*WHIRR*
With enough binding momentum, Samuel stormed his way across the forest's open extent and brought the Crucible sword down to cut a Zombieman in half. He moved his blade to deflect the shots fired by telekinetically pushing the other Zombiemen half away. Sparks shot up from the ground where Samuel's feet stood before leaping at great heights, spinning towards the Harvesters next.
Meanwhile, Negan and his two other Savior Lieutenants; Dwight and Arat, are currently witnessing how much destructive capacity Samuel had been showing, after saving them from the Baron of Hell.
Both Dwight and Arat became startled yet amazed beyond disbelief. Right now, they were witnessing more of these monstrosities coming out of nowhere to exterminate everything that appears in their way. While Arat's eyes continued onward at how Samuel made himself resemble through a combative style, Dwight's expression didn't seem too surprised, but still conscious if any more demons were going to appear again.
As for Negan, his eyes wouldn't look away or at least the slightest bit of responding to any of his accompanied Saviors for that matter. He wondered for a moment about what Samuel has mentioned to him previously about this new threat. Upon learning this, Negan's heart swelled with such anger and contempt that his hands clenched into fists of irritation.
How could he have not listened, assuming that all of this was just a bunch of bullshit spewing out from everyone's mouth?
Now, more of his people are dead...
...and it's all because of that damn robot for lying to him of all people!
Sure, Negan knew he was also one to take full responsibility for ignoring Gavin's concerns and Samuel's so-called informative strategies...
...but still, it didn't make sense for Samuel to just flat out lie in his face...
...especially hiding that weird-looking sword away from him.
Throughout the whole engagement, Dwight could see from the corner of his eyes and spot a couple of deranged-looking figures exiting out from the Gore Nest. They wore mostly torn white suits with blue stripes and had pale, pinkish skin, including flesh growths caused by mutations. Some had steel implants on the chest and arms, as well as a single large hole that extends deep into each skull.
These were Possessed Scientists.
Once each zombified-scientist let out a constant snarling noise upon spotting the Savior trio, Arat and Negan soon took notice of the weird creatures.
"What in the actual fuck are those things?" Negan asked in a cursing mood.
"They just came out of that thing or whatever. They almost look like walkers to me." Dwight said, looking back at Arat who frowned.
"Then let's not waste any time!" Arat declared, aiming her pistol out before shooting at each Possessed Scientist smoothly.
Negan and Dwight did the same thing as the trio had begun firing at all the approaching mutated monsters. Without any second doubt, Negan begins walking forward across the grass filled with dead former humans, and made his way in front of the Gore Nest, looking for a way to remove it from having more of those things.
Arat expressed confusion on her face, "Boss, what are you doing-?"
Negan frowned, "What does it look like to you, Arat? I'm trying to figure this strange cultic bullshit out and..."
Negan's eyes traced all over the extended eye-like pustule and saw its fleshy heart.
"...lookie what we got here," Negan drawled with a small smile, knowing exactly what to do.
Whipping out his bowie knife at ease, Negan then slams the blade right through the heart before ripping it out from the Gore Nest.
Negan shrugged it off as he smirks at his two Savior Lieutenants, "See, nothing to get your panties soaked as a-!"
"҉R͖̜ͅA̵̝̰̥̥͎ͅÁ̫̞̜̻A̰A̝͍̪̤̳A̷͙͍̯͈̰ͅA̗͉̻A̮͞ͅU̞̦͈U̸͙̩̰̯̫U̸̦͖̰U̷̻͎̫̣Ù̫̮U̻ͅU͇̱U҉̗̞͉̞̪U̵U̗͕̹U̻̭̹UU̱̬̝̰̹̭͢G̝G͖͖̰̪͉͇͓͜G̨̖̘̹͈͕̗ͅG̜̟͔͚͠G͘G͉͈̝͎G̱̞̙̼͞G͇͖̼G͚̟͘G͢G̩̣͖͝G̥̜G̛̬͖̲̩͍̯͎G̸͔͙͕̪̬̱G̷̞̣̼͍̟͓G̸̬̞̜͙̙͇G̸̹̫͕̯̺͓HH̪͔͍H͉͙̹̥H̶̰H̦̥͈H̵̝͕̲̫̤̥̣H̷̤̼̬͎̰̼H̫̙H͔̳Ḫ̹̯̘H̙͕̝̝!͙̹̦͍͔͖!̠̟̪͝!̝̼̗̦͎̻ͅ!̺̤̪̯̞͘!̰͉̤!̣!͍̮̫!̸̱̖!̮̯͖̘̹͘!̭̜̭͘!̞͠!̦͓͡!̺!̤!̵̙̜!͟!̺̬̘͕͍̼̖́!̷͇̹!̩̙͔͔̕!̶̦̤!̻͔̮͔̣̙!͓̻͉͖͔̼"̛͓̯̗̠̥
Thinking that he took care of dismantling it, Negan gets taken aback surprisingly as the Gore Nest lets out an eerie, piercing scream that serves as a distress signal, watching it explode into piles of bloodied meat and carnage.
"Okay...that was freaky as hell." Negan said with an abundance of honesty.
While vibrating the sound of intense emotions, the android manages to use the Crucible's blade to block a Harvester's beam attack from absorbing his energy. Samuel expected no less from the Harvester, watching it jump a few feet away before unleashing its detonation attack, firing several large plasma shots.
"For a monster that comes from a terrifying place that will soon consume this world's people and their sins, you are trying to put up a fight." Samuel taunted, and then sprints onward to jump over a couple of plasma shots, slicing only less than few. "Unfortunately, I can not allow you to last as long as this."
As Samuel slashed with the Crucible sword, he quickly cuts down one Harvester, then one slash later he had sliced through another Harvester. Prowlers parried against the frenzied cyborg's thrusts and strikes, but even with the Pain Elemental accompanying them by summoning Lost Souls. They were flying demon skulls ablaze intently with horns on each side.
