...?...
Even with my eyes closed, I could see the light through my eyelids. As for the explosion, it didn't have the same OOMPH as the last one. Instead, it felt more like going through a portal, which I realized happened when I finally opened my eyes.
"Alastor? Stolas?" I called out, rubbing my eyes to help clear my vision, "Guys? I don't think it worked; I can't see-"
I stopped mid-sentence as a wave of hot air hit my face. It wasn't painful, it was actually really nice, BUT it did make me realize that I MIGHT not be in Kansas anymore. Sure enough, I wasn't.
"Uh oh..." I said quietly as I looked around.
As far as my eyes could see, it was nothing but seas of fire and walkways made of what looked like brimstone. It was pretty much what I told Stolas and Al before, REAL biblical type shit. But when you're standing inside it rather than looking in, it's a completely different experience. Although, it wasn't scary.
Like there weren't people hanging from the ceiling being tortured, and no one was burning alive in all of the fire. So as weird as it may sound since ya know, this looked like Hell, it felt comforting to be there as if it were welcoming me. But I only realize that in hindsight, at the time, I was focused on exploring because, HOLY SHIT, I managed to send myself there!
"Helloooooooooooooo!" I called out as I skipped along the pathway I was standing on, "Demons? Devils? Maybe some big bad Hell beasts? Where ARE you?" I asked, hoping for a response.
Skip, skip, skip, that's all I did for the LONGEST time. Of course, the scenery changed every so often depending on where I was, which helped keep me from getting bored. First, I came across these BIG rooms with a bunch of pillars inside them, very temple-like architecture there. Then I found myself in this HUGE open area, it kinda looked like an arena, so I was a little nervous that I'd have to fight something, but no one showed up.
Honestly, it was beginning to look like I was alone here, which I KNEW couldn't be true since I summoned my Cherubs from here! So I decided to start calling out for them, I know that Cherub is the name I gave them, but at this point, I was desperate to see ANYONE.
"Here Cherub Cherub Cherub!" I called out with my hands cupped around my mouth, "Where are you, cuties? It's me! Velvet!" I made sure to mention, in case they were afraid I'd hurt them.
Whelp, it worked. Because not a second after I started talking, I heard footsteps coming towards me. Which, by the way, for those who don't know IMMEDIATELY told me that wasn't any of my Cherubs. Whatever this thing was it. Was. LARGE. As it shook the ground by a small amount with each step, it took. Fearing the worst, I ran to hide, finding a nice comfy spot behind a boulder close by.
It took about...twenty seconds, I think? Before, whatever was stomping around showed up. And when it did, my jaw nearly hit the floor. This MASSIVE I'm talking COLOSSAL dude came into view, and no matter what you looked at, his appearance was EASILY the coolest thing I've ever seen! For starters, he had ROBOT goat legs which I thought were neat, red leathery skin that was
only in a few places because he had a LOT more robot parts, a long tail that ended in a diamond- shaped spike, his right arm was a rocket launcher, and his head had two horns that curved inward towards his face, but a helmet of some kind hid the face itself.
Now, before ANY of you get any ideas that I did something stupid like shout at him, NO, I didn't. I was smart and stayed hidden because I thought, like many of you, that he'd try to kill or destroy me. But then he started doing things that weren't very demon-like, and keep in mind I was comparing him to the demons from Doom. Instead of roaring or rampaging to try and find me, he sat down on the ground and just...stayed there, staring at the brimstone beneath him.
He just sat there, dragging the nail of his left hand's index finger over the stone; it was like he was trying to keep himself busy. As weird as it may sound, even coming from ME, he looked cute. So, I took a chance.
"Um...hi there." I greeted with a nervous smile and a small wave as I stepped out from behind the boulder, "My name's Velvet. What's yours?" I asked.
In response, he lifted his right arm and aimed the rocket launcher at me. And yet, I wasn't scared because he wasn't doing it out of a desire to kill me; he was doing it because he wasn't sure if I was a threat or not. I know that probably sounds absurd; this big hulking brute was scared of little old me? But think of it this way, he was something I'd never seen before, and I was something he'd never seen before; we were in the same boat!
