A Few Hours Ago...
The Cyberdemon, an entity belonging to a race of Hellspawn from Doom classified as Balgaar demons. These creatures, which stood at three full-grown human men tall, were the definition of beasts. Strong, durable, and entirely supposedly loyal to their master, they served as the general in the Dark One's forces. But when the Slayer began to strike fear among Doom's demonic population, many of the Balgaar demons were hesitant to face him.
That is how they became "supposedly" loyal to their master in the Cyberdemon's eyes; they grew weak and betrayed the strength they were so proud of. So, he slaughtered all of them. They were cowardly, pathetic, fearing pain and death as if they were mortals. No longer were these Blagaar demons; they were liabilities to HIS master.
By doing this, he secured his place as the Dark One's right hand, and he was given the position of executioner to cull the weak from their hordes. However, even the feeble can serve some purpose, a shown with Valentino, who currently was being transformed to perform his final use as he and the Hell Guards went over the plan.
"The Maykrs are no fools; most likely, all of their technology is accessible only by their hand. If not at first, most assuredly after our initial invasion." He began, looking to his fellow Marauders with his arms crossed, "However, they will presume us as arrogant and naive. Our spy will help to fuel their self-appointed superiority. As will Valentino's failure, both will have them thinking that we are with little options." He continued, "After a rift is created through her sacrifice, our window of time to invade will be brief. Bring Hell Knights and Revenants with you to help destabilize their security and cause a distraction for our real goal." He instructed.
Before he could say more, all three heard approaching footsteps belonging to the remaining Marauders.
"It is done." The Mother informed as she and her sister entered the room, "Our pet is currently in a state of stasis, waiting for the chains we've cast onto his form to vanish so his blind rage may be unleashed." She explained, "And yet, forgive this question for it is not out of doubt for your plan. But how are we meant to use him? The rift created by our spy's death will only allow for the guards and some of our servants to enter before they sever the connection. At what point does he play his part?" She inquired.
"All that protects Urdak from invasion is a holy barrier. One that is broken should any corrupt soul not granted permission by the divine set foot into the realm. The betrayer of our kind was able to bypass this by infusing himself with holy energy, no different from when he used it to keep us at bay in our home. But when I arrive, it will dispel Urdak's protection, at which point you can send him through via a simple portal." He responded.
"We heard you speaking as we came through the corridor. Did you not say that any technology the Maykrs possess will be designed to restrict its use to those of their blood?" The Resurrector asked.
"So long as the guards carry out their part alongside the Knights and Revenants, I will have ample time to modify the Slipgate to allow any user access. At most, it will take five minutes." He answered.
"Five minutes may be all the Slayer needs to arrive." The Mother warned.
"Yes. This is why part of the distraction must come from you attacking the mortals made demon. We know which facility they are housed in because of our spy's intel. You are to make for them immediately upon arrival, thus forcing their attention to protecting them. Understand?" He asked the guards, receiving silent nods from both of them.
And with that, the plan was understood. Each Marauder knew their contribution, and all that was left was to wait for when the time to carry it out came.
Present...
Smell, the only sense of Samur's working right now. His sight was gone, along with most of his face and several parts of his head, caused by the explosion of energy he received at point-blank range. Other senses like touch, hearing and taste weren't functioning, most likely due to the damage. Yet smell persisted somehow, but he didn't find it particularly lucky that it did, as there was only one scent that he could detect.
Iron, which he knew was caused by the plentiful amount of blood he was undoubtedly lying in. But then, after some time, he felt vibrations travel throughout his body. It had to be the demons, using the rift created by the explosion; from how strong the vibrations were, he guessed Hell Knights
and another type of demon, although he couldn't be sure which one it was. However, they didn't remain for long; quickly, the vibrations faded as the creatures causing them left the area, ignoring him as they most likely saw him as a corpse.
Which wasn't entirely inaccurate; his injuries combined with the rate he was losing blood meant that death was closer than he'd like. All he could do was lay there, hope that the Slayer, the father, their companions, and the Khans were getting a handle on the situation and that they'd come to save him before it was too late.
.
.
.
