The sun wasn't as blinding as the day before anyone could step out without covering their eyes. Except it didn't do much to Hayden just as he and Negan were outside the Sanctuary's front. Surrounding the main gate was a vast gathering of male and female Savior members, wielding firearms and daggers in their pockets. From where he stood, Hayden could count about twenty to thirty men and women all prepared for what they are dealing with a fugitive group problem.
The cyborg couldn't help but ponder the assumption that Negan could be running out of Saviors. There are workers mixed in with Saviors at the outposts Simon told about, but Hayden thinks this latest group he has, is regularly workers who remain in the Sanctuary.
Negan broke Hayden's contemplation with a booming voice, telling his men what to do. "Alright, listen up all you fuckwads! Arat has already filled in the whole story for us and better listen before you start to piss your pants. When I slit the throats of those fuckers who take things for granted, I want to take my time and enjoy it!"
As Negan continued to explain to each of the Saviors, Hayden escorted himself over to Dwight, who leaned on a truck listening to Negan's address. But the android can tell that he's not into it at all, especially when discerning Hayden who appeared before him.
"Hello again, Dwight. I can see that you're not so enthusiastic about what Negan has to spiel on about." Hayden approached, tramping close as he stood his ground as well next to him.
"Hey." He replied, reaching casually into his pocket to pull out a packet of cigarettes.
The scarred man continued to tug out his lighter, placing the cigarette skillfully between his teeth. His lips pursed around it, hand cupping around the flame as he lit it. The intoxicating sensation of smoke made him sigh, letting his muscles unwind. He risked a glance at Hayden, who was looking at him with a tilted head.
"I'm sorry that we didn't get to discuss much beforehand, though, I'm expecting to question where you received such cuts and bruises. I would have guessed that Negan..." Hayden trailed off.
But Dwight interrupted, a tone creeping into his voice, "You did a bad thing coming here."
"Well, It's not like I had a choice to come here," Hayden replied, wording his statement as carefully as possible.
Even while the android said that he kept his singular-lined eye firmly placed on Negan, who was presently lecturing on to the group of Saviors in front.
Dwight then sighed, quite exasperated by Hayden's reaction to his statement. "No, I mean, do you trust Negan?"
Hayden looked down at Dwight before answering, "I do not have much means to trust Negan as you would say, but involuntarily, we'll have to let bygones be bygones so that everyone on this Earth is safe from the new threat."
"You shouldn't trust him at all, Hayden," Dwight whispered to him, looking around him so that nobody was listening to them talking. "Negan is a monster, and he'll try to..."
Hayden then interrupts the scarred Savior dismissively, "I am completely aware of what Negan is capable of, Dwight. There is no need to explain to me why you believe I shouldn't trust the man at all. Simon has told very much about Negan's leadership around every domain he seeks people and resources upon."
The android received a confused look from Dwight, but it only lasted a few seconds before turning back into a scowl, "Then why aren't you going to"
Again, Hayden calmly cuts him off, "Why am I not killing him, you ask? That's simply because all of these people trust him quite more than what I could arrange. He may have considered me as a guest of honor, but in my skepticism, he has additional plans for me in the following future for which I can not allow. However, in opposing terms, I'm not going to kill Negan or dethrone his leadership."
With fear in his eyes, Dwight stared at Hayden with expectations that he will report to Negan about this conversation, but only the opposite happened.
Hayden held a hand up with reassurance, "I'm not going to speak to Negan about this, unless..."
Dwight breathed slightly, "Unless what?"
"...unless you could explain more to me about Negan and all that he has done over the past." Hayden finished, just as he soon spots Negan walking over to him and Dwight, who became slightly relieved.
Negan walked up to the two with that same cocky grin and the barbed-wire bat resting on his shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road! You, Dr. Killjoy, you're going to have to move over into the back of that box truck."
Without a second thought, Dwight chooses to speak, "Mind if I watch over Hayden in the back, Negan?"
After a long, pregnant pause, the Savior leader looked at Dwight with an eyebrow raised, "Oh...?"
"It's so I can give you anything on Hayden's actions on the way over to find that group. Besides, we wouldn't want him to do anything funny while we're finding this group that stole from us." Dwight finished explaining in a direct tone.
Negan leaned his blank glaring face to meet the blonde Savior's avoiding expression, ending only with a single smirk from the leader of the Saviors.
Negan let out a small chuckle before opening his mouth again, "Alright, then. But really to warn 'ya, Dwight. Dr. Tinman's got a smart mouth when it comes to chewing the fat out like it's no big deal. Make sure he doesn't do anything else on top of it all, you understand?"
Dwight quickly nodded, "Yes, sir. I will, sir."
Negan gave the blonde Savior a hard pat on the shoulder, smiling over to Hayden, "Haha! Now, that's what I'm talking about! You see, doc? With me around, everything here will get under control in no time."
"True, and we'll see to it by the time we arrive back afterward," Hayden said calmly, as though he understood. "Now, which box truck would you want me to stay admitted to?"
Negan remained defaulted as he looked back with Dwight, "D, show our guest where he'll be seated. Me and Arat will get started on splitting some teams and get on with tracking the bastards down."
Quickly enough, Hayden spotted Arat, a dark-haired woman with a blonde dye, solely looking away from the android with a scowl. Hayden then attended next to Dwight, who is given the task to guard him during this time. Dwight obeyed with a nod just as he and Hayden made their way over to one of the white box trucks.
