A sea of fire. A cacophony of wails. An endless stream of monsters. The Marine, unfortunately, had seen this many times before. It was familiar to him.
The first time was the Marine's home world. A version of Earth that wasn't too dissimilar to Samuel's. Entire continents glowed orange. No matter where you looked, the soil had been tainted with a red hue.
Of course, Lucifer's Hell was naturally red. However, that didn't change much. While blood might not be as visible, the corpses still were. Men. Women. Children. Few had the privilege of having their corpses remain mostly intact. Even lesser had the mercy of a quick demise.
Doomguy was focused on saving people. It's not that the Marine didn't or couldn't contribute to that effort. Sadly, the reality was that only Doomguy was needed. Any survivors hiding out in the open were either rescued or killed by now. Those hiding indoors were also being hunted, but they had a great chance of lasting long enough to be found. Even so, their numbers were small, and Vega was marking their locations for Doomguy.
So, what was the Marine doing? Gathering intel. They needed to know what Doom was attempting. Yes, an invasion was obvious. What they were hoping to learn were the specifics of their method.
Doom was opportunistic, meaning that they never planned their invasion at all. The only time they did was when the Wretch still served his master. So, whatever gave them the means to enter this reality was what the Marine searched for. Find that, and there was a good chance they could sever Doom's connection to this reality and clean up the Demons that got left behind.
One might assume that this meant the Marine headed straight for the multi-mawed horror sprouting from the ground. Instead, the Marine was instructed to investigate the monolithic tendrils that had arisen throughout Pentagram City. They needed to know if these limbs acted as anchors or were more entryways for the Demons.
By now, with the Marine's speed, he got close enough to each of them for a proper scan to be conducted by Vega. Thankfully, there was a silver lining to be found in this mess. The tendrils were nothing more than a means to cause greater destruction. A few of them assaulted the barrier produced by Khan to try and break it, but other than that, they served no real purpose.
With this information, the others could begin working out a proper plan. Yet, even before receiving any orders, the Marine knew what would be necessary. He and Doomguy would need to infiltrate the titanic mound of mouths and find the entry point. Once they did, they'd do what they did best.
So, to prepare, the Marine moved to get as close to it as possible. He'd perform recon and relay any important information to the others. After a while, Doomguy should be done with the survivors. Vega would likely tell him to meet the Marine at his current location.
The sight the Marine observed embodied the word nightmare. An army marched or flew out of every opening in the mountain of meat. Being so close to ground zero allowed the Marine to make a startling discovery. Imps, Revenants, Cacodemons, and Lost Souls were not only being sent with the army toward Khan's barrier but also outside Pentagram City.
The Marine expected as much, but that didn't make it any less upsetting. Although they'd stop the invasion before it could worsen, there would be a need to hunt down the countless Demons spreading to other locations. Hopefully, none would make it out of the Ring of Pride.
"Marine," Vega spoke. "Doomguy is nearly finished with the rescue effort. Is there anything you need before he is done?" He asked.
In reply, the Marine shook his head. The silent soldier could remain out of harm's way with his cloaking tech. There was no sense in starting a fight when Doomguy wasn't here, and the Demons he could kill would be replaced faster than he could murder them. Gaining as much intel as possible was the best move for now.
Unfortunately, as the Wretch said, Doom was simple, but they weren't fools. They adapted. Learned. Evolved. Just because none of the usual suspects noticed the Marine didn't mean some new faces hadn't been invited.
High atop a nearby skyscraper, two creatures watched over the area. Eventually, their wandering gazes discovered a sneaky pest. Perfect. They were getting hungry.
The Marine heard two noises. The first was a buzzing sound. Rapid. Quick. Repeating. The second also repeated, but it wasn't as fast. In exchange, it was stronger. Bigger, too.
When the Marine turned to face these noises, he was greeted with a glob of acidic spew being hurled at him. Quickly, he rolled to evade. Although successfully dodging the first attack, the second couldn't be avoided.
CRASH
The other beast, the bigger of the two, had used its body to assault the Marine. As a result, they plummeted through the building the silent soldier had been on top of. Furthermore, when they hit the ground, they went through it. The pair finally stopped once they were inside the underground.
