War of the Damned Boxed Set

by Michael Todd

  Without thought he took off into the yard, delivering a bullet to the back of each demon’s heads as he got there.

  “Thank you so much,” the woman cried.

  “Go inside, lock yourself away, don’t come back out.”

  She nodded and backed into her house, shutting the door behind her. He figured if he couldn’t help Pandora then he could do the next best thing, kill demons that were trying to kill the humans.

  He marched through the town still loaded with weapons, shooting every demon he came across. Most of them seemed distracted, but that was not enough to get them away from the rage that was flowing through Calvin.

  Through windows and half-cracked doors people stood with their phones out, filming Calvin fighting off the demons. Even away from the main area, a few angry demons were charging him. He pulled out his short sword and faced off against two of them with a growl. He didn’t want to miss and kill an innocent by mistake, and he had more than enough experience fighting with the other weapons.

  The first demon charged, and Calvin brought his sword up to cut the beast across the chest. The demon screeched, feeling the burn of the metal. Calvin didn’t flinch. He ran straight at it, cutting off its head just as the beast sank his claws into Calvin’s arm. He growled, the beast turning to ash, the claws falling out of Calvin’s arm. He breathed heavily, his eyes bright red with anger as he swung around behind him, taking the head off the second demon as it charged him.

  Calvin glanced at high school kid with wide eyes filming from under a small crack in his garage door. He shook his head slowly at the kid who slammed the door shut and locked it tight. Calvin had no idea how people could be filming shit like that when demons were tearing their neighbor’s limbs off. His attention was pulled to the middle of the street when a young girl ran out screaming and swinging a cricket bat. Calvin ran over and put his hands up, trying to calm her.

  “Hey, hey, calm down. What’s going on?”

  “My dad—he’s in there with the demons.”

  Calvin looked at the house and then across the street. The neighbor had the door open, the woman calling to the girl. Calvin pushed her in that direction and pointed.

  “Go hide. I’ll take care of this.”

  Calvin took off into the house, not slowing down as he pulled a knife from his belt and jumped onto the back of the demon standing over her father. He slit the demon’s throat and threw it to the side, looking around wildly. The man groaned, holding his arm, blood seeping from his leg.

  “That’s it. I killed the other one. He turned to dust.”

  Calvin nodded and reached down, easily helping the man to his feet. “Your daughter is quite the powerhouse with that bat.”

  “Yeah.” The guy chuckled and grimaced at the pain. “She’s a brill batter.”

  Calvin helped the man to the neighbor’s house and let her take him in. He walked down the steps and stopped as the girl opened the door and ran out to him. She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

  “Thank you so much. You are the angel we have been waiting for.”

  With that, she ran back into the house and locked the door. Calvin looked at the hordes of demons, Katie still fighting them off.

  “No, that angel is still trying to get through.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Fuck, they just keep coming, Pandora panted from inside.

  She was giving Katie everything she had, pushing her through the exhaustion, even swinging her sword for her at times. Pandora was switching back and forth with her, their minds twining. Neither knew at any moment who was on the outside and who was inside. The armies of beasts continued to march from the portal. Sweat dried on Katie’s forehead as the heat poured over her. She grabbed her canteen from her belt and took a long swig, Pandora moving her other arm as she drank, jabbing at the beasts with her knife.

  Katie swallowed and poured some of it over her head, steam rising off her shoulders. I don’t know what to do. we need to get the portal closed, but it’s so huge that I’m not sure where to even start.

  To be honest, I don’t know either. Even with my advantage, these bastards are way outnumbering us.

  Katie dropped the canteen and slashed another demon’s neck with her knife. Its blood splurted briefly, and it turned to dust. She was irritated by the situation and had few weapons left to fight with. Bloodied and bruised, her eyes flashed bright red, and the demons around her started to back up, hissing and whispering.

  “Daemon Ignis...”

  For fuck’s sake, Pandora growled.

  What now?

