Chapter 70 Pilot Programs
Character Eragon
China was an interesting combination of advanced cities and peasant level farms, of people being packed on top of each other in high rises and farms where one family had hundreds of acres. Eragon found the dramatic differences to be reminiscent of countries he used to know on his home world. These countries were long since gone and RuGaard's empire now united the planet but for Eragon the nostalgia was still there.
"Does everyone know their rolls," Jack asked.
"Yes Mister President," Eragon, Arya, Murtagh and Roman replied. The four had taken up the guise of Jack's body guards since it was the best way to get an audience with the President of China to talk about the threat that the other Roman posed to him and his country.
"I can't believe I'm going along with this," Roman said.
"It's either this or we don't inform them about your double," Arya pointed out.
"I know I've just never respected governmental figureheads before," Roman said.
"I'm sure you've pretended to though," Murtagh said, "Besides if things go south we've got back up."
"Right above you all," Saphira thought to Eragon. "You know Dom and his 'friends' are heavy with all the ammo they brought."
"Really," Eragon asked.
"Oh we can handle them just fine," Saphira said, "Just commenting on how many rounds they brought with them... and RPGs."
"Let's hope we don't need any of it," Eragon replied. "You know we are bringing together the leaders of two of the countries that OR wants to take out. We are basically inviting him to show up."
"That is the only reason that I let Dom bring his team," Jack said as their limo came to a stop. "Show time." Both sides had agreed to meet at a military base, for extra protection. The group passed soldiers running their drills as they entered the command bunker. Jack motioned for Eragon and Roman to stay by the door to the meeting room while Murtagh and Arya went in with him. The two formed up to the left of the door as there were already body guards stationed at the other side of the door. Apart from the guards for the Presidents the building was bustling with the activity of running the base. Soldiers of various ranks were moving in and out at just about all times. Eragon quickly fell into watching the soldiers as the minutes dragged by. His mind had spread to cover the base at this point and Eragon was able to keep track of everyone on it. He could feel that inside the meeting room there were five other people besides Jack, Arya and Murtagh. He could feel the platoons as they marched by outside the building and could monitor the change in shifts as the day went on.
Three hours went by and nothing seemed to be going wrong. Roman had fallen into a rhythm of spinning Melodic Cudgel around, two spins forward and one spin back. Roman was the only one who was able to bring his weapon in and that because Jack used it as his cane before handing it off to Roman upon him and Eragon being stationed outside the meeting room. "Saphira, anything of concern that I should know about from your perspective?"
"Nothing that I can see from up here," Saphira replied. "Anything underneath us?"
"Not that I can sense," Eragon answered.
"Remember these creatures may not be able to be detected with our minds," Saphira advised.
"Why do you think I've been watching the soldiers come and go," Eragon said, "If I can't spot them with my mind, maybe I can spot them with my eyes." Saphira didn't respond with words but Eragon felt her approval of his strategy. The door opened and Jack, Arya and Murtagh exited the room where they had the meeting. The Chinese President also left the room with his guards. While the two presidents didn't talk to each other as they left eh building Eragon picked up on the fact that the two had come to some arrangement.
"What happened," Eragon asked Arya and Murtagh.
"Well it could have gone worse," Arya answered as she glanced at Eragon, "The Presidents agreed to kee... Get Down!" Eragon reacted by throwing himself in front of the two Presidents and hardening his skin. Three grenade blasts later and Eragon was glad he did as he picked himself up to stare into the emotionless, helmeted head of the Meta and the cocky smile and burning eyes of the Magog-Roman. The soldiers across the base were also reacting as they all formed a circle around the two intruders.
"Stand down," Eragon ordered the two as he leveled Brisinger at them. "Brisinger." With a thought Eragon surrounded his sword in the signature blue flames that it was imbued with at it's forging.
"Show off," Arya commented as Saphira, Thorn and Varok landed behind their riders with Dom and the Payday Gang on their backs. The new arrivals brought with them two mini-guns, a RPG, four LMGs, two .50 cal rifles a flamethrower and an AA12.
Despite this massive amount of force that was being displayed against the Meta and Magog-Roman the two just started laughing. Dow apparently couldn't be bothered to wait for the demons to make the first move and he put a .50 cal round right into the head of the laughing Magog-Roman. The Magog exploded, knocking everyone back. Eragon jumped back to his feet just in time to bring up Brisinger and block a strike from Meta. He also noted that the Magog had broken free of it's Roman body and was now a massive, devouring, serpent-like demon with a maw that was consuming entire squads in one go.
"Saphira get the Presidents out of here," Eragon thought, "I'll help hold these guys off until you get them to safety!"
"Eragon," Saphira started to object.
"Now," Eragon interrupted her as he knocked Meta's brute shot to the side and kicked the monster so it slid backwards. "The sooner they are safe the sooner you can get back here."
Saphira mentally snorted her displeasure with the plan but she agreed to it. Eragon ducked under a strike from Meta which threw it off balance and let Arya land a flurry of blows against it.
"Back up you two," Clover of the PDG yelled at them. As Eragon and Arya jumped back a rocket exploded on the Meta throwing it into a building and knocking down a wall. "And that's why you don't mess with the Irish, now let's put a round into that snake."
Eragon, Arya and Clover made their way over to the bigger battle which was against the Magog. Thorn and Varok were already busy fighting off massive spike appendages that had grown out of the Magog and were now smashing down buildings and the tanks that the Chinese military had brought out. Murtagh was on top of the Magog and was hacking away at it's head but the behemoth of a demon seemed not to care.
"That thing is a lot bigger up close," Clove remarked. She then got punched across the road that the three were standing on as the Meta rejoined the fight. It growled as it turned it head to look at Arya and Eragon.
"Arya go check on Clover," Eragon said, "I'll take this fight." Eragon struck out against Meta and the creature brought it's brute shot up and blocked his strikes. A grenade fired at the ground threw Eragon back but the Rider used his magic to catch the other grenades and throw them back at the Meta. The explosions created a smoke screen that obscured Eragon's vision of the Meta. Out from the smoke the Meta lunged with it's energy sword coming down against Eragon. Eragon rolled out of the way and tried to deflect the Meta but his magic was absorbed into the creature's power.
"Idiot," Eragon berated himself, "It gets stronger when I use my powers to directly affect it. It shouldn't be able to draw in energy from other things that I use against it though." Eragon dodged another strike from Meta and then raised all of the dropped weapons on the road into the air and aimed them at the Meta and fired. The Meta was enveloped by a bubble shield then jumped high into the air to land on the head of the Magog as it flew away from the base. Murtagh landed next to Eragon and dusted himself off.
