Sun Never Sets 2: Fires of Friendship

Three days ago, a National Defense Agent went silent near the town of Hollow Shades. Her mission was in tracking a known terrorist cell and discovering the location of their secret weapon, but she has not reported to her superiors and her last report mentioned strange activity from the local cult, a group called the "Nocturna Convent". Given the group's ties to magic and the occult, it is only natural that the federal-level division of the Supernatural Response and Protection of Humanity Agency would be requested to act in accordance.

Your mission is to head to Hollow Shades and find out what happened to the missing agent. Unfortunately, Hollow Shades is located on the Umbran Peninsula, in the gray zone between the Harmonic States of Equestria and the Republic of Griffonia. Given current international tensions following the Canterlot City Incident and the resignation of the president, direct military action from the H.S. cannot be taken there without prompting immediate response from Griffonia. This agent must be recovered if she is still alive, however, so you will be sent in independently to investigate her disappearance. If she is alive, she must be extracted. If not, any sensitive data in her possession must be recovered.

We are unsure of the hostility of the Nocturna cult at this time. They may be willing to cooperate with you. If any supernatural threat is present, however, your priority is in seeing it eliminated.

This will likely be a several day mission. Ensure you are prepared. Attached is a profile of the agent and information of the surrounding geography. Good luck, Agent Sentry.

-----

Agent Flash Sentry looked lazily out of the side door window of the small, navy blue car he was loosely seated in. All he could see was lots of dull browns and greens from the woods surrounding him. In the driver and passenger seat in front of him were two local police officers that had offered to give him a ride to the town from the nearest airport. It was quite a long drive, and immediately from talking to the officers, Flash was given a good idea of just how middle-of-nowhere Hollow Shades was.

The officers seemed a little too friendly in their attempts to make conversation with a far more stoic Flash, sitting in the back seat of their cruiser in a deep blue leather jacket with white and red stripes across the upper arms, and spacious cargo pants of a flat gray color. His hair was a short, slicked back set of blue-ish spikes, a clean yet casual style for someone in his position. He was fit, but not overly muscular; especially when relaxed it was hard to tell just how strong might be from the frame of his body alone. Overall, everything about him suggested he was in law enforcement of some kind, but he was far more low profile than the two giving him a ride in bright blue uniforms marked with 'POLICE'.

"Now, how's bout you tell us who you really are, big guy?" The officer in the passenger seat looked back to him with a smile that was half suspicious and half patronizing. His voice was rough, and his accent was something Flash hadn't traveled enough to place. They clearly didn't take him seriously, despite Flash's clear insistence on getting to his mission.

"Yeah, you're quite the long ways from home, city boy." The driver spoke with a slower, far more rural drawl than his partner. "On a confidential mission, Mr. Secret Agent?"

The two officers chuckled amongst themselves, content to pick on the continuously unflinching agent in the seat behind them.

After a few pronounced moments, Flash spoke.

"Just following up on those strange reports from Hollow Shades," He said. He was genuinely unphased by their prodding, and not in the mood to share all the details of his mission. "Reports say there's something going on with the cult that operates out of the town, I'm sure you've heard it all before."

"Oh, those nice old ladies and their shadow church ain't nothin' to worry 'bout," the officer in the driver's seat said, dismissive smile on his face, "Don't let the magic rituals and spooky getups fool ya, they're just serious on the whole faith business."

"Yeah, pal. We never hear anything but good things about them," The officer in the passenger seat said. "They even send folks to Southumbra to sell some of their farmed goods."

"Nothing but saints, huh?" Flash wasn't sure how seriously he should take these two. Even if the cult was benign they seemed to be held with a healthy suspicion according to the reports he'd read.

"Yeah, saints... heh..."

"What are you really here for, pal?" The passenger turned in his seat to give him a look of playful suspicion.

"Maybe he's here looking into the rumors."

"Rumors?" Flash's head titled.

The two officers looked at each other again in disbelief, and Flash got more derisive laughter in response.

"Yeah, they say a mysterious black knight stalks the woods when the sun goes down..."

"And the townsfolk hear the sound of the living dead shamblin' around in the trees..."

Their sarcastic tones quickly devolved into jestering about again, clearly getting a kick out of whatever kind of prank they thought they were playing.

Shifting his gaze back out the window, Flash scoffed and shook his head. Some help these guys were. He figured he should tell them off somehow.

"I'm sure you boys didn't just tag along so we could sing kumbaya together at some boy scout bonfire." Flash paused for a moment, then added. "Then again, maybe you did."

Yeah, that sounded cool.

Flash himself had seen his fair share of supernatural disturbances since his time as a federal monster hunter. He saved a town called Sire's Hollow from complete destruction, and helped defend Canterlot City from a demonic invasion a few years later. SRAPH was an agency established to provide support to any manner of otherwise "mundane world" groups, be it police forces, intelligence agencies, or paramilitary units. But in the five years following Canterlot City, his experience and reputation grew as he undertook wider and more varied missions until he was almost exclusively working with high level government security groups.

