Things were going well for Earth. Granted, there were still areas here and there riddled with demons. And people in either arks in space, or underground. ARC troops had been doing their best. The Slayer's new Knights of Doom had been helping as well, as field exercises. Judgement had been helping as well, her chains proving useful. The battles had proven tough, but the faith everyone had in the Slayer, their desire to channel his rage, was doing wonders for morale. As some people said, the night they had just gone through was long. But morning was here, and the SUN was rising. And soon, the SUN would rise above all, bathing all in its light. There were reports of graffiti everywhere, some concerning the rising SUN, and some about the Slayer himself. Some of the more intact walls depicted him holding up the world, like the common depiction of Atlas. And even just his helmet was everywhere.
But the Slayer wanted a getaway. Being the Slayer DID have its burdens, after all. But luckily, at least for now, while he wouldn't say his job was done, he would say it was good enough for now. And he had earned some time to himself. And he was growing closer to all the ladies in his life now. Hell, he had kissed all of them by now. They had all shown up for regular combat training, all proving various levels of skill and technique.
Modeus had proven fond of hammers, even pulling one of her own out of a pocket dimension, and gave the Slayer the impression of a certain fictional doctor, Harleen Quinzel. And heavily blushed upon kissing him, mentioning that it was "too lewd!," causing the Slayer to chuckle in his mind, wondering what she'd be like in bed, as he knew that day would come when he'd bed them all.
Cerberus was proving to be VERY capable, one of her keeping him locked in a wrestle, while the other two of her had attacked from the sides. "Clever girl," the Slayer had said, feeling exactly like he was in that dinosaur movie from over a century prior, and that Cerberus were the raptors. And they all enjoyed kissing him too, which Cerberus had done with each of her bodies. Oh how the Slayer was curious what things with her would be like. Since all bodies felt all things, he was sure it'd get interesting.
Zdrada had proven to be fond of trash talking, and dirty fighting. Her first move was to kick him between the legs, which even he was not immune to. And also went for the eyes, and all other methods of fighting dirty. And she was also fond of biting during kissing as well. If she was trying to provoke him, she'd succeed, but there also seemed to be a mutual wordless understanding, that she shouldn't go TOO far, lest she provoke the Beast, and he would try to keep the Beast calm on his end. Though for now, it seems as if the Beast saw Zdrada's antics as a fiesty girl, needing domination and punishment, to be shown who's boss, and not as a true threat.
Malina on the other hand, seemed to enjoy copying moves she had seen in her games, which while useful, didn't always work. She also seemed to think kissing was like it is in some dating sims as well.
Azazel meanwhile loved fencing, pulling a slim sword out from nowhere, and was actually quite good with it. Good technique, but was lacking in some areas, mostly the fact that it seems she learned to fight for sport, and not true defense. And was quite eager to kiss too. Slayer thought that Azazel was most likely to be like a Catholic schoolgirl stereotype. She seemed to be the sheltered girl, who would go bad. Nothing would likely be off limits for her. BDSM? She might try that. Both ways. As that old song from over a century would go, whips and chains might excite her. And she might be eager to try it from any of them as well, even the girls. She seemed to be the most likely to fly that purple and blue flag he had seen, or rather, any of the pride flags. But of course, he didn't care. As he famously stated, he saw people.
Justice loved to punch, and seemed quite good at it. But it was clear that being blind still bothered her. To the Slayer, it was clear that what she needed were some inspirations. Matt Murdock was one of the first that came to mind for him. Toph Beifong was another. Though Matt was likely the better inspiration, as earth bending wasn't exactly easily learned or acquired. Still, he had set her learning about various blind heroes, which had seemed to inspire her some. Which also meant the kisses were earned too, though she seemed to enjoy them more, hands going all over him as they did so. It seems she had already committed his face to memory, but then she had also committed his armor to memory as well.
Finally, Beelzebub at first wanted to do all her fighting in her fly form, but the Slayer had insisted that she also learn how to do so in her human form. She had discovered her connections to the Abyss were still strong, able to summon void matter at will, nearly instantly shaping it into stable weapons, a skill even she didn't know she had before. She was even trying to create void matter replicas of Corrupted, to serve her when need be, though she was starting with flies, due to her nature. The Slayer honestly thought that she might be the toughest challenge of them all, given her connections to the void. In a way, she was almost becoming a fantasy trope, the arch mage that commands powerful magic, and lives in a tower out in the woods. It was a good choice, putting her in the Fortress's starboard tower, as she had plenty of experiments in the room below she had dedicated as a lab. She was even wanting to expand said tower, for more labs, more experiments, more chances to test her own abilities, the abilities of void matter, and the Abyss. She likely would, but the Slayer had also insisted some Earth-based facilities as well, so she could more easily share in her knowledge and discoveries. There were talks of university departments under construction. Overall, Beelzebub was likely to become one of the most powerful people in existence. And she was eager to kiss too. All that time in the Abyss had made her touched starved, so kissing was something she was eager for.
