Queen's note: THIS MAN… sometimes is really stupid. Good thing he's not affected by poisons much anymore. Also, want to come hangout on discord? I have a survey where we nerd out, and I take prompts! Ht-t-ps :-/disc-ord. -gg-/-wny4-6eGc [take out spaces and -]

B.F.D.G.

Chapter Eight:

BLEEAHK- that was a bad idea

The Slayer did not go too far from where he left his new human. He could not as the Demigod realized that she was not equipped at all to survive alone. Just far enough away to get a good reading of the scents and a basic layout before looping back. Finding that the main halls were just big enough for him to walk through as he paced a bit. Investigating a bit as the Slayer just caught a glimpse of the other humans retreating around a corner again and then behind what seemed like airlock doors. He was finding quite a few of those really!

That… made some sense actually, to have several fail safes for breathable air.

He heard the scrambling in the hall that he used before, head snapping around and away from where he sensed the living souls. The near giant launched back the way he came. Following the sound and down a now familiar hall with the big windows that showed the Martian landscape and the colony.

The little human was just starting to move, sitting up and looking around. Only to yell as one of the black slicked possessed creatures was climbing up on the machines she had been left on. The fear drew the creature up on the colorful machine and another one latched onto a machine at her feet.

The Slayer lunged to get over there faster, a snarling growl slipping out. The lower gravity was still throwing him off as he cleared the distance faster than he was expecting. So he crashed into those colorful machines while just able to grab the first altered thing. Shoulder hitting them and rocking the things, and fronts of two of the three crumpled and seemed to just pop open. Sending a few things scattering across the ground with a clatter and thumb of plastic, metal and glass.

The human scream that resulted had an instant reaction. A few moments of chaos that seemed much longer than it really was. He grabbed that first creature and was trying to break it when the second one climbed on top of the machines. Having to grab at that, the Slayer gave a confused but insulted sound as the second hell altered possessed slipped out of his hand as the black oily substance on it let the thing wiggle free. It reached for the human's leg as she was trying to curl up.

The human cried as the Slayer grabbed the second creature with both hands. It made a squelching sound and twisted as if inside its own skin to try to bite his fingers. He grunted in surprise as she fell off the hiding place, half behind the machines. The Slayer gave a frustrated sound as a third black shape was scrambling over his back and was jumping for the living mortal as the broken but still living first possessed rolled over.

He needed both hands to grab the two things, as well as hold onto the slippery one-

The Slayer did not think, he just acted and reacted. Feeling something squished and popped wetly as the same altered teeth that helped him tear into the restraints in his sarcophagus now sliced through demonically altered flesh. Hard enough char was starting to form in his mouth as he caught the third creature and the first in his hands.

Like what happened in the sarcophagus it took more effort to kill the things then it should have. Caving the first creature's chest in and throwing it back. Then had to hold tighter to the last and flexed to start ripping it apart. Annoyed at the strange vine like growths in it-

"Hurrp-ak!"

…and then the taste of the oil that was on the creature he bit finally sank in, a few seconds after the fact. Not even that strange metallic sweet of proper, healthy blood. It was almost rancid and fatty. Engine grease would, and did taste better he knew from experience.

Do not ask what the experience was.

Were?

Technically it was two experiences, but he also knew that Human made engine grease and Argenta made were alike but different.

"...blaaaahh-aahk…" The Slayer spat, gagged and tried to get the fluid out of his mouth as the possessed were charring around him. That one that he bit was tossed down the hall as it seemed to be moving. It was weird and tasted bad and it was like there was a thick layer of that rancid oil under the skin-

The Slayer made a face not unlike someone might do when they suddenly had unexpected acid reflux. That moment between realizing it was a horrible taste and then betrayed that it happened in the first place. The near giant of a man started to lift a hand to try and clear the taste, then realized that the same black oily substance was all over them and coughed. Gagged and then… the demigod dry heaved there in the hall.

