The hallways became a maze of danger as Tony found himself bypassing squads of exterminators and soldiers before they would find themselves ambushed by egg minions overrunning them from the vents. On occasion, he would participate in these ambushes but he couldn't stay and wait for more. What was important right now was that the enemy was evicted from the important parts of the ship at all costs.
He turned around the corner and saw the doorway leading into the bridge but he caught a glimpse of three Holy Army soldiers rushing through the opening with assault rifles raised. Ser Pentious was manning the controls of the ship with his back turned while the assailants quietly crept towards him. Yet, the Courier drew out his two revolvers and duel-wielded his guns while stepping forward. When his boots tapped against the metal floor, enemy heads turned but his trigger fingers were faster.
Two shots rang out as he strode to the room before his thumbs pulled down the hammers. Blood splattered the walls while two men cluttered the hallway with their corpses. Meanwhile, the third turned around to train his M4 Carbine upon him. The gunfire was enough to draw the snake's attention as he turned around with a strange pistol-like sci-fi gun before he fired and a green ray of light struck the assailant in the spine. Several seconds later, a pile of dust was all that was left as Azrael's second-in-command brushed past it.
Tony entered the room and put his revolvers into their holsters. He wanted to know how their travel was progressing. "Give me a sit-rep," he said.
Below the deck was a chaotic fight that broke out as the bridge's front window had been carefully blown open. Nifty managed to jump a Holy Army soldier from the back and began clawing away at his neck while he screamed in absolute terror. Husker flew around and picked one off his feet, only to toss him outside the airship's window. Then he caught a glimpse of Alastor opening several portals with black tentacles snatching squads of men by their limbs and thrashing them against the floor.
"Oh, you're busy."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Sir Pentious snapped back with a sarcastic tone as he retained command of his ship's controls. "Those imps are securing my cargo hold and access points from here to the engine room. If we keep pace and keep the intruders from sabotaging my ship, we will be able to reach our destination."
Automatic gunfire echoed from outside the bridge as the saved and sinner turned their heads to the front window. An Osprey flew into the view of Heaven, staying in front of the broken window but the two saw Artyom latch onto the front frame while firing his M4 Carbine into the cockpit before throwing a bundle of grenades inside the aircraft. He then jumped away and flew elsewhere before an explosion erupted and the Osprey descended uncontrollably from the airship's way.
"We're lucky he's out there causing them a mess. I could have sworn that thing had machine guns."
The serpent was not far from the truth as Tony stood beside him on the captain's deck. Those VTOLs were equipped with enough firepower to level a neighborhood in Pentagram City. "Miniguns, to be precise. We should count ourselves lucky that the bastards weren't able to spin those guns up."
A strange beeping noise echoed from the console in front of them. "Why does this radio frequency only beep? There's nothing on here!"
"I know what it is." The Courier was familiar with the system set up by the Holy Army. There was a radio frequency that was kept clear save for a radar system that beeped to keep track of potential aircraft from Hell making their way to Heaven. This was the hope he'd been looking for ever since communication with the Department of Purgatory had been jammed and the Isra had been cut off. "Stick to this radio frequency!"
"There is no point if nobody is listening in."
He turned to him with conviction. They had to try because the outcome was unthinkable for their current situation. "We've got a bunch of sinners and Hellborn killing Holy Army personnel. If we don't hail them, they will shoot us out of the sky. There is no other alternative."
The radio began to crackle with a commanding voice. "This is restricted Heaven airspace. Identify yourself and state your intention. Comply with this order, we've already got a lock."
"How can I talk to him?" Tony asked.
"Press that button!" He pointed at a green button placed under the speaker. "You'll communicate through that."
He reached out to tap the button. A small hole appeared and a microphone slithered out until it had fully extended to the investigator's face. Then he spoke to the authority on the other side of the channel. "Hotel-Alpha, this is Delta-Papa-One-Two, do not fire on the aircraft."
"What's the Department of Purgatory doing commandeering a ship from Hell?" The soldier replied with curiosity. "Don't you guys have a teleporter?"
