"...Ya know...when I've said in the past, I wanted Will to fuck me...I...really thought I'd have a good time..." Angel Dust told the others while lying face down on the floor of the arena, though he sounded so tired and empty on the inside.
This entire day, fucking SUCKED. And not the good kind of sucking, in which Angel was an unrivaled master; this was the kind of suck that made you want to bury yourself to avoid life's problems. At some point, they stopped keeping track of time, and their focus shifted to staying alive and trying to keep as much of their clothes on as possible as they were burned away by fire. HOT. SEARING. PAINFUL FIRE.
It genuinely, no joke, took them their entire first day of training to get through one session of Imps. And while that on its own was humiliating and upsetting, the actual salt in their many, many wounds was that they couldn't finish. By the time they got to the third wave they were a lot of things, none of which were feeling alive. The group was tired, in pain, nearly naked with only their underwear intact while the rest of their outfits were hanging on by threads, their skin was lightly burned, as was their hair, and they could barely stay conscious, let alone on their feet.
So the Slayer, that beautiful, brooding man, intervened by showing them how one person should go about dealing with that many Imps. That is when they realized how far apart their skills were. To describe it simply, they were paper airplanes that could barely fly across the room, while he was a highly advanced rocketship that could cross the universe. With speed, power, stamina, reflexes, ingenuity, and versatility, the Slayer outclassed them by lightyears.
Of course, they knew he was in a league all of his own; he was the SLAYER, for crying out loud. But they all wanted to show that they weren't dead weight to him; they weren't expecting to be experts but at the very least better than a newborn infant.
"Please...don't talk...this is worse than a hangover..." Cherri requested while she laid on her back, her eye shut tight as she waited for death to free her from this hell.
"And you...you wanted us to fight SIX. FUCKING. BARONS..." Vagatha groaned from the sidelines as she sat against the arena's wall, pointing at Blitzo, who seemed to be comatose.
"I...I think...he's dead...I don't see him breathing..." Moxxie told everyone, though, in their current state, they honestly couldn't be bothered to give two shits.
"No! I can confirm. You're all still very much alive!" Azrael informed from the stands. She, Husk, Loona, and Daisy all still present, while Nifty left with the Slayer to get some things.
And as for the Sentinels, all of them dispersed about halfway through the day, each one incredibly unimpressed by the demons' combat "skill."
"Though, to be fair, it'd probably be better if you guys were dead. Just saying." Husk told them.
"Husk! That was rude." She replied with a gasp of surprise. "Azreal. Look at them. They're fucking roadkill." He said.
"Yeah, I have to agree with him on this." Loona chimed in, "Like, I knew you guys were going to get your shit rocked. But damn, that was really hard to watch." She admitted.
"Loona...for once...dial the bitch mode back a bit..." Millie requested, unable to lift her arm to act like she was turning a dial because she was so tired.
"Ugh..." Katie groaned, also resting against the arena's wall like Vagatha, "I need coffee...liquor...smokes...maybe some drugs...a bath...and a full-body massage..." She said.
Suddenly, as if she were an ambulance, Nifty ran into the arena using her unnatural speed while carrying an assortment of medical supplies.
"Have no fear! Nurse Nifty is here!" She proclaimed as she held up what she was holding, "I've got bandages, medicine, sewing needle and thread for your clothes, adrenaline shots for a pick me up, and a whole bunch of other stuff!" She informed.
"If I were straight...I'd fuck you right now out of appreciation..." Angel Dust said.
"Aww, that's so sweet, Angel!" She replied with a smile, "So, who needs me the most first?" She asked.
"Even though I'm tempted to lie out of my ass right now...it's that dumb bastard over there..." Katie answered, pointing to Blitzo, who still looked like a corpse, especially since his tongue was hanging out of his mouth.
"Gotcha! On my way!" She responded with a salute before hurrying over to the Imp. "Hey...why isn't Will with you?..." Cherri asked, noticing a distinct lack of testosterone.
"He said he was going to talk with the Wraiths. Whoever they are." She answered while opening one of her many first aid kits, "I think they're like, the gods of this world or something? It sounded pretty intense." She added as she removed smelling salts from the box before putting them next to Blitzo's nostrils and breaking them open.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
SHIT! THAT IS GODDAMN AMAZING!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as he sat upright, only to have his eyes widen as the pain he felt suddenly hit him all at once, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed
before passing out again.
