Redemption & Salvation First Drafts

by Josh Mystic

Title says it all. These are the original versions of my stories for this crossover concept. Reposted for everyone's enjoyment.

65. It Begins Anew

A Few Minutes Earlier In The Happy Hotel...

Nervous was a sensation that Azrael never felt in her life, even when the tension in her family erupted into war it didn't make her uneasy. Yet for some reason that she couldn't understand she felt it now, even though all that was happening was her standing outside of her niece's room in the hotel.

"Get ahold of yourself." She said quietly so Charlie couldn't hear, "You are the angel of death, you have seen the worst creation has to offer over the course of your life, there is no reason at all for you to be so hesitant about your current situation." She told herself firmly.

Breathing in deeply for a moment to calm her soul, she then reached out and gave the door a few decently loud knocks. However the footsteps that she heard approach didn't belong to her niece, a fact she learned only when the door was opened.

"Azrael?" Vagatha greeted in surprise with a robe around her person.

"Oh Vagatha it's you." She responded in the same manner as she hadn't expected to see her, "I'm sorry I must've been lost in my thoughts and made a mistake, that or I somehow forgot where Charlie's room is." She explained.

"Uh no...you've got the right room..." Vagatha corrected as she looked behind her, "But Charlie's...busy at the moment..." She said.

"With business relating to the hotel?" She inquired.

"Sure..." Vagatha replied before looking back to her, "Would you mind if I came out to talk? So we don't disturb her." She asked.

"Not at all." Azrael answered as she took a few steps back.

"Thanks." She said while stepping forward, "So, why're you here so early in the morning to see Charlie?" She asked as she closed the door behind her.

"I have something important I'd like to share with her, but if she's busy then it can wait until later." Azrael answered.

"Is it about Will? Or did Lucifer and Gabriel come back?" She inquired.

"Neither actually, something has happened to me recently and I'd like her help in figuring out what I should do, as she has far more experience in this particular area than I do." Azrael explained.

"How's that possible?" She questioned as she crossed her arms, "You've been around since the beginning of...well...everything, what could Charlie know more about than you?" She asked.

To Vagatha's surprise she didn't answer right away, instead she looked around them to make sure they were alone before leaning in closer to speak in a whisper.

"Please try to remain calm as this is a VERY delicate matter." She requested before breathing out a sigh to once again calm her nervous soul, "I've come to talk to her regarding the front desk man Husk, because I learned just this morning that he has feelings for me, or at the very least he finds me attractive." She revealed.

Of all the monumental revelations Vagatha expected, that was certainly not one even in her wildest assumptions.

"...Huh...holy shit..." She said with widened eyes, "You...you are sure about that right?...OUR Husk?...The one who smells like gasoline?" She asked.

"Yes, though I'm not certain of the smells like gasoline part, as I don't think I know exactly what that is." Azrael answered.

Following this confirmation Vagatha took in a slow deep breath, doing so to the extent that Azrael could see her torso get slightly bigger from the amount of air in her lungs. She held it in for a few seconds to help her make sure she'd remain calm, after she let it back out she was able to plan out her response with a rational mind.

"Okay, so here's what's going to happen." She began while pointing to the door behind her with her thumb, "I'm going to go tell Charlie the news, when that happens she's going to scream immediately, then she's going to run around making sure she's presentable, and once she's sure everything's in order she'll head straight for the door, which is why I need you to make sure she doesn't get out by holding onto the handle." She explained as a question popped into her mind, "You are strong right?" She asked.

"Even if I weren't death itself I am still an ancient ethereal creature, so yes I am incomprehensibly strong by nearly every means of measuring such a thing." Azrael answered.

"Good, just making sure is all." She replied.

"Out of curiosity, why do you need me to keep her inside?" Azrael inquired.

"Simple, Husk is by FAR the single most shut in soul in all of the circle, maybe even Hell, the man won't tell you what he's drinking even when you can see the label he is THAT standoffish towards people, so if we let Charlie after she hears this news run at him at a million miles an hour fully loaded with questions, there is a strong possibility he leaves and we don't see him for a week maybe longer, so I need to calm her down and make sure that doesn't happen." She explained.

"Ah, yes that would be an unfortunate outcome." Azrael agreed.

With that question answered Vagatha decided to get things underway by going back inside. Once the door was shut and both women were sure it was Azrael put one of her hands against it, which thanks to her power would be all that was needed to keep it where it was. Or at least she assumed that would be the case, but the moment Vagatha shared the news with her niece, which was indicated by the incredibly impressive scream of joy that came from the room, the force that hit the door was shockingly strong.

"She's certainly her father's child." Azrael thought to herself, a feeling of pride building inside of her that Charlie had such strength.

Following after the thud that hit the door when Charlie tried to get out was a conversation between her and Vagatha. Thanks to the door and the surrounding walls of the room it was muffled, although Azrael could have easily listened in if she wanted but didn't to respect their privacy. Even

so she could still make out what the tone was from how they sounded, it started with Charlie being surprised and asking her girlfriend why she couldn't get out, followed by a minute or so of Vagatha explaining everything to her, ending with the far more controlled yet still excited and happy voice of Charlie responding.

"Alright, you can let us out now." Vagatha called from inside with a shout to tell her it was okay.

Taking her hand away from the door Azrael also took a few steps back so they could come out, and when they did the first thing that happened was her niece running into her arms.

"I'm so happy for you!" Charlie exclaimed with a bright beaming smile that stretched ear to ear as she hugged her.

"Thank you dear." Azrael replied with a smile of her own as she returned the embrace. "I can't believe this is happening! This is like something out of a fairy tale!" She said.

"What fairy tales have you read?" Vagatha questioned with an amused smile and raised brow.

"Oh come on there's PLENTY that are like this!" She argued as she ended the hug to make her case, "I mean sure a lot of them are about how a knight saves a princess or how two childhood friends eventually get married, but there's also a lot where some big gruff and tough man who's got a rough exterior slowly comes out of his shell thanks to someone finally giving him a chance." She explained.

"To be fair he's the one who's given me the chance as he IS the first person in history to say I'm attractive." Azrael pointed out.

"And on that note, we NEED to talk about your game plan." She decided.

"My game plan?..." Azrael questioned.

"What you're going to say to him, how you're going to slowly build your relationship with him from acquaintances, to friends, to good friends, and finally boyfriend and girlfriend, and maybe if everything goes perfectly husband and wife~" She told her in a sing song way.

"Whoa slow down there hon, you're moving a bit too fast." Vagatha chimed in while putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Vagatha." Azrael said with a sigh of relief while putting a hand to her chest, as the thought of possible romantic relations was one thing, but marrying him was in an entirely different realm.

"You're right, we still have to tell Nifty about this and make sure she doesn't explode from the excitement, THEN we can talk about her game plan." Charlie said.

"There ya go." Vagatha replied.

"Wait, that's what you meant?" Azrael asked surprised.

"What? You didn't actually think we weren't going to figure out your game plan did you?" She responded with her own question.

"Well...I mean...it just seems rather over zealous to form some kind of strategy for developing my relationship with him, shouldn't I just let it happen naturally and hope it goes somewhere that

we're both happy with?" She answered.

"No offense auntie, but out of curiosity do you have ANY experience at all with this?" Charlie inquired.

"...Does watching mortals interact with each other in secret count as experience?..." She replied.

Hearing that response her niece and Vagatha exchanged a quick look between each other, before then grabbing onto both her arms to take her away.

"What are you two doing?" She asked in total confusion, allowing herself to be dragged by them as she didn't know what was happening.

"We didn't realize just HOW much help you are gonna need with this." Vagatha answered.

"Mhm, so we're going to go get Nifty, fill her in, calm her down, and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure this goes the way we want." Charlie told her.

Although those responses only worsened her confusion and added more questions she wanted to ask, Azrael remained silent and let them take her wherever they wanted as they clearly knew more about this than her.

Meanwhile In The Lobby At The Same Time...

"At this rate I'm gonna die from bleeding in my brain..." Husk groaned as he laid face down on his desk, his small top hat sitting next to him for in its place was an icepack.

