Bodies. So many bodies. A mountain of corpses remained even after Doom's attempted invasion of this reality. Sadly, nearly all of them were in mangled or unrecognizable states.

The dead that were mostly intact were those who only had their flesh peeled away. But perhaps, they suffered the most. Imagining an Imp's clawed fingers cutting into the skin like scissors through paper, with the intent to take it from its owner, was sickening. Those creatures only knew of sadism; the concept of mercy or compassion would be their equivalent of a joke.

But that needed to be ignored for now. The task at hand required not only attention but also delicate care. Even with the aid of several drones, it had taken a few days to locate all of the deceased littered throughout the Mars complex. When one was found, it was brought here.

Samuel assisted by making as many stasis pods as needed. Each was produced by automated manufacturing machines that hadn't been damaged during the invasion. In addition to keeping the remains preserved, they would act as coffins. Although the souls were most likely in Doom's possession, Doomguy hoped this would bring them peace, even if it were minuscule.

One after the other, the bodies were gently laid into every pod. It would be some time before they each had their own, and Doomguy would not stop until that happened. Before now, there was never an opportunity to tend to the dead. They would either be reduced to piles of viscera or be possessed by one of the infernal abominations of Doom.

Beep

That sound came from his helmet's visor. It was a comm-link request from Samuel.

"I'm...sorry to disturb you." Samuel's voice apologized once the connection had been accepted. "But...could you attend to our guest? I'm...feeling light-headed..." He requested.

Light-headed? Samuel? That was a first. Which meant that whatever happened in his absence wasn't trivial. So, after lowering the body in his arms into its pod, Doomguy ended the comm-link and headed for the nearby tram.

Thankfully, the complex's rail travel was one of the first to be repaired, improved, and expanded. It went to every building and structure now rather than just a few, including the Lazarus Labs, Argent Tower, and Vega Facility. After boarding the guided vehicle, Doomguy would arrive within minutes at the Advanced Research Facility, where Samuel's office was. But before he proceeded to his destination, when he disembarked, he quickly stopped at the nearby restroom to clean the blood off his suit.

With that done, Doomguy resumed his trek to Samuel's office. The sight that met him as he entered was...peculiar. Their guest, the second Sinner he saved in the other Hell, was on the same side of Samuel's desk as the man himself. They were having a conversation, and it seemed to be about the mechanical man's well-being.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The Sinner asked, looking up at his towering body with a surprising amount of concern.

"As I've told you several times already, yes. I just need to gather myself." Samuel answered, only to then notice Doomguy's presence. "Ah, there you are." He greeted.

Hearing Samuel speak to someone else made the Sinner look toward the door. Upon doing so, she was startled to find the sudden appearance of her Savior, who managed to enter the office without making any noise.

"Olivia, this is Doomguy. That's what my employees referred to him as." Samuel informed.

...Ah. That's why. Doomguy figured it out in an instant.

"Doomguy?" Olivia questioned with a raised brow. "Is there a reason for the Doom part?" She inquired.

"He will begin to fill you in on that," Samuel replied as he turned away from her, now facing the window. "I will rejoin you when I can. First, I need to...examine myself. To ensure nothing has gone wrong with my body." He told her.

That was a lie. But only Doomguy knew it. Olivia had no reason to doubt Samuel's excuse, as she was unaware of her name's impact on him. To some degree, Doomguy felt sympathy.

"Well, alright. I suppose we'll see you in a bit." Olivia bid farewell before approaching her armored hero. "I'm in your company, Doomguy." She said.

Nodding to show he understood and accepted her, Doomguy turned around and led them out of the office. Leaving Samuel alone with his thoughts. At this point, however, Olivia quickly realized an issue. From how it appeared, Doomguy was silent, as in mute.

"...I...apologize if this isn't appropriate of me to mention." Olivia started with, not wanting to be rude. "But...how are we going to communicate?" She asked.

The answer to her question came in two parts. The first was Doomguy stopping in his tracks, which made her halt alongside him. The second was him turning to face her before doing a series of...hand gestures?...OH!

"You know sign language!" Olivia exclaimed in discovery, earning her a nod. "That's perfect! I was a teacher in my former life. And, to be sure I was ready for any student and their needs, I learned ASL." She informed with a proud smile. "Tell me, do you know that one too? Or are you familiar with another?" She inquired.

In response, via sign, Doomguy amazed her by confirming that he not only knew ASL but a few others as well. But regarding the rest, he only knew a little.

"Still, that's incredibly impressive!" Olivia praised him. "Out of curiosity, have you always been mute?" She asked, hoping that was still within her boundaries.

In reply, Doomguy signed no. Followed by more signs to better explain it. He told her that his former occupation required him to learn it. That way, he'd be able to communicate with civilians whose hearing was impaired or who were completely deaf. He also requested that she not ask about that subject.

"Oh, I would never. Not without your permission." Olivia assured. The last thing she wanted was to come across as nosy or intrusive.

