"Uuuuuuuuuugh. This is so BORING." Sir Pentious groaned, his head thrown back as he relaxed on a couch.

It would be a few hours before the sabotage could be completed, so while the Khans and Samur kept an eye on the Gore Nests, they were currently in as well as the demons' movements. Both Vox and Sir Pentious were relaxing on furniture that remained when more people besides Maykrs were here for the parasite examinations.

"What would you like to do to stave off boredom, Pentious? Have the drones fire tiny explosives and reveal themselves to our enemies?" Vox asked with a smirk, knowing well that'd get a rise out of him.

"No, of course not, Vox." He answered as he laid his arms out at his sides, "But couldn't we be building something WHILE we wait? That seems like a better use of our time rather than being paperweights." He said.

"I'm afraid the materials we have in these facilities are needed for our work. Or are reserved for emergencies such as when I need a new body." Samur informed.

"Then could we at least go back home and get like, a Rubik's cube or something?" He asked. "No. We need you here until this is done in case something happens." Samur answered. "Great. So we're just bored. Fantastic." He sighed in def"eat as he slumped in his seat. "How're the demons, by the way?" Vox inquired, curious to know if there were any changes.

"They've been rather dormant. Starting not long after we finished our work." One of the Khans replied.

"Oh...there it is...my anxieties are coming back around..." Sir Pentious said, fearing the worst. "I will admit, this behavior is unnatural for the demons," Samur replied.

"No shit! They're plotting something!" Sir Pentious exclaimed.

"But we haven't detected ANY movement at all since then. Not even the footsteps of a shambling zombie. The only explanations for this are that they left the Gore Nests, or wherever they're standing within the nests, they've remained completely motionless since the last detection." Another Khan stated.

"...Would...it be possible to send one of the drones as a scout?" Vox suggested, "I know we need to avoid drawing any attention to ourselves. But I do agree with Pentious that this is unsettling. A bit of reconnaissance could even tell us something that we may not know." He reasoned.

"Yes! The voice of reason in the form of Vox!" Sir Pentious exclaimed again, rallying behind his friend for his support in him.

"Hm, good idea." Samur approved, "I'll do the same with a drone in the two Gore Nests we're deployed in. The last known movements from any of the demons came from the lower levels of the nests. They seemed to be descending, so a potential cause for the lack of any readings is that they

moved out of the sensor's range." He proposed.

"Why would they descend?" Sir Pentious asked as one of their Khans took control over one of the dormant drones in their nest.

"That's where the bulk of the Gore Nest's organs that are responsible for demon production lie." He answered.

"Would there be a normal reason for them to gather down there then?" Vox inquired.

"Only if something has gone wrong. Such as an attack or failure of one of the organs." He replied.

"And seeing as how neither has happened..." Sir Pentiious trailed off, his mind filling with worst- case scenarios.

"It adds to the peculiar behavior, yes." He acknowledged.

"Oooooooooooh. We're so fucked..." Sir Pentious groaned as he put an arm over his eyes. "You really have become a pessimist," Vox commented.

"You say pessimist; I say reasonably prepared for catastrophe." He replied.

After that exchange, the room fell silent, both Samur and the single Khan operating their drones to move them deeper into their respective nests. The further down they traveled, the more they noticed the lack of any activity, demon or otherwise. In this massive factory of flesh, the only signs of life were the factory itself, as the walls and various other fleshy structures pulsated and squirmed.

"It's so quiet." The Khan noted as her drone scurried about, "I know it may sound absurd, but I prefer when we hear screams or howls." She confessed.

"That's not absurd at all." Samur assured, "None of us want to hear the sounds of suffering. But it at least tells us what the demons are doing. When it's quiet like this, all we have to go on is our imaginations." He said.

"Pentious knows that better than anyone." Vox chimed in with a sly smile. "Fuck you." Sir Pentious replied, his arm still draped over his face.

