Queen's note: -flings notes in the air, so much for doing Fallout and Transformers today–

Garnets

Chapter Two:

Mortal Thing

Something had triggered his instincts the moment he stepped out of the portal, that things were wrong.

It was not the storm raging around him, or the few shambling possessed that moved in a distinct pattern. This place was supposed to be more or less void of life. Vega had found the marine biology station was marked as one of the original fall back areas for human survivors before being overrun.

Considering the lack of greater class demons it seemed like it might have been a case of survivors changing and turning on others.

It was supposedly a good first place to come to earth and gather the leftover supplies.

The classic music had drawn the Slayer up short, even as he reflexively caught a shambling body lunging for him by the throat with his left hand. Lifting it and tossing the possessed behind and to the side of him, sending it off the dock he was on. He used the same hand to knock on the side of his helmet to draw back Vega's attention as the portal closed. Then pointing forward, and made a questioning motion.

"Interesting. Is something still automatic playing-?" Vega started to speak through the comms before the music was interrupted by a voice.

"Hello-hello! Invaders coming in! Lets Go, hop-hop!" A falsely cheerful voice was on the sea platform's external speakers, drawing attention away from the Slayer before the next nearest possessed shamblers noticed him.

There was a clapping sound and the voice continued, the false cheer not the same as the corporate greedy cheer he had heard on Mars.

"Trespassers in the-" A barely heard voice murmured something, "-South-east! Port sided! Let's go-go!" Claps and the music changed to something disgustingly sweet-cheerful.

The Slayer reached up as if in reflex to turn up the metal music playing in his helmet. Yet he watched in surprise as the possessed started shuffling off to the south east. Almost the completely opposite direction of him. Most of their backs were turned to him, only a few stayed huddled down against the decking as if scared of the storm.

Whatever simmering excitement of being able to tear his way through the first horde on earth was… derailed in confusion before the blood lust could really even start.

"Is there a survivor?" Vega voiced the same question that had been forming in the not-quite man's head.

One of the larger waves of the storm was rising and crashing into the platform. Sending a vibration around, as the Slayer grasped the nearest built on railing. Watching some of the now moving possessed getting washed off the lower docks to the south.

In the lul between waves he launched to a safer area. Swinging up to a higher section, shotgun bunking in his hand as he caught a cluster of water logged undead. They were…bloaty-er then what he normally faced, and quick to go down in small numbers. The slayer noted that they might be more annoying in larger groups.

He found a better place to brace himself as the storm hit the platform again.

Using his left hand, the Demigod made a bit more demanding of a signal.

"I am scanning for any life signs now," Vega assured, but warned at the same time. "The storm is interfering though, I'm picking up several small forms of possible animals. If you can make a direct link to the platform's systems I can get a better scan."

Where? The Slayer signed, watching more of the shamblers get washed off as they headed to the south-east.

A green mark was placed into the HUD in his visor. The Slayer turned his head until he located an old observation looking room with shuttered externals. Watching it be highlighted for a moment as a bulky possessed form was walking away from it..

"There, that would be the easiest way to use the platform's own scanners." There was a pause, before the AI added a warning. "I am picking up a large mass of demonic energy under the platform you are on. Either in the water or the lowest levels. But if I may suggest, see if there is a survivor before…"

There was a pause as the Slayer started moving.

"Picking a fight that would be bad for the survivor's health?"

The demigod snorted, flexing his left hand and triggered the blade to come out. Looming over the huddled possessed before deftly severing the spine and watching it burn to embers in the rain. The third one he came across that did not react to him, even nudging it with a foot did the Slayer pause.

The possessed creature looked….burned? Not the same kind of alteration from demonic possession, but mottled scarring and it shuttered as if hurt from the spray from the next larger wave.

Odd.

The Slayer stooped, to swiftly dispatch the creatures. Following the stairs or in one case just jumping to the next level up. That armored, altered soldier (marine?) the Slayer had glimpsed before was gone. Another odd thing as the possessed preferred to stay in set areas to patrol.

Passing the shuttered window of the office, the man found himself pausing as he turned down his own music. Distinctly hearing something that was not the cheerful music- that too was more on the lower levels, coming from the oversation room?

Was there really someone alive?

Cultists surviving?

Some of Hayden's people?

Numbers popped up in the bottom of his HUD, followed by Vega's voice, "Try this code on the keypad. It's an old one on my records for the platform, but might still work."

The slayer glanced around, lingering long enough to let a possessed stagger at him. Deftly ending, and tossing the burning remains over the railing. With it a bit clear, he reached out to push the numbers. The door opened two thirds of the way before getting stuck on something.

He was just pushing it all the way open as a second synthesized voice spoke up as if it were surprised.

