Salvation

by Josh Mystic

The cost of progress is always sacrifice, a tragic truth that cannot be avoided or ignored, and while for most of history we must accept whatever is lost and find the strength to move on, there have been many moments where we have refused, choosing instead to fight the fate we've been given in the hope of obtaining something better, no matter what price must be paid.

44. Party Time Finale

Week 5. First Half. Earth.

---

"Oh god...please...sweet fucking christ, please...I don't know what the fuck is going on...but please...please...I don't want to die!" A panicked fearful man cried through blood and tears as he ran through a maze of corridors.

The scent of death filled the air, bodies littered every hallway, and no matter where the man looked or ran, it seemed to be endless. It was just another typical day at work, the same old soul-crushing job of being a nobody at a massive news outlet, yet somehow it turned into a fucking horror show. Thirty minutes ago, it was midday, the sun shone brightly through all of the tall building's windows, and everything was fine. But then, out of nowhere, the light that filled the structure's insides turned blood red; no one could see outside to the streets below or even the sky; it was like they were somewhere else entirely.

They tried to get calls out and contact anyone else in the world, but they were met with silence and static. That's when someone offered to step outside, see if some kind of storm or disaster was unfolding, but the moment the lobby doors opened is when the massacre began. The poor bastard was split down the middle by some kind of ax, wielded by what could be described as a monster before it then turned its attention on the others inside. Screams filled the air immediately, followed by the stampede of fleeing employees, which too were sadly met with more horror.

More monsters, two to be precise, appeared on the floors above, hulking armored masses wielded maces flattening people as if they were made of paper. Over this past half hour, they efficiently killed everyone in the building, spending only a second with each person before moving onto their next victim. They turned off the power, casting all who remained into darkness at some point; not even the emergency lights came on to offer some form of guidance to the survivors. Not that it mattered, of course; by now, the few who were left alive knew they were going to die, even if they tried to fool themselves by crying and screaming, it wasn't real.

Such as this man, who very well could be the last one left, he'd been caught by the creature who wielded the ax and received a leg full of buckshot from a shotgun he wasn't aware it possessed. Now running on an injured leg, his adrenaline pushing out the pain to try and keep him alive, he hoped that if there were a god if all that talk of Heaven and angels weren't bullshit, they'd listen to his pleas and grant him safety. And to his good fortune, it seemed someone had been listening, for as he rounded the corner of the current hallway he traversed, he saw a figure standing there that radiated divinity.

"Ah. There you are." Another man, one who was known as Father Valentine greeted, he'd become famous over the last month or so and was quickly becoming America's favorite religious figure.

"F-Father Valentine?! Is...that really you?!" The man questioned in disbelief as he ran over.

"Indeed, my son. Our Lord has heard your cries for salvation from this tormentous hell, and he has sent me here to aid you." Father Valentine responded.

"Holy shit...holy shit...thank you, god!" The man cried out with tears of joy, even falling to his knees from the relief he felt.

"Yes. Thank god for my presence. Thank him for ensuring your delivery to me so that I may do what is needed to save your soul." Father Valentine said as he took a few steps closer.

"Whatever it is, please hurry up and do it! I don't care what I have to give or endure or promise or whatever fucking else! Just save me from those...those monsters!" The man begged.

"Of course, my child, all I need from you is but one simple act. Do this for me, and you shall be saved." Father Valentine promised.

"ANYTHING! ANYTHING AT ALL!" The man shouted at the top of his lungs, as he was truly desperate at this point.

However, the response he received wasn't vocal. Instead, it was a sharp, powerful stinging pain surging across his skull as he was struck with something. Falling to the floor with a violent thud, the right side of his face nearly caved in from that alone; he managed to turn his head to look at Father Valentine. But that wasn't who he saw; in his place stood another monster, only this one, unlike the others, reassembled a moth.

"Our Lord...wants you to be my bitch..." It told him with a fang-filled smile, a long gem-studded cane held in both its hands.

What came next was a brutal beating for the man, as the creature stood over him and struck him again and again with the staff. It took only a few good swings before the head was nonexistent, which left the body to be battered until it too exploded in a mess of viscera and bone. Panting breathlessly from how excited and happy this brutality made him, "Father Valentine" ceased his assault now that he'd had his fill.

"Heh, only a week has passed of these sacrifices. And yet you become more and more like us with each body you deliver. I'm impressed, Valentino." The Dark One praised as the demon straightened himself out.

"I've killed people before...beaten plenty more...but it NEVER felt this fucking good..." He replied, still grinning from ear to ear.

"That is the freedom true corruption allows when it is not governed or restrained by those of holy origin." The Dark One informed.

"Hehehe, if that's so...we could probably recruit a lot more people if we tell them it'll get you high like nothing else, cause that's how I feel right now." He told him.

"In due time. After your plan is seen to its end." The Dark One said.

Before they could continue speaking, footsteps were heard approaching them, and when they looked up the hallway to see who it was, they weren't surprised.

"My lord." The Cyberdemon greeted while kneeling in front of them, "No vessels beyond ours remain. The sisters have collected all souls, and the construction of this location's Gore Nest is underway." He informed.

"Well done, as always." The Dark One praised his dutiful servant, "Although it needs not to be said, ensure that the veil concealing the abnormal state of this building is maintained." He ordered.

"At once, my liege." The Cyberdemon responded before standing and walking away.

"Man, these Gore Nests are fucking useful. How come we didn't just make a bunch of them in Doom to counteract ol' shoots-a-lot?" Valentino questioned.

"It would serve us no purpose in that instance. The moment the Slayer detected a concentration of my power with his suit, he would've dealt with it immediately. Our current situation allows the accumulation of power from the nests without fear of their destruction." The Dark One explained.

"Ah right, that fucking angel shit he was wearing. Fucking cheating asshole." He replied with a sigh, "But eh, doesn't matter if he's got every angel upstairs sucking his dick and making him hit high notes. Once we pull this off, he's ours." Valentino assured confidently

"On that matter, your plan has officially left me confused." The Dark One admitted, "First you establish a religion, then we proceed to kill the rich and powerful of this world, only so that we can target the relayers of information, what possible end goal will be achieved by these actions combined?" He inquired.

"Ah ah ah, it's a surprise." Valentino replied while wagging his finger, "But like I told you before when we first got here, it's going to work. You know violence while I know people, so trust my expertise, will ya?" He requested.

"You are the first mortal I've ever enlisted who's proven their worth. I will give you this trust in your scheme." The Dark One agreed.

"Aw, look at us. We're finally improving our work relationship!" He jokingly exclaimed.

"Don't push it." The Dark One warned.

---

Meanwhile, On Urdak...

---

Barons, a species of demons that is of the highest caliber. They are created or are naturally bred to serve the power of Doom's order, from the lords to even the Dark One himself. For the most part, they are used either as guards or soldiers, sometimes even as combatants in arena fights used for entertainment. But every once and a while, a Baron is selected for a specific task; when this occurs, their soul, body, and mind are transformed to fit whatever it may be.

One example of this is a Baron known as "The Gladiator," who was the champion of Doom's pit fights until it met an end at the Slayer's hand during his first crusade. However, long before this Baron was elevated to a more significant position than its kin, the first Baron in Doom's history to receive such an honor was one now referred to as the Wretch. He was granted intelligence that few demons in the realm possessed, given a workspace in the deepest cave so that his work may be undisturbed, and for the longest time, he kept the same size he always had before then. But this proved to hinder the very reason he was bestowed such gifts; he needed to be smaller about the size of an Imp to work well with complex machines and gadgets for the Dark One.

This is how he gained his size, and with a few more alterations to his physiology, while he still reassembled a Baron, he was an entirely new breed of demon all on his own. With all of this taken into consideration, when the Wretch underwent the process of reincarnation at the hands of the Khans, he decided he'd return to a traditional Baron visage as to spite the hand that made him. Along with a few new details that fit both his preference and taunted the Dark One further. Apart from his size remaining the same and his resemblance to a Baron returning, everything else about his appearance was new.

His skin was as white and smooth as the porcelain-like material the Maykrs used for their appearance and buildings. His horns, claws, teeth, and other skeleton pieces were no longer black like obsidian. Instead, they were shining gold to compliment his new pure-looking flesh. Lastly, there was arguably the most striking detail of any Baron, the fire that burned within their bodies and glowed from their sockets.

