Of all the people currently resting and recovering within the Ivory Tower, there was one that none assumed would be the first to return to normal. No, not Michael; he'd already gotten to his feet before now. This referenced those still unconscious/processing the shock of Samur's story.
Within that group, there was a list the others had formed. Depending on the person, the order was different. For example, Loona's money was on Azrael to be among the first. She and Lilith had been here the longest alongside Michael. It only made sense for those two to return to their senses quickly.
Yet, he who now sat among them surprised every person. Even Alastor, who knew him quite well. The feathered feline was silently and peacefully drinking a beverage. Unlike his usual preference, this refreshment wasn't alcoholic. However, it was the most delicious and soothing liquid he'd ever drank.
"Mmm..." Husk purred. Genuinely. The drink in his hand was sublime. He felt his worries melt from his soul. His mind was freed of any turmoil. His body relaxed like it never had before. "What is this? I've never had anything like it." He asked, speaking to Gabriel.
"Water. However, before you react, heed that it isn't the water you're familiar with. It's not Holy Water, either. I can't get into the full explanation of its composition without diving into even more complex subjects. All I can say to keep things simple is that it's the best water you'll ever drink." Gabriel answered.
"No shit. This stuff's amazing." Husk agreed, sipping more.
"Husker," Alastor spoke, getting his attention. "I hate to disrupt one of the few times you've properly hydrated yourself, but I must ask a question. One that I'm sure we all share. How is it that YOU'VE recovered the swiftest of everyone?" He inquired.
"Nah. I get it. Seems like it doesn't add up." Husk acknowledged. "But see, here's the thing. I've been freaking out since day one. Back when Az arrived in Hell and stayed with us at the hotel. Since then, it's been one massive shock to the system after another. Don't get me wrong, what God, er, Samur said, is fucking INTENSE. However, I'm starting to get used to it. Honestly, if I'm being truthful, the shit that happened this morning was more soul-shattering than this." He told them.
"What happened this morning?" Loona questioned, unsure of how ANYTHING could rival what Samur shared.
"Long story short, Husker's gambling addiction is far more crippling than we gave it credit for," Alastor replied. "Regardless, it's good to have you back with us." He said with a smile.
"Yeah, the feeling's mutual," Husk responded with a small smile. "However, I'm a little confused. Why are only the three of you here?" He asked.
"Charlie won't leave her Mother, Aunt, and girlfriend for anything. Although, that's no surprise. There's only so much I can do for poor Rosie and Nifty. Michael's busy getting things ready for when Samur and Doomguy return. Octavia, out of the kindness of her heart, is checking on Katie alongside her Mother since their rooms aren't too far from each other." Alastor informed him.
"Moxxie's tending to Millie. I'm not tending to Blitzo because he says WEIRD shit in his sleep..." Loona added with a shudder.
"Yes. That's why I barely made it into Angel and Cherri's quarters. Too much MOANING..." Alastor mentioned, also with a shudder.
"Will everyone be up when Samur and Doomguy get back here?" Husk inquired.
"Unlikely. Doomguy was confident that Samuel would be able to help us regarding Urdak. If that's true, they'll return before even half an hour passes." Gabriel commented.
"How long's it been?" Husk asked.
"I'd say...roughly twenty minutes." Gabriel estimated.
"Well, they've got ten more left, then," Husk said before resuming the consumption of his drink.
"WHERE IS HE?!"
That voice came from somewhere in the tower. Everyone recognized it immediately. Admittedly, she was near, if not at, the top of everyone's list for the quickest recovery.
"One moment." Gabriel excused himself, electing to meet her.
Alastor, Loona, and Husk remained where they were. They could hear what was happening in the tower from within their room. The sound of frenzied footsteps and voices was sent through the air from somewhere on the stairway.
"Gabriel! There you are!"
"Miss Killjoy, please, calm yourself."
"Calm myself? CALM MYSELF?! HOW COULD I POSSIBLY DO THAT?! THIS. IS. HUGE!"
"I understand the significance, Miss Killjoy. Still, it's better to proceed with calmness and-"
Gabriel's voice was interrupted by another. This time, it spurred the trio into motion.
"EVERYONE! YOU BETTER GET UP HERE! THEY'RE COMING BACK!"
