by Michael Todd
Katie snarled, “I promise it’s bitter, especially one like me.”
Across the room, Pandora struggled to rise. Her eyes were now dim gray and her wings drooped, feathers molting. She was dying, and Katie knew it.
“There has to be something! I can’t let Pandora go down like this.”
Katie could already feel the hollow place in her mind where Pandora had once lived. She curled her hand into a fist and pulled against the monster’s webbing.
“What do we do?” One of the remaining eight soldiers looked at the squad leader for an answer.
The squad leader took off his cap and wiped off the sweat on his forehead. The church loomed tall before him and the sounds of fighting raged inside. “Our duty is to watch her back.”
Another soldier shook his head. “It’s hard to have someone’s back when you don’t have a fucking head!”
Several of the soldiers nodded and the squad leader grimaced. “We can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
One of the soldiers at the back cleared his throat and pushed to the front. He was young, with huge muscles and a square chin. He had his gun at the ready, and he stood at attention and nodded at the squad leader. “I’ll go in. One man will be less conspicuous than a team.”
A loud, erotic moan sounded from inside the church, followed by the breaking of glass. The squad leader rubbed his chin. “You may have a point. There is no way to sneak in there right now. Sending in multiple people at a time is obviously not the answer. You do know that if you walk in there, there is a really good possibility you won’t walk back out?”
The soldier lifted his chin. “I was ordered to protect Katie, and I am prepared to do that, no matter what the cost.”
The squad leader nodded. “All right, soldier. Everyone give him a magazine of your ammo. Once you are safely in position, call us in. We’ll meet you one at a time. Good luck, soldier. May the angels be on your side.”
The soldier took a deep breath and pulled the strap of his gun over his head, then stood in front of the doorway and gathered his courage. He gave his teammates a nod, then took off into the fucking madhouse the church had become. He tried to be stealthy, carefully coming around the corner and putting his gun up. His eyes grew wide.
An eight-legged beast was sucking the life out of an angel.
He crept behind a row of stone columns. He took a step forward and paused, stepping on a broken piece of glass. The glass cracked under his foot, catching Sasha’s attention. As soon as her yellow eyes were on him he opened fire, stepping out from behind the safety of the columns. She hissed and was on him, slapping the gun from his hands and grabbing him by the neck. She lifted him and began to squeeze. The soldier gasped for air. His face turned beet-red and his legs kicked beneath him.
Katie tugged harder on the webbing but wasn’t able to pull away. “Fuck. If I leave here with one less hand, I’m going to be pissed!”
Her eyes shifted to the pulpit. Brock, gooey and bloody, was rising on all fours. His arms buckled, but he pushed himself up again. He crawled along the floor until he made it to the choir bench. He put one hand on the bench and lifted himself to his feet. He steadied his shaking legs. Katie saw what he was going for—his longsword, cast aside under a pew. Katie wanted to yell and tell him no, but she knew he wouldn’t listen. By doing that she would give away the element of surprise. She knew he might be the only hope they had left.
Brock caught Katie’s eye and nodded. He quietly moved across the church, wiping his hands on a cloth on the altar as he passed it. He bent down to reach under the pew. Goo dripped off his head, and he wiped it from his eyes. His fingers touched the sword, and in a moment it was in his hands again. The sword’s handle was covered in webbing, but it gave Brock something to grip.
Good. He only had one shot.
He snuck around the debris and bodies and came up behind Sasha. He raised the sword above his head and slammed it down swiftly, cutting off one of her arms. She wailed, and the brave soldier she had been holding fell to the ground and ripped Sasha’s severed hand from his neck. The soldier leaned back, breathing heavily. The hand disintegrated as he dropped it onto the ground.
Brock stumbled but caught himself on a chair. He was weak, but he could feel the energy slowly seeping back into him.
Katie pulled her knife with her other hand. She carefully placed it by her stuck hand and began sawing through the webbing. Sasha’s eyes shifted to Brock and she snarled.
