Collapse.

It has taken exactly three seconds for that whole plan they had to fall apart. These mole creatures, ugly as they were, had incredible speed and strength. Stone had grasped one of the beasts and was currently stabbing the monster, making it scream in anger and pain. Bright Light and Bright Flare were firing at the beasts as they rushed forwards, spent shell casings falling to the ground as the fanned out in front of them, Star Gazer was shooting into a creature currently scrambling towards him.

Steel and Silver were both firing into the beasts, Silver taking a knife out and slamming it into the creatures skull, making it go limp, kicking the body away and using his Snapper to fire into the crowd of beasts. Storm shot into a creature, before taking her empty magazine out. She grabbed a fresh one, a beast scrambling towards her, smashing the magazine into the beasts face, making it stumble backwards. She slid her mag in, pulled back the bolt to load a bullet in, then started firing into the beast, killing it.

Spike gave a growl as he saw the Moles approach him. Had he less control, he probably would have clawed through the beasts. Thankfully, those years spent training meant he was better than that. He took his Boomstick out, then fired a shell. Burning hot metal smashed through the first beast. He fired shell after shell at the beasts, making them fall with chunks shot out of them.

The beast on top of Star raised its claws to strike, before being killed, an loud bang echoing out with each shot, the body falling on top of Star. Spike kicked the body off, firing two more times into the beast, before helping Star Gazer up, the man wiping his chest and mask off, trying to get rid of some blood, nodding to Spike. "Appreciate it."

"You'd do the same for me."

Silver kicked another beast off, looking back at Spike, yelling out over the gunfire. Thank goodness their helmets had hearing protection. "Kid! We need to roast these bastards so we can keep going."

Spike nodded, before taking a slow breath in, tearing his mask off. The others stood behind Spike, the beasts rushing forwards to try and kill them, claws outstretched towards Spike. Spike closed his eyes, feeling the liquids sloshing inside of himself, mixing and readying themselves to be brought out in an raging inferno. Spikes eyes opened, his pupils turning into slits, then opened his jaws.

The first Mole was turned into ash as green flames billowed over him. The second and third were not so lucky, bursting into flames, screaming in agony before dying in the green flames. Spike walked forward, his flames outstretched, burning more and more of the beasts, their fur bursting into flames. Those unlucky enough to survive the flames screamed as they ran around, in pure agony, flames and cracked skin, sizzling loudly as they burned.

Soon enough, the Mole creatures backed away, sniffing the dead on the ground. The creatures seemed to stare at Spike, though had no eyes to speak of, and backed away. Spikes flames died out, making him snarl a bit, flashing his fangs. He stomped forward once, the Moles screaming and scrambling as they ran off, a few of them dragging the dead into the darkness, hissing at the group. Spike hissed at them, before turning to the others, pulling his mask on taking the moment to reload his weaponry, the others doing the same.

"Good work, kid." Silver finally spoke, patting Spikes shoulder. Spike only smiles and scratched the back of his neck in response. "Alright team, we're moving forward, anyone need a breather?" He looked around, seeing shakes of the head from everyone, then smiled, jerking his head the direction they were heading. "Alright kids, let's go."

The group walked quietly through the tunnel, passing through an old, dusty checkpoint. Spike looked over and grimaced as he saw skeletons of humanoids and beasts alike. He knelt down at the gate and saw someone holding a smaller skeleton in its arms, making him sigh a bit, Silver grabbing his shoulder and giving him a reassuring squeeze, Spike grasped his hand and squeezed it, before both letting go and standing up.

"Alright people, listen up!" Silver barked, catching everyones attention, pointing at the gate and continuing, "On the other side of this gate, according to the map, is a cavern and some old mine shafts. We'll take the bridge across the cavern, as it is the safest way across. I want masks ready, we have no clue what's on the other side and I'd rather not have you guys choking on the air!"

They all nodded, pulling on their masks, Spike giving his a glance. He looked back up at Silver, who nodded to him, Spike twirling the mask around and putting it on his face. He adjusted the mask, then gave Silver a thumbs up, making him nod. He opened a panel on the wall and started cranking the level inside, the door opening with an ear piercing shriek of metal on metal.

The door finally opened to a few bridges across a cavern, Spikes anxiety grew tenfold as he looked around, shouldering his weapon and letting loose a rumble from his throat. Steel aimed around, Silver quietly walking forward, aiming his flashlight to and fro, before nodding towards the bridges.

Said bridges had seen better days, as one barely looked walkable, falling apart, the other was a railway, meant for carts and trains that looked walkable if one kept their balance. There were a few skeletons on the bridge, holding hammers and pickaxes, likely makeshift weapons against something. One of the skeletons was crushed completely at the end, both of its arms were ripped off and gone.

Spike grimaced, then looked at Silver, giving a muffled, "I don't like this place."

