Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Pam led the charge through the subway tunnels. She and the others were moving as fast as they could in hopes of circumventing Ashley's Sentinels. They’d managed to eliminate the last one, but time was a commodity that was in short supply right now. Pam’s sole concern was finding and saving Beth, but second was figuring out a way to return back to their world. Unfortunately, that meant they were going to have to go through this world’s Ashley and the danger she posed. She knew how ruthless Ashley could be, but from what she’d seen and heard so far in this world, this was a different animal altogether. There was no guarantee what torture Beth was being subjected to 

Rebecca remained in her transformed state as they raced down the tunnels. Her familiars stayed close by; her wolf keeping stride and her raven flying ahead. With their combined heightened senses, the three of them were their first line of defense against the Sentinels lying in wait. Ashley and Courtney were bringing up the rear, although they were keeping their distance from one another. They might have been able to pull together for the last fight, but that didn’t mean that either of them were on friendly terms. Ashley was still refusing to release Jake’s psyche, and that was creating another layer of tension in their ranks. They could only deal with one thing at a time, though. Between Courntey and Ashley’s knowledge and Rebecca and Pam’s senses, they felt a tinge of hope that they might not be caught off guard.

There was a shift in the air as they rounded a corner. A faint grinding could be heard in the distance. It was nearly inaudible, but Pam caught it along with the sound of something flowing through the walls. What was going on? Pam frowned as she pushed an aspect of herself out and sent it through the walls. She couldn’t afford to slow down, none of them could at the moment, but she could send out one of her emotions to report back to her. Her attention was divided as she watched the way forward and tried to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. The answer was one that changed the shape of their journey.

There were various moving parts, cogs, gears, and valves that were opening adn shifting behind the stone. A literal flood of thick sludge and foul water was starting to flow through the openings. Pam glanced up as they ran and spotted numerous pipes jutting out from the old stone walls. It seemed ludicrous, but there was no telling how long Ashley had been in control of this world now. The odds were that she was going to find a way to flood the subway tunnels. Her plan was likely to either drown them, or force them into a bottleneck that she could take advantage of. It was a smart plan, and one that Pam would have implemented if she could. That didn’t mean she liked it.

“We need to look for another way,” Pam called from her position up front.

“This will take us straight to the Birdcage,” Courtney said, “As long as we don’t run into any more of those things we are on our fastest route.”

“Is there another way?” Pam asked, looking around and watching the pipes above closely.

“Yeah, I think so,” Courtney frowned, looking around, “There’s an old passageway up ahead, but it’s narrow and would leave us open to an ambush. Why?”

“Of course it would,” Pam grumbled before calling back, “Something is coming; something nasty and foul. There is a flood coming. My guess is it’s by Ashley’s design.”

“Are you sure?” Courntey asked, looking around and hoping for a sign that Pam was wrong.

“Sadly, I’m positive,” Pam sighed, pointing up at the pipes, “If I’m right, then we don’t have long before we get wet in the worst way. Rebecca, find the door that Courtney is referring to, break it down, and secure the entryway while I see if I can hold back whatever this is. Courtney, move up and assist our shapeshifting friend.”

“On it,” Courtney nodded, quickly moving up to fall in line with Rebecca while Ashley moved closer to Pam.

As Rebecca picked up speed to break through a large iron door, Ashley shifted to get closer to Pam. She inhaled sharply and frowned as she caught a whiff of a scent she hadn’t smelled in over a century. “Pam, those pipes have something far nastier than water in them,” she warned, eyeballing the pipes as the walls began to slightly shake, “A nasty concoction known as abyssal tide. It’s rare, deadly, and hasn’t been used in almost a century, maybe more. It’s an alchemical mixture that when combined with water creates a heavy and thick liquid that drags anyone who touches it down. It’s like trying to swim in a tarpit.”

“Lovely,” Pam scoffed, raising a hand and conjuring a barrier around the two of them, “Is there a reason this sickly substance is here in the city?”

“I’m assuming that the reservoir was poisoned and the system here connects to it,” Ashley replied, the witch and the cadaver need to hurry. It’s here.”

