Desperation and Defiance

Simon's voice ripped through the air, raw with defiance as he stood in the open street. "I'M HERE YOU PATHETIC ROACHES! COME AND GET ME IF YOU DARE!" His shield hummed to life, casting a faint red glow across his determined face.

One of the laser-eyed demons snapped its head toward him, the air crackling with energy as its ocular implants glowed white-hot. Without hesitation, it unleashed twin beams of searing light that struck the abandoned sedan beside Simon. The explosion that followed sent a fireball roaring thirty feet into the air, the concussive blast wave rattling windows for blocks. Simon barely managed to raise his shield in time, the energy barrier absorbing most of the impact as he was driven to one knee. The resulting smoke cloud provided perfect cover - he immediately sprang up and sprinted toward the park, five demons howling in pursuit.

Inside the Hotel

The explosion shook the building to its foundations. Isabel stumbled against the wall, her brown hair flying wildly as she screamed, "What's going on?!"

Lesley pressed her face against the grimy window, her green eyes widening in horror. "Are there demons down there?! Oh God..."

Markus moved with military precision, snatching Alucard's laser gun from the dining table where it had been charging. His voice carried the weight of command as he barked, "You gotta be kidding me! Quick - ready yourselves! Hide in your rooms and do not make a single sound, okay?"

Jessica grabbed his arm, her blue eyes flashing with concern. "Okay but what about you?!"

Markus pried her fingers loose and shoved a pistol into her hands. "I will use Alucard's gun and help them from here. You take this pistol and stay in your rooms and don't even think of helping us, okay?!" Before she could protest, he was already at the window, the laser gun's power cell humming as it reached full charge.

Peering through the broken glass, Markus saw only smoke swirling around the wrecked car. Then movement - Simon was booking it toward the park, his shield deflecting random energy blasts as five demons pursued him. One of the larger demons clutched Simon's distinctive energy sword in its clawed hand, the weapon's dark metal glinting ominously.

"Isn't this Simon's sword?!" Markus muttered in disbelief.

A sudden crash came from behind him. Before Markus could turn, a rasping, guttural voice chuckled, "My little prey... you are trapped by your FLESH! I WILL FREE YOU FROM IT! HAHAHA!"

The crawling demon had somehow scaled the building and slipped through a side window. Its segmented tail, lined with razor-sharp chitinous blades, quivered with anticipation as it teleported behind Markus in a blur of movement. The tail drew back, poised to pierce his heart -

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Jessica stood framed in the doorway, her pistol smoking. Each round had found its mark, blowing quarter-sized holes through the demon's forehead. It collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.

Markus exhaled sharply, his hands shaking slightly on the laser gun. "Oh damn! Thanks Jessica."

"There are two more behind you!" she warned urgently.

Markus didn't hesitate. "I know!" He spun, the laser gun whining as it powered up. A brilliant blue beam lanced out, vaporizing one demon's torso. A second shot took the other straight through its gaping maw, leaving only floating ashes where it had stood.

Jessica moved to follow as Markus headed for the stairs. "Where are you going?"

"I have to save Simon," Markus called over his shoulder, already taking the steps three at a time. "He went to the park and he's being chased by FIVE demons!"

Jessica's face paled. "Oh no!"

"I will go help him," Markus said grimly, pausing at the lobby door. "Please hide here - we can't afford losing anyone!"

He threw open the front door - only to come face-to-face with a hulking demon easily eight feet tall, its muscles rippling beneath grayish skin. The beast was already mid-charge, its tusked maw open in a silent roar.

Markus reacted instinctively, slamming the door shut and throwing his weight against it. "Shit!" He backpedaled as the door shuddered under a massive impact, drywall dust raining from the ceiling. Raising the laser gun, he aimed center-mass, waiting for the demon to burst through -

Then the world exploded.

A deafening BOOM shook the building to its foundations. The floor bucked like a living thing, sending Markus crashing to his knees. For three terrifying seconds, the earthquake continued - then silence.

