"Hm, that is worrisome," Wretch stated with his arms folded over his chest.
The construction of the new facilities was progressing rapidly. They wouldn't be done by the end of the day or anything equally outlandish. Even so, with Vega controlling so many machines and being enhanced by the Ivory Tower, work progressed FAR faster than any of them could've hoped. However, there was an odd moment when every drone stopped simultaneously. But before the Wretch could question it, the work resumed. He assumed it was caused by Vega being called upon by one of their allies elsewhere.
A fair bit of time after that, a portal appeared. From the other side, Doomguy emerged. He'd then proceed to have a conversation with the Wretch. The purpose of it was to inform him of Beelzebub and convey the unique problem of her empathic powers.
With this information, the Demon contemplated what he should do. His immediate idea was to keep his distance from everyone. Yet, there was a fair chance that the others would object.
"What's on your mind?" Doomguy wrote.
"Possibilities. Hopeful solutions." Wretch said. "Is there anything that could be done to prevent complications?" He asked.
"Lucifer went to speak to her about suppressing those particular powers. But we should consider if it's not enough." Doomguy wrote.
"Indeed. We can't be too careful. I do not wish to be a burden on any of you." Wretch agreed. "Unfortunately, my expertise with soul suppression is not adequate for such a specific scenario." He confessed.
"Should speak to Khan, then? She and her people would know a lot about this." Doomguy wrote.
"Yes. That would be the best course." Wretch replied before looking at the drones. "Vega, could you open a portal?" He requested.
...
...
"Hm, peculiar," Wretch commented. The drones were still working, so nothing was wrong with the AI. "He must be fairly occupied. Which, given the happenings at the hotel, would imply that it's occurring at the tower or Urdak." He deduced.
FWOOM
Suddenly, another portal was created. This one, unlike before, led to Urdak.
"...Oh. Your suit's been upgraded to create rifts?" Wretch guessed as that was the only explanation.
"It was Samuel's doing. Originally, it was only meant for the Slipgate on Mars. But I've been able to outwardly channel the rifts generated by the device through my suit." Doomguy wrote.
"Ah. A clever use for the energy transferal functions." Wretch praised him.
With that brief mystery solved, the duo traveled to Urdak. Hopefully, whatever was occupying Vega wasn't anything severe. Although, if it were, they likely would've been informed.
Meanwhile, In Hell...
As established, Gabriel was no stranger to being at the center of attention. However, it was always when he served as the authority figure. The best example, of course, is his position as the Judge of Creation. Note: Said position would need to be re-evaluated due to recent revelations.
Anyway, the point of specifying this is because the Archangel, shockingly, wasn't the best in social situations. The man was likely the oldest introvert in Creation. So, if he found himself in a situation where he was the focus of everyone, but the context wasn't him fulfilling his duties, he'd be hopelessly unsure of what to do. Tragically (yet hilariously), Gabriel presently found himself in such circumstances.
Everyone (excluding Blitzo) was fascinated by the shadowy mass that was Gabriel's form. Although he has a rough shape that somewhat resembles a person, he is still mostly a definitionless entity. If the others didn't know this was Gabriel or he didn't have his flaming blue eyes, they'd assume this was one of Alastor's creatures that had gotten loose.
Now, Gabriel was prepared for all the questions they'd have. He intended to answer them perfectly and in full detail. Unfortunately, those questions ran out REAL damn quickly. The Archangel assumed the others would have nothing left to ask. He was mistaken.
The inquiries became MORE specific. The others wanted to know things Gabriel had never considered or contemplated. For example: Why did the Archangel choose this appearance? The answer?
...
...
Yup. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Gabriel, when he was young, just chose to look like this. There was no greater reasoning behind it. If he HAD to give SOMETHING, it was cool to his younger self. Admittedly, he still thought it was.
Sadly, the answers didn't get better as the questioning progressed. At this moment, the conversation had turned to focus on a very well-known part of the Archangel that currently wasn't seen.
"Hey." Angel Dust spoke, being the one to issue the question. "So, you're just one big-ass shadow, right?" He started.
