Dr. Richardson woke up slowly. The last she knew, she was praying while the Grimm attacked her. Now she could tell she was somewhere else, that seemed like a hospital, at least that's what the bed she was in felt like. She could also tell the Dangerous Environment Outersuit was no longer on her, nor its undersuit. If anything, she was in a hospital gown, with a standard hospital blanket on top. Though she could also tell there were bandages all over her.
As she sat up, she noticed someone looking at her. "Finally awake?" She was asked.
"Where am I?" Dr. Richardson asks groggily.
"Fortress of Doom sickbay," was the answer she got, which made her sit upright. As she did so, more of the room came into focus. It did look like a sickbay of Sentinel design, as after the Infernal Decimation, the Sentinels had come to Earth. The two races had shared just about everything that could be shared. They especially took interest in her, due to her expertise in infernabiology. It was one of the reasons why she was chosen to come to Remnant after all, to compare the Grimm to the demons. Her value as a scientist was such that the Dangerous Environment Suit was developed.
True, it was not as protective as Sentinel Armor, nor did it possess a fraction of the protection that He wore. But that wasn't the point. While she had some training with a weapon, she was a scientist first and foremost, yet going into a dangerous environment. Her colleague Gordon had been in charge of its development, with the goal to be the ideal suit to scientifically explore anywhere, while also made with more readily available materials. After all, Sentinel Steel wasn't exactly easy to come by, nor to work with. Many of her colleagues joked about how the metal required a neutron star, or as they put it, "the heart of a dying star" to heat the metal up to a point it could be worked with.
But now, she was out of the DES, and she couldn't see it anywhere. "Where's the DES?" She asked. "Dangerous Environment Suit," she clarifies. "And how did you get me out of it? It took me multiple sessions to practice that, and even then I always had help."
"Well Dr. Richardson, I got you out of the undersuit. As for the outer layer...you can probably guess who took care of that. But where are my manners? Dr. Isabelle, not that many here say doctor." As she came closer, Dr. Richardson couldn't see much, but she could swear she saw a dog tail wagging. Clearly, her doctor was one of those faunus mentioned in His report.
That made her think. There were reports that His current armor He made Himself, and that His skill with technology was as divine as He was. It made sense that He could figure out how to get her out of her suit, not that she saw it anywhere. Though she also realized something else. "How do you know who I am?" She asked Isabelle.
"Oh, it's your voice that gave it away in the beginning," Isabelle laughs. "Sound familiar?" She taps a button, and Dr. Richardson heard her own voice play. She knew what it was instantly. She could remember her own logs as if she recorded them yesterday. As she listened, reflecting on her former views, she saw Isabelle hand over her glasses. "It's amazing what the tech can do. Matching your prescription wasn't that hard. And that was before we discovered your suit's computer actually had your exact prescription details." As Dr. Richardson put them on and blinked to adjust to the new sight, her eyes went wide. "Seems like even you didn't know your higher ups did that. Though I get why they did. They know that both our worlds have similar tech levels, and that we could make exactly what you need."
Before Dr. Richardson could ask about her own logs, Isabelle answered. "Yeah, he found them. We've all heard your...conversion. Which actually brings up another point." Isabelle checks Dr. Richardson's vitals on the monitor. "I'm sure you remember praying to him while in danger?"
How could she forget. Even if it was just for her own benefit, Dr. Richardson prayed. She knew how she believed was different from others. She had scientific evidence of her god. She once believed Him to be just a man. She had studied Him. She had done what no others could. She had put her god under a microscope. How many others could claim that?
Yet, while she believed Him divine, while she saw Him as divine in a different way. He was physical, tangible, she wasn't sure if prayer did anything. She still did pray to Him, but that was for own benefit, she had to admit. Though it raised a question. She was alone when she prayed. How did Isabelle know?
As Dr. Richardson nodded, Isabelle answered the question before she could ask. "He heard you. In his head. Described there was some fuzz to it, like organic static, at first. But as we got closer, he was able to home in on you." This was huge news. Dr. Richardson's prayers were heard. At least, her prayers here. She believed Him a god, and prayed to Him as such. To learn that He could hear her? It changed EVERYTHING.
