Arriving in the middle of a neglected parcel of vehicles and small buildings, a middle-aged, dark-skinned man with facial hair named Morgan Jones, advanced through the open street. He held a wooden bo-staff while presently pulling along the dead body of one of the soldiers for the Kingdom, Richard.
To Morgan, Richard became seen as this rugged, no-bullshit survivor who has only been very shielding of his way of life. Sure he was strait-laced, practical, and can be difficult on himself as he is upon everyone else, but he lost a lot over the years as Morgan did. Richard may even blame himself for not working hard to keep the people he once cherished. However, Richard wasn't going to make that mistake again.
That is, until now...
While dragging Richard's corpse by the feet across the ground to the urban lot, Morgan's emotions kept a stern and impassive expression after what has transpired. Every thought Morgan was experiencing continued to plague him nearly any time he breathed or blinked. All this time, Richard wanted to become this sort of martyr, sacrificing his own life in the desire to bring the Kingdom into war against the Saviors.
Here around the vacant area, Morgan could remember how Richard used the shopping carts to block the road and made the Kingdom late for their communal drop with Gavin's Savior group. Not to mention stealing the cantaloupe melon and hiding it from everyone else. And it all led down to where Benjamin took the fall for Richard assuming that the Saviors would kill him first.
For Benjamin's death, this has made history repeat itself, recalling back from when Morgan couldn't bring himself to shoot his undead wife, Jenny. Thus, it led his son Duane to die and now feels responsible for the death of the closest thing he's had to a son since. Plus, it had previously happened when Morgan randomly mentioned his son's name instead of talking about Benjamin.
After confronting Richard and learning of his plan to use this tragedy, something inside of Morgan snapped and let go of any relationship he had with Richard before strangling him to death. Morgan then repeats to Gavin, one of Negan's Savior Lieutenants, from what Richard told him. Morgan assured that he "gets it", and that the Kingdom will value their association with the Saviors. Morgan knew that he loathed Richard for causing Benjamin to die, but he doesn't want Benjamin's passing in vain either.
Morgan killed Richard to carry out the sacrifice plan, allowing Richard to have a victory of his own as well. Aside from that, by killing another human being, Morgan has compromised the path of peace that he's been on for quite some time. Furthermore, shifting in a new direction.
To a great extent, as far as what Morgan was doing, he knew he had no plan after killing Richard. As much as Morgan possibly could, he tried to resist what became inevitable to him right up until the end. Morgan asked Richard if he told King Ezekiel what he did, how he caused the death of Benjamin.
And when Richard declined that he hasn't, it became the final straw for Morgan. From what Richard attempted to do with the inevitability of war and the role of sacrifice, Morgan took him at his word. Morgan expected Richard to tell the other Kingdom soldiers that he hasn't done that.
Finally, after hauling Richard's body behind one of the brick-wall stores, Morgan then gently places the dead man inside the open grave with the labeled sign "BURY ME HERE" where Richard previously dug to be buried in after his sacrifice. Morgan grabs the shovel, jabbing it into the pile of Earth, shoulders pinching as he tossed scoops of dirt into Richard's grave.
After a few seconds of shoveling Earth into Richard's grave, Morgan worked on scooping some more until his eyes spotted something else inside the dirt pile of soil. Looking curious, Morgan stabs the shovel tip first to the ground, pulling out what appears to be a little backpack bearing the name Katy.
It belonged to Richard's dead daughter.
Richard mentioned to Morgan that he was traveling with his wife and daughter until they found refuge in a tent city. Unfortunately, disaster struck when fire and brawl broke out, leading to Richard's wife's demise in the process. Three days later, at some point, Katy was gorged by walkers in front of her father. Ever since then, all that became left was her backpack in memory.
Morgan kept the shovel's handle grip on his chest, wiping the loose dirt off with his other hand. Morgan remained neutral yet desolate as he produces a sigh. He lowered the backpack onto Richard's grave, proceeding to conceal it with Richard. After finishing up, Morgan looked at the depressing sight of the burial place now sealed.
All Morgan could exhibit now in himself is regret, dealing with what he is capable of doing or not. When living in the Kingdom, he had the chance to become who he is now and not like he was before. But instead, all of that gain inside him had gone to waste when he killed Richard. Now, Morgan continued getting too closer to his demons than resuming as a peaceful warrior. And no matter what, it's probably safer for everybody around him if he keeps himself to himself.
If this is probably going to be his last opportunity, then it was also necessary for Carol to know what had happened today. Especially what Negan did to Glenn and Abraham. Because right now, Negan and the Saviors need to pay the price, even if it means that they will kill him afterward.
Just as Morgan begins to leave Richard's grave, the temperature of the breeze felt warm all of a sudden.
Morgan had only heard the noises of several walkers, shuffling and groaning in the urban lot, looking for living flesh to eat and infect. But for some reason, when Morgan returns to the middle of the street, there were pentagram symbols on each walker's forehead. Morgan's eyebrow arched higher as he silently arranged his bloodied wooden bo-staff to shoot off and swing a chunk of the first walker off.
After it fell, Morgan spun his bo-staff with two hands clutching firmly before stabbing the next walker in the face. Pulling out with gritted teeth, Morgan steps forth to the third rotter with a leap, followed by an overhead smash in a serve-like motion. Morgan lands on his feet with a scowl before twirling his bo-staff to cleave off another walker's face. Unbeknownst to Morgan, as he was too busy killing off the rest of the leftover undead creatures, something surging with electricity began to emerge in a clear area.
If it was something, it was like nothing Morgan had ever seen, as a ball of light pulsated and grew with each passing second until it exploded. Just then, a hellish crimson portal shot open and emerging from the inside looked somewhat like a humanoid demon with a skull-like head bearing large, prominent horns. The being exhibited bluish-gray skin and wore green suits of armored protection, presumably corrupted versions of Sentinel armor.
This half-breed of both man and demon remained encased in such ancient covering, looking more radiant and satanic, forged in the fires of Hell. His chest and abs were exposed, and the left spiked shoulder plates were oversized. There was a faceplate covering his mouth, seeing as to how the monster's nose was missing with ridges on the forehead just above the horns.
He also kept a garland of skulls around his left thigh, indicating that the demon may act as a headhunter. Lastly, this monster was wielding what appears to be a double-barreled shotgun and a sizable metallic handle.
His eyes suddenly glowed a deep red, paying no attention to Morgan, who stepped away in pure terror and confusion of this demonic living thing. He was as if Morgan had never spoken a single word in his life. Nor could he conjure a sentence to say something to this demonic knight. But then the creature snapped his head toward Morgan so hard it was a miracle the neck didn't break. The gesture caused Morgan to twitch a bit from his body, as he could still hear this cold, mechanical voice.
"Where is the Slayer?"