Unfortunately, this fire was one of two things, the Baron's soul was always orange or red as it was made from the Dark One's power, or neon green which appeared as the demons manifested their mana/magic. As it stood, the reincarnation only gave a soul a new vessel and nothing more; there were no methods that could change what the Wretch's soul was. So he'd need to call upon the mana within his soul that he'd left dormant for so long, dictating its appearance when it manifested to be different from the rest of his species. The result was a striking deep blue that resembled a sapphire in color; it illuminated his eyes and filled the veins of his form, adding even more beautiful contrast to his white skin.

Although still a demon, the Wretch could no longer be called a Baron of Hell; his visage alone disallowed that much. In the eyes of Vega, Samur, the Khans, and the Maykr race, he was once again the first of a new breed of creature, a Heavenly Baron. But the Wretch didn't let something like that go to his head; after his reincarnation was finished, he quickly adorned his new suit so that he may acquaint himself with its systems, which is what he did this past week in addition to returning to his work. Speaking of, it was not only his suit that Samur and the Khans used to keep busy.

After receiving confirmation from Vega that A. he was alright and B. the portal device did show potential, they went ahead with the original plan of making a celestial locator powered by the Dark One's soul sphere. But, as weird as it may sound, it didn't feel right to do much more until the Wretch returned; they felt if anyone had the right to complete the device and give it another chance, it would be him. And thanks to his newly acquired suit and flesh, it was impossible for the Dark One to have any effect on him, which was a great relief for all.

"It's coming along quite nicely," Samur commented as he and the Wretch worked alongside each other again, with the addition of a few angels and drones to increase their speed and efficiency.

"Yes, it should be finished soon. Far ahead of our initial estimations." He replied. "However, I can't help but worry. Have we overlooked anything crucial?" He asked.

"Not on our end. The only unknown regarding any of this was how the Dark One might impact you. But that has been solved. And no matter how much time we spend thinking about it, we cannot possibly predict what will be waiting for us when we find them. All we can do is prepare to the best of our ability and be ready to fight." Samur answered.

"Something the Slayer knows better than any of us." He replied, "How is he, by the way?" He inquired.

"The angels who I've asked to keep watch over him report nothing too unusual. He had a small skirmish with some demons of Lucifer's circle, but that isn't very meaningful. However, they have noticed a strange deviation in his behavior." Samur informed.

"Please elaborate." He requested.

"From their perspective, he's become more withdrawn and on guard. More than what is normal for him. They've also observed moments where he seems to be lost in a trance-like state, though that could easily be him lost in his mind." Samur explained.

"The Slayer like myself is a being of habit. Everything from his conduct to his personality is maintained as strictly as possible to ensure complete control. Although this is nothing more than my personal opinion, I do think any deviation or change no matter how minor should be a cause for concern." He said

"It is something to keep tabs on. But you know, no matter what we do or how we approach him, he'd never admit to any kind of problems." Samur reminded, "However, if nothing like the Hell Wave should happen before then, by the end of the week, whatever issues he might be dealing with could be solved." He said.

"How?" The Wretch questioned.

"His friends are throwing him a celebration. Which was inevitable since they assumed they'd never get to see him again." He revealed.

"Hmph. That's considerate of them." The Wretch commented, "Hopefully, nothing does occur before it is seen to its end. He does deserve some respite." He added.

"Agreed," Samur replied.

---

Elsewhere...

---

"I know this might seem pointless, but I am sad to see you go," Vega told his daughter as she and Husk prepared to return to Lucifer's circle.

Even though they didn't spend that much time in each other's company, barely any, the creator's parental side couldn't help but get sorrowful at his child's departure from Urdak.

"Father, you know you can go anywhere in creation you want instantaneously." Azrael reminded with a smile, both amused and touched, that he'd miss having them here.

"I'm well aware. But it was so nice having you close by. Even if we couldn't make the most of it." He said.

"You can keep her if you want." Husk offered in a dry tone of voice, which caught both of them off guard, especially her.

"Husk! How could you say such a thing?" She questioned in shock.

"Did something happen between you two?" Vega inquired.

"Nah, nothing serious like a fight or anything in that ballpark." He replied while crossing his arms, "But she's developed a real nasty habit of getting as close to me as possible." He explained.

"Close emotionally or physically?" Vega asked.

"The latter, for now." He answered.

"I was helping you to walk! You can't possibly be suggesting that was me being clingy!" She exclaimed defensively.

"No. That I appreciated and thanked you one or two times for, what I'm referring to is how any time I took a nap, or whenever you saw an opportunity, you couldn't keep yourself from cuddling me." He said.

Expecting her to say something else as an objection, Vega was surprised when Azrael averted her gaze and looked embarrassed.

"...It's not my fault you're soft..." She muttered.

"This is exactly why I shouldn't have let you carry me so much. Now you're obsessed with my freaking fur." He said.

"Obsessed is a little strong, don't you think?" She replied.

"Pardon my interruption." Vega spoke up, deciding to step in, "But from my point of view, Husk, any time I saw you last week when she carried you about before you could walk again, you seemed fairly content. Are you sure this is about her desire to cuddle with you and not about showing your softer side to the others?" He suggested.

Oh, how the tables turned in an instant, for that idea hadn't come to mind for Azrael until her father pointed it out. And when she looked at Husk with widened eyes of surprise, it was his turn to look away out of embarrassment.

"Aww, Husk. That's really what this is about, isn't it?" She asked sweetly.

"I'll leave you two alone then. It seems you now have something to talk about," Vega told them before suddenly leaving.

"You're fucking dead to me, Vega!" Husk shouted after him.

"Husk, you know there's nothing wrong with showing your friends more of who you are," Azrael said while opening a portal for them to travel through.

"Az, not one fucking word about any of the shit we've said or done with each other makes it back to them ya hear me? If even ONE of them knows, I'll have to find some other circle of Hell to live in because my life in this one will be bad enough to make me miss the one I had on earth." He told her sternly before walking through.

"Fine, I'll keep quiet. But only if you let me carry you some more." She teased, causing him to groan right as she followed.

---

Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...

---

"Oh my fucking god, it feels SOOOOOOOOO good to get out of the studio!" Angel Dust shouted at the top of his lungs as he walked around.

With only a few days left until the celebration was going to happen, things had finally calmed down enough to where everyone could comfortably leave their residences. Of course, the first place they had to go was the building where it was being held since only Blitzo and Co had been able to see it during this time, with Charlie, Vagatha, and Lilith popping in when they weren't also swarmed with other business. So for them, this was an exciting outing; they're getting to check out all the booths before anyone else, try out all the snacks and food that'll be served, and snag themselves some merchandise, though Blitzo was strict about that last one.

"Hell yeah, it does. I swear another fucking week cooped up in there, and I was gonna start chucking bombs at the assholes outside," Cherri said as she and Katie walked alongside him, her arms folded behind her head.

"Yeah, don't do that, we're still a new business, and that would be an instant death sentence," Katie told her.

"Ah, come on, Katie! You're the head of our PR and are a fucking wiz at it! I'm sure you'd find some way to put a positive spin on it." She replied with complete confidence in her.

"Just because I'm good at my job doesn't mean I can save our asses if you decide to blow up our potential customers," Katie said with an unamused expression.

"Speaking of, we should go see how Vox and Velvet are doing." Angel Dust suggested, remembering that they too have a booth for his game's demo.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Vox has been wound pretty tight these last couple of days; even I'm worried he might try to bite our heads off if we bother him." Katie disagreed.

"He's been normal around Velvet and top hat, though." Cherri pointed out.

"Only because he can never bring himself to be truly angry with Velvet, and egg boy is the only person on his staff who, in his own words, isn't a retarded monkey." Angel Dust said.

"Well, if we're not going to see them, then what the fuck are we going to do? Because we've seen all the booths, and we've got our share of the shit." She replied before holding up two burlap sacks full of merchandise.

"You better not break my stuff, or I will kill you," Katie warned, not appreciative of how carefree she was carrying those.

"If I do, we'll just take more~" She replied whimsically with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Ey, no fucking killing each other in this fucking building. You wanna make a mess before the party even happens?" Angel Dust told them, which brought him to a complete stop as he realized something, "Hold on, isn't Verosika supposed to show up for rehearsal?" He asked.

"I think so. But why do you care about that? From how Lilith described her, she seems like a cunt." Cherri responded.

"Don't you remember what Loona and Octavia told us? Will managed to get her to let them use her studio for their practice, so if she's supposed to be here, they're probably going to come with her." He explained.

"I don't know, I can't imagine Loona of all people riding in a car with her for more than three minutes at best before she tries to rip her throat out with her teeth," Katie said.

"Honestly, I can't imagine Will being able to ride in a car with her either." Cherri chimed in, "I think he'd rather walk all the way here than listen to her go on and on and on about how amazing she is or how our circle is so lucky that she ended up in it or some stupid shit like that." She suggested.