"Okay...not going to lie...that made me feel a little better..." Moxxie confessed with a weak yet noticeable smile.
Elsewhere, In The Wraiths' Sanctum...
Studying, of all the things Stolas, Alastor, and Velvet could be doing, that was it. Surrounded by tomes, scrolls, and other such revered texts of information, the Wraiths had several Sentinels bring it in when the training began. Although this wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, it made the most sense in all fairness. As arcane users such as they were, the only way they could acquire more spells, techniques and improve their capabilities was through mental growth, not physical. And, as a bonus, the Wraiths helped them learn the Sentinels' written language so they wouldn't have to read everything to them.
Unfortunately, learning a second language like that and starting their studies meant that not much progress was made for their first day. But as a boost to their morale, the Wraiths praised them by saying that it might only take half the expected time to get them where they needed to be because
they were so adept.
"Ngh!..." Stolas sounded as he stretched out his arms, "It's been ages since I've done anything like this. It takes me back to the more unpleasant side of my childhood." He said.
"Aww, did mommy and daddy lock you up in your room and made you study?" Velvet asked, surprisingly NOT being sarcastic when she said, mommy and daddy.
"Afraid so. Even as a young boy, I was rather popular with most children. So I let my schooling slack in favor of socializing with my peers." He answered.
"Ah, the ignorance of youth. How charming!" Alastor exclaimed before looking to Gabriel, who, as it turns out, decided to study with them, "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Gabriel? After all, you and your brother started a war of monumental proportions!" He pointed out.
"As it currently stands, the only demon I wish so desperately to kill is the wine-soaked feline defiling my sister. Don't become the second one in my sights, radio demon." Gabriel warned while keeping his eyes focused on the tome he was reading.
"Defiling? All I've seen from them is hand-holding, hugging, and light kissing." Stolas said, confused by the archangel's word choice.
"I know. Thinking about it makes me ill." He replied with a scowl. "Gabriel. You are aware that there is MORE than that, right?" Velvet asked.
"I'm no imbecile. There is the union of marriage, followed by the mating process afterward, and then children are created." He answered.
"Far be it from me to mention this, but you do realize it isn't so simple?" Alastor inquired.
"How can there be more than displays of affection and the standard exchange of sperm from the male onto the female's eggs that most mortal creatures partake in?" He questioned.
"Oh my lord, he's tragically innocent." All three demons thought, astounded how limited his knowledge of mortals turned out to be.
"Why are all of you looking at me like that?" He asked as they were suddenly silent, "What did I say?" He added.
But before any of them could think of a response, the sound of approaching footsteps got their attention.
"Hm? Oh, Will!" Stolas greeted as the space marine appeared from the shadows, "I'm guessing that if you're here, Blitzy and the others' training in the arena must be done for the day?" He suggested.
"Yup..." The Slayer replied.
"How did it go?" Alastor asked with a raised brow.
"Not...the best..." He slowly answered, trying to find a polite way to describe it. "Oof, they must've blown." Velvet said while wincing.
"...Yeah..." He reluctantly confirmed, "Which is why I'm here to see you..." He revealed as he
looked towards the Wraiths.
"What do you require from us, champion?" They asked.
"When I talked to Vega earlier, right before we returned to the arena, he said that you had a plan to help empower everyone to make this easier for them...I was curious about when you're going to carry it out..." He answered.
"Preparations are still being made. But they will be done by morning." They assured. "Thank you...that's one less thing I have to worry about..." He replied.
"Feeling stressed, are we?" Alastor asked.
"Would you like some candy?" Velvet joined in, randomly pulling out a sucker from...actually, where did she get that from?
"No...that's okay..." He told them, which to Velvet was permission to eat the sucker herself, "But now that this has been sorted...I need to go find the Wretch and my grandpa..." He said.
"Would you like some company? We're done here for the day." Stolas offered.
"Thanks...but you guys should head for the dining hall...by this time, most of the Sentinels will have cleared out...so we can have a nice meal before we get back to training..." He instructed.
"Wait, what? We're going to keep at it?" Alastor questioned.
"...Did you not tell them yet?..." He asked Gabriel, as he was informed of their schedule when he spoke with Vega earlier.
"I can do so while you find your ancestor and the Wretch. For convenience sake." Gabriel answered.
"I'd appreciate that..." He replied, "See you at the dining hall..." He said before turning around and leaving.