Opening the roll-up door that reveals enough space in the back, Hayden climbed himself inside, proceeding to rest himself in a sitting position. He turned to face Dwight, who came on board alongside the android and was already ordered to not only guard Hayden but also present and receive some insight about the whole situation.
Time went by fast as the box truck ride was nothing but a few runarounds on end. But at least Hayden and Dwight were able to discuss one another about what Hayden has missed, especially becoming aware of Negan's advantages and disadvantages. From all that Hayden has gained of Dwight's knowledge, the blonde Savior had begun to explain over the details.
Negan had supposedly founded the Saviors by the time Dwight was a survivor of the outbreak. He was once a member of Negan's group, the Saviors, along with his wife, Sherry, and her sister, Tina. Beforehand, they were trying to escape a massive undead horde. Two other survivors, Carla and Delly, were separated from them. For them to kill the swarm, Sherry decided to set the entire forest on fire, but it all resulted in Carla and Delly's deaths. Up until then, they finally met Negan, who offered the trio service in repayment, to which they agreed.
That, however, all ended when Negan became entitled as a tyrant. So, they stole a truck full of supplies and escaped the community. Dwight and the girls got away from a few Saviors, thanks to the man that Hayden heard about previously, Daryl. At first, Dwight takes Daryl hostage but eventually begins fighting alongside him. Later on, the four of them find a greenhouse where both Carla and Delly's burnt corpses remained. But then they emerged as undead creatures and killed Tina.
After burying Tina's grave, Daryl invites Dwight and Sherry to come live in Alexandria with him. But instead, they betray him and steal his crossbow and motorcycle. Dwight returned to the Saviors compound, the Sanctuary as if it was their best chance for survival. As punishment for the death of Tina, who was soon-to-be one of Negan's wives, Sherry agrees to marry Negan in exchange for saving Dwight's life. Deciding that this isn't quite the punishment to go, Negan then brands the side of Dwight's face with a hot iron, thus transmitting himself to become one of Negan's top guys and divorces Sherry.
Sometime after this, Dwight accidentally kills Alexandria's doctor, Denise Cloyd, while aiming for Daryl. Though he is a member of the Saviors, Dwight distrusts Negan in multiple tenfolds. After Daryl got captured by the Saviors, Dwight's ex-wife, Sherry, helps Daryl escape. Negan taunts Dwight by implying he may have helped. In an attempt to get back into Negan's safe side, Dwight volunteers to go find Sherry. And when Dwight returns, he claims that he had killed her, but frames the Sanctuary's doctor, Emmett Carson, for helping her leave. When the doctor got brutally murdered by Negan, Dwight has decided that it's time for Negan's tyranny to be put to an end.
Dwight proceeds on, a tired look on his face, "Negan doesn't save people, he terrorizes them. He makes them work for him. It's true, we do take people in and give them food and water, but there are rules. And if you break the rules..."
Dwight touched the half-burnt side of his face, reminding him how he got that. "...you know."
"So, Negan did this to you after you broke the rules? And you had to frame Dr. Carson just to save yourself from Negan's awareness?" Hayden suddenly asked, sounding mildly disappointed.
Dwight nodded, looking away in shame, "My life felt like it was on the line there, I had no choice! Negan was going to think that I was lying about Sherry's death, and I needed somebody to take that place. That's why I set him up by planting Sherry's letter in his office. He got burned alive inside a furnace after being thrown in by Negan."
Hayden sighed a bit, shaking his head, "I'm sorry about what happened to your wife and sister-in-law, but do you know how valuable a doctor is when you see it, Dwight?"
Dwight swung his head and gazed back at Hayden, "I know, but it doesn't matter right now. You're almost at risk if you stay here, but if you escape as Sherry did, you will be fine. Besides, no one here is as they say they are. Simon may have been friendly with you earlier, but that's only one side of him. You haven't seen his real phase; the same goes for Negan. Negan has a part of him that can scare the shit out of people, and he's already brought other communities down to their knees."
After Hayden listened to every word Dwight had just explained, he couldn't help but process this discussion for a few moments now. It all comes clear upon the android's opinion about Negan, and what the man does that has the means to be necessary. If Dwight here was trustworthy enough to keep things to himself, then Hayden could consider letting the blonde Savior join in on the commission to preserve this Earth.
Dwight then checks in with the walkie-talkie, "How far ahead are we now?"
[We'll get there in a half-hour, Dwight.]
Hayden hummed for a moment just as he watches Dwight put away his device. He knew he was going to need help in this.
"Listen, Dwight, there's something I need to tell you, but you're going to listen very carefully now," Hayden said, taking in the next few seconds.
Dwight blinked as he looked up at Hayden, "What are you saying, doc?"
Hayden begins to speak again, "I do not come from this Earth, but I belong to a more distinctive world, much like yours. Let me grab this out, just in case."
The blonde Savior watches Hayden reaching something in confusion, "Wait, what the hell do you mean b-by...?"
The words remain caught inside Dwight's throat, watching Hayden pull out the Crucible. It was sparking sinister red energy, a faint aura flashing in his robotic hand. Dwight observed the Crucible's handle that looked like a skull and the lower part modeled by the eye of a creature. In other words, it looked terrifying as hell.