The grinding noise grew louder and more pronounced before a torrent of thick, gooey, black sludge started to pour out of the pipes. It splashed onto the ground and rubble as a putrid and rotting smell filled the air. It was disgusting, but the levels were already starting to rise. “Rebecca, speed it up!” Pam shouted as the tide poured through the cracks and holes in the wall.

It was like something out of a nightmare vision. Rebecca maintained her werewolf form, but she’d have to revert once they found shelter and safety. Courtney pointed out the steel door a few feet ahead. Rebecca snarled and growled as she charged at it and began pounding on the frame. The thunderous bang echoed through the tunnels, but the door hardly budged. Rebecca scratched and scraped at the door, but it remained firmly in place. She threw more of her weight into her attacks and finally it began to bend and bow. The thick black liquid was slowly rising up around them as Pam and Ashley caught up with them. Pam’s barrier remained in place to shield them, but the levels were rising at a rapid rate.

Pam winced as she felt the weight of the waters pushing down on her barrier. It was like having someone standing and jumping up and down on her barrier. It was becoming difficult to concentrate and maintain the spell. “Rebecca, I could use some help!” she finally snapped as she felt her knee threaten to buckle.

Rebecca frowned as she reverted back to her original form. Their muscle was gone, but hopefully Ashley and Courtney could handle the rest. “You two, get that door open!” she ordered as she stepped forward and poured her energy into the barrier, “I’m with you, Pamela.”

“A touching sentiment, but one that won’t mean a damn thing if we drown in this filth,” Pam scoffed, “Brace yourself, this stuff is heavier than physics should permit.”

Ashley put her feelings aside in the wake of self-preservation in order to work alongside Courtney. She was still carrying the sword that Pam had summoned for her, and Courtney was trying to find something in her utility belt to help get the door open. While Courtney searched, Ashley wedged her blade between the frame and the door. She tried her hardest to use her weight to push the door open, but all it was doing was causing the blade to break. Courtney pulled a small gun from her utility belt, and Ashley looked over to inspect it. She recognized it from Jake’s memories as a blasting gel dispenser.

“Is that a good idea?” Jake asked as Courtney started to spray the gel along the frame.

“Not in the slightest,” Ashley shook her head, “Are you out of your thick-skull girl?!”

“Do you have a better idea?!” Courtney snapped as she kept spraying, “The door isn’t opening, and whatever that black shit is is getting higher. Judging by the look on our friends’ faces, I don’t know how much longer they’ll be able to hold out. If you have anything to suggest, I’m open to it!”

“I don’t give a damn what you two are fighting about, get that fucking door open!” Pam snapped, glancing behind her, “We can’t hold this for much longer.”

“We won’t be able to seal the door back!” Ashley argued.

“Then we pull the damn wall down and use it to seal this muck,” Rebecca pointed out, the thick black waters sloshing and crashing against their barrier.

Courtney finished spraying a line around the door and got her detonator ready. “Brace yourselves!” Courtney snapped, “This is going to be bumpy, and we need to move the second the blast hits!”

“Idiots,” Ashley scoffed, stepping to the side.

Courtney pressed the button on her detonator and the explosion shook the walls. Smoke filled their bubble, and Ashley was the first one to run through the now open door frame. She grabbed Courtney’s arm as she passed by and threw her through the door. Rebecca and Pam were close behind them. The door was off of what was left of its hinges, but that presented another problem. The water levels were continuing to rise, and that foul liquid would soon spill into the corridor if they didn’t seal it behind them. Unfortunately, it was also going to lock them into their current trajectory. There was no other option, though. Pam dispelled her barrier and focused on the roof above them. Rebecca followed her gaze and prepared to do the same.

“Get back, both of you!” Pam snapped as she channeled her power and seized hold of the ceiling.

With Rebecca’s help, the stone above them began to crack and splinter. The two of them worked together to pull the roof crashing down. Ashley and Courtney watched as they sealed their only exit. The rubble caused another thick cloud of dust, but the liquid was still seeping through the cracks and splashing onto the floor. Pam saw it and focused her efforts on sealing the cracks. She was beginning her work sealing the cracks when she felt someone else in the hallway with them. She’d have to trust the rest of her group to handle whoever it was, but she feared it was another of those damned Sentinels.

