"And that's pretty much it, any questions?" Charlie asked as she turned to look at everyone, her presentation finally at its end.
The Slayer's celebration meeting lasted well into the evening. Yet none of the others were bothered by this nor got tired of hearing Charlie speak, for unlike Blitzo's carney sideshow of merchandise, she was well-spoken, organized, and had carefully planned everything out. With that being said, there was still one question all of them shared, which they planned to voice now that she was done talking.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Why is this going to take a month to get ready?" Katie asked while holding up two fingers, "I assumed we'd be able to get this done in two weeks or something around that time frame. Since we'll have the support of our circle's royalty and any nobles who haven't made for the hills yet." She said.
"That was the plan, but unfortunately, there have been...some setbacks," Charlie replied.
"Care to elaborate, or are we just supposed to guess?" Cherri asked.
"I'll handle this, dear." Lilith offered while standing from her seat, much to her daughter's appreciation and relief, "After the unpleasantness yesterday, we decided to keep our spirits up and our minds busy by working on the locale organization, additional staff, and the performers that'll help make this as grand as it can be. However, this proved to be not just three individual tasks, but practically dozens." She revealed before taking a deep breath as this next part was long in its explanation, "To begin, the destruction wrought by the disaster was far more significant than we initially thought. Whether it be notable clubs, hotels, or even stadiums, every major venue was impacted, with the most salvageable ones still receiving damages that have left more than half of the property in shambles. Next is the additional staff, which is a problem because all of the noble class and most of the Overlords who haven't gone into hiding live in the city's center. A fair amount of the demons being treated either here in the circle or Urdak are their staff alongside civilians, so we'll need to wait for them to recover. Finally, we arrive at the entertainment that isn't Will, Loona, and Octavia. By far the most frustrating of the three because, as it turns out, there were just as many celebrities who had far too many skeletons in their closet to remain public figures when the reform started. So our list of notable names to book for the event is about as plentiful as a shot glass." She elaborated.
"So...if we understand this right...the reason it's going to take a month to get the party started is that we have to wait for a location to be rebuilt, the workers to recover, and so we can try to find some celebrities who aren't as shitty as the other ones?" Angel Dust questioned.
"Hit the nail on the head." She confirmed.
"But hey, look on the bright side!" Charlie exclaimed with a smile as she looked to the Slayer, "This means we get a whole month with Will before the public finds out!" She said, hoping it would lift their spirits.
"And Husk should be better by that time too! So he can join in on the party!" Nifty realized, now all giddy as that idea filled her with glee and excitement.
"It'll also give Blitzy plenty of time to catch up with his programs," Stolas said while crossing his arms, still upset at the Imp for the con he pulled.
"Does this mean that no one has any issues with this arrangement?" Lilith asked.
"I mean, I feel like there's one person specifically we should be asking that," Katie responded.
Knowing well who she was referring to, everyone looked to the Slayer.
"I'm fine no matter what..." He told them just as a realization hit him, "In fact...this may work out for the best...I have some things I need to help Vega with...so I can do that during the month..." He explained.
"Wait, does that mean we won't get to see you?" Charlie questioned with a tinge of disappointment.
"No." He said immediately, which brought her back to joy, "I just mean that I can take care of that business so it won't interrupt the planning or the celebration itself..." He clarified.
"Good. Because if you took off again without saying anything, I might've been forced to slap you like a bitch." Angel Dust said jokingly with a grin.
"Alright. So as it stands, we have our basic plan in order; we may talk again before the event draws closer to make sure everything is going smoothly. But for now, we can relax and let the work that needs to be done get finished before we double down on it." Lilith said, receiving nods of agreement from everyone.
Meanwhile, On Urdak...
"This is certainly concerning..." Vega muttered quietly.
After returning from Doom and informing him of what they had found, Vega held an emergency meeting made up solely of himself, the Wretch, all seven of the Khans, and Samur. As for Gabriel, his father sent him back to Lucifer's circle to tell him he'd be there shortly and to not burden him with any more worries should this potential problem not be as severe as they thought.
"I'm impressed by your lack of panic creator." The Wretch admitted while crossing his arms, "I assumed you'd be more emotional or vocal about the shocking nature of this news." He went on.
"I would, but that wouldn't help us at all. Plus, after everything that's happened, that is easily the least shocking thing I've been presented in the last few days." Vega replied.
"That's fair." He agreed as things have been indisputably chaotic.
"Also, there is the matter that I am not an expert on this. The closest thing I have to compare it to is the Maykrs' process of reincarnation and remolding of the flesh to alter their appearances when the need arises. But none of them have ever needed it to the degree in which the Dark One has done so here. So if you wouldn't mind Wretch, I'd appreciate it if you helped to give us your thoughts on the matter." Vega requested.
"Of course." He replied to start things off before continuing into his explanation, "Overall, this development at worst is alarming. Although we now know alongside Valentino, the Dark One has his most loyal and powerful servants at his side; this doesn't mean much as he is without his power. Furthermore, it is clear the point of altering their bodies was to make them more discrete instead of massive haunting atrocities, so there's no potential here for them to be in bodies that are grander than the originals. So, in summary, what has ultimately been changed is we're now looking for seven individuals rather than two." He said.
"But these additional five are incredibly dangerous, far more so than Valentino," Samur commented.
"Forgive me if this information is inaccurate. But isn't one of the demons the Slayer's rival? The entity referred to as the Cyber Demon?" One of the Khans questioned.
"You are correct. Out of all the targets we hope to find, he is by far the deadliest. For in his current state, the Dark One poses a minimal threat on his own." The Wretch replied.
"Do you think they'll do something drastic? Like, start killing people if where they went is home to innocent souls?" Another Khan inquired.
"Unfortunately, that is an unavoidable casualty." He confirmed with a sigh, "Even though they are trying to avoid detection, his servants are not capable of resisting their violent compulsions. Even then, they possess intelligence higher than a lowly Imp or a shambling corpse. So they will keep whatever murders conducted by their hand as quiet as possible. But will do so both to satiate their desires and to please their master." He explained.
