The Beginning
Hellbound
Chapter 1: The Beginning
29 October 2006: 2315 Hours
The Jeep swerved all over the road, headlights flashing over the slick pavement. Inside was a group of 4 teenagers, all of them drunk as hell.
"Man, this fuckin' Halloween shit sucks," a Jolteon said, slurring heavily.
"I know," the driver, a Lukario replied, taking a swig from the beer can in his hand. "Les go there," he said, pointing to a cheesy sign hanging over the road. It was a burnt out neon sign with "The Dungeon" written on it.
"I heard that place was shut down," another said, a female Raichu.
"Good, no one'll be there. My parents'll kill me if they find me drunk," the driver said, pulling into the gravel parking lot. He shut the engine off, the front bumper propped up on the cement curb. He and his friends stumbled out, and staggered up to the main building. The door was nailed shut, and marked "Condemned". One of them, a Hitmonchan, delivered a solid punch to the door, and it fell open with a loud crash, sending dust everywhere.
They walked inside, and went up to the counter. "I gotta take a piss," the Lukario said, walking away to the corner. The only light was coming from the open door and the streetlights outside. The Jolteon's vast amounts of alcohol were suddenly rushing back to hit him, and he vomited behind the desk. When he was done, he stood back up, and noticed that it was dark. The door had somehow replaced itself, throwing him into pitch blackness.
"Uh...guys?" he said quietly. He fired off a quick bolt of Lightning to light his way, and heard the female Raichu scream in the distance. Frightened, small bolts of electricity started shooting from his fur. He backed away from the desk, and ran to the door, and frantically tried to get it open. The last thing that he felt was something around his neck, and then...nothing.
30 October 2006: 0030 Hours
-911, what's your emergency?
-This is The Dungeon near Route 120. We've discovered people!
-Can you be more specific?
-It's a group of teenagers, all of them have been...
-What happened?
-THEY'RE DEAD!
-Very well, I'll send a police unit over right away. Now stay on the line, and stay calm. What exactly did you find?
-...
-Hello?
-[Disconnected: 12:35 AM]
30 October 2006: 930 Hours
"Dammit," the Absol, Leon Bryant said, leaning against the ticket counter, "I can't believe some teenage punks come in and have the nerve to call 911."
"Well Captain," a Flareon said, "they WERE drunk."
"Which reminds me, why were we called in?" The Absol walked outside and shifted the loaded M16 to strap to his other shoulder. He was Squad Captain of the Hoenn SWAT team, Unit 34. The police suspected a murderer, and assumed it was still on the premises. Though the chances of a murderer staying on the 200 acre lot were pretty slim.
"Captain Bryant," a Meowth came up, holding a piece of paper, "we've been allowed to search the entire area."
Leon looked at the map. The main building was separated from the rest of the lot via a series of underground tunnels. Each house as a different "spooky attraction" for tourists. The things people do for thrills...
Leon rolled up the map, and directed his team inside. Hunt, the Flareon, Cooper, the Meowth, and Jensen, the Eevee. Each officer was armed with M16 rifles, though Bryant was doubtful about having to use them. Pulling out a flashlight and attaching it to his belt, Bryant kicked down the door to the main chamber.
The room only had a long table in the center, with plates and silverware set. The white tablecloth was yellowed with age, and was covered with a fine layer of dust. The officers went around it.
Hunt sneezed, making Leon jump. His scythe sharpened as he spun around and aimed the automatic rifle.
"On edge there, Captain?" Hunt said, wiping his nose. For some reason, as skeptical as he had been about this assignment, Leon suddenly felt...nervous. Like he shouldn't be here. He suddenly felt as though all of his squad members were in terrible danger. Nevertheless, he led them through the room. He slowly pushed open a door at the far end of the hall, and walked inside.
The hallway split after a few yards, and in an alcove on the wall was a skeleton. It was sealed behind a sheet of clear glass, giving Leon a good view of it. The bones were yellowed and deteriorating, and were cracked in places. Though what disturbed him the most was that it looked real.