“We’ve got company,” Rebecca said, raising her hand and summoning her familiars back, “We’re going to have to fight smart here.”

She wasn’t wrong. The corridor they were in was roughly ten feet wide, if that The three of them wouldn’t be able to fight side by side in this environment, but they could use it to their advantage if they were smart. The bright lights above them flickered as someone’s footsteps echoed through the hall. A large woman that rivaled Rebecca in height stepped forward wearing a heavy and thick black trenchcoat. Her skin was pale, but her eyes were a vibrant shade of crimson. There was a hunger in her eyes as she spotted the group. She may have been as tall as Rebecca, but she was wider than her. It wasn’t that she was fat, but rather that she seemed to be more muscular than Rebecca.

Courtney rushed forward and spun around to plant her boot against the woman’s stomach, but she didn’t budge. It was like kicking a wall. Before she could react, Courtney felt a powerful,massive hand wrap around her ankle and throw her backwards. She was sent flying through the air, but she managed to land on her feet instead of her ass. Whatever this woman was, she was incredibly strong and resilient. They were going to have to fight smarter rather than harder if they were going to overcome this one. She frowned as she tried to figure out her next move. An idea sprang to mind to use one of her newer tech pieces, but it would involve getting closer than she was comfortable with. Courtney tapped her fists together and her gauntlets suddenly crackled with electricity. It would be risky, but maybe if she could time it right it would work to their advantage.

“I have an idea,” Rebecca said, having been strategizing while Courtney launched her offensive test, “I can-”

“Stow it, witch,” Ashley cut her off as she charged forward at blinding speed, “This one belongs to me.”

“Insufferable little parasite,” Rebecca grumbled, adding when she saw Courtney prepare to attack as well, “Let her go, girl. Best case scenario, she pulls out a win. However, my gut tells me that she will fail and then we can try to work as a team.”

“You two really need to get past whatever this is,” Courtney sighed, although she didn’t make a move to assist Ashley.

“This is me getting past things,” Rebecca scoffed.

Ashley slid between the legs of the behemoth as she got close. The Sentinel was one of the larger breeds, a goliath as she often called them. They were bigger, stronger, and faster than typical soldiers. What they had in raw power, they typically lacked in brains, though. It didn’t make fighting them easier, but it was still something she could use to her advantage. The second Ashley was behind her, she tried to kick the back of the monster’s knees. The behemoth buckled, but she spun around and aimed her fist at Ashley’s face. At the last second, Ashley managed to catch the incoming fist with both hands. It pushed her backwards, but she managed to stop herself before she was knocked off her feet. 

Thankfully, Jake’s body was strong enough and his reflexes were quick enough that Ashley was able to counter. It was a risky maneuver, but if she could time it right then she might be able to bring this woman down a peg. Moving as quickly as Jake’s body would allow, Ashley flipped herself over and wrapped her legs around the behemoth’s elbow. She arched her back and tried to force her enemy’s arm into a breaking position. Just as she was starting to gain some ground, the goliath grabbed her by the skull and threw her against the wall. She expected her back to ache from colliding with the pipes, but instead she found herself falling through a black void. She fell out of darkness after a second and landed on her ass beside Rebecca and Courtney.

“You’re welcome,” Rebecca said as Courtney helped Ashley to her feet, “If you’re through trying to showboat and be a hero, I have an idea that I think might make short work of this woman.”

“Oh I can’t wait to hear this,” Ashley scoffed.

“Oh my God, can you both put your attitudes aside for five freaking minutes?!” Courtney snapped as the Sentinel’s heavy footfalls drew closer.

“As you wish, girl,” Rebecca sighed, “You two go on the offensive, but be ready to dodge and dive. I’ll open portals that you two can use to get out of harm’s way. Get moving before she gets too close for any strategy.”

“Right, sounds good,” Courtney nodded, taking off with her head down and fists raised for a fight.

