Malina was enjoying some gaming. Her work with Argenta tech was going well, and combined with some byproducts of vim reactors, had managed to figure out an FTL drive in theory. The people of ARC were busy making the first few spacecrafts designed to test the system. But there was also more in the works. The ultimate goal as of right now was the first operational "main" ship, a starship truly capable of interstellar travel, not just able to "drive around the block" as the engineers had put it. So she was enjoying a break while they figured that out. She had also been weaning herself, and was having water, and not vodka. She had also heard of a comic con, and thought it'd be fun to go. Maybe even cosplay. Maybe even He would want to go. Though the Slayer had spent a lot of time in his workshop, and had seemed busy. She wondered if He really WAS making himself the golden Praetor Suit he had said would. She decided to go and check on him, and suggest the con idea.
From what she could see in his expanded workshop, indeed he was making a new suit. Gold seemed to glimmer here and there from the parts she could see. Upon her entrance, the Slayer looked up from his work for a bit, then held up his hand as he finished his current work, soldering what looked to be some electronic parts. "Not done yet, but it will be an excellent model," he says, looking up at her. "My own version of something that even 40K's God Emperor would approve of," he says with a smile. "And there's more than just the gold plating. There's a lot more planned," he continues. "Wanted something?"
"W-well," Malina says with some nervousness, "There's a comic con coming up, and I thought we could go," she manages to get out.
The Slayer seems to look her up and down, stroking his chin, where it almost seems as if plans are forming behind those green eyes of his. "Hmmm. Sounds interesting." His eyes widen, as if with an idea. "We could even cosplay. Yes...I think I even know what'd suit you. You do have the hair for it, though a helmet would hide the horns," he says, mostly to himself. "Yes, I have just the idea. But I'll need to scan you to make sure it's correct." She raises an eyebrow, but lets the machine the Slayer indicated scan her, watching as a 3D model of her general proportions appears on one of his screens. "Thank you. Now, it will be a few days. Good thing the con's going to be a while," he says, as he starts designing things on his computer, for what seems like himself as well.
A few days later, Malina finds a large box in her room, with a tag saying "Enjoy, hope it fits." Opening it up, she finds what looks like the best cosplay outfit she's ever seen. A Warhammer 40K Sister of Battle suit of power armor, though she didn't know enough of her 40K lore to know anything specific beyond that. Though she could tell it seemed all there. All the accessories she knew that a typical Sister would have. And the armor itself was really well made too, she thinks to herself as she starts to take pieces apart to put them on. Too well made. These pieces look like they connect, and not just in the normal way. She thinks as she starts to get dressed in the armor. And it was a bit heavy in some areas too, heavier than she would've thought a simple cosplay outfit would be. It was as if the Slayer's attention to detail went above and beyond to the point of absurdity, like it could actually take some hits if she was in an actual battle...and that's when the question hit her. The obvious question she now felt like an idiot for not asking herself earlier, especially given how nerdy the Slayer was, and how skilled too. Is this...real? Is this as close to Sister of Battle armor as possible? She continues to ask herself once the greaves and boots come on, followed by the cuirass. All of it seems to connect to each other, locking into place relative to each other, but is also quite comfortable as well. Is this...what it's like for Him to suit up? She thinks, as she soon finishes, making sure all the purity seals and everything are in place. The armor even felt like it was strength enhancing, as it's supposed to do lore-wise. All that was left was the helmet. And what looks like...2 different bolters. But she thought to herself, helmet first. She slips it on, and when she looks out the eye visors, enhanced boot up icons show themselves. A heads up display comes to life, and she then hears VEGA through the speakers. "Hello, by now you should've figured out that this armor is real. And that I am the only machine spirit around. He did tell me that he even made it in proper fashion, with all the oils and incense and all of that. Now you may have noticed the two bolters. One is made of foam, and is for the con. The other is real. However, he does not think it wise to bring a real weapon to the con." She nods in understanding, looking around, and at herself. It was an unfamilar feeling, being encased in this armor. Yet she wonders if this is how he feels. Moreover...was this his heads up display? Was this armor a Praetor Suit, under it's metaphorical hood? She grabbed the fake bolter, and went to go find the Slayer, with one thought on her mind. If he dresses me up like this...what's HE wearing?
Her answer came soon enough, as she met him by the portal. In a way, it was the only thing that would suit one such as him. Especially with everything being thrown at him currently. For he wasn't cosplaying any regular Space Marine from 40K. Nor any of the Grey Knights. No, there was only one 40K individual the Slayer would cosplay, and he was doing so. Though she suspected that it wasn't just cosplay in his case. No, if he had put such detail into her own armor, he'd have put as much into his. "Ready to go?" He asks, adjusting what looks to be a wig on top of his head, for she remembers that the God Emperor of Mankind was famous for long flowing hair, whereas the Slayer's own was rather short to fit under the Praetor Helmet. She nods, and they head through the portal to the prearranged hide spot, and then proceed inside.
