Bright light, that was the first thing that met Wretch's vision. Not a hot tortuous fire he presumed would meet him, as he believed that when he lost consciousness after the beating the Hell Guard gave him, his soul would be taken by the Dark One. Instead, it was a white light, warm and comforting as it touched his skin. However, he couldn't see much, for his senses slowly returned.
"Ah, you've returned to the land of the living, it seems." The voice of Samur spoke to him, being the first sound to grace his ears.
Unfortunately, due to his current state, the Seraph's voice was slightly hard to hear, almost like a voice speaking softly amidst a strong wind.
"Sam...Samur...what is...going on?..." The Wretch barely managed to respond, his entire soul feeling weak.
"Please, do not speak." Samur requested while laying his hand gently on the Wretch's chest, a sensation that told the demon he was with a body again, "I will provide all the information you need to know. Relax, breathe slowly, and do everything you can to keep your body still." He instructed, "In the matter concerning how you've returned to us, your suit possessed an experimental fail-safe me, and the Khans refrained from sharing with you. We did this because we knew you'd be hesitant to rely on it should something catastrophic happen. What it does is send your soul back to Urdak if it sustains damage beyond a certain threshold where the Dark One could potentially reach it. Although it may sound strange, the first blow that debilitated you was enough to set it into motion. By the time the Hell Guard destroyed your body, you were safe." He informed, taking a moment to pause before getting to the rest, "As for the present, a multitude of things is transpiring all at once. The Slayer, first and foremost, is unresponsive. A trap was laid for him, and once you were out of the picture, it was set into motion. Though not in a coma or any other vegetative state, his mind has retreated into itself. He can still breathe independently and is aware of what is happening around him, but he can't bring himself to do anything. Our adversaries attacked him in the one way that he has always been vulnerable, his sense of righteousness and morality." He explained.
A few moments passed of silence so that the Wretch could process this information, and once he did, he was the one to restart the conversation.
"What...of...earth?..." He asked.
"It...is worse than we thought..." Samur answered with a heavy sigh, "The mass of souls that flooded Heaven, your battle in the city, even the crippling of the Slayer all culminated to a distraction. Even with the presence of Maykr angels, Sentinels, and Authorities, they enacted their invasion." He revealed, "Across the globe Gore Nests, ones we did not detect for they were made of the corruption unique to this world and Lucifer's circle, all connected. In doing so, they channeled their energy into the Gore Nest we learned of at the arena you two were headed towards, which has led to creating what can only be described as a Super Gore Nest. Unlike the others, it possesses limited sentience, similar to that of an insect or other lesser form of life. By its corrupted flesh alone, it knows to consume all around it, turn it into whatever its master's twisted vision desires, and continue to bolster its power." He explained.
"Is...the circle...in danger?..." The Wretch asked.
"No. Thanks to our preemptive action in destroying their realm, the Dark One, and his demons have nowhere to go. Both my kind and the Sentinels have already established a barrier around the planet to ensure they cannot leave. However, in his endless cruelty and underhandedness, the Dark One has secured himself a bargaining chip that we cannot ignore." He answered.
"...He's...taken hostages..." The Wretch realized on his own, knowing that would be the only thing keeping the Maykrs and the Sentinels from bombarding the foul creatures.
"Correct. And we have verified that these are actual human hostages and not empty vessels meant to fool us. After what they did with the Slayer, we scanned every person ten times over so there could be no doubt. There are at least a billion hostages of the world's population as it stands. As for the other billions of lives, they have either been slaughtered, made slaves, or are transformed into demons." He replied.
"And...we would not dare fire still...even if we know for certain those souls would be safely delivered after..." The Wretch said.
"Even if the Slayer were not in his current state. Father would never allow that as such a disregard for any number of life to achieve any goal no matter what's at stake would make him and us no different than the Dark One." He responded.
"Of the Slayer...you said that it was a trick...that whatever they did was a deception...surely if told this...he would come back to his senses?..." The Wretch suggested.