Watching the Slayer disappear into the endless darkness outside the chamber, the trio of demons focused on the archangel once he was gone from sight.
"Fair warning, if I don't get even one cup of coffee before we hit the books some more. I'll lose my mind, and I might try to strangle you." Stolas warned.
"And I demand sweets!" Velvet chimed in as she suckled on her candy.
Elsewhere, In The Wilds...
Vega wasn't sure what to expect when it came to teaching Charlie. He didn't know how well acquainted she was with her powers, how much training she's had before now, and if whether or not she had a handle on the method he described for her. And after spending a whole day working with her, he determined that she didn't lack enthusiasm but did struggle with executing her passionate efforts the way she wanted.
"Come on...I can do it..." She said quietly to herself while holding out her palm, "It's no different from summoning Hellfire...just concentrate..." She carried on, staring as intensely at her hand as
she could, "...Please?..." She asked politely, desperate for anything to happen.
What she was trying to accomplish was summon a simple orb of purity. By her own grandpa's words, her soul, unlike that of her father's or mother's, was practically overflowing with it. Suppose she wasn't the child of two beings whose souls were entirely comprised of corruption, meaning hers had a very plentiful amount naturally. In that case, Charlie could easily pass for an angel, but being a princess of Hell meant no matter what she did, it'd always be there.
It is for this reason that she was struggling so much. All she'd ever known was how to use her powers to conjure "evil" things, and this was the first time in her life she needed to rely upon anything divine.
"You shouldn't feel so stressed about this right now, dear." Vega commented from the sidelines, hoping to make her feel better, "All of today and quite possibly tomorrow is meant to help you understand the basics of what we're doing. So, if nothing happens, it is in no way a negative reflection on you or your abilities." He assured.
"No, no, no! I can do it!" She insisted, wanting to accomplish at least one thing so badly.
Respecting her wishes, Vega kept silent, allowing her to continue this for as long as she deemed necessary. Impressively, she stayed with it for five whole minutes before finally accepting her failure.
"Damn it..." She cursed in a defeated tone, her face drowning in sadness and disappointment, "I'm sorry, grandpa..." She apologized.
"What did I just say?" He asked as he came over. "That I shouldn't feel stressed..." She answered. "And what're you doing?" He followed up. "Feeling stressed..." She responded.
"Would it help if you talked about it?" He suggested, causing her to nod, "Alright then, my ears are open and ready." He said.
Taking a quick second to breathe in and out to calm herself, Charlie thought carefully about what she'd say.
"...I'm the only one here without any...special experience." She began, "Alastor's a serial killer both in life and death. Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie are trained assassins who can use many different guns and other weapons. Angel is a former gangster, so he's also good with a gun, and Cherri blows up things as a pass time. I mean, even STOLAS of ALL people used his powers either defensively or in some other way when he needed to. But because I'm royalty, there was never a time when anyone tried to attack or kill me. Because everyone knew if they went even the tiniest bit too far, my parents would've had them castrated or disemboweled or something. So, when it comes to training, I'm the one who needs it the most. And while I do have tremendous power, both the kind I've had my entire life and what you're trying to teach me now, using it like this is something I've never been forced or wanted to do. Which means I have to work harder than anyone if I want to be useful." She explained.
"So...you're upset that you haven't been killing people for most of your life?..." He jokingly asked, which made her laugh.
"Grandpa." She responded with a slight whine, trying her best to sound irritated, but the smile that gave her betrayed it.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." He apologized, "But really, Charlie, you should be proud that you need the most training for something like this. I'm filled with relief that you never did anything heinous or cruel, even with you being raised in Hell. It shows how compassionate you are and how much you care for everyone, regardless if you know them personally or not." He told her.
"That is true. Still, it sucks how much ground I have to cover." She said.
"I know. But I promise we're going to work at it nonstop until we're satisfied." He swore before putting a hand on her shoulder, "However, I think it's time for our first break. Feeling hungry?" He asked.
"STARVING." She confessed as she hadn't eaten anything all day.
"Then let's go back to the city and have a meal with the others. They're no doubt just as famished as you are." He decided.
Nodding in agreement, Vega opened a portal that'd take them to the front of the dining hall, where they'd wait for the others to show up and join them.
Elsewhere, In The Capitol City...