Vega's body was fascinating, for as it was the first Maykr body ever created by his hand, he gave it a few special perks. First, it was connected to all Maykr made technology at all times, allowing him control and access from anywhere. Second, he had the same kind of connection with every Maykr born. However, he couldn't control them like some heartless dictator; he simply wanted to know at all times if they were okay and healthy.
Both of these innate abilities lead into the third, which is that at any point in time if there is any change with either the Maykrs' technology or themselves, he'd instantly know about. And right now, as he sat among friends and family at a table in the Sentinels' dining hall during lunch, these abilities of his were suddenly screaming alarm signals. But what made it so terrifying is that it was focused entirely on one Maykr in particular.
"SAMUR!" He shouted while rising from the table, slamming his hands down as he did.
"HOLY FUCK!" Angel Dust shouted on everyone's behalf as he reeled back, all of them startled by the random outburst.
"Grandpa? What's wrong?" Charlie asked, immediately concerned.
"Will! We have to go now!" He told the Slayer as he opened a portal behind him, "It's the demons! They somehow found a way into Lucifer's circle! They're at the facilities, and Samur is badly hurt!" He quickly explained.
Most people would need to ask some questions, others would be confused, but the Slayer didn't need any more information than that to get him into action. Rising from his seat and summoning his combat shotgun, two more individuals stood up alongside him before he could step away.
"Hey, I know it's a dumb question to ask but, you need backup?" BJ asked.
"If not, we're still coming with you. Samur is my...friend, if I am to be blunt. I cannot sit here and not contribute to his aid." The Wretch said.
"Of course...you two will focus on Samur...while I deal with the mess..." The Slayer responded, causing BJ to summon his shotgun and the Wretch to brandish his hilt.
"Wait! Hold on!" Millie called out while standing as well. Although, all three men seemed to be ignoring them as they headed for the portal, "Can't we come too? Won't we be able to help you?" She asked.
"No...you're still in training...stay here..." He answered as firmly as he could, not wanting to throw them into the lion's den so soon.
"But...mom and dad are there!" Charlie exclaimed, just then recalling that her parents were present at the facilities.
"They'll be fine...but we need to go now..." He said, speaking to the Wretch and BJ, who nodded in reply.
Before anyone else could say another word, the trio departed, and yet, Vega stayed behind as the portal closed.
"What the, why aren't you going with them?" Cherri asked.
"I have to stay behind; if I don't, there's the chance that some of you may attempt to follow after them." He answered while looking to his daughter, "I'm referring mainly to you, Azrael. But there are other methods." He clarified.
"Father. Far be it from me to question your decisions, but don't you think this is rather extreme? They may not be on the same level as those three, but they aren't helpless. They CAN contribute." She argued, taking the others' side.
"Samur has fallen. By what means, I can only determine at this time to be an explosion of some kind, most likely energy from one of the parasites the Khans hadn't found yet. If the demons were able to surprise Samur of all people, then this is serious, for there could be Marauders in the vicinity." He responded, "Make no mistake. I do believe you could help if it were merely the standard opposition. But even if the chance of a Marauder being present is only one percent, that is still too dangerous for any of you." He told them.
"Wasn't the whole point of this fucking training so we wouldn't have to sit on the sidelines?!" Angel Dust questioned while standing up, "And yet, here we fucking are! Will's off to fight more shit, and we're doing nothing!" He shouted.
"Yeah, Vega, this is pretty bullshit." Katie chimed in.
With everyone looking at him with expressions that showed anger and disappointment, Vega understood their feelings, but he still couldn't allow them to be involved unless necessary.
"Alright, a deal then." He offered as he put his hands behind his back, "If the situation escalates, even in the smallest possible way, I send you. But, if this ends in the next five to ten minutes, which it should, then I don't." He said.
"So, if it lasts longer than then minutes, that counts as an escalation?" Katie questioned.
"Suppose there are fifty Hell Knights at the facilities right now, on his own, Will could kill that many in five minutes or less. But with his grandfather and the Wretch beside him, that time is effectively reduced by more than a half. I'll make it fairer by reducing it to five minutes period. Should the fighting go beyond that, then we will need all hands on deck." He explained.
