Vice Grip

[graybeardhalt]

-Ebenezar calmly looked up as the alarm rang out. "Well, looks like we'll have to take a rain check on that drink," Ebenezar said, disappointment in his tone. "So which way to the gate?" As he said this, Ebenezar began tugging at the device on his wrist. It was really starting to itch, and it felt like all his blood was rushing to his hand.

[Noven]

-Insil shrugged that he would have to be forced into the fight so quickly, getting up and preparing himself for the battle ahead. He grabbed his gear and warped out, streaming out with others to meet up at the main gate, getting in line with the other soldiers.

[Pulse]

Hearing the announcement ring through the tunnels and into his room, Arthur's lips were split by a toothy grin. Finally, some action! He leapt up from the table over which he'd been studiously wiping clean the devices from within his coat, tucking them inside with one hand and whipping out Eleanor with the other. This was another test, right? The dragon-lady from before would surely like to see if her new products would stand the wear and tear along their way. He padded down to the main gate at a half-pace, sliding in a fresh bolt as he ran.
"Let them see your war faces, girls!" the elf spoke with a measure of pride, peering at the others he'd met earlier critically. Hmm. They would do well enough for competitors in this grand game of they took far too seriously.

[lukuz13]

-Ilo snapped his head up at the sudden announcement, the location all he needed to be told, jumping up from his seat that he had not a moment ago just sat down, grabbing his makeshift weapon, by now old and weary, yet it still worked...especially for the foul flesh it sliced. Stepping up and grabbing hold of the pendant, Ilo began to picture the main gate as well as he could, the scene of surely a dozen other warriors such as himself ready for combat flashing through his mind, and in a moment, was gone and there at once, looking around him to see the demons writhing in a seedy mass that made Ilo sick to his stomach. The urge to kill them all began to course through his veins.

[thatfallout3guy]

Samara was cut off as she walked down the halls, groaning as she remembered the pendant, "Of course we'd get attacked! Hoo-fucking-rah!" She said, sighing before picturing the main gate in her mind, ready to get the entire thing over with.

[arentheawesome]

Nera looked up toward the high rock ceiling, then toward the east. Starting off at a brisk pace, she motioned for Ebenezar to follow. As they walked, markets were packed up hastily, citizens rushed into their homes and locked the doors, and almost immediately, the streets were deserted.

Alpha laughed when he heard Arthur speak up somewhere in the crowd of soldiers. He was starting to like that kid.
"Attention, troops!" The captain was stalking back and forth in front of the front-liners. By now, the sound of the demons were growing louder and more distinct. Some sounded like bugs, clicking and croaking, and others sounded like feral dogs of a sort, snarling and roaring. However, all sounds were soon melting into a chorus of murderous hymn.
"The secondary gates should hold off, but we don't have much time before they get to the entryway. These gates are strong, but surely they won't hold out against this horde." He knocked a knuckle against the giant metal-and-wood doors. "Our top priority is to keep them out of the village and as far into the tunnels as we can until our mages can repair the breach up top. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" came the multitude of replies.
"Get ready then!" Shouted the commander, and raised a hand. Men at either side of the gates went to work sliding them open. Men at all sides twitched in anticipation.
Then, all of a sudden, the wood splintered and cracked, and the feral screams were almost deafening. The men opening the gates tried to open them quickly as to keep the damage minor, but to no avail. The first black, spined, long-toothed creature broke through, wood splintering free from hinges. That was followed by another, then another. A moment of mutual contemplation flashed through both parties, before the lead demon roared out and charged at the commander.
"Attack!" The man shouted frantically, drawing his sword and taking the first swing.
Alpha growled in bloodlust and delight, and ran forth as the stream of demons broke through the gates, seemingly endlessly.

[Rygand]

Even deeper underground...

Matthew was breathing heavily, wiping sweat off his forehead. He heaved his pickaxe up, bringing it down upon the hard stone once again, as he had done for hours now. They had made great progress today, and the men were in high spirits, hacking away at the rock.