This was one such mission. The agent he was here to find was no ordinary operative, she was a top-level intelligence specialist for the National Defense Agency and had previously served as the former president's personal archivist and bodyguard; a woman privy to many of the H.S.'s internal workings and secrets. Among governing higher-ups, this rescue operation was of extreme importance. The agent needed to be found one way or another.

The officers seemed only further amused by his comment, but the passenger seat guy straightened up a little as he responded.

"Tsk. The chief just wanted to make sure you didn't get lost on the way, the two of us just drew the short straw."

"After that, you'll be back on your lonesome," The other added. "But I reckon you spooks prefer it that way."

The rest of the drive was nothing special. Just a winding drive though country backroads. It was about noon by the time they'd finally turned onto a major road and seemed to be approaching something that could be called civilization. They passed by coast for a few miles, giving Flash a nice view of the tall mountain range stretching out across the north, overlooking the overwhelming auburn forest. Soon enough, they were taking another turn into a backroad...

More trees awaited Flash's window. Shame, this area really seemed like a beautiful place, but he'd only be seeing it from the middle of the forest.

Eventually, the police cruiser would roll to a clumsy stop at a crossroads, just past a bridged gap holding over a flowing river. An old guidepost with a single marker on it was visible ahead, pointing off in the direction of a thinly marked passage through the treeline. There wasn't much visible from here.

"This is it, huh?"

"Yessir," the driver said. "This is as far as she goes, partner."

"The village is up the road that way," the other officer said.

"What's the matter?" Flash asked, cracking the backseat door open and putting a foot outside the vehicle. "You're not scared, are you?"

Again, the officers didn't seem to be taking him seriously, eyes darting to each other and still exchanging grins.

"Nah, we just don't want to get in the way of your secret mission."

"Yeah, you mosey along now. We'll wait out here for a bit, just in case you come back runnin'."

Flash stood from the car, rolled his shoulders and refastened the gear straps beneath his jacket. He'd opted to pack light for this trip, figuring he might be able to get any longer term assistance from the town, but clearly he underestimated how much anyone was willing to come all the way out here. Walking away, Flash shook his head, muttering under his breath as a chilly breeze passed over him.

"Some help you two are."

[Blacktail Forest, South of Mt. Eclipse]
[Thursday, 11:45am]

Fallen leaves crunched softly beneath Flash's boots as he walked down the forest trail towards what he assumed was civilization. The sun was filtered through the tree branches overhead, creating an irregular cascade of shadows surrounding the road ahead. Things were chilled, calm, and quiet.

Flash Sentry took a deep breath, and upon breathing out he could faintly see it cast a fog in the autumn air.

The silence around him was broken by a soft buzzing beneath his jacket. It was the compact, long-range radio he kept attached to his shoulder strap holding the rest of his gear, receiving a transmission. Brushing his jacket open, he pulled up a wired earpiece and put it to his right ear, where a friendly voice greeted him.

"Flash! It's MC. In case you forgot, you were supposed to check in with me after you were on your way to the village."

Right—MC, codename "Microchips". He was Flash's assigned operations support for this mission. The two were old friends, they'd met in high school, and later on Flash would learn that the guy joined up with SRAPH as a systems technician. MC was a through-and-through nerd, but he and Flash found they had a strong working dynamic despite their differing personalities. They'd both had their highschool experiences shaped by bizarre and uncontrollable circumstances, and found solidarity in that as they were now working as supernatural responders.

MC would be his lifeline back to SRAPH HQ, and the one person he knew he'd be able to trust for information on anything related to the mission at hand.

"Sorry, I spaced out on the drive up here," Flash responded. "I nearly passed out a few times."

"Don't fall asleep on me now, Flash," MC said, a bit of a huff following his words. After the jeering from the police officers before, a friend joking around with him put him in a slightly better mood. "Remember, you're here to locate Agent Raven Inkwell. Her last known transmission came from within Hollow Shades, four days ago, and she mentioned strange activity from within the Nocturna Convent."

"You don't think they grabbed her for snooping around, do you?" Flash asked. All the information he could find on the convent suggested they were mildly suspicious in most acts, even though they purportedly protected the town and offered its people a faith. Though, the faith they followed was dedication to a demon, a demon scarily similar to one Flash was familiar with...

"It would be the most plausible conclusion. The alternative is... well, grim." MC seemed a bit uncomfortable at the thought she might already be dead.

"Her file mentions she was the bodyguard of President Burns throughout both her terms," Flash said. "She's gotta be tough enough to survive some religious weirdos."

"Also quite probable," MC noted. "Make your way to the village, then. Maybe some of the locals saw her at some point."

"I'll get right on that."