"We've tried. Father even went so far as to enter Will's soul as if he possessed it. But nothing we tried succeeded." He informed.
"What...about...his friends?..." The Wretch inquired.
"They're here, all of them. Lucifer is the sole exception as he's being treated in his circle for his current state of health. However, they are not allowed to interact with the Slayer for it'd only upset them more." He told him.
"How...is that...going?..." The Wretch asked.
"As well as everything else is." He answered, "But that is enough for now. I've informed you of the essential details. Although this is difficult to request, I beg you to stay here and recover. Both your soul and your new body will be ready to move and aid us in a few short hours, as well as your suit. So again, please, do not worsen your condition by doing something stupid." He pleaded.
Doing his best to nod in return, the Wretch accomplished that much. This action brought a smile to Samur's face, although sadly, he couldn't see it. And with the demon now resting with some ease delivered to his weary mind, the Seraph took his leave of his companion to attend to other work that waited.
Elsewhere, Nearby...
Has your whole world ever come to a screeching halt, caused by the deliverance of news that you never thought you'd hear? Something so horrible, so gut-wrenching, so heart-stoppingly terrifying that it doesn't seem feasible? That is how everyone felt when Vega appeared at the hotel, and they still feel that way now as they looked at their friend. The Slayer, a being of endless rage, an invincible force that never showed restraint towards his enemies, was sitting completely motionless in a chair in the center of a room.
The room itself was simple, pleasant, and clean like every other part of the facility. The chair the Slayer sat in seemed comfortable from what they could tell. Everything about this arrangement was made to help the Slayer's mind recover, put him at ease, and get things back on track. Sadly, this did not happen.
The Slayer continued to stare emptily at whatever was in front of him, not even the physical contact from Vega and Samur as they brought him back here garnered any reaction. And yet, despite this fact, the others were insistent that they could do what the creator and his loyal Seraph could not.
"Please, everyone, you must calm down," Vega told them, trying his best to dispel the tension.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! Vega! Will is a FUCKING VEGETABLE!" Angel Dust angrily shouted while pointing towards the room, "And YOU are keeping all of us out here when we should be in there trying to help him!" He continued.
"And how would any of you help him?" Vega inquired, making sure to speak with a sincere tone so they wouldn't think he was sarcastic.
"We can talk to him! Hold his hand! Hug and assure him that everything's going to be okay!" Charlie answered instead of Angel Dust.
"It won't work," Vega responded plainly.
"How can you be so sure? Just because Octavia didn't accomplish anything on her own doesn't mean all of us together won't!" Loona argued before folding her arms over her chest as her expression of anger worsened, "And on that note, why the FUCK did she get to come here before the rest of us?!" She asked.
When Gabriel was contacted by his father and came to the Maykr facilities in Lucifer's circle, it was right after they secured the Slayer and what remained of the Wretch and his suit. So before the others even learned of what happened, Gabriel, Octavia, Stella, and Versoika, VEROSIKA of ALL people, got an hour and a half of time with the Slayer. Which, if you couldn't tell, was fucking bullshit.
"Gabriel happened to be in their company at the time when I informed him of the situation. So he decided it was best to bring them along, a decision I agree with." Vega answered.
"Hm, okay. So explain why it took you nearly two hours to tell us that Will's in a FUCKING. COMA." Katie requested.
"He's not in a coma." Vega quickly corrected before moving to the explanation, "As for what took me so long to come and tell all of you what had happened, I and everyone else here, the Maykrs, and the Sentinels had to work as fast as we possibly could to ensure the Dark One and his rapidly rising army are contained on your earth." He informed, "Which, we have done successfully in case you are curious." He added, hoping that would help lighten the mood.
"WHO. FUCKING. CARES?" Cherri loudly and slowly asked, "Our earth fucking SUCKS. Like truly unquestionably sucks ASS. If the Dark One wants to fuck around there, then let him, we can keep him in whatever bubble bullshit you've probably got." She said.