"Yes, but we're transporting a Priority HVT out of Hell and are under attack." A distance explosion on board the airship shook everyone in the room as the Courier grabbed ahold of Sir Pentious's console.
"We're noticing multiple thermal signatures moving around you. They are Holy Army profiles. Do you mind explaining that?"
He couldn't tell him for he didn't know how deep Gabriel's influence was in the ranks and he couldn't trust him. "Negative. This is a classified op. Get me in line with Archangel Azrael!"
"I'll have to confirm with my superiors." Tony let out a defeated sigh, realizing he would have to suffer Heaven's bureaucracy at an inconvenient time. Yet, he couldn't rush the matter nor could he afford to antagonize the air security officer who had long-range SAM launchers trained on them.
The Holy Army has been kept grounded ever since the Council meeting raised the concern of zealous traitors rife in the ranks. Anyone could call it annoying if they had the courage to voice it in front of Archangel Michael, the High Marshal. Yet, the meeting within the council chambers had defined the true threat that was set to undermine the status quo between Heaven and Hell. It wasn't a peace but time had passed long enough to be considered as, no matter the technicality of the ceasefire or armistice agreement that was set ages ago. If the rebels were insistent on making their goals realized, an untold number of souls would suffer as a result of what might be considered the final war. His son would be one of those casualties of war if the commander did not try to make Azrael's duty easier.
He sat quietly behind his desk and signed his name on countless logistic forms produced by the bloated funding of Heaven's military. It may have been powerful and designed for a military build-up that no human mind could ever comprehend but the organization to maintain an ever-increasing standing force revealed the flaw of this mass mobilization. As an archangel, he was a soldier of the Holy Father and a commander that not even Lucifer could match. What he was not; however, was a logistician and organizer at heart. If there was ever a time for him to admit he was out of his element, these subjects would be worthy of surpassing him. Only the Archangel of Death would have the diligence to orchestrate a proper system out of files and paperwork.
Three loud knocks echoed from across the room as the noise signaled that someone was behind his oak door. Few ever had the capacity to disturb him but he wouldn't overlook any detail, not in these current times. Perhaps it was an urgent report? Michael cleared his throat and declared his voice. "Enter."
The door unlocked as a Holy Army soldier in a US olive green uniform stood in the hallway and briefly saluted the commander before the archangel returned the gesture of respect. He stepped inside and strode smoothly across the blue carpet before the mortal found himself standing across from the High Marshal. "Sir, report from airspace command!"
"What is wrong?" He stopped writing on his latest form and placed the pen down. Then he raised his head with concern. His fingers wrapped through each other to make a knot.
"Our radar systems have detected an airship approaching from Hellside and into our airspace."
"That is new." He rose from his chair and turned his back on the staff officer. Before him was a glass window, peering outside was an airfield where regiments of soldiers marched in parade formations while jets and and transports moved across the tarmac. His mind considered the possibility of an incursion or a betrayal at Lucifer's hands. Michael shook his head in disbelief at that thought for the current situation wouldn't benefit his fallen brother in a significant way. No sinner dared to test the unknown of flying to Heaven just to be struck down with extreme prejudice.
The officer spoke once more with concern in his voice. "We've also received reports that there are Holy Army aircraft signatures attempting to board the airship. We don't have any assets in Hell, not that I would know of it and that's presuming I have the clearance. A transmission was also sent out with the man proclaiming to be Tony from the Department of Purgatory."
"Azrael's second-in-command? What is he doing there?"
"I don't know, sir. What we do know is that he's trying to reach out to the Grim Reaper."
The mention of unauthorized assets in Hell deeply concerned him. Traitorous zealots were operating in the open and blatantly disregarding the status quo carefully set by the Council of Archangels. If they were attacking the airship, it must have been important to risk discovery so close to him. All that mattered was that the skies had to be cleared. Michael turned back to look upon the soldier with firm conviction. "Raise threat levels and deploy a combat ace to secure the airship."
"What do you mean?" The man seemed perplexed by his decision.
"The airship is not to be harmed. The other signatures are expendable."
He took a brief moment to swallow and clear his throat. "But aren't they our guys?"
