A few hours later...
20,500 was the number of "surviving" troops it wasn't much by the standards of most armies and by the standards of Helghan it was a little better than nothing but it was enough to make Visari more than a little happy. "Colonel do you remember the start of the Helghast revolution," asked visary
"certainly" answered radec
"tell me colonel how much manpower did we have back then?"
"Not much only around 15,000 men mostly unarmed"
" and yet we have achieved greatness then despite our small numbers. I believe 20,500 is more than enough for a good campaign! So colonel what is the plan?"
"First we must understand this place I will take a small detachment and well run a scouting party into that city," Radec said pointing directly at pentagram city visible from the mountains
"you are authorized to do so"
A few hours earlier
I.M.P HQ
*Teleportation sounds* "so, in conclusion, go fuck yourself blitz I'm not doing That ever again," a pissed off moxie who just teleported back to HQ said
"well too bad it's your fucking job so shut up and follow orders" an equally pissed blitzø replied,
"can you idiots not have a normal conversation for ONCE in your life?" Lonna commented at the two's back and forth
"shut it mutt" Moxxie yelled in sheer frustration
"calm down it's nothing out of the ordinary" Millie said "nothing out of the fucking ordin-"(*INSERT LOUD EXPLOSION SOUNDS*)
"what the fuck was that?"
"I have no idea blitz"
"Moxxie blitz get the hell over here look at this shit" in seconds everyone joined millie at the window
"HOLY FUCK IS THAT A METEOR?!" Blitzø said,
"THAT CAN'T HAPPEN DOWN HERE CAN IT?" Loona asked in pure confusion and suddenly (*insert another loud explosion*) thousands more of these meteors appeared.
Back with Radec's scout team
The small 8 man scouting team was marching down the mountain range into the city itself well that was until a life sign appeared on their minimaps
"everyone take positions we shall prepare an ambush" quietly said radec over the radio and so it was done it didn't take long for the life signal to approach them as it got into view the Helghast were immediately puzzled by what exactly it was... red skin horns almost like a classic idea of an imp yet behaving strangely human appearing to be talking over the phone "interesting," thought radec before ordering the ambush to be sprung on the unsuspecting demon. In seconds the imp was surrounded from all sides by the Helghast "WHAT THE HELL?!" He shouted from the surprise the imp approached a heavy trooper
"hey bozo you and your little gang better let me through I know people they'll kill you if you do-" he was cut off by Radec who spun him around and hit him with his pistol
"I will ask you some questions it will be in your best interests to respond. First of all, what is this place?"
"Wait what? You're serious? Were in hell geniu L"
"oh" was all radec could say as he realized he was truly dead a murmur went through the team yet they did not waver
"well it's not like I expected heaven..." said radec in dismay
"next question. Who or what exactly are you?"
"You fucks are new around here I'm an imp as if you couldn't tell just by looking at me. Or are you all blind under those masks?" The imp smugly replied
"I'm not a very patient man. You will swallow whatever witty remark you have planned next or you will swallow a bullet" was Radec's response which knocked the smug from the imp
"what can you tell me about the city?" Was Radec's next question
"man pentagram city? It's a huge shithole and it's the capital of hell I dread to think about the other towns. It's the place where all the overlords live and wage their petty fucking turf wars"
"and the overlords are?"
"They're hells rulers kinda the actual rulers are the royal family but the overlords hold a LOT of sway on them"
"even in hell, the council system is less than effective" radec mused
"and one final question how armed are the people here?"
"Very well armed most have a gun but that's barely a nuisance after all most demons come back after being "killed" by normal gats. But some have exterminator guns and they... they're scary man you can't come back from that. mostly criminals and mercs have them"
"that will be all," radec said and walked away
"thank you for your cooperation altho you're no longer useful to the Helghast. Kill him" radec ordered,
"wai-" *BRRRRT* the team unloaded into the imp altho they stopped after just 2 shots "colonel our weapons... they changed?" Indeed the shots fired weren't bullets but beams of yellow light which seemed to drop the imp in seconds
"maybe these are the "exterminator weapons"... well things just became interesting".