After a quick silent discussion on how they all felt about this proposition, done so by exchanging looks among themselves, the group soon looked back at Vega and gave a unanimous nod in agreement.
"Very good. Now, I need to find Gabriel and inform him of the situation. Please, stay here and wait for us to return." He requestioned before swiftly leaving the dining hall.
Meanwhile, In Lucifer's Circle...
Screaming, accompanied by the sound of blaring sirens, was all Lucifer and Lilith could hear. It started without warning. First, the sirens came, then the Khans informing everyone they needed to evacuate; that is when the reason for their panic appeared. They didn't know what demons these were precisely, only that, like any creature from Doom, they were ravenous and sought the deaths of everyone here. How did they get here? How could they be so fast for monsters so imposing?
And why were the Khans helping them get everyone to safety instead of fighting them?
The only question they'd receive an answer to was the last one, for amidst the horde of beasts were two armored horrors, each wielding a mace of some kind which they used to show off their strength. Even Lucifer and Lilith, with their limited knowledge, could tell these demons were different, so much so that angels like the Khans would also struggle against them. Unfortunately, the faceless brutes who led the charge were far too quick, closing the distance between themselves and those who lagged, one of which was a certain succubus.
"WAIT! PLEASE!" She cried out as she ran, unable to hold back fearful streams of tears that rolled down her face.
"WE'RE ALMOST THERE, VEROSIKA! JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER!" Lilith called out
from the front while turning back to look at her, "WE'RE ALMOST SAFE! JUST KEEP-"
The queen's eyes widened as she stopped mid-sentence, caused by the sight of a Hell Knight leaping through the air about to land on top of the celebrity. Verosika, who had also looked back to see how close they were, had the same reaction, causing her to scream. But right as the beast was about to crush her beneath its feet, it was sent flying past her by a powerful force hitting it in the back. This brought everything to a stop, the demons, the people, the Khans, Lucifer and Lilith, and Verosika.
All of them looked at the fallen Hell Knight, where they discovered that something punched a hole
clean through its chest, resulting in its death. That's when they heard it, coming from behind the demons a set of heavy footsteps that were unmistakable, and it replaced all fear Verosika had with joy.
"WILLIAM!" She cried out, for her hero had come to save her.
The horde of demons turned to look behind them, and sure enough, the Slayer was slowly approaching with his ballista held in his hands.
"Are you hurt?..." He asked her, not sure if he landed the shot in time.
"Yes! Thanks to you!" She answered with a smile while wiping the tears from her face.
"Good..." He said as he sent the weapon away, "Now then...get going, all of you...I'll take it from here..." He assured, his hands balling into the fists.
Stopping a few feet away from the horde, the Hell Guards who commanded them came forward to stand opposite of the Slayer. They stood in place for the next few moments, Verosika and the others escaping to avoid getting caught in the skirmish. Once the Slayer was sure they were at a safe distance, he activated Berserk and ran straight at the demons, ready to beat them all into nothing. But as the noise that now filled this area became his fists shattering bone and exploding flesh; not too far away, the sounds of gunfire echoed throughout the corridors and facilities.
Being forced to brandish his assault rifles due to their superior range over his shotguns, BJ provided as much cover fire as he could for the Wretch. To their surprise, a shockingly plentiful amount of Hell Knights and Revenants didn't follow the horde. Leading them to believe that whatever they were guarding had to be where Samur was as well.
"SHIT!" BJ cursed as he had to dodge to the left, a barrage of missiles from their shoulder-mounted cannons flying by him.
"Are you alright?!" The Wretch called back to him, unable to look as he was occupied by several Hell Knights he was slashing through with his sword.
"Yeah! These skeleton bastards are just pissing me off, is all!" He replied as he aimed again, managing to kill one by concentrating his fire on its head, "You think you could take some of them out for me? It'd make it easier for me to clear a path!" He told him.
"I'll see what I can manage." The Wretch said.