Now, it was Morgan's turn to speak haltingly, "Who-What are...?"
The Marauder has finally come for him.
"Then your life ends HERE!"
The handle roared to life with a single motion by the hand, becoming an Argent-fueled Battle-Axe as the Marauder promptly flourished the first attack. It caused Morgan to back away in a hopping manner, still currently uncertain as to where this monstrosity originated. He then sidestepped from the Marauder and delivered a strike from his bo-staff, whereas the Marauder lifts a single arm to block Morgan's attack.
"Feeble." said the Marauder before swinging an intense punch right into Morgan's chest.
Morgan staggered a bit and coughed up a bit of blood. Before Morgan knew what happened next, the monster spins his body around to present a kick onto Morgan's face, sending him crashing against one of the decaying vehicles. The Marauder approached the wincing Morgan and began speaking in his same demonic voice.
"Easy yet tedious, human," The Marauder spoke in a rough, lethal tone that carried a strain of dominance as his hand snaked its way down Morgan's neck.
Morgan struggled against the Marauder's grip, "Do you believe that you and your absurd stick would defeat me here and now?"
"W-What are you even...w-where did you...?" The monster began to squeeze Morgan's neck and make him cough in pain.
With enough strength, Morgan grunted while using his legs to bounce off the Marauder and does a backflip on top of the vehicle. While Morgan impacted his body, the car alarm had started to go off as he was in great pain. Quickly and swiftly, the Marauder moved his Argent Battle-Axe upwards and swung down after Morgan, who luckily rolled off the car from getting sliced in half.
Gritting his teeth, Morgan saw as the car set behind him split in half, sliding away from its original frame with a hiss. Just as the Marauder pushed each chunk of the broken-down vehicle away, he turned his head and saw that Morgan was nowhere spotted.
After changing directions once more, the Marauder saw the end of a bo-staff smash into his face. Forcing himself to stagger a bit, the Marauder growled almost viciously as he sees Morgan charging after. The Marauder pushed himself forward with narrowed eyes, gripping with both hands to swing the Argent Battle-Axe. Morgan then jumps aside, and the hunter's Battle-Axe came swinging back at him.
The Marauder rose his Argent Battle-Axe and spun before throwing it like a tomahawk, starting a flight path directed by the Marauder's aim. Before Morgan could attempt another attack, the Argent Battle-Axe came at him at an instant. Morgan leaped out of the way, briefly face to face with the demonic knight that was going to slaughter him. After regaining his stability, Morgan knew this fight might persist longer unless if he can escape from the Marauder.
The Marauder then sees his Argent Battle-Axe reverting its shaft into his grasp. Morgan proceeds to avoid the excited slashes of the Marauder until he zipped straight at him and swung away at the demonic monster's head. The Marauder proved faster with a snarl, bringing his head back and lifting his left knee, and struck Morgan underneath his arm. Morgan became thrown unwary, leaving him open for the Marauder to hurl an uppercut in his stomach, knocking the wind and saliva right out of him.
Morgan only tumbled a bit and knelt nearby the Marauder as he spoke, "There can only be darkness for YOU and only death for humanity."
Morgan grunted as he pointed the bo-staff at the Marauder, "W-What do you want from me?"
"This Earth of yours is just the beginning for the Priests' reprisal upon you all." The Marauder came forth, unleashing a right hammer fist to Morgan's shoulder that knocked him back, his posterior slamming onto the ground.
"They will have me command a great and terrifying weapon of consumption. And our armies shall sail through numerous worlds." The Marauder's voice oozed with a hint of malice and coldness, "Until every light becomes extinguished."
As Morgan picked himself up once more, the Marauder balled his left hand before back-fisting him into another busted vehicle. Morgan's anger increased as he bared his teeth towards the Marauder, who continued to bring his discourse to the final judgment.
"You are strong, human. But I am beyond strength; I am the END." The demonic knight then tilts his head until drawing the double-barrel shotgun upon Morgan.
Morgan grunted as he tries to shake out of his painful stupor. He followed up with a rapid flurry of swipes right in the demonic hunter's face. While Morgan's strikes were enough to stun the Marauder, but both his wrist and gloved gauntlets prevented any real damages from being caused.
Morgan grimly stared at the Marauder, sprinting onward from another direction instead of attacking the demonic knight head-on recklessly. He forced himself to dodge the rapidly oscillating Battle-Axe as the Marauder kept chasing Morgan. As they neared a few small buildings, Morgan was surprised by the Marauder's reappearance as he tried to swat him away with his bo-staff. Coming close to Morgan again, the Marauder drew his double-barreled shotgun to try and blast Morgan away. But both warriors parried each other as they sought not to break form and stride.
The Marauder effortlessly jumped high above Morgan before making a rough landing on the remains of a broken sidewalk nearby a small commerce center. Drawing out the double-barreled shotgun again, the Marauder opened fire at Morgan, with him dodging out of the way. Landing on his feet behind a different vehicle, Morgan tried to think of a way to get past the Marauder and warn Carol of the occurrence. Morgan knew he would have to stall this beast until the Kingdom soon becomes aware.
Peeking out before charging towards another broken-down car, the Marauder lunges onward until his Argent Battle-Axe sliced through and kicked away the chunks of the damaged car. Morgan growled through his teeth in annoyance as he could feel the Marauder rushing through him, followed by Morgan extending his bo-staff against the Marauder's Argent Battle-Axe. The Marauder's hand reappeared behind Morgan, grabbing and launching him up onto one of the buildings' roofs.
Morgan impacted on the solid concrete roof before hearing the Marauder sounding out, then vaulted himself to his adversary's position. But Morgan rolled himself to the other side's far end, escaping from the Marauder's brutal collision to create cracks all around. Morgan gets up to his feet only barely as he turned around to see the blast of aura surge in his way. Morgan looked to the Marauder, who was preparing for another slash of his Argent Battle-Axe. But Morgan rolled away to avoid the attack, and the swipe cut through a large share of the building's roof.
The Marauder snarled in his response to attacking Morgan with the most destructive one he had ever shown. Casting one of the skulls in his garland, the Marauder tossed like a grenade until it rang a sizzling noise. Initially confused at what the Marauder did, Morgan took notice that the skull's green glow intensified and vibrated out of control.
*BOOM*
In a hurry, Morgan tossed himself over the ledge on the roof, an explosion broke out and tore a large half of the roof to pieces. He fell straight onto a dark green dumpster and then struck the ground afterward. Morgan coughed, his body shaking with emotions mixed between anxiety and excitement. His eyes looked around inside an alleyway and saw what appeared to be summoned by the Marauder, resembling orange spectral wolves. Those were the Hellhounds.