Now, the Slayer was thinking up what they could all do, together, browsing various places on Earth. But then it came to him. There was a forest in California, near the ocean, that offered camping, with a beach nearby. It sounded fun, and some of the spots were large. It was also rarely visited, because of warnings that demons were still in the area. But that just added to the attraction. A chance to kill a few more demons, help the rating improve? Especially if the word got out that he was the one who did it. After all, sure, people might trust if a few regular soldiers had cleared them out. But if word got out that this forest's demons were killed by the Slayer? Well, pretty much everywhere he was known to walk was nearly sacred ground. The current issues were if everyone would agree. As well as supplies. Naturally, there were no tents, sleeping bags, nor any of the other such amenities camping would require. Luckily, plenty of money was flowing in. Between what the Night Sentinel was raking in, the small bit of tax money he allowed himself to be given, a few royalties owed him for the technology he had helped with, as well as some other money that others were pulling in, they weren't hurting for credits, and luckily Pandemonica was able to handle all the finances to help better hide identities. After all, the last thing the Slayer wanted was to walk down the street, and have random people recognize him, and hound him. It'd be one thing for a regular celebrity, but he was beyond that. He was humanity's savior, an immortal legend, a god. He was far above some movie star, or politician. So avoiding attention when he could was key.
He called everyone into the command center, explaining his plans, to much enjoyment, Lucifer even wanting to help shop with him. "Good thing is, we can shop anywhere. New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, London, it's all fair game," she said, as they got ready to go shopping. "So, tents, and quite a few big ones, seeing as how many of us there are," she says as they browse some aisles of an outdoor store, looking at tents. "Cerberus would need a three person tent just by herself. And some of us don't mind sharing, as you may have guessed. I mean..." she says as she grabs a few tents. "The twelve of us share a large bathroom. And it's not like we look away when someone enters the shower," she continues as she gets sleeping bags. "And some of these can zip together, which Cerberus will like. By the way..." she turns to look at him. "Will you be soloing a tent? Or..."
"Well, I wouldn't mind sharing a tent, especially since there's few tents out there that are truly one person. Many are two person at the least, even if those two may have to...get cozier than they may like," he says a tent for him is grabbed. "Now, changing, yes, that may be a solo thing."
She nods, with what seems like a hopeful look, as they continue on. "What else...?" She asks, as they browse.
"Well, on one hand, I would say fire starters, and the like. But on the other hand..." The Slayer asks, a questioning glance at Lucifer. "Shouldn't you all...be able to handle that?"
"Once, there was a time, yes. But I think what happened is we spent too much time imprisoned, and lost the knack for it," Lucifer explains. "I think Zdrada's the only one who can make fire now, but only a small flame. Justice could at one point make Hell Knight class fireballs. Hey, she had to have defeated Beel somehow," she says with a chuckle, growing silent as someone walks by, and not resuming until out of earshot. "That was close."
"That makes me wonder...how DOES the whole magic work?" The Slayer asks. "I know it keeps attention away, but you've never fully explained it."
Lucifer looks around, making sure nobody is present, before continuing. "Imagine you saw me, horns included. But the horns didn't register. Or at least, you just think of them as normal. There are limits though," she explains. "It only works as long as all parties ignore them. If you were to point out my horns, that would strain the magic. Draw attention, or even make someone touch the horns...and eventually the magic would fail. Those who already know the truth are immune. Strong wills would be able to resist the magic. But naturally..." she finishes with a chuckle. "You're immune. Even if you didn't know us...what demonic corruption works on you?"
"Fair enough," the Slayer responds, double checking the list. "Tents, sleeping bags, camping chairs, coolers, french press..." he rattles off as the cart is filled, including some extras. "Plus we need to make a run for food. Burgers, hot dogs, buns, beer, soda, marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers..." he continues, as they buy more supplies.
"It's almost a shame we'll portal straight there," Lucifer says once they've bought it all. "Isn't part of the usual fun of these the trip there? But then...what could we even all fit in? I'm pretty sure you don't have a minivan big enough, nor do they make any. I mean, road trips have always been a classic pastime, at least in America."
"Well, what's the most likely is we get a bus. Not one that's too big, but big enough," he says as they head back to the fortress.
A few hours of preparation later, they were taking in the fresh air of the campsite, setting up the tents. Judgement was chastising Cerberus for chasing squirrels, and soon enough they were prepped, just as the sun was starting to set. The Slayer started to cook burgers and hot dogs as the picnic tables were set, and soon everyone was eating. "So nice to use an actual grill," he says, taking in a deep breath of the forested air, mixed with a hint of salt from the nearby ocean. "Sure, I could use one on the Fortress. But not without excess ventilation systems to suck all the hot air into space," he says.