During Dwight's shocking discovery, Hayden held out the artifact with such ease before speaking, "Go ahead and grasp it, Dwight. Then you'll know what I'm about to explain to you now."
Slowly and scarcely, the blonde Savior continued to stare at the Crucible before him, then allowing himself a feeling on the grip, until his eyes suddenly glowed red in a brilliant light. Dwight could finally see it all around him, trembling in fear and shock.
It was Hell on Earth.
Here and thereby seemed like it was in its mass consumption to become extinct. The demons and monsters fell into the used-to-be idyllic city and easily captured any human that was not fast enough to retreat into their homes. Dwight could see groups of demons and monsters ganging up on said single women and men as their cries echoed down the already destroyed streets.
Monsters were attacking and mutilating other survivors, as the screams of terror commenced on above and beneath beyond. From all surfaces, the demonic creatures descended upon the already overwhelmed group of humans. Giant, gaping maws swallowed the civilians whole. Talons slash through clothes and flesh sharper than any blade, utterly eviscerating their victims. Horns impaled others right through, making their bony growth run through the blood before drinking it down.
All at once, everybody was yelling.
In terror, sorrow, and utter pain, men and women screamed while the demons roared in joy. This hell, to the monsters, was paradise. It was an opportunity to seize them with human flesh and revel in every fight, every kill, every minute of this torment. All of which leaves the inhabited city and block-sized buildings everywhere into complete ruins. Many unlucky victims elicited a war cry of their own, challenging any demon near them. They stood like men who had just accepted their fate.
Dwight found himself unable to react at first. A demonic beast had bitten three men in half, and all he could do was stare at the environment surrounding him. The nightmare itself grew more abhorrent, and Dwight's heart began to beat wildly at an unnatural sound.
Four other sufferers were in front of a monster that looked to have a one-eyed expression. Sharp teeth sprawled from the sides of its maw, which became used to gobble up three men before any of them could even raise a weapon to defend themselves. The last man's legs trembled, and he felt like he soiled himself.
As the demon chewed them to bits, the sight of the faces of his friends being distorted and contorted would do that to almost any man; no need for him to feel guilty about his reaction. After licking the blood from its mouth, the creature emitted a grumble, and it turned its eye on him. Tears and mucus ran down everyone's faces as they started to run.
There was no way any of this was real.
Yet there were monsters on both sides, everywhere the people fled, and they were eating them alive. They came, feeling their sticky, putrid breath on the back of their necks, making their hair stand up, ready to fly out of their bodies. Each survivor feels their eyes on each of them from their sides and from behind. On each human being, they gorged themselves, chewing off heads and limbs, tearing them open to devour their carcasses.
Some of the victims were women too, but as the Imps closed in even more and every woman could feel their hot breath filling their nostrils, it was enough to make their skin crawl. Many of them opened their mouths, letting their slimy, disgusting tongues hang free. They were revealing their foot-long cocks to the women as they helplessly stared at their erected shafts. Almost with some degree of intelligence, the Imps started tearing at their clothes, being careful to try and not scratch at the women.
Faintly enough someplace else, Dwight's attention suddenly grew weary at the sound of cracked moans and high-pitch gasps. Soft crying and whimpering greeted Dwight's ears as the sight before he filled his expression with horror, disgust, and rage.
What he saw were a bunch of women and children getting turned into little more than whores, nympho freaks solely in their desire for some hot, glowing demon juice.
Unfolding before the scarred blonde Savior, Hell's demonic cohorts' twisted deeds and sins became laid bare, as were the women and children's torture through depravity. Once, the lively place now turned into a ruined place full of filth and corruption. Anguish and despair were the only things that could become felt all around. The pain was excruciating to the women. Most of them were crying, as their bodies started to hurt more and more. Yet surprisingly, they could still hold up. In no time at all, the Imps quickly and eagerly sunk their hot pillar of flesh into each writhing woman, taking their innocence, without them being able to do anything to protest.
A Hell-Knight started to pound a woman hard, ramming more and more of its long rod into her with every forceful push as it spread her apart. Every woman had no idea what was happening to them as their entire being got filled with burning lust while crying out in delight from the rough treatment. Each demon or monster kept humping the women like a machine and loosening their cooter up nicely for every brethren to use.
A woman could feel two Imps hammering her hips inside her, while she could only scream helplessly, much to her embarrassment, as her tongue hung out of her mouth while getting taken by monsters for hours on end. Both Imps continued clamping around her waist as each hammering thrust filled both of her holes up. Suddenly, her walls were painted with a warm load of semen, making the woman climax as she felt it in each of her openings. The two Imps that jumped away from her body were already replaced and started senselessly pounding the cross-eyed harlot.
One of the women was about to scream, but an Imp nearby cut her off as it lunged in for a kiss. The young woman was too shocked to react as this strange fleshy object suddenly roamed her mouth, licking all of its walls before it found her tongue, and playfully wrestled with it. Without noticing, the young woman accepted it and wrestled with the Imp's tongue while her cheeks flushed a light red.
As the Imp pulled back, the female slave's tongue followed. A thin trail of saliva connecting both of them. The Imp cackled evilly with a triumphant grin, pushing on her back with another heated kiss. The young woman resigned herself to her fate. Nothing was stopping these creatures, seeing as every other woman, daughter, sister, niece, and granddaughter were currently busy being taken by the mass of horny demons.
