"...How did this happen?" Gabriel asked as he slowly turned towards his right, where the noble demon Stolas was sitting and eating his breakfast.
Although Vega relayed a fair amount of news to everyone, this didn't affect the mood of their breakfast. The trio of Imps engaged in their usual banter with each other. Sir Pentious and Vox discussed how they'd go about winning the forgers' respect. Angel Dust, Cherri, Katie, and Vagatha talked of ways to improve their approach to fighting the simulations in the arena.
Alastor was having a pleasant conversation with Husk and Azrael. While Nifty, unable to sit still, was running around cleaning the dining hall again along with any of the Sentinels' equipment that needed it, much to the appreciation of the stalwart warriors. Vega and Charlie were going over all the different things she'd be able to do soon, and right next to them, the Slayer, BJ, and the Wretch discussed strategies and battle plans. All that remained by this point were four people consisting of Loona, Velvet, Gabriel, and Stolas, who formed a unique group this morning.
Velvet and Loona were seated next to each other, Daisy in the company of the Hellhound, which was quickly becoming a norm by this point. And across from them was their breakfast entertainment, an overly giddy owl demon seated next to an archangel who looked incredibly uncomfortable.
"What are you referring to?" Stolas inquired as he placed a bite of his meal into his mouth.
"The last time we spoke, you despised me." Gabriel reminded.
"I wouldn't say DESPISE. That's a bit strong, don't you think?" He questioned.
"You shouted in my face that my association with both your daughter and your ex-wife was, and I quote, none of my fucking business," Gabriel replied.
"Well...yes..." He acknowledged.
"And before that, you went into great detail about how it was YOUR family, and I have no right even concerning myself with their affairs. Regardless of whether or not they asked me themselves to be involved." He said.
"Damn, seriously?" Loona questioned from across the table, "That doesn't seem like you at all, Stolas. You're so composed when you're not horny." She told him as she fed Daisy some of her meal.
"Yeah. You're always so nice." Velvet commented.
"I know...looking back on it now. It wasn't my finest moment..." He admitted, "The truth is Gabriel, it was all so overwhelming. Seeing Stella amidst all that chaos, learning she reached out to our daughter without consulting me first, and that Octavia seemed to be taking her side in all of it. Or, at the very least, she was willing to give her another chance. It...made me feel a wide variety of emotions, none of which were pleasant in the slightest." He confessed, "But it didn't give me the right to take it out on you. The only reason you were involved in our drama is that my daughter and Stella asked you to be. You were trying to carry out their wishes is all, and I'm sorry it took me this long to realize it with a rational and calm mind." He apologized.
"Stolas. You have no reason to apologize. I understand your position entirely." Gabriel assured.
"And it makes me happy to hear you say that." He replied with a smile, "However, that brings us to the present. Where without your involvement and familiarity with my family, my precious daughter would've been subjected to a trauma that she may never have recovered from. And it is for this reason that I am indebted to you for life." He said, making the archangel groan.
"I was SO hoping you'd forgotten about that ridiculous statement from before..." Gabriel replied.
"Nope! I, Stolas, a goetic prince of Lucifer's circle of Hell, am forever in your service. In addition to being a close family friend, all of society shall know of your upstanding character! I promise!" He vowed.
Slamming his head down on the table while releasing a sigh, across from them, Loona looked on in amusement as Velvet giggled to herself. Soon after, the dining hall's doors would open, and who else would come in other than the only remaining demons in the world?
"Hey! Octavia! Over here!" Loona called out once she saw the teen and her mother, which got everyone else to notice their arrival as well.
"Ah! There she is!" Stolas exclaimed as he got up and immediately hugged his daughter, "How'd you sleep, princess? Did you have nightmares? You know you can talk to me if you need to!" He said, unable to hide his worry for her condition.
"Dad, please. Not in front of the badass space knights." She requested as having her dad act like this HERE of all places was indescribably embarrassing.
As for Stella, she ignored her husband and walked straight past him. However, it wasn't due to her distaste for him this time. Instead, she had something important she needed to do.