Hastily spotting a near-opened door close by, Morgan struggled to get back up on his feet and speeds his way over. He made his way inside before slamming the door shut behind him. Morgan got met with total blackness, and he felt his skin beginning to crawl in an emotional strain of what might be in the dark. Morgan cautiously made his way through as there wasn't much light available to see, but there were a few working lights still blinking. It must have been some sort of backup generator still working somewhere around the urban lot. The hallway was empty but scattered with papers and some chattels, not one of those bizarre-looking dogs seconds ago, and especially that monster attacking Morgan.
Just as Morgan hesitantly pushed another door open with his bo-staff, his eyes scanning across the room for any signs of threat. He had barely finished the thought when a buzzing noise caught his attention. Morgan readjusted the bo-staff in his grip fiercely, taking a few steps forward. In a few seconds, Morgan finally came to a door, above it was an exit sign in bright red. Nearly sagging in relief, Morgan's expression soon dropped dead when he saw what appears to be a wasp-like shadow. Soon, Morgan could recognize there were more swarming all around the walls like a pack of horseflies.
Only the worst part was that underneath these things, were resembling human babies with many changes to their bodies. On its back, there were these insect-like wings that generated the buzzing as each of their eyes glowed and teeth became sharper. While having stumpy limbs, the additional arms included large claws. Its lower body had the abdomen of a wasp, combined with a venomous stinger.
These were called the Fallen Cherubs.
Morgan's body shook as his eyes were witnessed all around in horror and shock until realizing that he has to leave. Suddenly, hovering in his way, a Fallen Cherub made babbling sounds until it screeches out of fury. Morgan soon screams with tension before swatting the demonic thing to the ground, stabbing it afterward. Several glowing eyes directed towards him, causing two or three Fallen Cherubs to dart straight at Morgan. With fire in his eyes, Morgan angrily used his bo-staff to thrust and fight off the Fallen Cherubs coming after him.
With no Eastman to mentor him, Morgan had permitted himself to murder and to maim everything in his path. And with none of his friends from the Kingdom to support him, Morgan brought forth misery and cruelty. As the Fallen Cherubs produced their guts, screeching, and violence to manifest, Morgan clenched his bo-staff and fought them to their last.
Morgan jumped forward towards a demonic infant, its claws aiming towards his head. But he ducked and zipped to the side. Morgan moved quickly, his face grim while the Fallen Cherubs screeched at him, charging back with another whip of their stingers and claws. A few tried three times to slash Morgan with such haste, but he dodged them swiftly within the motion of his bo-staff.
Morgan's first assault was performed, just as he has practiced since the day he met Eastman. But something else drove him ahead in his blindingly wild flurry of lethal motions with the bo-staff. Something within Morgan demanded more to clear. Something infinitely more devious than his former self.
"Clear!...CLEAR!...CLEAR!" Morgan's thoughts shouted from the demonic incarnate that was within him.
Morgan swats several more of the Fallen Cherubs, twirling his bo-staff to channel more strength and speed. The more these things kept flying around at high speed, the relentless Morgan was becoming. All Morgan could hear now were the pitch cries of agony and madness as he continued swinging, smashing, and socking until everything laid silent forever.
Morgan, who now became thoroughly saturated with blood, stood tall above the copious remains of the Fallen Cherubs. He was breathing harder than he ever had while his whole body shook from what transpired. Morgan didn't know whether he was hallucinating at the sight of demonic infants turned to wasps. Or the fact that there is a monster out there searching for him. Morgan wasn't sure how he had gotten into this situation as he set eyes upon the carnage surrounding him. All he knew was that he has to find Carol before that thing gets to her first.
Morgan shoots forward, shoving the door open with a troubled expression before getting hit by a blindingly bright light from the outside. He recovered once his eyes adjusted and made his way through another alleyway quietly. Checking his surroundings, Morgan cuts his way out and in through a grassy part of the forest to Carol's cottage near the Kingdom.
Obscure to Morgan, after he disappears from the scene, standing high on top of a building's roof was the Marauder. His glaring orbs kept an extra close watch upon the boundaries from where Morgan left. The Marauder then grunted, springing from the rooftop to plant his feet on the ground. Two Hellhounds each came to his side, growling demonically for their next order.
"Track his scent down," The Marauder eyed one Hellhound on his right, then looking to his left, "Gather the rest of the pack and avoid being caught. Your supper will come soon enough." He completed his sentence while looking at each hellish dog with a psychotic gleam in his eyes.
After seconds for the Hellhounds to understand what the Marauder proposed, they both dashed onward to fulfill their task at hand, paw-wise. The demonic knight himself reverts his Argent Battle-Axe into a handle form before progressing into the woods.
"You have stolen all from me. And your debts must be paid, Slayer..."
Sooner or later, the Doom Slayer will be right in the palm of Hell's grasp.
Daryl continued his traipse through the trail of Oceanside's forest. He swung his head all around the area he was arriving within, searching for a glimpse of Aaron or Eric. He knows that Aaron was skillful, daring, willing to jump out in front to risk his life. But Daryl didn't know whether or not Eric survived alongside Aaron. When Daryl first met Eric, he got injured quickly. Daryl had seen the fear in his eyes. Some people like Eric would never last long in this world. They were easy prey. They were the ones that got left behind while the others had a running chance at getting away. Aaron had been the one who kept him alive this long, and here now, Eric was much safer at home than being out beyond the protective walls of Alexandria.
"Daryl, wait up!" Jesus called out, catching up from behind the archer. "Did you find them?"
"Nah," Daryl answered solemnly. "I heard Eric scream, a couple of gunshots, and I just started running."
"We got to find them before anything else happens," Jesus said after a few seconds.
As they made their way around the grassy area so they could resume finding Aaron and Eric, Jesus seemed to question something, "What do you think happened with that guy Rick and Michonne found?"
"What about him?" Daryl's harsh tone said it all with a frown.
Jesus rolled his eyes before looking serious, "Look, I may not know what had occurred by the time he was brought in with you guys. But there was something about this guy that made me panic. When I was in front of him, it was as if his eyes were staring right into my soul. Like he knew about the different encounters I've faced alone before meeting you all. And I thought that something was going to happen to me sooner or later. Maybe death or hardship, until he let go of me."
Daryl stopped, his shoulders hitching as he takes a look at Jesus. "What difference does that make for him running off on us? I'm still going to kill him when we find him." He replied, his voice raised with anger.
Jesus realized what he had asked and looked for a second to speak, "Daryl, there has to have been a reason-!"
"What excuse would that guy have for almost breaking your arm?" Daryl shot back. "What the hell do YOU think happened back there? That kind of shit happens all the time everywhere, which is why we can't trust him. That's why Rick should've never let his guard down. Once you do, you invite in the chaos."
"But Rick stopped you, didn't he?" Jesus asked, looking at Daryl. "He knew the big guy wasn't going to harm me even if he tried."