  Apparently, my order for a guy with rock-hard abs and a big dick got confused with a request for big abs and a rock for a dick.

  Uh...what?

  Katie turned and watched as a stone creature emerged from the portal. Its eyes smoldered like lava, and so much heat radiated from it that the ground and all the dead bodies around the portal burst into flames. The thing was huge, fiery, and fucking pissed. She started to back up, her eyes wide, never having seen anything like it before.

  That is one big hot motherfucker, and I don’t mean attractive.

  Yeah, he doesn’t do so well with the ladies.

  Katie watched as just the wave of his hand set a row of demons ablaze. He was like the sun, melting everything in his path. Katie scratched her forehead and continued to back up, not really wanting to be turned into a puddle of flesh.

  How in the fuck are we supposed to fight something if we can’t get near it?

  We can’t, that’s the fucked-up part of it, Pandora replied. Even in hell, even as Queen, this beast was dangerous. It has no fear or understanding of moral concepts. It is hot, angry because it’s hot, and fucking hard to be around, mostly because he’s fucking hot.

  So what the hell do we do?

  Is it perhaps time that we make a strategic retreat?

  You know I won’t do that. There are people’s lives on the line out here, and Calvin and I are the only ones fighting. We have to stick by these people and figure out how to take these bastards down. Come on, P, think! There has to be something we can do with this guy. It’s a possibility that we will go down out here, but I will go down fighting, I will not run away. We both knew that might be the only option we had one day, and we are going to face it with dignity and honor.

  Pandora sighed. That’s what I figured.

  Katie could feel Pandora gathering energy inside her, but she had no idea what she was doing. The tingling in her chest and the rush of power in her body made her almost woozy. She stumbled back and shook her head, blinking.

  What the hell are you doing in there? I didn’t mean kill me so this could be over.

  Relax.

  Right, because this is exactly the atmosphere conducive to relaxation.

  Pay attention, little one. Focus.

  Katie focused on the beast, but she had no idea why she was doing it. Pandora was acting weirder than normal, and the way her head was spinning, she was almost afraid that she was going to go down hard. She blinked her eyes several times as heat enveloped her. She felt like she needed to get away, but there was nowhere to go. She was stuck fighting something she didn’t know how to fight while her demon was acting all kinds of strange. She was just about to come to the conclusion that things may not end the way they had in the past.

  I told you to focus!

  Katie shut her eyes and looked within, sensing the motions and feelings that Pandora was sending out. She switched back to the inside, giving Pandora the reins while she prepared for whatever she was about to do. Katie could hear Pandora reaching out, calling on the power inside her.

  Mail Demones, Deorum et Angeli mihi exaudi preces. Scientia et undique intus. Angelus non incolunt in extrema rectae. De antecessoribus eius meditari fecissemus eget magicae, et cum alis Dei: et ut det telum quod auxilium sibi se in armis, hanc cladem malo, et mitte hoc daemon uidet inferos. Exaudi preces tabulae conectatur atque in manu de sancti Gabriel ego voco super te sentire ad eam vires ad
eius interiorem fortitudinem.

  Suddenly Katie was pulled back into her body, and a flash of light burst around her. Just the little bit of movement from body to soul caused Pandora to black out in pain. Katie opened her eyes and looked down, finding a long golden sword in her hand and armor on her body that looked like it belonged to a time period thousands of years before. At the same time, it could also have come from a thousand years in the future. She turned the sword over in her hands, and although it was solid and strong, it weighed nothing. Her armor had two chest plates, and on the back, a pair of golden wings.

  On her head was a golden crown, the delicate filigree gracing her forehead and entwined with her hair. She furrowed her brow, unsure what had happened, when the beast behind her let out a high-pitched scream of frustration and fear. It turned to retreat through the portal, but the rift slammed shut, sensing Katie’s angel. The rest of the demons were left to fend for themselves. She looked at the demons, who had stopped digging and were backing away from Katie. They knew what she was, and apparently, the fire demon knew as well.