The little human was just barely peeking from around the farthest machine that was broken. Mostly seeing the giant's shadow at first and then just the Slayer's top half. He heaved again hard enough some of the traces of liquid energy he had been, well, fed, while trapped in hell came up. Not that that was much better, but not rancid like the oily stuff.

He shifted to start pushing himself up, debating on at least trying to rub the oil off on his shoulder or something-

The Slayer's left hand landed on one of the things that fell from the machines, he started to wince, feeling it crunch. Then jerked away as it… imploded? Exploded? His right shoulder hit the one machine that he did not damage before. Though now its small locks broke and there was a flood of some sort of packets against his shoulders. There was a rather ungraceful moment of him trying to get away from the stuff, triggering some more pop and splashing hisses of fluid-

He was sitting near the human when he finally started to place what the things were. Sitting there out of range of popping anymore…cans. Bottle. Both.

He started to recognize these things. Or at least he recognized that he used to know what these things were. The Slayer sat for a good minute, frowning at what he was seeing. He leaned forward and plunked up one of the undamaged cans, scowling at it as if offended it's kin did that to him.

It was as the big guy was slowly turning the can, squinting at the text on it, that the nearby human, still mostly hiding, wondered if he could read.

In reality, the Slayer could and did read and write quite well. Both human and Argenta languages, several of the latter in fact.

At least…he thought he could still read the old human language. The spoken language was recognizable to the Demigod. Even if it was accented to him. These things had text that were… semi familiar in how the letters were but at the same time like those letters were… wrong. Backwards maybe?

Almost like backwards or spelled so odd it was almost something else.

"It's…" a very small voice spoke, drawing the glowing gaze to his left. The human swallowed almost audibly, as she tucked her face down against her knees. Oddly, it helped her speak again without being able to see anything. "It's a Drizzle Sprint drink. Soda?"

The Slayer blinked slowly at the tiny human, looking at the can again. Soda?

Why was that… familiar?

"It…might help?"

The Slayer turned to look at where the human was partly wedged half behind the colorful machine. Cassidy had her head pressed to her knees again losing what sliver of nerve she managed to get before. Between the giant so close and the near death by hell creatures.

There was some crinking of squished wrappers before a soft chuff sound had Cassidy carefully peeking up over her knees and then tensing. How did someone that big move quietly? The Slayer was stretched out on his front and almost crossing his stained hands but hesitated. Not wanting more of the oil substance hear his face again.

The bright pink and green can was sitting up between them.

He had set it down and in a position almost like a pushup. Thankfully nothing was exposed despite all the chaos. The Slayer chuffed again, and this time Cassidy could recognize he was holding his hands between them and making a pointed motion. Waited a moment and tried again before a large hand came close. Cassidy tried not to whimper, but some odd sound came out as she watched.

The Slayer paused, and his eyes seemed to almost… soften. Just a bit, but the frown was gone as he carefully, delicately used two finger tips to push the can closer before pulling back. The rough hum had a notably inquisitive edge.

It took Cassidy a little longer then she wanted to admit he might be asking how it would help. Definitely took longer than it should to uncurl a few inches. Cassidy closed her eyes tightly, taking a few deep breaths until she could sit up. Still hearing a low rumbling that was almost purring coming from the giant. She reached out blindly, the can was all of a foot in front of her, upside down if she saw right before.

Something large touched her arm and put enough pressure to move it until her hand touched metal. Cassidy peaked, just seeing a glimpse of the large, now black stained hand pulling away from her. She had to take a deep breath again before grabbing the large can and pulling it closer. She turned it right side up, carefully opening it with a hiss and some bubbled trying to over flow.

She automatically sipped at the bubbles and paused. Looking up at the baffled expression on the large Slayer. They blinked at one another before Cassidy took a proper sip, the ginger and lemon soda did help a bit with her own rolling stomach. As well as to get the taste of the bile from when she threw up on top of the vending machines before the Slayer came back and those things attacked.