Before they could continue the trio along with everyone else in the building suddenly heard loud music blaring out of the stage area speakers.

"Or, we could just go ask them ourselves." Angel Dust suggested while plugging his ears, receiving nods from Cherri and Katie, who did the same.

Following the music to its source, though thankfully halfway there, it stopped; when they reached their destination, their ears were met with a new unpleasant noise.

"No, no, no! What is wrong with you? Like ACTUALLY wrong with you?!" Verosika shouted at one of her employees while both were on stage, "Are you TRYING to blow our fucking ears out? Or maybe you want to have the speakers explode during the show for some flashy improvised pyro fucking technics?!" She suggested.

"Sheesh, something crawled up her cooch and died." Angel Dust said as he put a hand on his hip.

"Celebrities, great for guest spots and ratings, but you have to restrain the urge to rip out their spine and play jump rope with it," Katie told them.

"I-I'M SORRY MISS MAYDAY! I-I'LL GET IT FIXED!" The employee promised in a panic, looking down at her furious expression as she held him up by his shirt.

"You're damn right you are! Everything is going to be perfect for the performance, understand? And that goes to all of you!" She exclaimed as she looked around at the other employees present, "If anything goes wrong or is even slightly off, I will wring all of your necks for making my William's big day anything BUT perfect!" She threatened.

"William? Who's that? Her boyfriend or something?" Cherri asked with a scoff, sorry for the poor bastard who was currently shackled to her.

But as a few seconds passed by and that name lingered in their minds, the trio started to feel a little uneasy with who she could be referring to.

"...No...there's no fucking way..." Angel Dust said dismissively.

"Yeah, I mean, come on, there's WAY too much wrong with that possibility." Cherri agreed, each of them assuming they were all thinking the same thing.

"And even if it weren't impossible or didn't make us want to rip out our eyes, we know he doesn't like people calling him by his full name." Katie reminded.

Believing that whoever William was just happened to have the same name as their friend, the trio was about to turn on their heels and walk away. Here's the thing though, when people walk across a stage when things are pretty quiet, it's easy to hear them, especially if a lot of the person's weight is put into each one. So when the three demons heard heavy footsteps, the kind that stays in your memory no matter how much time passes, walking on the surface of the stage, amplifying their volume, they all froze in place.

"No...fucking...way..." Each of them thought, hoping that the next thing they heard was something, ANYTHING at all, to relieve the stress that was quickly building.

"Oh, William! There you are!" They heard Verosika exclaim joyously before she dropped the demon she was holding on his ass and hurried over to this new individual, "Did you see the dressing room I had arranged for you and your friends? If so, PLEASE tell me you like it!" She begged.

"It was...nice...I guess...I've only seen one before, so I don't know what to base it on..." The person replied.

In a manner no different than turning a stone statue Angel Dust, Katie, and Cherri all looked back to see what was going on with their eyes, holding out as much as they could to believe this was all one horrifying mistake. But it wasn't; standing there next to that pink-skinned super model-looking whore was Will, THEIR WILL.

"What? No! That can't be true! I refuse to believe someone as amazing as you haven't seen his fair share of dressing rooms!" She said in disbelief.

"I spent over half my life killing demons...not a whole lot of time for interviews or appearances on game shows..." He explained.

"Well, that is going to change! After your party is all said and done, I will dedicate my time to making sure you get everything you're owed! You are going to be bigger than Lord Lucifer! More established than any Overlord! Stalked by more creepy obsessed fans than even I am!" She promised.

"Really? You'd do all that for me despite the fact we've only known each other for the last two weeks?..." He questioned.

"Absolutely!" She responded before getting a big ear-to-ear smile, "Only the best for my boyfriend, after all~" She told him with a blissful sigh as she took a step closer to wrap her arms around his neck.

She wouldn't be able to carry that desire out, sadly. But it wasn't because he stopped her or rejected the advance. Right as she extended her arms out a series of bullets shot between her and the Slayer, impacting and embedding themselves into various parts of the stage. Almost everyone was startled by this, the Slayer the sole exception, and when they all slowly turned their heads in the direction of the gunfire, they were surprised, again except the Slayer, to find Angel Dust standing there with a Tommy gun gripped tightly in his hands, a murderous rage-filled expression present on his features.

"IF YOU LAY ONE GODDAMN FINGER ON HIS PERFECT ASS, I SWEAR TO FUCKING VEGA! I WILL PUT SO MANY FUCKING HOLES IN YOU THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH COCK IN HELL TO FUCK THEM ALL AT ONCE!" He shouted at her; fangs bore ready to unload his entire clip.

In reaction to that, the Slayer looked at Cherri and Katie to see if they were in the right state of mind for him to ask if they could calm the spider down. But they weren't, Cherri already had two bombs summoned in each hand, ready to lay waste to the stage, and Katie had a look that could only be described as a serial killer at the moment before they strike. Thankfully he, Verosika, and the employees in the immediate vicinity weren't the only ones who heard that outburst, as two more of their group came running out from backstage.

"WAIT! DON'T SHOOT ANYMORE!" Octavia shouted while waving her hands frantically in the air, "AND NOT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE UP HERE!" She added.

"Wait...did you two fucking KNOW about this shit?! And you didn't fucking tell us?!" Cherri questioned, her eye growing wide and filling with a passionate fire of anger and betrayal.

"We've only known since last week. And it was Will who asked us NOT to tell you because he knew you psychos would pull this kind of crap." Loona replied.

"Does...that mean it's..." Cherri began to mutter, assuming that he'd want it kept secret because they were somehow in an actual relationship.

"No." The Slayer said sternly, nipping that in the bud before it went any further, "If you guys promise not to kill anyone...or at least attempt to...then I'll tell you what's going on..." He offered.

"Wait, what? No!" Verosika suddenly exclaimed in a defiant tone as she looked at him, "You can't be serious, honey! One of them shot at me, and you want to bring them backstage? Out of the question!" She said.

"Honey?..." Katie questioned with a twitch of her eye, her fingers slowly becoming sharper to resemble claws.

"They're my friends...and this is shocking news to them...would you rather I ignore them and treat them like dirt which would only make them angrier and cause more damage?..." He asked.

"You act like we don't have bodyguards and security for this exact situation." She answered.

"If anyone tries to put their hand on any of them, they're losing their torso...and not because of me..." He told her bluntly, hoping that it'd be enough for her to understand the situation.

"...Fine..." She hesitantly relucted with a sigh, a sad puppy-like expression on her face as she did, "But if I agree to this, you have to let me hug you." She requested.

Knowing that it'd only make things worse if he disagreed, he nodded to show that'd be alright. Letting out a slight squeal in delight, Verosika hurried over and hugged him, even going so far as to nuzzle her head against his helmet. Now you'd think seeing this would make the trio more furious, along with their lust for her blood to skyrocket. But seeing the famous pop star whose commanding personality and overall bitchy demeanor were just as well known as she was, act scarily similar to Charlie confused them more than anything.

"Um...this IS Verosika Mayday, right?" Cherri whispered to Angel Dust and Katie.

"Unless we're all stupid, yeah, there's no mistake on our part." He whispered back.

"I don't know, I've seen almost every interview with that bitch, and she is that and then some. And coming from someone who used to be the top bitch in our circle that's saying something." Katie told them.

"Yo! Three stooges!" Loona called out with a whistle to get their attention, "Come on, we're heading back." She directed as she, Octavia, and the Slayer walked backstage.

Ignoring that nickname because there were more important things on their minds, the trio hurried onto the stage and followed the others to their dressing room. Upon arriving, the three of them discovered the one praise they were willing to give Verosika, and that was she could put together a damn fine luxurious space.

"Goddamn it! This place looks better than my office!" Angel Dust exclaimed angrily as he held out his arms, baffled at how a temporary dressing room was more extravagant than a room he decorated himself.

"Focus on your lack of interior decorating skills later," Katie told him.

"...The hell is that supposed to mean?..." He questioned, genuinely hurt by the possibility she thought he had no taste.

"Guys, STFU." Cherri said before plopping down on a couch nearby, "Get comfy because Will's gotta explain the circus sideshow we had front row seats to outside." She reminded.

"There really isn't much to say..." He warned them.

"Bullshit. You told us, YOUR FRIENDS, that you weren't comfortable being called by your first name! So why does Verosika, who you've known for less than a month, get that privilege? How is that fair?!" Angel Dust asked.

"It isn't. But I can't tell her not to because she'll start to cry, which is entirely my fault..." He answered.

