"Alright, marines. Listen up. Our target is Doctor Samuel Hayden. The U.N. has labeled the now-former head of the UAC as a threat to the safety of the colonized solar system. The world leaders were deliberately sparse on the details, the bastards. All they'd tell us grunts is that Samuel's crimes are so significant that he needs to be apprehended with due haste. They also stressed the importance of caution. The man IS quite literally the smartest person in the known universe. As such, our permitted munitions for this mission are everything. Heh, that's right. I can already see the smiles on your faces. We rarely get to break out the heavy-duty stuff for fun. But Samuel Hayden is deserving of such extreme violence. He'll undoubtedly have automated defenses prepared for our arrival. No marine is to leave the ship until we've properly secured our landing zone and have dealt with any detectable hostiles. I know, boring. But it'd be a shitshow if we all ran out there and got riddled with plasma, bullets, rockets, or that supposed secret super weapon the UAC's been cooking. So, use that period to fully prepare yourselves and ensure there isn't any loose equipment. The scans should only take thirty minutes at most unless Samuel's got countermeasures for that. Then it'll take longer. We aren't trying to assess the entire complex in one sitting, only the facility where we land. So, with all this said, do you have any questions?"

Silence met the commander. The Marines had no problems nor additional comments to be issued to the mission debrief. Admittedly, there wasn't even a point for it. They HAD been traveling to Mars for almost a week now. But the rank and file understood their leader had to give it anyway.

With the debrief taken care of, the commander returned to the bridge. Their ship was already breaking through the Martian atmosphere, but the descent went slowly. The Mars complex wasn't supposed to have long-range weapons or heavy-duty artillery. The Marines had no intel that suggested it suddenly did. Still, caution was always a must.

Eventually, the vessel would reach its intended landing zone without complication. Facility E1M1, the first building constructed for the Mars complex. Despite its large size, there wasn't much to the structure. It possessed a few research apparatuses but mainly served as a welcome to any new arrivals.

"No signs of life? Machine or otherwise?" The commander asked the pilots. The scan of E1M1 hadn't begun, but they should still have some information for the immediate area around the ship.

"Hmm...we seem to be detecting a foreign energy source...but it's not associated with a body or object, sir. It could be roaming Argent from the tower or other facilities. Or it could be some unorthodox defense by the target. It'd take us a bit, along with the scans, to know for sure." One of the pilots answered.

"Be as thorough as you need to. We've been in this can for a week; another half or full hour won't kill us." The commander told them, to which he received nods. "Also, regarding the tower, it's been down for almost a month. You can see it in the distance. No Argent is being streamed." He informed them while pointing to the massive monolith.

"Right, yeah. I remember hearing about that on the news before we left. Sorry, sir." Another of the pilots responded with an apology.

"No need. It's a strange situation. It could be that Samuel's turned it off as a bargaining chip. Or, in preparation for this sudden insurgency, he disabled the tower to redirect the energy output to produce additional defenses and weapons." The commander suggested.

"What about the personnel? Surely not ALL of them are so loyal." A third pilot asked.

"You'd be surprised. Most people perceive Samuel as a god. Credit where it's due; the man did save humanity. Even so, such an accomplishment is bound to turn one into an egomaniac. As for the staff, they're in constant proximity to him. It wouldn't be impossible for a radical perception to form. It might've even reached the level of cult status." The commander answered.

"Speaking of cults, there's been some WEIRD shit about Mars floating around." A fourth pilot chimed in. "Rumors have been spreading for a while now that the UAC's research here isn't just Argent Energy. I've heard they've been making monsters. There's also been word that the source of Argent Energy isn't normal. It might not even be of this universe!" They exclaimed.

"Alright. Enough. We've got enough to deal with. I don't need my unit jumping at shadows because you're filling everyone's heads with nonsense." The commander firmly stated.

"Ehehe, sorry, sir. Just trying to join the conversation." The same pilot apologized.

After that, the commander took his leave, and the pilots got to work on the scans. Before the commander relaxed, he wanted to see how the rest of his subordinates were doing. Unsurprisingly, all the Marines had headed to the armory after his debrief. The sounds of weapons being examined, armor being adorned, clips being prepared, and equipment moving around filled the air.

