Consider this: perspective is not just important; it's unique. When we get too absorbed in ourselves, we often overlook the vast differences in others' experiences. It's crucial to remember that learning about someone's hardships is a far cry from hearing them firsthand. No one can truly capture the depth of another's struggles better than the individual who lived through them.
Octavia wasn't egotistical. She didn't think herself the most pitiful soul simply because her family had problems before and after Doom's introduction. Yet, the Goetian heir was still guilty of a narrow mindset every so often, just like anyone else. That was especially true following the manipulation of her Father as she guilted herself with responsibility for his actions.
But in these last few hours, Octavia felt like an ass. A bit harsh, perhaps, but in comparison to Doomguy, all of her self-loathing seemed stupid in hindsight. As mentioned, knowing the man's past via a detailed documentary was one thing. However, listening to the past through the mouth of its survivor was indescribably depressing.
The space marine asked if he should refrain from being too detailed to prevent his companion from feeling miserable. Without hesitation, the Goetian heir took her friend's hand, squeezed it, and promised that she wanted to know everything. Even if the information brought tears to her eyes, she desired the brutal truth. Apart from understanding the trauma in its entirety, she sought to comfort him as much as possible.
Thus, the exposition unfolded. Doomguy skipped his initial encounter with the Demons since that didn't affect him too severely. Was it a horrifying ordeal? Yes, but there was the hope that when it was over, then that'd be it. He would return to Earth, resign from the UAC, and spend the rest of his years at his family home with his best friend.
That beautiful peace prevented the space marine from cracking. The familiar view of the fields of tall grass and a relaxing rabbit were the only things needed to keep the man sane. So, with that shared, there's no mystery as to why his psyche was shattered when he witnessed it all in ruins. Of course, the twisted cherry on top was the decapitated head of his beloved Daisy.
Doomguy didn't have much in his life that he cherished, but that wasn't a bad thing. He was a simple guy with equally simple tastes and wants. Truly, that quiet farmhouse and the companionship of Daisy were all he required to be content. Did the Demons know that? Probably not. They just sought to destroy anything that held even the smallest of value to him. To the fiends responsible, congratulations, you were successful. But in your achievement, you gave birth to a monster with nothing left to lose.
The space marine described the second encounter as a blur. There were brief moments of coherency, but they were few in total. At a certain point, the man's hollering overpowered the screeches of the damned. Rage incarnate was the perfect summary of what he became.
Yet, when the fighting was done, and the world was saved, another transformation transpired. The anger remained, as it always would. But now, it was accompanied by overwhelming misery and paranoia. There were spontaneous moments of joy and excitement, but they came from unrestrained psychosis.
Doomguy retreated from the world and its people, believing that the Demons would return just to kill him. Those days and nights were mostly spent preparing for the faces and eyes that could be seen lurking in the tall grass. None of them were tangible, only phantoms formed by a mind long lost.
However, every so often, the man buried beneath it all surfaced. When that happened, he always found himself crouched or curled in the darkness of the bunker that had become his sanctuary, waiting for alarms of enemies approaching in the fields above. But that priority was never remembered when sanity managed to reform, even if it was inevitably short. Instead, it was that torturous memory that consumed the mind's focus.
Doomguy's hands always trembled as if there were a violent earthquake. A cold sweat would cover his body and freeze him to the bone. Screaming soon followed, yet it was never furious. The wails of pain and sorrow filled the bunker as he clutched a poor imitation of what had been taken from him.
By then, Octavia couldn't withstand it anymore. She threw herself at her companion, clutching him in her arms as she wept tears of sympathy. In reaction, the space marine held her as well. It would never feel normal to have others care so deeply for him. Or, if it would someday, it'd be far into the future.
When the Goetian heir calmed down, she released her friend. After a few more sniffles, Doomguy resumed speaking. The remainder of the conversation was an exploration of how Daisy's death impacted him. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't any less distressing.
Even if the mindset didn't make sense, the space marine couldn't keep from blaming himself. What if the man never joined the UAC? What if he had been killed by the Demons? What if he had chosen to stay in Doom rather than attempt an escape?
To reiterate, Doomguy knew that none of it made sense. Doom was Doom, and Demons were Demons. Furthermore, their goal was always to invade the entire reality, not just Mars and its moons. Regardless of the choices made and actions taken, the only outcomes were Doom's victory or its defeat.
Still, the space marine kept seeing Daisy's face. Her mouth let loose an ear-piercing squeal that only he could hear. Where others would see a set of lifeless eyes, the man saw desperation, fear, confusion, and a plea for help. A voice lacking definition plagued every thought and dream after the fighting was done. Without fail, it would always say the same things:
"Where were you?"
