Chapter 3

I can think.

I pretty sure that's good news? To be precise I am conscious, though I cannot feel my limbs. Its okay though, that's probably just because I don't have them anymore.

So what, am I stuck in Limbo till my walking corpse gets killed by the Slayer?

….at least I assume it's still walking, I feel like it was...Burning?

I was...killed by….Olivia… Fuck's sake. Come on Doom, Warhammer is supposed to be the Grimderp… can't let one guy live huh?

And if that wasn't bad enough the train of thought about Warhammer led me to a realisation.

My memory was now...spotty at best. There are things missing. I know I had family before coming here, but...its like they're just out of my reach. Like seeing figures in the dark you cant quite recognise. I can remember playing Doom, and.. the stuff that's supposed to happen..

Then there's the things I experienced after I arrived. There were… a bunch of people? I think I was driving a forklift… And there was someone else as well?…

And then I'm being dragged through the Labs and...the demon… Best not to dwell on it. Working myself into a panic attack wont help...assuming what's left of me can even have a panic attack.

Now...where the hell am I...oh wait.

It was probably obvious. The problem is that it didn't look or feel like it was supposed to. For one I was not in any sort of agony.

Yet

And furthermore I couldn't see anything. Not that I was in a pitch black void, but merely that I couldn't really describe what I was witnessing. I guess the best way would be that it looked like I was inside some nebulous material. I couldn't quite tell if it was a very dense gas or a very thin liquid. Having a body probably would have helped.

Also the whispers. Couldn't tell you what they said or even if they were talking to me but I could hear them.

Shut the fuck up, its hard to concentrate with you bastards yammering in my ears.

If the voices heard or understood my complaint, they did not acknowledge it and continued their subdued conversations.

Damn demons trying to keep up the creepy horror bullshit.

… hi ho the rattling bog, the bog down in the valley-oh, hey ho the rattling bog the bog down in the valley-oh, and in that bog there was an imp a rare imp, a rattling imp, the imp on the rock, and the rock on mars, and mars in a hole, and the hole in a bog and the bog down in the valley-oh…..

What the hell am I doing.

Its boring as fuck so I have to do something.

I do of course realise that I'm talking to my own subconscious but I promise, I'm not insane.

I'm just really really lacking in entertainment.

I just want something to happen.

And naturally that's when it happened.

Or at least that's what id like to say but it was probably a good seven minutes after.

Everything went topsy-turvy in the most upsetting way. And I mean upsetting in the same way going on a roller-coaster after three hotdogs and a fifth soda is upsetting.

If I still had my body I'd probably have thrown up whatever guts it had left.

I felt like I had a headache, except everywhere. Which Isn't fair because I don't have my body I shouldn't be feeling this. Do I not get to escape this unholy sensation even in death?

The feeling only grew more intense until it began to dissipate. And things started to snap into focus.

...I...I CAN SEE I'M ALIVE YES!

The environment was covered in rocks and dust, It looked like a particularly strange formation from Mars….except for the uh, floating rocks, red lightning and the vortex in the sky. It appears I'm in a very bad spot.

FUCK

Sensation continued to return. And as it did I ceased having the headache like feeling and it was replaced by vague aches across my body. Along with a very sharp pain in the gut and a dry feeling in the throat.

...thirsty… I need something… need to get back to the UAC.. I need food.

Taking some time to examine my surroundings, It appears I've found myself in a pit of some kind

There's nothing here other than sand rocks and some...suspicious green liquid in the middle that may or may not be acid.

Oh and around eight possessed, which would be bad but they seem to be far enough away that they cant see me… Can possessed even see? Or do they just sense things around them… regardless they haven't reacted to my presence so I can only assume that keeping my distance will be enough to avoid their notice.

The only way that I could possibly get out of this hole is at the far side. There's what appears to be a steep rocky slope. Not the most inviting path, but considering everywhere else is a jagged cliff face it's my best option.

But of course I couldn't catch a break so halfway through the initial attempt I found myself unfortunately incapable of standing, I practically had to crawl if I wanted to make any progress. So I slowly scrambled, making my way towards the green pool and the slope beyond.

The Subject Endangers Self

Not Ready To Leave

It Needs To Learn

It Needs To Feed

A possessed wandered only a meter or two from me but apparently it didn't notice me? I was pretty near it, maybe possessed are far less aware than I thought?

