Throughout Charlie's immortal life, she experienced many things. Some were normal, such as birthdays, dates, and a fairly uneventful upbringing despite her Royal status. Others, however, were unique and wouldn't have happened had it not been for what she was; the Devil's daughter. And while there is a very long list of these privileged occurrences, only one applied to what was happening in the present.

Although Charlie did not take up an official position within the management of Creation, such as her father or countless other relatives, she was still given an insight that very few outside their family had. To simplify it, it was how everything functioned. You had the "Mortal Realm" where humans came from. Then, there were the two afterlives of Heaven and Hell, made for the mortals who fit appropriately into either space upon death.

Lastly, you had specific domains. The most notable belonged to her Aunt Azrael, whose realm was comparable to the idea of Purgatory. It was neither good nor bad; it existed as a place where the souls of Creation could be managed. As recently detailed by Azrael herself when describing the process of reincarnation to Katie Killjoy.

The others that existed were mostly private dwellings for her Aunts and Uncles. A VERY small number, a single digit, played some part in the greater machination of everything like Azrael's. It was a simple, straightforward arrangement, and while it wasn't without flaws, this simplicity allowed it to work so well. Because every member of her family knew how things functioned, what their roles were meant to be, and what needed to be done for the sake of keeping order.

Additionally, this helped Charlie understand why certain things, like the Extermination, existed. Despite being against it, the practice wasn't conceived out of sadism. As her father or Uncle Gabriel would describe, it was a necessary evil. A response to the refusal of Sinful souls that would rather wallow in their wickedness than put forth any effort to be better.

Everything made sense. Every decision and action was done for a greater purpose. And nothing, not a single thing, could be considered an anomaly that would spawn confusion and uncertainty. Yet now, as Charlie sat in silence, her eyes wider than they had ever been, she was presented with a sickening truth that threatened to make her ill.

At the start, Charlie refuted it, saying that it was impossible. A second Hell, completely separate from the one she knew as home, filled with unspeakable horrors and monsters? The idea was outlandish. Something that idle mortal minds would conceive as their imaginations wandered into the more depraved and twisted parts of their psyche.

But at every point where Charlie questioned and challenged the validity of such a claim, it was met with immediate evidence. First, there were photos and videos, which she claimed could be staged like a production. That was disproven by the second batch of articles, which were artifacts that bore many sigils and markings that were entirely foreign to her. Still, Charlie persisted, saying that these items could also be forged; it wouldn't be hard to take a stone, carve it into shape, and then inscribe random shapes and symbols to claim they were runes and glyphs.

This brought forward the third wave of proof. No longer was it simple things such as videos and objects. Now, corpses preserved in tubes were being shown. Some were formerly human, while the rest were terrifying beasts claimed to be Imps.

However, Charlie remained steadfast that this wasn't real. How could it be? It made no sense. Two different Hells and realities, it was something you'd find in a novel or similar form of entertainment, not in life itself!

There had to be another explanation; there just had to be! Because if there wasn't, Charlie was faced with one of two possible truths, both far worse than this revelation. Either her relatives, including her mother and father, had lied to her for her entire life. Or God, her grandfather, who she still had never met, had lied to ALL of his children. And while both were horrible, the latter was objectively the more heinous. Why would God lie to his family? Not tell them of this other Hell? Why did it exist at all? WHAT WAS GOING ON?!

"...CH..."

"...CHAR..."

"...CHARLIE!"

With a gasp and twitching eyes, Charlie's sight returned to her. Had she blacked out? Or was her mind in such a rattled state that she paid no attention to her vision? Whatever the explanation, it ultimately didn't matter, as it was clear she had been mentally absent long enough to make Angel Dust concerned.

"Hey, it's okay." Angel Dust comforted her, speaking at a low volume. "I get it. It's a lot to take in. But you need to calm down. You're shaking badly and breathing like you're running out of air." He told her.