Hanging up, Flash reached into one the soft pouches on his belt. From it, he produced a small photograph of the agent in question. In the depiction, she was standing in front of a window on a sunny day, facing the camera with a very subtle smile held between very distinguished cheeks and a pointed chin. Agent Inkwell's wide, amber eyes held very little apparent expression as well. Her darker brown hair was parted neatly into bangs swept to either side of her face, and the length falling from behind her head was held up in a bun. Rectangular glasses adorned her face, and combined with a gray suit and red tie she looked like an ordinary and boring white-collar professional, were she not standing at the side of the president obscured by the frame.

Refreshing her facial features in his mind, Flash put the photo away and set off on the path ahead. The photograph had more significance than just identification, though. It was one of the few leftover sentiments from the office of the president Inkwell served under. Nowhere was it outright stated in the documents, but Flash got the idea that President Burns and Inkwell were close friends. Anyone wanting to know the secrets of the H.S. could likely get them from her.

A loud caw suddenly sounded off from overhead, taking Flash's attention up as he continued his relaxed walk. It was just a bird flapping about in the trees. Nothing to be worried about.

Much sooner than expected, Flash came across a short, two story home amidst the trees. It was a bland off-white color, with an angled and dark roof and a porch-balcony combo framing the area in front of the door. It seemed a pretty rustic construction, with an old, rickety looking flatbed truck parked out front and a simple wooden fence surrounding the front yard to the mailbox. Smoke gently rose from a chimney, but faded quite quickly as it dispersed into the air above.

Someone was home.

Someone was home, Flash realized, but the front door was also wide open. Why would that be? With a shrug, Flash walked himself up to the porch, leaned in past the door frame, and gave the open door a polite trio of knocks.

"Hello?" Flash asked. "Anyone home?"

There was no direct response to his call, but from within the home he did hear a gentle sing-song humming, and what was clearly a fireplace going. Slowly, Flash crossed the threshold of the home, making his way through the short entrance hall then turning a corner to see a small kitchen area, where a tall, burly, man stood washing dishes at a sink. Just an ordinary guy, a bit on the round side, wearing a plain shirt and overalls as he worked away, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Excuse me, sir?" Flash asked, unsure of how much further he should step into the man's home. There was no response right away. "Uhm, sir?"

A few moments passed, the man's head rising up and slowly turning around to reveal his facial features. He had a calm look on his face, short black hair and a trimmed beard. When he saw Flash, his eyes lit up in a friendly recognition.

"Oh, howdy there." His voice was deep, thoughtful, and he put the dish he was working with down and turned to face Flash fully. "I left the door open again, didn't I?"

Flash nodded. "I'm afraid so. I'm just in the area looking for a missing person. Have you seen this woman?"

From his pouch, Flash offered the photo of Raven Inkwell to the man, who studied it for a moment without any real recognition.

"Sorry, stranger. Don't see many folks dressed like that around here. Might wanna check in with the Convent down in the village square. They keep an eye on things closer'n I do."

Putting the photo away, Flash nodded his understanding, raising a hand to signal his appreciation. "Right... Thanks for your time, anyway. I'll go to the Convent, then."

"Would you close the door on your way out, stranger? Please and thank you."

Flash did so as he left, another burst of soft static coming from his radio as he stepped onto the porch. MC was calling again.

"Flash? How are things going so far?"

Flash shrugged. "I talked to a local, but didn't find out much. I'll have to go see what this Nocturna Convent is all about."

"Be careful when dealing with them. We still don't know if they're involved in this or not."

"Well I'm about to find out."

Back out by the forest path, Flash saw a signpost pointing him towards Hollow Shades proper. The path dipped up and down, the ground elevation shifting along the way. Things were quiet and still, and for some reason he felt like something was wrong. Along the pathway he saw a large, metal bear trap concealed poorly in a pile of leaves. Anyone could step on it, and it'd take their leg off, why was it just laying here?

He heard rustling behind him. Something moved.

Looking back, Flash saw nothing, but he was now on full alert, scanning the area around him for any potential danger. A trap had been laid for something, meaning someone was expecting a threat to be here. He'd like to think they just had a problem with predator animals, but years of tracking supernatural entities told him to eject his hopefulness with cynicism. Another rustle. Birds dispersed from another bush in the distance. Flash's only option was to keep moving despite his mounting paranoia.

Ten more minutes of walking ahead past a small, seemingly random storage shed, Flash started to make out the shape of more buildings through the treeline. Off in the distance was a tall, pointed stone tower stretching above a spread out group of thatched roof houses of varying size and shape, all circled around a well. This had to be the village square the local had mentioned.

Something was going on there, though. A large gathering of villagers all crowded around a standout stone building at the furthest edge of the village, next to the tower now identifiable as a bell tower. These people looked very ill, agitated and pale beyond belief. The dozen people here angrily assaulted the walls and door of what looked to be a moon-themed chapel. It was a furious mob, some unarmed but some wielding farming and construction tools in a very unconstructive manner.

They didn't seem to be shouting any distinct words, either. The closer Flash got, the more he heard guttural growling, rough and meaningless vocalizations, and just overall alarming sounds. Something was wrong with these people, and it became all the more evident as they noticed him approaching. They stumbled forward, hurriedly trying to make their way to him with very clear violent intent.