"Whoah! Easy there, big fella! I'm not a threat!" I quickly exclaimed before grabbing onto my dress with both of my hands, "Look at this! I'm wearing a dress! How scary can someone be when they're wearing a dress, huh?" I asked as I spun around in place.
Right then and there, I knew this guy wasn't like any monsters or beasts I knew of because he ACTUALLY lowered his rocket launcher and started watching me twirl around! Admittedly, I ate it up, so I started spinning and doing a bit of a dance for him because it felt nice to have someone be so mesmerized by me.
"See, big fella? I'm not so bad!" I told him with a grin as I finally came to a stop to look at him, "And you're not so bad either! Since ya know, you didn't try to blow me into teeny tiny pieces!" I said.
To my amazement, he responded! Sure, it was by nodding and not by talking, but hey, baby steps!
"Can I come closer?" I asked him, to which he nodded a second time, "Thanks!" I said before running up to him, "Wow! You're even cooler up close! Would it be alright if I touched you?" I asked, receiving a third nod.
I placed my hand on his skin; it felt so warm and had the leathery-like feel to it I assumed it would. Then I moved to his legs to feel the metal they were made of, where I discovered an immediate contrast to the parts of him that were blood and meat. They were cold, like FREEZING COLD, and it felt like something was running through them similarly to blood in veins, possibly something to help balance out the heat from his body?
"Hey, um, weird question." I hesitantly said, afraid I might touch a nerve with what I was about to say, "Did...someone hurt you? Have you always been like this? Or is it something else?" I asked.
Even though he couldn't show any facial expressions, what with the helmet, I could tell my question made him think for a moment. He wasn't confused or anything; it was more like he was debating on whether or not he should give me an answer. Then, without warning, he grabbed me
with his left hand, gently of course, and put me on his back so I could ride him.
"Oh! We're going somewhere?" I asked, once again getting a nod for an answer, "Alrighty! Lead the way, oh noble steed!" I playfully commanded, which he seemed to enjoy.
And like that, we were off! I was back to exploring this mysterious land I'd arrived in with a new friend by my side! And let me tell you, I thought I was making good progress walking around, but my new big bestie proved that I was SO WRONG! He moved at a moderate pace, taking long big strides with his robot goat legs, and we managed to cover TWICE the ground I did in half the time!
It was then I started seeing so many incredible things! Sculptures, statues, and other architectural wonders were spread throughout the environment. Some depicting the natives here, such as my big bestie! While others showed things, I wasn't sure what they were. However, among them was one figure who kept showing up; at first, I thought it looked like Will, but the more I kept seeing it, the more I could tell it wasn't him.
But whoever this guy was, he SURE did look like Will. He could place first in a look-a-like contest no problem! At least, I think so. Apart from the amazing landscapes, I also got to see a few more creatures doing their own thing as we traveled. They were also VERY different from anything else I'd ever seen, strange and unusual in every way imaginable.
Except for the Cherubs, who I luckily got to see a flock...group...something, flying around in the air a few times minding their business, being cute and whatnot. But as he kept walking, it started to sink in how big this place was; we just kept walking and walking forever. At some point, I actually got sleepy, let out a cute little yawn, then fell asleep on top of him; his steady walking speed and how I'd go up and down slightly to the movement of his body put me under no problem. I don't know how long I slept for; it was surprisingly comfortable sleeping on top of his back, but then I started to feel him nudge me with his left hand to wake me up.
"Hmm..." I hummed while slowly opening my eyes, "Are we there yet?..." I quietly asked.
His head moved up and down beneath me as I rested my head and arms on top of it, telling me he nodded. I balled my hands into fists and rubbed my eyes to help me wake up, but when I opened them, I saw something that...REALLY didn't seem like it belonged here.
"Uh...buddy...what is that?..." I asked, not sure if what I was seeing was real or not.
Behind, below, above, and to the sides of us was everything I've described so far, brimstone and fire and a bunch of other Hell stuff. IN FRONT OF US was a cliff that led into a gargantuan crater, and inside that crater was a city-sized facility that, while looking grittier and grungier than anything I've seen from the Maykrs, was just as if not more advanced. Unfortunately, my friend didn't seem to know how to talk, as he didn't say anything in reply, but I knew it wasn't because he was rude.
