Redemption & Salvation First Drafts

by Josh Mystic

Title says it all. These are the original versions of my stories for this crossover concept. Reposted for everyone's enjoyment.

130. Darkest Day

Act 1: Unto Death We March.

How does one describe true evil? Humans may think of the term sociopath, for in most situations, it is this type of person, one without empathy or a conscience, associated with heinous actions or what one may call evil. But even then, that thought isn't wholly accurate. Even a sociopath, with this fact about them established, is not compelled to bring ruin or cause suffering by default.

True evil has no form; it is only detectable from the actions of the source, the complete and total lack of any regard for anything other than itself, even things that are greater than they or are necessary for the grand scheme of all. This accurately describes the Dark One, a greedy soul determined to consume all of creation, regardless of what the outcome may be as a result. And perhaps, the Dark One was aware of this, which would explain the horrifying new visage he took.

When his power was fully absorbed, the Super Gore Nest that acted as his new body began to change, and change it did, drastically. Mouths filled with teeth of varying sizes, shapes, and sharpness appeared throughout the entire exterior of the monolithic mountain of meat.

Immediately, they all started to gnash and bite away at the air in front of themselves, desperate to consume anything that they could acquire. Alongside their appearance, massive tendrils sprouted from the flesh buried beneath the ground and the body itself, writhing and wriggling before latching onto everything that surrounded him.

However, to the terror of the Sentinels, Maykrs, and Authorities present on the battlefield or stationed in the fortresses above the planet, his body was not the only one to change. The other five Gore Nests had mouths and tendrils appear on their forms, no longer simple factories made for producing demons; they had become demons as well, extensions of the Dark One's twisted new vessel. In total, there were now six entities that towered over everything, all of them biting and thrashing about to try and attack their opposition and the barrier that contained them simultaneously. In light of this, the Sentinels, Maykrs, and Authorities needed to fall back, less they desired to be eaten and added to their ever-growing flesh.

But another figure appeared on the battlefield as their forces retreated from their positions, getting to safe distances to resume their attacks and defenses. First, there was a light blue portal; then heavy footsteps came from finely made leather boots, and with them, they carried an unmistakable green armor and grey helmet. Walking forward a few feet before the portal closed, the moment this figure arrived, everything quieted down, including the Dark One, when he noticed who had come.

"At last. The hero has arrived." His voice spoke through every mouth his body possessed, filling the air as if it were a loud boom of thunder, "Tell me, Slayer. Do you believe victory is yours?

Before, I was confined to my sanctum. Then, my realm flooded with Sentinels and Maykrs alike, with you leading the charge against me. But now, in addition to my power returning to my soul, I have the energy accumulated from this world. And, I have even become one with the planet itself, greater in size and strength than ever before. Do you not feel fear? Worry that this time is your defeat? Despite what all have said, and what both divine and mortal believe, you DO have a limit. But, we haven't reached it until now." He told his adversary.

"..." The Slayer stayed silent; he had no problems speaking to his friends, people, and those he respected. But the Dark One didn't deserve to hear his words.

"Hahaha, mute again, I see. But, perhaps, more fitting than speech. For you do not speak with words; it is violence that conveys your thoughts and emotions." The Dark One

said, "Unfortunately, as much as I'd enjoy clashing against you. Some have been longing for this fight more than I." He informed.

After saying that, a part of his body opened, allowing three of his Marauders to come forward.

"Slayer..." The Cyberdemon greeted with a breathy sigh, both of the Hell Guards at his side, "Long have I fantasized of this day...many times before I believed it was then...but now...I know without any doubt that here, on this world so similar to yours, you will die." He stated.

"..." The Slayer continued to hold his tongue, staring intently at the Dark One, completely ignoring the trio of demons.

However, the Cyberdemon wasn't insulted or enraged by that; if anything, it is what made the Slayer the only foe worthy of his blade. A will that couldn't be broken, a focus that couldn't be shaken, and a soul that would fight until it was utterly ruined. Brandishing his dual-bladed ax as the Hell Guards brought forth their maces, the trio prepared to run straight towards the Slayer to begin this long-awaited duel to the death. Yet, before they could take a single step, a new sound filled the air with the same volume as the Dark One's voice, and it came from the skies above.

Diving down from the darkened skies like white spears, dragons from the Sentinels' world approached. And during their descent, they bellowed from their bodies deadly fire, so intense it started melting the buildings and roads before it even made contact. Within a few short seconds, nearly all of the area surrounding the Dark One and the Slayer was engulfed in flames, protecting the latter while it prevented the former and his Marauders from attacking.

"SLAYER!" The Cyberdemon called out, having to shout over the roaring of the dragons and the sounds of the fire, "ARE YOU SO DESPERATE YOU RELY ON BEASTS?! FIRST THOSE WORTHLESS MORTALS FROM THAT INFERIOR CIRCLE OF HELL, NOW THIS?! YOU USED TO STAND AGAINST ME ALONE!" He taunted.

In response, the Slayer summoned his chaingun with the deployable shield attached. He then began to fire upon both the Dark One and the Marauders. Erecting his own shield to protect himself, the Cyberdemon held his ground as the Hell Guards remained motionless, their armor much thicker, so they didn't need to take cover. As for the Dark One, he wouldn't allow these winged lizards to stop him; he retaliated by sending forth his tendrils to the skies to strike them down.

And while the dragons were more than capable of avoiding them on their own, the Slayer provided aid by directing his fire towards the appendages to destroy them. That is how the battle commenced, the Slayer and his tamed beasts attacking the Dark One and his Marauders, while elsewhere, his allies did their part as well.

Act 2, Part 1: Team Blitzo

"Why are we called team Blitzo?" Loona asked in a whisper as she, in her mech, her adoptive father, Daisy, and the Sentinels with their Panzerhunds arrived inside their Gore Nest.

"Because sweetie, I am the only one here who received personal training from Will. It makes the most sense that I take the lead." Blitzo answered.

"Right, but these guys have been training their entire lives. And, they're riding giant mechanical

dogs while holding spears." She countered.

"Sir." One of the Sentinels spoke up to get his attention, "We're not detecting any signs of the demons. More than likely, they're gathered at the furthest point downward to protect the brain. So should we begin our attack on the heart or head straight for our primary target?" They asked.

"See? They've got no problem with me taking point." Blitzo told Loona. "I think they're just polite." She replied before he addressed the Sentinels.

"Alright, so here's the game plan." He began, "Set fire to everything with those big mutts of yours. I, Loona, and Daisy will scout ahead. Once this place starts to look and feel like an oven, come join us." He instructed.

"And should any demons come to meet us?" One asked.

"Kill'em. Unless they become too much of a problem with the fire, then cut it short and meet us." He answered.

Nodding to show they understood, the Sentinels commanded their steeds to open their steel maws and let loose their flamethrowers, to which they obeyed.

"Let's go, Loony!" He exclaimed, deciding there was no reason to keep whispering since this place was getting lit on fire.

"Dad." She started, deciding now of all times it was okay to call him that, "Do you REALLY think this is a good idea? Remember, we're dealing with some scary-ass shit." She reminded as she followed him deeper into the nest, Daisy riding on her mech's back this time.

"Honey, RELAX. I've got my suit filled with fucktastic guns, you have your mech, which is also fucktastic, and we have Daisy. Who can apparently kill fuckers like no one's business." He told her.

"That was a couple of corrupted angels. We're LITERALLY kicking a hornet's nest here." She argued.

"Tomato; tomato." He responded, "Look, I know it may seem like I'm my usual dumbass self. But I'm taking this seriously. I wouldn't have split us up like this if I thought we couldn't handle the cannon fodder they'll send at us initially. We won't tackle the brain without the Sentinels; all we're going to do is thin them out a bit to speed this up, okay?" He explained.

Normally, there'd be an obvious arrogance, stupidity, or both at the same time present in Blitzo's voice in a situation like this. But not this time; Loona was genuinely surprised by her father's tone, he still had his usual carefree jovial sound, yet it was clear he didn't see this as a waste of time or a walk in the park, unlike when they used to be assassins.

"Yeah, okay." She agreed, which made him smile, "Thanks for...having confidence in me or whatever..." She said, trying to maintain her "cool" demeanor.

"S'what dads do." He replied, which in turn made her smile as well.

The trio then continued without saying another word. Making sure to pay attention to their surroundings and be ready for when a demon suddenly appeared. However, apart from the movement of the fleshy walls and the Gore Nest as a whole, there were no signs of life, which gave this setting an eerie feel to it, much like a graveyard.

"Geez, are they all waiting for us?" Loona asked; the only other sound besides her voice was their footsteps.

"Eh, makes sense. Why go to the trouble of coming our way when they KNOW where we'll be headed." Blitzo answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I guess, but still, you'd think they'd want to kill us as fast as-"

Loona stopped mid-sentence; she had to, for as she looked around to try and spot a potentially hiding demon, she saw from above came a large figure intent on landing on her father. Reacting on the pure instinct and desire to help him, she dove for Blitzo and, in a flawless tackle, secured him in her arms right as the creature landed where he once stood. Both they and their attacker landed with loud crashes, and amazingly, Loona managed to land on her feet so they wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Blitzo shouted when he realized what happened, "THAT'S MY FUCKING GIRL! FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE! YOU FUCKING SUCK!" He shouted at the demon

while giving it the bird.

Turning around when it heard his voice, the demon revealed itself to be a Hell Knight. But before Blitzo could taunt it some more, or the Hell Knight could try another attack, two more crashes occurred near the demon as more Hell Knights arrived.

"Oooooooh, you lousy bitches! Trying to ambush us, huh? Alright then, let's fucking go!" He exclaimed, summoning a high-powered sniper rifle into his hands. Even though Loona still held him firmly in her arms.

Lifting the scope to his eye so he could aim, right as Blitzo positioned the crosshair on the first Hell Knight's head...it...exploded? Not only that, but less than five seconds later, the other Hell Knights' heads also exploded; what the fuck was going on?

"Damn, nice work, Daisy." Loona complimented as she looked down at the ground near her feet.

Blitzo was shocked to see a blood-covered rabbit sitting in front of Loona's mech as he followed his daughter's gaze, especially since both were incredibly nonchalant about it.

"...Okay...my head hurts..." He said, his brain struggling to understand what the hell just happened.

"How do you think she was able to take on Angels so easily?" Loona asked as Daisy effortlessly jumped all the way up back to the top of her back, "The suit she's got on, or exoskeleton as the nerds call it, makes her faster AND stronger." She informed.

"So...she hits harder...moves faster...and is overall better and stronger?" He inquired. "Mhm. She's like a fifty caliber round that moves at the speed of a rocket." She told him.

"Sweet fucking Jesus on a cracker, that's wild." Still amazed by this revelation, he replied, "So, do we need to do anything, then? Can she just kill everything on her own?" He asked.

"Hmm...maybe...she IS Will's best friend after all." She answered, being COMPLETELY serious with that statement, "But we should still give her backup. Unless you want all your training to be for nothing?" She asked.

"HELL. NO. I AM KICKING DEMON ASS TO-FUCKING-DAY!" He shouted angrily.

"Alright, then let's stop chatting like dipshits and get on with it." She said before she resumed their trek to the Gore Nest's brain, all the while still carrying her father.

Part 2: Team Blazkowicz

Gunshots and blinding light, that's all Vox and Stolas could see and hear. When these two Overlords arrived with BJ at their Gore Nest, they were immediately met by a horde of Imps ready to maul them. The thing is, BJ had a machinegun, then he had two, and with both of them in hand, he unleashed a tidal wave of decimation that neither had seen before. What were once living creatures quickly turned into piles of meat that were riddled with holes; in what they estimated to be three minutes, their leader dealt with the entire horde all by himself.

"My word, that was...stupendous!" Stolas praised, taking a moment to clap his hands to applaud BJ.

"Your family evolved to be apex-killing machines, huh?" Vox asked as BJ blew the smoke away from his guns' barrels.

"Heh, that's a working theory by Samur, I think." He answered while turning around to face them, "Alright, so what's the plan?" He asked.

"With my exceptional skill in the arcane arts, I believe I can affect the nest if I interact directly with its heart," Stolas answered, gesturing to the massive beating organ that was close by.

"Sort of like poison?" He questioned, receiving a nod in response.

"As for myself." Vox spoke up to get his attention, "My abilities are equally impressive. But, admittedly, they're almost completely centered around technology and manipulating it to my will. Thankfully, a FAIR amount of the demons have cybernetic augmentations. So if you could incapacitate or even kill them so long as they're not utterly ruined, I can turn them to our side and have them fight for us." He explained.

"Got it. Shoot'em, but don't turn'em to shit." BJ understood.

"I'm sorry you have to do most of the heavy lifting at the moment. We just need some time to build up our usefulness." Stolas apologized.

"Hey, I'm the brawn in this squad. Vox is the brains; you're the specialist." He told him to make him feel better, "Besides, all I'm good for is pulling a trigger. Not fit for any other job." He said.

Suddenly, a howl echoed throughout the Gore Nest, coming from deep within. A few seconds later, the ground beneath their feet began to lightly tremor, indicating that either something huge was coming, or a LOT of things were.

"Round two." BJ sighed as he readied his weapons, "Vox, think you can cover Stolas? I'll do my best to keep the demons off both of you. But there may be too many for me to keep track of." He asked.

"I think I can manage," Vox answered, letting his former smug attitude show a little. "How long will you need to do what you've gotta do, Stolas?" He asked.

"Hm, hard to say. The Gore Nest is now an ACTUAL living creature. It'll no doubt resist my

influence and tampering. But with everything the Wraiths taught me and with the aid of this staff, I'd say roughly ten minutes." Stolas confidently answered.

"Ten minutes should be simple." He replied as he aimed his rifles in the direction the tremors were coming from, "But, when is that ever true?" He asked rhetorically, knowing from experience if something seemed easy, it wasn't.

With BJ serving as their main form of offense, Stolas turned his attention to the massive heart. Walking over to the organ, he placed his left hand against it while his right held his staff which would help him with his task. As for Vox, he stood between the two, ready to lend aid to either BJ or Stolas when it was needed. Then, right when Stolas began to channel his power into the heart to begin spreading it throughout the nest, the cause of those tremors came into view from a nearby connected corridor.

A new horde, as expected, but this was not made of Imps nor their slightly bigger counterparts known as the Prowler. Instead, a swarm of Arachnotrons was coming to stop them, and the moment BJ and his team were in view, they aimed their turrets and opened fire. Forced to react quickly, BJ started running around the room to avoid the hail of energy spheres while Vox erected a serviceable barrier to protect himself and Stolas. Thining of his feet, BJ knew those turrets had to be dealt with before they were overwhelmed, so he focused his fire on the mounted weapons.

The resulting sound as the turrets began exploding was weirdly enough not the same as explosions, but closer resembled what one would hear if someone were banging away at a cowbell. Yet even as the air filled with the dinging of the Arachnotrons' turrets being destroyed, it didn't halt their approach or hinder their offensive capabilities. Instead, on both sides of each creature, little compartments revealed themselves, opening to allow the brain spiders to eject mine-like explosives

to cover the entire area. Thankfully, in this area, Vox excelled, as he disabled each explosive before they even reached the ground, a feat so simple for him it was as easy as snapping his fingers.

"May I suggest changing your guns to something more...impactful?" He said to BJ, "For while I can nullify their explosives for as long as they have more to send our way, I don't think we want this place to turn into a literal minefield." He added.

"Yeah, the situation's already one-sided as it is. We don't need to be in a massive powder keg." BJ agreed before swapping his guns.