The team walked into the city and for the first time even colonel radec himself was baffled at what he saw it was an ordinary city (-red sky and demons) but that's the reason it was so baffling for the Helghast had only seen things like wheeled cars or 21st century buildings in history books neon signs and shops peppered the grimy streets and then
"HOLY FUCK GUYS LOOK!" Before radec could even admonish the sniper for inappropriate comms language 4 other snipers rushed past him to a vending machine?... upon closer inspection said vending machine was full of... DRUGS?!
"And I thought I've seen a lot" was Radec's only reaction after which the sounds of glass breaking followed. It was no secret to most that Helghast snipers were drug addicts cocaine, speed, meth they did it all to stay awake for as long as they did which could be literal months, and altho drugs were outlawed on Helghan all knew that military personnel was an exception to most rules and after seeing a seemingly unguarded vending machine no true sniper could withstand the temptation and so it was ransacked in about 1 minute.
"Guess that takes care of that..." radec thought genuinely amused and so he walked swimming deep in his thoughts until a voice snapped him out of it... wait that was a news broadcast! Looking around for the source of the broadcast the team saw an electronics shop with TVs lined up in its window displaying a news broadcast.
"And now for tonight's main story, there appears to have been a meteor shower, yes you heard that right a meteor shower right here in hell while scientists are still puzzled about the how and why of it they say it was most likely a teleportation accident. In other news a local man has gone missing he was last seen hiking in the mountains if you have any information contact authorities this was Katie killjoy and tom trench signing out"
"helluva accident" radec chuckled
"new orders go and get us a tv by ANY means necessary!". The fireteam rushed into the store entrance
"ON THE GODDAMN GROUND NOBODY MOVES NOBODY DIES!" The colonel pointed at a random soldier
"you get any coms equipment you can get your hands on"
"Right away sir" was his response but then suddenly the clerk hit the alarm button
"damn LIGHT HIM UP!" The colonel shouted and seconds later the clerk was riddled with holes
"dammit the law will be here any second now" and true to the colonel's word after a mere minute a police car rolled up to the shop.
"Drop your weapons and walk out with your hands up" sounded the cars bullhorn
"who does he think he is ordering us?! LIGHT THE BASTARD UP!" Was the new order. A hale of beams poured out of the store making the cop and all around him into swiss cheese
"These cars are far too small for all the equipment... oh that will do just fine" the colonel smirked looking at a S.W.A.T van surrounded by bodies "everyone in we're leaving" as all the fireteam and even the guy with the cartful of TVs crammed into the van the colonel short-range teleported into the driver's passenger seat and told the panicking driver
"you better drive as fast as the engine can handle" and so they peeled off into the city "W-where to?" "To the mountain range... where the meteors fell"
Meanwhile at Hazbin hotel
"Thank you tom. This evening a group of masked men robbed a vox-controlled tech store. They appeared to have exterminator weapons and a complete lack of respect for other life a dozen officers and a store clerk have been killed in the ensuing shootout and the suspects have escaped their current whereabouts are unknown."
Charlie turned off the tv and sighed "more crime and death... as usual" she was rather disappointed
"We made this place but what's the point if no one wants to rehabilitate?" Suddenly Alastor walked in completely ignoring charlie and rewound the tv program to that segment
"yeah it's a robbery... seems far too small time for you or are you getting desperate for spectacle?" Charlie asked him mockingly
"no dear it is not just a robbery... it appears a few "people of interest" have made it here," he said as he looked at footage the colonel
"and things just got very exciting"
Back at the van
They made it back to what can charitably be called a "F.O.B" the others began building structures from the wood of nearby trees and so the fire team exited the van as radec began shouting orders
"get the comms equipment to the appropriate staff and take the prisoner to the research division... I think they'll be interested"
"Sir yes sir" a few Helghast shouted and got to work on his commands as radec approached visary who was in a makeshift tent
"you're back Mael"
"The mission was a success and I learned a few things about where we are"
"like what?"
"Well to start things off we're in HELL that is final... it's not like I expected a different outcome"
"none of us could expect one"
"our guns have... changed they've become so-called "exterminator" weapons that can kill hells inhabitants. Speaking of Hell's inhabitants they seem to have a society not far from that of pre resource war earth even using tech from the same era. Hell appears to be a rather lawless place altho they do have rulers "the royal family and the overlords" sounds like a certain council" radec thought
"very well colonel I have a feeling this shall be a great campaign now I need to prepare for a speech"