Suppressing the revulsion, Leon turned left, and when he was about to push the door open, he heard a crash. He spun around, and aimed the rifle. The top half of the skeleton was sticking out of the glass, as though it had fallen over. Giving it no thought, he went to open the door again when he heard another crash, and the skeleton fell out.
It got up, and stood there, breathing shallowly.
"What shitty effects!" Cooper said. He lowered the rifle and walked up to the stationary skeleton, and looked it over. If it did have wires, they were well hidden. Cooper was about to turn and make a comment about the raspy breathing when it grabbed him by the throat.
All the officers raised their rifles to fire, and Leon held a hand up to hold their fire. He ran up to the skeleton and was about to dislodge the bony arms when the skeleton lifted Cooper into the air. Leon heard a muffled snap, and Cooper went limp. The skeleton threw Cooper's limp form to the ground, and turned to face Leon.
He brought the butt of his rifle around, and it crashed into the skull, shattering it and sending fragments of bone everywhere. The skeleton reeled back, and came back at him again. Leon had just enough time to raise his rifle and shout, "OPEN FIRE!" before it stood back up.
The skeleton jerked and jolted as the bullets pierced the fragile bone. Gunfire rang throughout the stone chamber, and the flash from the muzzle of the assault rifle started leaving spots on Leon's eyes, flashing when he blinked.
Eventually, the skeleton collapsed, and, lowering the smoking rifle, Leon brought the heel of his boot down on what was left of the skull, relieved to hear the dull crunch beneath the rubber sole. The adrenaline left him in a sudden wave, and he suddenly felt lightheaded. He slid another clip into his rifle, and turned to the rest of his squad. As he approached Cooper, he suddenly smelled something...sour.
He flipped his fellow officer's corpse over, and saw that where the skeleton had grabbed him, the fur and skin had been disintegrated, leaving only bone and muscle. The decomposition had already spread to almost all of his upper body, and all of his organs were exposed. But good Lord, the smell!
Leon grimaced as he heard Jensen throwing up in the corner. Hunt stood next to Leon, looking over the fallen officer with a look of disbelief and terror on his face.
"We gotta get the fuck outta here," he said, turning to Leon.
"Yeah, let's get," he fought for the words, "what's left of Cooper out of here."
Jensen finished returning his breakfast, and all three of them slung their rifles over their backs, lifted Cooper over their shoulders -Leon fought to keep from vomiting himself- and left the building.
"...and police officers are still investigating the case," the reporter finished. This was the biggest story of her career. Competing media teams were already on the scene, ready to film if anything should happen. Little did she know, her story was about to arrive right...about...now.
The front door crashed open, and out came 3 SWAT officers, carrying a fourth. She dashed over to the officers, who brushed right past her and carried the other officer to the SWAT personnel van. The reporter followed them, and saw what had happened to the fourth officer, and she gagged as she staggered backwards, holding her breath.
Leon turned around and covered the lens of the news camera as the cameraman came up to get a shot.
"We're not releasing anything yet. Keep your media teams out of this," he said sternly. The teams retreated like beaten dogs, but they stayed close, keeping watch in case anything happened.
Nothing else came. The Chief of Police arrived, dismissed all spectators and media crews, keeping only the local law enforcement and the SWAT team.
"Now, what happened?" he asked Leon.
Leon recounted the events inside, and when he was finished, the Chief had a look on his face that showed fear and disbelief. The Chief was a very superstitious person, having grown up in a village near Route 120, who were deathly afraid of the Absol that came from the mountains.
"Very well, Captain Bryant, you'll lead your men into the center of this place and destroy it," he said, patting a confused Leon on the back.
"Why are you potentially putting 3 more officers at risk for this mission?" Leon asked.
"4 now, we're sending in a soldier who's an expert in Demolitions. Protect her at all costs. Briefing will be later tonight, get in the van and go home. Get some sleep, you're not coming out until that place is gone," the Chief replied, climbing into the police cruiser.
Leon climbed in the van behind Hunt and Jensen, and watched as the ambulance carried Cooper off.
How the hell was he going to pull this off?