  Katie could only assume that the spell Pandora had performed was a simple push, and the armor and weapon she carried were sent from above.

  Look at this shit! Pandora? Hey, are you okay?

  Katie felt an immediate sense of panic. She couldn’t contact Pandora, which had never happened before. She had always been in there, even if she was deep down inside hiding in the quiet of her soul. This time there was nothing; not a peep or a sound.

  Katie looked down at the shimmering sword, and suddenly realized that calling the armor and the weapon must have messed the demon up. What had she done? Had she sacrificed her life? Her health? And all to keep Katie from dying in that field amongst the fire demon and the horde.

  Katie shook her head, knowing that Pandora wasn’t gone for good. All of the questions she had would have to wait to be answered. There was a huge demon stomping around setting shit on fire, and that bastard had forced Pandora to make a choice that hurt her badly. Katie’s anger and resentment overflowed. She gripped the handle of the sword tightly and her whole body glowed with the energy whipping around her.

  She opened her mouth and screamed her battle cry, lifting her sword to the sky as she sprinted into the fight. She ran past the demon and swung, bashing a huge chunk of molten stone from its leg. The demon stumbled but kept moving. It tried to crush her as she raced around it, going faster than she had ever gone before. With every pass she swung the sword, carving larger and larger pieces from the demon’s body. With every step she took, she felt the energy building in her chest.

  “That is for all the fucking hell you are putting me through.” Katie screamed her fury as she hacked a chunk out of its back and swung again at its leg. “And that—that one is for Pandora, because you caused her to fucking disappear, you fiery ball of lava shit!”

  She screamed again and slashed at the demon’s legs and thighs. She lashed out at its chest and arms, watching as the pieces crumbled away to smolder in the dirt. She crouched low and pushed off, jumping high into the air. She pulled the sword back behind her head, but before she could make the fatal blow the demon pounded Katie in the chest with its fist and sent her a good forty yards through the air. She hit the ground and rolled to a stop, sliding on her back. The demons took their chance and piled on.

  Katie heaved under the weight of so many demons. The whole time she fought, the energy built until she felt like she would be torn apart by it if she didn’t release it soon.

  The Angelic Sonic Boom radiated outward, knocking all the demons around her into the air and sending them crashing into the others. She breathed heavily, unclenching her fists and opening one eye to peer down at herself. She half-expected to see her armor torn from the blow she took, but to her surprise, there wasn’t even a scratch or a speck of dirt on it.

  She raised her swirling blue and green eyes and began to swing her sword at every demon that was anywhere close to her. They screamed, but only until the blade met their scales and passed through like a knife through butter. Whatever that blade was made of, it was almost better than what Joshua had created. As soon as the sword hit their flesh, they exploded into a pile of ash. All around her there were dust clouds from the demons she was killing.

  She looked at the fire demon and smirked. She darted across the cleared area and leapt, slamming her armored body into the beast. They traded blows, Katie taking them with ease. She opened the demon’s belly with her sword and knocked it to the ground. It grumbled and stood back up, pushing the heat of its body outward. Katie put up her arm and covered her face with her vambraces.

  She opened her eyes as the fire and heat streamed around and over her, almost as if she were encased in a protective bubble, the grass burning except around her feet. The demon looked over, expecting to see her charred remains, but Katie stood there stronger than ever.

  She stared the demon down, ready to end the war she was fighting. She shifted her sword back and forth in her hands and took her stance, everything she had practiced in the gym coming back to her.

  She leapt through the air, bringing the sword down into the demon’s shoulder and nearly taking off its arm. The beast screamed. Everywhere the sword touched, it left burnt flesh and stone. She chuckled, watching the big lug follow her around him with his eyes. Pandora was waking up, and she backed up slowly, clearing a path, then sprinted straight at the beast.