"Gabriel." She spoke to the archangel, making him turn around to face her, "I spent the entire time I walked here thinking of what I would say to you, how I would express my gratitude for protecting me and, more importantly, my daughter. I thought of everything I could tell you to convey this correctly, but no combination of expressions or short speeches sounded right. So, I decided to keep it simple by saying thank you. And that I am grateful I was able to meet you." She told him.
Rising from his seat so they could be face to face, even with his face concealed by his hood and the darkness within his eyes alone conveyed a feeling of joy.
"Miss Stella, as I told the others in the arena a few moments ago, what I did deserves no praise of any kind. Any person who has even the smallest amount of decency in their soul would've done the same. But I still appreciate the kind words you've given me, and I want you to know that should any situation like this ever occur again. You can rely on me and my capabilities." He promised, which made her smile.
"OH MY GOD! WOULD YOU TWO FUCK ALREADY?!" Blitzo shouted out loud while throwing his hands into the air, "Like for FUCK'S SAKE! You couldn't write mushier shit than this!" He exclaimed.
Taken aback by the Imp's outburst, before Stella could fly into a mad rage over it much like she did when Angel Dust said something similar, Vega decided now was the best time for divine intervention.
"Whelp! I think it's time we head out now." He spoke up to get everyone's focus, "The Sentinels and Maykrs working on your surprise should be finished by now. Chop chop; we mustn't waste time." He instructed before leaving.
Despite most of them not having finished their meals yet, everyone was on the same page and followed him without any objections. As for Blitzo, he immediately regretted saying what he did, for the whole time they left the dining hall, he felt the murderous stare of the noblewoman on his backside. Over the next five to ten minutes, they'd walk as a group through the city. Each corner they turned and street they went down became less populated and more unfamiliar, even with their limited knowledge.
Soon, they reached what appeared to be sacred ground, indicated by the unique armor the guards here wore. Of all the armors they'd seen so far, these were the most like a knight's, they wore capes on their backsides with the Slayer's symbol on them, and in addition to having a weapon on their side, they held massive shields in one of their hands.
"Whoa, Will, what's up with their armor?" Angel Dust asked while pointing to them.
"Those are Templars..." The Slayer answered, speaking loud enough so everyone could hear him, "They are the most skilled of the Sentinel people...however...they rarely see any combat..." He informed.
"Doesn't that go against their whole honor through fighting religion? Or whatever you'd call it?" Millie questioned.
"No...because they have to protect items that they consider holy or otherwise...make no mistake, even though they don't fight on the frontlines, a single Templar could dispatch a thousand demons singlehandedly..." He explained.
"Just when the badass-o-meter seems to have reached its cap, it's increased again," Cherri said, she and the others all staring at the silent protectors in awe.
Now having it confirmed that this location was indeed sacred to the Sentinels, everyone conducted themselves more cautiously to avoid causing any trouble. But that flew out the window once they made it a bit further and saw something that blew their minds.
"YOU HAVE A FUCKING STATUE?!" Angel Dust shouted as he and the others all came to a stop before a well-carved sculpture of the Slayer.
"...I forgot about the statue..." He mumbled to himself, wishing he'd remembered because he KNEW this would be a big deal to them.
"Why are all of you so surprised?" Vega inquired, finding their reactions both humorous yet confusing, "By now, you know he's revered as a god by both Sentinel and Maykr alike. So something like this which serves as tribute is to be expected." He said.
"Yeah, okay, fair point. We still weren't ready to turn a corner and see a massive fucking stone copy of Will." Katie countered.
"Hm, I suppose that would be rather startling." He agreed.
"How come there aren't more of these? If he's so revered, shouldn't there be a statue on every street corner?" Vagatha asked.
"Well, besides the space issues that would cause, there is a significant reason for why this statue is
here. Care to share it with them, Will?" He suggested.
"You could say...this is where I was reborn...into what I am now..." The Slayer answered. "YO! So this place is where you became a god?!" Cherri asked, receiving a nod in response.
"WAIT! HOLD THE FUCK UP! Does that mean WE'RE going to be turned into gods too?!" Blitzo inquired hopefully.
"Hm, I'm afraid not." Vega told him, immediately killing his excitement, "Although, I suppose that is going to be what happens to Charlie. Or, to be more precise, she'll be on the road to becoming a god." He said, "But enough idle chatter, your surprise awaits." He told them before they resumed walking.
