Legion of Steel

by Lucian Knight

  I dropped against the stone floor as the cavern shook once, twice and three times. Gore and bile flew outward from inside the Queen, covering me and the ground around me in equal measure.

  "Orange!" I shouted, "Orange!"

  I looked around, but I couldn’t see him. Something landed on my shoulder. I twisted around, but it was his hand. He pulled me up, and I could see his mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear him."

  "I’m deaf!" I yelled, pointing at my ears. "I can’t hear!"

  He stopped speaking, and nodded, then pulled me after him, turned toward the queen, and unleashed a torrent of projectiles.

  "Khepri, can you read his lips or something? I need to communicate with him!"

  "I’m sorry, master, but I can’t. Gebradim lips don’t move according to how they speak. It would be useless to try."

  "Great, could anything else go wrong?" I murmured. But I shouldn’t have spoken too soon as something struck me in the side and sent me sprawling. My armor cracked, sending waves of pain through my body. But it didn’t stop there, a flurry of quick blows struck my back as I lay there, trying to shake off the dizziness.

  I turned and released a round from up close. The blast wave sent me rolling over the stone floor and against the wall. Orange was there, trying to lift me up, but he was missing a back limb while the front left was severely wounded. He pointed at something, but I couldn’t see it clearly.

  "What the fuck? What’s going—," I cursed trying to breathe and see. The flames dissipated, only to reveal a trio of black and red type of Gebradim. The middle one was wounded badly and stood on equally shaky legs, but the ones to his sides looked fresh as ever.

  "We won’t make it. We need to—run. Fuck," I spat coughing up blood. Orange shook his head and pointed at the walls and the entrance to the cavern. All of our allies were either dead or engaged with the Queen’s minions at the Northern entrance. We were the only ones who could stand up to them and live or at least try to do so. I was surprised he didn’t look sad or angry, more as if he’d served a purpose in life and was fine with going out doing his best.

  "Human!"

  I snapped my head around, looking for the source.

  "I thought I was deaf," I said to no one in particular.

  "You are. This is a mental conversation. It took me a few moments to attune to your brainwaves. You’re quite the extraordinary creature."

  "What do you want? You’re dying anyway so suck it up and die," I snapped, angry at my own failure.

  "Oh, no, I won’t die. Most of me will, but that doesn’t matter. In a couple hundred years, I will be just as strong," she laughed. What was it with evildoers and their last words? Were they trying to rub it in your face or something?

  "Whatever. Someone else will come and finish you off, even if I’m dust by then. I will laugh at you from my grave and at your failure to become as powerful as the alpha Queen."

  "No, you won’t. I’m keeping you as a pet once I’ve extracted your mind. You see, such a strong specimen shouldn’t be discarded just like that. Even the failure you called Orange will have his use. He’s proven quite capable, and I need capable soldiers."

  "Slaves you mean, Hypnos."

  The queen went silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice had changed. It was much deeper and darker.

  "Who told you about me? Was it him?"

  "It was someone who wanted you dead, that’s the only thing that matters, my Queen."

  "Oh, yes, it does. If I can’t trust that wicked creature anymore, I need to change my plans accordingly. Whatever, you’ll serve your purpose well enough. Now, be a good slave and sit still until my generals are done with you."

  My eyes focused on the trio. The two Generals on the sides weren’t as tough, their life ranging from 800 percent to 1,500 on the chest, but the one in the middle who’d taken a round head on was still at 1,441 and about 780 on the limbs. Just how much did he have at the start?

  "How far along is she? How much longer before she’s dead?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the trio.

  "She’s down to 11,992 percent and dropping steadily. The flames and decay keep whittling down her life."

  "Good, good," I replied. Then as one, the three black and red Gebradim started moving.

  "Hey Orange, I’ll give you enough time to escape, okay? Go and warn the rest."

  But he shook his head sadly, then turned back and bared his teeth at the three. If Gebradim could snicker, I could have sworn it was what the three did.

