"Feels like we're in some kind of gladiator movie," BJ said with a whistle as he, the Slayer, and the Wretch all entered the arena.
How could a place meant for bloodshed and brawling be so ornate and beautiful? This question was something BJ, and surprisingly the Wretch thought at the same time. To be fair, that description summed up the Sentinels' entire approach to architecture, a perfect balance of beauty with functionality. However, there was a new addition to the arena that the Slayer noticed, for of the three only he was familiar with its appearance.
Above their heads, where there was meant to be open space so both the combatants and the spectators could see each other, there was now a solid black mass blocking the view. But where his grandfather and the Wretch might mistake it as a piece of the arena itself, the Slayer recognized it for what it was, the Wraiths' power.
"Why are they blocking our vision?..." He thought to himself, not wanting to raise any unnecessary alarms by saying it aloud.
"So, Will." BJ spoke while clapping his hands together, "What's the first thing we're going to do? Spar against the Sentinels? Train against fake demons? I'm a bit out of my element here, so I don't know what to expect." He confessed.
"As am I." The Wretch spoke up as he studied the intricate details carved into both the metal and stone, "I'm familiar with arena-based combat. But the fights in Doom were mainly just the higher demons tossing peons down to the Knights and Barons to be slaughtered without a chance at survival." He shared.
"This isn't that..." The Slayer assured, "Since both of you have combat experience, I thought we'd start with something relatively moderate...a Knight or two...maybe three so each of us get one..." He explained.
"But what about weapons? Unless we plan on boxing them to death, which you can but we can't, we're going to need some kind of offense." BJ pointed out.
As if on cue, from the darkness above them, came two different weapons, a training spear and ax. What made them different from the Sentinels' standard weaponry were a few things. The first was that they lacked any kind of energy, being made entirely of metal like traditional weapons. The second was that their blades were dull, though, from the looks of it, that was intentional.
"Hm. As expected of the Sentinels, our glory must be hard-earned." The Wretch commented as he took the ax while BJ took the spear, "Assuming the simulation will be tangible to some extent, for otherwise there'd be no real point to this. It'd defeat the purpose of our training if they gave us tools that did most of the work on their own." He said.
"What do you think they're going to throw at us off the bat? Surely it won't be anything too extreme, right?" BJ replied.
Unfortunately, extreme was not only a word commonly used within the Sentinel language; it was also the only way they did anything. Opposite from them on the other side of the arena, three demons appeared in a manner no different than a holographic projection. However, they didn't seem like holograms at all, you could make out the texture of the demons' skin, feel the heat
radiating off of their bodies, and the green glow of their eyes was so authentic. But when they stopped taking in the details of the creatures, they realized what type of demons they were.
"Barons?!" The Wretch questioned, "They're starting us off with a Baron each?!" He added.
"No." The Slayer interrupted as he pointed to the two of them, "You're the only ones fighting..." He clarified.
Sadly neither the Wretch nor BJ had any time to properly process that, as they were forced to dodge a massive green ball of fire that flew right towards them.
"Try not to get burned..." The Slayer advised before stepping to the side to get out of the way.
And with that, their first training session was underway. After one of the Baron's threw their first fireball, and both men's attentions were now on the trio of Barons, they focused on making sure, at the very least, they didn't get set on fire. This task would be difficult to no surprise, as two of the three Barons stayed where they were to continuously hurl more projectiles at them while the third went in to try and attack them with its fists.
Despite this fight being his first interaction with any demon beyond the one he faced all those years ago, BJ could tell trying to go toe to toe with this behemoth using his current weapon would be a dumbass move. But this left both of them with little to no options; with two of the Barons keeping the pressure on forcing them to dodge constantly, they didn't have any opening to try and perform a counterstrike. To make things more complicated than they already were, the third Baron was getting clever, no longer wasting time by simply running after them and instead opting to leap towards them and land with a devastatingly powerful impact. At this rate, they were either going to find themselves running into the two that were keeping their distance or be crushed underfoot by their pursuer.
"Hey, Will!" BJ called out as a fireball went straight past his head, "How much punishment are these things allowed to do before it's called off?" He asked.
"They cannot kill you, nor can they cause any injuries that would result in lost training time..." The Slayer answered, "With that being said, this does mean they can and will beat the shit out of you if given the opportunity..." He warned.
"Do we have to do anything special to defeat them?" The Wretch asked while dodging another impact from their attacker, "A certain number of hits, for example, or do we simply kill them?" He specified.
