"Will. You're quiet. Too quiet..." Angel Dust said with squinted eyes as he walked alongside the Slayer.
Breakfast this morning was a tad mixed. Most of them had accepted what happened to Helsa and kept their feelings and thoughts to themselves. But then there were those still thinking about it yet did their best not to let it affect everyone's mood. It was around that point in their morning gathering when the Slayer became strangely silent, even for his stoic standards.
And you best believe that those who were training with him made sure to bring it up, as immediately they suspected he was hiding something.
"I'm usually quiet..." He replied.
"Yeah, but now you're quieter. Which sounds the alarms for us..." Cherri joined in, also looking at him with squinted eyes.
"You guys do remember that when we first met, I never said anything..." He told them.
"But now you do. So your silence speaks louder than it ever did!" Angel Dust countered while pointing his finger at the Slayer's face.
"Guys. You're letting your crazy show again." Katie said before she moved closer to him, "Seriously though, is something going on?" She whispered.
"Hey! Why're we crazy for asking him, but when you do the same thing, it's acceptable?!" Cherri questioned.
"Because I have tact. Both of you couldn't conduct yourselves with anything resembling that if your lives depended on it." She explained.
"Guys, guys, guys." Blitzo said as he walked ahead to be in front of the group, "We could stand here all day, pestering Will about what's going on inside that chiseled head of his. OR...we could do this!" He exclaimed before running away as fast as he was able to the arena.
"Wait for us!" Millie called out as she and Moxxie followed.
"YOU MOTHER FUCKERS!" Angel Dust shouted in anger, he and Cherri doing the same. "Don't feel like joining in?..." The Slayer asked, referring to Katie.
"If there is a surprise you're waiting to show us, then I want to be surprised while standing next to you." She answered, "Plus, I'm not about to go running off like some overly excited child on Christmas day." She added.
"And you?..." He inquired, now speaking to Loona.
"Even if I wanted to, which I don't because I'm not a moron like them. I couldn't since I'm carrying precious cargo." She replied while holding up Daisy.
"Heh...good to see you two have gotten close..." He said.
"Are you kidding? She takes her EVERYWHERE. I can't think of a single time since you gave her
rabbit sitting duty that she's let Daisy out of her sight." Vagatha told him with a smile.
"Hey, this is a big place filled with a lot of big animals. I'd have to be a heartless bitch to let a dragon or something gobble up a poor, defenseless rabbit." She argued.
"That wouldn't happen...the Sentinels aren't the only things on this planet who respect me..." The Slayer informed.
"...Damn," Katie muttered, finding that attractive.
Following the impatient members of their training group, they could hear them carrying on even as they entered the arena.
"HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT!" They heard Blitzo shout, seeming to be losing his mind.
"NO WAY! NO FUCKING WAY! THIS SHIT CAN'T BE FOR US!" Then, they heard Cherri
shout, who was also losing her marbles.
"Will? What did you do?" Vagatha asked with a smirk, unable to keep her curiosity from getting the better of her.
"A few more steps...and you'll see for yourself..." The Slayer answered.
Walking a bit faster now, except for him, Loona, Katie, and Vagatha did want to see what all the fuss was about. But the moment they stepped into the arena and saw what waited on the other side, they were left speechless. Arranged in a perfect line so everything could be on display, seven suits of high-tech-looking armor similar to his former praetor suit stood. However, what blew their minds was that each of them was made for a specific person, down to what color the armor was.
From far left to far right, the first suit was meant for Angel Dust. As expected, the armor's color was a light pink base, with some slightly darker pink stripes throughout the body, capped off by the darkest shade being applied to the gauntlets and boots. Regarding design, it, like the others, was carefully crafted to fit comfortably with his form without skimping on protection. But by far, the most interesting detail was the helmet, there wasn't a visor like the Slayer's, and it seemed to have something similar to camera lenses all over it aimed in every possible direction.
Next in line was a suit meant for Katie, mostly solid red with some accents of black and gold. That detail was most notable when it came to the eye-catching part of her armor. There were four- bladed appendages similar to her own attached to the suit's back. The blades themselves were a solid gold color, but that was purely aesthetic, as gold would be the worst material to use on something meant for combat.