"Why weren't you here?"
"Why did this happen?"
"What's going on?"
"I'm scared."
"Help me."
"Please, save me."
"You did this."
"It's your fault."
"The Demons killed me because of you."
"You should've died."
"It should be your head."
"Why did I have to die?"
"Why did you kill me?"
"Why did you let this happen?"
"Why?
"WHY?"
"WHY?!"
Suddenly, Doomguy felt two hands grab his face. Octavia stood before him, mortified beyond words. Tears threatened to flood from her eyes again. She hated seeing someone she cared so deeply for drown himself like this.
With choked gasps, the Goetian heir asked if it was still like that. Did the space marine have that voice follow him, even now? Was it always there, acting as a punisher to Sins that were never committed?
...
...
...
Yes. Doomguy could never free himself from that voice. Like so much else, it stained his soul. But unlike the rest of his curses, what made it the most harmful was that it could be real.
What if the voice that lacked identity received it? If Daisy spoke like that, what would happen? Could the space marine endure that outcome? Facing infinite Demons was nothing when compared to the man's worst fears coming true.
Passionately, Octavia denied the possibility. She reinforced that there was nothing Doomguy could've done! Additionally, there's NO way Daisy would blame him! That didn't make sense!
Sadly, while the Goetian heir was correct that it wasn't logical, it didn't matter. Even the space marine's self-awareness didn't quiet the voice or ease the anxieties. Truthfully, there was only one cure, but the man wasn't sure he could take the risk. To him, it was better to live in a purgatory of ignorance than face a potential damnation delivered by his best friend.
Fortunately, neither Octavia nor Doomguy needed to make the call. A portal manifested in the room near the bed. On the other side, there was a small group consisting of familiar faces. Very quickly, Khan, who was among them, took control of the situation and explained everything.
When all was shared, an uneasy stillness gripped the scene. Everyone stared at the space marine, watching the inner struggle. Fate had presented the opportunity, but whether or not the man would take it remained his decision. Yet, it appeared as though he wouldn't be able to choose.
Thankfully, Doomguy wasn't alone. The Goetian heir took his hand into hers and squeezed it tightly like before. No matter what he decided, she'd be right here just as she had been so far. When looking toward the others, he found a similar sentiment of support. Admittedly, Samuel and Vega were the sole exclusions since they didn't have faces.
With nowhere to run or hide from himself and what awaited, the space marine rose from the bed. Octavia walked with him as they entered the rift. She stayed by the man's side even as he approached the Helix Stones. Their hands only separated when a connection needed to be established.
...
...
...
"Hello?" Eve said, greeting whoever this was.
"..." Doomguy hesitated, wanting so desperately to stop. But this had to be done, and he couldn't retreat. "...It's...me..." He informed her.
Eve let out a gasp, nearly pulling away from her Helix Stone in shock. Immediately, she looked behind herself to the rest of the cave.
"DAISY! IT'S HIM!" Eve called out. Her voice echoed through the expansive environment.
Within seconds, the space marine saw a brown blur racing toward Eve and the Helix Stone. When it stopped at the woman's feet, he nearly passed out. It really was her.
Carefully, Eve reached down with her available arm and scooped the rabbit up. Then, she brought the chocolate-colored furball near the Helix Stone. Similar to Eve's reunion with Lucifer and Lilith, a period was taken to allow Doomguy to study Daisy.
Perfection. That was the first word to manifest. Every detail was immaculate. Yet, as the space marine examined the bunny's face, he discovered the only notable change.
To the average gaze, you couldn't tell there was anything different from Daisy's face to that of a normal rabbit. To specify, it looked like an animal. However, upon careful inspection, a person could see that there were subtle structural alterations to allow for a greater range of expression.
That isn't to imply that Daisy looked cartoonish. She bore no resemblance to a famous counterpart who talked about doctors all the time. But it was undeniable that from how this face was formed, it could stretch and change shape far better than a basic bunny. In conclusion, it could react and contort no differently than a person's, but there wasn't an uncanniness to it that would make you uncomfortable. Be it her face or body, Daisy looked as anyone would expect, which was like a rabbit.
"Go on!" Eve excitedly exclaimed, putting Daisy even closer to the artifact. If Doomguy were paying any attention to Eve right now, he'd notice how her bubbliness and expression were scarily identical to a certain Princess.
Daisy stared directly at the Helix Stone. Her eyes were a different shade of brown than her fur, which helped to separate them from her body. It was like two shiny marbles were looking at the artifact. Rather than appearing angry or disgusted, which is what the man feared, the gaze conveyed nervousness.