"Why are they running," Eragon asked.
"I don't know," Murtagh replied, "One moment the Magog was crushing everything the next it was running over to you."
"Hey I didn't get another shot in on that big guy," Clover complained as she and Arya joined them.
"You are lucky that the Meta didn't punch your skull in," Arya said.
"Clover has always been think," Hoxton said as the rest of the PDG came over to the group and Dallas stepped forward.
"You all will need to give us a few more details if you want us to keep working this job," Dallas said. "I get the dragons but I would like to know how a guy we were able to hold off with bullets can now turn into a base leveling demon."
"Right about that," Dom said, "Uh any takers?"
"The demon is a creature call Magog," Varok said, "Sin given form and consciousness. It is paired with a person of great evil since it is the manifestation of their sins that has over taken them.
"He looks a lot like your friend there," Wolf remarked.
"That's because he is another dimension's version of me," Roman said.
"Hold on a minute here," Wick said, "You're telling me that that thing was sin, like the Bible sin and all that?"
"Correct," Saphira said as she landed with the Presidents who both quickly went back inside and returned to talking about what to do with the Magog.
"And this sin can take form in anyone with enough sin that they've committed," Chains asked.
"So we've been told," Arya said.
"Then why the hell did you hire a gang of professional criminals," Dallas yelled, "Any of us could have been possessed by that thing!"
"Because Dom recommended you," Eragon said, "And it has retreated from you all twice now."
"Doesn't it feed on sin or something," Chains asked.
"We assume it does yes," Murtagh said, "That is what makes your victory over it that much more impressive."
"We are not the right crew for this job then," Dallas said, "We will just give that thing more power."
"Well that depends," Dom said, "I told you your payday was immortality and I did not lie. DC members are immortal. However to join with them will mean you will now be fighting against those who's occupation you currently have. Face it, you, me we are all getting older. I mean Dallas you're what almost sixty now? We've got to start thinking about getting out of the race and DC is the best option we have for that. So are you all with me or not?"
"Bain," Dallas asked into his earpiece. After a moment the PDG leader looked up at Dom. "Well it looks like we are with you. Bain says if we are getting out then he is getting out too."
"No way what's he going to do," Wolf asked.
"Well he's got that lake house," Huston said.
"He could come with you all if he wanted," Eragon offered.
"No, he says recent events have 'enlightened' him," Dallas said, "He says for us to go ahead if we want to and he is right we're getting older. I'm in."
"Aye," Bonnie agreed.
"I'll follow you," Huston said.
"We're all with you," Chains said, "You know that boss."
"Well welcome aboard then," Thorn said, "I guess we can call this the pilot program for recruiting new people."
"Everyone mount up," Jack ordered as he ran out from the building that he and the Chinese President had entered.
"Where are we needed," Varok asked.
"Everywhere," Jack said as he pointed to the sky, "look!" They all looked into the sky and saw that it was turning a burning orange and pitch black.
"What the hell," Hoxton exclaimed.
"What are they doing," Eragon asked.
"I don't know," Saphira said, "But I know we have to stop it." Eragon jumped onto her back and helped Dallas, Wolf, Hoxton and Chains up. The rest got onto either Thorn or Varok, Jack seemed to tell Arya where they needed to go and then the team was off with Varok leading.
"Where are we going," Eragon thought to Arya.
"Back to D.C.," Arya replied, "We need more information on what our foe is up to."
"Sorry to interrupt," Murtagh said, "But don't look behind us."
"The Magog and Meta are behind us aren't they," Eragon commented.
"That figures actually," Thorn added. "How are we going to fight that thing with everyone riding on us?"
The sound of an RPG being fired caused Eragon to look over to Varok's back where Clover was readying another of the explosives to fire at the Magog. The Magog roared and speed up, closing the distance between it's massive maw and the DC team.
"Great we can't outrun it, we cant dodge it without throwing off everyone on our backs. How are we supposed to stop this thing now," Saphira mentally roared in frustration as the Magog got closer despite the teams now firing everything they had at it.
"DC members," a voice that was obviously coming out of a comm on something boomed out across the sky. Eragon thought it sounded some what similar to K's voice, but it was missing something. "Dive!" Eragon looked in front of him and saw a massive helicopter emerge from the black clouds that were prevalent in the now orange sky.
"Going down," Saphira roared, "Hold on!" She then made a sharp dive to wards the ocean below them as the others did the same. Eragon looked up to see what the Helicopter would do. A barrage of a hundred and twenty missiles rammed into the Magog and Meta as the two passed under the helicopter as it gained altitude. More explosions followed in the form of a 40mm chain gun mounted in the nose of the aircraft. As the Magog passed under the helicopter however it brought it's tail up and smashed the helicopter upwards. It then spun around back towards the Heli and ate the vehicle.
"No," Eragon exclaimed. A massive explosion resounded a moment later however as the Magog was riddled with holes from which plumes of fire erupted through out it's body.
"Ha ha, Dragon Company," the quasi-K like voice said as a man with a white buzz cut, a leather jacket on top of a green T-shirt, black jeans, black boots, green eyes, a green scarf that was blowing around in the wind and what looked to be the slightest hint of scales painted on his face said as he parachuted down to DC's level. "Mind if I catch-a-ride?"
"Did he just use a helicopter to blow up a Magog and then use Scooter's catch phrase," Saphira asked.
"I did indeed Saphira," the man said as he landed on her back beside Eragon, "I'm Knarf, another dimension's version of a fragment of your leader, Kalathanon."
"What but isn't K from this Earth," Eragon asked.
"Not at all," Knarf replied, "In fact even the fragment that I am an alternate of is not from this world. That part of K grew up on a world where DC never really was active. It did however have stories about all of the DC members flowing through it. Now I need to make a call." Knarf pressed a button on his earpiece before saying, "Call Vest." After a moment he then continued, "Hey man what's up? Oh yeah I know right, hey if you aren't busy at the moment we've got us a world that is kinda of... you know. No I understand. So there are three towers then and we've got to turn them off like break them or? Oh okay holographic control panels cool. Right thanks man, later."
"Was that," Eragon asked.
"Vest Man," Knarf finished for him, "Yeah, it was. Hey tell your friends that there are three tower things that we've got to shut down if we want to stop Magog's plans."
"Arya, Murtagh, Varok, Thorn, Saphira," Eragon thought, "Knarf says there are three towers that we need to turn off if we want to stop the Magog."
"Does he know where they are," Arya asked after she talked with Jack.
Eragon relayed the question to Knarf and just got a shrug. "No he doesn't," Eragon replied.
"Then heading to D.C. is still our best option," Varok said, "We need intelligence on these towers."