Exchanging his twin assault rifles for twin shotguns, much like his grandson, he couldn't keep himself from smiling in delight at what came next. Both shotguns were fitted with revolver-like rotary chambers, essentially giving them the one thing shotguns typically didn't have, fully automatic fire. The ENTIRE room was coated in a strobing light for the next several minutes, BJ squeezing both the triggers and handles of his weapons to keep his aim steady. But even if his aim was off by a little or a lot, it TRULY didn't matter, as there was enough buckshot flying out of the barrels, it created an impassable wall of death.

What was once fairly large, intimidating demons were swiftly reduced to mangled piles of meat and machinery. And yet, they kept charging forward even though victory was impossible, a perfect display of how these monsters knew not of fear nor self-preservation, only an insatiable lust for blood and misery instilled in them by their maker. Eventually, all that was left in front of BJ and his shotguns, whose barrels were slowing down as he stopped firing, was a pile of corpses that towered over him and his team and nearly filled the other half of the room.

"Well done." Vox praised as he clapped his hands but did it in a far more subdued manner than Stolas had earlier.

"It was nothing, honest," BJ replied while lowered both his arms and his guns to his sides, taking a moment to calm down after that back-to-back assault.

"Don't sell yourself short. If I tried wielding those shotguns, I'd be sent flying backward into the wall." He told him.

"Well, thank you." BJ said, accepting the compliment, "Hey, how're ya holding up? Need us to do anything?" He asked, now speaking to Stolas.

"No...well...nothing that you're not already doing..." Stolas answered, his eyes closed as he was concentrating as much as he could, "Now...I don't want to get your hopes up, gentlemen...but...I think I can do more than poison the nest..." He informed.

"How?" BJ inquired.

"I...think I can take control...allowing me to kill it from here...but to do so...I'll need MUCH more time..." He explained.

"So we'd have to hold our position..." BJ said before taking a look around, "I don't know how realistic that is. We've got a total of four entrances into the room, and I don't doubt they're going to send more demons. And I think it's a safe bet to assume they'll be even tougher." He told him.

"Actually, it may be easier than you think." Vox chimed in as his mind got to work, "I told you before, I can use the corpses of demons who're heavily infused with technology to our advantage. Miraculously, despite turning the fleshy bits of the Arachnotrons to soup, the pellets didn't damage the robotic elements all too badly. So I can easily forgo the fleshy part of the demon and only use the useful one; I can also repair the turrets." He informed.

"And the mines?" BJ asked while gesturing to all of the explosives they had.

"We can move those, I'll reactivate them, and if we need more once I have the bodies up and running, they can produce them." He answered.

"Huh, okay, this plan's insane, but...it seems like we've got all we need to make it work." BJ determined, "You get started on fixing up our newly acquired reinforcements. I'll start putting the mines at the far ends of each corridor, and when those mechanical spiders are good to go, you start adding more in the corridors I've finished." He instructed.

"Understood," Vox replied before both men went their separate ways to do their work.

Part 3: Team Wretch

So far, no one had seen the Wretch at his best, not even the Slayer when they first encountered the Marauders as they were quickly separated. And, to be fair, it'd been eons since the former Baron of Hell had been in such a hectic situation. It may very well have been when he fought inside the pits before the Dark One made him into the intellect he was today. But now, as he and his team were in the midst of an all-out brawl, being attacked from every angle by the likes of Revenants, Mancubi, and Pinkies, the first-ever Heavenly Baron felt the holy blood in his veins gifted to him by the brilliance of Urdak bubble and boil.

With his Argent blade in hand, he sliced through the nigh-indestructible armor of the charging Pinkies, splitter them in half horizontally with every swing, which made the top halves fall to the ground while the bottoms kept running. Above him in the air of the spacious inside of the Gore

Nest was Charlie, who with her recently gifted bow sent forth arrows that sought out the Revenants, two for each socket the skeletal demons possessed. But one shouldn't overlook the impressive tag team that covered both their leader and herself, like Millie, with two .500 caliber magnums in her hands, shot out the eyes of the Mancubi. At the same time, Alastor used his magic to summon his Lost Souls before directing them to the behemoths so that they may detonate, which on average managed to kill the bastards in one go.

However, despite how efficient they were fighting, it didn't seem to be making a dent in their numbers. Wave after wave after wave of each demon type kept arriving, but there weren't any signs of a Summoner or Archvile in the area; there were just THIS many ready to be sent their way.

Which to the Wretch was very concerning, keep in mind there was a WAR going on beyond the nests and the Slayer battling the Dark One. So, in his mind, the only way there could still be this many demons here to keep them at bay, not including those that he knew were guarding the nest's brain, without the support of Arcanists, meant only one thing.

One of the sisters was here.

"This is crazy!" Millie called out through the sounds of gunshots and missiles being fired in her direction, "They keep coming! No matter how many we kill! Is there something we're doing wrong?" She asked.

"No! One of the Marauders is here; she is the one supplying their forces with so many soldiers!" The Wretch answered, slicing through two Pinkies at once as he did.

"Wait, really? Why wouldn't she be with the others protecting the Dark One?" Charlie asked from above, evading multiple fireballs launched at her.

"She and her sister are Arcanists, the best in all of Doom! Their power is not in strength like the Cyberdemon or the Hell Guards, but in how many demons they can conjure in quick succession!" He answered.

"But they gotta know by now that this isn't accomplishing anything! These guys can't land a hit on us, let alone take one of us out!" Millie said.

"That's where you're wrong; she's stalling us!" He countered, "So long as we're here unable to move forward, then the Gore Nest can continue to apply pressure to the barrier!" He explained.

"Then we need to figure out something fast! If the barrier goes down for even a second, then that's all they'll need to escape from Earth!' Charlie exclaimed.

"Ahem!" Alastor sounded while speaking into his radio staff to boost the volume of his voice, "Might I make a suggestion?" He asked, by far the calmest one here. Which...made sense since he was a lunatic and was probably having the time of his life right now.

"By all means!" The Wretch welcomed, his mind too focused on dealing with the Pinkies charging at him to think of any plans himself.

"These gluttons for punishment are coming from every direction. Up, left, right, front, back, and even diagonally." He began before he pointed his other staff to the ground, "But none of them are coming from below us. Meaning that no pre-constructed tunnels or hallways are leading to this space. So, I say we make one." He revealed.

"You want us to tunnel our way to the brain?!" Charlie questioned, right as a red-colored barrier appeared at her backside, successfully protecting her from a fireball she hadn't noticed.

"Not tunnel; create an opening." He corrected with a grin, "And since I just prevented that beautiful golden hair of yours from turning into a candle wick, I think I should automatically get your vote for my plan out of gratitude." He added, being his usual cheeky self.

"Wretch, your thoughts on the idea? You're the leader AND the expert here." Millie asked, curious to know what he thought about Alastor's idea.

"Charlie can fly, Alastor can keep himself in the air with his powers; I presume you have some form of equipment to keep you from falling?" He responded with a question of his own.

"Yeah, a grappling hook, it'll embed itself in the wall and keep me safe!" She informed.

"Very well. Alastor, this is your plan. Do you know HOW we'll be creating this opening?" He asked.

"Of course. But I warn you; you'll want to get to the safest possible distance." Alastor answered, giving them all a warning.

"Understood! Send these wasted souls back to the hands that gave them their lives!" The Wretch ordered.

With the seal of approval from his leader, Alastor's grin grew nearly three sizes from the excitement he felt at that moment. Then, channeling a terrifying amount of his power into the staff gifted to him by the Wraiths, his Lost Souls began appearing in mass; nearly twenty every second. And now that his allies knew WHAT his psychotic mind was planning, they heeded his warning and hurried to escape the coming blast while making sure not to leave themselves open for an attack. Once they were as far as they could be without leaving the room, and Alastor conjured all of the Lost Souls he needed, he sent them to the room's center and...

...

...

...

...No single word or short sentence could describe what happened; it was something none of them had ever experienced before. All of that arcane energy gathered at a single location, then released in a violent discharge as if it were a bomb. The room, their vision, and everything in-between became crimson red, which might give the impression that he simultaneously set off every Lost Soul. But in reality, his plan was far more complex than a simple massive explosion, and what transpired was the following.

The Lost Souls at the center of the accumulated mass detonated first, which in addition to killing all of the Pinkies in the middle of the room, also acted like a flashbang to disorient the other demons. Then, using the force generated from that detonation, he sent the rest of his Lost Souls outward in smaller groups to specific parts of the area. Upon reaching their intended destinations, these groups exploded as well, taking out the Mancubi and Revenants that stood on the outer perimeter; it also caved in the corridors they had come from. However, THAT wasn't even the final stage, this was the infamous radio demon after all, and he wouldn't DARE end ANY plan or scheme of his unless it was spectacularly.

When all of the demons had been killed, but before his power dissipated, Alastor pulled their souls into the massive cloud of energy created by his Lost Souls detonating, brought it all together back at the center of the room, then sent it downward to create the opening he'd mentioned. And so,

with what could only be described as a giant red laser made of demonic souls, Alastor created a tunnel nearly as big as the room itself that led straight down. During ALL of this, Charlie was practically clinging to the ceiling for dear life, Millie was hanging from a wrist-mounted grappling hook she summoned from her suit, and the Wretch was in the same boat as he hanged from the hilt of his blade which he'd driven into the wall.

"And that, ladies and gentleman, was my magnum opus. Thank you." Alastor said when it was all over, taking a bow as the sound of applause echoed out from his radio staff.

"ARE WE ALIVE?" Charlie shouted, her eyes wide and her grip on the ceiling as strong as iron, "OR DID AL KILL US?" She asked.

"Nope! We're alive!" Millie answered with a smile before she let out a holler, "And THAT was totally wicked!" She cheered.

"I now understand why your companions are so wary of you." The Wretch told Alastor, "Nevertheless, excellent work." He complimented.

"Again, thank you." Alastor repeated before he leaned forward to look down the hole, "Do you think I took out the brain with that? Perhaps the sister as well? This hole goes PRETTY deep." He inquired.

"When have we ever been so fortunate in our fight against these heathens?" The Wretch responded, "I've got my suit's scanner working now. From the looks of it, although the hole does take us a great distance, it sadly doesn't go ALL the way to our destination." He informed.

"But it is the best shortcut we could hope for, correct?" Alastor asked, wanting more praise.

"That it is. I can't scan further down until we descend. So, let us make haste." He answered before retracting his blade into the hilt so he could plummet into the pit.

"Right behind ya!" Millie exclaimed as she put her grappling hook back into storage. Allowing her to use her left arm's gauntlet to slide down the wall she was on.

"Coming, Charlotte?" Alastor asked while looking up at the princess, feeling bold enough to use her full name to tease her further.

"G...Give me a moment..." She requested, much to his amusement.

"Tsk, I'm afraid we don't have that luxury, my dear." He replied before he pulled her off of the ceiling with his powers, "Don't worry, I don't mind carrying you~" He teased some more as he lowered both of them into the hole.

Moving at a leisurely pace, it nearly took them a full minute to regroup with the Wretch and Millie, not only showing HOW far down this new passageway went but also how big the Gore Nest was. However, as the due made their way to their teammates, the walls above and around them started to close as the nest regenerated the flesh it had lost.

"Oh wow, it's healing," Millie commented as they got closer, which allowed her and the Wretch to see it.

"In the grand scheme of this war, the nests like the demons are nothing more than a tool to be used until it is broken. But the hand that wields it will do all it can to keep it in working condition." The Wretch told them.

"And...here we are." Alastor said to Charlie as their feet touched the ground, "Thank you for riding Alastor Airlines. We hope you've enjoyed the flight and the show that preceded it." He jested.

"You okay?" Millie asked with a comforting smile, wanting to be sure her jitters were all gone.

"Yeah...weirdly enough...being carried like that was...somehow soothing..." Charlie answered, mostly back to her old self, "So, Wretch, where do we go from here? Your scanner can chart the way now, right?" She asked.

"Yes, it can." He answered with a nod, "Also, I'm glad to see you've bounced back so swiftly. Not that I expected anything less." He told her, hoping it'd help to make her feel better, which it did.

"Thank you." She replied with a smile, touched by his kind words.

"Now then, onto business." He said, which made everyone serious, "My map of the nest has been updated due to our current position. We're a short way off from the brain. We'll be heading in that direction." He informed as he pointed behind himself with his thumb, "However, as I searched for any signs of life beyond our own and the brain's, it only detected one. And it is powerful." He revealed.

"One of the sisters you mentioned?" Alastor guessed. "Yes. She's waiting for us." He confirmed.

"But she doesn't have any guards?" Millie questioned.

"She wants us to approach her most predictably. If she were to send us opposition, we'd need to change our approach and develop a new strategy. One that she might not be prepared for." He explained.

"Couldn't we do that now?" Charlie asked, not wanting to walk into an obvious ambush if it could be avoided.

"No. My scans show that if more corridors WERE leading to the brain and the chamber it resides in, they've been sealed much like the opening Alastor created. And making one ourselves isn't possible without wasting time and giving her a greater advantage over us." He answered.

"Hmph, choking us into fighting on her terms. What a devious little bitch." Alastor commented. "If only you knew." He replied as that concise description described the sisters perfectly.

"So, what're we doing? How's this fight going to go?" Millie asked.

"We'll enter the chamber; once inside, she'll seal us in with her, some words will be exchanged, and then the fighting begins again." He started as he crossed his arms, "Alastor will stay in the back, Charlie will remain close to him so she isn't targeted and both can provide support, Millie will move around the room using all of her weapons to keep her attacks unpredictable, and I'll charge in." He explained.

"Won't it be dangerous? Throwing yourself at them like that?" Charlie inquired, concerned for his safety.

"Although the sisters alongside the Cyberdemon are the smartest of the Dark One's army, they're still prideful to a fault. So regardless of what I do and where I am in this battle, she WILL target me." He responded.

"Makes sense. You DID betray all of them and help the angriest man alive kick their asses." Millie mentioned.

"Precisely. And with that, I ask, any questions?" He said to them.

"Me, actually." She replied while holding up her hand, "Do you want me to try and land a shot on her if I get the chance? Or do you think that'll even happen?" She asked.

"No. She'll send the demons after you three. The moment I draw my blade, she will be protected on all sides, leaving herself vulnerable only to me so that way we can trade blows." He answered.

"Run her through then!" Alastor exclaimed, "If she wants to put you in your place, show her how full of herself she and those other Marauders are!" He encouraged.

"Wow, Alastor. I think that's the most supportive I've ever seen you...and it doesn't surprise me that it involves murder." Charlie told him.

"I appreciate your words, Alastor." The Wretch said, "But if that is all any of you have left to say, then we should get moving. Otherwise, our adversary might get impatient." He advised.

Nodding their heads in unison to show they were ready, The Wretch turned around afterward and led the way to the brain. Staying as close as they could without making things uncomfortable, they kept a watchful eye in case there were any surprises.

"...Wretch?" Charlie whispered to their leader, out of the earshot of Millie and Alastor.

"Yes, Charlie?" He whispered back, doing the same as he assumed whatever she wanted to say now, she wanted it to be kept between them.

"I'm sorry if this is rude and I'm out of line, but what did you talk with Will's grandpa about?" She asked, referring to when they were in the forge before deployment.

"You noticed our absence?" He inquired, impressed by her keen eye.

"I manage a hotel full of sinners. Can't do that if you don't keep track of everyone." She replied with a smile.

"Hm, I suppose not." He agreed, "To answer your question, Charlie. I discussed a plan I had at the last minute with him. Something only he and I could coordinate between each other due to the amount of time we've spent working together." He explained.

"Does Will know about it?" She asked.