"Aww, it's okay." I said to try and make him feel better while patting his helmet's cheek, "I could teach you how to talk later. Would you like that?" I asked, to which he nodded, "Great! But before that happens, are you going to take me to that city-looking place so I can get some answers?" I followed up.
Nodding his head as another yes brought a smile to my face; again, despite how imposing he might sound, he was nothing more than a big ol' teddy bear. Then, readjusting myself so I was sitting upright on top of him, he took us down a carved-out pathway to the right into the crater and by relation into the city/facility. And it was immediately as we entered the outer areas that the most ADORABLE little robots greeted us! They were even cuter than my Cherubs!
"Aw! Look at these little guys!" I exclaimed as they huddled around my friend's feet, "They're like little spiders! And-"
As I said that, I remembered something from a good while ago, back when Will returned from Doom and we had breakfast together.
"Had to be before you became a marine in the UAC..." He said, "Since there weren't any more wars to fight...anyone who chose to become a soldier or a member of security detail had to have a wide range of knowledge on several different things...one of which was engineering...which is where I learned how to build and maintain a variety of UAC made machines and equipment...as well as how to program certain things like spider turrets or automated simulations for training..." He explained.
"Spider turrets!" I recalled as my eyes shot wide open, "I mean, they don't look like they have guns. On top of that, Will never showed us a picture of them or anything. But still, a lot of the stuff I've seen does hint that this is connected to him and Doom...what is going on?" I wondered, now more eager than before to get some answers.
As I chose to call them at the time, the spider turrets followed beside us as we moved through the many structures and buildings that filled the crater. It was next to impossible for me to figure out what everything did, was, and what part it played in this whole thing. But thankfully, it wouldn't be much longer until someone who could speak (again, no shame on my big bestie) would help to make sense of this crazy shit!
"Whoa..." I spoke beneath my breath as I saw where he was taking me, "Is...that where the answers are?" I asked.
At the crater's center was an imposing tower, standing so tall I couldn't even SEE the upper half of it; it went that high into the endless sky! My friend didn't nod his head this time; he just kept walking towards it, which was all he needed to do to answer my question. We reached the tower's base about thirty seconds later, and what stood out to me was that there didn't seem to be any doors. But that would be the LEAST confusing thing not a moment later, for when my friend came to a stop at the base, a small part of it near the top opened up, and a tiny lens popped out.
"Hm? What's this? The Cyberdemon has come to visit!/The Cyberdemon? Really? What need does he have with us? Does he need repairs?" Two women's voices spoke up, but in a way that wasn't normal. Something that would be explained not long after.
"Um...hi!" I greeted with a wave, which caused the lens to jolt upward so it could see me, "I'm sorry to disturb you! Whoever you are! But I asked my friend some questions, and he brought me here for answers!" I informed.
"...Subject Pretty Psycho has arrived earlier than we projected./A shock to be sure, but not a sequence-breaking event." They said.
"...Pretty Psycho? As in I'm pretty psycho, or I'm a pretty psycho?" I asked. "The latter./You are very adorable." They answered.
"Aw! Thank you so much! I haven't even seen you, and you're already saying such nice things!" I exclaimed with a giggle and grin.
"Incredible, subject Pretty Psycho is far more adorable in person than she is in our observations./A name change may be in order. But first, would you like to come inside?" The first one stated, while
the other asked.
"I would like that very much!" I answered with a nod.
With that conversation over, the lens disappeared as the part of the tower it was inside closed. While right in front of us, a new opening, surprisingly bigger than my friend, appeared. He stepped inside, which allowed me to see what was going on in the tower. The entire structure was a research facility.
Like the tower wasn't thin because it was what it was; I'd say it space-wise per section is on par with...a sports stadium, so really fucking big. As my friend walked deeper into the ground level, the opening we came through closing behind us, I saw many other creatures, some of which were like him with robot parts and stuff, all working together on things I couldn't make heads or tails about. Eventually, he'd take us to a lift in the center of the room they used to ascend/descend the tower; he then stepped on, some sounds happened, and like that, we went up!