"Um...yes?..." Gabriel confirmed. He was unsure why the Spider Demon needed to verify that when he, like everyone else, could see him in his entirety.
"Okay. So, where do the wings come from?" Angel Dust asked. When he did, everyone's eyes widened.
"Oh! That's right!" Cherri exclaimed after a gasp. "You had those MASSIVE bright white feathered wings! Like a dove or something!" She recalled.
"Ah. That does seem odd, doesn't it?" Gabriel rhetorically inquired. "Pay attention. I'll do this slowly." He told them.
As instructed, everyone intensely observed the Archangel. From his backside, long appendages grew. They remained blackened like himself until they were at the length of his wings. When they reached this point, they instantly became the feathered versions that the others remembered.
"Of course!" Paimon exclaimed as he hit the palm of his left hand with the clenched fist of his right. "You're similar to me! Your true self is without definition, but you can assume whatever visage you desire!" He said.
"Precisely so, Sir Paimon." Gabriel praised him. "But before any of you think to ask, no, there isn't a grand reason behind this choice, much like everything else. I began making my wings appear like this when mortals continuously agreed that Angels would have them. I wanted to try and project their perception of the Divine to make dealing with me as comfortable as possible." He explained.
"Is that why your getup is so blinding?" Loona guessed, making him chuckle.
"Yes, it is," Gabriel confirmed. "I didn't think people would be too trusting of an Archangel who was as I am." He said.
"True. You look more like a Demon than most of us here." Millie commented.
"..." Moxxie was silent, his brain busily thinking. "...Gabriel, could you make yourself look like anything? I know Paimon said as much, but when we imply anything, is that as true as it sounds?" He asked.
"It'd be easier if I had a source to draw inspiration from, but yes," Gabriel answered. "Shapes. Colors. Textures. Details. All of it is possible. Remember, what you're looking at IS me. My soul. I am not limited by flesh and bone. As long as I have a defined image to work toward, I can achieve it." He stated.
"Have you ever considered making the rest of you look like your wings? That seems pretty obvious." Loona suggested.
"I had considered the idea a few times. However, my reference material was ACTUAL birds. I would resemble an animal or beast more than someone who happened to be an Avian." Gabriel replied
"Well, you have references now. They're sitting across from you." Loona pointed out, referring to the Goetias.
...Whoa. Loona...just made an EXCELLENT observation! The Goetias perfectly fit the Archangel's description!
"I...suppose they could serve that purpose..." Gabriel admitted, astonished by the idea. "However, I wouldn't want to impose. It'd likely be awkward for them." He said.
"I have no issues," Paimon responded.
"Nor do I," Stella stated.
"Same," Octavia said.
"...Oh," Gabriel replied. He didn't expect them to be so comfortable with it.
If the Goetias were to be asked, they'd confess they were as curious as everyone else at what a "normal" Gabriel would look like. Fortunately, the Archangel could see that in everyone's gazes. With no objections from the Goetias, the only thing preventing him from proceeding was himself.
"Before I begin, I apologize if the result is initially uncanny. I've only dabbled with changing ALL of myself." Gabriel warned them.
In reply, everyone nodded. They kept silent so the Archangel could focus on his transformation. First, the color of his soul changed to white, matching his wings. Second, the shadowy mass became a mess of feathers. Third, the refinement of the shape. From a non-descript mound to a proper bipedal design.
Fourth, the appendages. Arms and legs were made to resemble a bird's taloned feet. Regarding the arms, this was different from the Goetias, but it made sense that Gabriel would take some creative liberty. He even recreated the unique texture of actual birds' feet for authenticity.
Fifth, the finer details. Musculature. Visible anatomy. Accents of black sprinkled across the snow-colored plumage. Talons for the fingers and toes. Tail feathers. A beak on the Archangel's face.
