Chapter 13: A Meeting of Great Significance

As Charlie followed the Doom Slayer into the outpost, she felt a shiver run down her spine as she walked by the other demons. Every single one of them had something about them that was off, as if they were different people. Their eyes were alight with blue energy, and they worked fervently at whatever job they were doing, taking only a moment to stare at her before returning to work.

As the gate opened, two Imps immediately ran up to the Doom Slayer, bowing.

"H-Hello, Overlord Slayer!" The male one said, his voice ripe with nervousness.

"That's a grammatically egregious title." The robotic voice beeped aloud.

"Ah, y-yes, many...many apologies. Um, now that you're back, d-did you need anything else?"

"How are preparations of the Assault Vehicles going?"

"W-Well, about that, sir...erm...most of the...people here don't have a, how you say, grasp of, uh, quantum mechanics, or physics, or electrical engineering, or-"

"Well, find the ones that do have an understanding of this and make them labor-intensive."

"...W-Well, by most demons, sir, I, er...I mean none of them."

"How disappointing. Very well then, we will have to resort to constructing more primitive vehicles and weapons of war. I will map out several blueprints through holograms detailing the construction processes. They will only require the knowledge befitting veteran mechanics, undergraduate college engineers, and ballistics specialists. Surely you have some demons with specializations in those areas?"

"We, uh, we'll go check on that, Overlord...sir."

"You do that."

As they ran back off, Charlie had noticed that their eyes didn't have the same blue energy brimming behind them as the rest of the demons did.

"Do you have a name?"

The sudden question threw Charlie off, before she hesitantly answered.

"Er...you can just call me 'Charlie'."

"'Charlie'. Very well, then."

The two continued through the camp, passing by several demons at work with various things, from sharpening the edges of rocks for knives and arrows to creating desert-camouflage clothing.

"Man, you're really going...to...war...huh…" Charlie mumbled nervously.

"We take whatever measures necessary to eliminate all demonic presence, even if it means conducting strategic warfare."

Charlie was angered by that statement, though she was confused by how he began.

"Wait, 'we'?"

"I am not the Doom Slayer speaking. My name is VEGA, and I am currently the cybernetic advanced intelligence system working inside the suit of the Doom Slayer to best assist in his endeavor to purge demons."

"...Okay. Why isn't the 'Doom Slayer' guy inside the suit speaking?"

"He doesn't ever feel the need to."

Charlie was put on edge by that statement, and the two continued walking, until eventually they reached a large tent. The Doom Slayer opened a flap, and Charlie walked in behind them, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of several guns and boxes of ammunition.

"Wha- How do you even use all this?!"

"Transporter buffer. Anyways, this is not important. We will discuss here."

The Doom Slayer sat on a bench, and for the first time, she saw how he conjured weapons from almost nowhere, reaching into a space in the air where his wrist disappeared, then came back with a double-barreled shotgun. He reloading each weapon, and VEGA began speaking.

"In order to best execute our next move most productively, I need to elicit as much information from you as is possible on the philosophy of how demons work here, as there is a significant difference in how demons worked from where we came from. Is this another part of Hell? Have you all been reincarnated from humans, or is it only some of you?"

"Wait, hold on- too many questions." Charlie said. "Erm...can you start over?"

"Our mission is to eliminate demons, and yet we are not sure if this is the same dimension or not. Thus, to escape Hell and get back to Earth, it seems our main mission is to gather enough information to figure out where we are and how to escape. The answers may rest in this city known as 'The Capital', and we were heading there next after we've gathered enough soldiers to attack. However, after seeing human-like interactions and nuances from a few of these demons, we're holding off on completing this purge until we can understand exactly what type of situation we're dealing with."

"But they are former humans!" Charlie pleaded. "Yes, they did some bad things in their past lives, maybe even brutal things, but they all deserve redemption, one way or another, or at least the chance to redeem themselves!"

"'They'? Aren't you a former human, as well?"

Charlie hesitated to say her next words, as she was fearful that she would be blasted on sight if they heard it.

"I...I was born in Hell. There are other 'true' demons in Hell as well, but they should also get the chance at redemption if-"

"This is plausible. However, considering my forming theory around our sudden ability to communicate with these demons, it doesn't fit in with the pattern I've discovered."

"Wh...What do you mean?"

"Clearly, your personality and actions do not communicate that of the intentions in a demon, at least when considering the parameters of our version of demons. In the UAC's definition of a demon, they are nothing but minions and soldiers that speak with pure violence and abhorrent rituals for the purpose of creating portals to Earth to take it over and wreak havoc. These demons display none of those traits for as long as we've been moving around here, and initially we assumed that the demons were attempting to distort reality to play off of the Doom Slayer's weaknesses by making the demons act as if they were human. That theory doesn't seem to have good evidence, however, considering that everything in this environment has displayed dramatically different behavior. Thus, my only theory is that we have been moved to another dimension of Hell, one that has different principles and types of demons compared to the ones in our original dimension. If we have been transported to a different dimension, then that means there is a way back, and our current mission would be to find it. The best way to gain more information on our situation is by amassing a big enough army of manpower and materials to assist in creating a dimensional portal."

