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.

83. Party Time

"And that's pretty much it, any questions?" Charlie asked as she turned to look at everyone, her presentation finally at its end.

The Slayer's celebration meeting lasted well into the evening. Yet none of the others were bothered by this nor got tired of hearing Charlie speak, for unlike Blitzo's carney sideshow of merchandise, she was well-spoken, organized, and had carefully planned everything out. With that being said, there was still one question all of them shared, which they planned to voice now that she was done talking.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Why is this going to take a month to get ready?" Katie asked while holding up two fingers, "I assumed we'd be able to get this done in two weeks or something around that time frame. Since we'll have the support of our circle's royalty and any nobles who haven't made for the hills yet." She said.

"That was the plan, but unfortunately, there have been...some setbacks," Charlie replied. "Care to elaborate, or are we just supposed to guess?" Cherri asked.

"I'll handle this, dear." Lilith offered while standing from her seat, much to her daughter's appreciation and relief, "After the unpleasantness yesterday, we decided to keep our spirits up and our minds busy by working on the locale organization, additional staff, and the performers that'll help make this as grand as it can be. However, this proved to be not just three individual tasks, but practically dozens." She revealed before taking a deep breath as this next part was long in its explanation, "To begin, the destruction wrought by the disaster was far more significant than we initially thought. Whether it be notable clubs, hotels, or even stadiums, every major venue was impacted, with the most salvageable ones still receiving damages that have left more than half of the property in shambles. Next is the additional staff, which is a problem because all of the noble class and most of the Overlords who haven't gone into hiding live in the city's center. A fair amount of the demons being treated either here in the circle or Urdak are their staff alongside civilians, so we'll need to wait for them to recover. Finally, we arrive at the entertainment that isn't Will, Loona, and Octavia. By far the most frustrating of the three because, as it turns out, there were just as many celebrities who had far too many skeletons in their closet to remain public figures when the reform started. So our list of notable names to book for the event is about as plentiful as a shot glass." She elaborated.

"So...if we understand this right...the reason it's going to take a month to get the party started is that we have to wait for a location to be rebuilt, the workers to recover, and so we can try to find some celebrities who aren't as shitty as the other ones?" Angel Dust questioned.

"Hit the nail on the head." She confirmed.

"But hey, look on the bright side!" Charlie exclaimed with a smile as she looked to the Slayer, "This means we get a whole month with Will before the public finds out!" She said, hoping it would lift their spirits.

"And Husk should be better by that time too! So he can join in on the party!" Nifty realized, now all giddy as that idea filled her with glee and excitement.

"It'll also give Blitzy plenty of time to catch up with his programs," Stolas said while crossing his arms, still upset at the Imp for the con he pulled.

"Does this mean that no one has any issues with this arrangement?" Lilith asked.

"I mean, I feel like there's one person specifically we should be asking that," Katie responded. Knowing well who she was referring to, everyone looked to the Slayer.

"I'm fine no matter what..." He told them just as a realization hit him, "In fact...this may work out for the best...I have some things I need to help Vega with...so I can do that during the month..." He explained.

"Wait, does that mean we won't get to see you?" Charlie questioned with a tinge of disappointment.

"No." He said immediately, which brought her back to joy, "I just mean that I can take care of that business so it won't interrupt the planning or the celebration itself..." He clarified.

"Good. Because if you took off again without saying anything, I might've been forced to slap you like a bitch." Angel Dust said jokingly with a grin.

"Alright. So as it stands, we have our basic plan in order; we may talk again before the event draws closer to make sure everything is going smoothly. But for now, we can relax and let the work that needs to be done get finished before we double down on it." Lilith said, receiving nods of agreement from everyone.

Meanwhile, On Urdak...

"This is certainly concerning..." Vega muttered quietly.

After returning from Doom and informing him of what they had found, Vega held an emergency meeting made up solely of himself, the Wretch, all seven of the Khans, and Samur. As for Gabriel, his father sent him back to Lucifer's circle to tell him he'd be there shortly and to not burden him with any more worries should this potential problem not be as severe as they thought.

"I'm impressed by your lack of panic creator." The Wretch admitted while crossing his arms, "I assumed you'd be more emotional or vocal about the shocking nature of this news." He went on.

"I would, but that wouldn't help us at all. Plus, after everything that's happened, that is easily the least shocking thing I've been presented in the last few days." Vega replied.

"That's fair." He agreed as things have been indisputably chaotic.

"Also, there is the matter that I am not an expert on this. The closest thing I have to compare it to is the Maykrs' process of reincarnation and remolding of the flesh to alter their appearances when the need arises. But none of them have ever needed it to the degree in which the Dark One has done so here. So if you wouldn't mind Wretch, I'd appreciate it if you helped to give us your thoughts on the matter." Vega requested.

"Of course." He replied to start things off before continuing into his explanation, "Overall, this development at worst is alarming. Although we now know alongside Valentino, the Dark One has his most loyal and powerful servants at his side; this doesn't mean much as he is without his power. Furthermore, it is clear the point of altering their bodies was to make them more discrete instead of massive haunting atrocities, so there's no potential here for them to be in bodies that are grander than the originals. So, in summary, what has ultimately been changed is we're now looking for seven individuals rather than two." He said.

"But these additional five are incredibly dangerous, far more so than Valentino," Samur commented.

"Forgive me if this information is inaccurate. But isn't one of the demons the Slayer's rival? The entity referred to as the Cyber Demon?" One of the Khans questioned.

"You are correct. Out of all the targets we hope to find, he is by far the deadliest. For in his current state, the Dark One poses a minimal threat on his own." The Wretch replied.

"Do you think they'll do something drastic? Like, start killing people if where they went is home to innocent souls?" Another Khan inquired.

"Unfortunately, that is an unavoidable casualty." He confirmed with a sigh, "Even though they are trying to avoid detection, his servants are not capable of resisting their violent compulsions. Even then, they possess intelligence higher than a lowly Imp or a shambling corpse. So they will keep whatever murders conducted by their hand as quiet as possible. But will do so both to satiate their desires and to please their master." He explained.

"If that is the case, then we need to find them as quickly as possible. We can't waste even a second." A third Khan said, to which the others nodded in agreement.

"Agreed. But finding them will take a great deal of time. Right Samur?" Vega asked.

"Yes. But one of our first planned uses of the Dark One's power is to make a celestial locator with it. This way, we can pinpoint any trace of the energy, which is what those demons' souls are made of." He answered.

"How long will this take?" Vega inquired.

"The facility's construction is nearly complete; the drones are finishing up as we speak. However, it could be weeks before we begin designing a celestial locator that works with the sphere. As we have to test how dangerous it will be even with the precautions we are taking." He explained.

"Understandable. And though this may sound strange, we may have nothing to worry about for some time. The Dark One and his minions have gone to great lengths to avoid detection at all costs. Which leads me to believe they aren't going to do anything drastic soon." Vega reasoned.

"My thoughts as well. This gives us a window of time to do what we need to with the soul sphere, gather our bearings, and form new strategies on how to approach our enemies." The Wretch listed.

"It will also allow the destruction of Doom by my and the Sentinels' hand to progress, hopefully even finish before they are found or choose to reveal themselves." The current Khan said.

"We should also establish Maykr built structures and fortifications in the realm when more space is available. So that way, if they try to return there, we will be waiting for them." The Wretch suggested.

"An excellent idea. This will give the six of you something to do." Vega said, referring to the other six Khans.

"But we are needed here, father. To assist Samur and Wretch in their work with the soul sphere." One of them replied.

"That won't be necessary." Samur interjected, "The facility is almost entirely self-sufficient and autonomous to a reasonable degree. Only the two of us will be needed to operate it and conduct the

experiments that are required." He assured.

"Exactly. So why don't all of you go on and get a head start on the construction in Doom?" Vega suggested while opening a portal himself.

Although they seemed hesitant to leave, a little disappointed even, all six Khans followed by their seventh listened and went through the portal, which closed as soon as they were gone.

"Let it never be said I didn't do anything for you," Vega said jovially, speaking to the Wretch. "And yet you're still having me conceive of names for all six of them." He replied with a sigh. "He's having you name the prior Khans?" Samur questioned as this was the first he'd heard of this. "We can talk more about that as we work. Which we too should get on with." He replied.

"And while you two are doing that, I am going to go see how Abaddon is doing. As well as inform them of the new developments before I do the same with Lucifer." Vega said.

Then they parted ways, Samur and the Wretch heading out to inspect the new facility, while Vega opened a portal leading to his child's circle of Hell.

Week One. Happy Hotel Lobby.

"Hmm...too gay, even for me." Angel Dust said while holding his chin, speaking to the Slayer with squinted eyes.

Out of every possible thing that the motley group of Hellspawn could think to do with the righteous crusader, they decided the best thing was to get him a brand new wardrobe. However, he was steadfast that if he were going to wear any new attire, the ONE condition needed to be met was it had to be armor. Some of them thought this was due to his PTSD, the others assumed he just liked armor, but the actual reason is that he wanted to be ready at any moment to fight. Of course, he didn't tell them that because he didn't want to cause worry.

At any rate, the reason why they wanted to get him a new wardrobe isn't that they didn't like his current suit of Maykr armor or because they were suddenly bothered by him being in armor. In their minds, this was over, yes, there was the matter of the Hell Wave that needed to be sorted out, but based on what they knew and what Lucifer had said to them, the fighting was finally done this time, Will could put his guns down and get back to living his life. And what better way to start living his life than by giving him more than one thing to wear, even if it still had to be a full-body suit? As for how they were acquired, that was a courtesy of the Maykrs, who provided them with a device that allowed the Slayer to alter his suit and his arsenal however he saw fit.

Admittedly this device was made for combat purposes, to allow the Slayer to tailor his approach to various landscapes and species of demon to be as perfect of a killing machine as possible. But in the hands of his friends who were primarily lunatics looking to make themselves laugh, I.E. Cherri Bomb, she'd use the tablet paired with the device to alter the Slayer's attire into something she found funny. Which currently was a bright purple unicorn suit, complete with wings and glitter.

"Aww, come on! This is fucking amazing!" She protested with a frown and a whine before gesturing to the Slayer, "You CANNOT tell me that seeing the single most brutal human being who ever lived walk around in a unicorn suit isn't awesome." She said.

"I thought what we were trying to do was give him new suit options. Not play dress up as if he were the greatest action figure ever made." Katie responded with crossed arms while laying down on one of the couches, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Can't he be both?" She asked with a playful grin.

"See? This is EXACTLY why I told you we shouldn't let her have a turn." Vaggie said to Charlie, both women standing nearby between the three of them and the Slayer.

"I actually like it. I think it's a nice contrast with how serious he normally is, makes him more easily approachable to people who'd otherwise be nervous." Charlie replied.

"Are you just saying that so you don't have to admit you like seeing him dressed up as a unicorn?" Katie asked, not trusting the single most cheerful glittery soul in their entire circle.

"...I cannot confirm or deny the accuracy of that question." She answered, doing so in such a way that it came across like she'd been in similar situations before.

"Would it make everyone happy if we put it in the maybe pile?" Angel Dust asked, tired of how much time they spent on this.

"I mean, Will has the final say." Vagatha reminded before turning to look at him, "What do you think?" She asked.

"I think kids might like it..." He answered while looking himself over, "Then again, I don't really know what demon children are comfortable with...never had to deal with demonic kids before..." He admitted.

"Alright, so it'll go into the maybe pile for now." Angel Dust decided before taking the tablet away from Cherri and pressing a few buttons, which not only returned his suit to normal but saved the template.

"Can't believe the Maykrs are just going to make all of this shit for you. You really must be like a celebrity to them, huh?" Cherri inquired.

"They worship me as a god..." The Slayer replied.

"Pfft, okay, mister god." She said sarcastically, assuming he was making a joke.

But when neither he nor anyone else said anything, it dawned on her that he was serious. "Wait, for real? They legit fucking worship you?" She questioned.

"There's a specific sanctum in Urdak that is considered holy ground where the drones and angels gather to worship...and it's dedicated to me..." He revealed.

"Holy fucking shit! That's incredible!" She exclaimed.

"...Cherri." Katie spoke up, gaining her attention, "Did you hit your head this morning? You KNOW Will's a legitimate god. Or at least he's powerful enough to fall into the same category." She reminded.

"No, really? That's NEWS to me!" Cherri replied with an even greater amount of sarcasm than before and an eye roll, "But like, there's a difference between BEING a god and people treating you like one. We're talking about angels here who were made by the real god...first god?... Vega.

The point is that it's just shocking to learn that they'd worship two gods at once, one of whom carries a chainsaw in his back pocket." She explained.

"For once, she manages to make a solid point." Vagatha joined in, agreeing with her, "When you know about the one true God and everything, kinda weird to simultaneously worship one that used to be a normal mortal being." She reasoned.

"See? If Vaggie agrees with me, you know I'm saying smart shit." Cherri said proudly.

"Hey! Bitches!" Angel Dust called out to get their attention, "Can we stop talking about this and focus on what really matters?" He requested.

"Oh, do you mean making Will look like he got a lobotomy?" Katie questioned.

"That's really funny coming from someone who hasn't even designed a suit for him yet." Cherri chimed in.

"Because you and Angel have been hogging it." She countered.

"Well, we're not hogging it now, so what other excuse you wanna use?" Cherri asked.

Responding to that with action, Katie quickly yoinked the tablet out of Angel's hands so she could use it.

"Fine. Because I seem to be the only one here who knows EXACTLY what the best look for him would be." She said before rapidly tapping her fingers on the interface.

Watching and waiting curiously, it took only a few seconds before she was done and the device carried out her specifications. Just as smoothly as the others had been, the suit she designed was applied within an instant, but when they all saw it, there was only one thought they shared.

"Um, Katie, that's his original uniform," Charlie said, being the one to point it out.

Sure enough, from the brown boots and gloves to the green pants and armored chest plate, to the grey squarish helmet with a light blue visor, she just straight up gave him his old outfit.

"Mhm. No better attire for him to wear casually, formally, and for his celebration than that." She said firmly.

"Why? Everyone's already seen it at the museum. Shouldn't we give him something new and exciting? Or at the very least something less military?" Vagatha questioned.

"Two words. Six. Pack." She replied while pointing to his abdomen.

Looking to where her finger was aimed, they saw the Slayer's perfectly chiseled and defined six- pack, on display beneath the breastplates of his armor wholly exposed.

"That seems like a HUGE oversight for protection," Vagatha commented, more focused on the strange lack of armor in that area specifically, "Also, we're trying to make him more normal. Won't this just come across as if we're-"

Before she could finish speaking, Angel Dust was on top of her, having pounced onto her person like a starved tiger in the jungle.

"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! THIS. FUCKING. STAYS." He told her with widened eyes while staring into hers.

"Agreed. Keep the six-pack." Cherri spoke up, unable to pull her eye away from it or even blink.

"See? I know what the people want." Katie said with a proud smile, "Plus, I get something out of it too." She muttered to herself as she also was immensely enjoying the view.

Elsewhere...

"Lord Lucifer's going to hold a press conference?" Stella questioned, a bit shocked to hear that kind of information.

As it had been arranged, Gabriel and Stella were having regular meetings so both parties could be well informed of the other. For Lucifer and the reform's side, this allowed them to be certain Helsa, her family, and her supporters weren't planning to do something ludicrous like charge the palace with torches and pitchforks. Then for Helsa and Stella, Gabriel made sure that their opinions, complaints, and other such issues were treated seriously and were discussed between him and his brother. All in all, this situation turned out surprisingly well, though it had a lot to do with how easily the two of them were able to work together.

Such as now, as both of them were sitting in the outside area of a cafe, unable to avoid drawing the gazes of those nearby as one was a former noble and the other was a fucking archangel.

"Yes. However, it won't be for several more weeks. He wants the citizens treated here and in Urdak to be present to either see it on television or be there in the crowd. So that way, he won't have to do an encore performance later." Gabriel explained.

"Ah, that makes sense." She said while picking up her cup of tea, "Speaking of performances, how is the planning going for the Slayer's celebration?" She inquired before taking a sip.