"Well, there are all of the innocent souls who don't deserve this to be considered. The potential for the Dark One to regain his power over time is also a significant concern. Oh, and there is the issue that they have all they need to increase their numbers infinitely as it currently stands. So while it would take a VERY long time for them to accumulate enough numbers and power to overwhelm the barrier we have in place, it is still something that can happen if we're to ignore them." He replied, counting each of their problems out on his fingers.
In response to that, Cherri reached up, grabbed his hand, and pulled him down so they could be at eye level.
"God or not, I will shove a bomb up your ass." She menacingly warned, not in the mood for his "attitude."
"As interesting of an experience as that sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." He told her, maintaining his polite and calm tone of voice.
"Vega, please! All we want is to help him! Isn't there anything we can do?" Nifty asked, on the verge of tears.
"No. And believe that when I say this, I am doing so with absolute certainty." He answered as he straightened himself out, "I peered into Will's soul myself. I tried speaking to him at the core of his being, hoping I would get any response. But what I found inside of him is what you see sitting in that room, a thousand-yard stare and a mind at war with itself. I cannot snap my fingers and fix any problems that afflict a soul. It is up to the individual to resolve any inner conflict and turmoil that troubles them." He explained.
"So we stand around then? Doing absolutely butt fuck all nothing?" Blitzo asked.
"Yes. Until Will comes out of this on his own or we find something that can work, there is nothing we can do." He answered.
That made them sick to their stomachs, no scratch that, it made them feel as though someone shoved a cast iron ball down their throat. This was no different from what happened six months ago when the Slayer and Vega, behind everyone's backs, decided for him to be sealed away in Doom, where their only choice was to accept it. Only this time, it was far worse; the Slayer was right in front of them, and yet Vega, without fail, kept insisting that there was nothing they could do. And what was easily the worst thing about this entire situation was...they knew he was right.
"This...this fucking sucks..." Angel Dust said with a sigh as his shoulders slumped and his eyes closed, nearly everyone else doing the same as they finally accepted reality.
"I know. And I wish I could offer more to comfort you or otherwise. But for now, I must return to our ongoing dilemma." Vega replied before he then gestured to their surroundings, "You have full access to everything in this facility and those connected to it. Though I doubt much of what you may discover will be of interest to you. And if you wish to move from here to elsewhere in the circle and vice versa, all you need to do is seek out the Slipgate, and the angels present will assist you." He informed.
"Thank you, Vega." Lilith replied for her and the group as a whole, "If we need anything in particular, may we come to find you?" She asked.
"Of course, my dear. And please call me father; we are family after all." He requested, which managed to make her chuckle.
"I'll do my best, given our current circumstances." She promised.
And with that, Vega departed from their company, leaving them to talk among themselves. But not too far from them, in a corridor connected to one of the adjacent buildings, another emotional and tense exchange was taking place.
"You had no RIGHT to put our daughter in that kind of position!" Stolas shouted at his ex-wife, furious beyond belief that she not only had the gall to go behind his back to speak to their child but also made Gabriel, AN ARCHANGEL help.
"WHAT position?! All I wanted was a chance to talk to her. To say things I felt NEEDED to be said after how much our lives have changed!" Stella shouted back, feeling just as angry as him, "And may I remind you that YOU play just as large of a role in those changes as I do!" She added.
"OH! Forgive me, Stella! I'm sorry I was looking for some level of intimacy and physical connection after seventeen years of having NO HUGS, NO KISSES, NO SEX AT ALL FROM MY FUCKING WIFE!" He shouted even louder, getting close to screaming at this point.
"MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH AN ANNOYING FLIRTATIOUS BASTARD WHO WAS DRIVEN ENTIRELY BY THE USELESS SLAB OF MEAT THAT RESTS BETWEEN HIS LEGS, I WOULDN'T HAVE FELT THE NEED TO KEEP MY DISTANCE FROM YOUR CONSTANT SMOTHERING AND DRY HUMPING!" She shouted back, her voice rising steadily like his.