Making their way through these hallow grounds, soon they'd find themselves ascending a long stretch of stone stairs that led to some kind of sanctum. And when they reached the top, being met by a set of large stone doors attended to by more Templars, the Slayer himself would push them open and reveal what lay inside.
"Whoa...what is that...BEAUTIFUL machine?..." Sir Pentious asked, both he and Vox staring in wonder at the technological marvel before them.
A large metal dome rested in the center of a massive spacious room, its shell made of a beautiful red metal commonly found within Maykr inventions. Additionally, several terminals and various other machines are connected to the device, some even resting below in a lower level.
"The divinity machine." Vega answered as he gestured to the room, "This place is where all Sentinels come to have the impurities in their souls cleansed. However, when Will was put into the original design and his already pure soul was given a boost of divine energy. He transcended beyond a normal mortal existence and became so much more." He informed.
"Original design? So it's changed?" Vox inquired, wanting to learn as much about this machine as possible.
"Yes. The change was necessary because it was only ever intended to be used by those with a humanoid body structure. And while some of you are either within those parameters or are small enough to where it doesn't matter. Many of you are too tall, too disproportionate, and if this were the same machine as before, it'd disintegrate your bodies, which are made of corruption, and leave only your souls." He explained.
"And...for those of us present who DON'T have a body?" Katie asked, referring to herself, Sir Pentious, and Vox.
"You'd endure horrific pain worse than anything you've ever felt. Even worse than torture at the hands of the Dark One and his minions." He answered before waving his hand, "But don't worry. It wasn't the design alone we updated, be rest assured none of you will suffer an agony that no words could ever hope to describe." He promised.
"...You know Vega, sometimes you can be scarily casual about fucked up shit," Blitzo told him.
"So...wait, if it isn't purity that machine is going to give us. Then what will we be receiving?" Moxxie asked.
"Hm, that's a bit difficult to explain concisely. But if you can understand this, here's what is going on step by step." He began as he held up a finger, "What we're doing, in essence, is giving you a
power increase. At the moment, your powers come from a single source, corruption. That is obvious since all of you are either naturally born Hellspawn or former humans whose souls became corrupt. Upon being sent to Hell, your physical appearance was altered to suit your specific sins and personalities. Unfortunately, the type of corruption the Dark One and his legions use is unrefined, chaotic, overall unpredictable. So no matter how much time you spend training, the powers you have won't measure up to the most powerful of Doom's demons. Hence, we're putting you into this updated version of the divinity machine. Its new function is no longer to cleanse a soul of its sin but to add more power to it in a safe balance that allows the soul to accomplish much more than it could've on its own. Through a perfect trinity of corruption, purity, and a third power which I cannot explain as we'll be here all day, you will be able to not only fight alongside Will against Doom's armies but conquer them." He explained before lowering his arm back to his side, "Any questions?" He asked.
"Yes. Are we going to become gods?" Blitzo responded, causing him to sigh. "Sir. You JUST asked that question, and he told you no." Moxxie reminded.
"Well, from what he just told us, it sounds like we're going to become gods!" He argued.
"Am I allowed to kick him across the room yet?" Stella asked Stolas, DESPERATELY looking for permission to shut him up.
"Excuse me, father." A Maykr angel spoke as they approached Vega, "We're ready to begin the treatments at your command. Who shall enter the machine first?" They inquired.
"ME!" Blitzo volunteered, raising his hand and waving it around like an insane person.
"Hmm...a good question..." Vega hummed, ignoring the Imp as he kept waving his hand, wanting to be first, "...Will, why don't you decide?" He suggested.
"Perfect! Choose me!" Blitzo exclaimed, refusing to give up. "Katie..." The Slayer said immediately, catching everyone by surprise.
"...Did...did you mean to say my name but fucked it up in the worst way possible?..." Blitzo asked.
"Nope..." He answered as he pointed to her, "Out of everyone at training yesterday, Katie showed the most promise...Vaggie was a close second, but in the end, she relied heavily on her spear...and without it, she'd lose a lot of her offensive capabilities...the same goes for Angel and his guns or Cherri and her bombs...but Katie fended off three Imps on her own using only her blade-like appendages and sharp claw-like fingers...and it's because of this I think she should go first as a reward for impressing me the most..." He explained.