The helmet bore some resemblance to a praying mantis head but didn't look cartoonish or impractical, and there were two smaller visors meant for her eyes rather than a big one that showed her face. Moving on, we then arrive at Cherri's, which looked like a one-woman armageddon. For the most part, everything looked normal yet again, including the helmet, which looked like a replica of the Slayer's from the praetor suit.
Then there was the matter of the color scheme and the additional features. The color was a solid white base like her skin, with loud, vibrant splotches of varying colors like you see in her explosives spread throughout. But then there was the skull, a MASSIVE highly detailed skull on the torso that stretched from the waist to the base of her neck and covered the chest, which was black and yellow as if to say: CAUTION, which was appropriate. Especially since the suit had two customizable shoulder-mounted cannons and two more attached to the arms like his retractable
blade, all in all, it was ready for the apocalypse.
Now it was time for the three Imps' suits. And they seemed to be the most subdued in terms of additions. Ignoring things that needed to be there, such as armor plating for their horns and tails. The unique details that could be discerned were how they were made not only to look almost identical, but their paintwork made it seem like they were suits, the kind you would find on a bodyguard or professional assassin. Although each helmet had a stylized crosshair visor over its predominant eye, the other was hidden/protected by the helmet's armor. It was something that Vagatha's helmet shared as her suit's helmet had an X-shaped visor for her left eye.
This brings us to the last suit of armor, of course being Vagatha's. Hers was a solid gray across the body, slightly darker on the arms and legs. In the way of additions/attachments, it had two spear- like weapons on both arms that could extend like the Slayer's blade, two shoulder-mounted cannons that seemed to fire a type of bolt, and something else that none of them could see for it was in the center of the suit's back.
"Holy...fucking...shit..." Vagatha whispered, repeating what Blitzo had shouted moments prior, "W-Will...are...are these?..." She tried to ask but was so overwhelmed she couldn't.
"Yup..." He confirmed.
"Are...Are you sure?..." Katie questioned, just as bewildered as her.
"Do you think I'd waste resources and the forgers' time for a joke?..." He asked.
"So...we...we can go over and check them out too...right?..." Vagatha responded with another inquiry.
"It's your property...so long as you don't throw it off a cliff or into lava, do whatever you want..." He encouraged.
Allowing their typically composed and mature personalities to take a temporary break, Vagatha and Katie both hurried over to their respective suits to examine them. However, before the Slayer joined them, he noticed an odd expression on Loona's face, which was a mixture of disappointment and jealousy.
"Hey..." He said to get her focus on him, "You okay?..." He asked.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Sorry, did I look like a dumbass just now?" She answered with a nervous smile.
"...Loona...how come you didn't want to train?..." He inquired, getting right to the point, "You know how to handle yourself, as everyone in Hell does...and your father and friends were all professional killers...whom you helped regularly...there's also the fact that you are quite fond of the Senintels' culture and ways of settling things through violence..." He listed.
"How'd you learn that?" She questioned with widened eyes.
"Heh...you just told me..." He replied, causing her to blush, "Also...the Sentinels tell me everything...not because they don't trust you guys...but because they want me to know you're safe and no one's starting trouble...both you and them..." He added to make her feel better.
"Ah." She sounded before letting out a sigh, "I don't know...the assassin thing was more of their deal than it was mine...I just answered the phone and made sure they didn't destroy the fucking book we needed for our work by being stupid as shit." She explained as she looked back at everyone, "But...and this is going to sound like the dumbest shit ever...with Husk having
Azrael...them and the others all having training...Octavia's got her mom and Gabriel to hang out with...I'm just sitting here on the sidelines with Daisy, neither of us contributing anything." She told him.
"That bothers you too?..." He asked, speaking to his lapin BFF.
"Oh yeah, we're both kinda pissed about it," Loona answered while Daisy nodded her head.
"Hmm..." He hummed as he crossed his arms in thought, "...Okay...we still have a few days before the Blood Maykrs are done, and we have to set out...I'll need some time to think, but I promise I'll come up with something...mind waiting until I do?..." He suggested.
