Death's Bitter Embrace (#Wattys2015)

Act II, Chapter VIII: Nightmares Living Among Us

Lucifer, The Boss opens the room with a keycard, it was black and had the same demon face as the one on his chair, The Nightmare Room had opened—a vast quantity of mist and fog escaped as the steel door opened. The room was dimly lit—much like the other rooms in this house... And also like the conversations we have with Lucifer—quite shady.

    I peer in and see about a thousand small tubes, each with either green lights a top or red, each with a set of two numbers underneath the light; a percentage and, the pod number. I walk up to one of the small tubes and stare at it, it had something inside. A Nightmare.

"These are what I call Hellions, genetically engineered gremlins, certain to cause death and destruction to anyone who defies me. As you can see most are ready to be released upon my enemies. You, both of you will command this army." Lucifer says with power and passion.

    I look at one of them, its percentage was on 100% and its pod number: #47285621. As I turn to walk away, its eyes open—it stares at me with harsh red eyes, thrashing about in its pod. It was obviously ready to be unleashed... It wasn't hard to tell.

"Let's do it..." Alex starts, I presume she wants me to agree and finish her sentence. "I am up for the challenge, how about you Dante?" She finishes, once again my name was said all the time, yet, if felt strange to hear.

"No..." I say weakly "can't there be another job, something that doesn't involve killing?" I finish, I don't know why I said this but I know that I definitely didn't want to let these Hellions loose. Something told me they would start World War III.

    Lucifer takes a black revolver out of its holster, the revolver had words inscribed on its glowing red barrel; Betrayal Leads To Victory. He aims at my head and says a simple sentence, yet, it was more than enough to retract my question;

"The only job that doesn't involve you killing anything is me blowing your brains out right now, you do not have a choice in what you do and do not do. Understood?"

    I nod, I understood him loud and clear. His face turned from a screwed up, disturbed smile—probably because of his weapon—to a mellow smile, like he was smiling for photo day at school.

    He presses a few buttons on the control panel of pod labeled #1. It opened, he was unleashing the Hellions, he opened four more and then they formed up, in a 'V' shape. The Hellions opened their mouths and let out a low growl, revealing no insides, just blackness.

They each pulled out different weapons, the five of them had; a mace, a sword, claws, blade gauntlets and the last, the leader had...nothing? "He didn't have a weapon, why did the leader have no weapon?" I thought in confusion, a puzzled look struck my face.

They all turned and looked at Alex and I, their faces blank, unreadable. They started walking slowly towards us, with the weapons at the ready, ready to strike. They were hunting something, the Hellions were hunting us.

"Nothing personal but both of you have to much power, to much potential. So I have no choice but to eliminate all who have the power to revolt. Have fun..." A long pause. "...with your agonising deaths." Lucifer whispers in a cynical tone, matching the cynical smile plastered over his face.

He sets off all the pods, opening all of them in an instant, Lucifer then smashed the control panel at the head of the room and walked out. The lights were turned on, thousand upon thousands of Hellions stared at us with their glowing us, filled with flames.

    Lucifer had told us the Hellions were engineered to be more battle sensitive when in light, just our luck.

    I grasp Raven and smile.