"Wiiiiill. When are the others coming back?" Nifty whined, her concern only getting worse by the minute.
At this point, it'd been almost an hour and a half since the insanity occurred. In addition to that, after Gabriel came back from the divinity machine and informed them of what was happening, he left for Urdak again to help the Maykrs get and to check on the others. As for those who'd left for Lucifer's circle, they hadn't returned yet. Most likely, they were doing the same as Gabriel helping out as much as they could before coming back.
That didn't make it any easier for Nifty; she was worried that something terrible had happened and The Slayer wasn't telling them, which he'd never do.
"A lot happened, Nifty...and knowing Gabriel...he probably asked if the others could help in while they were still in Urdak...the more hands, the better..." He replied.
"Hey, Nifty." Loona spoke before holding out Daisy, "Here. Hold the rabbit; it'll help." She offered.
Not one to refuse a cute, cuddly creature, ESPECIALLY not when it was, Daisy. Nifty happily took the bunny from the Hellhound and started snuggling with her.
"Good thinking..." The Slayer told Loona, even giving her a thumbs up.
"What can I say? The little fluff ball's got some kind of magic talent for making people happy." She replied with a shrug.
"I can attest to that," Octavia said while raising her hand, having been given Daisy during her small episode.
"Speaking of, are you holding up, okay?" Husk inquired as he held out a bottle, "Need a drink?" He offered.
"Excuse you! She is seventeen!" Stella exclaimed with a disapproving glare.
"So? That means she's about four years ahead of me when I started." He countered.
"Every small piece of information I learn about your past makes me want to hug you and never let go," Azrael told him with a saddened expression.
"Yeah, Husk. You should hold Daisy now." Nifty said as she held out the rabbit. "Look, I'll admit that she's cute. But I'm NOT petting a rabbit." He rejected. "Why...don't think that it's mainly?..." The Slayer asked.
"Hey, no offense to you, Will." He quickly responded, not trying to piss off the scariest dude in existence, "Rabbits, ponies, rainbows, that whole handbag of shit. It's not for me, is all." He explained.
"BUT. Aren't rabbits used in MAGIC tricks, Husk? Meaning it'd be the perfect animal for you!" Nifty argued with a grin.
"She makes a good point, Husk." Loona joined in with an evil smile, "How can you tell us you like magic tricks when you don't like an animal who's part of one of the oldest acts in the book hm?" She asked.
"I'm warning you two right now. BACK. OFF." He said, not in the mood for this shit.
Before they could press this nerve any further, a portal suddenly appeared near their table. And of all the people they were expecting to walk out of it, none of them were prepared for the blinding fast blur of pink that was Verosika.
"WILLIAM!" She shouted with glee as she made a B-line for the marine, latching on the moment she reached him.
"Sorry, everyone!" Sir Pentious apologized as he poked his head through the portal, the rest of his body following soon after, "We didn't intend to bring her with us. But when she saw we were leaving, she INSISTED on coming along so she could thank her hero." He explained.
"Mhm! You saved me from that big, bad demon. Because you're my knight in shining armor~" She praised while nuzzling her head into his neck.
"I suggested hitting her in the face to knock her unconscious." The Wretch shared as he, Vox, and Stolas came through.
"And I kept him from doing so as that would be rude." Stolas chimed in, the portal disappearing now that all of them were present.
"You shouldn't have," Nifty said as she stared at Verosika, her eyes filled with pure murder, "WHY are you HUGGING HIM like THAT?!" She asked.
"Because he's my boyfriend, duh," Verosika answered, giving her a "What are you fucking stupid?" expression.
Hearing that changed the room's entire atmosphere. The only ones not flabbergasted were Loona, Octavia, Stella, and the Wretch. The latter knowing that her claim wasn't as simple as it seemed.
"B...B...Boyfriend?..." She stuttered, her body starting to shake lightly. "Holy shit." Husk said, both he and Azrael just as shocked as Nifty.
"...Right...only Angel, Cherri, and Katie know about this..." The Slayer realized with a sigh, "Alright...I can explain...but we need to wait until the others are here because I don't want to tell this story a fourth time..." He told them.
"NO. I THINK YOU SHOULD TELL US RIGHT NOW!" Nifty demanded, barely keeping it together.