"How is her emotional instability your fault?" Katie inquired, now legitimately curious at this point.

"As I said, there isn't much to share; it can be summarized with the fact she's a succubus... which thanks to her I've learned are as stubborn as they are stupid..." He began before recounting the tale.

---

Two Weeks Ago...

---

Life at the Eldritch estate was surprisingly comfortable for the Slayer. While the staff was a bit starstruck as he expected, they still respected his space and weren't annoying or anything similar so that he could work through his thoughts in comfort and peace. But then Verosika Mayday showed up, a celebrity Stella knew and cashed in favor with to take part in his celebration since every other notable figure in the circle was either hyper-paranoid or in hiding. However, when the succubus learned that this job was for him, her whole attitude changed.

For reasons he assumed were purely based around sex, she was eager to perform and no longer needed Stella to use her I.O.U. In the first few days of her arrival at the manor, being given a free room so it'd be easier for her travel-wise, her attempts to seduce him were all methods he expected. She tried walking around in lingerie, her regular underwear, and finally nude first before that ended when Stella demanded she remains clothed. Then she tried rubbing herself against him like an animal in heat, putting his arm between her breasts and even trying to use her powers to make him horny, which of course went nowhere.

At that point, Verosika was desperate, but not because she actually wanted to have sex with him. See, for her, it was the ultimate status achievement at the moment in their circle, have sex with the legendary Slayer, and she'd be the single most popular and talked about celebrity, no doubt about it. But as he continued to deny her advances, ignore her body, and her powers failed at every turn, which should've been a no-brainer, she was pushed to do something so wrong it's considered taboo even in Hell. Both Succubi and Incubi-type demons can prey on, manipulate, and generally affect a person's desires so long as that person is HUMAN.

Against fellow Hellspawn, these abilities and others like them both in the same category or otherwise are wholly nullified, less the entity in question is at the power of an Overlord or higher. If they weren't, then Hell wouldn't be an ever ravenous battlefield for supremacy, but instead, a contest to see who can make who have sex first and hold it over them for the rest of their afterlife, along with a few other things. Yet there is no rest for the wicked, the most skilled potion crafters in Hell Lucifer's circle or elsewhere have concocted elixirs strong enough to ignore this; in short, they were love potions. And so, in a moment of poor decision making and an inability to assess what is truly important in life, somehow she managed to acquire one of these brews to use on him.

Here's the thing, even if he were dumb enough to allow himself to be drugged by such a blatant attempt, which is what hers was, it'd still do absolutely nothing. Spells, poisons, and other such afflictions didn't affect him anymore. The only reason the demons of Doom were able to imprison him is solely from the MANY spells and runes they used to keep him in the coffin. But at this point, he was starting to get both tired and annoyed by her actions; unlike Angel Dust, who was hornier, there was no sincerity to it.

She didn't care about him, only what it would do for her social standing if something happened between them. This is how on that fateful day when she returned from checking out the building for the first time and came out to be with him outside, her lust for him would temporarily be transformed into love. When she first entered the manor, she headed straight for the kitchen to get a snack to make her feel better about dealing with Bltizo. Doing that allowed her to see a staff member, a maid, to be precise, who was currently getting a glass of juice ready for him.

At this moment, she saw the perfect opportunity to slip him the potion. Stealthily knocking over a decorative vase nearby with her tail, this caused the maid to scamper away to get a broom and pan to clean it up. Once she was gone, Variska took the potion from her pocket, having kept it in her flask so no one would be the wiser, and poured it into his beverage. To her credit, she was smart enough to make sure the potion lacked any color, so his juice which was ordinary lemonade didn't look any different to the naked eye.

All that was left to do was act normal; she made for the side of the building he was on, made sure to put on a show so Stella would try to stop her, then she'd hug him like she'd been doing and wait for her plan to succeed. If it had been anyone else, literally any other soul in all of creation, even someone from Heaven, this would've worked. But he was the Slayer; on top of his already hyper-vigilant nature and his high tech Maykr suit that allowed him to detect the potion in his beverage easily, he was now wise to the possibility of potions being in consumables thanks to that stunt Alastor pulled six months ago.

However, with all this being said, there is still one question: how did she manage to drink it? She knew his drink was spiked with the potion, so if he tried offering it to her, she'd reject it or realize he knew too. So how did her plan go so wrong? How did this one-sided relationship happen? From the facts presented, it just doesn't make sense.

Surprisingly, it was the Slayer's fault this happened. In a sick twist at the hands of karma, the Slayer, in a moment of weakness due to his irritation of her behavior gradually building to its boiling point, threw the drink in her face hoping to get it through to her that this was never going to work and it needed to stop. Turns out, Verosika didn't skimp whoever made the potion when it came to payment; she paid top dollar for them to make an elixir so powerful it had to work on him.

This meant that all that needed to happen to work on the recipient was contact with the person. Even if it were just on the skin, it'd do what was intended if the whole potion was used. So when he threw that drink in her face, getting most of it on her skin, some in her mouth, and some in her eyes, it was guaranteed to make her head over heels for him. But wait, if all she needed to do was throw it on him, why go through the effort of slipping it in his drink?

Simple, he never took the suit off nor removed his helmet. The ONLY time she'd ever get a chance to use the potion was if he ate or drank anything. Furthermore, let's argue that the brew could've seeped through the suit somehow, which was impossible; the very moment she tried throwing ANYTHING at him, he'd break her wrist. So in a way, this was inevitable, the one man she could never seduce pushed her to use extreme measures, which in turn caused him to lose his temper in a brief instance, and that's all that happened.

---

Present

---

"There you have it..." The Slayer concluded, his story at its end, "So, do you three still want to kill her?..." He asked.

"Pfft, you kidding me? Honestly, I feel bad for her. The broad's pathetic." Angel Dust answered with a scoff, "Don't get me wrong, I know I'm forward and have no shame. But even I get the message when someone just isn't into me, this bitch went to the trouble of finding a potion maker who, during the reform of all times, was willing to give her something that goes against one of the oldest laws there is. Even someone like me who doesn't give a shit about that kind of stuff knows not to try that." He explained.

"Agreed." Katie said as she crossed her arms, "The one nice thing I could've said about her is her abundance of confidence. But seeing how little it took to make her desperate is laughable." She commented, "But enough about that, how long does this potion last for?" She asked.

"Impossible to say...when I told Loona and Octavia about it, they told Velvet who promised to look into it...after all, she is one of the best at making potions in this circle, and she'd know the others who're skilled too...so her help is invaluable..." He answered.

"How many people knew about this besides us?!" Angel Dust questioned, alarmed that someone else was in the know.

"Only Velvet, I promise..." He replied.

"How come you didn't want us to know?" Katie inquired.

"Maybe it has something to do with the submachine gun that Angel's still holding..." He suggested.

Looking down at his arms when he said that Angel saw his weapon, causing him to send it away, followed by a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, alright, you got us there..." He said while rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry we got so crazy and shit." He apologized.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you...but I honestly didn't think you two would care if someone like Verosika was trying to seduce me..." The Slayer explained.

"I do feel like an idiot about it now. And not just because of the why behind it." Katie admitted.

At that moment, the Slayer realized something. During this conversation, only Katie and Angel Dust said anything, but Cherri had kept quiet for some reason. Looking over at the couch where she laid, what he found was shocking. Instead of being relieved or having her usual cocky attitude back, she looked nervous, possibly even scared.

"Cherri?..." He said, which got her to look at him, "Is something wrong?..." He asked.

Now noticing Cherri's odd demeanor, everyone's eyes went to her, which didn't help her unease.

"Cherri?" Angel Dust repeated because she kept silent which was concerning.

"...At the beginning...you said you were working through your thoughts...what did you mean by that?" She asked.

Now understanding what had her so upset, everyone looked at the Slayer with looks of concern of their own. This wasn't intentional, mind you, merely a reflex since they knew why she was asking, but when he saw their expressions, it clicked.

"...You heard me that night, didn't you?..." He asked as he looked at everyone, "And you told them..." He added.

"I'm sorry, Will. And I do mean that!" She apologized, confirming his suspicion, "I heard you scream while I was sleeping; I assumed it was from the game, so I got up to check and see what was going on...and...that's when I saw you with your head in your hands..." She explained.

"I assume you also heard the things I was saying..." He said, to which she nodded.

Letting out a long heavy sigh, the Slayer hoped that none of them heard him that night, and he could deal with this on his own. But now that he knew his friends had been worrying about him this whole time, on top of planning this party, he felt guilty for keeping this from them even if they already were aware.

