Week Two. Late Evening.
"Will miss Eldritch be joining us again?" Tom Trench asked one of his employees as he got dressed.
Becoming the sole news anchor for Channel 666 did a lot for the gas mask demon. Not only was he more confident and overall better emotionally balanced now that Katie wasn't abusing him, but he essentially became the head of the entire station. And unlike Katie, who rose to the top through intimidation, blackmail, and asserting her dominance, Tom's approach was, in short, not being a dick. Because of this, everyone at Channel 666 now loved their jobs; the entire mood of the workplace had shifted from afraid and obedient to eager and motivated.
This is why as he was getting ready for the evening news in his dressing room, putting on his freshly pressed suit, the employees standing nearby were both willing and dedicated to giving him every bit of info of what was going on in their circle.
"No, sir. She stated when we contacted her earlier that she might not be available for some time, says that she's currently working with someone who could be a potential new partner to her cause." They answered.
"Wow, that's shocking. I didn't think she'd let anyone share the spotlight on this project." He admitted, "What're the stories for tonight then?" He asked the next employee.
"Nothing much, unfortunately. As it stands, Lord Lucifer and the royal family as a whole are remaining quiet on the disaster. Though he has promised, there is going to be an eventual press conference where he will give a full explanation." They began before flipping the page on their clipboard to look at the next item, "As for any other significant stories, there's still not much. At best, the reconstruction of the damaged properties is coming along nicely. At worst, some teenagers were caught by the Authorities tagging stores. And that is honestly all we have for tonight." They concluded.
"Eh, not the end of the world. If anything, we were due for a slow news day." He decided as he finished knotting his tie, "Still, it is a bit of a shame. All of this crazy shit starts happening, and we still don't have much to report on after it all began. You'd think something shocking would come along for us to cover." He said.
As if the light of Heaven itself shined down upon his words to make them a reality, the sound of running footsteps reached his and the employees' ears. They were coming from the hallway just outside his dressing room, and soon the demon who the feet belonged to came barging in by forcefully opening the door.
"SWEET TITTY FUCKING CHRIST!" Tom shouted out loud while falling on his butt to the floor, for the demon had swung the door so hard it slammed into the wall, "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" He questioned.
"SIR, I'M SORRY, SIR! BUT I HAD TO COME AND TELL YOU THIS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE GETS A CHANCE TO COVER IT!" The demon quickly shouted out.
"Cover? Has something happened?" One of his fellow employees asked since they just finished talking about this.
"A group of Imps that were abused and forced into running drugs in secret for a gang on the outskirts of the city just showed up at the Happy Hotel!" He answered.
"Alright, that is a pretty good story. But does it justify you running in here like a psychopath and destroying my ears?" Tom questioned.
"No, sir. But there's one more thing about this that makes it a top priority!" He assured before taking in a deep breath, "The Imps claim they didn't escape from their captors but were instead saved by the Slayer!" He revealed.
"W-Wait, what?" One of the employees questioned, "That...that's impossible. The Slayer's sealed away in Doom. Everyone knows that!" They exclaimed.
"Did they describe who saved them?" Tom inquired as he got to his feet, keeping a level head about this.
"Word for word, it's an accurate description of the Slayer. However, I know that on its own isn't enough to serve as proof since everyone knows what he looks like, which is why I brought this." He replied as he held out a picture.
Walking over and taking it from his hand, Tom's eyes widened when he saw what was captured in the photo. Bodies, LOTS of bodies, all being carried out of what looked to be an underground hideout, and from the state they were in, it was like someone threw them into a garbage disposal.
"Holy shit, how'd you get this?" He asked.
"One of our crews was still patrolling the city for any new stories when suddenly they saw a bunch of Authorities and even a few of the Sentinels on the move. Assuming something big was happening, they followed in secret and were able to snap a few shots without getting caught." The employee explained, "They also overheard them talking about the Imps, which is why if we want to get on top of this, we should move now, sir!" He added.
Could it be possible? The Slayer, who's been sealed away with Doom since six months ago, could he be back?
