Angel Monarch

Chapter 23: Retreat

'At least the mission was a success, not because of us but it still counts. Who is this woman though? Judging her looks, she is like a demon straight from hell. But maybe that's not the case, she could also be an angel fighting the hordes of hell, while trying to survive.'

Bea was entertaining herself with these kind of thoughts. Anything to keep her mind off of what happened on the roof.

'Let's just hope that she is the second and not the first.'

"Lucy, report!"

"Multiple monsters heading in our direction! A couple Tainted, most are Rotten and there are even one or two Corrupted."

They were currently a block away from that horrid rooftop. Will, had the girl on his shoulder, Lucy was trying to find a safe route and Bea well, she was there to make sure all of them survived.

"Any way through them?" Asked Will.

"Some of them are already starting to fight each other, the Corrupted are massacring them. But because of that, there is no way we could break through. My suggestion is to go down."

"Is there really no other route?" Bea asked with exhaustion.

She was tired. Healing the girl enough to survive the transport, took a lot out of her. But they had to go on, the war and hundreds of lives depended on it.

Lucy looked at Bea with determination, then she glanced at the dying girl.

"No, if she could take out a patrol on her own, we need her. And if we left her, would we not be just as bad as Nightmare?"

Bea looked both at Will and Lucy. Will's face was as composed as ever, there was no emotion on it. Lucy, on the other hand looked sad. She knew better than most how bad Nightmare actually was.

"We either leave her or try our luck with the sewers." She said while not daring to look in Bea's eye.

"Well, the sewers it is then."

They found an entrance within a few minutes and after a couple of seconds, they were already moving through the waste of humans and beast alike. The smell was truly horrible to say the least.

'The sewers. Fuck, why did it had to be the sewers?'

The danger of the sewers didn't lie in the kind of monsters dwelling within. In fact, there were only 1st Tier Tainted down here and probably a creature controlling them, but they never saw that monster yet. Hopefully they never will.

They walked in total silence, trying to make as little noise as possible. They were alert, checking every corner for enemies.

Other than Lucy, neither Bea or Will could see in the dark. But they each had nightvision lenses on their eyes, which means all of them were able to see. Seeing didn't mean they were less tense, in fact it made it worse.

'She is getting worse, with this speed we will lose her. But if we make too much noise we all could die. What to do?'

Unluckily she didn't have to make a decision, because life made it for her. Lucy in the front held up her hand, there was something further ahead.

"Is it one of them?" Bea's voice was barely a whisper.

"Unfortunately no, it's three."

"Shit, that's bad. If we take any more detour there's a high chance of her dying and then all this was for nothing."

Bea thought about it for a while, then had a very bad idea that just might work.

'It will have to work or we are dead."

"Okay, everyone get ready. On my mark we start to sprint until base. Don't stop no matter what you hear. And don't look back."

"You can't mean that, it's suicide!" Lucy shouted in a whispering voice.

"I call it tactical retreat and didn't ask for your opinion. On my mark!"

Suddenly a beautiful longsword appeared in her hand. It had a very intricate design of tree branches with blooming flowers on it.

In Will's hand a shield manifested itself.

"For fuck's sake, this is a stupid idea." Said Lucy while taking out two different daggers.

"But I have never been accused of being smart." Said Lucy with a grin.

"Okay, let's go!" Bea didn't bother keeping her voice down.

Instead she ran staright into the enemies. They were some kind of crustacean. It was a 1st Tier Tainted, named: Devourer. They weren't strong at all even regulars could kill them with ease.

The scary thing about them is their communication ability. They could send waves to every other Devourer in a 1 km radius, and then swarm their prey and eat it alive. One more terrifying fact is, that there are probably millions below the city, in these very same sewers.

Bea closed the distance, and with a swipe killed one and with another decapitated another. Lucy would take care of the third, while Will just protected the girl.

"You have killed a Devourer, a Tainted of the 1st Tier! Your Soul is Nourished! You have..."

After killing the monsters they didn't slow down for even a second. They been here before and knew, that the others were already closing in on them.

"Lucy how far?" Shouted Bea.

"It's still a couple of blocks. Why? Are you regretting your decision?"

Looking back Bea glanced at the girl, a hint of a smile appeared on her face.

"Of course not! You always say life is boring in the apocalypse and now you bitch when I make it exciting!"

Before Lucy could answer they heard a sound that sent shivers down on everyone's spine. Thousands of feet scraping against stone. The noise came from everywhere but not because of the echo.

"Fuck, hurry!" Said Bea.

They ran from the sound, but it was closing in and after a minute they even saw glimpses of what's coming after them. On the floor, walls, roof, everywhere the same kind of monsters were chasing them.

"Hundred meters to the exit!" Shouted Lucy.

They ran on.

"Fifty meters!"

After a couple of seconds the saw the ladder and the incoming monsters from that direction.

"Twenty!"

They ran as fast as they could. Bea was the first to reach the hatch, but instead of going up she used her transformation and suddenly roots came out of the walls, obscuring the tunnel on both side.

She could hold it for a second or two against the creatures. But that was enough, Will was already up with the girl and Lucy was right behind her. Bea went as well and they managed to close the hatch before the Devourers arrived.

They never came out of the sewers. No one knew why.

"Fuck, we made it. Didn't expected to." Said Bea quietly.

Lucy looked at her angrily. "The fuck you mean 'Didn't expected to'. It was your idea!"

"I never said it was a good idea. It doesn't matter now anyway, let's s go home."

"Fine but just because the girl could die any minute. Don't expect that it was the end of this conversation!"

With that they approached the building in front of them. The writing on the building had some missing letters, it read: 'Havel... Police Station'.