"Miss Stella, I told you I couldn't say more about that." He replied.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you supposed to refrain from saying ANYTHING at all? And yet you shared quite a lot with me." She reminded.

"Only because of your transparency with me when it came to asking more about the inner workings of the Eldritch family's agenda. Who may I add gave their permission and blessing to share the information you did." He countered.

"Very true. Still, is it really so bad for me to know just a few more details? I feel at this point the Eldritch family and I have proven beyond all doubt that we aren't up to anything sinister. So it's not like we'd plant a bomb or set a fire to ruin the festivities." She argued.

"You have. But if it got back to my brother or his wife, the latter of whom I'm more concerned about, I could be the next one burned by their Hellfire." He said.

"What if I promise to keep it just between us? Not even Helsa would know." She suggested.

"Would that be alright? I wouldn't want to cause any friction between you two." He asked.

"Unless you plan on telling her I know something she doesn't, she'll have no reason to suspect otherwise. And should she even somehow learn I knew what you do before she did, I doubt it's so important that she'd be upset about it." She answered.

"Hmph, another good argument, you're quite skilled at this back forth, miss Stella." He complimented.

"Using your manners and charm won't give me sudden amnesia, just saying." She replied with a playful smile, in case he was attempting to change the conversation's subject.

"Was never my intention." He promised before letting out a sigh, "But you have made your case and have done so impeccably, as usual, so I will share what I know." He said before picking up his own cup, "At the moment, things are progressing as they hoped. However, the procurement of other entertainers beyond your daughter, miss Loona, and the Slayer himself has proved nigh impossible. As it turns out, while half of the celebrities in this circle are in hiding, almost all of the remaining ones are currently serving sentences of damnation.

Leaving but a tiny snobbish pool to pick from." He informed before then taking a sip.

"No shock there. Though I will admit that I'm surprised the celebrities who are still around wouldn't jump at the chance to be of service to the royal family. Especially if they believed it could make them turn a blind eye to any unpleasant moments in their lives down here." She replied.

"Funny you say that, for they actually did make a similar offer. But all of them were so overly cautious and paranoid they assumed it was a trick to get them to let their guards down." He revealed.

"...You know, I may actually have someone who could be the solution to this problem." She admitted.

"Really? I'd think given your noble status that even figures like celebrities would be undeserving of any interaction with you." He told her, earning a few chuckles.

"Yeah, well, considering my current situation, even with my involvement with Helsa and her family. Can't exactly be acting too superior to anyone right now." She said, "But still, during my time as one of the elite, I did meet a few who didn't immediately disgust or annoy me. One of whom is a very popular musician, arguably one of the most. So if you'd like, I could give her a call, tell her what's going on, and by cashing in a favor I'm owed, get her to participate in the celebration. All the while acting as though she learned about the royal family's hunt through the grapevine." She offered.

"That is remarkably generous. Thank you." He replied, amazed by how much she was willing to do.

"Who said I was generous? I do want something in return." She told him.

"Oh? And what exactly could I give that is within reason?" He asked.

"I...would like a chance to speak with my daughter." She answered, although it was a bit hesitant at the start.

A momentary silence then took hold of the conversation. As both Gabriel and Stella knew, this was a very sensitive matter.

"...Miss Stella...even someone such as I with all the power I wield cannot promise such a thing. Whether or not your daughter wants to speak with you is entirely up to her." He said after a few minutes.

"I know that. I'm not asking you to persuade, lie, or force her to contact me. All I ask in return for doing this for you is telling her I would like to talk to her. I just want her to know that." She explained.

"Would it not be better to say this to her personally? I don't know how she'll react to me giving her this message. Even with me being an archangel an important factor." He asked.

"That's exactly why I'm asking you. If I get anywhere near her, then she'll immediately walk away. If I try to call her, she'll block my number. This is the only way I can convey to her I'd like to have a conversation." She answered.

"And if she agrees only so she can insult you or assert that she never wants to have any contact with you again?" He inquired.

"Then at least I'll know. But now that I've been able to clear my head and think rationally about all of this. While I still detest my husband and think of him as a bastard, I do want to try and salvage a relationship with my only child." She said as her expression changed to one of sadness, "Though in all honesty, we really didn't have one, to begin with. Of the many things I've been, the perfect mother was...not one of them..." She confessed.

"Once again, I am surprised. I didn't think you'd say you weren't perfect at something given how proud you are." He admitted.

"You're to blame for that." She told him with a small smile, "I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that makes me think about myself. Just being around you in these meetings of ours has me think back on my life and realize that my mistakes outnumber my accomplishments." She shared.

"That...is actually a thing." He admitted as he rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment, "As the archangel of justice it is...part of of my power to compel souls to

reflect on themselves and acknowledge their faults. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but I didn't think it was affecting you." He explained, ending with an apology.

"Oh. Well, that does explain why this has been on my mind so much as of late." She said, "However you shouldn't be sorry. All you've done is make me think about it more. These feelings and conflictions I have were already there once I learned about my husband and his sex toy." She assured.

"Good. N-Not the part about your husband, just that I didn't upset you." He replied with a slight stammer as he didn't want to be misunderstood, which made her smile grow.

"Trust me. There's next to no chance that you'd ever upset me." She promised, which also made him smile.

"That's good to hear. Now shall we get back to business?" He suggested. "By all means." She replied.

After that, the two would spend the rest of their midday outing talking about the reform, the aforementioned press conference, and other such topics. All the while doing so over a nice lunch they ordered before they got started.

Meanwhile, In Urdak...

A whole week had passed since Samur and the Wretch began their work with the Dark One's power. And in that one week, the progress they made could be summarized as one step forward two steps backward. For the entire week had been spent solely on ensuring they could work with it safely and that it wouldn't have any effect on the Wretch as it did before. However, some exciting discoveries were made during this process.

For example, when the sphere's energy came into contact with any piece of machinery or technology not imbued with divine power, it would bestow it with limited sentience akin to that of an Imp. Also, it would cause the body of the apparatus to transform, even obtaining additional mass and features depending on how long the connection lasted between it and the soul sphere. A controlled test showed a link lasting only fifteen seconds was enough for a completely new organism to form as a result, which showed just how deadly this power was and how much destruction it could cause if they weren't careful. But neither the Seraph nor the demon were reckless; they conducted their work in a slow, methodical manner and contained the mechanical horror the soul sphere created for further study and experimentation.

Because of this, they were ready to begin more intensive experiments, the most important being the celestial locator to find the soul this power had come from.

"What should our first test be focused on? Personally, I feel it is most important we discern whether or not it is even possible to give the soul sphere access to technology that could allow it to open rifts in creation as it sees fit." The Wretch said.

"I am at the same opinion. This is why with your consent, I'd like to see if we could use it to open a portal to Doom." Samur replied.

"That's fine. We know none of his power remains in the realm, and the facilities we sought to construct have been finished. So we can use one of them for the rift's connection." He suggested.

"An excellent idea. I'll go speak with the angels and have them inform the Khans of this plan while also making the necessary arrangements." Samur decided.

Taking his leave right after, once the Seraph was gone, the Wretch was left alone to continue working in silence. It was completely fine for the first few minutes; nothing out of the ordinary just work as usual along with the new preparations needed for their upcoming experiment. But as he continued diligently going about his tasks, the only sounds he could hear were the oddly soothing hums of the machines and the typing of his clawed fingers; soon, they started to become much louder. He didn't notice it at first; he assumed why this was happening was simply due to how focused he was, but they kept rising in volume to the point that it hurt his eardrums.

He should've done something immediately, run out of the facility or start turning nonessential machines off, but at the rate things got louder it crippled him, forcing him to his knees as he put his hands to his head, attempting to block it all out.

"THE SOUL SPHERE...NOT...AGAIN..." He grunted out loudly through gritted teeth, doing all that he could to fight against it, "NOT...THIS...TIME...YOU...BASTARD!" He exclaimed.

Throwing up one of his arms, he used his hand to grab onto the console he was just interacting with, the sheer strength he used combined with his claws enough to break through its nigh- indestructible material. With a firm hold locked in, he pulled himself up from the ground; he then used his other arm to keep himself steady until he was back on his feet. From there, he slowly inputs a command via a touchscreen panel close to him, and when he was done, he pressed it one final time to free him of this torment. Similar to how a fire suppressant system would act, the

isolated chamber where the soul sphere was contained flooded with divine energy.

This was the ultimate fail-safe if something like this happened again. However, just because the chances were assumed low given the number of precautions already in place; they weren't going to ignore the possibility. A few seconds after the sphere was bombarded by its holy counterpart, the environment's sounds grew quieter until finally returning to normal, much to his relief.

"Damn you...damn you and your entire accursed realm..." He muttered breathlessly, "I do not know what is happening...if it is by your hand directly or if it is an effect of the sphere itself...but I promise you that when you are found, I will repay these torturous acts against my soul with interest..." He said.

Catching his breath while making sure this was truly over, once he was back to normal, he regained his composure and got to work fixing what little damage he caused.

"There's no need to inform Samur of this. It was an expected occurrence that solved itself in the way we hoped it would. No reason to cause any alarm." He thought as his mind began wondering why it affected him differently this time.

Week Two. Somewhere In Pentagram City.

"You can't be fucking serious. You want to hold it here?!" Blitzo questioned with arms fully extended, a befuddled expression currently on his features.

Although he was still attending his programs playing catch up, Stolas and the others all agreed he could have a day off to come to look at the location Lilith and Charlie found for the event.

However, he and the others had their own reactions and feelings to the locale; very few leaned towards positive. At first glance, it was actually perfect, a large spacious building typically used for conventions or other indoor events; what could be the issue? The answer, the building itself was fine, the repairs it needed from the Hell Wave were complete, and there were no other structural issues, but what this particular building hosted in the past is where the group had problems.

"Look, guys, we did our BEST okay? But believe it or not, all the good options are either still getting rebuilt or are being remodeled entirely because they were essentially wiped off the face of Hell. So could you cut us a LITTLE slack here?" Vagatha asked.

"Hey, no judgment here, sister." Cherri spoke up while raising her hands defensively, "With that said, you MIGHT want to avoid turning on any black lights in here. Otherwise, it'll be like you're walking through one of those weird splotchy ass paintings." She advised.

"So...it has...character?..." Charlie suggested with an awkward smile, trying to put a positive spin on the building's history.

"Oh yeah, it's had a LOT of characters come in here and fuck each other's brains out." Angel Dust said with a smirk, "This was one of if not THE most notable spot for massive orgies. Like anybody who is anybody got invited at least once and had every possible hole filled." He described.

"Did you?" Moxxie asked, his curiosity getting the better of his judgment.

"Came here so much I might as well have owned the place. And I say that using both meanings." He answered with a toothy grin.

"WE WILL GET THE PLACE CLEANED!" Vagatha shouted out loud, getting tired of their bitching already.

"I don't think even I could get this place spotless..." Nifty commented, for the first time in a long while feeling disgusted at the environment she was in.

"I wouldn't let you try anyway." Alastor told her while doing his best to avoid touching ANYTHING, "I fear if you stay in this environment, you could become pregnant with some degenerate's STD afflicted offspring." He said.

"Oh yeah, that's definitely a possibility." Angel Dust confirmed, "In fact, even you might get knocked up, given the amount of dried semen here." He added, saying it with just enough seriousness to where it was IMMENSELY concerning.

"Alright. I've heard enough. I'm going home, shaving off all my fur, and drowning myself in bleach." Loona said before turning around.

"I'll shave you if you pluck my feathers." Octavia offered, also feeling her skin crawl the longer they remained.

"Wait! Please!" Lilith requested, which got them to stop, "We know this isn't the ideal location any of us would've wanted. It doesn't even break through the top one hundred best venues. But I promise we can make this place spotless by next week as if all of the sex and other depraved things done here never happened." She assured.

"And how exactly are you going to accomplish that? Is Vega going to show up and perform a miracle?" Katie questioned.

"He won't need to!" A voice from nearby suddenly exclaimed.

Looking to their left, they saw Sir Pentious standing not that far away with his hand pointed to the sky, for he was doing his best to make a dramatic entrance.

"Ey top hat, nice for you to join us," Cherri said as he slithered over to them, filled to the brim with enthusiasm.

"Why didn't you ride with us here in the limo?" Millie questioned.

"Because I needed to time my arrival so that it'd line up perfectly with all of you wanting to leave! This way, I could appear as the hero who saves the day with his genius!" He explained.

"Couldn't you have done that even if you rode in the car?" Moxxie asked.

"...No." He answered after a few silent seconds before returning to his prepared routine, "And the reason WHY mind you is because Lilith already approached Vox and me with the issue of this building's cleanliness. And asked if we could come up with a solution to make it as pristine as a military bathroom." He revealed.

"If that's true, then where is tube head? Cause he isn't behind you." Cherri pointed out.

"He refused to come here. Said he'd rather lick the floor of a gas station than come within a ten- mile radius of this place before it was clean." He replied.

"Bastard," Loona said scornfully while crossing her arms.

"Anyway, by combining our genius, Vox and I have created a perfect solution to this problem. And I am here to give you a demonstration so your minds can be eased." He told them.

"I'm in. Been a while since I've seen you blow yourself up with something." Angel Dust said with a shrug.

Taking that as the go-ahead, Sir Pentious then grabbed the brim of his top hat and lifted it off of his head, revealing underneath a silver in color oval-shaped metallic object. From there, he'd take the item into his free hand before putting his top hat back on, and once it was in his palm, he held it out for all to see.

"It's...a paperweight...a really shiny paperweight," Katie commented.

"Really? Do all of you actually think I'd waste your time and that dramatic entrance by showing you a mere paperweight?" He asked.

Receiving a unanimous nod from all of them as a yes, that blow to his pride was worse than the grime that was everywhere.

"Hmph. Spend the last few days making a high-tech gadget to help everyone, and this is how they treat me..." He mumbled to himself, "Fine. I'll just let it show you what it does. Assholes." He decided.

Pressing a button embedded in the object that blended in with the rest of its chrome body, soon eight separate legs all sprouted out from the sides while a robotic eye opened on the front. Needing only a second to turn on and stand on its multiple appendages, it took one glance around Sir Pentious before its eye became red.

"ALERT! FILTH LEVELS EXCEED ASSESSMENT CAPACITY! IMMEDIATE EXPUNGING

OF SCUM COMMENCING!" It spoke in a serious tone, but they couldn't take it seriously because it sounded cute and adorable.

Leaping off of Sir Pentious's hand, it landed without issue on the ground, where it then started shooting a grid-patterned laser in the shape of its eye from the optic. Aiming it with precision and moving about the area surrounding the snake demon with a speed that could challenge Nifty's, everyone's jaws nearly dropped after

the next few seconds passed by.

"Holy fucking goddamn shit! You can actually see the fucking concrete floor!" Blitzo exclaimed as he pointed at it.

True to his claim, a circle three feet in radius was made around Sir Pentious. The device's laser eliminated anything that could be identified as dirt or grime, and from what they could tell, it even smoothed the floor itself so it could look and feel better when walked on! However, it stopped there at precisely three feet, and when it was done, it effortlessly hopped back into the snake demon's palm.

"And that's science for ya bitches." He told them while pressing the button again, which returned the machine to its previous dormant state.

"Holy shit, dude! That was awesome!" Cherri exclaimed as they all looked at him with astonished expressions.

"Did all of you just casually forget the fact I'm a fucking inventor?" He asked, taking offense to how surprised they were.

"No. But this is the first time you built something that wasn't stupid as fuck." Angel Dust answered.

"...I'm going home..." He said in a defeated tone of voice before turning around and attempting to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Charlie exclaimed as she ran over to console him, "Angel didn't mean that. He's just trying to tease you." She comforted him, hoping to make him feel better.

"No, I meant what I said. The dude had walking talking egg henchmen who were retarded, for crying out loud." He spoke up, continuing his ridicule.

Letting out a heavy sigh in response to that, Sir Pentius slumped over, leaning so much into it that he ran the risk of folding himself in half like a lawn chair.