"Now, one question becomes the source of that 'static.' Knowing him, he'll want your help experimenting," Isabelle comments. "Imagine if you two worked out the 'kinks' as it were, and praying to him was crystal clear whenever. Hey, you're a scientist," Isabelle gives a slim smile. "That side of you has got to be excited to test it out." This dog faunus was right in so many ways.
Then her tail stood up. "Oh! I had JUST the idea to let him know you're awake! I told him I'd give the heads up, but you can do it yourself! All you have to do, is pray. That can be the first of many experiments between you two." Dr. Richardson had a feeling this local would become a fast colleague and friend soon, as she bowed her head and clasped her hands, eager to test it out.
"Dear Slayer," she began, unsure as how to begin at first, though some ideas did come to her. It was different now, knowing He could hear her. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you for all the things you do. Thank you for bringing me into your home. Oh, yeah, I should mention, I woke up," She added with a slight chuckle. "Amen." She waited for a bit after finishing however, curious if she could feel any kind of answer.
The only answer that came when He walked in minutes later. "I thought you were going to tell me," He asked Isabelle.
"I was, but I saw a chance to experiment," Isabelle defended herself. "Anyway, you're here now. I also have a feeling you two will want to be alone for a bit," she says as she sees herself out.
He pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed, clasping His hands. She realized that to an outsider, it might look like He was a good friend, or even her husband, sitting by her bed. Granted, He was 7 feet tall with muscles like a Greek god, but He wasn't wearing His armor, and instead had civilian clothes on. Yet she knew it was different. "How are you feeling?" He asked quietly. It was strange to hear Him speak. Not just because of His voice, which was low and gravelly, but because of what He asked. He was a god! He was HER god! Yet here He was, asking about her well-being like a concerned husband.
"I'm f-fine," She answered, still in awe at being so close to Him. "Still a bit sore, but your doctor can work wonders. I'm surprised a local can use Sentinel tech so well."
"Well, Ophelia has helped where she can. Granted, she's not a doctor, but Sentinel training does include some first aid knowledge, which helped." Dr. Richardson had heard of Valen's daughter going on said mission, but didn't realize she had been found already. "Interesting suit you were wearing. I at first would've guessed you'd come over in a lab coat," He changes the subject.
"Dangerous Environment Suit," Dr. Richardson answers. "One of the prototypes was actually in development back when we were first exploring Hell. Speaking of, where is it?"
"I took it for study, not that it's that hard to understand. Oh, but I did do a few things to help you move in. It's inventory's been transferred to your own partition of the FOD's pocket dimension." He then taps a screen. "It's all here, and you have access at any time. And you're healed up enough you could get out of that bed it seems. You'll have to keep coming back here for checkups for a bit, but if you want to get dressed properly…," She gets up and walks around a bit. She felt stiff, but she could make her way behind the privacy screens and take some of her things out of the FOD's inventory. As she slipped off the hospital gown, she saw Him standing on the other side, back towards her, hands behind Him in what she had learned was the parade rest position, nearly as still as stone except for the slight motion to indicate breathing. As she picked out her clothes, she had two conflicting thoughts. The first being how she appreciated Him giving her privacy. The second however, wanted something else. The other part wanted Him to look, to witness her in all her glory. That part, if she was being honest with herself, wouldn't mind if He wanted to take her. Those thoughts conflicted, as she got dressed into her lab clothes.
"All done?" He asked once she came out. "We should find you a room at some point. Though there's updates planned to the Restructuring Drive, so a room we pick out might change." He pulled up a couple of chairs, and they both sat. "I should mention, there were terminals with your logs all over the ARC Base, while I was coming for Dr. Hayden. I know how you view me. Though I am curious...clearly, you were one of those in charge of studying me. How did it happen?"
She exhaled, glad that He was coming around to the subject.