She grew bored with Pandora and threw her across the room. Pandora hit the wall and slid down it, groaning. Her eyes flashed light blue. As soon as the beast let her go, the restoring energy of the angels began to flood back into her.
Sasha turned her attention to Brock, bringing him quickly into her arms. She ran a hand down his cheek, smiling at him. “You’re going to get sucked after all, Brock. See? It would have been easier to give in from the beginning.”
Sasha took a deep breath, sucking the energy from Brock’s demon. Brock shivered, trying to hold onto his sword. Katie ran up to Sasha, poking her in the shoulder. Sasha snapped her head toward Katie and hissed. “Hey, bitch. Get your hands off of him. I don’t like it when a bitch creeps on what’s mine.”
Katie reared back and slugged Sasha across the face. Immediately the creature’s leg flew up, knocking Katie across the church. In the moment she wasn’t paying attention to Brock, he was able to pull his sword up.
He gasped, “You are a really shitty kisser.”
With that, Brock jammed the sword into her stomach. She howled in pain, and her remaining three arms fell. She released her hold on him and dropped him to the floor. She stumbled back, frantically grabbing the hilt of the sword. With three arms, she still wasn’t able to yank it out. Purple blood spilled from the wound, and her yellow eyes raged. She took a step toward Brock again, but Katie and Pandora were already by his side, angelic swords drawn.
Sasha wrinkled her nose and shot some webbing up to the hole in the roof. “Don’t think this is over.”
With Brock’s sword still buried in her stomach, she sprang up and through the hole. There was the sound of horses galloping as she ran over the roof. Pandora shook her head and spread her weak wings. “Fuckity fuck. Come on, guys, she’s getting away.”
Katie looked at Pandora’s wings, which had shed their feathers and were struggling to regrow them. She gently put her hand on her shoulder. “We are all hurt. You and Brock don’t have the energy to defeat her. If you chase her and she gets hold of you, she will kill you.”
Pandora glared at the hole Sasha had disappeared through. “Then what? We just wait? She killed all these people.”
Brock nodded. “That’s right, she did, but you know three people she didn’t kill? Turner, Eddie, and Sean, who are currently stuck in those cocoons and running out of time.”
Katie followed Brock to the cocoons and glanced at Pandora. “Come on, help us cut them down. We found what we came to find, Pan. We will exact revenge, but now it is not the time.”
Pandora snarled at the hole, but she hefted her sword and followed them. She swiped one of the cocoons down. Katie floated up, wings wide, and hovered just below the crucifix. She sliced through the thick webs holding the other guys and the cocoons dropped to the ground beside Brock.
Their eyes met, and Katie smiled. “Let’s get your guys out of here.” She ran her angelic sword over the cocoon, and it split. Inside, Turner was covered in gray, viscous fluid.
The squad leader paced in front of the church. Everything had gone silent, which either meant that they had won or the situation had just gone from bad to a shitstorm. He looked at the remaining six soldiers and sighed, shaking his head.
One of the soldiers stepped forward. “What is it?”
The squad leader glanced at the church. “This isn’t right. We’re here to protect not just Katie, but the guys in Special Ops as well. We are being cowards, standing out here. Men, get your gear together. We aren’t sitting this out.”
&nb
sp; The soldiers immediately readied their weapons. They weren’t sure if it was the smartest idea the squad leader had ever had, but they had their orders. The leader stepped to the door and waved the guys through, covering the area with his rifle. A loud crack sounded through the roof and they hurried into the chapel, ready to fire.
As they entered, the leader help up his fist, looking around in awe at the bodies piled everywhere. At the pulpit were Katie, Brock, and Pandora. They were standing around three huge cocoons.
The squad leader swallowed hard. “Katie, we are here. What can we do?”
“Get me some donuts.” Pandora flashed her claws and started ripping through another cocoon. “These late-to-the-party motherfuckers...”
Katie shook her head. “The weird spider bitch got away. We have to get these soldiers out of these cocoons. We don’t know what kind of shape they are in or what kind of medical attention they will need.”
