Boredom, plus rereading the Hellgate series, equals this! Enjoy whoever the heck is searching my computer!
Chapter One
Insanity CAN be fun
Simon Cross sat in the underground complex he had built on tears, sweat and blood over the past two years. He still remembered the happy faces as that train escaped. He also remembered some of his closest friends falling off the train as it went under the bridge.
He sighed heavily as Leah came in and sat across from them. He was preparing for a sudden barrage of questions like always; instead she said quickly and waited patiently for him to finish his bowl of oatmeal. He sighed, wiping the remains off his face. As his arm was scratched by his growing beard he realized he needed to shave desperately.
"So, what are you doing here? Is it another Q&A or is it something personal?" Simon asked cautiously, getting up.
"Personal, I believe you lost a Templar or two on that train?" Leah stated.
"Aye, they were good men and better friends, what about them." Simon said, feeling the loss hit him again, even after all these years.
"We found two of them. One is heavily wounded and in some type of lockdown type thing and the other is standing on a pile of corpses yelling at demons. Usually they veered away from him. DO you know him?" Leah stated.
"Indeed I do…Seems I just might get to finish that bet I had…" Simon said, smiling at new hope. "Where are they?"
"Standing under what's left of Big Ben and laughing." Leah stated, shaking her head.
"…He is an idiot." Simon stated, putting on his helmet.
As the HUD booted up, Simon organized a group of four including Danielle, Mason, a newbie, and Nathan. He was taking an ATV. Big Ben was quite a ways away, but they could also use some of the tube tunnels as long as there wasn't a full train blocking their path.
Simon assembled an ATV group and was speeding off towards the more demon infected areas of London, towards Big Ben. Big Ben had been one of the first major buildings to fall and had later become a demons nest, filled with Blood Angels and other air-born demons yet to be named.
It was several hours before they arrived and found the area mostly clear of demons, they had to stop once and avoid a Carnagor from ripping up from underneath the armored truck, but it was mostly clear. They arrived at Big Ben and immediately the heard the yells of the Templar from the armors audio enhancements.
Simon sighed and opened the floor hatch in the ATV and got out, accompanied by Nathan. The others stayed inside, scanning the local areas with the drones. Simon looked around with the HUD, but found nothing noticeable.
Feeling the area was secure of the moment he walked around the tower, stumbling on the bodies of Darkspawn and Gremlins. Simon looked up, finding the yelling personnel. His armor was slimmer than Simon's and a deep crimson red with white. Later he had gone back and added a pair of feathery wings on the back.
"Corey." Simon stated, broadcasting his voice loud enough from the AI to hear it.
The figure turned and Simon could tell he stiffened. Then he took off at a run, straight toward Simon. Simon raised an eyebrow before his AI flashed a warning across his screen.
"Heel anchor." Simon snapped, leaning forward to receive the impact with his own momentum.
Simon was then tackled by the Templar, knocked them both back several feet. Simon groaned as he stood up, finding chunks of concrete still attached to his boot anchors. He retracted them and laid a hand on the other Templars suit.
Medical data filled Simon's HUD as he checked his vitals and made sure he was okay. He was interrupted by Corey laughing, the sound broadcasted over empty space rather than a com link.
"It's been a while Simon." He stated, getting up slowly.
"It has." Simon said, nodding.
Simon 'ghosted' his faceplate, allowing Corey to see his features. Corey did the same. Simon reexamined him for the first time in two years. He noticed he had lost weight and he looked tired. Simon nodded his head and closed his faceplate.
Corey was one of Simon's best friends after he left the Underground and one of his favorite sparring partners. Corey had a talent for being able to fight with any and every blade ever made. One of the reasons he's a Blade master, the other is because the only pistol he can hit anything with is a Spike Bolter. With that it's hard not to.
Corey also was one of the more oddball Templar. He had taken part in several of Simon's stunts and occasionally, above and beyond them. He also had a love for music and played it aloud. Usually he was the life of the party and the best person to have in a fight.
"You've done well over the past year or two Simon." Corey chuckled, patting Simon's back.
"I'll say, it looks like you've killed you fair share of demons, and part of my own as well!" Simon said, grinning.
Corey shrugged and said, "Spring cleaning with a whole new meaning." That got a laugh out of some of the others in the ATV.
As Corey smiled and talked with Nathan while they walked back to the ATV, the newbie and Simon hauled in the injured Templar. Simon's HUD then gave a warning, followed by Danielle. "Three blood angels coming in from the north! And a pack of Gremlins."
