After that lengthy chapter previously, I'm almost burned out. But, I will make sure this story gets completed. :)

Welcome To Hell

After what seemed like hours of sleeping away, I opened my eyes and I found myself on unfamiliar ground.

"Ngh!" I granted as I tried moving around before slowly getting up. "What the heck is this..."

Cleaning myself a little and shaking my head, I looked all around, there was a huge amount of molten lava, loads of rocky paths and high mountains in the distance. There was also an entrance to a building where the structure design gave off a hellish look. That was when it hit me, the portal that sucked us in, were we now where Betruger was?

Welcome to my domain!

A low voice boomed, it sounded like Betruger, but it wasn't his normal voice.

This is a shape of things to come, the time has come for the forces of hell to escape their prison and drive mankind into darkness!

I looked behind me and I was in a state of shock, my Silver Speeder is missing! I then looked at the floor, the plasma rifle and the ammo I picked up. I grabbed it and checked the gear so I could protect myself. Now where's Clayton, Jackson and Keith? Where's Brian, did he go on ahead or something? But more importantly, is there a way out?

Your darkest fears will soon be realized as your soul burns in hell! For I am one with hell and you are inferior, you will never find the thing you seek!

The thing I seek...wait, could he be referring to the Soul Cube?

I walked along the path cautiously with one goal in mind, to find and regroup with my friends. I entered inside the building and the whole place was covered in mist red before it it faded away and several skeleton bones began flying around with lightening noises and people's screams echoing through this forsaken area.

HA HA HA HA HA!

Betruger's laugh was getting more tedious than intimidating. Then the walls on my left and right collapsed, revealing a pair of imps. I had my plasma rifle ready and I shot them down, that somehow got the attention of a few more monsters around here. A pair of demons came around the corners and I killed them too. The wall at the far end then slid to the right, showing a hell knight and a wall of flames blocking the way.

"Ah crap! Not one of these already!" I exclaimed as I composed myself to just shoot as it until it's dead.

I shot it down and the flames then disappeared, it was all clear to move on. I walked up a stairway slowly and to an outdoor place where there several barrels that could explode. The place was too quiet, so I moved slowly until I heard an unfamiliar low growl coming from behind one of the pillars. It was hugely wide, painted in beige and had a pair of cannons. Then that familiar laugh was heard again.

This is a mancubus, isn't it a lovely cuddly toy?

"You've gone insane, Betruger!" I responded before preparing to fire.

If anyone is insane, it's those fools at UAC! They never gave me what I wanted, so I'm taking this world into my own hands and bringing it to PHOS!

"Not if I have anything to say about it. I'll get out of here, just you wait...starting with this!"

I shot at the mancubus and after several plasma shots, it went down. Then a lot of lost souls appeared and I took them out as well. I rushed out of there and proceeded on to the next area. I was back indoors and I walked along slowly, past the piles of rubble, broken stones and displays of demon skulls on the walls. I then spotted a male body on the ground in a corner...and the person was still breathing!

"Hah...hah...who's there?" He asked.

"A survivor?!" I exclaimed. "No way!" I rushed over and looked at him. "You're wounded terribly."

The guy looked at me. "I know you, you're Commander Williams."

"That's me...are you with the council?"

"Yes, Councillor Swann..." He coughed badly. "...that mad doctor, he...dragged me and Campbell into this world a few days ago...we've struggled to get by."

"Who's Campbell?" I asked.

"My bodyguard, he went on ahead." He coughed again. "There's not much time for me, but please..." He handed me something from behind his back. "...this disc contains all of my reports and findings on all of Betruger's secret research. It's imperative you get it sent to UAC HQ, before it's too late...go on and good luck, Commander...haaaaah!"

His head fell to the side and his body stopped moving...dammit! I couldn't save him, but there was nothing I could've done. This disc I now have, I better keep this safe at all times until I get out of here. I moved onwards and I nearly tripped when I began sliding down a slope to the next room.

Death will not be your end, your soul will burn in hell forever!

This place was kinda small in terms of height and there were several tombstones and those strange markings that we're now sure are teleports for the monsters to appear. As I walked towards the middle, I spotted a floating item, it was shaped like a demon skull and it had lots of red rings around it. I was right to be very suspicious of it. Suddenly, the tombstones broke and rising from the grounds were those zombies that I've seen already. Then the imps started teleporting, this looked really bad for me.

I then touched the floating item and suddenly, I began hearing loud screams and my body felt lighter whilst my arms felt faster and stronger. I suddenly started punching like mad and going around, punching the zombies into pieces. It was like I was going berserk as I continued to mow down the monsters with my punches, then demons and reverents appeared but I knocked them out as well. After a whole minute, the area was clear and I suddenly stopped going berserk.

