demon stopped, watching the people back up to the gate. He gripped all four of his fists and growled angrily. “I am Granthar the Gory, champion of hell. I am here to take all of you back to the pits of the seven levels. Prepare yourselves.”
Juntto put one finger up. “I don’t think so, bozo.”
Granthar roared again, his breath bending the trees to each side of him. They snapped back into place, and half the leaves shriveled from the heat. Juntto looked over his shoulder. “Stay here. If anything happens, let them in and get them to safety. Do you understand?”
The rich guy shivered, nodding his head and whimpering. Juntto turned back and took off at a run, leaping into the air and diving straight for Granthar. As his head slammed into the demon’s chest, Granthar grabbed him with all four arms and hung him upside down in front of him. “Granthar warrior. You…little blue man.”
Juntto roared. “But I will be the victor here!”
Granthar and Juntto stared at each other for a moment, and Juntto’s eyebrows went up. “Oh, boy.”
Granthar slammed him down on the asphalt, picked him back up, and slammed him down again. The asphalt crumbled and the earth sank slightly as Juntto’s frost giant body crushed through the street. On the fourth blow, Granthar released his legs and snorted. He raised his arms, ready to smash Juntto in the chest. The frost giant could barely get his vision straight.
Granthar growled. Just as he was about to slam his arms down, a rock hit him right between the eyes. He shook his head and backed up a couple of steps when more rocks flew, pelting him right and left. Juntto turned over, looking back at the fence. The civilians were shooting at and throwing rocks at Granthar.
His heart beat stronger and his energy flashed, bursting through his veins. He lunged forward, grabbing Granthar by the legs and flipping him up and over him. He didn’t pause, turning quickly and getting back to his feet. He picked the dazed demon up and ran forward, slamming him into the stone wall that surrounded the community. Granthar struggled to pick his head up, mumbling to himself.
Juntto gritted his teeth and began to punch him
over and over in the face. Three of the civilians picked up the Juntto-sized spear and shouted in a battle cry as they charged toward him. Juntto stepped to the side, and the civilians rammed the spear through Granthar’s chest and into the wall. They backed up, watching as Granthar groaned and gurgled, blood dripping down his chin. His eyes opened wide for just a moment before he burst into dust.
The three new warriors and all the people watching from the gate threw their hands up and cheered loudly for them. Juntto laughed deeply as he pulled the spear from the stone. “You are great warriors, as great as the frost giants of my land. I am honored to have served with you in this war of the demons.”
He put his hand across his stomach and bowed to the three guys. They all high-fived each other and then Juntto’s large hand at one time. Juntto looked at the rich guy, who was trembling and shaking. His voice cracked, and he waved his arms, near tears. “Come, come through the gates. We will keep you safe.”
He hurried to the door and pressed a button, coming around as the gates began to slowly open. The people walked through nervously, looking around and clinging to each other. Juntto followed them, putting his spear on his shoulder and making sure everyone got in okay. He stood next to the rich man with a displeased look on his face.
The guy shuffled his feet, kicking at a stone on the ground. “Please forgive me. I have learned something today. I have learned that no matter how much money we have, it does not protect us from the demons. I was afraid. You are large and scary, and the people coming in here, I have learned, can be dishonest. It was an assumption I should have never made, but I didn’t think I would ever walk out the gate and see them looking for asylum.”
Juntto glared down at him. “But you learned your lesson, and I hope that stays with you, even after these people leave here.”
The guy sniffed, avoiding eye contact. “I hope it does too. I wasn’t sure when I came up what to expect. We heard that we were under attack. That there were rivers of lava, large demons, and everything in between. Then I come out here, and you are standing at the gates demanding I let people in that I didn’t know. But I see now that you are a good man, even if you are blue.”
Juntto looked at his skin and burst into a deep chuckle. “I guess I can join the ranks of minorities, considering I am the only one. Of course, they have been dealing with that mindset far longer than I have. In my world, it does not matter if you are blue, purple, hairy, spiny…”
The guy frowned, looking up at Juntto. The frost giant didn’t notice and continued, “Red and blue dots, pink and orange dots, six legs, two legs, a fin, a tail, an ass. We treat everyone with kindness until they do something that makes that kindness go away. You should think about that, because otherwise, you will become a very lonely person in the future. I’ve been to hell, and you don’t want to end up there, trust me.”
The rich guy’s eyes grew big. “Yes, no. I don’t want to go there.”
Juntto patted him on the back, making him lurch forward. “I’ll be back, possibly with more survivors. Stay alert.”
There wasn’t a single thing that could withstand the foot-thick wall of lava that crept slowly through Rio. It flowed mercilessly, dragging everything in its path into the molten rock. Lesser demons didn’t stand a chance. Cars, bikes, shacks, outdoor furniture, and even the small statues that lined one of the blocks; it was all instantly burned to ash by the hot hell cinders coming from the open portal in the sky.
Katie whizzed through the air, slicing Marchosias on the cheek. “There you go, old man. Another battle wound for another failed attempt at war.”
Marchosias swung at her, missing by inches. “You may be twelve feet tall, but you are still the size of a bug to me. A bug I will smash and smear under my demon heel. I would eat you, but I have heard that whore tastes fishy.”