I could tell the lift was traveling super fast and far, but you honestly couldn't feel it happening. Like, you could SEE the motion as you passed each section of the tower, but physically it felt like nothing was happening. In total, we only had to wait a few seconds before we reached what I believed to be the top, and when we did, we were met by two ladies who, like everything else in this place, were very classic bible stuff. With the one on the left sticking out like a sore thumb when compared to everything else.
Starting with her first, she looked like a normal human woman with clear, smooth, perfect white skin. A headful of long blonde hair that went past her shoulders. A set of light blue eyes that resembled ice rested above a gentle-looking face. And her body was covered in a pure white gown that did show off the rather sensual form hidden within. Oh, and she had two massive feathery wings on her backside along with a bright glowing halo hovering over her head.
Her counterpart on the right was more in line with this place's general atmosphere and aesthetic. From head to toe, she was covered in thick black fur; her legs and head/face resembled a goat's, bat-like wings sprouted from her backside accompanying a long serpent-like tail that hanged down from above her butt and rested on the floor, two pointy horns rested at the top of her skull, and to top it all off she had glowing red eyes.
Side-by-side, these two didn't belong together; one of them, in particular, didn't look like she was MEANT to be in this place. Which made me suspect there was more to this than what it seemed.
"Welcome, Subject Pretty Psycho. To the tower of Babel./It's not the same as the one you may know of from Doom. We chose to use the name to associate it with a better purpose." They said, the angel revealing herself to be the first voice while the goat woman was the second.
"Hi! Subject Pretty Psycho, here! Also, known as Velvet!" I responded while raising my hand as a greeting.
"Yes. Your name is Velvet. Forgive us; we will need time to adjust./We hope you are not offended by the name we have given you for our research. It is standard procedure." They said.
"Nah, it's fine, girls!" I assured them, "But, I WOULD like to know your names, ya know, so I'm not rude." I requested.
"Of course. Mine is Harut./I am Marut." They introduced, each giving a slight bow, "We see you have become quite close with the Cyberdemon./Yes, a peculiar development in both his and your lives. We will need to know everything about your interactions." They said.
"Oh yeah! Me and this big goofball m-"
Only THEN, RIGHT at THAT moment, did it resonate with me WHAT this demon's name was.
"...Ohmygosh..." I muttered quietly as I slowly looked down at my friend, "...You'retheCyberdemon?..." I asked, maintaining the same volume and pace that I was speaking with.
"Oh! Subject Pretty Psycho is only familiar with Subject Too Angry To Die's rival. Marut, we must explain this to her before she is overwhelmed./Agreed. On top of what we already must share with her. Please, come with us. We have prepared snacks and beverages based on your preferences of sweet-tasting confections." Harut said as Marut directed.
"Aw, you didn't have to. I mean, I know I'm TECHNICALLY your guest. But I showed up uninvited through an explosion, so you shouldn't have gone to any trouble." I replied as my friend, the "Cyberdemon," followed them as they walked away.
"An explosion, of course. It makes sense that she would replicate the experience that allowed her to see into our realm. We must've missed it as we were monitoring the other subjects./Also, don't worry. It was no issue to prepare a nice spread for you in the time it took for you to arrive at our dwelling. You're actually the first guest we've had in centuries." Harut deduced as Marut did her best to comfort me.
"But...you only learned I was here a few seconds ago when I showed up outside?" I questioned.
"Mhm. It took us that long to get everything ready./We pride ourselves on our efficiency." They clarified.
"Wow...you two are amazing..." I said in awe as I looked at them with wide eyes. "Thank you./That is very kind." They replied with smiles.
We walked for another twenty or so seconds before reaching our destination, which was this lovely home-styled living space; they even had furniture big enough for my friend!
"Please, sit anywhere you like./We wanted you to be as comfortable as possible." They told me.
"Cool!" I replied as I slid down my buddy's back and landed on my feet, "Can he and I sit together?" I asked.
"You've become quite friendly with him. Remarkable./Yes. True to her bubbly nature. Although, we can't ignore the gentleness of the Cyberdemon." Harut commented while Marut spoke to her.
"Mhm! He may have a rocket launcher for an arm, but he's not scary." I said confidently before sitting down on a nearby couch, which was big enough for him to sit next to me as well, "So!
