The Slayer was settling in to his new life, or at least as much as he could. It was the first time in a long time he willingly had taken his armor off, and worn civilian clothes. The Malachites were at first intimidated, but accepted his offer, and he was doing a decent enough job, though the complaints were mainly that he was too scary. Which meant he could pay a "rent" to Marion, even though she didn't want it, as well as purchase some technology and Dust. He had a Scroll now, quickly figuring out how to work it. Marion had also let him have her dad's old Scroll as well, when he found it once, even though said Scroll was broken. He didn't repair it, but he had however studied it as best he could, examined how it worked, as he was hoping some of its tech he could incorporate into his own armor, mainly a few updates to communications, and a few others.
But as for technology, he hadn't gotten much, but it was enough, for now. Circuit boards, chips, and various tools, from screwdrivers to a soldering iron. Not much, but it was a start. And with Dust, he had purchased a sample platter of sorts, and cross-referencing various types with what his research on the internet found. So far the only progress he thought he could make was to use combustion Dust as fuel for his chainsaw. He did learn one thing about Remnant, thanks to Marion, that in the short run, worked against him, but he saw it as an opportunity, for the future. He had looked around the internet, wanting to price 3D printers, even asking Marion if they were rare. Her response combined with what he found told him all he needed to know. "What is a 3D printer?" She had responded.
Well, on one hand? That's shitty, he thought. But on the other hand... He thought about what it would take to make such a printer. They had the things that could make one. They had software, motors, plastic, and etc. If he could remember how one was made, he would. And while he could keep it for himself, he was fully aware what it was capable of. Once there was a time when it seemed there was a new startup every week, where the common theme was "We make X, but we 3D print it." So if he had a functional printer, or even series of, he'd patent them. Then start to make some, and sell them. He'd try that with other bits of technology he had as well, like his pocket dimension drive, neural collar, satellites, or even the portal generator. After all, in order, that means carrying more items in a secure way without the worry of extra weight, mind-controlling technology, actually communicating easily, and easily moving around long distances.
He wouldn't really care about money. Not really, at least not for the sake of getting rich. Not like a typical money-lover like the Schnees. Although Winter didn't exactly SEEM like she's the typical rich girl who spends all of Daddy's money like some I've heard about. No, if he wanted money, it was primarily for his own R&D. And because wars in general ALWAYS needed money. Not that it'd ALL go to that. He'd save some to cure Viri, if possible. Stop Marion's debt collectors. And for splurges now and then.
One evening, Marion and the Slayer were passing by Marion's old shop when they noticed movement inside, and weant to investigate, Marion drawing Eternity, and the Slayer doing the same with his combat shotgun. He didn't want to bring a weapon that was too heavy, and without his armor's pocket dimension, it'd be impossible. Besides, he also wanted something reliable without taking up too much ammo.
As they entered the shop, Marion was muttering, partially to the Slayer, and partially to herself. "I swear if I see that bunny...she's good at hiding. It's totally possible to look right at her and not see her," she says as they search. The Slayer scanned around, noticing old stands, the workshop in the back, the supply room...wait, there was something in the supply room. He went back quickly, and forced his eyes to focus upon a rabbit faunus his eyes wanted to slide off of, but he kept them on her, pumping his shotgun.
Said bunny's eyes widened when she saw him, full knowledge that she was caught. "Oh shit! Nix!" She yelled out, and in a flash, the Slayer found it wasn't just him and the rabbit, but another girl with black hair covering one eye was in the room with them as well, a katana in hand. The Slayer dodged her attack, slow by his standards, grabbing the stranger's wrist and twisting it around behind her head. Aura or not, it hurt enough to make her drop her weapon.
"Nix! Hang on!" The rabbit girl said, and as the Slayer restrained the black haired girl, he narrowly missed a stab from the rabbit, who had managed to land a strike, but not much of one.
"Daisy, go, save yourself!" The black haired girl said, and something in the Slayer just stopped, as he looked at the faunus.
"Daisy?" He asked, looking at the rabbit faunus. She was still attacking, so he grabbed her by the ears, holding her against a wall.
"Get off!" The girl named Daisy yelled, beating on the Slayer's wrist to no avail, as she was studied. The Slayer could see that while she had blonde streaks, her base hair color was a brunette similar to his old pet. In a different situation, if this Daisy wasn't attacking him, he would struggle to compose himself. But he knew that at least in one capacity, she wasn't the Daisy he knew.
"Did you find—I see you did," Marion says as she comes into the room, ready to fight, only to find the Slayer having the situation well in hand. The other girl, Nix as she was called, was still clearly in pain from how she was being held, trying to vanish from the looks of things, but unable to think through the pain. "Now, you 2, Bacon, Legs, GET OUT!"