A couple of Lost Souls began to soar through the air before becoming alert upon Negan and his Saviors.
"Fuck!" Negan cursed before pulling out his pistol to start aiming, "Shoot these things down, now!"
Instantly, the flaming skulls commenced charging towards the three with open jaws, screeching demonically.
"R̶A҉AAĄU͡U͟UGGGG͜H̷H̡HH!͢!̨!̴!̛"
Just after Dwight and Arat obeyed Negan's plan of action, they held out their guns and started shooting carefully at the Lost Souls, destroying two of them while the third one charges after Negan.
Negan gritted his teeth before using Lucille to swing and bash the Lost Soul into total wreckage.
Everything right now with capturing that ringleader and its band of runners has become nothing but trouble for himself and his Savior Lieutenants. As much as he wants to interrogate and expose Samuel for what he did, but the Savior leader didn't think it would come out to become this. With his eyes narrowed over to Dwight, the ideas must lie within his scarred Lieutenant for the time spent guarding the tall cyborg.
As for right now, they needed to leave.
"You know what, guys? All this was a bad idea. We need to get the fuck out of here, now!"
Dwight looks over at Negan to ask, "But what about Samuel? We need to-"
But Negan beats him to it, "You heard what tinman said before; he's giving us time to escape or else either one of us becomes shish-kabob for these whatever the fuck these freaks are! Are you trying to fuck ourselves more through than usual, Dwight?! Because I'm sure as fucking hell that Arat doesn't want to become a fuck slave to their fucking demeans!"
Dwight's eyes peered over to see Arat fearing for her life at that conception as she snapped at the blond male Savior, "Negan is right, now shut up and let's go-!"
*GROWL*
Arat fell silent by that familiar growl shortly beforehand, which both Dwight and Negan took notice that the Baron of Hell was getting back up massively. While showing no second doubt, the trio began to make their escape across and within the dense woods.
Following back to Samuel, his sensors then accumulated to where he noticed Negan and the Savior Lieutenants are retreating away, regrettably enough to see the Baron following them. Cursing at the thought, Samuel cleaved a Prowler by his Crucible sword, sabering another few more in their torsos.
Each fell, gasping out a dying breath.
The cyborg only had a moment to check his surroundings, and then plasma shots fired past his face from possessed soldiers coming forth. Samuel commences to avoid and block again and again by the troopers with fused arm-cannons.
Back with the others, Negan ran as fast as his legs could carry him while Dwight and Arat were too busy following their leader, looking terrorized by all the hell they were currently going through.
*ROAR*
The trio found themselves racing for their very lives as the Baron from afar lets out a loud, mighty, heaven-splitting roar.
"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!" Negan shouted in his mind, moving as fast as he could alongside Dwight and Arat inches behind him.
Unlike Dwight, Negan and Arat had not expected the rage and ferocity of those monsters, but indeed each of them had underestimated Samuel Hayden's value with being here to assist.
"This is bad! I don't know if Samuel will make out of those freaks attacking us, but he better not die!" Dwight seethes in thought about minutes ago, desperately hoping the robotic scientist would survive somehow.
Before Negan could think of anything else, positioning themselves were a couple of possessed soldiers called the Z-Sec, with weapons functioning to a fused armed shotgun on one arm and a big, translucent blue energy shield on the other. Each Z-Sec monster began to hold aim upon Negan and his two Savior Lieutenants, but soon enough with a risky idea, Dwight's instincts caused him to start shooting the two zombie-like security troopers.
Negan's expression became intensified yet shocked. "Dammit, Dwight!" He then cursed lowly.
Negan then grabs Arat by the arm for the both of them to take cover behind a few towering trees. On the other side, Dwight ran across the forest area and trampled over behind a few trees, causing the zombie-like security troopers who followed him to search around eagerly.
One of the zombified troopers trudged slightly nearby to catch hold of any human fragrance.
Dwight, on the other hand, kept his posture stiff as possible behind the various trees. His eyes stopped at a small stone before quietly picking it up in his hand, preparing for the exact moment to unfold.
The groaning noise of a possessed soldier far off somewhere caused this one to turn around suddenly, and gnarls in a croaking tone.
At that moment, Dwight's hand flung the stone off into the distance until...
*CLINK*
...the zombified troops became notified by the abrupt sound as only a few went and checked it out...
...leaving Dwight to himself.
"Dwight, over here." Arat's voice whispered out to the scarred man.
Carefully yet rashly, Dwight slogs himself over to where he'd lean over and recognize Negan and Arat hidden behind the straying tree.
"Over here, D." Negan whispered as well, cautious.
Dwight rushes across an excessive mass of the woods to alert his Savior leader, and unexpectedly, he got hurled against a tree where his eyes almost grew widely at the atrocious sight.
Of course, they forgot about the Pain Elemental hovering above Dwight.
"Damn, it's that thing again!" Arat cursed before getting herself up.
"Negan! Arat! I'm going to need some help over here..." Dwight trailed off just until the one-eyed inflated monster began to open its mouth widely.
Just before the Pain Elemental could conjure a Lost Soul out of its maw, something blazing hot came behind and sliced the floating demon in one half. Samuel came leaping in just in time before he silenced the Pain Elemental's attack from occurring.
With a breath of relief, Dwight recognized the cyborg as he landed safely onto its metallic feet. "Jesus, doc, where were you?" Dwight asked, feeling hints of respite from the chase.
"I apologize for the unpunctual timing, Dwight. Where is..." Samuel turned his head to the side and noticed Negan's divisive yet calm expression. "Negan, we have to leave before the Baron-"
"You lied, Hayden."
With that just came out of Negan's voice of hostility, the android himself couldn't help but sigh at this difficult situation. "Negan, let me explain this to you later..."