  The middle one, which was wounded, made the first move and made a beeline straight at me, while the other two took an angled approach. I could maybe take one out, but the other two and the queen would get me sooner or later. I did the only thing I could and pointed the bionic gun at my own head.

  Orange went down first from the smallest of three attackers. The creature reminded me of a throwing star as it sped in circles, with blades arranged all along his back. The second smaller Gebradim looked identical to the one attacking, Orange shot pieces of metal my way

  I evaded most of them, and a couple of them even deflected, giving me some precious time to focus on the big guy who was about to make contact with me.

  "Whatever, I have no regrets. I’ll die here because I’ve chosen this as my resting place!" I shouted and charged the four-legged and six armed monstrosities.

  My claw extended as I lunged at him. His remaining limbs caught me in mid-air, pummeling me with whatever he had available. Spikes grew along my skin where he held me, but he wasn’t budging. I lifted my left arm to take a shot, but it went wide and struck the far wall behind him. I cursed as he kept on squeezing and pummeling me, just as my defensive mechanism activated and the wings turned into a second armored skeleton. Slowly, my vision faded until everything started going black, and I was no longer able to stay conscious. This sure was a shitty way to go out, I thought.

  "No!" I hissed with what remained of my strength. "Not like this!"

  My eyes snapped open, and head struck out, catching the Gebradim right on the face. He shook his head and lessened the pressure on my left arm. I looked down at the tapper and grinned. 4. 3. 2. 1—with as much malice as I could muster, I screamed at the Gebradim and shot the creature right in the face. It dropped my limp body and landed right on top of me, crushing my legs. I looked to my left where Orange struggled against the smaller Gebradim, and then to my right. An armored foot collided with my face, knocking me out cold.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  "Things sure didn’t go as planned, huh?" Lucifer chuckled as he threw me a towel for some reason. I caught the piece of cloth and shook my head.

  "You sure got that right. What the fuck was it with the Queen? Didn’t you say you’d take care of it?" I growled. My eyes met his for a brief moment before he stared me down. I got up and poured myself a much-needed drink before sitting back opposite him.

  "I tried. You see, The Host is hammering away at my power. After all, I’m not all-powerful like dear old dad up there," he said nodding to the ceiling.

  "Can you at least tell me what’s going on with my body right now? I know I’m not dead, otherwise we wouldn’t be sitting here and talking."

  He shrugged.

  "Why not? You’re being prepared for operation. They’re about to rip your brain out."

  "What?" I snapped. "Let me back at them!"

  "Not what, rather who. The Queen and her two generals. First, it’s Orange’s turn. They’ll be starting the extraction any moment now."

  "I assume there’s no way for you to help us?"

  He shot me a wolfish grin before he got up, walked to his piano, and sat down.

  "Want me to sing you a song? Anything you like, as long as our taste aligns."

  "Not really. Give me something dark though, since you’re already offering. Doesn’t even have to be a real song."

  Lucifer’s fingers started moving as if his life depended on it. Melodramatic, yet strong and dark. Just a good mood to kill yourself
over, I thought.

  "What? Not to your liking?"

  "Sure is. Too much to be honest. Do you know the composer Peter Gundry? His Goetia?"

  "Hah! He signed a contract with me before his rise! Yeah, I know about him, silly!"

  Lucifer’s fingers started tracing a different pattern over the keyboard speeding up and slowing down to the dark, melodic tunes as I sat there and drank.

  "This is it, huh? The last time we see each other?"

  "I guess," Lucifer whispered, barely audible. "It was fun while it lasted, but in the end, you didn’t get much further than your father. Such a shame. And I even thought you’d be able to take on The Host."

  "Don’t even get started with them. Those bastards are much more powerful than I am."

  "Say, doesn’t it piss you off knowing Mikhail will have his way with her again once you’re out of the picture? I know my brother, and the only reason why he visited you was to see her again. To see what he’s missed for all these years."

  "So that shit about Earth—"

  "Is partially true, but any lower tier would have sufficed. Do you know how much power he had to use to project himself so far in a half physical form?"