"Manage" was being modest; for the second a Hell Knight lunged forward to try and strike him, he took advantage of it. Easily avoiding the beast's attack, the Wretch stabbed his blade through its body, then by utilizing his strength, he began pushing through their defenses by using the corpse as a shield. Doing this shoved the Hell Knights still alive out of the way, allowing him to get up close and personal with the Revenants. Removing his sword from the dead demon's body, doing so with a mighty swing which cleaved it in half, he set to work doing the same to the skeletal fiends.
The remaining Hell Knights did try to aid their allies, but now that BJ no longer had any pressure on him, he could lay into them with an onslaught of heated lead. In a twisted sort of way, it was a beautiful sight to see; as the Wretch cleaved Revenants, massive waves of blood flew past him as BJ's bullets tore holes through the Hell Knights. After a minute went by, this battle was won; the only signs of life coming from the demons were the twitching muscles of the fallen brutes.
However, they spent no time reveling in victory or saying any words; with the corridor cleared, they hurried to the next facility in the hope they'd find Samur.
Reaching the door at the end within a few seconds, when it opened, they found the Maykr Seraph, along with something else. The Slipgate's terminal, which Samur laid not far from, had been modified by someone who knew what they were doing, as evidenced by the portal to Urdak that was active inside the device.
"Oh no..." The Wretch muttered to himself, well aware of what this meant, "BJ, go through the portal. I'll stay here and tend to Samur as best I can, but they are now invading Urdak. You need to go aid the angels immediately!" He urged.
"Understood, but be careful; there could still be demons lurking about," BJ replied before head headed into the rift, leaving his partner to deal with things here.
Once he was through, the Wretch used his blade to destroy the terminal, which dispersed the portal, better to be safe than sorry if BJ's concern proved to be true. After that, he knelt to Samur's side, where he then started applying Argent to the Maykr's wounds, hoping it would heal him.
"Come on, Samur, please stay with us! Don't allow the Dark One to take you!" He exclaimed, fearing their enemy might've claimed his soul.
"...W...Wretch..." Samur sputtered out, the Argent managing to repair some damage to his mouth, but overall it wasn't having much of an effect, "S...Stop...the...e...energy...too...potent...m...my body...is...decaying..." He informed.
"But the Argent can repel their energy! It did so for the victims of the Hell Wave!" The Wretch argued.
"Y...Yes...but...only...when...in surplus...you suit...it can...only give...so much...it needs it...to
function..." He stated, "Q...Quickly...pick me up...t...take me...to the...left most
facility...nearby...we...can still...prevent...my...death..." He instructed.
Doing as he was told with no further objection, the Wretch lifted him from the ground and ran as fast as he could, refusing to let the Dark One take Samur from them.
Meanwhile, In Urdak...
When BJ entered the holy realm, he was greeted by a familiar sight, yet it was one he hoped he'd never see again. Bodies, all laid out in pieces on the ground as far as he could see. But then he heard it, the sound of combat, telling him that there were still Maykrs alive.
"The fighting's still going on, good." He thought to himself as he ran towards it, not meaning trying to be disrespectful to the dead Maykrs around him, but he needed to hurry and lend his aid, "Their wounds...all caused by the same weapon...has to be a Marauder...shit...how strong are they?" He wondered.
Although he'd never been to this place, it wasn't difficult finding his way around; the neverending trail of blood and death served as his guide. Eventually, he'd see not too far from his position a battle being waged, and despite there being dozens up dozens of Maykr drones and angels fighting together, their opponent, who was one in number, swatted them like flies. A Marauder, the Cyberdemon if he remembered the briefing correctly, was dispatching the Heavenborn with an ax of crimson energy and a shotgun much like the one his grandson was known to use. His first instinct was to run in there and help them, but he realized he had the element of surprise on his enemy, so he stored away his assault rifles and brought forth a high caliber sniper, another
armament from his time improved in every way by the Sentinels.
"Bastard's got one good opening, right between those horns..." He determined as he began breathing in and out slowly, "Count to four, inhale. Count to four, exhale. Steady, aim, and..." He thought before pulling the trigger.