The Park Trap

Simon's plan had been simple:

Lure the demons away from the hotel

Use the park's terrain to separate them

Paralyze the sword-wielder with the stolen gun

Retrieve his weapon and turn the tables

But the sudden explosion ruined everything.

The demons' heads snapped toward the sound as one, their predatory focus shifting from Simon to the new threat. The two laser-eyed fiends began glowing an ominous crimson, their internal power cores building to a critical level as they prepared to unleash devastating beams.

Simon didn't hesitate. He raised the paralyzing gun, aiming for the fliers first -

WHOOSH!

A pair of missiles streaked from the eastern sky, their contrails painting white lines across the afternoon blue. They found their marks with unerring accuracy, detonating against the flying demons in twin fireballs that lit up the park. Chunks of smoldering demon flesh rained down as the shockwave flattened nearby grass.

Before the remaining demons could react, a withering hail of gunfire ripped through them from multiple directions. The large demon's arm holding Simon's sword was severed cleanly at the shoulder, the limb spinning through the air to land with a wet thud at Simon's feet.

He didn't waste the opportunity - snatching up the sword, he thumbed the activation rune. The blade sprang to life with a familiar hum, its edge shimmering with contained energy.

"Come out whoever you are!" A soldier's voice, amplified by a bullhorn, echoed across the park. "We know you're there hiding! If you don't come out in five seconds we will destroy the park including you! Five... four... three... two..."

"ALRIGHT I'M COMING OUT!" Simon deactivated the sword, sliding it into his back harness before stepping into the open with hands raised.

The sight that greeted him was both reassuring and intimidating. A full military response team had surrounded the park - a Black Hawk helicopter hovered overhead, its door gunner tracking any movement. Two armored Humvees were positioned at the park's entrances, their mounted machine guns sweeping for targets. Most impressively, an M1 Abrams tank had taken up position near the playground, its massive barrel still smoking from the recent missile launch.

At least twenty soldiers in full combat gear had taken defensive positions, their rifles trained unerringly on Simon. The lead soldier, his face obscured by tactical goggles, kept his weapon leveled.

"Put your weapon down sir!" he barked. "I'm not going to ask you twice!"

Markus chose that moment to burst from the hotel's ruined entrance, the laser gun held conspicuously in both hands. "No no no no!" he shouted, skidding to a stop beside Simon. "He's one of us! He lured the demons away so we could escape! He doesn't mean any harm! I promise you!"

A second soldier, this one with captain's bars on his vest, stepped forward. "We need to make sure he's not a mutant."

Alucard, who had emerged more cautiously from the hotel, snorted. "You mean demon..."

"A mutant," the captain corrected sharply. "There are mutants and demons here."

Alucard crossed his arms. "A mutant can't talk."

"They can!" the captain snapped. "And they also can use weapons and think!"

Markus stepped between them. "Then how are you going to check him?"

The lead soldier answered by drawing a combat knife and tossing it at Simon's feet. "Blood color. He needs to cut himself for us to believe he's a normal human."

"That's ridiculous!" Markus exploded.

Simon placed a calming hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay Markus..." He picked up a sharp piece of debris from the ground. Without hesitation, he raked it across his left palm three times, opening deep gashes that immediately welled with rich, red blood.

Markus thrust Simon's bleeding hand toward the soldiers. "See?! Red!"

The lead soldier didn't lower his weapon. "We had to make sure..."

"Make sure he's not a monster who will somehow kill all of you and destroy a helicopter, Humvee and a DAMN TANK alone?" Markus's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Stupid shit heads."

The captain's face darkened. "What the fuck did you call us you son of a bitch?!"

Markus's hand twitched toward the laser gun. "Son of what again??"

Three rifles immediately snapped to aim at his chest.

"Whoa whoa hold still!" A third soldier interposed himself. "Don't you dare move your hands you hear me!?"

Simon had seen enough. "STOP YOU FUCKING PSYCHOS!" His roar silenced everyone. "WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INVASION! THE FUCK ARE Y'ALL DOING??!"