"Nah, that's cool." She replied as a far more relaxed smile appeared on her face, "Thanks, dude. We appreciated it." She said.
"Glad I could lift both your spirits..." He responded, gently petting Daisy on the head as he did, "Now...we should go join the others before they somehow blow themselves up..." He decided before heading into the arena.
Following behind him, both the Slayer and the Hellhound with Daisy in tow approached their group, who were still geeking out over their gifts.
"Will!" Angel Dust greeted before running up to him, "Look. I know I'm always going on about how sexy you are and stuff like that. But seriously, can I kiss you this time? I gotta do SOMETHING to show you how much I appreciate you giving me a FUCKING BATTLE SUIT!" He shouted while gesturing to his armor.
"Helmet or no helmet?..." The Slayer asked, for to him that was an important distinction.
"Helmet." He calmly answered before giving him a quick peck on the headwear, "I may have the hots for ya, but I wouldn't overstep my boundaries. Not with you." He promised.
"Yo! Big guy!" Cherri called out as she circled her armor like a shark in the water, "How do I get in? How much stuff can I blow up with this? Does it store guns like yours? Does it have any cool secret features? Come on, talk to me!" She spoke, going so fast it was as if she was on a sugar high, which made him chuckle.
"Guys, gather around..." He instructed, only to be impressed by how fast they fell in line, "The entirety of today's training is going to be focused on three things...learning your tech...learning your new weapons...and come nightfall combat simulations that will start easy and escalate as you develop...I will begin by explaining in detail what each suit does, what its features are, and what role I believe each of you best serves when we are in combat...are they any objections?..." He asked.
"No, sir." All of them answered together, including Loona.
"Very good...now then, to begin..." He started as he looked at Angel Dust's armor, "Angel, with your six limbs and how impressively you can manage six firearms at the same time...you are an invaluable asset in the center of combat...however, our enemies can appear and attack from any direction at any point in time...that is why your helmet is designed the way it is...when engaged in a battle the sensors which resemble camera lenses will only activate when they detect a threat in the vicinity...a demon on its own is not a threat so to specify when they or another entity is about to inflict harm upon you...when this happens a small window providing a visual feed will appear on your heads-up-display showing you the threat...now your suit does have a system in place that can
help guide your arms to lock onto your targets...but this can be disabled when and if you get the hang of using it yourself...but if you can't do so by the time we need to fight I'd prefer you keep it enabled...okay?..." He said.
"Gotcha. Either get good at shooting all around me or let the suit compensate for my lack of skill." Angel Dust responded.
"I wouldn't be so harsh with the wording...but that is accurate..." He agreed, "Now then...this covers the suit itself...as for its functions, they are universally shared between everyone's armor with exceptions for things tailored to the individual...I'm telling this to you now, so I don't have to again as we go through each one...understand?..." He asked, receiving nods from all of them, "Your suits have everything you need to survive...storage for medicinal elixirs, weapons, gadgets, and other items...a means to replenish ammunition gradually over time...a comms-link...and many others that are all reasonably simple, so you should get the hang of them rather quickly...as for what is unique to your suit, Angel...that is related to your guns..." He revealed before summoning a Thompson sub-machinegun similar to Angel Dust's own, "For the sake of convenience and comfort, all of your new weapons look identical to those you summon or have used in the past...make no mistake; however, they are improved in every single aspect of their design...which brings us to your suit's unique system, customizable ammo types...beyond standard alterations such as soft point and armor-piercing...you'll also be able to shoot bullets that can spread a fast working corrosive into your foes' flesh...rounds that can create small explosions upon impact...and many more...truly the only limit to how you put holes into the demons Angel is how sadistic your imagination can be..." He informed.
" *Sniff*...That's...That's beautiful, Will..." Angel Dust sniffled as he wiped a tear from his eyes.