"If that is the case, then we need to find them as quickly as possible. We can't waste even a second." A third Khan said, to which the others nodded in agreement.
"Agreed. But finding them will take a great deal of time. Right Samur?" Vega asked.
"Yes. But one of our first planned uses of the Dark One's power is to make a celestial locator with it. This way, we can pinpoint any trace of the energy, which is what those demons' souls are made of." He answered.
"How long will this take?" Vega inquired.
"The facility's construction is nearly complete; the drones are finishing up as we speak. However, it could be weeks before we begin designing a celestial locator that works with the sphere. As we have to test how dangerous it will be even with the precautions we are taking." He explained.
"Understandable. And though this may sound strange, we may have nothing to worry about for some time. The Dark One and his minions have gone to great lengths to avoid detection at all costs. Which leads me to believe they aren't going to do anything drastic soon." Vega reasoned.
"My thoughts as well. This gives us a window of time to do what we need to with the soul sphere, gather our bearings, and form new strategies on how to approach our enemies." The Wretch listed.
"It will also allow the destruction of Doom by my and the Sentinels' hand to progress, hopefully even finish before they are found or choose to reveal themselves." The current Khan said.
"We should also establish Maykr built structures and fortifications in the realm when more space is available. So that way, if they try to return there, we will be waiting for them." The Wretch suggested.
"An excellent idea. This will give the six of you something to do." Vega said, referring to the other six Khans.
"But we are needed here, father. To assist Samur and Wretch in their work with the soul sphere." One of them replied.
"That won't be necessary." Samur interjected, "The facility is almost entirely self-sufficient and autonomous to a reasonable degree. Only the two of us will be needed to operate it and conduct the experiments that are required." He assured.
"Exactly. So why don't all of you go on and get a head start on the construction in Doom?" Vega suggested while opening a portal himself.
Although they seemed hesitant to leave, a little disappointed even, all six Khans followed by their seventh listened and went through the portal, which closed as soon as they were gone.
"Let it never be said I didn't do anything for you," Vega said jovially, speaking to the Wretch.
"And yet you're still having me conceive of names for all six of them." He replied with a sigh.
"He's having you name the prior Khans?" Samur questioned as this was the first he'd heard of this.
"We can talk more about that as we work. Which we too should get on with." He replied.
"And while you two are doing that, I am going to go see how Abaddon is doing. As well as inform them of the new developments before I do the same with Lucifer." Vega said.
Then they parted ways, Samur and the Wretch heading out to inspect the new facility, while Vega opened a portal leading to his child's circle of Hell.
Week One. Happy Hotel Lobby.
"Hmm...too gay, even for me." Angel Dust said while holding his chin, speaking to the Slayer with squinted eyes.
Out of every possible thing that the motley group of Hellspawn could think to do with the righteous crusader, they decided the best thing was to get him a brand new wardrobe. However, he was steadfast that if he were going to wear any new attire, the ONE condition needed to be met was it had to be armor. Some of them thought this was due to his PTSD, the others assumed he just liked armor, but the actual reason is that he wanted to be ready at any moment to fight. Of course, he didn't tell them that because he didn't want to cause worry.
At any rate, the reason why they wanted to get him a new wardrobe isn't that they didn't like his current suit of Maykr armor or because they were suddenly bothered by him being in armor. In their minds, this was over, yes, there was the matter of the Hell Wave that needed to be sorted out, but based on what they knew and what Lucifer had said to them, the fighting was finally done this time, Will could put his guns down and get back to living his life. And what better way to start living his life than by giving him more than one thing to wear, even if it still had to be a full-body suit? As for how they were acquired, that was a courtesy of the Maykrs, who provided them with a device that allowed the Slayer to alter his suit and his arsenal however he saw fit.
Admittedly this device was made for combat purposes, to allow the Slayer to tailor his approach to various landscapes and species of demon to be as perfect of a killing machine as possible. But in the hands of his friends who were primarily lunatics looking to make themselves laugh, I.E. Cherri Bomb, she'd use the tablet paired with the device to alter the Slayer's attire into something she found funny. Which currently was a bright purple unicorn suit, complete with wings and glitter.
"Aww, come on! This is fucking amazing!" She protested with a frown and a whine before gesturing to the Slayer, "You CANNOT tell me that seeing the single most brutal human being who ever lived walk around in a unicorn suit isn't awesome." She said.
"I thought what we were trying to do was give him new suit options. Not play dress up as if he were the greatest action figure ever made." Katie responded with crossed arms while laying down on one of the couches, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Can't he be both?" She asked with a playful grin.
"See? This is EXACTLY why I told you we shouldn't let her have a turn." Vaggie said to Charlie, both women standing nearby between the three of them and the Slayer.
"I actually like it. I think it's a nice contrast with how serious he normally is, makes him more easily approachable to people who'd otherwise be nervous." Charlie replied.
"Are you just saying that so you don't have to admit you like seeing him dressed up as a unicorn?" Katie asked, not trusting the single most cheerful glittery soul in their entire circle.
"...I cannot confirm or deny the accuracy of that question." She answered, doing so in such a way that it came across like she'd been in similar situations before.
"Would it make everyone happy if we put it in the maybe pile?" Angel Dust asked, tired of how much time they spent on this.
"I mean, Will has the final say." Vagatha reminded before turning to look at him, "What do you think?" She asked.
"I think kids might like it..." He answered while looking himself over, "Then again, I don't really know what demon children are comfortable with...never had to deal with demonic kids before..." He admitted.
"Alright, so it'll go into the maybe pile for now." Angel Dust decided before taking the tablet away from Cherri and pressing a few buttons, which not only returned his suit to normal but saved the template.
"Can't believe the Maykrs are just going to make all of this shit for you. You really must be like a celebrity to them, huh?" Cherri inquired.
"They worship me as a god..." The Slayer replied.
"Pfft, okay, mister god." She said sarcastically, assuming he was making a joke.
But when neither he nor anyone else said anything, it dawned on her that he was serious.
"Wait, for real? They legit fucking worship you?" She questioned.
"There's a specific sanctum in Urdak that is considered holy ground where the drones and angels gather to worship...and it's dedicated to me..." He revealed.