"No, not in this case," Michael said to reassure the man didn't hesitate with his order. "Azrael's second-in-command is a valuable man who could explain this situation."
There were still signs of reluctance from the staff officer but he nodded his head in acknowledgment to his orders and briefly saluted the archangel. Then he made his way out of the room, closing the door and leaving the commander to his thoughts.
He looked out the window and heard the public announcer systems issue orders to clear the runway. The control tower took command as ground crews began to assemble to their stations and hanger doors slowly opened. Pilots scrambled into their flight suits but only one would be given the orders to take off. After the chosen pilot had climbed into his seat, one of the prepared aircraft was slowly rolling out to the tarmac, it began to take its position at the end of the runway that was marked in white and yellow.
This order would not go unnoticed by the rest of Heaven. News will reach out to the Heavenborn and Saved about the latest aircraft deployment, inviting worry and concern about the Holy Army's intentions. Of course, there will always be the official story to be had but people with eyes and cameras will find out about the usage of missiles and shells being used to defend the realm's airspace.
There was a time when things were simpler and that he didn't have to suffer the scrutiny of his public standing but times change. He let out a deep breath, releasing the long-awaited tension of having to deal with the matter of traitorous zealots. This gamble of trust to let Azrael and his department carry out their duties to tackle the source of the problem made him anxious. He would never admit it as he had a reputation as Heaven's holy wrath; however, part of him was glad he wouldn't have to personally risk purging the ranks through ink or sword.
Michael's thoughts drifted to the life of his son under his brother's care. He had always heard stories or reports about the man's deeds but it was one matter to read those affairs than to hear it from Artyom's own words. Hearing the truth from personal experience was one of the topics he looked forward to while also hoping that the boy Eve left behind wouldn't hold hatred against him. Yet, he hesitated and wanted to wait until the man made his move to find out about the heritage he belonged to. Most importantly, the shame that the High Marshal had to live with ever since he cast Lucifer out of Hell.
It would be nice to talk to someone about a secret only his fallen brother knew.
The control tower in the distance began to voice its orders to the prepared pilot on the runway through the base-wide PA system. "Hitman-1, you are cleared to lift off."
An orange glow grew from the engines as the aircraft began to accelerate and perform its duties.
Angel Dust had taken up defensive actions in one of the access hallways into the engine room. With his Tommy gun ready and steadied by the doorway, waiting for incoming enemies trying to stop him and his friends from escaping. Behind him, he looked over his shoulder to see the other access doorway being defended by Charlie, Vaggie, and Uhlman.
He could see across the engine room and found Uhlman spraying into the hallway with gunfire before slipping back to cover to avoid a burst of bullets flying past him. Then an Exterminator tried to storm their position, only for Vaggie to leap into the air and dive on the holy killer with extreme prejudice. Even in all of the times he annoyed and pissed her off, she never showed that kind of hatred towards him.
Charlie was there, talking with the saved soldier for a brief moment before she saw him and gave the gangster a thumbs up. It was a relieving sight as he didn't want to go over there and reinforce that doorway, leaving his spot behind for someone to take it.
The mood changed when he heard the tapping of boots against the metal catwalks approaching his entry point. Angel looked back and aimed down his sights before he heard an order echo from the hallway before him. "Go, go, go!"
A saved soldier in a blue and white uniform appeared from around the corner with a shotgun in hand from the left side. Just as he was about to bring his barrel up, the spider sinner quickly squeezed a burst of gunfire. His body was stunned by the impact of the bullets before stumbling to the floor.
"Shit, there's one watching the doorway! Bring up the shield!"
It was not long until the gangster saw a metal shield being brought against him. The man carrying it grunted with the weight while directing the armor in front of the group. Six soldiers proceeded to get closer. One of the men behind the shield bearer attempted to peak over with his MP5. Angel squeezed as his bullets lashed out against the bulletproof shield, forcing the shooter back behind his comrade.
He noticed one of the ceiling panels slide open above the crowd of soldiers in a cluttered hallway. Then several hand grenades trickled out and landed among the breachers, who reacted with terror. "Fuck!" One of them screamed before the spider sinner retreated from the doorway to let the bloody work be done.