"Angel." Vagatha spoke with her eye closed, a VERY pissed-off expression on her face, "Could you just once put a fucking FILTER on how much shit leaves your mouth?" She asked.

"If I did that, I'd lose like half of my personality." He answered.

"That might not be such a bad thing, you know." She responded coldly.

"Easy, everyone. This place is messy enough without us adding some blood into the mix." Lillith said as Charlie brought Sir Pentious back over.

"I promise they won't make fun of you anymore. Just explain to them what that is and how it cleans so well, okay?" She said to the sullen serpent.

"Okay. But if any of them say anything else, I'm leaving, and I won't come back, not even for the party." He told her.

"Understandable. But I'm sure it won't come to that. Right everyone?" She asked while looking at the others.

"You can't be serious," Octavia said.

"RIGHT?" She asked again, though with emphasis.

Letting out a collective sigh, they all nodded their heads again, which perked him up just a little bit.

"Thank you. It's nice to feel appreciated." He said before clearing his throat, "Now then. Focusing back on the device that all of you just saw. Vox and I have decided to call it the Spick and Span Spider! Patent pending." He revealed as his personality returned to normal with each word spoken, "Using the best technology that can be bought and made by our hand, it can detect irregularities within an environment on a microscopic level. In simple terms, this means if it finds something that isn't consistent with its surroundings, such as all the stains of sex on the concrete floor, then it will remove them until none remain." He explained proudly, "Also, as a bonus of the initial model we've created, it'll also look for any rough or uneven spots in the terrain and smooth them out.

Ensuring the result is pleasing to the eye not only for cleanliness but also for symmetry." He added.

"I must say, that is truly remarkable! Even if I don't fully understand how it all works..." Stolas praised, "But out of curiosity, why did you name it that?" He inquired.

"Because Vox and I thought we could sell these as new stock for Slayer Studios. Once we're certain that the idiotic masses won't accidentally kill themselves when using it." Sir Pentious replied.

"So you named it the Spick and Span Spider to keep it on brand? Damn, now I feel bad for being a dick." Angel Dust said.

"Wait, if that were the case, they would've made it a little person because we're called Slayer Studios. So why the hell did you guys make it a spider?" Katie asked.

"Oh, that wasn't our idea. It was Will's." He answered.

"WHAT?!" All of them shouted, including Charlie, Vagatha, and Lilith.

"Uh...yeah...you guys remember when he told us he used to be an engineer, right?" He responded. "Does that mean he helped you build it? Is that why he stayed behind like you?" Nifty questioned.

"That, and he also had some business he needed to take care of afterward. You know the kind he mentioned before." He clarified, "But yeah, just so you got the facts straight, he's the one who wanted it to be a spider as sort of like a tribute to Angel or something." He explained.

Upon hearing that, Angel Dust slowly turned his head and looked at Katie, a smug-as-shit grin on his face, accompanied by him moving his eyebrows up and down.

"Did you guys make anything else? Or was it just the spider? Because this is a huge place even for a bunch of those little guys." Moxxie inquired while looking around at the building.

"I'm glad you asked that because there IS a second machine we made for the express purpose of vermin extermination. However, I didn't bring it with me because Vox and I have to tweak its programming since Will did that one. And he set it to a kill anything that moves kind of mode." He explained.

"What's that one look like?" Millie asked.

"Well, I'll give you a guess. If he had us design this one after the horny as fuck spider who wants to hump him into next week. Who do you think he'd design the kill-happy robot that'll string up the rats in this place by their intestines?" He responded.

Now it was Katie's turn to look at Angel with a smug-as-shit grin, which caused his to disappear as they were back to being tied.

"Once again, without fail, our silent shooter has surprised us!" Alastor exclaimed with zest, "A shame he isn't here to bask in the glory of his achievement." He added.

"Hey! As I said, Vox and I helped him!" Sir Pentious reminded angrily.

"True, I wonder what's so important he needed to go deal with it?" Nifty questioned.

"Are you even listening to me anymore?!" He questioned himself, those self-doubts from before slowly creeping back.

Elsewhere...

The sound of water being displaced and splashing against concrete and stone filled the mostly quiet air. The only other sounds present being that of the heavy footsteps that walked through the puddles. With his Maykr suit still equipped as the device that could alter it was sent back to Urdak so the angels could make the suits. The Slayer searched the city's scarcely populated outskirts to

avoid detection while doing the same for the sections closer to the center with the technology in his gear.

He was determined to eliminate any doubt or suspicion that the Dark One and Valentino were or weren't there. Even if it meant he'd spend the rest of today just stalking these streets as his radar scanned for any signs of their specific corruption, he'd do it to be sure. A bonus for him in doing this was the silence, but not because he had grown annoyed at his companions' banter and company. It simply allowed him to work through his thoughts and emotions, figure out what headspace he was currently in, and be sure of another matter that greatly concerned him.

"You aren't a threat to them...or anyone else in this circle...you're surrounded by angels, and there are even a few Sentinels still on guard from the Hell Wave in case something else happens...so even if you start seeing or hearing things...sounds of monsters that aren't real...they'll be there to stop you..." He thought as he surveyed his surroundings.

Although the Hell Wave hadn't come close to reaching this far out, if he didn't know that, he would've assumed otherwise. Almost all of the buildings still looked rundown and abandoned the last time he walked through, which, as he recalled, was when he met Angel Dust. But as strange as it may sound, he didn't like to think about that because he knew that at the time, the spider demon was still working as a prostitute under the employ of one of the people he was currently hunting.

And that alone ignited his rage, for although Angel was a very flirtatious and sensual person by default, there was no doubt in the Slayer's mind that any extreme depravity he took part in was by Valentino's order.

Unfortunately, his lust for righteous punishment wouldn't be satiated today, for as he marched without end over the next few hours, his search yielded...absolutely nothing. Only business as usual in Lucifer's circle, drunks were still drunks, demons were still demons, and he was still looking for a fight when there wasn't any to be found.

"No traces of the Dark One or Valentino either..." He thought as he came to a stop in the middle of an empty road, "I've run the same scan several times, so none of the results are errors. Unless my suit is somehow damaged, which isn't possible, I can safely rule their presence here out..." He continued.

Remaining where he was in the center of the street, losing himself in his mind, the Slayer's hyper- vigilance slowly lessened as the seconds passed. It managed to get to the point where someone could walk up to him unnoticed, which is precisely what happened. Feeling something touch the side of his right leg, he casually looked down as it wasn't big enough to be considered a threat.

There he saw a very tiny demon, a young Imp if he had to guess since the mature ones were already on the smaller side based on those he knew.

But when he looked at this child, alarms were set off, for he could see one of their horns was broken and not in a natural way. Where the separation occurred, the bone was splintered, which meant someone had purposefully caused this damage. Then he noticed their clothes, and how from top to bottom, they were covered in countless stains ranging from dirt to dried blood. Combine that with all the holes and tears in the materials, and there was no doubt in his mind this child had been abused.

"Is it you?..." They spoke in a quiet and timid voice, their gender indeterminable due to how young they were, "The man who kills monsters...that's you right?..." They asked.

"Yeah, that's me..." He answered, before turning to his right so he could face them, "Who are you? Why are you out here?..." He asked.

In response, the child didn't say anything. instead, they looked to the ground, too afraid to answer that much he could pick up on.

"They'll break the other one..." They said while kicking their feet, revealing that their first horn's loss was a punishment.

"Not if I break them." He replied before kneeling, so he was at face level, "Tell me where they are and how many. I'll kill your monsters for you." He offered.

"R...Really?..." They questioned hesitantly as they looked at him. "You said so yourself." He reminded.

A few seconds of tense silence then followed as the child debated whether they could trust him or not. But even with his reasonably intimidating Makyr helmet equipped, this little Imp had seen far scarier things in their short life already.

"D...Down the alley..." They spoke while pointing behind them, "When you get to the vending machine, the one with the weird stuff in it, you enter a code, and it becomes a door..." They explained.

"The code?" He requested.

"six nine six nine..." They replied.

"Original..." He thought, "Okay. Stay here. Don't follow or go anywhere until you hear the screaming stop, understand?" He instructed.

Receiving a nod in response, he then stood upright and headed for the alley. Following the child's directions, he just kept going straight, eventually seeing a vending machine on the passage's left side.

"Sex toys, really?..." He questioned once he saw its contents, including dildos, butt plugs, strap- ons, lubrication, condoms, and other sex-related items.

Given that the passcode the child told him was sixty-nine twice, it almost seemed like whoever was behind their abuse wanted to be caught. But he knew that was just the average intelligence of people in Lucifer's circle, so when he pressed the code in on the machine's number pad, he had no reason to suspect this was a trap. True to the young Imp's word, the code worked, causing it to sink into the ground, which revealed an open doorway leading down. Descending the concrete stairs that greeted him, soon his footsteps were heard by those further in.

"About fucking time you got your ass back here, ya little shit!" A gruff-sounding voice called out, believing he was the child, "I swear you Imps are all the fucking same. Take your sweet ass time doing these runs. Which you should know after last time isn't good since you're carrying my fucking money." It told him.

Remaining silent as he continued his descent, the Slayer ran a new scan to determine how many people awaited him. In the room this set of stairs connected to it picked up on a dozen individuals, who were all fairly normal in size though they did appear physically fit. However, it was the thirteenth one that caught his attention the most, for they were double the size of the others which led him to assume that was the leader and the one who was talking to him.

"Ey, you little shit, don't ya hear me fucking talking to you?" The voice asked, its owner starting to get mad, "You better have a good goddamn reason you ain't apologizing to me for being so

fucking late again. Otherwise, I'll take that other horn of yours, and this time I'll shove it up your-"

Dead silence, the kind you find in graveyards and cemeteries, is what filled the air once the Slayer reached the bottom. What he saw was a fairly massive room filled with what looked to be demons that resembled sharks, all of whom were either relaxing on the furniture or seated at wooden tables counting cash or sorting some kind of product, most likely a drug. What they saw was the sole reason their circle of Hell had changed, the reason for why their operation, like so many others, had to be so secretive now. But above all else, HE wasn't even supposed to fucking be here anymore!

"Wha...what kind of bullshit is this?..." The one farthest from him on the other side of the room questioned who not only was the biggest but resembled a great white shark specifically.

Slowly turning his head so he could see all of their terrified expressions, the Slayer began cracking all of his knuckles to prepare for what came next.

"Nah...Nah, this ain't fucking real...this is some kind of sick fucking joke, ain't it? Y-You're one of those fucking pricks from a few days ago who tried to muscle in on our business!" The leader suggested, trying his hardest to find a rational explanation, "Y-You think this is fucking funny?!

Dressing up like that maniac?! You think we won't rip you to fucking pieces for this shit?!" He asked.

It was done, all of his knuckles were popped, and he committed their faces to memory, all that remained was savor the screams that came next, so they too would persist in his memory. He thought about which method was best, killing all of the goons quickly, leaving the big one for last, or doing them all slow and relish their suffering. But in the end, he decided to go with the most fitting option, and because all of these demons were sharks, that meant he should fight their teeth with his own. Summoning his chainsaw, he revved it to life the moment it appeared in his hands, the serrated blades of the belt spinning rapidly already.

Then within the blink of an eye, he dashed towards the one closest to him, which was on his left, and followed it up by shoving the weapon into the demon's mouth. Pushing it all the way down their throat, it began tearing away at the esophagus, blood splashing out all around them, both covering everything. Watching with twisted joy as the demon's body violently shook and convulsed from the damage he was dealing, in one quick motion, he pulled the chainsaw upward, splitting the head in two.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" The leader shouted out in horror as his subordinate's now limp body fell to the floor, "KILL THAT BASTARD!" He ordered.

Doing as they were told, though admittedly because they didn't want the same fate, the rest of the demons all drew weapons of varying caliber and opened fire. Of course, this didn't do anything, which the Slayer made clear as he slowly began to approach all of them only to then shove his chainsaw into a specific part of their body. Abdomen, necks, waists, and even their privates were included in this varied selection; he wanted each one to suffer in their own unique way. And yet they didn't run away as they kept dying, but it wasn't out of loyalty to their boss; it was due to a paralyzing fear that anchored them in place, making them squeeze their guns' triggers, hoping they might kill him.

This whole ordeal lasted a surprising amount of time, as the Slayer had no reason to hurry through this and, as stated, want to enjoy every second of it. Eventually, though, he did run out of goons, leaving the only demon left alive, the one who ran this so-called operation.

"No...No, no, no, stay back!" He exclaimed as he back up against the wall, "Y-You're not real! Y- Yeah, that's it! I just got fucking high again, that's all! This all just some bad trip I'm having!" He

reasoned, his grasp on reality rapidly slipping as the fear consumed his mind.

Sending the chainsaw away, the Slayer was left only with his fists, which he wanted as he approached the cowering fish. Now standing a mere few inches from the other, the Slayer leaned in, so their heads were closer before saying something that brought the shark back to his senses.

"Tell me, where exactly were you going to shove. That. Horn?" He asked slowly, wanting each word to hit him like a two-ton truck.

"I...I...I'm so-"

THWACK

He tried to apologize, how cute, but also sad. He actually believed that saying he was sorry at this point meant anything. Surprise, it didn't; the fact was this fully grown man who was almost the size of a car needed to abuse a child to make himself feel strong. Combine this with the fact that he now had the audacity to be afraid, to try and bargain for his life after what he'd done, that pissed him off so goddamn much.

And now, it was time to turn this worthless mass of meat into chum. Punch after punch; the Slayer delivered his blows; the first one had sent the other to the floor and even managed to shatter a few teeth. However, the ones that followed added new dents to the skull, slowly turning it from a perfectly angeled shape to a mangled mess. Even as he was getting savagely beaten, the shark still tried begging for his life, but after enough brain damage, it just came out as gurgling, partially caused by the blood that filled his throat.

That's when the Slayer had an idea, one so brutal yet so perfect he couldn't resist it. Reaching around to his back, he grabbed onto the dorsal fin, after which he tore it off, causing a geyser of blood to shoot out from the wound. But before the demon could die from its injuries or blood loss, the Slayer pried open what was left of his mouth and shoved the fin inside, cramming it in as far as he could. What little life and time the shark had left was spent face down on the floor, choking on his own fin before expiring to countless afflictions.

It was done. Apart from the growing pools of blood from the corpses and the slight twitching, the slaughter was over. Taking a few moments to let his head clear, his blood to stop boiling, and that sadistic grin he'd grown so used to again to disappear, soon he was back to his version of normal. When this happened, the first thing he thought to do was to initiate another scan to make sure there weren't any demons hiding from him.

And while this did lead to several more Hellspawn being detected in a nearby room, he could tell immediately that they were Imps and not demons. Furthermore, they seemed to be in a cell-like area, which made sense as from the child alone, it was obvious these demons saw Imps as lower creatures, or at the very least deserving only to be slaves. Leaving behind his massacre as there was no point in tidying up, when he entered the adjacent space the Imps were immediately frightened or at best surprised by his appearance. But their fear and shock turned to hope and joy when he walked over to the cell, grabbed ahold of the door, and with no effort ripped it off.

Setting off to the side, he then looked down at all of them, noticing they had injuries just like the child and their clothes were in a similar state. However, they remained where they were inside the cell, no doubt still unsure of whether or not he was there to save or kill them.

"Go." He spoke, which caught them completely off guard, "Get to the street. One of the children is waiting for you. When you get there, head straight for the Happy Hotel or anywhere else where you know you'll be safe..." He instructed.

Though still shocked by the fact he spoke, the Imps did as they were told and ran out as fast as possible, not even bothering to look at the mess he made as they wanted freedom more than anything. Waiting until he was sure they were all gone, and after he did a third scan to be sure no one else was here, the Slayer then took his leave of this drug den as well. But when he got to the top of the stairs, he went the opposite way the Imps had run, as he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself than he already had.

Week Two. Late Evening.

"Will miss Eldritch be joining us again?" Tom Trench asked one of his employees as he got dressed.