No longer in freefall, the Marine immediately summoned his shotgun. But before he could get a shot off, the monster gripped him with its mouth and threw him several feet away. It was then that he learned it possessed a beak.
The silent soldier could take in his opponent's appearance now that there was distance between them. It was a new type of Demon, to be sure. A featherless avian with multiple glowing red eyes. It also had wings on its backside, resembling a bat more than a bird's. This allowed it to have two arms without being limited in offensive capabilities.
Upon their eyes meeting, the Demon screeched as loudly as it could. The soundwaves bounced around the walls of the cylindrical corridor, violently shaking it. As it yelled, the Marine exchanged his shotgun for his plasma rifle. The creature was the size of a Mancubus, maybe bigger. He'd need to make quick work of it.
SPLISH
Another glob of acid came from above. Like before, the silent soldier dodged it. This time, he jumped backward. With his eyes looking upward, he saw his other assailant arrive.
At roughly the size of a Revenant, an insect-like abomination appeared. Its wings moved at an untrackable rate. It possessed multiple clumps of smaller lensed eyes, as you'd see on any bug. The avian seemed to be the main aggressor, while this one acted as its support.
Instantly, the Marine changed his target. He needed to take out that acid-spewing prick to make the fight easier. As if the situation wasn't bad enough, the avian Demon revealed a new trick it could do. Even worse, it would force the Marine to retreat.
Suddenly, its multiple eyes widened. When they did, the glow within them intensified. The result of this action was a petrification effect. The silent soldier noticed it as the corridor's walls, although already stone, were being hardened even more with a newly applied layer.
Swiftly, the Marine turned on his heels and ran. He needed a cover or, at minimum, a corner. Unsurprisingly, the avian Demon pursued with its bug companion in tow. Although he was able to stay ahead of the pair, the red light of the avian Demon's gaze reached far. He could feel his backside slowly gaining a thin layer of stone.
Eventually, the silent soldier got his opportunity to escape. Er, well, it depends on how one views it. It was an escape in the sense he'd be able to create a greater gap between him and his pursuers. However, it was also a simultaneous leap into the unknown and deeper into the depths of the beast. Yet, with the only option being to become a statue, there was no surprise what choice he made.
...
...
How long did the Marine fall? He wasn't sure. His best estimate was a full minute. When he made contact with the ground, the impact was...soft. Wet. Meaty.
Hurriedly, the silent soldier searched for cover. Fortunately, there was a LOT down here. Mostly, it consisted of rubble and debris from the "renovations" the mound of mouths had done. But massive growths and bone-based structures were jutting out from every direction. There were plenty of hiding places.
With a sprint, the Marine took cover behind a boulder. A few seconds later, the Demons arrived. The avian Demon, with surprising care, landed on the muscle-covered floor. The bug continued to hover in the air, not too far from it.
As they began their search, the avian Demon maintained its petrification stare. Everything its eyes looked at instantly hardened. Shit. This wasn't good. The Marine couldn't afford even a few seconds of direct contact without being incapacitated. If covered in SOME stone, he could break free and shake it off while shooting at the avian Demon. The issue lay with the bug and the potency of its acid.
One wrong move. One ill-timed counterattack. The silent soldier could make things worse for himself. He needed to time the engagement perfectly and use the right tools in the correct order.
To start, the Marine stored his plasma rifle and summoned two fragmentation grenades in each hand. Next, he readied both explosives by twisting their tops. Originally, these functioned like most grenades, meaning that once they were "primed", you'd have a set amount of time before their detonation. However, he and the Wretch updated their design.
It was nothing complicated. What had once been the means to ready the grenades for detonation was now a way to configure them. By twisting their tops, you could change the trigger for them to explode. The triggers are as follows: Timer. Proximity. Remote. Contact. There was also a standby setting. It was the default mode for each grenade, which could make them safe again if you didn't want to use them.