"No. But he doesn't need to. It's nothing vital. Merely something BJ and I will carry out at the appropriate time when we reconvene with the others." He answered, assuring her it was no big deal.

"Oh, like a tag-team maneuver?" She suggested. "Correct." He responded.

"Okay. Thank you for being honest with me. I know you didn't have to be." She said.

"Think nothing of it. If all goes well, our maneuver won't even be that essential to victory." He told her.

With that question on her mind answered, Charlie had nothing left to say to their leader, and thus the rest of the trek to the chamber was in silence. But when they arrived, they were greeted by a voice that spoke only to the Wretch, yet it still managed to unsettle the others all the same.

"Finally, the betrayer has returned." One of the sisters spoke, yet they were nowhere to be found.

"Enlighten us, which witch are you?" The Wretch asked, showing no respect or kindness to his former kin, "Are you the one entitled Mother? Or she who let's not even the dead rest when they are slain?" He inquired.

"I am the former, The Mother of All Demons." She answered.

"Mother of All Demons, huh? Damn girl, you're a slut." Millie insulted, wanting to back the Wretch up in verbally assaulting their unseen foe.

"A sense of humor? That is something I have never seen in the mortals brought before me. Only screams and tears staining their frightened faces." She responded, unphased by her attempt.

"You sound very arrogant for someone who is hiding. Why don't you come out and show us how scary you truly are?" Alastor suggested.

"In due time." She assured, right before the opening they entered the room through started to close, "But first, I must know something. Something that has perplexed me since you arrived." She informed.

"If it will hurry this long overdue punishment for your crimes, then have at it." The Wretch invited.

"Why?" She asked, speaking only to him now, "With your aid, Wretch. We could have conquered creation by now. Your mind is by far the most impressive our master has ever given to any of his servants. Proven by how many demons were created by your hand while others were improved.

Even the Slayer would've been defeated if you had only aided us rather than betray. So why, why throw away the chance at being a god yourself within the kingdom OUR creator envisions? All for the sake of meaningless mortals?" She inquired.

"You've given yourself the answer within the question." He replied as he looked down at the ground, "All of you were butchers; your only part in the invasions was to slaughter every living creature. But mine? Mine was far more involved. You may believe it was only to research and reverse engineer all of the technology taken. But it was so much more. So much worse. I was the one who studied the worlds we invaded. I learned everything about their civilizations, their societies, their military strength, everything. This process would take months, for I NEEDED to know every last detail to ensure there were no surprises, no mistakes to be made. Can you even begin to understand how that feels? Watching a world every day for nearly a year in our realm's time. Seeing all of these people, good, bad, it didn't matter. They were full of life, living the best that they could while creating wonderful things. And then the days came when our armies appeared, and with them came only death. Men, women, children, beloved pets, and cherished landscapes and monuments, all delivered to ruin. So many times, I walked upon the surface of planets that were once so beautiful, but now they were covered in corpses floating in a sea of blood. The eyes of those people forever open in fear and anguish...and I...the engineer of their suffering...by my hand alone I orchestrated all of it...you may have carried out the executions...but it was I who brought them to you..." He told her, his voice becoming quieter and shakier as he went on.

"Wretch..." Charlie said as she, Millie, and even Alastor looked at him with a shared look of sympathy.

"So, you came to care for the mortals? Ha! What a joke. As if YOU could EVER be anything OTHER than an extension of our master! Do not forget what soul resides in that new flesh and suit of yours! Without the kindness of our Lord, you wouldn't exist!" She reminded.

"Kindness? KINDNESS?! HE MADE ME THE GREATEST GENOCIDER OF ALL HISTORY! I CAN NEVER ATONE FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE! FOR THE PAIN I HAVE CAUSED! AND

IT IS ALL. HIS. FUCKING. FAULT!" He shouted in a rage as he brought out his blade, "BUT IN MY NEVER ENDING SEARCH FOR REPENTANCE, I SHALL SLAY THIS NEST AND YOU ALONGSIDE IT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN! MAY THEIR SOULS GUIDE MY HAND AND MY BLADE SO THAT THEY MAY DELIVER YOU TO THE VOID WHERE

YOU BELONG!" He roared before running straight towards the brain.

At the halfway point, the Wretch leaped into the air and threw his sword backward behind his head, intending to cut through most of the organ in one swing. But sadly, as they all expected, when he neared his target, he was stopped midair, his blade clashing against a protective barrier that'd be hidden from them. And on the other side of this barrier, their opponent finally revealed herself, standing but a few centimeters away from the Wretch.

"Last chance. If you turn your blade on those you came with, I know the Dark One will welcome you back." The Mother offered.

"I've changed my mind...I will remove your arms and legs with my blade...but it will be my hands that rip out your beating heart..." He told her through gritted teeth, anger filling his body from head to toe.

"Fine. You asked for this." She replied as she summoned her power.

Like a thunderstorm, dark clouds appeared in the room, acting as conjuring circles from which the demons would appear. Flashes of red lightning could be seen within them, slowly illuminating the silhouettes of demons that the Wretch's companions immediately recognized.

"BARONS!" Millie called out as she summoned two SPAS-12 shotguns, knowing from her training that she needed to bring out some heavy firepower immediately.

Before Alastor and Charlie could say or do anything themselves, an intimidating number of large green fireballs were thrown in their direction, the Barons having not even left the clouds they were spawning from yet. Reacting quickly, Alastor created a barrier for them and successfully blocked this assault, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel the combined force of those projectiles.

"Millie! It might be best if you started running now!" He told her before the second volley came.

"On it!" She responded, taking off for the other side of the room, ready to start pumping these big red bastards full of buckshot.

"Al! Can you keep a barrier on me at all times? If I stay close to you as we planned, it'll be too much!" Charlie asked as she brought forth her wings.

"An astute observation. Yes, go, that'll be no issue!" He answered, allowing her to take off and fly around the room.

The Wretch broke away from the Mother's barrier during all of this, now standing opposite of her by a few feet. Their battle would be much different from those waging around them, as he needed to hold his ground while she attacked. From the Mother's barrier, bolts of lightning shot outward to try and attack him, to which the Wretch responded by deflecting them with his sword. However,

the rate at which she created them was intense, attacking him from all sides and forcing him only to defend.

"I forgot that you were once a champion of the arena. So perhaps you will be something of a challenge." She told him, still as calm as could be.

"DO NOT SPEAK TO ME SO CASUALLY!" He spat back, his rage growing rapidly as this went on.

"Do you honestly believe you will win? That these allies of yours can defeat my legion?" She asked, "Entire armies have fallen beneath the Hooves of our Barons. Three mortals alone will not-"

It'd happened so fast that the Wretch hadn't seen it; he only noticed something had changed when the Mother's barrage of lightning ceased. Antlers had sprouted from the ground beneath and skewered her, killing her instantly. In addition, when the Wretch looked to see how Charlie and Millie were faring, he found the same had happened to every Baron in the room.

"Oh my, I can't believe that worked," Alastor said with a grin, his antler staff glowing with his crimson-colored power.

"Holy shit, Al! What the hell did you do?!" Millie asked with widened eyes and an impressed smile on her face.

"Well, to be quite honest, even I'm not sure." He admitted as he looked his staff over, "I thought to myself, we're standing in what is essentially a giant pile of meat. And it seems capable of creating anything that a living creature would also have. So, is it possible for it to create bone? And the answer turned out to be yes." He told them.

"So wait, this isn't your magic?" Charlie questioned while she landed on the ground near the antlers, wanting to get a closer look.

"Yes, and no." The Wretch responded as he walked up to the Mother to examine her, "The Gore Nest is to these antlers what the staff is to Alastor. A means to make the channeling of arcane energy easier. Without the nest, these antlers would be identical to a familiar in regards to its composition. But because the nest is, as Alastor put it, a giant pile of meat. These antlers are not made of his power alone. So even when he ends the channel, they shall remain." He explained.

"That's good to know!" Alastor exclaimed in relief before he did exactly that, "I was worried that if I stopped, they'd come back to life or something." He said.

"No...they are unquestionably deceased." The Wretch assured, seeing no life in the Mother.

"Hey, you okay, Wretch?" Millie asked as she walked over to him, "Did Al steal your thunder?" She added.

"Oh, right, you DID have a lot to settle with her." Alastor realized, approaching him as well, "I'm sorry for taking what was rightfully your kill." He apologized.

"I would've enjoyed cutting her down. Showing her her place." While turning to face them, the Wretch admitted, "But such pointless desires have no place in a mission as important as this. You dealt with the witch and her conjured minions on top of your earlier feat. Well done, Alastor." He praised.

"Do we still need to destroy the brain?" Charlie asked since, without the Mother, it seemed as though their job was done.

"Yes. Regardless if she is alive or dead, the nest has been transformed into its own entity. Therefore, it must be killed." He replied.

"You should do the honors, then. I took away your moment of violent therapy. Use that magnificent blade of yours and turn this giant brain into pieces of cubed meat!" Alastor said.

"Yeah!" Millie chimed in, agreeing with the cannibal. "Heh, I appreciate that." He said with a light chuckle.

Moving past the corpse of the Mother to the massive organ, he drew his arm back to prepare a mighty thrust that would drive the argent blade into it. Yet, as he sent his arm forward and the blade rapidly approached the brain, something else happened. From the brain itself, a tendril shot forward and wrapped itself around his arm, preventing it and his sword from getting any closer. Then, before the Wretch or the others could properly react, it lifted him from the ground and threw him across the room and into the wall.

"WRETCH!" Charlie shouted in horror, afraid that he'd been seriously injured.

Unfortunately, that was all any of them could say, for the surprises were not finished. First, the antlers that impaled the Barons and the Mother were pulled back into the flesh they came from, taking with them the bodies. Then, as if this situation weren't terrifying enough, Charlie, Alastor, and Millie heard the voice of a dead woman speak, and it came from every direction.

"Hahahahahaha, how...delightfully naive." The Mother spoke, sounding absolutely amused, "Did you think it'd be so simple? That we would not anticipate aid from not only the Slayer but the so- called cosmic gods the Sentinels worship? Or, that in the event you managed to strike me down, that'd be the end of me?" She asked, followed by another bout of laughter, "My flesh, my soul, all that I am was crafted by my master. For him, I take any form and fulfill any purpose. So, even before your magic pierced that body, I already became one with the Gore Nest!" She exclaimed.

"Ladies!" Alastor called out to get their attention, "I shall attend to the Wretch. Perhaps you could do something about this nuisance?" He suggested.

"If by that you mean we put as many holes as we can into it. Then hell yes, we can!" Millie replied as she traded her shotguns out for a pair of Uzi submachine guns.

"Just make sure he's okay!" Charlie exclaimed while readying her bows; her wings had sprouted simultaneously, allowing her to return to the air.

Taking a moment to make sure their barriers were still intact as they headed into battle, Alastor hurried to the Wretch's side.

"Oh, no." He said once he saw the state their leader was in. His suit was heavily damaged, some of his blood leaked out, and he didn't seem to be conscious.

Turning the Wretch, so he was lying on his back, he didn't appear to be severely injured after a quick examination. Furthermore, he thankfully was awake but clearly out of his senses which wasn't a surprise.

"What...What's...happening?..." He asked, his vision blurry and his ears ringing.

"You took a nasty blow to...well...your entire body." Alastor answered as he placed his on the Wretch's chest, planning to heal him, "Stay still for a moment. I'll have you fixed up." He promised.

"Where...where are...the others?..." The Wretch asked.

"Currently fighting off the Mother. Who happens to be the brain. So, in a way, she's become the Mother Brain." He answered.

"Of...course..." The Wretch said, coughing up some blood as he did, "Tell me...Alastor...are their attacks reaching her?..." He asked.

Looking over his shoulder to see how things were going, Alastor saw two things. First, Millie and Charlie were expertly evading the same bolts of energy that the Wretch had deflected with his sword earlier. Second, all of the bullets and arrows either fired were stopped within a shockingly short distance from their persons, showing just how powerful the Mother was.

"No. It's currently a stalemate." Alastor answered, returning his focus to their injured leader, "However, I don't imagine that'll last long. She clearly has total control over the nest. If she decided to strike at them with tendrils as she did you, it could end terribly." He said, offering his opinion on the situation.

"I...agree..." The Wretch replied, now able to speak and breathe easier thanks to Alastor's healing, "I...have a plan...but for it to work...only you can help me...we say anything out loud, and the Mother will hear it..." He told him.

"Understood," Alastor responded while nodding his head.

"MILLIE! CHARLIE!" The Wretch suddenly shouted, catching not only them but Alastor off guard, "Direct your fire towards the bottom! Sever its connection from the rest of the nest!" He ordered.

"GOT IT!" Both shouted back, changing their aim.

"A distraction?" Alastor whispered with a sly smile, impressed that he'd use them in such a way.

"Better to misdirect the Mother than to have her catch on to our true intentions." He replied in the same hushed volume, "Now, what I need from you is to summon more antlers. Form a perfect circle around the brain." He instructed before he summoned a spherical object from his suit into his hand, "However, I need you to summon each antler with one of these. I'll give you more as you channel your power, but we must do it one at a time otherwise she'll see." He told him.

"Hmph, quite the unorthodox request of my powers. Splendid!" Alastor exclaimed with his usual grin, eager to take part in a plan as strange as this.

Charlie and Millie unknowingly act as distractions, forcing the Mother to defend the brain's stem to keep its connection intact. With her attention directed elsewhere, Alastor began sending the orbs the Wretch handed him through the flesh beneath them. Putting each of them in the proper location to form the circle the Wretch requested.

"...There. That's the last one in place," Alastor informed once it was done. "Good. Now, bring them all to the surface and-" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Two screams rang out through the air, causing both men to look in the direction they came from. Charlie had a tendril wrapped around her arms and torso to their shock and horror, the ghastly appendage having come from the ceiling above her, which gave it the element of surprise. As for

Millie, two tendrils had shot up from the floor and wrapped themselves around her legs, with a third one rising to take hold of her left arm.

"ALASTOR!" The Wretch shouted as he got to his feet, brandishing his sword yet again, "DO IT. NOW. RAISE THEM." He commanded.

Not needing to say anything in response, Alastor did as he was told and erected the circle of antlers. With that accomplished, the Wretch activated the spheres via a command from his suit, which caused each antler to transform into copies of him, complete with their own Argent blade.

"What deception is this?" The Mother questioned, growing more tendrils to swat them.

Thankfully, that is precisely what the Wretch hoped for. Running for the barrier that protected the brain right as the tendrils came down and struck his duplicates, they exploded into domes of energy, draining from the flesh the Mother's power. This weakened the barrier enough for his blade to piece it, so he lept into the air and readied to drive his sword downward into the organ.

Unfortunately, as she was the nest itself, the Mother noticed which Wretch was the real one once he closed the distance between them.

And as he was in the air descending upon her, she sent forward another tendril that sent him back to the ground.

"I will admit, a clever ruse, to be sure." She complimented as he landed, "I do not know how you made those false images. Nor how they managed to take some of my power. But it matters not for I-"

BLAM

Much like before, when Alastor first summoned his antlers, the Mother was interrupted by an unforeseen attack. However, unlike the last time, this attack was not based on magic but rather a high-powered round that took advantage of the weakened barrier. The impact the projectile had on the brain was...a spectacle; to put it in words, the entire thing practically exploded. And when everyone looked to find the source, including Charlie, who was now free from her binding, they found Millie, who was also free, holding a high-caliber sniper rifle in her right hand.

"MILLIE!" Charlie exclaimed with an ear-to-ear smile before she dived straight for her, "THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE SHOT!" She praised as she pulled the Imp into a bone-crushing hug.