Finally, the remaining polish. Gabriel sculpted his head to resemble a bird of prey. No specific breed, just the general idea. He finished refining the edges of his appearance so that it flawlessly conveyed that he was a man. However, he wasn't so careless or absent-minded to create anything absurd or inappropriate. To be blunt, Gabriel didn't create nipples, and his lower half lacked any genitalia. Those specific areas remained "blank", in a sense. The only thing left to mention was he maintained his towering height.
"So?" Gabriel spoke while opening his eyes. He had closed them as he focused. "How is it? Did I do a satisfactory job?" He asked.
In the seconds that followed, everyone caerefully considered what their responses would be.
"...Dude, you're SUCH a dilf," Cherri answered. This confused the Archangel, as he'd never heard the term before. Everyone else, including Angel Dust, looked at her in shock.
"Dilf?" Gabriel questioned.
"IT'S NOTHING." Paimon was quick to interject. Unfortunately, his panic did no favors in making his claim sound convincing.
"THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Angel Dust asked, lightly hitting her shoulder.
"WHAT?! YOU CALLED HIM A TWONK WHEN HE FIRST ARRIVED!" Cherri yelled back in her defense.
"TWONK IS DIFFERENT THAN DILF!" Angel Dust argued.
"THE FUCK IT IS! THEY BOTH QUALIFY AS DADDIES, AND YOU KNOW IT!" Cherri countered.
"I'm...a daddy?" Gabriel inquired. The more this went on, the worse his confusion became.
"STOP. TALKING." Stella told them. At this point, she and Paimon had risen from their seats. They couldn't believe what was happening!
"HE/SHE STARTED IT!" The duo exclaimed while pointing at each other.
"ALRIGHT!" Moxxie, surprisingly, elected to try and calm things down. "EVERYONE! LET'S TAKE A BREATH!" He advised.
Heeding that suggestion, everyone went silent to bring the energy back down. Gabriel, who was so puzzled, was trying to make sense of it all.
"Is...everything okay now?" Gabriel hesitantly asked.
"I dunno. Is it, Cherri?" Angel Dust asked.
"Oh, fuck off, dude. You've said WAY worse shit than that." Cherri retorted, even flipping him off as she did.
"Settle..." Moxxie intervened again for the sake of keeping the peace.
"If my appearance is causing this, I can change back." Gabriel offered.
"No, it's not you. Seriously." Loona assured him.
"Yeah! You look great!" Millie chimed in. "Although, I am curious to see you try other forms." She confessed.
"So am I," Octavia admitted.
"I have no issue doing this more, but what would be my next reference?" Gabriel asked.
"Why not the Hellhound?" Paimon proposed. "I've never seen what a Divine canine looks like." He added.
"...You know what? That is hard to imagine for me." Loona said, giving the idea some thought. "If you're down, I don't mind being your inspiration." She offered.
"Very well. Thank you, Miss Loona." Gabriel accepted.
Elsewhere, Not Too Far From The Lobby...
"You sure you're okay, Bee?" Asmodeus asked. The others, excluding his boyfriend, were impressed by how attentive he was toward his fellow Royal.
After Lucifer talked about the Wretch with Beelzebub, explaining WHY she'd need to restrain her abilities or figure out a way to suppress them, the Queen of Gluttony made an unexpected decision. It was especially surprising given what transpired not long ago when she attempted to feel all of Doomguy's soul. She decided that she needed to see the Demon known as Wretch. She needed to "appraise" him herself.
Now, there are two things to consider here:
1. To Lucifer, Katie, and Alastor, who KNEW the Wretch, this sounded fucking insane. Sure, they hadn't received his full backstory yet, but did they need to? One look at the poor bastard told more than a million words ever could! They didn't need the details; he was a walking mutilated cadaver!
2. Beelzebub wasn't back to normal. On a surface level, she wasn't in a rough state. She didn't walk with a limp. She wasn't having trouble breathing like before. She APPEARED okay. Internally, it was a different story. Her brief interaction with Doomguy DEEPLY affected her. Despite her best efforts, Lucifer and Asmodeus, who had known her since the start of Hell, could see that she wasn't back to her old self. She needed more time.
"Ozzy, I love you. You're my bestie. But if you don't stop nagging me, I will punch you." Beelzebub warned.