"Matthew! Matthew!" a deep, booming voice came from further up the new tunnel. Only barely hearing this in midst of all the sounds of rock coming in contact with metal, he stopped what he was doing, giving a confused look over his shoulder. "Did you hear me, Matt?! Get the hell up here, your price money came in!"

At this, the rest of the mining crew started whooping and cheering loudly, some coming over to pat Matthew on the back in congratulation. Not only because they were happy for their comrade, but also knowing that he'd be paying for the drinks later tonight. Matthew smiled lightly, waving a hand dismissively. He headed towards the voice, and eventually reached a small pit-stop that had been put up, where the miners kept their water and food supplies. Matthew's boss -- and the boss of all the miners of this company, Newgate. He was an older, somewhat pudgy man -- though his most notable features were his booming voice and large, bushy gray beard. He had created the Middleland Tunneling Company soon after the Vice had broken loose.

"Matt, you son a bitch! That was an amazing fight last night! A bit one-sided, perhaps, but goddamn it, son, you gave them one hell of a show!" Newgate came up to Matthew, patting him on the shoulder, with a hearty cackle. He handed the large miner a plump envelope. "The drinks are on you tonight! No buts!" Matthew chuckled, nodding.

It was then, that the alarm from upstairs alerted the men working further underground to the attack happening up above. A silence fell on the tunneling company. A few drops of cold sweat showed up on Newgate's brow, as he stuttered. "An attack?! Now of all times?! What if they flood the whole damn tunnel, and make it collapse?!"

The other miners stopped their work, worry clear in all of their expressions. They stood quiet, as if awaiting further instructions, not sure what to do in such a situation. Some of them seemed anxious to get out of the tunnel, while some chattered amongst themselves about the structural integrity of the tunnel. Battle raging next to the tunnel couldn't be good.

Matthew looked further up the tunnel, a quiet anger in his eyes. He grasped his trusty pickaxe tightly, turning his gaze on his boss. "We should get out of here.", the miner said calmly. Newgate gave him a somewhat crosseyed look, not entirely sure he was hearing the man right.

"WHAT?! Didn't you hear the announcement?! They must be at the gates by now! There's no way into the city, the tunnel's entrance is right next to it, damn it! Have you gone nutty, boy?!"

Matthew looked to Newgate, his gaze serious. "Then we fight our way back into town. We're in just as much danger here. At least, if we go up there, we'll have the soldiers backing us."

Newgate set his jaw, still looking at Matthew like he was crazy, but at the same time, he could not help agreeing with him. If those creatures swarmed this place, they'd be as good as dead. He grit his teeth, clenching his fists. He went to pick up a loudspeaker, and before activating it, he gave Matthew one last look. "If we die, I'm gonna kill you, Matthew." The miner nodded, smirking.

With the loudspeaker, Newgate's voice echoed through the entire tunnel.

"Alright, boys! You heard the announcement! We can't risk these motherfuckers flooding our precious tunnel, so what do you say we show those goddamn soldiers how real men fight?! LET'S GET UP THERE AND SHOW THEM HELL!

The men in the tunnel stood with most of their jaws gaping at this announcement. After an unsettling quiet, Matthew saw it fit to break it. He raised his pickaxe in the air, and raised his voice to a rally, a battlecry.

"Let's give them hell, boys!"

After the quiet start, the men joined in this, all of them accepting the order from their boss, as if it was just business as usual. Picking up their equipment as weaponry, the men started rushing up top, ready to battle for their craft, and their lives.

Matthew and Newgate watched the men go ahead, and the larger, younger miner looked to his boss, smiling widely. "Sorry if this goes bad, boss." The older man shook his head, amused. "Ah, fuck it. You only live once. How often does a simple miner get the chance to fight off the legions of hell and be a hero? Let's get up there, son!"