I was almost at the pool so I kept going. As much as my thirst demanded I take a drink I wouldn't touch the stuff. It was probably some demon acid bullshit.

Unfortunately as I was passing the pool another possessed had stumbled over. It was going to cross my path, so I edged to ward the pool to allow it to pass.

I found myself on the bank of the pool, keeping an eye on the possessed as it continued it's unsteady path past me.

I could feel heat rolling off the pool so there's another reason not to touch it.

Of course in a moment of curiosity I decided to look into the stuff.

OH SHIT FUCK

There was a possessed head just...lying in the green liquid, face up. I'd almost jumped but thankfully I had held myself back. It would've been embarrassing to get caught by zombies because a head spooked me.

Of course my curiosity couldn't restrain itself for two fucking minutes, so seeing that the possessed still hadn't gone a comfortable distance yet, I decided to pass the time by examining the head in the water. And upon closer inspection I came to a very disturbing conclusion. There was no depth to it. It was far too close. And what's more, dropping a small stone onto it disturbed the appearance.

I wasn't looking at a head.

I was looking at a reflection.

No

I wanted to reject that idea, to cast it aside as madness, but unfortunately reality is often disappointing.

As my hands raised to touch my face, the possessed in the pool did the same.

Looking at them directly now I should have paid closer attention. The digits were twisted, wrong and the nails had turned into thick, dull white claws.

The vague aches I had felt were the areas that my old uniform had fused to my body.

If there was anything in my gut it wouldn't have been for long, I instead found myself dry heaving, my hands clutching at the gravel.

If I could scream I would have but it seems like the most my lungs can get out is a few grunts, with ta few gurgles mixed in.

AAAAH

I slammed my fist into the gravel.

Its not fair.

Again.

Why

Again.

Why

Again

WHY

Again Again Again Again Again Again Again Again.

…

I found myself once again looking at my hands.

The knuckles were bloody, but not as much as they should have been from what I just did. I had made noticeable indents in the gravel. Apparently possessed have a tad more power behind their swing than mortal people.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now.

There was no way I could go back. I'd either be a UAC experiment or just killed.

What was the point even dragging myself out of this pit. Where would I go? To another part of hell? Things would probably be worse there. I'd get enslaved by some summoner. Or a Harvester? Despite them only appearing in multiplayer I seem to recall they did have lore about them being in command of some outposts and fortifications in hell. There's no reason to believe this will be like the games, where you only encounter the monsters the devs had included at the time. There could very well be Hell Princes around.

So that's it then? Just lie around in this hole till I die.

The hunger pains are coming back stronger… but I'm starting to think this body doesn't want a Chicken Legend.

I cant leave hell. There are people out there… and this hunger… I'm not sure that if I was presented with a person that I wont suddenly act like any other possessed…

I'm a monster.

No, I couldn't think like that. I'm not like them I can think, I can feel. I'm different.

But then if I'm different what am I… If I'm different… who am I

Who am I.

I cant remember. I hadn't even considered that of all the things lost to me, my own fucking name would be one of them.

I didn't even consider it.

Unfortunately I couldn't sit here and wallow in angst and self-loathing, because a nearby possessed's head just exploded.

Turning to the sudden action I see two imps, one hanging from the jagged rock face, and the other on top looking over the edge.

Shit

I turned to scramble away. The the imp on the wall crawled down and screeched, while the other leapt from the top onto the head of another possessed, crushing it's head and biting into it's shoulder

Eventually I made it to where I had awoken, and crammed myself into the base of the wall face. The jagged surface coming in handy to proved some shelter from above.

I remember the imps attacking the possessed in Hell from the games. Honestly I should've been more careful. There I had been, worried about Hell Prince's when realistically the imps are far more likely to kill me before I ever see one.

They very quickly finish off four other possessed, leaving six corpses lying on the dirt. The two imps take a few moments to look over their handiwork, then each dig into a corpse.

It was fascinating in its own way, to witness just how fast a single imp could strip a possessed down to the bone. Where did they put it all? Did demons just have argent in their gut, destroying all that they devour? I couldn't know.

After they had finished each took two corpses over their shoulders and bounded off up the slope I had originally intended to leave by.

