ALTDOOM.TXT - Violence - 12/11/98 A DOOM Story - What's it like on the other side? By SwampRat (cl) 1998 Gay Furry Association Karrlt was restless. Afterlife was beginning to grind on him. He was resigned to his place here, as a Knight of Hell. His big hands clawed at the arms of his rock throne. He had been evil during his life, or so many said, but he was Always honorable, Adhering to his religion and Codes as strictly as any paladin. And it wasn't just the chaos he lived in - That was enough to drive Anyone Mad! The constant bickering, the snarled/growled/hissed arguments, The fights that did not good whatsoever - Anything dead simply got resurrected.. He scratched his fur-covered leg absently, knowing it was nerves - There wasn't a flea that could live in this hell. The thought made him laugh, a rumbling, bestial sound. But it wasn't the strife, or the stench one never quite got used to, it was the rumors... Somehow humanity had opened a doorway into hell, and a war was going on. He would not have cared - If mankind was That Stupid, they got what they deserved - It was the new 'Recruits'. He knew uniforms when he saw them, no matter How many centuries had passed on earth, and it sickened him. Warriors should be comforted in the knowledge that no matter what the outcome, they will rest after the battle. Twice he had fought zombies in his life - Twice he had found the monster who had defiled his kin so, and Burned them alive. His fingers dug into the stone he sat on, glowing with power. And now... Now came word that a single man was doing battle with overwhelming numbers of foes.. And winning! It grated to the very core of his being.. When the man died, there would be no bard to sing of his valor, No scribe to pen his accomplishments. And not even Death would ease his suffering - His body would simply stand back up, grip it's weapon and turn on those who sent him. This was not to be Tolerated! Karrlt was a Knight of Hell, Second in power and size Only to those who had been mated to machines - And he scorned their weakness. He took stock of himself - Well-muscled arms with hands that threw fireballs or could rend with claws. Big, sinewy Legs ending in thick cloven hoofs tempered in the fires of hell itself. A body that could absorb punishment and give it back multifold.. He stood and with one savage back-kick, shattered the chair of stone, then clopped to a teleport pad, and thence out to the the place he last heard the man was, Determined to help in any way possible... Heaven may have turned him away, but Hell sure as.. Well - It didn't own him either. * * * * Thomas sat down in a corner, panting. Things didn't look good. That last wave had almost gotten him. He glanced down the corridor and rolled the twice-dead corpse over to retrieve the clip on his belt.. And look at a photo that had fallen from the man's pocket. A wife and a daughter looked back at him. The man was a Marine - had probably died fighting.. To return as a Zombie, shooting at Him. Tom growled to himself. He may end up that way but he would make them pay Dearly for the privilege! He heard the creatures regrouping, and had to laugh despite the bleakness. More than once he had watched a brawl ensue when a stray bullet or shotgun blast had missed him and hit something else. Or one of the 'Brownies' would kick another in the butt, spoiling their aim. He had been jostled, shoved, even pushed to one side so they could fight one another.. No wonder Hell was in such a Mess! The lights only half-worked but he could see well enough to know he didn't have enough ammo. Well - Either he won or he died. Nothing else to think.. A box of shells skittered across the floor, bouncing off the walls and hit his foot. He filled his pump shotgun, putting the rest into one of the bandoliers that crossed his chest. Nothing else moved, so he looked at the box. It had a strange hoof-like indentation.. A growl told him he had no more time to wonder. He cocked the weapon, and turned to stand in the corridor, shooting yet another ex-marine, grimacing as a bullet bounced off his armor, riding the recoil, letting it jerk the heavy gun up, left hand pumping the eject/reload mechanism, then let it fall back at his side to pull the trigger again.. Continuing until there was nothing more moving. A hiss behind him made the marine flatten his back against the wall, and peek around the corner. Just Great - The noise had attracted a 'Big Red Ball'. They spat fire that hurt like Hell when it hit. They also Bit with big, ugly teeth. And took some time to kill. Crap! Well - Nobody said the job would be easy.. He jerked his head back just as it spat a ball of energy at him. Quickly refilling the shotgun, he let it fall by his side, pulling the gattling gun from it's holder on his back, checking the magazine. About 47 bullets left.. He Could empty the pistol clips in the hopper, but right now he had to worry more about shooting... The ball floated up close enough to touch, it's single eye looking at him. Before Thomas could pull the trigger, a clawed fist appeared - Right through the middle of the monster! It jerked, the eye looking less angry and more scared as claws ripped through it, the final touch being a cloven hoof slamming it into the wall hard enough to rupture