"Damn...I'm still struggling to make sense of some of this stuff." BJ said as he read through the pages of a book Valen gave him for his new clothes, "Think you can help?" He asked the Wretch, who walked beside him.
The time they spent in the commander's company was honestly brief, for when it came to testing their weapons, both men didn't need a lot of practice. From the marksman precision BJ displayed when firing any of his guns to how expertly the Wretch swung his blade, there wasn't much either needed to discover about their new tools for murder. But that's when Valen showed BJ the improved version of his outfit, made with the same technology that the Slayer's latest set of his original armor possessed. And because Valen himself needed to return to his duties as a commander, he sent both men on their way while giving BJ what was essentially an instruction manual on how to use the new features his attire had.
So for what remained of the day, they walked around the city, speaking to the people they met and learning more about the Sentinels.
"I'm afraid not. By the time my kind met the Sentinels, I was no longer focused on reverse engineering any new technology. So my expertise regarding it is limited." The Wretch replied.
"You're still WAY more intelligent than I am when it comes to anything tech-related." He countered.
"Granted. But it doesn't change any of the facts." The Wretch argued as an idea came to mind, "You could ask the Slayer about it. His armor, helmet, and clothes have the same tech-infused in them as yours do." He suggested.
"Yeah, but that's another thing he'd have to deal with. On top of training his friends, us, making sure all of creation doesn't go belly up, and the demons he's fighting on the inside just as much as the outside." BJ listed, ending with a sigh, "I had a lot to deal with myself. But in comparison to
everything that's happening now, it somehow seems so small." He admitted.
"I long for a time when I find myself fretting over small, insignificant things and not the safety of every soul that exists." The Wretch shared, letting loose a sigh of his own, "Although, I suppose I am dealing with such a matter even now." He confessed.
"Oh?" BJ inquired, curious to know what it was.
"For reasons that no sane mind can comprehend, the creator decided I should be the one to give the seven Khans their names." He revealed.
"Seven names for seven angels, all of whom are women. Damn, that's rough." BJ said with a chuckle.
"Indeed it is. But as I said, I can't wait when such a trivial matter is the only thing weighing down my mind. No doubt the Slayer feels the same way." He assumed.
"Yeah, that's a safe bet." BJ agreed, "Out of curiosity, though, have you got the names sorted out?" He asked, genuinely interested in that.
"I do. But I'd like to share that with the Khans after things are settled. And I'd appreciate it if you left it at that." The Wretch answered.
"Say no more," BJ replied, respecting his request.
For the next few minutes, they'd walk in silence. Their intended destination was the arena to resume their combat training against the simulated demons. But they'd find themselves stopped in their tracks about halfway there as they came across a strange and unusual sight.
"Is...that some kind of creature?..." BJ asked as both he and the Wretch stared at a mysterious large mass in the middle of their path, hidden by a larger blanket that covered it.
"I find that hard to believe. I'm fairly certain that if any creature entered this city, it'd be killed by the first Sentinel it came across." The Wretch answered.
"Well, it can't be something like supplies. No one that we've seen would be careless enough to lose something that big." He reasoned.
Suddenly, as if in reaction to hearing them speak, the mass beneath the blanket shuffled slightly.
"Hm. So it is some kind of creature." The Wretch noted, shocked that he was wrong, "But now that gives us a new question, where did it acquire the blanket?" He wondered.
"Don't know." BJ said before he summoned his shotgun, pretty much the ONLY new feature he managed to figure out, "But we're not going to learn anything by standing around. So I'll go pull the blanket off, and hopefully whatever's underneath won't make me use this." He told him.
Nodding in response, the Wretch watched him walk over to the mysterious mass slowly in case it decided to make a sudden escape. When BJ stopped a few inches away, it moved slightly more, but not enough that made him concerned. Reaching down, he grabbed onto the blanket, readied his shotgun in his other hand, and in one quick motion pulled it away and moved it to the side.
"PLEASE! DON'T SHOOT US!" Sir Pentious shouted the moment he and Vox were revealed, throwing his hands up in front of him as if they could offer some kind of protection.
Huh, okay, this was quite a shocking development. Sir Pentious and Vox, who they hadn't seen since earlier, were lying on the ground covered in a plentiful amount of bruises and swells. And in the Overlord's case specifically, he was face down on the stone path, not showing any signs of life.
"Oh...hey...guys..." BJ greeted awkwardly, as he didn't know their names, "Why're the two of you in the middle of the pathway...beaten to shit...hiding underneath a blanket?..." He asked while putting away his shotgun.