POSSESSED VILLAGERS, Playthings of Evil: The distinct purple glow behind the eyes of these villagers tipped Flash off to what was really going on here. Something dark had infiltrated their minds and turned them against their fellow townsfolk. The man he met on the edge of town must've been lucky enough to have been spared from whatever was afflicting them, but here Flash stood with at least twelve of them bearing down on him. He was going to have to fight....

"What's the matter?" Flash asked the crowd as he backed into a defensive stance. "It's a little late in the week for church services, don't you think?"

Flash felt himself backing against the well in the center of town, and at the peak of the rising chaos he reached beneath his jacket, under his left shoulder, and drew out a wide, black framed handgun into a stable, two handed grip. To his shock, the villagers didn't even flinch when he presented them with a threat. He was now certain of supernatural activity here.

Sabre 9mm:This handgun was SRAPH's standard issue backup pistol, made for easily concealed carry and comfortable firing, with a large capacity chambered in one of the most common ammunition types in the world. Flash's current load was of special SRAPH custom magic disruptor rounds, his own standard carry when on the job. Mounted beneath its muzzle was a laser sight, a focused guide in the form of a bright red point of light at his exact point of aim. Flash held it confidently and squeezed its trigger with practiced precision and unparalleled recoil control, his closest target receiving both bullet holes and arcane burns as the munition tore away at both flesh and essence.

BANG, BANG, BANG!

The villager stumbled back, but another one came running at him from the opposite side, nearlying taking him through with a pitchfork. Shifting onto his back foot, Flash sidestepped the lunge and threw a punch for the man's throat, immediately stumbling him back and forcing him to drop his weapon. Flash followed up with another two shots from his pistol, but was forced to fire at a third of these possessed residents on rapid approach.

Two bullets reliably stumbled the man back, but this time Flash moved forward into him, reaching to his gear straps with his off hand and drawing out a rigid combat knife from a chest sheath.

Resentite Combat Knife:Flash's signature bladed weapon was made from a special, magic nullifying alloy. It was the perfect answer to anything magical, be it a monster, demon or corrupted human.

His blade plunged into the man's chest, taking him to the floor and properly releasing him from whatever was possessing his body as he collapsed. More of the villagers presented themselves, one of which he'd already shot several times latching onto his arm from behind. Flash shoved this man away, knocking him against the lip of the well and then kicking him in, where he landed with a resoundingly splashy crack.

Pivoting back, Flash shot down the villager he'd fired on previously, finishing them off with several more rounds to the chest. He didn't have a lot of space, Flash had to turn and run as two woodsman's axes came in from two different directions at once. A lady with a butcher's knife went for him, and a man seeming to have once been a town guard rushed him very unsteadily with a sword.

Flash found himself quickly running back the way he'd come. The trees wavered and shuffled as the possessed villagers chased Flash between them, but as he neared the house at the edge of town he heard an engine revving, the sounds of screaming, pistols firing, tires screeching, and then the gut wrenching sound of metal-on-metal collision.

When Flash made it back, the truck out in front of the house was gone, and so was the police car that'd brought him here. He could easily put together what had happened. That first man he'd talked to had been affected by whatever was possessing these people. Confirming his suspicions, looked over the edge of the bridged gap to see the police car in a flaming wreck at the bottom by the river, having been rammed into and off the bridge by the man's truck. There weren't any survivors...

The still formidable mob chasing Flash spilled into the area, but instead of continuing to run he steeled himself and rushed to fight them. They were slow, uncoordinated, and as Flash raised his pistol he pivoted between his targets, shooting one after the other in quick succession to keep them all stumbling back. Whatever was affecting these people almost made them incredibly durable, even after landing multiple shots to the head, they still had relatively little trouble coming at him.

Flash threw his body into one of them, bashing with his elbow after a first shot stunned, and then punching downwards into the villager as they tried to raise a short dagger to attack. A straight kick to the chest took him to the floor, but before Flash could finish him off he saw another several meters away raising his arms over his head to toss a farming sickle at him.

The weapon tumbled through the air but Flash's entire body pivoted, and aligning his barrel with the twirling thrown projectile he got a split second glimpse of his laser sight reflecting off the metal blade, all the confirmation he needed to pull his trigger and send a bullet to knock it off its trajectory. The tool was sent clattering to the ground, his sights already shifted to the villager that had thrown it, but when he pulled his trigger again his weapon clicked empty.

On instinct, Flash snapped his weapon to the side while engaging the magazine release, tossing the empty pistol magazine from the handle and reaching to his ammo pouch to replace with it a new one in a single, swift motion. In a matter of seconds the slide of his pistol snapped forward and he was ready to fire again, but instead of shooting he sprung into a spinning kick that cut through each of his still stunned opponents in front of him, scattering all three of them to the ground.