Where's the food?" I asked while looking around.
With a quick snap of Harut's fingers, a plate appeared in my lap. Complete with a fork and delicious piece of cake.
"Oh! Magic cake!" I exclaimed before quickly getting a piece of it onto my fork.
"All of the food is in our kitchen./We believed it best to leave it there and bring it in when needed. For the sake of space." They explained.
"Makes sense to me!" I exclaimed with a mouthful of cake, "Also! Why do you two look like that? Marut, I get, but Harut looks SO out of place." I asked.
Hearing that brought both of them to a full stop, as they hadn't realized they still looked the way they did.
"Oh my, forgive us. We had just come back from starting another experiment./Indeed. Allow us to change ourselves into more suitable forms. Do you have any preference?" Harut apologized while Marut asked.
"Preference? Change? Can you two transform?" I questioned.
Deciding it would be better to show and not tell, both Harut and Marut SEAMLESSLY changed their physical appearances from an angel and goat creature to...ME?!
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I shouted in amazement, my forking falling from my hand onto my plate, "YOU...YOU'RE ME...IT'S LIKE LOOKING INTO TWO MIRRORS!" I exclaimed.
"Replication status, perfect./Obviously, she wouldn't react so passionately otherwise." Harut stated as Marut responded to her, "Oh hush, sister. You're so devilish sometimes!/A fitting personality to have when one DOES play the devil on occassion~" Harut playfully exclaimed while Marut proudly accepted her sister's statement.
"Uh, HELLO." I called out to get their attention, "Me! You look like me! In every single way! HOW?!" I asked, my brain nearly turning to pudding.
"We can also sound like you too!/Oh, Harut, don't worsen her confusion. We're meant to ALLEVIATE it, not the opposite." Harut replied in MY voice while Marut tried her best to keep things nice and simple.
"...Can...you two...look like...Vox and Pentious?..." I asked them slowly. Choosing them because it'd be the easiest for me to get used to this whole situation.
"Anything to help make this more accomodating./Would you like us to sound like them too?" Harut answered as Marut asked a question. Both, again, seamlessly changing their appearance like it was nothing.
"Nah, but thank you for asking," I responded, doing my best to be as polite as them.
"Very good. Now that we've got everything settled. What question would you like to ask us first?/Where are you? Who are we? What is happening? You have quite the selection." Harut inquired while Marut gave me some options.
"Hmm...okay, how about we start with how my new bestie here has the same name as Will's biggest enemy?" I suggested as I readied another bite of my cake on my fork.
"A most logical decision./Despite how she may appear, Subject Pretty Psycho is one of the wiser souls of that research group." Both of them complimented me.
"Guys! The flattery just doesn't stop with you two!" I giggled happily before putting my fork into my mouth.
"A full history of this place, our reasons for creating it, and so forth would take us EONS to cover./True, but time flows however we wish it to here. So we could increase the passage for her sake?" Harut said as Marut suggested, "Would you mind that?" Both asked in unison.
"Hey, so long as the dizziness in my brain gets cleared up, I don't care HOW we do it," I answered, my mouth once more full of cake.
"As you said, Marut. One of the wisest of that group./Indeed. She continues to impress." Harut praised while Marut spoke.
What happened next is...hard to describe. Just like they said, everything got faster, but like it was with the lift, you really didn't FEEL the speed of time passing. And while they did their best to keep things as short as possible, even I knew that the shortest explanation would take a LONG time. So, here's the gist, AKA Velvet's version.
Harut and Marut were from the side of Vega's children who departed from Heaven and helped form Hell. And, because of how smart they are, they were basically leading all of the research and development of new things to help try and win the war that broke out between both sides. This is where, quite possibly, the single most jaw-dropping fact in the history of everything was revealed...
Harut and Marut were the ones who created Doom. Now, to be fair, all of the Devils in Hell needed to combine their powers to create the additional circle that would eventually become Doom. BUT, and that is a big but, it was Harut and Marut who figured out HOW to make this crazy idea happen, in addition to them fitting some of the monsters that came from the circle with technology to improve their fighting capabilities. So while the Dark One would still shape and define the finer details of Doom later in its existence, Harut and Marut were essentially the mothers of Doom.