"Nifty...I promise you...there is a completely rational explanation for this..." He swore. "Yeah, and it's that we're in love~" Verosika happily purred.
"Not helping..." He replied as he looked at the succubus.
"Wait, Verosika." Stella spoke, managing to pull her focus away from the Slayer, "Where is Helsa? I'd assume you two were together while Octavia and I have been absent." She inquired.
"You know, it's funny. Those big angel ladies-"
"The Khans..." The Slayer interjected to clarify.
"Right, those girls. I tried asking them what happened to Helsa during the attack, but they wouldn't tell me." She explained, "Do you know, William?" She asked.
"I know a few details...but again, we need to wait for everyone to be here...it's not going to be pleasant..." He warned.
"Does...that mean it's bad?" Octavia hesitantly questioned as a feeling of worry and dread came to her and a few others.
"Guys...I know that a lot has happened in the span of a few seconds...but I cannot stress enough that we need to wait for everyone to be here...this is going to be rough..." He insisted.
Of ALL possible moments to reappear, when the Slayer said this, a particular lanky Imp came shuffling through the dining hall entrance.
"WHERE. THE FUCK. IS KATIE?!" Blitzo shouted, his clothes having several holes torn in them from where she stomped him with her high heels.
"Oh wow, you're not dead." Husk said, genuinely amazed that Katie hadn't turned him into a corpse.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Blitzo..." The Slayer greeted as the Imp limped over to them.
"How long have I been out? What have I missed? And where can I find that BITCH so I can give her back her FUCKING high heels?!" He asked as he held up the shoes.
"Why do you have them? HOW do you have them? She said she threw them away." Loona responded.
"OH, she fucking TRIED. But I wanted to make sure I had EVIDENCE when I take her ass to court for this!" He explained.
"Does...that mean you've been scrounging around for them after you woke up?" Octavia asked. "You're goddamn right!" He answered.
"Blitzy, while I usually find your hate-filled outbursts so charming. I'm afraid now isn't the best time." Stolas told him as he walked over to his lover, intending to heal his injuries for him.
"Why not? What, was there some big battle or something?" He guessed.
An awkward silence then fell over everyone, making his eyes widen when he realized he was right. "Wait...YOU GUYS HAD A BIG BATTLE AND DIDN'T COME TO GET ME?!" He asked.
"We thought you could use some rest after the beatdown you received," Loona answered with a shrug.
"But...I...I...DAMN IT!" He shouted while kicking the ground, "First, I get assaulted for being a good businessman, and now I've missed out on our first fight?! This sucks!" He complained.
"How about this..." The Slayer began to get his attention, "The next time there's any problem I need to deal with...you've got a guaranteed spot with the people I take with me...would that make
things better?..." He suggested.
"...You'd...really let me come along a mission YOU'RE a part of?..." Blitzo questioned, not sure if he was being sincere or not.
"Mhm...you might be a little tactless sometimes...but that doesn't mean I don't trust you or lack faith in your abilities..." He assured.
"Huh...wow...thanks, Will." Blitzo said with a smile, "If that's true, then you can count my ass in! I'll have your back and shoot the shit out of some demon dickheads!" He promised.
"I don't doubt it..." The Slayer replied.
"William, are you SURE you want HIM to help you? This is Blitzo we're talking about..." Verosika said with an apparent disdain in her voice.
"...VEROSIKA?!" Blitzo questioned, only just now noticing the succubus latched onto the Slayer. "Blitzy, did you honestly not see her this entire time?" Stolas asked, finding that hard to believe.
"I think Katie's kicking fucked up my eyes or brain or something. Because I'm only now starting to see Husk and Azrael on the other side of the table from them." He answered before refocusing on the succubus, "But that's neither here nor there. What is this superstar SKANK doing HERE and in your LAP?!" He asked.
"That's what I'd like to know too! But Will says we have to wait for the others to get here!" Nifty told him.
"Azrael..." The Slayer spoke with a sigh, "Is there any way you could contact Gabriel and ask him to bring everyone here so we can get this out of the way?..." He inquired.
"Possibly. But I haven't used that method of communication in quite some time. I'll try my best, but forgive me if I'm unsuccessful." She replied.