Michael shouted as loudly as he could, hoping the others could hear him. Thankfully, even if the Ivory Tower didn't carry his voice so well, it arrived at their ears with no issue. Afterward, they all hurried up the many steps to Michael's location.
The room in which the blonde Angel resided was one of many workshops. Within this room, an apparatus not too dissimilar from the Slipgate they knew was present. At its terminal, Michael stood in attendance. He hadn't messed with any of the controls; there was no need. Either his Father, Doomguy, or maybe Samuel could re-open a portal on their end once they were ready.
In addition to Gabriel, Alastor, Loona, Husk, and Katie, Charlie, Octavia, and Moxxie also came. Although what the Radio Demon said earlier was true, the Princess of Hell couldn't keep herself away from her returning Grandfather and her Father's arrival. After a handful of seconds, everyone was gathered. They waited eagerly for the others to emerge from the portal.
"...Oh. Why, hello, everyone." Samur greeted in surprise while exiting the rift. He anticipated Michael and Gabriel but assumed the rest would be busy with other matters.
"Sir!" Katie exclaimed, quickly moving to stand before him.
"Katie, correct?" Samur inquired, receiving a nod. "What is it? Is something wrong?" He asked.
"No. I'd just like to speak to you. How could I not? I need to sit with you and sort out how we'll reveal this to everyone else! If that's still the plan, that is." Katie answered.
"Ah, of course," Samur said with a smile. "I'll be happy to spend as much time speaking with you about that as needed, Katie. But for now, there is something else we need to deal with." He told her.
"What? Did something happen?" Katie inquired.
"Forgive me. I couldn't fill her in before your return, Father. She just awoke." Gabriel informed him.
"It's alright. It's not as if we knew when the others would return to normal." Samur assured. "Don't worry, Katie. There won't be another long-winded explanation for this. Simply observe like the rest, and it'll all make sense." He advised.
Before Katie could respond, more people exited the still-active portal. Truthfully, the others had wondered why it was taking them so long to come through. Yet, when they finally did, it became clear.
Alongside Doomguy, Samuel, Olivia, and Lucifer were several large cases and crates atop autonomous hovering machines. It seemed as though more was brought back than just the AI.
"Incredible." Samuel's first words. His optic took in all of the indescribable technology that filled his vision.
"Thank you," Samur responded, appreciative of the compliment. "As I described, the Ivory Tower is an ever-expanding machine. This, combined with the power I can provide, should be sufficient for our purposes, yes?" He asked.
"More than you can imagine," Samuel answered. "Where shall I put Vega?" He inquired.
"Come. I'll show you while everyone else is brought up to speed." Samur invited before departing.
"Hold on! Aren't we coming with you?" Katie questioned.
"Preparations will take time. When it's all ready, we'll come fetch you." Samur promised as he and Samuel left the room.
"What about these crates, Father?" Michael asked.
"I can answer that," Olivia interjected, so neither Samuel nor Samur needed to shout back. "Some of this is equipment that piqued Samur's interest. The rest are items Doomguy believed were too essential not to bring here. Samur also proposed allowing him to improve Doomguy's arsenal and suit, which he has no issue with." She explained.
"Holy shit. Samuel managed to impress God? That's got to be the greatest life achievement of all time." Husk said in disbelief.
"Argent Energy especially took him aback." Lucifer chimed in. "The purification of Doom's power was assumed to be impossible. Yet, Samuel found a way. I don't doubt that as they attend to Vega, they'll be conversing about this." He told them.
Scribble
Upon hearing that, Doomguy began writing in his notepad, which got everyone's attention.
"I've never been fond of the stuff. Samuel says it's pure, and Samur seems confident as well. But I still don't trust it." Doomguy wrote.
"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't it help you against the Demons when they invaded Mars? Also, doesn't it power that VERY big gun you have?" Alastor asked.
"Yes. But it still comes from Doom. Until we have proven beyond all doubt that it can't be exploited and has no unforeseen side effects, I won't be able to feel comfortable about it." Doomguy wrote.
After reading that, Lucifer and Olivia exchanged a glance. They thought back to the conversation they had with Samuel before Doomguy and Samur's sudden appearance.
"Don't worry, Doomguy. My Grandpa wouldn't allow anything that's not safe." Charlie proudly stated. Despite only knowing her Grandfather for less than an hour, she already had this much faith in him. Nothing was more powerful than love in her eyes.