It was crowded in the con, as to be expected. Many came to admire the Slayer's golden Emperor armor, and Malina's Sister of Battle armor. They in turn spotted many cosplays they enjoyed. "It'll help me...get used to things," he says with a chuckle. "Granted it'll be in something else. How's the armor?"
"Nice," she says. "I never expected you'd make something...so real," she says, choosing words carefully so as not to hint.
"Good. Glad you like it," he says. "Not an exact match to the real thing. You're getting the full benefits, no black carapace needed," he says with a smile, making Malina a bit nervously happy under the helmet. "I could see a...real thing happening, possibly," he says, tapping his chin. "Definitely no Inquisition though. There's no need for any kind of...secret police type thing," he says out loud as they wander around. He smiles as they pass a Star Trek section. "Things might be more like that. Even if such things like money still exist, among other things. They did get a lot right, as far as I'm concerned. Prime Directive, replicators, all that. Most crime is because folks don't have enough," he says, with some sadness in his eyes. "I would make sure they do. If that ends the dominion of the rich, then that's what happens," he continues. "Shifting gears...you all picked names for some of the first ships to go FTL yet?" He asks. "Because if not, I have 2 ideas. 1 for the test flight ship, and one for the first 'main' ship."
"Not yet," Malina admits. "Though names have been put on the table. Doom's Reach, Doom's Hand, the Reclaimer, and various others. What were your ideas?" She asks, though she has a suspicion about one.
"Simple. First ship to go FTL? The Phoenix. Yes, that's the name of the first warp-capable ship," he explains with a grin. "That can still be up in the air though. The first true ship? The first to actually explore the galaxy, and all that?" He pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect. "There can be only one name. One name for the first true starship Earth produces. One ship to be the first to explore the final frontier." He starts to hum, what she thinks is the Star Trek theme. "For those would be the voyages of the starship Enterprise. To explore stange new worlds. To seek out new life, and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before," he finishes with some flair, causing Malina to roll her eyes. And she thought she was nerdy. He gets serious again. "But I wouldn't want things to be completely like the Federation. Ship captains would know to never assume they're ready. Picard earned that 'bloody nose' that Q gave him, when it came to the Borg," he says, then pauses. "I know, it might be shocking, to hear that from me. But at the same time...I'm a soldier. I know the realities of war. I know how not pretty it is, and how sometimes, civilian death can't be prevented," he continues with a sigh. "I also know that sadly, death is a motivator. Many safety regulations weren't in place until someone died. Even some accidents where nobody died may not cause change. Though sometimes they do. Still, the sad answer is that a lot of the time, a body count has to happen before change does," he says with a sigh, almost seeming to deflate. "Too many issues can be caused if people are rushed into positions. Not just captains of ships, but anyone with responsibility that if mishandled, would result in lives lost. Undertrained airline pilots have caused lost lives. Or worse...undertrained cops," he continues, a bit on the quiet side. Malina listens, surprised at the amount of wisdom he seemed to possess. "Oh, there's many things that'd change. All to make sure the big guys can't step on the little guys. Big guys are involved in something shady, but all the witnesses who could bring them to justice end up dead? Anyone suspected has to surrender immediately, or else...be Hunted," he says with a low tone, causing Malina to shudder. "Every last system that protects the rich and powerful from the downtrodden would be dismantled."
They carry on, exploring, as the Slayer changes topics to lighten the mood. "I won't lie, I did try out all seven forms of lightsaber combat," he admits with a smile, as some Star Wars cosplayers pass them. "Takes some getting used to, since the blade is weightless. Is also why they're too dangerous for most in-universe too. Unless specialized training is involved. Or the Force. There's also this one kyber crystal type I've heard of too, where the blade is nearly invisible, but just as deadly. Bet we won't see that in a movie," he chuckles as Malina continues to stare in awe.
"I thought you were nerdy before," she admits with a ghost of a smile, though hidden by the helmet. "But this is something else," she says as they keep wandering, passing some Legend of Zelda fans, which gives her an idea. "I knew you had the Courage. I knew you were given the Power. I did not suspect you'd have Wisdom too. That you might actually—"
"Be able to use the full Triforce?" the Slayer interrupts. "I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I could actually kill Ganondorf too. Or even Demise. Or any of the other baddies the various Links have dealt with." He gives a small chuckle. "I'll admit, I've even read fanfics of that series. Quite the number of exotic adventures. Or even modernized stories. Sometimes with Ganny boy as the ancient evil, sometimes with him as something more mundane. Seen Link shipped with any girl the series has seen, and I do mean ANY. I've seen a couple Tetraforces too," he admits, Malina's eyes going wider. "And fan theories about the series too. Oh there's one that would mean nobody would ever look at the Stone Tower of Termina the same way ever again. Theory I heard compares it to the Tower of Babel," he continues. "And you'll think it's quite adult for Nintendo, especially for the time." They also pass by some Mass Effect lovers. "This might be something reasonable. Can you imagine what it'd be like if we met them? Admittedly, they might SPECTRE me in no time," he says with a chuckle. Malina continues to listen while the Slayer ends up going on a tangent, rattling off various bits of nerdy info that would make even her seem like a "normie" by comparison. Her attention is caught when he changes topics. "So what's it like to be a gamer...down there?" He asks.