"That's fine...I appreciate the effort nonetheless..." He assured.
Closing her eyes to help her concentrate, this form of communication was often how their father spoke to them. However, since the rift in their family occurred, they haven't needed to use it for a sibling to sibling communication, so all of them were pretty rusty at using it themselves. But to Azrale's joyful surprise, she still had a solid understanding of how to establish a connection with her brother to speak with him no matter where he was. However, their conversation played out in the same way a telepathic one would, so all the while she talked with Gabriel, she sat there, with her eyes closed, and smiled in silence.
"Great, now anytime she looks like this, I'm gonna be fucking paranoid she's chatting with a member of her family..." Husk groaned.
"Why is that a bad thing?" Nifty asked.
"I can barely handle us being a couple around you psychopaths. The thought of her talking about us to more siblings like Gabriel, who wants to turn me into a cat-skin rug, is the greatest nightmare I never knew I had." He answered.
"You know I can still hear my surroundings even as I'm having a conversation like this, right?" Azrael playfully informed.
"Of course you can..." He sighed as he laid his head down on the table.
"...Alright. Gabriel's finishing up now, and they'll be here in a few moments." Azrael told the Slayer as she opened her eyes.
"Thank you...I owe you one..." He responded.
"Oh, it was nothing. If anything, it helped me know I can still do that without much issue." She said.
With an ETA on the others' return, everyone made themselves comfortable at the table. Waiting for another three minutes, all the while Nifty continued to glare at Verosika, a portal would then appear. Followed by Gabriel emerging from the other side.
"Azrael, you better have been telling the truth." He said to his sister once he laid eyes on
her, "If this turns out to be something trivial, I won't be pleased. The Maykrs still need some help cleaning up the mess caused by the Cyberdemon." He told her.
"Have you already forgotten that I made it clear Will is the one who needs to speak to all of us?" She asked as the others started appearing after him.
"Uh oh." Cherri said when she saw the new face among them, "Look out guys, horny's here." She informed Angel Dust and Katie while looking over her shoulder.
"Verosika? The fuck are you doing here?" Angel Dust asked.
"Do I...know you?" She responded, not recognizing his new appearance.
"Uh, yeah. I was the guy who shot at you before Will's party, remember?" He reminded.
"Pfft, yeah, right. First of all, that was a spider or something. Second, it was a man, and unless those boobs are fake, you're not a man." She countered.
"Ooooooh, boy. This is going to be fun." Cherri said, excited to see her mind get blown. "Sir! You're okay!" Moxxie exclaimed as he and Millie ran over to check on Blitzo.
"Yeah, no thanks to her!" He said while pointing to Katie, "Also! I went and found your shoes for you!" He added before throwing the footwear at her.
"Um...thanks?" She replied as she caught them, unsure how to react to that.
"Alright, everyone! Settle down! We're here because Will needs to talk to us, right?" Lucifer told them, trying to get a handle on the situation.
"That's what I told Gabriel," Azrael repeated.
"And it's true?" Gabriel inquired, still suspicious.
"Yeah...I have some things I need to discuss with all of you..." The Slayer confirmed, "So, as Lucifer said, if you could settle down and have a seat, we can get started..." He instructed.
Now taking this seriously since it came from the Slayer's mouth, everyone found their place at the table and became quiet.
"We're going to start by filling Blitzo in on what's happened while he was knocked out in the
arena...next I'll tell all of you the how and why Verosika's here...and then I'm going to share what I know regarding Helsa..." He explained.
"What does miss Eldritch have to do with anything?" Gabriel questioned, surprised that she'd be involved in any of this.
"I'm afraid that only Vega knows the whole story behind it...from what he told me, my grandfather, the Khans, Lucifer, and Lilith...I can piece together a decent summary of the events...but we won't know every last detail until he rejoins us..." He replied.
"Is...he with Helsa right now?" Charlie asked.
"Yes...however, that is why I'm saving that for last...because even without knowing all of the details, it's clear whatever happened to her was...unfortunate to be polite..." He answered.
"...Will." Angel Dust spoke. Something deep inside telling him he knew why that was, "Valentino, he's involved somehow, isn't he? That's why he was at the party when he attacked Octavia and Stella, right?" He guessed.