Fast forward a small bit in the war to when signs of the Dark One appearing began to show; Harut and Marut realized that yeah, some fucked up shit was going down. So what did these badass bitches do? They fucking COLLECTED all of the monsters that Doom had produced until that point, alive, dead, or otherwise, and brought them into their circle of Hell. Now, if you think shit's been crazy so far, just wait; it gets. Fucking. Better.
Every demon you know from Doom, literally EVERY last one of them, they're all imitations. The Imps, the Mancubi, the Barons, the Hell Knights, and the list goes on from there. The Dark One couldn't even think up any original demons, so he had to copy the ones that Doom, Harut, and Marut produced. This brings us to the BIGGEST revelation, the Mother of All Demons and the Resurrector are COPIES of them!
Oh! This also means MY Cyberdemon is the original! So that big dumb jerk who hates Will is nothing but a phony! Ahem, er, sorry about that... I got a little off track. Back to the history lesson, so, after Harut and Marut gathered all of the demons, dead or alive, they needed to make sure NONE of their siblings would find out.
I'll admit, though, this part confuses me even now. It is INSANELY complicated, but doing my best to simplify it, it went down like this. After the treaty was signed between Heaven and Hell, the tension in their family gave them a window of opportunity to come up with a plan. Seeing as how these ladies are super smart, they figured out that they could take advantage of the mortal realm, which is always expanding, creating more universes, dimensions, and whatnot, by staying a million steps ahead of everyone by making the new circles and sections of Heaven themselves.
Again, REALLY complex stuff, so I'm going to break it down little by little the best I can. Whenever something entirely new appears within the mortal realm before any mortals pop up, they create ahead of time a new section and circle for that thing. Then when mortals start showing up, they add what they've prepared to both Heaven and Hell to make it seem like they've appeared in response to the mortals. After that, they've basically accomplished what they needed to, NO ONE is the wiser to what they've done, and it gives them the best cover for what they're actually doing. Overall, they've been hiding in plain sight this whole time.
Most of the angels who attended Gabriel's court when Will, the Maykrs, and the Sentinels were being investigated? Mostly them. They've planted demons in disguise within Lucifer's circle to keep an eye on things there. And, with them having control over MOST of the mortal realm, Harut and Marut have pretty much been acting as the puppeteers behind the scenes.
BUT, IN THEIR DEFENSE, they haven't been manipulating things that aren't theirs to...well...manipulate. So, when it comes to stuff that happens outside of the parts of the mortal realm where they have total ownership, they didn't MAKE anything happen. Whether it be good or bad, everyone's choices were theirs to make; all they did was observe and make some slight influences here and there.
And that is the SUMMARIZED version of their answer to my first question!
"Are you alright?/We haven't overwhelmed you have we?" They both asked, showing such genuine concern for my well-being.
"Yeah...it's just...a lot to take in." I answered with a smile, "But I appreciate how honest you guys are. Most people would lie about stuff like this." I told them.
"That would be cruel and unusual./Plus, you are our guest. It is our responsibility AND pleasure to do whatever we can to make you happy and relaxed." They said.
"You guys keep getting nicer, I swear." I replied while shaking my head in disbelief, "And as for YOU, ya big lug! You're the original Cyberdemon! How cool is that?!" I asked, to which he did his best to shrug.
"What is your next inquiry?/We're ready whenever you are." Harut inquired while Marut spoke.
"Hmm...what do you call this place? As in THIS specific circle where you guys live and do your thing?" I asked.
"Oh! That one is straightforward to answer. Would you like to do so, Marut?/ Why yes, thank you, Harut." Marut asked, to which Marut answered as she looked at me, "Seeing as how Doom WAS our intellectual creation made possible with the assistance of our siblings. And in light of the tragedies wrought by the Dark One's abhorrent rule over it. We decided to create a NEW Doom." She revealed.
"So...Doom two?" I guessed while putting a finger to my chin in thought.
"No. Doom two seemed far too obvious. Everyone ALWAYS expects a two to follow one./Indeed. So we started workshopping a bunch of different names before we found the one we liked the most." They said.
"What were they?" I asked.
