For the first time since their hold on Earth was established, all five Marauders were gathered before their lord. They kneeled before him, their heads bowed in respect, waiting for what was to be the most significant moment of their conquest. In front of them, standing between themselves and the Dark One, was the Blood Maykr who was still filled with their master's power. The only reason it hadn't been consumed yet by the Dark One was relatively simple to understand; he wished to address his most loyal servants one final time before the battle began.
"My Marauders..." He began, addressing them by their shared title, "Throughout the ages, you have served me without question. Even you, the common parasite, have shared a collective consciousness from brood to brood. Thus, refining your combat prowess so that it may be equal to the Cyberdemon. For so long, we faced no true opposition, as even the Maykrs who were born to stand in our way could only observe but never truly fight against our might. But then, HE appeared. The mortal made god, dubbed by our kind and our enemies as the Slayer. And, I shall admit, I was foolish. I should have recognized the potential of the Slayer when he proved victorious over you, Cyberdemon. And again, when he clashed with the Icon with weapons made by human hands and was victorious. However, we have proven that not even he is exempt from being careless. Twice now we have escaped imprisonment, twice now we have taken worlds populated by his people, and finally, for the first time, he shall be defeated." He stated before focusing his attention on the sisters, "Are the nests prepared? Can they withstand my essence as this one?" He asked them.
"Yes, my lord. The brains we have crafted will ensure your power is properly regulated. None of the other organs within the Gore Nests will become overloaded and be damaged as a result." The Mother answered.
"And, by your order, we have stationed Barons, Archviles, and the latest of our newly bred demons as guards. The hearts may be destroyed alongside every other organ, but they can regrow new ones near instantly if the brains remain." The Resurrector informed.
"And of our hostages?" He inquired, now speaking to the Cyberdemon.
"All have been gathered and are being kept below you, my liege. Arachnotrons and Revenants serve as their keepers, ready to fire upon any of the masses if they become unruly to keep the rest in check." The Cyberdemon responded.
"Hahaha, excellent." He cackled, pleased by the expected diligence of his servants, "Then, there is nothing left. No more pieces must be placed. Our time has come. And for all of creation, their flesh shall be consumed." He concluded.
Remaining where they were, the Marauders watched with great pleasure as the Blood Maykr moved forward, the energy inside of its body being pulled to its rightful owner like a magnet. Upon coming into contact with the Dark One's flesh, it was slowly assimilated until it disappeared completely. And when it did, the entirety of the Super Gore Nest began to glow in a rhythmic pattern similar to a heartbeat, a precursor to the transformation the Dark One was about to undertake.
A Few Minutes Prior, Happening Simultaneously On The Sentinel Homeworld...
Dread, something that the Slayer, Samur, and the Wretch hadn't felt in a long time. Even yesterday, when Samur was furious over the failed sabotage, all he felt was anger and panic. But dread was a sensation that could only be experienced alone. Never coupled with despair or anxiety as most people assumed, for dread was, in essence, the evolution of fear.
It only came when one was confident of terrible things, unlike fear which was the anticipation. However, the only person who stood beside them that understood this was BJ, for he and dread were well acquainted. As for the rest of their company within the forge, the forge master, the Sentinels, and the Slayer's close friends and associates. All of whom had been gathered and brought here after Loona, Vox, and Sir Pentious arrived so they too may hear their news.
"...Will?" Charlie spoke, acting as the voice of their group. Not even her uncle or aunt could think of what to say in light of this development, "What're you thinking? Please, I know this is a lot, but we need to be kept in the loop." She requested.
"...What was the point?..." The Slayer replied, staring intently at the ground as his mind was busy working, "They injured the Khans...a tragedy, yes...but they didn't kidnap or kill them...they destroyed the Reincarnation Chamber...but that doesn't matter, since the next fight is meant to be our last...they didn't open any portals for demons to come through...and Vega and Daisy killed them within minutes...what did they accomplish?..." He asked.
"I must admit, even I am lost..." The Wretch shared, his gaze also fixated on the floor, "Everyway we look at this situation, it all comes back with the same conclusion. The Cyberdemon, who invaded Urdak not long ago, planted parasites in the brains of the Blood Maykrs. He made sure that there was no trace as either the Khans or the creator would've noticed. But...they did nothing. And, with his newfound knowledge of the layout of Urdak, a second invasion could've been more successful. Yet, nothing came from this..." He said.
"...He...knew the layout..." Samur muttered, speaking at such a low volume no one could hear him, "...Perhaps...there is more...he discovered the Blood Maykrs...skillfully hid his tampering...surely...there is a key detail we're not seeing..." He reasoned before moving his head up to look at the Slayer's companions, "I have two questions. The first, who here fought against the Cyberdemon when he infiltrated Urdak?" He asked.
"The four of us," Gabriel answered, pointing to himself, then Katie, Vagatha, and Angel Dust. "Thank you. Now, the second question. Where did you fight the Cyberdemon?" He asked. "Within the facility that the Dark One's power is kept," Gabriel revealed.
There, that sentence hit everyone like a bolt of lightning. Even Blitzo, Velvet, and Verosika, who were usually slow to the take with something like this, had the same realization that everyone else did. But how, that was the question, Vega and Daisy killed all of the Blood Maykrs...unless...one managed to slip away! However, before anyone could panic or move to try and do something, the Slayer quickly summoned his combat shotgun and fired a round into the floor.