But Negan continued with a dark chuckle, alarming Arat and Dwight as he stepped forward while Samuel backs away. "Ohoho, you can start fucking explaining now what the fuck you've gotten ourselves into with this shitty-ass charade you have been pulling out of your metal ass! Do you think I need you to answer that? So many of my people just got slaughtered moments ago. And there's no fucking way you have a goddamn chance of running away with your security this time, Hayden. Right now, we were hightailing the fuck out of dodge by who knows what the fuckity fuck these shitheads are, and here you are pulling one big-ass fucking sword out of thin fucking air to fuck shit up! Thus, without so much as a goddamn thought of considering toying with the notion of telling me the FUCKING TRUTH, YOU LYING SON OF A BITCH!"
Samuel couldn't keep quiet at this moment as he tries to talk some sense, "Negan, the Baron-!"
Again, Negan ignores the cyborg as his attention goes along to Dwight, "And you, D, already have a lot of fucking explaining, to begin with, what this rusted fuck-it-of-bolts has been fucking telling you about himself! Hell, you might have not fucking told me where or how or why this thing is seriously here in the FIRST PLACE!" Negan shoved Dwight backward until the scarred man stumbled against a tree nearby.
Coming forward into Dwight's personal space, Negan's voice dropped to a standard volume, tone laced with threats and venom. "Don't think I haven't figured you out fully, Dwight. I know you've been lying to me all this time. Oh, and I especially know you're aching to go along with Doctor Tinman's shitty plans about chatting to Ricky and his piss-patrol of dipshits about this pool of piss we're paddling in like puppies. Repeat after me: They...don't...care. SAY IT!"
...
...
...
...
"No..."
Negan's eyes sharpen into full slits as he grits his teeth with...
"...they don't care."
...delight.
"Nice to put some real sense into you, Dwight, my boy." Negan said and licked his lips with satisfaction before saying to Samuel next, "You need to write down notes for what progress is from now on, Hayden."
"All of this is not progress, Negan. It's madness coming from your leadership's alleged reason for what you'll do for yourself and the Sanctuary's future at a later time." Samuel leaned over to face the Savior leader with no gesture of backing down, speaking further, "Listen, I'm willing to believe that you're doing this if you're feeling to admit that you need to stop. Going up against this world's new peril alone isn't something you should stay on the issue of devising."
*BONK*
Not at all amused, Negan smashed Lucille down onto one of the forest's trees. "You better choose your words very fucking carefully, Hayden!" he spats, his teeth grating together, and nostrils flared while spit came flying from his mouth, "cause Lucille? She doesn't appreciate your tone, and neither do I!"
Leaning back, Negan pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, with a sharp smile on his face as he rubbed his chin vigorously.
"Hayden," Negan heavily sighed, pointing his barbed wire bat directly at the android. "this is why your method is going to suck balls both figuratively and literally. I don't believe your bullshit. You're telling me, that the future is-can only be more of this shit? That I have to go against everything the Saviors stand for and give up solely to create unity among those wannabes at Alexandria, Hilltop, and the fucking Kingdom?"
For a long moment, Samuel kept quiet while his thoughts were about Negan's cursory reasonings, watching the man pace around him.
"If Rick himself would want to join by my side on this conquest to save inch by inch of possibly the world, then he shouldn't have gone off and killed a bunch of my men for his prickly reasons in the first place." Negan walked around the cyborg, glaring with such irritation.
Samuel kept his gaze to continue following Negan's circular motion. "Reasons could be that this man, Rick Grimes, had found out about your community beforehand?" he wondered.
"You see, Hayden, you weren't even here for what I'm about to tell you. I never even knew about Alexandria's existence right before Rick's shit came plopping down onto us by taking out one of our outposts. Rick's a pretty bad guy, but he has a lot of guts for showing up and doing stupid fucking shit like that to a bunch of my people."
Samuel watched Negan stroll around up in front of him, where Arat and Dwight behind their Savior leader kept quiet as possible for Negan's sake. The air was tense as their faces were alarmed yet knowledgeable that Samuel was going to backfire with getting Negan to stop this enslavement upon the communities. Though, despite Dwight secretly supportive about defending Samuel, he did not want to break his loyalty enduring as one of Negan's faithful Savior Lieutenants. Arat, on the other hand, thought that she couldn't care less about Samuel and more onto leaving this place before those monsters arrive.
"So, if you think I've done some pretty messed up shit before this moment, well, then maybe you've gotten yourself into a severe heap of rotten lemons beyond, doc." Negan finished before his eyes scrolled over to Arat.
"Arat, take away his big-ass sword," Negan ordered.
"Negan, wait-!" Dwight said.
"You've done enough, Dwight!" Arat hissed at him.
While Arat complies to do so, watching her hold up her gun at aim, Samuel spoke this time, "Arat, you have a right to refuse his order, and I guarantee you will experience true fear that no human can witness without losing their sanity. Once you take the slightest grasp onto the Crucible here, your very presumption of reality will become obliterated."
"Yeah...what he said. Look, he's telling the truth you guys so back off for your own sake, Arat!" Dwight begged in defeat while Negan took note of this suspiciously.
"Dwight, it's you who needs to back down unless you haven't gotten it through your thick fucking head yet!" Negan barked back with a chuckle before witnessing Arat's face showing hints of anxiety. "What are you waiting for, Arat? Just grab the stupid sword, and we'll be done with the doc for fucking wasting our time soon enough."
As Arat comes forth in front of Hayden to hesitantly touch the Crucible, Samuel sighed in annoyance, "Don't say I didn't warn you, Arat. Brace yourself."
With those words said, Arat had finally placed her grasp upon the Crucible's handle attachment before...
...she began to twitch as her eyes glowed brightly in red...
...speaking falteringly and let out a piercing fright.
At this point on, Negan was beyond confused straight as he glared at Samuel, "What the hell is going on with this shit?! Arat! ARAT!"