"Holy fucking shit! That's incredible!" She exclaimed.
"...Cherri." Katie spoke up, gaining her attention, "Did you hit your head this morning? You KNOW Will's a legitimate god. Or at least he's powerful enough to fall into the same category." She reminded.
"No, really? That's NEWS to me!" Cherri replied with an even greater amount of sarcasm than before and an eye roll, "But like, there's a difference between BEING a god and people treating you like one. We're talking about angels here who were made by the real god...first god?... Vega. The point is that it's just shocking to learn that they'd worship two gods at once, one of whom carries a chainsaw in his back pocket." She explained.
"For once, she manages to make a solid point." Vagatha joined in, agreeing with her, "When you know about the one true God and everything, kinda weird to simultaneously worship one that used to be a normal mortal being." She reasoned.
"See? If Vaggie agrees with me, you know I'm saying smart shit." Cherri said proudly.
"Hey! Bitches!" Angel Dust called out to get their attention, "Can we stop talking about this and focus on what really matters?" He requested.
"Oh, do you mean making Will look like he got a lobotomy?" Katie questioned.
"That's really funny coming from someone who hasn't even designed a suit for him yet." Cherri chimed in.
"Because you and Angel have been hogging it." She countered.
"Well, we're not hogging it now, so what other excuse you wanna use?" Cherri asked.
Responding to that with action, Katie quickly yoinked the tablet out of Angel's hands so she could use it.
"Fine. Because I seem to be the only one here who knows EXACTLY what the best look for him would be." She said before rapidly tapping her fingers on the interface.
Watching and waiting curiously, it took only a few seconds before she was done and the device carried out her specifications. Just as smoothly as the others had been, the suit she designed was applied within an instant, but when they all saw it, there was only one thought they shared.
"Um, Katie, that's his original uniform," Charlie said, being the one to point it out.
Sure enough, from the brown boots and gloves to the green pants and armored chest plate, to the grey squarish helmet with a light blue visor, she just straight up gave him his old outfit.
"Mhm. No better attire for him to wear casually, formally, and for his celebration than that." She said firmly.
"Why? Everyone's already seen it at the museum. Shouldn't we give him something new and exciting? Or at the very least something less military?" Vagatha questioned.
"Two words. Six. Pack." She replied while pointing to his abdomen.
Looking to where her finger was aimed, they saw the Slayer's perfectly chiseled and defined six-pack, on display beneath the breastplates of his armor wholly exposed.
"That seems like a HUGE oversight for protection," Vagatha commented, more focused on the strange lack of armor in that area specifically, "Also, we're trying to make him more normal. Won't this just come across as if we're-"
Before she could finish speaking, Angel Dust was on top of her, having pounced onto her person like a starved tiger in the jungle.
"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! THIS. FUCKING. STAYS." He told her with widened eyes while staring into hers.
"Agreed. Keep the six-pack." Cherri spoke up, unable to pull her eye away from it or even blink.
"See? I know what the people want." Katie said with a proud smile, "Plus, I get something out of it too." She muttered to herself as she also was immensely enjoying the view.
Elsewhere...
"Lord Lucifer's going to hold a press conference?" Stella questioned, a bit shocked to hear that kind of information.
As it had been arranged, Gabriel and Stella were having regular meetings so both parties could be well informed of the other. For Lucifer and the reform's side, this allowed them to be certain Helsa, her family, and her supporters weren't planning to do something ludicrous like charge the palace with torches and pitchforks. Then for Helsa and Stella, Gabriel made sure that their opinions, complaints, and other such issues were treated seriously and were discussed between him and his brother. All in all, this situation turned out surprisingly well, though it had a lot to do with how easily the two of them were able to work together.
Such as now, as both of them were sitting in the outside area of a cafe, unable to avoid drawing the gazes of those nearby as one was a former noble and the other was a fucking archangel.
"Yes. However, it won't be for several more weeks. He wants the citizens treated here and in Urdak to be present to either see it on television or be there in the crowd. So that way, he won't have to do an encore performance later." Gabriel explained.
"Ah, that makes sense." She said while picking up her cup of tea, "Speaking of performances, how is the planning going for the Slayer's celebration?" She inquired before taking a sip.
"Miss Stella, I told you I couldn't say more about that." He replied.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you supposed to refrain from saying ANYTHING at all? And yet you shared quite a lot with me." She reminded.
"Only because of your transparency with me when it came to asking more about the inner workings of the Eldritch family's agenda. Who may I add gave their permission and blessing to share the information you did." He countered.
"Very true. Still, is it really so bad for me to know just a few more details? I feel at this point the Eldritch family and I have proven beyond all doubt that we aren't up to anything sinister. So it's not like we'd plant a bomb or set a fire to ruin the festivities." She argued.
"You have. But if it got back to my brother or his wife, the latter of whom I'm more concerned about, I could be the next one burned by their Hellfire." He said.
"What if I promise to keep it just between us? Not even Helsa would know." She suggested.
"Would that be alright? I wouldn't want to cause any friction between you two." He asked.
"Unless you plan on telling her I know something she doesn't, she'll have no reason to suspect otherwise. And should she even somehow learn I knew what you do before she did, I doubt it's so important that she'd be upset about it." She answered.
"Hmph, another good argument, you're quite skilled at this back forth, miss Stella." He complimented.
"Using your manners and charm won't give me sudden amnesia, just saying." She replied with a playful smile, in case he was attempting to change the conversation's subject.
"Was never my intention." He promised before letting out a sigh, "But you have made your case and have done so impeccably, as usual, so I will share what I know." He said before picking up his own cup, "At the moment, things are progressing as they hoped. However, the procurement of other entertainers beyond your daughter, miss Loona, and the Slayer himself has proved nigh impossible. As it turns out, while half of the celebrities in this circle are in hiding, almost all of the remaining ones are currently serving sentences of damnation. Leaving but a tiny snobbish pool to pick from." He informed before then taking a sip.
"No shock there. Though I will admit that I'm surprised the celebrities who are still around wouldn't jump at the chance to be of service to the royal family. Especially if they believed it could make them turn a blind eye to any unpleasant moments in their lives down here." She replied.