"You're right; even if this turns out to be some impeccable imposter, we can't afford to be second, third, or anything else to this story.." Tom decided, "Tell the crew currently in the field to head for the Happy Hotel immediately! And get some additional people there as well, just in case this is real!" He ordered.
"Yes, sir!" All of his employees responded in unison before rushing out of his room.
The Happy Hotel, Twenty Minutes Ago...
"Fuck I am beat!" Angel Dust exclaimed as he walked through the front doors with his arms outstretched, "Could someone get me a nice cold beer or maybe some fruity wine?" He asked while walking over to one of the couches in the lobby.
"Why are you exhausted? You've done nothing except stand around and run your mouth." Vagatha replied as she and the others were right behind him.
"Usually, my ass is either sitting in my luxurious chair behind my luxurious desk or is in the director's seat for one of our productions which is ALSO luxurious. My poor pampered footsies aren't used to being stood on so much." He complained before falling back first onto the sofa.
"You used to be a prostitute. You know, someone who is on their feet all day before they're put on all fours?" She countered.
"HELLO. Weren't you LISTENING?" He asked as he pointed to his feet, "I said that they were PAMPERED now. Walking around all day on the sidewalk looking to catch a cock for cash isn't in my day planner." He explained.
"You had a day planner as a prostitute?" Moxxie questioned.
"You know something? You ask WAY too many questions." He replied with an unamused expression.
"Try working with him..." Loona commented.
"He does, and so do the rest of you." Moxxie reminded.
"Moxxie, for just once, could you learn when to keep your mouth shut? Jesus fucking christ..." Blitzo groaned.
"Someone's a grumpy Gus," Stolas noted, surprised by his lover's attitude.
"Of fucking course I am. Our asses got dragged out to a literal cum dumpster so that we could see a robot spider clean less than one percent of it all in a three-foot circle. Excuse me if I thought we were going to go someplace that didn't suck ass." He replied.
"Why're you complaining? You got out of your programs for the day." Katie reminded.
"Whoopie fucking do, avoided spending time with one group of assholes so that I could spend it with another." He said.
"Can I bind him in shadows again?" Alastor asked, growing tired of his complaining.
"Try it, and I'll clean out every inch of your organs when I shove that staff up your-"
"OKAY!" Charlie exclaimed loudly to get everyone's attention, "It's clear that we're all feeling tired and a little cranky after being out all day. So how about we just sit down, relax, and try to suppress any violent urges we might have?" She suggested.
"Works for me." Octavia agreed as she plopped down in a chair and took out her phone.
Following her example, everyone picked a piece of furniture to unwind in and relax. That left Charlie, Vagatha, Lilith, and Sir Pentious surprisingly still standing in front of the entrance.
"Why didn't you go?" Vagathe questioned being the first to do so.
"You kidding? After how they treated me earlier, I don't feel like gracing any of them with my presence." He replied.
"Aw Pentious, you're more sensitive than I realized," Charlie said with a sympathetic smile while putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I am not sensitive! Scales are just...not as thick as everyone thinks they are..." He lied while looking away out of embarrassment.
Unable to keep the mushy side of her heart at bay any longer, Charlie pulled him into a hug to make him feel better. And while he continued to avert his gaze and looked displeased, he didn't even struggle as he did honestly need that. For the next few minutes, everyone was able to unwind, let their muscles relax, and just ease into the comfortable material of their seats. But good things never last, for soon, they'd all hear a knock at one of the twin doors.
"What kind of dumbass knocks on the door of a hotel?..." Blitzo questioned, feeling so confused that it made him look in that direction.
"I mean, it is late, sir," Moxxie replied.
"Moxxie, this place is open twenty-four seven." He countered with a deadpan expression.
Before their bickering could continue, Charlie decided to do the obvious thing and find out who was on the other side by simply opening the door.
"Hello! And welcome to the Happy Hoteeeeeeee..." She trailed off, her eyes quickly widening and her smile dropping.
"Hon? What is it?" Vagatha inquired as she walked over.