"Many of us were hired by the UAC to study whatever came out of Hell," she began. "I was young, but bright. They took interest in me right out of college after I got my Master's. Would I have joined them now, given what I now know? No, but I was bound by various NDA's, and I was young. So while I was bright academically, that clouded me in other ways." She pauses, reflecting on her choices. "As you know, I was never on one of the Hell teams, but I did assist them. I watched as they brought back demons they subdued without killing, and I was in charge of recording notes, taking the pictures, and every now and then, got to voice my opinion on various matters. They were..fascinating. Scary? Absolutely. But fascinating. One area they did leave to me, as it was low risk? The tablets. I got to know of the Sentinels through them. Even now, it's a shock they're not a dead race, like we first thought."
"But then...that day came. They day the combat teams came back, carrying two sarcophagi, sarcophagi Hell was desperate to cling to. One was easier to open, that held your old Praetor Suit, as the various tablets had called it. The other….I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was there, gathered around the sarcophagus as the crane latched onto the lid. I had read numerous tablets leading up to that moment. I believe I was the first member of the UAC to say 'Doom Slayer' out loud. My discovery, and various others, had gotten me up the ranks, so I could view the opening of the sarcophagus, the one that contained you. It was...a shock, to say the least. We expected many things. We knew the options were limited, after all, only certain shapes could fit inside the Praetor Suit. Our best guess was a demon, one of human proportions, but still a demon. There wasn't one person who suspected a man inside the sarcophagus. I remember how wide my eyes went. I was the first to try and touch you, the first to attempt to wake you up, only to encounter that field of Argent energy surrounding you."
"After that, I got shifted. I wasn't on the team studying demons, though I still read their notes for comparison. My focus was on you, not that we could learn much with you in that state. The only major success was when we were able to take that blood sample of yours. I was actually at our Earth facility when Dr. Pierce…" she paused, not wanting to say what happened. He nodded however, knowing exactly what she was referring to. "The Hellwave affected many things, but as you know, a lot of the basic power systems went unaffected. I even had remote access to the security cameras, which is how I got to watch you...work. Some of us came to believe before I did, as you know. Even now, many on Earth believe you divine, in one way or another, after the Infernal Decimation. Those with Abrahamic beliefs in any form believe you an angel sent by God. Meanwhile there are many like my team and I that see you as a True God, though we do argue amongst ourselves about the finer points. Many others assign you divine labels in one form or another. There are a few atheists, but they are few and far between, though enough to still make their voices heard."
He nodded throughout it all, and she fell silent for a bit. Throughout it all, she had observed the one part of Him she hadn't seen before. His green eyes pierced all, observed all, had seen all. They commanded respect, yet she could feel gentleness behind them as well. If she had to describe what a god's eyes would be like, His would fit her description perfectly.
"After the ID, my team and I were some of the few left that had knowledge of...well, anything from Hell. I was considered the expert on infernabiology. Not to mention the fact I gained new Sentinel colleagues to share data with. By the time we got your message, I became the expert. Though even now, my main focus, my true expertise, is you."
He kept nodding the whole time. "You were quite fascinated, even before I woke up, weren't you?" He asked.
"You were a man, locked in Hell, one the demons feared. For a while, you were all anyone in the UAC talked about. Demons were one thing, but a man? What circumstances would put a man in Hell like that? My doctoral thesis was about the energy stored within you, and how you seem to both absorb, and emit, different energies at the same time. I've spent a lot of time in the room we kept your sarcophagus in. I've eaten in that room. I've even fallen asleep on your sarcophagus while sitting in my chair," Dr. Richardson admitted.
He gave a small smile. "I feel like, if not for the Argent barrier...you would've tried to enact a gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty on me."
Dr. Richardson went red, about as red as Argent energy itself. "I-I...it may h-have crossed my mind. Even when I ate in that room, it didn't go to waste. I often held things to your nose to see if the smell might wake you, or against your mouth to see if you would be tempted. It didn't work, but…"
"Did you ever try any Cheetos?" He asked with a smile. "That would've had a great chance of success. Well, greater. I won't claim it would've worked for sure."