"We...we...WE WERE INITIATED INTO A GANG!" Sir Pentious shouted.
"I find that hard to believe." The Wretch commented, walking over to be a part of the conversation.
"It's true! We went to the forge, were introduced to the scary woman who runs it, then she threw us into a pit of lions where they jumped us in!" He insisted.
"By lions, you mean Sentinels, right?" BJ asked.
"They're far more terrifying than any of the demons in Doom..."He answered while curling up a tiny bit, "And I should know since I spent six months there!" He exclaimed.
"Again, I'm EXTREMELY doubtful." The Wretch repeated, "Also, what is wrong with your companion?" He inquired as he pointed to Vox.
"He asked they not break his screen, so it was the first thing they went for..." Sir Pentious explained, looking at the ground with a thousand-yard stare, "I had to turn his head off because he kept saying the same thing over and over again..." He informed.
"That sentence doesn't make much sense," BJ told him.
"See for yourselves!" He responded before flipping Vox over and turning on his screen.
"This unit has suffered damage rendering it inoperable. Please contact the manufacturer for repairs or a replacement should it be impossible to fix." An automated message in Vox's voice played.
Accompanied by the image of a capital "V" over a static background.
"...There is a LOT I need to learn about the kind of demons you are," BJ confessed as Sir Pentious turned it off.
"Apparently, so do I." The Wretch said, only realizing now how different his species was from those in Lucifer's circle.
"Who cares about that right now?! They've broken one of my best friends!" Sir Pentious exclaimed with tears in his eyes, which would've been present in the others on his body if they weren't swollen shut, "All we wanted was to share our intellect with them, and they put us through their initiation of violence! What kind of sick depravity is that?!" He asked them before he reached up and grabbed his top hat, "THEY EVEN PUT A HOLE THROUGH MY HEADWEAR! IT IS ESSENTIAL TO MY ENTIRE APPEARANCE! IT'S MY BRAND!" He shouted as he held it out for them to look at, a reasonably large hole present where its eye used to be.
"Sheesh, you guys really did have a rough first day." BJ acknowledged, which made the serpent nod, "But where exactly does the blanket come into this? And why you're out here hiding under it?" He asked.
"THEY are responsible for THAT too..." Sir Pentiuous answered while putting his ruined hat back on his head, "After they were through with us, they bundled us together inside of the blanket then
dumped us here." He explained.
"At least they were nice enough to bring you within walking distance of the arena." The Wretch replied, trying to find something to make him feel better.
"OH, GOODIE! WE WERE DELIVERED TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GET THE SHIT BEATEN OUT OF US SOME MORE! HOW SUPER-DUPER THAT IS!" He shouted.
"Super-duper?" BJ questioned.
"...I think...I have brain damage..." He admitted, realizing himself how stupid that was.
"You're entirely ethereal, similarly to Gabriel. The Maykrs didn't give you a new physical form when we freed you." The Wretch reminded.
However, before they could continue their conversation, someone else showed up.
"Oh, thank god, Will!" BJ called out as his grandson approached, "Perfect timing. We've...got a bit of a mess here." He informed.
"I can see that..." The Slayer replied as he approached the two demons, "What ha-" "WILL!" Sir Pentious shouted as he immediately lunged at him like a feral badger, "THESE
PEOPLE ARE SAVAGES! THEY PUNCHED A HOLE IN MY HAT! BROKE VOX'S FACE!
AND THEN THEY WRAPPED US IN A BLANKET AND CARRIED US HERE AS IF THEY WERE TRYING TO DISPOSE OF A BODY!" He recounted.
"...Yeah...that sounds pretty normal for the forgers..." The Slayer said, worsening the serpent's distress.
"NORMAL?! HOW IS ANY OF THIS NORMAL?!" He questioned.
"There are two things the Sentinels are wary of...weakness...and outsiders...so it makes sense that when you two arrived, they'd put you through the wringer to see how you'd hold up..." The Slayer explained.
"Does this mean we're going to get our asses beaten tomorrow as well?!" He asked in a panic.
"No...this whole thing is a test of your resolve...if both of you walk into the forge after everything they put you through...you'll earn the right to work alongside them and start earning their trust and respect..." The Slayer answered.
"...Oh. Okay then." Sir Pentious replied, miraculously calm out of nowhere.