"She's having an anxiety attack," Samuel said from behind his desk before moving his gaze to the woman beside her. "I'm surprised you're not in a similar state." He admitted.

"I might not be shaking and panting, but I don't think I'm taking this that much better," Cherri replied, slumped in her chair with her eye as wide as Charlie's. "Also, I'm not the princess of Hell. Er, our Hell. One of the Hells." She added, stammering at the end since her brain was working overtime to understand all of this.

"Very true. It should be expected that this news is more impactful to someone of her position." Samuel agreed.

"News?..." Charlie questioned between shaky breaths, slowly calming down.

"Charlie, are you implying that you still don't believe us?" Samuel asked, causing her to nod.

"Charlie, come on. You can't deny it anymore." Angel Dust said with a saddened expression. "I get it. This is huge. But these guys aren't yanking your-"

"NO!" Charlie suddenly shouted, which made the Spider Demon jump back. "I don't know you people! Why would I trust you over my family? Do you expect me not to doubt everything you show me? As far as I'm aware, those bodies could be fake! A prop like they use in movies! The same could be said about these objects you CLAIM are from this other Hell! You've yet to show me ANYTHING that is so UNDENIABLY definitive that it proves what you're saying is true! And until you show me something like that, I'm not going to think for a SECOND that ANY member of my family has deceived me!" She exclaimed.

In reaction, Samuel and the armored man, whose name still hadn't been stated for Charlie and Cherri, looked at each other. What was interesting about this is that the Sinner who was with them, a well-dressed woman, also seemed curious about what this exchange of glances meant.

"...You're right, Charlie," Samuel said while focusing back on her. "We're still strangers. This could be an elaborate ruse. So, if you'd be willing to follow us once more, I give you my word we can present something that will convince you of our sincerity. And if you are still not convinced, we will open a portal for you to return home. So that you can inform your father and family of us and what we've done." He suggested.

"You sound so sure," Charlie noted. "Are you not concerned that I'll see through what may be another attempt to trick me?" She inquired. To her surprise, this made him chuckle.

"If I may be so blunt. If what we have to show you next doesn't dispel your doubts, you're either incredibly stubborn or immensely stupid." Samuel told her.

"Whoa, Samuel. That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Angel Dust questioned. This was the first time he's heard him say something like that.

"Perhaps. But you'll understand why once the demonstration is underway." Samuel assured as he moved out from behind his desk.

Everyone followed Samuel out of the office without another word. However, this didn't mean they weren't thinking about what was coming. Angel Dust and the female Sinner, who knew these two, were mostly curious. Although they understood Charlie's reservations, they didn't have any expectations for what this "demonstration" would be.

Which, as stated, was the opposite of the princess. Besides the countless questions and paranoid thoughts, her mind was filled with guesses of what they had planned. More potentially faked corpses? Another showcase of items that were easily forged? It could be anything.

Then, there was Cherri. Who, unlike Charlie, was far more receptive to this information. She occupied herself by considering what they hadn't seen yet. They'd been shown photographic and video evidence, were given tangible objects to examine, and were presented with dead bodies. So, to her, there was only one thing left, they needed to see one of these creatures alive.

But...that couldn't be possible. Samuel, during his explanations, had gone into great detail about the lethality and savagery of the beasts. And while the armored man was built like a tank, he wouldn't willingly fight one...right?

"Step this way," Samuel instructed, gesturing to a tram. "The demonstration is prepared in another facility." He informed them.

"Another? So, there's more beyond the one we're in?" Cherri asked as they boarded.

"You'll see for yourself," Samuel answered, but not in a rude tone.

Once inside the vehicle, it began to move without any direct interaction from Samuel or his associates. When it left the building, entering the unknown environment that awaited outside, Cherri and Charlie were met with another surprise.

"Whoa..." Cherri quietly said as both women stared out at their rapidly passing surroundings.

