Dawn of the Void

Chapter 101: Jersey

Step by step. Ever deeper. The murk swirling, the pressure of the river above pressing down, unfelt but clearly imagined. The stark burn of his eye lights did little more than illuminate a great haze. The push of the current was strong, inexorable, and James course corrected by angling obliquely upriver in the hopes of remaining steady.

No monsters. No krakens. No fish, even. The ground was sandy pillows from which ropes of seaweed and bunches of mussels grew.

James felt as if his breath should be echoing within the Hound, felt as if he should have been sweating, cooped up as if in a tiny sub, but he was bodiless, without need for oxygen. So instead he simply studied what lay before him, trudging forward along the riverbed.

Movement up ahead,said Jelly abruptly. Lets slow it down, James.

Movement? He peered at the veils of silt and darkness just outside the blazing nimbus of his light. You gotta give me more than that, Jelly. We talking a fish? A sea dragon?

A sea dragon, James?

Dont fuckin judge me. What did you see?

I think it was demons. Remember, our armaments work underwater. Dont hesitate to fire if needed.

Check.

The Hound slowed but continued to steal forward. It wasnt as if they could creep up on shit with their Klieg lights blazing, but still James felt as if he were creeping up on the edge of a ravine. You didnt want too much momentum.

Then he saw it.

Movement indeed.

Not just movement, but traffic.

Just beyond the radius of his perception shapes were swimming by. Some massive, clearly Nem3s, others in a flurry of limbs, smaller and more complex.

Nem2s.

They ignored the War Hound, intent on their progress, a column of demons sliding into view, mostly Nem2s it turned out, with a Nem3 for ever ten or so smaller demons.

What the fuck? Jelly, what are they doing?

I hesitate to speak with any certainty, but I would hazard that theyre swimming, James.

When did you die and become a smart ass?

Im getting quite good, arent I? But seriously, James, it looks like theyre using the river to move unobserved.

Must be how they got the West Street hive up and running. Fuck. Theyre smarter than they look.

Or directed by smarter beings. Either way, I think youre right. Theyre using the rivers to approach the hives unobserved before making a dash to revive them.

But the black eggs - they need people for them, right? To steal their spirits?

Which means they come bearing eggs, James.

Is there a way to detect the eggs?

Not that I know of.

Well, theres one way to handle this shit. Its old school, but it works for me.

James let rip with the Empyreal Gun. Super-heated Aeviternum plasma spilled forth in a great refulgent wave, washing over the demons before him and causing them to contort and spasm.

At the same time he opened up with the Vault Cannon, firing upstream at where the demons were coming from, the huge rounds burning bright as they sped away into the darkness, flurries of rounds punching through the water as if it were air and disappearing into the distance to become fleeting constellations.

Those that didnt tear apart demons, that was.

The enemys shock was brief in duration, and then they reacted with fury. Demons began to boil out of the darkness, swimming toward the War Hound in great sinuous movements, the Nem2s looking like huge shrimp, the Nem3s like orcas.

James pivoted, cutting them down with his Cannon, but soon the water was thick with demons seeking to tear him apart. Demons and their ichor; their black blood blocked his illumination completely, and soon great curtains of gore hung in the water, washing by with the current, along with chunks of demon bodies and corpses.

The War Hound rocked as the Nems began to buffet it, but his Silver Aura blazed forth and ashed the assailants. It was the force of the water itself, James realized, that was rocking him, along with the silty, unsteady footing.

Time to keep moving. Though Im tempted to just work my way upriver to find where these fuckers are coming from.

We have to keep the others appraised.

Right.

It was nightmarish. Demons swimming out of the gloom and veils of silt. Were it not for the fact that he was wrapped in tons of blessed steel and enveloped in a divine aura that protected him even better, James would have been scared of out his wits.

But he resumed his forward march, turning around so that he was able to fire behind him, and soon he left the maelstrom behind. The demons were more intent on their original mission than pursuing him, so in a matter of minutes James found himself once more in the silent mausoleum that was the bottom of the river.

He passed a sunken wreck of a ship, half-lost in the silt. Strode over slick rocks, and finally began to climb, higher and higher, till at last the surface glimmered into view above. James powered up the last of the bank and finally reached a cement wall.

The water was still some ten feet above his head. Where the steps at?