A split second, that's all it takes for a rifle round to soar through the air and meet its mark, and given BJ's military history, there's no way he could miss. And truthfully, he didn't; his marksmanship skills were as good as ever, but he wasn't dealing with dumbass Nazis anymore. The Cyberdemon's reaction time was quicker than his bullet; he heard the gunshot, deployed the meat hook on his shotgun, grabbed a drone, and pulled it in front of him to block the projectile. The poor creature's head exploded into pieces when the bullet made contact, coating the demon in blood and small amounts of viscera.
"What the hell...how quick is this son of a bitch?..." BJ thought with widened eyes, at a loss of what to do next.
But not the Cyberdemon; once he knew that the Slayer's ancestor was there, he decided to play the ace up his sleeve. Deploying his shield to protect himself from what was about to transpire, a MASSIVE portal opened in the sky above him after a few moments. And from within emerged a creature colossal in size, horrendous in appearance, and emanating an aura of pure hatred and destruction.
"Is...that a giant moth?..." He wondered in shock as the creature bore a strong resemblance to some kind of insect.
He wouldn't be able to think about that for long, for once the creature had wholly entered Urdak, it began its rampage. Sending out massive groups of tinier bugs from its flesh, the swarm targeted the drones and angels to aid the Cyberdemon. Additionally, they formed a solid black cloud because
of the sheer amount, hiding the demon from view, allowing him to carry out his business. As for BJ, all he could do was stand there and watch as, like a horde of locusts, these insects consumed the Maykrs, leaving only but their armor after they were finished.
"Shit! I need to fall back!" He decided silently, not wanting to alert them to his presence, "I don't have anything that could help me deal with that right now, damn it, what the fuck is that monster?!" He questioned.
Sadly, although the swarm didn't notice him, their creator did, and after releasing a deep and disturbing screech, its wings increased their speed and began the chase. And whether it was due to its size, or perhaps it was that scarily fast, it managed to cut him off by flying ahead, trapping him on the platform he currently stood.
"FINE! YOU WANT TO FIGHT?!" He shouted while summoning his assault rifles, no longer needing to try and be stealthy, "THEN LET'S DO THIS, YOU UGLY FREAK!" He challenged before opening fire.
Thankfully, his bullets did affect the creature, piercing its sickly-looking skin causing spurts of blood to shoot out. But realistically, these were the equivalent of a papercut to him, hence how it was able to immediately bring down its many appendages in the hopes of either crushing or skewering him. However, if one were to ask who gave the Slayer his innate speed and agility, BJ would be the answer. Dodging and running around whatever space he had to work with, the WW2 veteran kept his pace with this hulking horror without any issue.
However, the behemoth noticed this before too long, and so to turn the battle to its favor, it called
forth the swarm.
"FUCK!" He shouted as he now had to turn his guns towards the incoming insects, hoping he'd somehow be able to shoot them.
Alas, while a few of his bullets hit some of the pests, the bulk of the swarm was unaffected, which meant their assault would continue. Surrounded by an enemy that he couldn't hit effectively, BJ's entire body soon flared up in pain as they went to work on his skin. Gritting his teeth, holding back the screams that wanted to leave his lungs, all he could do was let his mind race through any potential option available to keep him alive. That is until he suddenly found himself surrounded by a blinding light, and although an intense heat came off of it, the only thing it harmed was the insects.
Similar to how fast a tissue burned when lit on fire did the swarm perish, leaving behind a massive pile of ash all around him.
"Was that...an explosion of some kind?..." He thought, unsure of what just happened.
"YO! Will's grandpa!" A voice he recognized called out from nearby, seeming to come from his left.
He felt a wave of relief hit him by what he saw in that direction as Cherri, Millie, Moxxie, Alastor, Velvet, and Charlie were standing there with a portal directly behind them.
"Holy shit! What the fuck is that?!" Moxxie shouted as he pointed to the monster.
"The fucker responsible for those damn bugs." BJ told them, "Thanks, by the way." He added, speaking to Cherri.
"Oh, dear. What an unpleasant-looking abomination." Alastor commented, "What say you, everyone? Shall we give this mistake of life a lesson on manners?" He suggested.
"Don't have to tell me twice," Millie said as she brandished a knife and a pistol.
"I can't WAIT to see what it looks like on the inside!" Velvet exclaimed gleefully, eager to use her new powers.