Right behind him, Flash heard a grunt of exertion, and pivoted again just in time to avoid an axe chopping down on him. With the back of his arm, he cleared his attacker's arm and struck him in the chin with the back of his elbow, wrenching the axe free from his grip. As the villager reeled, Flash swung the axe back at him with his free hand, lodging deep in his shoulder and then letting him fall unmoving onto his back.

More movement to his back. Flash spun to face the house again, and saw one of the bodies he kicked over jumping to life and charge-tackling him. Or he would've, had the villager not been stopped in his tracks by Flash bracing himself and catching the guy, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him back first onto the ground. Flash then dropped to a knee on the villager's chest, firing his pistol into the still struggling villager's forehead, and then again as the injury seemed to not be enough. And again. And a third time.

The third shot did it, and Flash found himself back to silence. None of the bodies around him moved. His eyes scanned around, looking for something. Flash felt like he'd missed something entirely. Wasn't one of the villagers a lady with a butcher knife? Where'd she go? He could've sworn...

She was in the group of them he knocked over with the spin kick. He hit three in total, but when he checked again... Only two bodies.

The sound of footsteps on a wooden floor echoed from the house's window. Flash thought he saw movement, but was too on edge to tell if it was really there or just his nerves. He had a choice now, either move forward into the town, or investigate the one lone hostile in this house.

Resuming a stable, two handed grip on his pistol, Flash turned to the house's door and carefully paced towards it with his weapon at a low ready. This time, he didn't knock, gradually pressing the door open and checking both sides before entering back into the main corridor and rounding into the kitchen. This time there was nothing there but a still burning fireplace. Past that, there was a doorway leading to a staircase, but there was a small cupboard beneath it, a closed door just large enough for someone to hide inside.

Flash judged against checking it, going straight for the stairwell. The hostile villager had a knife, he had a gun, he wanted to be out of her reach if she sprung out from somewhere. The stairway was tight enough as it was, though. Slowly and methodically, he kept his head up at the landing above him as he put his foot on each step and brought himself higher, periodically glancing back down to ensure nobody was there. These people still fought like people, even if they were oddly strengthened by whatever force was afflicting them, he was easily capable of taking on just one person in regular conditions. His strength and combat skill gave him no benefits though, not when he was clueless as to where the threat was hiding.

Upstairs was just a simple bedroom, with a dresser, a bed, and a tall clothes cabinet next to the window. Something on the dresser glinted softly. A key of some kind. What was it doing here? Folded on the dresser next to the key was some kind of black garment, neatly folded into a square with a crescent-shaped insignia facing upward.

As he approached the dresser, just crossing the horizontal of the cabinet, there was a creaking sound behind him. The cupboard downstairs opened, maybe?

Flash rapidly turned himself back towards the door, but his focus was completely disrupted as

CRASH!

The dresser beside him burst open, the lone, possessed woman with the butcher's knife suddenly revealing herself to be right next to him with a horrifying scream of inhuman bloodlust. Flash tried to bring up his pistol on her, but she swung her knife right away and caught the end of his weapon. The blade slashed through the top of his fingerless leather glove, and in a recoil of pain Flash retracted his hand and dropped his weapon entirely.

Franticly stumbling back, Flash reflexively went for his knife and hooked it down on the woman's knife hand. She pressured him further and moved to stab him, but Flash crossed his forearms and stopped her at the wrist, pressing against her as she brutishly attempted to power through him. Flash was still shaking from the surprise, but after getting his footing back he resisted, twisting the possessed woman's arms back and levering the knife from her hand using the back of his own blade. Having disarmed her, Flash shoved her back and sliced outward, his resentite blade sizzling as it reacted with dark magic overtaking her.

One more slash and she collapsed, slumping beneath the window overlooking the broken bridge and crashed vehicles outside. Flash wouldn't be getting out of here the way he came, but he still had a job to do here. He reached for his radio earpiece and turned his head to speak into its receiver.

"MC. It's Flash. I encountered a group of hostile locals, they were all possessed by some kind of dark force."

"Dark force? Some kind of magic?"

"I think so. Possession, but I've never seen anything like it before," Flash explained. "They moved like ordinary people but were far stronger than they should've been. Had no choice but to use lethal force."

"You need to find Agent Inkwell, then," MC replied, "I'm going to search through our database to see if I can find any information that might help."

"Sounds like a plan. Flash out."

Flash put his earpiece away, feeling the open cut on his hand sting as his blood began to leak out. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed the top of his hand, holding it still for a few minutes until the blood subsided and he just left with a burning, deep red mark. Thankfully it wasn't that deep of a cut, but he knew from experience that coming out of a knife-to-knife encounter unscathed was virtually impossible.

Turning to the dresser next to him, Flash reexamined the key as he picked it up. The back end was a flat disk with the same crescent shape engraved into it as the dark clothes next to it. It tapered off into three flat teeth bits, far larger than any conventional door might need.

The key was pocketed. Though it didn't seem to fit anything in the house, it might go to something in the town if Flash's suspicions had any merit. Just as slowly and carefully as he'd entered, Flash exited the now empty house, then made his way back to the village proper. As he crossed back through the path in the treeline, though, he found another startling figure writhing and hissing in the leaves.