Swallowing a few times she set the can almost back between them. "That…that stuff is oil right? This might help? Or milk would…"

It took a moment before the giant blinked and sat up on his left forearm to lift up some. He reached out with his other hand to carefully pinch the can between three fingers. It dented easier than before without the pressure inside. It smelled really sweet too, almost too much but faintly of something citrus.

All at once that semi familiar word or soda finally fitted into place.

Soda.

He had forgotten about that, even though once upon a time the Slayer once craved the human made things like that on Argent D'nur. Even dreamed of things when trapped in hell at different times.

The Slayer tried to tip the can in his mouth. The taste surprisingly, and wonderfully strong, cutting through the awful taste of that demon, though he coughed at the carbonation. It was a good thing he was propped up, the giant shifted and held the fluid in his mouth for a moment. It did help as he sat up to spit the tainted fluid away from the human. Paused and repeated the process until the oily stuff was out of the mouth.

He looked a bit sad that the can seemed empty, even after biting down on it. It had a pretty satisfying crunch and a little more soda came out. The giant blinked, spat the medal out and leaned forward to grab a few more cans and things on the ground around him. He heard the startled squeak from the human as he came back, it had him pausing, and moving pointedly a bit slower for her as the Slayer set a few more cans down in front of Cassidy.

"Hm?" The Slayer tried, poking another pink and green can, there were a few other colors as he settled, watching the human, blinking glowing green eyes as he noticed a few other things from his handful, poking those next.

"...do you want me to open them?" Cassidy asked from her spot. Her own eyes wide, just not really able to sort out everything.

"Mm." The Slayer huffed out, trying to smile, but not sure if it helped much. After a long few moments the human pulled a can closer to open as he watched. He hummed happily as the can was set back down for him to take.

It was a strange few minutes spent as the Slayer was happy to try the treats offered to him. Rubbing his hands on the floor or his thighs to get the oil off them. A crinkle of stiff paper had the giant looking, catching the scent of wax and…a different kind of sweet. It reminded the Slayer of the bread stuff that Margery always had. He watched with interest as Cassidy took a nibble on a roll with… some sort of nuts on top, or baked into the bread. The oblong roll was offered to him, and excited that his new charge was trying to be brave, the Slayer slid his right hand closer.

He practically purred as she only flinched but did not go limb. Just setting the treat on his hand between two fingers. He could pull it back and eagerly stuffed the bread thing in his mouth. There was a nutty paste inside that startled him, but then the Slayer just rumbled happily at the treat of real food.

He carefully reached out, hesitated a moment as Cassidy squeaked and tensed. Then took advantage of her going limp to wrap his left and around the human's legs. Carefully, gently he had to remind himself to pull and get his hand around the human. Extract her out of the hiding spot and pull her closer.

The Slayer pressed his cheek against the side of soft human, tucking her closer on his left shoulder and rumbling a low, thunder deep sound. As much as he would like to stay here trying more stuff there was a screech in the semi distance. There were demons and that sense of something growing still. He could not take this human with him towards that thing… below.

He had to find those other humans, get Cassidy to them and then he would be free to go after what he sort of remembered. It was bad and needed to be stopped, he knew, something like an infection.

The Slayer was getting up, holding Cassidy against his left shoulder. He tried to give a reassuring humm to the human... standing again and looking around. He scented the air with deep breaths before trying to track down where those other humans had gotten to. He heard something about a lower level and a passageway?

That was right, another building, something with medical. If there was no possessed or hell growth there he could leave the humans and finish hunting-

The Slayer gave a sound that was not really a yelp as he was 'attacked.' Definitely startled as one of the stringy black demons popped out of a vent with a clatter of metal. It scrambled and tried to dig boney hands into the harden skin while biting.

The Slayer stared for a moment at the weird squishy thing clinging to his thigh and trying to bite the side of his right buttocks. He grunted and reached down, yanking it off by the head with an annoyed expression. He lifted the flailing thing and tossed it. Two swift steps and it was more or less drop-kicked in a far wall.

Grumbling, the Slayer was thankful his hide was much thicker than it used to be as he started to actively track the other humans.