Chapter 6 – BLOOD, FIRE AND TEARS
Island off the coast of Innsmouth, New England
The fog covered the island in a thick blanket of grey. Even the radar that was sited in the lighthouse, the only structure present on this dismal rock, could make little detail, so thick was the fog. Which was perfect for the silent figure that crept out of the light keeper's house and headed to the lighthouse itself. The figure, heavily bundled up to defy the cold entered. The ground floor had a small table, a cooker and a TV. To the right of the front door was the stairs leading up to the light. At the table were two men playing cards. Both were dressed in the green and gold of Hydra operatives.
One turned to the new arrival. "Don't tell me you forgot to get the beer? How can we do shooters without Buds?"
"How about this?" the new arrival said as he withdrew a silenced automatic from his coat and shot both men in the head. He quickly divested his coat revealing a Hydra Uniform just like theirs. He calmly walked up the stairs to the 1st landing, shooting the man operating the radar in the back. He moved on to the roof where he eliminated the guard by simply flicking him over the rail and letting him fall to his death. He pulled back his sleave to talk into the wrist communicator. "The dogs have been put down. Come." He then quickly descended to the 1st level and activated both the homing beacon and the landing lights on the helipad.
Sea Cave, Island off the coast of Innsmouth, New England
A submarine was docked at a wharf in the underground cavern under the island. Hydra had established this base back in the 30s as an advance U-Boat base for the Nazis. Since World War II Hydra had continued to improve this hidden base for smuggling, weapons tests in the nearby Innsmouth Trench and more recently the new base of the DOA (Department of Occult Armaments). The dock had been a hive of activity since the sub had arrived four hours before. Specimens, computers, tanks containing humanoid creatures and other equipment were being carefully loaded on board. However the process had taken too long and the Hydra personnel knew it.
"Move it! We're behind schedule." The Hydra Security Chief yelled. He turned to a trench coated bald man and apologised. "I'm sorry sir we will make up the time. I promise."
Captain Azazel, the new commander of the D.O.A. smiled quietly. "Keep up the good work, Time is on our side." Suddenly there was a disturbance amongst the men moving equipment from the base to the submarine.
'Sir, we've lost contact with the lighthouse," one of his security staff rushed up and informed the two men. "The cameras are all down as well."
"Well send a team, Two teams." The Security Chief looked to Azazel who simply nodded and began to quietly hum to himself. "And activate the alarm. Assume we are about to be attacked. Extreme force is authorised."
"Excellent Chief." Azazel said. "I'll be in the main lab." He turned and walked away and began to hum. "Mm hm h hm is on my side, yes it is."
The Chief frowned, perplexed at his leader's strange calm", then turned on his men. "I'll be back in 15. MOVE IT!"
As the Hydra security officer rushed off he did not notice the appearance at the dark, far wall of the cavern four heads pop up out of the water.
Dansen Macabre licked her dead lips in anticipation as she instructed The Digger and Tatterdemalion to follow her while The Needle was to get ready his signature weapon. The three ducked under the water and travel toward the dock.
On the dock one of the Hydra guards suddenly caught movement and turned. He frowned, staring out across the cavern toward the far wall. An indistinct white shape could just be made out. The he saw a glint, a flash and he opened his mouth to call a warning. The cry died in his throat as a three foot long needle speared the guard through his eye and then was yanked back out by the line attached to the end. The guard toppled forward into the water. No one noticed the guard fall and the splash noise was lost in the bangs, curses and other noises as the Hydra personnel hurried to load the submarine.
However they did notice as three costumed people rose for the black waters and attacked them. Dansen Macabre, almost naked in her skin tight white lycra body suit spun and danced, killing men with a blow from her feet or hands. The Digger was even more brutal, decapitating or gutting Hydra staff brutally with his shovel. Tatterdemalion was probably the least prolific killer but the most painful as he grasped men's heads in his glowing green hands and literally melted their flesh. Lastly The Needle arrived and began stabbing in and out of the disorganised men. Gun shots rang out but any that found their marks did little but put holes in the undead bodies of the Night Shift. Soon these was nothing but dead, either on the wharf or in the submarine. Dansen Macabre raised her communicator to her lips. "Kali has drunk from the fountain and engorged herself. She will look elsewhere to quench her thirst. The Night Shift followed the blood splattered woman into the base. Death had come to the Hydra Island.
The Helicopter, a large Chinook transport, landed just as the two security teams accompanied by two robot Dreadnoughts exited from the hidden entrance to the Hydra Base. The main doors on the side of the large helicopter opened to reveal two dragons breath Gatling guns which unleashed their high explosive rounds into the Hydra Teams. They barely were able to cry out before they were torn to bloody pieces. The Dreadnoughts lumbered forward, without a command they did not attempt to fire on the helicopter. The Gatling Guns had two ammo bays, one for anti-personnel, the other armour piecing. At the command the Gatling Guns changed loads and unleashed a 1000 rounds of armour piercing destruction that turned the two robots into metallic Swiss cheese. The Guns went silent and the back of the helicopter opened to allow The Hood's followers to charge out. The Mandril lifted his communicator. "Top entrance taken. We going in." Joined by the Spymaster who had eliminated the Lighthouse Guards he followed the men down into the
Using the cover provided by the fog Henry slipped undetected around the other side of the large Helicopter. Four men, two on the Gatling Guns, one pilot and one at the cargo bay were on guard. Unfortunately they were looking toward the entrance so didn't notice the vampires arrival until he had shot he two men manning the Gatling Guns. The fast swim had wetted his appetite so he drank deeply of the pilot and the other guard. He then placed C4 and a timer of 15 minutes under the helicopter.