Both men nodded in agreement, and ran after the rest of the men.

[Pulse]

The soldiers surrounding him rushed forward at the drop of a hat, leaving Arthur in the dust, his mild laughter replaced by a slight pang of loneliness.
"Hey guys, I...guys?" He began, cut off by the war-cries of several dozen men, just as many screaming, in the manliest baritones possible. Was there supposed to be a difference?
'Just their own little ways of dealing with fear, I guess. Even if it does sound ridiculous to anyone that isn't high on war, or whatever this was.', he judged, rolling to the side to narrowly avoid the reach of a demon's ill-gotten blade, almost losing his goggles in the process. Whoa. Fast little bugger. Arthur decided to forgo the plan to keep them at range for now; his bolts would probably be ineffective against their armour, anyway. Best to give yourself a little breathing room before you try anything heroic, years of experience had taught him. Muttering frenzied apologies to his beloved instrument, the leather-clad elf dropped his crossbow in favour of his machete, slashing at the creature before him in retaliation. His initial swing connected with the battle-crazed beast, quite well in fact, so well that he had a hard time removing it from the side of the monster's abdomen.
"Come on girl, we've work to do! Stop flirting with his insides!" he yelped, one hand clutching Joanna's hilt, the other attempting to punch out the demon. The creature yowled in his face, surprised more than anything, spittle flying from his mouth - least, Arthur thought it was his mouth - on impact.
Finally, the blade came loose, much to Arthur's delight, who followed up with several wild slashes to the demon's neck. With yet another scream that jarred his combatant's ear's, the demon fell forward, nearly taking Arthur with him. Dead. Arthur slipped Joanna back into her leather bindings, not before pausing to meticulously scrape off any bits of demon, taking up Eleanor, lining up a shot. The target in mind was a good deal larger than his previous opponent, at least two heads taller, currently engaged with a broadsword-wielding soldier.
"Well, far be it for us to intrude and try and save a couple lives, eh Ellie? He can thank us later. Preferably with money." Arthur muttered, sliding in a scavenged bolt, whooping as it embedded itself in his target's arm. Ugh, bad shot. He followed it up with a volley of three more, the second missing, Eleanor's twang as it released each pure music to her wielder's ears.
Padding over to fetch the bolts he'd loosed off his foe's body, Arthur grinned. He'd have to start counting.
'This should be interesting...' He thought, sizing up his next couple targets with glee.

[lukuz13]

-Ilo did not need a second order, ripping his axe from his side within a moment and took a odd stance, not one of battle, but one of meditation, how odd. Holding the axe in front of him, Ilo felt a surge of energy flow through his arm, a manner of holy magic, not the most powerful, after severing ties with Vice it took all he had to retain this much of his teachings that weren't tainted with the mad god's teachings. The gold/white light emboldened the axe, giving it a aura of that of a holy battle axe, however faint, surging through his arms to prepare himself for his next move.

Holding his arms high, Ilo opened his eyes from his meditation and let out a deep booming call, rushing directly past Arthur, and following the first wave that collided with the monsters, leaping into the air and slamming into the wave from above, slicing directly into some sort of demon of rage it seemed, it's face contorted in horrid ways from the darkest nightmares. None of this stopped the man, as he slung his axe directly to the side, slicing into any of them that dared not to flee, turning a set of white glowing eyes to them and unleashed a small blast of holy energy from his palm to dispose of any of those that were fleeing at the sight, if any. Any of the beasts caught in the line of fire seemed to be incinerated, crumbling to dust at his blast, and at each swing of his axe, felt their bodies cut to dust, carving a path forward that seemed to boost the moral of any fighting near him. After the initial burst of rage, Ilo paused for a moment, closing his eyes as he tried to control his energy better and let out a soft sigh.
"Nothing but weeds..." He grumbled, opening his eyes in anger. "Trash, I will smite you all back to the circle of hell you crawled from!" He called, launching back into battle.