"Bitch, you're the one who hangs onto a shop you can't afford. And can you get your boyfriend off?" Daisy yells back. "Finally let him out of the house did you? Now we know why you dine for 2."
Marion yells back, but with an evident blush at the mention of a boyfriend. "He's not my boyfriend, he's just a guy that needed help, AND saved me from my ex. You're the one who preys upon other people's property like a pair of hobos!"
"And YOU, Red Witch do just that to everyone who gets close to your bar! What makes you so high and mighty when you enchant every guy to want to empty their wallets?" Daisy yells back. "I bet you're doing that to him, right now! Scamming this guy in some way!"
CHILDREN, ENOUGH!" The Slayer yells out, louder than Marion had ever heard him yell, which in the small space, hurt her ears a little, and especially Daisy's. "Now, we are going to ALL sit down, and talk this over. Weapons away, all of you. And you," he says, turning to the black haired girl. "You're part of this too. That means no vanishing into smoke, or whatever it is you're trying to do."
"F-Fine! But we're all adults here! We're not children!" The girl whines, even as she stops struggling.
"You may as well be to me," the Slayer says, and lets her and Daisy go, giving them both enough of a death glare that they both knew he meant business. They collect themselves, wincing a little from leftover pain. "Now, we are all going to Marion's house, and we're talking this over. This old store room is NOT the place. And we will ALL be civil, maybe even have a few drinks, and calm down, before we talk about this."
"Hey, since when do you get to invite them in my house?" Marion asks, glaring at the Slayer, a curious look in her eyes, that seemed to turn to shock, and fear for a reason the Slayer couldn't identify.
"Since I have a feeling nobody knows the whole story, on either side. And you will explain what that was, just now," he demanded, as the 4 of them walked out, and to Marion's house.
"Ok, first things first, I HAVE to check on Viri," Marion says once they get there, earning curious looks from the other 2.
"There's 3 of you in here?" Nix asks, as Marion comes back out.
"Guess you don't know anything about a near-terminally ill little sister, huh?" Marion spits at them, but it only earns shocked looks from the others.
"Wait...all that eating for 2, all of that...it's for your sister?" Daisy asks.
Nix just looks coldly at Marion, saying "Be grateful you still have one."
"Ok, ok, all crises over. I'll go get drinks, and you 3 can sit in the living room, and...try to get comfortable," the Slayer says. "Requests?"
They all place their drink requests, and the Slayer got the drinks, including one for himself, as well as a few snacks. "Hey, I thought you didn't need to eat," Marion says eyeing him with some confusion and narrowed eyebrows.
"Just because I don't NEED it, doesn't mean I can't," he says as he passes things out. "Now, who shall go first?"
"I claim right as the owner of this place," Marion says, a bit loudly. "Now, what right do YOU 2 have to want this place?"
"Look, we just want a place to stay, ok?" Nix asks. "Is it so wrong to want a roof over our heads? Especially when everyone else rejects us?"
"Now, why would people reject you?" the Slayer asks.
"Because to many, I'm a monster," Nix says, and pulls back her hair. For the first time, and truly in Marion's case who had never seen the extent, she and the Slayer could see the burns covering the left side of her face. "And they go ALL the way down," she says, showing the back of her hand, and even some of her leg as well. "And before you ask, no, I'm not sharing how I got them."
"If I wasn't as old as I am, I'd be nothing BUT scars, but they've all faded," the Slayer responds. "So, at least for now? All those burns tell me is you're a survivor. It tells me you took some shit and lived."
"And what would you know big guy? Oh sure, you look strong, but are we to take your word for it?" Nix says.
"No Nix, that's not what I had planned," the Slayer says as he pulls up the computer.
"Ok, first off, I'm Nixera Ebon. Nixera to you, only Daisy gets Nix privileges," she retorts, as some video plays.
"You haven't seen it, but this is from the helmet cam in my armor," the Slayer explains, as he shows some highlights. The girls watch in stunned silence as they see what he's done, see the demons, and Daisy even gasped when the Icon of Sin was shown.
"Wait...what WERE those things? Where was your team? Your backup?" Nixera and Daisy ask together.
"I'm not from this world. Where I came from...I was known as the Doom Slayer," he explains, as he goes into further detail about his origins, Hell, demons, and more.
"I...look, I would like to believe, but..." Nixera says, and its clear her resolve was fading.
"Physical proof?" the Slayer asks. "If that's what you want, then..." he heads into his room, and comes back out with helmet in hand. "The rest of the armor's in there too. But...it's a bitch to put on, and take off," he chuckles. "You can go in and look, but I'm NOT modeling it for you 2 right now." They look over the helmet, doubt still present, but fading.