Continuing their descent, the drones would soon find themselves swallowed by darkness. Forcing Samur and the Khan to turn on one of the many alternate view options at their disposal, which was night vision.

"You must be inside the earth itself at this point," Vox said.

"We are. And yet there are still no signs of the demons." The Khan replied. "Ambush." Sir Pentious said.

"We don't know that," Samur responded.

"Unless they all decided to take a nap, ambush." He insisted.

"I'm noticing less flesh as we proceed." Vox mentioned, "We see more concrete, metal, and the natural composition of the planet." He described.

"That is not unusual. The highest concentration of organic matter is with the nest itself." Samur informed.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to put the heart down here, so it's far away from danger?" He asked.

"That would be the same as suggesting your own heart would be much safer if stored inside your feet," Samur answered, "Remember, the Gore Nest is a living thing. So while its anatomical structure is different from any standard organism, it still needs one nonetheless." He reminded.

"Then how can the other organs exist down here?" He questioned.

"How can humans have entire organs removed from their bodies, such as the pancreas, and still be able to function normally?" Samur countered, "In short, they're non-essential organs. Necessary for demon production, but the nest will not die if they are destroyed. The heart is the only part of the Gore Nest that matters above all else." He explained.

"So, the Gore Nests don't even have a brain then?" Vox asked.

"No. A brain would lead to sentience. Which is not required for the purpose they serve." He answered.

"Huh, then someone should tell the demons that," Vox replied.

Everything came to a stop, that single statement made Samur, Sir Pentious, and the Khans feel a sick sensation in their souls.

"Vox...please tell me you chose now of all times to make a poor tasting joke..." Sir Pentous requested.

"I wish I could. But then I'd be lying to you." He replied before pointing to one of the many screens they used to monitor their Khans, "Look there, on the thermal scanner. It's detecting a large body of some kind. And, given the shape, it appears to be a brain." He informed.

"That...That is merely the demons or one of the organs we were just talking about." Samur argued.

"No, it's not." Sir Pentious joined in, "If it were MULTIPLE entities, we'd have several signatures. But it's one large mass, and as Vox said, it looks like a fucking brain!" He exclaimed.

"It's...It's a spider mastermind then. That is the answer." Samur decided.

"Unfortunately, no Samur." The Khan operating her drone denied, "If it were a mastermind, we'd be seeing other defining characteristics of that type of demon. Such as its mechanical legs." She pointed out.

"But...this makes no sense! For what purpose would they have to create a brain for a Gore Nest?! What function does it serve?!" He questioned.

Suddenly, the drones stopped functioning. Neither Samur nor the Khan could move them, get them to respond in any way; they just sat where they were. But before they could voice their confusion, before the other Khans, Sir Pentious or Vox could become alarmed, something else happened.

From the shadows that surrounded both drones, a creature for each emerged; both were the same as their appearance was identical. It was only when they reached the drones and picked them up from the floor, did they realize it was the sister demons.

"They must think us fools, sister." The Mother of Demons spoke first as she turned the drone in her

hand, looking it over, "Did they believe we would not expect such cowardice from them? An invasion of our nests to hinder our forces?" She asked.

"It appears so, sister." The Resurrector answered, both able to speak to each other despite being in different locations, "They see us as savages, fools even; they underestimate us." She said.

"What do you think their faces are like now? Staring at us through these artificial eyes as we expose their trickery?" The Mother inquired.

"Fear. Shock. And perhaps, a dose of humility." She replied, "Such a shame it is. They haven't even seen the true purpose of the nests yet. They didn't make it that far." She mentioned.

"Indeed, fools are blinded by ambition. Never once allowing rational thought to guide them." The Mother agreed.

"Such futile efforts, resisting the one true ruler of creation. Our Lord, our master, our creator will show them their errors." She said.

"But for now, they must struggle. Exhaust their strength and wait for their time." The Mother responded.

"Until we see each other again, great angels and Seraph." They both said together before crushing the drones.

