"Knock knock!" BOOM The door blows up as Felix rushes in.
"I guess stealth is now out of the option" Val follows, her cannon aimed at the ready.
"Stealth was never in the options and besides we need to move fast."
"What!?"
"The house is just a cover."
"How did you?"
The shadow stretches, as faces appear, screaming.
Val stares at the sword, as Felix eyes the premises. He shouts, "Come out!"
Felix sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Guess we're going to do this the old fashion way."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sword. Like it had always been there, waiting for its time. Fire blazing across its edges.
She grabs his hand, "What are you doing, I thought we agreed not to destroy the house."
"Trust me." He stares at her and for a moment she hesitates.
"Ok, do what you need to. I'll back you up."
He stabs the sword into the ground as fire bursts from his sword swallowing the house whole. The faces screaming twist into grins as a voice seemingly echoes from the flames. "Ah, such cute flames. It seems I have gotten greedy and attracted something fatal."
Val's eyes change color, running the voice through her database.
Her mouth clicks. "His name is Shammurath, a low level fire deity, a trickster god in some, a dealmaker in others. Now, he's some kind of… mercenary."
"Awww, you wound me, madam. I am Shammurath from Odd jobs! And you forgot my most favoured title." A man stepped through the fire, parting it like a curtain. "God of Drama!"
Dressed in a tailored black tailcoat, flames flickering across its edges like dripping blood. He bows smoothly, "Greetings, Agents of D.E.A.T.H. Shammurath's the name. A pleasure to meet you."
Felix stares at his face, looking through the facade and for an instant, he sees another. A girl, a child. Something cold settles in his chest. "You know, this hostage thing is such a bitch move. And I can tell you now, it's not gonna work out for you."
Shammurath's shoe clicks against the floor, a knife aimed at his own throat. "Ah! You wound me, Felix. But I assure you, It will."
Val's breathing settles, adjusting her arm at an angle. The light bending around her cannon as it shifted into a pinpoint, power brimming in her palm
Felix smirks, raising his sword, slow and deliberate. "Cute bluff. Is that all you had to say? You really are a sham."
Shammurath lets out a delighted laugh as the blade presses against his skin, just enough to draw a red line across his throat. The air fills with the distant echoes of a girl's screams.
"Ohoho! It's the name, isn't it?" He grins, eyes gleaming like embers. "Truly, I would have chosen something grander—something with gravitas! But alas, one does not choose the name they are given."
He tilts his head, unfazed by the blade. "And as for bluffing? My dear boy, I do nothing of the sort. I always keep my promises."
Silence settled between them, the flames flickering around them.
Felix's mind runs in overdrive.
Black box—a gateway, his body a vessel. He can't kill him or the girl dies.
Then why the others? Why did so many disappear? Too many
Because it wasn't to keep him here, it was for something else.
The house was a cover, a distraction, a way to hide it from the world
Because something needed time to arrive.
"Oh wow, you were stalling me. That's cute, I almost fell for it."
The flame flickered as it bent around him. Shammurath chuckles, low and pleased.
"Oh… I guess you were more clever than I thought." His grin widens, "Too bad you're too late."
A powerful roar erupts behind him.
The air warping—as if the world itself is bracing for impact.
The ground shudders. The walls fracture. A deep splintering groan echoes.
The flame contorts, twisting like jagged teeth, stretching open like a grin across reality.
From the depths, an arm tears through as a warcry echo.
Shammurath spreads his arms, dips into a bow as the Flames curl around him like an eager audience. "Well my contract here is done… time to make an exit." He winks, "Also… go a bit easy with my client, all conquerors get their first time. yes?"
His face crumbles to dust, drifting like burnt ash.
The his body follows—dissolving piece by piece swallowed by the flames
From where once he stands , a girl collapses to the floor gasping, choking.
As a card falls on her lap, a business card.
'Shammurath, Professional Instigator–Solving your problems with flair'
Val's eyes twitch as she takes the card with her, eyes staring into the gaping portal. "Felix, what do you want to do?"
Felix snaps pieces of his hair, eyes sharp. "I'm gonna go in there."
He doesn't look at her—his focus already on what's coming.
"How much power can you drop?"
Val's arm unfolds into a cannon, the girl now in her arms. "Enough to overload the portal."
Felix grips his sword tighter, fire pulling toward its edge. "How long would it take you?"
"Five minutes."
"I'll give you six."
Felix flicks the hair between his fingers and lets it drift.
Smoke exploded outward.
From within the haze, hands reached through—grasping, unfolding, stepping free.
A dozen clones stepped forward, stretching like they just woke up from a nap.
Felix rolled his neck. "Alright, boys. Let's give 'em a show."
He cracked his knuckles, pointing. "You—get the girl back home. Make sure Shammurath stays dead."
One clone vanished. The rest were already moving.
Chains shot from the ground, snapping tight around the monstrous arm. The clones lunged, forcing it down.
The portal screams.
A tide of creatures pours through—writhing, howling, ravenous.
Felix bounces on his heels, shaking out his hands. "Alright. You handle the big guy. I'm going in."
He dashes into the portal, weaving between gnashing teeth and razor-sharp claws. His eyes lock onto the towering beast whose massive arm has forced its way into the world. He grins.
