Zero Ground 9

   "Report, Bladebearer!" Jemwolf yelled at Vengeance, who quickly surveyed the surroundings.
    Ahead, burning corpses of the Hellspawns of the Swarm of the Seventh Sin laid across the streets. Some were twitching, some were fading. None remained in the assault of the enemies and all died in their suicidal attack. The cyan clouds still settles in the air but slowly, like its Demon masters, it was starting to fade as well.
    "Enemies are cleared out sir." Vengeance reported. "I believe that was the first and last attempt the Swarm will launch itself at us."
    "Dead, I hope." Blackshot says as he grinned.
    "You are certainly right, brother." Vengeance replied. "They're long dead, deader than Elvis."
    "If that is so," Jemwolf says as he began to turn around. "We shall begin our march back to home."
                            #

"Calaxis!" Rajar yelled as his face appeared in the huge screen of the hotel suite. "The Swarm of the Seventh Sin is completely obliterated! How can that be?!"
   Calaxis' face was emotionless as he fixed his red glowing eyes in the screen.
   "With all due respect, sir." Calaxis said with politeness and fear as he speak. "Your plan of luring the enemies seemed not to work. I believe it's because you change your plans very quick."
    Rajar didn't reply but kept his ears open.
    "The attack of the Seventh Sin to the Precinct may indeed reduced their numbers into satisfying amount but the problem is, the Swarm ended up weeding the weakest from the strongest. Only the weaklings died but the strongest remains as I have seen in the surveillance report. I cannot send my forces to the Precinct while those particular weaklings guard it."
    "Sending a suicidal attack at the Precinct will never work, Baron." Rajar interrupted. "But regardless, continue."
    "Very well," Calaxis replied as he continued. "I cannot send nor mobilize my forces to mount a counterattack because they were stationed elsewhere."
   "What do you, then, propose?"
   "The Protektovares seemed not to incline to save the survivors and only aimed to driving us out. If they were trying to save these pesky Humans, they would have done without a second thought.
   "Here is the footage of one of those vermin encountering a Human."
   The footage of Jeth spotting a Human survivor flashed across the screen up to the point of Jeth leaving them.
   "What is your plan?"
   "Withdraw the troops from your captured Humans and hide. From there, we watch the Protektovares and their next actions. We shall strike them wherever they're weak."
    "I will fight them." Said Kelaes, her image appearing at the bottom left of the screen.
     "No, milady." Calaxis interrupted. "I will. I want all of you to watch."
                          #