Katie tilted her head back and laughed as she headed toward him, racing for his back. Marchosias glanced into the reflection of the windows on the building in front of him, seeing her coming for him. When she grew close enough, he reached back and grabbed her by the waist. Without a pause, his arm came up and over, releasing her midway. She spun in circles, her wings flaring, trying to stop her. She slammed down hard into the street, cracking the pavement beneath her.
Almost instantly her body began to shrink back to its original size. Blood trickled out of the side of her mouth, and she groaned, unable to move. Marchosias turned toward her, laughing maniacally. He lifted his huge foot to stomp her, but as it descended, two young street urchins ran from the shadows of the alley and grabbed her by the arms, dragging her into a small, dark concrete room.
Marchosias slammed his foot down and then picked it up, his brow furrowing. He looked at the bottom of his foot, but nothing was there. As he scratched his head, he looked around the ground. “Where did she go?”
Inside the concrete room, Katie slowly lifted her head. The two children spoke only Portuguese, but they did not stop telling her how much they appreciated her. They wanted her to know that she was a beautiful angel, and they were with her, by her side. As they spoke those loving words, Katie could feel the energy come rushing back to her. She was feeling whole again, and even more powerful than when she’d started.
One of the kids lifted her elbow, looking sadly at the scraped skin. She leaned forward and gently kissed the wound as if Katie were a child. Instantly her eyes glowed bright blue, and she felt revitalized through and through. The love and compassion of a couple of children had healed her like Pandora was inside working out the kinks.
She stood up and smiled at them both, rubbing her hand over their cheeks. She spoke in Portuguese to them. “Thank you. And I am always with you as well. You have saved me.”
The ground shook beneath their feet, and dust fluttered down from the ceiling. Katie put her arms around the children and pushed them into the corner. Bending down in front of them, she shifted her eyes from the boy to the girl. “I want the two of you to stay here. Stay hidden. You have done so much already.”
They both nodded and watched with gleaming eyes as Katie walked to the door and stepped out, unfolding her wings. She grew taller and leapt into the air, jetting straight toward Marchosias. He smiled as she emerged. “There you are you, little bitch.”
He swung at her but she easily dodged the blow, dipping and weaving around the sharp blade of his sword. “Here I am, you disgusting piece of wrinkled foreskin.”
Marchosias snarled, “That’s rude.”
Katie pulled her sword out of its sheath. “You think that’s rude? Wait till you get a load of this!”
She gave herself a boost of energy, flying at full speed with her sword outstretched in front of her. Marchosias tried to follow her, but she was too quick. Before he could slap his hand to his body to squish her, she thrust her sword through his chest. A gleam of bright white light flashed as her sword cut through his scales like a hot knife through butter. He closed his eyes, blinded by the light, not even sure what was happening.
As the hilt of her sword came closer to his body, Katie mustered all the energy she had, pushing it outward. Her eyes gleamed like two small blue flames, and her battle cry echoed as if she were inside a cavern. She slammed into his chest, pushing straight through and flying out of his back. Marchosias grabbed his chest and growled, swiveling from his heels to his toes. Blood ran down the front and the back of him and he teetered backward, falling into the rubble of an already-destroyed building.
When his body hit the pile of metal and stone, he erupted into a huge burst of dust. Katie hovered there for a moment, her body covered from head to toe in the demon’s dark, sticky blood. Her face was deep red, with bright blue eyes blinking through. Slowly her lips curled up into a smile, and she thrust her fist into the air, roaring with excitement. “That’s right! I will use angel power to kick your sorry asses!”
She panted heavily, pushing her sword into its sheath and dropping to the ground, shrinking as she went. As soon as the initial excitement wore off, which was
only a matter of seconds, she wrinkled her nose, glancing down at her hands. “I’ve been spending way too much time with Pandora.”
Turner paced with his arms crossed over his chest. “We could be helping. There are so many damn demons on the newscast you could barely see the ground. It was an insane army of them.”
Eddie nodded, sitting next to Calvin on the couch in the living room. “Not to mention that lava is falling from the fucking sky, just like they tried to do to us here. Bastards.”
Calvin took a deep breath. “I know, guys, but Katie, Juntto, and Pandora are there right now. They are doing what they can. Did you not just see Katie burst through a demon’s chest?”
Eddie chuckled. “That was incredibly badass, by the way. She looked like fucking Carrie floating behind him.”
Turner smirked, returning to a straight-lipped, serious face. “Still, she is only one angel. I know that’s huge, but sometimes she is going to need help.”
Calvin leaned forward and reached out, putting his hand on Turner’s forearm. “Listen, I know better than anyone how it feels to be sitting there when all you want to do is help, but you have a job right here. It is our responsibility to protect the base. To keep it safe.”
Eddie twisted his lips and shifted his eyes toward Turner. “Calvin is right. This is our job. We are responsible for the safety of not only the people but also the armory and the technology. Demons might come rolling in here through a portal at any second.”
Just then a loud snap made all three of them jump to their feet. In front of them, the edges of a portal shimmered, growing wider by the second. They tensed, waiting for whatever was coming through. Pandora kicked her leg out with a groan. “This fucking portal-hopping is getting old.”
The guys relaxed, letting out deep breaths. “Pandora, what are you doing here?”
She stepped to the side as some French, Romanian, Taiwanese Damned, Yong, and Brock came through behind her. “I brought some friends with me. We’re just passing through, but I thought this would be one hell of a place to fill out my numbers. You know, considering you’re hoarding an entire army here.”