The vehicles reached the house, all privately acquired military JLTVs. They were black in color, with navy blue pinstripes and an insignia of a wolf's head biting a collar. It was the symbol of the HVA. They arrived after Lita's father told them where Ash was, following the other members' call after they had driven past him earlier.
It was a twelve man squad, their leader with a cigarette in his mouth twirling his combat tanto in hand looking at the dilipated house.
"So this is the place you mentioned?" He asked the father. The father nodded, the leader looking annoyed with him from the start. "If you're lying, you'll pay capsicé."
The father nodded in agreement. He was going to risk his life by trying to trick them. The other members exited their vehicle in full tactical gear, automatic rifles, handguns, and electromagnetic batons in tow.
The father looked up to the tall leader, trying to keep his composure as he asked him for a favor.
"Sir, please, I don't care what you do to that freak inside, but please finish it off. I don't want it near my daughter and me. Please get rid of it."
"Yeah, about that. Funny thing is, after we picked you up, my men searched for you in the databank. Ya know, I can ignore the illegal practices and bribes and nearly hitting one of my soldiers when you fled, that's just human nature, but."
Suddenly, the leader stabbed the father in the throat with his tanto. The father looked confused, choking on his blood, struggling to stop the hit to his jugular.
"I'm a dad too, and what you did to your kid disgusts me, you shitbag."
The father fell to the ground, his lifeless body filled with regret that he would never make things right with Lita now.
"Sir, was that wise? It seems rather minor to kill him; we could have called CPS."
"Hell with that. Crap like him is better off dead. Besides, he was a smart lawyer before his disbarment, so calling services is just a small nuisance for his kind. Now then." The leader dropped his cigarette, smashing it with his boot before looking at his team. "One of our elite agents reported that the target they met at Site G is here. Our top brass has labeled it the Skullhunter for its apparent appetite for Kraegan skulls. It's dangerous and powerful, and from what Agent Raihime said, it's humanoid and skilled, so be on guard; it may be on the same level as an ascended Kraegan. Simple capture and deliver the mission target, and box it in if it fights back. Now, move out." The squad agreed and moved to the house. Using a breaching formation, they broke down the door and searched room by room, hoping to find Ash.
The leader put on his NVG goggles to see better in the darkened house. Nothing so far, not even a mouse. It was too quiet and calm, making him uneasy and on his guard.
On the radio, the first three-person squad called it in. "Sir, Alpha team reporting, first room clear, no signs of the Skullhunter here, moving to the next room."
The next team called it in. "Sir, Bravo team has finished searching the second room. Will proceed to the basement for further inspection."
The leader was annoyed; he thought he was led astray by the now-dead father, but he still couldn't shake off the feeling of something that was there. Years of combat and near-death experiences had made him have a mild sixth sense about feelings like this.
The third team had gone up the stairs earlier when they entered; they took the longest, searching the rooms before radioing in.
"Sir, Charlie team finishing first and second rooms, were proceeding to room…"
They stopped talking, and the leader waited with bated breath.
"Charlie team report, Charlie team report." He ordered.
"Sir, there's some kind of weird bird in here, it's just staring at us, should we engage?"
"Negative, search the room and proceed to the next. Some freaky bird is not the priority right now.
"Understood, sir, we'll continue….hold on, something's coming into the room...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!!"
The radio cut off, and static was heard on the other end.
"Charlie team report what's going on. Report now give me a sit rep."
The team didn't answer. On the upper floor, the leader saw a burst of fire escape from the room they had entered earlier.
"CONTACT, CONTACT! Alpha and Bravo teams, the target is here, it's on the second floor. Assist the Charlie team now!" The radio still emitted static; nothing was coming through.
"I say again, we have contact, the target is here. Report."
"…..Do you like scary movies, soldier boy?"
The leader was confused; he grunted, hearing the unfamiliar voice on the other end of his radio.
"Who's this?" He asked, keeping his voice from cracking.
"Do you like scary movies? I hope you don't, for your sake, you're in one!"
The voice was Ash on the other end, cold and terrifying.
"Scary movies, huh, I'll bite, Wes Craven. So tell me, what happens to me in this movie?"
The radio was silent for a moment, the leader demanded an answer from Ash, realizing he was being toyed with now.
"You die."