It was another villager, but this one with far more distorted features. His skin had grayed and his eyes were glowing an unsettling purple color. Torn black robes adorned his body, exposing a muscular figure beneath them, and a thin pointed tail extended from his back. Most shockingly was a pair of leathery wings sprouting from his back, further evidence of this magic twisting and corrupting the people here. This one had been turned into a demonlike creature, and as Flash approached he took notice. The demon growled, but it couldn't quite move normally—the concealed bear trap had closed completely around his leg and was forcing him to a staggered strut forward as he dragged it behind him.

Flash fired off four shots at the demon, but his rounds didn't do much to impede the creature. The demon still trudged towards him as quickly as possible, but Flash was able to run around him and escape further up the path. The bear trap clanked behind him as the demon tried to pursue, but he couldn't keep up with Flash's brisk run.

Arriving back at the village, Flash took the time to look around now that the coast was clear. None of the buildings here were occupied, but they clearly were shops, storefronts, and other places of business at one point. Flash wondered just how long it had been since things went downhill here, how long it had been since the people of the town had seen a normal day. In the center of town was a well, and looking down into it Flash noticed he couldn't actually see the bottom, it was too dark and steep even with the sun overhead. The guy he tossed down here earlier would not be having a comfortable landing.

At the end of the town there was a long stone building, a chapel by the looks of it. A crescent mark adorned the top of the awning before the doors, doors that were locked tight when Flash reached out to push it open. Locked, but the tall door had an obvious keyhole near the handle, a keyhole Flash was certain he would be able to access.

He produced the moon key from his pouch, and sure enough, it fit the lock. The doors swung open this time, and Flash made his way into the small hall of worship, the dimly lit room with a few rows of short pews and an elevated stand at the end. Flash swept the room once, checked his corners, and concluded that there was nobody here. Next, he checked through the door in the back of the room, following the short hallway to a storage room. Several shelves with various boxes lined the walls here, but the standout area was the short table up against the back wall. On it were two connected tubs of flat gray steel with a wooden back end and a sliding, hand-molded groove affixed to the front. Small, green cylinders with brass covered ends lay in a disordered pile on the table nearby. It was a sturdy hunting shotgun with a wooden stock and long front end, with ammunition sitting next to it.

Another weapon.

"Nice," Flash said. Taking the weapon and its ammo for himself.

Magnus 500, 12g: The weapon even had a carrying strap, perfect for Flash to stow on his back while not using. It was an older style of firearm from a manufacturer that wasn't his favorite, but a shotgun was a welcome and useful tool for any kind of monster hunter. He pulled the grip back and checked its chamber, then fed it in shells until he felt the tube magazine was fully loaded. Six shots. More than enough to kill anything that moved. Satisfied, Flash pushed the grip forward and primed the weapon to fire.

Also coming to his attention was a small folded note placed next to the shotgun. Unfolding it, he read:

We have captured the spy sneaking around our village and are holding her in the Cathedral to the north for questioning. We do not know where she came from or who she serves, but she will tell us in time.

As chaos circles around us and the Wrathful Sun bears down on us with judgement, we advise all our Sister Moon's children to watch over each other during these trying times. Mother Evershade has instructed us brothers and sisters of faith to stand vigilant against all intruders, and has provided us with armaments from the Cathedral's saferooms.

Didn't seem like they did a good enough job defending themselves.

Just then, Flash heard something clattering behind him. The demon with the bear trap stuck around his leg burst through the doorway and reached out with sharp clawed hands. Facing the threat and raising his new weapon, Flash unloaded a shell of buckshot into the demon's chest, pushing him back through the doorway. Confidently pumping his weapon's grip, Flash fired again, this time blasting the demon all the way into the chapel's main chamber. Once more, he cycled his weapon and followed the fallen demon through the doorway, but a smaller and more human looking villager grabbed at him from his side before could let off a third shot.

The villager tried to wrestle the gun away from him, overpowering Flash in the moment of surprise. Both their knees bent, but Flash turned himself in towards his attacker and swept his leg out. The villager tumbled forward, and when Flash bent his knee the villager fully tripped and spilled out onto his front. Keeping the shotgun's grip secure in off hand and using his main hand to draw his pistol,, Flash quickly snapped off three rounds into the back of his foe's head, and then looked over to see the beartrapped demon taking another swing at him. The massive clawed arm went right over his head as he knelt down and pressed his pistol up against the demon's body and fired away, not bothering to readjust his aim while so close.

The specialized anti-magic rounds burned away at the demon's body, each shot causing the creature to flinch a little longer than the last. Now with breathing room, Flash holstered his handgun and took a hold of his shotgun again, leveling the dangerous end with the demon's face before pulling the trigger.

BOOM!