"Stabbing their hearts, ripping off their heads, disemboweling them, creating enough wounds to where they'd bleed out on their own, or cutting off their legs or arms, these are all ways to achieve victory..." The Slayer listed.
"Simple. Straight to the point. Sounds good to me." BJ said with a smile.
Now that they knew what their training would be like from here on out and how they were meant to fight these fake demons, both decided to see just how good their fighting skills were. BJ took the initiative to lead, starting their offense off by waiting for the third Baron to leap into the air once more the threw his spear at it. With an impeccable aim, the weapon found its mark and embedded itself in the center of the demon's chest, the force with which BJ had thrown it enough to send the Baron crashing down to the ground. Using this chance to the fullest, the Wretch ran up to the Baron's incapacitated form, and in one quick yet strong swing of his ax, he cut open its throat, as he knew that was all it could do given the bluntness of the blade.
Grabbing onto the spear's shaft as the demon's body quickly disappeared due to its death, he threw it back at his ally, who caught it without issue. However, two Barons remained; their numbers now made even their foes altered their battle strategy.
"Oh shit!" BJ exclaimed as both of them suddenly charged towards him.
Dodging the first one making it run into the arena wall, the other, unfortunately, was quick to react. Stopping halfway, the Baron used its momentum to swing its right arm at him, making contact right across his torso. This action resulted in BJ flying across the arena, which ended when he hit the wall with a painful crash, the force strong enough to leave a small dent in the sturdy material.
"BJ!" The Wretch called out, concerned that his only ally in this fight was now out.
For a moment, the Slayer, who watched on silently, felt his chest tighten when he saw his grandfather fall onto the floor and didn't move for a few seconds. But as the Wretch kept the two Barons busy, which gave BJ time to gather himself, what the Slayer saw left him speechless. It wasn't something grand like angel wings sprouting from his back; he didn't summon the Spear of Destiney to aid him; the only thing that changed was the look he had in his eyes. Piercing, powerful, and predatorial, his grandfather had the gaze of a wolf on the hunt ready to take down its prey, which was something he'd never seen in any of the pictures, videos, or documentaries in which his ancestor was in.
With both Barons ignoring him now, assuming he wasn't fighting anymore, he gripped the shaft of his weapon tightly before running full force at one of them and leaping into the air. In a single downward thrust of the spear, he pierced right through the demon's head, the blunt tip and most of the weapon itself getting pushed through the mouth in a grizzly display. That didn't go unnoticed by the last remaining Baron, but the moment it decided to take its attention away from the Wretch brought forth its demise. Using all of his strength, he swung the ax at its leg, managing to sink it so deep in the bone and flesh it nearly, even without a sharpened edge, cleaved through.
Falling onto its other knee to keep itself upright, the Baron roared in pain, but that too was interrupted by its opponent. In a swift yet unexpected move, the Wretch reached out, grabbed onto the demon's horns, and by using the pair he possessed, pulled the creature's head forward and sent them through its sockets. And like that, it was over.
"Well done." The Wretch complimented BJ as he got to his feet and grabbed his ax, the demons' bodies disappearing as he did.
"Likewise." He replied, picking his spear up from the floor once the Baron was gone.
From the sidelines, the Slayer watched them clasp each other's hands in a firm grip, another gesture to show their respect and that they were honored to fight together. But before he could join in on the celebration, maybe congratulate them on performing as well as he expected, all three men were surprised by an unexpected voice.
"YO! That was metal as fuck!" The voice of Loona shouted in praise from above them.
Upon hearing her voice, the trio turned their attention to the space above them, where they saw a sight different from when they entered the arena. The pitch-black darkness was gone, allowing them to see the spectator stands filled to the brim with Sentinels and the Slayer's companions, who were sitting in the front row.
"What the?...Guys?..." The Slayer questioned, his eyes visibly widened in shock that they were
here through his visor.
"Hi, Will!" Charlie greeted with a grin while waving down at him, "I hope you don't mind, but we decided to come too!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah...I can see that..." He replied as he crossed his arms, "But why?..." He asked.
"Isn't it obvious big guy? We're here to help." Vagatha answered for Charlie, her spear already summoned and held at her side.
That answer is the one he feared the most, and when it reached his ears, alarm bells started ringing in his head. But before he could object to this decision, tell all of his friends to leave immediately for the sake of their safety, a second surprise would happen.
"Will. It's alright." The voice of Vega called out to him as he, and Gabriel, both entered the arena, "I was the one who told them it'd be okay." He revealed.