Chapter 1: The Beginning
29 October 2006: 2315 Hours
The Jeep swerved all over the road, headlights flashing over the slick pavement. Inside was a group of 4 teenagers, all of them drunk as hell.
"Man, this fuckin' Halloween shit sucks," a Jolteon said, slurring heavily.
"I know," the driver, a Lukario replied, taking a swig from the beer can in his hand. "Les go there," he said, pointing to a cheesy sign hanging over the road. It was a burnt out neon sign with "The Dungeon" written on it.
"I heard that place was shut down," another said, a female Raichu.
"Good, no one'll be there. My parents'll kill me if they find me drunk," the driver said, pulling into the gravel parking lot. He shut the engine off, the front bumper propped up on the cement curb. He and his friends stumbled out, and staggered up to the main building. The door was nailed shut, and marked "Condemned". One of them, a Hitmonchan, delivered a solid punch to the door, and it fell open with a loud crash, sending dust everywhere.
They walked inside, and went up to the counter. "I gotta take a piss," the Lukario said, walking away to the corner. The only light was coming from the open door and the streetlights outside. The Jolteon's vast amounts of alcohol were suddenly rushing back to hit him, and he vomited behind the desk. When he was done, he stood back up, and noticed that it was dark. The door had somehow replaced itself, throwing him into pitch blackness.
"Uh...guys?" he said quietly. He fired off a quick bolt of Lightning to light his way, and heard the female Raichu scream in the distance. Frightened, small bolts of electricity started shooting from his fur. He backed away from the desk, and ran to the door, and frantically tried to get it open. The last thing that he felt was something around his neck, and then...nothing.
30 October 2006: 0030 Hours
-911, what's your emergency?
-This is The Dungeon near Route 120. We've discovered people!
-Can you be more specific?
-It's a group of teenagers, all of them have been...
-What happened?
-THEY'RE DEAD!
-Very well, I'll send a police unit over right away. Now stay on the line, and stay calm. What exactly did you find?
-...
-Hello?
-[Disconnected: 12:35 AM]
30 October 2006: 930 Hours
"Dammit," the Absol, Leon Bryant said, leaning against the ticket counter, "I can't believe some teenage punks come in and have the nerve to call 911."
"Well Captain," a Flareon said, "they WERE drunk."
"Which reminds me, why were we called in?" The Absol walked outside and shifted the loaded M16 to strap to his other shoulder. He was Squad Captain of the Hoenn SWAT team, Unit 34. The police suspected a murderer, and assumed it was still on the premises. Though the chances of a murderer staying on the 200 acre lot were pretty slim.
"Captain Bryant," a Meowth came up, holding a piece of paper, "we've been allowed to search the entire area."
Leon looked at the map. The main building was separated from the rest of the lot via a series of underground tunnels. Each house as a different "spooky attraction" for tourists. The things people do for thrills...
Leon rolled up the map, and directed his team inside. Hunt, the Flareon, Cooper, the Meowth, and Jensen, the Eevee. Each officer was armed with M16 rifles, though Bryant was doubtful about having to use them. Pulling out a flashlight and attaching it to his belt, Bryant kicked down the door to the main chamber.
The room only had a long table in the center, with plates and silverware set. The white tablecloth was yellowed with age, and was covered with a fine layer of dust. The officers went around it.
Hunt sneezed, making Leon jump. His scythe sharpened as he spun around and aimed the automatic rifle.
"On edge there, Captain?" Hunt said, wiping his nose. For some reason, as skeptical as he had been about this assignment, Leon suddenly felt...nervous. Like he shouldn't be here. He suddenly felt as though all of his squad members were in terrible danger. Nevertheless, he led them through the room. He slowly pushed open a door at the far end of the hall, and walked inside.
The hallway split after a few yards, and in an alcove on the wall was a skeleton. It was sealed behind a sheet of clear glass, giving Leon a good view of it. The bones were yellowed and deteriorating, and were cracked in places. Though what disturbed him the most was that it looked real.