Following the destruction of those two drones, the rest were also destroyed. Regardless of where they were hidden, the flesh that surrounded them swallowed each drone before crushing them in an all-encompassing tomb of meat. The sister demons, they knew all along and allowed them to carry out their sabotage just to show them it meant nothing. How did they know? At the moment, the best guess would be these new mysterious brain-like organs that they weren't even able to see; they monitored the Gore Nests and informed the sisters if anything changed.

But no one, not Vox, Sir Pentious, or the Khans, thought about that right now. Instead, each of them was frozen like statues, unable to process what had just transpired. Except for Samur, for although he stood still like the rest of them, his right hand slowly balled into a fist before, in a burst of rage, he raised it and threw it into the nearby wall, creating a sizeable crater.

Meanwhile, On The Sentinel Homeworld...

Vega and his children could fill a family photo book when it came to awkward moments, and it wouldn't be comprised solely of the war between them. And yet, despite having this unfortunate ability, there was a peculiar unease present as they, along with Lilith, sat in the dining hall waiting for Vega to share how Helsa's recovery was coming along. The cause was that none of them were ready to hear it, especially not Azrael and Gabriel, who knew ALL of the details of her trauma.

"First, let me say that she hasn't had any episodes." Vega started, "And by episodes, I mean she hasn't had any nightmares or terrors, outbursts or rage or crying. Abaddon and I have done everything we can to keep her calm, happy, and feeling safe." He clarified.

"But her mental state is still fragile, isn't it?" Lilith asked with a look of worry.

"Oh yes. If she were to see ANYONE beyond myself and Abaddon, she'd either have a panic attack or would shut down, and it'd take an indeterminate amount of time before she returned to normal." He answered.

"Is she showing signs of her old self? Personality or behavior-wise?" Gabriel inquired.

"No." He bluntly responded, "While her mental age hasn't regressed, she does act very much like a scared child. She knows who she is, she has all of her memories, but her entire self has changed.

And, as much as it may hurt to hear this. After her recovery is eventually complete, the chances of her returning to the Helsa, all of you know, are slim to none." He informed.

"What...What are the other changes? If there are any." Lucifer asked, needing a moment to make sure he could maintain his composure.

"She's become mute in the most extreme way. Helsa doesn't even whimper or make any other noises at all. Going back to her personality, it too has been altered. Rather than being the strong, confident force of nature, she's been for most of her life. In addition to being far timider, she's shown a stronger curiosity than she ever did before. A sort of wonderment fills her eyes at even the simplest things and pieces of information. Which might sound like she IS regressing to a child-like state, but I promise you she isn't." He answered.

"Could that be a possibility, though?" Azrael inquired, "The poor girl suffered so much. If something were to rattle her, would it worsen her condition to that degree?" She asked.

"Yes, if, as I said before, anyone else sees her. Helsa's entire life has been built upon feeling superior, being better than everyone around her. She saw herself as a strong, independent, go- getting woman. If her family were to see her, she'd feel ashamed having let Valentino do what he did. If she saw Charlie or anyone else in our vast group of friends and allies, it'd be her worst nightmare come to life where everyone she saw as an equal or her inferior is now looking down at her. You, Azrael, might have the best chance to get close to her, given how little she knows about you. But even then, I'd rather not risk it." He explained.

"Ugh, this is unbearable." Gabriel breathed out in a heated breath of anger, "If the Sentinels weren't abusing Valentino constantly, I'd go to the divinity machine and have a go at him." He said.

"Valentino's here?!" Both Lucifer and Lilith asked as they shot up from their seats.

"...OH. Right, you don't know about the battle that took place in Urdak." Vega realized, "Okay, long story short. Our enemies turned Valentino into a massive moth creature. Everyone fought against him and won. The Wretch, BJ, and Gabriel took him away for interrogation. And now he's our prisoner getting the ever-loving crap beaten out of him around the clock by Sentinels." He said.

"Can we have a turn?" Lilith asked.