Meanwhile, Dwight just looked on with a calm yet intimidated expression as he watched Arat experience what he felt from the Crucible.
The Earth's destruction...
...demons attacking and mutilating other survivors...
...women and children receiving a chain of petrifying molestation...
...the screaming terrors that commence on above and beneath beyond...
...and that powerful man destroying every single demon in sight.
Wheezing out of breath, Arat automatically fell back to land on the ground, backing away with so much dread that even Negan couldn't understand what happened.
Negan blurted out in a fit of anger, "What the fuck did you do-?!"
*BOHM*
Everyone took note of the massive uproar in stunned silence. Dwight and Arat's eyes widened, even Negan was shocked again at the display. Samuel then turned to the side before detecting the Baron's footsteps trudging around for the Savior trio in the distance.
*BOHM*
"Fuck, we got to get out of here!" Dwight declared abruptly.
Dwight cursed to himself in thought as he zipped over, helping Arat by picking her up. However, she pushed the scarred man back out of fear while speaking in gibberish to herself. After a few seconds, Arat held her hand up to reassure that she was fine, but decides to stay quiet about the whole thing for now until then. Negan looks over to see Samuel gripping the Crucible with two hands, his elbows pressed to his sides with the crimson blade held straight out in front of him.
"You can not stay here for too long, Negan. You must retreat immediately or else you and your comrades will die here." Samuel said, looking back at the Savior leader whose face became firm yet soft.
Just like always, Negan knew that he had been flapping his lips out loud for the whole world to hear, but here, he realizes that this dominating reign of his isn't going to make it for long. Especially now, that he has to deal with more of Samuel's unfavorable nonsense, a bit further than usual. So, he swallowed his pride and gave the cyborg an acknowledging nod before hustling alongside Arat and Dwight. Far away from their view, the Savior trio suddenly spotted the leftover group of possessed Z-Sec troopers shooting after them.
Samuel soon notices this as he lets out a cursing utter, "Damn them all."
But what caught his scanner is that Dwight was shooting back at the zombified soldiers with determination. It's as if the scarred man had started planning something for this moment right now. One trooper of the possessed security rose out to try and strike Dwight but received a few bullets to the face before dropping down dead. After that, Dwight manages to snatch off a piece of metallic equipment attached to the monster's left forearm and placed it on, seeing it whip out a blue shield with awe.
Aware that the possessed troopers were storming in, Dwight uses the blue shield to cover himself while aiming fire at different zombie-like shooters. With the Baron taking notice of this, Negan gritted his teeth with frustration for Dwight's reckless actions.
"Negan, there's more gaining on us! We got to leave before that giant thing comes after us!" Arat shouted to her Savior leader.
"Just go, guys, I'll stall them as long as I can!" Dwight yelled back while he kept shooting.
"Dammit, come on! Don't get yourself fucked, D!" Negan reluctantly agrees as he and Arat moved on through the woods and disappeared.
After killing another possessed soldier, Dwight then notices Samuel dashing over to him at ease. "Let's lead them off somewhere so that Negan and Arat can get away safely!" Dwight declares.
"Agreed. Climb up and hold onto my back area with that shield out to protect us from behind assaulters." Samuel said to Dwight, who most likely didn't know what to expect just as he clings both his arms and legs onto the tall cyborg's back.
Without a second thought, Samuel initiated a functioning mode to begin running at a fast pace while Dwight held on for dear life, almost regrettably for doing this insane stunt.
The Baron of Hell started turning its concentration upon Samuel racing off as he carried Dwight along with him. A raw radiance of green fireballs generated within each clawed hand, until the Baron opened sharp throws at the duo.
"Hold the protective shield up and prepare ourselves, Dwight. Barons are highest-ranking beasts in the order of the Hell Knights due to their destructive natural force." Samuel told the scarred man while running forward, bounding overhead some trees that got viciously mangled.
Dwight, regarded of the incoming green projectiles, raises his blue shield out and safeguards Samuel's progression. One fireball came and struck onto Dwight's shield as the color blue soon purpled. The Baron's attack was somewhat effective, only throwing them off guard before Samuel reaches through another part of the dense forest to mislead the Baron's sight on them.
And just like that, Samuel and Dwight were already gone out of sight.
The Baron came to a stop before bellowing out a roar of outrage, slamming its fists through the forest's soiled ground as it puffed out air from its nose. Annoyance soon turned into questioning as the monstrous giant gave a glance upon its left side's surrounding area, believing to have heard a noise somewhere.
Desiring to know, the Baron of Hell commences onward through the woods...
...ignoring the fact that Samuel and Dwight were down below a steep hill with logs blocking their view.
"We need to get out of here and fast!" Dwight whispered as he got off from Hayden, who suddenly halted him.
"Dwight, the Baron seems to become intent on whatever he had just heard. We must pursue after the beast before it starts creating more chaos upon those who stand in its way." Samuel declared, placing a metallic hand on the scarred man that starts to back away.
"But we'll only risk ourselves to more danger if we follow the giant bastard! What's the point?" Dwight asked roughly, not liking where this was going.
"The point is that none of the other communities are aware of any demonic presence lurking around each territory. What if the Baron had suddenly appeared where the man Rick Grimes would be at Alexandria or the Hilltop Colony, or the Kingdom? We can utilize both our forces as an advantage to cooperate with any of the settlements, then destroy the Baron without dispute." Samuel finished explaining.
Once again, Dwight didn't have any other defenses to match against Samuel's fortified judgment upon uniting each community with one another. He knew that there was no possible way for Negan to take on the demons of Hell, let alone brag about having Rick and his group stand alone for this one. So, Dwight swallowed his pride and decided to take the risk, "Okay, let's go. I know where to find the locations, so we'll only have to take that chance to stop and put an end to Negan's reign."
Samuel nodded from that statement, but then speaks again, "True, but I don't think that killing Negan will become an option for them anymore. The Saviors need Negan to lead them, and we need to put this conflict aside to approach on obliterating the demons of Hell."