"Only because he's a threat," Daryl said quietly, looking around the place for the gay couple.
Jesus sighed, knowing Daryl, much like everyone else he knew, did not trust the Slayer. Not long after coming to Alexandria, Jesus and Enid struck up a questionable curiosity with how the Slayer looked and acted when Rick and Michonne found him on the road. The Hilltop scout found out about the Slayer's actions among the Alexandrians and the Garbage People, even the lethal tactics he used to fight off the undead. The Slayer never stopped killing the walkers, nor did he tire out.
The Slayer just resumed his opposing self, doing what is needed to survive out in the open. Jesus also found out about Daryl getting pissed, and he wanted to kill the Slayer for almost choking Rick to death. Later, when Jesus talked to the Slayer, he didn't know what to describe him as but an enigma and determining whether or not he was worthy of helping them fight the Saviors.
Jesus begins to speak, "Are you sure it's-"
*BOOM*
But he soon got interrupted and surprised by what transpired next. A sudden scream caught Daryl and Jesus' attention alongside a few explosive, fiery sounds. Cautiously, Jesus studied the commotion going on out in the distance with his automatic rifle, and Daryl pointed his crossbow to step closer.
"That had to be Aaron," Jesus spoke after seconds of silence between them.
"Let's try to keep it down," Daryl said, looking around the area. "We don't want anybody else stalking on-"
"RUN!" Aaron's voice yelled out.
As Aaron popped out of the bushes and trees to run quicker, chasing him from behind was the Hell-Knight. It threw off flashes of inflamed fire from its fists and growled nastily, charging onward. Daryl's eyes grew in slight shock much as Jesus did, but he was more perplexed in his mind of what is happening now.
"What the fuck!?" Daryl cursed, his tone was still rough.
"Get away from that thing, Aaron!" Jesus shouted, shooting at the Hell-Knight despite that it charged through each shot.
The action starts as Daryl aimed his crossbow and shot at the Hell-Knight, in which the demonic beast only roared and smacked the bolt away to continue following Aaron. Doubling its power, the Hell-Knight performed a massive leap towards Aaron, but he got tackled out of the way by his redneck friend.
"AARON, LOOK OUT!" Daryl shouted when he grabbed his friend from more harm.
The Hell-Knight's impact shook the entire ground amazingly, causing a crater to emerge widely. Using enough time to run the other way, Jesus opened fire on the Hell-Knight until it starts charging after him next.
"Oh, god..." Jesus almost stuttered at the sight of the Hell-Knight coming.
He hurried away while eyeing the vile beast sparingly, and then shrugged his backpack aside. The Hell-Knight's fist became coated in a scorching aura, attempting to deliver an uppercut punch onto Jesus. However, the man barrel-rolled to the side behind the Hell-Knight. Roaring in anger, the Hell-Knight sends forth a charge attack onto Jesus, who once again, dashed to the side to avoid getting rammed.
Jesus remained active as he fired a few shots at the Hell-Knight, who continued to snarl loudly, feeling more annoyed. Within seconds, the Hell-Knight could see that Jesus was so focused on his friends that he didn't notice its fist coming at him until the last moment. The sudden attack horrified Jesus as he felt his skin break under the force of the blow cracking and gushing blood as he got punched against a tree barely conscious.
Jesus hadn't had the breath to plead or warn Daryl and only struggled to watch the Hell-Knight blasting itself at Jesus. But he wasn't going down without a fight. Jesus tucked his legs in as best as he could with the Hell-Knight's blazing fist getting closer, pushing himself out of the way, and barrel-rolled away from his aggressor. The Hell-Knight's massive fist pierced through the first couple of trees, shattering chunks of wood that sent various trees crashing down. Twisting within the ruined part of the forest, the Hell-Knight emitted a destructive growl before sprinting right after Jesus once more.
Jesus kept struggling against the Hell-Knight, "Uh, guys! A little help would be appreciated!"
Not before long, another bolt from Daryl's crossbow stuck right into one of the Hell-Knight's hind legs to stumble its balance. A sharp hiss came as the Hell-Knight felt the stinging pain of its wound, but didn't recoil in defense or fear. All the Hell-Knight could do was slam its fists into the ground and begin to rush toward Daryl and Aaron.
"Shit!" Daryl cursed.
"We got to split up away from this thing!" Aaron suggested without thinking clearly about what to do.
Both men soon separated from each other as the Hell-Knight tackled Daryl into a tree before hoisting him up in the air with one hand. The archer struggled against the demonic goliath as he started to kick its face.
"Motherfuck-KURR!" Daryl almost choked out from the Hell-Knight's vicious grip.
"DARYL!" Aaron stops himself to help Daryl, yanking his dagger out to sink into the back of the brute's neck. It caused the monster to roar before punching Aaron away. And then swings Daryl in a circular motion and threw him into Aaron, knocking them both down.
Growling lowly, the Hell-Knight stepped its way toward Daryl and Aaron to stomp on them to death, only to receive several bullets piercing through its muscular structure. Jesus held his automatic rifle directly at the Hell-Knight while shooting a couple of rounds.
Jesus kept shooting at the Hell-Knight, "GET AWAY FROM THEM!"
"Holy fuck, what just happened!?" Scott's voice shouted out of nowhere.
Until suddenly, Jesus heard Tobin's team arriving at the scene with shocked horror in their eyes. Francine, Beatrice, and Kathy stumbled back, screaming while Tobin and Scott both had their guns brought out and ready to shoot.
"Everyone, get out of here NOW!" Jesus pleaded with a shout of his own.
The Hell-Knight roared with fury, bounding over Daryl and Aaron to try and attack Tobin's team. Jesus looked on the verge of having a heart attack and tried to shout at them, until...
*BANG*
A shotgun blast came and hit the Hell-Knight square in its chest, as the tension in the area was thick. Neither Jesus nor anyone else on Tobin's team made a sudden move.
"What the hell?" Francine said in confusion.
The Hell-Knight screeched in agony while another two shotgun rounds pierced through, followed by the impact of the Slayer's boot arriving alongside Eric. He stood straight and charged at the Hell-Knight with his right arm raised, and then as on cue, the Hell-Knight assails the Slayer. He betted on the Hell-Knight's face and dodged the punch to the left, and with his right hand, the Slayer grabbed the left arm of the Hell-Knight to twist its arm unnaturally.
And just like that, ripping the Hell-Knight's arm out its socket, the Slayer proceeded to batter the monster down. Everyone present in the area couldn't believe their eyes, just as the Slayer discharged one last shot of the combat shotgun that tore through the Hell-Knight's head clean. Making the Hell-Knight's body go limp on the ground, the Slayer gazed at the surrounding area to inspect every survivor's surprised look. He stood nearby as Eric stayed behind him, and then he sees what appeared to be two of Oceanside's women.