"Stop." He commanded, "Your hearts are all racing...for those who have them...your minds are at risk of being overwhelmed by your emotions and your thoughts...take a moment...calm down...if you don't...I'll keep firing off rounds until you snap out of it...or I may punch you..." He instructed, also giving them a warning, "We've figured out their plan...unfortunately, they succeeded...does
this mean we've lost before we've gotten a chance to fight?...No...however, getting riled up will only make things worse...I don't know what our enemies have planned for us...but I know at this moment the Dark One's power is being delivered to his new body...there are still many unknowns...but we need to keep our cool and quickly figure out our course of action...I say, at most, we have five to ten minutes before we need to leave... the fortresses are maintaining the barrier currently surrounding earth thanks to the Maykr angels inside them...but once the Dark One returns to his former status, that barrier will be in immediate danger...the Khans cannot help us in their current state...so...what're we going to do to make sure nothing else goes wrong?..." He asked.
"If I may." BJ stepped forward, his experience as a soldier more valuable now than ever, "Starting things off, I'm guessing the fortresses won't be able to attack the nests once the Dark One starts putting pressure on the barrier?" He asked.
"That's correct...they'll need to divert all power to the necessary systems to protect themselves and strengthen it..." The Slayer confirmed.
"Alright, so our plan of attack for the nests is unchanged." He said, now able to continue since he had that question sorted, "With that made clear, there is something I think we need to change. And that's YOU, William." He began as he pointed at his grandson, "With the Dark One returning to normal, we're going to need someone to keep him busy while the rest of us get to work. And the only one here who can do that by themselves is you." H explained.
"Wait!" Blitzo interjected while raising his hand, "He's supposed to help me, Loona, and Daisy! Without him, we're fucked!" He exclaimed.
"Don't worry, I thought of that," BJ assured, knowing that whatever team the Slayer was meant to lead would be impacted by this, "Although they're not Will, would you accept a pack of giant robot dogs that breathe fire? All the while Sentinels are riding on their backs?" He asked.
"...Yes," Blitzo answered; the image created in his head was so badass he physically couldn't refuse.
"Oh! What about our dragons?" Charlie asked as they came to mind.
"They'll come with me..." The Slayer answered, "If I'm leading them, we won't need to have riders on their backs...and no matter how durable or strong the Marauders maybe...it'll be impossible for them to cross a sea of fire to reach me so they can try and defend their master..." He explained.
"Damn, their fire must burn hot, huh?" Vagatha inquired.
"One of them could easily melt the armor on a Sentinel mech...the group that Charlie managed to tame is big enough to turn the area between them and me into a scorching death zone..." He replied.
"Won't they try other ways of getting to you? Like opening portals behind or above your position?" Moxxie asked.
"No...I'll have the dragons surround all sides of myself...and I'll spare a few to hover directly above me..." He told him.
"Aaaaaaaaaaand that is another badass level..." Cherri said, no longer surprised by the Slayer's continuously growing badassery.
"Okay, so, if we understand this. We go into the nests, you keep the big douchebag busy, once we're done we meet up with you, the dragon's stop turning the earth into a fireball, and then we
charge in and finish this shit." Angel Dust laid out.
"Which will also provide the cover I need to locate the remaining hostages and begin extracting them," Samur mentioned.
"That is the plan...unless you have anything else to add, grandpa..." The Slayer responded, which made BJ shake his head, "Alright, everyone...check your gear...your weapons...your armors...and anything else...this is it..." He told them.
Like a perfectly functioning insect colony, everyone got to work on whatever they needed to before they were deployed. Not needing any further instructions or guidance from the Slayer or otherwise. Yet amidst the now heavy traffic and communication of the forge, the Wretch was able to grab ahold of BJ and pull him away from the others without either's absence being immediately noticed.
"Something up?" BJ asked as the Wretch took them to the most isolated part of the forge he could find.
Once he was sure no one was around to hear this conversation, the Wretch stopped moving and faced the war vet.
"BJ. Tell me. Do you believe no matter what must be done, we NEED to win this battle?" He asked, "And when I say must, I mean even if it is the darkest and most difficult of decisions. Will you choose to persevere for the greater good?" added.
"Why're you asking me this?" BJ questioned as he flooded his arms, "This seems like something you'd speak to my grandson about." He said.
"He doesn't wield the spear of destiny." The Wretch replied.
"...Wretch...what're you planning?..." He asked, his tone completely serious, and his expression, though mostly stoic, had a noticeable concern.
"A failsafe. One that even the Dark One, with all his power, can't prevent. But for it to work, I NEED to know. Will you do what needs to be done no matter what?" The Wretch asked again.
"...At one point, during the war...I took a grenade point-blank...I was crippled...bleeding out...could move or do anything...and beneath me in the building below...there was a ticking timebomb...the kind that ends with a mushroom cloud..." He told him, "But even if I hadn't taken that grenade...I still would've stayed where I was if something else needed to be done...whether that be ensuring the Nazi bastard who pulled the pin was finally dead...or that no other Nazis were getting out alive...so whatever this is, Wretch...whatever you're planning...I've got your back." He promised.
With his question finally answered, the Wretch proceeded to tell BJ about his failsafe. And when he heard it, for the first time since he'd been brought on board to help out, BJ's entire being felt as cold as the weapon of death he commanded.