"As crazy as it may sound, I agree with my Daughter," Lucifer admitted, taking her side. "From what we've learned, my Father has taken as many precautions as possible to deny Doom any more advantages. I suspect he'll study Argent before applying it to anything." He reasoned.
"I don't doubt he will. Still, I'd prefer an expert on Doom to give his insight." Doomguy wrote.
When that was read, everyone...wasn't sure what to make of it. It was a rather peculiar statement.
"Uh...what do you mean?..." Loona questioned, voicing everyone's confusion.
"Samur. He's studied Doom since it first appeared. He'd have better knowledge than anyone." Doomguy wrote.
Ah. Okay. That made sense. Still, some couldn't help but feel that wasn't entirely true. It was the wording Doomguy used: "An expert". Almost as if to imply there was more than one.
But before anyone could mention this, Doomguy walked past the group, taking a few crates with him.
"Where are you going?" Octavia asked as he walked by.
"I'm going to gear up. Depending on how quickly Samuel and Samur can restore Vega, I could be sent out for a mission sooner rather than later." Doomguy wrote.
"That's the name of the AI, right?" Moxxie inquired since it had been mentioned a few times by now.
"Again, I'll explain that." Olivia stepped forward while raising her hand. "It's a bit of a story, so best to get comfortable." She advised.
Elsewhere, In The Tower...
Two sets of hands busily worked atop a terminal. Funnily enough, both were mechanical. Samuel and Samur operated in harmonious unison. Although having just met, their intellect was like that of a shared mind.
Installing Vega into the Ivory Tower was as seamless as Samur promised. All of his devices were quite literally "universal". Of all the complications that could arise in their looming confrontation with Doom, technical and mechanical difficulties didn't need to be among them.
"I'm sorry," Samur spoke as they continued getting things ready. "As I said, I've observed you since you discovered Doom. This means I also witnessed when Vega sacrificed himself. I don't know your relationship with him, Creator and Creation, Father and Son, but regardless, it must've taken a toll." He stated.
"...Vega...is the only family I have left..." Samuel started, searching for the right words. "I've long outlived my parents. I have no siblings. Vega, in his earliest stages, was a curious child. Of course, he was far more mature than a toddler. Yet still, he showed such a passionate yearning for knowledge. It wasn't too dissimilar from mine. However, unlike me, Vega never made mistakes. He didn't allow bias and emotions to ignore obvious warning signs. He didn't allow the ignorant to make reckless decisions to satisfy shareholders. Vega is how I perceived myself. I believed I was beyond human flaws. That everything I did was perfect. Such arrogance was only truly shown when Vega was forced to sacrifice himself for the rest of us. A situation of my making. Even if I'd like to blame my associate." He told him.
"I'm sure Vega doesn't blame you. You were only doing what you felt was right." Samur replied. "Plus, if it helps, I don't hold anything against you. Honestly, Samuel, you're the first mortal I've ever seen who approached Doom sensibly. Were there mistakes? Yes. But it is easy to feel regret after they've been done. The reason why they're called such is because they're not intentional. All any soul can ever hope to do is their best. They react to every situation and set of circumstances in a way that is reasonable to them. Don't allow regret to consume you." Samur said.
"A bit ironic that you're saying that to me. Your story made it sound like you still carry the burden of Urdak's fall and what became of Khan." Samuel responded before looking at him. "Have you ever considered listening to yourself?" He asked.
"Only when Khan is freed," Samur answered with a dry chuckle. "I suspect the same applies to you. Forgiveness for your Sins can only be received once you've atoned in the way you've deemed appropriate." He suggested.
"Yes," Samuel confirmed, having nothing else to say.
"May I know what your atonement is?" Samur inquired.
"To save those I've killed from the torment they do not deserve. Only when their souls are freed shall mine be as well." Samuel told them.
Unsurprised by his response, Samur ended the conversation there. He felt the same way. All of his kind were in Doom's grasp. Even when Khan is liberated, his soul won't be at peace.
After a few more minutes, Samuel and Samur stopped typing. The preparations were complete.
"Please. You do the honors." Samur requested, gesturing to a specific button on the terminal.
Several seconds passed. Samuel stared at the button. He hoped he'd suddenly be ready for this. Yet Samuel knew the longer he delayed, the more anxious he'd become.
So, without further hesitation, Samuel activated the machine before him.