Vengeance raised her rifle, moving across the dark street; the deadness of the night hung across the sky. The city was dark, filled with the scent of the dead and of gunpowder. The power still surged across the city but the fight between the Protectorates and the Demons and Monsters obliterated the lampposts completely. Even the lightbulbs in the buildings stood on either side had exploded, shattered to million pieces. Deafening silence lingers in the air like a phantom haunting the Protectorates. Had it been a real ghost, the entity would have faded in a glow of plasma burn and Enochian magic.
    Which reminds Vengeance that it's been a while since she fought Ghosts before. But it doesn't matter. Supernatural entities does not thrill her. Only some rookie Soulbrothers enjoys killing what the veterans considered as a 'Child-play'.
   Moving eastwards, Strike Team Juliet was jogging alongside the Solo Operators. Strike Team Oscar has to be left behind to guard the Precinct. It was unexpected due to November's near decimation. That was fine by Vengeance, especially with Dominic, who hold the veteran Mark-Is with high regards.
   They were moving down a dark street. Wind howled with the coldness doubled thanks to the absence of the Sun. Vengeance saw the Bus Terminal housing three buses. One of those liners would be more than enough to transport the Protectorates. It was the only establishment lit by a light. Maybe due to the fact that battle hadn't reached this part of the city.
    Which, speaking of which, was noticeably bright, thanks to the illumination provided by the lightbulbs on their left.
    Glancing to the left, Vengeance saw that the building was intact and without marks of battle. Good, she thought. But she withdrew that word when an Insurgent peeked at one of the tinted sliding windows, rifle-first.
   "Ambush!!" Vengeance yelled as she whirled and opened fire. Four shots went across the open air. Two went wide and melted the window while the other two hit the visor of the Insurgent. He fell off the balcony and slumped to the ground, dead.
   Behind them, numerous Vampires, Yokai and Insurgents came charging. Then in front, more Black Marionette Demons and a skeletal figure in a huge cowboy hat she mistook for a Hellfire Marine.
    But when do they started projecting glowing eyes?
    She raised her Blast Rifle and opened fire at the nearest Black Marionette. Three shots hit the face of the Demon and it fell backwards. Her aim jumped to the left and fired relentlessly at another Demon, hitting his chest four times. Another Demon fired back with its pistol. A shot hit Vengeance in the chest but that didn't affect her as it should. She fired in retaliation; four plasma shots roasting the chest of the Demon. Another one charged, Vengeance rolled to the left and took aim with a lightning fast speed. Her finger squeezed the trigger automatically; numerous plasma slammed against the Demon's chest. She deployed the bayonet with an instructive voice and kicked off the ground. She charged, approaching the strange looking Demon.
   "Die, Demon!" She yelled.
   "That's Hell Baron Calaxis to you!" The skeletal figure with a cowboy's hat yelled as he moved out of the way when Vengeance tried to drive the bayonet at him.
     Raising his dual pistols, he fired his Moon Pistols at the Protectorate. A hail of sharp light pierced Vengeance in the right side of her armor. She spits blood as she withdrew to one of the Bus to hide. Calaxis grinned, ordered some of the Demons with him to catch the Protectorate, then charged at the Strike Team.
   Calaxis grinned as he caught sight of a Protectorate; Rollshot. The Protectorate turned at him and opened fire, but Calaxis leaned to the left and evaded it. He returned fire, one shot pierced the chest of the Protectorate. He raised his left pistol and released a duo of shots; a hole was drilled through Rollshot's forehead.
   Rollshot rolled to the left and charged. He slammed the butt of his rifle at the face of Calaxis. The stunned Baron shook his head. He lifted his gaze and was greeted by Rollshot's rifle muzzle.
    Without hesitation, Rollshot opened fire. Three shots splashed against Calaxis' bony face. He managed to dive to the left and avoided three more shots. Both his pistols were aimed at the Protectorate. He fired both his pistols endlessly, perforating the Protectorate with bright projectiles.
   Rollshot was just about to turn and run. He was literally covered in holes with blood flowing out of it. He felt cold and numb at the same time, knowing he is about to die of blood loss. When he was about to lift his foot for a second step, a shot stopped him. It went through his spine and exited his chest. All he knows is that he was going to hit the ground. His face smashed against the pavement.
   Calaxis stood up. He has received a damage but the wound in his face was bearable. He glanced around and saw another Protectorate smashing an Insurgent to the ground.
   Glassflow crushed the face of the Insurgent with his foot. A shot which seems to be made out of light suddenly hit his left forearm. He glanced at the direction where the shot came and saw the Hell Baron charging straight at him. Grinning, the Protectorate charged, fist raised. His punch went wide as the Hell Baron leaned to the left. He aimed his right pistol at the neck of the Protectorate and opened fire. Blood sprayed from Glassflow's neck. He choked and vomited blood as he crouched to the ground. He held a hand to his wound, blood leaked from the gap of his fingers. He glanced up and saw Calaxis standing over him.
   The Hell Baron was just about to execute him when Redbane jumps in and sent a flying kick at Calaxis' face. The Hell Baron takes a step backwards and began moving to the right, pistols aimed at the Protectorates. He showered them with pistol fire, the duo moved out of the way as the Baron tried to kill him.
   Blackshot sent the stock of his rifle at the face of a Ningyo. He smashed its face for the second time, it tripped backwards. He aimed his Blast Rifle and opened fire at the Yokai. He glanced to the left and saw a Vampire jumping straight at him. He fired at the bloodsucker thrice, plasma shots scorched its chest. He faced the general direction of the enemies and jogged a few steps before stopping to send a streak of lightning at an Insurgent from his right hand. He fired again, taking down a lone Black Marionette. Four shots roasted its chest. He glanced to the right and fired at a Bakeneko and an Inugami, burning their faces with three headshots each. He detached a grenade from his chest and threw it at a crowd of Vampires. He watched them disintegrate with a blast.
   Jeth focused his fire at a Black Marionette approaching Blackshot to his left. He aimed at a leaping Bakeneko tried to pin his brethren down to the ground with three shots to the chest. Then he fired four shots at a pair of Insurgents in their faceplates each. He knelt a knee beside Blackshot as the two opened fire at the enemies around them. The fight was starting to get bloody. The darkness of the night was cut off by the frequent glow of their rifle muzzles. The sizzling of the flesh and the snarl of the supernatural rang in a cacophony of noise like a ruined choir in an orchestra. Jeth's Blast Rifle smoked as the Power Cell went dry. He pulled the rectangular object attached on the magazine feeder; a hot smoke streamed out of it. He threw the empty cell aside and attached a new one. The Blast Rifle hummed to life again as power crawls across the weapon.
   He focused his weapon at a Vampire and opened fire. He fired at a Marionette Demon to his left, blasting its face apart. He sent the butt of his rifle upwards as a Bakeneko tried to claw him. It tripped backwards to the ground. Jeth ended its pathetic life. He fired at a trio of Insurgent, killing them with a hail of plasma shots then a grenade blast to the left disintegrates a mix band of Vampires, Yokai and Insurgents.
   "Seems like a Hell Baron was frustrated to get the job done." Blackshot says as he nodded at Calaxis, who was busy fighting Glassflow and Redbane.
   "Let's go help the Soulbrothers before they get themselves killed!" Jeth says.
    "They are already dead when they engaged that thing!" Blackshot yelled. "But for the fun of it, I'll fight with you."