Ashley rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue against Rebecca’s idea. She paused to give Courtney the first opportunity. Courtney ducked under the arm of the goliath and threw a hard right straight at the behemoth’s back. The second her fist connected, a series of sparks shot out from her hand and through the body of their enemy. It caused the Sentinel to falter for a millisecond, but she recovered and threw her mammoth elbow at her. Courtney ducked under her arm and shifted around to her front. As she was preparing another attack, the hand of the goliath palmed her in the face and she was hoisted up before she could get away. 

It was as much of an opening as Ashley needed. They needed each other to succeed, and Jake was practically screaming at her to help. Ashley ran forward with purpose and flipped to the side with her foot extended to break the goliath’s hold on Courtney. Courtney was dropped from the goliath’s grip and fell through a puddle of darkness to disappear. Courtney reappeared behind the goliath. Ashley watched the portal close where Courtney had been and ducked under a visious swing from the hulking Sentinel; her fist crashed into the wall and splintered the concrete.Ashley launched an uppercut from between the arms of the behemoth. She could feel the air shifting as Rebecca opened a portal beneath her and pulled her away from the Sentinel.

While the goliath was distracted, Courtney hit her again in the back with her shock gauntlets. They crackled and sparked as she landed a series of punches at a blinding rate. Her blows staggered the monster and made her stumble forward. Furious, the Sentinel spun around to launch an attack, but Rebecca had already opened another portal to Courtney’s right. Courtney didn’t waste a second as she raced for the doorway. “Open one above her!” Courtney shouted as she dove through the portal.

Ashley closed the gap between her and the goliath as Courtney disappeared and retreated. Ashley leapt onto the back of the goliath and dug her fingers into its neck. Her shared body meant that she didn't have her claws, but she could still break the skin. Courtney dropped out of a portal on the ceiling and landed on the shoulders of the goliath. She wrapped an arm around her neck and threw a hard punch at her face. Again and again she pounded against her face without mercy while Ashley tightened her stranglehold on her neck. The goliath dropped to one knee as they slowly wore her down. They had her on the ropes, but they needed to bring this to a close sooner than later.

“Both of you, move!” Pam shouted as she finished sealing the debris.

Ashley and Courntey removed themselves from the back of the goliath. A large bolt of lightning cut through the air and took the form of a spear that pierced through the chest of the Sentinel. Her chest exploded as her body collapsed to the ground. A small black walkie clattered out of her coat pocket as the four of them let themselves relax slightly. “Hello?” a familiar voice came from the walkie, “Pam, Rebecca?”

“Is that?” Courtney asked, recognizing the voice.

Ashley snatched the walkie from the floor before anyone could get to it. She raised it and demanded, “Who is this? Speak, boy, before I lose my patience.”

“Ash, I think-” Jake frowned as he was cut off by his own voice.

“Alright, this is weirder than I thought it would be,” Jake’s voice came over the walkie, “I’m literally talking to myself. Can…can you, or me, put somebody else on?”

Ashley was about to argue when Pam walked over and snatched the radio from her. “Jake, is that you?” Pam asked, “Care to explain to us what’s going on?”

“Pam, it is so good to hear your voice,” Jake sighed, and Pam could hear the smile in his voice before it fell and turned serious again, “There’s no time to explain, though, you guys have trouble coming for you. That big woman was just the first that Ashley is sending at you. She’s got Beth, and she’s going to use her machine on her.”

“Fuck,” Jake said, looking at Ashley, “Ash, you need to let me back in.”

“Absolutely not,” Ashley scoffed, shooting a glare at Jake, “You can come back once we are back home, but not a moment sooner.”

“Goddammit, Ash!” Jake snapped, “We are talking about my best friend! Let me help her!”

“Technically, you are helping,” Ashley pointed at the radio, “Besides, it’s still your body, right?”

“Ash, I’m losing my patience here,” Jake sighed, “I’ve been going along with this because it seemed fair enough, but you’re putting Beth and the rest of my friend’s in danger.”

“Jake?” Courtney spoke up before Pam could respond, “Jake Blackridge…is that really you?”

“C-Courtney?” Jake’s voice came over the radio, “Holy shit…you’re alive.”