Simon recognized the threat and ushered them faster into the ATV. Corey immediately jumped onto the Spike Bolter and the barrels started spinning, yet not firing a single round.
Nathan took driver while Simon got in beside him. Simon gave the order to move and the ATV started off barreling down the narrow streets of London at Sixty miles an hour. Simon knew Nathan's HUD was probably flashing with warnings about impacts and the like as he dodged several burned out motorcycles and cars left on the road. Skeletons littered the sideway and were crushed in cars.
Simon checked the drones outside and found the Blood Angels catching up to them quickly. IN response Corey revved the barrels slightly faster. Simon smiled at the man's impatience and knew if he didn't give the order to shoot in a minute Corey would be standing on the top of this thing swinging and shooting for the life of him.
Simon waited a second, letting the ATV take a sharp curve before giving the order. Corey opened fire, palladium spikes littering the sky and the launcher bleached out a set of Greek Fire Missiles. Simon watched for a minute as a Blood Angel caught fire, it spreading to the next and one tried to fly with tattered dirty rags.
Two slammed into the ground, flattening some of the pursuing Gremlins while the other flapped frantically to stay aloft with its burning wings. Corey turned around and locked on with the Spike Bolter, he opened fire only a second later. The bloodied heap fell to the ground.
"Simon, we got two Carnagor and some giant-ass demon ahead, you know him?" Nathan asked.
Simon looked at the HUD and spotted the eight foot tall giant. It looked similar to that of a Carnagor, yet it's wide back was covered with spikes, it roared as the ATV closed in. Corey glanced at the HUD and immediately gave the Bolter over to someone else.
He clambered up and opened the roof hatch, ignoring Simon's shout of warning. Then he anchored his boots to the palladium alloy armor. Simon rolled his eyes in his helmet.
"Should we haul him back in?" Nathan asked, looking with the 360 view of the HUD for an exit or escape route to be made.
Finding none, Nathan was tempted to go in reveres, but remembered the Gremlins and Darkspawn that had grown behind them. He shook his head, looking at Simon for an answer. Simon just pointed forward.
Outside the ATV, Corey was nodding to the rhythm of the music in his head. Then he tapped it into the speakers, letting the demons hear it too.
Burn it To the Ground by Nickelback snapped on as the two Carnagor started digging underground. Simon shook his head as Corey's spikes suddenly left the ATV. Simon then was going through setting up a private com and a sensor drone locked on Corey's position.
From the drones Simon saw Corey unload his Spike Bolter in an opened Carnagor mouth, the modified palladium spike goring it and hollowing out its brain. Corey was then up and dodging an enraged Carnagor as it erupted underneath him. Corey jumped out of the way and holstered the Spike Bolter.
Corey ran up a decayed building, before spikes automatically locked him into place. The Carnagor growled and clawed at the building side as Corey took a short breather. Then he unlocked the spikes and fell on the Carnagor.
"SB protocol activate." Corey said and his armor shifted before erupting in hundreds of spikes.
The spiked ball slammed into the Carnagor, several ground into its eyes and goring it's hide with hideous pulsing gashes. Nathan gave a start from inside the ATV as he got a glimpse of Corey in his spiky glory. Simon smiled at everyone confusion, guess he forgot to mention Corey's MAJOR modifications.
Corey's spiked shifted back behind armored plates and he stepped off the Swiss-cheesed Carnagor and drove his sword through its empty eye. The thing shuttered and collapsed. That left only the big and ugly one…
"Simon, target the fat one with only the Spike Bolter and non-contamination weapons, so no Greek fire! I need to get on that thing!" Corey barked through the com, his music spilling over.
"You heard the man!" Simon answered and the Greek Fire missiles started hitting only the scattered Darkspawn and Gremlins.
Corey smiled from beneath his faceplate as he charged the giant demon. It snorted and roared. The audio cut off as the dampers kicked in, saving his hearing. As he came up on the beast, which stood at twelve feet tall and dwarfed Corey at 6,1.
Corey blinked inside his helmet, pausing only a minute to say, "Well…one midget smack-down coming up!" and running up to it and cutting its leg deeply.
The palladium alloy blade sank deeply into the demon's leg and a Corey planted his boots and pushed with the full armor's strength, sheered through the bones and flesh. The demon gave a roar and swatted at him with its claws as it fell slightly.