"Hello there, big guy. Guess today just isn't your lucky day."
The monster freezes for a moment, then bellows—a deafening, guttural roar. Its other arm rises, trembling with rage.
Smaller creatures clamber up its limbs, screeching as they swarm toward him. Felix keeps moving. A clawed hand slashes at his head—he ducks, feeling the air shift as it barely misses. Twisting, he counters with a precise strike. His sword flashes. Heads roll. Screams follow.
Flames burst from his blade, searing through flesh and bone. The beast howls, its agony filling the void. The stench of burning meat chokes the air, but Felix doesn't slow. He cuts through the lesser monsters like they're nothing, fire cleansing everything in his path.
The giant swings its arm, trying to crush him. Felix sprints along its massive limb, leaping over jagged claws as its hand comes slamming down.
Then, he sees it—the world beyond the portal.
Fire and brimstone stretch as far as the eye can see.
His stomach twists. Shammurath opened a portal to this place?
His gaze flicks back to the beast towering over him. Its movements are slower now. Hesitant. It's afraid.
Felix lets out a short laugh. "Wow. You guys really got yourselves fucked over."
The monster recoils as flames surge along Felix's sword, glowing hotter, fiercer.
"You paid for a portal…" Felix tilts his head, smirking. "…and got your asses kicked instead."
The beast hesitates, then opens its mouth.
"We were promised a world to conquer."
Felix twirls his sword, flames crackling in the silence.
"And?"
"What… are you?"
Felix raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Uh… is there a protocol for this?"
The monster shifts uneasily, its enormous arm still shackled by chains. Felix taps his sword against his shoulder, thinking. "Like, do I give you a welcome pamphlet? A warning? Maybe a 'thanks for visiting, now kindly get the hell out' speech?"
The creature snarls. Felix sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Y'know what? Gimme a sec."
He run back through the portal, weaving in between claws and teeths.
"Val," he calls, "do we have a protocol for unoriented creatures of power?"
Val blinks. "Uh… what?"
Felix gestures at the still-struggling limb beneath him. "Big guy over here doesn't actually know what D.E.A.T.H. is. And I don't think they're technically in our jurisdiction. Are we supposed to handle world-conquering monsters, or is that someone else's problem?"
Val stills. "I… I don't know. Did you check the manual?"
Felix stares at her. "This is literally my first day."
"Oh. Right." She pulls out her phone and starts scrolling. "Hang on, I think I have the PDF."
Felix wipes a streak of blood off his cheek. "Great. Send it to me."
Val frowns at her screen. "You on Messenger?"
Felix glances at the looming beast, then back at her. "Yes? But is there even—"
She taps her temple, and something flickers in her palm. "I just turned on my hotspot."
Felix blinks. Then grins. "Nice."
He steps back into the portal. "Alright, big guy, where were we?"
The monster shifts, its massive form casting jagged shadows. "You were talking about my so-called orientation?"
"Yes! Now, while I understand that you hired a man named Shammurath…"
"Yes, he came to me with an offer of a world."
"And you paid him, correct?"
"Yes, with gold trinkets and some kind of spellbook. I had no need of it."
Felix nods. "I see, I see. Unfortunately, your friend used souls to power your portal."
The monster exhales, smoke curling from its nostrils. "And?"
"Yes, well… souls are something D.E.A.T.H. aims to protect."
A long pause. Then—"And that has put me in your sights."
Felix scrolls through the PDF, his eyes scanning the screen. "Yes. Now, you could enter this portal and be…" He pauses, then reads aloud, "…seen as an accomplice, in which case we would have to terminate you." He looks up with a smile. "Or… you could lower your weapons, and we wouldn't have to destroy your… everything."
The monster glares, "Can I gain back the compensation?"
"Yes… about that, it is something you would have to talk about with Shammurath."
"I see, so it is either I take what I believe is rightfully mine and be completely demolished or I leave without the prize I was promised."
"Yes. Correct."
"I don't believe I have much of a choice then."
"Oh! Wait! You can actually have this conversation with L.I.F.E." He scrolls through the Pdf some more.
"L.I.F.E.?"
"I don't know either but how about this. I give you my supervisor's number and you coordinate with her?"
"That'll be… admissible."
"Ok… so, Mr?"
"It is Ms. Aggorath the Destroyer."
"Ok Ms. Aggorath, I thank you for your patience. And we'll be closing the portal." He snaps his hand, as a cloud appears beneath him. The sounds of chains unshackling beneath him as Ms. Aggorath pulls off her arm, touching her burns.
"Sorry about that."
"It is alright, scars from a great foe is an honor for my people."
"Ok… Uh." He stands awkwardly, "Then, I'll see you. Bye!"
He rushes back into the portal as Val closes it.
He meets her and smiles, "So… not bad for a first day, huh?"
Val smiles, "Not bad. But you haven't even gotten to the hard part yet." She looks at her watch, "But I suppose that comes tomorrow."
"Wait, do we still have time?"
"Hmm? For?"
"You think we can sneak in a dinner, It's free right?"
She grins as she walks away, "Sure, why not."
Felix jogs to her side, "Ooh, maybe we should go to one of those fancy restaurants."