To begin making amends for how she had hit him upside the head with a cast iron shotgun, before he woke up Lilith hurried to the kitchen and fetched the pack for him. Alastor on the other hand decided to see how much he could get away with while the other was unconscious, doing so by grabbing hold of the platter of complimentary mints that were nearby for guests and lightly tossing them down onto the feline. So not only did he now have a big bag of ice on his head that was colder than shit to try and stop the pounding in his skull, but he also smelled like peppermints and for the first time in his life it wasn't from flavored booze.

"I'm sorry Husk, I acted far too rash." Lilith apologized sincerely as she looked at him with a guilt filled gaze, though he of course couldn't see it.

"Not the first time someone's whacked me upside the head, won't be the last..." He replied as he just barely looked up from the desk at the radio demon, "But you promise you didn't tell her shit while I was out cold right? Not a SINGLE fucking thing?" He asked.

"Nope, she was so distraught from striking you out of a moment of emotional weakness, that we couldn't have a conversation due to her distress." Alastor lied through his teeth, which he learned over the course of this morning alone he was INSANELY good at.

"Thank fucking Vega..." He said while returning his head to its former position so he couldn't see anything, "That's the one good thing to come out of today..." He added.

"What about Azrael?" Alastor asked.

"Funny you should bring that up." He admitted as he pointed to his head, "See, during the second time my ass was on the floor I was able to ponder some stuff, and I still am in between the

moments where it feels like my brain's about to burst out of my skull, but the thing is this whole situation with her just ain't gonna work, so there's no point in me giving two shits about it." He answered.

"Don't say that Husk!" Lilith exclaimed as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "I know given her position and her power she may seem intimidating, but I promise you that-"

"IT'S NOT HER." He stated firmly to keep her from saying more, "It's ME, I mean yeah sure I'm not the ugliest bastard in Hell, and even with my drinking I'm still not the slobbiest, but the fact is I've never had a single good relationship in my ENTIRE fucking life, and you know why that is?" He asked.

"Because you were born in a casino, were denied a normal childhood, and most likely lived a life that if it were put to paper would seem far too insane and unpleasant to actually be real?" Alastor suggested.

"Thanks Al, you just saved me ten minutes." He told him while holding up a finger, "But there's ONE thing you forgot to say, and that's the fact that even if we took all that other stuff and threw it away, me and her just ain't compatible in any way, shape, or form, we go beyond pleasantries and it'll get ugly instantly." He explained.

"Hmm, he does make a strong argument." Alastor agreed while rubbing his chin. "Alastor!" Lilith scolded with a disapproving glare.

"What? He's right!" He countered as he gestured to Husk with his hands, "I mean who better a judge of his ability to hold a relationship with anyone than himself? Sure we can stand here all day and try to tell him different, but by the end he is the one who knows best." He reasoned.

"Thank you Al." Husk said.

"I mean sure this could have been the moment he's always wanted and been waiting for, to finally have someone who can see passed only what lies on the surface and appreciate him for who he is, but if he says it'll end in disaster then who are WE to question it?" He asked.

For a moment Lilith was about to open her mouth and say something as he was taking this too far, but then it donned on her what the crafty radio demon was trying to do.

"...Thanks..." Husk repeated though delayed this time, which was a potential sign that this was working.

"And given her position as the angel of death, who has bore witness to some of the most horrendous tragedies in history committed by all manner of creature, PERHAPS she would have been understanding of his situation, knew things were not so simple for him as it was for so many others in his time, and because of that she wouldn't pressure him into sharing things from his past that burden him and could possibly be the reason he's an alcoholic, she would hold her tongue and just enjoy his company and wait for him to open up to her on his own, but if he never did she would be fine with it as what she wants is for him to be happy." He continued.

"..." Only silence came from Husk this time, which was good in this case.

"But then again this is just the hypothetical scenario my mind is conjuring up, maybe this is as he says a terrible idea and he shouldn't pursue it at all, even though it's clear that she and him both are interested in each other, and both obviously want to explore what this means and what it could lead to as it's a first for both of them, topped off by the fact that the only thing either has to gain by

suddenly backing away from this is sadness and suffering, this is definitely the best decision he or she could make." He concluded.

For the next few seconds they waited to see what Husk was going to do since he wasn't speaking.

"...I can't tell if I like this new helpful you or not." He spoke while slowly looking towards the radio demon, "This version of you and how you used to be are pretty equal for how much of a pain in my ass both are." He told him.

"That is by far the single nicest thing I think you have ever said to me." Alastor replied cheekily. "Does this mean you're going to let things play out?" Lilith asked wanting to be sure.

"Yeah, I'll see where they go." He answered which made her smile, "But you need to promise me if things don't work out I'm not gonna be killed." He requested.

"So long as you treat her well and are a gentleman you'll hear nothing from me." She promised. "I wasn't talking about you, you're not direct family." He corrected.

"Ah." She sounded as she realized who he was referring to, "Don't worry, Lucifer is a little hot headed sometimes and can make certain decisions in the heat of the moment, but when it comes to his family though it may not seem like it, he is collected and calm and thinks out every possible action he can take to ensure the least amount of problems arise." She assured.

"You DO realize we all were there when he nearly turned Alastor's head into mush right?" He asked.

"Yes, but to be fair that was when he slipped a potion into all of our drinks to make us tell the truth, which is FAR worse than you and Azrael getting to know each other." She answered.

"Lilith's right, speaking as the nearly made mush man Lucifer only loses himself in the most extreme situations, if he didn't he would've killed me a LONG time ago, if anything much like Lilith or Charlie when he hears about this news he'll be delighted that his sister has finally found someone." Alastor said.

Just then a portal which they knew was made by Gabriel appeared in the lobby, and not even a second later out came the very man they were talking about.

"YOU." Lucifer said with widened eyes while pointing towards Husk.

"Husk, you might want to grab your shotgun again." Alastor told him, for once not wanting there to be a bloodbath.

Elsewhere In Nifty's Room...

Over the course of her life Azrael heard many noises thanks to her position, as it allowed her to be quite close to mortal lives and civilizations. Of course since she was death 95% of these sounds were screams, cries, wails, and other assorted moans or groans as the life faded from their flesh, but still it gave her a fair idea of what noises people could make. Yet even with this knowledge all she could do was sit quietly at the current moment, for the sounds her niece, Vagatha, and Nifty were all making while talking she had never heard before.

"This is sooooooo exciting!" Nifty exclaimed with a grin while balling her hands into fists from the excitement, "I have been trying for YEARS to set Husk up with somebody, I can't believe he's finally giving love a chance!" She admitted.

"I know right? Which is exactly why we need to think this out carefully, we don't want things to move too quickly and we don't want to try and push too hard otherwise it might scare him." Charlie said.

"Which is why we should start with what's going to happen when we go back to the lobby, are they just going to have breakfast together or will they go out and have a nice day getting to know each other?" Vagatha suggested to get things started.

"I think the second one is better since it'll give them all the time they need to ask questions, become familiar, and maybe impress each other." Nifty replied.

"But we have to make sure that this doesn't count as a date because that would make things awkward, it's just two people spending time together because they've known each other formally for some time, so now they need to work through the formalities and get to a place where they both are comfortable." Charlie said.

"And if everything goes right today THEN we can talk about their first date." Vagatha added.

In response to that all three women let out another array of squeals and shrieks caused by the excitement bubbling inside them. Azrael on the other hand felt so out of place and was completely lost on anything they were saying, she felt the need to get that across.

"Excuse me." She began to get their attention, "I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but could I say a few things?" She asked.

"Of course auntie!" Charlie answered which caused her to smile.

"Thank you." She replied, taking a moment to breathe in deeply before she continued, "I appreciate how excited and invested all of you are in this, and while I am grateful for any help or advice you can offer, I feel like you're deciding what my choices and actions will be and I don't know if I'm comfortable with that." She told them.

"Oh auntie that's not what we're doing at all, we promise!" Charlie replied as she came over and held her hands, "I'm sorry that we're so caught up in our excitement over this, but we're not trying to plan things out so it's like you're just reading from a script and acting, we just want this to go as smoothly as possible so you both can be happy." she assured.