"Ok, so maybe you ARE a badass killer," Daisy responds with a chuckle as they hand the helmet back. "But has anyone innocent died because of you? Dark past you have to erase?"
The Slayer looks down, ever so slightly. "Directly? No. Did people die because I couldn't save them in time? Yes. Being me is NOT all sunshine and roses. I can't save everyone, no matter how hard I try. There are BILLIONS of people who've died because I couldn't save them all. Entire WORLDS decimated because they messed with the wrong things, and I couldn't stop them."
"So you've never say, rushed to kill one target, but killed an innocent as collateral damage," Daisy asks.
"I'd like to say the answer is no. In truth?...I don't know," the Slayer says. "Let me guess Daisy, YOU've done just that?"
"In a different life, I was the Barbaric Bunny," she explains. "The White Fang's best assassin. My last job was to target a SDC exec, and I also torched his house, for added...flair. I'll admit...let's just say the Barbaric wasn't just given for alliteration," she says with a dark chuckle. "But his wife came home as the house was burning, screaming about her son," she finishes, a tear starting to form. "When I called up Adam...he didn't care. That's what told me how far the White Fang had fallen."
"Did you...attempt a rescue?" the Slayer asks, to which Daisy only nods, still in tears. "Come here," he says, and pulls her into a hug, which she accepts, crying softly into his chest.
"And on your end, it makes sense, that you're trying to support your sister," Nixera says to Marion.
"Sick sister, and my ex is DESPERATE for this place. I'm not sure why, likely thinks he can get rich, selling it off to, not sure, SDC maybe?" Marion says. "Only reason I have tools again is cuz Slayer here has been bouncing for Junior's."
"He bounces while you enchant those who get through?" Nixera says with a hint of venom, but much less than usual.
Hey, that reminds me," the Slayer says, stroking Daisy's hair, who was still crying into his chest. "First off, I think I get the Bacon nickname. And Legs," he says glancing at Daisy. "But Red Witch?"
"I...can sense and subtly manipulate emotions," Marion explains. "I've mostly used it for customer tips."
"As we said, to enchant customers," Nixera says, but Marion wasn't done.
"I...I even tried it on you sir. Back there, in the store. That's what that look was about. I wanted to make you see things my way." The Slayer raises an eyebrow here, but she continues, quivering a little. "I've met stubborn people before. The Malachites for example. I've met those dominated by one emotion or another. B-but NEVER, did I feel such anger, such hatred, such malice...as I did from you. Imagine anger as a fire. For some people, anger is a match, or a candle. For others, it's a campfire, or even a bonfire. Some it's a forest fire...and you're a volcano," she says quietly, as if afraid to upset him. "A volcano fed by the core of Remnant itself, able to spew forth ALL the lava within. H-How is it even humanly possible to be that angry, for that long? It should be impossible!"
"Because of apathy?" The Slayer says, causing Marion's eyes to widen. "I...well, I wondered that myself. I think it's because of what's been done to me," he explains. But I can't be sure." Daisy has had her cry, and sat up with a smile.
"Thanks sir, I needed that," she says. "So, it seems that despite the fact Marion SHOULD be the HBIC here, because it's her house...you sound a LOT like you're the one in charge," she chuckles.
"I've been in that role before. If chance forces me there again...I accept," the Slayer says as he looks at everyone. "So for now, if it were fully up to me, I'd let you 2 stay here. Where to sleep might be an issue though. Likely couch and/or floor. But it's not up to me there," he says, turning to Marion.
"You 2 better behave," she warns. "On one hand, I WOULD want to kick you out, but...he hasn't given you the angry death glare, has he? You don't want him to, trust me. Scaring the shit out of you would be literal. So it might be useful if you're...having trouble," she chuckles, which the other 2 share in. "Bac—Nixera, do you 2...have anything? Like possession-wise?"
"Nothing important, why?" Nixera asks back.
"Toothbrushes? Shampoo, all that?" Marion adds.
"Uh...not all the time. Apples are what we mostly use," she admits.
"Ok, then morning, we shop for you 2, if you're to live here," Marion explains. "So no blinking away."
"Blinking," the Slayer says questioningly. "Is that what you were trying to do earlier?"
"Short range teleport," Nixera says, demonstrating. "Quite useful."
"And I can make people Disregard me," Daisy adds. "Correction. I can make MOST people disregard me. YOU on the other hand, saw right through me. Maybe not at first glance, but...if what the Red...I mean, if what Marion says about you is true, I understand why you saw me."
