Byron huddled behind the oven door, trying to breathe. Now that he actually saw these monsters, his plan seemed ridiculous. Their eyes roamed the kitchen as if they could see every nook and cranny. He didn't know if anything could hide from them.
Once the Death Dogs had made their way into the kitchen, they lowered their heads and swept the room. Their black noses twitched, inhaling the foul air until a long counter stood between the creatures and Byron, leaving only their sharp claws and thick legs in view.
He continued to hold his breath, trying to keep himself invisible as long as he could.
The beasts rumbled as they moved past while their claws clicked on the floor. He smelled something like sulphur as they prowled the kitchen, overpowering all the other odors he'd tried to create.
Byron usually loved dogs, but these things were monsters. They made his mouth go dry, inspiring a primal fear of being hunted.
One of the Death Dogs turned its head towards the oven door. Its eyes narrowed. Had it spotted him? It seemed so as it began to creep towards him.
Suddenly, all the Death Dogs raised their heads and turned them as one towards a cabinet. Byron couldn't see or hear anything coming from the cabinet, but they had.
A moment passed until the Death Dogs rushed over to the cabinet. Their claws shredded the wooden door, exposing Xin hiding inside.
"No, get away," Xin screamed as the Death Dogs dragged her out.
Byron tensed, wanting to run out and save Xin, but the soldier's scream cut short as she died. The Death Dogs just continued to maul her remains long after she had passed.
His plan had failed. If they had found Xin that quickly, Byron knew it wouldn't be long before the Death Dogs came after the rest of them.
The beasts had to be stopped. He couldn't get the others to sacrifice themselves. He had the skills and the high stats to face them.
He kicked open the oven, screaming, "Die, you big fuckers!"
The Death Dogs wheeled around, blood dripping from their fangs as they faced him.
Byron's shotgun was empty and he had run out of ammo, so he threw the gun at one of the Death Dogs. Its head didn't even move as the shotgun shattered over it. Instead, the beast roared and lunged at him.
Its fangs snapped inches from his face but Byron grabbed the muzzle of the Death Dog in both hands. The beast was incredibly strong. Even with his enhanced strength, it threw him like a rag doll across the kitchen.
He crashed into the wall and slid down onto a pot of hot gruel, burning his chest and arms. He didn't have time to think of the pain because the four Death Dogs all rushed onto him.
The eyes of the creatures burned like fire as the beasts charged across the kitchen. One stepped on a fallen pot and crushed it like a soda can. These things made his heart pound an uneven beat in his chest as they closed in on him.
Kiki climbed out of her hiding place in another cabinet, yelling, "Hey, you big uglies!"
When the Dogs turned, she threw some of the powder she had collected. Byron closed his eyes just as they popped with a flash he saw even through his closed eyes. The Death Dogs howled and turned their heads away, blinded.
"Monsters," Magott yelled as she came out of the freezer, spraying lasers from her rifle.
The lasers pounded the Death Dogs, but didn't even leave a burn. Instead, two of the Death Dogs whirled to lunge at her. She slammed the door of the freezer shut to lock herself inside, and the beasts began tearing holes in the metal.
The other two Dogs continued to attack Byron.
He fired his rifle until it clicked, empty, and the creatures didn't even flinch. Byron would have to find other ways of stopping the beasts.
He used his NRG implant to launch fireballs at the Death Dogs. The creatures yelped as they jumped back from the flames.
They were afraid of fire.
Byron remembered the warning inside the oven. He leaped over the counter to the oven, reached inside, and yanked out the pipe. A hot blue gas hissed out.
"Flash, Kiki," he yelled.
One of the Death Dogs rushed at him, just as Kiki grabbed more of her powder and threw it into the oven. The flash caught the gas, and turned the pipe into a flamethrower. The Death Dog roared as fire engulfed its head, spreading to its entire body. The Death Dog let out a howl as it rolled over and collapsed. One down.