"Uh...Charlie..." Millie tried to speak, only to be interrupted by Alastor.

"At our most desperate moment, when it seemed all might be lost, a sniper overlooked by our opponent secured victory!" He praised as well, walking over to join the celebration.

"Guys..." She tried to talk again but was stopped a second time by the Wretch.

"Ahem." He sounded, which got everyone's attention, "May I remind all of you that we're still within the Gore Nest? Do not be so quick to drop your guard." He told them.

"Oh, come on, Wretch! Look at her!" Charlie exclaimed while pointing to the pile of mush that was once the brain, "Is it ACTUALLY possible for her to still be alive?" She asked.

"Hmm...you make a valid point..." He hummed as he got up and approached the chunks of meat, "They're not even twitching or convulsing, which would be a sign of life..." He noted.

"And the tendrils have all grown limp as well!" Alastor pointed out.

"True...the nest still stands...but it isn't meant to collapse if the brain is destroyed..." He went on, "...Unless she is dedicated to playing dead...I...believe she is truly gone this time." Finally, he decided as he looked at Millie, "Well done, Millie. I'm impressed that you could think rationally and act upon the opening we created while you were struggling against the tendrils. You should be proud." He told her.

"Oh...Oh wow...that's...gee, thank you, Wretch." She responded, honored to hear that from him. "So, chief! What's the plan now?" Alastor inquired.

"Get above ground, check-in with team one and two to see if they're finished with their nest, and if so, rendezvous with them." He instructed.

"Which was is out, though? She closed the corridor." Charlie asked.

"Never fear!" Alastor exclaimed as he snapped his fingers, summoning a group of his Lost Souls, "I'll blow up the wall that leads to the corridor we came from! But, I will need some help from you, Wretch. You have the map, after all." He said.

"Alright. Give me a moment. The damage to my suit is affecting the scanner. I'll need a few seconds to repair it." The Wretch requested.

During that conversation, Millie remained silent while also putting her rifle away. The reason why? She was thinking about something, and she didn't know if she could tell the others about it now.

"That round...it wasn't from me..." She thought as she looked to her right, seeing only the rest of the room, "It did come from my position...right next to me...and it didn't seem like a bullet...it was some kind of orange energy...but none of them could see it because they were focused on something else...what the hell happened?..." She wondered.

Part Four: Team Gabriel

"Phew...holy shit...I am fucking tired..." Angel Dust said with a sigh as he lowered his guns, the first time he could do that since they arrived.

If asked to describe the five team leaders with a single word, this is how it'd go. Blitzo was the fun leader. BJ the experienced. The Wretch was the most knowledgeable. And Samur was the smartest. That left Gabriel, who had some of those qualities, excluding fun, but they weren't what he excelled at.

The archangel of justice's one-word description would be thorough.

"I'd imagine. It must be exhausting wielding so many firearms at once." Gabriel commented.

"No, dipshit. It's not the guns that have got him exhausted." Cherri argued before she gestured to their surroundings, "It's this fucking scorched earth shit you've had us do since we got to the fucking nest!" She corrected.

As stated, Gabriel was as thorough as he was righteous, which meant that it could be just as much of an annoyance as it was a strength. So far, the progress their team had made in reaching the brain of this Gore Nest was the worst of any team's, BUT they'd easily destroyed more of their nest than the others. So, upon their arrival, Gabriel flew upward to deal with the top half of the nest. Cherri

and Sir Pentious were tasked with cauterizing the flesh by any means, which for Cherri meant bombing the shit out of it, while Sir Pentious used both his powers and some inventions he'd brought.

Angel Dust and Moxxie were responsible for killing the demons, with Cherri and Sir Pentious helping out, of course. That left Velvet, their support, who threw so. Many. Fucking. Potions. The ENTIRE battlefield that was the Gore Nest looked like the inside of a dance club. By the time they were done with the FIRST HALF of the nest, they could see the outside in all directions.

"We have to make sure this afront to nature is removed. I won't stand for a single piece to remain." Gabriel stated.

"We could've been done already, though..." Cherri whined as she titled her head back, "I love blowing shit up...but I could've blown us a hole straight to the brain when we first got here..." She said.

"I dunno; I think Gabriel's got the right mindset." Moxxie spoke up, taking the archangel's side, "The way I see it, Doom is like a tumor. You have to cut it out to save the person it's affecting, which, in this instance, is the earth." He reasoned.

"I'm on the same side as Gabriel." Sir Pentious revealed, much to Angel and Cherri's surprise, "Don't get me wrong, this has worn me the fuck out, and I don't even have a body! But BOTH of us were inside Doom for six months; we've seen firsthand how resilient these bastards are. You can't leave ANYTHING to chance." He stressed.

"And I agree with Pentious!" Velvet exclaimed with a grin before spinning in place, "Besides, look at the view we've got! Isn't it amazing?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure, if you like seeing the Earth on fire with demons running around everywhere. It's a dream come true." Angel Dust sarcastically answered.

"It is weird seeing the planet so fucked up like this..." Cherri admitted, "Like, Hell's different. You could blow up as much shit as you wanted, kill as many people as you wanted, and you knew they'd always come back. But this...it's WAY different." She said.

"There's also the Godzilla-sized monster in the center of the city that Will's fighting by himself, with a bunch of dragons in the sky breathing fire," Moxxie mentioned as he pointed to the very scene he described.

"That there is. Which is why we should resume our cleansing of this vile behemoth." Gabriel decided.

"Oh, fuck me...by the time we get done working our way down, the world will be saved already..." Cherri whined some more.

"Not unless you do as you suggested earlier." He replied, causing her eye to shoot wide open. "Wait...you mean...don't fuck with me, Gabriel..." She told him, wanting to be sure he was serious.

"When we get to the chamber where the brain resides, we can bring down the rest of the structure afterward." He explained, "Why we couldn't do that before is because the Gore Nest was alive. I was concerned that the creature would repair the damage after the heart was destroyed as we descend. But now that we've ensured it can't, all that remains is to destroy its mind." He clarified.

"Ah, I see what was cooking in that holy head of yours." Angel Dust realized with a grin, "The brain's pretty much a vegetable now. No blood's pumping, no tentacles are popping out, and it seems like the demons are all fucked. We get to walk in there with no opposition." He said.

"Correct. Our labor has been reward with a much easier completion of our mission." Gabriel confirmed with a nod, "And if miss Cherri would be so kind as to create an easier path for us, we can reach our target in less time." He told them.

"Say no FUCKING more!" She exclaimed, summoning her portable artillery cannon, "This baby's restocked and ready to rock! So get your asses out of the way unless you want to fit in a coffee can!" She warned.

Listening to the excited demolitionist, everyone got as far as they could from the center of the area, which is where she stood. However, Gabriel instead chose to lift her into the sky, as he worried about her safety.

"Aww, aren't you a gentleman?" She teased with a grin but was still genuinely touched by his help.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask me to do this before you started shooting. Lost in the excitement?" He inquired.

"Pfft, yeah." She confessed, not ashamed at all, "But enough talk, let's get to blasting!" She exclaimed.

Pulling the trigger on her armament tighter than she'd ever done before with any other weapon, Cherri's mouth threatened to take over her entire face due to how big her smile was. Then, like a heavy downpour, except with explosive ammunition, the center of what was left of the Gore Nest received a bombardment for the history books. It didn't take long for her cannon to run out of ammo; it was made for quality, not quantity, and when it was done, what was left was...beautiful. At least to her.

"HOLY SHIT!" Angel Dust shouted, having just as big of a smile on his face as hers, "CHERRI! THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!" He told her.

"I KNOW!" She responded, also shouting.

"Oh, crumbs..." Moxxie muttered as he cautiously approached the MASSIVE hole she created, "I...can't even see the bottom...it's just one big abyss..." He described.

"I want to jump first!" Velvet exclaimed before leaping into the hole.

"NO!" Sir Pentious shouted while throwing his tail out, wrapping it around her right before she started to fall, "Do you WANT to break your neck? YOU still have a body." He reminded.

"Aw, I could've used my powers to lower myself, you know." She pouted, making him sigh.

"If it is alright with everyone, I'd like to go first." Gabriel requested as he brought himself and Cherri back down, "I am the leader of this team. I should be the first one to venture into the unknown as we're not sure if it is safe." He explained.

"That seems...stupid. And I don't mean that as an insult." Angel Dust said, "Look, Gabe. I know you're an angel and a child of God to boot, but you got blasted by the Cyberdemon six months ago, and that's how they got you. What if something just as strong is waiting down there?" He suggested.

"He's right! Let me come with you!" Moxxie exclaimed as he stepped forward, "That is if you don't mind me riding your back. I'm small enough to where it shouldn't affect how you fly, and I'll be able to shoot at something the moment it comes into view." He proposed.

"Hmm, a solid plan of approach. Very well, climb aboard, Moxxie." Gabriel agreed.

Easily hopping onto the archangel's back, he'd only need to hold on until Gabriel started flying downward, which he did a few seconds later.

"Don't die!" Velvet called after them while waving her hand, she and the others watching their descent.

"Gabriel, is it possible Cherri destroyed the brain?" Moxxie asked, summoning a sniper rifle in case they were attacked.

"Yes. But based on what was discovered during our attempts at sabotage, these nests go deep into the earth. And Cherri only had so many shells to fire." He answered.

"Ah, true," Moxxie replied as he looked around, "Still, the walls are as black as gunpowder from the explosions. Even IF they didn't go all the way down, I'm pretty sure the shockwaves would've injured or killed anything down here." He suggested.

"We can only hope to be so lucky," Gabriel said.

For the next few seconds, neither said a word; they stayed on alert for anything that might appear from the darkness around them. Eventually, the duo found themselves entering the brain's chamber, as well as...discovering the pile of ash that WAS the brain.

"Huh...what do you know...she did it," Moxxie spoke while Gabriel landed, "There's not even a piece of it left." He noted as he got off.

"Hmph, I'll have to compliment the Sentinels on their munitions when this is all

done." Gabriel said as he looked around, "I don't see any demons. And none appear to be rushing towards us. They may have all come to try and kill us as we were dealing with the nest above ground." He deduced.

"So, should I send for the others?" Moxxie asked, exchanging his sniper rifle for a flare gun, "I can shoot this up as a signal. They should know it means we're clear." He added.

"Please, do so." Gabriel approved, "I'll investigate the area. We can't be too careful." He told him.

Nodding in response, Moxxie raised the gun into the air and fired it, sending a bright red flare into the hole from whence they came. With that taken care of, the archangel walked around the room to ensure no trickery was afoot.

"See anything suspicious?" Moxxie asked.

"No. Only a ground covered in ash and soot." Gabriel answered.

"Yeah, that sounds on par for Cherri's handiwork." He replied, "You know, there was this one time at Slayer Studios where she got a LITTLE too overzealous with the pyrotechnics for a production. And it was-"

THUD

Startled by the sudden sound, Gabriel turned to face the Imp, immediately summoning his spear. And while he did find a demon, it was one he had no intention of stabbing.

"Shit! Moxxie!" Cherri exclaimed when she realized what she landed on, "Dude! Why the FUCK are you standing in the landing zone?!" She questioned as she helped him up.

"I didn't know this was a landing zone..." He said, THANKFULLY unharmed because of his suit.

"I TOLD you that was a bad idea!" Sir Pentious exclaimed from above, gently coming down with Velvet and Angel Dust thanks to the former's power, "But NO. NEVER listen to me! What do I know?" He sarcastically asked.

"Can it, Mary Poppins," Cherri told him as they landed.

"Damn, girl. You NUKED this fucking place." Angel Dust commented, "Haven't seen anything so burnt since that one time I tried cooking us breakfast in my old place." He said.

"I thought you lived at porn studios?" Moxxie questioned, "Ya know because Valentino wouldn't want his workers wandering around without him knowing." He explained.

"Of all the beds that asshole put me in, NONE of them I ever got to use for sleeping." Angel Dust informed.

"Ahem." Gabriel cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, "I don't mean be rude, but we do still need to deal with the nest." He reminded.

"Nah, you're cool, man." Cherri assured as she crossed her arms, "So, how do we start tearing this place down? Want me to set some charges or something?" She suggested.

"For the sake of putting my mind at ease. Would you indulge me in my investigation? I don't want there to be any doubts that we're finished." He asked.

"Fine with me. Walking's better than shooting when you're dealing with hundreds of snarling shitheads." Angel Dust agreed while the others nodded their heads.

"Thank you." He replied.

Following their leader's example, they each began to move around the room and poke their heads into the connected corridors. Corpses, signs that the Gore Nest was still alive, anything that seemed out of place, or that they needed to be ready for a second fight is what they were searching for. But after a few minutes of checking everything out, it seemed as though Cherri had, in fact, killed everything with her cannon.

"Hm, there is nothing left. Not even a lowly Imp to try and surprise us." Gabriel said, speaking to the group.

"What can I say? I'm a natural." Cherri boasted.

"So, this means we start tearing the place up, right?" Angel Dust asked.

"That it does." He answered, much to their pleasure, "But before you make any attempts to fire wildly. I believe Sir Pentious would be able to tell us the best points to direct our

destruction." He reasoned.

...

...

...

"...Um...where...is he?..." Moxxie inquired after a few seconds when no one heard him speak.

"Pentious?" Velvet called out as they all began looking for him, "Where are you? Did you go into one of the corridors?" She asked.

"Oooooookay. This is some horror movie bullshit. I've seen FAR too many not to know it is." Cherri said while summoning her grenade launcher.

"Yo! Top Hat! If you're fucking with us right now, it's a REAL dick move!" Angel Dust exclaimed, summoning his Thompsons alongside Cherri.

"Everyone. Back-to-back. Don't leave any openings." Gabriel ordered.

Doing as they were told, everyone huddled together with their backs pressed against each other. All of them readying their weapons, in Velvet's case, a giant spoon, for whatever was happening.

"Psst, Gabe." Angel Dust whispered as he looked around, "Are they any ninja demons?" He asked.

"No. There has never been any demon from Doom who could even remotely be called stealthy. They've always been such ravenous beasts with no control over their aggression." Gabriel answered.

"Well, looks like they upgraded..." Cherri muttered, ready to blow up any son of a bitch who popped out.

"What should we do? I'm not picking up anything with my suit..." Moxxie asked.

"Remain calm. What they want is for us to panic." He instructed.

"Do...you think they...ya know...the worst?..." Velvet worriedly asked, referring to Sir Pentious's unknown condition.

"No. I don't mean to be graphic. But if they had harmed him in any way, we would've heard him scream. Or we would've found blood among the blackened walls and ground." He reasoned.

"Then what the fuck else did they do? Hocus pocus his ass to another dimension or-"

Angel Dust stopped talking right then, but not because he wanted to. Instead, a metallic whip of some kind came from the ground beneath his feet, and it wrapped itself tightly around his throat.

"ANG-" Cherri tried to shout but was silenced as she and the others all had the same thing happen to them.

Before any of them could struggle or panic, the presumed dead flesh that they stood on opened, and they were all pulled down by their necks. Once through the opening, they were released from the whips and allowed to fall, soon landing on their backs as they hit the ground. Then, yet again,

before they could do anything, their bodies were wrapped tightly in more metal whips...or at least...that's what it felt like at first.

"What the...HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Angel Dust shouted in fear from what he saw, "HELP! THERE'S SOME FUGLY ASS BITCH ON ME!" He cried out.

Sadly, the same was happening to the others, snake-like demons that none of them, not even Gabriel, had ever seen coiled around their bodies.

"Ngh...what...are...they?..." Cherri barely managed to get out, the demon making it hard for her to breathe or speak.

