The pair of boney HellHounds scrambled towards us at a rapid pace. They clambered over the training equipment and were halfway across the room when our first attacks began to land on the charging duo. Junipher attempted SEIZING ROOTS on one and it slowed as the roots snatched at its legs. It tumbled and tugged and the roots snapped and it returned to it’s mad dash. The other one was hit by a GRAVITY SPIKE on the nose and tumbled but didn’t stop and quickly followed the first.

A POWER SHOT smashed into the face of the first beast that failed to penetrate. The attack did manage to stagger it and slow its advance. As the beasts reached the kennels Phil, Scheel and Hernandez charged forward to intercept. Phil activated UNSTOPPABLE ADVANCE and smashed the staggered hound in the face. Bone chips flew as his shield connected on the beast's boney muzzle. Its feet lifted off the ground with the force of the hit and Hernandez slid under its stomach and pumped several rounds into its soft belly.

“Think he’s going to send them two by two?” Bradley asked as Phil and Hernandez engaged the first hound.

“Nah, I think that creepy fuck is going to send four then six, then we get the main event after he’s wore us down.” I replied while I suppressed the second one that Scheel was about to engage.

The first hound bit down on Phil’s shield as its blood and guts poured from the wound created by Hernandez. It was injured but not fatally and was definitely not out of the fight. The oversized dog tried to swipe at Phil and he hopped back and swung his sword into its face. It clanged against the bone armor of its face and did little to harm the animal. Junipher slid into the beast's side with her spear and I turned my attention to the other fight.

Hernandez continued his slide past the lead hound then sprung into the air and pumped more rounds into the back of the second one right as Scheel shot forward with a glowing sidekick that spun the dog in place. I took the opportunity to activate SELECTIVE AMMO: PLASMA and pulled the trigger. A white hot streak crossed the 20 meters between us and burned it’s way through the hounds ribs. It yelped in pain and rage and took a step in my direction before Scheel landed a flurry of powerful blows in its opposite ribs. It buckled under the onslaught and Bradley finished it with another POWER SHOT through the heart. It stumbled then slumped dead on the ground.

“One down!” Bradley yelled over the din of battle.

We turned our guns on the first hound and watched as Phil and Junipher worked together to rip out the beasts neck. It tumbled over the meat pile and died. Just as I predicted the Super Creep didn’t disappoint and ordered the next four of his personal hounds on the attack.

“I was really hoping you wouldn’t be right.” Two were easy, four was gonna be a bit trickier.

“HERNANDEZ, SCHEEL! PULL BACK!” I didn’t need TACTICAL ACUMEN to tell me they were going to get fucked up if they stayed over extended as they were.

“EXPLOSIVE ROUNDS!” I yelled to Bradley, then to Hawkings “TRIP THEM UP HOWEVER YOU CAN!”

They both went to work as directed and the rest of the group readied themselves for the next assault. Valley went about healing the frontliners during the brief intermission. We learned from the previous engagement and applied that knowledge to work the larger group. Phil and Scheel wove back and forth amongst the hounds and turned them for the fire support line to take advantage of their weak flanks. Hernadez and Junipher harried the others anytime they tried to break away and within a minute all the hounds were dead or dying.

Broshaan chittered in what seemed to be laughter while we murdered his dogs. This fucker thinks he’s going to win. He waved casually and the last six broke out at a slow jog as we regathered our formation.

“This shit’s getting old!” Phil hollered back.

“I agree. It’s also a little too predictable. We’re missing something.” I yelled back.

“Three seconds!” Bradley tossed out a suggestion after that. “Let’s focus left to right, Hawkings trips em up and we pummel ‘em”

“Sounds good to me!” I yelled as I began engaging the designated target.

The beast smacked the ground under the force of a well timed GRAVITY SPIKE and was punched clean through with a pair of plasma rounds. It struggled to its feet and then fell on its face and bled out. We moved to the next target and dropped him the same way.

“Too easy”, I muttered.

The HellHound at the rear of the charging formation thought so too because as soon as his buddies hit the floor he stopped and let out an ear piercing howl. The other three smashed into our frontline just as a series of long answering howls rose up from behind us.

“FUCK! Shoulda cleared the whole thing!” Bradley yelled.

“Sue me later! You, me, and Hawking, cover the rear! PHIL, YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN!”

“ROGER, BEESH!”

No sooner had I communicated our intent than a horde of angry hounds broke through the entryway behind our group. We began engaging the dogs as soon as they broke through.

Hawkings stepped up and yelled “PARTICLE WAVE!”