The Slayer's intention by saying what he did was to clarify why he chose her, but it unintentionally had a secondary effect. On the one hand, those training with him felt slightly embarrassed because they hadn't considered he'd be evaluating how well they could fight without weapons, even though, in retrospect, it made perfect sense. And on the other hand, there was the fact that Katie was the first of them all to receive his praise, which was particularly upsetting for those who had feelings that went beyond admiration and respect for him.
"Wow...uh...shit Will, you can't just say something like that out of fucking nowhere..." Katie replied, a light blush on her face.
"Does that mean you don't want to go first?..." He asked.
"NO!" She quickly responded, "I'll go. But for future reference, WARN us ahead of time before you give out sudden compliments like that." She told him.
"Noted..." He said.
"Right this way, miss." The angel directed, escorting her to the machine.
Watching as the angel guided her to the dome before she went inside via an open door, once she was positioned in the center of the chamber, the door closed automatically. In the minutes that followed, no one said or did anything; they waited with baited breathe for what was supposed to happen. The angels worked diligently at the terminals they were positioned to, each interacting with a screen that controlled a specific part of the machine as a whole. Then, in a dazzling display of lights, it began.
First came a light that was a mixture of gold and silver, almost like what you'd see during a time of celebration; this was the divine energy. Next came a light that no one could describe. It seemed cosmic in a way, an assault on one's senses that was entirely pleasant; this was the other energy that Vega had mentioned. As for the final component of this process, that was Katie herself, and yet after the second energy's light faded, the angels still worked, no doubt needing to be sure of several things before declaring it successful.
"Her soul is stable. And, if our readings are accurate, it is improving as we hoped." An angel informed Vega and the others.
"Improving? What does that mean?" Charlie asked while looking at her grandpa.
"The result of this process is the creation of Argent energy. Again, I cannot explain it now, for we must get through this first. But know that any limitations you had before today will be gone forever once it is done. Anything will be possible." He answered.
"If that's true, then why hasn't she come out?" Cherri questioned, feeling concerned for Katie.
"Getting hit with that much energy is no different from taking a flashbang point blank...give her a few seconds to get used to it, and she'll walk out on her own..." The Slayer assured.
Another minute would go by as they waited anxiously for Katie's return, and when it did, the door to the chamber unsealed.
"Whoa...holy shit, guys..." She spoke, seeming to be winded from the experience, "That...was fucking insane...like seriously take EVERY drug trip you've ever had and multiple it by a million...holy fuck..." She described.
Leaning against the doorway, Katie made sure she could keep her balance before she tilted her head upward to look at the others. But when she did, she saw that each of them had looks of utter shock on their faces, including the Slayer whose eyes were wider than she'd ever seen them.
"...Shit. This is like what happens in the movies, right? I FEEL normal, but this science experiment bullshit turned me into a freak of nature, didn't it?" She asked.
"N...No...actually Katie it...it..." Charlie stuttered, her mind overwhelmed by what she was seeing. "It. It. It. WHAT?!" She questioned.
"IT MADE YOU FUCKING SEXIER, GODDAMN IT!" Angel Dust shouted angrily, pissed off by how much her appearance improved.
"...Uh...okay...more porn parody than actual movie...got it..." She replied, not sure how to react to that, "Uh...Vega...could I get a mirror or something?" She requested.
"Um...sure..." He said, just as shocked as everyone else, "Excuse me, Templar. Could we borrow your shield for just a moment?" He asked, speaking to one of the guards near the door.
Feeling honored to receive such a request from the creator, the Templar obliged without objection, handing over their massive shield, which possessed a reflective surface. With the shield in hand, Vega approached Katie, opting to hold it for her. Looking into the metallic object to see what the fuss was about, Katie was left speechless by what she saw. Her face...was normal, as in what it looked like BEFORE she became a demon.
Granted, she still had snowy white skin and pure red eyes. But the shape of both her face and head, features like her nose and ears, which were absent in her demon form, were back! Wait...it couldn't just be her different face...that alone wouldn't have garnered such a reaction from everyone...so that must mean...
"Vega, would you mind tipping it a bit so I can see how the rest of me looks?" She requested.