  She dove at it with her sword at the ready and Pandora added even more power to the sword as it swung. The blade connected with the demon’s neck and sliced its head off its shoulders. The head rolled across the grass and the body broke apart like a crumbling building. Katie landed in a crouch and watched as the huge fire demon disintegrated.

  Pandora, on the other hand, was done. She had used the last little bit of her power to help the sword cut through the demon’s neck. She had sacrificed her strength, not just to save Katie from damnation, but also to help the rest of the innocent people hiding in attics and cellars all over the English countryside. It was the biggest sacrifice Pandora had ever made.

  That’s all I got, Pandora wheezed. I’m sorry. I’ll chat with you later. Right now I’ve got to sl...

  Katie chuckled, relieved that Pandora was okay. Night, sister.

  She turned to the rest of the beasts still milling around. She concentrated and began the killing dance again. With each step Katie took, demons turned to dust.

  In the background, the military were starting to land as she battled the demons around her. The sword made all the difference, sending the beasts plummeting back to hell, caught so deep in the depths they wouldn’t see another battle for a very long time.

  The military exited their choppers and planes and started setting up on the hill. Katie huffed and puffed as she cut through necks and bashed in skulls, but she could hear the rattle of semi-automatic weapons firing into the village behind her. They had finally arrived and were ready to help, only to find that the battle was pretty much done.

  Baal and Moloch sat in large overstuffed chairs wrapped in silk robes, watching the action happening live. They both had munchies in bowls in their laps, Moloch’s being his favorite deep-fried hamsters, and Baal opting for organic turtle heads. They laughed and pointed at the different battles and deaths flashing across the screen. The soldiers apparently couldn’t figure out why the demons were digging, and Moloch remarked, “Humans. Give them something and they will make up all sorts of stories. I love fucking with them."

  When the video of Katie came up they both leaned forward, watching as a bright light flashed around her and she was suddenly cloaked in angelic armor. Their mouths dropped open and Baal cringed, hoping Moloch wasn’t about to flip his lid.

  “We...might have been played,” Baal hissed.

  The two demons put their snacks down on the floor and closed their eyes, focusing on the battle in England where they knew Katie was fighting. That was supposed to be the easy one, Moloch having sent almost all of the
troops in to get a different kind of education—the kind where they turned and burned, taking out anything in their way. They focused harder, searching for their demons, and realizing the entire portal had clapped shut.

  “It’s bad there,” Moloch replied. “But no, I don’t think we were played for fools. This is bad, though. The last time, we burnt our problem at the stake. I remember the smell of flesh rolling off it, the golden armor sparkling and hissing until the life was dragged out of everyone involved. Of course, burning Lilith at the stake would be a nearly impossible feat, so that probably won’t be the direction we go. Again, these two show up out of nowhere and thwart my plans. England was supposed to be my crowning moment, but no! This bitch rolls in like she owns the place, and now we are watching the rest of the soldiers go down hard. I should have sent higher-level demons through to fight. Now I have these morons who don’t know their ass from their elbow and would die within the first three seconds if they didn’t have something to focus on. We need a solution to this issue right now.”

  Baal, a frown on his face, leaned in. “Got an Angel? Get a Leviathan.”

  Moloch let out a deep sigh and shook his head, picking up his bowl and sitting back. “Like it’s that easy? If that were the case, we would have taken care of this long before, don’t you think? This isn’t 1-800 Get a Monster or something like that, Baal.”

  Baal shrugged. “I really don’t think it is that bad. I think she hurt your pride, but she can’t be everywhere. We deal and cut our losses on incursions like this one, but revel in the bloody battles at the other places. How many have we destroyed so far?”

  Moloch smirked and rubbed his hands together. “Thousands. I should show you my new screaming souls collection. They sound so delicious. I designed the entire thing so that my office is always filled with the songs of my lost souls. I can mute them if I don’t want to listen. It’s fabulous background music while I’m working; very tranquil, and it helps me focus. You should really start one for yourself. I know it would bring you all sorts of joy.”