The shotgun pellets ripped straight through the demon with incredible impact, mangling the thing's face and sending it sprawling out into the center aisle. A thick, black goop oozed out of the demon's wounds, his body not filled with blood but something else entirely. Regardless, the possessed villager did not get back up.

"One less demon to worry about..." Flash mused. He recalled seeing the mob of villagers trying to get in here before, though. "What did they want in here, though?"

Behind him, through the open door to the back hallway, Flash noticed yet another door that led outside that was left open. Out behind the chapel was a backyard with a short fence, and a locked gate leading off somewhere else. The moon key he used on the front door didn't fit the lock here. The fence to his left was broken slightly though. Had someone else been through here?

Nobody else was in sight. Hopping the broken fence area, Flash found himself back out in the center of the village. He went to his radio again.

"Hey, MC. I read something about a cathedral to the north. Do you have any maps of the area that can show me the way there?"

It took a moment, but MC eventually responded. "Hmm. Satellite imaging shows a road to the east will eventually merge north and take you to some kind of big building to the north of the village. What did you find?"

"It looks like they've got our agent doing mandatory church service," Flash said.

"Church service? What do yo-" MC paused, took a moment to think, and then corrected himself. "Oh, she's being held in the cathedral. You could've just said that, you know."

"What?" A grin flashed on his face as he shook his head. "Am I not allowed to make light of a tough situation?"

"I guess not. It's just seriously disheartening what's happening out there," MC explained. "I'm not all data calculations and information recitation, you know. I feel for these people..."

"You don't have to tell me," Flash replied. "I'm out here seeing it first hand. I know this is a rescue mission, but if I can I'm going to put a stop to whatever demon is behind all this."

"You really always go above and beyond, don't you, Flash?"

"Hah, guilty as charged. I always try when I can."

Another breeze blew through the area, and Flash started to get uneasy just standing around in the open.

"I'm going to get a move on now, I'll radio you again when I've got an update."

"Remember, take the road east until it turns north. Good luck, Flash."

[Farmstead, East of Hollow Shades]
[Thursday, 1:15pm]

Flash had no further encounters as he left the village square off the eastern path. Twenty minutes of walking through the quiet brown and green forest landscape was a lot more tense than it had been when he was watching it from the car window. Just knowing that something could possibly jump out at him was enough to keep him from running blindly down the trail. He opted to keep his pistol drawn and in a lowered position, keeping the shotgun slung over his back to conserve its ammo. Its laser sight would help him engage targets from a further distance than the shotgun as well, especially if he was ambushed.

Up ahead was a clearing, the site of a moderate farmstead with some crops growing in a field left of the road, and a more open and grassy area with a barn to the right. Trees still were dotted here and there, but this was another respite from the oppressive shade of the forest trails so core to this place. Just as he approached, he made out more figures ahead. The farm itself looked abandoned, no animals were around save for a single chicken, and when Flash neared it spotted him and fearfully clucked for its life. The sound of its terror and running away caused the three other figures to turn their heads towards Flash, all revealing them to be more hosts of the chaos consuming this place.

He took a turn into the open field to his right as this smaller trio of villagers menacingly shambled towards him. If it was just the three of them, he wanted to face them in the open if possible. As long as he could keep them in front of him they wouldn't be a major threat. Unfortunately, his in-the-field strategizing was interrupted by the roar of an engine starting up at his back that ripped his attention away.

A nearly deafening eruption of smoke and dust was thrown into the air out as a huge combine harvester emerged from a hiding place in the treeline, one of the possessed farmhands behind the wheel and taking the massive cylindrical blades mounted to its front directly at Flash.

All manner of cautious movement was thrown out the window. Flash sprinted forward as the harvester accelerated behind him, he pumped his arms and stretched his legs as far as he could with each rapid step he took, trying to put as much distance between himself and the oversized lawn mower currently shredding the ground at his heels. The machine's pace kept picking up, and Flash could only run so fast.

His limbs started burning, and the machine was only getting closer. He focused on keeping his breath steady and kept his eyes on the barn at the end of the field. That would be his best bet for cover, if he could make it. Kicking up onto the wooden fence post, Flash leapt towards the barn's open doors at the last moment and landed in a roll past the structure's walls.

The harvester crashed through the fence, but the bump broke a lot of its momentum, and by the time it hit the barn it was stopped in its tracks. Flash picked himself up and took aim at the driver, shooting him until he fell from the seat forward onto the blades, and then shooting the machine's engine block until it sputtered out.

Still tense from the chase, Flash fell into a coughing fit and backed away. He held his hands to his knees as he doubled over, trying his best to catch his breath, but nearly had a heart attack when he felt the farmhand's grip on his ankle. Despite having been torn up in the harvester's blades, the man was still alive and crawling desperately along the ground. Two more pistol shots did the trick, but it didn't make the initial shock of it any less disturbing.

The others were still outside, too. He didn't have time to waste here.

Through the barn's backdoor Flash could make out a farmhouse. With more of those guys lurking out there, Flash figured that he should probably take cover in some fashion before engaging them again, especially if they had another trick up their sleeve. The three from before were cut off by the harvester blocking the barn's front, so he should have the lead on them if he went through the back.