"Sir! If we can give you an opening, do you think you can take it down?" Charlie asked while summoning spheres of Argent.
"Anything can die if you shoot it enough, give a clear shot at something vital, and it'll come crashing down." He answered, "But where are the others? Did they decide to sit this out?" He asked.
"Nah, they're just dealing with the second biggest asshole on campus." Cherrie answered as she brandished more bombs, "Now enough chatting, LET'S KILL THIS FUCKER!" She shouted before running towards it with sadistic excitement.
Following behind her or staying back to offer support, BJ began their counterattack on the monster with his much-appreciated reinforcements.
Elsewhere...
"Confound these angels!" The Cyberdemon cursed as he hacked away at the containment unit for his master's soul sphere.
In what may very well be their most excellent safety precaution, the facility in which the soul sphere was kept had an absolute failsafe in the event of a worst-case scenario. Should at any point in the time the holy seal that protected Urdak be broken, the containment unit would automatically separate itself from all connected machinery before then deploying a superbly thick metal shell.
Not even the Slayer WITH Berserk enabled could break through this protective measure easily; he'd need to spend at least an hour punching it non-stop to breakthrough. So you can understand the demon's frustration as he hacked away at it with his ax, only making slight scuff marks and dents
in the material with each blow.
"It doesn't matter...I can have the sisters open a portal beneath it...all I must do is contact them and-"
He wasn't able to finish that thought, for, in an instant, every instinct he possessed screamed at him to turn himself to the right and use his ax for protection. Clashing against the shaft of his weapon were two long blade-like appendages and a set of ten claw-like fingers. But before he could say or do anything else, his instincts screamed at him a second time, as a second attack came from another direction. Summoning his shield, which forced him to hold up his ax with only one hand, the Cyberdemon found himself locked in place by two of the Slayer's allies.
"Damn, you seemed so distracted smacking that thing with your rinky dinky little ax; I was sure we had you," Katie said with a grin as she pushed against his weapon.
"Same here. I'd compliment your reaction time, but you're an asshole, so I don't think I will." Vagatha told him as she applied pressure to her spear, pushing it against his shield.
"So, THIS is how desperate the Slayer has become? To enlist the help of feeble mortals?" He asked, not intimidated or concerned despite his current situation.
"Funny, between the three of us, you're the only one who looks like a helpless bitch right now," Katie answered.
"I have strength greater than you can imagine; I only hold you here so I can study your faces. It'll make the contortion of when you scream all the more enjoyable." He explained.
"Heh, Vega was right. You are a cocky bastard." Vagatha said as a smile came to her face, "You may be stronger than us, but what about him?" She asked.
For a third time, the demon's instincts flared, but with both of his hands occupied, all he could do was move his body to dodge the incoming attack. Still, this new assailant managed to graze his flesh with their weapon, and it hurt terribly, telling him it had to be the archangel's spear. However, because he had to move to stay alive, this broke his guard, allowing Katie and Vagatha to resume their assault to deal more damage. Forced to move backward so he could keep his eyes on all three, although his shield offered near-perfect protection, they were trying to attack his sides, which is when he'd deflect their blows with his ax.
"Press on! Keep pushing him until he is cornered!" Gabriel instructed, both his and Vagath's spear jabs applying enough combined force to move him themselves.
"Gabriel, archangel of justice, a child of the creator, needing the help of two mortals to have a chance at defeating me." He taunted, able to maintain his composure despite the disadvantage he was at.
"You're REALLY caught up on the whole mortal thing, aren't ya?" Katie asked, her hands and blades making most of the attacks directed at his sides that he was deflecting.
"Yeah, you DO know that your archenemy who's been handing you your ass for CENTURIES used to be mortal, right?" Vagatha questioned.
"There are always exceptions; he is to your worthless kind as I am to mine." He told them.
Suddenly though, the Cyberdemon felt a series of sharp stinging pain happen across his body. Bullets, a lot of them, he wasn't able to react because his focus was on these three and the sounds of their weapons clashing with his own, and his shield covered the sound of the gunshots.