Despite sharing a similar color as their infernal home, there was no denying this wasn't Hell. The surface looked...celestial. But not in some grandiose way, such as with vibrant colors and an overall ethereal appearance. It was celestial in that it felt entirely foreign to what either knew, be it Hell or Earth.

Admittedly, though, the incredibly futuristic technology also contributed to this perception. It all looked so...Sci-Fi. As if they'd unknowingly entered the future. Eventually, within the impressive span of a few minutes, the tram came to a stop as it reached its destination. When the doors opened, everyone followed Samuel out of the vehicle.

More minutes would pass as they traveled, all in silence. They entered mostly metallic corridors, heading deeper into the structure. Soon, the group would find themselves in what appeared to be an observation room. Indicated by the large window that stretched across the wall it was built into and the many empty seats that awaited them.

"Please, take one." Samuel invited as he moved to stand in front of the window since none of the chairs could fit him. "The demonstration will commence shortly. Once my partner is in position." He said.

Continuing to hold their tongues, everyone but the armored man found a spot. As for him, he left the room. Undoubtedly heading for the space that they were meant to observe. The other area was massive and empty, leading everyone but Samuel to wonder about its purpose.

"Before we begin," Samuel spoke while turning around to face them. "There is something I'd like to ask you, Charlie. If you were shown something that came from your Hell, would you be able to say definitively that is where it originated? To be specific, in case I'm unclear, an item that someone from your reality would only find in Hell. Not from Earth, and not an imitation of Earth's wares either." He inquired.

"Um...I suppose..." Charlie responded.

"Excellent. That will make this next part easier." Samuel said.

Confused by what that meant, the group would soon understand as a drone suddenly entered the room. In its robotic grasp, it carried what looked like a book.

"Here." Samuel offered, taking it from the drone and holding it out for Charlie. "Flip through the pages. Examine it well. Then share with us your thoughts." He instructed.

Ten seconds. That's all it'd take. The massive red jewel on the tome's spine and the markings on its cover were already telling. A quick jump to the book's center, which was rife with information in great detail, was merely for total confirmation.

"This...is a Grimoire," Charlie said, her eyes moving back to the cybernetic man standing before her. "How did you get this?" She asked.

"For the sake of transparency, we stole it," Samuel revealed, surprising her. "We became aware of this Grimoire's existence and how easily we could obtain it. So, we did. That was two weeks ago when we began our study of your Hell. In that time, I've performed many tests with it and the things written within." He informed her.

"Such as?" Charlie pressed, needing to know more.

"Another item in our possession that comes from our reality is the Helix Stone. It allows us to gaze into Doom. However, due to recent events, we were unsure if it was purely a tool to look into the realm or if it could be repurposed to create a rift that would allow our enemies to return. But for safety reasons, we never tested it for such a function. Upon obtaining the Grimoire, I intended to house it in the same location as the stone. From there, I would've conducted experiments to see how the two might interact if they could." Samuel said.

"Would've? Did you not?" Charlie inquired.

"No. Because in my transit to the facility where the stone is located, I had to bring the tram I was using to an immediate stop. The reason? Its pages began to glow. More precisely, the words, symbols, and images. It was faint, and I doubt anyone else would've detected it. Thankfully, as you might assume, my senses are greatly heightened due to my body. Among many more advantageous features and benefits." Samuel told her.

"They...glowed? Are you saying what I think you are?" Charlie asked, wanting to be sure.

"If what you're assuming is that power was being channeled through them, then yes. An outside force was trying to form a connection with the Grimoire. If they had succeeded, they would've been able to conjure a portal. Maybe something worse, if the force in question was a powerful Arcane user." Samuel answered.

"But wait, that doesn't make sense. How could they interact with the Grimoire through the stone? I thought you said all it could do was look into the other Hell?" Charlie questioned.