Calaxis sent a spinning kick at Glassflow, who fell to the side. Blood was pooling around him after a few seconds. He tried to stand up but a shot from Calaxis had put him to eternal rest. Redbane tried to pounce at the Hell Baron like a jaguar leaping for its prey but Calaxis casually fired at his face then stepped aside. Redbane died before he hit the ground. He laughed at the carnage he inflicted.
   Blackshot sent a flying fist at Calaxis' face, who was too slow to avoid it. The Hell Baron took a step back. He glanced at Blackshot when a lightning struck him in the right eye socket, courtesy of Jeth.
    "You idiots just couldn't learn the lesson, eh?" Calaxis asked, grinning.
    "You are the one who should learn the ranking structure of the Protectorate Legion!" Blackshot yelled as he dematerializes into flames and electricity. The non-corporeal form of the Protectorate struck Calaxis thrice. He was too slow to react. When Blackshot materializes on the top of him, he raised his pistols to fire but the Protectorate faded into smoke and Jeth sent a blazing fist at Calaxis' chest.
   The Hell Baron took a step back, clutching his breastbone with despair. If he had a blood, he would have spat it. He glanced up and saw the duo of Protectorates walking towards him.
   He was about to speak when Vengeance appeared behind him and showered him with plasma fire. Calaxis' spine was burned by the time he faced Vengeance. He launched a stream of flame at the Bladebearer and Vengeance was sent bouncing across the road.
   Blackshot and Jeth charged. The former sent a fist at Calaxis, then a knee from Jeth went straight at the Baron's stomach. Calaxis raised his right leg to block another kick from Jeth then with a tap of his hand, he swatted Blackshot's fist. Blackshot retaliated with an elbow to the face then Jeth, a chop to the neck. Jeth added a pair of punches at Calaxis' chest then a palm strike struck Calaxis in the chest coming from Blackshot.
    "Idiots!" Calaxis yelled as the cowboy hat fell from his head. He raised his pistols and aimed at the Protectorates when Jeth and Blackshot fired their Blast Rifles at him. Streams of plasmas boiled the chest of the Baron. He yelled in despair as he summoned a dark flaming ball in the air, increasing in size until it become bigger and bigger.
   Something flew in the air. A yell can be heard as the figure descends.
    "Quis Ut Deus!!!" Then a long haired man in white and black armor descends from the air, falling through the big flaming shadow ball with a sword at hand. He split Calaxis apart and the Baron's remains suddenly exploded.
     Jemwolf hefted his sword and grinned. He turned at his subordinates and nodded. "Nice job you guys did."
      "Yeah," Both Blackshot and Jeth grinned.

Gasfire yelled as he opened at a trio of Black Marionettes. A Vampire exploded under the hail of Dominic's plasma blasts. JJ rushed towards an Insurgent and ran him over with a sword. JP whirled behind him as he hosed an Inugami with his rifle shots.
   "Keep fighting!" Blackshot yelled as he, Jeth and Jemwolf fought a quartet of Black Marionettes occupying the Bus Terminal.
   The fight lasted for a couple more minutes until the last shot is fired. The Vampire fell dead with a huge hole in its chest.
    "I'll drive," Jemwolf says. "You all ride shotgun."