Instinct. That's what moved the Wretch. He ignored any emotions. He silenced any thoughts. He let his body and soul dictate where he would go and what he would do.

The Wretch observed the chaos around him as merely a passenger in his body. The hotel flooded with people, more than the ground floor could contain. The others were quick to begin their efforts to regain control. Among them, one figure searched the frenzied crowd for the Wretch. He felt Samur's gaze land on him. However, it was against the Wretch's backside. He couldn't waste any time.

The Wretch could hear the screaming and various other panicked noises. They managed to be fairly loud despite his deliberate disassociation. He felt his mouth open and say something, speaking to someone. Afterward, a portal appeared for only him. There was one person capable of doing that.

Rushing through the rift, the Wretch still felt a gaze against his backside. Knowing who it belonged to, Samur likely was pushing through the people to try and reach him before he could "escape". With this assumption, the Wretch leaped through the portal. Once on the other side, the rift was shut.

"Thank you, Vega," Wretch said, speaking to the only person who could hear him now. He didn't have a suit to speak to the AI, but that wasn't a problem. The destination the Wretch desired, which he hoped Vega would predict, was the new facilities in Hell.

"Of course, Wretch," Vega replied as the former Demon hurried through the corridor he'd been placed within. "I apologize that your arrival isn't more precise. A lot is happening." He told him.

"Even if you had placed me a mile from here, it would've been appreciated," Wretch assured him. "However, I suspect Samur will not be thrilled." He added.

"There are far more pressing matters at hand than his displeasure," Vega commented with a small amount of snark. It seemed that Samuel's brand of sarcasm was starting to rub off.

"That there are." Wretch agreed, soon reaching his true destination.

Where the Wretch desired to be was the central control station of this complex. From here, with Vega's aid, he could begin his assessment of the situation and provide tactical assistance to his allies. Without a suit or weapons, although not useless in a fight, he still wouldn't be AS useful as Doomguy or the Marine.

"What shall we do first?" Vega inquired. "The Maykrs will assist their Mother with the barrier she's erected and ensure she can maintain it. Doomguy and the Marine have already started fighting back against the Demons. I assume our priority is understanding how Doom's invasion is conducted and how we can most efficiently stop it." He stated.

"You are correct. What we've seen emerge from below is undeniably a Gore Nest. However, it is a type that is unfamiliar to me. As such, we must assume that it can't be easily destroyed like those that have come before." Wretch responded. "As the Slayer and Marine fight, I need you to perform scans with their suits. Any information we gather is crucial. As you do, I will focus on the nest itself." He instructed.

"Understood," Vega said before going silent to attend to his duties.

...

...

...

Nearly an hour had passed since this all started. In that time, Doomguy managed to save as many people as possible. Knowing him, he was likely furious over those he couldn't. Although not a normal mortal, he also wasn't an all-powerful entity. The harsh truth is that when dealing with Doom, casualties are never a possibility; they're a guarantee. All that can be done is lessen the total.

In addition to fighting, the Marine was directed to focus on the massive tendrils that had sprouted alongside the Gore Nest. As the Wretch hoped, they were nothing more than tools of destruction. Their greatest function was to attack Khan's barrier to try and shatter it. But they were prepared this time. Hell would not face the same outcome as Urdak.

Eventually, the Marine went to study the Gore Nest. He reasoned that after investigating the tendrils, that's where he should be. Surprisingly, despite his stealth capabilities, a pair of new Demons had seen him and engaged. The Wretch was unfamiliar with these species. Yet, it was to be expected that Doom had created MANY new breeds since their last confrontation.

From here, things played out as they typically would. The Marine fought against his opponents and did very well. Yet, a petrification gaze was another surprising thing about one of these new adversaries. After managing to pin the Marine to the ground, it threatened to make him a statue. That is when Doomguy was sent in.

Doomguy had just arrived at the barrier with the last group of survivors when the Wretch contacted him through Vega. He was informed of the situation and, by using the Marine to acquire the coordinates, was given a portal by the AI to reach him instantly. Upon arrival, Doomguy freed the Marine from the Demon's clutches. The duo then proceeded to finish off the monsters.

Since then, Doomguy and the Marine have been in constant battle. They initially wanted to use their plasma rifles, but after seeing their enemy's numbers, they knew they had to conserve their resources. So, both opted to use the Power-Ups in their inventories. A tried and true combination of Haste and Berserk.