+5000 XP
Fire killed them. Byron wished he had more of it.
Silica came out of nowhere and charged at the other Death Dog with her rifle blazing. The Dog winced from the lasers bouncing off its skin before lunging at her. Its paw swiped at Silica, and the claws sliced through her chest, making her scream. Her health bar dropped in half for the first time since Byron had met her.
Behind them, Chetaara burst out of her hiding place under a sink. Her hands glowed as a row of knives mounted on the wall flew out of their racks, and spun like a tornado of steel to slice at the Death Dogs. The blades just bent and snapped on the creatures, but did get them to turn around in confusion.
One knife struck one of the Dogs in the eye, and the creature shrieked while blood sprayed from its socket.
It seemed like the Death Dogs were vulnerable in the eye.
He wasn't the only one who thought of it.
A long knife floated in the air on its own, and drove itself into the eye of another Death Dog. Xana reappeared naked, forcing the knife in deeper as the beast let out a howl before it slumped over, dead.
That left only two left.
Byron spotted the metal spikes that had been torn loose when the Death Dogs came in. They gave him an idea.
He jumped onto the neck of one of the creatures which began twisting and bucking like a bull to get him off. He took hold of its ears and twisted the beast's head towards one of the spikes
The Death Dog dove straight into the spike, which pierced its eye and drove all the way through its skull. The beast howled and went limp, left hanging from the spike in its head.
+5000 XP
"More fire coming up," Kiki yelled as she turned all the stoves on, causing jets of flame.
Chetaara's hands glowed again as she used her telekinesis on the remaining Death Dog. The creature thrashed as it rose off the ground, twisting and snarling, until Chetaara flung it onto the burning stove. The flames roared around the beast as it was consumed.
OBJECTIVE SUCCESSFUL
+15,000 XP
+34,000 CREDITS
LEVEL UP!
YOU ARE NOW A LEVEL 27 MARINE!
Byron, Silica, Chetaara, Xana, Kiki, and Magott all gathered around the burning Death Dog, breathing heavy and exhausted. They glanced at each other and all had the same look of victory on their faces, knowing they had beaten the creatures.
Xana smirked. "Anybody in the mood for barbecue?"
Byron laughed, but at the same time, felt the loss of Xin. Though she was a pompous asshole, Xin had been one of their team. Also, the job still wasn't done. "Okay, Magott. Which way to the hangar?"
Magott pointed. "That way. But if they sent the Death Dogs, they'll be expecting us. We need to go in a different way."
Without another word, Silica went to an air vent again and tore open the grating. One by one, they all crawled up into the vents.
NEW OBJECTIVE: GET TO THE ICARUS
REWARDS: +17,000 XP, 20,000 CREDITS
This one had even hotter air flowing through it as they crawled through the ventilation system.
They came to a vent and Magott held up her hand before pointing down. They all looked through the grating below them into the hangar bay, past wiring hanging from the ceiling.
The rows of soldiers remained, but it seemed like all the spaceships and fighters had vanished. Only the Icarus remained, surrounded by empty gantries and ramps, and soldiers with weapons drawn and ready. On one side, the glimmering force field still held out the vacuum of space.
Byron looked at the readouts on all their weapons. "We're out of ammo."
Magott pointed down at the hun
dreds of soldiers marching through the hangar bay. "Even if we had all the ammo in the world, there's no way we can beat all of them."
"We don't have to. I've got an idea." He pointed down at the force field. "Xana, you think you could open that force field?"
"Um, maybe. With the right connection." Xana held out her hand to Magott. "Can I see your tablet?"
Magott shifted to pull her tablet out of her pocket and hand it over. "It won't do you any good. They've restricted my access."
Xana gave her a grin. "I don't need your access."
She typed on the keypad.
Below them, the force field flickered and vanished. Winds rushed through the hangar as the air pumped out into space, along with the Death Troopers, who went screaming into the void. Byron felt the air get thin as it sucked through the entrance of the hangar bay, and held his breath.