"Next...Katie's..." He moved on while making the sub-machinegun in his hands disappear, "You and Angel are essentially a dynamic duo...both will be fighting next to each other as he specializes in range while you in melee...the additional bladed-arms all of you can see operate in a similar way to how Angel's auto-aim-assistance works...when the system is enable they only act and attack when a threat is in close quarters with you...allowing you to focus on the enemy in front as they cover all sides...unfortunately, this limits how you may be able to use them in a battle and makes it so you cannot use them outside of combat...so much like with Angel Dust's auto-aim I highly recommend you try and master using these arms before we are deployed..." He advised.
"I can already function in my day-to-day life with four arms if need be. So what's another four for a total of eight?" Katie responded, confident in herself.
"Cherri..." He proceeded as he switched his focus to the demolition junkie, "...First off...don't..." He said.
"Don't?" She questioned while tilting her head slightly.
"Every idea you had the moment you saw your suit...don't..." He clarified.
"Aw, come on, Will. You can't spoil a girl like this and then tell her she's got to hold back." She playfully whined.
"Do you want your shiny new toy for blowing things up or not?..." He asked.
"Ugh, fine. Always have to be mister responsible and mature..." She answered with a sigh, "On a side note, thanks for the paint job. LOVE it." She added.
"No problem...figured it represented your personality pretty well..." He replied before returning to
the explanation, "Now then...as you've probably figured out on your own the cannons on both the shoulders and arms of the suit fire explosives...and like Angel's guns, you can customize the ammunition...however, there is one significant difference...these cannons do not get their ammo from your suit's supply...instead, when you summon your explosives while wearing it they will be loaded into these launchers...by default, they will be enhanced to greater thresholds of destruction as the armor taps into your soul's Argent to do so...but even then these launchers with your enhanced explosives can only do so much...which is where the rest of your guns come into play..." He explained.
"...Will...are you fucking telling me right now that this thing is packing more heat than it shows?..." She asked with widened eyes.
"A rocket launcher, six-cylinder grenade launcher, a custom made weapon that deploys mines allowing you to control the battlefield strategically, portable artillery that will take the longest time to restock of all your armaments, but the benefit is it can turn a demon into a crater, support launcher that can fire elixirs, shields, stun or concussion grenades, smoke, etc. And that's pretty much it." He listed.
"Whoa!" Katie exclaimed as she caught her friend, "What the hell happened?" She asked.
"This...This is like Christmas, my birthday, and the most incredible sex in my life all had a group fuck session, and this is their fantastic baby of death. Will, I think I love you." Cherri told him, feeling lightheaded.
"Mhm...that's nice..." He responded, amused by her reaction, "Moving on, we have-" "US! IT'S US!" Blitzo excitedly shouted, waving his hand around like a maniac. "SIR! WATCH IT!" Moxxie shouted back at him as he was getting hit in the face.
"...Right..." The Slayer said while looking at the three Imps, "Now, you three may have noticed your suits are lacking in any external additions like your comrades...but that is because out of everyone here, you three are the most flexible when it comes to combat...given your past profession..." He pointed out.
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Blitzo sounded while nodding his head.
"So I decided to do away with any external armaments in favor of stocking each of your in-suit arsenals with a variety of weapons...close-range, mid-range, long-range, you three are our wild cards..." He explained.
"That makes sense. We're proficient with rifles, shotguns, pistols, swords, knives, explosives, dart guns, nail guns, improvised weapons-"
"Thank you, Moxxie..." The Slayer cut him off, though not to be rude, "However...it did cross my mind that leaving you without any gadgets could invite fate to put you three into disadvantageous situations...so much like your weapons, these tools can be summoned from your on-suit arsenal...unfortunately their only uses are tactical...try to use them offensively, and you're more than likely going to get yourselves in trouble..." He warned.
"By tactical, do you mean things like grapple hooks, night vision goggles, rebreathers in case we need to swim, and so on?" Millie inquired.
"Correct, Millie...if I gave out gold stars, you and Moxxie would both have one..." He praised, which made them smile.
"So...basically what you're saying is we get to be like those British rapists who fight the billionaires who always talk too much and end up catching a bullet to the brain?" Blitzo asked.
"...Do...Do you mean spy movies?..." He questioned. "You say spy, I say date rapist," Blitzo responded.
"As I said before, Blitzo, you three are the most adaptable and versatile people here besides myself...yet even I don't have some of the unique skills you possess...take pride in that and think of it as a strength..." He advised.