With fists and feet of fury, the duo plowed through the opposition in goretastic glory. Horns were ripped from Barons' heads and used as clubs. The clawed arms of Imps were torn away from their owners and wielded as cutting tools. Mancubi were used as explosions by feeding them their unstable digestive organs, which helped with crowd control. However, the most satisfying was leaping into the air and obliterating Cacodemons with one punch. Their bile would fly in every direction, covering their enemies and further aiding their crowd control efforts. Of course, they'd administer more Berserk or Haste whenever they began to wear off.

As this psychotic pair punched their way through the army of the damned, the Wretch and Vega were busily scanning and studying the Gore Nest surrounding them. With both murderous maniacs there, they could easily acquire information acceleratedly. By the time Doomguy and the Marine were FINALLY finished, they had new objectives ready for them.

"Continue through the passageway you're in. It leads to the central chamber of the nest." Wretch spoke as they ran. "However, there isn't a heart or something similar waiting for you. It appears to be a portal. One that leads to Doom." He informed them.

"It would seem that the Gore Nest itself is the anchor point. The portal's conjuration, unlike with smaller nests, is not coming from itself. Unfortunately, until you're on the other side, we cannot offer details regarding the power source." Vega told them. "Furthermore, with the immense amount of energy from Hell and Doom, combined with your current location, it's impossible for us to determine if any opposition still awaits you. We were able to detect the horde you've vanquished due to its size and movement, but if only a few Demons are guarding the portal, it makes them discernably harder to detect." He stated,

In reply, both men nodded. Now, they'd summon their guns. They'd like to save any more usage of their powers for potentially big threats. Mainly, it was the Cyberdemon who came to mind.

After a few more seconds of running, the duo arrived at the chamber. It was massive, yet empty. There weren't even Lost Souls or Imps. The men could only see the large light red portal at the room's center.

Slowly, the duo approached the rift. Again, their plasma rifles were held in their hands. This was an opportune time to be ambushed. There's no way things were THIS easy.

Now, only a few feet from the portal, the men readied themselves to jump through. Opting to take the lead, the Marine went first. But just as he bent his knees to leap, he was suddenly struck from the other side by a sizable blue laser.

The attack sent the Marine flying and into the chamber's wall. Before Doomguy could fire off any projectiles or try to retreat, he'd also be assaulted. Yet, unlike his comrade, it wasn't a laser or another energy-based attack. Instead, something lunged at him from Doom, entering this reality with unrestrained ferocity.

The creature was...gangly. As strange as they may sound for a Demon of Doom. Its body was a twisted combination of mechanical parts and joints mixed with flesh. The intent was to allow it to bend and turn itself without restriction. In short, imagine a contortionist combined with a metal puppet. Oh, and as a fun bonus, this thing had articulated blades rather than fingers and toes.

Upon reaching Doomguy, the Demon wrapped its legs around his waist and swiped away at his helmet. Reacting calmly, Doomguy grabbed its arms and threw them away. Then, he grabbed the creature's body and hurled it at the ground on his left side. It...shattered?

For a moment, Doomguy was baffled. Why would Doom create such a fragile fiend? Well, they didn't. They made one that was meant to be destroyed and put back together.

The various pieces of the Demon came to life. They scurried around the chamber, eventually forming the whole again. By the time this was accomplished, the entity that had fired that blue laser emerged from the portal. Like the previous Demon, it was also a new design of horror.

Body-wise, this creature possessed the proportions of a Summoner. However, the full picture was a Summoner grotesquely fused with an Arachnotron. Alongside "normal" arms and legs, several mechanical limbs ending in sharp points extended from the body. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason regarding their placement or length.

The "head" of the Demon was also peculiar. Instead of a mostly featureless face with an organic headdress-like growth on top, the monster had a mechanical dome that seemed to be the source of the laser. Yet, as Doomguy moved his gaze down its abdomen, he found a rectangular screen in the middle. Perhaps that was the source? Or did it serve a different function?

It didn't matter. Once this Demon was present, it began attacking. Several lasers were fired from the tips of its pointed limbs. In reaction, Doomguy began running. However, the other Demon he dealt with first moved to try and intercept him. Its arms were long enough for the blades on its hands to drag through the meaty floor, which caused sprays of blood to gush as it ran.

Thankfully, as Doomguy hoped, the Marine was back on his feet. He discovered this when a rocket came flying into view and met its mark, the bladed Demon. The creature exploded into the COUNTLESS pieces. Sadly, like before, they quickly moved and scurried everywhere like cockroaches.