Becoming the sole news anchor for Channel 666 did a lot for the gas mask demon. Not only was he more confident and overall better emotionally balanced now that Katie wasn't abusing him, but he essentially became the head of the entire station. And unlike Katie, who rose to the top through intimidation, blackmail, and asserting her dominance, Tom's approach was, in short, not being a dick. Because of this, everyone at Channel 666 now loved their jobs; the entire mood of the workplace had shifted from afraid and obedient to eager and motivated.

This is why as he was getting ready for the evening news in his dressing room, putting on his freshly pressed suit, the employees standing nearby were both willing and dedicated to giving him every bit of info of what was going on in their circle.

"No, sir. She stated when we contacted her earlier that she might not be available for some time, says that she's currently working with someone who could be a potential new partner to her cause." They answered.

"Wow, that's shocking. I didn't think she'd let anyone share the spotlight on this project." He admitted, "What're the stories for tonight then?" He asked the next employee.

"Nothing much, unfortunately. As it stands, Lord Lucifer and the royal family as a whole are remaining quiet on the disaster. Though he has promised, there is going to be an eventual press conference where he will give a full explanation." They began before flipping the page on their clipboard to look at the next item, "As for any other significant stories, there's still not much. At best, the reconstruction of the damaged properties is coming along nicely. At worst, some teenagers were caught by the Authorities tagging stores. And that is honestly all we have for tonight." They concluded.

"Eh, not the end of the world. If anything, we were due for a slow news day." He decided as he finished knotting his tie, "Still, it is a bit of a shame. All of this crazy shit starts happening, and we still don't have much to report on after it all began. You'd think something shocking would come along for us to cover." He said.

As if the light of Heaven itself shined down upon his words to make them a reality, the sound of running footsteps reached his and the employees' ears. They were coming from the hallway just outside his dressing room, and soon the demon who the feet belonged to came barging in by forcefully opening the door.

"SWEET TITTY FUCKING CHRIST!" Tom shouted out loud while falling on his butt to the floor, for the demon had swung the door so hard it slammed into the wall, "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" He questioned.

"SIR, I'M SORRY, SIR! BUT I HAD TO COME AND TELL YOU THIS BEFORE ANYONE

ELSE GETS A CHANCE TO COVER IT!" The demon quickly shouted out.

"Cover? Has something happened?" One of his fellow employees asked since they just finished

talking about this.

"A group of Imps that were abused and forced into running drugs in secret for a gang on the outskirts of the city just showed up at the Happy Hotel!" He answered.

"Alright, that is a pretty good story. But does it justify you running in here like a psychopath and destroying my ears?" Tom questioned.

"No, sir. But there's one more thing about this that makes it a top priority!" He assured before taking in a deep breath, "The Imps claim they didn't escape from their captors but were instead saved by the Slayer!" He revealed.

"W-Wait, what?" One of the employees questioned, "That...that's impossible. The Slayer's sealed away in Doom. Everyone knows that!" They exclaimed.

"Did they describe who saved them?" Tom inquired as he got to his feet, keeping a level head about this.

"Word for word, it's an accurate description of the Slayer. However, I know that on its own isn't enough to serve as proof since everyone knows what he looks like, which is why I brought this." He replied as he held out a picture.

Walking over and taking it from his hand, Tom's eyes widened when he saw what was captured in the photo. Bodies, LOTS of bodies, all being carried out of what looked to be an underground hideout, and from the state they were in, it was like someone threw them into a garbage disposal.

"Holy shit, how'd you get this?" He asked.

"One of our crews was still patrolling the city for any new stories when suddenly they saw a bunch of Authorities and even a few of the Sentinels on the move. Assuming something big was happening, they followed in secret and were able to snap a few shots without getting caught." The employee explained, "They also overheard them talking about the Imps, which is why if we want to get on top of this, we should move now, sir!" He added.

Could it be possible? The Slayer, who's been sealed away with Doom since six months ago, could he be back?

"You're right; even if this turns out to be some impeccable imposter, we can't afford to be second, third, or anything else to this story.." Tom decided, "Tell the crew currently in the field to head for the Happy Hotel immediately! And get some additional people there as well, just in case this is real!" He ordered.

"Yes, sir!" All of his employees responded in unison before rushing out of his room.

The Happy Hotel, Twenty Minutes Ago...

"Fuck I am beat!" Angel Dust exclaimed as he walked through the front doors with his arms outstretched, "Could someone get me a nice cold beer or maybe some fruity wine?" He asked while walking over to one of the couches in the lobby.

"Why are you exhausted? You've done nothing except stand around and run your mouth." Vagatha replied as she and the others were right behind him.

"Usually, my ass is either sitting in my luxurious chair behind my luxurious desk or is in the director's seat for one of our productions which is ALSO luxurious. My poor pampered footsies aren't used to being stood on so much." He complained before falling back first onto the sofa.

"You used to be a prostitute. You know, someone who is on their feet all day before they're put on all fours?" She countered.

"HELLO. Weren't you LISTENING?" He asked as he pointed to his feet, "I said that they were PAMPERED now. Walking around all day on the sidewalk looking to catch a cock for cash isn't in my day planner." He explained.

"You had a day planner as a prostitute?" Moxxie questioned.

"You know something? You ask WAY too many questions." He replied with an unamused expression.

"Try working with him..." Loona commented.

"He does, and so do the rest of you." Moxxie reminded.

"Moxxie, for just once, could you learn when to keep your mouth shut? Jesus fucking christ..." Blitzo groaned.

"Someone's a grumpy Gus," Stolas noted, surprised by his lover's attitude.

"Of fucking course I am. Our asses got dragged out to a literal cum dumpster so that we could see a robot spider clean less than one percent of it all in a three-foot circle. Excuse me if I thought we were going to go someplace that didn't suck ass." He replied.

"Why're you complaining? You got out of your programs for the day." Katie reminded.

"Whoopie fucking do, avoided spending time with one group of assholes so that I could spend it with another." He said.

"Can I bind him in shadows again?" Alastor asked, growing tired of his complaining. "Try it, and I'll clean out every inch of your organs when I shove that staff up your-"

"OKAY!" Charlie exclaimed loudly to get everyone's attention, "It's clear that we're all feeling tired and a little cranky after being out all day. So how about we just sit down, relax, and try to suppress any violent urges we might have?" She suggested.

"Works for me." Octavia agreed as she plopped down in a chair and took out her phone.

Following her example, everyone picked a piece of furniture to unwind in and relax. That left Charlie, Vagatha, Lilith, and Sir Pentious surprisingly still standing in front of the entrance.

"Why didn't you go?" Vagathe questioned being the first to do so.

"You kidding? After how they treated me earlier, I don't feel like gracing any of them with my presence." He replied.

"Aw Pentious, you're more sensitive than I realized," Charlie said with a sympathetic smile while putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I am not sensitive! Scales are just...not as thick as everyone thinks they are..." He lied while

looking away out of embarrassment.

Unable to keep the mushy side of her heart at bay any longer, Charlie pulled him into a hug to make him feel better. And while he continued to avert his gaze and looked displeased, he didn't even struggle as he did honestly need that. For the next few minutes, everyone was able to unwind, let their muscles relax, and just ease into the comfortable material of their seats. But good things never last, for soon, they'd all hear a knock at one of the twin doors.

"What kind of dumbass knocks on the door of a hotel?..." Blitzo questioned, feeling so confused that it made him look in that direction.

"I mean, it is late, sir," Moxxie replied.

"Moxxie, this place is open twenty-four seven." He countered with a deadpan expression.

Before their bickering could continue, Charlie decided to do the obvious thing and find out who was on the other side by simply opening the door.

"Hello! And welcome to the Happy Hoteeeeeeee..." She trailed off, her eyes quickly widening and her smile dropping.

"Hon? What is it?" Vagatha inquired as she walked over.

Grabbing the door herself, she opened it some more so the rest of them could see, at which point their expressions mimicked hers. Standing outside on the porch was a group of Imps. Most were adults, some were teens, and a few were very young children. But it wasn't their presence that shocked everyone so severely; it was the state of both their bodies and their clothes.

Bruises, stains on their attire that were either dried blood or dirt, their horns and tails either mangled or had sizeable pieces removed, they could tell that wherever these Imps came from was a Hell all of its own.

"H-Hello..." One of the adult Imps greeted with a scared, timid gaze, "Th-This...this is the Happy Hotel...right?..." He asked.

Hearing that snapped Charlie back to her senses, every fiber of her being going into overdrive as she knew she had to do something.

"Come in, please!" She exclaimed before proceeding to lead them in as fast as she could but still made sure to do it gently to avoid scaring or hurting them, "I am Charlie. The owner and manager of the hotel. Have a seat, and we will take care of you immediately!" She assured.

Quickly getting on the same page as her, the others all sprang into action. First, they got out of their seats so the Imps would have a place to sit down. Then the swiftest of the lot, who were Nifty, Cherri, Moxxie, and Millie, all ran to find some staff members to help out. Lastly, you had Angel, Katie, and Alastor, who went to the dining hall to get them some food and drinks because they could tell these people hadn't eaten anything decent for a while.

"My word, what happened to all of you?" Stolas asked with great concern, his paternal instincts taking over the moment he laid eyes on the abused children.

"W-We were c-couriers...forced couriers...for a g-gang..." The same Imp from before answered, seeming to be the leader, "Th-They kept us in a cell...threw us sc-scraps...a-and if we were ever l- late or came back empty-handed...or even j-just a little short...they'd punish us..." He explained.

"Why didn't you fight back? I mean, I know we're on the smaller side of things, but we can still kick plenty of ass!" Blitzo exclaimed, hoping to lift their spirits with some pep talk.

"They were t-too big...too tough...even if we g-ganged up on one, he would've k-killed most of us before we did any real d-damage..." He replied.

"You poor things! I am so sorry you had to go through something like that!" Charlie exclaimed, tears rapidly pooling in her eyes.

Before any more words were exchanged, the others returned from their tasks. Nifty, Cherri, Moxxie, Millie, and many staff members came rushing in with blankets and began handing them out, with Alastor, Katie, and Angel doing the same with the sustenance they were able to procure.

"Th-Thank you..." The Imp said on behalf of himself and the rest of his group.

"It's the least we can do after all you have been through," Lilith assured him with a saddened expression, "However, we need to get you all to a hospital. Or at the very least, have some doctors come and examine you." She told them.

"Wait a second." Sir Pentious spoke up as something just dawned on him, "How did all of you even escape?" He asked while putting a hand to his chin, "You just said that altogether you couldn't even take down one of your captors. So unless they all Overdosed or fell asleep at the same time while leaving the front door open, it doesn't make sense that you were able to escape." He pointed out.

"Y-You're right...it d-doesn't make any sense...both to you and for u-us..." The Imp replied. "What do you mean? What happened?" Vagatha questioned.

A small moment of silence transpired as the Imp, and most of the group all looked at one of the children.

"It's okay." One of them whispered to the child.

"...It was him...the man who kills monsters..." They spoke, doing so in a whisper. "Who is that, sweetie?" Charlie asked, trying to be as comforting as possible. "The Slayer..." They answered.

In that instant, everyone's world came to an immediate stop, their eyes went wide, and their bodies became stiff. But it wasn't because they didn't believe what the child just told them, nor that they were shocked that Will would do something like this because, of course, he would. Unfortunately, this caused a LOT of problems, ignoring the surprise of Will's return, and his celebration would be ruined; if word got out to everyone he was back, the entire circle would be sent into a frenzy.

"F-Forgive me, I don't mean to sound rude or that none of us believe you," Lilith said, being the first to speak after a few seconds went by, "But are you sure it was him? It could've been a vigilante or something similar using his image as a disguise." She suggested.

"No, it was him, we're s-sure of that..." The male Imp replied, redirecting the attention back to him, "A-And even if weren't, before we g-got here we were sp-spotted by two Authorities who were on p-patrol. When we told them what happened, they c-called for more to arrive, along with those soldiers that look like knights. And they s-said it had to be him." He explained.

"Wait, you ran into the Authorities? And they sent you here instead of keeping you with them or taking you somewhere else?" Katie questioned, finding that detail to be strange.

"A-At first no, but when we t-told them the Slayer wanted us to c-come here, they let us go." He replied.

Ah, yeah, that makes sense. If Will told either the Authorities or the Sentinels to run around in circles, they'd probably do it until they collapsed from exhaustion. Still, this whole situation was insane. How did Will even find out about these Imps? Was his business to patrol the city looking for trouble? Or was this just something he walked into by accident?

All of these questions and many more were important, but for right now, their top priority was making sure these Imps were safe, taken care of, and treated for their abuse. Which would've been super easy; after all, the hotel's run by the entire Magne family at this point, getting the best doctors in Pentagram city to make a house call and be discrete about it would've taken no effort.

Sadly things never seem to happen the way they should, or if they do, it always comes with a mountain of complications, such as this instance where before they could do anything, they heard yet another knock at the door.

"Is that more Imps?" Angel Dust asked as Charlie hastily ran to the door. "N-No...we're all here...I-I don't know who that is..." The Imp answered.

"Then that means it's probably Will!" Charlie called back to them, as it made sense he'd show up not long after they did.

Similar to how pulling a pin from a grenade will cause it to explode, when Charlie pulled open both front doors, she unleashed chaos. In the blink of an eye, the lobby quickly filled with several demons, all carrying equipment related to television in one way or another. And while this caught everyone off guard, so much so that they didn't say or do anything right away, there was one among them who immediately knew what the fuck was happening.

"That son of a bitch..." Katie thought with a sneer, for she knew exactly where they came from and who sent them.

"Princess! Is it true that the Slayer's returned from Doom? If so, how is that even possible?" "Were those Imps really saved by the savior of creation? Or is this an elaborate hoax crafted by one of our citizens who seeks justice? Or could it be something planned by the Authorities as part of the reform?" "If he has come back, has he made contact with you? Or anyone from Slayer Studios? It would make sense that he'd seek out the help of his former lovers!" The many reporters asked, bombarding Charlie with questions.

"Excuse me!" Angel Dust called out, gaining the reporters' attention, "Hi, I don't mean to interrupt all of you being assholes, but could you mind telling me what the FUCK you mean when you say, former lovers?" He requested, instantly pissed.

"Oh, come on, there's no way that you and your business partner didn't have sex with him. EVERYONE knows that." One of the reporters said.

"Alright. I've heard enough." Katie decided as she walked over to stand in front of Charlie, "Here's what's going to happen, m'kay? All of you are going to get the fuck outside, get on the fucking phone to your limp-dicked boss, and you are going to tell his ass if he wants all of you to be sent back with heads on your fucking shoulders, you'll get out of here right NOW." She told them sternly.

"Pfft, nice try, but you're not our boss anymore. So you don't intimidate us." Another reporter replied.

Hoo boy, they fucked up, and they fucked up HARD. Even Alastor, who was usually one of the few to never really react, felt a bit uneasy at what was about to happen. Katie's pupils disappeared into the deep crimson of her eyes, the fabric of her suit grew out into new sleeves as she summoned more appendages, and her teeth, although already somewhat sharp, changed to bear a stronger resemblance to daggers.

"Okay, let's try this one more time." She said in a low chilling tone, which made the spines of every person from channel 666 turn to jelly, "Either you get out of this hotel right fucking now. Or I will slowly peel the skin off of your bodies, and as you lie there on the floor writhing in horrible agony, I will shove the strips I take down your throats so you can taste how full of shit you are.

How does that sound?" She asked.

Yup that did it. Without saying another word or making any noises, the sizeable group of demons all ran out the doors, making sure to slam them shut as they went.

"BRAVO KATIE! BRAVO!" Alastor cheered for her, even clapping his hands to show it was genuine praise and not him mocking her, "I haven't seen true unbridled terror like that in quite a while! You were terrific!" He carried on.

"Thanks, Al. That actually means a lot coming from you. Which of us is the more insane because of that I have no idea." She said as she turned back to normal.

