Anarchy, Burning(ONC2022 Entry)

Part 22- Everyone

"Are you sure?" Other Malcolm asks.

"You have control of my body, do you even need my permission?"

"I might. I haven't released this level of magic in more than a hundred years."

A minotaur charges forward only to be pummeled by a gorilla animus with a chip on his shoulder. A hunter on a skateboard rides past and shatters the demon's jaw with a set of spiked brass knuckles.

"Just do it!"

"Gladly." Other Malcolm rises high into the air, lifted by hot air currents. "My name is Linda Anastasia Kambebe, last woman of my line. You have killed and maimed for the last time, demons. My fire burns cleaner than the pits of Hell. Taste justice!"

Flames the size of basketballs ignite all around them. Dozens and then scores crackle to life at the behest of their magic. Below, minotaurs fight one another, most oblivious to the attack on their flank. Both Other Malcolm and Malcolm laugh, a harmonious sound of joy and exhilaration. They throw their body back like a dancer at the end of a performance and the flames rain down. Cleansing balls of fire carpet bomb the minotaurs blocking their way to the main building. Some of the demons are thrown back while others burst into flame. A third of their number are cut down and the rescue team wades in.

"Do you feel it, lovely boy? The power we can wield together?"

"I do, and it's glorious."

Something hits them in the stomach just before they hear the spitter rifle fire. The paralysis is instantaneous. Stunned by the tiny creature crawling around in their gut, they can't move, they can't keep themselves aloft. They are a ragdoll falling from the sky. Other Malcolm, Linda, thinks about all the years she lamented being trapped in a male descendant and never fully lending herself to the experience of being one. It all feels like a waste as they plummet to their death.

Maria snatches their limp body out of the air the moment before they hit the ground. She tosses him to Dyson as she flies past. Reece grabs their bleeding stomach. Healing light pours in as he pulls the parasitic round out.

"You were just waiting for a chance to put your hands on me, weren't you, handsome."

Dyson presses his lips against theirs, his tongue finding its way into their mouth.

"I... we..." Words elude Malcolm.

"Fight now. We can talk about this later." Dyson lowers them on to wobbly feet.

"Charger!" a soldier screams.

A piercing-covered white minotaur charges towards them. Its horns covered in fresh gore, the demon moves like a torpedo. The gorilla lands on the brute's back, knocking it off course. The two roll in the dirt before coming to their feet, trading blow after powerful blow. They take each other by the throat, powerful fingers squeezing.

Other Malcolm summons a flaming spear as they hobble to the fighting beasts, and pierce the monster's side. The minotaur cries out and the gorilla slams it to the ground. The fire of the flaming spear wreaks havoc across the demon's side. The gorilla chops its thick neck and the monster stops moving.

The woman on the skateboard lands beside them with a kickflip. "They've made it through, we just have to hold the line."

"Tenemus Lineam," Other Malcolm says.

"Tenemus Lineam," the two hunters reply in unison.

---

Elijah, Shaniqua, and the rubenesque contemporary, Amber, sneak up to the base of the central building. Dressed in barely fitting army fatigues and light tactical armor, Elijah might look like a soldier, but in his heart he's a father desperate to save his daughter.