Top's ear crackled as static came through his radio.
"…Com… Six….py… Status…Pol…way…"
Top held a fist in the air and Jester ceased his advance to the door and knelt. Top tried to contact who ever was trying to reach him. He didn't recognize the voice due to the static and couldn't really work out with absolute surety what the person was saying. Was it a retreat? Probably not, the death of Six-Two; The Fell Borns and Iron had not been reported yet due to the interference over the radio. Could it be the Local Police had been alerted and were on their way to them? Possible, but unlikely, no external explosions had taken place and all gunfire was supressed. Could be that Six-Three became anxious after Six-One and Six-Two became silent and are on their way to them…
Now THAT would be nice." Thought Top to himself but soon his smile faltered as he recalled Six-Three was as green as a Mobile Task Force could be. This was their first assignment out in the field with an active Anomaly. Usually on first time missions, The 'rookies' tagged along with two or more senior teams, depending on the threat. And the 'rookies' usually watched out for law enforcement or local changes outside of the mission zone. Top had looked in to the rookies prior to the deployment. Each member had served three tours in active combat zones with the standard military. Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Belarus or Russia.
Top did not doubt their ability in combat, he just felt they may have been lacking in their ability to save him and Jester from what was on the other side of the heavy brown latched door.
The cold from the vast hall kissed at the back on his neck and settled beneath his clothes, chilling him to the bone.
Chittering and clicks could be heard through the wooden barricade that acted as a door, Jester prepared his optical breach camera and mounted it on the door base. The little metallic neck twisted and stretched as it wormed its way under the gap beneath the door one more time.
What it saw, was a well lit room, which surprised Jester as no light escaped from beneath the door. He lowered himself more and placed his head upon the cold hard tiled ground and made one of his eyes level with the door gap. Nothing but a black abyss. He followed the cable with his eyes from his control monitor, along the floor and under the door, it ventured a few inches in to darkness before disappearing in to the darkened void.
He raised this concern with Top. Who simply shrugged and they both monitored the screen showing them the image of the room.
The room, a plush royal red carpet took up the entirety of the floor, no bare stone, shredded rugs or mangey carpet could be seen, this was a well-cared for area. The walls a light wood intricately decorated with swirls and leaves of trees. Angels and gargoyles could be seen carved in the wood on various panels or corners. Colourful tapestries hung from various points, well preserved oil paintings took up other points, A large snaking twenty tier bookcase ran along a full half of the room and around the corner towards the door and continued past, acting as a thick door threshold to pass under. Velvety armchairs could be found resting upon the plushy carpet with rich mahogany side tables, all expertly cleaned and cared for. Various book filled the shelves, all bound in fine leather and lined in golden paint showing the titles and authors in shining gold.
In the centre of the extravagant room sat a marble throne, the red carpet leading up the three tiers of while veined marble steps and stopping at the base of the throne seat. A full and velvet cushion sat atop the seat of the throne and the arms were decorated in a fine red material that was studded with golden pins to the throne's arms.
Nothing moved.
Top looked beneath the door once more, Nothing, blackness. No evidence of the image they were looking at on the monitor existed. He had to make the choice, Breach or retreat and regroup? How many of those things still lived in the catacombs behind them? Intel suggested roughly fifty to one hundred, but Top not longer trusted that estimate. They had dispatched around thirty, maybe forty already and the size of the dinner hall had been massive. And during the 'banquet' Top had seen mostly senior members of the family, judging by their fine dress. Very few low class 3288's had been present. The numbers could easily run past three hundred. With the Door closed and latched, Top and Jester stacked up and they readied a grenade each.
Fuck stealth. The clawed thing was probably at the other side of the door, waiting for them, and the chittering was coming from something!
Top pulled the pin on the flashbang.
Jester pulled the pin on the White Phosphorus grenade.
Nodding to each other, Top opened the door slightly and tossed his grenade in, swiftly followed by Jesters.
Pop!
Bang!
Both detonated followed by a strange hissing and the sound of grinding of stone, Jester kicked the door with all his might and anger, the mahogany wood giving way instantly when faced with the fury of Jester, Top breached the room, the white smoke and smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils
The smoke swirled around the charging form of Top and Jester followed in his wake, weapons ready. The darkness was absolute. After charging in two meters of darkness, suddenly brilliant light almost blinded the two advancing soldiers. The room was as the breach cam had suggested, but with one difference.
The chair was no longer unoccupied.
Both Jester and Top stood in disbelief as they stared wide eyed at what sat upon it.
Idly batting away the smoulding ashes from its lavish frockcoat, a freakishly tall and obese thing sat, its belly over flowing its breeches, suspenders hanging on for dear life and a shirt almost at bursting point. The skin, red and blotchy, but almost crystallin. Shining sparkles erupted from the seemingly greasy blotchy skin, it appeared diamonds had begun to form within the pores of this ginormous abomination.
As it finished putting out the small fires upon its coat, it looked up with a frowned face and lazily set its eyes upon the two soldiers standing there, dumbfounded. "This…is… my…" the thing paused to take a deep breath, "favourite… jacket…" speaking seamed to exhaust the thing. Its lips, ruby red and wet from constant licking slapped together as the thing eyed another potential meal.
"It… appears… my…" it adjusted itself and took another breath "darling… wife… has… already… made…" another breath "your… acquaintance…" it gestured, raising its hand dismissively in a vague direction, groaning as it did so as if making great physical effort to make the gesture.
Top and Jester fired a single round each simultaneously, each finding their home in the fat disgusting things head. The bullets did indeed pierce the things skin and skull, exited out the back , through the marble throne and embedding themselves in the fine wooden bookcase behind the lavishly decorated seat.
No blood splatter.
The thing gave a dry chuckle
"How… disa…pointing… but… my darling… does… enjoy…" another breath "feisty…food… and… I do… enjoy… watching…" it said with great effort and erupted in a perverted giggle.