The hallway was blasted with fragmentation as painful yells echoed from Angel's side of the engine room to where the others were defending. Once the explosions were over, the gangster peered his head out and saw the assailants either bleeding out on the floor or lying against the wall. He looked up at the opening in the ceiling to see one of Sir Pentious' egg henchmen along with Razzle and Dazzle pop their heads out. The minion seemed amazed at the results before turning to notice Angel Dust in the doorway. "Did we get them all?"
"I don't know." The porn star looked at all the men that attempted to storm his position. "I think so."
More footsteps tapped against the metal floor as the trio in the ceiling access retreated and covered up the panel opening. Whatever they were doing, he hoped they would still be helpful in keeping the bad guys off the engine room. He raised his sub-machine gun and prepared to meet this upcoming encounter as the tapping grew closer.
What he hadn't expected were these tall and lanky bird people coming across his way. He wasn't used to meeting with the more high-tanking Hellborn nobility, even if he interacted with the more popular circles of Hell. One of the Ars Goetia was tall and wearing a formal uniform and a cloak. Meanwhile, the younger girl accompanying him seemed to be an angsty teenager with worried looks in her eyes.
The tall one was quick to talk. "We've been trying to reach a place somewhere safe but can't seem to find a good spot."
Angel Dust extended his third arm from his body and pointed at the engine behind his back. "Come here! Charlie can probably set you somewhere safe. Just keep an eye out for a stray bullet, they're constantly sending people here to disable the ship."
"Are we able to reach out to the others?" The Goetian prince asked as he ushered his daughter into the room, "It seems like every part of the ship is about to get overrun."
"Yeah, none of us have any idea where anyone is." It was an unfortunate truth that they were unable to reach out to the others ever since the attack. He always thought that Sir Pentious should have installed something to talk to but given his encounter with his minions, maybe there was a good reason why he didn't put in a ship-wide coms.
There was one section of the ship's hallway that Helen Mayberry defended with her life as it became the lifeline to fending off the boarders. Dozens upon dozens of egg minions ran past her, running around with weaponry either stored on board or looted off the dead intruders. They would bring good news with each passing, the assault squads trying to kidnap or sabotage the airship were less frequent and slowed their assaults. Repelling them wasn't complete but reducing them to manageable levels would reduce everyone's stress at surviving the onslaught.
The traffic of henchmen was not her concern as she leaned her back against the wall with one hand holding onto her pump-action shotgun. Her free hand was far too busy holding her burning cigarette, inhaling a whiff of smoke into her lungs to clear her mind. It wasn't a healthy practice but she was a sinner and could afford to spend her time while waiting for an all-clear that everything was safe.
After what felt like an hour of waiting, Helen noticed one of the egg creatures stopped walking in the middle of the hallway and looked up at her. In any other case, she would have seen it creepy but the minion's gaze seemed to contain a childlike curiosity rather than the greedy avarice of an imp or the lustful hunger of a sinner looking to find a nice piece of ass. For a brief moment, Mrs. Mayberry had flashbacks of her better times in the classroom on the fateful day she died.
It was interrupted when the crewmember finally spoke. "Hello, teacher-lady. You look pretty."
"Uh, what?" She was taken aback by his sudden admiration for her. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Yeah, but we don't often get guests on board and you look really pretty."
Mayberry could not resist herself from blushing and smiling at that remark. It was a nice thing to hear as more egg minions passed by with a heavy water-cooled machine gun. If this creature was curious enough to ask, maybe she could get to know more about one of Sir Pentious' little helpers. "Do you guys have names or does your boss not let you have one?"
"Oh, we do." He enthusiastically confirmed while nodding his head. "My name is Frank. What's yours?"
"Helen… Helen Mayberry."
The hallway erupted into chaos as the teacher turned to her left and saw an exterminator rush around the corner. What henchmen were caught in her way were quickly dispatched by a holy spear as egg yolk splattered the walls. Frank and those beside him began to rush at the killer with handguns and wrenches.
