The top of the Ivory Tower. There wasn't anything special about it. Everything Samur created for the structure was inside it. There were no apparatuses or devices of any kind. It was only a large circular space.
Samur stood in the roof's center. He gazed out at the cosmos he had created. Seeing celestial energies and bodies peacefully existing brought him comfort. This was precisely what he needed to soothe his troubled soul.
When Samur departed from the others, his speed was unmatched. Lucifer, Michael, Lilith, and Charlie gave chase. However, Samur was nearly at the top before their feet left the ground. The movement of a Maykr, as stated, was unrivaled. A testament to the flawlessness of Khan's design.
...Khan. She filled Samur's thoughts. Everything she created, all that she had made, was undone by Doom. Furthermore, Doom's only intelligent Demon helped the accursed realm succeed in its conquest. And now, Doomguy was meeting with that creature.
The thought filled Samur with rage. He had never felt such fiery anger, even when Urdak had fallen. Back then, he was overcome with an unbearable depression. What Samur felt now was the polar opposite.
How and why? These were the most prominent questions in his mind. Doomguy hated the Demons as much as Samur. Why would he EVER spare one? Especially THAT one? No matter how he pondered the inquiry, no answer appeared.
"FATHER!" The frantic voice of Michael called out as his Son neared the roof.
One of the many marvelous feats of Samur's intellect was a feature of the Ivory Tower that was rather complex to explain. In short, the tower was modifiable and adaptable all the time. Concerning the roof, there was no dedicated entrance. It opened whenever someone neared it, whether by flight or the stairway.
So, Samur remained where he was as his family arrived. In the order previously mentioned, they flew through the roof as it opened for them and quickly landed as the openings closed. Afterward, they rushed the motionless Maykr.
"FATHER!" Michael shouted again as they reached him. "You scared the life out of us! Are you alright?!" He asked.
"..." Samur said nothing.
"Father," Lucifer spoke, moving to stand before him. "Please, speak to us!" He requested.
"...Why?" Samur questioned. Hearing his voice brought a wave of relief to his family. "All of you saw my outburst. You witnessed my attempt to strangle that man. You know why I've come here, to be alone." He told them.
"Samur." Lilith began as she stood beside her Husband. "We wanted to ensure you were okay, just as Michael said. Although your outburst was unexpected, and perhaps your reaction was more violent than necessary, we understand why you behaved that way. You don't need to feel ashamed." She stated.
"Yeah, Grandpa!" Charlie joined in as she and Michael grouped with her parents. "You don't have to explain yourself. Strangling Doomguy was startling, but your reasons weren't unjust!" She exclaimed.
For a moment, everyone looked at their family's youngest member. They assumed she didn't mean that to sound the way it did.
"...Let me try again..." Charlie requested before inhaling and exhaling. Now that they were back with Samur, she could calm down and think clearly. "I didn't mean to imply that you should've picked Doomguy up and tried choking him. I was saying that your anger about the situation is BEYOND reasonable. But, in Doomguy's defense, I'm confident he wouldn't have spared this Demon without an equally good reason." She explained.
"If that's how you feel, then why didn't you accompany him and the others who departed at his side to meet the Demon?" Samur asked.
"Because you're my family," Charlie answered as she gently held his left hand. "You've kept everyone, even your children, at a distance for so long to protect them. With everything going on now, you shouldn't be alone, especially when something like this happens." She said.
"Charlie's right!" Michael chimed in with a determined expression. "The whole point of telling us the truth was so we could finally work and be together as one! That includes consoling each other when terrible or shocking stuff occurs! Like now!" He asserted.
For a moment, Samur was silent again. He looked at the concerned faces of his loved ones. He appreciated their want to help him. However, his anger wasn't so easily subdued.
"...I...don't think you can," Samur told them while pulling away from his Granddaughter. "That Demon...I can never accept him. I can never forgive him. And yet, Doomguy is going to work alongside him. He may bring the creature back to the tower with Vega's aid. Should that happen, I may kill him on the spot." He stated, shocking his loved ones with that final part.
Once more, there was silence. This time, it was his family. What could they say in response to that? What possible reply could they give?
Their minds busily worked to form ANYTHING. Charlie, whose good nature was unmatched, desperately searched for a way to resolve this. But no matter how she looked at the problem, there was no solution. Additionally, some of her didn't disagree with her Grandfather's feelings. As he had said earlier, this Demon was responsible for the fall of Urdak and the genocide of the Maykrs. Samur had every right to feel such immovable hatred.
Suddenly, someone approached Samur. It was the least likely mediator that could've volunteered. Lucifer moved to be before his Father with his cane tapping beside him. Both came to a halt when he was as close as was comfortable.