A wave of blue-purple energy rolled out in front of him and smashed into the first wave of hounds. They tumbled backwards and their bodies seemed to dissolve and drop their skulls to the ground. Then Hawkings muttered something else and disappeared in a burst of purple energy to stand behind us with a wide smile.

“I’ve been waiting for a good chance to use that!” He yelled behind us.

“The fuck have you been hiding that one at!?!? I yelled over my shoulder.

“Two minute cooldown.”

I shrugged and went back to shooting Hellhounds as they emerged through the door. Bradley smirked at the young man behind us who assisted with the occasional GRAVITY SPIKE. As the tide of hounds began to press our position I let my rifle swing to my side and drew my pistols. I laid down a volley of accurate and devastating fire that allowed Bradley and Hawkings to reposition themselves more favorably. The Plasma pistol buzzed empty and I holstered it to get a recharge and brought my ballistic shield out while I worked the beasts that snapped and clawed to get at me. Soon the tide of hellhounds ceased and I blinked. It felt like hours, but was barely over a minute. Guns kill shit quick.

I spun to get back in the big fight to find it winding down. Broshaan was walking calmly to the center of the room dragging his massive sword behind him. He didn’t look very happy that his ambush didn’t work. Hernandez was the last to bring his target down with a shotgun blast to the neck. Whatever skill he used literally ripped the head clean off the body. Broshaan didn’t seem to give two fucks that we needed a break. No rest for the wicked, it seems.

“We’re not going to have any rest time.” Bradley said as we walked forward to rejoin the group.

“Nope.” I stated simply. “You good Phil?”

“Fuck yeah, Beesh!” He said and stepped forward and placed himself in Broshaan’s line of sight.

He bagan jogging forward with Scheel on his heels. At some point she had rejoined the fight. Suddenly the creep launched into the air with its sword held in those impossibly long hands above its head. Phil skidded to a halt and brought his tower shield up right as the giant sword crashed down on him. The dust on the ground blew out in a visible shockwave and Phil buckled under the pressure and went to his knee with a grimace. Scheel and Hernandez tumbled backwards on their asses and Junipher braced herself with her spear.

Broshaan swung back to attack again and Hawkings held his hand out and muttered, “MASS MANIPULATION” Broshaan’s swing spun his newly reduced mass backwards off balance. He hopped back quickly to avoid a vicious spear thrust from Junipher. Another thrust came in for his abdomen that he blocked with the flat of his blade. Scheel came in from the back and unleashed a heavy haymaker to the back of his knee. Broshaan slipped to his knee and spun his other foot back and connected in Scheels mid-section. She flew across the room and collapsed against the far wall. Valley rushed to her side while Phil and Hernandez regained their feet.

Bradley and I began pumping rounds into the giant Creep and he recoiled and raised his sword to deflect the bullets. Bradley fired off a POWER SHOT that struck the sword and shoved the Creep back a meter. Broshaan regarded us as he effortlessly parried Juniphers attacks and ignored Hernandez. He looked like he was about to wind up for another leap attack, one I was certain was coming our direction when Phil yelled out. “CATACLYSMIC LEAP!” Then hurled through the air to smash Broshaan to his back.

“I CAN DO THAT TOO, MOTHER FUCKER!” He screamed as Broshaan tumbled backwards several meters and instantly regained his feet and raised his blade in defense.

Broshaan chittered something in response and swung his sword at Phil. Phil raised his shield in response and this time held the attack with a loud clang of metal on metal, but he didn’t have the reach to inflict a wound. “SELECTIVE AMMO: PENETRATING” My round smashed a hole in his sword and then through his leg. He roared in rage and began to move in my direction when Phil intercepted him once again.

“I’M YOUR OPPONENT!” He screamed and the Creep hissed and swung his sword again. This time Phil slipped under the attack and inside his reach and activated another ability with a yell. “SAVAGE ASSAULT!” Now close enough to inflict damage he swung his sword wildly cutting large rents through Broshaan’s stomach. Broshaan attempted to disengage but Phil wasn’t done yet. “WAR STOMP!” Phil slammed his foot down and Broshaan stumbled and screamed.

I drew my plasma pistol and took the opportunity to use VITAL AIM. I aimed at his face from across the room and pulled the trigger. The now familiar hiss snap of the plasma leaving the chamber rang in my ears as the green bolt of energy smashed into Broshaan’s face. I thought that was it, instead, a pulse of energy washed out from Broshaan that sent everyone within 10 meters tumbling away from him.

He looked at me in eyeless rage with a new hole in his head where an eye would be. The gray skin was charred black around the wound but no fluids flowed and no brains were visible, only the hollow back side of his skull was visible. WHERE THE FUCK IS HIS BRAIN!?!?