"And if this doesn't work?" Dwight asked, raising an eyebrow.
Samuel became silent for a moment before answering, "Then the demons just so happen to have won your dimension altogether."
Dwight frowned a little at this response but didn't show any doubt to back down from this future demonic war.
"Let's go," He said, determined.
Looking at each other with a nod, they exited out of their hiding spot and continued through the forest onto a clear path after the Baron until they disappeared somewhere else. If they couldn't talk to Negan about working together to bring annihilation upon the demons from commencing Hell on Earth, then maybe talking to Rick Grimes is the way to go.
"Tara, what the hell is going on here?! And what is that dead thing outside of the cabin?!" Cyndie shrieked out of fear, in which Tara had just become confused.
"I-I don't know, Cyndie!" Tara hesitated, "My friends and I only came here so I could talk you all in on helping us fight the Saviors, and now, this is all confusing the hell out of me!"
While Cyndie was too busy feeling alarmed about the whole situation, Natania was presently looking out the cabin's front window with a fearful expression. She had never seen a dead carcass look so shredded and ripped apart like from some wild beast. The older woman covered her mouth as she saw blood splatter everywhere on the dead-looking monster. Three of the young girl started hyperventilating as Rachel looked over at the window where the demon corpse sprawls outside.
"Rachel, tell me everything you saw!" Natania pried over to the young girl, "Whatever you and the children saw outside must be warned to the community immediately."
Then, Natania looked at Tara with a gun aimed at her, "As for you, Tara, you're coming with me-!"
"But grandma, we can't go out there! You can't go out there with those monsters trying to eat everyone here!" One of the girls exclaimed as they sobbed fearfully.
"No, you girls stay in here and lock the cabin until it is safe to come out." Cyndie chided, looking at Rachel. "You grab one of the knives and the revolver that you have, so you can-!"
"No, I want to help fight! You and grandma can't go out there alone with those monsters...and him." Rachel refused, scorning at Tara who stayed calm.
"Him? You mean this man that Tara mentioned and saved you from one of those terrible things?" Natania drawled in a questioning manner.
"Yeah, and he scares the shit out of me! He punched one of those things, and-and they die like that!" Rachel cursed with a rapid nod, despite the disappointing looks from Cyndie and Natania about such foul language. "Sorry."
"If that's true, then maybe we should go find him and see if he knows what this is?" Cyndie asked.
"No, what if this man is just as hostile as Tara's group?" Natania argued, shaking her head. "There's a chance for us to get everyone back on our side and regain our guns to kick these people out."
Tara tried to but into the conversation and provoked, "Hey, wait a minute! We didn't mean to hurt anybody here-!"
*THUMP*
A piercing jetpack sound came and thumped onto the roof from outside the cabin. The women inside were gravely surprised by the strange noise before Natania hushes the rest of the women and children in the room.
"Hush," Natania said quietly.
"What the hell was that noise?" Tara whispered, her eyes not leaving the ceiling.
"I said hush, dammit," Natania said again, hissing.
While silent as a group of mice, the woman, and children endured in their speechless behavior, where the thumping sounds were almost like footsteps. They all could recognize that there was something or someone up on the roof before...
...the trampling steps suddenly stop.
Tara, confused as she ever was, maintained her voice, "Okay, okay. I'm starting to get crept out, and I'm not sure why, but my friends are probably wondering where the hell I am. Will somebody please tell me this shit isn't real?"
"No, this is all your fault!" Natania accuses, glaring daggers at Tara who becomes shocked.
"Wait, grandma, stop! It's over." Cyndie pleaded in a sorrowful tone, "Just talk to their leader, okay-?"
"It's not over, Cyndie!" Natania hisses in frustration as she walks in front of Tara, pointing at her.
"Listen, Tara," Natania's voice became reassured fiercely, "I don't care what you and your people did, but we're not losing our guns, or my people for some war that you will die later! Do you want me to talk so badly? Fine then! We're going to talk to your leader about all of this nonsense, and remind everyone what's happened to us because of them! I don't care if I do this, and I'm going to die, but it's that important for them to open..."
*SNARL*
"...t-their e-eyes...?" Natania's voice broke into pure fright as to what she just heard.
From the corner of each female survivor's eyes, they glanced at this horrifying display of a Revenant hovering upside-down facing the window outside, glaring intensely at the women and children with eagerness for blood and meat bags to slaughter. The Revenant emits a loud, high-pitched, hollow scream before smashing its fist through the frosted glass window, causing the three girls to screech out of fright.
Without any second thought, Natania began to aim fire at the rotten-looking skeleton until it uses the sported jet pack to raise itself high above onto the roof again. But that didn't stop the older woman as her aim levels up to the roof where she keeps shooting to attempt on killing the monster.
Natania ceases fire as she narrowed her eyes upward to have faith that she killed that thing, where both Cyndie and Tara were terrified but amazed as to what happens next.
From outside of the cabin afar, their eyes had spotted me reloading my Super Shotgun at ease before dashing towards the small home and springing upwards. I grabbed the edge of the roof until I could pull myself up, and presented the Revenant with two more gun blasts, making a red smear on the rooftop.
Not one to waste an opportunity, I leaped at the still stunned Revenant, grabbing it with both of my hands and then took it down by driving my shoulder into the skeleton. The women and children from inside watched in shock as I impacted in front of the cabin's space with that annoying skeletal fucker beneath me.
Following that, I positioned myself, so both of my feet grounded through its torso. I seize both of the Revenant's shoulder-mounted cannons until I smash them together, crushing its head during the process. Without keeping my anticipating off through the distance, I slowly rose myself back up to my feet and stood where my back remained turned for the women in the cabin to observe.
*BEEP-BEEP*
Suddenly, the HUD starts to beep until VEGA decides to inform me of something.