Slowly, Daisy leaned forward and pressed her head against the Helix Stone. Oh yeah, she was DEFINITELY smarter. Sure, that much has been communicated by Eve already, but it still surprised Doomguy. Yet, it did NOT hold a candle to what came next!
"...H...H...Hi..." A voice entered the space marine's mind. It had an accent that was hard to identify. "...S...So...um...it's...me..." The voice timidly said.
...
...
...
"...It's...me...too..." Doomguy replied, just as awkward as her. Neither the man nor the bunny knew what they should say.
"...I...recognize it...your voice..." Daisy told him. The more she spoke, the easier it was to determine the aspects of how she sounded. Obviously, her voice was feminine. However, it had a unique huskiness to it. Some might use the term "tomboyish" as a descriptor.
"...I...don't..." Doomguy admitted.
Let's pause for a second, shall we? I feel it is necessary so that we can fully appreciate what just happened. The space marine, utterly overwhelmed by everything, has possibly said the single most baffling thing in this entire story. Apparently, Daisy shares this opinion. Her reaction began as a small chuckle, but then it evolved into uncontrollable laughter.
"I...I...I'm SO sorry!" Daisy apologized amidst her chortling. She kept her head on the Helix Stone, expressing her amusement purely through her mind. "It's just...I...I can't believe you said that!" She carried on.
The rabbit's amusement was infectious. Doomguy, while not to the same degree, also chuckled. Together, the duo shared a small case of the giggles, which helped to dispel some stress.
"Hoo..." Daisy sighed, recovering from her fit. "I know I already apologized, but I really am sorry. That caught me by surprise, and I couldn't contain myself." She explained.
"No...you're fine..." Doomguy assured her. "I'm...I'm just...glad this is real..." He said.
"So am I," Daisy replied, her tone becoming serious. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again. When you disappeared from Doom, I hoped you'd move on." She shared.
"No! I'd never!" Doomguy exclaimed, which surprised her. "I'd never let it go! I'd never let you go! Those bastards took you from me! They ruined our lives! No matter what, I'd fight them until every last one was dead!" He told her, almost shouting.
Hearing that caused Daisy's face to change. She...looked sad.
"...That's...what I worried about..." Daisy began, her voice shaking. "When I first saw you after I died, I was so happy. But...it wasn't you. It was someone else. He looked like you, he sounded like you, but it wasn't you. The man I saw was rabid. He snarled and barked like a bloodthirsty hound. Whenever that man looked at me, it felt like the gaze of a stranger. Yet, I knew it WAS you, even if it wasn't. Seeing you become that was horrible. I hated it so much. I hated those monsters for doing that to you. You were always so kind. You were big, but you were gentle. Whenever I looked at you in life, I felt safe. I was never afraid. But that man I found, he scared me. It was as if Doom had made its version of you, and it was sickening." She described.
The space marine was speechless. However, the man couldn't stay silent. This wasn't a conversation that could have lengthy lulls, especially with stuff like that!
"...I...I recognized you..." Doomguy revealed. "I...I tried following you...I tried calling your name...I...I thought you weren't real...but I wanted you to be...I wanted it so badly...and yet...I...I frightened you...I...I pushed you away...Daisy...I'm...I'm..."
"STOP!" Daisy yelled, now panicked. "STOP! STOP IT! DON'T FINISH THAT!" She ordered, her face scrunching. "I know you would've never done that! It wasn't you! It was never you! It was these fucking freaks! They made you like them!" She insisted.
...
...
...
"...Will?..." Daisy called after a moment of unexpected quiet. Her voice was filled with concern.
"...Daisy..." Doomguy started, worsening her worry. "Did...you just swear?" He questioned.
...
...
...
"You can't be serious," Daisy bluntly responded, losing any amount of anxiety she had.
"No, I am." Doomguy promised.
"Will, I think we have problems that are SLIGHTLY more important than the words I use." Daisy said.
"Oh, so now you're sarcastic, too?" Doomguy asked.
"...What is even happening?..." Daisy muttered in disbelief, flabbergasted by the sudden turn this was taking.
"Excuse me for me being surprised when my best friend casually says fucking." Doomguy commented, which...EARNED HIM AN EYE ROLL?!
"Oh, fer fuck's sake, Will!" Daisy exclaimed, followed by a sigh. "I'm currently stuck in an endless void of death. Even someone as strong as YOU couldn't squeeze a shit out of me to give about my choice of words." She remarked.
"Young lady, you're better than this." Doomguy told her, causing her to gasp.
"YOUNG LADY?!" Daisy questioned. "Will! I'm not a baby anymore! Even before I died, I was a fully grown rabbit!" She argued.