“What the fuck?” Bradley stared at the same thing I did.

“NOT ALL CREATURES BRAINS ARE IN THEIR HEADS!” Junipher yelled from the other side of the room.

While Broshaan screamed at the ceiling in pain and my team gathered their footing I took the time to examine him closer. KEEN OBSERVATION began to buzz in my head and I looked closely at the ridge that ran the length of his chest and realized that was likely the thickest part of his body, and so probably held his brain and heart. It was also the only part of his body we had yet to do any meaningful damage to. He’s just too fucking tall.

“We need to get him to his knees so the melee can pierce the chest.” I said to Hawkings and Bradley. “BACK OFF SO WE CAN GET CLEAR SHOTS!” I yelled to the others and they gave us a lane of fire.

Broshaan brought his sword up as we began unloading everything we had on his legs. Most of our shots missed as even at his size moving legs were a hard target to hit. With the rest of the team backing off it was safe to use explosive ammos on him. Hawkings continually cast GRAVITY SPIKE on his sword. He raged again when he suddenly couldn’t lift his sword. This gave us the opening we needed to take his legs out as he stopped moving to attempt to raise his sword.

Bradley and I delivered several explosive rounds to his knees and managed to separate his legs at said knees from the rest of his body. He collapsed face first into the ground. His sword remained buried in the ground and he flailed angrily.

“NOW! HACK THE FUCKER TO PIECES!!” I roared and the front line fighters unleashed a flurry of attacks that finished the big bastard off almost instantly. Scheel leapt into the air and dropped a wicked looking axe kick on his back that seemed to shatter his armored carapace. She rolled away as Phil came in and shoved his sword between Broshaan’s ribs. The final blow came from Junipher who plunged her spear through the spot that Sceel had weakened. Broshaan twitched and spit black blood on the ground then his body relaxed and he was dead.

“Fucking finally!” Bradley exclaimed next to me.

“Yeah, that dude didn’t want to die.” Hawkings added. We walked to the middle of the room where Broshaan had died and joined the rest of the group. And checked my notifications. I got the normal boss kill notification and a whopping 35000 experience that pushed me to Level 17. Several of my skills gained levels as well and I decided I would review that shit later. I frowned as I got the other notification that we wouldn’t get our loot til we completed the dungeon and killed the inmate party. Fuckers.

“Let’s not do that shit again.” Phil said as he rested leaning against his shield.

Nods of resounding agreement came from everyone assembled.

“Yeah, lets not.” I spit out sardonically. “Well, my lady, you got the killing blow. Go ahead and loot us our key, please.” I gestured to Junipher who smiled and did as asked.

She touched the body and we watched it disappear. She smiled as she produced a rather familiar key from thin air. A giant brass control room key was held in her hand and we all looked at it suspiciously.

“That’s irony, I guess?” Hernandez said first.

“It’s something.” Valley added.

“Whatever, let's go kill some inmates and get some loot.” I shrugged and stepped off for the clover leaf room. Everyone followed and as we approached the opposite door a message popped into my vision.

SooHoo Settlement is currently being attacked by a Gnoll Warband. Initiate settlement defense and use automatic quest distribution? (Yes/No)

“What the fuck!?” I stopped in my tracks at that message. Everyone looked at me questioningly. Before I could say anything or respond to the alert a new one replaced it.

Captain of the Guard, Alyssa Nightraven has initiated settlement defense.

You are too far to respond to settlement defense quests.

“Oh.” Junipher muttered then looked at me.

“You see it too?”

“Yes, I don’t think you need to worry, Alyssa is a strong warrior and will preserve your settlement.”

“Ok, can someone share the secret.” Bradley asked before anyone else could.

“Settlement’s under attack. The girl I left in charge of defense is doing just that.” I looked at Phil who had turned to look back down the hall and was waging the same internal war that I was. Carly was his oldest and she was back at my settlement where it was supposed to be safe.

“There’s nothing we can do right now. We can’t get there fast enough to be a factor in the defense. Let’s finish what we came here for.” I spoke mostly to Phil.

He looked up at me, all the bluster gone from his face replaced by worry for his child “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get this shit done.”

I nodded and added “I have faith in the people I left in charge, they were both on my team prior to this. And my Guard Captain is actually quite a terrifying fighter.”

He didn’t respond and I didn’t need him to, he was as resolved to finish this as I was so I gestured for Junipher to open the door and she did so. We stepped into the next room and instantly our eyes locked on our quarry standing over the body of an obvious boss monster they had just managed to slay.

The only white guy in the group turned in shock at our presence and yelled “FUCK! It’s the cops!”