"Outer door opening?" The platform's AI started, but the Slayer was already in the red lit hall, scanning the window to his right. He spotted the body just as the voice spoke again, "Miss Lily- be careful! Miss, you need to get up-"

The Slayer was already at the inner door, punching in the code again as it opened. One hand grasping the door frame to keep the sliding door from trying to close back on him.

The human that started back up from the floor was clearly a civilian. No uniform, no demonic symbols drawn or cut into skin. Just faded blue paints, with some sort of slip ons instead of proper boots or shoes. A pale pink and yellow shirt that had a crab on the front and no sleeves. Some sort of mask pressed her her face to help with breathing

It was the semi glazed, hazel eyes that had his attention. Not that hateful or dead sort of glazed of the changing possessed. Her eyes were hazy from clearly having been crying, and not really awake.

"...dad?" A painfully lost, soft voice asked as she tried to sort out what was going on with the Slayer's abrupt appearance. Only to start coughing as the still toxic atmosphere from outside leaked in as the outer door struggled to close.

Normal, mortal humans could not breath the gasses the demons made. Even with the storm happening it was still thick. The Slayer swung his shotgun around to his back, getting out of the way of the inner door before stepping to the girl.

Human.

With the old rock playing, and faced with someone so small, for the first time in a while, the Demigod felt old. When was the last time he had actually met a real human that was not insane, altered, a literal lost soul, or a brain in a robot body?

She was gasping for air as he pushed his arm blade out of the way, his right hand touching the child's middle. It let Vega extend the monitoring system in the Slayer's suit to make sure there was no demonic energy in her. Then as she was coughing again, the man reached to pull her upright, out of the lingering gasses on ground level.

The Demigod was suddenly struck again with how small and fragile a normal, mortal human was. He had to be very careful not to close his hands too tight, as he could just imagine how fragile the bones were under his palms.

How was a child left alive, alone on this platform, let alone surviving?

The slayer shifted from crouching to kneeling properly, moving his left hand around to her back. Almost marveling at how small the girl was- what had the voice said? Lily was her name? It took a minute for her breathing to settle back down, and she too looked back up at his visor.

There was no instant fear or revulsion at seeing him, some leery-ness yes, and much confusion. "You're not, not my dad."

Of everything, he did not expect that. The Slayer tilted his head to one side, and then remembered the bulky, armored possessed again that he had seen near the observation room's outer door. He glanced down, then shifted to keep his left hand on her back for a little more, reaching up to his helmet as the lights were turning back on.

The air smelled fresher inside as he pulled the helmet off. Catching a glimpse of the still confused look on the girl, and yes, even without the visor out of the way, she still looked alarmingly young to him. He pulled out one of the speakers in the helmet, the right one attached to the coms, as his suit had no external speakers.

The girl flinched a bit as one large hand lifted towards her head, the Slayer keeping her in place with his left hand grasping shoulder and back. Smaller hands grasped his right wrist just before Vega's voice could finally be heard.

"Please don't be alarmed," The AI spoke up, the metal music had already been stopped, "We're here to help. My name is Vega, I am the Slayer's personal AI assistant."

The girl froze, frowned a moment and looked back up at his scarred face, "Wait, what?"

The 'Slayer' in question kept his right hand beside her head, and the speaker. Resisting the urge to rub a thumb over her arm, as if that would somehow feel through his gloves. He was not sure how to make his form be…well, less scary. More neutral maybe.

"Slayer…?"

"Yes, the Doom Slayer." Vega offered, "He came here for supplies before realizing someone was alive. He won't hurt you intentionally."

"...Isn't that an old myth?" The girl asked, referring to the title of Doom Slayer. Then the rest of what was said clicked in. "I… I don't have a lot here."

The Slayer in questing glanced up and around the room, resisting the urge to sigh as once more he felt as old as he really was.

"Miss Lily, what is happening?"

He glanced at first to a speaker, then found where the camera and then over by the computer bank as that voice before spoke up. Definitely not a real human voice, but something like Vega's own voice, just not as smooth and a little more metallic.

"Riggs, wait hold on a second," Lily spoke, her hands moving as if about to take the speaker before pausing as if unsure. Glancing between the Slayer's face and his arm, before he tilted his hand just enough to let her reach up to where the speaker was in his palm. His hand held loosely curled but open.

"Would you let me access the platform's communications systems?" Vega asked, voice calm and polite, "It will make things easier to communicate. And I can translate for the Slayer better, he does not communicate in a normal way."

The young woman looked up again to meet his eyes, glancing down at the now visible green and tan armor. She took a careful deep breath, then looked at his right hand before reaching for the speaker again. Once her hands had it, The Slayer gave a low rumbling sound, reaching down.