So far, the former lovebirds managed to maintain restraint over themselves, their emotions, and their desire to get physical. But this argument between them had been going on for nearly thirty minutes, and both were one carefully crafted insult away from pouncing on top of the other and tearing them a new one. Thankfully, their daughter, who was the only one thinking rationally between them, hurried off once their "talk" began escalating to find Gabriel, taking Verosika with her so she wouldn't be killed if caught in the middle. Thanks to this decision, no violence would occur, as a portal suddenly opened and out stepped the hooded Heavenborn.
"Please, cease this arguing." He requested, Octavia and Verosika stepping out of the portal a few seconds after him, "Keep in mind, I do not say this with any level of authority or privilege of having the right. I speak solely on your daughter and miss Mayday's behalf, who do not want to see you kill each other. Though I will confess, I as well do want to avoid any bloodshed." He admitted.
"We do not need a mediator," Stolas told him while crossing his arms, having no issue giving the archangel a threatening glare due to his part in this.
"Yes, Gabriel, as strange as it may be to hear I agree with my FORMER husband. We can handle this on our own." Stella assured while also crossing her arms, though her expression towards him was far softer.
"The fuck you can," Octavia spoke up, much to the surprise of her father.
"OCTAVIA!" He exclaimed with widened eyes, never expecting to hear such language from his daughter.
"Dad, for once, SHUT. UP." She replied harshly, which made him fall silent, "You two have NEVER gotten along. I do not care if there was a time you loved each other or actually cared because for as long as I've been alive, I have NEVER been lucky enough to see that." She said, followed by a sigh, "But let's not get into that shit. If we EVER want to be rid of it, we need to leave it in the past where it rightfully belongs. So, to accomplish this, I'LL be the one to clear the air." She decided for them as she pointed a thumb at her chest, "Dad, Mom did not force me to see her. She did not put me in any position that left me without choices. Even as we spoke, she gave me every chance to turn my back on her, insult her, and anything else I wanted to do. So if you have ANY issues with me speaking to her, seeing her, or spending any amount of time with her, then you and I are going to have problems." She told him before turning to look at her other parent, "Mom, I know this is hard for you. And while it is true that dad isn't free of mistakes, YOU have just as many and then some. So unless you want to ruin the relationship we HOPE can be obtained in the future, you have to hold your tongue as much as is physically possible." She told her, now looking at both at them, "Are we clear?" She asked.
People often claim that at some point, a child becomes the parent. But usually, when this happens, the parents are at an age where they can be legally recognized as senile. However, they were demons, naturally born ones, so their lifespans were much longer. Even so, although neither Stella nor Stolas was likely ever to be senile, they didn't expect their daughter to show such maturity and authority as she was now.
And yet, while they acknowledged and respected what she said, both felt anger towards each other that refused to die.
"I'm sorry, Octavia. But I am not comfortable with you spending time with her, especially since she is in the company of Helsa Von Eldritch, WHO is actively opposing the reform! In addition to our past." Stolas said.
"Hmph, color me surprised." Stella said with a scoff, "Always the one to blame and never the one to be blamed, isn't that right, Stolas?" She asked.
"As my beloved Blitzy would say, bite me bitch." He answered.
"Enough." Gabriel spoke, intervening once again, "Both of you must listen to your daughter. She speaks only reason and from a place of concern. There is nothing at all to be gained by making things, which are already hectic, even more so with such squabbling." He said.
"And what business is it of yours? What business is ANY of this yours?!" Stolas questioned as he turned to face the archangel, "This is OUR family! Do you understand that, Gabriel? I do not care what your association is with either my former spouse or my daughter; you have no GODDAMN RIGHT talking to us as if your opinion has any weight or value to it! If anything, you made things worse when you chose to become involved in something which, again, I cannot stress this enough, IS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!" He shouted in full-blown rage, not hesitating in the slightest to do so right in his face.