  "I can’t even imagine," I muttered.

  "Exactly! You know, he could have easily destroyed a large planet with that amount of energy, and instead, he’ll be in a much-weakened state for the coming days or even weeks."

  I sighed and turned from him. I didn’t like this turn of events at all, not even a bit.

  "How is it possible for us to chat here and for time to stand still? It doesn’t make sense."

  "All of this is happening inside your head. You’re not being transported to another world or something, no, we do this all in your pretty, little head. So let’s say we sit and talk here for an hour, which translates only to a few seconds out there."

  Is there anything else you want to tell me?" I asked as he smirked at me all the while.

  "Maybe. If you’re willing to pay the price."

  "What more can I give you other than my soul?"

  "Other souls. I want a sacrifice. A big one."

  "How many?" I asked after a few uncomfortable seconds of silence.

  "A million. I’ll give you the target, and you’ll hit them with your motherships’ main cannon, the Doomsday as you Humans like to call lit."

  "You’re fucking insane, you know that?"

  "So, what if I am? I’m the devil! You don’t have to understand my reasoning! You have to say yes, or no! That’s all!" he yelled, partially transforming into his true self for a short second.

  "I—"

  "Isn’t she worth it? What're a mere million souls to have Gremory by your side? Levi? The doc? The alien queen? You know, she’s half Human and every inch as good as your Lady Death."

  I looked away, embarrassed by the thoughts that raced through my mind. Who the hell was I even kidding? Am I killing a million innocent people to get my life back? There’s no way it was worth it! But was I ready to lose Gremory, though? And if it meant that killing a million could save two million? Five? Or ten? Would it be worth it then?

  "No, I refuse," I whispered.

  "Huh? I didn’t hear you, my dear Cain. What did you say?"

  "I refuse! I’m just unconscious, not dead or dying! I have no problems killing my enemy, or those who stand in my way, but wiping out any living being just because you want it to happen is out of the question!"

  "Hah! You sure are a piece of work, Cain. Did you know that? But whatever. I’ll have Devil give you a small opening, just because I still need you, but remember, you better deliver when needed." With a snap of his fingers, I was engulfed in darkness. But before everything turned black, I saw him wince and turn into his true self for a mere heartbeat. What the hell was that about?

  An excruciating pain awakened me from the conversation with Lucifer. The Gebradim general stood over me, holding some kind of weapon in his hand. He lifted his hand and struck my skull. More pain and the stench of burning flesh hit me like a freight train. I looked up and startled the creature, he pulled his hand back again to strike but never finished as I brought up my claw and struck him in the side.

  "Hey there," I whispered. "I’m back!"

  He grunted and stepped back. To my surprise, he was really weak, at least when it came to his armor. Not letting him get back into the fight, I kicked out and floored the smaller creature, then turned around to check for Orange. He lay on the ground some ten feet to my left. His eyes were staring at me, pleadingly. What remained of his arms had been disabled by the Gebradim, and he wasn’t able to defend himself.

  My gun arm moved up by itself, targeting the second general. With a thundering boom, the round exploded against his head, blowing it off in a shower of gore. Hellfire descended on his dead body as well as on Orange. Luckily, the corpse shielded him from most of the damage. Then it got to me as I noticed that I just blew up a perfectly good brain.

  Angry about the outcome, I rearranged my left arm to a second claw and rushed the last general. Standing over him, I clawed at his chest and arms, ripping them off at the elbows, Then I proceeded to kill the bastard with his own limbs.

  I looked up, seeing if anyone else was there, but no. It was only Orange and I that remained standing, unless you counted the massive blob Queen. I dared a glance to the Northern entrance, but the situation startled me. There were still hundreds of orange and yellow Gebradim grappling with the dark-skinned ones.

  I stepped aside and looked at my counter, waiting for it to reach zero and released one last Hellfire at the group of the dark Gebradim. Dozens died from the blast and even more were set aflame. The defenders roared in victory and charged what remained of the assailants.