"Which begs the question sir," Nixera says. "What can YOU do?"
"Well, I have no Aura, no known Semblance, but in the past I could feed on demonic energy—"
"No Aura?" Marion says, coming up to him. "Hold still. I hope that, even if you're not from Remnant, this can work, she says, closing her eyes as she takes his hand in hers. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."
As she chanted, the Slayer began to feel strange, like a shield was enveloping his body, except it was radiating outward, as well as down. He looked down at himself, seeing a green glow surrounding him, almost blindingly so. Nixera and Daisy looked in amazement, and once Marion was done, she also looked at him, checking her Scroll, along with the others.
"Holy fuck dude, how do you have so much Aura?" Nixera says. "You're not from Remnant, yet you may as well be a fucking sun it seems," she adds as the glow fades. "Look, since you don't know, you have to learn how to mentally keep it always up."
"Or not, considering what you've done before. Though...a mind as strong as yours, remembering to keep something up is likely a ghost of a thought for you," Daisy says with a laugh.
Marion looks out at everyone, chuckling as she goes and gets 4 more small drinks for everyone. Nixera and Daisy complain about not wanting to drink too much before bed, but Marion explains. "4 of us now. We're like those student teams at Beacon now, aren't we?" She says with a laugh. "All we need is a name. And THAT's what the drinks are for. The celebratory toast. Not until. Speaking of...I assume in your research, you know ho the team names work?" She asks the Slayer, who nods.
Everyone starts to think, but then after a bit, the Slayer laughs, a mixture of wholesome laughter, as well as unholy laughter that sent shivers down spines, and grabbed a pencil and paper to write, but asked out loud, "What do we all have in common?"
"We're not in Ozpin's fan club, and life shat on us," Daisy says with confusion. "Why?"
He doesn't respond. At least, not out loud. On the paper, he writes it down.
Doom Slayer
Marion Fiye
Nixera Ebon
Daisy...Banera
Daisy herself filled in her last name, and they all look confused as he wrote it out. DMND. And then wrote DiaMoND, and then DaMNeD, which everyone looked at.
"Wait...double meaning team name?" Nixera says with a laugh.
Daisy said it, we were all shat on by life. All...damned," the Slayer explains. "But so we've taken heat," he says, nodding towards Nixera. "We've taken pressure. And what happens when you take something ugly like carbon, and add heat and pressure? Diamond. A gem that when cut correctly, sparkles the eyes. And is also the hardest substance known to man, the only thing that can mine obsidian, and makes for the best armor and weapons. Oh wait...I'm thinking of something else for all that," he chuckles, though the others raise an eyebrow. "So, double meaning fits, SO FUCKING WELL," he says with a laugh. "I don't even WANT to think of something else."
The other 3 all seem to try it out in their mouths, and their minds. They all grin, chuckle, and grab their glasses. "And that'd make you the boss, Doom Slayer," Marion says, elbowing him lightly. "So, here's to team DMND?" She asks, as everyone holds up glasses.
"To team DMND, may our future be bright and shiny, and may no enemy ever scratch us or break us," the Slayer says raising his own glass, as cheers of "To team DMND" echo around the room, as they clink glasses, then down the contents.
"You're a natural at this whole speech thing," Daisy says with a small laugh.
"Hey, if I'm natural, it's an accident. That's me making shit up as I go along," he laughs as well, as everyone checks the clock, and makes their way to bed, Marion getting out sleeping bags for the other 2. Slayer went to his own room, and took out one of the few items he had that wasn't a weapon.
"I know...she's not the same as you," he says, as he looks at and rubs the preserved rabbit paw in his hands. "But she looks like you, to a degree. And the others were shat on by life like I was. Like we all were," he says as he grips the paw tightly. "And dammit, I'm not losing them. This Daisy may not be you, but...I'm not losing you again. Thousands of human lifetimes, and I still miss you. If you can live through this Daisy, I WILL protect you." He glances towards the door. "I will protect ALL of them."
He glances around the room, eyes narrowed as if he could see through the walls, all the way around Remnant. "I saved Argent D'Nur in the end. I saved Earth. I'll save Remnant. If fate calls me to lead, then I accept. I know there are things I can't do. Stealth is an example of an area where I'm shit," he laughs to nobody. "And I can't be everywhere at once, the ultimate weakness shared by all great men. If I must inspire, if I must lead, if I must take charge..." he holds his head up, looking outwards, towards the horizon. "Then I will lead Remnant to glory. And if possible...beyond," he says looking up, through the window, at the stars. "I will show them the way to the stars. When I'm done with them, this won't be the Remnant of anything. It will be complete, expanding outwards to new horizons."