"Yeah exactly!" Nifty exclaimed as she too came over, "Husk has never had feelings for anyone before, and I'm not trying to insult you or say that you can't do this on your own but we need to make sure you know what to say and do around him, he's always keeping people even his friends from getting too close so we can make him feel better about...well everything, so while we're not putting words in your mouth or making you act a certain way, we still don't want to send you in blind." She explained.

"I would like to avoid that." Azrael agreed as she got to her feet, "But since me and him don't know each other that well I feel like I can handle our first interaction, all I really need to know is what I shouldn't bring up in conversation and what some of his interests are." She said.

"That's...where things get tricky..." Vagatha replied while crossing her arms, "Thing is we know next to nothing even after six months of him working the front desk, his life is a complete mystery

though we all know it's why he's so...unique." She explained trying her best to put it politely, "As for interests that's another thing we're completely in the dark about, for all we know he could actually like only two things which are gambling and drinking." She added.

"I can work with that." Azrael said which caught them by surprise. "Really? How?" Charlie asked.

"In regards to the drinking I've been in the company of countless mortals who drank themselves to death, it like many other deaths intrigued me so I started sampling all the liquor mortals had to offer, and I don't just mean ones made on earth." She answered.

"That's amazing! So you'll actually be able to keep up with him and his knowledge of booze! You could even tell him about the kinds he's never even heard of or tried!" Nifty suggested.

"What about the gambling?" Vagatha inquired.

"You'd be amazed at how many people were killed inside gambling dens, casinos, and other such locations where it was either their business or was an allowed activity, so I do know a little about it but I am in no way an expert." She explained.

"That's good though! This will give you two something to talk about and help you learn more about him." Charlie said.

"How're you planning to spend the day with him? Are you going to walk around the city or would you rather do activities like see a movie and get a meal or two in between them?" Nifty asked.

"I think it would be best to let him take the lead, though Charlie has already shown me quite a bit of Pentagram City, since he has been here far longer I am both curious and excited at where he might take me." She answered.

"Probably for the best, knowing Husk he's gonna need as many confidence boosters as he can get, and you letting him show you around would definitely be one." Vagatha said agreeing with her decision.

"Great! So the only thing we need to figure out now is what you're going to wear." Charlie decided.

"Is this dress not already suitable?" Azrael questioned while gesturing to herself.

Taking a second to really look over her attire, which was a full body royal violet dress that complimented her black skin and white hair, to their amazement all three women could honestly not imagine something better for her than that.

"Oh yeah, that is suitable and then some." Vagatha told her causing the other two to nod their heads in agreement.

"Wonderful, Lilith helped me decide on this not long ago." Azrael revealed with a smile as she looked down at it.

"Alright, I think we're all set, let's go get this day started." Charlie said with a determined smile and expression.

"I can't wait to see how Husk is going to react!" Nifty exclaimed with giddy glee.

Back In The Lobby...

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Lucifer exclaimed with boisterous laughter as he held a drink in his hand, Alastor doing the same alongside him.

The first thing that the fallen angel did after he addressed Husk was something that neither he, the radio demon, or even his wife could've seen coming. He walked over to the desk, reached over the top with both his hands, and instead of grabbing onto Husk's neck or chest like they all assumed he took one of his hands and shook it. To their surprise as well as Vega's and Gabriel's, who also came through the portal right after him, Lucifer wasn't upset at all at the news Husk was interested in Azrael, if anything he was overjoyed. And while yes at first his reaction was the same as his brother's in which he was overcome by indescribable shock, it was quickly replaced with joy after they settled things with Abaddon as much like them he too always wanted her to find someone, since that had been her greatest desire.

Yet despite this Abaddon was the only one not present, and when asked about this Vega explained that while they gave them helpful information, they requested to be left alone. This however brings the focus back to Gabriel for that is when Husk got the reaction he expected, a menacing stare that went straight into his beer soaked soul, accompanied by a tone so cold it made him feel chilly even with all the burning bourbon inside him. But neither Lucifer nor Vega were going to let him ruin this moment for Husk, as the first thing the devil did after his sibling made his disproval of this situation apparent, was get the finest bottle of Liquor he had behind his desk to pour them both a glass in celebration. During all of this Alastor of course joined in on the merriment and requested a glass himself, while Lilith merely watched on with a smile at how smoothly this was going.

"Can ya blame me for being scared shitless that I may have just pissed off the devil?" Husk asked with a small smile, something that was becoming a bit easier for him to do.

"No not at all, though you are going to have to watch out for my brother." Lucifer replied while looking at his sibling.

"I don't know who I should kill first, the drunkard or you." He said with his arms crossed.

"Don't be so hard on him Gabriel!" Alastor replied as he pointed to the hotel's front doors, "Compared to most of the people out there Husk is a saint!" He exclaimed standing up for him.

"...We're in Hell." Gabriel said while pointing at Husk, "The only requirements for being a saint here are not to be involved with irredeemable crimes against children, the elderly, the sick, or all three at once, and not being needlessly cruel to animals just to satiate your own sadistic desires." He argued.

"True, but you DID just agree that he is a saint~" Alastor whimsically replied for his point was proven.

"...I'm killing you first." He decided as he summoned his spear.

Unfortunately before he could get even one jab in the spear disappeared, which was a result of Vega having snapped his fingers.

"You already tried to stab your brother, you've done enough for now." He told his son. "Wait he did what?" Lilith inquired having not expected that.

"Only after he antagonized me." Gabriel said to his defense.

"Not my fault you make it SO easy." Lucifer taunted with a grin.

"Angel fight! Angel fight! Angel fight!" Alastor chanted also having a grin, though for him that was to be expected.

As both brothers continued to go back and forth Husk saw this as his golden opportunity to slip away, which he wanted to do as he felt a little overwhelmed by how many people were learning about this. And since Lilith was currently focused on trying to keep these two under control alongside Vega, which wasn't easy as Alastor kept trying to get them to wrestle each other, it allowed him to easily get out from behind the desk without being noticed at all. Slinking away towards the ground floor hallway his plan was to head for his room and lock himself inside until things calmed down. But just when it seemed like things would actually go his way for once, right as he was about to turn the first corner in the hallway he ran into someone.

To his surprise however he was the one who was sent towards the floor from the collision, and an even greater surprise came when whoever he bumped into managed to keep him on his feet by grabbing onto his wrist on the way down.

"Are you alright?" Azrael asked him as she helped him regain his footing, "I'm so sorry I didn't see you." She apologized.

For nearly every soul in Hell he'd have a colorful insult to give, for his friends he'd just yell at them to watch where they were going in a pissed off fashion, but for Azrael he had no words prepared in response to what she was saying. To make this worse though he had no way of knowing, just around the corner behind her were Charlie, Vagatha, and Nifty, all three staying silent and out of sight to see how this unexpected encounter was going to play out.

"Uh...no don't worry about it...it's...just how life is sometimes ya know?" He replied in the single most awkward way possible

"Oh no, he's so nervous!" Nifty exclaimed though in a hushed volume, genuinely worried for him as she knew he had NO experience with this kind of thing.

"Just let it play out, if it gets too ugly we'll step in." Vagatha told her in the same volume.

"I suppose so." Azrael agreed with a smile as she brought her hands together, "Actually, I was coming to speak with you, do you have a moment?" She asked.

"Yeah...sure...I got a moment..." He answered hesitantly.

"Wonderful." She said before taking a moment to breathe in to help build up her courage, "First and foremost, I just wanted to say thank you." She told him.

"Wait what? You're thanking me?" He questioned with widened eyes while placing a hand on his chest, "ME, this guy standing right in front of you, you're ABSOLUTELY sure?" He pressed in disbelief.

"Yes, I am certain." She assured with a small laugh as his reaction was amusing, "You're the first person outside of my family to see me in such a complimentary way, so I just wanted to tell you how much it means to me, and how grateful I am that you see me the way you do." She explained.

As they listened in Charlie, Vagatha, and Nifty grew worried that he might not know how to respond to that, or if he did he'd be too nervous or unsure of himself to say it how he wanted. Yet to their surprise as they looked at him they saw a completely different version, completely calm while possessing a never before seen soft expression on his face.