"It's simple. Although the stone cannot be used as a gateway by our enemies, it still connects to their domain. Furthermore, the powers instilled within it come from the same place. Using the stone as a bridge between them and us, if another compatible object, such as the Grimoire, was in the vicinity, they could channel their energy into it. And, if that same item had runes, glyphs, and sigils that would make actions easier, which the Grimoire does, then it would also make the task require less effort. They'd need only to activate the corresponding commands transcribed on the pages, and the rest would happen naturally." Samuel explained.

"Fuck! My brain hurts..." Angel Dust exclaimed with a groan while massaging the sides of his head. "Sammy, could you dumb it down for those who aren't super geniuses, please?" He requested.

"Of course." Samuel agreed, sympathetic to his struggle. "In short and conclusion, the Helix Stone is inscribed with markings that allow it to peer into Doom. The other Hell, as you referred to it, Charlie. The stone itself is nothing special. It's little more than a typical rock you'd find almost anywhere. It is those inscriptions that make it what it is. Unfortunately, for our foes, they can't alter what is quite literally set in stone. So, regardless of the power of the individual, the Helix Stone will always be what it was intended for. A tool to peer into the realm irrespective of its location.

However, as I stated, it still takes energy to activate it. We can do this on our end via a few methods. Whereas the residents of Doom, especially those considered Arcanists, can use what they innately possess to do so. But unless there are precautions put in place, such as additional runes that prevent it, they can use the Helix Stone to send their power into anything else nearby that can receive it." Samuel explained once more. "Do you understand it now?" He asked.

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure I do...thank you..." Angel Dust answered, still thinking it over.

"...Wait a minute," Cherri spoke after a few seconds, a hand resting on her chin in thought. "Maybe I'm missing something here. Because if I'm not, wouldn't this mean that the powers these freaks command is the same as ours?" She inquired.

"I'm afraid, Miss, that you understand it perfectly," Samuel confirmed, surprising all but the female Sinner who worked with him. "After I moved the Grimoire to a safe distance from the Helix Stone, I began to see if I could use it as our enemies would. The result of that, you're about to see yourselves." He told them as he reached out toward Charlie. "The Grimoire, if you would." He requested.

Even though she wanted to continue this conversation as it created many more questions, the princess obliged. With the tome returned to him, Samuel turned back to face the window. Doing the same, the group discovered the armored man was already in the chamber. They hadn't noticed his presence until now as they were focused on the discussion.

"What you're about to see will be alarming. You may feel the urge to intervene or do something." Samuel spoke as he opened the Grimoire. "I trust you will refrain from acting. But I will be forced to restrain you for your safety if you don't. You cannot become involved under any circumstances." He told them while turning the pages.

With that final message, the demonstration could commence. The others focused on the armored man and the chamber while Samuel read the book. Then, without a single word, Samuel commanded the power of the Grimoire. What followed, none of them were prepared for.

A portal appeared inside the chamber, roughly ten feet from the armored man. Its color was a mixture of orange and black. For some reason, it unsettled the group. For a few moments, it seemed as if nothing would happen. The atmosphere was intensely still, begging for something to occur.

At last, after nearly a minute, something came from the rift. The first thing everyone saw was a hooved foot covered in brown fur. Soon followed by what it carried, an intimidatingly large creature with bright red skin.

"What is that?" Charlie asked, doing so in a whisper.

"A Baron. One of Doom's strongest species." Samuel answered.

The physique of this "Baron" was as imposing as its height and overall size. The skin of its body was tightly attached to robust muscles. Horns and claws, both black as obsidian, were present on its fingers and head. Objectively, these were the most normal details of its appearance.

As for the strangest, that would be the green glow in its eyes. Was it merely the color? Or was there something within the behemoth that escaped through its sockets? The answer to this question would come swiftly as the creature conjured green fire in the palms of its hands.