"Might I then suggest my island," Knarf's voice echoed through their minds, "After all it is just off the coast of California and I have, connections there that can find the information you need."
"Did you just talk to us in our heads," Dallas asked.
"Oh yeah I can do that," Knarf replied.
"Any other creepy abilities that you want to tell us about," Hoxton asked.
"Well I can tell you that the Magog is not dead because I can sense demons, I have my own pocket dimension that I can pull a myriad of weapons and ammo out of, including vehicles like that helicopter," Knarf said, "Oh and I know all of your names and back stories since the part of K I am an alternate of is in our current K's future. In fact the fragment that I am based off of is how G and N know K."
"Who," Chains asked.
"More of DC," Eragon answered, "Okay so if you know who we all are because you are from a future K, then do you know how this will end?"
"I have my suspicions but I can not be sure," Knarf said. "As long as time is in motion it is subject to change. What I do know is this Magog needs to be stopped and that Meta with it might be the more dangerous of the two."
"How do you figure that," Wolf asked.
"Well if it has all of the abilities of the Freelancers and the increased power from that key sword then it might be able to run all of it's equipment at once," Knarf answered.
"Making it unkillable," Eragon finished.
"What sort of equipment are we talking about here," Dallas asked.
"Time distortion, increased speed, two types of shields, invisibility, a regeneration unit, super strength, a hologram projector, and that is just the stuff we know it has," Eragon said.
"So electronics then," Dallas mused, "Well if you've got an EMP then I think we can take this guy."
"I may know where we can acquire one," Knarf said, "You will have to see if Jack is up to the idea however."
"What do you have in mind," Eragon asked.
"There is an aircraft that has an EMP in it which we could repurpose," Knarf said. "It happens to belong to the American Military however thus we need Jack to get it for us."
"Arya see if Jack is willing to part with one of his aircraft so we can take out Magog and the Meta," Eragon thought.
"Of course give me a moment," Arya replied. Then after a few moments, "He is amiable to the idea however, he wants to know which aircraft we are talking about."
"Which aircraft are you talking about," Eragon asked Knarf.
"Oh Jack knows which one I am talking about," Knarf said, "After all it is supposed to be the only one in the world like it."
"It's supposed to be a one of a kind," Eragon thought to Arya.
"Of course it is," Arya replied. "Yes Jack knows which one it is he is not happy about it either but he agrees it might be the only way to stop Meta and Magog... It is on an Aircraft carrier currently docked off of California. That is an interesting coincidence, considering Knarf said his place is near the same location."
"Are we really surprised by that any more though," Eragon asked.
"I guess we shouldn't be," Arya agreed.
"Okay Knarf we'll go get the EMP," Eragon said as Saphira took the lead of the group, "Show us to your place."
"Good, once we get the EMP then we have to get some old friends of mine from up north," Knarf said.
Character Geyser/Krista
It was good to be back home but, Geyser and Krista were finding that 'home' was different than the planet they left. Since Malafor had changed things in the past those changes bleed over into the now and the now was telling Krista and Geyser that 'home' was gone.
"The Molten Falls are gone," Krista remarked again.
"I know," Geyser replied, "And the Temple is so large that it covers the area that four villages used to inhabit."
The two were quite again for a time as they flew above the planet in their power suits. Geyser, Krista and Zar were flying near orbit scans of the space around Avalar to see if they could help Ellen pick up on the Necromorph Moon's trail but so far no luck.
"So do you see anything yet," Krista asked Zar.
"I think so," Zar replied. He was using his necromantic sight to try and locate the Necromorphs while Geyser and Krista were using the power armor's scans. "It's not a normal energy reading for an undead but it might be the moon."
"What is not normal about it," Geyser asked.
"It is dead," Zar replied. Krista and Geyser just stared at him. "Hun, it's like this most undead have a residual energy about them from the creature that they used to be and the signature of the energy that is animating them. I'm picking up a reading where the creature has only two residuals meaning that it has died again."
"Oh, that makes a lot of sense actually," Krista said, "So do you have this double energy reading?"
"No I am still me just without the fleshy bits," Zar replied. "Now Zara, AuRel, Irene those like them will have the double energy signal but I am somewhat unique since I animated myself. Be alert we are approaching the... oh."
Floating in space before the trio was the remains of a Necromorph Moon. It had a huge chunk ripped out of it leaving only a hollowed out crescent and some strewn about Necromorph flesh floating in space.
"I suppose that explains why it shows up as being dead," Geyser stated, "Now let's find out what happened to it." Geyser radioed in their find to the Executioner while Krista and Zar flew over to the dead moon. The three then investigated the corpse but could only see the ripped apart fleshy strands that were still floating as if some invisible force was pulling them off of the moon.
"That is really creepy," Krista remarked as she brushed some of the floating flesh strands away.
"It's as if something grabbed the moon and ripped it apart," Geyser said.
"I've heard of micro-black holes," Zar said, "Would one of those been able to cause this?"
"Unlikely," Geyser replied.
"What about a rift," Krista asked.
"What like the one Charolite fell through," Zar asked.
"It is possible," Geyser said, "But if the rifts destroyed what they pulled through them then I doubt that Storm would have told us that we would see Charolite again. … Also we would not have Arie with us or Ezio, David, Nikki, you get the idea."
"Everyone you mentioned is small," Krista said, "Capable of fitting through a small rift. What if something much bigger ran into a rift?"
The three looked at the shredded moon as they each thought over the possibility.
"It is as good a theory as we can come up with at this point," Zar said after a moment. "And all the strands of flesh seem to be pulled towards a common point. See?"
"Good eyes son," Geyser said as he noticed the pattern, "I wonder, I wonder if the rift is still here. It would have to be bigger than the sporadic ones to pull off this much of the moon."
"I know a way we can find out," Krista said as she balled up a strand of Necromorph flesh and tossed it towards where the strands all seemed to point to. The ball floated away from the three for a while without anything happening but then a light flashed and the ball was gone.
"K needs to know of this development," Geyser said, "After all it was holes like this that started this entire venture."
"I'll warn the Normandy and Executioner to not come over this way," Krista said, "You try and get in contact with K."
Geyser nodded as he sent out a call to Doug, "Doug we've got a rift here by Avalar, can you let K know?"
"I will do what I can," Doug replied, "K is currently off of Remnant and I am also using some of my presence to assist on another operation. If C happens to come through however I will relay the information to her. You wouldn't happen to know where the rift goes do you?"
"No we just know it is active," Geyser replied, "Thanks Doug."
"Okay our ships have been warned," Krista said, "I guess we will have to wait for K to get back before we venture into this rift."