"Nighthawk has secured the flying carpet." Henry said over his communicator. He waited. Then. "Seahawk has secured the Neptune's chariot."
Suddenly he heard the chatter of gunfire and the screams of men in pain. Slowly entering the tunnel the gunfire continued then two explosions and silence. Cautiously he continued until we found a pile of men, lying dead and further down the corridor two smoking sponsons from which hung to wrecked robot machine guns. The Mandril lay against the wall bullet wounds in his leg, arm and shoulders as well a deep and bloody graze on his head. I knelt beside him
"What happened?" he asked. The ape man opened his eyes and I caught them with my own.
"Ambushed…..men dead…Spymaster blasted …guns…went on." He gasped then fainted. Henry found a smoking Dreadnought, then a squad of Hydra Soldiers, showing the deadliness of the Spymaster. He exited the tunnel out onto a walk way which looked over a large open area. The circular room was surrounded by large clear cylinders, each containing a humanoid figure. Strangely the room was empty except for a man dressed in a combat suit of blue and yellow. The Spymaster. He crouched down as another door open and the Night Shift entered, their battered bodies bespoke of hard combat to reach the room. Dansen Macabre activated her communicator. "We have reached the Bloodstorm birthing tubes." Suddenly a area in front of the Night Shift began to shimmer and glow and then The Hood and Demonicus' soldiers appeared.
He surveyed the area. "Well done. The birthing tubes seem to be all intact. Where is the Mandril and his men?"
"Dead or dying. Hydra didn't want to loose this place." The Spymaster replied.
The Hood nodded, still surveying the birthing tubes. The humanoids inside the tubes were not humans such as the original Bloodstorm had been. These creatures were more demonic, in a form akin to the natural Chthonian form with a demonic head, great fangs, bodied hard and slim, long cruel claws on their hands and feet. The Hood circled the room stoping an a tube twice the size of the others, its content obscured by a liquid more opaque than on the other tubes. He frowned
"Is everyone dead?" He asked trying to make out the shape held within.
"Not everyone, My dear Hood," said a voice on the loud speaker. "I welcome you to the DOA's base. You have arrived at a most auspicious time. The trial of the Bloodstorm Mark 2." The smaller tubes began to drain of fluid revealing the horrors contained within. The Hood's men and women went on guard. The tubes drained but nothing happened. They waited. Still nothing happened. One of the Demonicus soldiers looked more closely at the closest creature. "I think their all dead." He said, taping the glass with his gun. Inevitably, the creatures eyes opened and it smashed its way out of the tube and , with a mouth that opened incredibly wide, reached out and bit the soldier's head off, blood containing up from the severed neck. As the other creatures smashed their way out of their tubes to attack the Hood's group. Pandemonium broke out as creatures screeched, men and women shouted and guns fired. At the same time two explosions rumbled through the base heralding the destruction of both the submarine and the helicopter. The Mark 2s were tearing through the Hood's men with horrible efficiency. They were not invulnerable. One was blasted apart by concentrated automatic fire, The Spymaster, drawing his katana spun and weaved around the room taking the heads of two of the creatures with his razor-sharp katana. The Night Shift fought there way back the way they had come leaving the remaining creatures to overwhelm Demonicus' soldiers. The Hood was taken down from behind, saving himself only by teleporting away. Seven of the creatures remained surrounding the Spymaster.
"Bloodpack leader to Nighthawk and Seahawk, I need assistance I said. " as I pulled off the Spymaster's Hood. The Mark 2s hissed as they circled me. Bloodpack where are you?"
"Sorry Ravenwood, orders." two explosions rocked the base and both the exit to the surface and the one to the submarine pens collapsed.
The creatures attacked. I cut one in two, but a second slashed my shoulder, tearing away the armour. I spun around taking of its arm, then swung the katana in an arc to take off its head. But this opened my to a mass attack as the remaining five jumped on me, bearing me to the ground. I felt their fangs biting me, claws tearing at my limbs, I lost an ear to a bite and a eye to a claw. Pain, anger hatred well up in me. I burned with hatred for the people who had betrayed me, the failures of my past and what could be my impending doom. I burned, and I wanted them to burn, everything to burn, the world every living thing to feel my pain.
"CONFLAGRATIO!" I screamed out the spell of blood fire. My blood caught fire and its spread, covered my body, then leapt to the Mark 2s. They screeched in pain and mercy. They could speak, think. They cried for help and I burned them, burned them with my hate, my contempt. They were copies of the greatest form in the world. Within moments they were ash but I did not stop. I released the fire so it swept the room. I did not care that some of Demonicus' soldiers were still alive I burned them the lab, everything. My face changed into that of a true Chthonian vampire, my claws punched through the yellow gloves I wore.
"I AM RAVENWOOD. VAMPIRE MAGE AND LORD OF THE FIRES. BURN!"
And then it was gone. The Beast within had exhausted itself and I was myself again. I fell to my knees and I wept bloody tears. I felt myself return to normal and I was myself again. I was relieved and yet a part of me was saddened that I had lost that feeling of overwhelming power.
And then I heard the rushing of liquid running down a drain. At first I ignored it, holding myself as I tried to gather my shattered humanity back. Then I heard the wiring of machinery and looked up. The largest birthing tube had been drained and it had sunk into the floor. Before me stood a creature out of nightmare, out of the primordial past.
"Oh Hell No!" I groaned as I stared at the Bloodstorm Mark 3, the clone of Varnae, the first Lord of the Vampires. Life sucked.
To be continued.