I doubt well find any.

Then lets try another way.

James tried jumping, but all he accomplished was rising to the surface before sinking back down.

Hard-burn?

Hard-burn, agreed Jelly.

James willed the Aeviternum into his engine, squatted, then exploded upward. He burst out of the river with a roar, surging up onto gray bricks with a tidal wave of white water and silt. Water sluiced down his vision, but he immediately apprehended the hell into which hed burst.

Hed leaped onto the edge of a huge park. A football field of grass stretched before him, a forest of poplars on the right, an archaic building with a gothic facade and a clock tower to his left, the towers of Jersey City rising beyond.

But the scene before him could have been right out of Dantes Inferno. The park was thronged with panicked people. Tens of thousands pushed and shoved at each other, sought to escape first one way and then the other from the Nem3s that rose up in their midst. Thousands were bunched up along the waters edge, and Jamess arrival shocked them so that they recoiled, screamed, and a good number fell into the water.

Smoke hung thick in the air. The chatter of gunfire and the raw screams of people dying or lying wounded mixed with the shrieks of the demons who were clearly playing with their prey, loping amongst them but taking their time, swinging their sword-arms slowly to slash and decapitate people every once in a while.

Blood. Viscera. Panic. The demonic glee.

James felt hatred curdle his soul.

LISTEN UP, MOTHERFUCKERS, he boomed through the War Hound. PLAY TIME IS OVER. TIME TO DIE.

Such was the volume of his roar that even the demons ceased their cavorting. The screams froze, the tableaux went still, and thousands upon thousands turned to stare in wonder as James raised his Empyreal Gun and Vault Cannon.

The Nem3s hunched their shoulders, recognizing a threat, but before they could react James got to work.

He dropped Heavenly Assaults strategically as he marched forward and opened fire. Every dozen paces he loosed a Sacred Strike over the wounded, healing them where they lay. His massive ammo fled over the field, passing clear through the crowds to hammer home into the demons.

The crowd began to cheer.

Ragged at first but with growing fervor.

WRONG PLANET, ASSHOLES, James boomed, raising his Cannon to tear apart a Nem3 midair as it fell upon him.

The cheer rose, driven by fear, desperation, and wild hope.

On James strode, the demons coming out of the trees to the right, loping into view from around the buildings, streaming onto the field from the far end where it abutted with the city proper. Only to die, again and again, as James tore them apart.

He was halfway down the field when the last of the demons collapsed. For a moment he simply scanned back and forth, looking for more targets, but saw only wonder-struck faces.

Where is the entrance to Holland? he boomed, tried to lower his voice.

A score of people pointed eagerly past the gothic building. South then. Hed compensated too aggressively for the current.

What are you? asked a young man, pushing back his hoody and lowering his shotgun.

James Kelly, he boomed. Look after each other. Ive got to go.

The cheering started as he marched south, but rather than bask in it he simply accelerated into a loping jog. He rounded a fountain at the parks end, made his way through a parking lot, killing a couple of Nem3s as he went, then had to navigate a train yard. Leaped the containing wall onto a highway, and there slowed to massacre more demons before working further south. He espied a Wing flit into view before descending behind the Port Authority building which stood in the middle of another huge parking lot, the asphalt crimson and gleaming with a recent massacre, demon corpses lying torn asunder here and there, with Crimson Hydra and the Group 2 soldiers gathering up.

There he is, called Serenity, skimming over to him on her Wing. Any trouble?

The demons are using the river as a hidden highway, said James. I think its how theyre getting the Nem2s to the hives. Or as close as they can. You?

Im just glad the emergency lights were on in the tunnel. That was. Serenity shook herself. Just be glad you didnt have to see that. Words in from Hackworth. Were to work our way to a newly active hive just north of Hoboken.

A second one?

A second one. She hesitated, gazed across the city. It sounded like a war zone. Choppers were crisscrossing the skies, and though out of sight a Warthogs mechanized BRRRRRRRRRR echoed loudly.

What is it?

Serenity shook her head again. Just Star Boy says weve lost over eighteen teams already. Another thirty or so are at half-strength or less. Blue Lights overwhelmed. Fuck. How could we not be? And the number of victims

Stay focused. James forced his voice to stay calm. You ever hit an AA meeting?