I shook my head and took a deep breath as I reequipped my plasma rifle and moved on. The next place had several containers and looking at them closely, they were full of weapons. I somehow then felt the need for a couple of backup weapons. I grabbed a pistol which reminded me...I checked inside my uniform cape, the holster was gone...my desert eagle was no more. This pistol will have to do for the time being, I placed that away and then grabbed a rocket launcher and collected a few rockets. Now I was more armed to the teeth and could take down a few more monsters.

The place I walked to next was a long hallway with a chasm in the middle, on both sides of the narrow path showed molten lava, so I had to watch my step here. I crossed over the narrow path carefully and to the other side, beyond that was a door, so I opened it and entered into what looked a like a small church, but there was something white...and vile at the altar and there was a church cross on the wall.

So you made it this far? Here's an arch vile for your troubles, hmhmhmhmhmhm!

"You are really starting to get annoying, you know that?!" I yelled in response.

The arch vile began moving and it casted a spell of sorts, there were flames around me so I jumped well out of there before the spell was complete. I had to be quite reserved and well timed in order to win this minor battle. I armed myself with the rocket launcher and shot back at the arch vile with several rockets before it flew up and landed down, crashing into a heap. Then two cacodemons appeared and I shot them down like balloons, this church was now clear and a doorway opened, so I moved on.

I was in a very small area next and then I heard a familiar voice.

"Arnold! Is that you?!"

"Clayton!" I exclaimed as I rushed over to where he was, behind the corner that I didn't see. "Where are the others?"

"Brian found us all and we regrouped earlier, he, Jackson and Keith went on ahead whilst I stayed here in case you turned up."

"Right...phew."

"Man, we all thought something had happened to you."

"Yeah, the same with you guys...we gotta get out of here."

Clayton nodded. "Yeah, if we get out of here, Chitose is gonna get the best of my love she'll never forget."

"Thinking of love at a time like this, I guess some things never change." I sighed.

"Hehe, anyways, we can go...I still have my chain gun after all."

Clayton and I left the small room and went onwards, we had to some jumping as there were floating stones that led to the next part. We timed our jumps carefully and when we made it to the other side, lost souls appeared which Clayton took down, I was really grateful that I had someone to watch my back now. I tried making contact with my earpiece, but all I was getting was a static noise. Just as I thought, there's no signal at all in this world.

The next place we saw, we began to hear the noise of something firing up and then roars, followed by a person screaming. We rushed over to where it happened and we saw several monsters dead and a space marine who seemed to have got caught in the blast. There was an unusual weapon on the floor too, I wanted to pick it up, but I already had two big weapons on me as well as a pistol, I couldn't carry another one.

"Say Clayton, would you mind picking that weapon up?" I asked.

"Gotcha, friend." Clayton replied, holstering his chaingun on a strap and picking up the unusual gun. "Heh, it's called the BFG-9000."

"BFG-9000? What does it do?"

"Who knows, but I can't wait to try this new toy out."

"Well, let's try not to go the same way that unfortunate guy did." I looked at the dead body and he looked familiar, that must've been Campbell, Swann's bodyguard. "Looks like the ones we saw on the footage didn't make it in the end."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, you're right. So it's up to us to get out of here, come on, commander, you lead the way."

We walked up a flight of stairs and then saw a large barricade in one side of the room and there were two people behind it.

"Clayton! Arnold! Over here!" One of them called.

We rushed over to meet up with my two other friends, I was glad that they were safe as well.

"Man, are you a sight for sore eyes." Jackson said.

"How are you holding up?" Keith asked.

"I'm a little dizzy." I replied. "But I'm alright, I can shoot."

"Alright, us four are back together, so what's next?" Clayton asked.

"Well Brian asked us to hold here while he went on ahead to find a way out." Jackson explained. "But now that you two are here, we can leave and catch up to him."

"Okay then, let's all move out. I don't wanna spend another moment here in this place of hell." I said.

Jackson and Keith had thier own plasma rifles as well, so with all of us together again, things were looking more hopeful for us as we moved onwards.

For every step you take, your soul moves closer to me!

"Hey, ignore that asshole." Clayton said. "Just keep it together, man."

"Yeah...I know." I replied.

We cleared out the next room that had a pair of mancubuses and another arch vile. The hallway that followed had a hell knight and a pair of imps that we took care of. We then walked upwards and to a small room that had a green teleport, the aura was showing lots of ghosts around it...whatever this teleport would take us to, it'll be nasty.

Suffering and pain awaits you!

"Alright guys, once we cross this, I don't think we'll be able to go back." I said.

"Whatever happens, let's rock it out like we always do." Jackson replied.

"Yeah and we'll find Brian when we get the chance." Keith added.

"Bring it on!" Clayton boasted with his BFG at the ready.

We all smiled and stepped into the teleport, preparing for what might be a showdown...

Oooh, I should feel a little guilty for leaving this short and on a cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist. ;)

NEXT TIME! The gang finally regroups with Brian and the Spider Mastermind rears it's ugly head.