"Will." Moxxie spoke to get his focus back on him, "Is there any reason why our helmets have these crosshair visors?" He asked.
"Yeah, I was wondering that too." Vagatha spoke up while pointing to hers, "I mean, don't get me wrong. I appreciate the nod to how I looked before the divinity machine. But it seems like the others' helmet visors are tailored to them for both function and form." She said.
"True, very observant of you both..." The Slayer complimented, "For Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie, their visors act as a secondary scope that doesn't require a gun to use...this way even when using pistols or other weapons that can't have such an attachment and still be all too functional...you can have the range advantage and even use it in non-combat related scenarios...as for yours Vaggie it is to help with your precision...the visor automatically locks onto the most vital areas of the demons' anatomy...this included important organs, joints that could cripple the creatures, and other such parts of the body...in short, they are an enhancement to each of your already impressive aiming skills and abilities..." He answered.
"Huh, okay. Good to know." Vagatha replied with a smile, "You may continue now." She told him.
"Thank you..." He responded, "Last but not least, your suit, Vaggie...the wrist-mounted retractable spears need no explanation...but your shoulder cannons are where things get interesting...what they shoot is not bolts but rather magnetic harpoons...this will allow you to imbed your targets with the projectile then reel them in to kill them swiftly...however, as a bonus, the cannons each fire one magnetically charged disk that sticks to any surface...when used in combination with the harpoons this causes any demon who has one embedded in their bodies to be pulled towards the disc instead...the purpose of this alternative use is for larger foes who you can't pull towards you...you in simple terms anchor them to a location or keep specific parts of their body from moving...allowing you to safely close the distance and kill them without any risk to yourself...both the harpoons and the discs return to your cannons on your command or will be replenished if destroyed..." He informed before walking behind the suit, "Now, if all of you could please look at its backside..." He instructed.
Doing as the Slayer told them, everyone moved so they could see Vagatha's suit's backside, where they then made a shocking discovery.
"Are...those...tiny jet engines?..." Angel Dust asked, trying to understand what they were seeing.
"Something like that, yes..." The Slayer confirmed, "Using the same magnetic technology as your shoulder cannons...these will remain on your backside until you issue the command to deploy them...at which point they will detach and form wings increasing your ground mobility and allowing you to take flight..." He explained to Vagatha.
"WAIT! HOLD THE FUCK UP!" Blitzo shouted as he pointed at her, "SHE GETS TO FUCKING FLY?!" He questioned.
"I...I get to fly?..." She questioned herself with widened eyes.
"Yes...now, I know that is an overwhelming bombshell to drop on you suddenly..." "YA THINK?!" Blitzo asked for her, still flabbergasted.
"But the fact is, Vaggie...you are one of the most athletic people here...the reason why that is important is that you have excellent balance, control over your stamina, and when it comes to keeping track of several things at once, you're able to accomplish that while maintaining perfect composure...having someone like that who can provide aerial support and surveillance would be invaluable...but if that is too much for you I completely understand and can have them removed within a timely manner..." He informed, giving her a choice.
"...You...have that much faith that I could do that?" She inquired. "I do..." He assured.
"Then...I'll do it." She decided, a look of determination on her face, "If anyone else had told me that, I'd say they were full of shit. But coming from someone with as much experience in pretty much every combat situation as you, Will. I have no reason to believe you're making a mistake, so I'll try my best not to let you down." She swore.
"Hey! Quit stealing the moment!" Angel Dust exclaimed, "He's trusting ALL of us to not fuck around with this stuff, so don't go taking all the attention!" He scolded.
"Even at a time like this, you can't keep from being a whore for the spotlight, can you?" She asked with a sigh.
"Guys..." The Slayer interjected before things escalated any further. "Sorry." Both apologized.
"It's fine...but now that explanations are finally over with...it's time you suit up, and we start training..." He told them.
"Fuck yeah! Let's get this shit started!" Blitzo cheered.
"We'll be watching from the nosebleeds. Try not to send a stray missile or some shit our way." Loona informed before she walked away with Daisy.