And now there I was, in a pit with two other possessed, a green pool of DemonAcidTM and two mostly eaten corpses.

I need to leave.

I can't stay here. Those imps only left because they had all they could carry.

There's no reason to believe they wont return. I need to find somewhere safe…

In Hell… As a Possessed…

Now that I wasn't in danger of being attacked by imps I could now concentrate on other things. Like how fast I was capable of moving. I could only just about walk thanks to my mind being mostly intact. Thankfully it did mean I could make better pace than the other more brainless possessed.

Making my way up the slope was more troublesome, the steep incline requiring the use of my hands. I finally managed to pull my way to the top.

…

I thought hell would be more… Interesting.

From my current perspective, I was basically in a desert. Not of sand, just bare earth and stones. Jagged rocks would jut out in odd places, and I could see pits all over, not all that different from the one from which I had came.

Some were shallow with low slopes, and others sank deep and had no easy access or exit… at least if you weren't an imp.

There were a few possessed wandering around the waste but there were very few, and were very far between. Presumably they were easy prey for Imps.

The only thing that broke the monotony of the landscape was some Fort, several miles away. It looked fairly typical of demon construction from what I remember from the games. However it was not large enough to be any of the structures the Slayer had travelled through during the events of the 2016 or Eternal.

It's far enough away that if there were any demons around it I wouldn't be able to see them, unless they gathered in large numbers, or were gigantic. Thankfully it seemed this was a titan free zone...for now.

I don't know enough about how hell works to say for sure what dangers lurk where, just that they exist.

I decided that I wouldn't head further from the fort. It was far enough away that I should be safe from it, and I would not head further for fear of losing my only meaningful landmark.

I decided however that I needed a place to rest or take shelter.

Examining the surroundings lead to no real inspiration, and in the end I simply picked my favourite looking jagged rock and began to trek over to it.

Why was I going there? It wasn't like I had any reason to believe my situation would improve if I went there instead of staying where I was. The answer was simple I guess. I needed a goal, something to do. A distraction. To give me something to think about other than the fact that my life was over. Perhaps I wasn't truly dead, but I could never again live as I had.

I couldn't sit outside and smell the grass. I couldn't eat pot noodle from a bowl to feel better about myself. I couldn't sit in a chat with my friends while drinking iced cola…

My eyes didn't sting, nor did tears begin to form. I cant even cry.

I CANT EVEN FUCKING CRY

"AAAHHHHHHRGGH"

THUMP

Apparently I'm capable of punching almost half my forearm into the ground. Neat. I need to hold off having an existential tantrum till I'm not standing in the open.

Keep walking to the rock, hold it together.

Hold it together.

I took maybe two hours to arrive at my destination. The jagged rock rising above a pit not too much unlike the one I had awoke in. Though the pool of DemonAcidTM was next to one of the 'walls' and there was no slope out.

There were...twelve? No, fourteen possessed. But I had no need to worry about them anymore... Its not like they'd attack their own.

Climbing, down the side was simple. If I still bore my old fear of heights I probably would've been concerned, but apparently I had new instinctive sensibilities.

Like fear of imps… probably fear of any superior demon really.

The main reason I decided to stick with this rock was that there was a small alcove halfway up the wall. It was the ideal place to rest. Of course imps could still get me, but I would be safe from most other threats that would actually be interested in a possessed.

It was on the opposing side from the acid pool which was good, because it meant that nothing could get a good view of the inside without either hanging off the opposing wall, or by actually going in. Which only Imps could or would do. Still a threat to me obviously, but better than slumming around elsewhere.

It wasn't all that large, I could just about lie down without having my feet hanging off the edge.

And so I did, I was beginning to tire from the travel. It actually brought me some comfort to feel travel aches. Far more...familiar and nostalgic than the 'clothes fused to flesh' aches.

But first.

If a demon eats me in my sleep, may it choke to death on my spleen, amen

hungry...HUNGRY…..must….feed….need...to...FEED

there are….. morsels….. down there…

This form is sturdy. Can withstand force.

The form falls, but remains intact.

Rise, there is a morsel close-by

It is unaware, lacks thought, only has one arm, inferior opponent.

Perfect target.

THUMP

CRACK

Prey incapable of retaliation.