"I am SO sorry that you had to experience that!" Charlie apologized while turning on her heels to look back at the Imps, "I promise they will not be allowed in here so they can bother you." She assured.

"Yeah, well, you might wanna do more than that, princess." Cherri commented as she crossed her arms, "Even with Katie putting the fear of Vega into them, you know for a fact they ain't leaving. This place is gonna be swarmed soon with more reporters from every outlet in the city, not just channel 666. Along with all of the lunatics who'll show up wanting to see Will once they catch wind, he's back." She explained.

"Don't worry; I'm already on top of it," Lilith replied for her daughter, having taken out her cellphone so she could call someone.

Else where...

"...I don't like this..." Lucifer said quietly with an irritated expression, staring intently at his desk.

In what had become a norm for the devil and his brother, Lucifer and Gabriel were sitting in his office, spending the evening together.

"Did I say something to upset you?" Gabriel asked, finding his sibling's demeanor to be strange.

"It's peaceful, Gabriel. For once in what has felt like an eternity, my circle is peaceful. I'm not buried in paperwork, I don't have my advisors, nobles, or Overlords badgering me for information, and we aren't dealing with a crisis that could end all of creation." He answered.

"For most people, that would be an incentive to open a bottle of wine and celebrate," Gabriel replied.

"Gabriel, this is our family and friends we're talking about." He countered with as serious of an expression as he could make, "At any point in time where we have ever been able to breathe easy or relax, it is then met with something that makes us want to bash our heads against the wall or briefly escape reality through the means of copious alcohol consumption." He told him.

"That sounds more like a desperate cry for help," Gabriel said, now believing that his brother might be a raging alcoholic.

But before he could try and prod his brother for more information, their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Lucifer's cellphone.

"Hello?" He greeted as he pulled it out and answered, "Oh Lilith, nice to hear from you, honey. How'd the others react when they saw the location?" He asked, referring to what they did earlier that day, "...Huh...okay...yeah, no sure I'll get right on that...they'll be there before you can even put your phone away...alright...love you too." He said before pressing the end call button.

"Has something happened?" Gabriel inquired as his brother put his phone away.

"Yup. Another fucking fire." He replied before promptly slamming his head down on his desk.

Meanwhile, In Urdak...

The sounds of fingers tapping screens and keys filled the air of the Wretch's and Samur's facility, as both were preparing for the first test of the portal technology made to work with the Dark One's soul sphere. Usually, both men would work in total silence and only speak to each other when necessary. But since last week, Samur had grown concerned for his partner, believing to see an unease and subtle paranoia that wasn't present before then, which compelled him to learn more.

"...Wretch." He spoke to get the other's attention, "I know we aren't exactly...friendly with each other. In a sense, we have casual conversations and spend time outside of our work in each other's company. But I still see you as not only my equal but an intellectual with who I am both happy and eager to work alongside." He began.

"Such a statement from you is humbling Samur as it is an honor to be seen so highly by someone of your prestige and position." The Wretch replied, "However the suddenness of this praise is suspicious." He noted.

"I just want you to know that if something ever troubles you, something that you feel most wouldn't understand, that I would be more than willing to listen and help you," Samur explained.

"Again, that humbles me. Knowing a Seraph would help a worthless mistake of flesh and soul such as myself, thank you." He responded.

Deciding to stop there as he didn't want to upset him or run the risk that he'd refrain from speaking anymore should he suspect something, Samur focused back on their work and said nothing else on the matter for now. It'd only take a few more minutes before the preparations were done. All they needed to do was confirm with the Khans that the Doom portal was ready.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Samur asked, "We could always send an automated scout through the rift. There's no reason you have to be the one to do it." He told the Wretch.

"No. You saw what became of the machine we allowed to connect with the soul sphere's energy for fifteen seconds. If we send anything else, we run the risk of creating a monster. And while the

Khans are more than capable of dealing with that outcome, there is the possibility something goes wrong, and the creature is sent somewhere else. I am the only logical choice as I was made from his power like every other demon from the realm." The Wretch argued.

"Which is exactly why the Khans and I have our concerns. We already know his power affects you differently because of what you are. Who's to say something terrible won't happen when you are going through the portal?" He suggested.

"Hence why I grafted this suit unto my person Samur. Even if something does happen to my flesh and bone, I will regenerate all lost tissue, among other things, again I am the only proper candidate for this experiment." He insisted.

He knew he was right. Sending anyone or thing else through the portal would be the decision of a fool. But just as how the Khans were growing attached to the demon, so was Samur, for as he said himself, they had a great deal in common. Yet this was not the time to let personal feelings or concerns become impediments; they needed to get production started on the celestial locator as soon as possible.

The only way to make that happen was to conduct this test.

"You're right. I apologize." Samur said before turning his attention to a platform that laid beyond their workstation, "Go stand in the center of the device. You will be transported to the station in Doom within a few seconds." He instructed.

Nodding in response, the Wretch did just that, and once he was centered on the platform, he waited for things to get underway. Giving one final check to the coordinates and making sure there were no errors after that, Samur activated the device and teleported him out of Urdak.

The Void

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...What...is this?... Where am I?... Does...anyone know?..."

How long had he been here? In his mind, only a few seconds. But given the unusual nature of the space he found himself in, he could be wrong. He was sure this wasn't Doom; even the deepest trenches of the darkest pits were nothing like this.

Currently, he was floating, though he discovered he could also stand, almost as if whatever rules dictated this place didn't exist but also did at the same time. Anything and nothing was possible; he was blind but could also see forever; nothing restrained him, and yet he felt confined by the lack of any limitations. To make matters worse, it felt like his mind was present in more than one place, in the sense that it was like he was present in multiple locations at the same time. He could hear Samur and the Khans panicking in Urdak and Doom, which confirmed his assumption that a lot of time had passed since the experiment was conducted.

He could also hear countless voices that he presumed came from Lucifer's circle of Hell, based solely on the fact they were all speaking of the Slayer. But that's when he heard someone else, a person he didn't know the identity of and couldn't discern it from what they were saying. However,

his focus wasn't on who they were, only on the words they spoke.

"Look, I'm not saying I don't have faith in your people. I just want to make sure you're realistic about things, it has been two weeks, and still, we haven't heard shit."

Why? Why did he hear this voice? He had some kind of connection with the others, but how did he know this random individual? The answer to these questions soon followed, being delivered to him firstly with a burning sensation throughout his entire body.

"Finally." The voice of the Dark One spoke as the burning worsened, "No longer shielded by the holy realm of Urdak. Separated from your divine protectors. I have been waiting for this chance for so long." He said.

"Hey? Are you listening to me? Helloooooo?" The other voice called out, speaking to the Dark One.

"H-H0W?! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! YOU...HOW CAN YOU...DO THIS...WITHOUT YOUR

POWER?!" The Wretch shouted out in pain, at a loss for how the Dark One was capable of this in his current state.

"As I told you before. You belong to me. I gave you your flesh and soul. The only reason you were able to defy me in the past was due to the runes and carvings you made for protection. Then when you fled to one of the creator's children to hide, only to then seek asylum with him. But now that you are within the space that exists between all reality, the endless nothingness that the creator cast our realm into, there is nothing that keeps me from

you." He explained.

With that, their conversation was over; the burning the Wretch felt kept getting worse. Using his soul against him, as it was a concentrated piece of the Dark One's power, he could do whatever he wanted to with this insubordinate traitor so long as he remained here. Fortunately for the demon but not for the Dark One, this torment lasted no longer; he was pulled from The Void to another location within an instant. Hitting what felt like ground composed of dirt with a hard thud, the only other sensation his body could detect apart from the mind-numbing pain were blades of grass brushing against his skin.

"H-How...how..." He barely whispered out, too tired from what he endured to say anything else.

Slowly letting go of all control over himself, the Wretch succumbed to darkness. The last thing he felt and saw was two hands grabbing hold of his body and a vibrant array of colors entering his vision.

Week Three. Hell.

Warmth, not a burning sensation or something similar, is what met the Wretch as he regained consciousness. How long had he'd been out? It was impossible to know, though he guessed it had to be at least a couple of days or even a week. But as seconds became minutes, his vision slowly returning, allowing him to see through his visor, he was surprised to find he wasn't in Urdak nor a place unfamiliar to him.

"This...is my home..." He muttered, slowly pulling himself into an upright position.

Looking intently at his surroundings to be sure it was real, the longer he studied the environment, the more positive he was that this was his den.

"How...am I back here?..." He questioned.

"I believe I can answer that." A familiar voice suddenly spoke, coming from behind him.

Turning around as quickly as he could, which unfortunately was slow due to his current state, the Wretch saw the creator himself standing within his domicile.

"Creator...why are you here?..." Was the Wretch's first question, as he assumed, it would lead to a domino chain of answers.

"If you'll recall, I told both you and Samur that I would be visiting Abaddon to check on them. But when I did, I was met with a discovery that made me stay for a week." He replied.

"Oh...right...I remember you sending a message back to Samur and me informing us of your continued absence..." The Wretch said as the fog that filled his mind slowly cleared, "But...if my memory does not fail me...you never told us the exact reason..." He added.

"You are correct. I didn't say because I wanted it to be a big surprise for everyone once we got this whole mess sorted. But then you had to go and get yourself in trouble." Vega told him, though he did so in his usual passive tone and not one of anger or disappointment.

"Forgive me, creator. But I truly was the only appropriate choice, if we sent Samur, one of the drones or angels, or sent a simple machine through the portal who knows what it could have caused." He explained while bowing his head.

"Oh no, there's no need for you to apologize, Wretch. Your reasoning is entirely sound." Vega assured, "And even if it weren't, I'd expect no less from you and your willingness to sacrifice your well-being for others." He added.

"You've come to know me so well, creator." The Wretch replied as he tilted his head back up, "So, where is Abaddon?" He inquired, curious as to why they weren't here.

"They couldn't stand seeing you in such a state, I'm afraid." Vega said with a sigh, "To be honest, it was also difficult for me to look at you when I pulled you from The Void. Your body was burnt in several locations, with most of them still smoking. From what we could tell, it seems like the Dark One was trying to burn you alive, possibly so he could reclaim your soul to regain some of his power." He explained.

"That makes sense; I am the only demon apart from those who escaped with him who still lives. In addition to being the only traitor, his ranks have ever known." The Wretch replied, "But this brings forward an important question, how did you know what became of me?" He asked.

"Oh come now, Wretch, do you honestly think Samur and the Khans didn't start panicking when you didn't appear after nearly five whole minutes? They reached out to me practically begging to locate you and see if you were alright." Vega answered.

"Even Samur?" He questioned, finding that hard to believe.

"Well...to a certain extent. He was by far the calmest while all seven Khans were an incoherent mess. He was the one who suggested I investigate The Void first." Vega admitted.

"I'd expect no less." He said before trying to get to his feet.

Seeing this, Vega held out a hand for him to grab onto, which the demon gladly accepted. "Wanting to see Abaddon?" Vega questioned.

"Partially, yes, but I also would like to stop sitting on my ass and use my legs." He replied, which caused the other to laugh.

"Understandable," Vega said as he put his other hand on the demon's shoulder.

Helping him walk across the room to the staircase that'd take them above ground, around a fourth of the way up, he could start walking on his own.

"Creator." He spoke again as something came to mind, "When I was pulled from The Void, I know I felt dirt and grass. But neither of these things exist in Abaddon's domain." He said.

"Well, they do now," Vega replied casually with no further explanation. "...Would...you care to elaborate?..." He pressed, finding that response quite baffling. "Abaddon became known as the Angel of The Abyss. Do you know why?" Vega asked.

"Because their circle, unlike any other, was an empty wasteland. Any object or person ethereal or corporeal, would wither to ash instantly. Only they and myself, with their permission, were allowed to exist in this domain." He answered.

"And why pray tell did things turn to ash upon their arrival?" Vega asked.

"Because that is their power. To break down anything, even a person's soul, to its finest components and spread them throughout the realm. They can do this without direct interaction, for again, unlike their siblings, this circle is also them. It is simultaneously an extension of their soul and the soul itself." He answered.

"Very good. Although you lack some important information." Vega said. "Which is?" He inquired.

"Abaddon's power is not exclusively to dismantle things. That is merely one potential use that is a result of their intent." Vega began as he put his hands behind his back, "You see, of all my children, I bestowed Abaddon with a power similar to mine. Within a space that they make themselves, they have complete control. Not even I can act against their will should they disallow it." He explained.

"Incredible. But would it not be dangerous to bestow such power onto one of your children? What if they ever decided to usurp you or rebelled much how Lucifer did with Gabriel?" The Wretch asked.

"Not a possibility, and it is for two reasons." He replied as he then held up two fingers, "The first is because, as stated, only in the space of their own making do they have complete control. So in Heaven which is of my creation alone, my power is absolute, though I suppose that can apply to most facets of creation." He admitted, "The second is because I trust my children and respect their wishes. At no point in time have I ever imposed my personal feelings or will as authority over them. As I've said many times, to do so would betray the whole purpose of creating sentience. If I wanted them to follow directions to the letter or do as I say without fail, I would've made them puppets, not people." He told him.

"Of course. Forgive my unintentional ignorance." The Wretch apologized, causing the other to chuckle.

"It's quite alright; it is a lot of information to process after all." He assured, "But keeping things on topic, you should know that I gave my children their power only when they formed their identities. As I didn't want them to base who they were as people off of something as trivial as power." He revealed.

"If that's true, then what was it about Abaddon that made you give them the power they received?" The Wretch asked.

"Their boundless imagination. They spent all of their time as a child staring in wonder at the cosmos I was forging. The mortal realm long before any life came to thrive in it where only celestial bodies and an endless array of colors filled the darkness of space. They were so inspired they even based their appearance around it, wanting to be a living representation of the endless possibilities they saw in my work." He answered.

"That must've been a proud moment for you." The Wretch said.

"It was. All of my children were fascinated with what I could make but none more so than Abaddon. And when I gave them a power similar to mine so they could make their dreams and fantasies real, they set to work creating a beautiful paradise." He replied.

"Does that place still exist?" The Wretch asked.

"No, sadly. When the split in our family occurred, Abaddon erased it. But now it seems as though they are giving it a rebirth." He answered as they finally reached the top of the stairs.

Reeling back as a bright shining light assaulted his vision, once the Wretch's sight adjusted what he saw left him speechless. Before you could see endlessly, the only thing to block your view of the vast empty grey-colored wasteland was a few relics from the war or piles of ash that stood at a considerable height. But now it was all different; the ash-covered ground was now full of healthy green grass, the mute sky above was now alive with blue, and the terrain was no longer as flat as a few hills could be discerned. Then, the scenery was filled with trees, blooming flowers, and even a nearby pond.

"Welcome, to The Garden of Eden." Vega declared, a noticeable proud tone laced in his words.

"This...is beautiful..." The Wretch said quietly, "I cannot believe that...this is the same place..." He added.

"Right? Abaddon has done a fantastic job embracing their true self again." Vega replied, continuing to boast about his child, "Though I will say, it might not be possible if you two never met." He admitted.

"I cannot possibly take any credit or praise for this. It is purely Abaddon's work alone." The Wretch argued.

"I disagree. Without you, my child would've been alone this entire time. In addition to that, Gabriel would not have been sent here, which led to both him and Lucifer returning to fetch Abaddon, where they learned of Azrael finally finding romance. And that caused their soul to fill with joy as they and Azrael were always closest to each other." He listed, "My point is Wretch, although there were a few other factors, your place in Abaddon's life was the most important. Whether you choose to accept that fact or not is your choice to make; nevertheless, as their father, I thank you for looking after my child." He said.

"I should be saying that to you, for it is Abaddon who gave me a haven after I abandoned Doom." The Wretch replied before slowly looking towards the creator, "But still, having your gratitude in any form is...one of the most incredible things I could ever hope to obtain. Thank you for giving it to me." He told him.

For the next few seconds, silence came between them, as both enjoyed the thanks they received and the pleasantness of their surroundings.

"...Wait." The Wretch spoke first as yet another thought came to his mind, "Why were you alone in my den? I'd expect Abaddon to come to see me once I started getting better." He said.