"I know how you feel." Lucifer started, simultaneously raising his hand. "Before you think to interject at ALL, let me explain." He requested, briefly looking over his shoulder at his Wife, Daughter, and Brother. "That goes for you three, too. Please, no interruptions or attempts to assist me." He told them before focusing back on his Father.
Lucifer took a quick second to adjust himself. Ensuring that he was well-positioned and ready for what he had to say.
"I am the Devil. Even amidst these revelations, that has not changed. Doom is not Hell. Hell is a place meant to punish the wicked for eternity. It is the eternal penance of the Sinful souls that exist on Earth. When they die, they arrive as an embodiment of their death, Sins, life, or a combination of all three. Take Alastor, for example. The man was a radio host. So, he became the Radio Demon. He died because a hunter mistook him for a deer. So, he's got antlers and a fluffy tail. For most, their appearance when they arrive is another addition to their suffering. A constant reminder of what they threw away by being literal scum. What ANY of this has to do with Doom and the Demon you're so fixated on is simple. Doom, as I stated, is not Hell. It's a bottomless void that seeks to consume everything. It's cruelty without purpose. It doesn't dispatch misery in response to one's Sins. It's evil, pure and simple.
However, I've seen evil in the Sinners that arrive. Oh sure, there are the obvious answers I could give. A crazed German dictator here, a blood-themed warlord there. An Asian man who shoved his dick into every hole he could find on the left, and another insane dictator, this time Russian, who didn't even have the slightest bit of care for his people on the right. But then there are the evils that are often talked about but rarely ever have serious action taken against them. Child fuckers. Human traffickers. The religious zealots of the week. The list goes on. I see the same thing I do with Doom in all of them. They're self-interested bastards and bitches who don't care. We can toss up their bad behavior to poor childhoods or victims of circumstance, but that's more often than not used as an excuse. A blatant attempt to make them seem like lesser evils than they are. As time passed, and they only got worse, I firmly believed they would never change. Eventually, you gave the order not to torture them anymore. Even if you hadn't, we still wouldn't find ourselves in a different present. I was unmovable in my perception of these mistakes of life. They were worthless. Lower than trash. There was no point in wasting effort on them. Hence, we created the Extermination. A way to recycle that garbage and have it be reborn as something far better. Yet, to one person, this method was cruel. That, of course, was my Daughter.
When Charlie proposed the idea of her hotel and redeeming the Sinners, I laughed in her face. Until recently, I didn't think, be it Sinner or Demon, that anyone as evil as the people in Hell could be better. And while amidst all of this, we haven't seen if Charlie's methods at her hotel will bear fruit, I finally see what she has seen for most of her life. Our ever-expanding group of associates and partners has a plentiful mixture of Sinners and natural-born Hellspawn. Before the arrival of Doomguy, they'd go about their lives as if it were any other day. Kill. Rape. Destroy. Over-indulge. Etc. All of it was to satisfy sadistic urges or because it was the easiest way to get what you wanted and solve problems. But now? Those same people who reveled in their poisons and vices are working together for something good. Granted, Doom IS significant. Even the thickest-skulled moron would put down their petty shit when confronted by something like it. Yet, I don't think that takes away from my overall point. These Imps, Demons, and Sinners are all cooperating. And for what is likely the first time for ANY of them, it's going toward something decent. Righteous, even.
Furthermore, wasn't that our original plan? To reveal Doom's existence to Hell AND Heaven's population? To announce the existence of monsters that make them feel TRUE fear? A force that, compared to themselves, makes all of their pride in their so-called grand acts of evil look like the adorable attempts of a toddler to seem scary? What then, Father? Are you to say that the support and acknowledgment we'd gain from that wouldn't be useful? That telling all of these cretins in Hell about Doom would be pointless? Yes, they're horrible souls. There's no denying that. They're miserable and disgusting and deserve their damnation. But the whole reason for the Extermination, which is the same as Charlie's desire to open her hotel, is so these twisted people can earn redemption through their efforts. Should this Demon not be allowed the same opportunity, even if his Sins are innumerable? Will we deny him the opportunity that we would give ANY other entity solely because this is personal for you? Even when his Sins are nigh identical to so many Sinners in Hell? I understand your hatred of him, and I will fully stand by you should you wish to refrain from interacting with him or acknowledging his efforts. But if Doomguy is right, which I have no reason to doubt since the man's spent nearly ALL of his life shooting those monsters and beating them to death with his bare hands, then this is the ONLY Demon from Doom who wants to destroy it. You, of all people, should realize the value of such an ally." Lucifer stated.