Light Machine Guns. Plasma Rifles. A few Chainguns, alongside a couple of Gauss Cannons. The commander wasn't kidding when he said they could use the big stuff. There was even a rocket launcher, but that was a just-in-case measure. From what the Marines knew about Samuel's office in the central building, it was presumed to be heavily fortified. They could need such raw destructive power to breach.

Seconds became minutes, and time went by. At twenty, most of the Marines were ready to go. At half an hour, everything was set. By forty-five minutes, the soldiers started wondering what was taking so long. After that, so was the commander.

However, after returning to the bridge, the commander was met with an oddity. The door that separated the room from its connected hallway was jammed. Even the emergency release wasn't functioning. So, the commander had to pry it open.

Fortunately, the doors were designed for such situations. With a firm grip and proper use of his strength, the commander pulled the entrance open. Yet, when he saw what was inside, he wished he didn't.

The bridge was covered in the pilots. No, you didn't misread. What once was a group of the commander's men now coated every inch of the space. Muscles. Bone fragments. Blood. Hair. It was everywhere.

The commander's body froze. His eyes widened. He wanted to do something, ANYTHING. Scream. Run. But nothing happened. He stood motionless, his mind struggling to process what it saw.

Suddenly, a tidal wave of yelling and anguished voices assaulted the commander's ears. The Marines. They were under attack. On instinct, the commander turned around and headed back to the armory. Sadly, another horrifying display awaited him.

The Marines were killing each other. There was no enemy. They would beat their brother-in-arms with fists if their guns ran out of ammo. They even went so far as to use their mouths to rip away massive chunks of flesh. What the Hell was happening? What was going on?!

Unfortunately, the commander's presence didn't go unnoticed. The maddened Marines turned their focus to their leader. Even those whose faces no longer had skin or the few whose legs and arms had been blown off. He was their target now.

Before the commander could draw any weapons he carried, his unit swarmed him. He screamed in agony as his men ripped him apart. Stripping his bones clean of all meat and skin. It was unbearable. A torturous nightmare.

...

...

The commander returned to his senses with a jolt, as did the Marines. All of them let out a simultaneous yell in alarm. Where were they? What was going on? What just happened?

As everyone's hearts raced and their lungs worked hard to breathe, slowly, they realized something. A figure was in the middle of the armory, perfectly centered between the Marines. Its attire was quite fancy, and its face seemingly normal. Yet, there was an undeniable air of horror surrounding them.

"Ah, good. You're back." The figure spoke with a smile and a clap of its hands. The voice it used sounded masculine. "Now. I know you're confused. But I'd like to-"

The figure stopped speaking. Every Marine instantly drew their weapon and trained it on them. Of course, the mysterious stranger expected this.

"I wouldn't do that." He warned. "If any of you shoot, you'll hit your friends. Your projectiles will pass right through me. See?" He told them, followed by a demonstration.

The stranger became slightly transparent for a moment. True to his word, the Marines could see right through him. What the fuck was going on? Was this a hologram?

"WHO ARE YOU?!" The commander finally stepped in. He, too, brandished a firearm.

"Ha, ha, I love when you mortals try to act scary." The stranger chortled. "Here's a tip. You'll be FAR more intimidating if you stop shaking like a frozen chihuahua." He told them.

Sadly, the Marines' bodies betrayed them. They were rattled. How could they not be? Whatever they just experienced was horrible. Anyone would be shaken.

"Now, before you open your mouth and bark some more, let me explain what's happening." The stranger began. "First of all, I am Lucifer Magne. Before you think to question it, yes, THAT Lucifer. The Morningstar thing is something YOU people came up with. So needlessly grand." He said, introducing himself. "Now, you probably don't believe me. But please, consider the situation carefully. You were about to disembark your vessel when suddenly, everyone went mad. You started killing each other. The pilots had been reduced to paste. And your commander was mauled by his men. If you think that was some sort of trick when the pain you felt was so real, then you're remarkably stupid." He continued. "Here's the reality of the situation. I did all of that. Don't believe me? I'll do it again. It takes no effort on my part. Making mortals do horrible things to each other is my job. Well, it's more of a pass time, but you get the idea. I can torture you in SO many different ways. It's exciting to think of the possibilities. Or, you can be sensible, leave Mars, and never come back." He concluded before snapping his fingers. "Oh! And should you send more people or do something else after you agree, I'll come for you and those you hold dear. Don't think you'll be safe ANYWHERE in this universe. I am the Devil, after all. You cannot escape me." He added with a toothy grin.