"...I wish I could say no..." The Slayer responded, which caused everyone's hearts to drop.
"Oh my god, what did he do to her?" Stella asked. Easily the most concerned of them all upon learning this.
"Again, I don't know everything...all I'll be able to provide is my assumption of what happened..." He answered, "So if all of you could please stay quiet...I'll do all the talking until everything that needs to be said has been...okay?..." He told them.
Although everyone wanted to know more about Helsa first, they still nodded their heads in agreement to how the Slayer had decided to handle this debriefing of sorts.
"Good...then let's get started..." He said.
Meanwhile, On Earth...
The Super Gore Nest, to the Sentinels and Maykrs who monitored the planet, was merely the center of the demonic invasion as well as a mass producer of demons to increase the size of the Dark One's armies. But the sinister truth to its actual purpose was far direr than that. The structure itself acted as a siphon, pulling in the generated energy from every Gore Nest across the globe to send it downward. For far beneath the earth's surface, inside of the very core of the planet itself, the energy was being used to create new flesh that would serve as a vessel for the Dark One's soul.
This process was slow, for the corruption used was not the same as Doom's. Unfortunately, all of that power was stored inside the Dark One's soul sphere, which they needed to reclaim if they wanted to overpower their enemies. And, as of now, the Cyberdemon knelt before the ever- growing mountain of flesh within the earth's center that was gradually becoming his master's new form.
"My lord, no words I could say would excuse my failure. I should have known both the Maykrs and the Slayer would resort to underhanded deceptions to keep your power from us. I should have taken Arachnotrons and Mancubi demons with me to help break open that protective shell. I focused far too much on the timing of our attack rather than the force used. I hope you can forgive my blunder." He said with his head bowed in respect.
"Since the earliest days of our conflict with the Slayer. None have stood as tall as you in the face of defeat and opposition. Even when he and the Sentinels stormed our keep to seal us away, you stood firm in front of my doors, willing to fight until death to keep them at bay. You need not feel shame for this defeat; our enemies were more prepared than we could've foreseen." The Dark One responded, "However, as I have come to expect of you. Even in loss, you discover something that is of use to us. And this time is no different, I presume?" He inquired.
"You are correct, sire. As I ran through the angels' structures, searching for the sphere. I came across the place of their rebirth and my efforts to hinder the replenishment of their forces by damaging it. I came across a rather interesting find." The Cyberdemon informed as he raised his head, "More Maykrs. A new breed, to be precise. Bred for combat as indicated by the armor on their bodies and the weapons held in their hands. However, they lacked any form of soul. And now, as I reflect upon the obstacle that stands between us and your power, I know how we may use them." He said.
"Continue." The Dark One requested, curious to know more.
"I couldn't simply place some of my power into one. The creator or his angels would've detected it without issue. I also couldn't have put a fully grown Mind Fragger into their bodies without it being noticed as well. Which is why I had the sisters send me a handful of modified embryos." He revealed, "I carefully placed them inside each Maykr's brain, using my power to heal any wounds or disturbances caused by the insertion. As for how they were modified, they are converters. When the creator gives these Maykrs life through the infusion of purity, they will absorb the energy, change it to corruption, and use it to grow inside the brains. However, they will not develop to their standard size. Once they are at the earliest stage of maturity, they will begin spreading tendrils throughout the organ, granting them complete control. Then we shall use them not only to cause another distraction within their ranks but also to remove your soul sphere from its prison without triggering their defenses." He explained.
Pride, that's what the Cyberdemon in the time that followed. For as the Dark One had done when Valentino revealed his plan, his master bellowed in laughter.
"Well done. Well done indeed." The Dark One praised in delight, "I presume you have a plan of extraction, given that the barrier will be resurrected by then?" He inquired.
"If you would permit it, my lord. I would like to request the Maykr be allowed to absorb your power. With it, they will be capable of opening a portal even from within the barrier." The Cyberdemon requested.
"Granted." The Dark One approved.
"Thank you. I shall inform the other Marauders of your decision. And we shall continue to make preparations for the inevitable final battle." He said before standing.
With nothing left to inform his master of the Cyberdemon departed. Soon, the Dark One would have both his true power and the power accumulated by this world, and nothing will stop him.