Grabbing the door herself, she opened it some more so the rest of them could see, at which point their expressions mimicked hers. Standing outside on the porch was a group of Imps. Most were adults, some were teens, and a few were very young children. But it wasn't their presence that shocked everyone so severely; it was the state of both their bodies and their clothes.
Bruises, stains on their attire that were either dried blood or dirt, their horns and tails either mangled or had sizeable pieces removed, they could tell that wherever these Imps came from was a Hell all of its own.
"H-Hello..." One of the adult Imps greeted with a scared, timid gaze, "Th-This...this is the Happy Hotel...right?..." He asked.
Hearing that snapped Charlie back to her senses, every fiber of her being going into overdrive as she knew she had to do something.
"Come in, please!" She exclaimed before proceeding to lead them in as fast as she could but still made sure to do it gently to avoid scaring or hurting them, "I am Charlie. The owner and manager of the hotel. Have a seat, and we will take care of you immediately!" She assured.
Quickly getting on the same page as her, the others all sprang into action. First, they got out of their seats so the Imps would have a place to sit down. Then the swiftest of the lot, who were Nifty, Cherri, Moxxie, and Millie, all ran to find some staff members to help out. Lastly, you had Angel, Katie, and Alastor, who went to the dining hall to get them some food and drinks because they could tell these people hadn't eaten anything decent for a while.
"My word, what happened to all of you?" Stolas asked with great concern, his paternal instincts taking over the moment he laid eyes on the abused children.
"W-We were c-couriers...forced couriers...for a g-gang..." The same Imp from before answered, seeming to be the leader, "Th-They kept us in a cell...threw us sc-scraps...a-and if we were ever l-late or came back empty-handed...or even j-just a little short...they'd punish us..." He explained.
"Why didn't you fight back? I mean, I know we're on the smaller side of things, but we can still kick plenty of ass!" Blitzo exclaimed, hoping to lift their spirits with some pep talk.
"They were t-too big...too tough...even if we g-ganged up on one, he would've k-killed most of us before we did any real d-damage..." He replied.
"You poor things! I am so sorry you had to go through something like that!" Charlie exclaimed, tears rapidly pooling in her eyes.
Before any more words were exchanged, the others returned from their tasks. Nifty, Cherri, Moxxie, Millie, and many staff members came rushing in with blankets and began handing them out, with Alastor, Katie, and Angel doing the same with the sustenance they were able to procure.
"Th-Thank you..." The Imp said on behalf of himself and the rest of his group.
"It's the least we can do after all you have been through," Lilith assured him with a saddened expression, "However, we need to get you all to a hospital. Or at the very least, have some doctors come and examine you." She told them.
"Wait a second." Sir Pentious spoke up as something just dawned on him, "How did all of you even escape?" He asked while putting a hand to his chin, "You just said that altogether you couldn't even take down one of your captors. So unless they all Overdosed or fell asleep at the same time while leaving the front door open, it doesn't make sense that you were able to escape." He pointed out.
"Y-You're right...it d-doesn't make any sense...both to you and for u-us..." The Imp replied.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Vagatha questioned.
A small moment of silence transpired as the Imp, and most of the group all looked at one of the children.
"It's okay." One of them whispered to the child.
"...It was him...the man who kills monsters..." They spoke, doing so in a whisper.
"Who is that, sweetie?" Charlie asked, trying to be as comforting as possible.
"The Slayer..." They answered.
In that instant, everyone's world came to an immediate stop, their eyes went wide, and their bodies became stiff. But it wasn't because they didn't believe what the child just told them, nor that they were shocked that Will would do something like this because, of course, he would. Unfortunately, this caused a LOT of problems, ignoring the surprise of Will's return, and his celebration would be ruined; if word got out to everyone he was back, the entire circle would be sent into a frenzy.
"F-Forgive me, I don't mean to sound rude or that none of us believe you," Lilith said, being the first to speak after a few seconds went by, "But are you sure it was him? It could've been a vigilante or something similar using his image as a disguise." She suggested.
"No, it was him, we're s-sure of that..." The male Imp replied, redirecting the attention back to him, "A-And even if weren't, before we g-got here we were sp-spotted by two Authorities who were on p-patrol. When we told them what happened, they c-called for more to arrive, along with those soldiers that look like knights. And they s-said it had to be him." He explained.