The leader whistled to his medic. “Delahunt, get up here and get your med kit ready.”
The rest of them just stood there staring at the devastation. They had never seen anything like it. It was like a scene from some sort of science fiction movie, which wasn’t that far off. Pandora ripped a piece of cocoon away and rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t just stand there, numbnuts. Drop your cocks and grab your socks. Help us get these men out of here.”
The leader jumped to and started barking orders, sending men to each cocoon to help with extraction. He knelt next to Brock. Brock pulled a shred of cocoon from Turner’s body. The squad leader peered at Brock for a moment. “Hey, I recognize you now. You were a hero during the incursion.”
Brock’s red eyes had a gray tint. “That was ten lifetimes ago.” Brock looked up at the hole in the ceiling. “Aw, shit.”
“What?”
“She stole my goddamn sword.”
5
Katie leaned against the wall of the mobile med plane, looking at the bruises covering her arms. Pandora was doing the best she could to heal her, but her powers were weak from Sasha’s attack. She stared across the bay at Brock, who was strapped to a bed, his eyes closed. The medic had given him a sedative to help him rest. Katie figured it was the best thing for him and the other guys. Their demons were weak too, and it would take extra effort to heal them.
The plane shook, and Katie looked up. Maybe we should have just gone through hell after all. It would have been in and out. This plane is shaking all over the place from turbulence. The guys need to be stable.
Pandora sighed. Katie, this is the best way, trust me. I did not feel good about taking four wounded men through that shit. It would have been incredibly hot and unstable, and they wouldn’t have been able to walk. There was just too much that could have gone wrong with that scenario. We made the right choice.
Katie crossed her arms and shook her head. I guess you’re right. I just don’t want to see anything else happen to these guys. They have been part of our family for a long time now. I care about all of them.
Especially Brock, and don’t lie, I can feel it.
I suppose so. We did have a connection I didn’t share with anyone else here.
Pandora snickered. You might be less stressed out if you did.
Wouldn’t this be an interesting situation if I had slept with all of them? Lord.
All of them? I just meant maybe Turner.
Turner? I was thinking Eddie. He’s no Brock, but he’s a reasonable runner-up.
The tattoos have you bamboozled. Brock is the only Brock. Pandora laughed. Listen, I know you’re worried. It’s not crazy for you to worry about people you love. But they are alive, and they still have their demons. It could have been a hell of a lot worse. From the looks of things, if we had gotten there even a day later, they would all most likely be dead. Their human bodies were not meant to withstand something like that.
Katie nodded, staring at Brock. He just looks so weak and tired. I’m used to him being a badass. I feel helpless.
Pandora chuckled. Don’t worry. He is a fighter. He will be back and ready to ride before you know it.
I really hope by “ride,” you mean get back to work.
Pandora sniffed. I mean whatever you want it to mean. Ride him, him riding you, you riding all of them. Hey, live your life, baby!
Katie rubbed her face. You are impossible.
Beelzebub walked up to the crest of Mount Iniquitous and stared out over hell. He rubbed his hands together and turned to the plateau, where droves of demons were waiting on his words. They howled as he slashed a portal open and pulled it wide. He put his hands out to the rushing demons and shook his head. “Patience, my beauties. Patience.”
Beelzebub stepped out of the portal, immediately growing to enormous size. An incoming helicopter swerved to miss him but smashed into his shoulder. Beelzebub glanced down at the minor explosion and flicked debris from his scales. He looked around the city of New Orleans, smiling at all the people running like ants below him. He marched across the city, his big feet crashing through buildings and destroying cemeteries along the way.
He reached the Superdome of the Saints and smirked. What a stupid name. The cheering fans made him grimace. He lifted his fist high and slammed it into the dome. It went through, sending chunks of the roof down onto football players and fans alike. The fans screamed and ran over one another in a rush to get to the exits. The football players on the field below stared at him. He leaned forward and looked around for a moment.