Maybe it was his anger; perhaps it was the still lingering shock of learning his ex-wife was trying to form a relationship with their daughter. Regardless of what was responsible, Stolas expected Gabriel to lash out at him. And in truth, that's precisely what he wanted. He hoped the archangel would allow him to take more of his anger out on him.
But that isn't what happened. Upon hearing Stolas talk so passionately about this and how much ire he held for him, everyone could see both regret and sadness take residency in Gabriel's eyes.
"You're right. I overstepped in many ways." He apologized while bowing his head, "Forgive me. I was only trying to carry out Octavia's wishes. But I shall remove myself from her company as well as your wife's. Er, ex-wife. Unless it is unavoidable, I give you my word you will not see or hear from me again." He promised as he reopened his portal, "Again, I am sorry for meddling with your family. I more than anyone else should know better than to do that." He apologized a second time before taking his leave.
Watching the archangel disappear as the portal closed, the first person to do something afterward was Stella. But she didn't shout at Stolas; she didn't even speak. Instead, she walked up to him and slapped him across the face as hard as she was able.
"Say what you want about me. Curse me, slander my name, tell me how much you hate my existence, I can take it all for your opinion of my person holds as much value to me as a spec of dust." She told him before leaning in, bringing their faces as close as possible, "But if you EVER speak to or of Gabriel like that again, I WILL rip out your tongue and shove the whole thing up your ass. Then you won't need your Imp to do it." She warned.
Turning her back to him after that and walking away so he couldn't respond, Stolas wouldn't be allowed a second to recover as his daughter soon stood before him, looking at him with an expression that was a mixture of disappointment and sadness.
"Via?" He questioned, all traces of anger inside him disappearing as that look made him feel sick.
"Dad...I get that you're angry...but that was...WAY out of line." She told him, "I asked Gabriel to step in because I wasn't comfortable doing it myself. So if you have anything more you want to say, say it to me." She requested.
"What? No, no, no, no, no sweetie! I could never be mad at you!" He promised as he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.
To his dismay, however, she stepped back. Not wanting her father to touch her right now.
"But you were. Because as I said, Gabriel's involvement was MY choice. So if you're going to ignore that because you don't want to be mad at something I did, then...We need to not talk for a while." She said before doing the same as her mother.
"V-Via! Wait!" Stolas called out, only to be ignored.
Watching his child catch up to her mother, with Verosika following as well since she didn't want to be left behind, Stolas's mind and soul were overcome with many emotions and thoughts. None of which were good.
Many Hours Later, Morning, The Eldritch Estate...
Filthy. Disgusting. Tired. Suffering. These four words described everything that Helsa Von Eldritch felt. She laid naked on her room's floor; the room itself was utterly destroyed, with the only thing still intact being the curtains on her windows that blocked the outside world. As for the furniture, her possessions, her clothes, everything she had was broken beyond repair, all casualties from what transpired. But even this level of disarray and reckless abandon for her property held not a candle to her current condition.
Her body was covered in bruises, gashes, cuts both light and deep, and several over types of wounds, each of which were slightly infected due to the debauchery she endured. A pool of mixed fluids formed a thick layer between her naked form and the floor; most of it was her blood and sweat, while the rest the results from her rape. Despite this, she wasn't crying, whimpering, or muttering; every aspect of herself was ruined, leaving her in a state where all she could do was stare emptily at the wall. As for the current condition of the person responsible for doing this to her, he was close by dressing himself after a nice shower while humming a tune.
"Ah~ Nothing like breaking in a new bitch. I remember when Angel had the same look after the first time, I REALLY had to give it to him." Valentino said with a chuckle, though his words only filled his ears as Helsa's were practically deaf by this point, "Even before I got sent away for six months been a while since I went all night. But hey, that's a compliment for you. Tightest holes I've fucked in YEARS, all three of them." He praised.