"The first one we conceived was Doom Absolution./Since what we've been doing, among other things, is mending all of the destruction caused by the copycat." They began, "Next was Doom and nothing else, BUT, all of the letters would be capitalized to assert WE are the true Doom./But then we realized that even WITH all of the letters capitalized, it'd just be confusing to have Doom be the name on its own. So we'd have to give it a subtitle in parentheses like the real one or something similar." They continued, "Then we let the name Doom Eternal as we would be the only ones to remain after Subject Too Angry To Die killed the Dark One simmer for a bit./But then we feared if things didn't work out that way, such as they have, that it'd be a terrible title as OUR legacy would be tainted beyond salvation." They concluded.
"The final name must be something special then!" I exclaimed with widened eyes, eager to know what it was.
"Doom three." They revealed.
"...Huh..." I sounded, trying my best to think of the reasoning before they told me.
"It's not two, so they won't think it's a direct continuation./It allows us to form our own identity and be a separate entity from the original while still maintaining what made the original what it is./We can do some things that you wouldn't expect from Doom./And if we need to, we can rebrand in an instant and make people believe that Doom 3 never happened. All-in-all, Doom 3 is the perfect name." They explained, bouncing back and forth between each other.
"Wow! You guys are so passionate about this!" I said, surprised by their enthusiasm. "We spent a lot of time on the name./A bit more than we'd like to admit." They replied.
"Alright. Well, let's go over what I know so far." I suggested as I held up my hand to count on my fingers, "One, you two conceived the idea of Doom. Two, after the Dark One appeared, you made a new version of Doom; I'm guessing it's how you always wanted it to be. Three, while you haven't been controlling Heaven or Hell, you HAVE been keeping an eye on both and influencing them in certain ways. Also, you DO seem to control a LOT of the mortal realm. And finally four, everything here is original, and the Dark One's a hack." I listed.
"That sums it up nicely./Agreed. Well done." They said. "Thanks," I responded with a smile.
"So, what are your remaining questions?/We might be able to answer them as swiftly as we did with the last one," Harut asked while Marut spoke.
"I've got four." I answered as I reset my hand to count on it again, "First, my friend Will, AKA the Slayer, AKA Subject Too Angry To Die, had those robot spiders in his world. How do you have them too? Second, you say you've been influencing stuff; how? Third, how was I able to see this place when my familiar exploded in my face, how was I able to summon a creature from here that I've been calling Cherubs, and how was I able to come here with another explosion? And again, finally four, on my way here, I saw statues of someone who sort of looked like Will but was a little different; who is that?" I asked.
"Ah! Wonderful! All questions with simple answers./We'll have this cleared up for you in no time." They assured before getting on with it, "Regarding Subject Too Angry To Die, his world is what we refer to as a reoccurring anomaly./And that isn't to say HIS world as, in its history, we're referring to the planet earth. For some reason, certain worlds in the mortal realm appear across several universes and other locations in the realm./However; each one is different. The only constant is the primary dominant species that controls the planet./So, where we acquired those spider turrets. That will be revealed when we get to question four." They explained, deciding to go with the back and forth format for these questions.
"Damn, keeping me in suspense, girls." I said with a small pout, "But okay. Let's keep things moving." I tell them.
"How we influence people, whether they are in spaces that we control or not, isn't through overpowering their souls and forcing them to do what we want./We support the freedom of choice. We would never deny any soul in creation that innate right./All we do is plant ideas in their minds.
Things that they would be able to think of themselves, so it isn't alarming./For example, we wouldn't plant the idea within a child's mind to steal candy if said child isn't capable of having that same thought, urge, and desire themselves./The reason why we do this is to see what the individual would ultimately do. So again, we are not forcing them into any decision or action; we merely give them ALL of their available options and see what the results may come to." They explained, answering the second question.
"Whoa...have...you ever done that with people you know? Like, say, Vega?" I asked.
"Planting ideas into another's mind is possible regardless of the intended target./So yes, we have given our father ideas before./In truth, we did so not long ago. We planted the image of a cube in his head, which led to him and the Wretch creating their version of OUR invention, the Soul Cube./Unfortunately, due to the Khans' decision to reincarnate, they've abandoned the Soul Cube./A poor decision to be sure. As it will lead them to an event that will spell nothing but tragedy./That it will. But, we are researchers and observers; we do not interact with the experiments unless necessary. Otherwise, we corrupt the data." They answered.