Another Hell-Knight quickly came up into a young woman's face, seemingly getting impatient and wanting to ride that innocent face of hers and stain it with its seed. The woman could only gasp in surprise as her vision became filled with the muscular brute. This gasp was enough for the Hell-Knight to stuff her maw with its musky cock, making the woman gag as it was large enough to enter her throat and form an obscene bulge in her neck.
The woman's legs quivered violently, and she had to spread her legs wide to get a safer stance as not to break down while the Imps battered away at her body with their precum leaking rods. A loud, muffled cry leaves the woman as she suddenly felt her orgasm wash over her.
An Imp took her violently and shook her body as her snatch clamped hard around the massive shaft that pierced her. The Imp that clung to her rear end relished in the warm juices that splashed against hits its groin area, continuing to thrust into her. The Imp's now drenched balls slapped lewdly against the woman's aroused clit, bringing her new waves of pleasure she now craved.
It did not take long for the Imp to end this as it exploded inside her and sent a warm spray of semen into the woman's virgin tunnel. She could only coo at the feeling of having her walls plastered with the corrupting and hot seed of this demon. Said demon instantly hoped off, while another took his place.
The Hell-Knight kept thrusting her face into submission and enjoyed the ride as the throat walls of their new bitch squeezed its rod tightly with every plunge into her wet gullet. The brute quickly reached its edge and flared into the woman who was moaning out like a whore as she felt a batch of sperm defile her insides.
Chained to the walls were a dozen women, all of them of various ages with their clothes either carelessly torn or completely naked covered in blisters and cuts where their skin became exposed. Some of the older women stayed huddled around younger girls who looked to be in their early teens, striving to shield them from the sick games the demons had been doing to them for who only knows how long. Meanwhile, the demonic brutes were making their newly brought sex slaves cry and moan against their will. Tears streamed each woman's blushed face as their torturers ignored their pleas.
The other demons, catching on, whistled and hooted like wild apes. Lips swiping across their tongues, grabbing and rubbing their crotches as several more demon pigs stared impassively for their turn, snarled at one another for cutting next in lines, and whistled at their comrades, mind-breaking the human female population.
Women were drawn into a demonic crowd, groping their bodies until pulled by one demon to the next. Each one took turns stroking each female as they could feel hands on them. There were mouths on the women's bodies, smelly rotten breaths on their faces, and the back of their neck.
There were thousands of human corpses.
Blood and gore were splattered all over the place, and total mayhem raced everywhere to wreak havoc upon Earth. Numerous buildings in the city lay pulverized, forgotten, defiled, and demolished. Bones and dust lay scattered along every street and in every doorway. Ashes still hindered on the ground to be kicked up with the smallest passing. These were the last portions of what was once here. It was a mountain of remains decayed long past recognition. But above all of the survivors was something else, or more like, someone else.
Dwight heard gunshots around him, not knowing whether or not they were real at all. Dwight then soon witnesses a shadowy figure, leaping tremendous heights to unleash its ultimate brutality upon each demonic creature. No matter how small or big they were, the person would not cease any of its destruction. Dwight's eyes widened after witnessing the horror commence, but it didn't end until he saw the figure's face.
He wore dark green armor, possessing a muscular figure built for strength and speed. But the scary thing about this man was his eyes. His eyes were purely ghoulish, and they each spelled the word hatred. A surge of tainted blood stained his visor as the man was down below the darkest and lowest depths of Earth's invasion.
The beasts swarmed the man like an abundance of locusts. Their desire to devour his brave soul. Eager to put an end to his unconquerable barrage, and as well as his endless thirst for savagery. Did they believe that this man was no different from the others that had fallen in their clutches?
Deeply behind all that impenetrable armor lies an all-powerful storm of fury and wrath. A force of nature: ever could and would not be stopped. Recognized as a champion of Heaven, his only motive was keeping Hell in check and making sure that Earth's balance is getting upheld and preserved. And now, there stood fellow groups of Earth's survivors shooting and discharging their weapons everywhere. Blood, guts, and bullets were all flying around in a repetitive limbo.
The man would forever fight back an invasion of hellish armies to the point where both their dimensions ultimately take the battle to Hell itself. Leaving trails of brutalized carcasses and remains of each monstrosity hidden in the darkness, the man would slaughter anything that attempted to cross his path without any second thought. No matter how many that became destroyed or came right after, that man would never tire. Never to sleep nor rest until all of them remained crushed under his righteous fist.
Soon, there were hundreds more.
Several in different shapes and sizes.
But this time, that had advanced-looking cybernetics for limbs. Although some variants of Hell's demons have risen from the ground, there was something else soaring above the heavenly yet dark skies. A mysterious angelic entity bestowing fire upon the planet of scorching life.
Dwight could hear the man's heart beating faster and faster, seeing millions of people screaming in pain. His blue eyes sharpened into full slits, watching the demons flying around with the humans like play toys. The man's lips curled into a sickly evil yet angry grin, noticing all of the survivors gawking at him funny.
Now, the man got surrounded by walls, enclosing within him like a tiny box, trapped back into a strange tomb. All Dwight could testify are the human eyes of contempt and despair, hatred beyond its course that became threatened upon the man. All of this became humanity's "thank you" for trying to save the Earth and put a stop to Hell's devilish gain. Having grown so greedy and power-hungry that they have tapped into what wasn't theirs in the first place.