"Interesting," she responds. "Mostly the games that could be gotten from conquered worlds. Fire Emblem proved quite interesting, among others. But mostly? I tried to keep things clean. Or as clean as can be with all the blood, lava, and odd bits of flesh around the place. It was especially annoying having to clean up after...you," she admits. "Hell must've gotten in such a state after we were locked up. And on the Fortress, you have that roomba of sorts to help clean. Though..." and she actually laughs a little here. "You're a typical guy, aren't you? Leaving your pizza boxes and other trash everywhere, not picking up after yourself? I thought you'd be different," she says in a mock pout, even punching his arm lightly, though realizing he can't see her expression. But he seemed to understand anyway.
"Once upon a time, I had nobody to worry about, except myself. And I was always...busy with work," he says in a low voice. "And it wasn't like I planned on company. It was just an ordinary man cave," he admits. "The LAST thing I expected was company, especially female company. Let alone twelve," he continues with of all things, an awkward smile. "It's a good thing we don't have to fight over the bathroom."
"Did you just poke fun at female tropes, and by extension, us?" Malina asks with a huff.
"Maybe," the Slayer admits, as they continue to wander around, even eating lunch somewhere private. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Yes I am," she says with a smile, and then an idea hits her, and adds "my Emperor," with a touch of a cheeky smile.
"Roleplaying now, are we?" He says with a smile. "Well then, would you like to join your Emperor later? There's some heresy in need of purging." She responds by fake cocking her prop bolter. "Once we...go get the real thing," he adds, lightly breaking character. "Oh, and depending on tastes, it can either be to practice or..." He does his best to resume character. "We can go directly into the Immaterium, and purge the demons directly at the source."
"I would follow you anywhere, my Emperor," she continues with a smile, clearly enjoying the roleplay. They soon make their way back to the Fortress, and Malina goes to grab the real bolter. It seemed heavy, but nothing she couldn't handle. Hopefully the recoil wasn't too bad either. He meanwhile grabbed a sword, an actual real copy of what looked like the Emperor's Sword, likely made himself. "Ready," he asks, and she nods, as they head back through the portal, but this time to a random spot in Hell.
"It's strange, being back," she admits, as a slight character break, but then they come to one of the Hell arenas, and the Corrupted begin to spawn in. Malina gets to work trying out her bolter, and it has quite the kickback. Likely would break human arms. Fortunately, she's not human. He meanwhile was hacking at demons with his sword, and every now and then, his fists. "It takes some time to get used to a real sword," he admits with a chuckle as he rips out a cacodemon's eye. "Crucible blade is quite light. And on top of that, this armor is not the best to fight in. I much prefer my own. The new suit? It'll be much similar to my...work clothes, you could say. But with some changes. All gold, for one. Maybe some symbols, but I'm not sure, aside from my own mark. If there's more, it'll be the ones of each world under my protection. But there's other things too. For one, this is a full body suit. Not like the last one that shows the forearms. And it has some extra audio equipment too. Currently VEGA and I are working on a projection system that would give my voice an everywhere and nowhere quality, as well as slight alterations so nobody can know who it is when Bill talks in public," he says while demon killing like it's nothing.
"So, I'm curious," Malina asks as she reloads her bolter. "Why the full body version? Don't want to show your arms? I don't understand."
"It's because then, nobody can know who it is under there," he says, a bit sadly as he finishes the last of the demons. "It's because people still want to judge, based on a pigment. If people knew I was a white guy, that might not go so well. But if I hide all of me...nobody need know the truth. Especially with how I walk in public as a man, which the people know, it'll create the belief that anyone could be the Slayer. That it's anyone under there. In fact, I might even have you all circulate rumors on the internet, all giving different and clashing accounts of who you think is under there. Cops would hesitate to be racist, if they think they're staring down the Slayer, I hope. But don't get me started on what I'd have cops do," he admits with a sigh, wiping sweat from his brow. "Had fun?" He asks as the portal reopens.
"Oh...very much," Malina says as they head through. "My Emperor," she adds as she heads back to her room. Some of the other girls are there to ask her about it, and help remove her armor. "I'll admit, I didn't expect wisdom from him. I mean, nerdy yes. More nerdy than me, not so much. Wisdom, I would never think of. But then, he was a king once," she says as the others listen in on her story.
"Wow, we think he'll be a great Emperor," the bodies of Cerberus say in unison. "And someone enjoyed roleplaying," one of them teases, causing Malina to resume her normal sour self. Zdrada gives a small smile from a corner, as she gives her cigarette a puff. Though like her sister and alcohol, she's also thinking of quitting, as there was little joy, and tobacco was becoming rare. But the main thing was that this was the first time her sister smiled in a long time. Cerberus continues. "Another thing is what will he do for the environment? I know he loves nature, but the question is how much will he preserve, while allowing mankind to rebuild? How will he balance the two?"