As the soldiers moved trough the dark cave where they had decided to set up base, a stench of rats filled their breath. They could feel the living masses of vermin swarming their feet. As Corporal Shultz swung his M1014 shotgun's tactical light he saw swarms of rats. They were not bothering the soldiers, but did smell to high heavens. Then they felt a strange feeling of being watched, then Private Ramon yelps blindly firing his small machine pistol into the darkness the flashes revealing 3 humanlike figures. As the figures approached the small regiment noticed the strange hairy bodies and rat like faces. All tree beasts stumbled forwards and then dropped to the ground with a sickening thud a pool of blood surrounding them. After repremanding the private for unauthorized engagement, the machine gunner, Corporal Dunning, walks over to the rat men just to be grabbed by another beast then the private fires again killing the beast. The corporal stumbles back and catches his breath then removes a flash like to scan the area around them. As the light jumps across the dome like infrastructure of the cave thous ands of red eyes are shown to be more of the rat men. The Sergeant Foley takes out 3 flash grenades and tosses, them out yelling at the soldiers to cover their eyes as tree small explosions go off burning the eyes of the rat people who are so accustomed to the darkness. This diversion gave the soldiers a chance to escape deeper into the cavern, only to reveal more darkness. The solders walked for another mile or so into the cavern only to here the dead silence replaced with a disturbing, insistent chittering coming from a sea of small rats rushing past their feet. The team watches the rats in a disgusted manner and the private then threw up from the unbearable stench of the horde of rats. The sergeant decided to throws a frag grenade into the crowd and winced at the explosion that killed a layer of rats splattering him with foul blood only to reveal another layer of seething blackness the corporal glaring into the pool with fear and disgust. The darkness and silence then once again enveloped the team of 5 as they pushed on through the cavern. From the darkness a black clad figure leaps down and shoves a rusted blade trough the chest of Corporal Shultz tearing his dog tags away, then he drags his blade out blood spaying the team as the corporals wound is opened and he drops to the ground with a thud. As the team watches in horror as the figure disappears back into the darkness only to be replaced by swarming rats that pick the corporal's corpse clean in seconds. After the small swarm flees back into the cave Lieutenant Portland walks over grabs the fallen corporal's dog tags and swears his vengeance looking into the darkness with fire in his eyes. The team sits and each looks at each other talking without words but glares until the private begins to sob. Then the lieutenant stand up and bellows at his team. "What is this pitiful silence, we are not to cry over a fallen marine brother but fight for him and you all sob and exchange pitiful glances you are more pitiful than these rat men" this notion brings up the sergeant in his hardened tone"Portland is right we can't let these guys win we can't underestimate the enemy but we can go into this cavern and blow the crap out of these Sons Of Bitches" this brought a great fervor to the team who agreed with a hearty"urahh" the marines move forward with new confidence in their leaders and blow the tea off every rat man they see. eventually the overjoyed marines turned it ion a game raking up points for each kill. then they stumble upon a rat in red garb. this rat is different though its arm severed and replaced with a strange, almost gun, like contraption and on its back a humming brass cylinder. then the rat twitted a few nobs on his arms his body twitching green electricity launched from the blade on his arms and struck Corporal Dunning sending him into an almost seizure like state. then as the other soldiers gun down the demented rat they run to the corporal who's body is spamming then abruptly he dies the private garbs his dog tags and curses their luck only prepared to kill more of the ugly beasts. The blackness once again consuming them the soldiers decided to rest for a while taking the time to sort through the days events before finally falling asleep with the sarge staying on guard. As the time moved the beasts came for their camp, The sarge picking them off like flies, he decided to start counting them he was almost at 200 of them when the private and lieutenant woke almost simultaneously to help fend off the threat. As the rats came they started to notice an almost organization of groups some had the same shields others had similar armor and soon the different clans as it seemed caught each other and the tree marines. Then a tremor rang trough the caver and a rat with grey horns and fur a blue robe and a staff appeared and in the center of his staffs symbol was a green orb emitting a dark energy felt by the marines. Then they took up their fallen brothers heavy machine gun and fired on the masses killing millions of the demons leaving a small heavily armored regiment that were torn trough by the sarges under-rail grenade launcher and the privates MG rounds then the lieutenant pulled out his 15" Bowie knife and slashed at the enemy tearing them apart when they brought forward two rats holding a large contraption made of brass and then a sizzling was heard and the lieutenant stood in shock and awe as the gout of fire burnt his flesh but even after he managed to move up his bode scorched and blow the rat manning the flame throwers brain out. The anger boiled up turning the last two marines faces re and the mg fire rang trough the empty darkness then the enraged sergeant removed mini gun from a sling on his back and tore into the ravenous crowd of vermin killing them before they could get sound of gun fire rang trough the infrastructure and hundreds of dead bodies littered the floor of the cavern. and then a frightening "click" on the privates mg but to his surprise he almost instinctively grabbed the dual machine-pistols on his back and fired a volley of bullets into the crowd reloading every minuet or so reloading in seconds. then it almost stopped the ravaging horde and the grey rat stepped forward and beaconed a challenge to the army of two and they accepted with a folly of gun fire that was edged with ease as the rat sped forward and attempted to punch the private who dogged and landed a slash with his knife in the grey rats stomach only to see it heal instantly. the battle had begun as the solders slashed and shot the rat alls he did was heal. his fur regrowing and he would fire beams of lightning that would be dodged by the soldiers . then the private ran forwards dual machine pistols readied and fired a continuos stream of direct chest shots only to have no effect then the blu robed rat leapt forward and took an ominous green stone then trusting it into the privates chest a strange perverted mutation began and his body bubbled with blisters only to eventually have the stone grow from his bone then his skin melted away by the energy only left as a skeleton his dog tags as the only identity. the sarge now with raging fury walked up and grabbed the harsh stone the smashing it into the chamber of the lieutenants 9 mm tactical shot it. to the sergeants satisfaction the green bullet propelled through the air penetrating the grey rats skull and then disintegrating his body. the sarge was happy to be alive but pitied his fellow marines. before leaving the now blood painted marine grabbed his brothers dog tags and moved forward put of the dark cavern dropping c4 explosives as he moved then he found an exit in a small tunnel they he could badly fit in and once he called for helicopter evac he waited and for the first time he was able to cry and his anger was gone then he was glad for he avenged his team and would finish the job when the help landed he said "room for five" and carried in five makeshift rat skin bode bags in each a friend encased. As they flew over the hill he pulled the small trigger on the C-4 detonator and saw miles of tunnel colapse with awe on his face of how large thi tunnel was. then the sargent saw a hand with black fingernails and a cloak that was partially bone and a head with a green stone between the eyes emerge from the dust. he blinked twice and the image was gone. All five received the Medal of Honor that night in the hallowed ceremonies. the sergeant would tell stories of this black cave not exciting or adventurous stories but hallowed and horrific stories of evil beasts and true heroes he wasn't a hero just a survivor and then 50 years later at 77 he died a peaceful death.