He heard Ash's threat on the other end. He thought it was an an empty scare, the threat was followed by the sounds of gunfire coming from the basement then screams from the Bravo team. "Bravo report, what's going on?" The leader asked, but no response.
Alpha team exited the room they were in to help Bravo team. The pointman for Alpha went for the door, and the door blasted open from a flurry of severed heads coming out.
"What the fu…" one of the soldiers shouted, not being able to properly finish his words when a knife went through his goggles, followed by a hand grabbing him by the helmet, yanking him inside with hacking noises following it.
"Contact, contact!" The remaining two shouted firing their rifles.
"Hold your fire, wait for me to back you up, don't waste your ammo."
It was in vain, gunfire from another weapon boomed at another soldier, large gaping holes in his stomach made from the blast. Alpha's last survivor witnessed his battle buddy on the ground with their guts spewing out, drowning in a pool of their own blood.
"Mother fu…" the soldier shouted, firing incoherently at the door, wasting his ammo.
He ran recklessly into the room, screaming and cursing as he kept firing with weapons. Gurgling sounds then splatters were heard next, with the gunfire ending.
The leader threw his radio down, pulling out his tanto in an ice pick grip, readying himself as the last man standing.
"Shit, who are you. Fucken coward, face me. Who do you think you are!"
No response yet, just the sounds of the broken furniture and glass from the gunfire echoing out. Quothe dived in, squawking madly as it attacked the leader.
"I am the one hiding under your bed, teeth ground sharp…" The leader heard Ash's taunting while fighting off Quothe. Quothe stopped, looking behind the leader. Ash appeared, blowing fire out of his pumpkin head to scare the leader.
"And eyes glowing red!" Ash spat a stream of fire at the leader, who tried to block his face from being burned badly. He hurriedly removed his helmet and goggles before they melted to his face. His vision blurred, and he tried to fight back against Ash. Ash used his own knives to fight back; it was child's play to fight against the leader.
The leader threw in some military training, including knife fighting, accompanied by a flash-blinding light from his tactical vest. It didn't affect Ash; the pumpkin head had no eyes to hurt. It was a dim kid's light to Ash.
Ash grabbed six knives from his pouch, the throwing ones Lita got him. With three in each hand, he began launching them at the leader. They went past him, the knives brushed off arrogantly by the leader.
"Nice shot, Stevie Wonder." He mocked.
Ash pointed behind him; the leader turned around to see the knives curve back at him, striking everywhere his armor didn't cover.
He fell from the blows, desperately trying to pull them.
Ash pressed down with his boot on one of the knives that was close to his heart.
He then picked up the leader's tanto, which was finely crafted, custom-made at that. It was 13 inches long, with four holes in the blade to reduce its weight; the handle had a wooden grip with Native American tassels at the end. Ash flipped it and spun it, showing off his skills.
"I'll take this, it's a good blade, wasted on scum like you." Ash pressed harder on the knife in the leader's chest. "I should thank you, you killed that dirtbag when I couldn't. Justice was served finally. However." Ash ignited the newly acquired knife's blade. "You're gonna make her cry now, and that's something I don't forgive." Ash threw the knife into the leg of the leader, his leg catching fire. He tried to get up, but Ash had him pinned down tightly. He drew Gwar from his back, aiming it at the leader's head.
"Your soul is mine!" Ash swung the axe down, lopping off the leader's head. Ash took a moment. He stood still for a second, letting out a weak laugh. "I did it. I got the souls needed. I got them." He kept the small breaking laugh for a moment till he stopped, having taken in the ridiculousness of the moment that he killed again.
"Can't stop, if I don't go through with it, then this would have been for nothing." Ash gathered all the heads he chopped off. The Darkmold said it needed at least ten souls; Ash got twelve instead. He burned them, then ate them all. He could feel a volcanic blast of power surging through his whole body, every cell exploding with power. Once the rush was done, the system made the announcement.
{Congratulations, the user has collected twelve skulls and souls. Darkmold has initiated repair actions. User has collected more than the required amount, reward, Slayer Arts; Jack the Ripper Style. The user can use knife techniques with surgical precision, made famous by Jack the Ripper. Bonus damage to humans applied.}
Ash acknowledged the reward, still unhappy that he had gained another killer's abilities. He looked at the carnage around the house, sighing. It had come to this.
"So, I guess this is it then. No going back now."