Noticing the lack of response, or anything else from her, Valentino walked over to Helsa.
"Speechless, huh?" He asked while lightly nudging her with his foot, "I get it. You're overwhelmed with ecstasy and can't think of any words to describe how amazing I was." He suggested.
"..." Helsa remained silent, but he knew she wasn't because he made sure not to kill her.
"You know, it's awfully rude not to respond when someone is speaking to you." He told her as he squatted to be closer.
"...Please..." Helsa breathed out in a whisper, unblinking and as quiet as a ghost.
"Please what?" He asked as he flipped her over onto her back.
"...Please..." She repeated, for that was the only word her mind could produce.
However, before this "conversation" could continue, a sudden knock at Helsa's bedroom door caught Valentino's attention.
"Miss Helsa? Are you awake yet?" A member of the staff, a maid from what he could tell, called out from the other side.
The first thought to enter Valentino's head was to impersonate Helsa, which he could easily do now, thanks to his increase in power. But then a second idea appeared, one so enticingly entertaining he couldn't resist. Grabbing Helsa by the side of her head, he dragged her over to the door, lifted her, and pressed it against the door's surface.
"Tell her everything's fine. You're tired and want to sleep in. Otherwise, I bring her in here and keep myself occupied until lunch." He said with a smile.
For a moment, it seemed like Helsa was so brain dead she wouldn't be able to do even that much. But then he saw life return to her empty eyes, as the thought of someone else, specifically a member of HER family's staff going through this, was enough to motivate her.
"I'm...fine..." She responded in a weak and exhausted sounding voice, which made the next part more believable, "I'm tired...exhausted...I...want to sleep until noon...maybe later...don't send anyone else up here..." She requested, not wanting this to happen again.
"Oh. Of course, m'lady. After all, you HAVE been swamped with your movement as of late. You deserve a little R&R," The maid said before the sound of footsteps walking away was heard.
"Good girl~" Valentino praised with a slight purr as he kissed her cheek, "So good in fact, I'm going to give you a reward." He said.
"Please...just let me rest...please..." She begged, her mind reverting to its former state now that she didn't need to think.
"Aw, don't be like that. I promise you're going to LOVE this." He replied before extending out his other arm.
Moving her eyes to look at his hand, she watched him spread out his fingers and conjure a vibrant orange fire in his palm. After all that she'd been through, this wasn't alarming; she assumed he was going to burn her or do something else like that. But then it appeared, a creature came from the fire and landed in his waiting grasp, a worm-like horror that brought her to life.
"No...no...please whatever that-"
THUD
Slamming her head violently against the door to shut her up, Valentino kept his grip on her head firm as he brought the worm closer to her face.
"Shh, be quiet now. Don't want to make a bad impression with your new best friend, do you?" He asked, "These little beauties are used to make Hell Guards. However, this little guy is part of a NEW breed, and we call'em Mind Fraggers. What they do is enter your body violently, attach their mouth and head to the back of your brain, then assimilate their bodies with your spine and nervous system. This allows the Dark One to establish a connection with you that you CANNOT refuse. While still allowing you to be yourself to avoid raising suspicion. I think you can figure out WHY that's useful." He explained.
"P...P...Please..." She barely managed to stutter out; the right side of her skull busted open, causing a relatively thick trail of blood to descend the door.
"Aww, don't you worry, Helsa. Once you and your new friend here do the secret handshake and get in touch with the Dark One, he'll patch you up, and you'll be right as rain. Can't have a puppet whose strings are cut and their limbs are broken, can we?" He replied as a fang-filled grin spread across his face.
Elsewhere...
"How's he doing?" Vagatha asked Charlie, both women the first of their group, to be awake.
Seeing as how none of the facilities were designed with the possibility of ordinary people being inside them meant that some additions had to be made for everyone's comfort. This took no time to accomplish to everyone's relief, as the Khans took a short break from their work and had the drones present to build a residential area. Everyone had a little room, little being the keyword there, to do with as they saw fit. Thankfully, the beds were INSANELY comfortable and large enough for at least two people to occupy.