Suppressing the revulsion, Leon turned left, and when he was about to push the door open, he heard a crash. He spun around, and aimed the rifle. The top half of the skeleton was sticking out of the glass, as though it had fallen over. Giving it no thought, he went to open the door again when he heard another crash, and the skeleton fell out.
It got up, and stood there, breathing shallowly.
"What shitty effects!" Cooper said. He lowered the rifle and walked up to the stationary skeleton, and looked it over. If it did have wires, they were well hidden. Cooper was about to turn and make a comment about the raspy breathing when it grabbed him by the throat.
All the officers raised their rifles to fire, and Leon held a hand up to hold their fire. He ran up to the skeleton and was about to dislodge the bony arms when the skeleton lifted Cooper into the air. Leon heard a muffled snap, and Cooper went limp. The skeleton threw Cooper's limp form to the ground, and turned to face Leon.
He brought the butt of his rifle around, and it crashed into the skull, shattering it and sending fragments of bone everywhere. The skeleton reeled back, and came back at him again. Leon had just enough time to raise his rifle and shout, "OPEN FIRE!" before it stood back up.
The skeleton jerked and jolted as the bullets pierced the fragile bone. Gunfire rang throughout the stone chamber, and the flash from the muzzle of the assault rifle started leaving spots on Leon's eyes, flashing when he blinked.
Eventually, the skeleton collapsed, and, lowering the smoking rifle, Leon brought the heel of his boot down on what was left of the skull, relieved to hear the dull crunch beneath the rubber sole. The adrenaline left him in a sudden wave, and he suddenly felt lightheaded. He slid another clip into his rifle, and turned to the rest of his squad. As he approached Cooper, he suddenly smelled something...sour.
He flipped his fellow officer's corpse over, and saw that where the skeleton had grabbed him, the fur and skin had been disintegrated, leaving only bone and muscle. The decomposition had already spread to almost all of his upper body, and all of his organs were exposed. But good Lord, the smell!
Leon grimaced as he heard Jensen throwing up in the corner. Hunt stood next to Leon, looking over the fallen officer with a look of disbelief and terror on his face.
"We gotta get the fuck outta here," he said, turning to Leon.
"Yeah, let's get," he fought for the words, "what's left of Cooper out of here."
Jensen finished returning his breakfast, and all three of them slung their rifles over their backs, lifted Cooper over their shoulders -Leon fought to keep from vomiting himself- and left the building.
"...and police officers are still investigating the case," the reporter finished. This was the biggest story of her career. Competing media teams were already on the scene, ready to film if anything should happen. Little did she know, her story was about to arrive right...about...now.
The front door crashed open, and out came 3 SWAT officers, carrying a fourth. She dashed over to the officers, who brushed right past her and carried the other officer to the SWAT personnel van. The reporter followed them, and saw what had happened to the fourth officer, and she gagged as she staggered backwards, holding her breath.
Leon turned around and covered the lens of the news camera as the cameraman came up to get a shot.
"We're not releasing anything yet. Keep your media teams out of this," he said sternly. The teams retreated like beaten dogs, but they stayed close, keeping watch in case anything happened.
Nothing else came. The Chief of Police arrived, dismissed all spectators and media crews, keeping only the local law enforcement and the SWAT team.
"Now, what happened?" he asked Leon.
Leon recounted the events inside, and when he was finished, the Chief had a look on his face that showed fear and disbelief. The Chief was a very superstitious person, having grown up in a village near Route 120, who were deathly afraid of the Absol that came from the mountains.
"Very well, Captain Bryant, you'll lead your men into the center of this place and destroy it," he said, patting a confused Leon on the back.
"Why are you potentially putting 3 more officers at risk for this mission?" Leon asked.
"4 now, we're sending in a soldier who's an expert in Demolitions. Protect her at all costs. Briefing will be later tonight, get in the van and go home. Get some sleep, you're not coming out until that place is gone," the Chief replied, climbing into the police cruiser.
Leon climbed in the van behind Hunt and Jensen, and watched as the ambulance carried Cooper off.
How the hell was he going to pull this off?
Chapter End Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended, and is applicable for all consecutive chapters that follow.