Crossing out in the yard leading to the farmhouse, Flash only saw one more figure loitering about, not even trying to look natural anymore. The woman, wearing a straw hat and a sundress, took a swing at him with a farming scythe as he ran past, but her possession made her too slow and too clumsy to keep up with him. Flash turned around to spare a few pistol rounds in her direction to take her out, but otherwise didn't break his momentum as he stepped up the porch of the farmhouse.

It was much larger than the home he'd first seen here, still two stories, but painted in a beige color and looking to be in better standing. Its door was also open, and Flash had no problems letting himself in and clearing through the living room. All there was to see was an empty couch, a dining table, a few bookshelves, nothing special. As expected, nobody was home. At least, this is what Flash assumed before he heard a soft banging coming from the floor above him.

He'd resumed his normal combat pace as he went up the stairs, finding a long hallway that had a few doors leading to several different rooms, but following the much clearer banging sounds lead him to what seemed to be a spare bedroom, with a bed, dresser and closet available for guests but no real personal touches that would suggest ownership.

It was from the closet that the banging was coming from. Flash's eyes narrowed. He wouldn't get fooled twice by that trick. With his gun raised, he very carefully approached the closet door and pressed himself flush against the wall next to it, and then quickly opened the door away from him with his weapon barrel still aimed at the entrance.

To his surprise, it wasn't a hostile that spilled out of the closet, but rather a lean, platinum blonde guy with his arms tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth. He seemed young, a late-twenty something with piercing brown eyes that looked to be outlined with a face paint or makeup with a color just lighter than his skin tone. His cheeks, jaw, and nose were all angled and sharp, held in a permanently irritated expression, though not nearly sharp enough to cut through the fabric clogging his mouth. Beneath the restraints he wore a brown flight jacket with a feathery white lining on the inside and tan aviator pants were tucked tightly into a pair of military boots. Slamming to the floor the man struggled against the rope, eyes resistant and alert as Flash warily stood over him with gun drawn. He was only able to let muffled vocalizations out through the gag, but they were controlled and clearly meaningful.

Hesitantly, Flash leaned down and pulled the gag from the man's mouth. He calmed down and raised an eyebrow, tossing his head to the side to move his disheveled hair out of his face.

"Easy there..." With narrowed eyes he spoke in a gravelly tone, and in a faint accent that Flash could barely trace. "You ain't one of them, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Flash said.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" The man replied. He was totally collected now, letting himself hold still despite his limbs being held against his body. "I've seen them act normal before, and then when you're not looking they turn on you."

"I could ask you the same question," Flash asked. "How do I know this isn't a trap to lure me into a sense of safety?"

"You really think those things would just hide one of their own in an abandoned house?" The man laughed, almost insultingly. "Just to catch some schmuck that wandered too far in?"

Flash supposed he had a point. Being the one not tied up, it was up to him to prove he wasn't an aggressor here. He put his pistol away and instead drew his knife.

"Here," Flash leaned near the man's hands and sliced away at where he was tied. "Would one of those things go to the trouble of tying you up just to have another one come cut you free?"

With the rope falling away, the man wrung his wrists out and rolled onto his side, still looking at Flash with no further questions. "I guess not. Okay then... Just one question for you."

Flash tilted his head expectantly.

"Got a smoke?"

Great. Another cool guy.

"I got gum."

The man's already flat expression seemed to flatten further, but their conversation was interrupted as the door to the bedroom swung open.

Heavy thumping and creaking floorboards heralded the entrance of a tall, looming figure in black metal armor with a broken spike extending from their helmet. A tattered cape spread over their shoulders, and they gazed darkly in Flash's direction. Slung over their back was an enormous greatsword, and on their dented and scratched up breastplate they wore the same crescent moon insignia that adorned the chapel. Two of the possessed villagers followed this shadowy and powerful individual, a strange resonance seeming to radiate off of them and fill the air with an oppressive atmosphere.

"Would you look at that..." The man Flash had just saved looked up from his place on the floor as he rose to the kneel. "The boss, it would seem. The Shadow Angel."

"What?"

Indeed, this mysterious black knight seemed both source and superior of the possessed townsfolk, clearly a demon of some kind that was taking advantage of their religion for their own gains. The Shadow Angel, as they were called, held a gauntleted hand up to its subordinates, telling the two to hold their position as the Angel themself stepped forward.

In retaliation, Flash jumped into a sharp axe kick that hit the Angel's chestplate with full force, but completely failed to impart motion into the densely armored demon. It was like kicking a brick wall, Flash's heel just stopped flat as the Angel seized his ankle and flipped him upward with what seemed like minimal effort. Flash slammed hard into the opposite wall, collapsing on the man he'd just saved and rendering him in a hazy state almost immediately.

Laying on his back, Flash looked up to see the Angel still walking towards him, but the world was still spinning, and moments later it would fade into unconsciousness.