In response, Doomguy signed thank you. Now that a form of communication had been made between them, he continued to lead her through the facility. However, despite his secrecy, Doomguy did reveal something new to Olivia via one word he used.

"Civilians..." Olivia recalled as they walked. "Military service would make the most sense. It would also explain his lack of speech. Mute as a result of severe trauma, possibly an injury." She pondered, unable to keep from thinking about it.

From Samuel's office, back to the tram. Doomguy was taking her somewhere, but Olivia remained quiet to avoid annoying him with pointless inquiries. Luckily, a rapidly passing Martian landscape would soon keep her attention and curious mind busy.

Like Angel Dust, Olivia found an indescribable peace in the barren terrain of the red planet. It was so...natural. It wasn't a twisted recreation of life on Earth, complete with all the noise and unbearable people a person could ever not want. If anything, this world was the closest she'd come to serenity in a long time.

Olivia's current company also played a major role; she felt safe with Samuel and Doomguy. There was no expectation of betrayal or violence toward her. A stark contrast to what her life had become after going to Hell.

"Welcome, to the Lazarus Labs." The tram's automated voice spoke as the duo arrived at their destination.

With that voice came reality. Olivia pulled herself from her wandering thoughts and readied to disembark with her guide. When the vehicle's doors opened, Doomguy took them into this new location. Before long, they'd enter an elevator and descend into the building's depths.

Yet still, Olivia said not a word. She knew whatever waited for her would bring more clarity. Or, at least, that was her hope. But as the elevator came to a stop and its doors opened to reveal what lay beyond. The only thing she found was another mystery.

Looking past a small room immediately outside the lift, through a corridor that connected it to another area, Olivia saw a massive stone object floating in the middle of the space it inhabited.

"What...is that?..." Olivia asked, unable to maintain her silence.

Doomguy gave no response. He walked out of the elevator and approached the intimidating monolith-esque item. Prompting Olivia to follow. When both reached it, he turned toward her, accompanied by a beckoning gesture.

A mixture of intrigue and apprehension was present in Olivia. The writing on the stone and its many fragmented pieces, which somehow defied gravity, was completely foreign to her. However, as she soon learned, this wasn't an issue. That knowledge came when Doomguy gently grabbed her wrist and placed the corresponding hand on the tablet.

What followed, from Olivia's perspective, was incomprehensible. An assault on her mind and senses. A cacophony of sounds and images that were impossible to discern. Yet as it continued, it started to form a demented vision.

An ethereal realm that knew no limits or bounds. Inhabited by grotesque and horrifying monsters. Viscera everywhere. The wails of souls on the wind. An ever-present power that even God would fear.

Ancient. Evil. It existed before time. A domain of dread and despair residing in Creation's shadow like a nightmare. A reflection. An opposite. A force of consumption that would never be sated.

During all of this, Olivia's body convulsed. Her eyes stared forward, no life present in their gaze. Her consciousness was locked to the stone. A connection that could only be broken if her hand was removed from its surface.

But in this state, Olivia could do no such thing. She had no control over herself, mentally or physically. Perhaps her convulsions, as they steadily intensified, could've broken her free. Had it not been for Doomguy, who firmly kept her in contact with the marker.

Olivia needed to see this. That's what he believed. The only way anyone could fully understand Doom as he did, is if they were brought as close to it as possible without putting them in danger. He wanted to do this with Angel Dust but was unable.

Previously, the stone had been used to find something, an item that aided Doomguy and Samuel. But not long after, they discovered it could be used to look into Doom. A one-sided mirror that the demons couldn't exploit for another invasion. This allowed them to monitor their enemy, to be ready for when they inevitably made another move.

Seconds became minutes. Olivia was kept in place. After a little bit longer, Doomguy would release her. He needed to make sure she understood.

Unfortunately, in his focus on her, Doomguy failed to hear footsteps hastily approaching from behind. Only alerted when their owner screamed at him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Samuel yelled in rage, immediately grabbing onto Olivia.

In one motion, Samuel pulled her away from the stone and Doomguy. The latter released his grip to avoid hurting her.

"You unbelievably stupid fool!" Samuel berated, anger present in every word. "Do you have ANY idea of what could've happened?! Although her soul is human, her body isn't! Did you even consider that Doom's Corruption could be no different from the Hell she comes from? And if that were true, it could lead to them possessing her! Maybe even using her body to try and open a rift big enough for a Lost Soul to escape?!" He interrogated.

Doomguy gave no reply. He respected Samuel's intellect and how much the man had learned about Doom in the short time he's known of its existence. But to suggest there was anything HE didn't know was absurd. This is why Doomguy only stared at his partner, hoping he wouldn't need to remind him of that.

"...We are going to discuss this later..." Samuel told him. The anger in his voice was gone, but the intensity remained.

Samuel lifted Olivia into his arms and hurried to the elevator with nothing else to say. Leaving Doomguy to stand there alone. A reversed recreation of when he had left with Olivia from Samuel's office to come here.