Ha, yeah. She snorted. Used to go to them to meet guys to date.

Thats fucked up. But remember the Serenity Prayer, yeah?

Good in theory. But yeah. She shivered and sat up straight. To the hive?

To the hive. James turned and marched over to the others. We ready for this?

Ready sir, said Jason.

Several of the others looked less than sure.

Look, its simple, said James. We can either get back to work - or not. We can do our small part, or let the people wed have saved suffer. Dont worry about how it compares to the big picture. Dont worry about what we cant control. What we can do is just keep on keepin on. So lets do what we can. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nods all round.

Then lets get going.

James led the group north. They tromped onto Main Street and followed it back north, over the railroad tracks once more into Hoboken proper. The Wings spotted the burning symbol in the distance, and James cleared the way, his Vault Gun spewing constant fire.

But he was more temperate with his power now. His pool was 461/729. It still felt like a lot, but their day was just getting started.

They fought their way north, through countless blocks of residential zones, and everywhere they saw the refugees who had fled their homes in the hopes of finding succor. It was easily over an hour since the Fourth Wave had hit, and the help that James and his crew could bring was late.

Far too late.

He got used to seeing the dead. Blind to the bodies. He focused on movement instead, and channeled his hatred into each shot, taking visceral satisfaction in tearing the enemy apart. Block by block they worked their way north, eradicating demons as they went, till at last they reached the base of the new hive.

Were going in with you this time, Serenity called from above. With our Marks and stat boosts, were not as we were before.

James wished he had a head to nod, but instead simply called out, Very well. Form up. Crimson Hydra only. Mancini, you guys cant handle the buffed Nems inside, so just form a perimeter out here and keep reinforcements out as best you can.

Yes sir, said Mancini, a hint of relief in his voice.

It took them seventeen minutes to clear out the hive. James led the crew in slowly, cautiously, and ensured that he was the target of the burning Nem3s as much as possible. The density of demons present was equal to Philly, but with the War Hound and Silver aura the odds were completely different.

Slowly and methodically, they fought their way inside, and finally took on the Nem3 queen. James was ready to summon the Avatar of Justice, but the concentrated firepower and abilities of his whole squad gave them enough of an edge that it never got that far. James closed with the queen, absorbed the punishment she meted out as the others riddled her with attacks, and with Yadriels help he kept her pinned until the combined firepower took its tool and he was able to blast off her head.

Again he toppled the spire, and again Kerim collected the black egg as the dome of black fire collapsed.

Man, gasped Jason, sitting back on his Wing. That was intense. Wings almost out of juice though. Well need to swap them out if were to keep going.

Call into Star Boy, said James, reviewing the damage to his hull. Maybe we can stop by the Blue Light FOB in Jersey for new Wings.

Doubt it, said Serenity, frowning at her huge gun. It had taken a tail swipe and now the barrel was kinked. You think they left a squads worth of Wings in reserve on today of all days?

Good point. Call in, regardless.

Star Boy, this is Serenity. Hive cleared. Can you check -

Serenity? Star Boys gasp was raw, panicked. Fuck, Marriotts under attack. Cant talk. Were heading down to the parking lot now. Fuck! There was the sound of a crash and then a scream. Fuck! Cindy, no, get the fuck away from that!

The radio went dead.

Star Boy? Serenity hit the button again. Star Boy!

No response.

Everybody stared at each other, wide-eyed.

James had no heart, no physical means to feel panic, but he turned to stare east toward the hidden Brooklyn. If he ran all out in hard-burn, itd still have taken him almost an hour to get back to the Marriott.

Way too late.

The Wings? Ten minutes, if they could get there at all.

Jelly, my bodys still back at the Marriott. If you eject me from the Hound, is there a way for me to just wake up?

I - yes. But its disorienting. And I will still be here, in Jersey. I advise you to let me carry your spirit back, I can reach your body in ten, fifteen minutes -

No time. Eject and send me back.

Im returning to my body, he boomed to the others. The Hound will power down. Follow on your Wings. Mancini, protect the Hound till we get back if you can. Clear?

Got it, said Serenity, turning her Wing around. Youd better be safe, Kelly! Dont you fuck around till we get there!

Ill see what I can do. James settled the Hound into a balanced pose. Good luck, everyone.

All right, Jelly. Send me home.