"To be honest...I was gonna say the same thing to you." He admitted while rubbing the back of his head, "Both in life and death I've been the kind of person who just blends into the background, someone who's there and ya might notice them out of the corner of your eye but you forget about them a second later, a lot of the time this actually is pretty damn useful since everyone pretty much just ignores I'm even there, but a big downside is that while they don't see me I've seen more than I'd like to say..." He began as he let out a sigh, "That's one of the reasons I am the way I am, cursing everyone off when my lips aren't wrapped around a bottle or glass, I just got so tired of everyone's fucking bullshit that I figured it was better to lean into the fact no one noticed me so it's like I never existed to begin with." He continued as he tilted his head up to look into her eyes, "Then this whole mess happened, but when I say that I don't mean I'm bothered by it or that I don't like you or anything, but I just never expected anyone to well...I dunno give more than two shits about me, and yeah I got Nifty and Al and everyone else trying to make me a better person and that stupid shit, but this is different because you saw what I am and what I've pretty much always been and...I...I don't know how to say it, I'm not good at this." He concluded while turning away out of embarrassment.

Feeling a tear come to her eye Nifty wanted to run out right then and hug him as tightly as she could, which is exactly why both Charlie and Vagatha had to grab her to keep that from happening. Thankfully though he wouldn't need Nifty to try and make him feel better, as Azrael walked closer so she could take his hand into hers.

"You don't need to." She said with a comforting smile, "We are more alike than I realized, we've both lived lives where we witnessed more than we'd ever want to, and this is as equally strange and unusual for me as it is for you, which brings me to the second thing I wanted to talk to you

about." She admitted. "Which is?" He inquired.

"I'd like to spend the day with you." She revealed, "But not in a romantic way or any other similar sense, just two people getting to know each other while exploring the city and maybe doing some things." She clarified.

Over the next few seconds Azrael and the girls all watched him debate his answer in his head, which they all expected for they knew he'd be hesitant about such an idea, even with it being as casual as it was.

"...We would only be walking around right?" He asked just to be certain, "No hand holding, no kissing, no stress to impress or compliment each other, just you and me doing whatever while talking." He said.

"Correct, I just want to know you better, there's nothing else I hope to gain if you agree."She assured.

"...Okay." He told her as a smile came to his face, "That actually sounds really nice." He admitted.

"Then it's settled." She said with another smile of her own appearing as well, "Should we leave now so we don't waste any time?" She asked.

"Uh, that might be a little tough..." He said as he looked over his shoulder towards the lobby, "See, your brothers got back along with your dad, and while Lucifer's actually happy bout this whole thing Gabriel...kinda sorta wants to murder me." He revealed which elicited a groan from her.

"Even after six months of being away he's still got a stick up his ass..." She said with a sigh and a shake of her head, "But fortunately we do not have to take the traditional exit to get out of

here." She told him.

Not one second later a portal of her making opened beside her, where it led to seemed to be the center of Pentagram City.

"Care to lead the way on our day out?" She offered while gesturing to the portal.

"Sure, though fair warning I actually don't know a lot about the city myself, I've usually just cared about the bars and anywhere I could gamble." He told her.

"Then this will be an experience for both of us." She replied before they disappeared into the rift.

Waiting until it was gone before stepping out, all three women couldn't keep themselves from giggling or squealing due to how perfect that went.

"That could NOT have gone any better!" Charlie exclaimed with glee.

"Yeah, I'm really proud Husk managed to step out of his comfort zone so much." Vagatha said.

"I'm a little sad I didn't get to hug him and tell him how happy I am for him." Nifty admitted as a grin spread across her face, "But on the plus side I'll get to hear ALL about how this day went!" She exclaimed.

After that they lost themselves in conversation and contemplative what ifs on what those two were gonna do, which they decided to do back in one of their rooms for the sake of privacy. And it would be this decision that kept them from discovering a shocking truth, that back in the lobby only Alastor and Lilith remained as Lucifer, Gabriel, and Vega left for Urdak at some point during Husk and Azrael's exchange.

Urdak, A Short While After Vega's Departure For Abaddon's Realm...

The Wretch was a perfectionist, whether that trait in particular was a strength or weakness it depended on who you ask. If asking him he would say it was his only good quality, but that wasn't just due to his remarkably low opinion of himself. He was the only forge master of Doom as a whole, his inventions and focus allowed him to mass produce whatever his lord requested of him, and if more than even he could make was needed the Dark One could easily make it himself. This culminated to his work always being flawless, there was never a single issue with any design that would cause it to fail or malfunction, the only way it could be stopped is if it encountered an unstoppable force greater than his master, which it did.

But then there were the Khan and Samur who were becoming more familiar with him as time went on, and if you asked either of them their answer would be the opposite. Although the only thing they had seen him build so far was the Soul Cube, in their opinion his obsession with perfection was beyond extreme. Despite his insistence it could be better there truly was nothing more he could do, the only way the few seconds of delay that existed could be removed was by adding the other Khans. But he refuted the idea of putting them in something he saw as unfinished, just as he told Vega he said the same to them that there could be no room for any errors.

However neither Maykr was willing to wait for him to come to his senses, hence why they devised a plan that while underhanded would allow things to move forward. Ethereal manifestation, referred to in a far more simple way by mortals as ghosts or spirits, it was the method in which a non corporeal entity could take form and interact with the physical space surrounding it. The Sentinels were taught this method, which is how they much like King Novik could manifest from

beyond, and it was how the Khans would be able to exist on their own once they were set free of the device that maintained their soul sphere.

"This could end in several different ways, practically all of them catastrophic." Samur informed as he interacted with the connected terminal, the Khan standing nearby as she didn't know how to interact with the device as a whole.

"Are you saying we should stop before we make a mistake?" She questioned.

"Not at all, I just assumed you'd want to know ahead of time that there is a likelihood this goes up in roaring flames." He responded.

"Elaborate please." She requested.

"The first concern is that the Soul Cube is not ready for their insertion which will stop us dead in our tracks, the second is that even if they are able to possess it they won't be able to operate it without proper instruction from the Wretch, thirdly in the event they can operate it it is very likely he has a failsafe in place to eject them, and finally if all does manage to go well and he can't remove them there is still the glaring issue of Azrael's essence lacking from the apparatus, which is the ultimate insurance in both keeping the demons' souls secured and that it can kill anything." He explained.

"And yet with all this in mind you still type away at the terminal." She pointed out.

"Yes, because while there are many variables and potential outcomes to this action, standing around twiddling our thumbs hoping that he snaps out of his current state back to reality is much worse." He told her which earned him a chuckle.

"In that we are agreed." She said as she came closer to examine the device, "Still it has been so long since any of them have been outside of this machine, even for the Khan that I took the mantle after." She noted.

"Hopefully when this is all finally over, no more blood or screams or hot lead mixed with burning flesh and bone, we may find an alternative prison to house the wicked of creation, but for now this is as both father and the Wretch stated our best option." He replied.

With no more to say on the matter the Khan fell silent and waited for his work to be done, which would only take another minute to accomplish. Once the final keys were pressed both Maykrs heard it slowly powering down, and when it finished they were met with a breathtaking sight. The soul sphere no longer kept in form by the machine erupted, all of the Khans' souls spreading out to different parts of the room. Painting the space in the same golden hue as the sphere they each took shape, returning to how they appeared when they possessed corporeal forms.

"My word...we're...free..." One of them spoke as they looked over their hand, which just like the rest of their visage was rapidly coming together.

"Has something happened? Is the Soul Cube ready?" Another asked while looking towards Samur. "Yes to both, though in regards to the first it isn't as dire as you may be assuming." He answered. "How so?" A third inquired.

"We need your help with the Wretch, he's so obsessed with ensuring there are no flaws with the Soul Cube's design that he has become...rather uncooperative." The Khan explained trying to be polite.

"How can we help?" A fourth asked.

"We need you to possess the Soul Cube and take control of it, by that point he won't be able to argue with us anymore and we can proceed with our plans." Samur answered.

A sudden silence came over the room as the Khans heard that, for out of every response they expected that managed to be one of the few they hadn't considered.

"We know this is a rather strange request." She spoke up to keep things moving, "But as we said he is so focused on being as certain as he can that no errors will occur that it's actually become a small hindrance, we wouldn't be asking you to do this if we had any other options." She assured.