Having known she would ask that of him, he complied without saying a word. Now able to view the rest of her body in the shield's reflection, when Katie was able to study every detail of her appearance, it nearly brought her to tears. Everything, from her legs to her torso, to her arms and neck, every last bit of her looked the way it did when she was human. No longer was she so thin that she looked anorexic; her thighs were back to being full and her legs long and sexy like those of a supermodel, while her arms had a healthy amount of thickness to them.
In this shield's reflection, the woman she saw was the one she remembered from her life on earth, not some disproportionate creature interpretation. And while she did still have her white skin and red eyes, it seemed oddly fitting when combined with her true self, as if this is how she was always meant to look.
"It's...me...it's the real me..." She muttered in disbelief, "I...I don't...how?..." She asked while moving her gaze from the shield to Vega.
"YEAH, VEGA! WHY THE HELL IS SHE SO MUCH MORE FUCKABLE THAN I AM
NOW?!" Angel Dust shouted, still royally pissed off.
"...AH. That's it." Vega said after a few seconds went by, as he needed some time to figure it out, "Okay. There is a perfectly rational explanation for what we're witnessing." He assured.
"REALLY?! CAUSE IT SEEMS PRETTY FUCKING INSANE!" Cherri shouted, joining in.
"Nope. I promise it's very easy to understand." He insisted before getting on with it, "So, when a soul comes into existence, it's like a blank piece of paper. The identity it makes for itself happens throughout its entire life. Although, in the case of mortals, it's until they die. When Katie's life was over, and she was sent to Hell, the nature of Lucifer's circle altered her appearance to match her sins. And like most souls in Hell, she didn't care about becoming a better person, which meant the corruption in her soul only grew, and her demon form became more realized. But once we gave her a piping hot injection of purity, mixed with her corruption and the third energy we used, this has created a balance to where the power in her soul no longer dictates her appearance. In conclusion, Katie's appearance is now in her complete control. Since she has no physical being and what we are seeing is her soul itself, this is how she wants to appear all the time." He explained.
"So does that mean we won't get sexy too? We'll remain the same while she gets to look like a
fucking bombshell?!" Angel Dust questioned.
"Of course not." He replied, "If anything, while it might be a bit more challenging after the process does it for you, with your newfound possession of Argent energy, you should be able to alter even a physical body however you see fit. But as we've seen the result of Katie's transformation, what will happen to you from the get-go will almost certainly be what you want as well. Your true self realized." He said.
With this information given to them, Angel Dust, Cherri, and many others looked at each other for a moment before suddenly rushing for the chamber.
"OUT OF MY WAY, YOU FUCKS! I WANT TO BE MY SEXIER SELF, GODDAMN IT!"
Angel Dust shouted at them.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE WAITED TO GET MY FUCKING EYE BACK?! I'M
GOING FIRST!" Vagatha responded.
"AT LEAST YOU GOT TO KEEP BOTH SOCKETS! DO YOU KNOW HOW FUCKING WEIRD AND DISORIENTING IT IS TO SUDDENLY HAVE ONE MASSIVE FUCKING
EYEBALL?!" Cherri asked.
"TRY IT WHEN YOU'VE BEEN TURNED INTO A FUCKING LAWN GNOME!" Nifty
suggested.
"Oh dear, I've started a riot." Vega said before hurrying over to them, "Guys and girls, please calm down! We can act like sensible people!" He exclaimed, trying to get a handle on the situation.
"Why are neither of you acting like that?" Azrael asked, referring to Alastor and Husk, who stayed where they were.
"I, for one, LOVE the way I turned out when I got to Hell! I can't IMAGINE going back! So, if what Vega says is true, I'll look just as good as I do now when I come out of that dome. Let the others fight amongst themselves for our amusement!" Alastor answered, followed by a hearty chortle.
"I couldn't give two shits what I look like." Husk said before looking off to the side, "But...ya know...the way I look now is part of the reason why you like me...so I might not be too keen on changing that..." He confessed.
"Aww, Husk. No matter what you look like, I would always care about you." She promised as she pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek.
"That's it. I can't deal with this anymore. I need air." Gabriel said before turning around and leaving.
"Oh, thank god, I thought I was the only one," Stella replied as she followed him, both needing to get away from the circus.