"...That was a lot to take in." Charlie muttered. "But, if that is the case, then why are you still going after the demons?"

"To have them join our army, which in turn creates more manpower."

Charlie was confused thoroughly by that statement.

"Wait, what? What do you mean, 'join your army'?"

"I should have mentioned. Any demon the Doom Slayer kills will be reincarnated back as an almost-willing servant to the Doom Slayer, who has utilized them efficiently."

Charlie's eyes widened.

"Ev...Everyone?"

"It would seem so."

"Please, I need to request something."

"What is it?"

Tears fell from Charlie's eyes.

"Can you...bring someone named 'Vaggie' to the tent, please?"

"This request is odd, but very well."

A quick beep went off, and one of two Imps that Charlie saw earlier, the male, came flying through the flaps, bowing.

"Yes, Overlord!"

"Bring a person named 'Vaggie' to the tent."

"Yes, Overlord!"

And with that, he was absent from the tent for about a minute, until he came back, huffing in fatigue.

"Here she is, Overlord!"

Charlie was almost in disbelief at the sight. Vaggie, completely reformed, without any injuries and with the same blue energy swirling in her eyes, came through the flaps, kneeling before the Doom Slayer, who was still reloading his weapons.

"What did you need, Doom Slayer?"

"Now what did you need with her, Charlie?"

Charlie couldn't move, struck by shock. Vaggie was there, in the flesh. In front of her.

"Vaggie…" Charlie muttered, getting up and walking over towards her, reaching out one finger to touch her, as if terrified she wasn't real.

Boop.

Tears cascaded down Charlie's face as she embraced Vaggie, sobbing in relief.

"Vaggie! Oh thank god, you're alive! I'll never let you leave me again!"

The Doom Slayer stopped reloading, watching the emotional scene before him.

"If only there was another way."

Charlie heard VEGA speak up, and looked at the Doom Slayer.

"This path of eradication is unpleasant to me, especially since these demons display such human behavior, and it's taken a mental toll on the Doom Slayer. We are not slaughterers of the innocent. And yet, if we are to escape from here to get back to Earth, it would seem that this cycle of genocide and resurrection is the only path to take."

"Wait!" Charlie interrupted. "You said you only kill demons, right?"

"Yes."

"Then...what if those demons were...reformed?"

"...Pardon?"

A few minutes passed as Charlie explained the ritual of redemption to the Doom Slayer and VEGA, and the plan she had made to help demons earn redemption through her hotel.

"This is quite possibly the most laughable idea I have ever processed." VEGA beeped. "A 'hotel' for the redemption of demons?"

"Well, come on." Charlie said. "At least give it a try. If you come to the Capital with me and your army, and you tell everyone that they will be spared from annihilation if they go through redemption at the hotel, then who's gonna protest?"

"You want them to redeem themselves through fear?"

"I don't see any other non-violent alternative." Charlie conceded. "So...do we have a deal?"

She hesitantly outstretched her hand for a handshake, putting on a nervous smile. The Doom Slayer stared at her.

"How can I trust that you are not intent on betraying us when we enter the Capital?"

"Well, I mean, if you just don't tell everyone that these demons are in your personal army, then...you can still...order like...an ambush?"

The Doom Slayer nodded his head silently.

"It would seem that the Doom Slayer is trusting you with this idea of yours, but understand that I will be keeping a watchful eye on everything you do, Charlie."

"Y-Yeah, of course." Charlie muttered. She had been staring into the visor of the Doom Slayer for a bit now, and she only just noticed something different about him.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking...er...you seem to have some...uh…features on your face, Mister Doom Slayer."

Abruptly, the Doom Slayer got up from his seat and walked outside, heading for the pond of water in the middle of the outpost. He got down on his knees and stared into his visor.

"This is...unprecedented." VEGA beeped.

The Doom Slayer had taken on significantly demonic features. The sclera in his eyes were jet-black, and his irises were red; some of his teeth had transformed into elongated fangs; Two small bumps were growing on the border between his forehead and hair.

He continued staring into the pond, as if in horror of himself. Charlie stood a few feet away, unsure of what was happening.

"Please wait outside the outpost, Charlie." VEGA beeped. "We will meet up with you shortly."

"...Alright. If I could ask, could I please take Vaggie with me?"

"Go ahead."

Charlie bowed her head, then went back inside the tent, grabbed Vaggie by the hand, and led her to the outside of the outpost.

When they were outside, Charlie turned to Vaggie and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Vaggie! Are you there? What happened to you?!"

"I...what…"

Vaggie's face was full of confusion and fear, as if she had no idea where she was.

"It's okay, Vaggie. I...I'm here now. You're back with me."

"I...there was...I was...in Hell…"

"Well, I mean, you're still in Hell, but-"

"They...they were torturing people...dissecting them...putting them on hooks and...and…"

Charlie was deeply concerned by how Vaggie's eyes glazed over as she mumbled about horrific things, shaking her once more.

"Come on, please, just talk to me, Vaggie. You're not down there anymore. You're not in those lower levels anymore."

And yet, she was filled with despair as she watched Vaggie continue to mumble, staring off at nothing, as if in a state of shock. Charlie brought her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Vaggie. I'm so sorry. I'll make everything better, I promise. I promise."