"Wait, you ran into the Authorities? And they sent you here instead of keeping you with them or taking you somewhere else?" Katie questioned, finding that detail to be strange.
"A-At first no, but when we t-told them the Slayer wanted us to c-come here, they let us go." He replied.
Ah, yeah, that makes sense. If Will told either the Authorities or the Sentinels to run around in circles, they'd probably do it until they collapsed from exhaustion. Still, this whole situation was insane. How did Will even find out about these Imps? Was his business to patrol the city looking for trouble? Or was this just something he walked into by accident?
All of these questions and many more were important, but for right now, their top priority was making sure these Imps were safe, taken care of, and treated for their abuse. Which would've been super easy; after all, the hotel's run by the entire Magne family at this point, getting the best doctors in Pentagram city to make a house call and be discrete about it would've taken no effort. Sadly things never seem to happen the way they should, or if they do, it always comes with a mountain of complications, such as this instance where before they could do anything, they heard yet another knock at the door.
"Is that more Imps?" Angel Dust asked as Charlie hastily ran to the door.
"N-No...we're all here...I-I don't know who that is..." The Imp answered.
"Then that means it's probably Will!" Charlie called back to them, as it made sense he'd show up not long after they did.
Similar to how pulling a pin from a grenade will cause it to explode, when Charlie pulled open both front doors, she unleashed chaos. In the blink of an eye, the lobby quickly filled with several demons, all carrying equipment related to television in one way or another. And while this caught everyone off guard, so much so that they didn't say or do anything right away, there was one among them who immediately knew what the fuck was happening.
"That son of a bitch..." Katie thought with a sneer, for she knew exactly where they came from and who sent them.
"Princess! Is it true that the Slayer's returned from Doom? If so, how is that even possible?" "Were those Imps really saved by the savior of creation? Or is this an elaborate hoax crafted by one of our citizens who seeks justice? Or could it be something planned by the Authorities as part of the reform?" "If he has come back, has he made contact with you? Or anyone from Slayer Studios? It would make sense that he'd seek out the help of his former lovers!" The many reporters asked, bombarding Charlie with questions.
"Excuse me!" Angel Dust called out, gaining the reporters' attention, "Hi, I don't mean to interrupt all of you being assholes, but could you mind telling me what the FUCK you mean when you say, former lovers?" He requested, instantly pissed.
"Oh, come on, there's no way that you and your business partner didn't have sex with him. EVERYONE knows that." One of the reporters said.
"Alright. I've heard enough." Katie decided as she walked over to stand in front of Charlie, "Here's what's going to happen, m'kay? All of you are going to get the fuck outside, get on the fucking phone to your limp-dicked boss, and you are going to tell his ass if he wants all of you to be sent back with heads on your fucking shoulders, you'll get out of here right NOW." She told them sternly.
"Pfft, nice try, but you're not our boss anymore. So you don't intimidate us." Another reporter replied.
Hoo boy, they fucked up, and they fucked up HARD. Even Alastor, who was usually one of the few to never really react, felt a bit uneasy at what was about to happen. Katie's pupils disappeared into the deep crimson of her eyes, the fabric of her suit grew out into new sleeves as she summoned more appendages, and her teeth, although already somewhat sharp, changed to bear a stronger resemblance to daggers.
"Okay, let's try this one more time." She said in a low chilling tone, which made the spines of every person from channel 666 turn to jelly, "Either you get out of this hotel right fucking now. Or I will slowly peel the skin off of your bodies, and as you lie there on the floor writhing in horrible agony, I will shove the strips I take down your throats so you can taste how full of shit you are. How does that sound?" She asked.
Yup that did it. Without saying another word or making any noises, the sizeable group of demons all ran out the doors, making sure to slam them shut as they went.
"BRAVO KATIE! BRAVO!" Alastor cheered for her, even clapping his hands to show it was genuine praise and not him mocking her, "I haven't seen true unbridled terror like that in quite a while! You were terrific!" He carried on.