"Has the Soul Cube been blessed by Azrael though, if it hasn't then while our presence in the device will certainly move things along as you desire it will still be incomplete." One of the Khans pointed out.

"No, but all we need from you is to take up your part, once that is done we're certain he'll return to reason and then we can get her contribution." Samur replied.

"Well, if there truly is no other option then we shall do it." Another decided with the rest all nodding in agreement.

With no more words left that needed to be spoken they wasted no time carrying out their given task, altering their ethereal forms to where they could travel in a manner most mortals assume spirits do. Orbs though much smaller than the soul sphere were what they changed to, flying through the air at such a speed that even Samur and the Khan could not keep with them. They reached the Wretch's chamber and without struggle went through the door, where not moments later as the two Maykrs approached they heard the startled voice of the Wretch react.

"No stop! What're you doing?!" He shouted in question as they swiftly entered the Soul Cube.

Reaching the door themselves a few seconds later, it opened in time for them to see a rather amusing spectacle. All of the Khans had successfully possessed the device, unfortunately because it required their active involvement to function and they had no idea what they were doing. The best way to imagine this is to think of a plane being flown by a drunk pilot, it dashed, darted, flipped, and spun through the entire room, all the while the Khans and the Wretch did their best to regain control over the situation.

"No stop moving!" "I'm trying but this makes it go up!" "I think I figured out how to steer..." "No that turns on the blades!" "Why are there so many different ways to control this contraption?!" "Do these functions control the prison? Or are we the prison itself and this controls the space?" "Why are you messing with that when we can't even fly straight?!" Several of the Khans all said after each other as it moved sporadically in the air.

"Great angels please listen to me! You need to depart from the Soul Cube immediately!" The Wretch exclaimed trying his best to catch it.

"Is it wrong I find this immensely entertaining?" The Khan asked in a whisper to Samur, one of the purest smiles she ever had on her face as she did.

"If it is at least you're not alone." He replied in the same volume with a matching expression.

"Hm? Oh! I believe I've found what allows us to better control ourselves!" One of them informed the rest.

"WAIT DO-" The Wretch tried to shout in warning, as he feared of what they might actually have found.

Sadly he was interrupted as that Khan interacted with what they discovered, which was exactly what he thought it was. The eyes of the Soul Cube that allowed them to see turned crimson red, all control they had over the device was taken away, all of this a result of the automated targeting system being activated, the very same that the Wretch had demonstrated previously. In a much faster time than before which was possible thanks to his tinkering, the Soul Cube's blades spun to life before flying directly into his chest. However another improvement he made was how efficiently it killed its target, as instead of cutting into his flesh and bone it went right through his torso in one go.

With his heart and entire chest cavity completely obliterated his body fell to the ground, a massive pool of blood forming beneath him even before it landed. As for the Khans the Soul Cube now hovered above his corpse while they regained control, indicated by the lights changing from crimson red to the gold of their souls. Yet despite this they managed to keep the cube motionless and pointed towards him, obviously because they were all equally shocked and horrified by what they just did.

"It happened again." Samur said in a dumbfounded state, both Maykrs just as shocked as they were but for different reasons, "Somehow someway despite all logic and reason, it happened AGAIN." He repeated with emphasis.

"Yes...yes it did." She responded with a sigh while closing her eyes, "We better go comfort them while his suit brings him back." She suggested while entering the room.

"We...we killed him..." One of the Khans muttered in horror as they all stared at his body, none of them noticing the two Maykrs approaching

"No not we, HER!" Another exclaimed, from within the cube they directed the attention towards the Khan who activated the system.

"I-I didn't...I...it was...I...I..." The accused stammered trying her best to respond.

"My Khans, there is no reason to be so distraught." Samur spoke to gain their attention, "You need not worry about the Wretch, he is fine." He assured.

"Fine?! Samur he's lying dead on the ground!" One of them replied as the cube turned to look at him, their actions now perfectly synced with each other.

Just then indescribable sounds began to fill the room, all coming from the very body they mentioned.

"See for yourself." Samur instructed while gesturing to the Wretch.

Once again in perfect sync the Khans turned towards their fallen ally, where they saw his destroyed flesh, bone, and heart returning in rapid fashion.

"Incredible..." "His suit is capable of accelerated regeneration, even when he possesses no discernable pulse or any other vital signs." "Yes, but if you look closely at how it has been fused with his body it is rather grotesque, showing that this was not done under controlled and safe circumstances." "Which makes perfect sense given that he has been hiding in Abaddon's circle all this time, and in light of Doom's separation from all reality it makes sense that he'd prefer haste over comfort." "Even so, while the technology and overall final result of this experiment yields

incredible results, we cannot ignore all of the pain and suffering it must cause him." They conversed with each other, seeming to forget about Samur and the Khan as they studied the Wretch's suit and body.

"Did you know this would happen?" She asked him openly for she was certain they weren't listening to them right now.

"Just like you they all possess an insatiable curiosity, show them something even remotely peculiar and they'll spend hours learning everything about it." He answered.

It took less than thirty seconds for the Wretch's gaping wound to be filled and he fully recover, the process's completion marked of course by the light returning to his visor.

"...I spent countless ages in Abaddon's circle..." He spoke slowly as he pushed himself up from the ground, his blood already drying somewhat due to the heat of his body, "I feared everyday that the Dark One would search for me, bring trouble to their domain and in doing so I would have to fight off the fiends he sent to try and drag me back." He went on while getting to his feet, "But thankfully because of the Slayer's actions that nightmare never turned to reality, so I never experienced pain or even death while in Abaddon's company, but I have been here for only a day and some hours and have died twice." He concluded.

"One of which you fully intended." Samur reminded as he turned around.

"True, but the second was the result of the great angels entering the Soul Cube without my guidance, nor without any lessons or tutelage on how to properly operate it once inside." He replied while moving his focus to them, "Speaking of, it would be in all of our best interest if you exited the device immediately." He said.

"Why? We seem to have gotten a handle over it." One of them responded. "After you went through my abdomen." He countered.

"Yes, but in your wisdom you were already prepared for the possible event you received a fatal wound." Another argued.

"That has no relation to your inability to properly use the very vessel you're piloting." He stated. "But wouldn't the best method of teaching us be while we are inside?" One of them asked.

"That is a good point, no better way to get acquainted with its inner workings than to do so while hands on." The Khan chimed in.

Though it was clear he wanted to keep going back and forth on this until he won, even he in his stubbornness could see how heavily out numbered he was so he resigned.

"Fine, but we are doing this out in an open space, I'd rather not make any more stains that I will need to clean later." He said.

"We can move to the garden, plenty of space there." The Khan suggested.

"To be fair any location would suffice, as we are surrounded exclusively by open space." Samur remarked.

"That we could, but after witnessing him be killed for the second time I need the calming aura the garden provides." She explained.

Sadly this wouldn't be possible, for unexpectedly the door to the chamber opened again with a Maykr angel standing on the other side.

"My Khan!" It called out as it hurried over to her, "Your presence as well the Seraphim's is needed immediately!" They exclaimed.

"Did something happen in Lucifer's circle?" She asked.

"No, it is the Dark One, he has resurrected the Icon!" They answered.

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" The Wretch shouted suddenly as he stomped over and grabbed the angel by its shoulders, "Although it has been a great deal of time since Doom was cast away and the Slayer sealed with it, even at this point they would only have half of its flesh and bone regrown given the damage he inflicted! Even if we take into account any additional arcanists the Dark One may have produced!" He exclaimed.

"From what we are able to see it appears they have added a great deal of cybernetic enhancements and augmentations to the Icon's body, this would explain how they were able to speed up the resurrection process." It responded.

Hearing this the Wretch immediately released the angel and ran out of the room, needing to see this for himself to fully understand what was happening. Of course the others followed behind him moving at a similar speed, though the Khans were able to keep with him thanks to the Soul Cube.

"You are absolutely certain it is the Icon? Without any doubt at all?" Samur asked the angel who moved beside him and her.

"Indeed Seraphim, I would not have been sent by the others to inform you unless it was so." They answered.

"But we have not been observing Doom even in light of recent revelations, why did you all ignore this precaution?" She inquired.