"Ah, okay." I replied as I crossed my arms, "That makes sense. Vox is ALWAYS telling me not to interfere with his work by saying, and I quote, the gift of intelligence comes with the burden of responsibility." I recited, "Come to think of it; he also says that when he describes what it's like to be friends with me." I realized.
"Continuing with the questions." Harut began to get me back on track, "The third one you asked is the simplest of them all, Marut?/Thank you, Harut. You See, Velvet, your discovery of us, this place, the creatures you've deemed Cherubs which is sincerely adorable, we'll need to make that official it's too good not to, and your arrival in our home was by pure accident. The energy known as Argent created by Samur is unknown to us as it is for all of you. We can't even tell you how many different outcomes that explosion may have had, for there are just too many." They explained, though, it was mostly Marut.
"Huh, how about that. My abundance of luck serves me well yet again!" I proudly exclaimed with a grin.
"That leaves us with your last question regarding the human wearing armor, immortalized in statues throughout our domain./As well as how we possess spider turrets and what that has to do with this inquiry rather than the first." They began, "Now, we need to make this ABUNDANTLY clear; there are NO replicants of Subject Too Angry To Die. This must be established because the figure you have seen, although a space marine who has dealt with demons, is NOT a copy or alternate version of your friend./However, his world was nearly IDENTICAL to the aforementioned Subject. The only important difference being that the group known as the Third Reich didn't win the second world war. But the UAC would still be established around the same time./And, just like Subject Too Angry To Die, the marine enlisted in the organization's military division, became a soldier, who would then be deployed to the installation on Mars to act as security./That is when our paths would intersect as the UAC in this universe performed the same experiments. Only this time, they formed a connection with us and not Doom./As for the marine, he would learn the dark truth behind this version of the UAC. For as he discovered, those within the military division who had sizeable disciplinary records, such as his, they'd be sent to Mars for use in these experiments, and a cover story would be fabricated to explain how they were K.I.A./Without any show of hesitation or mercy they threw him into the portal, which landed him right at our feet as we were waiting for him./We explained what was going on, who we were, where he was, everything that he needed and deserved to know. At that point, he decided he
wanted revenge. And as the saying goes, the rest is history." They explained.
"What does that mean exactly?" I questioned, but not because I didn't understand what they were saying, I just wanted to know the details.
"Extinction. Unfortunately, some species do not learn their lessons no matter how many times you attempt to teach them./The marine wasn't a lunatic; he only wanted revenge on those who had wronged him. He returned to us when that was accomplished as he had no home with them after what he had done./But, the UAC wasn't going to let him get away with it. They opened more portals, sent in entire armies to try and fight us, which was no different from throwing wood into a chipper./You'd think after countless defeats they'd give up, surrender even, but their spite burned forever within their souls, and we knew they wouldn't stop./And thus, with him leading the charge and our creations following behind, as loyal to him as they are to us, the humanity within that universe ceased to exist./As for what became of him after, well, that is its own long story best saved for a later date. Just know that he is still with us, and we're happy about that. But currently, he isn't in the realm." They informed.
"Woo! Man..." I breathed out with a hefty sigh, "I'm guessing you took all the tech from the UAC then, right?" I asked.
"No./We merely replicate its aesthetic to make him more comfortable." They answered.
"Oh, okay." I said as I put my hands on my stomach, "This has been an unforgettable experience. I made a new friend, explored a circle of Hell I had no idea existed, got to learn so much, and I met the two of you. Truly, one of the greatest days of my life." I told them, which made them smile.
"That's wonderful to know. Thank you so much./We're happy you've enjoyed our hospitality and what we've shared with you." They replied.
"Mhm! I can't wait to share this with everyone!" I exclaimed.
For the first time since I came here, an awkward silence came between the three of us.
"...Um, right. About that Subject Pretty Psycho.../You see...well...the thing is...you can't tell ANYONE about ANY of this..." They said after a few seconds.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Wait...what?"