"It is still hard to grasp that you two have one mind," Zar said.
"We have two minds we have just been in each others heads so completely for so long we know what the other does and to an extent we think like each other now too," Geyser and Krista said.
"Well it beats the head conversations," Zar sighed. Well Zar did the closest thing he had to sighing as he didn't actually have lungs to sigh with.
"You know you are partially responsible for this," Geyser said, "twenty three years ago when you were born is when we became Leviathans and even after discovering that you had a bunch of inherited knowledge we still had to use our linked minds to keep up with you, especially after you became a skeleton."
"It's true you brought us together more than our Duplicity ever could," Krista added as the three started heading back down to Avalar.
"Well to be fair I was powerful and had a lot of information in my head but I was still lacking any sort of common sense," Zar said.
"You still do at times," Geyser said.
"Eh momentary lapses for the sake of fun don't count," Zar countered causing the three to laugh.
"Geyser, Krista, Zar are you three still in orbit," Ripley asked via the comms.
"Yeah we're still here," Geyser replied, "What do you need?"
"I've got some coordinate that Liarra and EDI dug up for us," Ripley said, "Can you three head there and check them out, Me and Scoops will meet you there."
"Sounds good," Geyser said as the coordinates flashed up on his visor, "Okay we're twenty five minutes out see you there shortly."
"Zar get on," Krista said as she and Geyser pulled up beside each other. Zar grabbed hold of his parents' backs as the jets on their suits powered up and then three rocketed towards the destination Ripley had set on their HUD. About thirty minutes later they arrived to find Ripley and Scoops sitting on an outcropping of rock that was on the edge of a rolling plain and a marsh.
"You're late," Ripley said, "Jack has already gone into the swamp with Eezo."
"She brought the Varren with her," Geyser asked, "Was she hoping him and Scoops would become friends or something?"
"Well they did so if that was her intent then Jack has some good instincts," Ripley said, "Come on Scoops can take us to them." The five moved off of the rocky shelf and into the swamp with the Xenomorph leading the way.
"So what is here that warrants this kind of attention," Krista asked.
"While Ellie and the Executioner are looking for Necromorphs me and the Normandy are looking for Xenomorphs," Ripely said, "After seeing that Necro-Xenomoprh Moon above what was that planet?"
"Serra," Geyser supplied.
"Right Serra," Ripley said, "After seeing that I'm fairly sure that the Necromorphs and Xenomorphs are in a prey and predator type of relationship, with the Xenomorphs being the predators."
"And the Xenomorphs can take on the genes of their prey," Zar stated, "and they are hyper-intelligent so they have probably figured out that a Marker means Necromorphs..."
"Moons give off the same frequency as the Markers," Ripley added.
"According to Issac so do the Hiveminds," Geyser said.
"Right and we've had a Moon and a Hivemind here," Ripley said as the five met up with Jack and Eezo.
"Hey they finally showed up," Jack said, "Well Ellen you weren't kidding Scoops could find us when we are in a swamp. You know that means if there really are other Xenomorphs here then they can find us too."
"Oh I know," Ripley said, "In fact I'm counting on it."
"They are smart we can't set up an ambush," Geyser commented, "If we fight them it will be a face off."
"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that," Ripely said, "I am a Queen after all. I just want you three here in case things go south. I figure with your unique coordination and Zar's necromancy we could get out alive if these guys turn on me."
"I just love the confidence level in your own plan," Jack stated dryly.
"Confidence is good," Krista said, "But back up plans are better."
"Do we even know if there are Xenomorphs around here," Zar asked.
"Not for sure but I'm very certain that they are here," Ripley replied, "Scoops also thinks that other Xenomorphs are around." Scoops twitched his long, spiked, tail as he stared out into the swamp.
"Right," Krista remarked, "So we just wait here then?"
"Now you're getting it," Jack said as she laid against Eezo and put her feet up on a stump.
"You're awfully relaxed about the whole thing," Zar said.
"When you can punch through a ship with your bare hands and biotics you can afford to be," Jack replied.
"I'm picking up something on the motion tracker," Geyser said, "several somethings."
"Yes you are," Vest Man said as he walked into the clearing followed by a pack of Xenomorphs. The Xenomorphs were all in clown outfits and were juggling flaming chainsaws.
"I should have known," Geyser remarked with a chuckle, "Must you always appear at the most random times and in the most random way possible?"
"No but it is more memorable if I do," Vest Man said, "You all will be glad to hear the news I bring you. That rift you found will take you to Charolite's dimension. Do be wary of the undead while you are there. Now my little performers here have a debut that they need to be at." With that Vest Man pulled a clown car out of his back pocket and he and the eight Xenomorphs with him got in and drove off into the sky. The seven DC members were left in silence for a few minutes before Ripley spoke.
"Okay that was a hallucination right," Ripley asked.
"Afraid not," Geyser said.
"Was that the same guy that intervened in the Geth-Quarian war," Jack asked.
"Yes it was," Krista answered.
"Well at least now we know how to get Charolite back," Zar said. The seven nodded their agreement and proceeded to leave the swamp and repress all memories of clown Xenomorphs.
Character Jinxirattuholingtonbumin
"I'm saying we should accept his offer," Alduin argued.
"Molag Bal will never keep his word," Jinx retorted, "The only reason he is offering to help our alliance is because we will be hunting Boethiah and Grish is Bal's Champion." The two 'leaders' of the Daedra rebellion, as it was now being called were staring each other down on the top of the Throat of the World. The massive peak was calm at the moment as evening drew closer allowing for a beautiful, green, aurora borealis to be seen across the sky which reflected on the snow and ice of the mountain's peak.
"We don't have to trust him, just accept his offer," Alduin said as the large, black, dragon paced back and forth across the peak. "I fully intend to keep a close eye on him and his minions but better to have them where we can see them than have them on our foe's side."
"I agree but why take Molag Bal's offer when we can make a counter offer," Jinx stated, "We have two of the most powerful vampires alive on our side and Molag created the vampires originally so why not add a few boons to them while we are at it?"
"Hmm if we can get him to agree to it that wouldn't be a bad idea but we may also run the risk of offending him and making him join our enemies," Alduin rumbled, "If we get Bal on our side then this battle is going to be nine on eight, weighted in our favor."
"Bal is the very aspect of domination he will appreciate us playing hard to get," Jinx retorted.
"Quite right, quite right," Molag Bal remarked as he walked out of a portal from his realm and onto the top of the mountain while slow clapping. Molag Bal was a bipedal creature of scales and muscle that towered over even Alduin's height. Atop the massive creature was a head that was filled with teeth and had two large pincer jaws that covered the mouth. "So you want me to gift you're vampires with more power. Perhaps the ability to walk in the day and be as strong as they are in the night? Perhaps the ability to drain the power of their foes into themselves? Perhaps the ability to overpower their foes no matter their strength?"