"THAT'S all it took to make everything better?!" The Wretch questioned, finding that sudden change of attitude baffling.
"Will knows these people, so I'll believe anything he says." He explained while crossing his arms, "Besides if I keep crying like a bitch then it'll undermine our badass entrance when we go back.
My previous two attempts at making a grand appearance have been met with failure. I won't have it happen thrice!" He exclaimed.
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me. Never seen anyone who tried to go for a third attempt." BJ admitted, both impressed and concerned by how his mind worked.
"Is Vox okay?..." The Slayer asked, now noticing how lifeless the Overlord seemed.
"His head's busted." Sir Pentious answered with a casual shrug, "Don't worry. Give me some tools and parts, and I can get it working no problem." He promised.
"Then we better get on that..." The Slayer decided as he picked Vox up into his arms, "We're all gathering at the dining hall for a meal..." He informed before walking away.
"Oh! That sounds lovely!" Sir Pentious said with excitement as he followed behind, "I could use a nice hot meal after the curb stomping we endured." He added.
"Do they serve steak here?" BJ asked as he and the Wretch did the same.
"If you consider massive slabs of cooked meat steak, then yeah..." The Slayer answered. "Meat's meat as far as I'm concerned." The Wretch replied.
"Couldn't agree more," BJ said.
Ten Minutes Later, Inside The Dining Hall...
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT! THIS FOOD IS DELICIOUS!" Angel Dust shouted right before he began stuffing his face.
After the day most of them had, a fair portion of their group threw table manners out the window to treat their exhaustion with hot meals and cold liquor. Of course, this wouldn't work too well if their surroundings didn't match the spread laid out for them on the table they sat at, but thankfully like everything else the Sentinels built, the dining hall was exceptional. Imagine the most badass, atmospheric, homely feeling fantasy guild you can, the kind that'd appear in video games or certain types of fictional literature. Once you have that image, amplify it by a thousand, and you'll be a quarter of the way there to what the Sentinels achieved with this building.
From the banners hanging from the ceiling and the drool-inducing aroma of the food. To the music played by what they assumed to be bards or something similar to help replenish the spirit of their soldiers. All topped off by the sounds of chattering mouths, clinking glasses, and silverware being proudly banged against the tabletops. It was impossible not to be swept up in it all.
"While I'm not as...expressive as Angel when it comes to cuisine. I do agree that this is the finest meat I've ever had the pleasure of putting into my mouth." Stolas said as he put a bite of his food into his beak.
"Normally, I'd make a joke, but this food doesn't deserve to be used for an innuendo." Blitzo chimed in before tearing into his meal like Angel was.
"We need to take this home with us. Or at least learn how to make it." Loona decided, for this was the answer she'd been looking for to keep her dad from constantly talking about his sex life.
"What do you think of the alcohol Husker? Seeing as how you ARE our expert on that." Alastor inquired.
"Not gonna lie, puts everything in Hell to shame." He admitted as he took another sip from his cup, "Usually, I'd have to down an entire shelf of good whiskey to feel anything." He shared.
"Which is something we still need to talk about." Azrael reminded from her seat beside him, causing him to roll his eyes.
"And...done!" Vega exclaimed once he finished repairing Vox's screen.
"Thanks for doing that for me, Vega." Sir Pentious said in gratitude, his injuries and Vox's healed by the creator.
"No reason to thank me. I'm sorry the Sentinels were so rough with you, though it is part of their culture." He replied.
"Hurry! Hurry! Turn him back on!" Velvet impatiently demanded, wanting to see Vox's face after a day of being separated.
With a simple press of a button, the television demon was back to normal, his virtual eyes blinking a few times as he came to his senses.
"...Where am I?" He spoke, asking a logical first question to be sure. "There you are!" Velvet exclaimed happily before hugging him.
"We're in the dining hall, recuperating from the initiation we were given." Sir Pentious informed.
"You mean ass-kicking. Since both of you are weak bitches." Cherri corrected with a smug toothy grin.
"Coming from the cyclops who got mauled by a lowly Imp." He countered while sticking his forked tongue out.
"WILL!" She angrily shouted as she jolted from her seat, looking at the Slayer with a light blush of embarrassment on her face.
"He knew you'd mock him, so I evened the playing field..." He replied with Daisy sitting next to him on the table, eating a plate of salad he made her.