"Funny you say that, for they actually did make a similar offer. But all of them were so overly cautious and paranoid they assumed it was a trick to get them to let their guards down." He revealed.
"...You know, I may actually have someone who could be the solution to this problem." She admitted.
"Really? I'd think given your noble status that even figures like celebrities would be undeserving of any interaction with you." He told her, earning a few chuckles.
"Yeah, well, considering my current situation, even with my involvement with Helsa and her family. Can't exactly be acting too superior to anyone right now." She said, "But still, during my time as one of the elite, I did meet a few who didn't immediately disgust or annoy me. One of whom is a very popular musician, arguably one of the most. So if you'd like, I could give her a call, tell her what's going on, and by cashing in a favor I'm owed, get her to participate in the celebration. All the while acting as though she learned about the royal family's hunt through the grapevine." She offered.
"That is remarkably generous. Thank you." He replied, amazed by how much she was willing to do.
"Who said I was generous? I do want something in return." She told him.
"Oh? And what exactly could I give that is within reason?" He asked.
"I...would like a chance to speak with my daughter." She answered, although it was a bit hesitant at the start.
A momentary silence then took hold of the conversation. As both Gabriel and Stella knew, this was a very sensitive matter.
"...Miss Stella...even someone such as I with all the power I wield cannot promise such a thing. Whether or not your daughter wants to speak with you is entirely up to her." He said after a few minutes.
"I know that. I'm not asking you to persuade, lie, or force her to contact me. All I ask in return for doing this for you is telling her I would like to talk to her. I just want her to know that." She explained.
"Would it not be better to say this to her personally? I don't know how she'll react to me giving her this message. Even with me being an archangel an important factor." He asked.
"That's exactly why I'm asking you. If I get anywhere near her, then she'll immediately walk away. If I try to call her, she'll block my number. This is the only way I can convey to her I'd like to have a conversation." She answered.
"And if she agrees only so she can insult you or assert that she never wants to have any contact with you again?" He inquired.
"Then at least I'll know. But now that I've been able to clear my head and think rationally about all of this. While I still detest my husband and think of him as a bastard, I do want to try and salvage a relationship with my only child." She said as her expression changed to one of sadness, "Though in all honesty, we really didn't have one, to begin with. Of the many things I've been, the perfect mother was...not one of them..." She confessed.
"Once again, I am surprised. I didn't think you'd say you weren't perfect at something given how proud you are." He admitted.
"You're to blame for that." She told him with a small smile, "I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that makes me think about myself. Just being around you in these meetings of ours has me think back on my life and realize that my mistakes outnumber my accomplishments." She shared.
"That...is actually a thing." He admitted as he rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment, "As the archangel of justice it is...part of of my power to compel souls to reflect on themselves and acknowledge their faults. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but I didn't think it was affecting you." He explained, ending with an apology.
"Oh. Well, that does explain why this has been on my mind so much as of late." She said, "However you shouldn't be sorry. All you've done is make me think about it more. These feelings and conflictions I have were already there once I learned about my husband and his sex toy." She assured.
"Good. N-Not the part about your husband, just that I didn't upset you." He replied with a slight stammer as he didn't want to be misunderstood, which made her smile grow.
"Trust me. There's next to no chance that you'd ever upset me." She promised, which also made him smile.
"That's good to hear. Now shall we get back to business?" He suggested.
"By all means." She replied.
After that, the two would spend the rest of their midday outing talking about the reform, the aforementioned press conference, and other such topics. All the while doing so over a nice lunch they ordered before they got started.
Meanwhile, In Urdak...
A whole week had passed since Samur and the Wretch began their work with the Dark One's power. And in that one week, the progress they made could be summarized as one step forward two steps backward. For the entire week had been spent solely on ensuring they could work with it safely and that it wouldn't have any effect on the Wretch as it did before. However, some exciting discoveries were made during this process.
For example, when the sphere's energy came into contact with any piece of machinery or technology not imbued with divine power, it would bestow it with limited sentience akin to that of an Imp. Also, it would cause the body of the apparatus to transform, even obtaining additional mass and features depending on how long the connection lasted between it and the soul sphere. A controlled test showed a link lasting only fifteen seconds was enough for a completely new organism to form as a result, which showed just how deadly this power was and how much destruction it could cause if they weren't careful. But neither the Seraph nor the demon were reckless; they conducted their work in a slow, methodical manner and contained the mechanical horror the soul sphere created for further study and experimentation.
Because of this, they were ready to begin more intensive experiments, the most important being the celestial locator to find the soul this power had come from.
"What should our first test be focused on? Personally, I feel it is most important we discern whether or not it is even possible to give the soul sphere access to technology that could allow it to open rifts in creation as it sees fit." The Wretch said.
"I am at the same opinion. This is why with your consent, I'd like to see if we could use it to open a portal to Doom." Samur replied.
"That's fine. We know none of his power remains in the realm, and the facilities we sought to construct have been finished. So we can use one of them for the rift's connection." He suggested.
"An excellent idea. I'll go speak with the angels and have them inform the Khans of this plan while also making the necessary arrangements." Samur decided.
Taking his leave right after, once the Seraph was gone, the Wretch was left alone to continue working in silence. It was completely fine for the first few minutes; nothing out of the ordinary just work as usual along with the new preparations needed for their upcoming experiment. But as he continued diligently going about his tasks, the only sounds he could hear were the oddly soothing hums of the machines and the typing of his clawed fingers; soon, they started to become much louder. He didn't notice it at first; he assumed why this was happening was simply due to how focused he was, but they kept rising in volume to the point that it hurt his eardrums.
He should've done something immediately, run out of the facility or start turning nonessential machines off, but at the rate things got louder it crippled him, forcing him to his knees as he put his hands to his head, attempting to block it all out.
"THE SOUL SPHERE...NOT...AGAIN..." He grunted out loudly through gritted teeth, doing all that he could to fight against it, "NOT...THIS...TIME...YOU...BASTARD!" He exclaimed.