Upon seeing the armored man, there was only one course of action. The Baron roared, and two large spheres of green flames were hurled at its opponent. The speed they traveled was impressive, and anyone else would've considered themselves lucky to avoid them. But for the armored man, as the others would soon learn, dodging these projectiles required little effort.

Instead of moving to his left or right, the armored man ran straight ahead. Ducking beneath the arc that the fireballs were sent, he continued to advance toward the Baron. In response, it roared again in his direction and then met his charge with its own. Putting both of them within striking distance of each other.

The Baron swung first, which the armored man evaded with ease. His counterattack was a right hook to the inner side of the Baron's right knee.

SNAP

With a violent sound, the bone in the leg broke. Additionally, it tore through the flesh that contained it, jutting outward. This forced the Baron to fall onto its other leg, which didn't stop its offense. It swung again with its left hand, aiming directly for the armored man's helmet-covered head.

Unfortunately, like before, the armored man did not see this as something to be worried about. He grabbed onto the wrist of the Baron, then pulled it towards him.

CRACK

Another ghastly noise. This time, the result of the armored man colliding his head with the Baron's own. Shockingly, the helmet was not affected, thus not the sound's source. Rather, it was the Baron's skull that received the damage from that interaction.

With a howl of pain, the Baron fell backward. Blood and bone fragments flew from the wound as it went. Crippled, bleeding, and without any hope of winning this fight. The Baron could only lie there and watch as its opponent climbed on top of its body.

Now, standing over his enemy, the armored man could end the fight in whatever way he wanted.

THWAP...THWAP...THWAP...THWAP...THWAP...THWAP

Punch after punch. Each was delivered slowly. With every blow, more of the Baron's face was broken. In a short time, there was no face to speak of.

Yet the armored man did not cease. Punch after punch. He continued until the entire head was turned into a pool of blood and shattered bone. Even the horns would be picked up and crushed in his grasp.

During this, the portal that the Baron had come through was closed by Samuel. He waited until it was dead to do so, just in case something else came through to add to the demonstration. Whether or not it was good that nothing did was hard to determine. Looking back at the others, he could not assess their feelings.

Luckily, before Samuel said anything, one of them would speak.

"Holy shit..." Cherri muttered in disbelief, still focused on the armored man. "That dude...just took out that thing with one punch and a headbutt..." She said.

"Yes. He's quite good at that." Samuel replied, getting her to look at him. "However, you should be made aware that the Baron's body in all aspects is nigh indestructible. Only high-powered weaponry, energy-based or ballistic, can harm that species. Even then, consistently lightly." He informed.

"Wait, what?" Cherri questioned as she pointed to the glass. "But...But...He took it out like it was nothing!" She exclaimed.

"If you'd like another display to support my statement, I could open a second portal. Although, I can't guarantee that a Baron will come through. It could be any of Doom's fauna. We are merely fortunate that the rift was noticed by one of its strongest." Samuel offered.

"So...you didn't summon it, then?" Angel Dust asked.

"No, I did not. The Grimoire could be capable of doing so, I believe. But it'd require a more involved usage of it. All I did was conjure a rift." Samuel answered.

"He's...still at it..." Charlie muttered, watching as the armored man stomped the Baron's corpse with his feet. How the body squished and crumbled beneath his boots was equally impressive and horrifying.

"He won't stop until the corpse is a stain," Samuel informed.

"Why? It's dead." Charlie asked.

"Hatred. The likes of which I've never seen before." Samuel answered, now looking at him as well. "I know nothing of my partner's past, as you'll soon learn. But what I am sure of is that he has a history with Doom and its Demons. A person, be they man, woman, or otherwise, does not produce such rage without reason. But we'll likely never know since he doesn't speak." He said.

For the majority of the following minute, Charlie was silent. Everyone looked at her, wondering what was going on in her mind. All the while, her gaze never left the armored man.

"...May...I talk to him alone?" Charlie requested.

"If you do, you'll need to stick with inquiries that he can answer very simply unless you know sign language. At which point, you'd be able to converse and understand him." Samuel told her.