"I...don't...know..." Gabriel grunted in reply, for although he lacked a body like her, these demons also exerted some kind of power that affected all of them. In addition to their mostly robotic bodies that tightened around theirs by the second.

Slowly the area shifted from darkness to light, illuminated by the red glow Doom was known for. It is then that they realized how MANY of these demons there were, by a rough estimate, easily over a hundred. But that also showed how big this new space was, but that wasn't the last of their discoveries.

"PENTIOUS!" Velvet shouted out as she found him hanging from the ceiling with a whip wrapped around his body.

"I'm...sorry...they got...the jump on me..." He apologized, having the same issue speaking as Gabriel was due to the power these demons used.

"You shouldn't apologize." A new voice spoke; to them, it sounded feminine, "It isn't your fault that you are ignorant. A curse that plagues all mortal life." It said.

"Let...me guess...one of the sisters?..." Gabriel asked, knowing well the Hell Guards and the Cyberdemon were with the Dark One.

"Resurrector, to be precise." She answered, yet still did not appear before them, "I will admit. I am impressed. You caused so much damage to this Gore Nest. Well done." She complimented, which was...strange.

"Damage?...You..need yer fucking...eyes checked, lady!" Angel Dust exclaimed.

"Wait, don't tell me. Do you believe that the nest is dead? That you managed to kill it?" She inquired.

"Uh...HELLO?...We...fucking...took off...half of the fucking...thing..." Cherri replied. "Yes. You also presumably destroyed the brain." She countered.

"Presumably?..." Moxxie questioned, not liking how that sounded.

"Honestly, did you think with all the time you spent fighting our forces and destroying the nest that I WOULDN'T have prepared for your arrival?" She asked, following it with a laugh, "I realized that the power AND weapons at your disposal were not be trifled with. The hordes could barely get close to landing a hit on any of you! So, I decided it was best to relocate the very object you came to destroy." She told them.

As she did, on the far end of the room, the brain that they thought was destroyed pulsated with her

power, glowing red like the room itself.

"Wait...what the fuck?!...What...did we destroy then?..." Cherri questioned with widened eyes.

"A second brain. Although, it wasn't functional." The Resurrector informed, "My initial plan was to trap you inside the room, overload it with energy, then take all of you out in a single blast. But then you caused several detonations to reach us. Unknowingly falling into a pit of vipers." She explained.

"Is...that what you call...these ugly ass bitches?..." Angel Dust asked.

"No, their breed is named Whiplash. I trust you're smart enough to know why." She answered, "And before you ask, the second question burning away in your minds. How these seemingly ordinary demons can suppress you, especially when there is an archangel among your group, is thanks to him." She said, referring to Sir Pentious.

"What?...How...is this...my doing?..." He questioned.

"Do you not remember? The bodies you crafted for Gabriel?" She asked, causing his eyes to widen, "Your research was not forgotten. My sister and I and our master made sure to remember everything you accomplished while in our company. Should it prove to be of use later." She revealed.

"Oh...you...are...a...CUNT..." He hissed, which amused her.

"Such harmful words, given your position." She told him, "Perhaps...we should do away with this pointless conversation and proceed to your deaths?" She suggested.

Suddenly, the ground directly in front of the incapacitated group began to open. And when it was wide enough so that they could see what was inside, they found a gargantuan maw waiting to consume them.

"JESUS...FUCKING...CHRIST!..." Cherri shouted, now trying her best to break free from the Whiplash that held her prisoner, "IT'S...LIKE THE FUCKING THING FROM...STAR WARS!..." She carried on.

"WHERE...ARE YOU...RESURRECTOR?!..." Gabriel called out, "ARE...YOU SO MUCH A COWARD...YOU CANNOT FACE US...EVEN WHEN WE ARE BOUND?!..." He asked.

"Hahaha, foolish angel. Have you not realized?" She began right as the brain began to glow more, "I AM HERE!" She shouted.

"Of...course...she's...the brain..." Moxxie said, honestly not surprised that ANYTHING from Doom would do something so fucked up, IN ADDITION to not having ANY problems with it.

"Yes, and I would LOVE to tell you ALL about it." She replied, tendrils slowly rising from the pit, "But...sadly...this is where we must say farewell." She told them.

"Hmm...I don't think so." Velvet said as she leaned against the brain.

...

...

...

For a solid twenty seconds, nothing happened, as everyone, INCLUDING the Resurrector, was stunned.

"...Velvet...just...how?..." Sir Pentious asked, being the first to voice the question EVERYONE had on their mind.

"Hm? Oh, it's because of this." She answered as she held out her staff, AKA, the giant spoon, "Ya see, my nifty spoon here does two things. One, it helps me to create potions on the fly WITHOUT the need for ingredients. And two, even if I'm, say, bound by a weird snake demon who wants to feed me to a giant mouth in the ground, I can still use it and channel either my power or the properties of a potion through it." She informed, "How this explains why I'm over here, snake-free, and you guys are over there, snake-bound, is pretty simple. When Miss brain here started talking, and you guys started talking back, and everything got CRAZY. I used my staff to conjure a potion without the bottle, making the snake demon and I invisible. THEN when no one could see us, I conjured ANOTHER potion that turned her to goop. I then got up, still invisible at this point, walked over here, listened to you guys talk some more; she opened the floor, it looked like you were going to get eaten, and so I decided to make my BIG reveal." She concluded.

"...You...mean to tell us...you were invisible...and you DIDN'T take ADVANTAGE of that?!..." Angel Dust shouted in anger.

"Pfft, NO! Of COURSE, I did! I may not be the sharpest tack in the toolbox, but I'm no dummy." She replied as she poked the brain with her elbow, "While I was invisible, I conjured up a bunch of new potions, this time inside bottles. And the best part is, I surrounded the brain with them!" She revealed while holding up her hand, "Also, they can do this!" She exclaimed before snapping her fingers.

Like a chain of dominos, each of the invisible bottles Velvet placed ignited, which turned the brain into a giant bonfire.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The

Resurrector screamed in agony.

Apparently, the Whiplashes also felt this pain, as each of them screeched in anguish at the same time. But more importantly, those that were coiled around Velvet's friends loosened their holds, allowing them to break free.

"THANK VEGA!" Angel Dust cheered as he quickly got to his feet, the others all doing the same, "ALRIGHT, YOU SCALY SKANKS! TIME TO GET YOUR DAILY INTAKE OF LEAD!" He

shouted with glee as he summoned his guns.

"LEAVE SOME FOR ME!" Cherri joined in, bringing out her grenade and rocket launchers.

"Uh...guys...a...little help?..." Sir Pentious requested, still bound in a whip as no Whiplash had been holding it.

"I'll get Pentious! You three kill the demons and then target the brain!" Gabriel directed as he spread his wings and flew towards the ceiling.

"Yes, Sir!" Moxxie responded, managing to be the only one between himself, Cherri, and Angel Dust, behaving seriously.

With an official order from their leader, the trio of Hellspawn let loose a barrage of carnage. Angel Dust took care of the Whiplashes that still clung to the ceiling and upper walls. Cherri handled the

groups on the ground who tried their best to evade her explosive ammunition. And Moxxie, seeing as how his companions were handling things well, chose to take shots at the brain while using the sniper rifle he'd stored earlier.

Also, during all of this, Velvet was laughing her head off like the maniac she was, tossing whatever potion came to mind in any direction she wanted to add to the insanity.

"I've got you!" Gabriel exclaimed as he cut the whip, holding Sir Pentious with his spear, catching him in his arms.

"Oh...thank you, Gabriel. That feels MUCH better." He sighed out of relief.

"NO! THIS CANNOT HAPPEN! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ESCAPE!" The Resurrector

screamed at them, her brain still burning furiously.

"Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do ya BITCH? Bring the whole building on us or some shit?" Cherri asked.

In response, the entire Gore Nest began to shake, resulting in a few sizeable pieces of flesh from above crashing down near them.

"WHY would you even give her that idea?!" Moxxie questioned.

"I DIDN'T THINK SHE COULD DO IT! SHE'S ON FUCKING FIRE!" Cherri shouted at him.

"WE NEED TO LEAVE! NOW!" Gabriel called out from above, "VELVET! CAN YOU HELP THE OTHERS?" He asked.

"Already on it!" Velvet answered as she easily hopped over the pit with the mouth inside to rejoin her friends, "Alrighty, everyone! Get ready!" She exclaimed.

Using her abilities, Velvet began lifting them out of the collapsing room, which didn't prohibit either Angel Dust, Moxxie, or Cherri from continuing to shoot at the Whiplashes who were still alive. However, as they all ascended, the walls around them began closing in as the Resurecttor tried desperately to trap them.

"HURRY!" Gabriel shouted down at them as he beat his wings faster.

"Not trying to put pressure on ya, Velvet. But we need to be hauling ass a lot faster!" Angel Dust told her.

"I'm trying!" She replied.

Now nearly halfway up the opening Cherri had created, Gabriel could start to see the sky outside.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" He informed.

"You're doing great, Velvet!" Sir Pentious praised, trying to be supportive. "Thank you!" She responded.

"Guys! Maybe not the best time!" Moxxie exclaimed.

"Yeah! Save the wholesome crap for when we're not about to be crushed!" Cherri said as she looked down, "Right Ange-"

She stopped because Angel Dust, who she expected to see safe like the rest of them, was being pulled away from the group by a tendril that had sprouted from the nearby walls. He had noticed it simultaneously, but when he tried to react by aiming his guns to shoot, it threw him down back into the nest.

"ANGEL!" Cherri cried out as her best friend plummeted into the darkness, "STOP! GUYS! WE NEED TO STO-"

THUD

That sound rang through Cherri's ears, breaking her heart as it echoed, for what it had been was the walls beneath them slamming shut, sealing Angel Dust's fate.

"ANGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!" She cried out a

second time while the others stayed silent. But not because they didn't care or they somehow didn't notice, but because they were all too horrified to say anything as they realized what just happened.

Unfortunately, they had to keep going unless they wanted to share his fate.

Part 4.5: ?...

...

...

...

...Where...am...I?...

...

...

...

...Everything's...warm...hard...I can't...move...

...

...

...

...Why...can't I see...anything?...

...

...

...

...Am...I...dead?...

...

...

...

..Wait...I...hear something...it's coming...closer...

...

...

...

SPLAT

That's the noise it made...the only way I can think to describe it right now. A big piece of meat...that'd been covering my face...was ripped away. The Gore Nest...right...and that fucking bitch...she pulled me in...trapped me in here. But now...someone's freeing me...I can't make out who it is...it's still too dark...

SPLAT

Another piece is gone. This time...it was covering one of my arms. I can just barely wiggle my fingers...still too tired...not in pain...but definitely sore...

SPLAT...SPLAT...SPLAT

Multiple pieces that time...my legs...my other arm...my body...they're all free...but...I still can't move. Wait...someone's grabbing me...they feel strong...they're pulling me out. Now...they're lifting me in their arms...goddamn it...who is this...a demon...Gabriel...who the fuck is carrying me right now? Come on...you lazy bastard...open your eyes as wide as you can...see who is carrying your slutty ass to safety. It's still dark...but my eyes are definitely open...I can see them...a figure...wearing armor...yet...I can't see their face...but...I can feel their arms pressing against my back...they're strong...way stronger than the others.

It...It couldn't be...could it...he's still fighting the Dark One...or...have I been down here that long?...

"W...W...W...Will?..." I asked, barely able to whisper; my lungs felt emptier than ever.

I...I don't think he heard me...I don't blame him...even I could barely hear me...but still...this has to be Will...no one else I know has biceps like these...

"W...Will..." I say a bit louder; he hears me this time, his head moves to look at me, "Heh...saving my ass again...like before...with Val...when we first met...always playing the hero..." I tell him.

He doesn't react...or say anything...I don't blame him...this must be upsetting...heh...I love that about ya, big guy...big muscles...big guns...big...heart. Geez...when did I get so fucking lame...mushy shit like that...never crossed my mind before him...what an asshole...he should fucking apologize. But...not right now...I'm too tired to tease him about it...plus...I like being here...in his arms...I think...I'll close my eyes again...fall asleep...let this be the last thing I feel...while I'm awake...

...

...

...

Part Five: Team...Gabriel?

...

...

... "AN"

...

...

... "ANGE"

...

...

...

"ANGEL!"

Hearing a voice shout his name, from what sounded like it was right in his face, Angel Dust's eyes shot open.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Cherri shouted with tears in her eyes before she hugged him, holding him closer than she ever had in their entire friendship.

"Ch...Cherri?..." He spoke while blinking his eyes a few times to adjust them to the light, "What's...going on?..." He asked.

"Um, I think I should explain that. Since, ya know, she's crying." Moxxie said as he entered the spider demon's view with a hand raised, "The Resurrector grabbed you on the way out. Cherri noticed right away because she looked down to talk to you. We only noticed when she started shouting at us. And when we all looked down, we saw the walls come together as you fell to the bottom." He explained.

"Right...I got that..." Angel Dust replied, "I meant...what's going on NOW...how...did we win?..." He asked.

"Win? Oh crumbs, he's still dazed." Moxxie said.

"Don't worry!" Velvet exclaimed as she also came into view, "I'll get him fixed up in a jiffy!" She promised.

"Wait...guys...we're still fighting?..." He asked.

"Of course. What, you think we'd just leave you buried in the nest like that?" She answered.

"No, but...how did..." He tried to continue asking questions but was cut off by Moxxie.

"When we got out, and the nest stopped doing things as the Resurrector died, we came searching for you." He told him, "Luckily, as the Gore Nest started falling to pieces since she was dead, you must've slipped out because we found you lying on top of a pile of viscera." He revealed.

"But...then...where did..." He tried to finish a sentence again, only to be interrupted by Velvet this time.

"Shh!" She hushed as she conjured some potions, "You need to heal, mister! Guys, help me get his helmet off so he can drink these." She requested.

After that, Angel Dust couldn't get a single word in. He had to remain silent as his friends took off his helmet and force-fed him healing elixirs. As for where Sir Pentious and Gabriel were during all of this, they were nearby as the snake demon established communication with the other teams.

"Mhm, read you loud and clear." Sir Pentious said to the Wretch, who he was currently speaking to via a small handheld device he positioned next to his head. Despite any protests the reptile may give, in all honesty, he basically just made an absurdly high-tech cellphone, "Uh-huh...oh shit really?...Wow, glad to hear you're okay...mhm... yeah...okay, we'll see you there." He conversed before ending the connection, "Alright! That makes three down! All that's left is Samur!" He informed Gabriel.

"It sounded as if something happened." The archangel noted.

"Yeah, Wretch took a hit from a giant meat tentacle. Apparently, the second half of those crazy-ass sisters became the Gore Nest they went to deal with." He explained.

"But they've all made it out, correct?" Gabriel inquired.

"Oh yeah. They're meeting us at the rendezvous point like the others." He confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent. Then let us check on Angel Dust's condition before we prepare to leave." Gabriel instructed.

"Wait!" He exclaimed as he held up his device, "Shouldn't I contact Samur? See how he, Katie, and Vaggie are doing?" He asked.

"No. Suppose anything had gone wrong during their mission. He would've already contacted us or sent a message of some kind." Gabriel answered, "And since we know the location of the remaining Marauders. There's no concern that something more powerful than the demons would've arrived to deal with them." He explained as he began to walk away.

"Huh, yeah, I guess that's true." Sir Pentious agreed as he followed, "Besides, they've still got the hostages to rescue. Which I can't imagine is going all too smoothly." He said.