That threat didn't come solely from Beelzebub's determination to see the Wretch. Like any King or Queen of Hell, she was proud and confident. Ask anyone who's been to one of her ragers; they'll tell you those qualities FLOOD out of the woman. She understood Asmodeus acted like this because he genuinely cared about her, which was sweet. But if he and the others didn't stop treating the Queen of Gluttony like a goddamn terminal patient, she'd happily feed them each of her knuckles.
"Beelzebub, I INSIST you listen to our peer." Lucifer joined in, supporting the Ruler of Lust. "This is reckless! And I'm not saying that as some improperly timed insult or because I think little of you! You've never seen ANYONE like this. You've never BEEN in such a presence. And if you try to connect to the Wretch's soul, there's no telling how bad the reaction will be. We're not trying to annoy you or piss you off; we're speaking from a place of knowledge. Well, myself, Alastor, and Katie are." He told her, ensuring to specify at the end.
"Right. I get that. And it is very touching that you're as worried about me as Ozzy and Fizzy." Beelzebub began, coming to a stop. In turn, so did the others. "However, let me ask you guys one question. Give me a satisfactory answer, and I'll stop here and now." She requested while folding her arms. "Even if I restrain my powers from here on out, or we give me an item or gizmo that can do it for me, how will that address the issue? Furthermore, if the Wretch is as bad as you're making him out to be, who's to say that what we do will even work? It's not like I have an off switch for my powers. Or, to be more accurate, a fucking dimmer I can fiddle with to adjust their levels. Plus, I don't want to carry or wear something that alters a part of myself. This is who I am. Who I am is an empathic Demon. If I'm going to be around everyone, including the Wretch, we need to acknowledge that and make it a non-issue in a way that's comfortable for him AND me. My solution is to familiarize and acclimate myself to his soul. Do YOU have a BETTER solution with everything I've said taken into consideration?" She challenged.
...Wow. Despite her image as the Queen of party girls, Beelzebub showed there was a very intelligent mind within her. Everyone took the next several minutes to try and think of a better approach. Someone would speak. Yet, it would only alter her intention rather than be an entirely new idea.
"Okay, how about this?" Fizzarolli spoke. "I know a thing or two about getting fucked up. Most of my body is a prosthetic. We saw what happened with Doomguy. It affected you PHYSICALLY, not just spiritually. So, we'll take the time to prepare. We can speak to Khan and the rest about creating a safe situation where we can get this done in one go so you don't take a needless risk. Does that work for everyone?" He proposed.
"Huh...I'll be damned." Lucifer started as he pointed his cane at the Imp. "The jester's idea seems flawless to me." He said.
"Likewise. And I'm NOT just saying that because he's the boo." Asmodeus agreed.
"It makes sense to me," Katie stated while turning to look at the Radio Demon. "How about yoU?" She asked.
"Even if I had objections, they'd be baseless. I'm no expert on empaths, let alone a matter as complex as this revolving around the soul." Alastor answered.
"Then, it's settled," Beelzebub said, looking at the jester. "Thanks, Fizzy." She told him.
"Hey, no sweat, Bee. Just looking out for ya." Fizzarolli assured.
With a perfect plan sorted, the group continued toward the lobby. When they arrived, they found a most...interesting sight. The others were there, as they expected. But in their midst was a MASSIVE three-headed white-furred Cerberus.
"I...don't see the point in having two extra heads." The Cerberus spoke. The voice was recognized immediately.
"GABRIEL?!" Lucifer was the one to question the canine's identity. His...His...His Brother was a dog!
Upon hearing that shout, the others turned to look at the group that arrived. What followed was an immensely uncomfortable silence. It lasted for nearly ten minutes as everyone tried to think of a way to explain or move past it.
FWOOM
Suddenly, a familiar blue portal appeared. From it, Doomguy returned. He looked around, saw who was present, and then raised his notepad so everyone could read it.
"You need to come with me. Khan and Vega have made a HUGE discovery." Those were the words written on the page.