"Yeah, we have NO ground to stand on when it comes to acting superior..." Katie said with a sigh, "I knew we wouldn't be as good as you, Will. But Jesus H. Christ on a fucking cross, we sucked ass..." She complained.
"Preach sister..." Millie agreed before taking a huge sip from her glass.
"You guys shouldn't feel so bad...you performed about as well as I expected..." The Slayer told them.
"That makes it worse, though!" Millie exclaimed, "We WANT to impress you, Will! Show you that we can go toe to toe with those monsters and look good while doing it!" She explained.
"Yeah! What she said!" Moxxie joined in, feeling left out.
"Ditto!" Angel Dust spoke up, though it was muffled due to the amount of food in his mouth.
"Don't worry. After tomorrow morning, everyone here will feel ten times better." Vega assured them.
"What does that mean?" Vagatha inquired.
"Yeah, grandpa, that sounded pretty ominous," Charlie said.
"It's a surprise. But a good one, I give you my word." He clarified.
"Your secrecy only makes it more suspicious," Vagatha told him while squinting her eye.
Just then, before the group could exchange more words, Nifty suddenly rushed around the table, cleaning it up as best she could.
"Nifty, my dear, you DO know that we're all having a break? Which includes you." Alastor asked, bringing her to a stop next to him.
"THIS. PLACE. NEEDS. CLEANING." She responded as intensely as possible, her eye as wide as it could be.
"Right...carry on then." He permitted, causing her to resume her hyper-speed tidying.
"She hasn't been like this since she first arrived at the hotel," Vagatha recalled with a smile.
"If she's this excited about the dining hall...she might have a heart attack if we set her loose on the city..." The Slayer said.
"We saw a fair chunk of it when we were walking around. It could use some spick and span," BJ replied.
"Strange how such a disciplined society could be so comfortable with grime and the tarnish of time." The Wretch commented.
"In their defense, they're focusing on something way more important right now. As we all are." Charlie reminded.
"I'm glad you said that, Charlie..." The Slayer admitted as he put his arms on the table, "We need to clarify something right now, as I think most of you are a bit confused..." He told them.
"We are?" She questioned, unsure of what he meant by that.
"What do you think we're going to do when we finish eating and drinking?..." He asked.
"Oh! I know this!" Velvet exclaimed while waving her hand in the air, "After we're done, we get back to training!" She answered.
Hearing her say that brought everything to a stop, for only she, Alastor, and Stolas had been given this information.
"A bit of advice." Alastor spoke to her, gaining her attention, "You might want to be more tactful next time you plan on nuking a conversation like that." He advised.
"Will...are we seriously going to get back to training THAT quickly?..." Angel Dust asked, speaking clearly now for the first time since he started eating.
"Vega...your turn..." The Slayer said, deflecting the responsibility.
"I deserve that. Should've b0een forthcoming with everyone from the beginning." He admitted, "Remember that surprise I mentioned a minute ago? Well, since our window for training is so small, I and a few others have devised a way where you can constantly train, with breaks like the one we're having now, without it negatively impacting your physical or mental health." He revealed.
"So...drugs?" Cherri asked.
"No." He bluntly answered, "What you're going to receive will improve you in every way. You'll be stronger, faster, and so much more. I can't get into the details now, as we'd be here for far too long whilst I explain everything. But know that we wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't safe or we weren't sure it'd work." He clarified.
"Well, duh, you act like we don't trust either of you." Katie responded, "But still, you can't expect us to work through the night until we get...whatever your surprise is. Could we maybe have just tonight to sleep before we're put to the grindstone?" She requested.
Receiving a "Yeah!" or "Please!" from some of the others at the same time, both Vega and the Slayer realized that even with current circumstances, they might've been pushing them a bit too hard out of the gate.
"You're right...all of you deserve a good night's sleep before it gets crazy...so we'll wait until tomorrow to resume training..." The Slayer decided.
"Thanks, big guy." Angel Dust said with a smile, "But now that we've reached that decision, LET'S GET FUCKING SHIT FACED BITCHES!" He shouted with zest.
"Don't gotta tell me twice." Husk replied as he immediately downed what was left in his cup.
Without warning, their dinner suddenly became a wild celebration, with everyone cutting loose and enjoying their last night before five straight days of work. Yet at no point did any of them notice something peculiar, the absence of an archangel who didn't accompany Alastor, Stolas, and Velvet to the dining hall.