This allowed couples, such as Charlie and Vagatha, to be together and help one another feel better about the current state of the Slayer. Even with that luxury, it didn't make much of a difference, unfortunately.
"The same. He's just sitting there staring forward, nothing else." Charlie answered as her girlfriend wrapped her arms around her waist.
"You want to go in and hug him, don't you?" Vagatha asked while resting her head on Charlie's shoulder.
"I want to do anything." She answered, moving her eyes away from their friend and to the floor, "I feel...so damn useless...I'm the princess of Hell; for crying out loud, there must be something I can do..." She reasoned.
"Hon, I get it. ALL of us want to do something. But you have to remember your grandpa is GOD. And if he couldn't do anything about the state Will's in then, none of us can." Vagatha reminded.
"And that sucks...it really really sucks..." She replied while closing her eyes.
"My thoughts exactly." A voice spoke from behind them, but neither Charlie nor Vagatha were surprised as they knew whose it was.
Refraining from saying anything else until he came into view, for but a second, Vagatha and Charlie smiled at the sight of Vega.
"Good morning to the both of you." He greeted as he came to a stop by their side.
"Morning...grandpa..." Charlie responded, "I hope it's okay if I call you that...I know we haven't had a lot of time together so far...at least not after you became you again...or...got your old body back...I'm still confused on how that worked..." She rambled.
"It's okay. I like hearing you call me that." He assured, which made her smile again, "You sound tired, though. Did you sleep at all, or did you wake up early?" He asked.
"A little bit of both." Vagatha answered for her, "To be honest, it was the same situation for everyone. So if it's not too much trouble, we might need to get a coffee machine in here. A GOOD coffee machine." She suggested making him chuckle.
"That sounds like a splendid idea. And not just for all of you, for the angels, the Khans, and Samur as well." He replied.
"Divine beings need coffee?" She questioned with an amused smile.
"Under these working conditions, yes." He said.
"But not you, grandpa?..." Charlie asked.
"If the creator should ever be delivered to a point where he needs caffeine to keep him going, it may be the end of days." He answered, furthering their amusement.
"Besides making us feel less shitty about ourselves and everything else, are you here to see Will too, or were you hoping to run into us to tell us something?" Vagatha asked.
"Both. Although I was hoping any of you would be present to relay this information to the others. I lucked out the most level-headed and rational people are present." He answered.
"Gee, make it sound like we're your favorites." She replied somewhat smugly.
"I won't tell anyone if you don't." He said before getting back to business, "Anyway, what I have to tell you is very important. And after you hear it, you must think carefully of how you will tell the others. You may want to get that coffee machine and caffeinate them before you do." He suggested.
"Is it a way to help Will? Did you figure something out?" Charlie hopefully asked.
"Possibly." He answered before turning to face them, "You see, so far, no one has been able to get through to him. Not I, Samur, the Khans, or even the Wretch who tried once he could. And we know that none of you would accomplish what we cannot because Octavia, and to a lesser degree, Verosika tried already. But there is one person I know who holds the ultimate influence with Will, someone who is everything to him as he is to us." He explained.
"Wait...you don't mean..." Vagatha slowly realized as something from the documentary on the Slayer's life came rushing forward in her memory.
"I do. I am going to Heaven to find him. I'll hopefully return within the hour or the next." He said while opening a portal, "Remember, tell the others as best as you can. And be sure to have that coffee machine." He told them before going through.
"Vaggie?...Who was he talking about?...I think I'm too tired to figure it out..." Charlie asked as the portal closed.
"The man responsible for giving Will his flawless moral compass, and the reason why his full name ends in the third." She answered, causing Charlie's eyes to shoot wide open, "But before you freak out, let's get back to the hotel and steal one of our coffee machines. We AND everyone else are going to want to be wide awake for this." She said before both women headed for the Slipgate station.