Argent Energy.
A source that was so divine that it doesn't belong with humankind. Heaven didn't want to be in the hands of humanity's errors for long either. It became the sins of humanity. The purpose of observing this invasion on Earth as its natural course of the event, merely for the balance restored in the universe.
Once it is all done and said, humanity would give this Argent Energy to other civilizations and repeat the same mistake over and over again. No matter how hard the man tried, he began thrashing left and right, breathing heavily before letting out a piercing screech.
Dwight gasped back to reality before backing away with such a fright; his eyes widened at the possibility of these visions becoming real. He swallowed harshly, feeling slightly unsteady from what had just happened. He was terrified as hell.
"W-What the fuck is that!?" Dwight shouted quietly, scared at what he saw.
"As you can see, Dwight, this is one of the reasons why I need your cooperation because of the crisis that's gotten brought upon both our Earths. They have somehow been able to cross each other through a dimensional rift. I believe it existed by the Crucible; a powerful ungodly artifact wielded to absorb tremendous quantities of demonic energy."
Dwight's blood had already started to run cold by every second, "D-Demonic...?"
Hayden quietly nodded and continues explaining, "Correct, for it is unfortunate enough to already come down to the conclusion that this new threat resides upon the demons of Hell itself. What you've witnessed inside those visions is the oppression of your world's future and its cries through eternal agony. Negan will not listen to me very readily at the time being. So, until he does, you are the only one deemed to perceive all of this. That is why I shall stretch out my hand and further support the Saviors within this Earth to smite all of these creatures."
"What...!?" Dwight breathed out a bit, with one hand resting on his gun. "I don't understand...what, what are you talking about!? Why!? How are these things coming here, and who was that, that man I just saw!? Y-You're fucking crazy, dammit!"
"I know this is a lot to take in," Hayden said, his voice attempting to soothe Dwight's emotions peacefully. "But it's true, Dwight, these demons have the power to destroy your world and remake everything into theirs, greatly worse than what Negan plans on doing. For all I know, nobody's aware of these demons lurking around the area, but that's why I'm going to help you if you do the same as well."
For almost a minute of tremendous solitude, Dwight's expression had begun to look lifeless a bit in thought. He rubbed the back of his head tensely while Hayden just stared at him and showed no backing down. Scenarios played out inside of Dwight's mind as he could only think about his wife Sherry, being alone out there with those demons running around. No other considerations could get filled within Dwight's mind, plainly as he starts to speak once more.
"J-Jesus Christ, Sherry is out there with those things around," Dwight cursed and whispered, the memories continuing to taunt him and fan the flames of fear.
Hayden only nodded before speaking cautiously, "There is no doubt that Sherry will lead herself into serious trouble, which is why I require your assistance in this time of calamity, Dwight. I couldn't share with anybody about my world or the Crucible, not even Negan, because they will take it on the wrong terms and become overly powered by such a vast quantity of Argent Energy. It has made me more convinced that the Slayer himself would want to retrieve this weapon for the better."
Dwight looks back at Hayden with fear in his tone, "The Slayer...?"
"The marine that I've mentioned goes by the Doom Slayer now. That man has been transported here because of an interdimensional tether chip in his Praetor Suit. He has awoken from an eon long coma, impossibly ambushed inside of a sarcophagus in his past battles against Hell's demonic oppression. From my previous encounter with him, he has defeated and claimed victory against the forces of Hell during an invasion of the UAC's Mars Facility. He is the only flesh and blood to walk between dimensions, between our worlds, and theirs." Hayden affirmed, watching as Dwight's face paled at the thought of such a being existing in ways indescribable.
"I-If all this is true, why tell me now?" Dwight almost stuttered.
"You didn't believe me when I already did seconds ago. How would you think Negan could've felt?" Hayden answered, tilting his head to the side.
Before Dwight could say anything else, they both felt that Negan had finally stopped the box truck.
[Alright, you chicken-shits! I want a good and clean inventory around the area for those freeloading pussies. We'll make sure to find their ringleader as soon as we can. Move it or lose it, ladies!]
After Dwight and Hayden listened to Negan's last call, they heard what was believed to be Negan and Arat hopping out of their seats, slamming each door behind them.
Hayden quickly hides the Crucible inside his cloak while Dwight spoke quietly, "We don't breathe a word about this conversation to anyone. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Dwight." Hayden nodded.
As the roll-up door elevated open for Dwight and Hayden to exit, Negan held his hand up to halt Hayden.
"You're staying here, tinman, " He said in a weird and unreadable tone, making it rough as if it got laced with venom.
Dwight and Hayden both looked at Negan with confusion before the cyborg asked, "Is there any reason-"
Arat interrupts, "Negan wants you to remain here to make sure if any of the runners we're tracking down will attempt to ambush and steal our ride."
Before Arat could say more, Dwight chimed in, "Wait, I thought we only brought him here to keep him on the preserve. Why are we changing things around?"
Negan's eyebrow perked up at that. Dwight never had this much confidence in himself before, causing the Savior leader to chuckle.
"Well, Dwight, my boy!" Negan said, patting the blonde Savior's back hard. "I'm already aware of how truthful the doc's been about wanting to save our people, but we don't wanna' make this first impression of yours just yet, Sam. I'm going to leave you here with a few of my soldiers to help you guard our rides here."