Helen quickly tossed her cigarette away. She brought her shotgun and aimed it at the winged warrior who came across her path. For a brief moment, the winged killer expressed genuine fear that her flanking maneuver would be her downfall. When she pulled the trigger, the teacher could only hear a click as the odds were turned against her.
An evil smile was left on the exterminator's face as she lunged with her holy spear. As the distance was closed, Mayberry used her jammed shotgun to parry the attack upward while the blessed blade damaged the barrel. Then the angel's moment crashed into her as their weapons flew across the hallway. All that was left were the angry cries of two women lashing out against each other with their bare hands.
The sinner punched the woman's head but her opponent reacted faster. She dodged the clenched fists coming her way with an inhuman swiftness. Then her hand grabbed the teacher's throat and they fell onto the floor with the enemy wrestling atop of her. Pinned to the ground, Helen was at her mercy. It wasn't long until the assailant leveraged her weight while she punched downwards into the teacher.
Her face burned at the impact as she swung wildly at the intruder but it missed. All that the exterminator could do was merely lean to the side before reciprocating the attack with a repeat of punches slamming into Helen's head. She growled at the helplessness and tried to fight back but it was difficult to put up a resistance when the hand over her throat grew ever tighter. It had become harder to breathe while the pain in her head was filled with a burning sensation. What strength she had left was sapped away as the teacher struggled to lift her arms.
A wrench flew into the angelic killer's face as one of Sir Pentious' henchmen landed on the enemy with a kitchen knife in hand. Mrs. Mayberry became hopeful as Franklin repeatedly stabbed into the woman's throat. This was then followed by a guttural cry as blood gurgled out from this new orifice as the grip on the teacher was released to deal with one of the minions taking advantage of her. Yet, when two free hands attempted to take the sentient egg off her, a single gunshot echoed throughout the hallway with a bullet whipping into the enemy's head.
Franklin jumped off the lifeless body before several pairs of footsteps approached the wounded sinner from behind. Two familiar Hellborn creatures she had seen before had arrived by her side before she recognized the employees of that one imp assassin she had hired. "I know you?"
They both began to tend to her as Moxxie finally spoke. "She looks bad. We got to get her out of here."
"I'll move her, cover me." Millie ordered as Mayberry felt relieved from her near-death encounter.
It took flying in mid-air a bit of getting used to but Artyom had gotten accustomed to using his jet pack. When it came to combat, he had to embrace this aptitude since he couldn't afford to fail. He flew around Sir Pentious' airship as his eyes scanned for a new target of opportunity. Then came an Osprey VTOL flying adjacent to the starboard side of the ship.
The Russian flew above the aircraft to get an angle of what to expect and an ambush position above his prey as he noticed the left-side doors open. What he had expected was another boarding party to be deployed but he was met with a new threat by the sight of a barrel protruding out. Whatever weapon it was, he had to stop it as the post-apocalypse survivor descended with the help of the jet pack boosting his speed.
A quick flash of white lights flickered from the heavy barrel when a barrage of flechettes was fired. At first, the initial burst gave no significant damage to the hull but another set of shots fired continuously and began to penetrate the serpent's vessel. Being a witness to the attack, he looked at what the gunner was targeting before learning they were trying to damage the engines.
He landed atop the Osprey, where he was able to gain his footing on its frame. Using his pack to keep him balanced he bent over and gave himself a brief boost as the soldier made his way to the edge of the wings. A quick peek, he found two of the men manning behind the strange weapon, reloading it with another ammo box to its side. His hand reached for a hand grenade attached to his kevlar vest and pulled the pin as the ring was tossed aside. Then he quickly threw it into the side door as a loud metal pinged on the inside.
"Shit!" One of them cried out but it was already too late.
An explosion erupted inside as one of the gun crew members had been tossed out and flew to his doom. Yet, the vehicle still flew as Artyom grabbed ahold of the edge and slipped inside. There he found the other soldier riddled with shrapnel with lifeless eyes staring upwards while blood began to seep out. Then he turned to his left to see two of the pilots turn back from their seats to see him standing there.