For a few seconds, Lucifer was confident that these mortals would heed his words. Then, as expected, one of them tried to attack. Was it fear? Desperation? A psychotic break? Lucifer didn't know, and he didn't care.

Snap

With a click of his fingers, the Devil popped the lunging soldier like a balloon. Every piece of him went in a different direction. Of course, the others were in the splash zone. They got the joy of being covered in their comrade.

But before the Marines could begin freaking out, Lucifer snapped his fingers again. The soldier he burst reformed in the place where he once stood. Like before, it took a second for the realization to sink in. When it did, the poor man began screaming.

"So. Are we going to have a repeat performance of the stupid monkey? Or will all of you be well-beaten chimps and dance to the tune I've played for you?" Lucifer asked.

There was no hesitation this time. The Marines immediately lowered their weapons. There was no chance that they could win against this entity.

"Good, monkeys. If I had a bundle of bananas, I'd give them to you." Lucifer praised them with a smile. "Now, go back to your enclosure. Remember, if ANYONE else arrives or ANYTHING happens, we'll see each other again in no time~" He whimsically promised before abruptly vanishing.

...

...

Lucifer watched the ship as it flew away from the Martian surface. Unlike mortals, breathing was optional for someone such as him. The hostile nature of Mars' environment, especially compared to Hell, was SO tame. He honestly found it soothing.

However, Lucifer heard a familiar noise from behind once the vessel was out of sight. The soft humming of a drone as it approached him.

"Exceptional work." The voice of Samuel spoke from the machine, complimenting him. "They never even left the ship. What did you do?" He inquired.

"Mind control. Nothing more." Lucifer replied with a casual shrug. "You know that story about how the snake convinced Eve to eat from the Garden of Eden? Well, that's not ENTIRELY bullshit. My Father never made some perfect place for two random people to fuck in forever. That's stupid. However, I did enjoy going to Earth a few times to mess with the people. I got pretty damn good at making them see, hear, and feel things. So, I fucked with their minds. They truly believe I did horrible, unspeakable things to them. I'm confident they'll refrain from bothering you again." He explained.

"Hm, incredibly useful." Samuel complimented him again, having no issue with his method. "Still, we should prepare for any outcome. You can't easily predict the acts of the idiotic." He stated.

"True. Want me to come back and cook up some ideas with you? My expertise in the ways of underhanded tomfoolery will offer much." Lucifer asked.

"Yes. Please do. I'll also contact Olivia and request her presence. She should be informed of the situation and be included in this discussion." Samuel answered.

With that, Lucifer's job was done. He returned to the tram station with a pep in his step and a smile of pride.

Meanwhile, In Hell...

An ashtray overflowed with cigarettes. An impatient foot tapping against the floor. One nervous man, another irritated. This was the scene of the Porn Studios' Penthouse.

It had been a LONG time since Velvette left to see Stolas. No calls. No texts. Nothing. What was she doing? Having sex with the guy?

"...Fuck this." Valentino finally spoke, rising from his seat when he did. "We're going to fetch her ourselves." He told Vox while heading for the door.

"Wait, what?" Vox questioned, immediately following. "We can't just show up uninvited to a Noble's home! We're still Sinners!" He exclaimed.

"I never said we'd storm the place. Calm yer tits." Valentino responded as the duo made their way to the elevator. "We're going to wait outside the place. The moment Velvette leaves, we pick her up. Simple." He stated.

Having nothing to say to that, Vox remained silent. The duo then entered the elevator and rode it to the ground floor. Porn Studios was never a dull place. People were constantly moving around. Porn shoots were happening every second. It was a bustling building.

So, imagine the surprise of the two Vs when the lift reached its destination, and as the doors opened, they saw and heard nothing. No footsteps. No sounds of sex. The place may as well have been abandoned.

Yet, the signs of life remained. Articles of clothing were thrown about everywhere. Alcohol and drugs littered the floor. There were fluids of all kinds for every type of kink. And there was...damage?

Claw and nail marks on the walls and ground. However, they weren't indicative of aggression. Instead, they were long crude indents. Implying that whoever they were, those people were forcibly dragged against their will.