"Thanks, Al. That actually means a lot coming from you. Which of us is the more insane because of that I have no idea." She said as she turned back to normal.
"I am SO sorry that you had to experience that!" Charlie apologized while turning on her heels to look back at the Imps, "I promise they will not be allowed in here so they can bother you." She assured.
"Yeah, well, you might wanna do more than that, princess." Cherri commented as she crossed her arms, "Even with Katie putting the fear of Vega into them, you know for a fact they ain't leaving. This place is gonna be swarmed soon with more reporters from every outlet in the city, not just channel 666. Along with all of the lunatics who'll show up wanting to see Will once they catch wind, he's back." She explained.
"Don't worry; I'm already on top of it," Lilith replied for her daughter, having taken out her cellphone so she could call someone.
Elsewhere...
"...I don't like this..." Lucifer said quietly with an irritated expression, staring intently at his desk.
In what had become a norm for the devil and his brother, Lucifer and Gabriel were sitting in his office, spending the evening together.
"Did I say something to upset you?" Gabriel asked, finding his sibling's demeanor to be strange.
"It's peaceful, Gabriel. For once in what has felt like an eternity, my circle is peaceful. I'm not buried in paperwork, I don't have my advisors, nobles, or Overlords badgering me for information, and we aren't dealing with a crisis that could end all of creation." He answered.
"For most people, that would be an incentive to open a bottle of wine and celebrate," Gabriel replied.
"Gabriel, this is our family and friends we're talking about." He countered with as serious of an expression as he could make, "At any point in time where we have ever been able to breathe easy or relax, it is then met with something that makes us want to bash our heads against the wall or briefly escape reality through the means of copious alcohol consumption." He told him.
"That sounds more like a desperate cry for help," Gabriel said, now believing that his brother might be a raging alcoholic.
But before he could try and prod his brother for more information, their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Lucifer's cellphone.
"Hello?" He greeted as he pulled it out and answered, "Oh Lilith, nice to hear from you, honey. How'd the others react when they saw the location?" He asked, referring to what they did earlier that day, "...Huh...okay...yeah, no sure I'll get right on that...they'll be there before you can even put your phone away...alright...love you too." He said before pressing the end call button.
"Has something happened?" Gabriel inquired as his brother put his phone away.
"Yup. Another fucking fire." He replied before promptly slamming his head down on his desk.
Meanwhile, In Urdak...
The sounds of fingers tapping screens and keys filled the air of the Wretch's and Samur's facility, as both were preparing for the first test of the portal technology made to work with the Dark One's soul sphere. Usually, both men would work in total silence and only speak to each other when necessary. But since last week, Samur had grown concerned for his partner, believing to see an unease and subtle paranoia that wasn't present before then, which compelled him to learn more.
"...Wretch." He spoke to get the other's attention, "I know we aren't exactly...friendly with each other. In a sense, we have casual conversations and spend time outside of our work in each other's company. But I still see you as not only my equal but an intellectual with who I am both happy and eager to work alongside." He began.
"Such a statement from you is humbling Samur as it is an honor to be seen so highly by someone of your prestige and position." The Wretch replied, "However the suddenness of this praise is suspicious." He noted.
"I just want you to know that if something ever troubles you, something that you feel most wouldn't understand, that I would be more than willing to listen and help you," Samur explained.
"Again, that humbles me. Knowing a Seraph would help a worthless mistake of flesh and soul such as myself, thank you." He responded.
Deciding to stop there as he didn't want to upset him or run the risk that he'd refrain from speaking anymore should he suspect something, Samur focused back on their work and said nothing else on the matter for now. It'd only take a few more minutes before the preparations were done. All they needed to do was confirm with the Khans that the Doom portal was ready.
"Are you sure this is wise?" Samur asked, "We could always send an automated scout through the rift. There's no reason you have to be the one to do it." He told the Wretch.
"No. You saw what became of the machine we allowed to connect with the soul sphere's energy for fifteen seconds. If we send anything else, we run the risk of creating a monster. And while the Khans are more than capable of dealing with that outcome, there is the possibility something goes wrong, and the creature is sent somewhere else. I am the only logical choice as I was made from his power like every other demon from the realm." The Wretch argued.