Act 3, Part 1: Search, Identify, Destroy, And Rescue

If someone were to form a ranking based on the fastest completion times for dealing with their Gore Nest, it'd look a little something like this:

5. Team Gabriel 1:22:34

4. Team Wretch 1:04:16

3. Team Blazkowicz 50:43

2. Team Blitzo 30:09

1. Team Samur 13:22

No, your eyes are not deceiving you; Samur's team, made of three people, the same size as BJ's, dealt with their Gore Nest in just over ten minutes. Now, some may find that impossible, others would be plagued with the task of trying to figure it out, but the explanation for this time is truthfully not complicated. Much like a puzzle, all the right pieces came together to form this time; it wasn't one specific part that accomplished this. First and foremost, their nest, like Blitzo's and BJ's, didn't have a Marauder guarding it, which definitely made things MUCH simpler.

Secondly, you had the terrifying tag-team of Vagatha and Katie, who, by the Slayer's own words, were only beneath him when it came to their combat prowess. With Vagatha using the air to her advantage, spearing demons from high above with her weapon and harpoons, Katie had all the cover she needed to turn every demon in her path into minced meat. Finally, this brings us to the third and last puzzle piece that solves the conundrum of how they accomplished their mission so fast, Samur. Picture it, if you will, the strength of a Baron, the speed of a charging Pinky, intelligence in a league of its own, and the versatility of a fully modifiable firearm.

THAT was Samur's robotic body, courtesy of Sir Pentious, Vox, and the Wretch. It was...truly terrifying to Katie and Vagatha, even after everything they've seen and learned in their lives both before and after the Slayer arrived in their circle of Hell. Samur could rip Hell Knights in half without any struggle or need of aid by grabbing their arms and pulling them apart. He could catch teleporting Prowlers as they appeared from nowhere and crush their skulls in his hands.

But the most amazing yet intimidating aspect of his new form was the weapons he could wield without QUESTION. A railgun that could put a barrel-sized hole through a Mancubus. An energy- based chaingun that could dispel heated plasma at a rate too fast for anyone to see. And lastly, his version of the Slayer's favorite power tool, a buzzsaw in which the blade was made of Argent energy that he used not only on the demons but also to carve their way through the Gore Nest.

Despite being a man of science and an overall intellectual, Vagatha and Katie learned that day that if anyone should try and challenge the Seraph, he'd show them the error of their ways without any mercy. Within five minutes, every demon was killed; the next five were spent destroying the nest's brain and all of its organs. But wait, Gabriel's team nearly took an hour and a half to complete; what has Samur's team been doing this entire time, standing around twiddling their thumbs waiting for something to do? Of course not, do not forget that Samur is responsible for saving the remaining hostages held by the Dark One, a task that his female companions were more than happy to assist with.

However, that is what has taken up most of their time, for although the Slayer and his dragons continued to distract the Dark One and his Marauders without issue. This team of three needed to figure out a way to discretely enter the Dark One's body and locate the hostages beforehand so they wouldn't waste time searching for them. And it was that obstacle that has occupied them for so long.

"Vagatha, report." Samur spoke to the spear wielder via the communicator in her suit, "Have you found any possible entrances on the body?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, no." She answered as she flew through the air, "I've combed over Dark One's body

as much I can without being noticed multiple times. The only openings are the mouths, which I don't think we want to go into." She informed.

"Understood. You can come back." He said before switching to Katie, "How're things nearby?" He asked.

"Well, I've got mixed news. As in, it's half good and half bad." She responded, "I've searched every nook and cranny within a ten-mile radius as you requested. I found a subway system that could take us there, but before I even went down to check it out, my map lit up like a Christmas tree.

Then you have our only other option, the sewer system. It goes far enough down to where we'll be completely undetected. But even with our tech making sure we don't get lost, it'll still take a LONG time for us to navigate. And we've already spent a lot trying to figure out a way in." She told him.

"That won't be an issue." He assured, "The other teams are moving towards the rendezvous point. With team one already waiting and ready." He informed.

"So, which route then? Subway or sewers?" She inquired.

"Both." He replied before connecting Vagatha to the transmission, "Listen to me, both of you. I will go into the subway and serve as a distraction. You will then use the sewers to reach the hostages as the demons come to fight me. Should any remain to guard them, you are to kill them discretely. I suspect the Dark One would rather take them to his death than let us take them away." He instructed.

"What about the tether system? You're the only one who has it." Vagatha pointed out as she made her way to Katie's location.

Upon voicing that question, both women had a message appear on their HUDs that read: Tether Installation Complete.

"I thought about that the moment this update to our approach came to mind." He informed, "The system is merely a program. It has nothing to do with hardware. All that is required for you to use it is for someone, such as I, to install in your suits." He explained.

"You can do that without...a computer or something?..." Katie asked both impressed yet baffled by the technology used for his body.

"Heh, don't sound so surprised. Three brilliant men built this body. And they made sure it didn't lack in any regard." He answered, giving due credit to the Wretch, Vox, and Sir Pentious, "So, unless you have anything else, you feel the need to ask me. We can get started." He told them.

"No, sir." They responded in unison.

"Then, good luck." He said before he ended their communication.

With a plan of approach finally figured out, the trio temporarily went their separate ways to, hopefully, save the hostages. However, there were still being realistic about the situation, bracing themselves for the outcome that all of those people could...well...be dead already.

"Hey." Katie greeted Vagatha as she descended from the sky, landing next to her in the middle of what was once a street, "So, you ready to walk through who knows how much shit and piss?" She asked.

"Not trying to be morbid, but blood's probably the only thing down there now." Vagatha answered, "Where are we going in from?" She inquired, taking a moment to look around.

"Over here." Katie guided as she walked up the road to a hole that went straight down, "From what I can tell, something big and angry busted through here at some point. Probably one of those brain spiders." She guessed.

"How deep is it?" Vagatha asked since she couldn't see the bottom.

"Not far enough. Bring up your map." She answered, both of them doing so at the same time, "Look there, it gets us close to the nest, but then it goes STRAIGHT down. After that, there's another series of tunnels. But we won't know where they lead exactly until we get moving." She explained.

"Alright. Need me to lower you down?" Vagatha offered.

"Thanks. But that's what these babies are for." She replied as she pointed with her thumbs to her bladed appendages.

Smiling and nodding in reply, Vagatha let Katie go first then followed her down into the underground. It was only a few seconds until their feet touched solid ground again, and, to their relief, the sewer tunnels lacked any liquid, blood, or otherwise.

"Oh, thank, Vega." Katie sighed as she DIDN'T want the suit the Slayer made for her to get covered in piss and shit.

"Huh, this might be the first since we've got here that there's no blood." Vagatha commented as she examined the tunnel, "In fact...apart from some damages...there isn't any blood or meat." She realized.

"That'll change when we get closer to the nest, I bet." Katie responded before she started walking, "Come on. We should hurry." She said.

Agreeing with that sentiment, Vagatha followed without saying another word. For the next five minutes, they ventured deeper into the underbelly of what used to be a thriving metropolis, where signs of the Dark One's influence began to rear their unpleasant head. The expected throbbing flesh could be seen through cracks in the concrete and stone, but it was far less hidden from view when they reached the next drop-down point.

"Ugh, sweet fucking christ..." Katie muttered as they both looked down, "It's like we're falling into someone's asshole." She said.

"Considering our surroundings AND that this is the lower half of the Dark One's new body, an accurate comparison," Vagatha replied before she activated her jets so she could descend.

"Oh...FUCK. I hadn't even considered that. Do you think this is his ACTUAL asshole?" She asked, piercing the fleshy walls of the pit with her additional limbs to do the same.

"I don't think so. This may sound weird, but the Dark One doesn't seem like the type to let ANYTHING go to waste. Anything he eats more than likely gets added to him." Vagatha suggested.

"So...if we fuck this up...then all of those people could get thrown into a giant mouth or stomach..." She said.

"Better to assume everything's going to fall perfectly into place. Keeps your chest from tightening." Vagatha told her.

After having the gravity of the situation hit them harder than it had before, Katie and Vagatha remained quiet for the rest of their descent. This silence would persist even after they reached the bottom, continuing to explore the sprawling tunnel system of the former city's underbelly. They were completely focused on the mission, neither feeling the need for chit-chat nor addressing what was on their minds. All that mattered was locating the hostages, determining how many demons were with them, and getting all of them out safely so the Dark One could finally be killed.

Suddenly, even from way down here, they heard a massive explosion occur far from their position, and not long after, a swarm of red dots appeared on their maps heading towards the sound.

"Samur's got their attention," Katie whispered, just in case the flesh around them could somehow hear.

"Yeah. But they wouldn't be dumb enough to send every demon after him. So then the hostages could just run out on their own." Vagatha whispered back, having the same concern in mind.

"Could they? I feel like if the Dark One can feel them inside of himself. He'd realize what was happening if a stampede suddenly broke out." She reasoned.

"True. It's a good thing Samur created the tether system then. By the time he realizes what's going on, they'll be safe." Vagatha replied.

"Hold it." She instructed, bringing both of them to a stop, "Up ahead. Around the next corner and at the end of the corridor on the right." She told her.

Checking her map to see what Katie was referring to, Vagatha saw a HIGH concentration of light blue dots on, with a concerning number of red ones surrounding them.

"Shit...they've got every angle covered..." Vagatha said as she looked at their surroundings again, "The only way we could catch them by surprise is if we attack from below...but we'd have to dig through the flesh, and I feel like that'd give us away..." She shared.

"We could also dig up here and see if there aren't some other options," Katie suggested.

"Hmm...it would take us into a corridor...but at that point, we'd have to walk around the nest...and if we do that, it could get the Dark One's attention, which would be bad." She replied.

"Should we contact, Samur?" Katie asked, "Maybe he'll have an idea. He is a super genius." She said.

"It couldn't hurt. And I doubt the demons are keeping him too busy." Vagatha responded before she tried to establish a connection with the Seraph.

"Is something wrong?" That was the first thing he asked, not expecting to be in contact with them so soon.

"We've hit a bit of a snag." She answered as Katie joined the transmission, "There's no point of entry that is advantageous. Furthermore, the amount of demons present is too many for us to handle quietly before they start shooting the hostages." She informed.

"Is the major issue that you're outnumbered?" He inquired.

"Well...yeah, I guess. If we had more people, we could take them from below." She said.

"Say no more. Remain perfectly still. I need to coordinate this." He responded before ending his

connection.

"Wait...is he?..." Katie questioned.

After roughly thirty seconds, a portal appeared behind both women, and a platoon of Sentinels came from it.

"He did," Vagatha said as they appeared, both she and Katie surprised by how quickly he managed to do that.

"Need I remind you." He spoke while rejoining the transmission, "That the tether system is a two- way connection. All I needed to do was contact the forge master, have her fixate a gateway to your location, and then have her send the reinforcements sooner than we planned." He explained.

"Oh, right. Thank you, Samur." Katie replied.

"You're welcome. Now, hurry and rescue those people. I'm starting to run thin on demons." He told them before ending the connection for good this time.

"What are your orders?" The lead Sentinel asked both of them as the portal closed.

"Do you guys have a HUD inside your helmets?" Vagatha asked since she wasn't sure, but thankfully, they all nodded their heads, "Alright, good. So, here's what we're thinking, we make our way to each demon's position, coordinate our attack, and then we kill them all in an instant. Then, for any who aren't killed, Katie and I will attack them before they can figure out what's happened, and they try to kill some of the hostages." She explained, "Any questions?" She inquired.

"Yes, mam. It seems to me that even with our numbers, there are too many demons present to where those we kill in an ambush would grant us a significant upper hand. Might I suggest we use explosive charges? That way, we can take out multiple in a single go." A Sentinel responded.

"Won't that put the people in danger? Well, MORE danger?" Katie questioned.

"No, mam. The charges I'm referring to use energy to create the blast. This means we can control the output and by relation to the blast radius. Thus, ensuring only the demons are within it." They informed.

"Huh, that would also create better openings for us to enter the room..." Vagatha realized, "Well, I think that's a sound idea. What about you, Katie?" She asked while looking at her partner.

"Hey, so long as we don't accidentally kill anyone, I'm fine with it," Katie answered.

"Okay, that's the plan. You guys set the charges; we'll get into position to move once the way is clear." She instructed the Sentinels, who gave her a salute to show they understood.

With that settled, the group marched on until they reached the chamber, where they then set their plan into motion. Slowly and carefully, the Sentinels planted and set the detonation of the charges, while Katie and Vagatha decided to position themselves on opposite sides of the area. They figured it'd be better if they sandwiched the demons between themselves, so their attention would be divided, and they'd panic rather than turn on their prisoners. After two minutes passed by, the Sentinels were finished, each also preparing to join their leaders after the detonations occurred.

"On your command." The Sentinel in charge of the detonator spoke to them, having established a transmission to make it easier.

"Vaggie, you want to do the honors?" Katie asked.

"Sure." She answered, followed by a quick exhale to help calm her nerves, "On my mark...three...two...one...now!" She ordered.

Click...BOOM

Needing but a few seconds to charge up the energy before unleashing, the charges went off in perfect unison. The flesh above them blew apart, along with any demons directly in the center of each blast or relatively close to it. In addition, a tidal wave of terrified screams and shrieks filled the air, which neither the ladies nor the Sentinels blamed the people for doing. Once the last few

pieces of meat fell into the former sewage space, Katie and Vagatha leaped into the chamber, ready to kill.

Immediately, the Arachnotrons and Revenants on guard looked in their direction, with the ones closest to each either being run through by Vagatha's spear or sliced and stabbed to kingdom come by Katie. The Sentinels did the same not long after, following their leaders' example by striking the foul creatures with their swords or halberds. However, there were a few Revenants closer to the masses than the rest of the demons, and when they figured out what was happening, they aimed their shoulder-mounted cannons at the petrified people.

"NO! PLEASE!" A woman pleaded as she held her arms out to her sides, doing her best to protect a group of scared children that were near her.

Watching in horror as the cannons glowed with more light, indicating that death was nearly upon them, the woman shut her eyes tightly, hoping this wouldn't happen. But then, a sound she couldn't describe reached her ears; it was a combination of metal breaking, bones snapping, and meat being pierced.

"Misses Mayberry, look!" One of the children exclaimed, but not in fear.

Opening her eyes as the children were safe, she was surprised to find the skeletal monster with some kind of harpoon through its chest. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was pulled from where it stood to another location, presumably, the owner of that weapon.

"Oh, shit!" Their savior exclaimed as they removed their harpoon from the demon, causing it to fall lifelessly fall to the ground, "Hey! Is everyone okay? No one got hit, right?" They asked; from their voice, they sounded female.

"Yes, thank you so much!" Mrs. Mayberry exclaimed, relieved that they were saved, "Who...Who are you, people? You're clearly not with those...things!" She asked.

"It's...hard as hell to explain. I know you're scared; you probably haven't had a decent meal or shower in what feels like forever. But we ARE going to get you out of here. So please, sit tight, let us deal with this, then we'll start getting everyone to safety." The mysterious woman told her.

"Okay. Thank you!" Mrs. Mayberry repeated before their hero left. "Nice work, Vaggie," Katie said to Vagatha via com-link.

"It was a close call. If I hadn't-"

"Stop." Katie interrupted, "Don't let your mind think about the what-ifs. You saw the bastard, killed him, and now those kids, their teacher, and everyone closeby are safe." She told her.

"Right...yeah...thanks, Katie," Vagatha replied.

Luckily, there weren't any more demons to deal with as the Sentinels handled them during that intense situation. All they had to do now was stab the bodies of those hit by the detonations to make sure they were dead and to start the extraction process. Not needing an order from either Katie or Vagatha to know what they needed to do next, the Sentinels began opening portals and ushering people through, which the frightened masses did without any encouragement.