"Whoops! Sorry!" Angel Dust apologized from afar, each of his arms present and holding a Thompson submachine gun, "I couldn't help myself after you compared yourself to Will. Like seriously, YOU and HIM being the same? That idea pisses me off so badly I HAVE to shoot the shit out of you!" He exclaimed before firing off more rounds.
Even though the bullets were piercing his flesh and causing him pain, it was the same as someone stepping on several tiny shards of glass because of their caliber. However, this did reveal their strategy to the Cyberdemon; either he continued to defend himself and be slowly worn down by the shooter, or he tried to deal with the shoot and allow himself to be skewered by several different things.
"How...annoying..." He thought with a growl, only to smirk a second later though his mask hid it, "I hoped we could retrieve our lord's spear now...but luckily the Maykrs provided us with an unexpected alternative plan...we'll simply have to wait a bit longer before our master is returned to his glory..." He decided, "Sisters, hear my order; I request a portal directly behind my person.
Close it the moment I am through." He telepathically spoke to them.
Having been listening for any orders from their leader, the sister demons did as they were told and provided him a means of escape.
"Aw, running away so soon?" Katie taunted as the portal closed, doing so far too fast for any of them to stop.
"PUSSY!" Angel Dust called out from where he was, hoping his insult reached the demon's ears before he was gone.
"Sorry, Gabriel. We did all we could." Vagatha apologized, feeling as though they failed him.
"All three of you performed superbly. Feel proud." He responded, making them all
smile, "However, now is not the time for celebration. We must head outside and provide aid to the others." He instructed, receiving nods from all of them.
.
.
.
"COME ON, YOU UGLY BITCH! KEEP'EM COMING!" Cherri shouted as she flew through the air, able to do so, for she used the force of her explosions to lift her into the sky.
Once the battle was underway, BJ took up the role of their commander by issuing orders and directing everyone to perform specific tasks. No one had a problem with this arrangement at all;
who better to ensure their victory than a man that singlehandedly defeated an entire Nazi regime? Under his guidance, everyone contributed something vital to winning this fight. Cherri and Charlie were on swarm duty, using their powers to keep those insects dead and away from the rest of them.
Millie and Moxxie, who worked perfectly together, were instructed to focus on the monster's wings to try and bring it down. Velvet and Alstor had a unique responsibility; the radio demon could summon tendrils to grab onto the beast's limbs and render it immobile, while Velvet and her potions provided buffs and health/stamina replenishment to everyone. As for BJ, he had the most challenging job of all, getting so close to the creature to force its attention on him, which helped keep the others safe. Sadly, even with everyone pulling their weight and doing it well, they weren't making any progress at getting to the abomination's vital organs.
"This is in no way a criticism of your abilities, sir. But I do think your firepower isn't up to the required standard to handle something like this!" Alastor exclaimed, speaking to BJ.
"Yeah! Been thinking that too! Should talk to Valen next time I see him!" He responded while evading an attack from one of the creature's appendages.
"Sir! Our guns aren't doing anything to the wings! Should we switch our target?" Moxxie asked, both he and Millie not too far away.
"If you think they'll do better on the limbs, be my guest! Otherwise, keep at it!" He answered.
"When we get back, we should ask Grandpa if the Sentinels can make us some weapons!" Charlie suggested.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree! My bombs can't do shit to anything but the fucking small fry!" Cherri replied as she dispatched another swarm.
Keeping the pressure as much as they were able, soon they'd come to a stop as a new comrade arrived. Making his presence known by throwing his spear into the monster, which made it reel back and howl in pain, Gabriel soon soared past all of this with his wings of light.
"There you are, angel boy!" Cherri exclaimed right as she landed back on the ground, "Was wondering if you managed to get yourself captured again!" She joked.
"It'd be best if you saved your remarks for the beast! Unless, of course, you want to receive my spear instead?" He asked though he did so in a tone that wasn't his usual seriousness. Instead, it was jovial.
"Huh! First Will now you? When did all of the stoic people start developing a sense of humor?" She asked before taking to the skies again with another explosion.
"Hey, hon! How're things?" Vagatha asked Charlie as she, Angel Dust, and Katie showed up soon after.