With the Marine handling that enemy, Doomguy focused on the Cyber Summoner. That's how he chose to view it, anyway. With his plasma rifle still in hand, he fired a volley at the Demon. This is when the function of the orb on its shoulder would be revealed.

Small strands of lightning shot out and met the spherical projectiles. A good way to describe this was a weaponized plasma globe. Doomguy wasn't sure if its output could be greater or if it was meant only for protection against projectiles. Regardless, he stashed his rifle and produced his chainsaw. Now, it was time to get physical.

As Doomguy rushed toward his opponent, the Marine was busy trying to stomp out his. These tiny Demonic pieces were seriously pissing him off. Of course, leave it to Doom to think of an ANNOYING as shit Demon. Eventually, those tiny bastards decided to try something different.

Suddenly, all the fragments and bits advanced toward the Marine. They were jumping onto his suit, looking for ways inside. In reaction, the Marine...stood still. He welcomed their attempt at sieging his body. What was he planning?

Doomguy, even amid his battle, noticed this odd tactic from his comrade. Even so, he trusted his judgment and wouldn't offer assistance unless needed. As for how things were going on Doomguy's end, honestly, it was just as frustrating. It seemed as if these two Demons were specifically made to anger the soldiers.

When Doomguy started approaching the Cyber Summoner, it also began to move. The mechanical limbs didn't fire their lasers again. Instead, they aided the Demon's evasion by acting as miniature thrusters. This was when Doomguy received confirmation that the earlier laser originated from the screen on the Demon's abdomen.

Lasers were fired in very quick bursts. Rather than maintain a single beam and try to track Doomguy's movements, it adjusted its aim with every new shot. Doomguy, being as bulky as he was, couldn't dodge these attacks as easily as the Marine could. He took most of them on his shoulders, which the Praetor protected.

Eventually, these lasers would damage the Praetor if Doomguy wasn't careful. Thankfully, in a weird way, the Marine still hadn't moved. All of the other Demon's parts were inside his suit. Was...the Marine okay?

Considering that the silent soldier hadn't shown any signs of distress or discomfort, Doomguy assumed he was. Huh. Okay. Regardless of the Marine's current state, his comrade would use his stationary position to his advantage. Doomguy started intentionally directing the Cyber Summoner toward the motionless Marine.

However, something unexpected happened when Doomguy and the Cyber Summoner neared the Marine. Suddenly, the silent soldier began...glowing? Then, in what could only be described as a flashbang-esque event, a burst of radiant light was sent outward from the Marine's suit. The illumination was so intense that Doomguy needed to stop and cover his eyes with his arm.

Yet, when the light faded, the space marine discovered what that light truly was. It wasn't just a means to try and disorient their enemies; it was Divine energy. Of course! The Marine's new suit was of Maykr design! The Maykrs' essence powered it, maybe even Khan's!

In a brilliant tactical decision, the Marine allowed the bladed Demon to trap itself within his suit. This would ensure it couldn't escape the blast. Then, by pure coincidence, Doomguy brought the Cyber Summoner to him, resulting in a two-for-one special. Damn, they really did work well together.

Regarding the Cyber Summoner, ALL of its flesh had been burned away. Thus, the full mechanical skeleton of the Demon was exposed. Unsurprisingly, it was still functional. But...you know...it was between two Demon-killing lunatics.

With no time wasted, the duo proceeded to tag team their enemy. First, Doomguy kicked it with his foot. Next, the Marine, after turning to face the Cyber Summoner, punched it in the back, causing it to fall to the floor. Once there, it would be stomped into the fucking dirt by two separate armored feet.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. That satisfying sound of metal, glass, and wires being ground beneath Doomguy and the Marine's boots filled the air. Given the bladed Demon's persistence, they wouldn't stop until the Cyber Summoner was powder. Even then, they scattered the metallic dust with a few kicks, to be certain.

"An impressive display," Wretch spoke now that the fighting was done. "It'd be best to hurry to the other side before more preventions appear." He advised.

Nodding in agreement, Doomguy and the Marine ran as fast as possible toward the portal. Even from five feet away, the duo jumped and reached the rift. As they passed through, the men unknowingly shared a thought. Why hadn't more Demons been sent through to try and prevent their entry? Easy. Doom knew they'd make quick work of those two. It was anticipating their arrival.

(A/N: In response to one reviewer, I have replied to each of your reviews. The messages are shown as sent in my PM outbox. If you have not received these replies, I genuinely have no idea what is wrong. FF is clearly managed by inbred monkeys, so, ask them to hit their servers with sticks to get it to work.)