"Of course. Everyone and anyone is allowed to do what they want to him." He answered.

"Speaking of those two, where have they been? I haven't seen them since they left after lunch." Gabriel asked.

"I...don't know, actually. I've been out in the wilds with Charlie," he answered.

"Oh right! Charlie's here!" Lucifer remembered, "Where is she, then?" I'd love to see how much my daughter's learned." He said.

"She should be at the arena," Vega replied. "Should be?" Lilith questioned.

"Father left her alone in the wilderness," Gabriel revealed, causing their eyes to widen. "Phrasing Gabriel, phrasing," Vega told him, right before those two flew into a rage.

"YOU LEFT OUR DAUGHTER ALONE ON AN ALIEN PLANET?!" They shouted, earning the attention of the Sentinels in the dining hall.

"Am I the only one who doesn't think Charlie is prone to getting herself into situations? If so, then all of you need to look inward and figure out what's wrong with you." He said.

"Charlie is many things, father. Always one to think before she acts ISN'T one of them." Lucifer replied.

"That isn't to say we think our daughter is dumb or naive. But when she gets an idea in her head, she can't keep herself from going headfirst into it." Lilith stated.

"And may I just say, you ARE the parent who threw his children off of a tower to teach them how to fly," Azrael mentioned, still reeling from that trip down memory lane earlier.

"He did what?" Lilith responded with widened eyed.

"Oh yes, I remember our flying lessons..." Lucifer recalled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"In my defense, I was the first parent in history, AND it seemed like the best idea at the time," Vega said, defending himself.

"I FELL FOR HOURS!" Azrael exclaimed.

"No. You didn't. Time hadn't been invented yet." He countered.

"TOMATO, TOMATO. YOU THREW ME OFF OF A BUILDING!" She shouted.

SLAM

A thunderous boom echoed throughout the dining hall, emanating from the twin doors at the entrance, which had been shoved open. All eyes, including theirs, looked to see who had disrupted the somewhat tranquil environment. Standing there, covered in soot and a few splotches of blue blood, the Slayer looked as if he'd been in a skirmish of some kind.

"My king!" One of the Sentinels called out as they all stood up and saluted him, "Has something happened? Are the demons attacking?" They asked.

"...Meat..." He spoke.

"I...I beg your pardon, my liege?" They responded, confused by what he said.

"Meat...I need all the meat that is currently in the dining hall...round it up and give it to me in as many sacks that are needed..." He ordered.

Okay...that only worsened everyone's confusion, but the Sentinels were not about to ignore an order from their leader. So, as fast as they could, every Sentinel in the hall, including the bards and chefs, gathered every piece of meat from full servings to scraps, threw them into two large burlap sacks, and gave them to the Slayer.

"Thank you..." He said before turning around and leaving the building.

However, before the doors could reset and return to their closed positions, Vega, Lucifer, Lilith, Gabriel, and Azrael removed themselves from their table and rushed after him.

"Will!" Vega called out, all of them reaching him within a matter of seconds, "What's going on? Why're you covered in blood? Why do you need so much meat?" He asked.

"HAS SOMETHING HAPPENED TO MY PRINCESS?!" Lucifer shouted in his face. His overprotective father mode being activated instantaneously.

"Mhm...but it's not what you think..." The Slayer replied, "And as for your questions, Vega...just follow me...it's easier to see than it is to explain..." He told them.

Alright, the Slayer was a lot more cryptic than he'd ever been up to this point. But with the confirmation that Charlie wasn't mauled or lying dead in a ditch somewhere, it helped to put them all at ease so they could follow in silence. Walking through the capital city streets, they'd soon find themselves approaching one of the gates on the outer wall, which stood as a means to protect the people in the event any beasts became bold and decided to attack. It wasn't until they walked through the open gate, which had been that way since the Slayer returned, that the others finally knew what it was the Slayer wanted to show them.