{I AM DETECTING SMALL QUANTITIES OF ARGENT ENERGY EMINATING FROM AFAR. THERE IS AN INCREASE CHANCE THAT SEVERAL OF THE DEMONIC PRESENCE HAVE FOLLOWED WHERE YOUR LOCATION IS, SLAYER. I TAKE WORD THAT YOU WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PRESERVE NEARBY SURVIVORS WITHIN OCEANSIDE'S PERIMETER. DO WHAT YOU MUST.}
Good to know, VEGA.
Now, it's finally time to bring me back into the real fucking action.
Meanwhile, inside the cabin, the women were currently displaying expressions of shock and bewilderment as they watched me prepare myself for more of those monsters to arrive again.
While Cyndie and Natania didn't know what to think of me, just after the brutality I bestowed on that Revenant, Rachel sensed a hint of relief inside that they were going to be saved by someone else so compelling, yet very terrifying.
"What...the...fuck?!" Tara couldn't help but whisper to herself in a state of shock for witnessing me coming out of nowhere and destroying that skeletal-looking monster.
*GROWL*
The women inside shivered a bit with worried faces...
...while outside...
...I grinned with satisfaction.
Bring it on!
More monsters rose out from the interior of Oceanside's dense trees and bushes as if they all had fearfully anticipated my interference.
Five groups of possessed zombified soldiers shot rounds of plasma at me while three more Pinkies charged out of their hidden spots within the woods.
Everything I was up against remained no match for me...
...and they all knew it...
...but regardless...
...it happened at once, with me pulling out my Plasma Rifle again to fire a Stun Bomb.
I managed to stun two troopers who grouped closer together while jumping over the third group. I pierced my hand right through one Zombieman, causing its blood to splatter all over me. I turned to kill another at my feet as three more zombified soldiers converge on me with their armed-cannons.
*BVMM*
The automatic use of my thrust boots allowed me to break the necks of all three with a swift kick to their heads each.
*CRACK*
*CRACK*
*CRACK*
The cracking was audible as they fell to the ground lifeless.
While still in midair, I whipped and hurled a frag grenade at the next group of possessed soldiers.
*BOOM*
The blast took out two of them and damaged the other three, which I instantly chose off with pellets of plasma, before lunging at the two still stunned Pinkies. I jumped at the first, slamming an armored kick into its head on the way down, and then clutched both its upper and lower jaw until I began ripping its face in half. After that, my hand swiftly grabbed the tusk of the other one, tearing it out to the point where I sliced its throat wide open.
"Christ, the big guy is totaling those freaks, like they're nothing. I'm glad he's on our side." Tara breathed fearfully, looks at Cyndie next, "Listen, maybe we can get past those monsters while the big dude's doing his thing, and we'll gather everyone up to defend themselves. I don't know what's going on, Cyndie, I admit it, but something tells me that we're going to die if we don't move at all."
Glancing back at Tara with a look of fear and determination in her eyes, Cyndie turned her attention back to her grandmother, "Grandma, Tara's right. We need everyone if we're going to survive, and Tara's group can help us as well if what she says is true."
During my loud and bloodcurdling rampage, and while almost nauseous at the mere sight of what fear was to her, Natania held the gun that she had and reluctantly motioned it sideways.
"Fine. We can not stay in one spot here any longer." Natania declared, glaring at Tara. "We need to get everyone to the arsenal now. And Tara, just because we're helping, it doesn't mean you're going to have us give up our weapons!"
Tara looked at Natania with a straight yet tense expression as possible to avoid any opposition, "I swear, and I'll speak with Rick if we make it out of here alive together. Nobody's going to die here, and I'll make sure of it."
With that said, Cyndie drew out her dagger alongside Tara, who had one as well, if any walkers were roaming around. Rachel and the three girls stayed huddled together, but Rachel, on the other hand, had still maintained her knife with a firm look. Cyndie knew that keeping the young female survivors inside the cabin while those monsters were out there claiming what's theirs could provoke anxiety. Or worse, having the witness those things breaking through their homes and eating the children alive. Cyndie shook that thought off her mind as she and the rest of the women, and children, exited the small cabin. They rushed down and began making their way to the center of Oceanside Cabin Motor Court.
Back where I was, VEGA had responded to me about them.
{IT APPEARS THAT TARA IS FLEETING AWAY ALONGSIDE THE OCEANSIDE LEADER. I WILL TRACK EACH OF THEIR HEAT SIGNATURES FOR YOU TO PURSUE ONCE YOU HAVE TO EXTINGUISH THE REMAINING DEMONIC PRESENCE WITHIN THIS AREA.}
My eyes became narrow as my HUD examines beyond the trees of the forest, covered by shadows of the dark, where three shapes commenced their advance. I redirected my attention when I saw a trio of Hell-Knights, anticipating to get a piece out of my flesh and bones. One of them lunged ahead, aiming a fist for my face. Luckily, I avoided the punch and grabbed its hind leg before using the rest of my momentum to swing the gladiator-like beast away. Another let out a roar from sheer rage, charging at me as well. But only this time, I was caught off guard until it pins me to the ground, eager to start hitting me with its massive knuckles.
Thankfully, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened to me.
Grabbing the fist in mid-swing, I used my other arm to punch the Hell-Knight off of me. Not wasting any time, I jumped over and got it into a headlock. I immediately twisted and broke its neck, out of force of habit, but showed no mercy for any of these brawny fuckers.
I quickly let the demon corpse go, and I almost charged at the third Hell-Knight lastly, before I saw the first one already up with its attention somewhere else.
It clicked inside my head.
I already knew what this fucker was going to find...
...and the rest of the group was within the Oceanside's center of the place.
Jumping into a fighting sprint right after the Hell-Knight, I was then rammed abruptly by the other demon invader as I beamed at it in surprise for a moment before my eyes glowered red in annoyance. I mustered every strength I had within until my gloved fists performed a lightning-fast chain series of different hooks and a full-fledged uppercut.