Throwing up one of his arms, he used his hand to grab onto the console he was just interacting with, the sheer strength he used combined with his claws enough to break through its nigh-indestructible material. With a firm hold locked in, he pulled himself up from the ground; he then used his other arm to keep himself steady until he was back on his feet. From there, he slowly inputs a command via a touchscreen panel close to him, and when he was done, he pressed it one final time to free him of this torment. Similar to how a fire suppressant system would act, the isolated chamber where the soul sphere was contained flooded with divine energy.
This was the ultimate fail-safe if something like this happened again. However, just because the chances were assumed low given the number of precautions already in place; they weren't going to ignore the possibility. A few seconds after the sphere was bombarded by its holy counterpart, the environment's sounds grew quieter until finally returning to normal, much to his relief.
"Damn you...damn you and your entire accursed realm..." He muttered breathlessly, "I do not know what is happening...if it is by your hand directly or if it is an effect of the sphere itself...but I promise you that when you are found, I will repay these torturous acts against my soul with interest..." He said.
Catching his breath while making sure this was truly over, once he was back to normal, he regained his composure and got to work fixing what little damage he caused.
"There's no need to inform Samur of this. It was an expected occurrence that solved itself in the way we hoped it would. No reason to cause any alarm." He thought as his mind began wondering why it affected him differently this time.
Week Two. Somewhere In Pentagram City.
"You can't be fucking serious. You want to hold it here?!" Blitzo questioned with arms fully extended, a befuddled expression currently on his features.
Although he was still attending his programs playing catch up, Stolas and the others all agreed he could have a day off to come to look at the location Lilith and Charlie found for the event. However, he and the others had their own reactions and feelings to the locale; very few leaned towards positive. At first glance, it was actually perfect, a large spacious building typically used for conventions or other indoor events; what could be the issue? The answer, the building itself was fine, the repairs it needed from the Hell Wave were complete, and there were no other structural issues, but what this particular building hosted in the past is where the group had problems.
"Look, guys, we did our BEST okay? But believe it or not, all the good options are either still getting rebuilt or are being remodeled entirely because they were essentially wiped off the face of Hell. So could you cut us a LITTLE slack here?" Vagatha asked.
"Hey, no judgment here, sister." Cherri spoke up while raising her hands defensively, "With that said, you MIGHT want to avoid turning on any black lights in here. Otherwise, it'll be like you're walking through one of those weird splotchy ass paintings." She advised.
"So...it has...character?..." Charlie suggested with an awkward smile, trying to put a positive spin on the building's history.
"Oh yeah, it's had a LOT of characters come in here and fuck each other's brains out." Angel Dust said with a smirk, "This was one of if not THE most notable spot for massive orgies. Like anybody who is anybody got invited at least once and had every possible hole filled." He described.
"Did you?" Moxxie asked, his curiosity getting the better of his judgment.
"Came here so much I might as well have owned the place. And I say that using both meanings." He answered with a toothy grin.
"WE WILL GET THE PLACE CLEANED!" Vagatha shouted out loud, getting tired of their bitching already.
"I don't think even I could get this place spotless..." Nifty commented, for the first time in a long while feeling disgusted at the environment she was in.
"I wouldn't let you try anyway." Alastor told her while doing his best to avoid touching ANYTHING, "I fear if you stay in this environment, you could become pregnant with some degenerate's STD afflicted offspring." He said.
"Oh yeah, that's definitely a possibility." Angel Dust confirmed, "In fact, even you might get knocked up, given the amount of dried semen here." He added, saying it with just enough seriousness to where it was IMMENSELY concerning.
"Alright. I've heard enough. I'm going home, shaving off all my fur, and drowning myself in bleach." Loona said before turning around.
"I'll shave you if you pluck my feathers." Octavia offered, also feeling her skin crawl the longer they remained.
"Wait! Please!" Lilith requested, which got them to stop, "We know this isn't the ideal location any of us would've wanted. It doesn't even break through the top one hundred best venues. But I promise we can make this place spotless by next week as if all of the sex and other depraved things done here never happened." She assured.
"And how exactly are you going to accomplish that? Is Vega going to show up and perform a miracle?" Katie questioned.
"He won't need to!" A voice from nearby suddenly exclaimed.
Looking to their left, they saw Sir Pentious standing not that far away with his hand pointed to the sky, for he was doing his best to make a dramatic entrance.
"Ey top hat, nice for you to join us," Cherri said as he slithered over to them, filled to the brim with enthusiasm.
"Why didn't you ride with us here in the limo?" Millie questioned.
"Because I needed to time my arrival so that it'd line up perfectly with all of you wanting to leave! This way, I could appear as the hero who saves the day with his genius!" He explained.
"Couldn't you have done that even if you rode in the car?" Moxxie asked.
"...No." He answered after a few silent seconds before returning to his prepared routine, "And the reason WHY mind you is because Lilith already approached Vox and me with the issue of this building's cleanliness. And asked if we could come up with a solution to make it as pristine as a military bathroom." He revealed.
"If that's true, then where is tube head? Cause he isn't behind you." Cherri pointed out.
"He refused to come here. Said he'd rather lick the floor of a gas station than come within a ten-mile radius of this place before it was clean." He replied.
"Bastard," Loona said scornfully while crossing her arms.
"Anyway, by combining our genius, Vox and I have created a perfect solution to this problem. And I am here to give you a demonstration so your minds can be eased." He told them.
"I'm in. Been a while since I've seen you blow yourself up with something." Angel Dust said with a shrug.
Taking that as the go-ahead, Sir Pentious then grabbed the brim of his top hat and lifted it off of his head, revealing underneath a silver in color oval-shaped metallic object. From there, he'd take the item into his free hand before putting his top hat back on, and once it was in his palm, he held it out for all to see.
"It's...a paperweight...a really shiny paperweight," Katie commented.
"Really? Do all of you actually think I'd waste your time and that dramatic entrance by showing you a mere paperweight?" He asked.
Receiving a unanimous nod from all of them as a yes, that blow to his pride was worse than the grime that was everywhere.
"Hmph. Spend the last few days making a high-tech gadget to help everyone, and this is how they treat me..." He mumbled to himself, "Fine. I'll just let it show you what it does. Assholes." He decided.