"You know I could give it such a thing, right?" Beel says, looking over at him while eating.
"Yes, but it wouldn't be truly the same. Besides, in vacuum, heat can only truly transfer out of an object by radiation. So physics gets in the way."
"So why live there in the first place?" Justice asks. "You could live anywhere on this planet, or multiple places, like some do. Why above it?"
"More space on Earth for those who need it," he responds. "And besides...it means I never lose sight of my purpose. Tell me ladies...when you look out the window, at Earth, what do you feel? Overwhelming feeling that Earth is fragile, and needs protection?" He asks, everyone nodding after some thought. "It's called the overview effect. Happens to anyone in space. Even astronauts from two centuries back had it happen. And they weren't that high up. They were essentially in low Earth orbit. We...are MUCH higher."
"Which actually begs the question," Pandemonica says. "Why not put all the rich in space? Design space station houses for them. Not in the same style as the Fortress, obviously. But they get their own places, nonetheless. Make companies that can make the space houses, others that sell them, and the orbits they inhabit, taking care to make sure they can't overcrowd the skies, for the sake of orbital traffic and whatnot. You can sell them at a premium because the only ones who WOULD buy them, are the only ones who can afford it. The selling points? They don't pay for their own water bills, power bills, nor do they have to worry about noisy neighbors. But the hidden thing you're selling is the overview effect."
"Hmmm," the Slayer says, thinking about it. "You do have a point. Real issue would be if the overview effect can apply to other planets as well."
They soon finish dinner, just as the sun starts to set. Everyone gets to toasting marshmallows, and the Slayer even shows them how to make smores, which become heavily enjoyed. He even shows how to make a camping treat known as a banana boat, which is similar, but involves the chocolate and marshmallows inside a banana. There's some music playing, many are talking about one thing or another. Azazel turns to the Slayer and asks, "I'm curious Bill. About many things," she begins. "First off, why do you call it a super shotgun? Isn't the correct term a double barrel?"
The Slayer chuckles, and smirks. "Because it's better. Because it's super. Because it's what Batman as a gun would be," he says, tapping a few things on his phone. "And this is what she used to sound like. I still remember when I first laid hands upon her, in that side room in the Underhalls. This is what she used to sound like, back then," he continues, as BOOM click clack click plays from his phone. "The hordes fell before this beast of a weapon. There's a reason demons fear it so much, why it was given not one, but two names. Oh...she was my best friend in those days," he says, smiling to himself as he drinks, listening to some of the music playing. "There was once a prophecy among the Sentinels, related to me, from long long ago. Well, not entirely. An old prince of theirs by the name of Robert once composed something, a melody that 'only the Eternal Outlander is worthy of.' Many kings claimed ownership, but there seemed to be something about it. They liked it, but despite their best attempts, none felt they could truly claim ownership. Like they all felt they weren't worthy. Some even tried to improve upon it, with no success. At least...until I came along." Now a rock melody plays through the air, heavy on the electric guitar. "Even back when I was in training, some dug this song out of the archives, and...it seemed to fit. And then their current royal composer improved upon it, after the Divinity Machine. Made some versions that were even MORE metal," he says, as he drinks some more, and an even more metal tune plays, of the same variant, causing him to grin evilly, making all the girls, who had each begun listening with intent, back away with worry. "'Purely for the betterment of mankind.' Here's a hint you dumb robot, if people start to die, if EVERYONE dies, it's NOT 'for the betterment of mankind' at all! When it comes to Hell, NOTHING is 'worth the risk,'" he says angrily, clenching his fist. "That elevator ride is burned into my memory forever. The dead guy is why," he says, punching the air as if punching the elevator panel, right on cue with the song, even pumping an invisible shotgun once it ended. "And that...was just ONE version. That's not the version that played when I was preparing to save Earth."
They all listened to his story, as slowly but surely, the bottles started to accumulate around him, all paying enough attention, that nobody noticed the footsteps approaching them. "Excuse me," a voice says, and thirteen sets of eyes wheel around to see a redheaded park ranger, with a sour expression on her face. "I'm going to have to ask you to turn the music down," she says, lowering her flashlight, Malina already turning the music down as the ranger approaches. "Thank you," she says as she comes closer, blue eyes giving off a slightly bored expression, as she sits down on a log, nametag reading "Elie" as she looks them over. "You all are brave, you know that? There's reports of demons out here. Few even come here anymore, and because it's wild, the ARC soldiers are slow to get here," she says with a defeated sigh. "But enough about that. I'm Elie, as you can see," she says, running a hand along her nametag. "And there's almost nothing else I have to do, so I can sit with you all. I couldn't believe it when I heard about the party of thirteen. Especially when it's twelve girls and one guy. Must be something huh?"
"It can be," Lucifer says as Zdrada offers a beer, which Elie accepts.
