Queen's note: Big thank you to Amazionion/Horseyneigh2002 for helping editing this chapter, I've been staring at it far too long. But I love it now even more!

B.F.D.G.

Chapter Seven:

Slayer Wakes

The little human was as… soft as he had been hoping she would be.

So, so small- his whole hand wrapped around the lean chest from behind. Her neck fit between his middle and ring fingers and the Slayer had to abort his first action to shift his hand now holding the child- woman? Adult? Kid?- so as to not hurt her. She had not seemed to be a child when he was listening to the humans talk this night, or shift. She was still the same size as an Argenta youth, and it was confusing to him.

He had to adjust his grip, pulling the small human across his front, let go for a moment to switch to holding her front and side, and finish pulling the human (what was the name again?) and pin her safely against his right side with that arm. Holding her against himself as the Demigod sat up, instead of half tossing or dropping the human on the other side of the sarcophagus like the first planned to do. Finding out how soft the human was made the Slayer change his mind.

He had to be so careful not to break bones with his right hand. Though he likely left red marks that would turn into large bruising (he's so sorry little one- he knows you are so fragile- please don't hate him- he knows you are so scared of him- he tried to stay still for you as long as he could-). While letting reflexes kick in and grabbing the approaching demon's head in his left hand. The Slayer was not at the right angle to keep the human from seeing as he flexed and lifted the scrambling creature. Almost human, maybe it once was given how weak the bones were, but had raw hell energy crawling through what was left of the innards. Some sort of living vine twisting around bones inside the corrupted form and breaking out at the joints.

For just a moment, as the yellow glowing eyes focused on him for the first time. The demon trembled as fear sank in to reflect in the skeletal face.

The Slayer growled and lifted it, slamming the hell spawn down onto the side of his sarcophagus. Trying to not clench his right hand (-so small- gentle- be gentle with her- it's so, so little so soft and scared- forgive him-) on the small living life he held. Once, twice, three times before there was a wet crunch as the bone of the thing's face gave in first before the rest of the weakened skull caved under his hand. That took longer than it should, even with the lower gravity or no, it should have given out under the first blow. Too much had been drained from the Slayer over the possible ages he was trapped. He was not at his full strength and was annoyed about that.

He felt the trigger of magic still clinging to the sarcophagus then, shifting to pull the human up (-do not cry little one- he will protect you-) as he rolled towards his right. Wrenching his left arm as hard as he could to pull out slack in the chain. Snarling as there was sudden tension in the ones attached to his ankles. It was a simple but effective way to trip him up, and he just barely kept from landing his full weight on his new human.

Sprawled out awkwardly on the… metal floor, he shifted. All of his abdominal muscles clenched and he had to arch his back in an uncomfortable way to land sideways. The Slayer sucked in air and gave something between a grunt and a frustrated growling as something twisted in his left knee as his own weight did something to damage himself. Yet at a quick look down, and he huffed a half sigh of relief. The Slayer had not hurt the human, did not land on them. They were limp, half sprawled over his forearm, and dark eyes were wide open staring unseeingly at the scarring on his pectoral muscles. She was almost between them really. But safe. Safely not squished.

He started to move, the might-as-well-be-a-giant was careful to let this small human slide off his arm and onto the ground. Mindful of her head like the Slayer would do with the Argenta kids. Her head rested in the curve of his fingers for a moment (-why did she have to be so small-), she was looking up at him. Rolling with a grunt and growl of pain, as the sarcophagus made a liquid sound as the chains tried to retract in this last effort to contain him. The metallic smell of hot blood was filling the room- the Slayer's own stolen blood.

Some curse from the Blood priests, one that he was not going to willingly climb into a second time. That damned temple and what might have been a full level of Hell was just… enough. The Slayer wrenched with his right arm, hearing metal creaking. Felt the weakness in the now strings of dark magic in the physical bonds.

He saw the scarring in the metal cuff again on his left arm that the humans had been trying to cut into. The Slayer grinned wide and bit at the metal itself. He felt his altered teeth sink into the grooves of the metal as the glow in his eyes brightened. Felt the satisfaction of it leveraging the metal and it finally warping. It let him get just enough space to wedge fingers into the cuff and rip. The hell forged metal tore away and there was a glimpse of tan skin not dyed and stained with sulfur, stone dust and blood.

The last sigil broke.