"Everyone seemed fine, at least. Luckily enough, it doesn't look like anybody else got killed on my way over here." The Slayer pondered, eyeing everyone here.
"Christ, that is sick!" Tobin exclaimed in disgust, gagging softly at the look of the headless demon corpse.
"Who is that man?" Beatrice asked, looking surprised while Kathy eyed such an unusual sight to see.
The Slayer didn't care about how long they planned on staring at him like that. And once he disregarded them, the Slayer pulled Eric out by the arm and showed him to Aaron unharmed. Daryl and Aaron, who were both on the ground seconds ago, gaped at how the Slayer finished off the Hell-Knight, unable to find the words until Aaron spots Eric.
"Eric, you're okay!" Aaron shouted with relief, standing up, and runs towards Eric.
"Aaron! Oh god, it was horrible! I didn't want to leave you with that thing chasing after, but there was this monster floating after me. I almost thought that was it for me like I wouldn't ever see you again. That is until the big guy showed up and saved my skin from being torn apart." Eric revealed in a slight whimper before embracing his lover.
Francine cursed in surprise, "Oh, shit, is that true?"
After hearing Eric's petrifying explanation, Aaron set his eyes over to where the Slayer stood to watch and shrugged his shoulder a bit.
"Oh, my god, thank you! Thank you for saving Eric, big guy. I don't know what I'd do if he weren't here." Aaron responded with a genuine smile.
The Slayer's eyes looked over to watch Aaron and Eric hug each other again, whereas Daryl glared right at him after standing back up. While the redneck hunter was pissed about the Slayer leaving his post, everyone else seemed thankful enough to be alive right now. Jesus soon rushed over to the Slayer to check if everybody was unharmed and safe, then glances back at him with a smile.
"Thanks for taking care of that thing, big guy," Jesus expressed his gratitude to the Slayer, "I didn't think if you were going-!"
Suddenly interrupting Jesus, a bolt shot off at the Slayer, who effortlessly caught it just in time to glare at the angry-looking redneck. Daryl roared, full of rage, as he launched his attack at the Slayer that previously fled from the band of survivors. Daryl's fist managed to collide with the Slayer's helmet without hesitation while he remained stoic from that punch. Daryl tried to hoist his crossbow before the Slayer smacked it aside and elbowed the redneck's torso. The next thing Daryl knew, he was on the ground. Daryl rolled back to his feet with a seething fury and shot a scowl at the Slayer.
"YOU FUCKER! RICK SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED YOU!" Daryl aims his crossbow right at the Slayer once more. "I'll kill you right here and now!"
When Daryl's crossbow got into the Slayer's face, he stayed unimpressed as he did not flinch or back down from him. The Slayer eyed him dangerously and then leaned towards Daryl to make him back off. However, Daryl still gave the Slayer a fuming look, eyes shooting daggers. Fortunately enough, Jesus positions himself between both of them with arms spread to keep each one separated.
"Daryl, relax! We would all be dead now if it weren't for him! Plus, Eric's still alive too." Jesus opposed calmly, turning to the Slayer next, "Do you know what's going on here?"
Before Daryl could rebuke back Jesus, the Slayer activated VEGA's external speaker to communicate with the Earth survivors.
VEGA: {Greetings survivors of Earth. I am VEGA, now the artificial intelligence that accompanies the Doom Slayer within his Praetor Suit.}
Right now, VEGA's sudden introduction from the Praetor Suit caused everyone to flinch in surprise. The Slayer rolled his eyes in exasperation since he did not want to keep himself in this spot for long until VEGA's completed his explanation.
"D-Did you just say something, big guy?" Jesus asked as he was surprised a little bit.
"Who the fucking hell just said that? Are there two of you in there?" said Scott, not knowing how to make heads or tails of what was happening right in front of them.
VEGA: {Negative. I speak for the Doom Slayer.}
"And the Doom Slayer, that's him?" Jesus asked, slowly pointing to the Slayer.
VEGA: {Correct. Everything will get explained shortly. We can understand that you're afraid, in shock perhaps since this is somehow new.}
Daryl did not seem surprised, only curious.
"Not really," Daryl growled, keeping his aim, "I want answers NOW!"
"Daryl, please!" Aaron soothes peacefully, his hand clasped onto Daryl's chest before turning towards the Slayer, "Okay, dumb question. Where do you guys come from?"
VEGA: {The Slayer comes from what I can only assume would be an alternate world of Earth, and within that realm, he had just escaped from Hell. The area inside Oceanside's perimeter has dangerously become infested by demons. One of them that is dead on the ground is a Hell-Knight, a towering brute built for combat deep in the bowels of Hell.}
Everyone else looked at the Slayer as if for the first time, leading to where Francine begins stuttering, "W-Wait! Wait a minute! You're saying that Hell is REAL?"
"Oh, my god..." Aaron said silently.
"Demons? From literal Hell?" Tobin asked skeptically.
VEGA: {Correct. We live in a world filled with the undead. Would it be that difficult to believe?}
The Slayer watched as both Francine and Tobin didn't have any answers for that one, but Jesus became a tad query about this himself.
"If that's true, VEGA, then how did they even get here?" Jesus asked, curiosity piling up into a conversation with VEGA, causing the Slayer to grunt in agitation for how much time is wasting.
VEGA: {I'm afraid I can't answer that question right now, considering the Slayer's urgency for Oceanside's safety if the demons are not stopped just as the undead when they arrive.}
"So, you're saying that there's more of these things everywhere, and they came here to kill us just like the walkers?!" Daryl asked VEGA, almost outraged for everyone's sake.
VEGA: {Worse than you could imagine, Daryl Dixon. For how much time is left, the Slayer's mission is to destroy the remaining demonic presence. The Gore Nest is what's bringing more undead creatures to Oceanside, so if we act quickly, we might save its people.}
The group took a moment to take that information all in like a bowl of alphabet soup, "If all of this is happening, then we have no time to lose now! We need to make sure that Rick and the others are all aware of this!" Jesus said.
"Wait a minute, Paul," Tobin commented, "We still need to get to that weapon storage so that we can keep this place safe."
"Damn straight," Scott agreed, with Francine presenting a single nod.
Both Beatrice and Kathy looked at each other reluctantly before Kathy pointed at the Slayer, "What about him?"
Slowing down for these guys didn't sit well at all with the Slayer. By now, the survivors were centering the Slayer as the attraction in this group. VEGA could elicit what his motives are when working together with humans. It would seem that the Slayer will have to do what he can to keep the remaining survivors from being harmed by the demons. The Slayer gave everybody a dead expression in reply before calmly nodding to VEGA as his consent with coming along.
VEGA: {The Slayer will accompany you all in order of searching for the weapon storage. But please try not to get in the Slayer's way of destroying the demons nearby.}
"Good enough for me," Jesus replied with a smile, turning to everyone, "Right?"