Lily's smaller frame tensed as her sides were grasped as the Slayer stood, bringing her with no effort to her feet. He wondered if she had been starving here, and tried to give the girl's head a reassuring pat. It was a lot more awkward than he meant it to be, but it also let him get a look at the short dirty blond hair.

The Slayer nudged the girl to the computers, getting her moving but stayed still for a minute. She came up to his lower chest, possibly around his ribs had they been exposed? He stooped to pick up his helmet again, before easing closer as the girl found out how to link the comms. speaker to the sea platform's systems.

He felt a momentary pang of regret, aware the girl and her AI likely had no idea what they were in for as Vega was finally granted access. Something about the old Night Sentinel Fortress' own system seemed to have made Vega a little bit… sharper?

Vicious was not the right world, but Vega seemed a lot more capable of just taking over entire complexes then before on Mars.

The slayer glanced up as the lights flickered, then checked that door to the hallway was locked again.

"...Riggs?" Lily asked, jumping a bit as the Slayer shifted before coming over. She glanced at him but tried to keep an eye on how two different display's flickered. One was the normal orange and purple that she was used to with Riggs, the other in shades of blue.

Were the AIs talking? How did that work?

"...Oh." Riggs finally spoke up, sounding oddly started as the two displays stabilized. "In Space?"

Vega chuckled, sending a text message to the Slayer's helmet visor to confirm that he had access. Able to see him glance down at it as he was allowed access to some cameras. The more advanced AI's voice is coming through the same speaker in the room now. "Yes, that's right. Hello again miss Lily, is this better?"

Lily squinted for a moment, "What about space?"

"The nearest human surviving colony," Riggs explained to his charge, "It is… in space."

"...Wut?" The girl demanded, and then paled as the implications of that caught up to her. Lily tensed as a big hand spread over her back, another attempt to give her pat or be reassuring as the hulking mass of… person hummed.

"Is there anyone else out there?" The girl asked, watching as the big man reached to pick up the speaker and fit it back in his helmet.

The Slayer knelt down so as not to loom as much anymore, shaking his head. Tapping Lily's shoulder, then his own chestplate.

"I can only pick up you, and the Slayer as the only living things in a two hundred mile radius." Vega spoke through the room speakers still, proving his new connection was still there. "Other than something small in the platform that is."

"That would be the guinea pigs and my cats." Lily filled in despite Riggs likely doing so too. She felt heady, hands grasping at the mask and tank to be able to hold onto something.

She used the back of her wrist to rub at her face, glancing between the Slayer and the display. Not sure what to think of the server seeming man, he seemed neutral but listening to everything intently. "Riggs…? That means-"

"I'm sorry, miss Lily." Riggs spoke, looking at the scan results from the other AI, no doctoring. "They're really gone."

The big man tilted his head, lifting his free hand to make a motion. It took a long second for her to recognize it was no random motion.

"The Slayer asks who is gone." Vega supplied, proving Lily's idea it might be sign language, as he found out for himself.

"My parents." Lily admitted, taking a deeper breath to stay calm, "My dad, adopted dad? Dad. he turned into something…not him but not like the other possessed people two ish months ago and…"

Her voice hitched, and for the first time Lily looked both scared and queasy. She looked up as a big hand grasped one of hers to keep from pulling at her fingers. Lily watched as it almost wrapped fully around her own hand and wrist, holding but not hurting.

She looked back up to meet the eerie blue eyes. With him kneeling his head was still nearly at her shoulder, letting Lily realize the amount of scarring on cheeks. Across his nose, and several going from the square jaws to under it and to his throat. That might explain why he was not talking.

"Mom is… ah, something scary under the platform." Lily spoke at last as she found the right words. Even if it did not really cover it fully.

"...That may be the mass I picked up on the scanners."

"More than likely, that would be what is left of Dr. Hawkins." Riggs agreed, as he and Vega were now keeping pace for the humans he did too.

"Yeah, um, don't go to the lower levels. Mom- she's, ah…" Lily swallowed thickly, "Hungry a lot. I think what's left of Dad is… feeding her the shambling things."

The big man narrowed his eyes a moment, then let go to ask a question. Peering intently at Lily once more.

"The Slayer asks what the Guinea Pigs are." Vega supplied, not mentioning how it was likely a good thing to change the subject. He could too explain, but knew better then to add in while the Slayer was pointedly trying to distract the human.

"Oh, um, they're sort of rabbit-like, but noisier, and fatter." Lilly paused, and gave a small smile at last, "A lot fatter. We had them on the platforms as pets before everything…exploded. Dad helped me set them up to breed for protein. But I'm not that strong enough to do it myself."

Her caught hand was given a bit of a squeeze and she looked back to the Slayer's odd eyes. Not husky blue but still somehow eerie.

"Do…you want to meet them?"