It burned and flared and he was bleeding actively on his heel, his left leg tingling as feeling came back. It was almost in time with him breaking the second shackle on his right arm. The Slayer had to reach up to grasp the chains connecting to the shackles on his ankles. Heaving to pull the chains back out of the boiling fluid in the sarcophagus, the slack coming back but now covered in blood. It let him sit up, to get at those last thick cuffs. Pulling and ripping at the weakened metal, like the ones on his wrists they had been repeatedly cut into enough to weaken the magic and structure.

And he was free!

Still had a dislocated knee, still had no armor, but the Slayer was not going to be dragged into the sarcophagus to drown in his own boiling blood.

It was not hard to get his left knee joint back into place with a growl at the dull pain. Rubbing at it until the muscles and tendons started to heal, not as fast as he was used to, being without the boost of his armor, but the Slayer could roll over to his hands and knees. Giving himself an undignified but very relieving shake there on the floor.

He then remembered the human. Almost too late the Slayer reached out to grasp her by the legs and pulled the small human over to him, catching her head with his other hand. Getting her out of the way just in time, as the frothing blood spilled over the edge of the sarcophagus' side. It hissed and steamed where the human had been, the Demigod grunting as he almost fumbled her life (-protect- protect- protect- protect- protect- prot-), pulling the unconscious human up to clutch her to his chest with his left arm now as he rolled over. Backing up to the far wall, taking several deep breaths as the sensation of freedom seemed to seep through his body. That last lingering fog from the sigils faded out with a sigh. Everything was tingling as what nerves were left woke up. The itchy sensation followed as he became aware of the grime, old demon blood and his own likely stained and caked onto him.

The Slayer leaned back against the metal wall behind him, it was cold and wonderful against his spine. A different kind of hardness on his spine, one he could move away from at will. He stared at the sarcophagus as the stolen blood frothed and boiled, slashing over the edges but not flooding. Seems like the Blood Priests only dared to steal enough to drown him.

He looked down at a small sound, startled before the Demigod winced as he shifted the human. So she was not pressed against his chest so much, he did not want to suffocate her… and then the Slayer gave into the temptation that had been pulling at his mind since first realizing there was a human near him that first time.

He carefully, oh so carefully as the Slayer had to still hold back so much of his strength even in this weakened state. His fingers touched the side of the human's face… she looked to have a naturally darker tan complexion rather than it being stained like his.

What was the name again?

The Slayer did not have to think long, coming up with birdie first before Cassidy fitted into place. He smiled and moved the limp form- he had to be gentle as he cupped her head with his right hand. So small.

She was so small- why so small- so soft, he had to constantly remind himself to be gentle- there was almost no weight to be felt in his arms. The Demigod could not help but smile as he ducked his head, pressing it to the smaller human's. Watching the human for a moment, it almost seemed like she was asleep, though likely a faint.

The living human was, for the lack of a better term, pulled up so he could press his head against Cassidy to cuddle. First against the head, then to her chest and then middle. Taking slow, deep breaths, ignoring the scent of that last trap for him. Sweet, soft, oil (real oil of a working shop, not fatty grease of the hell temples), frost and… some sort of berry. She was healthy and uncorrupted and just the first clean thing he has met in ages. Being able to feel the living form-

The Demigod just wanted to rub his head against the soft, clean life. As it felt like his cheeks had the best, if not the only real nerves he had left to feel anything soft like this, even before ever going into the sarcophagus. Maybe he did, the Slayer could not tell as he just soaked in the glorious moment of freedom and being able to hold a real person. Able to hear the heartbeat from Cassidy as he pressed the side of his head to her chest again, and let out a low, deep rumble of his own. All but purring.

Like some giant big cat that just could not let go of their person.

There was an erratic shuffling sound from outside of the room in the dark hallway. The sound coming in through the open vault like door. The Slayer looked up and growled low and deep in his chest as he wrapped both arms around his new human. Tucking the small form firmly, though carefully against his lower chest. This was his now and the Demigod rocked forward to get up, having to duck his head to avoid one of the low, currently dark work lights aimed at his sarcophagus.

That low growl did not leave his chest as he approached the vault-like door. Reaching out with his free hand to push it all the way open and stepped out into the hall. There was a skittering as half the oil black group ran, the other half either dove into a vent or charged. The Slayer stood from the stooped posture he was in and growled again. Flashing his teeth in a pure aggressive grin.