"We didn't my Khan, we were monitoring Lucifer and Abaddon's circles per your order, when suddenly we detected a sudden surge of energy capable of displacing any other force it came into contact with, upon investigating its origin we found it came from Doom." It explained.

"The Icon's mere presence is akin to that of a black hole in a mortal universe, each breath of its lungs is enough to distort time, a beat of its cursed heart can open a hole between all reality, and if left unchecked it can lead to a chain reaction of implosions that we would not be able to stop, there can be no question that this is real." Samur determined.

"But the Slayer is in Doom and he has never been more powerful! Surely with all that we gave him to aid in his fight against the hordes he can kill it faster than before?" The Khan reasoned.

"I'm afraid my Khan that is another complication raised by the enhancements it has received." The angel informed.

Confused by this information as no technology ever produced by Doom could stop the Slayer, they refrained from asking anymore questions and waited to see it for themselves. Arriving at the station in which all present angels and drones were moving frantically about the space, they hurried over to the nearest monitor to see what was happening. The first thing they saw was the Slayer, feet firmly dug into the ground and the Unmaykr firing away in his hands, a bright purple glow covering his form indicating he was also using Onslaught to further increase its destructive power. But that's when their focus went to his target, the unmistakable colossus that was the Icon

of Sin, marching forward without so much as care to the bolts of pure holy energy that assaulted its body, the immediate space around it already coming undone.

Yet incredibly the lack of effect the Unmaykr seemed to be having, even with Onslaught engaged was not the most shocking detail, it was the enhancements the angel had mentioned that shook them all to their core.

"That...that is...Sentinel made material..." The Khan said in a hushed tone due to her shock.

"The fortress...his mech...by the father how could we forget?..." Samur asked but expected no answer.

"It shouldn't matter right? Regardless of the material and technology used to enhance the Icon the Unmaykr is unrivaled, it should have no issues in reducing it to a carcass!" One of the Khans within the Soul Cube exclaimed.

"The Slayer's mech is different." The Wretch spoke as he pointed to something specific, "Look at the chest, where its heart would be." He instructed.

Following his direction they all stared at the Icon's left breast, where after a few seconds spent studying it they realized what was happening. Much like how the Slayer's suit had been designed to absorb the energy from the demons' souls to empower him, the same design was implemented in both his mech and in this cyborg version of the Icon.

"He did it...that bastard actually did it..." The Wretch muttered as he lowered his arm back to his side, "He used yet again another of my inventions...just as how the Slayer's suit safely converts the demons' souls so they do not negatively impact his own, the holy energy produced by the Unmaykr is being converted to empower the Icon, and I assume any other form of energy such as his plasma will be met the same way." He explained.

"But that is far beyond what the Dark One has ever produced on his own, even with such abominations as the Cyber Demon or the Mastermind it was never to this degree of complexity." Samur mentioned.

"The other soul trapped in Doom besides the creator's son, the demon from Lucifer's circle, could they at all have contributed to this?" He asked.

"Of course, Sir Pentious!" The Khan realized with widened eyes, "He must've taken your place after he was consumed by the fires of a Lost Soul." She said.

"That explains it then, this Pentious must be well practiced with such things, otherwise it would have taken the Dark One centuries to figure this out on his own." He replied.

"What should we do?" All of the Khans within the Soul Cube asked, each of them wanting to voice that question.

"We must inform father immediately, we cannot waste time!" Samur decided.

"We contacted him shortly after your arrival Seraphim, but we do not know what delays him." The same angel informed.

"No doubt something involving his children, it is possible they will arrive with him." The Khan reasoned.

"It is unfortunate we cannot maintain the secrecy he desired, but this is far too important to try and

keep quiet." Samur said.

Not a second later after he finished his sentence did a portal of the father's making appear in the center of the room, yet to their surprise the only children that came with him were Lucifer, Gabriel, and Abaddon.

"Is it true?" Vega asked as loudly as he could immediately looking towards them, "Has the Dark One actually managed to revive the Icon so quickly?" He added.

"I'm afraid so father." The Khan answered as he and his children all hurried over.

"Father WHAT is going on?!" Lucifer asked for he and his siblings had no idea what was going on, "One minute we're in the lobby, the next you insist we come to Urdak, but before that happens you take us back to Abaddon's circle to fetch them, and now we're-"

Stopping dead in his tracks both with his speech and his movement, he and Gabriel just now noticed the strange being that stood among them. But they didn't need anyone to explain or tell them who it was, from the features of their flesh that they could see to the technology fused with it, they easily deduced this creature's identity.

"It's you." He said in amazement while studying every detail of his person, "You're the demon, the only one that Will never killed from Doom." He added.

"You are correct lord Lucifer." The Wretch responded while falling to one knee to bow out of respect, "It is an honor not only to meet you, but your brother who I assume to be Gabriel as well." He told them.

"I...I don't understand..." Gabriel muttered as thoughts raced through his mind at a million miles an hour, "How...when...father, what is going on? Please tell us!" He begged while looking to his parent.

"I'm afraid there is too much to say right now Gabriel." Vega replied as he pointed towards the nearby monitor, "Look." He said to both sons.

Doing as they were told in the hope it would give some clarity, they were met with only more confusion and questions as they saw an entity long thought to be dead.

"The...the Icon of Sin...but...Will killed it..." Lucifer spoke in disbelief.

"Again, I know you are confused and I promise to explain EVERYTHING later, but we have to act quickly if we want to keep countless realities from being affected by its return." Vega told them.

"The Unmaykr...it has no effect...the single most powerful weapon ever created by Heaven...and the Icon has no reaction..." Gabriel noticed as he continued to watch.

"Okay, they're busy watching that, Wretch PLEASE tell me the Soul Cube is ready?" Vega inquired as he turned towards the demon who was now back to his feet.

"Yes, but the Khans are still inexperienced in its operation creator, we also lack your daughter's blessing to ensure that none can withstand or escape it." He replied.

However it wasn't Vega who responded to this, instead Abaddon came forward and spoke to their father in their special way.

"What?...You?...Hmm...it could work..." Vega muttered to himself while putting a hand to his chin

in thought.

"What is it father, what are they saying?" The Khan asked.

"When Abaddon took Lucifer's side in the conflict they became known as the angel of the abyss, an appropriate name as they used their power to reduce any who dared intrude upon their domain to ash, which while not the same as Azrael's power of death is ultimately still the same when it comes to destroying flesh." He answered.

"But in regards to suppressing a soul it is not." Samur said as he placed his hands behind his back, "Father, although Abaddon's power would be beneficial to helping us deal with the Icon in this moment, the Khans will be at their limits containing the Icon's soul alone without Azrael's blessing." He informed.

"I'm well aware, but this is a situation we did not expect to arise which is why our plan is this." Vega began, taking in a deep breath to calm himself before continuing, "Abaddon will bestow their power onto the Soul Cube to help us defeat the Icon, once it has been slain and its soul is safely confined then we will have Azrael bless it with her power as well thus ensuring it can be used as we originally intended, as for getting the Wretch and the Khans into Doom to help Will I will just open a portal for them to go through, but before you object and say that is dangerous for it gives the Dark One a perfect opportunity to escape, the Icon's return already accomplishes this and much more, we cannot afford to be careful now as too much is suddenly at stake." He explained.

"If that's what your plan is father then I am joining him." Gabriel spoke up, he and Lucifer having come to their senses as he was speaking, "I can offer my aid to both him and the Slayer, providing an added offense from the sky." He added.

"A fair argument, but Abaddon will first need to free you of your body so the Dark One cannot take control." Vega told him.

"What about me? Am I supposed to just stand here and do nothing?" Lucifer asked admittedly feeling useless.

"No son, you need to go back to your circle and inform the Authorities of what is happening, have them all be at the ready in case the Icon opens a rift between Doom and there, but don't tell the public otherwise a mass panic will ensue." He answered.

"And what of my people? Their lives could be in danger!" Lucifer responded.

"If the Icon does begin breaching your circle you will have plenty of time to ensure their safety, while it affects all of reality a specific connection like that without the aid of arcanists or any invention will take time, you'll immediately notice it as it will be a massive rift slowly forming, I know I'm asking a lot of you Lucifer but if you go back and sound the alarm right away it will only cause chaos." He explained.