“Touching as I am sure this is, we don’t have a lot of time right now,” Rebecca interjected, “If we have more of those things coming for us, Elizabeth is truly in danger, and we have another monster in our world, then we are wasting time standing here talking. Apologies, Courtney, but we do have more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Right, right, you’re right,” Jake said, “Man, it is weird to hear all of your voices again, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice. Alright, I’ve got eyes on the hallway here and leading through to the Birdcage. Ashley has flooded the subway tunnels with that nasty black goop, but these maintenance shafts have more than one way to get around. Ashley has studied up quite a bit, but she hasn’t seen the original blueprints. Up ahead and on your right, there’s a secondary shaft that you can climb in and make your way to the control rooms. I won’t have eyes on you in there.”

“She knows we’re coming,” Ashley pointed out, looking around for any signs of movement from her elite honor guard, “Why don’t we simply warp to her and Beth? We can bypass all the traps, tricks, and the welcoming committee all together.”

“For once, I actually agree with the parasite,” Rebecca chimed in, “She makes a good point, but I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“Fuck off, witch,” Ashley snarled.

“Would you two shut up?!” Pam snapped, “There are wards in the Birdcage meant to keep people like Rebecca and myself out.”

“There’s a glyph that’s in this control room,” Jake said, “I can break the seal and that should give you enough of an opening to get here and save your strength. I’ll need some time, though, and you’ve got more coming in hot.”

“Of course we do,” Pam sighed, her hands crackling as her anger and frustration began to bubble over, “Do what you need to, Jake, but be quick about it. I can’t speak for the me you knew in this universe, but I am not a patient woman when my beloved is being threatened.”

“On it,” Jake replied, “There’s one coming down the hall now. I’ve seen him in action more than once. He’s the one who took out Pam here in my world. A deadeye with enhanced reflexes and an ability to pull off trick-shots that shouldn’t be possible.”

“That sounds like a lovely time,” Pam rolled her eyes, already brainstorming on how to handle their newest adversary, “Get moving, Jake, the sooner we can get out of here the better.”

“Got it,” Jake said, “Remember, you guys don’t have to win, you just have to survive until I can break the glyph.”

A gunshot rang out and echoed through the corridor. A bullet ricocheted from one wall to the next and zoomed towards Courtney. Pam held her hand out and stopped the bullet and pulled it out of midair. Another gunshot followed shortly after, but again Pam was able to stop it. “Impressive,”a man’s voice chuckled as he appeared from around the corner, “I wonder how many you can stop?”

He wore a pair of gray slacks, black dress shoes, a gray and white vest, and a sportcoat with a silver pistol in his hand. He had a fedora on that hid his eyes, but his hair was black and he was sporting a sinister grin. “This one can speak,” Rebecca chuckled as she waved her hand behind her back and prepared to summon her familiar for an ambush, “I was beginning to think that your master removed your tongues, or that you were all too stupid to open your mouths.”

“Sticks and stones, dear,” the man smirked, firing a shot behind him without turning around and hitting her canine familiar before it could attack him, “Sorry, love, but that trick won’t work on me.You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“An arrogant one, great,” Pam scoffed, hurling a bolt of arcane energy at him that he easily dodged, “Let’s see how many of these you can dodge, little man.”

“Hmm, a feisty one, I like that,” the Sentinel grinned, drawing his other pistol, “It’s a shame I have to kill you, sweetheart. I like a woman with some attitude, but orders are orders, right?”

Pam rolled her eyes and flung another bolt at him that he easily dodged. Courtney moved in and tried to catch him by surprise with a blow to the jaw, but the deadeye leaned out of the way and wrapped his arm around hers. He flipped her over with a hip toss and aimed his pistol at her. Pam was able to catch him by surprise by sending and coiling a chain around his wrist and pulling his arm away. The bullet broke through the concrete, but he seemed otherwise annoyed. Rebecca chose to step in while he was distracted; she flicked her fingers and sent the scattered and broken shards of concrete rose into the air. She sent them flying at the Sentinel in hopes of bringing him to a swift end.

“Teamwork, how sweet,” he scoffed as he sprung into action.