"Easy now! Don't trample anyone! Everyone can get through! There's no need to push or shove!" Vagatha told them from above, though, she didn't blame them if they didn't listen.

Suddenly, the ground and walls began to shake, which could potentially mean that the Dark One figured out what was going on.

"Alright! Not trying to be a bitch, but you need to hurry!" Katie joined in, trying to help Vagatha speed things up.

The shaking grew intense, almost as if an earthquake was happening, but right when it seemed as if things would get ugly, something unexpected happened. An explosion of some kind could be heard from above, seemingly happening on the Dark One himself, which brought the shaking to a stop.

However, the only ones who noticed it were the Sentinels, Vagatha, and Katie, since the crowds were in a panic, yet all of the suspected who was responsible for that.

"Thanks, Will." Both women unknowingly thought simultaneously as the Slayer was giving them the time they needed.

Act 3, Part 2: Final Doom

The air filled with the screaming and howling of the Dark One as he just took a fully charged shot from the Slayer's BFG. So far, during this battle, the Slayer refrained from using weapons like the Unmaykr and the BFG out of concern for the people inside his foe. But thanks to Samur, who contacted him as the evacuation was underway, he knew they were getting to safety which meant he could finally start going all out. As for the remaining Marauders, they hadn't been standing idly by and watched their master fight their greatest enemy; they climbed to the top of nearby buildings to try and bring down the winged beasts that kept them at bay.

Thankfully, they were unsuccessful, but even dragons born within the Sentinels' world had their limits, which were reached not long after they needed to dodge both the Dark One and his servants. The Slayer could see this, even from his position on the ground, so he looked to the sky and gave them a nod of his head, telling them that they were done. Roaring in reply, the dragons ceased all fire and abandoned the area, looking for a place not filled with demons, Sentinels, Maykrs, and Authorities, to finally land and rest. Without the dragons sustaining the flames, the inferno between him and the Dark One was swiftly extinguished by the latter's tendrils.

"Hahaha...clever...as always..." The Dark One spoke, his body regenerating at an alarming

rate, "I would expect no less from you, Slayer. Keeping me and my guards busy as your allies save the humans. In addition to destroying the nests." He continued, now fully restored, "But may I ask, and hopefully receive an answer, what was the point?" He inquired, "The souls of the sisters have returned to me. Three of my Marauders still live. The nests, although useful, were not essential. And I, although the only target which remains, persists. Your attacks affect me, but NOTHING will kill me." He said, sounding so certain.

"...How?..." The Slayer responded, finally letting them hear his voice, "How is this any different from before...the last time we fought...your powers were nearly the same...does having the corruption you've gained from this world make that great of a difference?..." He asked.

"It helps, but no, even with that combined with my power, it gives me no sizeable advantage over you." The Dark One answered, his Marauders all jumping down from the rooftops they stood on to rejoin their master.

"The Marauders...do you think the Cyberdemon, these parasites, and the sisters, regardless of what stat they're in, will secure your victory?..." He questioned.

"Stronger, more resilient, and more capable than ever before. But no. They by themselves do not guarantee my success." The Dark One replied.

"Then what is it...what makes this fight different from all the others?..." He asked, readying another shot with his BFG, "Because...and I do not say this because I am confident or stupid...but from where I'm standing...this seems like an encore performance of our last battle...only this time it isn't inside your sanctum...the Cyberdemon has a new body...as do you...and the setting is Earth, not Doom..." He pointed out.

However, what the Slayer heard next wasn't words but laughter. Something he said apparently amused his adversary.

"Slayer. Answer this final question." The Dark One requested, "When our invasion began, the population of this planet was billions. But now, as the last screaming humans flee my form to the safety of the Sentinels, there are only millions. What became of the rest?" He asked.

"Zombies...possessed...maybe meals for the demons..." The Slayer answered, for his experience led him to assume that.

"If this were ages ago when I still believed you to be nothing more than a pest, perhaps." He replied, "But...our defeat at your hands humbled us...made us realize that we must do all that we can to stop you...no doubt those who you sent to save the humans have seen it...how there is flesh beneath the city even in its farthest depths...but how far does that flesh truly-"

BOOM

Interrupted by a rocket to the...body...face...look, there are many mouths on the Dark One, it's hard to tell what counts as what. At least, that's how Blitzo felt, which is why he aimed his shot at the biggest mouth he could see from his position.

"Whoops, sorry. Did we show up at a bad time?" He cheekily asked, standing nearby on a rooftop with Loona, Daisy, and their squad of Sentinels, "I know you were doing that typical bad guy monologue bullshit. But I COULDN'T resist~" He said as he showed off the rocket launcher he summoned from his suit.

"Ah, the Slayer's allies finally join us." The Dark One greeted, "I was beginning to worry that they would-"

BOOM

Another rocket, this time from a building across from the one Blitzo and his team stood on.

"SUP FUCKER!" Cherri called out as she and the rest of Gabriel's team appeared.

"Such...hilariously pointless attacks..." The Dark One said, still unaffected, "What next? A bombardment of artillery?" He questioned.

"No." A new voice spoke from behind the Slayer, followed by the sound of footsteps, "But we may have more lead than even YOU can swallow." It warned.

Walking up to stand on his left was the voice's owner, BJ. Meanwhile, to his right, the Wretch appeared. Both of them had their weapons drawn; for BJ, it was his rifles, while for the Wretch, it was his sword. As for where their teams were, they joined up with Blitzo and Gabriel's groups on the rooftops.

"How are you holding up?" BJ asked his grandson. For despite his descendant being a literal god, he still worried about him.

"Fine...the Dark One's resilient, though...even more than when I first fought him..." The Slayer answered.

"That's to be expected." The Wretch said, "He's been waiting for this rematch. A second chance to prove his superiority to the mortal who bested him." He informed.

"And there he is." The Dark One spoke again, now focusing only on the Wretch, "A new suit, new flesh, new blood, and yet, the same soul. Forever bound to mine." He told him.

"You may be my maker, but I belong to you no longer." The Wretch responded, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Hey! Will!" Blitzo called out from above, earning the Slayer's attention, "So, what's the game plan here? I thought you'd be shooting this asshole when we got here. But we're just standing around shooting the shit. Are we waiting for a flag to be waved or something?" He asked.

"Hmph, the Imp has a point." The Dark One acknowledged, "Here we are. All of us. Gathered at the most important moment in history. And yet we talk as if this were a casual

meeting." He went on, "Might I suggest...something interesting?" He offered.

"What kind of fucking DIPSHITS do you think we are, asshole?!" Blitzo replied since he was the person the Dark One spoke to last.

"Worry not. I wouldn't waste yours or my time with a pointless bargain. That we BOTH know you'd never accept." He assured before he pointed one of his tendrils at his Marauders, who have been standing silently in front of their master this entire time, waiting on his

order, "Long has the Cyberdemon, and the Slayer fought. No matter the time or place, they always find each other on any battlefield to prove who is stronger. So I propose, before any battle is waged with me, we should allow them AND their allies to fight. No assistance or interference from us." He explained.

"Do you REALLY think Will's going to lose to him after ALL the time he's kicked your guy's ass?" Angel Dust questioned, finding that hard to believe.

"I never once believed any of my creations would betray me. Yet standing there, beside my greatest enemy, is such a traitor. Nothing has ever truly been impossible in this conflict. I am curious to see if now, like so many other occasions, the assumptions we all have could prove to

be mistaken." He replied.

"Fine..." The Slayer spoke, catching everyone by surprise, "If you want to drag out your death...so be it...I have no problem beating your champion within an inch of his life again...especially when it's in front of you..." He said as he started walking forward.

"I cannot WAIT to see the faces of your allies when I split you in two." The Cyberdemon responded, doing the same as him.

Seeing their leaders approach each other, BJ, Wretch, and the Hell Guards followed, with BJ switching out his rifles for his shotguns as he could tell this would be a close-up brawl. As for everyone else, they watched on with bated breath and widened eyes, bracing themselves for the spectacle that was about to unfold. The first to act was the Cyberdemon; his walk became a sprint as he brandished his ax and readied it to strike. In reaction, the Slayer put away his BFG and summoned his chainsaw, clashing metal teeth against a blade made of energy.

Bright red sparks flew out from the collision, which made what was to be an intense battle even more engrossing. But neither side was distracted by it, as both Hell Guards reared back their maces and tried to land a blow against their opponents. Then, taking the same approach as the Slayer, the Wretch blocked his foe's attack, and they became locked in a standstill. On the other hand, BJ couldn't perform the same action with his weapons; instead, he dropped to the ground and slid between the legs of the armored behemoth, letting loose a barrage of buckshot to its underside.

Nearly losing its balance from the overall impact, as the Hell Guard steadied itself and BJ made it out to the other side, he leaped onto its back to try and get on top of it. During this, the Slayer and the Cyberdeon finally broke away, as did the Wretch and his Hell Guard, only so they could clash again but this time by trading blows. With every swing of the chainsaw, ax, sword, or mace, the air filled with the sizzling noise of metal coming into contact with energy, the only apt comparison would be to a blowtorch welding steel. Back with BJ, he managed to stand on top of his Hell Guard's shoulders, then quickly aimed his shotguns down to begin firing at where he presumed its face was.

But the Hell Guard grabbed him by his leg and threw him to the ground before a single shell was shot, quickly acting on this advantage by swinging his mace towards him. BJ was forced to block the blow with his guns; the resulting impact caused a small shockwave.

"Fuck..." He grunted out from behind gritted teeth, "Guns are fucked now...I can see it from here...barrels are dented to shit..." He said.

Applying more pressure rather than raising its arm, as it would give him a chance to escape, it seemed as if the Hell Guard intended to crush him. But, unfortunately for it, this wasn't the first time some big metal bastard tried this with BJ, so he knew exactly how to get out of it. Wrapping his leg around the Hell Guard's mace, he quickly turned his body in one direction, using all of his weight to get the better of it. This allowed him to disarm his opponent, and before it could try and retrieve the weapon or throw a punch in his direction, BJ swapped back to his rifles and proceeded to open fire.

Bullet after bullet, he pelted the Hell Guard, pushing it back as it couldn't hold its ground from such a powerful and continuous assault. Then, when it finally raised its arms to protect part of its large body where the parasite rested, BJ knew what he needed to do. Ceasing the gunfire, he rushed forward, again using all of his weight and the Hell Guard's top-heavy body to his advantage to bring it down with a tackle. Now sitting on top of it, BJ summoned two hand grenades, pulled their pins, then shoved them into an open space within the armor.

This proved to be the right course of action, for as he got up and hurried to a safe distance, the Hell Guard didn't try to stop him. Instead, it panicked; it did everything it could to try and remove the explosives but was unable before they detonated. Nearly every piece of its armor went flying, almost like giant shrapnel, and when the smoke cleared after what was left was...pitiful. The parasite, a long red worm-like creature writhing in a small compartment in the body, hissing in anger and pain.

Luckily, or unluckily depending on your perspective, BJ wasn't a cruel man like the demons. He walked over to the injured creature, pointed one of his rifles at it, and put enough bullets into its flesh to be sure it was dead. One down, two to go, and as things currently were, they were evenly matched. Unfortunately, the Slayer and the Cyberdemon knew each other too well; they could predict the other's actions way before they did it.

The same could be said for the Wretch and the remaining Hell Guard, to an extent. The Wretch knew the creature prioritized aggression and power, but because it outclassed him in these categories, it meant physically, he couldn't do much to counter its swings. But he had something it didn't, magic, albeit nothing on par with a true arcanist. Still, he believed it could be the edge he needed to win this bout.

The next time their weapons were about to clash, he put all of his strength into the swing to create an opening. Then, as the Hell Guard recovered, he rushed forward, put his left hand against its chest, and let loose the most powerful fire he could conjure. Focusing it on a singular point rather than attacking the entire armor helped increase the temperature of his flame, allowing it to melt through the metal. Shockingly, this brought the Hell Guard to a stop; it couldn't react fast enough to try and push him away before the heat reached the parasite.

Why that was so significant is simple, the heat combined with the metal that surrounded the creature essentially turned its own body into an oven. Rapidly the parasite's flesh started cooking, its skin and organs liquefying as it became hotter. Within the span of twenty seconds, it was no more than a puddle, and the armored shell fell backward upon its death. Now, all that was left was the Slayer and the Cyberdemon, two titans who have waged battle throughout countless centuries, doing so again for the last time.

No one would intervene, not even BJ or the Wretch; when looking at both combatants' eyes, you could tell this needed to be settled between them. Swing after swing, the Slayer's chainsaw ground against the Cyberdemon's ax, more and more sparks flying out each time. Eventually, as they both were tired of this farce, they swung their weapons with so much anger and power that both broke. The Chainsaw and Ax's blades flew off and landed nearby, each embedding itself in the ground.

With their weapons destroyed, neither the Slayer nor the Cyberdemon needed any time to plan their next move. They tossed the remains of their weapons to the side, raised their fists, then rushed forward to start trading blows. The sounds their fits made were comparable to a baseball being hit by a bat or a bowling ball securing a strike. Punch after punch; they threw, both of their armors receiving dents, their helmets cracking, and their hands started to bleed.

But they kept at it, blow for blow, neither showing exhaustion or pain, one way or the other; this was going to be a battle to the death. Seconds became minutes, they still refused to go down, but the Cyberdemon was the one who showed the most damage as it continued. His horn would get broken, one of his eyes caved in, his right breastbone completely shattered, and his fists nearly in shambles. Then, finally, it happened, as he went in for a jab with his left hand, the Slayer counter- punched, delivered an uppercut so strong it exploded the Cyberdemon's lower jaw.

And with that, the fight was over; the Cyberdemon fell backward and landed with a thud that

echoed into the air. Yet, no one cheered, no one said anything; they watched in silence as the Slayer walked over to his defeated rival and looked down at what remained of his face.

"S-Slayer..." The Cyberdemon sputtered out, blood and bone fragments leaving his mouth and throat when he did, "T...Tell me...did it hurt...did...I...hurt you?..." He asked.

This...was a first. In all the time the Slayer spent fighting him, the Cyberdemon never showed anything other than hostility and an insatiable bloodlust. But now, in what was to be his final moments, the demon's gaze held something the Slayer never thought he'd see in any of Doom's denizens, desperation.

"...Yeah...you did..." The Slayer answered as he knelt beside him, "I've had Barons and Hell Knights swing at me with everything they had...it hurt when I was normal...but after I became...this..." He said while gesturing to himself, "I...haven't felt much pain from any demon...but you...you hurt me this time...I felt every punch..." He told him.

"F...Finally..." The Cyberdemon whispered, the light in his sockets slowly fading, "Ever since that day...when we first met...your rockets...against mine...I knew...you weren't like...any mortal I faced...and each time we battled after...I no longer cared for worlds...armies...or creation...I served my master...obeyed every command...for I knew...the one soul who could match my skill...my strength...would stand against him...I wanted...so badly...to defeat him..." He confessed as he laid his head back, "But knowing...after...so many losses...I...wounded him...I..."

He couldn't finish that sentence, the air in his lungs ran out, and without the strength to breathe one more time, the Cyberdemon faded. It was strange; the Slayer didn't feel bad for him; his dying words wouldn't change everything he's done or what he was. But as he looked at this version of his greatest enemy, who was now motionless and empty, he felt something only the Wretch before him had earned as a demon of Doom, his respect.

"Hmph, such a shame." As the battle was now over, the Dark One spoke, "I gave him so much to defeat you. Enhancements, improvements, and finally, a new form with new weapons. And yet, he manages to disappoint me." He said.