"And if you're going to start shooting at us in retaliation, I want it to be known that I had no knowledge of this nor played any part," Gabriel informed, wanting to make sure only his father received the Slayer's ire.
With every new piece of information, he learned the Slayer's rage gradually rose, now reaching a point where his hands balled into fists. This change in his mood didn't go unnoticed by his grandfather, who walked over to try and get control of the situation before it escalated.
"Hey," BJ spoke up as he put a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you go talk with Vega? We'll hang back and talk to Gabriel and the others." He suggested.
"...Yeah...that sounds good..." The Slayer agreed.
"I was just about to suggest the same thing," Vega admitted, knowing that this decision would hit the most sensitive nerve the Slayer had.
Pulling away from BJ's grasp, both the Slayer and Vega left to have a private conversation. One that even the Sentinels who hadn't seen their champion in a long while could still tell would be intense.
"I told all of you this was a bad idea." Katie spoke up, letting out a sigh as she did, "He doesn't want us here because it puts us in danger. In case you've forgotten about his nightmare." She reminded.
"He had a nightmare?" BJ asked from down below, not sounding surprised.
"Yes, sir. It was about a month ago at this point, almost two." She responded, making sure to be polite to him.
"Let me guess, all of you died or got injured, and he couldn't stop it?" He suggested. "Close. We did die, but it was Will who killed us." She clarified.
Letting out a sigh of his own as he heard that, while BJ knew his grandson was dealing with a LOT mentally, he didn't expect that.
"I'll have to talk with him after he gets done with Vega then." He decided.
"I'd suggest the same." The Wretch told him, as this information concerned him just as much, "But for right now, let's focus on why you're all here and what you plan to do." He said while looking up at the others.
"Uh, excuse me, demon-looking dude." Cherri spoke up to get his attention, "Before we do that, who the fuck are you?" She asked.
"Has the Slayer not informed you of who I am yet?" He inquired, causing her to shake her head in response, "I am known as the Wretch. I aided the Slayer when he was sealed in Doom." He revealed.
"Wait, that's YOU?!" Angel Dust questioned, "YOU'RE the only demon who wasn't a fucking tool?!" He asked.
"I don't believe you're using that word correctly. But yes." The Wretch confirmed.
"Okay. You have to tell us everything you know, RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW." He demanded. "I don't think that's the best use of our time right now." The Wretch argued.
"BULLSHIT!" Cherri shouted, she and the others feeling the same way Angel was, "Either you start talking, or we come down there and give you a REAL sparring session!" She threatened.
"Gabriel, could you perhaps assist me?" The Wretch requested while looking back at the archangel.
"I'm afraid I do agree with them. Specific details regarding your life and your interactions with the Slayer have eluded me. So I'd greatly appreciate it if you could share those now." He confessed.
"YEAH!" All of the Sentinels, who were still present in the stands, shouted together as they too wanted to know everything.
"Oof. The whole arena's against you." BJ said with a smile, "If I were you, I'd give the people what they wanted." He advised.
"...Ugh. Fine. But NO interruptions." The Wretch sighed, much to everyone's joy.
Elsewhere...
Even with all of the warriors clad in armor walking around with weapons gripped tightly in their hands, the Sentinels' world was oddly both peaceful and beautiful. Given, the wondrous sights, creatures, and atmosphere of the planet were entirely thanks to their gods, the Wraiths, but you couldn't ignore their feats of architectural splendor. Vega hoped that these surroundings would pacify the Slayer's anger to some extent, only to be met with expected disappointment when this didn't happen.
"Here." He said as they both came to a stop, "This is far enough away from any passing ears. No one will hear us." He assured.
"Why?" The Slayer immediately asked, his tone serious, and his entire way of speaking changed, "Why would you allow this Vega? What reason, if there is any, could make you let them participate in the training? Let alone permit them to be anywhere near the demons?!" He
interrogated, demanding answers.
"I understand why this makes you angry," Vega responded, only to be kept from saying more by the Slayer.
"DO YOU?!" He questioned, his rage so passionate it forced him to shout, "You know better than anyone how much I've lost! How many people I've seen be torn apart by those monsters! And yet you still let these people, the first who I've cared about since that day when I saw everything I knew burning to ashes, come here! I know they want to help, but I can't stand by and watch as Angel gets swarmed by prowlers; Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie get blown apart by Revenants, or even Charlie, your granddaughter; get her torso and legs separated by a Hell Knight! I can't handle seeing people I care about being slaughtered a second time!" He told him.