Somehow, Hayden could already detect that Negan didn't fully trust him at all, only that he wasn't showing his dislike for the android, that is. It might just seem that the Savior leader is keeping Hayden away because it was Negan who is supposed to be feared by everyone, not some cyborg who is way above his average height.
Such arrogance comes from Negan.
"We'll call this a test of loyalty if Doctor Tinman's words are true as his super-genius says he does. And besides, it's not like he's going to have much fun watching us lay waste on these guys and their smug asses if they thought of escaping under my thumb." Negan explained before gazing upon Hayden again, that cocky grin back on his face in an instant, "That is if you're willing enough to play the game as it follows what's on the table, right?"
Dwight and Arat both watched as the android stares down at Negan, before replying with a nod.
"How riveting of you, Negan." Hayden began to speak, though he couldn't bear to let these Saviors get themselves killed, "I will act exceptionally only if you allow me to do so, and let me assure you, try not to qualify yourself as so predictable when it comes to me being within your presence."
That almost started to make Negan's blood boil in front of Arat and Dwight, to which one or the other has never seen this side of Negan.
Not before long, Negan's lips curled into a smile before chuckling back, "Alright, doc. Are we doing this or what? Because dead or alive doesn't matter and at least the ringleader would count as a win."
Negan lends out his hand, to which Hayden took it as they started shaking. Arat couldn't help but shake her head in reluctance while Dwight only gazed hesitantly, thinking all about Hayden's secret and the Crucible. Afterward, Dwight looked back at Hayden just as he walked off with Negan and Arat, disappearing in the woods.
While examining that the two Saviors and their leader left, Hayden took out an unusual type of UAC technology that was revealed to be a tethering device. One that would be used to retrieve things remotely, and one that remains installed inside the Slayer's Praetor Suit.
Anxiety had almost succumbed Hayden to the thought of bringing the Marine back to him, risking the chance to explain himself, resulting in the death of Negan and Dwight for being Saviors, and getting robbed of the Crucible that he too had stolen from the Marine previously.
Hayden sighed as he puts the tethering device back in his storage, "I have to...I must. He is the only one besides me capable enough to destroy those demons."
"What do you got there, tinman?" A sly male voice called out to him, causing Hayden's alarmed manner.
Hayden speedily pulled his head up, looking over to see a couple of male and female Saviors coming over, questioningly. A bald yet bearded male Savior named Holt, came up to take a glance at the tethering device that remained hidden in Hayden's hands.
Soon the cyborg begins to take a step away from Holt, "What is the meaning of all this-?"
"Answer the question, robot! We saw what you have in your hand!" A female Savior spat, interrupting Hayden, an annoyed look on her face.
"I promise you. It's nothing, ma'am," Hayden answered reassuringly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to guard our numerous vehicles like the rest of you, onlookers."
Just as Hayden was about to turn around, he was then met up with another trio of Savior members, aiming their pistols at him sternly. Hayden looked around as he noticed that he became surrounded by several more Saviors, who were all staring at the robot sharply. Holt stood in the center alongside Hayden with his eyebrows crossed, and his eyes narrowed into a glare.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm becoming cornered for a reason?" Hayden asked, scrolling his eyesight back to Holt, who snorted in response.
"You know, we've just about had it with your little mind games. Still, it would be a damn shame if Negan found out about you turning on us all." Holt had a flash of irritation, letting out a fake sigh.
"You must be joking," Hayden said nonchalantly.
"Do we look like I'm joking?" Holt asks with such finality, spreading his arms out to exhibit the numerous Savior members surrounding him and Hayden. "You can't fool us, robot. Neither could you do the same with Negan. If you show us what you're hiding from everyone here, I'll see that your life still prevails." He finishes with a smirk, holding his pistol.
Hayden stood still for a moment before sighing in defeat, "Fine, you win. What I have in my hand is most likely dangerous for any of your people to obtain. The tethering device here is my closely-guarded asset, and it has the means to pull people back from-"
Before the android had time to explain, a female Savior ran up from behind Hayden to smack the remote-controlled device to the ground, sliding to where Holt had his foot underneath it.
Hayden attempted to react in such a way but was shut down by Holt pointing his gun at him. "Give up the act, this charade is over."
"Stop! You don't know what you're all doing!" Hayden voiced out, trying to clarify with a stable performance of fairness.
Just as a couple of Savior members chortled at the cyborg's sudden weakness, Holt presented a sickly smirk, "I don't care about a worm like you. Or what kind of scrap metal do you waste our time with your bullshit. It's not like we're going to need you here and now, once Negan finds out how we've exposed you for the double-crossing prick you are, robot."
The cyborg watched as each Savior member positioned their feet a bit farther behind them, aiming at him to shoot him down. Hayden kept his ground as long as he can right until his sensors detected several ghoulish growls, the kind that belonged to a demon. Surprisingly enough, only a couple of Savior patrollers had begun to discern the rustling sounds before checking it out. Before Hayden could try and prevent them from going any further, Holt still had the android at gunpoint.
"Ah-ah-ah~! You're not going anywhere without our answer, robot!" Holt said with a snort.
"Everyone stop this foolishness now!" Hayden demanded, "My sensors were able to detect a demonic presence at unsafe levels coming towards our location."
"What the hell are you chattering about this time?" Holt asked in an even tone, keeping his eyes on Hayden.
"That robot's lying to us," Another Savior told Holt, "It's trying to use the opportunity to distract us and make an escape."