"I shouldn't really drink on the job, but with how not busy things are...I think it's fine. And don't worry either," she says, drawing her pistol. "If demons come, I can at least annoy them enough for you to get away."
"Smith & Wesson?" The Slayer asks, as he sees the gun. "Very nice gun. One of my first weapons was a Beretta 92FS. Very good weapon," he comments, as he remembers the very pistol he used at the beginning of his adventures. "But let's just say...we'll be just fine," he says, as their new friend starts to chat with them.
The Slayer leaned back, listening to the sounds of nature as the night set in. He could hear the ocean, he could hear the insects, he could hear wolves howling in the distance, all relaxing him and putting him at ease, at least until one set of sounds makes him bolt upright. Something that sounded like a wolf, or a dog, fighting something not of Earth, sounds he knew all too well. Everyone noticed the serious look on his face, as he barks out an order to quiet down. He hears it again, the sounds of demons fighting a wild animal, and the others do as well. Judgement and Beelzebub took up positions, ready to protect the others, while Elie and the Slayer drew guns, the latter summoning his shotgun. "Trust me Elie...stay back, watch the girls. I can handle this," he says as he heads deeper, giving her a look that says "Obey me." She wordlessly does so, and he heads deeper into the forest, finding some imps, upon which he opens fire, dodging fireballs. He even blares some metal as he glory kills one. "Yes, that's right boys. It's me, your worst nightmare," he says as he rips its arm off, continuing to rip and tear, until it was done, double checking the area was clear.
"Wow..." Elie says, as she and the girls come up to the scene, inspecting the damage. "You...who are you?" She asks, looking around at the damage, and all the girls, and everyone could see that the normal magic was starting to wear off. "Are you...the Doom Slayer?" She asks, as the girls start to dispose of the demon bodies. "Wow...that's why you didn't fear coming here," she says, looking at him with wonder and awe. "And those must be the Doom Chosen! Why didn't I notice it before?"
"Because we have magic in place to make sure it didn't happen," Lucifer says as she moves bodies away. "Identity protection."
"Oh...so nobody knows who you are," Elie says with understanding. "I can keep a secret."
The Slayer was about to respond, when they heard a low whine. Everyone looks around, eventually finding what looks like the mangled corpse of a dog, or maybe a wolf, or even a mix, clearly having put up a fight. But hiding in a nearby bush, was a puppy, clearly mourning the death of its parent. But what was unusual was when it looked at them, with eyes that actually glowed, as if lit from within, as it slowly came out of the bushes.
"What the..." Modeus asks, as she looks. "How does a puppy get glowing eyes?"
"I think...these," Cerberus says, as one of her bodies reaches into what looks like the den they lived in, pulling out some bones. "These are no Earthly remains. My guess? Mother wolf here has been hunting demons, and both have enjoyed them," she continues, as another of her tries to lure the puppy out.
"Poor thing," Judgement says as she comes up, and looks at the puppy. "Oh, he's cute, isn't he?" She says as she kneels down, and to everyone's surprise, including herself, the puppy runs up to Judgement, looking as adorable as it can, as the High Prosecutor picks it up.
"You know...normally I'd say you can't adopt the wildlife," Elie says as they walk back to camp. "But I think it..." she and Judgement both look as the latter holds him up high. "He, has pretty much chosen you as his mom. Besides...I get the feeling you'd take good care of him."
"Yes I will," Judgement says, as she cradles him in her arms. "He'll get lots of love and attention," she says as her new puppy smiles up at her with his glowing eyes. "He's like a little marauder, isn't he?" She says, eyes going wide with realization. "Marauder. I don't know what breed you are, maybe a mix, but I do know your name," she says, smiling down at her new puppy with love.
"Best part?" The Slayer says, as he comes up to the new dog parent. "He'll grow. If his mom's anything to go by..." He spreads his arms wide. "Like this. And one dog actually defeating demons on her own, to feed herself and her puppy? That's a fighter, right there. And you have her son. So imagine what he'd grow up to be like. He might become as deadly as you," he says, as other girls start to head to bed in their tents. He could see it, an adult Marauder, walking next to his mistress, being just as terrifying with his glowing eyes, and maybe enhanced abilities as well. Prove me right Marauder, He thinks, as he stares the new puppy in the eyes, prove to be as loyal and deadly as I think you are, and I'll even make you a Praetor Suit. Shouldn't be that hard to alter the design for canine proportions. "So he'll need training. And lots of it. Alongside all the usual things you'd need for a new pet. Food, shots, the like."
"The joys of parenthood," Judgement says, even as she gets ready to turn in for the night, Marauder wanting to curl up with her. "But at least he's a cuddly one, right now," she says with a smile as she heads in her tent. The Slayer heads into his own, as Elie heads back to the ranger station, a long hard day finally over.