One swift kick had the first creature almost half in the opposite wall. Between the oddly light gravity and his own odd 'weakened' state, everything felt…strange. The Slayer shifted to hold his new human up higher on his chest though, not that the flailing things could reach her. It was an instinctual reaction as he was used to fighting bigger demons.

The Slayer paused, he looked a bit disappointed in that it was only four that had charged him and were already starting to crackle in a slow burn into death ash. He took a few, slow deep breaths, filtering through the scents in the air outside of the space he had been dozing in the last weeks. There was still more unlife, that oddly subtle type that reminded him of one of the blood priests.

He looked back and forth, studying what must have happened in the brief fight that he heard. Yet no human bodies were left, meaning the small group that his new charge got separated from got away? The Slayer frowned before spotting something colorful farther down the hall to his left. Pausing his walk once realizing one side of the hall had windows. The Slayer had to stoop a bit to look out, out at the dark, rocky landscape that was both between and around the buildings of the colony.

Slowly, the Slayer knelt, to get a better look. Glowing green eyes tracking the lights as well as lines of the architecture. How the buildings were built into the ground as much as over top. How around the buildings it had been… well, tractored, there was something in the distance that looked like a tractor for grading around the buildings. Getting the bigger rocks up and out of the way making oblong lines where there must be traffic of some sort. He looked up, and the impassive expression while studying the landscape shifted. The Slayer almost seemed startled as he realized that he could see the bigger of the two Martian moons.

Phobos was whole and well in the sky?

The Slayer looked down, confused as he looked at his free hand, then down to the small human. It took a moment to realize she was blinking slowly up at him. The comparative giant felt himself twitching a half smile, feeling the scarring he still had on his face pulled at the motion. "Hmm?"

The sound was rough, but he still tried to be reassuring. Lifting a calloused hand, reminding himself to be as light as he used to be with fragile, newly laid wintherin eggs. He could… almost feel sensation, knew this little Cassidy was so soft. It did not translate through the nerve damage though, aware of something soft, but not quite the same. The Slayer huffed, shifting to lift the little one up and gently pressed his cheek to her's, feeling and hearing the startled huff of surprise. It made him smile again, it was oddly cute.

He hummed again, pleased and rubbed his cheek against the human a little more. Sitting back on heels and having to think before the Slayer used the Argenta silent language he had learned. Just in case, and it was the only thing he had to try and communicate.

I'll keep you safe.

The human blinked, then gave a little puzzled frown. It was not a lot, and she clearly did not understand him but it was a reaction of someone mostly aware. The Slayer thought, and then wrapped her little hand in his, coaxing the human to react, to hold a sign but something about her seemed… off. Still too scared to move?

The Slayer remembered the other humans talking, that this one kept freezing once seeing an unblocked view of him. At first, Cassidy had not been able to respond at all for a little while. Yet she was looking up at him now!

It was definitely not a valid survival strategy against Hell-native, or altered creatures.

Yes, he would just have to keep this little one safe.

The Slayer got up, looking around again as he extended his currently limited other-sense. He would need to get back what had been siphoned off of him by hell, and that should not be that hard to fix. He finished walking to the colorful metal containers that almost came to his shoulders. Like the windows.

The Slayer shifted to lift the human, careful to catch her head as he shifted Cassidy on top of the machines. Trying to humm again once sure he had settled her there, and then gave a huff like snort at the broken sound that resulted. A large hand moved to almost wrap around Cassidy's head, but it was gentle.

Large brown eyes blinked up into the still glowing green graze as a large thumb rubbed her cheek. Watching the twitching lips that were trying to smile before the giant man pulled back.

With his arms and hands free, the Slayer could stretch for the first time. Rolling his neck, then shoulders, feeling something hot spread from inside his core and then outwards through his body. Joints and muscles popped and flexed as he shook himself once more. Made sure nothing was too stiff from the ages trapped. He could smell better now as piercing emerald green eyes opened in the dark. The mutated possessed lingering close, likely wanting his new human.

I'll keep you safe. He signed in Argenta again, even if Cassidy did not understand. Then turned to judge the hall and nearest cross section, eyed the windows and Cassidy before starting to move away from her. The heavy steps eased, then almost stopped fully as the Slayer shifted into a hunting mood. His expression darkened, with bared teeth in what might be a grin, as something inhuman cried in the dark building