"Okay. I'm going to tell you what happened that night. But I need you to promise me you won't tell the others until the party's over. Enough surprises have happened that have caused trouble, and I don't want this to be one of them." He told them, speaking more seriously than he ever had.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say we agree, right?" Katie asked the group, receiving nods in return.

"Good. Thank you." He said to show his appreciation, "Now, I'm going to be direct with you. But what I have to say is going to be upsetting. I'm sorry for that." He apologized in advance before continuing, "What happened that night...when you heard me scream Cherri...I had a nightmare...and during it...I was fighting demons...only after I got done killing most of them the Dark One spoke to me...and...he turned the demons...into all of you..." He revealed.

"So...that means you killed us in your nightmare?" Octavia asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"Will, don't take this the wrong way, big guy, but...that's not the worst thing in the world." Angel Dust said, "I mean, not saying we all have dreams of killing each other or something similar. But we know how much you've been through and the kind of fucked up shit that asshole put you up against. So it makes sense you'd have a nightmare like this at least once or even twice." He reasoned.

"No, Angel, you don't understand..." The Slayer responded as he tightened his fists, "The nightmare itself isn't the problem...it's why it happened... on the one hand, it could just be a horrible dream I had...but then there's another possibility...where if the right situation happens...if I get lost in the frenzy as I used to or when I was sealed in Doom...if you guys happen to be there or nearby, there's a real chance this could happen...and I wouldn't realize it until it was too late..." He explained.

Hearing him say something like that was admittedly unsettling. But giving it more thought was a perfectly rational fear for him to have. He's already lost everything he cared about once because of the Dark One and Doom. So it makes sense he'd always be worried about losing that again if he ever got it back.

And when they reached that conclusion, it hit them all like a freight train, that he cared about them enough to be so worked up about this nightmare he had.

"Will, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but that would never happen," Katie spoke up to get his attention on her specifically, "And before you ask, here's how I know that's true and not just wishful thinking. It's a couple of things, actually." She continued while walking over to him, "To start with, when it comes to preparation, you are unmatched. Even if you didn't have this nightmare to make you question yourself, there's absolutely no way you'd let anything happen to us, nor would you allow us to be put in a dangerous situation where we could get hurt. This leads into your personality and how you'd sooner be willing to cut your hand or arm off with that chainsaw of yours before you even thought about hurting or killing someone who doesn't deserve it. Which lands us on my final point that you are hands down the nicest person who's ever come into Hell, and that's saying something since Vega's been here, and he's literally god." She listed as she came to a stop a few inches away from him, "So, in conclusion, even though I'm not trying to make you sound stupid for being afraid, because ANYONE including me would be freaked out if they had that same nightmare. What I am telling you is that you aren't an out-of-control psychopath. Even in your most brutal moments, you knew exactly who to shoot with those big bad guns of yours. The only way you'd ever think of hurting us is if we fucked you over in a major way, which both you and us know would never happen." She assured.

"You...sound so confident..." He replied.

"Of course I do. You are the guy who saved my life, remember?" She asked as a gentle caring smile came to her face.

Whether it was her smile, her way of speaking to him, both working together perfectly, the Slayer felt more relaxed in that moment than he had in a long time. Because of this, he was able to stand up without feeling a massive weight on his shoulders.

"Thanks, Katie..." He told her as he let out a sigh, "I still need to sort things out for myself...but that did lift my spirits..." He admitted.

"You've helped pick us up when we were down; about time we got off our sorry asses and did the same for you right?" She replied as her smile grew, "But for now, what do you say we just block all of our problems and serious shit out until your party's over with? Then when we're all sober and in our right minds again, we can sit in a circle or some shit and work through why we're so fucked up?" She suggested.

"Yeah...that sounds...nice..." He agreed.

"Good. Now go on and get back out there to deal with that horny bitch. Since we know she's hopped up on a potion, she could actually be crying her eyes out that you're not within a five-foot distance of her." She said.

Simply nodding in response, this time the Slayer then left the room, leaving his friends alone to talk among themselves. But before they could do that, something else happened. The moment he closed the door and was out of earshot, Katie collapsed into his seat.

"Heh. Knew your knees were about to give out." Angel Dust said with a smirk as she let out a long deep sigh.

"That...was by far...the hardest fucking thing I've ever had to do..." She breathed out.

"What? Being emotionally vulnerable and letting Will see the softer side of that go-getting attitude of yours?" Loona questioned.

"Yes...in every possible way, I am drained..." She replied.

"Well, it's a good thing we're in here then." Cherri said with a smile before pointing to a nearby fridge, which she knew HAD to be fully stocked, "We've got plenty of shit in there to get us back to normal! And the best part is it's all on Verosika!" She exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, I can drink to that." Angel Dust said before heading straight towards it.

---

Week 5. Second Half. Urdak.

---

"Hmm...so...we can't find them..." Vega said slowly, more flabbergasted by this development than upset or disappointed.

A few days have passed since the celestial locator was finished, and since then, it has been running nonstop. Despite this, it has not been able to locate the Dark One as they hoped. At first, they weren't sure how this was possible; the whole reason they decided to power this device with his own is so it would track him precisely. Even Vega was at a loss, based on his knowledge of souls and their properties, which was unrivaled seeing as how he created them, it made sense to him that this power which was so unique to the Dark One, would allow them to find any piece that remained, even if it were just his sentience which was the case.

But as he, Samur, the Wretch, and the Khans carefully studied what was happening, they soon figured out what the issue was. You see, a celestial locator is more or less a highly advanced sonar; depending on the construction of the device, what it does is scan within its possible range to detect celestial bodies. And once this information is obtained, it sets to work analyzing it and identifying the various locations and objects to form a 100% accurate map/diagram. Given that this one is of Maykr design and is based in Heaven, essentially meaning its range is limitless, it allows them to search every possible place in creation for the Dark One.

Now, of course, they set parameters for the search. They made sure to exclude Hell for starters; thanks to the Slayer's recent scans, they knew the Dark One wasn't there. Next, they narrowed their search in the mortal realm to the most probable locations they went to, with the one attached primarily to Lucifer's circle being the top candidate. Right there, at that moment, as they thought they were at the precipice of glory, they discovered their current dilemma.

You see, The Dark One's power is unrefined corruption, evil in its purest natural state, and it was indeed the only source of this type of corruption. So when they tried searching for more of it, they were met with nothing, but only when it came to finding more of that particular type, as for locating sin of ANY kind, oh, that was practically handed to them on a silver platter. Unfortunately, nothing of value could be discerned from this data at the moment, for there was nothing new about the general sin and evil beings in the mortal realm, the world tied to Lucifer's circle was naturally overabundant in both.

"We hoped that we could locate Valentino or the other demons. But whether it's through powerful sorcery they are hidden, the device needs calibration, or they are simply using the lack of defining characteristics the Dark One's power allows to their advantage, we cannot be sure at this time." The Wretch listed.

"How long will it take us to improve our search?" Vega asked, looking at Samur.

"By using all of Hell's circles, its rulers, and the demons inside of it as a means to form a chart of the different types of sin, at best it will take about half a week to finish." He answered.

"But even in the best outcome, we're not guaranteed success, sadly." The current Khan spoke up with a sigh, "Although being able to sort it all out in a more precise manner is vital. We will still need to locate a particular deviation from what we see here. Which in of itself given the sheer amount and all the different possibilities for their current location, could take weeks or possibly months." She explained.

"I'm sure by that point they'll either carry out whatever plan they have or go stir crazy from hiding and attempt to kill each other," Vega said.

"When have we ever been so fortunate, creator?" The Wretch asked.

"Never. But even god can hope things turn out well." He answered.

"Are there no other possibilities? Any other method or approach we could take to make this easier for us?" One of the Khans questioned.

"Afraid not. The best thing we can do besides continue our work is to make proper preparations. It's safe to assume they'll be targeting Lucifer's circle with whatever they have planned. So I suggest we increase the presence of Sentinels, have your son tell the public it's only for the reform, and also begin establishing a few Maykr made structures in the more isolated parts of the territory." Samur told them.

"Would that not alarm the people? Our presence in particular." Another Khan inquired.

"What would we rather have, the people a slight bit annoyed or cautious that we are up to something. Or the Dark One and his entourage suddenly appearing with a possible horde or even army of newly made demons, who would be able to slaughter too many lives before any of us, including the Slayer, could stop it in time to where it doesn't provide them a serious advantage?" He proposed.

"As usual, I must agree with Samur." The Wretch said, giving them his choice on the matter, "A few upset citizens is no price at all when genocide is the alternative outcome." He argued.