Kill

KILL

THUMP

CRACK

Prey weakened. Will soon be deceased

hunger...Feed

The flesh sates the hunger, the blood wets the throat.

..we hunger...we hunger..i..i

What am I doing.

WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!

This cant be right. I was up in the alcove not..down here.. and I'm…

eating… a possessed..

And it….it tastes good

The hunger and thirst that had burned a hole through my gut was no longer present.

I literally hadn't felt this comfortable since I was alive.

This..this is….this is wrong..,what the fuck is wrong with me.

The blood is still on my hands...wait.. what?

My confusion arose from something very atypical. You see, I had never seen my own flesh moving before. More specifically smoothing out. Rotten and missing flesh growing back healthier...stronger. I felt my posture improve, the odd gait my malformed legs caused was mending itself, my limbs returning to something more functional.

I was healing. The aches were gone, the clothes no longer fused to my flesh, instead the bare rags hung off my shoulders.

This isn't normal is it? Do other possessed improve after eating flesh?

No They Do Not.

WHERE?

My eyes scanned my surroundings but unlike in the ritual sacrifice I could not identify the location of the demon. What did it want.

This One Desires Results

...This is different. Its speaking weird and while I may not be an expert of demonology, I'm fairly certain that the first demon sounded rather...different to this.

Who are you?

You Already Know Who

...Impossible we've never met.

You Speak The Truth

But I Speak Truth

You Know Of Me

…Was this a demon from the games, and can it read minds?…. Don't tell me it knows everything I know now? This could ruin everything.

I'm sorry, but I cant recall a demon like you.

I Am The Wretch

OH!…..Holy shit.

So...You can read my thoughts?

Yes After A Manner

Your Deeper Thoughts Hidden

As They Must Remain

….What do you mean?

You Hold Prophetic Knowledge

For Me To Know

Not Worth The Danger

I cant say I understand why.. but I guess it means you didn't go rooting through my mind so..thanks?

But...How and why did you find me?

The How Is Simple

I Brought You Here

W...what? You were the demon on Mars?

During The Ritual Yes

Without Intervention Certain Death

...I see...so you are the reason I'm still alive...But why?

Desired New Test Subject

Preventing Mastermind Gaining Prophesy

Both Objectives Were Met

I see..well..Good…..Is it possible for me to return to being human?

It Is Not Possible

Damn..

At Least Not Fully

How!

Use Your New Strength

...What do you mean

Other Possessed Cannot Improve

You Capable Of Growth

And if I grow more..i can turn human again?

After A Manner Yes

Devour Flesh Steal Strength

Steal strength?

Grow Strong Devour Imp

Will Speak Again After

Wait WHAT?…

WRETCH?…

No answer… fuck… no.. its okay.. its fine.. just gotta eat an imp.. piece of cake.. They're just tiny demons, I mean what can they do really. Its just argent fireballs as hot as the sun… no biggie..

..fuck..

After the unexpected conversation I had now come to an understanding of my circumstances.

The Wretch and presumably the Mastermind know that I have..'prophetic knowledge', the Wretch intervened in that ritual and prevented my almost certain death… Or at least eternal suffering.

He didn't take the knowledge himself because of a perceived danger… I can't imagine why there would be a danger in possessing knowledge. That just felt like a shit trope forced in by an uncreative author to give an excuse for why a character would not know something.

Nevertheless, I now had a goal, something to work towards. I didn't want to stay as some pseudo-demon zombie. I wanted to be human again.

Despite my new hope I wasn't a fool, the Wretch's confirmation of "After a manner" was vague, so while I was sure he was right, there was probably a detail that he had left out.

But regardless this was something I needed. A clear goal to reach, rather than aimlessly wandering hell, trying to survive.

But still, killing an imp? that's rather outside my league. To beat one will require the element of surprise, and sufficient strength to take advantage of said surprise. And as much as the Slayer could just smash their heads in...that was the Slayer. Even the weakest of demons in doom can output incredible force.

So I'm gonna need more power…

I took a second to examine my arm. After my instinctive attack on the other possessed, my arm had improved. Not by much but it was noticeable, and my body had become less 'twisted flesh' and more demonised muscle. It didn't look more human by any means, but it was better than the warped body I had began with.

That settles things. Before I go for the imp I need to eat more possessed. To give myself as much of an advantage as I can get, I will go for as many as I can before I attempt a confrontation with an imp.

