The Bounty Hunter

July 1th, 2089

Colonel Oliveira’s POV

Paperwork.  The bane of any military’s man existence is currently making me its latest victim.  I can only take a moment to longingly look out my window at the simply perfect evening weather we’re experiencing here in Sao Paulo before I turn back to my work.  Supply requisition forms, personnel evaluations, and status reports all need to be completed before I can leave.  My unit is currently outside laughing as they smoke and play cards.  Those bastards placed themselves nearby so they could rub their freedom in my face!

The last light of the setting sun faded by the time I finished all my work.  I stretched as I stood up and walked out into the now dark military base.  The overcast clouds hinted at an upcoming storm.  I greeted the patrolling MPs as I headed towards my private room next to the barracks.  A light rain started falling, warm and refreshing after the stuffy office.  I noted a strange smell accompanying it, but I attributed it to the pollution.  I entered my room with a weary sigh, thankful that higher-ranking officers had their own quarters.  I flicked on the lights and then froze as I saw myself in front of the mirror.

Red.  A very bloody red.  It was all over me, staining my face and uniform crimson.  “Where the hell did all this blood come from?!?!?”  I couldn’t help but scream in shock before suddenly falling quiet as the realization hit me.  It was the strange smelling rain.  It was raining blood.  Why?

The earth started shaking and I heard loud booming noises that could only come from explosions, followed shortly after by the screaming of men.  We’re under attack!  I tried using the short-range communicator but there was not even static.  Damn it, the assailants must be using a high-grade electromagnetic jammer!  I grabbed my standard issue sidearm and ran over to the barracks next door where my 10-man unit was. 

I burst in to the sight of 10 rifles pointing at me.  “Captain!  Are you okay?”  Sergeant Silva asked in shock at my bloody appearance.  I completely ignored his question.  “We are under attack by an unknown enemy with state-of-the art equipment!  Communications are down, so we’ll go to the rally point at HQ and engage the enemy if encountered along the way!”  I shouted over the noise of battle outside.  “Yes sir!”  My loyal squad assented and then followed me out into the completely dark base.

“The enemy seems to have completely cut-off our power supply.  Everyone switch to light equalizer vision.”  My men assented and with our newfound sight in the darkness we quickly made our way to the rally point.  And at that place we saw Hell.  Body parts were flying everywhere and, in the distance, I saw a massive three-headed dog spewing fire like it was a fucking dragon.  The storm also was in full swing, with lightning strikes appearing everywhere and thunder booming.  There were these grotesque creatures of cloven hoof and horn rampaging all over and mauling the unprepared soldiers.  “AHHH!”  “HELP ME!!”  “GOD SAVE US ALL!!” 

I was just as terrified as the other men in my unit at the sight and roared “ENEMY CONTACT!!! ENGAGE!!!”.  We desperately fired at the creatures, but we barely got any shots off before lightning struck right in the middle of our formation.  We were blown aside and most my guys were electrocuted.  I was flung into a light pole and suffered a major hit to my head.  I was barely hanging on to my consciousness, but through my blurry vision I could see strands of lightning that looked like hands start reaching down and picking up my fallen unit.  And as they disappeared into the clouds, blood started to rain.

“The storm is a monster too and its eating my comrades…” that thought crossed my mind as I helplessly watched the monsters capture and restrain the few soldiers of my unit who were still in fighting condition.  Several of the monsters walked up to them and seemed to get sucked into my men.  My men were released, yet they were no longer fighting the monsters nor were the monsters attacking.  They were possessed… what in the world are those things???

The monsters seemed to have mistakenly thought I was dead.  Maybe it would be better if I were dead, then I wouldn’t have to helplessly watch the horrors going on.  My light equalizer goggles were still working, and so I saw the rest of the attack play out.  My possessed unit integrated itself with other unsuspecting soldiers rushing to the rally point and then slaughtered them easily by tearing them to shreds and ripping out their throats.  Several more minutes passed and I saw more monsters gather. 