"First off you can't do any of those things so no," Jinx stated, "Second off it's rude to eves drop and lastly I was thinking maybe making it so that the vampires never need to feed on blood or anything for that matter."
"Ha she really is your granddaughter," Bal remarked to Alduin, "Even cursed to be a cat she acts like she rules."
"Because the cures is broken," Jinx stated as she washed her ears with her paw, "also because I could kill you where you stand." Bal clacked his jaws shut at that but after a moment they opened back up in a wicked smile.
"Tell your vampires that they will hunger no more," Bal said, "I will meet you on the day of battle and Dagon will finally know who is the more powerful."
"Wait you're going after Dagon," Alduin asked, "Not Boethiah?"
"She will fall as well," Molag Bal growled, "But I want her to know who she has spurned all these years, the only one who should be the true lord of the Daedra!"
"Again I could kill you where you stand," Jinx remarked as she swished her tail to clear the snow off of it. "None of the Daedra are fit to rule."
"And you are," Bal spat back.
"Of course not," Jinx said, "But if you beat Dagon then it is because you worked up to that point not because you are inherently stronger or more powerful."
"Tell me then if you could kill me right now why assemble this army, why get our help at all," Molag Bal asked.
"I have to agree I am also curious as to this decision," Alduin added.
"Individually I could kill any of the Daedra," Jinx said, "but collectively you are much more powerful, only by splitting you up can we win."
"And you find my terms acceptable," Molag Bal asked.
"Let you rule the conquered Daedra and keep them out of our way," Alduin restated, "It makes a lot of sense. I'll let you and Jyggalag sort out who will rule who however."
"I look forward to meeting with him again," Molag Bal stated.
"Well you won't have to wait long," Fenix said as the Serrian Paladin arrived at the top of the mountain. "We are starting our attack. The Paladin is in orbit and the ACUs have an army of metal men at their command. It's time we secured this world."
"Well then we will leave you to your own assaults," Jinx said, "Grandfather, Hircine and I have a particular Daedra we want to hunt down."
"Oh which of my kindred are you targeting," Molag asked.
"Hermaous Mora," Jinx stated as she got up and morphed into her succubus form. While most succubi appeared to be lovely creatures Jinx's form simply appeared like a nightmare. Her wings were covered with black and red fur, her snout was a cross between a dragon's and a Khajiit's with rows of fangs that poked out from under her upper lip. Her legs were long and shaped more like a cat's back legs while her arms were also long and resembled a dragon's legs. Her body was covered in the red and black fur and her limbs were covered in black scales. Her tail was thick like a cat's but had s few spines on it like a dragon's. She was basically everyone's nightmare except for Hircine. He had told her in no uncertain terms that she was the sexiest thing he had ever seen... also he could be quite sweet bringing her trophies from his successful hunts in the form of food or a fine pelt or antlers.
"I see where your confidence stems from," Molag Bal remarked before he walked back through his portal to prepare his dremora.
"Didn't expect him to side with us," Fenix remarked in regards to Molag Bal.
"None of us did," Jinx said. "Is Hircine down at High Hrothgar?"
"He is," Fenix confirmed, "He is probably out hunting that troll that is on the pass up though."
"Of course he is," Jinx sighed, "I'll go get him. Can you two meet us back at camp?"
"We will," Alduin stated.
Jinx nodded and then flew into the sky and off the edge of the Throat of the World. She surveyed the path up the mountain to see if she could spot Hircine. Sure enough she picked him out, in the form of a overly large mountain cat that was beating the tar out of a troll. Jinx landed next to Hircine as he dealt the final blow to the troll.
"Ah Jinx, love, you missed a fine hunt," Hircine said.
"Oh please," Jinx scoffed with a roll of her eyes, "One troll? How about we hunt a particularly annoying, tentacle ridden Daedra Prince?"
Hircine turned his massive, shaggy, white head towards her and let out a deep purr. "That sounds like a real hunt."
"I thought so," Jinx said. The two headed back to Fenix's camp where they were going to pick up their army to lead against Mora. Jinx's 'army' was Marion, Anders, Grish, Lydia and Serana.
"Not be doubtful but how are the seven of us going to take down a Daedra Prince," Lydia asked.
"Eight," Jinx corrected, "Alduin is going with us."
"I am a Daedric Prince myself," Hircine added.
"Okay sure but, the other Princes are all going against each other with armies by their sides," Marion said, "who do we have to take out the army?"
"High King Ulfric Stormcloak," Grish commented. "He's got his ACU and he plans to use it to help us. That said a large portion of his resources are still going to the main battlefront. He will be accompanying us directly to assist as needed."
"That will be handy," Anders stated.
"When are we heading out," Serana asked, "I tire of this waiting."
"Once Ulfric arrives," Grish said.
"I take it you are the reason Ulfric is coming with us," Jinx asked.
"Maybe," Grish said, "I didn't ask him to come he simply informed me that he would. I think the High King has his own reasons for going after Mora."
"I take it this Mora is a very unpopular guy," Marion said.
"Hermaous Mora is the keeper of secrets, everyone's secrets," Jinx hissed, "He also tries to exploit those secrets. He and I are at odds because he once tried to use my secrets against me and it didn't end well for him. Mora discovered that he couldn't delve my mind for the information he wanted. He didn't give up though he kept trying different ways to get what he wanted out of me. I got feed up with it and struck back. I almost killed him in one hit, that is when he summoned the other Daedra to help him and they 'cursed' me to be a cat." Jinx looked up at those seated around her. "Well that's enough of my story for now, besides we have a royal guest that is waiting." Jinx waved to Ulfric as the king came over from his ACU.
"High King," Grishnake greeted.
"Bah no need to be so formal," Ulfric said, "Now I do want you all to listen up. Once I get inside Mora's domain I will be limited by surface area regarding what I can build so most of the fighting will be us and the suit."
"The suit with a nuclear warhead production facility on it's back," Marion stated. "Yeah I think we've got this."
"We will find out I suppose," Jinx remarked, "Fenix is starting his attack. Hircine get us a portal to Mora's realm. Ulfric I'd get back to your ACU, it's time to put Mora down."
"What if he decides to join us," Hircine asked as he opened the portal, "I mean if we let Bal join us..."
"Circumstances change," Jinx stated, "I suppose we could see if Mora has changed as well... If he hasn't I will kill him."
"Of that I have no doubt," Hircine said, "But it is nice to see that you give the prey a fair hunt."