Resting a mere thirty feet away from the walls were some type of Dragon. Their bodies were covered in pure snow-white scales; their wings, though folded, looked like they could each stretch out at ten feet, and on top of being fucking HUGE, there seemed to be at least twenty of them all standing out in the vast open field beyond the wall.

"Will...why are there dragons here?" Lucifer asked as he and the others stared at the beasts in shock.

"It may sound hard to believe, but these aren't even the weirdest creatures the planet has to offer..." The Slayer answered.

"Of course they're not." He replied, "But still, what're they doing outside of the city? Shouldn't the Sentinels be shooting them or something?" He asked.

"Normally, they would...but a certain someone managed to befriend them..." The Slayer revealed.

"Will! You're back!" The voice of Charlie called out from afar, just before she came into view, running towards them from the gathering of dragons, with Vagatha also present running behind her, "Oh! Mom! Dad! You're here too!" She discovered before running up to them and throwing her arms around the necks for a hug.

"Hello, sweetie. Have...you been...busy?" Lilith asked, still trying to process the fact her daughter APPARENTLY tamed a horde...flock...whatever a group of dragons is called.

"Aw, Will. You told them?" She asked as she looked back at the Slayer.

"Not really...only that you befriended them..." He answered before holding up the burlap sacks, "Also, I got the meat you wanted..." He said.

"I'll take that." Vagatha replied while grabbing ahold of them, "I can use my spears like feeding skewers." She added before going back towards the dragons.

"Was...Was she in a suit like yours?..." Lucifer asked, growing more befuddled by the second. "And does this have to do with the soot and blood staining your person?" Lilith inquired.

"It's a weird story..." The Slayer admitted as he looked at Charlie, "You want to tell it?" He offered.

"Oh yeah! Definitely!" She accepted with an eager smile, "Okay, so it happened like this..." She began.

Elsewhere, At The Forge...

"...And...done," BJ said with a whistle as he finished working.

Although the Wretch and BJ still need to work on their hand to hand while getting familiar with their new weapons. Since the Slayer would be heavily preoccupied with the others, they decided to use some of their other talents for the time being. Vox and Sir Pentious weren't the only ones who were good with their hands and knew their way around machinery, as both the man and the demon set out to show the forge master their worth.

"Holy shit..." She said with a whistle of her own out of amazement from what she was seeing, "Now I see where our king gets his natural knack for engineering." She praised.

"Hey, can't take all of the credit. You guys helped shorten the time it took to put this sucker together." He replied, waving to the Sentinels who worked alongside him. Even though for them, getting to work with their king's ancestor was a GREATLY sufficient reward.

"Without a proper blueprint or direction, even the best smither couldn't make a simple knife." She argued as she crossed her arms, "What do you call this mechanical beastie?" She asked.

"A Panzerhund is what the Germans named it." He answered before he patted its side with his left hand, "But seeing as how I'm hesitant to give it the name a bunch of Nazis did. I think I'll call it a...Hell Hound. That seems fitting, don't you think?" He suggested.

"That it is. But isn't one of our king's companions a Hell Hound?" She recalled.

"Shit, she is." He said, having not thought about that, "Well, we'll workshop it. Doesn't need a name right now." He decided, which made her chuckle.

"Very well. Shall we go see how the Wretch is doing?" She asked. "Sounds good." He responded.

Walking away from the massive mechanical canine made in the outer bay where the Mechs were assembled, repaired, deployed, and docked. BJ and the forge master ventured back into the forge itself to find the demon. Unlike the WW2 veteran, the Wretch had no intention of creating something as grand. Instead, he opted to focus on a much smaller but still useful idea to construct. A fair distance away from the assembly lines, the smelters, and the smithing anvils was an area for workbenches.

The construction of tools, equipment, and other items meant to be stored in a Sentinel's inventories was made here, which is where the Wretch worked.

"Hey, how's it going?" BJ greeted as they approached.