But that wasn't the end of the destruction. Several lights were damaged and barely functioning. Decent-sized chunks were missing here and there. Countless pieces of equipment were smashed and generally ruined beyond repair. And, covering it all, a concerning amount of blood. More than there should EVER be present in Porn Studios.

Neither Vox nor Valentino did anything for a full minute. What was this? What the fuck had happened? It was as if a turf war had happened inside the building!

Sure, the penthouse suite was high enough to where nothing could be heard from below. But still, Vox and Valentino couldn't have missed this. Not without something preventing the audio from reaching them.

"...HEY!" Valentino surprisingly shouted, catching Vox off guard. "Whoever's FUCKING here fucking with MY shit, come out now!" He demanded.

Listening for any noises, the duo was met with continued silence.

"...Come on, Vox," Valentino ordered as he suddenly walked away.

"W-What? Where are we going?!" Vox questioned, snapping to his senses before following. "Val! What the fuck happened?!" He asked.

"HOW would I know, dumbass? I'm as confused as you." Valentino answered with a scowl, annoyed by his stupidity. "We're headed to the security office. This shit's gotta be on the cameras. Unless whoever pulled this off thought of that." He told him.

"But HOW did they do this, Val?" Vox inquired, unable to move past it. "This isn't some dumb group of thugs looking to pick a fight! Only someone with immense power could cause this devastation, remove the bodies, and ensure we didn't hear a thing!" He exclaimed.

"NO. FUCKING. SHIT." Valentino yelled at him. "But it's not like we've got many options! I'm not leaving until I've got SOMETHING that tells me who did this! Now shut your mouth, or I'll-"

Both men stopped walking, and Valentino ceased his yelling. The security office had come into view. Through the large window that allowed them to see inside, the pair discovered someone was seated with their back facing the glass. Although their face was hidden, a pair of massive ponytails gave away their identity.

"Velvette?!" Valentino questioned, hurrying into the office. "What the fuck?! When did you get here?!" He asked.

Velvette didn't respond. She continued facing away from him. Her gaze seemingly focused on the monitors before her.

"Hey! Answer me!" Valentino barked as he grabbed onto the chair she sat in. "Don't pretend like you didn't-"

As the chair was quickly turned, Valentino made another discovery. Velvette was dead. Her eyes were missing. Her teeth had been ripped out. Blood seeped from the wounds and trickled down her face.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Valentino shouted in alarm. The shock was so intense that he fell backward.

To the Moth Demon's horror, Velvette's body came with him. Her corpse now lay on top of his form. Try as he did, Valentino couldn't get away from her. Somehow, the corpse weighed far more than it should, pinning him to the floor.

"GET OFF ME!" Vox shouted, struggling to break free. "VOX! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE! VELVETTE'S DEAD! HER FUCKING BODY'S HEAVY AS SHIT FOR SOME REASON! I CAN'T GET OUT FROM UNDER IT!" He yelled.

Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump...

Something was coming. It wasn't Vox. It entered the security office. Soon, it was in Valentino's line of sight. A hulking mass of muscle. It lacked eyes but had a lipless mouth. Its teeth were on full display, just like the rest of it.

However, Valentino's focus quickly shifted from the mysterious beast. He noticed in one of its hands there was a body. Rather, another corpse. A hole had been punched through Vox's head from behind. The death was instantaneous.

Suddenly, Valentino felt something shift on top of him. The limp body of Velvette began wriggling like a worm. It moved like a suit that had no one inside of it. This only stopped once Velvette's face was on top of his.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Valentino shouted into the mouth of Velvette. Her eyeless sockets and toothless mouth were over his. He could see into the meaty insides of her head. He could taste the scent of her body.

Even still, Valentino couldn't gain any ground away from the corpse. Gradually, it became heavier. The small movements he attempted slowly died down. All he could do was stare into her, into that red and black emptiness.

Then, a light appeared inside Velvette. It was initially small, akin to a spark, but rapidly grew. The color was a dark orange, and it carried the intensity of lightning. Before Valentino knew it, it reached him.

There were a few convulsions, a number of muffled words as well, yet in the end, it didn't matter. Valentino remained on the floor, only moving when his leg was grabbed by the beast he had seen. With him in tow, Velvette still unmoving on top of him, the three Vs were taken elsewhere within the building.