"Pretty good. I didn't think we'd be fighting a giant bug for our first battle, but eh." She answered with a shrug.
"Hey! Sexy grandpa! What do you want us to do?" Angel Dust called out to BJ, not ashamed of the nickname he chose.
"Focus on the legs! Those two've got the wings covered!" He responded, not bothered by the nickname.
Nodding their heads to show they understood, they joined in, the battle now heading in a better direction, especially with Gabriel's involvement. Speaking of, after striking the beast once, he summoned his spear back to his hand, but when he tried to throw it again, it was halted mid-air by a swarm.
"I suspect this is why you haven't ended things using the spear of destiny?" He called down to BJ as he brought the spear back to his hand again.
"Yeah! The bastard's surprisingly not stupid! Any time we try to do something that could end this shit faster, he sends out another one immediately; he can do it from anywhere on his body!" BJ informed.
"YEAH! THAT FUCKING SUCKS!" Cherri shouted while throwing out several bombs to deal with more, "NO MATTER HOW MANY I BLOW UP THIS ASSHOLE KEEPS MAKING THEM! YOU'D THINK HE'D RUN OUT AT SOME POINT!" She added.
"Maybe we should head back home and buy a shit ton of bug spray? Might be the thing we're missing!" Angel Dust joked, managing to get a smile out of him.
"At this point, I'd be happy with the world's biggest bug zapper!" BJ replied.
Wish, and you shall receive. This phrase applied to their situation, for the moment he said that a sudden blinding green light appeared behind the monster, followed by its entire backside exploding.
"WILL!" Cherri shouted from above, looking down to where the light seemed to come from, "PERFECT! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FUCKING TIMING, DUDE!" She praised.
Following her gaze with their own, everyone's eyes fell onto the Slayer, who stood a good ways away from them while holding a Big Fucking Gun. As for the monster, nearly HALF of its entire body was devastated by that blow, causing it to fall forward onto the ground. Now lying before them, twitching, groaning, and hissing, everyone slowly approached the creature, ready to attack in case it did anything else.
"I've never seen a demon like this before..." The Slayer stated as he put his weapon away. "Does that mean they're making new ones?" Charlie asked worriedly.
"Possibly...but they haven't done that in a long time..." He answered before looking to his grandfather, "Grandpa, before it dies and the soul gets reclaimed, stab it with your spear..." He instructed.
Silently nodding his head, for he understood why, BJ brought forth the spear of destiny, walked up to the monster's head, then plunged it as far as he could into its skull. Everyone except for Gabriel and the Slayer was left in awe by what happened next, for the creature's soul was pulled into the spear's shaft in a way that was similar to the swirling winds of a tornado. On top of that, when the process was complete, the body rapidly decayed, the result of flesh coming into contact with "true death, " AKA Azrael's power in which the spear was made.
"Phew, holy shit..." Moxxie breathed out while bending over, "That...was both exciting yet insanely terrifying..." He admitted.
"Yeah...take a moment to sit down and relax everyone...the adrenaline dump will be intense..." The Slayer advised.
"Hey, aren't you surprised to see us here, big guy?" Angel Dust asked, "We wouldn't just drop everything for anyone, ya know." He said with a smile.
"I would be...if you came when it wasn't necessary..." The Slayer answered as he looked around, "But...this mess would've been a lot worse if only Gabriel and my grandpa showed up...so...thank you..." He said.
"Whoa, I...wasn't expecting that," Vagatha said.
"Do you WANT me to be angry with all of you?...Because I can start swearing if that'll make it more normal..." He offered.
"Nope! We're taking the praise!" Velvet exclaimed with a grin.
"Alright then...but seriously, please sit down...it's going to be rough for a few minutes..." He insisted, not wanting them to fall over or get sick by not relaxing.
"What about you guys? What're you going to do?" Charlie asked.
"I shall remain here and await my father and sister. The two of you should return to the facilities and see how things are there." Gabriel decided as he opened a portal for them.
"Sounds good. We need to check on Samur's condition as well." BJ said.
"And when we get a chance, we'll examine the demon's soul..." The Slayer added before both men walked through the rift.