They were conjuring fire in their hands and incinerating troops left and right.  A woman as white as a corpse and with long silvery light blue hair blew out a freezing breath that turned soldiers to ice.  A one-armed giant eagerly snatched up men and swallowed them whole, completely oblivious to the rifle fire that couldn’t leave a mark on his body.  A fat imp casually waved its hand and a series of explosions decimated the soldiers in entrenched positions.

After what seemed like an eternity, but had only been 12 minutes according to the virtual display on my goggles, everything turned quiet.  A few hundred monsters had managed to massacre a base of nearly 6,000 soldiers in a little over a quarter of an hour.  All those monsters started to gather here at headquarters, and they stood there as if they were waiting.  Suddenly they kneeled as a lone figure walked through the crowd.  Out of everyone there, he looked the most ordinary and human.  He had unremarkable features and wore a black leather jacket with blue jeans.  He looked to be of college-age and only his blood-red hair and eyes hinted at him being something more.

While my gaze was transfixed on the one who seemed to be the leader of these monsters, one of the monsters near me grumbled to his neighbor, “Why did half of us bother attacking this place?  The humans here were just as weak as the humans in the nearby city, we could have killed far more people if we had just focused on the city.”  “You idiot!  We attacked this place so the others in the city could slaughter without having to worry about human reinforcements coming!  Now shut up before our lord hears you!” His neighbor frantically scolded him as he simultaneously tried to shush him.  Unfortunately, the “lord” overheard them.  Faster than the eye could see, he appeared in front of them, and I was treated to the odd sight of a pair of nightmarish monsters quaking in fear at what appeared to be a human.

“You’re both wrong, you know.” The lord spoke casually towards the two monsters that were moments away from pissing themselves from fear.  Both monsters suddenly started choking themselves as the lord continued speaking. They struggled futilely, but it was as if their claws were no longer listening to their brains.  “The reason I decided to have you attack this place is to prevent reinforcements from ruining things for our lesser brethren at Sao Paulo.  This place is also a great place to get some footage for our promotional video.  However, those are my reasons.  The reason you two attacked this place was because I commanded you to.  Make no mistake about your place as minions. My orders are the only reason for your existence.”  Right before the monsters passed out they were released from whatever control they had been under, only to be knocked over as an absolutely vicious aura of malice emanated from the lord.  “Do I make myself clear?”

Even in the half-conscious state I was in, I couldn’t help but shriek out in terror.  The vileness of that aura was beyond belief.  That shouldn’t exist in this world.  God shouldn’t allow something that evil to exist in this world.  Yet that evil monster looks and acts like a human most of the time.  I started to hyperventilate as I came to a horrible realization.  “Oh, look at what we have here, it’s a survivor.”  He casually walked over to me before crouching down and removing my goggles to get a closer look at my panicking face.  He conjured a light and lightly commented on my appearance “You look like shit.”  The menacing aura was gone and he once again appeared to be just an average person.  But I wasn’t fooled.  “Get away from me… demon.”

The demon gave a friendly smile at my comment as he laughed lightly “Mostly correct.  These fellows here-” He waved around us to indicate all the other demons. “-are demons.  I-” He pointed to himself “-am a demon lord, which is WAY COOOLER.”  He brushed himself off as he stood up “As fun as it would be to continue chatting, I have things to do.  It’s nothing personal, but I need you to die now.  This attack on Sao Paulo and its military base is Pandemonium’s big entrance onto the global stage.  And ‘no survivors of the military base attack’ sounds way better than ‘one survivor of the military base attack’.  So, it’s time to honor that age-old tradition amongst soldiers:  pointlessly dying.” 

My hand started to creep towards my neck, despite the fact I was not trying to move it.  I started getting throttled by my own appendage as the demon lord watched.  “Remote possession.  It’s awesome, huh? I can take control of others without even having to give up my corporeal form and I can take over several at a time.  All the usual perks of possession apply.  As far as I know, it’s an ability unique to me.”  Power surged into my possessed arm and as my neck snapped as darkness took me.