One particularly jumpy soldier swung his rifle toward Simon. "YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

Simon's shield snapped up instinctively. "DO IT YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

The soldier fired - a controlled shot aimed for Simon's leg. The round impacted the energy shield in a shower of sparks, the ricochet whining off into the distance. Every soldier froze at the display of advanced technology.

In the stunned silence that followed, two things happened simultaneously:

Alucard somehow managed to snatch a sidearm from the nearest soldier's holster, pressing it against the man's temple.

Markus brought the laser gun up to firing position, its power core glowing ominously.

"Markus and Alucard!" Simon's voice cracked like a whip. "Don't do something stupid! Lower your guns! Now!"

Alucard hesitated. "But..."

"I said NOW!!"

Reluctantly, Markus lowered his weapon. The soldiers, however, kept theirs trained on the group.

The lead soldier's voice was deadly calm. "Where in the bloody hell did you get that gun, boy?"

Markus remained silent, his jaw clenched.

"Answer me!" the soldier roared. "Where the hell did you get that from?!"

Simon stepped forward again. "It's none of your damn business!"

The lead soldier's eyes narrowed behind his goggles. "Do you think just because you got some alien technology I'm going to obey your ass?!"

Simon's hand drifted toward his sword. "Wanna know what this 'technology' can do?"

"ENOUGH!"

The bellow came from a soldier who had just emerged from the Black Hawk. The way the others immediately straightened made it clear this was their commanding officer.

"If you didn't lower your gun I'll put a damn bullet in your head!" he threatened, his glare fixed on the lead soldier. "You hear me??"

The lead soldier hesitated. "Sir but he is raising his we-"

"NO BUTS!" the commander roared. "LOWER YOUR GOD DAMN GUN!"

With obvious reluctance, the lead soldier complied. "Sir yes sir!"

The girls - Jessica, Lesley, and Isabel - had emerged from the hotel during the confrontation, their faces a mix of fear and awe at the military presence.

One of the other soldiers wasn't ready to let it go. "Traitors sir!" he spat.

Another nodded vehemently. "Yeah, what are we going to do with them??"

The commander surveyed the group, his gaze lingering on Simon's bleeding hand and the advanced weapons. His decision came swiftly. "We're going to give them a ride to our base. We are not here to attack nor harm any human ladies! Understood?!"

The soldiers responded with grudging unison. "Sir yes sir!"

As the tension eased slightly, the commander approached Simon. Their eyes met - and to Simon's surprise, the older man gave him a small, knowing smirk before turning to address the pilot.

"They're coming with you and so am I," he ordered. "The rest will continue searching for survivors if there are any left."

Simon spoke up. "There are no more survivors in Sacramento. They either died or left."

The commander studied him. "Then why are you still here?"

"We were resting before heading toward Carson City," Simon admitted.

"Why?"

Simon met his gaze squarely. "There's someone we know still alive and hiding there. We want to save him."

For a long moment, the commander said nothing. Then he nodded sharply. "Alright then. Let's go!"

As the soldiers dispersed to their vehicles, Simon experienced a sudden, vivid flashback:

Rain lashed against a car windshield as he sat in the driver's seat, engine idling. The man in the passenger seat took a long drag from a cigarette, the ember glowing in the darkness. A phone lay between them on speaker.

"Target just arrived," a staticky voice reported. "But he's got company."

The passenger exhaled a plume of smoke before stubbing out the cigarette. Wordlessly, he handed Simon a pistol and took one for himself, racking the slide with practiced ease.

The memory vanished as abruptly as it came. Simon blinked to find the commander watching him curiously.

"You coming or what?" the older man asked, jerking his thumb toward the waiting Chinook helicopter, its twin rotors already spinning up.

Simon shook off the disorientation and nodded. As they boarded the massive aircraft, he couldn't shake the feeling that this commander knew more than he was letting on - and that their journey to Carson City would reveal truths far more disturbing than any demon invasion.