He moved his arm in a circular motion and pulled it towards him; the chain Pam had wrapped around his arm. As he did, he flipped himself around and pulled Pam towards him and into the line of fire from Rebecca’s attack. Pam broke her spell in time to shift her focus and send out a shockwave that brought the shards Rebecca had used down. He grinned as he raised his pistol again to take a shot at Pam, but Courtney pushed herself forward and slammed her boots into his shin. It was enough to make him stumble and miss yet another shot. Ashley moved in to take advantage of the opening. She stopped in front of him, pivoted, and hit him with an open palmed uppercut. 

Courtney was back on her feet and tried to capitalize on the opening Ashley created. She tapped her knuckles together to activate the gauntlets and threw a straight punch at the Sentinel. He was stumbling backward when Courtney tried to hit him. He caught himself and just barely managed to avoid another hit. He reached into his coat with his free hand, pulled out a handful of pellets, and tossed them to the ground. A cloud of thick black smoke billowed up and cut between them. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough for him to put some distance between the group. Pam scattered the smokescreen, but the bullets were already flying again before the smoke cleared.

Rebecca was able to raise the stone from the ground before the bullets could find a home within any of their group. “This is getting us nowhere fast,” she growled, “We need to either work together or figure out a way out of this box.”

“You four aren’t going anywhere except the grave!” the Sentinel exclaimed as a grenade rolled across the floor.

“Son of a bitch,” Pam sighed, creating a field around the grenade to block the ensuing explosion.

“Pam, I’ve got the glyph cleared,” Jake’s voice came over the radio again, “The way is open.”

“I’ll need a few minutes to lock onto your position,” Pam said, looking at the rest of her group, “I need you three to buy me some time. I don’t need long, and I need you to be ready to move on my signal.”

“Ugh more teleporting, really?” Courtney groaned, less than thrilled at the prospect of flying through the void again.

“Quit your whining, girl,” Ashley warned, readying herself for another fight, “If you’re even a half measure worthy of wearing that suit, you’ll pull it together and make yourself useful!”

“Do you have to be so abrasive to everyone, Ashley?!” Rebecca growled, summoning spikes into the wall and sending it towards the Sentinel.

“Is that Blackridge I heard?” the Sentinel asked, flipping over the wall before it could impale him, “Oh, the boss is going to be absolutely furious with this turn of events! I don’t even think having a second boy-toy will be enough to placate her tonight.”

“You are quickly becoming a pain in my ass,” Ashley snapped, rushing towards him and launching herself into a spinning kick.

Courtney was quick to join Ashley in her assault. The Sentinel blocked Ashley’s kick and countered with a low sweep. Ashley managed to step over his leg, but she couldn’t stop him from lining up a surprise shot aimed at her chest. Luckily, Courtney was close enough that she could disrupt his aim with a swift kick to his arm. With his aim broken, Rebecca used her powers to grab his gun and rip it from his hands; disarming him for the moment. Unarmed, Courtney tried to land a decisive blow across his face and end their fight, but he was too quick and managed to flip himself backwards to avoid her electric fist. He had another pistol drawn and at the ready when he landed.

“You aren’t too shabby when you work together,” he chuckled, “My name is a privilege to learn, and one that I’m willing to grant you all as a last request. I am Samiel, the swift and merciless executioner of our unholy matron.”

“I could care less, you half-baked, arrogant ass,” Ashley scoffed, wishing she had something she could hurl at Samiel.

“You have quite the attitude, Blackridge,” Samiel chuckled, firing several shots at her and Courtney, “The matron will be disappointed that she can’t break you-”

Samiel stopped when his bullets were frozen in place. He looked over at Rebecca who had her hand raised. “Wrong witch, little man,” Rebecca chuckled, opening another portal and sending her wolf out for another ambush him.

This time he wasn’t prepared to stop her familiar. It sank its teeth into his arm and drew all of his focus. “Everyone, on me, now!” Pam shouted, lowering her hand as she prepared to send the group of them hurtling through the void. Ashley, Courtney, and Rebecca didn’t hesitate. The three of them hurried to regroup beside Pam while Pam finished her spell. She’d managed to lock onto Jake’s energy and they were falling into the darkness the second everyone was within a few feet of one another. They’d managed to escape one Sentinel, but they were hurtling towards a slew of other problems and the matriarch of this twisted world. However, they were also one step closer to finding and saving Beth.