When he was done, Lucifer breathed out a heavy sigh. His shoulders slumped, his back relaxed, and his head tilted forward as his eyes closed. That took a lot out of him. Before now, there'd never been something so serious he had to say to his Father.
But this needed to be said. Not just for Samur but Lucifer as well. Since he was handed long-overdue hubris, the Devil's mind had been busy. Sure, much of it focused on Samuel and learning more about Doom. However, he also reflected on himself and his actions, such as his poor handling of his Daughter's compassionate nature.
Naïve. Foolish. Ridiculous. The trifecta of words Lucifer used to describe his child's perception of Hell's denizens. Yet, it wasn't just the discovery of Doom's existence that contributed to this inward inspection of himself. Nor was it the silent exterminator of its Demons.
Samuel Hayden. A man who made mistakes like any other. Yet, he never ceased in his efforts to atone for them and continue his pursuit of bettering humanity. Lucifer genuinely saw much of his Father in this mortal from another reality. Someone who took upon burdens that weren't even his so that others wouldn't need to.
A mortal, in such a short time, had made such a great impact on him. Lucifer would even be so bold as to say they had achieved some level of friendship. Never before now would the Devil have seen mortals, or specifically Sinners, as more than fools incapable of change unless he and his kin directly helped them. They were, in short, beneath him and the rest of his family.
But now, that was different. Doom. Doomguy. Samuel. Charlie. Each played a part in the development of Lucifer's character. The broadening of his thinking. Of all the people he expected to give such a speech about undergoing the same process to better themselves, he never anticipated his Father would be among them. Yet, here they were.
Suddenly, Lucifer felt a tug at his sleeve. As he turned to investigate, he discovered his Daughter, who struggled to fight back tears. No words needed to be said. He welcomed the embrace he knew she wanted to give.
To his surprise, this wouldn't be an exclusive Father-and-Daughter bonding experience. Lilith and Michael joined in on the hug. They, like Charlie, didn't utter a word. Lucifer's words not only moved them but impressed them as well. They had never seen this side of the usually smart-mouthed Lord of Hell. Secretly, they hoped to see it more.
As for Samur, he was left to his thoughts. Similar to Charlie, Lilith, and Michael, he was impressed beyond words by Lucifer's speech. Even so, that anger he felt wasn't leaving. But, as his Son had told him, there was nothing wrong in feeling this rage. If anyone was deserving of it, it was most certainly Samur.
"Pardon me."
Vega's voice came from the rooftop beneath them. While initially jarring, they remembered he was now inside the Ivory Tower, leading them to a different concern.
"Um...Vega..." Charlie spoke as her family separated. "Were you...listening to us this entire time?..." She asked.
"No. Of course not. That would be an invasion of your privacy." Vega answered. Everyone, including Samur, felt immense relief.
"Okay. Sorry for accusing you." Charlie apologized with a smile.
"Think nothing of it. It was a logical concern. But again, I assure you, I am only ever present when necessary. Otherwise, I am focusing on other tasks to aid us in our future endeavors." Vega replied.
"Which means that you've reached out for a reason." Lilith deduced.
"Precisely so, your majesty. Before informing the others, I wanted to tell all of you that Doomguy and his group will be returning. With them are two individuals. One is the Demon discussed earlier. The other is a human known only as the Marine. They are preparing for departure and will be ready to arrive in the new few minutes." Vega told them.
"Why did you want to tell us before the others?" Michael inquired.
"It was apparent to everyone, including myself, that Samur is displeased by the mere mention of the Wretch. Although I intend to assist Doomguy, I will still respect his wishes. If you do not want the Wretch to be here, I will inform Doomguy and redirect their destination to the Mars complex in our reality." Vega offered.
"That's...remarkably considerate of you." Lucifer praised him. "I hope that wasn't offensive. I wasn't anticipating such an empathetic gesture from an artificial entity like yourself." He explained.
"I understand completely. Despite my intellect, I am still bettering my grasp on emotions while developing them myself. Of course, that is at the bottom of my priorities for the foreseeable future." Vega assured. "Now then. Samur, what is your decision? I do not wish to rush you, but there isn't much time before Doomguy and those accompanying him will request me to return them here." He asked.
Like before, all eyes fell on Samur. Yet, he didn't respond verbally right away. Instead, he opened an entryway into the tower through the rooftop first.
"We'll be there to greet them alongside everyone," Samur answered as he looked at his family. "Come. We shouldn't keep them waiting." He beckoned as he spread his wings.
With nothing left to say, the others followed Samur into the tower. The entry would, as previously, close itself while they flew downward. This was it. No turning back now.