it's body, the eye looking at him accusingly before rolling from it's socket, body deflating until it was just an ugly mess. The creature that followed clopped a big hoof in the morass, splattering him. "Ugh! Damn.." If the marine didn't know better, he could swear it was smiling at him. "It's not funny.." A big clawed hand pulled a door open in the corridor, reached inside and tossed first a medikit, then a suit of riot gear at him, grinning. Tom dropped the gun. "You going to watch me undress too?" It growled at him, and he took a half-step back. "Alright Alright.." Hell probably had Perverts too, And This armor was about gone. He dropped his weapons-pack and was undoing his shirt when it moved again. Big, clawed hands glowed and a fireball erupted, flying past him, singing his hair, and killing a zombie he hadn't seen. "Damn!" he said, turning back to look at the monster who had a smug grin on it's snout. A waved hand told him to get on with it.. Thomas turned his back, watching the corridor, not caring so much about the creature looking at his naked butt, as having it shot. By the time he got it on, fastened - Thank You Whoever made Velcro! - and re-armed, the being was gone! He turned and peered down the hallway, shaking the goggles on his hip. "Damn. Battery's dead." He tossed them to one side and looked at the wall where claws had dug into the metal. The door hung ajar and he chuckled hitting the lightbar, checking the contents - A medikit he couldn't use, A blue vial of FeelGood(tm) that he emptied in a few swallows, a couple more pads of armor. He tapped the walls.. One opened up revealing a secret area. Tom stared at the rotating ball of blue stuff... Sometimes he wondered at Satan - Why leave Spheres of Power laying around like marbles for Him to find? So far he had managed to find 3 different kinds - Blue ones that were like FeelGood(tm), except a hundred times better. Tan ones that were some warrior's, or demons soul that settled on him, giving him extra strength. And the Green ones.. The first time he had touched one it scared him so badly he damn near pissed himself - Wrapped in a golden shroud, able to walk through lava, kill and not feel any pain or take any damage.. But the energy only lasted a while. At first he thought Man had somehow made then.. Then maybe God was watching over him. But while he Did believe, it was more a God of War he worshiped. He shook his head. There are some things one doesn't ask. Sometimes he Wondered though... Was this His Hell? Valhalla, Where one killed and died to wake the next day? Was Satan using him as some kind of tester for a new race of demons? Or was it all just some kind of cosmic game.. Thomas growled to himself, making a mental note of where the sphere was, so he could find it again. Then walked down the hall, ready for just about anything. * * * * "You know they won't let you continue.." An imp stood in front of the Knight/Lord. "And what can they do? Kill me? Demote me?" the bestial head shook, getting a a rue smile from the brown demon. Isfhuir - Friend, Battle Leutant, TribeSon.. His daughter would have no other rogue to wed and he had laughingly approved. "This really isn't your fight.." A clawed hand slapped his hairy butt. "And what if I choose to make it..." Pellets hit the big male, stinging, followed by the sound of a shotgun. The brown demon looked surprised. "Well, I guess I will see you later..." Then jerked as his body was hit again. Blood started pouring out the wound, staining the demon's hand red as he grabbed it. "Then again..." He fell slowly, crumpling at the Knight's hooves, eyes turning sightlessly. Karrlt waited for the body to turn to smoke and disappear as all the others did. He smiled and poked the still figure, "Come on now.. Fun is fun. Pop back into hell..." Nothing. The big male felt the sting of a bullet, ignoring it as he knelt. "Isfhuir?" The demon was Truly Dead. The soul was gone, banished to someplace - Or perhaps destroyed. There were rumors... Another bullet pinged off his horns as he closed the eyes and stood. There wasn't a third as the rifle was jerked out of the zombie's hand crushing it, while the other lifted the man's body and pinned it to the wall with 5 taloned fingers. "Where!" He snarled, knowing the Others would hear through this vessel. A rictus of a grin came over it's face. "You will find out.." came out brokenly. "So will you.." Karrlt cut a symbol in the undead flesh, and let it fall. First it looked surprised, then as smoke curled from it's chest, worried. It even had a chance to scream softly before the body was consumed by Eldrich Fire. The Knight curled bloody fingers and held his fist high, looking at the floor. "Did you think I would Forget? Did you think the knowledge won so hard, burned in my Kin's flesh would be so easily removed, even in the Mind-Numbing rot of Hell?" He snarled and stepped past the ashes, making them swirl around. Before it had been Honor that made him meddle.. Now - Now It Was Personal. The corridor lit with a multi-colored fire, racing before it's maker, destroying everything in it's path - Zombies, Brown Imps, Lessor Demons... A hand would flare, a hoof would stomp and another creature would fall, never to rise again. Bullets, bites, cuts were ignored