  I looked back to the Queen, and to my surprise, she’d become much smaller and changed color. Her outer layer was a dark grey now and hinted at black. There was rot everywhere, and pus oozed from countless holes in the outer layer that was her skin. I could feel her trying to communicate with me, but I was still deaf, my armor and head torn open in countless places.

  "Fuck, this didn’t go according to plan," I thought, as I tried to steady my breathing. I was strong, extremely so, but not invulnerable. I was still alive, and that’s what counted.

  "Queen," I spat and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, removing the half-dried blood with a single motion. My mouth stung almost as badly as my skull. I really must have been in a pitiful state not to have healed up yet. "Can you communicate with me?" I finally added.

  Some buzzing at the back of my mind told me she couldn’t. Sure, she was trying, but it wasn’t working. I walked up to her and pressed my head against her festering skin.

  "You’ll get what you deserve, Human! Trust me! I’ll make sure of it!" she screeched in my mind. I let go of her and stepped back, suddenly feeling pity for the alien queen. To her, we were intruders, the bad guys, the conquerors, the aliens who came to rob them from everything. But to me, she was just a means to my end. She had to be, and the pain emanating from her was just one of the countless sacrifices we’d have to make.

  I turned to Orange and walked up to him. His skull had given in and was open, but his eyes were still full of life. He turned his head to me slowly, watching what I was doing. I knelt beside him and put my hand on his chest.

  "Can you move?" I asked. He mouthed something, but I pointed to my ear that I was still deaf. I helped him up and shouldered his weight for a long moment. The alien was pretty heavy, which made me think just how heavy the queen had been?

  "Bah! Why do you think about stupid stuff, Human? You got more important matters at hand! Go kill the queen and save the hybrid! Establish dominance so we can get out of here!" Devil barked. He was right, as usual.

  "You sit here and rest," I ordered Orange and helped him sit on a large piece of rock, then made my way back to the queen.

  "Don’t touch me! You evil creature!"

  "Shut up! You’re dying, so there’s no use threatening me. What
I can do, is remove the rot and save you, or kill you without much pain. Depending on what you say and do is how everything will play out from now on. Do you understand?"

  "What do you want, evil thing?"

  "I want to know where this queen is, the body of the hybrid. And I want cooperation of all Gebradim on this planet. I need tons of ore to repair and upgrade my battleships. Once I got the material, you can get back to what you were doing before."

  "And that’s all? That’s why you attacked me?"

  I shrugged.

  "Not really. That was only a secondary mission. I need Hypnos."

  "I know what you’re planning to do, but it won’t work. Once bonded to a Queen, a parasite can’t be removed like with lesser beings. However, if you let me live, I will give you Mellona. She is the goddess of another hive-mind insect. She will do the same what Hypnos does, but in a different way."

  I thought about it for a moment, but Khepri spoke up before I could even ask.

  "Mellona is an ancient goddess who controlled everything she gave birth to. So in our case, we would need to use Khavvrin’s blood on each soldier who survives the trials. If you’re still intent on making him our raid leader."

  "I do. And we will," I replied, then breathed in deep and retracted the decay. I instantly dropped to my knees as an incredulous pain shot up my arm and into my gut. The Queen, however, started laughing from joy. I could feel it. She’d already given up on life.

  "Master, you won’t be able to use Devil’s powers for at least a few days. We need to get you up there quickly so you can recover."

  "I can hold out for half an hour at most, then you’re on your own, Khepri," Devil hissed from the pain we shared.

  "Human," the Queen said, interrupting our chat. "I will not swear allegiance to you, but if you leave us in peace, we can become ‘neutral’ parties for exchanging goods. We will give you—"

  "No! Don’t make me put this decay back inside!" I snapped. My eyes had fully turned black, as thick, tendril-like veins bulged all along my body, seeping death through my skin. "You will serve me, and that’s final. Your queen will be my queen, up there on the ship, while your people will mine ore and do whatever we need them to! That’s the end of this topic. Now give me Mellona."