"With us there is no such thing," Jinx replied. "We do not go hunting, we go killing."
"Okay I am ready," Ulfric said from his ACU. Jinx nodded and walked through the portal to find herself in Apocrypha, Hermaous Mora's twisted realm of vile knowledge. She was surrounded by books, books that formed the floors, the walls everything in Mora's realm was either made up of books or was a black ooze that Jinx could see was rolling like a sea far below the sprawling complex she was in. After a few moments her 'army' came through after her.
"We will need to find an open place to fight Mora on," Alduin said. "He undoubtedly already knows we are here."
"Oh he does," Jinx agreed, "Hircine, which way is out?"
Hircine dashed through a stairway that lead down from the chamber they had arrived in. The team followed the Daedric hunter until they arrived on a platform that was outside of the tower that was at the center of the complex they had arrived in. Ulfric used the jets on his ACU to fly around the tower and land beside the rest of them with Alduin guiding him.
"We need a larger place than this to fight in," Marion said.
"Agreed," Grishnake added.
"The top of that colossal tower would work," Serana said as the vampire queen pointed to a towering obelisk off to the group's left.
"If you can't fly get on Alduin," Jinx said, "If you can follow me." Jinx lept into the air and flew to the top of the tower in her Succubus form. Marion, Anders and Grish rode Alduin up while Hircine, Ulfric, Lydia and Serana all flew. Lyds and Serana both used their true vampire forms to fly. The top of the tower was so large that even Ulfric's ACU had enough room to move around. Jinx remembered this place. It was where she stood up against Mora and was cursed. This was where she was sent to Serra.
"Sarohtaar," Alduin shouted as a large, white dragon flew overhead.
"Alduin," the dragon replied in shock as it breaks off it's attack approach and circles around to peacefully land beside the elder dragon. "and the tormentor?" Sarohtaar took in the rest of the group as he approached them. "Hircine as well and these others? Vampires, werewolves... metal men. Why are you here?"
"To kill Hermaous Mora of course," Jinx answered.
"You will have to go through Miraak then," Sarohtaar said. "He is on his way now... I am sorry but I will have to fight you when he arrives, his voice is to strong."
"His voice," Jinx asked, "Wait are you talking about another dragonborn?"
"A shout then," Alduin commented, "Bend Will, I know it well. I will protect you from his influence."
"You would have needed to have protected me long ago," Sarohtaar said, "It is fitting that I and the others here die by your hand."
"Sarohtaar," a cruel voice yelled out. Two other dragons were descending upon the group and on one of them was a man, clad in black robes with gold trim and a golden mask.
"I come Miraak," Sarohtaar said. With that the dragon joined his master in the sky.
"Three dragons and a dragonborn," Anders stated, "Not a problem right?"
"Nope," Marion said as she whipped out one of her hand crossbows and put a bolt into Miraak's head. The dragonborn yelled but Sarohtaar was the one who writhed in pain before he dissolved into bones and his spirit was pulled into Miraak.
"He feeds on the souls of the dead," Alduin commented.
"So do you," Ulfric said.
"Lay down your soul snare," Jinx said, "Let's not let him feed on any more souls." Miraak had removed the bolt and tossed it into the sea far below. Then he and the dragons attacked. Alduin surrounded the team in a heavy mist, his soul snare.
"You think you can escape, world eater," Miraak asked as a wave of fire burned a path through the mist to the right of Jinx.
"Do you think you can," Justice-Anders roared as the mage/spirit sent an equally powerful stream of fire into the sky as the dragons swooped by. Another roar and a falling dragon skeleton let the team know that Anders had hit his mark. This time the energy flowed into Alduin and the elder dragon let loose the apocalypse shout, causing fireballs to fall from the sky.
"That should bring them down to our level," Lydia said. A thud and a shout echoed out a moment later causing Alduin's snare to dissipate. Miraak and the last dragon were standing before the group.
"Now you have angered me," Miraak said, "I will..." Two shots form Ulfric's ACU took care of both Miraak and the remaining dragon.
"What I got tired of speeches on my campaign trail," Ulfric said, "Now Mora should have to come out."
"Come out Mora," Jinx said mockingly, "At least face me with some dignity. You don't want your death to be in some forgotten corner of your realm do you?"
"Enough," Mora's voice thundered, shaking the very tower that the group was on and stirring up the waters far below them. From the waters rose Hermaous Mora. He was a mass of tentacles and eyes and he was connected to eleven others of himself. In full the Daedra surrounded the tower and was even taller than it. Mora attacked without another word. His massive tentacles came crashing down on the tower. Jinx and Alduin used their shouts to knock the tentacles back which allowed the team a window to attack the Daedric Prince. Hircine had morphed into a massive eagle and was tearing at one of Mora's eye stalks / bodies. Grish and Marion were using their bows to bust as many of Mora's eyes as they could, Anders was doing his best to incinerate one of Mora's stalks. Serana had summoned an army of gargoyles which were now attacking Mora and the minions he had summoned. Lydia was leeching Mora's life force from him thanks to her vampiric abilities. It was Ulfric however who was the man with the plan. As soon as Jinx heard the first missile launch she knew this fight was going to be over quickly. Ulfric had basically locked down his ACU and was producing and firing nuclear warheads as fast as he could. The High King wasn't even aiming for Mora, but was leveling miles of his precious storehouses of forbidden knowledge.
"Yes take out his knowledge that is the source of his strength," Jinx yelled.
"You dare," More roared as miles of his domain was turned to ash.
"Oh yes I do," Ulfric answered as another nuke went off. Mora replied by bringing his entirety out of the murky depths of his ocean. The stalks that the group had been fighting were actually only on the top of the Daedra's head. Mora was a thousand feet tall from the waste up. An imposing presence but Jinx knew his weakness and how to exploit it. She smirked and flew off the tower in a blur. Mora swatted at her with his tentacles but Jinx's Thu'um was strong enough to constantly force the tentacles away. Once Jinx reached Mora's body she dove into him for Mora was not a physical creature. Instead Jinx knew that he was an idea, the manifestation of forbidden knowledge and that from within she could dispel the lies that held him together. It only took Jinx a moment to set the truth in motion within Mora and she was out of the Daedra as he started to fail and thrash around wildly.
"We should go," Hircine said, "With Mora decaying his realm will also decay. It is not wise to be in an oblivion plane when it is reverting to it's natural form." Hircine had a portal back to Fenix ready as the team left. Jinx and Hircine were the last to go through as Jinx wanted to make sure Mora was dead this time. As the last visible part of him melted into the black liquid of the sea below them Jinx smiled and walked through the portal with her boyfriend. They arrived on the Serran Paladin where Fenix and Jyggalag were waiting for them.