Corey went rolling like a bowling ball as the force shot him down the street into a Darkspawn. He smiled and waved before he shoved the Spike Bolter into its jawbone and let the recoil ride up into its neck.
Then he got up and looked at the main beast. The palladium spikes had taken their toll, grinding huge gashes into its scaly hide and even goring out on of its four eyes. Yet the thing still managed to cling to life. And Corey saw the perfect picture moment way to end it.
He smiled as he vaulted over a collapsed car and into a burnt out three story building. He climbed up the stairs, filling the pursuing Darkspawns maws with his custom spikes and nailing them to random walls as he climbed the crumbling staircase. The he carved out a spot on the roof and climbed through, finding the ATV in one piece, fending off fifteen Darkspawns and three Gremlins as the giant Carnagor thing raged around, now totally blind.
He smiled, knowing he'd have to end this quickly before the ATV was hit or disabled. He brought up his com with Simon and told him to stop the fire on the giant, he'd get it. Simon acknowledged it and the barrels turn to the Darkspawn, mowing down several in a matter of seconds.
Corey eyed a Darkspawn pulling out a RPG missile, and aiming down the sights at the palladium armored truck. He growled, and cursed his crappy aim with a firearm. So instead, he took his sword in a one-handed grip and slung the blade with all the armors strength, praying to God almighty that it would hit.
The blade sheered through the demon's head just as it fired, causing the rocket to rocket up into the air just above the ATV. It was a small blessing, as well as a curse. The explosion of the rocket would draw more demons. Corey cursed his luck before continuing getting the big guy.
He sprinted over the edge of the building, sailing through the air like a possessed missile before curling up into a ball.
"AI, Cannonball spikes, deploy." He stated, and his armor shifted slightly to shoot out six inch spike all around the outside of his armor.
As he slammed into the beast head, the spikes tore through flesh and bone and the initial impact shocking Corey and rocking the demon back on its feet. Corey roared, trying to find some purchase to lever himself farther into the demon's skull cavity. His foot struck a bone, and he tore through more tissues and hide as he dug into the demon's head.
As the demon hit the ground, dead, Corey groaned. Then he walked out of the demon's hollowed out skull, covered in black and blue blood. He laughed, and retracted the spikes, his armor shifting back into place as he ran to retrieve his sword.
As he got it, a group of Blade Minions ran around the corner and saw him. He gave a quick, "Oh my God!" and booked it double time to the ATV, and hopped on the top as Nathan took off, roaring down the streets of London once again.
"Good to have you back Corey." Simon smiled as he talked through the com.
"Yeah, just don't think I'll enjoy this ride!" Corey yelped as he almost lost his grip and almost fell into a mob of undead flesh addicts. "GET OFF MY LEG YOU UNDEAD MAGGOT ADDICT!" Corey shouted, kicking one in the head and crushing it into pieces.
"Still colorful with you words I see." Nathan said with dull humor.
"Hey, it's a dark world, gotta add some sort of light on it." Corey replied with a smile.
As the ATV roared through the city gates, Spike Bolter and missiles flying out of all turrets nad Corey playing Into the night by Nickelback from his speakers. He laughed as the demons gradually fell behind them, Nathan slowed down enough to let Corey finally get in from the side door.
"Still a crazy driver," Corey said, taking off his helmet.
His hair fell down over shoulders while Danielle and the newbie raised an eyebrow at the color. Corey smiled as he put his helmet under his arm. He reached back, running his fingers through his hair. He growled quietly at its length, but then again, he really didn't have time to cut it.
"Do you have any haircuts available?" He asked Danielle.
"How did you get that color? Is it dyed?" The newbie, Samantha asked, subconsciously reaching for his hair.
"It's natural, sorry, I guess blue is a really weird color, but isn't somebodies eyes red? I mean it's not weirder than that! And her eyes! Their purple!" He said, pointing at Leah, who was staring silently at his unique hair color.
Corey's hair was a dark blue, almost a black, and his yellow eyes blinked slowly. Simon shivered, still not used to his eyes. They used to joke that God swapped his eye and his hair color for a laugh, but those days felt a mile away.
"You have cat eyes." Leah said bluntly.
"There not cat eyes, there just yellow." He replied, glancing at Leah.
Leah shrugged and jumped onto the top hammock, having the bottom occupied by the wounded Templar. Corey snorted and continued with his talk with Simon and Nathan as they headed to the compound.