"Funny how the fully grown rabbit behaved like a child, then." Doomguy said.
"Will, don't you dare..." Daisy warned, furrowing her brow.
"If I recall, you were the pickiest critter I'd ever seen. Sure, everyone's got their tastes, but you would always put up a fuss when it came to your food. I did my best not to spoil you, yet you still acted like a pampered primadonna." Doomguy remembered.
"Oh, if that isn't the biggest shovel of shit ever!" Daisy responded, now glaring at him. "I might've not known it back then, but you better bet your ass I do now! You treated me like I was Royalty! Meanwhile, you BARELY did the same for yourself!" She told him.
"Oh, woe is Daisy; she had someone willing to give her the world and then some." Doomguy replied.
"YEAH! BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" Daisy yelled. She got so angry she kicked one of her back legs. "WHY DIDN'T YOU EVER TREAT YOURSELF AS WELL AS YOU TREATED ME?! YOU DESERVED IT, TOO! NO, SCRATCH THAT, YOU DESERVED IT MORE!" She asserted.
"Who's shoveling shit now?" Doomguy challenged. Interestingly, a slight bit of Southern drawl accompanied that. "I never did anything deserving of a Royal treatment. Any luxury I had I inherited from my long list of overachieving ancestors." He reasoned.
"THAT'S DEMON SHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!" Daisy hollered. Coincidentally, she was getting more Southern, too. "YOU HELPED OUT ANYONE WHO EVEN SO MUCH AS LOOKED AT YOU FUNNY! YOU WENT OUT OF YOUR WAY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY! YOU EVEN LET PEOPLE USE YOUR PROPERTY FOR EVENTS SINCE IT WAS SO DAMN BIG! YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON, GODDAMN IT!" She shouted.
"Good doesn't mean great," Doomguy countered. "Plus, I'd make the case that I was simply decent. Just because I wasn't a recluse who hoarded his good fortune doesn't mean I was anything special." He stated, making her scream.
"YOU'RE SUCH A BASTARD!" Daisy growled with eyes full of rage. Additionally, her ears were stiffer than a pole, and her cotton tail was puffed up. "WHY CAN'T YOU ADMIT THAT YOU'RE AWESOME, HUH?! AM I GOING TO HAVE TO KICK YOU IN THE HEAD TO GET YOUR BRAIN WORKING?! I SWEAR, YOU'RE ONLY DOING THIS TO-"
Suddenly, there was an explosion of laughter. Both the space marine AND the bunny forgot that someone else was there. Eve never took her other hand off of the Helix Stone. Was it a bit rude of her to listen in on the conversation? Yes, but she didn't regret it. These two were MADE for each other!
"Is something funny, Eve?" Daisy inquired, glancing at the woman. If looks could kill, there'd be a corpse right about now.
"You two...are hilarious..." Eve wheezed as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. "I would've NEVER anticipated your reunion to turn out like this!" She confessed.
"BLAME HIM!" Daisy reacted, going so far as to point a paw at the artifact.
"We do not avoid responsibility, Missy." Doomguy scolded, making her groan out of annoyance.
"SEE! THIS IS WHAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME! HE'S INSUFFERABLE!" Daisy yelled, using that last statement as evidence.
"Please...no more..." Eve begged, feeling her lungs get short on air. "Oh my gosh...I cannot WAIT for the others to see this..." She said.
"Careful. Remember who's on this side of the Helix Stone with you." Daisy warned, not a fan of where her mind was at.
"Hey, you better not cause any problems for Eve. She's been kind enough to watch after you in my place." Doomguy told her.
"Watch after me?! ME?!" Daisy questioned."Who do you think's been doing all the scouting, huh? I've ALSO scavenged supplies." She shared, adopting a proud expression. "What do you have to say about THAT?" She asked.
"All I'm hearing is that you've made Eve worry about your safety when it wasn't required. She can make Helix Stones to help monitor the Demons' activities. She's also got those friends of hers that can wander around without raising suspicion. There's no sense in you taking such risks." Doomguy answered.
First, there was an eye twitch. Then, there was another kick from the back leg. After that, what unfolded cannot be transcribed. I mean, it could, but even I'm nervous about whether or not it'd be allowed for public viewing. I'm rather casual about these sorts of things, but geez, this bunny's got a mouth on her!
Alas, that leaves me with little left to do. Once Daisy goes off like this, you just have to wait for her to be satisfied. As the space marine was subjected to the barrage, Eve started losing her shit again. If any of the others back in Hell decided to join the connection, they'd have no idea what was going on.