The Underworld : Becoming (Part IV)

[Spike]

From the unyielding blackness beyond, the cacophony of snarls climbed towards a deafening crescendo. Holding his rifle steady, McMillan braced his boots against the stone floor, double checking the featureless gray walls around them for points of attack. Aside from the unlit corridor ahead, he found none. Hendry crouched beside his Colonel while Kallope stood behind in a supporting fire position, her combat shotgun sweeping back and forth across the darkness ahead.
"Here they come.", McMillan stated.
A batch of demons came thundering into view, preceeding a trio of bloated mancubi that seemed to fill the hallway with their girth. The first of the pink, gorilla-like beasts was thrown backwards into its obese comrade as Kalliope opened fire, shattering its ribcage and spreading fould-smelling innards in all directions. McMillan and Hendry bought their plasma rifles to bear, raking the enemy with white-hot energy bolts and reducing them to dripping, blackened slag. Enraged, the mancubi launched jets of flame towards the humans, becoming more infuriated as they attempted to cross the barricade of corpses blocking their path.
Kalliope and Hendry dropped to the ground, scoring glancing hits against the enemy as they did.
"The fuel tanks!" McMillan yelled as he flattened himself against the wall, fearing the searing heat as the flame jets grew nearer. "Aim for the fuel tanks! Incinerate the bastards!"
Nodding, Kalliope broke into a crouching run, ducking away as the flames swept towards her. Spotting her approach, the rearmost beast swept its weapon towards her, inadvertantly igniting the fuel tank of the beast in front. Realising what was about to happen, the Private stumbled into a frenzied retreat, trying desperatly to escape the now-burning creature.
"Get back!" She yelled desperatly. "Get back and..." The rest of her words were swallowed by a violent explosion as the mancubus' fuel pack was breached, frying the bodies of the remaining two beasts and shattering the walls around them. Kalliope was flung towards her companions, landing on her back with an unceremonious thud.
"Be thankful for their lack of smarts", Hendry muttered as he climbed to his feet. "You ok?"
"Great. Just great" she muttered, glancing back with distaste at the ruined demonic bodies. Beyond the shattered walls, they could make out glimmering lights beneath the crimson sky. McMillan blew sweat from his nose and stepped towards the newly created exit, welcoming the cold breeze that cooled the superheated air.
"What the..." his words trailed off as he glanced outside.
"Busy little demons", Hendry muttered at his side.
The compound in which they stood overlooked a massive crater. Within it was a city - living, writhing towers, ornate buildings and altars, teeming with activity. At its centre, however, lay a structure of truly immense proportions. A towering piece of construction, seemingly built entirely of green marble and surrounded by manned guard towers and a moat of lava.
"Looks like we just hit paydirt, marines" McMillan grinned.
"You think this is their capital? A demonic London?" Hendry looked unsure.
"Follow my lead, oh ye of little faith. We're going home - and we're gonna leave this place as rubble in doing so."
"What about Wilson?", Kalliope asked. Not a word about Private Peter Wilson had been spoken since his inexplicable reappearence - and it was up for discussion as to which team the self-appointed servant of God was playing for.
"Fuck him", McMillan growled, his good humour leeched away by the subject of discussion. "Even if we did find him, he's too much of a liability." He shot Hendry a hard glance. "As far as I'm concerned, Corporal, he's gone."
Hendry swallowed hard, nodding in grudging agreement before staring back down towards the imposing fortress that lay ahead. Could Wilson be saved? He couldn't rely on McMillan's help in that regard, and Kalliope had the annoying habit of obeying his every order.
He'd have to go it alone.

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The twisted human rematerialised in the vestibule leading to Baphomet's audience chamber. His skin, once a faded tan, had taken on a blue tint as the body's natural functions began to cease, fueled only by demonic energies. He stared at his rocket launcher once again, admiring the flesh of his forearm that had been butchered and fused by claw-fingered beasts into the demonic weapon. The creature that was once Pvt Peter Wilson stood head-bowed in silent contemplation.
"What troubles you, child?" Baphomet's voice echoed within Wilson's head, a psychic communiqué that held no risk of eavesdropping.
"I am not troubled, my Lord" he replied, his mind seething with possibilities. "I am merely theorising. The human Hendry..."
"Ah yes. I have probed his thoughts upon occasion. He is weaker than he would admit to his companions".
"Then you know of his mortal condition?" The former human almost sounded hopeful.
"Worry not, my child. His circumstances shall be exploited. In fact..." Off to his left, a towering, gangly beast stepped from the shadows into Wilson's view. Its seemed to ripple with the heat flowing from its body. "these creatures will accompany you on your mission of recruitment. I trust you are capable of returning one of our own to the fold?"
Wilson grinned, his white teeth stained by blood. "As always, my Lord, I am your faithful servant. By nightfall, Hendry will be ours".

[Captain Red]

Horray for Spike!

(Sorry, I'm a bit too tired to form an intelligent response; you'll just have to make do with an "I approve" post)

[Spike]

My nipples are positively hardening in appreciation :)

[dsm]

Well-written my child ;-)

I don't think I've got any specifics to point out.