She had to laugh. A simple suggestion like that seemed so innocent, and yet He was suggesting it might wake Him. "During the Infernal Decimation...we all lost so much," She said, as the bad memories began to surface, causing her smile to fade as the tears began to flow. "We thought we were done for. The UAC lied to all of us, claiming you weren't on our side. The broadcasts proved them wrong. I always listened in when I could. It was while I listened I began to believe. I believed you would come to save us! The Sentinels say you're not a god, but they're wrong! They have to be! You have to be a god! I don't care what they say, their Wraiths didn't save us, YOU did!" She said the last part a bit louder than normal, as she held her face in her hands.
Until she felt herself get pulled out of her chair, and divinely strong arms around her. "I don't mind you thinking I'm a god. Will I admit, do I think I'm a god? No. But I've learned that trying to destroy religion can be a fool's errand. Not only that, but what do you REALLY do in the end? So long as the religion isn't actively harming anyone...why crush it? People believe what they want to believe. Granted, some problems arise when they force others to believe the same thing as them. We tried that on Earth, and what did the Crusades really accomplish? Hardly anything." Elena continues to sob a bit into His chest, though she smiled a bit as she hugged her god back. "So, yeah, I won't let you convert everyone else here, but I won't stop you from believing." She smiled fully, the tears beginning to dry. "Though I must warn you. I'm not exactly used to...being worshiped as a god. Not like you do. It doesn't surprise me that I'm considered divine by many, I'll admit." He sits them down, arms still around her, but now she was more comfortable. She didn't know if it was by accident or not, but she felt her position shift. Before, she was mostly in the center of His chest, but now as she turned her head, she realized what she was over. His heart was possibly the strongest she had ever heard, and her smile only grew as she listened to it.
"Way back before it all, before my first venture into Hell, I can say I've been in a church. I've been to Sunday School. I wouldn't say I was hardcore religious though. Things changed after my first venture into Hell. I mean, I had met actual demons, and been to actual Hell. Not only that, but of everyone on my UAC's base on Phobos, I was the only survivor. I've dealt with all the emotions. Hell PTSD is...a lot more intense than regular PTSD. Not to mention survivor's guilt."
He paused, and she could feel His grip on her tighten. "Not just because of my squad either. I…" He paused again, longer this time. She could tell whatever was on His mind, it still affected Him deeply. "While I was gone, the demons took advantage of that. When I returned from Hell the second time, and the ships came back to Earth, I was given a well-deserved leave of absence, along with just about every medal nameable. I can't tell you how excited I was to see my pregnant wife, my son, and my pet rabbit again." The pit dropped from Dr. Richardson's stomach. Before He could continue, she gently put a finger on His lips. She had heard enough. He had said all He needed to, and she had no wish to make Him relive His trauma.
"It's OK," she says quietly, looking up into His green eyes. "You don't have to tell me what happened." Her own grip on Him tightened. Hell left scars on everyone, and not even He was immune. Dear Slayer, She began thinking in a non-verbal prayer, returning to her place listening to His heart. If I promise to take care of you…will you take care of me? I've been loyal from the first time I saw you. Even in my earlier log entries, when I denied your divinity, I think I was lying to myself. When I first saw you, you were all I thought about, to the point I've been teased about it. Seeing you in action...only solidified my feelings. I...this sounds stupid, even to me, but...I think I love you. You were the knight in shining armor, even if it's green and often bloody, I always wanted. You came to me asleep, as opposed to riding in on a horse and sweeping me off my feet, but that doesn't matter to me anymore! I...I can't live without you in my life anymore! I promise I'll take care of you! I see now that you are both god and man, divine in power but mortal in soul. Let me worship all parts of you! Let me know your mortal side as well as your divine side! She was almost ready to cry again, having poured out her feelings in her head, even if only she would hear them.