Pressing a button embedded in the object that blended in with the rest of its chrome body, soon eight separate legs all sprouted out from the sides while a robotic eye opened on the front. Needing only a second to turn on and stand on its multiple appendages, it took one glance around Sir Pentious before its eye became red.
"ALERT! FILTH LEVELS EXCEED ASSESSMENT CAPACITY! IMMEDIATE EXPUNGING OF SCUM COMMENCING!" It spoke in a serious tone, but they couldn't take it seriously because it sounded cute and adorable.
Leaping off of Sir Pentious's hand, it landed without issue on the ground, where it then started shooting a grid-patterned laser in the shape of its eye from the optic. Aiming it with precision and moving about the area surrounding the snake demon with a speed that could challenge Nifty's, everyone's jaws nearly dropped after
the next few seconds passed by.
"Holy fucking goddamn shit! You can actually see the fucking concrete floor!" Blitzo exclaimed as he pointed at it.
True to his claim, a circle three feet in radius was made around Sir Pentious. The device's laser eliminated anything that could be identified as dirt or grime, and from what they could tell, it even smoothed the floor itself so it could look and feel better when walked on! However, it stopped there at precisely three feet, and when it was done, it effortlessly hopped back into the snake demon's palm.
"And that's science for ya bitches." He told them while pressing the button again, which returned the machine to its previous dormant state.
"Holy shit, dude! That was awesome!" Cherri exclaimed as they all looked at him with astonished expressions.
"Did all of you just casually forget the fact I'm a fucking inventor?" He asked, taking offense to how surprised they were.
"No. But this is the first time you built something that wasn't stupid as fuck." Angel Dust answered.
"...I'm going home..." He said in a defeated tone of voice before turning around and attempting to leave.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Charlie exclaimed as she ran over to console him, "Angel didn't mean that. He's just trying to tease you." She comforted him, hoping to make him feel better.
"No, I meant what I said. The dude had walking talking egg henchmen who were retarded, for crying out loud." He spoke up, continuing his ridicule.
Letting out a heavy sigh in response to that, Sir Pentius slumped over, leaning so much into it that he ran the risk of folding himself in half like a lawn chair.
"Angel." Vagatha spoke with her eye closed, a VERY pissed-off expression on her face, "Could you just once put a fucking FILTER on how much shit leaves your mouth?" She asked.
"If I did that, I'd lose like half of my personality." He answered.
"That might not be such a bad thing, you know." She responded coldly.
"Easy, everyone. This place is messy enough without us adding some blood into the mix." Lillith said as Charlie brought Sir Pentious back over.
"I promise they won't make fun of you anymore. Just explain to them what that is and how it cleans so well, okay?" She said to the sullen serpent.
"Okay. But if any of them say anything else, I'm leaving, and I won't come back, not even for the party." He told her.
"Understandable. But I'm sure it won't come to that. Right everyone?" She asked while looking at the others.
"You can't be serious," Octavia said.
"RIGHT?" She asked again, though with emphasis.
Letting out a collective sigh, they all nodded their heads again, which perked him up just a little bit.
"Thank you. It's nice to feel appreciated." He said before clearing his throat, "Now then. Focusing back on the device that all of you just saw. Vox and I have decided to call it the Spick and Span Spider! Patent pending." He revealed as his personality returned to normal with each word spoken, "Using the best technology that can be bought and made by our hand, it can detect irregularities within an environment on a microscopic level. In simple terms, this means if it finds something that isn't consistent with its surroundings, such as all the stains of sex on the concrete floor, then it will remove them until none remain." He explained proudly, "Also, as a bonus of the initial model we've created, it'll also look for any rough or uneven spots in the terrain and smooth them out. Ensuring the result is pleasing to the eye not only for cleanliness but also for symmetry." He added.
"I must say, that is truly remarkable! Even if I don't fully understand how it all works..." Stolas praised, "But out of curiosity, why did you name it that?" He inquired.
"Because Vox and I thought we could sell these as new stock for Slayer Studios. Once we're certain that the idiotic masses won't accidentally kill themselves when using it." Sir Pentious replied.
"So you named it the Spick and Span Spider to keep it on brand? Damn, now I feel bad for being a dick." Angel Dust said.
"Wait, if that were the case, they would've made it a little person because we're called Slayer Studios. So why the hell did you guys make it a spider?" Katie asked.
"Oh, that wasn't our idea. It was Will's." He answered.
"WHAT?!" All of them shouted, including Charlie, Vagatha, and Lilith.
"Uh...yeah...you guys remember when he told us he used to be an engineer, right?" He responded.
"Does that mean he helped you build it? Is that why he stayed behind like you?" Nifty questioned.
"That, and he also had some business he needed to take care of afterward. You know the kind he mentioned before." He clarified, "But yeah, just so you got the facts straight, he's the one who wanted it to be a spider as sort of like a tribute to Angel or something." He explained.
Upon hearing that, Angel Dust slowly turned his head and looked at Katie, a smug-as-shit grin on his face, accompanied by him moving his eyebrows up and down.
"Did you guys make anything else? Or was it just the spider? Because this is a huge place even for a bunch of those little guys." Moxxie inquired while looking around at the building.
"I'm glad you asked that because there IS a second machine we made for the express purpose of vermin extermination. However, I didn't bring it with me because Vox and I have to tweak its programming since Will did that one. And he set it to a kill anything that moves kind of mode." He explained.
"What's that one look like?" Millie asked.
"Well, I'll give you a guess. If he had us design this one after the horny as fuck spider who wants to hump him into next week. Who do you think he'd design the kill-happy robot that'll string up the rats in this place by their intestines?" He responded.
Now it was Katie's turn to look at Angel with a smug-as-shit grin, which caused his to disappear as they were back to being tied.
"Once again, without fail, our silent shooter has surprised us!" Alastor exclaimed with zest, "A shame he isn't here to bask in the glory of his achievement." He added.
"Hey! As I said, Vox and I helped him!" Sir Pentious reminded angrily.
"True, I wonder what's so important he needed to go deal with it?" Nifty questioned.