They tried to rise from their chair but he was quicker as he raised his M4 Carbine and fired. Both attempted to brandish a pistol but they were never fast enough to draw their weapons out. Yet, their deaths caused problems as one of the corpses leaned against the stick, causing the aircraft to turn. Artyom jumped to the edge of the side door and pulled himself up.
Sir Pentious's airship was near but the out-of-control turn was increasing the distance between himself and relative safety. It would only be a matter of time before his jet pack would stop working but he knew the risks. In one single leap, he found himself in the air once more before his pack began to boost him upwards and give him a chance to get back with the others. As he strove to board the sinner's vessel, he looked at his nearby surroundings and found that he had taken down the last of the VTOLs.
It was a relieving moment to realize that this interception had failed and that the mission to protect Charlie had succeeded. While he closed the distance, he looked around and remained vigilant to ensure that things had gotten well for him and his company.
Then, his mood changed when he turned his head to the right and saw eighteen VTOLs approach the airship from behind, using the cloud cover to hide their advance. It was tempting to groan and whine, but Artyom could not afford to express his displeasure right now. He wasn't sure that they would be able to deal with this wave of reinforcements.
When he reached the airship, the Russian flew to the top and managed to locate a catwalk where he could land on top. Then he regained his footing and looked up at the incoming squadron of boarders that grew ever closer. His first move was to check the ammo of his assault carbine but found that he had only one full magazine left on his person before checking the ammo in his weapon to find it was barely over half. The only other weapons he would have on his person would be his sidearm pistol and the Zweihander that could be summoned.
Ahead of him was a hatch that popped open as Loona climbed out and finally saw him. "You're here, what's going on?"
He pointed at the aircraft making their way towards them.
"What's got you shut up?" She shifted around in the open hatch before her head turned and acknowledged what he was seeing. "Shit, it's a lot more than earlier."
There was little time to prepare for the next wave. "Go back down and warn the others."
"What are you going to do? You're all alone out here."
"I know," His honesty got the better of him as he prepared for what was his final moment. "I'll do what I can to keep them off your backs. Just go."
Loona reluctantly grabbed the hatch door and was about to slip back down but she seemed reluctant to see him stay as if she had something to say. "You sure?"
Artyom merely gave her a silent nod as he slipped his half-full magazine back into his M4. Then she climbed down and closed the hatch as he waited, anticipating the finality of what this engagement could bring. He hoped that it didn't come down to this but the reality was that life is not known for granting fortunes so easily. Perhaps his luck had run out and it was time to face the music that he wouldn't be able to avenge his colonel and slay Gabriel for what he did.
Nonetheless, he would still do his very best to ensure the princess was safe from harm. It was the one promise he swore to Lucifer himself.
All the aircraft began to deploy a series of flares. If this had not been a dire moment, it would have been beautiful to watch war machines create this imagery of angel wings. The real question was, why were they doing that?
A screeching siren echoed from a great distance behind his back and he turned to see what caused the noise. What could be seen was a fast-moving grey plane flying on its lonesome but approaching from Heaven itself. Its speed was an incredible sight as it launched several dozen missiles from its underbelly. With this wrathful display of anti-air missiles swarming the skies Artyom watched it fly past Sir Pentious's airship and race toward the Ospreys while leaving behind smoketrails in their wake.
The enemy tried to perform evasive maneuvers, but after he personally fought off the vehicles, Artyom knew they would be too slow against this ordnance. When contact was made, a tapestry of explosions erupted as the transports descended into burning wrecks. Towers of black arose from the flames as the reinforcements were doomed from their attack run. Yet, the former post-apocalypse survivor was glad to have backup ever since the attack on the hotel.
He looked up at the lone jet fighter as it circled around the airship, but the Russian could sense the beady eyes of its pilot looking him over. All he could do was give his savior a wave with his hand as the aircraft closely escorted the airship to their destination. Then, he turned to the front of the ship to find himself returning to the soft and lofty clouds of the Kingdom of Heaven.
It was a somber moment as they flew into the familiar airspace, but no matter how nice it was to be in friendly territory, he was reminded of the very reason that drove him into Hell. No matter, his current mission took priority as Sir Pentious's airship flew into the largest airfield managed by the ranks of the Holy Army.