Trigger warning here, torture scenes and child abuse later in the chapter (entirely fictional tho, don't worry)
William shot awake, the events of 2 months ago fresh in his mind. He heaved a breath, panting and sweaty.
He rose, bending over his bathroom sink and staring into his reflection, his brown hair messy and disheveled, eyes dull and tired, scars covered his face and shoulders, rippling as he reached back to touch a cross tattoo branded in the center of his back. He murmured to himself, taking himself back
He'd been 20 then, right after Phobos and saving the Earth, in his mind at least, in reality it'd been 50 years. He'd come back home to see his family dead.
He hunted down the perpetrators, finally leading him to a man named Zachariahs Henley, the man held a major grudge, it'd been his men sent after William and his brother, and that grudge deepened once the men were executed on his father's, Billy "Bill" Blaze, orders.
William glared down at the man as he had kicked him against the wall, before wrenching his neck backwards and leaving, he'd packed up, planned to leave.
As a parting gift, an old friend sketched a cross design on his back, telling him of a tattoo parlor he'd visited while on Earth. So William had gone there, and left with a tattoo that the artist, per his request, had inked.
The man blinked, looking himself over,
"You've let yourself go, you know," Hayden spoke quietly, "Freshen up, I need you for something."
"Fuck off, drone stilts. I'm not your handyman."
"I'm talking about the remaining demons. The ARC is handling it but-"
"Then let them."
"We're stretched thin, between excursions into Hell and protecting from any more invasions, we're tired, Slayer."
William sighed, "And you need me to bust you out of your mess hm? That it? You want a gala with that? Fuck. Off."
"...When did you become so nihilistic? Are you still not over him?"
"No, he meant too much..."
"His sacrifice will mean nothing if you continue this, this is billions of lives killed over 1!"
"..."
William grabbed his shotgun, walking into the portal room.
The Dark Lord stood, glaring at the half-living Reaper, held up by two Barons as his lieutenant knelt before him.
"Mephistopheles, you were right to strike when you did, you have done me a service, especially releasing me before they moved me."
Mephistopheles nodded in thanks, "What would you have me do with this one? He is already half-dead."
"I see, you were not made aware... keep him alive, we can use him,"
"I see, I shall attend to him, then master."
Mephistopheles dragged the Reaper into an interrogation cell, strapping him and grinning widely, "Wakey wakey~"
Mephistopheles punched the 21 year old across the face, starling him awake from near death.
"Oh goody, you're awake!..
The Reaper hissed swears as he fully came to, glaring at his captor as the Dark Lord and another came in, lugging tools. It got too close, however, as it gave the tools to Mephistopheles, the Reaper surged forward, biting into the demon's neck and tearing out its throat in a spray of crimson.
Mephistopheles perked up, eyes shining, in contrast, the Lord stood, feigning boredom.
"My, and I thought they were all extinct... you're absolutely wonderful-" Meph lunged, gripping the Reaper's head as he plunged a scalpel deep into his wrist before withdrawing it as it quickly began to heal.
"I can't work if he keeps healing, master." Mephistopheles groused.
The Dark Lord grimaced, body hidden in a cloak, stepping forward, shooting out a hand and grabbing the Reaper's head, his hand glowed red and gold as the Reaper screamed in pain, a burn mark planted in his face.
The Dark Lord inhales deeply, rolling his shoulders, before he stepped back,
"Do as you wish, but you must not kill him."
Mephistopheles grinned widely at his master, "Don't fret, my lord. I won't need to."
"Fuck off, you think I haven't had my shit kicked in before!?"
"Oh I imagine you have," Mephistopheles spoke, sadism creeping in, "I decide when to stop, however. And you have no control over that."
"It's ready,"
William gave his Doomblade one last pass on the whetstone before he tucked it away, his weapons dissipating as he exited the room, grabbing his Combat Shotgun.
"Portal's all fired up, ready when you are,"
William glanced in the direction of the voice, it was the intern, from Hayden's ARC complex, he nodded in thanks and stepped in front of the portal.
"Good luck out there, Doomguy!" The intern called as he stepped through, onto the deck of the UAC Atlantica.
William's boots splashed as he hit the deck proper, advancing quickly. According to Hayden, he needed to find the Seraphim's Key to help Hayden ascend into his true Maykr form, however, because the Slayer had released the Icon in Urdak, said form would soon be corrupted.
They'd need The Father's lifesphere, as it was the only thing able to save him. To get to it, The Slayer needed to get passage into the Luminarium, the place the life sphere was housed.
But first, the key.
William advanced over the deck, sending rocket and Heavy Cannon bolts into a Cyber Mancubus, dashing back as a Hell Knight leapt in to defend. The Slayer growled and slammed a Blood Punch into the Knight, sending it down as its healing rune appeared, then promptly disappeared as he decapitated the Knight. Turning to the Cyber Mancubus again, the Slayer sidestepped, driving a second Blood Punch into the Cyber Mancubus and causing it to explode in a shower of blood.
Stepping through a door greeted him with a Dread Knight, which he promptly blew to gibs with the rocket launcher and a deadpan "fuck that.".
Entering another door he came into a long hallway with a Tyrant blocking the opposite door. William groaned, exasperated, before he drew the Heavy Cannon and let loose a burst of missiles, shells and plasma. The Tyrant stumbled back, bloody and growling, before William blew its head into a scarlet mist with a bloodied Super Shotgun. Panting slightly, he took a breath as his suit gave him a cooling blast, before he advanced lower into the ship.