"Is it over that quickly," Jinx asked.
"It is," Jyggalag said in his steel voice. The voice fit the steel Daedra perfectly. "Molag Bal fell while fighting Mehrunes Dagon but other than him none of the Daedra allied with you were lost."
"Neither were any of DC," Fenix said, "Now we are sorting out how to divide up the unruled Oblivion planes. Even with a tenth of the open planes Serra would have more than enough resources but Jyggalag insists that is not a just compensation for us."
"Because it is not," Jyggalag stated, "Go celebrate your victory now Jinxirattuholingtonbumin we have arrangements to make."
Character Haggard
"So what are you going to do about the planet then," Haggard asked Shade as they walked down the pavilion outside of Zelen's command structure on Requiem.
"With the demons cleared out we could start to rebuild I suppose," Shade replied. "But that wouldn't really serve any purpose. Our goal was to kill the demons to stop them from using this Remnant as a steeping stone to other planets. I fear we are to late however as Magog-Cinder is not here."
"Yeah she probably skipped out upon hearing of our arrival," Haggard agreed as they entered the command structure. "Still if you are not going to reinhabit the planet what are you going to do with it?"
"Did I hear that right," Zelen asked as she walked over. "You do not intend to live upon your planet?"
"I don't think so," Shade said, "We are to few to really rebuild and be of any use to DC right now."
"Us Prometheans could use a real planet to use as a home," Zelen started.
"You did just absorb a bunch of demons that have been converted into your kind," Haggard stated.
"And the process seems to have worked flawlessly," Zelen added, "We could use the extra room to expand and if you do decided to come back we might have a city or two rebuilt when you arrive.
"You would do this," Shade asked.
"We Prometheans just got our freedom we do not feel like diving into a war just yet," Zelen answered, "While this Remnant is inhospitable to your kind right now the wild energy that courses through it would be a boon to mine."
"It's settled then," Shade said, "The Prometheans can live on Remnant. Consider it compensation for your help."
"Do we get any compensation for helping," Hags asked.
"Sure," Shade said with a chuckle, "Go to the armory and get yourself and your squad some new weapons, take this authorization card."
"Oh yeah," Hags exclaimed as he punched the air, "The guys will be floored by this!"
"Before you go," Shade said, "Can you ask K to meet me and Zelen here?"
"Will do," Hags said as he gave a thumbs up and switched on his earpiece. "Hey K you there?"
"Of course I'm here Hags," K said, "That's why I gave out the com units. What do you need?"
"Actually it's Shade, she wants you to meet with her and Zelen in the command structure on Requiem," Hags said as he paced back and forth in the room with the mentioned people.
"Okay... I can be there in ten minutes," K replied, "hey and Hags?"
"Yeah," Hags asked.
"Thanks for putting up with me early on," K said, "I'll admit I had my doubts about all of you but none of you ever doubted me. You have helped change me for the better so... thanks."
"Anytime big guy," Hags said as he ended the call, "K will be here in about ten minutes."
"Thank you Haggard," Zelen said.
"Just call me Hags," Hags yelled down the corridor as he left the room to go get some new weapons for him and his team. Two hours later and Bad Co. was on the Raven waiting outside the armory with Noire and Samuel. Noire was there to check on a shield unit for her Aura generator and Samuel was there to procure a shield for George. Both seemed to be having trouble with the quartermaster.
"I know you are new members of DC but I can't give out units like this without the proper paperwork coming down from the higher ups," the Sith quartermaster said to an obviously annoyed Noire and an angry Samuel. "I'm not part of your group and neither are my supplies so without an authorization card I can't let you have any of our equipment.
"Why are you two trying to get these shields anyway," Sweets asked.
"George will need to be in battle to learn how to battle," Samuel said, "Practice with me only goes so far, though that is quite a ways. I just want to make sure that he has a few extra precautions in place in case of something unfortunate.
"Same but my goal is a little more selfish," Noire said, "And to give Tucker a little more peace of mind."
"Sounds like you two could use this card more than we could then," Redford said.
"Will it let them get the shields," Hags asked as he snatched the card from Red who was about to give it to the Quartermaster. "If this only works for weapons no need to give it to the noobs."
"Authorization cards are authorization cards," the Quartermaster replied. "If it has a high enough balance then it could be used to get a tank. Let me see and I can tell you."
"Yeah okay," Hags said as he held the card out. The Quartermaster took the card and scanned it with his tablet before he let a low whistle out from behind his red and black helmet.
"This comes from Shade herself," the Quartermaster asked, "Impressive, you guys can help yourselves to basically anything you want."
"We will just be taking those shields," Samuel quickly said before Noire could add to her list of wants.
"That is barely a drop in the bucket on this card but okay," Quartermaster said, "What about you four it is your card after all."
"You said something about a tank," Preston said, "Is that still an option?"
"Hmm yeah that would just about cover the card's open balance," Quartermaster said, "I could also thrown in the armor suits that go with our armor pilots. That sound fair?"
"Sounds fair," Red agreed.
Fifty minutes later.
"Whoo," Haggard yelled as Bad Co was cruising across Shade's Remnant in a hover-tank and blasting 19-2000 by Gorillaz as they leveled demon infested Grimm with their rockets, lasers and mines. "This is the greatest thing... ever... of all time!"
"Celebrate later," Red yelled back, "Goliath at three o'clock!"
Hags took aim with the laser turret and drilled a hole in the mentioned Grimm's head. The Goliath collapsed to the ground and crushed a mass of demons that were under it. "Oh man this is the most powerful gun I've ever got to play with," Haggard said.
"Well I think we've tested it enough," Preston said. "Sweets are you comfortable on that mine hopper?"
"Yup," Sweets answered with a thumbs up.
"Okay then," Red said, "I think it's time to go help with some of the actual assignments left on this planet. There is a demon general that is holed up not to far from us and it looks like the Blues are assigned to take it out. I say we should give them a hand."
Haggard gave two thumbs up from his seat at the turret controls and the rest of the team followed suit. Red nodded and floored the tank in the direction of the ever unpredictable Blue team. Bad Co. arrived at Blue team's location seven minutes later and were now getting the information on the situation from Church.
"So basically that flat cement building is just the top of a bunker that goes down into the ground for about two-hundred feet," Church was saying, "The general is inside it somewhere and we've got to find it. Tucker and Noire are up looking for a way in right now while Carolina and Tex are covering them and Caboose and me are waiting for them to..."
"Hey we got something," Tucker yelled back to the group from his position by the very flat building that was mostly buried in the ground.
"You are waiting for that right," Sweets asked.