During that entire rant, the Slayer move closed to Vega, his eyes staring so intensely at the creator's face they threatened to burn holes through it. Because of this, Vega could see what emotions were hidden behind them, and to no surprise, it wasn't just anger. Although there were no tears, neither his voice nor his body was shaking; a fear so powerful it threatened to cripple the Slayer was present.
"...You said something just now." Vega spoke after a few seconds of silence, "You pointed out that Charlie is my granddaughter, which is correct. So if I may, I'd like to ask if whether or not you've considered how hard this is for me as well? And that you've seemed to forget that the others are also people I care about. Given how much time we spent in each other's company when I was an AI. Do you think the thought of even one of them getting hurt or dying doesn't cause my soul any anguish?" He asked.
"If it did, I find it impossible to understand why you'd let this happen. As I said earlier." The Slayer answered.
"Which is fair. But even though we are firmly against the others' involvement, ultimately, it should be their choice if they stay safe on the sidelines or put themselves into harm's way. Neither of us has the right to say otherwise, and it'd be an abuse of our powers and positions if we did." He argued, "However, this doesn't mean we give them a random gun and push them onto the battlefield with a pat on the back and a resounding good luck cheer. Although our time is limited, we CAN train them. Most of them do have some experience in violent situations, and they innately have incredible power unique to each of them. With some additional support from us, we can give them everything they need to help." He explained.
"And if they get hurt? If they get into a situation where we aren't able to help them before something happens?" The Slayer asked.
"That won't happen." He answered, "Because, despite coming here and wanting to participate in the training which they knew would go against your desires. They'll listen to any orders and guidelines you give them. Like the Wretch and your grandfather, they don't want to be liabilities. They only want to contribute as much as they can this time rather than getting screwed. Which if you remember, we both played an equal part in." He told him.
Damn, that was a good counter, for in all of that's happened, the Slayer forgot about the private conversation between the two of them six months ago.
"...Still...I can't bear it if they get hurt...even if it's a superficial flesh wound or nasty-looking bruise...I'm supposed to protect everyone from this horror...it shouldn't be anyone else's burden..." He said, slowly calming down.
"Perhaps that's been our issue this entire time Will." Vega replied, "For while yes, you alone can stand against them. You can fight the full force of Doom's army and all the powers of the Dark One. But doing so makes things more challenging and adds more pressure to your success than there already is. You let the Sentinels help you before what we hoped was the final battle. Is it so hard to do the same again with people who care about you and want to make sure you can come home this time?" He asked.
"...Home?..." The Slayer questioned, finding his word choice to be strange.
"What else would you call it?" Vega responded, "You wake up with them, have meals together, you've gone on trips to the city, shared your past with them, helping them with their problems and their struggles, and in turn, they're doing the same for you now. If they haven't become so close, you consider them family at this point, and Lucifer's circle your new home, then even I, with all my wisdom, don't know what it will take for you to find that again." He clarified.
Huh, he never thought about that until now. Whenever he thought about Lucifer's circle, he saw it as nothing more than his current location. When he stayed at the hotel or Slayer Studios, it was a place to rest. And when he did things with everyone, it never registered as anything extraordinary.
But now, as he reflected on his memories, every moment he's spent with the others, and what his feelings were about all of it, he discovered that Vega was correct. Lucifer's circle, the Happy Hotel, and Slayer Studios had become a home to him, one that he was willing to seal himself away for eternity to protect. And the same applied to his friends; if anything happened to them, regardless if it were by the Demons' hand or not, he'd do everything in his power to fix it.
"...You know...it sucks how accurately you describe things sometimes..." The Slayer told him, causing him to laugh.
"My apologies. As it turns out, I'm very analytical and attentive to details even when I'm not inside a computer." Vega confessed, "Does this mean you forgive me and won't rip out my spine?" He asked.
"The jury's still out on the spine removal..." The Slayer answered as he folded his arms, "But yeah, I'm not angry...just worried..." He said.
"So am I. But unless we want to come across as dictators whose word is law, we can't keep them from doing what they want. Only all that is possible to ensure their safety." Vega replied.
"Then we better get started..." He reasoned before turning around, "We don't have much time as it is...can't waste it out here..." He explained.
"Agreed." Vega said, moving to stand beside the Slayer as they headed back to the arena, "Also, that comment about the jury being out, are you actually considering the idea of removing my spine?" He asked.
"Wait and see if you still have it by tomorrow morning...that should give you your answer..." The Slayer told him.