"I will." Charlie agreed with a nod.

"Then, by all means, go to him. If you go to the left end of the corridor outside this room, you'll see an elevator. Take it down to the lower level and go straight ahead. You'll arrive at the chamber." Samuel instructed.

Nodding a second time to show she understood, Charlie left the room with a surprising amount of haste. Leaving Angel Dust and Cherri with Samuel and the still unnamed female Sinner.

...

...

...

There. It was gone. Only tiny pieces and a thin layer of blood remained. Usually, the bodies of the Demons would burn to cinders. But considering this Baron's arrival wasn't by the command of its Lords, no one was monitoring its condition. So, no swift return to its accursed home.

Honestly, one Baron was miraculous. Typically, one would be accompanied by a few Imps and Lost Souls. Maybe a Hell Knight, and rarely ever a Mancubus. The biggest of Doom's legions didn't seem to care for one another outside their kind.

But that wasn't an important thing to be thinking about right now. With the corpse fully stomped into nothingness, Doomguy needed only to return to others.

Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap

Footsteps? They were coming from the corridor that led out of the chamber. They were far too light to be Samuel's. Was it Olivia? Angel Dust?

To his surprise, it was none of the trio Doomguy assumed. It was one of their guests. The princess of Hell, daughter of Lucifer, Charlie Magne.

When she stepped into the chamber, her eyes met with his visor. Despite being unable to see his eyes, Charlie and Doomguy felt their stares lock to each other. He could see she was nervous, maybe even scared, but neither of these emotions hid the visible determination in them.

"Excuse me," Charlie called out to him. "Would it be alright if we spoke?" She asked, remaining at the chamber's entrance until she knew she was welcome.

Taking a quick look around himself to see if the blood had dried yet, which it hadn't, Doomguy responded by approaching her. Out of consideration, he didn't want her shoes to be stained with the Baron's fluids.

Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud

Doomguy's footsteps were vastly different from Charlie's. She hadn't noticed how heavy they were until now, most likely since they walked together with the others.

"Thank you," Charlie said once he reached her and came to a stop.

In reply, Doomguy nodded. If Samuel hadn't already mentioned it, that would convey he wasn't one for verbal communication.

"So, you're probably wondering why I'm down here..." Charlie began, trying to think of the right words for the conversation ahead. "I mean, obviously, I want to talk. But I haven't said what I wanted to talk about. And now I'm rambling because I'm trying to get my thoughts in order..." She told him, followed by a sigh. "It's just...this is so much to process...I have NO idea how Cherri is doing so well...because I feel like my brain's about to explode..." She confessed.

In response, Doomguy did something that surprised Charlie. Using one of his hands, he did an up-and-down motion in front of his abdomen. Thankfully, she understood what he was trying to express. In and out, in and out, in and out, the princess did this with her breathing until she felt her nerves were somewhat stable.

"Again, thank you," Charlie said with a smile, appreciative of his aid. "Okay. Let's try this again. Maybe my brain's a little less fried." She continued, feeling more confident. "Firstly, I wanted to say sorry for my earlier outburst and accusations. That wasn't polite of me. I should've better controlled my emotions so things didn't become awkward for either of us." She apologized.

In reply, Doomguy waved his hand in front of him. Telling her that she didn't need to worry about that.

"No, no. I still need to apologize. Rude behavior doesn't have an excuse." Charlie asserted, strangely passionate about manners. "But anyway, moving past that. I wanted to talk with you about what you just did. And I promise it isn't a complaint or something similar. Just because I'm the princess of MY Hell doesn't mean I feel responsible for that...Baron?" She informed, ending in a slight question as she wasn't sure she remembered the creature's name.

In response, Doomguy nodded, giving her confirmation.