Looking back down at the possessed I had killed, I had thought it would be difficult to continue..but it wasn't, I had no aversion to continue tearing into its flesh. And as I went I found it harder to stop. This body was clearly designed to enjoy eating demonic flesh. Likely the work of the Wretch to incentivise my...progress?

It didn't take all that long to finish this one, my appetite was apparently bottomless.

And so much was changing that I didn't even need to look, I could feel my flesh shifting, fixing itself. Improving. I still looked basically like a possessed, but I was now sturdier. My body no longer twisted and malformed, there was strength that I had never felt even when I was still human.

Making my way over to the acid pool I looked in again. My face still looked demonic, but at least it looked.. aesthetically pleasing. At least as aesthetically pleasing as a demon zombie can look.

But this wouldn't be enough. I needed more, turning back I decided to take three other possessed. I already had a plan for the ten that remain.

I could now however move my body like I was normal.. well.. there's a slight stiffness to it, but it could just be that I need to break these muscles in.

And I have the perfect test dummies.

Walking over to the closest possessed I stood sizing it up for a few seconds then decided to keep things simple for a first conscious attack. So I wound back and simply slammed my fist into its face as hard as I could. My fist caved in the front of it's face, blood and flesh spraying out. And as it did I began to feed again.

It attempted a few wild swings, but while I was not that much stronger than it, I was far more co-ordinated.

I simply held its wrists, restraining it from attempting to attack till I had eaten the muscles from its upper arms, preventing further retaliation, then continued, to the chest, from the chest to the torso, the legs. I didn't bother with the hands or feet. Too many little bones.

….I'm so fucked up.

I moved to the next one, and this time my fist went almost entirely through its head, such was my current strength. It held less resistance than the first.

By the time I came to the third, my swing simply pulverised the head. It stumbled, and then simply slumped.

I was now left with four piles of bones and ten possessed.

And now for my plan.

I had no doubt that imps possessed superior senses than normal humans. How good I couldn't tell, but I was certain they would pick up a scent.

Especially the scent of blood.

And so, using my claws I attacked the remaining ten possessed, clawing their skin and rending their flesh, not enough to kill them of course, but enough that they would bleed, and become aggressive. If the imps wouldn't smell the blood, they would hear the growls.

I would follow up by shoving them to the ground. Giving me time to claw the rest before they can swarm me.

In fact there was a moment where I was grabbed from behind by one that I had already clawed while I was in the process of wounding the eighth, but I simply slammed my head back into his. It hurt, but given that his face was now a crater I had hurt him more.

When I had accomplished this I scaled the rock face up to the small alcove I had attempted to rest in before. Looking down, the possessed were pawing at the rock below. Wanting revenge but lacking the brainpower to actually climb.

Now I needed to wait for imps. I knew that imps, while cunning, were perfectly confident in their own ability to kill possessed. They had no reason to think otherwise of course. They had probably never encountered any that remained intelligent other than the soldiers, and they were fully loyal to the demons anyway.

This meant that they were likely to underestimate the potential danger, so I simply sat slumped in the darkest part of the alcove so I would be hidden.

And while I waited I had only my thoughts to accompany me.

I felt more comfortable about leaving hell now. My hunger can be sated by possessed. Perhaps even by other demons.

My name. Earlier I had realised that I couldn't remember my name.

And honestly? Perhaps that's for the best. I'm not that person anymore. If theres something I do remember it's that my name did not remain the same between my first and second life. It stands to reason it should change for my third.

But what should I go by… perhaps..

"You are lucky Subject 17, you shall see the face of our Master sooner than some of his devout. You should be honoured"

...The only name I have been given that I remember… given by the one I hate the most? Hah. I'm a demon, a creature of evil, it stands to reason that my very name will be from the source of my hate.

I will then continue under the name Seventeen, so that I don't forget. I need to remember every moment of hatred Olivia, so that if we ever meet again..

I CAN DESCRIBE EVERY MOMENT OF IT

...though as a demon wouldn't it be more appropriate if my name was in Hebrew? What's Hebrew for seventeen anyway?

A/N Finally I got this chapter done. Honestly even though I was looking forward to writing this one more than the first two it felt like this one fought me the most.