The setting the Marine chose was contact for both. He knew he could nail the avian Demon with one. There was no issue if he missed the bug with the second grenade. The first detonation would reach it and cause the second to happen regardless.
With that accomplished, the silent soldier listened carefully to the Demons' sounds. The avian's footsteps and the bug's wings. They went mostly in circles, inspecting every nook and cranny they saw. Soon, they were headed toward him. Slowly, they grew closer...
...
...
BOOM
One loud explosion. With perfect aim, the Marine hit both targets. He rushed out from his hiding spot opposite the approaching Demons. Before the avian could turn its head toward him, he'd already lobbed the grenades. Flawless execution.
The blast hit the bug the worst. It was sent flying across the area, ending with a collision with a meat pillar. The avian, despite having the upper left part of his head blown away and the lower left half mutilated, was still ready to fight. Its petrifying gaze faltered momentarily as it lunged through the cloud of smoke created by the explosion at its attacker.
Expecting this reaction, the silent soldier summoned his plasma rifle again. When the Demon's head emerged from the cloud, he opened fire. His aim was aligned with the openly screeching beak of the beast. The bright blue round went through its mouth and the back of its neck. He assumed this would be enough to kill it.
Sadly, this was a resilient monster. It reached the Marine before too much damage could be done. It grabbed him with its right hand and pinned him to the ground. Its clawed fingers were tightly wrapped around his arms, preventing him from fighting back.
Even with only half its face remaining, the avian Demon could still use its stone-inflicting gaze. It glared at its prey, watching as the silent soldier's upper half became encased in rock. If he wanted to escape, he'd need to-
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Suddenly, a loud mechanical noise filled the air. It came from behind the avian Demon. But before it could turn its head to investigate, it was assaulted with a downpour of bullets.
Round after round, the creature was punctured. Beautifully crafted projectiles cut through its body with no resistance. The Marine traced the barrage back to its source, even though his movement was limited by the petrification done to him. During the avian Demon's lunge, a portal had been conjured. It was from the other side that the bullets came.
Slowly, the wielder of the weapon that fired them crossed the threshold. Doomguy, with the mobile turret modification for his chaingun deployed, had arrived. As the assault continued, the sheer force from the stream of bullets forced the Demon off of the Marine. It fell onto its side next to him, the gunfire never ceasing as it did.
With the monster brought to its weakest state, Doomguy stored the chaingun and hurried to the silent soldier's side. After seeing that he was slightly encased in stone, he looked at his comrade for confirmation on what to do. No words were necessary, only a simple nod.
CRUNCH
With a stomp of his boot, Doomguy shattered the layer of rock that retrained the Marine. Afterward, the space marine offered his hand, which the silent soldier gladly accepted. Returned to an upright position, both men exchanged a thumbs up. All that was left to do was finish off their foes.
First, the avian Demon. Both men approached the wounded monstrosity. Even now, it screeched at them and tried to attack. Unfortunately, it was filled with far too many holes to do anything. Thus, the Marine summoned a grenade, set it to a timer, and then shoved it into the creature's empty left eye socket.
Neither man watched the explosion that followed. They turned their back to the avian Demon and walked away. One was dead. Now, for the other.
The bug hadn't gotten up since the first explosion. Upon inspection, there was no mystery as to why. The severity of its impact against the meat pillar had destroyed its wings and shattered its legs. It was little more than a body filled with acid attached to a hissing head now.
After exchanging a look, the men came to a silent agreement. They deserved a little fun. So, the Marine picked up the insect and threw it into the air. Immediately, Doomguy summoned his combat shotgun. The perfect weapon for skeet shooting.
SPOOSH
Like a water balloon hitting concrete, the bug erupted into pieces. A small acidic rain poured afterward alongside the insect's remains. In celebration, the men partook in a high-five.
"Doomguy, Marine." Vega's voice spoke, coming from both their suits. "You have incoming hostiles. You should feel their approach any second." He told them.
Sure enough, the ground began to stir. Soon, the walls did, too. The horde, or at least some of it, had been re-directed. As the portal Doomguy used to get here closed, he and the Marine equipped their plasma rifles. Now, the REAL fight begins.