"Exactly," Church replied. "Grab your tank and let's go check it out. Caboose jump on the tank we're heading in."
"Okay," Caboose said as he jumped onto the side of the tank and Church got on the other side. Red drove them up to Tucker and Noire's position by the building as Tex and Carolina joined them.
"What did you find," Church asked.
"The door," Noire said as she pointed to the top of the door. The bottom three fifths of the door was covered by dirt, "Who's in the, wait Bad Co. is that you?"
"Oh yeah," Hags said, "We got us a tank!"
"You know, even covered in dirt that door would probably blow out if the tank shot it," Tex said.
"Huh yeah that could work," Carolina said. "Everyone get back!" The team cleared the door and Hags lined up a shot on it.
"Sweet's Preston, are you two ready to fire," Hags asked.
"Lined up," Preston said, "Sarge, on your go."
"Three... two... one... fire," Redford said. The three weapon systems on the tank all fired at the door. The result was a good fifteen feet of bunker wall being leveled and the ground being thrown into the air and raining back down on the team.
"Is it raining chocolate again," Caboose asked.
"No Caboose that is dirt," Tucker said, "It only rained chocolate at Sarge's birthday party and only because Doughnut exploded out of the cake."
"Cut it out guys," Church said, "There is a demon in there that needs killing and we are going to kill it."
"Once we get done with the current deployments we're all going back," Carolina added, "We are turning this planet over to Zelen and the Prometheans."
"That soon," Hags asked as Bad Co. got out of the tank to follow their friends into the bunker.
"Yeah at least according to..." Church started as he saw Bad Co in their new armor. Each of the four members had a different style of Sith armor. Hags had a heavy set of armor that was capable of taking hits from even the strongest explosive. Sweets was in an armor that allowed him to integrate various pieces of tech into it as he saw fit, Preston was in a medium type of armor that stored power cells to add extra power to his weapons and Red was in a commando suit that had it's own built in weapons including twin wrist cannons, arm spikes, a grenade launcher that was mounted on the shoulder and an augmented reality visor that allowed him to recon data about the battlefield that would be unavailable to the normal eye.
"Looks like someone got some upgrades," Noire commented as she strolled through the rubble of the door.
"Picked up on that did you," Tex remarked, "Of course you got a shield generator for your shield generator..."
"Don't judge me," Noire snapped, "Now are you guys coming in or what?"
"I've got your rear," Tucker said, "Bow-chicka-bow-wow."
"Meow-chicka-meow-meow," Noire echoed.
"Is it just me or are those two a little," Sweets asked as he swirled his finger around on the side of his head,
"It's not just you," Red confirmed, "but they are the first ones to go into the building so maybe we should get in there and back them up."
"On it," Hags said as he climbed down into the first level of the bunker. Looking around the top floor Hags could tell this was going to be a miserable mission. The only light in the whole place was either coming from the hole that they blew into it or the Spartans' flashlights on their suits.
"Red can we link our visors up with your AR feed," Preston asked as he and the squad joined Hags.
"Yeah give me a minute," Red said. Hags saw the outline of the room show up in blue on his visor as Redford's AR visor linked it's feed to his helmet. "Okay now don't get to far from me or you will loose the AR vision."
"Understood," Preston said.
"Man it is really dark down here," Caboose commented.
"Yeah man we noticed that when we walked in," Church said, "Get with the program. Carolina any idea yet on which way we need to go?"
"Twenty stories down," Carolina remarked, "Look for an elevator shaft or..."
"Heh shaft," Noire interjected.
"Or a certain feline affinity person in this group will make enough innuendo comments that I loose my patience and beat her into a broken pulp."
"Point taken," Noire gulped as Carolina stared her down. "Looking for an elevator."
"Drama queens," Sweets said, "Let's see I can use some of the AR visor's filters to locate the largest drop in the building. Give me a few moments, go look around find some gold or something valuable to loot from this place."
"That's what I like to hear," Hags said as he started searching through the crates and rooms of the empty upper floor.
"I'm not finding anything," Tucker said.
"Same," Tex said.
"I got our way down," Sweets said a moment later. He started heading towards a wall and marking out his steps along it. "Yeah, yeah okay I need a hole blown in this wall."
"One hole coming up," Hags said as he readied the pyrolauncher. Sweets moved out of the way and Hags melted twenty feet of the metal wall with the scorching heat of the plasma weapon. On the other side was a massive ravine that ran deep into the ground.
"Nice work," Red remarked, "How did you spot this?"
"I simply adjusted the X-ray output of your visor to match the frequency of GPR scans," Sweets said. "Now we just need to get down to the bottom of the ravine and melt another hole in the building."
"I don't think so," Noire said as she was looking over the edge, "This structure only goes down about fifty feet. Church you said the demon was a few hundred feet down?"
"About two-hundred yeah," Church said, "Oh so it's at the bottom of the ravine then. Great."
"Would you rather it be in the confines of a small room," Tex asked.
"No, no not really," Church said, "I'd rather it not be at all."
"We can make that happen," Red said, "We have rappelling lines on the tank they are rated for eight tons of weight a piece."
"Get them over here then," Carolina stated as she looked down the ravine, "We've got a demon to find." Thirty minutes later and the team was at the bottom of the ravine.
"I like the falling ride," Caboose said.
"You wouldn't have fallen if you had let me get you hooked to the cables properly," Church said.
"Falling is fun," Caboose said, "Especially when you land and do not hit your head."
"So you've not had that experience often then," Preston asked.
"Ah ha ha... ah no," Caboose answered, "Oh a shiny thing."
"Where," Hags asked hoping it was gold.
"Just here it's like a shiny black thing," Caboose said as he bent down and looked at said thing in the wall.
"Uh Caboose that is a scale," Sweets said after taking a look at the object, "Huh it is shiny though like it has it's own internal light source. I'll bet it is off of our demon. Actually make that connected to our demon. Everyone get back!" As Sweets yelled this the wall crumbled to reveal a large quadrupedal demon with glistening dark blue scales a long stinging tail, two arms that ended in claws and a snapping mouth of needle like fangs. Hags shot a fireball at the demon's legs to keep it from leaping onto Sweets. Carolina pulled Sweets back from the demon as the entire team started unloading on it. The demon struck out with it's claws and it's teeth but it was overwhelmed by the sheer firepower that eight various ranged weapons and two melee weapons could put on it. After a three minute fight the demon scummed to it's wounds and started dissolving.
"Man I wish all our deployments were this easy," Hags remarked.
"Well if we had six more teammates and all this gear in our previous deployments then it probably would have been," Red said, "Now the most annoying part will be getting out of here. It's a good thing that tank has a winch."