"Maybe so," The next Savior chimed in, "But this robot is trying to surrender so quickly. Have you ever seen it give up without a fight?"
Hayden attempted to reason with the Savior group, "That's what I've been doing this entire time everyone-!"
But Holt disrupted, "Shut up, you! Don't you all see that this robot is trying to trick us? You have managed to fool Negan the last two times, and you will do anything to take whatever-!"
"AAGH! NO, GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME-AGH! NO, NO-!"
*CRUNCH*
All of the Saviors in the square stopped as they heard the agonizing scream that echoed throughout the area. All of their heads turned to notice something tossed over and lands rolling over in a puddle of blood. It was a Savior member's decapitated head, drained in fluids with dead-stated eyes.
"Woah, what the fuck!?" Holt yelled in fear as he slowly turned around to face a single bright red fireball that drove it right through his face, who didn't even have a chance to cry out before he exploded in gore.
*HISS*
As the Savior members were in full panic now, Hayden recognizes many serpentine-type hissings coming out of the trees and bushes. Presenting themselves, were some Imps, in a more muscular, bulky stature, sporting sharp spikes in many locations on their bodies with brighter, red-colored glowing eyes and darker brown skin. Before any of the Saviors could say anything, one lets loose another screech and charges at the closest onlookers. Hayden knew he had to act fast, preparing himself for the battle alongside every fellow Savior nearby against their newest threat.
The Demons of Hell.
In Oceanside, the leader Natania, an older lady with blonde hair, was walking around. It became stressful how the past played again with her. A few days ago, the girl named Tara secretly followed Cyndie back to the campground and is now on the loose with an awareness of Oceanside's hidden location. Even though Cyndie had told her that Tara promised to keep them a secret, but Natania frankly can't underestimate anyone in this wrecked world.
Before Natania could think furthermore, she soon recognizes one of the young members, a brown-haired girl, holding up a bag containing a fish.
"Ooh. You catch that yourself?" Natania asked.
The girl nodded, "Shit yeah!"
"Rachel..." Natania said firmly.
"I mean, yeah." Rachel then chuckled, "I'm gonna go and clean it."
"Okay." Natania smiles, giving Rachel a motherly pat on the shoulder before moving on.
Natania sighed a bit before going back to her house. If a single point in time when the community here could be in trouble, she had to step up as the strong leader to those in her group. Right after the older woman enters her own home, she was met with a gun from a familiar face.
"Hi."
Natania froze in shock as Tara grips her gun while she is aimed at the older woman. Right now, there would always come any person who takes people's kindness for granted and utterly husk the person out the window.
"Stay quiet and put your hands on your head," Tara spoke as she comes forth.
"We should've just killed you in the village," Natania said with a hint of fear and venom.
Presently, Tara continued checking every part of the older leader's body for weapons or some sort that could go against her.
"You're gonna be glad you didn't," Tara replied.
"You're not alone, are you?" Natania asked.
"Sit," Tara ordered.
"What do you want?"
Tara points at the chair. "I want you to sit."
Natania sighs as she then sits down...
...before noticing the door that opened again.
A dark-skinned woman with long wavy black hair came in oblivious that Tara was there.
She came in with the laundry, placed it on the table, and starts taking out the clothes to fold them.
"Hey, Cyndie."
Cyndie paused by the sound of the familiar voice before slowly turning around, feeling betrayed.
"You promised," Cyndie whispered lowly.
"Yeah. I did." Tara comes over to her while pointing the gun at Natania. "Put your hands on your head."
Cyndie soon obeys, watching Tara do what she did to Natania while she also checked her for weapons.
Tara gave her an apologetic look, "I didn't have a choice."
"Why are you here?" Cyndie asked, lowering her hands before going over to stand next to Natania.
"I said I didn't have a choice, but you do; both of you do." Tara nods at the leader, pointing at both of them. "My friends are out there right now, and they're gonna take this place, hopefully without firing a shot."
Cyndie's eyes widen before speaking, "What? You're-You're going to take this place? What are you talking about?"
"We need your guns," Tara said finally.
"What?" Cyndie blinked in confusion.
"We're gonna fight the Saviors. You should join us."
"No," Natania argued back, scowling.
"The Saviors killed your fathers, your brothers, husbands, sons, and you ran from them. I thought we got rid of them. Beatrice said there was more out there, and she was right. They came back. They killed my friends. They killed my girlfriend. They took us over. They took everything from us. We do whatever the Saviors tell us to do, and they think we're still doing that, but we're not. We're gonna fight them. And we have other communities beside us, and with Oceanside, we would have an army." Tara explained, looking so entreating.
"So, that's it? Thanks for the guns. You should join us?" Cyndie said, looking very much betrayed than before.
"If we fight them together, we can beat them. We have to try." Tara persisted a bit more.
"They'll win, Tara. I've seen it. So have you." Natania spoke, looking disappointed.
"Just talk to the leader of my group, Rick. Just talk, and we don't have to take over this place. We don't want to. I can give them the signal to stop this, but you have to tell me right now." Tara said after she looks at her watch for the remaining time.
Natania sighed as she looked away while Cyndie glanced back at Tara with tiny hints of contempt and sadness.
"Listen. We're not just hiding in the woods. We're doing something. We're not giving up. I didn't want to break my promise, Cyndie, okay? But the world can belong to good people, to fair people, if we're all just brave enough to try." Tara insisted with almost a break in her voice.