The Slayer's eyes kept guarded as each survivor was nodding at each other. Daryl, on the other hand, simply gives the Slayer a doubtful scowl like he didn't want to trust him at all. But he knew that Rick and everyone else would be in serious trouble if they don't move right now. After a few seconds, Daryl slowly descended his crossbow with ease and gave a consented huff as his mutual response.
Without a moment to lose, the group began following Aaron and Eric in front of them. They moved down the trail with most of the survivors either nearby and behind the Slayer. The group was all advancing their feet roughly together, keeping each guard up for any more demons along the way. After a minute or two, the Slayer didn't have a chance to blink as Jesus came next to where he remained.
"The Slayer, right?" Jesus asked between uncertainty and curiosity. "I know this sounds insistent to you and all, but I certainly didn't expect your name to be called that."
VEGA: {In a way, much of the Slayer's past life still resides as obscure. He doesn't discuss it with people he has just met. But back to before, we were on Mars, and the Slayer got sent to Hell a few times.}
"So, he's dead then?" Daryl stated, almost confused at the moment.
VEGA: {No, the Slayer is very much alive. He is the only being ever to set foot into Hell with free will and escape through victory.}
"Why were you on Mars?" Eric asked, curious. He oddly didn't seem as frightened as everyone else was of the Slayer. Moreover, Eric seemed a bit interested than scared. After all, the Slayer did save his life just an hour earlier.
VEGA: {Because the Earth in our universe was declining from an energy crisis. Due to a fatal error, the planet was combusting until it neared a total extinction event upon all inhabitants. The Union Aerospace Corporation set up a research facility on the planet Mars and attempted to draw a source known as Argent Energy from Hell. After purification, it would provide us with unlimited, renewable energy.}
Eyes began to grow wide from the news and a chorus of "What?" and "How?" echoed around the group.
"You dug a hole into Hell so you could get some of their energy?" Beatrice commented, walking alongside Kathy, simplifying what VEGA had stated.
VEGA: {Essentially, yes.}
"S-So… what happened?" Kathy asked, almost stuttering in awe.
Before VEGA could reveal more about the UAC's story, there was a sudden snarl as the Slayer started to detect two Cacodemons hovering from above Oceanside's weapon storage. Daryl and Jesus both widen their eyes in shock at the sight, where everybody else paled as well.
"What the fuck are those things!?" Daryl gritted his teeth, aiming his crossbow towards the one-eyed demons.
"It's them again! NOT AGAIN!" Eric trembled in fear, shaking his head rapidly as Aaron kept him from harm.
"Everybody, be on guard and keep yourselves at bay." Jesus held his automatic rifle up before turning to the Slayer, "VEGA, what are these-"
VEGA: {You all should stand back for this. The Slayer can handle dealing with the Cacodemons.}
Before Jesus could question anything else, the Slayer glowered in determination once his feet pushed him off and dashing towards these floating one-eyed demons. One of them begins firing projectiles at the Slayer, causing him to dodge and pull out the Rocket Launcher to shoot a couple of rockets.
Each impact caused one of the Cacodemons to stagger only slightly, giving the Slayer a chance to use the Delta V Jump-Boots to jump in midair with another small upward thrust. The Slayer gripped tightly onto one of the four stunted limbs that are now useless, making him swing backward and forward with the Cacodemon shrieking in panic.
Flipping underneath to the back of the first Cacodemon, the Slayer pressed his feet to launch himself back toward the second Cacodemon. Unlucky for the first one-eyed demon, the force from the Slayer's feet caused it to be penetrated through the mouth and killed by a protruding tree branch nearby.
Back to where he was, the Slayer switched to the combat shotgun again and fired a sticky bomb in the creature's mouth shut. As the Cacodemon gulped before bloating from the sticky bomb's explosion, the Slayer used his thrust boots once more to drive his fist into its glowing eyeball. The Cacodemon's wriggling and agonized shrieks had little effect as the Slayer was now leaning his entire body over.
Fortunately, this didn't become increasingly difficult; it almost came tumbling down and causing the Slayer to grunt. However, after a tug on the switch, the Slayer was able to get his chainsaw alive with a petrifying buzzing noise. And with it, the Slayer raised and drove the chainsaw down until blue blood scattered on the Praetor Suit.
Just when the Slayer's feet went and shivered the ground, the Cacodemon's bloodsoaked corpse toppled another spot nearby. As the Slayer turned his head to check on everyone, all the survivors were still staring with absolute astonishment and aversion at the scene. Their pupils stretched to their maximum area. Shrugging his left shoulder, the Slayer soon ignored them, putting away the chainsaw and digging out the heavy assault rifle. Afterward, the Slayer checked in with VEGA's scanner to track any demonic proximities, gaining a notification from VEGA's symbol.
VEGA: {Demonic presences are lurking within the center of Oceanside. I will try to lock into any heat signatures upon Rick Grimes and Oceanside's leader on your HUD.}
*HISS*
Just before any of the Earth survivors could utter a single word or even move. The rush seemed to repeat itself as the Slayer witnessed three or four more Imps sounding their way towards the group. Daryl took sight at one of the Imps chucking a fireball after him, causing him to quickly move and shoot a bolt right through its left eye, killing it.
"Everybody! Spread out! We got to get to the guns!" Daryl shouted out through gritted teeth as he reloaded his crossbow.
Watching as the survivors moved from their original positions, the Slayer whipped out the plasma rifle before shooting small bright blue spheres at two Imps. Each shot melted through their skin and tore chunks of meat from their bodies, followed by rushing over to where another few Imps were blocking the weapon storage. When the Slayer reached them, he swung at an Imp to the left first, bashing its nose and caving his other fist through the skull next. The Slayer twirled his leg to kick the second Imp, knocking its ass to the ground. Then, he gifted several shots of the plasma rifle to disintegrate its body to bloody mush.
Quickly enough, Beatrice and Kathy came along as they went and opened the weapon storage door. It revealed a haul of military-grade firearms in all varieties. The Slayer had to admit that everything here looked quite impressive since any demon is vulnerable and able to die from any sort of gunfire if powerful. It showed RPGs, submachine guns, PDWs, carbines, rifles, pistols, shotguns, and miniguns.
The two women began to pick out whatever weapon they could get their hands on tightly until the Slayer's sensors picked up on an enhanced lifeform heading this way. Swiftly enough, the Slayer spotted an Imp swinging from the roof of the weapon shed and tried to kick him, to which he blocked with both forearms. Then by grabbing two of its legs, the Slayer swung the fiendish devil over and threw it against a tree. The impact caused the Imp to stagger a bit before Beatrice fired a shotgun in its stomach, followed by the Slayer rushing over to uppercut the demon until finally buried a knee into the dead Imp's face.