"Are you even listening to me anymore?!" He questioned himself, those self-doubts from before slowly creeping back.
Elsewhere...
The sound of water being displaced and splashing against concrete and stone filled the mostly quiet air. The only other sounds present being that of the heavy footsteps that walked through the puddles. With his Maykr suit still equipped as the device that could alter it was sent back to Urdak so the angels could make the suits. The Slayer searched the city's scarcely populated outskirts to avoid detection while doing the same for the sections closer to the center with the technology in his gear.
He was determined to eliminate any doubt or suspicion that the Dark One and Valentino were or weren't there. Even if it meant he'd spend the rest of today just stalking these streets as his radar scanned for any signs of their specific corruption, he'd do it to be sure. A bonus for him in doing this was the silence, but not because he had grown annoyed at his companions' banter and company. It simply allowed him to work through his thoughts and emotions, figure out what headspace he was currently in, and be sure of another matter that greatly concerned him.
"You aren't a threat to them...or anyone else in this circle...you're surrounded by angels, and there are even a few Sentinels still on guard from the Hell Wave in case something else happens...so even if you start seeing or hearing things...sounds of monsters that aren't real...they'll be there to stop you..." He thought as he surveyed his surroundings.
Although the Hell Wave hadn't come close to reaching this far out, if he didn't know that, he would've assumed otherwise. Almost all of the buildings still looked rundown and abandoned the last time he walked through, which, as he recalled, was when he met Angel Dust. But as strange as it may sound, he didn't like to think about that because he knew that at the time, the spider demon was still working as a prostitute under the employ of one of the people he was currently hunting. And that alone ignited his rage, for although Angel was a very flirtatious and sensual person by default, there was no doubt in the Slayer's mind that any extreme depravity he took part in was by Valentino's order.
Unfortunately, his lust for righteous punishment wouldn't be satiated today, for as he marched without end over the next few hours, his search yielded...absolutely nothing. Only business as usual in Lucifer's circle, drunks were still drunks, demons were still demons, and he was still looking for a fight when there wasn't any to be found.
"No traces of the Dark One or Valentino either..." He thought as he came to a stop in the middle of an empty road, "I've run the same scan several times, so none of the results are errors. Unless my suit is somehow damaged, which isn't possible, I can safely rule their presence here out..." He continued.
Remaining where he was in the center of the street, losing himself in his mind, the Slayer's hyper-vigilance slowly lessened as the seconds passed. It managed to get to the point where someone could walk up to him unnoticed, which is precisely what happened. Feeling something touch the side of his right leg, he casually looked down as it wasn't big enough to be considered a threat. There he saw a very tiny demon, a young Imp if he had to guess since the mature ones were already on the smaller side based on those he knew.
But when he looked at this child, alarms were set off, for he could see one of their horns was broken and not in a natural way. Where the separation occurred, the bone was splintered, which meant someone had purposefully caused this damage. Then he noticed their clothes, and how from top to bottom, they were covered in countless stains ranging from dirt to dried blood. Combine that with all the holes and tears in the materials, and there was no doubt in his mind this child had been abused.
"Is it you?..." They spoke in a quiet and timid voice, their gender indeterminable due to how young they were, "The man who kills monsters...that's you right?..." They asked.
"Yeah, that's me..." He answered, before turning to his right so he could face them, "Who are you? Why are you out here?..." He asked.
In response, the child didn't say anything. instead, they looked to the ground, too afraid to answer that much he could pick up on.
"They'll break the other one..." They said while kicking their feet, revealing that their first horn's loss was a punishment.
"Not if I break them." He replied before kneeling, so he was at face level, "Tell me where they are and how many. I'll kill your monsters for you." He offered.
"R...Really?..." They questioned hesitantly as they looked at him.
"You said so yourself." He reminded.
A few seconds of tense silence then followed as the child debated whether they could trust him or not. But even with his reasonably intimidating Makyr helmet equipped, this little Imp had seen far scarier things in their short life already.
"D...Down the alley..." They spoke while pointing behind them, "When you get to the vending machine, the one with the weird stuff in it, you enter a code, and it becomes a door..." They explained.
"The code?" He requested.
"six nine six nine..." They replied.
"Original..." He thought, "Okay. Stay here. Don't follow or go anywhere until you hear the screaming stop, understand?" He instructed.
Receiving a nod in response, he then stood upright and headed for the alley. Following the child's directions, he just kept going straight, eventually seeing a vending machine on the passage's left side.
"Sex toys, really?..." He questioned once he saw its contents, including dildos, butt plugs, strap-ons, lubrication, condoms, and other sex-related items.
Given that the passcode the child told him was sixty-nine twice, it almost seemed like whoever was behind their abuse wanted to be caught. But he knew that was just the average intelligence of people in Lucifer's circle, so when he pressed the code in on the machine's number pad, he had no reason to suspect this was a trap. True to the young Imp's word, the code worked, causing it to sink into the ground, which revealed an open doorway leading down. Descending the concrete stairs that greeted him, soon his footsteps were heard by those further in.
"About fucking time you got your ass back here, ya little shit!" A gruff-sounding voice called out, believing he was the child, "I swear you Imps are all the fucking same. Take your sweet ass time doing these runs. Which you should know after last time isn't good since you're carrying my fucking money." It told him.
Remaining silent as he continued his descent, the Slayer ran a new scan to determine how many people awaited him. In the room this set of stairs connected to it picked up on a dozen individuals, who were all fairly normal in size though they did appear physically fit. However, it was the thirteenth one that caught his attention the most, for they were double the size of the others which led him to assume that was the leader and the one who was talking to him.
"Ey, you little shit, don't ya hear me fucking talking to you?" The voice asked, its owner starting to get mad, "You better have a good goddamn reason you ain't apologizing to me for being so fucking late again. Otherwise, I'll take that other horn of yours, and this time I'll shove it up your-"
Dead silence, the kind you find in graveyards and cemeteries, is what filled the air once the Slayer reached the bottom. What he saw was a fairly massive room filled with what looked to be demons that resembled sharks, all of whom were either relaxing on the furniture or seated at wooden tables counting cash or sorting some kind of product, most likely a drug. What they saw was the sole reason their circle of Hell had changed, the reason for why their operation, like so many others, had to be so secretive now. But above all else, HE wasn't even supposed to fucking be here anymore!