When the last Death Troopers had been ejected from the ship, Xana tapped the tablet again. The force field rippled back into place.
Once the atmosphere had been pumped back into the hangar, Kiki looked at Xana. "Well, that worked awesome, Xana. Wow, you can do anything on those computers, huh?"
Xana handed the tablet back to Magott. "Um, not quite. But this, I could do."
They crawled forward to an air shaft that angled downwards. When they reached the bottom, Silica kicked out the grating and they all climbed out.
The six of them crossed the huge empty hangar floor to the Icarus. Their boots echoed off the walls back to them like thunder.
Byron couldn't stop smiling as he stood before the ship's boarding ramp. "We did it. We made it."
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED
+17,000 XP
+20,000 CREDITS
"Indeed." Magott drew her gun and pointed it at Byron. "I'll be taking the ship. And the shield code."
Chapter 16
LADY NECRALIA paced the floor of her throne room, feeling her heart racing like she'd run a marathon. She tried to stay calm, but her thoughts swirled around the same thing. "Byron Jones. Where is he?"
On the platform where her throne stood, her Grand Vizier nervously fiddled with a data tablet. "Deth's ship will be here in a matter of hours, Your Majesty."
"Hours." Necralia smiled to herself. "I can barely wait that long. I want to feel his flesh tear beneath my fingers, taste his warm blood. Have the tools been sharpened in my torture chamber?"
The Grand Vizier bowed his head. "Of course, Your Highness."
He didn't say it, but she knew he wanted to point out she had already asked that question three times. Asking seemed to be the only thing left to do other than wait.
The door of the throne room swung open and General Worr strode in, a massive Voloxx warrior who made the ground tremble as he walked. Worr reached the base of her throne, and dropped onto one knee.
"Your Majesty," Worr growled, "I was advised that General Deth claims he has captured Byron Jones and is bringing him to you."
With him on his knee, Lady Necralia could look Worr directly in the eye. "That is correct, General."
Worr narrowed his hollow eyes. "I believe I can capture or kill Jones. I only ask to be given the chance when he fails."
Necralia knew Worr to be ambitious, as she encouraged him to be. She wanted to have her underlyings fighting for her affection to force the best to rise to the top. This seemed more than she had expected, though.
She braced her hands on her hips. "You ask to be General Deth's replacement? At the same time as he journeys to me in victory?"
Worr grunted. "I wish to make it known that Deth is as stupid as he is arrogant. He can't hope to achieve this mission on his own. I have confidence his trip will end in disaster, perhaps even his death. I have shown my skills in battle across a thousand solar systems. Allow me this chance and I will prove both my loyalty and my usefulness to you."
She couldn't help smiling. This only reminded her why she had taken the chance of allowing non-Necrosi like Worr to join the highest ranks in her army. If Deth succeeded, she would remember this moment for the future. If Deth failed, Worr would be there to take his place. It seemed to be a win-win proposal.
"Very well. I--"
The air above the throne room burst into light as the Orb appeared above her, a shimmering ball of a substance like metal or stone. It had come to her before, but never like this.
"Lady Necralia," its deep voice boomed, "you are in danger."
She looked around. Everyone remained in place, not even looking up at the new object floating above them. In fact, no one moved at all. Even the flags blowing on the walls froze in place. The Orb had stopped time.
Necralia looked up at the Orb. "What can this threat be? I'm surrounded by armed guards in my own fortress. Even Jones is far away."
The Orb moved lower. "Not here in Venus Online. Out there."
It took a moment for her to make the connection. "In the real world? What could threaten me there?"
"Disconnect and see to it now. And do not allow yourself to be endangered again or I will not intervene."
The Orb vanished with a pop like a bubble.
Lady Necralia took a deep breath as she touched her bracelet and brought up the "exit" button. She hated going back to the real world, and thought she had already settled things there, but somehow she knew this had something to do with her husband.
