The four heroes arrived.
The instant their feet touched the ground, they heard the alarms. The decrepit buildings surrounding them in the alley shook, showering them in dust.
"Surface, thermal, and possible satellite surveillance," Holmes muttered. "You'd think we were expected."
Clara was covering her ears, trying to block out the maddening noise. Castiel stood with a vacant stare in his eyes, seemingly ignorant to it all. Daryl, however, busied himself with pressing his ear to a wall in the alley.
His eyes went wide.
"Down!" Daryl screamed.
Daryl, Clara, and Holmes dropped to the ground. Green energy blasts tore through the walls, leaving car-sized chunks of singed brick and fire. Castiel stood through the bombardment, only blinking once.
"We need to move." Castiel said.
"Like Hell," Daryl said. "We go into the open and we're fried."
"We need to find the sewer opening," Clara said. "According to that map in our heads, I think we need to move a block in the direction we were being shot from."
"Oh, is that all," Holmes asked sarcastically. "Brilliant, Clara, I don't suppose your ingenious awareness would help get us to said opening. Perhaps if we close our eyes and make a wish the lasers won't hurt us."
Clara didn't try to justify the detective's attitude as she instead focused on finding some way around the lasers. As she stood contemplating the situation, thankful for the silence, she realized the obvious.
The alarms had stopped blaring and there were no more blasts of laser fire.
"The security system doesn't know we're still alive," Clara said excitedly. "We'd be nothing but dust otherwise. I bet it could only sense the teleport; we're invisible."
"She's got a point," Daryl said. "That kind of firepower is made to stop only when something is good and dead."
"Which is what we'll be if we go in the open!" Sherlock snarled.
"So we won't go into the open," Clara said as she eyed the holes in the walls. "I say we make some house calls, clever boys."
Clara didn't bother to wait for permission or for someone, probably Sherlock to dismiss the idea as she climbed into the building through the opening in the wall. The others waited several seconds to see if there was retaliatory fire. Silence proved Clara's theory correct and the others quickly climbed through the hole as well.
The group proceeded carefully, making sure not to stray towards the windows that lead into the open street. Castiel had considered teleporting them closer but knew better since the Dome's security might detect him and so he was forced to do more climbing and walking than he usually preferred, it made him feel too… human. He wondered if Dean drove everywhere just because it saved him from walking, Castiel wouldn't blame him.
After moving in and out of decadent buildings as well as narrow alleyways, the group finally reached their destination. They had to duck down, the dome was close and the impact from the security was more extensive. They could see the hint of a large emerald structure that was smooth and polished which made it even more foreign to the group considering the devastation that surrounded them. In the distance, they could see the manhole cover, right in the center where there was enough opportunities to shoot them down that it was practically a shooting gallery.
"I don't suppose any of us want to draw straws?" Daryl asked skeptically. "It's a long way to run even without the need to pull the cover up."
"Straws are not necessary," Castiel declared. "Just give me some space."
The others did as the angel asked, wondering what matter of skill this mysterious stranger had. Castiel didn't disappoint; he raised his hand and it began to give off a faint glow. The angel considered the fact any major spark of power draw security but he found a way to take advantage of this,
An orb of light formed above the manhole cover, creating a bright circular outline around the cover. With a swirl of power, the cover burst into the air. The manhole cover was knocked out of the air by thousands of lasers. Fortunately they concentrated their fire on the orb which which grew larger to grab security's attention even more. It flew into the air so high that group could only hear the lasers.
"Move. Now." Castiel said.
The group didn't need to think twice; they rapidly but carefully bolted for the opening. Sherlock was the first to make it, smoothly sliding into the darkness. Daryl was the second, after searching around and ducking several laser shots. Security was getting wise to their tactics, especially who made the orb.
Clara saw the barrage of fire power slowly shift down towards Castiel. It was moving too fast and the angel was too preoccupied with the distraction to notice. Seeing as how she couldn't speak the words in time, Clara simply charged forward and tackled Castiel out of the way, the lasers just missing her head. Castiel was able to send a wave of energy that knocked the lasers away, giving him and Clara a window to get down into the opening. The lasers fire several more shots at the ladder rungs that were still in the light and ceased firing.
There was no need for firepower anymore.
The opening was a lot wider than any of them realized, large enough for company. A massive beast of creature with stone grey flesh, seven-tall, and blood red eyes that burned in the weak light from the overhead lamps. It swung punching bag-sized arms with bone shattering force. Sherlock and Daryl were doing their best to dodge it but the creature's speed made it impossible to do much else.
The creature narrowed it eyes as it saw Castiel. It unhinged its jaws and something bright built up from its throat. Clara and even Castiel widened their eyes as a rush of fire shot out of the mouth of the beast. The tow ducked the inferno of death while Daryl fired arrows that shattered on the creature's flesh. Sherlock stayed as close to the wall as possible but he wasn't cowering, he was observing. He forced himself to overlook the ludicrous elements and focus on the facts: uncontrollable beast, a failed experiment that was forcefully created considering the well-placed needle marks only gained from a restrained victim, invulnerable and incredibly dense skin. The one thing that seemed obviously vulnerable was also the only thing unique besides the fire breath which was irrelevant to Sherlock's deduction.
"The eyes," Sherlock shouted. "Go for the eyes!" He then ducked a swing at his head that smashed into the wall.
Clara remembered she had the knife Daryl gave her and that gave her an idea. She whistled which made the creature turned to look at the brave girl. She swallowed the raw fear boiling inside her and threw the knife. It twirled through the air and struck the creature in the eye. The monster howled in confusion as black blood poured down its face. Daryl rushed over to Clara's side and fired an arrow which struck the remaining eye.
Castiel moved forward before anyone could shout a command or protest them move. The creature, now blind, viciously swing its fists, hoping to hit the intruders. The angel dodged both fists, moving closer with each step. Instinctively realizing an intruder was beneath It, the creature looked down as fire prepped to burn Castiel to a cinder. But the angel was faster.
A hand on the grey chest and the creature froze up. The fire trapped in its throat, creating a orange glow in the angel's hair. Castiel pushed his hand forward and the creature fell on its back. The fight was done.
"Is that it?" Daryl asked kicking the creature while eyeing the rest of the corridor.
"Most likely," Sherlock said. "No one expected the jolly grey giant to run into an angel."
"What is it?" Clara asked while looking at the needle marks.
"I assume it's a failed experiment or a successful experiment depending on whoever made it. Just one of the horrific possibilities awaiting us within those walls. Shall we get on with the horror show?"
Sherlock turned his back on the group and made his way down the tunnel. Clara wished she say something, anything, to make this once-fictional character get over himself for one iota of a second, but there were some things that mortals are simply not capable of. Clara, Daryl, and Castiel decided that the best option was to move forward.
It was time to face the Dome.