"...That it would." Lucifer agreed after a few seconds of internalized debate, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips afterwards, "Hopefully nothing does happen so I won't have to worry about Lilith wanting to beat the shit out of me later." He replied with a brief chuckle.

"Father, we need to act now, the longer the Icon of sin is alive the stronger he will become." Samur reminded.

"Of course, we all know the plan and you all know what your roles are, let's get to work!" He ordered.

Doom, A Few Moments After Azrael's Initial Arrival In Lucifer's Circle...

When was the last time he fought this many demons at once, with such ferocity and reckless abandon to their own well being, by this point Will had fought them so many times he couldn't know off the top of his head. The siege in the cavern not long ago when Gabriel was with him had quite a few, the invasion in Lucifer's circle was definitely impressive, then of course there was what he hoped was the final battle back when he and the Sentinels stormed the Dark One's dwelling. But even that last one as grand as it were didn't have this many demons though they were just as vicious and desperate, for at that point so many had already been killed and captured the Dark One's forces were devastatingly low. Out of every battle he ever fought against these horrors only one matched the one he engaged in now, the same battle that set him forever on this path to become the Slayer.

It was when they took everything from him, his home, his friends, his parents, and Daisy, the moment all he felt was rage and his blood boiled like molten magma. He remembered running through city streets shooting every last monster he saw, cutting apart so many tendons with his chainsaw while breaking apart skulls with his bare fists. But no matter how hard he fought he knew his home was lost, even if he closed the portal their corruption had taken hold of the world and their slaughter was complete. Still he returned to their domain now wanting only to kill them all, his motivation no longer survival or the desire to see those he loved again, he only wanted blood and steel to be spilled and broken by his hand.

That's when he encountered the greatest of Doom's champions, a being so powerful it was called a Titan and could tear apart the very fabric of creation at the seams. Yet despite its supposed power and strength, accompanied by the height and size of a mountain, it still died like a bitch with enough rockets delivered to its body. That's what they were wasn't it, bitches and bastards all just waiting to die whether by buckshot, bullet, plasma, rocket, or serrated teeth of his sword, these creatures existed only for him to rip and tear apart. No...no...that wasn't true...it was happening again and he knew it...the mixed scent of death and gunfire filling his nostrils...the symphony of screams and wails drowning his ears in what was music to him...it brought his cold husk of a body to life...it made him feel whole.

He didn't used to be like this, sure he was violent when the situation demanded it like with his commanding officer, but this wasn't needed at least to this degree, not anymore. They couldn't hurt him even without using Invulnerability, he never tired or ached in any way at all, he could stand perfectly still and let all of them strike his body with or without his armor and they'd accomplish nothing. Yet here he was, not using his guns anymore not even his chainsaw to slay the demons who tried to keep him at bay, he tore off their limbs, their horns, their fangs and other body parts to bludgeon and impale them with. But it wasn't out of desperation or because it was convenient, he did it because he wanted to see the terror on their faces as he use their own bodies against them, showing just how dominant of a force he truly was.

This violence, this carnage, this primal feral urge to just kill because you could and in so many different ways, THIS is what made him happy now, THIS is what made him feel something inside his hardened skin, THIS is why he existed at all. Even so he couldn't lose sight of why he was fighting now, why he tore off Baron horns to swing like clubs and shatter the demons that surrounded him to nothing, they are nothing compared to the beast he sought. Knowing well that the Dark One had to be working to bring life back to the fallen Titan for it would be his only chance at freedom, if this suspicion was right then he'd do so in the safety of his keep. That is why all of the demons in Doom surrounded him while trying their best to end his life, as with each one he killed and each step he took he grew closer to their master's home.

.

.

.

"Holy shit, he's getting REALLY fucking close." Valentino said as he observed the Slayer's progress.

After his "talk" with Sir Pentious he decided to return to his quarters, but was stopped as the higher power that was requested an audience in his chamber. Responding with fastened walk as this was the ONE person he wouldn't keep waiting, when he arrived he was instructed to gaze through a rather peculiar object. Much like a crystal ball this sphere like item allowed him to see things, it was something the arcanists of Doom used to monitor the Slayer's progress and report it to their lord. However it was only Valentino who monitored his progress now, as quite literally EVERY. SINGLE. DEMON. was fighting their hardest to try and stop the Slayer from reaching them.

"I expected this." The Dark One spoke to gain his attention, "It was only a matter of time until he remembered the Icon, it is to our benefit it took him this long." He informed.

"Look, I am SO appreciative of everything you've done for me, after all you didn't make me a walking talking shit show like snake boy." Valentino began as he walked closer to the hidden form of his superior, "But, and I only ask this for my own peace of mind NOT because I doubt you, but you DO have a plan to keep us from having those fists of his from reaching up our asses and pulling our tongues through them so we can taste our own shit right?" He inquired.

"Indeed, unknowingly his decision to come to us has all but made certain of my plan's success." The Dark One assured.

"No shit really? Well that's a fucking load off my goddamn mind." He replied with a sigh of relief, "Again though only asking for my own curiosity, how is him murdering all of our grunts beneficial to us? I mean he knows we're in here and despite your power I doubt he's gonna be fooled if we slipped out the back door." He pointed out.

"Do not be concerned, his focus is not on us but the Icon, once it has risen his attention will be solely on its destruction, but in light of the enhancements I requested this will prove more difficult than their first battle." The Dark One explained, "However it needs more time, not much, but enough to where he must be distracted, how are the legions enduring?" He asked.

Turning back around Valentino walked over and looked into the sphere, where he saw a VERY upsetting sight.

"Um...he's red...like...actually glowing red...and uh...every time he punches one of them...he's killing like five to ten on average..." He answered honestly taken aback by just how fucking insanely strong he was.

"Distance from the entrance?" The Dark One inquired.

"I'd say bout fifty feet, but given how quickly he is killing them he'll probably be there in the next...I'd say ten, maybe fifteen tops if luck's on our side." He replied.

"Is the hunter ready?" The Dark One asked.

"If you're referring to that hunk of hunk snake boy whipped up yeah, updated to your specifications

and ready to be deployed." He answered.

"Have it prepared to meet him when he arrives, it won't win but it will ensure the Icon can rise." The Dark One ordered.

"Got it chief." He said before walking away to carry out his given task.

.

.

.

Heavy breaths left the Slayer's lungs as he climbed the stairs to the Dark One's fortress, but they weren't from exhaustion or any other affliction. Much like a starved animal he panted for more, desperately craving another foe one that could hold their own against him. For to his back laid an expansive heap of mutilated meat, fractured and splintered bones jutting out from it all as the flesh that housed them was all but ruined. Jaws were opened in immortalized screams if they weren't removed, some bodies even posed in terrified ways as the lower demons feared what met them, and a grey putrid ooze filled all space between as their blood and other fluids mixed together.

The legions and hordes of Doom that had conquered so many worlds and brought fear to all of creation, now for the second time was reduced to nothing. Even the Summoners and Archviles who were meant to keep them alive had been abandoned by their master, the reason for why he already knew. All of the Dark One's power was going towards the Icon's rebirth, meaning that he needed to hurry to keep it from rising from its grave to serve its maker yet again. But as he reached the massive doors that led inside only to pushed them open with ease so he could enter, he was surprised to find no greater demons waiting for him.

The Cyber Demon was nowhere to be see, neither was a Mastermind or perhaps Hell Guards, but he knew that the Dark One wouldn't be so foolish as to just let him enter and proceed with obstacle. That's when a sound reached his ears, though faint so much he thought at first it might be his imagination, there was no mistaking what it was and what it meant. Mechanical parts as quietly as could be moving by command of whatever controlled them, coming from above his head at the ceiling of the space. Choosing to dodge rather than see what it belonged to that proved to be the wise choice, for a high powered laser suddenly shot towards him with the intent to kill.

Running around the area avoiding its impressive speed and tracking capabilities, he brought fourth his rocket launcher to destroy the source. But in response whatever fired it ceased in doing so, only so it could drop from the ceiling to try and crush him. Unfortunately due to the size of this unknown assailant he couldn't dodge the impact entirely, as a result he was sent further into the structure through the wall adjacent to the entrance by the landing's shockwave. Flying for good few seconds he hit the ground of what seemed to be an arena, from the several dried blood splatters and piles of withered corpses that were nearby, it was clear this had been used for the Dark One's personal entertainment.