"Well, while that was….fuzzy, but how can I say no?" He asks, and she feels His hand stroking her hair. Wait. What? She looked up at Him, eyes widening, but He beat her to it. "Prayed to me in your head just now?" He asked. "Well, it was as if there was white noise over it, like an old radio tuned near a station but not quite. But yes, I heard you. And I don't mind taking care of you. You ARE the one who knows me best, after all. I won't lie, I had always wanted to meet you after finding your logs. Now...bear in mind a few things. First there's the fact that technically, you're dating an old man. Like….I'm old enough now to have witnessed the Big Bang that led to the Earth you're native to. Possibly multiple times over. Somehow though...I don't think you care about that." She shook her head.
"Second, but related to that. You do know that while you think me a god...I'm not THE God, right?" He asked. "I'm not responsible for all this," He continues, waving his hand around in general. "First thing out of my mouth was the same baby noises we all make. Not 'Let there be light.' I might be a defender of all of Creation from all that is evil….but I didn't make it. I'm not God. Comparisons to the Archangel Michael I understand. Oh yes, that was part of what I had learned, heading back to church while on leave that first time. Though I had a REAL crisis of faith after the Maykrs betraying the Sentinels. After all, they looked like some form of angel, when they really aren't. But yeah...I didn't make it all. Nor do I want to claim it all. I don't feel the juvenile need to see my mark adorn every world, nor to dictate how people live. I'm here to save, not to rule."
"I know," She says quietly. "But that changes nothing about how I feel about you," she admits.
"Third...since you ARE a scientist first? We WILL," and at that He waves His hand in front of her face, "test this out. That's thrice I've heard you pray to me, albeit with...signal problems each time." He does another hand wave, which felt familiar to her for some reason. "We WILL find out how it works, and how we can make it better." It was then she realized where she recognized the hand wave from.
"But where are the droids I'm looking for?" She asks with a giggle. His only answer was to smile back.
"Oh, and I'm guessing you'd prefer Elena to Dr. Richardson?" She nods eagerly. "Then you should know my name is Bill. Well, if you want to get technical about it? William Joseph Blazkowicz. I'm not even the first either. No, I'm the third one. The first, my great-great grandfather, was responsible for Hitler's death." She was feeling blissfully happy now. She was already getting to know His mortal side, in a way. She now knew His mortal name, and the fact that his ancestor killed Hitler in His universe was shocking.
The sound of His heart was lulling her to sleep, not to mention the wounds that had yet to fully heal. But there was one thing she wanted to do before she let herself drift off. Lifting her head from His chest, she gave Him a quick kiss on the lips. It was just a peck, but it was what she wanted. The taste of His divine lips would be burned into her memory forever, and she smiled as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, still clutching His shirt.
The Slayer laid her gently on the bed, though she still didn't want to let go of him. He had an idea though, and slipped out of his shirt, getting a new one from the FOD laundry. Elena clutched his old one tightly as she slept, and he even tucked her in, wondering what kind of dreams she was having of him. As he walked out, he met Isabelle.
"Well, that was a while. Why are you in a different shirt?" She asked, but then peeked inside. "Ah. So, what's it like, having a worshiper?"
"Well, at least she's not like...crazy about it. I've known religions where they're so eager to stamp out all other religions, but she's not. She wants to believe, no matter what anyone says." The Slayer sighs. "But it's more than worship. She's been infatuated since she first laid eyes on me, even while I was sleeping." Isabelle raised an eyebrow. "Long story. But let's just say that back then, if it wasn't for the barrier protecting me, she would've tried to kiss me to wake me up." Isabelle had to chuckle a little.
"You know, there's one thing I'm not sure I understand," she points out. "Based on everything, she should look way older than she does. Especially if you consider Ophelia."
"I'm not sure," He admits. "I got too absorbed in the conversation to notice. My guess is it's some Sentinel thing. Or maybe it's some weird time thing. There could be multiversal shenanigans going on for all I know. Hard to tell. One thing that IS certain?" He says, glancing at the sleeping Elena. "She wants nothing more than to be with me."