Several more Imps screeched out at Kathy as she opened fire on two Imps with her assault rifle and then evade another Imp who tried to slash at her but received a dagger through the skull. Reaching from his hip, the Slayer pulled out the super shotgun and leveled the close-range weapon towards a few Imps. The next thing one of them felt was a shotgun blast in the chest, causing its body to crumple to the ground. Kathy and Beatrice were both surprised as they watched the Slayer step over a few carcasses and charge through. The Slayer then aimed and blew off a couple of heads.
One of the Imps lurked around from where Kathy remains, springing right out to leap and present her with a sharpened swipe. Luckily for her, the Slayer's head turned so fast, everyone could hear the bones in his neck pop and grab the demon by the throat in midair. Afterward, the Slayer stuck his super shotgun down to use his other hand to rip the Imp's jaw off. The results became gory as the demon got tossed to the side, where it began lying in a pool of blood. Kathy stepped away, looking pale, then watched the Slayer pick up the super shotgun and push on past her and Beatrice.
Tobin, alongside Francine and Scott, kept firing upon a few Imps that escalated from the trees. Jesus, who was with both Aaron and Eric, couldn't help but hear something crawling and slithering at an alarming speed nearby.
Before Daryl could know whoever arrived, he saw the Slayer leaping right in front of them to now pointing the plasma rifle at what appeared to be a strange-looking demon. It was a cybernetic snake-type monster with two thin horns curving up and backward over its exposed brain head. Its arms seemed to have long, black gloves while wielding a chain whip ending in a curved blade. From its abdomen down, the monster's anatomy remained cybernetic and snakelike.
VEGA: {The demon is called a Whiplash. From what I could analyze about this serpent creature, it appears to be Hell's latest conception with the UAC's cybernetic augmentations. It will get into positions to use an advantage against you. And it will try to attack you intensely with its energy chain-blades and energy blasts.}
Everyone else who was witnessing this snake-type demon became shocked at the sight. A moment later, the Whiplash hissed ever so spitefully until beginning to twitch, slithering onward at a quick pace. In response to the demon's sudden action, the Slayer glared with a burning determination before pushing himself forth at the same speed to finish this battle against the Whiplash.
Somewhere just outside the Kingdom territories, there was a small, simple cottage surrounded by an iron fence and a graveyard inside. Settling herself on the couch was a middle-aged, gray-haired woman named Carol Peletier. She sat back relaxed, reading one of the books from the shelves as a log began to split, cracking in the heat of her fireplace.
Evolving from a quiet, meek, and abused housewife and mother, to a stone-cold sniper covered in blood, Carol learned through medical experiences, and she became an advisor to Rick. She could not only kill walkers professionally, but she was able to make tough calls about killing living people as well.
After the Governor and Rick, not all of the decisions she had made were the right ones. Killing Karen and David to prevent the flu outbreak back at the prison didn't stop it completely. However, the agonizing decision Carol made to kill her adoptive daughter Lizzie probably was the right call. Lizzie proved herself to be irredeemably dangerous when she killed her sister, Mika. Some of the people Carol has killed weren't hard choices at all. Especially when she took out members of the Wolves.
Those Saviors from before would have also killed her, and then found their way to Alexandria if Carol hadn't taken them out. And killing the cannibals at Terminus was a no-brainer. Even if they weren't that difficult, Carol's agitation and actions made her exile herself to avoid destroying more lives. Losing her flesh-and-blood, as well as her adoptive daughters, may have pushed her further into the darkness, but she still tries to manage for herself and the people she cares about dearly.
Carol looked up from her book in silence for a time, watching the dancing flames in the fireplace. Carol's mind began to wander to thoughts of when she met the so-called Shakespearian 'ruler' of The Kingdom. Born somehow into the world, the community has grown into a medieval culture with a kook at the wheel. And even better, he has a tiger too. Morgan had told her that she had been out for a couple of days. The place had gardens, children sitting in a classroom-type environment on an open porch, deserted school buses parked around, and guards stationed with spears. Even though Carol had to stay for a few weeks to recuperate herself, it didn't jive with her plan to get away from everyone.
When Morgan presented Carol to the King, he was sitting on his throne in the middle of a school building's auditorium. At his side was an enormous tiger, Shiva. At his back, he had a jolly-looking bodyguard named Jerry. In this situation, Carol was no doubt baffled by what she had witnessed, while not so much by the tiger. She was this kind of woman who knew how to handle the sadistic, imposing types of people in the world.
But by King Ezekiel's eccentricities, she did get a bit annoyed by this. With calling himself the King, his speeches and mannerisms drip with the flamboyance of a Shakespearian acting troupe. He was chattering like a Don Quixote for that matter as if some person's brain has become warped by enough fairy tales and believing that fictional worlds exist. Despite how Morgan's been contributing to this newly discovered society, everything about Ezekiel and the Kingdom was all just make-believe and playtime.
Not before long had Carol got to learn more about Ezekiel by the time he dropped his regal persona. He was nothing more than a regular zookeeper who attended Shiva when she wounded herself inside her cage. Shiva was lucky enough to be one of the only animals left alive in the zoo. And from then on, it sparked a connection between man and animal, protecting each other ever since then. Carol could remember the words he said to her back at the Kingdom before she left.
"Where there's life there's hope; heroism, grace, love," he says.
As Carol's eyes played along the lines of the room and set before her brick fireplace, she had also thought of Daryl too. Staying with the group would have meant being forced to kill again. And if Carol did that, she couldn't live with herself. Carol knew she could still engage against the Saviors, but even if she did, there would not be much left of herself after that. All she hopes right now is that Daryl and everyone else back at Alexandria is safe for now. But something still tells her that Daryl has been hiding something from her when he visited her after Ezekiel's. Especially when Benjamin...
She sighed to herself and rose from her spot after putting away the book, leaving frustrated through the door out back behind the cottage. Carol could remember how everything turned out when Benjamin bled out from his wound and ultimately dies. Benjamin was entirely too pure for this world, and Morgan had to put him down before he reanimated. Before Carol would have pondered more, her eyes became slightly alarmed by a tiny sound from across the forest area in the backyard. It's a good thing Carol had always brought her rifle along with her whenever she came outside for her reasons to survive.
Another vibration came to be like somebody was rushing toward Carol's cottage, causing her fingers to twist through with her rifle raised. She bit down on her lower lip, listening as something came closer and closer. Every passing second, adrenaline flooded her systems, pumping and beating like it's trying to escape. Carol held the rifle with ease as her finger brushed the trigger. But she didn't shoot for when she sees Morgan appearing before her.
Morgan's breath was ragged and irregular when he uttered, "Carol..."