"Was wondering when you'd ask that." Vega admitted while looking around them, "They spent this past week making all that you see outside of your den. They wanted you to wake to something pleasant." He revealed, "As for where they are now, they are in Urdak working alongside the Khans and Samur on a new project." He added.

"That...is surprising, to say the least." The Wretch replied, "May I ask what purpose it serves?" He requested.

"Afraid not. They were steadfast that I mustn't share a single detail with you." Vega replied. "Please, do not tell me it is some kind of gift." He said.

"No, not at all. They didn't want you to be worried about it while you recover, which is exactly what you'll be doing for this week." Vega assured.

"And I'm guessing your presence is to make sure I'll stay put until then?" He asked. "Bingo," Vega answered, causing him to sigh.

Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...

Lucifer had a very spacious office, big enough to house his desk, two couches, a coffee table between them, a chair in front of his desk, as well as some extras that rested against the wall, a few bookshelves, and a fireplace behind his chair. And even with so much space already claimed by these items, there was plenty of room for people to walk around and move freely. But now, as he sat at his desk, he found that remaining space quickly filled, as his daughter, his wife, his brother, and three demons who had no familial relation to him were there to see him.

"So...I'm guessing all of you want some answers." Lucifer said to start things off.

"No shit, sherlock." Angel Dust replied with his arms crossed as he was one of the demons, while the other two were Katie and Vagatha.

"Which should I give first?" He asked.

"Gee, I dunno, how about where the FUCK Will has been for a fucking week, asshole!?" The spider demon shouted angrily in reply.

"I suppose that would be the best place to start." Lucifer agreed while staying calm, for he and the others had every right to be angry, "As you all know when word got out that Will, or more appropriately the Slayer, might be back in Hell everyone went ape shit. That's why Lilith called me and asked that I have Authorities and the Sentinels stand guard at the hotel and Slayer Studios so the masses wouldn't bother you, or at least not as much." He explained, "Unfortunately, this presented a considerable problem for Will. He couldn't go back to the hotel or his room at Slayer Studios without being seen in this frenzy. So he had to find shelter somewhere that no one would think to search for him." He finished.

"Okay, that does make sense." Katie said, "Still, why hasn't he contacted us? Or rather anyone beyond you?" She questioned.

"Because...where he is staying is going to boil your blood..." He replied.

Letting a lull in the conversation happen for a moment to see if they'd figure it out independently; as all of their eyes shot wide open, he could tell they reached the same conclusion.

"HE'S STAYING WITH HELSA?!" All of them shouted at once, with Gabriel being the only exception as he already knew.

"Yes. And if all you promise that you're not going to try and kill me, I can explain why." Lucifer said.

"Dad! How could you let him stay with...with...that bitch?!" Charlie questioned, which caught him off guard as he wasn't used to hearing his daughter speak like that.

"Sweetie, do you HONESTLY think that if I even wanted to stop him, I'd be capable of accomplishing that?" He asked.

"...No..." She answered as a frown came to her face, "But still, dad! It's HELSA!" She emphasized.

"I have to agree, dear." Lilith spoke, "Although I do not share our daughter's unbridled hatred towards her, I still acknowledge that she is a dangerously intelligent opportunist. Allowing Will to be in her company for even a small amount of time is worrying." She said.

"I feel like we're going in circles here..." Lucifer stated while letting out a sigh, "As I said before, do any of you honestly think that anyone, including Helsa, could make him do something he doesn't want to do? Because no matter how smart she is nor how crafty, she cannot pull a fast one on him or make him a pawn in any plans she may have." He told them.

"I agree with my brother." Gabriel said, finally speaking up, "The Slayer would not allow himself to enter the abode of someone he deems untrustworthy or even the slightest bit a threat. So while it is no secret that Helsa has her plan, and she does seek his aid to whatever capacity it will serve, there's no chance that he can be manipulated or that she is a

threat." He explained.

"We're not worried about her trying some shit with him, dude. If she even blinks funny, he'd snap her like a toothpick." Angel Dust replied.

"Then I am lost." He admitted.

"Likewise," Lucifer said, being in the same boat as his brother.

"Look, guys, it's simple." Vagatha spoke up, electing herself to be the one to lay it out for them, "Almost everyone respects and admires Will. And for those who don't, they at least recognize the fact that he's the single most brutal bastard to ever come to our circle. So imagine how much momentum Helsa's cause would gain if she took just one picture with him. Or, at the very least, make some kind of appearance with him once things have settled. And it wouldn't be manipulation or deception because they've already approached him before, so he knows what they're up to, and it's up to him whether or not he allows that to happen." She explained.

"But he knows that she and her movement are against the reform. So the likelihood that he'd allow anything that could slander it or us is hard to believe." Lucifer argued.

"True, but there's nothing wrong with a photo on its own. She wouldn't be asking him to flat out say the reform sucks or that she's got the right idea and we don't. But how the people interpret his appearance in a photo is entirely unpredictable, though it is safe to say where it would lean." She replied.

"Plus, we just want to see him! His party's in two weeks!" Angel Dust chimed in. "Two? I thought you'd only needed a month for the celebration?" Lucifer questioned.

"We did. But now that everyone's on Slayer alert, getting everything set up in secret is going to be impossible." Katie told him, "On the plus side, we got the building cleaned thanks to Pentious and Vox, vermin free too." She added.

"Ah, I see." He responded as he put his hands in front of him on his desk, "Then how about this, while all of you continue to get his celebration ready, I will try and figure out a way for him to come and join you without the public catching wind of it. However, that might take some time." He suggested.

"That works out well for us. We have to get back to the others and see how everything's coming along, as well as meet the only other performer we were able to book for the event." Lilith said.

"Oh? Who'd you get?" He asked.

.

.

.

"VEROSIKA?!" Blitzo shouted in anger, his whole body becoming hot with hatred the moment he laid eyes on her.

With most of their group forced to stay put at their respective residences due to the insanity currently sweeping the city, Blitzo, and Co, who were nobodies, were the only ones left to oversee the work at the location. For the most part, it was straightforward: Make sure the extra hands that

were hired didn't fuck up getting the booths set up or break any equipment. But then there was the matter of meeting the additional entertainment the Magnes managed to find, who Blitzo assumed would be some kind of one-man-band bullshit or something. To their surprise and Blitzo's rage, it was actually one of the most well-known pop stars in their circle, who just so happened to be Blitzo's ex.

"Huh, that's weird. I could've sworn Lilith told me all the shit in this place was cleaned up. I guess they missed a spot." The female demon said as she and her posse approached.

"Wait...how do you two know each other?..." Moxxie questioned, as his boss knowing a celebrity, made no sense whatsoever.

"We dated," Blitzo revealed much to the shock of the others.

"NO. FUCKING. WAY." Loona said as loudly as she could, her mouth hung open and her eyes as wide as they could be.

"That's...that's just insane..." Millie muttered to herself.

"Oh, come on! Do you guys really think I'm incapable of hooking up with someone like her?" He questioned.

"Yes." All three said in unison, not needing to think about it at all.

"Oof, even your friends, acknowledge that you suck ass Blitzo, that must hurt." Verosika taunted with a smirk.

"Funny coming from someone who begged me to keep doing exactly that the last time I saw you." He countered with a smirk of his own while crossing his arms.

"Oh...oh my brain...it...hurts so much from that visual..." Moxxie stammered as he gripped the sides of his head.

"Yeah, could you both like, NOT talk about fucking each other in front of us?" Loona requested.

"Hm, that's fair. I have no reason to torture you three, just your boss whose only talent in life is a dildo. Both figuratively and literally." Verosika said.

"Haha! You know, that's REALLY funny, especially since I own your slutty ass right now." He told her.

In response to that, Verosika snapped her fingers and made a contract appear, which she then grabbed onto and held out to him.

"Read the paper bitch, the only thing you own is the air inside your empty skull." She said.

Grabbing onto it and pulling it as close to his face that he could, as Blitzo rapidly read through the inked words, his anger only rose.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BULLSHIT?!" He shouted out while waving it in front of her.

"The contract I worked out with Lilith. If you don't believe me, you can look at the bottom there and see her signature right next to mine." She told him.

"Uh, excuse me." Moxxie spoke up to get her attention, "May I?" He requested while pointing to the contract.

"Help yourself, cutie." She replied before snapping her fingers again, which teleported the contract from Blitzo's hands to his.

"Cutie?" He questioned.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Moxxie, a celebrity just called you cute!" Millie exclaimed with glee as she was thrilled to know even someone as glamorous as Verosika thought her husband was adorable.

"Don't let it go to your head now, dude," Loona told him while lightly nudging his back with her leg.

"Uh...hehe...right..." He replied awkwardly, not sure how to respond to any of this, "Ahem, anyway, back to the contract..." He said before focusing on reading it, "Hmm...oh wow, it says here that Verosika has complete control over her contribution to the show. This includes stage setup, additional personnel, what songs she'll perform, who she'll speak to, who she'll work with, who is allowed to get within a twenty-foot radius of her to which Blitzo isn't, and several other things." He described.

"Yup. But it can pretty much be summed up as me being my own. Fucking. Boss." She said slowly while staring down at Blitzo, "So just because you get to have a taste of what REAL power is like by bossing around these losers doesn't mean you can do the same with me. Got that?" She asked.

Although every single fiber of his being wanted to punch straight through her teeth and pull her tongue out so he could play jump rope with it. Blitzo knew if he did that, it'd cause WAY too many problems for both him and everyone else to be worthwhile.

"...Fine..." He answered through gritted teeth, "But I swear if you try and undo any of the shit we're doing or act like this is your show, I will fuck you. And this time, not in a fun way." He promised.

"You say that like it was fun the last time." She replied before turning her back to him, "Keep the contract cutie, we got copies." She said to Moxxie before she and her posse walked away.

Leaving the three Imps and Hellhound behind, there was only one question left to be asked by any of them.

"So...how'd you tap that?" Millie asked Blitzo as she REALLY wanted to know how that happened.

Elsewhere...

Those who work for celebrities, nobles, or Overlords, quickly build immunity to being awestruck by notable figures in society. Surrounded by glamour and extravagance makes them nigh impossible to impress. Only the royal family or those from Heaven could get a reaction out of them. But for the butlers and maids of the Eldritch estate, over this last week, they found themselves incapable of maintaining their composure because of the guest currently staying with the family.

"Is...is everything alright, sir?" One of the maids asked timidly, overwhelmed by excitement that refused to die down no matter how much time passed.

"Yes..." The Slayer replied as he sharpened his wrist-mounted blade, a practice he'd done to help pass the time lately.

"Are you sure? It'd be no trouble at all to get you something to eat or drink, and it has been some time since you had anything." She said.

Looking over his shoulder ever so slightly at the woman, although her skin was red like many other Imps, he could still see the nervous blush filling her cheeks.

"...Okay..." He agreed to make her feel better, which proved successful as a smile graced her features.

"Juice as usual?" She inquired, receiving a nod in response, "Very good, I'll return with it swiftly." She promised before leaving.

Listening to her footsteps as she hurried back inside, the Slayer returned his focus to his blade and the whetstone he held in his right hand. Due to the Eldritch estate's high walls, he didn't need to confine himself to avoid public detection. If anyone even tried touching them, their security would have them detained or thrown into the street in an instant. Besides, he liked being outside; the city's sounds and the gentle breeze blowing the grass and the leaves in the trees were relaxing.

It also allowed him as much alone time as possible, which was surprisingly scarce even now as someone, in particular, wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

"You know, keep sharpening that blade of yours, and you'll end up with a pocket knife," Helsa said jokingly as she approached.

"So long as it's sharp..." He replied, causing her to snort, "Did I say something funny?..." He asked sincerely.

"You and I have only spent a week together, reasonably of course, and I can already tell that all that goes on in that head of yours is murder." She answered before sitting down in the lawn chair beside his own, "Or, could it be you're looking to clear out some more assholes from our little corner of Hell?" She inquired.

"I've caused enough trouble doing it once...doing it twice would be no different from throwing gasoline on a raging fire..." He told her.

"True, but it'd be worth it, right? If you got to help more people?" She asked. "That's not a question...it's a fact..." He answered.

"Then a new question, wouldn't it be better if things like that didn't happen?" She asked. "They happened before the reform...they're happening now...this is Hell after all..." He argued.

"Right, but there's a difference between two people who partake in activities that can lead to life- threatening situations. And people like those who Imps who were preyed upon simply because they were easy targets." She countered.

"This is the first time since I've arrived we've talked about this..." He pointed out before finally looking at her, "Any particular reason?..." He questioned.

"I wanted your head to clear a little." She replied with a shrug, "To be honest with you, when you showed up at our door last week covered in blood, it was badass. But the way you sounded then and the aura you gave off it...was easily the scariest fucking thing I've ever experienced. And I didn't want to risk poking a bear who could shoot at me with a shotgun." She explained.

"That's fair..." He responded.

"Glad you agree." She said with a smile, "But now that I'm sure I won't agitate you, which I am taking credit for given how nice I've been to you over this past week, I'd like to talk about how you and I together could forge a better Hell or at least a better circle." She told him.

"If you're going to try and use the suffering those Imps went through as a bargaining tool...I'm telling you right now that is a bad idea..." He warned.

"Not them specifically, but all of the people who are suffering." She said, "And I'm not using them to try and persuade you; this is a harsh truth about the reform. Because there is a severe lack of available muscle and the kind of people who do shit like that can't do it freely anymore are forced to be discrete, it's created an ever-growing issue of our circle's cruelty getting worse." She began as she crossed her legs, "And in truth, I was just as if not crueler than most people native and otherwise before you showed up and rocked the boat. But now the kinds of things these people are willing to do to hold onto their power and businesses is...really fucking depraved, even by my and most people's standards." She admitted.

"So why don't I just kill them all?..." He questioned, "Seems to me if I kill all the people who aren't getting with the program...the issue goes away...and I know you suggested that someone like Alastor could happen again...maybe even stronger next time...but still, I don't see how there's any other outcome to this situation when people continue to choose of their own free will to be monsters..." He said.

"Simple, become Hell's warden." She replied, now looking serious, "Think about it, Will; if you were here keeping everyone in check, then the chaos would be controlled. No longer would there be turf wars or disputes to try and decide who's the top dog around here. If you kept them in line but still left the leash loose enough to where they could satiate their twisted desires within reason, it'd be a perfect balance, and everyone could come out of this happy." She suggested.

"And if they refuse...if they decide they'd rather die fighting to get rid of me than accept that way of living?..." He asked.

"Then I'm wrong. My family and I are doing all of this work for absolutely fuck all nothing." She answered, "But again, Will, you've now seen it for yourself that serious problems are arising directly because of the reform. Yes, this kind of fucked up shit happened before too, but because of the pressure to be good people in a place where you're supposed to be no better than an asshole. It's progressively getting worse, and the people responsible are getting better at hiding it. Plus, there are all of the other concerns I shared with you before and some that I've yet to share because I didn't know how much you'd be willing to hear." She told him.

Like their first conversation weeks ago, Helsa once again made a sound argument. Not enough to make the Slayer suddenly say, okay, I'm on your side now, but after the recent discovery of those Imps, he did have more feelings and thoughts about the reform and her side of things. Sadly they'd have to put a pin in this conversation, as a sudden new voice called out to him from the manor.

"Oh, William~" Verosika greeted as with a sultry stride, she walked over.

"Here comes the horny." Helsa joked with a smirk just as Stella appeared in the entryway.

"I TRIED to stop her!" She exclaimed with a scowl on her face, "But she completely ignored me, saying she needed to be comforted." She explained.

"It's fine. We were pretty much through talking for the time being." Helsa said while rising from

her seat, "Have fun, you two." She told the Slayer, as this had become a regular thing ever since Verosika got added to the mix.

"Did something happen?..." The Slayer asked only to be polite, as he knew she would talk no matter what.

"Oh, it was horrible, I went to go get things set up for your party, and I ran into one of my exes! He was so mean I couldn't stand to be around him anymore." Verosika answered as she sat down next to him.

