Eternal Ch 10

I'll state again that there won't be any sex in this chapter, just plot. Sorry.

*

"This is going to be fun," Belial growled as he looked up at the neon sign in front of him.

Horny Rhino Burlesque Club

--suggested by Judith as an easy target, since it was far from any major National Guard outpost, but approved by Belial for the fun of killing half-naked women. "Curt, Travis, Randall--cover each side of the building, one per side. Make sure nobody gets out the fire exits. Alice, stay by my side, and be ready to summon Judith if something goes wrong. The rest of us are going in the front."

With few cars on the roads, the night was quiet, and no witnesses needed silencing. Belial's first surprise was at the front door--alongside the bouncer stood a hairless quadruped, about half again the size of a sword spider. "How in the world did you tame a devourer?" he asked from a safe distance.

The bouncer tried to act calm as he stared down the approaching horde. "You mean Chompy? He just showed up one day, and when I fed him an apple, he started following me around. He looks fierce, but he's as loyal as a dog." He risked another glance at the spiders trailing behind Belial. "If he's yours, go ahead and take him back--I won't--"

With a wave of Belial's hand, the bouncer collapsed. Chompy's defeat took only slightly longer, outmatched by seven sword spiders. "Grace, stay here and make sure he doesn't get back up. Don't kill him if you don't have to--he'll make a nice gift for Marlowe. The rest of you are going in. Kill everything that moves!"

There is little point in describing in detail what happened next. The noise of the initial screams overwhelmed even the blaring music, and patrons ran in every direction, dodging around tables. Others (including the dancer on stage) stood or sat in place, rigid with disbelief. Those who drew guns found their weapons ineffective, and those who made it to the fire exits had their escape abruptly cut off. Blood soon stained the hardwood floor.

It was sheer coincidence that Belial noticed one man, a well-dressed nerd in a state of shock, snap out of it as a sword spider approached his table. The nerd stood from his seat, and reached into a briefcase, pulling out what appeared to be an ordinary kitchen knife. Whatever he called out to the spider, it went unheard under the screams, but Belial would have guessed it as "Over here, you big galoot!"

This was where Belial got his first shock--the nerd was

fast

! He vaulted onto the table, and took a single swipe at the sword spider, not seeming to care if it drew blood. Before the spider could respond, he leapt sideways to evade it, and slashed at another spider. He drew the attention of one spider after another, all the while drawing closer and closer to the front of the club--

Belial realised his objective just in time, and managed to simultaneously wave his hand and sidestep. The nerd's flying leap ended in an ignominious crash against the front door.

Belial studied the body for a moment. "What in the world was that? Alice, call Judith--we might need her." He turned to note a patron making his way to a side exit. "Sneaky, but not sneaky enough--"

The knife went halfway through his neck, and he collapsed without another word.

How the Hell is he still alive?

he tried to think, but the words escaped him in the haze. All of a sudden, it seemed too much work to stand back up.

"The

Go! International Karving Knife

cuts through even the toughest meats!" the nerd crowed, his voice already beginning to dull in Belial's ears. "And it's available free with your purchase of three hundred dollars or more of cutlery!" The nerd began to laugh. "I did it! I fucking did it! I killed a fucking demon!"

Greater demons may be strong and powerful, but their stamina leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, Belial lived long enough to hear three more things. The first was the faint pop of a mass teleport, together with the screams of the surviving patrons. The second was Judith's voice--"Hello, Neil. It's good to see you again."

Two sentences from the nerd ensured that Belial died in utter confusion.

"Good evening, Mother. I've been expecting you."

-- -- -- --

From the roof of a building just across the street, Ghost watched as thirty figures popped into existence. Had she been capable of wording her thoughts at the moment, they might have been either

Oh crap

or

Finally

.

She'd been charged and ready to teleport for more than an hour--hence why she was less than coherent at the moment. Just crossing the street wasn't as random as switching dimensions, and a good third of the other tempters were almost as scarred and warped as she was.

With plan A compromised, it was time to try going undercover.