"We are not good, and we are not brave. Neither you nor me. She is. That's why we're in this mess." Natania stated, looking up at Cyndie before gently rising to her feet. "Look, Tara, if you take our guns, you might as well be killing us all. That's what you'll be doing."
"We should talk to them," Cyndie suggests to her leader.
"No," Natania said, disagreeing with her granddaughter.
"We can try to stop this."
"No. Cyndie!"
Tara checks her watch one more time. "It doesn't matter..."
The look of defeat appeared on her face. "...you can't."
Back in the woods, Rick began to check his watch before sighing grudgingly, "Times up. It's our time to do this."
The Slayer felt a fuse burst in his head when he heard the last part of Rick's words. The Slayer looked back at Rick, utterly sighing in a reluctance of desiring to hurt these isolated women and children. Despite being hostiles, they were just scared survivors. Besides, what a bunch of women with weapons could do to his Praetor Suit? Sure, these women may have killed on sight, but they were only fearful and lost throughout this world of the dead. There is no way the Slayer was going to argue Rick out of this one. But he also wouldn't have him or his group standing in his way.
"What? Wait, give her a bit more time." Francine begged.
"No," Rick said.
"Rick. Negotiations are not easy. They take time, but maybe Tara will convince them. Just give her a bit more time." Eric chimed in.
"I'm sorry, but no. We don't have any more time left. I've already given Tara time to convince them, and she's failed. We're doing this my way now."
"Eric, I know violence is not gonna' help, but we gotta' do this if we want a future," Aaron said to Eric, who looked back at him quietly.
Eric sighed, "Okay."
"Get ready, everyone," Rick called out, turning to walk off and give out signals.
The Slayer checked his combat shotgun for the remaining shells he had. It should be enough for what he needs right now. As much as the Slayer didn't want to do anything with raiding these women and children, but he will make sure there is no other undead presence around here. He would have to hold back most of his strength enough to knock any woman unconscious. Hopefully, that will make sure Rick or the others won't suspect having to kill somebody.
As the Slayer trooped alongside Aaron and Eric, he could have sworn his eyes were getting frustrated by the sun. Still, the shore afar has its portion of the woods connecting, especially when several trees were believably shielding at the sun. Except for several spherical, one-eyed objects levitating past the sun in the distance. The Slayer's confusion soon turned its way into a complete realization until the HUD popped up just as VEGA's symbol appeared.
VEGA: {The results have been told correctly. There is a demonic presence within Oceanside's perimeter at unsafe levels. My calculations were uncertain by the time its effects have come together. I suggest that you move about east from here for further examination. If the explosives begin to detonate during Rick Grimes' plan of action, then the ambush is going to backfire and will only lead the demons to Oceanside.}
The Slayer knew now that this depraved world where an army of lust has risen requires his specialties. From all that the Seraphim has told the Slayer, these godless sinners have not just committed multiple atrocities like rape and murder. But have also consorted with creatures and monsters of darkness. The prayers and cries of the innocents, men, and women of all ages have reached the Slayer's ears, seeking salvation.
Upon thinking of such horrible things, the Slayer could feel his blood boiling, even though it always was and has been ever since he woke up from his stone coffin. The Slayer's hands trembled on his combat shotgun, knowing that the Saviors are weaker than the demons of Hell that the Slayer has faced. Yet they won over this Earth's communities, seducing and pillaging innocents and turning this world into a living nightmare of lust and filth.
The Slayer popped his neck piercingly, earning some obscure attention from Aaron and Eric. Now, the Slayer knows what needs to get done. The Saviors or the demons may continue as brutal, twisted, and even ruthless. But he will become worse than them all, or any other of the communities like Rick's group. The Slayer will bring light into the dark pits, tearing through the unworthy flesh and making his name a curse to evil.
The Slayer will brutalize them all and make them remind themselves that he will wait for them every day, making death mercy to them. All of this fury within made the Slayer think about Oceanside and its female survivors. The thought of them all becoming cornered by the legions of Hell. They would be drooling, licking their mouths to step closer to the terrified woman and children who will soon be murdered and raped.
*CHUK-CHAK*
After the Slayer began pulling back a hammer on the combat shotgun, his sprinting pushed him straight for the east as he ignored the cries of shock and surprise from behind him. The Slayer could even hear Daryl's shouts of anger and frustration towards him come sounding off. All the power that the Slayer became blessed with had made his duty clear. The legions of Hell can not be allowed to breathe in this dimension's Earth.
A/N: [DONE! Dwight's going to be very traumatized about these demons coming to the Earth. The demons in Dwight's vision become described as hateful, disgusting, terrible creatures. They will do horrible things to you if they can get their hands on you. The fact that the demons will eagerly do such terrible things to people helps give weight and importance to the Doom Slayer's work. Whether you like the inclusion of rape or not, and there are good arguments to be made against it. It adds a layer of evil to the demons and a level of heroism to the main characters. It's not like women become portrayed as weak, just the unlucky ones who end up that way. And the males get beaten and killed, possibly eaten alive. And Negan's not wanting Hayden to be taking the spotlight here and there everywhere he goes. Now that the Slayer has run away to fight demons, most likely since it's his job, I'm looking forward to writing up this battle for Oceanside's safety.]