"Hmph..." The Wretch grunted in response, far too focused on what he was doing to say anything. "Even with a helmet hiding your face, I can see the intent stare you have." The forge master told

him.

"Mhm..." He sounded.

Seeing that they weren't going to get anything from him until he was done, both BJ and the forge master looked at what he was doing to try and learn something. From what they could discern, he was creating a grenade of some kind. The shell was a pristine white to match his and the Sentinels' armor; small sensor-like objects were embedded in the shell from top to bottom, and there didn't seem to be a pin or fuse.

"...Having fun peeking over my shoulder?" The Wretch asked. "Oh, he can talk." BJ joked with a smile.

"Is it some sort of proximity explosive? Or a seeking weapon?" The forge master guessed. "Patience is a virtue...why don't both of you practice it?..." The Wretch suggested.

"Aw, come on, Wretch. I've managed to finish up what I was working on. You could at least tell us what you're making." BJ argued.

"An area scanner. No, wait, a remote-controlled camera device for scouting." The forge master guessed again.

"Children. The both of you." He said with a sigh, "Fine. It's mostly finished. A few more details I'd like to iron out, but since you're so eager, I'll give you a demonstration." He decided.

Taking the device into his hand, the Wretch walked away from his workbench by a few feet. Once he had enough distance, he lightly tossed it to where he was a moment ago. In the blink of an eye, a SECOND Wretch appeared at the bench and resumed his work; it even had a replica of the sphere itself.

"The sphere is at the center of the projection." He began before they could ask questions, "Once it has been thrown, the device begins dispersing a gas invisible to the eye. Then, depending on the intended illusion, it stops mid-air and replicates it flawlessly." He continued as he then walked up behind it, "But this isn't a simple misdirection. The projection lasts until one of three things happens. The user cancels it, its battery is depleted, or it is destroyed. And in the even is the third one, this happens." He concluded before extending his arm-mounted blade and shoving it through his copy's backside.

Upon doing this, the fake Wretch exploded, but not in a way that caused any damage to their surroundings or themselves. What ended up happening was a small dome appeared around them, remained for a few seconds, then was pulled into the sphere.

"That was a stasis field that not only temporarily stuns all who are caught inside of it but drains a fair bit of their soul's energy and gives it to the wielded of the sphere. I call it a Siphon Grenade." He informed as he picked up from the ground, "Thankfully, I hadn't finished that part before you two arrived and decided to annoy me." He added.

"What should happen if the sphere is destroyed when the demons attack the projection?" The forge master inquired.

"The same result. Keep in mind that these, like weapons or other equipment, are meant to be synchronized with their owner's suit. So regardless if the orb is or isn't destroyed during an attack, all benefits reaped from the siphon will go to whoever threw it via transference to the suit, and then

to the soul." He explained.

"Damn, you can make some scary shit, you know that?" BJ complimented in astonishment. "My flesh may be new, as is my suit. But in my soul, I am still a demon." He replied. "How long before we can start mass producing these?" The forge master asked.

"With you two around, it could take hours. If I'm left alone, a few minutes." He answered. "Aw, come on. We're not THAT much of a distraction." BJ argued.

"I've always worked best alone. My time spent with Samur being the sole exception." He said.

"Then we shall give you your peace." The forge master told him, "Besides, I'd like to have my people start production on more of what the Slayer's ancestor has made." She informed.

"You think they'd like to ride on those rather than in the mechs?" BJ asked as they took their leave of the Wretch.

"The mechs are good for large hordes of demons and any titans, should they appear. These mechanical dogs of yours will help our troops in many other situations." She answered, "And...if you'd allow me. I think I know of a way we could improve them..." She said as an idea came to mind.

"More weapons?" He guessed.

"Not necessarily. More like, we combine your dogs with ours. It'll make sense when I show you. After I speak to either King Novik or the Slayer." She replied.

"Well, you go and do that while your guys and I get to work making more. Sound good?" He suggested.

"That it does." She said with a nod before they then went their separate ways.