"Which is exactly why the Khans and I have our concerns. We already know his power affects you differently because of what you are. Who's to say something terrible won't happen when you are going through the portal?" He suggested.
"Hence why I grafted this suit unto my person Samur. Even if something does happen to my flesh and bone, I will regenerate all lost tissue, among other things, again I am the only proper candidate for this experiment." He insisted.
He knew he was right. Sending anyone or thing else through the portal would be the decision of a fool. But just as how the Khans were growing attached to the demon, so was Samur, for as he said himself, they had a great deal in common. Yet this was not the time to let personal feelings or concerns become impediments; they needed to get production started on the celestial locator as soon as possible.
The only way to make that happen was to conduct this test.
"You're right. I apologize." Samur said before turning his attention to a platform that laid beyond their workstation, "Go stand in the center of the device. You will be transported to the station in Doom within a few seconds." He instructed.
Nodding in response, the Wretch did just that, and once he was centered on the platform, he waited for things to get underway. Giving one final check to the coordinates and making sure there were no errors after that, Samur activated the device and teleported him out of Urdak.
The Void
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...What...is this?... Where am I?... Does...anyone know?..."
How long had he been here? In his mind, only a few seconds. But given the unusual nature of the space he found himself in, he could be wrong. He was sure this wasn't Doom; even the deepest trenches of the darkest pits were nothing like this.
Currently, he was floating, though he discovered he could also stand, almost as if whatever rules dictated this place didn't exist but also did at the same time. Anything and nothing was possible; he was blind but could also see forever; nothing restrained him, and yet he felt confined by the lack of any limitations. To make matters worse, it felt like his mind was present in more than one place, in the sense that it was like he was present in multiple locations at the same time. He could hear Samur and the Khans panicking in Urdak and Doom, which confirmed his assumption that a lot of time had passed since the experiment was conducted.
He could also hear countless voices that he presumed came from Lucifer's circle of Hell, based solely on the fact they were all speaking of the Slayer. But that's when he heard someone else, a person he didn't know the identity of and couldn't discern it from what they were saying. However, his focus wasn't on who they were, only on the words they spoke.
"Look, I'm not saying I don't have faith in your people. I just want to make sure you're realistic about things, it has been two weeks, and still, we haven't heard shit."
Why? Why did he hear this voice? He had some kind of connection with the others, but how did he know this random individual? The answer to these questions soon followed, being delivered to him firstly with a burning sensation throughout his entire body.
"Finally." The voice of the Dark One spoke as the burning worsened, "No longer shielded by the holy realm of Urdak. Separated from your divine protectors. I have been waiting for this chance for so long." He said.
"Hey? Are you listening to me? Helloooooo?" The other voice called out, speaking to the Dark One.
"H-H0W?! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! YOU...HOW CAN YOU...DO THIS...WITHOUT YOUR POWER?!" The Wretch shouted out in pain, at a loss for how the Dark One was capable of this in his current state.
"As I told you before. You belong to me. I gave you your flesh and soul. The only reason you were able to defy me in the past was due to the runes and carvings you made for protection. Then when you fled to one of the creator's children to hide, only to then seek asylum with him. But now that you are within the space that exists between all reality, the endless nothingness that the creator cast our realm into, there is nothing that keeps me from you." He explained.
With that, their conversation was over; the burning the Wretch felt kept getting worse. Using his soul against him, as it was a concentrated piece of the Dark One's power, he could do whatever he wanted to with this insubordinate traitor so long as he remained here. Fortunately for the demon but not for the Dark One, this torment lasted no longer; he was pulled from The Void to another location within an instant. Hitting what felt like ground composed of dirt with a hard thud, the only other sensation his body could detect apart from the mind-numbing pain were blades of grass brushing against his skin.
"H-How...how..." He barely whispered out, too tired from what he endured to say anything else.
Slowly letting go of all control over himself, the Wretch succumbed to darkness. The last thing he felt and saw was two hands grabbing hold of his body and a vibrant array of colors entering his vision.