"Wha...what kind of bullshit is this?..." The one farthest from him on the other side of the room questioned who not only was the biggest but resembled a great white shark specifically.
Slowly turning his head so he could see all of their terrified expressions, the Slayer began cracking all of his knuckles to prepare for what came next.
"Nah...Nah, this ain't fucking real...this is some kind of sick fucking joke, ain't it? Y-You're one of those fucking pricks from a few days ago who tried to muscle in on our business!" The leader suggested, trying his hardest to find a rational explanation, "Y-You think this is fucking funny?! Dressing up like that maniac?! You think we won't rip you to fucking pieces for this shit?!" He asked.
It was done, all of his knuckles were popped, and he committed their faces to memory, all that remained was savor the screams that came next, so they too would persist in his memory. He thought about which method was best, killing all of the goons quickly, leaving the big one for last, or doing them all slow and relish their suffering. But in the end, he decided to go with the most fitting option, and because all of these demons were sharks, that meant he should fight their teeth with his own. Summoning his chainsaw, he revved it to life the moment it appeared in his hands, the serrated blades of the belt spinning rapidly already.
Then within the blink of an eye, he dashed towards the one closest to him, which was on his left, and followed it up by shoving the weapon into the demon's mouth. Pushing it all the way down their throat, it began tearing away at the esophagus, blood splashing out all around them, both covering everything. Watching with twisted joy as the demon's body violently shook and convulsed from the damage he was dealing, in one quick motion, he pulled the chainsaw upward, splitting the head in two.
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" The leader shouted out in horror as his subordinate's now limp body fell to the floor, "KILL THAT BASTARD!" He ordered.
Doing as they were told, though admittedly because they didn't want the same fate, the rest of the demons all drew weapons of varying caliber and opened fire. Of course, this didn't do anything, which the Slayer made clear as he slowly began to approach all of them only to then shove his chainsaw into a specific part of their body. Abdomen, necks, waists, and even their privates were included in this varied selection; he wanted each one to suffer in their own unique way. And yet they didn't run away as they kept dying, but it wasn't out of loyalty to their boss; it was due to a paralyzing fear that anchored them in place, making them squeeze their guns' triggers, hoping they might kill him.
This whole ordeal lasted a surprising amount of time, as the Slayer had no reason to hurry through this and, as stated, want to enjoy every second of it. Eventually, though, he did run out of goons, leaving the only demon left alive, the one who ran this so-called operation.
"No...No, no, no, stay back!" He exclaimed as he back up against the wall, "Y-You're not real! Y-Yeah, that's it! I just got fucking high again, that's all! This all just some bad trip I'm having!" He reasoned, his grasp on reality rapidly slipping as the fear consumed his mind.
Sending the chainsaw away, the Slayer was left only with his fists, which he wanted as he approached the cowering fish. Now standing a mere few inches from the other, the Slayer leaned in, so their heads were closer before saying something that brought the shark back to his senses.
"Tell me, where exactly were you going to shove. That. Horn?" He asked slowly, wanting each word to hit him like a two-ton truck.
"I...I...I'm so-"
THWACK
He tried to apologize, how cute, but also sad. He actually believed that saying he was sorry at this point meant anything. Surprise, it didn't; the fact was this fully grown man who was almost the size of a car needed to abuse a child to make himself feel strong. Combine this with the fact that he now had the audacity to be afraid, to try and bargain for his life after what he'd done, that pissed him off so goddamn much.
And now, it was time to turn this worthless mass of meat into chum. Punch after punch; the Slayer delivered his blows; the first one had sent the other to the floor and even managed to shatter a few teeth. However, the ones that followed added new dents to the skull, slowly turning it from a perfectly angeled shape to a mangled mess. Even as he was getting savagely beaten, the shark still tried begging for his life, but after enough brain damage, it just came out as gurgling, partially caused by the blood that filled his throat.
That's when the Slayer had an idea, one so brutal yet so perfect he couldn't resist it. Reaching around to his back, he grabbed onto the dorsal fin, after which he tore it off, causing a geyser of blood to shoot out from the wound. But before the demon could die from its injuries or blood loss, the Slayer pried open what was left of his mouth and shoved the fin inside, cramming it in as far as he could. What little life and time the shark had left was spent face down on the floor, choking on his own fin before expiring to countless afflictions.
It was done. Apart from the growing pools of blood from the corpses and the slight twitching, the slaughter was over. Taking a few moments to let his head clear, his blood to stop boiling, and that sadistic grin he'd grown so used to again to disappear, soon he was back to his version of normal. When this happened, the first thing he thought to do was to initiate another scan to make sure there weren't any demons hiding from him.
And while this did lead to several more Hellspawn being detected in a nearby room, he could tell immediately that they were Imps and not demons. Furthermore, they seemed to be in a cell-like area, which made sense as from the child alone, it was obvious these demons saw Imps as lower creatures, or at the very least deserving only to be slaves. Leaving behind his massacre as there was no point in tidying up, when he entered the adjacent space the Imps were immediately frightened or at best surprised by his appearance. But their fear and shock turned to hope and joy when he walked over to the cell, grabbed ahold of the door, and with no effort ripped it off.
Setting off to the side, he then looked down at all of them, noticing they had injuries just like the child and their clothes were in a similar state. However, they remained where they were inside the cell, no doubt still unsure of whether or not he was there to save or kill them.
"Go." He spoke, which caught them completely off guard, "Get to the street. One of the children is waiting for you. When you get there, head straight for the Happy Hotel or anywhere else where you know you'll be safe..." He instructed.
Though still shocked by the fact he spoke, the Imps did as they were told and ran out as fast as possible, not even bothering to look at the mess he made as they wanted freedom more than anything. Waiting until he was sure they were all gone, and after he did a third scan to be sure no one else was here, the Slayer then took his leave of this drug den as well. But when he got to the top of the stairs, he went the opposite way the Imps had run, as he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself than he already had.