He spotted one he liked.
Beelzebub bellowed laughter as he reached down and plucked #43, Marcus Williams, from the field. He tossed the man up and caught him in his open mouth like he was a piece of popcorn. He swallowed the player in one gulp. The demon glowered down at the rest of the team. “Don’t play games if you can’t win. Ha!”
Beelzebub stuck his large paw down into the stadium and ripped open a second portal, letting a barrage of lesser demons loose. They rushed onto the field, screeching wildly as they attacked everything that moved. Several of the demons hopped into the stands and began tearing through the people trapped there. Body parts flew everywhere.
A squad of bulky demons turned on the football players.
Drew Brees looked at Manti Te’o, and the two nodded. They slammed their helmets on and rushed at the demons, tackling them to the ground. Te’o gripped a demon around the waist and slammed him into the wall behind it. The beast screeched and fell. Te’o chuckled and began to walk away, but the demon grabbed his leg and sank his teeth into the big man’s calf. Te’o went down, scratching at the dirt. The demon stood up, pulling him closer and ripping off body parts.
Garrett Hartley roared as he ran straight at the demon. He kicked hard, hitting the beast in the nuts. As he lay moaning on the ground, Hartley kicked again, breaking the demon’s neck. There was a wet crunch, and the demon burst into dust. Hartley put up his hands and did a little victory dance, then moved on, practicing his kicking on every set of demon balls he came across. They were fighting back, but they only had helmets and cleats. The demons had teeth and claws.
Angie jabbed the buttons on the controller with lightning speed, shifting her body right and left. She had really gotten into it. “Come on, Ahamkara are such badasses.”
Juntto furrowed his brow. “That’s not an ahamkara.” He was sitting next to her in a smaller version of his frost giant form, relaxing as he watched her play.
Angie nodded. “Yes, it is. They are shapeshifters like you. They can become whatever they need to be.”
Juntto smiled. “A character like me.”
Angie smirked, biting her bottom lip as she dodged the ahamkara. “Except they are evil and you are the sweetest shapeshifting alien I have ever met.”
Juntto chuckled. “And you’ve met so many.”
Angie’s phone rang, and she looked down to see Katie’s name on the screen. She handed the controller to Juntto and picked up the phone. “Katie! I’ve been worried about you. Did you find the guys yet?”
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sp; Katie sighed deeply. “We did.”
Angie put her hand to her chest. “Thank God. How are they?”
Katie was silent for a moment. “They are still alive. We found them in the church wrapped in alien cocoons. They had been captured by some creature named Teyollucuani. She was this eight-legged, yellow-eyed bitch covered in purple hide. I’m not sure why she put the guys in cocoons, but she did. They are all badly hurt and barely conscious. I am taking them to my base.”
Angie looked at Juntto. He saw the concern on her face and paused the game. “Shouldn’t they be healing by now? I mean, they have demons in them. I thought that was one of those instant things.”
“I know. Their demons aren’t healing them as quickly as they should. Pandora tried to talk to the demons, but they aren’t answering. Something is seriously wrong with both them and their human counterparts.”
Angie crossed her arms over her chest. “Wow, this isn’t good at all. Has Brock said anything?”
“No, but he did save us by putting himself in danger. He was the one who stabbed the bitch and put her on the run.”
“Wait, did you just say ‘on the run?’ So this thing escaped?”
“Yeah. It almost killed Pandora. We were all too weak to chase her, so we focused on getting the guys out of there.”
Angie glanced at Juntto. “You should call Dr. Ozu. He took care of Juntto when he was a popsicle.”
Katie smiled. “Already on it. He’s meeting us at the base. I really hope he can help these guys. I am getting all the help I can. Dr. Thorough and Dr. Alice Cromwell are on their way to the base as we speak as well. With their knowledge of hell and demonic energies, they may be able to help us. I have to just sit back now and hope that together they can help Brock and the guys.”
Angie shook her head. “Well, keep me updated. If you need us to come out there, we will.”