The Hell-Knight got thrown back, and its body impacted violently through a couple of trees. Right until the burly demon was about to get back up, something caught its attention before glaring fearfully at me standing within inches above the Hell-Knight. I reached into my infinity pocket, and with the speed of one who had gone through the motions a million times, pulled out the Gauss Cannon to blast through the Hell-Knight's facial and torso.
Blood, meat, and bones just scattered all over the open space of the Oceanside.
As far as my eyes could see, I noticed that the Hell-Knight from before had already left to pursue the Oceanside center. My eyebrows twitched violently as once again, I've found myself getting annoyed with myself. Not only was I getting so worked up over Rick and his crew that wouldn't have caused me to bat an eyelash at just a few hours ago, but putting themselves in danger has gifted me such haste and the overwhelming emotions tackling against my mind with all the delicacy of a battering ram.
{IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE WILL HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST TO RICK GRIMES AND TELL HIM THE TRUTH. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT EXPLAINING EVERYTHING, SLAYER. THAT SHALL BE MY PART TO DO SO. I WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH ON THE PRAETOR SUIT'S SPEAKER STATUS DURING THE EXPLANATION. MY PROXIMITY SENSOR SHOULD KNOW IF THE ENTIRE GROUP IS LISTENING TO ME.}
I know that, VEGA...
...but their lives are worth it much more.
I equipped out my Combat Shotgun...
...now quivering with rage as I stormed right after the missing Hell-Knight...
...fully aware that this was going to put me in a tight spot with Rick and his people.
But that didn't matter to me...
...because saving everyone always comes first...
...always.
...
...
...
Heavily alerted by several different shots fired, echoing all over from the greater distance, Rick and the rest of everyone here that includes the Oceanside survivors were in the middle of the center.
"W-What's going on?!" One of the children exclaimed in a fright.
"Dear Lord, we're not safe here anymore! We're going to die!" An elder woman prayed to herself in a scared tone.
"It's the Saviors! I know it is!"
"Please let this end! Please!"
More feminine voices whispered and shivered in a panic for their lives.
They are all now listening to what seems to be a blood-soaked conflict somewhere nearby. Numerous sounds got let off as bullets shooting, things roaring, painful-producing screams, and so forth.
"What the hell is this?!" Francine looked around, startled by all the different noises.
"Rick, it has to be that man doing all this, would it?" Tobin asked the Alexandria leader nearby, who showed confusion across his face.
Rick didn't know what the hell was happening right now while his eyes cautiously jolt everywhere, looking in between his people and the captive Oceanside female group. Daryl, too, was just as frustrated as Rick during his time scoping over his surroundings for any potential danger.
"I knew it," Daryl surmised roughly, shaking his head. "I knew all this has got to be that son of a bitch you took in, Rick. And now, he's shooting all over the place! We're putting an end to that fucker!"
Rick then grits his teeth while narrowing his eyes at Daryl, "Dammit...no, Daryl; you and Jesus go find where he is and bring him back here, alive! I want him to tell me what he's trying to do here. All of this isn't going to waste because of whatever he's doing out there-"
"RICK!"
The former Sheriff pauses himself just as his attention settled towards where he recognizes Tara's voice, accompanied by Natania, Cyndie, and Rachel with the three girls.
"You need to let everyone go and get to the arsenal, right now! We're all dealing with something far worse than what you're doing here at this point!" Natania demanded firmly, nudging Tara's shoulder with the gun, "Tell him now, Tara."
Nodding, Tara looks at Rick, her terrified voice broke down, "Rick, it was terrible! I went to Natania, and then Rachel saw these really strong guys, and then there were even more strong guys. AND THEN BIG GUY BLEW UP ONE OF THEIR HEADS WITH HIS OWN HANDS, AND THEN THERE WAS EVEN MORE STRONG-!"
"Tara!" Rick interrupted tersely, a silence lingering in the air after the pony-tailed woman stopped. "Calm down! You said something about the big guy shooting something around the area, and what do you mean these strong-?"
"Look, the whole plan backfired! We need to get to the guns at the arsenal and get everyone here prepared! There were these things that just came out of nowhere and almost attacked us, but the big guy is fighting them, and he's ripping them apart like it's no big deal!"
As Rick became silent after what Tara just said, Carl comes up and asks, "What things, Tara? Where did the big guy go?"
"Were those the sounds that were coming out of nowhere?" Enid asked Tara.
"What the hell are you talking about with all this bullshit?! He's only going to attract more of those walkers than we've just done! Tell me where he headed off and I'm gonna' kill him, Tara!" Daryl questioned and was about to go further as Tara stuttered her words to try explaining.
"B-But, I-I-"
Cyndie interrupts with a yell, "Will you all JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN! There were these things Rachel saw, and they looked a lot like any of the dead but were different. The walkers had guns on their arm as if it got stuck together, and then there was a walker with a jetpack. It was on the roof to attack us, but a man in this strange armor came rushing up and killed the thing before more of those things were coming to attack!"
"Did you ladies snuck out and left when you did see them coming?" Jesus asked, coming forth if she knew anything else.
"Yes, but I don't know what's going on anymore! We can't stay here and argue when we'll only-"
*ROAR*
"GET AWAY FROM ME! AARON, PLEASE! HELP ME!"
*BANG-BANG-BANG*
To the shocked surprise of everyone, Daryl recognized Eric's terrified voice crying out for Aaron's name while gunshots became heard by the group. His impulses drove him abruptly as the gruff archer races off to the sound with Jesus now following behind Daryl through the forest area.
At that moment, Cyndie zipped over with her dagger to cut loose the restrained Beatrice and Kathy, "Listen, we'll all still help you here and now to get rid of those things!"