"A very powerful, if albeit harshly grim point, Wretch." Vega said, agreeing with them both, "However, to ensure that the construction of these facilities happens in absolute secrecy, we will need the utmost efficiency at which the drones can work. This means this task shall fall onto the Khans as when they are all working together, it is at our greatest potential." He decided.

"Considering their work with Doom's deconstruction is nearly complete, that is a perfect choice." The Wretch agreed.

"Glad you think so. You're going with them." He revealed.

"May I ask why?" The Wretch inquired, as he wasn't sure there was a legitimate reason behind this or if it was another of the creator's attempts to make him feel better.

"You have that new suit of yours, which means if something does happen in the circle, you can be there to assist Will as well as my son Gabriel immediately." He explained.

"Oh, yes, of course. That makes perfect sense." The Wretch replied.

"Did you think I was sending you with them so that you could finally tell them the names you've come up with?" He asked.

"Names? What names?" One of the Khans asked.

When she asked that, everyone froze where they were. For the second time this week, Vega unintentionally let something slip that wasn't supposed to be mentioned.

"Father?" Another of the Khans spoke, all seven of them looking at him curiously.

"...You know, I just remembered, Abaddon wanted me to inform them how you liked the suit so far, Wretch, and I forgot to do it. I'll go see them right now." He said before opening a portal to his child's circle, only to then go through it as fast as possible.

As the portal closed, all seven Khans were left to look at the Wretch, who could feel their gazes at the back of his skull.

"Hm, so this is what the desire to strike down god is like..." He thought to himself, unable to keep from feeling some animosity towards Vega for what just happened.

---

Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...

---

Have you ever wanted to hit a woman? Not in an abusive way or in the sense you wanted to do serious harm, but solely because this particular female was slowly wearing away your patience and restraint? This is something Husk had been feeling ever since he got back to Hell. He expected his friends, Charlie, in particular, to be overjoyed that he was finally back; he also expected the buckets of tears that came from some of them too.

And at first, he was honestly delighted that they gave enough of a shit about him to be so worked up, though he, of course, kept his I don't give a fuck exterior up the whole time so they wouldn't know. Even the Slayer, who was the least emotional of them all, gave him a firm handshake and welcomed him back, and in his and everyone else's eyes, that was the equivalent of a hug from Charlie. He also suggested that they use his celebration as a welcome home party for Husk, though only their group would know about that. Everything was looking so lovely by that point; his friends were happy to see him, the Slayer wanted to share his party with him, what could ruin this?

NIFTY. Although she was one of Husk's oldest and closest friends, with Alastor shockingly being the second, he knew she'd be clingy after all that's happened. But this was Nifty times a thousand; she was near him at every possible second except for when he went to the bathroom or to his room to sleep; she talked nonstop, asking him all sorts of questions about his relationship with Azrael or how his recovery went. SPEAKING OF AZRAEL, the SUPPOSED angel of death who is meant to be scary and intimidating, SHE had NO freaking problems with this!

If anything, she supported Nifty's behavior, believing that what Husk needed now was as much time as possible with his friends to lighten up his mood. But now, on the day of the Slayer's celebration, he, Nifty, and Azrael were walking through the building, checking out the booths, and enjoying the festivities before the big musical performance was scheduled to happen. Except, he wasn't enjoying himself, with Nifty attached on his right and Azrael seeing no problem with it at all on his left; he was one good push away from losing his goddamn mind. Oh wait, there was one more thing that was pissing him off, but it managed to slip his mind because he was so focused on the red-haired cyclops that was becoming his mortal enemy.

Alastor, that cheeky son of a bitch, followed behind them at about a foot or so's distance. Now they knew he was there, he was part of their specific group after all, but the reason why the radio demon was hanging back is so he could have a perfect view of Husk's suffering, the fucking bastard.

"You know Husk, I don't know if I've told you this yet, but I REALLY like your casts!" Nifty complimented, as the feline still had them on his wings and the left side of his face, "It makes you look like the phantom of the opera!" She added.

"Eight." He replied.

"Eight?" She questioned.

"That's how many times you've told me, including that one, fucking EIGHT." He clarified with emphasis, looking at her with widened eyes on the brink of insanity.

"Oh, huh, guess I'm just so excited that you're back I keep forgetting!" She exclaimed cheerfully, followed by a giggle.

"I must admit I'm excited as well, Husker." Alastor told him, "The hotel's been so boring without you, but now that you're back, I have plenty of ideas of how we can make up for lost time~" He teased, the aura he gave off quite possibly his most sinister to date.

Feeling the fragile piece of string that was his sanity getting worn down with each conversation, Husk pulled out a flask to try and numb himself to this shit before anything happened. But right as he opened it and was ready to down the contents in one fell swoop, it was taken from his hand by his mono-eyed companion.

"Nope! Sorry Husk, but you're still recovering, so no drinking until you're back in tip-top shape!" Nifty told him.

That's it, that is actually it, the final freaking push that has made the idea of strangling this woman okay in his head.

"Aw, that's so considerate of you, Nifty." Azrael said, once again enabling this kind of behavior, "It warms my soul to know you two care about Husk so much." She admitted.

"But of course we do! Husker is easily our oldest companion! And I don't just mean his age!" Alastor joked, followed by a laugh.

That's another thing that Husk learned about Azrael ever since they got back. Despite all logic, she found the radio demon and his "jokes" funny, which is why she too laughed at that. At this point, it might start to sound like Husk was having doubts about his relationship with the angel of death, but in truth, it was the exact opposite. Nifty and Al were two of the weirdest people he'd ever known in his entire life, so although it was never a concern before now, he did worry if they'd get along with Azrael, which they did perfectly.

And if his friends weren't annoying the piss out of him right now, he'd tell them how much he appreciated them getting along with her, and he'd say the same to Azrael as well. But because they were doing precisely that, he couldn't focus on the relief he felt from his friends and his...female companion (he still wasn't comfortable calling her his girlfriend out of embarrassment), getting along so well. Instead, he had to try harder than he ever did at anything in his life to keep from murdering them right here and now.

"If there is one fucking bright side to this...at least I'm not Will..." He thought with a sigh, knowing that the Slayer had to be swarmed at the moment since this WAS his party after all.

---

Elsewhere, In The Slayer's Dressing Room...

---

"WE'RE GONNA BE SO FUCKING RICH WHEN THIS IS OVER!" Blitzo shouted with the biggest grin he's ever shown, all the while he stood inside a massive pile of cash.

In a rare moment of nothing going wrong where things were entirely positive, the sale of all Slayer-related merchandise was through the fucking roof. So much so that the booths were being regularly relieved of their cash by Authorities, who were hired as additional security due to Lucifer and Lilith's fear that somehow SOMETHING would go wrong. But as said it didn't, all of the cash was being safely escorted out of the building and delivered securely to the Magne's home, where after the celebration was done with, it'd be appropriately sorted. Yet even in the event some of them kept extra for themselves, or a couple of the employees pocketed a handful of bills, it wouldn't make the slightest possible dent in their rapidly growing fortune.

"Oh Blitzy, I don't think I've ever seen you so happy before!" Stolas happily exclaimed as he clasped his hands together, glad to see his partner enjoying himself so much.

"So, this is what it feels like to be successful at one's profession," Moxxie commented, as he, more calmly than his boss, counted bills in his hand.

"What're you talking about, hon? We were plenty successful as assassins." Millie reminded.

"Only in the sense that we were good at killing people, not that we were an accomplished business that didn't only stay afloat due to our employer's false tax forms." He countered.

"Yeah, well, that shit's small-time now!" Blitzo told him, now swimming in the cash pile, "We are richer than those dumb bimbos who marry geezers on their death bed and inherit massive oil companies or shit like that! We're at the top, and there is NO coming down!" He exclaimed.

"Careful..." The Slayer spoke up; he was sitting nearby in a chair relaxing before the show, "You know the story of Icarus and what happened to him..." He warned.

"Icarus...sounds like a horse, is it a horse?" Blitzo asked with a surprising amount of enthusiasm, "Don't tell me you killed a horse Will, or that you know someone who did. That would fucking suck!" He exclaimed.

"...Do...you like horses Blitzo?..." The Slayer asked.

But before he could receive either an answer or an excuse to that question, the sound of people all dying to see the Slayer suddenly filled the room. The cause, the door to the room was opened by one of the bouncers, all of whom were Hell Hounds that were JACKED. He did that to let Charlie, Vagatha, and Lilith in, who were thankfully unscathed by the horde outside because of the aforementioned bouncers.