"What is WRONG with you?!" Charlie questioned with tears in her eyes as she pointed at him, "How can you say that?!" She asked.

"What does it matter to you? We are your enemies; we have slaughtered countless populations, destroyed so many worlds. So why do you feel sadness for him?" The Dark One inquired.

"BECAUSE HE WAS YOUR SECOND IN COMMAND! WILL'S RIVAL! HE WASN'T A

MINDLESS ZOMBIE OR MONSTER!" She shouted, her sadness slowly becoming anger towards the Dark One, "DOESN'T THAT MATTER?! AFTER EVERYTHING HE DID FOR YOU!

DOES HIS LOYALTY MEAN NOTHING?!" She asked.

"A pawn is a pawn." He answered, which made her heart stop beating, "You may call it what you want. Give it a name, a title, a position, and a purpose. But it will still exist solely to serve the hand that made it. I do not care why he served me so long as he served. I do not care why he fought so long as he fought. Do you understand now, you sheltered child? The WHY means nothing. What they WANT means nothing. All that matters is they SERVE AND OBEY. Anything else has no relevancy or value. For they, as stated, are pawns." He explained.

At last, Charlie got it. Finally, she knew what about the Dark One and Doom as a whole that made the Slayer so angry. It wasn't just the obvious, the murders, the chaos, the suffering. The mentality the demons of Doom had driven into them was that their lives didn't matter, any semblance of a personality didn't matter, hopes, dreams, aspirations, they were all meaningless.

So long as they served him, their god, and made sure his will was carried out, then that's all they needed to live. But the Cyberdemon found something beyond that life; he wanted to keep fighting the Slayer until he defeated him. And yet now, in his final moments, the Dark One STILL didn't care; he was a pawn, that's all there was to it.

"You...are a fucking monster..." She whispered as her hands balled into fists, "You...You deserve to FUCKING DIE!" She screamed at him before she summoned her bow to fire upon him.

Alas, she wouldn't get to fire a single arrow, at least, not yet. For the moment the Dark One saw an imminent attack, the Earth itself began to tremble. Whether they were on the rooftops or the ground, everyone needed to balance themselves as the vibrations got worse. But soon, the cause for this seismic activity was revealed, as tendrils, larger than any of them had EVER seen, including the Slayer, shot up from the ground like beanstalks.

They climbed higher and higher, managing to reach beyond the clouds and into the atmosphere, where some of them began reaching for the Sentinels fortresses.

"I tried to warn you before, Slayer." The Dark One began as more tendrils continued to break through the surface, "But I was so rudely interrupted by one of your companions. I'd ask which one, but it won't matter when all of you are crushed." He continued as the Super Gore Nest, his body, slowly started to rise, "See me like an infection. A blight upon creation that must be exterminated. But now, I have become something no one can stop. An infinite flesh that can repair any damage, consume any soul, and defeat any foe. Now, Slayer, it is time for your DOOM!" He concluded.

"EVERYONE!" The Slayer shouted at the top of his lungs while simultaneously opening a channel of communication with his suit, "MOVE! AND DON'T STOP MOVING! ATTACK THE TENDRILS WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! LEAVE THE BODY TO ME, MY GRANDFATHER, THE WRETCH, GABRIEL, AND SAMUR WHEN HE ARRIVES! DO NOT ENGAGE UNLESS WE GIVE THE ORDER!" He demanded.

"YES, SIR!" The others all responded before they got to work.

Alastor, Stolas, and Velvet created barriers while conjuring Lost Souls and potions, with Sir Pentious and Vox doing whatever they could to help. Blitzo, Moxxie, Millie, Angel Dust, and Cherri summoned their most powerful weapons and ammunition, trying to do any damage they could to the tendrils. The Sentinels who rode on Panzerhunds had their mounts dig their metal claws into the tendrils' flesh, allowing them to run on the appendages and swing at them with their weapons. Loona and Daisy took a similar approach, only they made a B-line for the base of the tendrils, hoping to cut through them there to remove them completely from the body.

That left Charlie and her uncle to take to the skies, with her shooting her arrows as he threw his spear at the body, hoping to pierce something vital.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Vagatha's voice shouted in the com-link, alerting the Slayer that she and Katie had gotten out.

"Vaggie! Are you okay?" He asked, wanting to be sure they weren't hurt.

"Will? Uh, shit, yeah, we're okay." She answered, trying to snap back to her senses, "We...We got everyone out. But as we were heading back, the whole planet started shaking, and when we did get out, we saw...whatever the fuck that is!" She explained.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"We're not far at all! We'll be there soon! What do you want us to do?" She answered with a question of her own.

"Help Charlie and Gabriel. But tell Katie she should try to reach the others. Your target is the tendrils only. The body isn't your concern." He told her.

"Got it. What about Samur? He's still in the subway, but he isn't trapped. He's making his way out as we speak." She inquired.

"Tell him to join me, the Wretch, and BJ on the ground. We're targeting the body." He instructed. "Okay. On it." She responded before ending her connection.

"So, Will. What the hell do we do?" BJ asked; although not frightened, he wasn't sure how to approach...THAT.

"You hang back. The Wretch and I will create wounds that I want you to shoot into. Also, make sure to throw grenades whenever you can." He answered as he summoned the BFG into his right hand, while in his left appeared the Unmaykr, "No one's inside. Time to go all out." He said before activating Onslaught.

Running without fear straight at the Dark One's still-growing body, the Wretch waited to follow as he needed to speak with BJ.

"This isn't good." He told him, not needing to whisper with everything going on, "I trust the Slayer. I have faith in his power. But we must be realistic." He said.

"I agree. But does it have to be now? Can't we let this play out for just a short minute? Then, see if things work out?" BJ asked.

"Of course. But look up." He answered while pointing to the sky, "The tendrils are attacking the barrier. And I presume they are doing the same to the fortresses responsible for it. If it goes down at any point, the sky will flash with golden light as it erupts. So if you see that light, get ready." He instructed.

"...Understood." BJ replied, "And Wretch, should this go sideways. I just want to tell you that it's been an honor." He said.

"Likewise, BJ. I am glad to have had this chance to see what a better life looked like." The Wretch responded, already accepting the worst outcome as the one that would come to pass.

Brandishing his sword for the last time, the Wretch charged in after the Slayer, with BJ providing support fire. Outside of this conflict, the Sentinels, the Maykrs, and the Authorities abandoned their fights with the fodder demons and turned their attention to the monster that could be seen from around the world. In addition to the Slayer and his companions' efforts, artillery fire and more troops came in to try and bring this beast down. But as things went on and more firepower was used against the Dark One, it seemed as though they were trying to throw water out of a sinking ship.

Every wound, no matter how significant, was healed instantly. Then, the mountain-sized tendrils began growing their own, which lashed out at any who attacked them. Sentinels, Maykrs, and Authorities alike were being grabbed by the second. Lifted and tossed about as if they were toys.

Eventually, even the Slayer's friends would find themselves grabbed, starting with those who flew in the skies above.

"CHARLIE!" Gabriel shouted as he watched his niece disappear in a coiling tendril, "RELEASE HER! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER!" He demanded while flying to free her, only to be then grabbed himself.

"GABRIEL!" Vagatha shouted in horror, having to focus on nothing but evasion now to avoid the same fate.

Whether in the air, on the rooftops, the ground, or the tendrils themselves, the forces of good were being outmatched by the essence of pure evil, except for the Slayer and the Wretch, who fought side-by-side trying to cause any damage that would last, only to no avail. With every trigger pull of the BFG, every wave of divine energy from the Unmaykr, and every swing of the Wretch's Argent blade, the Dark One repaired the wounds mere seconds after they happened.

"THIS ISN'T WORKING!" The Slayer shouted, trying to think of a new plan of attack, "WE HAVE TO GET INSIDE! THROUGH ONE OF THE MOUTHS! IF WE FIND WHERE HIS SOUL IS CONCENTRATED, WE CAN-"

BOOM

Like a deafening crack of thunder across a stormy sky, that sound spread throughout the world, as the barrier that prevented the Dark One's escape finally shattered.

"YES!" The Dark One shouted with glee, accompanied by a hearty laugh, "FINALLY! I AM FREE! FREE TO CLAIM BOTH HEAVEN AND HELL AS MINE!" He carried on as he

began to conjure a portal.

Seeing the red glow of his power form in the sky with the golden hue of the ruined barrier in the background, the Slayer was sent into a state of shock. But thankfully, the Wretch had anticipated this, allowing him to bring the Slayer back to his senses so they could stop this before it was too late.

"SLAYER!" He shouted in the marine's face to bring him back to reality, "AIM FOR THE CLOSEST MOUTH! DESTROY THE TEETH! GIVE ME A WAY IN, AND I SHALL GO FOR

HIS HEART!" He instructed.

"Right...his heart!" The Slayer realized, remembering his plan from a few moments ago, "Alright, stand back!" He exclaimed.

Getting to the minimum safe distance, the Wretch watched as the Slayer aimed both of his guns at the mouth closest to their position before pulling the triggers. Then, with only a few seconds to work, the Wretch ran for the rapidly closing opening and dove through, making it inside the body. As for finding the heart of what was once a Gore Nest, that would be no challenge. For since it housed the Dark One's soul, all the Wretch needed to do to find it was have his suit locate a source of corruption that match his soul.

"There..." He said as the location appeared on his map, "Good...it's not far from here. And he is currently focused on the portal." He told himself before hurrying along.

Running as fast as he could through the corridors that lead to the central chamber, he'd reach his destination in under a minute. And when he arrived, he found what was undoubtedly the biggest heart to ever exist within a Gore Nest; it glowed the same shade of red as the Dark One's soul.

With his target found, the Wretch wasted no time on theatrics or ceremony, rushing straight for the organ to pierce it with his blade. But, sadly, history tends to repeat itself, for right as he drew near the heart, tendrils shot out and grabbed his limbs, holding him in place.

"Did you think it'd be so simple?" The Dark One spoke as several eyes appeared along the chamber's walls, "Do you think I would ignore the most important part of my body? Should a worthless gnat such as yourself find their way inside?" He asked.

"No. Of course, you would. You'd be a fool otherwise." The Wretch answered as stared directly at the heart, "And of the many things you are, amazingly, a fool is not one of them." He said.

"No. I was a fool once. When I made you." The Dark One replied, "Things would have been so much easier had you never did what you have. We could have conquered creation ages ago if you weren't such a mistake!" He berated.

"A mistake in what way? That I know compassion? That I realize my desires should not come before the well-being of others? Is that how I am an error?" The Wretch inquired.

"Look where it has brought you, where it has brought so many others, INCLUDING the Slayer. All of them would've died much sooner and with less pain, if you hadn't rebelled. YOU led us here." He said.

"I know. I know it all too well. By my hands, our conquests began. And it is by them that they end." The Wretch responded.

Suddenly, from nearly every part of his suit, the Wretch summoned an indeterminable amount of spherical objects that all fell to the ground. And when they did, clones of himself appeared, enough to fill most of the room.

"HA! Do you think such a trick would save you?" The Dark One questioned as he readied more tendrils to destroy them, "Truly, between us, YOU are the fool." He told him before bringing them down upon the army of Wretches.

...

...

...

...He...stopped...every part of the Dark One...suddenly stopped...but...why? From the Slayer's point of view...it was similar to a toy's batteries dying...one second, the colossus of flesh was alive...but now...he was as still as a statue.

"I...I think...he did it..." The Slayer muttered quietly, a smile slowly forming beneath his helmet, "He...He reached the heart...but...why are the tendrils not falling...and the body...it hasn't collapsed..." He said.

From behind him, the Slayer heard footsteps approaching, and when he looked to see who it was, he found his grandfather walking towards him. But...something wasn't right...for some reason...he was holding...the spear of destiny?

"Grandpa?" He greeted as his ancestor stopped beside him, "Why...are you holding that?" He asked.

"..." BJ said nothing, choosing to stay silent as if he were imitating his grandson.

That's when it clicked in the Slayer's mind; something was wrong, something he did not know of, but his grandfather, for whatever reason, did. However, it wouldn't take long for more footsteps to be heard, only this time they came from within the body.

"Wretch!" He exclaimed while hurrying over to the mouth the former demon used to enter. Now worried for his ally and friend, "Are you alright? What's going on? Why does my grandfather have- "

Disbelief, that was the only word that could describe what the Slayer felt at that moment. Walking out of the body was indeed the Wretch, but he wasn't the same as when he went in. His suit was struggling to stay together, cracks and breaks forming by the second. The blue glow of his eyes and the gold of his horns that he gained when he received a new body became black as the seconds passed.

Speaking of his body, even from within the suit, the Slayer and BJ could see a dark red glow, the same color as the Dark One's power.

"Wretch..." In a hushed voice, the Slayer spoke. His mind trying to make sense of what it was seeing.

"It...had...to be done..." The Wretch grunted as he stepped outside, "There...was no choice...this way...we could win..." He said.

"What...What way...what's going on?..." The Slayer asked.

"He finished the fight, Will." BJ answered, "He used something he created to help the troops; he made a bunch of them too. But when we learned about what happened in Urdak before we deployed, he came up with this failsafe." He explained.

"WHAT failsafe?!" The Slayer questioned, "Wretch, what did you do? What happened to the Dark One?!" He asked, demanding answers.

"Your...grandfather...will explain it...soon..." The Wretch promised as he fell to his knees, too weak to continue walking, "But...for now...we need to finish this...the suit...my flesh...they can't hold him back...hurry...BJ..." He requested.

Before the Slayer could say or do anything, his grandfather lifted the spear above the Wretch, then brought it down. Impaling the Heavenly Baron's heart, the spear of destiny then pulled any souls in the body out, trapping them within itself. And like that, it was over; the Dark One was trapped inside a prison only the weapon's wielder could allow exit from, but in doing so, the Wretch went with him. What came next, BJ saw from a mile away, as his grandson grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled their faces closer together.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He demanded to know as he took off his helmet, wanting to look at his ancestor face-to-face, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS?! WHY?!" He asked.

"Because, Will, that's who you are." BJ answered, but he meant no disrespect, "You've got the biggest heart I've ever seen. And I mean that. But because of that, you would've objected to this plan." He told him as both men looked at the spear, "But see, here's the thing, even IF the Wretch hadn't done what he did. Absorb the Dark One's soul and his power along with it into his own. If

we used this to trap the Dark One, he'd still go with him." He revealed as they looked back at each other, "The Wretch said so himself. Back when he and Samur conducted tests on his power. The Dark One came close to grabbing him the moment he left Urdak. His soul IS the Dark One's, as is every demon from Doom. The ONLY reason he chose to sacrifice himself deliberately is that he knew he could catch him off guard. There'd be no way it wouldn't work." He concluded.

"But...what about the heart?..." The Slayer inquired, his anger slowly disappearing as he accepted the reality of the situation.

"Wouldn't matter. The barrier was destroyed. That was the event that required the fail-safe. Because without it, even if the Dark One's body was destroyed, he could escape. And we'd be right back here at a later date." He replied.

There, that was it, the last of the Slayer's rage, gone with that sentence. He released his grandfather, who hadn't been bothered by his grip, for in all honesty, had he not been a part of the plan, BJ would've reacted the same way. But, hell, even with that in mind, BJ couldn't keep his usual stoic expression intact; both he and his grandson looked towards the ground with the same emotion swelling inside their souls. The Wretch, someone who had earned both their respect and friendship, would be lost forever, trapped inside an inescapable prison for the sake of creation.

The only question that remained was...what they were going to tell the others...and after everything was settled...what would happen next?