Marcus grimaced at the pain Mephistopheles inflicted, the demon lieutenant pressing the ornate dagger in his grasp deeper into the Reaper's arm, watching as scarlet rivulets drew lines and trailed down his arm.
Mephistopheles growled at the shit-eating grin on the man's face, slugging a fist into his chest, causing him to cough,
"Fine. You want to laugh?"
Mephistopheles flicked the blade over the Reaper's eye, dragging it down to his chin as the Reaper winced, Mephistopheles began to flick the blade over him again, before a thought seemed to light up his face and he grasped the Reaper's head.
"How do you like your own memories, Reaper?"
Marcus paled as that sadistic grin returned to Mephistopheles's face.
"Let's take a trip down memory lane."
Somewhere in the Southeast, Marcus's Earth
2008
Marcus stood against the wall as his father raged in an alcohol and drug filled stupor, ranting and shaking, heaving air.
He'd been out late again, buying drinks at the gas station and hanging with a few friends, before he finally checked the time.
11:20
For the thirteen year old at the time he knew he was dead either way. He said goodbye and began to walk home.
Now here he was, about to be beaten within an inch of his life, his brain bracing the body for the first hit, a smack across the face.
His father sent him down with a punch to the stomach, spitting vitriol.
Marcus, even then, didn't realize why he was angry at that time, and never deigned to ask after almost an hour of being beaten around before he was thrown in his room with no food.
The teen coughed, rasping a breath as he shuffled to a corner and pried up the floorboard, revealing small snacks, ice, water, and cigarettes.
One of his friends had known of his situation, and offered him a large pack of cigarettes and a lighter as his gift a while back, to "ease your stress".
So that's what he'd done, he took out a cigarette, drank some water and lit it, smoking out the window into the early morning. As it began to flicker and burn out, he threw it on the ground and slept.
He didn't stay long after that, one more enraged beating later, and Marcus was gone in the wind, just disappeared in the middle of the night.
He was free, for a while, at least.
Present
Marcus heaved, eyes enraged as he tore out of his binds.
"Oh good," The Dark Lord spoke beneath his cloak, commanding and yet there was a gentleness to that ethereal tone in his voice, as if he'd watched what had unfolded. "Come, you're being moved."
Marcus was led upstairs to a bedroom of all places. Perplexed, he made to ask a question which the Lord answered,
"Demon we may be, you are still my guest, in a way, my creation."
Marcus remained silent, making his way to the bathroom and looking in the mirror,
He looked over his blood streaked face, noticing cuts along his lips and nose.
He stood straight, leaving the bathroom and sat down as the Dark Lord sat in a chair opposite.
"The DOOM Slayer isn't coming to help you," he spoke softly, sympathetic, "To him, you sacrificed your life to fight against me."
The Dark Lord glanced up, holding his gaze, imperial blue against scarlet red. "Give me what I want, and I'll make your time here as comfortable as possible." He continued, standing and spreading his arms, motioning around the room, "Freedom to move about the realm, anything you wish, power, riches, anything!"
"All you need to do, is pledge yourself to me."
Marcus snapped up, staring him down,
"There is no way I'm selling out to someone like you, the snake's head."
"I'm not making a deal with the Devil."
"Hadn't you?" The Dark Lord retorted, "Vampirism is frowned upon in most worlds, else why would there be hunters? And is that not considered a deal with the Devil, Reaper."
"Not if utilized for the right cause, protecting those who need it, those you care about, that's right."
"Do not. Lecture me on morals. Boy. Not when I am the one created them."
Marcus stood, glaring up at the Dark Lord, "Your answer is no, fuck your deal."
The room dissolved into a torture cell again, Mephistopheles stood against the wall, twirling his blade, as Marcus was forcefully strapped down.
"I've seen your tricks now! You think I'm going to give up anything now?!"
The Dark Lord laughed, stepping up to the Reaper and laying a hand over his face.
"You forget who it is you happen to be snarking to."
Marcus's face dropped a bit, before his eyes widened, same as the Dark Lord's violent smirk.
"Enjoy your hell, Reaper."
The Reaper made to scream obscenities before he disappeared in a flash of red.
"Call me in three hours, see if he's ready."
The Cargo Bay was on fire, and William was fucking irked.
He dashed forward, plowing into a Baron and sending it back with a bash from his Chaingun Shield. Shooting a grenade into a Cacodemon's mouth, the Slayer sent a few more demons into the icy Atlantic water, finally clearing the room as he huffed.
He imagined Marcus would crack a joke or curse the freezing water as they slogged through it, and chuckled as he reached the Seraphim's Key.
He grimaced and shot his hand forward, grunting as he shoved past the barrier protecting it to grab the Key.
"The Slayer has the Key, initiatingself destruct, repeat, self destruction imminent,
William scoffed as he stepped through the Slipgate back to the MCC, tossing the key to Samuel and sitting.
"What have you found on Marcus?"
"Not much, I'm sorry to say, I tracked his energy signature as far as I could, but from I could guess, they teleported somewhere, more than likely deeper into Hell." Internguy, as William had christened him, spoke wearily.
"Damnit..." William cursed quietly, with every second, his chance slipped away further.
William sighed, loading up on ammo before he stood.
"Now to the Blood Swamps, pass the Trials of Malilgog and you'll be granted access to the-"
"The Luminarium. I know." William said, stepping back through the Slipgate without so much as another word.
Yeah, couldn't help myself on this one, even if it's been a few weeks.
No rest for the wicked and weary as they say
I hope you all enjoyed, if you did, please, feedback is very helpful.
