The camera panned around the city before focussing on the woman doing the narration.
"Nadine Cordoba, Global Network News. It has been only fourteen days since rebel forces, backed by an unknown outside force, took control of the country. Now, an anonymous force, backed by Argentine loyalists, has been striking back against the rebels on almost every front. This anonymous force is extremely well-armed, which many experts believe is equal, or even superior, to anything in the industrialized world."
The rumble of armored vehicles caught her attention, and she waved directionals to her cameraman.
"I think I see the commander of the local forces now. I'll try and get a word with him."
"Terrific," he groaned. "I hate reporters."
As he stepped out of the Hummer, a young woman stuffed a microphone in his face.
"Sir! Nadine Cordoba, GNN News. Can we get a statement?"
"No."
"Is it true that your forces dropped poison gas on San Salvador de Jujuy?""
"No comment."
"Sattelite reports showed evidence of a small neutron bomb having been detonated there! What are you trying to cover up?"
Turning to face the reporter, Arsenal stared her straight in the eyes. "Look, why don't you parasites go up there and find out for yourselves? Good day." With that, he turned around and walked into the building.
Inside the massive ship, the Combat Information Center was abuzz with activity.
"Sir," a radarman called over to his superior, "I think you'd better take a look at this."
"What do you have, Chief?" the Lt. Commander asked, leaning over his shoulder.
"I'm not exactly sure, sir. I've never seen readings like these. There's something about twenty-five miles north of us, but it's readings don't match any known vessel - friendly, hostile, or otherswise."
Walking over to the flight controller, the Lt. Commander radioed to the current patrol.
"Merlin, you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I see it, Cougar, but I don't believe it."
Sitting in the water, surrounded by a score of Purple Alliance ships, sat a giant, black... THING. It was vaguely shiplike, but huge... much larger than the Alliance ships, and almost as large as the Thor herself. The ship, if ship it was, seemed to be emitting pure Evil. Cougar felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.
"Whatever it is, it sure ain't friendly." Cougar quickly changed frequencies. "Major Decker to base. We've got a visual." After relaying what he was seeing, he told the ship, "We'll try and slow it down, but I'm not sure how long we'll hold out."
The two Tomcats swung in for a strafing run, 20mm guns blazing. Quickly, they switched to missiles, and fired off a pair of Mavericks. The two missiles simply impacted with the inky black "ship", leaving no noticable damage.
"I think we're in trouble."
"What's their range?"
"Twenty-one miles, sir, and closing."
"Scramble all pilots," he ordered flight control. "I want this thing dead in the water before it gets within fifteen."
"Cougar," Merlin radioed, "I think you better check your radar."
Glancing over at the readout, Cougar felt a chill run down his spine. Two Alliance carriers had arrived, and were launching fighters.
"Evasive maneuvers, Merlin. Let's show these Spoungin' what real pilots can do."
"Red Devil to Blackjack, let's hit that black sucker!"
Jinking his Hornet around for a missile strike, Red Devil was hit by a bolt of black energy, atomizing the plane.
"SHIT!" Blackjack yelled into his radio. "Watch yourselves, boys! This sonnafabitchin' thing's hot!"
Seconds later he was taken down by another bolt from the "ship".
"I hear that, Colonel," the Captain replied into his microphone.
"Call it a hunch, but I think that black thing's aliiieee!!!!!!"
"We lost him, sir," the radarman spoke up, his voice thick.
"We're losing too many people in this strike," the Captain muttered to himself. Picking up what looked like a phone receiver, he spoke into it. "Helm, full speed. Set course, due north. I want us going toe to toe with that thing. Even if we lose the ship, we'll at least take that thing with us."
Aboard the JSS Hammerhead, a sonarman reported that all fish had struck their target, with no noticible effect. From sonar station two, the call came that they had enemy fish coming their way. Breaking pattern again, the Barracudas fired decoys toward the approaching torpedoes.
Aboard the Hammerhead, sonar station one reported that a decoy had failed. Bracing for impact, the sub fired a second decoy and went to full speed, zig zagging away from the torpedo. The second decoy proved ineffective, and the projectile struck the Hammerhead amidships.
"Good." He picked up a microphone. "Captain Richards to all ships. This is the Big One. Pick off the smaller ships, then concentrate all fire on that Black Demon."
Guns blazing, the captain made a crucial decision. Ordering all personnel to abandon ship, he armed the self-destruct mechanism.
"Sir," the Executive Officer stated, "He's pulling an UpLink Station-Boomer."
"At least we didn't name that ship the Groo the Wanderer," the radarman muttered under his breath.
"We're doomed," the Thor's XO muttered.
Onboard the heavily damaged Thor, Captain Richards put out a call for all hands to abandon ship. Then, he climbed the ladder to the bridge, and took control of the helm.
"You won't get this ship without a fight, you bastard," he muttered, steering the ship towards the Demon. Making sure the ship was righted, he locked the wheel in position, then ran down to the reactor's control room.
Throwing all the safeties into the "off" position, he rigged the reactor to overload. Then he ran back up to the bridge, and took control of the helm again.
"Sir," he heard over the radio, "we've got a chopper waiting for you on the flight deck."
"Take off," he ordered.
"Sir? Did you say 'Take off'?"
"You heard me, the radios don't have that much static. Now get going."
"But sir..."
"Don't 'But sir' me. Someone has to stay onboard ship to make sure she hits. Leave!"
A young courier stopped at his office, and handed him a pair of envelopes.
"These just came in over the local telegraph service, sir."
"Thank you, corporal. Dismissed."
Arsenal read through the first of the letters. When he finished, he dropped his head to the desktop and muttered, "Now where the hell are you, Skunk?"
Quickly reading through the second message, his heart sank. "It's back."
"What's back, Chief?" Keili asked, wandering into the office.
"The Black Demon."
"The what?"
"The Thor battlegroup encountered something I defeated years ago. A demon, subservient to B'Harne, made of an inky black substance. It's almost totally invulnerable to standard attacks. We lost nearly everyone in the battlegroup."
"That's terrible. How did you defeat it?"
"I... fought it, using a tactic similar to how I defeated the Lizards I fought in Cleveland."
"So... what's the other message?"
"UpLink's missing again."
"'Missing'?"
"Apparently, he was captured. I just hope he's strong enough to withstand their torture."
"Are you sure he won't torture them?" Keili asked, suppressing a giggle.
Arsenal thought about that for a moment. "You're probably right."
Quickly changing the subject, he asked, "Any news on the location of that Pit?"
"Word just came in a minute ago. The scout teams just found an entrance to it... under the Rio Negro."
"The river?" She nodded. "Then I guess this is as good a time as any to test out the new WetSuits the Works came up with."
Arsenal stood up, and pushed all the paperwork to the side.
"Gather the troops. We'll be leaving a small force here to help the city rebuild, while the main force heads north. I'll take the Covert Ops team with me to the Pit."
"How will you get there without them detecting you?"
"Don't worry. I'll think of something."