Getting to his feet he looked at the opening he created when flew through the wall, a cloud of debris and dust present which continued to hide the identity of his attacker. Taking advantage of this fact it fired the laser at him yet again, its chances of connecting far better given he was in a much more confined space. Of course if it were this easy to kill him the Dark One would not resort to such traps, so to get across that he was through playing games he took the blast head on to show it did nothing. This is when it happened, after a few seconds of taking the laser head on a voice spoke up, one that as it reached his ears it caused excitement to flare up inside him.

"Current module ineffective, initiating upgrade, switching to ballistic armaments for evaluation." The automated voice of the newest demon stated.

However, following this an unexpected noise filled the air, heavy footsteps stomped towards him causing a silhouette to appear in the cloud. But it wasn't the shape of a torso mounted on a tank like bed as before, it was given a completely new design in the hopes of bettering its chances of survival. Big and bulky like a Baron, shoulder mounted cannons much like the one he possessed, a long mechanical tail in which every segment shifted and moved independently as energy coursed through it, all topped off with both its hands this time around being dual bladed chainsaw. In fact, as he looked at it the only thing that was the same as before was the head, with its one glowing yellow optic to stare right at him.

"Ballistic armaments ready, chainsaws primed, energy dispersal module upgrade progress at fifty percent, all systems running within expected parameters, proceed with

extermination." It spoke before jumping down into the arena.

Landing with the same powerful crash it did moments ago, like in their last battle it unleashed a ghastly somewhat mechanical roar in his direction, all the while its chainsaws revved to life already reaching speeds to glow orange from the heat. Taking but a moment to pop his neck and knuckles, now that he was nice and limber he could SAVOR EVERY SECOND properly. No guns just like with the other demons, he wanted to take this thing apart piece by piece to see exactly what made it move. Charging at it full speed the cannon on its left shoulder began to fire, confirming for him which shot bullets as that's exactly what it used.

But as with the laser he let it hit him because he knew it'd have no effect, and when he got in close it tried to swing at him with both its arms hoping to cut him in two. He responded by grabbing each with his hands, stopping two of the four chainsaws by just gripping them and halting their chains. With no effort at all he tore them from its arms leaving it crippled, following it up with a kick to one of its knees which destroyed it in an instant. Falling to the ground its gun still firing he grabbed the two horns on the sides of its head, then just as quick as the chainsaw in a single pull he split the head in half.

Just like that the fight was over, its corpse hitting the floor of the arena with a far less impressive impact than the previous two times. And for but a second as he looked at the defeated monstrosity against he felt slightly bad for it, so many weapons and yet it died just as easily as an Imp. But that second came and went as quickly as you'd expect, allowing him to focus back on finding the Icon and preventing its resurrection. Grabbing onto the wall of the arena he started to climb his way out of the pit, reaching the top impressively fast.

Yet before he could pull himself out completely something suddenly grabbed onto one of his feet, before pulling him back down and throwing him across the arena. Landing on his back he looked up to see if what he was thinking was true, and to his absolutely joy it was. In less than ten seconds the ruined form of the demon was already back in fighting condition, however it once again looked completely different. There were some things that stayed the same like the shoulder mounted cannons and its bulky body, but its arms, legs, and head were what had changed.

No longer did it have chainsaw hands like the previous two forms as indicated by the fact he was grabbed, this time the creature had gauntlet like hands that looked far more durable than the weapons did. Next was the legs which underwent the biggest transformation of the three, the material used to make them was added to its tail thus giving it a massive serpent like lower half, which besides making it overall longer and larger also made it more durable and harder to damage. Finally there was the head, no longer having horns for him to grab onto on its sides it was just the optic and the face, though the optic now glowed red instead of yellow.

"Adaptation sequence complete, energy dispersal module and ballistic armament upgrades restarted, proceeding to third level as it has been proven the second is ineffective, all systems returned to normal function, beginning second engagement." It stated.

Expecting it to roar before fighting as it had done in the other two fights, he was caught of guard as it immediately tried to land a strike against him with its new tail. The size and weight of it meant it would hit like a freight train, with the length making it night impossible for anyone to evade it given the size of the arena. But again if this was all it took to kill the Slayer he wouldn't have received that title, however he needed to see just durable this thing was now so he didn't dodge.

Instead he grabbed onto the tail when it came towards him, this way he could try to either rip off half or just do some damage by digging his fingers into it.

Yet neither of these proved possible to his surprise, which gave his adversary the opportunity it needed to change its strategy. While he was still holding onto the tail it lifted him up from the ground and slammed him back down, able to do this at least three times before he stopped it by pushing against the appendage with his hands.

"Ballistic armament and energy dispersal module ready." It stated as its cannons came to life.

Once again deciding to take their hits just to see what he was up against, the energy module fired a series of highly charged spheres of plasma like his rifle, while the ballistic armament fired in quick succession high caliber armor piercing sniper rounds. Although impressive in terms of the jump in ammunition quality they still did nothing, so as it stood the strongest weapon it had was the tail he still kept at bay. This to his foe's misfortune only made him more eager to fight, which he made clear as he activated Overdrive to increase his speed. Now able to easily get out from under the tail he did so in the blink of an eye, and with the same speed ran full force at the demon from the front to deliver a punch.

This is where its new fists came into play as it intelligently blocked the strike to save itself. Over the next half minute the Slayer unleashed a series of rapid fire strikes against his opponent, and while it successfully blocked every single one he was progressively denting each fist. After those thirty seconds passed though Overdrive ended, giving the demon the opening it needed to turn the tide now that his speed was back to normal. Pulling the tail inward it chose to wrap it around him like a constrictor, which proved successful as once he was bound he couldn't move.

Now held in a stationary position the demon hovered over him, aimed its cannons at his head, then began firing as fast as it could to try and destroy his helmet. Sadly besides the pinging sound caused by the shells hit him, nothing else came from this unrestrained barrage. Truth be told it didn't even really have him bound in its tail either, while it certainly was durable and strong enough to the point he couldn't damage it on his own, the only reason it held him is because he needed time. Letting this go on for about another minute he was ready to end it, for now Berserk ready to be used again.

Glowing red upon its activation he stretched his arms out to his sides, in doing so he not only broke free of the demon's tail but also broke the tail itself. Landing on his feet he immediately leapt towards its head which as before it protected with its fists, but this time the punch he deliver had a force equal to that of a Tsar Bomb. In a glorious instant the entire upper half of the demon exploded in all directions, bits and pieces of meat or metal sticking to every surface in sight. And as he landed he looked back to the demon to se what was left, only find that the tail was the only surviving part.

But he wasn't going to take any chances this time, with what time he had left with Berserk he began pummeling every single bit of the demon he could reach, reducing it all to either crumb sized specs

or completely removing it from existence. When it finally ended he was left to admire his handiwork, not even the most extreme of healing factors nor power could bring it back. Speaking of resurrections however there was still one demon left he needed to deal with, so he climbed out of the pit without interference this time to resume his hunt. Or at least that was the plan, until the entire structure around him began to collapse.

A slight tinge of panic set in as he knew what this could be, though wanting to be sure he ran back outside through the entrance he came through to assess the situation. It the end though it wouldn't have mattered if he stayed inside or ran out, for as he looked back towards the fortress it was undeniable what he saw. The goat like head of the Icon along with its massive body rose from the ground and the keep as a whole, evil in its purest form had risen once again. Knowing well the danger its very existence brought with it the rational part of his mind returned, causing him to summon the Unmaykr and begin unleashing its energy on the beast.

Yet to his shock it seemed to have no effect whatsoever, even to the point the Icon seemed unaware that it was even being shot at. In light of this he activated Onslaught to increase the weapon's power, surely now with such a boost something would change. But it didn't, wave after wave of its precise beams hit the body of the Titan and still they were ignored, the strongest weapon ever conceived could not even make it flinch. Whatever the Dark One had done, whatever twisted brilliance came to him that he could not fathom, somehow he not only resurrected the demon so quickly but made him even greater than he was before.

The Icon Of Sin had returned.