"Thank you, guys!" Charlie called out with a wave and smile, thanking them for their assistance, "They were so nice!" She added as the same bouncer closed the door once they were inside.

"Yeah, despite looking like they've all killed twenty men, they were actually super cool guys." Vagatha agreed.

After sharing their praises for the security Verosika hired to keep her beloved William comfortable, Charlie rushed over and gave the space marine the best hug she could. Oh yeah, about that, see the Slayer was one step ahead on the potential situation where Verosika lets it slip about their "relationship." Hence, before today, he asked her not to say or do anything to reveal it because he'd be embarrassed, which was a blatant lie, but it worked due to her current state. As for the whereabouts of Angel Dust, Katie, and Cherri, they were giving the two Vs and snake boy a hand at their booth, for just like everything else, it was swarmed with people wanting to try out the game and get a copy of the demo to take home.

"It's so nice to hug you again!" Charlie exclaimed with a squeal as she squeezed the Slayer with her arms.

"You've been hugging me non-stop for the last few days...even though I can go back to the hotel without alerting a crowd now..." He pointed out.

"I haven't been able to see you for three whole weeks-"

"Two and a half..." He corrected.

"It felt like three!" She exclaimed defensively, "My point is that I've missed having you around, and I am making up for lost hug time, okay?" She explained.

"There's no debating this Will. You've got a princess attached to you." Vagatha joked with an amused smile as she crossed her arms.

"Really? You're going to assert your position as royalty for this?..." He questioned, looking back at Charlie.

"If that's what it takes, then yes! I princess Charlotte of this circle of Hell demand you let me hug you!" She ordered with the cutest serious look he'd ever seen.

"Can't argue with a royal decree then..." He said, playing along, which made her squeal and somehow tightened her hold on him even more.

"So Will, I thought you were going to be wearing a new suit for the performance?" Lilith inquired, having heard about it from her daughter but wasn't told what it was.

"I am...going to change before we go on...Verosika has a decent number of songs before it's our turn..." He replied.

"What's working with her like? From how Blitzo talks about her, she's a massive bitch." Vagatha asked.

"BECAUSE SHE IS AND THEN SOME!" The Imp shouted.

"She's...enthusiastic..." The Slayer answered.

"Really? Seems like she'd be the type to pawn her work on everyone else." She replied.

"BECAUSE SHE IS!" Blitzo shouted again.

"Sir, we are all in the same room," Moxxie told him, receiving a wadded-up ball of money to the face in response.

"Verosika's...dedicated to doing what she feels must be done...some might say a bit too much..." He explained, doing his best to be polite even to her of all people, though partly because he still felt guilty for what he did.

"Huh, never would've guessed it." She admitted before turning her attention towards Loona and Octavia, who had been oddly quiet so far, "What about you guys? Are you excited about the show?" She asked.

"Don't. Talk to me." Octavia requested with a dry, emotionless tone as she stared wide-eyed at the floor.

"Oof, performance anxiety's got you bad." She replied, now looking concerned.

"What if something goes wrong? What if we mess up the songs? What if we stutter when we sing back up? What if our instruments break? What if they don't like the music?" Octavia muttered rapidly, completely lost in her mind.

"Ooooookay. Stolas, I think I might've accidentally broken your daughter." She said.

"Oh no, don't worry about that. Via's always been nervous when it comes to crowds, why I remember this one time during a party I wanted her to sing this song I always sang for her when she was scared as a child, and she-"

"DAD! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" She suddenly shouted while jumping out of her seat.

"And that story ALWAYS snaps her back to her senses." He stated proudly, knowing his daughter oh so well.

"What about you, Loona? Are you nervous?" Lilith asked as they hadn't heard from her yet.

"No...well...okay maybe a little...but not because of the crowd or some stupid shit like that, I couldn't care less about the opinions of a bunch of random assholes." She answered.

"Then what is it?" Lilith inquired.

"I'm...afraid Will's not going to like the songs..." She admitted with a slight blush, as she HATED being so honest about this sort of crap.

"But he's been practicing with you?" Charlie questioned.

"So? It's different performing them in a studio than it is live on a stage...maybe he'll have doubts once we start performing or something..." She reasoned.

"No." The Slayer firmly said, catching her off guard, "If I had any problems with what you two wrote, I would've told you before...you know I'd be honest about something so important to you..." He told them.

"While that is SUPER comforting to hear, it doesn't calm my nerves which feel like pop rocks in a bottle of soda..." Octavia said.

"If you want, we could always call it off..." He suggested.

"...What's that now?" Loona questioned; both her and Octavia's eyes widened when they heard that.

"If you're so nervous, we'll just tell Verosika to do a full show and afterward we'll go mingle with the crowd...I'll take some pictures, sign autographs, and that'll be it..." He suggested.

"You..can't be serious...we worked so hard on this!" Octavia exclaimed, getting a slight bit angry.

"So? If you two don't want to or can't do it, then we call it off...this is my celebration, so it's not like there's a higher authority than me..." He argued.

"Bullshit! We're not calling it off!" Loona exclaimed, now looking furious, "We worked our asses off! We're going on that fucking stage!" She told him.

"You sure? You're both still young and have no experience doing something like this...maybe you're just not up to the task at hand..." He suggested.

"FUCK YOU!" They both shouted in his face, now royally pissed off, "WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, WE'RE GOING TO PERFORM ON THAT FUCKING STAGE! END OF DISCUSSION!" They asserted before storming over to the door, "WE'RE GOING FOR A WALK!" They decided as they left the room to cool off, slamming the door shut behind them.

Everyone waited until they were sure those two were out of earshot before they all looked at the Slayer, each of them having their unique smirk.

"Will, did you just use reverse psychology on them?" Charlie asked.

"Of course not...I'm a soldier...I was never trained for something like that..." He answered, even though he knew they knew for a fact that was the truth.

"Mhm, sure." They all said in unison.

---

Meanwhile, On Earth...

---

"Ah, now THIS is what I've been needing..." Valentino said with a blissful sigh as he laid back in his recliner.

You know, apart from the whole getting sealed away for six months and having to go into hiding parts, so far, the moth demon's life had been pretty fucking sweet. He's become a religious figure who's soon to be more famous and beloved than the pope and Jesus combined, his followers are mindless puppets at this point who'd eat their shit if he told them to, and he could have everything he wanted in the world. And yet, even with all these things in the palm of his hand, he didn't have what he wanted most, Angel Dust with a bust-up face on his hands and knees crawling back to him. However, that desire will soon become a reality; all he needs to do is see this last step of his plan to its end.

But first, he needed to take part in a meeting with the others working alongside him.

"They're here." The Dark One informed, just as three separate portals opened in the room.

Not bothering to get out of his chair because it was WAY too damn comfy, as the five Marauders appeared, he was greeted with the usual hatred from their leader.

"This is what you are doing?" The Cyberdemon questioned as the portals all closed, "We are carrying out our master's orders to fulfill your scheme, and you sit there doing nothing?" He carried on.

"Yup," Valentino replied.

"Valentino." The Dark One spoke to take control of the conversation, "As much as it would entertain me to see you struggle against him to try and keep your head attached to your body. It'd better serve all of us if you finally explained what all of this has been for." He advised.

"But the surprise is so close to being revealed! Can't this douchebag wait just one more day?" Valentino asked.

Before the Dark One could say anything, the Cyberdemon brandished his ax. He then summoned the blade and embedded it in Valentino's chair next to his head.

"You have tried my patience, you have tried my resolve, if the next words out of you are not assurance this hasn't been a waste of our lord's time, the next thing you shall try is my ability to hit a moving target." He warned menacingly.

"You know, you REALLY need a new gimmick." Valentino replied, completely unimpressed, "I mean, don't get me wrong, ya LOOK like a badass, and you murder like one too. But the thing is, you're talking to someone who's seen it so many times I just. Don't. Fucking. Care anymore." He told him, "But, fine, since your demonic panties are all bunched up, I'll talk. Just remove your fucking ax from my chair first." He ordered.

Staring at him for a few seconds longer as an intimidation method, the Cyberdemon pulled back, taking his weapon with him afterward.

"Good boy. Now then, onto business." Valentino said as he returned his chair to an upright position for this, "So like I told your boss at first glance, it seems like everything I've done is bullshit. I mean, come on, how is amassing a follower base of idiots, murdering the rich and powerful, and taking over television stations supposed to take down the Slayer, right? Makes no sense." He began as a smile appeared on his face, "But when you think it through carefully, it all starts to come together. My followers? A plentiful supply of meat bags we can use however we want. The elite of society all slaughtered? Their technology, connections, resources, all things we can use to start rebuilding an army. The TV stations? So we can expand our operation to a global scale and get the rest of the population under our control in one fell swoop." He continued before looking to the sisters, "That's where you two come in." He revealed.