"Yeah, I got a bad feeling too." Steel mumbled out, before turning around, seeing movement in the dark. "Can't turn around, more of those things back there. We'll be overwhelmed."

"Why aren't they attacking?" Star Gazer mumbled out, making Silver glare forward. "They should be rushing us right now."

"They're waiting." Silver spoke, before walking towards the bridge. Spike grasped his arm, making Silver look back at him.

"How about you let me go first? I can barbecue anything that is waiting for us, at least give you guys time to prepare before you join me."

Silver made a motion to argue, however Star Gazer and Bright Light both walked forward, adjusting their gear. "Don't worry sir, we'll test it with him." Star Gazer spoke, making Bright Light nod and adjust her sweeper.

Silver sighed, then looked at the young man. True, his appearance was barely that of a teenager, but Spike was far tougher than many people Silver knew. That included Steel. That thought made Silver smile behind his mask, though all he did was grasp Spikes shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.

Spike nodded, the silent message understood, then adjusted his boomstick, walking.onto the bridge, hearing it creak under his weight, though it made no movements after, making Spike wave over Star and Light. He started walking across the boards, stopping when one of the boards made a loud creak, aiming around.

"Come on, kid." Star Gazer mumbled out, gentle sneaking around Spike. "Taking too long."

"Cuz we have no clue what's on the other side. My eye haven't adjusted yet." Spike hissed out, Bright Light tapping his shoulder and pointing to the side wall as they walked. Spike followed her finger and saw a hole, almost perfectly blended in from the beginning of the bridge, but now they were half way through. "Star Gazer, come back!"

"No, you hurry up."

Silver watched them from the other side of the bridge, seeing Spike and Bright Light make motions towards the wall, making Silver turn to Steel. "Something's wrong. We're moving onto that railway to cover them."

Steel didn't even answer, shouldering his weapon and walking on the boards of the rail, Silver following, both Rock Striker and Bright Flare bringing up the rear, aiming around with their sweepers. Something wasn't right, Silver could feel it in the air, aiming his sweeper ahead of them, Steel slowly pulling back the hammer of his snapper to check the round count, before crouching a bit whilst they walked, ready to fire at anything that came their way.

"No, Star!" Bright hissed out, pointing at the wall again, warning, "There's a big ass hole in the wall!"

"I don't wanna hear about your big asshole."

"You fucking dumba-"

A boom echoed out, rocks falling from the ceiling as they looked up. As they looked up, the bridge rattled as something heavy landed on it, drawing their attention. Star Gazer turned, looking straight at the chest of some beast. He peered up, pulling his weapon up before a swipe bisected him. He spat blood put of his mask, before another swipe sent his body careening into the wall, splattering against it. His body split into two from the claw swipe, both halves falling into the abyss, organs and blood trailing after him.

Spike was frozen in horror, his pupils shrinking into slits as he watched Star Gazers lifeless corpse plunge into the darkness. He looked back up, fury bubbling from his heart, burning hotter than his flame. Beneath that fury was fear, and who could blame that primordial part of his brain?

In front of him was a hulking mass of muscle, claws sharp, and skin scarred. Its massive arms were covered in claw marks and sharp objects, likely from past meals. Its face had two, soulless white eyes, nearly blind, lips curled back in a fanged snarl, fur black and its tail slumped off the bridge. The most striking feature, however, was the massive horn that sprouted from its head, the base covered in tumors and cancerous growths, no doubt painful for the beast.

It gave a deep, throaty roar and raised its arms up, slamming them into the ground, rattling and shaking the bridge. Spike wasted no time, firing a shell from his boomstick, the spent casing flying outwards, smoking hot and falling into the abyss below, pellets smashing into the creatures bloated belly.

The beast roared in pain and fury, another shell being fired, blood flying out of the beasts arm. Flare started firing her sweeper into the beast, watching it walk backwards, losing balance. Steel and Silver fired into the creature, though Light and Stone had no clear shots, having to twirl around and watch the direction they came from.

The beast roared angrily as rounds peppered into it, blood spilling out of it. It stumbled a bit, before suddenly standing up on two legs and slamming its massive fists into the bridge, rattling it. Too late, it realized that this was a mistake, the bridge shifting under them. The fight paused, Spike looking down to see a rope had suddenly come undone, slivering past them, the beast howling in fury as it raised its fists to smash down onto Spike and Flare before the fall could do them all in.

Silver held a hand out fruitlessly, the bridge giving a loud, wooden groan as it collapsed, sending the trio into the depths, time slowing for both Silver and Spike, Spikes hand outstretched in a failed attempt to grab anything, his weapon falling beside him, his eyes filled with fear as he stared into Silvers.

"SPIKE!"

Author's Note

CLIFFHANGER!

Sorry guys, kinda burned out, but here is the newest chapter.