"So you didn't get anything done?..." He questioned.

"No, my crew and the workers we hired are there getting it all sorted out. I needed you to hold me and make me feel better." She explained with the fakest sadness he'd ever seen in his life.

"I haven't done that once all week...what makes you think I'll do it now?..." He asked. "A girl can dream, can't she?" She responded before wrapping her arms around his own.

Watching from afar as the pop star began her usual routine to try and make the Slayer fall for her, or at the very least have sex with her, Stella and Helsa had very different reactions.

"I still can't believe you knew someone like her," Helsa admitted, having learned about Verosika's involvement with the Slayer's celebration from the noblewoman as if it were also news to her.

"We met a few times at various social events, she was one of the few people who didn't immediately try to flirt or have sex with my husband, so I could start a conversation with her that didn't begin with a death threat," Stella explained followed by a sigh, "I swear though even for her this level of sexual predation is strange." She added.

"Eh, Will's the embodiment of raw masculinity, and she's a diva, makes perfect sense," Helsa replied with a shrug, "Regardless of her burning ovaries, though, it is nice to have someone who we're connected to get in so close with the others. Might provide a window or two in the future." She suggested.

"Possibly, if she doesn't piss him off by continuing to act like a flirtatious teenager," Stella said.

After that, the two of them would head back inside to talk more business, just as the maid who went to get his drink passed them, heading back outside.

Week 4. Urdak.

"You don't have to do this," Azrael told Husk while sitting beside him on his bed.

It'd been a month since the feathered feline arrived for his treatment and his recovery was amazing. Most of his body was back to normal, much to his and Azrael's joy. However, there were two parts of him that need treatment, his wings and the left side of his face. But this wasn't that big of an issue; thanks to the Maykrs' technology, he could finally start living his life again while having the highly advanced armor-like casts remain, so they continuously treated.

Even so, spending an entire month in a bed is enough to turn anyone's limbs to jelly, so he was struggling to move pretty much anything.

"What the fuck do you mean I don't have to do this?" He asked her, though not in an upset or annoyed tone of voice, "I've been lying like a corpse in this freaking bed for a solid month. And it took me a whole fucking day to even get my limbs feeling normal again. If I don't try to balance on my own two feet soon, I'm gonna lose my damn mind." He said.

"Right, but I know it's hard to try and do anything after what happened. I just don't want to see you push yourself." She replied.

"...Az, you were back to normal in literally a day of getting treatment. It took me a whole fucking month." He reminded.

"...Okay...so perhaps our situations are a little different..." She admitted.

Even though she didn't look upset, Husk still felt like he may have been a bit too harsh with that last statement.

"...I'm sorry..." He apologized.

"Hm? For what?" She questioned.

"For being an asshole..." He said with a sigh, "It just...it sucks that I'm finally able to start walking again but can't get my legs to do what I fucking want them to. I didn't mean to take it out on you." He explained.

"Aww, Husk." She replied in a flattered tone before putting her arm around him, "You weren't mean. I understand how badly you want to move again." She assured.

"Really? You don't think I was a dick?" He asked, wanting to be sure.

"Not at all." She answered as she got up from the bed, "Now then, you and I are going to get you walking again, so grab on." She told him while holding out her hands.

Doing as he was told, for he'd seen what she was like when she got angry, with his hands grasping hers, she gently pulled him up from the bed onto his feet.

"Steady now..." She instructed as he wobbled a little when he got upright, "If at any point you think you're going to lose balance or even fall, please tell me." She requested.

"That...that's okay...I think...I got this..." He told her as he let go.

Using all of the strength he had in his legs and the focus he had in his mind, he tried so freaking hard to take just one step in any direction. But like a house of cards, when one piece of the foundation's knocked loose, so too did he fall, headed on a one-way collision course with the floor.

"Fuck me." He thought to himself before shutting his eyes, waiting for the impact.

Yet instead of feeling a surge of pain as his face met the ground, he felt himself be swept off his feet into a particular angel's arms. Slowly reopening his eyes, already feeling embarrassed, the first thing he saw was a slightly angry Azrael.

"Husk, what did I JUST say?" She asked with a disappointed tone, which stabbed at him like a knife.

"...I don't remember." He lied, as he didn't want to own up to his mistake.

"Husk." She repeated his name, the disappointment growing.

Choosing to remain silent, he started averting his gaze so she couldn't look him in the eye. However, this backfired horribly, for it gave Azrael an idea that caused her to adorn a very evil smirk.

"Oh well, I guess since you're not going to admit you can't walk just yet, I'll just have to carry you around in my arms." She told him.

"You wouldn't." He replied, his head jerking to look back at her with widened eyes.

"You've left me with no other choice." She said before her smirk changed to a smile, "Besides, is it so bad to be carried around by me?" She asked.

"...That is so fucking unfair. I can't say anything without sounding like an asshole." He answered.

"I already told you that's not possible." She reminded him before kissing him on the cheek, "Now get comfortable because I'd have to die before I let you go." She joked with a giggle.

The kiss combined with him being held in her arms like this was enough to soothe him. Although that didn't mean he wasn't embarrassed, and as she carried him out of the room so they could move throughout Urdak, he buried his face into his hands to try and hide as much as was possible.

"Aw Husk, I didn't know you were so shy." She said after a while, honestly finding this side of him to be adorable.

"I'm not shy, Azrael..." He grumbled as he barely looked at her from behind his hands, "How would you feel if I suddenly picked you up in my arms and carried you around?" He asked.

"I'd be happy." She answered.

"...Really?" He questioned, removing his hands from his face so they could have a proper conversation.

"Of course. I've observed human men who carry their partners like this when they form a union of love, so if you were to do this with me, I'd see it as a sign of affection. And I'd be happy that you

weren't afraid to share that knowledge with anyone who saw us." She explained.

Feeling embarrassed again, only this time for a completely different reason, Husk didn't know what to say in response to how...unbelievably wholesome that was.

"Well...I guess if ya put it that way...there's no harm in this..." He muttered.

"Does that mean I can carry you like this more? You are very soft and cuddly after all." She asked hopefully.

"Let's...take this one step at a time, okay?" He suggested.

"Sounds good to me." She agreed.

Continuing to explore the heavenly realm, with the occasional guidance of a passing angel, whether it was the beautiful sights, being in each other's company, or a combination of both, the couple were having a wonderful time together. Eventually, their exploration led them to a building where an unusual number of drones and angels were flocking towards with various objects in their possession.

"Whaddya thinks going on?" He asked.

"I don't know. No one's come to us mentioning anything new, though we have been rather isolated from everything." She answered before looking down at him, "Shall we go investigate?" She suggested.

"Hey, you're the one carrying me. I go where you decide." He told her, causing her to giggle.

"Very well, let's go see what all the fuss is about." She said before she began their approach.

Meanwhile, In Abaddon's Circle...

How do a demon and god spend a week in paradise? Surprisingly, the answer to that question is remarkably mundane. For the better part of these last seven days, they worked in the Wretch's makeshift workshop, bouncing ideas and schematics back and forth to challenge each other's intellect. When they weren't using their hands or their minds, they set out to explore the new and improved circle, discovering a myriad of fantastical wonders that not even Vega had seen until then.

And it was the latter of the two-pass times they were currently engaged with now.

"It appears Abaddon finally found a use for the relics from the war," Vega commented, as both he and the Wretch stared at a very elaborate sculpture comprised of multiple different objects.

"Indeed. The most use they saw before this was when I scavenged for parts." He replied, "Although, I'm surprised they didn't choose to remove them. Since it was the war and the split in your family that caused their emotional turmoil." He admitted.

"True, but it was also that very same conflict which brought Doom into creation. And while that is a horrible thing, it did lead to your existence. The person who gave them company in their darkest time." Vega stated.

"My life alone does not justify Doom. The suffering they have inflicted and the destruction they

have caused is immeasurable." He replied.

"That goes without saying. But even so, we shouldn't overlook the importance of your soul." Vega insisted as he looked at him, "It is made of pure corruption. By all accounts, you shouldn't be the way you are. Despite this truth, you have developed sentience, intelligence, and most importantly, a moral compass. All before you ever met Will. Please tell me you understand how significant that is even with your low opinion of yourself." He requested.

"I do. But that still doesn't change what my soul is and what it could do under the wrong circumstances." As he looked to the ground, the Wretch said, "The whole reason I am standing here, creator, is that I got careless. I entered a space where the Dark One could sense my soul again and form an instantaneous connection with it. Depending on what events transpire moving forward, such a situation could happen again. At which point I could put all of you in danger, and that is something I cannot allow." He told him.

"Is that part of the reason why you decided to kill yourself when this is all over? To ensure we won't be in danger?" Vega asked.

"Yes. And I say this because it is true, it was the biggest motivating factor." He answered, "I am not one for emotions. Nor for sentimentality. Whether that has to do with my origins or personality, I can't be sure. But regardless of why I am so pragmatic and apathetic, my point is that I have become fond of everything I've discovered. Both person and otherwise. And I'd rather die knowing it will be safe forever than live and let there be even the smallest chance it could be brought to ruin." He explained.

"Completely understandable." Vega responded, "Six months ago, I had to say goodbye to someone who became the only friend I've ever known. I did not create him, and he possessed no relation to me. And yet his soul holds the same value to me as any of my children's, so when the time came for him to sacrifice himself for the safety of creation. It delivered a pain I've only felt one other time when my children divided themselves and waged war." He shared, "But to my surprise and joy, he's returned. It was not without disaster, but it was one we could handle. So if he can be saved from his sacrifice, could the same not happen for you?" He suggested.

"I don't see how creator." The Wretch replied before returning his gaze to him, "And seeing as how you've yet to provide a possible solution. I'm left to assume this is merely an attempt to get me to change my mind." He said.

"That, or I'm hyping up your surprise," Vega replied cheekily.

Confused by what he meant, the Wretch would have no time to ask, for, in the very next second, a portal suddenly opened in front of them. Looking through the rift, they saw the inside of a Maykr facility, but strangely enough, there were no Maykrs to be found. However, they did see something of interest. Just ahead inside the portal resting about ten feet away, was a new suit of Maykr armor.

Yet unlike the Slayer's own set, this one had many differences, the most notable being two armored sheaths for horns on top of the head, along with several other design alterations meant to accommodate the Wretch's body. Walking through the portal, the demon silently walked across the floor to the suit of armor, unable to form any words at the moment. Upon reaching it, the first thing he did was carefully touch it with his fingers, wanting to be sure that it wouldn't bring him any harm or cause any pain.

"So? What do you think?" Vega asked as he followed behind, the portal closing once he was through.

"They...made this...for me?..." The Wretch questioned.

"The only way to keep the Dark One from finding you and forming a connection with your soul is via the protection of holy energy. However, we may need you to depart from Urdak, and there isn't an easy way for us to protect you since you are an entity of pure corruption. So the only logical solution to this problem is to make you a new suit to wear, one that will always keep you safe no matter what." He explained.

"But...how is this possible...I cannot come into contact with divine energy..." The Wretch reminded.

"Hm, good point, Samur?" He called out, beckoning the Seraph, who emerged from the shadows nearby.

"Wretch, do you recall when I shared with you the process of creating Argent energy?" Samur asked.

"How could I not? Without it, our research into the Dark One's power wouldn't be possible." He answered.

"Good. That will make this a lot easier to explain then." Samur replied before continuing, "To create Argent corruption and purity, sin and virtue, must be bonded together in a perfect balance and refined. If done so correctly, it results in a new energy type without end. To make a divine suit not harmful to you requires Argent for power. But as it stands, there is no Argent present because it is both a source of divine energy and a means to produce it once a source of corruption is introduced." He informed.

"I...understand..." The Wretch said in awe as he stared at the suit, "Once I am inside, and it is activated, it initiates the process of creating Argent by combining my soul's energy with its own. Thus rendering it harmless to me." He stated.

"Yes. Unfortunately, there is one issue." Samur replied, causing the demon to look at him, "Despite our best efforts, there was no version of its design that could fit both your body and the augments you currently possess. To wear it, you will need to remove yourself from the suit you've grafted onto your flesh and bone." He revealed.

"While that does make sense, I don't see how we could do that." The Wretch said while gesturing to himself, "The only way to remove the suit is to destroy me. For whether we try removing them surgically or by ripping them out of my person, I took every measure possible to ensure its indestructibility and that it could repair itself no matter what alongside regenerating my organic parts." He explained.

"Or, perhaps there is a third far less graphic and heartbreaking method?" Vega suggested choosing now to start talking again, "You could always undergo the process of reincarnation. The very same the Maykrs and the Khans use to give themselves new bodies." He offered.

"You'd...let a soul such as mine partake in what is one of the holiest and prestigious of rituals?" The Wretch asked.

"Corrupted, demon, or whatever else you want to call yourself. Like it or not, Wretch, you are on our side now, which means you're just as much of a partner as you are a friend and ally. And never shall either of those ever bring disgrace or shame to the ritual." He answered.

For a second time, the Wretch was without words, only able to stare down at his feet as he

clenched his fists tightly. What was this feeling inside of him? Was it joy? Relief? Or something else he'd never experienced?

Whatever it was, it felt...good, comforting even, to know that such divine important beings thought so much of him. If he could, he might've shed tears for the first time in his life right now, even if by a small amount.

"The Khans are waiting for you in the sanctum. They will give you a new body that is not only capable of safely housing your soul but also to whatever specifications you might have." Samur informed.

"Then...I shall go see them immediately." The Wretch decided, "Thank you, Samur. I will show the same gratitude to them when I arrive." He promised before taking his leave.

Watching the demon exit the building, both Samur and Vega felt proud at what had been accomplished here. Unfortunately, they only got to enjoy it for a moment before it was interrupted by two others who were also hidden in the shadows.

"Aww! Did you see how he reacted?" Azrael asked as she looked at Husk, who was still being held in her arms.

"How the fuck could you tell how he reacted? The dude's missing most of his fucking face cause of that plate he's got fused to his skull!" He responded.

Hearing and seeing the duo was very unexpected for Vega, so much so he had to look to his Seraph for an explanation.

"They discovered us as we were finishing the suit. It was your daughter who requested to stay so they could see his reaction, and he had to go along with it because he is still incapable of moving on his own." Samur explained.

Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...

"Where. The fuck. Is that cunt?" Blitzo asked in a growl with his arms crossed, his hands gripping the sleeves of his coat so tightly he threatened to put holes in them.

With one week left until the Slayer's celebration could finally happen, everything was kicked into overdrive. Unfortunately, the others were still pinned down at their respective homes/businesses, so the motley group of three Imps and a Hell Hound were all that could be present at the building to make sure everything wasn't on fire. Thankfully no one tried any bullshit, they knew who this shindig was for, and they, just as much as the Magnes and the rest of the Slayer's companions, wanted it to be as perfect as possible. However, there was one abnormality, and it came in the form of a tall seductress who Blitzo hated with an undying passion.

"Geez, you REALLY hate her, huh?" Loona asked, as she never saw her dad this legitimately angry before.

"Let me put it this way. Take all the love I have for you and put it in front of a mirror. What you see in that reflection is the opposite of love, and its name is Verosika." He answered before going into a rant, "The bitch shows up just before everyone is done for the day, tells me next to NOTHING about the glorified strip show she's putting on for this party, and if that wasn't bad enough, it is in her contract, the same one co-signed by the wife of the FUCKING. DEVIL. That she gets to have as much free merchandise for her and her crew as she wants!" He exclaimed

before taking in a deep breath, "Needless to say...I WANT TO STRANGLE HER WITH HER FUCKING VOCAL CORDS!" He shouted out loud.

"But...to do that, you'd need to rip them out of her first, and by that point, she'd already been dead from the bucket's worth of blood that'd pour out." She commented.

"Oh god, now you're starting to sound like Moxxie. This really is Hell..." He groaned while covering his eyes.

"That is the single meanest thing you have ever said to me." She told him seriously before taking a look around, "Speaking of M and M, where the hell are they?" She asked.