"Us? What more will we do other than what we have so far?" The Mother questioned.

"You're both conjurers, right? One raises the dead while the other makes demons correct?" He asked.

"If we have the power and the available flesh, we can make anything. And thanks to the Gore Nests you've helped us construct, our power is not an issue." She answered.

"That's EXACTLY what I wanted to hear." He replied, "So here's what you two are going to do. When it's time for me to go out into the arena tomorrow, you're going to wait until I've got the whole world in love with me. Those Gore Nests also boost my power, so I'll be able to affect everyone watching. When this happens, you will summon those flying skull monsters, the ones that explode, and you're going to send them through the broadcast to everyone tuning in. From how I understand it, those things force their victims' souls out of the body, and they take over when that happens. One of you needs to make sure you catch EVERY single soul. Otherwise, this whole thing will go up in smoke." He explained.

"Would you like me to create vessels ahead of time for the acquired souls? It'll be much easier this way." Resurrector suggested.

"Perfect. Also, you can alter what those bodies look like, right? And I don't just mean when they're doing nothing but when they're also moving about or fighting shit?" He asked.

"Yes. Is this part of your plan?" She asked.

"Right on the money." He answered with a snap of his fingers, "Anyways, once they are done sending the skull screechers through the broadcast, and we've got an army amassed already from that alone, that's when you two play your part." He said while pointing to the Hell Guards, "Your jobs are to slaughter every fucking person in the arena. Leave nothing alive. Oh! And you two need to make sure you DON'T collect their souls; we want those to leave." He continued readdressing the sisters.

"Do we not need them?" The Mother inquired.

"No. By that point, we'll have most of if not the entire world under our control. The small amount in the arena's going to be used as bait." He revealed before slowly looking towards their leader, "Which brings us to YOUR contribution." He said.

"Which is?" The Cyberdemon asked.

"The moment all those souls go to either Heaven or Hell, the real show starts. I say we'll have less than ten or even five minutes before ol' mcshooty comes out to play. When that happens, you need to be the first to greet him, clash your ax with his chainsaw make it look real good. But then you're going to retreat so he can fight the rest of the demons." He explained.

"Oh, so you want us to make Imps and Hell Knights?" The Mother assumed.

"Yes, but do NOT give them new souls. Make sure, like everything else; they have the souls of the people you're catching inside them." He instructed.

"What good will that do? They'd be useless!" The Cyberdemon exclaimed.

"Question, can you still control them even when a soul is inside the body?" He asked The Mother specifically.

"The flesh is of my creation. No matter how powerful the soul, I can command the body without fail." She answered.

"That's why." He said, looking back at the Cyberdemon, "YOU need to get the Slayer's blood boiled, make him more pissed and hungry for carnage than he's EVER fucking been. When that happens, and he just wants to tear us limb from limb, you back off, they send in the demons, have them act feral, then after he kills them, she will change whatever's left BACK to normal." He explained as his smile became that trademark sadistic grin, "And THAT'S how we're going to break him." He concluded.

Pure silence, that's what followed. The only sound to disturb it was the wind that blew outside. All of the demons had their thoughts about the plan. The Hell Guards thought it was better to attack, while the sisters were impressed by his cunning and the scheme's complexity.

Then you had the Cyberdemon, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, this outsider's strategy was...impressively well done. Instead of trying to best the Slayer in physical combat, which even he was willing to admit could be impossible, he decided to target his unwavering morality and fragile mind. But even if he were willing to concede that Valentino hadn't been wasting their time, he'd base his opinion entirely on what his master thought. However, the Dark One was strangely quiet, which even Valentino didn't expect.

That's when they heard it, a sound building slowly until it became clear what it was, and it continued to grow in volume until it was louder than thunder. For the first time that any of them knew, including the oldest of his servants, the Dark One was laughing.

"Valentino...I don't believe it..." He spoke after his chortling was done, which nearly lasted a full minute, "You have done the impossible. You have managed to find a weakness in the unstoppable Slayer. If he believes he has been driven to such insanity that he is now capable of slaughtering innocent lives. It will break him beyond salvation." He said.

"I knew you were going to love my surprise." Valentino replied, genuinely honored to receive this praise from him, "So, now that we know what we're going to do, let's get ready. The rest of our lives starts tomorrow." He told them.

---

Back In Lucifer's Circle...

---

"THANK YOU, EVERYONE! YOU'RE ALL INCREDIBLE!" Verosika shouted out to her adoring fans, her part of the performance now at its end.

This was it, only a minute or so more before their musical debut and the exciting reveal of the Slayer to the people of Lucifer's circle. The trio of him, Loona, and Octavia were actually beneath the stage, as it had been designed to allow them to rise in a very stylistic and badass way, Blitzo's words. So not even Verosika, despite her burning desires, got to see the Slayer in his original attire first; Loona and Octavia had that privilege.

"Damn, dude, you look badass." Loona complimented as he adjusted his gloves.

"Really? You think so?..." He asked.

"Yeah. Honestly, I like it better than the one you've been wearing, and I might even like it more than the one you showed up in." She answered.

"How come?..." He questioned.

"I don't know...it just...feels more like you somehow...ya know?" She responded.

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Octavia joined in as she looked him over, "The Maykr suit isn't bad. It just doesn't show you enough. The same goes for the old suit; you could only see your eyes. But now we get to see the man inside the suit, so to say, the badass who is known as The Slayer." She explained.

"Huh...never thought of it like that..." He admitted.

"Honestly, I'm in favor of that to be your new norm, but hey, that's your decision," Loona said.

"I'll think about it...thanks, guys..." He replied, which made them smile.

Suddenly the ground beneath them started shifting, light poured in from openings above their heads, with one final deep breath, only from the girls, it was time to rock n roll. The first thing they heard was the building go ballistic when they saw the Slayer, even more so when they realized he was in his original suit, so the trio waited a few more seconds before getting things started. The most significant decision they had to make for this performance was who would take lead vocals; initially, the girls had decided Loona was the best choice.

But then the Slayer, as he always managed to do, surprised them by offering to do it so neither would have the main focus on them. And so, with one final nod from Loona and Octavia that they were ready, he grabbed onto the mic in front of him and began to sing once the music started playing:

---

"Rip and tear!
Wake up, I'm a bullet loosed
Into the heart of a wretched age
I breathe just to beat and bruise
An evolution of the burnin' rage
Gonna get mine
Get outta my way
There's gonna be (GONNA BE)
Gonna be hell to pay!
Berserk, I'm a brutal fist
Yeah a lone wolf born and bred
I stand on the bones of titans
And my wrath is burnin' lead
Gonna get mine
Get outta my way
There's gonna be (GONNA BE)
Gonna be hell to pay!
Click click BOOM BOOM
Keep rushing and a running, running
The drumming of the buckshot pumpin
Got molten metal in my veins
Click click BOOM BOOM
Keep rushing and a running, running
A reckoning of lead is coming
I'm kickin in the gates of hell again
Bringer of pain!
Earthquake on the shores of hell
I will split the plains
Bringer of pain
Rip it
Tear it
Pummel into the red
Rip it
Tear it
Gonna get mine
Get outta my way
There's gonna be (GONNA BE)
Gonna be hell to pay!
Click click BOOM BOOM
Keep rushing and a running, running
The drumming of the buckshot pumpin
Got molten metal in my veins
Click click BOOM BOOM
Keep rushing and a running, running
A reckoning of lead is coming
I'm kickin in the gates of hell again
Bringer of pain!"

---

With a final note of their guitars, the song was at its end, both Loona and Octavia breathless but excited by what they just played. As for the crowd, they were silent the whole performance, but not because they hated it, because no one dared to interrupt. In an instant the whole building roared to life, everyone cheering, screaming, or clapping to show how much that fucking ROCKED!

"MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!" The crowd began to chant, demanding more songs.

Looking over his shoulder to see how they were holding up, the Slayer was met with determined expressions ready to deliver. So, he faced the crowd again, all three members of their trio ready to perform until it was done.

(A/N: So, sorry if this wasn't the best way to put a song number/performance into a story. I've legitimately never had to do it nor can recall a time I've seen it in a story so I didn't have anything to base the execution on. Regardless though the credit goes entirely to the artist Miracle Of Sound and his song Hell To Pay. Hope you're not disappointed it wasn't a track from the games or something original, I'm in no way a composer.)