as the mad-monster ripped through all before his path.. * * * * Thomas heard the guttural noises, smelt the stench of burning skin and something else.. He might not know the lingo, but Anger is universal. A brown and red body was laying on the floor of what looked like a battle.. Holes in the wall - Some still red and wet - Dents and batches of spent casings laying all over. The body somehow looked more un-natural then it should.. It was cold and hard to the touch, the eyelids closed, dried blood streaked down them the way fingers would if pushing them shut. Continuing onward, he found - Nothing. Not a body, Not a clip, Not a rifle.. The rivets that held the walls together had melted, some fused with the metal so well, it was almost seamless. He swallowed, wondering who or What was going before him. Enough thought.. There were still gates to close, and Hell to pay for former friends who he had to shoot to bring down. Cocking his shotgun again, the soldier stalked down the corridor. * * * * Karrlt felt more alive than he had in centuries.. No more Humans came to be slaughtered, just old 'friends' who laughed at him.. Then screamed in anger when he banished them back to hell - Or other places. "Is this the Best you can do?" he snarled mockingly as a fellow knight hit the wall, out cold from a massive upper cut. Everything got quiet for a moment.. Then he heard it - The clomp/thunk of a metallic hoof. So.. They must be getting desperate to send one of Those bastards out. "Well, Let's not Disappoint them..." The image of a dead friend and a living comrade etched in his memory, the Knight Of Hell walked into an open area and stood, sneering at a creature That was part-flesh, part machine. "At last we meet, little bug." Karrlt snorted. He had heard better insults from stable-boys who didn't like the size of his tip.."Yes we do, No-Balls. Did they have much to cut-off when they mated your fat arse to the metal, or was it easy, because you had nothing to begin with.." His opponent was taken aback, then the cybernetic monster roared as it spread it metallic hooved and aimed at the Knight. "Die, You insignificant flea!" The half-arm, half projectile cannon lifted and fired. The Lord of Urrlt laughed and swatted the short missle aside. "I have caught arrows that were faster." Then leaped at his adversary, which made the second rocket go awry.. Hitting his hoof, it took everything from the knee down in a shower of demon blood. The third went over his head as the knight hit the ground from the force of the explosion. Rolling one way then the other, he noted there was always 3 rockets.. And a pause while the arm was re- loaded. Dancing behind a pillar he taunted, "What's the matter Metal balls, Can't hit a one-legged demon?" 3 more explosions sent chips of metal and stone flying.. But it was what Karrlt was waiting for - As soon as the third boom came he was around the pillar and hopping at the creature, screaming his hatred.. It's arrogance would not let it step back, so he literally leapt on the creature, smashing metal with his remaining hoof, hands trying to get around the thick throat.. It roared, swatting at him with the cannon-hand, reeling for a moment.. Then slammed it's taloned fingers into his body, smashing his spine. "Now you will be ground under my hooves, you little Piece of.." It Urked as strong fingers grabbed wires and tubes. "We shall die together then." Karrlt's hand glowed green as he reached over and gripped the cannon's muzzle, melting it, fusing it shut. "What.. What are you..." The other hand glowed as well, reaching for the creatures neck and all the metallic devices. In panic, the Demon jerked it head - Which set off the first rocket. It had barely started when it hit the solid metal plug that had been the end of the barrel. It thunked and stopped, motor still burning hotly.. It was beginning to melt a hole when then second rocked was jacked in place and fired off.. Which hit the first one. They both exploded violently.. The third one that was being jacked in place also went, taking the rest of the magazine with it. * * * * When Thomas got the door pried open, sunlight was streaming in a hole - 2 stories up. A pair of metal hooves welded to the floor plates were the Only thing left to mark a pretty big battle - Shrapnel, rubble, damaged consoles. It was easy to climb out into a stretch of field with flowers and birds.. After a rest, he hiked his way up into the forest, and foothills until he could clearly see the beacon he had planted - Then pressed the red button on the remote in his hand. 3 mountain tops away a section of rock and metal melted into slag, falling into itself. Little tremors followed as level after level of underground structure and everything inside was turned to gunk.. The meadow he had been on an hour before slumped and fell in, becoming a man-made lake - as soon as it rained next. Tom was picked-up, de-briefed, and sent out on a vacation. He didn't tell them about the Big demon, nor about the piece of metal he wore as a third dog-tag. 'Karrlt' had been etched, or burned or stamped - he wasn't sure what - into it. Historians said he was some kind of Evil Lord in a small country way back when. But to him, the big male would always be a Guardian Angel. The End.