As the two female guards got back to their feet, Kathy was the first to speak, "But these people trespassed on our home, Cyndie. How can we trust either of them?"
Cyndie looks back at Kathy and Beatrice before answering, "I trust Tara and she'll trust all of you."
"Then what do we do?" Beatrice asked.
"Beatrice, Kathy! You two lead these people over to the arsenal and gather everyone all our weapons!" Natania directed, and then looks at Rick, "You can help us, but this changes nothing!"
"Alright," Rick bulldozed back into the leader he is at present. "Gabriel, you go along with Carl and Enid to make your way around Oceanside's perimeter to check and see if any threats come ahead. Tobin, you, and your team follow along with the two women at the arsenal and see if you spot the big guy."
Among everyone affirming their leader with a nod, Tara comes over to Rick, asking, "What about me?"
Rick was about to say, "You and-"
But Natania beats him to it, "Tara will stay here to help me and Cyndie evacuate any of the women and children here who don't want to fight."
"Okay, but what about the big guy-!" Tara spoke until Cyndie interrupts her talking, "That man from before can most likely take care of himself. Right now, we need to get everyone up and the children safe from those...those demons."
With that getting said, Tara affirmed with a nod along with Rick, who began to motion everyone around him to get to their assigned tactics. Gabriel, Carl, and Enid all raced onward to the Oceanside's perimeter. Then, Tobin leads Francine and Scott alongside Beatrice and Kathy, taking the group to where the community's arsenal remains located. Lastly, Rick looks over at where Michonne's hiding post is and got out his walkie-talkie to speak into it.
"Michonne, I need you to stay put and snipe for any oncoming threats within the area. Try to be safe up there, you hear?"
[I gotcha'. What happened to the big guy?]
"I..." Rick tried to answer with words or even a sentence wouldn't budge out. "...I don't know."
...
...
...
Meanwhile, between Oceanside's arsenal and forest, Eric was busy running as fast as his legs could carry him before gazing back at the combative Hell-Knight, striving against Aaron shooting at its muscular back feet away.
Aaron had told Eric to escape someplace safer than here while he could take on this monster...
...alone.
"What the fuck are you-!?" Aaron spoke haltingly.
The man took a few steps back, almost tripping, and witnesses the Hell-Knight's hands ablaze as its hind feet pushed forward into a full charge upon Aaron.
A loud snarl fills his ears just where the Hell-Knight unleashed a lunge attack towards Aaron, causing him to leap aside in avoidance of death. Aaron, in a complete panic, jumps up and starts running the other way, his legs fly until he gets twenty feet.
On the other side afar, when Eric hears his boyfriend's bellows of terror and gunshots...
...he stops dead...
...tears running down his pale face.
"AARON!" He turns back to help his partner.
Eric runs back, his heart pounding and gasping for breath again until he finds a deep puddle of blood somewhere, torn to shreds.
Eric stares in great horror at what he saw...
...were forms of demonic creatures lying around...
...dead.
"Oh...my...go-URP!"
Eric immediately felt bile rising in her throat from the absolute horror and disgust at what he saw through the entire forest, causing him to run over to another side where he proceeded to vomit afterward. His knees buckled as he struggled to stand upright as he puked straight down on the ground. After he finished emptying the contents of his stomach onto the same spot, Eric wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he shuddered at the thought of what he just saw.
That image would become burnt in his memory...
...forever.
"What happened here and what are those things?!" Eric asked himself in thought until...
*VEEHOW*
...a burning projectile came out of nowhere, causing Eric to jolt away in a rush as it incinerated the tree into nothing.
Eric's eyes scrolled over in more terror than ever to see a levitating, spherical, one-eyed monster shooting strange projectiles at the pale man.
It was a Cacodemon.
He gasped in shock as if he was going to collapse from such a vile beast, but he needed to get away and warn the others. Eric's legs took him to the other side and began running for his life, with the Cacodemon hovering after the man eagerly.
Hot heavily breathing beats below on Eric as warmth drips down from the Cacodemon while licking its mouth hungrily. As Eric looked back at the floating demon on the verge of his demise, he suddenly crashed against a tree and fell to the ground roughly. Shaking his head in pain, Eric gazed up only to look horrified as he became face-to-face with the Cacodemon's hanging maw, revealing multiple razor-sharp teeth and a bluish-glowing uvula.
Eric whimpered as he looked away with his eyes closed, accepting that this was the end of his life, feeling dreadful for what will happen to poor Aaron if he finds out that his lover's...
*BANG-BANG*
...dead?
Eric's terrified eyes shakily looked over and begun to widen in awe, witnessing me bolting around the area while discharging a few rounds at the Cacodemon.
Its painful snarls became much more aggressive before whipping out its elastic tongue around my ankle, speedily hoisting up in the air to attempt on catching me within its feasting jaws.
Not this time, you floating meatballs!
I blankly growled before I snatched out my Chainsaw and rived it up, purposely driving myself down in a spiral until the shredding chain-blades slashed through the Cacodemon in half, crashing down to the ground inside a cloud of dust and blood.
At that moment, Eric covered his eyes from the large dust blasting around the forest at ease before it becomes transparent again. His eyes saw my figure coming forth with the Chainsaw in hands, bearing witness to the one that had saved him...
...the one who will remain victorious...
...the one who will kill every last one of them...
...the one who will rip and tear until it is done...
...that one is me...
...the Doom Slayer
MOTHERFUCKING DOOMGUY'S BACK BABY! Here is Chapter 16, just like you guys have asked before. Now, I know that I've been gone since 2020 since I just started going back to college, but it won't mean that I'm giving up this story without a fight. For those of you who are much eager, not to mention hyped up for this new chapter, shit's about to go down for each of the communities when it comes to the Demons of Hell itself. Be sure to fav, follow, and comment on what you think about this 9,000 worded steaming pile of letters.
See ya in the next chapter.
P.S: Yes, that was a TFS Reference from Tara.