By now, Carol could only see that Morgan looked like he had been through a bloodbath. But before she was able to speak or do anything, Morgan was already on the move as he quickly checked their surroundings. He made sure that there was no sight of that demonic knight, or especially any of the Hellhounds lurking within the area for him.
"Morgan, what happened to you?" Carol asked.
"There's no time! Did you see anything out here!?" Morgan questioned so seriously that it made Carol flinch, "Any wolves that were glowing or babies turned into bugs!? They might be coming here right now unless I get you as far away from here as possible!"
Morgan's rambling was beginning to upset Carol as she replied, "Morgan, what are you talking about?"
The dark-skinned man halted his words for a bit and began to speak once more, "Listen to me, Carol. It's not safe for you to be out here at this moment. I got attacked by something else. It wasn't a walker, nor did it feel like a living person anymore. I managed to get away from that thing and come to you first before anything else might've happened."
Carol soon became just as sincere as Morgan was, "Wait, what's going to happen-?"
She was soon interrupted by a long, loud, demonic sound of a wolf howling somewhere, causing Morgan to recoil and clutch his bo-staff while searching around. Carol, who remained involved at this point, kept her rifle tightly in her hands. She walked closer to Morgan when his back kept turning each side before her and raised the long-barrelled firearm nearby.
"Carol, no," Morgan said, preparing his endurance for the battle that was bound to happen. "Whatever comes out from here, I want you to get as far away from here, and warn the Kingdom of what's happened. I'm going to hold them all off. But I do not want you, or any of them involved in this, or they'll all die."
"Morgan, I'm not leaving you here-!" Carol tried to speak.
But of course, Morgan quickly interrupts, "The thing that attacked me spoke. And it told me that there's more of them, coming here to kill the weak, the strong, and more to come afterward. You have to leave me here, NOW!"
Suddenly, a demonic canine growl had emitted from within the shadows of the forest, until several more soon followed. Just as Morgan swung his bo-staff forward in the process of fighting the Hellhounds, one of the orange spectral wolves popped out to take a bite out of him. But as Morgan had already sensed its presence, twisting and struck the Hellhound by the skull, disintegrating itself. Barks soon appeared as a couple more Hellhounds sprung into action against Morgan, who bested on avoiding a few and swatting two or three away. It wasn't until another Hellhound snuck behind him and pounced onto his back, unleashing a burning sensation as Morgan cried out in pain.
*BANG*
The sound of Carol's rifle went off and pierced through the Hellhound, which had just gotten the other devilish wolves' attention, and gazed at her next. One of the Hellhounds stepped forth and rushed towards Carol, but Morgan quickly came and stabbed the Hellhound to fiery pieces. Then he went and smacked another, followed by an overhead strike down onto the next Hellhound.
"YOU HAVE TO LEAVE NOW!" Morgan shouted at the older woman.
But before Carol could do anything else, her eyes widened at the sight of a shadowy figure approaching out of its hiding spot. The Hellhounds growled at Morgan and Carol before noticing that their master had just arrived.
"There's no place to run and no place to hide." The Marauder's voice sent chills into Carol's spine, scrolling his red eyes down to the Hellhounds, "It seems that your supper has arrived."
"STAY BACK!" Morgan gritted his teeth in defense, pointing his bo-staff at the demonic pursuer.
"Your efforts are useless," The Marauder let out a grunt, walking in a smooth rhythm, "We have already won. The vulnerable state your Earth is in now only invites attack-!"
*BANG*
Carol's rifle went off just before the Marauder snapped his head to the side, causing the bullet to sail past him. The humanoid demon glared at Carol as she stood with her weapon raised, mouth agape as he slowly raised his head back upright. Everything went very quiet, as Morgan and Carol weren't able to form words having just seen the Marauder dodge a bullet.
Not even bothering to address Morgan, the Marauder's lustrous eyes narrowed at Carol, "You have put me in a foul mood that I might spoil supper. Sad, isn't it?"
Morgan then felt his head pounding after the Marauder simply sprinted toward him and swung a forearm strike to the face. Morgan got sent stumbling within his balance and fell to the ground. Carol attempted to shoot him but abruptly shoves her rifle upward until grabbing Carol by the throat. The Marauder lifted the older woman and slammed her against the cottage's wall, causing her to become deprived of air. Carol struggled to break free from the armored demon's grasp but found just how strong he was.
"Pitiful woman," The Marauder uttered, all while his gleaming eyes glared into her soul, "I can see through everything now. It's too late to have any help while you're still alive."
The Marauder's grip tightens on Carol's throat, her heart drumming fast as he clogs her access to breathe. Unable to take a deep breath, Carol looked at the Marauder's eyes. His burning crimson eyes remain trained on her, his jaw rigid as she couldn't help but observe beyond this monster's disturbing emotions. Carol could only shiver as the Marauder pulls his face mask down to unveil his ripped flesh exposing the fanged teeth and jaw bone. She felt his black tongue graze over the side of her face, tasting her skin with a demonic hum before setting up his face mask again.
"Mmm, a woman like you might just do it for me," Just as the Marauder lifted his ignited Argent Battle-Axe, casting an eerie red glow over his features, a gunshot came and bit through his skin. "GOGH!"
Morgan had sneakily grabbed Carol's rifle to shoot at him, "GO NOW!" He screamed.
The Marauder dropped Carol with a painful snarl from his side, whereas Morgan zipped in front and bashed one side of the monster's face with the bo-staff. Coughing harder than before, Carol reluctantly picked up her rifle that Morgan left for her and ran off through the field that led to the road before her cottage.
The Hellhounds decided to give a chase after the older woman as Morgan drew back from this, "CAROL!"
The Marauder became opposed to Morgan pursuing after her but was stopped by a fist to the face. Stepping back alarmed, Morgan kept his bo-staff pointed toward the Marauder, who had also copied the same gesture back at him.
"Enough running, human," The Marauder growled at Morgan, who began to encircle with the demonic knight around the backyard.
For a few moments, Morgan silently agreed as he twirled his bo-staff before finally facing the tip forward to where the Marauder stood. Morgan knew that Carol is a survivor, just like the rest of Rick's group, only if she has what it takes to escape the Hellhounds. As much as he wanted to help Carol in any sort of way that is possible, Morgan knew he couldn't escape this battle against the Marauder scot-free. Aside from that, it's pretty much the only solution he had to buy Carol some time to arrive at the Kingdom.
And he's willing to die if it meant so.
After all, to injure an opponent...
...is to injure yourself.
A/N: [The Marauder has become a bit of a dispute from the players and even gaming journalists. My only complaint is that I prefer that the Marauder was a rival rather than an enemy type. Like a reoccurring boss character that got stronger as it went on. Just a little warning, the next few chapters are going to be, probably, the darkest because it is going to focus on the casualties. I'm sure all of you have been waiting for the time being. Again, read and review! Until next time.]