As she felt the familiar sensation of swirling down a drain into darkness, she heard a new sound. A banging of metal against metal. It grew louder until she felt her body settle onto the cushioned armchair of her virtual reality pod.
She opened her eyes to see an arm sweeping down towards her head. It held a long piece of wood, tipped in metal. She screamed and jumped off the chair, just as the arm slammed a hammer onto her headrest.
The door to her office she usually kept locked hung open on torn hinges. Her husband Trent stood over the VR pod, swinging the hammer back up into the air.
She grabbed his arm to try to stop him while screaming, "What the fuck are you doing?"
She wasn't strong enough to keep him from banging down on the pod again. He didn't look at her, only kept his eyes focused on the pod while he growled, "This thing's gotta go, Suzanne."
He banged on the sensor web of the pod again. A screw or nail went flying off and bounced on the floor.
She threw herself between her pod and his hammer as Trent raised it up again. "Stop!"
He gripped the hammer with both hands. "Get out of the way, Suzy. I have to do this. You need to stop using this thing. It's evil."
She screamed, "No, it's not! It's my life!"
He threw the hammer down to the floor. "That's the problem. It's not life. It's just a stupid game. And I've had enough."
He shoved her out of the way and started tearing at the wiring with his bare hands.
Suzanne grabbed the hammer. Rage boiled inside her, making everything go red as she watched him rip off a chunk of wires from one spot. She didn't know how much damage the pod could take, but she knew she couldn't live without Venus Online. She couldn't let him destroy it.
She shrieked as she swung it at his head.
The hammer made a wet thump as it hit Trent on the temple. He went flying, banged his shoulder up against a wall, and slumped to the floor.
Suzanne let the hammer drop onto the carpet as she took deep breaths, staring down at him. Blood oozed from the side of his head.
"Mommy?"
She spun to look down at her daughter Grace. Grace held a glass of milk in her tiny hands. The girl's eyes locked on Trent lying at her feet.
"What happened to Daddy?" Grace asked.
Suzanne put on her best smile. "Oh, it's okay. Daddy just slipped. And fell. His head has an owie and he's gone to sleep."
"Is he going to the hospital?"
"No." Suzanne's cheeks hurt from trying to hold up the smile. "Oh, no. He's just going to sleep for a little bit, and he'll be fine."
"He's bleeding a lot."
Suzanne looked down at the blood
gushing over his face and running into his eyes and mouth. "That's okay. He's fine. Why don't you go play? I'll take care of Daddy."
"Okay." Grace walked away, still looking at her father until the very last moment.
When Grace walked down the corridor of their trailer, Suzanne grabbed the door and forced it back up into the doorframe. It wouldn't lock but at least she had some privacy.
She knelt down to touch her fingers to Trent's neck. For a moment, she felt nothing. Then his neck throbbed against her finger.
She reached for the hammer again. He had tried to deny her the one thing that mattered to her in life. The one thing that gave her joy and peace, and made her feel powerful.
She swung the hammer over her head. One more blow to the head would do it.
Her kids.
That made her stop.
If she killed Trent, what about their kids? She couldn't leave them alone with a dead body while she stayed in Venus Online. It could attract vermin. The smell might bring the neighbors. She could see the police breaking down the door tonight and finding Trent dead, her kids alone, and Suzanne still in the pod.
She lowered the hammer and tried to think.
She just had to wait until the next morning. She would wait until the kids went to school. Then she could kill Trent and get rid of the body. She'd tell them he left and wouldn't be back. She could order the kids VR pods of their own, and they would be her prince and princess in Venus Online, helping her rule the Galaxy, and they would truly be a happy family, all together in the perfect world.
She forced open the door and ran out of the office to the utility closet where she found some nylon rope and duct tape. She walked calmly back to the office, pausing to smile at the kids watching TV in the living room.
"You can stay up late tonight," she called out.
Death's Revenge: A LitRPG Sci-Fi Adventure (Venus Online 5) Page 14