"Okay. Good." Charlie said before getting back to the topic. "I wanted to discuss how you fought the Baron. Despite it being bigger than you and throwing those massive fireballs, you were calm the entire time. Your attacks and movements were so purposeful. You knew exactly what to do to kill it as fast as possible. Now, I'm not an expert when it comes to fighting. I can hold my own, but I'm not a master at a particular style or approach. Yet, with that established, I can still see when someone is experienced in something they do. And from how it seems, that's what you are. Experienced." She stated. "Am I right?" She asked.

To answer her, Doomguy nodded again.

"I thought so," Charlie said. "That leads me to my next question, though. If at all possible, and if you're comfortable telling me, how MUCH experience do you have?" She inquired.

Upon hearing that, there was a change in Doomguy. It was subtle; almost no one would notice it. However, Charlie had spent a fair amount of her life learning everything she could about people to help them. This allowed her to see that her question affected him; it was either stressful or uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, it was too complicated to answer minimally. If Charlie understood sign language, then there'd be no issue. But Doomguy didn't know if she did or not.

"I'm sorry." Charlie apologized again, interpreting the lack of a response as an inability or refusal to answer. "For now, I'll assume that you do. And if you don't, you're just an insanely skilled fighter. Which is still amazing." She told him while simultaneously giving him praise. "Moving on, there's something that Samuel mentioned before I came to talk with you. Of all the questions I have, this is the one I need you to answer." She said. "How much do you hate them? The Demons you're familiar with. The Hell that you know. How badly has all of it hurt you?" She asked.

A few seconds went by, and no response came. But Charlie remained silent, waiting until more than a minute had passed before she assumed Doomguy wouldn't answer. Then, it happened. He slowly raised his right hand, holding it up to her face, and balled it into a fist.

However, Doomguy didn't stop there. He tightened the fist. To such a degree that Charlie could hear the material of his gloves straining. Yet still, he continued, showing no signs of stopping, even as the sound of his fingers' joints popping was heard.

That almost compelled Charlie to intervene. But she believed Doomguy would do so if he started to feel pain, so she didn't. A decision she'd immediately regret when she noticed an unmistakable substance begin to leak from his hand.

"STOP!" Charlie shouted while grabbing onto his arm.

Once her hands gripped his forearm, Doomguy finally ceased. When he did, he opened his fist. revealing a small pool of blood in the palm of his hand. But, to Charlie's astoundment, there was no damage to the glove.

Of course, there could be no question about whose blood this was or where it came from. It was undoubtedly Doomguy's. Yet without any breakage in his glove, that meant two things. One, the blood seeped through openings that Charlie could not see, be they too small or she didn't know what they were.

Two, with the fingers of the glove still in perfect condition, this meant that Doomguy injured himself through sheer strength. By only pressing his fingers with all of his might behind them into his palm, it managed to draw blood. Once that sank in for Charlie, that he did this to answer her inquiry regarding his rage, it instantly changed her perception of him.

"I'm so sorry." Charlie apologized for the third time as she looked at his hand. "If I hadn't asked, you wouldn't have done this." She said.

In reply, Doomguy shook his head, not wanting her to feel guilty. Unfortunately, he didn't know who he was "speaking" to.

"No. I do not accept that." Charlie rejected his response, fully intent on taking responsibility for this. "Is there a first aid kit somewhere close by? Or a room when I can doctor this for you?" She asked, only to then point a stern finger at his face. "And if you try and tell me no, I will drag you until we find one." She firmly warned.

Although the idea of this woman pulling around an immovable object of a man was hilarious, Doomguy could tell Charlie was serious. So, he complied and nodded to say that there was.

"Good. You're going to take us there. I'll hold your arm and hand to ensure you don't worsen the injury and that you don't bleed on the floor." Charlie ordered, amusing him more.

With no other option than to comply with Charlie's demand, unless he wanted to be an ass for no reason, Doomguy obeyed without any resistance. The princess of Hell and the mute space marine. The perfect pair for a very unusual children's book.