"They're going around making sure none of the booths were assembled by paste-eating toddlers. Also, I'm having Moxxie look through that bitch's contract some more so that I know how else she's fucking me in the ass." He answered.

"Ah. Well, if everything's handled here, then I need to get going, see ya." She told him before walking away.

"Loony!" He exclaimed, which kept her from going, "What the fuck?" He asked because of how sudden that was.

"Oh, did I not tell you?" She asked but not to be sarcastic.

"You go out of your way to avoid telling me as much as possible daily." He responded.

"Right. My bad." She said before letting out a sigh, "I honestly did mean to tell you yesterday, but I'm...really fucking nervous, and it must've slipped my mind..." She confessed.

"Oooooooooooh, I know what this is! It's about your performance with Will and Octavia!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, see, with all this crazy shit happening, we haven't had any time to practice with him. But he promised both of us that we could spend this week doing that so we'd be prepared. So I'm heading out to meet up with him and Octavia." She explained.

"Oh well, that makes perfect sense. But where can you three practice without the horde finding out?" He inquired.

"Dunno, Will just sent us an address via text and promised it'd be discrete. So if you don't need me here, I really need to head out." She told him.

"Nah, we're fine! Apart from that bitch being late as usual, but what else is new?" He asked rhetorically before gesturing for her to get going, "So go on, get started on your practice! Oh, and tell Will that I've got the merchandise under control!" He instructed.

"Sure thing, thanks." She replied with a small smile before heading out.

Watching his daughter walk away with a strong sense of fatherly pride, once she was out of sight, he returned to being pissed off about a particular demon's absence.

"Ahem. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE FUCK VEROSIKA FUCKING MAYDAY

IS?!" He shouted to the employees nearby, all of whom nearly had heart attacks from how loud it was.

Elsewhere...

Cars moving and honking, busy footsteps walking down the sidewalk, and the general sounds of life in the city were things both Loona and Octavia were used to. But the silence that slowly grew in size as they left it behind, one so quiet they could hear each other breathing, was something neither experienced before. Riding inside of a car that picked both the Hell Hound and young noble up, they didn't know who was driving or who it belonged to, but what they did was that Will vouched for it, and that's all they needed to trust it.

"So...where do you think we're going?" Octavia asked, wanting to start a conversation to fill the air with some kind of sound.

"Simple, a studio of some kind. Or at the very least a spacious enough place where we can set up our shit." Loona answered.

"Really? You think Will managed to find a place like that?" She asked.

"I mean, he IS staying with Helsa Von Eldritch, one of the wealthiest and influential people in the circle. He probably asked if she could hook us up, and she obliged to avoid getting punched in the face." Loona reasoned.

"That makes sense. Wouldn't want to risk angering a man who could rip you in half." She said. "No, you do not," Loona replied.

"Did you bring what we've written so far?" She asked.

"Made copies in case something happened," Loona answered while tapping a duffel bag she had next to her on the seat with her hand.

"Is your guitar okay?" She asked.

"Tuned, polished, and supplied with plenty of backup shit in case, again, something happens," Loona answered.

"What about-"

Before she could finish that sentence, Loona put a hand over her mouth. "Yes. To literally EVERY question you could ask me, yes." She told her.

"Sorry." Octavia apologized, though it came out muffled as she did it before Loona removed her hand, "I'm just nervous, is all. Partly because we're going to be performing on stage in front of a huge crowd, and because we've been trying to write these songs forever, and I want Will to like what we've got to show for it." She explained.

"Hey, I get it. This is a massive step up from composing background music and the soundtrack to Vox's game." Loona assured, "But you shouldn't be worried about Will; we both know that he's gonna like whatever we have." She told her.

"I don't want him just to like it; I want him to love it." Octavia corrected, "These songs are about him, and they're easily the things we've put the most effort into. So his opinion is the one that carries the most weight." She said.

"That's true. But like I said, we shouldn't worry about him; it's not like he's gonna say it's shit or

something, he's not an asshole like everyone else down here." Loona replied.

"Excuse me." The voice of their driver called out from the front of the car, "We're almost there. It's just around this next corner." He informed.

Hearing that made both girls do a quick once over to make sure everything was in order. By the time they were through, the car had rounded the corner, pulled into a parking space at their destination, then came to a complete stop so they could get out. Pushing open their doors and stepping onto the asphalt, they looked at the building in front of the vehicle; they were left speechless. Outside the city, far from any distractions or noise, was a top-of-the-line premium as fuck recording studio, the kind you'd see on TV that'd make you feel worthless because there was no chance you'd ever get to be there in person.

But before they could be overwhelmed by the prestige and poshness of the place, the sound of the front door opening reached their ears.

"Will!" Octavia greeted when they looked to see who it was, only to find their friend standing in the doorway.

"Hey..." He simply returned the greeting, causing both to hurry over to him.

"Dude, how the hell did you find this place? Did you kill someone for it?" Loona asked him. "If I did...it wouldn't look as nice..." He answered.

"Is this Helsa's then? Like did she try to become a musician or something as a kid, so her parents bought it for her, but she got bored and moved on?" Octavia suggested.

"She seems more like the kind of person to play with voodoo dolls as a kid...rather than take up singing lessons..." He commented.

"Then who does this belong to? Because unless you're just sitting on a fortune, I doubt it's yours." Octavia said.

"Mine." A voice from behind him responded, sounding oddly familiar.

Due to his hulking frame, they couldn't see whoever it was, so he took a step to the side to reveal the owner's identity.

"Hi, there~" Verosika greeted playfully with a slight wiggle of her fingers. "NO. FUCKING. WAY." Loona shouted with widened eyes.

"Yes, fucking way..." Will replied, though because it was in his usual dry unexpressive tone, it sounded a little funny, "Verosika's letting us rehearse here in her private studio...so that way there's no chance of us getting interrupted..." He explained.

"We're...we're actually going to be rehearsing...in a real studio...a full decked out studio for professional artists...holy shit..." Octavia muttered, stuck in a state of disbelief.

"How...I mean...how?..." Loona questioned, her brain unable to process this.

"Simple." Verosika spoke up while taking a step forward, "I hate your fucking dad. So when he learns that you're practicing in MY studio, it might just make his head explode. And I would give every single dollar to my name to see that." She explained.

"Really? You're doing this so that you can piss off her dad?" Octavia asked, honestly impressed by the level of spite.

"No, but that is reason number dos." She answered while holding up two fingers. "Wait, what? Then what's number one?" Loona questioned.

"When I heard that my William was going to be playing music at his celebration, oh, it just sent me to the moon!" She exclaimed as a smile came to her face, "But I also learned that he didn't have any place to practice, so being the good girlfriend I am, I helped him out." She explained, "So come on! We're wasting daylight; we've got a lot of work to do!" She told them before turning around and heading back inside.

Watching her go back inside, but not before she used her tail to caress the Slayer's helmeted head, both Loona and Octavia were left standing there with jaws open, eyes widen yet again, and a pleading stare for answers directed towards him.

"W...William?..." Octavia questioned. "G...Girlfriend...?" Loona inquired.

"Short answer, Succubus. Long answer...don't know if there is one..." He told them before turning around himself, "But I'll answer any questions you have while we practice..." He offered as he headed inside.

Exchanging a quick shocked look between each other, afterward, both women rushed in after him as they HAD to know what the fuck was going on.

Week 5. First Half. Earth.

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

The scent of death filled the air, bodies littered every hallway, and no matter where the man looked or ran, it seemed to be endless. It was just another typical day at work, the same old soul- crushing job of being a nobody at a massive news outlet, yet somehow it turned into a fucking horror show. Thirty minutes ago, it was midday, the sun shone brightly through all of the tall building's windows, and everything was fine. But then, out of nowhere, the light that filled the

structure's insides turned blood red; no one could see outside to the streets below or even the sky; it was like they were somewhere else entirely.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Holy shit...holy shit...thank you, god!" The man cried out with tears of joy, even falling to his

knees from the relief he felt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, On Urdak...

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

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

This is how he gained his size, and with a few more alterations to his physiology, while he still reassembled a Baron, he was an entirely new breed of demon all on his own. With all of this taken into consideration, when the Wretch underwent the process of reincarnation at the hands of the Khans, he decided he'd return to a traditional Baron visage as to spite the hand that made him.

Along with a few new details that fit both his preference and taunted the Dark One further. Apart from his size remaining the same and his resemblance to a Baron returning, everything else about his appearance was new.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Please elaborate." He requested.

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

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

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

"How?" The Wretch questioned.

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

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

"Agreed," Samur replied.

Elsewhere...

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

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

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

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

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

"Husk! How could you say such a thing?" She questioned in shock. "Did something happen between you two?" Vega inquired.

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

"Close emotionally or physically?" Vega asked. "The latter, for now." He answered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"IF YOU LAY ONE GODDAMN FINGER ON HIS PERFECT ASS, I SWEAR TO FUCKING VEGA! I WILL PUT SO MANY FUCKING HOLES IN YOU THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH

COCK IN HELL TO FUCK THEM ALL AT ONCE!" He shouted at her; fangs bore ready to unload his entire clip.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Um...this IS Verosika Mayday, right?" Cherri whispered to Angel Dust and Katie. "Unless we're all stupid, yeah, there's no mistake on our part." He whispered back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two Weeks Ago...

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

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

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

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

Here's the thing, even if he were dumb enough to allow himself to be drugged by such a blatant attempt, which is what hers was, it'd still do absolutely nothing. Spells, poisons, and other such afflictions didn't affect him anymore. The only reason the demons of Doom were able to imprison

him is solely from the MANY spells and runes they used to keep him in the coffin. But at this point, he was starting to get both tired and annoyed by her actions; unlike Angel Dust, who was hornier, there was no sincerity to it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Present

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now noticing Cherri's odd demeanor, everyone's eyes went to her, which didn't help her unease. "Cherri?" Angel Dust repeated because she kept silent which was concerning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Will, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but that would never happen," Katie spoke up to get his attention on her specifically, "And before you ask, here's how I know that's true and not just

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Well, it's a good thing we're in here then." Cherri said with a smile before pointing to a nearby

fridge, which she knew HAD to be fully stocked, "We've got plenty of shit in there to get us back to normal! And the best part is it's all on Verosika!" She exclaimed.

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

Week 5. Second Half. Urdak.

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

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

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

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

You see, The Dark One's power is unrefined corruption, evil in its purest natural state, and it was indeed the only source of this type of corruption. So when they tried searching for more of it, they were met with nothing, but only when it came to finding more of that particular type, as for locating sin of ANY kind, oh, that was practically handed to them on a silver platter.

Unfortunately, nothing of value could be discerned from this data at the moment, for there was nothing new about the general sin and evil beings in the mortal realm, the world tied to Lucifer's circle was naturally overabundant in both.

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

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

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

"But even in the best outcome, we're not guaranteed success, sadly." The current Khan spoke up with a sigh, "Although being able to sort it all out in a more precise manner is vital. We will still

need to locate a particular deviation from what we see here. Which in of itself given the sheer amount and all the different possibilities for their current location, could take weeks or possibly months." She explained.

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

"When have we ever been so fortunate, creator?" The Wretch asked. "Never. But even god can hope things turn out well." He answered.

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

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

"Would that not alarm the people? Our presence in particular." Another Khan inquired. "What would we rather have, the people a slight bit annoyed or cautious that we are up to

something. Or the Dark One and his entourage suddenly appearing with a possible horde or even

army of newly made demons, who would be able to slaughter too many lives before any of us, including the Slayer, could stop it in time to where it doesn't provide them a serious advantage?" He proposed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When she asked that, everyone froze where they were. For the second time this week, Vega

unintentionally let something slip that wasn't supposed to be mentioned.

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...

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

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

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

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

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

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

look like the phantom of the opera!" She added. "Eight." He replied.

"Eight?" She questioned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"WE'RE GONNA BE SO FUCKING RICH WHEN THIS IS OVER!" Blitzo shouted with the

biggest grin he's ever shown, all the while he stood inside a massive pile of cash.

In a rare moment of nothing going wrong where things were entirely positive, the sale of all Slayer- related merchandise was through the fucking roof. So much so that the booths were being

regularly relieved of their cash by Authorities, who were hired as additional security due to Lucifer and Lilith's fear that somehow SOMETHING would go wrong. But as said it didn't, all of the cash was being safely escorted out of the building and delivered securely to the Magne's home, where after the celebration was done with, it'd be appropriately sorted. Yet even in the event some of them kept extra for themselves, or a couple of the employees pocketed a handful of bills, it wouldn't make the slightest possible dent in their rapidly growing fortune.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

and get a copy of the demo to take home.

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

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

"I haven't been able to see you for three whole weeks-" "Two and a half..." He corrected.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Really? Seems like she'd be the type to pawn her work on everyone else." She replied. "BECAUSE SHE IS!" Blitzo shouted again.

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

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

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

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

floor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Then what is it?" Lilith inquired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"FUCK YOU!" They both shouted in his face, now royally pissed off, "WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, WE'RE GOING TO PERFORM ON THAT FUCKING STAGE! END OF

DISCUSSION!" They asserted before storming over to the door, "WE'RE GOING FOR A WALK!" They decided as they left the room to cool off, slamming the door shut behind them.

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, On Earth...

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yup," Valentino replied.

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

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

Before the Dark One could say anything, the Cyberdemon brandished his ax. He then summoned

the blade and embedded it in Valentino's chair next to his head.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Right on the money." He answered with a snap of his fingers, "Anyways, once they are done sending the skull screechers through the broadcast, and we've got an army amassed already from that alone, that's when you two play your part." He said while pointing to the Hell Guards, "Your

jobs are to slaughter every fucking person in the arena. Leave nothing alive. Oh! And you two need to make sure you DON'T collect their souls; we want those to leave." He continued readdressing the sisters.

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

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

"Which is?" The Cyberdemon asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Valentino...I don't believe it..." He spoke after his chortling was done, which nearly lasted a full minute, "You have done the impossible. You have managed to find a weakness in the

unstoppable Slayer. If he believes he has been driven to such insanity that he is now capable of slaughtering innocent lives. It will break him beyond salvation." He said.

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

Back In Lucifer's Circle...

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

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

"Damn, dude, you look badass." Loona complimented as he adjusted his gloves. "Really? You think so?..." He asked.

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

"How come?..." He questioned.

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

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

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

"Honestly, I'm in favor of that to be your new norm, but hey, that's your decision," Loona said. "I'll think about it...thanks, guys..." He replied, which made them smile.

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

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

"Rip and tear!

Wake up, I'm a bullet loosed Into the heart of a wretched age I breathe just to beat and bruise An evolution of the burnin' rage Gonna get mine

Get outta my way

There's gonna be (GONNA BE) Gonna be hell to pay!

Berserk, I'm a brutal fist

Yeah a lone wolf born and bred I stand on the bones of titans And my wrath is burnin' lead Gonna get mine

Get outta my way

There's gonna be (GONNA BE) Gonna be hell to pay!

Click click BOOM BOOM

Keep rushing and a running, running The drumming of the buckshot pumpin Got molten metal in my veins

Click click BOOM BOOM

Keep rushing and a running, running A reckoning of lead is coming

I'm kickin in the gates of hell again Bringer of pain!

Earthquake on the shores of hell I will split the plains

Bringer of pain Rip it

Tear it

Pummel into the red Rip it

Tear it

Gonna get mine Get outta my way

There's gonna be (GONNA BE) Gonna be hell to pay!

Click click BOOM BOOM

Keep rushing and a running, running The drumming of the buckshot pumpin Got molten metal in my veins

Click click BOOM BOOM

Keep rushing and a running, running A reckoning of lead is coming

I'm kickin in the gates of hell again Bringer of pain!"

With a final note of their guitars, the song was at its end, both Loona and Octavia breathless but excited by what they just played. As for the crowd, they were silent the whole performance, but not because they hated it, because no one dared to interrupt. In an instant the whole building roared

to life, everyone cheering, screaming, or clapping to show how much that fucking ROCKED! "MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!" The crowd began to chant, demanding more songs.

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